🔺Zelensky: I was minutes from being captured
Russian commandos came “within minutes” of seizing President Zelensky and his family shortly after the invasion of his country, according to new interviews with the Ukrainian leader and his staff.
Enemy gunfire was audible within the walls of Zelensky’s office at his compound on Bankova Street in Kyiv after President Putin launched the war on February 24.
Zelensky said that his memories of that first day were a disjointed set of images and sounds that existed “in a fragmented way”.
The Ukrainian military soon told him that Russian strike teams had parachuted into Kyiv to kill or capture him and his family.
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Russian commandos came “within minutes” of seizing President Zelensky and his family shortly after the invasion of his country, according to new interviews with the Ukrainian leader and his staff.
Enemy gunfire was audible within the walls of Zelensky’s office at his compound on Bankova Street in Kyiv after President Putin launched the war on February 24.
Zelensky said that his memories of that first day were a disjointed set of images and sounds that existed “in a fragmented way”.
The Ukrainian military soon told him that Russian strike teams had parachuted into Kyiv to kill or capture him and his family.
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🔺Inside Transnistria: is this next on Putin’s hit list?
Many in the impoverished breakaway Moldovan territory say they have no will to fight — but fear being dragged into the conflict anyway
In the square by the People’s Cultural House, two teenagers share a cigarette under a gleaming white statue of Lenin. Near by, a troupe of children perform a traditional Russian dance. Two women in headscarves serve up beans and greying chicken under a hammer-and-sickle flag in a Soviet-style café.
Time seems to have stood still in Transnistria since 1990, when the tiny breakaway region declared independence from Moldova during the death throes of the USSR.
Appearances are deceptive however: in the past few days this internationally unrecognised, pro-Russian territory of 400,000 people in southeastern Europe has become a focus of urgent global scrutiny amid fears that the Kremlin is about to use it to expand its war beyond Ukraine.
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Many in the impoverished breakaway Moldovan territory say they have no will to fight — but fear being dragged into the conflict anyway
In the square by the People’s Cultural House, two teenagers share a cigarette under a gleaming white statue of Lenin. Near by, a troupe of children perform a traditional Russian dance. Two women in headscarves serve up beans and greying chicken under a hammer-and-sickle flag in a Soviet-style café.
Time seems to have stood still in Transnistria since 1990, when the tiny breakaway region declared independence from Moldova during the death throes of the USSR.
Appearances are deceptive however: in the past few days this internationally unrecognised, pro-Russian territory of 400,000 people in southeastern Europe has become a focus of urgent global scrutiny amid fears that the Kremlin is about to use it to expand its war beyond Ukraine.
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🔺First civilians evacuated from Mariupol steelworks after Russia and Ukraine agree ceasefire
A small group of women and children have finally been evacuated from the steel plant in the city of Mariupol where Ukrainian troops and hundreds of civilians are trapped after more than two months of war.
A Ukrainian commander in the Azovstal steel works and Russian state media said that at least 20 civilians left the plant last night, the first successful evacuation after weeks of failed efforts to secure safe passage. United Nations officials have played a part in the negotiations.
“As of now, it’s true that both sides are following the ceasefire,” said Sviatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, a nationalist group that is part of Ukraine’s National Guard and has been holding the plant despite a Russian assault that has destroyed much of the city.
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A small group of women and children have finally been evacuated from the steel plant in the city of Mariupol where Ukrainian troops and hundreds of civilians are trapped after more than two months of war.
A Ukrainian commander in the Azovstal steel works and Russian state media said that at least 20 civilians left the plant last night, the first successful evacuation after weeks of failed efforts to secure safe passage. United Nations officials have played a part in the negotiations.
“As of now, it’s true that both sides are following the ceasefire,” said Sviatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, a nationalist group that is part of Ukraine’s National Guard and has been holding the plant despite a Russian assault that has destroyed much of the city.
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🔺Russia ‘is already paving the way for a takeover of Moldova’
Russia will attempt to open up a new front against Ukraine from Moldova, according to Ukrainian military sources.
