Five individuals who are believed to be involved in a Russian spy group operating in the UK have stood before a judge in a courtroom.
Bulgarian citizens Orlin Roussev, Bizer Dzhambazov, Katrin Ivanova, Ivan Stoyanov, and Vanya Gaberova supposedly planned to collect valuable information for an enemy.
It is claimed that they watched and gathered information about individuals and locations that Russia was interested in between August 2020 and February 2023.
The people who were accused were kept in jail. It is said that they were spying to help Russia do bad things like kidnapping people.
They did not say if they were guilty or not at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. They were in different prisons and talked to the court through a video connection.
All five people who were on trial did not say anything except when they confirmed their names and dates of birth.
The police arrested them in February for breaking the Official Secrets Act. These people are,
Orlin Roussev, who is 45 years old, lives in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
Bizer Dzhambazov is a 41-year-old man from Harrow, which is in north-west London.
Katrin Ivanova, who is 31 years old, lives at the same address in Harrow.
Ivan Stoyanov is a 31-year-old man from Greenford, which is in west London.
Vanya Gaberova is a 29-year-old woman who lives in Churchway, a neighborhood in north-west London.
Prosecutor Kathryn Selby said that Mr. Roussev owned the main location in this country for the crime of spying.
He used to live in a guesthouse by the sea in Great Yarmouth, but it has closed down now.
MrRoussev is accused of planning and directing the group’s spying activities from the United Kingdom. They say that these actions happened in the UK and Europe.
MrStoyanov is an amateur mixed martial arts fighter who has competed in fights in the UK.
In Bulgaria, he took part in combat sambo fights, which are a type of martial arts that are well-liked in eastern Europe.
The five people on trial are being accused of working together with someone named Jan Marsalek on a secret plan. He is not accused or being held responsible in the case.
They say Mr Roussev got instructions from someone named Jan Marsalek who lives in another country.
MrMarsalek is a person from Austria who used to work as a high-ranking employee at Wirecard company. He is now wanted by the police in Germany because they believe he did some dishonest things.
People think he ran away to an airport near Vienna and then flew to Belarus on a private plane. He is supposedly in Russia now.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram said that the five people will go to court on October 13th.
Tag: Russia
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Five alleged Russian agents show up in court in London
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26 Russian drones shot down by Ukraine
Russia bombed a Ukrainian port called Izmail, where they export a lot of grain. The attack hurt two people and caused damage to the buildings and structures there.
A port building, places to store things, and more than 30 trucks and cars were broken in the attack. It lasted for more than two hours, according to Oleh Kiper, the governor of the Odesa region.
The Ukrainian military claims that it destroyed 26 out of the 38 attack drones made in Iran that they believe were sent by Russia.
Moscow has increased its air attacks on ports in Ukraine that are on the Danube River, like Izmail and Reni. This happened because they ended a grain agreement in July that used to protect the export of Ukrainian grains.
On Tuesday, a Russian missile strike caused damage to a local business in the southern Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, according to Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul.A drone from Ukraine attacked Russia’s Kursk, which caused power to be shut off in about seven towns nearby. The governor of the region, Roman Starovoyt, mentioned this on Tuesday.
Earlier, the defence ministry of Russia announced that they used their air defence systems to shoot down a drone that was launched by Ukraine. This happened near the Kursk at approximately 5:30 in the morning.
After many drones were shot down over the area near Ukraine, reports about it started to come out.
Yesterday, Russian missiles were launched at Ukraine’s port city of Odessa while the city’s Jewish community was celebrating Yom Kippur, a holy day.
Fighters attacked the famous Hotel Odessa, which was being used as a place to train soldiers. The fire caused by the attack caused severe damage to the building.
Some people saw Russia shoot many missiles at the Black Sea port for more than an hour. They said it was a constant attack. -
Ex-Wagner suspected of attempting to go back to Russia
The police in Norway have arrested a man who used to be in charge of a group called Wagner. He had asked for protection in Norway, but then tried to go back to Russia without permission.
This is the most recent colorful event involving Andrey Medvedev, who has been in the Western countries since January.
He got arrested right after he reached Norway because of immigration rules.
Then, in April, he admitted that he was part of a fight outside a bar and carrying a fake gun in public.
However, he was found not guilty of attacking police officers.
Mr Medvedev, who came from Russia’s northern region, crossed into Norway. People think that he is the first person from Wagner to leave and go to the Western countries.
The mercenary group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin until he died in a plane crash in August, has been involved in multiple operations orchestrated by Russia.
When Medvedev arrived in Norway, he explained that he wanted protection as he was afraid of being violently killed. He had witnessed some serious crimes during the war in Ukraine.
But in May, he said in a video on YouTube that he wanted to return, even though there may be danger to his life.
The police arrested a young man on Friday for trying to enter Russia, but they did not reveal his name.
You can only enter Russia at specific locations.
Mr Medvedev’s lawyer from Norway, Brynjulf Risnes, told Reuters news agency that his client’s true identity is confirmed. He also explained that the arrest happened because of a misunderstanding.
He went up there to look for the spot where he entered Norway in January. He was told to stop while he was riding in a taxi, “Mr.
He said he didn’t mean to go back. “He never came close to the border. “ -
Ukrainian forces have advanced in Verbove – senior commander
The person in charge of Ukraine’s counterattack in the south says that his forces have successfully entered Verbove. He also believes that there will be an even greater success in the near future.
“On the left side [near Verbove], we have made progress and are still moving forward,” Oleksandr Tarnavsky told CNN Senior International Correspondent Frederik Pleitgen in an interview on Friday. However, he admitted that his soldiers were not advancing as quickly as expected.
“He said that it didn’t happen as quickly as people thought and that it wasn’t like what is shown in movies about the Second World War. ” The most important thing is to not give up on this initiative that we have. And, um, to ensure that it doesn’t get forgotten, we need to take action.
The general’s statement shows that Ukrainian officials are making progress in the southern part of the war with Russia.
Recently, Ukrainian forces said they have made progress in getting past the first line of Russian strongholds in the Zaporizhzia region. This suggests that Kyiv is getting closer to the large network of reinforced trenches that Moscow has built along the southern front.
Officials chosen by Russia who are in control of Zaporizhzhia, a place that has been taken over by force, have described the fighting in a way that is different from what others are saying. CNN can not confirm the reports about what is happening on the battlefield from either side. But, from looking at videos that are freely available, it seems that some Ukrainian groups have managed to get past a significant part of the Russian defenses near the village of Verbove.
Ukraine wants to cut off Russia’s connection between the territory it has in the east and annexed Crimea.
I nearly September, Ukrainian forces claimed that they had captured the village of Robotyne and were now moving towards the village of Novoprokopivka in the east. The soldiers believed there would be fights to gain control of the higher areas in the south and east of the village as they moved closer to the next set of Russian defenses. Verbove is to the east of Robotyne, a few miles away.
However,according to Tarnavsky, the breakthrough in the counterattack would be if Ukraine manages to capture Tokmak, which is an important location for Russia. This is the main goal for Ukraine in the southern battle.
CNN said earlier this week that Ukrainian forces were still about 20 kilometers away from Tokmak and having a hard time over coming the many layers of Russian defenses.
“I think there will definitely be a major breakthrough,” Tarnavsky said. Right now, the Russians are depending on the strength of their defense.
Instead of focusing on the defensive line called the ‘Surovikinline’, which was ordered by General Sergey Surovikin during his time leading the Russian forces in Ukraine, Tarnavsky believes that the more important concerns are the intersections,rows of trees, and areas with landmines between the tree lines.
“He said that there are small groups of enemies who are skilled and strategically placed. ” However, our fighters make them retreat gradually when they encounter our attack teams.
The leader agreed that for the attack to work, Ukrainian soldiers have to get to the town of Tokmak.
“He said that Tokmak is the lowest target. ” The main goal is to reach the borders of our state.
Tarnavsky admitted that the progress wasn’t as quick as they had hoped, but he assured that the counteroffensive would not be affected by the winter season.
Heavy rain in the fall can make the ground in Ukraine wet and make it harder to move with big machines, like tanks. But Tarnavsky says Ukraine’s forces move in small groups, mostly by walking.
Tarnavsky said that the weather might make it difficult to move forward, but since they mostly don’t use vehicles, he doesn’t think it will have a big impact on their counterattack.
Currently,both the enemy and us don’t use big groups of soldiers like companies, battalions, or brigades. He said that we use assault squads, which are groups of 10 to 15 men. “They do a lot of important work by drawing the attention of the enemy towards them and using every resource they have to stay alive. “
The general said that one reason for the slow progress was that Russia learned from previous Ukrainian attacks.
The Russians are learning quickly because they have no other options. “If they do not learn, they will lose earlier,” he said. I don’t think they are adjusting to what we do,because we also change our plans.
He mentioned that Ukraine has been learning to use equipment and strategies from the West.
When Tarnavsky was asked about more and more people in the Western countries, especially in the US, being against giving weapons to Ukraine due to doubt about Ukraine’s ability to win, Tarnavsky said he understood their opinion.
Let the skeptics have their own opinion. He said that we don’t have a choice and it’s not a competition. I know that someone might have thought of doing big attacks to defend themselves. But things are different now, the ways enemies fight are different, and the tools they use are different too.
Our main focus is to free and regain control of our lands. No matter how difficult it is, we will continue to work. I want to thank even those who doubt us,because their criticism also helps us succeed,” he said.
He thanked the Western countries that support Ukraine and promised to take good care of the tanks and armored vehicles they provided.
Look at the destruction caused by Ukraine’s attack on the main building of Russia’s Black Sea fleet.Wagner, in different places.
During the interview, the general also talked about how the mercenary group Wagner is doing right now.
He said that there are still some Wagner fighters appearing on the front line occasionally since their former boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, died in a plane crash last month. Prigozhin had led a failed rebellion that was the biggest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rule in a long time.
A agreement was made to calm down the crisis. It was supposed to send Prigozhin and his fighters to Belarus, but there are reports of Wagner fighters moving to Kherson instead.
When asked about those reports, Tarnavsky mentioned that he cannot confirm if they are coming from the Kherson region or our area or any other place, but they do exist in some places. The truth is that their badges can be seen in different places, and this has always been happening.
Tarnavsky said that his men often wondered if Wagner was around whenever their enemy started doing better.
“We think Wagner might be involved if we notice our offensive forces being stopped by a group of soldiers who are doing their job in a different and more exciting way,” he said. This makes you wonder: “Perhaps Wagner has arrived. ”
“But he said there is no such group in my part of the battlefield today. ” “About the direction to Kherson, I don’t know. ”
Ukraine recently attacked Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, which is in the Crimean peninsula. Russia took control of this area in 2014, without following the laws.
Tarnavsky said to CNN that attacking Crimea is necessary for Kyiv’s counterattack to be successful.
He said that offensive operations need to destroy both enemy soldiers and important areas where they keep equipment and people. This can cause chaos in the battlefield.
The general said that capturing Crimea was really important because it would motivate Ukrainian forces and make them feel more confident.
“He said it supports us and also gives us encouragement for what lies ahead. ” -
Five to be accused of espionage for Russia in UK
Five individuals believed to have been involved in spying for Russia will be formally accused of conspiring to carry out acts of espionage.
Orlin Roussev, Bizer Dzhambazov, Katrin Ivanova, Ivan Stoyanov, and Vanya Gaberova have a court hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The Bulgarians are accused of planning to collect helpful information for an enemy from August 2020 to February 2023.
The Metropolitan Police did an investigation, and this comes after it.
The defendants are accused of being part of a spy group for the Russian security services. They are said to have spied on specific people.
They are accused of doing secret work in the UK and Europe and giving information to Russia.
Mr Roussev, who is 45 years old, is accused of managing operations from the UK and connecting with individuals who received the intelligence.
Police officers searched properties in London and Norfolk that belonged to three people: Mr. Dzhambazov, and Ms. During their search, they discovered supposedly fake passports and official identification documents for various countries, including the UK, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, and the Czech Republic.
Some of the papers had pictures of Mr. Roussev and Mr. Some people believe that Mr. Roussev created fake documents himself.
The group is accused of planning a secret operation in Montenegro. In this operation, they made fake ID cards for journalists, including one that looked like Ms.
Mr Dzhambazov, and Ms. Ivanova have been living in the UK for a long time. They have been working in different types of jobs and living in various suburban houses.
Mr Roussev has done business in Russia in the past. He went to the UK in 2009 and worked for three years in a technical job in the finance industry.
On his LinkedIn page, it says that he eventually owned a company that dealt with signals intelligence. This means they intercepted and analyzed communications or electronic signals.
Mr Roussev, who currently lives in a seaside guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, says that he used to give advice to the Bulgarian ministry of energy.
In Harrow, people who used to live near Mr Dzhambazov and Ms Ivanova said they were a couple.
Mr Dzhambazov is a driver for hospitals and Ms Ivanova works as a laboratory assistant in a private health business, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The couple moved to the UK about 10 years ago. They started an organization that helps Bulgarian people in the UK by teaching them about British culture and how things are done here.
According to Bulgarian government papers on the internet, they also helped with voting for Bulgarians living in London during Bulgarian elections. -
Zelensky asserts food has turned into weapon
The Ukrainian president claims that while there are treaties prohibiting the use of weapons, there are no actual limitations on the weaponization of everyday items like bread.
“Since the start of the full-scale war, Russia has blocked the Ukrainian ports,” he claims. “Our ports on the Danube River remain a target for missiles and drones.”
Zelensky claims that Russia is pressuring other nations to recognise seized Ukrainian territory as Russian by exploiting food supply, and he thanks those nations for purchasing Ukrainian grain to thwart these efforts.
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Biden calls on UN officials to unite against Russia
US President Joe Biden has urged international leaders to unite against Russia at the annual UN General Assembly in New York.
He also told the delegates, “Today we have to stand up to this naked aggression and deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow.”
At the gathering of almost 200 nations is Ukrainian President Zelensky, who will speak later.The world needs to lessen its reliance on fossil fuels, according to President Biden, who views climate change as an existential threat.
There is also a chance for leaders to arrange meetings off-site with so many influential people congregating in one location.
But none of them are present: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, or French President Emmanuel Macron. -
Kim Jong-un inspects Russian warships, missiles, and bombers with nuclear weapons
Russia’s ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, told reporters that Kim’s programme was ‘very intense’ and that it was not yet clear how long he would remain in Russia, state news agency RIA reported.
It also quoted Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of Vladivostok’s Primorye region, as saying he would have talks with Kim on Sunday on cooperation in sport, tourism and culture.
After the aircraft and missiles, Kim inspected the Russian Pacific Fleet’s frigate ‘Marshal Shaposhnikov’ in Vladivostok and saw a demonstration of modern missile control systems, RIA said.
