Major General Mikhail Gudkov, deputy head of the Russian Navy and a former commander of a marine brigade fighting against Ukraine, has been killed in action, depriving Moscow of one of its most senior officers,

A view shows a scene of an explosion in which, according to Russia's investigative committee, Russian general Igor Kirillov, in charge of nuclear protection forces, and his assistant were killed, in Moscow,

Maj. Gen. Mikhail Gudkov, promoted to deputy head of the Russian Navy just a few months earlier, died in an apparent Ukrainian strike.

In a big diplomatic move, Russia has formally recognised the Taliban-led regime in Afghanistan by accepting the credentials of Gul Hassan Hassan, the envoy appointed by Taliban. This makes Russia the first nation to grant official recognition to the Taliban government since its 2021 takeover, India Today reported.

Russia has become the first country to formally recognize the Taliban’s government in Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021, after Moscow removed the group from its list of outlawed organizations

Russia is the first country to formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan since the group seized power in 2021, according to its Foreign Ministry.