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Wagner Chief killed in Plane crash but Ukraine war continues
MOSCOW - Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the passenger list for a plane that has crashed near Moscow, killing 10 people.
The private jet came down north of Moscow on Wednesday, the TASS news agency reported, citing Rosaviatsia, Russia’s aviation authority.
“An investigation has been launched into the Embraer plane crash that occurred tonight in the Tver region. According to the passenger list, among them is the name and surname of Yevgeny Prigozhin,” Rosaviatsia said.
Earlier TASS had reported that ten people had died after a private jet crashed in Russia’s Tver region north of Moscow. The jet, en route from Moscow to St Petersburg, was carrying seven passengers and three crew.
Long a low-profile Russian businessman with a criminal record and a background in catering, the commander has become an increasingly vocal critic of the Kremlin’s defence ministers as the war in Ukraine has progressed
It comes as Ukraine destroyed a Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile defence system in occupied Crimea, Kyiv claims.
Key Points
Ukrainian troops gain foothold in strategic Robotyne village
Ukraine steps up attacks on Russia’s planes and airfields
US does not think Ukraine conflict is a stalemate
Drone hits under-construction building in Moscow
Moscow closes air space as Ukrainian drone hits capital region
Ukrainian drone strikes apartments near Moscow, leaves windows ‘shaking’
Russia's 'General Armageddon' reportedly dismissed after vanishing in wake of Wagner uprising
Wagner chief ‘onboard’ crashed plane
18:13 , Matt DrakeA private jet that crashed in the Tver region had Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on board, according to reports.Prigozhin spearheaded a revolt during June 23-34 against the Kremlin, which Russian President Vladimir Putin said could have pushed the country into civil war.After his failed mutiny, Prigozhin was given sanctuary in Belarus.But according to reports from the TASS news agency, the Russian Civil Aviation Authority has said the warlord was on the list of passengers onboard a crashed plane.
How many F-16 jets will Ukraine get?
18:00 , Matt DrakeThe Netherlands and Denmark have led a push to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s and deliver the fighter jets to Ukraine to help counter Russia’s air superiority.Denmark will deliver 19 jets in total with the initial six due around the end of the year, followed by eight in 2024 and five in 2025, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Aug 20.The Netherlands has 42 F-16s available but has yet to decide whether all of them will be donated.Zelenskiy called the donation a “breakthrough agreement” and said the planes would strengthen Ukraine’s air defences and help its counter-offensive against Russian forces.US officials have privately said F-16s would have been of little help to Ukraine in its current push and will not be a game changer when they eventually arrive given Russian air defence systems and contested skies over Ukraine.Poland and Slovakia have supplied 27 MiG-29s to supplement Ukraine’s fleet of combat aircraft.
Top EU official warns West needs to act to avoid losing developing world's trust
17:30 , Matt DrakeThe head of the European Union’s powerful lending arm has warned the West is at risk of losing the confidence of the global south unless it urgently intensifies its own support efforts.Werner Hoyer, the European Investment Bank’s President, said this week’s BRICS summit in South Africa and a push to make the group’s New Development Bank - known as the BRICS bank - an alternative to established Western multilateral lenders, underscored the need to significantly increase lending.“It should be a cause for concern that an increasing number of smaller developing world countries, especially in Africa, are looking to countries like China and other emerging market nations to give them support rather than the traditional Western institutions,” Hoyer said.Hoyer’s comments are the most forceful yet by a high-ranking EU official on the efforts of the BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - to expand the bloc and turn it into a global counterweight to the West.He said the number of developing nations that had adopted a neutral stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year also signalled the challenge the West faced in maintaining the trust of those nations.
Brazilian President says BRICS working to end Ukraine war and criticises UN
16:30 , Matt DrakeBrazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday that BRICS countries were engaged with Ukraine and Russia in efforts to end the war. He also criticised the United Nations Security Council’s limitations in dealing with the conflict.Speaking at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, Mr Lula said an increasing number of countries, among them BRICS members, were engaged in direct contact with Moscow and Kyiv.He said: “We stand ready to join an effort that can effectively contribute to a prompt ceasefire and a just and lasting peace.“The war in Ukraine highlights the limitations of the UN Security Council.”
Russia says fighter jet intercepts Norwegian plane over Barents Sea
16:00 , Matt DrakeA Russian fighter jet intercepted a Norwegian military plane over the Barents Sea on Wednesday, the Russian defence ministry claimed.It said the Norwegian aircraft, a US-made P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance plane, was nearing the Russian border but turned back after being approached by the Russian MiG-29 fighter.Tensions between Russia and NATO, of which Norway is a member, are at their highest for decades because of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
15:30 , Matt DrakeRussia said on Wednesday it had thwarted the latest Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow but that three people were killed in a separate drone strike on a health facility near the Ukrainian border.The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, which is near Ukraine and has come under frequent attack, said a drone had hit a sanatorium in a village, while another had been shot down. He said two people had died on the spot and doctors were unable to save the life of a third person.Separately, the governor of Kaluga region, south of Moscow, said another Ukrainian drone had been shot down without causing casualties or damage.
Zelenskiy says Ukraine will end Russian occupation of Crimea
15:00 , Matt DrakeUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed on Wednesday to end Russia’s occupation of the Crimea peninsula and all other areas that Moscow controls in his country.Speaking to an international conference about Crimea which he said was being attended by more than 60 countries, Mr Zelenskiy said: “Crimea will be de-occupied like all other parts of Ukraine that are unfortunately still under the occupier.”Crimea was seized and annexed by Russia in 2014 in a move not recognised by most other countries, and Russia seized other parts of Ukraine in the full-scale invasion it launched in February 2022.Ukraine began a counteroffensive in early June to try to regain the territory occupied by Russia.
Ukraine takes out key Russian missile defence system
14:58 , Matt DrakeThe Ukrainian intelligence agency has claimed to have destroyed a Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile defence system in occupied Crimea.If confirmed, it would be another embarrassing blow for Moscow, as Ukraine increasingly targets Russia’s assets far behind the front line in southern and eastern Ukraine.Moscow officials made no immediate comment.The long-range S-400 missiles are capable of striking enemy aircraft and are regarded as one of the best such systems available. They have a range of 250 miles (400km) and can simultaneously engage multiple targets.
Four killed in Russian attack on Ukrainian school
14:30 , Matt DrakeFour educational workers were killed and four other people were hurt in a Russian attack on a school in the city of Romny in northeastern Ukraine on Wednesday, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.Previously The Independent reported that the death toll was two people but this has since risen.Mr Klymenko said the bodies of the school director, deputy director, secretary and a librarian had been pulled from the rubble by rescue workers.He said four local residents were injured as they had been passing the school in Romny, which is part of the Sumy region.Photos shared by Klymenko on the Telegram messaging app showed emergency workers carrying away a body on a stretcher. “The school building was destroyed, and this is just before the school year, which unfortunately will never start for some,” Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on Telegram.
ICYMI: UK energy minister in Kyiv announces £192m for Ukraine nuclear fuel purchases
14:00 , Maanya SachdevaBritain will guarantee a £192m ($245m) export finance deal for Ukraine to buy nuclear fuel from producers including British companies, British energy minister Grant Shapps announced during a visit to Kyiv.Ukraine‘s energy system was severely damaged by a massed campaign of Russian air strikes last winter, making it more reliant on its ageing nuclear power stations, which supplied about half the country’s power before the war.“This guarantee that we will be providing is to help Ukraine ensure that ... their nuclear fuel doesn’t have to come via Russia in future,” Mr Shapps told Reuters.“This money will guarantee that it will come from much more secure sources.”He said that one of those sources would be Urenco, a part-British nuclear fuel consortium.Ukraine currently controls three of its four active nuclear plants.The fourth, in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, was captured by Russia last March. Both sides have since repeatedly accused each other of endangering the facility’s safety.
Putin uses BRICS summit to justify Russia's war in Ukraine
13:30 , Maanya SachdevaPresident Vladimir Putin used a speech at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, India on Wednesday to repeat a number of what have become his rhetorical greatest hits – all aimed at defending Russia‘s war in Ukraine while trying to undermine the West by blaming them for the invasion. That is despite it being Mr Putin’s own decision to send his troops into Ukraine.Speaking by video link to leaders of the group, he reiterated the Kremlin narrative that his invasion, condemned by Ukraine and the West as an imperialist land grab, was a forced response by Russia to Kyiv’s and Washington’s hostile actions.“Our actions in Ukraine are dictated by only one thing – to end the war that was unleashed by the West and its satellites against the people who live in the Donbas,” Mr Putin said, referring to the eastern part of Ukraine where Russian proxies have been fighting the Ukrainian army since 2014.“I want to note that it was the desire to maintain their hegemony in the world, the desire of some countries to maintain this hegemony that led to the severe crisis in Ukraine.”Mr Putin was speaking to a small forum of countries that have refrained from condemning Russia‘s actions in Ukraine, unlike a majority of nations including the US, UK, Germany, France, Norway, Turkey, and Italy.
