Russian footballer becomes first national star to condemn Vladimir Putin and Ukraine war

Another week, another great episode of Saturday Night Live!

Ukrainian facility that houses a nuclear reactor despite being warned of the disaster it could cause. Vladimir Putin's troops have allegedly been firing unguided rockets at the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology which is home to a facility called Neutron Source.

Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has the aim of "fighting Nazism". The country's embassy in South Africa was responding to a tweet from its Russian counterpart which appeared to lay out the reasons for Russia's invasion of its neighbours last month. The tweet said: "We have received a great number of letters of solidarity from South Africans, both individuals and organizations.

Deadly ultra-modern fighter jets worth £100million have arrived in the UK and will “make Putin sweat”, according to a military source.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has said he believes the conflict in Ukraine could last several months or years.

Russia is preparing to carry out public executions in conquered Ukrainian cities in an effort to break morale, it has been claimed.

Ukraine.Kuliak ended up winning bronze in the parallel bars, but ironically lost out to Ukraine's Kovtun Illia, who won gold.The 'Z' has recently morphed into a symbol of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and pro-Putin politicians and influencers have been spotted wearing it on their clothes and pro-invasion demonstrators have been waving flags bearing the letter.It stands for 'Za pobedy', which means 'For the victory', and has been plastered all over Russian tanks.It's understood that 'Z' merchandise is being sold via the Kremlin-funded RT.Russian teams and athletes have faced universal scrutiny ever since Vladimir Putin's forces invaded Ukraine last month, with many of them being prevented from competing.On Saturday, Russian Formula One driver Nikita Mazepin was released by Haas, despite initially being given assurances of his place on the team if he competed under a neutral flag.Football has also begun a major crackdown, with the Russian national team banned from playing at the World Cup, and Russian club sides booted out of European competitions.Russian and Belorussian athletes have also been banned form the Paralympic Games.Should all Russian athletes be banned from sport until the war ends? Let us know what you think in the comments section below...It comes as Russia's invasion intensifies, with forces destroying Ukrainian port city Mariupol and seizing the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.Putin continues to insist that Russia is not bombing Ukrainian cities, despite an overwhelming amount of evidence proving the opposite.

An independent Scotland would be better off staying out of the NATO military alliance, the Scottish Greens have said.

Vladimir Putin’s forces are making less progress than he expected in Ukraine, and the Russian leader is facing a battle at home too as he bids to control public and political criticism. Despite public protests being illegal in Russia, many Russians have risked arrest to demonstrate against the war in the streets of Moscow and other major Russian cities.

Nick Cave has responded to criticism over his views on Palestine after cancelling forthcoming gigs in Russia and Ukraine.Earlier this week (March 1), Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds announced that they had cancelled their scheduled concerts in Russia and Ukraine this summer due to Vladimir Putin’s invasion, saying: “Ukraine, we stand with you.”In a post on his Red Hand Files website, Cave responded to a fan criticising him for cancelling these gigs, but refusing to do so with shows in Israel back in 2017, when he went ahead with shows and told local press that doing so would be a defiant statement against anyone “who tries to censor and silence musicians”.“At the end of the day, there’s maybe two reason why I’m here. One is that I love Israel and I love Israeli people, and two is to make a principled stand against anyone who tries to censor and silence musicians,” Cave said at the time.

Ukraine. Russia began their invasion of Ukraine 11 days ago, and according to reports, it is unlikely to cease any time soon.

