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☆ Trump said he will divide Russia from China. It's a tough bromance to break.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-07 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

President-elect Donald Trump claims he can split the alliance between Russia and China. "The one thing you never want to happen is you never want Russia and China uniting," Trump said. These are potentially all things that Trump could use to drive a wedge between Russia and China." The Trump effectAnother factor likely to draw Russia and China closer together is Trump himself. In East Asia, Trump has accused allies of freeloading off the US, a source of tension Beijing will likely seek to exploit.

Persons: Donald Trump, —, Tucker Carlson, Trump, Biden, Vladimir Putin of, Xi, China's, Putin, Stefan Wolff, Carlson, Wolff, Paul Cormarie, Jonathan Ward, Vladimir Putin, they'd, Robert Dover, Zhiqun Zhu, Cormarie Organizations: Service, Trump, University of Birmingham, Pentagon, Trade, Anadolu, Getty, Central, RAND Corporation, BI, Hudson Institute, Kremlin Press, Anadolu Agency, International Security, Hull University, NATO, Bucknell University Locations: Russia, China, Ukraine, Glendale , Arizona, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Moscow, Beijing, Taiwan, Russian, Bering, European, East Asia

☆ Russia's top brass look for U.S. reset as Putin keeps quiet — for now
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-06 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Trump (L) and Russia's Vladimir Putin arrive to attend a joint press conference after a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, on July 16, 2018. The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin has no immediate plans to congratulate Donald Trump, who emerged as president-elect in the U.S. on Wednesday — but senior Russian officials pointed to the win for the Republican as a change for a "reset" in relations. "I am not aware of the president's plans to congratulate Trump on his election," Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday, according to Google-translated comments from state news agency Interfax. President Putin has repeatedly said that he is open to constructive dialogue based on justice, equality and a willingness to take each other's concerns into account. And President Putin maintains this attitude," Peskov said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Russia's Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Putin, Trump, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Putin Organizations: Kremlin, Republican, Google, Electoral, White, NBC News Locations: Helsinki, U.S, Russian, Russia, United States

☆ Russia says it has no intention of abandoning Iran as it faces Israel's wrath
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-23 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Alexander Shcherbak | Afp | Getty ImagesThe Kremlin said it has no intention of abandoning Iran as it faces a widely-expected direct attack from Israel. He did not directly answer whether Iran had asked Russia for support against Israel. Peskov told CNBC that Russia "maintains a dialogue with all parties involved in the conflict in the Middle East." Russia and Iran's 'strategic' dealTo see just how Russia could look to support Iran, all eyes are now on the BRICS summit that's taking place in Kazan, southwestern Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (L) during their meeting, October 11, 2024, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Masoud Pezeshkian, Magtymguly, Alexander Shcherbak, Dmitry Peskov, Sergei Ilnitsky, Peskov, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Ozcelik Organizations: Sputnik, Afp, Getty, Ukraine, CNBC, Kremlin, Google, Israel, Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS, Reuters, United, United Arab Emirates, Iran's, National Security Council, Middle, International Security, Royal United Services Institute, U.S, Global, UN Security Council Locations: Russian, Ashgabat, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Republic, Russia, Tehran, Moscow, Reuters Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab, Ukraine, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Brazil, India, China, South Africa, what's, Turkmenistan

☆ Kremlin denies Olympics disinformation campaign, calls Microsoft allegation slanderous
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends the 8th Russian-Chinese EXPO and the 4th Russian-Chinese Forum on Interregional Cooperation in Harbin, China, May 17, 2024. Sergei Bobylyov | Via ReutersThe Kremlin denied an allegation that it is waging a disinformation campaign against France, its president and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, or MTAC, said Sunday that "Russia is ramping up malign disinformation campaigns against France, French President Emmanuel Macron, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and this summer's Olympic Games in Paris." On Tuesday, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov characterized the MTAC's accusations against Russia as slander, news agency RIA Novosti reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Ukraine's losses are eight times higher than those of Russia during an interview with Chinese media.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Sergei Bobylyov, Emmanuel Macron, Peskov, Macron, Vladimir Putin, Ludovic Marin Organizations: Interregional Cooperation, Reuters, Kremlin, France, Microsoft, International Olympic Committee, IOC, RIA Novosti, Olympic Games, Russian, NATO, Afp, Getty Locations: Russian, Harbin, China, Paris, Russia, France, Ukraine, Belarusian

