Ukraine war news – Twisted Vladimir Putin 'plots alliance with nuke fanatics North Korea to boost dwindling army' | The Sun
DESPERATE Vladimir Putin is plotting a trade-off with North Korea in order to boost his dwindling army, according to pro-Kremlin reports.
Last month, it was reported how Russia has lost nearly a third of its army’s strength since invading Ukraine, according to the UK’s Chief of the Defence Staff.
But according to the state-sponsored Regum news agency, the deranged despot is thinking of approaching Kim Jong Un for help.
Russia would offer energy and grain to the pverty stricken nation in return for 100,000 soldiers to boost the Kremlin's ailing frontline forces.
As reported by the Mail Online, the report reads: "The country is ready to transfer up to 100,000 of its soldiers to Donbas.
"Pyongyang will be able to transfer its tactical units to Donbas."
As the information has emerged from pro-Kremlin sources, it is impossible to know how accurate these reports are.
It comes as British intelligence stated how the Russian leader is possibly recruiting lags from his jails to fight as his army suffers "incredibly high" fatalities & casualties on the frontline.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said detailed assessments show President Vladimir Putin’s plan has spectacularly failed.
Putin's military is now so weakened, Ukrainian nationals are increasingly confident they will soon reclaim all their old borders.
Finland and Norway have also wrecked Putin’s bid to divide and weaken the western alliance by applying to join Nato.
Read our Ukraine-Russia blog below for the latest updates…
- Joseph Gamp
Russia says it’s ‘ready to discuss prisoner swap’ after NBA star jailing
Russia said Friday it was ready to discuss a prisoner swap with Washington at the presidential level, a day after the drug conviction of US basketball star Brittney Griner.
Despite tensions soaring between Russia and the US since the launch of Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine, the former Cold War rivals appeared to be edging closer to a new prisoner exchange.
The White House has urged Russia to accept its offer of a deal for the release of Griner and former US Marine Paul Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday said Russia was willing to discuss the matter.
“We are ready to discuss this subject, but only within the framework of the (communication) channel established by presidents Putin and Biden,” Lavrov told a press conference on a visit to Cambodia.
“There is a special channel established by the presidents and despite certain public declarations, it is still functional,” he added.
WNBA player Griner was on Thursday sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony and ordered to pay a fine of one million rubles ($16,590) for possessing and smuggling narcotics.
- Joseph Gamp
Three grain shipment vessels leave Ukrainian ports
Three ships loaded with grain left Ukrainian ports on Friday under a recently concluded safe passage deal, the Turkish defence ministry and Reuters witnesses said.
The first grain ship to set sail from a Ukrainian port since the start of the Russian invasion, departed Odesa on Monday.
“We expect that the security guarantees of our partners from the U.N. and Turkey will continue to work, and food exports from our ports will become stable and predictable for all market participants,” Ukrainian Infrastructure Mnister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Facebook after the ships set off.
In a rare diplomatic breakthrough in the five-month war, the United Nations and Turkey have brokered a safe passage deal between Moscow and Kyiv, after the United Nations warned of famines due to Ukrainian grain shipments being halted.
- Joseph Gamp
Russia’s Novoshakhtinsk refinery fully resumes operations – reports
The Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia’s southern Rostov region has fully resumed operations after it was struck by drones in June, Interfax news agency cited authorities as saying on Friday.
The plant said in June that it was hit by two drones flying from the direction of Ukraine, prompting it to suspend production.
- Joseph Gamp
Ukraine to convince Europe to import its nuclear power
The nation has plenty of nuclear power capabilities, and will propose to sell electricity to Europe.
However, Ukraine must prove that the nuclear power it can provide is completely safe, which is problematic considering the current invasion.
Many nuclear power plants in Ukraine are being occupied by Russia.
- Joseph Gamp
NATO boss sends Putin a warning: ‘The whole alliance will react’
Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg made NATO’s stance against Russia clear, “this is the most dangerous situation in Europe since World War Two.”
Russia is at risk of sparking an international war if it attempts to invade any NATO nations.
Jen Stoltenberg gave a speech from Norway, saying: “What happens in Ukraine is terrible but it would be much worse if there was a war between Russia and NATO.”
“If President Putin even thinks of doing something to a NATO country as he has done to Georgia, Moldova or Ukraine, then all of NATO will be involved immediately.”
