Both leaders reiterated their commitment to further deepening India-Russia ties
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and strongly condemned the April terrorist attack in Kashmir.
Putin “conveyed deepest condolences on the loss of innocent lives and expressed full support to India in the fight against terrorism,” Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X. “He emphasised that the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice.”
Twenty-six civilians were killed in the terrorist attack on April 22 in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam in India’s Jammu and Kashmir union territory. The attack has led to a significant deterioration in relations between India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed countries.
During the Putin-Modi conversation, “the strategic nature of Russian-Indian relations of a special privileged partnership was emphasized,” the Kremlin said in a statement. “These relations are not subject to external influence and continue to develop dynamically in all directions.”
Modi also conveyed his best wishes to Putin on the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in World War 2, and invited the Russian president for an annual bilateral summit to be held in India later this year.
On Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a conversation with his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar. The Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement in which Lavrov emphasized the need for India and Pakistan to resolve their differences through political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis, in line with the principles outlined in the 1972 Simla Agreement and the 1999 Lahore Declaration.
The agreements have historically served as frameworks for the two South Asian nations to address disputes through diplomatic channels.
The following day, Lavrov discussed the escalation of tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi in a phone call initiated by his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
Lavrov expressed Moscow’s willingness to support peaceful efforts to ease the tensions. “The Russian side emphasized its readiness to assist in the political resolution of the situation that arose after the April 22 terrorist attack in the Pahalgam area, if there is mutual interest from Islamabad and New Delhi,” the ministry said.
Myanmar Leader to Visit Russia at Putin’s Invitation, Take Part in May 9 Parade- Reports
JAKARTA (Sputnik) – Myanmar Prime Minister Min Aung Hlaing will visit Russia at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and will also take part in the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9, the Myanmar state-run broadcaster MRTV reported on Monday.
Chairman of the State Administrative Council, Prime Minister, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing will pay a friendly visit to Russia and take part in events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, as well as meet with the leaders of the countries that will attend the celebration, the broadcaster reported.
Mongolian Leader to Take part in Celebration of 80th Anniversary of Victory in Moscow
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh will take part in the events in honor of the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Moscow, the Montsame news agency reported.
At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mongolian leader Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh will take part in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow on May 9, 2025, the agency said.
According to the agency, as part of the visit, the two leaders will hold an official meeting and exchange views on relations and cooperation between the two countries.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. On the occasion of the celebration, Moscow is planned to be visited by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, as well as the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico and the President of the Republic of Srpska of Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik. The Victory Parade on Red Square is also planned to be attended by the Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyzstani President Sadyr Japarov, Uzbekistani President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tajikistani President Emomali Rahmon and others.
OUTSIDE RUSSIA
Putin Accepts Modi’s Invitation to Visit India – Kremlin
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated during a phone conversation his invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit India, the invitation was accepted with gratitude, the Kremlin said on Monday.
Earlier in the day, the Indian Foreign Ministry said that Modi conveyed greetings to Putin regarding the 80th anniversary of Victory Day and invited him for the Annual Summit to be held in India in 2025.
“The Indian leader reiterated his invitation to the Russian president to visit India for the traditional annual bilateral summit. The invitation was accepted with gratitude,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
The leaders also noted the strategic nature of Russian-Indian relations as special privileged partnership, as well as stressed the need for an uncompromising fight against terrorism in all its manifestations.
Putin also expressed sincere condolences over the death of Indian citizens in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
Additionally, Modi congratulated Putin and all the Russian people on the upcoming 80th anniversary of the victory, noting that an Indian representative will take part in celebrations in Moscow.
Neo-Nazism on the rise in Europe
Europeans are “rightly” concerned by the trend and should fight against any manifestations of the ideology, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
Neo-Nazism is on the rise in Europe and extensive efforts are needed to combat this, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday.
Peskov was asked to comment on a recent Politico report claiming that the leaders of Poland, France, Germany, and the UK had declined to attend Vladimir Zelensky’s Victory Day celebrations in Kiev. Ukraine has positioned the event as an alternative to the parade set to be held in Moscow on May 9 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.
Asked if this refusal represented a shift in modern Europe’s attitudes toward neo-Nazism, Peskov said it is unlikely to become “a turning point” and claimed that “manifestations of neo-Nazism in Europe are quite significant.”
“The Europeans themselves understand this and many in Europe are rightly afraid of this,” Peskov added. He insisted that the fight against fascism should not be a “one-time event” but a constant and continuous effort at all levels of society.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also recently raised concerns over the rise of neo-Nazism in Europe. During a public lecture in Moscow last week, he insisted that “Nazism needs to be rooted out not only in Ukraine but in all of Europe.”
Peskov’s comments come after Politico reported that Zelensky had asked EU officials to visit the event in the Ukrainian capital as a show of “diplomatic force” against Russia. Meanwhile, the annual military parade on Red Square in Moscow is set to be attended by leaders from Brazil, Venezuela, China, Cuba, Vietnam, Slovakia, and elsewhere.