South Korea and the United States said on Friday that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia would violate UN sanctions against Pyongyang and that the allies would ensure there was a price to pay.
Russia has gone out of its way to publicise Kim’s visit and drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union.
For Putin, who says Moscow is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies while potentially securing a deep supply of artillery for the Ukraine war.
Washington has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, which has the world’s biggest store of nuclear warheads, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made.
Kim on Friday inspected a Russian fighter jet factory that is under Western sanctions.
He and Putin discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and deepening cooperation when they met on Wednesday.
Putin told reporters Russia was ‘not going to violate anything’, but would keep developing relations with North Korea.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there had not been a plan to sign any formal agreements during the visit.
Russian diplomats said Washington had no right to lecture Moscow after the United States had bolstered its allies across the world, including with a visit of a US nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine to South Korea in July.
While in Vladivostok, Kim watched the first act of the ballet ‘Sleeping Beauty’, staged by St Petersburg’s Mariinsky theatre, the RIA news agency reported.
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Russia and China applaud their cooperation in advance of Putin’s scheduled trip to Beijing
The top diplomats from Russia and China had a meeting in Moscow to talk about working together more closely on global issues. They also talked about an important visit that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be making to Beijing soon.
The two countries will work together at the UN General Assembly and other important meetings, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Wang, a person from China, went to Russia for a four-day trip. While Wang was in Russia, there was a meeting. At the same time, Han Zheng, who is the Vice President of China, met with Antony Blinken, who is the Secretary of State of the United States, in New York. They talked about keeping communication open between their countries.
The meeting between Wang and Sullivan in Malta last weekend might make it easier for Biden and Xi to meet in November during the APEC summit in the United States.
The Chinese government has been doing a lot of diplomatic work recently. This is because both China and the United States want to improve their relationship, which has become more and more difficult. Additionally, Chinese leaders want to change the way the world is governed because they think that the current system is controlled too much by Western countries. They believe that Russia is an important partner in achieving this goal.
During their meeting on Monday, Wang told Lavrov that China and Russia should collaborate to create a world where power is shared among many countries. He also mentioned that both countries have a duty to keep the world stable and peaceful.
Wang said China and Russia should work together more closely and make global governance fairer in response to one-sided actions and confrontations. This statement is in line with how China often describes actions from the US.
Wang also said that China and Russia’s relationship is not focused on or influenced by any other country.
“The diplomat said that China and Russia choose their own ways of dealing with other countries. ”
The information suggests that Putin is likely to visit China next month. Lavrov said that Russia will prepare for important meetings between the two countries.
During a meeting in Moscow in March, Xi invited Putin to come to a conference that is going to happen next month in Beijing. A person who works for the Kremlin said recently that the leader of Russia plans to go to China this summer.
Putin has not traveled much to other countries since he invaded Ukraine. This year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin because they believe he committed war crimes. He is now isolated from other countries diplomatically.
The meeting between the two leaders in March, which happened when Russia was attacking Ukraine, made it clear that Beijing is very dedicated to building a good relationship with Moscow. This resulted in over twelve agreements to strengthen collaboration in different areas like trade, technology, and state propaganda, as mentioned in a list provided by the Kremlin.
We work in tough situations when the world is going through major changes. In simpler words: Lavrov said during his meeting with Wang on Monday that it was very important that our leaders set clear directions for strengthening our strategic relationship in March of this year.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has changed their relationship. Because of sanctions, Moscow is now depending more on China for economic and diplomatic support.
China is trying to present itself as someone who can help make peace and is not favoring any particular side in the conflict. At the same time, China is supporting Russia financially and has not asked them to stop their attacks or remove their troops.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Lavrov and Wang both agreed that they need to think about Russia’s interests when trying to solve the conflict in Ukraine.
“The parties talked extensively about the current situation in Ukraine, recognizing that it is pointless to try and solve the crisis without considering everyone’s interests, especially without involving Russia,” the statement explained.
China’s summary said that they have consistently followed the peace talks and they promise to help find a political solution to the crisis.
Wang came to Moscow on Monday after a big meeting between Putin and Kim Jong Un last week. The US was worried that this meeting could result in North Korea giving weapons to Moscow for the war in Ukraine. -
Wang Yi, China’s top representative, visits Russia for security talks
China’s main diplomat Wang Yi is traveling to Russia to have discussions about security, as Moscow looks for ongoing assistance for its conflict with Ukraine.
China, a strong friend of Russia, is being accused of indirectly helping Russia during the war. However, China denies these claims.
He came to visit after Vladimir Putin met with Kim Jong Un from North Korea. The US was worried that they might make an agreement about weapons.
Russian media reports that Mr. Wang’s trip will prepare the way for Mr. Putin to make an important visit to Beijing in the near future.
Earlier this month, Mr Putin said he planned to meet with President Xi Jinping of China, but he did not specify the date or time of the meeting.
Some people think it’s probable that he will go to the Belt and Road Forum in the upcoming month.
He hasn’t gone to another country since the International Criminal Court said he did something wrong in March and wants to catch him for it. Putin last went to other countries in December 2022 when he visited Belarus and Kyrgyzstan.
China’s foreign ministry stated that Mr. Wang is currently in Russia for four days to discuss and analyze matters related to strategic security.
According to Russian news agency Tass, the Kremlin said that he would meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and the war in Ukraine would be an important topic of discussion.
They will also talk about increasing the number of Nato forces and infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as improving their coordination in international organizations like the UN.
China wants the Ukraine war to stop so it can fix its relationship with Europe. However, it doesn’t want to hold anyone responsible for the war because it supports Russia.
She said inviting Putin to China is a way to show support for Russia. But supporting Russia must also be seen as an effort to get Russia to the negotiating table. This is important so that China doesn’t make its position worse with the Europeans.
Mr Wang’s visit follows a few days after Mr. Putin’s very much talked-about greeting of Mr. Kim in the far east of Russia. The US claimed that the purpose of this visit was to discuss the sale of weapons from North Korea to Russia. It is believed that Moscow doesn’t have enough weapons and ammunition.
Russia and North Korea recently discussed helping each other with military activities and providing assistance for North Korea’s satellite program.
Mr Kim has finished his trip to Russia, according to the Korean Central News Agency on Monday. According to Russian and North Korean media, he is going home with some gifts which include a Russian-made gun, a glove worn by an astronaut, a vest that protects against bullets, a hat made of fur, and some military flying machines.When asked about Mr. Kim’s trip last week, China’s foreign ministry chose not to comment, stating that it was “something between their two countries. ”
But some experts think that if North Korea and Russia are supporting each other, China probably knows about it or even approves of it, because China has strong relationships with both countries.
These relationships go beyond socialist beliefs and their common lack of trust in the US and the West. Beijing has been a crucial source of economic support for Pyongyang by trading with them. In recent times, Beijing has also started buying more Russian oil and gas, which has become significant for Moscow.
Whatever is going on between Russia and North Korea cannot happen without China knowing about it. According to Alexander Korolev, an expert on the relationship between China and Russia, I don’t believe they would work together in military matters without Beijing’s permission.
China might consider North Korea as a helpful ally for Russia in the Ukraine conflict.
Allowing North Korea and Russia to work together in the military is a way for Russia to benefit without damaging its reputation much. It might say that North Korea’s bad government is to blame, even though other people aren’t involved. “He said it would be a good idea if this happens. ”
Mr Wang is visiting Russia after meeting with Jake Sullivan in Malta. In addition to the relationship between the US and China, the two men also talked about security in the region and the war in Ukraine, as stated by the US and China.
Mr Korolev said it is uncertain if China would put pressure on North Korea to stop cooperating, even though the US is discussing this with China. “If China wanted to follow America’s approach, they had more than a year to end the war but they chose not to,” he said.
The US has accused China of helping Russia with money and important technology since the war started.
A report from US intelligence, published in July, stated that Beijing is using different ways to help Russia’s economy, in order to reduce the impact of sanctions from Western countries and restrictions on exports.
This text mentions that China is buying more energy from Russia, using its currency more for transactions with Russia, and likely providing technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, like drones, to Ukraine.
China has always denied these claims and says it stays neutral in the war.
The country has made its own plan to bring peace to Ukraine. They shared the plan when their leader visited Moscow and met with the President earlier this year. -
Ukraine war: Russia requests UN court to dismiss lawsuit against it
Russia has asked the International Court of Justice to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Ukraine.
Kyiv is saying that Moscow is wrongly using a law about genocide as an excuse for their invasion.
Russia says it got involved in Ukraine to stop a mass killing of Russians in the eastern part of the country.
The court hearing in The Hague won’t decide if Russia’s invasion was legal. Instead, it will decide if the International Court can look into Ukraine’s complaints.
Ukraine claims that there was no chance of mass murder happening in the eastern part of the country, where they have been battling against Russian-supported groups since 2014.
This means that the treaty against genocide does not allow for any kind of invasion to stop a claimed genocide, no matter what.
Russia believes that Ukraine’s case is very flawed and claims that Ukraine actually wants a decision on whether Russia’s military actions were right or wrong.
Ukraine filed the case a few days after Russia invaded on February 24th last year.
In the middle of March, the highest court of the United Nations called on Russia to stop their military actions in Ukraine. However, Russia refused to follow this request, saying that the court did not have the power to make that decision and that Ukraine’s request was not valid.
In court on Monday, Russia’s lawyer, Gennady Kuzmin, said that because Ukraine claimed there was no genocide, there could not have been a violation of the United Nations Genocide Convention.
“He said that just that fact should be sufficient to dismiss the case. ”
In the next few days, the court will listen to the opinions of 32 other countries. They all agree with Ukraine that the court has the authority to deal with the case.
The meetings will probably continue until September 27th.
The 1948 UN Genocide Convention said that genocide is when someone intentionally tries to destroy a whole or part of a group of people because they are from a certain country, ethnicity, race, or religion.
Russian officials keep blaming Ukraine for committing genocide.
In 2017, Ukraine accused Russia of taking Crimea without permission and secretly supporting rebels who want to separate from Ukraine.
That action is still happening. It is based on United Nations conventions against terrorism and discrimination. -
Top Russian general gives stern warning regarding war in Ukraine
A top Russian commander has said that the conflict in Ukraine is a way for Russia to gain influence in other countries in Eastern Europe.
General Andrey Mordvichev suggested that Vladimir Putin is likely to expand the battle lines in the future. This has caused concern in Poland, Moldova, and Georgia, who have always been worried about this kind of escalation.
In an interview at the end of July, he said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is just the start of their plans to take over other countries using their military power.
Mordvichev, who was given a higher position to command the military in Central Military District and Russian Central Grouping of Forces in Ukraine, was asked how much longer the fighting will continue.
The top Russian military leader believes that the conflict in Ukraine is only the beginning of their plans to take control of other parts of Eastern Europe.
There is still a lot of time available. He said that there is no use in talking about a certain time period.
‘When we discuss Eastern Europe, which we must, it will take more time. ‘
According to a report from the Institute for the Study of War, Putin has praised Mordvichev in the past and may like him more than other military commanders.
It was said that the president probably gave him a promotion as a reward for being loyal and obedient, rather than for his performance in battle.
Mordvichev was incorrect when he said that Ukraine’s counterattack will be finished by the end of August.
Although progress has been slower than expected, Ukraine has made improvements in important areas that were previously occupied.
Predicting the future, Mordvichev said: ‘Ukraine won’t achieve a lot during the winter. ‘ I believe everything will be finished by spring.
They are being mean to us, and we will have to do something about it soon. We need to free our lands. We need to do it and we have to do it.
His comments came up again when security experts cautioned that Putin will be refilling his military weapons as a result of an agreement with North Korea.
Kim Jong-un and his counterpart had a meeting on Wednesday. The supreme leader promised to support Russia’s fight.
Ivan Stupak, who used to work for Ukraine’s Security Service, said to Metro that Russia wants old weapons from the Soviet era to start their own attack in the east.
The list includes different types of weapons and ammunition. It has projectiles for a self-propelled rocket launcher called BM-21 Grad, shells for artillery and tanks, rounds for assault guns, and mortar mines. -
Kim Jong Un extends his trip to Russia by number of days
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has made a surprise decision to stay longer in Russia, where he was having a meeting with President Vladimir Putin for a possible agreement on buying weapons.
The couple talked about ways they could work together in the military on Wednesday.
Mr Putin said yes to visiting North Korea when Mr. Kim invited him, according to a spokesperson from the Kremlin.
The US has warned that if anyone helps Moscow in its war against Ukraine, it would be against UN resolutions.
Mr Kim was warmly welcomed by Mr. Putin at the Vostochny space centre in Russia’s far east on Wednesday. The North Korean leader traveled there for two days in his private luxury bulletproof train.
Russian state media released video showing the two leaders smiling as they greeted each other with a handshake. Putin then personally accompanied Mr. Kim as they toured the space center.
They also gave each other presents, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Putin gave Mr. Kim a glove from a spacesuit that had been to space multiple times and also gave him a rifle made in Russia. Mr Kim gave Mr Putin a gun from North Korea, along with other gifts.
Mr Putin went back to Moscow after the meeting, but Mr. Kim’s visit would continue for a few more days, according to Mr. Peskov, who didn’t provide more details.
The leader of North Korea was going to watch Russian warships and also visit some factories and the city of Vladivostok before going back home.
The meeting on Wednesday happened when the two punished governments met, and their relationships with the Western countries are currently very bad.
The two leaders talked about the military and the war in Ukraine during the summit. Kim seemed to show support for the war.
“Russia is engaging in a serious fight to defend its independence and safety against Western powers,” Mr. Kim expressed, assuring Mr. Putin that he will consistently back him.
Mr Putin also mentioned that he would assist Pyongyang in creating satellites. This made the United States worried because they believe that Russian assistance with satellite technology could enhance North Korea’s missile program.
“That is very concerning and could potentially break several rules set by the UN Security Council,” said Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department, on Wednesday. Russia had previously agreed to these rules.
Mr Putin seemed to agree that there were some restrictions or limitations when it came to military collaboration.
The United States has said it will take action if North Korea gives weapons to Russia. In response, Russia said they care about their relationship with North Korea and don’t care about warnings from the US. -
Putin seems impatient as he keeps shifting his foot during meetings with Kim Jong-un
The president of Russia seemed impatient during the long summit at a spaceport called Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far east of the country.
The 70-year-old man held his fingers together and moved his foot back and forth on its heel while he talked about his conversations with Kim.
He is behaving in a way that makes people think he might have medical problems that he hasn’t talked about.
Last year, some videos appeared showing Putin holding onto tables or chair arms very firmly. This made some people think that he might have a serious illness like cancer or Parkinson’s disease.
Last year, there were some reports that said the president had a type of Parkinson’s disease. This disease makes people have uncontrollable movements. The Kremlin said these reports were not true.
