The Evolution of Putin: Bullied Child, KGB Man, Autocrat
More info
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
16 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
British children recruited by Russia and Iran to spy against their own country and research potential targets
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITISH children are being recruited by Russia and Iran to spy against their own country, it was revealed today. The kid spooks are said to be carrying out research and conducting reconnaissance on potential targets after being recruited online by the two hostile states. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 British children recruited by to spy against their own country and research potential targets Credit: Getty 2 The schoolchildren are spying on the behalf of hostile states such as Russia Credit: Reuters Several schoolchildren, in their mid-teens, have been arrested for allegedly gathering intelligence to be used against the UK, it emerged. And more children of the same age are being investigated for clandestine activities on behalf of the hostile states. They are being recruited through online forums and then lured into working for anonymous Russian and Iranian spymasters offering financial inducements. The UK's Counter Terrorism Policing Senior Coordinator Vicki Evans said: 'Children and young people are vulnerable to this type of hostile activity,' adding; "It is a huge concern for us.' Met deputy assistant commissioner Ms Evans urged parents and carers to be 'vigilant and careful.' Ms Evans revealed how the threat from hostile states to the UK is now five times greater than at the time of Russia's 2018 Novichok nerve agent attack in Salisbury. The threat from Russia, China and Iran accounts for more than a fifth of the counter terror policing network's caseload in the UK, she said. Criminals are increasingly being used by hostile states to spy against Britain by proxy after being recruited online and promised cash which rarely materialises. Ms Evans said the use of low level criminals was 'an increasing theme' on how hostile states are working, adding the proxies and assets were 'quite disposable' once they had served their use. The C-T policing boss said international frictions and the two wars in Ukraine and the Middle East were fuelling aggressive intelligence operations in the UK and elsewhere. Is THIS the US missile that will force Putin to make peace? JASSM cruise missile could obliterate 30 key Russian bases They include arson attacks, assassinations plots and threats to journalists. Five men are facing long sentences over an arson attack on an East London warehouse storing satellite equipment for Ukraine which was ordered by the Russian Wagner group. And six Bulgarians were jailed for a total of more than 50 years at the Old Bailey in May this year for spying for Putin. Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's SO15 counter-terrorism command, said he was surprised 'by the breadth and complexity of these operations…' Cdr Murphy added: 'We are increasingly seeing threats to life and our way of life.' He urged any criminals approached by spymasters online to get in touch with police.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Trump says Zelensky should NOT target Moscow after ‘asking Ukraine leader if he can make Putin feel the pain of war'
DONALD Trump has urged Volodymyr Zelensky not to target Moscow with US-manufactured missiles - just days after he reportedly Kyiv if Russia's capital was in reach. A bombshell report claimed that Trump asked the Ukrainian leader if he can "make them [Russia] feel the pain" when the pair held a phone call at the start of the month. Advertisement 8 Donald Trump has urged Volodymyr Zelensky not to target Moscow with US long-range missiles Credit: Alamy 8 A bombshell report a few days ago claimed that Trump asked the Ukrainian leader if he can 'make them [Russia] feel the pain' Credit: Getty 8 Trump responded to the report by saying: 'I want to stop the killing of thousands of people a week' - pictured: Russia's attack on Lviv last week Credit: Reuters The US President asked: "Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? Can you hit St Petersburg too?", according to the Financial Times, citing two sources. Zelensky responded: "Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons." It comes as Trump pledged to send "top of the line weapons" used by the US over to Nato so they can deploy them in Kyiv. These are believed to include cruise missiles which could be able to reach Moscow and all the major Russian cities depending on what is sent. Advertisement But Trump has now pushed back on the reports of him enquiring about Ukraine's next targets. He told reporters that he has actually warned Zelensky to not even think about attacking Moscow if he ever wants the conflict to end. Trump did not directly mention the FT report but the White House did earlier today. