Page 49 - Vladimir Putin

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Putin mentions Navalny, says he supported prisoner swap for his opponent

Russian President Vladimir Putin said early Monday that he supported an idea to release late opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prisoner exchange just days before the man who was his biggest foe died. In his first comments to address Navalny's death, Putin said of the dissident's demise: "It happens. There is nothing you can do about it. It's life." The remarks were unusual in that he repeatedly referenced Navalny by his name for the first time in years and that they came at a late-night news conference as results poured in from a presidential election that is certain to extend his rule. Early returns showed him leading with over 87 per cent of the votes in a race with no competition, after years of ruthlessly suppressing the opposition and crippling independent media. Navalny's allies last month also said that talks with Russian and Western officials about a prisoner swap involving Navalny were underway. The politician's longtime associate Maria Pevchikh said the talks were in

Ukraine launches far-ranging drone attacks on last day of Russia's election

Ukraine launched a new massive wave of drone attacks Sunday as Russians cast ballots on the final day of a presidential vote set to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule for another six years. The Russian Defence Ministry reported downing 35 Ukrainian drones overnight, including four in the Moscow region. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there were no casualties or damage. According to the Defence Ministry, another two drones were shot over the Kaluga region just south of the Russian capital and the Yaroslavl region northeast of Moscow. The attacks on the Yaroslavl region, which is located about 800 kilometres (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border, were some of the farthest launched by Ukraine so far. More Ukrainian drones were downed over the Belgorod, Kursk and Rostov regions that border Ukraine and the southern Krasnodar region, the Defence Ministry said. The attacks followed a series of other Ukrainian drone raids and other attacks over the past few days that Putin describe

Putin poised to rule Russia following election with no other real choices

Russian President Vladimir Putin is poised to extend nearly a quarter century of rule for six more years on Sunday after wrapping up an election that gave voters no real alternatives to an autocrat who has ruthlessly cracked down on dissent. The three-day election that began Friday has taken place in a tightly controlled environment where no public criticism of Putin or his war in Ukraine is allowed. Putin's fiercest political foe, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison last month, and other critics are either in jail or in exile. The 71-year-old Russian leader faces three token rivals from Kremlin-friendly parties who have refrained from any criticism of his 24-year rule or his full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago. Putin has boasted of Russian battlefield successes in the run-up to the vote, but a massive Ukrainian drone attack across Russia early Sunday sent a reminder of challenges faced by Moscow. The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing 35 Ukrainian drones ...

Russians vote on Day 2 of an election preordained to extend Putin's rule

Voters across Russia cast ballots Saturday on the second day of an election set to formalise six more years of power for President Vladimir Putin, who faces no serious challengers after crushing political dissent over his nearly 25 years of rule. The election comes against the backdrop of a ruthless crackdown that has stifled independent media and prominent rights groups. Putin's fiercest political foe, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison in February, and other critics are either in jail or in exile. The 71-year-old Putin faces three token rivals from Kremlin-friendly parties, who have refrained from any criticism of him or his invasion of Ukraine. Putin has cast his war in Ukraine, now in its third year, as an existential battle against the US and other Western powers bent on destroying Russia. Russia's wartime economy has proven to be resilient, expanding despite bruising Western sanctions. The Russian defence industry has served as a key growth engine, working around the clo

Russian missile hits civilians in Odesa, 20 dead in deadliest attack yet

In a televised address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes as a "despicable act of cowardice," vowing a resolute response against the perpetrators

Kim Jong Un enjoys limousine gifted by Putin as two countries move closer

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used a Russian luxury limousine gifted by President Vladimir Putin recently, Kim's sister said on Saturday, praising the car's special function and the two countries' deepening bilateral ties. In February, Putin sent Kim a high-end Aurus Senat limousine, which he had shown to the North Korean leader when they met for a summit in Russia in September. Observers said the shipment violated a United Nations resolution aimed at pressuring the North to give up its nuclear weapons program by banning the supply of luxury items to North Korea. In a statement carried on Saturday by state media, Kim's sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, said that her brother used that limousine for the first time during an open event the previous day. The special function of the private car is perfect and can be thoroughly trusted, Kim Yo Jong said. Kim Jong Un's using of the private car sent by the president of the Russian Federation as a gift is a clear proof of (North ..