☆ 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

☆ Russia knew of Moscow terrorist attack plot weeks ago, Ukraine's military spy chief says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Law enforcement officers stand guard near the Crocus City Hall concert venue following a reported shooting incident, near Moscow, Russia. Chief of the Military Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, attends the Kyiv Stratcom Forum 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 27, 2024. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesThe Islamic State (IS) militant group claimed it was behind the Moscow attack last Friday in which 143 died. Global Images Ukraine | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesBudanov claimed Russia knew where the combat groups would come from, and which countries the attackers would travel through to reach Russia. The damaged Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow, Russia, following an attack by gunmen.

Persons: Maksim Blinov, Budanov, Ukrinform, Kyrylo Budanov, Putin, Dmytro Kotsiubailo, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Bortnikov, Nikolai Patrushev —, —, Patrushev, Maria Zakharova, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Vyacheslav Oseledko Organizations: Crocus City Hall, Sputnik, AP Russia, Hall, Russian Federation, Kyiv Stratcom, Military Intelligence, Nurphoto, Islamic, Kremlin, Directorate of Intelligence, Getty, Russia, concertgoers, Russia's Federal Security Service, Russian Ministry of Emergencies, Anadolu, Security, RIA Novosti, Russian Foreign, U.S, CNBC, Economic, Afp Locations: Crocus, Moscow, Russia, Syria, Ukraine, Kyiv, U.S, Russian, Bishkek

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia says U.S. defended Kyiv too quickly after terror attack; Ukraine reshuffles security chiefs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"As for whether it is possible to say 'one way or another': you can say it any way you want. But (...) while the investigation is underway, the official authorities cannot afford to do any statements on this matter," Peskov told reporters, news agency Interfax reported. "Although I recommend that you very carefully reread President Putin's statements that he made over the last two days. Russia has presented no evidence that there was any involvement by Ukraine and Kyiv itself vehemently denies any role in the deadly attack on concertgoers. Eight suspects, nationals of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, have been remanded in custody and charged with terrorism offenses ahead of trial.

Persons: Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Putin, — Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Getty, Kremlin, concertgoers Locations: Zaryadye, Basil's, Moscow, AFP, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

☆ I was in Moscow the day Putin invaded Ukraine, and some Russians were in tears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Russian police officers detain a woman during an unsanctioned protest rally against the military invasion on Ukraine, March,6, 2022, in Central Moscow, Russia. These quickly ceased when they saw Russian colleagues in tears, whose life savings had halved overnight. Russian friends began referring to Tbilisi as the "new Constantinople," referencing the city where anti-Bolshevik Russians fleeing the Communist revolution had taken refuge a century before. Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets French President Emmanuel Macron (R) on February 07, 2022 in Moscow, Russia. I stood at the glass window silently as the Russian border guard inspected my passport and now useless work permit.

Persons: —, Cameron Manley, Russia's, didn't, Vladimir Putin, Putin idi nakhui, Putin, Mir, Pushkin, Konstantin Zavrazhin, Alexey Malgavko, Stringer, Zelenskyy, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Karen Minasyan, pragmatically, gossiped, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: Service, Business, REUTERS, National Guard, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Armed Forces of, Facebook, Bolshevik, Communist, Kremlin Press, AP, Saint Locations: Edinburgh, Scotland, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia's, Europe, Russia, Central Moscow, Russian, Omsk, Kyiv, Armed Forces of Ukraine, seeping, Belarus, Yerevan, Armenia, AFP, Istanbul, Dubai, Tbilisi, Constantinople, St Petersburg, Helsinki, West, Switzerland, Saint Petersburg, Finland

