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- By RFE/RL
COVID-19: Serbs Jailed For Breaking Quarantine; Member Of Putin's Staff Infected
The global death toll from the coronavirus has neared 27,000 with more than 591,000 infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
Here's a roundup of developments in RFE/RL's broadcast countries.
Ukraine
Ukraine says it has confirmed 92 new coronavirus cases as the country begins to impose new restrictions at its borders in the battle to contain the effects of the global pandemic.
The Health Ministry’s Center for Public Health said that with the new infections, there were 310 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 respiratory illness as of the end of March 27.
Since the crisis began, five deaths have been attributed to COVID-19, with patients’ ages ranging from 33 to 71 years.
The jump in new cases comes on the eve of new measures ordered by the government.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in an online video address to the nation explained the country’s decision to shut cross-border travel after March 27, including for Ukrainian nationals.
Previously, the cabinet had issued a nationwide directive limiting passengers in all public transportation. All above-ground transportation such as, minibuses, buses, trolleybuses, and trams should only ride up to half capacity.
Russia
The Kremlin says a member of President Vladimir Putin's administration has been infected with the coronavirus, but the person had not been in direct contact with Russia's leader.
The announcement came as the government widened restrictions aimed at fighting the disease, ordering all restaurants and cafes to close, beginning March 28.
As of March 27, the country's total number of confirmed cases was 1,036, up 196 from a day earlier. Another reported death on March 27 increased the total to four.
According to Moscow's coronavirus-response headquarters, the 56-year-old woman who died on March 27 was also suffering from cancer and had one lung removed during an earlier operation.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that a man working in the presidential administration had been infected with the coronavirus.
“Indeed, a coronavirus case has been identified in the presidential administration," Peskov was quoted as saying.
"All necessary sanitary and epidemiological measures are being taken to prevent the virus from spreading further. The sick man did not come into contact with the president," he added, saying this was the only known case at the Kremlin.
He gave no further details.
As Russia’s confirmed cases have climbed, the government has steadily increased the restrictions and other measures seeking to curtail the disease’s spread.
Putin has called for a weeklong work holiday, ordering all nonessential businesses to close down for a week, beginning March 28.
In the order released by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin's government on March 27, regional authorities across the country were instructed to "halt the activities of public food service organizations." The restrictions will take effect on March 28.
The government has also ordered all vacation and health resorts closed until June. Other restrictions included the cancellation of all international flights.
In Russia's capital and largest city, Moscow, city authorities have encouraged people to stay home and placed restrictions on public transit.
The majority of confirmed cases are in Moscow.
The Russian media regulator, meanwhile, said the social messaging network Twitter has deleted a post that it said contained false information about a pending curfew.
Roskomnadzor said it filed a request with the U.S. company on March 26, asking for the post to be taken down.
According to the regulator, the post made mention of a pending order by the Defense Ministry that a curfew was to be imposed in Moscow. That information is false, Roskomnadzor said in a statement on March 27.
Twitter had no immediate comment on the statement by Roskomnadzor.
The Prosecutor-General's Office, meanwhile, said officials had made similar requests about allegedly false information circulating on other social media outlets, including Facebook and VK.
Facebook "removed the incorrect, socially significant information concerning the number of coronavirus cases," Roskomnadzor said.
Iran
Iran reported 144 new coronavirus deaths as authorities continued to struggle to contain the outbreak, with the number of confirmed cases jumping by nearly 2,400.
The new tally, announced on March 27 by Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour, pushed Iran’s total confirmed cases to at least 32,332.
Iran is one of the worst-hit countries in the world, along with China, Italy, Spain, and now the United States.
Earlier this week, authorities enacted a new travel ban after fears that many Iranians had ignored previous advice to stay at home and cancel travel plans for the Persian New Year holidays that began on March 20.
On March 25, government spokesman Ali Rabiei warned about the danger of ignoring the travel guidelines.
"This could cause a second wave of the coronavirus," Rabiei said.
State TV, meanwhile, reported that the military has set up a 2,000-bed hospital in an exhibition center in the capital, Tehran, to shore up the local health-care system.
President Hassan Rohani has pledged that authorities will contain the spread of the coronavirus within two weeks. However, the continued rise in numbers, along with fears that the country’s health-care system is incapable of dealing with the surge of infections, have raised doubts about meeting that goal.
Earlier this week, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei refused U.S. aid and seized on a conspiracy theory that the United States had created the virus, something for which there is no scientific evidence.
Om March 27, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged the United States to release Iranians held in U.S. jails on sanctions-related issues due to fears about the coronavirus epidemic.
"Release our men," Zarif said on Twitter.
The minister referred to a report by the Guardian newspaper about an Iranian science professor who it said remained jailed by U.S. immigration authorities after being acquitted in November 2019 on charges of stealing trade secrets related to his academic work.
The professor, Sirous Asgari, complained that conditions in detention were "filthy and overcrowded" and that officials were "doing little" to prevent the coronavirus outbreak, according to The Guardian.
