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CNN —The eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka is increasingly becoming a flashpoint in the conflict, where fighting remains intense even when the front lines have barely moved for months. Russia appears to have made tactical advances in the outskirts of the embattled town as Ukraine claims it is inflicting heavy losses on assaulting troops. Here is what you need to know about the past week in Ukraine. Defensive fortifications will be bolstered along all of Ukraine’s northern territory which borders Belarus and Russia. Ukraine claims defensive actions in and around the town are inflicting heavy losses on Russian troops and equipment.

Persons: Zelensky, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, “, Vitalii, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, chief’s, Marianna Budanova, GUR, Kyrylo Budanov, Andriy Yusov, Russia —, — Organizations: CNN, Analysts, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukrainian Security Service, Russian Railway, NATO Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Belarus, Kherson, Russian, Dnipro, Ukraine’s, CNN Ukraine, Buryatia, Siberia, Mongolia, North Korea, China, Finland, Helsinki, Brussels, Turkey, Soviet Union

☆ Ukraine predicted where Russia would reroute trains after it blasted the railroad connecting Russia and China, and then attacked again, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's security service attacked a major railroad connecting Russia and China, reports say. A Ukrainian official told the BBC they had preempted the diversion, and Russians fell into the "trap." AdvertisementUkraine's security service attacked a railway line deep inside Russia in an act of sabotage and then attacked again when the trains were diverted. Speaking about the act of sabotage, a Ukrainian official told Politico: "This is the only serious railway connection between the Russian Federation and China. Aviation fuel on the second train spilled over 150 square meters, or over 1600 square feet, Politico reported.

Persons: —, Ukraine's, Baza Organizations: BBC, Service, Security, Russian Telegram, Russian Railway, Politico, Russian Federation and, Aviation Locations: Russia, China, Russia's, Ukraine, Russian Federation and China

☆ Ukraine conducts new attack on Russian railway deep in Siberia - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Ukraine's domestic spy agency has detonated explosives on a Russian railway line deep in Siberia, the second attack this week on military supply routes in the area, a Ukrainian source told Reuters on Friday. The train had been using a backup railway line after an attack on a nearby tunnel a day earlier caused trains to be diverted, the source said. The Ukrainian source, who said both operations were conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), gave a similar assessment of the damage, citing Russian Telegram channels. Russia's Trans-Siberian Railway is widely seen as more important for Russian freight transport than the Baikal-Amur Mainline. A Russian industry source who declined to be identified said the backup route was functioning and being used by trains carrying freight on Friday afternoon.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Tom Balmforth, Gleb Stolyarov, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Security Service of Ukraine, Russian, Reuters, Russian Railways, Russia's, Railway, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Siberia, Ukrainian, Russia, Siberia's Buryatia, Mongolia, Russian, Buryatia, Moscow, Chertov, Russia's Baikal, Russia's, Baikal, Amur, Kyiv

☆ Investigators find train in Russian tunnel was blown up in 'terrorist act' - newspaper
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 1 (Reuters) - Investigators have concluded that a train that caught fire in Russia's longest tunnel on Wednesday was blown up in a "terrorist act" by unidentified individuals, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Friday. At 9.5 miles (15.3 km) long, the tunnel on the Baikal-Amur Mainline railway is Russia's longest, excluding urban underground railway tunnels. Preliminary findings suggested that explosives had been placed beneath the train, Kommersant cited a source as saying. Reuters could not independently verify whether the rail route is used for military supplies. Russian Railways had said the train was stopped when smoke was spotted coming from a tank containing diesel fuel.

Persons: Andrew Osborn, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Kommersant, Security Service of Ukraine, Reuters, Russian Railways, Thomson Locations: Russia's, Ukrainian, Siberia, Russia, Buryatia, Mongolia, Amur, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Investigators Find Train in Russian Tunnel Was Blown up in 'Terrorist Act' - Newspaper
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Investigators have concluded that a train that caught fire in Russia's longest tunnel on Wednesday was blown up in a "terrorist act" by unidentified individuals, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Friday. At 9.5 miles (15.3 km) long, the tunnel on the Baikal-Amur Mainline railway is Russia's longest, excluding urban underground railway tunnels. Preliminary findings suggested that explosives had been placed beneath the train, Kommersant cited a source as saying. Reuters could not independently verify whether the rail route is used for military supplies. Russian Railways had said the train was stopped when smoke was spotted coming from a tank containing diesel fuel.