Setting up nuclear power unit in space is priority for Russia: Prez Putin

Russia has good competencies and, moreover, even has such reserves that we can be proud of, which we can count on in the future, Putin said

Russia to vote to extend Putin's rule. His foes are in jail, exile or dead

Voters headed to the polls in Russia on Friday for a three-day presidential election that is all but certain to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule by six more years after he stifled dissent. The election takes place against the backdrop of a ruthless crackdown that has crippled independent media and prominent rights groups and given Putin full control of the political system. It also comes as Moscow's war in Ukraine enters its third year. Russia has the advantage on the battlefield, where it is making small, if slow, gains. Ukraine, meanwhile, has made Moscow look vulnerable behind the front line: Long-range drone attacks have struck deep inside Russia, while high-tech drones have put its Black Sea fleet on the defensive. Voters will be casting their ballots Friday through Sunday at polling stations across the vast country's 11 time zones, as well as in illegally annexed regions of Ukraine. But the election holds little suspense since Putin, 71, is running for his fifth term ...

Plane carrying UK minister gets its GPS jammed as it flew near Russia

A plane carrying British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps had its satellite signal jammed as it flew near Russian territory, the government said on Thursday. The government said the Royal Air Force jet carrying Shapps, officials and journalists temporarily experienced GPS jamming when they flew close to Kaliningrad on a flight from Poland to the UK. The Times of London, whose reporter was onboard, said that for about 30 minutes mobile phones couldn't connect to the internet and the aircraft was forced to use alternative methods to determine its location. Shapps visited Poland on Wednesday to see UK troops participating in a large NATO exercise, Steadfast Defender. Kaliningrad is a Russian enclave bordered by Poland and Lithuania, home to the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman, Dave Pares, said the jamming didn't threaten the safety of the aircraft at any point. He said it was not unusual for aircraft to experience electronic jamming near ...

Drama in Russia's poll all about what Putin will do with another term

As Vladimir Putin heads for another six-year term as Russia's president, there's little electoral drama in the race. What he does after he crosses the finish line is what's drawing attention and, for many observers, provoking anxiety. The voting that concludes on Sunday is all but certain to allow Putin to remain in office until 2030, giving him a full three decades of leading Russia as either president or prime minister. The heft of that long tenure and the thorough suppression of effective domestic opposition voices gives Putin a very strong and perhaps unrestrained hand. That position is bolstered by the Russian economy's surprising resilience despite wide-ranging Western sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine. It's also strengthened by Moscow's incremental but consistent battlefield advances in recent months, flagging support for military aid to Kyiv from the United States and other quarters, and growing skepticism in some Western countries over more progressive social .

Russia ready to use nuclear weapons if sovereignty threatened, says Putin

President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if there is a threat to its statehood, sovereignty or independence, voicing hope that the US would refrain from actions that could trigger a nuclear conflict. Putin's statement was another blunt warning to the West ahead of a presidential vote this week in which he's all but certain to win another six-year term. In an interview with Russian state television released early Wednesday, Putin described U.S. President Joe Biden as a veteran politician who fully understands possible dangers of escalation, and said that he doesn't think that the world is heading to a nuclear war. At the same time, he emphasized that Russia's nuclear forces are in full readiness and from the military-technical viewpoint, we're prepared. Putin said that in line with the country's security doctrine, Moscow is ready to use nuclear weapons in case of a threat to the existence of the Russian state, our sovereignty and independence. The .

