Ukrainian drones struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries overnight, igniting a large fire and adding pressure to Russia’s growing fuel crisis, Ukrainian military officials confirmed Saturday.
Russia on Friday dismissed a Western plan to provide Ukraine with long-term security guarantees, even as more than two dozen countries pledged troops and resources to a proposed “reassurance force” after any eventual peace deal. The announcement followed a Paris summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and attended by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, with leaders from the U.K., Germany, Italy, and other allies joining remotely.
In a bizarre and revealing moment on the red carpet of China’s World War II victory parade, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were caught on a hot microphone discussing radical life-extension through organ transplants. The conversation, apparently believed to be private, was inadvertently aired by Chinese state media and quickly picked up by observers.
A 39-year-old man has been charged after driving an SUV into the gates of the Russian consulate in Sydney on Monday morning, Australian police confirmed. The incident occurred at around 8 a.m. in the eastern suburb of Woollahra.
A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was struck by radar jamming while flying over Bulgaria, in what officials suspect was a Russian operation. The incident occurred as von der Leyen traveled on a four-day tour of European Union nations bordering Russia and Belarus.
The Norwegian government announced Sunday it will purchase a fleet of British-made warships to strengthen its navy amid growing regional security concerns. The move marks a significant defense investment by the NATO member as tensions escalate in Europe following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russia unleashed a massive assault on southern Ukraine overnight into Saturday, striking residential areas and leaving dozens of civilians wounded just days after a rare and deadly airstrike on central Kyiv. The escalation comes as U.S.-led peace efforts continue to falter.