RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has been captured uncontrollably shaking and struggling to stand as fears about his health grow.
The Russian leader's health has previously made headlines as it has been speculated he may be seriously ill – with conditions such as cancer and Parkinsons.
These claims however have been been denied by his authorities, where in March the Kremlin was forced to insist publicly that Putin's mental state was 'normal'.
Now, video footage has emerged of the tyrant visibly shaking during an award ceremony on Sunday.
During the ceremony Putin appeared shaky on his legs as he listened to Russian filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov accept a prize rewarding his work in the arts.
The footage shows Putin standing just off the podium, his arms straight by his side while struggling to stand still, evidently swaying back and forth in an undulating motion.
He can also be seen shaking his legs in what appear to be side-to-side movements.
Read our Ukraine war live blog below for the latest news & updates…
- Milica Cosic
Women detained at protest against Putin's war forced to 'strip naked'
Twenty women detained under suspicion of protesting against Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine were forced to strip naked and squat five times “in front of police cameras”.
The suspects aged 18 to 27 were rounded up at or near a rally were subjected to “humiliating and degrading” treatment, says their lawyer.
Women police officers ordered them to strip but in some cases cell doors were open and male officers passed by.
In all cases, cell cameras fitted with video recorders spied on the alleged abuse.
However, men detained at the same time were not subjected to the strip-and-squat orders.
“I am outraged that each of them was searched in a humiliating way at the detention centre, violating our legislation,” complained lawyer Olimpiada Usanova, who is going to court on behalf of the women to challenge their treatment.
“The females were searched by undressing and squatting five times in the presence of a detention centre officer.
“A second humiliating search was conducted several hours later in the cells and the women were forced to lift up their shirts, take off their panties, and bare their breasts in the camera surveillance area.
“I am concerned that female officers did not close the doors as some women were examined, and male officers were lurking there.”
- Milica Cosic
Ukraine forces fighting fighting for 'every metre' in Severodonetsk
Ukraine said today that its forces had been pushed back from the centre of key industrial city Severodonetsk, where President Volodymyr Zelensky described a fight for "literally every metre".
The cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, which are separated by a river, have been targeted for weeks as the last areas still under Ukrainian control in the eastern Lugansk region.
Regional governor Sergiy Gaiday also said today that Russian forces were "gathering more and more equipment" to "encircle" Severodonetsk, and that they had "pushed our troops from the centre and continue to destroy our city".
- Milica Cosic
MoD: ‘River crossing operations’ critical in determining course of the war
The UK Ministry of Defence has written up it's latest analysis report and said that river crossing operations are critical in determining the court of the war in Ukraine.
In thegular intelligence update, the UK stated that: “Over the coming months, river crossing operations are likely to be amongst the most important determining factors in the course of the war.”
The update added: “The key, 90km long central sector of Russia’s frontline in the Donbas lies to the west of the Siverskyy Donets River.”
“To achieve success in the current operational phase of its Donbas offensive, Russia is either going to have to complete ambitious flanking actions, or conduct assault river crossings.”
“Ukrainian forces have often managed to demolish bridges before they withdraw, while Russia has struggled to put in place the complex coordination necessary to conduct successful, large scale river crossings under fire.”
- Milica Cosic
Mayor: Russia 'not succeeding' with goals in eastern Ukraine
Yesterday, Sky Newsspoke to the mayor of Severodonetsk, Oleksandr Striuk, as the city in eastern Ukraine fought to keep control of the area.
He said Russia is trying to "create conditions under which they can freely enter the city with minimal effort".
"This is achieved through massive shelling and aerial bombardment," Mr Striuk said.
"But so far they are not succeeding. Our armed forces manage to resist and maintain the line of defence."
Asked how much of Severodonetsk remains in Ukrainian hands, Mr Striuk said: "In fact, just over a third of the city is under Ukrainian control, and just under two-thirds is under Russian control."
- Milica Cosic
Kyiv: Ukrainian forces pushed back from centre of Severodonetsk
Ukraine has today said that its forces have been pushed back from the centre of the eastern city of Severodonetsk, where fighting with Russia has raged for weeks.
"The enemy, with support of artillery, carried out assault operations in the city of Severodonetsk, had partial success, pushed our units away from the city centre," the Ukrainian military said on Facebook.
The local governor, Sergiy Gaiday, said "the Russians were partially successful at night" in the city.
They "pushed our troops from the centre and continue to destroy our city," he said on Facebook.
Gaiday said Moscow's forces were "gathering more and more equipment" to "encircle" Severodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk.
