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EU Announces 13th Russia Sanctions Package On Eve Of Second Anniversary Of Ukraine Invasion

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (file photo)
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (file photo)

The European Union announced a fresh package of sanctions against Russia on February 23, on the eve of the second anniversary of its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

"Today, we are further tightening the restrictive measures against Russia's military and defense sector," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a press release.

“We remain united in our determination to dent Russia’s war machine and help Ukraine win its legitimate fight for self-defense.”

The 13th Ukraine-related sanctions package targets Russia's defense industry and slaps assets freezes and travel bans on 106 individuals and 88 organizations, bringing to 2,000 the total number of people and groups sanctioned by the 27-member bloc for "undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine."

The newly sanctioned individuals include dozens of Russian officials including "members of the judiciary, local politicians and people responsible for the illegal deportation and military re-education of Ukrainian children," the statement said.

They also impose restrictions on companies from India, Sri Lanka, China, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Turkey suspected of exporting to Russia dual-use products for "supporting Russia's military and industrial complex."

The restrictions also expand on components for the development and production of aerial drones.

The names of the companies will be published in the EU’s official journal in several days.

In response to the EU move, the Russia Foreign Ministry announced on February 23 that it had drastically expanded a list of the bloc's officials and politicians banned from entering Russia.

"The European Union is continuing its fruitless attempts to put pressure on Russia through unilateral restrictive measures," the ministry said in a statement.

While the bloc's 27 members agreed on the sanctions package, a statement to mark February 24 ran aground when Hungary refused to sign on, EU sources told RFE/RL. Budapest objected to the statement without offering a concrete explanation, the sources said.

In the end, the EU issued a statement on February 23 signed by the presidents of the three main European institutions -- EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament chief Roberta Metsola, and European Council President Charles Michel -- instead of the entire bloc.

"Russia and its leadership bear sole responsibility for this war and its global consequences, as well as for the serious crimes committed. We remain determined to hold them to account, including for the crime of aggression," the statement reads.

"Russia and its leaders will pay a growing price for their actions. Together with partners, we have imposed unprecedented sanctions against Russia and those complicit in the war and remain ready to increase the pressure on Russia to limit its ability to wage war. We have also taken the first concrete steps towards directing extraordinary revenues stemming from Russian immobilized assets to support Ukraine. We will continue our targeted actions to further isolate Russia in international fora."

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Moldova Blasts 'Aggressive' Russian Drone Incursion On Its Territory

This drone was found near Borosenii Noi in Moldova on Novwember 10.
This drone was found near Borosenii Noi in Moldova on Novwember 10.

Moldova's Foreign Ministry has condemnd Russia's "aggressive" actions after two Russian drones entered Moldovan airspace and crashed on its territory on November 10. One of the drones was found by police in Borosenii Noi, a village in northern Moldova some 45 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, while the other one was located in the southern village of Firladeni, 40 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. Both were "decoy" drones used to mislead Ukrainian air defenses during attacks. "We firmly condemn these aggressive incursions and reiterate our condemnation of Russia's brutal war against Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement. At least 15 incidents involving Russian drones were recorded in Moldova since the start of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Moldovan Service, click here.

At Least 6 Dead, Many Wounded, Including Children, In Russian Strikes On Ukraine

Rescuers look for survivors following a Russian strike on Mykolayiv on November 11.
Rescuers look for survivors following a Russian strike on Mykolayiv on November 11.

At least five people were killed In a Russian strike on a residential building in the southern Ukrainian city of Mikolayiv early on November 11, regional Governor Vitaliy Kim said. The mayor of the city, Oleksandr Syenkevych, said Russian strikes damaged residential buildings in several areas of the city. In another southern city, Zaporizhzhya, one person was killed and 21 others, including a 4-year-old boy and four teenagers, were wounded in three Russian strikes, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov reported, adding that a residential building and a school dormitory were damaged in the attack. Blasts were also heard in Kyiv, and areas of the Ukrainian capital were left without power early on November 11. Ukraine's air force declared an air-raid alert for the whole territory of Ukraine early on November 11. To read the original stories by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here and here.

Report: Trump Tells Putin In Call Not To Escalate War With Ukraine

Then-President Donald Trump (left) listens as Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a joint press conference after a meeting in Helsinki in July 2018.
Then-President Donald Trump (left) listens as Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a joint press conference after a meeting in Helsinki in July 2018.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone and discussed the war in Ukraine, the Washington Post reported on November 10, citing sources close to Trump.

The Post said Trump took the call in Florida on November 7, a day after speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Unnamed sources quoted by the Post said Trump told Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine and expressed an interest in further talks on “the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon.”

Putin initially responded coolly to Trump’s big election win before informally congratulating the president-elect on November 7. He praised Trump’s “courage” in surviving an assassination attempt in July and said he was “ready” to speak to him.

People familiar with the call told the Post that Kyiv had been informed of the Putin call and did not object.

U.S., Russian, and Ukrainian officials have not commented on the report.

On the campaign trail ahead of the November 5 election, Trump claimed he would end the war in Ukraine without offering details about how he planned to do so.

Putin said in September he would like to see U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris beat Trump in the election, but observers argue that was likely part of the Kremlin’s efforts to avoid giving the impression that Putin was hoping Trump would win.

Trump has previously indicated Ukraine may have to agree to give up territory to strike a peace deal with Russia. In the same vein, Trump ally Bryan Lanza told the BBC on November 9 that the focus of Trump's government will be achieving peace in Ukraine and not enabling Kyiv to regain territory occupied by Russia.

