Latest news with #Belaya
7NEWS
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Russian influencer Kristina Belaya dies after slipping in bathtub and hitting head
A young influencer has died after slipping in the bathtub and hitting her head. Russian reality TV star Kristina Belaya, 24, was found by her boyfriend lying unconscious in her bathroom on May 30. According to investigators, she was found with a head injury and bruising on her body but no signs of struggle were reported. It's believed Ms Belaya suffered a fatal head injury after falling as she was getting out of the tub. Ms Belaya's boyfriend also told police the bathtub was partially collapsed when he discovered her lifeless body. Ms Belaya gained 12,000 followers after appearing on a dating show called Dom-2. She left the series after meeting someone outside of the show. Her heartbroken fans have inundated her social media accounts with tributes. One person said: 'Life is such a fragile thing, today you're here, tomorrow you're gone. I feel so sorry for the girl. I feel sorry for the young.' Her friend Emma Pinachyan also paid tribute to her, saying she was a 'cheerful' person. 'Kristina was a very warm, radiant person, she never sat still, always came to the rescue in difficult times, she was a very cheerful girl, a good friend and daughter, we will all miss her very much,' Pinachyan told a local newspaper. It's understood police are still investigating her death but it's not believed to be suspicious.
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Influencer dies in freak bathtub accident
A young influencer has died after slipping in the bathtub and hitting her head. Russian reality TV star Kristina Belaya, 24, was found by her boyfriend lying unconscious in her bathroom on May 30. According to investigators, she was found with a head injury and bruising on her body but no signs of struggle were reported. It's believed Ms Belaya suffered a fatal head injury after falling as she was getting out of the tub. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Ms Belaya's boyfriend also told police the bathtub was partially collapsed when he discovered her lifeless body. Ms Belaya gained 12,000 followers after appearing on a dating show called Dom-2. She left the series after meeting someone outside of the show. Her heartbroken fans have inundated her social media accounts with tributes. One person said: 'Life is such a fragile thing, today you're here, tomorrow you're gone. I feel so sorry for the girl. I feel sorry for the young.' Her friend Emma Pinachyan also paid tribute to her, saying she was a 'cheerful' person. 'Kristina was a very warm, radiant person, she never sat still, always came to the rescue in difficult times, she was a very cheerful girl, a good friend and daughter, we will all miss her very much,' Pinachyan told a local newspaper. It's understood police are still investigating her death but it's not believed to be suspicious.
The Independent
02-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Inside Operation Spiderweb: Ukraine's drone triumph is a blow against Russia that will spook friend and foe alike
When the lorry stopped close to the Belaya airfield and the wooden sheds onboard opened their roofs to release a swarm of quadcopters over the weekend, warfare changed forever. The success of Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb, which destroyed more than 40 Russian bombers, will have caused delight and terror in the hearts of Kyiv's allies. The homegrown operation to hide drones in the false compartments of prefabricated sheds and unleash them simultaneously many thousands of miles apart, and many thousands of miles behind enemy lines, has clipped the wings of Vladimir Putin's strategic air operations. Ukraine claims that its SBU intelligence services destroyed 41 Russian aircraft doing $7 billion worth of damage to long range bombers that carried the cruise missiles Putin has been using against Ukraine. Videos of the attack on Belaya show aircraft bursting into flames as drones, which may have been autonomous or semi-autonomous, dived onto planes sitting on the Tarmac in a raid as daring at the first successful Special Air Service attack on the Italian airfield at Tamet in 1941 destroying 23 aircraft. But, aside from a handful of agents who were part of the 18 months it took to bring Operation Spiderweb to its conclusion, no commandos had to risk their lives to blow up Tu-95 Tu-22M3 bombers and Russian A-50 early warning spy planes. Kyiv said that the 41 aircraft attacked represented 34 per cent of the Kremlin's long range bomber capability. The operation involved assembling sheds with hidden compartments for the nests of drones, sneaking them onto lorries and in the case of the Belaya assault, driving the trucks more than 4,000km across the Russian Federation. The vehicles were then parked and the roofs of the sheds opened by remote control to release the drones which were flown onto their targets using the Russian mobile telephone network. Given that 117 drones were used in the four attacks it is unlikely they were all flown by human pilots, so it is likely that a form of artificial intelligence was used in the drone targeting system – although no Ukrainian officials have said as much. Operation Spiderweb came as Russia has drastically increased its air campaign against Ukraine using primitive Iranian-designed long range Shahed drones as well as ballistic and cruise missiles. The airfields hit were in Belaya in Irkutsk oblast (region), Siberia, Olenya in Murmansk oblast, Russia's extreme north-west Dyagilevo in central Ryazan oblast, Ivanovo in central Ivanovo oblast In conventional military doctrine, the destruction of so many strategic aircraft would form part of a multi-million dollar operation using long range missiles, probably involving an aircraft carrier and risk the lives of pilots, as the US and UK have been doing in recent attacks against the Houthis in Yemen. But Ukraine has achieved dramatic strategic effects with guile and cheaply produced quadcopters similar to what can be bought on any high street in Britain. 