IT HAS BEEN claimed that Russia's President Vladimir Putin has escaped four assassination attempts in the past – with another one most recently.
Ukraine's Chief of Defence Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov has said there was an "unsuccessful attempt" against the Russian President's life at the start of the war.
He told Ukrainian Pravda: "Putin was assassinated…
"He was even attacked in the line of, as they say, representatives of the Caucasus not so long ago.
"This is non-public information. Absolutely unsuccessful attempt, but it really took place… It was about 2 months ago."
"Once again, he was unsuccessful. There is no publicity about this event, but it took place. "
However, it was not left clear who was behind the alleged attack or where it took place.
The Russian President is said to have become obsessed with the idea someone is out to get him, which makes him seek protection in his isolated bunker.
Putin's army of minions hired to protect him are the only ones allowed close enough, as he obsesses over assassination plots.
The distrustful despot even employs a team of people to taste his food before he eats it, convinced he could be poisoned.
Read our Ukraine war blog below for the latest rolling news and updates…
- Milica Cosic
Putin will be ‘gone’ by end of this year, claims former head of MI6
A former MI6 chief has predicted that Vladimir Putin could be out of power and in a long-term medical facility by next year.
Speaking on the One Decision Podcast, Sir Richard Dearlove, who led the British Secret Intelligence service between 1999 and 2004, predicted: “I’m really going to stick my neck out. I think he’ll be gone by 2023.
“Probably into the sanatorium, from which he will not emerge as the leader of Russia.”
“That’s a way to sort of move things on without a coup,” he suggested, adding that the secretary of the security council, Nikolai Patrushev might assume control upon Mr Putin’s departure.
“If my thesis were fulfilled and Putin did disappear into a sanatorium, I think he’s the likely stand-in,” he said. “And of course the stand-in this scenario probably becomes permanent. I mean, you know there is no succession in the Russian leadership. They certainly don’t succession plan.”
- Milica Cosic
UK and Lithuania boost defence collaboration amid fears of Russian aggression
Britain and Lithuania signed a joint declaration today to boost defence and security collaboration, stepping up London's support of nations that fear Russian President Vladimir Putin will not stop at Ukraine in trying to redraw Europe's borders.
Britain said the declaration would build on the defence cooperation the countries share as Nato allies and would increase resistance to threats, including from Russia and China. It gave no further details.
"The UK and Lithuania are two countries which believe in freedom and sovereignty, and who stand up to authoritarian regimes in Europe and across the world," British foreign minister Liz Truss said in a statement.
"We stand together with Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal, barbaric war."
- Milica Cosic
Zelensky hits out at west’s failure to protect Ukraine after Crimea annexation
Volodymyr Zelensky has told world leaders that the west could have prevented Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine by taking tougher actions against the Kremlin following its annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Speaking at the annual World Economic Forum at Davos, the Ukrainian president said many lives would have been saved if the west had imposed sanctions against Russia last autumn.
Zelensky said: “Russia started its war against Ukraine back in 2014. We are grateful for this support [from the west] but if that happened, back then, immediately — that unity, that pressure on governments and on companies — would Russia have started this full-scale war?
“Would it have brought all these losses upon Ukraine and upon the world? I’m sure the answer to this question is also no.”
- Milica Cosic
Starbucks to exit Russia after nearly 15 years
Starbucks Corp said on Monday it will exit the Russian market after nearly 15 years as the coffee chain joins McDonald's Corp in marking the end of the presence of some of the top Western brands in the country.
McDonald's last week said it was selling its restaurants in Russia to its local licensee Alexander Govor to be rebranded under a new name, but will retain its trademarks.
Seattle-based Starbucks has 130 stores in Russia, wholly owned and operated by its licensee Alshaya Group, with nearly 2,000 employees in the country.
Starbucks did not provide details on the financial impact of the exit. McDonald's had said it would take a primarily non-cash charge of up to $1.4 billion.
- Milica Cosic
Russia to deploy nearly 50 Satan-2 nukes
A PUTIN ally has bragged about how Russia is set to deploy almost 50 of its "unstoppable" Satan-2 nuke.
Dmitry Rogozin's boast came as as he showed off a huge crater made in a test launch of the missile in a chilling warning to the West.
Standing at the colossal height of a 14-storey tower block, the 208 ton RS-28 Sarmat missile is capable of striking targets at almost 16,000mph.
The world-ending nuke can also carry 15 warheads and has the potential to obliterate an area the size of the UK in a single blast.
