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☆ Putin ally suggests postponing March presidential election, or excluding rivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 7 (Reuters) - Ramzan Kadyrov, head of Russia's Chechnya region and close ally of President Vladimir Putin, proposed on Saturday that a presidential election due next March should either be postponed due to the war in Ukraine or limited to one candidate - Putin. However, Russia's failures in the war, which Moscow calls a "special military operation", have made events less predictable. "I propose now, while the 'special military operation' is under way, to unanimously decide that we will have one candidate in the elections - Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin," Kadyrov was quoted as saying. He has also ruptured relations with the West, which has imposed sweeping economic sanctions, armed Ukraine at huge cost, and expanded and reinforced the U.S.-led NATO alliance. Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Ros RussellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ramzan Kadyrov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Kadyrov, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Kevin Liffey, Ros Russell Organizations: Kremlin, NATO, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Chechnya, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Chechen, Grozny, U.S

☆ US expels two Russian embassy officials -State Dept
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The United States has expelled two Russian embassy officials after Russia earlier expelled two U.S. diplomats from the American embassy in Moscow, the U.S. State Department said on Friday. "In response to the Russian Federation's specious expulsion of two U.S. Embassy Moscow diplomats, the State Department reciprocated by declaring persona non grata two Russian Embassy officials operating in the United States," a State Department spokesman said. "The Department will not tolerate the Russian government's pattern of harassment of our diplomats," the spokesman said, adding that "unacceptable actions against our Embassy personnel in Moscow will have consequences." Russia said on Sept. 14 that it was expelling two U.S. diplomats whom it accused of working with a Russian national charged with collaborating with a foreign state. Relations between Moscow and Washington have plunged to their worst point in more than 60 years because of the war in Ukraine.

Persons: Washington, Simon Lewis, Ismail Shakil, Elaine Monaghan, Susan Heavey, Katharine Jackson, Sandra Maler Organizations: United, U.S . State Department, Embassy, State Department, Relations, Thomson Locations: United States, Russia, Moscow, U.S, Embassy Moscow, Russian, Washington, Ukraine, The U.S

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Russia has successfully carried out a test of a new generation of nuclear-powered cruise missile. State news agency RIA Novosti quoted Putin as saying the “last successful test of the Burevestnik, a global-range cruise missile with a nuclear installation, a nuclear propulsion system, has been conducted.”Putin was speaking at the Valdai Forum in Sochi. The program to develop the Burevestnik was announced by Putin in March 2018 as part of a broader initiative to develop a new generation of intercontinental and hypersonic missiles. Among them were the Kinzhal ballistic missile and the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle. “It is a low-flying stealth missile carrying a nuclear warhead, with almost unlimited range, unpredictable trajectory and ability to bypass interception boundaries,” Putin said then.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Novosti, Putin, ” Putin, Alexei Leonkov Organizations: CNN, Federal Assembly, Nuclear Threat Initiative, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles Locations: Russia, Sochi, U.S

☆ Russia plans to try to block VPN services in 2024 - senator
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Demand for VPN services soared after Russia restricted access to some Western social media after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Senator Artem Sheikin said an order from the Roskomnadzor watchdog would come into force on March 1 that would block VPNs. "From March 1, 2024, an order will come into force to block VPN services providing access to sites banned in Russia," Sheikin was quoted as saying by state news agency RIA. Sheikin said that it was particularly important to block access to Meta Platforms (META.O), which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. He stressed that this order also applies to those VPN services that give access, in particular, to Instagram, which is banned in Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Artem Sheikin, Sheikin, Bobby McFerrin, Guy Faulconbridge, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Private Networks, United, Roskomnadzor, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, United Russia, Russia, Ukraine, Instagram

☆ Russian court rejects Apple appeal against abuse of dominant market position - RIA
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An Apple logo hangs above the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City, July 21, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompaniesLaw Firms Apple Inc FollowOct 3 (Reuters) - A Russian court rejected Apple's (AAPL.O) appeal against the alleged abuse of its dominant market position in terms of in-app payments, for which it was fined 1.2 billion roubles ($12.1 million) in January, the RIA news agency reported on Tuesday. Russia's federal anti-monopoly service (FAS) fined Apple in January over what it said was the U.S. company's abuse of its dominant market position. In a statement, the regulator said it had previously found that Apple forced Russian developers to use Apple's payment services with the iOS App Store, in violation of Russia's competition rules. The FAS's decision entered legal force in May after it was approved by a Moscow court, RIA reported.