Iranian authorities have arrested dozens of foreigners and dual citizens over recent years, mostly on espionage charges.
Rights activists have accused Iranian authorities of arresting them to try to win concessions from other countries -- a charge dismissed by Tehran.
Serbia
Three people in Serbia have been sentenced to jail for violating a self-isolation order aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
The two- to three-year sentences were handed down during a video court session, a first in the Balkan country. The session was conducted remotely to protect employees and defendants from potential exposure to the coronavirus.
One of the defendants was sentenced to three years in prison -- the maximum -- in the eastern town Dimitrovgrad, a Serbian justice source confirmed to RFE/RL. The others were sentenced at a court in the city of Pozarevac to two and 2 1/2 years.
Dragana Jevremovic-Todorovic, a judge and spokeswoman for the court in Pozarevac, told RFE/RL that the two people convicted there had been charged with a criminal offense of noncompliance with health regulations.
"They violated the measure of self-isolation when they came from abroad. One arrived in Serbia on March 14, the other on March 17, both from the Hungarian border crossing," she said.
"They were informed that they had been given a measure of self-isolation and a restraining order, which they did not respect. The measure was to last 14 days, and they violated it before the deadline," Jevremovic-Todorovic said.
"By violating self-isolation, they have created a danger to human health, as this can spread the infectious disease," Jevremovic-Todorovic said.
The Ministry of Justice on March 26 sent a memo to courts that conduct proceedings against people who violate self-isolation measures, allowing them to hold trials remotely using Internet-enabled computers, cameras, and microphones.
The judiciary noted that the first-time video judgments were not final, but the defendants remain in custody while they await trial.
According to the Justice Ministry's Criminal Sanctions Directorate, 111 people are in custody at detention facilities in three Serbian cities - Pirot, Vrsac, and Pozarevac -- on suspicion of violating the emergency public-health order.
Serbia has recorded 528 coronavirus cases and eight deaths. Restrictive measures introduced by Belgrade include a ban on people over age 65 leaving their homes and a 12-hour overnight curfew enforced by police.
Meanwhile, Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic pledged on March 27 to donate 1 million euros ($1.1 million) to buy ventilators and other medical equipment for health workers in Serbia.
"Unfortunately, more and more people are getting infected every day," Djokovic told Serbian media.
The world men's No. 1 player, who was in top form before the pandemic interrupted the current season, thanked medical staff around the world for their efforts.
Georgia
Georgia's government has canceled a $1.2 million contract to buy thousands of rapid-result coronavirus tests from a Chinese company.
The cancellation is the latest controversy for Bioeasy, whose test kits have been deemed faulty in Spain and returned.
Georgia's order for 215,000 rapid-result tests also will be returned to Bioeasy, based in the Shenzhen region, near Hong Kong.
Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze told reporters on March 27 that Bioeasy had agreed to take them back.
Rapid-result tests, which can be used for diseases like influenza as well as coronavirus, are known for providing quick results, though with less accuracy.
In Spain, which is one of the countries worst-hit by the coronavirus, health officials found the tests were far less accurate than needed, and ordered the tests returned.
Tikaradze said Georgians should not be afraid of being misdiagnosed.
She said new diagnostic tests were being examined at Tbilisi's Lugar Center for Public Health Research, a medical research facility funded mostly by the U.S. government.
"I want to reassure our population," she said. "Any new tests coming into the territory of Georgia are being tested at the Lugar Center and hence we are testing the reliability of the tests and then using them for widespread use."
Georgia has 81 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and no deaths, as of March 27.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan has tightened its quarantine rules from March 29 in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.
The movement of vehicles between regions and cities across the country will be banned, with some exceptions, including ambulances, social services, and agricultural vehicles, the government said on March 27.
Baku's subway system will operate only five hours a day.
Restaurants, cafes, tea houses, and shops -- except supermarkets, grocery stores, and pharmacies -- will remain closed.
Access to parks, boulevards, and other recreation areas will be restricted.
The South Caucasus country has reported 165 coronavirus cases, with three deaths. Officials say 15 patients have recovered.
In addition, more than 3,000 people remain in quarantine.
On March 26, Azerbaijani authorities extended holidays related to Persian New Year celebrations until April 4, from a previous end date of March 29.
Hungary
Hungary's prime minister has ordered new restrictions to try and curtail the spread of the coronavirus, calling for Hungarians to remain at home for two weeks.
In a March 27 announcement on state radio, Viktor Orban said people would only be allowed to travel to work and make essential trips to buy food or medicine or take children to daycare until April 11.
He also proposed special shopping hours at food stores for people 65 and over, and called on people to observe "social distancing" -- staying about 2 meters away from other people to prevent the spread of infection.
Hungary currently has 300 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, though Orban has said the actual number of cases is likely much higher.
Ten infected people have died.
Orban has increasingly tightened his grip on power during his decade in office. Opposition leaders and critics have accused him of moving the country towards an autocracy.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan's government has widened restrictions in the country's two largest cities, ordering most companies to suspend operations next week as part of efforts to curtail the spread of the coronavirus.
