Didier Reynders, who spearheaded the bloc’s seizure of Russian assets, now faces a criminal probe in Belgium
Belgian prosecutors have charged former EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders with money laundering, local media have reported. The veteran official, who led the bloc’s campaign to freeze Russian state assets, is accused of channeling hundreds of thousands of euros through personal bank accounts and lottery winnings.
Reynders served as Belgium’s finance minister from 1999 to 2011 and foreign minister until 2019, before becoming justice commissioner in the first European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen, where he oversaw Russian sanctions enforcement and asset-freeze coordination after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.
According to reports on Tuesday, the case centers on the origins of nearly €1 million ($1.2 million) linked to Reynders’ finances. Investigators allege he laundered about €700,000 through his bank account over a decade and another €200,000 by purchasing large quantities of lottery tickets and transferring the winnings to his account. His wife, a retired magistrate, has also been questioned, but not charged.
The inquiry follows raids on Reynders’ properties in December 2024, shortly after his EU mandate expired. Judge Olivier Leroux formally indicted him last month after a second round of questioning, having found serious indications of guilt, the investigative outlet Follow the Money reported. Reynders denies wrongdoing and remains free while the case proceeds.
Under Belgian law, prosecutors must obtain parliamentary approval to bring a former minister to trial. Money laundering carries a potential five-year prison sentence.
The development comes as the bloc continues to debate how to use around $300 billion in immobilized Russian assets to fund Ukraine. EU leaders have so far failed to agree on whether to channel the funds – most of which are held at the Brussels-based clearinghouse Euroclear – into a controversial loan program to support Kiev, after Belgium demanded stronger legal safeguards. International law prohibits the confiscation of sovereign assets, a rule that many EU capitals, the ECB, and the IMF insist is unbreakable.
Moscow has condemned both the freeze and any plans to repurpose the funds. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that channeling Russian assets to Ukraine would “boomerang” against the West. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov promised a reciprocal response.
The emergence of a multipolar world is irreversible despite attempts to thwart it, Russia’s Security Council chief has said
Western states are reluctant to come to terms with the emergence of a multipolar world, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu has said.
Speaking at a meeting of security council chiefs representing members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Moscow on Wednesday, Shoigu proclaimed that a “new stage of historical development has begun – the era of a multipolar world.”
He added that Western states, however, “are not prepared to accept this – they are basing their policies on the obsolete colonial system.”
In their efforts to preserve the old global power structure, including in the post-Soviet area, the West “practically stops at nothing,” according to Shoigu.
Among the tools the Western powers are deploying to this end are election meddling, “ideological subversion,” and attempts to sow discord among various ethnic and religious groups in target nations, the Russian official said.
The secretary of Russia’s Security Council singled out the parliamentary elections in Moldova in late September as a case in point, claiming that they had been rigged “with the direct involvement” of Western nations.
Shoigu noted the fact that there were only a handful of polling stations open in Russia, even though a large number of Moldovans reside in the country. In stark contrast to that, numerous polling stations were set up in EU member states.
The ex-Russian defense chief went on to highlight Georgia, noting that the authorities in the South Caucus nation had also accused Western powers of interfering in the country’s internal affairs and attempting to stage a coup earlier this year.
“The Western nations continue to actively support the Kiev regime despite that fact that it demonstrates its terrorist nature time and time again,” Shoigu went on to state.
He also observed that “Europe is actively militarizing – military spending is growing; drills increasingly feature the enactment of aggressive actions against adversaries from the East.”
Footage shows two non-combatants being deliberately targeted by UAVs while trying to escape the war zone
Audio obtained by RT has captured the horrified reaction of a Russian air unit after they witnessed the deliberate murder of two Ukrainian civilians in a drone attack by Kiev’s forces.