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Biden calls Putin a 'crazy SOB'; Kremlin says Biden is trying to look like a 'cowboy from Hollywood'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov at the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting at the Congress Hall in Bishkek on Dec. 9, 2022. The Kremlin has reacted to President Joe Biden calling his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, a "crazy SOB," saying that Biden had humiliated himself, and the United States, in making the off-the-cuff remarks. "Probably there is an attempt to look like some cowboy from Hollywood, but frankly I don't think it's possible," he said. "This is the last existential threat. We have a crazy SOB like that guy Putin and others and we always have to worry about nuclear conflict, but the existential threat to humanity is climate," Biden said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Joe Biden, Biden, Putin, Dmitri Peskov, Peskov, I'd, — Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Economic, Reuters, Biden Locations: Bishkek, United States, Hollywood, San Francisco, Russia, Russian, America

☆ Russian war critic Boris Nadezhdin barred from running in presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Boris Nadezhdin, a representative of Civil Initiative political party who plans to run for Russian president in the March 2024 election, visits an office of the Central Election Commission in Moscow, Russia February 8, 2024. Russia's electoral authorities have barred war critic Boris Nadezhdin from running in the presidential election next month, saying that he had submitted too many defective signatures in support of his bid. CEC Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova said Thursday that "the decision has been made," Russian state-owned news agency Tass reported. Nadezhdin." The decision to bar his candidacy will come as no surprise to close watchers of Russian politics and Kremlin critics.

Persons: Boris Nadezhdin, Nadezhdin, Ella Pamfilova, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Peskov Organizations: Civil Initiative, Commission, Russia's, CEC, Kremlin, Reuters, CNBC Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russian

☆ Russian war critic poses an awkward challenge for Putin and the Kremlin as the election nears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The Kremlin has sought to dismiss Nadezhdin's potential to upset an election whose win for Putin is seen as a done deal. Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told CNBC Thursday that "we are not inclined to exaggerate the level of support for Mr. However, Nadezhdin's recent growing popularity and prominence has changed that, political analysts say, and he now poses a challenge and a dilemma for the Kremlin as the election nears. Nadezhdin has said in interviews that he would end the war with Ukraine, describing the war as a "fatal mistake." Stanovaya believed it was likely that the CEC would not recognize a portion of the signatures that Nadezhdin has garnered.

Persons: Boris Nadezhdin, Vera Savina, Vladimir Putin's, Nadezhdin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, isn't, Putin's, Tatiana Stanovaya, he's, Stanovaya, András, Czifra, Peskov Organizations: Civic Initiative, Central, Commission, Afp, Getty, Kremlin, CNBC, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Duma, Ukraine, Moscow, Election Commission, CEC, Eurasia, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Boris Nadezhdin Press, Central Electoral, Putin, Kremlin's Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Mar, today's Russia, Anadolu

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia slams Finland's border closure, warns that tensions could arise if troops are deployed
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - OCTOBER 30: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY MANDATORY CREDIT - " KREMLIN PRESS OFFICE / HANDOUT" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban (R) in Budapest, Hungary on October 30, 2019. (Photo by Kremlin Press Office / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Hungary's foreign minister told CNBC on Tuesday that Budapest would never deliver weapons to Ukraine to help it fight Russia's invasion, saying Hungary wanted peace in the region. That same day, Finland's foreign minister announced a complete border closure with Russia. It said this "instrumentalized migration," posing "a serious threat to national security and public order." Russia denies the allegations and is yet to respond to the entire border closure.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban Organizations: NATO, Kremlin Press, Anadolu Agency, Getty, CNBC, Russia Locations: Brussels, Kyiv, Russia, Ukraine, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, Budapest, Hungary, Moscow

☆ Russia relishes divisions between China and the U.S., pouring cold water on Xi-Biden talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his press conference at the Konstantin Palace on July 29, 2023 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Russian media have already reveled in pouring cold water on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit where Xi and Biden are due to meet Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited due to U.S. sanctions so Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk is representing Russia at the summit. A range of Russian newspapers including Kommersant, Izvestia, Argumenty i Fakty, Nezavisimaya Gazeta and Komsomolskaya Pravda did not feature any news on the APEC summit or Xi-Biden talks. China's President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden at the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian island of Bali on Nov. 14, 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Konstantin, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Katherine Tai, Tai, David Paul Morris, Xi's, Alexei Overchuk, Dmitry Peskov, Kamala Harris, Kent Nishimura, Komsomolskaya, Putin, — Xi, Sergei Guneyev, Ian Bremmer, Saul Loeb Organizations: Getty, U.S, Economic Cooperation, Novosti, APEC, U.S . Trade, Russian Federation, San Francisco International Airport, American, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Israel, Kremlin, SAN FRANCISCO, Merchant Exchange Club, Tass, Kommersant, Izvestia, Gazeta, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Sputnik, AFP, West, Analysts, Eurasia Group, China's, Afp Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Russian, San Francisco, China, Beijing, Washington, Moscow, Asia, United States, San Francisco , California, Ukraine, Pacific, U.S, CALIFORNIA, Taiwan, Nusa Dua, Indonesian, Bali

