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☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy Slaps Sanctions on 108 People, 37 Russian Groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Maria Starkova and Elaine MonaghanLVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has sanctioned 37 Russian groups and 108 people including a former prime minister and a former education minister and said he aimed to fight wartime abductions of children from Ukraine and other "Russian terror". Zelenskiy did not associate specific individuals or groups with particular wrongdoings. The decrees showed a range of 10-year penalties against individuals and five-year penalties against non-profit groups including one named in English as the "Russian Children's Foundation." Some of the newly-sanctioned people, which included many with Russian citizenship, had previously been punished with separate or similar penalties. The sanctioned Russian groups included several whose names or websites indicate they work with children.

Persons: Maria Starkova, Elaine Monaghan, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Dmytro Tabachnyk, Mykola Azarov, Viktor Yanukovich, Azarov, Sergei Aksyonov, Leonid Pasechnik, Putin, Kvartal Lui, Maria Lvova, Vladimir Putin, Sofia Lvova, Alexander Lukashenko, Zelenskiy's, Franklin Paul Organizations: Reuters, Russian Children's Foundation, Russian, Kyiv, Criminal, Lvova, Yale University, State Department, National Security, Defence Council Locations: Elaine Monaghan LVIV, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Russian, Crimea, Luhansk, Ukrainian, The Hague, Belarus, Putin, Washington

☆ Thousands of Ukrainian children taken to Belarus -Yale research
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

More than 2,000 children Yale identified were transported to the Dubrava children's centre in Belarus' Minsk region between September 2022 and May 2023, it said, while 392 children were taken to 12 other facilities. "Russia's federal government and Belarus' regime have been working together to coordinate and fund the movement of children from Russia-occupied Ukraine through Russia to Belarus." Transports to Belarus through Russia were "ultimately coordinated" between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, it added. Lukashenko approved the use of state organizations to transport children from Ukraine to Belarus and finance their transportation, the Yale report said. Once in Belarus, children have been subjected to military training and re-education, it said.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Pavel Bednyakov, Vladimir Putin, Russia's Putin, Maria Lvova, Lukashenko, David Ljunggren, Mike Collett, White, Alexandra Hudson, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS, Sputnik, Rights, Yale University, Humanitarian, Yale School of Public Health, State Department, Reuters, U.S . State Department, Ukraine, Yale, Transports, Criminal, Thomson Locations: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Russian, United States, Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Minsk, The Hague

☆ As the West courts Russia's neighbors, Putin shows he won't give up its backyard without a fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Eurasian Economic Summit on Nov. 9, 2022, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at a joint news conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, on Feb. 10, 2022. "Central Asia obviously has to keep a fine balance and tread that line," Hess said. Analysts note that while an economically isolated Russia wants and needs to keep Central Asia on side, it is gradually losing its grip on the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrive for a working breakfast of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 2023.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Keen, Emmanuel Macron, Putin, Ilham Aliyev, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Emomali Rahmon, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Lavrov, —, it's, Max Hess, Hess, Kassym, Mikhail Klimentyev, Xi Jinping, Florence Lo, they've, Temur Umarov, Tokayev, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Vladimir Smirnov Organizations: Economic, Getty, Russia, Commonwealth of Independent States, Russian, Central Asia —, Central Asian, Kazakh, CIS, West, Georgia, Foreign Policy Research Institute, CNBC, Kremlin, Reuters Central, Central, Central Asia Summit, Afp, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Commonwealth of Independent, Sputnik Locations: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, Moscow, Russian, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakh, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, China, Soviet, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Baltic States, Soviet Union, Moldova, Ukraine, U.S, Afghanistan, Asia, Xian, Shaanxi

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A prominent Belarusian dissident author who lives abroad said Thursday that his father was arrested on unclear grounds after police broke into his parents' apartment. The seven police officers, armed with automatic weapons, also took electronics and data files from the Minsk apartment, said Sasha Filipenko. His father was taken away for detention, but no charges were immediately stated. Political Cartoons View All 1237 ImagesFilipenko, a popular novelist, became one of Lukashenko's most prominent critics. Others have been jailed, such as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, founder of the human rights group Viasna.