One said there were a “number of indicators” pointing to an attack in the near future on the former Soviet state, which has only 3,250 soldiers in its army. A successful takeover would lead to Russian troops moving into the Black Sea port of Odesa, in Ukraine, from the west.
“We believe the Kremlin has already taken the decision to attack Moldova. The fate of Moldova is very crucial. If the Russians start to take control, we will, militarily, be an easier target and the threat to Ukraine will be existential,” said the source.
Tensions are already rising in Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova, after a series of mysterious explosions blamed on “terrorists”. Transnistria borders southwest Ukraine and is under the control of pro-Russia officials.
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Russia will attempt to open up a new front against Ukraine from Moldova, according to Ukrainian military sources.
One said there were a “number of indicators” pointing to an attack in the near future on the former Soviet state, which has only 3,250 soldiers in its army. A successful takeover would lead to Russian troops moving into the Black Sea port of Odesa, in Ukraine, from the west.
“We believe the Kremlin has already taken the decision to attack Moldova. The fate of Moldova is very crucial. If the Russians start to take control, we will, militarily, be an easier target and the threat to Ukraine will be existential,” said the source.
Tensions are already rising in Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova, after a series of mysterious explosions blamed on “terrorists”. Transnistria borders southwest Ukraine and is under the control of pro-Russia officials.
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🔺Mariupol civilians evacuated from the horrors of besieged steel plant
More than a hundred women and children have been evacuated from the besieged steel plant in Mariupol, where 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers and hundreds of civilians are trapped after more than two months of war.
President Zelensky confirmed on social media that a second round of evacuations was carried out yesterday. On Saturday night 46 people were taken out in the first successful evacuation of civilians after weeks of failed efforts to secure safe passage from the Azovstal steel works.
“Evacuation of civilians from Azovstal began,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter. “The 1st group of about 100 people is already heading to the controlled area. Tomorrow we’ll meet them in Zaporizhzhia. Grateful to our team! Now they, together with #UN, are working on the evacuation of other civilians from the plant.”
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More than a hundred women and children have been evacuated from the besieged steel plant in Mariupol, where 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers and hundreds of civilians are trapped after more than two months of war.
President Zelensky confirmed on social media that a second round of evacuations was carried out yesterday. On Saturday night 46 people were taken out in the first successful evacuation of civilians after weeks of failed efforts to secure safe passage from the Azovstal steel works.
“Evacuation of civilians from Azovstal began,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter. “The 1st group of about 100 people is already heading to the controlled area. Tomorrow we’ll meet them in Zaporizhzhia. Grateful to our team! Now they, together with #UN, are working on the evacuation of other civilians from the plant.”
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🔺Corruption leaves Ukrainian reserves without weapons and supplies
In a field on Ukraine’s northeastern border with Russia, a reserve lieutenant leans on his shovel and curses the rain as he watches his unit’s freshly dug trenches fill with water.
Ukrainian army regulars have already expelled the Russians from this area in the Sumy region. His battalion is tasked with holding the line if they return.
The lieutenant’s platoon is part of Ukraine’s 900,000-strong volunteer reserve force, highly motivated to defend their homeland. But some men are on the brink of leaving the army because they are disgusted with the corruption they have encountered, the lieutenant told The Times, requesting anonymity as a whistleblower.
Nato military equipment and training have bolstered units of contracted soldiers, which do the bulk of the fighting, but reserve units are often neglected and their supporting role, out of the limelight, makes them prime targets for fraud.
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In a field on Ukraine’s northeastern border with Russia, a reserve lieutenant leans on his shovel and curses the rain as he watches his unit’s freshly dug trenches fill with water.
Ukrainian army regulars have already expelled the Russians from this area in the Sumy region. His battalion is tasked with holding the line if they return.
The lieutenant’s platoon is part of Ukraine’s 900,000-strong volunteer reserve force, highly motivated to defend their homeland. But some men are on the brink of leaving the army because they are disgusted with the corruption they have encountered, the lieutenant told The Times, requesting anonymity as a whistleblower.
Nato military equipment and training have bolstered units of contracted soldiers, which do the bulk of the fighting, but reserve units are often neglected and their supporting role, out of the limelight, makes them prime targets for fraud.
