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☆ Germany’s Scholz calls Putin, ending Western isolation over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The conversation on Friday was the first time Scholz had spoken with Putin in two years. It comes as the German leader gears up for a snap election and Europe waits to hear US President-elect Donald Trump’s plan for ending the war in Ukraine. “He stressed Germany’s unbroken determination to back Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression for as long as necessary,” the spokesperson added. Ukraine said however that phone conversations with Putin brought no added value on the path to achieving a “just peace” in Ukraine. But of course, (it is a) question about how Russia spins it.”Scholz to brief alliesThe Kremlin said Putin had told Scholz Russia was willing to look at energy deals if Germany was interested.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ” Zelensky, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s, Scholz, Donald Trump’s, Zelensky, “, ”, Trump, ” Scholz, Scholz Russia Organizations: Berlin Reuters, Kremlin, Reuters, Scholz’s Social, Ukraine, Kyiv, European Union, NATO, Ukrainian Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Berlin, Germany, Baltic, North Korea, Russia’s, Kursk, United States

☆ Iran has developed fentanyl-based chemical weapons
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-10 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

These chemical weapons affect a victim's central nervous system. AdvertisementIran has developed chemical weapons based on synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, warns a US expert, powerful agents that could incapacitate soldiers or civilians when added to grenades or artillery. (The US, in contrast, completed the destruction of its chemical weapons in 2023.) Nonetheless, chemical weapons do have a frightening aura, even if fentanyl gas is nowhere near as deadly as nerve gas. "I think that many, many people would see it that way because you're talking about chemical weapons," Levitt said.

Persons: —, Iran's, Matthew Levitt, Levitt, they've, Iran —, Hossein University, Israel, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Pharmaceutical, PBA, Combatting Terrorism, The U.S, Government, Washington Institute, Convention, Iran's Chemistry Department, IHU, Department, State Department, Commandos, CTC, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Iran, West, The, Iraq, Israel, Syrian, —, Iranian, Moscow, Vietnam, Tehran, Galilee, Lebanon, Forbes

KAZAN, Russia — Almost 700 miles east of Russia's war in Ukraine, the city of Kazan is a safe enough distance for President Vladimir Putin to try and reposition himself as an international ambassador. The countries gathering for the BRICS summit, where Gavrilov is helping to chaperone delegates, share a similar mix of apparently contradictory views. Russia and Iranian protocol teams huddled together in a Kazan hotel Sunday planning the arrival of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. Russian President Vladimir Putin and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan sign a wall at newly opened education center in Moscow on Monday. While Ukraine is a “long, long way away, the modern ballistic missile can very easily come here,” Gavrilov said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Islam Gavrilov, Sergei Gavrilov, “, Gavrilov, ”, didn’t, —, it’s, Masoud Pezeshkian, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mikhail Metzel, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, they’ve, ” David Lubin, you’re, ” Gavrilov, Keir Simmons, Natasha Lebedeva, Freddie Clayton Organizations: NBC, NASA, Harvard University, The, Putin, United Arab, European Union, Kremlin, Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, Chatham House, NBC News, Inside Locations: KAZAN, Russia, Ukraine, Kazan, Kremlin, United States, Moscow, America, U.S, — Brazil, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, UAE, London, Russian, Yelabuga, Nizhnekamsk, “

☆ Russia's friendship with North Korea may have backfired
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin share a toast at a banquet table North Korean State MediaRussia's dangerous new allianceFor decades, South Korea has been in an uneasy standoff with its isolated and authoritarian neighbor, North Korea. AdvertisementRussia formed a new military alliance with North Korea to secure badly needed ammunition from North Korean stockpiles for its faltering campaign in Ukraine. South Korea is increasingly concerned about the technological capabilities and security guarantees North Korea has likely gained from Russia in return. Russia, previously a backer of sanctions designed to curtail North Korea's nuclear program, is now helping North Korea evade them. South Korea says it could arm UkraineIn response to Russia's strengthened relationship with North Korea, South Korea is threatening to arm Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion.

