Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. In the latest sanctions, the United States on Thursday (June 2) targeted Russian President Vladimir Putin's "money manager", a Monaco-based company that provides luxury yachts. The move has been considered a step up in putting pressure on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. In a statement, the White House as quoted by the news agency, revealed, "The United States, alongside over 30 partners around the world, has imposed unprecedented sanctions and export". "...to hold President Putin to account for his war against Ukraine, restrict Russia’s access to critical technology it needs to fund its war machine," the statement added. WATCH | Gravitas: Why Biden is not 'helpless' on gun reforms × US President Joe Biden, in his State of the Union address in March, said the United States would work to seize the yachts, luxury apartments and private jets of wealthy Russians with ties to Putin. The Biden administration also added Sergei Roldugin, who is a cellist and conductor already under European Union sanctions, for his alleged links to Putin. The Russian President had defended Roldugin after he was named in the "Panama Papers" leaks in 2016. The US Treasury Department identified two vessels, the Russian-flagged Graceful and the Cayman Islands-flagged Olympia. The authorities stated that Putin has an interest in the property. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US blacklists Putin money-manager, luxury yacht brokerage for Russian elite

THE U.S. WILL HELP UKRAINE BE IN THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE POSITION AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. WE DO NOT WANT TO PROLONG THE WAR JUST TO INFLICT PAIN ON RUSSIA.

The invasion Vladimir Putin thought would last days is now in its fourth month. The Ukrainian people surprised Russia and inspired the world with their sacrifice, grit and battlefield success. The free world and many other nations, led by the United States, rallied to Ukraine’s side with unprecedented military, humanitarian and financial support.

As the war goes on, I want to be clear about the aims of the United States in these efforts.

America’s goal is straightforward: We want to see a democratic, independent, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine with the means to deter and defend itself against further aggression.

As President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has said, ultimately this war “will only definitively end through diplomacy.” Every negotiation reflects the facts on the ground. We have moved quickly to send Ukraine a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition so it can fight on the battlefield and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table.

That’s why I’ve decided that we will provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine.

We will continue cooperating with our allies and partners on Russian sanctions, the toughest ever imposed on a major economy. We will continue providing Ukraine with advanced weaponry, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger antiaircraft missiles, powerful artillery and precision rocket systems, radars, unmanned aerial vehicles, Mi-17 helicopters and ammunition. We will also send&nbsp;billions more in financial assistance, as authorized by Congress. We will work with our allies and partners to address the global food crisis that Russia’s aggression is worsening. And we will help our European allies and others reduce their dependence on Russian fossil fuels, and speed our transition to a clean energy future.

We will also continue reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank with forces and capabilities from the United States and other allies. And just recently, I welcomed Finland’s and Sweden’s applications to join NATO, a move that will strengthen overall U.S. and trans-Atlantic security by adding two democratic and highly capable military partners.

We do not seek a war between NATO and Russia. As much as I disagree with Mr. Putin, and find his actions an outrage, the United States will not try to bring about his ouster in Moscow. So long as the United States or our allies are not attacked, we will not be directly engaged in this conflict, either by sending American troops to fight in Ukraine or by attacking Russian forces. We are not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders. We do not want to prolong the war just to inflict pain on Russia.

My principle throughout this crisis has been “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” I will not pressure the Ukrainian government — in private or public — to make any territorial concessions. It would be wrong and contrary to well-settled principles to do so.

Ukraine’s talks with Russia are not stalled because Ukraine has turned its back on diplomacy. They are stalled because Russia continues to wage a war to take control of as much of Ukraine as it can. The United States will continue to work to strengthen Ukraine and support its efforts to achieve a negotiated end to the conflict.

Unprovoked aggression, the bombing of maternity hospitals and centers of culture, and the forced displacement of millions of people makes the war in Ukraine a profound moral issue. I met with Ukrainian refugees in Poland — women and children who were unsure what their lives would be, and whether the loved ones who stayed behind in Ukraine would be OK. No person of conscience could be unmoved by the devastation of these horrors.

Standing by Ukraine in its hour of need is not just the right thing to do. It is in our vital national interests to ensure a peaceful and stable Europe and to make it clear that might does not make right. If Russia does not pay a heavy price for its actions, it will send a message to other would-be aggressors that they too can seize territory and subjugate other countries. It will put the survival of other peaceful democracies at risk. And it could mark the end of the rules-based international order and open the door to aggression elsewhere, with catastrophic consequences the world over.

I know many people around the world are concerned about the use of nuclear weapons. We currently see no indication that Russia has intent to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, though Russia’s occasional rhetoric to rattle the nuclear saber is itself dangerous and extremely irresponsible. Let me be clear: Any use of nuclear weapons in this conflict on any scale would be completely unacceptable to us as well as the rest of the world and would entail severe consequences.

Americans will stay the course with the Ukrainian people because we understand that freedom is not free. That’s what we have always done whenever the enemies of freedom seek to bully and oppress innocent people, and it is what we are doing now. Vladimir Putin did not expect this degree of unity or the strength of our response. He was mistaken. If he expects that we will waver or fracture in the months to come, he is equally mistaken.

THE U.S. WILL HELP UKRAINE BE IN THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE POSITION AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. WE DO NOT WANT TO PROLONG THE WAR JUST TO INFLICT PAIN ON RUSSIA. The invasion Vladimir Putin thought would last days is now in its fourth month.

THE U.S. WILL HELP UKRAINE BE IN THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE POSITION AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. WE DO NOT WANT TO PROLONG THE WAR JUST TO INFLICT PAIN ON RUSSIA. The invasion Vladimir Putin thought would last days is now in its fourth month. The Ukrainian people surprised Russia and inspired the world with their sacrifice, grit and battlefield success. The free world and many other nations, led by the United States, rallied to Ukraine’s side with unprecedented military, humanitarian and financial support. As the war goes on, I want to be clear about the aims of the United States in these efforts. America’s goal is straightforward: We want to see a democratic, independent, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine with the means to deter and defend itself against further aggression. As President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has said, ultimately this war “will only definitively end through diplomacy.” Every negotiation reflects the facts on the ground. We have moved quickly to send Ukraine a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition so it can fight on the battlefield and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table. That’s why I’ve decided that we will provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine. We will continue cooperating with our allies and partners on Russian sanctions, the toughest ever imposed on a major economy. We will continue providing Ukraine with advanced weaponry, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger antiaircraft missiles, powerful artillery and precision rocket systems, radars, unmanned aerial vehicles, Mi-17 helicopters and ammunition. We will also send billions more in financial assistance, as authorized by Congress. We will work with our allies and partners to address the global food crisis that Russia’s aggression is worsening. And we will help our European allies and others reduce their dependence on Russian fossil fuels, and speed our transition to a clean energy future. We will also continue reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank with forces and capabilities from the United States and other allies. And just recently, I welcomed Finland’s and Sweden’s applications to join NATO, a move that will strengthen overall U.S. and trans-Atlantic security by adding two democratic and highly capable military partners. We do not seek a war between NATO and Russia. As much as I disagree with Mr. Putin, and find his actions an outrage, the United States will not try to bring about his ouster in Moscow. So long as the United States or our allies are not attacked, we will not be directly engaged in this conflict, either by sending American troops to fight in Ukraine or by attacking Russian forces. We are not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders. We do not want to prolong the war just to inflict pain on Russia. My principle throughout this crisis has been “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” I will not pressure the Ukrainian government — in private or public — to make any territorial concessions. It would be wrong and contrary to well-settled principles to do so. Ukraine’s talks with Russia are not stalled because Ukraine has turned its back on diplomacy. They are stalled because Russia continues to wage a war to take control of as much of Ukraine as it can. The United States will continue to work to strengthen Ukraine and support its efforts to achieve a negotiated end to the conflict. Unprovoked aggression, the bombing of maternity hospitals and centers of culture, and the forced displacement of millions of people makes the war in Ukraine a profound moral issue. I met with Ukrainian refugees in Poland — women and children who were unsure what their lives would be, and whether the loved ones who stayed behind in Ukraine would be OK. No person of conscience could be unmoved by the devastation of these horrors. Standing by Ukraine in its hour of need is not just the right thing to do. It is in our vital national interests to ensure a peaceful and stable Europe and to make it clear that might does not make right. If Russia does not pay a heavy price for its actions, it will send a message to other would-be aggressors that they too can seize territory and subjugate other countries. It will put the survival of other peaceful democracies at risk. And it could mark the end of the rules-based international order and open the door to aggression elsewhere, with catastrophic consequences the world over. I know many people around the world are concerned about the use of nuclear weapons. We currently see no indication that Russia has intent to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, though Russia’s occasional rhetoric to rattle the nuclear saber is itself dangerous and extremely irresponsible. Let me be clear: Any use of nuclear weapons in this conflict on any scale would be completely unacceptable to us as well as the rest of the world and would entail severe consequences. Americans will stay the course with the Ukrainian people because we understand that freedom is not free. That’s what we have always done whenever the enemies of freedom seek to bully and oppress innocent people, and it is what we are doing now. Vladimir Putin did not expect this degree of unity or the strength of our response. He was mistaken. If he expects that we will waver or fracture in the months to come, he is equally mistaken.

President Biden: What America will and will not do in Ukraine

According to eagle-eyed online users, Russian President Vladimir Putin may have staged a recent visit to a military hospital in Moscow to meet with wounded soldiers.

Kremlin had released a video a few days ago in which Putin can be seen at the Mandryk Central Military Clinical Hospital of the Russian Defence Ministry.&nbsp;

In the video, he can be seen speaking to members of the Russian Armed Forces undergoing treatment after being wounded during the special military operation, as well as with the hospital’s medical personnel.

He told one of the Russian soldier's sons that, “He will be proud of his dad.”&nbsp;

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Netizens have claimed that they recognise one of the “patients” at the military hospital from a previous event.

According to Adam Rang, a self-described “counter-propaganda” activist living in Estonia, pointed out a wounded soldier resembled a factory worker who Putin previously met.

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Putin met with a wounded soldier who, by a strange coincidence, was also a factory worker he previously met. <a href="https://t.co/hz4q2EJzFx">pic.twitter.com/hz4q2EJzFx</a>
— Adam Rang 🇪🇪🇺🇦 (@adamrangpr) <a href="https://twitter.com/adamrangpr/status/1529799570753978369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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He has posted an entire thread on Twitter of such incidents showing that it is a common tactic used by Russia.

