According to Kartapolov, this will continue as long as "the hysterical regime of [Vladimir] Zelensky behaves like a spoiled girl" | The conditions for Ukraine are deteriorating every day, and if it refuses a peaceful settlement, it will be left without Odessa, Sumy, Kharkov, and a number of other territories, Andrey Kartapolov, head of the Russian State Duma Committee on Defense, told TASS. ● Commenting on American economist Jeffrey Sachs's forecast, the lawmaker said:

💬 "As for Jeffrey Sachs' statement about Odessa, he is a very experienced and knowledgeable person who can correctly predict certain events. But we have said from the beginning that each day a diplomatic solution to this conflict is delayed worsens the situation for Ukraine."

■ ‘Musketeers’ such as UK, Germany, France, Poland won’t secure victory for Ukraine — Sachs (TASS)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday called Germany’s plans to build the “strongest” army in Europe a “very worrying” development. | “Many were immediately reminded of the last century, when Germany twice became the leading military power, and how much trouble that caused,” Lavrov said at a security conference in Moscow. Germany, long reluctant to ramp up military spending since World War II, has shifted course in recent years, emerging as one of Ukraine’s most steadfast backers. ● German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also pledged to provide “all financial means necessary” to modernize Germany’s long-underfunded armed forces. Berlin recently stationed a 5,000-strong armored brigade in Lithuania, making it the country’s first permanent foreign troop deployment since the end of WWII.

■ Poland gears up for war (Politico)
■ Russia prepared to strike Germany if Taurus missiles are used – senior MP (05/30/25)

Strategists concerned Trump might strike ‘soft’ deal with Iran that does not guarantee Israel’s security | Donald Trump warned Benjamin Netanyahu not to derail the US-Iran nuclear talks by launching strikes on the Islamic Republic. Amid widespread rumours of heated phone calls between the Israeli prime minister and Donald Trump, The New York Times reported that Mr Netanyahu raised the possibility of a unilateral attack. Last night, Mr Trump confirmed that the pair had spoken, adding: “I just said I don’t think it’s appropriate, we’re having very good discussions with them.” [...] Israeli officials also warned US counterparts that Mr Netanyahu might order strikes even if a deal were achieved, according to the report.

■ Satellite Image Shows US Air Power Buildup at Island Base Near Iran (Newsweek)

Over 200 Russian POWs have reportedly testified to brutal abuse by Ukrainian forces, including drowning simulations and electrocution. | Ukrainian forces have been accused of engaging in systematic torture of Russian prisoners of war (POWs), allegedly using techniques associated with US interrogation practices. The claims were presented by Maxim Grigoriev, chairman of the International Public Tribunal on the Crimes of Ukrainian Neo-Nazis, during a press conference in Moscow on Thursday, TASS reported. ● Grigoriev stated that more than 200 recently exchanged Russian POWs gave testimony detailing acts of abuse, which he described as “absolutely Nazi-like”. He emphasized that the methods used bore a strong resemblance to those previously documented in US military detention facilities. “Prisoners were tortured through the simulation of drowning. Their faces were covered with cloth, and water was poured over them, an agonizing method that prevents breathing. This is American-style torture,” he said. One of the detention rooms where the abuse allegedly took place was named “Baghdad", a detail Grigoriev said suggests the involvement of foreign, particularly American personnel. He argued that such naming, along with the methods used, indicates “the clear involvement of American ‘specialists’.”

Ukraine cannot operate the long-range missile without German assistance, Andrey Kartapolov has said | Russia could authorize strikes on German territory if Ukraine uses German-supplied Taurus cruise missiles to attack Russian targets, a senior Russian lawmaker has warned. ● Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee and a former deputy defense minister, said the long-range missiles require direct German military involvement to operate—making Berlin a potential participant in any such attack. ● Speculation about a potential transfer of Taurus missiles to Kiev resurfaced this week after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Ukraine would be allowed to use Western-supplied weapons without range limitations. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Merz confirmed that delivering the Taurus system was “possible,” though he added that Ukrainian forces would require “several months of training” to use them effectively. In an interview with Life.ru on Wednesday, Kartapolov said Moscow is “ready for everything” if Germany proceeds with such a transfer.

