In a phone call, Lavrov informs Rubio of Russia’s decision to carry out a sustained campaign against targets in Kiev and suggests U.S. diplomats and citizens be evacuated from the Ukrainian capital.

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“We’ve been waiting for this for over four years” — Russian Orthodox tycoon Konstantin Malofeev reacts to Moscow’s announced plans to launch a sustained air campaign on command posts and decision-making centers in Kiev.

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“All the Europeans stayed, America left” — EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas says the U.S. has evacuated its embassy from Kiev ahead of Russia’s announced bombing campaign.

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Medvedev, responding to the Europeans’ decision not to evacuate Kiev: “Well, apparently they’ve got diplomats to spare and need to trim the headcount.”

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The U.S. embassy in Kiev denies evacuation reports, says there are no changes to its operations.

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Russia’s standing as a great power hinges on achieving victory in Ukraine, Lavrov tells gathering of foreign policy and security experts, some of whom are growing pessimistic about Moscow’s ability to win on the battlefield.

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Mearsheimer: Russia has lost its power of deterrence and, to reestablish it, will have to strike Europe.

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The EU and NATO are rapidly preparing for a large-scale war with Russia, says Putin’s foreign intelligence chief Sergey Naryshkin.

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The production lines of Zelensky’s war machine are outside Ukraine, concentrated across Europe, says Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu.

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Based on his recent statements, President Putin appears to believe that Ukraine is on the verge of military defeat.

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Multiple quantitative models of attritional warfare predict inevitable collapse of Ukrainian defenses, with one forecasting a tipping point in July–September 2026.

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Economics and geography will sooner or later force Europe to resume purchasing Russian energy, says new Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar.

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Medvedev: Citizens of EU states will no longer be able to sleep peacefully, especially in places where UAV production for Ukraine is taking place.

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AfD Saxony party leader Jörg Urban says Russia is needed as a guarantor of peace and prosperity in Europe.

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Putin: By deliberately targeting children, the Kiev regime has chosen to escalate the conflict to a new level. So be it.

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Bloomberg: Senior Finance Ministry and Central Bank officials have privately warned Putin that Russia’s war economy is unsustainable.

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Russia is on a losing trajectory, says senior Russian lawmaker Valery Gartung, citing economic stagnation and a technological disadvantage on the battlefield.

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