The Washington Post report on the call came hours after Zelenskiy said Russia had fired 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, the most in any single nighttime attack since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukraine also launched dozens of drones targeting the Russian capital, Moscow, forcing the temporary closure of three airports on November 10.

Russian forces have been making advances in recent weeks, with Moscow saying on November 10 that it had captured the town of Voltchenka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.

Targeted Activist Calls Failure Of Iranian Assassination Plot 'Pleasing'

Masih Alinejad, 48, has been the target of three alleged Iranian kidnapping and assassination plots.
Masih Alinejad, 48, has been the target of three alleged Iranian kidnapping and assassination plots.

Iranian-American human rights activist Masih Alinejad says she derives joy from the failure of alleged plots by the Islamic republic to kidnap and assassinate her.

The U.S. Justice Department on November 8 unsealed criminal charges that include details of a plot allegedly backed by Iran to kill Alinejad and President-elect Donald Trump before the November 5 election. Iran has rejected the allegation.

"When the Islamic republic is defeated, disgraced, and embarrassed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI], it has no choice but to deny," Alinejad, 48, said in comments to RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

Alinejad, who has criticized Iran's laws requiring women to wear a hijab, or head scarf, was the target of a kidnapping plot in 2021. In 2022 a man was also arrested with a rifle outside her home.

“The Islamic republic has been disgraced three times…. The humiliation of [Iranian authorities] is truly pleasing,” she said.

The FBI informed Alinejad of the suspected Iranian plot to kill her shortly before the court documents were unsealed, she said, recalling that she was "shocked" to learn about the details.

Two men arrested by the FBI were planning to target Alinejad at Fairfield University in Connecticut, where she was scheduled to appear.

The Justice Department alleges the two men spent months surveilling Alinejad and earlier this year traveled to the university campus and took photos of the premises.

"It is shocking how brazenly the Islamic republic can savagely plan to assassinate someone in another country," Alinejad said.

Iran has long been accused of targeting dissidents abroad, either to kidnap them or kill them.

Rights groups say exiled opposition activist Ruhollah Zam was abducted in 2019 before being executed in Iran a year later.

In 2020, Tehran said it had arrested Iranian-German citizen Jamshid Sharmahd and later sentenced him to death. Sharmahd's family insists he was kidnapped while through the United Arab Emirates. Iranian authorities claim Sharmahd died in prison last month before being executed.

Alinejad, who is visiting Germany and recently met with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said her message to Germany, the United States, and all Western countries is to "protect your borders and democracy instead of protecting me so that the Islamic republic's terrorists can't enter and plot assassinations on Western soil."

She said symbolic gestures by the West in support of Iranian protesters and dissidents "is not enough" to dissuade Iranian authorities from targeting critics abroad. Instead, she argued, severing diplomatic ties and "extensive support" for protesters inside Iran would be more effective.

Written based on an interview by Nasrin Afshar of RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Saudi Armed Forces General Travels to Iran In Rare High-Level Visit

Fayyad al-Ruwaili, chief of the general staff of Saudi Arabia’s armed forces, meets his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Baqeri, in Tehran on November 10.
Fayyad al-Ruwaili, chief of the general staff of Saudi Arabia’s armed forces, meets his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Baqeri, in Tehran on November 10.

The general chief of staff of Saudi Arabia's armed forces, Fayyad al-Ruwaili, met his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Baqeri, in Tehran during a rare visit on November 10.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said they discussed the development of defense diplomacy and bilateral cooperation without offering any details.

Iranian media said Baqeri had discussed regional developments and defense cooperation with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman al-Saud last year.

Ruwaili is only the second high-profile Saudi official to travel to Tehran since Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations after seven years following Chinese-brokered talks in March 2023. Previously, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan visited Iran in June 2023.

Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia severed ties with Shi'a-dominated Iran in 2016 after its diplomatic compounds in Tehran and Mashhad were attacked by protesters over Riyadh's execution of Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

The trip comes days after the election of Donald Trump, whose second term as U.S. president begins in January. He has pledged to bring peace to the Middle East, where U.S. ally Israel is engaged in wars against Iranian-backed groups in Gaza and Lebanon.

Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said the timing of the trip was significant because it comes as various countries are preparing for a second Trump presidency.

He said the Saudis' decision to send their top military official to Tehran "is a signal that they are committed" to the detente process that started last year and that "they don't want Trump's election to jeopardize the recently improving relations with Iran."

Separately, Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman on the phone and discussed expanding bilateral relations, according to Pezeshkian's office.

Trump had good relations with Persian Gulf Arab states in his first tenure in office and worked on normalizing relations between Arab states and Iran's archfoe, Israel.

Saudi Arabia has not normalized relations with Israel but Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is said to have discussed the possibility of normalization with Saudi Arabia since 2021.

In another sign of warming relations, Saudi Arabia announced last month that it held military drills with Iran in the Sea of Oman.

Turkey Deports 325 Afghan Nationals In 48 Hours

Syrian and Afghan migrants wait after being caught by Turkish police. (file photo)
Syrian and Afghan migrants wait after being caught by Turkish police. (file photo)

Turkish authorities deported 325 Afghan migrants over the past two days, the Taliban's Refugees and Repatriations Ministry said on November 10. According to the ministry, the International Organization for Migration will provide the equivalent of 150 euros to each of the deported migrants. In recent months, Turkey has intensified raids to detain and expel Afghan migrants, most of them undocumented. About 600 Afghan nationals were detained in police raids in Istanbul in September and were transferred to detention centers. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi, click here.

Taliban To Attend UN Climate Conference For First Time

An Afghan child works in a plastic recycling factory on the outskirts of Mazar-i-Sharif.
An Afghan child works in a plastic recycling factory on the outskirts of Mazar-i-Sharif.

