Nazis massacred his Ukrainian village in World War II. He fears Russia now.
Fedir Bovkun narrowly escaped death when German soldiers massacred hundreds of people during World War II here along the border with Belarus.
Bovkun was 6 years old when Germans herded villagers into a barn and set it on fire fas reprisal for attacks by Ukrainian partisans. Though several of Bovkun’s family members perished, he and his mother scrambled through the flames and hid in a nearby rye field.
His wife, Maria, also survived the July 1943 massacre. She was then only 2 years old, however, and so remembers only stories of how an aunt grabbed her and fled into the forest.
Now, the Bovkuns fear a military attack again, this time from Russia and Wagner Group mercenaries who relocated to Belarus, whose border is less than two miles from their village.
Read the full story here.
Fedir Bovkun narrowly escaped death when German soldiers massacred hundreds of people during World War II here along the border with Belarus.
Bovkun was 6 years old when Germans herded villagers into a barn and set it on fire fas reprisal for attacks by Ukrainian partisans. Though several of Bovkun’s family members perished, he and his mother scrambled through the flames and hid in a nearby rye field.
His wife, Maria, also survived the July 1943 massacre. She was then only 2 years old, however, and so remembers only stories of how an aunt grabbed her and fled into the forest.
Now, the Bovkuns fear a military attack again, this time from Russia and Wagner Group mercenaries who relocated to Belarus, whose border is less than two miles from their village.
Read the full story here.
Yevgeniy Prigozhin, Russian mercenary leader who became Putin foe
Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a onetime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who amassed oligarchic wealth by building a mercenary army that served the Russian state, only to gamble it all with a stunning but failed mutiny in June amid the war in Ukraine, is presumed to have died Aug. 23 in a plane crash northwest of Moscow. He was 62.
Putin appeared to acknowledge Mr. Prigozhin’s death in televised remarks Aug. 24, when he expressed his condolences to the families of the people killed in the crash. Mr. Prigozhin’s name had appeared on the plane’s manifest. Putin spoke of Mr. Prigozhin in the past tense, describing him as “a man of complex fate” who “made serious mistakes in his life.”
The U.S. intelligence community believes Mr. Prigozhin “likely” died in the crash and is exploring the possibility an explosion brought down his plane.
Read the full story here.
Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a onetime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who amassed oligarchic wealth by building a mercenary army that served the Russian state, only to gamble it all with a stunning but failed mutiny in June amid the war in Ukraine, is presumed to have died Aug. 23 in a plane crash northwest of Moscow. He was 62.
Putin appeared to acknowledge Mr. Prigozhin’s death in televised remarks Aug. 24, when he expressed his condolences to the families of the people killed in the crash. Mr. Prigozhin’s name had appeared on the plane’s manifest. Putin spoke of Mr. Prigozhin in the past tense, describing him as “a man of complex fate” who “made serious mistakes in his life.”
The U.S. intelligence community believes Mr. Prigozhin “likely” died in the crash and is exploring the possibility an explosion brought down his plane.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- President Biden said the United States was trying to determine the cause of the plane crash in Russia which is thought to have killed Wagner Group chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin.
- Aviation experts said the plane crash points away from mechanical problem or human error, but they cautioned in interviews with The Washington Post that there was not enough evidence available to make a definitive conclusion.
- The Kremlin dismissed speculation that Prigozhin was likely assassinated on the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin, without confirming the Wagner leader’s death.
- Journalist Evan Gershkovich has appealed a Moscow court’s decision to extend his detention through November, according to Russian state news site Tass.
More live updates here.
- President Biden said the United States was trying to determine the cause of the plane crash in Russia which is thought to have killed Wagner Group chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin.
- Aviation experts said the plane crash points away from mechanical problem or human error, but they cautioned in interviews with The Washington Post that there was not enough evidence available to make a definitive conclusion.
