As Russian forces retreated from Ukraine’s Kharkiv region in the face of last week’s successful Ukrainian counteroffensive, some of the strongest criticism of the Kremlin has come from the strongest supporters of its invasion. These so-called “pro-war bloggers” have become an increasingly popular source of information about the fighting in Ukraine, amassing huge online followings…
Six people in Russian-annexed Crimea were arrested or fined for playing a popular Ukrainian patriotic song at a wedding reception, the RBC business daily reported Wednesday. The wedding organizers and guests were accused of “promoting Nazi symbols” and “discrediting” the Russian Armed Forces after they played “Chervona Kalyna” at the reception held earlier this month. …
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday promised “victory” on a visit to the strategic city of Izyum that was recently recaptured from Russia by Kyiv’s army in a lightning counteroffensive. The visit comes at a decisive moment in Russia’s six-month invasion, with Ukraine routing Moscow’s forces from swathes of the east and seriously undermining the Kremlin’s ambitions to…
Several post-Soviet republics have dramatically increased exports to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine sparked a global trade and sanctions backlash against Moscow, the RBC news website reported Wednesday. Citing foreign and UN Comtrade data, the outlet reported Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan exported $9.4 billion worth of goods to Russia in March-June 2022 — a…
Russian President Vladimir Putin had rejected a potential deal with Ukraine offered by his key envoy in the early days of the invasion as he “expanded” his goals to include annexing more territory, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing three unnamed sources close to Russia’s leadership. Kremlin deputy chief of staff Dmitry Kozak, Putin’s chief envoy on Ukraine,…
Azerbaijan on Wednesday offered to return the bodies 100 Armenian troops killed in the worst clashes between the historic rivals since their war in 2020. The offer came just a day after fighting erupted between the arch foes, and each accused the other of violating a fragile truce that one analyst described as “neither war,…
A former U.S. ambassador to the UN who has negotiated the release of several American citizens held in other countries traveled to Russia this week as Washington continues to push for the release of two jailed Americans in high-profile cases, CNN reported Tuesday without naming its source. Bill Richardson held meetings with unidentified Russian leaders…
A military alliance of ex-Soviet republics led by Russia has been deployed to Armenia following deadly border clashes with Azerbaijan, the organization said early Wednesday. The shootout between the neighbors locked in a decades-old conflict erupted after midnight Tuesday, killing at least 49 Armenian and 50 Azerbaijani troops. Armenia appealed for Russia’s assistance under a…