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☆ Romanian police seize Andrew Tate's luxury cars and assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Romanian authorities descended on a compound near Bucharest on Saturday to tow away a fleet of luxury cars and other assets worth an estimated $3.9 million in the case investigating Andrew Tate, the divisive social media personality who is detained in the country on charges of human trafficking. Romania’s National Agency for the Administration of Unavailable Assets said in a statement that it removed a total of 15 luxury cars, 14 designer watches and cash in several currencies. About a half-dozen masked law enforcement officers and other officials descended on the compound Saturday to take away the goods. A man waits to load onto a flatbed truck a luxury vehicle which was seized in a case against Andrew Tate, on the outskirts of Bucharest, Romania on Saturday. A day later, Tate lost another appeal that challenged assets seized by prosecutors in the case so far.

☆ Russian soldiers used the phones of Bucha victims to call home, revealing the unit that killed dozens: NYT
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russians who occupied the Ukrainian town of Bucha in March used their victims' phones to call home. Reporters found that Russian soldiers often used their victims' phones to call home to Russia, frequently placing calls only hours after the phone's Ukrainian owner had been shot dead. Russia, which has rejected the allegations of war crimes, does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC. With the fighting ongoing, there are many open questions regarding accountability over the thousands of alleged war crimes in Ukraine. A Ukrainian court subsequently reduced the sentence for the soldier, Vadim Shishimarin, to 15 years.

☆ New Hampshire and New Jersey men accused of smuggling military equipment to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A New Hampshire and New Jersey man have been arrested and charged for their alleged roles in smuggling military equipment to Russia, according to a federal indictment unsealed on Tuesday. Attorneys for Brayman and Yermolenko did not immediately respond to requests for comment from NBC News. Brayman, a lawful permanent resident living in New Hampshire, allegedly shipped the contraband from his Merrimack residence, about 50 miles northwest of Boston, to Germany and Estonia before they were allegedly forwarded to Russia, according to the indictment. And under the alleged direction of Livshits, one of the Russian nationals, Brayman and Yermolenko allegedly “altered or destroyed shipping documents and other business records, as well as facilitated payments in furtherance of illicit transactions." Approximately a month later, the two allegedly discussed sending items to Russia through Germany “by hook or by crook.”And in August, Livshits allegedly asked Brayman to forge a signature on an invoice, according to the indictment.

☆ DOJ charges 7 with smuggling equipment to Russian military
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —The US Justice Department has charged five Russian nationals, one American and an Israeli who is a US permanent resident with allegedly conspiring to violate US sanctions by smuggling US-made equipment to the Russian military, according to a recently unsealed court documents. According to the 16-count indictment, the defendants were associated with two Moscow companies that worked with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) to purchase and smuggle sanctioned items – including semiconductors and other electronic equipment – from the US to the Russian military. Konoshchenok, who the Justice Department believes is an officer for the FSB, was allegedly one of their smugglers. The two US nationals, Brayman and Yermolenko, are scheduled to be arraigned in federal court Tuesday. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correctly reflect the nationalities of those charged by the DOJ.

☆ Two Americans and five Russians charged with running a smuggling network to obtain military technology and ammunition for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Christina Wilkie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Signage is seen at the United States Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C., August 29, 2020. WASHINGTON — Two American citizens and five Russian nationals were charged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday with operating a sophisticated international smuggling network that obtained sensitive U.S. military technology and ammunition on behalf of the Kremlin, the Department of Justice said. The network was allegedly set up in 2017 to evade U.S. sanctions and export controls in place at the time. Further sanctions were imposed on Russia by the Biden administration following its invasion of Ukraine in February. The two U.S. nationals, Alexey Brayman and Vadim Yermolenko, were taken into custody on Tuesday.

☆ U.S. Supports IOC Leader’s Aim to Include Russian Athletes in Paris 2024 Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Rachel Bachman | Louise Radnofsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Flag bearers Olga Fatkulina and Vadim Shipachyov of Team ROC carry their flag during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympics. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee backs the idea to include Russian and Belarusian athletes at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, as long as they don’t compete under their nations’ flags or in their colors, said Susanne Lyons , chair of the USOPC board of directors. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said last week that he wants Russian and Belarusian athletes to be able to participate at the Paris Games, even if the Russian war in Ukraine continues.

