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☆ Russia ordered new defenses meant to stop its navy getting humiliated by Ukrainian drones
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's defense minister visited the HQ of Russia's troubled Black Sea Fleet. The Russian minister, Sergei Shoigu, announced plans meant to stop that happening again. AdvertisementRussia's defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, issued new orders on Monday meant to stop so many Russian ships from being sunk by Ukraine. Russia's Defence Ministry on Sunday announced that Shoigu had visited the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in occupied Crimea. Ukraine claims to have sunk or disabled around a third of Russia's fleet, which was once the Black Sea's dominant naval power.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, —, Shoigu, Sergei Kotov, Shoigu's Organizations: Service, Russia's Defence Ministry, Sunday, Sea Fleet, AFP Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimea, Russia, Sevastopol, Novorossiysk, US

☆ Kremlin tries to stifle war bloggers' 'hysteria' over Ukrainian offensives in Dnipro, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

However, Russian military bloggers said they're failing, per the Institute for the Study of War. AdvertisementThe Kremlin is struggling to stamp out Russian military bloggers' "hysteria" around Ukrainian offensives in the Dnipro River, according to war analysts. Shoigu's speech is likely intended to play down Russian military bloggers' fears about Russia's struggles on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, the Institute said. On Monday, a Russian milblogger called Two Majors on Telegram, posted a letter allegedly written by a Russian soldier. It said the lack of drones in the area meant Russian forces were moving more slowly and exposed them to Ukrainian strikes.

Persons: —, Sergei Shoigu, Russia's, Vladimir Putin, OGPU, Krynky, Serhiy Bratchuk, Ukraine's Espreso, Natalia Gumenyuk, Andriy Yermak, Su Organizations: for, Service, Institute, Novosti, Telegram, 1st Battalion, 35th Motorized Rifle Brigade, Ukrainian, Odesa's, Administration, AFP Locations: Dnipro, Kherson, Ukraine, Krynky, Censor.Net, Russian, Crimea, Russia, Donetsk

☆ Russia's using its elite paratroopers in an unusual way to hold the line, leaving the force 'airborne in name only,' war analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia is relying on its elite paratroopers, the VDV, to defend against Ukraine's counteroffensive. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia has turned to its elite paratroopers, the VDV Airborne Forces, to help defend against Ukraine's battlefield advances. As so-called "elite" Russian forces have taken losses, they have at times been backfilled with poorly-trained replacements, degrading the overall capability of the unit. Since those figures were released, VDV units have been transferred to support Moscow's defensive efforts in the face of Ukraine's pressing counteroffensive. The VDV is one of several elite units to suffer severe casualties during the war as Moscow has relied heavily on them.

Persons: —, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Gen, Mikhail Teplinsky Organizations: Ukraine's, Service, VDV Airborne Forces, Russian, Institute for, Victory, Russian MoD, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Paratroopers, Rifle Brigade, 155th Naval Infantry Brigade Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Washington, Russian, Alabino, Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Kherson, Luhansk, Kyiv

☆ With Putin and Kim Jong Un set to meet, the West fears what Russia and North Korea are planning
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Alexander Zemlianichenko | Pool | APThe leaders of North Korea and Russia are scheduled to meet this week, with deepening military, economic and geopolitical cooperation on the official agenda. There are also fears about what Moscow might offer the economically isolated and heavily sanctioned North Korea in return. A fire assault drill by North Korean rocket artillery units at an undisclosed location in North Korea in March 2023 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). For their part, Russia and North Korea have both denied claims of alleged arms dealing.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Kim Yong Un, Putin, Pat Ryder, Edward Howell, Kim Jong Un, Kim Ju, Howell, scot, Dmitry Peskov, Kim, Peskov, It's, —, Pyongyang's, Jung Yeon, Victor Cha, Andrius Tursa, Sergei Shoigu's, John Kirby, Wagner, Vladimir Putin grimaces Organizations: White, North, Pentagon, Ukraine, North Korean, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, UN, North Korea —, Oxford University, CNBC, North Korea's Central News Agency, Kcna, Nuclear Weapons, UN Security Council, Kremlin, Getty, Eastern Economic, U.S, U.S . National Security, Zvezda Shipbuilding, Bolshoi Kamen Locations: Vladivostok, Russia, North Korea, Russian, Korea, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Moscow, Korean, Pakistan, Syria, Libya, North Korea's, London, Washington, Japan, South Korea, U.S, Bolshoi

