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A 1-year-old boy was “mercilessly and deliberately” executed in a Russian drone attack in southern Ukraine — where terrified residents say they feel they are being hunted in a sick game of “human safari,”officials said. The boy, identified as Dmytryk, was playing at his grandmother’s yard in Pravdyne on Wednesday when the drone came crashing in, causing shrapnel to pierce his heart and kill the toddler who celebrated his first birthday just two months ago. “Our little boy was here, in the playpen, walking around,” his distraught grandmother, Halyna, 64, told local Ukrainian outlet Podrobnosti.

The U.S. Air Force faces a strategic nightmare with its B-1B Lancer bomber fleet. The aging but still capable supersonic bomber is becoming increasingly obsolete, yet its replacement, the B-21 Raider, is still years from being operational. This creates a dangerous capability gap. The Pentagon is weighing difficult options: a costly modernization of the B-1B, which may not be enough; relying on other platforms like the B-52, which can’t match the B-1B’s speed and payload; or accelerating the B-21 program, which risks delays and technical setbacks.

A growing number of young Ukrainians have been unknowingly recruited by Russian forces as unwilling suicide bombers as the Ukraine-Russia War drags on in its third year, the Guardian reported last week. Russian forces have been recruiting Ukrainians, mainly teenagers, to bomb police stations, post offices, or military targets under the guise of odd jobs postings on Telegram as part of an ongoing shadow war. For example, 19-year-old Oleh told the Guardian that he was offered $1,000 to video himself vandalizing a police station in western Ukraine with provided materials. He collected a rucksack from a given exchange point with...

Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that he discussed his country's role in helping America win its independence during a call with President Donald Trump on July 3 in a bid to highlight the history of cooperation between their nations, according to Russian news agency Tass. -snip- But on Sunday, he revealed that he also tried to press upon Trump the historical ties between the two countries, going back to the founding of America. "We have always had, for a very long time, very good and special relations with the United States," Putin told Russian television host Pavel Zarubin. "We supported...

Mr. President, we know you understand that the primary obstacle to peace in Ukraine is Russia’s aggression. You said you were “disappointed” in the conversation with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, and that you “don’t think he’s looking to stop.” Putin again insisted he was unwilling to commit to a ceasefire until the “root causes” of the conflict were addressed. For Vlad, the “root cause” is the existence of Ukraine. He followed your call with the largest drone and missile strike of the war, killing at least one. So why, Mr. President, is your administration punishing Ukraine? The Pentagon has halted...

Vladimir Putin has taken a thinly-veiled swipe at the USA as the nation gears up to celebrate its Independence Day on July 4. The Russian President couldn't resist pointing out that he considers Russia to have played a key role in helping the much younger country achieve statehood during a call with his American counterpart on Thursday. Putin said: "Russia played an important role in the formation of American statehood, including through the War of Independence 250 years ago, and then during the Civil War, which ended 160 years ago." Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov added: "Of course, he congratulated Trump...

Vladimir Putin has claimed in a phone call with Donald Trump that Russia played a role in the formation of the United States. Speaking a day before America celebrates Independence Day, the Russian leader reportedly congratulated Mr Trump about its national holiday, held on July 4. According to a report by Tass, a state-owned news agency, Yury Ushakov, the Russian presidential aide, said during the call “it was noted from our side that Russia played an important role in the formation of American statehood including during the War of Independence 250 years ago, and then during the Civil War, which...

The chief obstacle in preparing these pilots so far has been language training. The cockpit audio system of the F-16 that provides important warning messages to the pilot only “speaks” English. Any pilots not completely fluent in the language will be handicapped—and possibly also in danger—if they lack the required level of fluency.

Three people were killed and 35 others injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on a factory in the Russian city of Izhevsk, regional governor Alexander Brechalov on his Telegram channel on Tuesday. Brechalov did not name the targeted facility, but a Ukrainian security official earlier told Reuters that at least two long-range drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine struck the Kupol plant, which manufactures drones and air defenсe systems, and caused a fire. A column of black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from the site of a fire at a cluster of buildings in videos...

Until today, there have been no confirmed reports of Storm Shadows being deployed since November last year. VLADIMIR Putin's officers have been killed in droves in the first British-made Storm Shadow strike in months, reports claim. Bombshell footage showed the damage in Donetsk amid claims of “massive casualties among Russian officers” and the “crippling” of a mad Vlad fighting force. If confirmed, it would be the first use of the British-supplied missiles in months. Red-faced Russian authorities admitted only that a woman had died and three people were wounded, including a teenager. A building collapsed in the combined missile and...