Persons: Sasha Filipenko, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Ales Bialiatski Locations: TALLINN, Estonia, Belarusian, Minsk

☆ Russia fumes at the West's charm offensive in its backyard, saying it's 'luring' its friends away
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

One top official in Moscow was fuming as he claimed the West was "luring" its "neighbours, friends, and allies" away from Russia. Moscow's disdainThe French leader's comments are likely to have enraged Moscow, which is already watching Western efforts to court Central Asia with suspicion and disdain. "Look at how Western powers are wooing Central Asia," Lavrov told the BelTA news agency, in comments published by Russia's Foreign Ministry. "They have created numerous formats such as 'Central Asia plus' involving the United States, the EU, and Japan ... On top of the Central Asia plus EU format, the Germans have created their own format. China's roleThere's certainly a tussle for influence that's taking place in Central Asia, with China also "courting" the region to a certain extent.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Kassym, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Ilham Aliyev, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Emomali Rahmon, Alexander Lukashenko, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti, we've, Ed Jones, There's, Joe Biden, Jim Watson, Alexander Titov, Russia's, Xi Jinping, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Organizations: Getty, Ukraine, Kazakh, CNBC, Russian, Central, Russia's Foreign Ministry, EU, Commonwealth of Independent States, Central Asia's, West, General, Afp, Georgia —, Queen's University of Belfast, U.S, Analysts, of, Forum, International Cooperation, Xinhua News Agency Locations: 13,2023, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Moscow, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Soviet, Astana, France, Uzbekistan, United States, Japan, Turkmenistan, Russian, London, Europe, China, Central, Ukraine, Central Asian, Tajikistan, New York City, Belarus, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, North Korea, Nicaragua, Syria, South Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova, Afghanistan, Beijing, People's, of Turkmenistan

☆ Belarus' Lukashenko says Ukraine-Russia war at stalemate, urges talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a multi-storey residential building damaged in recent shelling in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, October 26, 2023. "There are enough problems on both sides and in general the situation is now seriously stalemate: no one can do anything and substantively strengthen or advance their position," Lukashenko said. "We need to sit down at the negotiating table and come to an agreement," Lukashenko said in a question and answer video posted on the website of the Belarusian state news agency BelTA. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated on Saturday at a gathering of over 60 national security advisers that his 10-point peace plan, which includes calls for the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, is the only way to end the war. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Lidia Kelly, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . White, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, Russian, Belarus, U.S, Belarusian, Melbourne

STOCKHOLM (AP) — The head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee urged Iran to release imprisoned peace prize winner Narges Mohammadi and let her accept the award at the annual prize ceremony in December. Mohammadi, an Iranian human rights activist, is the fifth peace laureate to get the prize while in prison or under house arrest. Here’s a look at previous Nobel laureates who were in detention:CARL VON OSSIETZKYPolitical Cartoons View All 1202 ImagesThe 1935 Nobel Peace Prize to German journalist Carl Von Ossietzky so infuriated Adolf Hitler that the Nazi leader prohibited all Germans from receiving Nobel Prizes. He was the first Nobel peace laureate to die in captivity. His wife was placed under house arrest, and dozens of his supporters were prevented from leaving the country.

Persons: Narges Mohammadi, CARL VON OSSIETZKY, Carl Von Ossietzky, Adolf Hitler, Ossietzky, Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, Suu Kyi, LIU XIAOBO Liu Xiaobo, Barack Obama, ALES BIALIATSKI Belarussian, Ales Bialiatski, Alexander Lukashenko, Bialiatski Organizations: STOCKHOLM, Nazi, Norwegian Nobel, Human Rights Locations: Norwegian, Iran, Iranian, Norway, Myanmar, Aung San Suu, China, Beijing, Oslo, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Belarus President Lukashenko says by arming Ukraine, US is "pushing" Russia "towards using" nuclear weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Mariya Knight | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Friday that by arming Ukraine, the United States is pushing Russia toward using nuclear weapons. “I am getting the impression – I say again that it is my opinion – that Americans are pushing Russians toward using the most terrifying weapon. Lukashenko added that if such a missile struck Russian territory, Moscow would have to respond. Otherwise, why do we need these (nuclear) weapons for?,” Lukashenko said. He claimed US President Joe Biden could use a Ukrainian victory on the battlefield to boost his approval rating.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, “, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky, ” Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Russia “, Vladimir Putin, Vyacheslav Volodin, Ukraine “, Zelensky, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: CNN, Belarusian, Russian, State Duma, Comprehensive Locations: Ukraine, United States, Russia, Brest, Moscow, State