The restrictions, announced March 27, came as the number of confirmed cases announced by the government reached 120. Most of the cases are in the capital, Nur-Sultan, and Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city.
A day earlier, as the country reported its first death from COVID-19, the government barred residents of Nur-Sultan and Almaty from leaving their homes except for work or to buy food or medicines, starting from March 28.
The closure of most businesses in the two cities also takes effect March 28.
Authorities have also closed all intercity transport terminals and public spaces in Shymkent, Kazakhstan's third-largest city, in order to curb the spread of coronavirus, the government said.
Uzbekistan
In neighboring Uzbekistan, officials announced the country's first death from coronavirus: a 72-year-old man in the city of Namangan who had suffered from other ailments.
As of early March 27, Uzbekistan -- Central Asia's most populous nation -- has confirmed 75 cases of infection.
Earlier, municipal authorities announced restrictions in Samarkand and the Ferghana valley cities Namangan and Andijon on March 26.
All vehicle traffic in and out of the cities has been restricted, with the exception of cargo transport, or security and government officials.
Tashkent has been closed to the entry and exit of all passenger transport since March 24.
Kyrgyzstan
Another Central Asian country, Kyrgyzstan, announced 14 new cases on March 27, bringing the country's total to 58.
Earlier this week, authorities declared a state of emergency in the capital, Bishkek, and several other cities and regions.
Two other Central Asian countries, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, have not reported any confirmed infections yet.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani, Georgian, Kazakh, Uzbek services and Radio Farda, AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters, TASS, and Interfax
More News
3 Bulgarians Arrested In Vandalism Of Holocaust Memorial In Paris
Three Bulgarian citizens have been detained on suspicion of vandalizing the Holocaust Memorial in Paris in May, the State Agency for National Security (DANS) said on July 26.
Two of the Bulgarians were detained on July 25 in Bulgaria in a joint operation between DANS and the Interior Ministry. The third was detained in another EU country, the DANS said in a statement.
DANS said the detainees "gravitate around Bulgarian groups professing a far-right extremist ideology."
They are suspected of vandalizing the Holocaust Memorial by making 35 red palm prints on the monument. French authorities announced in May shortly after the graffiti appeared that it was investigating whether the desecration was coordinated by Russia.
DANS said Bulgarian law enforcement acted on a European arrest warrant issued on July 19 by French authorities into crimes, including participation in an organized criminal group and damage of property on ethnic, racial, and other grounds.
Investigators began tracking the Bulgarians in May when it identified three suspects who stayed in a hotel in Paris and then traveled to Belgium.
The French prosecutor's office told RFE/RL that the reservations were made from Bulgaria.
Investigators are looking into whether the graffiti was ordered by the Russian security services after a similar act of vandalism in October carried out by two Moldovans, who admitted to painting Stars of David on properties in Paris.
France blamed a Russian disinformation campaign for amplifying the graffiti on social media. The Russian Embassy in Paris condemned what it said were "groundless attempts" to seek a Russian connection.
The red palms on the Holocaust Memorial were meant to symbolize bloodstained hands and refer to Israel's war against Hamas, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Britain.
The vandalization took place on May 14, months into the war that erupted in October after Hamas launched an attack on Israel. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has sparked numerous protests in Western countries by pro-Palestinian groups who have drawn attention to the relatively high number of Palestinian deaths and the conditions of Palestinian refugees.
The Paris Holocaust Memorial is inscribed with the names of 3,900 men and women who helped save Jews from persecution during the World War II Nazi occupation of France.
Prosecutors are investigating damage to a protected historical building for national, ethnic, racial or religious motives. The penalty for the vandalism may be more severe if discrimination is proved.
Noted Member Of Banned Tajik Political Party Dies In Prison
A noted member of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), Muhammadali Faizmuhammad, died in a Tajik prison infirmary at the age of 65, his relatives told RFE/RL on July 26. According to the relatives, Faizmuhammad had heart problems and diabetes. He was arrested in September 2015 along with 13 other members of the IRPT and later sentenced to 23 years in prison. Tajikistan outlawed the opposition group in 2015, branding it a terrorist organization, a claim the party denies. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Tajik Service, click here.
- By Reuters
Poland Approves Bill Allowing Use Of Arms At Belarus Border
Polish lawmakers voted on July 26 in favor of a bill making it easier for security services to use weapons at the Poland-Belarus border, legislation that has public support but that critics say infringes human rights. Poland has been dealing with an influx of migrants at the border since 2021. Both Warsaw and the EU say Belarus and Russia have been orchestrating the crisis by flying in migrants from the Middle East and Africa. The situation turned tragic in June when a Polish soldier was fatally stabbed through the border fence. The bill would allow security services to use force including firearms on the border in certain emergency situations.
