Ukrainian woman raped over six-days as Russian soldiers 'put weapons inside her'

Russian president Vladimir Putin has been shot at his home near Moscow.Vadim Zimin, the retired 53-year-old colonel, was shot at his home and is now gravely ill in intensive care, reports say.Colonel Zimin had been in charge of the nuclear briefcase during his time as an active member of the Federal Security Service, accompanying the Kremlin leader and carrying his nuclear warhead controls.READ MORE: Putin says 'we don't threaten anyone with nukes but we do have them and will use them'The colonel, alongside former President Boris Yeltsin, was said to have carried out the trusted role for the current Russian president, handling the world-ending suitcase for the 69-year-old Russian leader. Zimin had been a member of the FSS, rising through the ranks until he landed himself the position of colonel under his successor Vladimir Putin.But the precise role of the gravely ill colonel is as yet unknown, with the ex-KGB spy found with gunshot wounds in the kitchen of his flat located in Krasnogorsk, Moscow.The wife of Zimin, a medic, had been absent from the house as she is reportedly treating soldiers fighting in the invasion of Ukraine.The 53-year-old colonel was under house arrest over allegations of bribe-taking after joining the customs service in a senior role, with Zimin denying any wrongdoing.

Ukrainian sausage dog arrived in the UK before its 17-year-old owner, who is stranded in Germany following a series of blunders. Ivan Pavliuk was unable to his reach his mother and step-father, Svitlana and Jonathan Goodwin, in Stoke-on-Trent after his visa was issued with an incorrect date of birth.Staying with his aunt in Gevelsberg, Ivan was told to make the 40-mile trip to Dusselsdorf to collect his replacement UK visa in person.

Spending on funerals in Russia has increased by 17 per cent since the invasion of Ukraine, according to western officials in an update of Vladimir Putin’s advances in a “grinding, slow conflict” with mounting costs.

Glastonbury will play host to several Ukrainian acts this year to bring an anti-war message to the festival amid the Russian invasion of their country. Folk quartet DakhaBrakha, who hail from Ukraine's capital Kyiv, will perform on Sunday afternoon on the Pyramid stage.

Ukraine to help with the war effort after two Brits were sentenced to death.US citizens Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh - who are ex-army and ex-marines, respectively - ran into trouble after being separated from Ukrainian troops near Kharkiv, after which they were spotted and picked up by a Russian patrol.Now both face the possibility of being put to death, with a Kremlin spokesperson calling them "soldiers of fortune" who, pending the results of an investigation, "should be punished." According to Russian state broadcaster RT, both Americans are currently in the custody of Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, reports The Independent.In a video aired by the channel Alexander Drueke can reportedly be heard to say, "Mom, I just want to let you know that I’m alive and I hope to be back home as soon as I can be."Lois Drueke, Alexander Drueke’s mother, said that seeing the video gave her some hope that her son would be okay and may return home.“Just seeing him move, just hearing his voice, gives us great hope," she said.

Russia’s richest has said that “domestic problems” could force Vladimir Putin into a military confrontation with the west, if his Ukraine invasion succeeds. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a businessman-turned-philanthropist, has been living in the UK since 2015 after he made made his fortune in the 1990s through currency trading and in the oil industry.In an interview with the Financial Times, the outspoken Putin critic said that the threat of an escalation of the conflict to drag in NATO countries was serious if Putin achieved his goal of seizing the Donbas region in the southeast of Ukraine.

“You’re my hero,” Ben Stiller told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today on a visit to Kyiv. “You gave up a great acting career for this,” the Severance filmmaker joked with the former Servant of the People star.

Russian naval tugboat was blown up by two Harpoon missiles while in the middle of the Black Sea.In a video, which was filmed using a TB-2 drone, the Russian "Vasily Bekh" appears to show a low-flying missile approaching the target before detonating and sparking two huge explosions.Ukrainian officials have confirmed that its forces used an anti-ship missile system to strike the enemy vessel as it travelled to Snake Island loaded with weapons on June 17. It is said that the sea-skimming harpoon missiles can sink a ship over the horizon from a distance of over 80 miles, according to The Sun.The incident was the first time Ukraine has acknowledged launching the Harpoon missiles, which have been supplied by the UK, Denmark and the US.Head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Maxim Marchenko, said: "This morning, our naval forces struck the Black Sea Fleet support vessel Vasily Bekh, with the TOR anti-aircraft missile system on board.

