Putin’s cheese mix-up and Ukrainian strike on Voronezh airfield dominate Thursday
During a government-business forum, President Vladimir Putin confused CEO Stefan Duerr over a cheese gift, and Ukraine later claimed to have hit six Russian Su-34 bombers in Voronezh Oblast.
President Vladimir Putin led a government-business meeting that featured Stefan Duerr, the German-born CEO of agricultural giant EkoNiva. Putin remarked that Duerr had once sent him cheese, a claim Duerr first rejected and then appeared to confirm, prompting state outlets to skip the awkward dialogue and focus on Putin’s praise of the dairy product. In a separate development, the Ukrainian Navy reported that a Neptune missile attack on the Borisoglebsk military airfield in Voronezh Oblast struck six Su-34M bombers and caused additional damage to aviation support equipment, with each aircraft estimated to cost roughly $36 million.
EkoNiva did not immediately comment on whether it had sent cheese to the president. The two stories underscore both the peculiarities of Russian political theatrics and the ongoing military pressure on Russian territory.
Why it matters
The incident shows Putin’s unusual public interactions while Ukraine’s strike signals continued escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
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