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☆ Turbulence in China’s top ranks raises questions about Xi Jinping’s rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Defense Minister Li Shangfu has not been seen in public for three weeks, sparking speculation he is under investigation. Both Li and Qin serve among China’s five state councillors, a senior position in the cabinet that outranks a regular minister. Li also sits on the Central Military Commission, a powerful body headed by Xi that commands the armed forces. China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu gives a speech during the Moscow Conference on International Security on August 15. Last week, as speculation mounted over the whereabouts of the defense minister, Xi called for unity and stability within the military during an inspection in China’s northeast.

Persons: China’s, Li Shangfu, Weeks, Qin Gang, Xi, Li, Qin, outranks, “ What’s, ”, Drew Thompson, Xi Jinping, James Char, Lloyd Austin, Alexander Nemenov, Xi’s, Deng Yuwen, ” Rahm Emanuel, Agatha Christie’s, “, –, Craig Singleton, General Zhang Youxia, Zhang, He’s, Thompson, they’re, ” Thompson, Mao Zedong, Char, …, ” Char, Jinping Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Defense, Foreign, Central Military Commission, People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, Wall Street Journal, Communist Party, National University of Singapore, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Belarus ’, US, Singapore’s Navy, China's, Conference, International Security, Getty, Twitter, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Washington DC, Development Department, Rocket Force, Equipment Development Department Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Washington, Beijing, Singapore, Moscow, Belarus, Minsk, AFP, Japan, Soviet, Sichuan, “

☆ Leaked photos said to be a Russian submarine hit by Ukrainian missiles show severe damages that look beyond repair
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine's attack on the Sevastopol shipyard last week left a Russian submarine in rough shape. New photos leaked to social media indicate the submarine may be beyond repair, a naval expert says. The attack damaged two vessels, including the Kilo-class attack submarine Rostov-on-Don, and was the latest in a string of assaults on the peninsula, which Kyiv has vowed to liberate from Moscow. It also published satellite imagery showing the damaged Sevastopol shipyard, with a zoomed-in view of the submarine. Britain's defense ministry cited open-source evidence in suggesting that the Minsk had "almost certainly been functionally destroyed."

Persons: submariner, Bryan Clark, Don, Clark Organizations: Service, Fleet, Conflict Intelligence Team, US Navy, Hudson Institute, Ministry of Defense, US Army Locations: Sevastopol, Russian, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Black, Crimea, Rostov, Kyiv, Moscow, Ukraine, Minsk, Russia

☆ Ukraine crowns a week of military successes with a 'significant' tactical breach on the southern front, think tank says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine likely made "a significant tactical breach" on the southern front, a new report says. The advance comes after a successful week for Ukrainian forces. The offensive of Ukrainian forces has been widening a gap in the frontline for several weeks, the report adds, clarifying that "Ukrainian forces have yet to complete a breakthrough of this defensive layer" with heavy armor and vehicles. Ukrainian forces told Reuters and Ukrainian media that an experimental sea drone called Sea Baby, was used as part of this attack. On Saturday, a NATO admiral told the military alliance that "history books will show Ukraine has transformed modern warfare.

Persons: Ukraine's, Al, ISW, Don — Organizations: Service, Assault Brigade, Reuters, Russia, Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, Ukrainska Pravda, Fleet, MoD, Kilo, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Robotyne, Andriivka, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Al Jazeera, Rozdolivka, Crimea, Screengrab, Russian, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Russia, Minsk, Rostov

☆ Russia is trying to auction off Zelenskyy's apartment in Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Now, they're auctioning them off, including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's apartment. The news comes just days after Ukraine launched an offensive on a Russian naval shipyard in Crimea. Now, Russian-installed officials in Crimea — placed there by Russian President Vladimir Putin after Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 — say they will soon auction off about 100 of these properties, Reuters reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussian officials first announced in May they would sell Zelenskyy's Crimea apartment and use the proceeds to fund their war in Ukraine, Insider previously reported. The announcement of the planned auction comes after Ukrainian forces launched a missile strike against a Russian naval shipyard in Crimea on Wednesday morning, Insider previously reported.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy's, Crimea —, Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Konstantinov, — Organizations: Service, Reuters, Authorities Locations: Russia, Crimean, Ukraine, Russian, Crimea, Wall, Silicon, Minsk, Crimean Tatars

