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CNN —At least seven people died including a six-year-old girl and 90 others were injured after a Russian missile strike hit a central square in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, Ukrainian officials said. Saturday’s strike – in a city close to the Russian border and far from the frontlines – hit a theater and a university. An emergency service worker stands at the site of a Russian missile strike in Chernihiv. Vladyslav Savenok/ReutersThe aftermath of a Russian missile strike. Vladyslav Savenok/ReutersUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack turned “an ordinary Saturday… into a day of pain and loss.”“A Russian missile hit right in the center of the city, in our Chernihiv.

Persons: Ihor Klymenko, “, Klymenko, Vladyslav Savenok, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Oleksandr Lomako, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner, Zelensky, Ulf Kristersson, King Carl XVI, Queen Silvia, Kristersson, ” Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Internal, Reuters, Kremlin, Staff, Russian Armed Forces, Swedish, Gripen, “ Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Chernihiv, Vladyslav, Reuters Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Rostov, Sweden, Zelensky, ”

The study found more than 110 pro-Wagner accounts operating in more than a dozen languages across Meta’s platforms. Even if the accounts are not directly affiliated with the Wagner group, ISD said, the content they created still likely violates Meta’s terms. The ISD report, meanwhile, highlights how there may be additional violating content that Meta has not detected and removed. Of these pages, ISD wrote, “the most viewed post, a video with over 712,000 views, shows Wagner mercenary forces testing tank traps set up at a defensive line in Ukraine. These pages were also found to be luring Facebook users to Telegram with links to graphic content showing dead bodies.”

Persons: Russia’s Wagner, Meta, Wagner, Biden, ISD, Yevgeny Prigozhin —, —, “, Prigozhin, dehumanizing, ” Wagner, ” Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Strategic, ISD, Internet Research Agency, Washington, Meta, Meta’s Locations: London, Ukraine

☆ Ukrainian POWs said Russians gave them electric shocks and starved them, often extracting false confessions to make it stop
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former Ukrainian prisoners of war said they were beaten, shocked, and not given enough food by Russia. They told the BBC that many Ukrainians gave false confessions because of the beatings. A Ukrainian human-rights group told the BBC that Russia used apparent false confessions by Ukrainians against them in court. Other former prisoners of war who were at Taganrog told the BBC that prisoners of war there gave false confessions after they were threatened and intimidated. They also told the BBC they were not given enough food, inspected daily, beaten, given electric shocks, and interrogated.

Persons: Artem Seredniak, We'll, Seredniak, Serhii Rotchuk, Dmytro Lubinets Organizations: BBC, Service, Azov Regiment, United Nations, UN, Wagner Group, Washington Post Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Mariupol, Ukraine, Russia's, Taganrog, Russian, Ukrainian

☆ Wagner, infamous for brutality in Ukraine and a failed mutiny in Russia, is registered as an 'educational organization' in its new home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Wagner Group has reportedly registered as an "educational organization" in Belarus. The embattled organization has been training soldiers in the Belarusian military for several weeks. Now, the mercenary group is registered as an "educational organization" in Belarus — its new home — as it trains the country's military. Information published by Belarus' Unified State Register of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs shows that Wagner registered as a company earlier this month, with the sole purpose of educational activities, according to multiple reports on Wednesday. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters at a briefing earlier this month, adding that "when it comes to Wagner Group, I think we all keep a close eye all of the time."

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russian Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Pat Ryder, Agnė Bilotaitė Organizations: Wagner, Service, Belarus ' Unified State, Entrepreneurs, Wagner Group, Russian, Belarusian Defence Ministry, REUTERS, Officials, Belarus ' Defense Ministry, Special Operations Forces, AP, Pentagon Press, Air Force, NATO, Belarus — Locations: Belarus, Belarusian, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Asipovichy, Russian, Brest, Africa, Officials Poland, Lithuania, Warsaw, Minsk, Poland

☆ Russian officers refused to collect the bodies of dead troops so the military wouldn't have to pay their families, convict soldier says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An ex-convict Russian soldier said officers in Putin's army refused to collect the dead bodies of fallen troops. The soldier told The New York Times that it let the Russian military dodge paying their families compensation. In an interview, the soldier who served in one of the Russian Ministry of Defense's convict units — who was identified as "Aleksandr" — told the Times he was ordered not to collect the bodies of his fellow troops. He told the Times that officers could register the men as "missing in action," meaning their families couldn't collect compensation for them being killed in battle. And last week, researchers with the BBC said they've identified more than 30,000 dead Russian soldiers by name, including 1,300 in the last two weeks alone.