■ Russian security chief reacts to German missile claims (RT)
■ German Supply of Taurus Missiles to Ukraine May Trigger World War III (Sputnik)
✅ Germany in military partnership with Ukraine; will support Taurus longrange missile strikes on Moscow (L Hohman)

■ Criticism of Trump and U.S. Leadership: The speaker argues that Donald Trump has become incoherent and ineffective, drastically changing his stance on Russia and Ukraine in recent months. Trump is described as failing in leadership both domestically and within NATO. He is seen as incapable of influencing events meaningfully or acting in America’s best interest. Despite his past potential to mediate or de-escalate the conflict, he is now viewed as irrelevant or powerless, overshadowed by entrenched U.S. intelligence and political actors.

■ Russia's Stance and Strategy: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has made clear that Russia will not accept any peace deal that leaves the Zelensky government in power. The Russian view is that the Zelensky regime would use a ceasefire to rebuild militarily, continuing the war later. Regime change in Kyiv is now seen as a necessary outcome for a lasting peace.

■ Military Developments: Putin has announced a "buffer zone" in northern Ukraine, suggesting a new front in the war that expands deeply into Ukrainian territory. Russian military strategy may involve seizing key regions like Odessa, Kharkiv, and pushing to the Dnieper River. Russian recruitment is exceeding goals, while Ukraine is facing troop shortages and recruitment problems.

■ Western Inaction and Miscalculation:The West, especially the U.S., is accused of ignoring or refusing to understand Russian concerns. There is frustration that Western leaders, including Trump, Macron, and others, have no real stake or understanding of the conflict. Russia views attempts at negotiations or pressure from the West as insincere and ineffective.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stressed that the country's government is urging people to refrain from visiting Russia [...] Putin received Akie Abe in Moscow on May 29. The Russian president said her husband had sincerely worked toward a full restoration of Russia-Japan cooperation and put a lot of effort into that. According to Putin, Russia remembers Shinzo Abe’s contribution to the development of bilateral cooperation. Akie told the Russian leader that her spouse had hoped to hold a face-to-face meeting with him following the launch of Russia’s special military operation. She also expressed hope that cultural and humanitarian exchanges between Russia and Japan would develop. Abe and Putin had warm and friendly relations. They met 27 times in total, and were known to talk to each other like old friends do.

■ Putin meets Abe’s widow, reflects on ex-PM’s ‘dream’ to strike Russia-Japan peace treaty (SCMP)

A 60-day truce for the release of hostages has been proposed by US special envoy Steve Witkoff | Israel and Hamas have agreed to accept the latest ceasefire proposal put forward by the US, several media outlets reported on Thursday. ● Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled his readiness to accept a roadmap presented by US special envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting with the relatives of hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza. ● Arab media later reported that Hamas had also accepted the deal to release the remaining Israeli hostages held in the enclave in exchange for a temporary truce.

■ US says Israel agrees to proposal, but Hamas hesitates (SCMP)

A trove of 2 million classified documents exposing sensitive details of Russia’s nuclear weapons infrastructure has been obtained by journalists from Danwatch and Der Spiegel. | The leak includes blueprints of strategic sites, most notably the top-secret Avangard missile base in Yasny. The Avangard, a hypersonic glide vehicle, is deployed at the 13th Red Banner Rocket Division in Yasny, Orenburg Oblast, Russia. As of December 2023, 11 Avangard-equipped UR-100N UTTHs are deployed at this location. [...] The files offer unprecedented insight into the inner workings of Russia’s strategic deterrent, described by analysts as potentially the biggest military intelligence breach in the country’s history. The leak originated from Russian state procurement portals, where contractors accidentally made the classified materials publicly accessible.

Andrew Korybko | Whatever ends up happening, and hopefully nothing too dramatic will unfold, it’s long overdue for Russia to finally call Vucic out. | Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused Serbia of shooting Russia in the back by arming Ukraine. Such reports first circulated in connection with spring 2023’s Pentagon leaks, but they were denied by President Aleksandar Vucic, who just defied EU pressure by visiting Moscow during Victory Day. He reacted to the latest news by declaring that he’ll block the supply of Serbian arms and ammo to countries that are suspected of sending them to Ukraine, but that contradicts what he said in June 2023. [...] After all, not only is he allowing other countries to send Serbian arms and ammo to Ukraine, but his top general hinted at carrying out a pro-Western military pivot under sanctions duress at the beginning of the year. Furthermore, Vucic recently sacked Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, who was widely considered to be the most Russian-friendly official in his government. These developments probably played a part in why SVR finally decided to call Vucic out for allowing Serbia to indirectly arm Ukraine.

