Motorists were trapped for several hours in a traffic jam on the snow-covered Baikal Highway in southern Siberia, regional authorities reported on Monday. The congestion was a result of three days of harsh weather, featuring temperatures around minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit), heavy snowfall, and strong winds, according to the federal road […]
Category: World
Turkish Tanker Firm Halts Russia-Related Operations Amid Rising Maritime Tensions
Turkish tanker management firm Besiktas Shipping announced on Wednesday that it would suspend all operations related to Russia, following an incident where one of its vessels was affected by multiple explosions near the coast of Senegal. The company stated, “We have made the decision to stop all shipping activities linked to Russian interests. Effective immediately, […]
Lawmakers Mandate Revoked as Bribery Scandal Unfolds in Russias State Duma
On Tuesday, members of the State Duma, Russia’s lower house, passed a resolution revoking the parliamentary mandate of a fellow legislator amid an ongoing criminal investigation related to bribery allegations. Anatoly Voronovsky, a representative of the ruling United Russia party in the State Duma, stands accused of accepting bribes totaling 25 million rubles (approximately $323,000) […]
Belgium Voices Strong Opposition to EUs Controversial Plan for Utilizing Frozen Russian Assets in Ukraine Efforts
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has reiterated his objections to a European Union initiative aimed at utilizing frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, labeling the proposal as “fundamentally flawed.” He cautioned that it could expose Belgium to significant legal and financial dangers, as detailed in a letter reviewed by AFP. In a four-page correspondence […]
Stalemate Persists in Ukraine Peace Efforts Despite Talks with U.S. Delegation, Kremlin Reports
Yury Ushakov, a foreign policy adviser to the Kremlin, stated on Wednesday that discussions in Moscow involving U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, did not lead to a compromise to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. However, he described the talks as “constructive” and “useful.” The nearly five-hour meeting, which […]
Ukraine Launches Record Number of Strikes on Russian Oil Refineries in November Текст: Ukraine carried out at least 14 drone attacks on Russian oil refineries in November in a new monthly record, BloombergreportedMonday, citing public statements from both countries. Kyiv has stepped up strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure since August in a bid to undercut Moscow’s oil revenues, a key source of funding for its war effort. Among the refineries struck was theAfipsky plantnear Krasnodar, one of the largest in southern Russia with an annual capacity of 9.1 million tons. The facility had already been hit in September, when one of its units was damaged. Rosneft’s Ryazan refinery has been offline since mid-November after drones disabled the main refining unit, which accounts for nearly half of its total 17.1-million-ton annual capacity, Reutersreported. Another unit responsible for more than a quarter of output had been shut down following a drone strike on Oct. 24. Lukoil’s Volgograd refinery has also temporarily halted operations after damage to its primary oil processing unit, which is responsible for around 20% of its capacity of 13.7 million tons per year. Drones also hit the Orsknefteorgsintez refinery in Orsk, Orenburg region, located 1,400 kilometers from Ukraine. Russia’s average daily refining volume has fallen to around 5 million barrels per day as a result of the intensified campaign, down from the 5.3-5.5 million barrels per day typically processed in late autumn, Bloomberg cited analytics firm Kpler as saying. Ukraine also launched four strikes on oil-handling facilities at Black Sea ports,causingseveral days of delays in crude shipments after damage to the port of Novorossiysk. Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels targeted two sanctioned tankers carrying Russian oil in the Black Sea at the end of November, Bloomberg reported. Another tanker transporting Russian gasoil washitby explosions off the coast of Senegal late last month.
