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☆ Russia is returning to its Cold War posture with plans to increase troops along its NATO borders, Lithuania's PM warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia plans to increase its troops along its border with NATO, Lithuania's prime minister said. Ingrida Šimonytė said Russia is returning to a Cold War posture and Europe needs to be prepared. AdvertisementRussia is returning to its Cold War posture and is preparing to seriously grow the number of troops that it has along its shared borders with NATO, Lithuania's prime minister warned. Ingrida Šimonytė told Business Insider in an interview that the rebuilding of Russia's military capacities on its borders with NATO member states means that it is "returning to the Cold War sort of posture." As Business Insider previously reported, this is the kind of language Putin used before he launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Ingrida Šimonytė, —, Šimonytė, Russia hadn't, It's, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: NATO, Service, Ukraine, EU, Finland, Business, Lithuania, for Locations: Russia, Europe, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Ukraine, Kaliningrad, Soviet Union, Russia's, Baltic

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Pentagon chief looks to convince Ukraine of ongoing support; Putin attends rally in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

People attend a rally and a concert celebrating the 10th anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea at Red Square in Moscow on March 18, 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin briefly attended an open-air rally in Moscow on Monday evening at which he told the crowd that the annexation of Crimea and other regions in Ukraine had been difficult but worthwhile. The rally and concert in Red Square marked the 10th anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. "Just this morning, I was informed that the railway from Rostov to Donetsk to Mariupol and Berdyansk has been restored. And this will be another alternative road to the Crimean bridge," he said, in comments translated by Reuters.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Berdyansk, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Russian, Ukraine, Reuters Locations: Crimea, Red, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Rostov, Sevastopol, Donetsk, Mariupol

☆ War, reforms and a possible successor? Here's what we could see from 6 more years of Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Analysts share their views on what we can expect now that Putin has strengthened his grip on power, with the Ukraine war, domestic economic reforms and a possible government reshuffle key factors to watch. Having cleared more of a procedural hurdle than a real test of his policies and popularity in the election, Putin will have more freedom to advance contentious reforms at home, analysts note. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivering an annual address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, at Moscow's Gostiny Dvor, in Moscow on Feb. 29, 2024. MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JANUARY 8: (RUSSIA OUT) A woman eats hot corn while walking along the Red Square near the Kremlin, as air temperatures dropped to -18 degrees Celcius, January,8 2024, in Moscow, Russia. However, with the dynamics of the war now shifting in Russia's favor, Putin might feel more confident with the reshuffle.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Natalia Kolesnikova, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, embolden Putin, Liam Peach, Jose Colon, Anton Siluanov, Tursa, Adeline Van Houtte, Donald Trump, Dmitry Peskov, Peach, he's, Sergei Shoigu, Sergei Lavrov, Mikhail Mishustin, Dmitry Medvedev, Gavriil Organizations: Afp, Getty, Kremlin, Commission, Analysts, U.S, Capital Economics, Anadolu, Anadolu Agency, Economist Intelligence Unit, Federal Assembly, Russian Federation, New, Putin, Security Council, Sputnik Locations: Crimea, Red, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Central, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Eastern Europe, Europe, U.S, Russia's, MOSCOW, RUSSIA

☆ ‘Alarm bells are ringing’: Poland’s president says NATO must urgently ramp up defense spending
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Polish President Andrzej Duda speaks to members of the media following a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on March 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch | Getty ImagesPolish President Andrzej Duda said Monday that NATO must urgently increase its defense spending to ensure it does not become the next target of a Russian attack. Duda said it was therefore more critical than ever to ramp up the alliance's military investment, describing his increased spending targets as "common sense." The Polish president, whose country shares a land border with Ukraine, has spearheaded calls to supply weapons to Kyiv since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion. During a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden last week, Duda called for NATO to raise its minimum military spending target to 3% of GDP to further strengthen the alliance's defenses.

