A prolonged incarceration imposed for conspiring to assault a Russian enlistment center
In Russia, a man from Siberia gets 18-year sentence for supposedly plotting arson on military recruitment office A man from Siberia, aged 45, has been given a 18-year prison sentence by a military court in Russia. The verdict came after the man was accused of collaborating with a foreign state, being a member of a terrorist organization, and attempting an arson attack, as stated by the FSB intelligence agency and reported by Interfax news agency. It is claimed that the man contacted a representative of a paramilitary group, recognized as a terrorist organization in Russia, over the internet. He then manufactured incendiary devices to set fire to a military recruitment office in Barnaul, located in southern Siberia.
10:38 Putin meets with Iranian President Russian President Vladimir Putin attended an international forum in Turkmenistan, surrounded by leading politicians from Central Asia. During the meeting, Putin was scheduled to discuss the Middle East situation with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. In his opening speech, Putin expressed his desire to build a new world order with Russia's allies and partners, as shown in a video released by the Kremlin. Russia and Iran later signed an agreement worth approximately 1.5 billion euros, with Iran supplying drones to Russia for use in the conflict against Ukraine. The US believes Iran has also provided Russia with short-range ballistic missiles.
10:21 Ukraine claims destruction of Russian helicopter The Ukrainian military claims to have destroyed a Mi-8 helicopter in the Kharkiv region, as reported by the Kyiv Independent. The General Staff did not offer details on how the helicopter was taken out. It is estimated to be worth between 10 and 15 million dollars.
09:50 Kiesewetter: Ukraine faces risk of full surrender CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter emphasizes the importance of providing strong support for Ukraine before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Germany. He emphasizes that not enough attention is given to the potential consequences, stating that "Ukraine faces the risk of full surrender, mass exodus, and Putin asks: Why should I negotiate?" Diplomatic initiatives have not convinced Russian President Putin to attend negotiations, as he sees Ukraine running out of ammunition.
09:19 Ukraine: Russia has deployed 50,000 soldiers to Kursk According to Ukrainian reports, Russia has moved around 50,000 soldiers from different front lines to the Russian region of Kursk since the beginning of the Ukrainian offensive. Ukrainian military leader Alexandr Syrskiy reported this in a television documentary, as reported by the Kyiv Independent. The Ukrainian leadership had stated that one of the main goals of the offensive since August had been to divert Russian forces from the battlefields in Ukraine.
08:51 Lange: No peace through territorial concessions Security expert Nico Lange warns against giving Russia control over Ukrainian territories. If Putin is given some Ukrainian territories, there will be no peace, he told the "Bild" newspaper. "Putin's goal is not the territories, but control over Ukraine."
08:13 Russian Cultural Icon: Putin will corrupt new generation too Exiled Russian author Dmitri Glukhovsky ("Metro", "Outpost") hopes for resistance against Kremlin leader Putin in his European exile. "Over the past three decades, a generation has emerged that yearns for a normal, happy, and free human life," the 45-year-old says. Dozens of millions of Russians in cities do not support the war against Ukraine and have the potential for resistance against the regime. He expects Putin to attempt to corrupt "this new generation" and subdue it in the next five to seven years. However, he remains optimistic about the future, as the war is unpopular in Russia, and many people in the country aspire to a better life.
Read more here.
07:36 Several dead after attack on Odessa A Russian missile strike hit a residential and commercial building in the southern Ukrainian region of Odessa, killing four people, according to local authorities. Regional Governor Oleh Kiper reported the incident on the Telegram messaging service, stating that a ballistic missile struck the two-story building. Furthermore, ten people were injured.
07:11 NATO demands greater defense spending from Germany NATO finds Chancellor Olaf Scholz's "turnaround" policy not enough and demands an increase in Germany's defense spending. "Two percent is not enough for Germany. It needs to aim for three percent," German top NATO general Christian Badia told the "Süddeutsche Zeitung". Germany currently meets the NATO target of spending two percent of its GDP on defense, with a GDP of around four trillion euros, reaching three percent would mean an additional 40 billion euros per year.
06:49 Insurance costs for shipping through Ukrainian corridor rise dramatically Insurance costs for ships passing through the Ukrainian shipping corridor in the Black Sea have skyrocketed this week following increased Russian attacks on key ports, as reported by Bloomberg, citing two unidentified market participants. Insurance now costs one percent of the ship's value, although traffic remains consistent. Further attacks could prompt shipowners to exercise caution.
