Ex-Ukraine presidential adviser shot dead in Madrid
Live outside a school in Madrid following reports that former pro-Russian Ukrainian political advisor Andriy Portnov was shot dead this morning.Unidentified gunmen shot dead a former Ukrainian politician on Wednesday outside a school in a wealthy suburb of Madrid, Spain's Interior Ministry said. Andriy Portnov, 51, was previously a senior aide to a pro-Russian former Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovich, who was ousted in a 2014 popular uprising.
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Hindustan Times
6 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
A new paradigm in Russia-Ukraine war
On Sunday, Ukraine executed one of the most extraordinary asymmetric operations in modern military history. Using domestically built first-person-view (FPV) drones deployed from deep inside Russian territory, Kyiv launched a coordinated assault against several military airbases as far as eastern Siberia, the border with Mongolia, and the Arctic. Known as Operation Spiderweb, the attacks destroyed or severely damaged as many as 20 strategic aircraft, including nuclear-capable bombers and early-warning planes; Kyiv claims the true toll could reach 41. Only two days later, on Tuesday, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) struck again – this time detonating underwater explosives and damaging the Kerch Bridge, the critical rail and road artery connecting Russia to occupied Crimea. The combined message from Kyiv could not have been clearer: We may be far smaller and — on paper at least — weaker, but we can strike hard and reach far into Russia. Using drones produced indigenously for less than the cost of an iPhone, Ukraine took out strategic bombers worth upward of $100 million each — many of which are nearly impossible to replace due to sanctions and Russia's degraded industrial base. At a 300,000-to-one return on investment, this is the kind of asymmetric operation that can upend the rules of modern warfare. Just as significant as the material damage is what the attacks revealed: That a small but determined and innovative nation can deploy cheap, scalable, and decentralised tech to challenge a much larger, conventionally superior foe – and even degrade elements of a nuclear superpower's second-strike capacity. The lessons will reverberate globally, from Taipei to Islamabad. Perhaps the biggest impact of Ukraine's battlefield coup may be to challenge the core strategic presumption that has guided Vladimir Putin's thinking for over three years — that time is on his side. Since the invasion began, Putin has bet on outlasting Ukraine — grinding down its defences, draining Western support, and waiting for the political winds in Washington and Europe to shift. That assumption has underpinned his refusal to negotiate seriously. But the success of Ukraine's drone and sabotage operations challenges that theory of victory. It shows that Ukraine is not simply holding the line or surviving a war of attrition; it is shifting the battlefield and expanding the costs of continued war for Russia in ways the Kremlin has not anticipated. That shift matters, especially in the diplomatic context. The timing of the drone campaign — just 24 hours before a direct round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul — was hardly coincidental. Kyiv's actions were designed to signal that Ukraine is not negotiating from a position of weakness and won't be coerced into a bad deal. Though the Istanbul meeting itself was predictably fruitless — lasting just over an hour and reinforcing the irreconcilability of the two sides' positions— the fact that the Kremlin showed up fresh off such a high-profile embarrassment suggests it may be starting to realise that Ukraine has cards to play and continuing the war carries risks for Russia. This may not be enough to bring Russia to the negotiating table in good faith, but it could make it more open to limited agreements. To be sure, a permanent peace settlement remains as distant as ever. Kyiv continues to push for an unconditional ceasefire that Russia rejects out of hand. In Istanbul, Moscow proposed two equally unacceptable alternatives: Either Kyiv retreats from Russian-claimed territories or accepts limits on its ability to rearm, including a halt to Western military aid. But the right kind of pressure from the US, coordinated with European allies, could now stand a better chance of extracting a first-phase deal — whether that's a 30-day ceasefire, a humanitarian corridor, or a prisoner swap — that could then potentially turn into something bigger and more durable. At the same time, Ukraine's gains increase the tail risks of dangerous escalation. Russia's deterrent posture has been eroded. Putin's red lines – on Nato enlargement, Western weapons use, attacks inside Russia – have been crossed repeatedly without serious consequence. That makes him look weak but also increases the risk that he will feel compelled to escalate the conflict more dramatically to restore his credibility at home and abroad. Russia's immediate response to the recent attacks will be more of the same: heavier indiscriminate bombing of Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. But a darker possibility is that, boxed in and humiliated, Putin might consider a tactical nuclear strike. The threshold for such an extreme step is high — not least because China, Russia's most important global partner, strongly opposes nuclear use. That scenario remains unlikely, but less so than before June 1. And Putin is emboldened by the belief that the West — particularly Donald Trump's US — fears direct military confrontation more than anything. If he assesses that Russia's position in the war is becoming untenable or its conventional deterrence is crumbling, his calculus could change. Ukraine has just reminded the Kremlin — and the world — that it can shape events, not just react to them. This doesn't put it on a path to victory or bring the war to an end. But by showing that it has leverage and that Moscow has more to lose than it thought, Ukraine has altered the strategic equation and opened a narrow window for diplomacy — even if the endgame remains as elusive as ever. The alternative is a deeper and more unpredictable conflict that grows more dangerous the longer it drags on. Ian Bremmer is the founder and board president of Eurasia Group Foundation. The views expressed.