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🔺Russian ‘nuclear tsunami’ will wipe out Britain, Kremlin-backed media threatens
Russian state television has issued a chilling warning that Moscow could wipe out Britain with a nuclear tsunami in retaliation for supporting Ukraine.
In his Sunday evening primetime show, the Channel One anchor Dmitry Kiselyov said a strike by Russia’s Poseidon nuclear underwater drone could turn Britain into a wasteland by drowning the country in a 500-metre tidal wave of radioactive seawater.
“The explosion of this thermonuclear torpedo by Britain’s coastline will cause a gigantic tsunami wave. Having passed over the British Isles, it will turn whatever might be left of them into a radioactive wasteland.”
The comments came in response to calls by Boris Johnson, the prime minister, and Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, to boost western military aid for Ukraine to help the country defend itself from Russia’s offensive, which began in February.
“It actually seems like they’re raving on the British Isles,” Kiselyov said. “Why threaten never-ending Russia with nuclear weapons when you’re on an island which, you know, is so small?
Russia announced last month that it had successfully tested the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile — called “Satan 2” by western analysts — in the country’s north. President Putin said the missile, which can carry nuclear warheads, would make Russia’s foes “think twice” before threatening Moscow.
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Russian state television has issued a chilling warning that Moscow could wipe out Britain with a nuclear tsunami in retaliation for supporting Ukraine.
In his Sunday evening primetime show, the Channel One anchor Dmitry Kiselyov said a strike by Russia’s Poseidon nuclear underwater drone could turn Britain into a wasteland by drowning the country in a 500-metre tidal wave of radioactive seawater.
“The explosion of this thermonuclear torpedo by Britain’s coastline will cause a gigantic tsunami wave. Having passed over the British Isles, it will turn whatever might be left of them into a radioactive wasteland.”
The comments came in response to calls by Boris Johnson, the prime minister, and Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, to boost western military aid for Ukraine to help the country defend itself from Russia’s offensive, which began in February.
“It actually seems like they’re raving on the British Isles,” Kiselyov said. “Why threaten never-ending Russia with nuclear weapons when you’re on an island which, you know, is so small?
Russia announced last month that it had successfully tested the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile — called “Satan 2” by western analysts — in the country’s north. President Putin said the missile, which can carry nuclear warheads, would make Russia’s foes “think twice” before threatening Moscow.
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www.thetimes.co.uk
Russian ‘nuclear tsunami’ will wipe out Britain, Kremlin-backed media threatens
Russian state television has issued a chilling warning that Moscow could wipe out Britain with a nuclear tsunami in retaliation for supporting Ukraine. In his S
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🔺Russian elite military units no longer fit for combat, says MoD
More than a quarter of Russia’s battalion tactical groups have been rendered “combat ineffective” in Ukraine because of significant losses, according to British intelligence.
The Ministry of Defence said in its daily update that it could take years before some of President Putin’s most elite units were again ready for war.
Defence officials said that Russia was believed to have committed more than 120 battalion tactical groups (BTGs) to Ukraine, about 65 per cent of its entire combat strength. However, more than “a quarter of these units have now been rendered combat ineffective”, the MoD said. Each fighting formation comprises up to 900 troops.
The update added: “Some of Russia’s most elite units, including the VDV airborne forces, have suffered the highest levels of attrition. It will probably take years for Russia to reconstitute these forces.”
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@thetimes
More than a quarter of Russia’s battalion tactical groups have been rendered “combat ineffective” in Ukraine because of significant losses, according to British intelligence.
The Ministry of Defence said in its daily update that it could take years before some of President Putin’s most elite units were again ready for war.
Defence officials said that Russia was believed to have committed more than 120 battalion tactical groups (BTGs) to Ukraine, about 65 per cent of its entire combat strength. However, more than “a quarter of these units have now been rendered combat ineffective”, the MoD said. Each fighting formation comprises up to 900 troops.
The update added: “Some of Russia’s most elite units, including the VDV airborne forces, have suffered the highest levels of attrition. It will probably take years for Russia to reconstitute these forces.”
