From Foreign Waters

  "Everyone must react ... Do not wait for this to be forgotten," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on world leaders to respond in a video address after a grainy and extremely graphic clip surfaced online apparently showing a Ukrainian soldier being beheaded by a Russian serviceman. While Ukraine's SBU security service said it was investigating the matter, the Kremlin called the video "awful" but said its authenticity needed to be checked. The clip appears to have been filmed during the summer months, possibly on a mobile phone. It shows the victim wearing a yellow armband, frequently worn by Ukrainian soldiers as a means of identification. The perpetrator and other men were seen with white bands on their legs, usually worn as identifying symbols by Russian soldiers. The people can also be heard speaking Russian, although it cannot be used as conclusive evidence as several Ukrainians speak Russian as well. The short video showed a man wearing a whi...

  On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree in support of the "Defenders of the Fatherland" creating a special fund to support scores of soldiers - in addition to their families - fighting the brutal year-long conflict in neighbouring Ukraine where Russia's military has suffered a number of setbacks. The decree was published on the official government website. Russia rarely provides estimates of its losses in the special military operation launched in February last year. The measures announced in relation to the decree aim to ensure a decent life for soldiers involved in the war and for their partners and kids. Almost a year after he sent his military to fight the war in Ukraine, Putin revealed the support measure on February 21 at the Federal Assembly, adding "our duty" is to provide support to the families that have lost their loved ones in the Ukraine offensive and help them nurture their kids and offer them education as well as employment...

  Russia is freeing up Vladimir Putin's schedule around the upcoming G20 summit in India from September 9-10, in an effort to make it possible for the president to participate in the high-profile gathering after skipping the last two, according to people familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss plans that aren't yet announced. Kremlin defiance is seeing incredible growth as efforts by the West to isolate Russia over its so-called special military operation in Ukraine are stalling in the face of reluctance among other countries to join. Officials recently postponed an annual economic forum in Vladivostok to a week later to offer the Russian president greater flexibility and even introduce the possibility of senior officials from China and India attending the forum, the people said. Formally, India has invited Putin to the September summit and the Kremlin has accepted. Putin dropped plans to attend the G20 summit in Indonesia last year and sent For...