☆ Russia-North Korea arms talks are ‘actively advancing,’ U.S. warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Abigail Williams | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea in late July for the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, celebrated in North Korea as "Victory Day." Arms negotiations between North Korea and Russia are "actively advancing," the United States said Wednesday, citing new intelligence. "And of course, we'll take action directly by exposing and sanctioning individuals and entities working to facilitate arms deals between these two countries." Any arms deal between North Korea and Russia would directly violate a number of United Nations Security Council resolutions. The Treasury Department announced new sanctions earlier this month targeting three entities tied to a network trying to support arms deals between the two countries and avoid U.S. sanctions.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Sergei Shoigu's, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, John Kirby, Kirby, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: Russian, North, National Security, Democratic People's, United Nations, Treasury Department, U.S Locations: North Korea, Russia, United States, Washington, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Russian, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, U.S, Moscow, South Korea

☆ Putin and Kim Jong Un have been trading letters as secret talks on getting North Korean weapons into Russia's hands are 'actively advancing,' White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea are "advancing," a White House official said. Several months later, the White House disclosed that Russia had gone as far as to offer food to impoverished North Korea in exchange for military aid. He asserted that the US will take action by sanctioning individuals and entities "working to facilitate arms deals between these two countries." The Biden administration's new warning about Russia's quest for military support on Wednesday comes as Ukrainian forces continue to make slow and steady territorial gains amid their grueling counteroffensive in the eastern and southern regions. Despite criticism and concerns from some in the West about Ukraine's progress, Washington and its NATO allies have asserted their commitment to providing Kyiv with military support.

Persons: Putin, Kim Jong Un, Sergei Shoigu, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, John Kirby, Shoigu's, Kirby, Biden, Washington, We're, Bram Janssen, Janet Yellen Organizations: White, Service, Russia, Defense, Artillery, North, National Security, DPRK, Democratic People's, Russia's, Russian, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, US, Wagner Group, Kremlin, White House, United Nations, AP, US Treasury Department, Slovakian, NATO, Pentagon Locations: Russia, North Korea, Wall, Silicon, Russia North Korea, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Pyongyang, North Korean, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, DPRK, Washington

☆ Russian defence minister Shoigu visits troops in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu inspects a Swedish CV-90 infantry fighting vehicle, that was abandoned by Ukrainian soldiers after being hit by a hand-held anti-tank grenade, at the frontline headquarters of the "Centre" army group involved in Russia-Ukraine conflict, at an unknown... Read moreAug 4 (Reuters) - Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu has visited the frontline headquarters of the "Centre" army group involved in the Ukrainian conflict, Russian news agencies cited the defence ministry as saying on Friday. Shoigu was briefed by a group commander and thanked officers and troops for "conducting successful operations" near Lyman, Interfax reported. The report was in line with Russian efforts to play down the effectiveness of weapons and equipment that NATO members and other Western countries have supplied to Ukraine. Shoigu's trip came days after a visit to the front line by General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff and overall commander of Russia's war effort in Ukraine. Reporting by Reuters; editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Read, Shoigu, General Valery Gerasimov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Robert Birsel Organizations: Russian Defence, NATO, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Swedish, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Lyman, Shoigu's

☆ Kim Jong Un has plastered his walls with bizarre, giant portraits of Putin, images from North Korean state media reveal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Photos released by North Korean state media show Kim Jong Un's huge portraits of Vladimir Putin. The images show the leader giving Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu a personal tour. The portraits were visible as the North Korean leader gave a personal tour to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. In the bizarre images, Kim and Shoigu can be seen walking down a corridor while huge portraits of Putin and Kim loom over them from either side. Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attends a reception for the Russian military delegation hosted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on July 27, 2023.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Putin, Simon Miles, Miles, Biden Organizations: North, Russian, Service, North Korean, Russian Defense, Central Committee of, Workers ' Party, Daily, Russia's, Reuters, Mail, Korean Central News Agency, Associated Press, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, AP Locations: North Korean, Wall, Silicon, Pyongyang, Vladivostok, Russia, North Korea, Soviet, North Koreans, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian

The widely anticipated parade in the capital on Thursday night commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, celebrated in North Korea as "Victory Day". Kim, Shoigu and Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong talked, laughed and saluted as North Korean troops marched and weapons rolled below, photos released by North Korean state media showed. Kim hosted a reception and had a luncheon with Shoigu, where the North Korean leader vowed solidarity with the Russian people and its military. Shoigu praised the North Korean military as the strongest in the world, and the two discussed strategic security and defence cooperation, KCNA said. North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions for its missile and nuclear programs since 2006.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Sergei Shoigu's, Kim, Li Hongzhong, Shoigu, KCNA, Vladimir Putin, Vedant Patel, Ankit, Panda, Kang Sun Nam, Leif, Eric Easley, Easley, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Hyunsu Yim, Josh Smith, Ed Davies, Lincoln, William Mallard Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Russian, United Nations Security Council, Communist Party, State Department, Carnegie Endowment, International, Defence, Ewha Womans University, . Security, Security Council, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, North Korean, Soviet Union, Beijing, Moscow, Korean, United States, PYONGYANG, MOSCOW, Shoigu, Russian, Ukraine, Washington, Russia, U.S, Korea, China, Seoul

☆ Putin can't fire his inept defense minister after the Wagner uprising, so he sent Sergei Shoigu to 'break bread and glad hand' in North Korea instead, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea this week. North Korea commemorates the national holiday as "Victory Day," even though the conflict ended in a stalemate. Still, the Russian visit to North Korea was an important one. North Korea is one of the few countries to publicly back Russia in the war in Ukraine. The country has denied engaging in arms transactions with Russia, but the White House said North Korea shipped weapons, including rockets and missiles, to Russia in November.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Shoigu, Russia's, Vladimir Putin's, Simon Miles, Miles, Yevgeny Prigozhin, castigating Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner, Prigozhin, Jong, —, He's, White Organizations: Russian, Russia, Service, North, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, Wagner Group, Jong Un, North Korean, Reuters Locations: North Korea, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Soviet, Russia, Belarus

☆ Biden jokes that if he were Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin he would be 'careful what I ate'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Biden made light of the situation that Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin now finds himself in. "If I were he, I would be careful what I ate," Biden saidGet the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. I don't know, I don't think any of us know for certain what the future of Prigozhin is in Russia," he said. "So, I don't know how to answer that question beyond that." "There is no possibility of him winning the war in Ukraine," Biden said during the news conference in Helsinki alongside Finnish President Sauli Niinistö.

Persons: Biden, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Joe Biden, We're, Prigozhin's, Putin, it's, Prigozhin's Wagner, Sergei Shoigu's, Sauli Niinistö Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Prigozhin, Russia's Defence, NATO, Ukraine, Finnish Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia, Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania, Helsinki

☆ Putin's embattled defense minister Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner mutiny that experts say is confusing and feels off
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian defense chief Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner Group's armed rebellion. Moscow published the video purportedly showing Shoigu in Ukraine, though its unclear when it was filmed. Some Russian milblogger channels have arrived at the same conclusion, that the video of Shoigu was older footage. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the notorious Wagner mercenary organization, has long criticized Moscow's military leadership over its handling of the war in Ukraine. Russia denied the allegations, but it didn't stop Prigozhin from openly encouraging his mercenaries to take up arms against the defense ministry in open rebellion.

Persons: Shoigu, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, —, Sergei Shoigu, General Yevgeny Nikiforov, Yevgeny Nikiforov's, Sergei Shoigu's, Jimmy Rushton, Mark Krutov, Yevgeny Nikiforov, I'm, Dara Massicot, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Valery Gerasimov, Russia's, Moscow's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Don, Stringer, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, he's, Antony Blinken, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Service, Russian Defense, Wagner Group, Russian Ministry of Defence, Twitter, Radio Free, Radio Liberty's, Russian Ministry of Defense, RAND Corporation, Prigozhin Press Service, Prigozhin Press, Associated Press, Don REUTERS, Stringer Western, ABC News, NATO, Ukraine Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty's Russia, Shoigu, Rostov, Don, Russia, Belarus, Ukrainian, Kyiv

☆ How Sergei Shoigu, Putin’s embattled one-time bestie, rose to the top of Russia’s military and survived the Wagner rebellion that called for his head
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Sophia Ankel | Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Shoigu was born in 1955 in the remote town of Chadan in Siberia. The Soviet Union was a world power and the Cold War just beginning. A man outside the former central temple for Buddhists of Tuva, near the settlement of Chadan, in Russia's Tuva region. Ilya Naymushin/ReutersThe town is close to the Mongolian border. Shoigu's mother was Russian but born in Ukraine, while his father was Tuvan — an ethnic group that is indigenous to Siberia.

