Ukrainian service claims explosion at Crimean bridge
The Ukrainian security service SBU claims to have attacked a bridge between Crimea and Russia with explosives. The bridge was reportedly damaged. The extent of the damage is not clear. Traffic was reportedly disrupted. The SBU says on Telegram that 1,100 kilos of explosives went off underwater early Tuesday morning. This damaged pillars of the 17-kilometre-long Crimean bridge, the service says.

The bridge is a key supply route for Russian troops in the war in Ukraine. The SBU calls it a "unique special operation" that has been in the works for a long time. The service also claims to have been behind attacks in 2022 and 2023. The service has published images that allegedly show the explosion. Water is sprayed into the air and debris is flying around. A photo shows damage to the side of the structure. Russian authorities reported that the bridge was closed for several hours in the early hours of Tuesday.

International • 17:59 • Modified at 17:59
Russian nuclear doctrine seriously damaged by Ukrainian attack on strategic bombers
Author : BNR Web Editors
The Ukrainian drone attack on Russian air bases has not only dented Russia's self-confidence, but also the operational capacity of the air force. The financial damage is also enormous. But where the Ukrainian General Staff initially reported the destruction of 41 aircraft, Andriy Kovalenke of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council says that 'at least 13 Russian aircraft were destroyed'.

During Operation Spiderweb, 117 drones, cleverly hidden in the roofs of wooden houses on trucks, attacked four Russian airfields. According to defense magazine The War Zone, the Ukrainian operation will have a long-term effect on Russian strategic aviation.

Reportedly, the following aircraft types were destroyed or severely damaged: a Tu-22M3 Backfire-C medium-range supersonic bomber, a Tu-95MS Bear-H long-range turboprop bomber, an A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control platform, and a Tu-160 Blackjack long-range supersonic bomber. The Tu-160 is considered the "crown jewel of long-range aviation" and is the only Russian bomber still in production, albeit on a very limited scale.

The Russian Defense Ministry has since admitted that drone strikes took place in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions, and that "several" aircraft caught fire in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, where the Olenya and Belaya bases are located.

Olenya is located on the Kola Peninsula, south of Murmansk, and is home to several Tu-22M3s. Belaya, near Irkutsk, is also a so-called 'Backfire base'. The air bases of Dyagilevo and Ivanovo were also attacked.

Dyagilevo, in the Ryazan region, is a training center for Russian long-range aviation, while Ivanovo, in the region of the same name, is home to the A-50 airborne early warning and control fleet. These aircraft belong to Russia's only AEW&C squadron and are primarily tasked with air defense and command and control duties. They play a major role in the war against Ukraine.

The Belaya base near Irkutsk near the border with Mongolia. Photo: Google Earth
The Belaya base near Irkutsk near the border with Mongolia. Photo: Google Earth
In the Amur region of the Russian Far East, there is the Ukrainka air base, where bombers are also stationed. According to unconfirmed reports, that base was also attacked by drones from a truck, but that attack failed. Video footage does show a burning truck near Ukrainka.

Article continues below the X-message


$7 billion in damage
According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the damage is estimated at around $7 billion, but since that figure is based on the loss of 41 aircraft, it will be lower, although the exact damage is not quantifiable. The only Russian bomber that can be accurately priced is the Tu-160, of which Russia ordered 10 in 2018 for around $500 million each. This makes the Tu-160 the most expensive Russian aircraft. A Russian aerospace expert told TWZ that he thinks $7 billion is on the low side and that this figure is likely to be another $3.5 billion higher.

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The expert points out that the Tu-160 is the only aircraft currently in production. 'How can you estimate the price of the Tu-95MS, which has not been produced for more than 30 years and has no replacement? Its value to the Russian Air Force cannot be expressed in money.'

Bullet points on Belaya on the northern Kola Peninsula. Photo: X
Bullet points on Belaya on the northern Kola Peninsula. Photo: X
Irreplaceable
The stricken bombers are among Russia’s most prized strategic air assets, but now a substantial portion of that fleet cannot be replaced because the production lines no longer exist. And reactivating other bombers that have long been out of service is also not feasible. Many of the aircraft are severely outdated, have been sitting outside for decades and have often been heavily stripped for parts.

