At least 2 killed Kyiv as Russia slams capital with missile, drones on Putin's 74th birthday

"At least two people have been killed in Russia's overnight mass missile and drone attack on

Kyiv on Oct. 7, coinciding with Russian President Vladimir Putin's 74th birthday.
The Kyiv City Military Administration reported that the casualties occurred in the Darnytskyi district of the capital.
Multiple explosions were first heard in Kyiv around 3:15 a.m. local time, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. Ukraine's Air Force previously warned of several Russian Tu-95 bombers approaching the border." KI

Putin: Ready To Use 'All Weapons' Including Nuclear, If Kaliningrad Attacked

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has now directly weighed in amid the ongoing nuclear threat tit-for-tat involving European officials.

Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow on Thursday, he warned the Western allies to cease their escalation in Ukraine, stressing he's willing to use "all weapons" in the Russian arsenal in the scenario that Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad comes under attack.
"The drills in the Baltic Sea, following one another… Then the attempts to arrest our ships and vessels. All this is an escalation. And then we began to hear statements regarding the Kaliningrad region," Putin said.
"If it comes to direct attack against the Russian Federation, in this case on Kaliningrad and possibly some other territories, of course the issue of using all weapons in our country’s arsenal will inevitably and unavoidably emerge on the agenda. This is unavoidable," he asserted in a warning that includes nuclear weapons.
NATO held recent military drills near Kaliningrad which were broadly described as deterrence operations, which Putin referenced in the remarks." ZH

Zelensky tells world that Ukraine has a cure for Putin 'patient zero'

"Zelensky looked tired. His delivery was halting. Like the country he leads he can barely comprehend that he is still talking of war into the fifth year of Ukraine’s defense against Russia.
He has a new message and a new way to deliver it. Vladimir Putin, he told the assembled world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, is “patient zero” spreading the infection of war to Africa, Asia, all over the world.

“Putin is always looking for someone who can help him kill more, kill more people for every kilometer of land, take more territory, attack another country instead of simply stopping and running his own country,” the Ukrainian president said.
But Ukraine’s president didn't actually go in to that detail. He took a more subtle approach - warning that Asia could not risk the contagion from "patient zero” carried through Pyongyang.
“His comrade, the leader of North Korea, sent his troops to Russia to support the weak points of the Russian army. The North Koreans also suffered losses, heavy losses. Kim Jong-un uses them like currency and he gets something in return. And North Korea's neighbors and countries across Asia have probably already noticed its improved ballistic missiles and Pyongyang's much greater drone capabilities,” Zelensky observed.
In short - Ukraine’s problem is now global - but Kyiv has the jab." msn

Trump extends invite to Putin to attend Miami G20

"The Trump administration has issued a formal invitation for Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the Group of 20 summit to be held in Miami in December.

“We’ve invited President Putin to the G20,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Wednesday at a press conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The G20 summit will take place at the president's golf resort, Trump National Doral Miami, from Dec. 14-15. " 

msn

Putin confiscates Nestle, Auchan assets in Russia

"Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 17 signed a decree confiscating the assets of several international companies, including Nestle and Auchan.
Other companies include Bati Logistics, FM Logistics, and Le Monlid LLC, which, alongside Nestle and Auchan, had their assets put under the temporary management of Russian joint-stock company L.E.V. Management, according to Russian media." Ukrin

Russia resumes strikes on military targets in Kiev

"Russian forces have struck drone and missile production facilities and logistics centers in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.
The raid comes as a three-day break in attacks on military-related targets in the Ukrainian capital, announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of trips to Moscow and Kiev by US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, expired." RT

Russian forces attack infrastructure in Kyiv Oblast

"Russian forces struck a warehouse and a facility in Kyiv Oblast.
Although Russian ruler Vladimir Putin supposedly ordered that Kyiv not be attacked until 8 September, an air-raid warning was issued in the capital, and a large-scale attack involving jet-powered drones was reported." KI

Zelensky vows 'Russian sky will be de facto closed,' warns airlines, foreign governments as Putin accuses Ukraine of state terrorism

