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CNN —A pair of Russian journalists have been detained on “extremism” charges and face accusations of working for a group founded by the late Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny. Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin are accused of producing content for Navalny’s prominent YouTube channel, “NavalnyLIVE,” which publishes videos investigating corruption in the Kremlin that have amassed millions of views. Journalist Sergey Karelin appears in court in Russia's Murmansk region, April 27, 2024. An AP photo showed Karelin, who has dual Russian-Israeli citizenship, sitting in a glass cage in a Murmansk court on Saturday. Navalny’s family and supporters have accused Putin of being responsible for his death, a claim rejected by the Kremlin.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Konstantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin, Gabov, AP Karelin, ”, Karelin, Vladimir Putin, Sergey Mingazov, Navalny, Putin Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Kremlin, Reuters, AP, Associated Press, Deutsche Welle, DW, Forbes, Novosti Locations: Basmanny, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia's Murmansk, Russia’s, Murmansk

A CNN team at a polling station in Moscow said the line grew rapidly over a five to ten minute spell at around noon, and estimated 150 people had arrived. The CNN team said that police were letting people in batches through the gates to pass through security, with metal detectors and bags being checked inside the building. I think everybody in this queue knows why.”Voters queue at a polling station in St. Petersburg, Russia, at noon local time on Sunday. He posted a video of himself voting at a polling station near Moscow. The Navalny team also posted an image from the city of Novosibirsk with the caption: “Today is #noon.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, ”, Boris Nadezhdin, Navalny, Navalny’s, Yulia, “ Alexey, Putin, Navalnaya, Molotov, Vladimir Putin, Putin’s, Joseph Stalin Organizations: CNN, YouTube Locations: Russia, Moscow, St . Petersburg, Social, St Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Siberia, Ukraine, Alaska, Kaliningrad, Soviet

CNN —Several Russians poured dye into ballot boxes in protest as the three-day presidential vote got underway, near certain to extend Vladimir Putin’s long grip on power. But videos released Friday from several polling stations across Russia showed protesters pouring what authorities described as dye into ballot boxes to spoil the votes cast. CCTV video from a polling station in Moscow showed a young woman pouring what appeared to be green dye into a ballot box. She was immediately detained and faces criminal charges for obstructing the election, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti. In St. Petersburg, Putin’s hometown, a woman threw a Molotov cocktail at the signboard of a polling station in the Moskovsky district, RIA reported.

Persons: Vladimir, Putin, Alena Bulgakova, Bulgakova, Putin’s, Molotov, Ella Pamfilova, ”, Alexey Navalny, Evgeny Feldman, Navalny, “, Navalny’s, Yulia Navalnaya Organizations: CNN, Novosti, Kremlin, Russian Civic Chamber Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Voronezh, Rostov, Karachay, St . Petersburg, Moskovsky

☆ Putin gets a propaganda opportunity as Congress dithers over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Zachary Wolf | Analysis Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

► Russian President Vladimir Putin was about to be isolated worldwide as a pariah. They also fact-check Carlson on his assertion that US media organizations have not tried to interview Putin. From their report:In fact, journalists have repeatedly been requesting interviews with Putin, but the Russian president had declined to grant access. Ukraine funding has run dryThe Pentagon has essentially exhausted the money Congress allocated for Ukraine over the past two years. In the Senate, there is support for Ukraine aid.

