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☆ Europe didn't want to believe Russia would actually invade Ukraine even as the US kept warning it was coming, top EU diplomat says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Europe didn't think that Russia would actually invade Ukraine, the EU's top diplomat revealed. But despite these warnings from the US that war was on the horizon, Europe didn't want to believe that Russia would actually attack its eastern European neighbor, the European Union's top diplomat revealed on Tuesday. The Americans were telling us, 'They will attack, they will attack,' and we were quite reluctant to believe it," Borrell said. The next day, Russian forces invaded, with Russian leadership under the impression that Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops would achieve a quick and decisive victory. Borrell also said on Tuesday that Europe didn't anticipate how well Ukraine would defend itself against the invading Russian forces.

☆ Russia unleashes its anger on Ukraine with brutal strikes — but it has big problems on the battlefield
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Cars are seen on fire after Russian missile strikes, as Russia's attack continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine October 10, 2022. Ukraine's leadership has said it will not be intimidated by the latest spate of attacks, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowing to inflict more pain on Russian forces on the battlefield. Supplies running outDespite Moscow's recent show of strength in the last day or so, experts say Russia's forces are looking increasingly desperate and ill-equipped. "Russia's forces are exhausted. Destroyed armored vehicles and tanks belonging to Russian forces, after they withdrew from the city of Lyman in the Donetsk region in Ukraine on Oct. 5, 2022.

☆ Rouble hits multi-month low past 64 vs dollar on Ukraine escalation fears
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

By 1409 GMT the rouble was down 2.1% against the dollar at 64.03 , its weakest since July 7. The rouble has been supported by capital controls and a collapse in imports since Western sanctions were imposed over Russia's actions in Ukraine and companies left the market in droves. Already blighted by Western sanctions, Russia's economy now faces a more self-inflicted blow, with President Vladimir Putin's military mobilisation drive threatening to undermine productivity, demand and recovery. Promsvyazbank analyst Yevgeny Loktyukhov pointed to escalation in Ukraine and a pullback in oil prices as a reason for the rouble's slide. Brent crude oil , a global benchmark for Russia's main export, was down 2.3% at $94.0 a barrel at 1410 GMT.

☆ Yellen calls on G20 to boost aid for food insecurity, offers debt freeze
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

She also called on G20 countries to increase financial aid to initiatives such as the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, to which Washington just gave $155 million, and to avoid all food export restrictions. The United States had announced nearly $10 billion in assistance this year to provide critical support to food-insecure countries, Yellen said. She said G20 members should urge international financial institutions to continue implementing commitments made in their Action Plan to Tackle Food Insecurity. Washington would also support temporary debt service standstills for countries that needed debt relief and sought help under the G20 Common Framework adopted in late 2020, she said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEditing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Treasury fines crypto company $29.3 million for violating multiple U.S. sanctions, Bank Secrecy Act
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen holds a news conference in the Cash Room at the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, U.S. July 28, 2022. The Treasury Department fined a Washington-based cryptocurrency trading platform $29.3 million for violating multiple sanctions, including those prohibiting U.S. companies from doing business with individuals operating in Iran, Sudan, Syria, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine, the agency announced Tuesday. The Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network division, or FinCen, imposed a total civil penalty of $29.3 million, which covers additional violations under the Bank Secrecy Act. FinCEN also discovered that the company did not maintain an effective anti-money laundering program from February 2014 through December 2018. A sanctions compliance program was not adopted until December 2015, though Bittrex began offering virtual currency services in early 2014.

"The mobilisation declaration and the strengthening of geopolitical and sanctions risk are launching the second wave of the economic crisis," said Evgeny Suvorov, an economist at CentroCreditBank, expecting Russia's economic contraction to worsen in the final months of the year. But there was no acknowledgement of any link to his sudden partial mobilisation announcement on Sept. 21. The central bank on Tuesday said economic activity in Russia slowed significantly at the end of September. "The main consequence of mobilisation is the loss of human capital," said veteran economist Natalya Zubarevich. "It was possible to count exclusively on human capital to pull the economy through, but now a part of this human capital of productive age is subject to mobilisation and another part is leaving," Polevoy said.

☆ Yuri Milner, the richest Russian in Silicon Valley, has renounced his Russian citizenship amid the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Billionaire investor Yuri Milner said Monday he has renounced his Russian citizenship. Milner's tech investment firm DST Global condemned Russia's war against Ukraine. The founder of tech investment firm DST Global made the announcement in a tweet. In March, his investment firm DST Global condemned "Russia's war against Ukraine, its sovereign neighbor," according to Bloomberg. DST Global did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside of regular business hours.

