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The FBI and Microsoft have seized more than 100 web domains they say Russian intelligence used for cyber-espionage, according to court documents unsealed Thursday. The domains were allegedly staging grounds for Russia’s FSB intelligence agency in its ongoing efforts to spy on targets of interest, ranging from the U.S. Department of Energy to Russian nonprofits and media outlets critical of the Kremlin. The Justice Department seized 41 of the web domains, according to the FBI affidavit, and also granted Microsoft control of 66 additional domains the company said were part of the same operation. Intelligence agencies with even moderate cyber capabilities routinely hack foreign targets to gather intelligence. Many of the web domains allegedly used by the FSB were hosted by Virginia-based company Verisign, the court documents said.

Persons: Hillary Clinton’s, Steven Masada, ” Masada, Natalia Krapiva, ” Organizations: FBI, Microsoft, U.S . Department of Energy, Kremlin, Justice Department, United, Russia’s Ministry, Foreign Affairs, NBC News, Microsoft’s Digital, Unit, The Locations: States, United States, Russian, U.S, British, Virginia

☆ Justice Department and Microsoft disrupt Russian hacking operations aimed at US officials and civil society
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —The Justice Department and Microsoft on Thursday announced the seizure of more than 100 web domains that a Russian intelligence agency allegedly used to try to hack current and former US officials, civil-society groups and Russians living in the US. It’s the latest in a series of moves from the Justice Department to expose alleged covert Russian operations targeting US democracy in the runup to the 2024 presidential election. The UK government last year accused the same Russian hacking group of conducting a “sustained unsuccessful attempts to interfere in UK political processes” over several years that hacked politicians, civil servants and journalists. The hackers operate on behalf of Russia’s FSB intelligence agency, the prime successor to the Soviet-era KGB, according to US officials. Another FSB-linked hacking group has posed a direct threat to US critical infrastructure by targeting energy facilities, according to US officials.

Persons: Steven Masada, “, ”, John Scott, Natalia Krapiva Organizations: Washington CNN, The Justice Department, Microsoft, Justice Department, CNN, FSB, University of Toronto’s, Russian Embassy Locations: Russian, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Eastern Europe, United States, Washington ,

☆ Gershkovich advocates for Russian dissidents in first comments after arriving in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Aurora Almendral | Aurora Almendral Is A London-Based Editor With Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich chose to advocate for dissidents languishing in Russian prisons, in his first public comments on U.S. soil after he was freed as part of a prisoner exchange. “I just spent a month in prison in Yekaterinburg where basically everyone I was sat with is a political prisoner,” he added. Seven Russian citizens, including four who worked with the late opposition figure, Alexey Navalny, were among the the 24 people freed in Thursday’s major multinational prisoner exchange. On the dissidents he’d met behind bars Gershkovich said no one knew them publicly, but they had various political beliefs. President Joe Biden called the deal a “feat of diplomacy and friendship.” It was cut among seven nations, involving 24 people, including five Germans and seven Russian citizens held in Russia, and eight Russians imprisoned in the U.S., Germany, Slovenia, Norway and Poland.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, “, ” Gershkovich, Andrew Roth, ”, Alexey Navalny, he’d, Gershkovich, “ They’re, Paul Whelan, Joe Biden, Alsu Kurmasheva, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Biden, Whelan, ” “, ” Whelan, Putin, “ I’m Organizations: Guardian, Base Andrews, AP, Getty, Marine Locations: Russian, Maryland, Yekaterinburg, Russia, U.S, Germany, Slovenia, Norway, Poland, Turkey, United States

☆ At least five dead and over 100 injured in Ukrainian strike in Russian occupied Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Zahid Mahmood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —At least five people were killed and over 100 injured when missile fragments scattered over beachgoers during a Ukrainian strike on the city of Sevastopol in Russia-occupied Crimea, authorities say. “Unfortunately, we currently have 124 victims, of which three [are] dead children and two [are] dead adults,” Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said on Telegram. One of victims killed in the Ukrainian strike was the daughter of Oleg Averyanov, Deputy Mayor of Magadan. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, it has come under sporadic attack from Ukrainian forces. Before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Sevastopol – the largest city in Crimea – was a popular tourist destination for Russians.

