Hungary expelled 10 Russian diplomats on Tuesday, saying they had acted in ways incompatible with their diplomatic status. Russia responded by closing the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg and vowed a 'painful' response to Hungary's actions.
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Kyiv for meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, marking the Trump administration's renewed push to end Russia's war in Ukraine following their earlier visit to Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a three-day halt to strikes on Kyiv ahead of visits by US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv, marking Washington's latest attempt to broker peace in the war now in its fifth year.
Russia threatened to strike British military targets inside and outside Ukraine in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory using long-range British cruise missiles. The warning represents Moscow's strongest direct threat to Britain to date.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a surprise visit to Moscow this week to warn Russian officials against escalating tensions with NATO members, particularly the Baltic states, though he did not meet with President Putin.
A homemade bomb exploded at a restaurant in central Moscow during a private event, killing three people including the woman suspected of carrying the device, and injuring 21 others. Russian authorities are investigating it as a terrorist attack.
Russia has extended its cryptocurrency mining restrictions to Moscow, the Moscow Region, and parts of Kursk Region, citing power supply concerns. The expansion reduces mining capacity in one of the world's major Bitcoin mining centers.
A car bomb in the Moscow region killed Damir Davydov, head of Russia's missile and artillery wing, in what reports describe as an assassination. Russian authorities announced arrests of suspects in a separate car bombing incident, detaining teenagers allegedly recruited to plant explosives.
Armenians voted in parliamentary elections on June 7, 2026, with exit polls showing the pro-EU ruling party in the lead as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government seeks to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West despite mounting Russian pressure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for face-to-face peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a rare public letter on Thursday, proposing a full ceasefire and negotiations in a neutral country. The Kremlin responded by saying Zelenskyy could meet Putin in Moscow "any time."
Senior Russian government officials have warned President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine war spending is unsustainable, marking the most serious internal division since the 2022 invasion, as Moscow hosts its fifth wartime economic conference while struggling to develop a growth strategy amid ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks.
Russia has recalled its envoy to Armenia and a Moscow-led economic grouping is threatening to suspend the country as tensions escalate over Armenia's bid to join the European Union ahead of a key vote.
Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow to date, with Russia reporting over 550 drones intercepted. At least five people were killed, including three in the Moscow region and others in Belgorod, marking an escalation in Ukraine's ability to strike deep inside Russian territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over a significantly reduced Victory Day military parade in Moscow's Red Square on May 9, 2026, coinciding with a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. The downsized event reflects security concerns and marks a notable departure from previous years' celebrations.
Iran's Mahan Air operated the first Tehran-Moscow flight, resuming the route after a 60-day suspension caused by the US-Israeli war; the same day Iran's Foreign Minister returned from meeting Putin in Russia to discuss the conflict. Airport authorities announced further route restorations to Bangkok, Istanbul, Beijing and other destinations in the coming days.
China and Russia rallied behind Cuba's government amid mounting US pressure, as Moscow's deputy foreign minister concluded a Havana visit and Beijing signaled support, while Cuban President Díaz-Canel vowed to resist US demands for his resignation.
Russia launched 286 long-range drones and missiles across Ukraine in what President Zelensky called an 'Easter escalation,' killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens. A Russian drone also struck a market in Nikopol, killing five.
Russia's FSB intelligence agency ordered the expulsion of a British diplomat, accusing the second secretary at the British Embassy in Moscow of espionage. The UK Foreign Office rejected the allegations as part of an 'aggressive and co-ordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats.'