The Taliban will attend a UN climate conference for the first time since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, the country's national environment agency said on November 10. The conference, known as COP29, begins on November 11 in Azerbaijan and is one of the most important multilateral talks to include the Taliban, who do not have official international recognition as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan. The National Environmental Protection Agency wrote on X that a technical delegation had gone to Baku to participate. Matiul Haq Khalis, the agency’s head, said the delegation would use the conference to strengthen cooperation with the international community on environmental protection and climate change, share Afghanistan’s needs regarding access to existing financial mechanisms related to climate change, and discuss adaptation and mitigation efforts.

UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief To Visit Iran On November 13

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi will visit Iran on November 13 and start consultations with Iranian officials the following day, state media reported on November 10. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said last week that he might head to Iran in the coming days to discuss its disputed nuclear program and that he expected to work cooperatively with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Long-standing issues between Iran, the IAEA, and Western powers include Tehran barring several uranium-enrichment experts from IAEA inspection teams in the country and its failure for years to explain uranium traces found at undeclared sites. Iran has also stepped up nuclear activity since 2019, after then-President Trump abandoned a 2015 deal Iran reached with world powers under which it curbed enrichment -- seen by the West as a disguised effort to develop nuclear weapons capability -- and restored tough U.S. sanctions on the Islamic republic.

Updated

Russia Reportedly Suffered Record 1,500 Casualties Daily In October

A woman looks at the graves of Russian soldiers at a cemetery in Volzhsky, outside Volgograd, Russia, in May 2022. A U.K. military official says Russia is nearing 700,000 killed or wounded since the full-scale invasion began.
A woman looks at the graves of Russian soldiers at a cemetery in Volzhsky, outside Volgograd, Russia, in May 2022. A U.K. military official says Russia is nearing 700,000 killed or wounded since the full-scale invasion began.

An average of around 1,500 Russian soldiers were killed or injured per day in October -- Russia's worst month for casualties since the beginning of the invasion, according to Britain's Chief of the Defense Staff Tony Radakin.

"Russia is about to suffer 700,000 people killed or wounded -- the enormous pain and suffering that the Russian nation is having to bear because of [President Vladimir] Putin's ambition," Radakin told the BBC on November 10.

Moscow does not reveal the number of its war casualties.

Radakin claimed Moscow was spending more than 40 percent of public expenditure on defense and security, putting "an enormous strain" on the country.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on November 10 that its forces had captured the town of Voltchenka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, where Russian forces have been making advances in recent weeks.

Ukraine launched dozens of drones targeting Moscow, forcing the temporary closure of three of the capital's airports, Russian officials said on November 10.

Rosaviatsia, Russia's federal air transport agency, said the Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovo airports halted operations for several hours amid the drone strikes, one of Kyiv's largest attacks on Moscow since the war began in February 2022.

The strikes come as Russia fired 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, the most in any single nighttime attack of the conflict so far, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on November 10.

"Last night, Russia launched a record 145 Shaheds and other strike drones against Ukraine," Zelenskiy said on social media, reiterating calls on Kyiv's Western partners to increase supplies to help protect the country's skies.

Ukraine's air force said its air defense downed 62 of the Russian drones launched overnight, while a further 67 had disappeared from radar screens. Other drones had flown into the airspace of Belarus or Moldova, Ukraine's neighbors to the north and west, respectively.

At least two people were injured and buildings were damaged in the attack in southern region of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russia had downed 32 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow overnight and in the morning of November 10.

There was no damage or casualties at the site of the fall of the debris, Sobyanin said, adding emergency services were at the site.

'Life Or Death': Drones Deliver Supplies To Ukraine's Front Line (video)
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One person was injured in the attack, according to Moscow regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov. Media reports said the strikes caused a fire in the Ramenskoye district, with several houses in flames.

Russia reports the destruction of Ukrainian drones almost daily, but the attacks rarely target the capital.

Ukrainian authorities have maintained their drone attacks on Russia are aimed at infrastructure key to Moscow's war efforts and are in response to Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine.

Since the war began, Ukraine has been subject to nightly Russian air raids targeting critical energy infrastructure, among other things.

Ukrainian drones also targeted Russia’s Bryansk and Kaluga regions overnight, setting several nonresidential buildings on fire, regional governors reported on November 10.

A nonresidential building in Kaluga was on fire as result of Ukraine's drone attack, according to the regional governor Vladislav Shapsha. Kaluga borders the Moscow region to its northeast.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpa

Ukraine Commander Says North Korea Troops Prepare To Fight Alongside Russian Troops

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects soldiers last month.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects soldiers last month.

Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskiy, said on November 9 that there were reports North Korean troops were preparing for combat alongside Russian forces. "We have numerous reports of North Korean soldiers preparing to participate in combat operations alongside Russian Forces," Syrskyi wrote on Facebook of his conversation with Christopher Cavoli, a senior U.S. general who heads the U.S. European Command. Syrskyi said the situation in front line sectors of the nearly 1,000-day war with Russia remained "difficult and show signs of escalation."

Iranian Foreign Minister Denies Plot To Kill Trump

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi (file photo)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi (file photo)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi denied U.S. charges that Tehran was linked to an alleged plot to kill Donald Trump and called on November 9 for confidence-building between the two hostile countries. "A new scenario is fabricated....As a killer does not exist in reality, scriptwriters are brought in to manufacture a third-rate comedy," Araqchi said in a post on X. He was referring to an alleged plot Washington said was ordered by Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to assassinate Trump, who won the U.S. presidential election on November 5 and takes office in January.

