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☆ Ukraine has taken 17,000 Russians off the battlefield without firing a shot, US Army special-ops general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia has taken hundreds of thousands of casualties since attacking Ukraine last year. Thanks to its information operations, Kyiv has helped take 17,000 Russians off the battlefield without even firing a shot, according to the head of US Army Special Operations Command. "Messaging has played a huge role just in the tactical and operational sense" in Ukraine, Braga said at the Association of the US Army's annual conference in October. During the Cold War, the KGB used information operations as part of a larger "active measures" campaign to subvert the West and undermine NATO. In the US special-operations community, the Army's Psychological Operations Groups and the Civil Affairs Brigade do most of the work when it comes to information operations and shaping the narrative.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Valya, Jonathan Braga, Braga, We've, You've, Arkady Budnitsky, " Braga, it's, Kyiv's Organizations: Service, Russian, US Army Special Operations Command, Navy, Getty, Association of, Anadolu Agency, Kremlin, NATO, Keyboard, US Army, Psychological, Groups, Civil Affairs Brigade, Army Special Forces Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Europe, Kyiv, St . Petersburg, Rostov, Mackall, North Carolina, China

☆ An 87-year-old deal is keeping a lid on the naval war in Ukraine — for now
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Fighting between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea has picked up in recent months. The fighting is taking a toll on Russia's Black Sea Fleet, which Moscow can't reinforce. Russia's Black Sea Fleet hasn't been defeated, but its losses, including the sinking of its flagship, the Moskva, weigh more heavily on Russia's war effort because of a deal signed nearly a century ago that is preventing Moscow from bringing more ships into the Black Sea. The convention distinguishes between Black Sea powers — those with a Black Sea coastline — and non-Black Sea powers. "Initially it was thought that it was a big deal that some of the Russian warships were prevented from entering the Black Sea.

Persons: —, Russia —, hasn't, Sergey Ponomarev, US Navy Arleigh Burke, OZAN KOSE, Ben Wallace, Stringer, Turkey's, Volodymyr Dubovyk, Dubovyk, Sabina Joja, Joja, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: Montreux Convention, NATO, Service, Fleet, Sea Fleet, AP, US Navy, Getty, Russian, REUTERS, Mechnikov National University, Middle East Institute, Washington DC, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn, Twitter Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Montreux, Crimea, Moskva, Sevastopol, Rostov, AFP, Turkey, Baltic, Northern, Odessa's, Ukrainian, Turkish, Romanian, Iulia, Washington, Izmail, Ankara, NATO

☆ Russia lifts ban on most diesel exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Vladimir Soldatkin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Russia lifts ban on diesel exports via portsDiesel accounts for the biggest share of Russia's fuel exportsRussia hikes fuel exports duties for resellersDamper payments are reinstalledMOSCOW, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Russia's government said on Friday it had lifted a ban on pipeline diesel exports via ports, removing the bulk of restrictions installed on Sept. 21. The restrictions for gasoline exports are still in place. "The government lifted restrictions on exports of diesel fuel delivered to seaports by pipeline, provided that the manufacturer supplies at least 50% of the produced diesel fuel to the domestic market," the government said in a statement. Russia has been tackling shortages and high fuel prices in recent months, which especially hurt farmers during the harvesting season. Since the ban was introduced, wholesale diesel prices on the local exchange have fallen by 21%, while gasoline prices are down 10%.

Persons: Don, Murad Sezer, Alexander Novak, Vladimir Putin's, Vladimir Soldatkin, Guy Faulconbridge, Jan Harvey Organizations: Turkish Navy Coast Guard, REUTERS, Diesel, European Union, Federal, Monopoly Service, Thomson Locations: Rostov, Istanbul, Turkey, Russia, MOSCOW, U.S, Ukraine, Europe, Brazil, North, West, Gulf, East

☆ Putin's plan to wear down support for Ukraine in a war of attrition seems to be working, though it's not risk-free
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Putin is seeking to wear down Western support for Ukraine with a war of attrition. AdvertisementAdvertisementAt the Valdai Club conference Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin gloated over the potential impact of Western support for Ukraine ebbing. Meanwhile, Ukraine's economy is struggling under the weight of the conflict and it is heavily dependent on Western aid. Wagner fighters deployed in Rostov-on-Don REUTERS/StringerPutin faces threats of his ownBut there are also risks for Putin in an attrition strategy. AdvertisementAdvertisementA notable series of successes could lead to a new wave of public support for Ukraine, and damage Putin's internal credibility.

