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Russia Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russian press crew hit by Ukrainian drones
A Russian press crew from Zvezda TV came under attack by Ukrainian drones while working near the front line in Kherson Region, the outlet reported on Thursday. One person – a military escort traveling with the team – was wounded. According to Zvezda, the crew's vehicle was hit twice by drones after evading strikes earlier in the day. The car caught fire, forcing the crew to evacuate with the assistance of Russian troops. The network did not specify the size of the crew but said the military correspondent and cameraman were unharmed. The attack took place near the settlement of Aleshki along a route leading to Kherson which remains under Ukrainian control. Aleshki, around 5km from Kherson on the Russian side of the Dnieper River, has faced repeated Ukrainian drone attacks. According to Zvezda, Ukrainian troops use the ruins of the Antonovsky Bridge to launch drone strikes on civilian infrastructure, hospitals, and roads, making the area one of the most dangerous in the region. While Zvezda did not show footage of their destroyed vehicle, it aired images of other damaged civilian infrastructure in Aleshki, including buildings and a nearly destroyed ambulance. Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo previously said Ukrainian troops 'systematically' hit ambulances, complicating efforts to evacuate the wounded. Kiev regularly targets Russian journalists covering the conflict. In March, a vehicle marked as press in the Lugansk People's Republic was hit in a precision artillery strike, killing Izvestia reporter Aleksandr Fedorchak, Zvezda cameraman Andrey Panov, and their driver, Aleksandr Sirkeli. Another Zvezda reporter, Nikita Goldin, was seriously injured and later died. Recently, a Vesti Donetsk film crew was struck by a Ukrainian drone in Gorlovka, leaving the driver and cameraman with concussions after the UAV exploded near their car. Russian officials have condemned attacks against journalists, accusing Kiev of deliberately targeting media crews to disrupt frontline reporting. Moscow has called on international organizations, including UNESCO, the OSCE, and UN, to denounce the attacks. Last year, it accused UNESCO of failing to include deadly Ukrainian attacks on Russian journalists in its latest biannual report covering the global state of journalist safety for 2022-23. The Russian Foreign Ministry has called Ukrainian attacks against journalists terrorism.
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Bombshell Hitler files reveal aide's astonishing account of Nazi chief's suicide 80 years on - as charred teeth are seen up close
An astonishing cache of documents relating to Hitler's death 80 years ago has been released by Russia 's FSB security service. The stash includes the declassified originals of statements and interrogation notes of the führer's valet, SS-Sturmbannführer Heinz Linge, and personal adjutant SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Günsche. Linge revealed a 'deluded' Hitler killed himself - on April 30, 1945 - in part because he was 'afraid' of being 'caught while trying to escape from Berlin '. Both Hitler's aides-de-camp fell into Soviet hands after the war, and their testimony was crucial to understanding Hitler's fate. Linge was allegedly the first to enter the room in the Berlin 'Führerbunker' after Hitler's suicide, and helped carry and burn the corpse with Günsche and others. While the broad testimony of the pair has been long known, it is the first time the original sources - long hidden in Soviet KGB archives - have been published, and there are new details. Neither man was interviewed by British historian Hugh Trevor-Roper when he led the UK's inquiry into Hitler's death while working as an intelligence officer. Trevor-Roper's report - detailed in his book the The Last Days of Adolf Hitler - used the accounts of several occupants of Hitler's Berlin bunker to convincingly establish that he took his own life alongside his partner turned wife of one day, Eva Braun. Trevor-Roper detailed how he 'sought and failed to find' Linge and Günsche and the Russians 'declined to answer' his questions about their whereabouts. The remains of Hitler and Braun were hastily buried after being burned, before Russian troops dug them up. In the newly-released cache, a Russian archivist is seen on video discussing Linge's account, which even details the clothing Hitler and Eva Braun wore when they took their own lives. 'Testimony about Hitler's reasons for taking his own life - he believed it was utterly pointless to continue the fight,' they said. 'He was afraid of being caught while trying to escape from Berlin. 'There was also his severe physical condition, which was beyond doubt, as well as his delusions of grandeur, which would not allow him to bow to the victor or enter into negotiations with him.' Macabre footage also showed Hitler's teeth, pictures of which have been released before. They were used to identify him after they were compared with his dental records. Russian defence ministry channel Zvezda TV reported: 'Here they are, particles of universal evil. 