☆ 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

☆ A Russian sub took 'catastrophic' damage from a Ukrainian missile strike despite attempts to downplay it, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A key Russian submarine suffered "catastrophic" damage in a recent Ukrainian attack, UK intel said. The loss is significant, the MOD said, as it's one of four cruise-missile-capable subs in Russia's Black Sea Fleet. It could take "many years" before the submarine can return to service, the UK MOD said. The UK MOD added that "the complex task of removing the wreckage from the dry docks" will also place the facility out of use for many months. "The demilitarization of the Russian Black Sea fleet is a real long-term guarantee of security for regional trade routes and the "grain corridor," he added.

Persons: Don —, OSINTtechnical, Ben Hodges, Mykhailo Podolyak, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: UK intel, MOD, Service, Fleet, Ministry of Defence, Kilo, Russian Ministry of Defence, Russia's Defense, US Army Locations: Russian, UK, Wall, Silicon, Sevastopol, Minsk, Rostov, Ukraine, Crimea, US Army Europe

☆ Ukrainian partisans say a double agent in the Russian military helped them plan the devastating attack at a shipyard in Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Ukrainian partisan group says a Russian military member helped Ukraine with its strike in Crimea. "We managed to attract one of the military members of the Russian Black Sea Fleet," ATESH told the outlet. That intel helped Ukrainian forces strike the crucial Russian naval base in Sevastopol, Crimea, on the Black Sea. ATESH told the Kyiv Post that it wasn't just a mole in the Russian military that gave them the crucial intel, but also local residents. AdvertisementAdvertisement"The constantly growing Ukrainian underground partisan movement demonstrates that the inhabitants of Crimea are ready to fight against Russia," ATESH told the Kyiv Post.

Persons: —, ATESH Organizations: Service, Kyiv Post, intel, Russia Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine, Crimea, Sevastopol, Wall, Silicon, Crimean Tatars, Russia, Kyiv, Rostov, Minsk, Don

☆ 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

☆ A spectacular attack in Crimea is part of Ukraine's effort to 'evict' Putin's navy from a prized Black Sea base, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The attack also deals a harsh blow to the logistics and operations of Moscow's Black Sea Fleet. If the damage to the base is severe enough, it may impair the Black Sea Fleet's readiness. AdvertisementAdvertisementBeyond Sevastopol, the Black Sea Fleet doesn't have many alternative options when it comes to repairs and upgrades. AdvertisementAdvertisement"At the operational level of war, it appears that part of Ukraine's strategy is to impose cost on Black Sea Fleet operations. REUTERS/Alexey PavlishakIt remains to be seen what specific long-term effects on the Black Sea Fleet arise in the aftermath of the Sevastopol strikes.

Persons: Michael Petersen, Petersen, Ben Hodges, Hodges, Alexey Pavlishak Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Russia Maritime Studies, US Naval War College, Insider, Institute for, Sea, Kyiv, Telegram, REUTERS, US Army, Russia's, Black Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimea's Sevastopol, Wall, Silicon, Crimean, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Moscow, Russia's, Minsk, Rostov, Kyiv, Crimea, Washington, Russia, Sevastopol —, Novorossiysk, US Army Europe

