Pro-Russian convoy caught sporting flags and 'Z' symbol down motorway in Ireland

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Belarus’ support of the war, Wimbledon is reportedly planning to bar Russian and Belarusian players from the Grand Slam tennis tournament which begins in London on June 27. Sportico reported that the event, organized by the All England Club, will break from the rest of the tennis world by refusing to allow Russians to compete — this would include current world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev. The New York Times, citing a highly placed international tennis official, said the ban is expected to extend to Belarusian players as well.

Ukrainian comrades were "shredded and mutilated" by Russian tanks on the frontline.The sniper nicknamed Wali, who fought alongside the Kurds against ISIS in Syria, in March answered the call of Ukraine's President for foreign troops to join the war effort, saying: "I want to help people, it's as simple as that."Ever since, he has been helping to pick off enemy soldiers and giving Vladimir Putin's forces a good trolling in the process. However, in his latest update, the deadly marksman told of a close shave with a fleet of Russian tanks that saw two Ukrainian soldiers have limbs blown off in a gnarly death. He said that over the weekend he and a comrade called Shadow went to a position surrounded by Russian tanks, in a small forest having earlier left Kyiv when Vladimir Putin's forces retreated.

Vladimir Putin, Ukranian forces appear to have destroyed a £11million Russian Ka-52 helicopter with a rocket launcher worth less than £100.The incident is said to have occurred in the heavily contested Kharkiv region where the two sides are battling intensely.According to the Ukrainian military unit Operational Command 'East' the attack happened as Putin’s helicopters flew low over the terrain under cover of darkness.On the group’s Facebook page, an officer named Yaroslav described the attack.He said: “At night, enemy helicopters went very low. They circled over our positions, not even allowing us to raise our heads.“And an anti-aircraft gunner fired two missiles on them.

Russian tank appearing to drive over one of its own soldiers.Narrated by Ukrainian soldiers, the clip begins with the tank coming out of a container and turning left, where a soldier appears to be laying on the ground. The figure is visible moving around on the ground in the overhead clip, but despite this the armoured vehicle continues in its path, appearing to drive over the soldier."Russians are considered expendables by Russians," commented one person after the video was shared to a threat on Reddit dedicated to information on the conflict in Ukraine."Such is the respect for human life by Russian soldiers," added another person.A third added: "I don't f****** understand these Russians they're all just a bunch of untrained maniacs in camo...

West Ham United star Andriy Yarmolenko has revealed that his relationship with Ukraine team-mate Anatoliy Tymoshchuk has completely broken down following Russia's invasion of their homeland.Tymoshchuk has been widely condemned for refusing to speak out against Vladimir Putin, particularly as he's Russian Premier League side Zenit St Petersburg's current assistant manager, and was subsequently stripped of his coaching license and titles by the Ukrainian FA for continuing to work for a "club of the aggressor".Earlier this week, Yarmolenko said he spoke to his former international team-mate and close friend on the phone and asked him "how do you sleep at night?""He replied 'I don’t sleep'," Yarmolenko revealed, according to Zorya Londonsk. "Then he called me.

Ukraine as the war enters a deadly new phase, according to the Ukrainian president.Missile blasts and troop movements were witnessed across the Donbas region on Monday, only days after Vladimir Putin withdrew Russian forces from the area around Kyiv to focus on capturing land near the Russian border.Volodymr Zelenskyy described the development as the beginning of the "Battle of Donbas" and said the Ukrainian army had been expecting the latest assault.Striking a defiant tone in the rousing speech, the actor-turned-President claimed he was confident his army could repel the invaders.He said in a video address: "We can now say that Russian forces have started the battle of the Donbas, for which they have long prepared."No matter how many Russian soldiers are driven there, we will fight. We will defend ourselves.