- The Kremlin dismissed speculation that Prigozhin was likely assassinated on the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin, without confirming the Wagner leader’s death.
- Journalist Evan Gershkovich has appealed a Moscow court’s decision to extend his detention through November, according to Russian state news site Tass.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Lukashenko claimed he had told Prigozhin that he could guarantee his “full security” by speaking with Putin and extracting him to Belarus, but that the mercenary group leader never took up his offer, according to a report published Friday in Belarusian state news agency BelTA.
- Evidence does not suggest a simple mechanical problem or human error caused the plane crash, aviation experts told The Washington Post.
- Three Ukrainian pilots were killed in a midair collision during a combat mission Friday, government authorities said.
- At least four people were killed in attacks across Ukraine in the past day, including two in the Kharkiv region, one in the Kherson region and one in the Zaporizhzhia region.
- Ukrainian and Russian sea and air forces have had several confrontations “around strategically important gas and oil platforms” in the Black Sea, the British Defense Ministry.
More live updates here.
- Lukashenko claimed he had told Prigozhin that he could guarantee his “full security” by speaking with Putin and extracting him to Belarus, but that the mercenary group leader never took up his offer, according to a report published Friday in Belarusian state news agency BelTA.
- Evidence does not suggest a simple mechanical problem or human error caused the plane crash, aviation experts told The Washington Post.
- Three Ukrainian pilots were killed in a midair collision during a combat mission Friday, government authorities said.
- At least four people were killed in attacks across Ukraine in the past day, including two in the Kharkiv region, one in the Kherson region and one in the Zaporizhzhia region.
- Ukrainian and Russian sea and air forces have had several confrontations “around strategically important gas and oil platforms” in the Black Sea, the British Defense Ministry.
More live updates here.
Before Prigozhin plane crash, Russia was preparing for life after Wagner
RIGA, Latvia — With Wagner boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin and two of the group’s other key leaders presumed dead, a power vacuum has opened, leaving the Kremlin, internal Wagner factions and outside paramilitary forces to jockey for control of a lucrative but opaque global empire.
Prigozhin styled himself as the group’s irreplaceable leader, at the center of an intricate web of mercenaries, mining companies, political consultants and disinformation operatives.
Yet one high-ranking Wagner insider, Andrei Troshev, has emerged as a potential contender to run what’s left of the group. A former lieutenant colonel in Russia’s ministry of internal affairs, Troshev is believed to have been the main liaison between Prigozhin and the Defense Ministry during the war in Ukraine. And he is one of the few public figures within Wagner who was not listed on the passenger manifest of the plane that went down on Wednesday.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — With Wagner boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin and two of the group’s other key leaders presumed dead, a power vacuum has opened, leaving the Kremlin, internal Wagner factions and outside paramilitary forces to jockey for control of a lucrative but opaque global empire.
Prigozhin styled himself as the group’s irreplaceable leader, at the center of an intricate web of mercenaries, mining companies, political consultants and disinformation operatives.
Yet one high-ranking Wagner insider, Andrei Troshev, has emerged as a potential contender to run what’s left of the group. A former lieutenant colonel in Russia’s ministry of internal affairs, Troshev is believed to have been the main liaison between Prigozhin and the Defense Ministry during the war in Ukraine. And he is one of the few public figures within Wagner who was not listed on the passenger manifest of the plane that went down on Wednesday.
Read the full story here.
U.S. says it will train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s in Arizona
The United States will begin instructing Ukrainian pilots in flying F-16 aircraft in Arizona this fall, the Pentagon said Thursday, as the Biden administration moves to expand the U.S. role in the fighter jet training program amid intensified pleas from Kyiv.
Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said the training at Morris Air National Guard Base near Tucson, led by the Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing, was expected to begin in October.
He said the training would involve dozens of Ukrainian maintenance personnel and at least several pilots, who will first undergo English language training at another base in Texas in September, but exact numbers have yet to be determined.
Read the full story here.