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Some people have their doubts. It’s not conclusive but it does seem to be the same person - and there’s certainly nothing new about that tactic from Putin. See below. There was even a rioter in 2007 in Estonia who popped up as a protestor in Ukraine’s Donbas in 2014. <a href="https://t.co/i1HfjQ29CU">pic.twitter.com/i1HfjQ29CU</a>
— Adam Rang 🇪🇪🇺🇦 (@adamrangpr) <a href="https://twitter.com/adamrangpr/status/1529854314780426245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In response, another Twitter user commented, ''That 'factory worker' and 'wounded soldier' that Putin keeps meeting also works for the FSB. He is the Kremlin’s equivalent of Mrs Rabbit in Peppa Pig.''

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That “factory worker” and “wounded soldier” that Putin keeps meeting also works for the FSB. He is the Kremlin’s equivalent of Mrs Rabbit in Peppa Pig. <a href="https://t.co/TH9Up3Dv2C">https://t.co/TH9Up3Dv2C</a>
— JOE RICH #StandWithUkraine #SlavaUkraini (@joerichlaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/joerichlaw/status/1529953161498316804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Russia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Russia</a>: This looks about right. In case you were wondering how <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Putin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Putin</a> can possibly risk being in the presence of regular <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RussianPeople?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RussianPeople</a>. He never does. <a href="https://t.co/LpCOP5pYvB">pic.twitter.com/LpCOP5pYvB</a>
— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) <a href="https://twitter.com/igorsushko/status/1529800130206978048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The United States and Britain have accused Russia of spreading disinformation online and manipulating public opinion about the war in Ukraine.

They have vehemently rejected Russian claims that the West is aiming to control all information flows and define what is true or not true.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.&nbsp;

Watch WION's live TV here:

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According to eagle-eyed online users, Russian President Vladimir Putin may have staged a recent visit to a military hospital in Moscow to meet with wounded soldiers.

According to eagle-eyed online users, Russian President Vladimir Putin may have staged a recent visit to a military hospital in Moscow to meet with wounded soldiers. Kremlin had released a video a few days ago in which Putin can be seen at the Mandryk Central Military Clinical Hospital of the Russian Defence Ministry. In the video, he can be seen speaking to members of the Russian Armed Forces undergoing treatment after being wounded during the special military operation, as well as with the hospital’s medical personnel. He told one of the Russian soldier's sons that, “He will be proud of his dad.” Netizens have claimed that they recognise one of the “patients” at the military hospital from a previous event. According to Adam Rang, a self-described “counter-propaganda” activist living in Estonia, pointed out a wounded soldier resembled a factory worker who Putin previously met. Putin met with a wounded soldier who, by a strange coincidence, was also a factory worker he previously met. pic.twitter.com/hz4q2EJzFx — Adam Rang 🇪🇪🇺🇦 (@adamrangpr) May 26, 2022 × He has posted an entire thread on Twitter of such incidents showing that it is a common tactic used by Russia. Some people have their doubts. It’s not conclusive but it does seem to be the same person - and there’s certainly nothing new about that tactic from Putin. See below. There was even a rioter in 2007 in Estonia who popped up as a protestor in Ukraine’s Donbas in 2014. pic.twitter.com/i1HfjQ29CU — Adam Rang 🇪🇪🇺🇦 (@adamrangpr) May 26, 2022 × In response, another Twitter user commented, ''That 'factory worker' and 'wounded soldier' that Putin keeps meeting also works for the FSB. He is the Kremlin’s equivalent of Mrs Rabbit in Peppa Pig.'' That “factory worker” and “wounded soldier” that Putin keeps meeting also works for the FSB. He is the Kremlin’s equivalent of Mrs Rabbit in Peppa Pig. https://t.co/TH9Up3Dv2C — JOE RICH #StandWithUkraine #SlavaUkraini (@joerichlaw) May 26, 2022 × #Russia: This looks about right. In case you were wondering how #Putin can possibly risk being in the presence of regular #RussianPeople. He never does. pic.twitter.com/LpCOP5pYvB — Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) May 26, 2022 × The United States and Britain have accused Russia of spreading disinformation online and manipulating public opinion about the war in Ukraine. They have vehemently rejected Russian claims that the West is aiming to control all information flows and define what is true or not true. (With inputs from agencies) Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. Watch WION's live TV here:

Did Putin fake his visit to military hospital? Photos reveal familiar face

Amid Russian forces' aggressive approach in eastern Ukraine, the United States President Joe Biden on Monday (May 30) said that he would not send rocket systems to Ukraine that can reach Russia. While speaking to reporters after arriving back at the White House after a weekend in Delaware, "Biden said, "We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia."&nbsp;

"There's a constitution. I can't dictate this stuff. I can do the things I've done, and any executive action I can take I continue to take, but I can't outlaw a weapon, I can't change the background checks. I can't do that, and you know, my whole career I've been doing it," he added.&nbsp;

In the east, the Russian forces have advanced closer to the centre of the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk. The city has been under bombardment for weeks. Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday said on Telegram: "The Russians are advancing into the middle of Severodonetsk. The fighting continues. The situation is very difficult."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irans-enriched-uranium-18-times-over-limit-warns-iaea-483605">Iran's enriched uranium 18 times over limit, warns IAEA</a>

Importantly, Severodonetsk is the easternmost city still in Ukrainian hands. It has been understood that capturing it would give Russia de-facto control over Lugansk, one of two eastern regions that make up the coveted Donbas.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky multiple times urged Western countries to supply advanced weapons to face Russia after it invaded Ukraine on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin in late February.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/immortal-portion-of-love-kim-jong-uns-message-on-vaccines-to-north-koreans-483585">'Immortal potion of love': Kim Jong Un's message on vaccines to North Koreans</a>

WATCH |&nbsp;Discussions on oil embargo: European Union holds two-day summit in Brussels

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Zelensky's advisor Mykhailo Podoliak tweeted recently: "If the West really wants Ukraine's victory, maybe it is time to give us long-range MLRS? It is hard to fight when you are attacked from a 70 km (43 miles) distance and have nothing to fight back with."&nbsp;

Ukraine has received extensive US military aid but says it needs long-range rockets equivalent to what Moscow's forces use. Recently, the US announced another $40 billion assistance package amid speculation it included such weapons.&nbsp;

To counter Moscow, Kyiv has asked the US for mobile batteries for long-range rockets, the M270 MLRS and the M142 Himars. They can launch multiple rockets at the same time with a range of up to 187 miles.&nbsp;

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Amid Russian forces' aggressive approach in eastern Ukraine, the United States President Joe Biden on Monday (May 30) said that he would not send rocket systems to Ukraine that can reach Russia.

Amid Russian forces' aggressive approach in eastern Ukraine, the United States President Joe Biden on Monday (May 30) said that he would not send rocket systems to Ukraine that can reach Russia. While speaking to reporters after arriving back at the White House after a weekend in Delaware, "Biden said, "We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia." "There's a constitution. I can't dictate this stuff. I can do the things I've done, and any executive action I can take I continue to take, but I can't outlaw a weapon, I can't change the background checks. I can't do that, and you know, my whole career I've been doing it," he added. In the east, the Russian forces have advanced closer to the centre of the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk. The city has been under bombardment for weeks. Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday said on Telegram: "The Russians are advancing into the middle of Severodonetsk. The fighting continues. The situation is very difficult." ALSO READ | Iran's enriched uranium 18 times over limit, warns IAEA Importantly, Severodonetsk is the easternmost city still in Ukrainian hands. It has been understood that capturing it would give Russia de-facto control over Lugansk, one of two eastern regions that make up the coveted Donbas. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky multiple times urged Western countries to supply advanced weapons to face Russia after it invaded Ukraine on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin in late February. ALSO READ | 'Immortal potion of love': Kim Jong Un's message on vaccines to North Koreans WATCH | Discussions on oil embargo: European Union holds two-day summit in Brussels × Zelensky's advisor Mykhailo Podoliak tweeted recently: "If the West really wants Ukraine's victory, maybe it is time to give us long-range MLRS? It is hard to fight when you are attacked from a 70 km (43 miles) distance and have nothing to fight back with." Ukraine has received extensive US military aid but says it needs long-range rockets equivalent to what Moscow's forces use. Recently, the US announced another $40 billion assistance package amid speculation it included such weapons. To counter Moscow, Kyiv has asked the US for mobile batteries for long-range rockets, the M270 MLRS and the M142 Himars. They can launch multiple rockets at the same time with a range of up to 187 miles. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Joe Biden says US will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach Russia

Two&nbsp;people were&nbsp;injured&nbsp;following an explosion in the Moscow-controlled city of&nbsp;Melitopol&nbsp;in southeastern&nbsp;Ukraine, local pro-Kremlin authorities said on Monday, blaming Kyiv.

Russian troops took control of the city in the Zaporizhzhia region in the early days of Moscow's military campaign in&nbsp;Ukraine, but were met with fierce resistance.

"This morning there was a terrorist attack aimed at destabilising the peaceful life of the city,"&nbsp;Melitopol's Russia-installed authorities said on Telegram.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russias-new-law-to-enlist-more-people-into-armed-forces-483264">Russia's new law to enlist more people into armed forces</a>

According to the statement, a car packed with explosives blew up in the city centre, injuring&nbsp;two&nbsp;"humanitarian aid" volunteers, a 28-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man.

"The Ukrainian government continues its war on the civilian population and the infrastructure of cities," the statement said, adding that an investigation was underway.&nbsp;

Clouds of black smoke were visible in the city on Monday morning. The&nbsp;blast&nbsp;shook the windows and walls of nearby buildings, Vladimir Rogov, a Russia-appointed official in&nbsp;Melitopol, said on Telegram.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Did Putin survive an assassination attempt?

