TL;DR
Russia’s government is pushing to seize trillions in private bank deposits to plug budget holes, while Ukraine hits back with drone strikes on key Russian ferries. Meanwhile, U.S.-Iran peace talks show fragile progress, but Trump’s aggressive rhetoric risks derailing negotiations.
Key Stories
- Russia moves to grab $1.3 trillion from citizens and businesses — A Russian lawmaker wants to seize 67 trillion rubles from citizens and 63 trillion from businesses, claiming the money is "lying idle" in banks. The Duma is fast-tracking the plan to fund budget shortfalls.
- Ukraine drones sink three Russian ferries in Kerch Strait — Ukrainian strikes destroyed three Russian ferries operating in the Kerch Strait, including the MV Panagia and MV Lavrentiy. At least one more ferry was left burning after the overnight attack.
- U.S. and Iran make progress on peace deal but tensions linger — Iranian and U.S. negotiators wrapped up talks in Switzerland with mediators calling progress "encouraging." However, Trump’s threats to "blow the s--t out of Iran" prompted Tehran to walk out of negotiations.
- Russia prints $60 billion to fund war spending — The Russian Central Bank injected nearly 5 trillion rubles into the banking system to buy government debt. Lawmakers also passed emergency legislation to bypass spending limits and ramp up national debt.
- Azerbaijan oil spill sparks sabotage fears — An oil leak near Dubendi beach was traced to external damage from a ship’s anchor, raising suspicions of sabotage. Cleanup and repairs are underway as authorities investigate the cause.