He looked shaky and kept biting his lips while visiting a military base and attending an Easter church service.
Several pictures showed him with a swollen face, supposedly caused by taking steroids for treating pancreatic cancer.
He seemed unable to stop moving his feet while he was with Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in November.
Restless legs syndrome, also called Willis-Ekbom disease, is a common condition in people with Parkinson’s disease, but it can also have other causes.
Putin’s feet move and jerk uncontrollably during a meeting, which could be a sign that he has Parkinson’s Disease.
The warmonger showed strange behavior while welcoming Kim to Russia today, and it wasn’t just the foot twitches.
When the leader of North Korea parked his black car at the spaceport, Putin shook his hand in an uncomfortable way for about 40 seconds. Their handshake mostly involved holding each other’s hand tightly without moving.
However, their meeting mostly involved friendly conversations as both tried to figure out how they could help each other succeed.
Kim praised Russia for fighting against powerful forces and said that North Korea will always support them in their fight against imperialism.
People are guessing that Kim might be asking for assistance in making military spy satellites because of where the summit is happening.
Experts think that Putin wants to obtain many old artillery shells and rockets from North Korea. This could greatly help the Russian army in Ukraine.
But if we buy weapons from or give rocket technology to the country, it would break international rules that the Kremlin has previously agreed to follow.
According to Reuters, Kim wrote in a book at the space center, saying that Russia will always be remembered for giving birth to the first people who conquered space. -
Russian assistance reaches struggling ethnic Armenians
Nine months after Azerbaijan blocked a road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, a Russian truck has arrived in the region bringing humanitarian assistance.
The help did not go through the only way connecting it to Armenia, which has been closed since December. Instead, it went through a road in Azerbaijan.
For many months, the 120,000 people living in Nagorno-Karabakh have experienced a lack of necessary things.
But, some people who live here at first tried to block the help from coming.
According to Armenian reports, they agreed to let the shipment of food and toiletries pass, but only if Azerbaijan agreed to reopen the Lachin Corridor route to Armenia.
Azerbaijan said that it had given permission to use both routes at the same time through the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
For a long time, people have been upset about long lines and not being able to find bread and basic things like soap and toilet paper in the stores. This happened because Azerbaijan stopped the Lachin Corridor, saying that Armenia was using it to secretly bring in weapons.
The two countries in the South Caucasus have had two wars since the Soviet Union ended in 1990s.
Karabakh is an area within the borders of Azerbaijan, but Armenia has been in charge of it since 1994. The Azerbaijani forces took back all the land around the small area after the war in 2020.
This has made it more dangerous for ethnic Armenians to feel safe there.
Last week, the Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, complained that Russia does not want or cannot control the Lachin Corridor, despite deploying 3000 peacekeepers for the safety of the area.
“We’re seeing that Russia is unexpectedly moving away from the region, and we don’t know the reason,” he said to La Repubblica newspaper.
He said that Russia’s war in Ukraine shows that Russia needs weapons for itself. He also said that Armenia relying on only one source for security was a big mistake.
Armenia said it would hold exercises together with US forces this week. Moscow called these exercises “unfriendly steps”. Russia has a military base in Armenia that is always there.
A photo of Mr Pashinyan’s wife and Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, shaking hands in Kyiv last week made the situation more intense. Anna Hakobyan went to deliver help and meet the Armenian people living there. This showed she supports the country during their conflict with Russia.
Armenia is still part of Russia’s military alliance called the Collective Security Treaty Organisation. However, Pashinyan mentioned earlier this year that if the CSTO decided to leave Armenia, he might consider putting its membership in the alliance on hold.
President Vladimir Putin said that Armenia did not end its alliance with Russia, but he also said that Armenia essentially accepted that Azerbaijan has control over the area.
“He said, during a meeting about economy in Vladivostok, that if Armenia admitted that Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan, what actions should we take. ”
“I expect the leaders of Azerbaijan, just like they said before and are saying now, to not have any desire for any sort of forced removal of people based on their ethnicity. ” -
Russian plane forced to land in maize farm
A plane from Russia with 170 people aboard had to make an emergency landing in a field of maize because something went wrong with its hydraulic system.
Nobody got hurt in the accident. The Ural Airlines Airbus A320 got stuck near a forest in the Novosibirsk region of Siberia.
Ural said that the pilot chose the place to land after the jet’s hydraulic systems stopped working while getting near Omsk.
The airline denied that it couldn’t maintain its planes because of sanctions on Russia.
The pictures showed a plane stuck in a field of corn. The doors were open and ramps were down, and there were people walking around.
A video on social media showed a big machine cutting apart a plane, removing the cockpit, tail, and wings so that it could be taken away from the field more easily.
Russia’s aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, reported that an unexpected landing occurred early on Tuesday.
It also said that they chose a place to land from the sky near the village of Kamenka. No one on board asked for medical help, it said.
Rosaviatsia stated that they are looking into the emergency landing situation, and Ural Airlines mentioned that the crew members are temporarily relieved of duty until the investigation is finished.
The leader of Ural Airlines, Sergei Skuratov, stated that a part of the plane that controls its movement and brakes stopped working while it was flying from Sochi to Omsk on the coast of the Black Sea.
He said the marks above the wing in pictures were just dirt and that the plane did not catch fire.
If a plane’s hydraulic systems have a really bad problem, it can make the plane very hard to steer and control.
However, Russian aviation experts said that there are extra systems in place and disagreed with the crew’s choice to abandon the aircraft.
“Andrei Litvinov, the pilot of the A320, told Gazeta. ru that there are three hydraulic systems and one electric system. ” “We don’t have to land the plane in a field. ”
He said that the decision put the lives of people on the plane and on the ground at risk.
Sanctions against Russia are causing problems for airlines.
The emergency landing happened because Russian airlines are having trouble getting necessary parts for their planes because of sanctions from Western countries. The sanctions are because of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
In March, a Russian media company called Vedomosti reported that Ural Airlines official Igor Poddubny said they had approximately three months left before they started taking apart planes to use their parts.
However, Skuratov insists that all the planes in his airline are fixed with real parts.
Mr Skuratov said that we will never let wrong spare parts be used. It’s hard and takes effort, but all the spare parts used on our aircraft are approved.
“I guarantee it with certainty. ”
The Interfax agency said that the A320 plane that crashed was around 20 years old and had a certificate saying it was safe to fly until the end of next year.
In August, Reuters mentioned that Ural Airlines and other Russian airlines found a way to evade Western sanctions multiple times. They used intermediaries in countries like China and the UAE, which don’t follow the restrictions.
In 2019, a Ural Airlines airplane had to land in a field near Moscow because some birds hit it while it was taking off. About 70 out of the 230 people traveling in the plane were hurt in the accident, which Russian media called the “miracle over Ramensk”.
The crew received awards from the government later on. -
Russian missile fired UK-flagged civilian cargo ship – UK
The UK says that Russia attacked a civilian cargo ship with many cruise missiles while it was in the Ukrainian port of Odesa last month.
The attack happened on 24 August but was stopped by Ukraine’s air defenses, according to the UK’s foreign office.
The ship from Liberia was attacked by missiles shot from a Russian carrier, it said.
In July, Russia said that ships going to Ukraine’s ports through the Black Sea could be attacked by the military.
The warning came after Moscow backed out of an important grain agreement supported by the United Nations. This agreement allowed civilian cargo ships to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.
President Vladimir Putin was upset because there were too many rules and limits on his country’s farm products.
Moscow wanted a big Russian bank to join a worldwide payments system, restrictions to be removed on Russian fertilizer companies, and for its ships to have complete access to insurance and foreign ports.
What was the Ukraine grain deal about.
It started attacking ports in southern Ukraine not long after it withdrew from the deal, even though it promised not to do such attacks in the agreement.
On Monday, the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to parliament and said that the failed attack on the grain ship only showed how desperate Putin is.
Mr Sunak said that Ukraine has the legal right to sell their goods to other countries using the oceans, and they also have a moral right to transport and sell grain that helps in feeding people all over the world.
Russia has not said anything about the attack yet.
Recently, Moscow has been focusing more on damaging ports in Ukraine after they withdrew from the grain agreement. Kyiv said that someone has made a sneaky plan to hurt its grain exports and weaken global food safety.
The Foreign Office said that Russia destroyed 280,000 tonnes of grain after leaving the deal. They accused Russia of using food and trade to harm the rest of the world.
Officials also said that Russian attacks have caused damage to 26 port infrastructure facilities in Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Reni since July.
In July, officials from Kenya said that Russia’s decision to withdraw from the deal was a betrayal to countries suffering from drought.
Korir Sing’Oei, a high-ranking official in Kenya’s foreign affairs ministry, said that if there is an increase in the amount of food available worldwide due to this action, it will affect the countries in the Horn of Africa more than other places because they are already suffering from drought.
President Vladimir Putin has promised to give free grain to six African countries that have shown support for Russia at international meetings.
The foreign office said that the Russian strikes destroyed more grain than they promised to give to African countries. This grain could have fed about a million people for a year. -
Kim Jong Un travels to Russia in armoured train for talks with Putin
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in Russia via rail for an anticipated meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
The United States suggests that Moscow is interested in procuring ammunition for the conflict in Ukraine.
In contrast, North Korea is seeking food aid and potentially technology support for its prohibited nuclear and missile programs, as per analysts.
President Putin is currently in Vladivostok, located in Russia’s far east, approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the North Korean border. However, the exact meeting location remains unclear, as Kim’s train is reportedly moving northward, away from Vladivostok.
This marks Kim’s first overseas trip in four years, with his last face-to-face meeting with Putin occurring in 2019.
Putin Challenges the U.S.: "If Ukraine is Ready for Talks, Let Them Revoke Zelensky's Ban,"
— Zlatti71 (@djuric_zlatko) September 12, 2023
September 12, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a bold challenge to the United States, stating that if they believe Ukraine is prepared for negotiations, they should… pic.twitter.com/Nw2qe22YFkThe most recent meeting between the Russian and North Korean leaders occurred in 2019, coinciding with a breakdown in denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang.
During that time, Putin served as an intermediary, providing updates to both China and the Trump administration. Additionally, Russia supported UN sanctions aimed at curtailing North Korea’s weapons programs in 2017.
The geopolitical landscape has evolved significantly since then. Moscow and Pyongyang have grown closer in the wake of the Ukraine conflict, with both nations holding the US responsible for the war.
In July, North Korea extended a warm welcome to Russia’s Defence Minister, Sergey Shoigu, and subsequently, Moscow blocked efforts within the UN Security Council to bolster sanctions against Pyongyang.
Furthermore, the power dynamics in Northeast Asia have shifted as the United States forged an alliance between Japan and South Korea, an alliance that few believed was possible.
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Kim Jong Un to reportedly meet Putin in Russia
Reports indicate that North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has commenced his journey to Vladivostok for an upcoming summit with Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin.
According to South Korean media sources citing a government official, Kim’s armored train, typically used for his foreign visits, has left Pyongyang. The summit is anticipated to occur as early as Tuesday local time.
Earlier, the Russian news agency Interfax had reported that Kim’s visit to Russia was expected “in the coming days.” This summit marks Kim Jong Un’s first international trip in over four years and his first since the onset of the pandemic.
During the meeting, the two leaders are likely to discuss the potential for North Korea to provide military support to Russia for its involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, as indicated by a US official speaking to the BBC’s US partner, CBS.
Kim Jong Un’s previous foreign trip was to Vladivostok in 2019 for his initial summit with Putin, following the breakdown of North Korea’s nuclear disarmament talks with then-US President Donald Trump.
The North Korean leader’s travel to Vladivostok involves an armored train rumored to include at least 20 bulletproof cars, making it heavier than standard trains and limited to a maximum speed of 59 km/h (37 mph). The journey to Vladivostok is expected to span an entire day.
This potential meeting comes after the White House disclosed that arms negotiations between North Korea and Russia were “actively advancing,” with Russia’s Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, reportedly attempting to negotiate the purchase of artillery ammunition from Pyongyang during a recent visit to North Korea.
Russia is believed to be in need of 122mm and 152mm shells due to dwindling stocks, although determining North Korea’s full artillery inventory is challenging due to its secretive nature.
The weapons displayed during the meeting between Kim Jong Un and Sergei Shoigu in July included the Hwasong intercontinental ballistic missile, believed to be North Korea’s first ICBM to use solid propellants.
This event marked the first time Kim Jong Un had opened North Korea’s doors to foreign guests since the onset of the Covid pandemic.
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Kim Jong Un of North Korea allegedly travelling to Russia – South Korean media
Per South Korean media and government officials, it seems that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is currently travelling on a train towards Russia.
Russia and North Korea have not confirmed the meeting officially.
The newest news in the media is that Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin are likely to have a meeting soon to talk about weapons. The exact date and place of this meeting have not been announced yet.
If the visit happens, it would be Kim’s first trip to another country since the Covid-19 pandemic started. North Korea, which has closed its borders for most of the past three years, has only recently started to loosen travel restrictions.
Kim has only gone on 10 trips since taking control in 2011. All of those happened in 2018 and 2019, when the leader of North Korea talked with then-US President Donald Trump about his nuclear weapons and missiles. They had three meetings in Singapore, Hanoi, and the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea.
Kim also went to China four times during those two years to meet with the leader of China, Xi Jinping. He also met with Putin once in Vladivostok in April 2019. Afterwards, we went on a trip to the DMZ in 2018 to meet with the South Korean President at that time, Moon Jae-in.
Vladivostok is located 130 km (80 miles) away from the North Korea border.
The leader of North Korea likes to travel in a fancy train that is protected and his father also did the same. However, most of his trips to other countries are not done by train. Three out of the nine trips were taken by airplanes, and two trips, which were both to the DMZ, were done by car.
The Russian defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, went to Pyongyang in July to ask them to sell artillery ammunition.
Jake Sullivan, a person from the White House who helps keep the country safe, said that North Korea will face consequences if it makes a deal with Russia to get weapons. He didn’t say exactly what those consequences would be.
North Korea is already being punished by the United Nations and the United States for having weapons of mass destruction.
The possible meeting between Putin and Kim could allow Pyongyang to obtain weapons that have been banned from them for 20 years, especially for their nuclear missile program.
Additionally, this comes after over a year and a half of fighting in Ukraine, which has significantly damaged the Russian military and caused a shortage of resources. -
Paying respects to foreign charity workers slain in Bakhmut by Russian strikes
Two people from another country who were helping Ukraine have been killed and two others have been hurt in the most recent attack by Russia.
Four people who were helping with relief efforts in Chasiv Yar were in a van on Sunday. The van got hit, flipped over, and caught fire.
The charity helps injured people who had to leave areas where there is fighting. They announced that a Canadian named Anthony Ihnat died in the attack. Additionally, a German medical volunteer named Ruben Mawick and Swedish volunteer named Johan Mathias Thyr were also seriously injured.
