November 12, 2026

Russia Watch

Protests Grow in Ukraine over Zelensky’s Military Firings

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has chosen Major General Ihor Skybyuk to become the new chief of the General Staff of the Armed Force. The move follows numerous shake-ups in military leadership that are leading to street protests from Ukrainians.

Zelensky said of the appointment, “We determined the order of further steps. Today, decisions regarding the replacement of the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be formalized — the relevant decrees are being prepared. Together with Mykhailo Drapatyi and Yevhenii Khmara, we determined that the new chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be Major General Ihor Skybyuk — a very experienced military officer, with whom the new commander-in-chief defended Ukraine side by side.”

Zelensky names new armed forces chief in sweeping Ukraine military shake-up, following days of street protests– rmx.news
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EXCERPT:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Major General Ihor Skybyuk as chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces as part of a major overhaul of the country’s military leadership.

The decision follows the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi.

“We determined the order of further steps,” Zelensky said after the announcement. “Today, decisions regarding the replacement of the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be formalized — the relevant decrees are being prepared.”

“Together with Mykhailo Drapatyi and Yevhenii Khmara, we determined that the new chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be Major General Ihor Skybyuk — a very experienced military officer, with whom the new commander-in-chief defended Ukraine side by side.”

Zelensky said the new command structure must ensure that every part of the military continues to operate as a unified force. “It is important that all components of our army continue to function absolutely cohesively,” he said.

The president added that decisions had also been made on how Syrskyi would continue serving Ukraine’s defense, although he did not disclose his future position.

Zelensky said discussions with the new leadership covered the development of Ukraine’s cyber forces, troop training, military mobilization, strengthening frontline units, and expanding the corps system.

“The priority for the real ability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to carry out defense tasks is a practical, effective mobilization process,” he said.

Russian AI-assisted Geran UAV swarms manage to overload Ukrainian air defenses by 400% – Military & Defense– tass.com

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

Russian AI-assisted Geran UAV swarms manage to overload Ukrainian air defenses by 400% – Military & Defense– tass.com
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MOSCOW, July 22. /TASS/. Swarms of Russian-made Geran attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) outfitted with artificial Intelligence algorithms managed to ‘overload’ Ukrainian air defenses by 400%, according to an article published in the Russian Defense Ministry’s magazine Military Thought and obtained by TASS.

“Geran-2 autonomous swarm groups with AI algorithms for role distribution (reconnaissance, decoy targets, strike). In February 2026, cases were registered when a swarm of 20-30 UAVs overloaded Ukrainian air defenses by 300-400%,” says the article titled: ‘Ways of Increasing the Effectiveness of Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Through the Use of Artificial Intelligence.’

Today the technical implementation of artificial intelligence technologies in UAV control systems “has reached a level allowing for their mass use, which boosts the effectiveness of operations by 40-60% while considerably reducing losses among personnel,” the authors of the article say.

Further development is linked with swarm technologies – “the highest form of implementing AI in UAVs,” they say.

German Nuclear Fuel Plant Cleared to Work With Russia’s Rosatom– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

German Nuclear Fuel Plant Cleared to Work With Russia’s Rosatom– www.themoscowtimes.com
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Germany on Wednesday approved an application by French firm Framatome to produce nuclear fuel rods under a licensing agreement with state-backed Russian firms despite political concerns, arguing it lacked the legal basis for a rejection.

A Framatome subsidiary had applied to produce at its plant in northern Germany fuel elements to supply nuclear plants in the eastern European market using Russian licenses and technology in a joint venture with Russian firms TVEL/Rosatom.

Despite political concerns due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the environment ministry in the state of Lower Saxony with guidance from the federal environment ministry granted the necessary approval subject to certain conditions.

A spokesperson for the federal ministry said that while the government in Berlin has a critical view of the cooperation with a Russian state-owned company, the decision was made in accordance with the relevant nuclear laws of Germany.

“The appropriate instrument to address this, however, is not nuclear law, but rather EU-wide sanctions, including those in the nuclear sector,” the ministry said in a statement.

#Ukraine’s controversial top general replaced amid mass #protests– www.france24.com

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

#Ukraine’s controversial top general replaced amid mass #protests– www.france24.com
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Trump Pledges U.S. Might in Defense of NATO’s Eastern Flank Should Russia Attack

pgnewser September 22, 2025 0

Trump gave Putin what he wanted with Alaska summit, Zelensky says

Trump says US would defend NATO’s eastern flank if Russia escalates – RBC-Ukraine
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The US will help defend Poland if Russia keeps escalating, Trump told the media.

