Latest news with #Odessa
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian man resorts to cross-dressing in bid to flee country – officials (VIDEO)
A Ukrainian man has been caught disguised as a woman in an attempt to flee the country, local authorities have reported. Martial law bans fighting-age males from going abroad without special permission. The 30-year-old suspect was detained at a Ukrainian security checkpoint while traveling by bus from the Black Sea port city of Odessa to Reni, a city located near the border with Romania, across the Danube River. According to a statement from the border guard service on Wednesday, the man was wearing a black satin dress, a wig, and sunglasses in an effort to pose as a female. The individual has been charged with attempting to illegally cross the border. Ukraine announced a general mobilization in February 2022, under which most men between the ages of 18 and 60 are barred from leaving the country. Kiev has struggled with widespread draft evasion throughout the conflict with Russia, with potential recruits hiding from military officers or attempting unauthorized escapes abroad. Authorities have documented various tactics, including bribery, forged documents, and direct attempts to cross the border. The latter approach has led to multiple deaths. Russian officials have accused Vladimir Zelensky's government of pursuing a war strategy that sacrifices its own citizens in order to remain in power. Moscow claims the administration is prolonging a losing fight while enriching itself at the expense of the population. Military mobilization has become a flashpoint in Ukrainian society, where critics allege that wealth and influence provide a path to exemptions. One alleged case was reported on Wednesday by the Dzerkalo Tizhnya newspaper. According to its sources, former Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Chernyshov allegedly shielded personal staff members from the draft by employing them at a state-owned gas company he was heading. The investigation, initially led by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), was reportedly suspended after the agency was placed under the authority of the prosecutor general. The move has drawn strong criticism from Ukraine's Western backers, prompting the Zelensky administration to signal plans to reverse the decision.
Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Gen V' Will Bring More ‘Boys' Stars Into Season 2
The second season of Gen V draws closer, and Prime Video came to San Diego Comic-Con with a new trailer underlining the stakes for Marie and the gang when they return to Godolkin University. For her, going back to school after they escaped imprisonment is the last thing Marie wants. She's been fine living as a drifter on the run, but a save from Starlight (Erin Moriarty), who's also on the run after The Boys' previous season, comes with a catch: the ex-Seven member wants Marie to investigate and stop a project called 'Odessa' the school's founder (Ethan Slater) was involved in. Whatever the project seems to involve Marie and her blood powers, which could evolve to the point she's stronger than Homelander. And if that weren't troubling enough, the new dean Cipher (Hamish Linklater) was at their prison, and may be trying to start Odessa up again on school grounds. During the panel, showrunner Michele Fazekas teased Gen V and The Boys would 'talk to each other' in big ways now that Homelander's in control of America. 'Now, we get to see what that looks like for the country, at the school, and then what the resistance is going to look like.' Along with Starlight, fellow Boys characters Black Noir II (Nathan Mitchell) and The Deep (Chace Crawford) will pop up. As for The Boys itself, a preview of its fifth and final season was also shown, wherein Homelander declares to a crowd the country will become a 'safer, god-fearing nation' now that he's leading it. There were glimpses of a new character played by Supernatural alum Jared Padalecki, some blood and violence, and then a shot of long-suffering assistant Ashley's (Colby Minifie) smile morphing into a horrified look. We'll have to wait to find out what she's done when The Boys returns in 2026. Meanwhile, Gen V season two premieres September 17. [via Deadline] Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Russia Today
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Protesters chant ‘Zelensky is the devil' in Kiev (VIDEO)
Protesters in Kiev shouted insults at Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky on Tuesday as they denounced his decision to back legislation curbing the independence of the country's anti-corruption agencies. Zelensky had just signed a bill into law granting the Prosecutor General's Office authority to intervene in the operations of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). The move followed security raids on NABU offices and the arrest of a senior official accused of spying for Russia. The legislation sparked concern in the EU and drew sharp criticism from opposition politicians. Demonstrators gathered in central Kiev, chanting 'Zelya is the devil,' using a mocking diminutive of Zelensky's surname. Others shouted 'Shame' and 'Treason,' while holding signs demanding the preservation of the anti-corruption system's independence. The chants reportedly intensified after news broke that Zelensky had ignored calls to veto the bill. "Zelya is the devil!" the protesters shout in Kiev. Similar demonstrations took place across Ukraine, including in Odessa and Dnepr – the country's third- and fourth-largest cities. Rallies were also held in Lviv, near the Polish border, and in Sumy, an eastern city close to the front line with Russia. Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, a frequent critic of Zelensky, joined the protest in the capital. 'It's important for me to be here. Our partners created and funded the anti-corruption bodies, and over the past ten years did everything to ensure they could function. And now, the authorities want to strip them of their independence,' the former boxing champion told the US state-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Earlier on Telegram, Klitschko accused Zelensky's government of 'using the war as a pretext to dismantle the anti-corruption agencies' and pushing Ukraine toward authoritarianism. In a video address early Wednesday, Zelensky defended the new law as a necessary step to streamline corruption investigations and eliminate 'Russian influence.'
