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8 Members Of Tajik Opposition Group Detained In Italy
Activists from the Tajik opposition movement Group 24 said on April 24 that police in Italy detained the movement's eight members a day earlier. According to the Group 24, Tajik opposition activists from the EU countries gathered in Rome to take part in a rally challenging policies of the Tajik President Emomali Rahmon during his ongoing official visit to Italy. Rahmon has been criticized by international human rights groups for years over his disregard for independent media, religious freedoms, civil society, and political pluralism. In March 2015, Group 24's founder, Umarali Quvatov, was assassinated in Istanbul, Turkey. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Tajik Service, click here.
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Russia Declares Barred Presidential Candidate, Soldiers' Wives Group 'Foreign Agents'
The Russian Justice Ministry on May 31 added Yekaterina Duntsova, who last year filed documents to register to run for president, to its list of so-called "foreign agents."
Duntsova announced in November 2023 that she was running for president on a platform of ending Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Duntsova, a journalist from the city of Rzhev and a former deputy of the Rzhev city council, has publicly appealed for an end to the war in Ukraine and spoken out against political repression in Russia.
The Central Election Commission in December refused to allow Duntsova to register her party and begin collecting signatures and campaigning. Duntsova believes that she was not allowed to participate for political reasons.
Russian President Vladimir Putin easily won a fifth term in office unchallenged by any meaningful opposition in the March 17 presidential election.
Earlier this month Putin signed a law prohibiting "foreign agents" from running in elections at any level in Russia. That means Duntsova and others labeled "foreign agents" will no longer be able to officially participate in politics.
However, Duntsova said she would not give up on creating her own party that will put forth candidates who will be able to take part in elections.
"My status does not affect the party and its members in any way. Therefore, we will continue, we will prepare candidates for the Moscow City Duma and for other elections," she said on Telegram.
The Justice Ministry also on May 31 declared a women's organization that has been campaigning for the return of mobilized men as a "foreign agent."
The ministry addded the Put Domoy (The Way Home) movement, which has organized women-led protests in Moscow to bring mobilized men back from Ukraine, to its "foreign agent" list.
The Justice Ministry accused Put Domoy of working to create a "negative image" of Russia and the Russian Army and said it had called for illegal protests.
Wives of Russian men mobilized to fight in Ukraine make up the bulk of the organization's membership.
The register of "foreign agents," which Moscow has used to silence dissent, now also includes political strategist and human rights activist Marina Litvinovich and Pavel Ivanov, known as the blogger Partisan, and the publications Republic and Sota, one of the few independent media reporting from Russia.
Sota had previously been added to the register of so-called "undesirable organizations" by the Prosecutor-General's Office.
It said the news outlet had criticized the Ukraine offensive and that its employees included "foreign agents" living abroad.
With reporting by AFP
- By Reuters
Georgian PM Calls For Review Of Relations With U.S.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on May 31 called for a review of relations with the United States after Washington ordered punitive measures over passage of a "foreign agent," law. "Georgian-American relations must truly be reviewed. We'll discuss this with the ambassador," Kobakhidze said, according to Russia's RIA Novosti news agency. Georgia's parliament, controlled by Kobakhidze's Georgian Dream party, passed the law requiring organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from overseas to register as agents of foreign influence. The legislation has sparked large street protests. Opponents say it is authoritarian and inspired by similar legislation in Russia.
- By AP
France Files Terror Charges Against Chechen Teen Accused Of Plan To Attack Olympic Fans
French authorities on May 31 filed preliminary terrorism charges against an 18-year-old man from Chechnya accused of a plot targeting spectators attending soccer games at the upcoming Paris Olympics. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a statement that members of the General Directorate of Internal Security arrested him on May 22 on suspicion of being behind the plot. The man is accused of planning a "violent action"’ on behalf of the Islamic State group's jihadist ideology, the national counterterrorism prosecutor's office said in a statement. The man, who was not identified, is in custody pending further investigation. The Paris Olympics start in eight weeks.
4 Pakistani Soldiers Killed By Roadside Bomb
Four army soldiers were killed and three injured when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device planted in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. A military officer told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that the incident occurred on May 31 in the Janikhel area of Bannu district, bordering the North Waziristan tribal district. There's been no claim of responsibility for the attack. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, click here.
Former Armenian President Sarkisian Acquitted On Corruption Charges
Former Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has been acquitted more than four years after going on trial on corruption charges that he rejected as politically motivated.
Prosecutors said they will appeal the verdict handed down on May 31 by a Yerevan court.
Sarkisian, who ruled Armenia from 2008-18, was charged with giving privileged treatment in 2013 to his longtime friend, businessman Barsegh Beglarian, which allegedly cost the state more than $1 million in losses.
According to the prosecution, Sarkisian made sure that a government tender for supplies of subsidized diesel fuel to farmers was won by Beglarian's Flash company, rather than another fuel importer that offered a lower price.
