Articles about Russian

• NATO's Cyber Defense Centre convened an emergency session Friday evening after Russia launched a sophisticated cyberattack targeting Poland's electrical grid and water treatment facilities, temporarily affecting 2.3 million residents. • Polish authorities attribute the attack to Russian military intelligence, claiming it used previously unknown malware variants designed to evade NATO defense systems and test alliance cyber resilience. • The incident prompted NATO to raise its cyber alert status to level 3, the highest in the alliance's history, and triggered Article 5 consultations regarding collective defense implications.

• The European Commission introduced draft legislation on April 18 to impose stricter sanctions on Russian oil, gas, and refining infrastructure, aiming to reduce EU energy dependence by 35% within two years. • The proposal includes price caps on Russian liquefied natural gas imports and expanded restrictions on third-party shipping companies, targeting the "shadow fleet" used to circumvent existing penalties. • EU energy ministers debated the plan in Brussels, with Hungary and Slovakia expressing concerns about potential economic costs to their economies, though Germany and Poland voiced strong support.

Victoria Bonya says authorities too scared to raise issues with Vladimir Putin, whose approval ratings are decliningThe Kremlin is grappling with the fallout from the viral spread of a celebrity blogger’s criticism of Russian authorities, as Vladimir Putin’s approval ratings register their sixth consecutive weekly decline.Victoria Bonya, a household name in Russia who rose to fame in 2006 on Dom-2, the country’s answer to the reality TV show Big Brother, posted a video on Monday warning the Russian president that a string of mounting problems risked spiralling out of control. Continue reading...

• NATO defense ministers convened an emergency session on April 11 to address Russian military concentrations near the Polish and Baltic borders, with satellite imagery showing increased deployment of artillery and armored units. • Polish officials reported detecting over 15,000 Russian troops and 200 military vehicles positioned within 50 kilometers of the border, prompting NATO to authorize enhanced air patrols and increased troop rotations. • US Secretary of Defense characterized the Russian movement as "destabilizing" and called for European allies to increase defense spending, warning that NATO must prepare for potential regional conflict escalation.

• The EU Council approved a new sanctions package on April 11 targeting 28 Russian oligarchs and 15 companies involved in military procurement, freezing assets valued at approximately €3.2 billion. • The sanctions aim to disrupt Russian defense supply chains and increase pressure on Moscow's ability to sustain military operations in Ukraine, with measures including travel bans and financial transaction restrictions. • EU Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell stated the sanctions demonstrate "unwavering support" for Ukraine, though critics argue they remain insufficient to alter Russian strategic calculations.

Ukraine reports 469 violations of Putin’s 32-hour ceasefire, hours after deadly drone attacks on Odesa and KhersonRussia continued to strike Ukrainian positions with drones after a Kremlin-declared Easter ceasefire took effect on Saturday, a Ukrainian military officer said.“The ceasefire is not being observed by the Russian side,” said Serhii Kolesnychenko, a communications officer for the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade. Continue reading...

Former Ukrainian major general says 4kg of material found in Serbia was attempt to influence Hungary’s electionHungary elections explainerThe amount of explosives discovered in Serbia last week would not have been enough to destroy the Balkan Stream gas pipeline, prompting an expert to conclude it was probably a Russian intelligence plot aimed at influencing Hungary’s impending election.A former Ukrainian major general and a munitions specialist told the Guardian calculations made by his company showed the 4kg of explosives recovered by Serbia’s military security agency in Kanjiža could not have seriously ruptured the pipe. Continue reading...

• The European Union imposed sanctions on 45 Russian businessmen and military contractors on April 9, freezing their assets and banning transactions worth an estimated €8.3 billion in response to what Brussels termed "financing of the war in Ukraine and sanctions evasion."​ • The new measures target individuals accused of shell company networks used to circumvent previous sanctions, with particular focus on the defense and energy sectors supplying Russian military operations. • EU officials stated the expanded sanctions list represents the 14th round of measures against Russia since February 2022, with the bloc pledging continued escalation if Moscow does not halt military operations.

