Welcome toRegions Calling, your guide to developments beyond the Russian capital from The Moscow Times. In this edition, we examine how frequent — and in some cases permanent — mobile internet outages and restrictions have transformed the lives of ordinary people in Russia’s regions. But first, a look at the latest news: Authorities in the […]
Category: World
Witkoff and Putin Will Meet Tuesday Afternoon to Discuss U.S. Peace Plan Текст: President Vladimir Putin will meet with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the Trump administration’s latest proposal to end the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said. “The meeting with Witkoff is planned for tomorrow,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a briefing on Monday, adding that it will take place “in the second half of the day.” Witkoff, abillionaire developer-turned-special envoy,is expected to arrive in Moscow with Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law,to discuss a peace framework that U.S. and Ukrainian officials drafted last weekend in Geneva, Switzerland. The Kremlin did not mention Kushner in its statement on Monday. It will be Witkoff’ssixth visit to Russia since January. The draft peace plan emerged amid a renewed burst of diplomacy that kicked off after an original 28-point peace proposal was leaked in the press last month. That initial set of proposals was writtenby the Trump administration and, reportedly, Kremlin officials. The original framework has since been pared down to roughly 20 points, and U.S. officials have hinted that Ukraine agreed to the revised version. However, it remains unclear whether Putin will back the changes, which sources say are “significantly better” for Ukraine than the original list of provisions, widely seen as closer to Russia’s position. Putin said last week thathe may be open to some elements of the U.S. plan to end the war, but he also issueda defiant warning that Russian forces would continue their advance in the Donbas region if Kyiv refuses to accept his conditions for a ceasefire.
President Vladimir Putin will meet with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the Trump administration’s latest proposal to end the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said. “The meeting with Witkoff is planned for tomorrow,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a briefing on Monday, adding that it will […]
FSB Agents Shoot and Kill Ukrainian Accused of Trying to Assassinate Russian Military Officer Текст: Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB)saidMonday that its agents killed a Ukrainian man and arrested another during an operation to thwart an alleged assassination attempt of a senior Russian military officer in annexed Crimea. The law enforcement agency said the man, allegedly recruited by Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence, was “neutralized” after placing an explosive device under the officer’s car and “offering armed resistance.” Video shared by state news agenciesshowedthe man’s dead body on the pavement, along with a hand grenade and a rectangular object underneath a black sedan.A close-up displayed various electronic components, including a Verizon phone with a Ukrainian coat of arms and flag on the screen. In its statement, the FSB described the item as a “Western-made explosive device.” A second man was placed in pre-trial detention on charges of aiding terrorist activity. The FSB said he was an accomplice of 40-year-old Rustem Fakhriyev, identified as a GUR officer and alleged organizer of the plot. Neither the alleged assassins nor the officer purportedly targeted in the plot were identified by name. The FSB video showed security agents arresting the second man, whose face was blurred, at his home. He appeared elderly and required help walking up steps.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB)saidMonday that its agents killed a Ukrainian man and arrested another during an operation to thwart an alleged assassination attempt of a senior Russian military officer in annexed Crimea. The law enforcement agency said the man, allegedly recruited by Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence, was “neutralized” after placing an explosive device under […]
Russia Blacklists Human Rights Watch as ‘Undesirable’ Текст: Russia’s Justice Ministry on FridaydesignatedHuman Rights Watch as an “undesirable” organization. The designation bans the U.S.-headquartered nonprofit from operating in Russia. Under Russian law, individuals found to be affiliated with “undesirable” organizations face up to four years in prison, while organization leaders risk up to six years. In an interview, the influential body said it was not surprised by the designation and vowed to continue its work remotely. We are actually going to work even harder to expose the staggering crackdown by the Kremlin on Russian civil society and to report on Russian crimes in Ukraine, Tanya Lokshina, senior associate director of the groups Europe and Central Asia division, told AFP. HRW was among a number of international organizations and foreign NGOs whose local offices Russian authoritiesshut downin the first months of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine over alleged legal violations. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office, which usually announces “undesirable” designations, has not issued any statement on HRW’s blacklisting. Founded in 1978 and with a presence in more than 90 countries, HRW has documented human rights violations in Russia for around 30 years. It hasaccusedthe Russian military of committing war crimes in Ukraine. Russia introduced its “undesirable” law in 2015, using it to crack down on independent media, opposition groups and foreign organizations. Hundreds of organizations are currently blacklisted, including The Moscow Times. AFP contributed reporting.
