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Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Moscow’s Cathedral of the Archangel on Thursday to inspect the recently uncovered remains of medieval warrior prince Dmitry Donskoy. The remains were discovered last month during restoration work in a crypt near the cathedral’s southern wall, surprising historians who had believed the prince was buried elsewhere.

The Russian Orthodox Church said the well-preserved remains were identified as those of Donskoy based on their physical characteristics and historical records. Experts said the remains belonged to a man just under 180 cm tall who died of natural causes between the ages of 35 and 45. Putin lit a candle inside the frescoed cathedral and stood beside the white-stone sarcophagus as experts explained the discovery.

Dmitry Donskoy died in 1389 at the age of 39 after ruling the principalities of Muscovy and Vladimir. He is remembered for expanding Muscovy’s territory, overseeing the construction of the first stone Kremlin fortress and defeating Mongol forces in the 1380 Battle of Kulikovo, a major event in Russian history.

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A Moscow court has ordered the arrest in absentia of Zhanna Nemtsova, the daughter of slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, over her involvement with an organisation that Russia has designated as “undesirable.” Nemtsova, who has lived outside Russia since 2015, co-founded the Germany-based Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom, which was banned in Russia in 2024.

Responding to the ruling, Nemtsova dismissed the court’s decision in a social media post, noting that the foundation operates legally from Germany. Under Russian law, participation in or support for organisations labelled “undesirable” can result in prison sentences.

Boris Nemtsov, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, was assassinated near the Kremlin in 2015. Although five men were convicted for carrying out the killing in 2017, his supporters have long argued that those who planned and ordered the murder have never been brought to justice.

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A growing campaign to protect Moscow’s historic Elektrozavod factory from redevelopment has gained significant public support, with more than 21,000 people signing petitions to preserve the iconic Soviet-era industrial landmark. The neo-Gothic brick complex, known for its distinctive architecture and colorful mosaics, has stood in eastern Moscow for over a century but has remained vacant since a fire in early 2025.

Campaign organizers argue that replacing the site with high-rise buildings would erase an important part of the city’s industrial and cultural heritage. Historians and preservation advocates say the factory once employed around 23,000 workers and played a vital role in Soviet industry, producing electrical equipment, including lamps used for the Kremlin’s famous red stars.

The developer behind the project has stated that it plans to retain the factory’s historic facades while integrating them into a modern urban development. However, campaigners remain skeptical, citing concerns over recent changes to heritage protection laws that they believe could make it easier for historic sites to lose protected status and face redevelopment.

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Fuel shortages are spreading across Russia as Ukrainian drone attacks continue to disrupt refinery operations and fuel supply chains. What began as shortages in Russian-annexed Crimea has now extended to parts of southern Russia and even Moscow, with long queues, temporary fuel station closures and purchase restrictions reported in several regions. President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the disruptions, saying the government is working to address the situation.

In Crimea, authorities have suspended fuel sales to private motorists and reduced operating hours for public transport and businesses. In Sevastopol, limited fuel sales triggered long queues, while prices surged to nearly three times their normal levels. Similar shortages have emerged in Rostov-on-Don, where some petrol stations have run out of fuel, affecting residents and businesses that rely on regular supplies.

Although major fuel retailers in Moscow have largely kept prices stable, some privately owned stations have increased prices by more than 10%, and queues have appeared at several locations. The widening shortages highlight the growing impact of Ukraine’s strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure, as the conflict increasingly affects daily life far beyond the front lines.

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Russian nationalist hardliners are urging President Vladimir Putin to intensify the war in Ukraine and abandon U.S.-mediated peace efforts following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes deep inside Russian territory. The renewed calls come after attacks targeting Moscow, St. Petersburg, Crimea and other locations, prompting demands for stronger military action.

Some pro-war commentators have called for expanded strikes on Kyiv, the targeting of Ukrainian leadership and critical infrastructure, and even the abandonment of diplomatic negotiations. While some of the rhetoric includes extreme proposals, analysts say it reflects growing concern within nationalist circles over Ukraine’s ability to carry out long-range attacks and the effectiveness of Russia’s current strategy.

Despite the pressure, the Kremlin has so far resisted calls to end negotiations or adopt the most aggressive measures. Russian officials have expressed frustration over stalled U.S.-brokered peace efforts, but President Putin continues to signal confidence in Russia’s military campaign while leaving the door open for a potential diplomatic solution alongside ongoing battlefield operations.

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Russia has demanded an explanation from Apple after several applications linked to Russian technology company VK were removed from the App Store without prior notice. VK, which operates popular social media, messaging, video, email, and educational platforms, said the company is not subject to U.S. sanctions and described Apple’s decision as unfair and unacceptable for millions of Russian users.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian authorities would formally seek clarification from Apple and warned that Moscow could reconsider future cooperation with the company if satisfactory answers are not provided. He also suggested that affected users could switch to Android devices, where VK’s applications remain available.

