Global politics are casting a long shadow at the Venice Biennale, which opens for six months on Saturday. The world's oldest contemporary art event is off to a rocky start amid resignations, boycotts and protests over the inclusion of Russia and Israel.

About 352,000 Russian soldiers had died in the war against Ukraine through the end of 2025, according to a new estimate, underscoring the high cost that President Vladimir Putin is willing to bear to pursue his battlefield

The remarks came just hours after he had vowed victory in Ukraine at Moscow's most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed unwavering confidence in a victory in Ukraine during Saturday's Victory Day parade in Moscow, an event notably scaled back and missing heavy military hardware for the first time in almost two decades.

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin claims conflict ‘coming to an end’ after scaled-back Victory Day parade - Putin also said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe

The parade this year had no tanks or other military equipment rolling through Moscow's Red Square amid threats from Ukraine.

Japan may send government officials to Russia as early as the end of May to maintain communications with Moscow to support its companies that are still operating there, the trade ministry said in a post on X.

Until now, Vladimir Putin’s government is thought to have provided intelligence that enabled Iran to target American forces in the Middle East. This is the first evidence that it may also have offered to supply innovative weapons in large enough numbers to inflict many casualties on American and allied forces,