Images of aftermath as Russian army unleashes 80 strikes against Ukraine in hours

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is coming under intense backlash and criticism.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia has unleashed a band of mercenaries renowned for war atrocities known as the Wagner Group into the conflict.While the world has marvelled at the brave Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion, Vladimir Putin has quietly slipped the elite group of killers into the country with President Zelensky their number one target.The shadowy organisation is believed to be owned by Putin's close friend Dmitry Utkin and has served as a private military in many of the world's bloodiest conflicts including Syria and the 2014 Donbas conflict. Perhaps in a bid to hammer home that they're the bad guys, the group's insignia bears a skull in the crosshairs of a gun - nice.

Good afternoon Insider team. Max Goldbart back in the saddle for your weekly dose of news as the Russia/Ukraine invasion continues to have huge ramifications for the film and TV world and vice versa.

Vladimir Putin has displayed a distinctive walk, which could be linked to KGB training.

Russian armada has been spotted lurking in the Black Sea and advancing toward Odessa, with fears that the Ukrainian port is Vladimir Putin's next target.The Ukrainian defence ministry warned that invading forces could be prepping for a possible attack.A Russian invasion of Ukraine's third largest city could open a corridor to Kyiv from the south for Russian forces to move through.Landing ships capable of launching tanks and hundreds of troops ashore have been spotted off the coast.Following the sighting of Russian personnel in the Black Sea heading toward Odessa, the Ukrainian defence ministry released a statement.In the statement, the ministry said: "In the waters of the Black Sea, we are observing a landing detachment of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, consisting of four large landing ships accompanied by three rocket boats, advancing toward Odessa." Experts have warned that if Russia seize the port then they would be given a "chokehold" on Ukraine's economy, with comparisons made to the UK losing Dover. General Sir Richard Barrons, a former military chief, said the city was a "big prize" in the Russian invasion.

South Park has tackled Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in their latest episode ‘Back To The Cold War’, taking aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin.In the episode, which aired on Wednesday (March 2), Putin’s act of aggression against Ukraine is tied to him getting older and because his “dick doesn’t work the way it used to”.You can check out a clip from the episode of Putin dancing shirtless to ‘Two Tribes’ by Frankie Goes To Hollywood below.‘Back To The Cold War’ follows Butters as he competes against the Russians in a dressage championship. Mr.

Vladimir Putin's horrifying war on Ukraine have left the world looking on with great concern.

Ukraine crisis on Friday's show (March 4) - alongside co-host Charlie Stayt.Dominic Raab, who is also the Secretary of State, offered the latest updates about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.It comes as Russian troops seized a nuclear power plant in Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, which is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.PM Boris Johnson branded it a "reckless" attack which could "directly threaten the safety of all of Europe". However, Naga wanted to know if the UK could put more pressure on Putin as she felt the UK was 'lagging behind Europe' when it came to sanctions on Russian oligarchs.Oligarchs are wealthy Russians who wield a great deal of political influence.She asked him: "How many Russians have been sanctioned by the UK government so far?"Raab replied: "There's over 100 entities which included individuals.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said Russia's shelling of a nuclear power station in the south-eastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia could "directly threaten the safety of all of Europe".

Mila Kunis, 38, has broken her silence on the war in Ukraine, her native country. She uploaded a video along with her husband Ashton Kutcher where they said they would match up to $3 million in donations to relief funds as they encouraged their fans to pitch in. “While we are witnessing the bravery of Ukrainians, we are also bearing witness to the unimaginable burden of those who have chosen safety. Through GoFundMe, this fundraiser will provide an immediate impact on refugee and humanitarian aid efforts,” they captioned the video.

