Putin ‘can smell' Trump admin's ‘defeatism' over stalled Ukraine peace talks: Rep. Auchincloss
Ukrainian officials claim Russia violated an Easter truce multiple times Sunday, despite Russian President Putin suspending military operations in Ukraine over the weekend. Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) joins Christina Ruffini to discuss the Trump administration's peace negotiations between the two nations, cuts to Social Security, and more.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
US teacher seized by Russia is located in prison
Hubbard, 73, was accused of manning a checkpoint and fighting for Ukraine, and then convicted by Russia of being a mercenary in October and sentenced to almost seven years in a penal colony. After that, Hubbard's family was not able to find him in Russia's prison system. In a highly unusual move, the Russian judge removed his case file, including even basic information like his lawyer's name, from public view. Advertisement Documents reviewed by The New York Times show that Hubbard is being held in the IK-12 penal colony in Mordovia, the southwestern Russian region commonly referred to as 'prison land.' In addition, sentencing documents reviewed by the Times, which have not been previously reported, outline the Russian case against Hubbard and its contention that he was fighting for Ukraine. Recent interviews with one of Hubbard's sons and others, as well as text messages he exchanged with that son, contradict the Russian narrative. Advertisement Martin De Luca, a lawyer for Hubbard, said his team had talked to him three times since April. On May 28, Hubbard was allowed to call another son, who lives in Cyprus, according to De Luca and Hubbard's sister. 'He's had a rough 3½ years,' De Luca said. Ukrainian prisoners of war who were held with Hubbard told the Times that he had been repeatedly tortured because he was an American — beaten, forced to stand all day, given little food and poor medical care. In interviews after being released, the Ukrainians said they feared for his life. He is the only American known to have been taken from Ukraine and then jailed in Russia. Russia's Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. So far, the Russian government has made no official statement on Hubbard. US officials have raised Hubbard's imprisonment with Russian officials and asked that he be immediately released, a US official recently said. The US Embassy in Moscow has not been granted access to Hubbard, the official said, despite Russia's obligation under international law to do so. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations. In a May 19 phone call, President Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia discussed a new potential prisoner exchange, according to Russian news agencies citing Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin aide. Ushakov told reporters that the two leaders had agreed to prepare a humanitarian prisoner exchange of nine people from each side, calling it 'an important humanitarian action.' The United States has accused Russia of inflating and inventing criminal charges against Americans so they can be traded for Russians held elsewhere or used as international bargaining chips. Advertisement Hubbard grew up in Michigan, served in the Air Force in California, married young, and later divorced. He then married a Japanese woman he met in Washington state and moved to Japan, where he taught English. Eventually, the couple divorced. In 2012, Hubbard retired to Cyprus, the home of Joseph Coleman, a son from his first marriage. That is where Hubbard met a Ukrainian woman named Inna, following her to the eastern city of Izium. He earned money by teaching English to a few Japanese students online. Hubbard was alone at home when the Russians launched their Feb. 24, 2022, full-scale invasion. 'He was, in hindsight, too optimistic, I suppose,' said Hisashi Tanaka, 36, Hubbard's son from his second marriage, in a recent interview. 'He was going to wait it out. He thought he wouldn't get into too much trouble considering his age and being a civilian.' The day the war started, Hubbard didn't seem to be initially aware of what was happening, his son said. 'Don't get caught in the crossfires!' Tanaka, who lives in Japan, wrote him on Skype. 'I suppose that I should read the news,' responded Hubbard, who had just celebrated his 70th birthday. 'It is peaceful here, so far.' The Russians say Hubbard signed up the next day for the regional territorial defense unit at a recruitment center at a kindergarten in Izium to earn at least $1,000 a month, according to the sentencing documents reviewed by the Times. The documents claim Hubbard told recruiters he felt healthier than many younger people. 'In fact, Hubbard looked sporty and very fit for his age,' the documents say. Advertisement The Russians said Hubbard was then trained in combat and how to handle weapons and explosive devices. The documents say he was given the call signs — nicknames — 'Samurai' and 'Ninja,' and that he manned a checkpoint on a bridge over a river. The Russians also contend that Hubbard stopped working for the territorial defense unit after a few weeks because he feared for his life and that they arrested him inside the home of an acquaintance in April 2022. But messages between Hubbard and Tanaka in Japan, first on Skype and then through texts on the phones of acquaintances of Hubbard, show no evidence of Hubbard signing up for the military. He repeatedly told his son that all was well.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine war latest: Russia carries out one of largest attacks against Kyiv; second group of Ukrainian POWs comes back home under Istanbul deal
