DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ UN nuclear watchdog chief pushes back on Moscow’s calls for objectivity after Kursk plant visit
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-29 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog has pushed back against Moscow's calls for further objectivity, following an inspection at the nuclear facility in the embattled Russian region of Kursk. Last week, Russia accused Ukraine of attempting a drone strike at the Kursk nuclear plant during a lightning cross-border incursion that has been under way since early August and which Moscow is still trying to repel. "The spokesperson of the Russian ministry of foreign affairs rightly says, be objective. We are saying here that this nuclear power plant ... is within range of a potential artillery strike, which means that the danger exists. On Thursday, Grossi explained that the Kursk nuclear plant contains reactors of the Soviet RBMK-type, similar to the ones present in the Chernobyl facility, which suffered one of the worst nuclear disasters in history in 1986.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Moscow's, CNBC's, Maria Zakharova, Grossi Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, of Governors, CNBC, Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wednesday, IAEA, Sputnik, Ria Novosti Locations: Vienna, Austria, Russian, Kursk, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Kiev, Soviet

CNN —A video that surfaced online appears to show bodies on burnt-out Russian military trucks in the country’s southwestern Kursk region, the latest sign that Ukraine’s cross-border assault is probing more deeply and inflicting significant damage on Moscow’s troops. Rybar, one of the more prominent Russian military blogs, published a roundup of developments Friday that said the front lines have “somewhat stabilized” with the arrival of Russian reinforcements. Rybar cited local residents of Vtoroye Knyazhino, a settlement on the outskirts of Sudzha, as saying Ukrainian infantry entered their village. US officials say they do not believe Ukraine intends to hold Russian territory for the long term. Russian authorities help residents during evacuation efforts at a railway station in Oryol, Kursk region, August 9, 2024.

Persons: Archangel Spetsnaza, Dnevnik Desantnika, Cherkasskoe, Russkoe, Rybar, Pilipey, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Vladimir Putin, “, Kursk –, ” Artamonov, Reuters Russia ‘, Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak, Zelensky, Podolyak, Peter Stanno, Ukraine “, Matthew Miller Organizations: CNN, Russian, CNN –, Malaya Loknya, Getty, Ukraine’s, Russia’s, Ministry, Russian Emergencies Ministry, Reuters, European Union, Ukraine, US State Department Locations: Kursk, Oktyabrskoye, Rylsk, Russian, Kyiv, Korenevo, Sudzha, Malaya, Vtoroye, Ukrainian, Kostyantynivka, Donetsk, AFP, Moscow, Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, Russia, Belgorod, Ukraine’s Kharkiv, –, Lipetsk –, Lipetsk, Bryansk, Voronezh, Orel, Crimea, Oryol, Handout, Reuters Russia

☆ Why Ukraine’s generals may have rolled the dice on an incursion into Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

On Tuesday, Kyiv took badly needed resources and fresh troops and launched them well inside Russia. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, is pictured on July 2, 2023 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. That could mean fewer gliding bombs hitting Ukrainian frontline troops and fewer missiles terrorizing Ukraine’s urban communities. Russia may be invited to attend the next peace conference held by Ukraine and its allies. It is unclear if Ukraine’s move into Kursk is motivated by that, or a simple move to inflict damage where the enemy is weak.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Yuriy Mate, Volodymyr Zelensky, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Valentyn Ogirenko Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, Russian, Ukrainian Ground Forces, Getty, Trump, Ukrainian Air Forces Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Pokrovsk, Sloviansk, Moscow, Russian, Europe, Soviet, Donetsk Oblast, Kyiv, Kursk

☆ Putin got a pretty great deal, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe US claimed a major victory on Thursday, orchestrating a sweeping prisoner exchange with Russia that returned high-profile captives. Smiles in the KremlinAndrew Payne, a City University of London lecturer in foreign policy, told BI that Putin won the historic deal. "You could say in that sense that Putin got a better deal," Payne said. Though Putin won on a transactional level, the deal also greatly benefited Biden, Payne said. "For Biden, this deal signals that he's still in charge and still has what it takes to manage high-stakes diplomacy," he said.

