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WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Thursday said Russia is executing soldiers who have failed to follow orders and threatening entire units with death if they retreat from Ukrainian artillery fire. It's a development that U.S. national security officials believe reflects Russia's morale problems 20 months into its grinding invasion of Ukraine, said White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. Putin ”basically said that if Western weapons to Ukraine stop, Ukraine would have a week to live. The contract soldiers were pulled out of Ukraine after their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, mounted an armed rebellion in June. There also have been reports, including from the British Defense Ministry, that the regular Russian military has deployed “barrier troops” that threaten to shoot any deserters.

Persons: John Kirby, “, Kirby, Joe Biden, Biden, Putin, ” Kirby, Putin ”, Yevgeny Prigozhin, haven’t Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, National Security, Republican, Ukraine, “, Wagner Group, British Defense Ministry, Russian Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk

☆ Russia is promising prisoners a $31,000 payout if they get injured, soldier says. It's likelier than they realize.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia is paying convicts as much as $2,000 a month if they fight in Ukraine, with a promise $31,000 if they are injured, a soldier said. The remarks were made by a Russian "Storm Z" soldier — the unofficial designation for units often made of formerly incarcerated fighters. But, it said, in reality they are staffed by Russia's worst soldiers — convicts and regular soldiers marked for punishment. The BBC also reported that the units are formed mostly of convict soldiers, or soldiers re-assigned there as a punishment.

Persons: —, dory, Vsevolod Vukolov, Olga Romanova Organizations: Wagner, Service, Sever, UK's Ministry of Defence, BBC, Storm, Team, Reuters, Wagner Group, Washington Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Ukraine can still badly bleed the Russian army through the winter even if its forces can't break through enemy lines, land warfare expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A land warfare expert said even if Kyiv can't break enemy lines, it can still cause pain for Russian forces. But even if Kyiv's forces aren't necessarily able to break through the enemy lines, they could still inflict significant damage on Moscow's army throughout the winter, a land warfare expert says. The key could be drawing out Russian forces into the cold by pushing into opportunities rather than attempting to batter their defenses. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Kyiv must balance reconstitution with a need to keep up pressure on Russian forces," he said. AdvertisementAdvertisementOne area where Ukrainian forces have found recent success is with long-range strikes.

Persons: —, aren't, Jack Watling, there's, Libkos, Watling, Getty Images Watling, Wagner Organizations: Service, Royal United Services Institute, Kyiv, Storm, EG, MGM, Tactical Missile Systems, SPG, Getty Images, Dnipro, Wagner Group Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Bakhmut, Donetsk, Ukrainian, North Korea, Britain, France, Crimean, Russian

☆ Russia has likely suffered up to 480,000 soldiers killed or wounded in the war against Ukraine, says UK Ministry of Defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia has suffered up to to 480,000 casualties in the war against Ukraine, per UK intelligence. In a desperate bid to replenish its manpower, Moscow is sending injured soldiers back into battle. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia has likely suffered up to 480,000 soldiers killed or wounded in the war against Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defence reported in an intelligence update. Recent fighting in Avdiivka, a city in southeastern Ukraine, has contributed to a 90% increase in Russian soldiers killed or wounded. The move to reinstate injured soldiers amid manpower and equipment shortages had one soldier's mother describe their treatment "like cows at a slaughterhouse."

Persons: —, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Alia Shoaib, Ruslana Danylkina Organizations: Ukraine, Service, UK Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Defence, Wagner Group, New York Times, AP, The New York Times, BBC, Armed Forces Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Ukrainian, Kherson, Odesa, Donetsk

☆ Russian casualties soar by 90% as Putin's generals order furious attacks on small city in east, UK intelligence says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia has been carrying out offensive operations in the area of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine. The assaults have contributed to a 90% increase in Russian casualties, the UK MoD said. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Russia has been carrying out offensive operations in the area of Avdiivka, a small city just to the north of Donetsk. AdvertisementAdvertisementIt added that it was likely Russian forces had taken around 150,000-190,000 "permanent casualties" — those killed and permanently wounded — since Putin's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Persons: —, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: MoD, Service, UK Ministry of Defence, for, Wagner Group Locations: Russia, Avdiivka, Ukraine, Donetsk, Russian, Bakhmut

Wagner communications channels were silent, but some supporters and patriotic bloggers expressed disbelief. 'LAUGHABLE' EXPLANATIONWestern diplomats say Putin ordered the killing of Prigozhin after the humiliation of the mutiny. "Two heroes of great Russia died in this plane crash, just in case someone forgot, and not druggies," said the Southern Front Telegram channel. And that is why Prigozhin himself did not just die, but became a 'downed pilot'," Pastukhov wrote on Telegram. (But) he needs society to understand the hint unambiguously: this is how everyone (who betrays us) will be dealt with."

