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☆ Spanish police seize Russia-bound chemicals, including possible weapons material
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Police in Spain have seized 13 tons of banned chemicals, including “possible” chemical weapons precursors, that were bound for Russia despite the sanctions imposed on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, they said on Tuesday. “During the investigation, it was proven that internationally sanctioned chemicals, some of them possible precursors for chemical weapons or nerve agents, had been exported in the past using this company structure,” national police and the tax authority said in a joint statement. The statement did not say which chemicals were seized in the latest operation. The Spanish company had established a sophisticated logistical and financial network to export internationally sanctioned chemical products to Russia, police said. However, Russia has repeatedly denied the accusations, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters in May that Moscow remained bound by its obligations under the treaty that bans chemical weapons.

Persons: Sant Feliu, Santa Perpetua, Mogoda, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: police, European Union Locations: Spain, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, “, Sant, del Valles, Santa, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, United States, Britain, London

☆ Russia rolled out a Soviet howitzer from the 1940s that Moscow technically shouldn't have in the first place
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia filmed its troops firing a D-74, an artillery gun developed in the 1940s that the Soviets exported to their allies. The field gun featured: a D-74 122mm howitzer, which the Soviet Union developed in the late 1940s. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy estimated in February that Russia was receiving at least 1 million artillery shells from North Korea. AdvertisementThe Russian defense ministry and the Chinese foreign affairs ministry did not respond to requests for comment sent by Business Insider. AdvertisementDespite its sheer age, the D-74 still can be useful for Russia in a modern war in Ukraine, Purcell said.

Persons: —, it's, Michael Purcell, " Purcell, Putin, Russian Defense Ministry Jennifer Kavanagh, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dmitry Peskov, Russia Kavanagh, Kavanagh, Purcell, Vladimir Putin, that's Organizations: Military, Service, Kremlin, Soviet Union, Marine Corps, International Security, George Washington University, DPRK, Russian Defense Ministry, Defense, Authorities, China, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Business Locations: Russia, North Korea, Russian, Donetsk, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet, Vietnam, China, Washington, Seoul, Pyongyang

☆ North Korea sending citizens to help Russian military fight Ukraine, Zelensky says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —North Korea is sending its citizens to help Russia’s military fight Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky has said, increasing concerns about the alliance between Moscow and the secretive state. In his daily video message on Sunday, the Ukrainian president said: “We see an increasing alliance between Russia and regimes like North Korea. It is actually about transferring people from North Korea to the occupying military forces.”Zelensky’s allegation comes amid an increasingly friendly relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea in June – the first visit of its kind for more than two decades – and Western observers have wondered how heavily North Korea has assisted Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We believe that the possibility of further deployment of regular troops is very high, as Russia and North Korea have entered a mutual agreement that is almost equivalent to a military alliance.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Vladimir Putin, –, ” Zelensky, Dmitry Peskov, Kim Yong, hyun, “, Putin, Kim Jong Un Organizations: CNN, North, National Intelligence Service, Defence, Korean Locations: North Korea, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Pyongyang, Russian, Kyiv, Koreans

☆ Kremlin confirms Trump sent Russia Covid-19 tests, after former president denied Bob Woodward claim
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Trump administration “sent us several samples of test kits,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday, broadly supporting Woodward’s claim. Many countries were doing the same.”The Kremlin’s response seemingly contradicts Trump’s denial of Woodward’s claims. In a statement, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said Trump gave Woodward “absolutely no access” for the book. Citing a Trump aide, Woodward also reported that there have been “maybe as many as seven” calls between Trump and Putin since Trump left the White House in 2021. Woodward’s claims once again throw scrutiny on Trump’s relationship with Putin, weeks before the US presidential election.