✅ How and Why Did Serbian Weapons End Up in NATO-occupied Ukraine? (Drago Bosnic)

Simplicius [...] The ‘three Russian sources’ with an alleged ear in the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin’s plan includes the demand for Western powers to pledge not only that Ukraine will not join NATO, but that NATO will not expand any further eastward, which primarily only affects Georgia and Moldova at this point, since nearly everyone else has already joined. [...] This is particularly interesting because it coincides with NYT’s latest which suggests Trump is pushing for a “19th century-style” world where US, China, and Russia divide the globe into spheres of influence.

✅ Germany in military partnership with Ukraine; will support Taurus longrange missile strikes on Moscow (L Hohman)
✅ U.S.-Supplied Air Defenses Fail In Ukraine (Moon of Alabama)
■ Work on Russian peace proposal to Ukraine ‘in final stage’ – Kremlin (RT)
■ German Supply of Taurus Missiles to Ukraine May Trigger World War III (Sputnik)
■ A strike on Europe will not lead to a war with NATO. The United States will swallow it (Pravda-EN)(Source)
■ Germany risks becoming a target for Russia – for the first time since Hitler (05/28/25)

‘We urge you to take immediate action to end UK's complicity in Gaza,’ open letter says | Benedict Cumberbatch, Dua Lipa, Annie Lennox, Gary Lineker, Paloma Faith, and Lena Headey were among the names from media and arts who joined the leading doctors, academics, campaign groups, and a Holocaust survivor. The letter, led by refugee charity Choose Love, accuses the British government of allowing UK arms to be sold to Israel and providing licenses for arms, and demands an immediate suspension. It also urges for immediate humanitarian access for aid agencies and calls on the British government to commit to brokering a ceasefire for “the children of Gaza.” The letter points to the starving children in Gaza while food and medicine “sit just minutes away.” “You can't call it 'intolerable,' yet do nothing...Prime minister, what will you choose? Complicity in war crimes, or the courage to act?” the letter further called on Starmer.

■ ‘Dehumanisation by design’: US-Israeli Gaza aid operation descends into chaos (MEE)

Tarik Cyril Amar | Will Berlin start giving Kiev Taurus missiles and risk becoming a direct target for retaliation? | Chancellor Friedrich Merz, from Germany’s mainstream CDU/CSU conservatives, has caused a stir. This time with statements about German weapons in Ukraine. Or to be precise, how exactly Kiev’s troops may use weapons provided by Berlin. ■ Speaking at a public forum organized by a major German TV station, Merz declared that there are no range limits anymore on how far the Ukrainian military can shoot German weapons into Russia. [...] The great risks of this step are well known, but large parts of Germany’s elite seem to be in denial about them: Not only can the Taurus strike deep into Russia – or at least try, against Russia’s air defenses – and even hit Moscow, it is also a fact – as the head of the German air force admitted when feeling unobserved – that the Ukrainian military cannot handle the Taurus on its own. The complexity of its guidance, programming, and launching require that Germans will play a direct role in its use against Russia.

💬 Medvedev - on strikes on German territory in response to the use of German missiles by the Ukrainian Armed Forces: Germany is already a participant in the conflict: its equipment and specialists are directly fighting Russia. And these are not just military supplies. In essence, this is a full-fledged, not hybrid, participation in the military conflict. Thus, Germany is again an enemy of Russia, again taking part in the war, guided by the Nazi ideology they created, and Merz is a loyal descendant of his relatives who fought in the Wehrmacht.