Persons: Mikhail Razvozhayev, Oleg Averyanov, Yuri Grishan, Averyanov’s, Sofia, Razvozhayev, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, ”, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian Locations: Sevastopol, Russia, Crimea, ” Sevastopol, Ukraine, stretchers, Magadan, Washington, Kremlin, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Crimea –

Chang emphasized the need to strengthen the extended deterrence power of the South Korea-US alliance and the South Korea-US-Japan security cooperation system to address North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles. Currently, South Korea’s policy is not to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine. Nikoletta Stoyanova/Getty ImagesReports from earlier in the war say South Korea may have provided 155mm artillery shells to the United States to replace 155mm rounds sent to Ukraine. “Public reports suggest South Korea has around 3.4 million 105mm artillery shells,” the CSIS report said. Earlier on Thursday, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also expressed strong concern about the agreement signed by Russia and North Korea.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, “, ” Putin, Kim, Chang Ho, ”, ” Chang, Chang, Putin, Nikoletta Stoyanova, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Putin “, ” Hayashi Organizations: CNN, Democratic People’s, DPRK, UN Security Council, CNN South, National Security, Korean, 57th Motorized Brigade, Getty, Center for Strategic, International Studies, “, CSIS, UN, Japan’s Locations: Korea, Ukraine, Seoul, Russia, North Korea, DPRK, Democratic People’s Republic, Republic of Korea, South, South Korea, Japan, Vovchansk, Kharkiv Region, United States, Kyiv, Vietnam, Ukrainian

☆ Kaspersky: Biden administration bans Americans from using Russian-made cybersecurity software over national security concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Zachary Cohen | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Biden administration is taking the unprecedented step of banning US companies and citizens from using software made by a major Russian cybersecurity firm because of national security concerns, Commerce Department Secretary Gina announced Thursday. Thursday’s announcement comes after CNN reported in April that the Biden administration was preparing to issue an order that would prevent US companies and citizens from using Kaspersky software. US government agencies are already banned from using Kaspersky Lab software, but action to prevent private companies from using the software is unprecedented. Founded in Moscow in 1997, Kaspersky Lab grew into one of the world’s most successful anti-virus software companies alongside American rivals like McAfee and Symantec. Some of the speculation and suspicion from US officials about the Russian company centers around Eugene Kaspersky, a charismatic computer expert who co-founded Kaspersky Lab in Moscow in 1997.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Gina, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, ” Raimondo, “ We’re, Kaspersky, Raimondo, we’ve, Russian government’s, Eugene Kaspersky, ” Kaspersky Organizations: CNN, Commerce, Commerce Department, Kaspersky, McAfee, Symantec, Lab, —, Russian Ministry of Defense, West Locations: Russian, United States, Russia, Moscow, Israel, Eugene, Ukraine

☆ Senior White House official tapped to serve in important European ambassadorial role amid Ukraine concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Curtis Ried, a longtime career foreign service officer who has served under two presidents at the White House, who currently serves as chief of staff and counselor of the White House National Security Council is being nominated for the post, CNN has learned. As Congress grapples with next steps on Ukraine aid, Biden administration officials have warned of the consequences if Ukraine doesn’t receive billions in additional funding, citing losses on the battlefield and ceding ground to Russia. The OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organization and is made up of 57 members, including Russia. The move to nominate Ried comes as the US seeks to reaffirm leadership on the world stage amid political wrangling in Washington that’s stalled aid to Ukraine. It’s unclear, however, when Ried would assume the post as the nomination still needs to work its way through the Senate.

