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☆ Elon Musk's pro-Russian peace deal is 'classic Putin,' and there's a clue of the Russian leader's role, Fiona Hill argues
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk's foray into the Russia-Ukraine war is being guided by Putin, according to Fiona Hill. The Russia expert told Politico that Putin frequently uses prominent people as intermediaries. "Putin plays the egos of big men, gives them a sense that they can play a role," Hill said. But in reality, they're just direct transmitters of messages from Vladimir Putin," Hill told Politico this week, noting that the Tesla billionaire has tipped his hand in an obvious display of Putin's influence. Musk's sudden emergence as an apparent player in foreign affairs may seem curious, but it's actually a "classic Putin play," Hill said.

☆ Russian drones hit sunflower oil terminal in Ukraine's Mykolaiv - officials
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sunflower oil storage tanks burn after Russian suicide drone strikes, which Ukrainian authorities consider to be Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) Shahed-136, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine October 17, 2022. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERSKYIV, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Russian kamikaze drones hit tanks with sunflower oil at one of the terminals in the Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv late on Sunday, the city mayor said on Monday. read more"In Mykolaiv, three drones hit an object of industrial infrastructure, where tanks with sunflower oil were ignited," Mykolaiv mayor Oleksandr Senkevich. read more read moreUkraine is conducting a counter-offensive to try to push Russian troops out of the city of Kherson to the southeast. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Pavel Polityuk Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Putin is running low on long-range precision weapons, and he's wasting his dwindling supply terrorizing Ukrainians in cities far from the front lines, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Russian forces unleashed a barrage of long-range precision weapons on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure this week. Russian forces, he said, do not have the capability to do this "three or four days a week for the next two years. Bombing civilians is 'unlikely' to break Ukraine's will to fightIt's unclear exactly how many long-range munitions Russian forces have left in the arsenal. Getty ImagesInsider was unable to independently verify the total number of long-range munitions left in the hands of the Russian forces. Gentile said that if Russian forces want to strike targets deeper in Ukraine, they don't really have a choice beyond long-range munitions.

Russia’s domestic intelligence service said Wednesday it arrested eight people in connection with a blast that damaged a key bridge to the annexed Crimean Peninsula, blaming Ukraine for an incident that dealt a high-profile blow to President Vladimir Putin. In a press release Wednesday, the FSB said Ukraine’s military intelligence and its chief, Kyrylo Budanov, were behind the attack. The explosive was detonated as it was being carried in a truck toward Crimea on Saturday, the FSB said. A press officer for Ukraine's military intelligence service, Andrii Yusov, declined to comment, telling NBC News: "We are not commenting on the statements made by terrorists." Putin swiftly labeled the bridge blast “terrorism” and boasted that the deadly aerial barrage his military unleashed on Ukrainian cities earlier this week was an act of revenge.

☆ Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine are a 'show of weakness,' says former U.S. ambassador to NATO
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Natalie Tham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine aren't a show of strength, but a "show of weakness" that reflects its inability to advance and seize Ukrainian territory, said Kurt Volker, a distinguished fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis. On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that he ordered long-range missile strikes on a number of locations in Ukraine targeting military, energy and communications facilities. "Putin's goal was to take over Ukraine, replace the government, have someone in Ukraine that was subordinate to Moscow. That's simply not going to happen," the former U.S. ambassador to NATO (2008-2009) told CNBC's "Capital Connection" on Tuesday. Volker, who was also U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations (2017-2019), added that Russia's increasing aggression is an expected reaction to Ukraine's resistance.

☆ Putin's missile barrage on Ukraine showed weakness instead of strength, former speechwriter says. 'There's nothing else the army can do.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin's former speechwriter said Putin was trying to was trying to project strength. His assessment was that Putin's attacks were an attempt to demonstrate power to his internal critics, but ultimately backfired. A man runs after missiles hit central Kyiv, Ukraine on October 10, 2022. REUTERS/Gleb GaranichCars burn after Russian military strike, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in central Kyiv, Ukraine October 10, 2022. Russia's attacks on Monday did not appear hit any military targets.