Persons: Mike Segar, Apple's, Apple, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, FAS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, federal, U.S, Russian, Moscow

☆ The message behind Putin’s Wagner meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In a televised meeting Friday, Putin met with Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and former Wagner commander Andrey Troshev, according to a partial transcript published by the Kremlin. But unpack the language, and Putin’s Friday meeting appeared to put a reassuring gloss on the Russian government’s attempt to bring the mercenary group to heel. “I would like to talk to you about issues of a social nature,” Putin told Troshev, without naming Wagner. Wagner has supported the Libyan National Army for several years, reportedly backing Haftar’s 2019-2020 military campaign against the Tripoli-based government. If Friday’s meeting is any guide, Yevkurov appears to be a point man for future Wagner activity while Troshev takes on a different brief: overseeing Wagner 2.0 for the war in Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, –, Wagner, group’s, Putin, Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Andrey Troshev, Troshev –, ‘, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin, “, ” Putin, Troshev, ”, Fatherland ’, ” –, Dmitry Peskov –, Yevkurov, Khalifa Haftar Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Fatherland, Prigozhin’s, “, RIA Novosti, Wagner, Central African, Libyan National Army, Rapid Support Forces Locations: Moscow, Russian, Russia’s Tver, Ukraine, Belarus, Africa, Mali, Central African Republic, Libya, Libyan, Benghazi, Tripoli

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with senior former commander of the Wagner mercenary group Andrei Troshev and Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov in Moscow, Russia, September 28, 2023. Putin was shown on state television meeting at the Kremlin with Andrei Troshev, a former Wagner commander known by his nom de guerre "Sedoi" - or "grey hair". Russia's Kommersant newspaper has reported that just days after the Wagner mutiny Putin had suggested that Troshev take over from Prigozhin. The Putin meeting in the Kremlin appears to indicate that what remains of Wagner will now be overseen by Troshev and Yevkurov. After Bakhmut's fall, Wagner units withdrew from Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Andrei Troshev, Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Mikhail Metzel, Putin, Troshev, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin's, WAGNER'S, Yevkurov, of, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Ukraine British, Kremlin, Deputy, Russia's Kommersant, Reuters, British, Russian Ministry of Defence, Islamic State, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, MOSCOW, Russian, Prigozhin, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, redeploy, Afghanistan, Chechnya, St Petersburg, of Russia, Palmyra, Syria

[1/4] Residents in vehicles attempt to leave the city of Stepanakert following a military operation conducted by Azerbaijani armed forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inhabited by ethnic Armenians, September 24, 2023. Whatever the history and the lack of independent reports on events inside the isolated territory, several international legal experts believe the mass flight fits the legal definition of a war crime. For Azerbaijan, however, retaking control of Nagorno-Karabakh helps to redress the traumas of 1988-94. "It would almost assuredly result in the forced displacement of Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the widespread commission of genocidal atrocities, reflecting those committed in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War of 2020 and subsequent hostilities," it said. "If the Armenians of Artsakh were to be displaced ... it would result in the genocidal destruction of a people, as the Artsakh Armenians would lose their distinct identity."

Persons: Vladimir, Hikmet Hajiyev, Ilham Aliyev, Priya Pillai, Melanie O'Brien, Pillai, O'Brien, Luis Moreno Ocampo, it's, Thomas de Waal, Anthony Deutsch, Stephanie van den Berg, Andrew Grey, David Lewis, Kevin Liffey Organizations: HAGUE, University of Minnesota, International Association of, Big, International Criminal Court, ICC, Lemkin Institute for Genocide, Thomson Locations: Stepanakert, Nagorno, Karabakh, Russian, Azerbaijan, Republic of Artsakh, Soviet Union, Armenia, Yerevan, Brussels, Baku, Peace, Artsakh, Nairobi

Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh region ride in a truck upon their arrival at the border village of Kornidzor, Armenia, September 27, 2023. Earlier, Ethnic Armenian authorities in Karabakh said they were dissolving the breakaway statelet they had defended against Azerbaijan for three decades. Many of those leaving have said they fear persecution and ethnic cleansing at the hands of Azerbaijan. Suleymanov, who issued a call on social media appealing to ethnic Armenians to stay and be part of a multi-ethnic Azerbaijan, said he understood why many civilians were frightened, but that those who chose to stay would benefit from planned rebuilding and infrastructure projects. HISTORIC MONUMENTSKarabakh Armenians will enjoy the same rights and protections as other citizens of Azerbaijan, he said.

