Quick Glance: Russian Deputy Defense Minister Detained on Bribery Suspicions
- A Russian deputy defense minister, Timur Ivanov, exposed in an investigation by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was placed in custody on Wednesday under suspicion of accepting significant bribes.
- Ivanov, 48, a longtime ally of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, was responsible for construction and procurement for the Armed Forces and was associated with the high-profile reconstruction of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol occupied by Moscow's forces.
- Several independent Russian media outlets alleged that Ivanov and his family amassed immense wealth through kick-backs on contracts he approved at the ministry.
- Critics argue that the substantial funds flowing into the Ukraine offensive have provided officials with new avenues to enrich themselves through covert procurement agreements.
Quick Glance: '20 Days in Mariupol' Wins Oscar for Best Documentary
- Mstyslav Chernov's '20 Days in Mariupol,' a harrowing first-person account of the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, won the best documentary Oscar on Sunday night.
- Chernov, photographer Evgeniy Maloletka, and producer Vasilisa Stepanenko arrived an hour before Russia began bombing the port city. Two weeks later, they were the last journalists working for an international outlet in the city, sending crucial dispatches to the outside world showing civilian casualties of all ages, the digging of mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, and the sheer extent of the devastation.
- Chernov called on Russia to cease aggression in Ukraine and urged the release of hostages and civilians in their jails.
- The work of Chernov, Maloletka, Stepanenko, and Lori Hinnant won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for public service and was prominently featured in a Pulitzer for breaking news photography that same year.
Quick Glance: Hamas and Israel Release Prisoners
- Hamas frees 17 hostages, including a 4-year-old American girl, from Gaza.
- Israel releases 39 Palestinian prisoners.
- The Red Cross successfully transfers 17 hostages from Gaza.
- Hamas wants to extend the truce if serious efforts are made to increase the number of Palestinian detainees released by Israel.
Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) reported on May 16 that Kostyantyn Bezsmertny, a commander at the 501st Marine Battalion ... Show more https://kyivindependent.com/marine-charged-with-treason-over-capture-of-pows-in-mariupol/
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«My two dogs died, and my grandmother Galia, and my beloved city of Mariupol also died». These words from a handwritten diary by then ... Show more Ukraine.ua Plusone social impact #SurvivorOfWar #RussiaWarCrimes
Quick Glance: Ed Sheeran Threatens to End Career if He Loses Copyright Trial
- During his copyright trial, Ed Sheeran expressed concern and stated that he would end his career if he loses the case.
- Sheeran emphasized that he finds it insulting to diminish his work as a singer-songwriter.
- The case relates to music copyrights, but Sheeran is still planning to release his new album and embark on a summer tour.
This is a wedding photo without a fiancé. A fiancé was killed last year, while he and his bride were defending Mariupol at Azovstal ... Show more
Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a surprise visit to the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol in Ukraine for the first time since the beginning of the war ... Show more
The experiences have marked body and soul. A boy from Mariupol who was used as a human shield even got gray hair.
Oleh Mudrak, call sign “Sukhar”, commander of the 1st Battalion of the Azov Regiment
Died yesterday after 9 years of war; his heart failed him
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