VLADIMIR Putin has now lost at least 100 colonels in the war in Ukraine highlighting the grave damage his forces are suffering.
Video has emerged of the grief-stricken family of Lt-Col Vitaly Tsikul, 36, a tank commander, at his funeral.
He is the 100th known colonel in Putin's forces to be killed in the five-and-a-half month war.
He served in the Russian 90th Tank Division, military unit 86274, part of Putin’s Central Military District.
No details have emerged about the circumstances of his death in Ukraine.
A soldier at the funeral, named Viktor, said: “He was our commander. I did not hear a single bad word from him. He was an officer who rallied his troops.”
It comes as Russia has also lost at least a dozen generals in the war.
Some estimates say Putin has lost more than 50,000 troops in the savage war he unleashed in Europe.
Read our Ukraine-Russia blog below for the latest updates…
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters thinks Joe Biden is a war criminal
The band’s co-founder blames Biden and Zelensky for the war.
Roger Waters co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965 but the 78-year-old is most famed now for his outspoken views about the Russia and Ukraine war.
Waters blames Biden for fuelling the fire and suggests Zelensky cooperates and attempts to negotiate.
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Ukraine arrest undercover security agents
Ukraine’s domestic security service arrested two people allegedly working for Russian intelligence.
The people reportedly planned to kill Ukraine‘s defence minister and head of its military intelligence agency.
This news shared by The Guardian could not be independently verified by Reuters.
There was no immediate reaction to Ukraine’s statement from Moscow or Russian state-run media.
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Blasts have been heard in Russian-annexed Crimea
The sounds are reportedly coming from a military base.
Crimea is a Ukrainian peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014.
According to Oleg Kruchkov, an adviser to the Moscow-installed regional head, the blasts were reportedly in the western village of Novofedorivka.
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Estonia & Finland want Europe to halt all Russian tourist visas
The leaders of Estonia and Finland want fellow European countries to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens, saying they should not be able to take vacations in Europe while the government of Russia carries out a war in Ukraine.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas wrote Tuesday on Twitter that visiting Europe is a privilege, not a human right and that it is time to end tourism from Russia now.
A day earlier, her counterpart in Finland, Sanna Marin, told Finnish broadcaster YLE that it is not right that while Russia is waging an aggressive, brutal war of aggression in Europe, Russians can live a normal life, travel in Europe, be tourists.”
Estonia and Finland both border Russia and are members of the European Union, which banned air travel from Russia after it invaded Ukraine. But Russians can still travel by land to both countries and apparently are then taking flights to other European destinations.
YLE reported last week that Russian companies have started offering car trips from St. Petersburg to the airports of Helsinki and Lappeenranta in Finland, which have direct connections to several places in Europe. Russias second-largest city is about 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the Finnish capital.
Visas issued by Finland are valid across most of Europe’s travel zone, known as the Schengen area which is made up of 26 countries: 22 EU nations plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Normally, people and goods move freely between these countries without border checks.
Some EU countries no longer issue visas to Russians, including Latvia, which made that move this month because of the war.
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Russia continue increase radiation fear
As unrest in Ukraine persists, Russian attacks appear to be becoming more reckless.
According to Al Jazeera, recent Russian shelling damaged three tradiation sensors and wounded a staff member at the Zaporizhzhia power plant in the second such strike in consecutive days.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is Europe’s largest nuclear facility.
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Ukraine claim advance and hold in Donbas
Ukraine says it’s capture ground around Kharkiv.
The conflict continues, but Ukraine has claimed it has capture ground in the northeast, Kharkiv, and is resisting a heavy Russian assault near Donetsk.
According to Euro News, Ukrainian officials said Russians were launching waves of attacks in an attempt to seize control of Donbas.
Donetsk regional governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko said: “The situation in the region is tense – shelling is constant throughout the front line.
“The enemy is also using air strikes a great deal.”
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Do people still care about Ukrainian refugees?
At the beginning of the Russian invasion, humanitarianism outpoured from a number of countries.
In the UK, people appear to continue to offer their homes to Ukrainian refugees – an attitude notably different to refugees from other countries.
However, the same can’t be said for other countries, for example Germany.
Though an impressive almost 1 million Ukrainians are registered as refugees in Germany, a Ukrainian spokesperson said bureaucracy is making things difficult now.
“Certain districts, such as Mettmann or the district of Potsdam, have now also issued a freeze on admissions.
“This means that even if private accommodation could be arranged, the refugees cannot take it and have to return to their overcrowded communal shelters in order to be entitled to state support”
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Ukrainian refugees in UK face homelessness
Homes for Ukraine was set up to help refugees from Ukraine to find housing.
iNews has revealed that some of these refugees will likely end up homeless after six months.