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In another sign that Moscow is looking to maintain a long-term presence in parts of&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;controlled by its troops, Russian investigators said they would be looking into the&nbsp;blast.&nbsp;

Russia's Investigative Committee "will identify the persons involved in committing this crime in order to bring the perpetrators to justice," it said in a statement.&nbsp;

According to its information, the&nbsp;blast&nbsp;"organised by Ukrainian saboteurs" took place during the distribution of humanitarian aid near a residential building.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-war-russia-targets-key-eastern-town-in-severodonetsk-civilians-trapped-483220">Ukraine war: Russia targets key eastern town; civilians trapped</a>

Three people were&nbsp;injured,&nbsp;two&nbsp;of whom are in hospital, the investigators said.&nbsp;

Some reports suggested that the&nbsp;blast&nbsp;took place near the area where the Russia-installed head of the Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, lives.

Last week, the Moscow-appointed mayor of Enerhodar, another city in the Zaporizhzhia region under Russian control, was&nbsp;injured&nbsp;in an explosion.

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Two people were injured following an explosion in the Moscow-controlled city of Melitopol in southeastern Ukraine, local pro-Kremlin authorities said on Monday, blaming Kyiv.

Two people were injured following an explosion in the Moscow-controlled city of Melitopol in southeastern Ukraine, local pro-Kremlin authorities said on Monday, blaming Kyiv. Russian troops took control of the city in the Zaporizhzhia region in the early days of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine, but were met with fierce resistance. "This morning there was a terrorist attack aimed at destabilising the peaceful life of the city," Melitopol's Russia-installed authorities said on Telegram. Also read | Russia's new law to enlist more people into armed forces According to the statement, a car packed with explosives blew up in the city centre, injuring two "humanitarian aid" volunteers, a 28-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man. "The Ukrainian government continues its war on the civilian population and the infrastructure of cities," the statement said, adding that an investigation was underway. Clouds of black smoke were visible in the city on Monday morning. The blast shook the windows and walls of nearby buildings, Vladimir Rogov, a Russia-appointed official in Melitopol, said on Telegram. Watch | Gravitas: Did Putin survive an assassination attempt? In another sign that Moscow is looking to maintain a long-term presence in parts of Ukraine controlled by its troops, Russian investigators said they would be looking into the blast. Russia's Investigative Committee "will identify the persons involved in committing this crime in order to bring the perpetrators to justice," it said in a statement. According to its information, the blast "organised by Ukrainian saboteurs" took place during the distribution of humanitarian aid near a residential building. Also read | Ukraine war: Russia targets key eastern town; civilians trapped Three people were injured, two of whom are in hospital, the investigators said. Some reports suggested that the blast took place near the area where the Russia-installed head of the Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, lives. Last week, the Moscow-appointed mayor of Enerhodar, another city in the Zaporizhzhia region under Russian control, was injured in an explosion. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Ukraine war: Two injured in blast in Russia-controlled Melitopol

Ukraine war: Russia pummels eastern towns in bid to encircle Ukrainian forces

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict entered its fourth month, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law enabling people over 40 to enlist for the armed forces. This will help Moscow to recruit more civilian experts for the war in Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Russia scraps age limit for new troops

The Russian president Vladimir Putin and the Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi discussed ways to ease the international food crisis, with the Kremlin saying this could be done only if the West lifts sanctions.

Russian President Putin, Italy’s PM Draghi discuss ways to help solve food crisis

Chechen strongman and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, has warned Poland to "better take back your weapons" from Ukraine as he is ready to attack the European country. A video of his comment surfaced on Twitter where he can be heard saying that the issue of Ukraine is “closed”, and if given the order, he's “interested in Poland”.

Kadyrov also demanded an apology from Poland for an incident involving Russia's ambassador earlier this month where the latter was splattered with red paint by anti-war protesters during a Victory Day ceremony.

"The issue of Ukraine is closed. I'm interested in Poland. What is it trying to achieve?" Kadyrov said, according to a translation.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Putin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Putin</a>'s warlord-president of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chechnya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chechnya</a>, Ramzan Kadyrov, says: "The issue of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a> is closed ... I'm interested in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Poland</a>". Says Warsaw should stop supplying weapons and "beg ... official forgiveness" or the Russian army will come for them 😂😂😂😂😂😂 <a href="https://t.co/bjAR4x6XUE">pic.twitter.com/bjAR4x6XUE</a>
— Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) <a href="https://twitter.com/KyleWOrton/status/1529598849462968320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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"After Ukraine, if we are given the command, in six seconds we will show what we are capable of. You should better take back your weapons and your mercenaries. And beg official forgiveness for what you did to our ambassador. We won't just ignore it, bear that in mind," the Chechen leader continued.

It was not immediately clear when or where the video was filmed.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-shelled-more-than-40-towns-in-donbas-says-ukraine-military-482246" hreflang="en">Russia shelled more than 40 towns in Donbas, says Ukraine military</a>

Poland is one of the countries that has supplied weapons to Ukraine to defend itself from Russia's invasion that has been going on since late February.

The Polish government says it has supplied weapons worth $1.6 billion, including&nbsp;hundreds of tanks, howitzers, and Grad rocket launchers.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-hundred-dead-bodies-found-under-rubble-in-mariupol-report-482080" hreflang="en">Two hundred dead bodies found under rubble in Mariupol: Report</a>

Notably, Kadyrov is not the only one who has called for the invasion of Poland in recent weeks.

Oleg Morozov, a member of the Russian parliament and a top member of Putin's political party, United Russia, suggested earlier this month that Poland should be "in first place in the queue for denazification after Ukraine," according to an English translation of a Telegram&nbsp;post, Newsweek reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Chechen strongman and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, has warned Poland to "better take back your weapons" from Ukraine as he is ready to attack the European country.

Chechen strongman and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, has warned Poland to "better take back your weapons" from Ukraine as he is ready to attack the European country. A video of his comment surfaced on Twitter where he can be heard saying that the issue of Ukraine is “closed”, and if given the order, he's “interested in Poland”. Kadyrov also demanded an apology from Poland for an incident involving Russia's ambassador earlier this month where the latter was splattered with red paint by anti-war protesters during a Victory Day ceremony. "The issue of Ukraine is closed. I'm interested in Poland. What is it trying to achieve?" Kadyrov said, according to a translation. #Putin's warlord-president of #Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, says: "The issue of #Ukraine is closed ... I'm interested in #Poland". Says Warsaw should stop supplying weapons and "beg ... official forgiveness" or the Russian army will come for them 😂😂😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/bjAR4x6XUE — Kyle Orton (@KyleWOrton) May 25, 2022 × "After Ukraine, if we are given the command, in six seconds we will show what we are capable of. You should better take back your weapons and your mercenaries. And beg official forgiveness for what you did to our ambassador. We won't just ignore it, bear that in mind," the Chechen leader continued. It was not immediately clear when or where the video was filmed. Also read | Russia shelled more than 40 towns in Donbas, says Ukraine military Poland is one of the countries that has supplied weapons to Ukraine to defend itself from Russia's invasion that has been going on since late February. The Polish government says it has supplied weapons worth $1.6 billion, including hundreds of tanks, howitzers, and Grad rocket launchers. Also read | Two hundred dead bodies found under rubble in Mariupol: Report Notably, Kadyrov is not the only one who has called for the invasion of Poland in recent weeks. Oleg Morozov, a member of the Russian parliament and a top member of Putin's political party, United Russia, suggested earlier this month that Poland should be "in first place in the queue for denazification after Ukraine," according to an English translation of a Telegram post, Newsweek reported. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Russian President Putin’s ally says ‘Ukraine closed…Poland next’ in a chilling new video

Russia intensified its attacks on Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine, attempting to capture the Donbas region exactly three months after President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine.

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Moscow tries to encircle Ukrainian troops in Donbas

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Moscow intensifies its Donbas offensive

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny had his nine-year prison sentence appeal rejected by a Russian court. During the hearing, he slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion into Ukraine.

Navalny's appeal against jail sentence rejected, he slams Putin for war in Ukraine

After the Ukraine invasion in February, some Russians are reporting, encountering anti-Russian sentiments when they are abroad. Russian citizens planning holidays for example are facing the consequences of Vladimir Putin's war

Russia-Ukraine war: Russians forced to alter vacation plans

Backdrop

As the Russia-Ukraine war completes three months, both sides are witnessing spectacular twists and turns, showing that reality is hitting both sides. Few would have predicted a month ago that President Putin would be willing to swallow the bitter pill of Finland and Sweden's bid to join NATO, which effectively amounts to NATO's eastward expansion, adding over a thousand kilometres of direct land border between Russia and NATO, and respond only with a weak warning to react to increased weapon deployment in these two countries.

Likewise, the rhetoric of Ukraine winning the war overhyped by the US led NATO through exhaustive information and perception war, seems to be fading with the surrender of over 2000 Azov fighters in Mariupol, cutting off Ukraine from the Sea of Azov, besides losing a large chunk of land in Donbas Region. President Zelensky's&nbsp;acknowledgement of diplomacy being the only answer, highlighting concerns for people and soldiers is not too late, if those interested in prolonging this war let him act on it. &nbsp;

Parties to the Conflict

The war is sparing no one in the world from inflationary pressures, having doubled the figures of the global food insecure population, due to acute food shortage, triggering the blame game by both sides to seek concessions. While Russia can be accused of launching a pre-emptive ground offensive on Ukraine, NATO can also be accused of creating conditions threatening Russia by continued eastward expansion and proxy war. While the kinetic, contact, hybrid war is on between Russia and Ukraine, the US-led NATO is fighting a non-kinetic, non-contact, undeclared war in economic, information, diplomatic and political domains, against Russia; hence de-facto parties to the war.&nbsp;

Russian Stakes and Compulsions&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

After three months of the war, while Russia can draw solace from sizeable territorial gains and linking Donbas with Crimea after capture of Mariupol, but at a very heavy cost of men and material, besides unprecedented economic stress due to crippling sanctions by the West. It has made President Putin revisit his stance on Finland and Sweden, as it is cost-prohibitive for Russia to open another front with NATO on Finland's borders. It, therefore, makes better sense for him to achieve the desired end state in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine by liberating Donbas Region, landlocking Ukraine and dealing with Finland later. Russia realises its limitations in economic, diplomatic, information and political warfare domain; hence more territorial gains on the ground to landlock Ukraine by extending the land bridge between Crimea, Odesa to Transnistria and liberating Donbas is the best option for it, to gain better negotiating position, to have the sanctions lifted.&nbsp;

Ukrainian Stakes and Compulsions &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

President Zelensky appears to recognise that neither he nor the western propaganda-based information war, which has made him a hero and outright winner, can be sustained in the long run, having lost more territory the size of some European countries, left with devastated towns, over four million refugees, heavy casualties, and the surrender of his overhyped Azov Regiments. While additional aid and weaponry with a $40 billion cheque from the US and $16.4 billion from the EU can boost his combat power, but regaining lost ground from Russians is going to be extremely difficult, as they will use built up areas for defending their gains, as Ukraine did. Prolonging war doesn’t guarantee peace for Ukraine, but it may result in greater territorial loss, unending proxy war, and a long-term Russian threat.