CNN —Ukraine has identified the ships hit in its attack against a Russian naval base in occupied Crimea, claiming the vessels are beyond repair. On Wednesday, Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, said the landing ship Minsk and the submarine Rostov-on-Don had been destroyed in the attack. A satellite image shows Sevastopol after a Ukrainian missile attack in Crimea on September 13, 2023. Smoke rises from the shipyard that was hit by a Ukrainian attack in Sevastopol, Crimea, on September 13, 2023. A day after the Sevastopol attack, Ukraine carried out another operation, attacking two ships in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Persons: Andrii, Don, Yusov, Sergei Kotov, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Dmytro Kuleba Organizations: CNN, Defense Intelligence, BlackSky, Reuters Kyiv, Ukraine’s General Staff, The Defense Intelligence, The General Staff, Russia’s Defense, “, United Nations, Fleet, European Commission, European Union, Ukrainian, Commission Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimea, Sevastopol, Minsk, Rostov, Ukrainian, Russia, Crimean, Turkey, Moscow, Europe, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia

☆ Satellite images show damage to Russian naval vessels struck in Ukraine attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A combination image of satellite photos shows Sevastopol, Crimea before a Ukrainian missile attack, on September 12, 2023 (inset) and a view of the same site after the missile attack, on September 13, 2023. BlackSky/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Sept 14 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian missile attack on the Sevastopol Shipyard in Russian-annexed Crimea this week caused heavy damage to a large Russian landing ship and submarine, commercial satellite imagery showed. Kyiv said on Wednesday the two vessels were likely beyond repair after the pre-dawn missile attack on the port city of Sevastopol. Russia's defence ministry confirmed the strike, but said the vessels would be fully repaired and return to service. "The Minsk Project 775 Ropucha-class landing ship and the Rostov-on-Don Kilo-class submarine vessels... sustained damage," the company wrote on the X social media platform late on Wednesday, publishing the images.

Persons: Don Kilo, Tom Balmforth, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Sevastopol Shipyard, Kyiv, Black Sky, Fleet, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukrainian, Handout, Russian, Russia's, Minsk, Rostov, Ukraine

☆ A Theater Troupe That’s Also a Support Network for Exiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Alex Marshall | More About Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the two founders of the renowned Belarus Free Theater claimed political asylum in Britain in 2011, they found themselves homeless, with few possessions and facing a bureaucratic labyrinth before they could work. Twelve years later, the company’s founders, Natalia Kaliada and Nicolai Khalezin, are using that experience to help other artists fleeing political repression. The Belarus Free Theater’s political productions have often criticized Lukashenko’s authoritarian leadership and its troupe was long at risk of arrest. But as repression increased, the company decided it was no longer feasible for its other members to remain in Minsk. Since then, Kaliada said, she and Khalezin had been helping the actors to find housing, therapy and visas.

Persons: Natalia Kaliada, Nicolai Khalezin, Ukraine —, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Vladimir V, Putin, Kaliada, Khalezin Organizations: Belarus Free Theater, Skype, Belarus —, Belarus Free Locations: Belarus, Britain, British, Minsk, Belarus’s, East, Russia, Ukraine

CNN —Two Russian warships were damaged after Ukraine launched an extensive assault on a Russian ship repair base in Crimea early Wednesday morning, officials said, in what appears to be Kyiv’s most ambitious strike on the port since the war began. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukrainian armed forces attacked the Sergo Ordzhonikidze shipyard in Sevastopol, which Russia uses as a repair base for its Black Sea Fleet, with 10 cruise missiles and three unmanned boats. But Russian officials confirmed that the attack had damaged two Russian warships and left 24 people injured. An ambulance leaves the area next to the shipyard in Sevastopol, Crimea, on September 13, 2023. Stringer/ReutersAnother prominent Russian military blogger said the attack on the Sevastopol shipyard was carried out by the Ukrainian Air Force, which launched 10 Storm Shadow cruise missiles at the facility.

