… The newspaper’s difficulties reflect the broader crackdown on free speech in Russia which has accelerated since the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. …
… However, his criticism of Putin remained measured, leading some to speculate the Kremlin would allow him to run so as to give the election the illusion of being fair. …
… The Kremlin confirmed it had received the letter. The tone of the letter was defiant, even mocking, drawing attention to Ukraine’s recent strikes on Russian territory. …
… The Kremlin said the “illegal” seizure was “bordering on international piracy”. “Russia is taking measures to ensure the safety of its cargo,” said spokesman Dmitry Peskov. …
… Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, the only representative of the EU to attend, was also pictured meeting Putin at the Kremlin ahead of the parade. …
… The residential building that was hit is located in an upscale neighbourhood in south-west Moscow, less than 10km (six miles) from the Kremlin and Red Square, where Saturday’s parade will be held. …
… Russian authorities have mostly downplayed the impact of such attacks, but the Kremlin is clearly concerned about the deep reach of Ukrainian drones into its territory. …
Russian petrol stations across Moscow and other parts of the country are experiencing long queues following Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries, causing "unscheduled repairs" and reducing refining capacity. Authorities describe this as the second wave of a fuel crisis, with some stations running out of fuel and motorists unable to find alternatives.
Russian petrol stations across Moscow and other parts of the country are experiencing long queues following Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries, causing "unscheduled repairs" and reducing refining capacity. Authorities describe this as the second wave of a fuel crisis, with some stations running out of fuel and motorists unable to find alternatives.
Dmitry Muratov, 2021 joint Nobel Peace Prize winner and co-founder of Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, told the BBC that his publication has been shut down following Putin's decree to nationalise its printing presses and revoke its registration. Muratov says the newspaper's closure reflects a broader crackdown on free speech in Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, during which most opinion leaders have been declared "foreign agents," "extremists," or "terrorists."
Boris Nadezhdin, an anti-war politician who ran for Russian president earlier in 2024, was detained by police at his home on Monday, weeks after announcing his candidacy for September's parliamentary elections. His detention came days after Russia's justice ministry designated him a "foreign agent" and accused him of spreading false information about the government.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for face-to-face talks with Vladimir Putin in an open letter, proposing a full ceasefire during negotiations to end the war in Europe. The Kremlin confirmed receiving the letter but reiterated its earlier position that Zelensky would need to travel to Moscow for talks.
Volodymyr Zelensky has written an open letter to Vladimir Putin proposing face-to-face talks and a full ceasefire during negotiations, arguing that peace can only come through direct engagement between Ukraine and Russia. The Kremlin confirmed receipt of the letter and responded that Putin would be welcome to meet Zelensky in Moscow.
France intercepted a sanctioned Russian oil tanker, the Tagor, in the Atlantic on Sunday with support from allies including the UK, boarding it around 400 nautical miles west of Brittany in international waters. Macron said the ship had been flying a false flag and was part of Russia's "shadow fleet" used to evade sanctions on oil exports linked to the Ukraine war; it is the fourth such vessel France has boarded since September 2025.
A Russian vigilante group called Russkaya Obshina, which operates in alignment with President Putin's agenda against Western liberalism, raided a woman's birthday party at a nightclub, attacking guests and searching for evidence of LGBT "propaganda." The woman was later convicted for blasphemy based on a red neon crucifix in the venue, and the group has significantly increased its raids over the past two years with alleged funding from Kremlin-linked charities.
Vladimir Putin used his annual Victory Day speech in Moscow's Red Square to justify his war in Ukraine and denounce NATO, calling it a "just" war and characterizing Ukraine as an "aggressive force" armed and supported by NATO. The celebrations were scaled back for security reasons, and Russia and Ukraine agreed to a three-day ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump, though Russia's defence ministry later accused Ukraine of breaking it.
A Ukrainian drone hit an upmarket residential high-rise in Moscow early Monday, causing visible damage to the building's façade with no casualties reported. The strike was the third consecutive night of drone attacks on the Russian capital, which will hold a scaled-back 9 May parade days later; Russia's defence ministry said 117 drones were intercepted across several regions, including 60 aimed at St Petersburg.
Russian drone and missile strikes killed 10 people and injured at least 76 across five Ukrainian regions over the past day. Ukraine's military said Russia fired a ballistic missile and nearly 270 drones, most of which were intercepted, while Ukraine struck Russian oil infrastructure including an oil terminal and vessels near Novorossiysk and in the Leningrad region.