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☆ Drone attack on ammunition depot in Crimea prompts evacuation, bridge closure
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 22 (Reuters) - A drone attack on an ammunition depot in Crimea prompted authorities to evacuate a 5-km (3-mile) radius and briefly suspend road traffic on the bridge linking the peninsula to Russia, the region's Moscow-installed governor said on Saturday. Ukraine said its army had destroyed an oil depot and Russian army warehouses in what it called the "temporarily occupied" district of Oktiabrske in central Crimea. The attack caused an ammunition depot to explode, said Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov, adding there was no reported damage or casualties. Russia seized and annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, eight years before launching its full-scale invasion of the country. "This is the route used to feed the war with ammunition and this is being done on a daily basis," he said.

Persons: Sergei Aksyonov, Aksyonov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Oleg Kryuchkov, Caleb Davis, Mark Trevelyan, Olena Harmash, Ron Popeski, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Health Ministry, Thomson Locations: Crimea, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Oktiabrske, Russian

☆ Four killed, 10 injured at Moscow mall after hot water pipe bursts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, July 22 (Reuters) - Four people were killed and 10 injured on Saturday after a hot water pipe burst at a shopping mall in western Moscow, officials said. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said some of those injured had suffered burns, and that emergency services were working on the scene. [1/3]Emergency services members work outside the shopping mall Vremena Goda (The Seasons) following the burst of a pipe carrying boiling hot water in Moscow, Russia, July 22, 2023. The mall, known as Vremena Goda (The Seasons), opened in 2007 and houses over 150 stores. Reporting by Reuters; writing by Caleb Davis; editing by Mark Trevelyan, Jason Neely and Ron PopeskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sergei Sobyanin, Alexander Paramoshin, Sobyanin, Caleb Davis, Mark Trevelyan, Jason Neely, Ron Popeski Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Moscow, Russia

☆ At least four killed at Moscow mall after hot water pipe bursts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Emergency services members work outside the shopping mall Vremena Goda (The Seasons) following the burst of a pipe carrying boiling hot water in Moscow, Russia, July 22, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander ParamoshinMOSCOW, July 22 (Reuters) - At least four people were killed and several others injured on Saturday after a hot water pipe burst at a shopping mall in western Moscow, the city's mayor said. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said some of those injured had suffered burns, and that emergency services were working on the scene. The mall, known as Vremena Goda (The Seasons), opened in 2007 and houses over 150 stores. Reporting by Reuters; writing by Caleb Davis; editing by Mark Trevelyan and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alexander Paramoshin MOSCOW, Sergei Sobyanin, Sobyanin, Caleb Davis, Mark Trevelyan, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia

☆ War reporter's death prompts Russian outrage over Ukraine's alleged use of cluster bombs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Rostislav Zhuravlev, correspondent for Russia's RIA news agency, poses for a picture at an unknown location in this picture released July 22, 2023. Cluster bombs are in the spotlight after Ukraine received supplies of them from the United States this month. The dead Russian journalist was named as Rostislav Zhuravlev, a war correspondent for state news agency RIA. The entire measure of responsibility will be shared by those who supplied cluster munitions to their Kyiv protégés," she said. Ukraine has pledged to use cluster munitions only to dislodge concentrations of enemy soldiers.

Persons: Rostislav Zhuravlev, Yevgeny Shilko, Maria Zakharova, John Kirby, Konstantin Kosachyov, Leonid Slutsky, Mark Trevelyan, Caleb Davis, Olena, Frances Kerry Organizations: RIA, RIA Novosti, REUTERS, Deutsche Welle, Reuters, Russian Foreign Ministry, Kyiv, House, Russian, Rights Watch, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Moscow, German, United States, Zaporizhzhia, Russian, . U.S