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

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

☆ U.N. publicly rejects Russia's call for secret vote on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The General Assembly decided, with 107 votes in favor, that it would hold a public vote - and not a secret ballot - on a draft resolution that would condemn Russia's "illegal so-called referenda" and the "attempted illegal annexation." Only 13 countries on Monday opposed holding a public vote on the draft resolution, another 39 countries abstained and the remaining countries did not vote. Russia had argued that a secret ballot was needed because Western lobbying meant that "it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly." The draft resolution to be voted on later this week calls on states not to recognize Russia's move and reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. At the Security Council Russia vetoed a draft resolution that opposed a referendum on the status of Crimea and urged countries not to recognize it.

"This is terrorism and I do not understand why a terrorist country is not recognized as such," the 52-year-old history teacher said of the Russian missile strikes that slammed into the Ukrainian capital during Monday's morning rush hour. Russia charged Ukraine with responsibility, while a Ukrainian presidential aide blamed the incident on infighting between Russian security bodies. Two missiles landed in quick succession on the edges of Shevchenko Park in central Kyiv, one striking a busy intersection next to a major university. People began trickling back into Shevchenko Park around lunchtime, curiously examining the huge crater. Denys Mykhailovskyi, 38, was studiously clearing glass from the floor of his basement bar, near the Shevchenko Park playground where a missile landed.

☆ Putin's wounded military is using suicide drones to spread 'terror and chaos' among Ukraine's civilians, experts and officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukrainian officials identified the drones as Iranian-made loitering munitions, commonly called "suicide" or "kamikaze" drones. One military expert said Putin is purposely using these to spread "terror and chaos" among Ukrainians. In both cases, Ukrainian officials confirmed that Russia used Iranian-made loitering munitions, or suicide drones. It's unclear how many Iranian-made drones Russia has in its arsenal. Ukrainian officials and Western heads of state took to social media and slammed Russia for the wave of attacks, especially the strikes on civilian centers.

☆ Shocking selfie video shows the blast from a Russian missile attack narrowly missing a young Ukrainian woman in Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Video captured the moment a blast from a Russian missile attack narrowly missed a young woman in Kyiv. "My hands are shaking because I just saw a rocket fly and I heard it," the unidentified woman says in the video, moments before the strike. The 23-second clip shared on Twitter shows the terrified woman taking a selfie video on the streets of Kyiv just before the missile strike. "My hands are shaking because I just saw a rocket fly and I heard it," the unidentified woman says in the video. Seconds later, there's a loud, fiery blast that sends debris raining down onto the woman, the video shows.

☆ U.S. officials plan to push for price cap on Russian oil at this week's IMF meetings
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen talks to reporters during a news conference in the Cash Room at the Treasury Department on April 21, 2022 in Washington, DC. U.S. Treasury officials plan to press ahead at this week's IMF meetings with a cap on the price of Russian oil, despite Wednesday's decision by OPEC+ to cut oil production that's already driven gas prices higher. "We've been working on the price cap for a number of months. G-7 finance ministers announced the price cap last month. The Deputy Treasury Secretary will also consult with senior officials from over 20 participating countries, including Canada, the U.K. and the E.U., on how to redouble those efforts, according to senior Treasury officials.

☆ Many of Putin's Kremlin elite oppose the Ukraine war, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Vladimir Putin's war with Ukraine is widely said to be creating tensions among Russia's elite. "Since the start of the occupation, we have witnessed growing alarm from a number of Putin's inner circle," an unnamed Western intelligence official told the Post. "Putin is a very destructive personality," a former defense ministry official told The Guardian. "Putin just wants to see what is best for him and the war in Ukraine." Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify the source of the claim that senior Russian officials oppose the invasion of Ukraine.

☆ Ukrainians are posing with a giant postage stamp depicting the blown up bridge linking Russia and Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainians are celebrating the bridge explosion that collapsed a key link between Russia and Crimea. The Kerch Bridge explosion severely damaged the supply route for Russian soldiers invading southern Ukraine. In Kyiv, Ukrainians celebrated by posing with an oversize postage stamp depicting the bridge explosion. In Kyiv, Ukrainians celebrated by posing with an oversize postage stamp depicting the bridge explosion. The bridge was a proud symbol of his illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, according to The Washington Post.

☆ These savvy homeowners are cutting their energy bills by installing solar panels
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-02 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Many households are facing soaring energy bills this winter even with price caps or subsidies. Some people are installing solar panels on their roofs to help bring down costs. The solar panels generate energy even when it is cloudy or raining, he said, and it will be his first winter using them. John Reader, 74, from Cornwall, says it cost close to £7,000 ($7,800) to get 16 solar panels installed on his house. The amount of electricity the solar panels produce varies from between seven to more than 30, depending on how sunny it is.