NATO’s Stakes and Compulsions&nbsp;

NATO seems to be emboldened by the soft Russian response to the bid of Finland and Sweden to join NATO, with a confidence that Russia has been adequately weakened to challenge the eastward expansion of NATO; hence, it is keen to add these two countries with strong militaries, to secure its northern flank and have a better collective security posture in the long run. It also makes sense in the context of Sino-Russian footprints in the Arctic region and the North Atlantic Ocean. Towards that aim, it is ready to sacrifice some of its energy and economic interests for the time being.&nbsp;

It is too early to predict how long this show of unified strength will continue because the war is certainly not making Europe peaceful, with millions of refugees and non-state actors activated and a longer border with belligerent Russia, which will reorganise itself, learning from its miscalculations. While NATO may be able to handle the objections of Turkey and Croatia with few concessions/addressing security concerns, but the disagreement regarding long term energy security may not be easy to handle, once the rhetoric of united NATO starts fading with economic fatigue and energy deficit.&nbsp;

Is USA the Beneficiary?

In short term the USA can rejoice some immediate gains. It has been able to get control of NATO, weaken Russia, create market for its arms dealers, energy companies and infrastructure contractors. It has been able to block strategic Nord Stream 1 and 2, and encourage EU to find alternate energy sources, thereby reducing Russian influence drastically.&nbsp;

It has, however, incurred certain long-term losses, the most serious of which is driving Russia into a stronger China-Russia Axis than ever before, which is beyond its individual capabilities to handle. True, this battle has revitalised NATO, but it has also strengthened the Russia-China-Iran nexus, or anti-West alliance. Sanctions have fueled calls for an alternative financial system to avoid financial paralysis caused by a monopolized dollarized financial system, which could harm the US in the long run.

The US's global exhibition of backing proxy war by enabling Ukraine/Zelensky to fight to the bitter end in order to achieve its geopolitical aim of weakening Russia, with no American losses has tarnished the US's reputation as an ally/partner. Indeed, more than $56 billion in funding for a proxy war in Ukraine, which is more than double the amount spent in Afghanistan's 20-year war, reveals misplaced priorities, unless US is counting on making much more money from increased weapon sales by prolonging the war.

It has put Taiwan, Japan and South Korea on notice facing a similar threat&nbsp;from aggressive China, to which US has been extremely shy of sanctioning it, despite later breaching territorial integrity of many democracies in the South China Sea, violating Taiwanese air space at will, and incremental encroachment in Himalayas. The world, struggling with financial, food and energy crises, doesn’t want any extension of war, on any pretext.&nbsp;

The visit of President Biden to the Indo-Pacific is significant to restoring the declining confidence of allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, without which, taking on China's challenge is difficult. Many in this region accuse Biden administration of reactivating Cold War 1.0 with Russia, diluting Cold War 2.0 with China, which is a bigger global challenge with better economic muscles. The proposed launch of Indo Pacific Economic Forum is to lure more regional countries to gain lost ground in economic engagement vis a vis China.

Way Ahead&nbsp;

In a situation where NATO continues to persuade Zelensky to fight, giving hopes to recapturing the entire territory of Ukraine, and the Russians continue incremental efforts to achieve an end state of landlocked Ukraine and independent Donbas, the war will continue. Neither the sanctions have deterred Russia, nor blocking gas flow by Russia will deter NATO. As long as Ukraine is ready to be used as a tool in big power contestation and NATO continues to add fuel to the fire, the chances of talks or any mediation seem to be a remote possibility. In the Russia Ukraine war, there will be no winners, but a new set of security and economic challenges will impact the entire world.

Having tested US responses in Ukraine, the growing Chinese aggressiveness in Indo-Pacific is a wake-up call to US to avoid losing influence in the region, especially after losing considerable strategic space in the Middle East and Af-Pak regions. Chinese footprints in the Solomon Islands surprised US and Australia. Regular violation of ADIZ of Taiwan, belligerent North Korea threatening South Korea and Japan, reassertion of Chinese and Russian claims against Japan indicate that US resolve is under greater threat in the Indo-Pacific, where it has obligation to defend Japan and South Korea and the strategic necessity to save Taiwan. It is also not easy to find another Zelensky/Ukraine in Asia, willing to act as proxy of NATO. It is, for this reason, President Joe Biden needs partners in Indo-Pacific, to strengthen/expand Quad, and put up viable alternative economic, infrastructure, technological and supply chains in Indo-Pacific with allies and partners. The UK Foreign Minister’s call for Global NATO seems far fetched at this point in time but indicates desperation for global support to face the reality of the threat from growing Chinese Russian alliance. &nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Backdrop As the Russia-Ukraine war completes three months, both sides are witnessing spectacular twists and turns, showing that reality is hitting both sides. Few would have predicted a month ago that President Putin would be willing to swallow the bitter pill of Finland and Sweden's bid to join NATO, which effectively amounts to NATO's eastward expansion, adding over a thousand kilometres of direct land border between Russia and NATO, and respond only with a weak warning to react to increased weapon deployment in these two countries.

Backdrop As the Russia-Ukraine war completes three months, both sides are witnessing spectacular twists and turns, showing that reality is hitting both sides. Few would have predicted a month ago that President Putin would be willing to swallow the bitter pill of Finland and Sweden's bid to join NATO, which effectively amounts to NATO's eastward expansion, adding over a thousand kilometres of direct land border between Russia and NATO, and respond only with a weak warning to react to increased weapon deployment in these two countries. Likewise, the rhetoric of Ukraine winning the war overhyped by the US led NATO through exhaustive information and perception war, seems to be fading with the surrender of over 2000 Azov fighters in Mariupol, cutting off Ukraine from the Sea of Azov, besides losing a large chunk of land in Donbas Region. President Zelensky's acknowledgement of diplomacy being the only answer, highlighting concerns for people and soldiers is not too late, if those interested in prolonging this war let him act on it. Parties to the Conflict The war is sparing no one in the world from inflationary pressures, having doubled the figures of the global food insecure population, due to acute food shortage, triggering the blame game by both sides to seek concessions. While Russia can be accused of launching a pre-emptive ground offensive on Ukraine, NATO can also be accused of creating conditions threatening Russia by continued eastward expansion and proxy war. While the kinetic, contact, hybrid war is on between Russia and Ukraine, the US-led NATO is fighting a non-kinetic, non-contact, undeclared war in economic, information, diplomatic and political domains, against Russia; hence de-facto parties to the war. Russian Stakes and Compulsions After three months of the war, while Russia can draw solace from sizeable territorial gains and linking Donbas with Crimea after capture of Mariupol, but at a very heavy cost of men and material, besides unprecedented economic stress due to crippling sanctions by the West. It has made President Putin revisit his stance on Finland and Sweden, as it is cost-prohibitive for Russia to open another front with NATO on Finland's borders. It, therefore, makes better sense for him to achieve the desired end state in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine by liberating Donbas Region, landlocking Ukraine and dealing with Finland later. Russia realises its limitations in economic, diplomatic, information and political warfare domain; hence more territorial gains on the ground to landlock Ukraine by extending the land bridge between Crimea, Odesa to Transnistria and liberating Donbas is the best option for it, to gain better negotiating position, to have the sanctions lifted. Ukrainian Stakes and Compulsions President Zelensky appears to recognise that neither he nor the western propaganda-based information war, which has made him a hero and outright winner, can be sustained in the long run, having lost more territory the size of some European countries, left with devastated towns, over four million refugees, heavy casualties, and the surrender of his overhyped Azov Regiments. While additional aid and weaponry with a $40 billion cheque from the US and $16.4 billion from the EU can boost his combat power, but regaining lost ground from Russians is going to be extremely difficult, as they will use built up areas for defending their gains, as Ukraine did. Prolonging war doesn’t guarantee peace for Ukraine, but it may result in greater territorial loss, unending proxy war, and a long-term Russian threat. NATO’s Stakes and Compulsions NATO seems to be emboldened by the soft Russian response to the bid of Finland and Sweden to join NATO, with a confidence that Russia has been adequately weakened to challenge the eastward expansion of NATO; hence, it is keen to add these two countries with strong militaries, to secure its northern flank and have a better collective security posture in the long run. It also makes sense in the context of Sino-Russian footprints in the Arctic region and the North Atlantic Ocean. Towards that aim, it is ready to sacrifice some of its energy and economic interests for the time being. It is too early to predict how long this show of unified strength will continue because the war is certainly not making Europe peaceful, with millions of refugees and non-state actors activated and a longer border with belligerent Russia, which will reorganise itself, learning from its miscalculations. While NATO may be able to handle the objections of Turkey and Croatia with few concessions/addressing security concerns, but the disagreement regarding long term energy security may not be easy to handle, once the rhetoric of united NATO starts fading with economic fatigue and energy deficit. Is USA the Beneficiary? In short term the USA can rejoice some immediate gains. It has been able to get control of NATO, weaken Russia, create market for its arms dealers, energy companies and infrastructure contractors. It has been able to block strategic Nord Stream 1 and 2, and encourage EU to find alternate energy sources, thereby reducing Russian influence drastically. It has, however, incurred certain long-term losses, the most serious of which is driving Russia into a stronger China-Russia Axis than ever before, which is beyond its individual capabilities to handle. True, this battle has revitalised NATO, but it has also strengthened the Russia-China-Iran nexus, or anti-West alliance. Sanctions have fueled calls for an alternative financial system to avoid financial paralysis caused by a monopolized dollarized financial system, which could harm the US in the long run. The US's global exhibition of backing proxy war by enabling Ukraine/Zelensky to fight to the bitter end in order to achieve its geopolitical aim of weakening Russia, with no American losses has tarnished the US's reputation as an ally/partner. Indeed, more than $56 billion in funding for a proxy war in Ukraine, which is more than double the amount spent in Afghanistan's 20-year war, reveals misplaced priorities, unless US is counting on making much more money from increased weapon sales by prolonging the war. It has put Taiwan, Japan and South Korea on notice facing a similar threat from aggressive China, to which US has been extremely shy of sanctioning it, despite later breaching territorial integrity of many democracies in the South China Sea, violating Taiwanese air space at will, and incremental encroachment in Himalayas. The world, struggling with financial, food and energy crises, doesn’t want any extension of war, on any pretext. The visit of President Biden to the Indo-Pacific is significant to restoring the declining confidence of allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, without which, taking on China's challenge is difficult. Many in this region accuse Biden administration of reactivating Cold War 1.0 with Russia, diluting Cold War 2.0 with China, which is a bigger global challenge with better economic muscles. The proposed launch of Indo Pacific Economic Forum is to lure more regional countries to gain lost ground in economic engagement vis a vis China. Way Ahead In a situation where NATO continues to persuade Zelensky to fight, giving hopes to recapturing the entire territory of Ukraine, and the Russians continue incremental efforts to achieve an end state of landlocked Ukraine and independent Donbas, the war will continue. Neither the sanctions have deterred Russia, nor blocking gas flow by Russia will deter NATO. As long as Ukraine is ready to be used as a tool in big power contestation and NATO continues to add fuel to the fire, the chances of talks or any mediation seem to be a remote possibility. In the Russia Ukraine war, there will be no winners, but a new set of security and economic challenges will impact the entire world. Having tested US responses in Ukraine, the growing Chinese aggressiveness in Indo-Pacific is a wake-up call to US to avoid losing influence in the region, especially after losing considerable strategic space in the Middle East and Af-Pak regions. Chinese footprints in the Solomon Islands surprised US and Australia. Regular violation of ADIZ of Taiwan, belligerent North Korea threatening South Korea and Japan, reassertion of Chinese and Russian claims against Japan indicate that US resolve is under greater threat in the Indo-Pacific, where it has obligation to defend Japan and South Korea and the strategic necessity to save Taiwan. It is also not easy to find another Zelensky/Ukraine in Asia, willing to act as proxy of NATO. It is, for this reason, President Joe Biden needs partners in Indo-Pacific, to strengthen/expand Quad, and put up viable alternative economic, infrastructure, technological and supply chains in Indo-Pacific with allies and partners. The UK Foreign Minister’s call for Global NATO seems far fetched at this point in time but indicates desperation for global support to face the reality of the threat from growing Chinese Russian alliance. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Opinion | Is war-fatigue causing twists and turns in the Russia-Ukraine War?

