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☆ Siemens investigating report employee worked for Russian hacking firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, March 31 (Reuters) - Siemens (SIEGn.DE) has launched an investigation after Der Spiegel reported a former programmer from Russian IT company NTC Vulkan - which has reported links to Russian security services - worked for the German engineering and tech company. Der Spiegel reported on Friday that more than 90 former staff from NTC Vulkan worked for a several other European companies. The magazine said NTC Vulkan maintains close ties to all three major Russian intelligence services: FSB, GRU and SWR. Its so-called "Vulkan Files" said the company builds cyber programmes for the security services aimed at attacking critical infrastructure facilities. NTC Vulkan did not respond to requests for comment.

☆ Putin's top troops are being 'decimated' as Russia relies too much on so-called 'elite' forces to wage war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Several so-called "elite" Russian units have suffered heavy casualties on the battlefield in Ukraine. The 155th is only the latest so-called "elite" Russian unit to face serious setbacks on the battlefield. An abandoned Russian military tank left in the Ukrainian city of Balakliia after Russian Forces withdrew from the Kharkiv region on September 15, 2022. So I think it's much more of a blow to Russia's ground force's combat power than it is to their reputations." Russia's military leadership has at times faced criticism and even domestic outrage over its decision-making.

☆ An 'elite' Russian unit has been weakened by severe front-line losses, and the replacements appear to be making things worse, Western intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's 155th Naval Infantry Brigade has suffered heavy losses while fighting in Ukraine. The 155th was considered to be an "elite" unit, but has been degraded, Western intelligence says. It's the latest high-profile Russian unit to see a high number of causalities on the battlefield. SERGEY BOBOK/AFP via Getty ImagesThe 155th is not the only Russian unit considered elite that has suffered severe setbacks and losses in Ukraine. Western intelligence estimates that Russian forces may have suffered as many as 200,000 casualties while fighting in Ukraine, with up to 60,000 troops dead.

☆ Undercover agents for Russia asked Google how to 'disappear' from trouble. They got caught and sent to prison for years.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two Iranian-born Swedish brothers were convicted of spying for Russia for 10 years. Prosecutors said the brothers tried to cover their tracks, including by asking Google. Peyman Kia and Payam Kia, two Iranian-born Swedish brothers, spent a decade secretly working for Russia's GRU military-intelligence agency, the Associated Press reported. His younger brother, who is 35, was sentenced to nine years and 10 months. Between 2014 and 2015, the eldest brother worked for Sweden's Säpo domestic-intelligence agency and the armed forces, the court heard.

☆ Sweden Convicts Two Iranian-Born Brothers of Spying for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Sune Engel Rasmussen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The Swedish court said that evidence submitted in the case of two brothers convicted of spying included traces of classified information stored on a private computer, among other things. A Swedish court convicted two Iranian-born Swedish brothers to lengthy prison sentences for spying for Russia and its GRU military intelligence service, in a verdict that ratchets up tensions between Moscow and the West while Russia said it had begun an investigation into a U.S. national detained there on espionage allegations. Peyman Kia, 42 years old, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday as what prosecutors called the “driving force” behind the brothers’ decadelong espionage plot, while Payam Kia, 35, was sentenced to nine years and 10 months in jail. The brothers were accused of passing about 90 secret documents from the Swedish security and intelligence service, SÄPO, where the older brother worked, to Russian intelligence between 2011 and 2021, according to the Stockholm District Court.

☆ Brothers found guilty of spying for Russia in Sweden
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A Swedish court on Thursday found a former security services and armed forces employee and his younger brother guilty of spying for Russia' foreign military intelligence agency over the past decade. Swedish citizens Peyman Kia, 42, and Payam Kia, 35, were detained last year and had denied all the allegations. The pair were convicted of aggravated espionage and the older brother was also found guilty of the unauthorised handling of classified information. The court sentenced the older brother to life imprisonment and the younger brother to a term of nine years and 10 months. Reporting by Anna Ringstrom and Marie Mannes; Editing by Terje Solsvik and Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pro-Putin operatives in Germany work to turn Berlin against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +17 min

Now the main Russian Cossack organisations are loyal to Putin, and they are fighting alongside Russia’s forces in Ukraine. He is regularly pictured on his and other social media pages at Cossack gatherings, often wearing Cossack military uniform. Felk has worked as a security guard and has run a logistics firm, according to posts on Felk’s OK social media account. Photos shared by Kharkovsky on social media show him and other participants standing in front of a Great Don Army flag. Eremenko confirmed to Reuters that he worked for Russian military intelligence, the GRU.

