Putin faces fury in Russia over military mobilization and prisoner swap
Russian families bade tearful farewells on Thursday to thousands of sons and husbands abruptly summoned for military duty as part of President Vladimir Putin’s new mobilization, while pro-war Russian nationalists raged over the release of Ukrainian commanders in a secretive prisoner exchange.
As women hugged their husbands and young men boarded buses to leave for 15 days of training before potentially being deployed to Russia’s stumbling war effort in Ukraine, there were signs of mounting public anger.
More than 1,300 people were arrested at anti-mobilization protests in cities and towns across Russia on Wednesday and Thursday, in the largest public protests since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports of booked-out flights and queues to leave Russia as “false.”
Read the full story here.
Russian families bade tearful farewells on Thursday to thousands of sons and husbands abruptly summoned for military duty as part of President Vladimir Putin’s new mobilization, while pro-war Russian nationalists raged over the release of Ukrainian commanders in a secretive prisoner exchange.
As women hugged their husbands and young men boarded buses to leave for 15 days of training before potentially being deployed to Russia’s stumbling war effort in Ukraine, there were signs of mounting public anger.
More than 1,300 people were arrested at anti-mobilization protests in cities and towns across Russia on Wednesday and Thursday, in the largest public protests since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports of booked-out flights and queues to leave Russia as “false.”
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Moscow-backed officials in occupied parts of Ukraine announced plans this week to stage “referendums” from Friday to Tuesday, on the prospect of joining Russia.
- Two U.S. military veterans and five Britons were among the nearly 300 people freed Wednesday as part of the prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.
- Thousands of Russians took to public spaces to protest after Putin’s announcement Wednesday of a partial military mobilization, and authorities arrested at least 1,300 people in a single day, according to the human rights group OVD-Info.
- Five people were injured and at least one person died in overnight strikes on the city of Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Oleksandr Starukh said Thursday on Telegram.
- Mykolaiv, in southern Ukraine, was “subjected to massive rocket fire” overnight into Thursday, Vitaliy Kim, the regional governor, said.
More live updates here.
- Moscow-backed officials in occupied parts of Ukraine announced plans this week to stage “referendums” from Friday to Tuesday, on the prospect of joining Russia.
- Two U.S. military veterans and five Britons were among the nearly 300 people freed Wednesday as part of the prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.
- Thousands of Russians took to public spaces to protest after Putin’s announcement Wednesday of a partial military mobilization, and authorities arrested at least 1,300 people in a single day, according to the human rights group OVD-Info.
- Five people were injured and at least one person died in overnight strikes on the city of Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Oleksandr Starukh said Thursday on Telegram.
- Mykolaiv, in southern Ukraine, was “subjected to massive rocket fire” overnight into Thursday, Vitaliy Kim, the regional governor, said.
More live updates here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine.
- Moscow launched referendums on Friday in four Ukrainian territories under its control. The referendums on the prospect of joining Russia, illegal under Ukrainian and international law, will last five days for the separatist Luhansk and Donetsk territories, the southern Kherson region and occupied parts of nearby Zaporizhzhia.
- Russian news agencies said that hundreds of polling stations would open and that refugees in Russia would be able to take part in the referendums, which have drawn global condemnation as a plan for Moscow to absorb Ukrainian territory.
- Ukraine said it shot down four Iran-made attack drones in the south. Ukraine reported its first encounter with a Shahed drone last week, after U.S. officials said Tehran began sending them to Russia in August.
More live updates here.
- Moscow launched referendums on Friday in four Ukrainian territories under its control. The referendums on the prospect of joining Russia, illegal under Ukrainian and international law, will last five days for the separatist Luhansk and Donetsk territories, the southern Kherson region and occupied parts of nearby Zaporizhzhia.
- Russian news agencies said that hundreds of polling stations would open and that refugees in Russia would be able to take part in the referendums, which have drawn global condemnation as a plan for Moscow to absorb Ukrainian territory.
- Ukraine said it shot down four Iran-made attack drones in the south. Ukraine reported its first encounter with a Shahed drone last week, after U.S. officials said Tehran began sending them to Russia in August.
More live updates here.
Prisoner swap freed Putin’s friend, Azov commanders and U.K. fighters
The hundreds of prisoners of war released Wednesday in a surprise deal between Moscow and Kyiv included 10 foreign nationals captured in Ukraine, a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s, and commanders and fighters of the Azov Regiment, a Ukrainian far-right paramilitary group.