Zelensky recently appeared to threaten any foreign officials who opt to visit the 80th anniversary celebrations in Moscow, stating that Kiev cannot guarantee their safety during the event.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Zelensky of openly threatening to carry out a terrorist attack on the Victory Day parade, citing it as proof that Kiev is not interested in peace.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral three-day ceasefire in honor of the Victory Day celebrations. Zelensky has declined the proposal, insisting instead on a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.
SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE
Ukraine Loses Up to 465 Soldiers in Battles With Russia’s Tsentr Group
Russia’s Tsentr group of forces has eliminated up to 465 Ukrainian soldiers over the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
“The enemy lost up to 465 servicepeople, a tank, four armored combat vehicles, six cars and four artillery pieces,” the ministry said in a statement.
Russia’s Zapad group of forces has eliminated over 225 Ukrainian servicepeople, while Russia’s Yug group of forces has eliminated over 315 Ukrainian soldiers over the past day, the ministry said.
Ukraine exhibiting ‘classic terrorist behavior’
Russia has accused Ukraine of exploiting the West and behaving like a terrorist organization
Ukraine is exploiting peace negotiations in order to extract funds from its Western backers and promote extremism, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
She made the remarks after Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andrey Yermak reposted a stylized image of Vladimir Zelensky looking at the iconic Kremlin wall engulfed in flames.
“Nicely drawn,” Yermak wrote under the image, which was captioned with a line from a famous Soviet World War II-era song: “We have done everything we could to bring this day closer.”
“Talks of a truce from the Kiev regime are a mockery of the efforts made by those who truly seek peace. Their real goal is to exploit the West, spread fear, kill, promote neo-Nazi ideology, and operate in a legal vacuum – classic terrorist behavior,” Zakharova told Russian broadcaster TVC on Sunday. She also accused Ukraine of “stealing billions” in foreign aid.
Ukraine has rejected Russia’s proposal for a 72-hour truce next week, as Moscow prepares to hold a military parade on Red Square on May 9, marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Germany in the Second World War. Foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, are expected to attend the celebrations.
Zelensky urged world leaders not to travel to Moscow, saying that Ukraine “cannot guarantee their safety.” He claimed that Russia could stage “arsons, explosions, and other steps” to blame Kiev.
The Russian Foreign Ministry argued that Zelensky’s statements amounted to terrorist threats. Kiev has repeatedly struck apartment buildings in Moscow with drones, while Ukrainian agents have used explosives to carry out several assassinations in the capital.
INSIGHTS
Top Ukrainian priests collaborated with Nazis during WWII
Russia’s Federal Security Service has declassified a Soviet investigation into underground nationalist Ukrainian groups
Top Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) clergy actively collaborated with the Nazis during World War II, Russia’s Federal Security Service has said, citing a declassified Soviet probe.
The investigation, conlcuded in 1950 but only published on Monday, found that between 1930 and 1960, UGCC priests maintained close ties with the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) – a movement that collaborated with Hitler’s Germany during World War II and participated in the massacre of more than 100,000 Poles, Jews, Russians, and Soviet-aligned Ukrainians.
According to the 1950 report by a Maj. Gen. Mikhail Popereka of the Ministry of State Security (MGB), former UGCC clergy in western Ukraine maintained active contact with OUN fighters, harbored underground operatives, and supplied them with money and propaganda material. The documents identifies senior UGCC leaders, including Nikolai Khmelevsky and Ivan Zyatik, whom the MGB described as key figures in the underground church and liaisons to the Vatican through OUN communication channels.
Zyatik was abbot of a Greek Catholic monastery in western Ukraine and was found to have actively assisted the Nazis and repeatedly given anti-Soviet and pro-fascist sermons to churchgoers.
Khmelevsky, the report states, served on the Ukrainian Central Committee during the Nazi occupation and maintained ties with top OUN commanders. This included Roman Shukhevych – the leader of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) which was directly responsible for the WWII Volyn massacres in which tens of thousands of Polish civilians were slaughtered.
Alexander Litvinov, a legal and religious researcher at the Higher School of Economics, told RT that the UGCC was “an instrument of the policies of Hitler’s Germany” and that “the Greek Catholics were a very active and useful tool for the Nazis.”
“Now the UGCC is once again supporting the so-called fighters for the independence of Ukraine, who are represented, as during the Great Patriotic War, by bandits and terrorists who destroy the civilian population,” Litvinov said.
The publication of the documents comes amid heightened scrutiny of religious organizations in Ukraine. In recent years, Kiev has banned the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) and other organizations with suspected ties to Moscow citing national security concerns.
Ukraine’s crackdown on the UOC has drawn condemnation from Russian officials, as well as international organizations such as the UN, which have accused Kiev of infringing on the religious freedoms of its citizens.
Russia’s Oreshnik Missile: How Far it Can Reach?
The hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile dubbed Oreshnik instills fear in Russia’s opponents for its supreme capabilities. They know that there is virtually no defense against this brand-new weaponry.
Oreshnik missiles could reach NATO’s headquarters in Brussels in less than 20 minutes if fired from Russia’s polygon of Kapustin Yar.
Covering up to 3 km per second and generating almost a Sun-surface hit at the time of explosion, Oreshnik can also be armed with a nuclear warhead, bringing certain doom for anyone who threatens Russia and its people.