Time of India
9 minutes ago
- Time of India
Kremlin Reveals Date Of Putin's Revenge Attack On Kyiv Over Op Spiderweb
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russian military will respond to Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb at a time it deems appropriate. His comments came as Russian deputy foreign minister claimed that Russian bombers were not destroyed but damaged by Ukraine's drone blitz on June 1 and that they will be restored soon. Watch for more details.
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump's travel ban: After restricting entry of people from 19 nations, President says this country is next
US President Donald Trump has imposed a sweeping new travel ban affecting 19 countries and now even warned that Egypt could be added to the list next following a violent attack in Colorado involving an Egyptian national, as per a report. Donald Trump's Widespread Ban Targets 19 Nations In a video message posted by the president after the ban was announced, he said, "We don't want 'em," adding, "Very simply, we cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen," quoted Daily Mail. The new restrictions, set to take effect June 9, will ban or severely limit entry into the United States from countries where the screening and vetting capabilities are not up to the president's standards, which has put Egypt on high alert, according to the report. 12 Countries Face Full Travel Ban The order completely bans nationals from 12 countries from entering the US, which includes Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, reported Daily Mail. Partial Restrictions for 7 Others Seven more nations, like Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, will face partial travel bans, as per Daily Mail. Citizens of the countries will be partially restricted from travelling into the US, removing access to all immigrant visas and several non-immigrant travel options, according to the report. Egypt Under Close Watch Following Colorado Attack Trump also pointed to the recent Colorado incident, where an Egyptian national Mohamed Soliman allegedly threw a firebomb at pro-Israel demonstrators while staying in the US illegally, as per Daily Mail. Live Events Soliman, reportedly living in the United States with his wife and five children, who have overstayed their visa, as per the report. The president cited the Egyptian national's action as example of what happens when foreign nationals are not properly vetted. Trump said the "tragedy in Boulder underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted," quoted Daily Mail. He also highlighted that, "We've seen one terror attack after another from foreign visa overstayers... thanks to Biden's open door policies today there are millions and millions of these illegals who should not be in our country," as quoted in the report. Meanwhile, the US president has asked several of his top national security chiefs to investigate and decide if Egypt should also be added to the list of banned countries, reported Daily Mail. Security Chiefs Tasked with Reviewing Egypt's Screening Trump wrote in a proclamation, "In light of recent events, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, shall provide me an update to the review of the practices and procedures of Egypt," and added that he hopes their efforts will "confirm the adequacy of its current screening and vetting capabilities," quoted Daily Mail. FAQs Why is Trump banning people from these 19 countries? Trump says the countries don't have strong enough vetting processes, which could allow dangerous individuals to enter the US. Why is Egypt being considered for the ban now? An Egyptian national living illegally in the US allegedly carried out a violent attack in Colorado, raising concerns about Egypt's vetting procedures .
