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☆ Treasury sanctions Russian FSB operatives in 2020 poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department on Thursday issued new sanctions against Russian security operatives for the 2020 poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The sanctions come two weeks after a Russian court sentenced Navalny to an additional 19 years in prison on extremism charges. Panyaev is described by Treasury as an "FSB operative who reportedly tailed Navalny on multiple occasions prior to the attack." The sanctions complement the State Department's announcement of visa restrictions against the operatives for involvement in gross violations of human rights. FSB officers used the nerve agent Novichok, which was created by the Soviet Union, to poison Navalny, the Treasury memo said.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, WASHINGTON —, Navalny, Brian E, Nelson, Alexey Alexandrovich Alexandrov, Konstantin Kudryavtsev, Ivan Vladimirovich Osipov, Vladimir Alexandrovich Panyaev, Sergei Magnitsky Organizations: IK, WASHINGTON, Treasury Department, Treasury, Terrorism, Financial Intelligence, Russian Federal Security Service Criminalistics Institute, CNBC, Treasury's, Foreign Assets Control Locations: Russian, Moscow, Melekhovo, Vladimir, Tomsk, Novosibirsk, Navalny, Russia, Soviet Union, U.S

☆ The US Navy is offering its pilots $105,000 to stay in uniform and become commanding officers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Konstantin Toropin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Navy is offering $105,000 to keep naval aviators in uniform and to become senior officers. The goal is to keep "highly talented, hard-working" aviators and flight officers on active duty. The Navy is also offering more than $100,000 to naval aviators to stay in the service and become senior officers and admirals. While there is little recent data, historically, government investigations and reports have found that the Navy has struggled to retain pilots in necessary numbers. This year, it offered similar-sized bonuses for some pilots to stay past that mid-career point as well.

Persons: Hannah Kantner, It's, — Konstantin Toropin Organizations: Service, Navy, Army, US Navy, Hornet, Twitter Locations: Wall, Silicon

Yet what we consider theatrical minimalism today used to be standard: Greek tragedies barely had sets; the major visual element in Elizabethan theater was the performance space itself. This changed in the latter half of the 17th century as indoor staging became the norm. As lighting technology improved over the next 200 years, among other aspects, productions grew increasingly ornate and complex. Throughout the 20th century, many attempted to bring minimalism back: Orson Welles and John Houseman thrilled audiences with a scenery-free “Dr. “There’s no visual noise to take your eye off what you’re meant to be focusing on,” Gilmour says of her recent production.

Persons: Orson Welles, John Houseman, Faustus ”, “ Julius Caesar, ”, Konstantin Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Peter Brook, “, ” Gilmour, Mike Bosner Organizations: Broadway Locations: Russia

The headquarters of chemicals maker Lanxess are seen in Cologne, Germany November 15, 2018. "We urgently need sustainable framework conditions – above all an internationally competitive electricity tariff for the industry," CEO Matthias Zachert said in a statement. The company said implementing these measures would cost around 100 million euros. The group's second quarter core earnings (EBITDA) pre-exceptionals fell 57.7% to 107 million euros, in line with its forecast from June. In a separate statement, Lanxess said its finance chief Michael Pontzen would leave by the end of August.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Matthias Zachert, Lanxess, Zachert, Baader, Konstantin Wiechert, Michael Pontzen, Linda Pasquini, Antonis Pothitos, Milla Nissi, Alexander Smith, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Cologne, Germany, Europe, Krefeld, Uerdingen, Gdansk

CNN —Ukraine has passed legislation moving its official Christmas holiday to December 25, further distancing itself from the traditions of the Putin-aligned Russian Orthodox Church, which celebrates the holiday on January 7. A branch of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine allowed its churches to celebrate Christmas on December 25 last year. Ukraine’s main Greek Catholic church said in February it was moving to a new calendar to celebrate Christmas on December 25 as well. In December, the Ukrainian government launched a poll asking citizens whether the date for Christmas should be moved to December 25. They added that they celebrated Christmas on December 25 last year and felt they would “quickly adapt.”“Ukraine should be a civilized European country,” Alla said.