Vladimir Putin's forces before being paraded on Russian TV. Ex-British Army soldier Shaun Pinner, 48, was serving as a 'contract soldier' with Ukrainian forces in Russian-occupied Mariupol as the area has been decimated by shelling.He claims to have been there for five to six weeks before appearing on the broadcast with no visible wounds, giving information about his service.He told the journalist Andrey Rudenko on the military TV channel: "I am Shaun Pinner.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet has gone up in flames as satellite images show other vessels trying to rescue crew members on board.

golden retriever puppy playing in Ukraine as bombs rained down around him has "miraculously" made it to his new home.Dog lover Jennifer Weems had already forked out for gorgeous Timon when news broke of Vladimir Putin ordering Russian troops to invade Ukraine in his 'special military operation'. As tanks rolled into cities and airstrikes were fired at buildings, Jennifer feared she would never be able to welcome Timon into her house of golden retrievers in Tennessee, US. She even felt "immense guilt" asking for a refund but Timon's breeder Irina was determined not to give up on getting the pooch where he belonged — even with a war going on.

Russia invaded Ukraine, SAS troops are training forces in Kyiv to aid them in their resistance against Vladimir Putin's troops. According to Ukrainian commanders, two battalions have undergone military training for serving British special forces in recent weeks.

Ukrainian minesweeping dog that took the internet by storm has now successfully sniffed out 'hundreds of Russian explosives'.Patron (Bullet in English) is an adorable two-and-a-half-year-old Jack Russell helping to remove mines left by retreating Russian forces in the Chernihiv region, north of Kyiv.The hero pooch first made headlines last month after he was pictured at work donning a miniature Ukrainian military vest. Since then the landscape of the conflict has changed dramatically with Vladimir Putin pulling troops out of northern Ukraine where their war effort was faltering badly.

Soprano Anna Netrebko has been hired by the Monte Carlo Opera to sing this month following the Metropolitan Opera's decision to drop her for failing to repudiate Russia President Vladimir Putin. The Monte Carlo Opera said Thursday that Netrebko will sing the title role in Puccini's "Manon Lescaut" in performances on April 22, 24, 27 and 30.The 50-year-old Russian replaces an originally announced Maria Agresta. Tenor Yusif Eyvazov, Netrebko's husband, is scheduled to sing Des Grieux.

Vladimir Putin’s regime admitted last night that the Moskva had been sunk in the Black Sea.The Russians insist it had been put out of action by a fire on board and had then sunk during bad weather while it was under tow.But the Ukrainians say they successfully struck it with Neptune missiles – a claim that Western observers believe is entirely credible. Now the Ukrainian government has taken to social media, saying on Twitter: “The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine reminds the Russian navy that the Black Sea straits are closed for entry only.

Steven Seagal. The martial arts star isn’t exactly a ubiquitous presence on the late-night talk show circuit. The action hits of his heyday don’t festoon the banners at the top of Netflix.

Russian soldiers in Bucha has been laid bare after a brave testimony from a woman who says troops bragged about brutally killing her neighbour and admitted to enjoying taking lives.Maurine Mercier, a journalist at Radio Télévision Suisse, met Ekatarina (not her real name) 38, and her 13-year-old daughter, who was the target of Russian soldiers before the brave mother pleaded with them not to rape her. Ekatarina was gang-raped before an 18-year-old soldier took her to the bloodied body of her slain neighbour to brag about killing her. Even more chillingly, Ekaterina said the young soldier admitted to enjoying killing.

probable sinking of one of Vladimir Putin’s biggest warships in the Black Sea is one of the most stunning military achievements in modern naval history.That’s the opinion of one historian following the widespread reports that the Moskva was sunk after being hit by Neptune missiles in the ongoing war that followed the Russian invasion of Ukraine.In a fascinating Twitter thread, author and historian Chris Owen (@ChrisO_wiki) described the attack on the Moskva, if confirmed, as “likely to go down in history as one of the most audaciously successful attacks in modern naval history”.He added: “If she's been sunk, the Moskva will be the biggest warship lost since WW2: at 12,490 tons she's bigger than Argentina's General Belgrano, sunk by the Royal Navy in 1982 [during the Falklands War].“Apart from the symbolism of her likely loss, she's of great military value as a platform for air defence and missile bombardment of land targets. Her loss is of great significance to both sides.”The Moskva infamously attacked Snake Island early during the war, when the brave Ukrainian defenders told the ship to "go f**k yourself".

Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded his new home, Aiden who had previously volunteered to fight against ISIS in Syria, took up arms once again.Earlier this week however he contacted his friends and family back in Blighty to reveal that his unit had run out of food and ammo and were on the brink of surrender.He said: “It’s been 48 days. We tried our best to defend Mariupol but we have no choice but to surrender to Russian forces.”Aiden's mum Ang added: "I love my son, he is my hero – they put up one hell of a fight."He is expected to be used by the Russians for propaganda purposes, but there is some hope Aiden may eventually be released as part of a prisoner exchange.Meanwhile, Ukrainian fighters are putting up a hellish last stand in tunnels under an abandoned steel plant in Mariupol as Russian forces close in on the besieged port city.This is a breaking news story and is being constantly updated.

Ukrainian military has sunk one of Vladimir Putin's biggest warships in the Black Sea, it has been claimed.Multiple sources on social media have claimed that the warship Moskva was destroyed by Ukrainian missiles and sent to 'the bottom of the sea'.Taking to Twitter, one reporter said: "Multiple reports the Moskva one of three Russian Slava Class missile cruisers and the Black Sea flagship was hit by Ukrainian missiles and left burning in the Black Sea."Speaking on Ukrainian TV, presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych said: "Moskva had been hit by two Neptune anti ship missiles and was on fire in rough seas."The Russian Defence Ministry have said that the Moskva's crew has been told to evacuate and an investigation is underway into what caused the fire and serious damage on the ship.The Moskva is one of Putin's largest ships and has already been used to devastating effect in the conflict, most notably at Snake Island.After asking the defenders of the island to surrender, the Moskva's captain was told to "go f*** himself" by the brave soldiers. Amazingly, the Ukrainian border guard who uttered the remark survived and has been recognised for his bravery after being released in a prisoner exchange.

Vladimir Putin only named one Russian player when picking out his three favourite football players of all time back in 2018.The Russian president revealed his three favourite footballers of all time whilst speaking to the media ahead of a trip to China before the 2018 World Cup in Russia. However, there was only space for one Russian in his top three, which also included World Cup winners and football icons Diego Maradona and Pele.According to Russian outlet Tass, Putin chose legendary former Soviet Union and Dynamo Moscow goalkeeper Lev Yashin as the third and final player in his top three favourites.Yashin, who was nicknamed the 'Black Spider', is regarded by many as the greatest goalkeeper in the history of football and is the only keeper to have ever won the Ballon d'Or.He spent his entire 20-year playing career with Dynamo Moscow, winning five Soviet league titles and three Soviet Cups during this period.For his country, he was part of a side which won the maiden Euros in France in 1960 as well as an Olympic gold medal at the 1956 games in Melbourne, Australia.Is Lev Yashin the greatest goalkeeper of all time? Let us know in the comments section below.In addition to his 1963 Ballon d'Or win, he was also named the European goalkeeper of the year on nine separate occasions during his 20 seasons as a professional.As well as naming Pele, Maradona and Yashin as his three favourite footballers of all-time, Putin also explained his dedication to sport, claiming: "I dedicate about two to two and a half hours to sports every day.”He is said to enjoy the gym, swimming and judo when it comes to his daily exercise, but also has a fondness for ice hockey, adding: "I also play hockey though not so often as I would like to.

Vladimir Putin's face on a phallic-shaped plaster cast has sent the internet into a frenzy. In a photo posted on social media site Reddit, the Russian's President's appears to be depicted on a penis-shaped plaster cast hanging from a pole at a checkpoint on the way to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.User "beholdchris" captioned the post – which has got nearly 2,000 upvotes and over 60 comments – by writing: "At the checkpoint on the way to Kyiv…"Fellow Redditors were in hysterics with the discovery, with one commenting: "Someone did a great job of a plaster cast.