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☆ An old video of Vladimir Putin saying 'betrayal' is absolutely unforgivable has resurfaced after Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin's plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The clip resurfaced on X, formerly Twitter, after Yevgeny Prigozhin's plane crashed on Wednesday. The downing of Prigozhin's plane has fueled speculation that Putin was behind it. Russian media outlet RIA Novosti also released footage of what it claims is Prigozhin's plane spiraling out of the sky before hitting the ground. The circumstances of Prigozhin's plane crash have fueled speculation that Putin ordered his death. Wagner-affiliated social media channels have claimed unspecified air-defense systems in Russia took out Prigozhin's plane.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Putin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Ravil Maganov, Pavel Antov, Antov, Bill Burns Organizations: Service, TASS, Novosti, Russian, CIA Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Tver, Moscow, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, India, Aspen

☆ Latest North Korean missile sparks new debate over possible Russian role
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visit an exhibition of armed equipment on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on July 27, 2023. The Hwasong-18 has been tested twice, including on July 12 in what was the longest flight time ever for a North Korean missile test. Russia and North Korea have recently called for closer military ties but North Korea has denied having any "arms dealings" with Russia. The Hwasong-18 clearly takes some design inspiration from Russian missiles, in this case Topol-M and Yars, just as many other North Korean missiles do, the CNS researchers said. "There is nothing sudden or surprising about North Korea’s continued development of large solid propellant rocket motors," they said.

Persons: Kim Jong, Sergei Shoigu, Theodore Postol, Postol, Postol's, California's James Martin, misidentifying, Markus Schiller, Kim, Yoo Sang, Josh Smith, David Brunnstrom, Robert Birsel, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Russia's, North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Rights, Washington -, Strategic, International Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Korean, UN, California's James, California's James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, Reuters, CSIS, Thomson Locations: Rights SEOUL, Washington, Russia, North Korea, Russian, Korean, RUSSIAN, Europe, Japan, Soviet Union, United States, South Korea, Ukraine, Moscow, Pyongyang, Seoul

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

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

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

☆ Russia vows retaliation for Ukraine's 'terrorist attack' on Crimean Bridge
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Aug 12 (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry condemned on Saturday what it called Ukraine's "terrorist attack" on the Crimean Bridge, saying it put innocent civilians' lives at risk, and vowed retaliation. "There can be no justification for such barbaric actions and they will not go unanswered," ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. Earlier, Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian rocket attack on the 12-mile (19 km) bridge, which links Russian-annexed Crimea to Russia across the Kerch Strait. The ministry said Russian forces had also shot down a number of Ukrainian drones targeting the peninsula. Reporting by Gareth Jones; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Maria Zakharova, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Foreign, Russia's Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Crimea, Russia, Kerch

☆ Turkmenistan rebukes Russia over 'gas union' comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A 3D printed natural gas pipeline is placed in front of displayed Turkmenistan flag in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File PhotoASHGABAT, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Turkmenistan warned Russia on Saturday against trying to extend its influence over the Central Asia-China natural gas supply chain after Moscow said more countries could join its "gas union" with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan all pump gas to China via a pipeline crossing the three countries; the lion's share of gas comes from Turkmenistan as the two other countries have faced strong growth in domestic gas demand. Russia, trying to open up new Asian markets for its gas after Western sanctions, said last year it was forging a gas union with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that would streamline shipping and exporting gas to them and to third parties. Russia's foreign ministry said this week the gas union could be expanded as other countries were interested in joining it; it did not name any.

Persons: Dado, Marat Gurt, Olzhas, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Central, Gazprom, Thomson Locations: Turkmenistan, ASHGABAT, Russia, Central Asia, China, Moscow, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ashgabat

☆ China's embassy to Russia criticises treatment of citizens at border
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thomas Peter/Pool/File PhotoAug 5 (Reuters) - China's embassy in Russia criticised the treatment of five Chinese citizens who were refused entry into Russia, calling the treatment inconsistent with the overall friendly relations between the two countries. The five, attempting to drive into Russia from Kazakhstan late last month, were refused entry after four hours of examination and had their visas cancelled, the embassy said on its WeChat social media account on Friday. The embassy met with Russia's foreign ministry and border agencies, "clearly pointing out that the brutal and excessive law enforcement by Russia in this incident seriously damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens," the post said. The embassy cited statements by Russian officials that Russia welcomes and does not have discriminatory policies against Chinese citizens, as well as that the destination on their visa application of the five Chinese did not match their actual destination. Reporting by David Kirton in Shenzhen; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mikhail Mishustin, Thomas Peter /, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Putin, David Kirton, William Mallard Organizations: Russian, of, REUTERS, Russia, Saudi, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Moscow, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Kyiv, Shenzhen

