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☆ Judges to rule in murder trial for 2014 downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MH17 was a passenger flight shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 passengers and crew. At the time, the area was the scene of fighting between pro-Russian separatist and Ukrainian forces, the precursor of this year's conflict. Moscow denies any involvement or responsibility for MH17's downing and in 2014 it also denied any presence in Ukraine. They were charged with shooting down an airplane and with murder in a trial held under Dutch law. Judges will begin reading the verdict at 1:30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT) at the high-security court next to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.

☆ Russia attacks Ukrainian missile plant and gas production facilities
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Russia pounded gas production facilities and a major missile factory in new missile strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine on Thursday, Ukrainian officials said. Now they are bombing our gas production (facilities), they are bombing our enterprises in Dnipro and Pivdenmash," Interfax Ukraine news agency quoted him as telling a conference. It was not immediately clear which gas production facilities he was referring to. Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities in recent weeks, launching some of the heaviest waves of missile strikes since invading Ukraine on Feb. 24. Kyiv city officials said two cruise missiles and four Iranian-made Shahed drones were destroyed near the city on Thursday.

☆ Dutch court convicts 2 Russians, 1 Ukrainian of murder in 2014 Malaysian jet downing over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

President of the court Steenhuis (2ndL) talks prior to verdict in the trial of four men prosecuted for their involvement in the MH17 downing case, in Badhoevedorp on November 17, 2022. A Dutch court on Thursday convicted two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian separatist in absentia of the murders of 298 people who died in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine and sentenced them to life imprisonment. Outside the court, planes could be heard taking off and landing nearby on a cold, gray day. Oleg Pulatovis the only one of the suspects who was acquited represented by defense lawyers at the trial. They accused prosecutors of "tunnel vision" in basing their case on the findings of an international investigation into the downing while ignoring other possible causes.

☆ Video appears to show a Russian-Ukrainian businessman stealing a llama and a raccoon from a zoo in Kherson
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Videos appear to show the owner of a Crimea-based zoo taking several animals from a different zoo. The owner of the Crimea zoo claims it was all done as part of a "humanitarian mission." But Ukraine accused him of theft, with the defense minister tweeting, "Steal a raccoon and die." The video also shows the businessman, identified as Oleg Zubkov, grabbing a raccoon by its tail and putting it in a cage. Ukraine's Defense Ministry, however, accused Zubkov of theft.

☆ Banksy, the elusive street artist, created a new mural in Ukraine depicting a gymnast on a building damaged during conflict with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Banksy created a mural of a gymnast balancing on a pile of rubble in Borodyanka, Ukraine. The town outside Kyiv was invaded and damaged by Russian shelling in the early months of the war. Graffiti in the city of Borodyanka, Ukraine, on November 12, 2022. A person walks by graffiti, possibly by Banksy, in the city of Irpin, Ukraine, on November 12, 2022. Oleg Pereverzev/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesResidents fled the town in March during a bout of Russian shelling, which one Ukrainian official said was "100% targeting civilians."

☆ Russian soldiers say leaders threw them into 'incomprehensible battle' where they lost 300 men and half their equipment
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian soldiers say hundreds of men died in "incomprehensible battle" in eastern Ukraine. The letter also accused Russian officials of "hiding these facts and skewing the official casualty statistics for fear of being held accountable." A second soldier told The Guardian that "hundreds" of Russian reservists had died in the battle. Accusations of heavy Russian losses prompted a rare response from Moscow. Many of these soldiers were drafted as part of Russia's mass mobilization of 300,000 reservists, per a report from Insider's Matthew Loh.

☆ The US is quietly asking major banks like JPMorgan and Citi to keep doing business with some Russian firms, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US officials asked major banks to maintain ties with Russian companies, Bloomberg reportedIts report said banks were asked to keep dealing with firms that are partly exempt from sanctions. The Russian firms included state-run gas giant Gazprom and fertilizer producer Uralkali PJSC, sources told Bloomberg. In a congressional hearing on September 21, CEOs of major US banks came under scrutiny for their dealings in Russia. Leaders of major Western banks have been condemned by Ukrainian officials, who said in July that they would pursue war-crimes charges against them. "In our logic, everybody who is financing these war criminals who are doing these terrible things in Ukraine are also committing war crimes," he added.