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Anton Vaganov, Putin, Vladimir Putin's intimation, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, CHVK, Vladimir Pastukhov, Pastukhov, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Embraer, Federal Security Service, Wagner, KGB, Southern Front Telegram, Zone, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Said, MOSCOW, St Petersburg, Moscow

☆ 'Loyalty alone is not enough': Kremlin reveals the qualities Russia's Vladimir Putin values the most
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via a video link in Saint Petersburg on October 10, 2022. "But for Vladimir Putin, loyalty alone is not enough. Russia's president Vladimir Putin (R) and his spokesman Dmitry Peskov (L) attend the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting at the Congress Hall in Bishkek on December 9, 2022. Contributor | Getty ImagesDuring Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine, as it calls its invasion, questions have been raised about the strategy and competency of Russia's military leadership. FILE - Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, left, shows Russian President Vladimir Putin, around his factory which produces school meals, outside St. Petersburg, Russia on Monday, Sept. 20, 2010.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Gavriil Grigorov, Putin, Andrei Kondrashov, it's, Dmitry Peskov, Vyacheslav Oseledko, —, Sergey Lavrov, Sergei Shoigu, Sergei Lavrov, Nikolay Patrushev, Mikhail Mishustin, Sergei Sobyanin, There's, Vladimir Solovyov, Nikolai Patrushev, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Sergei Medvedev, Dmitry, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Alexander Ermochenko, Sergey Shoigu, Shoigu, Prigozhin, Wagner, Kirill Shamiev, Prigozhin Prigozhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexei Druzhinin Organizations: Afp, Getty, CNBC, Economic, Kremlin, Security, Moscow, SVR, Russian Security Council, Ukraine, West ., Kyiv, Russian, Luhansk People's, Reuters, Wagner Group, European Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Saint Petersburg, Bishkek, Russian, Yerevan, Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Luhansk, Luhansk People's Republic, Crimea, Moscow, Belarus, Prigozhin, St . Petersburg

☆ Russian soldiers who drink and break rules get sent to punishment battalions where they are likely to die fighting, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

These "Storm Z" units have been sent to where the heaviest fighting is. AdvertisementAdvertisementReuters interviewed 13 people as part of the investigation, five of whom were Storm Z fighters. Reuters found that soldiers are sent to Storm Z for being drunk on duty, for using drugs, or for refusing to carry out orders. Relatives of a missing Storm soldier fighting in Ukraine told Reuters that Russia's Defense Ministry never responded when they asked where he was. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn the summer, some Storm fighters said in a video that they refused to carry out combat missions due to their treatment.

Persons: —, Storm, Storm Z, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Serhii, we've Organizations: Reuters, Service, Storm, Wagner Group, Russian Ministry of Defence, The, Pravda, Russia's Defense, Russia's Ministry of Defense Locations: Russian, Bakhmut, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Mali in meltdown as militants advance and U.N. withdraws
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Edward Mcallister | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] A man walks toward Sankore mosque, also known as the former University of Sankore, in Timbuktu, Mali September 25, 2023. "This conflict is escalating fast," said Ulf Laessing, the Bamako-based head of the Sahel programme at the Konrad Adenauer foundation. Back in 2012, French forces and the U.N. intervened to halt the advance in Mali. In Mali, fighting began in August between the army and an ethnic Tuareg group called the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) around a base vacated by the U.N. "The problem is Mali has too few troops and too little mobility," said Michael Shurkin, director of global programs at 14 North Strategies consultancy.

