South African president thanks Putin after 17 men ‘lured’ to Russian front lines begin returning home
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin after 17 men who the government said were “lured” to Russian front lines in its war against Ukraine began returning home.
In a statement Tuesday, Ramaphosa’s office said the South African government, working closely with Russian authorities, secured the repatriation of the men after receiving distress calls requesting assistance.
The group, ranging in age from 20 to 39, was allegedly recruited into “mercenary activities.”
The circumstances surrounding their recruitment remain under investigation.
Ramaphosa expressed gratitude to Putin for responding positively to his request for help during a Feb. 10 phone call between the two leaders.
Four of the men have already returned to South Africa, while 11 are expected to arrive soon.
Two remain in Russia — one receiving treatment at a hospital in Moscow and another being processed before finalizing travel arrangements.
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South Africa’s embassy in Moscow is continuing to monitor the hospitalized individual until he is cleared to travel, according to Ramaphosa’s office.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said in November that Kyiv estimates at least 1,436 foreign nationals from 36 African countries have been recruited to fight for Russia, warning the true number may be higher.
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Sybiha said Russia uses a range of tactics to recruit foreigners, including financial incentives, deception and coercion.
“Signing a contract is equivalent to signing a death sentence,” he wrote on X. “Foreign citizens in the Russian army have a sad fate. Most of them are immediately sent to the so-called ‘meat assaults,’ where they are quickly killed.”
Moscow rocked by apparent suicide bombing
An unidentified assailant detonated an explosive device next to a patrol vehicle in Moscow on Tuesday, killing himself and a police officer in an apparent suicide bombing, according to The Associated Press.
The outlet noted that, according to officials, the explosion also left two other officers injured.
The attack happened just after midnight on Tuesday near the Savyolovsky railway station in downtown Moscow, according to the AP, which cited Moscow’s branch of the Interior Ministry.
The AP also reported that Russia’s top investigative agency said the assailant was a 22-year-old man from Russia’s Udmurt Republic and that there was an ongoing probe regarding the motive behind the attack.
The attacker reportedly approached traffic police officers who were sitting in a patrol vehicle, The Moscow Times reported. The outlet noted, citing Russian state media agency TASS, that the targeted patrol car was heavily damaged but did not catch fire as a result of the attack.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly said at a meeting with top officials from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) that the young man was recruited online and was unknowingly given an explosive device that was then detonated remotely, according to the AP.
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The attack came just as Russia marked the fourth anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine. While the Trump administration has worked to broker a peace deal between the two sides, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have yet to reach an agreement.
‘Delaying, stalling and blaming’: Russia shows little sign of compromise as war enters fifth year, expert says
Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war is grinding into a fifth year with no clear end in sight, despite renewed diplomatic efforts and a fresh push for a negotiated settlement.
Peace talks have accelerated since President Donald Trump returned to office, reviving direct and indirect channels between Moscow and Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this month that the United States is pushing for a peace agreement by June, with the Trump administration expected to apply pressure on both sides as U.S.-mediated talks continue following temporary pauses in energy infrastructure strikes and a series of recent prisoner exchanges.
But despite those steps, fighting has not slowed.
On the battlefield, Russian forces continue incremental, costly advances in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the contested Donetsk region.
The pace is far removed from the rapid territorial gains seen in the war’s early weeks, with progress now measured in foot-by-foot advances, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a non-partisan, public policy research organization that tracks the front lines.
At the same time, Ukraine has mounted counteroffensive operations on a tactical scale in the northeastern Kupyansk direction, reclaiming territory even as the Kremlin continues to portray steady forward momentum.
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Christina Harward, Russia deputy team lead at the ISW, said in an interview with Fox News Digital that Moscow’s public posture suggests little willingness to compromise, as officials continue to reiterate the same core demands outlined before the war began.
“What the Kremlin has been doing really consistently is delaying, stalling, and blaming anyone but Russia for this delaying and this stalling. We see them trying to dangle different carrots and also using sticks in order to try to influence President Trump and his administration to give in to the Russian demands,” she said.
Harward noted that Russia continues to press for control over the remaining Ukrainian-held areas of Donetsk, including the heavily fortified “fortress belt” cities that Kyiv has been building up since 2014.
Preparations for a potential spring or summer offensive, she explained, suggest Moscow is positioning for a prolonged war rather than moving toward an imminent peace.
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Beyond territorial disputes, negotiations remain entangled in broader security questions. Russia has rejected the prospect of Western security guarantees for postwar Ukraine and warned that foreign troops would be considered legitimate targets.
Kyiv and its European partners, meanwhile, contend that without meaningful guarantees, any ceasefire could simply provide Russia time to regroup and rearm.
