[Rikbikboo]

US ready to walk away from peace efforts within days, Rubio says
Some alarming rhetoric coming from the US secretary of state this morning, following his meeting with European partners in Paris yesterday.
Marco Rubio said just moments ago from the French capital that the US will walk away from its efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine unless there are clear signs of progress in the coming days.
"We need to figure out here now, within a matter of days, whether this [peace deal] is doable in the short term, because if it's not, then I think we're just going to move on," he said.
Rubio with French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot and the UK's David Lammy yesterday
Rubio with French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot and the UK's David Lammy yesterday
Reuters
"We're not going to continue with this endeavour for weeks and months on end," he added.
The US's top diplomat said Donald Trump is still interested in pursuing peace, but that the US has many other priorities around the world.
"We need to determine very quickly now - and I'm talking about a matter of days - whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks. If it is we're in. If it's not, then we have other priorities to focus on as well."
Trump said yesterday he felt a ceasefire was "close", and that Moscow was set to get back to him regarding a recent proposal imminently.

[scorpion9]

Originally Posted by Rikbikboo ↗

US ready to walk away from peace efforts within days, Rubio says
Some alarming rhetoric coming from the US secretary of state this morning, following his meeting with European partners in Paris yesterday.
Marco Rubio said just moments ago from the French capital that the US will walk away from its efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine unless there are clear signs of progress in the coming days.
"We need to figure out here now, within a matter of days, whether this [peace deal] is doable in the short term, because if it's not, then I think we're just going to move on," he said.
Rubio with French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot and the UK's David Lammy yesterday
Rubio with French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot and the UK's David Lammy yesterday
Reuters
"We're not going to continue with this endeavour for weeks and months on end," he added.
The US's top diplomat said Donald Trump is still interested in pursuing peace, but that the US has many other priorities around the world.
"We need to determine very quickly now - and I'm talking about a matter of days - whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks. If it is we're in. If it's not, then we have other priorities to focus on as well."
Trump said yesterday he felt a ceasefire was "close", and that Moscow was set to get back to him regarding a recent proposal imminently.

"the art of the deal in action" - fuck it, lets just abandon our allies and move on to fucking up our own country for once.
They actually never had any plans to broker a peace deal imo. They never had anything on Russia, and the only way they wanted to force a deal was by betraying their allies and forcing capitulation. If they see that Ukraine is not willing to capitulate and will fight on, even without the US aid, then...that's it. Trumps administration has done everything it could and its over, as far as they are concerned.

[Roosta]

Originally Posted by kellyhound ↗

On April 13, 2025, russian forces launched two ballistic missile strikes on the city center of Sumy, Ukraine, during Palm Sunday celebrations, resulting in one of the deadliest attacks of the conflict.

The assault killed at least 34 people, including two children, and injured 117 others, with 15 children among the wounded.

The missiles struck civilian areas, destroying a trolleybus, damaging Sumy State University’s Congress Center, other university buildings, and residential areas.

Local reports described horrific scenes, with bodies scattered and fires engulfing vehicles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, calling it an act of terrorism and urging a strong global response, emphasizing that "talks have never stopped ballistic missiles."

He also invited U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Ukraine to witness the devastation firsthand.

Donald Trump described the attack as "terrible" and a "mistake," stating, "I was told they made a mistake, but I think it’s a horrible thing. I think the whole war is a horrible thing." He claimed the war would not have occurred under his presidency and expressed intent to stop the conflict. He provided no specifics on the "mistake" claim.

Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, condemned the attack, stating it "crossed any line of decency." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it "horrifying," and the U.S. Embassy in russia issued a statement expressing condolences, framing the attack as a reminder of the need for peace.

European leaders also reacted strongly. German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz labeled it a "war crime" and an act of "perfidy."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was "appalled" and called for an immediate ceasefire by russia.

French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders echoed condolences and condemnation.

The Orthodox Public Affairs Committee denounced the attack as "brutal and disgraceful," noting its timing during a significant Christian holiday.

The attack occurred amid stalled U.S.-led peace talks, with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff having met President Vladimir Putin days earlier.

Some say russia’s actions were a deliberate escalation during negotiations. Ukraine’s military intelligence reported that 112th and 448th missile brigades used Iskander-M ballistic missiles for the attack.

