{"id":1092594,"date":"2026-07-16T10:07:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:07:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1092594\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T10:07:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:07:33","slug":"putins-war-on-russian-gangsters-shows-hes-terrified-of-what-comes-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1092594\/","title":{"rendered":"Putin’s war on Russian gangsters shows he’s terrified of what comes next"},"content":{"rendered":"

All of a sudden, Russia<\/a> seems like it is no country for old criminals, as the war in Ukraine<\/a> is triggering a war on crime bosses back home. This is a desperate bid by the Kremlin to forestall a new era of gangster turf wars reminiscent of the wild 1990s, when car bombings and drive-by shootings were a regular part of Moscow<\/a> life.<\/p>\n

Given that one of the foundations of Vladimir Putin\u2019s<\/a> legitimacy as president is his claim that he tamed the gangs, this is a major political, not just criminal, issue.<\/p>\n

Last week, a Moscow court ordered the arrest in absentia of Vyacheslav Shestakov, better known by his nickname \u201cSliva\u201d. Although Shestakov, 69, now lives in Spain, he was one of the leaders of Russia\u2019s notorious Lyubertsy organised crime group back in the 2000s.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tShorts\n\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\tScroll to previous short
\n\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\tScroll to next short
\n\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"\"\/<\/p>\n

\"Kent,Caption: Kent, England \u2013 14 June, 2022 \u2013 A man enjoying sunshine on a deck chair at Viking Bay in the seaside town of Broadstairs
Photographer: VictorHuang
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStock Editorial
Copyright: ? I-Wei Huang, All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n

news<\/p>\n

Temperatures to drop this weekend \u2013 but is another heatwave on the way?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Temperatures are set to drop across the UK this weekend after intensely hot weather, but will we see another heatwave any time soon?<\/p>\n

\nTemperatures to fall\n<\/p>\n

Fresher northerly winds will cause the temperature to drop by several degrees across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England this weekend. <\/p>\n

\"PeopleCaption: People use fans and they make an early morning journey towards the centre of Bristol where temperatures are already in the mid 20???s and extremely humid after overnight thunderstorms. A rare red warning for extreme heat has been issued by the Met Office as the UK has sweltered in exceptionally hot and humid conditions. The heatwave, driven by a \u201cheat-dome\u201d settling over western Europe that has brought extreme conditions across the continent, has led to health warnings, school closures and transport disruption. Picture date: Friday June 26, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Ben Birchall\/PA Wire
Photographer: Ben Birchall
Provider: Ben Birchall\/PA Wire
Source: PA<\/p>\n

\"LONDON,The Mayor of London has launched the UK capital\u2019s first plan to cope with extreme heat (Photo: Rasid Necati Aslim\/Getty)<\/p>\n

However, it will generally continue to be warmer than average, including in southern England where the heatwave threshold has now been met or exceeded for 12 days.<\/p>\n

\nForecast for the next week\n<\/p>\n

\"LONDON,Parts of southern England, including London, experienced hours of lightning and thunderstorms early Tuesday morning. Alongside the high humidity and heat warning, there is a further risk from storms this week (Photo: Dan Kitwood\/Getty)<\/p>\n

Still no rain<\/p>\n

There is still no sign of significant rain in the forecast.<\/p>\n

Drop in the north<\/p>\n

Scotland and northern England will be 5-7\u00b0C cooler.<\/p>\n

\"PeopleSunbathers head to Hastings Beach to cool off as the UK heatwave continues unabated (Photo: Gareth Fuller\/PA) <\/p>\n

\"A(Photo: REUTERS)<\/p>\n

Some relief in the south<\/p>\n

The Midlands, Wales and southern England\u00a0will be cooler but some parts could still exceed the heatwave threshold.<\/p>\n

\nWill the heatwave continue?\n<\/p>\n