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WARSAW, Aug 14 (Reuters) - The Polish government wants to pose questions to voters during a Oct. 15 election that will include whether Poland should take in "thousands of illegal immigrants", a move rivals say aims to swing the vote by misleading voters about opposition policies. The centrist Civic Platform (PO), the main opposition party which is running neck and neck with PiS according to some polls, says the questions are designed to sway voters by distorting the opposition's stance on these sensitive issues. PiS, seeking a third term in power, has put opposition to migration at the centre of its campaign and says the opposition would hurt the economy by selling state assets and endanger security amid Russia's war in Ukraine. "When we propose a question so that we don't sell out Poland's wealth, the opposition gets furious. The PO says it does not have an open-door migrant policy and says none of the questions represent their policies.

Persons: PiS, Mateusz Morawiecki, Malgorzata Kidawa, Blonska, Mariusz Blaszczak, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Edmund Blair Organizations: WARSAW, Law and Justice, European Union, Twitter, Defence, Thomson Locations: Polish, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, East, Africa, Europe

☆ China defence minister to visit Russia, Belarus Aug 14-19
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, Russia, April 16, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoBEIJING, Aug 14 (Reuters) - China's defence minister Li Shangfu will visit Russia and Belarus from Aug. 14-19, the ministry said in a statement on Monday. While in Russia, Li will attend an international security meeting and make a speech there, according to the statement. During his visit to Belarus, he will meet with the Belarus' head of state and military. Li will also visit military departments in Belarus.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Pavel Bednyakov, Li, Albee Zhang, Liz Lee, Kim Coghill Organizations: Defence, Sputnik, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, BEIJING, Belarus, China, Beijing

☆ Poland detains two Russians for distributing Wagner Group propaganda
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Two Russians accused of disseminating propaganda on behalf of the Wagner mercenary group in two Polish cities have been arrested and charged with espionage, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said on Monday. They fly-posted around 300 leaflets in Krakow and Warsaw, which were among around 3,000 pro-Wagner items of propaganda in their possession, the press office of the minister responsible for coordinating special services said in a statement. "Both were charged with espionage, among other things," Kaminski wrote on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Mercenaries of the Wagner Group have served as shock troops in Ukraine and are expanding their presence in West Africa. ($1 = 101.3925 roubles)Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Toby Chopra and John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wagner, Mariusz Kaminski, Kaminski, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Pawel Florkiewicz, Toby Chopra, John Stonestreet Organizations: WARSAW, Wagner Group, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Krakow, Warsaw, Ukraine, West Africa, Russian, Belarus, Poland

☆ UK defence ministry: Kremlin may no longer fund Wagner Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A staff removes a logo on a window of the "PMC Wagner Centre", associated with the founder of the Wagner Group, in Saint Petersburg, Russia July 1, 2023. REUTERS/Anton VaganovAug 13 (Reuters) - Britain's defence ministry said on Sunday there was a realistic possibility that Russia no longer funds the activities of the mercenary Wagner Group. loadingThe defence ministry said in a daily bulletin the Russian state has acted against some other business interests of Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin after he led a failed mutiny against the Russian army's top brass in June. "If the Russian state no longer pays Wagner, the second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities," it said, adding that this would be a drain on Belarus' resources. The ministry said the Wagner Group was moving towards downsizing and reconfiguring to save on staff salary expenses at a time of financial pressure.

Persons: Anton Vaganov, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gokul, William Mallard Organizations: PMC, Wagner, REUTERS, Wagner Group, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Russian, Belarusian, Belarus, Bengaluru

☆ Yevgeny Prigozhin: Where in the world is the Wagner warlord?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It was a stark contrast to the fate of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner. Back in June, Prigozhin led the abortive mutiny that presented the biggest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in over two decades of rule. Speaking after Wagner fighters relocated to Belarus, Prigozhin suggested he remained focused on this core African market. In a recent Telegram message, Prigozhin hinted that Wagner might be ready to offer its services there. “And this is the (the reason for the) love for PMC Wagner, this is the high efficiency of PMC Wagner.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Prigozhin hasn’t, –, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Andrei Kelin, Kelin, “, ” Kelin, Vladimir, Kara, Murza, … Prigozhin, CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Candace Rondeaux, Rondeaux, it’s, ” Rondeaux, Mateusz Morawiecki, Morawiecki, ” Prigozhin, Sudan –, PMC Wagner, Mohamed Bazoum, Tatiana Stanovaya Organizations: CNN, Central African Republic, Kremlin, Amanpour, Putin’s, NATO, Polish, Wagner Group, PMC Wagner, PMC, Russian Foreign Ministry, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Putin Locations: Russian, Moscow, Russia, Africa, St . Petersburg, Orchestra_W, United Kingdom, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, America, Prigozhin, Putin’s Russia, Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Sudan, Libya, Niger, Putin Russia

