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☆ Belarus units complete training on Russian tactical nuclear missile systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 22 (Reuters) - Units from Belarus returned home from Russia on Saturday after training on how to use the Iskander tactical missile system to launch nuclear weapons, the Belarusian defence ministry said. It made the announcement exactly four weeks after President Vladimir Putin said Russia would station tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus, sending a warning to NATO over its military support for Ukraine. In early February, Belarus said its armed forces were in autonomous control of Iskander mobile guided missile systems that Russia had already provided. Those units returned to Belarus on Saturday, the defence ministry said on Telegram. Russia has not given a clear timetable for moving tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, but Putin said the construction of storage facilities should be complete by the start of July.

☆ Russia advising citizens to avoid traveling to Canada, citing attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 22 (Reuters) - Russia is advising citizens to avoid travel to Canada, citing what it calls numerous cases of discrimination against Russians, including physical violence, its foreign ministry said on Saturday. "Due to the numerous instances of discrimination against Russian citizens ... in Canada, including physical violence, we recommend you refrain from traveling to this country for the purposes of tourism, education, and in the context of business relations," the Russian foreign ministry said in an advisory. "If you are already in Canada, we urge you to be vigilant, especially in public places." The Canadian foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment. Shortly after the war started last year, Canada advised citizens to avoid all travel to Russia.

☆ Russia´s Lavrov in Havana on Latin America drive to shore up support
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez in Havana, Cuba April 20, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERSHAVANA, April 20 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met on Thursday with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez in Havana, the latest in a series of visits to shore up support among Russia's closest allies in Latin America. Lavrov told reporters that Russia and Cuba, both facing sanctions from the United States, understood one another. Russia´s foreign minister earlier this week visited Brazil, Venezuela and Nicaragua, meeting with the presidents and top officials in each country. Lavrov told reporters in Havana that another such deal to provide wheat to Cuba was in the works.

☆ Kyiv says it terminates land lease deal with Russian Embassy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A police officer and members of the Ukrainian National Guard stand in front of the Russian embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine February 23, 2022. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoApril 20 (Reuters) - Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko on Thursday said the city had terminated the Russian Embassy's deal to lease land in the capital and wanted the property to be returned to the Ukrainian state. There are no Russian diplomats in the embassy building, which lies to the west of the city centre. "Today, Kyiv city council terminated the land lease agreement with the embassy of the aggressor-state - Russia," Klitschko wrote on the Telegram messaging app. In response, Russia's RIA news agency cited a Moscow source as saying that if Ukraine did nationalise the embassy building, Kyiv would automatically lose ownership rights to its diplomatic missions in Russia.

☆ Russia warplane accidentally fires into city near Ukraine, causing blast -Tass
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A view shows the accident scene following a large blast in a street in the city of Belgorod, Russia, April 20, 2023. Mayor of Belgorod City Valentin Demidov via Telegram/Handout via REUTERSApril 20 (Reuters) - A Russian warplane accidentally fired a weapon into the city of Belgorod near Ukraine late on Thursday, causing an explosion and damaging buildings, Tass cited the defence ministry as saying. Local authorities reported a large blast in the city, which lies just across the border from Ukraine. "As a Sukhoi Su-34 air force plane was flying over the city of Belgorod there was an accidental discharge of aviation ammunition," Tass cited the defence ministry as saying. The ministry said some buildings had been damaged and announced a probe was already under way, according to Tass.

☆ Large blast reported in Russian city close to border with Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A view shows the accident scene following a large blast in a street in the city of Belgorod, Russia, April 20, 2023. Mayor of Belgorod City Valentin Demidov via Telegram/Handout via REUTERSApril 20 (Reuters) - A large blast rocked a street in the Russian city of Belgorod, which lies just across the border from Ukraine, late on Thursday but there were no initial reports of injuries, local authorities said. Video footage from the site showed piles of concrete on the street, several damaged cars and a building with broken windows. One shot showed what appeared to be car upside down on the roof of a store. Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia regional governor quits after son dodges extradition to US
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

His son, Artem Uss, was due to face charges in the U.S. for shipping oil from Venezuela in breach of sanctions, and for bank fraud. In a video released on April 9, after Artem Uss was back in Russia, Alexander Uss thanked those who had helped him return. Italy's justice minister has begun disciplinary action against three judges who granted Uss house arrest, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday. Earlier this month Artem Uss told Russia's RIA news agency that the U.S. charges against him were politically motivated. The territory of Krasnoyarsk covers just under 2.4 million sq km (930,000 sq miles) in Siberia.