☆ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ nears $900 million globally
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Sarah Whitten | Whitten Is A Social Media Writer For Cnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Disney and James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” snared an estimated $56 million during its second weekend in theaters, a 58% drop from its debut. A decline in ticket sales is common for blockbuster titles, with most seeing a 50% to 70% slip. Box office analysts noted that cold winter weather and storms during the Christmas weekend likely led to slower ticket sales domestically. Additionally, international ticket sales continue to thrive. “The Way of Water” has generated $855 million in global ticket sales since its Dec. 16 release — $254 million domestically and $601 million from international markets.

☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' nears $900 million globally, boosted by international ticket sales
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Disney and James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" snared an estimated $56 million during its second weekend in theaters, a 58% drop from its debut. A decline in ticket sales is common for blockbuster titles, with most seeing a 50% to 70% slip. Box office analysts noted that cold winter weather and storms during the Christmas weekend likely led to slower ticket sales domestically. Additionally, international ticket sales continue to thrive. "The Way of Water" has generated $855 million in global ticket sales since its Dec. 16 release — $254 million domestically and $601 million from international markets.

☆ An elite Russian military brigade was basically 'wiped out,' taking so many losses in Ukraine that it will 'take years to rebuild,' report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An elite Russian brigade suffered so many losses in Ukraine that it will take years to rebuild. The 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade is one of many high-profile units that saw heavy depletion. But despite these advantages, the 200th suffered greatly in the months of combat that would follow. "Nothing of that brigade is left," Col. Pavlo Fedosenko, the commander of Ukraine's 92nd Mechanized Brigade, told The Post in a recent interview. That figure echoes a similar estimate from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, the highest-ranking US general, who said last month that over 100,000 Russian soldiers had been "killed and wounded."

☆ Gen Z loves Minions, horror and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The short answer: Minions and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, according to new data from decision intelligence company Morning Consult. Minions, Minions, Minions"It might not be too much of a surprise that Gen Z is all over social media," said Saleah Blancaflor, the business of entertainment reporter at Morning Consult. "Minions: The Rise of Gru" is the sequel to the 2015 film, "Minions," and spin-off/prequel to the main "Despicable Me" film series. Those films, and even a lot of the Marvel movies, came out a little bit before Gen Z was starting to come to age." They like to be scaredIn addition to enjoying comedy content, Morning Consult determined that Gen Z likes horror movies significantly more than the general public.

[1/3] Suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is escorted by members of a special police unit after a hearing at a criminal court in Bangkok October 5, 2010. "Everyone will forget about Griner tomorrow," Russian state television host Yevgeny Popov wrote on Telegram on Thursday. "Bout's life is only beginning." Bout arrived in Moscow late on Thursday after Russia and the United States swapped the arms dealer for Griner at Abu Dhabi airport. U.S. anger at Bout's release has been widely covered in the Russian media, with the pro-Kremlin tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets claiming that Department of Defense officials were "disturbed" by the exchange, citing U.S. media reports.

☆ Who is Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer swapped for Griner?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] Suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is escorted by members of a special police unit after a hearing at a criminal court in Bangkok October 5, 2010. Russia got the jailed arms dealer back from the United States on Thursday after exchanging imprisoned U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for him at Abu Dhabi airport. His notoriety was such that his life helped inspire a Hollywood film, 2005’s Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, an arms dealer loosely based on Bout. For some experts, the Russian state's continued interest in Bout, plus his skills and connections in the international arms trade, hint strongly at Russian intelligence ties. “His case has become totemic for the Russian intelligence services, who are keen to show that they don’t abandon their own people,” Galeotti added.

☆ As Ukrainian forces recaptured a key town, another elite Russian unit appears to have gone through 'the meat grinder'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russian troops in Lyman and those who retreated took heavy losses, including an elite GRU unit. In just a few days, Ukrainian forces liberated hundreds of square miles of territory and scores of villages. Its cadre of Spetsnaz commandos is among the best in the Russian military. Competent special operators require years of basic and advanced military training, as well as training tailored to their mission sets. The Russian military as a whole is taking a battering in Ukraine, though casualty estimates vary widely.

☆ Disney is in an animation slump after 'Strange World' and 'Lightyear' flopped. Bob Iger may have the magic touch to turn it around.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney's "Lightyear" and "Strange World" have flopped at the box office this year. Its latest animated movie, "Strange World," opened over the Thanksgiving weekend with $18 million over the five-day holiday in the US. This year was the first real test of the pandemic era to see if Disney's animated films could attract large swaths of consumers to theaters. In 2020 and 2021, Disney's animated movies either went straight to Disney+ or received a hybrid release on streaming and in theaters. But this year, Disney's movies have typically been released in theaters for 45 days before debuting on the streaming service.

