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☆ Gordon Black: Trial of US soldier underway in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Sergey Gudkov | Alex Stambaugh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A US soldier arrested in Russia on suspicion of theft, Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, has appeared in court in the Russian city of Vladivostok, as his trial got underway on Monday. Black did not admit to charges of threatening to kill a Russian woman, but partially admitted guilt to theft charges, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. Black was arrested in May on charges of theft in Vladivostok, where he traveled to visit the woman, believed to be his girlfriend. The trial comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rages on.

Persons: Gordon Black, Black, Cynthia Smith, Evan Gershkovich, Marine Paul Whelan Organizations: CNN, RIA Novosti, US Defense Department, US State Department, Street, Marine, RIA Locations: Russia, Russian, Vladivostok, Korea, South Korea, Washington, Moscow, Ukraine, Pervomaisky

☆ Russia’s Putin to visit North Korea in rare trip as anti-West alignment deepens
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Following his visit to North Korea, Putin will travel to Hanoi Wednesday for another two-day trip, in a display of Communist-governed Vietnam’s ties to Russia that is likely to rankle the United States. Both countries have denied North Korean arms exports. The Kremlin has said that Russia hopes to build a partnership with North Korea “in all possible areas,” according to Russian state media. Putin’s move to bolster North Korean ties has also been a boon for Kim, who remains unbowed by years of international sanctions over his illegal nuclear weapons program. But Russia’s apparent increasing reliance on North Korea and rising frictions with the West appear to have shifted that dynamic.

Persons: CNN — Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Kim, ” Kim, Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin’s, Defense Lloyd Austin, “, ”, ” Putin, Kim Jong Il, Xi Jinping Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Putin, North Korean, Pyongyang –, North, North Korea “, Ukrainian, Kyiv, NATO, Ukraine, Defense, United Nations Security, UN Locations: North Korea, Russian, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Hanoi, Russia, United States, South Korea, Moscow, Korean, Russia’s, Italy, Kyiv, Beijing, China, Iran, South Africa, Brazil

☆ Russian Forces Quash Prison Mutiny Led by Terrorism Suspects, State Media Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Anatoly Kurmanaev | More About Anatoly Kurmanaev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russian special forces have quashed a short-lived mutiny at a provincial detention center on Sunday, killing detainees, some charged with terrorism, who had broken out of their cells earlier in the day, according to Russian state media. Six detainees who awaited court appearances at a pretrial detention center in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don had managed to take control of the facility, state media reported. A detainee is seen in the video holding a black flag associated with the Islamic State. Security agents had surrounded the detention center by Sunday morning. Soon after, Russian state media published a short statement from the country’s prison service saying that security agents had stormed the facility, “liquidated” the mutinied detainees and freed the hostages unharmed.

Persons: Don, “ Organizations: Islamic, Sunday, ” Locations: Rostov, Islamic State

☆ Russian forces ‘eliminate’ ISIS-linked detainees after hostage situation at detention center, state media report
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Darya Tarasova | Alex Stambaugh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Two employees of a pre-trial detention center in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don have been rescued after they were held hostage by six detainees in the facility for several hours on Sunday morning, according to Russian state media. Earlier, Russian state news agency TASS reported that some of the detainees involved were being held in pre-trial detention for cases of terrorist crimes and have links to the Islamic State, Russian state news agency TASS reported. In one video, one man wearing the pro-Islamic Jihad logo on his forehead says the group are Islamic State. The two employees, an operational officer and an inspector-supervisor, were taken Sunday morning by the group of detainees who demanded transport in exchange for the employees’ release, TASS reported citing law enforcement. The detainees were armed with a pocketknife, a rubber baton and a fire axe, Russian media reported citing law enforcement agencies.

Persons: Don, ”, Vladimir Osechkin Organizations: CNN, Federal Penitentiary Service, Russia, RIA Novosti, TASS, Islamic Locations: Russian, Rostov, Islamic State

☆ Russia's Putin sets out conditions for peace talks with Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during visit to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research on June 13, 2024 in Dubna, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday set out the requirements for Moscow to start peace talks with Ukraine, more than two years after the Kremlin's full-fledged invasion of its neighbor. He said that Moscow was committed to ensuring the "unhindered and safe withdrawal" of Ukrainian forces if Kyiv agrees to such a concession. If the peace proposal is refused, Putin added, Moscow's future demands will be different. He has also insisted that Ukraine regain the peninsula of Crimea, which Russia annexed illegally prior to the current war, in February 2014.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Organizations: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Foreign Ministry, NATO —, Google, Tass, CNBC, Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Locations: Dubna, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kyiv, ., Crimea