As the West continues to send arms and pledges to donate billions of dollars as war aid to Ukraine, Russia has claimed that it has deployed its two ‘state-of-the-art’ laser weapon systems—'Peresvet’ and ‘Zadira‘—to burn drones.

The announcement was made by the deputy prime minister and in charge of military development, Yury Borisov, on Thursday who said that even more powerful laser-based weapons capable of destroying their targets are being tested and deployed in the war, according to Reuters.

Detailing the prowess of the lasers, the deputy PM cited a recent test where the Zadira burned a drone more than five kilometres (three miles) away in seconds.

“If Peresvet blinds, then the new generation of laser weapons lead to the physical destruction of the target — thermal destruction, they burn up,”&nbsp;Reuters quoted him as saying on Russian state television.

He called “Zadira” the most powerful laser system than Peresvet.

However, Ukraine President Vlodomyr Zelensky trashed the claims by drawing parallels to Nazi Germany’s “so-called wonder weapons” that were “unveiled in a bid to prevent defeat in World War Two.”

“The clearer it became that they had no chance in the war, the more propaganda there was about an amazing weapon that would be so powerful as to ensure a turning point,”&nbsp;Reuters&nbsp;quoted him as saying in a late night video address.

What do we know about the two laser weapons?

1) Russian leader Vladimir Putin had unveiled an array of new and deadly weapons in 2018, including an intercontinental ballistic missile, underwater nuclear drones, a supersonic weapon and a laser system.

2) Little is known about the specifics of the new laser. Putin back then mentioned Peresvet, named after a medieval Orthodox warrior monk Alexander Peresvet who perished in mortal combat.

3) Borisov said that Peresvet was already being widely deployed and it could blind satellites up to 1,500 km above Earth.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-send-additional-military-aid-of-100-million-to-help-ukraine-in-ongoing-conflict-480560" hreflang="en">US to send additional military aid of $100 million to help Ukraine in ongoing conflict</a>

4) Asked if such weapons were being used in Ukraine, Borisov said: "Yes. The first prototypes are already being used there." He said the weapon was called "Zadira".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-exclusive-interview-to-wion-chechen-leader-says-russian-operations-end-depends-on-ukrainian-govt-480548" hreflang="en">In exclusive interview to WION, Chechen leader says Russian operation’s end depends on Ukrainian govt</a>

5) Though there is no public information available about Zadira, the Russian media in 2017 said that state nuclear corporation Rosatom helped develop it as part of a programme to create weapons-based new physical principles.

(With inputs from agencies)

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As the West continues to send arms and pledges to donate billions of dollars as war aid to Ukraine, Russia has claimed that it has deployed its two ‘state-of-the-art’ laser weapon systems—'Peresvet’ and ‘Zadira‘—to burn drones.

As the West continues to send arms and pledges to donate billions of dollars as war aid to Ukraine, Russia has claimed that it has deployed its two ‘state-of-the-art’ laser weapon systems—'Peresvet’ and ‘Zadira‘—to burn drones. The announcement was made by the deputy prime minister and in charge of military development, Yury Borisov, on Thursday who said that even more powerful laser-based weapons capable of destroying their targets are being tested and deployed in the war, according to Reuters. Detailing the prowess of the lasers, the deputy PM cited a recent test where the Zadira burned a drone more than five kilometres (three miles) away in seconds. “If Peresvet blinds, then the new generation of laser weapons lead to the physical destruction of the target — thermal destruction, they burn up,” Reuters quoted him as saying on Russian state television. He called “Zadira” the most powerful laser system than Peresvet. However, Ukraine President Vlodomyr Zelensky trashed the claims by drawing parallels to Nazi Germany’s “so-called wonder weapons” that were “unveiled in a bid to prevent defeat in World War Two.” “The clearer it became that they had no chance in the war, the more propaganda there was about an amazing weapon that would be so powerful as to ensure a turning point,” Reuters quoted him as saying in a late night video address. What do we know about the two laser weapons? 1) Russian leader Vladimir Putin had unveiled an array of new and deadly weapons in 2018, including an intercontinental ballistic missile, underwater nuclear drones, a supersonic weapon and a laser system. 2) Little is known about the specifics of the new laser. Putin back then mentioned Peresvet, named after a medieval Orthodox warrior monk Alexander Peresvet who perished in mortal combat. 3) Borisov said that Peresvet was already being widely deployed and it could blind satellites up to 1,500 km above Earth. Also read | US to send additional military aid of $100 million to help Ukraine in ongoing conflict 4) Asked if such weapons were being used in Ukraine, Borisov said: "Yes. The first prototypes are already being used there." He said the weapon was called "Zadira". Also read | In exclusive interview to WION, Chechen leader says Russian operation’s end depends on Ukrainian govt 5) Though there is no public information available about Zadira, the Russian media in 2017 said that state nuclear corporation Rosatom helped develop it as part of a programme to create weapons-based new physical principles. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

'Peresvet' and ‘Zadira': Russia unveils new laser weapons against Ukraine

A joint probe by popular German magazine Der Spiegel and independent Russian media outlet iStories suggests that one of the officially recognised daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been living in secret luxury in Germany.&nbsp;

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Putin openly slammed pro-western Russians and said that their "mentality is there [West], not here [Russia], with our people" and even labelled them&nbsp;as "scum and traitors".&nbsp;

Now the latest report indicates that the 35-year-old Katerina (or Ekaterina) Tikhonova, who is a former professional dancer, has been living in secret with a man.&nbsp;

The report disclosed the name of the man and the Russian President might not like it.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-send-additional-military-aid-of-100-million-to-help-ukraine-in-ongoing-conflict-480560">US to send additional military aid of $100 million to help Ukraine in ongoing conflict</a>

As per the report, Katerina has been living with 52-year-old Igor Zelensky — a surname same as the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who can be considered Putin's current arch-nemesis.&nbsp;

Igor Zelensky is a leading professional ballet dancer and&nbsp;the former director of the Munich state ballet.&nbsp;

The report&nbsp;also noted that Katerina has a two-year-old daughter, probably with Igor as an anonymous source told Der Spiegel that Zelensky was "most likely a partner of Putin's daughter". However, the report didn't mention the child's name or any other details.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-g7-us-look-to-help-ukraine-with-aid-president-zelensky-says-donbas-region-completely-destroyed-480568">As G7, US look to help Ukraine with aid, President Zelensky says Donbas region completely destroyed</a>&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Exclusive: Chechen leader speaks to WION on Russian invasion of Ukraine

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The investigation also mentioned leaked flight details of Katerina, who apparently flew to Munich "more than 50 times" between 2017 and 2019 with Russian secret services guards.&nbsp;

The regular travel between Moscow to Munich was apparently restricted for Katerina as she faced sanctions by the West in the aftermath of Russia's decision to invade Ukraine.&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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A joint probe by popular German magazine Der Spiegel and independent Russian media outlet iStories suggests that one of the officially recognised daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been living in secret luxury in Germany.

A joint probe by popular German magazine Der Spiegel and independent Russian media outlet iStories suggests that one of the officially recognised daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been living in secret luxury in Germany. Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Putin openly slammed pro-western Russians and said that their "mentality is there [West], not here [Russia], with our people" and even labelled them as "scum and traitors". Now the latest report indicates that the 35-year-old Katerina (or Ekaterina) Tikhonova, who is a former professional dancer, has been living in secret with a man. The report disclosed the name of the man and the Russian President might not like it. ALSO READ | US to send additional military aid of $100 million to help Ukraine in ongoing conflict As per the report, Katerina has been living with 52-year-old Igor Zelensky — a surname same as the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who can be considered Putin's current arch-nemesis. Igor Zelensky is a leading professional ballet dancer and the former director of the Munich state ballet. The report also noted that Katerina has a two-year-old daughter, probably with Igor as an anonymous source told Der Spiegel that Zelensky was "most likely a partner of Putin's daughter". However, the report didn't mention the child's name or any other details. ALSO READ | As G7, US look to help Ukraine with aid, President Zelensky says Donbas region completely destroyed WATCH | Exclusive: Chechen leader speaks to WION on Russian invasion of Ukraine × The investigation also mentioned leaked flight details of Katerina, who apparently flew to Munich "more than 50 times" between 2017 and 2019 with Russian secret services guards. The regular travel between Moscow to Munich was apparently restricted for Katerina as she faced sanctions by the West in the aftermath of Russia's decision to invade Ukraine. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Vladimir Putin's daughter Katerina Tikhonova has been living with 'Zelensky' in secret: Report

'It is hell there': Zelensky says Donbas is 'completely destroyed' as Russia piles pressure - see pics

The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase.