Persons: Andrzej Duda, Joe Biden, Kevin Dietsch, Duda, Vladimir Putin, CNBC's Steve Sedgwick, Donald Tusk, Tusk, Putin, it's Organizations: U.S, White, Getty, NATO, CNBC, Polish, U.S . House Locations: Washington , DC, Moscow, Ukraine, Poland, U.S, Sweden, Congress, Russia

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is pressing ahead with a plan to use the profits generated from billions of euros of Russian assets frozen in Europe to help provide weapons and other funds for Ukraine, a senior official said Tuesday. The move comes as Ukraine runs dangerously low on munitions, and U.S. efforts to get new funds for weapons have stalled in Congress. A small group of member countries, notably Hungary, refuse to supply weapons to Ukraine, so these windfall profits would be divided up. The European Central Bank, or ECB, has warned in the past against seizing Russian assets as this could undermine confidence in the euro currency and EU markets. But Borrell said that no assets would be taken, only the windfall profits they make.

Persons: Josep Borrell, “, ” Borrell, Borrell, Alexander De Croo Organizations: Ukraine, EU, European, Parliament, European Central Bank, ECB, Belgian Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, Brussels, Ukraine, U.S, Russian, Belgium, Hungary, russia, ukraine

☆ How Putin and Xi both bent their nations to their will to become presidents for life
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

In the past decade, Putin and Xi have crushed what little remained of domestic opposition on their paths to absolute power. Advertisement"Both Putin and Xi's careers were forged as highly effective backroom operators forging relationships of dependency and patronage," he said. GREG BAKER via Getty ImagesDover said it would be a mistake to see Putin and Xi simply as dictators operating by arbitrary fiat. Both, he said, had built effective networks of loyalists capable of responding to crises and enacting their ambitious strategies to seize more global power. Xi and Putin bond over hatred of Western powerIt's on the global stage that the synergy between the leaders is of growing significance and growing alarm to Western leaders.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Putin, It's, Xi, Graeme Thompson, Robert Dover, Li, notionally, Korea's, GREG BAKER, Getty Images Dover, Xi's, Thompson Organizations: Service, Business, Reuters, Eurasia Group, Hollywood, Getty, University of Hull, Communist Party, US, National People's, of, People, Getty Images, Central, Putin, Beijing Locations: China, Russia, Soviet Union, Moscow, Hong Kong, Beijing, Dover, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Taiwan, Putin Russia, East Asia

☆ 2 NATO powerhouses are creating an armored-vehicle coalition to support Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two NATO members will lead a new armored-vehicle coalition to help Ukraine. Ukraine is struggling with a lack of weaponry and ammunition as Russia ramps up its own production. AdvertisementTwo major NATO member states announced that they are activating an armored-vehicle coalition to aid Ukraine's fightback against Russia's invasion. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, European nations have sent Ukraine weaponry and funding, and have also helped to train its soldiers. But despite the ongoing support, Ukraine is struggling with a lack of ammunition and weaponry.

Persons: —, Ukraine's, Władysław, Kamysz, Joe Biden Organizations: NATO, Service, Ukraine, Republican Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Avdiivka, Norway

☆ A Ukrainian soldier said that Ukraine's losses are so heavy where he's fighting that they struggle to recover the bodies
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewA Ukrainian soldier fighting near the country's northern front line has described the menace of Russia's bombardment, telling the Times of London that they are "losing so many people, there are so many bodies we can't even bring them all back." AdvertisementA major factor in the current Russian offensive is glide bombs, which Russia has stepped up the use of in the last three months. Glide bombs were a factor in the Russian capture of Avdiivka in mid-February, its only major success in recent months. Maksym Zhorin, a soldier in Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, said in a Telegram post during that battle that glide bombs "completely destroy any position," The Washington Post reported. However, these present no barriers for glide bombs.

Persons: —, Maksym, Mykola Bielieskov Organizations: Service, Business, for, Kyiv Post, Assault Brigade, Washington Post, Times, Kyiv's National Institute for Strategic Studies, Post, Ukrainian Locations: of London, Kupiansk, Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast, Russia, Bakhmut, Kyiv, Avdiivka, Ukraine

☆ Russia ordered new defenses meant to stop its navy getting humiliated by Ukrainian drones
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's defense minister visited the HQ of Russia's troubled Black Sea Fleet. The Russian minister, Sergei Shoigu, announced plans meant to stop that happening again. AdvertisementRussia's defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, issued new orders on Monday meant to stop so many Russian ships from being sunk by Ukraine. Russia's Defence Ministry on Sunday announced that Shoigu had visited the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in occupied Crimea. Ukraine claims to have sunk or disabled around a third of Russia's fleet, which was once the Black Sea's dominant naval power.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, —, Shoigu, Sergei Kotov, Shoigu's Organizations: Service, Russia's Defence Ministry, Sunday, Sea Fleet, AFP Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimea, Russia, Sevastopol, Novorossiysk, US