Persons: —, Georgiy Zinoviev, Yoon Suk, Zinoviev, Dmitry Peskov, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Ellen Kim, Russia's, Joe Biden, Kim Hong Kyun Organizations: Kremlin, Service, Russia, Korean, Korean State Media, Bloomberg, Center for Strategic, International Studies, ROK, South Korea's National Security Council, South, New York Times, Korea's Locations: Korea, North, Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, South Korea, US, Seoul, Asia, East Asia, Moscow, Russian, It's, South

☆ Russia jails French researcher Vinatier for three years in ‘foreign agent’ case
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Moscow Reuters —French researcher Laurent Vinatier was found guilty by a Moscow court on Monday of breaking Russia’s “foreign agent” laws and sentenced to three years in prison. President Emmanuel Macron has denied that Vinatier worked for the French state and has described his arrest as part of a misinformation campaign by Moscow. “The legislation on ‘foreign agents’ contributes to a systematic violation of fundamental freedoms in Russia, such as freedom of association, freedom of opinion and freedom of expression,” France’s foreign ministry said. “French authorities remain fully mobilized to provide assistance (to Vinatier),” the ministry added. I lived a Russian life and still, even the last four months, I have been living in a Russian atmosphere,” he said, referring to the period since his arrest.

Persons: Laurent Vinatier, Vinatier, Alexander Pushkin, intently, RIA, Emmanuel Macron, “, ”, Pavel Durov Organizations: Moscow Reuters —, Soviet Union, Centre, Humanitarian, Reuters, Independent Locations: Moscow, Vinatier, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, State, France, Swiss

☆ A Russian teen got 15 years in prison for donating crypto to a pro-Ukraine paramilitary unit: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian teen was given 15 years for donating to the Freedom of Russia Legion, local media reported. AdvertisementA Russian 19-year-old was sentenced to 15 years in prison for donating to a pro-Ukrainian paramilitary unit, independent outlet Mediazona reported. Russian daily Kommersant reported at the time that the teen had tried sending the funds via cryptocurrency. Yakovlev isn't the first Russian citizen to be sentenced to over 10 years in prison for donating to pro-Ukraine groups. AdvertisementIn August, 33-year-old amateur ballerina Ksenia Khavana was reported by Russian media to have been sentenced to 12 years in prison for donating $51 to a charity supporting Ukraine.

Persons: Danila Yakovlev, —, Yakovlev, Ksenia Khavana, Vladimir Putin Organizations: of Russia Legion, Service, Kremlin, Kommersant, Russian, Eastern Locations: Siberia, Ukrainian, Biysk, Altai Krai, cryptocurrency, Russia's, Russian, Ukraine

☆ What to know about Telegram, the messaging app whose CEO was arrested over the weekend
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-26 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —The arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France over the weekend has thrust the popular messaging service and its enigmatic founderinto the spotlight. Durov’s arrest comes as the app has faced growing scrutiny for its use by terrorist groups and far-right extremists. Telegram is an encrypted messaging service that was launched in 2013 by Durov and his brother, Nikolai. And earlier this month, the messaging app began actively removing calls to violence from the platform following reports that the app was being used to organize far-right, anti-immigrant riots in the United Kingdom. In addition to running Telegram, Durov has become something of an online influencer, sharing images on Instagram of his world travels (and, often, shirtless photos).