☆ Russian navy rehearses firing rockets at ships in Black Sea after warning to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A still image from a video, released by Russia's Defence Ministry, shows what it said to be the guided missile ship Ivanovets during drills in the Black Sea, in this image taken from video released July 21, 2023. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERSMOSCOW, July 21 (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday that its Black Sea Fleet had practised firing rockets at surface targets in a live fire exercise, two days after it warned that ships heading to Ukraine's Black Sea ports could be considered military targets. Russia issued its warning earlier this week after it quit the Black Sea grain deal on Monday, revoking security guarantees for ships carrying Ukrainian grain. Kyiv subsequently said it wanted to set up a temporary shipping route to try and continue its grain exports, prompting Russia to warn that any ships travelling to Ukraine's Black Sea ports would be seen as possibly carrying military cargoes. "In accordance with the combat training plan of the Black Sea Fleet forces, the crew of the Ivanovets missile boat carried out live firing of anti-ship cruise missiles at a target vessel..." the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Persons: Caleb Davis, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Russia's Defence Ministry, Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS, Russia's Defence, Black, Fleet, Defence Ministry, Reuters, Thomson Locations: REUTERS MOSCOW, Russia, Kyiv

☆ Reddit faces first fine in Russia for not deleting 'banned content' -Interfax
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 19 (Reuters) - Social media site Reddit faces being fined for the first time in Russia for not deleting "banned content" that Moscow says discredits the Russian army, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a Moscow court. Reddit joins a list of sites under scrutiny in Russia for failing to remove content that Moscow deems illegal, including Wikimedia, streaming service Twitch, and Google (GOOGL.O). Reddit could be fined up to 4 million roubles ($43,895) for failing to remove "knowingly false information" about the Soviet Union's actions during World War Two and content that discredits the Russian Federation's armed forces, as well as other "extremist information". Since invading Ukraine last year, Russia has tightened controls over coverage of the conflict by media and bloggers, introducing tougher punishments for "discrediting" the actions of its armed forces or publishing false information about them. ($1 = 91.1275 roubles)Reporting by Caleb Davis; editing by Alexander Marrow and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Reddit, Caleb Davis, Alexander Marrow, Jason Neely Organizations: Wikimedia, Google, Thomson Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine

☆ Russia suspends participation in Black Sea grain deal - Kremlin
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, July 17 (Reuters) - Russia has suspended its participation in the Black Sea grain export deal, the Kremlin said on Monday. The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July, aimed to alleviate a global food crisis by allowing Ukrainian grain blocked by the Russia-Ukraine conflict to be exported safely. "In fact, the Black Sea agreements ceased to be valid today," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "Unfortunately, the part of these Black Sea agreements concerning Russia has not been implemented so far, so its effect is terminated." "As soon as the Russian part of the agreements is fulfilled, the Russian side will return to the implementation of this deal, immediately," Peskov said.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Putin, Caleb Davis, Mark Trevelyan, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Kremlin, United, West, Ukraine's Security Service, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, United Nations, Turkey, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Crimea, Ukrainian

☆ Moscow takes control of Russian subsidiary of Danone and Carlsberg's stake in brewer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, July 16 (Reuters) - The Russian state has taken control of French yoghurt maker Danone's (DANO.PA) Russian subsidiary along with beer company Carlsberg's (CARLb.CO) stake in a local brewer, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on Sunday. The decree said that foreign-owned stakes in Danone Russia and Baltika Breweries were being put under the "temporary management" of government property agency Rosimushchestvo. The move comes after the Russian subsidiaries of Germany's Uniper (UN01.DE) and Finland's Fortum (FORTUM.HE) were taken under state control in April. The decree published on Sunday also said that Danish brewer Carlsberg's stake in Russian-based Baltika Breweries had been put under state management. Carlsberg said in June it had signed an agreement to sell its Russian business, subject to regulatory approvals.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Finland's, Danone, Carlsberg's, Carlsberg, Caleb Davis, Darya, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Sunday, Danone Russia, Baltika Breweries, Danone, Carlsberg, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Russia

☆ Russia to start piloting 'digital rouble' in August - Interfax
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

