Kommersant reported that the decision about Gurulyov—a mainstay of Russian TV, where he threatens the West—was partly because he posted an audio message in 2023 of Russian General Ivan Popov discussing the dire situation on the front line. Popov was later arrested.

Ukraine has advanced 5km (3 miles) deeper into Russian territory during the past week, as Russia again reportedly deployed North Korean forces against it. But as Kyiv’s forces advanced, United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a NATO meeting on Wednesday that it was “unrealistic” to expect a return to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders as he ruled out NATO membership for the war-torn nation – a major blow to Ukraine’s post-war ambitions.