Latest news with #IgorKirillov
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ukraine fires, Russia retaliates, but diplomacy remains on the table: Where is Europe's largest conflict of the century heading?
Russia launched nearly 500 drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight this week in "a string of record‑breaking aerial assaults". 'Russia has been stepping up its barrages in recent months,' pushing to exhaust Ukraine's air defenses amid stalling peace talks, New York Times reported shortly after Ukrainian forces reported the attack. This escalation followed Ukraine's 'Operation Spider Web' on June 1, when Ukrainian drones targeted four Russian air bases simultaneously. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like She Was The Dream Girl In The 80s, This Is Her Recently Undo Kyiv claims up to 41 Russian aircraft were destroyed, including around 34% of its cruise missile carriers, according to Ukraine's SBU intelligence. NATO confirmed that 'over 40 aircraft were damaged, 10 to 13 ... completely destroyed' . Moscow disputes those numbers. Despite these military blows, diplomatic channels have mildly advanced. Following Istanbul talks on June 2, Ukraine and Russia agreed on a phased exchange of POWs – at least 1,200 on each side – and the return of war dead . Live Events Kyiv says the broader ceasefire discussions have 'sputtered,' with little progress beyond this humanitarian deal . Covert operations deep within Russia While ceasefire talks stagger on, Ukraine has launched a shadow war inside Russia, targeting critical infrastructure and key officials, according to a report by DW. In the latest, a series of explosions on Russian rail lines in Belgorod and Voronezh prompted terrorism investigations. Authorities say no one was injured, but the sabotage strikes mirror earlier actions including train derailments and attacks on bridges in Bryansk and Kursk on June 1 — incidents blamed on Ukrainian intelligence . Elsewhere, Ukraine has hit the Crimean Bridge, a strategic and symbolic Russian supply route. DW notes that Kyiv's SBU in June 2025 'placed underwater mines on pillars of the Crimean bridge and detonated them from a distance.' Though Russia denies serious damage, the strike briefly halted bridge traffic. Ukraine's drones have also extended their reach into military and civilian targets. Meanwhile, DW highlighted the assassination of high‑ranking Russian officers: Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was killed in December 2024, and deputy missile designer Mikhail Shatsky, who was shot earlier this year . On the other hand, Russian aerial attacks increasingly reach beyond military objectives, hitting hospitals and other civilian infrastructure. According to The New York Times, 'Russia has been setting deadly records with the swarms of drones and missiles … often hitting civilian targets in towns and cities across the country' . Europe mobilizes: Could NATO face another war? What began as Vladimir Putin's bid to block Ukraine from joining NATO in 2022 has grown into a conflict reverberating across Europe—and now threatens the continent itself. Analysts and leaders are asking: Is Europe ready if war returns to NATO's frontiers? Europe has responded with sweeping defense measures. ABC News Australia reports that Poland plans military training for every adult male, aiming to expand its armed forces to 500,000. Norway has reinstated bomb shelter mandates for new buildings. Germany has unlocked billions to boost defense capacity. Additionally, along the eastern NATO border, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have withdrawn from the Ottawa landmine ban in order 'to give their troops flexibility and freedom of choice to defend NATO's eastern flank' . These actions follow warnings from Danish and German intelligence that a Russian attack could materialize 'in as little as five years.' Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told ABC, 'It cannot be ruled out that within a three‑ to five‑year period, Russia will test Article 5 and NATO's solidarity' . Jakub Janda, Centre for Security Policy, Prague, summed it up starkly: 'If there is a ceasefire in Ukraine, time will start running out as Russia will be preparing for its campaign against NATO on a full scale' . Yet severe challenges lie ahead. Stephan Fruehling, from Australia's ANU, warns Europe still lacks sufficient manpower: 'Europe just doesn't have the forces that you need to hold front lines,' while Russian forces still number over 1.5 million active troops . The prospect of nuclear deterrence is also in flux. While NATO continues to rely on the U.S. nuclear umbrella, some European nations are exploring greater strategic autonomy—looking toward France and Britain. However, their combined nuclear arsenals 'hardly compares to Russia and the U.S.,' making prospects for a European nuclear deterrent uncertain . Russia-Ukraine war: What world leaders say With battlefield momentum swinging between escalation and sabotage operations, world leaders are voicing increasing concern. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy says the POW exchange marks a rare diplomatic success: 'We count on the full implementation of the humanitarian agreements ... We are doing everything possible to bring back every single person' . The Trump administration maintains pressure for a ceasefire, though The New York Times observes Moscow is ignoring it: 'Efforts by the Trump administration to cajole both sides toward a ceasefire … sputtered' . European defense officials are unanimous: Italy, Baltic states, and Germany are investing heavily in military readiness. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte confirmed summit talks on raising defense spending 'north of 3% of GDP' . Analysts suggest the next 12 months may prove decisive. Europe is arming and training; Ukraine is striking back; Russia is targeting civilian infrastructure with impunity. Stephan Fruehling puts it plainly: 'The good times were over in Western Europe' after Ukraine's full-scale invasion . Now, with European nations awakening to a grim new reality, the question remains: Will deterrence hold—or is Europe already in its next war?
