Why the world was wrong about Putin | Analysis People are packing up in their cars. They're getting out of here. A few days before I found myself standing there on the edge of Kharkiv, watching those first tank shells hit into the apartment blocks in Saltyvka, my editor, Louis Emmanuel, had asked me to come up with something to be published on the day of the war, if the war began, explaining to readers why this was happening. And I was hoping it would never be published. It was, and the answer I came up with was, probably in the simple balance of power. I quote it, Russia's military is at its strongest and most capable since the Cold War. Its public finances are also in good order, and Mr Putin may believe he is well placed to bear the costs of the conflict and inevitable sanctions. We'll come back to that in a second. The West is conversely at a moment of historic econo...

Is Putin’s key ally ill? Is Putin's key ally in the Ukraine war seriously ill? Beloatian President Alexander Lukashenko missed an annual ceremony where young people swear allegiance to the flag and instead his prime minister shared a message from him. In fact, he's not been seen in public since the 9th of May, Victory Day in Russia, where he skipped a state lunch with Putin. Reports pointed out how tired he looked, and this bandage on his right hand. Allies from former Soviet countries walked to lay flowers, but it seemed that Lukashenko needed a lift. This has sparked speculation about what's happened to him. Some say he's in hospital just outside the capital, Minsk. But state media has responded with a photo of him at a military base. Lukashenko's ruled Belarus since 1994, and in the West, he's often dubbed Europe's last dictator. With Putin's backi...

Summary: The Kerch bridge linking Crimea to Russia has been attacked, posing a reputational threat to Putin. While the attack's origin remains unconfirmed, it is likely to be carried out by Ukrainian forces. The bridge's destruction affects the logistics of supplying Russian forces in southern Ukraine and Crimea. Russia's withdrawal from the grain export deal with Ukraine threatens a new food supply crisis. Ukraine's counteroffensive to regain occupied territory is showing progress, but challenges persist. ...

Ukraine War: 'Putin is feeling more and more isolated' Well, Ukrainians are not losing it, and with the support they've had from the West, they will not lose it. The question is, can the Ukrainians win? The Russians are not going to win, but can the Ukrainians win? And if so, when? And of course, I think we all recognise, and particularly having listened to recently to President Zelensky, that until they get all the weaponry that they're asking for, main battle tanks, self-propelled artillery and the like, they won't be able to mount a proper counter-offensive and crack the Russians. So, long answer, I'm afraid, Kate, to a short question. Ukrainians will not lose this. The Russians cannot win it. What we have to do is help the Ukrainians to win on the battlefield. But we bring other pieces into this chess game, don't we? We bring in China, we bring in Belar...

Summary: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visits troops near the frontline as part of the summer offensive . Russian trenches near the city of Bakhmut targeted in the offensive. The enemy fiercely defends every centimeter of territory. President Zelenskyy awards gallantry medals to special forces engaged in the war. Russia intensifies missile strikes , hitting civilian areas as well. Accusations of war crimes do not deter Putin from hosting African leaders . African countries offered weapons and military training by Russia. Coup in Niger presents opportunities for Russia to extend influence. Vardner mercenary leader seeks f...

Summary: Missile strikes in Chernihiv during an Orthodox holiday resulted in casualties and chaos. Ukraine 's president condemned the act and called for international support. The conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues, with implications for both nations. Drone attacks on Moscow challenge Putin 's perceived invincibility. The ongoing war in Ukraine presents challenges for both Ukrainian and Russia n forces. ...

Zelenskyy Tours Europe as Ukraine Prepares Counteroffensive Against Russia Denied the opportunity to address Eurovision on Saturday, Vladimir Zelensky has nevertheless been granted audiences with some of Europe's most powerful leaders in the last few days. A warm embrace between the Ukrainian President and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday morning at Chekars. British admiration meeting with Ukrainian gratitude. Winston Churchill made many of his famous speeches in World War Two from this room. And in the same way today, your leadership, your country's bravery and fortitude are an inspiration to us all. You did a lot. Your government and His Majesty, the King and of course your people, your society where we're a temple from all our hearts from Ukrainians. The UK will provide Ukraine with air defence missiles and attack drums, in addition to the storm shadow long range ...