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued Trump's words were taken out of context as the President "was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing". Advertisement She continued, in a statement to the BBC: "He's working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war." Trump was also asked if he has now turned against Putin entirely and sided with Ukraine. Putin defies Trump's ultimatum and BOMBARDS Ukraine – as Kremlin mouthpiece warns Russia will 'turn Kyiv into Hiroshima' In recent days, the President has blasted Putin for his recent daily bombardments and urged Vlad to negotiate with Ukraine or face serious repercussions. As he left the White House today however, he simply said: "I'm on nobody's side. Advertisement "I want to stop the killing of thousands of people a week." The clearest sign yet that Trump is done playing diplomatic games with Putin came on Monday, He issued a blistering crackdown on Moscow as he made a pledge to hit Russia with 100 percent tariffs if Putin doesn't agree to a peace deal within 50 days. Trump made the comments as he also agreed to supply weapons to help Kyiv in the war in the hopes of driving Putin to the negotiating table. Advertisement He vowed to send weapons compromising of "everything" in his arsenal in order to get Putin back into line after weeks of the tyrant incessantly bombing Ukraine. One of the proposed weapons which could be included in the package deal is America's joint air-to-surface standoff cruise missiles (JASSM). 8 Trump with his press secretary Karoline Leavitt who argued Trump's words were taken out of context Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 8 Firefighters working on a fire at a site of a strike following a mass Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv Credit: AFP Advertisement 8 It comes as Trump pledged to send "top of the line weapons" used by the US over to Nato so they can deploy them in Kyiv Credit: Reuters Surface-to-air Patriot missile systems and batteries are also said to be among the equipment being manufactured. A furious Trump added he is 'very unhappy' with Russia. The President has spent the first seven months of his White House return urging both sides to come to the negotiating table. Advertisement But a snarling Putin has always declined and instead ramped up his ground and aerial offensives across Ukraine. And the Kremlin's reaction to Trump's latest posture was again icy. They mocked the deadline with sources saying they may now demand even more Ukrainian territory instead of laying down arms. Russia will instead keep terrorising Ukrainian civilians during the seven-week period instead of surrendering in any form, they added. Advertisement Within hours of Trump's tariff threat, Russia launched a fresh blitz across Ukraine, striking sites in Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia. Drones targeted a university in Sumy, wounding a 14-year-old girl and a 19-year-old student, while a missile hit a medical facility in Shostka. In response, Ukraine launched its own drone blitz across southwest Russia, injuring civilians and damaging homes and industrial sites in Voronezh and Lipetsk. What have experts said of Trump's sending long-range weapons to Ukraine? by Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter DONALD Trump sending long-range weapons to Ukraine could be a game-changer for the war by helping halt Vladimir Putin's nightly blitzes, experts said. Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a decorated British Army commander, said the shipment of these long-range missiles would have profound "psychological and physical effects" on Ukraine. Mr de Bretton-Gordon told The Sun: "These weapons can strike Moscow - over 400 miles from the border. That allows the Ukrainians to strike drone factory production and ammunition sites, and others. "So this will have both psychological as well as physical effects. "People in Moscow will realise that they potentially could be targeted. "And when you also add to it the American bombings on Iranian sites that were supposed to be impregnable, it shows that American missile and drone technology rather superior to the Russian air defence system." The former army chief said these weapons will put real pressure on Russia, adding: "The metric has now changed and Trump's decision could make a huge difference." Ex-military intelligence officer Colonel Philip Ingram told The Sun how these long-range weapons could help strike Russian missile and drone launchpads - the ones that are used to launch nightly attacks on Ukraine. He said: "The Ukrainians are already attacking to hit Russian military logistics, defence industry bases. "And with these sophisticated weapons, they will have increased capability of doing so. "It will impact the ability of the Russians to prosecute these increasingly large drone and rocket attacks on a nightly basis. "And then that's the best way for the Ukrainians to stop it." 8 Russian attacks have continued to prove deadly in recent weeks with Donald Trump finally saying he has had enough - pictured Shostka Credit: Getty Advertisement
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Trump says Zelensky should NOT target Moscow after ‘asking Ukraine leader if he can make Putin feel the pain of war'