Persons: Joe Biden, Curtis Ried, Ried, Biden, Michael Carpenter, ” Carpenter, Washington that’s, Bill Burns, “, He’s Organizations: CNN, White House, Organization for Security, Cooperation, Ukraine, White, White House National Security Council, United Nations, Biden, OSCE, National Security Council, CIA, Senate Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Gaza, Ried, Russia, Israel, Russian, Washington

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — World leaders and Russian opposition activists wasted no time Friday in blaming the reported death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny on President Vladimir Putin and his government. Navalny was “brutally murdered by the Kremlin,” said Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Other Russian opposition activists echoed him. “If it is confirmed, the death of Alexei is a murder. Organized by Putin,” opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov said on social media.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “ Putin, —, ” Zelenskyy, Olaf Scholz, ” Scholz, Navalny, “, Edgars Rinkēvičs, Ivan Zhdanov, hasn’t, Alexei, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Dmitry Gudkov, Garry Kasparov, ” Kasparov, Pyotr Verzilov, “ Navalny, Verzilov, Ursula von der Leyen, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, Jake Sullivan Organizations: Kremlin, EU, NATO, National, NPR Locations: TALLINN, Estonia, Russian, Berlin, Russia, Navalny, Germany

☆ Fact Check: Clips of nuclear attacks are from movies, not released by Kremlin
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A compilation of scenes of nuclear weapons attacks is made up of excerpts from several movies, and is not, as suggested in online posts, an animation released by the Kremlin depicting nuclear attacks on U.S. cities. Posts on social media said: “The Russian Kremlin just released this animation depicting multiple nuclear strikes on American cities. Does this worry you?” The video shows various nuclear missiles in flight followed by explosions across North American cities. The scene in timestamps 0:17-0:25 of the circulating video shows nuclear weapons launched from the sky toward a city. The social media video is a compilation of explosion scenes from several well-known movies, and there is no evidence it was released by the Kremlin.

Persons: Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, ”, Nicholas Cage, Read Organizations: Russian Kremlin, Russian, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign, Facebook, Galactica, YouTube, MetLife, Empire, Kremlin, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Vancouver, British Columbia, San Francisco , California, ”, Manhattan , New York, New York City

☆ Dagestan riot: Anti-Jewish protest in Russia’s Dagestan shows risks of Putin’s balancing act on Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“Threats to exterminate the Jews are the result of the work of Russian state propaganda, which for decades cultivated feelings of hatred towards other peoples among Russians,” he noted. Kadyrov has also provided footsoldiers for Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Gaza war adds one more match to the fire. Additionally, Russia’s war in Ukraine has impacted Dagestan heavily, with significant casualties. But an anti-Jewish riot in the southern region of Dagestan shows how quickly that model can backfire, particularly for those trapped inside the echo of Russian state propaganda.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, –, Matthew Miller, Israel, ”, Putin, ” Putin, “, Bashar al, Assad, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Benjamin Netanyahu, Strategic Communications John Kirby, “ we’ve, ” Kirby, Volodymyr Zelensky, Oleh Nikolenko, Ramzan Kadyrov, – Kadyrov, Kadyrov, Harold Chambers, Riddle, Yevgenia Albats Organizations: CNN, multiconfessional, Ukraine –, Kremlin, Red Wings Airlines, Tel Aviv –, Jewish, Authorities, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hamas, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sunday, Saudi, Israeli, National Security, Strategic Communications, ” Observers, Criminal Court, ICC, Russian National Guard, AFP, Getty, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Global Locations: Russia, Dagestan, Makhachkala Uytash, Ukraine, Gaza, Tel Aviv, ”, Russian, Makhachkala, Palestine, Beijing, China, Israel, Jerusalem, Moscow, Iran, United States, Chechnya, Chechen, Russia’s, Kremlin, East

☆ Analysis: Putin banks on wavering support for Ukraine, amid a race against time
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Last week, President Joe Biden signed into law a stopgap bill to avert a government shutdown, but funding for Ukraine was a casualty of the brinksmanship on Capitol Hill. The Biden administration emphasizes that that the American public’s support for Ukraine remains strong. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walks down the White House colonnade to the Oval Office with President Joe Biden during a visit to the White House in Washington, DC, on September 21. In his remarks at Valdai, he clearly implied that Russia intends to outlast the West over Ukraine. Paraphrasing Putin, Mylovanov said that the Kremlin believes that “Ukraine will have one week left to LIVE once Western supplies are over.