☆ Russia's private Wagner Group denies it is operating in Sudan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People gather outside PMC Wagner Centre, which is a project implemented by the businessman and founder of the Wagner private military group Yevgeny Prigozhin, during the official opening of the office block in Saint Petersburg, Russia, November 4, 2022. REUTERS/Igor Russak/File PhotoApril 19 (Reuters) - The Russian private military Wagner Group on Wednesday denied it was operating in Sudan and said it had nothing to do with battles rocking the giant impoverished African state. Western diplomats in Khartoum said in March 2022 that Wagner was involved in illicit gold mining in Sudan, among other activities. Sudan denied this was the case. Companies associated with Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin have no financial interests in Sudan, it added, saying the conflict was a purely internal Sudanese affair.

☆ Flash of light above Kyiv sparks buzz about falling satellite, aliens
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 19 (Reuters) - The night sky above wartime Kyiv was lit up by a flash of light on Wednesday, social media channels said, prompting speculation that a crashing satellite or even aliens might be responsible. Four short video clips posted to a Telegram channel by journalist and blogger Anatolii Sharii showed the sky suddenly illuminated by a bright light. The Kyiv city military administration, citing what it called preliminary information, said it was a crashing NASA satellite. The Ukrainian air force, responsible for trying to down missiles and drones fired by Russia, said a satellite or a meteorite could be responsible. "Please do not use official air force symbols to create memes for the enemy to enjoy!"

April 16 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu in Moscow on Sunday and both men hailed military cooperation between the two nations, which have declared a "no limits" partnership. Chinese President Xi Jinping met Putin in Moscow last month. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was also present. "We are working actively through our military departments, regularly exchange useful information, work together in the field of military-technical cooperation, and hold joint exercises," Putin said. Beijing had announced Li's visit to Moscow last week, saying he would meet defence officials, but made no mention of a meeting with Putin.

☆ IKEA lookalike 'Swed House' opens in Moscow to mixed reactions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People leave a store of Belarusian retail chain Swed House on its opening day in Moscow, Russia April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander ReshetnikovMOSCOW, April 15 (Reuters) - Belarusian furniture company Swed House, which sells items intended to look like those made by Swedish giant IKEA, opened its first store in Moscow on Saturday to a mixed initial reaction from consumers. Yes, we have IKEA items as well," said Swed House general director Mamedali Kasymov. Nobody prohibited us from doing this ... our own Swed House goods are in big demand as well," he said, referring to the packed store. Swed House initially aims to open five stores in Moscow malls before moving into other Russian regions next year, Kasymov said.

☆ Russia's Putin attends midnight Orthodox Easter service in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 16 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Sunday attended an Easter service conducted by the Russian Orthodox Church, which has strongly backed the Kremlin leader's decision to invade Ukraine. Putin, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and dark purple tie, stood to one side in Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral, holding a lit red candle, live images of the midnight service showed. When Patriarch Kirill announced "Christ has risen", Putin joined the other members of the congregation with the reply "Truly he is risen". Kirill's statements backing Russia's invasion, which Kyiv and Western nations condemn as an act of aggression, have splintered the worldwide Orthodox Church. In January, Putin praised the church for supporting Moscow's forces fighting in Ukraine in an Orthodox Christmas message designed to rally people behind his vision of modern Russia.