Persons: Andrew Osborn, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Reuters, Kommersant, Security Service of Ukraine, Russian Railways Locations: Russia's, Ukrainian, Siberia, Russia, Buryatia, Mongolia, Amur, Ukraine, Moscow

CNN —A fire that ripped through a train as it travelled along a strategic rail tunnel in eastern Russia was the work of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), a Ukrainian defense source has claimed. “Four explosive devices were detonated while the freight train was in motion,” a source with knowledge of SBU operations told CNN. The explosion occurred on the Baikal-Amur railway, in the Bessolov Severomuyskiy tunnel in Buryatia, in the eastern Siberia region of Russia bordering Mongolia, according to the source. “The explosion is yet another successful special operation by the SBU,” the source said. Train traffic has been rerouted, according to the Russian Railway.

Persons: ”, “ Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian Security Service, Russian Railway, East Siberian Transport Prosecutor’s, East Siberian Railway Locations: Russia, Buryatia, Siberia, Mongolia, Ukraine, China

☆ Ukraine's SBU targets rail line deep inside Russian Siberia - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Nov 30 (Reuters) - An operation conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detonated explosives on a railway line in Siberia that Russia uses for military supplies, a Ukrainian source told Reuters on Thursday. Such an attack, more than 4,000 km (2,480 miles) from Ukraine, would be a striking demonstration of Kyiv's ability to conduct operations deep inside Russia. Reuters could not independently verify the account or whether the rail route is used for military supplies. Russian sources acknowledged that a train had caught fire in the area, but made no mention of explosives. In a statement online, it said rail traffic had been rerouted, slightly increasing journey time, but that transport had not been interrupted.

Persons: Tom Balmforth, Gleb Stolyarov, William Maclean Organizations: Security Service of Ukraine, Reuters, Russia's, Russian Railways, Thomson Locations: Siberia, Russia, Ukrainian, Buryatia, Mongolia, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Protesting the Ukraine war is banned in Russia, so young people are sabotaging trains and railroad tracks instead: UK intel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Activists against Russia's war with Ukraine have been sabotaging railways, UK intel said. As protesting is criminalized in Russia, sabotage is appealing for young people, UK intel said. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . "Russia's military logistics, including supplying the war in Ukraine, remain reliant" on the country's more than 20,000 miles of railway line, the UK intelligence group said. Some of the railroad sabotage cases involved damage to tracks and arson, according to Mediazona.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin Organizations: intel, UK intel, Service, UK's Ministry of Defense, Russian Locations: Ukraine, Russia, UK

☆ Russia's armored trains are a valuable tool with some big vulnerabilities
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Hope Seck | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Russia has used armored trains for military purposes for more than a century. Russia's use of armored trains for transport, mine-clearing, and resupply, however, has drawn particular scrutiny and criticism. Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesHowever, as details have emerged about these new armored transport trains used in Ukraine, observers have expressed bemusement. A video by the YouTube channel EngineerReact summarizes the primary problems with train warfare in the 21st century, calling Russia's armored trains "a terrible idea." "That was probably the best use of [military trains] in an offensive operation, in combat, in the recent wars," he said.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, luxuriously, trainspotter, Maksim Konstantinov, Richard Killblane, Scott Sturkol Killblane, Killblane, Taji, Jerome Bishop The, it's, there's Organizations: Service, Red Army, Russo, Museum of Russian Railways, Getty, YouTube, Ukraine's Territorial Defence Force, Army Special Forces, Army Transportation School, Army, US Army, Jerome Bishop The US Army, 757th Expeditionary Railway Center Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Japanese, Germany, Soviet Union, Afghanistan, Russian, St . Petersburg, McCoy, Wisconsin, Iraq, Mosul, Taji, Sadr

