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A leading state television channel opened with its host railing against the West and NATO. THE KREMLIN MEDIA DIETThe Kremlin regularly meets with the heads of TV stations to give “special instructions on what can be said on air,” said Ovsyannikova. State television broadcasts dull debates between representatives of Putin's opponents. GRANULES OF TRUTHRussian propaganda is “sophisticated and multifaceted,” said Francis Scarr, a journalist who analyzes Russian television for BBC Monitoring. Even those soothed by the Kremlin’s propaganda also could long for a real choice at the polls.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Putin, whittle, ”, PUTIN’S, Anna Politkovskaya, Evan Gershkovich, “, Marina Ovsyannikova, Sam Greene, Half, Jade McGlynn, —, Francis Scarr, McGlynn, Greene Organizations: West, NATO, NTV, Russia, Center for, Levada, King's College, Putin, State, BBC Monitoring, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Russia, State, Victoria, Russian, Crimea, Soviet, Washington, West, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, King's College London, RUSSIAN

☆ Russia says its democracy is the best in the world, days after Putin's only real political rival died in prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declared Russia's democracy "the best" in the world. Navalny died in prison, and Russian elections are widely regarded as anything but free and fair. AdvertisementRussia's democracy is the best in the world and it won't tolerate criticism of it, the Kremlin's top spokesperson said on Wednesday. "Our democracy is the best, and we will continue to build it," he said, per Ukrainska Pravda's translation. Russian presidential elections, set to begin in 10 days, are also widely regarded as a foregone conclusion.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Putin's, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, —, Vladimir Putin, Boris Nadezhdin, Alexei Navalny, Associated Press Navalny, Roman Ivanov Organizations: Service, Moscow Times, Associated Press, Kremlin, Telegraph, Economist Intelligence Unit Locations: Moscow, Russia, —, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Ukraine

☆ France and Moldova to Sign Defence and Economic Accords on Thursday, Paris Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( March | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS (Reuters) - Moldova and France will sign defence and economic cooperation accords during a visit by Moldovan President Maia Sandu to Paris on Thursday, the French presidency said in a statement. Western powers are seeking to increase support for Moldova amid what they fear are increasing efforts by Russia to destabilise Moldova. In parallel to Sandu's visit, Western states will hold an audio call hosted by France to discuss increasing support for Ukraine, but also Moldova. To Ukraine's west, fellow former Soviet republic Moldova has a tiny defence budget and has long had tense relations with Moscow. It added that a defence cooperation agreement and a road map for cooperation in the economic field would be signed during the visit.

Persons: Maia Sandu, Macron, Sandu, John Irish, Kevin Liffey Organizations: PARIS, Moldovan, European Locations: Moldova, France, Paris, Russia, destabilise Moldova, Ukraine, Soviet, Moscow, Transdniestria, Republic of Moldova, Moldovan, European Chisinau

☆ The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine was shot 5 times while less than 500 feet away from a police station: WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Maksym Kuzminov was a Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine in August. AdvertisementMaksym Kuzminov, the 28-year-old Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine in August and later moved to Spain, was shot five times while less than 500 feet away from a local police station, The Wall Street Journal reported. A medic found five small-caliber shots, one of which directly hit his heart, revealing the accuracy with which the perpetrator killed Kuzminov, according to the report. Western intelligence officials and a former Russian intelligence officer told The Journal last year that Nikolai Patrushev, a close associate of Putin, orchestrated his death. AdvertisementFollowing reports of Kuzminov's death, Moscow's foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin appeared to support the Russian pilot's fate.

Persons: Maksym Kuzminov, Kuzminov, —, Maksym, Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Nikolai Patrushev, Putin, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Joe Biden, Sergei Naryshkin, Naryshkin Organizations: Service, Street Journal, Russian, Biden Administration, TASS Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Spain, Villajoyosa, Moscow

☆ NATO navies can exploit a Russian fear and keep Putin from invading more neighbors
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Today, NATO's naval power is far superior to Russia's. NATO may dominate the oceans, but that may not be much help if Russian tanks invade the Baltic States or Poland. Or more specifically, use naval power to scare Moscow into allocating its scarce resources to defending its huge coastlines rather than invading neighbors. "Rather than naval combat per se, the purpose of Russian sea power is to ensure that the Russian state can compete and engage in conflict safely and effectively," the essay said. In 2024, the fear is that NATO ships could launch long-range guided missiles at the Russian heartland.