Persons: —, Russia —, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Kremlin Andrew Payne, Putin, launderers, Payne, Joe Biden, Vadim Krasikov, Zelimkhan, Tucker Carlson, Sergej, Gershkovich, Emma Tucker, Sam Greene, Biden, Donald Trump Organizations: Service, Wall Street, Business, City University of London, Krasikov, European Resilience Initiative, BBC, Street, King's College London, Ukraine Locations: Russia, Kremlin, Berlin, Georgian, German, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Iran using covert influence campaign to undermine Trump candidacy, US intelligence says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Iran is using covert social media activity and related influence operations in an effort to undercut the candidacy of former President Donald Trump, a US intelligence official said Monday in an updated assessment of threats to the November election. Iran’s preference for a US presidential candidate has not changed since 2020, the ODNI official said. In the 2020 election campaign, Iran “carried out a multi-pronged covert influence campaign intended to undercut former President Trump’s reelection prospects,” according to a declassified US intelligence report. The Russian government regularly denies US allegations of election influence. China “probably does not plan to influence the outcome” of the US presidential election, but US intelligence is monitoring the possibility that China-linked propagandists and influence actors could “denigrate down-ballot candidates,” the updated assessment says.

Persons: Donald Trump, ODNI, Iran “, Trump’s, haven’t, Joe Biden, “, Trump, Qasem Soleimani, Thomas Matthew Crooks, of National Intelligence Avril Haines, ” ODNI, China “, Xi Jinping, Biden Organizations: CNN, National Intelligence, Trump, United Nations, Service, stoke, of National Intelligence, Russian Embassy Locations: Iran, Tehran, United States, Moscow, U.S, Iranian, Pennsylvania, Israel, Gaza, Russia, Russian, Washington ,, China

☆ Russian soldiers are relying heavily on their personal cellphones to wage war in Ukraine even though it risks getting them killed
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Former US military officers say this trend underscores a lack of secure military communication options or discipline and leaves Russian soldiers vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks. Russian military officers look at their smartphones while walking past the Kremlin in Moscow in April 2024. Ukrainian soldiers prepare a BM-21 artillery vehicle in its fighting position in the Donetsk region in July 2024. AdvertisementOne such incident occurred at the very end of 2022, when Ukraine launched a devastating precision strike against Russian troops gathered in Makiivka, in the eastern Donbas region. Related storiesUkraine's military intelligence agency, the HUR, regularly publishes audio of purported interceptions from calls made by Russian soldiers.

Persons: —, Dan Rice, Rice, Mark Cancian, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Cancian, HUR Organizations: Service, Former US, Business, State Duma, State, Defense, Institute for, Kremlin, US, American University Kyiv, US Marine Corps, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Getty, Russian, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Russian Defense Ministry, US Army, United Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Donetsk, Anadolu, Makiivka, Russia, United States

☆ Russia's war-driven economic growth is a mirage, and more sanctions are needed to keep pressure on, European finance ministers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Sanctions are instead straining Russia, and could do more if the West is patient enough, a group of eight European finance ministers jointly argued in The Guardian. Large financial stimulus is the chief tailwind keeping Russia resistant, but the ministers noted that isn't an endless pillar of support. The eight ministers argued that these conditions make Western sanctions more important than ever, adding that pressure should be cranked up on Russia. They noted that if the West is patient enough, Russia's confidence will eventually slump as long-term damage takes hold.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Guardian, Business, Kremlin Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, Netherlands, Soviet Union, Belarus, Asia

☆ What the West's foes may be learning from the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementShe explained that from a tactical perspective, Ukraine and Russia are learning much about each other, and in response, the cycles of adaptation and countermeasures are rapidly compressing. "Russia's allies and their partners are learning from them, and this is now a currency that Russia has to give to Iran, China, North Korea — that learning of our equipment." Iran and North Korea have collectively outfitted Russia with a bunch of lethal aid, including missiles, rockets, artillery shells, and drones. Photo by ANONYMOUS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty ImagesChina's support for Russia as it wages war in Ukraine has been more discreet. Experts and officials have also said that North Korea is likely learning about how its weapons perform in actual combat conditions.