Persons: Tucker Carlson, Vladimir Putin, ► Elon Musk, Donald Trump, ► Putin, Carlson, Trump, Joe Biden, Putin, X Carlson, CNN’s Oliver Darcy, ”, Darcy, Alexei Navalny, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Vadim Krasikov, CNN’s Nathan Hodge, Katharina Krebs, Helen Regan, Tucker Carlson's, CNN Putin, Webster, Volodymyr Zelensky, Valerii, Zelensky, Biden, autocrats, Sen, Rand Paul of, Mitch McConnell, Mike Johnson, Johnson Organizations: CNN, Fox News, unflappable, Twitter, Republicans, Republican, Pentagon, SpaceX, Putin, Street, Big Tech, Trump, Biden, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, bewilderment, US, Chechen, Berlin, Russian, West, Ukrainian, Mariupol, Merriam, Israel, Rand Paul of Kentucky

“It’s unbelievable that 80 years after Nazi times, we go back to such times and have antisemitic acts here, in the center of Europe,” Engelmayer told CNN. “That’s not the life we want.”Swastikas were sprayed on the walls outside the Vienna cemetery. Georg Hochmuth/APA/AFP/Getty Images‘The scale is completely different’The spike in antisemitic attacks in Europe has been wide-reaching. In London, the first week after Hamas’ attacks saw a 1,353% rise in antisemitic incidents, the Metropolitan Police reported. Not to go to places which are considered Jewish, like a synagogue.”But alongside the fear, the rise in antisemitic incidents has been met with defiance.

Persons: Austria CNN —, Rabbi Jaron Engelmayer, ” Engelmayer, Oskar Deutsch, ” Deutsch, ”, “ That’s, Georg Hochmuth, Gérald Darmanin, Robert Habeck, Menachem Margolin, “, Rabbi Engelmayer, Karl Nehammer, Tal Yeshurun, Yeshurun, ” Yeshurun, there’s, Annegret Hilse, “ We’re Organizations: Austria CNN, CNN, Wednesday, Nazi, Jewish, AFP, Getty, Metropolitan Police, European Jewish Association, ” Locations: Vienna, Austria, tatters, Europe, Israel, London, Germany, France, United States, Dublin, Ireland, Berlin, “

☆ Viktor Sokolov, Russian admiral claimed to have been killed in Ukrainian attack, appears in video interview
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Katharina Krebs Anna Chernova Clare Sebastian | Katharina Krebs | Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Viktor Sokolov, commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, was asked by a reporter in a video about the missile strike on the fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol, which Ukraine said had killed him. In the video, Sokolov also referred to the “Order of Ushakov” award given to Russia’s 810th Marine Brigade. A video published Tuesday showed Sokolov appearing to attend a Russian defense ministry meeting. Russian Ministry of DefenseIn the Russian footage published Tuesday, a man resembling Sokolov appeared to join the meeting via video conference. But, by the next day, the messaging had changed, with Peskov confirming that Sokolov had attended the defense ministry meeting.

Persons: Viktor Sokolov, “, ” Sokolov, Sokolov, Ushakov, Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev, Sergei Shoigu, Dmitry Peskov, ” Peskov, Rustem Umerov, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, ” Umerov, Amanpour, Crimea – Organizations: CNN, Zvezda News, 810th Marine Brigade, Russian Ministry of Defense, Black, Fleet, Kremlin, Ministry of Defense, Kyiv Tuesday, Ukrainian Special Operations Forces, ЧФ Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Russian, Sevastopol, Moscow, Russia

CNN —A Russian court has rejected an appeal by jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny against a 19-year prison sentence on extremism charges, according to Russian state media RIA, in the latest crackdown on the outspoken Kremlin critic. Navalny was sentenced in August, after he was found guilty of creating an extremist community, financing extremist activities and numerous other crimes. Navalny appeared at the hearing on Tuesday via video link from a penal colony in the Vladimir region, east of Moscow. Supporters of Navalny claim his arrest and incarceration are a politically motivated attempt to stifle his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin. A joint investigation by CNN and the group Bellingcat linked the Russian Security Service to Navalny’s poisoning.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Navalny’s, ” Navalny, Daniel Kholodny, Novichok, Moscow’s Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Russia’s Ministry, Internal Affairs, YouTube, Russian Security Service Locations: Vladimir, Moscow, Russia, Germany, Soviet, Berlin, Siberian, Omsk, Ukraine

In short, Russia’s children are being prepared for war. Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov said recently that there are now about 10,000 so-called “military-patriotic” clubs in Russian schools and colleges, and a quarter-of-a-million people take part in their work. There are mandatory classes on military-patriotic values; updated history books accentuate Russian military triumphs. President Putin has personally led the campaign to inject patriotism into Russia’s schools. That message - hammered home by the president and state media - is now being taken into Russia’s schools.

