VLADIMIR Putin is not dying of a serious illness - but instead uses Botox "quite heavily", an analyst has claimed.
Professor Michael Clarke, a King's College London war studies fellow, has claimed there is "no convincing evidence" that the Russian tyrant is seriously ill.
Instead, he claims that Putin is "only a hypochondriac", meaning his doctors are "never far away".
Speaking to Sky News, the analyst also said that Putin has been "known to hit the Botox quite heavily".
This is not the first time rumours of Putin's Botox usage have emerged, as ten years ago Guardian published a report suggesting the leader was a regular user of the cosmetic procedure.
His spokesperson denied Botox usage, saying: "It’s probably just how the light fell. The prime minister is tired."
Prof Clarke's comments come after rumours Putin was given "urgent medical assistance" for an unknown illness last week.
Read our Ukraine war live blog below for the latest news & updates...
The Kremlin have said that the sanctions imposed were 'unlawful'.
Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed today to ramp up economic cooperation after "unlawful" Western sanctions, the Kremlin said.
"It was agreed to expand cooperation in the energy, financial, industrial, transport and other areas, taking into account the situation in the global economy that has become more complicated due to the unlawful sanctions policy of the West," the Kremlin said following phone talks between the leaders.
The bombs were banned because of the devastating affects they have when deployed.
Use of the bombs were banned in 2010, but Amnesty has found evidence that the bombs have been used to attack civilians in Kharkiv.
The scattering mines combine "the worst possible attributes of cluster munitions and antipersonnel land mines," Amnesty said.
Reportedly hundreds of civilians were killed as a result of the bombs.
Allies are told not to lose focus on the conflict in Ukraine, after the west has been called to supply more weapons to help fight against the Russians.
Ukraine's military have asked for: 1,000 howitzers, 500 tanks and 1,000 drones among other heavy weapons, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Monday.
Western countries have promised NATO-standard weapons, including advanced U.S. rockets.
During today's meeting in Brussel's US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said: "We cant afford to let up and we cant lose steam. The stakes are too high," Austin said at the start of the meeting in Brussels."
Minister Oleksii Reznikov met the US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin urged allies Wednesday not to "lose steam" on sending weapons to Ukraine.
Kyiv has been pleading desperately for heavier arms to hold back Russia's invasion.
"We must intensify our shared commitment to Ukraine's self defence, and we must push ourselves even harder to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself, its citizens and its territory," Austin said at a meeting in Brussels with some 50 countries backing Ukraine.
Speaking to the Czech parliament via a video link, he told of how Russia is eyeing up Warsaw and Sofia.
The brave President has called for more EU sanctions on Russia, and gave stark warning that Vladimir Putin, won't stop at Ukraine.
"Russia is not interested only in our (cities of) Mariupol, Sievierodonetsk, Kharkiv and Kyiv.
"No, its ambitions are directed on a vast area from Warsaw to Sofia," he said, but did not reveal where he obtained the information.
"As in the past, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is the first step that the Russian leadership needs to open the way to other countries, to the conquest of other peoples."
The Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the decision to cut supplies of gas to Germany was not 'justifiable'.
Speaking at a press conference this morning Habeck said that Russia cut the line for repair works.
However he does not believe this to be viable, and said that he thinks the move was political after Germany is now forced to source 40 per cent of gas elsewhere.
The "repair works" which were deemed essential will not take place till autumn.
The city is still under siege, and Ukrainians were told to surrender or die.
With all the exit bridges now impassable and the city being 70 per cent under Russia control, escape will not be easy.
He told The Associated Press that Ukrainian forces are fighting the Russians "block by block, street by street, house by house, with a varying degree of success."
NATO have reportedly been meeting in the headquarters as pressure mounts.
Reportedly the UN is looking into whether children are being snatched from their families and rehomed in Russia.
Michelle Bachelet said her office "has been looking into allegations of children forcibly deported from Ukraine to the Russian Federation," while speaking at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Rumours of whether children were being rehomed in Russia are yet to be confirmed.