Persons: Napoleon, Hitler fumed, Russia —, Kaushal, Rene Balletta, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Channel, Royal Navy, NATO, Alliance, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Russian Navy, Black, Century, Russia, Russian Army and Aerospace Forces, West, Baltic, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: British, Russia, Baltic States, Poland, Moscow, Britain, Europe, Asia, Russian, Crimean, Sevastopol, Ukraine, Russia's, Finland, Norway, Forbes

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Putin delivers State of the Nation address to Russian lawmakers, troops and journalists
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's Elections Commission said that the pro-Kremlin United Russia part had won local elections in four regions of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces, in a vote dismissed by Kyiv. Germany, the U.K., Spain, Poland and NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg were among those denying that sending ground troops into Ukraine was an option. The Kremlin had warned earlier Tuesday that such a move would lead to an "inevitable" conflict between NATO and Russia. Since then, state-run Russian media has been dominated by Russian officials relishing the obvious division in NATO, and Macron's apparent misreading of the NATO mood music. She claimed NATO countries' denials that they planned to send their ground troops into Ukraine showed the West had "betrayed Ukraine and will continue to use and betray it," repeating Moscow's baseless claims that Western countries are using Ukraine to destroy Russia.

Persons: Alexander NEMENOV, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Emmanuel Macron, Jens Stoltenberg, Macron, Vyacheslav Volodin, Volodin, Maria Zakharova, — Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Commission, Kremlin, Kyiv, Getty Images, NATO, NATO's, Foreign Ministry, Ukraine —, Russian Foreign, Sputnik, Tass Locations: St, Basil's, Moscow, Russia's, Kremlin United Russia, Ukraine, AFP, Germany, Spain, Poland, Russia, NATO, Russian

☆ Putin needs to keep Russia in a 'permanent' state of war to stay in power, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to ensure his country stays in a permanent state of war to consolidate his power, according to a new book from Marie Mendras, a professor at Sciences Po University's Paris School of International Affairs. "He has the logic of a paranoid leader," Mendras told France 24 on Monday. It's unlikely Russia will be witnessing a major revolution or rebellion because it's a "dangerous dictatorship," said Mendras. Russia's war against Ukraine triggered sweeping Western sanctions against Moscow, isolating its economy and weakening Russia diplomatically.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Marie Mendras, Mendras, Putin, Boris Yeltsin —, Alexey Navalny, Navalny Organizations: Service, Sciences Po University's Paris School of International Affairs, France, Guerre permanente, Moscow, EU Locations: Russia, Guerre, Chechnya , Georgia, Donbas, Syria, Ukraine, It's

☆ NATO countries scramble to deny ground troops will go into Ukraine after Moscow warns of 'inevitable' conflict
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

France's suggestion that Ukraine's allies could potentially send ground troops into Ukraine has caused indignation and outrage in Russia, with officials warning that it could provoke a direct conflict between Russia and NATO member states. Eyebrows were raised Monday when French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that European heads of state and Western officials, who met in Paris on Monday, had talked about the possibility of sending ground troops into Ukraine. "There is no consensus today to officially, openly, and with endorsement, send troops on the ground. Moscow was quick to seize on the comments, with the Kremlin's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov telling reporters Tuesday that if European NATO members sent troops to fight in Ukraine it would make a conflict between Russia and NATO inevitable. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also weighed in, advising any countries considering sending troops to Ukraine to "use their heads," news agency TASS added.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Dmitry Peskov, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov Organizations: NATO, Kremlin's, TASS Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Western, Paris, Moscow, Europe