It is no secret that the initial invasion went badly for Russia. Expecting easy victories, the Russian Army inflicted terrible destruction — especially in its shelling of cities — but for the most part failed to take territory outside the southeast of the country. Ukrainian resistance was fierce. After six weeks of war, undermanned Russian forces were made to retreat from Kyiv and its suburbs.

In the hope of winning new victories, Russia has now confined its forces to the south and east of Ukraine. The main battles are taking place in small towns and villages along the Donets River. Russia talks of cutting off the Ukrainian Army from the Donbas, but so far, its forces have made slow progress advancing from the Black Sea coast.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-has-turned-off-gas-supply-in-transit-points-says-ukraine-478138">Russia has turned off gas supply in transit points, says Ukraine</a>

In response, the United States and its allies have also shifted their position. At first, the Western support for Ukraine was mainly designed to defend against the invasion. It is now set on a far grander ambition: to weaken Russia itself. Presented as a common-sense response to Russian aggression, the shift, in fact, amounts to a significant escalation.

By expanding support to Ukraine across the board and shelving any diplomatic effort to stop the fighting, the United States and its allies have greatly increased the danger of an even larger conflict. They are taking a risk far out of step with any realistic strategic gain.

Russia’s more limited focus has proved more manageable for its armed forces. The bloody siege of Mariupol is, for practical purposes, now complete, and Russia has secured the town of Izium while bombarding minor cities. But these advances, which have come at a cost, are limited. The likelihood of Russian territorial advances far from Crimea or the Donbas is now remote.

The shift from general to limited conquest was already a concession on Russia’s part. The Russian leadership has blamed a single factor: It claims to be fighting not just Ukraine but the NATO system in Eastern Europe. Hubris and clumsy tactics are more to the point. Yet there is no denying that the United States, Britain, Poland and other European NATO members have been parties to the conflict from the outset.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine conflict to fuel food crisis in Africa

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It is not just military transports and trucks carrying tens of thousands of antiaircraft and antiarmor weapons to Ukrainian fighters. The United States has also provided real-time intelligence, reportedly including targeting information on the location of Russian forces. Though the Pentagon has disputed the extent of intelligence sharing, leaks have been remarkably revealing. We now know the United States provided the tracking intelligence that led to the sinking of the Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. More striking still, U.S. intelligence agencies provided critical targeting for battlefield assassinations of Russian generals.

This was already a significant form of participation in the war. But the United States has since shifted its strategy to push Russia further. The early U.S. response to the invasion was simple: Supply the defenders and apply America’s unique financial weaponry to the Russian economy. The new strategy — call it bleed Russia — is quite different. The underlying idea is that the United States and its allies should seek to recover more from the rubble of Kharkiv and Kramatorsk than the survival of Ukraine as a polity or even a symbolic frustration of Russian aggression.

Top officials have made that quite clear. The U.S. secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, has said the goal is “to see Russia weakened.” The speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said Ukraine is defending “democracy writ large for the world.” Britain’s foreign minister, Liz Truss, was explicit about widening the conflict to take in Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia, such as Crimea, when she spoke of evicting Russia from “the whole of Ukraine.” This is both an expansion of the battlefield and a transformation of the war.

Whereas once the primary Western objective was to defend against the invasion, it has become the permanent strategic attrition of Russia. The outline of the new policy began to emerge on April 13, when the Pentagon called a convocation of the eight biggest American arms companies to prepare arms transfers on a grand scale. The result was the pledge made by President Biden on April 28 that the United States would provide four times as much military aid to Ukraine as it had already supplied since the beginning of the conflict — a promise made good by a proposed aid package for Ukraine worth $39.8 billion.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-pushing-back-russians-from-kharkiv-zelensky-478089">Ukraine pushing back Russians from Kharkiv: Zelensky</a>

This strategic shift has coincided with the abandonment of diplomatic efforts. Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia were always fraught but contained moments of promise. They have now stalled completely. Russia bears its fair share of responsibility, of course. But European channels to Moscow have been all but severed, and there is no serious effort from the United States to seek diplomatic progress, let alone cease-fires.

When I was in Ukraine during the first weeks of the war, even staunch Ukrainian nationalists expressed views far more pragmatic than those that are routine in America now. Talk of neutral status for Ukraine and internationally monitored plebiscites in Donetsk and Luhansk has been jettisoned in favor of bombast and grandstanding.

The war was dangerous and destructive enough in its initial form. The combination of expanded strategic aims and scotched negotiations has made it more dangerous still. At present, the only message to Russia is: There is no way out. Though President Vladimir Putin did not declare general conscription in his Victory Day speech on May 9, a conventional escalation of this kind is still possible.

Nuclear weapons are discussed in easy tones, not least on Russian television. The risk of cities being reduced to corium remains low without NATO deployment in Ukraine, but accident and miscalculation cannot be discounted. And the conflict takes place at a time when most of the Cold War arms control agreements between the United States and Russia have been allowed to lapse.

A weakened Russia was a likely outcome of the war even before the shift in U.S. policy. Russia’s economic position has deteriorated. Far from a commodity superpower, its undersized domestic industry is struggling and is dependent on technology imports that are now inaccessible.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/hypersonics-missile-strikes-russias-assault-on-ukraine-in-numbers-478150">Hypersonics &amp; missile strikes: Russia's assault on Ukraine in numbers</a>

What’s more, the invasion has led directly to greater military spending in second- and third-tier European powers. The number of NATO troops in Eastern Europe has grown tenfold, and a Nordic expansion of the organization is likely. A general rearmament of Europe is taking place, driven not by desire for autonomy from American power but in service to it. For the United States, this should be success enough. It is unclear what more there is to gain by weakening Russia, beyond fantasies of regime change.

Ukraine’s future depends on the course of the fighting in the Donbas and perhaps the south. The physical destruction of the east is already well underway. Ukrainian casualties are not insignificant; estimates of the number killed and wounded vary widely, but it is certainly in the tens of thousands. Russia has destroyed whatever sense of shared heritage remained before the invasion.

But the longer the war, the worse the damage to Ukraine and the greater the risk of escalation. A decisive military result in eastern Ukraine may prove elusive. Yet the less dramatic outcome of a festering stalemate is hardly better. Indefinite protraction of the war, as in Syria, is too dangerous with nuclear-armed participants.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-covers-leg-with-blanket-as-health-rumours-swirl-on-victory-day-477866">Putin covers leg with blanket as health rumours swirl on Victory Day</a>

Diplomatic efforts ought to be the centerpiece of a new Ukraine strategy. Instead, the war’s boundaries are being expanded and the war itself recast as a struggle between democracy and autocracy, in which the Donbas is the frontier of freedom. This is not just declamatory extravagance. It is reckless. The risks hardly need to be stated.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase. It is no secret that the initial invasion went badly for Russia. Expecting easy victories, the Russian Army inflicted terrible destruction — especially in its shelling of cities — but for the most part failed to take territory outside the southeast of the country.

