Russia Watch

Russia’s ambassador to the UK ‘blames Britain’ for Ukraine’s daring drone attack & warns of ‘WWIII’ risk– www.thesun.co.uk

pgnewser June 6, 2025 0

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RUSSIA’S ambassador to the UK has blamed Britain for Ukraine’s “historic” drone attack – and chillingly warned of World War Three.

Moscow diplomat Andrei Kelin said that Ukrainian attacks “are bringing the conflict to a different level of escalation”.

Over the weekend, Volodymyr Zelensky hailed Ukraine’s daring drone blitz on Russian airbases as one for the “history books”.

It marked Kyiv’s longest range operation of the conflict so far with at least 40 aircraft being attacked as part of the expert operation codenamed “Spiderweb”.

In an embarrassing result for a raging Vladimir Putin 34 per cent of his cruise missile carriers at the targeted airfields were blasted, Zelensky said.

A £260million AWACS aircraft and bombers capable of dropping nuclear weapons were also struck.

Ukraine said the sneak attack was worth $7bn (£5.2bn) in damage to Russia.

Ukraine LIVE: Putin pummels Kyiv as Russia exacts brutal revenge | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser June 6, 2025 0

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Referring to the attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine‘s interior minister Ihor Klymenko said three emergency workers had been killed during the barrage.

Posting on X, he said: “This night, missiles and drones targeted civilian and critical infrastructure. Emergency services – the State Emergency Service and the police – responded to every call for help.

“Unfortunately, we have losses in the Ministry of Internal Affairs family again. In Kyiv, three State Emergency Service rescuers were killed while eliminating the consequences of enemy strikes. They worked under fire to help people.

“Another 9 emergency workers were injured. Some are serious, doctors are fighting for their lives. Also, 5 rescuers were injured while extinguishing a fire in the Ternopil region. All are receiving medical care. A low bow to our fallen heroes without weapons. Courageous, faithful to the Oath, dedicated to the cause of rescue. Speedy recovery to the wounded.”

Putting the death toll at one fewer than Mayor Vitali Klitschko, he added: “In total, 3 people died in Ukraine this night as a result of the Russian attack, about 40 more were inju

Trump Warns Putin Plans to Retaliate Against Ukraine– time.com

pgnewser June 5, 2025 0

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President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Vladimir Putin intends to retaliate “very strongly” against Ukraine for a surprise drone strike on Russian airfields over the weekend, a declaration that provoked alarm in Washington and abroad even as Trump touted his efforts to bring peace to the region.

The revelation came in a social media post shortly after Trump spoke with the Russian President for more than an hour by phone—a call he described as “a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace.” In his statement, Trump appeared to accept Putin’s warning at face value and offered no indication that he had urged restraint.

“President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to Ukraine’s surprise drone strike that targeted five Russian airbases and damaged or destroyed at least 41 military aircraft, including strategic bombers. The Ukrainian operation, which spanned five time zones and caused an estimated $7 billion in damage, marked one of Kyiv’s boldest assaults deep inside Russian territory since the war began more than three years ago.

NATO summit to avoid Ukraine membership issue – AFP — RT World News– www.rt.com

pgnewser June 5, 2025 0

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The bloc’s members are concerned that the topic could lead to a public rift between the EU and US, the agency’s sources have said

NATO leaders convening for a key summit this month will deliberately avoid discussing membership for Ukraine, AFP reported on Wednesday, citing sources. The bloc’s members are reportedly wary of raising the issue due to fears it could exacerbate tensions between the EU and US.

Members of the US-led military bloc are highly likely to “steer clear of its previous strong statements that Ukraine is on course to join the alliance” when the summit takes place in The Hague in late June, the agency said.

One diplomatic source told AFP that the final declaration is expected to omit any mention of Ukrainian membership to maintain unity among member states. “There will be nothing on that,” a NATO diplomat said. “My expectation is we will be absolutely silent.”

US President Donald Trump has expressed firm opposition to Ukraine’s bid to join NATO. In February, he suggested that Ukraine “can forget about NATO,” adding that Kiev’s bid was “probably the reason the whole thing started,” referring to the conflict with Russia.

Ukraine special ops blast Putin’s beloved £3bn Crimean Bridge with bombs ‘planted MONTHS ago’ in latest daring attack– www.thesun.co.uk

pgnewser June 3, 2025 0

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Ukraine‘s SBU intelligence service said the blast left the bridge in an “emergency state” after devastating its foundations.

It was at least the third attempt to destroy the key road and rail link from Russia to occupied Crimea.

The same SBU special forces unit behind Sunday’s historic drone strikes in Russia claimed responsibility for the pre-dawn attack.

They claimed their agents spent months mining the substructure of the 12 mile road and rail link.

The SBU said: “The SBU conducted a new unique special operation and struck the Crimean Bridge for the third time — this time underwater.”

They added: “The operation lasted several months. SBU agents mined the supports of this illegal facility.

“Today, without any casualties among the civilian population, at 4.44am in the morning the first explosive device was activated.