☆ Basking in his Russian election win, Putin talks about political nemesis Alexei Navalny's 'sad' death for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin was upbeat after winning a fifth term in power in Russia's presidential election over the weekend. He chose the moment to make his first public remarks on the death of his political nemesis, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, mentioning his name for the first time in years. Navalny's family and supporters accused Putin of ordering Navalny's death. He also used the moment to make his first public comments on Navalny's death, and mentioning his most vocal critic's name for the first time in public in years. Putin won Russian presidential election with 87.97% of the vote, first official results showed Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexei Navalny, Putin, Natalia Kolesnikova, —, Laudator Ursula von der Leyen, Bambi, NBC's Keir Simmons, Navalny, Mr Navalny, Navalny's, Maria Pevchikh, airbrushing Organizations: Afp, Getty, Navalny, European Commission, Bavaria Film Studios, NBC, Russian, Moscow Times, Putin's, Ukraine, Reuters, Commission, Anadolu Locations: Russia, Moscow, U.S

☆ Ukrainians in occupied territory were rounded up at gunpoint to vote in Putin's election, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Russia's presidential elections included forced voting in occupied regions of Ukraine, reports say. Armed guards coerced locals, both on their doorsteps and at polling stations, according to reports. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementArmed guards took part in door-to-door voting operations in occupied regions of Ukraine as part of Russia's recent presidential elections, according to multiple reports. Part of that vote was secured in Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporozhzhia, occupied regions of Ukraine that were at least partially captured since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022 — as well as Crimea, occupied since 2014.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, —, Crimea

The woman is Lutfiye Zudiyeva, a Crimean Tatar, and she shared video of the moment on her social media accounts. It’s inevitable.”Arrests like hers, as well as large mass raids, especially, but not exclusively, in areas predominantly inhabited by Crimean Tatar communities, have been common since 2014. “The situation is only getting worse,” said human rights lawyer Emil Kurbedinov, himself a Crimean Tatar. AFP/Getty ImagesThe major concern now is that Crimea is a template for the other four Ukrainian regions now fully or partially occupied by Russia. Propaganda effortWhen it comes to Crimea, Russia has tried to hide its oppression under a veil of public investment, and patriotism.

Persons: “, ”, Russia’s, ” Zudiyeva, Joseph Stalin, Emil Kurbedinov, Daniel van Moll, NurPhoto, Kurbedinov, Ukraine –, Viktor Yanukovich’s, ” —, Baz Ratner, Yanukovich –, Sergey Aksyonov, Sean Gallup, ” Kurbedinov, Krzysztof Janowski, ” Janowski, Vladimir Putin, Irina Volk, Zaporizhzhia –, Volk, didn’t Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Tatars, Soviet Union, Fleet, Reuters, Research, Russia, Crimean, Getty, UN, Ukrainian, Moscow Locations: Crimean, Ukrainian, Crimea, Crimean Tatar, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Crimean Tatars, Russia, Simferopol, Sevastopol, Russian, Soviet, Moscow, Kyiv, Russian Republic of Crimea, AFP, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Avdiivka, Kerch, “

☆ Putin seen winning an expected landslide 88% of Russian election vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

President Vladimir Putin won a record post-Soviet landslide in Russia's election on Sunday, cementing his grip on power. The election comes just over two years since Putin triggered the deadliest European conflict since World War Two by ordering the invasion of Ukraine. War has hung over the three-day election: Ukraine has repeatedly attacked oil refineries in Russia, shelled Russian regions, and sought to pierce Russian borders with proxy forces - a move Putin said would not be left unpunished. As noon arrived across Asia and Europe, hundreds of people gathered at polling stations at Russian diplomatic missions. Putin says the West is engaged in a hybrid war against Russia and that Western intelligence and Ukraine are trying to disrupt the elections.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Josef Stalin, Putin's, Alexei Navalny, Yulia, Ruslan Shaveddinov, Leonid Volkov, Navalny, Joe Biden, Nikolas Gvosdev, Biden, Donald Trump, William Burns, China Organizations: Soviet, Research, National Security, KGB, Corruption, Criminal Court, Hague, Kremlin, Research Institute, Trump's Republican, Kyiv, CIA Locations: United States, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Asia, Europe, Russian, Berlin, Vilnius, West, Philadelphia, Congress, Ukrainian, Crimea, Kyiv

