Russia

Russian Former President Medvedev: World on Eve of New World War
News, Russia

Russian Former President Medvedev: World on Eve of New World War

"The world is probably on the eve of another world war, and the chance of a nuclear confrontation is also increasing." That is what former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said. Medvedev, now chairman of Russia's Security Council, describes the world as "sick", calling the threat of nuclear war more significant than that of the climate crisis. According to Medvedev, however, it is not yet too late to prevent such a major international conflict. The former president and former prime minister of Russia often make threatening statements regarding nuclear war. Many Western countries assume that he mainly wants to intimidate. Earlier this month, he said, "Poland, given its role as a NATO outpost, will most likely cease to exist, along with its stupid prime minister." And in F...
Ukraine Wants Russia Excluded from G20 Summit in Indonesia
Indonesia, News, Russia, Ukraine

Ukraine Wants Russia Excluded from G20 Summit in Indonesia

Ukraine wants Russia banned from next month's G20 summit. That's what an adviser to President Zelensky says after new bombing raids on Kyiv. "Those ordering the attack on critical infrastructure and organizing a mobilization to cover the front lines with corpses should not sit at the same table as the leaders of the G20," presidential adviser Mikhailo Podoliak wrote on Twitter. "Russia must be excluded." The G20 summit will take place in Indonesia in November. Vladimir Putin had not yet officially said he would be there, but he made it seem that way. There has been no Russian response to the statements yet.
Kremlin: Putin to Meet Head of IAEA Nuclear Watchdog on Tuesday
News, Russia

Kremlin: Putin to Meet Head of IAEA Nuclear Watchdog on Tuesday

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, will visit Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. The two meet, according to the Kremlin in Saint Petersburg. The IAEA has not yet confirmed the news. Grossi has long advocated a protection zone around the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which Russia occupies. However, the IAEA chief reported on Sunday that the plant had been reconnected to the power grid after being disconnected a day earlier due to shelling. Grossi added that restoring the power supply is only "a temporary relief in an untenable situation".
Berlusconi Shocks With Statements About Putin Who Would Have Been Forced to War
Europe, Italy, News, Russia

Berlusconi Shocks With Statements About Putin Who Would Have Been Forced to War

Former Prime Minister Berlusconi has caused a stir in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in Italy with statements about Vladimir Putin. The 85-year-old politician said in a television interview on Thursday that the Kremlin was being pushed to invade Ukraine. "Putin was pushed by the Russian people, by a party, by his ministers to come up with this special operation," Berlusconi told Rai TV channel. Berlusconi is a friend of the Russian president and was hesitant to condemn the invasion long after the war broke out. But, he said, "Putin has found himself in a complicated and dramatic situation." According to Berlusconi, deputies from the two self-declared "republics" in the Donbas had asked Putin to intervene. The separatist "republics" are said to have convinced the Ru...
Tensions in Tesla Boss Entourage: Elon Musk Wanted to Entrust Fortune to Russian Poker Player
News, Russia, US

Tensions in Tesla Boss Entourage: Elon Musk Wanted to Entrust Fortune to Russian Poker Player

It has prevailed in the dense entourage around Elon Musk, The Wall Street Journal reveals. Not so much because of the (discontinued) takeover of Twitter but because of a fierce battle for who could manage the fortune of the richest person in the world.   A story with two protagonists who are opposites. On the one hand, you have Jared Birchall, a 48-year-old Mormon wealth manager who has held several senior positions in the past at major banks such as Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley and has been Elon Musk's trusted right-hand man for ten years now. On the other hand, you have Igor Kurganov, a 34-year-old Russian who dropped out of school "because he smoked too much weed" and made a career as a professional poker player. Musk and Kurganov have not known each other very long but wou...
Killnet Carries Out Series of DDoS Attacks on Lithuania
Lithuania, News, Russia, Technology

Killnet Carries Out Series of DDoS Attacks on Lithuania

The pro-Russian group Killnet is claiming a series of cyber attacks that disrupted internet traffic in Lithuania on Monday.   The distributed denial of service attacks is said to be in retaliation for Lithuania's decision to block EU-sanctioned goods sent from the Russian border to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. DDoS The Lithuanian government says malicious internet traffic has disrupted some key components of its national security network. The local security services are said to have identified the main victims during the attacks and helped them counteract DDoS attacks in real-time. “There is a good chance that these and more intense attacks will continue to come in the coming days, especially against our communications services, energy suppliers and financial sector,” said...
Russia: Surrender 6,500 Ukrainian Soldiers Since the Start of Operation
News, Russia, Ukraine

Russia: Surrender 6,500 Ukrainian Soldiers Since the Start of Operation

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu says a total of some 6,500 Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.   This information has not been independently verified. "In the past five days, 126 soldiers of the armed forces of Ukraine have surrendered, their total number is 6489," Shoigu said on Tuesday morning, speaking about the interim results of the war. The Russian army invaded Ukraine on February 24. Among the Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered are defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Russian authorities previously stated that more than 2400 soldiers were involved.
Ukraine Resists Russian Attacks in Severodonetsk
News, Russia, Ukraine

Ukraine Resists Russian Attacks in Severodonetsk

The Ukrainian army has enough clout to withstand Russian attacks in the eastern city of Severodonetsk, the city's mayor says.   According to him, there is heavy fighting in the streets, but neither side appears to have any intention of withdrawing. According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Russia is not sparing any soldiers or equipment in the siege of the city. They are using all available resources to gain control of the city, the ministry said. The governor of the Luhansk region said on Monday that the Russians were being pushed back and that the city has been divided in two. Previously, the Russians still occupied 70 percent of Severodonetsk.
Russia Threatens to Expel Journalist or US News Medium
News, Russia, US

Russia Threatens to Expel Journalist or US News Medium

The Russian foreign ministry threatens to expel a journalist or a news medium from the United States if YouTube blocks another press conference from the ministry.   A warning about this has been sent to the American video platform. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said some of her weekly briefings have been blocked by YouTube. At those press moments, she shares information about, among other things, the war in Ukraine, described by the Russian authorities as a 'special military operation'. The spokeswoman also targeted Polish media. Zakharova claims that "everything is controlled by a woman of Polish nationality", referring to the origin of YouTube top woman Susan Wojcicki. "Given Poland's position, we should not stop at the United States." Like the Americans, Poland is also vehemently...
Schroder Yields to Political Pressure, Leaves Russian Rosneft
Europe, Germany, News, Russia

Schroder Yields to Political Pressure, Leaves Russian Rosneft

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has yielded to political pressure. He resigns from the Russian state oil group Rosneft.   He was still chairman of the board of trustees at the largest oil company in the country, despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He now says that it is "impossible" to stay there, according to Rosneft. The German parliament decided a day earlier to scrap some privileges for the former head of government. The European Parliament even wants to impose sanctions on Schröder and other Kremlinge-minded ex-politicians. Schröder, 78, is damaging Germany's prestige in the world by not distancing himself from Russian President Vladimir Putin, and criticising the parliament in Berlin. He loses a state-paid office with staff.