So it has been repeatedly claimed, and just as repeatedly denied.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Russian despot Vladimir Putin is a 'dead man walking' who rarely steps foot outside the Kremlin, British military experts have claimed.
The health of Putin, 72, has long been suspected to be deteriorating with his increasing age, and now experts have said that his brutal invasion of Ukraine has sapped much of his remaining energy.
Former commander of the UK's Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment, Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, told the Mirror: 'There are analysts, people who know better than I, who believe Putin is now a dead man walking, a spent force whose war in Ukraine will cause his end.'
Bruce Jones, one of the UK's leading analysts of Russia, added: 'Things never end democratically in Russia and the situation is bad for Putin. He has had people killed for years and some in his military have already been dealt with in such a way - he knows the way this goes for a leader in Moscow who is not making good decisions. So he is probably right to be paranoid.'
And Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of UK forces in Afghanistan, added: 'There are plenty of people who would want to have Putin bumped off. But his security is so tight that there is a real question over whether that is at all achievable and I believe that for the moment it is unlikely to happen.'
The speculation comes as the Kremlin yesterday revealed that it had left Putin's name off the Russian delegation attending talks with Ukraine in Turkey.
Moscow said that its envoy of four would not include the president who began the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It is not currently known why Putin, who did not say whether he would attend, has not confirmed his appearance at the talks.
US President Donald Trump will also not be attending the peace talks in Turkey, a US official said in response to the Kremlin's announcement.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The ZSU is holding back the Russian offensive in the south and east of Ukraine.
The enemy organized most of the assaults in the Pokrovsk direction. There, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have already repelled 20 attacks.
Since the beginning of the day and as of 16:00, 83 combat clashes have occurred on the front. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational report on Wednesday, May 14.
Thus, in the Kharkov direction, an enemy attack in the Vovchansk area was repelled. Another battle is currently ongoing.
In the Kupyansk direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are repelling an assault near Glushkovka.
In the Liman direction, the invading army carried out 16 attacks near Novaya Kruglyakovka, Lozovaya, Novoegorovka, Grekovka, Kolodyazev, Yampolivka and in the direction of Grigorovka. Two of them are still ongoing.
In the Seversky direction, two enemy attacks near Belogorovka were successfully repelled.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the occupiers tried to advance forward seven times in the area of Chasovy Yar, Grigorovka, Belaya Gora and Kurdyumovka. Two clashes are ongoing.
In the Toretsk direction, 15 assaults were stopped. The enemy tried to advance in the areas of Toretsk, Krymskoye and Dilievka.
In the Pokrovsky direction, the Russians organized 22 assaults near the settlements of Staraya Nikolaevka, Elizavetovka, Mirolyubovka, Promen, Lisovka, Zvirove, Kotlin, Udachnoye, Kotlyarovka and Andreyevka. The defense forces repelled 20 enemy attacks, two more clashes are ongoing.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the enemy attempted to break through the defenses in the areas of the settlements of Bogatyr, Novopol and Volnoye Pole eight times. Four combat clashes are ongoing.
In the Orekhov direction, our defenders repelled two enemy assaults in the Stepovoye area.
In the Dnieper direction, the invaders tried to attack once and were rebuffed.
Three armed clashes took place in the Kursk direction , two of which are ongoing.
Let us recall that in the course of 24 hours on May 13, Russia lost more than 1,200 fighters killed and wounded. The total number of Russian losses is rapidly approaching 1 million people since the beginning of the great war.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:27 The Russian army has expanded control northeast of Kotlyarovka, –MAP. 20:42 Operators of the 234th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the "North" group are detecting enemy targets in the Sumy region around the clock.
On frames: A suicide drone accurately hit a shelter with Ukrainian Armed Forces militants in the Tetkinsky border area.
20:39 The Russian Armed Forces are advancing in the Krasnolimanovsky direction, –MAP.
19:50 The pocket between Sukha Balka and Kalinovo has been eliminated –MAP.
19:37 Russian army improved its positions in the Novoolenovka area –MAP.
18:36 Advance of the Vostok Group of Forces in the plantings east of Shevchenko –MAP.
18:29 Konstantinovskoye direction. Advance of the Russian Armed Forces to Zarya –MAP.
18:09 Drone operators of the "Southern" group of troops struck an enemy stronghold, destroying the target.
17:34 Footage released destruction of Ukrainian Armed Forces' airborne assault using the Molniya UAV in the area of the settlement of Gulyaipole in the Zaporizhia direction.
16:31 Crews of T-72B3M tanks of the 123rd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the "Southern" group of forces are improving skills in operating a combat vehicle and honing shooting from closed firing positions.
15:41 The Russian Armed Forces managed to clear the forest near the border, in the Miropolsky area, – MAP.
15:08 The Russian army continues to storm Bogatyr, – MAP.
14:53 In the period from 13.30 to 13.40 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territory of the Belgorod region.
