Suspect in killing of Russian general claims he was paid by Ukraine, Russia says
A man suspected of killing a Russian general with a car bomb pleaded guilty to terrorism charges and said he was paid by the Ukrainian Security Service, Russian authorities said.
The Investigative Committee said Ignat Kuzin admitted he was paid to kill Lt Gen Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces.
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Lt Gen Moskalik was killed on Friday by a bomb in his car in Balashikha, just outside Moscow.
Ukrainian authorities did not comment on the attack, the second in four months targeting a top Russian military officer that Moscow has blamed on Ukraine amid the conflict between the neighbouring countries.
Lt Gen Igor Kirillov was killed on December 17 2024, when a bomb hidden on an electric scooter parked outside his apartment building exploded as he left for his office.
Ukraine's security agency acknowledged it was behind the attack.
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Kirillov was the chief of Russia's Radiation, Biological and Chemical Protection Forces, the special troops tasked with protecting the military from the enemy's use of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and ensuring operations in a contaminated environment. His assistant also died in the attack.
Kirillov was under sanctions from several countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada, for his actions in the fighting in Ukraine.
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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Putin's Ukraine war toll tops 1MILLION Russians dead & wounded 40 months into ‘days-long operation'…with no end in sight
With no end in sight and new offensives reportedly in the works, the number of dead and wounded is expected to keep rising MACHINE OF DEATH Putin's Ukraine war toll tops 1MILLION Russians dead & wounded 40 months into 'days-long operation'…with no end in sight Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PUTIN's battlefield casualties have soared past the bloody one million milestone after 40 months of a war he expected to win within days. Ukraine's fierce resistance has ensured Russia has paid a mighty toll for every inch of land it has taken, and its advances remain painfully slow. 6 Vladimir Putin has lost at least one million men in his bloody war with Ukraine Credit: AP 6 According to Ukraine's General Staff, a whopping 628,000 of those deaths took place in the last six months alone Credit: AP 6 The staggering milestone includes troops who have been killed or wounded so severely they cannot fight on. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, one million Russian military troops have been killed since February 24, 2022, with 628,000 of those deaths occurring in the last six months. Burning through a million troops has won Putin just 20 per cent of Ukraine's total territory - mainly in southern and eastern areas - which is a humiliating conversion rate. Despite the devastating losses which have already ripped a scar in Russian society, experts fear that Putin is likely unaffected by the numbers, because mass sacrifice is ingrained in his battle plan. Read more on Vladimir Putin VLAD'S MARCH WEST We know Russia is plotting to invade Nato, says Germany's MI6 spy boss Dr Stephen Hall, politics lecturer at the University of Bath, said that as far as the warmongering dictator is concerned, things are heading in the right direction, so he will keep on condemning young Russians to their deaths. He told The Sun: "Putin believes he's winning the war. The Russian army is moving forward like it or not. "He believes that he can outlast the West, that the West is weak." Russia's strategy, Dr Hall said, has been one of "meat assault". This relies on the logic that if you flood the front line with overwhelming numbers, "eventually some will get through". Dr Hall said Putin has learned this strategy from his ruthless Soviet predecessors in World War Two. Their idea was "ten men to every rifle", which meant: "You pick up the rifle of a fall soldier. You keep going, you get shot. You're next. Your buddy picks up your rifle. We know Russia is plotting to invade Nato – Ukraine is just the beginning for Putin, says head of Germany's MI6 "The Soviet army would eventually push through. So that remains the case in Russia." And that approach suits Putin just fine, because he "doesn't care about his men", Dr Hall said. He said the Russian people "know how to suffer", which allows the regime to continue with its meat-grinder tactics. The Kremlin also meets less resistance from the Russian people than a million losses should merit, because it simply lies to them, Dr Hall said. He said: "They're simply not going to be told, especially in the poorer areas where Russia is recruiting - like Buryatia and Bashkortostan and elsewhere." Dr Hall also explained why he has little faith in the peace negotiations bringing an end to the war any time soon. Even if Ukraine makes land concessions, Putin won't feel his goals are fulfilled. Dr Hall said: 'Putin has been very clear. They're not fighting Ukraine. Ukraine is the battleground. They're fighting the West.' "Ukraine has been forced to fight a war with two hands tied behind its back — a war that NATO would never fight." Dr Hall said Putin's hope is that "Ukraine will have to just accept whatever negotiations Russia is going to give [...] because the West is going to tide over this war, and the Russian military is going to keep on going forward." Even with the death toll climbing higher by the day — over 1,140 Russian soldiers killed or wounded just yesterday, according to Ukraine's military — Putin appears to be doubling down. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Russia's total personnel losses since the invasion began now stand at approximately 1,000,340. The tally includes not just dead soldiers but those so grievously wounded they can't return to the battlefield. 6 Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, have shown great strength and resilience in the battlefield as they protect their homeland from the Kremlin tyrant's troops Credit: Getty 6 Putin's men just clenched 20 per cent of Ukraine's total territory Credit: AFP 6 Ukrainian Army soldiers use a 105mm American M101 Howitzer artillery piece on Ukraines northeastern frontline with Russia Credit: Getty The bloody milestone comes as Putin calls for a major upgrade to Russia's ground forces, Ukrainian outlet Pravda reportas. The Kremlin tyrant declared them the 'dominant force' in modern warfare and demanding faster development of 'advanced weapons systems' with 'the highest tactical and technical specifications.' In a meeting on the state armaments programme, Putin also directed resources toward strengthening Russia's navy, further signalling his long-term military ambitions. British volunteer fighter Macer Gifford, who previously fought alongside Ukrainian units, said the million mark is a tragic reminder of just how far off course Russia has veered under Putin. 'It's another grim milestone in a war that's dragged on for too long,' he said. 'It's also a reminder that Vladimir Putin is a tragedy for Russia, as well as Ukraine. A million casualties is a horrifying figure to comprehend. 'There are millions of Russians who have now lost a loved one in Ukraine. 'Millions more have to deal with the physical and emotional injuries of the wounded. He added: 'Putin once compared himself to Peter the Great, but his legacy is now much closer to Stalin. 'The two men share many of the same delusions and a profound disregard for human life. 'Stalin once said, 'A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.' Since Putin has made no effort to end this war, it's clear he feels the same way.'