Persons: Shoigu, Ilya Naymushin Organizations: Moscow Locations: Chadan, Siberia, Soviet, Tuva, Russia's Tuva, Mongolian, Russian, Ukraine

"Wagner will not sign any contracts with Shoigu," Prigozhin said in response to a request for comment on the matter. The defence ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The defence ministry said that in the interests of increasing the effectiveness of "volunteer detachments", all such units - or their men - would have to sign a contract with the defence ministry by July 1. It did not mention Wagner by name but it routinely refers to Wagner as "volunteer assault detachments". "These measures will increase the combat capabilities and effectiveness of the armed forces and their volunteer detachments," Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Pankov said.

Persons: Prigozhin, Wagner, Shoigu, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Staff Valery Gerasimov, WAGNER Prigozhin, Sergei Surovikin, Nikolai Pankov, Guy Faulconbridge, Jason Neely Organizations: MOSCOW, Defence, Staff, Shoigu, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, May, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, United States, Africa, Washington, Russia, Russian

☆ Top general tells Putin how Russia repelled major Ukrainian attack - defence ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, June 8 (Reuters) - The general in charge of Russia's troops in Ukraine has briefed President Vladimir Putin on how his forces repelled a large-scale Ukrainian attack in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, one of his subordinates said on Thursday. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said earlier on Thursday that Russian forces had withstood fierce overnight attempts by Ukrainian troops to break through the frontline in Zaporizhzhia and had inflicted heavy losses on them. Reuters could not independently verify Shoigu's battlefield account and there was no immediate comment on the situation from the Ukrainian defence ministry. Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff, had briefed Putin on the overnight battle on Thursday morning, Russian Colonel General Alexander Romanchuk said in a video clip released by the Defence Ministry. Romanchuk said attacking Ukrainian forces had run into serious problems in a Russian minefield, that Russia had used bombers to repel them, and alleged that Russian forces had destroyed three German-made Leopard tanks.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Putin, General Alexander Romanchuk, Romanchuk, Andrew Osborn Organizations: ., General Staff, Defence Ministry, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, Russia

☆ Russia's Shoigu says West 'stepping up' supplies to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 30 (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that the West was stepping up equipment and arms supplies to Kyiv ahead of what he said would be a "large-scale" Ukrainian offensive, and said Moscow would strike any supply routes it detected. Speaking on state television, Shoigu also said Russia was inflicting "effective fire damage on the enemy" and that the Western weapons would not change the outcome of Moscow's "special military operation" in Ukraine. He was speaking shortly after Ukraine launched its biggest ever drone attack on Moscow, though Shoigu's ministry said Russian air defences had destroyed all eight of the drones. A Ukrainian presidential aide denied Kyiv was directly involved in Tuesday's attack on Moscow, but said Ukraine was enjoying watching events and forecast more to come. Ukraine has signalled it will soon embark on a long-anticipated "counter-offensive" backed with Western weapons to try and drive Russian occupiers from its territory.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Shoigu's, Vladimir Putin, Gareth Jones Organizations: Russian Defence, Kyiv, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Kyiv, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Russian defence chief keeps job despite Ukraine routs thanks to Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The Russian Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Shoigu or its own performance in Ukraine. Appointed defence minister in 2012, he is part of Putin's inner circle and has enjoyed hunting and fishing holidays with him in his native Siberia. The Russian army has been learning from its mistakes and successfully adapting, the source said. There's no escaping the poor performance of the Russian military". It was "inconceivable", said Jones, that a Western defence minister could have kept his job in such circumstances.