Persons: —, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Baiba Braže, Alina Smutko, Tehran's, Abrams, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, It's, Luke Coffey, Iran's Organizations: Service, NATO, Business, Carnegie Endowment, International, Latvia's, Mechanized Brigade, REUTERS, Getty, CNN, Russian, Army Tactical Missile, West, Ukraine —, Hudson Institute, North, General Staff, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Institute for, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Washington, Iran, China, North Korea, Moscow, Iranian, Kermanshah, Beijing, Tehran, Pyongyang, AFP, Israel, Korea, Ukrainian, X

☆ Russia may arm Houthi rebels with advanced anti-ship missiles, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Russia is debating arming Yemen's Houthi rebels with anti-ship missiles, US intelligence has said. It likely comes in response to Biden approving Ukraine's use of US weapons on Russian soil. AdvertisementRussia is weighing arming Yemen's Houthi rebels with advanced anti-ship missiles, US intelligence agencies have warned, according to The Wall Street Journal. The move is likely in response to Biden quietly green-lighting Ukraine's use of US-supplied weapons on Russian territory, per the report. Last month, Middle East Eye reported that Saudi Arabia had already talked Russia out of providing anti-ship cruise missiles to the Houthis.

Persons: Yemen's, Biden, — Organizations: Service, Wall Street, Eye, Business Locations: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Moscow

☆ Paul Whelan tells CNN he has ‘sympathy and empathy’ for Evan Gershkovich but expresses hope following sentencing
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Paul Whelan, an American detained in Russia, told CNN he has “sympathy and empathy” for Evan Gershkovich following the conviction and sentencing of the Wall Street Journal reporter, but expressed hope that the development could open the door for a deal to secure both of their release. Whelan, who called CNN from his remote prison camp in Mordovia Friday, said he was able to watch a news broadcast about the sentencing. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier Friday that the US government is working “quite literally every day” to bring Gershkovich and Whelan home. “Look, any effort to bring any American home is going to be part of a process of back-and-forth discussion, potentially negotiation. And I don’t think that’s dependent on an election in the United States or anywhere else,” he said.

Persons: CNN — Paul Whelan, ”, Evan Gershkovich, Whelan, “, Evan, Trevor Reed, Brittney Griner, Gershkovich, ” Whelan, Antony Blinken, we’re, Paul Whelan, ” Blinken, Blinken Organizations: CNN, Wall Street Journal, US State Department, US, Aspen Security, they’ll Locations: Russia, Mordovia, Moscow, United States

☆ Russia is already fighting NATO, just not with tanks and fighter jets, argues a former top US general
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Recent covert acts of sabotage are far from the level of aggression and brutality that Russia has put on display in Ukraine. But make no mistake, a former top US general argued this week, Moscow is already fighting NATO. "We face wider Russian aggression directed at our own democracies, from hybrid attacks to threats in the high north," he added. "We, ourselves, have been experiencing hybrid attacks from Russia for decades, so that's why the threat has been quite clear, what we're facing." The Russian hybrid attacks were a notable discussion point on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington this week.

Persons: —, Ben Hodges, Vladimir Putin's, Vladimir Putin, Pavel Byrkin, John Healey, We've, Andris Sprūds, Healey, Hodges, Antony Blinken, Blinken, It's Organizations: Service, NATO, Business, US Army, NATO Public Forum, Ukraine, Security, Sputnik, Public, Latvian Defense, Alliance Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, US Army Europe, Washington ,, Russian, Baltic, Washington

☆ Finland passes law to block migrants crossing from Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Finland has accused neighboring Russia of weaponizing migration by encouraging scores of migrants from countries such as Syria and Somalia to cross the border, an assertion the Kremlin denies. Helsinki believes Moscow is promoting the crossings in retaliation for Finland joining NATO, which backs Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. Finnish border guards and migrants with bicycles are pictured at the international border crossing at Salla, Finnish Lapland on November 21, 2023. Orpo urged migrants who were considering coming to Europe through Russia not to embark on the journey. The access to the borders orchestrated by Russia will not lead to access to Finland or Europe.”Moscow has denied such an intention.

