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REUTERS/Stringer/File PhotoSummary Fears of civil war rose in world's biggest nuclear powerMercenaries posed biggest threat to Putin in 23-year rule'Anyone with anything to lose was extremely tense' -sourceThe elite wonder: What's next for Russia? One fear was that Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner mercenary group, if he entered Moscow, would try to take over the economy, triggering yet another redistribution of ownership in Russia, the world's biggest supplier of natural resources. The source spoke on condition of anonymity due to the danger of speaking publicly in contemporary Russia. Russians started to withdraw significant amounts of roubles and seek foreign currency in 15 regions across Russia. But within the elite, there is now a fear that Putin will seek to assert his position and remove those he felt did not profess their loyalty with enough ardour.

Persons: Wagner, Stringer, Putin, What's, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner, Prigozhin's, Mikhail Gorbachev, Andrei Belousov, Dmitry Gusev, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Russia's, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Viktor Zolotov, Guy Faulconbridge, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Southern Military District, REUTERS, Reuters, Kremlin, KGB, Bolshevik, Air, Jets, General Staff, National Guard, Thomson Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, MOSCOW, Moscow, Russian, Soviet, Ukraine, Belgrade, Istanbul, Dubai, Sochi, Belarus, Belarusian, Zolotov

☆ Analysis: Belarus leader, long the supplicant, feted in Russia after mutiny role
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speak during a meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei residence in Sochi, Russia June 9, 2023. It was Lukashenko, according to his own narrative and Putin, who played a major role in ending a mutiny that threatened to destabilise the world's largest nuclear power. "Without Putin's support, the Lukashenko regime will not be able to survive," exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on Twitter. High-profile Russian state TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov said Lukashenko deserved to be made a Hero of Russia and Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, on Tuesday lavished praise on the Belarusian leader. Independent Belarusian media outlet Zerkalo (the Mirror), which monitored Belarusian state TV coverage of Lukashenko's role, cited presenter Yevgeny Pustovoi as saying that Minsk was becoming "the peacemaker of Slavic civilisation".

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Russia's Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Lukashenko, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, you'll, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Vladimir Solovyov, Russia, Dmitry Peskov, Yevgeny Pustovoi, Zerkalo, Andrew Osborn, Mike Collett, White, Alex Richardson Organizations: Belarusian, Sputnik, REUTERS LONDON, Twitter, Russia's, Duma, NATO, Independent, Thomson Locations: Sochi, Russia, Kremlin, defusing, Belarusian, Moscow, Soviet, Belarus, Independent Belarusian, Minsk

☆ Here’s a list of people Putin is suspected of having killed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Jeremy Wilson | Taylor Ardrey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Putin, a former lieutenant colonel of the KGB and ex-head of the FSB, has been suspected of assassinating critics. Here's a list of people who have been critical of Putin and the Russian president is suspected of assassinating:Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia BaburovaHuman-rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov represented Politkovskaya and other journalists who had been critical of Putin. Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesAnna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist who was critical of Putin. He was killed in 2004 in a drive-by shooting in an apparent contract killing, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Persons: Putin, Here's, —, Pavel Antov, Vyacheslav Kartukhin, Vladimir Putin, Ravil, MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV, Ravil Maganov, Lukoil, Dan Rapoport, Mikhail Lesin, Lesin, Boris Nemtsov, Alex Wong, Boris Nemtsov Boris Nemtsov, Boris Yeltsin, Putin —, Boris Berezovsky Boris Berezovsky, Berezovsky, Natalia Estemirova Natalia Estemirova, Stanislav Markelov, Anastasia Baburova, Alexander Litvinenko Alexander Litvinenko, Alexander Litvinenko, Litvinenko, Andrei Lugovoi, Dmitry Kovtun, Mr Patrushev, Anna Politkovskaya, Mark Wilson, Paul Klebnikov Paul Klebnikov, Sergei Yushenkov Sergei Yushenkov Organizations: Service, BBC, Regional, United Russia, of Oil Company, Kremlin, SPUTNIK, Getty Images, CNBC, Daily, Police, Russia, FBI, Berkshire, British, Politkovskaya, Russian Embassy, Forbes, Protect Journalists, Liberal, Justice Ministry Locations: Russian, Rayagada, India, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Washington ,, Florida, Washington, DC, Sochi, Britain, Chechnya, Politkovskaya, London, Liberal Russia

☆ The Africans fighting on Russia’s front line in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +18 min

In journeying to Russia, Tarimo was following the route of many young Africans, including future heads of state, since the 1960s. Tarimo also ended up treading the path of a handful of other Africans who took up arms for Wagner in Ukraine. The presidents of South Africa and Zambia are now among a group of African leaders seeking to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. In November last year, his family learned he too had died in Ukraine fighting for Wagner. He said that, like Tarimo, Nyirenda cast his desire to join Wagner as repayment for Soviet and Russian support of African anti-colonial movements.