Persons: Stringer, Sory Touré, jihadists, Ulf Laessing, Konrad Adenauer, Russia's Wagner, Jama'at Nusrat al, Michael Shurkin, Iyad Ag, Shurkin, Mohamed Massaya, Salaha, Aicha Sababou, Edward McAllister, Alexandra Zavis, Edmund Blair Organizations: University of Sankore, REUTERS, U.N, United Nations, Islamic, Reuters Graphics, CMA, Ghali, Transitional Council, Reuters, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Sankore, Timbuktu, Mali, DAKAR, jihadists, al Qaeda, Islamic State, West, Burkina Faso, Niger, Bamako, France, U.S, Sahara, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast, Al Qaeda, Gao, Dakar

☆ Joe Biden has a decision to make about Julian Assange
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

A small group of lawyers and media executives gathered in a well-appointed back room to listen to Gabriel Shipton, Assange's half-brother. In the case of Vault 7, WikiLeaks' source turned out to be a disgruntled former C.I.A employee. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn New York, Gabriel Shipton, Assange's half-brother, declined to rule out the possibility of a plea deal. Every time the Australian government raises this issue, the Chinese government puts out a statement about Julian Assange. Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, right, was part of a delegation of Australian officials in the US to press for the release of Julian Assange.

Persons: Julian Assange, Assange, Gabriel Shipton, Tucker Carlson, Tucker, Shipton, he'd, Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden, Monique Ryan, Albanese, Mike Pompeo, Caroline Kennedy, Der Spiegel, El Pais, David Hicks, Julian, John Shipton, Assange's, John, Gabriel, Brett Assange, Peter Whish, Wilson, We've, Robert Carr, Chelsea Manning's, Obama, We're, Cheng Lei, —, Chelsea Manning, Manning, What's, Julian Assange's, John MacDougall, …, they'd, he's, John Young, Laura Poitras's, Mueller, Robert Mueller's, John Podesta's, Bernie Sanders, John Koeltl, They've, Donald, Trump, we've, James Comey, Hillary Clinton, He's, I'm, Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner, I've, Putin, exfiltrate Assange, Julian wasn't, Dana Rohrabacher, Rohrabacher, Jennifer Robinson, Tracey Nearmy, we'd, Marjorie Taylor, Greene, Antony Blinken, Biden, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: United Nations General Assembly, WikiLeaks, Washington Post, Washington, DOJ, The Washington, Australia's Labor Party, New, Biden, Senate Intelligence, Justice Department, New York Times, Guardian, Chelsea, Pentagon, Getty, Justice, The State Department, Laura Poitras's WikiLeaks, State Department, DNC, Democratic, Committee, Democratic National Convention, of, Russian Federation, Novaya Gazeta, Trump, CIA, The Justice Locations: New York, London, Assange's, Pacific, Ecuadorian, Washington, Russia, Australia, Shipton, Brig, Chelsea, Iraq, Australian, China, American, Moscow, Getty Shipton, … Shipton, Cryptome, There's, Southern, of New York, Russian, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Panama, schwartz79@protonmail.com

[1/5] A woman mourns next to a makeshift memorial for Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group, as people mark 40 days since his death to respect an Orthodox tradition, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, October 1, 2023. It is still unclear what caused the plane to crash two months to the day since Prigozhin's failed mutiny. The Kremlin said on Aug. 30 that investigators were considering the possibility that the plane was downed on purpose. At memorials in Moscow and other Russian cities dozens of Wagner fighters and ordinary Russians paid their respects, though there was no mass outpouring of grief. Putin was on Friday shown meeting one of the most senior former commanders of the Wagner mercenary group and discussing how best to use "volunteer units" in the Ukraine war.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Anton Vaganov, Prigozhin, Prigozhin's, Violetta, Pavel, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Mikhail, Marta, Dmitry Utkin, Hope, Anton Yelizarov, Guy Faulconbridge, Alison Williams Organizations: REUTERS, State, Embraer, KGB, Reuters, United States, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, MOSCOW, St Petersburg, Moscow, Ukraine, Rostov, Mali

☆ A Ukrainian sniper called the Ghost of Bakhmut says he's personally killed 113 Russians. He explains how his elite unit hunts the enemy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

An elite Ukrainian sniper unit called the Ghosts of Bakhmut is hunting high-value Russian targets. AdvertisementAdvertisementOn the outskirts of Bakhmut, a deadly team of snipers move stealthily through the forests and fields to take out Russian targets. The Ukrainian sniper's primary weapon is the US-made Barrett M107A1The team of elite snipers take out high-value Russian targets. Insider made contact with Ghost via the Separate Presidential Brigade, which his sniper unit is a part of. AdvertisementAdvertisementHe used to be known as Casper, and said he got the call sign Ghost when Russia invaded the country in February 2022.