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@thetimes
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🔺Russia could parade prisoners in the street, analysts fear
The Kremlin could put hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war on display during a military parade, according to a think tank.
The Centre for Defence Strategies, which is based in Ukraine, warned that 500 captured fighters could be “forced to go through Red Square for cameras”. It did not provide further details.
President Putin’s annual Victory Parade takes place on May 9, which is known as Victory Day inside Russia and celebrates the Soviet defeat of fascism in the Second World War.
Russia said last night that it was holding 2,000 PoWs, including former British soldiers. Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, who have lived in Ukraine for four years, were captured in Mariupol last month after fighting alongside the country’s marines. They have since been paraded on Russian state television.
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The Kremlin could put hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war on display during a military parade, according to a think tank.
The Centre for Defence Strategies, which is based in Ukraine, warned that 500 captured fighters could be “forced to go through Red Square for cameras”. It did not provide further details.
President Putin’s annual Victory Parade takes place on May 9, which is known as Victory Day inside Russia and celebrates the Soviet defeat of fascism in the Second World War.
Russia said last night that it was holding 2,000 PoWs, including former British soldiers. Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, who have lived in Ukraine for four years, were captured in Mariupol last month after fighting alongside the country’s marines. They have since been paraded on Russian state television.
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🔺Russian troops ‘storm Azovstal steel plant’ in Mariupol
Russian forces have stormed the Azovstal steel factory in Mariupol after a night of heavy bombardment, according to reports.
The defences of Azovstal were breached this morning, sources told local media, with Russian troops descending into the warren of tunnels where the last Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol have dug in.
Ukrainian commanders previously estimated that there were 2,000 soldiers in the industrial complex, which covers an area of four square miles.
The Kremlin denied that it had launched a final assault and said that President Putin had cancelled the attack earlier this month during a televised meeting with Sergey Shoigu, the Russian defence minister.
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Russian forces have stormed the Azovstal steel factory in Mariupol after a night of heavy bombardment, according to reports.
The defences of Azovstal were breached this morning, sources told local media, with Russian troops descending into the warren of tunnels where the last Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol have dug in.
Ukrainian commanders previously estimated that there were 2,000 soldiers in the industrial complex, which covers an area of four square miles.
The Kremlin denied that it had launched a final assault and said that President Putin had cancelled the attack earlier this month during a televised meeting with Sergey Shoigu, the Russian defence minister.
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🔺Ukrainian counterattack forces Russians to retreat in east
Russian troops have been forced to retreat from parts of eastern Ukraine after a “significant” counteroffensive that could jeopardise President Putin’s plans to capture the Donbas, western defence experts say.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), an American think tank, said Ukrainian troops had pushed Russian forces back from their positions about 25 miles east of Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine.
The strength of the counterattack could force Russian commanders to reconsider their plans to deploy extra resources to the Donbas, the eastern region that has become a key battleground in the conflict.
Russian forces have in turn stepped up attacks on the east of the country, carrying out 50 airstrikes on Tuesday, according to the Ukrainian defence ministry.
British intelligence suggests the invading troops are massing in preparation for an assault on key cities in the Donbas, including Kramatorsk and Severodonetsk.
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Russian troops have been forced to retreat from parts of eastern Ukraine after a “significant” counteroffensive that could jeopardise President Putin’s plans to capture the Donbas, western defence experts say.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), an American think tank, said Ukrainian troops had pushed Russian forces back from their positions about 25 miles east of Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine.
The strength of the counterattack could force Russian commanders to reconsider their plans to deploy extra resources to the Donbas, the eastern region that has become a key battleground in the conflict.
Russian forces have in turn stepped up attacks on the east of the country, carrying out 50 airstrikes on Tuesday, according to the Ukrainian defence ministry.
British intelligence suggests the invading troops are massing in preparation for an assault on key cities in the Donbas, including Kramatorsk and Severodonetsk.
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🔺Ukrainian commander’s wife pleads for rescue of Mariupol’s last defenders
The wife of the Ukrainian military commander who is making a last stand in Mariupol has appealed for international help in rescuing the city’s last defenders as he described “difficult, bloody battles” against Russian troops.