☆ Rampage by antisemitic mob puts pressure on Moscow to confront rising ethnic tensions in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

People shouting antisemitic slogans at an airfield of the airport in Makhachkala, Russia, on Oct. 30, 2023. APMoscow is coming under increasing pressure to protect the country's Jewish community after the latest episode of antisemitism highlighted growing interethnic tensions in Russia. Russia's Jewish populationThe incident in Dagestan highlights wider demographic tensions in Russia, whose population of 144 million is diverse and disparate in terms of ethnicity, religion, culture and language. The latest episode of antisemitic aggression in Dagestan is likely to be very concerning for Jews living in the region, and wider Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to greet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting on Jan. 23, 2020, in Jerusalem.

Persons: Allahu Akbar, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Tupolev, STRINGER, Stringer, Rabbi Alexander Boroda, Boroda, Ramzan Kadyrov, Juma, Gavriil Grigorov, Sergei Lavrov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Max Hess, Hess, there's, Lavrov, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mikhail Svetlov Organizations: AP Moscow, Sunday, Russian Federation, Kremlin, Russia's, CNBC, Institute for, Hamas, AFP, Getty, Afp, Getty Images Israel, Russia's Federation of Jewish, Reuters, Chechen, Ukraine, Nazi, Foreign Policy Research Institute Locations: Makhachkala, Russia, Israel, Russian, Dagestan, Tel Aviv, Palestinian, Russia's, Christianity, Russia's North Caucasus, Chechnya, Tatarstan, Ingushetia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Republic of Dagestan, North Caucasus, Caucasus, Moscow, Derbent, Russia's Republic of Dagestan, Nazi Germany, Jerusalem

☆ Israel-Hamas war updates: Gaza power plant fuel to deplete within day; Israel ground incursion 'expected soon,' former U.S. official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

“It is too early to talk about [Russia’s] role in the actual settlement, because the conflict is at the stage of a hot war," he said. As Peskov noted, “after it is possible to bring [the conflict] out of the hot war phase, the period of searching for ways of a peaceful settlement will already begin," he said. The Kremlin warned Wednesday that the Israel-Hamas conflict has the hallmarks of a "hot war" right now and could potentially be "very dangerous," especially on a humanitarian level. Israel has since launched relentless airstrikes on Gaza and its troops are massing at the border. We need to ensure the minimum needs of the population in Gaza," the Kremlin spokesman said.

Persons: Khan Yunis, Peskov, Dmitry Peskov, Israel, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Kremlin, Wednesday, Israel Locations: Gaza, Israel, Eastern, Iran, Palestinian, U.S, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Russia is getting richer again, thanks to soaring oil prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices are surging again – and that's making Russia a lot richer. Higher prices offset the potential impact of Russia's total output falling by around 150,000 barrels a day, the IEA added. West Texas Intermediate crude has climbed 26% to around $96 a barrel since the end of June, while the Urals crude gauge of Russian prices has jumped 33% over the same period. Rising oil revenues are likely to give Russia a much-needed economic boost as the Kremlin presses ahead with its ongoing war in Ukraine. AdvertisementAdvertisementWestern countries imposed a $60-a-barrel cap on Russian crude in December 2022 but Moscow has excelled at evading those sanctions, according to multiple think tanks.