Russian vodka off their shelves for the "foreseeable future" over the invasion of Ukraine, becoming the first UK supermarket to do so.It comes as more than one million people have fled Ukraine while Vladimir Putin's bloody bombardment of the country enters its second week.Russian Standard is one the best selling vodkas in the UK, brought to our shores in 1998 by billionaire Roustam Tariko.It had been priced at £14 per 70cl bottle, but has now disappeared from Co-op's website. Explaining the move, a Co-op spokesperson said: "In response to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces and as a sign of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, we have taken the decision to remove from sale Russian-made vodka."Russian Standard has been taken off sale with immediate effect because it is overtly marketed as being Russian and produced there."It will not be stocked for the foreseeable future."They added: "Our members and customers will also be able to support the humanitarian response to help those displaced by the conflict by donating at our stores to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal."The appeal will launch across our 2,600 stores today (Thursday 3 March 2022) and we’ll be match funding our customers donations up to £100,000."Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, and those in Russia who oppose this invasion."Although Co-op are the first supermarket move against Russian vodka, this isn't the first example of UK businesses showing solidarity with the Ukrainian cause.

“You are looking at live pictures of a fire that has broken out at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant in the town of Enerhohrad after an attack by Russian troops,” said CNN’s Erin Burnett tonight in what could literally be the most explosive story out of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the Eastern European nation so far

Russia after all, as shown in a video of the fighting at Hostomel Airport in Ukraine."Mriya" which means "dream" has been the pride-and-joy of the Ukrainian air fleet since its first flight in 1988 and has six engines and the ability to carry up to 640 tonnes.Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba confirmed the plane's destruction in a Twitter post but a professor later said satellite images indicated it might still be intact.Unfortunately, new footage appears to back up Mr Kuleba's statement that the plane is a smoking wreck.In the clip, said to be filmed on February 25 or 26, there are columns of smoke rising from different parts of the airport and bangs from gunfire or explosions.The damaged aircraft hangar is briefly seen and smoke appears to be coming from a plane inside, which some said was the Antonov AN-225.Antonov Company hit back against the video and asked people not to speculate on whether or not the plane was destroyed.It tweeted: "NO NO NO NO… Currently, until the #AN225 has been inspected by experts, we cannot report on the technical condition of the aircraft."Please wait for the official announcements about the condition of the aircraft."People analysing the footage drew different conclusions, with some reckoning they had spotted damage to the nose and at least one engine and others thinking it's a totally different plane in the hangar.One said: "I hope that the Ukrainian Dream is still alive."A second commented: "Is there a possibility that it's just an An-124 with the same coating of An-225?"Although the hanger looks like the same one on that satellite photo······But hey, maybe it only has 4 engines?"Someone else wrote: "Looks as though it's just the nose cone has fallen off due to fire (amongst what

Ukraine in a desperate bid to break morale, it has been claimed.Since Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded the country last week (February 24) they have incurred heavy casualties against fanatical Ukrainian resistance. And according to some European intelligence officials, Putin could soon turn to grim executions as he seeks to dominate the country.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorABC News anchor David Muir will anchor a live primetime “20/20” special from the border between Ukraine and Poland on Friday night, as the nation’s news networks continue to scramble to cover Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, one of the biggest global stories to take place in recent memory.Muir will report on the refugee emergency taking place along that border as Ukrainians seek safety amid turmoil in their country. The program will air on Friday, March 4, at 8 p.m.

Lord of the Rings character Gollum this week, using the character to criticise the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Serkis was discussing his voice work on The Lord of the Rings. He demonstrated the voice of Gollum and in doing so, criticised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by taking aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin.It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation last Thursday (February 24).“Gollum was on this side and Sméagol was on this side,” Serkis said in the segment.“And he would say things like, ‘We wants it.