Persons: Ghost, —, he's, Bakhmut —, Barrett M107A1, American Barrett M107A1, Barrett, Wagner, Lola, Casper, Casper — Organizations: Service, BBC, Presidential Brigade, Wagner Group Locations: Ukrainian, Bakhmut, US, Burj Khalifa, Dubai, American, Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine's Crimean, Canada, Lithuania

☆ Putin's pick to lead the Wagner Group is likely considered a 'traitor' by his own men, UK says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The new head of Wagner is likely seen as a "traitor" by his men, per a UK intelligence assessment. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussian President Vladimir Putin has picked someone to lead the powerful Wagner paramilitary group who is likely viewed as a "traitor" by his own men, according to a British military intelligence assessment published Saturday. A Kremlin spokesperson later described Troshev, a veteran of Wagner operations in Syria, as an employee of Russia's defense ministry. As a result, "Many Wagner veterans likely consider him a traitor," stated the Sept. 30 assessment. And that future, it continued — in contrast with the Prigozhin days — will likely entail "greater oversight from the Kremlin."

Persons: Wagner, Andrei Troshev, Vladimir Putin, —, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, iva, ann Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Ministry of Defense, Ukraine –, Defence Locations: Ukraine, Syria, osh

☆ Explainer: Wagner group - Is it back? Who controls it?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Is Wagner back, who controls it and are its fighters returning to the Ukraine war? After the fall of Bakhmut, Wagner fighters were withdrawn from the front. While Prigozhin criticised Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Yelizarov said Shoigu was "out of control" and seeking to destroy Wagner. Russian, Ukrainian and Western sources have indicated that Wagner fighters are returning to the front. Russian war blog Rybar, which has over 1.2 million subscribers, said that Wagner fighters would return to Bakhmut.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Andrei Troshev, Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Mikhail Metzel, WAGNER, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Bakhmut, Prigozhin, Putin, Anton Yelizarov, Yelizarov, Utkin, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Wagner's Troshev, Troshev, Rybar, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, deniability, United States, . Police, Reuters, Russian, Russian Ministry of Defence, PMC, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, dabble, Syria, Libya, Mali, Bakhmut, Rostov, Russian, St Petersburg, Central African Republic, redeploy

☆ Podcast: The Biden administration's strategy is contributing to the increase of sexual violence on the border, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Experts say the Biden administration’s new border strategy is contributing to the increase. Nike’s Air Jordans are losing their resale value. Is sneaker culture moving on? Further ReadingSuicide blast in southwest Pakistan kills at least 52, more than 50 injuredNike Air Jordans are losing resale value. Is sneaker culture moving on?

Persons: Taylor, Wagner, Putin, Troshev Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, Biden, NFL, Putin, Thomson, Nike Air Jordans Locations: Mexico, Pakistan, Ukraine

☆ Russia pardoned a murderer who put his girlfriend through a meat grinder because he agreed to fight in Ukraine, his mom says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian murderer was pardoned after fighting against Ukraine with the Wagner group, his mom said. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Russian convicted murderer who was sentenced to 11 years in prison after he killed his girlfriend and put her body through a meat grinder has been pardoned after fighting against Ukraine, his mother said. The mother of Dmitry Zelensky told the Russian media news outlet 59.RU that her son was pardoned after serving less than half of his sentence. AdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to 59.RU, Zelensky told investigators during an interrogation that he dismembered her body, processed it in a meat grinder, collected the bones in three bags, and threw them into the river. However, a July report by the independent Russian outlet Verstka alleged that Russian authorities were covering up crimes being committed by pardoned men.

