Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his wife, Mila Mulroney, attend the David Foster Foundation Miracle Gala And Concert held at Mattamy Athletic Centre on September 26, 2015, in Toronto, CanadaCredit: George Pimentel/WireImage
Who is Brian Mulroney’s wife, Mila?
Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney married his wife, Mila Mulroney, in 1973 when she was 19 and he was 34.
Born Milica Pivnički, she is the daughter of a Serbian-Canadian doctor.
While her husband campaigned to become prime minister, Mila remained a housewife.
This boosted her popularity among Canadians as many voters found her relatable.
Throughout Mulroney’s time as prime minister from 1984 to 1993, she campaigned for various children’s charities.
However, during this time she also received scrutiny for her lavish lifestyle and frequent shopping sprees.
What was Brian Mulroney’s cause of death?
Brian Mulroney died on February 29, 2024.
He was 84 years old at the time of his death.
At the time of publishing, no official cause of death has been revealed.
However, in 2023, Mulroney had undergone a heart procedure and received treatment for prostate cancer.
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Brian and Mila Mulroney married in 1973
Do Brian and Mila Mulroney have kids?
Brian Mulroney is survived by his wife and four children.
The couple had one daughter and three sons, Ben, Mark, and Nicolas Mulroney.
Brian and Mila Mulroney’s eldest, Caroline Mulroney, announced the former prime minister’s passing on X, formerly Twitter.
She said, “On behalf of my mother and our family, it is with great sadness we announce the passing of my father, The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, Canada’s 18th Prime Minister.”
The tweet continued, “He died peacefully, surrounded by family.”
BOMB blast detectives found suspected British parts in Russian drones fired at Ukraine.
Last night an MP called it a “deeply worrying development”.
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Bomb blast detectives found suspected British parts in Russian drones fired at UkraineCredit: Peter Jordan
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Earlier investigations suggested the engines were reverse-engineered in Iran from a British partsCredit: Peter Jordan
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Sun man Jerome Starkey and expert Andriy Kulchytskyi on a lab tripCredit: Peter Jordan
Ex-colonel Andriy Kulchytskyi, at the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, showed us a motor of an Iranian Shahed-M drone engraved with English writing.
He said he suspected some of the engines used to power the drone were made in England — but the manufacturer would not have known they could end up in a war zone.
Andriy said: “We thought the Shahed 131 engines were British, at the very beginning, but we haven’t made it official. England is a good friend.”
Earlier investigations have suggested the engines were reverse-engineered in Iran from a British part.
Former Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois said: “That these engines came from Britain is still unconfirmed but, if true, that’s a deeply worrying development.
“We have to assume our own intelligence agencies are investigating this, with a view to intervening rapidly, if required.”
Irish parts, US and Swiss computer chips, Sony optics on a spy drone and antennas made in Canada have also been found by the Kyiv lab.
Ukraine wipes out dozens MORE of Putin’s troops and Russian soldier fails to take out looming drone in explosive footage
PUTIN has resorted to recruiting Neo-Nazis and football hooligans to form his own private army – the ruthless Española group.
By gathering die-hard football fans across Russia, the group’s leader Orlov Stanislav – dubbed “The Spaniard” – has created a military unit that has fought in some of the most intense battles of the Ukraine war.
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The Española group was formed after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022Credit: AFP
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The group consists of football fans from different teams across RussiaCredit: ESPAÑOLA’S TELEGRAM CHANNEL
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The Spaniard, a well-known CSKA fan claimed he fought in the second Chechen WarCredit: East2West
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The group has fought in the most intense battles of the warCredit: AFP
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It is estimated to have around 1,000 members todayCredit: East2West
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The Española group are recruited through Telegram and then trained in sites near MoscowCredit: AFP
Ukraine‘s Defence Intelligence confirmed last month that Putin’s United Russia had officially granted the group the status of private military company (PMC).
The unit recruits football thugs, particularly those closer to the Nazi ideology, as well as civilians from poor parts of Russia and occupied territories.
As it gained popularity following the invasion of Ukraine, the battalion ended up fighting in major battles, including in Mariupol, Bakhmut, Soledar, and Vuhledar, according to Lucas Webber, co-founder of the Militant Wire research network.
With “hundreds” of fighters, the volunteer brigade “operates with some degree of independence” from the Russian Armed Forces, he said.
He told The Sun: “Española plays an important role in its outreach to Russia’s ultra/hooligan communities and in drawing recruits and support from these population segments for the war in Ukraine.
“Española appeals to a unique subset of Russia’s far-right militarist ecosystem and is distinct from the neo-Nazi Rusich organisation and the hard-line Orthodox Russian Imperialist Movement.
“Española is a volunteer brigade that operates with some degree of independence from the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
“The group has historical ties to the Donetsk People’s Republic forces and has hundreds of fighters.
“Its propaganda describes how it is multifaceted and has artillery, anti-aircraft weapons, sniper teams, drone operators, and more.”
While various rogue mercenary groups have emerged since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Española has gradually started to form since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The group – previously associated with the militant group Vostok Battalion – was operating mainly in the Russian-held region of Donetsk.
The group’s leader is Stanislav Orlov, 43, is a prominent figure among CSKA fans.
A radical member of the team’s ultras Red-Blue Warriors, Orlov claims to have joined the Russian army in 1999 and fought in the Second Chechen War.
He is said to have fought Donbas in 2014 alongside other ultras and earned his nickname “The Spaniard” thanks to his language skills as he was able to recruit foreign mercenaries.
Following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Orlov created the Española group as Putin was desperately trying to boost ranks in the frontline – with even ex-international footballer Andrey Solomatin, 47, signing up.
Webber said one of the most visible members of the group is former MMA fighter and Zenit hooligan Mikhail “Pitbull” Turkanov.
Turkanov – who has tattoos of the swastika – has been wounded in combat and has received awards from the Russian military.
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Orlov was a hardcore member of the CSKA ultras Red-Blue WarriorsCredit: East2West
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The recruits come from Dynamo, Lokomotiv, Spartak, Zenit and other hooligansCredit: AFP
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Stanislav Orlov also known as the Spaniard has been fighting in Donbas since 2014Credit: East2West
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Mikhail “Pitbull” Turkanov is also a member of the private army unitCredit: You Tube/FIGHT NIGHTS GLOBAL TV
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Other members are hooligans from Moscow-based football teamsCredit: AFP
Dr Stephen Hall Lecturer in Russian and Post-Soviet Politics at the University of Bath estimates the elite army unit has roughly 1,000 members and has been actively supported by Russia throughout the war.
He told The Sun: “Orlov probably has close links to someone in the Ministry of Defence.
“He’s been fighting since 2014 in the Donbas and he’s been there for a long time.
“He certainly has a past of being a football thug and he created the Española mercenary group in February 2022 just after the war began – so clearly someone had been preparing.
“They’ve relied heavily on football thugs across the Moscow-based football teams such as Dynamo, Lokomotiv and Spartak.
“They seem to be well prepared, well trained and well equipped by the Russian army.
“The Russian Army has given them a lot of support as they are the ones fighting against Azov the group that Russian state propaganda has stated they’re Nazis and the ones behind the Ukrainian regime.”
Dr Hall notes the “shady” group does not have a strong social media presence – unlike Wagner- but explains how they use Telegram to target recruits.
He added: “It’s quite a shady group whereas in Wagner they very ran their social media campaign Espanola doesn’t have a social media footprint.
“That always leads to the question of who is behind them, and who is protecting them and I say the Ministry of Defence.”
They seem to be well prepared, well trained and well equipped by the Russian army
Dr Stephen Hall
Telegram is widely used across Russia and is “a more effective way of getting the people you want to join,” he adds.