As part of the swap, Moscow agreed to release the foreigners as well as 215 Ukrainians, including more than 100 members of Azov. In return, Ukraine said it released Viktor Medvedchuk and 55 Russian and pro-Russian fighters. The imbalance in numbers, as well as the freeing of Azov members long portrayed as “Nazis” by the Kremlin, has already sparked criticism in Russia from pro-war nationalists.
Read the full story here.
The hundreds of prisoners of war released Wednesday in a surprise deal between Moscow and Kyiv included 10 foreign nationals captured in Ukraine, a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s, and commanders and fighters of the Azov Regiment, a Ukrainian far-right paramilitary group.
As part of the swap, Moscow agreed to release the foreigners as well as 215 Ukrainians, including more than 100 members of Azov. In return, Ukraine said it released Viktor Medvedchuk and 55 Russian and pro-Russian fighters. The imbalance in numbers, as well as the freeing of Azov members long portrayed as “Nazis” by the Kremlin, has already sparked criticism in Russia from pro-war nationalists.
Read the full story here.
U.S. has sent private warnings to Russia against using a nuclear weapon
The United States for several months has been sending private communications to Moscow warning Russia’s leadership of the grave consequences that would follow the use of a nuclear weapon, according to U.S. officials, who said the messages underscore what President Biden and his aides have articulated publicly.
The Biden administration generally has decided to keep warnings about the consequences of a nuclear strike deliberately vague, so the Kremlin worries about how Washington might respond, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive deliberations.
The attempt by the White House to cultivate what’s known in the nuclear deterrence world as “strategic ambiguity” comes as Russia continues to escalate its rhetoric about possible nuclear weapons use amid a domestic mobilization aimed at stanching Russian military losses in eastern Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
The United States for several months has been sending private communications to Moscow warning Russia’s leadership of the grave consequences that would follow the use of a nuclear weapon, according to U.S. officials, who said the messages underscore what President Biden and his aides have articulated publicly.
The Biden administration generally has decided to keep warnings about the consequences of a nuclear strike deliberately vague, so the Kremlin worries about how Washington might respond, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive deliberations.
The attempt by the White House to cultivate what’s known in the nuclear deterrence world as “strategic ambiguity” comes as Russia continues to escalate its rhetoric about possible nuclear weapons use amid a domestic mobilization aimed at stanching Russian military losses in eastern Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
Kremlin proxies stage referendums as Russia aims to seize Ukrainian land
KHARKIV, Ukraine — Kremlin proxy authorities in occupied, war-torn Ukraine declared Friday that “voting” has begun in staged referendums and that Moscow’s desired outcome — a claim of public support for the annexation of Ukrainian territory — is assured.
The purported referendums, which are being orchestrated in parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of eastern and southeastern Ukraine that are controlled by the Russian military, are illegal under Ukrainian and international law and, in any case, would not remotely meet basic democratic standards for free and fair elections.
Western leaders, including President Biden, have denounced the process as a “sham” to prepare the ground for Russia’s theft of Ukrainian land.
The Kremlin’s puppet leaders, however, exulted in the process, which they tried to portray as a long path from self-determination to unification with Russia.
Read the full story here.
KHARKIV, Ukraine — Kremlin proxy authorities in occupied, war-torn Ukraine declared Friday that “voting” has begun in staged referendums and that Moscow’s desired outcome — a claim of public support for the annexation of Ukrainian territory — is assured.
The purported referendums, which are being orchestrated in parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of eastern and southeastern Ukraine that are controlled by the Russian military, are illegal under Ukrainian and international law and, in any case, would not remotely meet basic democratic standards for free and fair elections.
Western leaders, including President Biden, have denounced the process as a “sham” to prepare the ground for Russia’s theft of Ukrainian land.
The Kremlin’s puppet leaders, however, exulted in the process, which they tried to portray as a long path from self-determination to unification with Russia.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The referendums on the prospect of joining Russia, illegal under international law, will last five days in Ukraine’s east and southeast.
- The Kremlin pledged to swiftly accept the regions into Russia and said any Ukrainian attack would then be seen as an attack on Russia.
- Kyiv attacked the legitimacy of the referendums as a “propaganda show.”
