- Major turning point in Russia: Putin won’t like it
- “The whole gang gathered for this conversation”: Ukrainian infiltrated a secret talk and caused panic
- Putin gave FSB free rein – even the “elite” are trembling
- “Politico”: the war in Ukraine has split Italy in half
All news about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can be found HERE.
WSJ: US intelligence suspects Kremlin
10:17
US intelligence believes that the Russian government is most likely behind the appearance of an explosive drone at Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The drone was detected Tuesday evening on the runway, in the safe zone near a Ukrainian cargo plane. The airport was closed due to this incident.
According to German media, the drone was equipped with explosives, but its detonator did not activate. German authorities are treating this incident as a possible assassination attempt and are investigating whether foreign countries are involved.
German law enforcement is simultaneously investigating another incident. After the airport was closed, a cargo plane aborting its landing in Leipzig collided with an unidentified object.
The plane suffered minor damage but was able to safely land at a nearby airport.
The discovery of explosives in the first drone attracted the attention of Western intelligence agencies. Security officials believe Moscow may be behind several recent attempts to disrupt critical infrastructure in Europe.
The drone incident emerged as new US intelligence assessments about Kremlin plans appeared. According to US intelligence agencies, Russian President Vladimir Putin may try in the coming years to test NATO’s readiness to respond to a limited attack on one of its countries.
Ukraine struck two more oil refineries in Russia
09:30
Ukraine struck oil refineries in the Samara region and Southern Russia’s Krasnodar Krai last night, according to monitoring channels.
They are cited by the Ukrainian portal The Kyiv Independent.
According to the Telegram channel Exilenova Plus, a fire broke out at the oil refinery in Syzran, Samara region, Russia, after Ukraine’s strike.
The news channel Supernova Plus reported that the oil refinery in Ilsky, Krasnodar Krai, also caught fire during the Ukrainian attack.
Official: three people killed in Russian strikes in Kyiv region
09:27
Three people, including a child, were killed in Russian strikes in the area northeast of Ukraine’s capital on Saturday, a regional military official reported.
This occurred as Kyiv warned of incoming ballistic missiles.
Moscow has significantly intensified attacks on Ukraine’s capital in recent months, usually launching series of hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles during short strikes.
Three people, including a child, were killed in strikes in the Brovary district northeast of Kyiv, and three others were injured, the head of the regional military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, reported on Telegram.
According to him, debris from the strikes damaged homes and vehicles and caused a fire in an uninhabited building.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service shared photos of the burning destroyed building and reported that a two-story house was destroyed and two cars damaged during the attack in the village of Puchivka, and a fire broke out in a warehouse.
AFP journalists in the capital heard several explosions as Ukraine’s air forces warned of a “threat of ballistic weapons use from the north.”
Four people were injured in overnight attacks in the city, Kyiv’s military administration reported on Telegram.
“Air danger due to ballistic missile use declared in Kyiv,” the agency earlier reported, urging residents to take shelter.
CNN: Russia found Ukraine’s weakness
08:38
Russia increasingly uses ballistic missiles in its mass attacks against Ukraine. The main problem for Ukraine’s air defense remains the limited number of interceptors capable of effectively neutralizing such targets, CNN writes.
Ballistic missiles become especially dangerous during combined attacks. This tactic forces Ukraine’s air defense forces to spread their limited resources across many targets.
Unlike attacking drones, which fly relatively slowly, ballistic missiles move at very high speeds and have fundamentally different flight trajectories.
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For example, the Russian Iskander missile can reach speeds six to seven times the speed of sound and carry up to 700 kilograms of explosives.
The missile first ascends to a high altitude and then sharply dives toward its target.
Russia also uses Oreshnik missiles against Ukraine and, according to Ukrainian officials, S-400 missiles adapted for strikes against ground targets.
One of the few systems capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles is the American Patriot system with PAC-3 interceptors.
That is why it is vital for Ukraine to have a sufficient quantity of such ammunition.
The problem with missile defense systems may remain especially relevant due to the depletion of US missile defense reserves.
In light of this, Ukrainian military officials and analysts urge not to rely solely on Patriot missiles and to seek additional ways to reduce Russia’s missile potential.
US prematurely dismissed a key general for Europe and Ukraine
08:25
According to ABC News, one of the most important US generals, Charles Costanza, who was responsible for US military operations in Europe and coordinating support for Ukraine, was dismissed early from his post.
According to a military official, the general was dismissed two months before the end of his term.
The reasons for this decision are currently unknown.
Costanza’s dismissal occurs amid broader changes in the US military’s top leadership.
As ABC News reports, during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s tenure, more than two dozen high-ranking officers have been dismissed or suspended, often without public explanation.
Reuters: after the Wildberries strike – a new strong blow approaching Russia
08:04
Wildberries sellers face a wave of bankruptcies, says a Reuters source.
Russia does not have enough funds to rescue sellers affected by Ukraine’s attacks on Wildberries trading platform warehouses. According to Reuters, what happened to this trading platform, which controls half of the country’s e-commerce market, is a serious blow to the Russian economy.
According to a source cited by the agency connected to the Kremlin, a wave of bankruptcies is expected.
“No one has as much money as needed to support the sellers – we’re talking about hundreds of billions of rubles,” the source said.
The problem is further complicated by the fact that a large portion of Wildberries sellers are individual entrepreneurs. Under Russian law, they are personally liable for debts with their property. In other words, those who lost goods not due to their fault and have unpaid loans may lose everything or a large part of their assets.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry has proposed to the government to change bankruptcy procedures to prevent such a situation.
Russian authorities are considering a support package for sellers, although it does not include direct payments to affected individuals. Options under consideration include loan repayment deferrals, concessional loans, and tax relief.
However, it remains unclear how quickly the state will be able to assist sellers who are already facing urgent debt repayments.
Ukrainian drone strikes have destroyed at least 20 Wildberries logistics centers, some of which were completely destroyed. As a result, the company lost 1.18 million square meters of warehouse space.
The impact of these strikes on Wildberries is already felt at various levels of the Russian economy.
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