Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin claims ballooning deficit is ‘not critical risk’ despite queues at petrol stations

Russian media has reported that Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, a service member who was linked to an attack on a children’s hospital in Kyiv, has been seriously injured in a shooting.

SotaVision said that a bullet struck Varpakhovich in the abdomen and a second in the face.

He is the commander of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

Russia’s top investigative body said it has opened a criminal probe into attempted murder and arms trafficking after “an attempt on the life of a serviceman” in the city of Engels.

“Cartridge casings and bullets from a firearm were recovered at the scene,” the Investigative Committee said in a statement, according to the Moscow Times.

Ukraine’s security services said that investigation established that Varpakhovich had issued a combat order to carry out the missile strike on the National Children’s Specialised Hospital in Kyiv in July 2024.

Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has said that peace efforts to end the war are entering an active new diplomatic phase, urging observers to “follow the news” as engagement resumes across global capitals.

Speaking in Kyiv on Thursday, the minister emphasised that diplomacy must play an increasingly active role in ending Russian aggression.

Sybiha stressed that achieving progress without direct U.S. involvement is “unrealistic,” and confirmed that Zelensky recently held discussions with Washington’s negotiating team.

Estonian prime minister Kristen Michal has convened an emergency cabinet meeting following the resignation of defence minister Hanno Pevkur amid mass scandal.

The scandal saw a staggering €70 million ($81 million) of public funds, meant for Ukraine, sent to a sham company.

A report revealed that Estonia had transferred tens of millions in EU advance payments to a company that had never produced or sold a single artillery shell.

Estonian prosecutors have now launched a criminal investigation into defence procurement practices in the country.

Pevkur stepped down on Wednesday evening, taking political responsibility for the failed deal while maintaining he was not directly involved in contract negotiations.

Russia will close all branches of Germany’s Goethe-Institut in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg, foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.

The tit-for-tat measure follows Berlin’s decision to shut down the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin and a Russian consulate in Bonn.

Germany had ordered the closures after accusing Moscow of orchestrating an attempted drone attack targeting Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month — a claim Russian officials continue to call “baseless.”

Lavrov has warned the move effectively marks “the end of Germany’s cultural presence in Russia,” as diplomatic relations between Moscow and European wear thin.

Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has met with his Indian counterpart in Kyiv on Thursday.

The meeting marks the first standalone bilateral visit by an Indian foreign minister to Ukraine.

The landmark diplomatic meeting occurred amid escalating Russian air strikes targeting Ukrainian infrastructure, civil shipping, and major cities.

In a post on X, Sybiha commended New Delhi’s stance, welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to move toward ending the war while affirming Ukraine’s readiness for diplomacy.

The two ministers discussed multiple issues, including global food security, and improving cooperation in pharmaceuticals, technology, and infrastructure.

Ukraine’s navy has confirmed it has hit a Russian vessel in the Black Sea port city of Sochi, on Thursday.

Kyiv has claimed the ship it was supporting Moscow’s war effort.

The ‌vessel, Nefrit, is reported to have been supporting oil ‌and gas operations, servicing ‌offshore facilities, transporting cargo ⁠and personnel, and carrying out underwater engineering work, Ukraine’s navy said in a post on Telegram.

“[The vessel’s] activities constitute direct support for the enemy’s war economy,” Kyiv added.

Russia’s ambassador to Norway has said Moscow will appeal to Norway over the state’s seizure of a Russian vessel.

A Norwegian court decision authorised the seizure of the Russian ship, state-run TASS news has agency reported.

Oslo has ​seized ⁠the ‌ship, which was sailing in the Arctic, to enforce ‌a $4.22 billion ‌compensation claim won by Ukrainian ⁠energy firm Naftogaz over Moscow’s seizure of its assets when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

The ‌vessel, named the Professor ​Molchanov, was ‌seized ⁠off the Norwegian Arctic ⁠archipelago of Svalbard.

The UK has summoned the Russian charge d’affaires over Moscow’s involvement in the Leipzig airport attack.

Downing Street said the UK government stands “in full solidarity” with Germany following what they described as an “egregious and aggressive attack”.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson added: “Any attempt by Russia to undermine our united resolve is futile … That is why today we have summoned the Russian charge d’affaires to condemn the attack in the strongest possible terms.”

Vladimir Putin has said that the size of Russia’s ballooning deficit will pose “no critical risk” to the economy.

It comes amid growing fears over the state of the Russian economy, which is facing fuel shortages due to Ukrainian drone strikes.

“Considering that we have one of the lowest levels of national debt in the world, there is nothing critical here,” Putin said at ‌an economic forum in the Russian far ‌eastern city of Vladivostok.