VLADIMIR Putin is not dying of a serious illness - but instead uses Botox "quite heavily", an analyst has claimed.
Professor Michael Clarke, a King's College London war studies fellow, has claimed there is "no convincing evidence" that the Russian tyrant is seriously ill.
Instead, he claims that Putin is "only a hypochondriac", meaning his doctors are "never far away".
Speaking to Sky News, the analyst also said that Putin has been "known to hit the Botox quite heavily".
This is not the first time rumours of Putin's Botox usage have emerged, as ten years ago Guardian published a report suggesting the leader was a regular user of the cosmetic procedure.
His spokesperson denied Botox usage, saying: "It’s probably just how the light fell. The prime minister is tired."
IKEA said today it would sell factories, close offices and reduce its nearly 15,000-strong workforce in Russia.
It is the latest move by the world's biggest furniture brand to cut its operations there following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
"Unfortunately, the circumstances have not improved, and the devastating war continues.
"Businesses and supply chains across the world have been heavily impacted and we do not see that it is possible to resume operations any time soon," Ingka Group, which owns all IKEA stores in Russia, said in a statement.
It also said it did not see any possibility to resume sales in the country for the foreseeable future.
The Russian military has today said that it used long-range missiles to destroy a depot in the western Lviv region of Ukraine, where ammunition for NATO-supplied weapons was being stored.
Those strikes came as fighting raged for the city of Sievierodonetsk in the eastern Donbas area - the key focus of Russia's offensive in recent weeks.
The Kremlin said today that communication remains "essential" in relations with the United States, amid tensions over Russia's continuing war in Ukraine.
"Communication is essential, in the future we will still have to communicate," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a conference call today, when asked about the state of U.S.-Russia relations.
"The U.S. is not going anywhere, Europe is not going anywhere, so somehow we will have to communicate with them."
The secretary-general of the military alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, has said that NATO will continue to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons and long-range systems.
Mr Stoltenberg added that he expects the alliance to agree to a new package of assistance at a summit of members today.
He said: "We are extremely focused on stepping up support."
Russia's defence ministry said today that its troops destroyed a depot of NATO-supplied arms in western Ukraine, after President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western allies to speed up arms deliveries to his country.
"Near the town of Zolochiv in Lviv region, high-precision long-range Kalibr missiles destroyed an ammunition depot of foreign weapons transferred to Ukraine by NATO countries, including 155-mm M777 howitzers," the ministry said in a statement.
French President Emmanuel Macron today said that Ukraine would have to hold talks with Russia at some point - in order to try and bring an end to the war between the two countries.
"The Ukrainian President and his officials will have to negotiate with Russia," said Macron, while on a visit to Romania and Moldova.
Macron arrived in Romania on Tuesday for a three-day trip to NATO's southern flank including Moldova.
He may then head to Kyiv on Thursday on a visit with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, two diplomatic sources said.
In Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv, broken Russian equipment has been put on display.
It sits in the Mikhailovskaya Square, and includes the names of the dead.
It also includes the names of the cities where the fighting is still going on, or was.
This is what #Kyiv looks like now. Broken #Russian equipment is on display on Mikhailovskaya Square. On the Maidan - #Ukrainian flags with the names of the dead and the names of the cities where the fighting is or was going on. pic.twitter.com/6LLLU6t9WD
President Emmanuel Macron has expressed a tougher line on Russia today after visiting French and allied troops at a NATO base in Romania.
Macron arrived in Romania on Tuesday for a three-day trip to NATO’s southern flank including Moldova.
He then may possibly head to Kyiv on Thursday on a visit with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, two diplomatic sources said.
“We will do everything to stop Russia‘s war forces, to help the Ukrainians and their army and continue to negotiate,” Macron told French and NATO troops at a military base in Romania.
“But for the foreseeable future, we will need to protect, dissuade and be present,” he said.
Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is experiencing "painful losses" in the eastern Donbas region. The area is facing the brunt of Russian bombardment.