Not only are the affected bombers used in the war in Ukraine (for launching bombs and glide bombs), they are also an integral part of Russia's nuclear deterrent and its ability to carry out nuclear or conventional air strikes on targets outside Ukraine.

The strategic bombers are one of the three legs of the so-called Russian nuclear triad, the strategic concept in which nuclear weapons are launched from intercontinental ballistic missiles, strategic bombs and ballistic missile submarines

These aircraft are also regularly used for long-range patrols over Europe and Asia, including the Alaskan coast, and for irregular visits to strategic allies.

According to TWZ, the attack has 'wiped out' a significant part of Russia's nuclear triad and seriously damaged Russian credibility. Not without danger, according to the magazine, because Moscow has repeatedly stated that attacks on strategic targets would be a red line for Russia. This despite the fact that strategic bombers and critical locations have also been attacked by Ukraine several times in the past.

Russian security
Until now, however, attacks on these aircraft have been directed at only one base at a time, using smaller numbers of long-range drones. The Russians responded to these attacks by spreading and rotating aircraft on bases. The air force also took other security measures, such as so-called 'blast walls' between parked 'active' aircraft. In the event of a direct hit, there would be no 'domino effect' of fire or flying shrapnel, and damage would be limited to one hit aircraft.

Hardened aircraft shelters have also been built at various bases to better shield aircraft from drone attacks and other indirect fire. However, the size of the strategic bombers is a considerable handicap.

The Russian air force also uses scrapped aircraft as decoys, places car tires on the tops of planes (to confuse seekers of Ukrainian stand-off weapons), and paints silhouettes of aircraft on concrete surfaces of airfields. Finally, Russia has placed additional air defenses around strategic bases.

Russian measures
According to TWZ, it is unclear what measures Russia will now take to better protect its air bases. Russia may switch to an even more dispersed positioning model, something that will severely limit the effectiveness and deployment of bombers for operations in Ukraine. However, because attacks on bases can be initiated from increasingly greater distances, it is becoming increasingly difficult to effectively protect the airfields.

Follow developments in Ukraine in our live blog
Live blog | Ukraine attacks Crimean bridge; NATO wants significant reinforcement of European air defenses
Russia could protect its bombers under massive hardened aircraft shelters, a measure already being taken for Russian tactical fighter jets at bases closer to Ukraine, according to TWZ.

Regardless, Russia will have to deal with even more advanced drones in the near future, drones that are even more difficult to disrupt and even drones that operate completely autonomously thanks to AI.

Speaking to RadioFreeEurope, a former Ukrainian air force officer described the attack as the "practical collapse of a country's security architecture,"

International • 07:33 • Modified at 08:34
Ukraine expects major Russian revenge: 'Ballistic missiles not disabled'
Author : BNR Web Editors
Ukraine is bracing for Russian revenge after a spectacular Ukrainian covert operation destroyed dozens of fighter jets and bombers. "Everyone here in Kyiv is talking about it," says correspondent Chris Colijn. "Everyone expects something big to happen."

So far, the Russian response has not been forthcoming. However, yesterday the air raid siren went off several times in Kyiv, accompanied by reports that Russia was about to launch a hypersonic missile, or had even already been launched. 'That is a missile that can strike anywhere within a few minutes, so you can hardly hide from it. It turned out to be a false alarm, but it is causing a lot of unrest.'

Definitely not safe
The fact that the feared Russian reaction has not yet materialized certainly does not mean that Ukraine should feel safe. The daring attack on military airfields deep in Russia did indeed destroy many strategic bombers, but that is not the only thing that Ukraine has to fear.

'The Europeans really have to do this themselves now.'
Correspondent Chris Colijn

'Russia has been firing a lot of ballistic missiles lately. And they were not neutralized during the action. So that is the big threat now,' says Colijn. Those missiles are also fast and reasonably accurate, and Ukraine also has trouble stopping them. 'That is precisely why they need Western air defense, especially Patriots, but their missile supplies are running out. Ukraine has fewer and fewer resources to stop them. That is becoming increasingly difficult.' At the same time, Russia continues to increase its weapons production.

The missiles for the Patriot systems were previously supplied by the US. Now that the Americans are increasingly withdrawing, the question is to what extent European arms deliveries can keep the Ukrainian air defense going. A sign of this is that the Americans will not be present for the first time today at the NATO meeting on the coordination of aid to Ukraine. Colijn: 'The Europeans really have to do this themselves now.'