In the latest in a series of attempted scaremongering by Russia, Putin crony Rogozin – head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos – highlighted a 26ft deep hole made using the nuke without an atomic warhead at a training range in Kamchatka.
He said: "With a nuclear charge, such a crater at an enemy site will be well, very large and very deep – and radioactive.
“And not just one, but exactly as many as the most powerful nuclear missile in the world will deliver to the territory of a fierce enemy.
“And we will soon have almost 50 such Sarmats [known in the West as Satan-2] on combat duty.
“It remains only to advise the aggressors to talk more politely with Russia.”
Rogozin announced almost 50 will be deployed by autumn.
The intercontinental ballistic missile has a range of 11,200 miles and can strike at targets at 15,880mph after flying in outer space or via the north or south poles.
Putin crony Dmitry Rogozin showed off a crater caused by the Satan 2 nuke in a bid to scare the WestCredit: East2West The terrifying nuke can strike targets at almost 16,000mphCredit: East2West - Milica Cosic
Putin's protection
It has been claimed that the Russian leader has escaped four assassination attempts in the past making him resort to having his own sniper squad tasked with keeping him alive.
Putin was said to travel everywhere with the elite shoot-to-kill sniper unit.
The crack-shot snipers have one very important job which is to locate other shooters and "take them out" before they get the chance to pull the trigger on Putin.
The Russian President is said to have become obsessed with the idea someone is out to get him, which makes him seek protection in his isolated bunker.
Putin's army of minions hired to protect him are the only ones allowed close enough, as he obsesses over assassination plots.
The distrustful despot even employs a team of people to taste his food before he eats it, convinced he could be poisoned.
- Milica Cosic
Claims Vladimir Putin survived an assassination attempt
VLADIMIR Putin has survived an assassination attempt after he was attacked during a trip, Ukraine has claimed.
The country's Chief of Defence Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov said there was an "unsuccessful attempt" against the Russian President's life at the start of the war against Ukraine.
He told Ukrainian Pravda: "Putin was assassinated…
"He was even attacked in the line of, as they say, representatives of the Caucasus not so long ago.
"This is non-public information. Absolutely unsuccessful attempt, but it really took place… It was about 2 months ago."
"Once again, he was unsuccessful. There is no publicity about this event, but it took place. "
It was not left clear who was behind the alleged attack or where it took place.
The outlet said the full interview will be aired tomorrow.
- Milica Cosic
Zelenskyy urges 'maximum' sanctions on Russia in Davos talk
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for maximum sanctions against Russia during a virtual speech today to corporate executives, government officials and other elites on the first day of the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos.
He said sanctions need to go further to stop Russias aggression, including an oil embargo, blocking all of its banks and cutting off trade with Russia completely. He said that it's a precedent that would work for decades to come.
"This is what sanctions should be: They should be maximum, so that Russia and every other potential aggressor that wants to wage a brutal war against its neighbor would clearly know the immediate consequences of their actions," Zelenskyy said through a translator.
He also pushed for the complete withdrawal of foreign companies from Russia to prevent supporting its war and said Ukraine needs at least $5 billion in funding per month.
"The amount of work is enormous: we have more than half a trillion of dollars in losses, tens of thousands of facilities were destroyed. We need to rebuild entire cities and industries," Zelenskyy added, coming days after the Group of Seven leading economies agreed to provide $19.8 billion in economic aid.
- Milica Cosic
Afternoon, Milica Cosic on today. I'll be on until 10pm tonight bringing you the latest news and updates.
- Joseph Gamp
Ukraine jails Russian soldier for life at war crimes trial
A Kyiv court on Monday found a 21-year-old Russian soldier who killed a civilian guilty of war crimes and handed him a life sentence, in the first verdict against Moscow's forces since their invasion.
"The court has found that (Vadim) Shishimarin is guilty and sentences him to life imprisonment," judge Sergiy Agafonov said.
The Russian sergeant admitted in court to killing 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov during the first days of the Kremlin's offensive in north-east Ukraine.
He was also found guilty of premeditated murder. "The murder was committed with direct intent," judge Agafonov said.
"Shishimarin violated the laws and customs of war."
The soldier told the court last week that he shot Shelipov under pressure from another soldier as they tried to retreat back to Russia in a stolen car on February 28th, the fourth day of Moscow's invasion.
Shishimarin apologised and asked Shelipov's widow for forgiveness.
The landmark ruling is expected to be followed by others, with Ukraine opening thousands of war crimes cases since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent in his troops.