☆ The brother of the ex-US Marine jailed in Russia slams Donald Trump for exploiting his imprisonment to attack President Biden
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The brother of Paul Whelan, the ex-US Marine imprisoned in Russia, slammed Donald Trump. Trump criticized the Biden administration for the prisoner swap for Brittney Griner that didn't include Whelan. David Whelan said that Trump never mentioned his imprisoned brother during his presidency. Trump's former National Security Adviser, John Bolton, revealed on Friday that the Trump administration had the opportunity to swap Whelan for Bout in 2018 but chose not to. In his posts on Truth Social, Trump questioned why the Biden administration arranged the swap for Griner, who he said "openly hates our country," while not including Whelan.

WASHINGTON — Month after month, as American diplomats pushed for the release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan from Russian prisons, they received the same, infuriating answer: If you want both prisoners, we want Vadim Krasikov as part of the deal. Mr. Krasikov is an assassin who murdered a Chechen fighter in a park in Berlin in broad daylight in 2019, a brazen killing that the German authorities say was committed at the behest of Russia’s intelligence services. Convicted and sentenced to life in prison in Germany, Mr. Krasikov was not in U.S. custody to be traded to Russia. It was, the Americans thought, hardly a viable request for a swap that would include Ms. Griner, a W.N.B.A. star, and Mr. Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, who were being detained on what Biden administration officials considered trumped-up charges.

Persons: Griner, Paul Whelan, Vadim Krasikov, Krasikov, Whelan, Berlin, Vladimir V, Putin, Biden Organizations: U.S . Marine, Biden Locations: WASHINGTON, Chechen, Berlin, Germany, Russia, U.S, United States, Washington

☆ Biden chose humanity over geopolitics with Griner release
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But President Joe Biden’s decision to exchange WNBA star Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout goes beyond the exchange’s bottom line. And it prompted top Republicans to charge that he had prioritized a basketball superstar over an ex-marine who benefited from a vocal political pressure campaign on Biden. This adds another layer of complication for Biden as he seeks to get Whelan free, since it involves another government and would require German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to potentially agree to supersede his country’s own legal system. While Biden is being castigated by some political opponents in Washington for doing a bad deal, administration officials insisted that he got the best one on offer. It was a choice between bringing home one particular American, Brittney Griner, or bringing home none,” a senior administration official told reporters on Thursday.

Washington CNN —The Biden administration believes the Russian government will continue to engage on detainee issues, including freeing American Paul Whelan, following the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner because “they have things they want in this world,” a senior administration official told CNN. Moscow knows that ultimately the two sides will reach “a mutually acceptable arrangement if they keep talking to us,” the official continued. “It’s clear that the US government has no concessions that the Russian government will take for Paul Whelan. The official didn’t count out the US offering a Russian spy in US custody as a potential offer to Russia. “There is a willingness to pay even a very big price on the part of this President,” the official said.

The US was unable to deliver on the request for the ex-colonel, Vadim Krasikov, because he is serving out a life sentence for murder in Germany. The US made several other offers to the Russians, sources said, to try to get them to agree to include Whelan in the swap. The US also offered to trade Roman Seleznev, a convicted Russian cyber-criminal currently serving a 14-year sentence in the US, sources said. But Bélot said he could see Vinnik being part of prisoner swap negotiations in the future. “They [Vinnik and Whelan] make part of the possible ‘candidates’ for the next swap,” Bélot said in a text message to CNN.

☆ Viktor Bout: The Russian arms dealer swapped for Brittney Griner
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Eliza Mackintosh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Brittney Griner’s freedom ultimately hinged on the release of a convicted Russian arms dealer whose life story inspired a Hollywood film. On Thursday, a source told CNN that the US basketball star had been released from Russian detention in a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout, nicknamed the “Merchant of Death” by his accuser. Viktor Bout is pictured in a temporary cell ahead of a hearing at a court in Bangkok in August 2010. Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images“His early days are a mystery,” Douglas Farah, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center who co-authored a book on Bout, told CNN in 2010. He said that Bout graduated from the Military Institute on Foreign Languages, a well-known feeder school for Russian military intelligence.