☆ Ukraine's big strike on Crimea shows how its older missiles can take out Russia's most advanced air defenses
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewUkraine's latest claimed strike on Crimea is likely another example of how its older, Western-supplied missiles can foil even Russia's most advanced air-defense systems. Rybar, an influential Russian military blogger, said on Monday that Ukraine had attacked Crimea with at least 12 ATACMS missiles. AdvertisementThe S-400 is Russia's most advanced air defense system. Ukraine said none of its missiles were downed in the attack, while mocking Russia's descriptions of its own air defenses. "None of our missiles fired were intercepted by the enemy's 'highly effective' air defense," Ukraine's General Staff said.

Persons: —, Rajan Menon, DIMITAR DILKOFF, Ian Williams, Fredrik Mertens, Maxim Shemetov, George Barros, Philip Karber Organizations: Service, Ukraine's, Staff, Business, Washington, for, Defense, Getty, US, UK Ministry of Defence, Russian Telegram, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Storm, Hague, Strategic Studies, REUTERS, Institute for Locations: Crimea, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, AFP, France, Ukrainian, Moscow, Russian Kerch

CNN —A group of Russian Navy ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, arrived in Cuba on Wednesday morning in a sign of strengthening ties between the two Cold War allies. The four Russian ships are now docked in berths usually occupied by cruise ships. The US has also deployed air assets, including a P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance plane, to circle overhead the Russian vessels. The rescue and tugboat Nicolay Chiker, part of the Russian naval detachment visiting Cuba, arrives at Havana's harbour, June 12, 2024. According to a Cuban Armed Forces Ministry statement, none of the Russian ships are armed with nuclear weapons.

Persons: Gorshkov –, Gorshkov, Adalberto Roque, Donald Cook, Joe Biden, Nicolay Chiker, ”, weathers Organizations: CNN, Russian Navy, Military, Kazan, Getty Images, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian MOD, US Navy, Coast Guard, US, Pentagon, State Department, Russian, Cuba’s Foreign, Cuban Armed Forces Ministry, Soviet Union, Cuban Missile Locations: Cuba, Russian, Havana, Spanish, Kazan, Florida, Russia, Ukraine, Havana's, AFP, Caribbean, Canada, Washington, Moscow

☆ Russia was scared to fly its Su-57 in combat, fearing a loss. Ukraine scored a hit on one anyway.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewRussia has tried to keep its very limited number of Su-57 fighter jets hidden from the war in Ukraine, fearing that a combat loss would be a blow to the aircraft's reputation, according to Western intelligence and aviation experts. AdvertisementThe aircraft first saw combat in Syria in 2018 and was delivered to the Russian military in 2020. Kremlin officials have claimed that the Su-57 has seen combat in Ukraine, although the evidence supporting the claims is extremely limited. A Russian Su-57 fighter jet makes a demonstration flight during the opening of the MAKS-2021 International Aviation and Space Salon in Zhukovsky outside Moscow on July 20, 2021. He said that the strike demonstrates that Ukraine has a "relatively mature low-cost long-range harassment capability" that it can use to strike military bases deep inside Russia.

Persons: —, HUR, milbloggers, Su, Sukhoi Su, Alexei Nikolsky, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Justin Bronk, Bronk Organizations: Service, Business, Ukrainian, Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defense, Institute for, NATO, Aviation, Space, AP, Kremlin, Southern Command, Kyiv, Saturday, Space Salon, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Zhukovsky, Moscow, Sputnik, Syria, Russian, Alexander Zemlianichenko Russian, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine says it hit latest-generation Russian fighter jet for first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Sukhoi Su-57 jet fighter at the MAKS-2019 Moscow International Airshow near Zhukovsky, southeast of Moscow. Ukrainian forces have for the first time hit a latest-generation Russian Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jet at an air base inside Russia, Kyiv's GUR defense intelligence agency said on Sunday, showing satellite pictures which it said confirmed the strike. In a Telegram post, the GUR did not specify how the Su-57 was hit or by which unit of the Ukrainian military. Russian blogger Fighterbomber said the jet fighter was struck by shrapnel and the damage was currently being assessed to see if the aircraft could be repaired. It is a heavy fighter jet capable of fulfilling a variety of battlefield roles.

