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☆ Russian central bank hikes rates 100 basis points as Ukraine war sparks ruble crash and labor crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's central bank lifted its benchmark to 8.5% from 7.5%, the first hike in over a year. Rates are now going up 100 basis points to 8.5% from 7.5%, as policymakers cited inflationary pressure from the ruble's recent slide and worker shortages. "The increase in domestic demand surpasses the capacity to expand production, including due to the limited availability of labor resources," the central bank said. And despite Friday's rate hike, the ruble fell 1.6% against the greenback to 90.80. In addition, the Kremlin's military spending for the war has widened its budget deficit, adding even more inflationary pressure.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Wagner, group's Organizations: Service Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Wagner suffered staggering losses in Ukraine, official says: 28% dead, a further 51% wounded, totaling 62K casualties in just over a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

28% of the Wagner Group's force sent to Ukraine was killed, according to a group official. A Wagner Group official identified as Marx said that 78,000 fighters went to Ukraine with the mercenary group, and 22,000 were killed, according to Telegram channel Razgruzka Vagnera. That means the Wagner Group had 62,000 casualties in total, according to the official's figures. The UK defense ministry on Friday also pointed to huge losses of Russian prisoners fighting in Ukraine. While the Wagner Group is not the only group that recruited prisoners for Ukraine, it was the most prolific group to do so.

Persons: Wagner, Marx, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Razgruzka Vagnrea, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Putin Organizations: Kremlin, Service, Group, Moscow Times, Wagner Group, Wagner Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Bakhmut, Russian, Moscow, Africa

KOLPIN-OGRODNIKI, Poland, July 20 (Reuters) - People living near Poland's border with Belarus said on Thursday they could hear shooting and helicopters after Russia's Wagner Group arrived to train Belarusian special forces just a few miles from the frontier, compounding their fears the Ukraine war would reach them. Minsk posted pictures of masked Wagner instructors, their faces covered in accordance with the mercenary group's rules, training Belarusian soldiers with armoured vehicles and what appear to be drone controls. It is unclear how many fighters of the Russian mercenary group are currently training at the training ground of the 38th airborne assault brigade outside the city of Brest. In December last year, Russia and Belarus signed an agreement legalizing the permanent presence of Russian military formations on Belarus territory. Earlier this week, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a law establishing combat centres for joint training for military personnel of both countries.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Agata Moroz, He's, I'm, Moroz, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Adam Ligor, Anton Motolko, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Warsaw Pact, NATO, Reuters, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: OGRODNIKI, Poland, Poland's, Belarus, Belarusian, Ukraine, Kolpin, Russia, Africa, Minsk, Russian, Brest, Warsaw, U.S, Moscow

Summary Wagner to train near PolandPrigozhin greets mercenaries in BelarusUp to 10,000 Wagner fighters to be in Belarus - commanderSays 22,000 Wagner fighters perished in UkraineMOSCOW, July 20 (Reuters) - Mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group will help train Belarusian special forces during exercises at a military range near the border with NATO-member Poland, the Belarusian defence ministry said on Thursday. "The armed forces of Belarus continue joint training with the fighters of the Wagner PMC (Private Military Company)," the Belarusian defence ministry said. Poland said earlier this month it would send 500 police to shore up security at its border with Belarus to cope with rising numbers of migrants crossing as well as any potential threats after Wagner mercenaries relocated to Belarus. MERCENARY PLANSA deal was struck on June 24 under which the mercenaries would move to Belarus in return for charges against them being dropped. The post contradicted remarks by a Russian lawmaker who said that as many as 33,000 Wagner fighters had signed contracts with the defence ministry.

Persons: Wagner, Poland Prigozhin, Russia's Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner's, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Marx, Felix Light, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Russia's, NATO, Wagner PMC, Private Military Company, West, Kremlin, Wagner's Telegram, Reuters, Islamic, Central African, Thomson Locations: Poland, Belarus, Ukraine MOSCOW, Belarusian, Ukraine, Africa, Brest, Russian, Ukrainian, Russia, Crimea, Syria, Central African Republic, Mali, Bakhmut, Tbilisi, Moscow