Iran Urges Trump To Change 'Maximum Pressure' Policy

Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif (file photo)
Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif (file photo)

Iran signaled an openness toward Donald Trump on November 9, calling on the U.S. president-elect to adopt new policies toward it after Washington accused Tehran of involvement in a plot to kill him. Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif urged Trump to reassess the policy of "maximum pressure" he employed against the Islamic republic during his first term. "Trump must show that he is not following the wrong policies of the past," Zarif told reporters. His remarks came after the United States accused Iran of conspiring to assassinate Trump. The Foreign Ministry on November 9 described the American accusations as "totally unfounded."

Burkina Faso Says Russia Partnership 'Suits' Better Than France

Burkina Faso interim leader Ibrahim Traore (left) shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Russia-Africa Summit in Russia last year.
Burkina Faso interim leader Ibrahim Traore (left) shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Russia-Africa Summit in Russia last year.

Burkina Faso's foreign minister praised cooperation with Russia on November 9 as "suiting" his country better than its historic ties with France. Following a 2022 military coup, Burkina Faso's new leadership broke with Paris and has embraced Russia, which has sent army instructors to help Ouagadougou's fight against an Islamist insurgency. Attending a Russia-Africa summit in the southern Russian city of Sochi, Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore said Russia was a "partner with whom we can make progress" and that there was "no fear" of becoming militarily dependent on Moscow.

Afghan Women Not Barred From Speaking To Each Other, Says Taliban

Afghan media based outside the country and international outlets have in recent weeks reported a ban on women hearing other women's voices
Afghan media based outside the country and international outlets have in recent weeks reported a ban on women hearing other women's voices

Women in Afghanistan are not forbidden from speaking to one another, the Taliban government's morality ministry told AFP on November 9, denying recent media reports of a ban. Afghan media based outside the country and international outlets have in recent weeks reported a ban on women hearing other women's voices, based on an audio recording of the head of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, about rules of prayer. Ministry spokesman Saiful Islam Khyber said the reports were "brainless" and "illogical," in a voice recording confirmed by AFP.

Updated

EU Pledges 'Unwavering' Support For Ukraine As Kyiv Plans Trump Meeting

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (right) and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha examine destroyed Russian military equipment at an open-air exhibition in Kyiv on November 9.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (right) and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha examine destroyed Russian military equipment at an open-air exhibition in Kyiv on November 9.

EU foreign policy chief Josef Borrell assured Ukraine that the war-torn country had Europe’s "unwavering" support, while Kyiv announced during the EU official’s surprise visit that it was organizing a meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

It was the first visit by a top EU official to Ukraine since Trump's November 5 victory, which has led to uncertainty in Kyiv about the West's continued commitment to supporting Ukraine as it tries to fend off invading Russian forces.

Borrell's surprise visit also came as Russia continues to heavily target Ukraine with drone and missile strikes and as Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow was open to hearing Trump's proposals on ending the war Russia launched nearly 1,000 days ago. Trump has claimed he could end the war even before he takes office on January 20.

"The clear purpose of this visit is to express European Union support to Ukraine. This support remains unwavering," Borrell told journalists in Kyiv. "This support is absolutely needed for you to continue defending yourself against Russia aggression."

Earlier Borrell, who is set to leave office next month, wrote on X that "the EU's support for Ukraine has been my personal priority throughout my mandate and will remain at the top of the EU's agenda."

Those comments came hours after another deadly attack on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, this time an apartment building in the Black Sea port city of Odesa. Meanwhile, Ukraine claimed it had struck with drones a Russian munitions plant in Tula.

Trump's election victory has raised concerns in Kyiv, which depends heavily on U.S. and EU support in the face of Russia’s ongoing invasion.

Trump has suggested Kyiv should agree to cede some territory to Moscow in return for peace, a condition Ukrainian President Zelenskiy has rejected.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha told reporters on November 9 that Ukraine is ready to work with the Trump administration.

"Remember that President Zelenskiy was one of the first world leaders...to greet President Trump," he said, referring to Zelenskiy's phone call with Trump on November 6 . "It was a sincere conversation, an exchange of thoughts regarding further cooperation."

Sybiha confirmed alongside Borrell that the Ukrainian government was organizing a meeting between Zelenskiy and Trump. The two last met in September when the Ukrainian president traveled to the United States to present his "victory plan" against Russia.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov said in an interview with the Russian state news agency Interfax prior to Borrell's arrival in Kyiv that Moscow and Washington were "exchanging signals" on Ukraine through "closed channels."

He did not say whether the exchanges were with outgoing President Joe Biden's administration or with Trump or members of his incoming administration.

Ryabkov said Moscow was prepared to listen to Trump's proposals regarding ending the war against Ukraine as long as they were "ideas on how to move forward in the area of settlement, and not in the area of further pumping the Kyiv regime with all kinds of aid."

A report by the British daily the Telegraph this week suggested that Trump could propose freezing the current front line, which runs through significant swaths of territory in eastern Ukraine, setting up a buffer zone between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

In exchange, the newspaper reported based on sources close to Trump, Ukraine would agree not to join NATO for 20 years and Washington would provide Kyiv with a large amount of weapons to deter Russia from resuming the war.

On November 9, a long-time Republican strategist who worked on Trump’s campaign told the BBC that the incoming administration would be asking Zelenskiy for a “realistic vision for peace.”

According to the strategist, Bryan Lanza, that vision would not include restoring territory occupied by Russia in eastern Ukraine, nor Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, which Russia invaded and illegally annexed in 2014.

“If President Zelenskiy comes to the table and says, well we can only have peace if we have Crimea, he shows to us that he's not serious. Crimea is gone," Lanza said.