Persons: Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine “, “, Kirill, Alla, Oksana, ” Alla, ” Vitalina, Pavlo, ” Pavlo, Tetyana Organizations: CNN, Church, ”, Orthodox, of, Catholic, Ukrainian Locations: Ukraine, ” Ukraine, Russia, Crimea, Donbas, Moscow, Christianity, of Ukraine, Ukraine’s, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Kyiv, Europe

☆ South Africa’s stance on Russia puzzles many. Could a mine in the desert hold answers?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Johannesburg, South Africa CNN —To many observers, South Africa’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine is puzzling. This week, while many African leaders stay away, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is attending a Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg along with key ministers. So, why is South Africa putting this important relationship at risk? The US had long treated South Africa with kid gloves, he said, mindful of not risking an important relationship. Officials have denied that anything was loaded up, but the claim is now subject to a sealed South African government inquiry.

Persons: South Africa CNN —, Cyril Ramaphosa, Viktor Vekselberg, Vladimir Putin, Byron Blunt, Chancellor House, Mogopodi Mokoena, Mokoena, UMK, ”, Karam Singh, Steven Gruzd, Reuben Brigety II, Brigety, Mikhail Metzel, Chancellor House’s, Putin, Yuri Trutnev, Konstantin Zavrazhin, Vekselberg, “, “ Mr Organizations: South Africa CNN, Russia, United Nations, Russian Navy, National Congress, Soviet Union, AmaBhungane, Investigative Journalism, CNN, Chancellor House Holdings, ANC, Mail & Guardian, Chancellor House, Corruption Watch, Chancellor, South African Institute of International Affairs, US, South, AP Mokoena, International Criminal Court, ICC, Getty, Treasury, FBI, Renova Group Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Ukraine, Africa, United States, Russian, Russia, St . Petersburg, States, St, Petersburg, Cape Town, African, Cape Town , South Africa, Mallorca, UMK, Cyprus, South

☆ How Russia’s youth see their lives and their future
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Some spoke of study plans and jobs upended, others, of fear of an unknown and unpredictable future. But none of the four said there was much they could do to influence Russia's direction. Instead, as one young man put it, there was nothing to do but adjust to a new reality and "carry on." I plan to study a master's course in China…I think they are very interesting people, an interesting nation. I can't change and fix everything in the country, so I'm forced to come to terms with it, get used to it, and move forward.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sabina, Maxim Lukyanenko, let's, Konstantin Konkov, on.Ivan Sokolov, William Maclean Organizations: Kremlin, Moscow's Higher, of Economics, Higher School of Economics, Moscow State University, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Abkhazia, Georgia, universit, Finland, Krasnodar, Europe, Asia, China, Moscow, Kazakhstan, Astrakhan, Atyrau

☆ Head of US 'KleptoCapture' unit targeting Russian oligarchs leaves Justice Dept.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Andrew Adams, who has led the "KleptoCapture" task force since its inception in March 2022, will be replaced by his deputies Michael Khoo and David Lim, a DOJ spokesperson said. "It was a privilege to cap this time in service of the Department's response to the war in Ukraine," Adams, a 10-year Justice Department veteran, wrote in a LinkedIn post. In launching the task force, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said it would enforce sanctions and export controls designed to freeze Russia out of global markets, and confiscate assets obtained through unlawful conduct. During Adams' tenure, the unit unveiled indictments against aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska and TV tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev for alleged sanctions busting, and seized yachts belonging to sanctioned oligarchs Suleiman Kerimov and Viktor Vekselberg. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Additional reporting by Sarah N. Lynch in Washingon, D.C.; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Adams, Michael Khoo, David Lim, Adams, General Merrick Garland, Oleg Deripaska, Konstantin Malofeyev, Suleiman Kerimov, Viktor Vekselberg, Artem Uss, Khoo, Lim, Luc Cohen, Sarah N, Lynch, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S . Department, Reuters, Department of Justice, DOJ, Department, Vekselberg's, Huawei Technologies, Iran, Airbus, D.C, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, New York City , New York, U.S, Russia, York, Russian, Italy, New York, Washingon

☆ Why are so many Western firms staying put in Russia, despite the rising risks?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