Russia's Central Bank Raises Key Interest Rate To 18 Percent
Russia's central bank on July 26 raised its key interest rate by 200 basis points to 18 percent, promising further tightening due to ongoing inflation. The rate brings the cost of borrowing to its highest in more than two years. The key rate was raised to 20 percent in April 2022 shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February that year. The central bank also estimated its inflation forecast for 2024 to 7 percent, up from a previous estimate of 4 percent. It projects a decline in annual inflation in 2025 to 4.0 to 4.5 percent. To read the original story by RFE/RL's North.Realities, click here.
- By Reuters
Finland Suspects Russian Vessel Of Territorial Violation
Finland suspects a Russian vessel violated the country's territorial waters on July 26, the Finnish Defense Ministry said in a statement. The ministry said the border guard is investigating the incident, which it said took place in the eastern Gulf of Finland. The border guard's chief investigator said the ship was a seabed exploration vessel operating under the Russian Navy's Baltic Sea fleet. Petter Stauffer told Finland's Helsingin Sanomat newspaper that the ship was escorted out of the area by a Finnish border guard vessel and that the incident lasted around 7 minutes. Relations between Finland and Russia have soured since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which prompted Helsinki to join NATO.
Prosecutors Seek 9 Years In Prison For Siberian Journalist Over Ukraine War Coverage
Prosecutors asked a court in Siberia on July 26 to sentence Sergei Mikhailov, a journalist and founder of the LIStok newspaper in the city of Gorno-Altaisk, to 9 years in prison on a charge of distributing false information about the Russian military. The charge stems from coverage by LIStok in 2022 of alleged atrocities by Russian troops against Ukrainian civilians in the town of Bucha. Mikhailov insists the decision to publish the materials in question had been made by his chief editor, Viktor Rau, and not him. Rau, who is currently outside of Russia, has confirmed it was his idea to publish the materials. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities, click here.
October Date Set For Parliamentary, Local Elections In Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan's Central Election Commission announced on July 26 that parliamentary and local elections will be held in the Central Asian nation on October 27. Those up for election include 150 members of the parliament's lower chamber, the Legislative Chamber; 56 members of the upper chamber, the Senate; and 65 members of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan, as well as members of the Tashkent municipal, regional, and 208 district councils. Half of the Legislative Chamber of deputies will be elected via party lists, while the other half will be voted in from single-mandate districts under a majority system. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, click here.
German Sentenced To Death In Minsk Shown On Belarusian TV
A German citizen sentenced to death last month in Minsk has been shown in a video on Belarus television asking for mercy in a statement that appears to have been made under duress.
Belarus-1 state-run television aired the video of Rico Krieger, who was sentenced to death last month on a mercenary charge, late on July 25.
In the 17-minute video, the 30-year-old Krieger was shown sitting behind bars in handcuffs. During his monologue he said he is sorry and expressed hope that authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has run Belarus with an iron fist for 30 years, will pardon him.
The practice of showing so-called repentance videos by opposition politicians or activists made under apparent duress after their arrests has been common in Belarus for years.
Krieger's "confession" appeared as though it was being used for propaganda purposes, with him speaking German with a voiceover translation into Russian.
A narrator's voice introducing Krieger says German officials remain silent despite Krieger's personal appeals to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
However, a government spokesperson told a news conference in Berlin on July 26 that "the chancellor is of course aware of the case and, like the entire government, is worried about these events, especially in connection with the death sentence."
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock later on July 26 commented on the actions of the authorities in Belarus.
"It is unbearable how the Belarusian regime paraded a German national on television," Baerbock told journalists in Hamburg.
She said the Foreign Office and the Germany Embassy in Minsk were in "close contact" with Krieger and his family and were providing consular support.
"We must do everything to ensure that his rights are maintained and remain protected," Baerbock added.
In the video, Krieger says he worked as a paramedic and in the security service of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin before he established an online contact with Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) via a foreign mercenary unit in the Ukrainian armed forces last year.
Belarus Under Lukashenka: 30 Years Of Dictatorship In 30 Posters
Krieger said an SBU officer asked him to conduct several assignments before he could be allowed to join the mercenary group.
Namely, Krieger said, the SBU officers asked him to travel from Germany to Belarus via Azerbaijan and take pictures of military objects in the eastern Belarusian region of Mahilyou and the Azyaryshcha railway station near Minsk, which he did in early October and sent the pictures to the SBU via the Internet.
After that, Krieger said, he was instructed by phone to find a backpack on October 5, 2023, at a site coordinated by SBU officers and place it on railways, which he also did.
"Now I know that no one was hurt, that there were no human casualties," Krieger says in the video as he starts crying.
Krieger then says he was arrested on October 6 at the Minsk airport while waiting for his flight to Berlin.
At that moment, a video showing an explosion on the rails near a station appears on the screen with the date and time: October 5, 2023, 11:22 p.m.
"I definitely consider myself guilty.... I repent every second," Krieger says, adding that he can be executed at any time and asking German officials for help and Belarusian authorities for clemency.
The details of Krieger's case were not known until the Vyasna human rights group reported last week that he was sentenced to death in June for mercenary activity, terrorism, creating an extremist group, intentionally damaging a vehicle, and illegal operations with firearms and explosives.
According to Vyasna, it was the first trial in Belarus for "mercenary activity."