The potential candidates are interviewed through the platform and if successful they are taken for training in Moscow and St Petersburg.
Volunteers are offered a salary of £1,900 a month for at least six months at the frontline, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
Russia is also using “insurance payments” to lure civilians into battle – that can vary from £8,700 to £43,500 depending on the severity of the injury.
But Ukraine’s intelligence notes that for most civilians the first battle is a “one-way ticket” as they are used as cannon fodder.
The dead and those seriously injured are registered as “missing” so Russia avoids paying the families.
Russian ultras: The ‘Battle of Marseille’
The notorious Battle of Marseille happened during England’s opening match for Euro 2016.
The massive brawl erupted when Russian football fans attacked England supporters leaving many of them with serious injuries following a 1-1 draw.
14 England fans were left in hospital – including two with life-threatening injuries.
Dad-of-three Stewart Gray was left fighting for his life after being ambushed by hooligans.
His brother Duncan described the scenes as “like a war zone, the worst violence I have ever seen.”
Dr Hall told The Sun: “This is the “beauty” of East European football.
“As we know from 2016 when Russian and English football fans met one another in Marseille – it was definitely eye-opening what Russian fans were doing
“They had these football wars and battles so they were versed in that.”
Lucas Webber added: “Española both leverages its online propaganda apparatus and real-world domestic networks.
“It runs several channels on Telegram and VK. Its propaganda campaign also involves community initiatives and humanitarian work inside occupied regions in Ukraine to boost its profile and grow its ranks.
“One example is the founding of a youth football team in occupied Ukraine.
“This was apparent during the Wagner Group’s mutiny, for instance.”
“In its propaganda, Española presents a patriotic message of soccer ultras overcoming previous divisions to unite over a nationalistic cause.
“The group has sometimes voiced criticisms of the Russian government and military establishment.”
The Española group is one of a long list of units operating in Ukraine.
Apart from Wagner which was hit by the death of its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin last summer, other smaller paramilitary forces include Ptok, by energy giant Gazprom, Redut, the Patriot, the Orthodox Brotherhood, ENOT.
They all operate around the world and recruit all types of soldiers – seemingly with Russia’s support.
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Volunteers earn a salary of £1,900 – pictured volunteer Chernika (Blueberry)Credit: AFP
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Lucas Webber says the unit is equipped with weapons, sniper teams and drone operatorsCredit: Hudson.org
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The group also offers insurance payments for those injured on the battlefieldCredit: AFP
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Ukrainian intelligence suggests that volunteers are used as cannon fodder in battleCredit: AFP
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Dr Stephen Hall estimates the group has about 1,000 membersCredit: Linkedin
DONALD Trump would “encourage” Russia to attack any Western nations that fail to pay Nato defence bills.
The ex-US president bragged he once slapped down the leader of a “big country” who asked if America would step in if invaded by Russia.
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Former US President Donald Trump has sent a warning to Western nations that fail to pay NATO defence billsCredit: Getty
Trump, running for president again, told supporters: “I said, ‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent? No I would not protect you’.
“In fact I would encourage them to do whatever they want. You gotta pay.”
A White House spokesman branded Saturday’s comments at a rally in South Carolina “appalling and unhinged” and a threat to global security.
Trump, 77, has claimed too much US cash is spent protecting 30 Nato nations and accused some of failing to spend enough on defence.
READ MORE ON DONALD TRUMP
He has also alarmed allies by claiming to have a working relationship with Russia leader Vladimir Putin while members of his party have blocked vital weapons cash for Ukraine.
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said: “Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security.
“We expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election, the US will remain a strong and committed ally.”
A BRUTAL attack by Russian drones has resulted in apocalypse-like carnage across Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Three children, aged seven, four, and six months, were among seven people killed as fires erupted and at least 15 houses were destroyed.
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Russian drone strikes spark disaster at a former recreation centre and hotel in KharkivCredit: East2West
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Some 15 homes have been destroyedCredit: East2West
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A family was ‘burned alive’, held hostage by the fire inside their houseCredit: East2West
Vladimir Putin‘s forces are understood to have struck a petrol station overnight, triggering a “river of fire” in the city of Kharkiv.
The three children and two adults were “burned alive” following the strikes, which involved Iranian-designed drones deployed by Russia.
Chief investigator Serhiy Bolvinov said the family of five was “held hostage by the fire inside their own house”.
He said: “The man’s body is in the corridor of the house, the mother and the children tried to save themselves in the bathroom.
Read more on the Ukraine war
“We do not yet know where the baby’s body is. The search is underway.”
Loved ones related to the victims have been asked for DNA to assist in identifying them.
More than 50 people were rescued from the flames of the savage Russian attack in the urban district of Nemyshlyanskyi in Kharkiv.
A witness, Andrii Kruglo, recalled: “Everything exploded and started running like a river. A burning river. I was covered in diesel fuel.
“It was running down the street and setting houses on fire. We tried to put the fire out, extinguished it with our hands, with snow, as much as we could.”
Kharkiv mayor Igor Terekhov claimed that Russia’s Iranian-made drones, “Shaheds”, struck a petrol station, causing burning fuel to spill out and set fire to dozens of homes.
Russia launches massive missile attack on Ukraine after Putin vowed ‘revenge’ hitting hospital, mall and homes
Three drones were used in the attack, according to regional prosecutor Oleksandr Filachkov.
He said: “As a result, an object of critical infrastructure was destroyed.
“There was a large amount of fuel, which is why the consequences of the fire were so terrible.”
It follows an attack last month involving strategic bombers and hypersonic Kinzhal missiles which left five people dead in Ukraine.
Russian air force planes flew over “safe” territory in the city of Zmiiv, also in Kharkiv, and launched a wave of missiles at Ukrainian civilian targets such as shopping centres and homes.
Twenty-four people including five children were wounded in the attacks, with the body of a 63-year-old woman found under the rubble of a house.
Kharkiv locals fear Ukraine is running low on air defences and is struggling to hold back on Russian attacks, particularly in the eastern part of the region.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, called on American lawmakers to deliver military aid to Ukraine as quickly as possible, telling Bloomberg that the war-torn country is “running out of equipment, especially missiles and interceptors.”
An unnamed US official told Politico: “It gives them a deeper strike capability they haven’t had, it complements their long-range fire arsenal.
“It’s just an extra arrow in the quiver that’s gonna allow them to do more.”
Co-developed by Boeing and Saab, the weapon comprises a precision-guided 250lb bomb strapped to a rocket motor that can be fired from various ground launchers.
The new “glide-bomb” will allow Ukraine’s military to hit targets at twice the distance the country’s rockets can currently reach.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky told The Sun in an exclusive interview in November that Ukraine was in desperate need of more air defence systems to shoot down Russian missiles and drones.
He insisted Ukraine would fight on, but warned victory would only be possible with the continued support of allies like the UK, Europe, and the US.
In what was believed to be the biggest aerial attack on Ukraine since the beginning of the bloody war, a total of 158 missiles and countless drone strikes hit homes, a maternity hospital, and a shopping mall.
A dozen houses have been incinerated to the groundCredit: East2West
The latest on the Ukraine war
AFTER almost two years, the war in Ukraine continues to rumble on as fears of an all-out World War Three between Russia and the West keep on going.
Since the beginning of the war, Russia has lost approximately 385,230 personnel, 6,310 tanks, and 11,757 armoured combat vehicles, Ukrainian army officials said.
Putin’s army also reportedly lost 9,195 artillery units, 974 multiple launch rocket systems, 663 air defence systems, 332 warplanes, and 324 helicopters.
The list goes on – 7,100 drones, 1,846 cruise missiles, 23 warships, 1 submarine, 12,231 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 1,452 units of special equipment.