A spokesperson from the incoming Trump administration later said that Lanza did not speak for Trump and that the president-elect’s transition team is still drafting policies that Trump might adopt in his second term in office.

"Nobody knows exactly what the new administration is going to do," Borrell told an AFP journalist accompanying him on his trip to Kyiv, noting that Biden still has two months left in office. "But we Europeans have to use this opportunity in order to build a stronger and united Europe, and one of the manifestations of being united and being stronger and able to act is our role in supporting Ukraine."

Borrell said it was up to EU countries to decide "when and how to increase" their support if needed. However, he added that at a meeting of EU leaders in Budapest on November 8 "most of the member states were insisting on the same line, [to] continue supporting Ukraine."

Ukrainian troops are fatigued and stretched as Russian invading forces make gradual gains in the east. Meanwhile, Russian drone and missile attacks on civilian infrastructure continue.

Russian drones struck an apartment building in Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa late on November 8, triggering a large fire.

'Life Or Death': Drones Deliver Supplies To Ukraine's Front Line (video)
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The public broadcaster Suspilne and other media outlets posted video on social media showing cars and buildings ablaze and thick smoke billowing skyward.

One person was killed and 13 injured, including children, in the attack, the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office said on November 9.

A further 32 Russian drones were shot down over 10 Ukrainian regions, while 18 were "lost," according to Ukraine's air force, likely having been electronically jammed.

Experts say systematic or widespread bombardment of housing, civilian objects, and infrastructure are strictly prohibited by international humanitarian law, criminal law, and human rights law. Russia regularly denies targeting Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.

Meanwhile, a source in Ukraine's SBU Security Service told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service on November 9 that drones had struck the Aleksinsky chemical plant in the Tula region about 200 kilometers south of Moscow.

The plant produces gunpowder, ammunition, and weapons. The targeting of the plant was part of a strategy to target factories that support Moscow's war against Ukraine, the source said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said earlier that 50 Ukrainian drones were destroyed over Russian regions overnight. The governor of the Tula region said a house there had been damaged by drone debris. He made no mention of the reported strike on the plant.

Deadly Blast Rips Through Pakistani Train Station

The prime minister of Pakistan has denounced a suspected suicide bombing at a train station in a restive part of the country that killed dozens and wounded many more earlier on November 9.

Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement that those who orchestrated the attack in Quetta in southwestern Pakistan "will pay a very heavy price for it," adding that security forces were determined to eliminate "the menace of terrorism."

Police and hospital officials told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that 24 people had been killed and 53 injured in the bombing.

The attack happened when nearly 100 passengers were waiting for a train to travel to the garrison city of Rawalpindi from Quetta, the capital of the restive Balochistan province, the city's police chief Mohammad Baloch told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal.

Deadly Blast Rocks Pakistani Train Station
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The separatist group, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed the attack in a statement, saying a suicide bomber targeted troops present at the railway station. The outlawed BLA has long waged an insurgency seeking independence from Islamabad.

Police said about a dozen security forces were among those killed in the attack.

Video from the site after the attack showed the steel structure of the platform's roof blown apart and luggage strewn far and wide.

Ayesha Faiz, a Quetta police official quoted by AP, said some of the critically wounded passengers had died at a hospital, raising the death toll.

The attack came a little over a week after a powerful bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded near a vehicle carrying police officers assigned to protect polio workers in Balochistan, killing nine people including five nearby children.

The oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest but also least populated province. It is also a hub for the country's ethnic Baluch minority who have long accused the central authorities of discrimination and exploitation.

The Baloch Liberation Army has waged an over 20-year insurgency against the Pakistani state, carrying out mostly small-scale attacks against government forces as well as foreigners, especially Chinese nationals who are in Pakistan as part of Beijing's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which is building major infrastructure projects.

Last month, BLA claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that targeted a convoy with Chinese nationals outside the Karachi airport, killing two. Since then, Beijing has asked Pakistan to ensure the safety of its citizens working on multiple projects in Balochistan and other parts of the country.

With reporting by AP

Pentagon To Allow U.S. Defense Contractors To Maintain Weapons In Ukraine, Reports Say

F16 fighter jets require high-tech expertise to repair. (file photo)
F16 fighter jets require high-tech expertise to repair. (file photo)

The Pentagon is easing restrictions to allow a small number of private U.S. defense contractors to work inside Ukraine, according to reports in U.S. media on November 8. The contractors will help repair and maintain equipment far away from the front lines and will not be taking part in combat, U.S. officials quoted in the reports said. Ukraine has received a number of sophisticated weapons systems as part of the U.S. military assistance provided to the country over the past two years. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Pentagon was allowing the contractors to go because some equipment -- including F-16 fighter jets and air-defense systems -- requires high-tech expertise to repair. Using the contractors, they said, will ensure the weapons are fixed quickly so Ukrainian forces can continue to use them in combat. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.

Musk Reportedly Took Part In Call Between Trump And Zelenskiy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and President-elect Donald Trump (file photo)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and President-elect Donald Trump (file photo)

Elon Musk was present during a phone conversation between U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to media reports citing sources. A senior Ukrainian official who asked to remain anonymous told AFP on November 8 that the information first reported by Axios about the November 7 call was accurate. The billionaire founder of SpaceX and Tesla said during the call that he would continue to support Ukraine through his Starlink satellites. Zelenskiy thanked Musk for the satellite Internet devices, which are used by Ukrainian troops. The Ukrainian president also congratulated Trump on his victory, and Trump said he would support Ukraine but did not go into details. Musk gave millions of dollars to support Trump's presidential campaign and made public appearances with him, but some of his statements about U.S. military support for Ukraine have angered Kyiv.