Von der Leyen urged to take action about alleged disinformation and intimidation on behalf of Orbán’s partyThe European Commission is being urged to investigate whether Hungary’s elections are being undermined by Russian manipulation, intimidation of journalists and voter coercion by the ruling party.Three days before decisive parliamentary elections that threaten the 16-year grip on power of the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, a group of MEPs wrote to the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the commissioner responsible for the rule of law, Michael McGrath, calling for action. Continue reading...

John Healey says warship and aircraft forced Russia to abandon activity in North Sea in month-long operationA British warship and aircraft tracked and monitored Russian submarines attempting to survey vital undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic, ensuring they abandoned their mission, the defence secretary, John Healey, has announced.Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Healey said the UK operation lasted more than a month and saw a Royal Navy warship and P8 marine patrol aircraft “track and to deter any malign activity” by three Russian submarines. Continue reading...

• The US Treasury Department announced sanctions on April 8, 2026, targeting 12 Chinese companies accused of supplying dual-use technology to Russia's defense sector amid the Ukraine conflict. • Key firms include Shenzhen-based tech exporters providing drone components and microelectronics, with transactions totaling over $500 million since 2024, per Treasury documents. • These measures aim to disrupt Russia's war machine, as Washington claims Beijing's indirect support prolongs the invasion; experts warn of escalating US-China tensions.

Expert stresses importance of keeping routers updated and checking for unusual activity, as hackers could ‘take you to fake sites’Russian hackers are exploiting commonly sold internet routers to harvest information for espionage purposes, the UK’s cybersecurity agency has said.The hack could allow attackers to obtain users’ credentials, redirect them to fake sites, and potentially access other devices on their home network such as phones and PCs, said Alan Woodward, a professor at the University of Surrey. Continue reading...

Iran bombed US bases and allies’ facilities soon after Russian satellites mapped them, according to Ukrainian assessment. What we know on day 1,505Russian satellites made detailed imagery of military facilities and critical sites across the Middle East including US bases and other targets that were attacked by Iran soon afterwards, according to a Ukrainian intelligence assessment. Reuters reported that the assessment cited at least 24 surveys of areas in 11 Middle Eastern countries from 21-31 March, covering 46 “objects” including US and other military bases and airports and oilfields. Within days of being surveyed, military bases and headquarters were targeted by Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, the assessment said.Russian satellites were actively surveying the strait of Hormuz, according to the Ukrainians. Reuters said a western military source and a separate regional security cited their own intelligence in backing up the claims. Reuters said the Iranian foreign ministry had no immediate comment and the defence ministry in Russia did not respond to a request for comment.Reuters said its regional security source confirmed a specific incident where a Russian satellite imaged Prince Sultan airbase in Saudi Arabia days before Iran struck the facility on 27 March, hitting a sophisticated US E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft. The next day a Russian satellite passed over again to assess the damage, the assessment said. The Ukrainian report also alleges Russian and Iranian hackers were collaborating in the cyber domain.The Ukrainian military said it had struck Russia’s Ust-Luga oil terminal in the Leningrad region on Tuesday. The general staff said on Telegram it had preliminary confirmation of damage to three storage tanks belonging to the Transneft-Baltika company.Crude oil exports from Russia’s Sheskharis terminal in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk were suspended after a big drone attack and a fire, two sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The terminal, which typically loads 700,000 barrels a day of crude oil, is Russia’s key oil outlet in the Black Sea. Its suspension will add to the strain on Russian infrastructure, which has been repeatedly attacked.Moscow’s troops targeted two buses in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, its governor, Oleksandr Ganzha, said on Telegram. A drone smashed into a bus approaching a stop in Nikopol’s city centre, he said, and later another bus was hit in a neighbouring community. Four people were killed in Nikopol and at least 16 injured, officials said. In the southern city of Kherson, a Russian attack on a residential area that lasted half an hour killed four elderly people and injured seven more, said the regional governor, Oleksandr Prokudin. Other deadly Russian strikes took place in Zaporizhzhia and Sumy oblasts, said Ukrainian officials.Ukrainian drone strikes killed five civilians including a 12-year-old boy and his parents in Russia and Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, Russian officials said on Tuesday. Reuters could not independently verify the officials’ statements, and Ukraine denies deliberately targeting civilians. Continue reading...