London CNN —When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a slew of Western companies left in protest. Companies now find themselves caught between Western sanctions and public outrage on the one hand, and an increasingly hostile Russian government on the other. The Kremlin is making it more difficult for Western firms to sell their Russian assets — and imposing steep discounts and punitive taxes when they do. Both companies had been finalizing sales to local buyers when President Vladimir Putin signed an order nationalizing their local assets earlier this month. Spurred by sweeping Western sanctions, oil companies, automakers, technology firms, consultancies and banks led the initial wave of departures.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Carlsberg, Maria Shagina, Andrey Rudakov, Konstantin Zavrazhin, Hein Schumacher, Schumacher, ”, ” Procter, Gamble, ” Mondelez, Fortum Oyj, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, ” Sonnenfeld, — Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: London CNN, Nestlé, Heineken, Companies, Danone, Carlsberg, Breweries, International Institute for Strategic Studies, CNN, Bloomberg, Getty, Yale University, Yale, Unilever, UL, Procter, Gamble, Treasury, Foreign, Control, Carlsberg — Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Lyubuchany, Rosneft, Moscow, Russian

☆ Ukraine's NATO membership would be bad for Putin, but great for the Russian economy, professor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's economy could return to global markets if Ukraine joins NATO, Konstantin Sonin wrote. The Russia scholar said Kyiv's membership in the alliance would make it harder for the Kremlin to justify outsized military spending. Such rhetoric typically prioritized high military spending over economic welfare, a factor in the Soviet Union's 1991 downfall, Konstantin said. "To be sure, bringing Ukraine into NATO would not undo the damage Putin has inflicted on the Russian economy," he said. And the growth of military spending has been difficult to track because an increasingly larger portion of it has been determined a state secret.

Persons: Konstantin Sonin, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Long, Konstantin Organizations: NATO, Service, University of Chicago, Project Syndicate Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Soviet

☆ Trevor Reed: Former US Marine who was released by Russia in prisoner swap injured while fighting in Ukraine, source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Trevor Reed, the former US Marine who was wrongfully detained in Russia for nearly three years before being released in a prisoner swap, was injured while fighting in Ukraine, a source familiar with the matter told CNN Tuesday. Reed, who was freed in a prisoner swap in April 2022, was transported to a hospital in Kyiv and was evacuated to Germany for medical care, the source said. A US official told CNN that Reed is being treated at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a US military hospital near Ramstein Air Base. Reed and his family denied the charges against him, and he was designated as wrongfully detained by the US State Department. It was ultimately secured through a prisoner swap for Russian citizen Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian smuggler convicted of conspiring to import cocaine.

Persons: Trevor Reed, Reed, Vedant Patel, Patel, Reed “, ”, ” Patel, Jonathan Franks, Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Matt, Carstens, ” “ You’ve, Konstantin Yaroshenko Organizations: CNN, US Marine, ”, Department, Landstuhl Regional Medical, Ramstein Air Base, Russian Federation, US State Department Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Germany, Ramstein, Moscow

☆ Russia launches criminal probe into death of journalist in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The committee said on its website that "armed Ukrainian formations targeted and deliberately fired at a group of Russian journalists" working near Pyatikhatka, in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region. It did not specify the type of weapons or munitions used, but said Rostislav Zhuravlev, a journalist for RIA state news agency, was killed. It said his RIA colleague and journalist Konstantin Mikhalchevsky, and two employees of Izvestia newspaper, Roman Polshakov and Dmitry Shikov, were injured. Ukraine, which received supplies of cluster munitions from the United States this month, has vowed to use them only to dislodge concentrations of enemy soldiers. Both sides have used cluster munitions during Russia's 17-month invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Rostislav Zhuravlev, Konstantin Mikhalchevsky, Polshakov, Dmitry Shikov, Zhuravlev, Elaine Monaghan, Chris Reese Organizations: Russia's, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Pyatikhatka, Ukraine's, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, United States

☆ War reporter's death prompts Russian outrage over Ukraine's alleged use of cluster bombs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Rostislav Zhuravlev, correspondent for Russia's RIA news agency, poses for a picture at an unknown location in this picture released July 22, 2023. Cluster bombs are in the spotlight after Ukraine received supplies of them from the United States this month. The dead Russian journalist was named as Rostislav Zhuravlev, a war correspondent for state news agency RIA. The entire measure of responsibility will be shared by those who supplied cluster munitions to their Kyiv protégés," she said. Ukraine has pledged to use cluster munitions only to dislodge concentrations of enemy soldiers.

