Nikolai Patrushev

Ukraine’s advance into Russia may be entering a new phase after Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukrainian forces now control the city of Sudzha, the largest city in the Kursk region, located 10 kilometers within Russian territory.

Suddenly, this becomes significant because Sudzha is a critical transit point for natural gas flowing from Western Siberia to Europe via Ukraine.

Russian MP Mikhail Sheremet has warned that the recent invasion of the Kursk region by Ukrainian forces has pushed the world closer to a potential global conflict, according to RIA Novosti and Reuters.

The United States is planning to establish logistics centers in Black Sea countries to expedite the delivery of arms to Ukraine. This move comes as Hungary and Slovakia have struggled to initiate consultations with Ukraine, mediated by the European Commission, regarding the resumption of oil supplies from the Russian company Lukoil.

The Kremlin has published a decree stating that Nikolai Patrushev, who was previously ousted as Vladimir Putin's security chief, will now serve as an aide to the Russian president. This announcement coincides with Putin's recent reshuffling of the Russian defense ministry, occurring amidst heightened military activities in Ukraine.

According to a report from TASS, Russian President Vladimir Putin is making a change in leadership by replacing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The news, shared on the official Telegram channel of the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament in Moscow, indicates that Andrey Belousov, a former deputy prime minister in previous Russian governments, is being proposed for the position.

China's top diplomat emphasized Beijing's commitment to strengthening strategic cooperation with Moscow, asserting that the two nations should align themselves with "honesty and justice." Wang Yi made these remarks during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing, as reported by AFP.

China's top diplomat said on Tuesday that Beijing would strengthen strategic cooperation with Moscow and that the two must stand on the side of "fairness and justice" as he met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

Lavrov arrived in China for a two-day official visit on Monday, with the two countries looking to strengthen diplomatic ties as Russia's war in Ukraine grinds on.

A high-ranking Russian official has pointed fingers at Ukraine for orchestrating the deadly attack on the Crocus City Hall concert hall near Moscow, which claimed the lives of 139 individuals last Friday, according to a report by AFP.

Day 667 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

He wanted to see Russia fall apart.
"Dick wanted to see the collapse not only of the Soviet Union, but of Russia itself, so that it would never again be a threat to the rest of the world," CIA Director Robert Gates wrote in his memoirs.