| | | Vladimir Putin humiliated as Russian troops 'surrender in batches' and factory blasted
Story by Will Stewart, John O'Sullivan
• 9h
Russia has been rocked by a huge blast at a major ammunition plant, leaving at least 12 people dead and seven more injured.
The explosion tore through the Plastmass factory in Kopeysk, located nearly 1,000 miles from Ukraine, burying workers beneath tons of debris.
While drones were reportedly seen flying in the area, investigators are still probing the cause of the massive blast and a secondary detonation - with both "sabotage and negligence" under consideration. The news comes as Putin tested Trump's resolve with one terrifying act.
Rescue teams worked through the night to recover bodies, amid growing fears that the death toll could rise further. The facility, part of the Kremlin-controlled defence giant Rostec, manufactures "unguided aviation rockets and ammunition for artillery," along with tank and self-propelled gun shells used in the war against Ukraine.
A witness described spotting "three drones in the air" and seeing a colleague "covered in blood" in the aftermath. In another major setback for Vladimir Putin, around 50 Russian troops reportedly surrendered to Ukrainian forces near the village of Kucheriv Yar.
Kyiv attack© east2west news
"They raised their hands, white flags, and surrendered in batches," a Ukrainian paratrooper source said.
The humiliating surrender - captured on video - occurred in the Donetsk region, one of the areas Putin is desperate to seize, yet where his forces continue to lose ground.
Meanwhile, overnight drone strikes triggered more explosions inside Russia, setting the Ryazan oil refinery - crucial to Moscow's fuel network - ablaze.
The Russian economy is already reeling from fuel shortages and skyrocketing petrol prices, and new U.S. sanctions will deepen the strain.
Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday announced penalties against energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said: "As long as Putin refuses to end this senseless war, we are imposing sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies that finance the Kremlin's war machine.
Kopeysk explosion© east2west news
"We call on allies to join these sanctions." Ukraine also hit other strategic sites in Ryazan, including the Dyagilevo air base - home to long-range Russian bombers - and another oil refinery.
Moscow, in turn, continued its barrage on civilian areas in Ukraine, wounding seven people overnight and damaging a synagogue and kindergarten in Kyiv. Several apartment blocks were also hit.
In Kharkiv, a firefighter was killed when Russian forces struck again as emergency crews tried to extinguish earlier fires. The victim was identified as Chief Master Sergeant Yuriy Chystykov, 50.
Russia also attacked a hydroelectric power station in Kamianske, in what Kyiv officials described as another attempt to "freeze Ukrainians into submission" as winter approaches.
It comes after a terrifying map revealed the US regions where 75% of people will die in a nuclear World War 3. |
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