The dispute comes amid Russia’s broader effort to reduce reliance on Western technology platforms since the Ukraine conflict began in 2022. Moscow has increasingly promoted domestic digital services, including VK’s state-backed MAX messenger, while strengthening control over the country’s online ecosystem. VK remains one of Russia’s largest internet companies, with millions of daily users across its social media and video platforms.

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A major Ukrainian drone attack on the Moscow region has brought the realities of the war closer to Russia’s capital, striking an oil refinery and causing visible disruption across parts of the city. Thick black smoke rose over the skyline following the attack, while reports indicated that residential buildings and commercial properties were also affected. Local authorities said an eight-year-old girl was killed in a fire linked to the strikes.

The attack is being described as one of the largest aerial assaults on the Moscow region since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While many residents have grown accustomed to periodic drone attacks and security incidents, the strike underscored the increasing reach of the conflict into Russian territory. Some residents expressed shock at the scale of the attack, while others viewed it as part of a new normal created by the prolonged war.

Russian officials and state media sought to downplay the impact, emphasizing that Russia’s military operations in Ukraine remain more extensive and effective. However, repeated attacks on energy infrastructure, including oil facilities, have raised concerns about economic pressure, fuel shortages, and rising costs. Despite the growing frequency of such incidents, the Kremlin has signalled no change in its military strategy and remains committed to continuing the conflict.

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A massive Ukrainian air assault involving nearly 200 drones targeted the Russian capital, triggering a major fire at the Kapotnya oil refinery and prompting Moscow residents to report a fine, oily “black rain” coating their clothes and vehicles. The unprecedented strike, described as Kyiv’s largest drone offensive since the start of the full-scale war, wounded at least 17 people in the wider Moscow region, set ablaze a nearby shopping center, and forced the temporary closure of the city’s four major airports. While municipal authorities denied the existence of toxic fallout, the city’s official Telegram channels paradoxically warned vulnerable residents, the elderly, and families with children to urgently evacuate the affected southeastern districts and keep all windows tightly sealed.

The catastrophic bombardment caused massive explosions at the refinery—marking its third strike this month—with verified footage capturing the dramatic moment an oil silo roof was blown dozens of meters into the air. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky explicitly framed the operation as direct retaliation for a recent devastating Russian attack on Kyiv that desecrated the historic Pechersk Lavra monastery, warning, “If Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn too.” In response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov threatened immediate, mass-scale military reprisals, while Russia’s defense ministry claimed to have intercepted nearly 1,000 drones and four cruise missiles across the country over a 24-hour window, including an attack in the Rostov region that left one person dead.

The sophisticated multi-wave assault bypassed extensive anti-air networks by utilizing hundreds of reconnaissance decoy drones to exhaust local defenses before the primary explosive payloads struck. The scale of the breach has raised serious domestic questions regarding the defense capabilities protecting Russia’s most critical infrastructure, shattering the illusion of safety for ordinary Muscovites living 500 kilometers from the border. As the war of attrition intensifies, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha addressed the panic on social media, telling bewildered Moscow residents that the strikes are the direct consequence of their state’s ongoing aggression and urging them to demand an end to the conflict from Vladimir Putin.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that the conflict in Ukraine could be approaching an end, saying after Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow that the “special military operation” was “coming to an end.” During his speech, Putin criticised Western nations for continuing to support and arm Ukraine, accusing Nato countries of fuelling the conflict. The annual Red Square parade was notably scaled back this year, with no tanks or heavy military hardware displayed amid fears of possible Ukrainian attacks.

Putin also indicated he would only agree to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once a long-term peace agreement had been finalised. He said negotiations could take place in a third country and mentioned former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as his preferred negotiating partner for broader European security discussions. Meanwhile, European leaders have hinted at possible future talks with Moscow, with EU officials saying there may be potential for negotiations at the right moment.

Although a US-brokered temporary ceasefire reduced tensions during the Victory Day celebrations, both Russia and Ukraine later accused each other of violating the truce through drone strikes and artillery attacks. The two sides have agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each, but Moscow claims it has yet to receive confirmation from Kyiv. The conflict, which began with Russia’s seizure of Crimea in 2014 and escalated into a full-scale invasion in 2022, continues despite renewed diplomatic signals.

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Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating a two-day ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin during celebrations marking the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. Moscow claimed Ukrainian drones and artillery targeted Russian regions including Belgorod, Kursk, Moscow, and Perm, while Kyiv said Russian forces continued overnight strikes on Ukrainian positions despite the truce announcement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the limited holiday ceasefire and instead called for an indefinite truce, accusing Russia of making no real attempt to stop fighting. Russia warned that any disruption to Saturday’s Victory Day parade in Moscow would trigger a major missile response against Kyiv, while security around the Kremlin and Red Square has been significantly tightened ahead of the event.

The war, now in its fifth year since Russia’s 2022 invasion, continues with no breakthrough in peace talks. Russia currently controls nearly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, though advances have slowed this year. Moscow is using the WW2 Victory Day celebrations to rally public support, but rising security concerns and disruptions across the capital reflect growing tensions as both sides continue heavy drone, missile, and artillery attacks.

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