Persons: Sukhoi Su, Kyiv's GUR, GUR, Fighterbomber, Alexander Kharchenko Organizations: Sukhoi, RIA Locations: Zhukovsky, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Ukraine

☆ A drunk Russian soldier killed 7 of his comrades when he threw a grenade into their barracks
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Russian soldier Dmitry Lobovikov killed seven soldiers with a grenade while drunk. He was found guilty of murder at a Russian court on Wednesday. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementA Russian soldier was sentenced to 23 years in prison after killing seven of his soldiers with a grenade, Russian state news agency TASS reported. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Dmitry Lobovikov, Lobovikov, — Organizations: Service, Moscow Times, Novaya Gazeta Europe, Business Locations: Belgorod

☆ Putin says it's 'obvious' that Trump's conviction is the result of 'an internal political struggle' in the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewFormer President Donald Trump's conviction in his Manhattan hush money criminal trial was due to his rivals' political machinations, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. "They are burning themselves from the inside, their state, their political system," he said. On the contrary, they believe that these decisions were made for political reasons," Putin said on Wednesday, referencing the surge in donations to Trump's campaign, per the state-run Russian news agency TASS. AdvertisementIn February, Putin told Russian state media that Biden was his preferred candidate because he's "more experienced, more predictable." He wants Biden because he's going to be given everything he wants, including Ukraine," Trump said at a rally in South Carolina in February.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Vladimir Putin, Trump, Putin, Stormy Daniels, Trump's, Putin's, Crooked Joe Biden —, Biden, he's, stridently, There's Organizations: Service, St ., Economic, Reuters, Business, Biden Locations: Manhattan, St, St . Petersburg, United States, America, Russian, Ukraine, South Carolina

☆ Kremlin warns Washington of 'fatal' miscalculation to let Kyiv use U.S.-supplied weapons inside Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

An employee of the Kharkiv prosecutor's office collects fragments of an aerial bomb for further analysis on April 30, 2024 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Monday warned the U.S. against the potential "fatal consequences" of allowing Kyiv to deploy U.S.-supplied weapons against targets inside Russia. He noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had repeatedly addressed the topic, giving "a very significant warning, and it must be taken seriously, with the utmost seriousness." Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the White House had approved a Ukrainian request to deploy U.S.-supplied weapons against targets in Russian territory, on the border near Ukrainian city Kharkiv. "I'm not sure that for today we have [the] possibility to use these jets on the territory of Russia, we will see.

Persons: Sergei Ryabkov, Ryabkov, Vladimir Putin, Antony Blinken, what's, we've, Blinken, you've, he's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Emmanuel Macron —, Radoslaw Sikorski, I'm, Zelenskyy Organizations: Google, White, Russian, Associated Press, The, NATO, Ukraine Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Ukrainian, Sweden, Germany, The U.S, Iran, Tehran

☆ With shake-up at defense ministry, ‘Putin’s chef’ gets his wish from beyond the grave
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Sebastian Shukla | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Berlin CNN —Removing a long-time defense minister from his post is nothing out of the ordinary. Arresting five of his senior staff, however, is clearly more than just a search for fresh blood — especially in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Analysts who spoke to CNN described the defense ministry as one of the most corrupt in the country. Putin was likely awaiting his reelection by the Russian people in March before making moving in on the defense ministry. The defense ministry is central to how that war ends.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, ”, Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Kazakov, Stanovaya, Andrey Belousov, – Shamarin, Ivanov Mikhail Komin, Vadim Shamarin, General Vadim Shamarin, Reuters Shamarin, Ria Novosti, Timur Ivanov, Ivanov, Alexey Navalny, —, Turar Kazangapov, Oleg Savelyev, ” Komin, Prigozhin’s, Gerasimov, ” Stanovaya, Komin, “ it’s Organizations: Berlin CNN, CNN, West ., Reuters, Sputnik, Kremlin, Getty, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Putin, European Council of Foreign Affairs, Main, Russian Armed Forces, “, Russian Defence Ministry . Russian Defence Ministry, Ria, Benz, Corruption Foundation, Russian, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Staff, Armed Forces Locations: Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Ukraine, Russia, Kharkiv, Donbas, Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Russian, AFP, Vienna, Courchevel, France, Astana, Kazakhstan

☆ Russian media cited fake rumors of a Mossad agent named 'Eli Copter' being involved in the helicopter crash that killed Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewAn online joke about Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi being killed in a helicopter crash by a Mossad agent named "Eli Copter" has fooled several media outlets — including Russian state TV host Vladimir Solovyov. Raisi, 63, died on Sunday in a helicopter crash alongside several senior officials in northwest Iran, with state media saying the vehicle struck a mountainside. An Israeli official said Tel Aviv was not involved in the crash, which Solovyov challenged. AF - The IDF Mourns The Loss Of Their Undercover Agent, Eli Copter pic.twitter.com/G0tok0TFyV — Associated Fress (@AssociatedFress) May 19, 2024Several people reporting about Raisi's death seemed to have missed the joke. Haik later quoted the Hamas message on i24, saying that the involvement of "Eli Copter" was a rumor that couldn't yet be confirmed.

