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Russian service members rehearsing last week for the military parade in Moscow on Tuesday, when Russia celebrates the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. More recently, he has tried to wrap Ukraine into that narrative, falsely depicting it as a Nazi redoubt. The parade is likely to be subjected to closer scrutiny than usual, both inside Russia and beyond its borders. This year, the jets have skipped their usual practice runs over Moscow, raising questions about whether they will participate. Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said the march was canceled as a “precautionary measure” against possible attacks.

☆ Russia to launch Friendship Games after 40-year gap, sports minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 4 (Reuters) - Russia plans to relaunch the multi-sport Friendship Games next year, 40 years after its first edition, Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin has told President Vladimir Putin. Matytsin said the event would be held after the Paris Olympics, which will run from July 26-Aug. 11 next year. "We continue to fulfil your (Putin's) instruction to organise the World Friendship Games in the autumn of 2024. FRIENDLY TIESLast year, Russia held a competition called the Solidarity Games with the aim of "strengthening of international friendly ties between states". The Friendship Games were first organised in 1984 in the Soviet Union and eight other socialist states which boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

☆ Videos appear to show the aftermath of a precision strike by US-supplied HIMARS missiles on officers' quarters at a Russian base in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Videos appear to show a Russian base in Ukraine destroyed by HIMARS missiles. A Russian officer said three missiles struck the building where 58th Army officers were stationed. Russian officer Oleg Marzoev said on Telegram that three US-supplied HIMARS missiles struck a building where officers of the Vladikavkaz garrison of the 58th Army were stationed. Marzoev claimed that despite the damage to the building, no Russian officers died. Ukraine has previously successfully used US-supplied HIMARS rocket artillery to destroy Russian positions and depots and retake swathes of territory.

☆ Pope, meeting Ukrainian refugees, says better future possible
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Bernadett SzaboBUDAPEST, April 29 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday met Ukrainians who fled the war on Hungary's eastern border, telling the refugees that a different future is possible. "We were welcomed here and we have found a new home (but) many have suffered and suffer still because of the war," Yakovlev told the pope. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, millions of refugees have fled through Central Europe, including Hungary, and moved to other countries. Later the pontiff met with Metropolitan (bishop) Hilarion, representative of the Russian Orthodox Church(ROC)in Budapest. The Russian Orthodox Church is by far the biggest of the churches in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which split with Western Christianity in the Great Schism of 1054.

☆ Ukraine says grain import restrictions are 'unacceptable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Saturday it had sent notes to the Polish Embassy and EU representative office in Kyiv on Friday expressing dissapointment with the situation and saying restrictions on its grain exports via the European trade bloc were "categorically unacceptable". The European Commission said on Friday afternoon it had reached a deal in principle to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain to resume through five EU countries that had imposed restrictions. Asked if the announcement had changed the ministry's position, he said: "There must be (unhindered) export for all Ukrainian goods". In imposing restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports, those five countries have cited concerns that grain from Ukraine meant to be exported to other countries have ended up in their local markets, pushing down prices for local farmers. A Polish foreign ministry spokesman said he had not yet seen the note.

☆ A lawyer-turned-fighter codenamed 'Witch' has gained viral fame defending Ukraine as a mortar commander in the fiercest battlefronts of the war
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Mortar platoon commander Olga Bigar is better known in Ukraine by her callsign "Witch." Junior Lieutenant mortar platoon commander Olga Bigar of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces. A baptism of fireJunior Lieutenant mortar platoon commander Olga Bigar of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces. Junior Lieutenant mortar platoon commander Olga Bigar of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces. Junior Lieutenant mortar platoon commander Olga Bigar of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces.

[1/5] A local resident leaves after a doctor's visit at a clinic in the liberated village of Vyshneva, near Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, April 21, 2023. He can be certain of one thing, however: many patients he meets will be suffering from high blood pressure after living for months under Russian occupation near the frontlines. "Patients who we chat to say there was a considerable number of deaths because of the lack of medical help." The World Health Organization estimates that the overall damage to the system could cost more than $15 billion to repair. But as more people return to liberated areas, a skeleton staff buttressed by volunteers will struggle to meet needs.