Persons: Donald Trump, he’d, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, “, Joe Biden, Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Volodymyr Zelensky, Kevin Lamarque, —, Robert Fico, Fico, Ukraine —, Wolfgang Schwan, Rob Bauer, brazenly, Tymofiy Mylovanov, Putin’s Valdai, Mylovanov, Wagner Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Ukraine, Capitol, White, Pentagon, of, Republican, Trump, European Union, NATO, Russia, Anadolu Agency, Warsaw Security, Royal Netherlands Navy, Committee, Kyiv School of Economics Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Washington, Washington ,, United States, Europe, Slovakia, EU, Russian, Bakhmut, Russia, Siberia, Eastern Siberia, Valdai, West, Brussels, Hroza, Kharkiv, Ukraine’s

☆ 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

☆ Newly declassified US intel claims Russia is laundering propaganda through unwitting Westerners
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —Russian intelligence is operating a systematic program to launder pro-Kremlin propaganda through private relationships between Russian operatives and unwitting US and western targets, according to newly declassified US intelligence. “At the end of the day, this unwitting target is disseminating Russian influence operation, Russian propaganda to their target public,” the US official said. In fact, the FSB directed his efforts and “almost certainly financed the project,” according to the declassified intelligence. The FSB does use similar tactics to influence political opinion within Russia, according to the intelligence. “The purpose of those protests really was … designed to sell it to the Russian people,” the US official said.

Persons: “, Maxim Grigoriev, Syria –, Bashar al, Assad, optees ”, Andrey Stepanenko, Natalia Burlinova, Anton Tsvetkov Organizations: Washington CNN, Russian, Russian Federal Security Service, CNN, UN, “, US, Embassy — Locations: Russian, Syria, Russia, United States, Ukraine, New York, Boston, Washington, Moscow —, Ukrainian

This is how Komsomolskaya School Number 1 is marking the opening of a new school desk, a so-called “hero desk” emblazoned with the face and biography of one of Russia’s war dead, once a pupil at this very school. The desks are part of a pan-Russian initiative called the “New School Project” and are funded by “United Russia,” a staunchly pro-Putin party. As of early May, United Russia said there were more than 14,000 desks in 9,000 schools across the country. Local news reports suggest some schools use the desks to reward good behavior or good grades. The desks across the country are standardized: green, with military photographs, a biography, medals awarded (often posthumously) and the soldier’s date of death.

Persons: It’s, ”, Gennady Alexandrovich Pavlov, Chuvashia, Gennady Pavlov, Russia’s, Daniil Ken, ” Ken, Sergei Shoigu, Ken, Alena Arshinova, Olga, Sergey Kravtsov, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, there’s, “, ‘, Tatyana Chervenko, Chervenko, Mikhail Stepanov, ’, Stepanov, Wagner, “ Artyomovsk Organizations: CNN, New, “ United, Putin, Teachers ’ Alliance, Russian Ministry of Defense, State Duma, United, Kyiv, Russian, Russia’s Security, Novosti, Ministry Locations: Russian, Chuvashia, Russia, “ United Russia, United Russia, Ukraine, Hostomel, Kyiv, United States, State, St . Petersburg, Simferopol, Crimea, “, Leningrad, ”, Moscow, Virginia, Khabarovsk, Russia’s, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

☆ Russia economy: Former CIA chief David Petraeus says US needs to 'tighten the screws'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