In another major scalp for Ukraine, two of Putin’s most crucial spy planes worth £290million were shot down last month.
One of the Russian dictator’s £260million spy planes disappeared and a £30million bomber jet was set on fire after Ukrainian forces shot them out of the sky above the Azov Sea.
However, despite Ukraine’s success Russia has no plans to slow down in their assaults.
Earlier this month, Putin gathered 40,000 troops, 500 tanks and hundreds of howitzer artillery guns to unleash hell on Kupyansk.
On January 15, a leaked military report revealed Putin’s possible step-by-step plan to bring the West to the brink of World War 3.
The secret docs detail the despot’s possible “path to conflict” which reaches its climax in the summer of 2025 on “Day X” when half a million Nato and Russian soldiers will face each other.
According to reports, Putin is desperate to secure a significant victory before the rubber-stamp elections in March that are all but certain to secure his brutal reign over Russia until at least 2030.
UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky is considering replacing several of the countries senior officials as he claims a “reset is necessary”.
Ukraine‘s senior military commander Valery Zaluzhnyi and a number of other state leaders may lose their jobs as part of the rest, Mr Zelensky revealed in an interview with Italian TV.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky could replace several of the countries senior officials as he claims a ‘reset is necessary’Credit: Alamy
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Ukraine’s senior military commander Valery Zaluzhnyi is one of those rumoured to be getting replaced
In the broadcast on Sunday, Ukraine’s leader said he was considering replacing a number of senior officials in his cabinet both inside and out of the military wings.
Zelensky said in the interview: “It is a question of the people who are to lead Ukraine.
“A reset is necessary, I am talking about a replacement of a number of state leaders, not only in the army sector.
“I am reflecting on this replacement. Is a question for the entire leadership of the country.”
Ukraine has been at the heart of rumours over who Zelensky plans on keeping in his cabinet after he recently faced criticism from some over the current situation in the Ukraine war.
The commander of Ukraine’s military, Valery Zaluzhnyi created a rift with his president following the failure of a Ukrainian counteroffensive last year.
Tensions are said to have reached a boiling point after Zaluzhnyi described the war with Russia as a “stalemate” in an interview with The Economist.
If we want to win we must all push in the same direction, we cannot be discouraged, we must have the right and positive energy, negativity must be left at home
Volodymyr ZelenskyPresident of Ukraine
Speaking to Italian state RAI television Zelensky continued saying: “I have in mind something serious that does not concern a single person but the direction of the country’s leadership”
“If we want to win we must all push in the same direction, we cannot be discouraged, we must have the right and positive energy, negativity must be left at home. We can’t take on giving-up attitudes.”
Last week, he also told CNN that some Ukrainian institutions were preventing the country from achieving its main goals to try and push Russia further back.
This included Ukraine trying to build up their forces so they could match up better to Russia’s sheer number of fighters.
Zaluzhnyi is well admired by Ukrainian citizens after he has led Ukraine in intense battles against Russian forces advancing on Kyiv.
He has also been seen as the man responsible for recapturing many areas of territory in the south and northeast of Ukraine’s capital.
But Ukraine’s popular army chief was allegedly called to a meeting at the president’s office on Monday 29, where he was told he was being fired, reports CNN.
According to a pair of sources in Ukraine, a “calm,” Zelensky offered Zaluzhnyi a separate position but the 50-year-old quickly turned it down.
The rumours quickly spread into Western media and caused presidential spokesman Serhiy Nykyforov to shut down the reports calling them all untrue.
The defence ministry was also forced to put out a message on social media saying: “Dear journalists, an immediate answer to everyone: No, this is not true.”
Two possible successors for Zaluzhnyi who are said to be in the running if the position opens up are Kyrylo Budanov and Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Budanov. 38, is the current head of the Defence Intelligence Directorate and is known to have strong ties with Zelensky already.
Whereas Syrskyi, 58, is the Commander of Ground Forces and commanded the successful Kharkiv counteroffensive in 2022.
Ukraine war update
This apparent reshuffle comes after a period of success for Ukraine.
Last week, Ukraine claimed to have sunk a Russian warship – with 50 sailors on board – using kamikaze sea drones.
In another major scalp for Ukraine, two of Putin’s most crucial spy planes worth £290million were shot down last month.
One of the Russian dictator’s £260million spy planes disappeared and a £30million bomber jet was set on fire after Ukrainian forces shot them out of the sky above the Azov Sea.
Since the beginning of the war, Russia had lost approximately 385,230 personnel, 6,310 tanks, and 11,757 armoured combat vehicles, Ukrainian army officials said.
Putin’s army also reportedly lost 9,195 artillery units, 974 multiple launch rocket systems, 663 air defence systems, 332 warplanes, and 324 helicopters.
The list goes on – 7,100 drones, 1,846 cruise missiles, 23 warships, 1 submarine, 12,231 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 1,452 units of special equipment.
Ukraine has promised to reply to the Moscow charge that it killed its own people on board the Russian plane – but only after it had examined all the evidence.
But OSINT sources and analysts pointed to striking inconsistencies in the Russian claims.
ARTIFICIAL Intelligence has predicted the chilling factors that could spark an apocalyptic World War Three – changing the world as we know it.
ChatGPT revealed eight horrific scenarios that could force world leaders to wage wars across the globe – leading to the deaths of millions.
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AI has revealed the eight horrific scenarios that could lead to World War ThreeCredit: Getty
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Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has put everyone at risk of a third World WarCredit: Getty
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Xi Jinping’s territorial disputes in the South China Sea could potentially lead to a massive international conflictCredit: AFP
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An Israeli army tank rolling alongside the border with the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas warCredit: AFP
The Sun gave ChatGPT a prompt and asked what could possibly lead to a third global war.
The AI – which runs on advanced machine learning – predicted eight different factors which could cause the situation to spiral out of control.
ChatGPT started its predictions by saying: “It’s important to note that this is purely speculative, and real-world events are influenced by numerous unpredictable variables.”
The clever bot added: “The goal should always be to promote peaceful resolutions and international cooperation to prevent the outbreak of global conflicts.
“In reality, the international community generally works towards diplomatic solutions and conflict prevention.”
It then, however, offered a fascinating list of factors that could contribute to the outbreak of a global conflict.
ChatGPT wrote: “In a hypothetical scenario, World War 3 could potentially start due to a combination of complex geopolitical, economic, and social factors.”
TERRITORIAL DISPUTES
The wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the rising tensions in Korea and China are often described as territorial disputes at their core.
Over the years they have become more and more complex – but the fight over land both sides claim is theirs has grown bloody.
ChatGPT believes if these disputes over land continue to escalate it could tip the scales just enough to spark another world war – or even several around the globe.
China’s illegal claim over Taiwan is one such instance that could see sparks fly.
The communist regime could launch a full-blown invasion to absorb Taiwan into the Chinese mainland.
According to the ChatGPT, the rise of nationalist or populist leaders promoting aggressive foreign policies might contribute to increased tensions and breakdowns in peaceful communication.
Nationalism contributed to the major alliances in the 20th century that played a role in World War One – France and Russia felt insecure about the rise of Germany and teamed up, while the Ottoman Empire felt intimidated by Russia and ended up siding with Germany.
In the current climate, America – the world superpower – feels threatened by the rise of China, fearing it could become the next great power of the world.
This has resulted in hostile relations between the two nations which could, in a worst case scenario, turn into a major war.
Similarly, Russian insecurity around NATO – a military alliance of very powerful countries around the globe – could be dangerous.
In the increasing hostile situation, America and Europe will see themselves as allies working against regimes like North Korea, China and Russia.
ChatGPT argues that populist leaders could undermine international institutions and alliances, weakening the mechanisms in place for diplomatic resolutions and cooperation.
