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KYIV -- Rescue teams recovered two more bodies from the rubble of apartment buildings destroyed in a massive Russian missile-and-drone attack, prompting US President Donald Trump to issue a rare rebuke of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The April 24 overnight barrage -- the largest in months -- came just hours after the White House gave what amounted to an ultimatum about a US proposal to end the 38-month-old Russian invasion.

KYIV, Ukraine—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed back on a U.S. proposal to recognize Russia’s control of Crimea as part of a cease-fire agreement, throwing into doubt President Trump’s efforts to bring a quick end to the war. “Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea,” Zelensky said at a press conference here on Tuesday. “There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution.” Zelensky’s dismissal upends Trump’s latest gambit to halt the war in Ukraine—now in its fourth year—and casts new uncertainty on the future of the relationship between Kyiv and Washington, which Trump has made conditional...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, April 20, said Russian forces were continuing their shelling and assaults along the front line despite Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing a surprise but brief Easter truce. The 30-hour truce starting Saturday evening would be the most significant pause in the fighting throughout the three-year conflict. But on Sunday, Zelensky accused Russia of having maintained its attacks on the front line after the truce started at 4 pm Paris time Saturday. "Across various frontline directions, there have already been 59 cases of Russian shelling and five assaults by Russian units," Zelensky said on social...

When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered up to 200,000 soldiers into Ukraine, his aim was to sweep into the capital, Kyiv, in a matter of days. He wanted to overthrow the pro-Western government and return Ukraine to Russia's sphere of influence. Putin failed, but more than three years on a fifth of Ukrainian territory is in Russian hands (Excerpt)

he arrests and firing of several high-profile associates of former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu by Kremlin authorities have sparked deep anxieties among members of the Russian elite connected to the current head of Moscow's Security Council, according to a new report. Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email. WHY IT MATTERS A slew of well-known figures working in the Russian government and the military were arrested and axed from their posts last year. Western analysts have noted that schisms within the Kremlin's upper echelons are increasingly catching international attention as the grinding war...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned allies that the defense of his nation is a litmus test for broader Western resolve, after Russia fired at least 117 missiles and drones in an overnight attack on the country's energy infrastructure facilities. Zelenskyy and his top officials have repeatedly demanded that NATO allies do more to bolster Ukraine's air defense umbrella, with the country struggling through a third consecutive winter of massed Russian attacks on the national energy grid. The latest Russian barrage came after a record-breaking night of Ukrainian drone attacks in Western Russia, in which Kyiv's forces said they hit a...

About 1,700 soldiers from a Ukrainian unit equipped by the West and trained in France went AWOL before a shot was even fired.At least 50 members of the new 155th mechanised brigade, one of the few to operate the Leopard 2 battle tank, disappeared while elements of the unit were being drilled in France. The mass exodus came before the brigade was deployed to Pokrovsk, the key logistics hub anchoring Ukraine’s defence against Russian advances in the eastern Donetsk region.Entering the battle in recent days, it suffered heavy losses, reportedly including some of its tanks and armoured vehicles.It prompted the...

THE bizarre fiefdom of Chechnya has long been controlled by warlord and top Vladimir Putin crony Ramzan Kadyrov and his trigger-happy cosplay soldiers. Disturbed chief Kadyrov, 48, has ruled over the twisted Russian republic since 2007 with his reign now coming under fire again since the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash took place on his doorstep. The Christmas Day disaster left 38 dead after the packed passenger plane lost control and smashed into a fireball as it hit the ground. Reports have been swirling in the days since saying it was shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile believed to...

Stubborn inflation, exorbitant borrowing costs, bankruptcy risks and a growth slowdown: the Russian economy is facing a slew of negative headlines, as the costs of the Ukraine war and Western sanctions mount. “The root cause of the economy’s problems is labor starvation and sanctions ... the symptom is an inflationary surge,” said Anton Tabakh, chief economist at the Russian ratings agency Expert RA.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted the peace efforts by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.To begin with, Zelensky rejected the notion of having intermediaries, saying that Ukraine needs – and has – direct relations with the United States.essanews reported:“President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the importance of Ukraine having direct interactions with the United States. ‘We are currently in a transitional period in the United States. I am in contact with President Trump’, he stated. ‘We have had several meetings and talks. I don’t need intermediaries for this’, Zelensky announced during the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Ukraine.He added...