- Moscow-backed authorities assured support for a potential annexation.
- World leaders have condemned hints by Russian officials at the threat of nuclear war.
- U.N. Secretary General António Guterres described the referendums as a “violation of the U.N. Charter and international law.”
More live updates here.
- The referendums on the prospect of joining Russia, illegal under international law, will last five days in Ukraine’s east and southeast.
- The Kremlin pledged to swiftly accept the regions into Russia and said any Ukrainian attack would then be seen as an attack on Russia.
- Kyiv attacked the legitimacy of the referendums as a “propaganda show.”
- Moscow-backed authorities assured support for a potential annexation.
- World leaders have condemned hints by Russian officials at the threat of nuclear war.
- U.N. Secretary General António Guterres described the referendums as a “violation of the U.N. Charter and international law.”
More live updates here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine:
- Kremlin-staged annexation referendums continued Saturday in Ukrainian areas controlled by Russian forces, a vote orchestrated to formally put swaths of the invaded nation’s southeast and east under Moscow’s sway.
- Western leaders condemned the referendums, labeling them “phony pretext for changing the status of Ukrainian sovereign territory.” President Biden said that the United States “will never recognize Ukrainian territory as anything other than part of Ukraine.”
- Moscow said it would exclude some employees in sectors such as information technology and finance from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilization of up to 300,000 reservists, as the backlash to the call up continues.
More live updates here.
- Kremlin-staged annexation referendums continued Saturday in Ukrainian areas controlled by Russian forces, a vote orchestrated to formally put swaths of the invaded nation’s southeast and east under Moscow’s sway.
- Western leaders condemned the referendums, labeling them “phony pretext for changing the status of Ukrainian sovereign territory.” President Biden said that the United States “will never recognize Ukrainian territory as anything other than part of Ukraine.”
- Moscow said it would exclude some employees in sectors such as information technology and finance from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilization of up to 300,000 reservists, as the backlash to the call up continues.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- Protests continue to sweep across Russia, including in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other big cities, in a defiant turnout against President Vladimir Putin’s mobilization of hundreds of thousands of reservists to fight in Ukraine. At least 796 demonstrators were detained by Russian authorities as of Saturday night, according to the human rights group OVD-Info.
- Voting continues through Tuesday in purported referendums being carried out by Kremlin-backed authorities in Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. The staged referendums are illegal and widely condemned by Western leaders as a ploy by Moscow to annex swaths of the country.
- Russia renewed missile strikes across Ukraine on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said, killing three people and injuring 19 in strikes across the country’s south and east.
- China and India — traditionally allied with Russia — have called for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
More live updates here.
- Protests continue to sweep across Russia, including in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other big cities, in a defiant turnout against President Vladimir Putin’s mobilization of hundreds of thousands of reservists to fight in Ukraine. At least 796 demonstrators were detained by Russian authorities as of Saturday night, according to the human rights group OVD-Info.
- Voting continues through Tuesday in purported referendums being carried out by Kremlin-backed authorities in Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. The staged referendums are illegal and widely condemned by Western leaders as a ploy by Moscow to annex swaths of the country.
- Russia renewed missile strikes across Ukraine on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said, killing three people and injuring 19 in strikes across the country’s south and east.
- China and India — traditionally allied with Russia — have called for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
More live updates here.
As Ukraine’s fathers fight, mothers go it alone with their children
KHARKIV, Ukraine — Yuliia Sirenko spent the summer alone in her apartment in the bombed-out city of Kharkiv, her heart pulled in two directions.
September loomed, and she had a decision to make: Stay to keep supporting her husband, Yurii, as he battled Russian troops in the east. Or go west, joining the young daughter she’d taken to safety several months earlier.
Millions of women with children have faced similarly wrenching scenarios since Russia invaded. Many have left the country, becoming refugees with all the immense challenges that entails. Yet for those who stayed put in Ukraine as their husbands or partners fought, there are separate struggles and dangers.
Some mothers have thrown themselves into volunteering and fundraising for their loved ones’ units. Others are consumed by child care, financial worries and family expectations.
Read the full story here.
KHARKIV, Ukraine — Yuliia Sirenko spent the summer alone in her apartment in the bombed-out city of Kharkiv, her heart pulled in two directions.
September loomed, and she had a decision to make: Stay to keep supporting her husband, Yurii, as he battled Russian troops in the east. Or go west, joining the young daughter she’d taken to safety several months earlier.