Russia's RIA Novosti, a state-owned news agency, said Putin told Trump that Ukraine has tried to "disrupt" the negotiations and that the government in Kyiv has "essentially turned into a terrorist organisation".

The two also "exchanged views on the prospects for restoring cooperation between the countries, which has enormous potential," it said.

The conversation between the two leaders marks the first since Ukraine launched a surprise attack using smuggled drones to strike Russian airbases on 1 June, targeting what it said were nuclear-capable long-range bombers.

Trump told Putin in the call that the US was not warned in advance of the attack, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said.

Last week, Trump appeared to set a two-week deadline for Putin, threatening to change how the US is responding to Russia if he believed Putin was still "tapping" him along on peace efforts in Ukraine.

NOS News
•
Tuesday, 21:26
NATO chief Rutte invites President Zelensky to NATO summit

NATO Secretary General Rutte has invited Ukrainian President Zelensky to the NATO summit later this month in The Hague. Sources confirmed this to NOS.

Zelensky had previously said that Ukraine had received an invitation, but left it unclear whether he had been personally invited.

NATO correspondent Kysia Hekster:
"The Netherlands has repeatedly informed NATO chief Rutte that it considers it important as a host country that Zelensky comes to the summit in The Hague. And for many other NATO countries, the presence of the Ukrainian president is also a condition. For Rutte, it is a puzzle where Zelensky fits exactly into the program.

He will certainly not be at the meeting on Wednesday, which is only for the heads of state and government of the 32 NATO member states. He will probably be at the dinner with the king the night before, but it is not yet clear what the seating arrangement will be.

US President Trump does not want to be overshadowed by his Ukrainian colleague, with whom he has a difficult relationship. Presumably we will only see on the evening itself how Rutte, who as host is not only responsible for the invitations but even the seating arrangement, has put together the puzzle."

One of the most important points on the table is raising the defence standard, which is currently set at 2 percent of gross domestic product, but there is a plan to raise it to 5 percent.

In addition, the White House confirmed tonight that US President Trump will also attend the NATO summit. Two weeks ago, caretaker Prime Minister Schoof had already announced the arrival of the US President after a telephone conversation with him.

If any of the 32 states don't come up with the 5% defense budget they should get thrown out of NATO imo.
Countries in Southern Europe and others have to do way more!

'Falling oil price due to OPEC policy has dramatic consequences for Russia'
Author : BNR Web Editors
The drop in the oil price due to the higher production by the OPEC countries is having a dramatic effect on Russia, says Steven Brakman, international economist at the University of Groningen. 'Half of Russian exports consist of oil, the price is falling and government finances are also dependent on oil revenues for at least 40 percent. So the falling oil price is a disaster for Russia.'


Also according to Lucia van Geuns, energy expert at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS), the low oil price is damaging the Russian economy, because the country depends on oil for a very large part of its income. The Ural oil is anyway cheaper than the Brent, which we talk about all the time. 'The Ural is now around 55 dollars, which is even lower than the price cap that the G7 set two years ago, to regulate the price of oil from Russia to some extent.'

'The $65 also applies to American oil production, which cannot survive if the price is below that amount'
Lucia van Geuns. HCSS

With a substantial increase in production, OPEC+ has changed course considerably, after oil production had been kept under control in recent years. However, production was actually already too high last year, because a number of OPEC countries did not adhere to the agreed quotas, says Van Geuns. 'And now that it has been decided to produce more oil, the price could possibly fall even further.'

Although that does depend heavily on the development of demand in the coming period. And that is – partly due to the unpredictable world economy and the entire geopolitical playing field – very difficult to predict, says Van Geuns. 'A very important factor with regard to oil demand is the extent to which the Chinese economy stagnates. OPEC hopes that a number of members will adhere more to the agreements. But Saudi Arabia actually wants to produce significantly more oil itself now.'

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The Saudis want to compensate for the oil they have kept out of the market for a number of years, says Van Geuns. 'The supply is largely regulated by OPEC+, with almost 40 percent of the market. The 65 dollars per barrel that currently applies is ultimately a fairly arbitrary number, indeed a direct result of supply and demand, says Brakman. 'That 65 dollars also applies to American oil production, which cannot operate if the price is below that amount.'