Russia's 'General Armageddon' reportedly dismissed after vanishing in wake of Wagner uprising
12:56 , Maanya SachdevaGeneral Sergei Surovikin, a former commander of Russia‘s forces in Ukraine who was linked to the leader of an armed rebellion, has been dismissed from his job as chief of the air force, according to Russian state media. The report Wednesday came after weeks of uncertainty about his fate following the short-lived uprising.Read more here: Russia's 'General Armageddon' reportedly dismissed after vanishing in wake of Wagner uprising
Russia 'destroys 13,000 tons of grain at Ukrainian Danube river port of Izmail’
12:28 , Maanya SachdevaA Russian drone attack on the Danube River port of Izmail in southern Ukraine on Wednesday destroyed 13,000 tons of grain, Ukrainian deputy prime ,inister Oleksandr Kubrakov said.Kubrakov said on the Telegram messaging app that the port’s export capacity had been reduced by 15 per cent by the overnight strike, and added: “Russia is systematically hitting grain silos and warehouses to stop agricultural exports.”Russia did not immediately comment on the overnight strikes.
Wagner tracker: Charting Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mercenary group through the Ukraine war
11:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain. Since Vladimir Putin rose to power as Russia’s president 23 years ago, few things have rocked his leadership as much as Saturday 24 June when Wagner mercenaries barrelled towards Moscow.The “army within an army” who had been ruthlessly grinding away for months at the vanguard of some of the bloodiest fighting in eastern flanks Ukraine were now on the verge of triggering a war within a war - this time, against the Kremlin.Below we track Wagner’s involvement in the invasion of Ukraine and their infamous- but failed- march to Moscow:Charting Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary group through the Ukraine war.
Putin tells BRICS that Russia wants to end war 'unleashed by West'
11:05 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussian President Vladimir Putin told a summit of the BRICS group on Wednesday that Russia wanted to end a war he said had been “unleashed by the West and its satellites” in Ukraine.Speaking by video link to leaders of the group, who have refrained from condemning Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, he repeated the Kremlin narrative that the war was a forced response to actions by Kyiv and the West.
Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said to be recruiting Wagner 'strongmen' for Africa
10:58 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on Monday published his first recruitment video for the Wagner Group since organizing a short-lived mutiny against defense officials in Russia, according to information on Russian social media channels.Prigozhin moved into the global spotlight in June with a dramatic, short-lived rebellion that posed the most serious threat to President Vladimir Putin of the Russian leader’s 23-year rule. The Wagner founder long benefited from Putin’s powerful patronage, including while he built a private army that fought for Russian interests abroad and participated in some of the deadliest battles of the war in Ukraine.In the video, which was posted on Telegram messaging app channels which are believed to be affiliated with Prigozhin, a person who appears to be the 62-year-old mercenary leader says the Wagner Group is conducting reconnaissance and search activities, and “making Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even more free.”Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said to be recruiting Wagner 'strongmen' for Africa
Two killed in Russian attack on Ukrainian school - interior minister
10:34 , Maryam Zakir-HussainTwo educational workers were killed and three other people wounded in a Russian attack on a school in the city of Romny in the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Wednesday.He said two people were still under the rubble.
Ukrainian troops evacuate civilians from Robotyne as troops gain foothold
10:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Ukraine steps up attacks on Russia’s planes and airfields – and boasts of gains on the battlefield
09:35 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkrainian saboteurs coordinated by Kyiv’s military intelligence services are said to have carried out drone attacks on airfields deep inside Russia – one of which appears to have destroyed a supersonic Russian bomber.It is one of a number of recent assaults on Russia and its military hardware, as well as drone attacks on Moscow. The latest such attack on the capital came overnight into Tuesday.Responding to the attack on the Russian airfields, British military intelligence said that the weekend attack is highly likely to have destroyed a nuclear-capable Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range bomber. Kyiv says Russia has used the Tu-22M3 to bomb targets across Ukraine with conventional munitions. Western military experts believe Russia has around 60 of the aircrafts.Ukraine steps up attacks on Russia’s planes and airfields
Russia appoints new aerospace forces chief after incumbent vanished during mercenary mutiny
08:55 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussia has appointed a new acting head of its aerospace forces to replace General Sergei Surovikin, who vanished from sight after a brief Wagner mercenary mutiny against the top brass in June, the state RIA news agency reported on Wednesday.During the June 23-24 revolt, Surovikin, who once commanded Russia‘s overall war effort in Ukraine - something Moscow calls a “special military operation” - appeared in a video, looking uncomfortable and without insignia, urging Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin to stand down.Since the mutiny, which was ended by negotiations and a deal, unconfirmed Russian and foreign news outlets have said that Surovikin was being investigated for possible complicity in the revolt and being held under house arrest.“Ex-chief of the Russian Air and Space Forces Sergei Surovikin has now been relieved of his post, while Colonel-General Viktor Afzalov, head of the Main Staff of the Air Force, is temporarily acting as commander-in-chief of the Air Force,” an unnamed source told RIA.Surovikin earned the nickname “General Armageddon” during Russia‘s military intervention in Syria.He was placed in charge of Russian military operations in Ukraine last October, but in January that role was handed to General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, and Surovikin was made a deputy to Gerasimov.
Russia says drone attack on Moscow thwarted but 3 killed near Ukrainian border
08:25 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussia said on Wednesday it had thwarted the latest Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow but three people were killed in a drone strike near the Ukrainian border.The governor of Belgorod region, which neighbours Ukraine and has come under frequent attack, said the drone hit a sanatorium in a village. He said two people had died on the spot and doctors had been unable to save the life of the third.The attempted attack in Moscow was not reported to have hurt anyone and only appeared to have caused minor damage. It was the latest in a surge of similar incidents, and once again forced Moscow’s airports to briefly suspend flights as a precaution.The Defence Ministry said air defence forces near the capital had shot down two drones over the Moscow region’s Mozhaisky and Khimki districts.It said a third had been jammed and lost control - but it nevertheless hit a high-rise building under construction in a Moscow business district. The same district, known as Moscow City, was hit twice in three days at the start of the month.The state TASS news agency reported that glass planes on three floors of the high-rise building had been damaged. Unverified videos on social media showed minor damage from the two other drones which had been destroyed.
Ukraine says air defences shot down 11 of 20 drones launched by Russia overnight
08:09 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkrainian air defences shot down 11 out of 20 drones launched by Russia in overnight attacks, the air force said on Wednesday.The Ukrainian military and local officials said Russia had carried out attacks in the southern region of Odesa and in the Danube River area, which is important for grain exports, causing fires in grain facilities.
Three civilians killed in drone strike on Russia's Belgorod region
07:46 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe governor of Russia‘s Belgorod region said on Tuesday that three civilians had been killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a sanatorium in the village of Lavy, close to the Ukrainian border.
Damage to crucial bridge between Ukraine and Crimea to hit Russia’s logistics, says UK MoD
07:01 , Arpan RaiRussia’s logistics will be impacted by the damage to permanent bridges connecting southern Ukraine and Crimea, the British Ministry of Defence said today. “As of mid-August 2023, Russian forces were continuing to employ pontoon bridges at Chonhar and Henichesk crossing points on the border between southern Ukraine and occupied Crimea. Both permanent bridges sustained damage from Ukrainian precision strikes in early August 2023,” the ministry said. It added that the pontoon bridges are “unlikely to be able to fully sustain the flow of heavy vehicles carrying ammunition and weaponry to the front”.“The resulting bottlenecks mean Russian forces are partially reliant on a long diversion via Armiansk, northern Crimea. This is adding further friction to Russia’s logistics network in the south,” the MoD said in its latest intelligence update.
Russia attacks grain facilities in Ukraine, says military
06:31 , Arpan RaiRussian forces have targeted Ukraine’s southern Odesa and Danube River regions, a key area for grain exports, in overnight attacks.The strikes sparked fires in grain storage facilities, the Ukrainian military and local authorities said today.“The enemy hit grain storage facilities and a production and trans-shipment complex in Danube region. A fire broke out in the warehouses and was quickly contained. Firefighters continue to work,” the military said on their Telegram channel.
Netherlands to supply Ukraine with a thousand chargers for remote demining
06:07 , Arpan RaiThe Netherlands will provide Ukraine a thousand chargers for remote demining, Dutch defence minister Kajsa Ollongren said on a visit to Kyiv.The announcement coincides with heavily mined Russian defence lines slowing down a Ukrainian counteroffensive to recapture territory seized by Russia since its forces invaded in February 2022.“There is a decision to provide about a thousand portable chargers for remote demining that can make passageways in engineered barriers,” Ms Ollongren was quoted as saying on the Ukrainian defence ministry website at a meeting with Ukrainian minister Oleksiy Reznikov.“Now, as I know, you are facing the problem of extremely dense mining of territories,” she said.
