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☆ Chechnya bans all music deemed too fast or too slow
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Authorities in the Russian Republic of Chechnya have announced a ban on music that they consider too fast or slow. The ban will mean that many songs in musical styles such as pop and techno will be banned. Chechnya sits in the North Caucasus region between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. Kadyrov has been leader since 2007 and has used his time in office to stifle any form of dissent. The pro-Kremlin leader has also subdued the Chechen separatist movement that fought for independence from Russia for almost two decades.

Persons: Culture Musa Dadayev, Chechen Republic “, Chechen Republic Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov, ” Dadayev, Dadayev, Kadyrov, Mike Pompeo, ” Organizations: CNN, Authorities, TASS, of Culture, United, Kremlin, US State Department Locations: Russian Republic, Chechnya, Culture, Russian, Chechen Republic, North Caucasus, Russia’s, Georgia, United Nations, Chechen, Russia

☆ Navalny is the latest in a long line of Putin critics who met an early death
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

CNN —When Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny returned to Russia in 2021, there were many who feared he would face an untimely end. The Kremlin has said it is investigating the critic’s death, the circumstances of which were not immediately clear. After his death, opposition leader Ilya Yashin said his friend had been working on a report about Russian troops and their involvement in Ukraine. Nemtsov’s death came two days before he was set to lead an opposition rally in the Russian capital. Alexander PerepilichnyyOver the years, suggestions have emerged of the possible use of a rare plant poison in the death of Russian financier Alexander Perepilichnyy.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, ”, Navalny, Yegveny Prigozhin Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Reuters Yevgeny Prigozhin, –, Bill Browder, “ Putin, ” Boris Nemtsov, Boris Nemtsov, Dmitry Korotayev, Boris Yeltsin, Ilya Yashin, Nemtsov, Vladimir Putin, Nemtsov’s, Boris Berezovsky Boris Berezovsky, Yelena Gorbunova, Peter Macdiarmid, Boris Berezovsky, Putin, Berezovsky, Alexander Perepilichnyy, CNN Alexander Perepilichnyy, Perepilichnyy, Sergei Magnitsky, ANDREY SMIRNOV, Magnitsky, Browder, Alexander Litvinenko Alexander Litvinenko, Natasja Weitsz, Alexander Litvinenko, Litvinenko –, Robert Owen, Putin “, Litvinenko, Marina Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, JENS SCHLUETER, Lom, Ali Gaitukayev, Politkovskaya, Chechen Republic …, ” Drownings, Prigozhin, Gennady Lopyrev –, “, Lopyrev, Pyotr Kucherenko, Pavel Antov, Vladimir Budanov, Budanov, Alexander Buzakov, Anatoly Gerashchenko, Ravil Maganov, Lukoil, Maganov “, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Sergei Skripal, Skripal, Yulia Organizations: CNN, Putin’s United, “, Kremlin, PMC Wagner, Reuters, Republican Party of Russia, Party, Newsweek, Royal Botanic, Getty Images, Hermitage Capital, KGB, Getty, Authorities, The, Protect Journalists, RIA Novosti, Russia’s, Science, Higher Education, Gazprom, Lukoil, Moscow Aviation Institute, TASS Locations: Russia, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Putin’s United Russia, Ukraine, ” Boris Nemtsov Russian, Kremlin, Moscow, Russian, London's, England, Soviet Union, Britain, Surrey, London, Kew, American, Chechnya, Leipzig, Germany, AFP, The New York, Chechen Republic, Washington, Gelendzhik, ”, Cuba, India, United States

☆ Chechen leader says he is ready to send another 3,000 fighters to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov addresses service members while making a statement, dedicated to a military conflict in Ukraine, in Grozny, Russia February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Chingis Kondarov/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Monday that another 3,000 of his fighters were ready to go to fight in Ukraine as part of new units of the Russian defence ministry and the Russian National Guard forces. "They (the fighters) have the best equipment and modern weapons," Kadyrov said on the Telegram messaging app. Kadyrov's claims could not be independently verified and estimates of the Chechen fighters deployed to Ukraine vary. There have been also been several Chechen armed formations fighting on the side of Ukraine in the war that began with Russia's full-scale aggression in Ukraine 21 months ago.

