Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that the world was “millimeters away from catastrophe” due to daily Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken by phone with Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about the Israel-Iran crisis, with both leaders expressing “deep concern” and the need for a quick resolution, according to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency.
Putin has reiterated Russia’s willingness to help mediate the crisis and updated his Emirati counterpart about his conversations with other regional leaders, according to the report.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel’s “act of force” against Iran and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities when they spoke by phone on Monday, the Kremlin said.
“Both sides expressed the most serious concern about the ongoing escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict, which has already led to a large number of casualties and is fraught with serious long-term consequences for the entire region,” a Kremlin statement said.
“The leaders spoke in favor of an immediate cessation of hostilities and the settlement of contentious issues, including those related to the Iranian nuclear program, exclusively by political and diplomatic means.”
The two sides agreed to remain in close cooperation, the statement said.
The Kremlin's remarks on Wednesday come amid ongoing military escalations and conflicts unfolding across the globe for the past few years.
Israel-Iran war
On June 13 morning Israel targeted nuclear sites and military installations across Iran, killing nuclear scientists and senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers.
There were civilian casualties too, Tehran claimed.
By June 13 evening Iran responded, firing ballistic missiles at Israeli military sites, including those used to refuel fighter jets and warplanes.
The conflict between Iran and Israel entered its sixth day on Wednesday, with both sides widening their attacks.
In a live address, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran stands united and would not surrender.
In his statement, which comes after US President Donald Trump's call for the country to surrender, Khamenei warned that any US strike will have "serious irreparable consequences".
Israel–Gaza war
Since October 2023, the Israel–Gaza war has continued with no end in sight despite a ceasefire.
On June 17, Israeli forces killed more than 51 Palestinians and wounded many more after opening fire near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza, witnesses and rescuers told the BBC.
It has been 20 months since Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led cross-border attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
More than 55,297 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.
India–Pakistan conflict
In the early hours of May 7, India launched “Operation Sindoor,” a calculated military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly tourists.
The operation, which involved deep strikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), marked a significant shift in India’s counterterrorism doctrine.
India said it destroyed nine high-value terror launchpads linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen. These locations were identified as key training and operational hubs for attacks against India.
Pakistan responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Indian military and civilian infrastructure.
In retaliation to Pakistan’s drone and missile attacks on May 9–10, India carried out strikes on 11 Pakistani air bases, including Nur Khan, Rafiqi and Muridke.
India and Pakistan on May 10 announced an understanding to stop military actions against each other after three days of intense and escalating fighting.
Israel–Hezbollah
Since October 2023, Hezbollah in Lebanon has exchanged heavy fire with Israel.
After Israel launched strikes in Gaza in October 2023, a response to an attack by Hamas, another Iranian proxy group, Hezbollah launched missiles at northern Israeli communities, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes, and the two sides exchanged limited but regular fire for the best part of a year.
Israel stepped up its operations by exploding thousands of booby-trapped pagers and other mobile devices used by Hezbollah members, wounding many and leaving the group in disarray.
A subsequent military campaign saw Israel bombard parts of Beirut and target Hezbollah strongholds and commanders across the country before a November ceasefire — a deal that appears to still allow Israel to strike targets in Lebanon it deems a Hezbollah threat.
Russia–Ukraine war
At least 28 people have been killed in Ukraine after Russia’s strikes and more than 100 injured, officials said, as the death toll increased on Wednesday.
The attack was among the biggest on the capital since the start of Russia's full-scale war, with Ukraine's interior minister saying the country had been hit by 440 drones and 32 missiles.
Russia's defence ministry said it had targeted Ukraine's military-industrial complexes and that all its targets had been hit.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It currently controls around 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean peninsula it annexed in 2014 after the overthrow of Ukraine's pro-Russian president.
Peace talks between the two sides have so far failed to secure a ceasefire, and both sides remain deeply divided on how to end the war, with Ukraine pushing for an "unconditional ceasefire" as a first step, something Russia has repeatedly rejected.
Battle of Khartoum, Sudan
Sudan has been engulfed in brutal conflict since 15 April 2023, when tensions between the country’s two most powerful military factions erupted into civil war.
The conflict stems from a long-standing power struggle over military control and integration. Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began in the capital, Khartoum, and quickly spread across the country. International efforts to broker peace since have largely failed.
The conflict, which is approaching its third year now, has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies.
An estimated 30 million Sudanese civilians are in need of aid. Brutal attacks, looting and destruction of infrastructure have become commonplace. Millions of people lack access to essential medical care. Food shortages and economic collapse have worsened the suffering.
Red sea crisis
Beginning October 19, 2023, Yemen-based Houthi rebels, allied with Iran, initiated attacks on ships—including commercial and military vessels—off the Red Sea and Bab el‑Mandeb strait, demanding halting the Gaza offensive.
By March 2024, over 60 vessels had been attacked, disrupting global shipping.
Several naval powers — the US, UK, and regional allies — retaliated with airstrikes.
Losses included downed warplanes and casualties across national crews — Vietnamese, Filipino, Israeli and Yemeni civilians among them. Though maritime operations continue, insurgent actions and occasional strikes persist into mid‑2025, sustaining the persistent threat to shipping lanes.