☆ Russia's Drone Attack on Odesa Damages Agribusinesses, Ukraine Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( March | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russian air attacks damaged agricultural enterprises and destroyed several industrial buildings in the Black Sea port of Odesa overnight, Ukraine's forces said on Sunday. Russia launched 16 drones and seven missiles, Ukraine's air force posted on the Telegram messaging app. Russia's attacks come as Ukraine launched 35 drones against broad areas of Russia, including Moscow, on Sunday, the final day of Russia's presidential vote. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 96 ImagesThe south command of Ukraine's armed forces, whose area includes Odesa, said two agricultural enterprises were damaged in Odesa district. It was not immediately clear whether the damage was caused by falling drone debris or drones that were not downed.

Persons: Lidia Kelly, Edmund Klamann, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, Kharkiv Locations: Black, Odesa, Russia, Donetsk, Chernikhiv, Ukraine, Moscow, Odesa district, Melbourne

☆ US Marines don skis in joint NATO exercises in the critical Arctic battleground
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Last month, II MEF attended a 10-day training course in the hills near the Norwegian town of Setermoen. "I think that's one of the things that we see with our marines and sailors in this training," said II MEF commander, Lt. AdvertisementThe II MEF, the US military's rapid response group, was ordered to delay the hypothetical enemy so that "reinforcements" had time to arrive. The Arctic is a key locationThe Arctic itself is already a critical region for Russia and NATO. AdvertisementPutin has snapped back at the West following French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestions that NATO could send troops to Ukraine.

Persons: —, Ted Driscoll, David A, JONATHAN NACKSTRAND, Grant Schapps, Pål Jonson, Mark Stephens, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Emmanuel Macron's, Sergei Naryshkin, General Carl, Johan Edstrom, it's Organizations: Service, US Marines, Marine Expeditionary Force, NATO, Marines, Business, NBC News, Nato Nordic, Getty, Reuters, NBC, Norwegian Communication Authority, Brookings Institution, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, BBC Locations: Alaska, Norway, Norwegian, Setermoen, Iraq, Afghanistan, AFP, Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, North America, Europe, Russian

☆ Ukraine drones attack multiple oil refineries in the campaign against Russia's strategic energy industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine attacked another Russian oil refinery on Saturday night. AdvertisementA long week of attacks on oil and gas infrastructureThis past week, Ukraine has made a concerted effort to degrade Russia's oil production capabilities. The governor of Russia's Samara Oblast reported on March 16 that Ukrainian drones had attacked two Rosneft oil refineries. One attack had hit another major oil refinery operated by Lukoil in the southwestern Volgograd region. Similar incidents had occurred across Russia in January, hitting the Slavneft-Yanos oil refinery, an oil refinery in Tuapse, a storage facility in Klintsy, and a Baltic sea Ust-Luga terminal.

Persons: —, Ukrainska, Russia's, Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelensky, Краснодарському кра РосВдео Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Business, Astra, Ukrainska Pravda, Security Services, Security Service, Stringer, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Reuters, Staff, Lukoil, НПЗ Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Krasnodar, Moscow, Russia, Russia's Samara Oblast, Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Leningrad, Lukoil's Norsi, Russia's Belgorod, Norsi, Ukrainian, Volgograd, Tuapse, Klintsy, Baltic

☆ Russia election is set to tighten Putin's grip on power despite noon protest
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on a screen during a meeting with his confidants for the 2024 election at Gostiny Dvor in Moscow, Russia January 31, 2024. President Vladimir Putin is poised to tighten his grip on power on Sunday in a Russian election that is certain to deliver him a landslide victory, though some opponents staged a symbolic noon protest at polling stations against his rule. The election comes just over two years since Putin triggered the deadliest European conflict since World War Two by ordering the invasion of Ukraine. War has hung over the three-day election: Ukraine has repeatedly attacked oil refineries in Russia, shelled Russian regions and sought to pierce Russian borders with proxy forces — a move Putin said would not be left unpunished. Russia is not Putin."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Josef Stalin, —, Putin's, Alexei Navalny, Alexei, Yulia Organizations: Gostiny Dvor, KGB Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Budapest

☆ Russian rebels aim to embarrass Putin with cross-border attacks during presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The fighters say they intend to disrupt Russia's election and demonstrate opposition to Putin. Putin said there would be payback for the attacks in a speech to Security Council of Russia on Friday. Aleksey Baranovsky, who is part of the Freedom for Russia Legion, said the group's goal was to disrupt the election and show opposition to Putin. A view of the site after Ukrainian shelling that damaged buildings and vehicles in Belgorod, Russia on March 14, 2024. Emil Leegunov/Anadolu via Getty ImagesIt is unlikely that these attacks will have a major impact on the election or the war in Ukraine, but they could serve to embarrass Putin.