Ret. Army Maj. Gen. Matt Smith told Fox News Digital he does not believe the latest round of diplomacy has brought the sides meaningfully closer to a deal, arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin faces intense internal pressure that limits his ability to compromise.
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“The stakes are potentially much higher for him personally, in terms of life and limb in the most dramatic sense, but also in terms of his internal political power,” Smith said. “If he’s to compromise in any way, he has nothing to show for an extraordinary expense in lives, time, economics. You know, he’s paid a tremendous price.”
Russian forces have suffered approximately 1.2 million casualties (as many as 325,000 killed, with the rest being injured or missing) since February 2022, according to a January analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
The report estimates that combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties could reach nearly 2 million by the spring of 2026 if current rates persist.
CSIS found that Russian forces have advanced at an average rate of between 15 and 70 meters per day, roughly 16 to 77 yards, in their most prominent offensives, slower than almost any major offensive campaign in any war in the last century.
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Gen. Smith likened the situation to the final years of the Vietnam War, saying the outcome on the battlefield may already be clearer than the politics surrounding it.
“The war’s already over,” he told Fox News Digital. “People just haven’t stopped dying yet. He [Putin’s] already lost. The question is, how do you get him to admit it?”
UK’s Starmer calls Russia-Ukraine war ‘most critical issue of our age’ on invasion anniversary
As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its fourth year since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer referred to the ongoing conflict as “the most critical issue of our age,” according to a press release announcing additional U.K. assistance for Ukraine.
“On this grim anniversary, our message to the Ukrainian people is simple: Britain is with you, stronger than ever. That is why we are announcing new support today and we will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Starmer said, according to the press release.
“For all the noise in world affairs today, this war remains the most critical issue of our age. It asks the question of whether Ukrainian and European freedom will endure. Our answer, together, is unequivocal. Russia is not winning this war. They will not win this war. Ukraine’s courage continues to hold the line for our shared values, in the face of Putin’s aggression,” Starmer continued. “We will stand by their side, until a just and lasting peace – and beyond. Slava Ukraini.”
Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested that the Western world is “pussyfooting around.”
“Putin will not stop the slaughter until he faces much greater pressure. So for heaven’s sake let’s get on with it. Impound his entire shadow fleet. Unfreeze all his frozen assets and give them to Ukraine. Give the Ukrainians the weapons they need to take out all the Russian drone factories. Do all of it now. Putin will not negotiate sincerely until he feels he has no choice,” Johnson wrote in a post on X.
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“The Ukrainians fight like heroes while we in the West pussyfoot and delay. The West can end the war this year — if we stop pussyfooting around,” he said.
President Donald Trump’s administration has been attempting to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.
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In its statement, the U.K. government said the country’s security is closely tied to Ukraine’s fate and outlined new assistance, including £20 million (about $27 million) in emergency energy funding to help repair and protect Ukraine’s power grid and expand generation capacity.
The package also includes £5.7 million (around $7.7 million) in humanitarian aid for frontline communities, including people requiring evacuation and those affected by airstrikes or internal displacement, according to the release.
Russia’s war against Ukraine enters fifth year as experts outline 3 possible outcomes
Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has settled into a grinding conflict defined by high casualties and incremental territorial shifts. Russia still controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv has recently clawed back limited ground in counteroffensives. Military estimates put Russian casualties at about 1.2 million since 2022, including 325,000 troop deaths, and Ukrainian casualties between 500,000 and 600,000, including 140,000 troop deaths, according to a CSIS study.
Diplomacy has intensified alongside the fighting. President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last August for high-stakes talks aimed at advancing negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has traveled to Washington multiple times since Trump returned to office, including a contentious Oval Office meeting in Feb. 2025 and a follow-up visit later in the year.
The most recent U.S. engagement with both sides came during trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi earlier this year and more taking place in Geneva on Feb. 17–18, where special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian and Ukrainian delegations as part of ongoing efforts to broker a settlement.
As the war enters its fifth year, former officials and analysts say the next phase could unfold along three possible paths: prolonged stalemate, shifting Ukrainian momentum, or a dangerous erosion of Western resolve.
Scenario one: Prolonged stalemate
The most immediate trajectory is continuation. The war remains defined by attrition, with neither side delivering a decisive blow and negotiations producing little progress.
Ret. U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, former NATO supreme allied commander of Europe, said Moscow is not winning despite its territorial hold, “There isn’t a winner right now.”
“Russia, supposedly a world superpower with one of the world’s probably top three world armies and top four world air forces, in 12 years has gained about 20% of Ukraine. And they have lost some, say, over 1.2 million in the conflict so far. It’s a conflict that Ukraine is working hard to manage. It’s also a conflict that Russia is not, I repeat, not winning,” he said.
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Scenario two: Ukrainian momentum reshapes diplomacy
Recent battlefield developments suggest another possibility. Breedlove pointed to rapid Ukrainian gains following disruptions in Russia’s command-and-control systems.