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The foreign minister of Belarus, which has a strategic partnership with Russia, says he cannot envision a situation where his country would enter the war in Ukraine alongside Russian forces. Sergei Aleinik said in an interview with The Associated Press that he also can’t imagine a situation where Russia would order his country to use the tactical nuclear weapons it recently deployed in Belarus. The foreign minister disputed the assertions by some opponents that Belarus’ ties to Russia were isolating the country. “It’s clear that by increasing weapons deliveries to this country, the West is determined to continue the war down to the last Ukrainian.”Could he see a situation where Belarus could support the war in Ukraine alongside Russia? The Viasna Human Rights Center recorded 1,496 political prisoners in Belarus at the end of August, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski.

Persons: Sergei Aleinik, “, ”, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Aleinik, Antonio Guterres, Lukashenko’s, didn’t, ” Aleinik, Ales Bialiatski, Edith M, Lederer Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Russian, Associated Press, NATO, Belarus, General Assembly, U.N, European Union, Belarus ’, Moscow, General, AP, United Nations, “, Human Rights, The Associated Press Locations: Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet, BELARUS, RUSSIA, New York, America, China, Lithuania, “ Lithuania, Baltic, Soviet Union, Minsk, Moscow, Western, West, Ukrainian, Russian

“Russia’s thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict – by accident, intention, or miscalculation – is a terrible risk. New Construction at Russia's Novaya Zemlya nuclear test site, June 22, 2023. Lop Nur nuclear test site. “The Chinese test site is different than the Russian test site,” Lewis said. Both countries keep their strategic nuclear arsenals on “hair-trigger” alert, meaning that nuclear weapons can be launched on short notice.

Persons: Jeffrey Lewis, James Martin, ”, Cedric Leighton, “, Vladimir Putin, ” Lewis, Lewis ’, António Guterres, ” Guterres, Dmitry Medvedev, Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Shoigu, Lewis, we’ve, Leighton, they’d, ” Leighton, Nur, Hans Kristensen, Kristensen, Israel –, Dyess, Frederic J . Brown, Fiona Cunningham, Yang Kun, ” Daryl Kimball, Kimball, Michael Frankel, James Scouras, George Ullrich, Soviet Union –, Russia –, We’re Organizations: CNN, James, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, US, US Air Force, Atomic Scientists, Soviet Union, United Nations, Russia’s Security, Russian Defense Ministry, Planet Labs PBC, Middlebury, Science and Global Security, Novaya, Middlebury Institute, China Observer, China’s Foreign Ministry, Planet Labs, Nevada National Security, National Security Administration, US Department of Energy, Office, National Security Council, International Monitoring, Federation of American Scientists, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Columbia, Northrop Grumman's Air Force, Getty, Control Association, ACA, NGO, PLA, Nuclear, Carnegie Endowment, International, Arms Control Association, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Soviet Locations: Russia, United States, China, Xinjiang, Nevada, . China, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine, Soviet, Belarus, Minsk, Novaya Zemlya, Zemlya, Soviet Union, Lop Nur, Japan, Lop, Beijing, Stockholm, United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Ellsworth, Palmdale , California, AFP, Yuli County, Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Baltimore, Russian, Hiroshima

☆ Memorial from broken headstones unveiled for desecrated Jewish cemetery in Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —When a large Jewish cemetery was paved over last century to create a sports ground in Belarus, the headstones were used to make roads and buildings. Brest, also known as Brest-Litovsk, had been a hub of Jewish life before World War II, with Jewish residents first recorded there in the 14th century. Debra Brunner of The Together Plan stands in a warehouse in Brest, surrounded by the broken headstones. The Together PlanThe first stage of the desecration began during the war, when the Nazis tried to destroy the cemetery by selling off the headstones. His whole family other than his nuclear family was murdered.”He added: “In 1997 there were no signs of the cemetery.

