TV News LIES

On the frozen frontline in the east of Zaporizhzhia, a Ukrainian soldier surveyed the fallout from a Russian assault. It was the middle of January 2024 and the ground was covered in ice. Two weeks earlier, an 18-strong Russian assault team had broken through the line and seized three positions, killing five Ukrainians and losing 10 Russians before ceding the thin stretch of land back to the Ukrainians just hours later. The three positions that had changed hands were each just a few foxholes in the ground –⁠ dots on a devastated landscape of craters and shredded trees.

The Ukrainian soldier filmed as he looked over the remains of his fallen comrades. "This is Vitas, the small one," he said, using the dead man's callsign. He examined another body. "A silver ring, this is Grinch," he said. With difficulty, he turned over another frozen body. It was in bad condition, but the face was recognisable. The soldier sighed. "What can I find to cover you, so that you won't get cold," he said to the dead man. He picked up a nearby helmet and placed it over the damaged face. "We have found the Penguin," he said.

A year later, in January 2025, a Russian soldier was frog-marched down the corridor of a rundown local courthouse in Zaporizhzhia flanked by five Ukrainian soldiers and a large rottweiler trained on the Russian's scent and straining at its leash to attack him. Dmitriy Kurashov, callsign 'Stalker', was about to go on trial for the alleged battlefield execution of Vitalii Hodniuk, a veteran 41-year-old Ukrainian soldier known by the callsign 'Penguin'.

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President Donald Trump proclaimed Saturday afternoon that the new war in the Middle East, initiated by Israel against its longtime foe Iran, “should end.” But as the Israeli offensive enters its third day, the conflict is expanding, with little sign that the U.S. will use its leverage as Israel’s chief military and diplomatic backer to halt the assault on Iranian targets. This has spurred retaliation by Iran and increased fears that American military sites and crucial global trade routes will soon be hit.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants a deal with Iran to sharply limit its nuclear program in exchange for relief from punishing economic sanctions led by the U.S. Some supporters of Israel’s assault claim it will make Iran more willing to compromise and eager to quickly reach an agreement. Instead, Saturday brought a confirmation from Oman — the Middle Eastern nation which hosts indirect negotiations between American and Israeli officials — that the planned upcoming round of talks has been canceled. Experts in nuclear diplomacy said they saw dwindling chances of Tehran agreeing to a deal soon.