Persons: Sergei Kravtsov, Vladimir Putin, ’, ”, ” Putin, Ukraine “, Putin, “, Vyacheslav Gladkov, Uliana Shumelova, schooler, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Daria, Vladimir, Ukraine –, Buryatia, She’d, It’s Organizations: CNN, Education, Security, Defense, Education Ministry, Novosti, RIA Novosti, Russia, Kremlin, Educational, Ministry of Defense, Air Defense, United, ”, Northern Military District, Military Sports Games, Defense Ministry, Armed Forces Russian Federation Locations: Pacific, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Russia, Crimea, Ukrainian, stoke, Belgorod, Krasnodar, Vologda, Sakhalin, Russia’s Far, Yeysk, Azov, Astrakhan, United Russia, Vladivostok, Voronezh, Ussuriysk, Buryatia, Chita trumpeted, Orenburg, Polish, Perm, State

☆ Nagorno-Karabakh crisis lays bare deteriorating Armenian relationship with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Clare Sebastian Anna Chernova Katharina Krebs Tim Lister Christian Edwards | Clare Sebastian | Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh has come amid a sharp deterioration in the relationship between historic allies Armenia and Russia, and has been amplified by sometimes incendiary commentary from prominent individuals in Moscow. Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan accused Russian peacekeepers of failing to protect Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijani aggression, according to state media Armenpress. The prominent Russian military blogger Rybar said Armenia was over reliant on Russia to provide security for Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia purports to provide security to Armenia through the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military alliance of post-Soviet states that includes Armenia but excludes Azerbaijan. The Armenian authorities handed over the Armenian shrine with their own hands… The fate of Judas is unenviable.”Simonyan also wrote on Telegram about protests in Yerevan.

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Armenia’s, Armen Grigoryan, Dmitry Peskov, Pashinyan’s, Anna Hakobyan, ” Pashinyan, Dmitry Medvedev, “, ”, ” Medvedev, Rybar, –, ” Rybar, Margarita Simonyan, Judas, ” Simonyan, ’ They’ve, Vladimir Solovyov, Lavrov, Putin, Ivan, ” Solovyov, Meduza Organizations: CNN, Armenian, Armenia’s Security, Kremlin, CNN Prima News, Russia, NATO, Collective Security, Organization, Twitter Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Armenia, Russia, Moscow, Yerevan, United States, Ukraine, Kyiv, “, Azerbaijan, Russian, Soviet

CNN —Russia and China will continue “well-coordinated work” at the UN General Assembly this week, as well as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit this fall, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov predicted on Monday, during a visit from China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in Moscow. “I am confident that our well-coordinated work will continue during these forums,” he added. However, cooperation between Beijing and Moscow is not directed against other countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized during his Moscow trip. “China and Russia pursue independent foreign policies. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said in May that he expected trade with China would top $200 billion this year.

Persons: Sergey Lavrov, Wang Yi, ”, Lavrov, Wang, “, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, ” Wang, Mikhail Mishustin Organizations: CNN, UN, Assembly, Economic Cooperation, Reuters, Moscow, Russian Locations: Russia, China, Asia, Russian, China’s, Moscow, United States, Ukraine, Beijing

Discovery, was among the Western studios to pull out of Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. A “Barbie House” photo zone was set to open in Moscow last week and Russian clothing brands have launched pink Barbie-themed collections. “Hi Barbie!” one Moscow-based influencer said to her fans, asking them which of her Barbie looks they like the most. Commentaries in state media have linked the movie and the doll to the United States’ “downhill” culture and geopolitical aims. Now they have somewhat different ideals,” said Moscow State Pedagogical University Associate Professor Tatyana Semenova according to Russia’s privately owned National News Service outlet.

