Russia

Russia Claims Capture of Two More East Ukraine Villages

Russia said Sunday it had captured two more villages in east Ukraine, the latest territorial gains for Moscow's advancing army. The defense ministry said on Telegram that its troops had "liberated" the villages of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region and Krasnoye, called Sontsivka in Ukraine. The latter is close to the resource hub of ...

At Least 100 North Koreans Killed While Fighting for Russia

At least 100 North Koreans deployed to support Russia's war effort in Ukraine have been killed since entering combat in December, South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun told reporters Thursday. Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to reinforce the Russian military, including to the Kursk border region, where Ukrainian forces seized territory ...

Russia Detains Suspect in Killing of Chemical Weapons Commander

Russia has detained a suspect in the killing of the head of the army's chemical weapons division, investigators said Wednesday, a day after the general and his aide were killed in a brazen blast in Moscow claimed by Ukraine. Igor Kirillov and his assistant were killed when an explosive device attached to a scooter went off Tuesday morning ...

Ukraine Claims Killing of Russian Military Official in Moscow

The killing of a senior Russian military official, Igor Kirillov, in Moscow on Tuesday was a "special operation" by Ukraine's SBU security service, a source inside the agency told AFP. Kirillov is the most senior Russian army official to be targeted on Russian territory, killed with his assistant when an explosive device attached to ...

Assad Denies 'Planned' Exit From Syria, Calls New Leaders 'Terrorists'

In his first remarks since he was deposed, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday said he fled Syria only after Damascus had fallen and denounced the country's new leaders as "terrorists". An Islamist-led rebel alliance launched a lightning offensive from its northwest Syria bastion on November 27, swiftly capturing major cities from ...

Moscow Says ‘Part’ of Its Diplomatic Personnel in Syria Evacuated by Plane

Russia's foreign ministry said it has evacuated some of its diplomatic staff from Syria Sunday, a week after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. "On December 15, the withdrawal of part of the personnel of the Russian (diplomatic) representation in Damascus was carried out by a special flight of the Russian Air Force from the Hmeimim airbase" in Syria, ...

Ukraine: Massive Russian Strikes Target Energy Facilities

Ukrainian energy facilities were targeted on Friday morning in a "massive" missile attack by Russia, Ukrainian authorities announced, as Moscow continues its regular bombardment of such infrastructure, causing power outages across the country during the harsh winter season. Ukraine is also struggling on the front line, retreating for months in ...

NATO Chief Calls for Defense Surge to Avoid 'Big War' with Russia

NATO chief Mark Rutte issued a stark warning Thursday to "turbo-charge" defense spending, saying European nations were not prepared for the threat of future war with Russia. "We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years," Rutte said in a keynote address in Brussels, his first major speech since taking office as NATO ...

EU Targets Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’ with New Sanctions

EU countries agreed on Wednesday to blacklist around 50 additional oil tankers from Russia's "shadow fleet," which have been used to circumvent Western sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine, officials said. The move, which is set to be formally approved by foreign ministers on Monday, is part of the EU's 15th sanctions package since Russia's ...

Russia Calls for Rapid Syria Stabilization, Criticizes Israel

The Kremlin said Wednesday that it wanted to see rapid stabilization in Syria, criticizing Israeli strikes and its creation of a "buffer zone" along the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Russia also said its military offensive on Ukraine remained its "absolute priority" amid questions over whether Moscow's almost three-year campaign there meant it ...

Syrian Rescuers Urge Russia to Push Assad for Secret Prison Maps

Syria's White Helmet rescuers on Tuesday called on Russia to pressure former president Bashar al-Assad into providing maps of secret jails and lists of detainees as they race against time to release prisoners. The rescuers said they "sent a request to the United Nations through an international mediator to demand that Russia pressure... Assad ...