☆ Russia offering African governments 'regime survival package' in exchange for resources, research says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso - Jan. 20, 2023: A banner of Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen during a protest to support the Burkina Faso President Captain Ibrahim Traore and to demand the departure of France's ambassador and military forces. Russia's military intelligence service is offering African governments a "regime survival package" that provides military and diplomatic support in exchange for access to strategically important natural resources, according to a new report. Russia's Defense Ministry was not available to comment on the report's findings when contacted by CNBC. Wagner has for many years been a key component of the Kremlin's efforts to grow its influence in politically unstable countries across central Africa and the Sahel, including the Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso and Sudan. The report's authors Jack Watling, Oleksandr V Danylyuk and Nick Reynolds explained that the GRU chose to divide Wagner's activities in two.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Captain Ibrahim Traore, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Jack Watling, Oleksandr V Danylyuk, Nick Reynolds Organizations: Royal United Services Institute, Wagner Group, Russia's Defense, CNBC, Central African, Volunteer Corps, Russian Military of Defense Locations: OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso, Africa, Central African Republic, Mali, Sudan, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine is preparing multiple battle plans for 2024 after last year's leaked straight to Putin, Zelenskyy says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia had access to leaked battle plans for Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive, Zelenskyy said. Ukraine is making several plans for this year "because of information leaks," the president said. AdvertisementUkraine is drawing up multiple different battle plans for 2024 because those for the 2023 counteroffensive were leaked ahead of time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday. "Our counteroffensive action plans were on the Kremlin's table before the counteroffensive actions began," Zelenskyy told a press conference, per Agence France-Presse. Asked whether Ukraine will attempt a counteroffensive in 2024, Zelenskyy said: "We have a plan, a clear plan.

Persons: Zelenskyy, —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia's Organizations: Service, Agence, Presse, AFP, Radio Free, New York Times Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Agence France, Ukrainian

☆ Putin official compared Zelenskyy to Brad Pitt, said his image couldn't be trashed, says report
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementA Moscow official complained that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was like Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, a global star with an image that couldn't be sullied, the Washington Post reports. AdvertisementThe documents reveal the Kremlin's elaborate and persistent efforts to undermine Zelenskyy, per the Post's analysis. Internal Kremlin documents reveal a planned disinformation campaign to tarnish Zelenskyy's image and destabilize his leadership. Thousands of social media posts and fabricated articles flooded the online spaceThrough social media platforms and fake news articles, the Kremlin orchestrated a barrage of anti- Zelenskyy content. AdvertisementThe focus shifted to infiltrating Ukrainian social media landscapes, emphasizing platforms like Telegram, which had emerged as a critical news source.

Persons: Brad Pitt, —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kevin Coombs, Zelenskyy, Valery Zaluzhny, Zaluzhny, Gen, Oleksandr Syrsky, Ursula von der Leyen, Viktor Kovalchuk, splintering, Zelensky Organizations: Putin, Washington, Service, Washington Post, Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, Zelenskyy, Kremlin, Reuters, Getty Locations: Kyiv, Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ Russia is twisting the knife after Navalny's sudden death
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He appears to be flexing his unrivaled power with performative cruelty and firmly twisting the knife after Navalny's death. AdvertisementNavalnaya had unsuccessfully been trying to retrieve her son's body since Saturday. She was previously sent to the wrong morgue after multiple demands for the authorities to hand over her son's body, according to Yarmysh. Navalny's death — and the way the authorities have handled his body — are displays of his authoritarian power. No one should be fooled," Biden told reporters shortly after Navalny's death was announced.

Persons: —, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Vladimir Putin's, Joe Biden, Putin, Lyudmila Navalnaya, Alexey, Kira Yarmysh, Navalnaya, Yarmysh, Ivan Zhdanov, Alec Luhn, Simon Miles, Miles, Biden, Sergei Lavrov Organizations: Service, Business, YouTube, Guardian, Luhn, Soviet Union, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Sky News, Kremlin Locations: Salekhard, Soviet, Moscow, St, Petersburg

