Russia claims to have downed 13 Ukrainian drones in Crimea.
The Russian Defense Ministry declares that they have successfully shot down 13 Ukrainian drones in the Crimean Peninsula and dismantled six other targets in Belgorod and Rostov, but verification is not possible. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, their forces claim to have lost 515,000 Russian soldiers in their offensive. In the last 24 hours, the death toll increased by 1,300 soldiers, and 22 tanks and 48 artillery systems were destroyed. Additionally, an anti-aircraft system and 40 armored personnel carriers were reportedly destroyed. These claims remain unverified.
A refinery in southern Russia experiences disruption due to a Ukrainian drone attack, causing a fire. The governor of the region, Vasily Golubev, reported the incident in Nowoschachtinsk. Production halted, but there are no casualties. The Nowoschachtinsk refinery is a significant oil refinery and lies approximately ten kilometers east of the border. It is often targeted in Ukrainian attacks.
The CEO of KNDS, Ralf Ketzel, expresses difficulties in providing spare parts for damaged tanks in Ukraine. He states that the majority of the repairs are not conducted by their company but rather on the front lines. Obtaining spare parts for heavy military equipment is challenging, a factor to consider when considering the country's readiness for battle.
Eighteen Shahed drones were suppressed in a Russian drone attack by Ukrainian defenders in Mykolaiv, Kherson, Saporischschja, and Khmelnytskyi regions, according to the Ukrainian General Staff. Two Iskander missiles were launched against the Dnipro region, and it's uncertain if the missiles were shot down.
Russian President Vladimir Putin threatens to deploy high-tech long-range missiles if Ukraine allows the use of long-range weapons on Russian territory. He asserts that if Western countries permit Ukraine to use specific missiles, Moscow will respond with similar high-tech long-range missiles in proximity to these countries.
KNDS's managing director, Ralf Ketzel, reveals that the company is unable to deliver quick material support to Ukraine. He emphasizes that they should have anticipated the need for a multi-year war earlier and been prepared to deliver new materials sooner, as their capacity to do so now has been exhausted.
The Russian government seeks to expand relations with the Taliban, according to a statement made by President Putin to foreign journalists during the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, where a Taliban delegation is present. In 2003, the Taliban were added to the list of banned terrorist organizations, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has announced that they plan to remove them from the list.
Julia Nawalnaja, the widow of Kremlin critic Alexei Nawalny, and his foundation were awarded the Freedom Prize from German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. Nawalnaja affirmed that she and the foundation will continue her husband's work after his death under unclear circumstances in a Siberian prison on February 16. Nawalnaja warned against Russian disinformation and false experts influencing the European Union before the upcoming elections. Putin's regime aims to impose its agenda, and she maintained that freedom of speech will defeat "the poison of propaganda."
A fire broke out in an oil refinery in the Russian city of Novoshakhtinsk, a drone attack was likely involved, and first responders are at the scene. In March, the same refinery was targets of a drone attack.
The United States is predicting that Russia will carry out naval and air force exercises in the Caribbean, with a US government rep stating that they anticipate such events to occur this summer. While this wouldn't directly threaten the US, it's viewed as a display of Russia's global power projection. In the same vein, President Putin supports cooperation with anyone who wants to collaborate with Russia, even if it's considered right-wing extremist, such as the AfD in Germany. He emphasizes that he sees no neo-Nazism in their actions, doesn't view them as "systemic relations," but will support normal relations with them.
During his conversation with journalists from international news agencies in St. Petersburg, Putin considers Western fears of a Russian invasion of NATO territory nonsense. He also rejects claims that he threatened with the use of "atomic bomb." While addressing the death of AFP journalist Arman Soldin, Putin expresses willingness to investigate the circumstances, despite Soldin being killed in Ukrainian-controlled territory.
As part of a diplomatic endeavor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has announced the sending of additional military equipment and trainers to Burkina Faso to bolster their defense. Lavrov's visit to Burkina Faso is one of nine since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the aim of forming new partnerships. Meanwhile, Putin doesn't anticipate drastic changes in US policies towards Russia, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming US presidential election. Putin had earlier stated that he'd prefer a victory by President Joe Biden for his predictability, and he criticizes the legal proceedings against former President Donald Trump, who's running for office again.
Putin estimates there are over 6,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war since the Russian attack on Ukraine, expressing that this far outnumbers Russian soldiers and officers held captive by Ukraine. The number is not independently verifiable. While there's no concrete statement on the Russian losses in the war, their ratios roughly match the prisoner numbers. Additionally, Putin asserts that Ukraine has experienced much higher casualties than Russia. However, the Ukrainian side contends that there are more Russian soldiers who perished in the war.
