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Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov – a close ally of Vladimir Putin – is reported to be seriously ill with kidney problems amid fears of ‘poisoning’. The fanatical pro-war zealot who has advocated using nuclear weapons against Ukraine is rumoured to have summoned a leading doctor from the United Arab Emirates because he ‘does not trust’ Moscow doctors. Several opposition sources have claimed kidney illness accounted for Kadyrov’s surprising absence from Putin’s state of the nation speech on 12 February, and a recent ‘bloated’ appearance, as seen at a recent meeting in his palace in Chechen capital Grozny with Denis Pushilin,...

As the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine approaches, Russia is increasingly under pressure to claim a big victory, notably the capture of the important city of Bakhmut, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. The ministry said in an intelligence update on Monday that no matter how the fight for the city is faring, Russia intends to declare a victory there by February 24, or the country's leadership faces the risk of increasing domestic tensions. "It is likely that Russia will claim that Bakhmut has been captured to align with the anniversary, regardless of the reality on the...

Did Putin’s frogmen blow up Europe’s gas supplies? Western leaders blame ‘deliberate’ sabotage after Nordsteam pipe from Russia ruptured off Sweden causing 3000ft-wide bubbles and sending prices spiking Three leaks reported in Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines near Danish island last night and this morning Pipelines are leaking gas into the Baltic Sea, with one area more than 3,000ft wide churning with bubbles Danish PM Mette Frederiksen has said her government believes the leaks were caused by 'deliberate actions' Ukraine also pointed the finger at Moscow, describing the incident as a 'terrorist attack and act of aggression' Latvian Defence...

Russian President Vladimir Putin could "disappear at any moment," sending Moscow into a civil conflict amid its floundering invasion of Ukraine, warned former commander Igor Girkin. Girkin, also known as Igor Strelkov, rose to prominence for his role in the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. He has become increasingly critical of Kremlin leadership as its military struggles to achieve substantial military gains in Ukraine nearly a year after Putin launched the "special military operation." Although he supports the goals of the Russian military, he has recently offered grim assessments of the war for Putin. During a recent discussion, Girkin...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is vowing to push Russian forces from Ukraine after Kyiv retook the strategic city of Kherson. “We will see many more such greetings,” Zelensky said in his nightly address on Saturday. “In those cities and villages that are still under occupation. We don’t forget anyone, we won’t leave anyone. Thanks to our defense operations and diplomacy, we will definitely reach our state border — all sections of the internationally recognized border of Ukraine.”

Estimates of projected weather in Ukraine show Europe might experience a mild winter, potentially throwing a wrench in Russian President Vladimir Putin's plans to use Ukraine's harsh winters to his benefit. Two weeks ago, a Russian politician suggested on state TV that the Kremlin should target Ukraine's energy supply, causing civilians to freeze and starve. Throughout October, Russia has increased its attacks on civilian infrastructure, targeting the electrical grid and plummeting parts of Ukraine into darkness and leaving some residents without a water supply. However, as winter approaches, new reports show Russia's plans to use cold weather to its advantage...

Ukraine has touted large numbers of Russian losses throughout the eight-month conflict, though Russia has not publicly confirmed the claims. "This morning, the [Ukrainian] Air Force successfully shot down 44 Russian cruise missiles," the ministry tweeted. "All this before their first cup of coffee." Russia allegedly launched 50 missiles toward "critical infrastructure facilities" in Ukraine at about 7 a.m. local time, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine wrote in a Facebook post. The attack included Kh-101 and Kh-555 missiles, which were launched from aircraft north of the Caspian Sea from the Rostov region. Only six of the...

Nearly 1,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in one day in Ukraine, Kyiv has claimed, marking the deadliest day for Vladimir Putin since his troops invaded eight months ago. Ukrainian forces have been making gains across Russian-occupied areas, with fighting intensifying in the country's east and in the southern city of Kherson. -snip- And in yet another example of his forces' incompetence, video shows panic-stricken Russian soldiers fleeing a Ukrainian attack on an armoured vehicle - only for it to flip over and fling the troops into the air. Footage, apparently from Kherson, shows Russian soldiers running towards an armoured...