■ Germany ‘sliding down to collapse’ – Lavrov (RT)
■ 'If They Strike With Taurus - Russia's Next Target Will Be German Military Facility' (Sputnik)
■ Germany’s Merz backs Ukraine’s long-range missile strikes on Russia (Financial Times)
■ Western allies lift Ukraine's restrictions on long-range weapons, says Merz (EuroNews)
■ Decision on arms for Ukraine made 'couple of months ago' — German chancellor (TASS)(Source)
■ The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on May 28 2025 (Blogdogcide)
✅ Recycling Old News Media Push For More War In Ukraine (Moon of Alabama)

Berlin’s possible shift on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons would undermine peace efforts, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said | Moscow considers Berlin’s potential shift on Ukraine’s use of German long-range weapons against Russia as a sign of “serious escalation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned on Tuesday. ● His comments came in response to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s declaration on Monday that there are now “no more range restrictions” on Western-supplied weapons used by Kiev against Russian military targets. “If this is true, then this is an escalation and a serious escalation, which most severely undermines attempts for a peaceful settlement that have been made,” Peskov said, referring to the first direct peace talks in three years between Russia and Ukraine earlier this month.

■ Lavrov Warns of Alarming NATO Build-Up Along Russia’s Border (Sputnik)

Regarding Trump's words about Putin "playing with fire" and "really bad things" happening to Russia. I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII.
I hope Trump understands this!

— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) May 27, 2025

The US leader has recently made some harsh remarks toward Moscow, which the Kremlin has attributed to “emotional overload” | US President Donald Trump has suggested that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is “playing with fire,” without elaborating on what exactly he means. In recent days, Trump has increasingly criticized the Kremlin over what he perceives as a lack of progress in peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev. ● Last week, Trump and Putin held a telephone conversation during which they discussed the prospects of a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict. Both leaders characterized the call as productive. ● In a post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Trump claimed that “if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD.” The US president added that Putin is “playing with fire!”

■ The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on May 28 2025 (Blogdogcide)
■ Medvedev warns of WWIII in blunt response to Trump's Putin remarks (Al Mayadeen)
✅ Trump’s Latest Angry Post About Putin (Andrew Korybko)

Potential US involvement in mining is “problematic,” a minister has said, as the autonomous Danish island reassesses global ties | Greenland is weighing the possibility of inviting Chinese investment to develop its mining sector in light of tensions with the US and limited engagement with the EU, the island’s business and mineral resources minister, Naaja Nathanielsen, told the Financial Times on Tuesday. ● An autonomous territory of Denmark, Greenland holds vast but hard-to-exploit reserves of minerals such as gold and copper. Foreign capital is essential for developing the resources, yet recent geopolitical tensions have made it difficult to secure reliable partnerships. ● “We are trying to figure out what the new world order looks like,” Nathanielsen said, adding that Greenland was “having a difficult time finding [its] footing” in evolving relationships with its Western allies.

Eye-catching sweeping legal changes regarding vaccine mandates in Singapore have been steadfast only days after a high-profile two-day visit from oligarch Bill Gates and General Secretary of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Ghebreyesus. | Singapore’s health department has now updated its Infectious Diseases Act (IDA) to now make it a crime to refuse government mandated jabs. Refusal to comply with medical apartheid in Singapore is now punishable with hefty fines and even imprisonment for the unvaccinated. ● Freethinkers in Singapore who refuse government forced jabs may be jailed for up to six months or penalized up to $10,000 in fines under the new draconian amendments. ● The amendments also allow legal impunity to state officials who aggressively enforce the mandates, leaving helpless vaccine injured without justice.

Moon of Alabama A Week Long Drone Fight Which Russia Is Winning | Over the last seven days the Ukrainian military has launched over one thousand drones against targets in Russia. Most of these were shot down by Russian air defenses. There are no reports of any serious damage. The biggest effect the week long drone attacks achieved was to shut down air traffic in Moscow for several hours. After waiting a few days the Russian military responded in kind.