Persons: Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, Chingis, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, Vladimir Putin's, Kadyrov's, Russia's, Wagner, Lidia Kelly, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Russian National Guard, Chechen, Thomson Locations: Chechen Republic, Ukraine, Grozny, Russia, Chechnya, Melbourne

☆ Chechen leader's son, who beat a prisoner, made top bodyguard
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov's 15-year-old son, who was shown beating a prisoner in custody this year, has been appointed to a senior role in his father's bodyguard, top Chechen security officials said on Sunday. Allies of the Chechen leader heaped praise on Adam Kadyrov, who turns 16 this month, for his courage and congratulated him on his appointment. "I sincerely congratulate ... Adam Kadyrov on his appointment to an important position in the security service of the head of the Chechen Republic!" Kadyrov's press service did not respond to a Reuters' request to comment. RIA agency reported on Saturday that Kadyrov's son was awarded the title of Hero of Chechnya in October.

Persons: Ramzan Kadyrov's, Adam Kadyrov, Kadyrov, Adam, Ramzan Kadyrov, Putin, Zamid Chalaev, Lidia Kelly, Guy Faulconbridge, David Evans Organizations: Sunday, Allies, Kremlin, Chechen, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Chechen Republic, Dudayev, Melbourne, Moscow

☆ How surging trade with China is boosting Russia’s war
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

Mikhail Tereshchenko | Afp | Getty ImagesThe defense ministries of China and Russia did not respond to CNBC's request for comment on the trade flows. Trade of 'dual-use' goods spikesTotal bilateral trade between Russia and China hit a record high of $190 billion in 2022, up 30% from 2021. Semiconductor sales to Russia from China and Hong Kong more than doubled in 2022 as Western sanctions took hold. Meantime, construction equipment has played an "underappreciated" but significant role in China's contribution to Russia's war efforts, having helped bolster its defenses against Ukraine's counteroffensive, Joseph Webster, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said. The findings add to the growing list of Chinese goods and companies reported to be supplying Russia's military, including state-owned enterprises.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Mark Cancian, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Wang Yi, China's, Putin, Li Shangfu, —, Qilai Shen, Antonia Hmaidi, Cancian, they've, Hong Kong Retekess, Legittelecom, It's, Silva, Hmaidi, Joseph Webster, Webster, that's, Ramzan Kadyrov, Russia's Organizations: CNBC, for Strategic, International Studies, Kremlin, Afp, Getty, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Bank of Finland's Institute, Emerging, Semiconductor, CNBC CNBC, Federal, Service, SZ DJI Technology, Robotics, Iflight, SZ, Technology, Bloomberg, Rostov, R Technology, Beijing KRnatural International Trade Co, Mercator Institute for China Studies Defense, Industry, Hong, Mercator Institute for China Studies, Moscow, ImportGenius, Ukraine's, Atlantic Council, Atlantic, U.S, China Taly Aviation Technologies, China Poly Technologies, EU, Beijing, National Security Council Locations: Ukraine, China, Washington, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Beijing, U.S, Kyiv, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, DJI, Liaoning, Shanghai, Berlin, Buryatia, Hubei, Korea, Pyongyang, Russia's, Amur, Chechen Republic, Qianwan, Qingdao Port, Shandong Province, deniability

☆ Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov released a video of his 15-year-old son beating up a prisoner, saying he's 'proud' of him for showing 'honor' and 'dignity'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Monday that he's "proud" of his son for beating a prisoner. He published a video of Adam Kadyrov, 15, punching, kicking, and slapping a cowering man. Kadyrov published a video of the beatdown on Telegram, writing that he was "proud" of his son's actions. "He beat him, and he did the right thing," Kadyrov wrote, per a translation by Reuters. In his commentary, Kadyrov said the attacker was his 15-year-old son, Adam Kadyrov, and that the teenager had attained "adult ideals of honor, dignity, and defense of his religion."