Glastonbury Festival will play host to a number of Ukrainian acts this year amid the Russian invasion of their country.Kyiv folk quartet DakhaBrakha will perform on Sunday afternoon on the Pyramid stage.The group, who combine the musical styles of several local ethnic groups, have described themselves as ‘ambassadors of free Ukraine’ and have long used their performances to voice their opposition to war and the policies of Vladimir Putin.They have been donating money raised by their recent performances to the war effort.Meanwhile, Go_A will open the John Peel stage on Saturday with a performance of electronic folk music and soaring vocal melodies.The group, who formed in 2012, represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021 with the anthemic dance track Shum, placing fifth.Band member Ihor Didenchuk is also a member of Kalush Orchestra, who triumphed during the contest this year after a symbolic show of public support saw them climb to first place with 631 points.Glastonbury will also host Jamala, who won Eurovision for Ukraine in 2016 with her song 1944, about the forced deportation in Crimea during the rule of Joseph Stalin.The singer was forced to flee her country following the invasion and played during a fundraising concert for Ukraine in March in Birmingham that also featured stars such as Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello and Emeli Sande.She will be playing a late-night set starting at 2am on Saturday night at the Toad Hall stage.Announcing the news in June, she wrote on Instagram: ‘I will be closing the Toad Hall stage of the legendary British festival on June 25.

Vladimir Putin's informers are working in the House of Commons, the civil service and top public schools, reports The Mirror.It is also understood that Putin has demanded that all his sleeper agents - operating under deep cover - remain on standby to jump into action as a response to Britain's support for Ukraine in their war with Russia.The Security Service have already been put on alert for potential cyber attacks by Russian spies in the UK.There are also concerns that the country's military secrets are being targeted, along with Ukrainian activists and Russian dissenters.A senior intelligence insider said: "We have to assume Russia is now active at all levels of British society. They scoop up all forms of intelligence and pass it back to the Kremlin through handlers."This could be anything from what sort of weaponry is being sent to the Ukraine – and how much of it – to the sexual antics of the country's political and military leaders."The disclosure comes after a suspected Russian spy was seized at Gatwick last week.The man in his 40s was held under the Official Secrets Act and remains in custody.Lt Col Philip Ingram, a former military intelligence officer, said: "It is impossible to accurately assess how many Russian agents there are in the UK.

Boris Johnson has reportedly arrived in Kyiv for a surprise visit to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine.The 38-year-old labelled the brutal conflict "catastrophic", becoming one of just a small number of well-known Russian figures to speak out against the president, just a few months after the country's parliament passed legislation that could see dissidents who criticise Russia's military action jailed for up to 15 years."These events are catastrophic," Denisov told Russian YouTube channel Nobel. "It's horrific.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the hardline Putin supporter who left his stronghold in Chechnya to fight for Russia in Ukraine, has dismissed a rumour about the Russian leader’s health.The only strange thing about that is, the rumour never really existed.In a bizarre, hesitant audio recording posted to his Telegram channel, the Chechen leader told followers that he had "read that our president had fallen into a coma" and that "they are looking for a replacement right now.”Speaking in slow, halting Russian, rather than in his native Chechen, Kadyrov dismissed the suggestion, claiming that he himself had he had "recently" spoken with Putin."He has a very cheerful voice, a commanding voice, and he is ready to complete the special operation without harming the Ukrainian people and the state as much as possible," Kadyrov insisted.He issued a stark warning to anyone spreading rumours about Putin’s health, saying "I advise you that it is better to shut your mouths.”.The leader of the majority-muslim Chechen republic signed off the 69-second recording by saying "May Allah grant our president a long life, health, happiness and good luck.” There has long been speculation about the state of Vladimir Putin’s health. Rumours have swirled for the past few years that the former KGB officer, who has occupied one or other of Russia’s top political posts since 1999, is suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, or blood cancer, or both.

Ukraine begin to bite.In a move that helps Russian exhibitors save face and avoid expulsion from a major global industry body, the Russian Association of Cinema Owners (RACO) said it had submitted an application to “exit UNIC.” It comes after Hollywood majors exited the Russian market following President Vladimir Putin’s decision late February to invade Ukraine, turning Russia into an international pariah state. The move broadens Russia’s isolation from the rest of the world at a time when its domestic cinema is facing near total collapse.