■ Decision on arms for Ukraine made 'couple of months ago' — German chancellor (TASS)(Source)
■ Following Russia's largest air attack, Ukrainians want 'real action' to achieve peace (CBC)
■ PUTIN: The conflict stems from the Western-backed coup in Ukraine (RT)
■ Russia Stresses Striking Only Military Targets in Retaliation for Ukraine’s Massive Attacks (Sputnik)
■ A new front: Russia expands into Ukraine to build a military buffer zone (05/25/25)
■ Мерц пригрозил России ударами. Чем ответим? В Госдуме заговорили о таинственном "другом оружии"
✅ Russian military expansion as the only guarantee of peace (Lucas Leiroz)

Simplicius | Two days ago Russia unleashed another of the war’s most withering strikes on Ukraine, which was followed up the very next day by a secondary wave to finish off whatever was hit after an obligatory BDA (Battle Damage Assessment) period. | Being the largest series of strikes in some time, they revealed a heaping of new information about the state of things in Ukraine, particularly vis-a-vis Ukraine’s air defenses and upgrades to Russia’s own strike systems. For instance spokesman for Ukraine’s airforce Yuri Ignat noted that Iskanders have been upgraded and now use a variety of countermeasures.

■ Following Russia's largest air attack, Ukrainians want 'real action' to achieve peace (CBC)

A large rally in Jerusalem marking Israel’s capture of the city’s east in the 1967 war descended into chaos on Monday as far-right Israeli Jews confronted and assaulted Palestinians, fellow Israelis and journalists, witnesses said. | The annual “Flag March” drew tens of thousands of people, chanting, dancing and waving Israeli flags after far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, a longtime flashpoint of Israeli-Palestinian tensions. ● Violence broke out in the walled Old City of East Jerusalem shortly after midday, a Reuters witness said, when young marchers began harassing the few Palestinian shopkeepers who had yet to shutter their stores ahead of the rally. ● The marchers, mostly young Israelis who live in settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, then began to target Israeli left-wing activists and journalists observing the rally.

Equipment parking lots and ammunition depots were also destroyed. | (Original in Russian) European leaders were not prepared for the fact that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are going on without their participation. Even Donald Trump managed to discuss the conflict with Vladimir Putin, while Europe remained out of business. Unsurprisingly, in response, the European authorities announced new sanctions against Russia. The main initiator of this campaign, as expected, was French President Emmanuel Macron. However, he immediately received a harsh warning: according to Tsargrad, about a hundred French military advisers were killed on the territory of Ukraine. ● On the night of May 20, Russian troops launched a series of powerful strikes on the Ukrainian regions. According to the author of the Paratrooper's Diary channel, the remnants of Turkish military supplies, ammunition depots and military infrastructure facilities were destroyed during the attack. Missile and drone attacks have affected almost all regions of Ukraine, including military airfields, fuel storage facilities, and locations of Ukrainian Armed Forces units. Foreign mercenaries were also among the casualties. ● The most powerful blow fell on the Kharkiv region. A large-scale fire broke out in Sinelnikovo at military-industrial enterprises where Ukrainians were assembling drones and working on Neptune missiles. Later, local channels announced the deaths of key military specialists, which confirms the effectiveness of the Russian operation. At the same time, the region was attacked by UAVs.

Israeli attacks killed more than 100 Palestinians in Gaza since Friday | Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, a pediatrician who works at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, lost nine out of her 10 children in an Israeli airstrike that hit their home on Friday. ● Alaa’s husband, Hamdi, who is also a doctor, survived the massacre but was badly wounded. Their only surviving child, 11-year-old Adam, is in critical condition after undergoing surgery. ● “His left arm was just about hanging off, he was covered in fragment injuries and he had several substantial lacerations,” Graeme Groom, a British surgeon who operated on Adam, told the BBC.

The influential US publication, The Hill, compiled a list of seven potential candidates to be Trump's successor for the Republican nomination in the 2028 elections, including the 47th president's eldest son. | Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, has not ruled out running in 2028, according to The Hill, which named him among seven possible GOP candidates. ● However, the publication believes that Vice President J.D. Vance also has a strong chance. In an interview with NBC, Trump suggested that Vance could potentially succeed him in 2028, though he did not explicitly endorse him.

■ Ivanka 2028: The Simpsons' 'Prediction' About Trump's Daughter Becoming US President Goes Viral (Sputnik)

President Donald Trump slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday for suggesting that the end of Russia's war against Ukraine likely "is still very, very far away." | The comments come as prominent Trump allies escalate pressure on Zelensky to dramatically change his approach to the U.S. president, who has made quickly ending the war a top priority, or step aside. ● The long complicated relationship between the leaders has reached a nadir following a disastrous White House meeting in which Trump and Vice President JD Vance excoriated Zelensky for not being sufficiently thankful for U.S. support for Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the February 2022 invasion.