Chelsea legend dedicated a message to Roman Abramovich.Bryant blasted Terry for his "appalling" tribute to the club’s owner, who recently put the club on sale.Abramovich confirmed on Wednesday that the Premier League club are up for sale in an emotional statement, with the oligarch setting the price at around £3billion.It comes as the billionaire - who bought Chelsea in 2003 for £140million - faces calls from Labour MPs to have his assets seized by the UK Government as they look to impose sanctions on Russian oligarchs who are alleged to be affiliated with Vladimir Putin.Abramovich has always rejected accusations of ties to Putin and the Kremlin. Nevertheless, Terry paid tribute to the owner online, posting a picture of them together with a Premier League trophy, one of 19 major trophies won in the Abramovich era.The 41-year-old wrote alongside it: “The best.” But the mark of respect by Terry has come under heavy fire by Byrant, who pointed to the war ongoing in Ukraine.

Madonna and Canadian producer Sickick have added Nigerian singer Fireboy DML to a second version of their ‘Frozen’ remix.Madonna and Sickick first released a remix of the 1998 classic – taken from the queen of pop’s ‘Ray Of Light’ album – last December, which came after it went viral on TikTok.Today (March 3), the pair have shared another reworking, but this time they’ve brought onboard Fireboy DML, who recently earned acclaim for his ‘Peru’ collaboration with Ed Sheeran.Madonna announced the remix earlier in the week when she took to Instagram to share a photo of herself and DML on the set of the song’s video, which she said is due soon after the release of the track.You can check out the new remix of ‘Frozen’ below:Earlier this week, Madonna weighed in on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, voicing her support for the latter.It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation last Thursday (February 24). “Russia’s Pointless and Greed Driven Invasion Of the Ukraine MUST be stopped!!” Madonna captioned an Instagram post that contained a fanmade video set to a remix of her 2005 song ‘Sorry’.“Please Send in Humanitarian Aid to help millions of citizens of the Ukraine who’s lives are being affected by this CRISIS at this very moment !!”She continued: “Putin has Violated Every Human Rights Accord in Existence. Putin has no right to try to erase the existence of the Ukraine.

Iron Maiden have announced that their upcoming summer shows in Ukraine and Russia have been cancelled due to the ongoing conflict between the neighbouring countries.The band were set to perform at VDNG in Kyiv, Ukraine on May 29 before visiting VTB Arena in Moscow Russia on June 1 as part of their 2022 ‘Legacy Of The Beast’ world tour.Sharing a statement on social media, Iron Maiden said “the promoters have cancelled the two Iron Maiden shows” due to the “ongoing situation in Ukraine”.“We are very sorry to announce that due to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, the promoters have cancelled the two Iron Maiden shows scheduled for May 29th in Kyiv and June 1st in Moscow on the 2022 Legacy Of The Beast World Tour,” the band tweeted.The band added that ticket-holders would we informed by the respective promoters on refunds, and concluded by stating: “Our priority is, and will always be, the safety of our fans.”Ticket-holders for both shows will be informed by the respective promoters on refunds at the appropriate time. Our priority is, and will always be, the safety of our fans.— Iron Maiden (@IronMaiden) March 3, 2022Since the conflict started, the likes of Iggy Pop, Yungblud, Green Day, Franz Ferdinand and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are among the acts who have scrapped dates due to the ongoing crisis.It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation last Thursday (February 24).Ukraine, which has a population of 44million people, borders both Russia and the European Union.

Vladimir Putin’s hackers as an act of revenge for Russian sanctions, it has been reported.British cyber intelligence is on high alert anticipating hackers attempting to infiltrate Whitehall computers, the Sun reports.NATO systems and Ukrainian networks are also targets under threat by the Russian hackers.A senior intelligence source told the paper that the UK was “braced” for retaliation and was surprised it had not happened yet.NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned last week that a cyber attack on NATO members could spark a wider war, by triggering Article 5. He said: “We have stated cyber attacks can trigger Article 5, but we have never got into the position where we give a potential adversary the privilege of defining exactly when we trigger Article 5.” Another unnamed NATO official said: “Allies also recognise that the impact of significant malicious cumulative cyber activities might, in certain circumstances, be considered as an armed attack.

Russia's attack on Ukraine is going 'according to plan' and the violence is set to 'get worse', Vladimir Putin has warned.