Persons: Putin, —, Vladimir Putin gloated, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden's, George Beebe, Beebe, Wagner, Don, Stringer Putin, –, Lawrence Freedman, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Ukraine, Putin, Service, Valdai, Republicans, Don REUTERS, King's College London, New Statesman Locations: Ukraine, Slovakia, Germany, Russia, Kyiv, Europe, Rostov, Russian, —, Moscow, Lviv

☆ A wounded Russian soldier was denied compensation for his war injuries because he got blown up by his own comrades, not Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A court ruling against Khizri Kurazov, a corporal, says he was wounded by an accidental mine blast. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Russian corporal wounded in Ukraine has been denied standard compensation for his war injuries because they were inflicted by his own comrades instead of Ukrainian forces, court documents show. Kurazov, a contract soldier, was wounded in Ukraine by a mine accidentally detonated by fellow Russian personnel, according to the September 8 decision. Kurazov argued that the one-time payment to injured troops should be given to any Russian soldier wounded in Ukraine, including the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the filing said. He appealed the Nalchik Garrison military court's decision, bringing his case to the southern district military court in Rostov-on-Don in August.

Persons: Khizri Kurazov, he's, —, Kurazov, weren't, Garrison, Viktor Alekseevich Kostin, Dmitry Viktorovich Merkulov, Shuaipov —, Kurazov's, Aziz Magomedov Organizations: Service, Russian Guard, Garrison, Radio Free Liberty, Russia's Defense Ministry Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russia's, Russian, Donetsk, Luhansk, Rostov

[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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ How surging trade with China is boosting Russia’s war
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

Mikhail Tereshchenko | Afp | Getty ImagesThe defense ministries of China and Russia did not respond to CNBC's request for comment on the trade flows. Trade of 'dual-use' goods spikesTotal bilateral trade between Russia and China hit a record high of $190 billion in 2022, up 30% from 2021. Semiconductor sales to Russia from China and Hong Kong more than doubled in 2022 as Western sanctions took hold. Meantime, construction equipment has played an "underappreciated" but significant role in China's contribution to Russia's war efforts, having helped bolster its defenses against Ukraine's counteroffensive, Joseph Webster, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said. The findings add to the growing list of Chinese goods and companies reported to be supplying Russia's military, including state-owned enterprises.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Mark Cancian, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Wang Yi, China's, Putin, Li Shangfu, —, Qilai Shen, Antonia Hmaidi, Cancian, they've, Hong Kong Retekess, Legittelecom, It's, Silva, Hmaidi, Joseph Webster, Webster, that's, Ramzan Kadyrov, Russia's Organizations: CNBC, for Strategic, International Studies, Kremlin, Afp, Getty, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Bank of Finland's Institute, Emerging, Semiconductor, CNBC CNBC, Federal, Service, SZ DJI Technology, Robotics, Iflight, SZ, Technology, Bloomberg, Rostov, R Technology, Beijing KRnatural International Trade Co, Mercator Institute for China Studies Defense, Industry, Hong, Mercator Institute for China Studies, Moscow, ImportGenius, Ukraine's, Atlantic Council, Atlantic, U.S, China Taly Aviation Technologies, China Poly Technologies, EU, Beijing, National Security Council Locations: Ukraine, China, Washington, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Beijing, U.S, Kyiv, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, DJI, Liaoning, Shanghai, Berlin, Buryatia, Hubei, Korea, Pyongyang, Russia's, Amur, Chechen Republic, Qianwan, Qingdao Port, Shandong Province, deniability

☆ Russia's battered Black Sea Fleet is having another bad day after a Ukrainian missile struck its headquarters in Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia said its Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Crimea was hit by a Ukrainian missile on Friday. Intelligence and experts have said it's part of Ukraine's counteroffensive, and the goal is to make Crimea "untenable" for Russia. On Friday, Russia's Ministry of Defense said on the social media platform Telegram the fleet's headquarters in Sevastopol was damaged by a Ukrainian missile. The hit is the latest in a recent series of blows to Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Photos obtained by the Conflict Intelligence Team — an open-source intelligence operation — and shared by OSINT platforms like Oryx, showed the Kilo-class sub, a formidable element of the Black Sea Fleet, with a large hole in along the waterline.