☆ Russia says JPMorgan stops processing its grain payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Turkish-flagged bulker TQ Samsun, carrying grain under UN's Black Sea Grain Initiative, is pictured in the Black Sea, north of Bosphorus Strait, off Istanbul, Turkey July 17, 2023. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik/File PhotoUNITED NATIONS, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday that U.S. bank JPMorgan (JPM.N) had this week stopped processing payments for the Russian Agricultural Bank as Moscow demanded action, not promises, from Washington to help Russian grain and fertilizer reach global markets. Under a related pact - also brokered in July 2022 - U.N. officials agreed to help facilitate Russian food and fertilizer exports. As a workaround to that demand, JPMorgan had been processing some Russian grain export payments with reassurances from Washington. Russia may export at least 55 million tonnes of grain in the 2023/24 marketing season, slightly less than the estimated record-breaking 57 million tonnes in the 2022/23 season, Russia's Grain Union said last month.

Persons: Yoruk, Dmitry Peskov, Antony Blinken, Maria Zakharova, James O'Brien, O'Brien, Michelle Nichols, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, JPMorgan, Russian Agricultural Bank, SWIFT, European Union, United Nations, U.S . State Department, Russia's, Ministry, Thomson Locations: Samsun, Bosphorus, Istanbul, Turkey, Russia, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine

☆ Putin Warns That Ukraine Could Be Invaded and Occupied by Poland
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Friday that Poland wants to seize Western Ukraine. Russia has often deflected from its own invasion by claiming Poland has its own imperial ambitions. "Emboldened by the current circumstances, Poland has decided that the chance to absorb the remnants of Ukraine is to be taken now, or never," he wrote on Twitter. Speaking Friday, Putin — who launched the 2022 invasion with the hope of overthrowing Kyiv's government — claimed he would not "interfere" in internal Ukrainian affairs. But he accused Poland of also desiring parts of Belarus, a close Russian ally.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Kevin Rothrock, Dmitry Medvedev, Putin —, Kyiv's, — Organizations: Security Council, Service, Sputnik, Russia's Security, Twitter Locations: Western Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Crimea, —, Lithuania, Warsaw, Ukrainian, Lviv, Russian, Belarus

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Christian Edwards | Ed Upright | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

A view shows Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from the bank of Kakhovka Reservoir near the town of Nikopol after the Nova Kakhovka dam breach in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, on June 16, 2023. Zakharova responded by calling Ukraine “a terrorist regime.”“Now they have embarked on a plan for ‘their own salvation’ - systematic damage to the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The NATO summit should have focused on this very subject. After all, the vast majority of the Alliance members will find themselves in the direct hit zone,” she said. However, Zakharova’s claim that the “majority” of NATO members will find themselves in the hit zone is false.

Persons: Alina Smutko, Maria Zakharova, Zakharova, Hanna Maliar, Ukraine “, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Vladimir Putin, ” William Alberque, Zakhorova, Read Organizations: Reuters Russia's Foreign, NATO, Zaporizhzhia NPP, Alliance, Ukrainian, Technology, International Institute for Strategy Studies, CNN Locations: Kakhovka, Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Russia calls on NATO to discuss Ukraine nuclear plant at summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 9 (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday that the leaders of the U.S.-led transatlantic NATO defence alliance should discuss Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant at their summit this week. Accusing Ukraine of "systematic infliction of damage" to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Zakharova said that "the NATO summit's key attention should be devoted to it." "After all, the vast majority of the alliance members will be in the direct impact zone" (if something were to happen at the plant), Zakharova said on the Telegram messaging app. Vilnius is some 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) from the nuclear plant, Europe's largest. Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of planning to attack the plant, which is located on Russian-held territory in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, near the front line of Russia's conflict with Ukraine.

Persons: Maria Zakharova, Zakharova, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Lidia Kelly, Kim Coghill Organizations: Foreign, NATO, Ukraine, International Atomic Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: U.S, Vilnius, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Melbourne

☆ Russian, Turkish foreign ministers discuss Ukraine, grain deal in phone call
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MOSCOW, July 9 (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed the situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea grain deal in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Sunday, Russia's foreign ministry said. Moscow has been threatening to quit the deal allowing the safe export of grain and fertilizer from Ukrainian ports because several demands to dispatch its own grain and fertiliser have not been met. The deal expires on July 17. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that he was pressing Russia to extend the deal, brokered last year by Ankara and the United Nations, by at least three months. Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov, Hakan Fidan, Tayyip Erdogan, Alison Williams Organizations: Russia's, Turkish, United Nations, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Ankara