"President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sept. 1 warned airlines, insurers, and foreign governments that Russian airspace "will be de facto closed" because of Ukrainian drones, with Russian

President Vladimir Putin responding by accusing Kyiv of "state terrorism" despite Russia's six days of attacks on Kyiv.
Ukraine does not threaten civil aviation, yet carriers flying to Moscow, St. Petersburg, or other major hubs must factor in the risk of drones in Russian skies, Zelensky said in an address posted to Telegram.
"Today we want to warn every airline that uses Russian airspace, every insurer, everyone who still uses key Russian airports — Russian skies are becoming completely dangerous," he said.
"Although the Russian authorities do not report this as it should, the Russian sky will de facto be closed," he added." NU

Journalist who reported on Putin’s secret girlfriend found dead after eating poisonous mushrooms

"A Russian journalist who described himself as a “personal enemy” of Vladimir Putin has reportedly been found dead after eating poisonous mushrooms. Grigory Nekhoroshev, 69, was

the editor behind the 2008 newspaper report that first claimed Putin was romantically involved with Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva.
According to The Sun, citing Latvian outlet Delfi, Nekhoroshev was found dead at his home in Riga, Latvia, after reportedly eating mushrooms he had foraged from his garden. He had fled Russia after his newspaper, Moskovsky Korrespondent, was shut down following the publication of the Putin-Kabaeva story.
Putin denied the relationship at the time, and there is no evidence linking Nekhoroshev’s death to the Kremlin. Still, the case has reignited attention around Kabaeva, the former Olympic gymnast long rumored to be Putin’s partner." msn

Kazakh president tells Putin it's time to freeze war against Ukraine

"Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, during a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, proposed freezing Russia's war against Ukraine and returning to the terms of the 2022 Istanbul peace talks, Russian media outlet Smotri (Look) reports." msn

Putin Invites Trump To Visit Russia In 'Constructive' July 4th Phone Call

"A nearly 90-minute phone call between Presidents Trump and Putin on July 4th could signal

shifting White House priorities as the Ukraine war seems to be fast heating up again.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said in comments made public Sunday that Trump offered Putin to help find a solution to the war in Ukraine.
"The American president once again confirmed his readiness to work towards a rapid end to the fighting and find solutions to overcome the crisis," Ushakov said of Trump's call. He called conversation "business-like and quite constructive."
The spokesman further stated that Russia sought "a political-diplomatic resolution of the conflict, with due account of Russia's fundamental approach."
ZeroHedge

Russia's mass missile attacks on Ukraine 'must continue,' Putin says

"Russian President Vladimir Putin said on July 3 that Moscow "must continue" its campaign of large-scale missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities.

Putin's comments come two days after Russia launched its largest attack on Kyiv of the entire full-scale war, killing nearly 30 people and injuring over 90.
During a visit to the auxiliary command post of Russia's Joint Group of Forces, Putin held a meeting with several top military commanders and members of the General Staff. He called for continued mass attacks on Ukraine, framing the strikes as attacks on military targets.
"In this regard, I note that massive, coordinated strikes against the infrastructure of Ukraine's military-industrial complex and the facilities supporting its operation must continue," Putin said." KI

Putin’s rating sinks to wartime low as Ukrainian strikes hit home in Russia

"Growing frustration among Russians over the Kremlin’s inability to stop repeated Ukrainian

air attacks has led to a notable drop in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating.
The share of respondents who said they “rather trust” the dictator fell by 5 percentage points over the latest survey week to 69%, down from 74% a week earlier. The share who said they “rather do not trust” him rose to a record 18%." NV

St. Petersburg reportedly targeted by Ukraine's drones again ahead of Putin's economic forum finale

"Ukraine's military reportedly carried out large-scale attacks on various Russian regions

overnight, striking multiple targets, including the historic port city of Kronstadt near St. Petersburg.
The reported attack comes ahead of the final day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the annual economic forum in the hometown of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as concerns mount over the safety of major Russian cities.
Local residents reported seeing clouds of smoke rising from the area around the Kronstadt Marine Plant — a Russian naval shipyard located approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) from St. Petersburg, Russian Telegram media channels reported." KI