Persons: Irakli, there's, Elin Suleymanov, Suleymanov, we're, Andrew Osborn, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Azerbaijan, Reuters, Baku, Thomson Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Kornidzor, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Britain, Baku, Nakhchivan, Iran, Turkey

CNN —A Russian court has rejected an appeal by jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny against a 19-year prison sentence on extremism charges, according to Russian state media RIA, in the latest crackdown on the outspoken Kremlin critic. Navalny was sentenced in August, after he was found guilty of creating an extremist community, financing extremist activities and numerous other crimes. Navalny appeared at the hearing on Tuesday via video link from a penal colony in the Vladimir region, east of Moscow. Supporters of Navalny claim his arrest and incarceration are a politically motivated attempt to stifle his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin. A joint investigation by CNN and the group Bellingcat linked the Russian Security Service to Navalny’s poisoning.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Navalny’s, ” Navalny, Daniel Kholodny, Novichok, Moscow’s Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Russia’s Ministry, Internal Affairs, YouTube, Russian Security Service Locations: Vladimir, Moscow, Russia, Germany, Soviet, Berlin, Siberian, Omsk, Ukraine

☆ Turkey's Erdogan to meet Azeri's Aliyev as thousands flee Karabakh
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/David Ghahramanyan Acquire Licensing RightsSept 25 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is to meet his ally Azeri President Ilham Aliyev on Monday, as thousands of ethnic Armenians began an exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan defeated the breakaway region's fighters last week. Erdogan will pay a one-day visit to Azerbaijan's autonomous Nakhchivan exclave - a strip of Azeri territory nestled between Armenia, Iran and Turkey - to discuss with Aliyev the situation in the Karabakh region, the Turkish president's office said. The Armenians of Karabakh, a territory internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but previously beyond its control, were forced into a ceasefire last week after a 24-hour military operation by the much-larger Azerbaijani military. Erdogan, who backed the Azeris with weaponry in the 2020 conflict, said last week he supported the aims of the Azerbaijan's latest military operation but played no part in it. The Karabakh Armenians are not accepting Azerbaijan's promise to guarantee their rights as the region is integrated.

Persons: David Ghahramanyan, Tayyip Erdogan, Ilham Aliyev, Erdogan, Aliyev, David Babayan, Samvel Shahramanyan, Lidia Kelly, Michael Perry Organizations: Residents, REUTERS, Karabakh, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Stepanakert, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan, Armenia, Iran, Turkey, Turkish, Khankendi, United States, Republic of Artsakh, Melbourne

☆ A video appearing to show a Russian Lancet drone striking a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter at its base suggests the small drones can now hit targets far further away
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A video appears to show a Russian Lancet drone striking a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter at an air base. It was launched from around 50 miles away, but Lancet drones previously only reached up to 25 miles. The development poses a new challenge for the Ukrainian air force, whose main air bases were previously out of reach for Russia's small attack drones. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia has ramped up its use of Lancet drones in Ukraine in recent months, using the cheap drones to try and strike high-value targets, Reuters reported. An image of what appears to be a Lancet drone in Ukraine, in a handout image on January 22, 2023.

Persons: Forbes Organizations: Service, Aero, RIA Novosti Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Kryvyi Rih

☆ Russia's Tula region under drone attack, RIA reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Sept 25 (Reuters) - Russia's air defence systems were engaged in repelling a drone attack over the Tula region that borders Moscow's region to its north, Russia's RIA news agency reported early Monday. Citing the ministry of regional security, the agency reported that according to preliminary information, there was no damage or injuries as a result of the attack. Two of Moscow's major airports, however, the Vnukovo and Domedovo, limited air traffic, directing flights to other airports, the TASS state news agency reported. Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lidia Kelly, Chizu Organizations: TASS, Thomson Locations: Tula, Moscow's, Melbourne

CNN —A Red Cross convoy of humanitarian aid entered Nagorno-Karabakh on Saturday, officials said, the first since a Russian-brokered ceasefire ended Azerbaijan’s offensive this week. The aid had been transported along the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, the ICRC said. The ICRC added that it carried out the medical evacuation of 17 people who were wounded during fighting and had delivered medical supplies and body bags as aid. ICRC vehicles transport humanitarian aid for residents of Nagorno-Karabakh towards the Armenia-Azerbaijan border on September 23. “They know they have been suffering as a result of the blockade over many months, shortages of food, medical supplies, basic gasoline and petrol,” he added.