☆ Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine are a 'show of weakness,' says analyst
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailRussia's latest attacks on Ukraine are a 'show of weakness,' says analystKurt Volker, distinguished fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, says the Russians aren't able to "advance and take Ukrainian territory anymore."

☆ India’s words are anti-war, but New Delhi’s actions are propping up Putin’s regime
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-03 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New Delhi has repeatedly abstained from votes condemning Russia at the United Nations – providing Moscow with a veneer of international legitimacy. And in August, India participated in Russia’s large-scale Vostok military exercises alongside China, Belarus, Mongolia and Tajikistan – where Moscow paraded its vast arsenal. “There’s a feeling that Putin is pushing India’s limits because in some ways, it’s put itself out on a limb. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty ImagesSuperficially at least, India and China also appear to have similar positions on the Ukraine war. But despite India’s increasing closeness with the West, it is prioritizing the dangers in its own backyard, analysts say.

☆ Rouble hits over 2-month high vs dollar, Russian stocks stutter
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Alexander Marrow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

By 1217 GMT, the rouble was 0.9% stronger against the dollar at 57.00 , earlier hitting 56.5450, its strongest point since July 22. "For now, the rouble is supported by fears that new sanctions from the West could paralyse dollar trading in Russia," said Alor Broker in a note. STOCKS RECOVERY STUTTERSBCS Global Markets said geopolitical risks should prohibit any major leg up for Russian stock indexes, which pared early gains. The rouble-based MOEX Russian index (.IMOEX) was 1.4% lower at 1,936.0 points, heading back towards February lows hit on Monday. "In the coming days, the Russian market should trade in a narrow band - investors are likely to sit on the fence hoping for more clarity," BCS said.

☆ Putin to annex four Ukrainian territories in Kremlin ceremony on Friday
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Ceremony to take place in Grand Kremlin Palace on FridayPutin to make major speech, meet Russian-installed leadersRussia to annex 15% of UkraineUkraine and West denounce 'referendums' as illegalLONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will on Friday begin formally annexing 15% of Ukrainian territory, presiding at a ceremony in the Kremlin to declare four Ukrainian regions part of Russia. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the ceremony would take place at 3 p.m. (1200 GMT) on Friday in the St George's (Georgievsky) Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace to sign "agreements on the accession of new territories into the Russian Federation". Agreements will be signed "with all four territories that held referendums and made corresponding requests to the Russian side", Peskov said. Following the signing ceremonies, Putin will give a major speech and meet with Moscow-appointed administrators of the Ukrainian regions. The ceremony is part of a process in which Peskov said Putin would separately address the Russian parliament at a later stage.

☆ Russia says it will formally annex 4 Ukrainian regions on Friday, Putin to hold a grandstand ceremony
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia said it will hold a ceremony on Friday to mark the annexation of four Ukrainian territories. Russia held sham referendums in those regions about becoming part of Russia. Russia-backed officials held referendums in those regions this week and said the results showed that people in those regions want to join Russia. And US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US will "never recognise the annexation of Ukrainian territory by Russia." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia could use the annexation to force Ukrainian men in those regions to join Russia's army.

