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☆ 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

☆ Cuba issues conflicting statements on use of its citizens in Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The apparently conflicting statements follow Cuban state-run and foreign media reports suggesting that young Cuban men have enlisted in the Kremlin´s military in recent months as mercenaries and victims in alleged human trafficking schemes. Cuba´s top diplomat in Moscow, Julio Antonio Garmendia Pena, told Russia´s state-run RIA news agency hours earlier on Thursday that those arrested in Cuba, all Cuban citizens, had been engaged in illegal activities and had broken the law. Cuba did not respond to Reuters inquiry regarding the apparently contradictory statements. Cuba's foreign ministry said last week the human trafficking network that authorities were now working to "neutralise and dismantle" had operated from Russia "to incorporate Cuban citizens living there, and even some from Cuba, into the military forces participating in war operations in Ukraine". Cuba has denied any involvement in the war in Ukraine.

Persons: Juan Medina, Bruno Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Cuba ´, Julio Antonio Garmendia Pena, Vladimir Putin, Maxim Rodionov, Dave Sherwood, Gareth Jones, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Cuban Foreign, Cuban, Russia, Cubans, Thomson Locations: Cuban, Cuba, Madrid, Spain, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Havana

☆ Putin and Kim's meeting will be full-scale visit, Kremlin says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Sept 11 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's trip to Russia and meeting with President Vladimir Putin will be a full-scale visit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Kim has set off for Russia aboard a special train, a South Korean source said, as Pyongyang and Moscow on Monday confirmed a summit with President Vladimir Putin amid Russia's deepening isolation over its actions in Ukraine. Video of his remarks were posted to social media by a Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin. According to Peskov, the main topic of the talks will be bilateral relations between the neighbouring countries.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Dmitry Peskov, Kim, Peskov, Pavel Zarubin, Vladimir Soldatkin, Maxim Rodionov Organizations: Rights, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Vladivostok, Russia, Korean, Pyongyang, Moscow, Ukraine

There was no immediate official confirmation that Prigozhin, Russia's most powerful mercenary and a self-declared enemy of the Russian Defence Ministry, was physically on board. Reuters could not confirm that he was on the aircraft though a Telegram channel linked to Wagner pronounced him dead. Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves the headquarters of the Southern Military District amid the group's pullout from the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023. Unconfirmed Russian media reports said that Dmitry Utkin, Prigozhin's right-hand man, had also been on board and that Prigozhin and his associates had attended a meeting with officials from the Russian Defence Ministry. An unverified video clip posted to social media showed a plane resembling a private jet falling out of the sky towards the earth.

Persons: Wagner, Prigozhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Joe Biden, Alexander Ermochenko, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Dmitry Utkin, Andrew Osborn, Max Rodionov, Mark Trevelyan, Grant McCool Organizations: Russian Defence Ministry, Reuters, Wagner Group, Kremlin, Defence Ministry, Embraer, TASS, Southern Military, REUTERS, Russia's, General Staff, Thomson Locations: Moscow, MOSCOW, Russia, Africa, Tver, St . Petersburg, Kuzhenkino, Tver Region, Rostov, Don, St Petersburg, Ukraine, Belarus

☆ Russian mercenary chief Prigozhin dead, channel affiliated with Wagner says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of Russian private mercenary group Wagner, gives an address in camouflage and with a weapon in his hands in a desert area at an unknown location, in this still image taken from video possibly shot in Africa and published August 21, 2023. Courtesy PMC Wagner via Telegram via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is dead, a Telegram channel affiliated with his Wagner mercenary group reported on Wednesday. "The head of the Wagner Group, a Hero of Russia, a true patriot of his Motherland – Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin died as a result of the actions of traitors to Russia," a post in the Grey Zone channel said. Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on a private jet which crashed on Wednesday evening north of Moscow with no survivors, the Russian authorities said. Writing by Maxim Rodionov; Editing by Mark TrevelyanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, – Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin, Maxim Rodionov, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Wagner, Telegram, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Africa, Russia, Hell, Moscow