Persons: Cross, “, Irkali Gedenidze, Gary Peters, Armenia Kristina Kvien, Robert Ghukasyan, “ I’ve, ” Peters, ” Organizations: CNN, International Committee, Twitter, ICRC, Reuters, RIA Novosti, US Congressional Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Russian, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Reuters Nagorno, Artsakh, Azerbaijan’s, Russia, Stepanakert, Armenia’s Syunik

In short, Russia’s children are being prepared for war. Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov said recently that there are now about 10,000 so-called “military-patriotic” clubs in Russian schools and colleges, and a quarter-of-a-million people take part in their work. There are mandatory classes on military-patriotic values; updated history books accentuate Russian military triumphs. President Putin has personally led the campaign to inject patriotism into Russia’s schools. That message - hammered home by the president and state media - is now being taken into Russia’s schools.

Persons: Sergei Kravtsov, Vladimir Putin, ’, ”, ” Putin, Ukraine “, Putin, “, Vyacheslav Gladkov, Uliana Shumelova, schooler, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Daria, Vladimir, Ukraine –, Buryatia, She’d, It’s Organizations: CNN, Education, Security, Defense, Education Ministry, Novosti, RIA Novosti, Russia, Kremlin, Educational, Ministry of Defense, Air Defense, United, ”, Northern Military District, Military Sports Games, Defense Ministry, Armed Forces Russian Federation Locations: Pacific, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Russia, Crimea, Ukrainian, stoke, Belgorod, Krasnodar, Vologda, Sakhalin, Russia’s Far, Yeysk, Azov, Astrakhan, United Russia, Vladivostok, Voronezh, Ussuriysk, Buryatia, Chita trumpeted, Orenburg, Polish, Perm, State

LONDON (AP) — More badly needed humanitarian aid was on its way to the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh via both Azerbaijan and Armenia on Saturday. Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian military in separatist fighting that ended in 1994. Armenian forces also took control of substantial territory around the Azerbaijani region. Political Cartoons View All 1176 ImagesUnder the agreement mediated by Russian peacekeeping forces, Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist authorities made sizable concessions: disbanding the region’s defense forces and withdrawing Armenia’s military contingent. Valeri Hayrapetyan from Haterk said that he and his neighbors scrambled to leave after Azerbaijani forces entered the village earlier that day.

Persons: —, ”, Elena Yeremyan, “, Valeri Hayrapetyan, Haterk, Romela Avanesyan, Jeyhun Bayramov, Ilham Aliyev, Ararat, Nikol Pashinyan, Russia’s, Aida Sultanova Organizations: Azerbaijan, Russian, RIA Novosti, “, Baku, International Committee, Russia's Defense, RIA, Russian Defense Ministry, Ararat Mirzoyan, . Security, Armenia’s, ___ Associated Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Baku, Russia, Azerbaijani, Yevlakh, Artsakh, Askeran, ”, Haterk, Caucasus, Aghdam, Stepanakert, Azerbaijan’s, Yerevan, Moscow, Armenia’s, ___

Ukraine breached Russia's defensive line on Wednesday and was able to deploy vehicles past it. It was a major achievement, but analysts said Russia would respond with a harsh counterattack. It was a major dent in the so-called "Surovikin Line", but there are more layers of defense to go. AdvertisementAdvertisement"This is the first major crack in their defense … of course, the Russians should be worried," he said. An official cited by the state-run RIA Novosti agency said that Ukraine had tried to breach Russia's lines but was forced to retreat.

Persons: Marina Miron, Franz, Stefan Gady, Gady, Michael Kofman, Kofman, — Johan Huovinen Organizations: Service, Ukrainian, Department of, King's College London, Street, Institute for International Strategic Studies, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Swedish Defense University, RIA Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Verbove, Zaporizhzhia

☆ The Nagorno-Karabakh crisis raises serious questions for Russia — and the West
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The contested mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but it has been under de-facto Armenian control since the early 1990s. It follows an abrupt 24-hour offensive by Azerbaijani forces on Tuesday that swiftly broke through ethnic Armenian lines, seized strategic positions and resulted in the surrender of separatist forces. Armenia, which has typically looked to Russia as a security guarantor, said Azerbaijan's military operation was an attempt to ethnically cleanse Nagorno-Karabakh, a charge Baku has denied. Armenian authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh accused Azerbaijan of violating a cease-fire agreement, with Reuters reporting gunfire could be heard in the region's capital on Thursday. Armenians attend a rally in Yerevan on September 21, 2023, following Azerbaijani military operations against Armenian separatist forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Persons: Karen Minasyan, Ilham Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Japaridze, Pashinyan, Karabakh, Kusa, Pashynian's Organizations: Government, Armenian, Afp, Getty, CNBC, Eurasia Group, Kremlin, Collective Security, Organization, NATO, Anadolu Agency, Ukrainian Institute, Russian Embassy Locations: Yerevan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Caucasus, South Caucasus, Russia, Baku, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, London

