Tag: russia

Lavrov, Araghchi Call on to Cease Strikes on Iranian Civilian Infrastructure – Moscow

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi stressed the need to immediately halt reckless attacks on the Iranian civilian and energy infrastructure, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

“The ministers emphasized the need to immediately cease reckless and illegal attacks on civilian, industrial, and energy infrastructure, including the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which is under IAEA safeguards,” the ministry said in a statement following the call.

Both ministers also stressed the inadmissibility of threats to the nuclear power plant’s personnel and the risks of a radioactive disaster in the region, the ministry said. Lavrov also expressed his condolences to Araghchi over the death of a civilian employee of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, it added.

Earlier in the day, Lavrov held a phone conversation with Araghchi to discuss the situation in the Middle East.

During the call, Lavrov expressed hope for the success of efforts aiming at de-escalating the conflict in the Middle East, it said. In particular, the United States would contribute to such efforts by “abandoning the language of ultimatums and returning the situation to the negotiating track,” the ministry added.

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Zelensky’s Christian-themed award to Kallas is ‘satanism’ – Moscow

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has received a prominent Ukrainian award for encouraging prolonged fighting, forced mobilization, and supporting a crackdown on the country’s largest Christian denomination, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said.

Earlier this week, Zelensky decorated Kallas – widely regarded as an anti-Russia hawk – with the Order of Princess Olga, as the two discussed EU support for Kiev.

Princess Olga of the Kievan Rus was the first Christian ruler of the realm, establishing contact with Byzantium in the 10th century and paving the way for the mass baptism of Rus under her grandson Prince Vladimir in 988 AD.

Kallas said she was honored by the award, adding that “Ukraine has been on my mind every day since Russia started its war of aggression.” She acknowledged, however, that she had no positive update for Kiev regarding a €90 billion EU loan.

In a post on Telegram, Zakharova mocked the ceremony, quipping that Kallas has made “outstanding” achievements for Ukraine – including her “calls to speed up mobilization, dragging women into the military, demands that the Kiev regime abandon any attempts to reach peace, and turning the country into an instrument to fight ‘to the last Ukrainian.’”

Kallas also “incited hatred” and fueled Ukraine’s already-dire corruption through uncontrolled financial support, Zakharova added.

Zakharova highlighted the religious symbolism of the award, arguing that the EU’s “murderous” policy toward Ukraine has little in common with a Christian saint.

“Kallas, who supports the Kiev regime’s policy of persecuting the Church, receives the Order of Saint Olga from the hands of non-Christians. Satanism as it is,” she said.

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IDF threatens ‘elimination’ for Russian leaders who ‘wish Israel ill’

Israel’s veiled threat to Moscow came just after Russian media warned traffic cameras in Moscow were vulnerable to the same exploits that Israel reportedly used to monitor Ayatollah Khamenei’s residence before assassinating him.

Israeli military spokeswoman Anna Ukolova has drawn outrage in Moscow after threatening that Russian authorities who “wish Israel ill” could be subject to “elimination,” while suggesting Israel could hack into Russian closed-circuit television cameras to identify and track targets.

Asked by a journalist with Russian radio broadcaster RBC whether Israel had access to Russian traffic cameras, Ukolova declined to answer directly but warned that “Khamenei’s elimination shows our capabilities are serious” and that “no one who wishes us harm will be left aside.”

She added, ominously, “I hope Moscow does not wish Israel ill right now – I’d like to believe that.”

In response to a post by Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin, who wrote that the IDF spokeswoman threatened that “Russian authorities [will] be killed if they take [an] anti-Israel position,” Ukolova claimed Dugin was spreading “fake news.” But she declined to clarify how her remarks had been incorrectly interpreted.

Ukolova’s statements came just days after it was revealed that a large number of Russian CCTVs were potentially using BriefCam – an Israeli video analysis software that closely matches the description of a program the Netanyahu regime reportedly deployed to track Iranian movements outside the home of Iran’s Supreme Leader before they assassinated him during their February 28 sneak attack.