The ex-president has said all along that the tender was fair because only Flash met the bidding specifications set by the Agriculture Ministry.
He also claimed that he and Beglarian were indicted as part of a political vendetta waged by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. The latter came to power in 2018 while leading mass protests that forced Sarkisian to resign.
Sarkisian's lawyer, Amram Makinian, praised the judge who presided over the marathon trial for clearing his client of any wrongdoing.
"This verdict shows that justice in Armenia is not yet completely dead and that we still have a chance to restore it," Makinian told reporters after its announcement.
"There was no evidence whatsoever in the case file of my defendant's wrongdoing," Makinian said, calling the verdict "the only possible ruling that the court could have delivered."
Sarkisian was more reserved. "It's not that I'm thrilled by this decision or that a different decision would have been a tragedy for me," he said. "Given the fact that the statute of limitations for such deeds has long expired, this verdict has a primarily moral significance for me."
Sarkisian refused last year to enter a plea on the statute of limitations and thus cut short his trial, insisting on his desire for a formal acquittal. He would not have gone to prison even if he had been found guilty.
The ex-president, who will turn 70 on June 30, did not quit active politics after losing power. He continues to lead the Republican Party, one of the two opposition groups represented in the current parliament.
With reporting by AFP
Stoltenberg More Confident About Ukraine's Ability To Defend Kharkiv After Policy Shift On Weapons
PRAGUE -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he’s more confident that Ukraine can successfully defend the eastern city of Kharkiv now that NATO allies have eased restrictions on the use of weapons they supply to hit targets inside Russia.
Stoltenberg told RFE/RL that the shift in policy, which was formally announced by the United States on May 31 and followed by Germany, was "legitimate" as Ukraine defends itself, particularly the city of Kharkiv, which lies just 35 kilometers from Ukraine’s border with Russia and has been under almost daily attack since Russia launched a new cross-border offensive about three weeks ago.
Until now, Ukrainian forces had been unable to strike Russian forces massing in Russian territory with Western-supplied weapons, because of concerns by the United States and some of Ukraine's other Western allies that doing so would escalate the war.
"The right of self-defense also includes the right to strike targets on the territory of the aggressor. And that's exactly what Ukraine must be able to do," Stoltenberg said, speaking to RFE/RL on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Prague.
Stoltenberg said it would be very difficult if artillery batteries, missile batteries, and airfields on the Russian side continued to be "safe for Russians" because the Ukraine was prevented from using the weapons supplied by NATO allies against them.
"I welcome, therefore, that the NATO allies have eased restrictions and made it clear that, of course, Ukraine has right for self-defense," he said.
The NATO chief said that the alliance was prepared to give Ukraine the support it needs to prevail and "stop the Russian invader." More weapons and ammunition are coming in from NATO allies, "and therefore, I am confident that Ukraine absolutely can prevail," Stoltenberg said.
Asked specifically about reports of a lack of air defenses on NATO's eastern flank, Stoltenberg said NATO was ready and able to protect all NATO allies and had agreed on new defense plans.
"We increased ambitions because we live in the more dangerous world. So there's a need to invest more to meet those requirements coming from the new defense plans, and that includes also investing more in air defense," he said.
He cited an agreement to acquire or to field 700 or more fifth-generation fighter jets, which he said will enhance air defense; that U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin has agreed to build a new factory for Patriot missiles in Germany; and Poland and other allies are buying "huge amounts of advanced air-defense systems."
Many other allies are ramping up production, he said, "so there will be more, and we are investing more, including air defense."
Alliance members have been under pressure for years to ramp up defense spending after agreeing more than a decade ago to raise it to 2 percent of GDP.
Stoltenberg reiterated in the interview that only a few years ago, the number of countries that met that threshold was less than 10. As of February, it was 18, and he expects that number to increase even further.
Georgia Concerns
Stoltenberg also commented on the situation in Georgia, where the parliament is on the verge of passing a so-called "foreign agent" bill that mirrors similar legislation in Russia that has been used to stifle independent media and NGOs.
Asked whether it would be necessary in response to scale down NATO’s engagement with Georgia, a country that has applied for NATO membership, Stoltenberg said the foreign agent bill “takes Georgia in the wrong direction” and NATO allies have expressed concern about it.
"We need to ensure that the aspirations of the Georgian people to live in a democratic society is something which is met," he said.
The partnership between NATO and Georgia "has broad support" within the alliance, he added, and while concerns have been raised, there has been no discussion of consequences related to the "foreign agent" legislation.
Demonstrators Led By Archbishop Clash With Police In Latest Anti-Government Protest In Yerevan
Demonstrators led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian scuffled with riot police in Yerevan on May 31 as they rallied in the Armenian capital to demand Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's resignation.
One day after trying to surround the seat of Pashinian's government, the protesters marched to the nearby building of the Armenian Foreign Ministry to demand a meeting with Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.
Galstanian said Mirzoyan or other senior ministry officials must explain what he described as their failure to respond to "humiliating" anti-Armenian statements made by Azerbaijan's leaders.