“In the last three or four days, because of the loss of the Starlink command and control system, Ukraine launched an offensive, and they have snatched back months of Russian gains in three days, three-pronged push, hundreds of square miles regained, and Russia is backing up in several places right now.”
Carrie Filipetti, executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition, said such advances could shift leverage at the negotiating table. “Ukraine’s recent advances to recapture its territory is yet another signal that Putin’s war machine is continuing to atrophy as the world marks the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Russia’s latest territorial losses shows that far from being invincible, Putin and his army are beginning to experience real failures in terms of capability and resources.”
She added that momentum matters. “Not only is this the most significant Ukrainian advance on the battlefield in more than two years, its importance may be felt even more concretely at the diplomatic table. Finding a lasting and equitable peace deal through negotiation is often about momentum – and right now the Ukrainians have it.”
If sustained, such gains could alter Moscow’s calculations and give Kyiv a stronger footing in negotiations as long as Ukraine has strong U.S. support, Breedlove argues, “The first thing and the most important thing Ukraine needs is a declaratory statement by the West and specifically by the United States that we are not going to allow Russia to win in Ukraine, and we will give Ukraine what it needs to stop Russia… where Putin hears it loud and clear and where the people of Russia hear it loud and clear that is a game changer. And I think that’s when Mr. Putin is going to have to make some tough decisions.”
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Scenario three: Escalation or Western fatigue
A third path worries some Western strategists: that inconsistent support could prolong or tilt the conflict in Russia’s favor.
Heather Nauert, who served as spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State from 2017 to 2019, framed the war as more than a territorial dispute. “As we now enter the fifth year of Putin’s war in Ukraine, we’re reminded that this conflict has never been only about territory — it’s about identity, faith, and the future of a free nation. Russia has destroyed more than 600 churches, persecuted millions of Ukrainian Christians under occupation, and abducted more than 19,000 children in an effort to break Ukraine’s spirit. President Trump’s push for a lasting peace must be backed by strength and accountability – one that protects innocent lives, defends religious freedom and brings stolen children home.”
Ret. Lt. Gen. Richard Newton said deterrence remains central. “Four years into this horrific war, the fundamental lesson remains unchanged: Peace is only possible when strength shapes the terms. Putin will continue to savagely test our resolve until the costs of his aggression outweigh any possible gain.”
“What Ukraine needs isn’t gestures from the world, but instead, unwavering support from the U.S. and Europe that convinces Moscow further advances carry unacceptable consequences,” he argued. “Russia must not prevail against Ukraine and the West. What are needed are credible security guarantees, robust offensive and defensive capabilities and a unified, long-term commitment by the West to ensure deterrence isn’t an elusive goal, but a lasting reality.”
Breedlove warned that negotiations alone will not shift the balance. “The most dangerous scenario is that we do not do what we should do in Ukraine and Russia takes over Ukraine because they’re not done. We have a policy of peace through strength and we’re using it in Iran. We’ve used it in Venezuela. We’re using it with oil tankers around the world… But when it comes to Putin and Ukraine, we are peace through weakness.”
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“Mr. Putin is making a point that he’s in charge in Ukraine, not the West and certainly not America. And so we need to change that dynamic. You got good guys and you got bad guys. And right now the bad guys have told America to take a hike. So now, rather than telling them what to do, we are going to the good guys and saying, you have to give up more because the bad guys are not playing well in the sandbox. That’s peace through weakness, not peace through strength,” Breedlove concluded.
Putin puts ‘nuclear triad’ on fast track, Zelenskyy claims ‘World War 3’ underway
President Vladimir Putin said the development of Russia’s nuclear triad was an “absolute priority” Monday as he outlined the country’s stance on its weapons program, according to reports.
Marking Russia’s Defender of the Fatherland Day, the Russian leader spoke about strengthening the country’s nuclear capabilities before presenting state awards to officers involved in the invasion of Ukraine, the Moscow Times reported.
In his speech, Putin referred to the Russian nuclear triad, which is the country’s three-pronged system for delivering nuclear weapons, designed to ensure a credible second-strike capability.
Putin described its development as “an absolute priority,” saying that it “guarantees Russia’s security and ensures effective strategic deterrence and a balance of forces in the world.”
Putin also emphasized his country would continue to strengthen its army and navy, “taking into account developments in the international situation, based on combat experience gained,” amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
He added that Russia would also “significantly” enhance the capabilities of other branches of the armed forces, increasing their combat readiness, mobility, and ability to operate in all conditions, even the most challenging.
“And, of course, we will accelerate the development of advanced systems for the armed forces,” he added.
Putin’s remarks came after Russia suspended its participation in the New START Treaty on Feb. 5, 2023, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between Moscow and Washington.
