Russia

Russian troops have seized Kherson, the first major Ukrainian city to fall in a devastating week-old war that has already created one million refugees.The capture of the Black Sea city of 290,000 people, which just last year hosted NATO-supported war games, appeared a significant boost for Moscow as it readied for potential ceasefire talks on Thursday.Russian "occupiers" were in "all parts" of Kherson, Ukrainian regional official Gennady Lakhuta conceded late on Wednesday.After a three-day siege that left Kherson short of food and medicine, and struggling to collect and bury its dead, the town's mayor also announced he was in talks with "armed guests."He had "made no promises" to the invading forces, but agreed to a night curfew and restrictions on car traffic."So far so good.
The flag flying above us is Ukrainian.
And for it to stay that way, these requirements must be met," he said in a Facebook post.Stalled elsewhere, Russia continues to make significant advances on the southern front, with troops breaking through in Kherson opening the path west and north and besieging the larger strategically vital port city of Mariupol.There, mayor Vadym Boychenko reported hours of punishing bombardments that trapped civilians in a city now without light, water or heating as temperatures hover around freezing."Today was the hardest, cruellest of the seven days of this war," he said.
"Today they just wanted to destroy us all."Moscow's victory in Kherson comes one week after Russian President Vladimir Putin's army marched into Ukraine from the north, east and south, training a vast arsenal of weaponry at Ukrainian cities.Russian forces have sporadically bombarded civilian targets across the country, including the capital Kyiv and the majority Russian-speaking second city of Kharkiv, which is now coming under more intense attack.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the barrage of missiles, shells and rockets a "war crime" and the International Criminal Court has confirmed an investigation is underway.Amid violence that has kindled memories of Europe's blood-soaked past, one million Ukrainians have now fled across the border into neighboring Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova, according to the UN refugee agency's rapidly rising tally."We left everything there as they came and ruined our lives," refugee Svitlana Mostepanenko told AFP in Prague."They're bombing even civilian houses where there are kids, small kids, children, they die now."War machinePutin's long-telegraphed invasion has frequently appeared hamstrung by poor logistics, tactical blunders and fierce resistance from Ukraine's underpowered and outgunned military and from ever-swelling ranks of volunteer fighters.Scores of images have emerged of burned-out Russian tanks, the charred remains of transporters and of unarmed Ukrainians confronting bewildered occupying forces.A senior United States defense official said the massive column of Russian military vehicles amassed north of Kyiv had "stalled" due to fuel and food shortages.Russian authorities had been silent on the toll of the invasion, and have a domestic media blackout on what the Kremlin euphemistically calls a "special military operation."But the Ministry of Defense on Wednesday acknowledged for the first time that 498 soldiers had "died in the line of duty."Ukrainian forces put the Russian toll at 10 times that number.
The true figure is not known.Despite risks and restrictions, Russians have turned out for large anti-war protests across the country, in a direct challenge to Putin's 20-year rule.Thousands of anti-war demonstrators have been detained, including several dozen in rallies in Moscow and St.
Petersburg on Wednesday."I couldn't stay at home.
This war has to be stopped," student Anton Kislov, 21, told AFP.Diplomatic rebukeAt the United Nations, the General Assembly issued another powerful rebuke, overwhelmingly backing a resolution demanding Russia "immediately" withdraw from Ukraine.Moscow lost the vote 141-5 winning the support of only four other nations Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria.
Its allies China and Cuba abstained.In Washington, top United States diplomat Antony Blinken warned the human costs were already "staggering," accusing Russia of attacking places that "aren't military targets.""Hundreds if not thousands of civilians have been killed or wounded," said the secretary of state, who will travel to eastern Europe next week to shore up support for Ukraine and for efforts to secure a ceasefire.Kyiv is sending a delegation to the Thursday ceasefire talks, at an undisclosed location on the Belarus-Poland border, but has warned it would not accept "ultimatums."Western countries have already imposed heavy sanctions on Russia's economy and there have been international bans and boycotts against Russia in everything from finance to tech, from sports to the arts.EU and NATO members have already sent arms and ammunition to Ukraine, although they have made clear that they will not send troops and the EU has dampened Zelensky's hopes of membership of the bloc.