Persons: Ramzan Kadyrov, Adam Kadyrov, —, Islam, Kadyrov, Nikita Zhuravel, Zhuravel, Tatyana Moskalkova, Kadyrov's, Moskalkova, Adam Delimkhanov, Delimkhanov Organizations: Service, Reuters, Moscow Times, United States Commission, International, Human, Zhuravel, Chechen Locations: Volgograd, Chechen Republic, Chechnya, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Chechen Leader's Telegram Channel Says He Is 'Alive and Well'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - The official social media channel of Ramzan Kadyrov, strongman leader of Russia's Chechen Republic and strong ally of President Vladimir Putin, on Wednesday showed a video of him and dismissed social media reports that he was in poor health. When asked about the reports, which alleged that the 46-year-old had been treated at a Moscow hospital, the Kremlin said this week that it had no information on the subject. But a video posted on Kadyrov's Telegram channel showed him sitting at the bedside of a man said to be "our dear UNCLE Magomed Abdulkhamidovich Kadyrov" and kissing him on the hand and head. "Praise be to the Almighty, I am alive and well and I don’t understand at all why there should be a fuss even in the case of my illness?" Spokespeople for the Chechen leader did not answer repeated phone calls earlier in the week seeking comment on the reports that he was ill.(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Kevin Liffey, Editing by William Maclean)

Persons: Ramzan Kadyrov, Vladimir Putin, Magomed Abdulkhamidovich Kadyrov, Kadyrov, Spokespeople, Kevin Liffey, William Maclean Organizations: Reuters Locations: Chechen Republic, Moscow

☆ Kremlin says it has no information on Chechen leader Kadyrov's health
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov attends a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Moscow, Russia April 27, 2023. Sputnik/Alexander Astafyev/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Monday that it had no information on the health of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov when it was asked about social media reports that the 46-year-old was unwell. Spokespeople for Kadyrov did not answer repeated phone calls seeking comment on the reports, which said Kadyrov had been treated at a Moscow hospital. "We have no information on this," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "In any case, the presidential administration can hardly give out health certificates, so we have nothing to tell you here."

Persons: Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, Mikhail Mishustin, Alexander Astafyev, Ramzan Kadyrov, Spokespeople, Kadyrov, Dmitry Peskov, Guy Faulconbridge, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Russian, Sputnik, Rights, Thomson Locations: Chechen Republic, Moscow, Russia

Mr. Putin himself is under an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children, as is his commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. The two entities placed under sanctions are a Russian-owned camp and an organization that has overseen Ukrainian children who were sent to a camp in the Chechen Republic. “Children are literally being ripped from their homes in the year 2023 by a country sitting in this very chamber,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said. Some are pressured into accepting Russian citizenship, and others have been adopted by Russian families, Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said. “You will hear Russian officials say that their transfers of children are part of humanitarian evacuations,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said on Thursday.

Persons: Ramzan Kadyrov, Aymani Nesievna, Kadyrova, reeducation, Vladimir V, Putin, Mr, Maria Lvova, Biden, ”, “ It’s, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Ms, Thomas, ARTEK, AKF, Galina Anatolevna Pyatykh, Irina Anatolyevna Ageeva, Irina Aleksandrovna Cherkasova, Mansur Mussaevich Soltaev, Magomedovich Khuchiev, Konstantin Albertovich Fedorenko, Alievich, Olena Oleksandrivna Shapurova, Vladimir Vladislavovich Kovalenko, Vladimir Dmitrievich Nechaev, “ Organizations: State Department, Kremlin, International, Court, Ukraine, Security, U.S ., Federal, Educational Institute International Children Center, Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation, The State Department, Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Youth Army Locations: Russia, Russian, United States, Ukraine, Chechen, Chechen Republic ., U.S, Crimea, Chechen Republic of Russia, Belgorod, Russia’s Kaluga, Russia’s Rostov, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia, Sevastopol, Crimean