'Fragments of Adolf Hitler's jaw, a man whose very name makes even water molecules take on hideous forms. 'The remains of the one responsible for the deaths of over 26 million of our fellow citizens. 'Today [30 April] marks exactly 80 years since the death of the main culprit of the bloodiest war in human history. 'A strange feeling.' Linge wrote in his testimony: 'At the moment of suicide, Hitler was dressed in a white shirt with a white turn-down collar and a black vest, a grey double-breasted uniform jacket made of fine gabardine, long black trousers of fine gabardine, thin black paper socks, and black leather half-boots. 'His wife was dressed in a fine silk dress, very thin silk stockings, and shoes with wedge heels (possibly of Italian make). 'Three canisters of petrol, prepared by Reichsleiter Martin Bormann for the cremation of the bodies of Hitler and his wife, were standing on the last landing leading from the bomb shelter into the garden of the Reich Chancellery. 'All the contents of the canisters were poured over the bodies of Hitler and his wife. Bormann pointed out the canisters to us and went down himself to get his own. 'This was around 4 p.m., and it was still light. 'A total of 60 litres of petrol was poured. 'Before spreading the blanket on the floor, I placed Hitler's pistols (calibres 7.65 and 6.35) on the writing desk. Who took them from there, I do not know. 'Possibly it was Reichsleiter Martin Bormann, or the soldiers who carried out Eva Braun's body, or Hitler's valet Helm Krüger, or the orderly Willy Stiewitz. 'When saying goodbye to Hitler on 30 April 1945, I asked: "Führer, whom should we try to break through to in the West?" 'And I received the answer: "For the sake of the one who is still to come".' Linge also answered a question that worried the Soviet leadership after they stormed Berlin - whether it was a double who had died in the bunker, and the real Hitler had escaped. A note translated into Russian says: 'A double of Hitler could not have committed suicide because: 1) Hitler did not have a double 2) It was impossible to leave the premises without being seen, as there was only one exit from the room 30.12.45 Linge Heinz.' Over many months, Linge changed some testimony, telling the Russians: 'I must admit that my earlier testimony was incorrect. 'I did not hear any gunshot sounds but only noticed the smell of gunpowder and, based on that, informed Bormann that the suicide had occurred.... 'I previously stated incorrectly that Eva Braun's body was wrapped in a blanket. I now recall that it was not.' The historic documents were kept out of the public domain for decades by the FSB - successor to the KGB - in a vault in the Ivanovo region. Günsche was flown to Moscow with other Hitler associates. Intriguing new details in the accounts include the psychological pressure the Soviets put on Günsche to make him open up about Hitler's death. They used a German POW and war criminal, Colonel Remlinger, who shared a cell with him and was deployed by the Soviet authorities to convince him to cooperate. It was a successful means of turning the Nazi's fanatical loyalty into cooperation by reinterpreting his 'oath' in the context of Hitler's suicide and abandonment by other Nazi leaders. Remlinger wrote a report that 'we convinced him that the events in Germany -especially Hitler's suicide - freed him from his oath to the Führer. 'Now, with the complete collapse of Germany and the Nazi system, there was no longer any reason to hide the events that unfolded in the Führer's headquarters from the Russians-it was now only of historical interest. 'It became easier to persuade him when it emerged that some of Hitler's close associates (Göring, Himmler) had abandoned him and turned to the Western powers.' More documents detail the examination of Hitler's teeth to verify the corpse was his. 'On 5 May 1945, in the garden of the Reich Chancellery, SMERSH officers from the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army, 1st Belorussian Front, discovered the heavily charred corpses of a man and a woman in a bomb crater,' says the FSB account. 'The bodies lay about 3 metres from the entrance to the bunker and were covered with soil. 'By 8 May 1945, a forensic report on the man's corpse-presumably Hitler-was completed.' This showed 'the presence in the mouth cavity of crushed glass ampoule fragments...a distinct bitter almond smell ... and results from chemical testing of internal organs showing cyanide compounds'. This allowed the commission 'to conclude that death resulted from cyanide poisoning'. 'On 10 May 1945, Kӓthe Heusermann, assistant to Hitler's personal dentist Professor Hugo Blaschke, was questioned in the Reich Chancellery's dental office. 'On 11 May, dental technician Fritz Echtmann, who had made Hitler's dentures, gave testimony. 'Both witnesses gave detailed descriptions of Hitler's dental work from memory. 'The unique features of the bridges, crowns, and fillings matched exactly with the dental records and X-rays in the possession of SMERSH investigators.