Millions of women with children have faced similarly wrenching scenarios since Russia invaded. Many have left the country, becoming refugees with all the immense challenges that entails. Yet for those who stayed put in Ukraine as their husbands or partners fought, there are separate struggles and dangers.
Some mothers have thrown themselves into volunteering and fundraising for their loved ones’ units. Others are consumed by child care, financial worries and family expectations.
Read the full story here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- At least 100 people were arrested in Russia’s southwestern region of Dagestan on Sunday, according to the human rights group OVD-Info, as protesters gathered in the regional capital of Makhachkala to condemn the war.
- In a speech Sunday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the protests by urging Russians to “fight to ensure that your children are not sent to die.” Zelensky also said Kremlin-backed forces in Crimea have begun mobilizing Tartars, a group of Turkic-speaking peoples, for their war effort in the Ukrainian port city of Kherson.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that annexed parts of Ukraine would be under Russia’s “full protection.” His comments at a U.N. news conference came amid global outcry over staged referendums by Russia, designed to take control of occupied parts of Ukraine. Lavrov also did not rule out the use of nuclear weapons to defend annexed areas.
More live updates here.
- At least 100 people were arrested in Russia’s southwestern region of Dagestan on Sunday, according to the human rights group OVD-Info, as protesters gathered in the regional capital of Makhachkala to condemn the war.
- In a speech Sunday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the protests by urging Russians to “fight to ensure that your children are not sent to die.” Zelensky also said Kremlin-backed forces in Crimea have begun mobilizing Tartars, a group of Turkic-speaking peoples, for their war effort in the Ukrainian port city of Kherson.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that annexed parts of Ukraine would be under Russia’s “full protection.” His comments at a U.N. news conference came amid global outcry over staged referendums by Russia, designed to take control of occupied parts of Ukraine. Lavrov also did not rule out the use of nuclear weapons to defend annexed areas.
More live updates here.
Blinken: Conversation about supplying weapons to Ukraine ‘ongoing’
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the conversation with Ukraine over the supply of U.S. weapons to aid the country’s war efforts is “ongoing,” including a request from Kyiv for Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, as the long-range missiles are commonly known.
“Whatever they put on the table is something we’re going to look at, to consider, and we’re going to give them our best judgment about what can be effective for them,” Blinken said in an interview with “60 Minutes.”
The United States so far has made 20 transfers of defense equipment valued at billions of dollars, Blinken said, including antitank and antiaircraft weapons that helped repel Russian forces during their attempt to seize the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Read the full story here.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the conversation with Ukraine over the supply of U.S. weapons to aid the country’s war efforts is “ongoing,” including a request from Kyiv for Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, as the long-range missiles are commonly known.
“Whatever they put on the table is something we’re going to look at, to consider, and we’re going to give them our best judgment about what can be effective for them,” Blinken said in an interview with “60 Minutes.”
The United States so far has made 20 transfers of defense equipment valued at billions of dollars, Blinken said, including antitank and antiaircraft weapons that helped repel Russian forces during their attempt to seize the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Read the full story here.
Putin grants citizenship to Edward Snowden, who disclosed U.S. surveillance
Russian President Vladimir Putin granted citizenship on Monday to Edward Snowden, the former security consultant who leaked information about top-secret U.S. surveillance programs and is still wanted by Washington on espionage charges.
Snowden, 39, was one of 72 foreigners granted citizenship in a decree signed by Putin.
Snowden, who considers himself a whistleblower, fled the United States to avoid prosecution and has been living in Russia, which granted him asylum in 2013.
Snowden was granted permanent residency in 2020, and his lawyers said at the time that he was applying to obtain a Russian passport without renouncing his U.S. citizenship.
Snowden’s lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, told the state-run news agency RIA Novosti on Monday that Snowden’s wife, Lindsay Mills, is also now applying for Russian citizenship. Mills joined Snowden in Moscow in 2014. They were married in 2017 and have a son together.
Read the full story here.
Russian President Vladimir Putin granted citizenship on Monday to Edward Snowden, the former security consultant who leaked information about top-secret U.S. surveillance programs and is still wanted by Washington on espionage charges.
Snowden, 39, was one of 72 foreigners granted citizenship in a decree signed by Putin.