Belarusian authorities have not commented on the case.
With reporting by dpa
Russia Lists Organizations Associated With Nonexistent Anti-Russian Separatist Movement As 'Extremist'
Russia's Justice Ministry on July 25 declared 55 organizations registered abroad as "extremist" because of their association with the banned Anti-Russian Separatist Movement, a grouping that doesn't exist. The listed organizations advocate self-determination for ethnic republics and regions within the Russian Federation. One group on the list -- the Free Russia Foundation -- was established by Russian opposition and rights activists in exile. Last year, Russia designated as "undesirable organizations" two movements registered abroad -- the League of Free Nations and the Forum of Post-Russia's Free Peoples, which represent activists of indigenous ethnic groups of Russia's ethnic regions. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities, click here.
Five Belarusians Accused Of Plotting Terrorist Act Directed By Kyiv
Five Belarusians have gone on trial for allegedly plotting a would-be terrorist act on May 9, 2023, that prosecutors say involved guidance from Ukraine. Judge Syarhey Khrypach of the Minsk City Court started the trial behind closed doors of Valer Vodzin, Andrey Hryhoryeu, Hanna Savachkina, Tatsyana Rusak, and Viktoria Vouchak on July 26. The defendants are charged with high treason, terrorism, participating in a military conflict abroad or recruiting for such activities, illegal use of explosives and ammunition, creating an extremist group, and the illegal smuggling of explosives. If found guilty, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison. Because the trial has been closed, it is not known how the defendants pleaded. Prior to the trial, they were not able to comment publicly on the charges. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.
- By Current Time
Former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Arrested On Corruption Charges
Russia's Investigative Committee said on July 26 that former Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov had been arrested on corruption charges. Bulgakov was dismissed in September 2022 after serving as deputy defense minister for almost 14 years. His detention comes after several other top military and Defense Ministry officials were arrested on corruption charges before and after Putin dismissed his longtime ally, Sergei Shoigu, as defense minister in mid-May. Former First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov took over for Shoigu. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.
- By RFE/RL
EU To Transfer To Ukraine 1.5 Billion Euros In Proceeds From Frozen Russian Assets
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that the European Union will send Ukraine 1.5 billion euros ($1.63 billion) that represent revenues from Russian assets frozen by the 27-member bloc.
"Today we transfer 1.5 billion in proceeds from immobilized Russian assets to the defense and reconstruction of Ukraine," von der Leyen wrote on X. "There is no better symbol or use for the Kremlin's money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live."
Following Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the West froze some 276 billion euros ($300 billion) in sovereign Russian wealth funds and the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized countries last month decided to service a $50 billion loan for Ukraine with proceeds generated by Russia's frozen assets, prompting Moscow to threaten legal action.
On July 25, EU Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said the G7 was likely to have a framework deal on the loan for Ukraine's defense and reconstruction by October, according to Euractiv.com.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal voiced gratitude for the EU move in a message on X.
"Thank you, @vonderleyen, and the EU for your steadfast support and this significant contribution to Ukraine's defense and reconstruction. Together, we are turning adversity into strength and building a safer, more resilient Europe," he said.
Most of the frozen Russian sovereign funds -- some 210 billion euros ($228 billion) -- are held in Europe, while about $10 billion is in the United States, Euractiv.com estimates. Some $30 billion are in Japan, and $10 billion in Britain.
In reaction to von der Leyen's announcement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia will not leave the EU's move unanswered but said Moscow's response had to be carefully planned.
"This is certainly grounds for well-thought-out actions in response to such unlawful decisions being implemented by the European Union. Such actions will certainly follow," Peskov told journalists on July 26.
Ukrainian Forces Fight Intense Battles In Donetsk Region, Zelenskiy Says
Ukrainian forces are under heavy pressure in the east of the country, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on July 26, describing the area around Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region as the main focus of Russian attacks.
Zelenskiy said on X that Ukraine's military command is assessing the situation and pledged that "everything must be done and will be done to strengthen our positions" in the area.
"It is important that our warriors receive exactly what they need under these conditions of very intense battles and pressure from the Russian Army," he said.
The General Staff said in its evening assessment on July 26 that Russian forces had launched more than 30 assaults in the Pokrovsk area, adding they were "paying a high price for their attempts to advance" there. Russian losses amounted to 187 people killed and wounded, the General Staff said.
Zelenskiy also expressed "special appreciation" to all units that attacked Russian bases and logistics in occupied territories of Ukraine.
"The occupier must feel that this is Ukrainian land," Zelenskiy said without citing what bases were hit. "And each destroyed Russian airbase, each destroyed Russian military aircraft whether on the ground or in the air, means saving Ukrainian lives."
Earlier on July 26 a Russian military airfield in occupied Crimea was reportedly targeted by a missile strike that caused explosions and a fire, Ukrainian media and Russian Telegram channels reported.
The Ukrainian TV channel Suspilne, citing local residents, reported explosions in the cities of Saky and Yevpatoria in Crimea. "Very powerful explosions" were reported by residents in Saky, which is home to a Russian airfield.