Summary: Growing concerns over the Wagner Group's alleged plans to destabilize Europe. Polish Prime Minister warns of Wagner Group troops moving towards the Poland-Lithuania border. Experts suspect a hybrid attack planned on the Sovalki territory, making identification difficult. Uncertainty remains about the leadership of the Wagner mercenaries after a reported coup. Reports suggest Ukrainian forces may soon enter Crimea amidst a slower-than-expected counteroffensive. Skepticism surrounds Putin's statements on peace talks with Ukraine given his previous actions. ...

Summary: UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak suggests intelligence indicates Yevgeny Prigozhin 's likely presence on the plane. Collaborative efforts with allied intelligence agencies are underway to uncover further details. Prigozhin , a Russia n businessman tied to the Kremlin , has faced allegations of covert operations. Sunak calls for an end to Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine and expresses solidarity with Ukraine 's stance. ...

Russian Defense Ministry acknowledges retreat north of Bakhmut A Ukrainian tank rumbled toward back-mood on Friday as Kiev claimed its forces had advanced more than a mile around the shattered ruins of the eastern city. Russian forces have fought for months to seize back-mood without success. The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday said that Ukraine had deployed more than 1,000 troops in up to 40 tanks in more than two dozen attempted attacks in the direction of the town of Solodar. The military admitted it was regrouping its forces, suggesting its fighters had fallen back. The leader of a Russian mercenary force gave a different assessment. Evgeny Progoshin, founder of the Wagner paramilitary group, said the Defense Ministry was lying and Russian forces had been routed and forced to flee. Reuters has been unable to verify reports of battlefield movement. Ukraine this week released w...

Summary: British Ministry of Defence (M.O.D) officials mistakenly sent emails meant for the Pentagon to Mali , a Russian ally . The error was due to confusion between the domain names 'dot mill' for Pentagon and 'dot ml' for Mali . A Dutch internet entrepreneur managing Mali 's domain name discovered the misdirected emails. Among the emails were sensitive details about British and American personnel working on hypersonic missiles . The M.O.D is investigating the extent of potential security breaches. With the contract end ing, concerns arise about the possible misuse of the misdirected emails. ...

Summary: Russia's Lunar 25 spacecraft crashes into the moon after an uncontrolled orbit. The mission aimed to achieve a historic landing on the moon's South Pole to detect water and ice. The crash impacts Russia's sense of prestige and national pride amidst ongoing challenges. India's similar mission highlights the competitive nature of space exploration . Space exploration holds historical significance for Russia's national identity. The incident's impact reaches beyond the space agency, affecting Russia as a whole. ...

Ukraine War: Is the defence of Bakhmut a distraction? I'm joined now by the former senior military intelligence officer, Philip Ingram. Good to see you again, Philip. Now, of course, Russian forces have made some advances in recent days in Bakhmut, but on the whole, there's been very little movement on the front line in recent weeks and months. Why is that? Yeah, well, exactly. Day 374 of Vladimir Putin's 10-day Special Military Operation. And the Russians, we keep talking about this spring offensive. They're probing the front lines in different places. Bakhmut will more detail that in a moment, but further north, up around Kramina and in the south, around Donetsk, they're trying to see where their weakness is in the Ukrainian defences. And they're not really finding any. The things that are influencing at the moment, the weather, the ground is softening up. ...

Georgian government drops 'Russian law' after days of protests In many ways they're seen as just kind of looking at how to look after themselves to maintain their grip on power And these kinds of tools they're borrowing from the Kremlin playbook because it's effective at quelling dissent So they're you could argue that they're they're not exactly pro-russian They're just behaving in a way that will in an authoritarian way that will enable them to hold Sure. Well last night was actually the second night of Mastery protests that we've been seeing here in Tbilisi And before that even people were coming out in crowds to protest against this legislation That the government's been trying to push through and again last night we had police in riot gear using water cannon and tear gas and pepper spray to Dispel to get rid of the protesters who were o...

Summary: President Zelensky urges Sweden to provide fighter jets following a deadly missile attack on a theatre in Chernehaev . The attack resulted in several casualties , including a young girl and numerous injuries, with President Zelensky condemning the act of brutality. Zelensky aims to strengthen Ukraine's air defense capabilities with modern aircraft and seeks support from Sweden . The theatre attack is considered an act of terror , with efforts underway to provide assistance to the victims and restore affected buildings. The situation high...