Persons: Yad Vashem, Debra Brunner, ”, matzevot, Artur Livshyts, Brunner, ” Brunner, ” Artur Livshyts, Livshyts, Alexander Lukashenko, Stephen Grynberg’s, Jack, Grynberg, Steven Spielberg, ” Grynberg, Dad’s, Brad Goldberg –, Stephen Grynberg, Stephen Grynberg “ I’m, Goldberg, ” Livshyts Organizations: CNN, Litovsk, The, Religious Jewish, Religious Jewish Union of, Shoah Foundation, Hollywood Locations: Belarus, United Kingdom, Brest, Yad, Israel’s, “, Belarusian, Minsk, Ukraine, Los Angeles, Religious Jewish Union, Religious Jewish Union of Belarus, Texas, United States, ”

☆ Videos show a massive fuel tank explosion after a suspected drone strike in Putin's prized resort town
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A major fire erupted at an airport in the Russian resort town of Sochi on Wednesday. Telegram channels published footage of the fiery explosion, saying it was the result of a drone strike. Officials have not confirmed the cause of the fire, but Russian Telegram channels Baza and SHOT reported that it was the result of a drone strike. The channel published footage of what appears to be an object falling onto a fuel tank before light engulfs the camera. The Moscow Times reported that the fire occurred at a Rosneft oil depot, and published footage of firefighters battling the flames.

Persons: Aleksei Kopaigorodskii, Kopaigorodskii, it's, It's, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko Organizations: Wednesday, Service, Moscow Times, Putin, Russia's Defense Ministry Locations: Russian, Sochi, Wall, Silicon, Black, Russia, Ukrainian, Georgia, North Korea

☆ Li Shangfu: Speculation grows over whereabouts of China's defense minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s Foreign Ministry on Friday skirted questions on the whereabouts of the country’s defense minister, amid mounting speculation the recently promoted general has been placed under investigation. Qin, who was only foreign minister for seven months, has retained the position of state councillor – a senior role in China’s cabinet which Li also holds. On Chinese government and military websites, Li is still listed as the defense minister, state councillor and a member of the party’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC). “The foreign minister and the defense minister are both externally facing interlocutors with the international community. Two weeks away from the public view is not unprecedented for China’s defense minister, who typically has less frequent public engagements than the foreign minister.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Li Shangfu, China’s, Li, Mao Ning, “ I’m, Qin Gang, Qin, –, Rahm Emanuel, Li hadn’t, Emanuel, Xi’s, Agatha Christie’s, Li Shangfu hasn’t, ”, Xi Jinping, ” Drew Thompson, Lee, Sergey Shoigu, Alexander Lukashenko Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong CNN — China’s, Communist Party, Financial Times, Street, Foreign Ministry, Central Military Commission, People’s Liberation Army, Force, CNN, Foreign, Rocket Force, Defense, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public, National University of Singapore, Development Department, Equipment Development Department, Security Forum, ”, Reuters, ” Reuters, Border Defense Friendship Exchange Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, United States, Africa, Russia, Belarus, Moscow, Minsk, Hanoi