Persons: Russian Wagner, Nemes, Wagner, ”, Tarimo, “ Nemes, Rehema Kigobe, – Tarimo, Aboya, Claire Amuhaya, Nemes Tarimo, Rehema, “, Vladimir Putin, Chadema, Alexander Shilkin, ” Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Kristian Malundama, Malundama, Tarimo’s, Prigozhin, Lemekani, Christian, didn’t, Will, Nyirenda, Ronald Kalifungwa, Zikonde, –, …, “ I’m, Christopher Kangwa, Tionge, ” Nyirenda, ” Kangwa, Fabrice Organizations: Moscow’s Pushkin Institute, Russian Technological University, Reuters, Friendship University, Soviet Union, National Congress, European Union, United Nations General Assembly, Wagner Group, Central African Republic, Officials, Dar es Salaam, Democratic, Tanzanian, Zambian, Instagram, Research Nuclear University, Baptist, YouTube, ” Reuters, Ivorian Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Dar es, Tanzania’s, Odradivka, Moscow, IT, Russia, Ukraine, Zambian, Ivory Coast, Soviet, Kenyan, Africa, United States, South Africa, Zambia, Mali, Libya, Central, Tanzania, kwa, Sochi, Tanzanian, Tarimo’s, Yaroslavl region’s, Rybinsk, Democratic Republic of Congo, Yaroslavl, Ukraine’s, Lusaka’s Northmead, China, Lemekani, Tver region’s, Tver’s, Russia’s, Mordovia, Yopougon, Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s, Cocody

☆ Putin says Ukrainian offensive has begun, but failed so far
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MOSCOW, June 9 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine had begun a major offensive against Russia's army but that Ukrainian forces had failed to achieve their objectives despite intense fighting over at least three days. "We can state for sure that this offensive has begun. This is evidenced by the use of strategic reserves of the Ukrainian army," Putin told Russian reporters in Sochi. Putin said fighting had been very intense over the past three days but that "the enemy did not have success" in any of the battles. Writing by Kevin Liffey and Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Toby Chopra and Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Kevin Liffey, Guy Faulconbridge, Toby Chopra Organizations: Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Russian, Sochi

[1/3] Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speak during a meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei residence in Sochi, Russia June 9, 2023. Putin announced in March he had agreed to deploy such weapons in Belarus, pointing to U.S deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in a host of European countries over many decades. It is still unclear where the Russian nuclear warheads - which will remain under Russian control - will be kept in Belarus. RANGEPutin, who is the ultimate decision maker on any nuclear launch, said Iskander mobile short-range ballistic missiles, which can deliver nuclear warheads, had already been handed over to Belarus. Putin has repeatedly raised the issue of U.S. B61 tactical nuclear warheads deployed at bases in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Turkey.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Putin, Moscow's, Vladimir Vladimirovich, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Su, Guy Faulconbridge, Kevin Liffey, Andrew Osborn, Frances Kerry Organizations: Belarusian, Sputnik, NATO, United, Sukhoi, B61, Cuban Missile Crisis, Thomson Locations: Sochi, Russia, Kremlin, Belarus, Europe, Putin MOSCOW, Soviet Union, Russian, Black, United States, Ukraine, Moscow, China, Washington, Minsk, Berlin, Stockholm, Soviet, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Nevada

☆ Ukraine reports 'heavy combat' after Putin says offensive has begun
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

"We can state for sure that this offensive has begun," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Sochi. "Ukrainian troops did not achieve their goals in any sector." Ukrainian military analyst Oleksander Musiyenko, interviewed on Ukrainian NV Radio, said Ukraine was making gains but dismissed Russian reports of a major counter-offensive in south-central Zaporizhzhia region. The counteroffensive is ultimately expected to involve thousands of Ukrainian troops trained and equipped by the West. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said only that battles were continuing for Velyka Novosilka and Russian troops were mounting "active defence" at Orikhiv.