Wars are often chaotic, but the introduction of foreign troops can add another layer of confusion. In the Kursk region of Russia, that confusion appears to have turned deadly. According to Ukraine’s defense intelligence (GUR) and Hotnews, North Korean soldiers accidentally killed eight Chechen fighters from the Akhmat battalion. The incident, GUR claims, was caused by a language barrier between the North Korean troops and their Russian allies. The Chechens, loyal to Ramzan Kadyrov, were reportedly mistaken for enemy forces. The North Koreans fired on their vehicles, leading to the deaths. This is part of a larger development. Ukraine says...

This list only includes destroyed vehicles and equipment of which photo or videographic evidence is available. Therefore, the amount of equipment destroyed is significantly higher than recorded here. Loitering munitions, drones used as unmanned bait, civilian vehicles and derelict equipment are not included in this list. All possible effort has gone into avoiding duplicate entries and discerning the status of equipment between captured or abandoned. Many of the entries listed as 'abandoned' will likely end up captured or destroyed. Similarly, some of the captured equipment might be destroyed if it can't be recovered. When a vehicle is captured and then...

Russia targeted DTEK's thermal power plants during a mass aerial attack on Dec. 13, damaging their equipment, the company said in a statement. Moscow's forces launched around 90 missiles and 200 drones in one of its largest mass attacks on Ukraine's power grid as the winter is setting in. "DTEK thermal power plants were attacked. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties," the company said. The plants' equipment was "seriously damaged," with energy sector employees already working on repairs. The company does not usually reveal the location of the targeted plants or the full extent of damage due to...

The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed the ATACMS missile strike on the Taganrog military airfield in the Rostov region. According to the military department, there are casualties among the personnel, as well as minor shrapnel damage to buildings and vehicles. - On the morning of December 11, 2024, the Kiev regime launched a missile strike with Western high-precision weapons on the Taganrog military airfield in the Rostov region. - It has been reliably established that 6 ATACMS (USA) ballistic missiles were used. - 2 missiles were shot down by a Pantsir air defense missile and gun system, the rest were...

THIS is the moment Vladimir Putin's gas rigs in the Black Sea burst into flames after being hammered by sea drones. Ukrainian forces strike the platforms in daring night raids using the unmanned craft as the seek to dominate the ocean and defend against Russia. The latest footage released by the valiant Ukrainians shows a number of strikes on the rigs which they believe are used to house surveillance equipment. The sea drones attack the structures at their base while air drones strike the platform. Clips show rigs engulfed in massive blazes while others show huge explosions on the platforms...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Advisers to Donald Trump publicly and privately are floating proposals to end the Ukraine war that would cede large parts of the country to Russia for the foreseeable future, according to a Reuters analysis of their statements and interviews with several people close to the U.S. president-elect.The proposals by three key advisers, including Trump's incoming Russia-Ukraine envoy, retired Army Lieutenant-General Keith Kellogg, share some elements, including taking NATO membership for Ukraine off the table.Trump's advisers would try forcing Moscow and Kyiv into negotiations with carrots and sticks, including halting military aid to Kyiv unless it agrees to...

The budget for 2025, which was published Sunday, allocates about $126 billion (13.5 trillion rubles) to national defense – amounting to 32.5% of government spending.

Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country needed security guarantees from Nato and more weapons to defend itself before any talks with Russia.Ukraine’s president made the comments after meeting Kaja Kallas, the EU’s new head of diplomacy, and Antonio Costa, freshly appointed president of the European Council, who were visiting Kyiv as a show of support on their first day in office.“An invitation for Ukraine to join Nato is a necessary thing for our survival,” Mr Zelensky said at a press conference with Mr Costa.It comes after Mr Zelenksy appeared to shift his position dramatically on Friday by accepting that Ukraine...

The lack of manpower has developed into an even greater problem for the Ukrainian troops than the lack of missiles, drones, artillery, or any other weapons systems.Not only death and the wounded leave Kiev’s troops lacking strength, but the deserters have become a major issue.Desertion is ‘starving’ the army and crippling its battle plans.Associated Press reported:“Facing every imaginable shortage, tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops, tired and bereft, have walked away from combat and front-line positions to slide into anonymity, according to soldiers, lawyers and Ukrainian officials. Entire units have abandoned their posts, leaving defensive lines vulnerable and accelerating territorial...

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the BBC that Ukraine can shoot French longer-range missiles into Russia in the "logics of self-defense." The French Scalp missiles are the same as the UK's Storm Shadow missiles, which Ukraine had already used in attacks on Russia. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova tolt state media that Barrot's comments are "not support for Ukraine, but rather a death knell for Ukraine." Barrot spoke after the United States greenlit the use of US-provided longer-range ATACMS missiles by Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine shot down dozens of Russian drones targeting regions across the country. On the other...