☆ Satellite images appear to show Wagner camp in Belarus being dismantled
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A satellite image shows a Tsel military base, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Mogilev Region, Belarus, July 25, 2023, in this handout image obtained by Reuters on September 14, 2023. PLANET LABS PBC/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSept 14 (Reuters) - Satellite images of a military base southeast of the Belarus capital Minsk appear to show dismantling of tents in recent weeks, which may indicate the winding down of the base for Wagner, the Russian mercenary company behind an abortive mutiny. Images of the Tsel military base in Mogilev region, taken on July 25, Aug. 25 and Sept. 9 and provided by Earth imaging company Planet Labs, appear to show the gradual dismantling of tents in the camp. In June, the Wagner group launched a brief mutiny against the army top brass in Russia, condemned as treason by President Vladimir Putin. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko invited Wagner to set up operations in his country as part of a deal that ended the mutiny.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Maxim Rodionov, Ron Popeski, Alistair Bell Organizations: Reuters, PBC, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Labs, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Mogilev Region, Belarus, Minsk, Russian, Mogilev, Russia

☆ China is eroding Russia's influence over old allies as the alliance it leads crumbles over Ukraine, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian influence is waning despite formal alliances and the old ties of the Soviet Union. It is also home to most members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO): Russian President Vladimir Putin's equivalent of NATO. Russia's influence on them is also being weakened by more countries competing for their attention, Graham said. AdvertisementAdvertisementHe said that "Russia's operation in Ukraine is undermining, eroding its ability to maintain its influence across the former Soviet space." "You're seeing the slow erosion of Russian influence."

Persons: Thomas Graham, Vladimir Putin's, Graham, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Stanislav Zas, Nikol Pashinyan, Alexander Lukashenko, Kassym, Tokayev, Sadyr Japarov, Emomali Rakhmon, Anton Novoderezhkin Organizations: Service, Yale, Collective Security, Organization, NATO, Moscow REUTERS, Russia, Armenian, Kazakh, Kremlin, Sputnik, REUTERS, Central, AFPTV, Getty Locations: Central Asia, Russia, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, China, Turkey, East, Caucasus, Moscow, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Central, Europe, Iran, Russian, Belarusian, Bakhmut, AFP, Azerbaijan, Soviet

☆ Wagner Group may be absorbed by the Russian Defense Ministry, which Prigozhin rallied against before his death. The mercenary group's current arrangement could 'disappear rather soon,' former GRU capt
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The fate of the Wagner Group is in the hands of Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. The New York Times reported the Russian Defense Ministry was considering absorbing the group. AdvertisementAdvertisement"The Wagner Group will disappear rather soon," Boris Volodarsky, a former captain in Russia's Spetsnaz GRU special forces and a fellow with the Royal Historical Society in London, told Insider. As tensions mounted between Wagner and Putin this summer, the Kremlin mandated that Wagner recruits sign contracts with the Russian army — which Prigozhin resisted. In his tirade, Prigozhin said the ministry "must be stopped" and the people responsible for the death of Wagner fighters must be punished.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Wagner, Boris Volodarsky, Russia's, Putin, Dmitry Utkin, Valery Chekalov, Volodarsky, —, Alexander Lukashenko Organizations: Wagner, Kremlin, The New York Times, Russian Defense Ministry, Service, Wagner Group, New York Times, Institute for, Royal Historical Society, Defense Ministry, Times, Central African, Associated Press, Russia's Defense Ministry, Belarusian Locations: Wall, Silicon, East, Africa, Russian, London, Tver, Moscow, Belarus, Bakhmut, Ukraine, Mali, Russia, Rostov

☆ Poland, Baltics will shut Belarus border if 'critical incident' occurs -minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Poland and the Baltic states will close their borders with Belarus entirely if a "critical incident" involving Wagner mercenaries takes place, the Polish interior minister said on Monday, amid rising tensions on NATO's eastern flank. EU and NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which share a border with Belarus, have been increasingly concerned about border security since hundreds of Russian battle-hardened Wagner mercenaries arrived in Belarus at the invitation of President Alexander Lukashenko. "If there is a critical incident, regardless of whether it is at the Polish or Lithuanian border, we will retaliate immediately. Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite told media that there were two criteria that could lead to a border closure. Poland has closed all but one border crossing point with Belarus this year following the imprisonment of a journalist of Polish origin and expulsions of Polish diplomats.