‘An economy that is hemorrhaging’Western sanctions have not delivered a deathblow to the Russian economy. Some, including economist Larry Summers, argue that economic penalties on Russia haven’t bitten as hard as anticipated because not enough countries have imposed sanctions. Others, like Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, say sanctions are “working tremendously” well against Russia. Petraeus praised the Treasury Department’s “very impressive” sanctions campaign, led by Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo. But the former CIA chief noted the complexity involved in modern sanctions, where target countries often find ways to evade restrictions.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, David Petraeus, “ Putin, ” Petraeus, month’s Wagner, Petraeus, Putin, ”, “ They’ve, Larry Summers, Russia haven’t, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, ” Sonnenfeld, Wally Adeyemo, “, Biden, Washington hasn’t, ’, you’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, KKR Global Institute, Reuters, US Central Command, CIA, Yale, KKR Locations: New York, Washington, Moscow, Russian, Europe, Russia, “ Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ The U.S. ambassador to Russia meets with a Wall Street Journal reporter as his 100th day in detention looms.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Gabriela Sá Pessoa | Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne M. Tracy, met with the detained Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich at Lefortovo Prison in Moscow on Monday, according to the State Department. It was the first time since April 17 that an American diplomatic official had been able to meet with Mr. Gershkovich, who has been held for more than 13 weeks on what American officials have said are bogus allegations of espionage. Ms. Tracy reported that Mr. Gershkovich was in “good health” and remained “strong, despite his circumstances.” Mr. Gershkovich, 31, has been held since late March at Lefortovo, a high-security jail known for difficult conditions for inmates, including extreme isolation. The Russian government’s allegations against Mr. Gershkovich have been vehemently rejected by the United States government and The Journal. The State Department reiterated on Monday that Mr. Gershkovich had been “wrongfully detained” — meaning that the U.S. government considers him to be the equivalent of a political hostage.

Persons: Lynne M, Tracy, Evan Gershkovich, Gershkovich, Mr, ” Organizations: Wall Street, State Department, Mr, United Locations: Russia, Moscow, Lefortovo, Russian, United States

☆ Yellen, at G7, to underscore U.S. commitment to Ukraine for 'as long as it takes'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Issei KatoNIIGATA, Japan, May 11 (Reuters) - Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday will underscore the United States' commitment to continue supporting Ukraine for as long as needed, while working with other rich nations to degrade Russia's ability to wage war against its neighbor. "I look forward to coordinating with other G7 members to support Ukraine and degrade Russia’s ability to wage war," she said in the remarks released by Treasury as the war approaches its 450th day. "Since Day One, our countries have stood united to support the Ukrainian people as they have mounted a fierce resistance," she said. Yellen also said caps on the price of Russian oil and oil products, discussed by G7 finance ministers for the first time just a year ago, were clearly working just a few months after its implementation in December and February, respectively. While the price cap coalition was moving to phase out all imports of Russian oil, officials were urging developing countries "to save on their oil costs by taking advantage of the price cap to negotiate steep bargains on Russian oil," she said.

Whatever the provenance of the two drones that approached the Kremlin early Wednesday morning, one thing was clear: The Russian government wanted the world to know about them. The Kremlin made a deliberate choice to quickly make public what it claimed was a drone attack aimed at assassinating President Vladimir V. Putin. It published an unusual, five-paragraph statement on its website that named the Ukrainian government as the perpetrator and asserted the right to retaliate against Kyiv. The Kremlin’s messaging diverged significantly from its response to previous episodes involving attacks on Russia or Russian-occupied territory. Now the question is whether Russia will use the incident to justify more and even deadlier strikes against Ukraine.

☆ Putin: Sanctions could hurt Russia's economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —President Vladimir Putin has conceded that Western sanctions designed to starve the Kremlin of funds for its invasion of Ukraine could deal a blow to Russia’s economy. “The illegitimate restrictions imposed on the Russian economy may indeed have a negative impact on it in the medium term,” Putin said in televised remarks Wednesday reported by state news agency TASS. It is a rare admission by the Russian leader, who has repeatedly insisted that Russia’s economy remains resilient and that sanctions have hurt Western countries by driving up inflation and energy prices. Putin said Russia’s economy had been growing since July, thanks in part to stronger ties with “countries of the East and South,” likely referring to China and some African countries. Russia’s economy has showed surprising resilience to unprecedented sanctions imposed by the West, including an EU ban on most imports of oil products.