Persons: Reuters —, Petteri Orpo, ” Orpo, Jussi Nukari, Mari Rantanen, Finland’s, Orpo, “ Don’t, ”, ” Moscow Organizations: Reuters, Helsinki, NATO, Russia’s, Getty, Finnish Border Guard, ” Locations: Russia, Helsinki, Finland, Syria, Somalia, Moscow, Ukraine, EU, Salla, Finnish Lapland, AFP, Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Europe, Russian

☆ Front-line NATO allies say the West needs to give Ukraine the 'technological superiority' it needs to beat Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe West should send Ukraine the kind of weapons it needs to inflict a lasting, strategic defeat on Russia, NATO countries on the front lines of the military alliance said Tuesday. With this threat in mind, the Baltic nations have long pushed for increased defense spending among NATO member states. "The goal must be [the] strategic defeat of Russia in Ukraine," said Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds. The Baltic states say enabling Ukraine to win will require a massive political buy-in and support from the West. "We have to say clearly: 'Yes, we will help Ukraine to win this war.'"

Persons: —, Hanno Pevkur, Pevkur, Serhii, Laurynas, Kasčiūnas, Andris Sprūds, Joe Biden, Jens Stoltenberg, Andrew Mellon, Kevin Dietsch Organizations: Service, Lithuania —, Kyiv, Business, Estonian, POLITICO, NATO, Artillery, System, Getty, Russian, Moscow, Chamber of Commerce, Latvian Defense, Andrew Locations: Ukraine, Russia, NATO, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Baltic, Moscow, Washington ,, West, Europe, AFP, Kyiv, Washington , DC

☆ Putin's Hungarian ally Orban draws EU ire over 'peace mission' to Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 5, 2024. Russia's closest European ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has drawn ire from the EU over his Friday trip to meet Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Orban's trip to Moscow has also drawn the wrath of European officials, who questioned his authority to represent the bloc. Also referencing Orban's visit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that "appeasement will not stop Putin. Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban, Orban, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, " Orban, Josep Borrell, Ursula von der Leyen, Donald Trump Organizations: Hungary's, Kremlin, EU, NATO, Reuters, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Locations: Moscow, Russia's, Hungarian, Ukraine, Hungary, Russia, Europe, Brussels, EU

☆ Modi to visit Moscow next week as Kremlin says ‘all issues on the agenda’
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Moscow next week for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine, a sign of the growing relationship between the two countries even as New Delhi maintains strong ties with the United States. Modi’s visit is widely seen as the latest dent in efforts by Western leaders to cast Putin aside. India’s ties with Russia date back decades to the Cold War and have remained strong despite repeated sanctions on Moscow from Western governments. Confirmation of Modi’s visit comes as Russia draws ever closer to China, potentially making New Delhi uncomfortable due to its longstanding Himalayan border dispute with Beijing that has simmered in recent years. But Modi’s visit is set against the backdrop of India’s growing relations with the US, as both countries share concerns over China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Vladimir Putin, ” Modi’s, China –, Modi’s, Putin, Xi Jinping, ”, Dmitry Peskov, Kim Jong Un, China’s, Joe Biden, Gan Organizations: CNN, Indian, India’s Ministry, External Affairs, Kremlin, Russia, United Nations Security Council, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, SCO, US, North Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Delhi, United States, India, China, Western, New Delhi, Beijing, Kazakhstan, Pyongyang, Brazil, South Africa, Washington, Japan, Australia, ’