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The Crimean Wind channel on Telegram reported that an ammunition depot at the airfield was struck and quoted a source as saying that missiles and aircraft had been blown up.
The Russian Telegram channel Astra, citing emergency services sources in occupied Crimea, said the airfield and the munitions depot had been attacked with long-range ATACMS missiles, starting a fire. Two Russian soldiers sustained shrapnel wounds, Astra reported.
Astra also said that an ATACMS missile hit a Russian air-defense site in the Saky district, destroying a radar station. Citing unnamed sources, it said a total of four ATACMS missiles were fired from Ukraine, and two were shot down by Russian air defenses.
The information could not be independently confirmed.
Russia's Defense Ministry did not mention the strikes on Crimea, saying only that its air defenses shot down six Ukrainian drones -- four over the Rostov region and two over the Kursk region.
The Saky military airfield, near the village of Novofedorivka, has been targeted by missile strikes several times in the past.
The air base is home to Russia's 43rd Fighter Aviation Regiment, which supports Russian troops in southern Ukraine and operates Su-24 bombers and Su-30 fighters.
Occupied Crimea was used by the Russian military as a relatively safe launching pad for missile attacks on Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022.
But in April, the United States began delivering versions of the powerful long-range ballistic missile ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) that can travel as far as 300 kilometers, effectively making it possible for Ukraine to hit any of the more than 100 Russian military targets in Crimea.
Russia, meanwhile, once again targeted Ukrainian energy facilities with drone and missile strikes.
Energy supplier Ukrenerho said on July 26 that facilities in the Zhytomyr and Chernihiv regions were hit.
The Ukrainian Air Force said separately that its air defenses shot down 20 of the 22 drones launched by Russia at targets in four of its regions on July 26.
The attacks on the Kherson, Sumy, Zhytomyr, and Chernihiv regions came a day after Moscow struck installations in the Ukrainian port of Izmayil on the Danube near NATO member Romania's border, prompting the alliance to scramble F-18 jets to monitor the situation.
On July 26, Romania's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian charge d'affaires from the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, the ministry said in a statement.
"The Romanian Foreign Ministry representative conveyed the Romanian authorities' firm protest and condemned the repeated attacks by the Russian forces on the Ukrainian civil infrastructure, requesting their immediate cessation," the statement said.
The Romanian side "emphasized the irresponsible nature of [Russia's] military strikes, including in the immediate vicinity of Romania's border, which endanger national security."
Bucharest also "highlighted the sole responsibility of the Russian Federation, as a result of its aggression against Ukraine, for the serious deterioration of the security environment in the Black Sea."
Another Kazakh Stand-Up Comedian Jailed For 'Hooliganism'
Kazakh stand-up comedian Aleksandr Merkul, who often tells jokes about the current government and Russian President Vladimir Putin, was sentenced to 10 days in jail on July 26 on a charge of hooliganism. The charge stems from his performance in a restaurant in Astana last month, a video of which went viral on the Internet. The 31-year-old Merkul pleaded guilty. Earlier in May, another Kazakh comedian, Nuraskhan Basqozhaev, was also sentenced to 10 days in jail on the same charge. Many stand-up comedians in Kazakhstan have expressed concerns over the sentence, calling it an attack on freedom of speech. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
- By Current Time
Moscow Car-Bombing Suspect Extradited From Turkey To Russia
A Russian man suspected of being behind a car bombing that left two people wounded in Moscow on July 24 has been extradited from Turkey and has arrived in the Russian capital, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said on July 26.
One of the two people wounded in the car explosion in a parking lot in northern Moscow was reported to be a senior military intelligence officer, although confusion still persists about the identity of both victims.
The bombing suspect, identified as Russian citizen Yevgeny Serebryakov, was detained by Turkish police in the Aegean Sea resort of Bodrum after arriving there on a flight on July 24, the same day the bombing occurred, according to a statement by Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
Volk, in a post on Telegram, said the arrest and extradition of Serebryakov was possible through the cooperation of Russian and Turkish law enforcement agencies coordinated through Interpol channels.
"Today, Serebryakov was taken to Russia and handed over to investigators of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation," Volk said.
Neither the Investigative Committee nor the Interior Ministry have identified the two people wounded in the blast, saying only that a criminal investigation and a forensic investigation had been opened into the incident that occurred on Moscow's Sinyavinskaya Street.
But Russian media reports said Andrei Torgashov, 49, the deputy chief of a military satellite-communications radio center who had reportedly taken part in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and his wife were the two victims of the bombing.
However, a person purported to be Torgashov's wife, Maya, was quoted by the 360 Telegram channel as saying that neither she nor her husband was in the car when the explosion occurred, claiming other people were in the vehicle.
In an unverified video posted on the Telegram channel of the MSK1.ru news site on July 26, a young man in handcuffs who is described as Serebryakov says the Ukrainian secret services promised him "Ukrainian citizenship and $10,000-$20,000 to blow up an officer in Moscow."