Karabakh Armenian authorities accused Azerbaijan of violating a ceasefire agreed on Wednesday after a lightning Azerbaijani offensive forced the separatists to agree to disarm. When asked about giving up weapons, Babayan said his people could not be left to die, so would security guarantees first. Talks took place on Thursday in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh between Azerbaijan and representatives of the Republic of Artsakh, as the Karabakh Armenians call themselves. He said the region's ethnic Armenians would enjoy full educational, cultural and religious rights. An aide to Aliyev said Baku had given Yerevan a new draft peace agreement, Russia's RIA news agency reported.

Persons: Pashinyan, GORIS, David Babayan, Samvel Shahramanyan, Babayan, Ilham Aliyev, Melkumyan, Stringer, Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Khankendi, Gayane Sargsyan, Felix Light, Guy Faulconbridge, Nailia Bagirova, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Azerbaijan reclaims, Protesters, Reuters, National Assembly of, REUTERS, Karabakh, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Azerbaijan, Karabakh, Armenia, Nagorno, Karabakh's, Azerbaijani, Yevlakh, Republic of Artsakh, Artsakh, Soviet Union, AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA, Caucasus, Baku, Yerevan, Russia, Moscow, Stepanakert, Goris

CNN —Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh accepted a ceasefire proposal made by Russian peacekeepers Wednesday, a day after Azerbaijan launched a military operation in the disputed territory. Azerbaijan on Tuesday began what it called an “anti-terrorist” campaign against separatist forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, which Karabakh officials said killed dozens and wounded hundreds more. Azerbaijan’s defense ministry said it had agreed to suspend its operation, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported. Taking this into consideration, the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh accept the proposal of the Russian peacekeeping contingent’s command regarding a ceasefire,” the Nagorno-Karabakh Presidential Office said, according to Armenpress. Russia’s defense ministry said it had evacuated around 2,000 civilians from Nagorno-Karabakh overnight Tuesday.

Persons: “, “ Regrettably, Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, ” Pashinyan, Baku’s, Siranush Sargsyan, Armen Grigoryan, Dmitry Peskov, ” Peskov, Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Ilham Aliyev Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Russian, RIA Novosti, Karabakh, Defense Army, Army, Office, Armenian Armed Forces, Armenia doesn’t, Criminal Court, Azerbaijan, Armenia’s Security, Armenian Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan’s, Armenia, Russian, Yevlakh, ”, Republic, Artsakh, Armenpress, Moscow, Russia, Karabkh, Baku, Yerevan

☆ The new T-14 tank Russia has been bragging about? We haven't seen it 'a single time,' Ukraine's military intel chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian media has reported that the new T-14 tank has seen combat in Ukraine. But Ukraine's military intel chief says Ukrainian forces haven't seen any T-14s in action. It's possible the T-14 has been used, but the war has tarnished the reputation of Russian tanks. "We haven't seen a single instance of this machine being used," Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukrainian defense intelligence, said in response to a question about the T-14 during a recent conference in Kyiv. Not only is the T-14 expensive, but Russian defense industry publications have reported development and manufacturing problems with it.

Persons: haven't, Kyrylo Budanov, Armatas, weren't, Sean Gallup, Abrams, Budanov, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, RIA, Michael Peck Organizations: intel, Service, RIA, Southern Military, Getty, Russia, British Defence Ministry, International Military Forum Army, REUTERS, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Kyiv, Moscow, AFP, India, Kharkiv, Soviet, Forbes

☆ Why Cubans are fighting for Russia in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Patrick Oppmann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Men like Miguel, who in July traveled to Russia and soon after was on the front lines of the war with Ukraine, his mother Cecilia told CNN. After her son responded to a post on Facebook looking for Cubans to work as cooks and construction workers in Russia, Cecilia said two women reached out to him via WhatsApp. But soon Miguel told his mother that he wanted to return home. Since the war began Cuban officials had increasingly echoed Russian propaganda that NATO aggression was to blame for its invasion of Ukraine. When apprised by CNN of the conflicting statements by Cuban officials, Cecilia responded with a question.

