War experts believe Moscow is planning a summer offensive in Ukraine. Economic and military pressures closer to home could end up pushing Moscow into peace talks. A slowdown in inflation, declining industrial output and consumer spending all point to a slowdown in the Russian economy.

Almost one third of Russia's total expenditures is classified and the word "secret" appears 39 times in the budget when it was adopted last December, the Russian news outlet RuNews24.ru reported.

Lyudmila Vasilyeva is fined for "discrediting" the Russian army after calling for an end to Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Russia has spent most of its National Wealth Fund in the past few years, with liquid funds potentially being depleted in 2025, one economist says.

Moscow’s battlefield edge is waning, experts say. But President Donald Trump seems disinclined to ramp up pressure on the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine.

The Trump administration has been working with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to reach a peace deal to end the war

An agreement by Ukraine and Russia for a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange is thought to be the only concrete result of peace talks in Istanbul which took place last week, which were the first such negotiations since 2022 when the ongoing war began. Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

In the shadow of Russia’s war with Ukraine, a more insidious conflict is unfolding — one that places young Nigerian women at the centre of a 21st-century colonial exploitation scheme. Read Also: How I was trafficked for prostitution in Mali – Actress ...