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The treaty limited the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems each country could have.
Russian officials have said they will continue to take a “responsible” approach to managing their strategic nuclear arsenal and would respect previously established limits.
Putin’s announcement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the Russian leader had effectively launched “World War III” with his invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
“I believe that Putin has already started it. The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him… Putin will not stop at Ukraine,” Zelenskyy told the BBC in an interview Feb. 23.
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Zelenskyy described the war as part of Putin’s broader attempt to impose a “different way of life” on the world.
“Stopping Putin today and preventing him from occupying Ukraine is a victory for the whole world,” he said.
However, when asked about the possibility of ceding the embattled Donbas region to Moscow as part of a peace deal, he warned that Russia would likely rebuild its military strength within “no more than a couple of years” and launch another invasion.
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“Where would he go next? We do not know, but that he would want to continue [the war] is a fact,” Zelenskyy said.
1 dead, dozens injured in ‘terrorist attack’ in Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian authorities detained a suspect accused of carrying out a deadly “terrorist attack” in central Lviv that killed one police officer and injured 25 others, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday.
Zelenskyy said in a post on X that Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko had reported the detention following the early-morning attack.
“My condolences to the family and loved ones… All necessary resources have been provided to the investigation. The required procedural actions involving the detainee are ongoing. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will provide further updates as needed,” he wrote.
Ukraine’s National Police said in a post on Telegram that authorities initially received a message around 12:30 a.m. about a break-in at a store on Danylyshyn Street.
After the first patrol police crew arrived at the scene, an explosion occurred. A second blast followed after another patrol unit responded.
Officials said preliminary findings indicate improvised explosive devices hidden inside garbage bins detonated in the city center.
Police launched a large-scale operation after the blasts, deploying explosives technicians, canine units and other specialized teams.
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The National Police said 23-year-old policewoman Victoria Shpylka was killed in the explosion, while 25 people suffered injuries of varying severity. Eleven victims were hospitalized, including six law enforcement officers who are in serious condition.
A 33-year-old woman from the Rivne region was detained several hours later in the border area of Stary Sambir in connection with the attack.
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Investigators allege she acted at the direction of a “curator” linked to Russian special services and manufactured and planted the explosive devices.
“There is every reason to believe that the crime was committed on the order of Russia. It is not the first time that the enemy purposefully creates death traps for Ukrainian law enforcement officers. And at the same time uses our recruited citizens,” said Klymenko.
Hungary threatens to block EU loan to Ukraine unless Russian oil shipments resume
Hungary is threatening to block a proposed 90 billion-euro European Union loan to Ukraine — worth roughly $106 billion — unless oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline are restored.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó wrote Friday on X that Hungary would oppose the EU funding package until oil transit via the Russian-linked Druzhba pipeline resumes.
“Ukraine is blackmailing Hungary by halting oil transit in coordination with Brussels and the Hungarian opposition to create supply disruptions in Hungary and push fuel prices higher before the elections,” Szijjártó said.
He further claimed that blocking oil transit violates the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and breaches Kyiv’s commitments to the European Union.
The Druzhba pipeline has long been a key route for Russian oil deliveries to parts of Central Europe, including Hungary, even as much of the EU has moved to curb reliance on Russian energy following Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The European Commission in January adopted a legislative package to implement a previously agreed 90 billion-euro loan to Ukraine for 2026 and 2027, aimed at supporting the country’s budgetary and military needs, according to a press release.
The financial commitment, known as the “Ukraine Support Loan,” would be structured as a limited recourse loan, with roughly 60 billion euros allocated for military assistance and 30 billion designated for general budget support.
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The commission said the funding is intended to help Ukraine maintain essential state functions, bolster its defense capabilities and strengthen resilience as the war with Russia continues.
The loan would be financed through common EU borrowing on capital markets and guaranteed by the EU budget. The commission also noted that the EU reserves the right to use immobilized Russian assets within the bloc, in accordance with EU and international law, to repay the loan.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday rejected what it called “ultimatums and blackmail” from the governments of Hungary and Slovakia over energy supplies, accusing both countries of taking actions that are “provocative, irresponsible, and threaten the energy security of the entire region.”
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“Ukraine is in constant contact with representatives of the European Commission regarding the damage to Ukrainian energy infrastructure caused by daily Russian strikes. We have also provided information about the consequences of these Russian attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline infrastructure to the governments of Hungary and Slovakia,” the ministry said in a statement. “Security and stabilization repair work continues amid daily threats of new missile attacks. Ukraine has also proposed alternative ways to resolve the issue of supplying non-Russian oil to these countries.”
It added that Ukraine remains a “reliable energy partner” to the European Union and argued that “ultimatums should be sent to the Kremlin, and certainly not to Kyiv.”