☆ Russia scrambles jets to force reconnaissance drones off Crimea -defence ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Aug 22 (Reuters) - Russia's air force scrambled two jets to force two drones to stop reconnaissance near the Crimean peninsula, the Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday. "On August 22, the flight of two unmanned aerial vehicles MQ-9 Reaper and TB2 Bayraktar carrying out aerial reconnaissance in the area of the Crimean Peninsula was recorded over the Black Sea by means of the airspace control of the Russian Aerospace Forces," the ministry said. According to the statement, Russia scrambled two jets forcing the drones "to change the direction of the flight and leave the areas of aerial reconnaissance". Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bayraktar, Maxim Rodionov, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Russian Aerospace Forces, Thomson Locations: Crimean, Russia

☆ Moscow court arrests American national for 'espionage' -Russian news agencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The Russian flag flies on the dome of the Kremlin Senate building behind Spasskaya Tower, in central Moscow, Russia, May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 17 (Reuters) - A Moscow court has arrested U.S. citizen of Russian origin Gene Spector on suspicion of espionage, Russian news agencies reported on Thursday. The agencies provided no details of the charges, but according to RIA, in 2022 Spector was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for his role in bribing the assistant of ex-Russian Deputy PM Arkadiy Dvorkovich. The court session was held behind closed doors as the case materials are classified, Interfax reported. Reporting by Maxim Rodionov Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stringer, Gene Spector, Spector, Arkadiy, Maxim Rodionov, Chris Reese Organizations: Kremlin Senate, REUTERS, RIA, Thomson Locations: Russian, Kremlin, Moscow, Russia

☆ Lukashenko says Zelenskiy halted direct contacts between Ukraine and Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Aug 17 (Reuters) - There have been direct contacts between Ukraine and Belarus but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy put a halt to them, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said during an online interview broadcast on Thursday. loadingThe last such contact occurred a few months ago, he said during in the interview with Diana Panchenko, a pro-Russian Ukrainian journalist. According to Lukashenko the topics discussed included a potential Belarus involvement in the war on Russian side, potential use of nuclear weapons and Wagner Group mercenaries, now stationed in Belarus. But we had these contacts, we talked. Writing by Maxim Rodionov; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Alexander Lukashenko, Diana Panchenko, Lukashenko, Maxim Rodionov, Sandra Maler Organizations: Wagner Group, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Belarus, Russian Ukrainian

☆ Moscow court arrests U.S. national for 'espionage' -Russian news agencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Russian flag flies on the dome of the Kremlin Senate building behind Spasskaya Tower, in central Moscow, Russia, May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 17 (Reuters) - A Moscow court has arrested an already imprisoned Russia-born U.S. citizen on charges of espionage, Russian news agencies reported on Thursday. Russian news agencies did not report any details of the new charges, but said the court session was held behind closed doors as the case materials were classified. Speaking on CNN, White House spokesperson John Kirby said the administration was still collecting information about the case and had no comment yet. Reporting by Maxim Rodionov, Kanishka Singh and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Chris Reese, Daniel Wallis and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stringer, Gene Spector, Arkady Dvorkovich, Spector, John Kirby, Maxim Rodionov, Kanishka Singh, Lidia Kelly, Chris Reese, Daniel Wallis, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Kremlin Senate, REUTERS, TASS, Medpolymerprom, CNN, White, State Department, Thomson Locations: Russian, Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, Russia's St, Petersburg, United States

☆ Fire at Russian gas station kills 25, injures 66
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 15 (Reuters) - A fire at a gas station in the southern Russian region of Dagestan killed 25 people including three children, Interfax news agency reported early on Tuesday citing regional emergency medics. The fire started at an auto repair shop on the roadside of a highway in Dagestani capital Makhachkala on Monday night and caused blasts spreading to a nearby gas station, officials said. Rescuers work to put out a fire at the accident scene following an explosion at a gas station in the city of Makhachkala, Russia, August 14, 2023. The number of people injured rose to 66, 10 of whom are in a critical condition, RIA news agency said quoting the Russian deputy health minister Vladimir Fisenko. Thirteen of the wounded are children, Interfax reported citing the Dagestani health ministry.