M/Fuckers.

NOT a military target, just civilians AGAIN !

Poo Tin says that he wants to talk about peace yet does this shit. WTF.

[Rikbikboo]

The US has announced it will no longer act as the mediator to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine after Vladimir Putin refused to accept a full ceasefire.

[kellyhound]

Intercepted radio chatter and drone footage appear to capture russian orders to kill surrendering Ukrainian troops.

The radio crackled, but the order barked into it was clear: Capture the commander and kill the others.

The chilling exchange was part of a series of radio transmissions between russian forces that Ukrainian officials say provide further evidence that russian superiors are ordering soldiers to execute surrendering Ukrainian troops in violation of international law.

The radio communications intercepted by Ukraine, which were obtained by CNN from a Ukrainian intelligence official, appear to correspond in time with drone footage of a suspected execution by russian soldiers in Ukraine’s eastern Zaporizhzhia region last November.

The footage shows six soldiers lying face down on the ground, with at least two being shot at point blank range and another being marched away.

Those deaths are under investigation by Ukrainian prosecutors, who shared a screenshot of the drone video on social media after the incident.

A Ukrainian official familiar with the investigation said that the same radio intercepts CNN had obtained were being examined as part of the inquiry into the killings.

CNN has not been able to independently authenticate the radio traffic, or confirm the communications were directly linked to the drone footage, but a forensic expert who analyzed the audio files said they did not appear to have been manipulated.

A leading United Nations investigator and a Western intelligence official told CNN the radio transmissions and drone footage were consistent with other instances of russian forces allegedly executing surrendering Ukrainian troops.

Morris Tidball-Binz, the UN’s special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said the radio transmissions and drone footage suggest the killing of surrendered soldiers by russian forces, as has been reported by the UN.

Tidball-Binz, who has investigated similar suspected executions, called such incidents “grave breaches” of international law, adding that he believes this conduct could only be authorized by the highest authorities in Russia.

They “would not happen with such numbers and frequency without orders – or at the very least consent – from (the) highest military commanders, which in russia means the Presidency,” he said.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not responded to CNN’s request for comment on the allegations.

russian officials have previously denied that russian troops have committed war crimes and insisted that russia treats prisoners of war in accordance with international law.

[scorpion9]

That commander wont survive either. Most likely he suffers far worse fate - torture to get more information. He is a witness to a war crime and can not be left alive.

[kellyhound]

Control of Ukr. territories by russians by region as of today:

✅ Sumy — 0.5%
✅ Kharkiv — 3.8%
✅ Luhansk — 99.4%
✅ Donetsk — 71.6%
✅ Zaporizhzhia — 73.1%
✅ Kherson — 72.1%
✅ Mykolaivska — 0.6% (Kinburnska Spit)

A year ago the numbers were:

✅ Kharkiv — 2.8% ( -1% )
✅ Luhansk — 98.6% ( -0.8% )
✅ Donetsk — 59.3% ( -12.3% )
✅ Zaporizhzhia — 72.7% ( -0.4% )
✅ Kherson — 72.1% ( -0 %)
✅ Mykolaivska — 0.6% ( -0 %)

[kellyhound]

Today a russian missile strike targeted an Ukrainian military training center in the Dnipropetrovsk region resulting in significant casualties.

According to Ukraine’s Ground Forces, the attack killed at least 12 soldiers and injured over 60 others.

The strike, was carried out with an Iskander-M ballistic missile armed with a cluster warhead arrived during an air raid alert when most personnel were in shelters, though some didn't reached safety in time. The recruits were housed in tents.

The attack prompted the resignation of Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, who cited personal responsibility for the tragedy.

A special commission was established to investigate, with Ukrainian authorities emphasizing accountability for any negligence.

[houseoftechno]

Field test of a drone interceptor in S Israel. Israeli Ministry of Defense is expediting the development of interception technologies against UAVs. They are focusing on short-range defenses against the growing range of low-cost and easily deployed aerial threats.

As part of this effort, the ministry conducted the first operational test in southern Israel, featuring participation from eight Israeli defense companies.

[kellyhound]

The Ukrainian military launched several suicide drones and attacked the bitumen production unit inside the Lukoil oil refinery complex in the city of Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.