Persons: Vasily Bykov, Mikhail Razvozhaev, Razvozhaev, Don ”, Stringer, Rybar, ” Rybar, Andriy Yermak, ” Yermak, Mykola Oleshchuk, Volodymyr Zelensky, Elon Musk, Walter Isaacson’s Organizations: CNN, Russia’s Defense Ministry, Reuters, Ukrainian Air Force, Su, Storm, Ukrainian, Russian, SpaceX Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimea, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Russia, Rostov, Minsk, ”, United Kingdom, France, Novorossiysk, Kerch, Crimean

CNN —The Nobel Foundation has U-turned on a controversial decision to invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize award ceremony after facing widespread criticism. Ukraine had condemned the decision to invite the Russian and Belarusian ambassadors, who had been left out of Stockholm’s Nobel Prize awards ceremony last year because of the war in Ukraine. We, therefore, choose to repeat last year’s exception to regular practice – that is, to not invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm,” the foundation said. The Nobel Banquet takes place annually in Stockholm on December 10, where five out of six Nobel Prizes are awarded. Athletes from Russia and Belarus have also been banned from competing in numerous sporting events, and diplomats are regularly excluded from summits.

Persons: ”, “ Organizations: CNN, Nobel Foundation Locations: Russia, Belarus, Iran, Ukraine, Sweden, Stockholm, Oslo, Norway, Moscow, Minsk

CNN —Ambassadors from Russia and Belarus have been invited back to the Nobel Prize banquet after being excluded last year because of the invasion of Ukraine, the Nobel Foundation said. The foundation said it wanted to involve even those who do not share the values of the Nobel Prize. The Nobel Foundation would like to reach out with this message to everyone,” it said in a statement. The Nobel Foundation also reversed its longstanding policy of excluding the leader of the Sweden Democrats, a far-right party which forms a part of the country’s coalition government. The Nobel Banquet takes place annually in Stockholm on December 10, where five out of six Nobel Prizes are awarded.

Persons: ”, Vidar Helgesen, “, ” Helgesen, Nobel, Karin Karlsbro, Karlsbro, Putin, Jimmie Akesson Organizations: CNN, Nobel Foundation, Swedish Liberal, Swedish, Nobel, Sweden Democrats, Facebook Locations: Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Iran, Swedish, Stockholm, Moscow, Minsk, Ukrainian, Europe, Sweden, Oslo, Norway

☆ Fact Check-Travel alert for US citizens to depart Belarus active since February 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A travel advisory to U.S citizens in Belarus to leave the country was first issued in February 2022, at the time of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and has remained active, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said. A travel advisory also published in February 2022 by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs placed Belarus in the “Do Not Travel” advisory category. U.S. citizens in Belarus should depart immediately via commercial or private means” (here). A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Reuters via email: “The Department has advised U.S. citizens to depart Belarus since February 2022.”VERDICTFalse. The U.S did not issue a first alert for its citizens to depart Belarus in August 2023.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Read Organizations: U.S . State Department, Facebook, U.S, Embassy, U.S . Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs, Reuters Locations: Belarus, Ukraine, U.S, Minsk, COVID, Lithuania, Lithuanian, Latvian

☆ 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

☆ A BRICS no-show speaks volumes about Putin's shrinking horizons
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But Putin will be notably absent from a key global forum this week, the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. His no-show speaks volumes about Russia’s isolation – and Putin’s shrinking horizons. Bolstering such support against the background of the war on Ukraine was a key aim of Putin’s recent Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg. The Kremlin, of course, bristles at any implication that Putin is ducking out of the BRICS summit because of an ICC warrant. Russia, after all, is waging a war on Ukraine that Putin has justified in starkly imperial terms.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, he’ll, Alexander Lukashenko, Cyril Ramaphosa, Xi Jinping, Luiz Lula da Silva, Narendra Modi –, Sergey Lavrov, Omar al, Bashir –, Darfur –, Dmitry Peskov, ”, Lavrov, “ Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Putin, South, Indian, International Criminal, ICC, Hague, Russian, UN Security Council Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Beijing, Central Asia, Iran, Minsk, Belarusian, Russia, Johannesburg, Russian, Africa, St . Petersburg, Latin America, Asia, South Africa, Darfur, BRICS, United States