'Putin has realized that Russia is not winning the war and that Ukraine is capable of such ingenious military operations. In fact, Ukraine has debunked the myth that it 'doesn't have the cards', said Olekandr Morezkho, chairman Ukraine's parliamentary foreign affairs committee. 'Before this attack Trump thought that Ukraine is losing the war and didn't want to help much, remembering experiences of Vietnam and Afghanistan. Yet all of a sudden Ukraine has proved that its military is very active and creative and capable of delivering painful and humiliating blows to the enemy. 'People are less inclined to support the side which they believe is losing the war, but they want to help more when they see that the side is capable of gaining victories on the battlefield. In a word, it might be beginning of turning the tide in the course of war.' Ukraine focused on attacking other airfields in recent weeks in order to get the Russians to concentrate their strategic bombers in a small number of locations, Ukrainian sources said. Russia's intelligence agencies said they had detained an undisclosed number of people allegedly involved in Operation Spiderweb – but Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, said that all operatives had left the country before the attacks were triggered. Eyewitnesses in Siberia reported that they had seen one of the lorry drivers 'running about' after this vehicle released its swarm and it is not clear if the Russians involved in the plot were even aware of what they were doing. Ukraine's latest operation has been the culmination of home-grown long-range attacks against Russian energy infrastructure, airfields, and transport hubs. Secret agents working for Kyiv have also targeted Russian generals killing at least two in recent assassinations on the streets of Moscow. Ukraine has been forced to lead the world in drone operations because of severe restrictions on its use of long range conventional weapons imposed by the US and, until recently, the UK. With the latest phase of the war now well into its fourth year Germany has signalled that it would help Ukraine with longer range strikes into Russia which would not require the stealth and cunning of Operation Spiderweb. But the success of the drone campaign will be noted by intelligence officials, military leaders, and terrorist groups around the world. The home-made adaptations of commercially available drones into guided missiles pioneered on Ukraine's frontline with Russian forces have already been adopted by militant groups in the Middle East and Africa. Operation Spiderweb shows how 'non-state actors' could humble a superpower.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine hits air bases thousands of miles inside Russia in audacious military operation
Ukrainian forces have destroyed dozens of Russian warplanes parked at air bases thousands of miles from the front lines, according to a source in the country's security services, in one of Kyiv's most audacious and sophisticated counter assaults since the beginning of the war. The operation, dubbed 'Spiderweb,' saw drones hit targets across a large swathe of Russia, including in Belaya – which is closer to Japan than Ukraine – and at Olenya base near Murmansk in the Arctic Circle, according to the source. More than 40 Russian aircraft were 'burning en masse' at four air bases, the source said. The SBU, Ukraine's domestic intelligence agency, said the strikes caused an estimated $7 billion in damages and hit 34% of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers at its main air bases. The drone attacks came on the eve of expected peace talks in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine, which were already strained by uncertainty and pressure from US President Donald Trump. The Trump administration was not given a heads-up about the operation, an administration official told CNN. The strikes appear intended to send a message to Russia that Ukraine could still apply pressure more than three years since Russia's unprovoked invasion. Kyiv has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of not wanting to end the war as Moscow ramps up its attacks and offensive operations, including launching its largest drone assault on Ukraine since the war began overnight Saturday. The operation, more than a year and a half in the making, involved drones being smuggled into Russian territory and hidden in wooden mobile houses atop trucks, according to the security source. The roofs were then remotely opened, and the drones deployed to launch their strikes. Social media video geolocated by CNN to seven kilometers southeast of the Belaya Air Base in Russia's eastern Irkutsk region, appears to show a drone flying out of a wooden shed loaded onto a truck as smoke rises in the background. Images also show drones stacked inside what appear to be wooden crates with retractable roofs ahead of the operation. 'The planning, organization, and all the details were perfectly prepared. It can be confidently said that this was an absolutely unique operation,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X. Zelensky said 117 drones were used to carry out the attacks, which were played up as a military and propaganda win for Ukraine that caught Russia off-guard. 'The 'office' of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions,' Zelensky said on X. More than 40 aircraft were known to have been hit, according to the Security source, including TU-95 and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers and one of Russia's few remaining A-50 surveillance planes. 'We are doing everything to drive the enemy from our native land! We will strike them at sea, in the air, and on land. And if needed — we'll reach them even from underground,' the SBU said in a statement. A senior US defense official told CNN that Ukraine's attack showed a level of sophistication that they had not seen before. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth received regular updates as he traveled to Joint Base Andrews on Sunday but has not yet spoken to his Ukrainian counterparts, the official said. The airfields targeted included Belaya in Irkutsk, some 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) from Ukraine's border with Russia, and the Dyagilevo base in Ryazan in western Russia, about 520 kilometers (320 miles) from Ukraine, which is a training center for Russia's strategic bomber force. The Olenya base near Murmansk in the Arctic Circle, more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from Ukraine, was also struck, according to the source, as well as the Ivanovo air base, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) from Ukraine. Ivanovo is a base for Russian military transport aircraft. The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed Ukraine had targeted Russian airfields across five regions on Sunday, calling the drone strikes 'terrorist attacks.' The ministry said strikes were repelled in the Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions but that 'several pieces of aircraft' caught fire after attacks in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions. It added that the fires had since been extinguished. There were no casualties as a result of the attacks, the ministry continued, adding that 'some participants in the terrorist attacks have been detained.' The governor of Irkutsk region, Igor Kobziev, said that drones had been launched from a truck near the Belaya base. Kobziev said on Telegram that the exact number of drones deployed had not been determined. Emergency and security services were at the site, he added. SBU drones were targeting aircraft that bomb Ukrainian cities every night, the security source said. One video supplied by the source purportedly shows the Belaya airfield in flames and the voice of the head of the SBU, Lt. Gen. Vasyl Malyuk, commenting on the situation. 'How beautiful Belaya airfield looks now. Enemy's strategic aircraft,' he says. CNN was able to confirm the location of that video, as well as two others posted on social media showing smoke rising from the Belaya air base. It was not immediately able to independently verify other videos provided by the SBU. The security source said that the operation was 'extremely complicated from a logistical point of view,' with the drones carried inside wooden mobile homes that had been carried into Russia on trucks. 'The drones were hidden under the roofs of the houses, which were already placed on trucks. At the right moment, the roofs were remotely opened, and the drones flew to hit Russian bombers.' One video purportedly of one attack appears to show drones rising from a truck, as vehicles pass on a nearby highway. Another image shows the roof of the truck on the ground. The source added that people involved were already back in Ukraine. Ukraine's operation followed a Russian attack overnight Saturday that involved 472 drones – Moscow's largest drone attack since the war began. It came the same day as a Russian missile strike on a training site used by Ukrainian forces, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 60 others. It also came soon after two bridges collapsed in Russia's western regions bordering Ukraine in unclear circumstances. This chain of events comes as Russia and Ukraine are set to return to peace negotiations on Monday. The talks, which will take place in Istanbul, have been strained by uncertainty. US President Donald Trump has expressed frustration around Russian President Vladimir Putin's resistance to advancing the peace talks. Putin proposed holding 'direct talks' in Turkey earlier this month – but never showed up, despite Zelensky agreeing to meet. In the end, the two nations sent low-level delegations to negotiate instead. A framework from the Ukrainian delegation lists key principles for the talks that include a full and unconditional ceasefire, an exchange of prisoners, and the release of hostages and return of abducted children. CNN's Frankie Vetch, Eve Brennan and Catherine Nicholls contributed to this report.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ukraine attacks Russian nuclear-capable bombers in Siberia
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Ukraine attacked Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at a military base in Siberia on Sunday, the first such attack so far from the front lines more than 4,300 km (2,670 miles) away, according to pro-Russian bloggers. Unverified video and pictures posted on social media showed Russian strategic bombers - whose purpose is to drop nuclear bombs on distance targets - on fire at the Belaya air base north of Irkutsk. Reuters was unable to immediately verify the footage but in Kyiv, a Ukrainian intelligence official told Reuters that Ukraine's domestic security agency, the SBU, conducted a large drone attack on over 40 Russian military aircraft. The Ukrainian source, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters in Kyiv, said the struck aircraft included Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers, which Russia uses to fire long-range missiles at Ukraine. Igor Kobzev, the governor of Irkutsk, said that there had been a drone attack on a military unit near the village of Sredny in the Usolsky district, but did not mention strategic aviation. In video that he posted on Telegram, drones could be heard flying overhead and a giant plume of smoke rising into the sky. He said, though, that it was the first such attack in that part of Siberia - and added that the number of drones in the attack was unclear. The drones, he said, had been launched from a truck. The Belaya, or Sredny, airbase is located near the village of Sredny, and hosts Tupolev Tu-22M supersonic long-range strategic bomber, according to open source details about Russia's armed forces. There was also a Ukrainian drone attack in the Murmansk region of northern Russia, according to local officials. The Olenya airbase, which also hosts strategic aviation, is located in the Murmansk region, according to open source data.