Russia Expands 'Foreign Agents' Registry With New Additions

Dmitry Treshchanin is a former web editor for Current Time.
Dmitry Treshchanin is a former web editor for Current Time.

In a move that extends Russia's crackdown on dissent, the Justice Ministry on November 8 added several high-profile journalists and entities to its controversial registry of "foreign agents."

The new entries include journalist Dmitry Treshchanin from the independent outlet Mediazona, Chechen opposition blogger Tumso Abdurahmanov, and stand-up comedian Denis Alesin (aka Denis Chuzhoi), as well as the online news platform Govorit neMoskva.

The "foreign agent" label, introduced by Russian authorities in 2012 and expanded in 2020, has been widely criticized for targeting independent journalists, activists, and media outlets. The designation requires those on the list to register with the government, report their activities, and disclose funding sources.

Treshchanin has long been known for his independent reporting on Russian political affairs, including the war in Ukraine. Prior to joining Mediazona, Treshchanin worked for the independent television channels Dozhd and Current Time, outlets that have faced increasing pressure from the Russian government.

His reporting on sensitive issues, including state corruption and human rights violations, has led to consistent harassment and threats.

Abdurahmanov, a prominent opposition figure and vocal critic of the authoritarian leader of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, gained international attention through YouTube videos in which he exposed human rights abuses and corruption in Chechnya.

A native of Chechnya, Abdurahmanov fled the region in the mid-2010s after a conflict with Kadyrov's family and eventually sought asylum in Sweden in 2021.

His reporting on the authoritarian practices of Chechen officials has made him a target of harassment, including a 2020 assassination attempt in his Swedish apartment. Abdurahmanov managed to subdue his attackers, later identifying them as Russian nationals, though the perpetrators' direct ties to the Chechen leadership were not conclusively proven.

Alesin is a popular Russian stand-up comedian, writer, and blogger known for his participation in Russia's Open Mic comedy shows and his satirical YouTube projects. His comedy series, including Klass Naroda (The People’s Class) and Neuverennaya Rossia (Uncertain Russia), have garnered millions of views.

Alesin became a public figure in Russia for his outspoken opposition to the war in Ukraine, issuing an open letter to President Vladimir Putin in 2022 denouncing the invasion. Following the letter, he received threats and ultimately left Russia.

Govorit neMoskva, an online publication focused on regional news from across Russia, provides in-depth coverage of lesser-known stories from the Russian provinces, a source of independent reporting that has increasingly drawn the ire of the Russian authorities.

The inclusion of these individuals and organizations highlights the Kremlin's ongoing efforts to suppress critical voices and curb dissent, particularly as it faces increasing international scrutiny over its actions in Ukraine and the repression of domestic opposition.

Critics of the law argue that it is a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate and silence independent media and activists who challenge the government's narrative.

Updated

Court Documents Allege Iranian-Backed Plot To Assassinate Trump, Dissidents

President-elect Donald Trump (file photo)
President-elect Donald Trump (file photo)

The U.S. Justice Department on November 8 unsealed criminal charges that include details of a plot allegedly backed by Iran to kill President-elect Donald Trump before the November 5 election.

A criminal complaint filed in federal court in New York City alleges that an unnamed official in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) instructed a contact to develop a plan to surveil and ultimately kill Trump, the Justice Department said in a news release.

Three men, including an Iranian national, were charged in the criminal complaint in connection with their alleged involvement in a separate plot to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin.

Two of the three men -- Carlisle Rivera, 49, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, both of New York City -- made an initial appearance in court on November 7 and were ordered detained pending trial, the department said.

The third man, identified as Farjad Shakeri, remains at large and is believed to be in Iran.

"The charges announced today expose Iran's continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump, other government leaders, and dissidents who criticize the regime in Tehran," FBI Director Christopher Wray said in the news release.

The IRGC "has been conspiring with criminals and hitmen to target and gun down Americans on U.S. soil and that simply won't be tolerated," he added.

Shakeri allegedly recruited Rivera and Loadhold to follow and kill a prominent Iranian-American. The target was not named in the news release or in court documents but appears to be dissident journalist Masih Alinejad.

Alinejad said on X that she was shocked to have learned of the plot from the FBI.

"I also learned that the person assigned to assassinate @realDonaldTrump was also assigned to kill me on U.S. soil," she said on X, calling on Trump to be tough on terrorism. "The Islamic Republic understands only one language: the language of pressure," she said.

Alinejad, who has criticized Iran's laws requiring women to wear a hijab, was the target of a kidnapping plot in 2021, and in 2022 a man was arrested with a rifle outside her home.

The Justice Department said Shakeri was an IRGC "asset" who immigrated to the United States as a child and was deported around 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for robbery.

According to the criminal complaint, Shakeri allegedly disclosed the plot to assassinate Trump in telephone conversations with FBI agents in recent months.

Shakeri spoke with FBI agents because he was hoping to obtain a sentence reduction for a person who is imprisoned in the United States, the court document said.

Shakeri told the FBI he was approached by an IRGC official about organizing the assassination of Trump. He planned to use a network of criminal associates he met in prison, including Loadholt and Rivera, to supply the IRGC with operatives to conduct surveillance and assassinations of IRGC targets, the Justice Department said.

Shakeri promised to pay $100,000 in the murder-for-hire plot described in the document in which Alinejad appears to be the target.

The IRGC also tasked Shakeri with carrying out other assassinations of U.S. and Israeli citizens located in the United States, according to the press release.