Former CIA Analyst Confirms CIA Was Behind Massive Ukraine Drone Strike on Russian Airfields — ‘100 Percent Sure’– conservativeroof.com

pgnewser June 3, 2025 0

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Ex-CIA analyst Larry Johnson says Ukraine could not have carried this out alone, and that the operation bears the fingerprints of the CIA and/or British MI6.

By now, you’ve all heard about Ukraine’s massive assault using killer drones that attacked Russian airfields housing the nuclear bomber fleet in Siberia, as well as several other locations deep within Russia’s heartland.

The mainstream narrative is that the operation took over 18 months to plan and execute, and was ‘personally overseen’ by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, it is hard to believe that Zelensky, a former homo-erotic dancer and actor, was prepared for this attack.

The attack, according to mainstream reports, took out 41 aircraft or roughly 34 percent of Russia’s fleet of strategic bombers.

Russia banned from ice hockey in 2026 Olympics — RT World News– www.rt.com

pgnewser June 3, 2025 0

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made the decision to ban Russian ice hockey teams from the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy, the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Luc Tardif, told TASS on Monday.

Last week, sports broadcaster ESPN reported that the IOC had confirmed that Russian teams will remain barred from the 2026 Winter Games.

“For the Olympics – it’s an IOC decision,” Tardif replied when asked by a TASS correspondent whether the committee’s ruling regarding Russia’s hockey team was final.

In February, the IIHF ruled to extend its sanctions and ban both Russian and Belarusian teams from participating in the federation’s 2025-2026 championship season.

The IIHF, like many other international sports organizations, banned athletes from both nations at the IOC’s behest following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The committee later allowed certain Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral flag, provided they pass a vetting process to determine that they have not supported the Ukraine conflict.

What Is Russia Demanding in Its Peace Memorandum to Ukraine?– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser June 3, 2025 0

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Russian negotiators presented their Ukrainian counterparts with a memorandum outlining two potential frameworks for ending Moscow’s full-scale invasion at talks in Istanbul on Monday.

The proposals, published by state news agencies, mark Moscow’s latest effort to assert its maximalist demands for ending the more-than-three-year war.

The first framework requires Kyiv to completely withdraw from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, which Russia partially occupies but claims as its own territory. A 30-day ceasefire would enter into force once this troop withdrawal begins, the memorandum says. Ukraine would also be required to relocate its military to an agreed distance from the Russian border.

Ukraine LIVE: Shameless Putin demands ‘written’ NATO pledge as Trump issues peace deadline | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser May 29, 2025 0

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On Wednesday, the funeral for Tamara, 8, Stanislav, 12, and Roman Martyniuk, 17 — all from the same family — was held in Korostyshiv in northern Ukraine.

The siblings were killed over the weekend when debris from a Russian cruise missile struck their home. The children were killed as they slept in their beds at 3am.

The children’s father, also injured, was released from the hospital to attend the funeral alongside his two surviving children.

“The three kids were incredibly bright, incredibly polite, the smartest, best students, always ready to help, always ready to support others,” said 22-year-old Yuliia Skok, Roman Martyniuk’s teacher.

Ukrainian Drones Slam Into Moscow Apartment Buildings– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser May 29, 2025 0

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Ukrainian drones struck at least two apartment buildings in and around Moscow overnight, Russian media reported Thursday, as officials sought to downplay the extent of the damage.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defense systems had destroyed three drones targeting the capital city. “There were no serious damages or casualties,” he wrote on Telegram.

However, images published by Telegram news channels showed the charred facade of a high-rise apartment block in Moscow’s southwestern Troparyovo-Nikulino District. The building is located around 800 meters (0.5 miles) from Russia’s Military Academy of the General Staff, according to reports.

Another video showed a drone slamming into the top floor of a high-rise in Odintsovo, a town west of Moscow near the Skolkovo tech hub.

Germany charges 3 people with spying for Russia, potentially with intent to kill– abcnews.go.com

pgnewser May 28, 2025 0

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BERLIN, Germany — Three people in Germany were charged with working for one of Russia’s intelligence agencies and could have been plotting to kill a man, the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday.

The three men arrested in the “particularly serious case” on June 19, 2024 in Frankfurt were identified as Robert A., a Ukrainian citizen; Vardges I., an Armenian national; and Arman S., a Russian citizen. Their full names weren’t released in line with German privacy rules.

“The spying operation presumably served to prepare further intelligence operations in Germany, possibly even leading to killing,” the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office said.

German prosecutors said at the beginning of May 2024, Vardges I. received an order from a Russian intelligence agency to spy on a man living in Germany who fought in Ukraine’s armed forces after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

To do this, Vardges I. recruited Robert A. and Arman S., who are accused of trying to lure the man to a meeting in a cafe in downtown Frankfurt with the aim of identifying him and gathering further information about him. Because the man had previously been in touch with German police, no meeting ever took place, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office said, adding that the three men remain in custody.

Moscow accuses Merz of trying to force Ukraine ‘to continue fighting’– www.yahoo.com

pgnewser May 28, 2025 0

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Russia has accused the German government of warmongering over its promise of further support for Ukraine, after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced Berlin and Kiev are aiming to jointly produce long-range weapons.

Commenting on the statement made following a meeting between Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused the German leader of further fuelling the war with his remarks.