Vladimir Putin's troop in the city of Melitopol, south of the country.They sing the Ukrainian national anthem and shout "go home"; some yell "glory to Ukraine" and "death to the enemy".Some Russian soldiers are seen firing automatic rifles above the people's heads in a desperate bid to disperse the crowd but they are forced to retreat.The furious locals also marched to the roads, stopping an armoured vehicle by attempting to push it back.In another video, a Russian grandpa living in Melitopol told off the Russian troops as he expressed his disgust of their behaviour.He yelled at them: "What the f*** are you doing here? I am Russian too but I live in this state."Andrei Illarionov, ex-advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin has revealed the 'only way' the 'calculated' leader can be stopped in his war on Ukraine.Want all the latest shocking news and views from all over the world straight into your inbox?We've got the best royal scoops, crime dramas and breaking stories - all delivered in that Daily Star style you love.Our great newsletters will give you all you need to know, from hard news to that bit of glamour you need every day. They'll drop straight into your inbox and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.You can sign up here - you won't regret it...He believed that the Russian leader can only be defeated with "resistance" as already demonstrated by Ukraine.The former aide also described Putin as being "concentrated", "calculated", and "persistent".But other world leaders have begun to question Putin's mental state as they described his actions in the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war as "erratic".Intelligence reports from the Pentagon suggested Putin is "dying in agony from terminal bowel cancer".For more

Stevie Wonder has spoken out in support of the Ukraine, which he says is “in a battle for the soul of the world” due to it ongoing conflict with Russia.In a video statement shared on Friday (March 4), the Motown legend condemned Russia’s “evil” invasion and called for people to rise up in order to “prevent World War III”.“Can we survive if Ukraine does not? That is the question that all of us should ask,” Wonder began. “Are we surprised that the forces of evil are alive and aggressive in today’s world? I’m not surprised, and you shouldn’t be either. I write and sing about it because I can feel it. You should know about it because you can see, unless you have a blind eye to it and don’t want to do anything about it, you should see it.”“This is not just a Ukrainian war,” he continued.

Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton race you, would normally be Valtteri Bottas’ most terrifying part of his day. However, the Finnish driving sensation’s adrenaline would have almost soared through his helmet after a terribly awkward exchange with Vladimir Putin.Bottas was addressed by the Russian president after winning his first ever race at the 2017 Russian Grand Prix.

Vladimir Putin uses an array of techniques to ensure his safety at all times, including having his food tasted before he eats it and being flanked by a highly trained special unit when in public. The Russian President's overall safety is probably at an all-time low considering his invasion of Ukraine.

Saturday Night Live” cold open, they celebrated Russia’s Ukrainian invasion with an “all-star” Fox News special.On the “Fox News Ukrainian Invasion Celebration Spectacular,” from Mar-a-Lago, Ingraham (Kate McKinnon) and Carlson (Alex Moffat) welcomed Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) — who sang “My Funny Valentine” in tribute to his pal, authoritarian Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Also appearing were Steven Segal (Bowen Yang), and Donald Trump Jr.

One week after paying tribute to Ukraine in its cold open, Saturday Night Live this week went for laughs by skewering Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham for taking pro-Vladimir Putin stances as Russia threatened its neighbor.

Russia will not forget Britain's desire to co-operate with ultra-nationalist forces in Ukraine and the supply of British weapons to the Kyiv regime," The Mirror reports. She continued: "The sanctions hysteria in which London plays one of the leading, if not the main, roles, leaves us no choice but to take proportionately tough retaliatory measures.

Rammstein have spoken out in support of the Ukraine in light of the country’s ongoing conflict with Russia.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 month (February 24).On Friday (March 4), the German band took to social media to post an image of Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag with the Rammstein logo in the middle, showing their support for those affected by the attacks.“The band Rammstein wishes to express its support for the nation of Ukraine as it resists the shocking attack perpetrated by the Russian government,” they wrote.

Vladimir Putin has revealed the 'only way' the 'calculated' leader can be stopped in his war on Ukraine. Andrei Illarionov, who served as an economic adviser to Putin between 2000 and 2005, believes that Putin can only be stopped through ‘resistance’.Contrary to what other experts have said, Putin's former staff member claims the president is not ‘losing his mind’ and is 'as calculated as ever' in his attack on the neighbouring country.The ex-politician explained: "He knows what he wants and is trying to implement policy to achieve his goals."The only thing that can really stop Putin in Ukraine and in Europe, is resistance.

Vladimir Putin is dying in agony from terminal bowel cancer, according to intelligence reports from the Pentagon and in Ukraine. It is believed his “puffy face” is a sign he is taking chemotherapy drugs or steroids. His unsmiling expression shows he is in constant pain, US sources say.