Persons: Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Mariusz Kaminski, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Agne Bilotaite, Bilotaite, Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz, Marek Strzelecki, Andrius, Conor Humphries, Nick Macfie Organizations: WARSAW, EU, NATO, Wagner Group, Lithuanian, Thomson Locations: Poland, Baltic, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Minsk, Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Russia, Europe, East, Africa, Warsaw, Andrius Sytas, Vilnius

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

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

☆ With Prigozhin dead, Putin has traded low-budget global reach for safety at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

On Friday, the Kremlin's spokesperson said the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind the Wednesday plane crash that killed Yevgeny Prigozhin was "a complete lie." It was unavoidable payback for Prigozhin's insubordination, which culminated in a march towards Moscow with a column of his Wagner Group mercenaries. AdvertisementAdvertisementThose files were obtained from anonymous hackers who had pried them loose from the Wagner Group. Russia uses the Wagner Group to boost its military strength, but it is nothing like a conventional fighting force or diplomatic corps. Other reports suggest that the job replacing Wagner in Africa will fall to the GRU, Russia's military intelligence unit.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Prigozhin's, he'd, —, Putin, grandiosity, they'd, Alexander Lukashenko, James, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: Wednesday, Wagner Group, Saint, Kremlin, Group, Central African, YouTube, Google, Wagner, Saint Petersburg, ISIS, Russia, Wall Street Journal, Russia's Ministry of Defence Locations: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Central African Republic, Russian, Ukraine, East, Africa, Saint, China, Belarus, Russia's

☆ Belarus leader: I urged mercenary Prigozhin to 'watch out'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A woman lights a candle in front of a portrait of Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin at a makeshift memorial in Moscow, Russia August 24. Prigozhin, Lukashenko said on Friday, had twice dismissed concerns raised by the Belarusian leader about possible threats to his life. Lukashenko said that during the mutiny he had warned Prigozhin that he would "die" if he continued to march on Moscow, to which he said Prigozhin had answered:"'To hell with it - I will die'." Lukashenko, both an old acquaintance of Prigozhin and close ally of Russia, said that Putin had nothing to do with the plane crash. Lukashenko said Wagner fighters would remain in Belarus.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Stringer, Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Putin Lukashenko, Alexander Lukashenko, Dmitry Utkin, Putin, Prigozhin's, It's, Wager, Guy Faulconbridge, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, Kremlin, Russian, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Belarus Kremlin, MOSCOW, Belarus, Belarusian

☆ Opinion: Prigozhin seemed to be living on borrowed time
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Opinion Daniel Treisman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin — who the Russian aviation agency confirmed was a passenger on board a plane that crashed on Wednesday evening — seemed to be living on borrowed time. Video of the plane debris taken at the purported crash site in the western Tver region of Russia matches the plane registered to Prigozhin. Investigations were started within the armed forces, and probably within the security forces as well. Any effort to paint Prigozhin as wealthy and corrupt stopped almost immediately, and no new financial investigations were announced. And in what might have been the last straw for Putin, Prigozhin released a video on Monday of himself standing in what looked like an African desert, boasting of his men’s exploits.

Persons: Daniel Treisman, “, CNN — Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin —, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin, William Burns, “ I, Alexander Zemlianichenko, –, —, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Viktor Afzalov Organizations: University of California, CNN, Belarus, CIA, Kremlin, Central African, Investigations, Washington, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Los Angeles, Russian, Russia, Tver, Kuzhenkino, Tver region, Moscow, Africa, Mali, Central African Republic, Mozambique, Sudan, Ukraine, Petersburg, Sahel, St . Petersburg

☆ A video claiming to show Prigozhin's jet plummeting from the sky and the plane's fiery wreckage could be starting points for an investigation into the crash — if a fair investigation is possible, avia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