Persons: Cuba CNN —, Miguel, Cecilia, “, ” Cecilia, isn’t, ” Miguel, Mama, ’, ”, Pedro Roberto Camuza Jovas, ” Camuza, Russia Julio Garmendía Peña, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, fumed, Pedro Freyre Organizations: Cuba CNN, Russia, CNN, Cuba’s Foreign Ministry, Cuban State, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Cuban, NATO, RIA Novosti, Cuban Foreign Locations: Santa Clara, Cuba, Ukraine, Russia, WhatsApp, Varadero, Moscow, Cuban, Russian, Washington , DC, Havana, China, American

☆ Rifle, fur hat, drones: North Korea's Kim returns with gifts from Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves as he boards his train at a railway station in the town of Artyom outside Vladivostok in the Primorsky region, Russia, September 17, 2023. Following are some of the items he is bringing back to the "friendship" museum, where gifts received by the North's three generations of leaders are kept. GIFTS FROM RUSSIAAfter his summit with Russian President Putin, Kim received a Russian-made rifle "of the highest quality," according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Kim received a fur hat from Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Vladivostok, where he inspected Russian nuclear bombers, fighter jets equipped with hypersonic missiles and a warship. And Comrade Kim Jong Un liked it,” Matsegora said.

Persons: Kim Jong, Putin, Kim, Dmitry Peskov, Oleg Kozhemyako, Sergei Shoigu, Alexander Matsegora, It’s, Kim Jong Un, ” Matsegora, Yuri Gagarin, Kim Il Sung, Jimmy Carter, Francois Mitterrand, Michael Jordan, Madeleine Albright, Fidel Castro, Propaganda, Kim Dae, Kim Jong Il, Chung, yung, Jack Kim, Lidia Kelly, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Russian, North, TASS, Moscow, WHO, U.S, Hyundai, Hyundai Group, Thomson Locations: Artyom, Vladivostok, Primorsky, Russia, Russia's Primorsky Krai, Rights SEOUL, Russian, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Russia's, Khasan, North Korea, Paris, North, Cuban, South, North Korean, Seoul, Melbourne

CNN —North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received body armor and drones as parting gifts as he wrapped up a trip to Russia that has alarmed the West. North Korea is heavily sanctioned and is in need of everything from energy to food to military technology. As he left, the governor of the far eastern Russian region of Primorye gave him a bulletproof vest and a set of drones, Russian state media TASS reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, called his meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un "very substantive" on Wednesday. Vladimir Smirnov/Sputnik/APThe North Korean leader visited an aircraft manufacturing plant in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur in eastern Russia on Friday.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Kim Jong, Sergei Shoigu, Putin, “, ” Putin, Vladimir Smirnov, KCNA, Yuri, ” Organizations: CNN, North, Russian, TASS, Russia's, Russian Defence Ministry, Reuters, RIA Novosti, RIA, Putin, Aviation, Russian Defense, Pacific Fleet, Russian Navy, Military Locations: Russia, Korea, Ukraine, North Korea, Russian, Primorye, Artyom, Khasan, Russia’s Far, Komsomolsk, Reuters North Korean, KCNA, South Korea, Japan, Europe

☆ Kim Jong Un discusses stronger North Korea ties with Russia in a 'fresh heyday'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walks with Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, as he visits Vladivostok, Russia, September 16, 2023 released by the Korean Central News Agency on September 17, 2023. During his visit to Russia, Kim inspected Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships on Saturday, accompanied by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. South Korea and the U.S. said on Friday military cooperation between North Korea and Russia would violate U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang and that the allies would ensure there was a price to pay. Moscow is discussing joint military exercises with North Korea, Shoigu told Russian media. Earlier this month, North Korea launched its first operational "tactical nuclear attack submarine".

Persons: Kim Jong, Sergei Shoigu, Kim, Vladimir Putin, Kim's, KCNA, Shoigu, Lidia Kelly, Daniel Wallis, David Gregorio, William Mallard Organizations: Russia's, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Russian Defence, North Korean, DPRK, Democratic People's, Pyongyang, Fleet, Thomson Locations: Vladivostok, Russia, Rights SEOUL, Pyongyang, Russian, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Ukraine, United States, North Korea, South Korea, U.S, Soviet Union, Moscow, Melbourne

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