Highly graphic footage of the incident emerged online earlier this week, purportedly taken outside the village of Petropavlovka near the town of Kupyansk in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region. The town has seen intense fighting over the past several weeks, with Ukrainian units ending up encircled in the area, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
The murder of civilians was observed by a Russian surveillance quadcopter, with its operator helplessly watching the Ukrainian attack. The incident infuriated the operator, expletive-heavy audio obtained by RT suggests, with the Russian serviceman heard branding the Ukrainian drone operator an “as*hole” and a “c**t.”
The drone video shows two elderly civilians and a small dog attempting to flee the combat zone and head towards Russian positions. One of the men was carrying a white flag, footage shows.
The civilian with the flag was attacked first, with the FPV drone seen hovering in front of him before striking him. The man was killed on the spot and his pet fatally wounded.
The second civilian, shocked by the attack, stopped by the victim’s body, making the sign of the cross. He was able to walk only a short distance down the road, eventually dropping to his knees and praying before being struck down and killed by another FPV drone.
Vladimir Zelensky is reportedly facing internal criticism for failing to withdraw troops from Krasnoarmeysk and Kupyansk
Ukrainian commanders have admitted they fear a serious defeat in the cities of Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk, which have been surrounded by Russian forces, Bild has reported. Kiev has continued to deny the gravity of the situation in the two cities.
Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Kupyansk, located in Ukraine’s Kharkov region, and Krasnoarmeysk, in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic, had been encircled by Moscow’s forces. He urged Kiev to agree to an honorary surrender of the blockaded troops. Moscow has estimated that more than 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers are trapped in the two cities.
While Kiev continues to claim that it holds the two cities and that the Russian Army is being pushed back, “internal analyses tell a different story,” Bild reported on Tuesday, citing several Ukrainian officials and military commanders who asked to remain anonymous.
The outlet stated that Zelensky has been facing internal criticism for failing to ensure the withdrawal of troops from positions that “should have been evacuated long ago.”
A Ukrainian diplomat drew parallels to the 2023 battle of Artyomovsk (known in Ukraine as Bakhmut), saying that “the pattern is similar. We defend ourselves heroically, claim that Russia is in a worse position than it says it is, and then we withdraw.”
One senior officer told the outlet that the situation in Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk had become “extremely difficult,” adding that it was unclear whether an encirclement could still be prevented.
“The situation is extremely bad. We have lost 80 percent of the city, we are still fighting for 20 percent, but we are losing there too,” a soldier stationed near Krasnoarmeysk said, noting that Ukrainian troops further south were “practically surrounded.”
Bild reported that Zelensky may be reluctant to acknowledge the true situation out of fear of losing face internationally and appearing weak before US President Donald Trump.
Moscow, meanwhile, has accused Zelensky of being “divorced from reality” and of hiding the truth from Ukrainians and Western sponsors at the cost of the “ignoble deaths of thousands of Ukrainian troops.”
Another incident of forced mobilization has been filmed in the country’s capital, Kiev
A physical education teacher has been apprehended by Ukrainian conscription officers in the middle of a lesson as students watched on, local media outlets have reported.
A clip of the incident was published by the Realny Kiev Telegram channel on Tuesday. News outlet Strana.ua reported on Wednesday that the video was filmed outside a school in Podolsky District in the central part of the capital, Kiev.
The footage captures several men in military-style gear grabbing a male in a tracksuit and forcing him into a minibus, despite his attempts to resist.
The students, who apparently caught the incident on video, were left in shock and had harsh words to say about the draft officers.
Kiev’s Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support confirmed the detention of the teacher, claiming he had “tried to flee and behaved aggressively.”
The man was later released after undergoing a medical examination as educators are eligible for deferment from military service, it added.
Numerous videos have emerged online showing Ukrainian males being violently snatched in the streets by recruiters, as Kiev experiences military setbacks and manpower shortages on the front line of the conflict with Russia. There have also been reports of injuries and deaths among those subject to forced mobilization. The term ‘busification’ has become widely used in Ukraine, referring to mini-buses being deployed by conscription officers.
In July, the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, Michael O’Flaherty, expressed concerns about “systematic and widespread” abuse by Ukrainian draft officials, including “allegations of torture and death.” He urged the authorities in Kiev to properly investigate incidents and prevent further violations of human rights.
