Russia is sending mentally disabled soldiers to the front lines.
Video shows how incapacitated man lying in muddy ditch, stripped of uniform, "murmuring incoherently, clearly too mentally incapacitated to communicate or "move," — The Telegraph. 1/
Semyon Karmanov, 27, diagnosed in childhood with intellectual disability with significant behavioural disorders requiring care and treatment, classified as fit for military service and killed this autumn from head wound. 2/
Artyom Radaev, 22, disabled since childhood, sent to front by 4th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade and later found tied to tree as punishment for refusing to fight — mother hasn't heard from him since. 3/
Alexey Vachrushev, who spent life under psychiatric care at specialized school for developmental disabilities, was pressured by police into signing military contract despite being declared unfit — current whereabouts unknown. 4/
Oleg Volkov, 23, diagnosed with psychiatric disability as child, forced to sign military contract after stealing wine crate, then panicked on first day in Ukraine and hid in electrical transformer cabin where he was captured. 5/
Russian soldier from 88th Brigade in Chasiv Yar said newly mobilized recruits arrive and immediately, they are 200s [dead] — his unit suffered over 90% losses: "There were seventy, now there are six." 6/
Ukrainian official Anna: Russia will never run out of people, sacrificing one man per 10 metres advances them and puts pressure on us. It is an effective tactic in a society where there is no price to pay for sacrificing the poor. 7/
Ukraine's general staff estimates around 210,000 Russian casualties during summer offensive in Bakhmut region with only minimal territorial gains. 8X
Jana Bakunina, Russian living in London since 1999, visited Yekaterinburg in autumn 2023 to interview friends and family — found "two years on, nothing has changed" in their support for Putin, inews writes.
"Every Russian ruler has been bit of despot." 1/
Her friend Katya, CEO of major business, believes Bucha war crimes were fabricated because "a Russian wouldn't loot, rape or kill civilians," calling Ukraine unfortunate pawn in Russia's defense from NATO. 2/
Pro-Putin businessman, 50 with three children, told her: "Russian men are sacrificing their lives so that I can enjoy peace and have good life" — doesn't view Putin as aberration because "every Russian ruler has been bit of despot." 3/
Germany's €377B defence package allocates most funds to traditional warfare — Rheinmetall's Armin Papperger says tanks to drones ratio is still 99 to 1.
Helsing's Gundbert Scherf calls this grave misstep, The Telegraph. 1/
Rheinmetall to receive €88B — lion's share of funding — for 687 Puma armoured vehicles and 561 Skyranger 30 air defence systems, while Diehl Defence gets €17.3B for Iris-T systems. 2/
Germany snubbed domestic drone producer Helsing by pouring €100M into Israel Aerospace Industries for Heron drone ammunition instead. 3/
Ukrainian border guard Yevhenii Sholudko, 28, returned from Russian captivity with a scar across his entire back.
Guards beat him with a steel rod with bearings and tore the skin off, blood ran down his spine. He says some men during intake defecated from pain - SlidstvoInfo. 1/
Yevhenii: At Kamensk-Shakhtinsk they lined us up naked and started beating immediately.
You don’t even understand what’s happening — just hit after hit until you fall. If you fell too fast, they lifted you and continued. 2/
Yevhenii: There was one guard - Nikita. He didn’t shout or rush. He just kicked. Twice in the same spot and your body folds.
I saw him kill a man like that. No weapon, no pipe — just legs. After a few kicks, the man stopped breathing. They dragged him away. 3/
Putin sidelined Lavrov after Trump summit failure.
Lavrov deliberately absent from key security council meeting this week and replaced at G20 summit Nov 22-23 in Johannesburg by Maxim Oreshkin, Putin's deputy chief of staff, The Telegraph. 1/
Lavrov, 76, hasn't been seen in public since October. Last appearing hosting North Korean FM Choe Son Hui on Oct 27.
His sidelining follows failed Budapest summit between Putin and Trump after reportedly tense call with Rubio. 2/
On call, Lavrov told Rubio Russia's demands — Ukraine giving up land still under its control and demilitarization of Kyiv's army — had not changed.
Trump responded by announcing new sanctions targeting Russia's two largest oil companies. 3/
Reuters: The U.S. fully backs the EU using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine and push for an end to the war.
Brussels’ plan lets governments use up to €185B of the €210B frozen in Europe without confiscating them. 1/
Since 2022, the U.S. and allies immobilized about $300B in Russian sovereign assets by banning transactions with Russia’s central bank and finance ministry.
The EU plan stalls over Belgium’s concerns, where most assets sit. 2/
Germany flagged recent drone sightings over Belgian airports and bases as a possible Kremlin warning not to touch the funds.
Moscow denies involvement but threatens a “painful response” if Europe moves ahead. 3X