The United States will begin instructing Ukrainian pilots in flying F-16 aircraft in Arizona this fall, the Pentagon said Thursday, as the Biden administration moves to expand the U.S. role in the fighter jet training program amid intensified pleas from Kyiv.
Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said the training at Morris Air National Guard Base near Tucson, led by the Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing, was expected to begin in October.
He said the training would involve dozens of Ukrainian maintenance personnel and at least several pilots, who will first undergo English language training at another base in Texas in September, but exact numbers have yet to be determined.
Read the full story here.
Russia confirms Wagner chief Prigozhin’s death after DNA tests
Russian investigators confirmed Sunday that Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin and top leaders of the group were killed when his plane crashed in the Tver region of Russia, announcing the results of DNA testing on the bodies of victims.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it was continuing its investigation into the causes of the crash, although Western analysts believe the true cause may never be known because of Russia’s opaque and often politicized investigations system.
All 10 people onboard, including Wagner military commander Dmitry Utkin, were killed in the crash Wednesday. The U.S. intelligence community is examining the possibility that an explosion brought down the plane, with many in Russia’s elite convinced Prigozhin’s death was an assassination ordered by the Kremlin.
Read the full story here.
Russian investigators confirmed Sunday that Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin and top leaders of the group were killed when his plane crashed in the Tver region of Russia, announcing the results of DNA testing on the bodies of victims.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it was continuing its investigation into the causes of the crash, although Western analysts believe the true cause may never be known because of Russia’s opaque and often politicized investigations system.
All 10 people onboard, including Wagner military commander Dmitry Utkin, were killed in the crash Wednesday. The U.S. intelligence community is examining the possibility that an explosion brought down the plane, with many in Russia’s elite convinced Prigozhin’s death was an assassination ordered by the Kremlin.
Read the full story here.
Opinion | Vladimir Kara-Murza: Many Russians refuse to become silent accomplices to Putin’s war — at great cost
PRETRIAL DETENTION CENTER NO. 5, MOSCOW — Among the most difficult aspects of imprisonment — after forced separation from family and the daily humiliation of not being able to control your own movements, except for walking back and forth in a tiny prison cell — is the inability to see or speak to people you care about.
So it was a special treat for me when the First General Court of Appeals in Moscow, which on July 31 finalized my 25-year prison sentence for speaking out against Vladimir Putin and his war on Ukraine, decided to open its doors for the announcement of the ruling.
Read the full opinion here.
PRETRIAL DETENTION CENTER NO. 5, MOSCOW — Among the most difficult aspects of imprisonment — after forced separation from family and the daily humiliation of not being able to control your own movements, except for walking back and forth in a tiny prison cell — is the inability to see or speak to people you care about.
So it was a special treat for me when the First General Court of Appeals in Moscow, which on July 31 finalized my 25-year prison sentence for speaking out against Vladimir Putin and his war on Ukraine, decided to open its doors for the announcement of the ruling.
Read the full opinion here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed Sunday that Yevgeniy Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash last week outside Moscow, ending days of fevered speculation about the fate of the Wagner Group leader.
- Fiona Hill, a National Security Council official in the Trump administration, told CBS News that Prigohzin’s death was probably a retaliatory measure after his mutinous march toward Moscow in June.
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he had warned Prigozhin about his safety at least twice, Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported.
- Three Ukrainian pilots were killed in a midair collision during a combat mission Friday, government authorities said.
- Ukrainian officials claimed to have thwarted an attempted Russian attack overnight on Ukraine’s capital.
- Four more military officers in Ukraine have been detained as part of a corruption investigation, Ukraine’s Security Service said on Telegram.
More live updates here.
- Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed Sunday that Yevgeniy Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash last week outside Moscow, ending days of fevered speculation about the fate of the Wagner Group leader.
- Fiona Hill, a National Security Council official in the Trump administration, told CBS News that Prigohzin’s death was probably a retaliatory measure after his mutinous march toward Moscow in June.
