Belarus Prosecutors Seek 10-Year Jail Term for Activist

Belarusian prosecutors on Friday requested a 10-year prison term for an opposition activist who helped coordinate mass protests against President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime in 2020. Roman Protasevich, the editor of an opposition Telegram channel, was arrested in 2021 after his Ryanair flight was intercepted by a fighter jet and forced to land in Minsk. The…

Russia Replaces Baltic, Pacific Fleet Commanders

Russia has appointed new commanders of both its Baltic and Pacific fleets, the state-run Interfax news agency reported Friday, citing sources.   Admiral Viktor Liina, the former commander of Russia’s Baltic Fleet, will now head the country’s Pacific Fleet headquartered in the Far East port of Vladivostok, according to Interfax.  Liina’s predecessor in the Pacific, admiral Sergey Avakyants,…

Serving and Not Serving in the Military

Уклонист: draft dodger When it comes to anything military, I am an absolute профан — an imbecile, an ignoramus, a dunderhead, a know-nothing (and not, as English speakers might think, a person who uses profanities — though, let’s be honest, I do that, too). What I mean to say is that I know very little…

Russia Arrests Bellingcat’s Grozev In Absentia

A Moscow court on Friday ordered the arrest of Christo Grozev, a top investigative journalist with open-source group Bellingcat, independent news outlet Mediazona reported.  Grozev, who is not in Russia and looks set to be tried in absentia, was accused of illegally crossing the Russian border, according to Mediazona.  The Friday court hearing was held…

Kremlin Pushed for Pro-Russia Coalition in Germany – WP

The Kremlin attempted to sway German politicians to form an anti-war coalition as part of a broader strategy to weaken European backing for Ukraine, The Washington Post reported Friday. Citing documents dated between July and November last year that were obtained by an unidentified European intelligence service, the publication said Kremlin deputy chief of staff…