Journalists asked Trump whether the US would defend Poland and the Baltic states — Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia — if Russian leader Vladimir Putin continues to escalate.

“Yeah, I would. I would,” Trump said.

Commenting on a recent incident in which Russian fighter jets violated Estonia’s airspace, Trump reiterated, “We don’t like it.”

Almost Surrounded By Russian Forces, Residents Of Kostyantynivka Hold Out– www.rferl.org

pgnewser September 22, 2025 0

Almost Surrounded By Russian Forces, Residents Of Kostyantynivka Hold Out– www.rferl.org
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Russian forces are trying to advance on Kostyantynivka from several directions, probing for weak spots in Ukrainian defenses. The Kremlin wants to cut off Ukrainian forces’ access to supply routes, which make this city a prime target. Despite constant shelling and disruptions to the water and electricity supply, some locals are hanging on — but are clearly rattled.

Trump says Putin has “really let me down,” as he wraps up historic second state visit to U.K.– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser September 22, 2025 0

Trump says Putin has “really let me down,” as he wraps up historic second state visit to U.K.– www.cbsnews.com
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U.S. companies will be investing 150 billion pounds, the equivalent of over $200 billion, in the U.K. as part of a landmark package announced this week.

“I promised that my government would deliver jobs, growth and opportunity for working people. Today we have secured a historic £150bn of investment commitments from US companies into the UK. Creating 7,600 high quality jobs and driving growth across the country,” Starmer said in a social media post Thursday morning before he welcomed President Trump to his country house, Chequers.

The deal includes the equivalent of over $136 billion in investment in the U.K. from Blackstone over the next decade, according to the British government. It also includes investments from Prologis, Palantir, Amentum, Boeing and STAX.

Zelensky Wants No-Fly Zones and Air Defense System from Europe, NATO

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Volodymyr Zelensky played Ukraine's president on TV. Now it's a ...

Zelenskyy calls for European air defense system as Russian strikes wreak havoc in Zaporizhzhia– www.euronews.com
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday called for a joint protection of our European skies with a multilayered air defence system after Russian forces bombarded the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia with rockets overnight, killing at least one person.

The attack also left dozens injured, including four children, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday as he urged European leaders to make the continent safe by building an ambitious air defence umbrella.

With the war grinding on since Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour more than 3½ years ago, there has been no let-up in Russian strikes on civilian areas of Ukraine and its army’s push on the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line.

A settlement to end the war appears to be no closer despite months of U.S.-led peace efforts. U.S. President Donald Trump’s ultimatums and deadlines for Putin to engage with proposals to stop the fighting have passed without obvious consequences.

Just over the past two weeks, Zelenskyy said on Telegram, Russia has launched more than 3,500 drones, more than 2,500 powerful glide bombs, and almost 200 missiles at targets inside Ukraine.

Russian glide bombs, usually dropped by jets at high altitude and far behind the front line, and drone swarms are a major challenge for Ukrainian defences. Glide bombs aren’t very accurate, but they leave big craters, and Ukraine has no effective countermeasure against them.

Slovaks Rebel Against Russian, Chinese Influence, Government Incompetency

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Slovakia country profile - BBC News

Thousands rally across Slovakia against austerity measures and pro-Russian policies– japantoday.com
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The rallies took place in 16 major cities and towns, including the capital of Bratislava.

They latest wave of protests has been fueled by a trip by Fico to China where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin for the third time since the Russian all-out invasion of Ukraine. A package of austerity measures recently approved by the government further angered the protesters.

The government says the measures are necessary to cut a budget deficit that at 5.3% of GDP was the second highest last year among the countries using the common European currency, the euro. The deficit is expected to surpass 5% this year, exceeding the limit of 3% required by the European Union.

The measures include increases in health and social insurance, income tax for higher earners, and value added tax on some food products, as well as a possible reduction of national holidays.

Labor unions and other critics charged ordinary people will be hit most while businesses complain the measures do not include anything to boost the economy.

“The Slovaks are fed up with that,” Michal Šimečka, the head of the Progressive Slovakia party told the crowd at the Freedom Square in Bratislava.

Russia and Belarus Stage Simulated Nuclear Strike During Zapad-2025 War Games– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Putin Aide Drops WW3 Bombshell | 'NATO Nations Should Start ...