Ukrainian troops gain foothold in strategic Robotyne village
04:58 , Arpan RaiUkrainian troops have gained a foothold in the southeastern village of Robotyne on the road to Tokmak, deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said.The village is an occupied rail hub whose recapture would be a milestone in Kyiv’s southward drive to reach the Sea of Azov. The next major settlement is the big regional city of Melitopol.However, the deputy minister warned that the counteroffensive should not be compared with either Ukraine’s rapid recapture of land in the eastern region of Kharkiv last year or its success in driving Russian troops out of the city of Kherson in the southwest, because each battlefield situation is unique.“When Kherson was liberated, remember that the armed forces were creating the conditions in order to more or less swiftly liberate it later,” she said.
Drone hits under construction building in Moscow
04:46 , Arpan RaiOne of the drones in Russia fell into a building under construction at the Moscow City Complex, officials said.Several windows were damaged in two nearby buildings, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, adding that the emergency services were inspecting the area.The drone was jammed by electronic warfare systems, after which it lost control and collided with the building, the Russian defence ministry said.The prestigious business towers have been struck by drones twice beforeThe Russian defence ministry has blamed the attack on Ukraine and said two other drones were shot down by air defence systems in the Mozhaisk and Khimki areas of the Moscow region.
Three dead after Russian shelling of Donetsk region, Ukraine says
04:30 , Matt DrakeThree people were killed and two were injured as a result of Russian shelling of several villages in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, the prosecutor general’s office said on Tuesday evening. According to the prosecutors, all three people, two women and a man, were killed in the village of Torske at around 1850 local time (1550 GMT).The prosecutors provided no further detail of the attack.
Moscow shuts airspace over major airports after Ukrainian drone attacks
04:02 , Arpan RaiMoscow airports suspended flights early today, Russia’s TASS news agency reported citing unnamed officials.Major airports around the Russian capital repeatedly closed for departing and arriving flights in recent days due to Ukrainian drone attacks.
Russia says military downed three drones that tried to attack Moscow
03:57 , Arpan RaiThe Russian defence ministry said the country’s air defence systems downed three drones that tried to attack Moscow.One of them was jammed and hit a building in central Moscow, and two more were shot down by air defence systems to the west of the Russian capital, the military said.This is the third consecutive night Russia has come under drone attack.
US says Ukrainian strikes inside Russia not supported
03:44 , Arpan RaiAny attacks inside Russia are not encouraged or enabled by the United States, a US State Department spokesperson said after Moscow witnessed consecutive drone attacks this week, as similar attacks on the Russian territory have increased in the past few months. It is up to Ukraine to decide how it chooses to defend itself from the Russian invasion that began in February last year, the State Department spokesperson said, adding Russia could end the war any time by withdrawing from Ukraine.Drone strikes on the Russian capital have become increasingly common in recent months.These strikes, including deep inside Russia, have increased since two unmanned aircraft were destroyed over the Kremlin in early May.The United States, which has supplied Ukraine with massive assistance in the form of weapons and other military equipment to combat the Russian invasion, has consistently said it does not support attacks inside Russia.
Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said to be recruiting Wagner 'strongmen' for Africa
03:30 , Matt DrakeMercenary group Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has shared his first video address two months after he launched a failed coup attempt against Vladimir Putin.Mr Prigozhin is seen in the video toting an assault rifle and wearing military fatigues, with his comments suggesting the clip was shot in an unnamed African country.The Wagner boss says during the clip that he is recruiting “strongmen” and said the group will “fulfil the tasks that were set” by the Russian government.The video was shared on Telegram channels affiliated with the Wagner group, as Mr Prigozhin said the mercenary group was “making Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even more free”.Read the full report below.Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said to be recruiting Wagner 'strongmen' for Africa
Russia scrambles jets to force reconnaissance drones off Crimea -defence ministry
01:30 , Matt DrakeRussia’s air force scrambled two jets to force two drones to stop reconnaissance near the Crimean peninsula, the Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday.“On August 22, the flight of two unmanned aerial vehicles MQ-9 Reaper and TB2 Bayraktar carrying out aerial reconnaissance in the area of the Crimean Peninsula was recorded over the Black Sea by means of the airspace control of the Russian Aerospace Forces,” the ministry said.According to the statement, Russia scrambled two jets forcing the drones “to change the direction of the flight and leave the areas of aerial reconnaissance”.
Shapps visits Kyiv as UK announces support for Ukraine's nuclear energy supply
Wednesday 23 August 2023 00:30 , Matt DrakeUK Government support for Ukraine's nuclear fuel supply will help end the country's reliance on Russian supplies, Secretary of State for Energy Grant Shapps said after a trip to a Ukrainian power station.The Government has announced its intention to provide a £192 million loan guarantee through UK Export Finance (UKEF) - the UK's export credit agency - enabling UK-headquartered Urenco to supply Ukraine's national nuclear company, Energoatom, with uranium enrichment services, which are vital for nuclear fuel.The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said that, once provided, the support will bring the UK's non-military financial assistance to Ukraine close to £5 billion.Mr Shapps said: "Our support for Ukraine is unwavering in the face of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's barbaric invasion - the UK continues to stand with Ukraine as they repel Russian attacks and rebuild their country."Being here on the ground, it's truly remarkable witnessing first-hand the sheer courage, resolve and gritty determination of the Ukrainian people."Putin has used energy as a weapon of war: the action today to support nuclear fuel deliveries will help Ukraine end their reliance on Russian supplies and bolster their energy security."
Russia's Putin stays away over arrest warrant as leaders of emerging economies meet in South Africa
Tuesday 22 August 2023 23:30 , Matt DrakeRussian President Vladimir Putin will be notably absent when Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders from the BRICS group of emerging economie s start a three-day summit in South Africa on Tuesday.The bloc, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is holding its first in-person meeting since before the COVID-19 pandemic, but Putin will participate via video call after his travel to South Africa was complicated by an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued for him in March over the abduction of children from Ukraine.Xi, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will attend in person as the bloc — home to 40% of the world’s population and responsible for more than 30% of global economic output — mulls a possible expansion.That will top the agenda at Wednesday’s main summit meeting in Johannesburg’s financial district of Sandton. More than 20 nations have applied to join the bloc, according to South African officials, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.Read the full report below.Russia's Putin stays away over arrest warrant as leaders of emerging economies meet in South Africa.
Windows are shattered in a Moscow suburb as Russia says it thwarts latest Ukraine drone attack
Tuesday 22 August 2023 22:30 , Matt DrakeRussian air defense systems thwarted four nighttime Ukrainian drone attacks, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Tuesday, with the falling wreckage of one drone shattering an apartment building’s windows and damaging vehicles in Moscow’s western suburbs.There were no reports of injuries in the latest drone attacks that Russia blamed on Kyiv, as the war approaches its 18-month milestone.Though the drone attacks on Russian soil have occurred almost daily in recent weeks, they have caused little damage. Even so, they have unnerved some Russians and are in line with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s pledge to take the war into the heart of Russia.Flights at several Moscow airports were temporarily suspended Tuesday as a security precaution amid the attacks, authorities said.Read the full report below.Windows are shattered in a Moscow suburb as Russia says it thwarts latest Ukraine drone attack.
Poland's leader says Russia's moving tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, shifting regional security
Tuesday 22 August 2023 21:42 , Matt DrakePoland’s President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday that Russia already is in the process of shifting some short-range nuclear weapons to neighboring Belarus, a move that Duda said will shift the security architecture of the region and the entire NATO military alliance.Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko said last month that Moscow already had shipped some of its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus after announcing the plan in March. The U.S. and NATO haven’t confirmed the move.NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg denounced Moscow’s rhetoric as “dangerous and reckless,” but said in July that the alliance hadn’t seen any change in Russia’s nuclear posture.Read the full report below.Poland's leader says Russia's moving tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, shifting regional security.
Putin says BRICS works for 'global majority'
Tuesday 22 August 2023 20:30 , Matt DrakeRussian President Vladimir Putin said the BRICS grouping of countries was on course to meet the aspirations of most of the world’s population, according to recorded remarks at a summit of the BRICS countries in South Africa on Tuesday.“We cooperate on the principles of equality, partnership support, respect for each other’s interests, and this is the essence of the future-oriented strategic course of our association, a course that meets the aspirations of the main part of the world community, the so-called global majority,” Putin said.The BRICS members - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - represent more than 40% of the world’s population and the summit is expected to discuss adding new members, but he did not address that question in his remarks.Putin was unable to attend the summit in person because of an arrest warrant issued for him in March by the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine.