On Wednesday, Russian officials said Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash. Photos on social media have also surfaced showing a fiery wreckage at the crash site. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia's Federal Air Transport Agency claimed on Wednesday that the bodies of the 10 deceased passengers were retrieved from the crash site, signaling a moving investigation. "In early stages, the most important thing is to get on scene and secure the wreckage, so that it can't be tampered with," Brickhouse told Insider. Brickhouse added that the crash site, engulfed in flames, could point to a plane that went down with a full gas tank.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, That's, Prigozhin's, Prigozhin, Anthony Brickhouse, Brickhouse, It's, Putin, Russia's, Alexander Lukashenko Organizations: Service, Novosti, Street, National Transportation Safety Board, Embry, Riddle Aeronautical University, CNN, Air Transport Agency, Belarusian Locations: Wall, Silicon, Tver, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Rostov, Belarus, Africa

☆ How Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin spent the mysterious 2 months between his failed coup and his plane crash — from strange meetings with Putin to sitting in a tent in his underwear
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Sebastian Cahill | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was "exiled" to Belarus after staging a short-lived mutiny in Russia. Here's what we know about what he was up to before Russian officials say he was killed in a plane crash. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who said he talked Putin out of assassinating Prigozhin, said that the Wagner boss had arrived in the country. July 4-6: Back in Russia after raid on St. Petersburg homeThe Russian media outlet Fontanka reported Prigozhin arrived in St. Petersburg on July 4. August 24: Prigozhin was on a private jet that crashed in RussiaAlmost two months to the day since his armed rebellion, Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash, according to Russian officials.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Prigozhin, Simon Miles, Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Jake Epstein, Freddy Mapouka Organizations: Service, Russian, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, Fox News, Putin, Kremlin, Pentagon, New York Times, Central African, Associated Press Locations: Belarus, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Soviet, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, St, Petersburg, St . Petersburg, Belarusian, Africa, Central African Republic

☆ Did Putin kill Prigozhin? It's one of 3 possible explanations Russia watchers came up with for the deadly plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead after his plane crashed on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if Prigozhin was on the downed plane, though his name was on the flight manifest. Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin in happier times — a 2010 tour of a school lunch factory outside Saint Petersburg. Following the Wednesday plane crash, US President Joe Biden suggested Putin could be behind the crash in comments to reporters. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn the early hours following the plane crash, some on social media considered the possibility that Prigozhin had somehow faked his death, perhaps sending a double in his place.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Vladimir Putin, Simon Miles, Robert English, Bill Burns, Alexey Druzhinin, Burns, Miles, Alexander Lukashenko, ”, lelXsOcPSV, Julia Ioffe, Joe Biden, —, flaunting, Sergei Surovikin, Matthew Schmidt, Schmidt Organizations: Security, Service, Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Wagner, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, University of Southern, CIA, Sputnik, Getty, Reuters, Press, Prigozhin, New York Times, University of New, Pentagon, Kremlin Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Russia, Soviet, Ukraine, University of Southern California, Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Saint Petersburg, Aspen, Belarus, St . Petersburg, Africa, Belarusian, Concord, University of New Haven

☆ A deadly plane crash appears to have killed Wagner's top boss, but even without Prigozhin, the group likely isn't a 'chicken with its head cut off,' expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Chris Panella | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Wagner Group mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is believed to have died in a plane crash on August 23. Without Prigozhin, Wagner's key operations, finances, and future are unclear, experts told Insider. It's likely not "a chicken with its head cut off," Miles said because Wagner's local operations "are still in play." His mercenaries were given the choice to join the ranks of the Russian military, leave for civilian life, or join Prigozhin in Belarus. A mural depicting mercenaries of Russia's Wagner Group that reads: "Wagner Group - Russian knights."

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, it's, Simon Miles, Miles, Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Sergei Shoigu, Defense Valery Gerasimov, Alexander Lukashenko, Catrina Doxsee, Doxsee, There's, Kateryna Stepanenko, Prigozhin —, —, Russia's, Darko Vojinovic, Prigozhin's, ISW Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Russian, Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, Soviet Union, TASS, Staff, Russian Armed Forces, Defense, Kremlin, Prigozhin, Press, REUTERS, PMC, Transnational, Center for Strategic, Ministry of Defense, Russian Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Soviet, Russian, Tver, Moscow, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Rostov, Belarus, Belarusian, Africa, Concord, Latin America, Crimea, Syria, Libya, Mali

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