On March 12, Russian outlet Mash revealed that the Israeli software BriefCam “has been used in Russia by private providers since the 2010s.” Founded at Israel’s Hebrew University in 2007, BriefCam uses AI to let users “review hours of video in minutes” and “make [their] video searchable, actionable and quantifiable.” In 2024, BriefCam was absorbed by a Dutch subsidiary of the Canon Group named Milestone Systems, which publicly pledges to “amplify what organizations of any size can see, do and achieve with video.”

“Our patented VIDEO SYNOPSIS® technology condenses hours of surveillance into a short summary by overlaying multiple events—each tagged with its original timestamp—onto a single frame, letting you filter them by object type and attributes,” the company’s BriefCam page crows. An analysis by Al Jazeera revealed those attributes include “gender, age group, clothing, movement patterns and time spent in a given location.”

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Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: How Ukraine Meddled In the U.S. Election

Sometimes, political events far from American soil strike directly at the heart of U.S. policy. The upcoming parliamentary elections in Hungary on April 12, 2026, and the heated campaign now unfolding there are exposing information with profound implications for President Trump’s Administration and its relationships with nations long viewed as reliable partners – if not outright allies.

A single incident rarely commands attention on its own. But when it surfaces amid a pattern of events all pointing in the same direction, it demands serious scrutiny.

Hungary, that picturesque Central European nation, has become a vital strategic asset and trusted partner for the current administration.

The warm personal friendship between President Trump and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is well known, but the deeper bond rests on shared principles: robust democracy rooted in national sovereignty, strict controls on migration, energy security, military strength, economic prosperity, and technological leadership.

Orbán’s platform mirrors our own “America First” agenda. He battles the same globalist elites in Brussels who enjoy the quiet backing of the Democratic Party. In many respects, the Hungarian government is fighting the very war Trump waged here at home.

Recent statements from Trump Administration officials affirming U.S. support for Orbán’s Fidesz party only underscore this alignment.

Then, at the close of March 2026, Orbán dropped a political bombshell. He publicly charged that Ukraine under President Zelenskyy had funneled billions of dollars – laundered through Hungary – into efforts to support Kamala Harris during the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Hungarian officials, including Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, detailed transfers of Ukrainian aid money routed westward to boost Democrats.

Why would Kyiv interfere in the election of its biggest benefactor? The motive is as obvious as it is cynical: a Democrat in the Oval Office might have guaranteed endless blank-check billions with minimal oversight, allowing Zelenskyy to prolong a bloody conflict indefinitely.

The backdrop of Ukraine-Hungary relations makes the accusation even more credible. Tensions have skyrocketed in recent months. Budapest has repeatedly demanded that Kyiv repair the Druzhba (Friendship) oil pipeline so Hungary and Slovakia could once again receive affordable Russian crude.

Zelenskyy refused, citing “infrastructure damage” without providing evidence, and barred technical inspection teams from assessing the site.

During a tense, media-covered meeting in his presidential office, Zelenskyy reportedly blackmailed Orbán over the issue.

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Here We Go…Ground Robots Could Replace One-Third Of Ukrainian Troops On Front Line

Ground robotic systems have the potential to replace as much as one-third of Ukrainian infantry troops operating on the line of contact, according to a senior Ukrainian military commander.

Andrii Biletsky, commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps, told Militarnyi in an interview published March 21 that expanding the use of unmanned ground platforms could significantly ease the burden on frontline soldiers as the battlefield grows increasingly hostile to human movement and resupply.

Biletsky, who has previously described ground robotic systems as a looming “revolution” on the battlefield, pointed to the challenges posed by dense drone surveillance and heavily contested logistics lines. Constant observation by both enemy and Ukrainian drones has made traditional troop movements and supply deliveries exceptionally dangerous and difficult to sustain, writes United24Media.

“We will replace a third of soldiers with robots,” Biletsky declared in the interview.

He argued that robotic platforms could take over a substantial portion of both combat and logistics roles, allowing Ukrainian units to maintain operations under persistent aerial scrutiny while reducing risks to personnel.