- Joseph Gamp
Zelensky tells Davos to send Ukraine weapons and apply more sanctions on Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used the Davos summit on Monday to appeal for more weapons for his country and “maximum” sanctions against Moscow.
“I believe there are still no such sanctions against Russia, and there should be,” Zelensky said by videolink.
The hero leader called for an oil embargo on Russia, sanctions on all its banks and an end to all trade with the country.
- Joseph Gamp
Russia says it will resume talks when Ukraine is ‘constructive’
Russia will be ready to return to negotiations with Ukraine “as soon as Kyiv shows a constructive position”, RIA cited Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko as saying.
Speaking on the subject of Russia exchanging prisoners from the Azovstal steelworks, RIA reported that Rudenko did not rule out that discussions are taking place.
- Joseph Gamp
Kremlin its says concerned by Ukraine’s war crimes trial against Russian soldier
The Kremlin on Monday said it was concerned by the trial of a Russian serviceman in Kyiv charged with war crimes, adding that it could not defend his interests in person.
Vadim Shishimarin, a 21-year-old Russian tank commander, has plead guilty to killing an elderly unarmed civilian in the northeast Ukrainian village of Chupakhivka on Feb. 28. The case is the first war crimes trial against a Russian soldier who took part in Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion.
“Of course we are concerned about the fate of our citizen, but, I repeat, we do not have the capacity to protect his interests in person,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters
- Joseph Gamp
Poland rips up Yamal gas pipeline agreement with Russia
Poland has decided to terminate an intergovernmental agreement with Russia regarding the Yamal gas pipeline, Polish Climate Minister Anna Moskwa said on Twitter on Monday.
“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has confirmed the accuracy of the Polish government’s determination to become completely independent from Russian gas.
“We always knew that Gazprom was not a reliable partner,” Moskwa said.
- Joseph Gamp
Russia-backed mayor of Ukraine nuclear plant town wounded by explosion
The Russian-appointed head of the occupied Ukrainian town next to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant was injured in an explosion on Sunday, a Ukrainian official and a Russian news agency said.
Andrei Shevchuk, who was appointed mayor of Enerhodar following the Russian army’s occupation of the town, was in intensive care following the attack, Russia’s RIA news agency reported, citing a source in the emergency services.
“We have accurate confirmation that during the explosion the self-proclaimed head of the ‘people’s administration’ Shevchuk and his bodyguards were injured,” Dmytro Orlov, who Ukraine recognises as mayor of the town said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
Enerhodar is a town with a pre-war population of over 50,000. Many residents work at the two power plants located next to the town, one of which is the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear power station in Europe. Ukraine has previously complained that Russia’s occupation of the plant raises the risk of a nuclear disaster.
- Joseph Gamp
Ukraine claims Putin 'survived assassination attempt'
VLADIMIR Putin has survived an assassination attempt after he was attacked during a trip, Ukraine has claimed.
The country's Chief of Defence Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov, said there was an "unsuccessful attempt" against the Russian President's life at the start of the war against Ukraine.
He told Ukrainian Pravda: "Putin was assassinated…
"He was even attacked in the line of, as they say, representatives of the Caucasus not so long ago.
"This is non-public information. Absolutely unsuccessful attempt, but it really took place… It was about 2 months ago."
"Once again, he was unsuccessful. There is no publicity about this event, but it took place. "
The outlet said the full interview will be aired tomorrow.
Read more here.
- Joseph Gamp
Russia presses Donbas as Ukraine takes centre stage at Davos
Russian forces pursued their bombardment of frontline Ukrainian cities on Sunday, seeking to gain military momentum as Kyiv’s diplomatic counter-offensive targeted the world’s business and political elite gathering in Davos.
Shelling and missile strikes hit Kharkiv in the north, and Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia in the south, while eight civilians were killed on the eastern front in the Donbas, Ukrainian officials said.
Three months after launching their invasion, Moscow’s forces are focused on securing and expanding their gains in the Donbas region and on Ukraine’s southern coast.
Ukraine’s parliament voted on Sunday to extend martial law for a further three months through to August 23.
Kyiv, meanwhile, is rallying international support and receiving Western weapons supplies, even if EU powers are struggling to agree on expanding sanctions to Russia’s huge energy exports.
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda was to address the Ukrainian parliament and meet President Volodymyr Zelensky later Sunday, a day ahead of the Ukrainian leader’s Davos videoconference.
“He will in particular pay homage to those who, in defending Ukraine, are fighting to defend Europe,” Duda’s adviser Jakub Kumoch told the news agency PAP.