☆ Bank of Canada says rates may have to remain restrictive for longer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

OTTAWA, April 12 (Reuters) - Interest rates in Canada may have to stay restrictive for longer to ensure inflation declines to the Bank of Canada's 2% target, Governor Tiff Macklem said on Wednesday. Macklem, speaking after the bank announced that it was holding its key rate at 4.50%, said the central bank's governing council had discussed whether rates had been raised enough. Macklem said that while the bank was encouraged inflation was dropping, the job of monetary policy was not done. "We considered the likelihood that the policy rate may need to remain restrictive for longer to return inflation to the 2% target," he said. (Reporting by David Ljunggren, editing by Steve Scherer)((Reuters Ottawa bureau, david.ljunggren@tr.com))Keywords: CANADA CENBANK/MACKLEMOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] Governor of the Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem walks outside the Bank of Canada building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada June 22, 2020. The Bank of Canada (BoC) last month became the world's first major central bank to pause its tightening campaign. All 33 economists polled by Reuters agreed that the bank would hold its key overnight rate steady. At the same time, the BoC raised its growth forecast for this year to 1.4% from 1.0% in January. The bank cut its 2024 growth forecast to 1.3% from 1.8% in January, and said the economy would expand by 2.5% in 2025.

☆ Bank of Canada sees stronger 2023 growth, indicates recession risk has shrunk
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA, April 12 (Reuters) - The Bank of Canada on Wednesday increased its 2023 growth forecast to 1.4%, up from the 1.0% it predicted in January, and indicated it saw less risk of a recession this year. The bank said annualised growth would hit 2.3% in the first quarter before averaging less than 1.0% for the rest of 2023. The bank dropped language saying the chances of a couple of quarters with slightly negative growth were the roughly the same as a couple of quarters with slightly positive growth. The bank cut the 2024 growth forecast to 1.3% from 1.8% in January and said the economy would expand by 2.5% in 2025. (Reporting by Steve Scherer and David Ljunggren)((Reuters Ottawa bureau; david.ljunggren@tr.com))Keywords: CANADA CENBANK/FORECASTSOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia's Wagner claims it controls most of Bakhmut; Kyiv says forces holding firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Yulia Morozova/File PhotoApril 11 (Reuters) - The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group on Tuesday said his forces controlled more than 80% of the devastated eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after some of war's heaviest and bloodiest fighting. Senior Ukrainian military officials did not address the claims directly, but said their forces were holding firm against fierce attacks in what once was a city of 70,000 and keeping Russian forces in check. The Russian-installed head of Donetsk region, one of four areas declared annexed by Moscow last September, said Russian forces had backed Ukrainian defenders into a corner. But Russian forces, she said, "are generally losing to us in street battles so they are simply destroying all buildings and structures". Russian forces have made only incremental gains in their advance through eastern Ukraine.

☆ 'It was heartbreaking': Ukraine children back home after alleged deportation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Anna Dabrowska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But once in Crimea, Russian officials said the children would be staying for longer. Dasha's mother Natalia said she had travelled from Ukraine to Crimea via Poland, Belarus and Moscow to get her daughters. "It was heartbreaking to look at children left behind who were crying behind the fence," she said. The children were taken to what Russians called stays in summer camps from occupied parts of Ukraine's Kharkiv and Kherson regions, Kuleba said. Save Ukraine said they came home on a previous mission last month that returned 18 children in total.

Summary FSB charges Gershkovich with espionageGershkovich denies the chargesUnited States has demanded his releaseRussia says Gershkovich was caught red-handedMOSCOW, April 7 (Reuters) - Russian Federal Security Service investigators have formally charged Evan Gershkovich with espionage but the Wall Street Journal reporter denied the charges and said he was working as a journalist, domestic news agencies said on Friday. TASS reported that FSB investigators had formally charged Gershkovich with carrying out espionage in the interests of the United States, but that Gershkovich, 31, had denied the charge. Gershkovich is the first American journalist detained in Russia on espionage charges since the end of the Cold War. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has told the United States that Gershkovich was caught red-handed while trying to obtain secrets. The United States has urged Russia to release Gershkovich and cast the Russian claims of espionage as ridiculous.