He added that three civilians were killed by shelling in Lysychansk, across a river from Severodonetsk, in the last 24 hours, including a six-year-old boy.
- Milica Cosic
Brit ex-soldier killed on front line in Ukraine hailed as a ‘hero’
Jordan Gatley, who left the British Army in March, has been hailed as "truly a hero" after he was killed in the city of Severodonetsk.
Heartbroken Dean Gatley, from Derbyshire, said Jordan went to Ukraine after "careful consideration" after Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin sent his troops in. Dean shared an emotional tribute from the family on Facebook to confirm the tragic news.
He wrote: "I didn’t think that Id ever use social media in this way but Sally, Adam and I would like to share some family news with all our friends, but there are just too many people to contact.
"Yesterday (10/06/22) we received the devastating news that our son, Jordan, has been shot and killed in the city of Severodonetsk, Ukraine.
"Jordan left the British Army in March this year to continue his career as a soldier in other areas. The war against Europe had begun so, after careful consideration, he went to the Ukraine to help."
Dean said the family has received "several messages" from his team praising his "wealth of knowledge, his skills as a soldier and his love of his job".
He added: "His team say they all loved him, as did we, and he made a massive difference to many people's lives, not only soldiering, but also by training the Ukrainian forces.
"Jordan and his team were so proud of the work they were doing and he often told me that the missions they were going on were dangerous, but necessary.
"He loved his job and we are so proud of him. He truly was a hero and will forever be in our hearts."
Former Brit soldier Jordan Gatley has been killed in UkraineCredit: Facebook - Milica Cosic
Canada decries official's visit to Russian embassy event
It was "unacceptable" for a Canadian official to have attended Russia Day celebrations at the country's embassy in Canada, foreign affairs minister Melanie Joly said on Sunday.
A deputy protocol chief in Canada's global affairs department, Yasemin Heinbecker, attended Friday's event, along with representatives of Egypt, Pakistan and some African nations, the Globe and Mail newspaper said in a report.
"No Canadian representative should have attended the event hosted at the Russian embassy and no Canadian representative will attend this kind of event again," Joly said in a Twitter post.
- Milica Cosic
Ex-PM says Putin 'out of it'
Speaking to AFP in a video interview, Kasyanov, Russia's prime minister from 2000 to 2004, Mikhail Kasyanov. said he expected the war could last up to two years but he was convinced Russia could return to a democratic path.
The 64-year-old, who championed close ties with the West as prime minister, said that, like many other Russians, he did not believe in the weeks ahead of the war that it would actually happen.
Kasyanov only understood that Putin was not bluffing when he saw him summon the country's top leadership for a theatrical meeting of the security council three days before the invasion on February 24.
"When I saw the meeting of Russia's Security Council I realised, yes, there will be a war," Kasyanov said.
He added that he felt that Putin was already not thinking properly.
"I just know these people and by looking at them I saw that Putin is already out of it. Not in a medical sense but in political terms," he said.
"I knew a different Putin."
- Louis Allwood
Putin’s ‘pregnant’ lover flanked by all-female ‘bodyguards’
VLADIMIR Putin's alleged mistress has been spotted out for the first time since she was stung by sanctions over the tyrant's war in Ukraine.
Former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva – rumoured to be pregnant with Putin's child – was flanked by all female "bodyguards" in St Peterburg as the Russian president hosted a summit.
The 39-year-old flew into the city ahead of the key economic forum Putin is using in a bid to save his country from the crippling impact of Western sanctions over his invasion of Ukraine.
Reclusive gold medal winner Alina is suspected to have a secret family with the Kremlin leader, and was seen for the second time in a week amid rumours of his failing health.
She was pictured with grim-faced female companions on a “private tour” of the city’s Mikhail Vrubel in the Russian Museum.
An eyewitness said she was prevented from getting closer to Kabaeva by the women – possibly plain-clothed bodyguards – who were with her, reported Fontanka.
- Milica Cosic
Russian forces fight for 'every metre' in Severodonetsk
Ukrainian and Russian forces were fighting for "literally every metre" in Severodonetsk, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as fighting intensified in an eastern region where the country's top commander said the land "is covered in blood".
Severodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have been targeted for weeks as the last areas in the Lugansk region still under Ukrainian control.
Russia's massed artillery in that region gave it a tenfold advantage, said Valeriy Zaluzhny, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military.
But, "despite everything, we continue to hold positions", he said.
"Every metre of Ukrainian land there is covered in blood — but not only ours, but also the occupier's."