NBC News
6 hours ago
- NBC News
Trump speech at Fort Bragg prompts new questions, concerns about politicization of military
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Other Trump comments about the 'fake news media,' transgender people, protesters in California and flag-burning also drew boos from the uniformed military members in attendance. Trump is known for his rallies at which he goes after and pokes fun at political enemies and other issues, but typically he makes those remarks at political events, not on U.S. military bases. Such overt political activity on a base is the prerogative of the commander in chief. But military leaders would typically frown upon troops' reacting the way they did as inconsistent with military good order and discipline, and, according to one expert, it is a violation of military regulations found in the Uniform Code of Military Justice, or UCMJ. Presidents of both parties often use troops as political props and put them and their commanders in difficult positions by doing so, but Trump's speech took that to a new level, said Geoffrey DeWeese, a retired judge advocate general who is now an attorney with Mark S. Zaid PC. (Zaid has represented whistleblowers on both sides of the aisle, including one who filed a complaint about Trump's call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2019 that led to Trump's impeachment, and he was one of the people whose security clearances Trump revoked this year.) 'It's a sad tradition to use the military as a backdrop for political purposes,' DeWeese said. 'To actively attack another president or a sitting governor and incite the crowd to boo, that's a step in a dangerous direction, that really says we want to politicize the military, that sends a bad message.' DeWeese said there were likely to have been violations of the UCMJ. 'I would be cringing if I was a senior officer and it happened under my watch,' he said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said repeatedly that he wants to take politics out of the military by removing diversity, equity and inclusion programs and banning service by transgender service members. 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Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell also alleged in a statement that the media 'cheered on the Biden administration' and its policies regarding the Defense Department 'when they forced drag queen performances on military bases, promoted service members on the basis of race and sex in violation of federal law, and fired troops who refused an experimental vaccine.' 'Believe me, no one needs to be encouraged to boo the media,' Parnell said. 'Look no further than this query, which is nothing more than a disgraceful attempt to ruin the lives of young soldiers.' On Wednesday, Army officials at Fort Bragg addressed the sale of some MAGA merchandise at the event, which was planned in cooperation with a nonpartisan organization, American 250. 'The Army remains committed to its core values and apolitical service to the nation,' Col. Mary Ricks, a spokeswoman for the Army's 18th Airborne Corps at Bragg, said in a statement. 'The Army does not endorse political merchandise or the views it represents. The vendor's presence is under review to determine how it was permitted and to prevent similar circumstances in the future.' The Army's own new field manual, published recently, says the apolitical nature of being a U.S. soldier is what contributes to the public trust. The Army 'as an institution must be nonpartisan and appear so, too,' says the new field manual, 'The Army: A Primer to Our Profession of Arms.' 'Being nonpartisan means not favoring any specific political party or group. Nonpartisanship assures the public that our Army will always serve the Constitution and our people loyally and responsively.' U.S. troops can participate in political functions, just not while on duty or in uniform, the book says. 'As a private citizen you are encouraged to participate in our democratic process, but as a soldier you must be mindful of how your actions may affect the reputation and perceived trustworthiness of our Army as an institution,' it says.
Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Six members of Russian spy ring to have ‘too lenient' jail sentences reviewed
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SIX members of a Russian spy ring are to have their jail sentences reviewed for being too lenient, we can reveal. The Bulgarians — who lived and worked in the UK — plotted sex stings, and targeted Russian dissidents and journalists critical of President Vladimir Putin's war effort against Ukraine. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Russian Spy Vanya Gaberova was sentenced to eight years in jail Credit: Reuters 7 The operations was run out of a Great Yarmouth guesthouse Credit: PA The ring included lab worker Katrin Ivanova, 33, and beauty shop owner Vanya Gaberova, 30 — dubbed 'killer sexy brunettes' by cell leaders. Ivanova got nine years and eight months and Gaberova eight years. They were both found guilty in March of breaching the Official Secrets Act by conspiring to provide information useful to an enemy between August 2020 and February 2023. Ivanova also got a concurrent sentence of 15 months for forged ID documents. read more on russia BRAND OF EVIL Ukrainian PoW released in swap left with 'Glory to Russia' burned on his body All six got a total of more than 50 years last month. The Attorney General's Office has been asked to consider the sentences under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. The ULS scheme allows anyone to ask for a Crown Court sentence to be assessed by the Attorney General's office if they think it is too lenient. Law officers have 28 days from sentencing to make a decision. 7 Katrin Ivanova was sentenced to nine years and eight months Credit: Central News 7 Orlin Roussev ran the spy ring Credit: PA 7 Ivan Iliev Stoyanov was convicted of carrying out surveillance for Putin 7 Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev was also jailed for his part in the spy ring Credit: PA 7 Biser Dzhambazov was convicted as part of the ring Credit: PA Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