International • 15:38 • Modified at 15:38
'Putin's daughter works in Paris, exhibits anti-war art'
Author : BNR Web Editors
An illegitimate daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to be working in Paris for galleries where she exhibits anti-war art. This was reported by the Russian independent media outlet The Moscow Times. The outlet bases its claim on statements by Nastya Rodionova, an artist exiled from Russia.

Elizaveta Krivonogikh, Putin's alleged illegitimate daughter, currently lives in Paris. Photo: social media

Last year it was already known that Putin's illegitimate daughter, conceived in 2003 during his marriage to Lyudmila Putina, would be in Paris. The Ukrainian TV channel TSN was able to report this at the end of last year. She would occasionally DJ and she studied at a school near the Arc de Triomphe. She also obtained her diploma there last year.

The Kremlin has never acknowledged that the woman in question, now 22 years old, is Putin's daughter. However, there are many indications. The Russian medium Projekt already revealed many details about the woman named Elizaveta in 2020. They managed to get their hands on her birth certificate. It shows that she was born on March 3, 2003, during the period that Putin was allegedly having an affair with her mother Svetlana Krivonogikh. It is striking that no father is mentioned on the certificate.

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One indication that Putin is her father is that she also goes by the name 'Vladimirovna', which means 'daughter of Vladimir'. TSN obtained additional details such as leaked flight data. It shows that a certain 'Elizaveta Olegovna Rudnova' was on board a plane to France. That name matches the name by which Putin's alleged daughter is known in Russia.

Stepfather
Rudnova is descended from Oleg Rudnov, a former ally of Putin who died in 2015. The idea is that Rudnov did the Russian president a favor by adopting the daughter as a stepdaughter. There is also a link between Rudnov and Elizaveta's mother. After the affair, her mother received shares in the Russian Bank Rossiya, an investment bank of which Rudnov was the director, as hush money. This while she was originally a cleaner.

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Not only did Putin's ex-mistress get her hands on shares. She is also said to have received very expensive real estate in Moscow and on Kamenny Island near St. Petersburg. She also became part owner of a ski resort and a theater in the Leningrad region. In 2023, the ex-mistress ended up on the British sanctions list as a 'shareholder in Bank Rossiya and the National Media Group, which consistently promotes the Russian attack on Ukraine'.

Pacifism
That has given her daughter, Elizaveta, the opportunity to live a life of luxury as the daughter of an oligarch. In Paris, she works as a DJ and studied at a private school. Now that she has a diploma, she is said to work in the management team of galleries of L Association. Galleries of the organization are known for exhibiting art with political and pacifist messages. The organization behind the galleries confirmed to the exiled Russian artist that an 'Elizaveta Krivonogikh' is employed by them.

International • 8 Jun 15:28 • Modified on 8 Jun 15:28
Alcohol, desertion, abuse – Russian army discipline is deteriorating
Author : Mark van Harreveld
Discipline in the Russian military is rapidly disintegrating, Viktoriia Ponomareva writes in The Insider, a Lithuania-based Russian investigative outlet. According to The Insider, the Russian military is plagued by low morale, desertions, illegal executions, alcohol abuse, corporal punishment, beatings and coercion. "The Russian Military Prosecutor's Office has received thousands of complaints about executions and beatings of servicemen, and the list is growing."

According to witnesses Ponomareva spoke to, the army's problems start at the top, between the upper ranks and the middle management. "For the top, the only thing that matters is achieving objectives: pushing through a sector or holding out somewhere. How the lower commanders achieve that is their problem," she quotes a former staff officer. Stories are common about officers sending their men on real suicide missions and then disappearing themselves.

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Draconian punishments
The disciplinary measures to which both conscripts and contract soldiers are subjected are draconian and hardly different from the practices of the Tsarist or Stalinist armies. Those who disobey can expect public corporal punishment, days of solitary confinement in a pit or being placed in a penal battalion where the chances of survival are even lower than in regular units. The conditions are so harsh that many soldiers resort to alcohol and drugs, which also carry severe punishments.

"If soldiers were caught drunk, they were beaten - but it didn't help. Only when they were sent to raids or thrown into holes. Commanders drank too. There were times when the chief of staff got drunk and started shooting his weapon at random," the anonymous officer said.