The vision outlined by Biletsky is already materializing across the front. According to Ukrainian military data, forces conducted more than 7,000 ground robot missions in a single recent month. The vast majority of these deployments involved delivering supplies and equipment to exposed forward positions, enabling troops to minimize their exposure in high-risk areas while keeping essential logistics flowing.

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Ukraine’s Backers Want Reduction In Long-Range Strikes On Russian Oil, Zelensky Says

We’ve been highlighting the significant impact of the Iran war on developments in Ukraine, where the over four-year long war is showing no end in sight. Ukraine’s President Zelensky has made clear his view that the current global focus on the Iran conflict has put Kiev in a weakened position.

Already, Ukraine’s international partners are ‘primarily’ sending their anti-ballistic missile systems to the Middle East – with Ukraine ‘forgotten’ – Zelensky has recently said. But there’s more, as the hits keep coming: Zelensky revealed Monday that some of Ukraine’s backers have sent “signals” to scale back long-range strikes on Russia’s oil sector as global energy prices have soared.

“Recently, following such a severe global energy crisis, we have indeed ⁠received signals from some of our partners about how to reduce our responses in the ​oil sector and the energy sector of the Russian Federation,” Zelensky told journalists in a WhatsApp briefing, reported by Reuters.

This is perhaps what’s behind his calling for an Easter holiday truce with Russia. He had on the same day that he told journalists about a potential pause on long-range attacks on Russian energy stated: “If Russia is ready to stop hitting Ukrainian energy facilities, we will not respond against their energy sector.”

Zelensky just came off a tour of Middle East Gulf states, even amid Iran’s ongoing retaliation in the region, while seeking Ukrainian security assistance. In recent days he met with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan.

Reuters notes of this, “Fresh from a four-day visit to the Middle East, Zelenskiy said that he had reached agreement with some countries in the region to provide energy support to Ukraine.”

“Zelenskiy said at the weekend during his Middle ​East tour that he ​had reached a deal ⁠on diesel deliveries for a year to Ukraine, without providing further details,” the report continues. “Diesel is vital for the functioning of the Ukrainian armed forces and ​the country’s agricultural sector, the bedrock of the economy.”

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Zelensky Calls For Easter Truce Amid Nightly Russian Drone Assaults

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is urging for an Easter holiday ceasefire with Russia, at a moment each side has sent daily and nightly drones and missiles across the border.

“We’re ready for a ceasefire during the Easter holidays,” Zelensky told reporters, describing that “normal people who respect life” would seek a permanent ceasefire. “But we’re ready for any compromises, except those involving our dignity and sovereignty,” he added.

Both countries have predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christian populations, and Orthodox Easter, also known as Pascha, takes place on April 16 this year. The West, or rather the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, will celebrate on April 5.

While full ceasefires, even short ones, have not had much success in the past more than four years of war, the two sides have previously agreed to days or even weeks of pauses on attacking energy sites. This limited truce does hold some potential.

“If Russia is ready to stop hitting Ukrainian energy facilities, we will not respond against their energy sector,” Zelensky said.

Last year saw an effort to put in place a Pascha ceasefire, called for by President Putin – however, there were widespread accusations of violations.

Putin himself attends the long Orthodox Pascha vigil each year, while Zelensky is Jewish. He became the first Jewish president of Ukraine after being elected in 2019, and has since faced accusations of persecuting Ukrainian Orthodox who maintain spiritual ties with the Moscow patriarchate. 

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Russia’s secret drone playbook handed to Iran as Zelensky warns Trump’s war is a gift to Putin

Russians are advising Iranians on how to use their deadly mini drones to target US assets in the Middle East, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is warning. 

The Ukrainian President shared on Monday that Russian officials have advised Iranian counterparts on their operational experience from their invasion against Ukraine, including how to carry out short-range first-person-view (FPV) drone attacks. 

Videos of the drone strikes have been a hallmark of the brutal conflict, often showing soldiers or tanks on patrol being hunted by the small UAVs before the screens go black, indicating a detonation. 