☆ Who is in Putin's delegation to China - and who stayed in Moscow?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives for the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 18, 2023. Sputnik/Dmitry Azarov/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently on a visit to China, his second only trip outside the former Soviet Union since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Who is in the Russian delegation with Putin - and who stayed in Russia? Before Putin left for China, he was shown at a meeting with defence and spy chiefs at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow. The following top officials are thought to be in Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Azarov, Alexander Novak, Sergei Lavrov, Yuri Ushakov, Maxim Oreshkin, Dmitry Peskov, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, Anton Siluanov, Maxim Reshetnikov, Dmitry Shugaev, Yuri Chikhanchin, Dmitry Chernyshenko, Igor Morgulov, Igor Sechin, Alexei Miller, Alexei Likhachev, Andrei Kostin, Igor Shuvalov, Leonid Mikhelson, Oleg Belozyorov, Kirill Dmitriev, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Nikolai Patrushev, Alexander Bortnikov, Dmitry Medvedev, Anton Vaino, Sergei Kiriyenko, Mikhail Mishustin, Viktor Zolotov, Sergei Naryshkin, Guy Faulconbridge, Muralikumar Organizations: Forum, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Soviet Union, Putin, Kremlin, Central Bank Governor, Federal Service for Military, Gazprom, VEB, Russian, Russian Direct Investment, Russia Security, Federal Security Service, Russia's Foreign Intelligence, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Ukraine, Russia, CHINA, North Korea, China BUSINESSPERSONS, Moscow, Russian

☆ Oil prices climb as markets focus on supply tightness
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Emily Chow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An aerial view shows oil tanks of Transneft oil pipeline operator at the crude oil terminal Kozmino on the shore of Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Tatiana Meel/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Oil prices rose nearly $1 on Wednesday as markets focused on supply tightness heading into winter and a "soft landing" for the U.S. economy. Brent crude futures rose 86 cents, or 0.9%, to $94.82 a barrel by 0340 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed 86 cents, or 0.9%, to $91.25. "Oil prices are overall relatively strong amid the current tightening of supply," said CMC Markets analyst Leon Li, however adding that price support from Russia and Saudi Arabia supply cuts may be limited through the year-end. "(Economic) Data from countries in Europe and the United States have recently weakened ... Oil prices in October may show a volatile trend as a whole.

Persons: Tatiana Meel, Cushing, Leon Li, Neel Kashkari, Arathy Somasekhar, Emily Chow, Sonali Paul 私 Organizations: Rights, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Organization of, Petroleum, ANZ Research, Russian Railways, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, of England Locations: Nakhodka, Russia, Rights SINGAPORE, U.S, Oklahoma, Cushing, Saudi Arabia, Europe, United States, Minneapolis, Houston, Singapore

☆ Oil prices edge higher as markets focus on supply tightness
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view of a crude oil storage facility is seen on May 4, 2020 in Cushing, Oklahoma. Oil prices ticked up in early trade on Wednesday, as markets focused on supply tightness heading into winter and a "soft landing" for the U.S. economy. Brent crude futures rose 33 cents, or 0.4%, to $94.29 a barrel by 0015 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed 31 cents, or 0.3%, to $90.70. Industry data released on Tuesday showed U.S. crude oil stockpiles rose last week by about 1.6 million barrels, against analysts' expectations for a drop of about 300,000 barrels. However, markets continued to worry about U.S. crude stockpiles at the key Cushing, Oklahoma, storage hub falling below minimum operating levels.

Persons: Cushing, Neel Kashkari Organizations: Brent, U.S, West Texas, Organization of, Petroleum, Russian Railways, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, of England, Senate, Republicans Locations: Cushing , Oklahoma, U.S, Oklahoma, Cushing, Russia, Minneapolis

☆ Russia lifts export ban on low-quality diesel, marine fuel
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

It also lifted restrictions on the export of fuel already accepted for export by the Russian Railways and Transneft (TRNF_p.MM) before the initial ban had been announced last week. The ban on all types of gasoline and high-quality diesel remains in place. Russia in recent months has suffered shortages of gasoline and diesel. Wholesale fuel prices have spiked, although retail prices are capped to try to curb them in line with official inflation. The crunch has been especially painful in some parts of Russia's southern breadbasket, where fuel is crucial for gathering the harvest.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Vladimir Soldatkin, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Russian, Russian Railways, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, breadbasket

☆ Russia faces domestic fuel crunch, braces for more shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Traders said that the fuel market has been hit by a combination of different factors including maintenance at oil refineries, infrastructure bottlenecks on railways and the weaker rouble which incentivises fuel exports. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday that there were no fuel shortages. FUEL CRUNCHTraders said the shortages on the retail market followed by a sharp rise of wholesales prices. The state caps the retail prices, ordering the sellers to raise prices of gasoline and diesel only in line with official inflation. For the past two months commodity exchange diesel prices jumped on average by more than a quarter to 67,000 roubles ($700) per ton.