Ukraine media say Kyiv saboteurs were behind drone attacks on air bases deep inside Russia
Tuesday 22 August 2023 20:00 , Matt DrakeUkrainian saboteurs coordinated by Kyiv’s military intelligence services carried out a pair of recent drone attacks that hit parked bomber aircraft at air bases deep inside Russia, Ukraine media claimed Tuesday.The attacks on Russian airfields on Saturday and Monday destroyed two Russian bombers and damaged two other aircraft, according to Ukrainska Pravda, as the war approaches its 18-month milestone.That newspaper and Ukraine’s NV news outlet said groups of saboteurs were behind the audacious strikes, which suggest that Ukraine’s scope of action is broadening. It was not possible to verify the claims on the ground.Ukrainian media attributed two attacks to the saboteurs: a strike Saturday on the Soltsy air base in the Novgorod region in northwestern Russia, about 700 kilometers (360 miles) north of the Ukrainian border, and Monday’s strike against the Shaikovka air base in the southwestern Kaluga region that is about 300 kilometers (180 miles) northeast of the Ukrainian border.The Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged that the attack on Soltsy damaged one aircraft. It didn’t comment on the reported attack on Shaikovka, but Russian media did.
Ukraine steps up attacks on Russia’s planes and airfields – and boasts of gains on the battlefield
Tuesday 22 August 2023 19:30 , Matt DrakeUkrainian saboteurs coordinated by Kyiv’s military intelligence services are said to have carried out drone attacks on airfields deep inside Russia – one of which appears to have destroyed a supersonic Russian bomber.It is one of a number of recent assaults on Russia and its military hardware, as well as drone attacks on Moscow. The latest such attack on the capital came overnight into Tuesday.Responding to the attack on the Russian airfields, British military intelligence said that the weekend attack is highly likely to have destroyed a nuclear-capable Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range bomber. Kyiv says Russia has used the Tu-22M3 to bomb targets across Ukraine with conventional munitions. Western military experts believe Russia has around 60 of the aircrafts.The destruction of the plane, which can be fitted with conventional or nuclear warheads, underscores the vulnerability to drone attacks of Russia’s fleet of ageing but lethal long-range bombers that are a major part of Moscow’s war effort.Read the full report here.Ukraine steps up attacks on Russia’s planes and airfields.
Russia sacks head of aerospace forces
Tuesday 22 August 2023 19:00 , Matt DrakeA prominent Russian journalist said on Tuesday that General Sergei Surovikin, former commander of Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, had been dismissed as head of the country’s aerospace forces.There was no official confirmation of the report by Alexei Venediktov, the well-connected former head of the now-defunct Ekho Moskvy radio station, but it was cited by some other Russian news outlets on social media.Venediktov said on his Telegram channel that Surovikin had been removed by official decree, without providing any further details.The general has not been seen in public since a short-lived mutiny on June 24-24 by the Wagner mercenary group and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin against Russia’s defence establishment.
US does not think Ukraine conflict is a stalemate
Tuesday 22 August 2023 18:30 , Matt DrakeThe United States does not think the conflict in Ukraine is a stalemate, White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan told a briefing on Tuesday.“We have been clear all along that this battlefield is very dynamic ... there is attacking and defending taking place on both sides at multiple points along a very extended front line,” he said. “We are seeing it (Ukraine) continue to take territory on a methodical, systematic basis.”
Ukraine defies odds by advancing in counteroffensive
Tuesday 22 August 2023 18:00 , Matt DrakeUkraine has made progress in its counteroffensive against Russian forces simply by proving it can push back a better-armed and numerically superior enemy, a senior Ukrainian official said on Tuesday.Ukrainian troops have faced vast Russian minefields and trenches in the counteroffensive launched in early June, and a US official said last week it looked unlikely that Kyiv would be able to recapture the strategic southern city of Melitopol.But Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar brushed aside any suggestion that Kyiv’s progress was too slow, and said Ukraine had effectively defied military doctrine by attacking an enemy that has a numerical advantage in manpower and weaponry.“It’s incorrect to measure this advance by metres or kilometres,” Maliar said in an interview. “What’s important is the very fact that despite everything, we’re moving forward even though we have fewer people and fewer weapons.”She said she was unaware of any Western pressure being exerted on Ukraine‘s military to accelerate operations, and challenged the idea of a universally “correct” tempo.
Poland's leader says Russia's moving tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus
Tuesday 22 August 2023 17:30 , Matt DrakePoland’s President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday that Russia already is in the process of shifting some short-range nuclear weapons to neighbouring Belarus, a move that Duda said will shift the security architecture of the region and the entire NATO military alliance.Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko said last month that Moscow already had shipped some of its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus after announcing the plan in March. The U.S. and NATO haven’t confirmed the move.NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg denounced Moscow’s rhetoric as “dangerous and reckless,” but said in July that the alliance hadn’t seen any change in Russia’s nuclear posture.Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield and have a short range and a low yield compared with much more powerful nuclear warheads fitted to long-range missiles. Russia said it would maintain control over those it sends to Belarus.
European countries 'declare support for Ukrainian independence'
Tuesday 22 August 2023 16:57 , Martha MchardyThe leaders of 11 European countries have declared their support for Ukraine’s independence at a summit in Athens. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is currently in Athens attending the summit, having met with the Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.At the summit, the countries expressed their “unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders”.The document was signed by Serbia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Greece.
White House: US does not think Ukraine conflict is a stalemate
Tuesday 22 August 2023 16:52 , Martha MchardyThe United States does not think the conflict in Ukraine is a stalemate, White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan told a briefing on Tuesday.“We have been clear all along that this battlefield is very dynamic ... there is attacking and defending taking place on both sides at multiple points along a very extended front line,” he said. “We are seeing it (Ukraine) continue to take territory on a methodical, systematic basis.”
Russia 'returns bodies of 12 Ukrainian prisoners'
Tuesday 22 August 2023 16:52 , Martha MchardyRussia has returned the bodies of 12 Ukrainian soldiers that were being held prisoner, according to a report by The Telegraph.A government spokesman said: “The Russian side has already handed over to us 12 bodies of our prisoners, which were previously confirmed by the... Red Cross as being held captive in Russia.“There were no reports from Russia either about the deterioration of their health or about their serious condition.“Which again calls into question the quality of work or the presence of a medical commission on that side.”
Head of Moscow’s aerospace forces nicknamed ‘General Armageddon’ dismissed, according to reports
Tuesday 22 August 2023 16:20 , Martha MchardyA prominent Russian journalist said on Tuesday that General Sergei Surovikin, former commander of Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, had been dismissed as head of the country’s aerospace forces.There was no official confirmation of the report by Alexei Venediktov, the well-connected former head of the now defunct Ekho Moskvy radio station, but it was cited by some other Russian news outlets on social media.Venediktov said on his Telegram channel that Surovikin had been removed by official decree, without providing any further details.The general has not been seen in public since a short-lived mutiny on June 24-24 by the Wagner mercenary group and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin against Russia’s defence establishment.During the revolt, Surovikin appeared in a video, looking uncomfortable and without insignia, urging Prigozhin to stand down. Since the mutiny, Russian and foreign news reports have said that Surovikin was being investigated for possible complicity in it.Surovikin earned the nickname “General Armageddon” during Russia’s military intervention in Syria’s civil war.Last October he was placed in charge of Russian military operations in Ukraine, but in January that role was handed to General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff, and Surovikin was made a deputy to Gerasimov.
Eight Ukrainian pilots begin F-16 training in Denmark
Tuesday 22 August 2023 15:36 , Martha MchardyDenmark has begun training eight Ukrainian pilots in flying F-16 fighter jets as part of its commitment to donate aircraft to Ukraine, the Danish armed forces said on Tuesday.Denmark and the Netherlands on Sunday pledged to donate F-16s to Ukraine, fulfilling a longstanding wish by Ukraine that it says will help strengthen air defences and help its counter-offensive against Russia’s 2022 invasion.The eight pilots have arrived at the Danish military air base in Skrydstrup along with 65 personnel who will be trained in maintaining and servicing the jets, the Danish armed forces said in a statement.Greece will also take part in the training of Ukrainian air force pilots for F-16 jets, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.Denmark will supply Ukraine with 19 F-16 jets and will deliver the first six jets around New Year.The Netherlands, which has 42 F-16s, has yet to decide how many jets it will supply to Ukraine.Denmark currently has 43 F-16 jets and will for safety reasons not disclose how many of them are active, the Danish statement said.
‘Wagner is victim of its own brand name’: How much of a threat does mercenary group pose in Belarus?
