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Russia's economy is facing further turmoil as the price of its flagship Urals crude oil plummets to its lowest value since early 2023. On Friday, Russian Urals oil prices fell to about £43 per barrel ($53), with projections suggesting they could dip to £40 ($50) if the downward trend in global oil prices continues. -snip- The oil price crisis comes just as Russia faces rising domestic inflation, with everyday goods, such as food and fuel, becoming increasingly expensive. Ordinary Russians feel the impact, with the cost of basic goods, including bread, milk, and potatoes, rising dramatically. The country now finds...

Russia's flagship Urals crude grade has tumbled alongside all major oil benchmarks in the global market rout and is close to the $50 per barrel threshold for the first time in nearly two years. The Urals price was at around $52 per barrel at the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk on Friday, according to data from Argus Media cited by Bloomberg. The price of Urals further dropped on Monday as oil prices continued to fall, with WTI Crude, the U.S. benchmark, down to $60 per barrel, and Brent Crude prices at $64. - snip- As the price of the flagship...

The situation in the global oil market is extremely unstable, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov during a briefing today, APA's Moscow correspondent reports. According to him, this instability is related to the decision of the United States to impose tariffs on most countries in the world. Peskov mentioned that the Russian government is closely monitoring the situation. "This is an indicator that is very important for filling our budget. We are currently closely monitoring the situation, which is characterized by extreme instability, tension, and emotional strain. This is due to the decision of the United States to impose tariffs on...

The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia would do everything necessary to insulate the world's second largest crude exporter from a global "economic storm" which has sown extreme turbulence in oil markets and raised concerns of a recession. -snip- The plunge in oil prices poses a direct threat to Russia, which is spending hundreds of billions of dollars on its military campaign in Ukraine, Russia's most expensive military operation since the Soviet-Afghan war of 1979-1989. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the oil price was being monitored very closely as it was key for funding the Russian budget. "We are...

Saudi Arabia has made the biggest drop in oil prices in two years — it has reduced the price of its main oil grade, Arab Light, to $2.30 per barrel for Asian customers. According to Bloomberg, this decision came just a few days after OPEC+ decided to increase oil production by 400,000 barrels per day more sharply than expected. In addition, “Trump’s tariffs” have also dealt a serious blow to world oil prices — oil prices have fallen by $10 in one day: from $75 to $65 per barrel. This is the lowest level in three years. For Russia, whose...

PUTIN henchman and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is "preparing to flee Russia" - as he has put his son in charge of the police. The infamous leader of Chechnya has already made several moves to prepare for his escape - and his efforts have sparked a conflict with Kremlin cronies. The 48-year-old dictator is a vocal supporter of Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, and has sent tens of thousands of troops to support the bloody war in Ukraine. He has also been accused of violating human rights, including involvement in kidnapping and torture. But relations between Putin and Kadyrov have soured...

Russian revenues from oil and gas plunged by 17% in March from a year earlier, according to data from Russia's finance ministry. Oil and gas revenues for the Kremlin fell to $13.1 billion (1.1 trillion Russian rubles) last month, while revenues for the first quarter dipped by nearly 10% on the year to $31.4 billion (2.64 trillion rubles), the official Russian data showed. Much of the decline was likely attributable to the lower oil prices in February and March, as well as the initial chaos with Russian oil trade after the U.S. sanctions from early January-the most aggressive sanctions on...

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the conscription of 160,000 men into the army, state media reported, marking the largest draft initiative in years, even as ceasefire talks with Ukraine continue under U.S. mediation. The timing and scale of the draft raise doubts about Russia's commitment to diplomacy. Ukraine has accused the Kremlin of using negotiations to delay while reinforcing its position on the battlefield, particularly in the Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would issue secondary tariffs on Russian oil if he believed Moscow was standing in the way of a peace...

THIS is the terrifying moment Vladimir Putin's suicide drones blitzed a hotel resort and a restaurant sparking a massive explosion. At least four people have been killed and 19 others injured so far in the mass shahed drone attack that rocked Dnipro late on Friday night. Horror dashcam footage shows the moment one of the shahed drones struck Bartolomeo Best River Resort hotel - sparking a huge inferno. Within minutes, the building - including a ship-like structure at the entry point - was engulfed in flames. Pictures shared on social media showed the shattered interior of a building, the badly...

Vladimir Putin has said the United States is “serious” about taking Greenland and warned Russia is ready and willing to militarily “protect its interests in the arctic.” It comes as Ukraine’s allies, including the United Kingdom, met in France to discuss peacekeeping plans in the event of a ceasefire. Britain and France confirmed on Thursday they are drawing up plans to send a "reassurance force" to Ukraine and will soon send military chiefs to the country to determine the scheme’s viability. Speaking after the announcement, Russia’s Vladimir Putin issued a stark warning to NATO countries as he declared Russia is...