Persons: Rostislav Zhuravlev, Yevgeny Shilko, Maria Zakharova, John Kirby, Konstantin Kosachyov, Leonid Slutsky, Mark Trevelyan, Caleb Davis, Olena, Frances Kerry Organizations: RIA, RIA Novosti, REUTERS, Deutsche Welle, Reuters, Russian Foreign Ministry, Kyiv, House, Russian, Rights Watch, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Moscow, German, United States, Zaporizhzhia, Russian, . U.S

☆ Russia's economy has gone from bad to worse in a matter of months. Here's where the country is feeling pain the most.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's economy is going from bad to worse as Western sanctions hammer the country's key sectors. From plunging car sales to a dramatic collapse in its current-account surplus, there's no way to hide Moscow's troubles. Some have even blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for inflicting so much pain on the nation, with Yale researchers saying he's "cannibalizing" Russia's economy in his urge to conquer Ukraine. Insider's Phil Rosen reported that car sales in Moscow have tanked by nearly 75% since the Ukraine war broke out. Plunging exportsAnother sign that Russia's economy is flailing is the dramatic collapse in its current-account balance.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, he's, Putin, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Steven Tian, Insider's Phil Rosen, Tian, Konstantin Sonin, Wagner Organizations: Service, Yale, Energy, Russia's Finance Ministry, University of Chicago Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow

☆ How the Russian officer elite has been decimated in Ukraine — here are the generals and top commanders killed in action
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Alia Shoaib | Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Vitaly GerasimovMaj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov became the second senior Russian commander reported to be killed after Ukrainian military intelligence claimed he was shot dead in Kharkiv. Andrey KolesnikovUkraine's military said in a tweet that they killed Russian Maj. Gen. Andrey Kolesnikov. Ivan GrishinColonel Ivan Grishin, commander of Russia's 49th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, died in Ukraine, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Vyacheslav SavinovLieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Savinov, who headed Russian artillery intelligence, was killed in Ukraine, a Russian artillery school confirmed. A damaged Russian military vehicle is seen after Russian Forces withdrawal as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine on September 14, 2022.

