This article was first published by Politika.Kozlov. Russia may be preparing to free between 20 and 30 political prisoners and journalists in an imminent exchange with the United States and Germany, a source familiar with the planning said, in what, if confirmed, would be the largest swap since the end of the Cold War. Previous…
Moscow’s forces consolidated their territorial gains in eastern Ukraine in July, taking control of almost 200 square kilometers (77 square miles) of land, or roughly the size of Washington D.C., according to an AFP analysis published on Wednesday. The analysis, based on data from the Institute for the Study of War, shows an increase over…
A member of Ukraine’s Azov battalion has died in Russian custody, independent Russian media reported and Ukraine’s human rights commissioner confirmed Wednesday. Oleksandr Ishchenko was among 24 former and current Azov members, including nine women, who were arrested in southern Russia on terrorism charges in March-May 2022. Russia’s Memorial human rights organization considers all of them to be political prisoners.…
A Slovenia court on Wednesday sentenced two Russian nationals suspected of spying for Moscow to more than a year and a half in prison but then ordered their expulsion from the country. The couple, who went by the names of Ludwig Gisch and Maria Rosa Mayer Munos, pleaded guilty at Wednesday’s hearing on charges of…
Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza was removed from his prison in Siberia and is being transferred elsewhere, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing Russia’s prison service. Prison authorities told the agency that Kara-Murza, who is serving a 25-year prison sentence for treason and other charges, was removed from the IK-16 penal colony in the Omsk region and sent to…
The lawyer of former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan said she was unable to confirm the whereabouts of her client after receiving multiple requests from journalists amid growing speculation that Russia is preparing a prisoner exchange with the West. “I had asked the prison’s administration, but they’re not responding,” lawyer Olga Karlova was quoted as saying…
Russia’s lower-house State Duma on Wednesday rejected a bill that would have granted draft deferments to men with three or more children, as some families demand a return of their loved ones from Ukraine. The military initially granted deferments to fathers with three or more children under the age of 16 after President Vladimir Putin announced…
A Ukraine-based paramilitary unit of Russian citizens opposed to the Kremlin announced Wednesday that it was breaking ties with former Russian lawmaker turned opposition figure Ilya Ponomaryov. The Freedom of Russia Legion said in a statement that it would “unilaterally revoke” its signature from the Irpin Declaration, “thereby terminating participation in any political projects.” The…
President Vladimir Putin ordered a signing-on bonus of 400,000 rubles ($4,600) for new recruits to fight in Ukraine, the latest sign of a scramble to boost Russian troop numbers amid growing battlefield losses. A presidential decree published Wednesday promises the federally issued lump sum to anyone who signs a military contract for a minimum of one…
TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom has started implementation of nuclear fuel supply contract for units 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam NPP. The contract embraces the entire lifetime of the power units from the starting loading of the reactor cores. Units 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam NPP of the Russian design, powered by VVER-1000…
The Kremlin said it “strongly condemns” the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran after the militant group announced his death early Wednesday. Hamas said the political leader was killed in an Israeli strike in Iran, where he was attending the inauguration ceremony of the country’s new president. The group vowed that the killing would…