This can result in a lack of effective communication and collaboration, increasing the chances of misunderstandings and conflicts.
FAILED DIPLOMACY
ChatGPT says repeated failures in diplomatic efforts to resolve international conflicts could erode trust between nations and create a hostile environment.
Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine occurred despite the West’s diplomatic efforts to stop it.
And Israel’s unprecedented attack against Hamas in Gaza escalated even after repeated efforts of international players trying to tackle the situation diplomatically.
Failed diplomacy in more vulnerable situations that involve greater risks could lead to major cross-border conflicts with millions dying across the globe.
TECHNOLOGICAL ARMS RACE
A race for advanced military tech, such as artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons, or advanced weaponry, could lead to another arms race.
If a country thinks another’s technological advancements pose a potential threat, it could respond by increasing its own military capabilities, inadvertently escalating tensions.
The Nuclear Arms Race in the 20th century between the US and the USSR sparked the Cold War – and an apocalyptic conflict between the two superpowers almost became a reality.
ChatGPT also believes that fears of falling behind in technology might lead nations to attack each other out of fear.
PROXY WARS
Ongoing regional conflicts where major powers are working as sponsors could escalate into broader wars, pulling more nations into the fray, the AI has warned.
According to ChatGPT, stakeholders could leverage proxy groups and other sponsors to cause major war flashpoints.
Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, Iran has been fostering terrorism to create conflict in the Middle East through its proxy groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthis.
This forced major world powers such as the UK and the US to join the conflict, increasing fears that the regional situation could turn into an all-out war.
RESOURCE SCARCITY
ChatGPT suggests that intense competition for essential resources, such as water, oil, or rare minerals, could also be very dangerous.
According to the AI chatbot, conflicts over natural resources arise when different nations can’t agree about who they belong to, where they should be sent, how to protect them and how to use them.
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) reports that at least 40 per cent of all intrastate conflicts (conflicts between countries) in the past 60 years have had a link to natural resources.
And the AI believes it could trigger major cross-border conflicts in the future.
ECONOMIC TURMOIL
A severe global economic crisis would also create instability and trigger political unrest, potentially leading to conflicts as nations struggle to secure their interests, the AI bot claims.
The chatbot also argues that the prolonged economic crisis in the era of globalisation could be enough reason for nations to resort to military operations.
According to the World Economic Forum, the next big international economic crisis, such as a global recession, could well spark World War Three.
CYBER WARFARE
ChatGPT believes that escalating cyber attacks could lead to widespread distrust and retaliation among nations, escalating into a full-scale war.
At times like these when generative AI could be easily leveraged to create widespread propaganda, cyber warfare remains one the biggest threat to world peace.
Nations engaged in ongoing conflicts could deploy intense propaganda against the rival state and could severely escalate the situation, which could attract other ally nations and turn into a major global war.
What makes cyber warfare even more dangerous is that such digital attacks don’t have to be state-sponsored – and even players not involved in conflicts could leverage propaganda warfare to spark tensions between other countries.
The ‘real’ danger of WW3 starting
WITH several ongoing world conflicts, the looming threat of nuclear warfare has sparked fears that WW3 could soon be a reality if we aren’t careful.
UKRAINE is set to unveil its latest underwater robot drone that will target Putin’s Black Sea fleet in a bid to turn the tide of the war.
Project FURY, which stands for First Ukrainian Robotic Navy, will be presented at Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense’s “Offensive of Machines” Hackathon.
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An artist’s impression of a new deadly underwater drone set to be unveiled by Ukraine
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Ukraine has caused major damage in the Black Sea thanks to its unmanned surface vehicle dubbed “Sea Baby”Credit: EAST2WEST
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The “Sea Baby” was used to blow up Putin’s Crimean Bridge in July last yearCredit: EAST2WEST
The stealth AUV(Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) is still in development but will make its first public appearance on Sunday.
The drone will be used as a platform for a range of missions and will be able to carry mines, torpedoes, or submarine-launched missiles, according to submarine expert H I Sutton.
It’s possible that the AUV could also be fitted with a range of sensors to carry out intelligence missions.
While its specifications are currently under wraps, Project FURY will partner with an experienced AUV manufacturer in the West to weaponise an already existing platform.
Ukraine has seen a lot of success launching Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) putting them one step ahead of the Kremlin’s Black Sea Fleet.
The £335,000 Marichka is said to be immune to Russian radio-electronic warfare systems, meaning the pricey weapon is “invisible to the enemy”.
But after numerous attacks, Russia is getting better at countering USV attacks, and without innovation, Vlad’s troops could regain superiority, warns H I Sutton.
Ukraine’s Vice Admiral Oleksii Neizhpapa said: “Some of our tricks and tactics that were worked out in 2022 and 2023 will not work in 2024.
“Therefore, you need to change tactics, change the technical characteristics of everything you do.”
USVs are vulnerable to aircraft and an underwater unmanned drone could be the answer – but what sets Project FURY apart is that it’s not a completely new drone.
While AUVs are more expensive they are reusable and stealth and have the added advantage of surprise as well as needing no personnel to run.
AUVs will be harder to counter and can carry out missions that are not possible with USVs, warns the sub expert.
Ukraine is not the first country to look at developing unmanned underwater drones.
In December, Boeing unveiled its Extra-Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle dubbed Orca – measuring 52ft long and 8ft wide.
The Kronos submarine was also developed by a team of Ukrainian engineers at UAE company Highlands Systems to carry out rescue missions – but it can also carry six Black Scorpion torpedoes.
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Another artist’s impression has revealed what the new Project FURY could look likeCredit: Naval News
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The “Sea Baby” can carry up to 850kg of explosives and is made from its body is made from a material invisible to radars
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Ukraine also has the Marichka underwater kamikaze drone in its arsenal – capable of carrying 1,000lbs of explosivesCredit: East2West
AT LEAST 27 people are feared dead after a deadly blast struck a market in the Russia-controlled Ukrainian city of Donetsk.
Around 25 more are also thought to have been injured after a shell struck the city in eastern Ukraine.
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At least 27 people were killed during a strike on a market place in the Russian-controlled city of DonetskCredit: EPA
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Photographs taken at the scene showed people crying – some of whom has lost relativesCredit: AFP
Denis Pushilin, the Russian-appointed mayor of the region blamed Ukraine for the strike, though Ukrainian forces have vociferously denied any responsibility.
Reuters photographs and video taken at the scene showed people crying, some of whom said they had lost relatives, and bodies lying on blood-soaked snow near one of the city’s markets.
Pushilin announced a day of mourning on Monday in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the name given to the part of the region Russia says it has annexed.
In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, did not address the attack but said that in a single day, Russia had shelled more than 100 cities, towns and villages in nine regions in Ukraine, and that the attacks in Donetsk region had been “particularly severe.”
Ukraine’s forces in the Tavria, or southern zone, said in a Facebook post that soldiers under its command were not responsible.
“Donetsk is Ukraine!” it said. “Russia will have to answer for taking lives of Ukrainians.”
Pushilin said 18 of the injured were hospitalised and seven being treated as outpatients.
In Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry called the attack “a barbaric act of terrorism” by Ukraine that was carried out “with the use of weapons supplied by the West”.
“The Russian side categorically condemns this treacherous strike against the civilian population,” a ministry statement said.
Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago, has voiced outrage in the past when Ukrainian attacks have killed civilians in Donetsk and other areas.
Russia’s own campaign of air strikes and heavy shelling, however, has killed thousands of Ukrainian civilians.
The governor of the Ukrainian-controlled part of the region, Vadym Filashkin, said Russian attacks killed at least two people at two locations west of the city of Donetsk on Sunday.