Organizations: International Energy Agency, Service, IEA, West Texas, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ With Putin and Kim Jong Un set to meet, the West fears what Russia and North Korea are planning
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Alexander Zemlianichenko | Pool | APThe leaders of North Korea and Russia are scheduled to meet this week, with deepening military, economic and geopolitical cooperation on the official agenda. There are also fears about what Moscow might offer the economically isolated and heavily sanctioned North Korea in return. A fire assault drill by North Korean rocket artillery units at an undisclosed location in North Korea in March 2023 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). For their part, Russia and North Korea have both denied claims of alleged arms dealing.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Kim Yong Un, Putin, Pat Ryder, Edward Howell, Kim Jong Un, Kim Ju, Howell, scot, Dmitry Peskov, Kim, Peskov, It's, —, Pyongyang's, Jung Yeon, Victor Cha, Andrius Tursa, Sergei Shoigu's, John Kirby, Wagner, Vladimir Putin grimaces Organizations: White, North, Pentagon, Ukraine, North Korean, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, UN, North Korea —, Oxford University, CNBC, North Korea's Central News Agency, Kcna, Nuclear Weapons, UN Security Council, Kremlin, Getty, Eastern Economic, U.S, U.S . National Security, Zvezda Shipbuilding, Bolshoi Kamen Locations: Vladivostok, Russia, North Korea, Russian, Korea, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Moscow, Korean, Pakistan, Syria, Libya, North Korea's, London, Washington, Japan, South Korea, U.S, Bolshoi

CNN —A top Russian general who went missing after the mercenary group Wagner’s insurrection in June has been fired from his role as head of the country’s aerospace forces, Russian state media reported Wednesday citing unnamed sources. Gen. Sergey Surovikin has spent four decades as part of the Russian military, including a brief stint running Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. A Russian lawmaker said in July that Surovikin is “resting.”Documents shared with CNN in June suggested that Surovikin was a secret VIP member of Wagner. As the head of the aerospace forces, Surovikin oversaw the Kremlin’s campaign in Syria, during which Russian combat aircraft were accused of causing widespread devastation in rebel-held areas. Surovikin’s official bio on the Russian Defense Ministry’s website still lists him as the head of the aerospace forces.

Persons: Sergey Surovikin, Surovikin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Sorovikin, Gen, Viktor Afzalov, Surovikin’s, Ivan Popov, Vladimir Putin, Gleb Irisov, –, ” Irisov, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, Alexey Venediktov Organizations: CNN, The New York Times, RIA Novosti, Aerospace Forces, Moscow’s Defense Ministry, Kremlin Press Office, Russian, Human Rights Watch, Getty, Ministry of Defense, RBC, Russian Defense, Russian Ministry of Defense Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Kerch, Crimean, Russia, Afghanistan, Syria, Moscow, AFP

Early Tuesday, a Ukrainian missile slammed into a hotel in the coastal town of Berdyansk that had been taken over by the Russian military. ‘Colossal support’Russian military bloggers have suggested that both Tsokov and Popov were capable soldiers who inspired loyalty among their men. Tsokov, 51, appears to have been a rising star in the Russian military. Senior Russian general, Ivan Popov, raised questions about the mass deaths and injuries of Russian military personnel. The loss of more capable commanders is another sign that Russia’s “special military operation” is looking less special by the week.

Persons: CNN —, Oleg Tsokov, Tsokov, Ivan Popov, Popov, Valery Gerasimov, vilely, Sergei Shoigu, ”, Vladimir Putin, Rybar, “ Popov, General Popov, “, Wagner, Oleg Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Surovikin, Prigozhin, Defense Andrei Kartapolov, Kartapolov, specter, OGPU –, Gerasimov, “ alarmism, Shoigu, George Hall, Russia Dara Massicot, Tweeting, Massicot, ” Rybar, upbraided, viscerally, Putin Organizations: CNN, Ukraine –, Southern Military District, Arms Army, Kremlin Press, Major, Institute for, Ukrainian, of Defense, Kremlin, Russia’s Aerospace Forces, State, Defense, Defense Ministry, Senior, Ministry of Defense, Surovik, George Hall of, RAND Corporation, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian Armed Forces Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Berdyansk, Russian, Svatove, frontlines, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Senior Russian, St, Russia, Vuhledar