☆ Moldovagaz to buy gas from Energocom as well as from Gazprom
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Gazprom PAO FollowMoldovagaz SA FollowCHISINAU, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Moldova's natural gas company Moldovagaz will start buying gas from domestic supplier Energocom while continuing to buy it from Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM), the head of Moldovagaz said late on Saturday. Gas supplies are an ongoing source of tension between Russia and Moldova, which lies between southern Ukraine and Romania. "Also, starting tomorrow, Moldovagaz will purchase natural gas from Energocom, according to daily nominations, in the amount of 3.5 million cubic meters." It was unclear where Energocom, Moldova's state energy firm, was purchasing the gas. In September, Energocom registered as a natural gas trader in Romania to smooth gas imports, according to the company's website.

☆ Russia's Gazprom won't reduce gas supplies to Moldova, but reserves right to
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Gazprom PAO FollowNov 28 (Reuters) - Russian state gas producer Gazprom (GAZP.MM) withdrew a threat to reduce gas supplies to Moldova from Monday but said it reserved the right to lower or halt flows in future if Moldova failed to make agreed payments. Last week, Gazprom accused Ukraine of withholding gas supplies which pass through the country on the way to Moldova - something Kyiv denied - and said it could start reducing those flows from Monday. In its latest statement, Gazprom said that Moldovan natural gas company Moldovagaz had paid for gas deliveries in November, adding that it had received payment for what it called gas destined for Moldovan customers but which remained in Ukraine. However, Gazprom accused Moldova of "regular violations" of payment obligations and added: "Gazprom reserves the right to lower or to fully suspend supplies in case of payment violation." Both figures include flows to Moldova.

☆ Russia backtracks on threat to cut gas supply to Moldova via Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Russian state gas producer Gazprom withdrew a threat to reduce gas supplies to Moldova from Monday but said it reserved the right to lower or halt flows in future if Moldova failed to make agreed payments. Last week, Gazprom accused Ukraine of withholding gas supplies which pass through the country on the way to Moldova — something Kyiv denied — and said it could start reducing those flows from Monday. In its latest statement, Gazprom said that Moldovan natural gas company Moldovagaz had paid for gas deliveries in November, adding that it had received payment for what it called gas destined for Moldovan customers but which remained in Ukraine. In a sign that flows were uninterrupted, Gazprom said separately on Monday that it will ship 42.2 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Monday, only slightly down from Sunday’s level of 42.6 mcm. Both figures include flows to Moldova.

☆ Russia's Gazprom lifts immediate threat of cut to Moldova's gas supply
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The logo of Moldovagaz energy company is on display at a gas filling station in Chisinau, Moldova October 28, 2021. Last week, Gazprom accused Ukraine of withholding gas supplies which pass through the country on the way to Moldova - something Kyiv denied - and said it could start reducing those flows from Monday. European gas prices rose last week on Gazprom's threat to cut flows to Moldova, as the supply route via Ukraine is the last functioning Russian gas corridor to Europe. Gas supplies are a constant source of tension between Russia and Moldova. Moldova and Ukraine last week accused Russia of using gas supplies as an instrument of blackmail, an accusation Moscow rejects.

☆ Lower valuations, regulatory crackdowns, and a push for DeFi: 5 VCs break down their crypto-market outlooks after FTX's swift downfall
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

FTX, the crypto exchange once worth $32 billion, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov 11. FTX, the crypto exchange reportedly worth $32 billion in February, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 11. A regulatory crackdown and the bull case for DeFiInsider asked five venture investors about their biggest takeaways from the fallout. "First, the crypto market is being de-leveraged, which paves the way for the next upturn. Risks of FTX's downfall could have been mitigated with a "hands on approach" by venture investors.

☆ Russian colonel involved in Putin's mobilization campaign found dead in office, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian colonel was found dead in his office on Thursday, according to multiple reports. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyA Russian colonel involved in President Vladimir Putin's mobilization campaign was found dead in his office, multiple reports say. The independent Russian media outlet Baza challenged the reports of suicide, reporting instead that Boyko was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. Boyko was responsible for working with Russian soldiers who were drafted under Putin's partial mobilization order in September, Baza reported. Last month, a military commissar for the eastern Primorysky region was found dead, with local authorities saying that his "heart stopped."