☆ Russian lawmakers propose tougher sentences for terrorism, treason -agencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 7 (Reuters) - Russian legislators on Friday proposed tougher sentences for those convicted of terrorism, high treason and sabotage, domestic news agencies reported, a move officials have been cited as saying was prompted by the war in Ukraine. "We propose to establish life imprisonment for high treason," agencies quoted him as saying, but gave no details. President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials regularly accuse Ukraine and the West of wanting to undermine and dismember Russia. Last month, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a law allowing for use of the death penalty against officials and army servicemen convicted of high treason. Belarus, a neighbour and close ally of Russia, is the only country in Europe that still applies the death penalty.

☆ Russia protests to Canada over envoy's remarks about dead blogger
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 7 (Reuters) - Moscow formally protested to Canada on Friday after the country's U.N. envoy described a murdered Russian blogger as "a vitriolic propagandist" and a hate-monger, the foreign ministry said. In a statement, Russia's foreign ministry said it summoned a senior Canadian diplomat to strongly protest about Rae's remarks, which it described as "yet another manifestation of the Russophobia being fomented in Canada." He was a vitriolic propagandist, a spreader of hate and misinformation with a criminal record. Russian investigators have charged Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old St Petersburg resident, with terrorist offences over the killing of Tatarsky. Russia's health ministry said 42 others were injured in the blast.

☆ Ukraine able to resume electricity exports after six-month gap - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 7 (Reuters) - Ukraine can now resume exporting electricity after a six-month gap, given the success of repairs carried out after repeated Russian attacks, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on Friday. Last October, Ukraine halted exports of electricity to the European Union - its main export market for energy since the war began - following Russia strikes on energy infrastructure. "The next step is to resume electricity exports, which will allow us to attract additional financial resources for the necessary reconstruction of destroyed and damaged electricity infrastructure," he continued. "Electricity exports will continue to operate provided Ukrainian consumers are supplied with electricity - and may be suspended if the situation changes," said Halushchenko. In June 2022, Ukraine had said it was hoping to bring in 1.5 billion euros ($1.64 billion) from electricity exports to the EU by the end of the year.

☆ Putin opens talks with Belarus leader, no public mention of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, April 5, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Byrkin/Pool via REUTERSApril 5 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Belarus counterpart Alexander Lukashenko to Moscow on Wednesday for two days of talks, but in their opening public remarks both men steered clear of the war in Ukraine. Last month Putin said Russia would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Lukashenko allowed Putin to use the territory of Belarus as a launch pad for the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia and Belarus are formally part of a Union State, a borderless union and alliance between the two former Soviet republics.

☆ Putin berates US and EU envoys, top official says US aid fuelling Ukraine war's 'hot phase'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The ambassadors were among 17 who presented their diplomatic credentials to Putin at a televised ceremony in the Kremlin. Putin told new U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy that U.S. support for a revolution in Ukraine in 2014 had led to the current situation where Russia and Ukraine were in conflict. Putin took a similar line with the new EU ambassador, Roland Galharague, telling him "the European Union initiated a geopolitical confrontation with Russia". In his opening remarks, Putin said Russia was open to constructive partnership with every country and would not isolate itself.

☆ U.S. journalist jailed by Russia meets lawyers for first time, in good health - editor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Last Thursday a Moscow court remanded Gershkovich in pre-trial detention until May 29 on charges that carry a prison term of up to 20 years. He has appealed the detention through his lawyers, as Washington said it was pushing hard to secure his release. The legal avenue is one of several avenues we are working to advocate for Evan's release," said Tucker. The Wall Street Journal denies the charges. Reporting by Jake Cordell and David Ljunggren; Editing by Leslie Adler and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US pledges $2.6 billion more in weapons aid to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday told the U.S. National Governors Association that the United States could protect its values by helping Ukraine. The weapons aid package was comprised of $2.1 billion from Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funding which allows President Joe Biden's administration to buy weapons from industry rather than from U.S. weapons stocks. That segment of the package included a half a dozen types of munitions, including munitions for Patriot air defense systems, tank munitions, and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). The package announced on Tuesday includes 61 heavy fuel tankers and recovery vehicles to help disabled heavy equipment like tanks. The U.S. has now pledged more than $35.2 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine since the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion.

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