In his nightly video address, Zelensky said the latest fighting in Severodonetsk was "very fierce", adding that Russia was deploying undertrained troops and using its young men as "cannon fodder".
By attacking Severodonetsk's last remaining bridges, the Russians were aiming to cut the key industrial city off completely from the rest of the country, said regional governor Sergiy Gaiday.
"Most likely (in the next two days), they will throw all the reserves to capture the city," Gaiday said.
- Louis Allwood
Ukraine: Russia can continue war ‘at current pace for another year’
Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate believes that Russia can continue its war at its current pace “for another year”.
It warned that Russia has the economic resources to continue its attack.
“The Kremlin leadership probably will try to freeze the war for a while in order to convince the West to lift sanctions, but then continue the aggression,” it said in a Telegram post.
“Russia’s economic resources will allow the occupying country to continue the war at its current pace for another year.”
- Milica Cosic
Claims Putin is 'preparing to starve much of the world' in order to win
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin plans to starve some countries as part of his efforts to win the war in Ukraine, claims a Yale historian.
Timothy Snyder published a lengthy Twitter thread on Saturday explaining how he believes Putin is using food insecurity to his advantage.
He called the Russian tyrant's move the "latest chapter of hunger politics."
"Russia has a hunger plan. Vladimir Putin is preparing to starve much of the developing world as the next stage in his war in Europe," Snyder, a professor at Yale University and expert on authoritarianism, said.
"If the Russian blockade continues, tens of millions of tons of food will rot in silos, and tens of millions of people in Africa and Asia will starve," Snyder added.
Lastly, he said Putin wanted to use mass starvation as a "backdrop for a propaganda contest."
"When the food riots begin, and as starvation spreads, Russian propaganda will blame Ukraine, and call for Russia's territorial gains in Ukraine to be recognized, and for all sanctions to be lifted," Snyder said.
- Louis Allwood
British soldier who fell in Ukraine honoured as 'a hero'
The family of Jordan Gatley, who left the British Army in March before heading to Ukraine to help defend the country from Russia, has paid tribute to the fallen soldier.
Heartbroken Dean Gatley, from Derbyshire, said Jordan went to Ukraine after "careful consideration" after Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin sent his troops in.
Dean shared an emotional tribute from the family on Facebook to confirm the tragic news.
He wrote: "I didn’t think that Id ever use social media in this way but Sally, Adam and I would like to share some family news with all our friends, but there are just too many people to contact.
"Yesterday (10/06/22) we received the devastating news that our son, Jordan, has been shot and killed in the city of Severodonetsk, Ukraine.
"Jordan left the British Army in March this year to continue his career as a soldier in other areas.
"The war against Europe had begun so, after careful consideration, he went to the Ukraine to help."
- Louis Allwood
Russia continues to recruit new troops, ministry of defence says
The Ministry of Defence has given Brits an update on the current state of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The organisation claims that Russia is seeking to generate more combat units, in order to form a third battalion. They will have to rely on new recruits to do this.
Moreover, if Russia does deploy three battalion's simultaneously, it is likely that the longterm staying power of their army will be weakened.
- Louis Allwood
Russian politician claims death penalty for Brits is justified
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that the country is right to hand three Brits death sentences, claiming they committed crimes worthy of the punishment.
His comments came after a pro-Russian separatist court handed down the sentences to the UK nationals Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner and the Moroccan national Brahim Saadoun on Thursday.
They were captured by Russian forces in April.
BBC News reports that the court that handed out the sentences in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic which is not recognised internationally.
- Louis Allwood
We must not make allowances for Russia, claims France
France will not make concessions to Russia and wants Ukraine to win the war against Moscow, a French presidential official has told Al-Jazeera, as Paris seeks to assuage anxieties over its position in the conflict.
President Emmanuel Macron made this statement after being criticised by Ukraine for saying NATO does not need to "humiliate Russia" .
“As the president has said, we want a Ukrainian victory. We want Ukraine’s territorial integrity to be restored,” the official confirmed.
“There is no spirit of concession towards Putin or Russia in what the president says. When he speaks to him directly, it is not compromise, but to say how we see things.”
- Louis Allwood
Russia hits Chemical plant in Severodonetsk, leaving 800 stranded
Reports have emerged that Russian forces have hit a chemical plant in Severodonetsk, where hundreds of civilians had found shelter.
"The Azot chemical plant has been under heavy shelling for hours," Serhiy Haidai told Ukrainian media on Saturday
"Our soldiers are winning in street fights, but, unfortunately, the enemy's artillery is simply dismantling – floor-by-floor – the houses used by our troops as shelters.