DONALD Trump has urged Volodymyr Zelensky not to target Moscow with US-manufactured missiles - just days after he reportedly Kyiv if Russia's capital was in reach. A bombshell report claimed that Trump asked the Ukrainian leader if he can "make them [Russia] feel the pain" when the pair held a phone call at the start of the month. 8 8 8 The US President asked: "Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? Can you hit St Petersburg too?", according to the Financial Times, citing two sources. Zelensky responded: "Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons." It comes as Trump pledged to send "top of the line weapons" used by the US over to Nato so they can deploy them in Kyiv. These are believed to include cruise missiles which could be able to reach Moscow and all the major Russian cities depending on what is sent. But Trump has now pushed back on the reports of him enquiring about Ukraine's next targets. He told reporters that he has actually warned Zelensky to not even think about attacking Moscow if he ever wants the conflict to end. Trump did not directly mention the FT report but the White House did earlier today. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued Trump's words were taken out of context as the President "was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing". She continued, in a statement to the BBC: "He's working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war." Trump was also asked if he has now turned against Putin entirely and sided with Ukraine. Putin defies Trump's ultimatum and BOMBARDS Ukraine – as Kremlin mouthpiece warns Russia will 'turn Kyiv into Hiroshima' In recent days, the President has blasted Putin for his recent daily bombardments and urged Vlad to negotiate with Ukraine or face serious repercussions. As he left the White House today however, he simply said: "I'm on nobody's side. "I want to stop the killing of thousands of people a week." The clearest sign yet that Trump is done playing diplomatic games with Putin came on Monday, He issued a blistering crackdown on Moscow as he made a pledge to hit Russia with 100 percent tariffs if Putin doesn't agree to a peace deal within 50 days. Trump made the comments as he also agreed to supply weapons to help Kyiv in the war in the hopes of driving Putin to the negotiating table. He vowed to send weapons compromising of "everything" in his arsenal in order to get Putin back into line after weeks of the tyrant incessantly bombing Ukraine. One of the proposed weapons which could be included in the package deal is America's joint air-to-surface standoff cruise missiles (JASSM). 8 8 Surface-to-air Patriot missile systems and batteries are also said to be among the equipment being manufactured. A furious Trump added he is 'very unhappy' with Russia. The President has spent the first seven months of his White House return urging both sides to come to the negotiating table. But a snarling Putin has always declined and instead ramped up his ground and aerial offensives across Ukraine. And the Kremlin's reaction to Trump's latest posture was again icy. They mocked the deadline with sources saying they may now demand even more Ukrainian territory instead of laying down arms. Russia will instead keep terrorising Ukrainian civilians during the seven-week period instead of surrendering in any form, they added. Within hours of Trump's tariff threat, Russia launched a fresh blitz across Ukraine, striking sites in Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia. Drones targeted a university in Sumy, wounding a 14-year-old girl and a 19-year-old student, while a missile hit a medical facility in Shostka. In response, Ukraine launched its own drone blitz across southwest Russia, injuring civilians and damaging homes and industrial sites in Voronezh and Lipetsk. What have experts said of Trump's sending long-range weapons to Ukraine? by Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter DONALD Trump sending long-range weapons to Ukraine could be a game-changer for the war by helping halt Vladimir Putin's nightly blitzes, experts said. Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a decorated British Army commander, said the shipment of these long-range missiles would have profound "psychological and physical effects" on Ukraine. Mr de Bretton-Gordon told The Sun: "These weapons can strike Moscow - over 400 miles from the border. That allows the Ukrainians to strike drone factory production and ammunition sites, and others. "So this will have both psychological as well as physical effects. "People in Moscow will realise that they potentially could be targeted. "And when you also add to it the American bombings on Iranian sites that were supposed to be impregnable, it shows that American missile and drone technology rather superior to the Russian air defence system." The former army chief said these weapons will put real pressure on Russia, adding: "The metric has now changed and Trump's decision could make a huge difference." Ex-military intelligence officer Colonel Philip Ingram told The Sun how these long-range weapons could help strike Russian missile and drone launchpads - the ones that are used to launch nightly attacks on Ukraine. He said: "The Ukrainians are already attacking to hit Russian military logistics, defence industry bases. "And with these sophisticated weapons, they will have increased capability of doing so. "It will impact the ability of the Russians to prosecute these increasingly large drone and rocket attacks on a nightly basis. "And then that's the best way for the Ukrainians to stop it." 8