Persons: Barbie ”, Barbiemania, “ Barbie, hasn’t, ”, Barbie, Bulkin Sergey, “, influencer, Specialnaya, doesn’t, Dmitry Kosyrev, –, Maria Butina, Butina, Tatyana Butskaya, Barbie don’t, Tatyana Semenova Organizations: CNN, Warner Bros, Russia Russia’s Ministry of Culture, Warner Bros Discovery, RIA Novosti, Press, Moscow, Mattel, Hollywood, Duma, International Affairs, State, State Duma, Moscow State Pedagogical University, National News Service Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russia Russia’s, Siberian, Tyumen, Moscow, Russian, EU, United States, Asia, South, Vietnam, United Russia

☆ Prigozhin’s internet trolls blame West and defend Putin over Wagner chief’s death, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Katharina Krebs | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

At that time, CNN obtained undercover video recorded inside the secretive Internet Research Agency, where internet provocateurs worked 12-hour shifts, aiming to distort political debate in the US. CNN has checked the accounts from a list shared by Bot Blocker, and noted apparent patterns of activity. According to Bot Blocker, the trolls spread their narratives through comments in various threads and posts which are related to relevant subjects. If the rebellion is mentioned, then it’s only as a long-exhausted issue,” Bot Blocker added. According to the initial analysis from Bot Blocker, there were no changes in rhetoric after the official confirmation of Prigozhin’s death.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, provocateurs, – Bot, Bot Blocker, ”, Andrey Soshnikov, Putin, Russia …, Prigozhin’s, Blocker, Bot Organizations: CNN, Internet Research Agency, Twitter, PMC Wagner Locations: St, Petersburg, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Africa, Moscow, St . Petersburg, Russian

The attacks are forcing Russian tourists to reconsider their plans. Popular destinationCrimea has always been popular with Russian tourists, many of whom remember vacationing there during Soviet times. After Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year, a number of countries closed their doors to Russian tourists. Crimea suddenly became one of the few sunny beach destinations Russian tourists could still visit without having to spend a lot of money. The attack was frightening enough to scare away many of the Russian tourists who had still been planning to come.

Persons: Oleksii Reznikov, Svitlana, “, ”, Olga Maltseva, hasn’t, Iryna Vereshchuk, Putin, ” Svitlana, Vladimir Konstantinov, ATOR, ” Reznikov, Reznikov, Volodymyr Zelensky, –, ” Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Kyiv’s, “, Getty, Crimean Ministry of Resorts, Tourism, Russian Union of Travel Industry, Ukraine’s, Moscow, European Union, Association of Russian, Kyiv, Security Service of Ukraine, State Council of, Russian, Fleet, Crimean Human Rights Group Locations: Crimea, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Moscow, Russia, Russian, St . Petersburg, AFP, Yalta, Kerch, EU, Europe, Turkey, Sochi, Republic of Crimea, Crimean, Sevastopol, Kyiv

CNN —Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said he warned Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin twice to watch out for threats to his life. “The first time was when I phoned him and negotiations (were taking) place while they were marching on Moscow,” Lukashenko told reporters in comments carried by Belarusian state news agency Belta on Friday. The Belarusian president said he suggested to Prigozhin that he could talk with Putin and “guarantee full security” in Belarus if he was concerned for his security, Belta reported. On Friday, the Kremlin said that examinations including genetic testing were underway to determine whether Prigozhin was killed in Wednesday’s plane crash. Russian authorities have yet to officially confirm Prigozhin’s death but have acknowledged the plane crash in public comments.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, “, ” Lukashenko, Belta, ‘ Yevgeny, ‘, Prigozhin, Dmitriy Utkin, Prigozhin’s, Putin, Vladimir, Utkin, ’ it’s Putin Lukashenko, Lukashenko, ” Organizations: CNN, Belarusian, Kremlin, Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Pentagon Locations: Moscow, Belarusian, Belarus, St . Petersburg, Prigozhin