☆ Ukraine calls emergency meeting of security, defence chiefs
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will hold an emergency meeting with top security, political and defence officials on Friday, following the Kremlin's announcement of plans by Russia to annex four Ukrainian regions. "President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called an urgent meeting of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine for tomorrow. The National Security and Defense Council includes, among others, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the defence, foreign and prime ministers, and the head of the Ukrainian Security Service. It is tasked with working with the president on developing and coordinating national security policy. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Max Hunder, Editing by Timothy HeritageOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Occupied Ukrainian regions to ask Putin to annex them after 'sham' votes
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Russian-installed officials in occupied regions of Ukraine said Wednesday they would ask President Vladimir Putin to incorporate them into Russia, a day after claiming that their residents overwhelmingly supported such a move in Kremlin-orchestrated votes widely viewed as illegitimate. The referendums asking residents whether they wanted the four occupied southern and eastern Ukraine regions to be incorporated into Russia began Sept. 23, often with armed officials going door-to-door collecting votes. Pro-Moscow officials in the eastern Luhansk region and the partially occupied southern region of Zaporizhzhia said they will make the request on Wednesday. Sergey Bobok / AFP - Getty ImagesAuthorities in the southern Ukrainian city of Nikopol say Russian rockets and artillery have pounded the city overnight. In the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, which is partially occupied by Moscow, Russian fire killed five people and wounded 10 others over the past 24 hours, said Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.

☆ Zelenskiy works the phone to rally support against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sought to rally international support for his country against Russia in a series of calls with foreign leaders on Wednesday as Moscow looked poised to annex a swath of Ukrainian territory. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"We expect London’s leadership in reaction to Russian sham referenda as well. Defence and financial aid to Ukraine must be enhanced in response," Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter after speaking to British Prime Minister Liz Truss. In another call, Zelenskiy won a promise from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Berlin's financial, political and humanitarian support for Ukraine would not waver. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy HeritageOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: Russia's annexation plan in Ukraine: what happens now?
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Banners read: "Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson. - Donetsk People's Republic (DPR): 99.23% for joining Russia, 0.62% against. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register- Luhansk People's Republic (LNR): 98.42% for joining Russia. A tribune with giant video screens had been set up on Moscow's Red Square, with billboards proclaiming "Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson - Russia!" That could prompt some sort of ultimatum from Russia to Ukraine and the West.

☆ Ukrainians flee from Russian annexation - while they still can
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

As Russia prepares to annex a swathe of Ukrainian territory the size of Portugal after staging what it calls referendums in four provinces, hundreds of Ukrainians escaped through the last Russian checkpoint. For now, Russian forces have been letting some people out of occupied parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces through the one checkpoint. The biggest fear is that fighting-aged men will be press-ganged into Russian forces once Moscow declares the territory to be Russia. With public schools ordered to switch to the Russian curriculum and classes in Russian next month, she did not want her 13-year-old son Bogdan returning to the local school. Kyiv and Western countries call the exercise a complete sham, aimed at justifying the annexation of territory seized by force.

☆ Ukraine says it will never agree to Russian ultimatums
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Urging its international partners to impose tough new sanctions on Moscow and provide Kyiv with more military aid, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Ukraine would never agree to Russian ultimatums. "Forcing people in these territories to fill out some papers at the barrel of a gun is yet another Russian crime in the course of its aggression against Ukraine," it said. "Ukraine and the international community condemn such actions of Russia and consider them null and worthless," the statement said. Ukraine will never agree to any Russian ultimatums. Moscow's attempts to create new separation lines or weaken international support for Ukraine are doomed to fail."

☆ Russia's Medvedev raises spectre of nuclear strike on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Maxim ShemetovSept 27 (Reuters) - One of President Vladimir Putin's allies on Tuesday explicitly raised the spectre of a nuclear strike on Ukraine, saying that the U.S.-led military alliance would still stay out of the conflict for fear of a nuclear apocalypse. According to Russia's nuclear doctrine, the president may use nuclear weapons if the state faces an existential threat, including from conventional weapons. Around 90% of the world's nuclear warheads are held by Russia and the United States, who remain by far the world's biggest nuclear powers. Russia has the right to use nuclear weapons if necessary," Medvedev said, adding that it would do so "in predetermined cases" and in strict compliance with state policy. Medvedev, who cast himself as a liberalising president from 2008-2012, has regularly issued hawkish statements about the war in Ukraine.