Ukrainian conscripts are reportedly being forced to man Russian frontlines as "cannon fodder" against their own country.A wounded Ukrainian fighter has claimed that separatists in the Donbas are being sent on "suicide missions" on Vladimir Putin's behalf, with next to no military training and outdated weapons. Speaking to The Telegraph, soldier Serhii added that the kidnapped separatists seemed to be "high on something" whilst launching frontal attacks against Ukrainian positions on foot.

Russian opposition leader and Vladimir Putin critic, Alexei Navalny has been transferred to a dreaded “torture” prison notorious for sexual violence, it is believed. Navalny has disappeared from Pokrov penal colony where he was serving 11 years for alleged fraud and contempt of court cases but is no longer there.

Russian beauty queen could face 20 years in prison after she was detained as a suspected drug dealer, law enforcement have revealed.Kristina Dukhina, 34, a Miss Dubai runner-up and model agency owner, was held near her elite apartment complex in Moscow's skyscraper district.The 34-year-old had been a runner-up in the Miss Dubai contest held in 2019 and was also a Grand Prix Miss Federation winner, picking up the top prize in Russia's beauty contest in 2020.Dukhina is said to have been held by Russian police following a drugs bust that sees the Russian beauty queen facing a sentence of 20 years.Her potential two-decades behind bars comes as police intercepted the the model in possession of more than half a kilogram of mephedrone, a report has revealed.Dukhina is owner of an agency aimed at establishing the modelling industry in Crimea, which was annexed by Vladimir Putin's Russian forces in 2014, taking the land away from Ukraine.The mother-of-two is currently under investigation on the preparation of the illegal drug for sale.She has since left social media, cutting her presence online short and leaving a brief note to her fans before removing herself from online activities.She posted: "I am leaving social networks. I will take only loved ones to my sterile empty room of a new life."Dukhina's departure from social media is a far cry from the success and fame she achieved while working as a beauty contest participant.She had started up her own modelling agency, Black Sea Models.

Russian actress who pretended to be a Ukraine war refugee to get to a billionaire's birthday party has been deported after pictures of her at the event were leaked online.Ieva Andrejevaite, 34, said she was an asylum seeker upon arrival toCape Town International Airport in South Africa on April 28 after being denied entry for not having a visa. Plotting another way to get to a swanky event hosted in the country, the London-based actress informed officials that she was fleeing Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.After being let in, her scheme was soon exposed after she was photographed mixing with VIP guests at a party hosted by billionaire private investor Rob Hersov.She had even arrived on the private jet of Soviet-born British-American businessman Len Blavatnik, who is listed by Forbes as the 20th richest person in the world.South Africa Department of Home Affairs spokesman Siya Qoza said she had been given entry into the country to allow her to file an asylum claim within five days — but did not make any submission within this period.Commenting on her case, he said: “After that refusal of entry, she then lied to immigration officials, making up a story of wanting to apply for asylum.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.“As a result of our asylum seeker laws, immigration officials’ hands were tied and they were required to let her into the country so that she could apply for asylum within five days.

Muse’s Matt Bellamy has claimed that Donald Trump’s reign of division in the US allowed Vladimir Putin to “cause chaos” in the West.The frontman was talking to NME for this week’s Big Read cover story, ahead of the Devon rockers’ new album, ‘Will Of The People’, being released in August.Discussing a lyric in the record’s title track that declares, “We need a revolution so long as we stay free”, Bellamy began: “It’s a worrying time because there is a chance here. There’s a window for a lovely new kind of political model or socio-economic structure that could be really good.

Ukrainian fighter pilot evaded a Russian missile lock with a series of astonishing evasive manoeuvres. The Top Gun-style footage shows the pilot of the Ukrainian Su-25 attack jet almost graze tree tops, fighting for their life in the Donbas region as it is locked on to from the ground. The clip starts with the pilot racing his jet above a road on which military vehicles can be seen.

Putin's troops are en route to hell for waging war on Ukraine.Outspoken Ioann Kurmoyarov, who last year demanded criminal charges be brought against Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, has been detained in St. Petersburg under a new law against spreading “false information” about the Russian military.Following his arrest, investigators searched his house and seized equipment, two icons, a wooden cross and a cassock.