Unlimited Portal Access + Monthly Magazine - 12 issues


Contribute US to Start Broadcasting - It's Voluntary!


ADVERTISE


Merchandise (Peace Series)

 


Russian Parliament Approves Return of State-Backed Microlenders to Mortgage Market


China Pledges Closer Ties With Russia After Trump’s Sanctions Threat


[Russia] - Russia Moves to Centralize Mobile Internet Shutdowns Amid Rise in Ukrainian Drone Attacks


Italy’s Culture Minister Slams Concert Invite for Pro-Kremlin Conductor


[Russia] - Heavy Rain Triggers Flash Floods Across Moscow


[Russia] - American Who Helped Russian Forces in Ukraine Receives Russian Citizenship


[Russia] - 'We Don't Care': Russian Officials, Media React to Trump's Ukraine War Ultimatum


[Russia] - Russian Stock Market Rises After Trump Sets Ukraine Peace Deal Deadline


Ukrainian Drone Strikes on Voronezh Injure At Least 22 People


[Russia] - Kremlin to Expand Soft Power Push With Cultural Outposts in Gulf States


Trump Gives Russia 50 Days to Resolve Ukraine War


Lightning Strike Kills 3 People at Tula Region Resort


‘My Homeland Is a Country Within a Country’: Avar Activist Zarema Gasanova


Russian Airports to Begin Rollout of AI-Powered Security Systems


Military Court Jails Exiled Writer Boris Akunin 14 Years in Absentia


EU Moves Toward Floating Price Cap for Russian Oil


Son of Rostec Executive Detained in Spain on Money Laundering Charges – OCCRP


Russia’s Spy Agency Accuses NATO of Dragging Moldova Into Conflict


Russia Builds Protective Bunkers at Airbases After Ukraine's 'Spider's Web' Drone Strikes


Chechen Woman Who Fled Abusive Family Briefly Detained in Georgia, Activists Say


Russian Workers at Turkish Nuclear Plant Report Months of Unpaid Wages


China’s Foreign Minister Praises Ties With Russia During Lavrov Visit


Russia-China Trade Falls 9% in First Half of 2025


Ukraine Says It Killed Russian Agents Behind Intelligence Officer’s Assassination


Russia Slams Report It Backed ‘Zero Enrichment’ Iran Nuclear Deal


Russia Claims New Village in Ukraine’s Donetsk Region


[Russia] - Moscow Blames Sanctions for Russia-UN Food Deal Collapse


[Russia] - Russia Says Foreign Minister Lavrov Met Kim Jong Un


[Russia] - Ukraine Says 6 Killed in Massive Russian Drone, Missile Attack


[Russia] - Conference Seeks Solidarity Among Indigenous Peoples of Russia, Ukraine and Central Asia


Russia and Belarus to Develop AI Rooted in 'Traditional Values'


[Russia] - Russia's FM Lavrov Arrives in North Korea


Russia Orders Closure of Polish Consulate in Kaliningrad


[Russia] - Elite Russian Marine Unit Commander Reportedly Killed in Ukrainian Missile Strike


Russia Nationalizes Country’s Third-Largest Gold Producer


[Russia] - Russia Weighs Scrapping Its Only Aircraft Carrier After Years of Restoration Delays


Border Defense Fraud Probe Targets Belgorod Region Officials – Kommersant


[Russia] - Dutch Court Sentences Russian to 3 Years for Sharing Microchip Technology


Peskov Defends Russia’s Media Crackdown as Part of ‘Information War’


[Russia] - Starovoit Buried at Historic St. Petersburg Cemetery Days After Suspected Suicide


[Russia] - Ukrainian Attacks on Western Russia Kill At Least 3


[Russia] - Russian Military Personnel Costs Hit Record High-- Analysis


[Russia] - St. Petersburg Court Drops 'LGBT Propaganda' Case Against Popular Bookstore


[Russia] - Russian Police Offered Bonuses to Recruit Detainees for Ukraine War-- Vyorstka


[Russia] - Ukrainian Attack on Belgorod Region Kills 2, Governor Says


[Russia] - Russian State Media Turns on Trump After Putin Criticism


[Russia] - Putin Skips Memorial Service for Ex-Transportation Minister, Sends Wreath Instead