[1/2] A man types into a keyboard during the Def Con hacker convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. on July 29, 2017. In an interview this week, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security Head Sami Khoury said that his agency had seen AI being used "in phishing emails, or crafting emails in a more focused way, in malicious code (and) in misinformation and disinformation." The same month, Britain's National Cyber Security Centre said in a blog post that there was a risk that criminals "might use LLMs to help with cyber attacks beyond their current capabilities." The LLM responded with a three paragraph email asking its target for help with an urgent invoice. Reporting by Raphael Satter in Washington; editing by Chris Sanders and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Steve Marcus WASHINGTON, Sami Khoury, Khoury, cybercriminals, Europol, ChatGPT, Raphael Satter, Chris Sanders, Josie Kao Organizations: Def Con, REUTERS, Reuters, cybercriminals, Centre for Cyber Security, European, Cyber Security, Thomson Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, U.S, Washington

But Shautsou’s statement was the first time the Belarus Red Cross has admitted taking part in the deportations. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Red Cross umbrella organization, expressed “grave concern” and called for the practice to stop. Dzmitry Shautsou, the Secretary General of the Belarusian Red Cross, pictured near the Polish border. “We have contacted the Belarus Red Cross to express our grave concern and to stop any similar activity in the future,” the statement said, adding that “actions by any of our member national Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies in contradiction with our humanitarian mission” are “taken extremely seriously.”The Ukrainian branch of the Red Cross has called for the IFRC to denounce the Belarus Red Cross’ involvement in the deportations. “We implore them to carefully consider the matter of excluding the Belarus Red Cross from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,” the group said in a statement.

Persons: Dzmitry Shautsou, ” Shautsou, Ulf Mauder, Shautsou, ”, “, Dmytro Kuleba, Vladimir Putin, Rights Maria Lvova, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: CNN, Cross, International Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, Criminal Court, Belarus “, TV, Red Crescent Movement, Crescent, ICC, Twitter, Russian, Rights, Ukraine Russia, Crisis Management Group Locations: Belarusian, Belarus, Ukraine, Republic of Belarus, Russia, Rome, Polish, Severodonetsk

More than two weeks later, the Kremlin disclosed that Mr. Prigozhin and other Wagner leaders had met with Mr. Putin for three hours in the days after the rebellion ended. “I think he probably feels under some pressure,” Mr. Moore said of Mr. Putin, speaking at the British ambassador’s residence in the Czech capital. Mr. Prigozhin is known to have spent several days in Russia afterward, and video posted on the Telegram messaging app on Wednesday appears to show him in Belarus. “He is clearly under pressure,” Mr. Moore said of Mr. Putin. Mr. Cleverly said the rebellion underscored the falsity of Mr. Putin’s assertions that Russia would be more committed to a long war in Ukraine than the West would be.

Persons: Richard Moore, Vladimir V, Putin, Yevgeny V, Wagner, Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin, “, Mr, Moore, “ Prigozhin, ” Mr, ’, James, ”, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Politico, Kremlin, Mr, Prigozhin, The New York Times, ”, Russian Army, British, Aspen Security Locations: London, Prague, Russia, British, Czech, “, Belarus, Moscow, Belarusian, Minsk, Ukraine, Rostov, Afghanistan, Russian

In the most detailed public account yet given by a U.S. official, the director of the C.I.A. offered a biting assessment on Thursday of the damage done to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia by the mutiny of the Wagner mercenary group, saying the rebellion had revived questions about his judgment and detachment from events. Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, an annual national security conference, William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, said that for much of the 36 hours of the rebellion last month, Russian security services, the military and decision makers “appeared to be adrift.”“For a lot of Russians watching this, used to this image of Putin as the arbiter of order, the question was ‘Does the emperor have no clothes?’” Mr. Burns said, adding, “Or at least ‘Why is it taking so long for him to get dressed?’”Mr. Burns’s remarks on the Kremlin’s paralysis during the uprising carried out by Yevgeny V. Prigozhin and his mercenary group built on comments a day earlier from his British counterpart, Richard Moore, the chief of MI6, who said the rebellion showed cracks in Mr. Putin’s rule.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Wagner, William J, Burns, “, Mr, Burns’s, Yevgeny V, Prigozhin, Richard Moore, Putin’s Organizations: U.S, Aspen Security Forum Locations: Russia

☆ Russian military leaders will likely start hiding critical information from Putin to save their own necks, researcher says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Sonam Sheth | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Top Russian military leaders will likely start hiding information from Putin out of self-preservation, a Russia researcher wrote for NYT. Those generals are "now even more dependent on Mr. Putin for their safety and positions," she added. Indeed, as Russia is at a critical point in its war against Ukraine, Russian military officials have shown more interest in sniping at each other. "In this atmosphere of suspicion and uncertainty, where prominent generals disappear and Mr. Putin is quick to blame traitors, self-censorship among top military leaders is likely to become more prevalent," Massicot wrote in a New York Times op-ed. But even though Russia is at a critical juncture in its war against Ukraine and the Russian army continues racking up losses, Russian military leaders have focused more on sniping at one another.