Russia and Belarus Stage Simulated Nuclear Strike During Zapad-2025 War Games– www.themoscowtimes.com
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Russia and Belarus staged a simulated nuclear strike during their joint Zapad-2025 military exercises, which are being observed this year by delegations from several NATO countries, including the United States.

The drills, which began Friday and end Tuesday, are aimed at testing Belarus and Russia’s ability to repel an enemy attack and retake lost territory, according to the Belarusian Defense Ministry. Zapad-2025 has put NATO countries on alert, particularly in Eastern Europe, where Poland and neighboring countries carried out their own exercises earlier this summer.

Top Belarusian general Pavel Muraveiko said the maneuvers included “planning and examining the potential use of non-strategic nuclear weapons and the evaluation and deployment of the Oreshnik mobile missile system.”

Russia first unveiled the Oreshnik, a hypersonic ballistic missile, during a strike on Ukraine last November in what many analysts described as political theater rather than a demonstration of a new superweapon. Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko latewr asked Moscow to station the missile system in his country, citing threats from NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Germany.

Putin responsible for murder? Navalny’s wife claims he was ‘poisoned’ in prison; demands laboratory report to be made public– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Putin responsible for murder? Navalny’s wife claims he was ‘poisoned’ in prison; demands laboratory report to be made public– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny‘s wife claimed that independent lab tests on biological samples secretly taken abroad indicate he was poisoned while incarcerated in an Arctic prison in February 2024. Navalny, who was President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic, died under mysterious circumstances died under mysterious circumstances while serving a 19-year sentence on charges widely seen as political retribution, AFP reported. In a video statement, Yulia Navalnaya said laboratories in two countries had concluded he was “killed, specifically poisoned,” but withheld details about the substance or the labs involved, urging them instead to release their findings independently.She said his allies “were able to obtain and securely transfer biological samples of Alexei abroad”.”Laboratories in two countries came to the conclusion that Alexei was killed. Specifically: poisoned,” she said in a video posted on social media.“I demand that the laboratories that conducted the analyses publish their results,” she said. “I assert that Vladimir Putin is responsible for the murder of my husband, Alexei Navalny,” she said in the video. “Stop appeasing Putin for some higher ‘considerations’.

Putin spokesman makes chilling WW3 comments as NATO ‘at war with Russia’– www.mirror.co.uk

pgnewser September 17, 2025 0

Putin spokesman makes chilling WW3 comments as NATO ‘at war with Russia’– www.mirror.co.uk
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NATO countries are “at war with Russia” over Ukraine, the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

“NATO is at war with Russia,” Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media on Monday. “This is obvious, and it does not require any additional evidence. NATO provides direct and indirect support to the Kyiv regime.” Peskov’s comments reiterated a familiar Kremlin narrative that Western backing of Ukraine amounts to active participation in the conflict.

Tensions soared last week between NATO’s Eastern European allies and Russia. A total of 19 Russian drones flew over Poland overnight on Wednesday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, adding that at least three were shot down by Polish and NATO aircraft.

“This situation brings us the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two,” Tusk warned. The incident marked the first time Russian drones were downed over NATO territory since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

In response to the incursion, Warsaw invoked NATO’s Article 4 on Thursday, which calls for discussions among allies over threats to territorial security. This is a step short of Article 5, which requires collective military defence from allies if a member state is attacked. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski described the drone attacks as a test of the alliance’s resolve by Russia.

Drone neutralised flying over government buildings in Warsaw, PM Donald Tusk says– www.euronews.com

Drone neutralised flying over government buildings in Warsaw, PM Donald Tusk says– www.euronews.com

pgnewser September 16, 2025 0

Drone neutralised flying over government buildings in Warsaw, PM Donald Tusk says– www.euronews.com

Drone neutralised flying over government buildings in Warsaw, PM Donald Tusk says– www.euronews.com
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Poland’s State Protection Service (SOP) has neutralised a drone flying that was flying over sensitive government locations in Warsaw, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a post on X.

Two Belarusian citizens were detained in connection with the incident and police have launched an investigation into the incident, Tusk said.

The incident comes at a time of heightened regional tensions following a string of airspace violations.

Poland says its airspace was violated in the early hours of Wednesday by a record 19 drones, believed to be from Russia.

In response, the Armed Forces of Ukraine said it would send a team to Poland to provide anti-drone training.

The Polish government has traditionally been a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s war effort.