At Kurakhove, about 28 miles from Donetsk, shelling killed a 31-year-old man and injured another person, while a 62-year-old man was killed and a 70-year-old man injured at Krasnohorivka between Donetsk and Kurakhove, he said.
“I call on everyone who remains in Donetsk: evacuate!” Filashkin said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
Donetsk is one of four regions in Ukraine’s east and south that Russia claimed to have annexed in late 2022 in a move condemned as illegal by most countries at the U.N. General Assembly.
Russia does not fully control any of the four regions.
In three other incidents in the region, Pushilin said, a man born in 1979 was killed and another born in 1957 wounded by shelling, and another four people were injured.
Separately on Sunday, Russia’s defence ministry said Russian forces had taken control of the village of Krokhmalne in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region.
A Ukrainian military spokesperson confirmed that Kyiv’s forces had withdrawn from the area but said the lost territory was tiny and of no consequence for the overall military situation
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Bodies could be seen lying on blood-soaked snow near one of the city’s marketsCredit: EPA
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20 more people are expected to have been injured during the shellingCredit: Getty
TWO of Vladimir Putin’s most crucial warplanes worth £290million have been shot down in the most recent blow to the despot’s failing war in Ukraine.
One of the Russian dictator’s £260million spy planes disappeared and a vital bomber jet was set on fire after Ukrainian forces shot them out of the sky above the Azov Sea.
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Putin’s IL-22M command plane – one of two key aircraft hit on Sunday
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A £260m Russian A-50 spy plane (pictured) disappeared after the hit on SundayCredit: EAST2WEST
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The Sunday attack came on the one-year anniversary of the Dnipro bombings in Ukraine which left over 45 deadCredit: AP
They were blasted out of the air in one of Moscow’s worst days for its air force since Russia’s invasion in 2022.
The IL-22M bomber, worth around £28million, just managed to make its way back to Anapa airport on fire after being hit, with a number of casualties.
But the £260million A-50 spy plane disappeared soon after going on patrol near Zaporizhzhia at 9:10pm on Sunday.
For now it is unclear if the aircraft were definitely hit by Ukrainian missiles possibly using a new NATO “miracle weapon” – or in a friendly fire ambush by the Russians.
After the IL-22M command plane was hit, air traffic control at Russian Anapa airport heard: “It’s been hit, landing in Anapa.
“Urgently need an ambulance and fire engine.”
At least one senior Russian war commander was likely on board at the time.
Russian Telegram channel Colonelcassad admitted there had been casualties on the aircraft.
Ukraine initially claimed to have downed the planes close to Putin’s beloved £3million Crimean Bridge.
But it was reported that the command plane was shot over Strilkove, Kherson, miles away from the key bridge.
Reports say the planes have been flying the same routes for months.
The spy plane, now missing, recently underwent a £3million modernisation and refit.
It is a key Soviet-era aircraft which uses radar to detect missiles and enemy planes.
Ukraine’s RBK outlet reported Ukrainian Air Force General Mykola Oleshchuk as saying: “This is for Dnipro! Burn in hell, you inhumans! PS No details yet”.
“It is finally clear that the Russian IL-22 in the Sea of Azov area was hit by the Russian air defence that defended the Crimean Bridge,” stated the VChK OGPU Telegram channel, which has links to the security services.
“When the plane was hit, the bridge had an alarm, and traffic was blocked.
“The pilot was able to land the plane, and at least two people were injured.”
Russian Telegram channel Military Informant also said: “The damaged IL-22 reached the airfield and landed, as evidenced by leaked intercepted conversations on an open frequency, but with the A-50, apparently, everything is much sadder.
“If the loss of the aircraft is confirmed, it will be a huge setback for domestic aviation since there are only a few such AWACS aircraft in service and are constantly in short supply at the front.”
The channel described the aircraft hits as “another dark day for the Russian air forces”.
The loss of the AWACS plane was “approximately equal to [the demise of] an aircraft carrier”.
The same channel discussed unnamed “miracle weapons” provided by NATO and Pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergey Markov also speculated on “use of a new type of weapon by the Armed Forces of Ukraine”.
Russian Telegram channel FlightBomber – with close military contacts – today appeared to admit the catastrophic blow.
“Tragedy is always tragedy. Especially when it’s on this scale,” said a post.
“Who is to blame for the deaths of the pilots, we probably won’t know.”
The channel called for the Russian Defence Ministry – which did not initially comment on the Air Force blow – to come clean about what happened.
Russia has suffered repeated losses from friendly fire, indicating faulty weaponry as well as poor command and control.
Pro-war military channel Rybar admitted the possibility of friendly fire.
“Sadly there were enough similar cases during the past two years, and there is no sign of improvement,” reported the channel.
Ukrainian channel Crimean Wind reported: “As we are informed, a Russian A-50 AWACS aircraft was shot down over the Sea of Azov near Berdyansk and an IL-22 was shot down.…
“The IL-22, falling, pulled towards Kerch – that is why the bridge was closed.”
The channel said that all ships in the vicinity of the Crimeans Bridge had their transponders turned off today.
Initially, Ukrainian sources had claimed responsibility for the attack – despite the Sea of Azov being hard to reach.
Senior politician Yuri Mysyagin said: “At about 21:00, Ukrainian units fired at two aircraft of the Russian Air Force, namely an A-50 AWACS aircraft and an IL-22, located over the Sea of Azov.
“The A-50 was shot down, and the IL-22 was shot down, but was in the air and trying to get to the nearest airfield, but disappeared from the radar, after the descent began, in the Kerch area.”
Commanders have been careful not to use the intelligence-gathering planes too close to the active war zone.
According to reports Russia had just nine of the A50 planes in service and 30 IL-22Ms.
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A Russian IL-22 command and control spy planeCredit: EAST2WEST
A FORMER US cop is at the centre of claims he is in possession of the sex tapes secretly recorded by depraved Jeffrey Epstein.
Court papers released in New York this week alleged that the tycoon had footage of the Duke of York.
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Former US cop John Mark Dougan claims to have footage of CCTV recorded by Jeffrey EpsteinCredit:
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Dougan says the FBI seized the footage but not before he took a copyCredit:
And now controversial US former cop John Mark Dougan says he has a computer hard drive containing Epstein footage.
He claims the videos were passed to him by a dead cop pal who first investigated Epstein when he was arrested for child sex in 2006.
Dougan says he does not know if it contains footage of Andrew because he cannot bring himself to watch it.
But he pointed to a report in The Sunday Times from 2019 which revealed that MI6 was “concerned” he had handed evidence involving the then-senior royal over to the Russian government after moving there.
Tracked down last week by The Sun on Sunday, he said: “Apparently the FBI freaked out and told MI6 I was in possession of compromising material relating to Prince Andrew.
“At that point I’d never been through the content of the hard drive and even after that I’ve only taken a quick glance, enough to know it’s s**t I don’t want to see.
Corruption claims
“The couple of videos I saw were very grainy and it was hard to see who was who.
“But it’s my contention that the FBI knows who is on those videos.”
Dougan has previously said he moved to Russia after the FBI raided his Florida home in 2016 and seized the hard drive.
But he added: “They thought they had the only copy until they found out in 2019 that I’d had a back-up copy sent to me in Russia.”
It is the latest astonishing twist in the case of paedophile financier Epstein and his decade-long friendship with Prince Andrew.
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Dougan suspects there is footage of Prince Andrew on the recordingsCredit: Jae Donnelly
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He says the the videos were passed to him by a dead cop pal who first investigated EpsteinCredit: Reuters
Epstein committed suicide in a New York prison in 2019 amid suspicious circumstances while awaiting trial for sex trafficking offences.
The sex tape claim resurfaced when Epstein victim Sarah Ransomeclaimed in court papers released this month that she had seen videos of Prince Andrew, Virgin mogul Richard Branson and former US president Bill Clinton having sex with an unnamed friend of hers.
