President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree renaming Volgograd International Airport as Stalingrad, invoking Soviet wartime memory as Russia continues its war in Ukraine.
Published on the Kremlin’s website late Tuesday, the decree states the renaming aims “to perpetuate the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.” The Battle of Stalingrad, fought between 1942 and 1943, was the bloodiest of World War Two, claiming over a million Soviet casualties and turning the tide against Nazi Germany.
The city itself was renamed Volgograd in 1961 as part of Soviet de-Stalinisation. But the name Stalingrad still resonates deeply in Russia—symbolising both immense sacrifice and Stalin’s brutal legacy.
Putin has repeatedly framed his war in Ukraine as a modern echo of that historical struggle, drawing controversial comparisons between Nazi Germany and today’s Ukrainian leadership. Kyiv calls the rhetoric a cover for imperial aggression.
In a fiery speech last year on the 80th anniversary of the battle, Putin condemned Germany for arming Ukraine and warned again that Russia’s entire arsenal—including nuclear weapons—remains at its disposal.
The renaming of the airport ties the present to a mythologised past—one shaped by blood, memory, and ongoing war.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday an Easter ceasefire with Ukraine lasting 32-hours and said that Kyiv has agreed to abide by the measure. The ceasefire is expected to begin at 16:00 (13:00 GMT) on Saturday 11 April and last until midnight Sunday 12 April, the Kremlin said.
Ukraine has regained control of 480 sq. km (185 sq. miles) of territory in the southeastern and eastern parts of the front since late January, its Army Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said, adding that Russia was continuing its spring offensive.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had taken full control of the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine, suggesting they had seized a small remaining area that had stayed beyond their reach since 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he talked about a possible security partnership on Sunday with Jordan's King Abdullah over defending against drone attacks amid rising tensions over the Iran conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's President said an Israeli strike killed 13 security personnel in Nabatieh.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to continue dialogue and avoid steps that could worsen tensions after China-hosted talks in Urumqi, with Kabul and Beijing saying the meetings focused on easing differences and improving relations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Vice President JD Vance have arrived in Islamabad for talks aimed at easing regional tensions, as Pakistan hosts the discussions. Meanwhile, Lebanon and Israel are set to hold rare negotiations in Washington next Tuesday.
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Myanmar’s newly installed president, Min Aung Hlaing, has said his government faces major challenges and must work to restore the country’s international standing, including rebuilding strained ties with Southeast Asia after years of isolation.
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Afghanistan’s foreign ministry says the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged continued cooperation after talks in Kabul on aid coordination, bilateral ties and job creation.
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