"In particular, Shakeri has informed law enforcement that he was tasked on October 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill President-elect Donald J. Trump," the Justice Department said.

Shakeri was unable to draft a plan within the time span requested by the IRGC official, and the official then told him Iran would pause its plan until after the presidential election because the official believed Trump would lose and it would be easier to assassinate him afterward, the criminal complaint said.

The United States has repeatedly accused Iran of seeking to assassinate U.S. officials in retaliation for the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, who died in a U.S. military drone strike in Iraq in 2020.

In his first term as president, Trump withdrew the United States from an international nuclear agreement negotiated between Iran and nuclear powers, imposed new sanctions on the country, and classified the IRGC as a terrorist organization.

Shakeri, Rivera, and Loadholt have all been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and money-laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Shakeri faces additional charges related to terrorism.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and dpa

Russia Summons Canadian Diplomat To Reject Sabotage Accusations

Reports said the devices ignited in July in depots of global courier DHL in the British city of Birmingham and the German city of Leipzig.
Reports said the devices ignited in July in depots of global courier DHL in the British city of Birmingham and the German city of Leipzig.

Moscow summoned a Canadian diplomat on November 8 to rebut Western allegations that Russia's secret services had orchestrated a campaign to mail explosive packages to addresses in NATO countries, including Canada.

After a series of fires at DHL depots in Britain and Germany during the summer, Russia was accused of being behind a brazen plot to ship explosive parcels via commercial airliners.

Ottawa expressed its concern earlier this week to Russian officials after Poland and Lithuania announced several arrests as a result of a probe into attempts to send parcels packaged with explosives on cargo flights to the United States and Canada.

"The deputy head of the Canadian diplomatic mission in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where he was handed a note in connection with false accusations of allegedly planned 'Russian sabotage' against NATO countries," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in post on Telegram.

Moscow said the Canadian diplomat "was told that these speculations" were being spread in a "coordinated manner, in the context of the hybrid war" being waged against Russia by the West.

Russia blasted the allegations as "false," "unacceptable," and part of a "provocation" being led by the United States, the ministry said.

Canada's Public Safety Ministry said Ottawa was "aware of and deeply concerned with Russia's intensifying campaign, from cyber-incidents and disinformation operations to sabotage activities."

It confirmed the Canadian government had "expressed this concern directly to Russian officials and unequivocally stated that any threat to the safety and security of Canadians is unacceptable."

The ministry added there was "no imminent threat" to the public but said Canada "will continue to monitor the situation very closely."

Canadian Transport Minister Anita Anand told reporters on November 6 that she required "more information" on the alleged plot but said she would taking "additional steps" to ensure the safety of passengers and packages but provided no details.

Many Western intelligence agencies have accused Moscow of involvement in sabotage acts in Europe as well, which they have said are targeted at destabilizing allies of Ukraine.

With reporting by AFP

Russian Pediatrician May Face Prison For Anti-War Comments To Patients

Nadezhda Buyanova appears in a Moscow court in May.
Nadezhda Buyanova appears in a Moscow court in May.

The prosecution has requested a six-year prison sentence for 68-year-old Russian pediatrician Nadezhda Buyanova on charges related to the dissemination of so-called "fake news" about the Russian military.

Buyanova, who has been in pretrial detention since her arrest in February, is accused of making defamatory statements about the Russian Army during a medical appointment.

The case against Buyanova was initiated after a complaint from Anastasia Akinshina, a Moscow mother who brought her 7-year-old son to the pediatrician for a checkup. During the appointment, Buyanova allegedly noticed that the child was acting nervous.

When Akinshina explained that her son was struggling with the trauma of losing his father, a Russian soldier killed in the war in Ukraine, Buyanova is said to have referred to the deceased father as a "legitimate military target" in front of the child.

This remark, according to Akinshina, prompted her to file a complaint with law enforcement.

Buyanova denies making any such statement and insists that she did not discuss the military or the boy's father with Akinshina during the visit. The pediatrician maintains that she is the victim of a false accusation.

Buyanova's defense attorney, Oskar Cherdzhiyev, argued during hearing on November 8, that the pediatrician had committed no crime and that the case was based on slander and a deliberate fabrication.

Cherdzhiyev pointed out that he had been denied access to a search that was conducted at Buyanova's home during which law enforcement officials allegedly committed several procedural violations.

Cherdzhiyev also highlighted contradictions in the child's testimony. The defense attorney pointed out that he was too young to understand or articulate terms like "aggressor country," "legitimate target," or "special military operation" (the official Russian term for the invasion of Ukraine).

Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis

RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

The defense also raised questions about the credibility of the child's testimony, suggesting that it may have been influenced by external parties.

Buyanova was dismissed from her job following the complaint filed by Akinshina. She has consistently denied the allegations and has called for her reinstatement. A court ruled in her favor in July, demanding that she be reinstated to her position at the medical clinic.

The case has drawn attention from human rights groups and the media, particularly due to the growing number of legal actions under Russia's "fake news" law, which has been increasingly used to silence critics of the government and its military actions, especially those related to the war in Ukraine.

Critics argue that the law is part of a broader pattern of repression designed to stifle dissent and control public discourse regarding Russia's actions in Ukraine.

Buyanova's case has also sparked concerns about the politicization of health-care professionals, as the law appears to be increasingly weaponized against those who speak out against government policies or make statements deemed contrary to the state's official narrative.

Official In Ukrainian President's Office Was Frequent Flier To Russia, Investigation Finds

Since air traffic between Ukraine and Russia was stopped after 2014, Oleh Tatarov mainly reached Moscow from Kyiv on flights via Minsk.
Since air traffic between Ukraine and Russia was stopped after 2014, Oleh Tatarov mainly reached Moscow from Kyiv on flights via Minsk.