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he had warned Prigozhin about his safety at least twice, Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported.
- Three Ukrainian pilots were killed in a midair collision during a combat mission Friday, government authorities said.
- Ukrainian officials claimed to have thwarted an attempted Russian attack overnight on Ukraine’s capital.
- Four more military officers in Ukraine have been detained as part of a corruption investigation, Ukraine’s Security Service said on Telegram.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- The death of Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group paramilitary force, in a plane crash outside Moscow last week has been confirmed by Russia’s Investigative Committee. The investigation will continue to probe the cause of the crash, the committee said, but Western analysts say the true cause may never be known because of opaque and often politicized investigations in Russia.
- U.N. investigators will visit Ukraine on Monday to probe alleged human rights violations and abuses. The members of the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry will visit Uman and Kyiv, among other locations, before presenting their findings next month.
- Two people were killed after a factory was struck by a Russian missile, the acting governor of Poltava region, Dmytro Lunin, said Monday morning local time. Two others were hospitalized and two more people may be stuck under the rubble, he said.
More live updates here.
- The death of Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group paramilitary force, in a plane crash outside Moscow last week has been confirmed by Russia’s Investigative Committee. The investigation will continue to probe the cause of the crash, the committee said, but Western analysts say the true cause may never be known because of opaque and often politicized investigations in Russia.
- U.N. investigators will visit Ukraine on Monday to probe alleged human rights violations and abuses. The members of the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry will visit Uman and Kyiv, among other locations, before presenting their findings next month.
- Two people were killed after a factory was struck by a Russian missile, the acting governor of Poltava region, Dmytro Lunin, said Monday morning local time. Two others were hospitalized and two more people may be stuck under the rubble, he said.
More live updates here.
What we know about the Russian plane crash that killed Prigozhin
An Embraer business jet crashed on Aug. 23 north of Moscow near Russia’s Tver region, killing all 10 people on board, Russian authorities said. Among them: Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the chief of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, who led a short but dramatic rebellion against the Kremlin in July.
Prigozhin was presumed dead for several days while authorities recovered the bodies from the crash site, although Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to eulogize him the day after the crash, saying he was a “talented man” who “made serious mistakes.” It wasn’t until Sunday that Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed his death, citing DNA test results. Other top Wagner leaders were also killed in the crash.
The committee said it is still investigating why the plane went down — but Western analysts say any Russian-led inquiry will probably be opaque and politicized. The true cause of the crash may never be known.
Here is what we know.
An Embraer business jet crashed on Aug. 23 north of Moscow near Russia’s Tver region, killing all 10 people on board, Russian authorities said. Among them: Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the chief of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, who led a short but dramatic rebellion against the Kremlin in July.
Prigozhin was presumed dead for several days while authorities recovered the bodies from the crash site, although Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to eulogize him the day after the crash, saying he was a “talented man” who “made serious mistakes.” It wasn’t until Sunday that Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed his death, citing DNA test results. Other top Wagner leaders were also killed in the crash.
The committee said it is still investigating why the plane went down — but Western analysts say any Russian-led inquiry will probably be opaque and politicized. The true cause of the crash may never be known.
Here is what we know.
Wagner chief Prigozhin’s lingering popularity a challenge for Putin
Russians mourning the death of Wagner chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin have set up makeshift memorials in nearly two dozen cities across Russia and occupied Ukraine in recent days, a sign of the commander’s lingering popularity and a potential challenge for President Vladimir Putin amid divisions within the elite and in the military over the conduct of the war.
Prigozhin and other top Wagner leaders were killed after his Embraer business jet crashed Wednesday evening northwest of Moscow, just two months after Putin branded him a traitor for leading a short-lived rebellion against Russia’s military in June.
The memorials nonetheless showed Prigozhin’s support across Russia in hard line pro-war circles, and highlighted the Kremlin’s delicate task of managing potential anger among his supporters, with many in Russia’s elite convinced that Prigozhin’s death was an assassination ordered by the Kremlin.