☆ A Ukrainian drone commander said Russian troops would sit around and get shot at the start of the war, but have learned from their mistakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian troops often made themselves easy targets at the war's start, a Ukrainian soldier said. But Petro told Weichert he noticed Russian forces — tanks in particular — moving more often as the war continued. They learn from their problems and mistakes," said the corporal, whose primary role is to spot Russian artillery or tanks. Their combat formations and targeting systems meant Russian troops were often vulnerable to friendly fire, the think tank added. Petro's unit spotted an anti-tank gun, but the responding Ukrainian artillery unit only fired one shot when six are usually needed to dispatch a target, Weichert wrote.

Summary Putin visits Russian-held UkrainePutin discusses war with Kherson commandersUnclear when the visit took placePutin sits beside General TeplinskyApril 18 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has visited military headquarters in Russian-controlled Ukraine, the Kremlin said, where he discussed the war with a general from Russia's airborne troops who has reportedly taken up a powerful new role in the invasion. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, launched on Feb. 24, 2022, has triggered the deadliest European conflict since World War Two. Dressed in a heavy blue jacket, Putin, 70, was shown on Russian state television descending from a military helicopter in Russian-held Ukraine and greeting senior military commanders. Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky, commander of Russia's airborne troops, sat to Putin's right while Colonel-General Oleg Makarevich sat to Putin's left. "Teplinsky, commander of Russia’s corps of airborne troops, the VDV, has highly likely returned to a major role in Ukraine," British military intelligence said.

Speaking at a lunch with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Lula said a group of neutral nations must come together to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. A White House spokesman accused Lula of "parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda without looking at the facts." Lula has pitched himself as a peace broker to end the war, which began when Russia invaded the neighboring country in February 2022. The European Union has also rejected Lula's suggestion that both Ukraine and Russia are to blame for the war. Among Western nations so far, only French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed Lula's peace initiative.

☆ The Latest U.S. Intelligence Leaks Are No Surprise
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( James Bamford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Oleg Smolenkov knows the dangers of leaks. For nearly a decade, the Russian official was the CIA’s most valuable spy in the Kremlin. From there, the agency quietly exfiltrated Mr. Smolenkov, his wife and three young children to a safe house in the U.S. intelligence appears to have penetrated nearly every Russian military body, including the General Staff, the Defense Ministry and the GRU military intelligence agency, as well as the private mercenary group Wagner,” wrote Russia’s independent, English-language Moscow Times this week. Agents of Russia’s FSB are undoubtedly now engaged in a frantic spy hunt.

☆ A former Russian military intelligence officer has defected to Ukraine and is setting up his own battalion of dissidents
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A former Russian intelligence officer has defected and says he's setting up a pro-Ukrainian unit. Ethnic minorities in Russia are treated like second-class citizens, he said, according to Ukrainian outlet Focus. Ammosov served in the GRU — the military intelligence wing of Russia's army — for 15 years before moving to Europe, Radio Free Europe reported. None have had a formal explanation, which has led to speculation that they were targeted by Ukrainian commandos or Russian dissidents. According to Focus, Ammosov's unit is the fourth such dissident unit to be formed.

☆ Russia's biggest airline reportedly sends first plane to Iran for repairs as sanctions cut off access to new replacement parts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's biggest airline reportedly sent a plane to Iran for the first time for maintenance. Boeing and Airbus both stopped supplying Russian airlines with spare parts as part of the sanctions last spring. Aircraft lessors in the European Union were required to end contracts with Russian airlines last March. Analysts predicted Russia could start "cannibalizing" its fleet of planes for parts as Western sanctions blocked suppliers from sending parts and providing repairs for Russian airplanes. Russia reportedly signed an agreement with Iran last July to supply Russian airlines with Iranian airplane parts, and for Iran to provide maintenance and repairs for Russian aircraft.

☆ Putin says Russia will see higher oil and gas revenues in coming months
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Governor of Primorsky Region Oleg Kozhemyako at Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia April 10, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERSMOSCOW, April 11 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said Russia would see higher oil and gas revenues by the end of the second quarter and that "positive trends" across the economy were gathering pace due to rising global oil prices. Speaking at a televised government meeting, Putin lauded the resilience of Russia's economy in the face of Western sanctions. He said Russia's oil and gas revenues, a key item in the state budget, had fallen by around 1.3 trillion roubles ($15.8 billion) in the first quarter of 2023. Additional oil and gas revenues will begin to flow into the budget," Putin said.