The last known time Oleh Tatarov flew to Moscow was on April 22, 2019, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy won his first term in office.

A little over one year later, Tatarov was a controversial high-ranking member of Zelenskiy's administration in Kyiv.

Tatarov's appointment to serve as deputy head of the presidential office in August 2020 raised eyebrows, with critics pointing out that he was a key police official under former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, has been accused of representing pro-Russian figures as a lawyer in Ukraine, and was himself once named as a suspect in a corruption investigation.

Now, a new investigation by the Schemes investigation unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has uncovered that Tatarov traveled to Russia from Ukraine at least nine times from 2017 to 2019.

The investigation suggests that shortly before his appointment to work in the presidential office, Tatarov, while working as a lawyer, was traveling to an avowed enemy of Ukraine.

The investigation also reveals that Tatarov's trips to Russia came three years after Russia's illegal invasion and annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for anti-Kyiv separatists in eastern Ukraine in February 2014.

Zelenskiy has been in office the entirety of the current war that began with Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Tatarov, was a deputy head of the Main Investigation Department of the Interior Ministry who was dismissed following the pro-Western Euromaidan protests of November 2013 to February 2014, which he had worked to suppress.

Amid the protests, Schemes later reported, Tatarov was awarded as an "honored lawyer of Ukraine" by former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia in February 2014 after being ousted from power by the Euromaidan protests.

Shortly afterward, Russia occupied Crimea and backed pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine fighting against Kyiv.

In the ensuing years, Tatarov went on to become a high-profile lawyer who has been accused of representing Vadym Novinskiy, a Russian-born tycoon who made his fortune in Ukraine and was involved with the pro-Russian opposition, and Andriy Portnov, a former deputy head of Yanukovych's office.

As a lawyer, Tatarov also headed the legal department of the Ukrbud construction company.

Three months after becoming deputy head of Zelenskiy's administration in 2020, which drew fierce criticism from Euromaidan activists, the president's office was notified that a deputy head of the office was among three suspects, along with the owner of Ukrbud, in a case looking into allegations of corruption.

Tatarov denied any wrongdoing or involvement in the alleged crimes, and highlighted his role as the head of the anti-corruption body within the president's office. The case was eventually transferred to Ukraine's Security Service and dropped in April 2022.

Tatarov’s position in the presidential administration nevertheless continued to attract scrutiny, and the latest Schemes investigation has raised new questions after it found that Tatarov traveled nine times to Russia from Ukraine after 2014.

Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis

RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

The investigation, published on November 7, determined that Tatarov traveled to Russia three times in 2017, four times in 2018, and twice in 2019 -- once just two weeks before the first round of Ukraine's presidential election, and the second a day after Zelenskiy won the runoff.

Direct air travel between Ukraine and Russia was suspended by Kyiv in 2014, requiring Tatarov to reach Moscow from Kyiv via Belarus. Schemes came to its conclusions based on its analysis of border-crossing data from three countries -- Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.

The data from Russia and Belarus, a key Moscow ally in the full-scale invasion Russia launched against Ukraine in February 2022, was based on leaked databases obtained by Schemes.

There is no evidence that Tatarov, who was working as a lawyer at the time, broke any laws.

Schemes sent questions to Zelenskiy's office requesting comment on the investigation's findings and asking what the purposes of Tatarov's trips to Russia were and with whom he met.

Neither the president's office nor Tatarov has responded to the requests. However, in comments to BBC Ukraine on November 7, Tatarov denied traveling to Russia or communicating with representatives of Russia.

"It is absolutely unacceptable to spread unreliable data and even hints about the alleged existence of my communication with someone from Russia or trips to its territory. Especially with reference to enemy-controlled sources," Tatarov told BBC Ukraine in written comments.

Kazakh Journalist Mukhammedkarim's Appeal Of Prison Sentence Denied

Duman Mukhammedkarim (file photo)
Duman Mukhammedkarim (file photo)

An Almaty regional court in Kazakhstan upheld the seven-year prison sentence handed to journalist Duman Mukhammedkarim for allegedly "financing an extremist group" and "participating in a banned group's activities," charges he rejects as politically motivated. Mukhammedkarim's lawyer, Ghalym Nurpeiisov, told RFE/RL in an interview on November 8, that the court decision was a violation of the journalist's rights and alleged the case had political motives. Mukhammedkarim's arrest in June 2023 followed an interview he did with exiled opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov, whose Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan movement is banned in the country. The closed appeal session prevented supporters from attending, but activists gathered outside the courthouse chanting, “Free Duman!” Mukhammedkarim's defense plans to appeal the ruling further. Human rights groups in Kazakhstan have recognized Mukhammedkarim as a political prisoner. Kazakh authorities insist that there are no political prisoners in the tightly controlled former Soviet republic. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.

Ukraine, Russia Exchange Bodies Of Fallen Soldiers

International Red Cross representatives check body bags containing the remains of soldiers during an exchange of bodies between Russia and Ukraine. (file photo)
International Red Cross representatives check body bags containing the remains of soldiers during an exchange of bodies between Russia and Ukraine. (file photo)

The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported that the bodies of 563 servicemen have been returned to Ukraine, of whom 320 were killed in Donetsk, 89 in Bakhmut, and another 154 had been in morgues on Russian territory. At the same time, the bodies of 37 Russian servicemen have been returned to Russia. The International Committee of the Red Cross, the Security Service of Ukraine, Ukraine's Interior Ministry, and other representatives of security and defense institutions assisted in the exchange, the Coordination Headquarters reported. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.

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