Persons: Pavel Durov, Durov, fraudsters, Laure Beccuau, Beccuau, Maria Butina —, Emmanuel Macron, ”, ” Macron, “, it’s, Nikolai, launderers, White supremacists, Remi Vaughn, Vaughn, Mark Zuckerberg, Viktor Yanukovich, ” Durov, – Joshua Berlinger, Camille Knight, Anna Chernova Organizations: New, New York CNN, Paris’s, Reuters, ISIS, Financial Times, Trump, Facebook, ”, VK, Ukraine’s, Kremlin Locations: New York, France, Russian, Russia, Paris, Durov, Iran, India, Ukraine, Moscow, Israel, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, Kyiv, Dubai

☆ Putin appointed his former bodyguard to take over Russia's military response to the Kursk invasion, local lawmaker says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kursk State Duma deputy Nikolai Ivanov told Russian broadcaster RTVI on Tuesday that Putin had met personally with Alexei Dyumin, who was made secretary of the State Council in May. Ivanov said Putin told Dyumin to supervise military operations in Kursk, with the primary goal of ousting Ukrainian forces that invaded the Russian border region last week. Dyumin, seated second from Putin's right, attended a leading of Russia's top brass about the Kursk invasion. Related storiesWhen the now-deceased head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, staged a rebellion against Putin, Dyumin was rumored to have been instrumental in orchestrating negotiations. wrote state media military correspondent Alexander Sladkov on Tuesday.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Nikolai Ivanov, Putin, Alexei Dyumin, Aleksey Gennadyevich Dyumin, Ivanov, RTVI, Dyumin, Valery Gerasimov, Alexander Bortnikov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, It's, Rybar, Alexander Sladkov Organizations: Service, Duma, RTVI, State Council, Business, Ukrainian, Bloomberg, Federal Security Services, Russian Presidential, Putin, Wagner Group Locations: Kursk, Russian, Crimea, Tula, Washington, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ What Russia’s arrest footage of Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan really tells us
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Russia’s pro-Kremlin media know how to create an alternative reality, and last week’s historic prisoner swap was no exception. On Monday, Russian state-backed media outlets treated viewers to lurid footage of the arrests of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan. And we see a handcuffed Paul Whelan on a hotel bed, flanked by Russian security officers. But in the cases of Gershkovich and Whelan, the aim of the Russian state was to build a bank of human collateral to trade for its valued agents held abroad. But the good news is that Gershkovich is out of Russian custody and can now write the definitive and reliable account of what happened during his arrest.

Persons: CNN — Russia’s, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Gershkovich, Whelan, –, Dow Jones, Almar Latour, Emma Tucker, “ Vladimir Putin, ”, Evan Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Wall Street, Bolshoi Theater, Gershkovich, US State Department, State Department, Dow Locations: Russian, Yekaterinburg, Moscow, Russia, British

☆ Convicted Assassin Is a Russian Security Agent, Kremlin Acknowledges
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Ivan Nechepurenko | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The convicted assassin who was the linchpin of the biggest prisoner swap in decades is a member of the most powerful security agency in Russia, the Kremlin acknowledged on Friday, and had served in a special unit with some agents who now guard President Vladimir V. Putin. The ties help explain Mr. Putin’s determination to free the assassin, Vadim Krasikov, from the German prison where he was serving time for murder. The effort culminated on Thursday when Mr. Krasikov and seven other former prisoners returned to Moscow after an exchange with Western nations that involved 24 adults and seven countries. Mr. Putin has not hid his admiration for Mr. Krasikov, who had been jailed in Germany since 2019 for the murder of a Chechen former separatist fighter in Berlin. In an interview in February, Mr. Putin referred to Mr. Krasikov as “a patriot” who was doing his duty by eliminating an enemy of the Russian state.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Vadim Krasikov, Krasikov, Dmitri S, Mr, ” Organizations: Kremlin, Federal Security Service, Mr Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russian, Soviet, Germany, Chechen, Berlin

The Russian officials took the proposal back to Moscow. It was a remarkably swift conclusion to years of painstaking negotiations between the US and more than half a dozen countries. Key to the deal was President Biden’s ability to persuade German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to release Krasikov, the Russian prisoner most keenly sought by Putin. Officials worked quietly throughout this year to get the German government to agree to release Krasikov — including entreaties from both Biden and Harris. President Biden sent a letter to Scholz in April, and the Germans at last agreed to release Krasikov in early June.