Persons: Aleksandr, —, they've Organizations: New York Times, Service, The New York Times, Russian Ministry, Times, Western intel, BBC, Wagner Group, Russian Ministry of Defense Locations: Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Western

☆ A Ukrainian soldier captured by Russian forces says they played with him 'the way a cat plays with a mouse,' torturing him for fun instead of for information
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Ukrainian soldier captured by Wagner says they tortured him "the way a cat plays with a mouse." The soldier told The Washington Post about being a prisoner of war during the battle of Bakhmut. While captive, Mykhalchuk told The Post he noticed he wasn't being interrogated for battlefield information or intelligence like higher-ranking prisoners — instead, he was being tortured psychologically. "They tried to make us believe that we couldn't trust each other, and that it was a kill-or-be-killed situation," Mykhalchuk told The Post. "They were just playing with us, the way a cat plays with a mouse — when he catches it before he kills it."

Persons: Wagner, Wagner sloppily, —, Ilia Mykhalchuk, Mykhalchuk, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Washington Post, Service, 67th Mechanized Brigade, Wagner, Russian, Russian Federation Locations: Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine

☆ Poland detains two Russians for distributing Wagner Group propaganda
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Two Russians accused of disseminating propaganda on behalf of the Wagner mercenary group in two Polish cities have been arrested and charged with espionage, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said on Monday. They fly-posted around 300 leaflets in Krakow and Warsaw, which were among around 3,000 pro-Wagner items of propaganda in their possession, the press office of the minister responsible for coordinating special services said in a statement. "Both were charged with espionage, among other things," Kaminski wrote on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Mercenaries of the Wagner Group have served as shock troops in Ukraine and are expanding their presence in West Africa. ($1 = 101.3925 roubles)Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Toby Chopra and John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wagner, Mariusz Kaminski, Kaminski, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Pawel Florkiewicz, Toby Chopra, John Stonestreet Organizations: WARSAW, Wagner Group, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Krakow, Warsaw, Ukraine, West Africa, Russian, Belarus, Poland

☆ Yevgeny Prigozhin: Where in the world is the Wagner warlord?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It was a stark contrast to the fate of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner. Back in June, Prigozhin led the abortive mutiny that presented the biggest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in over two decades of rule. Speaking after Wagner fighters relocated to Belarus, Prigozhin suggested he remained focused on this core African market. In a recent Telegram message, Prigozhin hinted that Wagner might be ready to offer its services there. “And this is the (the reason for the) love for PMC Wagner, this is the high efficiency of PMC Wagner.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Prigozhin hasn’t, –, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Andrei Kelin, Kelin, “, ” Kelin, Vladimir, Kara, Murza, … Prigozhin, CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Candace Rondeaux, Rondeaux, it’s, ” Rondeaux, Mateusz Morawiecki, Morawiecki, ” Prigozhin, Sudan –, PMC Wagner, Mohamed Bazoum, Tatiana Stanovaya Organizations: CNN, Central African Republic, Kremlin, Amanpour, Putin’s, NATO, Polish, Wagner Group, PMC Wagner, PMC, Russian Foreign Ministry, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Putin Locations: Russian, Moscow, Russia, Africa, St . Petersburg, Orchestra_W, United Kingdom, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, America, Prigozhin, Putin’s Russia, Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Sudan, Libya, Niger, Putin Russia

☆ UK defence ministry: Kremlin may no longer fund Wagner Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A staff removes a logo on a window of the "PMC Wagner Centre", associated with the founder of the Wagner Group, in Saint Petersburg, Russia July 1, 2023. REUTERS/Anton VaganovAug 13 (Reuters) - Britain's defence ministry said on Sunday there was a realistic possibility that Russia no longer funds the activities of the mercenary Wagner Group. loadingThe defence ministry said in a daily bulletin the Russian state has acted against some other business interests of Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin after he led a failed mutiny against the Russian army's top brass in June. "If the Russian state no longer pays Wagner, the second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities," it said, adding that this would be a drain on Belarus' resources. The ministry said the Wagner Group was moving towards downsizing and reconfiguring to save on staff salary expenses at a time of financial pressure.