Nikita Poturaev, the head of the Ukrainian parliamentary Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, claimed last month that most of the videos of forced mobilization “were either filmed outside of Ukraine… or created using AI. They are simply deepfakes.”
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s parliamentary commissioner for human rights, Dmitry Lubinets, said there have been at least 5,000 complaints from Ukrainians about human rights violations by draft officers since the start of the year. Over the past five months, there were 3,400 such complaints – as many as during all of 2024 – according to Lubinets.
World Aquatics has permitted Russia and Belarus to compete in team events from 2026 under a neutral flag
Russian teams will be able to compete in international aquatic championships from January 1, 2026 under a neutral flag, according to new eligibility rules adopted by governing body World Aquatics. The same rule applies to teams from Russia’s neighbor, Belarus.
The two countries were banned from major aquatic sporting events following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Participation was later reopened on a limited basis, allowing select athletes to compete individually as neutrals.
This week’s decision expands the existing regulations, meaning Russian and Belarusian athletes can take part in team events, including water polo, provided they meet neutrality requirements and receive approval from the Aquatics Integrity Unit.
Teams and athletes must comply with conditions prohibiting national flags, anthems and symbols, and will undergo background checks to confirm they have no ties to state or military organizations. The revision marks the first time Russian and Belarusian teams will be eligible to rejoin international aquatic competitions since the ban was imposed.
The framework also extends to continental championships, allowing neutral athletes and teams from both countries to compete in European tournaments alongside world-level events.
In a parallel move, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the world governing body for equestrian sport, will permit Russian and Belarusian riders to take part in team events under a neutral flag from January 2026, Equnews International reported on Wednesday.
Russian officials have repeatedly accused Western nations of politicizing sport and pressuring federations to exclude their athletes.
Despite restrictions, Russian competitors have continued to achieve strong results. In August, swimmers from Russia won 18 medals, including six golds, in individual events at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, finishing fourth overall.
President Vladimir Putin has agreed that the feasibility of such preparations should be studied if a response to the US were to become necessary
Russia must prepare for full-scale nuclear tests in response to US plans to restart its own program, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov has said.
Belousov told Russian President Vladimir Putin at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that Moscow “must respond to Washington’s steps to ensure the security of Russia. It is expedient to start preparing for full-scale nuclear tests immediately.”
Putin responded by reiterating that Russia has long said it would adhere to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, provided other members do not violate the deal.
“If the US or other states party to the relevant treaty conduct such tests, then Russia will also be required to take appropriate retaliatory measures,” the president said.
❗️Trump’s Desire for Armed Nuclear Weapons Tests Greatly Increases Level of Danger for Russia – 🇷🇺Def Min
“Moscow must respond to Washington’s steps to ensure the security of Russia, it is expedient to start preparing for full-scale nuclear tests immediately,” Belousov told… pic.twitter.com/Yx3PFUmlmG
Putin went on to instruct all relevant government agencies, including the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry, to gather and analyse the necessary information on US plans to restart nuclear tests, before submitting proposals on “the possible commencement of work on preparing for nuclear weapons tests.”
Last week, US President Donald Trump ordered the Department of War to begin preparations for nuclear testing, claiming the US is “the only country that doesn’t test.”
Trump accused Russia and China of conducting “secret” nuclear explosions, although both Moscow and Beijing have refuted the allegations. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has also said the nuclear watchdog has no indication that either country has conducted any nuclear detonations.
Following Trump’s statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow is still waiting for “clarifications from the American side” as to the full meaning of the US president’s comments.
Ukraine’s military command apparently lies to the country’s leader about the state of the front, Moscow has said
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky is either “divorced from reality” after being deceived by his military commanders or deliberately lies to his nation, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
The rebuke came in response to claims made by Zelensky about the situation in Kupyansk, where he said Moscow’s forces are being pushed back. The Russian military said the opposite was true.