The Sun
30-04-2025
- The Sun
‘Body double', final moments & last words to aide… Secret docs on Hitler's death 80 years ago today released by Russia
A BOMBSHELL bundle of documents detailing Hitler's death has been released by Russia's intelligence service 80 years later to the day. The stash includes Hitler's rotted teeth, showing evidence of his cyanide suicide, and the last known photograph of him. 10 10 Also declassified were originals of statements and interrogation notes of the Führer's valet, Heinz Linge, and personal assistant, Otto Günsche. Linge revealed a 'deluded' Hitler killed himself partly because he was 'afraid' of being 'caught while trying to escape from Berlin'. Both Hitler aides fell into Soviet hands after the war, and their testimony was crucial to Stalin understanding Hitler final days as his Nazi regime collapsed. Linge was reportedly the first to enter the room after Hitler's suicide, and helped carry and burn the corpse with Günsche and others. While the broad testimony of the pair has been long known, this is the first time the original sources - long hidden in Soviet KGB archives - have been published, and there are new details. A Russian archivist appeared on video going over Linge's account, which even details the clothes Hitler and Eva Braun wore when they killed themselves. He said: 'Testimony about Hitler's reasons for taking his own life - he believed it was utterly pointless to continue the fight. 'He was afraid of being caught while trying to escape from Berlin. 'There was also his severe physical condition, which was beyond doubt, as well as his delusions of grandeur, which would not allow him to bow to the victor or enter into negotiations with him.' Morbid footage also showed Hitler's teeth which were used to identify him. Hunt for neo-Nazis who celebrated Hitler's birthday in UK pub with swastika cake Russian defence ministry channel Zvezda TV reported: 'Here they are, particles of universal evil. 'Fragments of Adolf Hitler's jaw, a man whose very name makes even water molecules take on hideous forms. 'The remains of the one responsible for the deaths of over 26 million of our fellow citizens. 'Today [30 April] marks exactly 80 years since the death of the main culprit of the bloodiest war in human history. A strange feeling.' Linge wrote in his 1945 testimony: 'At the moment of suicide, Hitler was dressed in a white shirt with a white turn-down collar and a black vest, a grey double-breasted uniform jacket made of fine gabardine, long black trousers of fine gabardine, thin black paper socks, and black leather half-boots. 'His wife was dressed in a fine silk dress, very thin silk stockings, and shoes with wedge heels (possibly of Italian make). 'Three canisters of petrol, prepared by Reichsleiter Martin Bormann for the cremation of the bodies of Hitler and his wife, were standing on the last landing leading from the bomb shelter into the garden of the Reich Chancellery. 'All the contents of the canisters were poured over the bodies of Hitler and his wife. Bormann pointed out the canisters to us and went down himself to get his own. 'This was around 4 p.m., and it was still light. A total of 60 litres of petrol was poured. 10 10 10 'Before spreading the blanket on the floor, I placed Hitler's pistols (calibres 7.65 and 6.35) on the writing desk. Who took them from there, I do not know. 'Possibly it was Reichsleiter Martin Bormann, or the soldiers who carried out Eva Braun's body, or Hitler's valet Helm Krüger, or the orderly Willy Stiewitz. 'When saying goodbye to Hitler on 30 April 1945, I asked: 'Führer, whom should we try to break through to in the West?' 'And I received the answer: 'For the sake of the one who is still to come'.' Linge answered a Soviet leadership after they stormed Berlin - whether it was a double who had died in the bunker, and the real Hitler had escaped. A note translated into Russian says: 'A double of Hitler could not have committed suicide because: 1) Hitler did not have a double. 2) It was impossible to leave the premises without being seen, as there was only one exit from the room. 30.12.45. Linge Heinz.' Over many months, Linge slightly altered his version of events, telling the Russians: 'I must admit that my earlier testimony was incorrect. 'I did not hear any gunshot sounds but only noticed the smell of gunpowder and, based on that, informed Bormann that the suicide had occurred. 'I previously stated incorrectly that Eva Braun's body was wrapped in a blanket. I now recall that it was not.' The historic documents have been locked in a vault by the FSB, successor to the KGB, in the Ivanovo region. After the war, Günsche was flown to Moscow with other Hitler associates. Intriguing new details, including how the Soviets pressured Günsche into opening up about Hitler's death. The documents show that a German POW and war criminal Colonel Remlinger was put in a cell with him and instructed by the Soviet authorities to convince him to cooperate. It was a cunning way of using Hitler's suicide to turn the Nazi's fanatical loyalty into cooperation by reinterpreting his 'oath'. Remlinger wrote a report that 'we convinced him that the events in Germany—especially Hitler's suicide—freed him from his oath to the Führer. 'Now, with the complete collapse of Germany and the Nazi system, there was no longer any reason to hide the events that unfolded in the Führer's headquarters from the Russians—it was now only of historical interest. 'It became easier to persuade him when it emerged that some of Hitler's close associates (Göring, Himmler) had abandoned him and turned to the Western powers.' More documents reveal the examination of Hitler's teeth to verify hit corpse. The FSB account reads: 'On 5 May 1945, in the garden of the Reich Chancellery, SMERSH officers from the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army, 1st Belorussian Front, discovered the heavily charred corpses of a man and a woman in a bomb crater." 'The bodies lay about 3 metres from the entrance to the bunker and were covered with soil. 'By 8 May 1945, a forensic report on the man's corpse—presumably Hitler—was completed.' 10 This showed 'the presence in the mouth cavity of crushed glass ampoule fragments [...] a distinct bitter almond smell […] and results from chemical testing of internal organs showing cyanide compounds'. This allowed the commission 'to conclude that death resulted from cyanide poisoning'. 'On 10 May 1945, Kӓthe Heusermann, assistant to Hitler's personal dentist Professor Hugo Blaschke, was questioned in the Reich Chancellery's dental office. 'On 11 May, dental technician Fritz Echtmann, who had made Hitler's dentures, gave testimony. 'Both witnesses gave detailed descriptions of Hitler's dental work from memory. 'The unique features of the bridges, crowns, and fillings matched exactly with the dental records and X-rays in the possession of SMERSH investigators. 'Each was shown the jaw fragments recovered from the male skull separately, and both unhesitatingly confirmed they belonged to Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler.'