Persons: Putin, Zelenskiy, Vladimir Putin, Voldymyr Zelenskiy, Oleksander Musiyenko, Musiyenko, Ben Barry, They've, Barry, Hanna Maliar, Velyka Novosilka, Prystan, Oksana, Ukraine Denise Brown, Mark Trevelyan, Olena Harmash, Ron Popeski, Peter Graff, Diane Craft, Angus MacSwan, Nick Macfie, Andrew Heavens, Philippa Fletcher, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Press, State Emergency Service of, Ukrainian NV, West, United, Kyiv, International Institute for Strategic Studies, U.S, Bradley, Deputy, Reuters, United Nations, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Zviahel, Zhytomyr region, State Emergency Service of Ukraine, Zhytomyr ., Russia, Ukrainian, KYIV, Moscow, Kyiv, U.S, Sochi, United States, Orikhiv, Crimea, Tokmak, Europe, Dnipro, Voronezh, Belgorod, Kursk

☆ Opinion: The impact of PGA Tour-LIV Golf deal goes far beyond sports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Aaron David Miller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Yet, these days, the sad truth is that Saudi Arabia has no need for sportswashing. And in December 2019, Saudi Arabia became president of the G-20, hosting a virtual summit because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The golf deal is a reminder that “money money money” is a formidable diplomatic political tool. A US brokered deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia would be a powerful counterpoint to China’s recently facilitated Iranian-Saudi détente. Of course, one can hardly be shocked to learn that where’s there’s money, golf and Saudi Arabia, there just might be a Trump angle as well.

Persons: Aaron David Miller, ” Miller, LIV Golf, Joe Biden’s, it’s, we’ve, you’re, Jamal Khashoggi, , Cristiano Ronaldo, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Blumenthal, Biden, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, It’s, LIV, can’t, Zelensky, Bashar al, Assad, Mahmoud Abbas, ”, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Trump, Eric Trump, Facebook George Orwell Organizations: Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Democratic, Republican, CNN, PGA, English Premier League soccer, One, LIV, PGA Tour, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, MBS, Arab, US National, Trump, Twitter, Facebook, Saudi Locations: East, Saudi, United States, Saudi Arabia, Washington, Berlin, Sochi, Davos, Connecticut, China, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Israeli, Israel, Iranian, Britain

☆ Putin congratulates 'dear friend' Erdogan as NATO's Turkey challenge looks set to stay
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the leaders that congratulated Erdogan on his win on Monday, calling him a "dear friend," according to the Kremlin. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia August 5, 2022. Putin, in his congratulatory message Monday, praised Erdogan's efforts to "conduct an independent foreign policy," according to his spokespeople. The outlook is mixed among political and economic analysts inside and outside of Turkey whether Erdogan is bad news for the future of NATO. "Putin clearly wants NATO to fragment, and Erdogan in charge increases the likelihood of NATO fragmenting," Harris said after the election's first round in mid-May.

☆ Ukraine's 'Iron General' is facing off against his 4th Russian war commander. Here's why the others lost their jobs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Russian general, however, does not appear to be living up to those expectations. Alexander DvornikovWhen Russia first launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late-February 2022, it relied on district commanders rather than overall commander of the war effort. Sergey SurovikinIn early October, Putin appointed Army Gen. Sergey Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon," to be the overall theater commander. "Putin likely viewed Surovikin as the last untarnished high-ranking commander in Ukraine he could appoint to overall theater command," the think tank said. As 2023 rolled around, and Russian forces continued to suffer heavy losses in eastern Ukraine, Putin seemingly gave in to Gerasimov's campaigning.

☆ Revealed: Vladimir Putin's secret Black Sea bunker
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | Anastasiia Carrier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

You would think that the architects who designed Vladimir Putin's palace thought of everything. They failed to hide plans showing two elaborate tunnels running beneath the palace complex — plans that any competent state-security apparatus would fight tooth-and-nail to keep secret. The underground complex beneath Putin's palace consists of two separate tunnels connected by an elevator that descends roughly 50 meters below the surface. Gelendzhik is the town closest to the palace complex, a five-hour drive from the resort city of Sochi. "With the war in Ukraine," Kimmage said, "there's speechmaking, there's propaganda, there's exaggeration — there's this performative aspect that plays to Russia's domestic politics.