Persons: Donald Trump, Bob Woodward’s, Vladimir Putin, Trump, “, Dmitry Peskov, Woodward, Trump “, Putin, Abbott, ”, ” Putin, ” Trump, ” Peskov, he’s, Steven Cheung, Woodward “, Bob Woodward, Peskov, ventilators, Woodward’s, Kamala Harris, Howard Stern, You’re, ” Harris, Elon Musk Organizations: CNN, Trump, ABC News, Putin, White House, Trump White, Kremlin, Democratic, “ Locations: Russia, United States, Woodward, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ Putin hails ‘very close’ links with Iran at landmark first meeting with president, as Middle East tensions soar
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Lauren Kent | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Iran has supplied thousands of “Shahed” attack drones to Russia, and according to US officials, built a drone factory in Russia. “We are actively working together in the international arena and our assessments of events taking place in the world are often very close,” Putin said during the landmark meeting, according to Russian state media outlet TASS. In a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Tehran last week, the Iranian leader called for accelerating joint projects. Meanwhile, Russia expressed interest in expanding trade and economic cooperation as well as diversifying its bilateral trade with Iran. “But, of course, the situation in the Middle East will not be ignored, it will also be on the agenda.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Masoud, “, ” Putin, ”, Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, Bashar al, Assad, Bassiri Tabrizi, Ebrahim Raisi, Mikhail Mishustin, Pezeshkian, Dmitry Peskov, Viktor Bout, Brittney, Bout, ” CNN’s Gianluca Mezzofiore, Natasha Bertrand, Kylie Atwood Organizations: CNN, Central, Ukraine, Moscow, Analysts, Russian, TASS, Street, Chatham House Locations: Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, “, Moscow, Tehran, Syrian, Russian, Yemen

☆ Kremlin reportedly confirms Trump sent Putin Covid test machines, denies Putin phone calls since he left office
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( David Hodari | David Hodari Is A London-Based Editor. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Former President Donald Trump did send coronavirus testing devices to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the height of the pandemic, the Kremlin confirmed Wednesday. The book claims that Trump secretly sent Abbott Covid-19 testing devices to Putin when the machines were in short supply. Peskov also denied Woodward's claim that Trump and Putin have spoken on the telephone several times since Trump left office. Trump has repeatedly said he could settle the war between Russia and Ukraine in one day if he’s elected president again. Trump has referred to Putin as “very savvy” and a “strong man,” and praised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “genius.”

Persons: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Bob Woodward, Joe Biden’s, Trump, Abbott Covid, Putin, Peskov, “, ”, Jonathan Karl, he’s, ” Trump, Woodward, Trump's, United Nations Vassily Nebenzia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Jason Miller Organizations: Kremlin, Bloomberg News, Washington Post, Trump, NBC News, RBC, ABC News, Bloomberg, United Nations, Republican, ., Putin Locations: Russian, “, Ukraine, Russia

☆ The Kremlin says Trump sent Putin COVID tests during the pandemic, but denies subsequent calls
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Kremlin said Trump did send Putin COVID tests during the pandemic. A new book by Bob Woodward claims that Trump sent them in early 2020 for Putin's personal use. AdvertisementThe Kremlin seemingly confirmed reports that then-President Donald Trump sent COVID tests to Russian President Vladimir Putin in early 2020, for Putin's own personal use. Journalist Bob Woodward made the revelations in his forthcoming book "War," excerpts of which were published by CNN and The Washington Post on Tuesday. AdvertisementThe book also claims that Trump may have had up to seven phone calls with Putin since leaving office in 2021, citing a Trump aide.

Persons: Trump, Putin, Bob Woodward, Woodward, —, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, — it's, Steven Cheung, Cheung Organizations: Kremlin, Trump, Service, CNN, Washington Post, Putin, TIME

Olga, who did not want to give her last name for privacy reasons, said the proposed bill doesn’t change her plans. And the Russian parliament gave its initial backing Wednesday to legislation that would ban the adoption of Russian children by people from countries that allow gender transition. “It’s not because I read ‘childfree’ information or someone tried to persuade me not to have children. It’s just that I decided it for myself,” said Panarina, 40, adding that the proposed legislation would not change her mind. For her, the proposed legislation is not about women’s rights per se, Panarina said, as much as the government’s effort to defend Russia’s traditional way of life.