July 11 (Reuters) - Russia will start testing a digital version of its rouble currency with consumers from August, the Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the central bank. Russia, like many countries, has been developing digital money over the last couple of years in a bid to modernise its financial system and head off cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. Reporting by Caleb Davis Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Caleb Davis, Mark Potter Organizations: Thomson Locations: Russia

MOSCOW, July 10 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has held Kremlin talks with Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and his commanders to discuss the armed mutiny Wagner attempted to mount against the army's top brass, Putin's spokesman said on Monday. The meeting was first reported by French newspaper Liberation, which said Prigozhin had met Putin and the head of the National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, and SVR Foreign Intelligence boss Sergei Naryshkin. Peskov told reporters that Putin had invited 35 people to the meeting, including Prigozhin and Wagner unit commanders, and that the meeting had lasted three hours. The brief mutiny led by Prigozhin, in which Wagner fighters took control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and a military headquarters building, was defused in a deal brokered by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Prigozhin was meant to leave for Belarus under the terms of the deal that ended the mutiny.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Putin, Viktor Zolotov, Sergei Naryshkin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Lukashenko, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan, Caleb Davis Organizations: French, Liberation, National Guard, SVR Foreign Intelligence, Staff, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Rostov, Russia, Belarus, Moscow, London, Gdansk

☆ Russia begins Baltic Sea drills one day after NATO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] A Russian warship takes part in naval exercises in the Baltic Sea, in this still image taken from video released June 5, 2023. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERSJune 5 (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it began holding naval drills in the Baltic Sea, one day after NATO member states kicked off their annual Baltic drills. On the NATO side, 6,000 personnel, 50 ships and more than 45 aircraft are taking part, with Finland participating for the first time as an alliance member, the United States Navy said. Moscow also began drills in the Sea of Japan and far eastern Sea of Okhotsk on Monday, which will involve over 60 warships and support vessels from its Pacific Fleet. Reporting by Caleb Davis, Editing by Mark TrevelyanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Caleb Davis, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS, NATO, United States Navy, Fleet, Thomson Locations: Russian, Baltic, Russia, Finland, Moscow, Japan, Okhotsk

☆ Kremlin: Western long-range missiles to Ukraine will fuel 'spiralling tension'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 4 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Sunday that any supply of long-range missiles to Kyiv by France and Germany would lead to a further round of "spiralling tension" in the Ukraine conflict. Britain last month became the first country to supply Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles. Ukraine has asked Germany for Taurus cruise missiles, which have a range of 500 km (311 miles), while President Emmanuel Macron has said France will give Ukraine missiles with a range allowing it to carry out its long-anticipated counteroffensive. Ukraine says it needs more weapons, including long-range missiles, to defend itself against Russian attacks and re-capture its occupied territory. Kyiv and its Western allies say Russia is waging an unprovoked war of aggression and a land grab in Ukraine.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Caleb Davis, Gareth Jones Organizations: Taurus, Ukraine, NATO, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Kyiv, France, Germany, Ukraine, Britain, Russia, Moscow

☆ Pro-Ukraine Russian partisans plan to give prisoners to Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KYIV, June 4 (Reuters) - A pro-Ukraine group of Russian partisans on Sunday said it had captured several soldiers during a cross-border raid into southern Russia and would hand them over to Ukrainian authorities. The Russian Volunteer Corps made the claim in a video statement released on Telegram in the wake of a raid into the Russian region of Belgorod. The one minute and 26 second video clip showed what appeared to be around a dozen Russian soldiers being held captive, with two lying on hospital beds. The governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, earlier agreed to meet the group if the soldiers were still alive. Members of the Russian Volunteer Corps are seen, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the Russian border, in Ukraine May 24, 2023.