VLADIMIR Putin is clinging to power as rumours swirl that he’s dying from a cocktail of illnesses, with Volodymyr Zelensky saying it's a fact that he will die soon. The Ukrainian President made the blunt prediction during a speech in Paris, standing alongside French leader Emmanuel Macron as he urged the West to “stay strong” and not ease pressure on Russia. Zelensky said: “He [Putin] will die soon, and that’s a fact, and it will come to an end.” The bold claim adds fuel to long-swirling speculation that the 72-year-old tyrant's grip on power may be slipping – not just...

Whispers have continued this week surrounding the supposed health concerns of Vladimir Putin, with Volodymyr Zelensky declaring the tyrant "will die soon". During a meeting with Emmanuel Macron, President of France, Ukrainian leader Zelensky urged the US to "stay strong" following a turbulent Black Sea ceasefire, boldly asserting: "He [Putin] will die soon, and that's a fact, and it will come to an end." -snip- Just last week, it was reported that Putin had experienced "a mini stroke" after he was seen shaking "uncontrollably" during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Expressing concerns for Putin's well-being, former Kremlin speechwriter...

VLADIMIR Putin's soldiers have reportedly been left with never-before-seen lung poisoning after crawling through a 10-mile gas pipeline to attack Ukraine. Russian troops were sent on the bizarre mission earlier this month through a disused pipe near Sudzha, in Russia’s Kursk region – with the goal of sneaking behind enemy lines. But not only were many of the soldiers slaughtered by Ukrainian forces, survivors are now said to be suffering from chemical pneumonitis - an acute lung inflammation caused by inhaling toxic substances. Doctors have revealed the condition appears to have worsened over time - with scans showing lungs "resembling...

THIS is the dramatic moment Ukrainian forces obliterate four of Mad Vlad's military helicopters inside a hidden Russian airstrip. Extraordinary aerial footage showed four choppers worth £68million combined being decimated by US-made missiles in the Belgorod region. In the tense video footage, Russian choppers are spotted and located by the overhead camera. The enemy vehicles are highlighted, before laser-fast strikes rain down and demolish them. Large explosions can be seen as they are spectacularly obliterated one at a time. Kyiv's military said that they had destroyed two Mi-8 and two Ka-52s helicopters.

At least seven people are dead, including a 5-year-old girl, after Russia launched nearly 150 drones across Ukraine overnight — just a day before cease-fire talks are set to resume, officials said. The Kremlin fired 147 explosive drones early Sunday across the Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa and Donetsk regions, with the Ukrainian military able to shoot down or deflect 122 of the UAVs. One of the drones that made it through Ukraine’s defenses hit the capital city of Kyiv, killing three people; including the little girl, her father and an 80-year-old woman, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Another 10 people...

The Russian central bank kept its key rate on hold at 21% on Friday, in line with expectations, and said more rate hikes were still possible in the future as inflationary pressures have decreased but remain high. "The Bank of Russia estimates that the achieved tightness of monetary conditions creates the necessary prerequisites for returning inflation to the target in 2026," the regulator said in a statement. "If disinflation dynamics do not ensure achieving the inflation target, the Bank of Russia will consider raising the key rate," it added. -snip- President Vladimir Putin urged his economic officials this week not...

Trump was right. You can’t make peace deals with Ukraine as long as Zelensky is calling the shots. He can’t be trusted. Zelensky came to America in early March to sign a minerals agreement and agree to a ceasefire as a first step towards peace with Russia. But the entire signing ceremony blew up when Zelensky started acting squirrelly and reneged on his prior promises. Democrat Senator Chris Murphy knew this was going to happen before the meeting even started with Trump. .... Snip.... On Saturday the Ukrainian leader bragged that Ukraine is now holding long range missiles that can...

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has suggested that NATO’s Article 5 collective security protections be extended to Ukraine, without offering it full membership in the Alliance. She made this statement while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the EU leaders' meeting in Brussels. "Clearly, the main issue is peace in Ukraine, and I believe we must all do everything we can to support the peace process, welcoming the U.S. initiative and those working towards peace. However, a just peace requires clear security guarantees," Meloni stated.

Vladimir Putin 'regrets' triggering a full-scale war costing hundreds of thousands of lives, his closest international ally has claimed. Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko said: 'We haven't talked about it, but I know him well. 'Putin didn't expect it would turn into such a war.' The close Putin crony told interviewer Mario Nawfal on X: 'When he saw a huge number of people dying, Putin instantly agreed to the negotiations to stop the conflict.' This was earlier in the war, in 2022, and, Lukashenko claimed, Putin was ready to negotiate 'on NATO, on demilitarisation, on denazification', as he described it, 'on...

A fire erupted at one of Russia's largest oil refineries in the city of Ufa in Bashkortostan, approximately 900 miles from the Ukrainian border, following a reported drone attack. -snip- Videos circulating on social media showed a huge fire engulf the Bashneft-owned refinery, which is situated about 932 miles east of the Ukrainian border, and processes up to 168,000 barrels per day, according to Reuters. The Bashkortostan Ministry of Emergency Situations said the fire erupted "in the area of the incinerator." "There is no threat to residents of nearby areas. A laboratory is operating on site to monitor the air...