☆ Putin thinks he still has a good shot at victory in Ukraine as US aid stalls in Congress: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Russian leader Vladimir Putin is still optimistic about defeating Ukraine as the war drags into its third year, The Guardian reported on Wednesday, citing Western officials. The officials said Putin continues to hold "maximalist goals of subjugating Ukraine," per The Guardian. This Western assessment, however, indicates that Putin still believes the Kremlin's original goals for the war can be achieved. The Russian leader may also have been encouraged by the US stalling aid to Ukraine, the Western officials told The Guardian.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Russia's, Sergei Shoigu, Donald Trump, Biden, pare Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Guardian, Western, subjugating, Bakhmut, Defence, Reuters, Avdiivka, International Institute for Strategic Studies, White House Locations: subjugating Ukraine, Russia, Avdiivka, Ukraine, Donetsk, Kremlin, Moscow, Russian, Kyiv

The sudden death of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most formidable antagonist has left an open wound in Russia's political opposition. Navalny also was the first opposition leader in Russia to receive a lengthy prison sentence in recent years. In the three years since Navalny lost his freedom, multiple prominent dissidents were imprisoned, while others fled Russia under pressure. MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKYMikhail Khodorkovsky, 60, is a former tycoon turned Russian opposition figure in exile. Kara-Murza was an associate of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, another fierce Putin critic who was assassinated near the Kremlin in 2015.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Alexei Navalny, Navalny, Leonid Volkov, Maria Pevchikh, Ivan Zhdanov, Kira Yarmysh —, “ Alexei, ” Volkov, MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Khodorkovsky, Putin, Andrei Pivovarov, Garry Kasparov, Dmitry Gudkov, VLADIMIR KARA, MURZA, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Boris Nemtsov, Kara, Nemtsov, Sergei Magnitsky, Yevgenia, ILYA YASHIN Ilya Yashin, Navalny's, Yashin's, Yashin, ” Yashin Organizations: YouTube, Putin, TEAM, Corruption Foundation, Olympics, Kremlin, Putin's Russia —, U.S, Associated Press Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Black, Sochi, London, Putin's Russia, Washington, Moscow

☆ Counting the 'colossal' cost of capturing Avdiivka: Russia could have suffered 30,000 casualties and lost over 400 tanks, IFVs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

At least 30,000 Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded, say Ukraine. AdvertisementRussia suffered huge losses in the battle for the strategic town of Avdiivka before ultimately capturing it. Russia lost more than 400 tanks and armored vehicles and "likely thousands of personnel," per the UK Ministry of Defense. He also said that at least 30,000 Russian soldiers had been injured in the battle, per The Telegraph. AdvertisementThere are no figures on the losses Ukraine has suffered in the bloody battle, though they to could also be significant.

Persons: Avdiivka, —, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Wes, Tim, bec Organizations: Service, Armed Forces of, Facebook, Russia, UK Ministry of Defense, Latest Defence, Ukraine –, Defence, kr Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Donbas, Armed Forces of Ukraine

☆ Putin is tightening his grip over what's left of the Wagner Group
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementThe military formation has been actively recruiting former Wagner Group mercenaries and soldiers who fought in Ukraine for combat operations in Africa. The Kremlin is likely using the Africa Corps to take over many of the functions of the Wagner Group, Parens added. Last week, in a video obtained by the Kyiv Post, Ukrainian special forces were shown interrogating captured Wagner mercenaries in Sudan. "Ukrainian special services have acquired considerable experience of waging non-linear warfare against the Russian side and especially against the Wagner Group," he said. The fate of the Wagner Group, it seems, still hangs in the balance.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, he's, Wagner, Prigozhin, Sergey Sukhankin, Raphael Parens, Parens, Sukhankin, Russia Alessandro Arduino Organizations: Kremlin, Jamestown Foundation, Wagner, Volunteer Corps, Africa Corps, Wagner Group, Fighters, Foreign, Research, Eurasia Program, Military Companies, Africa, Kyiv Post, Russia, Ukraine Locations: Russia, Africa, Ukraine, Western, Ukrainian, Sudan, Russian

