Russia Ukraine war news: Putin taking a trip in armoured train over ‘fear of flying’

Russian president Vladimir Putin is “scared” to take a trip on aircrafts as he fears being tracked or shot down by Nato or Ukraine, an investigative press reporter has actually said.

As an outcome, he is more often taking a trip on an armoured train, Ilya Rozhdestvensky of the Dossier Center said.

Mr Rozhdestvensky informed CNN that Putin thinks taking a trip by train is a “more secure way to travel” which “nobody will know where he’s going”.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday the very first batch of Leopard-1A5 fight tanks the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany are purchasing for Ukraine will be provided to the war torn nation as quickly as possible.

“As soon as the first batch (of Leopard tanks) is combat ready, it will be delivered to Ukraine, we want to do that as soon as possible”, Rutte informed reporters in Kyiv, speaking along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Rutte likewise said the Netherlands were prepared to host a brand-new tribunal to judge Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, adding that more support was needed for that to happen.

Russia‘s Foreign Ministry summoned the Italian ambassador on Friday after Moscow said a number of performances by Russian artists in Italy had been cancelled.

In a statement, the ministry accused the Italian authorities of discriminating against Russian artists, without providing further details.

Russia, China and South Africa are set to begin naval drills off South Africa’s Indian Ocean coast on Friday in a presentation of the 3 nations’ close ties amidst Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine and China’s tense relationship with the West.

The 10 days of workouts, called Mosi II, will accompany the very first anniversary of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

A Russian frigate, the Admiral Gorshkov, arrived in Cape Town earlier this week sporting the letters Z and V on its sides, letters that mark Russian weapons on the front lines in Ukraine and are used as a patriotic symbol in Russia.

In protest, a small yacht flying Ukraine‘s flag sailed by the Russian frigate in Cape Town’s harbour. South African protesters opposed to the workouts are anticipated to show at the Russian Consulate in Cape Town on Friday.

The arrival of the Admiral Gorshkov has actually stirred significant debate due to the fact that it is equipped with the current Zircon hypersonic rockets, a weapon that Russia says can permeate any rocket defences to strike targets at sea and on land.

The warship is set to test-fire a Zircon rocket throughout the joint marine drills, according to Russian state news firm Tass. The test will be the very first launch of the rocket in a worldwide workout.

In addition to the Admiral Gorshkov, other ships taking part in the maritime workouts will consist of a Russian oil tanker for refuelling, a South African frigate and 3 Chinese ships – a destroyer, a frigate and an assistance vessel, according to a South African military declaration.

The joint marine workouts likewise come as China’s relations with Washington are tense after its balloon cruised throughout the United States and was ultimately shot down by the Americans.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday there need to be no taboo on providing weapons to Ukraine as it requires arms to safeguard its sovereignty.

Speaking at a joint press conference with going to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Zelensky said: “We have a common understanding with the Netherlands that there should not be any taboo on the supply and support of weapons to our army, to our Ukraine, because it supports and protects our sovereignty.”

Russia said on Friday that it had actually summoned the Dutch ambassador over what it called “obsessive attempts” by the Dutch authorities to hold it accountable for the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine in 2014.

In a declaration, the Russian Foreign Ministry implicated the joint examination group established to develop who was accountable of being “politicised”.

Prosecutors said recently at The Hague they had actually discovered “strong indications” that Russian President Vladimir Putin had actually authorized the usage in Ukraine of a Russian BUK rocket system utilized to shoot down the aircraft over eastern Ukraine in 2014.

Politicians, military officers and diplomats from all over the world collected in Munich on Friday to go over Europe’s security scenario following the Russian intrusion of Ukraine almost a year back.

The war has actually reignited long-running disputes on concerns such as just how much Europe need to build up its own military capability, just how much it must count on the United States for its security, and just how much federal governments need to invest in defence.

Delegates to the Munich Security Conference, a yearly event concentrated on defence and diplomacy, will likewise go over the worldwide effect of the war on problems varying from energy supply to food rates.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are amongst those participating in the conference, which starts on Friday and runs till Sunday. Senior Ukrainian authorities are likewise anticipated to resolve it.

Setting out Kyiv’s position, a consultant to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said “real global security” might just be attained if Ukraine won the war.

“Negotiations can begin when Russia withdraws its troops from the territory of Ukraine. Other options only give Russia time to regroup forces and resume hostilities at any moment,” Mykhailo Podolyak composed on Twitter.

Last year’s conference occurred simply days prior to the war started.

A senior Ukrainian authorities on Friday dismissed peace talks with Moscow unless Russia withdraws from Ukraine, repeating Kyiv’s position prior to a worldwide conference set to be controlled by the war.

“For decriminalization of worldwide politics and genuine worldwide security, the war should end with Ukraine‘s victory,” Mykhailo Podolyak, a political adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, wrote on Twitter.

“Negotiations can begin when Russia withdraws its troops from the territory of Ukraine. Other options only give Russia time to regroup forces and resume hostilities at any moment.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are among many top officials attending the Munich Security Conference.

Russia‘s defence ministry website has posted an update confirming who is in charge of its various military districts, the TASS news agency said on Friday.

According to TASS, Andrey Mordvichev is now head of the Central Military District, confirming an earlier report from the RBC news outlet.

It added that Yevgeny Nikiforov is chief of the Western Military District, Rustam Muradov is chief of the Eastern Military District and Sergey Kuzovlev is chief of the Southern Military District.

Ukraine has fought back courageously against Mr Putin’s distorted quote to bring back area lost to Moscow with the collapse of the Soviet Union and has actually continued to defy the chances by safeguarding itself versus Russian assaults with the help of Western military help.

Battle tanks from the United States, Britain and Germany are now being provided for the very first time and Mr Zelensky explored London, Paris and Brussels in early February 2023 to ask for fighter jets be sent also in order to counter the Russian aerial risk, an action the allies appear to have bookings about making.