☆ Can the UK afford to host Ukraine’s Eurovision? It can’t afford not to
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

watch nowThe U.K. will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on May 13. What is the Eurovision Song Contest? The U.K. is hosting the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, as the war remains ongoing in Ukraine, 2022's winners. For one, the competition can be a great advert for the host city — and country — which can endure well after the party is over. Electro-pop duo Tvorchi is representing Ukraine in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

☆ Avalanche captain Landeskog to miss entire 2023-24 season
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 9 (Reuters) - Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will have a cartilage transplant in his right knee this week and is expected to miss a second consecutive National Hockey League season (NHL), the team announced on Tuesday. The 30-year-old Swedish forward, who already sat out the entire 2022-23 regular season and playoffs after arthroscopic knee surgery last October, will undergo the latest procedure on Wednesday in Chicago. "It's a long time away from the game, but I'm confident in the player I am. I'm confident in the athlete that I am," Landeskog told reporters during a video call. Landeskog was selected by Colorado with the second overall pick of the 2011 NHL Draft and has recorded 571 points in 738 games.

☆ Moscow's 'special' forces: An inside look at how Russia's famed Spetsnaz really operate
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Mark Galeotti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +24 min

Russia's Spetsnaz forces are often depicted as a kind of Russian super troops. Osprey PublishingMost countries' special forces emphasize physical fitness, determination and aggression. Special people, for special tasksMembers of the Russian military's 16th Separate Special Purpose Brigade during an exercise in 2018. Even so, being better than most of the Soviet army's miserable and recalcitrant conscript forces did not make most of them truly special, special forces. The special operations commandMembers of Russian's 22nd Separate Guards Special Purpose Brigade during an exercise in November 2017.

☆ They Refused to Fight for Russia. The Law Did Not Treat Them Kindly.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Refusing an order to participate in combat carries a sentence of three to 10 years. That has not stopped Russian men from going to unusual lengths to avoid fighting. Hailed as a hero for various battlefield events, it took him six months to recover, at which point he decided to flee. Many criminal cases involve soldiers who refused orders to enter battle, leading to confrontations with their commanders, according to several lawyers who defend soldiers. “People realize that they are not ready — that their commanders are not ready, that they have to go in blind, not knowing where or why,” he said.

☆ Putin is still worried about COVID-19 and makes his staff quarantine for weeks, says an elite Russian security officer who defected
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Vladimir Putin has still been isolating himself and making staff quarantine, an ex-FSO officer says. The former FSO officer said Putin only allowed staff members to work in the same room as him after a two-week quarantine period, per the Dossier Center. "There is a pool of employees who have been cleared, who underwent this two-week quarantine," Karakulov said. He added that when he left, Putin's staff were already becoming confused by the president's insistence on keeping to old pandemic restrictions. "I have no idea why; he's probably just worried about his health," Karakulov also said.

☆ Putin built identical offices across Russia to conceal his location, a Russian intelligence officer who defected says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Vladimir Putin has replicas of his offices across Russia, a former intelligence officer said. The officer, who defected from Russia, shed light on Putin's paranoia and obsession with safety. Karakulov told the Dossier Center that offices in Putin's residences in St. Petersburg, Sochi, and Novo-Ogaryovo had been designed to look identical. Karakulov said that Putin sometimes further obscured his location by sending his motorcade to the airport despite remaining at home. While in actual fact, he would stay in Sochi," Karakulov said.

☆ Fact Check-Miscaptioned picture of Vladimir Putin with African leaders is not recent, dates back to 2019
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin posing alongside several African leaders was taken at the 2019 Russia-Africa summit in Sochi, not during the Russia-Africa parliamentary conference that took place in Moscow in March 2023. Focus.”The 2023 Russia-Africa parliamentary conference took place in Moscow on March 19 and 20 (here). A press release issued by the Russian Duma on March 20 says that parliamentary delegations of African countries, were present during the 2023 conference (duma.gov.ru/en/news/56536/). Reuters reporting on the 2019 summit is viewable (here). The photograph was taken at the 2019 Russia-Africa summit, not during the recent parliamentary conference in Moscow.