A service member of pro-Russian troops fires a mortar in the direction of Avdiivka during Russia-Ukraine conflict, outside Donetsk, Ukraine September 17, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander ErmochenkoLONDON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - First partial voting results from four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine showed majorities of more than 96% in favour of becoming part of Russia after so-called referendums that Kyiv and the West have denounced as a sham. Russian-installed officials took ballot boxes from house to house in what Ukraine and the West said was an illegitimate, coercive exercise to create a legal pretext for Russia to annex the four regions. The scale of the pro-Moscow vote came as no surprise, after voting that Ukraine said was carried out at gunpoint in many cases. It mirrored a referendum in Crimea after Russia's seizure of the region from Ukraine in 2014, when Crimea's leaders declared a 97% vote to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.

Members of a local electoral commission count ballots at a polling station following a referendum on the joining of Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine to Russia, in Sevastopol, Crimea September 27, 2022. Voting at the polling station was held for residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) - the Russian-controlled region of Ukraine. Luhansk authorities said 98.5% of people there had voted to join Russia, based on 69% of ballots counted. Ukraine has repeatedly warned that Russian annexation of territories would destroy any chance of peace talks, seven months after Russia invaded its neighbour. The votes mirrored a referendum in Crimea after Russia's seizure of the southern peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, when Crimea's leaders declared a 97% vote to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.

☆ Putin ally admits he created the Wagner mercenary group linked to wartime atrocities: 'I cleaned old weapons myself'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin admitted to founding the Wagner mercenary firm in 2014. "I cleaned old weapons myself," the billionaire, known as "Putin's chef," said in a statement. Prigozhin previously denied founding the group and sued those who reported on his Wagner ties. "From that moment, on May 1, 2014, a group of patriots was born, which later acquired the name PMC Wagner." Timothy Lay, a coauthor of the report, told Insider that Wagner's actions — including widespread looting — were akin to "criminal violence."

☆ Some men in white-collar jobs like banking and IT won't be drafted to fight in Ukraine, Russia's defense ministry says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

After Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "partial mobilization" into Ukraine, some men are fleeing to avoid the draft. The Russian Ministry of Defense said some men in certain white-collar jobs will not be drafted. Sign up for our newsletter to receive our top stories based on your reading preferences — delivered daily to your inbox. Putin announced last week the "partial mobilization" of 300,000 military reservists to continue fighting in Ukraine. Forbes Russia reported that The Association of Software Developers in Russia sent an appeal to the Ministry of Digital Transformation for IT employees to be exempted from the war draft.

☆ Putin expected to proclaim annexation of Ukraine territory within days
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Russian-backed authorities claim to have carried out the referendums over five days on territory that makes up around 15% of Ukraine. "This farce in the occupied territories cannot even be called an imitation of a referendum," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in video address overnight. Russian officials have said any attack on annexed territory would be an attack on Russia itself. Russia's planned annexation of Ukrainian territory has been rejected globally, with even traditional allies of Moscow such as Serbia and Kazakhstan saying they will not recognise it. For now, Russian officials at the checkpoint were letting some people leave.

☆ Explainer: Putin’s planned annexation of 15% of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsExplainer: Putin’s planned annexation of 15% of UkrainePostedPresident Vladimir Putin is preparing to formally annex around 15% of Ukrainian territory after referendums on joining Russia in areas controlled by Russian forces or Russian-backed separatists. Emma Jehle has more.

☆ Factbox: Russia prepares to formally annex 15% of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Sergei PivovarovLONDON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin is preparing to formally annex around 15% of Ukrainian territory after referendums on joining Russia in areas controlled by Russian forces or Russian-backed separatists. The United States is prepared to impose additional economic costs on Russia in conjunction with U.S. allies if Moscow moves forward with annexing portions of Ukrainian territory, the White House said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine had received sophisticated air defence systems, known as National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), from the United States. Taken together, Russia would be annexing at least 90,000 square km of Ukrainian territory. With Crimea and the territory in the four other areas, Russia would have annexed at least one fifth of Ukrainian territory.

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