Russia’s summer offensive in Ukraine is faltering just weeks after it began, despite a record number of attacks across multiple fronts. Data analysis by The Telegraph shows Moscow is on track to break its own record, which was set last month, for offensive operations in June. Yet the sheer volume of assaults has not translated into meaningful breakthroughs on the battlefield. The offensive – launched in May but planned over the winter – stretches from the northern border regions of Sumy and Kharkiv to the front lines in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk, into which Russian forces are attempting to break for...

Drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) struck the Kirovske military airfield in Crimea overnight on June 28, the SBU told the Kyiv Independent, APA reports. The attack destroyed Mi-8, Mi-26 and Mi-28 attack helicopters, and a Pantsyr-S1 self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and gun system, the SBU claimed. According to the SBU, Ukraine targeted Russian aviation, air defense systems, as well as ammunition, reconnaissance and attack drones storage facilities. Secondary explosions were heard at the airfield during the night.

Housing and utility bills in some parts of Russia are expected to soar by up to 25% as the country's economic meltdown worsens. Russian media reports that tariffs on housing, gas, water and electricity will go up by an average of 11.9% on July 1, but some regions will see an increase between 23% and 25%. Mortgage rates have also soared to 25% in recent months. One Russian newspaper, translated into English by the BBC's Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg and shared on social media, says the increase will be "painful for many families". The same publication reports the experience of...

The Belarusian ruler’s price controls have backfired. Alexander Lukashenko’s stubborn grip on the Belarusian economy plunged the potato-happy country into a spud shortage this spring. Critics of the authoritarian ruler, who in January grabbed a seventh term in power, say he has warped the economy with strict price controls on staples like potatoes — while encouraging citizens to snitch on grocery stores that flout regime rules. The limits, launched by Lukashenko in October 2022 as he aimed to keep prices low and stave off inflation, instead made potatoes far less profitable for farmers to produce. Opponents say that decisions made...

Vladimir Putin has lost four warplanes worth £37 million each despite stepping up their defences after Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb. A pair of Su-34 fighters were destroyed and two more damaged after an attack on on Marinovka military airfield in Volgograd. Ukraine used long range drones to fly more than 200 miles to inflict the latest £148 million blow to Putin’s aerial firepower. It came less than a month after Russia supposedly tightened its military air base security after 40-plus strategic bombers and spy planes were hit in Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb. Russia responded by hitting Ukrainian civilians with a strike on...

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the country was dismissed regarding its concern about NATO expansion. "We emphasized that the security of one nation or a group of nations cannot come at the expense of another's security. This principle is enshrined in international agreements that all parties have ratified," Putin said. "Yet, in practice, what transpired?" Putin continued. "One NATO expansion after another. We were consistently reassured, 'there's nothing to fear; it doesn't pose a threat to you.' When we expressed our concerns, asserting that we believed it did threaten us, what was the response? Nothing at all. We...

"The memorandums of the Russian Federation and Ukraine contradict each other, but this is not surprising," said Russian President Vladimir Putin, APA’s Moscow correspondent reports. Putin emphasized the importance of a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, stating that it creates conditions for a substantive discussion of the core issues between Moscow and Kyiv. -snip- Putin stated that the draft memorandum on a settlement between Russia and Ukraine should be a subject of discussion during the third round of talks. He also emphasized that representatives from Russia and Ukraine remain in direct contact.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told journalists on Friday that a meeting with his United States counterpart Donald Trump is "quite possible." "I'm always open to contact and meetings ... We would be happy to prepare for it," the Russian head of state asserted, calling Trump a "courageous man" and praising his efforts in relation to ending the conflict between Moscow and Kiev. Putin once again criticized the Western countries for their behavior toward Russia, calling it "aggressive." He stressed that his country was "betrayed" by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as the alliance is expanding even though there were...

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia's defense spending amounts to 13.5 trillion rubles or 6.3% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), describing it as "a lot." He said Russia "paid for" its high defense bill with inflation, but stressed that the government is fighting it. "We are purposefully moving towards a soft landing for the economy in some way. Nevertheless, we still have a very healthy attitude towards this," he told reporters. Putin noted that Russia plans to decrease its defense spending. While there are currently no definitive agreements, "in general, everyone is thinking in this...

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (June 24) that he would “probably” meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump confirmed the possibility when asked about a meeting. “Yeah probably I’ll see him,” he said. When asked what he intended to say to the Ukrainian leader, Trump replied, “I’ll say ‘how you doing?’ He’s in a tough situation, should never have been there.” Zelensky team confirms meeting preparations Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, also confirmed that talks were under way to...