☆ U.S. to Provide $25 Million to Costa Rica for Cybersecurity
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( James Rundle | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. will provide cybersecurity support to the government of Costa Rica, officials said, almost a year after a ransomware group laid siege to its critical infrastructure and triggered a state of emergency. The funds will also help Costa Rica with strategic and technical cyber planning, training, hardware and software licenses, the official said. The official said the U.S. government believes Costa Rica’s support for Ukraine may have been a factor in Conti’s attack, as the group previously expressed its support for the Russian government’s invasion. PREVIEWThe grant to Costa Rica follows similar efforts from the U.S. to assist Albania in recovering from a cyberattack, which the federal government has since linked to Iran. Costa Rica has applied to join this initiative, which comprises 36 countries and the European Union, the official said.

☆ How facial recognition is helping Putin curb dissent
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

There officers told the 51-year-old bank employee that the metro’s facial recognition system had flagged him for detention because of his political activism. Facial recognition is now helping police to identify and sweep up the Kremlin’s opponents as a preventive measure, whenever they choose. The facial recognition system in Moscow is powered by algorithms produced by one Belarusian company and three Russian firms. All but one said they understood from officers that they were flagged for detention by facial recognition. Facial recognition technology uses artificial intelligence algorithms to analyse and identify faces.

☆ Fact Check-Miscaptioned picture of Vladimir Putin with African leaders is not recent, dates back to 2019
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin posing alongside several African leaders was taken at the 2019 Russia-Africa summit in Sochi, not during the Russia-Africa parliamentary conference that took place in Moscow in March 2023. Focus.”The 2023 Russia-Africa parliamentary conference took place in Moscow on March 19 and 20 (here). A press release issued by the Russian Duma on March 20 says that parliamentary delegations of African countries, were present during the 2023 conference (duma.gov.ru/en/news/56536/). Reuters reporting on the 2019 summit is viewable (here). The photograph was taken at the 2019 Russia-Africa summit, not during the recent parliamentary conference in Moscow.

☆ Russia may run out of money in 2024, says oligarch
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Russia could find itself with no money as soon as next year and needs foreign investment, outspoken Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska has said. Putin praised the resilience of the country’s economy in the face of unprecedented Western sanctions imposed in the past year. Russia’s economic output shrank 2.1% last year, according to a preliminary estimate from the government. But cracks are starting to show — Russia is cutting oil production this month — and Western sanctions could escalate further. Ultimately, Russia’s economic prospects are contingent on what happens in Ukraine.

☆ U.S. Sanctions Russia’s Rosbank, Subsidiaries of VTB
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( David Smagalla | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. government has sanctioned Russian lender Rosbank and has expanded sanctions against VTB, one of the country’s largest banks, in a move to further limit the Russian government’s efforts to fund its war in Ukraine. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on Thursday announced sanctions against 17 subsidiaries of VTB, building on sanctions placed on the parent company in February, after Russia invaded Ukraine. The Treasury cited the importance of Rosbank to the Russian government, given that the lender is considered a “systemically important credit institution” in the country. The U.S. sanctions follow similar sanctions of Rosbank by the U.K. and Canada earlier this year. Nornickel wasn’t included in the State Department’s sanctions package.

☆ Fact Check-No evidence children were rescued from Joe Biden-owned property in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

There is no evidence that a Biden-owned property exists above a bioweapon lab in Ukraine, but social media users are sharing the claim, adding that thousands of children were rescued from the alleged bioweapon lab underneath the property. An Instagram user shared an image of a headline that reads, “BREAKING NEWS: Thousands of Children Rescued, Mutilated Bodies Recovered, From Biden-Owned Ukraine Property” (here). NO EVIDENCE OF CHILDREN RESCUED IN CAGESReuters has not found any evidence to support the claim in the articles of Russian soldiers having rescued thousands of children or recovered mutilated bodies in the alleged bioweapon lab in Ukraine from reputable news reports or the Russian government’s website (government.ru/en/news/). Similar narratives of a raid to rescue thousands of children from “Underground Tunnels” in the U.S. date to at least October 2019 (here), (here). There is no evidence children were rescued from a tunnel operating a biowarfare lab underneath a Biden-owned property in Ukraine.

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