CBS News
29-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Explosion kills Russian veteran who led airstrikes on Ukraine port city
A retired Russian commander who led airstrikes on the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol died in a blast early Thursday in Stavropol in southern Russia, authorities said. Zaur Gurtsiev, 34, received several medals for participating in Russia's grueling assaults on the cities of Mariupol and Avdiivka. Authorities did not say what caused the explosion, but also did not rule out that Ukraine was responsible. Videos posted by Russian Telegram channels showed two men, one of them Gurtsiev, standing together in a residential neighborhood before a blast. A string of high-profile Russian servicemen have been killed in Russia since the Kremlin launched its full-scale military offensive on Ukraine in February 2022. In December, the head of the Russian military's biological and chemical weapons unit, Lt. General Igor Kirillov, was killed along with his deputy in an explosion in Moscow, Russia's Investigative Committee said at the time. More recently, in April, an explosive device in Moscow killed a senior Russian general, General-Lieutenant Yaroslav Moskalik, the deputy head of the main operational directorate of the military's general staff, according to Russia's investigative committee. Kyiv has in some cases claimed responsibility or reveled in the attacks, calling them "legitimate targets" given Moscow's three-year offensive has killed tens of thousands. Ukrainian security forces told CBS News after Kirillov's death that Security Service of Ukraine killed him in a special operation, a claim that could not be independently verified but sparked Russian calls for revenge against Ukrainian leaders. "Our hero, veteran of the special military operation and participant in the Time of Heroes programme, Zaur Alexandrovich Gurtsiev, has died," said Stavropol region governor Vladimir Vladimirov, using Russia's term for its Ukraine offensive. "All versions are being considered, including the organisation of a terrorist attack involving Nazis from Ukraine," he added, echoing the Kremlin's claim that it is fighting neo-Nazis in Ukraine. The veteran's 29-year-old acquaintance died alongside him, Stavropol law enforcement said. The Time of Heroes is the Kremlin's programme aimed to boost the careers of veterans stringently chosen to become part of Russia's future elite. Gurtsiev was serving as Stavropol's deputy mayor. He had commanded Moscow's air assault on the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, a bustling Black Sea city devastated by Russian airstrikes. Russian forces rolled into Mariupol at the beginning of 2022 and imposed a brutal siege for nearly three months that resulted in 8,000 deaths, according to Human Rights Watch. The siege included a deadly airstrike on a theatre where civilians were hiding. Ukraine does not typically comment on clandestine operations on the enemy's territory.
Saudi Gazette
28-04-2025
- Saudi Gazette
Suspect in killing of general claims he was paid by Ukraine
MOSCOW — A man arrested on suspiction of killing a Russian general with a car bomb has pleased guilty to terrorism charges and said he was paid by the Ukrainian Security Service, Russian authorities said on Sunday. Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, was killed along with his assistant on Friday by a bomb in his car in Balashikha, outside the capital Moscow. Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the attack, which was the second in four months targetting high-ranked Russian military offices that was blamed on Ukraine amid the conflict between the two countries. Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov died on 17 December 2024 when a bomb hidden on an electric scooter outside his apartment building exploded as he walked past on the way to his office. Ukraine's security agency did acknowledge it was behind that attack. Kirillov was the head of Russia's Radiation, Biological and Chemical Protection Forces, a special group of soldiers responsible for protecting the military from enemy use of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons while ensuring operations in a contaminated environment. He was under sanction from a number of countries, including the UK and Canada, due to his actions in the war against Ukraine. — Euronews
Euronews
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Suspect in killing of general claims he was paid by Ukraine, Russia says
ADVERTISEMENT A man arrested on suspiction of killing a Russian general with a car bomb has pleased guilty to terrorism charges and said he was paid by the Ukrainian Security Service, Russian authorities said on Sunday. Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, was killed along with his asistant on Friday by a bomb in his car in Balashikha, outside the capital Moscow. Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the attack, which was the second in four months targetting high-ranked Russian military offices that was blamed on Ukraine amid the conflict between the two countries. Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov died on 17 December 2024 when a bomb hidden on an electric scooter outside his apartment building exploded as he walked past on the way to his office. Ukraine's security agency did acknowledge it was behind that attack. Kirillov was the head of Russia's Radiation, Biological and Chemical Protection Forces, a special group of soldiers responsible for protecting the military from enemy use of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons while ensuring operations in a contaminated environment. He was under sanction from a number of countries, including the UK and Canada, due to his actions in the war against Ukraine.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian general killed in Moscow-area car bombing, investigators say
A Russian general was killed Friday in a car bombing outside of Moscow, according to Russia's top criminal investigation agency. The Investigative Committee said that Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car in Balashikha. The explosive device was rigged with shrapnel, Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said. The perpetrator of the blast is unclear. The attack comes as White House envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow Friday for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Trump administration is trying to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian Official Takes Credit After Russian General Igor Kirillov, Who Was Killed By Explosive Device In Moscow Images taken at the scene of the bombing showed a burned Volkswagen Golf car outside an apartment building in Balashikha. Read On The Fox News App The attack also happened following the killing of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who died on Dec. 17 in Moscow when a bomb hidden on an electric scooter parked outside his apartment building exploded as he left for his office. Russian authorities blamed Ukraine for the killing of Kirillov, and Ukraine's security agency acknowledged that it was behind that attack. That bombing came one day after Ukrainian Security Services charged Kirillov with crimes. The explosive in that incident had the power of roughly 300 grams of TNT, according to Russian state news agency Tass. Kirillov was charged by Ukraine with using banned chemical weapons on the battlefield. Several countries had also placed him under sanctions for his role in the war against Ukraine, the AP reported. Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Pritchett, Anders Hagstrom, Greg Wehner and the Associated Press contributed to this article source: Russian general killed in Moscow-area car bombing, investigators say