The war in Ukraine has entered a new phase. It is no secret that the initial invasion went badly for Russia. Expecting easy victories, the Russian Army inflicted terrible destruction — especially in its shelling of cities — but for the most part failed to take territory outside the southeast of the country. Ukrainian resistance was fierce. After six weeks of war, undermanned Russian forces were made to retreat from Kyiv and its suburbs. In the hope of winning new victories, Russia has now confined its forces to the south and east of Ukraine. The main battles are taking place in small towns and villages along the Donets River. Russia talks of cutting off the Ukrainian Army from the Donbas, but so far, its forces have made slow progress advancing from the Black Sea coast. Also read | Russia has turned off gas supply in transit points, says Ukraine In response, the United States and its allies have also shifted their position. At first, the Western support for Ukraine was mainly designed to defend against the invasion. It is now set on a far grander ambition: to weaken Russia itself. Presented as a common-sense response to Russian aggression, the shift, in fact, amounts to a significant escalation. By expanding support to Ukraine across the board and shelving any diplomatic effort to stop the fighting, the United States and its allies have greatly increased the danger of an even larger conflict. They are taking a risk far out of step with any realistic strategic gain. Russia’s more limited focus has proved more manageable for its armed forces. The bloody siege of Mariupol is, for practical purposes, now complete, and Russia has secured the town of Izium while bombarding minor cities. But these advances, which have come at a cost, are limited. The likelihood of Russian territorial advances far from Crimea or the Donbas is now remote. The shift from general to limited conquest was already a concession on Russia’s part. The Russian leadership has blamed a single factor: It claims to be fighting not just Ukraine but the NATO system in Eastern Europe. Hubris and clumsy tactics are more to the point. Yet there is no denying that the United States, Britain, Poland and other European NATO members have been parties to the conflict from the outset. Watch | Russia-Ukraine conflict to fuel food crisis in Africa It is not just military transports and trucks carrying tens of thousands of antiaircraft and antiarmor weapons to Ukrainian fighters. The United States has also provided real-time intelligence, reportedly including targeting information on the location of Russian forces. Though the Pentagon has disputed the extent of intelligence sharing, leaks have been remarkably revealing. We now know the United States provided the tracking intelligence that led to the sinking of the Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. More striking still, U.S. intelligence agencies provided critical targeting for battlefield assassinations of Russian generals. This was already a significant form of participation in the war. But the United States has since shifted its strategy to push Russia further. The early U.S. response to the invasion was simple: Supply the defenders and apply America’s unique financial weaponry to the Russian economy. The new strategy — call it bleed Russia — is quite different. The underlying idea is that the United States and its allies should seek to recover more from the rubble of Kharkiv and Kramatorsk than the survival of Ukraine as a polity or even a symbolic frustration of Russian aggression. Top officials have made that quite clear. The U.S. secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, has said the goal is “to see Russia weakened.” The speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said Ukraine is defending “democracy writ large for the world.” Britain’s foreign minister, Liz Truss, was explicit about widening the conflict to take in Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia, such as Crimea, when she spoke of evicting Russia from “the whole of Ukraine.” This is both an expansion of the battlefield and a transformation of the war. Whereas once the primary Western objective was to defend against the invasion, it has become the permanent strategic attrition of Russia. The outline of the new policy began to emerge on April 13, when the Pentagon called a convocation of the eight biggest American arms companies to prepare arms transfers on a grand scale. The result was the pledge made by President Biden on April 28 that the United States would provide four times as much military aid to Ukraine as it had already supplied since the beginning of the conflict — a promise made good by a proposed aid package for Ukraine worth $39.8 billion. Also read | Ukraine pushing back Russians from Kharkiv: Zelensky This strategic shift has coincided with the abandonment of diplomatic efforts. Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia were always fraught but contained moments of promise. They have now stalled completely. Russia bears its fair share of responsibility, of course. But European channels to Moscow have been all but severed, and there is no serious effort from the United States to seek diplomatic progress, let alone cease-fires. When I was in Ukraine during the first weeks of the war, even staunch Ukrainian nationalists expressed views far more pragmatic than those that are routine in America now. Talk of neutral status for Ukraine and internationally monitored plebiscites in Donetsk and Luhansk has been jettisoned in favor of bombast and grandstanding. The war was dangerous and destructive enough in its initial form. The combination of expanded strategic aims and scotched negotiations has made it more dangerous still. At present, the only message to Russia is: There is no way out. Though President Vladimir Putin did not declare general conscription in his Victory Day speech on May 9, a conventional escalation of this kind is still possible. Nuclear weapons are discussed in easy tones, not least on Russian television. The risk of cities being reduced to corium remains low without NATO deployment in Ukraine, but accident and miscalculation cannot be discounted. And the conflict takes place at a time when most of the Cold War arms control agreements between the United States and Russia have been allowed to lapse. A weakened Russia was a likely outcome of the war even before the shift in U.S. policy. Russia’s economic position has deteriorated. Far from a commodity superpower, its undersized domestic industry is struggling and is dependent on technology imports that are now inaccessible. Also read | Hypersonics & missile strikes: Russia's assault on Ukraine in numbers What’s more, the invasion has led directly to greater military spending in second- and third-tier European powers. The number of NATO troops in Eastern Europe has grown tenfold, and a Nordic expansion of the organization is likely. A general rearmament of Europe is taking place, driven not by desire for autonomy from American power but in service to it. For the United States, this should be success enough. It is unclear what more there is to gain by weakening Russia, beyond fantasies of regime change. Ukraine’s future depends on the course of the fighting in the Donbas and perhaps the south. The physical destruction of the east is already well underway. Ukrainian casualties are not insignificant; estimates of the number killed and wounded vary widely, but it is certainly in the tens of thousands. Russia has destroyed whatever sense of shared heritage remained before the invasion. But the longer the war, the worse the damage to Ukraine and the greater the risk of escalation. A decisive military result in eastern Ukraine may prove elusive. Yet the less dramatic outcome of a festering stalemate is hardly better. Indefinite protraction of the war, as in Syria, is too dangerous with nuclear-armed participants. Also read | Putin covers leg with blanket as health rumours swirl on Victory Day Diplomatic efforts ought to be the centerpiece of a new Ukraine strategy. Instead, the war’s boundaries are being expanded and the war itself recast as a struggle between democracy and autocracy, in which the Donbas is the frontier of freedom. This is not just declamatory extravagance. It is reckless. The risks hardly need to be stated. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

America and its allies want to bleed Russia. They really shouldn’t.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has said that the war with Russia is entering "a protracted phase". He told European Union defence ministers and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that Moscow's troops are now trying to take full control of the east and south of the country.

According to Reznikov, "Russia is preparing for a long-term military operation," and added that the "The war is entering a protracted phase."

In a Facebook post, Reznikov predicted: "extremely tough weeks" ahead during which he said Ukraine would largely be alone against an "enraged aggressor."

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Highlighting Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy, Reznikov said that he has ordered his troops to build fortifications in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in order to "move to defence if necessary".

He added that Russian troops are "encircling and destroying groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donetsk and Lugansk regions, creating and maintaining a land corridor from Russia to Crimea, and completing the occupation of southern Ukraine."

"To liberate our territories as soon as possible" the Western allies of Ukraine need better coordination in the deliveries of weapons to Kyiv according to Reznikov.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mariupol-russia-offers-to-evacuate-wounded-ukrainian-troops-from-steel-plant-479664" hreflang="en">Mariupol: Russia offers to evacuate wounded Ukrainian troops from steel plant</a>

Seeking an immediate ceasefire and stressing the importance of open lines of communication, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in their first conversation since the invasion

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked a refugee crisis with 1.2 million people being forced to leave their homes in order to seek shelter elsewhere.

Denying all charges of war crimes Kremlin has called its attack on Ukraine a "special military operation" to demilitarise a neighbour threatening its security. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Watch WION's live TV here:

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Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has said that the war with Russia is entering "a protracted phase". He told European Union defence ministers and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that Moscow's troops are now trying to take full control of the east and south of the country.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has said that the war with Russia is entering "a protracted phase". He told European Union defence ministers and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that Moscow's troops are now trying to take full control of the east and south of the country. According to Reznikov, "Russia is preparing for a long-term military operation," and added that the "The war is entering a protracted phase." In a Facebook post, Reznikov predicted: "extremely tough weeks" ahead during which he said Ukraine would largely be alone against an "enraged aggressor." Highlighting Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy, Reznikov said that he has ordered his troops to build fortifications in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in order to "move to defence if necessary". He added that Russian troops are "encircling and destroying groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donetsk and Lugansk regions, creating and maintaining a land corridor from Russia to Crimea, and completing the occupation of southern Ukraine." "To liberate our territories as soon as possible" the Western allies of Ukraine need better coordination in the deliveries of weapons to Kyiv according to Reznikov. Also read | Mariupol: Russia offers to evacuate wounded Ukrainian troops from steel plant Seeking an immediate ceasefire and stressing the importance of open lines of communication, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in their first conversation since the invasion Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked a refugee crisis with 1.2 million people being forced to leave their homes in order to seek shelter elsewhere. Denying all charges of war crimes Kremlin has called its attack on Ukraine a "special military operation" to demilitarise a neighbour threatening its security. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here:

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov says war with Russia is entering 'protracted phase'

In pics: Timeline of siege of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly suspended his top military commander even as other military generals are being sacked or arrested over the alleged “failed” war against Ukraine.

More than two months have passed since Putin launched a military assault against his neighbour Ukraine in a bid to overthrow the Volodymyr Zelensky regime.

The Russian leader claims that he wants to rid the Ukrainian people of the “Nazi regime”.

Despite commanding one of the world’s largest troops, Moscow has so far failed to seize the capital Kyiv as the battle drags on.

And the resultant fallout has been the axing of top Russian military commanders.

Oleksiy Arestovych, a veteran of military intelligence and one of President Zelensky's inner circle, on Wednesday claimed that General Valery Gerasimov – the chief of staff of the Russian army - has been suspended, the Daily Mail reported.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia Vs Ukraine: How do the Armies compare?

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Arestovych, speaking to dissident Russian lawyer and politician Mark Feygin on YouTube, said, “According to preliminary information, Gerasimov has been de-facto suspended. They are deciding whether to give him time to fix things, or not.”

He added, “The commander of the first tank army of the western military district Lieutenant General Sergei Kisel has also been arrested and fired after the first tank army was defeated near&nbsp;Kharkiv.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-is-preparing-to-send-bodies-of-hundreds-of-russian-soldiers-home-478853" hreflang="en">Ukraine is preparing to send bodies of 'hundreds' of Russian soldiers home</a>

Though there is no official confirmation of the sacking, speculation about the purge of senior military commanders increased after Gen Gerasimov was nowhere to be seen on Russia’s Victory Day on May 9 – the anniversary commemorating Russia’s defeat of the Nazis in 1945.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/which-territories-are-under-russian-control-and-where-is-ukraine-offering-stiff-resistance-478685" hreflang="en">State of war: Which territories are under Russian control and where is Ukraine offering stiff resistance?</a>

Moreover, the reports of a Russian setback seem to have gained traction after their forces’ slow advancement towards Ukraine's eastern Donbas&nbsp;region, where Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian troops for eight years.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly suspended his top military commander even as other military generals are being sacked or arrested over the alleged “failed” war against Ukraine. More than two months have passed since Putin launched a military assault against his neighbour Ukraine in a bid to overthrow the Volodymyr Zelensky regime. The Russian leader claims that he wants to rid the Ukrainian people of the “Nazi regime”. Despite commanding one of the world’s largest troops, Moscow has so far failed to seize the capital Kyiv as the battle drags on. And the resultant fallout has been the axing of top Russian military commanders. Oleksiy Arestovych, a veteran of military intelligence and one of President Zelensky's inner circle, on Wednesday claimed that General Valery Gerasimov – the chief of staff of the Russian army - has been suspended, the Daily Mail reported. Watch | Russia Vs Ukraine: How do the Armies compare? Arestovych, speaking to dissident Russian lawyer and politician Mark Feygin on YouTube, said, “According to preliminary information, Gerasimov has been de-facto suspended. They are deciding whether to give him time to fix things, or not.” He added, “The commander of the first tank army of the western military district Lieutenant General Sergei Kisel has also been arrested and fired after the first tank army was defeated near Kharkiv.” Also read | Ukraine is preparing to send bodies of 'hundreds' of Russian soldiers home Though there is no official confirmation of the sacking, speculation about the purge of senior military commanders increased after Gen Gerasimov was nowhere to be seen on Russia’s Victory Day on May 9 – the anniversary commemorating Russia’s defeat of the Nazis in 1945. Also read | State of war: Which territories are under Russian control and where is Ukraine offering stiff resistance? Moreover, the reports of a Russian setback seem to have gained traction after their forces’ slow advancement towards Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, where Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian troops for eight years. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Fallout of ‘failed' Ukraine invasion? Putin sacks top military commander amid setbacks, say reports

A leaked paper from the Russian finance ministry said the country's GDP will contract by 12%. The economic crisis could force Putin to rethink his war strategy. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Leaked paper hints at Russia's economic collapse

Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been fighting for nearly 80 days now as troops on Kremlin’s order make advances into Ukraine’s territories.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been deploying their troops for offensive and counter-offensive in different cities including Kyiv, Mariupol, Kherson and others since the Russian troops marched into Ukrainian territory on February 24.

