The lightning U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro can be seen as both a benefit and a burden for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces botched an attempt to capture Ukraine’s capital and topple its leader at the start of Moscow's invasion nearly four years ago.

The US has seized two Russian-linked oil tankers in the North Atlantic and Caribbean, as part of an intensified campaign to crack down on vessels accused of violating sanctions and evading maritime restrictions.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he believes Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine could be brought to an end in the first half of this year, adding that the negotiations have reached a new milestone. The Ukrainian leader was speaking at a ceremony marking the start of Cyprus’s European Union presidency.

Russia formally asked the United States to halt pursuit of Venezuelan oil tanker Marinera after the vessel escaped U.S. Coast Guard interception in the Caribbean.

Even at the height of their Cold War nuclear rivalry, the United States and the Soviet Union thrashed out a series of treaties to keep the arms race from spiralling out of control.

Russia’s Ministry of Transport reported it had lost contact with the tanker, Marinera, previously named the Bella-1, after American forces boarded the vessel, according to multiple outlets.

The push for tax collection comes as Russia's growth has slowed to a near standstill nearly four years after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Three drones struck a cafe and hotel in the resort town of Khorly on the Black Sea coast, the region’s Moscow-installed leader said.

Polar bear attacks on humans are extremely rare, but experts say that shrinking sea ice is pushing them to approach inhabited areas in search of food.

Russia launched dozens of drones into Ukraine overnight into Tuesday, as European leaders prepared to meet in Paris to discuss security guarantees in Ukraine.View on euronews