Persons: —, Ebrahim Raisi, Eli Copter, Vladimir Solovyov, Solovyov, Daniel Haik, Eli Copter pic.twitter.com, Haik Organizations: Service, Business, Tel, Russia Media Monitor, IDF, Hamas, Telegram, i24 France, Kremlin, West, Washington, Observatory, MIT Media Lab, Center for Locations: Iran, Israel, Tel Aviv, Russia, Tehran, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ Russia's fearsome S-400 air-defense system isn't quite living up to the hype in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Russian S-400 surface-to-missile systems in the Victory Day parade in Moscow's Red Square on i in May 2023. Ukraine in September said it destroyed two Russian S-400 batteries in Crimea, a region annexed by Russia in 2014. Rajan Menon, the director of the Grand Strategy program at the US think tank Defense Priorities, described the S-400 as Russia's "top-of-the-line air defense system." A rocket launches from a S-400 missile system at the Ashuluk military base in Southern Russia in September 2020. A Patriot air defense system test-fired during a training in Chania, Greece, on November 8, 2017.

Persons: —, Fredrik Mertens, John Hoehn, it's, Hoehn, AP Mertens, Mertens, Ian Williams, Mattias Eken, Rajan Menon, Vitaly Nevar, Mick Ryan, you've, DIMITAR DILKOFF, Ryan, haven't, hasn't, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, might've, Eken, Anthony Sweeney, Army Menon Organizations: Service, Business, Hague, Strategic Studies, NATO, SA, International Institute for Strategic Studies, US Patriot, Reuters, RAND Corporation, Ukrainian Air Force, Forbes, Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, South Korea Defense Ministry, AP, Patriots, Storm, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Defense, REUTERS, Australian Army, Getty, Victory Day, Patriot, Army Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Moscow, Crimea, Screengrab, Soviet, US, Russia's, Ukraine's Luhansk, South Korea, Kaliningrad, Southern Russia, AFP, Chania, Greece, United States, West, NATO

☆ Russia Starts Tactical Nuclear Drills, in a Warning to Ukraine’s Allies
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russia sent a pointed reminder on Tuesday that it could use battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, releasing video of its forces beginning exercises to practice their use, two weeks after President Vladimir V. Putin ordered the provocative drills. Video released by the Russian Defense Ministry showed a caravan of military vehicles moving down a wooded road, as well as mobile Iskander missile systems — which can deliver conventional or nuclear explosives — getting into position to launch, with their warheads blurred out. The footage also showed a supersonic strategic bomber armed with missiles and an attack aircraft being prepared for takeoff. In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said the exercise, carried out near Ukraine, was aimed at preparing the force for the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons. The goal is to “unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials,” the ministry said.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, “, Emmanuel Macron, David Cameron, Britain’s Organizations: Russian Defense Ministry, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, France

This week, Xi is welcoming him to China for a two-day state visit — their fourth in-person meeting since Russia’s onslaught in Ukraine began. China has repeatedly defended its trade with Russia as part of normal bilateral relations. Russia has also become China’s main oil supplier, overtaking Saudi Arabia, according to official Chinese trade data. Governments warn against support for Russia’s war effortThe wartime surge in trade, and growing purchases of oil, have sparked criticism in the West that China was helping to fund Russia’s war. It mirrors Xi’s state visit to Russia in March 2023, which was the Chinese leader’s first overseas trip after starting a norm-shattering third term as president.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Xi, Putin, Antony Blinken, Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyen, Von der, ’, Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United, European Union, International Monetary Fund, —, EU, White, European Commission Locations: China, Hong Kong, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, United States, Saudi Arabia, India, West, Beijing, France, Chinese

☆ Genius or madness? Why Putin wants an economist to be Russia's new defense minister at a key point in the war
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