Persons: Russia’s, ” Vyacheslav Volodin, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Russia —, Volodin, childlessness ”, it’s, ”, Dariana Gryaznova, ” Olga, Olga, “, ” Putin, Natalia Kolesnikova, Daria Panarina, “ It’s, It’s, Panarina, ” Panarina, Ella Rossman, Rossman, ” Gryaznova Organizations: West, Kremlin, U.S, State Duma, “ Bills, NBC, Getty, NBC News, Russia’s Academy of Sciences, University College London School of Slavonic, East European Studies Locations: Ukraine, Russia, United States, State, Russian, Moscow, Russia’s, Primorsky Krai, Red, AFP, Philippines

☆ Putin orders Russian army to expand to become the world's second largest
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The Kremlin said Tuesday that an order by President Vladimir Putin to transform Russia’s army into the second largest in the world was needed to address growing threats on Russia’s western borders and instability to the east. Putin on Monday ordered the regular size of the Russian army to be increased by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million active servicemen in a move that would make it the second largest in the world after China’s. “This is due to the number of threats that exist to our country along the perimeter of our borders,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. Putin since 2022 had previously ordered two official increases in the number of combat troops — by 137,000 and 170,000 respectively. Dara Massicot, an expert in the Russian military at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank, questioned whether Moscow was ready to foot the bill for the increase in active servicemen.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Andrei Kartapolov, —, Dara Massicot, ” Massicot, Massicot, ” Organizations: Monday, International Institute for Strategic Studies, NATO, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace Locations: ”, Russia, United States, India, China, Ukraine, Russia’s Kursk, Finland, Japan, U.S, Moscow

☆ Analysis: Ryan Routh’s support for Ukraine is a propaganda win for Moscow, at a very tricky time for Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Someone like Routh was quite easy to meet in Ukraine in the opening months of Russia’s full-scale war in 2022. But already, Moscow’s prolific echo chambers have begun to fashion a narrative in which US support for Ukraine is somehow extremist. People stand near the sports complex of a university after Russian missile attacks in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 2. The clamor of support for Ukraine to receive US permission to fire longer-range US-supplied missiles at targets deeper inside Russian territory had been growing. The sudden insertion of a wayward extremist like Routh is a loud, confusing wild card, at a time when support for Ukraine urgently needed a calm and balanced voice.

Persons: Ryan Wesley Routh, Donald Trump, Routh, Oleksandr Shaguri, “, ” Routh, Dmitri Peskov, ”, Marjorie Taylor Greene, ’, Putin, –, Maxym, Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, Joe Biden Organizations: London CNN, Kyiv, Russia, Ukraine, New York Times, Foreigners, Department, Land Forces Command, CNN, Global Citizen –, Reuters, Russian, Republican Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Pakistan, Iran, Global Citizen – Taiwan, Afghanistan, North Korea, Florida, America, United States, Russian

KYIV, Ukraine — The shots fired by the Secret Service near former President Donald Trump at a Florida golf course Sunday are ringing out 5,000 miles away — in the Russia-Ukraine war. After what officials called the second assassination attempt on Trump in three months, a man named Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was taken into custody and charged. Routh had already been extensively profiled in the Western media as an ardent supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s ongoing invasion. Ukraine sought Monday to distance itself from Routh, with the country’s international legion — the military unit that includes foreign volunteers — saying it had nothing to do with him. “We would like to clarify that Ryan Wesley Routh has never been part of, associated with, or linked to the International Legion in any capacity.

Persons: Donald Trump, Ryan Wesley Routh, Routh, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden’s, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ” Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s, Dmitry Peskov, ”, Kathleen Shaffer, “, Trump, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard, Biden “, Putin, Kim Jong Un, Banner, Daryna Mayer, Alex Smith, Caroline Radnofsky Organizations: Service, Trump, NBC, Kyiv, Democratic, GOP, Nazi, Security, U.S, ”, International Volunteer Center, Facebook, Moscow, AFP, Getty, Ukraine’s International, NBC News, International Legion, Armed Forces, Russia Locations: KYIV, Ukraine, Florida, Russia, United States, Kyiv, U.S, Moscow, Kiev, Ukrainian, Hawaii, Kyiv’s Maidan, London

☆ Putin warns NATO will be 'at war' with Russia if Ukraine gets long-range missile approval
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Yuliya-Talmazan-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Yuliya Talmazan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