☆ Russia can’t fight NATO on the battlefield – so it’s waging a hybrid war instead
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

And while they might look minor in isolation, taken together these incidents amount to what security experts say is Russia’s hybrid war on the West. Thornton said Russia was resorting to a campaign of sabotage as an alternative to a full-on war with NATO, which would be disastrous for Russia. Article 5 is the cornerstone principle that an attack on one member of NATO is an attack on all members. Danylyuk said the Russian security apparatus doesn’t shy away from using criminals to do its dirty work, tapping into its links with international organized crime. Russia can only be strong if the West and NATO are weak.

Persons: –, Petr Fiala, Jens Stoltenberg, Rod Thornton, there’s, ” Thornton, Vladimir Putin, Thornton, “, ”, It’s, ” Nicole Wolkov, Andrei Averyanov, Averyanov, Sergei, Yulia Skripal, d’etat, Oleksandr Danylyuk, …, Volodymyr Zelensky’s, Danylyuk, Olga Lautman, Fiala, Sergei Skripal, Yulia, Frank Augstein, ” Lautman, Lautman, Alexander Litvinenko, Andrei Lugovoi, Theresa May, Nikolai Glushkov, Salisbury, Putin, ” “, let’s, ’ ”, that’s, Litvinenko, Skripal Organizations: CNN, Occupation, . Police, European Union, NATO, King’s College London, ”, Royal United Services Institute, Czech Police, GRU, London –, German Federal Public, Ukraine, Russian, Russia NATO, Center for, European, of Human, Duma, Metropolitan Police, Command, Soviet, West Locations: Prague, Czech, Moscow, Europe, Riga, London, Warsaw, Germany, Russia, Belarus, Russian, Spain, Lithuania, Canada, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia –, United States, al Qaeda, France, EU, Salisbury, England, Czech Republic, Vrbetice, Montenegro, Moldova, Macedonia, Ukrainian, Poland, Salisbury , England, Finland, Estonia, Lautman, Soviet Union

CNN —Russian state media claimed Sunday that American rapper and producer Kanye West is visiting Moscow, but CNN has not been able to independently verify he is actually there. West, who now goes by Ye, arrived in Moscow on a private visit, according to the brand team for Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy, state media TASS reported. West himself allegedly posted on the Russian social media website VK on Sunday saying, “Hi, Moscow,” according to state media RIA Novosti. Several videos have emerged in Russian media purporting to show West and his security guards in Moscow, but he is not clearly identifiable in the footage. Luzhniki Stadium told Russian state media that there is no information about a Kanye West concert set to take place in the capital.

Persons: Kanye West, Ye, Gosha Rubchinskiy, Rubchinskiy, West, Hi, Yana Rudkovskaya, West’s, “, ”, Eduard Ratnikov Organizations: CNN, TASS, VK, Novosti, Luzhniki, Kanye, TCI Locations: Moscow, West, Russian, ”, American, Ukraine

☆ China and Russia are in a bad marriage that the West shouldn't try to break up
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Already, Russia's military and China's People's Liberation Army have held around 25 joint exercises since 2005, involving ships, aircraft and ground troops. Equally important is that China has become a key enabler of Russia's war in Ukraine. Advertisement"Policymakers and planners should avoid overestimating the state of military cooperation and operational integration that exists between Russia and China," RAND warned. AdvertisementDespite boasting of their military ties, Russia and China don't have much faith in each other's military prowess. In their 2001 friendship treaty, China and Russia did agree to consult with each other should either nation be attacked.