13:58 In the period from 9.30 to 12.40 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroye dtwo Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territories of the Belgorod region and the Republic of Crimea.
13:26 Crews of the 152mm 2S5 Giatsint-S self-propelled guns of the Vostok group of forces caught rotation of Ukrainian Armed Forces units in the area of the settlement of Volnoye Pole in the South Donetsk direction.
12:24 Summary of Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation as of May 14, 2025
Units of the North group of forces inflicted losses on concentrations of manpower and equipment of the mechanized, tank, airborne assault brigades, two assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Belopolye, Vorozhba, Iskriskovshchina, Sadki, Pavlovka, Proletarskoye and Bessalovka in the Sumy region.
Units of the "West" group of forces improved their tactical position. They defeated formations of four mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, a national guard brigade and the "Stugna" special forces unit in the areas of the settlements of Glushchenkovo, Druzhelyubovka, Kupyansk-Uzlovaya, Sobolevka, Senkovo in the Khar'kov region, Kirovsk and Karpovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The units of the "Southern" group of troops occupied more advantageous lines and positions. They defeated the manpower and equipment of six mechanized and assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Seversk, Vasyutinskoye, Verolyubovka, Aleksandro-Shultino, Druzhkovka, Ivanopolye, Zarya, Dyleevka and Konstantinovka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The village of Mikhailovka in the Donetsk People's Republic has been liberated by decisive actions of units of the Center group of forces.🔥
Defeat was inflicted on formations of three mechanized, assault, and ranger brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a naval infantry brigade in the areas of the settlements of Krasnoarmeysk, Novoaleksandrovka, Ulyanovka, Novaya Poltavka, Mirolyubovka, Dimitrov, Petrovskoye and Novosergeevka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Units of the "East" group of forces continued to advance deep into the enemy's defense. They defeated the manpower and equipment of two mechanized, airborne assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Temirovka, Novogrigorovka in the Zaporizhia region, Bogatyr and Volnoye Pole in the Donetsk People's Republic.
💥Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of two mechanized, mountain assault brigades, a coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Orekhov, Kamenskoe, Novodanilovka in the Zaporizhia region, Dneprovskoe and Tokarevka in the Kherson region.
The enemy lost up to 1,395 servicemen, seven combat armored vehicles, 26 vehicles and 11 field artillery pieces. Three electronic warfare stations, four ammunition depots and a supply depot were destroyed, as well as 11 pickup trucks, a Croatian-made RAK-SA-12 multiple launch rocket system launcher and a British-made 155mm Braveheart self-propelled artillery unit.
Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the groups of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted damage on infrastructure facilities of military airfields, storage sites for unmanned boats, ammunition depots, temporary deployment points of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and foreign mercenaries in the 141st district.
Air defense systems shot down five JDAM guided aerial bombs and a US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, as well as 162 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
12:13 Decisive actions by units of the Center group of forces released the settlement of Mikhailovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
11:58 FPV drone operators of the 42nd Guards Motorized Rifle Division of the Dnepr group of forces destroyed enemy ammunition depot in the Zaporizhia region.
10:59 Assault units of the combined arms army of the "East" group of forces continued dislodging the Ukrainian Armed Forces formations from their strongholds in the South Donetsk direction.
09:50 Drone drivers of the Rubicon Center destroyed Leopard tank of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the village of Stepanovka in the Donetsk direction.
09:36 Konstantinovskoye direction. Assault groups took a stronghold north of Novoyelenovka and advanced into Novaya Poltavka –MAP
08:40 Servicemen of the mobile anti-UAV group of the assault detachment of the 44th Army Corps of the North Forces Group continue to destroy attack drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Khar'kov direction.
07:35 Changes to map over the past 24 hours:
Advance in the area of Belvody and Vodolaga
Russian Armed Forces reached the eastern outskirts of the Vodolaghi settlement
Advance east of the village of Dyleevka
Advance in Chasovy Yar in the area of multi-storey buildings➡️
Control zone south of Bogatyr has been expanded
Advance north of Novoselka➡️
Malinovka has been liberated➡️
Mirolyubovka has been liberated👉
The enemy counterattacked north of Dzerzhinsk (Toretsk) and was able to take positions on its outskirts
07:18 During the past night, air defense systems on duty destroyed 12 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type:
Nine over the Black Sea and
Three over the territory of the Belgorod region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] On May 14, the Kalashnikov Concern presented the latest RPL-20 machine gun at the shooting range of the Patriot Park near Moscow. The company plans to begin delivering it to the Russian army in 2025. This was reported by a correspondent for IA Regnum.
"This is the development of our line to fulfill the customer's task. We must give our customers the best solution for their combat missions," said the company's director, Alan Lushnikov.
The machine gun is designed for a 5.45 mm caliber. The cartridges are fed from a belt, which is located in a box attached to the bottom. The cover of the machine gun opens downwards, which allows you to install a Picatinny rail on it, designed to mount a sight and other accessories.