President Vladimir Putin has warned Russia would be “at war” with the United States and its allies if they lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range Western weapons. “We are not talking about allowing or not allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons,” Putin said Thursday in comments to propagandist Pavel Zarubin. Stefan Rousseau / WPA Pool via Getty Images"This will mean that NATO countries, the U.S. and European countries are at war with Russia," Putin said. Putin added that the Ukrainian army does not have the ability to program long-range missiles or the satellite data necessary for their targeting, relying on NATO military personnel for those tasks. It’s been pleading for that policy to change so it can strike military assets deeper inside Russia that are used to launch attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, ”, Kyiv —, Sir Keir Starmer, Joe Biden, ” Putin, Pavel Zarubin, ” Starmer, David Lammy, Stefan Rousseau, Putin, Vyacheslav Volodin, ” Volodin, “, Dmitry Peskov, ” Peskov, Oleg Palchyk, It’s, Antony Blinken, Biden, Starmer Organizations: NATO, Kyiv, British, U.S, Duma, Kremlin, West, Getty, U.S ., Congressional Ukraine Caucus, America, NBC News Locations: Russia, United States, Washington, Ukraine, “, U.S, Ukrainian, Kursk, Ukraine's, Pokrovsk, Sudzha, Kyiv, Israel, “ Russia, Moscow

☆ A Russian politician says the country needs a 'special demographic operation' to boost its birth rate, which has crashed to a 25-year-low
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

However, Russia's birth rate remains dismal, prompting a politician to suggest that the country launch a "special demographic operation." Russia's birth rate was 8.3 per 1,000 people for the first half of this year — down from 10 per 1,000 people in 2019. The latest data from the US showed the country's birth rate was 11 per 1,000 people in 2022. Advertisement"Just like a special military operation — a special demographic operation," Ostanina added, referencing Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Furthermore, over 300,000 Russian troops died or were injured in the Ukraine war by the end of 2023, US intelligence officials estimated.

Persons: —, It's, Putin, Nina Ostanina, Ostanina, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Business, RIA, HSE University, Moscow Times, TASS, An Atlantic Council Locations: Russia, Soviet, Ukraine, Moscow, Europe, Japan

☆ U.S. says Iran is sending ballistic missiles to Russia in a 'dramatic escalation'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Iran has sent short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for its war against Ukraine in a “dramatic escalation” that will let Moscow strike deeper inside Ukrainian territory, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday. “Russia has now received shipments of these ballistic missiles and will likely use them within weeks in Ukraine against Ukrainians,” Blinken told reporters. “Dozens of Russian military personnel have been trained in Iran to use the Fath-360 close-range ballistic missile system, which has a maximum range of 75 miles,” he said. Confirmation from Washington that Iran is now arming Russia with sophisticated short-range ballistic missiles will likely increase pressure on the Biden administration to ease restrictions on how Ukraine can use weapons to strike at targets inside Russia. Iran has denied it is providing missiles to Russia and has called for countries to halt any weapons shipments to either side in the conflict.

Persons: Antony Blinken, David Lamy, ” Blinken, Blinken, “ We’ve, we’ve, ”, Biden, Andrii, Naser Kanaani, Dmitry Peskov, “, Lamy, Behnam Ben Taleblu Organizations: Ukraine, Blinken, British, Firefighters, U.S, Iran Air, Iranian Foreign Ministry, ISNA, Kremlin, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Locations: Iran, Russia, Moscow, U.S, Britain, London, Ukraine, Washington, Kyiv, Russian, Kharkiv, Gaza, Iranian, Tehran

☆ A longtime Russian ally says it's frozen its participation in Putin's NATO 'at all levels' after a year of snubs
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-02 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Armenia has frozen its participation in the CSTO at all levels," he said, according to a translation by US think tank the Institute for the Study of War. AdvertisementHowever, he added that Armenia may "see the need to make another decision" in the future, per the ISW. Pashinyan announced his decision to leave the CSTO — a military alliance made up of Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan — in February. Tensions have risen between Russia and Armenia since Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Pashinyan has repeatedly refused to support. Other CSTO members have also snubbed Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, berate Putin, Thomas Graham Organizations: Service, Collective Security, Organization, NATO, Business, for, Tajikistan —, Kremlin, Yale Locations: Russian, Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pashinyan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia's, East

☆ Russia warns France over Telegram founder's detainment, suggests it may be politically motivated
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-27 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Russia on Tuesday issued words of caution to France over its detainment of Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram, suggesting the move may be politically motivated. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on a Tuesday call with journalists urged Paris to provide evidence to support its allegations against Durov, Reuters and Russian state news agency Tass reported. "The charges are very serious indeed," Peskov told reporters, according to Reuters-translated comments. Peskov suggested that Durov's arrest could be viewed as both restricting freedom of speech and an act of intimidation if France fails to provide serious evidence of his guilt, Reuters and Tass reported. Although born in Russia, Durov holds citizenship of France and the United Arab Emirates.