3 things to watch for in Russia's presidential poll, other than Putin's win

While the result may be a foregone conclusion, the election offers an important glimpse into the Kremlin's domestic challenges as it continues a war against Ukraine that recently entered third year

Russian polls to give Putin another 6 yrs in power, a look at key issues

Vladimir Putin is poised to sweep to another six-year term in this week's presidential election, even though Russians are dying in Ukraine in a war grinding through its third year and his country is more isolated than ever from the rest of the world. The all-but-certain outcome comes through his rigid control of Russia established during his 24 years in power the longest Kremlin tenure since Soviet leader Josef Stalin. Putin, 71, has silenced virtually all dissent through harsh new laws that impose heavy fines or prison on independent voices. Critics have succumbed to unexplained deaths or fled abroad. The ballot features three other token candidates who publicly support his policies. How is the war affecting the election? Putin has focused his campaign on a pledge to fulfill his goals in Ukraine, describing the conflict as a battle against the West for the very survival of Russia and its 146 million people. In a state-of-the-nation address last month, he charged that the U.S. an

Close ally of late Oppn leader Navalny attacked in Lithuania's capital

Associates of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny reported Tuesday night that the politician's close ally and top strategist was attacked near his home in Lithuania's capital. Navalny's spokesman Kira Yarmysh said the assailant smashed a window of Leonid Volkov's car, sprayed tear gas into his eyes and started hitting him with a hammer. Police and an ambulance were on the way, Yarmysh said. The attack took place in Vilnius nearly a month after Navalny's unexplained death in a remote Arctic penal colony. President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critic was serving a 19-year prison term there on the charges of extremism widely seen as politically motivated. Navalny had been jailed since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow to face certain arrest after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin. His Foundation for Fighting Corruption and his regional offices were designated as extremist organizations by the Russian government that same year. Volkov use

Economic stability key selling point as Putin gears up for reelection

Russians are finding a few imported staples, like fruit, coffee and olive oil, have shot way up in price. Most global brands have disappeared or been reincarnated as Russian equivalents under new, Kremlin-friendly ownership. A lot more Chinese cars are zipping around the streets. Those who want a particular luxury cosmetic may be out of luck. Other than that, not much has changed economically for most people in President Vladimir Putin's Russia, more than two years after he sent troops into Ukraine. That's despite the sweeping sanctions that have cut off much of Russia's trade with Europe, the U.S. and their allies. That sense of stability is a key asset for Putin as he orchestrates his foreordained victory in the March 15-17 presidential election for a fifth, six-year term. Inflation is higher than most people would like, at over 7% above the central bank's goal of 4%. But unemployment is low, and the economy is expected to grow 2.6% this year, according to the International ...

Russia's spy service KGB accuses US of trying to meddle in election

Putin, who is almost certain to win the March 15-17 presidential election, has warned the West that any attempts by foreign powers to meddle in the ballot would be considered an act of aggression

India busts trafficking racket duping people into fighting for Russia

The traffickers, operating across several Indian states, targeted people using social media platforms and through local agents, the CBI said in a statement

Will provide 10,000 drones to Ukraine in its fight against Russia: Britain

Britain said Thursday that it would provide 10,000 drones to arm Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The announcement by Defense Secretary Grant Shapps during a visit in Kyiv with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy includes an investment of 125 million pounds ($160 million) on top of 200 million pounds ($256 million) previously committed for drones. The weaponry will include 1,000 one-way attack or kamikaze drones and models that target ships. Ukraine's Armed Forces are using U.K. donated weapons to unprecedented effect, to help lay waste to nearly 30% of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, Shapps said. On Tuesday, Ukrainian sea drones reportedly sank another Russian warship in the Black Sea, the latest in a series of strikes that has crippled Moscow's naval capability.

Putin's crackdown casts a wide net, ensnaring LGBTQ+ community, lawyers

It's not just opposition politicians who are targeted in the crackdown by Russian President Vladimir Putin's government in recent years. Also falling victim are independent voices as well as those who don't conform to what the state sees as the country's traditional values. Russia's once-thriving free press after the collapse of the Soviet Union has been largely reduced to either state-controlled media or independent journalists operating from abroad, with few critical outlets still working in the country. Prominent rights groups have been outlawed or classified as agents of foreigners. Lawyers who represented dissidents have been prosecuted. LGBTQ+ activists have been labelled "extremists. A look at those who have come under attack during Putin's 24-year rule that is likely to be extended by six more years in this month's presidential election: INDEPENDENT MEDIA Independent news sites largely have been blocked in Russia since the first weeks of the war in Ukraine. Many have moved