Key developments on June 10: In one of largest attacks on Ukraine's capital, Russian barrage hits Kyiv, Odesa, kills 3, injures 12 Ukraine, Russia conduct second prisoner swap under Istanbul deal Russia significantly improved North Korea's shoddy KN-23 ballistic missiles, Ukraine's Budanov says EU unveils 18th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting energy, banking, oil Over 40% of Ukrainians willing to compromise on 'de facto' recognition of Russian occupation for peace, poll shows Kyiv and Odesa came under another mass Russian attack in the early hours of June 10, involving ballistic missiles and drones. Russia launched 315 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, as well as two North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles and five Iskander-K cruise missiles, primarily targeting Kyiv, the Air Force reported. Ukrainian air defenses shot down all seven missiles and 213 attack drones. According to the statement, 64 drones disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare systems. A woman was killed and four other people were injured in Kyiv, according to local authorities. Meanwhile, in the southern city of Odesa, two men were killed and at least eight civilians were wounded in the attack. One more person suffered shock during the attack on Odesa, authorities reported. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the attack was one of the largest on Kyiv during the full-scale war. "Russian missile and Shahed strikes drown out the efforts of the United States and others around the world to force Russia into peace," he wrote on X. "For yet another night, instead of a ceasefire, there were massive strikes with Shahed drones, cruise and ballistic missiles." Read also: 'We love our country' — As Russia steps up its attacks, Kyiv residents choose to stay According to Culture Minister Mykola Tochytskyi, the strike also damaged St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. The UNESCO World Heritage site, dating back to the 11th century, is one of Ukraine's most significant religious and cultural landmarks. The management of St. Sophia Cathedral has informed UNESCO about the damage caused to the historic site by a recent Russian airstrike, according to the reserve's general director, Nelia Kukovalska. Speaking to Suspilne, she said that the blast wave damaged the cornice of the cathedral's central apse. In Odesa, a film studio and medical facilities, including a maternity hospital, were damaged. A Russian attack caused damage to a maternity hospital in Odesa. At the time of the attack, 85 adults and 22 children were inside, but no staff or patients were injured as everyone was in the shelter, facility director Iryna Golovatyuk-Yuzefpolskaya told Suspilne. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us Ukraine and Russia carried out another prisoner exchange on June 10, concluding the second phase of an agreement reached during the most recent round of peace talks in Istanbul, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced. "We continue the return of our people, as agreed in Istanbul," Zelensky wrote on X, confirming the exchange without immediately disclosing the number of returnees. "Today marks the first stage of the return of our injured and severely wounded warriors from Russian captivity. All of them require immediate medical attention. This is an important humanitarian act," he added. The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said the second group of released prisoners includes personnel from Ukraine's Navy, Ground Forces, National Guard, Unmanned Systems Forces, Air Assault Forces, Border Guard Service, Territorial Defense, and State Special Transport Service. Ukraine managed to release officers, soldiers, and non-commissioned officers. Among the freed Ukrainian soldiers are those who are seriously ill, as well as those who defended the city of Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast and spent more than three years in captivity. "All of the defenders released today have severe injuries and serious illnesses: amputated limbs, vision problems, abscesses, infections, trauma, shrapnel wounds, and chronic diseases. Some of the liberated have been diagnosed with hepatitis and tuberculosis," the headquarters' statement read. The Russian Defense Ministry also said that it had received a second group of Russian prisoners of war who are now in Belarus. Moscow did not disclose the exchange details or the number of returnees. The swap marks the second stage of the deal negotiated during the June 2 negotiations in Turkey — the second direct peace dialogue between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022. Russia helped significantly improve North Korea's KN-23 ballistic missiles, also known as Hwasong-11, after receiving the first inaccurate batch from Pyongyang, Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) chief, said in an interview with The War Zone published on June 9. North Korea has supplied Russia with ammunition, ballistic missiles, and soldiers since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. KN-23 ballistic missiles initially flew with a deviation of a few kilometers and around half fired at Ukraine by Russia malfunctioned and exploded in mid-air, Reuters reported in May 2024, citing Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office. But now they are hitting their targets, Budanov said, without specifying what exactly was changed in the North Korean missiles. "The KN-23 missiles that were delivered in the very beginning, now it's an absolutely different missile in (terms) of their technical characteristics. The accuracy has increased many times," Budanov said. "This is the result of the common work of Russian and North Korean specialists. Also, there