russia

Russia Can Sustain Ukraine War In 2026, IISS Report Warns

February 25, 2026 3:37 am

Russia spent a record $186 billion on defence in 2025, amounting to 7.3 per cent of gross domestic product, and retains sufficient military and economic capacity to sustain its invasion of Ukraine for a fifth year despite mounting manpower pressures and a slowdown in the pace of spending growth, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ annual Military Balance report, published in London on Tuesday on the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion.

There is “little indication” that Russia’s ability to fight its war against Ukraine for a fifth year has diminished, and the country’s threat to Europe is …

Russia Experiences Pressure Four Years Into War In Ukraine

February 23, 2026 4:33 am

In the provincial town of Yelets, several hours south of Moscow by car, life continues in the shadow of Russia’s war in Ukraine, which is now in its fifth year and is increasingly a part of the country’s fabric.

On the banks of the Bystraya Sosna River, now frozen over, onion-domed Orthodox churches pierce the sky above the winter streets, while ice fishermen stand on the surface of the river below.

But standing alongside these is a military recruitment billboard that promises a large signing bonus to anyone who wants to volunteer to fight. The reward is a sum …

Kenya Exposes Network Funnelling Citizens To Russia’s War

February 19, 2026 11:11 am

More than 1,000 Kenyan citizens have been recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine, far exceeding previous government estimates, according to a classified intelligence report presented to Kenya’s National Assembly, a disclosure that has prompted parliamentary demands for prosecutions, a furious denial from Moscow, and confirmation that state officials at the highest levels of Kenya’s border and immigration machinery are implicated in the scheme.

The report, compiled jointly by Kenya’s National Intelligence Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, was read into the public record by parliamentary majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah. It described a structured and coordinated operation involving unlicensed …

Starlink Access Restricted For Russian Forces, Aiding Ukraine

February 19, 2026 7:59 am

Ukraine’s military is reporting initial operational gains on various sectors of the front following SpaceX’s restriction of Russian access to the Starlink satellite internet network, which has been described by Ukrainian officials as having derailed Russian battlefield communications, although the long-term military impact remains unclear.

The move came after a call from Ukraine’s digital transformation minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who asked the U.S.-based company founded by Elon Musk to restrict the unauthorized use of Starlink terminals by Russian forces.

Starting from Feb. 1, SpaceX blocked access in Ukraine unless the terminals were authorized via a government-controlled authorization process, according to Ukrainian …

Citizens Jailed in Russia Over Attempted Export Firearm Parts

U.S Citizens Jailed In Russia Over Attempted Export Arm Parts

February 17, 2026 5:36 am

A Russian court has sentenced a United States citizen to four years in prison after finding him guilty of illegally attempting to export firearm components through a Moscow airport, according to Russian state media reports.

The conviction, reported by the RIA state news agency, stems from an incident at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport in which the American national was accused of trying to take parts associated with Kalashnikov rifles out of the country without declaring them to customs authorities.

The case adds to a growing number of legal disputes involving foreign nationals in Russia at a time of strained relations between …

Russia Warns Europe Against Seizing Its Ships

February 17, 2026 5:03 am

Russia signalled it could expand naval deployments to safeguard its commercial shipping and warned of potential countermeasures against European vessels if Russian ships are detained abroad, according to comments published on Tuesday by senior Kremlin aide Nikolai Patrushev.

Patrushev, a longtime ally of President Vladimir Putin and chairman of Russia’s Maritime Board, said Moscow was prepared to rely more heavily on naval forces to ensure freedom of navigation amid mounting tensions with Western countries over maritime sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine.

Western governments have imposed sweeping economic restrictions on Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of …

Hungary’s Russia Ties Stir European Tensions

February 16, 2026 3:55 pm

Hungary has continued importing large volumes of discounted Russian crude oil despite having access to alternative supply routes, with financial benefits largely accruing to its dominant energy company rather than consumers.

The report, published by the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), argues that fuel price data across Central Europe shows Hungarian motorists have not enjoyed lower prices even though the country purchases cheaper Russian supplies.

Researchers said the pricing gap raises questions about the economic rationale cited by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for resisting broader European efforts to phase out Russian fossil fuels following Moscow’s 2022 invasion of …

Russia Claims Ukraine Ordered Attack On Spy General

February 9, 2026 4:21 am

Two men accused of shooting a senior Russian military intelligence officer have confessed to carrying out orders from Ukraine’s security services, Russia’s Federal Security Service said Monday, though the claims could not be independently verified and Ukraine has denied any involvement.

Lyubomir Korba and Viktor Vasin told interrogators they targeted Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev on behalf of Ukraine’s Security Service, known as the SBU, according to an FSB statement. Both men confessed to participating in Friday’s attack, Russian authorities said.

Ukraine rejected the allegations. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told Reuters that Kyiv had no connection to the shooting, which occurred …

Moscow General Shooting: Russia Accuses Ukraine

February 6, 2026 6:39 am

Russia’s foreign minister on Friday accused Ukraine of orchestrating an assassination attempt on a senior Russian military officer in Moscow, calling the attack an effort to derail ongoing peace discussions.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the allegation hours after Russian investigators confirmed that Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev was shot and seriously wounded in the capital. The officer was rushed to a hospital, where he remained under medical care, authorities said.

Lavrov said the attack appeared aimed at undermining diplomatic efforts to ease the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He claimed that the timing of the incident suggested a deliberate attempt …

BREAKING: New START Treaty Expiry Sparks Nuclear Fears

February 3, 2026 2:48 am

Russia said on Tuesday it is prepared for a world without nuclear arms control limits as the New START treaty with the United States is set to expire this week, raising fresh concerns about strategic stability amid wider global tensions.

Unless Moscow and Washington reach a last-minute bilateral understanding, the landmark treaty—signed in 2010—will lapse on February 5, ending decades of formal restrictions on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals.

Speaking in Beijing, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow had received no response to proposals aimed at extending or preserving elements of the agreement. “The lack of an …

UK Expels Russian Diplomat After Moscow Removes Brit

February 2, 2026 11:38 am

Britain has expelled a Russian diplomat in response to Moscow’s decision last month to remove a British envoy, escalating a diplomatic dispute against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

The Foreign Office said on Monday that it summoned Russia’s ambassador to London to formally notify Moscow of the move, describing it as a direct and proportional response to Russia’s earlier action.

In a statement, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the expulsion followed Russia’s decision to accuse a British diplomat of espionage, an allegation the UK rejected outright.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said the accusations made by Moscow …

Russian Drone Attack On Odesa Kills 3, Energy Sites Hit

January 27, 2026 10:45 am

Russian forces launched a large overnight drone attack on the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, killing three people and injuring at least 25 others, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday, as Moscow escalates pressure on Kyiv amid renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war.

The strikes, which tore through residential areas and critical infrastructure, were part of Russia’s ongoing winter campaign targeting Ukraine’s energy network, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia fired more than 50 drones at Odesa alone, describing the assault as particularly destructive as Ukrainian and Russian negotiators prepare for talks scheduled for Sunday.

“Every …