☆ Who is Viktor Bout, the arms dealer who could be swapped for Griner?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Russia wants the jailed arms dealer back in Moscow and is discussing a prisoner swap with the United States that could see him exchanged for Americans imprisoned in Russia including basketball star Brittney Griner. Reed was ultimately freed in return for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot jailed in the United States on drug trafficking charges. For some experts, the Russian state's continued interest in Bout, plus his skills and connections in the international arms trade, hint strongly at Russian intelligence ties. In interviews, Bout has said he attended Moscow's Military Institute of Foreign Languages, which serves as a training ground for military intelligence officers. “His case has become totemic for the Russian intelligence services, who are keen to show that they don’t abandon their own people,” Galeotti added.

☆ Europe has kicked out over 400 suspected Russian spies this year alone, British intelligence chief says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Europe booted over 400 Russian officials suspected of being spies this year, the MI5 chief said. Ken McCallum said this gave a "most significant strategic blow" to Russia's intelligence agencies. "Alongside the wave of expulsions, the other part of that template is staying the course and preventing Russian intelligence restocking," McCallum said. "In the UK's case, since our removal of 23 Russian spies posing as diplomats, we have refused on national security grounds over 100 Russian diplomatic visa applications." Russian spies and operatives have been suspected of carrying out attacks like bombings, poisonings, sabotage, and assassination attempts for years, and Europe has tried to combat Moscow's increasingly hostile activities in other countries.

Hackers linked to Russia's military were very likely behind ransomware attacks last month on Ukrainian and Polish transportation and logistics organizations, Microsoft said Thursday. The revelation will raise concerns in Washington and European capitals that allies supporting Ukraine against Russia's invasion could face greater cyber threats from Moscow. Poland is a NATO member and a key conduit for supplying military aid to Ukraine. The hacks "did cause damage" at the transportation and logistics companies in Poland and Ukraine, a Microsoft spokesperson told CNN. It's a rare public example of an alleged Russian hack related to the war causing damage in a NATO member country.

It reported 15 million paid subscribers for its Peacock streaming service, up from 13 million in the previous quarter. Total company revenue fell 1.5% to $29.85 billion in the quarter, compared with estimates of $29.65 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Net loss attributable to Comcast was $4.6 billion, or $1.05 per share, compared with a profit of $4.04 billion, or 86 cents per share, a year earlier. The net loss was partly due to an $8.6 billion goodwill impairment charge in its UK pay-TV company, Sky. NBCUniversal's theme parks division generated $2.06 billion in revenue, versus $1.45 billion a year ago.

☆ Comcast tops expectations as it squeezes out a small gain in broadband subscribers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Comcast on Thursday reported third-quarter earnings that beat analyst estimates, despite seeing revenue slightly decline and continued softness in broadband customer growth. Still, it's a sign that cable broadband providers are facing increased competition from telecom and wireless internet companies. Meanwhile, Comcast's cable unit, which includes pay-TV, mobile and traditional phone services in addition to broadband, saw revenue increase 2.6% to $16.5 billion. The company said broadband revenue jumped 5.7% due to an increase in average rates and the number of its residential broadband customers. Peacock, the company's fledgling streaming service, surpassed 15 million paying customers, an increase of more than 70% year-to-date, the company Thursday.

☆ Universal film boss Donna Langley reveals how her studio changed the way you see movies and her hopes for an all-female 'Fast & Furious'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Universal film chief Donna Langley says movies will never go back to "those exclusive traditional windows" in theaters. "I would love to see a female 'Fast,'" she said about the future of the "Fast & Furious" franchise. Though it seems Langley has an insatiable drive to dominate the cutthroat film industry, she revealed to Insider in a recent phone interview that her mission is simple: "Make the right kind of movies that fit the cultural zeitgeist globally." Steven Spielberg and Donna Langley at "The Fabelmans" world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. We are a theatrical business and theatrical will always lead our business.

☆ How a 'Minions' meme craze among teens may have boosted the new movie's box office
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-07 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Minions: The Rise of Gru" earned $125 million over the four-day holiday weekend. 34% of the movie's audience in the US was between 13 years old and 17 years old. The previous four "Despicable Me" and "Minions" movies earned a combined $3.7 billion worldwide, including $1.22 billion in the US. 34% of the movie's audience in the US over the weekend was between 13 years old and 17 years old, according to the audience insights company PostTrak. The "Despicable Me" franchise, of which "Minions" is a part of, started in 2010, so many who grew up with the movies are likely participating in the #GentleMinions craze now.

