Latest news, headlines and top stories you need to know RIGHT NOW about Russia, the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
Despite the recent fall of the eastern city of Bakhmut to Russian and Wagner forces, Ukrainian officials still insist that they will “get back what’s ours,” according to top military officer, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is reiterating the same message claiming that “we strongly believe that we will succeed.”
Three months after Germany ordered the removal of more than 30 Russian diplomats from the country on the suspicion they were actually spies, Berlin has now ordered the Kremlin to close 4 of the 5 consulates it maintains in Germany. The order to close the consulates comes after Moscow puts limits on the number of staff allowed at the German Embassy and other facilities in Russia. According to German Foreign Ministry spokesman, Chirstofer Burger, Berlin ordered the closures to ensure “parity of personnel and structures” between the two countries.
Russia Uses Nuclear-Capable Iskander Ballistic Missiles On Kyiv Targets As Nuclear Threat Increases
An aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that as a condition for ending the war, Kyiv is demanding that Russia withdraw its troops from the border with Ukraine. Zelensky is also hopeful that international forces would be deployed to areas within Moscow’s borders.
On Thursday, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said that it had discovered a U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) plan to use previously unknown malware to access ‘backdoor’ vulnerabilities in Apple iPhones.
A District Court in Kiev has ordered Ukraine’s State Investigation Bureau to begin a pre-trial investigation about the possible betrayal of Volodomir Zelensky and several of his closest associates. The case was brought before the court by Geo Leros, a former member of the Ukrainian Parliament (Rada) who was expelled from Zelensky’s ruling Servant of the People Party and the Rada for criticizing the Ukrainian President. Leros accused the top leaders of Ukraine of high treason by knowingly appointing FSB agents [Russian Intelligence Service] to positions in the SBU [Ukraine’s Security Service].