“This is nothing more than an attempt to force the Ukrainians to continue fighting,” he said, accusing Berlin of torpedoing efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Merz said the German and Ukrainian defence ministers are to sign a letter of intent on the “procurement of long-range weapons systems from Ukrainian production.”

Germany’s Merz promises to help Ukraine produce long-range missiles– www.bbc.com

pgnewser May 28, 2025 0

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Germany’s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has told Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky that Berlin will help Kyiv produce long-range missiles to defend itself from Russian attack.

“We want to talk about production and we will not publicly discuss details,” he said, when asked by reporters in Berlin if Germany would supply Kyiv with its Taurus missiles.

Merz took office earlier this month, promising to beef up German support for Ukraine, and said this week that there were “no longer” any range restrictions on weapons supplied by Kyiv’s Western allies.

The Taurus has a range of 500km (310 miles) and could reach deeper into Russian territory than other far-range missiles.

IOC upholds ban on Russian teams for 2026 Olympics– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser May 27, 2025 0

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“The IOC Executive Board recommendation from March 2023 with regard to teams of athletes with a Russian passport remains in place,” an IOC spokesperson said, according to a report. “It is based on the fact that, by definition, a group of Individual Neutral Athletes cannot be considered a team.”

Affirmation of a continued ban, which began as part of sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, arrives after International Ice Hockey Federation President Luc Tardif was quoted as saying the IOC had planned to exclude Russia and its star-studded hockey team from next year’s games.

“We have been pressuring them to make a decision, one way or another, because we’re getting closer to the Olympics and we need to know,” Tardif said.

“Recently, they asked us to send them a schedule without Russia, so that’s where we are. The official statement is pending but the IOC has told us that they are informing the Russian Olympic Committee that they are not participating in the Olympics.”

Russia seizes Ukraine border towns, slows bombing after Trump says Putin has gone ‘crazy’– thehill.com

pgnewser May 27, 2025 0

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Russia seized four Ukrainian border towns in the northeast late Monday while tempering down its bombing campaign after three days of intense aerial attacks.

The move comes just days after President Trump claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone “crazy.”

Oleh Hryhorov, the head of the Sumy regional military administration said Monday that Russian forces captured four villages: Novenke, Basivka, Veselivka and Zhuravka. He added that the local population was evacuated early so that they would not be in danger.

The land seizure comes less than a week after Putin ordered the military to formulate a buffer zone along the Russian border with Ukraine. Sumy Oblast borders Russia’s Kursk region, an area the Ukrainian military occupied parts of during last year’s offensive.

Russia launched 60 drones into Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian military. The nation’s Air Force said early Tuesday that 43 Shahed drones were downed in the east, north and south of the country.

 

‘A Man Who Wants Results’: Trump And Kremlin Agreed To Prisoner Exchange, Russian Foreign Minister Says– dailycaller.com

pgnewser May 27, 2025 0

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday that Russia and the White House have agreed to a prisoner swap, according to NBC News.

Lavrov did not provide any additional details as to the nature or persons involved in the swap in his remarks during multilateral negotiations involving Russia, Turkey, the U.S. and Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkey, according to NBC News. The deal would be the second such swap in as many months, as Russian-American woman Ksenia Karelina was released in April after being imprisoned on treason charges in exchange for Russian national Arthur Petrov.

The exchange comes in the backdrop of stalled negotiations between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia to end the three-year war. In light of the slow-moving talks, President Donald Trump has reportedly become frustrated with Putin, and has considered implementing new sanctions against Moscow, a number of unnamed sources told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday.

Russia Ukraine war latest: Germany says Western allies are lifting range limits on weapons sent to Kyiv– www.independent.co.uk

pgnewser May 27, 2025 0

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Donald Trump grows angrier as Vladimir Putin exposes his impotence

As Washington settled in for a typically sleepy Memorial Day following the passage of Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” in the House, the president fired off one of his trademark furious rants on Truth Social, but the target was a surprise.

It was aimed squarely at Russian president Vladimir Putin. Despite what he called a “very good relationship” with Putin, Trump in his latest statement on the Ukraine-Russia war blasted the Russian leader as “absolutely crazy.”

Mr Trump sudden harsh turn was illuminative, if not for the reason he may have intended, writes John Bowden:

Arpan Rai27 May 2025 05:37

Trump could exit Ukraine talks – NYT — RT World News– www.rt.com

pgnewser May 27, 2025 0

Russia is playing for time in Ukraine peace negotiations, Germany says– www.euronews.com

pgnewser May 22, 2025 0

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Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Tuesday accused Russia of playing for time in peace talks over Ukraine rather than being genuinely interested in a ceasefire.

Pistorius told reporters in Brussels that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “only talking about a ceasefire on his terms”, which including blocking Ukraine from becoming a member of NATO and Kyiv’s withdrawal from occupied territories.

“Putin is clearly playing for time, unfortunately we have to say Putin is not really interested in peace,” the German defence minister said.

“This is my assessment. There is no timetable,” Pistorius added of the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, in which the Kremlin has repeatedly refused to agree to a US-proposed 30 day ceasefire agreement.