The top diplomats refused to receive Galstanian and opposition lawmakers accompanying him, leading Galstanian to demand that the police let him into the building to "get the answers" himself.
"Either they will come out or we will go in," he told hundreds of supporters at the main entrance to the building, guarded by a comparable number of police.
After repeatedly threatening to use force during a four-hour standoff with the protesters, security forces tried to push the crowd back from the entrance. The protesters, including Galstanian, resisted, jostling with the police.
The Interior Ministry said afterward that at least 29 people were detained as a result. Two deacons of the Armenian Apostolic Church were reportedly among those arrested, and one of them was seriously injured, according to Galstanian.
Aram Hovannisian, chief of the national police and leader of the security forces at the scene, accused the outspoken archbishop of provoking the clash.
Galstanian, who claimed to have been kicked by one of the officers, blamed the police as well as Mirzoyan for the violence.
"Let the police know that they can't intimidate us. This is just a prelude," he said before leading the crowd back to the city's St. Anne Church, the starting point of his daily protests aimed at forcing Pashinian to step down.
The 53-year-old cleric, backed by the opposition, began his rallies in Yerevan on May 9 after leading protests in the northern Tavush Province against Pashinian's decision to cede several border areas to Azerbaijan.
Pashinian has said that the territorial concessions are necessary to prevent Azerbaijani military aggression against Armenia.
His detractors say he is creating additional security risks for the country and encouraging Baku to demand more territory.
Armenian police on May 30 scuffled with demonstrators and detained several of the activists as they rallied in the capital to demand Pashinian's resignation.
- By RFE/RL
EU Expands Sanctions On Iran Over Drone Transfers To Russia, Proxies
The Council of the European Union on May 31 placed sanctions on three Iranian entities and six individuals over their involvement in the transfer of drones to Russia and Tehran’s regional allies.
The move comes two weeks after the bloc opted to expand the scope of its restrictive measures against Iran because of its military support of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as well as its backing for the ‘axis of resistance’ -- a loose network of Iran’s regional allies and proxies.
The EU put sanctions on the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates military operations and is in charge of the armed forces' operational command and control. The bloc said it had also blacklisted one of its commanders.
It has also imposed sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy (IRGC-N), over its involvement in the delivery of weapons, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Yemen's Huthi rebels and the Lebanese Hizballah, among other armed groups.
Kavan Electronics Behrad, a company based in Iran, has been included in sanctions for procuring and selling components used in the production of drones. The company's chief executive and the chairman of its board of directors have also been added to sanctions.
The EU has also blacklisted Defense Minister Mohammadreza Ashtiani, IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, and Afshin Khalajifard, who leads the EU-sanctioned Iranian Aviation Industries Organization.
"Those targeted will be subject to an asset freeze and travel ban to the European Union. Additionally, the provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, to or for the benefit of natural or legal persons, entities or bodies listed is prohibited," the council said in a statement.
Iran has denied supplying drones to Russia to use against Ukraine.
Earlier this week, several EU member states renewed efforts to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization on the basis of a German court ruling.
Abram Paley, the U.S. point man on Iran, has said Washington "absolutely" supports efforts to blacklist the IRGC "worldwide."
The United States designated the IRGC in 2019, which Iran reciprocated by labeling U.S. Central Command as a terrorist organization.
With reporting by AP
75 Ukrainians Returned In Prisoner Exchange With Russia, Zelenskiy Says
Russia and Ukraine have held their first prisoner swap in more than three months, with each side exchanging 75 people in a deal mediated by the United Arab Emirates. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed the May 31 swap in a social media post saying that 71 soldiers and four civilians were returned to Ukraine, while the Russian Defense Ministry separately announced the return of 75 Russian soldiers from Ukraine. The last exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia took place on February 8. To read the original stories by RFE/RL's Ukrainian and Russian services, click here and here.
- By Mike Eckel and
- Rikard Jozwiak
Blinken Confirms Biden Change On Policy Toward Ukraine Using U.S. Weapons Inside Russia
PRAGUE -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says President Joe Biden has given Ukraine the go-ahead to use U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia for the limited purpose of defending the eastern city of Kharkiv amid pleas from Ukraine to allow its forces to defend the country against attacks originating from Russian territory.
Speaking in Prague on May 31 at an informal meeting of NATO-member foreign ministers, Blinken said Ukraine had asked Washington for authorization to use U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia as it tries to defeat Russian troops that began a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
"Over the past few weeks, Ukraine came to us and asked for the authorization to use weapons that we're providing to defend against this aggression, including against Russian forces that are massing on the Russian side of the border and then attacking into Ukraine," Blinken said.
"And that went right to the president, and as you've heard, he's approved use of our weapons for that purpose. Going forward, we'll continue to do what we've been doing, which is as necessary adapt and adjust," Blinken said.
