Russian soldiers call the practice a sacrifice to Baba Yaga, a fearsome witch from Slavic folklore who feasts on her victims.

Russian air strikes on southeastern Ukraine killed at least 19 people overnight, officials said on Tuesday, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would shorten a deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to make peace.

President Trump has shortened his deadline for Putin to end the war in Ukraine, now demanding action within 10-12 days and threatening severe tariffs. Medvedev responded sharply, calling Trump's ultimatum a dangerous escalation towards war,

A Chinese submarine rescue vessel was spotted in the waters near Japan while transiting to Russia last week, coinciding with Russian President Vladimir Putin's naval drills in the Pacific, Baltic, and Caspian Seas.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper told a conference in Saskatchewan on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “an evil man” who will leave Russia poor and in chaos.

Russia was forced to downsize its celebration parades honouring the navy on Sunday amid security threats from continuing Ukrainian drone attacks, Kremlin officials said.Annual parades of Russian warships to mark the Navy Day were cancelled in St Petersburg,

Russia pummeled Ukraine overnight, killing 10 and injuring as many as 61 civilians, in part of a ramped up aerial campaign to advance strongman Vladimir Putin’s war into the Eastern European country.

Vladimir Putin could be getting concerned about a tiny NATO nation on Russia's border which is making open preparations for war. In a David versus Goliath-like scenario, the small Baltic country of Lithuania has begun ramping up military spending and exercises in response to the growing threat from Moscow.