Tag: russia

Trump says Ukraine will need Patriot missiles for its defense, chides Putin

U.S. President Donald Trump said Ukraine would need Patriot missiles for its defenses, after speaking with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday, and voiced frustration over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s failure to end the fighting.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he had a good call with Zelenskiy, repeating that he was “very unhappy” about his call with Putin a day earlier, given what he called the Russian leader’s refusal to work on a ceasefire.

Asked whether the United States would agree to supply more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, as requested by Zelenskiy, Trump said: “They’re going to need them for defense… They’re going to need something because they’re being hit pretty hard.”

Trump touted the efficacy of the Patriot missiles, calling the weapon “pretty amazing.”

Asked about the prospects for a ceasefire, Trump said, “It’s a very tough situation… I was very unhappy with my call with President Putin. He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people – it’s no good.”

Zelenskiy said he had agreed to work on increasing Kyiv’s capability to “defend the sky” as Russian attacks escalate, adding in a message on Telegram that he discussed joint defense production, as well as joint purchases and investments with the U.S. leader.

Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes.

A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia’s airstrikes and battlefield advances. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defense systems to bridge the gap.

A source briefed on the Trump-Zelenskiy call told Reuters they were optimistic that supplies of Patriot missiles could resume after what they called a “very good” conversation between the presidents.

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German MPs demand more money for Ukraine – Bild

A group of German lawmakers from the Green Party has called on Chancellor Friedrich Merz to urgently increase military aid to Ukraine, saying Berlin must contribute more in light of a slowdown in US arms deliveries, according to a letter obtained by Bild.

The letter, signed by Bundestag deputies Robin Wagener, Sara Nanni, Sebastian Schafer, and Anton Hofreiter, criticized the federal government’s recently announced increase in military assistance from €7.1 billion to €8.3 billion as insufficient.

The lawmakers pointed to the US decision to pause certain weapons shipments to Kiev as a critical factor, arguing that Berlin should raise the figure to at least €8.5 billion and commit to maintaining that level through 2029.

The Green MPs, who have been among Kiev’s most vocal supporters in the Bundestag, reportedly said the government still has room to maneuver within the approved budget framework, and argued that the constitutional limits on debt spending could be sidestepped through special exemptions.

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Oil tycoon falls to his death from elite Moscow apartment block in latest mystery death to hit Russia

A top Russian oil tycoon has died after mysteriously plunging 180ft from a window at his luxury Moscow home.

The body of Andrey Badalov, 62, was discovered this morning at the bottom of an exclusive high-rise apartment building in Moscow’s affluent Rublevskoye neighbourhood.

Badalov was the vice-president of state-owned oil pipeline monopoly Transneft. 

He reportedly lived on the building’s 10th floor but fell from the 17th storey, according to local media. 

A source said the ‘preliminary cause’ of death is ‘suicide’, as investigators reportedly discovered a note Badalov had left to his wife. 

Badalov had been appointed vice-president for the oil giant in 2021 during a ‘complex and tense period’ and had been credited with helping the company ‘overcome the challenges’ posed by Western sanctions. 

He previously worked at the state-owned Voskhod Scientific Research Institute.

He had also studied at the General Staff Academy of the Armed Forces, which trains high-level officers and state managers.

The tycoon leaves behind a wife and two daughters.

His sudden death is the latest in a spate of unexplained deaths of leading Russian figures under mysterious circumstances. 

In these cases, individuals have died falling from windows, apparent suicides and in accidents. Some have been known to be critics of Vladimir Putin.  

Top Russian oligarch Mikhail Rogachev, 64, was found dead back in October after mysteriously falling from a 110ft window in Moscow.

Rogachev was the vice-president of Russian oil giant Yukos, which was forced out of business for turning against Putin. 

TV channels reported that he lived on the tenth floor and that it was a suicide, claiming he had cancer and left a note.

But these reports were vehemently denied by his close friends and relatives.

His family insisted there were no signs that he was suicidal and he was in a ‘good mood’ shortly before his death.

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German government expands arms cooperation with Ukraine

While the US government is scaling back its military aid to Ukraine, and even halting previously promised arms shipments, the German government is intensifying its military cooperation with Kiev.