In a video posted on Telegram, Lieutenant Colonel Denis Prokopenko, commander of the Ukrainian Azov brigade, praised his soldiers’ “superhuman efforts”.
His message came after a Ukrainian official said Russian forces had entered the territory of the Azovstal steelworks — a sprawling former industrial site which has become the last bastion of Ukrainian defence in the city.
Russia’s defence ministry has announced a daytime ceasefire for three days from today to evacuate civilians from the plant, but the Ukrainian defenders accused Moscow of violating this promise.
Kateryna Prokopenko, the commander’s wife, has been pleading with the international community for help in rescuing the soldiers.
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The wife of the Ukrainian military commander who is making a last stand in Mariupol has appealed for international help in rescuing the city’s last defenders as he described “difficult, bloody battles” against Russian troops.
In a video posted on Telegram, Lieutenant Colonel Denis Prokopenko, commander of the Ukrainian Azov brigade, praised his soldiers’ “superhuman efforts”.
His message came after a Ukrainian official said Russian forces had entered the territory of the Azovstal steelworks — a sprawling former industrial site which has become the last bastion of Ukrainian defence in the city.
Russia’s defence ministry has announced a daytime ceasefire for three days from today to evacuate civilians from the plant, but the Ukrainian defenders accused Moscow of violating this promise.
Kateryna Prokopenko, the commander’s wife, has been pleading with the international community for help in rescuing the soldiers.
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🔺Russian generals turning on each other to avoid Putin’s purge, says Ben Wallace
Russian generals are “turning in on themselves” because the war in Ukraine is not going to plan, the defence secretary said today.
During a visit to Finland, Ben Wallace said military leaders were blaming each other for the “disaster” and feared being purged if the “quagmire” turns into a panicked retreat.
Military chiefs in the general staff were the scapegoats for President Putin’s failed invasion, he said, adding that those in the military system were “always terrified they are about to be purged and pushed out”.
General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian general staff, headed to the front line in Ukraine last month in a highly unusual move.
According to a Russian news outlet, Gerasimov, 66, was subsequently injured by shrapnel during fighting in Izyum, in eastern Ukraine, and evacuated. However, a senior defence source dismissed the claims.
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Russian generals are “turning in on themselves” because the war in Ukraine is not going to plan, the defence secretary said today.
During a visit to Finland, Ben Wallace said military leaders were blaming each other for the “disaster” and feared being purged if the “quagmire” turns into a panicked retreat.
Military chiefs in the general staff were the scapegoats for President Putin’s failed invasion, he said, adding that those in the military system were “always terrified they are about to be purged and pushed out”.
General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian general staff, headed to the front line in Ukraine last month in a highly unusual move.
According to a Russian news outlet, Gerasimov, 66, was subsequently injured by shrapnel during fighting in Izyum, in eastern Ukraine, and evacuated. However, a senior defence source dismissed the claims.
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🔺US helped put Moskva in Ukraine’s crosshairs
The United States was involved indirectly in the Ukrainian attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet flagship, last month, American officials have revealed.
Since the hit on the Moskva, which sank with the loss of an estimated 200 lives, America has been careful to avoid any suggestion that a US navy Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft that was over the Black Sea played any role in pinpointing the warship.
A US official said yesterday that Ukraine alone had decided to target and sink the flagship using Neptune anti-ship missiles, but that the US had confirmed its location.
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The United States was involved indirectly in the Ukrainian attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet flagship, last month, American officials have revealed.
Since the hit on the Moskva, which sank with the loss of an estimated 200 lives, America has been careful to avoid any suggestion that a US navy Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft that was over the Black Sea played any role in pinpointing the warship.
A US official said yesterday that Ukraine alone had decided to target and sink the flagship using Neptune anti-ship missiles, but that the US had confirmed its location.
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🔺‘Putin yacht’ seized as it prepared to set sail
Italy has impounded a superyacht berthed in Tuscany that has been linked to President Putin, just as it appeared to be preparing to set sail.