Persons: Anton Vaganov, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gokul, William Mallard Organizations: PMC, Wagner, REUTERS, Wagner Group, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Russian, Belarusian, Belarus, Bengaluru

☆ Prigozhin, Russia's Wagner Group leader, will be killed by Putin or lead another coup within 6 months, journalist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An investigative journalist predicted that the Wagner Group boss would either be killed or lead another coup. After an aborted mutiny, Yevgeny Prigozhin and many Wagner troops agreed to move to Belarus. A think tank said that Wagner troops were planning to return to Russia, suggesting the deal was collapsing. In six months, Prigozhin will either be dead, or there will be a second coup. The think tank said that Putin has "failed to decisively resolve" issues brought up by Prigozhin and Wagner following the rebellion.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Christo Grozev, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Prigozhin, Vladimir, Putin, Grozev, Alexander Lukashenko, ISW, Lukashenko Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Financial Times, Bellingcat, for Locations: Belarus, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Ukraine, Belarusian

☆ Opinion: Russia capitalizes on Niger coup while US stands idly by
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( David A. Andelman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Two weeks ago, a military junta suddenly deposed Niger’s pro-American, democratically elected president. Already at least one leader of the Niger junta has met with Wagner representatives in neighboring Mali, where Wagner has developed a firm presence. Given the stakes, the initial responses by those who support Niger’s ousted president have been ill-considered and anemic. But the Wagner-supported ruling juntas in two of Niger’s neighbors immediately pledged to join with Niger’s military in fending off any such invasion, calling it a “declaration of war” against them. All have been grounded since Niger’s junta declared the entire country a no-fly zone.

Persons: David A, Niger’s, David Andelman, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Mohamed Bazoum, Bola Tinubu, Tinubu, ECOWAS’s, didn’t, Bazoum, Germany —, Putin, Antony Blinken’s, Victoria Nuland Organizations: CNN, French Legion of, The New York Times, CBS News, American, David Andelman CNN, Central African, West African States, ECOWAS, Wall Street, US, African Union, NATO, Russian, Wagner Group, Faustin, Twitter, Niger’s Locations: United States, Africa, Russia, Niger, Mali, Central African Republic, Sudan, Burkina Faso, African, Niamey, Sahel, South Asia, Afghanistan, East, North Africa, France, Italy, Germany

☆ Opinion | The Wagner Group Is Always Ready for a Coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Colin P. Clarke | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But the nation’s successive elected governments were at least willing to cooperate with Washington, allowing the U.S. military to conduct regional counterterrorism activities. Washington has stopped short of calling the crisis a coup — a move that would require the United States to halt security and economic assistance. Wagner will be ready. Their operations have frequently resulted in the deaths of civilians, with credible accusations of sexual violence, torture and extrajudicial killings. Within days of Wagner’s aborted advance on Moscow, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said that Wagner’s African footprint would remain.

Persons: Jama’at Nusrat al, Barkhane, jihadists, Wagner, —, Al Qaeda, Bazoum, Prigozhin’s, Wagner’s, Sergei Lavrov, Prigozhin, Putin Organizations: U.S, United, Nigerien, Islamic, West, Central African, Kremlin Locations: Sahel, Africa, Islamic State, Greater Sahara, Haram, Islam, Niger, Washington, United States, America, Mali, Libya, Central African Republic, Sudan, Moscow, St . Petersburg

☆ The Kremlin won't admit how many soldiers have died in Ukraine, but researchers have now identified 30,000 dead Russians by name
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Researchers have identified more than 30,000 Russians killed fighting in Ukraine. More than 1,300 dead soldiers were identified in the last two weeks alone, they said. But researchers working with the BBC say they have now identified — by name — more than 30,000 dead Russian soldiers, including more than 1,300 in the last two weeks alone. More than 5,600 inmates have been identified as killed in Ukraine. At least 9,000 civilians have also been killed in Ukraine, according to the United Nations, most in areas targeted by Russian forces.

Persons: Mediazona, Wagner, Gen, Mikhail Teplinsky, Teplinsky's, Dmitry Peskov Organizations: Service, VDV Airborne Forces, Russia — Kremlin, United Nations, Russian Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Zaporizhzhia, Russia —

☆ Ukraine says it busted an all-female spy ring who fed crucial military intelligence to Russia and the Wagner Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine says it's uncovered an all-female spy ring that passed military information to Russia. Ukraine's intelligence service said they were feeding Russia info on troop and vehicle movements. The group, based in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, passed information on to both the FSB — Russia's main spy agency — and the pro-Russian mercenary Wagner Group, according to the announcement. The purported plan was foiled due to the SBU gaining advanced knowledge and putting on extra security measures, the agency said. It is unclear if the woman arrested was part of this alleged spy ring.