☆ Prigozhin, Russia's Wagner Group leader, will be killed by Putin or lead another coup within 6 months, journalist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An investigative journalist predicted that the Wagner Group boss would either be killed or lead another coup. After an aborted mutiny, Yevgeny Prigozhin and many Wagner troops agreed to move to Belarus. A think tank said that Wagner troops were planning to return to Russia, suggesting the deal was collapsing. In six months, Prigozhin will either be dead, or there will be a second coup. The think tank said that Putin has "failed to decisively resolve" issues brought up by Prigozhin and Wagner following the rebellion.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Christo Grozev, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Prigozhin, Vladimir, Putin, Grozev, Alexander Lukashenko, ISW, Lukashenko Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Financial Times, Bellingcat, for Locations: Belarus, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Ukraine, Belarusian

☆ Poland plans to send up to 10,000 soldiers to border with Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A sign is seen near the Bug River at the Poland-Belarus border, near Kostomloty, Poland July 20, 2023. REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki/File PhotoWARSAW, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Poland is planning to move up to 10,000 additional troops to the border with Belarus to support the Border Guard, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Thursday. "About 10,000 soldiers will be on the border, of which 4,000 will directly support the Border Guard and 6,000 will be in the reserve," the minister said in an interview for public radio. Deputy interior minister Maciej Wasik said on Wednesday that Poland would send 2,000 additional troops to its frontier with Belarus. The head of the Border Guard, Tomasz Praga, said earlier this week that 19,000 people have tried to cross the Polish-Belarusian border illegally this year, up from 16,000 last year.

Persons: Kuba, Mariusz Blaszczak, Blaszczak, Maciej Wasik, Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Tomasz Praga, Pawel, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Border Guard, Defense, Thomson Locations: Poland, Belarus, Kostomloty, Belarusian

CNN —Poland is planning to move around 10,000 troops to its eastern border with Belarus amid mounting concerns over Wagner forces in the region. Wagner troops have been stationed within Belarus – a close ally of Russia – in the wake of a short-lived rebellion carried out by the group. The Polish Defense Minister, Mariusz Blaszczak, told public radio that while 10,000 soldiers will be on the border, 4,000 will directly support the border guard and the remaining 6,000 will be in reserve. Geoffroy van der Hasselt/AFP/Getty ImagesThe border wall at the Polish Belarusian border on July 09, 2023. Poland has been sounding the alarm about Wagner forces in Belarus in recent weeks.

Persons: Wagner, Russia –, Mariusz Blaszczak, Blaszczak, ” Blaszczak, ”, Geoffroy van der, Omar Marques, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Mateusz Morawiecki Organizations: CNN, Belarus –, Polish Defense, Polish, European Air Defence Conference, Les Invalides, Getty, Russian, Defense Ministry, NATO, EU Locations: Poland, Belarus, Russia, Belarusian, Paris, Geoffroy van der Hasselt, AFP, Polish Belarusian, Lithuania, Russian

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the Second Summit Economic And Humanitarian Forum Russia Africa on July 27, 2023 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin is weighing whether to attend his first in-person meeting with Western leaders since his forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, a Kremlin source tells NBC News. In 2014, after Russia's annexation of Crimea, Putin was publicly shunned and sidelined during the G20 meeting in Australia. Next month's G20 summit is already set to be the most contentious in years and an important litmus test of many countries' true positions on Ukraine. "And some of the leaders, including President Biden, already decided to ignore President Putin and not take any picture with him."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, hasn't, Xi Jinping, Alexey Maslov, Maslov, Jonathan Eyal, Dmitry Peskov, Nirmala Sitharaman, Cyril Ramaphosa, Andrei Fedorov, Russia's, Putin's, Fedorov, Biden, Jamal Khashoggi, Modi, Eyal Organizations: Russia Africa, Summit ., Western, NBC News, Kremlin, Institute of, Studies, Moscow State University, Royal United Services Institute, International, ICC, United Nations, Washington Post, Mr Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, New Delhi, Russian, Belarus, China, Central, London, Crimea, Australia, Bali , Indonesia, France, Bali, Russia's, Johannesburg, Brazil, India, South Africa, Rome, United States, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

☆ U.S. Broadens Sanctions Against Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( David Smagalla | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-broadens-sanctions-against-belarus-94a177d1

Persons: Dow Jones, 94a177d1 Locations: belarus

☆ Poland to send 2,000 troops to reinforce Belarus border
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A sign is seen near the Bug River at the Poland-Belarus border, near Kostomloty, Poland July 20, 2023. Poland has worried increasingly about the border area since hundreds of battle-hardened Wagner mercenaries arrived in Belarus last month at the invitation of President Alexander Lukashenko. Belarus started military exercises near the border this week, and Lukashenko said several times that he is restraining Wagner fighters who want to attack Poland. "This reinforcement will be not by 1,000, but by 2,000 soldiers," Maciej Wasik told PAP. Belarus started military exercises near the border this week.