The authenticity of the video could not be independently established.
An earlier report in the Moskovsky komsomolets newspaper had previously said that "the investigation leads include possible involvement of Ukrainian special services and their agents."
Several Russian military officials and pro-Kremlin public figures and bloggers have been targeted by bombing attacks since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Serebryakov, 29, was born in the city of Uryupinsk in the Volgograd region, according to Russian media reports.
Ukraine Says Fresh Russian Drone Attack On 4 Regions Repelled
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 20 of the 22 drones launched by Russia at targets in four of its regions early on July 26, the air force said in a message on Facebook. The attacks on the Kherson, Sumy, Zhytomyr, and Chernihiv regions came a day after Moscow struck installations in the Ukrainian port of Izmayil on the Danube near NATO member Romania's border, prompting the alliance to scramble F-18 jets to monitor the situation. Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said that its air defenses shot down six Ukrainian drones -- four over the Rostov region and two over the Kursk region. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.
- By Reuters
Pentagon Finds Another $2 Billion Of Accounting Errors For Ukraine Aid
The Pentagon has found $2 billion worth of additional errors in its calculations for ammunition, missiles, and other equipment sent to Ukraine, a U.S. government report revealed on July 25. The Government Accountability Office report showed that the U.S. Department of Defense has faced challenges in valuing defense articles sent to Ukraine due to unclear accounting definitions. The Pentagon said in 2023 that "replacement value" had been used instead of "depreciated value" to tabulate the billions in matériel sent to Ukraine. That correction uncovered a $6.2 billion error, and the Pentagon now says $2 billion more in overstatements have been found. As a result, an additional $2 billion worth of arms can be sent to Ukraine to cover the amount of aid approved by the Biden administration.
- By AFP
Russian, Chinese Foreign Ministers Discuss Cooperation On Sidelines Of ASEAN
The foreign ministers of Russia and China met on July 25 on the sidelines of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) talks in Laos. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a statement afterward that he discussed issues of cooperation within ASEAN "in detail" with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The two also discussed implementing "a new security architecture" in Eurasia, according to the statement, which did not elaborate. Wang said Beijing was "ready to work with Russia to uphold the ASEAN-centered, open, and inclusive regional cooperation architecture" in the face of "external disturbances and obstacles." The meeting came a day after Wang held talks in China with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Russian Deputy Announces Slowdown In YouTube Upload Speeds
Russian State Duma Deputy Aleksandr Khinshtein announced on July 25 that by the end of next week, the speed of video uploads to YouTube in Russia will decrease by 70 percent. Khinshtein wrote on Telegram that the artificial slowdown was related to the allegation that YouTube "violates and ignores the law with impunity." In early July, YouTube blocked the channels of several Russian singers and artists over their support of Russia's war in Ukraine. Khinshtein accused YouTube of having an anti-Russian hosting policy that removes the channels of public figures whose "position differs from the Western point of view." Khinshtein is the first Russian authority to publicly confirm Moscow's involvement in slowing down YouTube in Russia. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
Azerbaijan Threatens Military Action Against Armenia Over Border 'Provocations'
YEREVAN -- Azerbaijan threatened on July 25 to take large-scale military action against Armenia in response to what it called Armenian “provocations” along the border between the two countries.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry claimed that the Armenian military recently used “heavy weaponry” and a reconnaissance drone in the area. The ministry also called on Armenia and its sponsors to “refrain from creating a new hotbed of war” in the South Caucasus.
“If such provocative actions do not stop, appropriate steps will be taken using all means in the arsenal of the armed forces of Azerbaijan for the purpose of self-defense,” it added in a statement.
The ministry also denounced Western powers for stepping up military cooperation with Armenia, citing joint military exercises conducted by the United States in Armenia this month, an arms deal with France, and the European Union’s allocation of 10 million euros ($10.9 million) in military aid to Yerevan.
It claimed these actions can inspire Armenia “to resort to new provocations and prepare for another war against Azerbaijan.”
The Armenian Foreign Ministry rejected the claims. Spokeswoman Ani Badalian insisted that Yerevan remains committed to its “peace agenda” and “will not deviate from this strategy.”
She pointed to Baku ignoring a recent Armenian proposal to conduct joint investigations of cease-fire violations alleged by either side.
Badalian said Armenia’s arms acquisitions from France and other nations are solely aimed at the “defense of its internationally recognized territory.”
The Armenian Foreign Ministry claimed on June 19 that Azerbaijan may be planning to unleash a “new aggression” against Armenia after hosting the COP29 summit in November. It pointed to Baku’s angry reaction to a different French-Armenian arms deal signed in Paris.
The latest Azerbaijani threats came two weeks after the foreign ministers of the two nations met in Washington for talks hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. They reported no progress toward the signing of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty.
The neighboring countries have been negotiating a peace treaty since Azerbaijan retook control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region in September 2023, following a lightning offensive.
A traditional ally and partner of Russia, Armenia recently has turned toward improving its ties with the West and putting on ice its relations with Moscow, which Yerevan has blamed for failing to support it in its conflict with Azerbaijan.