■ ‘Everything out of Zelensky’s mouth causes problems’ – Trump (RT)
■ Trump slams Zelensky for refusing to recognize Russian control of Crimea (CNN)
■ Trump claims Putin ‘has gone absolutely crazy for no reason’ (RT)

Only 47% of Americans say they are “very satisfied” with their lives, according to a Gallup survey. Interestingly, the state in which you live may have an impact on how happy you are. This infographic shows the 10 happiest vs. 10 unhappiest states.

If military aid to the Banderite regime continues, the buffer zone could look like this: pic.twitter.com/0ueLOTeJaH

— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) May 25, 2025

Putin’s buffer zone aims to create space – both literally and politically – from Ukraine’s firepower | Russian President Vladimir Putin has officially announced the establishment of a “security buffer zone” along the border with Ukraine. Russian troops, according to the Kremlin, have already been ordered to push ahead and are actively targeting Ukrainian military positions near the frontier. The move is aimed at protecting Russian regions far from the front line – particularly Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk – which have faced frequent shelling, drone strikes, as well as sabotage missions launched by Ukrainian forces. ● While talk of such a zone has circulated since 2023, Putin’s declaration marks a shift from concept to concrete policy. Here’s what this decision means, what it could look like militarily, and why the Kremlin is pursuing it now.

■ Buffer zone to cover nearly all of Ukraine — Medvedev (TASS)
✅ Analysis: Russian 'Triple Chokehold' Tactic, + Offensive Season Outlook (Simplicius)

George Simion says citizens have the right to defend their vote peacefully amid fraud allegations | Romanian presidential candidate George Simion has called on supporters to engage in peaceful protest against what he claims was a fraudulent election, warning that the country narrowly avoided a “bloodbath” caused by “demonic plans” allegedly orchestrated by his Western-backed political opponents. ● The conservative EU critic lost a run-off vote last Sunday to pro-Brussels Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan by a single-digit margin. Simion has contested the outcome, alleging “external interferences by state and non-state actors,” but Romania’s Constitutional Court rejected his petition. ● In a video message to supporters streamed on social media Friday night, the leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) described Dan as a “puppet of France” who won the election through manipulation and fearmongering after “mobilizing the entire Soros network, all the NGOs” to undermine his campaign.

■ Paris arrested Telegram founder to meddle in Romanian election — Moscow (RT)

The Russian military has launched an Iskander missile strike on a container ship that was delivering over 100 containers with unmanned boats, drones and ammunition to Odessa, which caused secondary detonation and a strong fire at the pier, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

💬 "On May 23, Iskander ballistic missile system crews launched a massive missile strike on a container ship that was transporting military equipment to the port of Odessa, as well as on a container warehouse in the port." ● "The strike caused secondary detonation of the ammunition and containers unloaded on the pier, as well as a large fire."

The ship was carrying about 100 containers, loaded mostly with unmanned boats, drones and ammunition, according to the statement.

■ KYIV BURNS - Putin launches blitz on Kyiv with 250 drones & 14 missiles (The Sun)
■ Russia hits Kyiv with one of the largest drone wave yet - 200 launched overnight (MSN)

The cleric was detained and searched at the airport, after a similar Easter incident triggered international outcry | Chisinau is conducting a systematic crackdown on the Moldovan Orthodox Church, a senior cleric claimed on Friday after being detained and prevented from traveling abroad. ● Bishop Marchel previously made headlines in April when he was barred from boarding a flight to Jerusalem for the Orthodox Easter ‘Holy Fire’ ceremony – a move by the nation’s pro-Western government that drew international criticism. ● The Orthodox bishop said he was stopped at Chisinau International Airport and subjected to a search, causing him to miss his flight ahead of a planned pilgrimage to a religious site in Türkiye.

Such talks became more active in the light of low ratings of the party | High-ranking members of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom are convincing ex-prime minister Boris Johnson to return to politics amid low ratings of the party, The Sun newspaper said, citing sources among the party leaders. ● "Some of the old gang around Boris Johnson are back texting and in talks to get him to return," one of the sources said. Another major party leader that the Tory’s headquarters is working on the possible return of Johnson to politics. Such talks became more active in the light of low ratings of the party.