Persons: Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Maciej Wasik, Mariusz Blaszczak, Wasik, Alan Charlish, Peter Graff Organizations: REUTERS, Border Guard, Security, Defence, Thomson Locations: Poland, Belarus, Kostomloty, WARSAW, Belarusian, Warsaw

☆ Poland to Deploy 2,000 Troops To Reinforce Belarus Border
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Poland will send an additional 2,000 troops to reinforce its border with Belarus, a deputy interior minister told Poland’s state news agency on Wednesday, amid heightened tensions in the area related to the war in Ukraine. The minister, Maciej Wasik, said that the deployment was double what the country’s Border Guard had requested and that the reinforcements would arrive in two weeks, according to PAP, Poland’s state news agency. There was no immediate response from Belarus. Poland’s prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said last week that there were at least 4,000 Wagner fighters in Belarus. He warned against “provocations” and “sabotage actions” from Belarus by the relocated Wagner fighters, a caution that came days after two Belarusian helicopters breached Polish airspace, heightening jitters in the region.

Persons: Maciej Wasik, Wasik, Russia’s Wagner, Mateusz Morawiecki, Wagner Organizations: country’s Border Guard, NATO Locations: Poland, Belarus, Ukraine

☆ Belarus opposition march in Warsaw on anniversary of contested election
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Hundreds of opponents of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko marched through the Polish capital Warsaw on Wednesday to mark the third anniversary of their unsuccessful attempt to unseat him in an election they say was rigged. Protests dragged on for months after Lukashenko claimed victory in the Aug. 9, 2020 presidential election. Western countries backed the protesters' demand for a peaceful transfer of power and slapped economic sanctions on Belarus. [1/5]People take part in Belarusians' march through Warsaw on the third anniversary of the 2020 presidential election which was followed by mass protests over alleged electoral fraud, in Warsaw, Poland, August 9, 2023. Exiled opponents of Lukashenko met in Warsaw on Sunday to display unity and plan strategy including the issuance of "New Belarus" passports.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Sviatlana Mishurova, Kacper, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Kuba Stezycki, Alan Charlish, Gareth Jones Organizations: WARSAW, Warsaw, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Poland, Warsaw

Ukraine’s National Resistance Center — an official body — claimed Tuesday that the construction of another camp to host Wagner Group fighters has begun in the Zyabrovka Air Base in Belarus. “On the border with Ukraine, in the village of Zyabrovka in the Republic of Belarus, a new camp for 'Wagner' PMC mercenaries is being built,” the center said on its website. Zyabrovka is located near Gomel in southeastern Belarus, about 40 kilometers from the border with Ukraine's Chernihiv region. The camp can house around 1,000 personnel, the center said, and it looks like a tent city. Moscow used Belarusian territory to facilitate its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, strengthening ties between President Vladimir Putin and Lukashenko.

Persons: —, Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Wagner’s, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, ” Organizations: Resistance Center, Wagner Group, Zyabrovka, Base, PMC, “, CNN, Ukraine, NATO Locations: Belarus, “, Ukraine, Zyabrovka, Republic of Belarus, Chernihiv, Gomel, Ukraine's Chernihiv, Russia, Moscow, Poland, Europe, Warsaw, Belarusian

☆ WTA roundup: Nao Hibino upsets Linda Noskova for Prague title
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Aug 7, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Venus Williams (USA) waves to the crowd after her loss against Madison Keys (USA) (not pictured) in first round play at IGA Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY SportsAugust 8 - Japan's Nao Hibino ended a four-year title drought Monday with a 6-4, 6-1 defeat of No. 4 seed and home favorite Linda Noskova at the Livesport Prague Open in the Czech Republic. After taking the opening set rather easily, Keys needed nine match points to put Williams away. "You have to find that balance between playing risky, aggressive, but not too risky, not too much, because then (Swiatek's) not going to give you many points," Pliskova said.