☆ Moscow attacked by drones, Russia says, forcing authorities to temporarily close international airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An apparent drone attack on Moscow led to flights being delayed at one of the city's international airports. The defense ministry said all the drones were disabled, and no injuries were reported. But in May, after a previous drone attack on Moscow, one expert told Insider it looked to be a case of the Ukrainian government giving Russia "a taste of its own medicine." Ukraine has acknowledged carrying out drone strikes against military targets in its own internationally recognized territory. Earlier this year, a Ukrainian military intelligence official said one of his government's drone strikes had targeted a Russia oil facility in occupied Crimea.

Persons: —, Sergei Sobyanin, Maria Zakharova, Russia's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Moscow, Vnukovo Airport, TASS, Kyiv Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Kubinka, Russia, Ukrainian, Crimea

☆ Russia's Lavrov says Moscow is in contact with U.S. about embassies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 28 (Reuters) - White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has been in touch with Moscow to discuss the respective Russian and U.S. embassies, and the two sides are in talks on the subject, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday. On Wednesday, in the text of an interview with Russian television published by Russia's foreign ministry, Lavrov hinted at some of these. Despite the deep freeze in relations, there have been some signs that contact is being maintained. Ambassador Lynne Tracy had spoken to Russian representatives and given "signals" that the United States was not involved in the weekend mutiny by Wagner mercenaries, and hoped that Russia's nuclear arsenal would be kept safe. Lavrov also quoted Tracy as saying the mutiny was Russia's internal affair.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Sergei Lavrov, Moscow's, Evan Gershkovich, Vladimir Putin, Lavrov, counterbalances, Brittney Griner, Viktor Bout, Lynne Tracy, Wagner, Tracy, Kevin Liffey, Alison Williams, Gareth Jones Organizations: White House, Wall Street, Thomson Locations: Moscow, U.S, Russia, Crimea, Ukraine, American, United States

☆ How Wagner's short-lived mutiny could shape the direction of Russia's war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Sergei Supinsky | Afp | Getty ImagesUkrainian forces can look to take advantage of the Wagner Group's short-lived armed rebellion, analysts said, with confusion among Russia's military leadership expected to considerably weaken their war effort. A weekend of mayhem has left observers of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine questioning what could happen next. Tony Brenton, former British ambassador to Russia, agreed that the Wagner mercenary group had been the most effective component of Russia's military in Ukraine to date. watch nowUltimately, Barranco said the recent turn of events is likely to provide Ukraine's military leadership with something of an opportunity after more than 16 months of fighting. Head of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin left the Southern Military District headquarters on June 24, 2023 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

Persons: Sergei Supinsky, Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, John Barranco, Wagner Barranco, Barranco, Tony Brenton, Brenton, CNBC's, Putin, Roman Romokhov, Oleksii Reznikov, Defense Lloyd Austin, Reznikov, Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Afp, Getty, Belarusian, . Marine Corps, Strategy, Security, CNBC, Southern Military, Southern Military District, Ukrainian Defense, U.S, Defense, Twitter, Wagner Group, Stringer, Anadolu Agency Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Kyiv, Ukraine, Moscow, British, Russia, Rostov, Belarus, Don, U.S, Bakhmut

☆ How mercenary revolt has gathered pace in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

- In a series of subsequent audio recordings posted on Telegram, Prigozhin says the "evil" of Russia's military leadership "must be stopped" and his Wagner mercenary force will lead a "march for justice" against the Russian military. SATURDAY- Prigozhin says his men have crossed the border from Ukraine into Russia and are ready to go "all the way" against the Russian military. - Wagner fighters have entered the southern Russian city of Rostov, Prigozhin says in an audio recording posted on Telegram. - Russian's Defence Ministry issues a statement appealing to Wagner fighters to abandon Prigozhin, saying they have been "deceived and dragged into a criminal adventure". - Russian military helicopters open fire on a convoy of rebel mercenaries already more than half way towards Moscow in a lightning advance after seizing Rostov overnight.

Persons: Wagner, Stringer, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Prigozhin, Sergei Surovikin, Reuters Wagner, Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Sergei Naryshkin, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Antony Blinken, Pavel Krasheninnikov, Gavin Jones, Giles Elgood, Helen Popper Our Organizations: REUTERS, Moscow, Russian's Defence Ministry, Reuters, TASS, Kremlin, European Union, Ministry, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia's, Voronezh, Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Rostov, Russia's Rostov, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Belarus

In the video, a Central African Republic rebel fighter says "the French want to drive Wagner out of Africa". Russia and Wagner have a track record of media manipulation and disinformation, which Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has admitted to. The European Union sanctioned Wagner in February for alleged rights abuses and spreading disinformation, including in Africa. The foreign ministry unit doesn’t promote or generate fake news, the two diplomats said. However, the foreign ministry unit, and the broader strategy, will face an uphill battle to convince people in Africa that France has changed, seven analysts and diplomats said.