Persons: —, it's Moscow's Organizations: Fleet, Intelligence, Service, Russia's Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Defense, Conflict, Kilo, Black Locations: Russia, Crimea, Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Sevastopol, Crimean, Rostov, Ukraine, Minsk

☆ Ukraine trolls Russia for losing an attack submarine to a country that hardly has a navy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A new video from Ukraine's defense ministry pokes fun at Russia for losing the Rostov-on-Don submarine. The video trolls Russia for losing a submarine "in a land war" to a country "without many warships." The video, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, pokes fun at Russia for having "lost a submarine in a land war." "Well, among other things... we're a country without many warships, and we just destroyed a Russian submarine." And, according to warfare expert Franz-Stefan Gady, it's the first combat loss of a Russian submarine since 1945.

Persons: Russia, Don, Franz, Stefan Gady, they'd, — Organizations: Russia, Rostov, Service, Ministry of Defense, —, Moscow, Russia's Ministry of Defense, Russian, Sea Fleet, Moskva, US Army Locations: Rostov, Sevastopol, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russia, we're, Russian, Minsk, Crimea, Olekivka, Yevpatoriya

Three producers listed in the customs data confirmed to Reuters they had shipped coal from the two regions to Turkey during that period. Reuters was unable to find any information in customs data about deliveries of coal produced in the DNR to Turkey or other countries in 2022. Customs data shows Nedra-06 made two shipments of coal to Turkey totalling 1,600 tonnes in May and June. The buyers were Belize-based Brig Management LTD and Green Rabbit LTD of Hong Kong, the customs data showed. Coal bought at Russian ports by Brig Management LTD and Green Rabbit LTD was taken to Turkey, the data showed.

Persons: Vitaliy Khotsenko, Adzhmal, Vostokugol, Anton Nadeyev, Nadeyev, I'm, Denis Karashchuk, Karashchuk, Filipp Lebedev, Gleb Stolyarov, Humeyra Pamuk, Tom Balmforth, Julia Payne, Jose Sanchez, Mike Collett, White, Daniel Flynn Organizations: NATO, Reuters, European, British Virgin Islands, Donetsk People's Republic, Russia's Ministry of Energy, Federal Customs Service, Luhansk People's Republics, European Union, United, Ukraine, U.S . State Department, UN, Assembly, Florance, Management, Hong, Brig Management, Rabbit, Belize Companies, Corporate Affairs, Green Rabbit, Coal, Toksabay, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Turkey Ankara, Russia, Turkey, Donetsk, Luhansk, United States, European Union, Moscow . Washington, Moscow, Ankara, Ukrainian, Hong Kong, UAE, Belize, British Virgin, East, Africa, Russian, Rostov, Novorossiisk, Turkey . U.S, Antratsyt, Yasynuvata, Tbilisi, Washington, Kyiv, Brussels

Three producers listed in the customs data confirmed to Reuters they had shipped coal from the two regions to Turkey during that period. Turkey, a major coal consumer and importer, is bucking the global trend by increasing coal's share in electricity generation. Customs data shows Nedra-06 made two shipments of coal to Turkey totalling 1,600 tonnes in May and June. The buyers were Belize-based Brig Management LTD and Green Rabbit LTD of Hong Kong, the customs data showed. Coal bought at Russian ports by Brig Management LTD and Green Rabbit LTD was taken to Turkey, the data showed.