☆ A Russian trainspotter who became obsessed with taking photographs of Putin's 'ghost train' now lives in exile: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A trainspotter spent years tracking Putin's secret train, which he reportedly uses to get around. Mikhail Korotkov told The Washington Post that in 2021, he felt like he was being watched. Mikhail Korotkov, 31, spent years tracking, photographing, and blogging about Putin's armored train, which he reportedly uses to travel inconspicuously around the country. But the 31-year-old was also careful to not be too public about his hobby, telling the Post that he did not post all the pictures of Putin's train online. He now lives in Sri Lanka, but told The Post that he is "ready to move around the world."

☆ Terrifying video of Russian plane losing cabin pressure mid-flight shows how dangerous it's gotten to fly in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A video of the incident shows panicked passengers with oxygen masks on their faces. An expert told Insider that Western jets are deteriorating due to a lack of servicing and parts. Musician Andrey Saltanov, who was also on the flight and verified the video to Insider, said: "The plane turned out to be ancient. The main federal investigating authority in Russia told RIA Novosti that the flight was forced to land "due to depressurization of the aircraft cabin," adding that an investigation is ongoing. One expert told Insider that flying in Russia could become increasingly dangerous.

☆ Terrifying video shows a Russian plane losing cabin pressure mid-flight — showing how dangerous it's gotten to fly in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A video of the incident shows panicked passengers with oxygen masks on their faces. An expert told Insider that Western jets are deteriorating due to a lack of servicing and parts. The main federal investigating authority in Russia told RIA Novosti that the flight was forced to land "due to depressurization of the aircraft cabin," adding that an investigation is ongoing. One expert told Insider that flying in Russia could become increasingly dangerous. "Access to spare parts, which are sanctioned, is very limited," Denis Brailsford, the head of asset management at the UK's leading aviation consultancy group IBA, told Insider.

☆ The celebrities that are still defending Putin — and those that have turned their backs on him
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Another former showbiz pal, French actor Gérard Depardieu, has since criticized Putin for his "crazy excesses" and was critical of the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) greets French actor Gérard Depardieu (L) in Sochi, Russia, on January 5, 2013. Mikhail Klimentyev/RIA Novosti/Pool via ReutersIn 2013, Putin signed an executive order making Depardieu a Russian citizen. The actor wanted to become a Russian citizen to save taxes in France, The New York Times reported. In a letter to Russian state television at the time, he said: "I love your president, Vladimir Putin, very much and it's mutual," according to The Times.

☆ Leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan set for first meeting since October
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are set to meet for the first time since October at trilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Munich on Saturday, the U.S. State Department said. The U.S. State Department said Blinken would meet Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev at 1235 GMT. Armenia has sent Azerbaijan a draft proposal for a peace settlement, Pashinyan said this week. Azeri civilians identifying themselves as environmental activists have been facing off since Dec. 12 with Russian peacekeepers on the Lachin corridor. Saturday's meeting would be the two leaders' first face-to-face encounter since late October, when Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted talks in the Black Sea city of Sochi.

☆ Oksana Masters Had a Difficult Path to Athletic Triumph
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Emily Bobrow | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

“A lot of people have no idea that I was living in a car right before Sochi”—the 2014 Winter Games, when she took home a silver and a bronze for cross-country skiing. Her 17 medals are also for rowing, cycling and the biathlon. “People see me now, but they don’t see the hard parts that came before,” she says. That is why she decided to write her new memoir, “The Hard Parts,” out Feb. 21. It also covers her formative years in several abusive orphanages in Ukraine, where she was born with webbed fingers, one kidney and no weight-bearing bones below the knees.

☆ Several of Putin's homes have been connected to railway lines with secret stations built nearby for his armored train: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Putin's main residences have been connected to a secret railway line, Proekt reported. Putin has been regularly using an armored train to travel between his homes, according to reports. The engineer also claimed to have seen Putin's special train traveling on the route on at least one occasion, per Proekt. Trainspotters have previously reported sightings of what is believed to be Putin's secret train in motion, according to images shared on a Russian train travel message board. Details of the supposed secret railway line and stations follows a report by the Dossier Center, a group that tracks the activity of Kremlin associates, which said Putin has been using a special armored train to travel between his homes since 2021.

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