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
3 Russian state media employees killed in occupied Luhansk Oblast
Three employees from Russian state-affiliated media were killed in occupied Luhansk Oblast while on assignment, several news outlets reported on March 24. The victims included Izvestia correspondent Alexander Fedorchak, as well as Zvezda TV cameraman Andrei Panov and driver Alexander Sirkeli. Izvestia announced that Fedorchak died while reporting from the front lines. The journalist often covered Kharkiv and Luhansk oblasts as well as Russia's Kursk region. "His last report was broadcast literally the day before," the newspaper said. In January, Izvestia newspaper reported that a Ukrainian "kamikaze" drone attack killed one of its freelance reporters, Alexander Martemyanov, while he was traveling on a highway in occupied eastern Ukraine. Originally a Soviet state newspaper, Izvestia is now owned by the National Media Group (NMG), a media conglomerate with significant state-controlled ownership and close ties to the Kremlin. Meanwhile, Zvezda, a channel linked to Russia's Defense Ministry, said two of its crew members were killed when their vehicle was struck. Russia's Investigative Committee launched an investigation into the incident, saying that the journalists were killed in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast. Leonid Pasechnik, Moscow-installed leader in Luhansk, claimed the attack occurred in the Kreminna district, also killing three civilians. The incident occurred as Ukraine and Russia held talks with the United States regarding a possible partial ceasefire. Russia has intensified its assaults on Ukraine's civilian areas over the past weeks. Read also: Russian missile strike on Sumy injures more than 90, including 23 children We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Russia Today
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russian journalists killed by Ukrainian strike
A Russian journalistic crew filming in the Lugansk People's Republic came under a Ukrainian artillery strike on Monday, with the attack leaving at least three dead. The attack claimed the lives of Aleksandr Fedorchak, a reporter for the Izvestia newspaper; Andrey Panov, a cameraman for Zvezda TV; and their driver, Aleksandr Sirekli. Their vehicle was reportedly struck by two projectiles fired from a US-supplied Ukrainian HIMARS multiple rocket launcher system. Another journalist was critically wounded in the attack, according to Russian media reports. 'A civilian vehicle carrying journalists was targeted by two HIMARS missiles,' Zvezda TV said in a statement. The incident became 'yet another terrible loss for our team,' Izvestia's director, Vladimir Tyulin, has said. Earlier this year, a freelance reporter for the newspaper, Aleksandr Martemyanov, was killed in Russia's Donetsk People's Republic when the civilian vehicle he was in was attacked by a Ukrainian drone. READ MORE: Two dead in Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian border region – governor Kiev has been receiving M142 HIMARS and its heavier tracked counterpart, the M270 MLRS, from the US and other Western backers since mid-2022. Initially touted as a key tool for striking high-value Russian military assets, the systems have routinely been used by Kiev for strikes on civilian targets deep beyond the front line. Ukraine was reportedly briefly cut off from HIMARS targeting data earlier this month amid the fallout of the Oval Office row between Vladimir Zelensky and US President Donald Trump. The access to targeting data, however, was reinstated shortly. Moscow has repeatedly said that it was impossible for Kiev to operate sophisticated systems, such as HIMARS, without direct Western input, arguing that the supply of intelligence and targeting data makes Ukraine's backers complicit in its attacks and a party to the enduring conflict.