Persons: Venus Williams, Eric Bolte, Nao Hibino, Linda Noskova, Romania's Jaqueline Cristian, Hibino, Noskova, Keys, Williams, Karolina Pliskova, Lin Zhu of, Pliskova, Katie Boulter, Belinda Bencic, Cirstea, Victoria, Italy's Jamine Paolini, Marie Bouzkova, Sloane Stephens, Jennifer Brady Organizations: Madison Keys, IGA, Livesport, WTA, Hiroshima, Omnium Banque, Venus, Iga, Victoria Azarenka of, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, USA, Czech Republic, Tashkent, Omnium, Czech, Lin Zhu of China, Switzerland, Romanian, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus

☆ War and Wagner pose dilemma for Belarus exiles. Plus, the Amazon summit and Haiti violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Belarus’ opposition cautiously hope that Russia’s faltering invasion of Ukraine could give them a chance against President Lukashenko. But Wagner’s presence further complicates any uprising. As leaders meet for a summit on the future of the Amazon rainforest – we hear from an indigenous chief calling for action. Plus, thousands protest out-of-control gang violence in Haiti. Three years in exile, Belarus opposition divided about pathAmazon rainforest nations gather to forge shared policy in BrazilThousands of protesters march in Haiti against gang violenceOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lukashenko Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Ukraine, Haiti, Brazil

And his fellow veterans of the Ukraine conflict are bound to play a role in the fight for their own country. With nearly all the opposition now in jail or exile, that is no small feat. Six weeks ago, there was a brief jolt of hope for the Belarus opposition, when Russia's Wagner mercenary group launched a mutiny inside Russia. But within hours, Lukashenko himself helped bring an end to the Russian mutiny, negotiating for Wagner fighters to move to Belarus. Exactly what role the Wagner fighters will play in Belarus is anyone's guess, but for the opposition, nothing good can come of it, said Kedyshko.

Persons: Pavel Maryeuski, Alexander Lukashenko's, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko's, Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko, Stanislava Glinnik, Belarus's, Pavel Kuhta, Tsikhanouskaya's, Sergey Kedyshko, Russia's Wagner, Wagner, Weeks, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Mike Collett, White, Peter Graff Organizations: WARSAW, Reuters, Coordination, United Operational, Lukashenko's Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Minsk, Soviet, Karma, Warsaw, Belarusian, Moscow

☆ From Twitter to X: Why Musk is Resurrecting His Favorite Domain
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Satellite Images Reveal Wagner Movements From Russia to Belarus The Wagner Group is moving troops and vehicles to Belarus following a short-lived march on Moscow in June. WSJ examines satellite images and social media video to map their path and to learn more about the expansion of a Wagner-linked camp. Photo composite: Eve Hartley

Persons: Wagner, Eve Hartley Organizations: Belarus The Wagner, WSJ Locations: Russia, Belarus, Moscow

☆ Two years after Olympic defection, Belarusian sprinter cleared to race for Poland
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who left the Olympic Games in Tokyo and seeks asylum in Poland, attends a news conference in Warsaw, Poland August 5, 2021. Maciek Jazwiecki/Agencja Gazeta via REUTERS/File PhotoGENEVA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, the Belarusian sprinter who defected at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago, has been cleared by World Athletics to compete for Poland after it waived the normal three-year waiting period for nationality changes. She defected to Poland, saying she feared for her safety if she returned to Belarus. A letter by the World Athletics Nationality Review Panel seen by Reuters on Monday said that Tsimanouskaya could represent Poland starting Aug. 6, 2023. World Athletics referred questions to the Polish Athletic Association (PZLA), saying it was a confidential application process.

Persons: Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, Maciek, Tsimanouskaya, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Olympic, Gazeta, REUTERS, Tokyo Olympics, World Athletics, Olympics, Reuters, Olympic Games, Polish Athletic Association, Paris Games, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Poland, Warsaw, Belarusian, Belarus, BLR, Budapest, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ How Trucking Giant Yellow Collapsed: What Went Wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Wagner, Eve Hartley Organizations: Belarus The Wagner, WSJ Locations: Russia, Belarus, Moscow

[1/5] Belarus' exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gives an opening speech during the New Belarus conference in Warsaw, Poland, August 6, 2023. REUTERS/Kuba StezyckiWARSAW, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Exiled opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko met in Poland on Sunday, on the eve of the third anniversary of their unsuccessful post-election protests, to display unity and plan strategy including the issuance of "New Belarus" passports. Set up in August 2022 by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the self-declared government-in exile has opened more than 20 alternative embassies and information centres abroad. Speaking at a hotel in Warsaw to several hundred activists, including independent media and civic groups, Tsikhanouskaya urged opposition forces abroad to unite and support the creation of a "New Belarus" movement. Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron first since 1994, using security forces to intimidate, beat and jail his foes or force them to flee abroad.