Persons: CNN —, Vadim Krasikov, who’d, who’s, Vladimir Putin, Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Bill Burns, Gershkovich, Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Kurmasheva, Joe Biden, Biden, Kamala Harris, Serdar Ozsoy, Biden’s, Olaf Scholz, Putin, Krasikov, Brittney Griner, Burns, –, Viktor Bout, Alexey Navalny, Brendan Smialowski, Antony Blinken, James Rubin, Blinken, Annalena Baerbock, Jake Sullivan, Harris, Scholz, “ Chancellor Scholz, “, Jake, ‘, ’, Sullivan, Navalny, Paul, Evan, ”, Ronald Wittek, Kara, Robert Golob, Kurmasheva’s, Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, Carstens, Jeff Flake, ” Flake, Flake, ” Sullivan Organizations: CNN, CIA, Wall Street, White, Base Andrews, Aircraft, Ankara Esenboga Airport, US Marine, WNBA, State Department, National Security Council, Krasikov, Getty, German, National, Biden, Munich, Conference, US, Munich Security, Aspen Security, Street, Hostage Affairs Locations: Eastern, Russia, Russian, Berlin, Moscow, American, Turkey, Ankara, Chechen, Slovenia, Norway, Poland, Washington , DC, AFP, Germany, ”, Munich, Washington, Slovenian, Mordovia, “

☆ Russia can’t fight NATO on the battlefield – so it’s waging a hybrid war instead
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

And while they might look minor in isolation, taken together these incidents amount to what security experts say is Russia’s hybrid war on the West. Thornton said Russia was resorting to a campaign of sabotage as an alternative to a full-on war with NATO, which would be disastrous for Russia. Article 5 is the cornerstone principle that an attack on one member of NATO is an attack on all members. Danylyuk said the Russian security apparatus doesn’t shy away from using criminals to do its dirty work, tapping into its links with international organized crime. Russia can only be strong if the West and NATO are weak.

Persons: –, Petr Fiala, Jens Stoltenberg, Rod Thornton, there’s, ” Thornton, Vladimir Putin, Thornton, “, ”, It’s, ” Nicole Wolkov, Andrei Averyanov, Averyanov, Sergei, Yulia Skripal, d’etat, Oleksandr Danylyuk, …, Volodymyr Zelensky’s, Danylyuk, Olga Lautman, Fiala, Sergei Skripal, Yulia, Frank Augstein, ” Lautman, Lautman, Alexander Litvinenko, Andrei Lugovoi, Theresa May, Nikolai Glushkov, Salisbury, Putin, ” “, let’s, ’ ”, that’s, Litvinenko, Skripal Organizations: CNN, Occupation, . Police, European Union, NATO, King’s College London, ”, Royal United Services Institute, Czech Police, GRU, London –, German Federal Public, Ukraine, Russian, Russia NATO, Center for, European, of Human, Duma, Metropolitan Police, Command, Soviet, West Locations: Prague, Czech, Moscow, Europe, Riga, London, Warsaw, Germany, Russia, Belarus, Russian, Spain, Lithuania, Canada, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia –, United States, al Qaeda, France, EU, Salisbury, England, Czech Republic, Vrbetice, Montenegro, Moldova, Macedonia, Ukrainian, Poland, Salisbury , England, Finland, Estonia, Lautman, Soviet Union

☆ Terrorist attacks are on the rise in Russia as Putin remains 'distracted' by war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The attacks, which killed around 20 people, raised major questions about whether the Kremlin has the resources to protect its citizens back home while pursuing its war in Ukraine. The attacks also illustrated "the diverse range of militant actors Russia has angered through its domestic and foreign policy actions," he added. North CaucasusRussia's North Caucasus region has a long history of rebellion against Kremlin rule, especially in Chechnya, where Russia battled separatists in two bloody wars — in 1994-1996 and then in 1999-2009. Despite Sunday's incident being the second major terrorist attack in just three months, Russian security services "have not really changed their strategy," Harold Chambers, a political and security analyst specializing in the North Caucasus, told BI. Russia's security services "do not seem to possess the same level of intelligence about threats — or, if they do, they are not acting on it," Youngman added.