Persons: Pavel Durov, Dmitry Peskov, Durov, Peskov Organizations: Paris Public Prosecutor's, Reuters, Tass, United, United Arab Emirates Locations: Russia, France, Paris, United Arab, UAE

☆ Ukraine finally sends F-16s into the battle against Russia — but they might not be a game-changer
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Flanked by another two of the U.S.-made combat aircraft, Zelenskyy announced on Sunday that the country's air force had already started operations using the warplanes against Russia. A number of Ukraine's European allies have pledged to send F-16s to Ukraine, and the first batch arrived in the country in late July. Russia has dismissed the supply of F-16s, with Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying last Thursday that Russian forces were prepared to shoot down the F-16 jets. The first General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon received by Ukraine is seen on the Day of Ukrainian Air Force on August 4, 2024 in Unspecified, Ukraine. "The jets will considerably enhance Ukraine's ability to prevent Russian pilots entering Ukrainian air space, and can also target Russian cruise missiles in flight.

Persons: Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Ukraine's, Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Vitalii, Antony Blinken, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Mykola Bielieskov, Bielieskov Organizations: Falcons, Dynamics, Anadolu, Getty, Ukraine's Air Forces, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Air Force, Anadolu Agency, NATO, Defense, National Institute for Strategic Studies, Fighting Falcons, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Russia, U.S, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, States, USSR, Kyiv, Ukrainian

Why did Russian President Vladimir Putin greet the children of just-freed Russian spies in Spanish? In “The Americans,” two Russian spies posing as a married couple in suburban America run Soviet agents and collect intelligence, unbeknownst to their young children. President Vladimir Putin meets convicted Russian spies released as part of a prisoners' swap at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow. Their children attended an international school in Ljubljana and, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, were only told on the plane to Moscow that they were Russian. “To the bulk of the Russian public, the Russian president showed that he has not yet lost the remnants of adequacy and is capable of well-calculated, rational actions,” Gallyamov said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, “, ”, Ludwig Gisch, Maria Rosa Mayer Muños, Mikhail Voskresenskiy, Artem Viktorovich Dultsev, Anna Valerevna Dultseva, Evan Gershkovitch, Paul Whelan —, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, ” Peskov, ” Abbas Gallyamov, ” Gallyamov, — Putin Organizations: Vnukovo, Associated Press, AP, Kremlin, KGB, Federal Security Service, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, “ Locations: Russian, Slovenia, America, Soviet, Moscow, U.S, Europe, Ljubljana, Slovenia's, Moscow’s Vnukovo

☆ Putin greeted children of freed sleeper agents in Spanish as they had only discovered they were Russian on the flight to Moscow, Kremlin says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Putin greeted the children of Russian sleeper agents in Spanish as they landed in Moscow as part of a prisoner exchange. The children had only just learned they were Russian on the flight, a Kremlin spokesperson said. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementRussian President Vladimir Putin greeted the children of two Russian sleeper agents in Spanish as they landed in Moscow following a recent prisoner exchange between Russia and the West. The children had only just learned they were Russian on the flight home and could not speak the language, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, Russia's Tass news agency reported.

Persons: Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: Kremlin, Service, Tass, Business Locations: Moscow, Russian, Slovenia, Ukraine, Russia

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

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

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

☆ Children of Russian spy couple in prisoner swap only learned their nationality on flight to Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Anna Chernova | Radina Gigova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The children of two Russian intelligence agents, who were among the detainees released as part of a historic prisoner swap, only discovered their nationality when they were being flown to Moscow, the Kremlin said Friday. The pair had been posing as an Argentine couple in Slovenia where they were convicted of spying. Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted them on the tarmac in Spanish as they didn’t speak Russian and didn’t even know who Putin was, according to Peskov. “When the children came down the plane’s steps – they don’t speak Russian – and Putin greeted them in Spanish, he said ‘Buenas noches,’” Peskov said. While living undercover in Slovenia, Dultsev posed as an IT businessman named Ludvig Gisch.