Blinken's confirmation came after media reports quoting U.S. officials -- including one who spoke to RFE/RL -- that Biden has partially lifted the ban.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg had already added his backing to such a move saying during the Prague meeting that allies should consider lifting restrictions on the use of NATO weapons by Ukraine to hit targets on Russian territory.
The decision is a reversal of the U.S. refusal to let Ukraine use American weapons to hit targets inside Russia over fears that it would cause an escalation in the conflict.
Germany, for example, has expressed opposition to allowing the use of NATO-provided weapons to strike inside Russia, though a government spokesman on May 31 said it had also agreed that Kyiv could now use weapons supplied by Berlin to defend itself against strikes from positions just inside Russia.
"We are jointly convinced that Ukraine has the right, guaranteed under international law, to defend itself against these attacks," a German government spokesperson said in a statement.
"To do so, it can also use the weapons supplied for this purpose in accordance with its international legal obligations; including those supplied by us."
In an interview with RFE/RL in Prague on May 31, Lithuania's top diplomat, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said allies need to change how they are looking at the war in Ukraine and allow Kyiv to use weapons to a fuller extent.
"We should not be limiting Ukrainian ability to fight back because now it looks like they're fighting with one hand tied behind their back and it's not the way that you win war," he said.
"If we're serious about them winning, then we should allow them that to do that," he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised a response, warning of "serious consequences," especially for what he called "small countries" in Europe.
Russia's RIA Novosti news agency quoted Andrei Kartapolov, the head of the Russian parliament's lower house Defense Committee as saying on May 31 that Biden's decision would have no impact on Moscow's military operations against Ukraine.
- By RFE/RL
Western Allies Urge North Korea To Cease Giving Arms To Russia
Western allies on May 31 issued a joint statement calling on North Korea to stop its weapons transfers to Russia for use in Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The statement signed by the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea said they were "gravely concerned" by the increased cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang in defiance to UN resolutions. "We call on the DPRK (North Korea) and Russia to cease unlawful arms transfers," said the statement, adding that recent sanctions imposed by the signatories are a "coordinated effort" to hold Pyongyang and Moscow to account.
- By RFE/RL
Iran's Presidential Hopefuls Register To Run For Early Election After Raisi's Death
Nine presidential hopefuls so far have registered their candidacy to run in Iran's June 28 election, including a conservative heavyweight and a moderate who was barred from running in the 2021 presidential election.
The five-day registration period opened on May 30 and will close on June 3. The final list of candidates approved by the conservative-dominated Guardians Council will be released on June 11.
The early election was triggered by the May 19 death of President Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line cleric who died in a helicopter crash along with seven other people, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Based on Iranian state media reporting, former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili was the first political heavyweight to register his candidacy on May 30. The hard-liner is close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and ran his office in the early 2000s. He currently serves as one of Khamenei’s two representatives in the Supreme National Security Council.
Jalili has long championed a hard-line stance against the West and was a major critic of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers.
The 58-year-old first ran for president in 2013, finishing third with just over 11 percent of the votes. He also ran in the 2021 election but dropped out in favor of Raisi.
Another big name that has signed up is Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker and nuclear negotiator who registered his candidacy on May 31.
Once considered a political heavyweight, the 65-year-old moderate politician was surprisingly disqualified from running in the 2021 presidential election by the Guardians Council, whose members are directly and indirectly appointed by Khamenei.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) late on May 30, Larijani hinted that he had received the Iranian leader’s blessing to run in the election. He posted a map copied from a local ride-hailing application that showed the pickup location as Khamenei’s office and his first destination as the Interior Ministry to register his candidacy. The presidential palace was designated as the final destination.
Abdolnasser Hemmati, a moderate former central bank chief who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2021, also threw his hat in the ring on May 31.
Hemmati, 67, was the only nonconservative to be allowed to run in the 2021 election, securing less than 10 percent of the votes. There were more spoiled ballots than votes for Hemmati that year.
Another well-known name to register is Mostafa Kavakebian, a reformist politician and two-term lawmaker who was barred from the 2021 election.
Speculation in Iranian media suggests that a handful of prominent conservative names and low-profile reformist figures might sign up in the next few days.
More than 35 people have sought to register their candidacy since May 30, but the vast majority did not meet the requirements, according to a spokesman for Iran's election headquarters.
Since 2020, Iran has held two parliamentary and a presidential election, all of which saw record-low turnouts.
In recent elections, the authorities severely limited the playing field by disqualifying many moderate and reformist candidates, which may have contributed to the low voter participation. This was especially evident in February’s parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections, which were held concurrently.
But analysts say the public's disillusionment with the establishment has reached a point where even if the moderate voices were allowed to run, it would not have made a significant impact on voter turnout.