Persons: Moscow, Vyacheslav Gladkov, Gladkov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dan Peleschuk, Caleb Davis, David Ljunggren, Gareth Jones, Will Dunham Organizations: Sunday, Russian Volunteer Corps, Corps, of Russia Legion, Russia Legion, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Belgorod, Viacheslav, Novaya Tavolzhanka

☆ Allianz sells controlling stake in Russian business to local firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SummarySummary Companies This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, May 18 (Reuters) - Insurance company Allianz (ALVG.DE) has finalised a deal to sell a majority stake in its Russian operations to local firm Interholding, which owns Russia's Zetta Insurance, Allianz Russia said on Thursday. After a lengthy approval process, Allianz will transfer full control of its Russian portfolio to Zetta Insurance Group, Allianz Russia said. Zetta Insurance, Allianz and Allianz Life will be merged into one company following the deal, it added. The partial sale would result in a 400 million euro ($440.32 million) hit to Allianz's net profit, the company has said. ($1 = 0.9084 euros)Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Caleb Davis; Editing by Alexander Marrow and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Georgia to resume flights to Russia this week, drawing EU and Ukrainian criticism
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 16 (Reuters) - Georgian Airways will resume direct flights to Russia from Saturday, the country's civil aviation authority said, drawing criticism from Ukraine and the European Union. "The world is isolating Russia to force it to stop the war, but Georgia is welcoming Russian airlines and sending its own to Moscow. All while 20% of Georgian territory remains occupied by Russia with impunity," Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on Twitter. The EU said it regretted that Georgia was resuming flights to Russia at a time when the bloc has closed its airspace to Russian planes in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. "This latest decision by Georgia's authorities raises concerns in terms of Georgia's EU path," EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano said.

☆ Wagner group signals it will stay in Bakhmut after threat to quit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

However in an audio message posted on his Telegram channel on Sunday, Prigozhin said: "Overnight we received a combat order, for the first time in all this time." "We have been promised as much ammunition and weapons as we need to continue further operations. Prigozhin also said on Sunday that Russia's Defence Ministry had assigned General Sergei Surovikin to work alongside Wagner. "This is the only man with the star of an army general who knows how to fight," he added. Surovikin commanded Russia's Ukraine campaign for several months before the chief of the General Staff, Army Army General Valery Gerasimov, was given overall operational command above him.

"If, because of your petty jealousy, you do not want to give the Russian people the victory of taking Bakhmut, that's your problem," Prigozhin added in the video. A senior Ukrainian official said Russia was bringing Wagner mercenary fighters from along the front line to Bakhmut to capture it by Victory Day. In another sign of disarray on the Russian side, former Russian deputy defence minister Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev joined Wagner as a deputy commander, Russian pro-war social media channels reported. Earlier, Prigozhin was pictured surrounded by corpses he said were his men, shouting abuse at Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov. Moscow accused Ukraine of firing drones at the Kremlin in the early hours of Wednesday in an attempt to kill Putin.

"I'm pulling Wagner units out of Bakhmut because in the absence of ammunition they're doomed to perish senselessly." But Ukrainian defenders have held out, and Prigozhin has vented increasing anger at what he describes as lack of support from the Russian defence establishment. "My lads will not suffer useless and unjustified losses in Bakhmut without ammunition," Prigozhin added in the video. "If, because of your petty jealousy, you do not want to give the Russian people the victory of taking Bakhmut, that's your problem." The statement also asked Russia's Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov to replace Wagner forces in Bakhmut with Russian troops.

☆ Journalist on Ryanair plane diverted by Belarus is jailed for eight years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Caleb Davis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] FILE PHOTO:Opposition blogger and activist Roman Protasevich, who is accused of participating in an unsanctioned protest at the Kuropaty preserve, arrives for a court hearing in Minsk, Belarus April 10, 2017. The circumstances of Protasevich's arrest in May 2021 prompted international outrage and triggered European Union sanctions against Lukashenko. After his arrest, Protasevich was shown on state television tearfully confessing on state television to involvement in anti-government protests and plotting to topple Lukashenko. The exiled Belarus opposition said the admissions were false and had been coerced. Video from state media showed him declining to answer questions from journalists in court about whether he would appeal.