In his late-night address, the president said it is vital to continue to defend the Donbas, which will be "key to determining who will dominate in the coming weeks".
Mr Zelensky added: "The more losses the enemy suffers there, the less power they will have to continue the aggression.
"The losses, unfortunately, are painful - but we have to hold on, this is our state."
A former special adviser to the US Army in Europe spoke to Sky News and told them that the eastern city of Severodonetsk could become the next Mariupol.
Mark Voyger said: "The fierce fighting in Severodonetsk clearly demonstrates that the Russian military leadership has decided it is determined to capture the city at all costs.
"Reportedly, there was a 10 June deadline that was set by [Vladimir] Putin, and now this date has passed and gone, obviously the commander of the Russian forces… has been unable to do it.
"Therefore, the Russians now are doubling down on trying to capture the city. Unfortunately, most of the city has been destroyed already.
"In a way, Severodonetsk is about to repeat the fate of Mariupol – only on a smaller scale."
A RUSSIAN man was being held last night for allegedly spying in Britain for President Vladimir Putin.
The suspected spook, in his 40s, was arrested at Gatwick airport on Monday under the Official Secrets Act as he tried to leave the UK.
He was taken to Hammersmith police station, West London.
The clause of the act under which he is being held relates to spying and sabotage that is "useful to an enemy state."
A source told The Sun: "The suspect is believed to have been in the UK spying on behalf of the Putin regime.
“He was kept under observation and arrested as he arrived at Gatwick to try and fly out of the country.’’
He condemned Russia’s ‘cruelty’ in Ukraine, and the constant barrage of the invasion.
The Pope said that Russia has violated Ukraine, and he wondered whether the invasion had been provoked by NATO.
He recited a conversation had in the lead up to the war, and he was warned NATO was “barking at the gates of Russia”.
The European Union's top aviation safety regulator said today that he is "very worried" about the safety of Western-made aircraft continuing to fly in Russia without access to spare parts and proper maintenance.
The European Union and the United States have moved to restrict Russia's access to spare parts following its invasion of Ukraine. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation."
"This is very unsafe," Patrick Ky, executive director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), told reporters on the sidelines of a conference, adding regulators do not have good data on many of the planes flying in Russia or if any have experienced safety issues in recent months.
Ky said regulators should consider requests for exemptions from Russia "on a case by case basis, what would be the justification, why do you absolutely need to operate this type of aircraft."
Ky added he was in favor of reviewing specific cases if it were needed "for humanitarian reasons ... but then it should not become the norm."
Ky said as time goes on the risks grow. "In six months - who knows? In one year - who knows?" He said there were reports Russia will be forced cannibalize airplanes to keep others operating.
A potential mine threat on the beaches of south Odesa has meant police have had to tell people to clear the scene.
This comes after one man was blown to death when taking a dip in the Black sea on 12 June.
His body was washed ashore.
The 50-year-old’s distressed family watched on, and were helpless in the terrifying moment.
Russia said it would establish a humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians from a chemical plant in Severodonetsk starting Wednesday as Ukrainian forces wage a desperate battle for control of the city.
The industrial hub is under intense bombardment as Russia focuses its offensive on the eastern Donbas region in an effort to seize a swathe of Ukraine.
Moscow's forces have intensified efforts to cut off Ukrainian troops remaining in the city, destroying all three bridges which connect it across a river to the twin city of Lysychansk.
About 500 civilians are taking shelter in Severodonetsk's Azot chemical plant, according to the head of the city's administration.
The Russian defence ministry announced a humanitarian corridor would be established on Wednesday for evacuations from the plant, saying it was "guided by the principles of humanity".
Evacuees would be transported to the city of Svatovo in the separatist-held region of Lugansk, Moscow said, urging those holding out at the plant to cease their "senseless resistance".
Workers have been exhumed from a grave site in on Kyiv’s outskirts.
Victim’s hands were tied behind their backs, as Ukrainian’s in white hazmat suits continue digging to discover more deceased.
More than 12,000 people have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February.
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