Read the full story here.
Russians mourning the death of Wagner chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin have set up makeshift memorials in nearly two dozen cities across Russia and occupied Ukraine in recent days, a sign of the commander’s lingering popularity and a potential challenge for President Vladimir Putin amid divisions within the elite and in the military over the conduct of the war.
Prigozhin and other top Wagner leaders were killed after his Embraer business jet crashed Wednesday evening northwest of Moscow, just two months after Putin branded him a traitor for leading a short-lived rebellion against Russia’s military in June.
The memorials nonetheless showed Prigozhin’s support across Russia in hard line pro-war circles, and highlighted the Kremlin’s delicate task of managing potential anger among his supporters, with many in Russia’s elite convinced that Prigozhin’s death was an assassination ordered by the Kremlin.
Read the full story here.
Putin, stained by Prigozhin’s death, faces calls for military funeral
The Kremlin said a decision on the funerals of Wagner chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin, mercenary commander Dmitry Utkin and other members of the group rested largely with their families, after patriotic hard-liners called for Prigozhin to be buried with full military honors, in a sign of the ongoing fissures in Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Prigozhin, Utkin and others in their entourage were killed when their private jet crashed last week following what Western intelligence agencies assessed to be an onboard explosion. Russian investigators said they had confirmed Prigozhin’s death using DNA.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that no decision had been made on the funerals or whether President Vladimir Putin would attend. The questions highlighted continuing divisions in Russia’s elite over the war, and the risks posed by hard-line pro-war “turbo-patriots” who have demanded a harsher approach against Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
The Kremlin said a decision on the funerals of Wagner chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin, mercenary commander Dmitry Utkin and other members of the group rested largely with their families, after patriotic hard-liners called for Prigozhin to be buried with full military honors, in a sign of the ongoing fissures in Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Prigozhin, Utkin and others in their entourage were killed when their private jet crashed last week following what Western intelligence agencies assessed to be an onboard explosion. Russian investigators said they had confirmed Prigozhin’s death using DNA.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that no decision had been made on the funerals or whether President Vladimir Putin would attend. The questions highlighted continuing divisions in Russia’s elite over the war, and the risks posed by hard-line pro-war “turbo-patriots” who have demanded a harsher approach against Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Independent investigators from the United Nations were set to visit Ukraine on Monday as part of an ongoing probe into alleged human rights violations and abuses committed during Russia’s invasion.
- Following confirmations by Russia’s Investigative Committee that Prigozhin died in a plane crash outside Moscow last week, the committee is set to turn its focus to the cause of the crash.
- Polish authorities are investigating a series of sabotage attacks that brought dozens of trains to a standstill over the weekend amid heightened concerns about Russian attempts to disrupt the country.
- The commission concluded that Russia violated human rights in Ukraine in a previous report to the United Nations.
- Britain’s Defense Ministry says Russia has canceled a large-scale military exercise “because too few troops and equipment are available.”
More live updates here.
- Independent investigators from the United Nations were set to visit Ukraine on Monday as part of an ongoing probe into alleged human rights violations and abuses committed during Russia’s invasion.
- Following confirmations by Russia’s Investigative Committee that Prigozhin died in a plane crash outside Moscow last week, the committee is set to turn its focus to the cause of the crash.
- Polish authorities are investigating a series of sabotage attacks that brought dozens of trains to a standstill over the weekend amid heightened concerns about Russian attempts to disrupt the country.
- The commission concluded that Russia violated human rights in Ukraine in a previous report to the United Nations.
- Britain’s Defense Ministry says Russia has canceled a large-scale military exercise “because too few troops and equipment are available.”
More live updates here.
Prigozhin is confirmed dead. What happened to Putin’s other rivals?
Some of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foes, among them journalists and opposition politicians, have died or fallen ill in suspicious circumstances after opposing the Russian leader.