☆ Russia-Ukraine War U.S. Officials Say It Appears Likely Putin Ordered Prigozhin Killed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Mr. Putin himself is under an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children, as is his commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. Seven of the people targeted by the new sanctions are Russian officials, and the other four, including Ms. Kadyrova, have ties to the camps. “Children are literally being ripped from their homes in the year 2023 by a country sitting in this very chamber,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said. Some are pressured into accepting Russian citizenship, and others have been adopted by Russian families, Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said. “You will hear Russian officials say that their transfers of children are part of humanitarian evacuations,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said on Thursday.

☆ Russian Putin critics like Prigozhin who met an early death
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

No evidence has been presented that points to the involvement of the Kremlin or Russian security services in the crash. Nemtsov’s death came two days before he was set to lead an opposition rally in the Russian capital. Alexander PerepilichnyyOver the years, suggestions have emerged of the possible use of a rare plant poison in the death of Russian financier Alexander Perepilichnyy. ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/AFP/Getty ImagesRussian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky died in a Russian prison in 2009. The most prominent voice of dissent in Putin’s Russia, the lawyer, politician and corruption activist for years orchestrated massive street protests.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Wagner, –, Bill Browder, “ Putin, Boris Nemtsov, Boris Yeltsin, Ilya Yashin, Nemtsov, Vladimir Putin, ”, Nemtsov’s, Boris Berezovsky Boris Berezovsky, Warrick Page, Boris Berezovsky, Putin, Berezovsky, Alexander Perepilichnyy, Perepilichnyy, Sergei Magnitsky, ANDREY SMIRNOV, Magnitsky, Browder, Alexander Litvinenko Alexander Litvinenko, Alexander Litvinenko, Litvinenko –, Robert Owen, Putin “, Litvinenko, Marina Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, JENS SCHLUETER, Lom, Ali Gaitukayev, Politkovskaya, Chechen Republic …, ” Drownings, Prigozhin, Gennady Lopyrev –, “, Lopyrev, Pyotr Kucherenko, Pavel Antov, Vladimir Budanov, Budanov, Alexander Buzakov, Anatoly Gerashchenko, Ravil Maganov, Lukoil, Maganov “, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Sergei Skripal, Skripal, Yulia Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Getty, Republican Party of Russia, Party, Newsweek, of Justice, Royal Botanic, AFP, Getty Images, Hermitage Capital, KGB, Authorities, The, Protect Journalists, RIA Novosti, Russia’s, Science, Higher Education, Gazprom, Lukoil, Reuters, Moscow Aviation Institute, TASS, Putin’s United, “ Locations: Russia, Boris Nemtsov Russian, AFP, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, London's, Europe, England, Soviet Union, Britain, Surrey, London, Kew, American, Chechnya, Leipzig, Germany, The New York, Chechen Republic, Washington, Gelendzhik, ”, Cuba, India, Putin’s Russia, Putin’s United Russia, United States

☆ Russian ransomware hacker extorted millions from U.S. businesses, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A 20-year-old Russian hacker was part of a campaign that worked to extort tens of millions of dollars from more than 1,400 victims, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Astamirov allegedly deployed ransomware called LockBit to steal sensitive data from the servers of businesses, then lock those systems and demand payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Department of Justice prosecutors allege Astamirov was directly responsible for five different attacks against U.S. businesses in Florida and Virginia, as well as international businesses based in France, Japan and Kenya. LockBit-powered attacks account for 16% of ransomware attacks against state and local governments, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Astamirov will face a federal judge Thursday, prosecutors said in a release announcing his arrest.