☆ Russia proposes 30% increase in size of armed forces
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

This was required "to guarantee the solving of problems related to Russia's military security", Shoigu told Putin at the televised event. He said 695,000 of the fighters should be professional contracted soldiers - as opposed to conscripts serving mandatory military service. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during an annual meeting of the Defence Ministry Board in Moscow, Russia, December 21, 2022. On Sept. 21 - the last time an official tally was shared publicly - Shoigu said 5,937 Russian soldiers had been killed there. Shoigu also proposed raising the age range for mandatory Russian military service to cover Russian citizens aged 21-30.

☆ How Sergei Shoigu went from Putin's wilderness bestie to the scapegoat for Russia's failures in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Factbox: Has Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The West says Russia has made repeated threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but what has President Vladimir Putin actually said on the possible use of nuclear weapons? The Kremlin chief said the West was plotting to destroy his country, engaging in "nuclear blackmail" by allegedly discussing the potential use of nuclear weapons against Moscow. And those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the weathervane can turn and point towards them," Putin said. Putin, the ultimate decision maker on any nuclear launch, has not publicly mentioned tactical nuclear weapons in relation to Ukraine. Russia's nuclear doctrine allows for a nuclear strike after "aggression against the Russian Federation with conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is threatened".

☆ Russia's baseless 'dirty bomb' claim is another ploy to spread fear and scare away Western support for Ukraine, Russia experts warn
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia baselessly claimed Ukraine is preparing to detonate a "dirty bomb" in its own territory. Ukraine also asked the UN's nuclear agency to send experts to inspect its nuclear facilities to prove Russia's "dirty bomb" accusations are false. A so-called dirty bomb, which is a type of radiological dispersal device, is a weapon that uses conventional explosives to spread radioactive material. Such weapons are nowhere near as dangerous as a nuclear bomb and are unlikely to cause mass casualties. There are also no documented cases of a dirty bomb attack.

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy: only Russia could use nuclear arms in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 23 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that only Russia was capable of using nuclear weapons in Europe. Zelenskiy criticised Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's suggestion in calls to Western counterparts that Ukraine might be preparing to use a "dirty bomb" in the current conflict -- a conventional weapon laced with nuclear materials. "If anyone can use nuclear weapons in this part of Europe -- it can be only one source -- and that source is the one that has ordered comrade Shoigu to telephone here or there," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video message. He said that Shoigu's "telephone carousel" made matters clear: "...Everyone understands full well. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ronald Popeski; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia's Shoigu holds second call with U.S. defense secretary in three days
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Kremlin via REUTERSOct 23 (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday for the second time in three days and held a flurry of calls with three other counterparts from NATO countries. Its readouts on the other calls said Shoigu had said the situation in Ukraine was worsening. "They discussed the situation in Ukraine which is rapidly deteriorating," the Russian defence ministry said of Shoigu's call with French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterShoigu spoke separately to Turkey's defence minister Hulusi Akar and Britain's Ben Wallace. With Russia reeling from successive defeats in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has said it would resort to nuclear weapons if necessary to defend its "territorial integrity".

☆ Russian roulette: Is Putin serious about nuclear war, or bluffing?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jason Corcoran | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

On Oct. 26, President Vladimir Putin appeared on Russian state television overseeing a practice run of Russia's strategic nuclear deterrence forces. The conflict has revived Cold War-era fears of nuclear war across the region. In August, a Ukrainian official said that 9,000 Ukrainian military personnel had been killed, though another source said the number could be far higher. (President Zelensky previously estimated that 30% of Ukraine's power stations have been damaged or destroyed, although the figure is now likely to be greater.) In a wide-ranging answer, Putin had offered, almost as an aside, that Russian victims of nuclear war "will go to heaven as martyrs" while Western citizens would perish without having "time to repent."

☆ Putin allies express concern over mobilisation 'excesses'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Governor of the Novgorod region Andrei Nikitin in the city of Veliky Novgorod, Russia, September 21, 2022. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoSept 25 (Reuters) - Russia's two most senior lawmakers on Sunday addressed a string of complaints about Russia's mobilisation drive, ordering regional officials to get a handle on the situation and swiftly solve the "excesses" that have stoked public anger. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterRussia's top two parliamentarians, both close Putin allies, explicitly addressed public anger at the way the mobilisation drive was unfolding. Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, Russia's lower chamber, also expressed concern in a separate post. The Kremlin has twice denied it actually plans to draft more than one million, following two separate reports in independent Russian media outlets.

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