Persons: , Oleg Tsokov, Andrei Sukhovetsky Maj, Andrei Sukhovetsky, Sukhovetsky, Vitaly Gerasimov Maj, Vitaly Gerasimov, Alexander Nevsky, Andrey Kolesnikov Ukraine's, Andrey Kolesnikov, Oleg Mityaev Russia, Oleg Mityaev, Anton Gerashchenko, Andrei Mordvichev, Oleksiy Arestovych, Ramzan Kadyrov, Yakov Rezantsev, Illia Ponomarenko, Zelenskyy, Rezantsev, Dmitry Safronov Ukraine's, Dmitry Safronov, Denis Glebov, Glebov, Courage, Konstantin Zizevsky, Mikhail Vedernikov, Yuri Agarkov, Agarkov, Andrei Zakharov, Sergei Porokhnya, Gleb Garanich, Reuters Magomed, Magomed Tushaev, Putin, Vladimir Zhonga, Vladimir Zhoga, Sergei Sukharev, Sergei Krylov, Sukharev, Alexei, Alexei Sharov, Sharov, Sergey Bratchuk, Dmitry Dormidontov, Dmitry Pavlovich Dormidontov, Igor Zharov, Igor Igoshin, Zharov, Denis Kurilo, Kurilo, Anton Kuprin, Kuprin, Anton Gerashenko, Stringer, Denis Mezhuev, Vladimir Petrovich Frolov Maj, Gen, Vladimir Petrovich Frolov, Alexander Beglov, Fontanka, Miras, Miras Bashakov, Ivan Grishin, Vyacheslav Savinov, Savinov, Metin Aktas, Denis Kozlov, Kozlov, Andrei Simonov, Simonov, Roman Kutuzov Major, Roman Kutuzov, Alexander Sladkov, Tsargrad, Roman, Roman Berdnikov, Kutuzov, Volya, Kanamat, Botashev, Artem Nasbulin Maj, Artem Nasbulin, Serhiy Bratchuk, Tsokov, Михаил Ведерников Organizations: UK Defence Ministry, Service, British Defence Ministry, West, Storm, Russian, 7th Airborne Division, Combined Arms Army, Russian Federal Security Service, Arms Army, Interior Ministry, The New York Times, 8th General Army, Southern Military District of, Armed Forces, Twitter, Telegraph, Dmitry Safronov Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Separate Marine Brigade, Russian Armed Forces, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Airborne, 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment, Luhansk People's, 56th Air Assault Brigade, Guardian, 12th Engineer Brigade, Russian Armoured, Carrier, Reuters, The Daily Mail, Forces, Sparta Battalion, Donetsk People's, Daily Mail, 331st Guards Parachute, Ukraine, Ukraine's, Strategic Communication, Information Security, The Independent, 810th, Zhukov Brigade, Russian Marines, Evening, Local, 200th, Rifle Brigade, Black, Fleet, Russian Federation, Ukrainian, New York Times, 1st Guards, Banner, The Times, Kremlin, 8th Army, Aircraft Missile Brigade, Armed Forces of, Russian Missile Troops and Artillery, Russian Forces, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Separate Guards Engineers of Keningsbersko, Red Banner Brigade, Courage, Russian 2nd Army, Presidential, Russian Air Force, BBC, High Mobility Artillery, Southern Military District Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Chornobayivka, Kherson Airport, London, Yakov Rezantsev Ukraine, Kyiv, Chornobaivka, Ukrainian, Chuhuiv, Donbas, Donetsk, Luhansk, Pskov Region, Andrei Zakharov Ukraine, Ufa, Nova Husarivka, Chechen, Hostomel, Russia's Chechnya, Donetsk People's Republic, Volnovakha, Kostroma, Tatarstan, Pechenga, Sevastopol, St, Petersburg, St . Petersburg, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, Izyum, Ukraine's Donbas, Severodonetsk, Kherson, Berdyansk

☆ Russian diplomats berate US, NATO over Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. is pushing NATO to the "most unfavourable" confrontation with Moscow with the decisions expected from the alliance's summit in Lithuania this week, while Kyiv's allies are "losing" in Ukraine, Russian diplomats said late on Monday. The Kremlin has been angered by the expected solidarity with Ukraine at the NATO summit which starts on Tuesday, saying Kyiv's potential membership in the alliance would be a threat to Russia and Moscow will react clearly and firmly. Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said the United States is preparing anti-Russian decisions at the NATO summit. Konstantin Gavrilov, a Vienna-based Russian diplomat and a senior Russian security negotiator, told the Russian RIA state news agency in an interview the West is "losing" in Ukraine. "Both the United States and NATO understand that time is not working for them.

Persons: Anatoly Antonov, Antonov, Konstantin Gavrilov, Gavrilov, Lidia Kelly, Lincoln Organizations: NATO, Diplomats, Russian Federation, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Moscow, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, United States, Vilnius, Lithuanian, Vienna, Bakhmut, Melbourne

☆ In Djuna’s Space-Elevator Sci-Fi, Corporate Conspiracies Abound
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Hari Kunzru | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

By the 1960s, the idea developed into that of the “space elevator,” a transport system consisting of a cable attached to the earth’s surface near the Equator, anchored by a counterweight out beyond geosynchronous orbit. Though popular with science fiction writers and the longer-haired kind of engineer, space elevators remain theoretical. In “Counterweight,” by the pseudonymous Korean science fiction writer Djuna, nanotubes are part of the intellectual property of the sprawling, multinational LK corporation. Caught up in the dragnet is a hapless midlevel LK employee called Choi Gangwu, who is in regular contact with one of the Liberation Front’s agents. Detained by the company for his involvement with the resistance, Choi is instructed to meet his contact, who he appears to believe is just a fellow butterfly enthusiast.