☆ Russian volcano erupts, spewing out a vast cloud of ash
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Shiveluch erupts in Russian far eastAsh shoots up 20 km into the skyVast ash cloud in Russian far eastAviation warning issuedResidents trudge through ash driftsVLADIVOSTOK, Russia, April 11 (Reuters) - One of Russia's most active volcanoes erupted on Tuesday shooting a vast cloud of ash far up into the sky and smothering villages in drifts of grey volcanic dust, triggering an aviation warning around Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula. The Shiveluch volcano erupted just after midnight reaching a crescendo about six hours later, spewing out a ash cloud over an area of 108,000 square kilometres, according to the Kamchatka Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Geophysical Survey. "The ash reached 20 kilometres high, the ash cloud moved westwards and there was a very strong fall of ash on nearby villages," said Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical Survey. He said the volcano would probably calm now, but that further major ash clouds could not be excluded. Scientists posted pictures of the ash cloud billowing swiftly over the forests and rivers of the far east and of villages covered in ash.

☆ Eruption in Russia's Kamchatka threatens aviation -response team
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 11 (Reuters) - The Shiveluch volcano in Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula erupted early on Tuesday and sent up an ash plume 10 kilometers (six miles) high, posing an increased threat to air traffic, the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) said. The team issued a code red Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation, noting that a "large ash cloud" was drifting west of the volcano and that ash explosions up to 15 kilometers high could occur at any time. Bondarenko said the volcano erupted at 6:31 a.m. local time and that the cloud spread over Klyuchi and Kozyrevsk, villages more than 70 kilometers apart. Ash had started to fall on Klyuchi and Mayskoye, which lies about halfway between the two. "Residents are advised to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel," he added.

☆ Don't be fooled by these 9 common money myths, finance gurus say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

CNBC polled eight personal finance experts to help answer one question: What are the biggest money myths out there for consumers? Dealers therefore can have an incentive to charge a higher rate because they will also make more money, she said. Myth #3: Financial 'advice' always has your best interests at heartThere's a misconception that every financial advisor is a "fiduciary," said George Kinder, who pioneered the "life planning" branch of financial advice. "Although households and regulators remain concerned about the cost of financial advice, it's the absence of holistic financial advice that turns out to be so expensive," he said. There are many different fee models for financial advice, and the cost doesn't have to be significant: Many advisors have hourly or project rates, for example.

☆ Putin: Sanctions could hurt Russia's economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —President Vladimir Putin has conceded that Western sanctions designed to starve the Kremlin of funds for its invasion of Ukraine could deal a blow to Russia’s economy. “The illegitimate restrictions imposed on the Russian economy may indeed have a negative impact on it in the medium term,” Putin said in televised remarks Wednesday reported by state news agency TASS. It is a rare admission by the Russian leader, who has repeatedly insisted that Russia’s economy remains resilient and that sanctions have hurt Western countries by driving up inflation and energy prices. Putin said Russia’s economy had been growing since July, thanks in part to stronger ties with “countries of the East and South,” likely referring to China and some African countries. Russia’s economy has showed surprising resilience to unprecedented sanctions imposed by the West, including an EU ban on most imports of oil products.

☆ It's really hard for foreign companies to break up with Russia — and there are 3 main reasons why
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

One year after Russia invaded Ukraine, just 520 firms have fully exited Russia, per a Yale study. Quite simply, it's just not that straightforward for a company to get out of Russia right now — and there are three main reasons why. Companies have been trying to exit Russia in an orderly fashionMany companies were quick to announce their intent to leave the Russian market after it invaded Ukraine. Thus, companies that want to exit Russia are pressed to find buyers for their Russian operations who would continue running the business under a different brand. Multinational companies face operation challenges in their exitsBecause many foreign companies operating in Russia are multinationals, shutting operations in the country can have a domino effect on their businesses elsewhere.