“The head of the Kiev regime is fully divorced from reality and, after hearing untrue reports from [armed forces Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr] Syrsky has no command of the operative situation on the ground,” the Russian statement said.
”Alternatively, he realizes the desperate situation and the true position of the Ukrainian armed forces in Kupyansk. That is why he is trying to keep hiding the truth from the people of Ukraine and his Western sponsors at the cost of ignoble deaths of thousands of Ukrainian troops.”
The ministry suggested that Kiev could be stalling to secure and embezzle additional aid from the West. It added that the situation is only getting worse for Ukrainian soldiers, who are not given any options by their commanders to save their lives except surrendering to their Russian opponents.
Zelensky previously claimed that the Russian military presence near Kupyansk was limited to a mere 60 troops and that the Ukrainian military had a roadmap for completing a “swipe” of the area, which he declined to disclose.
The Ukrainian government has denied Russian reports that its forces are encircled in two specific areas on the front, with over 10,000 soldiers reportedly trapped. Last week Kiev deployed elite commandos near Krasnoarmeysk (also known as Pokrovsk), who reportedly suffered heavy losses in their attempt to shore up positions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reported the dire situation for the Ukrainians near Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk (also known as Pokrovsk) in late October, urging Kiev to agree to an honorary surrender of the blockaded troops.
Dmitry Peskov says both Moscow and Beijing remain committed to moratoriums on nuclear detonations
The Kremlin has called for clarification from Washington following recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, who claimed that Russia and China are secretly conducting nuclear weapons tests.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told RT on Tuesday that neither country has resumed such activities and that both remain committed to existing international agreements.
“We probably still need to receive some clarifications from the American side,” Peskov said. “Neither Russia nor China has resumed any nuclear tests. Moreover, both Moscow and Beijing insist that all countries remain committed to their obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.”
Peskov made the remarks days after Trump claimed in a televised interview that the US was the “only country that doesn’t test” nuclear weapons, and suggested that both Moscow and Beijing had resumed such activities.
He ordered the Pentagon last week to begin preparations to restart nuclear testing.
“What the head of the American state means, we simply cannot say right now, unfortunately,” the Kremlin spokesman added.
The US last carried out a full-scale nuclear test in 1992; a moratorium has been in place since then.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified on Sunday that the tests ordered by Trump would not involve live detonations, describing them as “non-critical” trials meant to ensure the reliability of aging components.
Despite Trump’s assertions, Russia’s most recent nuclear-related tests – including the launch of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater drone – did not involve nuclear explosions.
Putin has previously indicated that Russia would only consider resuming testing if other nuclear powers officially abandon the moratorium.
China’s Foreign Ministry has also denied conducting nuclear tests and has urged the US to uphold its obligations under the framework of the global test ban.
While Trump claimed the goal of renewed testing was to push for global denuclearization, he also boasted that the US possesses enough nuclear weapons “to blow up the world 150 times.”
“Let them take a look,” the president told the developers of the Burevestnik
Foreign military experts had the opportunity to observe and verify the capabilities of Russia’s new Burevestnik cruise missile, which features a nuclear-powered turbojet engine and is technically capable of unlimited range, President Vladimir Putin has said during a ceremony honoring those involved in the development of the new strategic weapon.
Last month, Russia successfully tested the Burevestnik missile, which according to the Russian military traveled more than 14,000km and remained airborne for about 15 hours.
“I think foreign experts were also able to verify this, since a NATO reconnaissance ship was constantly in the area during the tests of the Burevestnik on October 21. We didn’t interfere with its work. Let them take a look,” Putin said on Tuesday.
The Russian leader emphasized that Moscow is “not threatening anyone,” and that the tests are part of “long-announced work,” which should not come as a surprise.
In recent weeks, Russia has also tested the Poseidon, a nuclear-powered, torpedo-shaped drone, and launched a new nuclear submarine, the Khabarovsk, designed specifically to carry such drones.
Although none of these tests involved actual nuclear detonations, US President Donald Trump responded by ordering the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing strategic competition with Russia and China.