Persons: Alexander Natruskin, Alexander Novak, Andrei Neduzhko, Vladimir Soldatkin, Guy Faulconbridge, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Traders, Kremlin, CRUNCH Traders, Industry, Wholesale, Russian Railways, Thomson Locations: Moscow, MOSCOW, Russia, Russia's, Krasnodar region, Adygea, Astrakhan, Samara, Russian, Rostov, Krasnodar, Stavropol

☆ Ukrainian Children Brought to Camps in Belarus, Exposed to Pro-Kremlin Propaganda
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Karolina Jeznach | Thomas Grove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Videos and photos posted by authorities in occupied Ukrainian regions show children waving Russian flags, studying Russian history and dancing to patriotic Russian songs. WSJ’s Ian Lovett explains the Kremlin’s efforts to re-educate Ukrainian children. Photo composite: Kalvin NgWARSAW—Belarus, a staunch ally of Russia, has transported thousands of Ukrainian children—some of them orphans—to the country, where they were exposed to pro-Kremlin propaganda, an effort that underscores the former Soviet nation’s support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. More than 2,000 children have been brought by rail from Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine to Belarus as part of an agreement between Russia and Belarus, according to a publicly available document from the Belarusian government as well as leaked documents from Russian Railways and Belaruskali, a Belarus company funding the effort.

Persons: WSJ’s Ian Lovett, Ng, — Organizations: Kremlin, Russian Railways Locations: Ukrainian, Ng WARSAW, Belarus, Russia, Soviet, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Live updates: Russia's war in Ukraine, upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Images from amateur Russian trainspotting websites appear to show Putin's train. The train is painted to look like an ordinary Russian Railways train. Among the parts of the train detailed is car number 021-78630, with a gym and spa for Putin, according to the Dossier Center. The Dossier Center is backed by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an exiled former Russian oil tycoon turned Kremlin critic. A glossy brochure made by Zircon itself shows a luxurious gym and spa on wheels designed for Putin, the Dossier Center says.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, ”, “, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Zircon Organizations: Russian Railways, CNN, Transportation Administration, Kremlin, Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR, WDR, Service Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Mykolaiv, Moscow, London

A glossy brochure made by Zircon itself shows a luxurious gym and spa on wheels designed for Putin, the Dossier Center says. The room itself, documents from the Dossier Center suggest, is outfitted to help prevent the use of listening devices. The train is painted to look like an ordinary Russian Railways train. “There is a ghost train on the railways of our country,” one trainspotter wrote alongside an image of what appears to be Putin’s train he posted on rutrain.com. It is through the image of those domes that we know that Putin’s train carries the ordinary external markings of a Russian train.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, ”, “, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Zircon, –, Dmitry Pegov, Oleg Klimentiev, ” Pegov, Oleg Ateistovich, ” CNN’s, Gleb Karakulov, Karakulov, ” Karakulov, trainspotter, trainspotters, Abbas Gallyamov, ” Gallyamov, Putin's, Gallyamov, Wagner, It’s Organizations: CNN, Transportation Administration, Kremlin, Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR, WDR, Service, Russian Railways, “, Dossier, Zircon Service, Federal Security Service, FSO Locations: Ukraine, Mykolaiv, Moscow, London, Russian, Russia, Valdai, St . Petersburg, Kerch, Crimea, Israel

☆ As Russia Tries to Pummel Kyiv, a Blast in Crimea Hints at Ukraine’s Reach
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Andrew E. Kramer | Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine’s air defenses shot down dozens of Russian missiles in the skies above Kyiv early Thursday, casting flaming debris over the Ukrainian capital on the same day that an explosion derailed a Russian freight train in Crimea, the latest in a series of blasts in Russian-occupied territory. Russia’s railway operator said that “unauthorized persons” were behind the derailment, suggesting an act of sabotage. The Ukrainian authorities, who often do not confirm or deny responsibility for incidents in Crimea or Russia, did not claim any role in the derailment. The missile attack and the explosion in Crimea come as both Russia and Ukraine are preparing for a widely expected Ukrainian offensive aiming to retake occupied land. In anticipation of that campaign, Russia has fired volley after volley of missiles — Thursday was the ninth attack on Kyiv this month — in a long-range effort to demoralize civilians and keep Ukraine’s air defenses tied up away from the front.