Persons: Vladimir Fisenko, Maria Tsvetkova, Maxim Rodionov, Chris Reese, Muralikumar Organizations: Reuters, Russian Emergencies Ministry, TASS, Thomson Locations: Russian, Dagestan, Dagestani, Makhachkala, Russia, Republic of Dagestan, Handout

☆ Fire at Russian gas station kills 27, injures 66
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 15 (Reuters) - A fire at a gas station in the southern Russian region of Dagestan killed at least 27 people including three children, Interfax news agency reported early on Tuesday citing regional emergency medics. The fire started at an auto repair shop on the roadside of a highway in Dagestani capital Makhachkala on Monday night and caused blasts as it spread to a nearby gas station, officials said. Rescuers work to put out a fire at the accident scene following an explosion at a gas station in the city of Makhachkala, Russia, August 14, 2023. At least 66 people were injured, of whom 10 were in a critical condition, Russian deputy health minister Vladimir Fisenko said giving an update on casualties, RIA news agency reported. Thirteen of the wounded were children, Interfax reported citing the Dagestani health ministry.

Persons: Vladimir Fisenko, Maria Tsvetkova, Maxim Rodionov, Chris Reese, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Reuters, Russian Emergencies Ministry, TASS, Thomson Locations: Russian, Dagestan, Dagestani, Makhachkala, Russia, Republic of Dagestan, Handout

☆ Twenty-two Russian diplomats leave Moldova as relations slide
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CHISINAU, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Twenty-two Russian diplomats flew out of the Moldovan capital of Chisinau on Monday, leaving behind a skeleton staff as relations between the two countries deteriorated after Moldova last month ordered Moscow withdraw most of its delegation. Moldovan officials have said the reduction of staff at the Russian embassy to 25 from 80 will establish parity with Moldova's embassy in Moscow. Moldovan media outlets published a video of two buses being escorted out of the Russian embassy by police and driving in the direction of the airport. According to Moldova's foreign ministry, no more than 10 Russian diplomats and 15 support staff can remain in Chisinau from Tuesday. Russia's foreign ministry said on Monday evening that employees of Russian institutions - the embassy, trade mission and Russian centre for science and culture - and their family members who were forced to leave Moldova had already returned to Moscow.

Persons: Maia Sandu, Sandu, Alexander Tanas, Maxim Rodionov, Max Hunder, Nick Macfie, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Moldovan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: CHISINAU, Chisinau, Moldova, Moscow, Russian, Moscow ., Soviet, Ukraine, Moldovan, Sochi, Russia, Romania

July 11 (Reuters) - A Russian military official who had commanded a submarine in the Black Sea and appeared on a Ukrainian blacklist of alleged war criminals has been shot dead by an unknown assassin while on his morning run. Russia's top investigative body said Stanislav Rzhitsky, 42, was gunned down early on Monday in the southern city of Krasnodar. Rzhitsky's address and personal details appeared on the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets (Peacemaker), a vast unofficial database of people considered to be enemies of Ukraine. Russian state media and war bloggers said Rzhitsky was deputy head of military mobilisation in the city and had previously commanded the "Krasnodar" submarine in the Black Sea. Russia has blamed Ukraine for the attacks, while Kyiv has denied involvement, suggesting they are the result of Russian infighting.

Persons: Stanislav Rzhitsky, Myrotvorets, Anton Gerashchenko, Gerashchenko, Rzhitsky, Darya Dugina, Vladlen Tatarsky, Vladimir Soldatkin, Maxim Rodionov, William Maclean Organizations: Russian, Russian Defence Ministry, Black, Telegram, Ukraine, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Krasnodar, Rzhitsky's, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Vinnytsia, Moscow

☆ Bolivia seals $1.4 billion lithium deals with Russia's Rosatom, China's Guoan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Daniel Ramos | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LA PAZ, June 29 (Reuters) - Bolivia has signed lithium agreements with Russian state nuclear firm Rosatom and China's Citic Guoan Group, the South American country's government said on Thursday, as it looks to develop its huge but largely untapped resources of the battery metal. Bolivia's iconic salt flats are home to the world's largest lithium resources at 21 million tons, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, but the country has long struggled to ramp up industrial production or develop commercially viable reserves. Russia's Rosatom, which bid via its Uranium One Group unit, confirmed the news, saying it would invest $600 million in the project, its first large-scale lithium venture overseas, with planned annual capacity of 25,000 tons of lithium carbonate. The deal with Uranium One Group was for feasibility and pre-investment studies, he said, adding multiple tests with Russian technology on the salt flats had shown a lithium recovery rate over 80%, with a purity of around 99.5%. Reporting by Daniel Ramos; Additional reporting by Maxim Rodionov; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Energy Franklin Molina, Molina, Russia's, Rosatom's, Kirill Komarov, Citic, Daniel Ramos, Maxim Rodionov, Adam Jourdan, Richard Chang Organizations: LA, Guoan, American, Energy, . Geological Survey, Tesla, BMW, Uranium, Thomson Locations: LA PAZ, Bolivia, United States, America, La Paz, Pasto Grande, Uyuni Norte