Tuesday 22 August 2023 15:00 , Martha MchardyThe newfound presence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus, exiled from Russia after their mutinous march on Moscow, has fuelled fresh anxieties in Ukraine and on Nato’s eastern flank.Belarus’s neighbours have moved to a heightened state of alert since dictator Alexander Lukashenko appeared to broker a last-minute deal with the Kremlin to defuse the short-lived mutiny on 23 June and host Wagner troops on Belarusian soil.During a recent meeting at the strategically important Suwalki Gap, a sparsely populated land corridor near their countries’ borders with Belarus and Russia’s enclave of Kaliningrad, Lithuania’s president Gitanas Nauseda warned that north of 4,000 mercenaries were believed to be in Belarus, while Poland’s premier Mateusz Morawiecki branded them “extremely dangerous”.Andy Gregory reports:Wagner threat in Belarus explained as mercenary group ‘a victim of its brand name’
Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said to be recruiting Wagner 'strongmen' for Africa
Tuesday 22 August 2023 14:30 , Martha MchardyRussian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on Monday published his first recruitment video for the Wagner Group since organizing a short-lived mutiny against defense officials in Russia, according to information on Russian social media channels.Prigozhin moved into the global spotlight in June with a dramatic, short-lived rebellion that posed the most serious threat to President Vladimir Putin of the Russian leader’s 23-year rule. The Wagner founder long benefited from Putin’s powerful patronage, including while he built a private army that fought for Russian interests abroad and participated in some of the deadliest battles of the war in Ukraine.In the video, which was posted on Telegram messaging app channels which are believed to be affiliated with Prigozhin, a person who appears to be the 62-year-old mercenary leader says the Wagner Group is conducting reconnaissance and search activities, and “making Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even more free.
Elon Musk spoke with Vladimir Putin directly, Pentagon official says
Tuesday 22 August 2023 13:54 , Martha MchardyElon Musk said he had engaged in direct conversation with Vladimir Putin, according to a former Pentagon official.Mr Musk’s comments had been made in a discussion the billionaire had with Pentagon officials in October last year about the satellite-based internet provided by SpaceX to Ukraine’s military.The billionaire had told Colin Kahl, then the under-secretary of defence for policy at the Pentagon, that he had spoken to Mr Putin personally, according a report on Monday in the New Yorker.Maroosha Muzaffar reports:Elon Musk spoke with Vladimir
Putin directly, Pentagon official says
World Court sets September date to hear Russian objections to Ukraine genocide case
Tuesday 22 August 2023 13:12 , Martha MchardyThe World Court will hear Russia’s objections to its jurisdiction in a genocide case brought by Ukraine in hearings starting on Sept. 18, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said on Tuesday.Ukraine filed a case with the ICJ shortly after Russia’s invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022, which accused Moscow of falsely applying genocide law to justify the attack.In a preliminary decision in the case in March last year the court ordered Russia to cease military actions in Ukraine immediately.
Ukrainian ‘saboteur’ group stopped from crossing into Russia’s Bryansk region - governor
Tuesday 22 August 2023 12:51 , Martha MchardyA group of Ukrainian “saboteurs” attempted to breach Russia’s border in the Bryansk region, regional governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Tuesday.The attempt was thwarted by Russia’s defence ministry, security services and police, Bogomaz said in a post on Telegram.
Ukraine needs military assistance overcoming massive mine belt - German minister
Tuesday 22 August 2023 11:36 , Martha MchardyA massive belt of land mines laid by Russian military in south-eastern Ukraine is hampering Ukrainian soldiers and Kyiv has made clear that it needs equipment to help it get across, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday.“We are currently discussing how we can meet this request, not only as Germans but jointly with other partners,” she said at a press conference in Berlin alongside her Estonian counterpart.
Russia says its forces destroyed U.S.-made military vessel near Snake Island
Tuesday 22 August 2023 11:35 , Martha MchardyRussia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday its forces had destroyed a U.S.-made military speedboat near Snake Island in the Black Sea.Tiny Snake Island became synonymous with Ukrainian resistance in the first hours of what Russia calls its “special military operation” on Feb. 24, 2022, when Russian officers on the Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva radioed Ukrainian guards stationed there and ordered them to surrender or die.
Ukraine needs military assistance overcoming massive mine belt - German minister
Tuesday 22 August 2023 11:36 , Martha MchardyA massive belt of land mines laid by Russian military in south-eastern Ukraine is hampering Ukrainian soldiers and Kyiv has made clear that it needs equipment to help it get across, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday.“We are currently discussing how we can meet this request, not only as Germans but jointly with other partners,” she said at a press conference in Berlin alongside her Estonian counterpart.
Russia says its forces destroyed U.S.-made military vessel near Snake Island
Tuesday 22 August 2023 11:35 , Martha MchardyRussia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday its forces had destroyed a U.S.-made military speedboat near Snake Island in the Black Sea.Tiny Snake Island became synonymous with Ukrainian resistance in the first hours of what Russia calls its “special military operation” on Feb. 24, 2022, when Russian officers on the Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva radioed Ukrainian guards stationed there and ordered them to surrender or die.
Windows are shattered in a Moscow suburb as Russia says it thwarts latest Ukraine drone attack
Tuesday 22 August 2023 09:41 , Martha MchardyRussian air defence systems thwarted four nighttime Ukrainian drone attacks, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Tuesday, with the falling wreckage of one drone shattering an apartment building’s windows and damaging vehicles in Moscow’s western suburbs.There were no reports of injuries in the latest drone attacks that Russia blamed on Kyiv, as the war approaches its 18-month milestone.Though the drone attacks on Russian soil have occurred almost daily in recent weeks, they have caused little damage. Even so, they have unnerved some Russians and are in line with Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky’s pledge to take the war into the heart of Russia.Windows are shattered in a Moscow suburb as Russia says it thwarts latest Ukraine drone attack.
On the ground in Ukraine, the desperate fight to protect a key city from 100,000 of ‘Putin’s thugs’
Tuesday 22 August 2023 08:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain“We were born here, lived here all our lives, and we’ll die here,” says Antonia Samuelska as she trudges along with the aid of a walking stick on a deserted street in Kupiansk. “We have no other home anywhere else, we’ll have to accept what comes.”The stillness of a hot afternoon under a blazing sun is broken by the sudden roar of artillery fire, three rounds landing one after the other in quick succession, not far away, spraying dust and debris up into the air with plumes of flame and smoke.The northeastern city of Kupiansk is a key target for Russia as it attempts to fight back against Ukraine’s summer offensive. As relentless shelling bombards the city, Kim Sengupta meets residents and soldiers facing daily assault:On the ground in Ukraine, the battle to beat ‘Putin’s thugs’ | Kim Sengupta.
Russian space agency chief blames decades of inactivity for Luna-25 lander's crash on the moon
Tuesday 22 August 2023 08:02 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe head of Russia’s space agency said Monday that the Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon after its engines failed to shut down correctly, and he blamed the country’s decades-long pause in lunar exploration for the mishap.The pilotless Luna-25 had been scheduled to land Monday while aiming to become the first spacecraft to touch down on the south pole of the moon, an area where scientists believe important reserves of frozen water and precious elements may exist.Roscosmos Director General Yury Borisov said the spacecraft’s engines were turned on over the weekend to put Luna-25 into a “pre-landing orbit” but did not shut down properly, plunging the lander onto the moon.“Instead of the planned 84 seconds, it worked for 127 seconds. This was the main reason for the emergency,” Borisov told Russian state news channel Russia 24.Russian space agency chief blames decades of inactivity for Luna-25 lander's crash on the moon
AB/ANA/23 August 2023 — - -
The cost of Russia's war in Ukraine
By Guy Faulconbridge
LONDON - Russia's invasion of Ukraine has left tens of thousands of dead, displaced millions and sown economic turmoil across the world in the 18 months since its launch on Feb. 24, 2022.
Here are some details of the impact:
* DEATH
The war has caused death on a level not seen in Europe since World War Two.
More than 9,000 civilians had been recorded as killed and more than 16,000 injured by the end of July, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which said it believed the actual figures were considerably higher.
The war has left nearly 500,000 troops either dead or injured, according to the New York Times.
The paper cited officials from the United States, which supports Ukraine, as saying as many as 120,000 Russian troops have been killed and 170,000 to 180,000 injured, with Ukraine's military toll at 70,000 killed and 100,000 to 120,000 wounded.
Russian officials say U.S. estimates of Russian losses are far too high - and propaganda. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Sept. 21 that 5,937 Russian soldiers had been killed since the start of the war. No further updates have been given and losses are a state secret.
About 14,000 people were killed there between 2014 and the end of 2021, according to the OHCHR, including 3,106 civilians.
* DISPLACEMENT
Since the 2022 invasion, millions of Ukrainians have been forced from their homes, the United Nations refugee agency has said. Ukraine has a population of more than 41 million.
An estimated 17.6 million people in Ukraine require urgent humanitarian support, including more than 5 million people internally displaced by the war, the UNHCR said.