Persons: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Tsikhanouskaya, Syarhei Tsikhanouski, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: New, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Belarus, New Belarus, Warsaw, Poland, WARSAW, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarusian

☆ Poland finds leak on one part of Druzhba oil pipeline from Russia to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A view shows a leak detected in Druzhba oil pipeline as reported by Polish pipeline operator PERN, in Chodecz, Poland August 5, 2023, in this picture obtained from social media. The leak was detected near Chodecz, central Poland, on one of the two lines of the western section of the Druzhba through which crude oil reaches Germany, PERN said. Germany stopped buying Russian oil in January, but German media have reported that Kazakh oil was being imported through the line. The Druzhba oil pipeline is one of the world's largest and can carry 2 million barrels per day. Flows through the Druzhba pipeline have dropped sharply since Russia's invasion of Ukraine and pipeline infrastructure has been hit several times since in attacks that Moscow has blamed on Ukraine.

Persons: Anna Trzeciakowska, Grzegorz Jankowski, Vera Eckhert, Pavel Polityuk, Frances Kerry, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: REUTERS Companies, Firefighters, State Fire Services, TVN24, German Economy Ministry, Thomson Locations: Chodecz, Poland, WARSAW, Russia, Europe, Moscow, Ukraine, Germany, Wloclawek, Eastern, Central Europe, Belarus, Nord, Baltic

☆ Russia is playing risky games with its exploding drones, attacking Ukrainian ports only a couple hundred meters from NATO territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian forces have been routinely attacking Ukraine's southern cities and ports in recent weeks. Western intelligence says Russia has "evolved its risk appetite for conducting strikes near" NATO. But these attacks have also crept toward NATO territory, something Western officials have warned of since the 17-month-long war began. It added that the Iranian-made drones have landed as close as 650 feet from the Romania border, "suggesting that Russia has evolved its risk appetite for conducting strikes near NATO territory." Meanwhile, the bombardment near Romania comes as some NATO countries worry that Russian allies are encroaching on NATO territory to the northwest of Ukraine.

Persons: Nina Liashenko, Reni, Ukraine Bridget Brink, Wagner, John Kirby, We're Organizations: NATO, Service, Russian, Twitter, AS, REUTERS, White, National Security Locations: Romania, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine's, Moscow, Ukraine, Romanian, Izmail, China, Israel, russia, Russian, Odesa, Belarus, Minsk, Poland, Lithuania

☆ Ukrainian orphans taste freedom after fleeing Russian occupation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Stefaniia Bern | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"There was no ping pong in occupation, children don't even play soccer in the stadiums. Last month, their father finally died of AIDS, the same illness that killed their mother a decade ago, leaving them orphans. Moscow says it has gathered hundreds of thousands of orphans and vulnerable children there, taking them to Russia for their safety. Children whose parents die are the most urgent cases, because the Russian-installed occupation authorities will swiftly impose legal guardianship, said Save Ukraine's founder, Mykola Kuleba. Once they have Ukrainian passports sorted, they will go stay with their late father's ex-wife, now a refugee in Slovakia.

Persons: Ilona Pavliuk, Maksym, Ilona, didn't, tugging absentmindedly, haven't, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Mykola Kuleba, Peter Graff, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: REUTERS, KYIV, Valera, International Criminal Court, Save, Ukraine, Dnipro, Thomson Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Belarus, Vladyslav, Nova Kakhovka, Pishchane, Dnipro, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Hague, Save Ukraine, Slovakia, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine says Russia planning 'false flag' attack at Belarus refinery
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Joint stock company "Mozyr oil refinery" is seen near the town of Mozyr, Belarus January 4, 2020. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoKYIV, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The Security Service of Ukraine accused Russia on Friday of preparing to stage a "false flag" attack at the Mozyr oil refinery in Belarus in order to blame Ukrainian saboteurs as part of an effort to draw Minsk into the war in Ukraine. Fighters from Wagner, a Russian mercenary group, launched a mutiny against the Russian defence establishment in June and some of its fighters have since moved to Belarus under a deal. There was no immediate comment on the Ukrainian statement from Russia or Belarus. Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Olena Harmash; Editing by Toby Chopra and Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vasily Fedosenko KYIV, Wagner, Tom Balmforth, Toby Chopra, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Security Service, Russia, Minsk, Thomson Locations: Mozyr, Belarus, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Kyiv

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