☆ Leaked photos said to be a Russian submarine hit by Ukrainian missiles show severe damages that look beyond repair
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine's attack on the Sevastopol shipyard last week left a Russian submarine in rough shape. New photos leaked to social media indicate the submarine may be beyond repair, a naval expert says. The attack damaged two vessels, including the Kilo-class attack submarine Rostov-on-Don, and was the latest in a string of assaults on the peninsula, which Kyiv has vowed to liberate from Moscow. It also published satellite imagery showing the damaged Sevastopol shipyard, with a zoomed-in view of the submarine. Britain's defense ministry cited open-source evidence in suggesting that the Minsk had "almost certainly been functionally destroyed."

Persons: submariner, Bryan Clark, Don, Clark Organizations: Service, Fleet, Conflict Intelligence Team, US Navy, Hudson Institute, Ministry of Defense, US Army Locations: Sevastopol, Russian, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Black, Crimea, Rostov, Kyiv, Moscow, Ukraine, Minsk, Russia

☆ Ukraine crowns a week of military successes with a 'significant' tactical breach on the southern front, think tank says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine likely made "a significant tactical breach" on the southern front, a new report says. The advance comes after a successful week for Ukrainian forces. The offensive of Ukrainian forces has been widening a gap in the frontline for several weeks, the report adds, clarifying that "Ukrainian forces have yet to complete a breakthrough of this defensive layer" with heavy armor and vehicles. Ukrainian forces told Reuters and Ukrainian media that an experimental sea drone called Sea Baby, was used as part of this attack. On Saturday, a NATO admiral told the military alliance that "history books will show Ukraine has transformed modern warfare.

Persons: Ukraine's, Al, ISW, Don — Organizations: Service, Assault Brigade, Reuters, Russia, Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, Ukrainska Pravda, Fleet, MoD, Kilo, NATO Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Robotyne, Andriivka, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Al Jazeera, Rozdolivka, Crimea, Screengrab, Russian, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Russia, Minsk, Rostov

☆ Ukrainian partisans say a double agent in the Russian military helped them plan the devastating attack at a shipyard in Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Ukrainian partisan group says a Russian military member helped Ukraine with its strike in Crimea. "We managed to attract one of the military members of the Russian Black Sea Fleet," ATESH told the outlet. That intel helped Ukrainian forces strike the crucial Russian naval base in Sevastopol, Crimea, on the Black Sea. ATESH told the Kyiv Post that it wasn't just a mole in the Russian military that gave them the crucial intel, but also local residents. AdvertisementAdvertisement"The constantly growing Ukrainian underground partisan movement demonstrates that the inhabitants of Crimea are ready to fight against Russia," ATESH told the Kyiv Post.

Persons: —, ATESH Organizations: Service, Kyiv Post, intel, Russia Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine, Crimea, Sevastopol, Wall, Silicon, Crimean Tatars, Russia, Kyiv, Rostov, Minsk, Don

☆ A Russian sub took 'catastrophic' damage from a Ukrainian missile strike despite attempts to downplay it, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A key Russian submarine suffered "catastrophic" damage in a recent Ukrainian attack, UK intel said. The loss is significant, the MOD said, as it's one of four cruise-missile-capable subs in Russia's Black Sea Fleet. It could take "many years" before the submarine can return to service, the UK MOD said. The UK MOD added that "the complex task of removing the wreckage from the dry docks" will also place the facility out of use for many months. "The demilitarization of the Russian Black Sea fleet is a real long-term guarantee of security for regional trade routes and the "grain corridor," he added.

Persons: Don —, OSINTtechnical, Ben Hodges, Mykhailo Podolyak, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: UK intel, MOD, Service, Fleet, Ministry of Defence, Kilo, Russian Ministry of Defence, Russia's Defense, US Army Locations: Russian, UK, Wall, Silicon, Sevastopol, Minsk, Rostov, Ukraine, Crimea, US Army Europe

☆ A spectacular attack in Crimea is part of Ukraine's effort to 'evict' Putin's navy from a prized Black Sea base, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The attack also deals a harsh blow to the logistics and operations of Moscow's Black Sea Fleet. If the damage to the base is severe enough, it may impair the Black Sea Fleet's readiness. AdvertisementAdvertisementBeyond Sevastopol, the Black Sea Fleet doesn't have many alternative options when it comes to repairs and upgrades. AdvertisementAdvertisement"At the operational level of war, it appears that part of Ukraine's strategy is to impose cost on Black Sea Fleet operations. REUTERS/Alexey PavlishakIt remains to be seen what specific long-term effects on the Black Sea Fleet arise in the aftermath of the Sevastopol strikes.