Persons: Putin, —, reelect Vladimir Putin, Aleksey Baranovsky, Alexey, Jade McGlynn, Alexey Navalny, STRINGER, McGlynn, Emil Leegunov, " McGlynn Organizations: Security, Russia, Service, Russia Legion, Siberian Battalion, Russian Volunteer Corps, for Russia Legion, War Studies Department, King's College London, Getty, CNN, Freedom for Russia Legion, Russian National Guard, Legion, Navalny Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Russian, Russia's Kursk, Belgorod, —, Ukraine, Kursk, Tyotkino, Russia's, Kyiv, Anadolu

☆ I tutored the children of Russia's elite amid the backdrop of war. One teenager said he had his own massage therapist.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The agency counted some of Russia's elite among its clientele — so I was quickly thrust into a world of private jets, guarded estates, and personal chauffeurs. I worked in Moscow until Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when I was relocated to Monaco. I have a massage every day, I have my own massage therapist," he told us. AdvertisementBut the children often brought the topic up themselves, their comments ringing with the ideology they had likely absorbed at home.

Persons: —, Cameron Manley, Barts, Vladimir Putin, Ivan, Alexei, Elena, It's, Philippe Jacquemart, Jorg Greuel, Putin, Sasha Mordovets, getty, wryly, Elizaveta Organizations: Service, Business, Monaco penthouses, Monaco, Mandoga, Getty, Mercedes, Benz, United Arab, Russia's, Sirius Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Monaco, St, Caribbean, Rublevka, Saint, Nice, France, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Russian, Sochi, Kyiv

☆ US Army instructors say Ukrainian soldiers were 'amazing' at mastering the Patriots they've used to shoot down Putin's overhyped missiles
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian soldiers spent 10 weeks learning to use the US military's Patriot air-defense system. Business Insider recently visited Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where Patriot training took place last year, and spoke with two US Army instructors who were involved in the program. They described the Ukrainian soldiers as "awesome" students and "amazing" learners with a lot of drive to learn how to operate the system. AdvertisementFILE - Patriot missile launchers acquired from the U.S. last year are seen deployed in Warsaw, Poland, on Feb. 6, 2023. AdvertisementA Patriot missile is fired during a training exercise at the Black Sea training range in Capu Midia, Constanta, Romania, on Nov. 15, 2023.

Persons: —, Michal Dyjuk, Kevin McConkey, Ukraine —, McConkey, Sean Gallup, Austin Christie, Christie, George Calin Still, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: US, Patriot, US Army, Fort Sill, Service, Business, Army, U.S, AP, Getty, Ukrainian, Russian Air Force, Pentagon Locations: Ukraine, Fort Sill , Oklahoma, Fort Sill, Warsaw, Poland, Rzeszow Jasionska, Midia, Constanta, Romania, Moscow, Alexander Zemlianichenko Russia, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Germany, Netherlands

☆ Russians vote in an election that Putin will win, but the Kremlin is looking for a landslide victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Mikhail Svetlov/Getty ImagesThere are no surprises over who will win Russia's presidential election this coming weekend with incumbent, Vladimir Putin, set to win a fifth term in office, keeping him in power until at least 2030. The heavily stage-managed vote taking place from Friday to Sunday is not expected to throw up any nasty surprises for the Kremlin which told CNBC months ago that it was confident Putin would win the vote comfortably. That's particularly the case in a country where Russian opposition figures are not represented on the ballot paper or in mainstream politics, with most activists having fled the country. "According to official data, Putin received 77.5% of valid votes in the 2018 presidential election that saw a turnout of 67.5%. Russian opposition activists, most in self-imposed exile in order to evade arrest, imprisonment or attack, have also condemned the election.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Svetlov, Putin, That's, Alexei Navalny, there's, Vladislav Davankov, Leonid Slutsky, Nikolay Kharitonov, Russia's, Yekaterina Duntsova, Boris Nadezhdin, Andrei Kolesnikov, —, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Andreas Tursa, Russian Federation's, Yulia Navalnaya, Dmitrii, we're Organizations: Kremlin, CNBC, New People, Liberal Democratic Party, Communist Party, Russia's, Commission, Levada, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Putin, Teneo, Russian Democratic Society, Festival Locations: Kremlin, Ukraine, Russia, Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast, Europe, Kyiv, Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russian, London, Sirius, Sochi, Stavropolsky Krai, Krasnodar Krai