Persons: Ibrahim Traore, Vincent Bado, Wagner, Catherine Colonna, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Maria Zakharova, Meta, Anne, Sophie Ave, Lakhta, Prigozhin, Viginum, Faustin, Archange Touadera, “, Michael Shurkin, I'm, Jean Gaspard Ntoutoume Ayi, John Irish, Elizabeth Pineau, Bate Felix, Michel Rose, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, Russia, Central, Facebook, Kremlin, Reuters, Quai D'Orsay, Vigilance, Protection, European Union, West, Central African, Twitter, Democratic, Internet Research Agency, Meta, Global, National Union, Gabonese, Thomson Locations: Burkina, French, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Russia, PARIS, DAKAR, Central African Republic, France, Russian, Africa, Paris, France's, Ukraine, Moscow, Central, West Africa, Quai, Kinshasa, Mali, Sahel, Europe, Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, U.S, Togo, Libreville, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Dakar

☆ UN chief calls for acceleration of Black Sea grain deal exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's President Vladimir Putin said last week that Russia was considering withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal. The Black Sea deal also allows for ammonia shipments, but none have happened. Restarting the pipeline was one of several Russian demands made in talks to extend the Black Sea grain deal. Last month it began stopping vessels traveling to Pivdennyi port under the Black Sea grain deal until the ammonia pipeline was restarted. Haq said the United Nations was "fully committed" to supporting the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the pact to facilitate Russia food and fertilizer exports.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, U.N, Farhan Haq, Guterres, Haq, Vladimir Putin, Michelle Nichols, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, United, Initiative, Black, TASS, Russian Federation, Thomson Locations: Russia, United Nations, Turkey, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Moscow, United

☆ Russian foreign ministry summons Canadian envoy over plane confiscation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA, June 15 (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it had summoned a Canadian diplomat in Moscow in protest over the confiscation of an Antonov plane in Toronto, and warned that Russian-Canadian relations were on the "verge of being severed." Canada on Saturday ordered the seizure of a Russian-registered Antonov-124 cargo plane at Toronto's airport, its first such asset seizure aimed at putting pressure on Moscow over the Ukraine invasion. Russia told Brian Ebel, the deputy head of Canada's embassy in Moscow, that it viewed the plane seizure as "cynical theft," according to a statement from the foreign ministry. A spokesperson for the Canadian foreign ministry acknowledged Moscow's concerns, and reiterated Ottawa's "unwavering" support for Ukrainians. Those who have enabled, supported and profited from Russia's war in Ukraine will be held accountable," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Persons: Brian Ebel, Trudeau, Ottawa's, Justin Trudeau, Ismail Shakil, Mark Potter, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: OTTAWA, Saturday, Canada, NATO, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Canadian, Moscow, Toronto, Canada, Russian, Toronto's, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Ottawa

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine reels from mass flooding and widespread devastation after major dam destruction
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A street in the city of Kherson flooded after the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam was damaged, on June 6, 2023. Russia again strongly denied attacking the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam that led to widespread destruction in southern Ukraine, as it came under scrutiny following the major incident. Ukraine and Russia traded accusations on Tuesday as a massive volume of water breached the dam in the partially Russian-occupied region of Kherson, causing widespread flooding downstream. Both sides denied involvement in attacking the dam, with both accusing each other of blowing it up. For example, they noted that Russian-occupied Crimea relies on water supplies from the reservoir and the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant also relies on supplies for cooling.

Organizations: Nova, Analysts, NBC News Locations: Kherson, Russia, Ukraine, Crimea, Russian

☆ Russia's claim that Ukraine could get nuclear-capable F-16s is baseless fearmongering, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Sinéad Baker | Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia made the bizarre claim that F-16s being given to Ukraine could be fitted with nuclear weapons. Ukraine has no nuclear weapons, and the F-16s it may get won't have that capacity anyway, he said. While F-16 jets can be made to carry nuclear weapons, Ukraine does not have any nuclear weapons in its arsenal. And none of Ukraine's allies who have given it weapons and military training since Russia's invasion in February 2022 have suggested they will give Ukraine nuclear weapons. Kristensen added: "There's no way at all that any nuclear state in the West would give nuclear weapons, or nuclear weapons capability, to Ukraine.