- By AFP
Russia Fails In Bid To Regain 2022 Olympic Skating Gold
Russia failed to have its 2022 gold medal restored in team figure skating from the Beijing Winter Olympics, the sport’s top court said on July 25. The Russians had appealed against the decision to strip the team of the gold that it won largely thanks to the points scored by 15-year-old Kamila Valieva, who is now serving a four-year ban for doping. She had tested positive before the Olympics for trimetazidine, a drug used to treat angina but banned for athletes. When her points were deducted, Russia was relegated to bronze. The gold medal now goes to the U.S. team. They are expected to receive the medals on August 9 at a special ceremony during the Paris Olympics, which start on July 26.
- By Reuters
Ukraine Asks Hong Kong Not To Let Russia Use It To Circumvent Sanctions
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on July 25 visited Hong Kong and called on its leader to prevent Russia from using Hong Kong to circumvent Western sanctions imposed on Moscow for its full-scale war in Ukraine. Kuleba “called on the Hong Kong administration to take measures to deprive Russia and Russian companies of the opportunity to use Hong Kong to circumvent restrictive measures imposed for Russian aggression against Ukraine," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Both Hong Kong and China are seen by the U.S. government as key routes for Russia to source materials for its military, including semiconductors and drone parts.
- By Reuters
Putin Hosts Syria's Assad, Expresses Concern Over Mideast Tensions
Russian President Vladimir Putin met President Bashar al-Assad of Syria in the Kremlin, video distributed by the Kremlin press service on July 25 showed. Putin told Assad he was concerned that tensions are rising in the Middle East, but neither leader provided further details on their talks. Russia has waged a military campaign in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad’s government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country. Russia has maintained a military foothold in Syria and keeps troops at its bases there.
Series Of Terrorist Acts Prevented In Ukraine, EU Countries, Kyiv Says
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said on July 25 that its officers, along with the National Police, had prevented a series of terrorist attacks in the country and IN EU member states Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. According to an SBU statement, the suspected organizer of the planned arson attacks on civic buildings and an associate were detained in the western Prykarpattya region. The two suspects allegedly coordinated, under the supervision of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), the activities of 19 members of a terrorist group in several Ukrainian regions. The two men were informed that they are suspected of high treason and forgery. Russia has not commented on the report. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.
Suspect In Killing Of Former Ukrainian Lawmaker Detained
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on July 25 that a suspect in the shooting death of former lawmaker Iryna Farion, who was known for campaigns promoting the Ukrainian language, was detained in the eastern city of Dnipro.
Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram that Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko had informed him of the detention of an 18-year-old man suspected in the July 19 shooting.
"The operation to detain the suspect was very complicated. Hundreds of specialists from the National Police of Ukraine, the SBU, and other services worked on solving the murder, all these days," Zelenskiy wrote, adding that he asked Klymenko to provide the public with all of the details of the investigation in the high-profile case.
Klymenko said shortly afterward in a statement that the suspect rented at least three apartments in Lviv while preparing the attack on Farion.
"Now the suspect is in custody. It is important to obtain all the details. At this point, investigators are inclined to think that the shooter is just the one who carried out the attack," Klymenko said, adding that any follow-up information will be made public later.
The Schemes (Skhemy) investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service was able to identify the suspect but decided not to disclose the information.
The suspect's father told RFE/RL that his son could not have had any motive to kill Farion.
"I am currently on the battlefield and have not seen my son for some time. I talked to him on the phone on a regular basis," the man said, adding that his son is a graduate of a high school in Dnipro.
"He passed courses on using drones so that he could join Ukrainian troops. He played soccer," said the suspect’s father, whose identity Schemes also decided not to reveal.
RFE/RL also interviewed residents in Dnipro, including one woman who described the suspect as a “very good boy.” The woman, who spoke anonymously, said she had difficulty believing the teenager could have been the killer.
The young man had a "healthy lifestyle," reads a lot, and was studying to be a journalist, she told RFE/RL.
Schemes confirmed through other sources that the suspect is a graduate of a high school in Dnipro. As a soccer player with the city's youth soccer club, he participated in a soccer tournament in autumn 2022 to support Ukraine's armed forces.
The 60-year-old Farion was shot in the head on a street in Ukraine's western city of Lviv and died in a hospital hours later.
Farion, a linguist, became a member of the nationalist Svoboda party in 2005 and was elected to parliament in 2012 but failed in subsequent attempts to win reelection.
She gained notoriety for frequent campaigns to promote the Ukrainian language and discredit public officials who spoke Russian.
Farion’s views were seen as radical by some critics, and some of her statements sparked controversy.
In 2018, when Ukraine was fighting Russia-backed separatists who had seized territory in the east, she called for a drive to "punch every Russian-speaking person in the jaw."
In 2023, she was dismissed as a professor at the Department of Ukrainian Language at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at Lviv Polytechnic University due to her controversial statements.
At the end of May, the Lviv Court of Appeal issued a ruling reinstating her to the position.
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