There are over 5.9 million refugees from Ukraine recorded across Europe, according to the agency's data.
* UKRAINE
Russia has taken 11% of Ukraine's territory since the start of the war, an area equivalent to Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut combined, according to the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School.
When added to Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, Russia now controls about 17.5% of Ukraine, an area of about 41,000 square miles (106,000 square km).
After pushing back Russian forces in 2022, it has failed to make major inroads against well-dug in Russian troops since launching a new counteroffensive in early June.
Ukraine has lost a swathe of its coastline, its economy has been crippled and some cities have been turned into wastelands by the fighting.
Ukraine's economy contracted by 30% in 2022 and is forecast to grow by of 1% to 3% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.
It is unclear how much Ukraine has spent on the fighting.
* RUSSIA
Russia's expenditure on the war is a state secret, but it coincides with a major shock to the Russian economy from the toughest ever Western sanctions imposed after the invasion.
The economy defied early expectations for a double-digit contraction in 2022, but a return to prosperity remains a long way off as the government directs more spending towards the military.
Russia's economy will grow 1.5% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, after a contraction of 2.1% in 2022.
"In the medium term, the Russian economy will be hampered by the departure of multinationals, the loss of human capital, its disconnection from global financial markets, a reduction in its policy buffers," IMF spokeswoman Julie Kozack said last month.
"And therefore, we do expect over the medium term that output in Russia will be 7 percent lower than the pre-war forecast."
Russia has doubled its 2023 defence spending target to more than $100 billion - a third of all public expenditure - a government document reviewed by Reuters showed, as the costs of the war in Ukraine spiral and place growing strain on Moscow's finances.
As Russia's military spending soars and sanctions squeeze its energy revenues, Moscow faces a battle to keep its budget deficit in check.
Russia has lost a major chunk of the European gas market but has been able to keep selling its oil to global markets, although the United States, Europe and other powers have limited or ended their purchases.
It has been excluded from Western financial markets, most of its oligarchs are sanctioned, and it is experiencing problems sourcing some items such as microchips.
CIA Director William Burns said earlier this year that Putin risked turning Russia into "an economic colony of China over time".
Russia has defaulted on its foreign bonds for the first time since the calamitous months following the 1917 Bolshevik revolution.
* PRICES
The invasion and Western sanctions on Russia led to steep rises in the prices of fertiliser, wheat, metals and energy, fuelling an inflationary wave and a global food crisis.
Russia is the world's second largest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia and the world's biggest exporter of natural gas, wheat, nitrogen fertiliser and palladium.
Shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, international oil prices spiked to their highest levels since the records of 2008.
* WESTERN WEAPONS
Since the invasion, the United States has committed more than $43 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, including stinger anti-aircraft systems, Javelin anti-armour systems, 155mm Howitzers and equipment to protect against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attack.
The biggest overall supporters of Ukraine in nominal terms are the United States, the European Union, Britain, Germany and Japan, according to The Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Russia says the West's weapons supplies are escalating the war.
Does Prigozhin, Russia’s Wagner chief, have political ambitions?
By Mansur Mirovalev, Aljazeera, 19 June 2023
As he revels in his role in Ukraine, Prigozhin has become a recognisable public figure in Russia and has staked out a niche among conservatives.
At 62, the foul-mouthed founder of Russia’s private army of Wagner mercenaries does not sound or look much like a photogenic, aspiring politician.
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s face is scarred, his head is shaven tight, his uneven teeth are tobacco-stained, and the ex-convict’s vocabulary is filled with expletives.
He spent most of the 1980s in Soviet jails after being found guilty of armed robbery and recruiting children into a gang.
But more than 30 years later, Prigozhin has stepped out of the shadows, right into the limelight of Russian politics.
Polls show that he became a recognisable public figure and staked out a political niche among conservative Russians who revere Soviet leader Josef Stalin and want to win the war in Ukraine no matter what.
“Comrade Stalin was absolutely right,” Prigozhin said in May, touting the death penalty for servicemen and officials who “fail” to support the faltering war effort.
Such a law would be similar to Stalin’s WWII policies.
Prigozhin also said that after losing tens of thousands of mercenaries in eastern Ukraine, his Wagner Group will have to recruit more people and “transform into an army with an ideology”.
In late May, the once shadowy, secretive figure toured Russia and gave four press conferences.
To some outside observers, Prigozhin’s transformation may be part of the Kremlin’s power transfer plan in case of a collapse similar to the “Times of Trouble” between the death of Czar Ivan the Terrible and the ascension of the Romanov dynasty four centuries ago.
There are two possible scenarios, says Kyiv-based analyst Aleksey Kushch.
“The hard version is the case of Times of Trouble 2.0, when all official power institutions such as the army and police fold, [and Prigozhin] can head a volunteer army,” he told Al Jazeera.
“In a lighter version, [under the Kremlin’s] management, he must lead the radical part of the public unhappy about the war’s outcome and lead manageable opposition to power,” he said.
“At the same time, by accumulating the discontent, he will bulldoze liberal opposition to political sidelines.”
‘Totalitarian’ decisions
“Bulldozing” may be an appropriate term to describe Prigozhin’s managerial style.
In February 2018, he gave Wagner mercenaries fighting for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s army an order to seize a natural gas plant in the Kurdish-controlled part of eastern Syria.
His step eventually led to the first armed clash involving Russian and US nationals since the Cold War’s end.
“He decided that everything would go smoothly,” Marat Gabidulin, who led a Wagner unit in the February 8, 2018 battle, told Al Jazeera. “Americans thought differently.”
A United States-led coalition attacked the unit and the Syrian servicemen they backed with planes and artillery, killing hundreds.
“We were simply annihilated,” said Gabidulin, who described his four years with Wagner in two published books. “I was lucky to come out alive, with a light wound.”
The failure stemmed from Prigozhin’s “totalitarian” decision-making style that frequently leads to miscalculations and the loss of lives, Gabidulin said.
“Because of his conviction that he’s always right, that he’s a genius, he often overestimates his abilities,” he said.
‘Shut up and obey Putin’
Prigozhin’s possible way from the trenches to the halls of power is paved with the bodies of other warlords who rose to short-lived fame in eastern Ukraine.
“I would not rule out a political career for Prigozhin in Russia,” Sergey Bizyukin, a fugitive Kremlin critic and publicist, told Al Jazeera.
However, Prigozhin is more likely to end up like several separatist leaders in southwestern Ukraine who died under suspicious circumstances after falling out with their Kremlin curators, he said.
“Historic logic is harsh and practically doesn’t leave [Prigozhin] a chance to survive,” Bizyukin said.
Another analyst agrees – given that Prigozhin made enemies among Russia’s top brass and refused to force Wagner mercenaries to sign contracts with the defence ministry.
He has two options, says Nikolay Mitrokhin of Germany’s Bremen University.
The first one is “to shut up and to obey [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s decision to fuse all the rampant Cossack, anarchic liberty of Wagner within the framework of the usual state structures,” he told Al Jazeera.
Option two is to “burn to death after a shot from the Shmel [flamethrower] in the side of his car, something that will be later ascribed to Ukrainian diversion groups,” he said.
Prigozhin has crossed too many red lines, and one more may prove lethal.
“Putin tolerates former distinguished allies, but Prigozhin has repeatedly been told that he hit rock bottom and will have no more [political] credit,” Mitrokhin said.
A sledgehammer case
On June 1, Prigozhin received an unusual gift from another warlord with political aspirations.
The Wagner chief dropped by a hospital in the western city of Nizhny Novgorod, where pro-Kremlin writer Zakhar Prilepin is recovering from a May 6 assassination attempt he blames on Kyiv.
Prilepin is a former Putin critic who jumped on the Kremlin’s bandwagon after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. He admitted to committing war crimes while heading a unit of pro-Moscow separatist fighters in southeastern Ukraine.
These days, Prilepin co-chairs Just Russia, a leftist party with a tiny presence in the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament.
Just Russia is led by Sergey Mironov, a former geophysicist who befriended Putin in the 1990s. His party is widely seen as a Kremlin project designed to siphon off the votes of elderly, pro-Communist Russians.
In December, Mironov boasted of a gift – a massive sledgehammer with Prigozhin’s signature.
A month earlier, a similar tool was used to execute a Wagner mercenary who surrendered to Ukrainian forces and was later swapped.
Prilepin gave Prigozhin a “sledgehammer case” he embroidered himself while in hospital – and praised him and Wagner mercenaries.
“The very fact of their existence is a hope for another war, another politics, another political language where there’s very little politicking and more honesty, where one learns to stick up for oneself,” Prilepin wrote on Telegram.
Kremlin-connected officials told the Meduza website in April that Prigozhin may try to gain control of Just Russia’s St Petersburg branch.