☆ Russia's grand railway plan to get around Western sanctions is about to get even bigger
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

And it's now also linking south toward India and countries in the Persian Gulf, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. AdvertisementIn addition, Russia is also restoring another railway line that would allow it to access Turkey, the Times reported on Wednesday. Russia's push for rail freight follows two years of Western sanctions against the country over its war in Ukraine. The restrictions hit Russia's trade with Europe, traditionally its single largest market. AdvertisementAs Ram Ben Tzion, the CEO of freight vetting platform Publican, told the Times, Russia is creating "a trade route for the pariahs."

Persons: —, it's, Ram Ben Tzion, David Szakonyi, Szakonyi Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, New York Times, Times, Business, Reuters, West, George Washington University, Profit Locations: Russia, Moscow, China, India, Persian, Iran, Mumbai, Suez, Turkey, Ukraine, Europe, Policymaking, Russian, Crimea

☆ Ukraine hits at least 3 Russian oil refineries in one of the largest drone strikes in recent months
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine recently launched a wave of drone strikes against Russian oil facilities. Within two days, Ukraine has hit at least three oil refineries, according to CNN. AdvertisementUkraine hit a third Russian oil refinery with one of its largest drone strikes on Wednesday, as the country stepped up aerial attacks on key Russian energy infrastructure in the past two days. Since Tuesday, Ukraine has been hitting Russia with a wave of drones, targeting oil refineries located deep in the country. If the numbers are accurate, that would mark one of Ukraine's largest drone strikes against Russia in recent months, according to the report.

Persons: —, Pavel Malkov Organizations: CNN, Service, The Washington Post, Russia's Defense Ministry, Bloomberg, Russia, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Financial Times Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Ryanzan, Moscow, The, Russia, Kstovo, Kirishi

☆ From warning on nuclear war to 'psychotropic drugs': Here are 5 things Putin told the Russian media
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin making a speech at the second Eurasian Economic Forum on May 24, 2023, in Moscow, Russia. In an interview with pro-Kremlin media published Tuesday, Putin laid out his vision for relations with the West, war and peace. 1) Russia 'technically' ready for nuclear warPutin was again keen to point out that Russia is ready for a nuclear war on a technical and military level. Nonetheless, Putin said Russia would be ready to conduct nuclear tests — if the U.S. did so. It's estimated that the war has cost Russia at least 315,000 dead and wounded troops during two years of war in Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dmitry Kiselev, Mikhail Klimentyev, Ria Novosti, Rossiya, We've, Ukraine's, Joe Biden, Jens Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ludovic Marin, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: Economic Forum, Getty, Kremlin, RIA Novosti, Ukraine Rossiya, It's, Afp, Ria, Russian Federation —, NATO, AFP, Ukraine Locations: Moscow, Russia, U.S, Ukraine, Crimea, Europe, Paris

☆ The Russian war machine is fired up but won't be able to keep going like this indefinitely, war analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewRussia's war machine has picked up momentum in concert with its increased industrial capacity and decreased Ukrainian resistance, but current Russian manufacturing capabilities and stored combat systems won't last forever, war experts say. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a major factor in its ongoing labor shortage, an issue that can affect weapons manufacturing. Many Russian citizens who might have worked key jobs have either enlisted in the military or have fled the country. AdvertisementThe increased capacity of Russia's defense industrial base, ISW said, is "capable of sustaining Russia's current tempo of operations" in the short-term.

Persons: —, Forbes, Russia's, ISW, Dara Massicot Organizations: Service, Institute, Business, Street Journal, Royal United Services Institute, Avdiivka, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace's, Eurasia Locations: Russian, Russian Soviet, Russia, London, Ukraine, International Peace's Russia

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