But Putin's replacement of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was unexpected — and his choice of successor, civilian economist Andrei Belousov, was even more of a surprise. Russia's incoming Defense Minister Andrey Belousov. "Belousov's main goal is to secure [Russia's] military needs in terms of arms. The Kremlin announced on Sunday that Shoigu, Russia's defense minister since 2012, had been relieved of his post and would become secretary of Russia's influential Security Council. Prigozhin died last August in a plane crash after a short-lived and ill-fated rebellion against Russia's military leadership.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Miguel Diaz, Maxim Shemetov, Sergei Shoigu, Andrei Belousov, Belousov, Putin, Andrey Belousov, Shoigu, Belousov's, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Uralvagonzavod, Ramil Sitdikov, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Tatiana Stanovaya, Stanovaya, Nikolai Patrushev, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Ukraine —, Prigozhin, Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Klimentyev Organizations: Cuban, Canel, Reuters, NATO, Institute for, Anadolu, Getty, Kremlin, Russian MoD, Defense Ministry, Sputnik, Afp, Staff, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, CNBC, Nazi, Security, Wagner Group, Russian Armed Forces, Russian Defence, Defence Ministry Board, National Defence Control Centre Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Washington, Kharkiv, Russian, Urals, Nizhny Tagil, Nazi Germany, Kremlin

☆ Putin replaces Russia's defense minister with civilian economist in unexpected move
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2024. Mikhail Klimentyev | Afp | Getty ImagesRussian President Vladimir Putin tapped a civilian economist as his surprise new defense minister on Sunday in an attempt to gird Russia for economic war by trying to better utilize the defense budget and harness greater innovation to win in Ukraine. More than two years into the conflict, which has cost both sides heavy casualties, Putin proposed Andrei Belousov, a 65-year-old former deputy prime minister who specializes in economics, to replace his long-term ally, Sergei Shoigu, 68, as defense minister. That, said Peskov, meant it was vital to ensure such spending aligned with and was better integrated into the country's overall economy, which was why Putin now wanted a civilian economist in the defense ministry job. Putin's move, though unexpected, preserves balance at the top of the complex system of personal loyalties that make up the current political system.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Andrei Belousov, Sergei Shoigu, Nikolai Patrushev, Patrushev, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Belousov, Alexander Baunov Organizations: Sputnik, Victory Day, Afp, Getty, Security, Putin, West, Defence, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center Locations: Russian, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet Union

☆ A Russian drone unit is recruiting members of the Kremlin elite so they can 'sidestep' military service on the front, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A military unit called "Bars Kaskad" is recruiting Russia's elite, the UK Ministry of Defence said. It likely allows recruits to "sidestep" usual service requirements "with guaranteed safety," said the MoD. AdvertisementA special Russian military unit is recruiting Russian elites, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The unit is primarily involved in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations far from the front lines in Ukraine, likely allowing Russian VIPs to "sidestep usual military service requirements with guaranteed safety," the MoD said. AdvertisementAlexei Blinovsky was pictured serving with Bars Kaskad on April 16, per the MoD.

Persons: —, SERGEI SUPINSKY, Ruslan Leviev, Russian, Yelena Blinovskaya, Alexei Blinovsky, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: UK Ministry of Defence, MoD, Service, Russian, Russian State Duma, Putin United Russia Party, Getty Images, Conflict Intelligence Team, Guardian Locations: Ukraine, Russian, AFP, Kaskad

☆ Sergei Shoigu: Putin replaces Russia’s defense minister with a civilian, citing rising military costs and need for innovation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Anna Chernova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin has replaced his defense minister Sergei Shoigu with a civilian, Andrey Belousov, citing the country’s rising military spending and the need for “innovation.”Shoigu had been “relieved” of his post of Minister of Defense by presidential decree and been appointed Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday night local time. Shoigu would also become Putin’s deputy in Russia’s Military-Industrial Commission, Peskov said, while Nikolai Patrushev, the previous Secretary of the Security Council, would “transfer to another job.”Belousov, who previously served as first deputy prime minister, is a civilian. “Today on the battlefield, the winner is the one who is more open to innovation,” Peskov said. Peskov added that the new appointment did not signal a shift in Russia’s current military system. In his new role, Shoigu will oversee Russia’s military industrial complex, Peskov said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Andrey Belousov, ” Shoigu, ”, Dmitry Peskov, Shoigu, Peskov, Nikolai Patrushev, ” Belousov, Putin, ” Peskov, It’s, Valery Gerasimov, Shoigu’s, Timur Ivanov, Ivanov, Ukraine –, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: CNN, Defense, Russia’s Security, Russia’s, Industrial Commission, Security, Russian Ministry of Defense, of Economic, Staff Locations: Ukraine, Russia