Russian officials on Monday denied allegations that an elite marine unit had suffered catastrophic losses during an “incomprehensible” assault in eastern Ukraine. Officials responded to what pro-Russian military bloggers and Telegram channels said was an unsigned open letter from members of the 155th marine brigade of Russia’s Pacific Fleet. The letter alleged that the unit was ordered to take Pavlovka, but instead, half the unit’s equipment was destroyed over four days. Chief of the General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov and Lt. Gen. Rustam Muradov, commander of Russia’s eastern military district, were guilty of “hiding” the true number of losses, it added. Who is now destroying our people on the routes of evacuation of the wounded and the supply of ammunition,” the letter said.

LONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry took the rare step on Monday of denying allegations that a naval infantry unit had suffered disastrous losses of men and equipment in a futile offensive in eastern Ukraine. It was addressed to Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of the far eastern Primorye region, thousands of miles from Ukraine, where the unit is based. Kozhemyako appeared to acknowledge the letter was genuine but said it exaggerated the scale of the true losses. The defence ministry statement, quoted by state-owned RIA news agency, rejected the assertion that the marines unit had suffered "high, pointless losses in people and equipment". I am sure that in any case the situation will be analysed and the competent authorities will give their assessment," he said.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest news: Fears ease of conflict widening
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

* NATO's secretary-general said Tuesday's blast in Poland was likely caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile but that Russia was ultimately responsible because it started the war. * Ukraine wants access to the site of the explosion, a senior Ukrainian defence official said. Oleg Danilov said Ukraine has evidence of a "Russian trace" in the incident, without giving any details. DIPLOMACY* Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said he met U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, who is in the region to discuss the war in Ukraine. Burns also met Russian President Putin's spy chief in Turkey this week.

☆ Iran says it shipped drones to Russia before Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The drone part is true and we provided Russia a small number of drones months before the Ukraine war," he said. Russia denies its forces have used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine. In a video address, Zelenskyy dismissed talk of limited Iranian supplies to Russia, saying Ukraine had downed 11 drones on Friday alone. Separately, U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley tweeted it was untrue that Iran had sent a few drones. Amirabdollahian repeated Tehran would "not remain indifferent" if it were proven Russia had used Iranian drones against Ukraine.

☆ Ex-KGB sleeper agent on Russia's nuclear threats: 'Putin is not a suicide bomber'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Putin's repeated nuclear threats during the Ukraine war have raised alarm worldwide. But Jack Barsky, a former KGB agent, threw cold water on the possibility Putin would use a nuke. Putin could even decide to attack Ukraine with a tactical nuclear weapon if he gets desperate enough, Western governments and top Russia analysts have warned. "During the Cold War, it was pretty tense and we got pretty close to nuclear war a couple of times. Shortly after the war began, Putin claimed to have placed Russia's nuclear deterrent forces on high alert.

☆ Amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, iconic arms-maker Kalashnikov is churning out a record number of guns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Kalashnikov, maker of the legendary AK-47, is reporting a huge increase in small arms sales. Many of the new rifles these reluctant conscripts will inevitably need will come from Kalashnikov, which manufactures most Russian small arms. SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images"The Kalashnikov Concern increased the production of small arms by 40 percent," the company said. Already in September, actual exports of civilian weapons were equal to the total figure for 2021." Kalashnikov, which comprises a group of manufacturing firms, provides 95% of Russian small arms.

☆ Tinkov renounces citizenship of 'fascist' Russia over Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Serial entrepreneur Oleg Tinkov has renounced his Russian citizenship, saying he does not want to be associated with “fascism” or people who collaborate with “killers.”In an Instagram post published on Tuesday, the 54-year-old founder of Tinkoff Bank wrote: “I decided to renounce my Russian citizenship after Russia invasion of independent Ukraine. He was forced to sell his 35% stake in TCS, Tinkoff Bank’s parent, to Russian metals magnate Vladimir Potanin in April, following a string of anti-war comments. “I hate when my brand/name is associated with the bank that collaborates with killers and blood.”Oleg Tinkov. Before he sold his stake, Britain imposed sanctions on Tinkov, saying he was “receiving benefits from the Russian government” through his stake in a systemically important company. Tinkoff previously held U.S. citizenship, but renounced that around the time Tinkoff Bank went public in 2013 in what Washington said was an attempt to avoid tax liabilities.