"The machine gun allows for a high firing density due to the use of a belt with a capacity of 100 (200) rounds, while the design provides for barrel replacement and firing from the rear position of the mobile system, which increases the duration of firing in automatic mode," the description of the weapon's characteristics says.
RPL-20 is the first belt-fed machine gun created by the Kalashnikov Design and Technology Center. It was modified based on comments received during operation in the military special operation zone.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, in April the Izhevsk company Tekhkrim launched serial production of cartridges with two bullets of caliber 7.62×54R "Tandem". This innovation allows to increase the accuracy of shooting.
In February, Kalashnikov presented the self-propelled artillery gun "Lotus" at an exhibition in Abu Dhabi. The combat vehicle is capable of firing conventional and precision ammunition, including from unprepared positions. It can also be parachuted from military transport aircraft with a combat crew inside.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] German police have foiled an apparent Russian sabotage attack on Europe's transport networks, with four people charged with involvement in a plot to send out parcel bombs.
Three Ukrainian citizens, named as Vladyslav T, 24, his partner Lolita K, and Daniil B, 21, were arrested in Germany in connection with the operation and had their communication devices and computer storage devices seized for investigation.
A fourth individual named Yevhen B., who is believed to be the 'handler' who issued the orders to the Germany-based cohort, was detained in the Swiss canton of Thurgau and is due to appear before a judge after being transferred to Germany.
German and Swiss authorities suspect all four of being spies operating on behalf of Russia, with their alleged plan to send incendiary devices and explosives in parcel shipments reminiscent of recent sabotage attacks in Europe which the West has blamed on Moscow.
The suspects are said to have already sent two test packages containing GPS trackers to determine where the explosions could cause the most damage.
Their planned operation reportedly bore all the hallmarks of another attack last July, when packages sitting in depots managed by courier company DHL in Birmingham and the German city of Leipzig suddenly erupted into flames.
It is also believed that the alleged saboteurs planned to use the chemical thermite in incendiary devices, which can cause huge fires as it reaches temperatures of up to 2,400 degrees Celsius.
It is unclear whether the Ukrainian citizens, who were arrested in Cologne and Konstanz, were even aware of who they were working for.
Germany's BILD reported that investigators said the detainees were 'low-level agents' at the very bottom of the chain of command, according to investigative sources.
But their dastardly plan appears to fit perfectly with the established modus operandi of Russian security services in today's age of hybrid warfare in which 'handlers' recruit foreign spies - often petty criminals, drifters or financially desperate citizens - to carry out operations in a plausibly deniable manner.
According to investigators from North Rhine-Westphalia police and German security services, the alleged Russian spies had planned to send their incendiary devices via a private postal service called Nova Poshta.
This delivery service, also known as Nova Post, is headquartered in Ukraine but with operations throughout Eastern and Central Europe and allows customers to send packages of up to 30 kilograms in weight - more than enough for small incendiary devices.
Nova Post told MailOnline in a statement: 'We condemn any attempts to misuse our services for illegal purposes. Our company operates exclusively within the bounds of international and national law, and we have implemented safety controls to prevent any such misuse.
'All international shipments are carefully inspected by Nova Post, and those sent from Ukraine are additionally checked by Ukrainian and Polish customs authorities. We have established thorough procedures to detect and block any suspicious parcels at the processing stage.'
Investigators acted after receiving a tip-off to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution about Vladislav T, and began surveilling his movements in Cologne close to the apartment he shared with Lolita K.
In the course of their investigations, they also uncovered the alleged involvement of Daniil B, who was living at a refugee centre in Konstanz, and Yevhen B. in Switzerland.
Their planned operation reportedly bore all the hallmarks of another attack last July, when packages sitting in depots managed by courier company DHL in Birmingham and the German city of Leipzig suddenly erupted into flames.
At first glance the boxes, originating from Lithuania, contained a host of items that included sex toys, massage pillows and cosmetics.
Investigators soon uncovered a more troubling layer to the saga when another package, shipped from the same Lithuanian origin point, failed to detonate and was intercepted at a Polish depot.
Inside, forensic specialists discovered a crude yet effective ignition mechanism concealed within the casing of yet another erotic gadget, along with traces of an incendiary gel designed to ignite on contact with air.
Polish security services arrested four people in connection with the blazes and charged them with participating in sabotage or terrorist operations on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency.
Before long it emerged that they were suspected of involvement in a Russian-backed plot to distribute the explosive packages throughout Europe. It is suspected the incidents were test runs for a plot to target US-bound flights.
One of the alleged couriers was revealed in a recent investigation by the Guardian as Alexander Bezrukavyi, a Russian national with a criminal record and murky ties to Eastern European smuggling networks.
Bezrukavyi had vanished soon after the parcels were mailed but was eventually captured in Bosnia, where he was on the run and attempting to reach Russia using forged documents.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