☆ Putin's military lacks 'manpower' but that's just one of 'a lot of other problems,' CIA director says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

CIA Director William Burns said Russia's military mobilization won't be enough to help them win the war. Putin ordered a "partial military mobilization" to bring in an extra 300,000 troops as the war persists. His military has a lot of other problems, "manpower is only one of them," Burns told CBS News. "His military has a lot of other problems, manpower is only one of them," Burns said to CBS News' Norah O'Donnell on Tuesday. Putin since ordered a "partial military mobilization," attempting to bring in an additional 300,000 troops to the conflict in Ukraine.

☆ Russia set to annex Ukraine territory; West warns of new sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe Russian-installed administrations of the four provinces have formally asked Putin to incorporate them into Russia, which Russian officials have suggested is a formality. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would need to keep fighting until it had taken control of all of Donetsk. Russia has announced it will mobilise some 300,000 reservists to bolster its forces in Ukraine. On the ground, Ukraine and Russian forces are engaged in heavy fighting in the four disputed provinces. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, once the main route for Russian gas to Germany, was already shut but cannot now be easily reopened.

☆ The number of Russians fleeing the country to evade Putin's draft is bigger than the original invasion force, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The UK's MOD said the number of fleeing Russians likely exceeds Putin's original invasion force. "Whilst exact numbers are unclear, it likely exceeds the size of the total invasion force Russia fielded in February 2022." According to the Associated Press, as of Wednesday at least 194,000 Russians have fled to Georgia, Kazakhstan and Finland alone. Those conservative estimates already exceed what the US had estimated to be the 190,000-strong invasion force that massed at Ukraine's border just prior to the invasion. The UK's MOD noted on Thursday that "the better off and well educated are over-represented amongst those attempting to leave Russia."

Putin cautioned it was no bluff, and Western politicians, diplomats and nuclear weapons experts are divided. Some say he could use one or more smaller, tactical nuclear weapons to try to stave off military defeat, protect his presidency, scare off the West or intimidate Kyiv into capitulation. And those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the weathervane can turn and point towards them," he said. Such blunt Kremlin rhetoric is very different to the much more nuanced nuclear signals preferred by late Soviet leaders after Nikita Khrushchev took the world to the brink of nuclear war in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Burns, though, said U.S. intelligence had no practical evidence that Putin was moving towards using tactical nuclear weapons imminently.

☆ 'We can't trust our government': Man joins tens of thousands fleeing Russia's draft
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Tens of thousand of men are fleeing Russia and President Vladimir Putin's military draft. CNN's Melissa Bell has more from the Russian border with Georgia.

☆ Watch: Satellite images show 10-mile line of cars fleeing Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

New satellite images show a nearly 10-mile line of cars waiting to get into Georgia from Russia as thousands hope to flee Russian President Vladimir Putin's draft order. CNN's Melissa Bell reports from the Georgia-Russia border.

☆ Russian unemployment rate hits record low, economic data paints mixed picture
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

After 11 consecutive weeks of deflation and for the first time since early May, consumer prices rose in the week to Sept. 26. That rise comes less than two weeks after the central bank cut its key rate to 7.5%, but suggested the monetary easing cycle might soon be over. Next month's data may shed some light on the impact of President Vladimir Putin's partial mobilisation order on the workforce. Rosstat also said real wages in Russia fell 3.2% year on year in July, the same decrease as the month before. Average nominal wages earned by Russians rose year-on-year to 62,200 roubles ($1,083) but fell from 66,572 roubles in June.

☆ Russia demands Apple explain VK removal from App Store
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Alexander Marrow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies This content was produced in Russia, where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine. MOSCOW, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Russia's communications regulator on Wednesday demanded an explanation from Apple (AAPL.O) after applications operated by the Russian state-controlled tech firm VK (VKCOq.L) were removed from the U.S. firm's App Store. VK runs Vkontakte, which with over 75 million monthly users is Russia's largest social network, often compared to Facebook. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterRoskomnadzor said Apple's actions had deprived millions of Russians of access to VK apps and demanded that it explain its decision. Regardless of location, the apps cannot be downloaded from any App store, said Apple, which terminated the developer accounts associated with the apps to comply with UK sanctions.

Russians trying to avoid getting conscripted to fight in Ukraine appeared to be trying to cross the border into Georgia, Kazakhstan and even remote Mongolia, satellite imagery suggested Monday. Russian border guards didn’t appear to be trying to stop them. The Russians are fleeing to Georgia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and other countries because they don't require visas. Logvin said he waited 34 hours at the border before he was allowed to enter Georgia. According to Maxar, this satellite image appears to show a traffic jam near the Russian border with Georgia on Sunday.

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