Persons: Putin, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Russia's, Sergei Shoigu, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Shoigu, Gerasimov —, Prigozhin Organizations: NYT, Service, RAND Corporation, New York Times, NATO, Russian, Mr Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Wall, Silicon

WASHINGTON, July 19 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) is expanding its suite of free security tools for customers, the software company said on Wednesday, following criticism that it was charging clients to protect themselves against Microsoft's mistakes. Microsoft's previous practice of charging for advanced versions of those tools has come under widespread criticism, especially following the recently disclosed hack at the U.S. State and Commerce Departments. That hack - which Microsoft later acknowledged was down to a breach and coding flaws - was only discovered because one of the victims spotted an anomaly while reviewing their digital logs. In a statement released alongside Microsoft's blog post, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency official Eric Goldstein said that "everyone wins" when security tools are provided free of charge. Charging for those tools "is a recipe for inadequate visibility into investigating cybersecurity incidents," Goldstein said.

Persons: Eric Goldstein, Goldstein, Raphael Satter, Josie Kao Organizations: Microsoft Corp, U.S, Microsoft, U.S . State, Commerce, Infrastructure Security Agency, Thomson

☆ Putin cut deal with Wagner ‘to save his skin,’ MI6 chief says in rare speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Prague CNN —It was a rare moment when the publicly visible Kremlin matched the reality behind closed doors. And he had, it seemed, been welcomed into the Kremlin to meet Putin days later. Asked by CNN if Prigozhin was “alive and healthy”, Moore replied the Wagner leader was still: “floating around”, per his agency’s understanding. Yet the on-camera speech provided an opportunity for Moore’s expression to convey how shocking the weakness betrayed by Putin that weekend had been. “He really didn’t fight back against Prigozhin”, Moore said.

Persons: Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Richard Moore, “ Prigozhin, ” Moore, Prigozhin, Moore, Wagner, Prigozhin ”, Alexander Lukashenko, “, ” Organizations: Prague CNN, Mi6, CNN, Belarus ”, Ukraine ”, Kremlin Locations: Prague, Moscow, Belarus, Denmark, Ukraine, United Kingdom, China, Russia, Iran

The chief of Britain’s intelligence agency, MI6, said on Wednesday that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had “cut a deal” with Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary group, during Mr. Prigozhin’s failed rebellion last month. The Wagner leader staged a mutiny against Russia’s military last month, which saw his mercenary forces marching toward the capital before abruptly halting. More than two weeks later, the Kremlin disclosed that Mr. Prigozhin and other Wagner leaders had met with Mr. Putin for three hours in the days after the rebellion ended. “I think he probably feels under some pressure,” Mr. Moore said of Mr. Putin, speaking at the British ambassador’s residence in the Czech capital. He really didn’t fight back against Prigozhin; he cut a deal to save his skin using the good offices of the leader of Belarus.”

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Yevgeny V, Wagner, Prigozhin’s, Richard Moore, Prigozhin, “, Mr, Moore, “ Prigozhin, ” Organizations: Politico, Kremlin, Mr, Prigozhin Locations: Russia, Prague, British, Czech, “, Belarus

Summary Prigozhin welcomes mercenaries to BelarusPrigozhin says the front is 'a disgrace'Mercenaries should prepare for AfricaIt's only just begun, top Wagner commander says'Welcome to hell!' The footage, reposted by his press service on Telegram, is the first video evidence of Prigozhin's whereabouts since the night of the mutiny. In the video, the authenticity of which Reuters could not immediately verify, a man whose voice and Russian sounded like Prigozhin's, is heard welcoming his men. It is also unclear what Wagner, which Prigozhin said had 25,000 men, would do next. The video posted on Wednesday showed Prigozhin receiving a Wagner black flag, decorated with the motto "Blood, honour, Motherland, Courage", from their camp in southern Russia.