Persons: Michael Petersen, Petersen, Ben Hodges, Hodges, Alexey Pavlishak Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Russia Maritime Studies, US Naval War College, Insider, Institute for, Sea, Kyiv, Telegram, REUTERS, US Army, Russia's, Black Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimea's Sevastopol, Wall, Silicon, Crimean, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Moscow, Russia's, Minsk, Rostov, Kyiv, Crimea, Washington, Russia, Sevastopol —, Novorossiysk, US Army Europe

CNN —Ukraine has identified the ships hit in its attack against a Russian naval base in occupied Crimea, claiming the vessels are beyond repair. On Wednesday, Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, said the landing ship Minsk and the submarine Rostov-on-Don had been destroyed in the attack. A satellite image shows Sevastopol after a Ukrainian missile attack in Crimea on September 13, 2023. Smoke rises from the shipyard that was hit by a Ukrainian attack in Sevastopol, Crimea, on September 13, 2023. A day after the Sevastopol attack, Ukraine carried out another operation, attacking two ships in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Persons: Andrii, Don, Yusov, Sergei Kotov, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Dmytro Kuleba Organizations: CNN, Defense Intelligence, BlackSky, Reuters Kyiv, Ukraine’s General Staff, The Defense Intelligence, The General Staff, Russia’s Defense, “, United Nations, Fleet, European Commission, European Union, Ukrainian, Commission Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimea, Sevastopol, Minsk, Rostov, Ukrainian, Russia, Crimean, Turkey, Moscow, Europe, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia

☆ Satellite images show damage to Russian naval vessels struck in Ukraine attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A combination image of satellite photos shows Sevastopol, Crimea before a Ukrainian missile attack, on September 12, 2023 (inset) and a view of the same site after the missile attack, on September 13, 2023. BlackSky/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Sept 14 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian missile attack on the Sevastopol Shipyard in Russian-annexed Crimea this week caused heavy damage to a large Russian landing ship and submarine, commercial satellite imagery showed. Kyiv said on Wednesday the two vessels were likely beyond repair after the pre-dawn missile attack on the port city of Sevastopol. Russia's defence ministry confirmed the strike, but said the vessels would be fully repaired and return to service. "The Minsk Project 775 Ropucha-class landing ship and the Rostov-on-Don Kilo-class submarine vessels... sustained damage," the company wrote on the X social media platform late on Wednesday, publishing the images.

Persons: Don Kilo, Tom Balmforth, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Sevastopol Shipyard, Kyiv, Black Sky, Fleet, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukrainian, Handout, Russian, Russia's, Minsk, Rostov, Ukraine

CNN —Two Russian warships were damaged after Ukraine launched an extensive assault on a Russian ship repair base in Crimea early Wednesday morning, officials said, in what appears to be Kyiv’s most ambitious strike on the port since the war began. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukrainian armed forces attacked the Sergo Ordzhonikidze shipyard in Sevastopol, which Russia uses as a repair base for its Black Sea Fleet, with 10 cruise missiles and three unmanned boats. But Russian officials confirmed that the attack had damaged two Russian warships and left 24 people injured. An ambulance leaves the area next to the shipyard in Sevastopol, Crimea, on September 13, 2023. Stringer/ReutersAnother prominent Russian military blogger said the attack on the Sevastopol shipyard was carried out by the Ukrainian Air Force, which launched 10 Storm Shadow cruise missiles at the facility.