- By Reuters
Slovak Prime Minister Fico Released To Home Care, Hospital Says
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has moved to home care from a hospital in the central city of Banska Bystrica, where he had been recovering from an assassination attempt, the hospital said on May 31. An attacker shot Fico with four bullets at close range when the prime minister greeted supporters in the central Slovak town of Handlova on May 15. The attack left Fico, 59, in a serious condition and needing a five-hour operation and another one two days later. The attacker, identified as 71-year old Juraj C., was detained on the spot and charged with attempted premeditated murder. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
NATO Is In For 'The Long Haul' In Backing Ukraine, Says Stoltenberg
PRAGUE -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on May 31 that the military alliance must enhance its role in supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia's unprovoked invasion and make clear to Moscow that Western backing for Kyiv will continue for as long as necessary.
"We need to make sure that Moscow understands that we are prepared for the long haul in our support for Ukraine," Stoltenberg told journalists ahead of the start of a second day of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
The NATO gathering in the Czech capital, which is being attended by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, will discuss an aid package for Ukraine that would be presented at NATO's summit in Washington in July.
During the ministers' meeting, talks are scheduled on a plan presented by Stoltenberg in April on a framework that would transfer responsibility for military and civilian aid for Ukraine from an informal, U.S.-led group to the formal structures of the alliance.
NATO is currently not officially offering lethal military supplies to Kyiv.
Individual NATO member states have been channeling supplies through the Ukraine Contact Group (UCG), an initiative chaired by the United States known informally as the Ramstein Group.
"We will address how to sustain and step up our support for Ukraine, and I have proposed that NATO should play a bigger role in the coordination of the supply of the security assistance and training for Ukraine," Stoltenberg said.
"I also proposed a multiyear financial pledge to ensure more accountability and predictability in the support we provide for Ukraine."
The ministers are also likely to debate allowing Kyiv to use Western-provided weapons to strike targets inside Russia as Germany on May 31 followed in the footsteps of the United States and conditionally agreed with such a move.
Kyiv had the "right under international law to defend itself" against attacks coming from Russia, close to the border with Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, meanwhile, clarified that the approval "only refers to combating [Russian] attacks" on the Kharkiv region, which has been targeted repeatedly in recent weeks.
Pistorius told RFE/RL during a visit to Moldova's capital, Chisinau, that "however, with regard to weapons that can operate over a long distance of hundreds of kilometers, there is still a reluctance on our part."
Berlin's change of position came after several U.S. officials familiar with the matter told the media on May 30 that President Joe Biden had given Ukraine the go-ahead to use U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia for the limited purpose of defending the eastern city of Kharkiv.
The reported move, which came amid pleas from Ukraine to allow its forces to defend the country against attacks originating from Russian territory, was hailed by Serhiy Nykyforov, the press secretary of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who said it will "significantly boost" Ukraine's fightback.
Biden's reported change of heart came as pressure had been growing on the United States to allow the strikes.
Stoltenberg on May 31 reiterated that allies should consider lifting restrictions on the use of NATO weapons by Ukraine to hit targets on Russian territory, as it is part of Kyiv's right to self-defense.
"This is even more urgent as we see that Russia has opened a new front," Stoltenberg said.
"They have attacked from the north into the Kharkiv region and the front line and border line are more or less the same. They are hitting Ukraine with missiles, artillery based inside Russia, and of course Ukraine must be able to hit back and to defend themselves. This is part of the right to self-defense," he said.
In recent months, Russia has launched withering air and ground assaults against Ukraine, which has struggled with ammunition shortages. Kyiv has pleaded for an acceleration of deliveries of ammunition and also has asked to be allowed to use longer-range weapons -- which came with restrictions on their usage into Russian territory -- to their full extent.
"Allies are delivering many different types of military support to Ukraine and some of them have imposed some restrictions on the use of these weapons.... These are national decisions," Stoltenberg said in a speech delivered in Prague on May 30.
Both Stoltenberg and Blinken are due to hold news conferences after the end of the meeting later on May 31.
RFE/RL Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva Sees Detention Extended By Russian Court
A court in Russia on May 31 extended the pretrial detention of Alsu Kurmasheva, a Prague-based journalist with RFE/RL who holds dual U.S. and Russian citizenship, until August 5.
The Sovetsky district court of Kazan also rejected another request by Kurmasheva's lawyers to have her detention switched to house arrest.
While deliberations were held behind closed doors, representatives from the Australian and Czech embassies, along with reporters, were allowed into the courtroom for other parts of the hearing.
"The injustices multiply every day in this needless, cruel prosecution. Alsu's fundamental rights as an American citizen are being denied by Russian authorities who have now imprisoned her for 227 days," RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said in a statement after the decision.
"In that time, Alsu has not even had a single phone call with her loving children and husband; she's been denied U.S. consular access as well as basic, adequate levels of health care. Alsu should be home in Prague with her daughters helping them study for final exams -- not locked up in a Russian prison on baseless charges."
Before the decision was handed down, Kurmasheva, who has been held in detention since October 18, 2023, showed reporters children's drawings she has received.
"Parents independently sent me drawings by their children.... They asked them to draw freedom, happiness, joy, and so the children drew such wonderful drawings. Considering that this is probably the only grass and trees I will see this summer, this is priceless," Kurmasheva told spectators from behind the glass-walled defendant's box in the courtroom.
