At the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) Summit in Ankara, Turkey, a Ukrainian official and a Russian representative were involved in a scuffle when the Russian delegate's secretary snatched away a Ukraine flag. The Ukrainian official, Oleksandr Marikovskyi, grabbed it back, punching and slapping the Russian in the process. The incident has gone viral on social media, with many Ukrainians praising Marikovskyi’s actions and condemning the Russian delegate’s behavior. It is unclear what repercussions, if any, the Russian delegate will face for his actions.
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Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as "Putin's chef", has withdrawn his Wagner mercenary forces from the battle for Bakhmut in Ukraine due to a lack of military support.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.
Avril Haines, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, has warned that a domestic debt default could lead to global uncertainty, and that Russia and China would likely take advantage of the situation to portray the U.S. as a chaotic and unstable nation. She also noted that the Russian military is facing significant shortfalls and would be unable to sustain its current operations without a mandatory mobilization and third-party ammunition supplies.
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.
Two former Russian convicts have made claims that Ukraine attempted to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack on the Kremlin. Azamat Uldarov and Alexey Savichev, who were both pardoned by Russian presidential decrees last year, also claimed to have been commanders of the Wagner Group. Russia has responded to the claims with fury, while Ukraine has denied the accusations and two Russian officials have expressed skepticism. It is currently unclear whether the claims are true, as CNN is unable to independently verify them.
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.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been wrongfully detained in Russia since late March, prompting a letter-writing campaign from friends and colleagues to keep his spirits high. President Joe Biden has addressed the situation, saying he is doing everything in his power to secure Gershkovich's release. The letters must be written in Russian and mailed from inside the country in order to be received.