In the latest case, on Aug. 23, Yevgeniy Prigozhin — the head of the guns-for-hire Wagner Group and Putin’s longtime ally turned foe — was killed, along with the three crew members and six other passengers on board, when a private jet flying north of Moscow crashed.
Russian authorities confirmed Sunday that Prigozhin was killed in the crash, citing DNA testing. The cause of the crash remains unclear.
Here are some Putin foes who suffered suspicious fates.
Some of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foes, among them journalists and opposition politicians, have died or fallen ill in suspicious circumstances after opposing the Russian leader.
In the latest case, on Aug. 23, Yevgeniy Prigozhin — the head of the guns-for-hire Wagner Group and Putin’s longtime ally turned foe — was killed, along with the three crew members and six other passengers on board, when a private jet flying north of Moscow crashed.
Russian authorities confirmed Sunday that Prigozhin was killed in the crash, citing DNA testing. The cause of the crash remains unclear.
Here are some Putin foes who suffered suspicious fates.
Russia says it will question U.S. diplomats about former consulate worker
Russia’s Federal Security Service, the FSB, said that it planned to interrogate two U.S. diplomats after accusing them of directing a former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok to gather information about Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Robert Shonov is a Russian citizen who had worked at the consulate, in Russia’s Far East, for more than 25 years. The FSB has charged Shonov with “cooperation on a confidential basis with a foreign state,” a crime publishable by up to eight years in prison.
The FSB accused Shonov of working alongside the two U.S. diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, whom it identified as Jeffrey Sillin and David Bernstein, since last September, “gathering information about the special military operation, mobilization processes in Russian regions, problems and the assessment of their influence on protest activities of the population in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.”
Read the full story here.
Russia’s Federal Security Service, the FSB, said that it planned to interrogate two U.S. diplomats after accusing them of directing a former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok to gather information about Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Robert Shonov is a Russian citizen who had worked at the consulate, in Russia’s Far East, for more than 25 years. The FSB has charged Shonov with “cooperation on a confidential basis with a foreign state,” a crime publishable by up to eight years in prison.
The FSB accused Shonov of working alongside the two U.S. diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, whom it identified as Jeffrey Sillin and David Bernstein, since last September, “gathering information about the special military operation, mobilization processes in Russian regions, problems and the assessment of their influence on protest activities of the population in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.”
Read the full story here.
Wagner chief Prigozhin is buried in secret as Kremlin seeks to avoid unrest
RIGA, Latvia — Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin was buried in an unusually secret ceremony in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, with his press service announcing that the event was closed to outsiders, after a series of hearses and funeral cortèges laid false trails at several local cemeteries and other locations tracked throughout the day by local journalists.
Prigozhin’s press service said in a brief statement that the last rites for Prigozhin were held in secret on Tuesday without offering details of the time and location, or providing photographs of the event — perhaps a fitting final chapter to a secretive life of disguises, clandestine security arrangements, diversions to conceal travel plans, duplicate passports and body doubles.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin was buried in an unusually secret ceremony in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, with his press service announcing that the event was closed to outsiders, after a series of hearses and funeral cortèges laid false trails at several local cemeteries and other locations tracked throughout the day by local journalists.
Prigozhin’s press service said in a brief statement that the last rites for Prigozhin were held in secret on Tuesday without offering details of the time and location, or providing photographs of the event — perhaps a fitting final chapter to a secretive life of disguises, clandestine security arrangements, diversions to conceal travel plans, duplicate passports and body doubles.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Wagner Group boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin was buried, without any public display or pomp, on Tuesday in a cemetery in St. Petersburg, local media outlets reported.
- Pope Francis drew criticism, including from Ukraine’s government, for off-the-cuff remarks he made to Russian Catholic youths over the weekend exalting the country’s cultural history. ”
- The United States announced an additional support package worth some $250 million to bolster Ukraine’s security and defense.