is the modernization of long-range air-to-air missiles, particular technologies on submarines, and unfortunately, ballistic missiles, which can carry nuclear payloads," he added. According to Budanov, Russia has also agreed to help North Korea begin domestic production of Shahed-type kamikaze drones. Pyongyang has ratcheted up its support for Russia following Russian President Vladimir Putin's signing of a mutual defense pact with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June 2024. Read also: As Russia inches closer to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, new Ukrainian region might soon be at war The 18th package of European Union sanctions against Russia will include additional restrictions on energy, banking, oil, and other areas, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on June 10. After the 17th package of sanctions against Russia came into effect on May 20, Ukraine's allies announced that the next package of restrictions was already in the works, after Moscow repeatedly refused to accept a ceasefire. Russian troops also continue to advance slowly along the front line, approaching Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and moving deeper into Sumy Oblast. "Russia's goal is not peace," von der Leyen said. "Strength is the only language that Russia will understand." The EU has proposed for the first time a ban on transactions involving the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, as well as a reduction in the oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel, as one-third of Russia's government revenue still comes from oil exports, according to von der Leyen. Von der Leyen added that the amendments to the oil price cap are a Group of Seven (G7) coalition measure, so it will be discussed at the G7 summit to be held on June 15-17 in Kananaskis County, located in the western province of Alberta, Canada. The EU will also add 77 more shadow fleet vessels to comply with the cap to prevent Russia from circumventing sanctions and propose imposing a ban on imports of petroleum products made from Russian oil. Another part of the sanctions will be aimed at the Russian banking sector, with the EU wanting to add 22 more Russian banks to the list of those who can no longer use the SWIFT international system. The EU also proposes to extend the ban on transactions to financial operators in third countries that finance trade with Russia, bypassing sanctions, and to impose limitations on the Russian Direct Investment Fund, its subsidiaries, and investment projects. Further EU restrictive measures will include a ban on exports worth more than 2.5 billion euros ($2.8 billion), which must deprive the Russian economy of critical technologies and industrial goods, von der Leyen said. Machinery, metals, plastics, and chemicals used as raw materials for industry, as well as dual-use goods involved in the production of weapons and drones, will be affected, according to von der Leyen. The European Commission President also emphasized that the EU wants its sanctions to be more effective. Thus, the EU would list another 22 Russian and foreign companies, including those from China and Belarus, providing direct or indirect support to Russia's military and industrial complex. These additions will bring the total number of sanctioned companies to over 800. EU countries will start debating the proposal this week. Read also: Key to Russia's defeat lies in its economy Some 48% of Ukrainians "categorically" oppose even a de facto recognition of Russian control of the occupied Ukrainian territories to achieve peace, according to a poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) published on June 10. In turn, 43% of respondents said they would be willing to make the concession to reach a peace deal with Moscow, provided it does not include a formal, or de jure, recognition of the Russian control. The news comes as Russia continues to push for territorial concessions from Ukraine as part of the ongoing peace talks. The survey suggests that Ukrainians are even less ready to accept a de jure recognition of the Russian occupation – 68% of respondents said they are categorically against such a step, while 24% were open to it if it leads to peace. The strongest opposition – 78% – was against handing over control of Ukrainian territories that Russia does not currently occupy. Only 15% of respondents were willing to make that compromise. Russia currently occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine's territory. This includes the whole of Crimea occupied in 2014 and large parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. Moscow illegally declared the annexation of the latter four regions in 2022 and insists on Ukraine's full withdrawal from them as part of a peace deal, even though it does not control them completely. The Kremlin is also pushing for a formal recognition of its hold over Ukrainian territories. While U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly signalled a willingness to U.S. recognition of the Russian occupation of Crimea, Ukraine has rejected the step, as well as its withdrawal from the territory it currently holds. The poll revealed that public opinion on territorial concessions has remained relatively stable over the past months. When asked whether Ukraine should give up territories to achieve peace — without specifying a de facto or de jure recognition of the Russian occupation — 52% said Ukraine should not take the step under "any circumstances." In comparison, 38% of respondents backed the compromise. These are almost the same figures as in December 2024, when 51% were opposed to the concession, while 38% were open to it. "Our survey shows that the issue of territorial losses is