Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that his country has and will not “lose anything” from the war in Ukraine. Speaking in Vladivostok on Wednesday, the 69-year-old downplayed the high death toll believed to have been suffered by the Russian military since the invasion began on February 24. Although Mr Putin admitted that the war had caused “a certain polarization, both in the world and within the country”, he was adamant that increasing Russian “dominion” was justified. The Russian leader also used his speech to criticize Western sanctions, calling them a futile attempt to keep Russia under control. It would be “impossible” to isolate Moscow as the Kremlin may turn to new opportunities in the Middle East and Iran, he said. His comments come after Western analysts described the Kremlin as “desperate” for wanting to buy thousands of missiles from North Korea. The reported purchases show that Russia is struggling with military supplies to Ukraine, they said. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military launched a series of counterattacks against Russian positions in southern, eastern and northeastern Ukraine.

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Putin says Trudeau’s Tory leadership win ‘not democratic’

Vladimir Putin has criticized the appointment of Liz Truss as UK Prime Minister, calling it “far from democratic”. Ms Truss was elected by members of the Tory party and not by the wider British public. Predictably, Mr. Putin has been tight-lipped about his own background. This is how Freedom House describes the political situation in Russia: With loyal security forces, a subservient judiciary, a controlled media environment, and a legislature composed of a ruling party and flexible opposition factions, the Kremlin is able to manipulate elections and suppress genuine dissent.

Putin says Trudeau’s Tory leadership win ‘not democratic’

Truss was put at Number 10 by members of the Tory party Rory Sullivan September 7, 2022 10:55 am 1662543316

The Ukrainian war in photos

Here are some of the latest photos from Ukraine: A residential building in Sloviansk, eastern Ukraine, is in ruins after a Russian strike. (REUTERS) A Ukrainian firefighter works to extinguish a fire in Sloviansk. (REUTERS) People in Kyiv pay tribute to Ukrainian prisoners killed in an explosion on Russian-held territory on July 29. (EPA) Rory Sullivan September 7, 2022 10:35 am 1662542116

Ukraine’s nuclear power plant is in ‘very serious danger’, says IAEA boss

The safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is at “very serious risk”, the head of a UN watchdog has warned. In his first televised interview since traveling to Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine, Rafael Grossi, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told CNN’s Christine Amanpour that the nearby bombing posed a huge threat to the installation. “The situation is still very worrying,” he said. “The shelling continues, so we still face a very serious risk. “The mere fact that there is a continuation of attacks and bombings, intentionally or unintentionally, knowingly or unknowingly, people are hitting a nuclear power plant, the biggest in Europe. So I have to say that the danger continues.” Mr Grossi called for a security zone around the plant. Rory Sullivan September 7, 2022 10:15 am 1662540916

Russia will be tested by Ukrainian counterattacks, State Department says

Ukrainian counter-attacks will test Russia’s ability to reallocate resources, the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) said. Fierce fighting is currently taking place across the northern, eastern and southern fronts. “Russia’s planned main effort is likely an advance on Bakhmut in the Donbass, but commanders face a dilemma over whether to deploy operational reserves to support this offensive or defend against continued Ukrainian advances in the south,” the State Department said. “Multiple simultaneous threats spread over 500 kilometers will test Russia’s ability to coordinate operational planning and reallocate resources across multiple force groups,” he added. Rory Sullivan7 September 2022 09:55 1662539609

The Baltic states agree to limit the entry of Russian tourists

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have agreed in principle to restrict Russian tourists traveling to their territory from Russia and Belarus. Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics announced the development on Twitter on Wednesday. Rory Sullivan7 September 2022 09:33 1662538166

Russia will “lose nothing” from the war in Ukraine, Putin claims

Russia has and will “lose nothing” from the war in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has claimed. Speaking in Vladivostok on Wednesday, the 69-year-old said the invasion strengthened Russian dominance. “We haven’t lost anything and we won’t lose anything,” he added, despite the high number of casualties believed to have been suffered by Russian troops in Ukraine. The Russian leader admitted that the war had caused “concrete polarization, both in the world and within the country.” Rory Sullivan7 September 2022 09:09 1662536876

Poor countries not benefiting from Russia-Ukraine grain deal, Putin claims

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that poor countries are not benefiting from a Russian-Ukrainian grain deal. The agreement, brokered by the UN and Turkey earlier this summer, allows the export of Ukrainian grain. Previously, the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports made this impossible. Without giving figures, Mr Putin said only two of the 87 ships had been sent to poor countries. “Once again, developing countries have been and continue to be cheated. It is obvious that with this approach, the scale of the world’s food problems will only increase … which may lead to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster,” he said. Rory Sullivan7 September 2022 08:47 1662535216

Putin warns West it will be ‘impossible’ to isolate Russia

It will be “impossible” for the West to isolate Russia because it will turn to new opportunities in the Middle East and Iran, Vladimir Putin said. In an appearance at an economic forum in Vladivostok on Wednesday, the Russian president struck a defiant tone, saying Russia had lost nothing from its war in Ukraine. The 69-year-old hit out at Western sanctions, describing them as a futile attempt to keep Russia in check. Describing the US and its allies as aggressors, he said: “I am talking about the West’s fever of sanctions, with its brazen, aggressive attempt to impose models of behavior on other countries, to deprive them of their sovereignty and to bend them to their will . “

Putin warns West it will be ‘impossible’ to isolate Russia

It will be “impossible” for the West to isolate Russia because it will turn to new opportunities in the Middle East and Iran, Vladimir Putin said. Rory Sullivan7 September 2022 08:20 1662534016

Ukraine launches a counterattack in the northeastern region of Kharkiv

Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack against a Russian-held city in the eastern region of Kharkiv, a pro-Moscow official said. In an unusually frank message, Daniil Bezsonov of the breakaway Donetsk People’s Republic said Ukraine was besieging the city of Balakliia. If they succeeded, the pro-Russian troops at nearby Izyum would be vulnerable to an attack from the northwest. “Ukrainian armed forces concentrated massive fire on mobile groups of the Donetsk People’s Republic, which had taken up defensive positions in nearby forests,” he told Telegram. “Currently, Balakliia is under operational encirclement and within the firing range of Ukrainian artillery. All approaches are cut off by fire.” Kyiv remains guarded about how its troops fare in their counterattacks. On Wednesday, Ukraine’s military said its troops attacked seven Russian command posts and 13 “objects of concentration of Russian manpower”. He did not specify where these attacks took place. Rory Sullivan 7 September 2022 08:00 1662532816

Russian military equipment ‘compromising’ safety at nuclear plant

Yesterday, a UN watchdog released a report calling for a “safety zone” around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has pointed out that security in the Russian-controlled area is being compromised by the presence of military equipment there. In response, Moscow demanded “explanations” from the IAEA, claiming the West had put pressure on the organization. Rory Sullivan7 September 2022 07:40