☆ Russia's Putin says he prefers 'more predictable' Biden over Trump in U.S. election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he preferred Joe Biden as the next U.S. president over Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, who fell under intense scrutiny for his relationship with the Kremlin during his presidency. The Trump and Biden presidential campaigns did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment. Referencing their meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2021, Putin said he had noticed no signs of incapacity from Biden. Despite these apparently favorable comments, Putin stressed ongoing disagreement with Biden's politics, saying "the incumbent administration's approach is most harmful and erroneous." Trump was probed during a nearly two-year special counsel investigation of Russian interference in the election that he won.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Putin, Pavel Zarubin, Trump, Robert Hur, —, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: White, Kremlin, Biden, U.S, Democrats, Republicans, of Justice, House, NATO, Republican, Democrat, Senate, Taiwan — Locations: Washington , U.S, America, Ukraine, Russia, Geneva, Switzerland, Kyiv, Moscow, China, Iran, South Carolina, Russian, Israel, Taiwan

☆ Russia's economic decline is in only in the early stages, and the country is masking significant 'degradation,' think tank says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's economic decline is still in the early stages, according to a London-based think tank. But talk of Russia's economic resilience is misguided, and there are deep-rooted issues that will continue to plague its economy, the think tank said. AdvertisementRussia's robust military spending has been a key factor in propping up its economic growth so far. "Significantly greater isolation and economic degradation is baked into the cake for the Russian economy and people." Russian inflation grew 7.2% year-per-year in January, well above the nation's 4% inflation target.

Persons: —, Mark Sobel, Sobel, Brent, that's Organizations: Service, Official Monetary, Financial, International Monetary Fund, Bloomberg, Yale School of Management . Companies Locations: London, Ukraine, Russia, Oilprice.com, Moscow

☆ Russia's Wagner Group expands into Africa's Sahel with a new brand
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Natalia Kolesnikova | Afp | Getty ImagesWagner Group has been replaced by a new entity known as Russia's Africa Corps across its key strongholds in the continent, its new leader has confirmed. The new entity has been subsuming operations in Mali and Libya for several months, and negotiations to establish a Russian military base in the CAR are reportedly underway. watch now"The Africa Corps consists of mercenaries and volunteers, and does not form part of the Russian Armed Forces. It began recruiting in December 2023, and has also included job offers for former Wagner Group mercenaries; it may also recruit local residents," they explained. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov oversaw the creation of the Africa Corps, which is expected to be fully completed by this summer.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Natalia Kolesnikova, Dmitry Utkin, Anton Yelizarov, Ibrahim Traoré, Piotr Żochowski, Miłosz Bartosiewicz, Yunus, bek Yevkurov, Yevkurov Organizations: Afp, Getty, Wagner, Africa Corps, Central African, Russian National Guard, Russian Federation, Telegram, Centre, Eastern Studies, CAR, Africa, Russian Armed Forces, Wagner Group, CES Locations: MOSCOW, Moscow, Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Belarus, Russia, Cossack, Sahel, Russian, Warsaw, Algeria, Africa, Ouagadougou

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Tucker Carlson reportedly leaves Russia; Kyiv silent on ex-Fox News host's interview request after criticism
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"As soon as it [the interview] is prepared, it will be released," he told reporters, according to TASS news agency. He also claimed that no one had "bothered" to interview the Russian president. Announcing his interview with Putin, Carlson said "we are not here because we love Vladimir Putin. Russia's media landscape is tightly-controlled by the Kremlin and is consistently careful to orchestrate favorable coverage (and to omit any criticism) of Russia's leadership. It's also rare for Western media outlets to be granted an audience with Putin and many foreign journalists have been expelled from Russia.

Persons: Peskov, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Brice Mahamat Idriss Deby, Carlson, Putin, Alexander NEMENOV, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Mister Carlson, couldn't, It's, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Kremlin's, Sputnik, Kremlin, Commission, Kyiv, Getty Locations: Moscow, Russian, United States, St, Basil's, Russia's, Kremlin United Russia, Ukraine, AFP, Russia

☆ Zelenskyy replaces Ukraine’s top general in shake-up of military leadership
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Yuliya Talmazan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

He added that he had appointed Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine's ground forces, to lead the army. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that he had replaced his top general, a dramatic shake-up of the country's military at a crucial moment in its war against Russia . A popular figure who came to embody Ukraine's fighting spirit, Zaluzhnyi is widely respected both at home and abroad. Zelenskyy appeared to have been caught off guard by Zaluzhnyi's comments and denied that the war was, in fact, at a stalemate. A career soldier, Zaluzhnyi, 50, and Zelenskyy have emerged as the top leaders in wartime Ukraine.