The concern is that if the refugees haven’t become self-sufficient in those six months, councils could struggle to find alternative accommodation and some may end up homeless
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
UK cities bidding to host Eurovision 2023
In light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK will host Eurovision 2023.
Newcastle has become the latest city to announce their bid to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest as they promise to “do Ukraine proud.”
Other cities to have thrown their hat in the ring include, London, Leeds, Liverpool and Glasgow.
Rules around the city that hosts the event include having a venue that can hold at least 10,000 people, and access to an international airport.
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Satellite to spy on Ukranians
Fears grow that Moscow intend to improve surveillance over Ukraine.
According to The Telegraph, an Iranian satellite launched by Russia blasted off from Kazakhstan early this morning.
Iran has maintained ties with Moscow throughout the invasion of Ukraine.
Last week, The Washington Post quoted anonymous Western intelligence officials as saying that Russia “plans to use the satellite for several months or longer.”
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
More US aid for Ukraine
As the invasion continues, unrest continues.
The US, however, pledges another $4.5bn to Ukraine to help them in their battle against Russia.
As the invasion continues well past the half-year mark, Russia suspended nuclear weapon inspections with the US. The 2010 New Start treaty agreed the two to visit each other’s nuclear weapons sites. The inspections were originally suspended as a health precaution due to the COVID pandemic.
However, according to The Guardian, a foreign ministry statement on Monday added another reason. It argued that US sanctions imposed because of the invasion of Ukraine stopped Russian inspectors travelling to the US.
- Louis Allwood
Kremlin claims West should pressure Ukraine to stop shelling power plant
The Kremlin said on Monday that Western countries with influence over Ukraine should push Kyiv to stop shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Both Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for strikes on Europe’s largest nuclear power station, which is controlled by Russian forces.
- Louis Allwood
Russia threatens to unleash NUKES on Britain & US after battle with Ukraine
RUSSIAN state TV has warned escalating conflict at Europe's biggest atomic plant could lead to Armageddon with threats to unleash nuclear missiles on London and Washington.
Ukraine has accused occupying forces of deliberately shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station and a "suicidal" plan to blow it up with mines.
Russia has also launched artillery and missile strikes from the plant, using it as a "nuclear shield" because they know Ukrainians can't shoot back without risking a Chernobyl-style disaster.
The UN's atomic watchdog warned the plant – with six reactors – is "out of control" and said Russia had "violated every safety principle" since seizing it in March.
There are fears Vladimir Putin will use a disaster at the site as a pretext to deepen the conflict.
Russia denies the charges and claims it is Ukraine risking nuclear catastrophe by shelling the plant.
- Louis Allwood
Russia successfully launches Iranian satellite
A Russian rocket on Tuesday successfully launched an Iranian satellite into orbit.
The Soyuz rocket lifted off as scheduled at 8:52 a.m. Moscow time (0552 GMT) Tuesday from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan.
About nine minutes after the launch, it placed the Iranian satellite called Khayyam into orbit. It’s named after Omar Khayyam, a Persian scientist who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries.
Iran has said the satellite fitted with high-resolution camera will be used for environmental monitoring and will remain fully under its control.
Tehran said no other country will have access to information it gathers and it would be used for civilian purposes only, but there have been allegations that Russia may use it for surveillance of Ukraine amid its military action there.
If it operates successfully, the satellite would give Iran the ability to monitor its archenemy Israel and other countries in the Middle East.
Yuri Borisov, head of Russia’s state space corporation Roscosmos, hailed the launch as an important landmark” in cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.
- Louis Allwood
What caused the explosions at the Crimean military base?
Ukrainian social networks were abuzz with speculation that it was hit by the country's long-range missiles.
One of Kyiv's military officials told the New York Times that the nation's armed forces had launched the attack.
A team of saboteurs was suspected to have targeted Russian warplanes based at the airfield – 200 miles from frontline positions.
But Russia's state news agency Tass quoted an unidentified defence ministry source as saying the explosions were caused by a violation of fire safety rules and no warplanes were damaged.
- Louis Allwood
Nuclear emergency
VLADIMIR Putin's troops could cause a major nuclear emergency if Europe's largest nuclear power station is hit by Russia, officials say.
The head of Ukraine's state nuclear power company Energoatom has said the despot's advances could result in a "catastrophic" disaster similar to Chernobyl.
Petro Kotin called on Monday for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to be made a military-free zone, warning of the risk of a Chernobyl-style nuclear disaster after the site was hit by shelling.