- Poland and the three Baltic countries called on Belarus to expel Russia’s Wagner Group over border security concerns.
- The United Nations said it has recorded 9,511 confirmed civilian deaths in Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022 but noted that its count is incomplete and that “the actual figures are considerably higher.”
More live updates here.
- Wagner Group boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin was buried, without any public display or pomp, on Tuesday in a cemetery in St. Petersburg, local media outlets reported.
- Pope Francis drew criticism, including from Ukraine’s government, for off-the-cuff remarks he made to Russian Catholic youths over the weekend exalting the country’s cultural history. ”
- The United States announced an additional support package worth some $250 million to bolster Ukraine’s security and defense.
- Poland and the three Baltic countries called on Belarus to expel Russia’s Wagner Group over border security concerns.
- The United Nations said it has recorded 9,511 confirmed civilian deaths in Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022 but noted that its count is incomplete and that “the actual figures are considerably higher.”
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- At least two people were killed in Kyiv as the Ukrainian capital was hit by a deluge of drone attacks and missile strikes early Wednesday, according to city officials.
- Russia said it thwarted other drone attacks within its borders early Wednesday. Its Defense Ministry said it shot down at least four drones, including one over Kaluga, one over a district in the Moscow region and two in Ryazan.
- Four Il-76 military transport planes were damaged in an attack on a military airfield in Pskov, Russia, near the border with Estonia and Latvia, the Russian state news agency Tass reported. The attack caused a large fire at the airfield, regional governor Mikhail Vedernikov said.
- Russia destroyed four Ukrainian military speedboats in the Black Sea, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. A naval plane in the country’s Black Sea Fleet carried out the attack around midnight Moscow time on Wednesday, it said.
More live updates here.
- At least two people were killed in Kyiv as the Ukrainian capital was hit by a deluge of drone attacks and missile strikes early Wednesday, according to city officials.
- Russia said it thwarted other drone attacks within its borders early Wednesday. Its Defense Ministry said it shot down at least four drones, including one over Kaluga, one over a district in the Moscow region and two in Ryazan.
- Four Il-76 military transport planes were damaged in an attack on a military airfield in Pskov, Russia, near the border with Estonia and Latvia, the Russian state news agency Tass reported. The attack caused a large fire at the airfield, regional governor Mikhail Vedernikov said.
- Russia destroyed four Ukrainian military speedboats in the Black Sea, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. A naval plane in the country’s Black Sea Fleet carried out the attack around midnight Moscow time on Wednesday, it said.
More live updates here.
Putin struggles with falling ruble, rising prices as sanctions bite
LONDON — When Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed top economic officials last week after a bruising month in which the Russian ruble plummeted to a 16-month low against the U.S. dollar, the Russian president sought to set a confident tone. The Russian economy, he said, was growing again and wages were rising.
But despite the show of bravado, Putin could not avoid mentioning a growing weakness that is stalking the economy as Western sanctions bite ever deeper, and one that has been exacerbated by the ruble’s plunge.
“Objective data shows that inflationary risks are increasing, and the task of reining in price growth is now the number one priority,” Putin said, with a note of tension in his voice. “I ask my colleagues in the government and the Central Bank to keep the situation under constant control.”
Read the full story here.
LONDON — When Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed top economic officials last week after a bruising month in which the Russian ruble plummeted to a 16-month low against the U.S. dollar, the Russian president sought to set a confident tone. The Russian economy, he said, was growing again and wages were rising.
But despite the show of bravado, Putin could not avoid mentioning a growing weakness that is stalking the economy as Western sanctions bite ever deeper, and one that has been exacerbated by the ruble’s plunge.
“Objective data shows that inflationary risks are increasing, and the task of reining in price growth is now the number one priority,” Putin said, with a note of tension in his voice. “I ask my colleagues in the government and the Central Bank to keep the situation under constant control.”
Read the full story here.