☆ Deripaska denies lying to London court in Russian tycoon feud
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 22 (Reuters) - Russian aluminium tycoon Oleg Deripaska on Wednesday denied lying about the relocation of EN+ Group from Jersey to Russia to avoid U.S. sanctions, as he fights his former business partner's attempt to jail him at London's High Court. Chernukhin's lawyers argue Deripaska breached an undertaking to preserve 45.5 million EN+ shares in Jersey to meet a $95 million debt to Chernukhin, which has since been paid in full. Jonathan Crow, representing Chernukhin, said on Tuesday that the shares were rendered "worthless" because of the difficulty in enforcing debts against Deripaska in Russia. But Deripaska, who denies breaching the undertaking, argues the EN+ shares would have been worthless if the company was not redomiciled as the company would have been bankrupted. Grant also said U.S. charges for allegedly violating sanctions could have prompted U.S. authorities to seek Deripaska's extradition from London.

☆ A massive explosion in Crimea destroyed a cache of Russian cruise missiles, a key weapon in its attacks on civilian infrastructure, Ukraine says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine's MOD said that Russian Kalibr missiles were destroyed in a blast in Dzhankoi, Crimea. Meanwhile, Russia said it had foiled a drone attack in the area. Ukraine said that Kalibr missiles are a key weapon in Russia's attacks on its civilian infrastructure, according to the Kyiv Independent. The paper cited military officials as saying dozens of Kalibr missiles were located on ships in the Black Sea as of January. A composite image appearing to show wreckage from a claimed drone attack in Dzhankoi, Crimea, on March 20, 2023.

☆ Putin tells Russia's billionaires to put patriotism before profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a forum of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) in Moscow, Russia, March 16, 2023. MOSCOW, March 16 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin urged Russia's billionaires on Thursday to put patriotism before profit, telling them to invest at home to shore up the economy in the face of Western sanctions. Addressing Russia's business elite in person for the first time since the day he sent his troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year, Putin told them their role was not just to make money but to support society. Last month he told business leaders that ordinary Russians had no sympathy for the confiscation of their yachts and palaces. ECONOMY RESISTS SANCTIONSThe president said on Thursday that what he called an attempt to destroy Russia's economy with sanctions had failed.

☆ Ron DeSantis was invited to Ukraine to gain a 'deeper understanding' of the war after the Florida governor called Russia's full-scale invasion a 'territorial dispute'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis called Russia's year-long war in Ukraine a 'territorial dispute,' on Monday. On Tuesday, Ukraine's foreign ministry invited DeSantis to see the situation on the ground himself. Ron DeSantis to visit the war-torn country after DeSantis reduced Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor to a "territorial dispute," earlier this week. DeSantis' comments came via a statement sent to Fox News on Monday where he said that Russia's war in Ukraine was not a "vital interest." The next day, Ukraine foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko pushed back against DeSantis' comments and extended an offer, per the BBC.

☆ Russia is so cut off from the international financial system that the Kremlin thinks Western sanctions have 'insured' the country against the banking crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Kremlin said Russia will not be impacted by the US bank crisis. Sanctions over the Ukraine war have cut Russia off from the international financial system. Russia is now so cut off from the global financial system that the Kremlin thinks it will face no impact from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. In contrast, Russia — like much of the world — faced a credit crunch due to the fallout from the US subprime mortgage crisis in 2008, which ultimately led to the Global Financial Crisis. As the country recovered from the recession, it started working towards its grand ambition of making Moscow a global financial hub.

☆ Russia's Tinkoff cancels dollar Eurobond interest payment after EU sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tinkoff, owned by TCS Group Holding (TCSq.L), was included in the EU's tenth package of sanctions against Russia outlined last week following Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine. It has already been forced to suspend some trading in euros and had its app removed from the App Store. The Eurobond issuer, TCS Finance D.A.S, which is also part of the TCS group, said it was notified on March 3 that Tinkoff had cancelled the payment of interest, due on March 15, accrued on a $300 million perpetual bond. The issuer said interest on March 15 would be automatically cancelled as a result. Reporting by Elena Fabrichnaya and Alexander Marrow; editing by Jan Harvey and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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