He called for a team of peacekeepers to be deployed at the sitein comments on television after Ukraine and Russia accused each of shelling the nuclear power plant.
Mr Kotin said on television: “The decision that we demand from the world community and all our partners… is to withdraw the invaders from the territory of the station and create a demilitarized zone on the territory of the station.”
“If one container of spent nuclear fuel is broken, it will be a local accident in the plant and the surrounding area,” the top nuclear official said.
He added: “If there are two or three containers, it will be much larger. It is impossible to assess the scale of this catastrophe.”
- Louis Allwood
Mushroom cloud erupts at Russian base after ‘first Ukrainian missile strike’
A mushroom cloud has erupted at a Russian base after Ukraine allegedly fired its first missile strike on Crimea, sending tourists fleeing from a beach.
Videos showed a huge plume of smoke rising from Novofedorivka base on the annexed peninsula, which has until now avoided major assaults.
smoke were seen on the clip.
One local said: "It slammed so loudly that we were deafened."
Another said: "Something is burning in Novofedorivka. There are some explosions as it burns."
Oleg Kryuchkov said: "So far I can only confirm the fact of several explosions in the Novofedorivka area.
- Louis Allwood
Kyiv calls for 'ban' on Russians
Ukraine's president called on the West to impose a blanket travel ban on Russians, an idea that has found support among some EU member states but angered Moscow which pressed on with a fierce military offensive in eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky's idea looked likely to divide the European Union, where differences on how to deal with Moscow have long persisted between some of its eastern and western members.
Ukraine halted flows of Russian oil to some eastern European countries due to a sanctions-related payment issue.
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Pink Floyd's Roger Waters thinks Joe Biden is a war criminal
The band's co-founder blames Biden and Zelensky for the war.
Roger Waters co-founded Pink Floyd in 1965 but the 78-year-old is most famed now for his outspoken views about the Russia and Ukraine war.
Waters blames Biden for fuelling the fire and suggests Zelensky cooperates and attempts to negotiate.
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Ukraine arrest undercover security agents
Ukraine's domestic security service arrested two people allegedly working for Russian intelligence.
The people reportedly planned to kill Ukraine's defence minister and head of its military intelligence agency.
This news shared by The Guardian could not be independently verified by Reuters.
There was no immediate reaction to Ukraine’s statement from Moscow or Russian state-run media.
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Blasts have been heard in Russian-annexed Crimea
The sounds are reportedly coming from a military base.
Crimea is a Ukrainian peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014.
According to Oleg Kruchkov, an adviser to the Moscow-installed regional head, the blasts were reportedly in the western village of Novofedorivka.
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
UK cities bidding to host Eurovision 2023
In light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UK will host Eurovision 2023.
Newcastle has become the latest city to announce their bid to host next year's Eurovision Song Contest as they promise to "do Ukraine proud."
Other cities to have thrown their hat in the ring include, London, Leeds, Liverpool and Glasgow.
Rules around the city that hosts the event include having a venue that can hold at least 10,000 people, and access to an international airport.
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Ukrainian refugees in UK face homelessness
Homes for Ukraine was set up to help refugees from Ukraine to find housing.
iNews has revealed that some of these refugees will likely end up homeless after six months.
The concern is that if the refugees haven't become self-sufficient in those six months, councils could struggle to find alternative accommodation and some may end up homeless
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Do people still care about Ukrainian refugees?
At the beginning of the Russian invasion, humanitarianism outpoured from a number of countries.
In the UK, people appear to continue to offer their homes to Ukrainian refugees – an attitude notably different to refugees from other countries.
However, the same can't be said for other countries, for example Germany.
Though an impressive almost 1 million Ukrainians are registered as refugees in Germany, a Ukrainian spokesperson said bureaucracy is making things difficult now.
"Certain districts, such as Mettmann or the district of Potsdam, have now also issued a freeze on admissions.
"This means that even if private accommodation could be arranged, the refugees cannot take it and have to return to their overcrowded communal shelters in order to be entitled to state support"
- Ije Teunissen-Oligboh
Ukraine claim advance and hold in Donbas
Ukraine says it's capture ground around Kharkiv.
The conflict continues, but Ukraine has claimed it has capture ground in the northeast, Kharkiv, and is resisting a heavy Russian assault near Donetsk.
According to Euro News, Ukrainian officials said Russians were launching waves of attacks in an attempt to seize control of Donbas.
Donetsk regional governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko said: "The situation in the region is tense – shelling is constant throughout the front line.
"The enemy is also using air strikes a great deal."
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