Persons: Vasily Bykov, Mikhail Razvozhaev, Razvozhaev, Don ”, Stringer, Rybar, ” Rybar, Andriy Yermak, ” Yermak, Mykola Oleshchuk, Volodymyr Zelensky, Elon Musk, Walter Isaacson’s Organizations: CNN, Russia’s Defense Ministry, Reuters, Ukrainian Air Force, Su, Storm, Ukrainian, Russian, SpaceX Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimea, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Russia, Rostov, Minsk, ”, United Kingdom, France, Novorossiysk, Kerch, Crimean

CNN —A drone attack caused an explosion near Russia’s military headquarters in the city of Rostov-on-Don on Thursday, as Kyiv continues a campaign of strategic aerial strikes in Russian territory. Russian air defense systems separately intercepted a drone attack near Moscow, the capital’s mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in a post on Telegram on Thursday. “Tonight, in the Ramensky urban district, air defense forces thwarted a drone attack on Moscow. “There will be a just retribution for everything.”In addition to the attacks on Russian territory, Kyiv has continued to also hit Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine. Russian-appointed officials in occupied Zaporizhzhia say there was another Ukrainian drone attack on Enerhodar, the city adjacent to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, early on Thursday.

Persons: Vasily Golubev, Golubev, Wagner, Sergey Sobyanin, ” Sobyanin, OLGA MALTSEVA, Denys Shmyhal, “, Jens Stoltenberg, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Getty, NATO Locations: Rostov, Kyiv, Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, AFP, Ukraine, Russian, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia

☆ Wagner 'skull' flag flies over empty Prigozhin plane crash site in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A view shows a flag of the Wagner private mercenary group at the site of the plane crash that killed Wagner PMC top figures, including Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, in the Tver Region, Russia September 1, 2023. The plane on which Yevgeny Prigozhin was travelling to St Petersburg from Moscow crashed killing all 10 people on board on Aug. 23, including two other top Wagner figures, Prigozhin's four bodyguards and a crew of three. At the crash site near the village of Kuzhenkino in Russia's Tver region, there was no sign of the remains of the Embraer Legacy 600 jet, footage obtained by Reuters showed on Friday. All that remained was a makeshift stone memorial of four boulders to the mercenary chief surrounded by red carnations and a Wagner flag flying on a pole made from a tree branch. The flag sports a white skull surrounded by the words "PMC Wagner Group" in both English and Russian.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Guy Faulconbridge, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Wagner PMC, REUTERS, St, Embraer, Reuters, Wagner, Thomson Locations: Tver Region, Russia, St Petersburg, Moscow, Kuzhenkino, Russia's Tver, Rostov, Vladimir Putin's Russia

☆ Russia faces domestic fuel crunch, braces for more shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Traders said that the fuel market has been hit by a combination of different factors including maintenance at oil refineries, infrastructure bottlenecks on railways and the weaker rouble which incentivises fuel exports. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday that there were no fuel shortages. FUEL CRUNCHTraders said the shortages on the retail market followed by a sharp rise of wholesales prices. The state caps the retail prices, ordering the sellers to raise prices of gasoline and diesel only in line with official inflation. For the past two months commodity exchange diesel prices jumped on average by more than a quarter to 67,000 roubles ($700) per ton.

Persons: Alexander Natruskin, Alexander Novak, Andrei Neduzhko, Vladimir Soldatkin, Guy Faulconbridge, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Traders, Kremlin, CRUNCH Traders, Industry, Wholesale, Russian Railways, Thomson Locations: Moscow, MOSCOW, Russia, Russia's, Krasnodar region, Adygea, Astrakhan, Samara, Russian, Rostov, Krasnodar, Stavropol

☆ Kremlin says Prigozhin plane may have been downed on purpose
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A view shows a framed photo of Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin at his grave at the Porokhovskoye cemetery in Saint Petersburg, Russia, August 30, 2023. "It is obvious that different versions are being considered, including the version - you know what we are talking about – let's say, a deliberate atrocity," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about the investigation. The Kremlin has rejected as an "absolute lie" the suggestion by some Western politicians and commentators - for which they have not provided evidence - that Putin ordered Prigozhin to be killed in revenge. Followers of Prigozhin laid flowers, messages and poetry at his grave on Wednesday, hailing him as a fearless warrior. In life, Prigozhin liked to brag that he was one of the world's most feared mercenaries with the best fighting force.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Stringer, –, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Prigozhin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Joe Biden, Guy Faulconbridge, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: REUTERS, International Civil Aviation Organization, Embraer, St, Reuters, EMBR3, United State, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, MOSCOW, St Petersburg, Moscow, Rostov, Vladimir Putin's Russia, SA, Russian, Ukraine

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