She added that she has been feeling steadily worse and needs surgery to correct issues she's suffering from.
Kurmasheva, 47, was arrested in Kazan last October and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent under a punitive Russian law that targets journalists, civil society activists, and others. She’s also been charged with spreading falsehoods about the Russian military and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
RFE/RL and the U.S. government say the charges are reprisals for her work as a journalist for RFE/RL in Prague. She had traveled to Russia to visit and care for her mother and was initially detained while waiting for her return flight on June 2 at Kazan airport, where her U.S. and Russian passports were confiscated.
Many critics and rights group say the so-called foreign agent law is used by the Kremlin to crack down on any dissent.
Moscow also has been accused of detaining Americans to use as bargaining chips to exchange for Russians jailed in the United States.
In February, 23 countries nominated Kurmasheva for the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano 2024 World Press Freedom Prize.
The prize, created in 1997, is an annual award that honors a person or a group of people who make an "outstanding" contribution to the defense and promotion of press freedom across the globe despite the "danger and persecution" they face.
Kurmasheva is one of four RFE/RL journalists -- Andrey Kuznechyk, Ihar Losik, and Vladyslav Yesypenko are the other three -- currently imprisoned on charges related to their work. Rights groups and RFE/RL have called repeatedly for the release of all four, saying they have been wrongly detained.
Losik is a blogger and contributor for RFE/RL’s Belarus Service who was convicted in December 2021 on several charges including the “organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order” and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Kuznechyk, a web editor for RFE/RL’s Belarus Service, was sentenced in June 2022 to six years in prison following a trial that lasted no more than a few hours. He was convicted of “creating or participating in an extremist organization.”
Yesypenko, a dual Ukrainian-Russian citizen who contributed to Crimea.Realities, a regional news outlet of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, was sentenced in February 2022 to six years in prison by a Russian judge in occupied Crimea after a closed-door trial. He was convicted of “possession and transport of explosives,” a charge he steadfastly denies.
Ukraine Signs Security Deals With Nordic Countries As Russia Ramps Up Attacks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on May 31 signed security and cooperation agreements with Sweden, Norway, and Iceland as he attended the third Ukraine-Northern Europe Summit in Stockholm.
The deals were signed as Russian strikes and shelling continued to wreak havoc in Ukraine's cities, killing civilians and damaging infrastructure.
"Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson and I signed a security cooperation and long-term support agreement between Ukraine and Iceland," Zelenskiy wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding that the Nordic country also pledged at least 30 million euros ($32.6 million) in financial support for Ukraine until 2028.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
"Iceland pledged to provide Ukraine with long-term economic, humanitarian, and defense assistance, as well as to facilitate its future EU and NATO membership," Zelenskiy added.
Earlier, Zelenskiy signed a similar agreement with Norway, with the NATO member pledging more than $1 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.
"This year, Norway will provide almost 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) in military aid to Ukraine. Together with allies, will help us develop capabilities in the field of modern combat aircraft and already records a clear readiness to transfer F-16 fighter jets," Zelenskiy said on X.
Sweden, the third Nordic country that Zelenskiy inked a security agreement with on May 31, has already announced a substantial military aid package for Kyiv.
The package of 13.3 billion Swedish crowns ($1.3 billion) announced by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on May 29 was the 16th since the start of Russia's invasion and includes two Swedish-made SAAB ASCC airborne early-warning-and-control aircraft.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told RFE/RL in Prague, where he was attending an informal meeting of his NATO-member colleagues, that the ASCC aircraft "add significantly" to Ukraine's ability to defend itself.
"An airborne radar is a capacity which Ukraine has lacked and now we, Sweden, will provide this," he added.
Zelenskiy's trip came as Russia struck Kyiv with an Iskander missile and several drones early on May 31, sparking a fire in a nonresidential building in the Ukrainian capital's Holosyivskiy district, the head of Kyiv's military administration, Serhiy Popko, said on Telegram.
Popko said there were no casualties. He added that all incoming drones were shot down by the capital's air defenses.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, the death toll of an overnight missile strike on a five-story apartment block has risen to five, regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said on May 31, adding that 25 people were wounded in the attack.
Russia has stepped up attacks on Kharkiv, located just 35 kilometers from the border, as part of an attempted Russian offensive in the region that President Vladimir Putin claimed is meant to establish a "buffer zone" to prevent Ukrainian strikes inside Russia's territory.
Meanwhile, a drone attack early on May 31 on an oil depot in Russia's Krasnodar region damaged three tankers filled with fuel, causing a fire, and injured two people, regional officials said.
Deadly Overnight Russian Missile Attack Targets Kharkiv
Governor Veniamin Kondratyev wrote on Telegram that the fire at the oil depot in the region's Temryuk district had been extinguished, while the head of the district said two people were injured by debris after Ukrainian drones were shot down.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces on May 31 also shot down Ukrainian drones over the Voronezh, Belgorod and Tambov regions.