21:51 Luxurious listings: Russia's Lavrov seeks new AfD pals
During his visit to Burkina Faso, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced plans to strengthen defense capabilities in the West African country by sending additional military equipment and trainers. This diplomatic move aims to forge new alliances since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, allowing Moscow to gain a partner that doesn't support the war but also avoids criticizing it. Lavrov pointed out how Russia and Burkina Faso have been closely collaborating since the military coup in 2022, particularly in the development of military and military-technical relations.
01:24 Big Apple Awaits Russian Navy Summer Show
The United States expects Russian naval exercises in the Caribbean, given past military drills. "We anticipate that Russia will conduct intense naval and air force exercises near the United States this summer," a US government rep shared with journalists, considering these activities standard maritime operations and not a direct threat to the US. While stressing that it's a display of Russia's global power projection, the US Navy intends to monitor the exercises.
00:04 Putin Supports Russian-AfD Alliance with AfD
At a meeting with major international news agencies in St. Petersburg, President Putin defended interactions between Russian officials and AfD politicians. Affirming his support, he stated: "We will cooperate with anyone who wants to cooperate with Russia." Regarding the AfD's potential neo-Nazism, Putin sees no indication in their actions: "We see no signs of neo-Nazism in the actions of the AfD." He confirmed there are no "systemic relations" between the Russian government and the German opposition party, but Moscow would back normal relations if they were advocated.
23:20 Putin Calls NATO Territory Invasion Concept "BS"
In a conversation with international news agency representatives, Putin dismissed Western concerns about a Russian invasion of NATO territory as "bullshit." He questioned Western leaders' sanity: "Have you completely lost your minds? Are you as stupid as this table? Who thought of that?" Moreover, Putin denied any mention of using atomic weapons.
22:25 Putin Offers to Investigate Arman Soldin's Death
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed willingness to investigate the circumstances of AFP journalist Arman Soldin's death during a meeting with major international news agency reps in St. Petersburg. Putin revealed that they will do everything they can, but acknowledges the practical challenges given the death occurred in a war zone, where the Kremlin had previously stated they couldn't investigate. Soldin, a video journalist, was killed on May 9, 2023 by a rocket attack near the disputed Ukrainian city of Bachmut, while reporting on Ukrainian soldiers along the front lines.
21:55 Lavrov Foresees New Russian African Bundies
In St. Petersburg, during a gathering with international media representatives, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared that Russia will send more military equipment and trainers to Burkina Faso to strengthen its defense capabilities. His nine-time visits to Africa since the Russian invasion of Ukraine represent a diplomatic drive to create new relations.
21:23 No Surprise: Putin Predicts No US Policy Shifts
In a talk with journalists in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed he doesn't expect a significant shift in US policy towards Moscow after the US presidential election. He's committed to working with whoever wins the presidency. Previously, Putin had expressed preference for President Joe Biden, finding him more predictable. Meanwhile, he criticized the legal proceedings against former President Donald Trump, who's running for office again.
21:00 Russian Counts POWs, Ukrainian Captives
Putin declared that there are more than 6,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war after over two years of invasion in neighboring Ukraine. Contrastingly, the number of Russian soldiers and officers held in Ukraine is significantly lower. This information isn't independently verifiable. Putin claimed that the ratios of casualties are akin to the prisoner numbers, albeit not explicitly stating them. Moreover, he asserts that Ukraine has suffered disproportionately higher losses than Russia in the war.
20:18: Putin Warns Against Utilizing German Weapons Against Russian Targets
Russian President Vladimir Putin has cautioned against the utilization of German weapons by Ukrainian troops against targets in Russia. He spoke about this during a gathering with representatives of significant international news agencies in St. Petersburg. When Germany donated tanks to Ukraine last year, it came as a surprise to many in Russia. "If they now launch rockets to strike facilities on Russian soil, it will entirely annihilate Russian-German relations," Putin said. The meeting with the media at the Lakhta Center of the massive gas enterprise Gazprom is part of the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. This event marks the first international meeting of this kind since the commencement of Putin's conflict against Ukraine.
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Read also:
- In response to the Russian Defense Ministry's claims, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President, condemned the attack on Ukraine and called upon NATO for increased support.
- The escalation of the Ukraine conflict has led to concerns about potential cyberwarfare, with both Russia and Ukraine accused of launching cyberattacks against each other's infrastructure.
- The NATO Secretary-General has expressed support for Ukraine and condemned the Russian attack on its territory, reiterating NATO's commitment to collective defense.
- The situation in Ukraine has highlighted the importance of military preparedness and the need for nations to invest in modernizing their military equipment, including spare parts and repair facilities.