Persons: —, Molotov, Lucas Webber, Wilayat Kavkaz, Vladimir Putin, Mark Youngman, Youngman, STRINGER, Webber, Russia's, Harold Chambers, Chambers Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Business, Soufan, Dagestan region's, Center for, Washington DC, Anadolu, Getty, Islamic, Tass, Federal, Crocus City Hall, Islamic State Locations: Russia's, Dagestan, Ukraine, New York, Russia, Northern Caucasus, North Caucasus, Washington, Makhachkala, Derbent, Russian, Rostov, Crocus, Moscow, Tajikistan, Dagestan's, Caucasus, Chechnya, Syria, Iraq, Islamic State, Africa, Iran

☆ Russia Committed Human Rights Violations in Crimea, European Court Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Lynsey Chutel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Russia and its proxy security forces in Crimea have committed multiple human rights violations during its decade-long occupation of the former Ukrainian territory. Between 2014 and 2018, there have been 43 cases of enforced disappearances, with eight people still missing. The disappeared were mostly pro-Ukrainian activists and journalists, or members of Crimea’s Tatar ethnic minority, the court found. Investigations of the disappearances went nowhere, the court added in its judgment. Men and women were abducted by the Crimean self-defense forces, by Russian security forces or by agents of Russia’s Federal Security Service, or F.S.B.

Persons: Russia’s Organizations: European, of Human, Crimean, Federal Security Service Locations: Russia, Crimea, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Simferopol

☆ I.C.C. Issues Arrest Warrants for 2 Senior Russian Security Officials
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Anatoly Kurmanaev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The International Criminal Court said on Tuesday that it had issued arrest warrants for two top Russian security officials over strikes against civilian targets, delivering a stinging, if largely symbolic, condemnation of the Kremlin’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The Hague-based court accused Russia’s most senior military officer, Gen. Valery V. Gerasimov, and a senior member of the country’s Security Council, Sergei K. Shoigu, of directing a campaign of strikes against Ukraine’s power plants in the winter of 2022. “The expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage,” the court said in a statement on Tuesday, referring to the strikes. It issued the warrants on Monday. Russia’s Security Council denounced the warrants, calling them “pathetic” examples of “the West’s hybrid war against our country,” according to comments provided to the Moscow-based Interfax news agency.

Persons: Russia’s, Valery V, Sergei K, “ Organizations: country’s Security, Russia’s Locations: Ukraine, The Hague, Moscow

☆ Russia has seen two terror attacks in just three months. Here’s what we know
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Jerome Taylor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

In Dagestan, Russian security forces fought an Islamist insurgency in the mountainous region in the 2000s that spilled over from neighboring Chechnya, though attacks have become rarer in recent years. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with his election campaign confidants at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 20, 2024. ISIS-K attack on music venueThe coordinated attacks in Dagestan come just weeks after Russia suffered its worst terror attack in decades. For a leader who has long promised security and stability to Russians, the major attack on Russian soil was another powerful blow. In the aftermath of the March attack, Putin called for Russia to remain united.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Jill Dougherty, Vladimir Putin, confidants, Evgenia Novozhenina, Bashar al, Assad, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Ukraine grinds, Russian Jewish Congress, Attackers, TASS, Russian Federation, Soviet, Hamas, Makhachkala Uytash Airport, Kremlin, Reuters, Saudi, Israeli, Central, Migrants, Kazakhstan — Locations: Russia, Russia’s, Dagestan, Moscow, Derbent, Makhachkala –, Makhachkala, Russian, Republic of Dagestan, Russia’s Caucasus, Caucasus, Soviet Union, Chechnya, –, Grozny, Ukraine, ”, Gaza, Israel, CNN Moscow, Reuters Russia, Iran, Soviet, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan

☆ Russia open to security talks with U.S. — if Ukraine conflict also on the table, Kremlin says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is open to "comprehensive" security talks with the U.S., so long as they include the war in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday. "We are open to dialogue, but to a broad, comprehensive dialogue that covers all dimensions, including the dimension related to the conflict around Ukraine, the involvement of the United States in this conflict," Peskov said, according to a Google-translated report by Russian state news agency Tass. His comments came in response to the possibility of holding talks with Washington on nuclear risks apart from the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has so far been largely isolated from West-led diplomacy to resolve the conflict with Kyiv — and was most recently not invited to the Summit on Peace in Ukraine of June 15-16. Kyiv has solicited membership but cannot accede to the coalition while an active conflict wages on its territories.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Barack Obama Organizations: U.S, Kremlin, CNBC, U.S . State Department, Kyiv —, Senior, NATO Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Russian, Washington, West, Peace, Moscow, U.S

☆ Survivors say Russia is waging a war of sexual violence in occupied areas of Ukraine. Men are often the victims
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

Editor’s Note: This story contains graphic and disturbing descriptions of sexual violence. Everywhere that Russian troops were located, we’re seeing cases of sexual violence and gender-based violence. But the real scale of sexual violence committed during the war may never come to light. Ukrainian officials say that it is difficult, but not impossible, to track down individual perpetrators of sexual violence crimes. Some survivors of sexual violence committed by the Bosnian Serb army during the Bosnian war in the early 1990s are only now coming forward.

Persons: Roman Shapovalenko, ”, —, Shapovalenko, ’, “, –, Chris McGrath, Anna Sosonska, Sosonska, ‘, ’ Roman Chernenko, Chernenko, …, ” Sosonska, Anna Mykytenko, ” Mykytenko, Mykytenko, Ukraine –, Vladimir Putin, Aleksey Smagin, Aleksandr Naumenko, Naumenko, – Oleksandr Chilengirov, Dmitry Laikov, Oleksii, ” Andrii, Andrii, Anna Voitenko, Putin, Russia’s, Maria Lvova, Oleksii Sivak, Sivak, ’ ”, ‘ we’re, ” Sivak Organizations: Kyiv CNN —, Russia’s Federal Security Service, Russian, CNN, Getty, United Nations Security, Ukraine’s, GRU, Russian Federal Penitentiary Service, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Interior Ministry, National Guard, Kyodo, Criminal Court, ICC, UN, Global Rights, European Union, Ministry of Defense, Luhansk People’s Republics, Rosgvardia, Ukrainian, FSB’s Department, Defense, Constitutional, Terrorism, International Court of Justice, Kremlin Locations: Kyiv, Ukrainian, Kherson, Russia, Ukraine, Snihurivka, Moscow, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Crimea, Olenivka, Mariupol, Russian, Geneva, Rome, United States, United Kingdom, Luhansk, Russia’s Rostov, Nova Kakhovka, ‘, Bosnian

☆ In Beijing, Xi and Putin left no question of their close alignment in a divided world
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Putin’s two-day state visit comes as Western leaders have leant on Xi to ensure that soaring exports from his country aren’t propping up the Russian war effort – a claim Beijing denies. Putin also traveled to Beijing with top security officials who the Russian president said Thursday would join informal talks on Ukraine. Beijing, which says it is neutral on the war, has repeatedly defended its trade with Russia as part of normal bilateral relations. Xi, analysts say, is seeking to keep Putin as a close partner, while not stepping over Western red lines. For that reason, she added, “he’s okay with on-going dependency between Russia and China – and with inequality in this relationship.”