☆ 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.

☆ Explosion derails freight train in Russian border region - governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 1 (Reuters) - An explosion in a Russian region bordering Ukraine derailed a freight train on Monday, the local governor said in a social media post, adding there were no casualties. "An unidentified explosive device went off at the 136-kilometre mark on the Bryansk-Unecha railway line, derailing a freight train," Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz said in a post on his Telegram channel. Russian authorities say the region - which borders both Ukraine and Belarus - has seen multiple attacks by pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups in the 14 months since Russia invaded. The site of the incident, as indicated by the governor, is around 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of Russia's border with Ukraine. Separately, the governor of Russia's Leningrad region near St. Petersburg said a power line had been blown up overnight and an explosive device found near a second line.

"It could be some kind of non-controlling stake in public companies," Kostin said in the interview. COMPETITIONHe said some industries lacked competition, a hangover from Soviet times, a consequence of which would ultimately see more investors take money elsewhere. Telecoms operator Rostelecom (RTKM.MM), defence conglomerate Rostec and state nuclear energy company Rosatom could have subsidiaries privatised, he said, adding: "The main thing is not to miss the moment when we can attract private money here." Under that programme, state property was sold very cheaply to well-connected businessmen who became known as "oligarchs". "We have a different country now, a different president, a different government that cannot allow what happened then," he said.

☆ Putin is so paranoid about being tracked, he travels in a secret grey train that stealthily blends in with other Russian locomotives, says a former elite Russian security officer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Vladimir Putin rides in a train because planes can be tracked, said an FSO officer who defected. The train is indistinguishable from other Russian trains "for stealth purposes," the officer said. His account aligns with previous reports that Putin secretly travels in trains to avoid being tracked. "Same as all the other Russian Railways trains — grey with a red stripe," he said. Karakulov said his team started equipping the train for Putin's operations in 2014 or 2015, per the Dossier Center.

☆ Russian court hands down first sabotage verdict since start or Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 21 (Reuters) - A Russian court sentenced two defendants to three-and-a-half years in a strict regime colony for plotting to sabotage the railway in a region bordering Ukraine, the first convictions for sabotage since Russia's invasion, media reported on Tuesday. Their convictions were the first based on the "Sabotage" Article 231 of the Russian Criminal Code since the start of what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine, the news agency said. Ukraine and its allies say Russia's military intervention in its neighbour, launched on Feb. 24 last year, is an imperialistic land-grab. There have been several sabotage incidents against Russian railways and other facilities, especially in regions bordering Ukraine, such as Belgorod and Bryansk, according to the British Ministry of Defence. The ministry said in an October report that with the Russian military primarily relaying on rail transport, which often passes through isolated areas, meaning "the system is extremely challenging to secure against physical threats".

☆ Russia rainy day fund shrinks by $38 bln as government plugs deficit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 18 (Reuters) - Russia's National Wealth Fund shrank to $148.4 billion as of Jan. 1, down $38.1 billion in a month, as the government took out cash to plug its budget deficit, data showed on Wednesday. The ministry said it had spent 2.41 trillion roubles ($35.1 billion) from the NWF, a rainy day fund that accumulates oil revenues, to cover the deficit in December. The size of the NWF at Jan. 1 was equivalent to 7.8% of Gross Domestic Product, the finance ministry said. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said last week that Russia recorded a budget deficit of 2.3% of GDP last year, having targeted a surplus of 1% before the start of the war. According to the budget law, the finance ministry can spend another 4.2 trillion roubles, currently worth around $61 billion, over the next two years to plug the deficit.

☆ U.S. Sanctions Russia’s Rosbank, Subsidiaries of VTB
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( David Smagalla | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. government has sanctioned Russian lender Rosbank and has expanded sanctions against VTB, one of the country’s largest banks, in a move to further limit the Russian government’s efforts to fund its war in Ukraine. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on Thursday announced sanctions against 17 subsidiaries of VTB, building on sanctions placed on the parent company in February, after Russia invaded Ukraine. The Treasury cited the importance of Rosbank to the Russian government, given that the lender is considered a “systemically important credit institution” in the country. The U.S. sanctions follow similar sanctions of Rosbank by the U.K. and Canada earlier this year. Nornickel wasn’t included in the State Department’s sanctions package.

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