☆ Russian Oligarch and Putin Critic Renounces Citizenship Over Ukraine War
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Stu Woo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Oleg Tinkov, who has used Instagram to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s role in the Ukraine war, in St. Petersburg in 2019. Oligarch Oleg Tinkov said he has renounced his Russian citizenship over the war in Ukraine, making him one of the highest-profile Russian businessmen to take the step. In August, Russian-born billionaire tech investor Yuri Milner , a longtime fixture of the Silicon Valley venture capital set, renounced his Russian citizenship. Mr. Tinkov, who founded Russia’s Tinkoff Bank in 2006, said in an Instagram post that he didn’t want to be associated with what he called the “fascist regime” of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

London/Hong Kong CNN Business —Oleg Tinkov, the founder of a major Russian digital bank, has renounced his Russian citizenship in protest over the war in Ukraine. “I have taken the decision to exit my Russian citizenship,” Tinkov announced in a post on Instagram on Monday alongside a photo of a certificate confirming his decision, dated October 26. The post has since been taken down, but photos of it have been circulated on social media and reported by Russian state media. Tinkov, who founded Tinkoff Bank in 2006, earlier this year blasted Russia’s “insane war” in Ukraine. Nikolay Storonsky, the co-founder and CEO of Revolut, renounced his Russian citizenship earlier this year, the British company said Tuesday, confirming a report in The Telegraph.

☆ Entrepreneur Tinkov renounces Russian citizenship over Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In an Instagram post published on Tuesday, the 54-year-old founder of Tinkoff Bank wrote: "I decided to renounce my Russian citizenship after Russia invasion of independent Ukraine. He was forced to sell his 35% stake in TCS, Tinkoff Bank's parent, to Russian metals magnate Vladimir Potanin in April, following a string of anti-war comments. Tinkov said an original Instagram post published on Monday, with a picture of a certificate renouncing his citizenship as of Oct. 26, had "mysteriously disappeared". Before he sold his stake, Britain imposed sanctions on Tinkov, saying he was "receiving benefits from the Russian government" through his stake in a systemically important company. Tinkoff previously held U.S. citizenship, but renounced that around the time Tinkoff Bank went public in 2013 in what Washington said was an attempt to avoid tax liabilities.

☆ 2 major Russia businessmen renounced their citizenship, condemning Putin's invasion of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Revolut CEO Nikolay Storonsky and tycoon Oleg Tinkov renounced their Russian citizenship. "I hate Putin's Russia, but love all Russians, who are clearly against this crazy war!" In the later post, Tinkov blamed "Kremlin trolls" for that first post having "mysteriously disappeared." Storonsky also criticized the conflict in a company blog post earlier this year, highlighting his Ukrainian family connections. "I hope more prominent Russian businessmen will follow me, so it weakens Putin's regime and his economy," he wrote.

☆ Russia rains missiles on Kyiv, other cities after pulling out of grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Instead of fighting on the battlefield, Russia fights civilians,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. “Don’t justify these attacks by calling them a ‘response.’ Russia does this because it still has the missiles and the will to kill Ukrainians.”Foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said missiles had hit energy infrastructure in Kyiv and other cities, causing electricity and water outages. Russia and Ukraine are both among the world’s biggest food exporters, and a Russian blockade of Ukrainian grain shipments caused a global food crisis earlier this year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of “blackmailing the world with hunger” by pulling out of the food export deal negotiated by the United Nations and Turkey. The United Nations said it had agreed with Turkey and Ukraine on a transit plan for Monday for 16 ships to move Black Sea grain — 12 outbound and four inbound.