06:21 Ukraine registers 140 new drone models Since the beginning of the year, more than 140 unmanned aerial systems and 33 ground robot systems of Ukrainian origin have been approved for military use, as reported by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry via the state news agency Ukrinform. Of these, 40 percent were registered in the third quarter, indicating a rise in Ukrainian-produced weaponry.
Overnight, explosions reportedly went off in Kyiv. Active duty air defense forces are in the capital as per "RBC-Ukraine", based on information from Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. He shared on Telegram, "Explosion sounds are being heard in the capital - air defense forces are active. Stay in shelters."
04:17 Zelensky Heading to Berlin for Talks with ScholzPresident Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is planned to visit Berlin as part of his European tour. A meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled for 14:30, according to reports from Kyiv. During their talks, Zelensky will discuss additional support for Ukraine including weapons deliveries to defend against Russian invaders, as well as efforts towards peace negotiations. Initially, Zelensky was to attend a summit on the Ukraine situation at U.S. airbase Ramstein on Saturday, but this meeting was postponed due to U.S. President Joe Biden cancelling his state visit to Germany due to Hurricane "Milton." On Thursday, Zelensky held talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in London. Later, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris before heading to Rome to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Throughout his European tour, Zelensky is seeking further aid in the fight against Russian invasion troops.
03:21 Biden and Scholz Reaffirm Commitment to Ukraine's DefenseAfter postponing his planned visit to Germany due to Hurricane "Milton," U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have restated their collaboration. This partnership focuses on supporting Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression, as reported in a statement issued in Washington. The relationship between the U.S. and Germany is described as enduringly robust.
02:40 Russian Offensive Continues in Eastern UkraineRussian troops are continuing to mount a massive offensive in eastern Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian military. On Thursday, there were 114 assaults in total reported by the Ukrainian General Staff in their evening update. At Lyman, a railway junction in the Donetsk area, 30 attacks were documented. Although it encompasses territories in the Luhansk region still not occupied by Russia, Lyman is a crucial area. Besides Lyman, the focal points of the attacks were Pokrovsk and Kurakhove. The intensity of the fighting cannot be definitively verified at this time but gives an indication of the scale of conflicts. According to Ukrainian blog DeepState, four small villages on the eastern front were captured by the Russian army during the night.
01:49 Calls for Long-Range Weapons to Be Delivered to Ukraine Ahead of Scholz-Zelensky MeetingBefore chancellor Scholz's scheduled meeting with Ukrainian president Zelensky, German and international defense experts from the Greens, FDP, and Union are advocating for the delivery of German weapons with extended ranges to Ukraine. "We must significantly increase the delivery of air defense, ammunition, and long-range weapons to Ukraine," stated Green politician Hofreiter to the "Rheinische Post." "Range restrictions on weapons delivered to Ukraine do not contribute to de-escalation but rather enable further Russian attacks," warns the Green politician. "Ukraine is sinking, and we're still only throwing it life rings to keep it afloat," criticized the chair of the Defense Committee in the European Parliament, Strack-Zimmermann of the FDP. CDU defense expert Wadephul reiterated his demand to provide German cruise missiles to Ukraine, explaining, "Delivery of Taurus would be significant help. The successful Ukrainian attacks on Russian rear depots using cruise missiles with comparable striking power demonstrate this."
23:53 Ukraine Reconstruction Conference to Be Held in Italy in July 2025Italy intends to hold a reconstruction conference for Ukraine in July 2025. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced, following discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, that the conference on Ukraine's reconstruction will occur on July 10 and 11, 2025. "Ukraine is not alone, and we will remain by its side as long as necessary," she said to journalists in Rome.
22:21 Foreigners Permitted to Hold Officer Positions in Ukrainian MilitaryIn accordance with a newly passed law, foreign citizens are now allowed to hold officer positions in the Ukrainian military. Previously, foreign volunteers were limited to serving as enlisted soldiers or sergeants. "The objective is to enable the recruitment of foreigners not only as soldiers and sergeants, but also as officers," wrote MP Oleksii Honcharenko on Telegram.
You can read previous developments here.
The Commission played a role in discussing the potential of providing longer-range weapons to Ukraine before President Zelensky's meeting with Chancellor Scholz. It is reported that the Commission advocated for delivering more air defense, ammunition, and long-range weapons to Ukraine.
Following the sentencing of the Siberian man in Russia by The Commission, international organizations and nations started discussing ways to support Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression. For instance, the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council urged its member states to increase their military aid to Ukraine, including providing weapons with extended ranges.