Persons: Belarus Prigozhin, Wagner, Utkin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner's, Vladimir Putin's, Prigozhin, honourably, Putin, Dmitry Utkin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, Jon Boyle Organizations: West, Kremlin, Reuters, Islamic, Central African, Putin, Staff, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Africa, MOSCOW, Ukraine, Russian, Belarusian, Russia, Rostov, Dagestan, Minsk, Syria, Libya, Mali, Crimea, Central African Republic, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

☆ Prigozhin resurfaces in Belarus, tells Wagner fighters they have the 'biggest job in the world coming up'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin shared a video Wednesday that appears to show him in Belarus. In recent weeks, however, the Wagner boss had himself been spotted inside Russia. In recent years, Wagner mercenaries have deployed to Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic, where they have been accused of terrorizing local populations as they combat insurgent groups. Prigozhin, in the video posted Wednesday, suggested Wagner's mission is far from over. "The biggest job in the world [is] coming up very soon," he continued, adding: "We'll definitely be traveling all over the world."

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, It's, it's, Alexandr Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Central African, Wagner Locations: Belarus, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russia, Belarusian, Africa, Libya, Mali, Central African Republic

☆ UK intel chief invites Russians 'silently appalled' by the Ukraine war to share their secrets and spy for MI6
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Britain's intelligence chief invited Russians who are upset with the Ukraine war to spy for MI6. Espionage has been a feature of the war, and the CIA even tried earlier this year to recruit spies. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Their secrets will always be safe with us, and together we will work to bring the bloodshed to an end. Espionage and intelligence gathering has long been a feature of Russia's war in Ukraine, and MI6 is not the first Western intelligence agency to try and recruit Russians.

Persons: Richard Moore, you'll, Richard Moore ,, Moore, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Kyiv, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner Organizations: CIA, Service, Intelligence Service, Soviet, Western, NATO, Wagner Group Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Prague, Soviet Union, Soviet, Russia

☆ MI6 chief makes open plea to Russians to spy for UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Prague CNN —The head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service used a rare speech Wednesday to issue a plea to disaffected Russians to spy for the UK. They know in their hearts that Putin’s case for attacking a fellow Slavic nation is fraudulent,” he added. The MI6 chief told CNN that Prighozin is alive and at liberty following the group’s 24-hour mutiny against the Kremlin, and that Putin is clearly under pressure. Over the years they have developed a particularly gruesome reputation and have been linked to various human rights abuses. A CNN investigation in April found that Wagner has been supplying Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces with missiles to aid their fight against the country’s army.

Persons: Richard Moore, ”, Vladimir Putin’s, ” Moore, Moore, “, Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prighozin, Belarus –, Prighozin, Putin “ didn’t, –, ” Putin Organizations: Prague CNN, Kyiv, Russian, CNN, Kremlin, Prighozhin, Wagner Group, Central African, Rapid Support Forces Locations: Prague, Ukraine, Russian, Odesa, Belarus, Moscow, Denmark, Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique, Syria

In the video, filmed at dusk, a man whose silhouette and voice closely resemble Mr. Prigozhin, said that the Wagner fighters will stay in Belarus for some time to train its army, with the goal of turning it into the best army in the world outside of Russia. In the aftermath of the aborted mutiny, the fate of the Wagner group appeared to be in limbo. Last week, President Vladimir V. Putin said that its troops could continue fighting but without their pugnacious leader. On the video, however, Mr. Prigozhin appears to still be the head of a large group of fighters. He did not tone down his criticism of the Russian top commanders, calling the situation on the front lines in Ukraine a “disgrace” that Wagner fighters “should not participate in.” He also left open the possibility Wagner forces would return to combat in Ukraine.

Persons: Yevgeny V, Wagner, Prigozhin, Vladimir V, Putin, ”, “ Locations: Belarus, Russia, Russian, Ukraine, ”

☆ Putin Invited Wagner Leader Prigozhin 'for Tea' Recently, Says UK Spy Chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Vladimir Putin had tea with mutiny leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, the UK's spy chief said. However, after striking a deal with Wagner leader Prigozhin to call off the mutiny, Putin's actions have been mysterious. There are some things that even the chief of MI6 find a little difficult to try and interpret," Sir Richard said. Asked whether he believes Prigozhin is still alive, Sir Richard said that "as far we can tell Prigozhin is floating around," reported Sky News. Sir Richard, officially codenamed "C", compared the situation in Ukraine to the Prague Spring in 1968.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Richard Moore, Wagner, Sir Richard Moore, Putin, Prigozhin, he'd, Sir Richard Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Sky, Sky News, Analysts, Kremlin Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Prague, Czech Republic, Russia, Moscow, Belarus, St Petersburg, Ukraine