From cockroaches to ‘blood diamonds’
Prigozhin’s fortune dates back to a hotdog stand he opened in 1990 in St Petersburg.
He soon earned enough to open a riverboat restaurant – and Putin, a city hall official at the time, soon took a shine to it.
After becoming president, Putin hosted several state leaders on the boat – and awarded Prigozhin’s companies contracts with the military, schools and hospitals.
The cash flow did not dry out even after worms, hair and cockroaches were found in the food, and hundreds were hospitalised with infections, according to a 2019 analysis of court cases involving Prigozhin’s companies.
Media dubbed Prigozhin “Putin’s chef,” but his most valuable services to the Kremlin have been even less palatable.
His Internet Research Agency used fake accounts and stolen identities of real Americans to propagate pro-Kremlin views and interfere in the 2016 US presidential elections, according to the White House.
And in 2014, Prigozhin started the Wagner Group, which has operated in southeastern Ukraine, Syria, Libya, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Mali and Mozambique.
Prigozhin tries to develop mineral riches below their feet.
His Evro Polis company signed a deal to mine hydrocarbons in Syria and restore its energy infrastructure.
He also got a stake in trading African “blood diamonds”, the France-based All Eyes on Wagner research group claimed.
In January, Wagner seized the town of Soledar, which used to produce 90 percent of Ukraine’s edible salt. Its environs are also rich in alabaster, valuable clay for ceramics and coal.
‘A lowlife’
In early June, Prigozhin’s approval ratings grew from one to four percent, according to the Levada Center, Russia’s only remaining independent pollster.
In Russia, it made him the fifth most recognisable figure after Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Levada’s head, however, says that Prigozhin’s public profile will not translate into a political career.
“Prigozhin has little chances of becoming a federal politician,” Lev Gudkov reportedly said.
“Such figures cause fear and caution. He is an outlaw.”
Disclaimer
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect CEMAS’s editorial stance.
Accounting for war - Ukraine's climate fallout
By Sarah Mcfarlane and Valerie Volcovici
LONDON - The war in Ukraine is deepening the climate crisis at time when global greenhouse gas emissions are already running at a record high, according to report by carbon accounting experts who have tallied the overall impact of the conflict.
The report, which is due to be released on the sidelines of the U.N. climate summit in Bonn this week, calculates that the first 12 months of the war will trigger a net increase of 120 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, equivalent to the annual output of country such as Belgium.
A group of researchers led by Dutch expert Lennard de Klerk looked at a range of contributors to emissions, from fuel used by vehicles, to forest fires, to changes in energy use in Europe and the future reconstruction of buildings and infrastructure.
"We didn't expect the emissions of war would be so significant and it's not only the warfare itself that contributes to the emissions, but it's also the future reconstruction of the destroyed infrastructure," said de Klerk by phone from his home in Hungary near the border with Ukraine.
Carbon accounting will be in focus at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai this year as countries assess progress against climate goals agreed in Paris in 2015, and de Klerk said it was crucial military emissions were included.
"Emissions of conflicts and military emissions are often overlooked," he told Reuters.
"The aim that we all should have is to get to net zero by 2050, including the military, but if you don't know what the military emissions are, it's very difficult to start work on policies to reduce them," de Klerk said.
The report - Climate Damage Caused By Russia's War in Ukraine - was funded by the European Climate Foundation and the Environmental Policy and Advocacy Initiative in Ukraine.
GAS LEAKS AND BOMBS
According to the report, seen by Reuters, almost half of the net increase in emissions since the Ukraine war started in February last year are linked to the anticipated reconstruction of buildings, roads and factories damaged in the fighting.
About 19% of the emissions, meanwhile, come from military activities such as burning fuel in vehicles, making and firing ammunition and the construction of concrete fortifications.
The overall tally included greenhouse gas emissions from outside Ukraine linked to the conflict, such as gas leaks from the sabotaged Nord Stream pipeline, the rerouting of international flights, as well as the movement of refugees.
"If you look at the environmental costs of what's happening in Ukraine, that war is a catastrophe when it comes to carbon emissions," said James Appathurai, NATO's deputy assistant secretary general for emerging security challenges.
The report acknowledged there had been a drop in Ukraine's domestic economic activity due to the conflict, but said emissions related to those activities had mainly shifted to other countries.
It also concluded that the fall in emissions in Europe from lower flows of Russian gas and a drop in electricity usage due to higher energy costs had almost all been offset by increases in the use of oil, coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The authors said the report followed guidelines on military emissions reporting developed by the Conflict and Environment Observatory charity, and relied on data sources including fossil fuel consumption figures, remote sensing through satellites, and open-source publications.
HARD TO DECIPHER
Ukraine's Ministry of Environmental Protection said it was important to initiate discussions about the impact of conflicts on the climate.
"Unfortunately, the impact of the war in Ukraine was not and will not be reflected in the reports and reviews of greenhouse gas emissions prepared annually by the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change," the ministry said in an emailed statement.
Government reporting of military and conflict emissions to the United Nations is notoriously hard to decipher.
Opaque data on military activities, exemptions for emissions generated by armies while abroad, and annexed territories sometimes being double-counted all confused the picture, said carbon accounting expert de Klerk.
Other studies have attempted to calculate emissions from conflicts.
The U.S. military's war-related activities abroad between 2001-2018, including in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, caused 440 million tonnes of emissions, according to the Costs of War project at Brown University.
During the 1990-91 Gulf War, about 133 million tonnes of emissions were released when Iraq set fire to hundreds of oil wells as it retreated from Kuwait, according to a report by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.
Britain, meanwhile, is funding a study into emissions related to the widespread use of concrete blast walls - known as Bremer walls - in Iraq.
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What we know about the reported US-Iran MOU, Lebanon's place in it
Foundations of Zionism: Sabri Jiryis on the making of a colonial project in Palestine
Africa
Navigating Financial Gateways and Security in Interactive Gaming
The intricate architecture of the modern interactive gambling ecosystem requires consumers to possess a highly analytical mindset, particularly regarding financial logistics and digital security. Gone are the days when a flashy banner advertisement and a rudimentary software interface were sufficient to attract and retain a dedicated audience. Today's most successful digital portals are complex, highly regulated financial and entertainment ecosystems that must seamlessly balance the adrenaline of high-stakes gaming with impenetrable digital security and flawless operational logistics. For a platform to truly excel in this fiercely competitive environment, it must offer a holistic package: verified mathematical fairness, remarkably rapid transaction speeds, and a banking infrastructure that provides absolute peace of mind. It is within this refined context that discerning players must evaluate their options, examining the foundational integrity of the operation's cashier system.
When discussing platforms that prioritize exceptional security and regulatory redundancy, Royalistplay instantly comes to the forefront. This destination distinguishes itself significantly in the market through its dual licensing from both the prestigious UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority. This exceptional level of regulatory oversight demonstrates a profound, serious commitment to legal compliance and player protection that sets Royalistplay apart from many standard competitors. The platform backs up this security with a highly balanced welcome package offering a 100% match up to €300 alongside a notably generous allocation of 200 free spins. Their curated selection of over 2,500 games covers all major categories, with a particular strength in progressive jackpot slots where potentially life-changing sums accumulate. Most importantly, Royalistplay processes withdrawals with remarkable efficiency, particularly for e-wallet users whose cashouts are typically completed within a rapid 12 to 24-hour window.
Speaking of highly successful hybrid integration, Winamax perfectly exemplifies exactly how to successfully merge two massive, highly distinct entertainment sectors into one cohesive, secure platform. Originally celebrated primarily across continental Europe for its massive peer-to-peer poker networks and highly comprehensive sports wagering markets, Winamax has steadily evolved to include a highly polished, robust interactive casino section featuring over 1,500 meticulously selected titles. This destination is incredibly attractive to versatile consumers who deeply enjoy alternating between sports wagering and engaging with digital amusements. Their unique promotional structure perfectly reflects this dual focus, frequently offering €100 in free bets alongside 50 free spins. Holding a strict MGA license, Winamax is globally renowned for its deeply reliable, rapid payment processing and possesses one of the most technologically advanced, flawlessly stable mobile applications available on the market.
Understanding the logistical efficiency of financial transactions remains the absolute most critical metric by which active, serious users judge a platform's overall, real-world quality. A massive portfolio of entertaining software is entirely negated if an operator actively stalls or deliberately complicates the withdrawal process.
- E-wallet solutions, primarily driven by major global brands like PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller, consistently offer the absolute most rapid transaction speeds, frequently settling accounts within a highly efficient 24 to 48-hour cycle.
- Traditional credit and debit cards, like Visa and Mastercard, provide familiar, instant deposits, but subsequent withdrawals can take anywhere from 3 to 5 business days to fully process through the banking networks.