extremely sensitive for Ukrainians and, in particular, how exactly 'territorial losses' are interpreted plays a significant role," said Anton Hrushetskyi, executive director of KIIS, in a statement. "At the same time, this means that (un)readiness for territorial losses can become the subject of manipulation and information campaigns against Ukraine." The poll was conducted between May 15 and June 3. It involved 2,004 adult residents of the Ukrainian-controlled territories who were interviewed by telephone. Only about 500 of them answered all four questions. Ukraine War Latest is put together by the Kyiv Independent news desk team, who keep you informed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you value our work and want to ensure we have the resources to continue, join the Kyiv Independent community. We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
AIM-9X Being Used By Ukraine's Drone Boats To Engage Russian Jets, Not AIM-9M
As part of a wide-ranging exclusive interview, Ukrainian Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov talked to The War Zone about his agency's game-changing drone boat campaign against Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF). These operations are ongoing. Ukraine just launched another unmanned surface vessel mission against Russian-held oil platforms in the northern Black Sea area. Budanov has also told us that Ukraine's drone boats are actually using the more advanced AIM-9X Sidewinder instead of legacy AIM-9Ms, as previously reported, to attack Russian aircraft. You can also check out the first part of our interview with Budanov, where we discussed exactly what North Korea is getting in exchange for its support of Russia's invasion here. Ukraine's drone boat campaign in the Black Sea has proven that a nation with nearly no remaining traditional navy but an array of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) can keep one of the world's largest sea services at bay. Over the course of the past three years, Ukraine's USVs have attacked Russian ports, ships and the Kerch Bridge. They have forced Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF) to avoid operating in the open waters of the northern Black Sea, and limit activities in other areas. The campaign began with kamikaze drone boats, laden with explosives and set out on one-way missions to hit Russian targets. Ukraine has since made a series of advancements, turning its USVs into reusable anti-aircraft platforms, first-person view (FPV) drone launchers and even gunboats. As we previously noted, Ukraine's early drone boat attacks on the BSF were a 'wakeup call' marking 'a new point in unmanned warfare.' The lessons of its ongoing campaign have been noted by the U.S. Navy, Cmdr. Michael Linn said In early May, we were the first to report that Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) used its new Magura V7 USV, armed with a pair of AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles, to shoot down a pair of Russian Su-30 Flanker fighters flying over the Black Sea. At the time, all indications were that this was the legacy AIM-9L/M model, which seemed strange — more on that in a moment. But now we know AIM-9Xs were actually used. The Su-30 downing followed GUR's claimed downing of a Russian Mi-8 Hip helicopter over the Black Sea in December using an adapted R-73 (AA-11 Archer) air-to-air missile fired from a Magura V5 USV, an earlier variant of the Magura V7. The latest example of these ongoing operations took place around the gas extraction towers in the Black Sea that Russia still holds and has been using as radar, drone signal repeater and general surveillance positions. Over the weekend, Ukrainian drone boats, some armed with FPV drones and machine guns, attacked one of those towers, according to Ukrainian and Russian sources. 'As soon as our specialists land on the tower (and they land specialists, whose qualifications are unique) – the enemy immediately begins to destroy them 'like in a shooting gallery,'' the Russian Romanov_92 Telegram channel wrote on Saturday. 'They shoot from afar with large-caliber machine guns (the [gas extraction tower] is essentially a container and there is nowhere to hide – everything is sewn up), and they also attack with [USVs] with FPV.' Romanov_92 posted video showing 'one of these Ukrainian Armed Forces [USVs] near the [gas extraction tower] in the FPV carrier version (under the black cover there are four FPVs, the launch principle is similar to how it was used 'on trucks').' You can see that video in the following posting on X. The Armed Forces of Ukraine used sea drones with machine guns and FPV against elite Russian units that landed on platforms in the Black Sea, Russian military officials whine — Malinda (@TreasChest) June 8, 2025 On the day the gas extraction tower attack was taking place, Budanov talked to TWZ about GUR's drone boat operations and the future of its fleet. The following questions and answers have been lightly edited for clarity. Q: We've talked about your drone boat campaign before. Can you talk about any new developments? A: Currently in the Black Sea, the enemy is using exclusively aviation and three, sometimes four, armored boats and nothing else. And I'm not taking into consideration [the rate of ships] from the Novorossiysk Naval Base to conduct shelling and go back. The fleet is fully blocked. And that thing that Russians previously joked about, that Ukraine has no fleet, at least only a few boats. Now they are faced with the same thing. So nominally, Russians have a fleet, but actually in the sea, you can see three and sometimes four armored boats. And these boats are used to deliver a duty shift to areas where they still have some occupied sea gas extraction