Ransome, 39, who worked as a masseuse for Epstein at his New York mansion, later told reporters she had made up the claims.
Then she insisted in an appearance on Good Morning Britain this week that the secretly filmed footage DID exist.
She said: “There are videos that exist. The people that know they exist — I’m sure are very frightened of them being released.”
Dougan says his late friend Joe Recarey, a detective for the Palm Beach Police Department, took CD-ROMs to Dougan’s home containing the evidence and Dougan then “burned” them on to his hard drive.
The detective was disgusted, said Dougan, when the paedophile financier was allowed to plea-bargain his way to a “sweetheart deal” in 2008 which saw him serve less than 13 months in jail for procuring a child for prostitution.
Dougan was never involved in that case but resigned in 2009 and became a whistleblower after making a series of claims about corruption in Florida police.
Recarey then enabled him to make copies of the tapes for safekeeping, he said, in case someone “above his pay grade” came looking for it.
Dougan claimed he didn’t give much thought to it until the FBI raided his home and took his computers in connection to whistleblowing and seized the evidence.
He fled to Russia to avoid any charges related to the raid. In 2017 he was eventually charged in his absence with wiretapping and extortion.
Last year US journalist Craig Unger claimed he had been sent proof by Dougan purportedly showing that one of the sex videos in his possession features an unidentified media executive.
Unger also pointed to a picture of Dougan with Russian government official Pavel Borodin, said to be a mentor to President Vladimir Putin.
The writer said: “When you see John Mark Dougan with this guy, the inevitable conclusion is, ‘Is Dougan selling them these sex tapes?’”
Dougan claims he met Borodin only once in 2013 on a business matter and insists any suggestion he has been paid by the Russian government or granted asylum there in exchange for the sex tapes is wrong.
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Epstein died in jail in 2019 with US investigators ruling it as a suicideCredit: Getty
‘I have goosebumps’
He said: “No one from the Russian government has ever approached me about the videos.”
After it emerged that he was in possession of a back-up of the videos in 2019, Dougan claims he had his American passport revoked by the US State Department.
He has since been granted Russian citizenship and has been accused of working for the country’s Sputnik TV channel.
He denies that and says he has never been paid for any of his appearances on Russian TV.
The clip was picked up by Russian state TV. In it, Dougan tells Aiden after the rendition: “I have goosebumps.”
Meanwhile, the FBI faced fresh calls this week to release hundreds of missing pieces of evidence, including tapes, CDs, passports and photos found in a safe at Epstein’s New York home in July 2019, when he was arrested for sex trafficking minors.
He died a month later in his New York jail in what was ruled to be suicide by hanging.
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Prince Andrew strenuously denies all claims made against himCredit: AFP
As for Sir Richard Branson, a Virgin Group spokesperson said: “We categorically reject all allegations made by Sarah Ransome.
“In 2019 she admitted to The New Yorker that the ‘tapes’ had been ‘invented’.
“Any suggestion that Sir Richard Branson was involved in a ‘sex tape’ is entirely false. The allegations are baseless.
“The actions of Jeffrey Epstein were abhorrent and we support the right to justice for the many victims impacted by his abuse.”
In 2020, following Epstein’s death a spokesman for Bill Clinton said: “President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York.
“In 2002 and 2003 President Clinton took a total of four trips on Jeffrey Epstein’s airplane, one to Europe, one to Asia and two to Africa, which included stops in connection with the work of the Clinton Foundation.
“He had one meeting with Epstein in his Harlem office in 2002, and around the same time made one brief visit to Epstein’s New York apartment with a staff member and his security detail.”
Despite the released court papers that claim Bill Clinton had twice visited Epstein Island, his spokesperson said in 2020: “He has not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade, and has never been to (Epstein’s) Little St James island, Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico, or his residence in Florida.”
Prince nod in FBI doc
PRINCE ANDREW was mentioned in an FBI interview report linked to Jeffrey Epstein, we can reveal.
Unredacted files name Prince Andrew in an FBI interview linked to Jeffrey EpsteinCredit: AP
It is unclear if it was the result of an FBI interview with Giuffre.
Her lawyers have touted the strength of their defamation case in 2016 against Epstein’s madam, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Listing an alleged cache of evidence, Sigrid McCawley wrote: “We have pictures, hospital records from when my client was a minor in New York with them.
“We have time and travel records, message pads, the FBI 302, which was taken in 2011, mentions Prince Andrew in it, in the unredacted part.”
A legal source in the US said: “The FBI takes these reports seriously.”
The status of the bureau’s probe into Andrew is unclear. It has not commented.
A RUSSIAN influencer who faced backlash for burning her passport has claimed it was not a protest against Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Yevgenia ‘Gipsy’ Hoffman, 22, received intense criticism from Russian war fanatics who claim she was “expressing support for Ukraine”.
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Influencer Yevgenia Hoffman faces jail after setting fire to her Russian passportCredit: East2West
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She denied all accusations about her act being pro-UkraineCredit: East2West
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She has received intense backlash from Russian patriotsCredit: East2West
However, Hoffman claims her stunt was not to go against Putin, instead burnt her passport because she “did not like her picture” on it.
One alleged she was “expressing support for Ukrainian terrorists”.
Hoffman, who belongs from an area near the Russia-Ukraine border, said: “I burned the passport because the photo [of me] is ugly.
“I love Putin and Russia, and the act was not to show support towards Ukraine.”
The influencer, who has more than 5,000 followers online, has been vilified by online critics.
One said: “She should be stripped of her citizenship for this.”
Others called for her to be given a severe punishment to deter others from making anti-war protests.
The influencer’s late-night passport prank has reached to Kremlin’s top investigator Alexander Bastrykin, who also happens to be Putin’s university classmate.
Her alleged crime is burning the State Emblem – a two-headed eagle – which appears in the “internal passport”, used in Russia as a vital identity document.
The investigating committee said: “These actions are a gross insult and mockery of the civil and patriotic feelings of citizens of the Russian Federation.
“The Chairman of the Investigative Committee will be presented with a report on the investigation of the criminal case against a Moscow resident who committed desecration of the State Emblem of the Russian Federation.”
A criminal case has been opened against her, with a clear hint that she will be found guilty.
The influencer could now face upto a year in jail amid the intense backlash from the critics.
The stunt comes amid a rise in protests – especially from women – against Putin’s war in Ukraine.
And the Russian authorities are now seeking to crush new cases of opposition to the dictator.
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Hoffman could face upto a year in jailCredit: East2West
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Alexander Bastrykin, on the right, is the head of Investigative Committee of Russia and also a long-time friend of PutinCredit: East2West
The explosions lit up the sky above Moscow’s naval stronghold on Boxing Day, possibly killing dozens of servicemen.
A Ukrainian supersonic Su-24 jet is said to have launched the cruise missile which ripped apart the Novocherkassk said to be loaded with Iranian suicide drones.
But as many as 100 people could have been killed in the strike, military analyst Yan Matveev told The Times.
Now, Putin – said to be “completely furious” – has reportedly ordered death squads to hunt down anyone working for the resistance inside the occupied peninsula.
Ukrainian partisan group Atesh said on Telegram: “The flywheel of repression is spinning.
“Local residents have been raided throughout the city, their smartphones are being taken away and their houses are being searched.”
The ragtag resistance group, who state their goal is to “destroy the Russian army from the inside”, argued: “It is reported that Putin is completely furious over the destruction of the Novocherkassk large landing ship.”
The group also stated that Putin intends to remove top commanders based in Crimea and send them into Russia’s meat-grinder assaults at the front.
The huge coup for Kyiv had come amid surfacing reports that Putin told China’s president Xi Jinping back in March that Russia “will fight for at least five years” in Ukraine.