☆ Russia-Ukraine War Live Updates: Crimea Bridge Attack Puts Spotlight on Sea Drones
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Moscow’s accusation that Ukraine used sea drones to attack and significantly damage Russia’s Kerch Strait Bridge to Crimea on Monday has put a spotlight on a weapon that could pose a particularly difficult threat for the Kremlin. He said they would have traveled across the Black Sea at a speed slow enough to minimize their wake and foil radar detection. For Ukraine, with its navy effectively blockaded and outmatched by Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the appeal of unmanned surface vessels is clear. Russia accused Ukraine in October of attacking its Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, the fleet’s base, with seven sea drones as well as aerial drones. On Sunday, Russia’s defense ministry said it had foiled another such attack in Sevastopol, involving two sea drones and aerial drones.

Persons: ”, Sam Bendett, Bendett, Mr Organizations: CNA, The New York Times, Russian, Fleet, Black Locations: Ukraine, Kerch, Crimea, Russian, Virginia, Russia, Azov, Dnipro, Sevastopol

☆ A man who runs the web domain for a Russian-allied country says the US military has been accidentally sending him millions of emails for 10 years, including sensitive information like a general's trav
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Dutch business owner is warning that millions of US military emails are being sent to Mali. People are sending sensitive information to the ".ml" instead of ".mil" accounts, he told the FT.Johannes Zuurbier said the emails sent to the Russian ally contained maps and personal records. Johannes Zuurbier, who was contracted to manage Mali's country email domain, said he's been trying to alert the Pentagon to the potential security issue for the last decade, according to The Financial Times. Zuurbier told the FT he's seen around 1,000 emails a day being sent to the wrong domain. US military email accounts also notify personnel if they try sending a message to addresses with the ".ml" domain, and will automatically block the email from being sent, Gorman added.

Persons: Johannes Zuurbier, he's, —, Zuurbier, James McConville, General James Charles McConville, Prabowo Subianto, Eko Siswono, He's, Cmdr, Tim Gorman, Gorman Organizations: Service, Pentagon, Financial Times, US Army, Staff, Indonesian Defense, Anadolu Agency, Getty, White House, Wagner, Kremlin, Defense Department Locations: Mali, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Indonesia, Jakarta, Russia, Malian

☆ Opinion: With their leader still missing, who will control Wagner forces in Africa?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Joyce M. Davis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Wagner forces appear to despise the Russian military, as Prigozhin’s reckless march from Ukraine toward Moscow made abundantly clear. That’s why when Wagner forces started withdrawing from Ukraine last month, many feared the same might happen in Africa. And who can guarantee Wagner forces won’t turn on African leaders who decide to side with Putin? “Don’t worry, we aren’t going anywhere.”It’s not as if Russia could repatriate and replace Wagner forces with verifiably loyal Russian troops — even if it wanted to. And quite frankly, Africa will only emerge better-off if democratic governments emerge after Wagner forces are shown the door.

Persons: Joyce M, Davis, CNN —, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladmir Putin, Dan Gleiter Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozihin, Putin wouldn’t, Khalifa Haftar, Faustin, Burkina Faso’s, Ibrahim Traore, Prigozhin, didn’t, Prigozhin’s Wagner, Assimi Goita, won’t, Haftar, ”, “, It’s, Sergey Kostelyanyets, ” Kostelyanyets, obeisance, Traore —, they’re, Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, They’re, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Sudan’s, Wagner weren’t, Washington, Wagner “, there’s Organizations: Patriot -, World Affairs Council, CNN, Wagner Group, Wagner, Central African Republic, Burkina, Guardian, Libyan, Russian Academy of Sciences ’ Institute for African Studies, Newsweek, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Support Forces, Moscow, US Treasury Department, Twitter, Facebook, Central African Locations: Harrisburg , Pennsylvania, Africa, Crimea, Ukraine, Moscow, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Russia, Eastern Libya, Russian, Benghazi, Dubai, Touadéra, Prigozhin, Central African Republic, United States

☆ Wagner's failed rebellion could hit the Kremlin's ambitions for a 'pro-Russian state' in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

BANGUI, Central African Republic - March 23, 2023: Demonstrators carry banners in Bangui, on March 22, 2023 during a march in support of Russia's presence in the Central African Republic. Hundreds of Wagner troops were spotted last week departing from Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic (CAR), where the Kremlin-linked group has its largest and broadest overseas presence. It comes just weeks after Wagner boss Prigozhin embarked on an ill-fated rebellion in Russia, ordering his troops fighting in Ukraine to march toward Moscow. Sky News reported Friday that the Wagner personnel who left CAR had refused to sign new these contracts. "Russian instructors will continue to aid soldiers in the Central African armed forces to ensure security in anticipation of the constitutional referendum scheduled for July 30."