Persons: Mladen Antonov, Russia's, Mark Cozad, Cozad, Hitler, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Communist, Business, NATO, RAND Corp, Liberation Army, British, RAND, PLA, People's, Army, Russian, Grand Alliance, Western Allies, Central, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Soviet Union, China, Beijing, Moscow, U.S, Russian, Europe, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russia, Britain, South Korea, America, Vietnam, Korea, Syria, West, Central Asia, United States, Forbes

☆ North Korea's Kim Jong Un could get his hands on some worrying military tech in exchange for throwing Russia a war lifeline
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Support from North Korea — in the form of weapons and ammunition — helps Russia keep up the pressure. KCNA via REUTERSOne of the biggest asks from Kim could be technology for nuclear-powered submarines, which North Korea is trying to build. North Korea currently maintains one of the world's largest fleets, with estimates ranging from 64 to 86 total subs. Much of the country's stockpiles date back decades, and US and South Korean officials have raised doubts about the effectiveness of these weapons. AdvertisementBut how this plays out is not all about what North Korea wants.

Persons: —, Kim Jong, Kim, Putin, Victor Cha, Kim Jae, Getty Images Putin, Cha, JUNG YEON, Kurt Campbell, There's, Scott Snyder, he's Organizations: Service, Business, Center for Strategic, International Studies, East, SOUTH, Getty Images, North Korea —, KCNA, REUTERS, Korean, Fighter, Korean People's Army, Reuters, Korea's Air Force, North, CSIS, Korea Economic Institute of America Locations: Korea, Ukraine, Moscow, Pyongyang, Russia, Asia, East Asia, North Korea, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, Yongsan, Seoul, Russian, South Korea

☆ Front-line NATO allies are facing an unconventional Russian threat short of war but still quite dangerous
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"There are hybrid threats. NATO has also cautioned against intensifying Russian hybrid warfare in the region and in the rest of Europe that could include "disinformation, sabotage, acts of violence, cyber and electronic interference, and other hybrid operations." The murky nature of hybrid warfare can make it hard to identify and address potential threats. Yet, the Baltic countries are prioritizing hybrid threats and fortifying their institutions in response. And last week, writing alongside his Polish and Czech colleagues, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed "deep concern" over Russian hybrid threats.

Persons: —, Denmark –, Margus Tsahkna, Maria Zakharova, Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Gitanas Nausėda, Yan Dobronosov, Dmitry Petrov, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Landsbergis, –, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Svetlov, Edgars Rinkēvičs Organizations: Service, West, NATO, EU, Business, Estonian, Russian Foreign Ministry, Getty, Kremlin, Lithuanian, Destabilization, 76th Guards Air Assault Division, Alliance Locations: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Ukraine, Denmark, Kyiv, Moscow, Baltics, Belarus, Soviet Union, Russian, crosshairs, Europe, Baltic, Finland, Narva, Tallinn, Vilnius, Poland, Pskov, Crimea, Tellingly, Czech, Latvian

☆ Putin signs deals with Vietnam in bid to shore up ties in Asia to offset Moscow’s growing isolation
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russia and Vietnam pledged on June 20, 2024 to deepen ties as President Vladimir Putin made a state visit aimed at bolstering his alliances to counter Moscow's growing isolation over the war in Ukraine. Putin and President To Lam agreed to further cooperate in education, science and technology, oil and gas exploration and clean energy. The two countries also agreed to work on a roadmap for a nuclear science and technology center in Vietnam. In Hanoi, Putin also met Vietnam’s most powerful politician, Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, according to the official Vietnam News Agency. Putin drove to Vietnam’s Presidential Palace on Thursday afternoon, where he was greeted by school children waving Russian and Vietnamese flags.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Lam, Gavriil Grigorov, Putin, ” Lam, “, Kim Jong, Nigel Gould, Davies, ”, Nguyen Khac Giang, Giang, Nguyen Phu Trong, Pham Minh Chinh, Putin’s, Ridzwan Rahmat, Janes, ” Rahmat, Prashanth, Wilson, Vladimir Lenin, Trong, Nhan Dan, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Gould, they’ve, he’s, Parameswaran Organizations: Sputnik, Hanoi Opera, Afp, Getty, North, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Singapore’s, Yusof, Institute, Communist Party General, Vietnam News Agency, Criminal, Kremlin, U.S, Embassy, Security, NATO, Asia, Communist Party’s, Vietnam’s Communist Party Locations: Russian, Hanoi, Russia, Vietnam, Ukraine, Moscow, Asia, Pacific, Eurasia, London, British, Belarus, China, North Korea, U.S, Hague, Korea, Singapore, Soviet Union, Soviet, trickier, Washington