Russia’s Justice Ministry on FridaydesignatedHuman Rights Watch as an “undesirable” organization. The designation bans the U.S.-headquartered nonprofit from operating in Russia. Under Russian law, individuals found to be affiliated with “undesirable” organizations face up to four years in prison, while organization leaders risk up to six years. In an interview, the influential body said it was […]
Russian Drone Strike on Kyiv Kills One, Several Wounded – City Officials Текст: A Russian drone attack targeted the Ukrainian capital in the early hours of Saturday, killing one person and wounding seven, authorities in Kyiv said. Loud explosions were heard in the city around midnight, according to AFP journalists, and air defense forces were responding, officials said. Enemy drones are over the city, with air defense responding. There are multiple targets on the capitals outskirts, Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyivs military administration, said on Telegram. Currently, in Kyiv, there is a total of one dead and seven injured, including one child, Tkachenko later posted. He said the fatality was a man. Mayor Vitaly Klitschko warned people to remain in shelters during the attack. Residential buildings in several districts and cars were damaged, he said. There are currently seven injured in the capital. Four of them have been hospitalized by medics, Klitschko said, also on Telegram. Earlier, he posted that a 13-year-old child was among the wounded. Mykola Kalashnyk, governor of the Kyiv region, said two women were wounded in the town of Brovary. The enemy is heavily attacking the Kyiv region with missiles and drones. Residential areas and people’s homes are under attack, Kalashnyk said. Earlier this week, Russian drones and missiles rained down on Kyiv during the night, setting fires in apartment buildings. City officials said seven people were killed. The strikes come amid a diplomatic push based on a U.S. plan to end the conflict that Kyiv fears will hand big concessions to Moscow. Ukrainian negotiators are expected in the U.S. this weekend for talks on the plan, a senior official briefed on the matter told AFP. Washingtons original proposal — drafted without input from Ukraines European allies — would have seen Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region and the U.S. de facto recognize Donetsk, Crimea and Luhansk regions as Russian. The U.S. pared back the initial draft following criticism from Kyiv and Europe, but the current contents remain unclear.
A Russian drone attack targeted the Ukrainian capital in the early hours of Saturday, killing one person and wounding seven, authorities in Kyiv said. Loud explosions were heard in the city around midnight, according to AFP journalists, and air defense forces were responding, officials said. “Enemy drones are over the city, with air defense responding. […]
Military Court Sentences 8 to Life in Prison Over Crimean Bridge Bombing Текст: A Russian military court on Thursday sentenced eight men to life in prison over the 2022 bombing of the Crimean Bridge, a key symbol of Russia’s claim to the peninsula it annexed in 2014. The Oct. 8, 2022, blast killed five people and badly damaged a section of the bridge. Russian authorities said explosives had been hidden inside rolls of plastic film that were shipped from Odesa through Bulgaria, Armenia and Georgia using falsified paperwork. Moscow accused Ukrainian security services of orchestrating the attack, alleging that a Ukrainian agent coordinated the movement of the explosives. Kyivtook responsibilityfor the bombing nearly a year later, while insisting that those arrested in Russia had been unaware that they were transporting explosives. Russia’s Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-DonsaidThursday that the defendants were found guilty of carrying out a deadly “terrorist act” and of illegally acquiring weapons as part of an organized criminal group. Two were also convicted of smuggling explosives. All eight defendants had denied the charges against them. The trial began earlier this year and was held behind closed doors. After the sentencing on Thursday, Oleg Antipov, a transportation company CEO and one of the defendants,insistedthe entire group was innocent and said they had cooperated fully with law enforcement officials during the investigation into the bridge bombing. “Not a single person testified against us. Every witness says we’re innocent. All the evidence says we’re innocent. All 116 volumes [of the case] say we’re innocent. Show people the truth,” Antipov said in a video published by the independent news outlet Mediazona. The Memorial human rights groupdesignatedall eight men as political prisoners, arguing that their cooperation with investigators indicates they had no links to Ukrainian intelligence services. “All of them insist they were simply doing their regular work and had no knowledge that explosives were hidden in the cargo,” Memorial said in a statement. The Crimean Bridge, completed in 2018, stretches 19 kilometers (12 miles) across the Kerch Strait and has served as a crucial logistics route for Russian forces amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted the bridge since February 2022.
A Russian military court on Thursday sentenced eight men to life in prison over the 2022 bombing of the Crimean Bridge, a key symbol of Russia’s claim to the peninsula it annexed in 2014. The Oct. 8, 2022, blast killed five people and badly damaged a section of the bridge. Russian authorities said explosives had been […]
Explosions and Fires Striking Sanctioned Oil Tankers in Black Sea Raise Alarm, Turkey Reports
Turkish officials announced on Friday that they had evacuated crews from two oil tankers in the Black Sea following incidents involving explosions and fires, indicating that they might have been struck by explosive devices. The Directorate General for Maritime Affairs communicated via X that the Kairos, which was empty and headed to the Russian port […]
Four South Africans Detained for Allegedly Planning to Join Russian Military Forces
South African authorities have detained four men at Johannesburg’s airport, who are believed to have intended to join the Russian military, according to a statement from the police on Saturday. This development follows reports that law enforcement is looking into allegations against a daughter of former president Jacob Zuma for her purported role in recruiting […]
Putin Approves Tax Reform Raising VAT to 22% Amid Fiscal Challenges
On Friday, President Vladimir Putin enacted a significant tax reform that will increase Russia’s value-added tax (VAT) from 20% to 22% starting next year. This initiative is intended to address the fiscal shortfall resulting from rising military spending coupled with declining oil and gas revenues due to Western sanctions. Additionally, more small enterprises will be […]
Putin Strengthens Ties with Kyrgyzstan Amidst Shifting Central Asian Alliances
On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin met with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, as Moscow aims to strengthen its regional alliances amid efforts by Central Asian leaders to navigate their relationships with both Russia and the United States. Japarov welcomed Putin in Bishkek less than two weeks after attending a summit in Washington with U.S. President Donald […]