☆ Putin, a germaphobe known for meeting with people at ridiculously long tables, took selfies kissing regular Russians this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The images provided a stark contrast to the famously long tables he has used at the Kremlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets French President Emmanuel Macron (R) on February 07, 2022 in Moscow, Russia. Reports have said the long table was used as a precaution against COVID-19, but the images were striking. Putin has pulled out the preposterously long table to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and the United Nations secretary-general, among others. He's even used a round, but also still long, table to meet with the members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Persons: Putin, Wagner, —, Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: Kremlin, Service, Financial Times, Military, Putin, Kremlin Press, Anadolu Agency, Getty, COVID, United Nations, Collective Security, Organization Locations: Derbent, Moscow, Belarus, Russia, Russian

☆ Putin may have set a trap for Wagner fighters by letting them flee to Belarus, military experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Wagner fighters may not be safe in Belarus as it could be a trap after their uprising, the ISW said. The ISW said in an update on Monday that "Putin may be presenting Belarus as a haven for Wagner fighters as a trap." And if the Kremlin pressures Belarus, it said, "Belarus will not offer Prigozhin or Wagner fighters a true haven." The Wagner Group's short-lived uprising, which humiliated Putin and provided what experts said was the biggest threat during his decades in power, came after months of feuding between the Wagner Group and Russia's military brass. Russian media outlet Verstka reported that Belarus is constructing a base for around 8,000 Wagner fighters 124 miles from its border with Ukraine.

Persons: Wagner, Prigozhin, —, Vladimir Putin, ISW, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Ian Bremmer, he's, Alexander Lukashenko Organizations: Service, Washington DC, Wagner Group, Eurasia Group, CNBC, Wagner, Kremlin, Guardian Locations: Belarus, Kremlin, Rostov, Moscow, Russian, Minsk, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Opinion: What Putin’s awkward meeting with Russia’s war bloggers reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Opinion Mark Galeotti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

However, in Russia there is a particular issue: Russians have long become used to being lied to by their state. Even before the war, almost half got their news from social media, with the proportion having risen since the invasion. They have thus become powerful not just in shaping the domestic narrative, but also in the Kremlin’s wider information war. Even Putin has come to realise that to spin his message, he can no longer stick to the official media. Hence his carefully-choreographed sit-down with a group hand-picked from both the official war correspondents and the online voenkory.

Persons: Mark Galeotti, Vladimir Putin, influencers, ”, –, Semyon Pegov, Yury Podolyaka, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Igor ‘ Strelkov, Girkin, ’, voenkory, He’s, voenkor ” Organizations: Mayak Intelligence, University College London, CNN, Mark Galeotti Mayak Intelligence, Kremlin, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Chechnya, Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, Russian, Kremlin Ukrainian, Crimea, Belgorod

Drones struck the Kremlin in the early hours of Wednesday, said the Russian government, which blamed the attack on Ukraine. Two unmanned aircraft launched by Ukraine crashed into the Kremlin after they were downed by electronic-warfare systems, according to a statement by the Kremlin press service.

CNN —Moscow alleged Wednesday Ukraine flew two drones toward the Kremlin overnight in what it claimed was an attempt to kill President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine says it had no knowledge of any attempted drone strike on the Kremlin, that it did not attack other countries. “As President Zelensky has stated numerous times before, Ukraine uses all means at its disposal to free its own territory, not to attack others,” Nykyforov added. The Kremlin Press Service called the purported drone attack an “attempt on the President’s life.” “Russia reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it sees fit,” it added. Russia has accused Ukraine of multiple attempted drone strikes deep inside Russian territory, including one earlier this year when the governor of the Moscow region claimed a Ukrainian drone had crashed near the village of Gubastovo, southeast of the capital.

☆ Video appears to show drone attack on the Kremlin after Russia accused Ukraine of trying to assassinate Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia accused Ukraine of orchestrating a drone attack on the Kremlin on Wednesday. Putin was not there at the time and there was no damage to the Kremlin, Russian officials said. Two drones allegedly attacked Putin's residence, located in the Kremlin citadel, but were disabled by Russian defenses before impact, state news outlet RIA reported. Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said the Russian leader was not in the Kremlin at the time of the alleged attack, The Guardian reported. Unverified footage circulating online shows what appears to be a drone exploding over the citadel.

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