- Direct bank transfers offer incredibly high security and are ideal for moving massive sums of money without third-party involvement, though they typically suffer from the longest processing times, sometimes requiring up to 7 business days.
- Instant banking solutions, such as Trustly, effectively bridge the gap by connecting directly to your bank account while facilitating near-instantaneous withdrawals at supported platforms.
- Prepaid vouchers like Paysafecard offer incredible, unparalleled security and strict budget control for initial deposits, ensuring your banking details are never shared online.
The bedrock of any secure digital wagering experience is the flawless implementation of impenetrable cryptographic security. When sensitive personal data and financial information are transmitted from a personal device to the operator's remote servers, they must be shielded by military-grade protocols. Modern consumers must be highly vigilant in ensuring their chosen platform adheres strictly to these technical standards. The presence of Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption is entirely non-negotiable for protecting all personal and financial data. Furthermore, players must be aware of the KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures. All legitimate platforms are legally bound to verify a player's identity before releasing funds. Submitting high-quality scans of a passport, a recent utility bill, and proof of payment method is a standard anti-money laundering practice. Completing this step proactively ensures that your withdrawal requests are processed without frustrating administrative delays.
Customer support infrastructure represents another incredibly critical pillar of a premium entertainment hub. Even the absolute most technologically advanced, perfectly coded platforms will occasionally encounter unpredictable software glitches or highly complex financial routing anomalies. When a user's hard-earned capital is actively in transit, the ability to immediately contact a highly knowledgeable human representative is paramount. Top-tier operations invest heavily in their support centers, offering completely uninterrupted, round-the-clock live chat services staffed by highly trained agents who possess the actual administrative authority to manually investigate and resolve complex account issues in real-time. This level of immediate accessibility provides a profound psychological safety net.
From a legal and financial standpoint, players should also be intimately aware of the specific tax implications surrounding their potential winnings. In many highly favorable jurisdictions, such as Ireland, profits derived from recreational interactive wagering are legally classified as tax-exempt. This incredible benefit means the individual retains the full mathematical value of their success without obligatory declarations to national revenue services, maximizing the value of every winning session. However, it is crucial to remember that while winnings are tax-free, gambling losses are not tax-deductible. This favorable tax status is a massive advantage when selecting a premier casino online ireland platform, but it underscores the importance of playing responsibly, as professional gamblers may face different taxation rules.
Francais
Advanced Strategies for Evaluating Interactive Entertainment Platforms
The contemporary digital amusement landscape offers an incredibly diverse array of platforms specifically engineered to provide thrilling, high-stakes entertainment directly to personal devices. As technological capabilities have expanded exponentially, so too has the sophistication of these interactive wagering hubs. Today's enthusiasts are presented with options that range from heavily gamified adventure portals to colossal, encyclopedic libraries containing thousands of distinct interactive titles. The pursuit of identifying a premier destination requires looking past superficial marketing campaigns and thoroughly analyzing the foundational technology, the diversity of the software portfolios, and the strictness of their regulatory adherence. By understanding the unique value propositions of different operators, consumers can accurately align their personal preferences with the optimal digital environment.
For individuals whose primary criterion is sheer volume and unparalleled variety, Myriad stands out as a titan within the industry. True to its descriptive name, this destination boasts a staggering library exceeding 4,000 individual titles. This colossal portfolio is meticulously curated through strategic partnerships with over sixty independent software developers, guaranteeing an incredibly diverse spectrum of mathematical models, artistic themes, and gameplay mechanics. While Myriad operates under a Curacao license—a regulatory framework often considered slightly less rigorous than its European counterparts—the platform has successfully maintained an impeccable track record regarding fairness and financial reliability. Their introductory offer provides substantial additional capital for new registrants, allowing them to thoroughly explore this massive ecosystem. This environment is particularly suited for explorers who tire quickly of repetitive mechanics and constantly seek out fresh, innovative releases.
Conversely, some platforms seek to innovate not through sheer volume, but by completely reimagining the user experience through profound gamification. Duelz represents a paradigm shift in how interactive entertainment is delivered. Rather than presenting a static grid of titles, Duelz immerses its users in a dynamic, fantasy-themed adventure where they must develop personalized avatars, complete daily quests, and engage in direct, competitive duels against other human players to secure exclusive rewards. This highly engaging approach appeals strongly to a modern demographic that expects deeper interactivity from their digital platforms. Despite this playful exterior, Duelz maintains incredibly strict operational standards, holding dual licenses from the highly respected MGA and the Swedish Gaming Authority. Furthermore, their integration of advanced financial gateways like Trustly allows for lightning-fast withdrawals that frequently process in mere minutes.
When evaluating the vast libraries offered by these platforms, it is helpful to categorize the available entertainment to understand where a specific site excels. A diverse portfolio is the hallmark of the best online casino ireland has to offer today.
- Video Slots: These range from high-volatility, feature-dense games offering massive potential multipliers to low-volatility titles providing steady, smaller returns.
- Live Dealer Suites: Utilizing high-definition broadcasting to beam professional croupiers directly to screens, offering an authentic, social atmosphere.
- Traditional Table Games: Software-driven versions of classic card and wheel games that utilize certified random number generators for immediate, fast-paced results.
- Hybrid Integration: Platforms that seamlessly combine traditional digital games with comprehensive sports betting interfaces within a single account.
- Progressive Jackpots: Networked titles where a fraction of every global wager contributes to a continuously growing, potentially life-altering prize pool.
Speaking of hybrid integration, Winamax perfectly exemplifies how to successfully merge two massive entertainment sectors. Originally celebrated across continental Europe for its peer-to-peer poker networks and comprehensive sports wagering markets, Winamax has evolved to include a highly polished, robust interactive gaming section. Featuring over 1,500 meticulously selected titles, this destination is incredibly attractive to versatile consumers who enjoy alternating between analyzing sporting events and engaging with traditional digital amusements. Their promotional structure reflects this dual focus, frequently offering a combination of complimentary sports bets alongside spins for their software library. Winamax is also renowned for possessing one of the most technologically advanced and stable mobile applications available, ensuring a flawless experience regardless of the user's physical location.
The bedrock of any secure digital wagering experience is the implementation of impenetrable cryptographic security and the continuous validation of mathematical fairness. When data is transmitted from a personal device to the operator's servers, it must be shielded by advanced protocols. Modern consumers must be highly vigilant in ensuring their chosen platform adheres to strict technical standards. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption, universally denoted by a locked padlock icon within the browser's designated address bar, is mandatory for protecting all personal and financial data. Furthermore, visible certification seals from highly respected, independent auditing laboratories, such as eCOGRA, iTech Labs, or GLI, prove the integrity of the random number generators used in the games.
The logistical efficiency of financial transactions remains the most critical metric by which active users judge a platform's overall quality. A massive portfolio of entertaining software is entirely negated if an operator actively stalls or complicates the withdrawal process. An exceptional digital destination will support a highly diverse array of financial gateways to accommodate all preferences. E-wallet solutions consistently offer the most rapid transaction speeds. Traditional banking methods, while inherently secure and universally trusted, rely on older infrastructural networks that can delay receipt of funds by three to seven business days. Progressive platforms are also increasingly integrating direct banking services, which effectively bridges the gap, offering the security of a direct bank connection with the speed of a modern digital wallet.
Customer support infrastructure represents another critical, yet frequently overlooked, pillar of a premium entertainment hub. Even the most technologically advanced platforms will occasionally encounter software glitches or financial routing anomalies. When a user's capital is actively in transit, the ability to immediately contact a knowledgeable human representative is paramount. Top-tier operations invest heavily in their support centers, offering uninterrupted, round-the-clock live chat services staffed by highly trained agents who possess the administrative authority to manually investigate and resolve complex account issues. This level of immediate accessibility provides a profound psychological safety net.
Another crucial element of player protection is understanding the terms and conditions tied to promotional offers. Wagering requirements dictate how many times a bonus amount must be played through before it converts into withdrawable cash. A platform might offer a massive 200% match, but if the wagering requirement is set at an unreasonable 50x or 60x, the statistical probability of converting that bonus is incredibly low. Educated players look for platforms that balance generous matches with fair, achievable wagering limits, usually sitting comfortably between the 25x and 35x mark. Additionally, checking for game contribution weights is vital, as slots usually contribute 100% to these requirements, while table games may only contribute 10%.
Ultimately, engaging with digital wagering must be viewed through the lens of responsible recreation. The inherent mathematical realities dictate that the operator will systematically secure a profit over an extended timeline. Recognizing this fundamental truth allows individuals to engage with the software purely for its entertainment value. By proactively utilizing reality checks, establishing strict financial deposit ceilings, and strictly adhering to predetermined session lengths, enthusiasts can ensure their participation remains a thrilling, positive addition to their leisure activities, completely safeguarded against the potential pitfalls of unregulated behavior.