[Russia] - 'We Are Being Held Without Protection': North Caucasus Women Decry Dire Conditions in Kurdish-Run Syrian Camps


[Russia] - Rubio and Lavrov Held 'Frank Exchange' on Sidelines of ASEAN Summit, Moscow Says


[Russia] - Moscow Swelters in Heat Wave After Powerful Storms Batter the City


Nizhny Novgorod Region Rolls Back Migrant Work Ban Amid Labor Shortages


[Russia] - Russian Basketball Player Arrested in France at Request of United States


Gelendzhik Airport to Reopen More Than 3 Years After Wartime Closure


[Russia] - Moscow Theatre Director Questioned in Large-Scale Embezzlement Probe


Russia Adds Entrepreneur Kidnapped at Moscow Train Station to ‘Terrorists and Extremists’ List


[Russia] - Death by Falling: A Timeline of Cases Across Russia and Abroad


[Russia] - Russia to Launch Direct Flights From Moscow to North Korean Capital on July 27


Crimean Woman Fined Over $1K for Posting Photos of Men in Wedding Dresses Online


[Russia] - Leading European Court Rules Russia Committed Rights Abuses in Ukraine, Downing of MH17


[Russia] - Rangers Kill 11 Brown Bears Lured by Food Waste in Russia's Far East


Russia Reopens Embassy in Tehran 2 Weeks After Israel-Iran Ceasefire


[Russia] - Kremlin Brushes Off Trump's 'Tough Talk' and Claims 'No Disagreement' on Ukraine Negotiations


[Russia] - Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Visit North Korea This Weekend


[Russia] - Russian Lawmakers Greenlight Restoration of FSB-Run Prison Network


[Russia] - FSB Agents Shoot and Kill Man Accused of Planning Bridge Bombing in Saratov Region


[Russia] - Russian Military Launches Largest-Ever Air Attack on Ukraine


Ukrainian Drone Attack on Kursk City Beach Kills 4, Governor Says


[Russia] - Russian Broadcaster RTVI Starts Airing in Mali


[Russia] - Trump Accuses Putin of Talking 'Bulls ***' on Ukraine


[Russia] - Russia Plans USAID-Inspired Development Model in Bid to Extend Global Influence


FSB Accuses Ex-Independent Media Manager of Treason


Russia Blacklists Yale University as ‘Undesirable’ Organization


[Russia] - Ignore Donald Trump's 'Political Seesaw,' Russia's Medvedev Says


Russian Military Drone Crashes Into Dacha in Republic of Tatarstan


Nadezhdin Campaign Manager Stripped of Russian Citizenship


Who Was Roman Starovoit, the Sacked Transportation Minister Found Dead in Apparent Suicide


[Russia] - Russian Tour Companies Introduce Trips to Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan for $3K


Lavrov Names Sanctions Relief and Return of Frozen Assets as Preconditions for Ukraine Ceasefire


[Russia] - Former Russian National Guard Official Arrested on Bribery, Abuse of Power Charges


[Russia] - Black Sea Oil Spill Reaches Abkhazia's Shores


[Russia] - Russian Anti-Terrorism Police Warn of Foreign Spying Disguised as Photo Contests


Russian Army Says It Seized First Village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk Region


[Russia] - Former Transportation Minister Roman Starovoit Found Dead With Gunshot Wound After Being Sacked by Putin


[Russia] - Russia Targets Emigres in Kazakhstan With Back Tax Demands


Ukrainian Drone Attacks Trigger Major Flight Disruptions at Russia’s Busiest Airports


[Russia] - New Details Emerge in Bribery Case Against Rusagro Founder


[Russia] - Far-Flung Kamchatka Peninsula Restricts Mobile Internet to Thwart Alleged Ukrainian Sabotage


Rosstat Stops Publishing Monthly Population Data Amid War Deaths, Demographic Crisis


[Russia] - Russian Gold Mining Tycoon Barred From Leaving Country Amid Nationalization Efforts


Putin Sacks Transportation Minister Roman Starovoit


[Russia] - Ukraine Says 4 Killed, Over 30 Wounded in Russian Strikes


Russia Says Captured 2 More East Ukraine Settlements in Donetsk and Kharkiv Regions