The organization Road to Relief couldn’t find their director, Emma Igual, who was from Spain and was also in the van. However, Spain’s acting foreign minister later said they were told verbally that she had passed away.
In eastern Ukraine, the Bakhmut area was attacked by Russia on Sunday, while the capital city of Kyiv experienced many drone attacks.
Serhii Popko, who is in charge of Kyiv’s military administration, said that more than 25 drones were shot down in the early hours of the morning. However, some parts of the drones fell on different areas of the city, and one person got hurt.
The volunteers were going to see what the people on the outskirts of Bakhmut needed. This was happening because Ukraine is fighting back against Russia’s control of the town.
Spanish media has given recognition and praise to Emma Igual.
Spain’s defense minister Margarita Robles expressed her support for the family of the Spanish aid worker and the Ukrainian citizens impacted by these violent acts.
‘Putin is the only person who is responsible. ‘
The temporary minister of Labour, Yolanda Diaz, described Emma as a young woman who strongly believes in human rights and embodies the admirable qualities of our country.
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who is the leader of the People’s Party, praised Emma for showing commitment, bravery, and kindness while she was in Ukraine. He also expressed his love and support for her family, friends, and colleagues.
Ruben Mawick and Johan Mathias Thyr got hurt really bad but they are now in stable condition in different hospitals that are far away from where it happened, according to El Mundo. -
Russia applauds unexpected G20 ‘milestone’ , Ukraine fumes
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said he is happy with a statement made by G20 leaders in Delhi. The statement does not criticize Russia for its conflict with Ukraine.
Mr Lavrov said that Russia was not expecting everyone to agree, but they saw the agreement on the wording as a positive step.
The G20 statement said it is wrong to use force to take over land, but did not mention Russia’s aggressive actions. Ukraine criticized this.
The meeting that lasted for two days also welcomed the African Union as a new permanent member.
The group of 55 countries is invited by India to join. India wants to include more countries from the Global South in the G20.
The largest economies in the world made important agreements in Delhi. They agreed on issues like climate change and using biofuels. However, some people were upset because they did not agree to stop using fossil fuels.
For the second year in a row, there was no official G20 “family photo”. (Simple words) No explanation was given, but there are reports that many leaders did not want to take pictures, because they were upset about Russia being at the meeting.
Only a small number of people had expected all the countries in the G20 to make a statement together, especially on the first day of the summit. The group is strongly split over Russia’s attack on Ukraine last year. Neither Russia’s Vladimir Putin nor China’s Xi Jinping came to Delhi. Instead, they sent representatives of lower rank.
There was a surprise when, only a few hours after the summit began, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that they had agreed on how to word the part about Ukraine in the statement. This part had criticized Russia last year, but now it was made less strong.
Mr Lavrov said at a press conference on Sunday that an important point had been reached.
To put it simply, we were really surprised. We were prepared to protect our choice of words in the text. He responded to a question from the BBC’s Yogita Limaye by saying that the Global South is no longer interested in being told what to do.
The UK and US also mentioned the joint statement positively, but Ukraine, who participated in last year’s Bali summit but was not included this year, expressed that they were not proud of it.
Last year in Bali, most members strongly criticized Russia’s aggressive behavior towards Ukraine. In contrast, the Delhi declaration discusses the harm and negative effects of the war in Ukraine on worldwide food and energy security.
It asks countries to not use violence to try to take land from other countries. This might be talking about Russia, but it says that different people have different opinions about what is going on.
Experts say that the way money and influence are shared among the top 20 economies in the world is changing. It is no longer just the wealthy countries in the Western world that have the most control, but also the big developing countries in Asia.
There were also important events at the summit that focused on making plans to address climate change.
The G20 countries have agreed to work together to increase renewable energy capacity by three times using their current goals and policies. The group represents over 75% of the greenhouse gases discharged worldwide.
India, the United States, and Brazil have come together to create a global alliance for biofuels. The purpose of this alliance is to increase the use of cleaner fuels. The grouping aims to help speed up worldwide efforts to reach the goal of no net emissions by promoting the trading of biofuels made from things like leftover plant and animal materials.There was also a big agreement between countries in the Middle East and South Asia about building railways and ports, which happened during the summit. The pact is seen as a way to oppose China’s efforts to expand global infrastructure through their Belt and Road project.
On Sunday afternoon, Mr. Modi ended the summit, which had been hyped up and waited for for months. He gave President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil a special hammer, as he is becoming the president.
President Lula focused on the difficulties that developing countries experience in his speech.
“We live in a world where there is a lot of wealth in the hands of a few, while millions of people still don’t have enough to eat. Our efforts towards sustainable development are constantly at risk, and the institutions that govern the world still operate based on outdated ideas from the middle of the previous century,” he said.
Heavy rain during the monsoon spoiled some events that were supposed to happen earlier in the day. Despite the rain, leaders walked in the rain to honor Mahatma Gandhi, who fought for India’s independence, at the place where he was cremated. A ceremony where trees were planted was changed to become a symbolic action where G20 presidents traded young trees among themselves.
Mr Modi’s government has organized a fancy event, where delegates are enjoying cultural performances, a big dinner party, and excellent Indian hospitality.
However, some disagreements arose, particularly when Mr. Modi held up a sign at the beginning of the summit that said “Bharat” (which is the Hindi word for India). This caused some people to wonder if there might be a potential name change for India.
Mr Modi and his ministers said that the event was a big success and showed that India is a strong global leader.
“We have tried our best to include as many people as possible in this G20,” said Foreign Minister S Jaishankar.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that India has successfully made sure that disagreements on certain matters do not take away attention from the important developmental issues that are of concern to the global community.
“She said that India’s G20 Presidency has successfully followed through with its actions”. -
Russian official summoned by Romania for drone parts that fell on its land
Romania’s foreign ministry called in Russia‘s representative after pieces of drones were discovered inside Romania’s borders, which is a member of NATO. This is the second time such incidents have occurred within a week.
For a long time, Vladimir Putin has been using Iranian Shahed drones to attack Ukraine’s biggest ports that are used to export grain.
Klaus Iohannis, the president of Romania, keeps saying that the attacks happening nearby are a big threat to the Black Sea’s safety.
However, Russia has still been attacking buildings and ports that are used by regular people and located near the Danube River in the Odesa region. These places are only a short distance away from a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
During the explosions in Ukraine’s river ports, Romanian authorities found another set of broken drone pieces that had crashed on its shores within a week.
The attacks have made the military alliance, whose members promise to protect each other, more vulnerable to security threats.
The head of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest was called in for an urgent meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
‘The State Secretary for Strategic Affairs, Iulian Fota, expressed Romania’s concern about a violation of our country’s airspace. This happened after finding some drone pieces near the border with Ukraine. These drone pieces were similar to the ones used by Russian forces in the attack on Ukraine. ’ -
Turkey unintentionally ‘declares war’ on Russia in front Putin
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, unintentionally seemed to start a war with Russia because of a mistake in translation during a meeting with Vladimir Putin.
The translator at a meeting in Sochi said that Russia and Turkey are fighting each other in a war.
Turkey is a member of Nato, and if this statement is accurate, it would cause a big war all over the world.
But Putin, who was there to talk about the Black Sea Grain agreement, seemed unfazed by the apparent mistake.
The interpreter made a mistake, causing Turkey’s president to say he is going to start a war with Russia.
It was not clear if the male interpreter was from Russia or Turkey, but the official meeting record showed that the translator, not Erdoğan, had made the mistake.
The Turkish president told Putin that the current situation between Ukraine and Russia is the reason for their visit.
And your invitation – we are happy that we got your invitation. My group is happy to have gotten this invitation.
The meeting was organized to make an agreement on the Black Sea grain initiative, which aims to provide food to the poorest countries in the world.
Putin told Erdoğan that Russia is willing to provide Turkey with up to one million tons of grain at a lower price. Russia sees Turkey as a middleman between them and the western countries.
The meeting was an uncommon visit for a foreign leader to Russia. Putin is feeling more and more alone because of the violent war he is having with Ukraine.
In March, the ruler of a country was given a legal order to be arrested by an international court for doing bad things during the war in Ukraine. This makes it hard for him to go to other countries.
Some believe that the reason for holding the summit in Sochi was because of this, while others argue that it is a way for Putin to hide his rumored health issues.
Putin said during his press conference that he feels like he was tricked by the West regarding the grain export deal. He also reiterated that Russia would only participate in the deal again if the West stops limiting the export of Russian agricultural products to the world.
“The dictator said that our Western partners cheated on us once again, which is something that normally happens. ” ‘And they didn’t keep their promise – once more. ‘
Another agreement made with the United Nations asks for easier conditions to help Russia export food and fertilizers.
Erdoğan suggested that Ukraine should be less strict in its negotiations with Russia for reviving the deal. He also advised Ukraine to send more grain to Africa instead of Europe.
‘Ukraine needs to be more flexible in its approaches so that it is possible to take collaborative actions with Russia,’ he told reporters.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said on Ukrainian TV that Kyiv will not change its position but will consider what Turkey has said about the talks in Sochi.
Kuleba said that we should not keep being controlled by Russia’s threats and manipulation. Russia causes problems and then expects others to fix them.
We will protect our beliefs and stand up against sanctions on Russia. -
‘I need my husband by my side’ – Ukraine’s First Lady laments impact of Russian invasion
Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, has shared deeply personal insights in an interview with the BBC, shedding light on the profound emotional toll that the war has inflicted on her family.
“This may be a bit selfish, but I need my husband, not a historical figure, by my side,” she said.
She also mentioned the family’s longing to spend quality time together.
“But we stay strong, we have strength both emotionally and physically. And I am sure we will handle it together,” she added.
In February 2022, when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, along with her children, endured months of seclusion in undisclosed safe havens.
She recounted her initial emotional state during the invasion as being marked by “a continuous rush of adrenaline.” However, as time elapsed, she recognized the importance of finding ways to soothe herself and adapt to “the prevailing circumstances.”
Emerging from her period of concealment in the previous year, the conflict thrust the former scriptwriter into the international limelight. Since then, she has embarked on global travels, engaging with world leaders and delivering impactful speeches.
“We don’t live together with my husband, the family is separated.” Olena Zelenska told the BBC, “We have the opportunity to see each other but not as often as we would like. My son misses his father.”
However the uncertainty of living in war has come at an emotional cost for her children, she said.
“It pains me to watch that my kids don’t plan anything. At such an age, young people. My daughter is 19. They dream of travelling, of new sensations, emotions. She does not have such an opportunity.
“There are limitations in time in what you can allow yourself, they exist, and we somehow try to live within them.”
The first lady and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky were childhood sweethearts who eventually collaborated in a comedy ensemble and a television studio. He pursued an acting career, while she contributed as a scriptwriter.
Today, she looks back on their journey and acknowledges that she never envisioned her husband evolving into the “historic figure” he has become. She expresses her longing for his presence and the need for him to be by her side as her husband.
Despite what she said may be a “selfish” longing, Olena Zelenska said the president, “really does have the energy, the will power, inspiration, and stubbornness to go through this war.”
“I believe in him. And I support him. I know that he has enough strength. For any other person I know, I think, it would be much harder this situation. He really is a very strong and resilient person. And this resilience is what we all need right now.”
In her current role as the first lady, her primary focus has been on assisting Ukrainians in coping with the psychological repercussions of the ongoing war.
She is actively preparing to co-host a summit in Kyiv that will center on mental health and resilience. Renowned British actor and writer Stephen Fry, a prominent advocate for mental health causes, will join her as the co-host of this important event.
“I really hope that I can inspire someone, can give someone hope or advice, or prove with my own example that we live, we work, we move forward,” Olena Zelenska said.
“No one can know what awaits for them. After all, no one could have imagined that in the 21st Century, that such a war would be unleashed in the middle of Europe, that it would be so cruel. A bloody war. So, I have never imagined that I would be in this role at this time.”
Ukrainians cannot be sure about tomorrow or have confidence in the future, she explained – but they have hope.
“We have huge hope for victory, but we don’t know when it comes. And this long wait, constant stress, it has its toll.”
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Russia pushes North Korea to participate in ‘three-way war exercises with China’
Vladimir Putin‘s government suggested having joint naval exercises with Russia, China, and North Korea.
Russia and North Korea’s relationship has gotten stronger since Russia invaded Ukraine, but they have not yet done military exercises together.
There was talk that this could happen after Russia’s ambassador to Pyeongyang said to Russian media last week that joint exercises ‘seem right’.
A member of parliament from South Korea who was at a private meeting with the country’s spy agency mentioned that the topic was brought up.
The head of the agency, Kim Kyou-hyun, reportedly said that the Russian defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, probably suggested doing group navy exercises involving three countries during a meeting with Kim Jong-un in July.
On Monday, Shoigu spoke to reporters and said that Russia was thinking about doing the exercises, but he didn’t say whether he had suggested them or not.
He said: ‘We talk about this with everyone, even North Korea. Why not These people live next to us. Of course, we are talking about it.
‘We are currently doing exercises with our Chinese colleagues, and we are also doing patrols together with strategic bombers from our naval units. ‘
In July, there was a visit to remember and celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean war.
At that time, Shoigu promised to make the military relationship with North Korea stronger because they have a border and have worked together in the past.
He also went with an important Chinese Communist Party member to a military parade in North Korea.
It was seen as a demonstration that Russia and China are working together in their military activities. This comes after many reports that China is worried about the war in Ukraine.
According to recent reports from US intelligence, Putin himself has sent a letter to Kim Jong-un, requesting more weapons to be used against Ukraine. -
What has been learnt about drone attacks in Russia
Russia has documented a string of drone attacks within its borders, including an assault on an airport situated hundreds of miles away from Ukraine. This attack resulted in at least two military cargo planes catching fire.
Despite Moscow’s consistent allegations that Ukraine is responsible for these drone strikes in recent months, Ukraine has not claimed responsibility. However, President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously characterized attacks on Russian territory as an “inevitable, natural, and entirely justifiable occurrence.”
How many drone attacks have there been in Russia?
BBC Verify has been continuously tracking reports of drone strikes in Russian media since the beginning of 2023. According to these reports, there have been over 190 suspected attacks in Russia and the Russian-annexed Crimea this year.
The overnight assaults on August 30th represent the most extensive series of attacks we have observed in a single day since the year began, with drones targeting at least six regions across Russia, ranging from the south to the north-west.
Among the targets was an airbase in the Russian city of Pskov, which, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, was subjected to an attack originating from inside Russia. However, he did not specify the responsible party.
This strike resulted in at least two military planes catching fire, and a satellite image captured of Pskov Airport after the incident reveals one aircraft completely destroyed.
