Russia is the world's largest country by area, spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Known for its permanent UN Security Council seat, vast nuclear arsenal, energy export leverage, and sustained military intervention in Ukraine since 2022. Recently, Russia has intensified aerial strikes on Ukrainian cities while facing Ukrainian drone attacks on its refineries, ports, and logistics infrastructure. Last updated 2 days ago
Ukrainian attack drones struck the Saratov oil refinery in Russia earlier this morning, triggering fires across the facility. Smoke and flames were seen rising from multiple areas of the refinery, which is the largest in the region.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Operation Unthinkable:
"It turns out the guns of the Second World War had barely fallen silent when Churchill was already devising Operation Unthinkable. In 1949, the Americans were planning to bomb almost 300 of our cities. Only the appearance of the Russian nuclear bomb calmed the Americans down."
At least 11 people were killed and six others injured after an avalanche struck a group of climbers in Russia’s Kabardino-Balkaria region, local emergency services say.
The Alternative for Germany has a very clear position: we are always open to diplomatic channels.
And we have always criticized the fact that, especially when we talk about Ukraine, we nee...
German AfD Leader Alice Weidel on Russia-Ukraine:
The Alternative for Germany has a very clear position: we are always open to diplomatic channels.
And we have always criticized the fact that, especially when we talk about Ukraine, we need an open channel to Russia in order to reach an understanding and achieve a peaceful solution.
We have also always said that we need good relations not only with Russia, but above all with the United States.
We can now see that the United States is sending representatives to Moscow and sounding things out between Moscow and Kyiv.
That could actually have been a role for Germany and for a German federal government. In recent decades, it was common practice for us to act as a neutral mediator, and that role would suit us much better than being rhetorical warmongers, as we are today.
Jared Kushner, commenting on the Russia-Ukraine war: "Putin has different aspirations that he has for his country that can also be achieved once this is concluded."
Former CIA Director David Petraeus: "The Russians have now sustained well over 1.4 million killed and wounded, which is more than the U.S. sustained in all of World War II."
Petraeus said Russia is losing over 1,000 killed and wounded per day, a rate he called unsustainable.
Japan plans unprecedented investment in hypersonic missiles and drones to counter China and Russia. Its defence budget request hits nearly 9 trillion yen (£43bn) under PM Sanae Takaichi. - The Telegraph
Russia says it lodged a strong protest with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) over warnings issued by Ukraine regarding the safety of Russian airspace.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov: Russia has learned of plans by Germany, the UK, and France to establish long-range missile production inside Ukraine, and Moscow is now verifying the information.
Russia's Lavrov: "For more than 500 years, Europe was the main source of all the troubles and misfortunes that engulfed humanity. It was the source of two world wars, and the source of the current situation."
"Americans are not stupid people, unlike their European allies.
The Trump administration has set itself the task of dominating the global energy markets and global industrial markets, and bringing industrial production back from abroad to its own territory."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Germany's decision to close Russia's last consulate general:
"In Germany, in Leipzig, they found some fallen drone at the airport. They decided that the drone resembled those drones used by the Russian Federation. On the basis of this assumption, supposition, guesswork, if you like, they made an official decision to close our last remaining consulate general in Germany."
Norway's Coast Guard has denied any role in the seizure of a Russian vessel. The denial follows earlier statements from officials involved in the investigation who claimed Norwegian forces participated in the operation.