CNN —Russia has barred 54 more British citizens from entering the country, in response to the UK’s sanctions against its citizens and enterprises, according to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The sanctions list includes several government ministers as well as journalists from public broadcaster the BBC, the Guardian newspaper and the Daily Telegraph newspaper. “We would like to emphasize again that any efforts by London to further spin the anti-Russian sanctions flywheel will inevitably receive a decisive response from our side,” the Russian ministry said in a statement. Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan. Vanessa Jimenez/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesIn February, Khan submitted applications to the ICC for warrants of arrest for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova.

Persons: “, Karim Khan, Vanessa Jimenez, Khan, Vladimir Putin, Rights Maria Lvova, Lucy Frazer, Frazer, Goldie Organizations: CNN, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BBC, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Criminal, Anadolu Agency, ICC, Russian, Rights, State for Culture, Media, Sport, Olympic, State, British Ministry of Defence Locations: Russia, ”, London, Belarus, Ukraine

Moscow’s withdrawal from the wartime deal on Monday threatens to push up food prices for consumers worldwide and could tip millions of people into hunger. The White House said the deal had been “critical” to bringing down food prices around the globe, which spiked after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. Tensions between the two countries heightened on Wednesday, limiting the possibility that the deal to export critical commodities across the Black Sea will be restarted. Wheat prices are still down more than 50% from their all-time high in March 2022. The Black Sea deal — originally brokered by Turkey and the United Nations a year ago — has ensured the safe passage of ships carrying grain from Ukrainian ports.

Persons: “, ” Adam Hodge, Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia “, —, Vladimir Putin, — CNN’s Katharina Krebs Organizations: New, New York CNN, US National Security Council, Russian Defense Ministry, Wednesday, United Nations, Organization for Economic Co Locations: New York, Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Odesa’s, Turkey, Istanbul, Kyiv, Moscow

Prigozhin’s rebellion posed one of the biggest challenges to the long rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the video, a fighter seemingly addresses the Wagner leader as “Yevgeny Viktorovich,” Prigozhin’s first name and patronymic. The video is grainy and filmed in low light so CNN cannot definitively say the speaker is Prigozhin or when it was filmed. The fate of Wagner chief Prigozhin, meanwhile, remained subject to speculation. After the mutiny ended, Lukashenko claimed Prigozhin had arrived in Belarus.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ”, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Viktorovich, ” Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Prighozin Organizations: CNN, Russian Ministry of Locations: Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Belarusian, Africa, Prigozhin, St . Petersburg, Moscow

Prigozhin had reportedly traveled to Belarus as part of a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin following the failed uprising, but Lukashenko told CNN’s Matthew Chance that the Wagner leader is now in Russia. Prigozhin has not been seen in public since June 24 when he left Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia. “I don’t think that Wagner will rise up somewhere and turn its guns against the Belarusian authorities and the Belarusian state,” Lukashenko said. Until recently, Russian state television lionized Wagner’s operations in Ukraine, but the outlets now appear to be vilifying the founder of the private military company following the failed uprising. Russian state television often airs dramatic footage of what are described as raids by security services and foiled terrorist plots.