• The UN Security Council meeting on April 5, 2026, failed to pass a Ukraine ceasefire resolution after the US vetoed amendments proposed by Russia demanding NATO withdrawal from Eastern Europe. • US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield cited 'unacceptable preconditions' in the Russian text, while 12 members supported a neutral monitoring force of 5,000 troops. • This impasse highlights deepening geopolitical divides, prolonging humanitarian suffering with over 1.2 million displaced since January and risking broader NATO-Russia confrontation.

Russian advances slowing, thinktank’s data shows; 14 killed in Ukraine in massive drone and missile salvo. What we know on day 1,501Russia’s army recorded almost no territorial gains on the frontline in Ukraine in March for the first time in two-and-a-half years, according to analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) conducted by Agence France-Presse. The Russian army has been slowing in its advances since late 2025 – because of Kyiv’s localised breakthroughs in the south-east of the country. Across the entire frontline, the Russian army seized only 23 sq km (8.9 sq miles) in March, losing territory in some areas, according to the analysis. This figure excludes infiltration operations conducted by Russian forces beyond the frontline, as well as advances claimed by the Russian side but neither confirmed nor denied by the ISW.The Russian army made 319 sq km of gains in January and 123 sq km in February, which was then the smallest advance since April 2024. Its advance in March was the smallest since September 2023. The ISW attributed the slowdown to Ukrainian counteroffensives, but also to “Russia’s ban on using Starlink terminals in Ukraine” and “the Kremlin’s efforts to restrict access to Telegram”. The messaging app – very popular among Russians, including those fighting on the front – has been barely usable in recent months due to blocks imposed by the authorities. As in February, Russia lost ground on the southern section of the frontline, between the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.Russian strikes killed 14 people in Ukraine on Friday, officials said, as Moscow launched the latest in an increasing number of daytime barrages. Moscow has been firing aerial broadsides at Ukraine throughout its more than four-year invasion, mostly at night, but in recent weeks has stepped up daytime attacks. The Russian military used more than 500 drones and dozens of missiles in its salvo on Friday, according to the Ukrainian air force.Russia’s Baltic oil export hubs at Ust-Luga and Primorsk remain unable to handle shipments after a series of Ukrainian drone attacks, prompting the country’s refineries to find alternative routes for export, industry sources said on Friday. The attacks have damaged port infrastructure and continued through the last two weeks of March, with at least five strikes on Ust-Luga in the space of 10 days. Sources said the export restrictions, along with disruptions at large refineries, could lead to a decrease in oil production in Russia. Traders said refineries had been unable to deliver diesel fuel to Primorsk for export since 22 March, leaving refineries in European Russia and Siberia without their most viable export route. Traders said refineries were having to consider more expensive rail transport routes to other export terminals.Zelenskyy has called on lawmakers to pass key legislation next week to avert a funding crisis, help Ukraine fight the war against Russia, and enact key reforms required for EU accession. Due to lagging reforms and slow legislative progress in late 2025 and early this year, Ukraine missed deadlines to unlock billions from its key lenders, economists said. With the need for external financing standing at $52bn this year – equivalent to about a quarter of annual economic output – the budget situation is desperate. “I have a list of key draft laws that are critical for securing funding,” the Ukrainian president said in remarks released on Friday. They range from strengthening the court system to reforming energy sector procedures. “I believe that members of parliament from all parties must understand the importance of these bills for Ukraine’s budget,” said Zelenskyy, who has a majority in parliament but its relations with his government have soured. Continue reading...

• The European Union announced a new sanctions package targeting 18 Russian oligarchs and 42 entities on Wednesday, citing evidence of sophisticated sanctions evasion schemes involving cryptocurrency and shell companies across multiple jurisdictions. • The targeted individuals reportedly transferred approximately $2.3 billion through complex financial networks designed to circumvent existing sanctions imposed following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. • EU officials coordinated closely with US Treasury Department and UK authorities, with the announcement emphasizing enhanced coordination mechanisms to close loopholes in enforcement and detection capabilities.