☆ Europe's militaries have been working together for years to keep an eye on what Russia is up to at sea
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Nord Stream pipeline sabotage in September drew new attention to maritime threats in Europe. European militaries have already been working on new ways to protect undersea infrastructure. Although the pipelines were not in use— Nord Stream 1 was shut down in March by EU sanctions against Russia, and Nord Stream 2 wasn't yet operational—the incident highlights the risks to underwater infrastructure. Even before the war in Ukraine, Western officials had grown worried about increasing activity by Russian ships and submarines around underwater cables crossing the Atlantic. "Russia is clearly taking an interest in NATO and NATO nations' undersea infrastructure," the admiral said at the time.

☆ Analysis: U.S. junk bond investors face tough choice as yields spike
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Matt Tracy | Shankar Ramakrishnan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - A sell-off in the U.S junk bond market is presenting investors with a buying opportunity but some are holding back, worried that a looming recession could spark widespread credit defaults. That level is the highest for yields since April 2020, while the index is down some 13% this year. That level is a critical zone of credit stress where credit markets become vulnerable to dysfunction, said Oleg Melentyev, credit strategist at the bank. DEARTH OF OFFERINGSAt the same time, risk aversion has slowed new bond issuance in the primary high-yield market to a trickle. That could change in 2023, however, if a recession further dampens activity in primary markets and borrowing costs remain high, spurring potential defaults in the lowest rungs of junk-rated bonds.

☆ As Ukraine plans its recovery, a climate group has a seat at the table
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Nidhi Sharma | Nidhi Sharma Is An Associate Producer With The Nbc News Climate Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

These are goals that the group says would put Ukraine in a position to no longer be dependent on fossil fuels. In rebuilding, the nation must decide whether it wants to return to fossil fuels, or build a cleaner, greener economy, Ustenko said. For some climate activists, Russia’s war in Ukraine has served as a call to action in a decadeslong climate emergency. Romanko said many nations have failed to do what is necessary: halt the use of all fossil fuels, as quickly as possible. She cited the plans released in March by the International Energy Agency to cut reliance on Russian fossil fuels, and fossil fuels overall, in 10 steps; no government has implemented these strategies, she said.

☆ Russia's Rusal files London lawsuit against Potanin over Nornickel pact
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The dispute centres on an agreement brokered by Moscow in 2012 between Nornickel's two largest shareholders, Potanin and Rusal, which protected its dividend payouts. Disputes over dividends have been the main reason for on-and-off rows between shareholders at Nornickel and Rusal over the past 14 years. SEEKING COMPENSATIONThe London lawsuit comes as Moscow faces Western sanctions over what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine. While Nornickel has not been directly targeted by Western sanctions, Potanin was sanctioned by Britain in June. Potanin has been chief executive of Nornickel for the duration of the agreement and Rusal said in its statement that it now required a "professional independent executive" as CEO.

☆ Rusal accuses Potanin of breaching Nornickel shareholder pact
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aluminium ingots are seen stored at the foundry shop of the Rusal Krasnoyarsk aluminium smelter in Krasnoyarsk, Russia October 3, 2018. Under the management of Mr. Potanin, Norilsk Nickel lost a number of assets that played a key role in group's activities. This resulted in Norilsk Nickel and its shareholders suffering significant losses." In July, Potanin in July floated the idea of a $60 billion merger of Nornickel with Rusal as a means of mitigating possible sanctions risks, but he said last month the idea had been postponed. He also said the 10-year shareholder agreement protecting Nornickel's dividend payouts was on track to expire at the end of 2022.

Some of the electronics obtained through the scheme have been found in Russian weapons platforms seized in Ukraine, prosecutors said. They used a German company to ship the military technologies, as well as Venezuelan oil, to Russian purchasers, prosecutors said. The U.S.-origin technologies can be used in fighter aircraft, ballistic and hypersonic missile systems, smart munitions, and other military applications, Treasury said. After the initial round of U.S. sanctions on PDVSA, Russia's Rosneft emerged as a key intermediary for Venezuelan crude. After Washington sanctioned Rosneft subsidiaries over their dealings with PDVSA, dozens of firms with no track record of oil trading have been intermediating in sales of Venezuelan oil to Chinese buyers.

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