☆ Russian bourse, banks to operate as normal on Monday, says central bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A Russian state flag flies over the Central Bank headquarters in Moscow, Russia May 7, 2023. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov/File PhotoJune 25 (Reuters) - The Moscow stock exchange, banks and financial institutions are expected to operate as usual on Monday, Russia's central bank said on Sunday, despite Moscow's mayor having declared it a non-working day when mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was leading his Wagner forces towards Moscow. "On June 26, trading and settlement on all Moscow Exchange markets will be conducted as usual, including all trading periods and instruments," Moscow Exchange (MOEX.MM) said in a statement. SPB Exchange, Russia's second-largest bourse, said it would also be operating as normal. The central bank said banks should ensure the continuous and smooth operation of Russia's financial markets.

Persons: Shamil Zhumatov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Sergei Sobyanin, Prigozhin, Moscow's, Alexander Marrow, Maxim, David Goodman, Jane Merriman Organizations: Central Bank, REUTERS, Moscow, Moscow Exchange, SPB, bourse, Thomson Locations: Russian, Moscow, Russia, Russia's, Belarus

☆ Putin expresses confidence on Ukraine in interview recorded before revolt
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 25 (Reuters) - Russian state television on Sunday showed Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing confidence in plans for Ukraine in an interview that appeared to have been recorded before Saturday's aborted revolt by the Wagner group of mercenaries. "This also applies to the country's defence, it applies to the special military operation, it applies to the economy as a whole and its individual areas." The comments in an interview with Kremlin correspondent Pavel Zarubin were broadcast by Rossiya state television. The short report did not mention Saturday's revolt, in which Wagner mercenaries took a southern city before heading toward Moscow. Asked in the interview how much time he dedicates to what Russia calls its special military operation, Putin said: "Of course, this is paramount, every day starts and ends with this."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Saturday's, Wagner, Putin, Pavel Zarubin, Zarubin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Marrow, Maxim Rodionov, Conor Humphries, David Goodman, Frances Kerry Organizations: Kremlin, Defence Ministry, Russia, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Russia's navy is flexing its muscles around the world, but it may end up paying for Moscow's losses in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Russia's navy has had little involvement in Ukraine, losing only one major warship so far. Russia's military closed off parts of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan to practice firing torpedoes, missiles, and artillery. Russia's navy received heavy investment in the 2000s, as President Vladimir Putin rebuilt the military after a decade of post-Soviet decay. While it still struggles with its larger ships, Russia's navy now has dozens of frigates and corvettes armed with effective long-range weapons. Russian navy corvette Gremyashchiy, front, and the frigate Admiral Kasatonov in St Petersburg in July 2019.

☆ Russian rouble up vs dollar, euro in light trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 5 (Reuters) - The Russian rouble showed positive dynamics against the dollar and the euro amid a rebound in oil prices in thin holiday trading on Thursday. At 0711 GMT the rouble gained 1.3% against the dollar to trade at 71.06 on the Moscow Exchange. Against the euro, the rouble was up 0.85% to 75.50 . The rouble-based MOEX Russian index (.IMOEX) gained 0.04% to 2,169 points. Oil prices rebounded on Thursday amid dollar weakness and as investors emerged to buy dips after two sessions of steep losses, though economic concerns capped recovery read more .

☆ Fire rages through shopping mall in Moscow suburbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 9 (Reuters) - Fire engulfed one of the largest shopping malls near Moscow early on Friday, emergency services said, leading to the collapse of part of the structure, which complicated firefighters' efforts to douse the flames. The conflagration spread over an area of about 7,000 sq m (75,000 sq ft) in the Mega shopping centre in Khimki near the Russian capital, authorities said. Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said it was looking into the cause of the fire. The head of the Moscow region's emergency services agency said it appeared the blaze was the result of safety regulations being violated during repair work on the building. Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov; Writing by Maxim Rodionov; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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