• NATO formally condemned coordinated Russian cyber attacks launched against critical infrastructure in three alliance member states, including Estonia, Lithuania, and Romania, on April 1-2, 2026. • The attacks targeted power grid control systems and financial networks, with NATO officials attributing the operations to Russian GRU military intelligence with "high confidence" based on forensic analysis and technical signatures. • The incident prompted emergency meetings of the NATO Cyber Defence Centre in Tallinn and triggered Article 5 threat assessment protocols, though military responses remain under deliberation among member states.

President says he is open to scaling back strikes on oil and wider energy industry if Moscow reciprocates. What we know on day 1,496 Continue reading...

Anatoly Kolodkin could soon discharge at Matanzas port, US official says, three months after Cuba’s last oil importA Russia-flagged tanker carrying Russian crude entered Cuba’s exclusive economic zone on Sunday, according to ship tracking data, in what could be the Caribbean country’s first oil import in over two months.Tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, which departed from Primorsk after loading some 650,000 barrels of Urals crude, could soon discharge at Cuba’s Matanzas port if it does not change its current course, according to tracking services MarineTraffic and LSEG. Continue reading...

President urges people to reduce consumption after power line passing through Ukraine damaged by drones; Moscow spring offensive steps up. What we know on day 1,491Moldova declared a state of emergency in the energy sector after a key power line with Europe was disconnected following Russian strikes in Ukraine. The declaration comes into effect on Wednesday and lasts for 60 days. The prime minister, Alexandru Munteanu, appealed to people to “avoid unnecessary consumption, especially during peak hours” and “stay united”, according to a statement from parliament. The former Soviet republic imports electricity from neighbouring EU member Romania, mostly via a power cable that passes through southern Ukraine. Moldovan authorities said crashed drones had been identified in Ukraine near the line and that “demining operations” were needed before repairs could be done. Restoring the power line itself was expected to take up to seven days, the energy minister, Dorin Junghietu was quoted by the Moldovan media outlet Ziarul de Gardă as saying. “Russia alone bears responsibility,” the Moldovan president, Maia Sandu, wrote on X, while the foreign ministry also condemned the Russian attacks. Russia has frequently targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since it invaded its neighbour in 2022.The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has accused Russia of “absolute depravity” after Moscow fired an unprecedented daytime barrage across Ukraine, including on the historical centre of the western city of Lviv. “Iranian ‘shaheds’ [attack drones], modernised by Russia, are striking a church in Lviv – this is absolute depravity, and only someone like [Vladimir] Putin could find this appealing,” Zelenskyy said in his daily address. “The scale of this attack makes it abundantly clear that Russia has no intention of actually ending this war,” Zelenskyy added, vowing that Ukraine “will certainly respond to any attacks”.Russia’s military said on Wednesday it had shot down 389 Ukrainian drones overnight in one of the largest attacks to date. Russian regions bordering Ukraine, as well as Moscow and northwestern Leningrad were the main areas targeted, according to the military.Moscow appears to be stepping up a spring offensive intended to break Ukrainian resistance, writes Pjotr Sauer. Ukrainian officials said Moscow fired nearly 400 long-range drones and 23 cruise missiles overnight, followed by another 556 drones in an unusual daytime assault on Tuesday, hitting cities across the west of the country and killing at least seven people. Taken together, the barrage marks one of the largest aerial bombardments of Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion more than four years ago. One Russian drone struck the Bernardine monastery, a 16th-century church in Lviv’s Unesco-listed medieval centre, causing damage, local authorities said.North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, said his country would always support Russia in a thank-you letter to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Ties between the two have grown closer since Putin began the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Pyongyang sending ground troops and weapons systems to aid Russia’s war effort. “I express my sincere thanks to you for sending warm and sincere congratulations first on my reassumption of the heavy duty as president of the state affairs,” Kim said in the message on Tuesday, the official Korean central news agency said. “Today the DPRK and Russia are closely cooperating to defend the sovereignty of the two countries,” Kim said, using the initials of the North’s official name. “Pyongyang will always be with Moscow. This is our choice and unshakable will,” he added. South Korean and western intelligence agencies have estimated that the North has sent thousands of soldiers to Russia, primarily to the Kursk region, along with artillery shells, missiles and long-range rocket systems. Analysts say the assistance has been provided in exchange for Russia’s provision of food and weapons technologies. Continue reading...