Ukraine has not commented.
In the cities of Kazan and Nizhnekamsk in Russia's Tatarstan region, the local airports were shut down for two hours because of unspecified security threats.
Videos on social media early on May 31 purportedly showed drones flying over the region.
With reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Prague
1 Dead, 12 Wounded In Russian Shelling Of 5-Story Building In Kharkiv
Russian forces hit a five-story residential building in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, killing at least one person and causing a fire, Oleh Synyehubov, the governor of the Kharkiv region, said after the attack that occurred around midnight local time on May 30.
In addition to the one fatality, 12 people were injured, officials said early on May 31 after Synyehubov said on Telegram that it was possible that some people were trapped in the burning rubble.
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Mayor Ihor Terekhov said several strikes had occurred in the area after the initial hit.
Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, is located just 35 kilometers from the Russian border and has been repeatedly pounded by Moscow's artillery and air strikes over the past several weeks as Ukraine's defenses face difficulties in repelling such attacks.
Concern has been rising among Ukraine’s Western military backers about the attacks, which are part of a cross-border offensive that Moscow launched earlier this month.
In a reversal of policy, U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly gave Ukraine the go-ahead to use U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia for the purpose of defending the city of Kharkiv.
News of the decision, which has not been confirmed by the White House, came after calls grew louder for the U.S. to allow Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weapons against missile launchers and other military sites across the border from Kharkiv.
At two-day informal NATO foreign ministers meeting in Prague, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the "time has come" for members of the alliance to reconsider some of the restrictions attached to the use of weapons they supplied to Ukraine in support of the country's fight against Russia.
As the meeting kicked off on May 30, Russia launched a large-scale attack that targeted military and civilian infrastructure in nine Ukrainian regions, causing casualties and damage.
Russian missiles struck two locations in Kharkiv, wounding seven people, six of them women, Synyehubov said earlier on May 30.
"A two-story administrative building was hit, resulting in partial destruction, followed by a fire. Six women and one man received minor injuries," Synyehubov said.
Terekhov said critical infrastructure, including a gas pipeline, was damaged in the strikes, which also triggered a fire.
Separately, the Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down all 32 drones and seven of the 19 cruise missiles launched by Russia.
Ukraine also claimed naval drones destroyed two Russian "Tunets" boats in Crimea.
The Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) said in a statement that HUR's special unit Group 13, with the help of Ukrainian Magura V5 maritime attack drones, “once again successfully attacked the ship depot of the aggressor state of Russia in the temporarily occupied Crimea."
HUR said Russian troops used several attack helicopters to in an unsuccessful attempt to repel the attack. The Tunets is an 8.8-meter-long and 2.5-meter wide diesel boat mainly used by Russian border guards.
- By Reuters
Moldovan Parliament Denounces Russian 'Genocide' In Ukraine
Moldova's parliament on May 30 denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine as "genocide" in connection with Moscow's treatment of children in occupied areas, but the assembly's Moscow-friendly opposition parties refused to take part in the vote. Sixty deputies in the 101-seat assembly backed the declaration, joining several national parliaments in adopting similar documents and also offering to continue extending assistance to Ukrainians fleeing the conflict. The more than 2-year-old invasion, denounced by pro-European President Maia Sandu, has buffeted the country, with a large number of drone and missile fragments falling on its territory. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Biden Partially Lifts Ban On Ukraine Using U.S. Weapons In Strikes Inside Russia: Reports
U.S. President Joe Biden has given Ukraine the go-ahead to use U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia for the limited purpose of defending the eastern city of Kharkiv, several U.S. officials familiar with the matter told the media.
The move comes amid pleas from Ukraine to allow its forces to defend the country against attacks originating from Russian territory.
Pressure has been growing on the United States to allow the strikes as a number of other NATO countries signaled they were open to the possibility and as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking earlier on May 30 at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Prague, said that allies should consider lifting restrictions on the use of NATO weapons by Ukraine to hit targets on Russian territory.
According to Politico, which first reported Biden’s policy change, the president “recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use U.S. weapons for counter-fire purposes in Kharkiv so Ukraine can hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them.”
Politico cited an unidentified U.S. official who added that the policy of allowing long-range strikes inside Russia “has not changed.”
There’s been no official comment from the White House or reaction from Ukraine.
News of Biden's policy change broke soon after the Pentagon had announced that the United States' stance against using its weapons to attack targets within Russia had remained unchanged.
"The security assistance that we provide Ukraine is to be used within Ukraine. And we don't encourage attacks, or enable attacks, inside of Russia," Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said earlier on May 30.
The decision would be a reversal of the U.S. refusal to let Ukraine use American weapons to hit targets inside Russia over fears that it would cause an escalation in the conflict. Germany also had expressed its opposition to allowing the use of NATO-provided weapons to strike inside Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised a response, warning of "serious consequences," especially for what he called "small countries" in Europe.