A suspected drone attack on 19 August left one of Russia’s flagship Tupolev Tu-22 bombers ablaze at an airbase south of St Petersburg, according to footage verified by the BBC.
In 2023 so far, drone attacks have been concentrated in the Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions in Russia near the western border with Ukraine, as well as in Russian-annexed Crimea.
On August 23, three people were killed by a suspected drone attack in Belgorod, and five people were injured when a railway station was hit in Kursk region some days earlier, Russian officials say.
There have also been about a dozen sea drone attacks in 2023 on Russian targets in the Black Sea, including on naval bases and on the Crimean bridge.
Drone attacks on Moscow
Drones have reached the Moscow region, which is about 450km (280 miles) from the border with Ukraine.
There was a strike on a skyscraper under construction on 23 August and the Expo Centre exhibition complex in the capital several days earlier.
Image caption,A suspected Ukrainian drone hit Moscow’s Expo Centre in August, damaging an exhibition hall Flights were diverted from Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow after a drone attack on 4 July and the airport briefly closed following drone attacks on 30 July and on 1 August.
Russia accused Ukraine of trying to kill President Vladimir Putin in an alleged attack on his residence in the Kremlin in Moscow on 3 May – Ukraine has denied this.
Social media reports that several recent attacks on Moscow have involved drones of the “Beaver” type – a long-range attack aircraft said to be recently manufactured by Ukraine.
Drone specialist Steve Wright, of the University of the West of England, cross-examined images of these aircraft against verified footage strikes on Moscow on 30 May.
He concluded the two examples are consistent in design and the Beaver was “most likely” used.
In February, a drone crashed about 100 km (62 miles) from Moscow, in what the local governor said was an attempt to target civilian infrastructure.
A picture of the wreckage appeared to be consistent with a UJ-22 – a type of drone manufactured by Ukraine.
Image caption,An image of what appears to show a Ukrainian manufactured UJ-22 drone It has a range of 800km (497 miles) in autonomous flight. Its range under directly-controlled flight is much shorter.
Attacks on Russian infrastructure
Oil facilities, airfields and energy infrastructure have all been targeted in 2023.
We have identified at least nine reported drone attacks on oil depots. One of these was in Sevastopol, a major city in Crimea, which was hit on 29 April, destroying several of its oil tanks.
On 31 May, an oil refinery was set ablaze in Krasnodar Territory in southern Russia, about 200km (124 miles) from the Crimean border. The regional governor said it was probably caused by a drone.
Layla Guest, an analyst at Sibylline security consultancy, says: “Ukrainian forces will highly likely prioritise targeting oil refineries, as well as railway infrastructure and wider Russian logistics, to cause maximum disruption.”
How far can Ukraine’s drones fly?
Drones have been deployed by both sides in the conflict, with Russia using Iranian-made drones on targets in Ukraine.
Ukraine says it is rapidly increasing its production of drones as demand grows on the front line.
In terms of range, experts say drones launched from Ukraine could reach deep into Russian territory.
“Although Ukraine has not confirmed that its armed forces carried out the attacks [on Moscow], I think that the pre-emptive raids we have seen last year prove that Ukraine has the capability to launch long range attacks of that kind from within Ukrainian territory,” says David Cenciotti, editor of the Aviationist blog.
Drone specialist Steve Wright also said it was possible that a drone could hit the Kremlin having been launched from within Ukraine.
But he added: “My guess is that the drone was launched from far closer in than that, as this would avoid it having to run the gauntlet of much of Moscow’s defences.”
In April Ukraine’s Minister for Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov boasted of a Ukrainian drone that “can fly from Kyiv to Moscow and back”.
Mr Cenciotti says: “Ukraine has made extensive use of several drones, with the Bayraktar TB2 drone emerging as the real star of the air war for Ukraine, inflicting heavy losses on Russian forces, some of those caught on tape and circulated online.”
Turkey has sold Bayraktar TB2 armed drones to Ukraine in recent months, while the Turkish manufacturer of the drones has donated to crowd-funding operations in support of Ukraine.
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War propaganda in Ukraine meriting influencers of Putin
Russia’s pro-war influencers are cashing in on substantial advertising revenues through their social media coverage of the conflict, according to the BBC’s investigation.
These influencers, often referred to as “Z-Bloggers” in Russia due to their support for the war, frequently share gruesome videos of drone strikes and disseminate false claims regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In addition to this content, they also promote advertisements ranging from cryptocurrency to fashion products.
Many of these influencers are embedded with the Russian military and share frontline footage, encouraging young Russians to join the military. Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, pro-war influencers have amassed millions of followers on Telegram, a social media platform that gained popularity among Russians after President Vladimir Putin banned Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. This surge in Telegram users has led to a booming advertising market on the platform.
War influencers have seized this opportunity by offering advertising space to companies seeking to connect with their young audience. To assess their advertising rates, members of the BBC’s Global Disinformation Team posed as hotel owners interested in advertising on their channels.
Prominent influencers, including Alexander Kots, a veteran correspondent turned war influencer with over 600,000 followers on his personal Telegram channel, and Semyon Pegov, also known as WarGonzo, with over 1.3 million followers, were among those contacted during the investigation.
Alexander Kots disclosed that posting an advertisement on his channel would cost between 48,000 and 70,000 Russian roubles (£440-£680), depending on the duration the ad remained at the top of his Telegram feed. WarGonzo, on the other hand, quoted a price of £1,550 per post.
Leading war influencers typically share a minimum of one advertisement per day, resulting in potential earnings that far exceed Russia’s average monthly wage of 66,000 roubles (£550).
An advertising agent affiliated with Wagner-related channels provided a quote of £260 per advertisement in Grey Zone, a Telegram channel with exclusive access to Wagner and a following of over 600,000 subscribers.
For advertising on Alexander Simonov’s channel, a correspondent affiliated with the Ria Fan website founded by the late mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, the agent quoted a rate of £180 per post.
In the case of another Ria Fan reporter, Alexander Yaremchuk, who has a smaller following, the rates are lower, at £86 per post.
While some of the Z-bloggers possess substantial experience in war reporting for state-run media, individuals like Maryana Naumova lack professional training. Maryana, a former powerlifter, underwent a reporting course at a Wagner mercenary base and now hosts her own show on national TV.
For advertising on Alexander Simonov’s channel, a correspondent affiliated with the Ria Fan website founded by the late mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, the agent quoted a rate of £180 per post.
In the case of another Ria Fan reporter, Alexander Yaremchuk, who has a smaller following, the rates are lower, at £86 per post.
While some of the Z-bloggers possess substantial experience in war reporting for state-run media, individuals like Maryana Naumova lack professional training. Maryana, a former powerlifter, underwent a reporting course at a Wagner mercenary base and now hosts her own show on national TV.
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Iran and Russia invited to Nobel Prize luncheon
The Nobel Foundation says that Russia and Belarus have been asked to attend the Nobel Prize banquet in Stockholm again. They were not invited last year because of the war in Ukraine.
Iran has been asked to come back to the event that is happening in the capital of Sweden, even though they were not allowed to go last year.
The organization wanted to include everyone, even if they didn’t have the same beliefs as the Nobel Prize.
One Member of the European Parliament from Sweden said that this year’s invitations were very in appropriate.
Jimmie Akesson, the leader of the Sweden Democrats party, who is against immigration,got invited to an event this year. However, he said he couldn’t go because he had a lot of other important things to do.
Five out of the six Nobel Prize ceremonies happen in Stockholm every year, but the Nobel Peace Prize is given in Oslo.
Last year, the Nobel Foundation said they would not invite ambassadors from Russia and Belarus because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Belarus is an important friend of Russia, and its leader, Alexander Lukashenko, supported Russia’s “special military operation,”which was their way of describing the invasion of Ukraine in February of last year.
Iran did not receive an invitation last year. Tehran has been strongly criticized for how it treats people’s rights. The United Nations has said that the government in that country may have done very bad things to its people during their aggressive response to protests last year.
Vidar Helgesen, the person in charge of the Nobel Foundation, said that they decided to invite the countries back because they see that the world is becoming more divided. People with different opinions are talking less to each other.
“Top revent this inclination, we are expanding our invitations to acknowledge and comprehend the Nobel Prize and the significance of unrestricted science, unrestricted culture, and free, peaceful communities. “
The Foundation has been accused by Swedish Liberal MEP Karin Karlsbro of doing something bad by allowing Russia to be invited to a fancy party while missiles are falling on Ukrainian cultural centers and killing children.
Speaking on Swedish public radio, she referred to Russia, Belarus, and Iran as “rogue states. “She described them as countries that oppress their own citizens, engage in warfare, and spread terror to their own people and nearby nations.
She said that there are countries that do not believe in democratic values a tall. There is fighting happening in Europe. [They have] a very simplistic view point. This text means that it weakens the unity we need in society.
In the past, the leader of the Sweden Democrats political party, Jimmie Akesson, was not invited to the banquet that Swedish political party leaders usually attend.
His party was started by people who supported the Nazis and was avoided by most people for many years. It receivedabout20% of the votes in the election last year.
Mr Akesson said he will not come. “Regrettably,I am occupied on that specific day,” he expressed on his Facebook post. -
Putin suspends planes over Moscow after drone strike rattles village close to nuclear power facility
Ukraine has launched many drone attacks on Russia, and there are rumors that a nuclear power plant might have been targeted.
More than 500 drone attacks have occurred during the Russia-Ukraine war, with various parts of Russia being targeted.
Governor Roman Starovoyt said that two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) crashed into a building in Kurchatov, located in the Kursk region. This region is also where a nuclear plant is situated.
He said that investigators are at the location to check how much damage happened, but he did not say if there was any damage to the nuclear plant.
A video showed a big explosion in the night sky over Pskov in northern Russia. Pskov was already in a bad situation because of an attack earlier this week. Two transport planes were destroyed and two more were seriously damaged.
Moscow had more problems with the airports closing again because of a claim that a drone was shot down over the suburb of Lyubertsy.
There was smoke in the area and big airports stopped flights for over two hours.
“Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s leader, told a big group of people in Copenhagen that Russia will not win this war. ”Today, the air defense forces near Lyubertsy stopped another try to fly a small flying robot to Moscow, according to the city’s mayor Sergey Sobyanin.
The recent drone attacks show that Ukraine is now better able to attack Russia.
Pskov is about 500 miles away from the closest Ukrainian land. People believed that drones were being flown by groups opposed to war who were working together with Ukrainian secret services and operating in Putin’s country.
But Volodymyr Zelensky said this week that Ukraine now has the ability to launch long-range attacks inside Russia.
Ukraine also showed a video of an experiment that demonstrated the explosive power of their new cardboard drones.
The drones were sent to attack Kursk at the Khalino military airfield before, and they might have been used in other attacks as Kyiv increases its focus on targeting Russian territory.
A spokesperson from the Ukrainian military stated that they have information suggesting that these types of drones cannot be seen on radar by the enemy.
The test results revealed that after the explosion, the objects that caused the explosion spread over a wide area. This area was big enough to cause damage to even a big airplane.
Kyiv says that in Kursk, 16 of its drones broke 4 Su-30 fighter jets, 1 MiG-29 fighter jet, 2 Pantsir-S1 air defense systems, and a radar connected to a long-range S-300 missile system. -
UK weaponry trade to Ukraine ‘negative’ – Russian
Russia has announced that it will closely watch the company established by UK defense company BAE systems in Ukraine.
BAE has agreed to sell more weapons and equipment to Kyiv, and they will also start making light artillery there.
The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said that the Russians did not view the move in a positive way.
BAE is proud of the weapons that the UK and other countries have sent to Ukraine.
Ever since Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022, Britain has been providing a lot of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine.
The BBC knows that BAE hasn’t started a office or a factory in Ukraine yet, but they are talking about the possibility of doing it.
The company said that by making this change, they will be able to work closely with Ukraine to find and create potential partners and manufacture weapons in the country.
“The most important goal for us is to prioritize the creation of our own weapons,” wrote Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on X, a social media platform previously called Twitter.
Mr Zelensky told everyone after meeting with BAE’s boss, Charles Woodburn.
Mr Woodburn said that signing agreements and creating a legal organization in Ukraine strengthens our current trust and support. This will enable us to work together and offer more direct assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces.
However, Peskov expressed his disapproval of the decision, saying that they see it in a bad way. He also mentioned that any places that produce weapons, especially if those weapons are used against their country, will be closely watched by their military.
Interfax news agency reported that the spokesperson for the Kremlin said that foreign weapon manufacturing in Ukraine will not greatly alter the current circumstances.
“He also mentioned that it cannot have any effect on the already planned success and completion of the special military operation. ”
Ukraine and Sweden agreed to work together more closely on making, using, training, and repairing CV90 armored vehicles. These vehicles are currently made by BAE Systems’ Hägglunds company in Sweden.
Mr Zelensky mentioned in May that Kyiv and BAE were collaborating on a plan for the company to establish an office in Ukraine.
Kyiv wants to increase its weapons and military equipment, and also create jobs because the war has hurt its economy a lot.
Since February 2022, the share price of BAE has gone up by over 75%. They are now giving training and repair services to Ukraine’s military.
The international weapons, defense, and aviation company has 93,000 employees in approximately 40 countries across the globe.
This company is the largest defense contractor in Europe. They made over £23bn in sales and almost £2. 5bn in profits last year. -
Military blogger and ultra-nationalist detained in Moscow
A Russian military blogger who wrote negative things about Russia’s actions in Ukraine was taken into custody in Moscow today, as reported by state news agency RIA Novosti.
Andrey Kurshin is a blogger who manages the Moscow Calling Telegram channel. This channel has around 87,000 followers.
The administrator of the Moscow Calling telegram channel, Andrey Kurshin, is being accused of spreading false information about the Russian army. A criminal case has been opened against him. This information was reported by RIA Novosti on Thursday.
The agency said that Moscow investigators are looking into the case while the person in question is being held as a suspect.
The Institute for the Study of War says that Kurshin is not a popular blogger, but someone who strongly believes in extreme nationalism. He often criticizes Russia’s military actions in the Ukrainian war, but also supports the ultranationalist objectives behind the war.
ISW stated that the Russian ultra-nationalist community was happy about Kurshin’s arrest and mentioned that he often criticized the MoscowRussian military.
This happened after a well-known Russian blogger who supported war, Igor Girkin, was arrested in July. Girkin did not agree with Russian President Vladimir Putin and thought he made mistakes in Ukraine.
In April, a Russian military blogger named Vladlen Tatarsky died in a bomb blast at a cafe in downtown St. PetersburgPetersburg, where he was visiting as a guest of a group that supports war.