Persons: Belarus CNN — Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, CNN’s Matthew Chance, Wagner, ” Lukashenko, ”, Prigozhin’s, Were Wagner Organizations: Belarus CNN, CNN, Weapons, “, Kremlin Locations: Minsk, Belarus, Belarusian, Russia, Rostov, Vesti, St . Petersburg, Moscow, Ukraine

Some Russian military bloggers with substantial followings expect a serious reshuffle of the military in the light of the Wagner uprising, and perhaps within the security services for not seeing the preparations for it. Putin has sought to reassert his authority after Prigozhin's mutiny. There is no way to verify Rybar’s allegations, but their airing may demonstrate a level of apprehension in the Russian military in the light of the mutiny. At one point, according to Russian military bloggers, Surovikin interceded to try to procure ammunition for Wagner. There is still considerable respect in Russian military circles for what Wagner has contributed to the Ukraine conflict.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Wagner, Sergey Shoigu, Rybar, ” Rybar, Putin, Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Teplinsky, Boris Rozhin, Sergey Surovikin, “, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, ”, Dmitry Peskov, Surovikin, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti, Tatiana Stayonova, Rob Lee, “ Wagner, ” Surovikin, Prigozhin, Vyacheslav Volodin, ” Volodin, Anastasia Kashevarova, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Stayonava, Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, George W Bush, Concord Company ”, we’ll, eking, Viktor Zolotov, ” Zolotov, ” Anastasia Kashevarova, Russia “, there’s Organizations: CNN, FSO, Federal Guard Service, Federal Protective Service, AP, General Staff, The New York Times, Mayak Intelligence, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Russian Aerospace Forces, Sputnik, Getty, Western Military, Concord Company, Kremlin, MoD, Defense Ministry, Russian National Guard, Ministry of Defense, Telegram Locations: Rostov, Moscow, Don, Russia, Ukraine, AFP, Bakhmut, Shoigu, Putin, St, Petersburg, Russian, Minsk, Belarus, Prigozhin

☆ Wagner chief Prigozhin is in Belarus following armed rebellion, Lukashenko says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Katharina Krebs Paul P. Murphy Natasha Bertrand Jennifer Hansler Helen Regan | Katharina Krebs | Paul P. Murphy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“I want everyone to know about this: the maintenance of the entire Wagner group was fully provided for by the state,” Putin claimed. “In terms of nuclear weapons, most of them were already brought to Belarus, I won’t say how many. It’s surprising that they didn’t trace it,” Lukashenko said, according to Belarus state media. “Russians and Belarusians are guarding it… No Wagner fighters will guard nuclear weapons. This is our task.”If Lukashenko’s remarks are correct, it would be the first time Belarus has had nuclear weapons on its territory since the early 1990s.

Persons: CNN — Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, “, ” Lukashenko, hasn’t, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, BlackSky, ” Putin, Putin’s, ” “, Brian Nelson, ’ Wagner, Lukashenko, CNN Lukashenko –, –, ” Wagner, Prigozhin Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Federal Security Service, Defense Ministry, Prigozhin, European Union, Wagner, US Treasury Department, Wagner Group, Central African, Treasury, Belarus ‘ Locations: Belarus, Rostov, Belarusian, Minsk, Moscow, Russian, Concord, Africa, Sudan, Ukraine, Central African Republic, Mali, United States, Luhansk, Russia

CNN —Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko claims he convinced Russian leader Vladimir Putin not to “destroy” the Wagner group and its chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, talking up his role in halting the mercenaries’ military insurrection that caused crisis in Russia at the weekend. Let’s talk with Prigozhin, with his commanders.”Lukashenko – a longtime ally of the Russian President – said Putin told him: “Listen, Alex, it’s useless. There were 10 times more swear words (I later analyzed them) than normal vocabulary,” Lukashenko added, describing his interactions with a foul-mouthed Prigozhin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Lukashenko was able to draw on a personal relationship with Prigozhin to reach the deal, which would also see Wagner troops and equipment absorbed by the Russian military. Lukashenko said Tuesday that Prigozhin has received his personal assurances of safety, and the safety of his men, in order to defuse the rebellion on Saturday evening.

