Latvia Removes Controversial Soviet Monument

Latvia on Thursday took down a Soviet-era monument in Riga following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, despite protests from the Baltic state’s ethnic Russian minority to keep it.  Demolition machinery was used to remove the 79-meter World War II memorial, which has become a rallying point for Kremlin supporters in Latvia, according to an AFP journalist at…

In Photos: Ukraine After 6 Months of War

Six months after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into neighboring Ukraine, the bloody war shows no sign of ending soon. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the invasion, according to the UN’s human rights office. Ukrainians who made the choice not to flee the country have faced challenges from water and…

Gibraltar to Auction First Russian Oligarch Superyacht Seized Over Ukraine Invasion – Reports

British-governed Gibraltar will on Tuesday auction off the first superyacht to be seized from a sanctioned Russian businessman over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, media outlets have reported. Billionaire Dmitry Pumpyansky’s 72.5-meter vessel the Axioma is valued at around $74 million, though it is expected to sell below that price, the BBC reported Sunday.  Pumpyansky’s Malta-flagged superyacht…

Putin Hails ‘Military Glory, Traditional Values’ on Russia Flag Day

The Russian flag inspires Russians to “military glory” and represents their adherence to “traditional values,” President Vladimir Putin said in an address marking National Flag Day on Monday. Nearly six months after launching a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine that has pushed Russia into historic political and economic isolation, Putin vowed that Moscow would continue charting…

Russia to Build NW’s ‘Largest’ Military-Patriotic Youth Education Center

Russian authorities are building the “largest” military-patriotic youth education center in the country’s northwest amid a wider militarization of young Russians that has accelerated since Russia invaded Ukraine, pro-Kremlin media has reported. The Avangard teaching center in the Vologda region is expected to hold its first training camp in 2023, with 5,000 children and teens expected…

Erdogan Warns of ‘Another Chernobyl’ After Talks in Ukraine

Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Thursday of a nuclear disaster in Ukraine during his first face-to-face talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky since Russia’s invasion began, echoing pleas from the UN’s chief. A flare-up in fighting around Europe’s largest nuclear facility in Russian-controlled southern Ukraine has sparked urgent warnings from world leaders, and UN chief Antonio…

Ukrainian Southern Counteroffensive ‘Unlikely’ as Russia Bolsters Forces

A significant Ukrainian offensive to recapture Russian-occupied territories in its southern regions is seen as increasingly unlikely by experts as Moscow moves reinforcements to the area and Kyiv re-focuses on targeting Russian military capacity in the rear.   Ukrainian officials have repeatedly threatened an imminent attempt to recapture the city of Kherson, which was seized by…

Wildfire Smog Blankets Moscow Amid Heatwave

Moscow has been blanketed by wildfire smog coming from a nearby region fueled by a summer heat wave, Interfax reported. Authorities in the Russian capital advised residents on Thursday to wear face masks to protect themselves from the smog. The Federal Forestry Agency (Rosleskhoz) blamed authorities in the Ryazan region, where the wildfires are currently burning,…

European Military Aid Commitments to Ukraine ‘Dry Up’ After 5 Months of War – Research

Major European governments promised no new military aid to Ukraine in July, the first month this has happened since Russia invaded its pro-Western neighbor, according to research published Thursday. Ukraine, which relies heavily on Europe’s military and economic aid, received only around 1.5 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in new pledges of support in July, bringing the total…

Russian Exports to EU Up Amid Higher Oil Prices

The European Union’s imports of Russian goods have grown in monetary terms despite declining in volume this year due to higher prices for commodities including oil. Critics have decried continued EU imports of Russian fossil fuels since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February, accusing the bloc of funding the Kremlin’s offensive. EU imports from Russia rose by…

Half of Russia’s Air Traffic Control Staff Furloughed or Fired – Vedomosti

Up to half of Russia’s country’s air traffic control staff are currently on temporary leave or have been dismissed as the country’s aviation industry contracts amid the war in Ukraine and international sanctions, Vedomosti newspaper reported Wednesday.  The State Air Traffic Management Corporation has laid off 2,000 employees including 600 air traffic controllers since the…