Daria Trepova, a 26-year-old person who opposes war, was taken into custody and accused of committing terrorism crimes related to the event. Investigators believe that Trepova, who was told to do so by Ukraine, brought a statue filled with explosives to the location and gave it to Tatarsky. -
Russia and Burkina Faso talk about their military relations
According to the Burkinabe presidency, interim President Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso engaged in discussions with a Russian delegation regarding military collaboration.
The visit, headed by Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov, serves as a continuation of prior talks held between Mr. Traoré and President Vladimir Putin during the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg back in July.
The conversations primarily revolved around various aspects of military assistance, including “the training of Burkinabe officer cadets and officers at all levels, including pilots in Russia,” as per the statement issued on Thursday.
Additionally, economic cooperation and nuclear energy were subjects of discussion during the visit.
This visit takes place within the context of Russia’s ongoing efforts to enhance its political and economic presence in Africa.
It’s worth noting that the Russian mercenary group Wagner, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who tragically passed away in a plane crash last week, had expressed interest in expanding its operations to Burkina Faso.
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Russian and North Korean seriously negotiating in arms deal – US
Russia and North Korea are currently talking and making progress on a possible deal to supply a large amount of ammunition for various types of weapons, including artillery. This suggests that Russia is very eager to get more resources for its struggling invasion of Ukraine, as stated in the recently released intelligence report from the United States.
Despite North Korea saying otherwise, there is news of a possible deal.
The Biden administration is worried that two countries that are not liked by others are talking about weapons, and after a Russian government official visited North Korea last month, another group of Russian officials went there to talk more about a possible agreement.
Along with the second group, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have sent letters promising to work together more, says John Kirby, a coordinator in the National Security Council’s strategic communications team.Kirby expressed concerns about North Korea’s potential involvement in supporting Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.We also have new information that talks about weapons between Russia and North Korea are moving forward. “After these negotiations, important talks may continue in the coming months. ”
The Biden administration has made a start publically sharing newly obtained intelligence. This is meant to show how Russia is trying to avoid sanctions from Western countries and acquire weapons for its war. It is also a way to alert North Korea that the US is closely watching their actions. This is the strongest proof we have in a long time that Russia has been helping North Korea in their plan to invade Ukraine.
In these possible agreements, Russia would get a lot of weapons from North Korea, and they want to use them in Ukraine. These possible deals might also include giving Russia the materials it needs for its defense industry,” Kirby said. He promised that the US would punish any companies involved in a potential deal and asked North Korea to stop the negotiations.
Earlier this month, the United States government punished a group of people for helping Russia and North Korea illegally sell weapons.
Kirby also mentioned that Russia’s attempts to obtain weapons from countries like Iran and North Korea showed that Moscow was in trouble.
Kirby said that there is only one way to see that situation, and it is as desperate and weak. Simple as that.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who represents the US in the United Nations, said on Wednesday that Russia and North Korea were discussing a weapons agreement.
Greenfield described it as “wrong” and a breaking of rules set by the Security Council that Russia agreed to.
Last year, Pyongyang sent rockets and missiles to a Russian group called Wagner, who are mercenaries. These were given to support their soldiers in Ukraine. Additionally, Western officials say that Iran has provided Russia with weapons for use in Ukraine. Iran and North Korea have said that the claims made about them are not true. -
Russia, China and France express concern about the coup in Gabon
Russia has expressed deep worry about the reported coup unfolding in Gabon.
France is also worried about what is happening in Gabon. The French Foreign Minister, Olivier Véran, has said that Paris wants the outcome of Gabon’s recent election to be respected.
Ali Bongo, who is 64 years old, won another term as President in the elections that took place on Saturday. The military currently states that he is confined to his home and not allowed to leave. -
Largest drone attack on Russian territory since Ukraine’s invasion
Russia experienced the largest attack by drones on its land since it started fighting with Ukraine. At the same time, Moscow also attacked Kyiv and killed two men in a similar way. This shows that the conflict is getting more intense in the air.
Six areas in Russia, including Moscow, were attacked on Wednesday. In the city of Pskov, near Estonia, some planes at an airport were damaged by drones.
Russian officials have not said that anyone got hurt, and they said they stopped almost all of the attacks.
Officials in Kyiv said that Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital with a very big bombardment last night. Serhii Popko, the head of the Military Administration in Kyiv, said on Telegram that the city has not had such a strong attack since spring.
Popko mentioned that multiple groups of drones were heading towards Kyiv from various directions. Afterwards, missiles were launched towards the capital. More than 20 “enemy targets” were destroyed by the air defense forces, he said.
According to the Kyiv City Military Administration, two men, one who was 26 years old and the other who was 36 years old, died. Additionally, three people were hurt by falling debris, but the seriousness of their injuries varied.
In Ukraine, they shot down 28 cruise missiles and destroyed 15 out of 16 drones that were sent overnight, according to Ukraine’s top military leader, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who said this on Wednesday.
Recently, Ukraine has become more confident in attacking important places in Russia from the sky. This is happening even though Ukraine itself is being attacked. This marks a new stage in the conflict, where Kyiv is trying to make Russians in their own country feel less supportive of the war.After the raids, all four Moscow airports stopped flights for a little while. According to TASS, the Federal Air Transport Agency said that at least 11 passenger flights were sent to different airports, which caused problems. Afterwards, it was reported that the airports started working normally again.
The leader of Bryansk, a region next to Ukraine, said that their air defenses stopped a Ukrainian drone from attacking a TV tower on Wednesday morning. Aleksandr Bogomaz said that a fire had been put out and emergency workers were helping at the location of the supposed attack.
The strikes started soon after the governor of Russia’s Bryansk region said that the Ukrainian military had attacked the village of Klimovo with rockets and caused some deaths.
On Tuesday night, drones attacked an airport in the western city of Pskov, Russia. The airport is used for both civilian and military planes. The governor of the region reported the attacks.
Mikhail Vedernikov shared a video showing a big cloud of smoke coming from behind buildings in a neighborhood where people live. According to the Russian state news agency TASS, four Il-76 airplanes were damaged in Pskov due to drone attacks. According to emergency services, there was a fire that started and both airplanes were caught on fire.
‘We will not make foolish errors,’ a former individual stated. The defense minister of Ukraine has given a response to criticism about their counteroffensive.
There is still intense fighting happening in the ground war, and the movement of troops is slow. Ukraine increased the number of children being taken out of the town of Kupiansk, which is close to the fighting, on Tuesday. This happened because Russian forces were still moving towards the city, causing a lot of damage.
Kupiansk is a town in the northeastern part of Ukraine, far away from where Ukrainian soldiers are fighting in the south. The Ukrainian soldiers are trying to push back the enemy, but it is taking them a long time. The two fighting theaters may show that both sides are trying to distract the enemy troops from their main objectives.
The Ukrainian military says that their forces have moved forward in a part of the southern front, in the direction of the villages of Novodanylivka and Verbove. If the Ukrainians are successful in the Verbove area, they will be able to increase the size of the territory they have gained as they continue to move south towards Tokmak. Currently, the Russians are in control of Tokmak. -
Norway rebuilds fence to stop reindeers wandering across border into Russia
Due to numerous reindeer fatalities resulting from their entry into Russia, Norway is working on mending a damaged fence on its border.
According to the agriculture agency of Norway, a part of the barrier between Hamborgvatnet and Storskog will be replaced. This barrier is 93 miles long, and the part being replaced is about four miles long.
The project will cost 3. 7 million kroner or £274,000 and will be finished by October 1st.
Rebuilding the fence will be difficult and require a lot of effort because workers will need to stay on the Norwegian side of the border all the time.
If a worker accidentally goes into Russia without the right visa, they would be considered as entering the country illegally.
According to officials, Norway wants to build a new fence to prevent reindeer from going into Russia. This is because 42 reindeer have already gone across the border this year.
Due to these, 40 have been brought back but were killed because people were afraid they might go back to Russia.
The other two people are expected to come back home soon.
Every time a reindeer travels, it becomes expensive because Norway has to pay Russia for the damage caused by the reindeer eating grass from their land.
Someone has said that Oslo should give almost 50,000 kroner (£3,715) for each reindeer that went into the Pasvik Zapovednik natural reserve.
Another document requesting money asks for a large sum of nearly 47 million kroner (around £3. 5 million) to cover the time that animals stayed in the large wildlife area.
The Indigenous Sami people, who have been living in Arctic Europe for about 9,000 years, take care of the reindeer and keep them together.
They usually live in Lapland, which is found in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
In the UK, a pelican that got out of a zoo was seen swimming with swans at a pond that was 30 miles away. However, it got away again before the zookeepers could catch it. -
Russia is ‘planting brainwashed spies in foreign governments’ – whistleblower warns
The Balkans could potentially become Vladimir Putin‘s next area of interest, as suggested by a source that exposes confidential details.
Before the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, plans were made to cause problems in Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Bosnia. This is part of Moscow’s strategy to compete with the West.
The Kremlin’s plan involves training foreign students in Russia and placing them in government institutions in their home countries.
Petar Tanev, who was born in Bulgaria but lived in Moscow for 13 years, talked to Metro. couk about people trying to get him to spread harmful anti-EU and Nato messages.
The person is 23 years old and has a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from RUDN University, which used to be famous as the most esteemed university in Russia.Updates on Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner leader plane crash
Several months before Petar completed his studies in 2022, a Bulgarian friend invited him to go on a trip to annexed Crimea. The purpose of the trip was to organize events that would have an impact on the Balkan peninsula.
He said: ‘In the eyes of the Kremlin, students like me are possible agents. ‘ My colleague from Serbia and I were asked to join a project that aims to connect students from Balkan and Crimean regions. The individual who invited us possessed exceptional persuasive skills. He stated that my future representing Bulgaria in Russia held great potential, although it could also potentially go the other way. He already knew that I have citizenship in two countries.
This is a good example of how they make people interested. He told me to bring together other Bulgarians, as well as Serbians and Macedonians, who are living and studying in Russia, to invite them to Crimea as well.
I didn’t speak up because I didn’t want to admit that I am openly against the government in charge of Russia.
This man began calling me every day, but I just ignored him. I talked to my coworker, the person who was hired at the same time as me, and informed them that it seems like there are clear connections with secret intelligence organizations.
He replied, “Even better. ” As I know, he went to Crimea with Bulgarian students. I think they now work in our government departments.
This happened after a recent scandal where three Bulgarians were arrested in the UK, which showed how much the Kremlin has been secretly operating in Bulgaria.
Petar says that many young people from his country go to Russia for their college education.
He also said that the system is similar to the propaganda made by Joseph Goebbels, who was the main person responsible for spreading false information for the Nazi Party in Germany during World War II.
To prevent infiltration, he asked the Bulgarian government to greatly limit the hiring of individuals who have studied in Russia within the past three years or are currently studying there.Petar emphasized that the government needs to be very careful when hiring someone who graduated from a Russian university when the war started, in order to protect Bulgaria’s sovereignty and security.
Petar remembered another time when he experienced the influence of the Kremlin. It happened when he was a teenager, working for a student group that focused on politics in the Balkans.
At that time, the Ministry of Education in Russia spent a lot of money on propaganda about Bosnia’s region called Republika Srpska, and the impact of Western countries.
Definitely, it is worrying that some people, including many who are citizens of the EU, have been influenced by similar organizations and may have been manipulated by them.
Petar explained that once someone becomes deeply involved in something, it is hard to get out of it.
In addition, the author mentioned that international security agencies have information about individuals who are receiving payment from the Kremlin.
Since the war in Ukraine started, Western sanctions have made it more difficult for Putin’s close associates to use their “official spies”. As a result, they are now using other methods.
Peter said that there are a lot of students who have passports from the EU and are studying in Russia. Using them is the best way to have an impact on political systems in the Balkans.
After coming back to Bulgaria last year, he has been persuading the government to support Ukraine and giving advice to MEPs.
His Instagram page shows the work he is doing to oppose Russia’s war in Ukraine. Recently, he collaborated with Anastasia Shevchenko, a Russian activist who was exiled from her country.DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
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Breaking: Wagner boss Prigozhin dead
Russia’s civil aviation authority has confirmed that the head of Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was among the passengers on a jet that tragically crashed, resulting in the loss of all lives on board.
Earlier reports from the Wagner-linked Telegram channel Grey Zone indicated that the Embraer aircraft was potentially shot down by air defenses in the Tver region, located north of Moscow.
The ill-fated jet was en route from Moscow to St Petersburg, carrying a total of seven passengers and three crew members.
It’s worth noting that Prigozhin had recently led an unsuccessful mutiny attempt against the Russian armed forces in June.
According to Grey Zone, local residents reported hearing two explosions before the crash and witnessing two vapor trails.
Tass news agency has also reported that the plane caught fire upon impact with the ground, with four bodies having been recovered so far.
The aircraft had been airborne for less than thirty minutes at the time of the incident.
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Ukraine war: Russia claims drones caused harm to five people at Kursk railway station
Russia says that a drone from Ukraine has hit a train station in the Kursk area, hurting five people.
It is being said that another drone has landed in the Rostov region. This region is near Ukraine, just like Kursk. Luckily, nobody got hurt.
Russia also announced that it stopped a flying robot that was going towards Moscow. The robot then fell down in a place where there were no people.
Accusations of drone attacks happening in Russia have been happening more often in the past few months.
Even though Ukraine hasn’t said that they were responsible for certain drone attacks, President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously mentioned that attacking Russian territory is something that will happen and is fair.
The BBC has confirmed that there are videos showing broken windows and a fire at the railway station in Kursk. Kursk is located approximately 150 km (93 miles) away from the Ukrainian border.
Five people got hurt by pieces of glass, according to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency. The top part, outer area, and flat surface of the station were broken.
Maria Zakharova, who speaks for the ministry, said that Ukrainian nationalists have greatly harmed our shared history.
Russia’s defense ministry said that it stopped an attempted terrorist attack using drones on infrastructure in Moscow, by the Kyiv regime. This happened at around 4:00 am local time.
The drone heading towards Moscow was destroyed by electronic devices meant to disrupt its control. It lost control and crashed in an area where no people live, the ministry said.
Russia’s aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, has stated that flights to the Domodedovo and Vnukovo international airports are currently restricted for a temporary period of time.
On Saturday, a Russian missile hit a theatre in the city of Chernihiv in Ukraine, and seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed.
Officials said that 15 children and 148 other people were injured.
President Zelensky promised to take action against Russia as a response to the terrorist attack, and the action will be significant. -
Russia claims to have shot down two Ukrainian drones over Moscow region
The defense ministry of Russia said it stopped a Ukrainian drone attack by shooting down two drones in the Moscow area.
Two more drones were stopped over the Bryansk area, which is in the northeast of the Ukrainian border.
Flights between Moscow’s airports were temporarily halted early on Tuesday, according to the ministry.
The area above Moscow has been closed a few times recently because drones have been causing problems.