Russia successfully occupied Ukrainian regions in a battle that has been going on for months now.

Notably, Luhansk and&nbsp;Donetsk were the regions in Ukraine that were already occupied by Russia before February 24.

Nearly entire cities of Kherson and Mariupol are now under Russia’s control, as per reports.

Interestingly, Ukrainian soldiers are fighting Russian troops in the Azovstal Steelworks – the last area in Mariupol under Ukraine’s control.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian soldiers recaptured a few villages near Kharkiv region recently. Ukrainian forces have also regained control of some regions in the North.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/finland-says-one-step-closer-to-joining-nato-russia-calls-it-a-threat-to-our-borders-478383" hreflang="en">Finland says one step closer to joining NATO, Russia calls it a threat to ‘our borders’</a>

The ongoing fight between Russia and Ukraine has led to at least 6 million people leaving Ukraine, as per the United Nations High Commissions for Refugees (UNHCR).

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-intends-to-achieve-goals-beyond-donbas-may-impose-martial-law-us-intelligence-chief-477931" hreflang="en">Putin intends to achieve goals beyond Donbas, may impose martial law: US intelligence chief</a>

Majority of migrants (around 3.2 million) have arrived in Poland.

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Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been fighting for nearly 80 days now as troops on Kremlin’s order make advances into Ukraine’s territories. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been deploying their troops for offensive and counter-offensive in different cities including Kyiv, Mariupol, Kherson and others since the Russian troops marched into Ukrainian territory on February 24.

Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been fighting for nearly 80 days now as troops on Kremlin’s order make advances into Ukraine’s territories. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been deploying their troops for offensive and counter-offensive in different cities including Kyiv, Mariupol, Kherson and others since the Russian troops marched into Ukrainian territory on February 24. Russia successfully occupied Ukrainian regions in a battle that has been going on for months now. Notably, Luhansk and Donetsk were the regions in Ukraine that were already occupied by Russia before February 24. Nearly entire cities of Kherson and Mariupol are now under Russia’s control, as per reports. Interestingly, Ukrainian soldiers are fighting Russian troops in the Azovstal Steelworks – the last area in Mariupol under Ukraine’s control. Meanwhile, Ukrainian soldiers recaptured a few villages near Kharkiv region recently. Ukrainian forces have also regained control of some regions in the North. Also read | Finland says one step closer to joining NATO, Russia calls it a threat to ‘our borders’ The ongoing fight between Russia and Ukraine has led to at least 6 million people leaving Ukraine, as per the United Nations High Commissions for Refugees (UNHCR). Also read | Putin intends to achieve goals beyond Donbas, may impose martial law: US intelligence chief Majority of migrants (around 3.2 million) have arrived in Poland. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

State of war: Which territories are under Russian control and where is Ukraine offering stiff resistance?

Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been fighting for nearly 80 days now as troops on Kremlin’s order make advances into Ukraine’s territories. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been ordering their troops for offensive and counter-offensive in different cities including Kyiv, Mariupol, Kherson and others since the Russian troops marched into Ukrainian territory on February 24 this year. Russia successfully occupied Ukrainian regions in a battle that has been going on for months now. Notably, Luhansk and Donetsk were the regions in Ukraine that were already occupied by Russia before February 24. Which other territories have Russia occupied? And where does Ukraine hold back Russian troops?

Ukraine conflict: Russian-controlled territories vs Ukraine’s counter-offensive

In pics - 'Strong' leaders that are rumoured to be suffering from life-threatening diseases

US President Joe Biden has lined up more military aid to help Ukraine defeat Russia. But his ally, Emmanuel Macron has warned against humiliating Putin. Palki Sharma decodes the different signals from Washington & Paris.

Gravitas: Macron warns against humiliating Putin

US President Joe Biden has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not have a way out of the war in Ukraine.

Speaking at a political fundraiser in Washington, Biden said Putin is a very calculating man and is still trying to figure out what to do about the situation in Kyiv.

The 79-year-old said Putin made a mistake by believing that by invading Ukraine he could break up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union but they both rallied for Kyiv.

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Allowing the US government to accelerate weapons shipments to Ukraine, Biden resurrected a World War II measure used to boost US allies fighting Nazi Germany.

According to Biden, the United States supports Ukrainians' "fight to defend their country and their democracy against (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's brutal war."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-council-chief-charles-michel-forced-to-take-cover-as-russia-attacks-odessa-with-missiles-477714">European Council chief forced to take cover as Odessa hit by Russian missiles</a>

He signed the Lend-lease Act in the Oval Office on Monday hours after Putin oversaw a military parade on Red Square in Moscow for the annual commemoration of the Soviet victory against Nazi Germany.

Signaling his readiness for making a political concession, Biden has requested the rapid approval of another $33 billion in funds for supporting Ukraine.

Urging that Congress get the Ukraine funding bill "to my desk right away," he said, "We cannot afford delay in this vital war effort."

(With inputs from agencies)

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US President Joe Biden has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not have a way out of the war in Ukraine. Speaking at a political fundraiser in Washington, Biden said Putin is a very calculating man and is still trying to figure out what to do about the situation in Kyiv.

US President Joe Biden has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not have a way out of the war in Ukraine. Speaking at a political fundraiser in Washington, Biden said Putin is a very calculating man and is still trying to figure out what to do about the situation in Kyiv. The 79-year-old said Putin made a mistake by believing that by invading Ukraine he could break up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union but they both rallied for Kyiv. Allowing the US government to accelerate weapons shipments to Ukraine, Biden resurrected a World War II measure used to boost US allies fighting Nazi Germany. According to Biden, the United States supports Ukrainians' "fight to defend their country and their democracy against (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's brutal war." Also read | European Council chief forced to take cover as Odessa hit by Russian missiles He signed the Lend-lease Act in the Oval Office on Monday hours after Putin oversaw a military parade on Red Square in Moscow for the annual commemoration of the Soviet victory against Nazi Germany. Signaling his readiness for making a political concession, Biden has requested the rapid approval of another $33 billion in funds for supporting Ukraine. Urging that Congress get the Ukraine funding bill "to my desk right away," he said, "We cannot afford delay in this vital war effort." (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here:

Putin does not have a way out of Ukraine war: Biden

Russia flaunted its massive nuclear arsenal during the Victory Day parade in Moscow's Red Square. A defiant Vladimir Putin blamed the West for forcing him to invade Ukraine. Palki Sharma brings you the biggest takeaways from Russia's show of force.

Gravitas: Russia flaunts nuclear arsenal on Victory Day

In Pics | Victory Day Parade: Russia marks its historic win over Nazis in 1945

As the battle continues in Ukraine, Russian forces are preparing for the victory day on May 9 and experts have predicted a declaration of all-out war on Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin will celebrate the World War 2 Soviet victory over Nazi Germany with a traditional victory day parade.

Russia to celebrate Victory Day, observers speculate 'All-Out' war on Ukraine

Over 300 civilians, including women and children, have been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukrainian authorities were helped by the teams of the International Red Cross and the Organisation of the United Nations in conducting the first stage of the evacuation mission.

They are preparing for the second stage in which the wounded and medics will be evacuated as Russian forces have been pounding the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol for several weeks.

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Several fighters and civilians have been trapped in deep bunkers inside the Soviet-era steel mill under heavy bombardment from the Russian army.

They have been hiding in the tunnels crisscrossing the site with inadequate basic necessities as the mill has emerged as a symbol of resistance to the Russian effort to capture swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine in the 10-week-old war.

In his address, Zelensky said the Ukrainian fighters in the plant will not surrender and condemned the attack by the Russian forces which had destroyed or damaged nearly 200 cultural heritage sites as part of the conflict.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-accuses-russia-of-threatening-peace-and-security-across-europe-pledges-aid-to-ukraine-477230" hreflang="en">UK accuses Russia of threatening peace and security across Europe</a>

''Every day of this war the Russian army does something that leaves (me) speechless. But every next day it does something else for you to have this feeling anew,'' he added.

Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured that Moscow-backed separatists have also evacuated a total of 176 civilians from the plant.

The 69-year-old Kremlin leader has called his attack on Ukraine a "special military operation" to disarm its neighbour and rid it of anti-Russian nationalism fomented by the West.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world's unending wars. Catch our special series World at War every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION. 
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Over 300 civilians, including women and children, have been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukrainian authorities were helped by the teams of the International Red Cross and the Organisation of the United Nations in conducting the first stage of the evacuation mission.

Over 300 civilians, including women and children, have been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukrainian authorities were helped by the teams of the International Red Cross and the Organisation of the United Nations in conducting the first stage of the evacuation mission. They are preparing for the second stage in which the wounded and medics will be evacuated as Russian forces have been pounding the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol for several weeks. Several fighters and civilians have been trapped in deep bunkers inside the Soviet-era steel mill under heavy bombardment from the Russian army. They have been hiding in the tunnels crisscrossing the site with inadequate basic necessities as the mill has emerged as a symbol of resistance to the Russian effort to capture swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine in the 10-week-old war. In his address, Zelensky said the Ukrainian fighters in the plant will not surrender and condemned the attack by the Russian forces which had destroyed or damaged nearly 200 cultural heritage sites as part of the conflict. Also read | UK accuses Russia of threatening peace and security across Europe ''Every day of this war the Russian army does something that leaves (me) speechless. But every next day it does something else for you to have this feeling anew,'' he added. Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured that Moscow-backed separatists have also evacuated a total of 176 civilians from the plant. The 69-year-old Kremlin leader has called his attack on Ukraine a "special military operation" to disarm its neighbour and rid it of anti-Russian nationalism fomented by the West. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world's unending wars. Catch our special series World at War every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION.

Over 300 civilians evacuated from Azovstal steel plant, says Ukrainian President Zelensky

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