☆ Russia adopts Chinese yuan-to-ruble as benchmark exchange rate after US sanctions force a further move away from the dollar
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewMoscow is adopting the Chinese yuan-to-ruble exchange rate as its benchmark currency pair after the US expanded sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, the country's central bank said on Thursday. The new US sanctions prompted the Moscow Exchange to end dollar and euro trading on Thursday, causing confusion — since the exchange rate is now opaque. Related storiesRussia's central bank appeared to seek to calm the market in a statement on Thursday. AdvertisementThe central bank added in its statement to Russia's RBC News that the yuan has become "the main currency" on the Moscow Exchange. It will "set the trajectory for other currency pairs" and be the guideline for market participants, the central bank said.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Russia — Organizations: Service, Russia, Business, TASS, RBC, Moscow Exchange Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Russia's

☆ Photos of released Ukrainian prisoners of war show emaciated bodies in ‘horrifying’ condition
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | Radina Gigova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

He was finally released on Friday, one of 75 Ukrainians exchanged for 75 Russian prisoners of war. The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of WarThe Ukrainian authorities released several photographs of Gorilyk on Wednesday to show the toll they say Russian captivity has taken on him. “The condition of Roman and other Ukrainian prisoners of war evokes horror and associations with the darkest pages of human history – Nazi concentration death camps,” the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, a Ukrainian government body, said in a statement posted on Telegram alongside the photos. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said the prisoners returned to Ukraine in a “horrifying” state. “There are no Geneva Conventions anymore… Russia again thinks it can avoid being held accountable for massive war crimes,” he said.

Persons: Gorilyk, Mykhailo Podolyak, ” Organizations: CNN, Headquarters, Russian Ministry of Defense Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Ukrainian, Geneva, Russian, Belarus

☆ 2 Yale researchers are pulling back the curtain on Russia's sanctions-stricken economy — and it's landed them on a list of Putin's enemies
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewJeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian, two researchers at the Yale School of Management, have been targeted for their views on Russia's economy since the war in Ukraine began. Soaring prices and ailing consumer sentiment have hit key sectors in Russia's economy, and Moscow is paying a huge cost to keep its war machine running. Steven Tian Courtesy of Steven TianAt that time, Tian and Sonnenfeld began noticing cracks forming in Russia's economy. "Putin has no grand strategy other than to hope Trump wins and cuts a favorable deal with Russia," Tian said. Positive forecasts on Russia's economy are based on a lack of visibility, Sonnenfeld and Tian say.

Persons: —, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Steven Tian, they've, Vladimir Putin's, Tian, Putin, he'd, Sonnenfeld, I've, Biden, Steven Organizations: Service, Yale School of Management, Business, Yale, IMF, Trump Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russia

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia launches tactical nuclear weapons drills, warning the West against direct involvement in the war
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Russia's latest non-strategic nuclear weapons drills are being watched closely by Ukraine and the West, coming at a time when Moscow is warning Kyiv's Western allies against any direct involvement in the war in Ukraine. Russian soldiers patrol a street on April 11, 2022, in Volnovakha in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine. Announcing the exercises earlier in May, Russia's Ministry of Defense directly linked the exercises to "provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials against the Russian Federation." Earlier this week, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on allies to get more directly involved in the war, such as by helping to intercept Russian missiles. The Kremlin accused Zelenskyy of "hysterics" and said Kyiv's request was due to "unfavorable conditions" for Ukraine on the battlefield.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: Russia's Ministry of Defense, Russian Federation, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Volnovakha, Donetsk People's Republic, Russian

Search resuls for: "Moscow is"

25 mentions found