The military ministry of Russia said that a Russian warplane destroyed a Ukrainian boat used for gathering information in the Black Sea. The boat had sailed close to Russian facilities that produce gas.
On Tuesday, Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that Russian defense systems had successfully destroyed two flying robotic devices to the west of the city, in the areas called Krasnogorsk and Shastsy.
No one got hurt in the attacks, and Ukraine has not said anything about them.
Despite not taking direct responsibility, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed that attacking Russian territory with drones is a justified and expected action.
According to reports, on Saturday, a very important Russian bomber plane was destroyed by a drone attack in Ukraine.
Pictures shared on social media and examined by BBC Verify reveal a Tupolev Tu-22 aircraft burning at Soltsy-2 airbase, which is located south of St Petersburg.
Moscow stated that a drone was shot at by guns but still managed to “harm” a plane.
The Russian Tu-22 bomber, which was destroyed, can go very fast and has been used a lot by Russia to attack cities in Ukraine.The defense ministry of Moscow said that there was an attack at around 10:00 in the morning on Saturday. The attack was carried out by a drone that had a copter-like design.
The text says that Soltsy-2 is located in a military airfield in the Novgorod region.
The small aircraft was spotted by the airfield’s watchtower and was shot at with guns, according to the ministry.
One plane got damaged, but thankfully no one was hurt in the terrorist attack.The report also mentioned that a fire started in the parking lot of the airfield but was put out quickly.
But, pictures on Telegram showed a big fire covering a jet with the special front part of the Tu-22. The company BBC Verify looked at the pictures and thinks they are trustworthy.
In the past few months, many small planes without pilots have been flying and attacking the capital of Russia.
Moscow has said that Kyiv is responsible for the attacks. Ukraine hardly admits fault for events or attacks that happen in Russia. -
Luna-25, a Russian spacecraft, collides with the moon
Officials, have reported that, Russia’s unmanned Luna-25 spacecraft has met with an unfortunate end, crashing into the Moon after losing control. This marked Russia’s inaugural lunar mission in nearly five decades.Originally intended to make history as the first craft to touch down on the Moon’s southern pole, the mission encountered complications as it transitioned into its final approach, ultimately leading to its failure.
The objective of the mission was to investigate a Moon region speculated by scientists to harbor frozen water and valuable elements.
In a statement released on Sunday morning, Roscosmos, Russia’s state space agency, disclosed the loss of communication with Luna-25 shortly after 14:57 pm (11:57 GMT) on the previous Saturday. Early assessments indicated that the 800kg lander had collided with the Moon’s surface, resulting in its dissolution.
The agency outlined its intention to establish a specialized committee to delve into the causes behind the mission’s downfall.
The setback of Luna-25 is a significant setback for Roscosmos, as Russia’s non-military space initiatives have faced decline due to a redirection of state finances towards military endeavors over recent years.
Russia had been in a race with India to reach the Moon’s southern pole, with India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft slated to make a landing and dispatch a rover for the purpose of exploring the lunar landscape, gathering vital data and images for transmission back to Earth.
The perpetual shadow cast over portions of the Moon’s southern pole has piqued interest due to its potential to house water.
A spokesperson for the Indian space agency Isro described the Luna-25 crash as “unfortunate”.
“Every space mission is very risky and highly technical. It’s unfortunate that Luna-25 has crashed,” they told the BBC.
Roscosmos had acknowledged that the Luna-25 mission was risky and could fail. The craft launched from Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region of Russia on 11 August, and then successfully entered the moon’s orbit on Wednesday of this week.
It was expected to make history by making a soft landing on Monday or Tuesday, just days before the Indian touchdown.
No country has ever landed on the Moon’s south pole before, although both the US and China have landed softly on the Moon’s surface.
Luna-25 was Russia’s first Moon mission since 1976, when it was part of the Soviet Union. That mission, Luna-24, landed successfully.
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Ukrainians’ coping with war is helped by cat and dog influencers
Amid the harrowing aftermath of Russia‘s invasion, cats and dogs in Ukraine have been lending their assistance in various ways, from fundraising initiatives to explosives detection.
Among them is Patron, a mine-sniffing dog employed by Ukraine’s state emergency service. Beyond his expertise in mine-clearance, Patron’s endearing charm has garnered him a substantial online following, numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
In addition to Patron, an array of animals—both real and animated—have been providing emotional solace and sharing practical advice through their social media platforms. Their guidance encompasses coping strategies for the emotional toll of war and instructions for handling encounters with explosive devices.
Patron’s endeavors have brought him into contact with a range of dignitaries and celebrities visiting Kyiv, including Orlando Bloom of “Lord of the Rings” fame, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Ukraine’s postal service has even issued stamps showcasing this canine hero. Furthermore, President Volodymyr Zelensky has conferred a medal upon Patron, recognizing his “dedicated service.”
Ukraine’s postal service has printed stamps featuring the canine hero, who has also been awarded a medal for “dedicated service” by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Image caption,Patron, a Jack Russell terrier, has appeared on postal stamps across Ukraine Patron’s owner and handler, Mykhaylo Ilyev, says his meetings with foreign dignitaries have helped Ukraine’s emergencies services secure donations of crucial mine-clearing equipment.
The Jack Russell terrier has been involved in raising funds for people affected by war, particularly his colleagues injured while clearing mines. He has taken part in charity collections for animals too.
“Our little friends are going through a rough time after being abandoned or injured. We realise that they also want to live and that they need help,” Mr Ilyev tells the BBC.
Image caption,UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met Ukraine’s hero mine-hunting dog on a trip to Kyiv last year Patron’s account on Instagram offers not just pictures of the charismatic dog, but also hope, inspiration and advice for Ukrainians facing the horrors of war.
“Hope matters. We hope that this will be over soon. We hope that victory is near. We hope that people won’t be killed anymore. Sometimes hope is all we’ve got,” reads one of his posts.
“Don’t lose hope, I’m begging you. Now, let me give you a hopeful lick!”
Patron also features in a cartoon series educating children about the dangers posed by unexploded munitions.
Despite his celebrity status, Patron is still doing his mine-sniffing day job, Mr Ilyev says.
The fundraising feline
Image caption,Stepan has helped raise thousands to help animals affected by war Stepan the cat hails from Saltivka, a district in Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv that has been badly damaged by Russian shelling.
Before the war, Stepan was just another incredibly cute cat from the internet. But since Russia’s full-scale invasion, his Instagram account started offering more than just pictures – it started to comment on the war.
It has now switched to Ukrainian, too, even though it previously used Russian, which was widely spoken in parts of the east and south. Many people across Ukraine did the same after Russia invaded.
“We’ve all changed mentally after seeing what sort of thing this ‘Russian world’ really is,” Stepan’s owner Anna tells the BBC, referring to a concept promoted by Russia to justify intervention abroad ostensibly in support of Russian speakers.
“Ukrainian is part of my life and the life of my country and nation,” she says.
Stepan’s account, which has 1.3m followers on Instagram, has used its popularity to help animals who have suffered in the war. Last year, he helped raise almost 15,000 euros (£12,900) which was spent on food, medicine and other care for them.
After the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in southern Ukraine in June, the cat helped collect funds for the evacuation of animals from flooded areas.
His account was also involved in a collection to repair a library damaged by shelling in Kharkiv.
Image caption,Many animals needed rescuing from flood areas after the Kakhovka Dam was destroyed two months ago But it is not just about the money for Stepan’s account.
“He has been offering support to people, particularly children, so that they can forget the horrors of this war at least for a little while. That’s why there is a bit of humour in his posts,” Anna says.
Stepan also tackles the realities of war in his posts, including this one: “Oh how I want my country to win as soon as possible! So that there is peace for which people on the front line have sacrificed their lives. So that there are no more missiles, so that people and animals stop dying.”
The cartoon cat
Image caption,Olena Pavlova describes her cartoon cat as a “natural anti-depressant” People are more receptive to advice if it looks as though it is coming from a fluffy pet, says Olena Pavlova, who created a cartoon character called Inzhyr the cat.
“A cat picture travels much further than just words. I’ve seen it many times,” she tells me. “Pictures and memes featuring cats can help deliver a lot of important ideas. They’re easier to absorb. Cat pictures help us cope.”
“Inzhyr the cat is a natural anti-depressant. I created him to make myself and also my readers feel better. He’s positive, cuddly and nice, and he’s helping people find hope and light inside themselves,” Ms Pavlova says.
Inzhyr’s accounts on social media encourage Ukrainians to read more books and offer advice on issues such as fundraising, burnout and why everyone should be like a cat.
“Cats waste no effort, but are determined in achieving their goals,” one of his posts reads.
Sound words of advice for anyone, whether at war or not.
Image caption,Inzhyr, the cartoon cat, says: “Dreams come true if you try” -
Moscow court has accused imprisoned US citizen of espionage
A US citizen who was born in Russia and is presently in detention has reportedly been charged with espionage, according to the press service of a Moscow court, reports the Russian state news agency TASS.
According to TASS, Gene Spector is currently in prison after confessing to the charges of bribery.
Spector was reportedly born and reared in St. Petersburg before moving to the US and getting US citizenship, according to TASS. He presided over the board of the Medpolymerprom Group, which specialised in cancer drugs, according to TASS.
According to TASS, Spector was accused of arranging payments for Anastasia Alekseyeva, an ex-assistant of former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. According to TASS, Alekseyeva accepted payments worth more than 4 million rubles ($43,000), which included visits to Thailand and the Dominican Republic.
According to a US diplomat at the US embassy in Moscow, they think the US citizen is already imprisoned and that they are unaware of any fresh charges.
There is no evidence the US believes Spector is being imprisoned unlawfully.
The US is “aware of reports of charges against a US citizen in Russia,” according to a representative for the US State Department. They added that they were “monitoring the situation, but have no further comment at this time.”
Following President Vladimir Putin‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, tensions between the US and Russia increased, making efforts to free two additional US nationals who were held more difficult.
The State Department believes that Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for more than four years, and Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich, who was detained in March, were illegally detained. To ensure their release, the Biden administration has been working.
According to a source close to CNN, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on the phone on Wednesday with Whelan, who is being imprisoned in a remote Russian prison camp.
When Whelan called, the top US ambassador reportedly advised him to “keep the faith and we’re doing everything we can to bring you home as soon as possible,” according to the source. According to the source, this is Blinken’s second conversation with Whelan. Another knowledgeable source informed CNN that the second phone chat between Whelan and Blinken took place on December 30.
The serious request that the Biden administration put forth for Whelan’s release more than eight months ago has been repeatedly reiterating to Russia. According to two administration officials who spoke to CNN, Russia has not made a significant response.
The Biden administration has been searching the world for proposals that could persuade Russia to release the two Americans who were illegally jailed, CNN reported earlier this year. According to current and former US officials, the US does not currently have any high-level Russian agents, necessitating the need to ask partners for assistance.
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Ship departs Odesa amid fears of Russian strike in Black Sea
Despite worries that Russia could attack ships in the Black Sea, a commerce ship has departed the Ukrainian port of Odesa.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the Hong Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte has been imprisoned in the harbour.
After a contract that had permitted it to export grain last month fell through, Kyiv has announced a “humanitarian corridor” in the Black Sea.
Moscow, though, has not said whether it will adhere to the corridor.
The ship sailed away as Kyiv reported that Russian airstrikes had destroyed grain storage facilities in Reni, a Danube River river port located around 260 kilometres (160 miles) south-west of Odesa.
Photos of the damaged storage facilities and strewn grain and sunflower fields in Reni, near the border of Ukraine with Moldova and Romania, were provided by Ukrainian authorities.
According to a source in the business, the port’s operations are still ongoing.
Regarding the most recent incident, Russia made no remarks.
Last month, Russia backed out of an agreement that ensured shipments across the Black Sea would be transported safely and warned that any ship sailing towards Ukrainian ports may be targeted militarily.
It fired warning shots at a ship heading near Ukraine earlier this week.
Since Ukraine is a significant exporter of grains and oilseeds, the blockade has helped to drive up food prices around the world.
Russian airstrikes on grain storage facilities in Reni, on the Danube River, according to photos published by Ukrainian officials.
Despite the warnings, Ukraine last week declared a humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea to permit ships to leave its ports, guaranteeing complete openness to show that they were not acting in support of any military objectives.
Oleksandr Kubrakov, the deputy prime minister, announced on Facebook that “a first vessel used the temporary corridor for merchant ships to/from the ports of Great Odesa.”
According to Reuters, the Joseph Schulte’s owners, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement and a Chinese bank, confirmed the ship was headed to Istanbul, Turkey.
According to Mr. Kubrakov, the corridor was carrying 2,114 containers and more than 30,000 tonnes of cargo, including food, and it will mostly be used to evacuate ships stranded in Black Sea ports since Russia’s full-scale invasion started.
In the meantime, Russian forces had been routed from Urozhaine, a small hamlet in the Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian officials.
Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar posted on Telegram, “Urozhaine liberated – our defenders are entrenched at the periphery.”
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US warns China’s defence minister against ‘playing with fire’ on Taiwan at meeting with Russia
Speaking at a security conference in Russia on Tuesday, China’s defence minister Li Shangfu indirectly poked fun at the US by cautioning against “playing with fire” when it comes to Taiwan.
According to state-run news agency Xinhua, Li stated that attempts to “use Taiwan to contain China” would “certainly end in failure” while speaking at the Moscow Conference on International Security.
The venue of Li’s address was significant and symbolic in light of Moscow’s ongoing assault of Ukraine, even though his remarks were a repetition of earlier ones made by Chinese leaders.
Taiwan is a self-governing democracy, but China’s ruling Communist Party claims it and has promised to seize control of it, using force if necessary. It has repeatedly criticised US dealings with the island, with which Washington has no formal diplomatic relations, including the delivery of US weapons to Taipei.
Li joined the Moscow security conference as he started a six-day journey to Russia and its close partner Belarus. Li was sanctioned by the US in 2018 for purchasing Russian weapons.
Senior defence officials from more than 20 “friendly states,” including Belarus, Iran, and Myanmar, will also be present at the conference, according to a recent report by Russian state media, which cited the defence ministry in Moscow, which oversees the gathering’s yearly organisation. According to state media, no Western countries were invited.
Taiwan is a self-governing democracy, but China’s ruling Communist Party claims it and has promised to seize control of it, using force if necessary. It has repeatedly criticised US dealings with the island, with which Washington has no formal diplomatic relations, including the delivery of US weapons to Taipei.
Li joined the Moscow security conference as he started a six-day journey to Russia and its close partner Belarus. Li was sanctioned by the US in 2018 for purchasing Russian weapons.
Senior defence officials from more than 20 “friendly states,” including Belarus, Iran, and Myanmar, will also be present at the conference, according to a recent report by Russian state media, which cited the defence ministry in Moscow, which oversees the gathering’s yearly organisation. According to state media, no Western countries were invited.