In an attempt to downplay his lack of visible battlefield gains, he sought to assure Xi that Russia would emerge victorious in the end, Nikkei Asia reports, citing sources.
He allegedly implied that a protracted war would favour China’s key ally at their Moscow meeting.
Last week, Putin told his generals that his war goals have not changed and stated: “We won’t give up what’s ours.”
However, he swiftly added: “If they want to negotiate, let them negotiate.”
Today, Putin’s top ally Dmitry Medvedev blasted Kyiv for allegedly rejecting negotiations for a possible ceasefire.
He stated that talks were “possible” and claimed that “Russia has never rejected them, unlike the crazy authorities of Ukraine.”
The Kremlin has reportedly been signalling since September that they are open for a ceasefire on the condition that Russia keeps Ukraine’s occupied territories, insider sources say.
The New York Times reported that former senior Russian officials said the Kremlin had been using back-channel diplomacy to signal they were open for negotiations.
However, some analysts have suggested its a ploy by Putin to suggest he is open to securing peace ahead of the 2024 presidential elections in March.
Such a move would likely favour him in the polls – although he is all but certain to win the sham elections.
As Kyiv blasted the warship out of the water on Boxing Day, Russia fired missiles at Kherson’s railway station as 140 people tried to flee the station.
At least one person was killed and several wounded in the attack that destroyed the train they were attempting to board, according to witnesses.
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Footage of the Boxing Day explosion that destroyed Russian landing ship NovocherkasskCredit: East2West
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Russia appears to be signalling they are open for negotiations on a ceasefire – but only if they keep the Ukrainian territories they have occupiedCredit: Getty
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The war in Ukraine has spiralled into a grinding war of attrition fought like World War One battlesCredit: EPA
VLADIMIR Putin is making a “second calamitous blunder” almost two years after invading Ukraine, the head of Britain’s armed forces has warned.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin mocked the Kremlin despot as “no grand master of strategy” as Putin’s main gambits had failed or backfired – his army is stretched and his Black Sea Fleet scattered.
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The head of UK armed forces said Putin is making a ‘second calamitous blunder’ almost two years after invading UkraineCredit: Getty
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Admiral Sir Tony Radakin mocked the Kremlin despot as ‘no grand master of strategy’Credit: PA
But the tyrant’s biggest mistake was pushing Russia’s economy towards Soviet-style collapse.
“If his first catastrophic mistake was invading Ukraine, he is now making his he is now making his second calamitous blunder,” Admiral Radakin said when delivering the Chief of Defence Staff’s annual lecture in London.
“The Russian economy is being twisted even more out of shape.
“Nearly 40 per cent of all Russian public expenditure is being spent on defence.
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“That is more than the aggregate of health and education.
“And the last time we saw these levels was at the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.”
He added: “This is disastrous for Russia and its people.”
Admiral Radakin admitted that Ukraine’s counter-offensive, however, gained less ground than was hoped and that Russian defences were stronger than expected.
He said Ukraine was fighting with a “citizen army” of men in their 30s and 40s with families back home.
“Ukraine is cautious with their lives. We would be too.
“And it speaks volumes about the contrasting approaches of Russian and Ukrainian leaders,” he said.
The UK armed forces boss also backed President Zelensky’s insistence that the conflict had not reached a stalemate, saying: “Territory is not the only measure of how this war progresses.
“Talk of stalemate or the advantages to Russia of settling for a long war are too superficial.”
He added Russia’s attempt to weaponise energy exports backfired when Europe reduced its dependence on Russian gas.
“Putin sought to withhold global food supplies. But the world responded with the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” Admiral Radakin said.
“He sought to coerce the West with reckless nuclear threats.
“But elicited global condemnation, including China, India and Saudi Arabia.
“And now he’s wanted by the International Criminal Court.
“He’s suffered the shock and humiliation of an attempted coup.
“Crimea is no longer safe. The Black Sea Fleet has scattered.
“He has to keep 400 thousand troops in Ukraine to hold on to what he has taken.
“And he cannot order a general mobilisation – at least ahead of next year’s election – for fear of how his own people will respond.”
He said Russia had “few real friends abroad”, with Putin increasingly “resembling a prisoner of his own making”.
It comes after Kyiv suffered a hellish night after Russia launched a massive missile attack overnight that left 53 people injured.
Ukraine’s air defences downed ten strikes – believed to be powerful Russian Iskander missiles – but damage was caused by falling rocket debris.
The horror hit damaged a children’s hospital and apartment building and wounded 53 people including six children, one aged only five.
It marked one of the biggest number of injured in the Ukrainian capital in months.
Twenty people were hospitalised as a result of the heavy bombardment of Kyiv, including two children.
The military administration in the Ukrainian capital said the city had faced “the second high-speed missile attack on Kyiv in the last two days.
Meanwhile, footage showed Russia had put its flag over the ruins of Maryinka, a hotly-disputed town in the Donetsk region, as it makes gains on the frontline.
Biden warned his foes they were making a “Christmas gift” to Vladimir Putin by refusing to sanction urgent new munitions for Kyiv and said the US would “continue to supply Ukraine with critical weapons and equipment as long as we can.”
The Ukrainian leader dismissed suggestions he could concede territory taken by Russia since its February 2022 invasion to move any ceasefire closer.
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Admiral Radakin also backed President Zelensky’s insistence that the war had not reached a stalemateCredit: AFP
UKRAINE’S President Volodymyr Zelensky urged US Republicans to show the same courage as Ronald Reagan in the Cold War and unblock £49billion in aid he needs to fight Russia.
And US President Joe Biden said a failure to do so would give tyrannical Vladimir Putin “the greatest Christmas gift”.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky urged US Republicans to show the same courage as Ronald Reagan as he met with President BidenCredit: AP
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Mr Zelensky is on his third US trip Russia’s invasion of UkraineCredit: AP
In Washington last night, Mr Zelensky invoked Reagan’s 1987 call to “tear down” the Berlin Wall.
He said: “We need no less confidence now than President Reagan had then.”
The speech by Reagan — still a hero to many Republicans — helped spark the wall’s demolition two years later and then the end of the Soviet Union.
But his successors in the party have repeatedly hampered White House plans to send the next tranche of aid to Ukraine.
Last week, they blocked the bill amid anger over the exclusion of Mexican immigration reforms they sought as part of the package.
With Mr Zelensky in the Oval Office, Mr Biden said: “Congress needs to pass supplemental funding for Ukraine before the holiday recess — before they give Putin the greatest Christmas gift they could possibly give him.”
On his third trip to the US since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mr Zelensky told military officers at the National Defence Academy: “If there’s anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it’s just Putin and his sick clique.”
He pointed to recent drone strikes that show “Ukraine’s response to Russian barbarism can shake the ground in the heart of Moscow”.
Western intelligence sources claim Ukraine could just about hold the line against Russia but would be unable to advance if America turns off the taps.
And Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska warned her country faced “mortal danger” if the West abandons them.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson last night insisted his party backed Ukraine but accused the White House of asking for billions of dollars without proper oversight.
He said: “We need clear articulation of the strategy to allow Ukraine to win.
“Thus far, their responses have been insufficient.”
Russia has responded to Mr Zelensky’s US visit with a huge cyber attack — with mobile and internet provider Kyivstar down and Monobank facing a massive denial of service outage.
It came as Mr Zelensky’s Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba urged the EU to make its own decisions and not be swayed by US wobbles.
The bloc is due release £43billion in aid and agree a route to Ukraine’s accession.
However, Hungary’s pro-Putin leader Viktor Orbán has vowed to oppose both plans — despite being pictured briefly talking with Mr Zelensky in Argentina on Sunday.