Persons: Ruslan Astamirov, Astamirov, ransomware, Astarimov, cybercriminals, Lisa Monaco, LockBit, Carlos Del Toro Organizations: Department of Justice, U.S, Department of Homeland Security, NBC, CNBC, U.S . Navy Locations: Russian, Chechen Republic, , New Jersey, Florida, Virginia, France, Japan, Kenya, Russia, China

☆ Russia: Chechen special forces waging offensive in east Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 2 (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday that the "Akhmat" group of Chechen special forces were waging an offensive near the town of Mariinka, in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. Together with the Wagner mercenary group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, troops from Russia's Chechen Republic have been one of the main driving forces behind Moscow's offensive in Ukraine. Unlike Prigozhin, who has repeatedly lambasted Russia's military leadership, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has recently refrained from echoing criticism of the defence ministry. Members of the two groups have since openly sparred, with one of Kadyrov's close allies on Thursday casting Prigozhin as a blogger who yells all the time about problems. Reporting by Reuters; editing by Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Apti Alaudinov, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov's, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Russia's Defence, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Chechen, Mariinka, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Chechen Republic, Ukraine

☆ UFC maintains links with Russian fighters and fighters connected to sanctioned Chechen warlord despite Ukraine invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

We have been saying for some time that these sports organizations need to prohibit Kadyrov’s fighters to perform,” he said. There’s also its decision to allow Russian fighters in general to compete in the world’s premium mixed martial arts organization. Some critics have suggested Russian fighters in general should be suspended, like has happened in some other sports, for the country’s involvement in the invasion of Ukraine. Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Getty ImagesUFC’s primary focusThere are 20 active Russian fighters currently competing in their organized events, according to the UFC website. CNN approached all 20 of those Russian fighters, only two responded initially and ultimately none of them agreed to an interview.

☆ Russia's irregular commanders, like the Wagner boss, are trying to force a top general's hand and risking throwing operations into chaos, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Irregular commanders, like Prigozhin, appear to be calling more of the shots in Ukraine, war experts say. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the group's founder, and his fighters have routinely criticized Russia's top military officials over their handling of Russia's faltering war in Ukraine. In threatening to do so, the two "likely effectively blackmailed" Russia's military command into giving resources to Wagner, the ISW said in a Monday assessment. Graves of Russian Wagner mercenary group fighters are seen in a cemetery near the village of Bakinskaya in Krasnodar region, Russia, on January 22, 2023. Meanwhile, Prigozhin marked the occasion by feuding with Russia's military leadership, attacking their ability to defend the country.

☆ Chechnya's Kadyrov: one day I plan my own mercenary group
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia's Chechnya region, said on Sunday that he one day planned to set up his own private military company in the style of Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner Group of mercenaries. The rise of Wagner and other mercenary groups outside the traditional Russian and Soviet-era military command structures has raised concerns among diplomats that such groups could one day pose a threat to stability in Russia. In a post on Telegram, Kadyrov said that Wagner, which has been fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, had achieved "impressive results" and said private military companies were a necessity. "When my service to the state is completed, I seriously plan to compete with our dear brother Yevgeny Prigozhin and create a private military company. I think it will all work out," said Kadyrov, who has served as head of the Chechen Republic since 2007.

[1/3] Members of the pro-Ukrainian Chechen battalion check an area, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Bakhmut, Ukraine November 11, 2022. Maga, his nom-de-guerre, is part of a unit of Chechen fighters helping Ukraine battle Russian troops in eastern Ukraine. "We're not fighting just for the sake of fighting," said Maga, who declined to give his real name for security reasons. That has not extinguished hope among Kadyrov's opponents, including Chechens fighting Russian forces in Ukraine, that the authoritarian "power vertical" which Putin has built could crumble if Moscow lost in Ukraine. "The armed forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria are being renewed here today," he told the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Oct. 24.