Ukraine carried out at least 14 drone attacks on Russian oil refineries in November in a new monthly record, BloombergreportedMonday, citing public statements from both countries. Kyiv has stepped up strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure since August in a bid to undercut Moscow’s oil revenues, a key source of funding for its war effort. Among […]
Ukrainian Delegation Heads to U.S. for Peace Talks Текст: Ukrainian negotiators are due to hold talks in the United States on Sunday to discuss the Trump administrations plan to end the war with Russia, with Kyiv facing pressure on both the military and political fronts. As Russia advances on the front line, its forces targeted Ukraines capital and the region for two nights in a row ahead of the talks in the United States. A drone attack on the outskirts of Kyiv killed one person and wounded 11 on Saturday night, the regional governor said. Hours earlier, a Ukrainian security source said Kyiv was responsible for attacks on two oil tankers in the Black Sea that it believed were covertly transporting sanctioned Russian oil. The U.S. talks come at a moment of turmoil for President Volodymyr Zelensky and his government. A major corruption investigation prompted him on Friday to dismiss his chief of staff and top negotiator, Andriy Yermak. The Ukraine team, now led by Rustem Umerov, is due to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff in Florida on Sunday, a U.S. official said. Washington has put forward a plan to end the war and is seeking to finalize it with Moscow and Kyiv. An initial 28-point draft — prepared without input from Ukraine’s European partners — envisioned a Ukrainian withdrawal from the eastern Donetsk region and saw the United States effectively recognizing the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, as well as annexed Crimea, as Russian. The United States revised the proposal after criticism from Kyiv and European capitals, though its current terms remain unclear.
Ukrainian negotiators are due to hold talks in the United States on Sunday to discuss the Trump administration’s plan to end the war with Russia, with Kyiv facing pressure on both the military and political fronts. As Russia advances on the front line, its forces targeted Ukraine’s capital and the region for two nights in […]
Hundreds of Porsche Owners in Russia Unable to Start Cars After System Failure Текст: Hundreds of Porsche vehicles across Russia have been rendered undriveable after a failure in their factory-installed satellite security system, according to reports from owners and dealerships. Drivers in Moscow, Krasnodar and other cities began reporting sudden engine shutdowns and fuel-delivery blockages last week, effectivelyimmobilizingtheir vehicles. Rolf, Russia’s largest dealership group, said service requests spiked on Friday as cars lost connection to their onboard alarm modules, which are linked via satellite. The outage affects all Porsche models and engine types, and any vehicle could potentially lock itself automatically, a Rolf representativetoldthe RBC news website. “It’s possible this was done deliberately,” the representative was quoted as saying, though no evidence has emerged to support that claim. Owners’ groups say the problem appears tied to the Vehicle Tracking System, or VTS, which is an onboard security module. The Russian Porsche Macan Clubsaidsome drivers had restored function by disabling or rebooting the VTS, while others reported success after disconnecting their car batteries for up to 10 hours, according to the Telegram channel Mash. Rolf said specialists were still investigating the root cause of the problem. Porsche’s office in Russia and its global headquarters in Germany have not yet commented on the system failure. Porschehalteddeliveries and suspended its commercial operations in Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, the company still retains ownership of three subsidiaries in the country, which it has so far been unable to sell.
Hundreds of Porsche vehicles across Russia have been rendered undriveable after a failure in their factory-installed satellite security system, according to reports from owners and dealerships. Drivers in Moscow, Krasnodar and other cities began reporting sudden engine shutdowns and fuel-delivery blockages last week, effectivelyimmobilizingtheir vehicles. Rolf, Russia’s largest dealership group, said service requests spiked on […]
Black Sea Tanker That Sustained Blast Hit Again Текст: Turkeys Transport Ministry said one of two empty oil tankers hit by blasts in the Black Sea late Friday had been struck again early on Saturday, blaming an unmanned sea vehicle. The Virat, which was previously said to have been attacked by unmanned maritime vehicles approximately 35 nautical miles off the Black Sea coastline, was attacked again by unmanned maritime vehicles early this morning, the ministry said on X. It said the tanker sustained only minor damage on the starboard side and that none of the 20-strong crew were hurt. On Friday evening, Turkeys Transport Ministry said two empty oil tankers, the Virat and the Kairos, had reported explosions but sustained no casualties, saying they had been struck in Turkish waters but without saying what had caused the blasts. The ministrys post was the first official confirmation that the Virat was attacked by drones. Turkey said the Kairos was en route to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, where a major Russian oil terminal halted operations early on Saturday after being hit by a naval drone attack, the consortium that owns the terminal said. The terminal, part of which sustained significant damage, is a major conduit for Kazakh oil, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) said, without saying who was responsible for the attack. A Ukrainian source later claimed responsibility for the attacks on two oil tankers. Modernized Sea Baby naval drones successfully targeted the vessels, a source in Ukraines SBU security service told AFP. The blast struck the Kairos around 15:00 GMT on Friday, with rescuers evacuating its 25 crew members after a fire broke out. At the time, it was about 100 kilometers east of the point where the Bosphorus Strait enters the Black Sea, Turkish officials said. The Virat was struck later. At the time, it was about 400 kilometers further east, according to the VesselFinder tracking site. Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said both had suffered explosions, telling private NTV television late Friday the tankers might have been hit by a mine or struck by a rocket or a drone. An external impact means the vessel was hit by a mine, a rocket, or a similar projectile, or perhaps by a drone, or by an unmanned underwater vehicle. These are the first things that come to mind, he said. In a post on X, the Turkish Maritime Affairs Directorate said the Kairos was en route to Russias Novorossiysk when it reported an external impact causing a fire 28 nautical miles off the Turkish coast. It posted dramatic images of flames and thick black smoke pouring out of the vessel, with the blaze still raging some five hours later. BİLGİLENDİRME‼️Rusyaya seyir halindeyken Karadeniz açıklarında patlama ve yangın meydana gelen KAIROS isimli gemide devam eden yangına, NENE HATUN Acil Müdahale Gemimiz ve KURTARMA-12 Römorkörümüz ile@kiyiemniyet’e bağlı ekiplerimiz müdahale etmeye devam etmektedir.…pic.twitter.com/gx7iG5Rc5F The directorate later said the Virat had reported being hit approximately 35 nautical miles offshore, adding that all 20 crew were unharmed but there was heavy smoke detected in the engine room, although those on board had not requested evacuation. Both tankers — which are flying a Gambian flag, according to the VesselFinder website — are subject to Western sanctions for transporting oil from Russian ports in defiance of an embargo imposed after Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, both sides have planted sea mines to protect their coastlines. Many have since been located and destroyed in the Black Sea, but others have drifted, notably due to storms, endangering shipping. In response, NATO members Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania — all of whom border the Black Sea — set up the Mine Countermeasures Naval Group (MCM Black Sea) in 2024 to oversee de-mining operations.
Turkey’s Transport Ministry said one of two empty oil tankers hit by blasts in the Black Sea late Friday had been struck again early on Saturday, blaming an unmanned sea vehicle. “The Virat, which was previously said to have been attacked by unmanned maritime vehicles approximately 35 nautical miles off the Black Sea coastline, was […]
International Judo Body Allows Russian Athletes to Compete Under Flag Again Текст: Russian judokas are once again allowed to compete under their national flag, the International Judo Federation (IJF) said Thursday, ending the neutral status imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “The IJF Executive Committee has therefore voted to permit Russian athletes to compete under their national flag once again, with anthem and insignia in place, beginning with the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam,” the federation said. Russia’s judo community welcomed the move, a significant gesture in a sport closely associated with President Vladimir Putin, who holds a black belt. “Judo is one of Russia’s favorite sports. Around half a million citizens regularly take part in it,” Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev wrote on Telegram. “It’s important to our country. Judo is a presidential sport.” Russian Judo Federation president Sergei Soloveychik called the decision “historic,” saying he was pleased Russia had been reinstated. The IJF said the change followed its recent move to restore full national representation for Belarus, a close ally of Moscow. “Following recent developments, including the reinstatement of full national representation for Belarusian athletes, the IJF considers it is now appropriate to allow the participation of Russian athletes under equal conditions,” the federation said. “Historically, Russia has been a leading nation in world judo, and their full return is expected to enrich competition at all levels,” IJF added. Russian athletes have largely been barred from international sports events since the 2022 invasion, with organizations including the International Olympic Committee (IOC) prohibiting them from competing under their national flag. Judo is not the first sport to ease restrictions. The International Boxing Association has also allowed Russian boxers to compete under their flag and anthem. The IJF said individual judokas should not be punished for the actions of their government. The IOC, however, has imposed strict conditions for any Russian athletes cleared to appear at the Paris Olympics, including excluding those who voiced support for the war. “Sport is the last bridge that unites people and nations in very difficult conflict situations,” the IJF said. “Athletes have no responsibility for the decisions of governments or other national institutions, and it is our duty to protect the sport and our athletes.” This year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Slam takes place this weekend.
Russian judokas are once again allowed to compete under their national flag, the International Judo Federation (IJF) said Thursday, ending the neutral status imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “The IJF Executive Committee has therefore voted to permit Russian athletes to compete under their national flag once again, with anthem and insignia in place, […]