Italian tax police seized the Scheherazade, a $700 million yacht docked at Massa Carrara in northern Italy last night after a months-long investigation into the vessel’s ownership.
The 140-metre yacht, which has gold-plated taps, a swimming pool and two helicopter pads, has been linked to the Russian president despite denials from the shipyard hosting it.
After dry-dock repairs, the yacht was put in the water this week as crew loaded supplies and were understood to have taken on fuel, prompting speculation it was about to leave Italy.
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Italy has impounded a superyacht berthed in Tuscany that has been linked to President Putin, just as it appeared to be preparing to set sail.
Italian tax police seized the Scheherazade, a $700 million yacht docked at Massa Carrara in northern Italy last night after a months-long investigation into the vessel’s ownership.
The 140-metre yacht, which has gold-plated taps, a swimming pool and two helicopter pads, has been linked to the Russian president despite denials from the shipyard hosting it.
After dry-dock repairs, the yacht was put in the water this week as crew loaded supplies and were understood to have taken on fuel, prompting speculation it was about to leave Italy.
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🔺Putin’s going to proclaim a new triumph on Victory Day. Will Russians believe him?
As the president’s ego parade rolls through Red Square, nationalist hardliners are growing tired of his incompetence
Nationalist hyperbole has become the secular religion of Vladimir Putin’s Russia and Monday is its high holy day. May 9 is Den Pobedy, Victory Day, the celebration of the end of the Second World War in Europe or, as the Russians call it, the Great Patriotic War. Yet as Putin gazes down on the military hardware rolling through Red Square, surrounded by soldiers and veterans, will he really look like a victor?
There has been much speculation that Victory Day will see Putin make a dramatic announcement. Perhaps he will escalate the conflict and claim that because of western assistance to Kyiv, his “special military operation” is now a full-blown war.
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As the president’s ego parade rolls through Red Square, nationalist hardliners are growing tired of his incompetence
Nationalist hyperbole has become the secular religion of Vladimir Putin’s Russia and Monday is its high holy day. May 9 is Den Pobedy, Victory Day, the celebration of the end of the Second World War in Europe or, as the Russians call it, the Great Patriotic War. Yet as Putin gazes down on the military hardware rolling through Red Square, surrounded by soldiers and veterans, will he really look like a victor?
There has been much speculation that Victory Day will see Putin make a dramatic announcement. Perhaps he will escalate the conflict and claim that because of western assistance to Kyiv, his “special military operation” is now a full-blown war.
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🔺60 feared dead after Russia bombs village school
Up to 60 civilians are believed to have been killed in a Russian airstrike on a village school in eastern Ukraine as the country steels itself for a barrage of offensives to mark Moscow’s “Victory Day” parade tomorrow.
Roughly 90 people had sought refuge in the school buildings at Bilohorivka, close to the focal point of Russia’s redoubled onslaught on Donbas.
Yesterday afternoon the complex was hit by a Russian bomb, sparking a fire that raged for four hours, according to Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the Luhansk oblast.
Only 30 or so survivors have been found. “Unfortunately, the bodies of two people were found,” Gaidai wrote on Telegram, a social media app. “Thirty people were evacuated from the rubble, seven of whom were injured. Sixty people were likely to have died under the rubble of buildings.”
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Up to 60 civilians are believed to have been killed in a Russian airstrike on a village school in eastern Ukraine as the country steels itself for a barrage of offensives to mark Moscow’s “Victory Day” parade tomorrow.
Roughly 90 people had sought refuge in the school buildings at Bilohorivka, close to the focal point of Russia’s redoubled onslaught on Donbas.
Yesterday afternoon the complex was hit by a Russian bomb, sparking a fire that raged for four hours, according to Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the Luhansk oblast.
Only 30 or so survivors have been found. “Unfortunately, the bodies of two people were found,” Gaidai wrote on Telegram, a social media app. “Thirty people were evacuated from the rubble, seven of whom were injured. Sixty people were likely to have died under the rubble of buildings.”