Persons: Anton Hur, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, LK, Mac, Choi Gangwu, Choi Organizations: Djuna, LK, Liberation, Mac Locations: Patusan, Southeast Asia

☆ With War as a Backdrop, a Russian Fencing Drama Plays Out in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Jeré Longman | More About Jeré Longman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fencing is usually among the least visible Olympic events, but a year out from the Paris Games it is providing political, sporting and familial drama related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A top Russian coach has been fired after a star épée couple left three weeks ago for the United States. And a high-profile fencing divorce has touched the upper reaches of the Russian Olympic Committee and even led to the entry of “raspberry frappé” into the lexicon as a sword-fighting put-down. One of the Russian fencers now training and coaching in San Diego, Konstantin Lokhanov, 24, is a former son-in-law of the president of Russia’s Olympic Committee and the ex-husband of a two-time Russian Olympic fencing gold medalist. He won the men’s saber competition at the American summer championships after having competed for Russia at the 2021 Tokyo Games.

Persons: Konstantin Lokhanov Organizations: Paris, Russian Olympic Committee, Russia’s Olympic Locations: Ukraine, United States, Phoenix, Russian, San Diego, Russia

☆ Opinion: It’s not over yet in Russia, not by a long shot
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( David A. Andelman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Halted indeed was the immediate crisis, but not the underlying foundations that Prigozhin and Putin had laid long before. “The oligarchic clan that rules Russia needed the war,” Prigozhin said. Now, in theory, though he is beyond the long arm of Putin’s justice system, he could still be brandishing a powerful cell phone and laptop. Indeed, Prigozhin’s Wagner Group seems to be the only force that’s winning at all methodically in Ukraine these days. Russia is not winning this war that was supposed to be over in a matter of days or weeks more than a year ago.

Persons: David A, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin —, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin, ”, ” Prigozhin, scumbags, Konstantin Dolgov, renege, Prigozhin’s Wagner, Lukashenko, Dmitry Peskov, Antony Blinken, Dana Bash, “, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, French Legion of, The New York Times, CBS News, Kremlin, Putin, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Russia, Moscow, Belarus, Ukraine, Russian, Bakhmut, Kyiv, “ State

☆ The Marine Corps might not get a confirmed leader for first time in 164 years due to standoff with Republican senator
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Rebecca Kheel | Konstantin Toropin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

On July 10, the Marine Corps may be led an acting commandant for the first time in 164 years. A GOP senator is blocking the next commandant's confirmation over the Pentagon's abortion leave policy. The Justice Department has already conducted a legal analysis of the Pentagon policy. Smith, then commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force, at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in September 2018. "It was a spirited discussion, and it took a long time," Kaine said about the committee's closed-door debate on the abortion policy.

Persons: —, David Berger, Jim Stenger, Military.com, Berger's, Eric Smith, Smith, Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Read, Stenger, Berger, Chip Somodevilla, Archibald Henderson, Tuberville, Andrew Jones, Joe Manchin, Joni Ernst, Tim Kaine, Kaine, Charles " C.Q, Brown, Mark Milley, James McConville, Mike Gilday, — Rebecca Kheel, — Konstantin Toropin Organizations: Marine Corps, GOP, Service, Corps, Defense Department, Senate, Senate Armed Services, Capitol, Armed Services Committee, stonewall, National Defense, Pentagon, Justice Department, Peace Corps, Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air, Iwakuni, US Marine Corps, Andrew Jones Senators, Marines, Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Twitter Locations: Iowa, Smith

☆ 'Moscow is becoming a front line city' – The Ukraine War has finally come home to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Dominik Kalus | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

For weeks now, attacks by Ukraine within Russia have been increasing. Dead civilians, villages cleared out, and a seemingly overworked government: Moscow's war on Ukraine has finally hit home in Russian society. A woman waits at a bus stop next to a poster promoting Russian army service, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, in Moscow, Russia April 12, 2023. "The attacks in Belgorod are busting the myth of Putin's military being invincible," said political scientist Abbas Galljamow to the DPA news agency. Because these attacks within Russia are making even initially neutral Russians care about the war – and they're starting to approve of it.