☆ Ukraine says it flew a drone 930 miles into Russian territory to strike an oil refinery
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewUkraine's latest aerial attack on Russian soil is its farthest one yet, Ukrainska Pravda reported, with officials saying a drone traveled 930 miles to strike an oil refinery far inside Russia's borders. AdvertisementThe strike, which has not been independently confirmed, would represent a distance record in Ukraine's ever-more ambitious series of drone strikes on Russian energy facilities. In early April, Ukraine demonstrated its drones' increasing reach after Russian officials reported strikes 620 miles inside their country. Related storiesReports claim that the White House has reached out to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to signal its concern that hitting Russia's oil production will destabilize global energy prices. The strikes have also led to a surge in the price of refined oil products within Russia itself, they argued.

Persons: —, Ukrainska, Radiy Khabirov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Michael Liebreich, Lauri Myllyvirta, Sam Winter, Levy, Carnegie, Sergey Vakulenko, Ann Marie Dailey Organizations: Service, Ukrainska Pravda, Ukraine's Security Service, Gazprom, Business, RIA Novosti, Russian, White, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Foreign Affairs, RAND Corporation Locations: Russian, Bashkortostan, Ukraine's, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Russia’s Victory Day parade masks simmering tensions inside Putin’s government and beyond
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over a pared-back Victory Day parade Thursday, showcasing his country’s unity and resolve to continue the war on Ukraine. But since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the massive military parade has been somewhat downsized. “The fate of the motherland, its future depends on each of us … We celebrate Victory Day in the context of the special military operation. All of Russia is with you!”But this year’s Victory Day is also happening against the background of a bribery scandal roiling Russia’s Ministry of Defense. Under Putin, Victory Day has assumed greater importance in national life.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Putin —, “, ”, Timur Ivanov, Mikhail Klimentyev, Alexander Nemenov, Ivanov, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu’s protégé, —, Alexey Navalny, Stanislav Krasilnikov, Maria Pevchikh, that’s Organizations: CNN, Nazi, “, Ministry of Defense, Defence, Sputnik, Getty, Financial, Corruption Foundation, AP, ACF, Prestige, — Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Nazi Germany, Russian, It’s, AFP, Mariupol, Putin’s Russia, Sochi, Moscow

☆ Britain summons Russian ambassador, targets Moscow-owned homes and charges five alleged spies
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Russia has faced waves of sanctions from the UK and other Western nations since launching its full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, though President Vladimir Putin has sought to downplay their significance. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron described the new measures as an “unequivocal message to the Russian state” that “their actions will not go unanswered.”“Since the illegal invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s attempts to undermine UK and European security have become increasingly brazen,” Cameron said. Moscow has in the past sought to sanction Western individuals in tit-for-tat moves, barring dozens of British figures from entering the country after a previous wave of measures from London last year. “In the coming days, we should expect accusations of Russophobia, conspiracy theories and hysteria from the Russian government,” Cleverly said as he detailed the measures in Parliament on Wednesday. “This is not new, and the British people and the British government will not fall for it and will not be taken for fools by Putin’s bots, trolls and lackeys.”

Persons: James, attaché, “, Seacox Heath, ”, Vladimir Putin, Putin, David Cameron, Russia’s, ” Cameron Organizations: London CNN, Moscow, Russian, Foreign Office, National Security, British, “ Locations: United Kingdom, Russian, Highgate, London, Sussex, England, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, British

☆ US soldier arrested in Russia to be detained for two months
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Caitlin Danaher | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —An American soldier arrested in Russia on suspicion of theft will be detained for two months, a Russian district court said Tuesday. A Russian Foreign Ministry representative told Russian state media TASS on Tuesday that the case is “not related to politics or espionage.”“As far as we understand, this is a purely domestic crime. The arrest comes at a time of huge tension between the US and Russia as the war with Ukraine continues. The soldier was stationed in South Korea when he took leave to travel to Russia on his own, according to another US official. “I am deeply concerned by reports that a US Army officer has been detained in Russia,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said Monday.

Persons: –, Gordon Black, Evan Gershkovich, Marine Paul Whelan, Michael McCaul, “ Putin, —, ” CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Oren Liebermann, Kylie Atwood Organizations: CNN, Russian Foreign Ministry, TASS, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US State Department, Street, Marine, US Army, ”, Foreign, State Department Locations: American, Russia, Russian, Pervomaisky, Vladivostok, Ukraine, South Korea, Cavazos, Texas

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