Russia has recently released a new first-person drone called the KVS which reportedly has a range up to 30 miles that was designed after previous drones faced issues on shorter flights.  

Russia has closely worked with Iran since 2022 to deploy its Shahed-136 drone against Ukraine, which Russian officials rebranded into the Geran-1. 

In 2025 alone, Russia launched approximately 55,000 Shahed-style drones at Ukraine, according to the institute for Science and International Security. 

Having to rely on cheap, widely available drones to fend off repeated Russian assaults during the invasion, Ukraine has developed world-class FPV drone weapons. 

They’ve been so effective that the Ukrainian drone tech has even been procured by the US military. 

‘I think Russia is supporting Iran directly, 100 percent. The same format of sharing satellite images like they did in the case of Ukraine,’ he told Axios in an interview. 

He shared that Russia is keen on the US-Iran war dragging out so that President Vladimir Putin’s oil-reliant economy can sell crude at a markup to continue funding its hostilities in Ukraine.  

‘I am sure Russia wants long war. They have benefits: The U.S. is focusing on the Middle East and may decrease military help to Ukraine. Sanctions are partially lifted. I see only benefits for Russia from the war with Iran continuing,’ Zelensky said. 

Another concern for Ukraine as the US-Iran war continues: Ukraine’s weapons supply.

Zelensky said he is ‘absolutely’ sure that his country will have ‘challenges’ due to US resources being reallocated to the Middle East.

The Ukrainian President was recently in the Middle East to meet with leaders about possible security deals. He reportedly met with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan. 

Ukrainian military officials have also been advising Gulf nations on how to shoot down Iran’s Shahed drones. 

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Ukraine Loses Over 2,395 Soldiers to Russian Forces in Past Week – MoD

Ukraine lost over 2,395 soldiers in combat against Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr over the past week, in addition to losses in manpower and equipment on other fronts, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

“The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to over 2,395 military personnel, 63 armored combat vehicles, 97 vehicles, 21 field artillery guns, 10 electronic warfare and counter-battery warfare stations. Three ammunition depots were destroyed,” the ministry said in a statement.

This is in addition to over 1,620 Ukrainian soldiers eliminated over the past day by Russia’s Battlegroup Sever, over 2,065 by Battlegroup Vostok, over 1,280 by Battlegroup Zapad, over 1,210 by Battlegroup Yug, and up to 310 by Battlegroup Dnepr, the ministry said.

The Russian forces carried out one massive and five group strikes on facilities connected to the Ukrainian army in Ukraine in the past week, the ministry added.

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Rubio Accuses Zelenskyy of Telling a Significant Lie About US Security Guarantees: ‘He Knows That’s Not True’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio might be the United States’ top diplomat, but there was nothing diplomatic in his language on Friday.

During a meeting with reporters at the end of a foreign ministers summit in France, Rubio was asked about a statement by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy describing security guarantees the U.S. has offered in talks to end the Russian war in Ukraine.

Rubio’s response was blunt to the point of insult.

A reporter had asked Rubio to comment on Zelenskyy statements reported Thursday by Reuters, in which the Ukrainian president said U.S. security guarantees depended on Ukraine withdrawing its forces from the Donbas region in Ukraine’s east — the scene of heavy fighting between Russian invaders and Ukrainian defenders.

In effect, Zelenskyy said the U.S. was pressuring Ukraine to surrender its territory in exchange for American support against future Russian aggression.

“That’s a lie,” Rubio said. “And I saw him say that, and it’s unfortunate he would say that, ’cause he knows that’s not true, and it’s not what he was told.

“What he was told is the obvious: Security guarantees are not going to kick in until there’s an end to a war. Because, otherwise, you’re getting yourself involved in a war …

“What he was told very clearly, and he should have understood it, is that the security guarantees come only after there is an end to the war.

“That was not attached to, ‘unless he gives up territory.’ I don’t know why he says these things. They’re just not true.”

The blowup is the latest battle between Zelenskyy and the Trump administration. That relationship has experienced some rocky moments since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

At that point, the war in Ukraine, which started in February 2022, had been raging for almost three years.

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