Persons: —, Schapscha, Moscow's, Sergej Markow, Michail Rostowski, Alexander Dugin, Yulia Morozova, Jens Siegert, who's, Savva Tutunow, Putin, Abbas Galljamow, There's, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Konstantin Satulin, Russia hasn't, –, Putin's, Dmitry Peskov, They're, Peskov, Alarmism Organizations: Service, Putin, Pictures, REUTERS, Novaya Gazeta, Wagner Group, Russia, Publicly Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kherson, South Ukraine, Belgorod, Strelkovka, Kaluga, Moscow, Voronezh, Russian

☆ U.S. sanctions target Russian influence campaign in Moldova
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - The United States imposed sanctions on Monday on members of a Russian intelligence-linked group for their role in Moscow's efforts to destabilize democracy and influence elections in Moldova, the Treasury Department said. The new sanctions target seven Russian individuals, some of whom maintain ties to Russian intelligence services, the department said in a statement. They include the group's leader, Konstantin Prokopyevich Sapozhnikov, who organized the plot to destabilize the government of Moldova in early 2023, it said. The group's members provoke, train and oversee groups in democratic countries and conduct anti-government protests, rallies, marches and demonstrations, it added. Brian Nelson, the department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Monday's sanctions expose Russia's ongoing efforts to destabilize democratic nations.

Persons: Konstantin Prokopyevich Sapozhnikov, Yury Yuryevich Makolov, Gleb Maksimovich Khloponin, Aleksey Vyacheslavovich Losev, Svetlana Andreyevna Boyko, Vasily Viktorovich Gromovikov, Nicu Popescu, Brian Nelson, Doina Chiacu, Tim Ahmann, Will Dunham, Mark Porter Organizations: Treasury Department, European Union, Facebook, Thomson Locations: United States, Russian, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Canada

☆ Head of Russia's notorious Wagner Group wrote a children's book that takes place in a land of tiny people
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Peter Gelling | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The head of a Russian mercenary group fighting in Ukraine once wrote a children's book. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group, is accused of atrocities across multiple continents. But before that, he wrote a children's book about a tiny man finding his way back to his family. He's also, The Moscow Times reports, a children's book author. It was in 2004 that he undertook the writing of a children's book with his two young kids.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Indraguzik, Konstantin Kalachev Organizations: Wagner, Service, Moscow Times Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Prigozhin, Africa, Russia's, Syria, Libya

David Solomon has been Goldman Sachs' CEO for over four years since succeeding Lloyd Blankfein. There's been a lot of talk about the morale at Goldman Sachs. Solomon said there were fewer "partner transitions at Goldman Sachs" in 2022 than any year "going back to 2014." Meanwhile, Solomon's expensive foray into consumer banking raised the ire of some longtime Goldman partners, as Insider has previously reported. The fresh faces among the Goldman Sachs executives who took the stage at the bank's investor day highlight the leadership changes under Solomon.

The latest surge of dark fleet ships began after Russia invaded Ukraine and the West tried to limit Moscow’s oil revenue with sanctions. The ships most likely sell their Russian oil to China above a price limit set by the sanctions. “The price cap is achieving its dual goals: restricting Russia’s oil revenues while keeping Russian oil flowing, and markets stable and well-supplied,” a U.S. Treasury spokesperson told The Times. The spoofing tankers using American insurance show that the practice is not limited to Russian oil alone. The company, Gatik Ship Management, owns a fleet of 50 newly acquired tankers dedicated to the Russian oil trade, the report said.

Persons: ”, David Tannenbaum, it’s, Samir Madani, Daniel Tadros, Russia Lady Ella, Russia Snow, Price, Konstantin Zavrazhin, Tannenbaum, Mr, Tadros, what’s, Min Chao Choy Organizations: Cathay, Labs, Copernicus Sentinel, Maxar Technologies, The New York Times, The Times, U.S . Treasury, Times, American Club, Club’s, Alma, Cargo, Russia Cathay Phoenix, Hong, International Maritime Organization, American, ”, AIS, telltale, Treasury’s, Foreign, Control, Maritime, C4ADS, Gatik Ship Management Locations: Japan, Kozmino, China, U.S, Russia, Venezuela, Iran, Ukraine, ”, Hong Kong, Niigata, Russia Ginza, Varna, Bulgaria, Taman, Niigata Port, Siberia, Cathay Phoenix, O.F.A.C, South Korea, Washington, Ginza, Oman, India

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