Credit: Reuters - Joseph Gamp
Ukraine calls Amnesty International’s criticism ‘unfair’
The human rights group accused Ukraine in a recent report of “endangering” human life.
This comes after Amnesty International accused Ukraine of putting it’s civilians at risk, but allowing military forces to set up bases and store weapons near residential areas.
Subsequently, this makes residential areas targets for Russian fighters.
Amnesty said the Ukrainian military had used hospitals as military bases.
Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said: “This behaviour of Amnesty International is not about finding and reporting the truth to the world.
“It is about creating a false equivalence, between the offender and the victim, between the country that destroys hundreds and thousands of civilians, cities, territories and a country that is desperately defending itself.”
- Joseph Gamp
Largest nuclear plant in Ukraine is ‘ completely out of control’
The United Nations has given a stark warning around the safety of Zaporizhzhia.
Currently, the UN has said the nuclear situation is “really volatile.”
Reportedly the situation is worsening daily, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The nuclear power plant is currently under Russia occupation, but the UN have requested the need for a visit to stabilise the situation.
Rafael Grossi said:” What is at stake is extremely serious and extremely grave and dangerous.”
Credit: AP - Joseph Gamp
China has the influence to halt Ukraine’s invasion, says Zelensky
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, holds the belief that China could positively influence Russia to stop it’s invasion.
Reportedly, Zelensky interviewed with The South China Morning post, informing the publication the power China holds over Russia.
According to Ukrinform, Zelensky said: “China a very powerful state, it’s a powerful economy, so it can politically, economically influence Russia.
And China is [a] permanent member of the UN Security Council.”
The Ukrainian President went on to say that despite reaching out to China’s President Xi Jinping since the invasion commenced on 24 February, he has not heard a response.
He said it would be very helpful to have a conversation with China’s President.
- Joseph Gamp
In pictures: Taking a cat nap amid the debris of a former battlefield
A cat takes a kip underneath a Russian tank in the city of Kyiv.
The tank has been in Kyiv since the Russians were pushed out of the city by the Ukrainians.
It is situated in the village of Velyka Dymerka, where the abandoned tank is surrounded by garden flowers.
Back in March 2022, the north of the city, where the village of Velyka Dymerka is situated, was a place of death and destruction as it was turned into a battlefield.
Since reclaiming their homes, Ukrainians planted flowers around the tank, where the nonchalant cat peacefully snoozes.
Credit: EPA
- Joseph Gamp
Amnesty International has ACCUSED Ukraine of endangering civilians
Reportedly, the human rights group has condemned Ukraine for putting “civilians in harm’s way.”
The group reported that Ukrainian forces had put military bases and weapons systems in populated residential areas.
“Such tactics violate international humanitarian law and endanger civilians,” stating that it has made “civilians military targets.”
Amnesty International went on to say: “Being in a defensive position does not exempt the Ukrainian military from respecting international humanitarian law.”
However, it did state that Ukrainian forces had no involvement in the deaths of civilians in Kharkiv.
- Joseph Gamp
The United Nations to investigate the bombing of Olenivka prison
Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said the UN will facilitate a fact-finding team.
The team will study the attack that was carried out at the Olenivka prison, that killed 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Both Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for the attack, requesting an official investigation, however the UN are prepared for Russia to skew or “falsify” evidence to shift the blame.
- Joseph Gamp
Norway Consul: ‘I hate Russians!’
Elisabeth Ellingsen has been shown the door by Moscow after being recorded slamming Russians in a video tape.
The video was reportedly taken in a hotel reception, where she had an outburst, shouting: “I hate Russians!”
It is thought she had the outburst after the cleaning procedure in her hotel room took too long.
The Russian foreign ministry condemned her actions, and released a statement that read: “After what happened, Elisabeth Ellingsen’s presence in Russia is impossible.”
- Joseph Gamp
Russia 'may not meet' 2022 grain harvest
Russia may not reach its expected harvest of 130 million tonnes of grain due to weather factors and a lack of spare parts for foreign equipment, the country's agriculture ministry has revealed.
"Taken together, all of this creates risks in terms of reaching the grain harvest figure of 130 million tonnes," the ministry said.
It said that if it does not meet the planned volumes, it will have to revise its export plans of 50 million tonnes.
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