Persons: Zaluzhnyi, he'd, Gen, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Zelenskyy, Zaluzhny, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Kyiv's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Armed Forces Valerii, quagmire, Zaluzhnyi's Organizations: Armed Forces, Russia, Ukraine's, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Kyiv International Institute of Sociology Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Dnipro, United States, Russia, West

☆ Russia's wartime economy is flush with resources and is weathering Western sanctions, European economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Economists have said Russia's economy is in rapid decline, evidenced by the plunge in the ruble and soaring inflation. Russia's only problem appears to be its worker shortage, Santi says. AdvertisementEconomists are divided over whether Western sanctions have successfully crimped Russia's economy, or if Moscow has managed to sidestep most of the consequences. Russia, for its part, has put up a show of defiance against Western sanctions, with Putin repeatedly emphasizing the resilience of the economy. In January, the Kremlin's budget deficit was five times smaller than it was last year, Russia's finance ministry said on Wednesday.

Persons: —, Michael Santi, Santi, Putin Organizations: Service, Business, Gallup, Bloomberg, Carnegie Endowment Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, European, Russia, Switzerland, Armenia, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Europe

☆ Russia may be moving to pull the plug on letting the only anti-war candidate run for president because the Kremlin's worried he might take too many votes from Putin, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia appears poised to bar the only remaining anti-war candidate from presidential election. Election officials rejected almost 10,000 of the signatures Nadezhdin needed to run. Nadezhdin's popularity appears larger than expected, experts say, and may hurt perceptions of Putin and the war. AdvertisementAhead of next month's presidential election, Russian officials appear poised to bar the only anti-war candidate, Boris Nadezhdin, from running. Russian election law states that candidates have to gather 100,000 signatures to run.

Persons: Putin, —, Boris Nadezhdin, Nadezhdin, Vladimir Putin, didn't, it'll, ISW, Alexei Navalny's, Ivan Zhdanov, Zhdanov Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Commission, Russian, Washington Post, Putin, Institute Locations: Russia, Ukraine, US

☆ Ukraine's SBU Hits Russia's Volgograd Oil Refinery in Drone Attack Source
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV (Reuters) - Two Ukrainian drones struck a primary oil processing facility at the Volgograd oil refinery in southern Russia on Saturday in an operation conducted by the SBU security service, a Ukrainian source told Reuters. Local authorities in Russia said earlier that a fire had been extinguished at the large refinery following a drone attack. The refinery is owned by oil producer Lukoil. The strike is the latest in a series of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Russian oil facilities in recent weeks, infrastructure that Kyiv sees as important for the Kremlin's war effort. The source in Kyiv told Reuters such drone attacks would continue.

Persons: Lukoil, Tom Balmforth, Toby Chopra Organizations: Reuters, Local Locations: Ukrainian, Volgograd, Russia, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Russian, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine's SBU hits Russia's Volgograd oil refinery in drone attack, source says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A general view shows the oil refinery of the Lukoil company in Volgograd, Russia on April 22, 2022. Two Ukrainian drones struck a primary oil processing facility at the Volgograd oil refinery in southern Russia on Saturday in an operation conducted by the SBU security service, a Ukrainian source told Reuters. Local authorities in Russia said earlier that a fire had been extinguished at the large refinery following a drone attack. The strike is the latest in a series of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Russian oil facilities in recent weeks, infrastructure that Kyiv sees as important for the Kremlin's war effort. The source in Kyiv told Reuters such drone attacks would continue.

Persons: Lukoil Organizations: Reuters, Local Locations: Volgograd, Russia, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Russian, Ukraine

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