Persons: Aleksandr Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Lukashenko, ” Lukashenko, Putin, ” Lukashenko –, –, Alex, ”, Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu –, “ Organizations: CNN, Federal Security Service Locations: Belarus, Russian, Russia, Moscow, Belarusian, Minsk

☆ Live updates: Russia accuses Wagner chief of urging "armed rebellion"
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Helen Regan | Andy Raine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Yulia Morozova/Reuters/FILEThe chief of the Wagner private military group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, on Friday accused Russian military leadership of striking a Wagner military camp and killing a "huge amount" of his mercenary forces. Prigozhin claimed that the Russian Ministry of Defense tricked Wagner and he vowed to "respond to these atrocities." Prigozhin claimed that the "evil that is being carried out" by Russia's military leadership "must be stopped" following the alleged attack. "The details started to appear; Minister of Defense arrived to Rostov especially to conduct an operation to destroy Wagner PMC. And earlier this month, the Wagner boss said he won't sign contracts with Russia’s defense ministry, rejecting an attempt to bring his force in line.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Yulia Morozova, Wagner, Prigozhin, The Wagner, “, ”, CNN's Katharina Krebs, Lindsay Isaac, Uliana Pavlova, Radina Gigova, Josh Pennington Organizations: Russian Ministry of Defense, Wagner PMC, Ministry of Defense, Russia's Ministry of Defense, of Defense, Russia, Russian Defense Ministry Locations: Moscow, Rostov, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Bakhmut

In a series of Telegram posts on Friday, Prigozhin accused Russian forces of striking a Wagner military camp. “A huge amount of our fighters were killed,” he said, in a radical escalation of a longstanding feud with Russia’s military leaders. In a later Telegram post, Prigozhin said that his criticism of the Russian military leadership was a “march of justice” and not a coup. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Putin is aware of the situation and “all necessary measures are being taken,” according to state media RIA Novosti. In the interview, he claimed the ministry misled Russian President Putin entirely.

Persons: CNN —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, ”, ” Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin “, “, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Russia’s, Sergey Surovikin, Prigozhin’s, Igor Strelkov, Tatyana Stanovaya, Mykhailo Podolyak, ’ Prigozhin, , Shoigu – Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Prigozhin's Press Service, –, Russian, Federal Security Service, PMC, Novosti, Social, State, Russia, Russian Ministry of Defense, Security, Defense, Twitter, Internet Research Agency, of Defense, Ministry of Defense, NATO Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Donetsk People’s Republic, “, Putin’s Russia, St . Petersburg, NATO, Crimea

☆ Russian scientists criticize arrest of hypersonic researchers in open letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Katharina Krebs | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The arrest of three Russian scientists on suspicion of treason has been criticized by members of a Russian scientific institute, who warn the move has created a chilling effect in the community. The three Russian scientists, Anatoly Maslov, Alexander Shiplyuk and Valery Zvegintsev, were detained by the country’s security services in the past year, according to the open letter published this week by members of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (ITAM). The letter appealed to Russian authorities to “protect Russian aerodynamic science,” and warned that staffers not understand how to “do their job” for fear of being accused. In these circumstances, it’s simply impossible for our institute to work,” the letter also said. On Tuesday, TASS also reported Zvegintsev, ITAM’s chief researcher, had been placed under house arrest, citing a statement published by the court.

☆ Zaporizhzhia: Evacuations from Russian-occupied Ukrainian region raise concerns of nuclear power plant safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Helen Regan Julia Kesaieva Mariya Knight Katharina Krebs Kostan Nechyporenko Stephanie Halasz | Helen Regan | Julia Kesaieva | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But the evacuation of a town close to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has raised concerns about the facility’s stability. The plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station, is held by Russian forces but mostly operated by a Ukrainian workforce. The plant is also significant because Ukraine relies heavily on nuclear power. On the groundOn Sunday, Ukraine’s Operation Command South spokeswoman said Russian forces were trying to exhaust Ukraine’s air defense system. Bakhmut has been the site of a months-long assault by Russian forces that has driven thousands from their homes and left the area devastated.

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