Persons: Artem Dultsev, Anna Dultseva, “, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, –, ‘ Buenas, ” Peskov, ”, Dultseva, bouquets, Dultsev, Vadim Krasikov, Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Ludvig Gisch, Maria Rosa Mayer Munos, Peskov Organizations: CNN, Wall Street, CIA Locations: Moscow, Argentine, Slovenia, Turkey, Russian, Ankara, ”, Spanish, Russia, Belarus, Germany, Berlin, Ljubljana, United States

☆ French telecoms network hit by vandalism within days of arson attacks against national railways
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Normal train service had resumed on the French rail network by Monday — when authorities reported damage to telecoms infrastructure, which caused local power outages and raised the specter of further national disruption. Secretary of State for Digital Affairs Marina Ferrari that France's telecoms network was experiencing isolated outages due to damage carried out overnight in several regions. It was not immediately clear whether vandalism to the telecoms network was connected to the damage and arson carried out on the rail network last week. Disclosure: CNBC parent NBCUniversal owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics is the U.S. broadcast rights holder to all Summer and Winter Games through 2032.

Persons: —, State for Digital Affairs Marina, Ferrari, Dmitry Peskov, Gerald Darmanin, Darmanin Organizations: Paris, Olympics, State for Digital Affairs, CNBC, NBCUniversal, NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBC, Games Locations: Vandieres, France, Paris, Russia, U.S

CNN —France is still facing travel disruption a day after saboteurs targeted high-speed railway lines in an attack coinciding with the start of the Olympics. They recovered an “amount of evidence” following the operation, Darmanin told CNN affiliate France 2. Authorities should not rule out industrial espionage, Persson told CNN on Friday, saying that a railway staffer, or someone who built the tracks including construction workers, could also be to blame. Railway staff and police work to repair one of several sites where vandals targeted France's high-speed train network, in the northern villege of Croisilles, on Friday. CNN has previously reported on a host of suspected Russian attacks across Europe.

Persons: Gabriel Attal, Gerald Darmanin, Darmanin, Axel Persson, Persson, ”, Jean, Pierre Farandou, “ don’t, Brian Snyder, Emmanuel Macron, Dmitry Peskov, Dale Buckner Organizations: CNN —, French, CNN, France, Olympic, CGT, Employees, SNCF, Environmental, Railway, Police, Kremlin, Games, Global Guardian, CNN France Locations: CNN — France, French, France, Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Paris, Europe

☆ Global leaders react to 'true friend' Biden dropping out of U.S. presidential race
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Biden "a true friend" and a "partner to Canadians." "I've known President Biden for years. To President Biden and the First Lady: thank you," Trudeau wrote in an Instagram post. Biden's "difficult" decision was acknowledged by Polish President Donald Tusk and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala as driven by the larger interest of the U.S."Dear President @JoeBiden. "We will always be thankful for President Biden's leadership.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Biden, Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, He's, —, Trudeau, Keir Starmer, Biden's, Donald Tusk, Petr Fiala, @JoeBiden, You've, Tusk, Anthony Albanese, Yoav Gallant, Gallant, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Barack Obama, Obama Organizations: College of Southern, Sunday, Democratic Party, Canadian, Czech, Israeli, Kremlin Locations: College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas , Nevada, Poland, America, U.S, Israel, Gaza, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian

CNN —A Russian court has sentenced Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist, to six-and-a-half years in prison, state news agency TASS reported Monday. The hearing, which was held behind closed doors, found Kurmasheva guilty of spreading false information about the Russian army, making her just the latest US journalist to be convicted in the country in recent months. When asked about this possibility earlier Monday, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “I have no answer to this question. We need her home.”Before her conviction, Butorin told CNN he was “so confident that she would get back to us that I bought Taylor Swift tickets” for August this year. After her passports were taken, she was fined and placed under de facto – and then formal – house arrest for months, before being charged in December.

Persons: Alsu Kurmasheva, Evan Gershkovich, Dmitry Peskov, “, ”, –, Stephen Capus, ” Capus, ” Pavel Butorin, Butorin, Taylor Swift, ” Butorin, Kurmasheva, Gershkovich Organizations: CNN, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, RFE Locations: Russian, American, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, United States, Prague, Radio Free Europe, Russia, facto

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