Since the start of the war, tens of thousands of Muslims have either picked up arms or assisted in the war efforts in other ways. While most of these Muslims are of course Ukrainian, many are from Caucasus, and Chechnya in particular.

South Africa has begun military exercises with both China and Russia as part of a routine army drill. The joint training has drawn immense criticism from the West, coming nearly one year on from the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Many Chechen groups have formed or moved to Ukraine throughout the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. Several hundred fighters have joined the war, most joining one of several Chechen groups. Some of these groups started operations during the Donbas war in 2014.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto spoke with FRANCE 24’s Marc Perelman during the Munich Security Conference. The president discussed Finland’s plans to join NATO, whether Western leaders misjudged Russian President Vladimir Putin prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and whether there is a risk that Russian military action will expand further into Europe.

Yevgeny Prigozhin has admitted to leading the Wagner Group of mercenaries and a massive internet troll farm. But is he a threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin, or is he just doing what the Kremlin leader wants?

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said cutting off relations with Russia would not be in the country's national interest. Hungary is heavily reliant on Russia for its energy needs.

The US had said China was possibly considering supplying Russia with weapons amid the war in Ukraine. But Beijing insisted it was Washington that was "endlessly shipping weapons to the battlefield."

At least 5,000 Ukrainian civilians are thought to be languishing in prisons in Russia. Many were arbitrarily detained in Ukraine and forcibly deported when Russian forces swept towards Kyiv in the early days of the invasion. Now, almost a year later, their families are still desperate for news of their whereabouts.

Moldova's foreign minister told DW he believes "corrupt oligarchs" are working "shoulder to shoulder" with Russia to destabilize his country. Nicu Popescu called for the European Union to sanction those accused.

Vladimir Putin claims the Russian economy has withstood Western sanctions, as he prepares to mark one year since the invasion of Ukraine. While Russia's GDP has contracted less than many analysts expected, Beata Javorcik of the EBRD explains that's largely the result of years of "sanctions-proofing", and doesn't mean that households and businesses aren't suffering.

The UN General Assembly has voted 143-5 in favor of condemning Russia's annexation of territory in Ukraine's east and south. The motion garnered the most support of all resolutions condemning Moscow.

A Russian ship loaded with hypersonic missiles will take part in joint naval drills with China off South Africa's eastern coast this week. But a Russian commander denied there were plans to fire the weapons.