Persons: it's, —, Wagner, unmasking, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Counterintelligence, Ukraine's Security Service, Wagner Group Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine's Donetsk, Ukrainian, Pokrovsk, Donetsk, Russian, Mykolaiv

☆ Female spy ring working for Russia busted in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Lilian Manansala | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine arrested three female suspects that were part of an alleged spy ring that fed military intelligence to Russia and the Wagner Group. The bust came one day after Ukraine announced it foiled assassination attempt on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Wagner Group Locations: Russia, Ukraine

☆ Russia's 200,000-strong national guard is getting armed with heavy weaponry, in a sign of its growing importance to Putin, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is granting its 200,000-strong national guard force heavy weaponry, the UK MOD said. This shows how the Kremlin sees the force as key to ensuring "regime security," per the MOD. While its leader bragged of its response to the Wagner mutiny, there's no sign it did much, the MOD said. Reports have suggested that Putin has become increasingly isolated and paranoid since he launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Reports of a paranoid Putin have only intensified since the Wagner Group's mini-mutiny, which could lead to a bigger role for the national guard.

Persons: Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Rosgvardia, Viktor Zolotov Organizations: MOD, Kremlin, Service, UK Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ The ruble has plunged to its lowest level against the dollar since war in Ukraine began as Putin's economy sputters
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's currency in recent days has plunged to its lowest level against the greenback since the war in Ukraine began. The ruble traded around 96 against the US dollar on Tuesday, a 30% decline from January. Russia's economy is struggling in the face of western sanctions and war in Ukraine, experts say. Russian officials have put up a show of defiance amid war and sanctions, and Putin has claimed Russia's economy could actually grow this year with GDP surpassing 2%. But those estimates are largely drawn from "cherry-picked" economic figures, according to Yale researchers, who say that under-the-radar statistics paint a far bleaker picture of Russia's economy.

Persons: Putin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin Organizations: greenback, Service, Kremlin, Yale Locations: Ukraine, Russia's, Wall, Silicon, Russia

And his fellow veterans of the Ukraine conflict are bound to play a role in the fight for their own country. With nearly all the opposition now in jail or exile, that is no small feat. Six weeks ago, there was a brief jolt of hope for the Belarus opposition, when Russia's Wagner mercenary group launched a mutiny inside Russia. But within hours, Lukashenko himself helped bring an end to the Russian mutiny, negotiating for Wagner fighters to move to Belarus. Exactly what role the Wagner fighters will play in Belarus is anyone's guess, but for the opposition, nothing good can come of it, said Kedyshko.

Persons: Pavel Maryeuski, Alexander Lukashenko's, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko's, Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko, Stanislava Glinnik, Belarus's, Pavel Kuhta, Tsikhanouskaya's, Sergey Kedyshko, Russia's Wagner, Wagner, Weeks, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Mike Collett, White, Peter Graff Organizations: WARSAW, Reuters, Coordination, United Operational, Lukashenko's Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Minsk, Soviet, Karma, Warsaw, Belarusian, Moscow

☆ From Twitter to X: Why Musk is Resurrecting His Favorite Domain
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Satellite Images Reveal Wagner Movements From Russia to Belarus The Wagner Group is moving troops and vehicles to Belarus following a short-lived march on Moscow in June. WSJ examines satellite images and social media video to map their path and to learn more about the expansion of a Wagner-linked camp. Photo composite: Eve Hartley

Persons: Wagner, Eve Hartley Organizations: Belarus The Wagner, WSJ Locations: Russia, Belarus, Moscow

☆ How Trucking Giant Yellow Collapsed: What Went Wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Wagner, Eve Hartley Organizations: Belarus The Wagner, WSJ Locations: Russia, Belarus, Moscow