This was the central aim of Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s (Christian Democrat, CDU) inaugural visit to Kiev this past Monday. Wadephul was accompanied by “high-ranking representatives of German arms companies,” who reportedly even participated at times in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The names of the participating corporate executives are being carefully withheld, and details of the arms deals remain undisclosed. Given growing public opposition to militarization, the weapons cooperation is evidently intended to proceed as quietly as possible, behind the backs of the public. It is already well known, however, that the arms manufacturer Rheinmetall operates a tank factory in western Ukraine. Its CEO, Armin Papperger, has made repeated public appearances in Kiev.

Which other arms and industrial companies were represented, and by whom? Could it be that Sigmar Gabriel was also part of the delegation—the former Social Democratic Party (SPD) minister who now sits on the supervisory board of Rheinmetall and serves as chairman of the Atlantik-Brücke (Atlantic Bridge)?

VW recently announced plans to “enter the arms business” and has initiated a collaboration with Rheinmetall to convert its Osnabrück plant for military vehicle production. Furthermore, the Bombardier plant in Görlitz—traditionally involved in railway carriage construction and taken over by Alstom in 2021—has been sold to arms manufacturer KNDS. The IG Metall union has actively supported all these deals.

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Ukrainian Nationalists Will Not Let Zelenskiy Make Peace, Even If He Wanted To

CDM has long had reporting teams on the ground inside Ukraine. It is why we were deplatformed so heavily in 2021 by the ‘Trusted News Initiative’ — due to our reporting on the Biden crime family and accomplices’ dirty work in-country. Our lawsuit initiated with RFK, Jr. and CHD against this suppression and censorship is making its way through the courts. DOJ will enter a ‘statement of interest’ in the case by mid-month.

Recently, we had long discussions with sources in the Kyiv area. We can report that Ukrainian nationalists are open to a ceasefire and permanent peace but only at the 2022 borders, which means, the lines of battle prior to the Russian invasion. Parts of Donetsk, Lugansk and Crimea would stay in Russian control.

While this may have been possible years ago, it does not seem possible now.

The situation politically in the U.S., and on the ground in Ukraine, in other words — reality, has shifted in favor of the Russian Federation.

Our sources tell us that even if Ukrainian President Zelenskiy wanted to negotiate for peace at this time, he cannot because he would be removed from power by nationalist forces that are now in control of Ukraine, and possibly killed.

One important point is that these Nazi elements inside Ukraine were funded and developed by Western intelligence agencies. In other words, it is likely these elements still are in control of these brownshirts.

President Trump is not just fighting Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskiy for a negotiated settlement for peace in the Ukraine war, he is fighting elements of the U.S. intelligence community.

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Dept. of Defense Leakers Claim Secretary Pete Hegseth Suspended Military Aid to Kiev without Notifying Allies

The warmongers in the US Department of Defense leaked another report to their associates in the mainstream news this weekend.

According to the anonymous sources Secretary Pete Hegseth suspended military aid to Kiev and did so without notifying US allies in Europe.

The Trump administration halted missile deliveries to Ukraine over concerns that US stockpiles have declined significantly under Joe Biden.

However, anonymous sources told NBC that American stockpiles are not yet under critical minimums.

This is the latest anonymous leak from US Defense officials to smear the Hegseth and the Trump administration.

And, fake news NBC gladly ran with it despite the pushback from the Trump administration.

Russia Today reported:

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suspended shipments of weapons to Ukraine on his own accord despite a military review claiming that the aid would not endanger US readiness, NBC News has claimed. The decision was reportedly made without consulting lawmakers or foreign partners.

Reports of a halt in US military aid to Ukraine emerged earlier this week. US news outlets claimed that the items affected included Patriot missile systems, artillery shells, GMLRS rockets, and other munitions. Washington’s envoy to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, has since confirmed the move, attributing it to concerns that continued military assistance to Kiev could deplete key munitions needed for US forces.

However, NBC reported on Friday, citing three unnamed sources, that a review by senior military officers had found that American stockpiles are not yet beyond critical minimums. The outlet claimed that Hegseth nevertheless halted the shipments in a “unilateral step,” marking the third time he has done so since taking office. The previous suspensions were reversed following pushback from Congress.

This is the latest leak from the military and intel communities to damage President Trump and his team.