☆ Blast causes another freight train to derail in Russia region near Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 2 (Reuters) - An explosion derailed a freight train for the second day in a row in a Russian region bordering Ukraine on Tuesday, sending both the locomotive and some cars off the tracks, authorities said. The incident occurred in the western Bryansk region, which borders both Ukraine and Belarus. Russian officials say pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups have made multiple attacks there since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. "As a result of the incident, a locomotive and several wagons of a freight train derailed," he added, without saying who was responsible. A freight train derailed around 150 km (90 miles) to the west of Bryansk on Monday after a blast.

☆ Russia rejects U.S. request to visit detained reporter over visa snub
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 27 (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it had rejected a request from the U.S. embassy to visit detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in response to Washington's refusal to grant visas to a group of Russian journalists. Gershkovich, the U.S. reporter, was arrested last month and accused by Russia of espionage, a charge he has denied. The United States has designated him as wrongfully detained. Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement that it had rejected a U.S. request to pay him a consular visit on May 11. "It was particularly emphasised (to the U.S. diplomat) that such sabotage, intended to prevent normal journalistic work, would not go unanswered," the foreign ministry said in its statement.

☆ Russia plans electronic call-up papers in crackdown on draft dodgers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"(This plan) is not connected to mobilisation," he said, repeating previous assurances that there were no plans for a second wave of mobilisation. Under the current system, men targeted by military recruiters are sent paper summons to their registered addresses. Under the new proposals, summons would be sent electronically to a potential draftee's personal account on the main government portal. Once the electronic summons is received, under the legislation, citizens who fail to show up at the military enlistment office would be automatically banned from travelling abroad. Reporting by Andrew Osborn and Caleb Davis Editing by Gareth Jones and Andrew OsbornOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kraft Heinz agrees to sell Russian baby food business
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, March 31 (Reuters) - Kraft Heinz (KHC.O) has agreed to sell its baby food business in Russia to local drinks and snacks maker Chernogolovka, the U.S. food giant said on Friday, as domestic firms continue to capitalise on the departure of Western brands. According to Chernogolovka, the deal will include two factories and the "Umnitsa" and "Sami s usami" brands. "We anticipate closing the deal in the second half of 2023 (Q3) and will continue working with Chernogolovka post-completion, to ensure a smooth integration," a Kraft Heinz spokesperson told Reuters. Neither Kraft Heinz nor Chernogolovka disclosed the price or mentioned any buyback clause. Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported on Thursday, citing sources, that Kraft Heinz estimates the deal's value at between 2.5 and 3 billion roubles ($32.4 to $38.9 million) but the government is yet to approve the valuation.

Further fuelling the emotions surrounding the case, a letter from 13-year-old Masha to her father - who has been raising her on his own - was made public on Wednesday. Prigozhin asked the prosecutor to review the verdict, and also requested that lawyers associated with Wagner be allowed to work with Moskalyov's defence. Moskalyov's lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko told Reuters he was in favour of both requests, even if he was unsure of Prigozhin's motives. The head of the school called the police, who began examining Moskalyov's online activity and fined him for comments critical of the Russian army. Additional reporting by Caleb Davis, writing by Mark Trevelyan, Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia says suspension of nuclear pact not impacted by US data move
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russia said on Wednesday it would voluntarily stick to agreed limits on the number of nuclear warheads it can deploy regardless of the U.S step. Putin justified Russia's suspension last month by saying, without providing evidence, that the West had been directly involved in Ukrainian attacks against bases for Russian strategic bomber planes deep inside Russian territory. He said NATO demands that Russia should allow inspections of its nuclear bases under the New START treaty were therefore absurd. Signed in 2010 and due to expire in 2026, the New START treaty caps the number of strategic nuclear warheads that both countries, the world's largest nuclear powers, can deploy. Under its terms, Moscow and Washington may deploy no more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads and 700 land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them.

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