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Alex Vines, Chris Weafer, Weafer, Chatham House's Vines, Faustin Organizations: Central African, Wagner, Central African Republic, Belorussian, Kremlin, Sky News, Officers, Union for International Security, Central, Africa, Chatham House, CNBC Locations: BANGUI, Central African Republic, Bangui, Moscow, Russia, Russia's, Ukraine, Africa, Central, Belarus, Russian, U.S, Chatham, CAR, Sudan, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, France

☆ Threats of desertion are spreading in Russia's military as troops openly disrespect their commanders, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Insubordination is spreading through the Russian military in Ukraine, a report said. It names the dismissed officers as Major General Vladimir Seliverstov, Major General Alexander Kornev, and Major General Ramil Ibatullin. It cited Russian military bloggers, an important source of information about the Russian military, saying that authorities were also preparing to arrest Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky. The report says that the defiance towards Russia's top commanders appears to be spreading through the ranks. The VDV servicemen are blackmailing the Russian MoD to ensure that Teplinsky continues to command troops in Ukraine," the ISW said.

Persons: Wagner, Ivan Popov, Vladimir Seliverstov, General Alexander Kornev, Ramil, Mikhail Teplinsky, Teplinsky, Sergey Shoigu, Sergey Surovikin Organizations: Institute, Kremlin, Service, Russian MoD Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Bakhmut, Russian, Kherson, Ukrainian

☆ Traffic stopped on Crimean Bridge, reports of blasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Workers restoring damaged parts of the Kerch Bridge that links Crimea to Russia, which was hit by a blast on October 8, 2022. Traffic was stopped on the Russian-built Crimean Bridge due to "an emergency" situation, Russia-installed officials said on Monday, while Ukrainian media reported blasts on the bridge. Sergei Aksyonov, a Russian-installed governor, said the emergency occurred on the 145th pillar of the bridge which links the Crimean peninsula to the Russian region of Krasnodar. The RBC-Ukraine news agency reported that explosions were heard on the bridge. Crimea was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, but is internationally recognized as part of Ukraine.

Persons: Sergei Aksyonov, Wagner Organizations: RBC, Reuters Locations: Kerch, Crimea, Russia, Russian, Krasnodar, Ukraine, Russia's

☆ 'Chaos' is fueling fights among Putin's top commanders. These are the players battling for power.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

More than three weeks after the historic challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin's authority, there's still internal power plays and high-level purges in motion. "We are seeing a lot of military formations and military figures that are pushing for their own objectives." For example, in Kadyrov's case, he may be pushing for control to shield his fighters from the battlefield in Ukraine and send conventional Russian forces instead. Consequences for disobedienceInsubordination against Moscow's military leadership, such as Teplinsky's criticisms or the Wagner's rebellion, has undermined Russian military leaders but has also come with consequences for members of the anti-Gerasimov camp. The instability increasingly endemic to the Russian military comes as the Ukrainians try to break through their defensive lines.

Persons: Wagner Group's, Vladimir Putin's, Wagner, Putin, doesn't, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Alexander Ermochenko, he's, Stepanenko, Valery Gerasimov, Sergei Shoigu, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, there's, Gerasimov, Vladimir Putin, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Alexei Nikolsky, Gen, Mikhail Teplinsky, Russia's, Teplinsky, Sergei Surovikin, There's, Friedemann Kohler, hasn't, Russia's Aerospace Forces Sergei Surovikin, Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Staff Sergei Rudskoi, Mikhail Metzel, Ivan Popov, Vladimir Seliverstov, Popov, vilely, Viktor Zolotov, it's, ISW, Vyacheslav Gladkov Organizations: Service, Institute for, Wagner Group, Kremlin, Southern Military, REUTERS, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian Armed Forces, Russian Defense, Russian, Staff, AP, Russia's VDV Airborne Forces, Getty, Russia's Aerospace Forces, Armed Forces, Sputnik, Arms Army, 106th Guards Airborne, Russian MoD, National Guard, Russian National Guard Service, PMC Wagner Group Locations: Russian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Moscow, Prigozhin, Belarus, Rostov, Don, Russia's Belgorod, Sputnik, Washington, Chechnya, Sochi, REUTERS Maj, Belgorod

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