Shipments to Russian smelters from Aughinish Alumina have increased sharply since the invasion of UkraineA leading Irish metals refinery is part of an international aluminium supply chain that appears to conclude with shipments to arms producers feeding the Kremlin’s war machine in Ukraine, leaked records and public data suggests.Trading records show that shipments to Russian smelters from Aughinish Alumina, which is located on the Shannon estuary in the west of Ireland and has been owned by the Russian aluminium group Rusal since 2006, have increased sharply since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Continue reading...

‘Serious risk of major ecological disaster’ as vessel drifts for weeks after being struck by suspected drone attackA severely damaged Russian tanker carrying liquified natural gas that has been adrift in the Mediterranean for two weeks, raising concerns of a “major ecological disaster”, has floated into Libyan waters, Italy’s civil protection agency said on Wednesday.The Arctic Metagaz was part of a Russian “shadow fleet” used to circumvent sanctions imposed on the country’s oil and gas after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It was struck in a suspected drone attack close to Maltese waters earlier this month, causing a huge hole. The crew is believed to have been rescued between Malta and Libya. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration has suspended sanctions on Russian oil stranded at sea, a decision the European Union is actively pushing back against as counterproductive to international pressure on Moscow. • The move reflects competing priorities between managing energy prices during the Iran conflict and maintaining unified sanctions against Russia over its broader geopolitical actions. • EU officials argue that easing Russian oil sanctions undermines the coalition's ability to hold Russia accountable and contradicts the administration's stated commitment to allied coordination.

• NATO leaders have called on President Trump to reverse his decision to suspend sanctions on Russian oil as the Iran conflict creates energy market volatility. • The call reflects concerns among European allies that easing Russian oil sanctions could destabilize energy markets further while undermining coordinated Western policy on Russia. • The disagreement between Trump and NATO allies over Russian sanctions policy during the Iran crisis highlights geopolitical divisions among Western nations at a critical moment.

NATO alliance leaders have called on President Trump to lift the recent suspension of sanctions on Russian oil, citing risks to European security and energy markets following U.S. waivers for stranded cargoes. The plea comes as global gas prices rise, with EU officials pushing back against the U.S. policy shift. Transatlantic friction escalates as Trump prioritizes American consumers, potentially straining alliance unity ahead of summits. Energy experts predict prolonged market volatility if policies remain divergent.

The U.S. under President Trump expanded waivers on Russian oil sanctions to all buyers, including easing restrictions on stranded oil at sea, aiming to tame surging domestic gas prices amid global tensions. EU officials pushed back against the move, while NATO leaders urged reversal of the suspension to pressure Russia. The policy shift matters as it balances inflation control against geopolitical leverage in Ukraine support, potentially providing Russia billions. Next steps include monitoring price impacts and possible congressional pushback before midterms.

EU leaders criticized President Trump's March 13, 2026, decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil, estimating it could provide Moscow with $10 billion for its Ukraine war efforts. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called the move a direct boost to Russia's 'war machine' amid ongoing Middle East escalations. The policy shift exacerbates transatlantic tensions as Poland's President Duda vetoed EU defense loan access. Analysts warn it risks prolonging conflicts on multiple fronts.

EU leaders criticized President Trump's decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil, arguing it provides Moscow with $10 billion to support its war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stated the move 'does not help peace in Ukraine' and enables Russia's war machine. The criticism comes amid Poland's President Duda vetoing legislation for €44 billion in EU defense loans, escalating domestic political tensions. US policy shift highlights transatlantic rift over energy and conflict strategies.