"So, when we push the enemy out of one street, they start using their tanks and artillery to destroy the area house-by-house," the Luhansk regional head said.
- Louis Allwood
Putin given ‘urgent medical help’
VLADIMIR Putin was given “urgent medical assistance” earlier this week after being struck down by a “sharp sickness”, according to Kremlin insiders.
Russia‘s president has reportedly been ordered by his doctors not to make any “lengthy” public appearances.
Vlad is said to have fallen ill while talking to his military chiefs and suffered “sharp sickness, weakness and dizziness” as he got up from his desk after a 90-minute virtual session.
The claims appeared on the General SVR channel on the messaging app Telegram, which is purportedly run by a Kremlin insider.
It said that Putin “needed urgent medical assistance” from doctors.
The channel said this sudden “dizziness” spell was the real reason Vlad’s annual “Direct Line” live broadcast had been postponed with no plans for rescheduling.
- Louis Allwood
Rolls Royce provides 'super-powered generators' to Ukraine
In a bid to aid Ukraine in its conflict against Russia, the German branch of Rolls Royce has provided a set of generators to the nation.
The company hopes these will be used to power buildings such as hospitals and schools.
“One such generator is capable of providing the work of not only one building, but all the buildings, if it is a large regional hospital," said the Ukrainian Ministry of Health.
- Louis Allwood
Ukraine once again calls for EU membership
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is urging the European Union to put his country on track to membership.
In a video address yesterday to the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, Mr Zelenskyy said the EU should act quickly.
Mr Zelenskyy also urged the EU to show “that its words about the Ukrainian people being part of the European family aren’t a hollow sound”.
He deplored that “there are still some political skeptics who doubt whether we should be allowed to move to join the EU”.
- Louis Allwood
10,000 dead: New report outlines Ukraine's fallen soldiers
The callous and unjustified invasion of Ukraine has caused a heavy toll on the nation's military, a new report has suggested.
According to an advisor to the Ukrainian President, over 10,000 soldiers have died since the invasion began in February.
He added: “200 to 300 die, no less.”
- Louis Allwood
Help those fleeing conflict with The Sun’s Ukraine Fund
PICTURES of women and children fleeing the horror of Ukraine’s devastated towns and cities have moved Sun readers to tears.
Many of you want to help the five million caught in the chaos — and now you can, by donating to The Sun’s Ukraine Fund.
Give as little as £3 or as much as you can afford and every penny will be donated to the Red Cross on the ground helping women, children, the old, the infirm and the wounded.
Donate here to help The Sun’s fund
Or text to 70141 from UK mobiles
£3 — text SUN£3
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- Louis Allwood
Head of NATO plays down hopes of resolution to dispute with Turkey
The head of NATO has appeared to play down hopes of an early resolution of a dispute with Turkey.
The dispute concerns the planned admission to the alliance of Finland and Sweden.
Jens Stoltenberg said its summit in Madrid at the end of this month had never been a deadline.
Speaking at a news conference alongside the Finnish president, Sauli Niinisto, Stoltenberg repeatedly stressed that Turkey's concerns about alleged support for Kurdish militants must be taken seriously.
"We have to address the security concerns of all allies, including Turkish concerns about the terrorist group PKK," Stoltenberg said.
- Louis Allwood
Grain storage facility left in ruins
A grain storage facility located in the Black Sea port of Mykolaiv has been shelled causing huge devastation according to Ukrainian authorities.
Local media say the shelling hit a warehouse where sunflower meal was stored.
Piles of sunflower seed meal could still be seen smouldering in the harbour a week after the shelling, after media access was granted access to the facility today.
- Louis Allwood
Inside ‘most depressing city on Earth’
A GRIM city dubbed "the most depressing on Earth" is so remote it can't be reached by road and so polluted life expectancy is ten years lower than the national average.
The most northerly city in the world, the remote Russian mining town of Norilsk is dark for two months of the year and has a truly chilling past.
Home to over 170,000 people, the small city in the Krasnoyarsk Krai region of Siberia, eastern Russia, is one of the most remote cities on the planet.
Norilsk is just under 1,800 miles from Moscow and more than 930 miles north of the regional capital Krasnoyarsk.
No roads lead to Norilsk. One freight railway line runs in and out of the city, and the port city of Dudinka 40 miles away provides a route to the city by sea – although it is frozen over in the winter.
It is so cut off that when locals leave the city they joke that they are "going to the mainland".
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