Britain has vowed to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
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Mr Zelensky told US military officers: ‘If there’s anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it’s just Putin and his sick clique’Credit: EPA
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President Reagan’s 1987 call to ‘tear down’ the Berlin Wall helped lead to the end of the Cold WarCredit: AP:Associated Press
VLADIMIR Putin’s alleged long-time gymnast lover has finally reappeared following rumours that she was under “house arrest” at his secret forest palace.
Russia’s so-called “First Mistress”, Alina Kabaeva, 40, was last seen on October 22 – the same day that wild conspiracies surfaced that the Russian president, 71, had suffered a heart attack.
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Putin’s rumoured lover, Alina Kabaeva, finally re-appeared this week after 40 days hidden from viewCredit: East2West
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In the new videos, she was filmed grumpily coaching her gymnastics students after various claims she was locked away in Vlad’s secret forest estateCredit: East2West
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Kabaeva, who is 31 years younger than Putin, has been romantically linked to the despot since 2008Credit: East2West
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The brunette stunner is alleged to be the mother of Putin’s three youngest kidsCredit: East2West
Three videos, released by the academy, show her unsmiling and stern-faced – a stark contrast to her demeanour in past public appearances.
Looking tired, she issued instructions often impatiently to three female students.
read more on alina kabaeva
Her reappearance came exactly 40 days on from outlandish reports that Putin had croaked.
The Kremlin was forced to issue an extraordinary denial in October that the despot had died at his Valdai palace, north of Moscow, and that his body was being kept in a freezer.
Since the rumours of Putin’s death – largely dismissed as conspiracy theories by analysts – broke, Alina had disappeared from view until this week.
Forty days is seen as the mourning period by the Russian Orthodox Church.
In the first new video issued on 7 December, Kabaeva is seen wearing a wedding ring – which is often used as evidence to bolster the claim she married Putin in a secret ceremony years ago.
Kabaeva had been unusually visible mainly at her gymnastics academy – called Heavenly Grace – in the run-up to her disappearance.
One theory is that she absented herself to undergo her latest new round of plastic surgery.
“She has had long absences before for pregnancies and plastic surgery,” said one observer.
Both political analyst Dr Valery Solovey and General SVR Telegram channel (which claims to have have insider knowledge from Putin’s circle) alleged that Kabaeva had been under virtual house arrest in Putin’s forest palace.
One report alleged that Kabaeva had strongly objected to being holed up in the high security estate, where she is believed to live in a separate wing with her kids.
General SVR claimed she had turned from a “shadow first lady into a prisoner”.
“Alina suddenly began breaking dishes and randomly throwing cutlery, after which she began to cry hysterically,” said the account.
“Security service representatives tried to calm Kabaeva down and urgently called doctors.”
The Russian tyrant is all but certain to be elected for a fifth time, which would see him become the longest serving Russian president.
For over two brutal decades, the despot has ruled over Russia with iron-first and despite rumours of his ailing health – Putin appears determined to cling onto power as his war in Ukraine grinds to a stalemate.
Putin and his alleged gymnast lover were first linked 15 years ago after a report in a Moscow newspaper run by media tycoon and former KGB spy Alexander Lebedev.
The despot was still married to his first wife at the time, Lyudmila Putina, whom he later divorced in 2014.
Kabaeva, who is 31 years younger than Putin, shot to fame as “Russia’s most flexible woman” and went onto become one of Russia’s most decorated gymnasts in history.
AMERICAN warplanes flew over Guyana and its disputed Essequibo region today after Putin’s Venezuelan dictator pal Nicolás Maduro threatened to snatch more than half of the country and take its oil.
Guyana and the United States are now on full alert for an “imminent” invasion after a military chopper vanished near the Venezuelan border.
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Nicolás Maduro holding up a map of the region showing Guyana Essequibo under Venezuelan controlCredit: AFP
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A military helicopter carrying seven people had vanished near Guyana’s border with VenezuelaCredit: SOUTHCOM
The US embassy in Guyana said on Thursday that the US Southern Command was conducting flight operations within Guyana.
“This exercise builds upon routine engagement and operations to enhance security partnership between the United States and Guyana, and to strengthen regional cooperation,” the statement said.
It is the first US military manoeuvre in the region since Venezuela‘s controversial referendum on Sunday.
It saw more than 95 per cent of voters supporting the government’s claim to Essequibo – although its veracity is doubted.
Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali told The Associated Press earlier Wednesday that he was taking all necessary steps to defend his country.
The Guyanese leader has appealed to the International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ top court, which on Friday ordered Venezuela not to take any action to change the status quo until the panel can rule on the two countries competing claims, which could take years.
Ali said Maduro was showing “blatant disregard” for the ICJ ruling.
He added: “Guyana will be reporting this matter early in the morning.
“We will write the UN Security Council and the court.
“The Guyana Defense Force is on high alert… Venezuela has clearly declared itself an outlaw nation.”
It comes after a military helicopter carrying seven people had vanished near Guyana’s border with Venezuela.
Authorities had said there was bad weather in the area and stressed there was no indication it may have been hit by hostile fire as tensions escalate between the countries.
Two crew members aboard the helicopter were taking five senior officers on an inspection of troops guarding a border area that Venezuela claims as its own, Army Chief Brig. Gen. Omar Khan said.
Khan told reporters late Wednesday that Guyana’s Defense Force lost contact with the brand new Bell 412 EPI aircraft after it took off from Olive Creek settlement in western Guyana following a refueling stop.
Venezuelan troops with heavy equipment and machinery have been amassing on the border in recent weeks, leading to speculation of an imminent invasion.
Asked if the aircraft was shot out of the sky as it flew in a mountainous and heavily forested area, Khan said there are no indications that occurred.
“We do not have any information suggesting that there was any flight by Venezuelan aircraft in that area,” he said.
“Speculation is not what I want to go into. Our priority is to save the lives of our officers and ranks.”
It is understood search and rescue teams have found the missing aircraft and reported signs of life around the crash site.
Troops are being rappelled to the exact location, and more updates will be released by Guyana’s Defence Headquarters.
Tensions between Venezuela and Guyana over the oil-rich region of Essequibo have been rising, as the 61,600-square-mile area makes up to over two thirds of Guyana’s total land mass.
Venezuela claims the region as its own, insisting it has been part of the country since Spanish rule.
Neighbouring Brazil also moved troops to the area amid fears a conflict could spill over the border.
Some 28 armoured vehicles and around 150 soldiers will arrive at the country’s northern border with Venezuela and Guyana in the coming weeks, Brazilian defence said.
A possible incursion by Venezuela into Guyana by land would necessarily have to pass through Brazil, which shares a border with both countries.
A source from Brazil’s Military High Command told Globo the referendum results prompted the deployment to avoid the conflict from bleeding into the country.
“The goal is to send a message that our territory cannot be used for any type of operation,” the insider said.
The measures are cause for concern across the region.
While Guyana has its troops on high alert, the Brazilian army has said that it is moving more soldiers to the border city of Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima state, as well as bringing in more armed vehicles.
Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he is following tensions rise with “increasing concern”, Globo reports.
In his speech during the opening of the 63rd Mercosur summit, Lula said the group cannot remain “aloof” from the situation.
The president reinforced Mercosur’s position as a zone of peace and cooperation, saying: “One thing we don’t want here in South America is war.
“We don’t need war, we don’t need conflict.
“What we need is to build peace, because only with a lot of peace can we develop our countries.”
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Brazil is also set to deploy troops and armoured vehicles to its northern border with Venezuela and GuyanaCredit: EPA
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The Venezuelan leader is a figure in Putin’s tinpot empire of and despots who want to attempt to unsettle the global orderCredit: AP:Associated Press
