Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said Russia should have been better prepared for Ukrainian attack on its territory, but ruled out further mobilisation of reservists in the near future.
Ukraine's long-awaited counteroffensive began with a series of attacks on Russian territory, including in the border region of Belgorod.
“One could have assumed that the enemy would behave this way, and one could have prepared better,” Mr Putin said as he met with Russian journalists covering the conflict in the Kremlin.
“Of course, we need to reinforce the border.”
Ukraine's counteroffensive had been successfully thwarted, he said, with Kyiv's forces sustaining heavy losses as it attempted to claw back territory it had lost in the early weeks of the conflict.
“Their losses are approaching a level that could be described as catastrophic,” Mr Putin said. Russian forces had repelled all attacks, he claimed.
Mr Putin said Ukraine launched its offensive on June 4, and was leading it in at least three sectors: Shakhtar and Vremenksy in the east and Zaporizhzhia in the south.
“The enemy was not successful in any area,” Mr Putin said. Russia had suffered “ten times fewer losses than those of the armed forces of Ukraine”, he added.
Mr Putin said Kyiv had lost 160 tanks and 360 armoured vehicles, “which, according to my calculations, is about 25 per cent, maybe 30 per cent of the equipment delivered from abroad”.
“We lost 54 tanks and some of them can be repaired and brought back to operation,” he said.
Russia was open to peace talks, but that the only way to stop the conflict was for western countries to end their arms supplies to Kyiv, he added.
Mr Putin also repeated his accusation that the West was seeking to defeat Russia in Ukraine and said that Moscow had its own “peace plan”.
Although not been officially confirmed, there is growing evidence Ukraine has lost significant equipment in the past week.
A specialist military intelligence analyst, who asked to remain anonymous, told The National the evidence so far showed the “Russians have got it together”.
“Their defence seems very well co-ordinated, in that they're able to isolate Ukrainian formations in a way that is pretty destructive,” the analyst said. “What comes next is likely to be quite violent and bloody.”
Meanwhile, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine's offensive to liberate swathes of territory occupied by Russia could force the Kremlin to negotiate.
Mr Stoltenberg, who was meeting with US President Joe Biden in the White House later on Tuesday, told CNN that it was “still early days” for the offensive, which he characterised as “difficult”.
He said that “the more land they gain, the more likely it is that President Putin will understand that he has to sit down at the negotiating table and agree to a just and enduring peace in Ukraine”.
The meeting with Mr Biden was scheduled for Monday but postponed after the US President had to undergo dental work. Preparations are under way for a Nato summit in July in Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
Earlier, at least 11 people were killed when a Russian missile hit an apartment building and a warehouse in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih on Tuesday.
Residents sobbed outside the burnt-out apartment block and smoke billowed after the early-morning attack.
Officials said at least four people were killed in the apartment building and another seven in the warehouse. Twenty-eight were injured.
Broken glass and bricks were strewn across the street and courtyard outside the apartment block. At least five cars were burnt out.
Survivors described two explosions. Olha Chernousova said she was thrown out of her bed by a violent blast wave. She escaped on to her balcony to wait for rescuers. “I thought I would have to jump into a tree,” she said.
“Russian killers continue their war against residential buildings, ordinary cities and people,” Mr Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Company%20profile
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Company%20Profile
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Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)
Monday Celta Vigo v Cadiz (midnight)
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
