A vocal supporter of Vladimir Putin has urged Russia to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in response to Donald Trump's announcement that he would provide Patriot missiles to Ukraine. On his radio program,

Experts fear Russia could emply battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine after being given 50 days to stop the fighting by the US

Putin ally warns Moscow will launch preventative strikes against the west ‘if necessary’ - Russian air defence units destroyed 122 Ukrainian drones overnight that targeted the capital Moscow, official

In St Petersburg, operations at Pulkovo Airport were temporarily suspended around 5am, delaying at least ten flights, according to Rosaviatsiya.

It is believed that Russia has been unable to secure more than one percent of additional territory from Ukraine since early 2024, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio citing that Russian forces have suffered the loss of over 100,000 troops in the first half of 2025 alone.

A disruption in military assistance to Ukraine, even a relatively short one, could have a disproportionately decisive effect by creating a window of opportunity for Russia.

President Donald Trump announced this week that the U.S. will send Patriot air-defense missiles to Ukraine and threatened new tariffs on Russia. Will Vladimir Putin back down? What should Trump's next move be? And what does the future hold for Ukraine? Newsweek contributors Daniel R. DePetris and Dan Perry debate:

Daniel Martindale has been given Russian citizenship after helping Vladimir Putin's interests in the Ukraine war

Russian ground advances across eastern Ukraine appear to be small at first glance — only 1.2 square kilometers on an average per day near the city of Kupiansk. Or, as the Institute for the Study of War notes,

Officials have warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that a demographic crisis could mean the country he leads will be short millions of workers by the end of the decade.