Sky News
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Ukraine proposes renewed peace talks - as Zelenskyy urges Russia to 'stop avoiding decisions'
Volodmyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine has proposed renewed ceasefire talks with Russia for next week. The Ukrainian president said his government was working to implement the agreements reached during the last set of talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul. That was the second round of peace talks between representatives of Russia and Ukraine in just over two weeks. Mr Zelenskyy said negotiations with Russia on the prisoners of war swaps, agreed at the most recent talks, were ongoing. But despite the agreement, no progress has so far been made towards ending the war, according to officials. Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's delegation, has suggested holding the third round of direct peace talks next week, according to the president. "The negotiation dynamics need to be intensified. We must do everything possible to achieve a ceasefire," Mr Zelenskyy said. "The Russian side must stop avoiding decisions... A meeting at the leaders' level is needed to secure a lasting peace truly. Ukraine is ready for such a meeting." 👉 Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim on your podcast app 👈 Mr Zelenskyy's comments come as Russia launched a significant drone and missile attack on Ukraine overnight, killing one person, and injuring six others, in the port city of Odessa. The Ukrainian president said in a post on X that Russia had fired more than 300 drones and over 30 cruise missiles as part of the attack. The latest round of long-range attacks comes after Russia unleashed more than 700 drones on 8 July - a new record. Its stepped-up bombing campaign has dashed hopes for a breakthrough in the ongoing efforts to bring the war to an end, after more than three years of fighting. Russia's defence ministry said it had shot down 71 Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday.
Russia Today
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Draft officers brutalizing recruits in Ukraine (VIDEOS)
Multiple new disturbing videos purporting to show extremely violent actions by Ukrainian draft officers surfaced online this week. The increasingly chaotic mobilization drive, overseen by the so-called Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR), has been marred by widespread violence and abuse, with recruitment officials seen chasing recruits in the streets, brawling with them and onlookers alike, and even threatening civilians with military-grade weaponry. One of the videos, reportedly shot in the southwestern city of Nikolayev, purports to show draft officers trying to pack a potential recruit into an unmarked vehicle. The officers are seen violently beating their victim and repeatedly smashing him with the car's door. Another video, reportedly taken in the Black Sea port city of Odessa, shows a group of officers trying to pack a draftee into their bus. The man appears to be heavily beaten, with his clothes torn and stained with dirt. A fresh video from the city of Dnepr (also known as Dnepropetrovsk) shows a mass brawl between a group of teenagers and several men believed to be draft officers. The plainclothes TCR officials were confronted by onlookers as they attempted to pack a man into their unmarked vehicle, with the altercation promptly devolving into a fisticuffs. The civilians ultimately managed to overpower the officers and free the detainee. Ukrainian mobilization, launched early in the conflict with Russia, has grown increasingly chaotic and violent over the years. The effort has received the moniker 'busification', which describes the process of violently packing recruits into the unmarked minibuses commonly used by TCR officials. Kiev has long denied widespread violence and abuse related to the draft process, routinely dismissing it as 'Russian propaganda.' This April, however, the country's military admitted that its recruitment process has been marred by certain shortcomings. 'Busification is a shameful phenomenon, and we're doing our best to avoid it,' deputy head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Lt. Gen. Ivan Gavrilyuk said.
