Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, has charged Western countries with jeopardising global peace, proclaiming that the world’s predominant nuclear nation will not be intimidated. This statement was made as Russia commemorates the Soviet Union’s WWII victory over Nazi Germany.
During the Russian military’s progression against the Western-supported forces in Ukraine, Putin criticised the arrogant conduct of Western decision-makers, accusing them of overlooking the crucial role the Soviet Union played in triumphing over Germany and triggering conflicts worldwide.
Putin commented on Red Square, post a military review by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, “We are aware of the consequences of such disproportionate ambitions. Russia will exert every effort to forestall a widespread confrontation. Nevertheless, we won’t tolerate any threats. Our strategic forces are constantly prepared for combat.”
On Thursday, an Ukrainian aerial assault on the Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, resulted in eight casualties and extensive damage to numerous residential structures and vehicles, according to Vyacheslav Gladkov, the regional governor. The injured included an eleven-year-old girl rushed to the hospital. The governor shared this information via the Telegram messaging service.
The Russian defence ministry reported that their air defence systems have shot down fifteen rockets and a drone in the region. They also claimed to have dismantled three drones in the Kursk region and two in Bryansk, both bordering Ukraine. However, these reports haven’t been independently corroborated by Reuters.
In another development, Ukraine’s parliament voted for the removal of Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, a significant governmental figure responsible for the wartime reconstruction initiatives and pioneering the establishment of an essential Black Sea shipping route, as revealed by Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak on Telegram.
There are plans in motion to dissolve Kubrakov’s influential ministry into two distinct government departments, according to the Guardian.