☆ Meet Yevgeny Prigozhin, 'Putin's chef' and founder of the brutal Wagner group who admitted that Russia was meddling in the US midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Lauren Frias | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin was reported to have shared with Vladimir Putin his misgivings about the war in Ukraine, according to The Washington Post. Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin is shown prior to a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that the confidant was Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, a Russian businessman, restaurateur, and longtime ally of Putin. Prigozhin denied the report to The Post and said that he "did not criticize the management of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation during the conflict in Ukraine." When the Chechen Republic's head, Ramazan Kadyrov, called out a Russian commander and senior officers after Russia was forced out of Lyman in Ukraine, Prigozhin echoed those critiques, according to BBC.

Is Russian President Vladimir Putin stepping back from the nuclear ledge? Concerns over Russia’s possible use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine had lessened recently, the sources said. Putin himself has given mixed signals over the question of Russia’s threshold for nuclear use. Russian President Vladimir Putin. “While Putin is unlikely to use nuclear weapons, that is because he is deterred by the fear of escalation, including nuclear escalation.

☆ Close Putin ally says 23 soldiers died in Ukrainian shelling attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Re-elected head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov attends an inauguration ceremony in Grozny, Russia October 5, 2021. REUTERS/Chingis Kondarov/Oct 27 (Reuters) - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Thursday said 23 of his soldiers had been killed and another 58 wounded in a Ukrainian artillery attack this week. Kadyrov's comments were unusual, given that pro-Moscow forces have rarely admitted to major battlefield losses since the war started. "All rescue operations at the site have been completed and there is a final list of dead and injured - 23 soldiers were killed and 58 wounded," he said. After the attack, Chechen forces carried out a revenge attack and killed about 70 Ukrainians, he said.

☆ Meet Yevgeny Prigozhin, 'Putin's chef' and founder of the brutal Wagner group who told the Russian leader that he was botching the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

☆ Ukraine lawmakers brand Chechnya 'Russian-occupied' in dig at Kremlin
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ichkeria is the historical name of Russia's southern region of Chechnya that was devastated by two bloody wars between Russian troops and Chechen separatists after the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union. A majority of Ukrainian lawmakers voted on Tuesday to back a resolution that "recognises the Chechen republic of Ichkeria as territory temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation as a result of armed aggression which contravened the UN's Statute". Ukraine uses the same language - "temporarily occupied" - to describe swathes of Ukrainian territory that were seized by Russian forces in 2014 and following this year's invasion. Ukraine's 450-seat parliament, which has continued to function behind closed doors despite Russian attacks on the capital Kyiv and other cities, said 290 lawmakers had voted to adopt the resolution. The parliament known in Ukraine as the Verkhovna Rada said 352 lawmakers were present for the vote.

The scale of the Russian military’s and political leadership’s setbacks in Ukraine have become too vast for even state media and pro-war activists to ignore. With Russian forces on the retreat, more and more they are accusing the leadership of betraying the troops. As Ukraine retakes territory, videos are appearing online appearing to show massive amounts of equipment abandoned by retreating Russian soldiers. Radical right-wing bloggers calling for Putin to take the gloves off in Ukraine are not a direct threat to the regime, Stanovaya said. The Russian elite is used to seeing Putin as a strong man, someone who deals with challenges and always knows where he’s taking the country.

☆ Putin is facing pressure from Russia's hawkish nationalists who want all-out war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-07 | by ( Jason Corcoran | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

As the nationalists' most prominent figurehead, Igor Girkin has been among the most searing in his criticism of Russia's military strategy. Addressing his followers last week, Girkin said: "The war in Ukraine will continue until the complete defeat of Russia. The Smolninskoye District Court ruled that the municipal council should be dissolved and subsequently charged the deputies with "discrediting" Russia's military. The widespread purging of liberals and journalists that occurred in the early days of the Ukraine war is relatively straightforward in Russia. But cracking down on ultra- nationalists is more dangerous and may have dire consequences – especially if Russia loses the war.

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