'Enough of the war' — Zelensky throws down gauntlet to Putin in open letter

"President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a personal invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin in an open letter published June 4, offering to meet face-to-face to put an end to five

years of full-scale war.
The letter was published a day after Ukraine launched a large-scale attack on St. Petersburg, striking a major oil terminal and military targets on the same morning Putin welcomed world leaders to the city for his flagship economic forum.
In it, Zelensky lays out his case for Putin's need to end the fighting and sets terms for the reopening of negotiations.
"Almost half of your 26 years of power in Russia you have spent in the war against Ukraine," Zelensky wrote.
"Whatever you say about NATO, geopolitics and the Russian language, this war is your personal choice — a war without a real reason. This is how history will remember it." KI

'Smell' of war comes to St Petersburg as Ukraine hammers Russian refineries

"Konstantin can smell the consequences of the war in Ukraine from his apartment in St Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city and President Vladimir Putin’s hometown.
Over the past two weeks, the asthmatic 53-year-old, whose full name has been withheld for

fear of repercussions, has been sporadically aware of the odor of burning crude, fuel and other chemicals ignited by Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia’s two largest oil terminals on the Baltic, which handle two-fifths of Moscow’s seaborne oil exports and almost 2 percent of global oil supply, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The terminals at Ust-Luga and Primorsk, which sit on opposite sides of the Gulf of Finland, 165km (102 miles) and 133km (82.6 miles) from St Petersburg, respectively, are a confluence of pipelines originating from oilfields along the Volga River, in the Ural Mountains and in western Siberia.
In each attack on these facilities, swarms of long-range drones have flown more than 1,000km (621 miles) from the Ukrainian border to destroy oil storage tanks and shipping infrastructure, sparking sky-high fires that have lasted for days." msn

Putin Vows Heavy Revenge After Deadly Ukrainian Strikes On Luhansk School Dormitory

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of intentionally targeting civilians after a "terrorist" overnight drone attack on a school that left six dead and scores of young people wounded.
At least 39 were injured and counting, amid ongoing rescue efforts after a school complex was torn apart on the multi-drone strike attack. It happened at a school dormitory in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region. Over a dozen victims are still missing, including children, reports say." ZeroHedge

After Trump, Putin goes to Beijing — and leaves empty-handed

"Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Beijing to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping, just days after Donald Trump did the same.

Although Putin's visit had been scheduled well in advance, the timing alongside U.S.-China talks has heightened the significance of the trip. Russia analysts expect progress toward expanding the Power of Siberia pipeline, a deal the Kremlin has long pushed for.
Despite that, not much had come out of the talks.
Putin and Xi signed a joint declaration, where they committed to "continue deepening comprehensive relations." And that was about it." KI

Putin hails Russia's test launch of a new ballistic missile and calls it the world's most powerful

"Russia

on Tuesday test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile as part of efforts to
modernize the country's nuclear forces, a launch hailed by President Vladimir Putin just days after his claim that the fighting in Ukraine is nearing an end.
Putin said that the nuclear-armed Sarmat missile would enter combat service at the end of the year. It was built to replace the aging Soviet-built Voyevoda." msn

Putin seen with swollen face during Victory Day parade

"Over the weekend, Russia celebrated the 81st anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union

over Nazi Germany in 1945 with an unusually muted parade that, for the first time in years, featured no armoured vehicles or ballistic missiles.
But few listened to Putin's claims at the rally of fighting a 'just' war against Ukraine's 'aggressive force[s]', instead focusing on his bulging cheeks.
Ukrainian commentator Anton Gerashchenko pointed to one unflattering image of the 73-year-old ex-spy, posting: 'The face of a 'victor' and the leader of a 'superpower'.
He joked: 'It seems sanctions have even reached Putin's Botox'." msn