In addition, Li said to the audience on Tuesday that Xi Jinping wanted to maintain security in a “world of chaos” and that China’s military was “a firm force in maintaining world peace.”
“We are willing to work with other militaries to strengthen mutual trust in military security strategies and practical cooperation in various specialised fields,” Li further stated, according to Xinhua.
Li also stated, as Chinese authorities have in the past, that military ties between China and Russia do not target any third party, according to the Russian state-run media outlet Sputnik. The assertion was left out of the Xinhua report.
According to Xinhua, Li met with Sergei Shoigu, his Russian counterpart, to discuss military cooperation between the two nations. Regular cooperative exercises between China and Russia include a recent coordinated naval patrol off the coast of Alaska.
On the margins of the conference, the Chinese defence minister also met privately with the defence ministers and military chiefs of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, and Vietnam.
Li’s remarks on Taiwan follow a backlash from Beijing as William Lai, the vice president of Taiwan and the current front-runner in the island’s forthcoming presidential election, plans to make stops in the US on his way to an official visit to Paraguay.
On Sunday, China’s foreign ministry denounced the visit and referred to Lai as a “trouble maker through and through.”
After establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing in 1979, the US still maintains an unofficial relationship with Taipei, but is required by law to give the democratic island the means to defend itself.
Speaking in New York, Lai vowed Taiwan will “never back down” in the face of Chinese threats.
“No matter how great the threat of authoritarianism is to Taiwan, we absolutely will not be scared nor cower, and we will uphold the values of democracy and freedom,” he stated.
Following meetings between Taiwanese authorities and US congressmen, for example, China has increased its military intimidation of the island in recent years.
Taiwan has received more attention as a potential security flashpoint in Asia as a result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The optics of a supposedly more powerful aggressor launching an attack motivated by a vision of unification have increased focus on China’s intentions towards Taiwan despite significant distinctions with the geopolitical situations of Russia and Ukraine.
According to some observers, China was observing the West’s response to Russian aggression in Ukraine in order to anticipate potential reactions to any future moves against Taiwan.
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Russia raises rates to 12% as rouble depreciates
Following the rouble’s decline to its lowest level in 16 months, Russia raised interest rates to 12%.
On Monday, the ruble crossed the 100-dollar mark, causing Russia’s central bank to call an urgent meeting.
The Bank of Russia said that it had increased interest rates from their previous level of 8.5% in order to combat August’s 4.4% inflation rate.
The Russian economy is under increasing pressure as a result of increased imports that are outpacing exports and escalating military expenditures related to the conflict in Ukraine.
The Bank of Russia stated in a statement that “steady growth in domestic demand exceeding the capacity to expand output amplifies the underlying inflationary pressure and has impact on the rouble’s exchange rate dynamics through elevated demand for imports.”
The bank claimed that although “inflationary pressure” was increasing, its goal was to reduce inflation—the rate at which prices rise—to 4% by 2024.
Western nations have imposed sanctions on Russia as a result of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
After the war initially started, the rouble fell, but was later supported by capital controls and oil and gas exports.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, it has, however, lost approximately a quarter of its value relative to the US dollar, and this week, more than 100 roubles were required to purchase one dollar.
The currency somewhat strengthened on Tuesday to 98 roubles to the dollar, although it is still far weaker than it was a year ago.
The Bank of Russia has a history of aggressively raising interest rates. The bank increased interest rates from 9.5% to 20% when Russia first attacked Ukraine, but soon started lowering them.
According to Capital Economics’ senior emerging markets economist Liam Peach, the most recent boost will only be temporarily felt.
Sanctions will make it difficult for Russia to draw in capital, he claimed.
According to analysts, one of the main causes of the rouble’s depreciation was the impact of Western sanctions on Russia’s economy and commerce.
Since the start of the war, many EU nations that relied on Russian oil and gas have vowed to gradually reduce their imports and find substitute supplies.
Russia has also been cut off from Swift, a global payment system used by hundreds of financial institutions, as part of an EU proposal to reduce the amount it can make from oil exports.
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Poland to host its largest military display in decades
Tuesday will see Poland perform its greatest military display in decades, flexing its defensive muscles as tensions build along its border with Belarus, a crucial ally of Russia.
The Polish Defence Ministry announced that 200 pieces of Polish and foreign military hardware, 92 aircraft, and 2,000 service members would be on display to commemorate Polish Army Day on Tuesday.
Some of the most modern weapons Poland has in its arsenal will be displayed during the parade, including US-made M1A1 Abrams tanks, South Korean K2 tanks and K9 self-propelled howitzers, HIMARS rocket launchers, Krab self-propelled howitzers, and US-made Patriot missile batteries systems, which are a component of the Polish “WIS-A” air defence system.
Following Russia’s decision to invade the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014, Poland has recently emerged as one of Europe’s top military forces after investing billions on new hardware. In the wake of the crucial role it has played in assisting Ukraine since Moscow’s all-out assault, Warsaw’s diplomatic influence has also increased.
As worries about the presence of Russian Wagner mercenary forces in Belarus grow, Poland last week announced the deployment of hundreds more soldiers to its eastern border.
Poland has borders with Russia’s semi-exclave of Kaliningrad in addition to Ukraine and Belarus. According to experts, Warsaw is sending a message to Russia and Belarus by organising a major display of might on Tuesday.
It has an almost Soviet feel about it. On May 8, Russia celebrates, along with Belarusians, North Korea, and Iran. It somewhat mimics the way they speak. According to Edward Arnold, a research fellow at the British security think tank RUSI, the opponent states view them [parades] as a show of power, so Poland will respond with a show of force.
In addition to demonstrating its capabilities to Russia and its allies, Arnold stated that Poland’s government is also attempting to reassure its own citizens that it is dedicated to security two months before significant elections.
A third consecutive term in office for the ruling right-wing Law and Justice party would be unprecedented in post-Communist Poland. However, it has so far been unable to decisively edge over the opposition Civic Platform coalition.
Since a war is raging on Poland’s border, security concerns rank high alongside the economy and living standards, according to Aleks Szczerbiak, a professor and the chair of the politics department at the University of Sussex in England, who spoke to CNN. “Demonstrating their competence on security is absolutely critical to the government’s reelection,” he added, noting that the problem crosses all political lines.
Nobody will argue that military security is unimportant or that we shouldn’t be bolstering the armed forces. Although they won’t suggest that strengthening the Polish military is unimportant, [the opposition] will claim that the government is staging this parade as a sort of election show.
According to Jamie Shea, a former NATO official who is currently a professor of strategy and security at the University of Exeter in England and a fellow at Chatham House, Poland’s role within NATO has altered significantly over the past ten years.
Before Putin annexed Crimea and [started the invasion of] Ukraine, he said, “If you look at NATO ten years ago, its primary focus was mostly the Middle East, Afghanistan, and those kinds of missions, in which Poland participated, but to a small extent.” “But with NATO shifting back to focus on Central and Eastern Europe since 2014, Poland’s importance in the alliance has increased significantly,” the author writes.
Arnold claimed that there is a discernible power shift among NATO’s European members. “The leadership used to be the UK, Germany, France, and the US, and then together with the Quad, that group was the group that sort of decided things and that became NATO policy,” he said.
Poland has recognised its opportunity as the UK has left the European Union and Germany is still unwilling to take the lead on Ukraine.
“[They] are very vocal about defence and security issues, [have] excellent relationships with the Baltic states, and Russia has always been a serious threat,” So Warsaw seems like a solid option if you’re looking at this from a Washington perspective,” Arnold continued.
According to official NATO statistics, Poland has significantly boosted its defence spending in recent years, going from less than 2% of its GDP in 2014 to 4% this year. It surpasses the US to become the country with the largest share of GDP spent. Importantly, Poland invests more than 50% of its money in new technology and R&D.
They will become the EU’s and NATO’s European military powerhouse if all of these separate acquisition programmes are carried out as planned, according to Shea. According to one estimate, they will have more tanks than France, Germany, Italy, and the UK put together if they buy all of the US tanks, the Abrams tanks, the tanks they have bought from South Korea, and modernise what they already have.
Ukraine is now dependent on Poland, which leaves it open to attack. According to the United Nations, Poland is the country hosting 1.6 million Ukrainian refugees and receiving the majority of Western military supplies and other supplies into Ukraine.
Poland, according to Shea, is “the entire linchpin of the Western efforts to support Ukraine and keep it in the fight.” The majority of Ukrainian soldiers’ training is conducted in Poland, where the Poles have also established a number of maintenance facilities where the Leopard tanks may be rebuilt and returned. Additionally, many Ukrainian soldiers who sustain injuries receive treatment in Polish hospitals, he added.
The government is also prepared to put its constituents first. Shea cited Warsaw’s decision to impose a restriction on the import of grain and other food products from Ukraine after a boom in the availability of low-cost goods as evidence that “Law and Justice has shown that it is willing to upset Ukrainians big time where it feels that the alternative would be to alienate Polish farmers.” The ban is currently being extended by Warsaw.
Poland continues to struggle with the EU over issues like immigration and the rule of law, but Warsaw is making it clear to its partners that they need its military capabilities.
“The current government’s relationship with the EU is quite strained, especially when it comes to problems involving justice and home affairs as well as other concerns. However, Poland wants to downplay those opinions and sort of emphasise to the EU that [they] make a really large contribution to security and they don’t want to jeopardise it in any way, according to Arnold.
Recent developments in Belarus have demonstrated that Poland is actually at risk, not just speculating about it.
A Ukrainian missile defending against incoming Russian fire killed two persons in eastern Poland in November, around four miles (6.4 km) west of the Ukrainian border. Officials from Ukraine and Poland called the occurrence an accident and attributed the deaths of the victims to Russian aggression.
In February 2022, Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine using Belarus as a staging area. More recently, as part of an agreement to put a stop to the group’s armed uprising against the Kremlin, it was purportedly reported that thousands of Wagner mercenary warriors were transferred there last month.
The two troops conducted combined training exercises earlier this month close to the Polish border after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko requested the group to assist in educating his nation’s military. These exercises are when Warsaw claimed two Belarusian helicopters had violated Polish airspace.
Following the event, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced that 10,000 soldiers would be dispatched to the border, of which 4,000 would assist the border guard immediately and the rest 6,000 would be in support roles.
The border has previously been militarised by Belarus. As revenge for Europe’s sanctions against his government in 2021, Lukashenko was charged of creating a problem there by transporting migrants from the Middle East to Minsk and then sending them to the EU border.
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Russia opens fire and boards cargo ship in the Black Sea
Russia’s defence ministry said that on Sunday, a Russian warship in the Black Sea fired warning shots and boarded a cargo ship that it believes was sailing to Ukraine.
In July, Russia withdrew from a pact that had been negotiated by the UN and Turkey to allow Ukraine to transport its grain across the Black Sea and issued a warning that any ships sailing towards Ukraine would be seen as potentially carrying weapons. Ships heading to Russian ports were threatened in a similar manner by Ukraine.
The dry cargo ship, flying the flag of Palau, was ordered to stop for an inspection, but the skipper allegedly ignored the order and fired warning shots.
According to the statement, the Russian navy “opened warning fire from automatic small arms fire to forcefully stop the vessel.”
The ship, Sukru Okan, according to the ministry, was sailing for the Ukrainian port of Izmail. According to marine traffic statistics, the cargo ship is currently en route to the nearby Izmail port of Sulina in Romania. Regarding whether or not the ship was en route to a Ukrainian port, Kiev did not immediately respond.
The patrol ship Vasily Bykov lifted a Ka-29 helicopter carrying a detachment of Russian servicemen to check the bulk cargo ship, the ministry reported. According to the statement, “Following radio conversations, the ship changed course, and the boarding team landed on the bulk cargo ship.”
This week, Ukraine declared that it would permit temporary humanitarian passage for ships to and from its ports and that registration for commercial ships using the maritime route had begun.
Both Russia and Ukraine are significant grain producers, and their agreement—a rare point of consensus in the midst of a war—contributed significantly to price stabilisation.
Russia’s pullout, according to Kyiv, is equivalent to an embargo of Ukrainian goods. Russia has long lamented its inability to export its own food.
The temporary routes, according to a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy named Dmytro Pletenchuk, aim to address the world food security crisis and will enable shipowners and businesses to “finally take back their merchant vessels that are in humanitarian captivity due to the constant threats of Russians at sea.”
Pletenchuk stated that ship owners and captains have been alerted to the threat and that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will assist in ensuring the security of the merchant ships passing through the passageways, with the Navy “doing everything we can to ensure security.”
Given the risks involved, it is yet uncertain when ships might use the route.
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Russian bombing kills seven individuals, including 3-weeks old baby and a family
Seven people—including a baby just 23 days old, her brother, 12, and parents—were murdered by Russian shells in southern Ukraine on Sunday.
According to Interior Minister Igor Klymenko, bombs were dropped on their home in the Kherson settlement of Shyroka Balka.
Another villager and two men from nearby Stanislav were also among the deceased.
“We must put an end to terrorists. Force must be used to stop them, according to Mr. Klymenko. “They have no other understanding.”
The minister revealed images of the attack’s aftermath in Shyroka Balka, including bodies of some of the dead that had been digitally covered and black columns of smoke rising from buildings.
Among the four Ukrainian districts that Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed last year, Kherson was one.
The western portion of the territory was retaken by Ukrainian forces in November of last year, but Russian forces have continued to shell the sector from the other side of the Dnipro River.
Russia had accused Ukraine of “terrorism” the day before for what it claimed was an attempt to launch a missile attack on the Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia’s mainland to the Crimean Peninsula.
Despite President Volodymr Zelensky’s assertion that the bridge is a lawful target because it serves as a military supply route, Ukraine has not confirmed the attack.
In a related development, Moscow claimed to have fired warning shots at a cargo ship travelling towards the Ukrainian port of Izmail in the southwest Black Sea.
Since pulling out of a historic grain deal mediated by the UN last month, this is the first time Russia has fired on merchant cargo outside of Ukraine.
In a statement, Russia claimed that its Vasily Bykov patrol ship had opened fire with automatic weapons on the Sukru Okan ship, which was flying the flag of Palau, after the captain of the latter failed to stop the ship for an inspection.
The Sukru Okan continued towards the port of Izmail after the inspection group finished its job on board, according to the defence ministry.
Meanwhile, a representative of the exiled Ukrainian mayor of Mariupol claimed that on Sunday, fighting among Russian soldiers resulted in the deaths of numerous Ukrainian residents.
According to Petro Andryshchenko’s message on Telegram, the victims of the “shoot-out” in the village of Urzuf were two adolescent girls, four young males, and a lady.
He claimed that a dispute between Chechen soldiers and staff from the local commandant’s office led to the gunfight.