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin’s, Xi, Putin, Putin’s, Andrey Belousov, Sergey Shoigu, “ Putin, he’s, Kurt Volker, “, ”, Alexandra Prokopenko Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United, –, Israel, Hamas, Russian, Russian Security, Chinese Communist Party, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Observers, CNN, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Taiwan, Gaza, Russian, China, ”, Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, China’s Harbin, Siberia, Europe

☆ US intelligence sees Russia step up disinformation campaign against Ukraine’s Zelensky
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Russia has stepped up its disinformation efforts to discredit Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and raise questions about his legitimacy in recent months, US intelligence agencies have observed. Russia has spread disinformation about Zelensky since before the war started but recent intelligence shows “it’s definitely increasing,” the official said. The administration has also imposed sanctions against individuals and entities connected with Russian disinformation. Both Ukraine and Russia have been involved in disinformation efforts against each other for years. “Not only have we seen these disinformation efforts increasing but we also expect them to continue to increase.”

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, “ it’s, “, ”, Zelensky, ’, Vladimir Putin’s, ’ ”, Gavin Wilde, ” Wilde, isn’t Organizations: CNN, Biden, ’ ” Biden, National Security Council, Carnegie Endowment, International Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Avdiivka, Ukrainian, Ukraine’s, Russian, Zelensky

☆ Russia Detains Senior General, Widening Military Purge
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Anatoly Kurmanaev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russian security agents detained a senior general early Tuesday, widening a purge of the country’s sprawling Defense Ministry amid President Vladimir V. Putin’s broader shake-up of his government. Lt. Gen. Yuri Kuznetsov, who oversaw the ministry’s personnel department, was detained on an accusation of “large-scale” bribery, Russia’s Investigative Committee, a federal law enforcement agency, said in a statement on Tuesday. His detention came after Mr. Putin unexpectedly removed his long-serving defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, from his post and replaced him with a member of his economic team. Prosecutors said General Kuznetsov received a bribe from “commercial interests” between 2021 and 2023, when he worked on the protection of state secrets at the Armed Forces’ General Staff. The prosecutors claimed that security agents discovered cash equivalent to $1 million and luxury items during a search of General Kuznetsov’s home.

Persons: Vladimir V, Yuri Kuznetsov, Putin, Sergei K, General Kuznetsov, Kuznetsov’s Organizations: Mr, Prosecutors, Armed Forces ’, Staff

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia replaced his minister of defense on Sunday as he shook up his national security team for the first time since his invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Putin kept the minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, in his inner circle, tapping him to run the country’s security council. Andrei R. Belousov, an economist who served as first deputy prime minister in the last government and previously was the economic development minister, was nominated to become the new defense chief. It is unclear how much authority over the war effort Mr. Shoigu will retain. colleague of Mr. Putin who has headed the Russian security council for 16 years, would be moved to another position to be announced in the coming days.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Sergei K, Andrei R, Shoigu, Nikolai P, Mr Locations: Russia, Ukraine

☆ Thousands of Ukrainians have been sent to Russian prisons. Ukraine says they’re being held as bargaining chips
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

The Ukrainian government says there are thousands of people like Dima, civilians arrested by Russia who have been held in arbitrary detention for years. In the early weeks of the war, Russian troops took over their home, parking their tank in the garden and stealing anything of value. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia opened a second pre-trial detention facility in Simferopol, SIZO No. Detained civilians, however, are stuck in limbo. Mariana Checheliuk's photos were among those displayed by relatives of detained civilians at a recent protest in Kyiv.

