On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation on Victory Day, calling for unity against the West's "untamed ambitions" and warning of a "real war" against Russia. His speech was met with a standing ovation from the crowd and mixed reactions from the international community. The future of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine remains uncertain, but Putin's speech has made it clear that he is determined to protect his nation.
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Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as "Putin's chef", has withdrawn his Wagner mercenary forces from the battle for Bakhmut in Ukraine due to a lack of military support. This follows a US official's comments that ammunition shortages were a pressing concern for Moscow. Prigozhin posted an expletive-laden rant on social media before announcing the withdrawal, raising questions about Russia's ability to sustain offensive operations in Ukraine this year.
The United States has denied any involvement in a purported drone attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin, with John Kirby from the National Security Council stating that "Mr. Peskov is lying." Former intelligence officers, diplomats, military officials and analysts have expressed skepticism about Russia's narrative, and unnamed U.S. officials are working to determine whether the attack was orchestrated by Kyiv or a pro-Ukraine rogue group, or a false flag operation by the Kremlin. NBC News has viewed two videos of the incident, and the investigation is ongoing.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an unannounced visit to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday, one day after Russia accused the United States of being behind an alleged drone attack. The ICC recently issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Zelenskyy's visit is likely related to the warrant, as he was in The Hague to discuss the matter with the ICC and the International Court of Justice.
Russian authorities have accused Ukraine of attempting to launch a drone attack on the Kremlin overnight in an effort to assassinate President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has called the incident a "terrorist act" and said Russian military and security forces disabled the drones before they could strike. Ukraine has denied any involvement, and the investigation is ongoing. The attempted attack has raised questions about security in the region and the need for increased vigilance and security measures.
Vladimir Putin visited command posts of the Kremlin’s forces fighting in Ukraine on Tuesday, chairing meetings with his military top brass in an apparent demonstration of authority. The visit is seen as a show of support for the Kremlin’s forces in Ukraine, and is likely to be seen as a sign of Russia’s commitment to the separatists in the conflict which has killed over 10,000 people since April 2014.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu met in Moscow to discuss their countries' close military cooperation, which includes the exchange of useful information and joint exercises. This marks Li's first overseas trip since taking on the role of Defense Minister last month, and follows the US' 2018 sanctions against him for transactions with Russia's state-controlled arms exporter. The meeting is seen as a sign of the strong relationship between Russia and China, which has been further strengthened since Russia sent troops into Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu in Moscow on Sunday, praising the “very productive” visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping last month and noting that relations between Russia and China are developing well in all areas. Li Shangfu said that the relations between Moscow and Beijing “have very strong relations, that far surpass the military-political alliances of the Cold War.” The meeting is the latest sign of the deepening ties between Russia and China, which have increased their military cooperation in recent years.