Persons: Wagner, —, Dmitry Zelensky, Tatiana Melekhina, Zelensky, Galina Zelenskaya, Zelenskaya, Zelensky's, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Ukraine, Service, RU, Wagner Group, Russian Ministry of Defence, UK Ministry of Defence Locations: Russian, Chechen, Ukraine, Russia, Antratsit, Luhansk

☆ Putin Meets With New Wagner Boss Andrei Troshev
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Friday with the new commander of Wagner, Andrei Troshev. At the meeting, Putin referred to Troshev leading "various combat missions," including in Ukraine. Troshev was the second in command of Wagner before the death of former boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. Andre Troshev, a former colonel in the Russian military, took over as head of the Wagner paramilitary organization following the death of previous boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in August. He had been the group's second in command but did not appear to back Prigozhin's short-lived mutiny against Russian military leadership two months earlier.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Andrei Troshev, Putin, Troshev, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Syria —, Andre Troshev, Yunus, Bek, Dmitry Peskov, Bashar al, Assad, Defense Lloyd Austin Organizations: Service, Russian, Kremlin, Financial Times, Moscow Times, Islamic, Wagner Group, Central African, Defense Locations: Ukraine, Syria, Troshev, St . Petersburg, Islamic State, Russia, Moscow, Washington, Bakhmut, Belarus, Ukrainian, Russian, Africa, Mali, Central African Republic

☆ Wagner fighters, some of the best in the Russian ranks, are back in Ukraine, but they're not as much of a threat without Prigozhin running the show, Kyiv says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

After a long hiatus, Wagner Group mercenaries are back on the battlefield, Ukraine's military says. AdvertisementAdvertisementWagner Group mercenaries are back in Ukraine after a lengthy absence from the battlefield. These fighters appear to be some of the best within the Russian ranks, but the threat is still low without their leader, Kyiv's military says. It's been several months since Wagner mercenaries last saw combat in eastern Ukraine. They captured the city in May, but amid the bloody campaign led to tensions flared between Wagner and the regular Russian military, ultimately leading to the mutiny.

Persons: Wagner, they're, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, It's, Illya, REUTERS Yevlash, Yevlash, Africa —, Stringer, Mykhailo Podolyak, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Podolyak Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Wagner, Telegram, REUTERS, RBC, Institute for, Southern Military District, Russian Defense Ministry Locations: Belarus, Russian, Bakhmut, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Africa, Ukrainian, Washington, Rostov, Don

☆ Russian Black Sea Fleet commander is still alive, video suggests, days after Ukraine claimed to kill him
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's Ministry of Defence published a video showing a Russian commander attending a meeting by video link. The image was striking because Ukraine earlier claimed to have killed Sokolov on Friday in a major strike on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters near Sevastopol, a port in occupied Crimea. Had he been killed, Sokolov would have been one of the most senior casualties in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Kremlin on Tuesday did not confirm or deny that Sokolov was dead, passing questions to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Reuters reported. According to the website of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Sokolov was appointed its highest ranking officer in September 2022.

Persons: Viktor Sokolov, —, Sokolov, Sergei Shoigu Organizations: Ministry of Defence, Service, Russian Ministry of Defense, Black, Reuters, Ukraine's, Wagner Group Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia's, Sevastopol, Crimea, Russia

"The public in West African countries has become increasingly wary of hosting a Western military presence," said Mucahid Durmaz, a senior analyst at London-based risk firm Verisk Maplecroft. "The French exit from Niger will push Western troops further away from the central Sahel." The U.S. has refused to call the Niger takeover a coup, meaning it can avoid severing ties for now. Unlike France, American forces do not actively engage with Niger forces against Islamist militants and could be open to working within a transition to civilian rule. Tens of thousands of people gathered outside the French military base in the capital calling for the troops' departure.

Persons: Mahamadou, Mucahid Durmaz, Verisk, Emmanuel Macron, Russia's, Washington's, Defence Lloyd Austin, Washington, Nathaniel Powell, Joe Biden, Macron, Aissami Tchiroma, It's, Oxford Analytica, Paris, Jalel Harchaoui, John Irish, Edward McAllister, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Andrew Gray, George Obulutsa, Andrew Heavens Organizations: French Army, REUTERS, London, Russia's Wagner, Defence, Oxford, Protesters, France, Military, Royal United Services Institute, Thomson Locations: France, Nigerien, Niamey, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger PARIS, DAKAR, West Africa, West, Russia, United States, Libya, The U.S, Nairobi, American, West African, Afghanistan, AFRICA, French, Africa, It's, CHAD, GUINEA France, Chad, Paris, Sahel, Europe, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Gabon, London, Brussels

☆ An ex-Wagner boss was arrested in Norway after officials suspected he was trying to sneak back into Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An ex-Wagner group commander was shot at and arrested by Norwegian police, Reuters reported. Police said Andrei Medvedev was trying to sneak back into Russia illegally. Medvedev abandoned Russia for Norway in January, claiming he feared for his life. Andrei Medvedev was shot at and arrested after authorities suspected he trying to cross the Russian border at an undesignated entry point on Saturday, Reuters reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementMedvedev abandoned Russia for Norway in January, claiming he feared for his life after witnessing the mistreatment of Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine, Reuters reported.