With reporting by Politico, AP, Reuters, BBC, Nerw York Times, and Washington Post
- By Reuters
Russia Not Invited To D-Day 80th Anniversary, French Presidency Says
Russia will not be invited to events marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings next week given its war of aggression against Ukraine, the French Presidency said on May 30. Organizers had said in April that President Vladimir Putin would not be invited but that some Russian representatives would be welcome in recognition of the country's sacrifices during World War II. The commemorations will be attended by dozens of heads of state and government, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. President Joe Biden. In a briefing with reporters, a French Presidency official confirmed Russia's absence and said that Zelenskiy had been invited given his country's "just fight" in the war against Russia.
- By RFE/RL
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Wagner-Linked C.A.R. Companies
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on two Central African Republic companies on May 30 for their alleged involvement with Russia's Wagner private military company. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the companies -- Mining Industries SARLU and Logistique Economique Etrangere SARLU -- play a vital role in Wagner security operations and illicit mining endeavors in C.A.R. Mining Industries. SARLU leases aircraft to Wagner and Logistique Economique Etrangere supplies Wagner-linked illicit mining equipment, according to a Treasury press release. The U.S. Treasury previously sanctioned three other Wagner-related C.A.R. companies. To read the full statement from the U.S. Treasury Department, click here.
- By AP
Andrew Tate Loses Appeal To Relax Judicial Restrictions As He Awaits Trial In Romania
Andrew Tate, the divisive social media influencer awaiting trial in Romania on charges of human trafficking and rape, lost an appeal on May 30 to have the Bucharest Court of Appeal relax geographical restrictions preventing him from traveling outside the Eastern European country. Tate challenged the May 10 decision that extended restrictions by 60 days, stipulating he may not leave the country. Tate had requested that he be able to leave Romania provided he stay within Europe’s visa-free Schengen zone, which Romania partially joined in March. Tate will face additional charges in the United Kingdom after legal proceedings in Romania conclude.
- By dpa
Germany Pledges New $542 Million Arms Package To Ukraine
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on May 30 announced a new German arms package worth 500 million euros ($542 million) to support Ukraine. Pistorius made the announcement during a visit to the Ukrainian port city of Odesa and after meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to discuss Kyiv's military needs. The package contains a large number of missiles for medium-range IRIS-T SLM air-defense systems and a smaller number of SLS missiles with shorter ranges. It also includes drones for reconnaissance and combat in the Black Sea as well as urgently needed spare parts such as replacement barrels for artillery systems supplied by Germany and replacement engines for Leopard battle tanks.
Pakistan Says 4 Citizens Killed After Iranian Border Guards Open Fire
Iranian border guards opened fire on a vehicle carrying Pakistani citizens near the border village of Mashkel in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan Province, killing four people and injuring two others.
Omar Jamali, the deputy commissioner of Pakistan’s Washuk district, confirmed the shooting in the Washuk region, close to the border where violence often erupts.
Sahibzada Asfand, a government administrator, said the circumstances that prompted the gunfire remain unclear.
Neither Tehran nor the Pakistani Foreign Ministry have commented on the incident.
The shooting comes amid already strained relations between Iran and Pakistan, which have seen a significant escalation in incidents between the two countries.
In January, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) launched an attack in Pakistan's Balochistan Province, killing two children.
Tehran claimed it was targeting the Sunni Baluch militant group Jaish al-Adl, which is designated as a terrorist entity by both Iran and the United States.
In a retaliatory move, Pakistani warplanes conducted air strikes on alleged militant targets in Iran on January 18, resulting in at least nine deaths, including six children and two women. This marked a severe escalation in the conflict between the two nations.
In an effort to de-escalate the situation, the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited Pakistan in early May.
His visit was aimed at mending relations through diplomatic engagements, described as critical for normalizing ties between Tehran and Islamabad.
Raisi died on May 19 in a helicopter accident.
The military actions in January targeted separatist factions. Islamabad attacked bases of the Baluch Liberation Front and the Baluchistan Liberation Army, while Tehran focused on the militant group Jaish al-Adl.
These groups operate in the mineral-rich, underdeveloped provinces of Balochistan in Pakistan and Sistan-Baluchistan in Iran, regions long plagued by instability.
The porous, 900-kilometer border between Iran and Pakistan has been difficult to control, allowing various militant groups, particularly those with Baluch nationalist ideologies, to operate in the area.
Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
No U.S. Representatives Will Attend UN Memorial For Iran's Raisi
The United States will not send representatives to a UN memorial ceremony for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a State Department spokesperson told RFE/RL. The United Nations on May 29 announced plans to hold the memorial ceremony on May 30, and UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis said member states were encouraged to deliver statements paying tribute to Raisi. The announcement sparked criticism from rights activists, who decried a move to honor a man they refer to as the "Butcher of Tehran" over his alleged role in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988. Raisi died in a helicopter crash on May 19 along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several other officials.
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