Total support to Ukraine from Warsaw totals approximately €3.3 billion, in both military and humanitarian assistance.

EU Delays New Sanctions on Russia – Politico– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser September 16, 2025 0

EU Delays New Sanctions on Russia – Politico– www.themoscowtimes.com
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The European Union has indefinitely postponed the adoption of its 19th sanctions package against Russia, Politico reported on Tuesday, citing officials familiar with the decision.

European capitals were informed of the delay on Monday afternoon, though it remains unclear when the package might be finalized or what prompted the holdup. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had said that the bloc’s latest measures “should be ready” by the end of the month.

Some member states have pushed for the new sanctions to include tighter restrictions on visas for Russian citizens. Visa issuance currently falls under the authority of individual countries, leading to wide variation. Poland and the Netherlands, for example, stopped issuing tourist visas to Russians after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, while Spain and Slovakia recently reopened application centers in Moscow.

Romania Alleges Russians Launch “drone incursion,” Scramble Jets in Response

Romania Alleges Russians Launch “drone incursion,” Scramble Jets in Response

pgnewser September 15, 2025 0

Romania Alleges Russians Launch “drone incursion,” Scramble Jets in Response

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Romania scrambles jets after ‘drone incursion’ as Zelensky warns conflict is expanding – The Independent
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British fighter jets will fly air defence missions over Poland as part of Nato’s defence mission, after Russian drones were flown over Nato members Romania and Poland.

The RAF Typhoons are expected to start flying missions over Poland in the coming days, the government announced.

Prime minister Keir Starmer said: “Russia’s reckless behaviour is a direct threat to European security and a violation of international law.”

Putin crony threatens full scale war if NATO shoots down Russian drones– www.mirror.co.uk

pgnewser September 15, 2025 0

Putin crony threatens full scale war if NATO shoots down Russian drones– www.mirror.co.uk
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Russian officials appear to have been rattled by proposals for NATO to police the airspace above Ukraine, preventing Putin drones from flying into member state nations

Russia has threatened the West with WW3 if NATO shoots down its drones(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Vladimir Putin’s top crony has threatened full-scale war with NATO if the military organisation shoots down Russian drones – less than a week after one strayed into two member states’ airspace.

Spooked Russian officials have reacted with alarm to renewed proposals from Poland for the military pact to enforce a no-fly zone over parts of Ukraine after a drone strayed into the country last week. The major incursion, dubbed a test by Moscow of NATO’s resolve, sparked immediate World War Three fears, and pact members have spent days discussing a response.

Proposals for a no-fly zone and for an enhanced aerial presence in Ukraine have been branded a “provocative idea” by Putin’s attack dog, who sensationally warned of “a war between NATO and Russia“.

Poland pours cold water on ‘security guarantees’ for Ukraine — RT World News– www.rt.com

pgnewser September 15, 2025 0

Poland pours cold water on ‘security guarantees’ for Ukraine — RT World News– www.rt.com
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There are “no volunteers” to fight Russia if the conflict reignites after a settlement, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has said

Western ‘security guarantees’ for Ukraine could end up being hollow, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has warned, arguing that Kiev’s backers have so far shown no willingness to go to war with Russia if the conflict flares up again after a potential ceasefire.

Western capitals have for months debated over the commitments that could accompany a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. According to media reports, leaders in France and the UK have floated proposals for a ‘reassurance force’ on the ground far from the front line, as well as aerial assets to help monitor the ceasefire.

A number of other EU states have pushed back against sending troops to Ukraine, proposing instead to focus on other types of support. US President Donald Trump has also ruled out sending ground troops to Ukraine, but said America could contribute in other ways.

Zelensky accuses Trump of ‘giving Putin what he wanted’ — RT World News– www.rt.com

pgnewser September 8, 2025 0

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin strikes kills child and hits Kyiv government building in massive drone attack– www.independent.co.uk

pgnewser September 8, 2025 0

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin strikes kills child and hits Kyiv government building in massive drone attack– www.independent.co.uk
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Hopes for peace talks wane as Russia strikes Kyiv

Sunday’s attack is the second mass Russian drone and missile attack to target Kyiv in the span of two weeks, as hopes for peace talks wane.

The attack comes after European leaders pressed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to work to end the war after 26 of Ukraine’s allies pledged to deploy troops as a “reassurance force” for the war-torn country once the fighting ends.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to meet Putin to negotiate a peace agreement, and has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to put punishing sanctions on Russia to push it to end the war.