- Joseph Gamp
Russia’s ‘unstoppable’ Satan-2 nuke
Just days ago, Russian state TV said Britain could be bombed “back to the stone age” in ten minutes using Putin‘s “unstoppable” 7,000mph hypersonic nuke missiles.
A Kremlin mouthpiece threatened to use Moscow’s new Zirzon weapon system to plunge the country into permanent darkness by wiping out 50 or 60 power stations.
Politician Aleksey Zhuravlyov and another TV propagandist Dmitry Kiselyov have previously suggested striking Britain with Satan-2.
Zhuravlyov threatened to nuke Britain with its Satan-2 hypersonic missile in 200 seconds and obliterate Finland in just ten.
Rogozin has also warned that NATO countries can be destroyed within half an hour in a nuclear attack.
Meanwhile, Russian state TV also threatened to wipe “boorish Britain” off the map for supporting Ukraine.
And Putin has warned he will use nuclear weapons against the West if anyone interferes in Ukraine.
- Joseph Gamp
Zelenskyy promises to grant Polish citizens right to live in Ukraine
Polish citizens in Ukraine will be granted the same rights that Ukrainian refugees in Poland are currently receiving.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the new laws on Sunday during a visit to Kyiv by Polish leader Andrzej Duda.
Poland has granted the right to live and work and claim social security payments to over 3 million Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier on Sunday, a Ukrainian ruling party lawmaker said that Zelenskyy had announced the imminent tabling of a parliamentary bill to give Polish citizens “special legal status” in Ukraine
- Joseph Gamp
EU membership for Ukraine will take ’15 or 20 years’, says French minister
A bid by Ukraine to join the European Union could not be finalised for “15 or 20 years,” France’s Europe minister said Sunday.
The minister poured cold water on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hopes for quick entry to the bloc in the wake of Russia’s invasion.
Clement Beaune told Radio J: “We have to be honest. If you say Ukraine is going to join the EU in six months, or a year or two, you’re lying.”
“It’s probably in 15 or 20 years, it takes a long time,” he added.
- Joseph Gamp
Everything YOU need to know about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Here are the key questions answered regarding Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.
- Why is Russia invading Ukraine?
- Will the UK go to war?
- How can I join the Ukraine foreign legion?
- What can I do to help Ukraine?
- Who is Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky?
- How much gas does the UK get from Russia?
- Is Russia a part of Nato?
- Does Russia have nuclear weapons?
- Why is Ukraine not in Nato?
- How big is the Russian army?
- What is Article 5 of the Nato treaty?
- What is the Minsk agreement?
- Which countries were in the Soviet Union?
- What does the Z mean on Russian tanks? Meaning behind symbols explained
- When will the Russia-Ukraine war end?
- Joseph Gamp
Russia employs over 50 Syrian bomb specialists to help with Ukraine invasion
According to reports, Scientists with connections to the Syrian military’s infamous barrel bombs have joined forces with Russia.
The specialists have likely been tapped in order to aid in Russia’s brutal bombing campaign of Ukraine.
This violence comes as President Zelensky called on Russia for “diplomacy” in order to end the war.
- Joseph Gamp
Putin followed by ‘team of doctors’ at all times, says ex-MI6 agent
Following reports of the tyrants rapidly deteriorating health, an ex-MI6 agent has revealed that he is being tailed at all times by a “team of doctors”.
As the war in Ukraine intensifies, Putin has become visibly weaker, missing a number of key engagements.
Christopher Steele, an ex-spy, added that even when healthy, Putin provides “no clear political leadership.”
- Joseph Gamp
Help those fleeing conflict with The Sun’s Ukraine Fund
PICTURES of women and children fleeing the horror of Ukraine’s devastated towns and cities have moved Sun readers to tears.
Many of you want to help the five million caught in the chaos — and now you can, by donating to The Sun’s Ukraine Fund.
Give as little as £3 or as much as you can afford and every penny will be donated to the Red Cross on the ground helping women, children, the old, the infirm and the wounded.
Donate here to help The Sun’s fund
Or text to 70141 from UK mobiles
£3 — text SUN£3
£5 — text SUN£5
£10 — text SUN£10 - Joseph Gamp
Heroic Zelensky meets with Portuguese Prime Minister
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, left, can be seen greeting Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa as the country seeks aid in its efforts against Russia.
The now-iconic leader has called on Russia to engage in peace talks, claiming only “diplomacy” can end the conflict.
Today, Polish President Andrzej Duda will speak in Kyiv, becoming the first world leader to do so since Russia’s invasion.
Source: Read Full Article