Persons: Wagner, Andrei Medvedev, Medvedev, Brynjulf Risnes, Risnes, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Reuters, Police, Service Locations: Norwegian, Russia, Norway, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ukraine, Belarus

Former Wagner commander Andrei Medvedev is pictured in court with his lawyer Brynjulf Risnes (not pictured), in Oslo, Norway April 25, 2023. Andrei Medvedev, who escaped Russia in January via its Arctic border with Norway, has described running as Russian guards fired shots at him. Police said in a statement late on Friday that a man in his 20s had been taken into custody for attempting to illegally cross the Russian border, but did not name him. It was never his intention to cross the border (into Russia)," Risnes said. Risnes said Medvedev had the right to return to Russia if he wanted to, but that "a lot of changes need to happen" in order to make a safe return.

Persons: Wagner, Andrei Medvedev, Brynjulf Risnes, Gwladys, Risnes, Medvedev, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gwladys Fouche, Nerijus, Terje Solsvik Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Police, Reuters, Russia, YouTube, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Rights OSLO, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Finnmark, Norwegian, Moscow

☆ The mastermind of Russia's treacherous defenses in Ukraine appears to be in a kind of faraway 'exile' as the line is being breached
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian Army Gen. Sergey Surovikin appears to be in Algeria, according to recent photos. Surovikin is the mastermind of Russia's formidable defensive lines and fortifications in Ukraine. But as Kyiv's forces break through these elaborate fortifications, the mastermind behind them is nowhere near the action. The experts cited several additional photographs of Surovikin purportedly in Algeria, which were published to Telegram by Russian sources. Insider was unable to independently verify any of the recent photographs of Surovikin shared to X and Telegram.

Persons: Sergey Surovikin, Wagner, Surovikin, Dara Massicot, Yevgeny Prigozhin —, Russia's Aerospace Forces Sergei Surovikin, Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Staff Sergei Rudskoi, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, subsume Wagner Organizations: Russian, Wagner Group, Service, RAND Corporation, Twitter, Institute for, Commonwealth, Independent States, CIS, Kommersant, Russia's Aerospace Forces, Staff, Russian Armed Forces, Armed Forces, Sputnik, Russian MoD Locations: Algeria, Ukraine, Africa, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Moscow, California, Washington, Yevgeny Prigozhin — Russia, North Africa, Russian, Sochi

☆ Imprisoned Russian ultranationalist claims Putin's regime is near 'collapse' due to failures in Ukraine and can't be saved
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A prominent Russian pro-war blogger doubled down on his criticism of Putin from prison this week. Igor Girkin, a former FSB operative, said he believes Russia is on the eve of collapse. Girkin believes Putin and his defense officials haven't gone far enough in Ukraine. Girkin said he believes it is his duty — even from prison — to offer an alternative and unite Russia's remaining patriotic people. Ukraine's spy chief told The Economist this week that Russia is running out of reserve troops and weapons that it needs to continue fighting.

Persons: Putin, Igor Girkin, Girkin, haven't, Vladimir Putin, castigating Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader's, Prigozhin's, —, Ukraine's Organizations: Service Locations: Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Donetsk

“If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure? Republicans, however, have been critical of the Iran deal, calling it a "ransom" paid, and some are also skeptical of continuing to help Ukraine. And as world leaders lauded Zelenskyy, who attended Tuesday’s U.N. meeting in military garb, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, said he would not have her support. "Zelenskyy is not the Governor of the 51st state, but he does have Joe Biden in his pocket. Meanwhile, House Republicans are preparing the next steps in an impeachment inquiry targeting Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Donald Trump, Tuesday’s, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Greene, MAGA, ”, Trump, Kevin McCarthy, Ian Sams, – Organizations: General, Ukrainian, Russian Federation, Wagner Group, South Carolina Republican, Tuesday’s U.N, Georgia Republican, Capitol, Fontanne, MAGA Republicans, Republicans, California Republican Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, New York, U.S, Iran, Georgia, Europe, Manhattan, Washington, California

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