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A common complaint that The Insider notes is that soldiers have to make do with outdated and often unsafe Soviet-era equipment. "The equipment was in a terrible state: artillery instruments, reconnaissance equipment, mobile vehicles - everything was worn out. There was simply nothing to work with," a young officer told the newspaper.

Detainees
According to various sources, discipline in their units deteriorated mainly due to the influx of prisoners who, by enlisting, could buy off their sentence and at the same time compensate for the dire shortage of men. 'A prisoner shot his platoon commander. They had been drinking and arguing, and then the prisoner took a rifle and shot him in the stomach. They immediately restrained the prisoner and killed him on the spot, but the non-commissioned officer did not survive,' according to a witness.

'A prisoner shot his platoon leader. They had been drinking and arguing.'
Anonymous source
Another consequence of the poor discipline is that Russian soldiers can commit war crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians with impunity, a practice that human rights organizations are increasingly reporting as the war drags on.

War crimes
From the first days of the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian army has been accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. These include the murder and torture of civilians, the forced transfers - in effect abductions - of the civilian population, rape, looting and the destruction of cultural heritage. According to the UN, 95 percent of Ukrainian prisoners have been tortured and beaten.

"I had to go to other units for paperwork - including the infantry - and every time I went there I saw prisoners. They were tied to trees and left in the cold. They were beaten, tortured - people were really mutilated, abused," said one officer, who testified that both soldiers and commanders considered Ukrainians as subhuman.

Endemic desertion
As a result of the poor conditions and disastrous discipline, desertion is endemic in the Russian military. Just last month, The Kyiov Independent reported that a group of Russian soldiers surrendered to Ukrainian paratroopers near the Kursk region because "unit abuse is worse than captivity."

The harsh conditions in the military are not only affecting the Russian army's performance on the front lines, they will also leave their mark on civilian society when veterans return home, writes the American think tank The Jamestown Foundation. 'The military itself has become a crucible for criminal attitudes and behavior that will affect Russia long after the end of the war.'

700,000 veterans
The think tank cites Russian officials and observers as saying that some 700,000 veterans will eventually return home after the war, 100,000 more than the number of veterans who returned from the Soviet Union's Afghanistan war in the 1980s. The think tank also predicts a serious increase in crime and violence.

“The longer Russia's war against Ukraine continues and the more the Russian military degrades, the greater the challenge that the return of veterans to Russia will pose,” TJF analysts said.

International • 13:33 • Modified at 13:33
Moldovan PM: Moscow wants to send 10,000 troops to rebellious Transnistria
Author : Mark van Harreveld
Russia wants to deploy 10,000 troops to the Moldovan separatist region of Transnistria on the border with Ukraine and wants to install a pro-Kremlin government in Moldova, Prime Minister Dorin Recean told the Financial Times. According to the prime minister, Russia is actively trying to influence the upcoming parliamentary elections in September, in the hope that Moldova will get a pro-Russian government.

Transnistria is a pro-Russian region that declared independence from Moldova in 1992 with the help of the Russian army. In the self-declared republic, which is otherwise only recognized by Russia and the rebellious Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Moscow has stationed a 'peacekeeping force' of some 1,500 Russian soldiers.

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Putin can't send more troops there, however, because Transnistria, which has about 370,000 inhabitants, is wedged between Moldova and Ukraine. But he is trying, says Recean. 'They want to consolidate their military presence in the Transnistria region.'

Undermining
And to that end, the Kremlin is pushing, not for the first time, for a change of government in Moldova, which is trying to join the EU. "This is a huge attempt to undermine Moldovan democracy," Recean said. According to the prime minister, Moscow's interference consists of online propaganda and illegal money transfers to parties and voters. In 2024, Russia already spent the equivalent of 1 percent of Moldova's GDP on influence campaigns.

Read also
Energy shortages and Russian destabilization threaten Moldova's EU accession
Last October, a referendum on EU membership was won by just 0.7 percent of voters, after what Recean's government also accused of a large-scale Russian influence campaign.

Destabilization of NATO
Should Moscow succeed in actually sending 10,000 troops to Transnistria, it would be a huge security risk, the prime minister said. 'You can imagine what the influence and pressure would be on the southwestern part of Ukraine with 10,000 troops. But also close to Romania, which is a NATO member state.'