towers, and also to evacuate personnel from these towers. And also a few times they tried to attack gas extraction towers, which are under our control, with FPV drones. The control of the Russian Federation, in the Black Sea is the use of aviation. But we are trying to counter this also. Q: How? A: Our Magura V7 recently downed aircraft, I think you know. (You can see that engagement in the video below.) World first: On May 2, 2025, the @DI_Ukraine special operations unit, in coordination with the Security Service of Ukraine and Defence Forces of Ukraine, eliminated a russian Su-30 fighter jet in the Black Sea. — Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) May 3, 2025 And yesterday [Friday, June 6], our Magura V7 attacked two Russian fighters in the Black Sea. So one of them was able to make a maneuver and to withdraw. And the second one we are currently [trying to find out if we damaged] it, or it was also withdrawn. Now we are trying to understand. Q: What kind of jets and what did the Magura's use to shoot at them? A: Yesterday, it was against two Su-30s. Q: What did they use to shoot at them? A: The missiles are the same [as the last time]. AIM-9X. The first aircraft we were not capable to damage or engage with, it was able to shoot flares and withdraw. And concerning the second jet, we are trying to understand, because we've heard on the radio that the pilot of this jet said that 'I'm being attacked' and then made a maneuver. But taking into account that it was the second missile from Magura and Magura started to withdraw, we don't know if the second jet was engaged or not. Right now we are trying to understand if this jet was down in the sea or not, because there was no communication with this aircraft anymore, but before we find any evidence of the destruction of this aircraft, I cannot tell you anything more. Q: Why use the AIM-9X instead of the R-73? What advantage does the Sidewinder have? A: The AIM-9x missile demonstrated better characteristics than the R-73 despite the fact that they have similar technical characteristics. We going to break away form the interview for a moment to address this discrepancy. From the first time we saw this configuration, we questioned why the AIM-9M would be used, considering its small field of view for locking on targets. The AIM-9X makes much more sense. The AIM-9Ms on the Magura-7 are loaded on aircraft-style launch rails that would be elevated before launch, but do not appear to provide any lateral traverse. This is significant since, as TWZ has pointed out previously, the M variant of the Sidewinder lacks the high-off-boresight (HOBS) capabilities of the aforementioned R-73. Missiles with HOBS engagement capability feature articulating seekers that make it easier for them to lock onto dynamic targets when loaded on a fixed launch rail. As such, the AIM-9M-armed Magura-7 looks as if it would have to be physically pointed relatively precisely in the direction and vertical angle of the target before launch. Meeting the parameters for a successful intercept from this platform could be very challenging, especially with the added factor of the drone boat bouncing up and down on the waves. Getting the targeted aircraft at the right height and distance to enter into the seeker's more limited viewing envelope wouldn't be that easy and it may require some amount of luck, at least based on the general launcher configuration we are seeing. The use of the AIM-9L/M was supported via evidence as it was seen in the only photos of this configuration of the drone boat. We continued to question the efficacy of this arrangement. Now we know that this was indeed not the case, and the AIM-9X was actually being employed. The AIM-9L/Ms were likely used for testing and for exhibition purposes. Now back to the interview. Q: Any other developments on the Magura line, in terms of drone launching, in terms of missiles, in terms of any other kind of offensive capabilities like machine guns? A: We already have Maguras with machine guns, and they are already working. And basically yesterday, a Magura with machine guns covered the operation of the Magura with missiles. Q: Can you provide more detail about the role of the Magura V7 with machine guns? A: Its task is to avoid the advance of, if such will happen, the advance of the enemy boats to the Maguras with missiles. Because we are having business with the four boats. That's why it's quite a good task for Magura. Q: How did your Magura V7s with FPV drones perform in the attack on the Black Sea gas extraction towers? A: We used it, but it did not have a good effect. The Russians used boats with FPV drones against us. Q: The Magura V7 is the seventh generation of your Magura line. Is there a Magura V8 on the way? A: Not yet. They do not exist, but it will be the next step. Q: What will it do? A: We will try to improve the command and control system, and we'll try to increase the speed of the drone. And besides, currently, we are working on the surface drone for signals intelligence. Q: Do you have underwater drones that you are working with or are under development? A: It's not with the underwater drones. It's not something that can be used, and we have different projects, but currently we're working on them. But it's not a drone that can be massively produced at the moment. They have a lot of problems. Q: What kind of problems? A: First of all, the command and control system. Ukraine's drone boat campaign and the advancements made by GUR are now serving as a roadmap for how relatively inexpensive uncrewed surface vessels can present credible threats to much larger, far costlier warships. The success of these operations are being watched by naval forces all around the world. Contact the author: howard@