Persons: —, Sergei Lavrov, Ukraine's, John Kirby, Joe Biden, Kirby, Lavrov, Hans Kristensen, Kristensen, that's, It's, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev Organizations: Service, US, Reuters, Federation of American Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Belarus, Europe

☆ Russia says it sees 'no prospects' for further grain deal renewal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 5 (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry said on Monday that it saw no prospects for extending the Black Sea grain export deal, which is set to expire in mid-July, Russian news agencies reported. TASS news agency quoted the ministry as saying that it was continuing consultations with the United Nations, and that ship inspections had resumed. To help convince Russia to back the deal, a three-year pact was also struck last July in which the U.N. agreed to help Moscow carry out its food and fertiliser shipments. Russia has repeatedly threatened to quit the deal, complaining that obstacles still remain to its own exports of food and fertiliser. The agreement last came up for renewal on May 18 and Russia agreed at that point to extend it for 60 more days, to July 17.

Persons: Mark Trevelyan, Kevin Liffey Organizations: TASS, United Nations, RIA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Geneva, Turkey, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian, Pivdennyi

"The FSB has uncovered an intelligence action of the American special services using Apple mobile devices," the FSB said in a statement. The FSB said the plot showed "close cooperation" between Apple and the National Security Agency (NSA), the U.S. agency responsible for cryptographic and communications intelligence and security. The FSB provided no evidence that Apple cooperated with, or had any awareness of, the spying campaign. "The hidden data collection was carried out through software vulnerabilities in U.S.-made mobile phones," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said all officials in the presidential administration knew that gadgets such as iPhones were "absolutely transparent."

Persons: Russia Apple, NSA Kaspersky, Apple, Eugene Kaspersky, Igor Kuznetsov, Kaspersky, Dmitry Peskov, Guy Faulconbridge, Raphael Satter, James Pearson, Zeba Siddiqui, Mark Potter, Andrew Heavens, Matthew Lewis, Diane Craft Organizations: NSA, Apple, Federal Security Service, FSB, Apple Inc, Soviet, National Security Agency, Twitter, Reuters, NATO, Harvard University's, Federal Guards Service, Kremlin, Kommersant, San, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, MOSCOW, Soviet Union, U.S, Israel, Syria, China, States, United Kingdom, Australia, Washington, London, San Francisco

The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said that several thousand Apple phones had been infected, including those of domestic Russian subscribers. "The FSB has uncovered an intelligence action of the American special services using Apple mobile devices," the FSB said in a statement. 'SOFTWARE VULNERABILITIES'The FSB said the plot showed the close relationship between Apple and the NSA, the U.S. agency responsible for U.S. cryptographic and communications intelligence and security. "The hidden data collection was carried out through software vulnerabilities in U.S.-made mobile phones," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement. Officials in Russia, which Western spies says has constructed a very sophisticated domestic surveillance structure, have long questioned the security of U.S. technology.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sergei Kiriyenko, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones, Mark Potter Organizations: NSA, Apple, Russia Apple, Russia, Federal Security Service, . National Security Agency, FSB, Soviet, NATO, U.S, Harvard University's, Officials, Kremlin, KGB, Kommersant, Thomson Locations: Russia, Russian, Soviet Union, Israel, Syria, China, U.S, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Ukraine

☆ Russia says 500 Americans to be banned, list includes Obama
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 19 (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry on Friday said former President Barack Obama was among 500 U.S. citizens who would be banned in response to the latest round of sanctions announced by Washington. The ministry also said Russia had refused the latest U.S. request for consular access to detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March on suspicion of spying. This move was triggered by the U.S. refusal last month to give visas to media traveling with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the United Nations, it said in a statement. "Washington should have learned a long time ago that not a single hostile attack on Russia will go unpunished," it added. Earlier on Friday the United States announced punitive measures against more than 300 targets, aiming to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and intensifying one of the harshest sanctions efforts ever implemented.

☆ The CIA launched a Telegram channel to get Russians to spy for them, with one former spook saying now is 'probably the best period of recruiting Russians that we've had'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The CIA is attempting to recruit Russian spies with video posts on Telegram. As of Tuesday, the new CIA Telegram account had almost 5,000 followers. A screenshot from a CIA recruitment video aimed at Russians posted online on May 15, 2023. A screenshot from a CIA recruitment video aimed at Russians posted online on May 15, 2023. James Olson, a former counterintelligence chief, told CNN that this is "probably the best period of recruiting Russians that we've had."

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