Mikhail Khodorkovsky, 63, the self-exiled former oligarch who was once Russia’s richest man before he fell foul of Putin, said repeated Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries had caused damage that Moscow could no longer properly repair while keeping the facilities running.

NATO jets have been scrambled after Vladimir Putin unleashed a terrifying blitz on Ukraine, killing at least 12 and injuring another 34. A children’s hospital and several apartment blocks were set

"Of course, there are no critical consequences from such attacks, there never have been, and there never can be," Russian leader Vladimir Putin said.

Analysts worry that the Russian economy's overall shakiness might lead Russia to take aggressive action in a desperate attempt to end the war as soon as possible.

Vladimir Putin's leading TV propagandist called for a nuclear strike on Britain in a chilling threat after UK drones were used to strike deep inside Russia

When Vladimir Putin launched his onslaught against Ukraine in February 2022, he threatened any country daring to “stand in our way” with “consequences [that] will be such as you have never seen in