☆ North Korea leader Kim Jong Un gives field guidance at major arms factories
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Jack Kim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gives field guidance at a major weapon factory in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on August 6, 2023. KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, Aug 6 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gave field guidance at major weapons factories between Thursday and Saturday including production lines of engines for strategic cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, KCNA state news agency said on Sunday. Kim also inspected factories producing shells for super large-calibre multiple rocket launchers and transporter-erector-launchers, which are normally used to fire ballistic missiles, KCNA reported. North Korea has tested rocket launchers for larger calibre shells, advanced cruise missiles and, last month, its newest ballistic missiles including solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Both Russia and North Korea have denied those claims.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim, KCNA, Kim's, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Jack Kim, Jonathan Oatis, Daniel Wallis Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Russia's, United, Russian, Wagner, Thomson Locations: REUTERS SEOUL, North Korea, Beijing, Moscow, United States, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Putin is likely counting on Trump or another Republican to win the 2024 election in hopes that the US will cut support to Ukraine, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US officials are concerned Putin is prolonging efforts in Ukraine in hopes Trump wins in 2024, CNN reported. Putin likely believes Trump in the White House would mean dwindling US support for Ukraine. And so do the Ukrainians and our European partners," one unnamed source told CNN. Putin's possible long-game makes ongoing US assistance to Ukraine all the more important in the meantime, officials told the outlet. Fifty-five percent of the Americans polled responded that they believe Congress should not approve more funding to support Ukraine.

Persons: Putin, Trump, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Daniel Fried, SSRS, Biden, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan Organizations: Trump, CNN, Ukraine, Service, Republican, House, Wagner Group, US National Security, Press Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Poland

☆ Russian defence minister Shoigu visits troops in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu inspects a Swedish CV-90 infantry fighting vehicle, that was abandoned by Ukrainian soldiers after being hit by a hand-held anti-tank grenade, at the frontline headquarters of the "Centre" army group involved in Russia-Ukraine conflict, at an unknown... Read moreAug 4 (Reuters) - Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu has visited the frontline headquarters of the "Centre" army group involved in the Ukrainian conflict, Russian news agencies cited the defence ministry as saying on Friday. Shoigu was briefed by a group commander and thanked officers and troops for "conducting successful operations" near Lyman, Interfax reported. The report was in line with Russian efforts to play down the effectiveness of weapons and equipment that NATO members and other Western countries have supplied to Ukraine. Shoigu's trip came days after a visit to the front line by General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff and overall commander of Russia's war effort in Ukraine. Reporting by Reuters; editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Read, Shoigu, General Valery Gerasimov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Robert Birsel Organizations: Russian Defence, NATO, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Swedish, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Lyman, Shoigu's

“I write this as a hostage,” Bazoum wrote in the Washington Post. Bazoum also cautioned that foreign aid makes up 40% of the national budget – and it would not be delivered if the coup succeeds. ‘Determined, optimistic’CNN has not been able to independently confirm the conditions under which Bazoum is being detained in his residence. Bazoum also warned of growing Russian influence in the Sahel region. “With an open invitation from the coup plotters and their regional allies, the entire central Sahel region could fall to Russian influence via the Wagner Group,” Bazoum wrote.

Persons: CNN —, Mohamed Bazoum, ” Bazoum, ”, –, Bazoum, “, ‘, Idrissa Waziri, he’s, ” Waziri, Waziri, Abdourahamane Tiani, Tiani, he’d, Wagner, Russia’s Wagner, Salifou Mody, Joe Biden, Patrick Ryder, evacuates Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Burkina, junta, Nigerien, Wagner, Pentagon, US Defense Department Locations: Washington, Niamey, United States, West, “ Niger, Niger, Europe, France, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sahel

☆ Russia targets neighbour Kazakhstan with army recruitment ads
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Filipp Lebedev | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic bordering Russia, is home to over 3 million ethnic Russians and has traditionally been one of Russia's closest allies. Clearly targeting Kazakhs, ads seen by Reuters feature Russian and Kazakh flags and the slogan "Shoulder to shoulder". The ads lead to a website that offers potential recruits a chance to join the Russian army in the Sakhalin region in Russia's Far East. Joining military conflicts abroad for pay is illegal under Kazakh law. In Kyrgyzstan, a local man was sentenced to 10 years in prison in May for joining Russian proxy forces in Ukraine's Luhansk region.

Persons: Russia's, Wagner, Mariya Gordeyeva, Gareth Jones Organizations: Russian, Astana, Moscow, Reuters, Human Capital Development Agency of, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Information, Social Development, Soviet Central, Thomson Locations: Kazakhstan, Soviet, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakh, Russian, Sakhalin, Russia's Far, Lysychansk, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine's Luhansk, Moscow, Bishkek

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