CNN —Russia temporarily shuttered all four major Moscow airports early on Friday morning following an alleged drone strike on the capital city, its civil aviation authority said. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said Friday that Russian air defenses shot down a drone over the capital city overnight. The incident on Friday was the third time in the past month that this district of Moscow has been struck by drone debris. “The Kiev regime launched another terrorist attack using a drone against facilities in Moscow and Moscow region on August 18 at 4:00 Moscow time,” the ministry said in a statement, using the Russian spelling of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Last month, Kyiv said Ukrainian forces carried out a drone strike in Moscow and warned more strikes were to come.

Persons: Sergey Sobyanin, “, Shamil Zhumatov, Mykhailo Fedorov, Volodymyr Zelensky, Rosaviatsiya Organizations: CNN, Russia, Moscow, Russian Defense Ministry, Reuters, Kyiv, Transformation Ministry, “ Army, Drones, Russian Association of Tour Locations: Moscow, Sheremetyevo, Zhukovsky, Expocentre, Ukraine, Kiev, Kyiv, Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment, Russia, Reuters Ukraine, Crimea, Ukrainian, Nizhny Novgorod, St, Petersburg, Minsk, Belarus

CNN —Belarus would be willing to use the nuclear weapons given by close ally Russia in the face of foreign “aggression,” President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday, as tensions rise around the country’s borders with NATO nations. In June, Russian nuclear warheads were reportedly delivered to Belarus for “deterrence,” according to Russian President Vladimir Putin. We will use the entire arsenal of our weapons for deterrence.”“We didn’t bring nuclear weapons here in order to scare someone,” he added. “Yes, nuclear weapons represent a strong deterring factor. But these are tactical nuclear weapons, not strategic ones.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Belta, Lukashenko, “, ”, Wagner, Putin, ” “ Putin, ” Lukashenko, Ukraine Lukashenko, –, Viktor Yanukovych – Organizations: CNN, NATO, Latvia –, US Defense Intelligence Agency, DIA, European Union Locations: Belarus, Russia, Minsk, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, NATO, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Latvia – Belarus, Europe, “, Polish, Crimea, Crimean

☆ Wagner, infamous for brutality in Ukraine and a failed mutiny in Russia, is registered as an 'educational organization' in its new home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Wagner Group has reportedly registered as an "educational organization" in Belarus. The embattled organization has been training soldiers in the Belarusian military for several weeks. Now, the mercenary group is registered as an "educational organization" in Belarus — its new home — as it trains the country's military. Information published by Belarus' Unified State Register of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs shows that Wagner registered as a company earlier this month, with the sole purpose of educational activities, according to multiple reports on Wednesday. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters at a briefing earlier this month, adding that "when it comes to Wagner Group, I think we all keep a close eye all of the time."

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russian Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Pat Ryder, Agnė Bilotaitė Organizations: Wagner, Service, Belarus ' Unified State, Entrepreneurs, Wagner Group, Russian, Belarusian Defence Ministry, REUTERS, Officials, Belarus ' Defense Ministry, Special Operations Forces, AP, Pentagon Press, Air Force, NATO, Belarus — Locations: Belarus, Belarusian, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Asipovichy, Russian, Brest, Africa, Officials Poland, Lithuania, Warsaw, Minsk, Poland

☆ Poland to hold biggest military parade in decades, as its clout in Europe grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Kacper Pempel/ReutersPolish military vehicles are seen during a Saturday rehearsal for this week's parade in Warsaw. “Nobody is going to say that military security is not an important issue and that we shouldn’t be strengthening the military. With the UK out of the European Union and Germany still hesitant to take on a leadership role on Ukraine, Poland has sensed its opportunity. In November, two people were killed in eastern Poland, about four miles (6.4 kilometers) west of the Ukrainian border, by a Ukrainian missile defending against incoming Russian fire. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko asked the group to help train his country’s military, and earlier this month the two forces held joint training exercises near the Polish border.