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🔺Russian war in Ukraine is act of defence, says Putin
President Putin today claimed that he was forced to invade Ukraine to prevent aggression against Russia as he led celebrations of Victory Day over Nazi Germany.
“You are fighting for the Russian motherland, for our people in the Donbas,” he said of the war in Ukraine during a huge parade of soldiers through Red Square in Moscow.
He claimed that his war was necessary to prevent an “absolutely unacceptable threat” against Russia. “The death of every soldier and officer is painful for us,” he said. “The state will do everything to take care of these families.”
He finished his speech with a rallying cry to the assembled soldiers: “For Russia, For Victory, Hurrah!”
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President Putin today claimed that he was forced to invade Ukraine to prevent aggression against Russia as he led celebrations of Victory Day over Nazi Germany.
“You are fighting for the Russian motherland, for our people in the Donbas,” he said of the war in Ukraine during a huge parade of soldiers through Red Square in Moscow.
He claimed that his war was necessary to prevent an “absolutely unacceptable threat” against Russia. “The death of every soldier and officer is painful for us,” he said. “The state will do everything to take care of these families.”
He finished his speech with a rallying cry to the assembled soldiers: “For Russia, For Victory, Hurrah!”
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🔺New sanctions steal Putin’s thunder on eve of Victory Day
The G7 committed itself to “phasing out or banning the import of Russian oil” yesterday in a further turn of the screw against President Putin before Victory Day events in Russia today.
The rich nation club, including the US, Japan, Germany and Britain, also used the anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe to deepen sanctions intended to cripple Russia’s economy and war machine.
President Biden announced another round of US measures, including a ban on advertising and equipment sales to Russia’s three leading TV stations to hinder propaganda and the first measures aimed at its third largest bank, Gazprombank, which conducts energy transactions. Britain has announced fresh sanctions on Russia and Belarus to target £1.7 billion of trade by raising tariffs on products including platinum and palladium.
Ambassadors from the 27 EU nations will continue talks today on a ban on Russian oil.
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The G7 committed itself to “phasing out or banning the import of Russian oil” yesterday in a further turn of the screw against President Putin before Victory Day events in Russia today.
The rich nation club, including the US, Japan, Germany and Britain, also used the anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe to deepen sanctions intended to cripple Russia’s economy and war machine.
President Biden announced another round of US measures, including a ban on advertising and equipment sales to Russia’s three leading TV stations to hinder propaganda and the first measures aimed at its third largest bank, Gazprombank, which conducts energy transactions. Britain has announced fresh sanctions on Russia and Belarus to target £1.7 billion of trade by raising tariffs on products including platinum and palladium.
Ambassadors from the 27 EU nations will continue talks today on a ban on Russian oil.
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🔺Russian troops rely on old maps and basic satnav devices
Ill-equipped Russian soldiers have resorted to the “tragic” use of pine logs as makeshift protection on logistical trucks, decades-old paper maps and GPS receivers to fly planes, the defence secretary said yesterday.
Reading out a “charge sheet” against Russian generals, Ben Wallace said they had sent soldiers to war with inadequate equipment and that their failure to adapt before entering a conflict was “criminal”.
President Putin’s forces suffered from a “moral decay”, he said, and were rotten from the chief of the general staff, General Valery Gerasimov, down.
Russian soldiers had been “worn out” and “broken”, he said, and a smaller Ukrainian force could “break the Russian army to the extent they either have to go back to [the situation] pre-February, or it folds in on itself”.
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Ill-equipped Russian soldiers have resorted to the “tragic” use of pine logs as makeshift protection on logistical trucks, decades-old paper maps and GPS receivers to fly planes, the defence secretary said yesterday.
Reading out a “charge sheet” against Russian generals, Ben Wallace said they had sent soldiers to war with inadequate equipment and that their failure to adapt before entering a conflict was “criminal”.
President Putin’s forces suffered from a “moral decay”, he said, and were rotten from the chief of the general staff, General Valery Gerasimov, down.
Russian soldiers had been “worn out” and “broken”, he said, and a smaller Ukrainian force could “break the Russian army to the extent they either have to go back to [the situation] pre-February, or it folds in on itself”.
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