☆ The MMA Fighter Who Hopes Honesty Pays Off With a $1 Million Prize
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Jim Chairusmi | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/bellator-288-corey-anderson-vadim-nemkov-11668026541

☆ Ukraine says world must stop Russia getting missiles from Iran
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Stefaniia Bern | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities and cities since Oct. 10, using missiles and what Kyiv says are Iranian-made Shahed-136 attack drones. Tehran denies supplying Shahed-136 drones to Moscow and the Kremlin denies its forces have used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine. "Ukraine currently doesn’t have effective air defence systems against ballistic missiles. Iran will likely supply those (to Russia), unless the world finds a way to stop it," Ihnat said. Ukraine has been aided by the delivery of sophisticated air defence systems from allies including the first of four IRIS-T air defence systems from Germany.

☆ NATO navies are teaming up for the first time to practice using drones to hunt submarines and other undersea threats
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The exercise, Dynamic Messenger 22, was held in the waters off of Portugal's Troia Peninsula from September 23 to September 30. NATO Maritime CommandDynamic Messenger 22 involved 1,500 personnel from 16 NATO member-states operating more than 18 ships and 48 unmanned vehicles. NATO Maritime CommandMany NATO members see unmanned maritime assets as valuable additions to their fleets, and the role of those assets in alliance naval exercises has increased in recent years. A concerted effortA drone helicopter in use during NATO exercise Dynamic Messenger. NATO Maritime CommandREPMUS — short for "Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping using Maritime Uncrewed Systems" — supports NATO's Maritime Unmanned Systems Initiative, which was launched in October 2018 to promote the use of unmanned systems in the alliance's naval operations.

☆ Edge Computing Helps Feed Taco Bell’s Digital Business
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Kim S. Nash | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Taco Bell is making aggressive use of edge computing to support the many digital ways customers can place orders, the fast-food chain’s head of technology said. PREVIEW“We took [on] our most critical workloads in order processing and menu data,” Mr. Parizher said. General Electric Co. and Siemens AG , for example, are using edge computing to optimize factory machines in real time. The Wall Street Journal's Steven Rosenbush, left, talks with Vadim Parizher, Taco Bell's vice president of technology, at an online event Thursday. With edge-computing foundations in place, he said, Taco Bell can experiment with connected robotic equipment that can fry food, warm up tortillas or pour drinks.

After Ukrainian forces stage ambushes and cut off the key access route to the capital, Russian soldiers tell their relatives that the military strategy is failing. … That’s what we’re fucking going to do, it seems. “Frankly speaking, nobody understands why we have to fight this war," Sergey tells his girlfriend. Replay‘I’ll quit at once.’Frustrated by continuous setbacks and fearing for their lives, Russian soldiers say they are fed up with the military. As quickly as they came, the Russian soldiers in northern Kyiv withdrew, regrouped and pivoted east, where Russian-backed separatists have been waging war for over eight years.

☆ Baltic states and Poland close doors to Russian tourists
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Andrius Sytas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A general view of the bridge over Narva river at the border crossing point with Russia in Narva, Estonia September 18, 2022. Monday's entry ban is targeted at tourists and excludes Russian dissidents seeking refuge in the EU along with lorry drivers, refugees and permanent residents of EU countries as well as those visiting family members. The border guard told me I won't t be allowed to come here anymore," he told Reuters. "I will still be able to get to Estonia through other countries," he told Reuters shortly after crossing into Narva. Russia said it would retaliate against the curbs, but would not close itself off from the bloc.

☆ With close military encounters on opposite sides of the world, Russia is sending a message to the West
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-15 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia's military had close encounters with its US and European rivals in June. The incidents and exercises were messages about Russia's military capabilities, experts said. A Russian fighter jet flying past the Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen in the Black Sea on June 24. Russia's military drilled around Crimea throughout the end of June and early July, focusing on attacking the ships of "a notional enemy." Russian officials continue to call the HMS Defender incident a "provocation" and warn about future run-ins.

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