Persons: Russian Wagner, Kacper Pempel, Pawel Supernak, ” Edward Arnold, Arnold, Aleks, ”, Jamie Shea, Putin, ” Arnold, ” Shea, Abrams, “, Dominika, Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Mariusz Blaszczak, Lukashenko Organizations: CNN, NATO, Poland’s Defense Ministry, Polish, Russia’s, Abrams, University of Sussex, University of Exeter, Chatham House, Eastern Europe …, European Union, Ukraine, United Nations, “, Polish Army, Getty, Kremlin . Locations: Poland, Belarus, Korean, Crimea, Ukraine, Russian, Kaliningrad, Warsaw, Russia, Polish, Soviet, North Korea, Iran, Communist Poland, England, East, Afghanistan, Central, Eastern Europe, Germany, France, Washington, Ukraine Poland, South Korea, Italy, Polanka Wielka, Ukrainian, Minsk

And his fellow veterans of the Ukraine conflict are bound to play a role in the fight for their own country. With nearly all the opposition now in jail or exile, that is no small feat. Six weeks ago, there was a brief jolt of hope for the Belarus opposition, when Russia's Wagner mercenary group launched a mutiny inside Russia. But within hours, Lukashenko himself helped bring an end to the Russian mutiny, negotiating for Wagner fighters to move to Belarus. Exactly what role the Wagner fighters will play in Belarus is anyone's guess, but for the opposition, nothing good can come of it, said Kedyshko.

Persons: Pavel Maryeuski, Alexander Lukashenko's, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko's, Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko, Stanislava Glinnik, Belarus's, Pavel Kuhta, Tsikhanouskaya's, Sergey Kedyshko, Russia's Wagner, Wagner, Weeks, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Mike Collett, White, Peter Graff Organizations: WARSAW, Reuters, Coordination, United Operational, Lukashenko's Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Minsk, Soviet, Karma, Warsaw, Belarusian, Moscow

☆ Russia is playing risky games with its exploding drones, attacking Ukrainian ports only a couple hundred meters from NATO territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian forces have been routinely attacking Ukraine's southern cities and ports in recent weeks. Western intelligence says Russia has "evolved its risk appetite for conducting strikes near" NATO. But these attacks have also crept toward NATO territory, something Western officials have warned of since the 17-month-long war began. It added that the Iranian-made drones have landed as close as 650 feet from the Romania border, "suggesting that Russia has evolved its risk appetite for conducting strikes near NATO territory." Meanwhile, the bombardment near Romania comes as some NATO countries worry that Russian allies are encroaching on NATO territory to the northwest of Ukraine.

Persons: Nina Liashenko, Reni, Ukraine Bridget Brink, Wagner, John Kirby, We're Organizations: NATO, Service, Russian, Twitter, AS, REUTERS, White, National Security Locations: Romania, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine's, Moscow, Ukraine, Romanian, Izmail, China, Israel, russia, Russian, Odesa, Belarus, Minsk, Poland, Lithuania

☆ Ukraine says Russia planning 'false flag' attack at Belarus refinery
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Joint stock company "Mozyr oil refinery" is seen near the town of Mozyr, Belarus January 4, 2020. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoKYIV, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The Security Service of Ukraine accused Russia on Friday of preparing to stage a "false flag" attack at the Mozyr oil refinery in Belarus in order to blame Ukrainian saboteurs as part of an effort to draw Minsk into the war in Ukraine. Fighters from Wagner, a Russian mercenary group, launched a mutiny against the Russian defence establishment in June and some of its fighters have since moved to Belarus under a deal. There was no immediate comment on the Ukrainian statement from Russia or Belarus. Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Olena Harmash; Editing by Toby Chopra and Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vasily Fedosenko KYIV, Wagner, Tom Balmforth, Toby Chopra, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Security Service, Russia, Minsk, Thomson Locations: Mozyr, Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Kyiv

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