☆ 298 de scaune albe au fost instalate în fața Ambasadei Rusiei la Haga în memoria pasagerilor zborului MH17
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-07 | by ( Redactia Zdg | ) www.zdg.md time to read: +1 min

În fața ambasadei ruse de la Haga au fost instalate 298 de scaune albe, în memoria pasagerilor zborului MH17, care au decedat din cauza unei rachete, lansate de la sol, în timp ce avionul survola spațiul aerian al Donetskului, relatează NOS. Rudele victimelor, unite într-un grup pentru a stabili adevărul despre MH17, consideră că Federația Rusă oferă prea puțină transparență cu privire la implicarea sa în acest accident. Grupul a transmis ambasadei și o scrisoare adresată președintelui rus Vladimir Putin. Luni, 7 iunie, într-o instanță din Olanda a început o audiere privind accidentul cu avionul MH17. Interesele unuia dintre cei patru acuzați — Pulatov, care și-a exprimat dorința de a participa la proces, sunt reprezentate de către avocați olandezi de la baroul de avocați Sjöcrona Van Stigt.

Persons: Vladimir Putin . Luni, GRU Igor Girkin, Republica Populară Donețk Serghei, GRU Oleg Pulatov, Leonid, Van Organizations: ambasadei, GRU Locations: Haga, Federația Rusă, Olanda, Republica Populară Donețk, rus, Republica Populară Donețk Serghei Dubinsky, Federației Ruse, Ucrainei

☆ Guvernul rus a inclus SUA și Republica Cehă în lista „țărilor neprietenoase”
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-14 | by ( Milena Onisim | ) www.zdg.md time to read: +1 min

Guvernul rus a aprobat o listă a „țărilor neprietenoase”. Lista conține două țări – Statele Unite ale Americii și Republica Cehă, scrie Novaya Gazeta. Ministerul rus de Externe a răspuns, de asemenea, la expulzarea mai multor angajați ai misiunii diplomatice de la Moscova. Tot atunci, autoritățile cehe au inclus pe lista căutată presupușii ofițeri GRU implicați în otrăvirea lui Serghei Skripal – Alexander Petrov și Ruslan Boshirov. Ulterior, Bellingcat, care este specializat în jurnalism de investigații, a descoperit că cel puțin șase angajați ai unității 29155 din Direcția principală a Statului Major General al Forțelor Armate Ruse (Direcția principală a Statului Major General sau GRU) ar fi desfășurat o operațiune specială în Republica Cehă.

Persons: Ruse, Vladimir Putin, Serghei Skripal, Alexander Petrov, Ruslan Boshirov Organizations: GRU, Major, Forțelor Armate Ruse Locations: Statele Unite ale Americii, Republica Cehă, Rusia, Moscova

☆ Jurnalist RISE: Duplicatul pașaportului moldovenesc pentru operațiunea GRU în Cehia putea fi confecționată nu în Moldova
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-07 | by ( ) www.ipn.md time to read: +2 min

Copia pașaportului de străinătate contrafăcut a fost publicat anterior de către jurnaliștii-investigatori de la The Insider și Bellingcat. Jurnalistul RISE Moldova a depistat, cu ajutorul colegilor de peste hotare, numărul acestui pașaport într-o bază internațională de date a pasagerilor de avioane. Conform datelor de care dispune investigatorul, „posesorul pașaportului de străinătate autentic este o persoană din raionul Drochia, situat în nordul Moldovei”. Bărbatul i-a acordat jurnalistului RISE un comentariu în rețelele de socializare. Sunt niște uneltiri”, - i-a răspuns jurnalistului Vitalie C.Discutând cu IPN, Vladimir Thorik a precizat că „duplicatul documentului falsificat, adică pașaportul moldovenesc de acoperire al lui Petrov-Mișkin, folosit în operațiunea specială a „GRU” în Cehia, putea fi confecționat de persoane necunoscute oriunde, nu numai în Moldova, și chiar de sine stătător la o imprimantă”.

Persons: Thorik, Moldovei Nicolae Popa, Aleksandr Mishkin, Alexandr Petrov, C, Vitalie, Vitalie C, Vladimir Thorik, Petrov Organizations: GRU Locations: GRU, Cehia, Moldova, Rusiei, Drochia, Moldovei, SUA, Rusia

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