After Transnistrian independence in 1992, which was not recognized by anyone, Moscow stationed soldiers there, but since then Russian troops in the area have dwindled. An estimated 1,500 troops remain under the Russian flag, but most are locals who have joined the force, with only a handful actually sent from Russia.

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"Right now, their forces there are almost meaningless. But with a higher military presence in Transnistria that a pro-Russia government can allow, they can consolidate," Recean said, adding that he based the 10,000-troop target on intelligence estimates.

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The bulk of the Russian contingent in Transnistria is aimed at securing a huge arms stockpile in the region left over from the Soviet era. Chi?in?u has repeatedly called for them to be removed, saying their presence violates the country’s sovereignty.

Heavyweight boxing champion Usyk pleads with Trump ...!!

Usyk pleads with Trump, inviting him to spend a week in Ukraine: 'Open your eyes, help my people'.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/09/sport/oleksandr-usyk-trump-ukraine-conflict-spt

International• 15:13 • Modified at 15:13
Drone production ramped up, 'Russia can continue attacks indefinitely'
Author : Mark van Harreveld
Russia is increasing the capacity of its drones and seems able to continue its attacks indefinitely. It is a new phase of the war, which coincides with a new Russian offensive, says Chris Colijn, correspondent in Kyiv. 'They are now making about 160 drones a day, which they often save up, to fire hundreds of drones at a time in larger attacks on specific cities.'

In the meantime, Russia and Ukraine have started the largest prisoner exchange to date. The first group consists of wounded and people younger than twenty-five. The intention is to exchange around twelve hundred people in the coming days. This is good news for family members, but it has no effect on the course of the war. In fact, Russia continues to fire record numbers of drones and is still booking small successes, says Colijn.

'Peace is far away, especially when you look at last night's attacks'
Chris Colijn, correspondent
Russian troops have captured territory in Ukraine in recent days, both in the northeast of the country and in the southeast of the front line. It currently controls just under a fifth of Ukraine's territory and has captured over 190 square kilometers in the eastern Ukrainian region of Sumy in a month. 'Ukraine says that's not entirely true, but the mere fact that this discussion about a new province is going on already tells us that things are very difficult for Ukraine and that Russia is achieving successes.'

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The situation in Sumy in particular is worrying. The authorities do not yet consider it necessary to evacuate people, but the Russians are now about twenty-five kilometres from the city centre, says Colijn. In the meantime, the prisoner exchange has started, to the great relief of family and friends. 'This week, about twelve hundred people will be released on both sides, mainly seriously injured and relatively young prisoners of war – people who have sometimes been held for three years. In Ukraine, people are extremely happy that they are coming back.'

Treated extremely badly
The joy about the returning prisoners of war is great, says Colijn, if only because there are great concerns about torture by the Russians. 'There are countless stories of Ukrainians who have been treated incredibly badly. So if those people return to Ukraine, they can undergo a normal medical examination there. They are treated well and can recover from their injuries with their family and friends.'

According to Colijn, there is no progress in the talks on a ceasefire, let alone lasting peace. The talks in Istanbul in particular between Russian and Ukrainian delegations are continuing, and that is already quite something. 'But in terms of concrete results, the prisoner exchanges are actually the only thing that comes out of it. Peace is far away, certainly if you also look at the attacks last night, again.'

International • 14:48 • Modified at 14:51
Dutchman (28) died in Ukraine, comes from Vijfheerenlanden
Author : BNR Web Editors
In Ukraine, a 28-year-old Dutchman from Nieuwland has died. The man's death has been confirmed by both a family member and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the family, the man died in early June, but it is unclear how exactly this happened.

The Dutchman is said to have traveled to the country at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and given military training to civilians, a pro-Russian war blogger reports on his Telegram channel. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot confirm this, and it is also unclear whether the man has military experience.

Follow developments in Ukraine in our live blog
Liveblog | US to cut military aid to Ukraine, Hegseth says
'We can confirm that it concerns a 28-year-old Dutchman from the province of Utrecht', according to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 'We are in contact with the family and are providing consular assistance. However, the possibilities for this are limited due to the war in Ukraine.' The ministry cannot say anything about the possible repatriation of the body, nor can the family say anything about this.

Ajax in the background.