In June, anonymous leakers incorrectly announced that the US military strikes on nuclear facilities were unsuccessful.

This turned out to be another lie by anonymous leakers.

The FBI is investigating where that leak originated.

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Ukrainian Defenses Overwhelmed by Russian Steady Advances on Two Fronts

With an acute shortage of military supplies and – more importantly – of human resources, the Ukrainian army has an increasingly hard job defending against the Russian forces exerting pressure at multiple points along the 745-mile-long front line.

Presently, Moscow’s offensives are focused on two main areas: in the northern Sumy and Kharkov regions, and in the eastern Donetsk oblast – and as a result, Kiev’s reserve troops are having difficulties plugging the holes in the overwhelmed defenses.

And, as if that was not bad enough, Russia is about to expand operations to the new Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk.

Associated Press reported:

“Kremlin forces are steadily gaining ground in the strategic eastern logistics hub of Pokrovsk, the capture of which would hand them a major battlefield victory and bring them closer to acquiring the entire Donetsk region. The fighting there has also brought combat to the border of the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time.”

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Ukraine nuclear power plant alert as ALL external electricity cables helping keep reactor fuel cool go DOWN

All external power lines supplying electricity to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP ) in Ukraine were down on Friday, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said.

Ukraine has blamed Russian shelling for severing the last power line at the plant, which is not operating but still requires electricity to keep its nuclear fuel cool and radiation levels safe.

The power plant, Europe’s biggest, has switched to running on diesel generators, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

The IAEA has repeatedly warned of the risk of a catastrophic accident at Zaporizhzhia, which is located near the front line in the war in Ukraine.

Its six reactors are shut down, but the nuclear fuel inside them still needs to be cooled, which requires constant power.

‘Ukraine’s ZNPP lost all off-site power at 17:36 today, 9th time during military conflict and first since late 2023,’ the IAEA said on X. 

‘The ZNPP currently relies on power from its emergency diesel generators, underlining (the) extremely precarious nuclear safety situation.’

Ukraine’s energy minister, German Galuschenko, wrote on Telegram that a Russian strike had cut the plant off.

‘The enemy struck the power line connecting the temporarily occupied (Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant) with the integrated power system of Ukraine.’

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Kyiv On Fire As Russian Pummels Ukrainian Capital

Russian missiles and drones are attacking the capital of Ukraine – Kyiv.

Kyiv International Airport is apparently one of the main targets. Ukrainian air defense assets have been known to be located at the airport.

The attacks come after the phone call today between Russian President Putin and President Trump. POTUS said he was not happy after the call.

It looks like Moscow has decided to push for complete destruction of Ukraine’s military capability to resist, prior to suing for peace. This decision may be based on the Ukrainian destruction of Russian strategic nuclear aircraft just weeks ago.

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Deputy Head Of Russian Navy Killed In Ukraine Missile Strike

In a rare battlefield development, a very high-ranking general officer for Russia’s military has been killed by Ukrainian forces, and it actually happened on Russian soil.

Major General Mikhail Gudkov, deputy commander of the Russian Navy and a brigade leader in the Ukraine war, has been confirmed dead in Russia’s Kursk region, according to a statement Thursday by a Kremlin official.

The news broke when Russian and Ukrainian military Telegram channels reported that Gudkov was killed along with 10 other soldiers in a Ukrainian strike targeting a command post in Korenevo, which lies near the Ukrainian border.

Gudkov is among the highest-ranking Russian military figures killed by Ukrainian forces since the conflict began. A slew of international headlines are reporting his death on Thursday.

Reuters reports the following, citing a Russian regional governor:

Kozhemyako, who said he had spoken to Gudkov a lot over the years, said in a statement that Gudkov had been killed “carrying out his duty as an officer” along with others, and expressed his condolences to the dead men’s relatives.

“When he became Deputy Chief of the Navy, he did not stop personally visiting the positions of our marines,” Kozhemyako said on Telegram.

The 42-year old general had only been promoted by President Putin to the number two command spot over the Navy in late March, according to the Institute for the Study of War think tank.

According to more emerging details in regional media, “An obituary posted by a Russian Navy servicemen’s organization states that on July 2, 2025, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a missile strike on the command post of the 155th Marine Brigade.”

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