Persons: Ukraine CNN — “, ”, Vasyl Khyliuk, Dmytro Khyliuk, Dima, –, Ivana Kottasova, Dmytro Lubinets, Lubinets, ” Achille Després, Cross, it’s, Vasyl, ” Vasyl, Halyna, “, Dmytro Khyliuk’s, Russia —, Khyliuk, Anastasiia, MIHR, Pantielieieva, CNN “ We’ve, ” Pantielieieva, Yulia Khrypun, Serhii, ’, Serhii Khrypun, Yulia, ” Yulia, Mariana Checheliuk, Mariana, Natalia Checheliuk, ” Natalia, ’ ” Natalia, Alexander Ermochenko, Mariana –, Mila, Natalia, Volodymyr, Zelensky, Mariana Checheliuk's Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Ukrainian Independent, Agency, Kyiv, CNN, Russian Federation, International Committee, Ukrainian, Organization for Security, Getty, Media Initiative, Human Rights, Penal, Russian Investigative Committee, Russian Prison Service, ICRC, Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, Russian Federal Security Service, Russian National Guard, Directorate, General Staff, Serhii, Crimean Human Rights, Maxar Technologies, Volunteers, Russia, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Security Service of Ukraine, Ukraine’s, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Information Bureau, Ministry, “, Headquarters Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Dima, Ukrainian, Kozarovychi, Russia, Geneva, Europe, Novozybkov, Russia’s Bryansk, Russia’s Vladimir, Mordovia, Russian, Moscow, Bryansk, Nove, Tokmak, Melitopol, Olenivka, Kursk, Crimea, Kamensk, Russia’s Rostov, Yulia Khrypun Russia, Chonhar, Kherson, Crimean, Crimean Tatars, Simferopol, SIZO, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, ‘, Mariupol, Zaporizhzhia, Bezimenne, Donetsk People’s Republic, Azovstal, Donetsk, Taganrog, Kamyshin, Russia’s Volgograd, Qatar

☆ Sanctions are squeezing Russia, turning up its dependence on China and 'rogue' states, think tank says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewWestern sanctions are straining Russia's ability to fight in Ukraine, even if its war economy appears resilient and its output seems largely unfazed, a think tank expert said. Related storiesAlready, this order has put off lenders in India, China, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates from working with Russia, Blank said. Individual sanctions have also targeted vessels carrying Russian crude above the Western $60-barrel price cap, reducing the Kremlin's ability to trade. With fewer available tankers, freight costs have climbed, and the discount Russia has offered on its oil has eroded. That's caused India to increasingly look elsewhere for crude, despite being the biggest buyer of seaborne Russian oil in 2023.

Persons: —, Stephen Blank, it's, Blank Organizations: Service, Center for, Business, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Treasury Department, CEPA, United, United Arab Emirates, West Locations: Ukraine, North Korea, Iran, India, China, Turkey, United Arab, Russia, Austrian, Moscow, Beijing

☆ Opinion: Despite ISIS threat, Putin’s only concern is the politics of terrorism
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Opinion Douglas London | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Russia knows it has a terrorist problem, despite its deflection and spin to preserve Putin’s image, but his priorities are elsewhere. Russian intelligence also suffers from systemic failings in recognizing, penetrating and dismantling terrorist cells, failings that stem from doctrine and a deliberately stovepiped structure that obstructs information sharing and agility. FSB officers will coerce, threaten and intimidate potential sources with diminishing returns that will only fuel ISIS-K recruitment and fundraising, which is no doubt seeing a surge from its Moscow attack. Russian intelligence will be left to depend on the unwilling, ill-informed or duplicitous. At the Islamic State’s height, Tajik Gulmurod Khalimov commanded its Iraqi capital of Mosul.

Persons: Douglas London, ”, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Bortnikov, Douglas, Mike Pompeo, Russia’s, Sergey Naryshkin, Igor Korobov, Donald Trump, Pompeo, Russia Michael McFaul, Barack Obama, Trump, Putin, Gulmurod Khalimov, Khalimov, “ Omar al, “ Omar, ” Batirashvili, Washington, Sergei Skripal, Yulia Organizations: CIA, of American Intelligence, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Global National Security Institutes, CNN, Federal Security Service, CBC, Ukraine, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Russian Military Intelligence, Trump, White, ISIS, Central, Former, Terrorism, Embassy, K’s, Tajikistan’s Interior Ministry, Islamic Locations: South, Southwest Asia, London, Khorasan, United States, Afghanistan, Islamic State, Great Britain, Russia, Washington, State, Moscow, Syria, Iraq, Russian, US, Ukraine, St . Petersburg, Central Asia, Central Asian, Central, East, Turkey, Turkish, Istanbul, Mosul, Chechen, Georgian, Georgia, Iran, Kerman, Salisbury, England

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