Snowden, who considers himself a whistleblower, fled the United States to avoid prosecution and has been living in Russia, which granted him asylum in 2013.
Snowden was granted permanent residency in 2020, and his lawyers said at the time that he was applying to obtain a Russian passport without renouncing his U.S. citizenship.
Snowden’s lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, told the state-run news agency RIA Novosti on Monday that Snowden’s wife, Lindsay Mills, is also now applying for Russian citizenship. Mills joined Snowden in Moscow in 2014. They were married in 2017 and have a son together.
Read the full story here.
Gunman attacks Russian military recruiter as thousands flee mobilization
A young man shot and wounded the chief recruitment officer at a military enlistment station in Russia’s Irkutsk region on Monday, local authorities said, as thousands of fighting-age men continued to flee the country to escape President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
The alleged shooter in the attack on the military commissariat in Ust-Ilimsk, a small town in Irkutsk, was apparently distraught that his close friend had been called for duty despite having no prior military service.
When Putin announced a “partial mobilization” last week, he said only experienced servicemen would be summoned. “In other words, only military reservists, primarily those who served in the armed forces and have specific military occupational specialties and corresponding experience, will be called up,” he assured Russians in a national address.
Read the full story here.
A young man shot and wounded the chief recruitment officer at a military enlistment station in Russia’s Irkutsk region on Monday, local authorities said, as thousands of fighting-age men continued to flee the country to escape President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
The alleged shooter in the attack on the military commissariat in Ust-Ilimsk, a small town in Irkutsk, was apparently distraught that his close friend had been called for duty despite having no prior military service.
When Putin announced a “partial mobilization” last week, he said only experienced servicemen would be summoned. “In other words, only military reservists, primarily those who served in the armed forces and have specific military occupational specialties and corresponding experience, will be called up,” he assured Russians in a national address.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin granted citizenship on Monday to Edward Snowden, the former security consultant who leaked information about top-secret U.S. surveillance programs and is still wanted by Washington on espionage charges, The Washington Post’s Mary Ilyushina reports.
- A gunman was detained after he shot and severely wounded an official overseeing Russia’s military mobilization at a commissariat in the Irkutsk region in Siberia, the area’s governor, Igor Ivanovich Kobzev, said Monday on Telegram.
- The Kremlin acknowledged that some Russians who do not meet the current criteria for military mobilization have received summons, and it pledged to rectify any errors.
- Protesters blocked a highway on Sunday and took to the streets in Dagestan, a largely impoverished Russian republic that borders Georgia and Azerbaijan, to oppose the call-up of reservists to Russia’s armed forces.
More live updates here.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin granted citizenship on Monday to Edward Snowden, the former security consultant who leaked information about top-secret U.S. surveillance programs and is still wanted by Washington on espionage charges, The Washington Post’s Mary Ilyushina reports.
- A gunman was detained after he shot and severely wounded an official overseeing Russia’s military mobilization at a commissariat in the Irkutsk region in Siberia, the area’s governor, Igor Ivanovich Kobzev, said Monday on Telegram.
- The Kremlin acknowledged that some Russians who do not meet the current criteria for military mobilization have received summons, and it pledged to rectify any errors.
- Protesters blocked a highway on Sunday and took to the streets in Dagestan, a largely impoverished Russian republic that borders Georgia and Azerbaijan, to oppose the call-up of reservists to Russia’s armed forces.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The staged referendums in four Ukrainian territories held by Kremlin-backed officials will end today. The votes are not free and fair, and are illegal under international law and could set the stage for Russian President Vladimir Putin to use a speech to Russian lawmakers on Friday to announce the accession of the occupied regions of Ukraine to Russia, British intelligence officials say.
- At least 2,386 arrests have been made since Sept. 21, when a wave of demonstrations broke out against a partial military mobilization announcement, according to rights group OVD-Info. Thousands of fighting-age men have fled.
- Japanese officials condemned Russia’s detention of its consul in Vladivostok. Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said that Russia carried out a “coercive interrogation” that included blindfolding and physical restraint, and called it “extremely regrettable and unacceptable.” The diplomat has since been released, and is in good health.
More live updates here.
- The staged referendums in four Ukrainian territories held by Kremlin-backed officials will end today. The votes are not free and fair, and are illegal under international law and could set the stage for Russian President Vladimir Putin to use a speech to Russian lawmakers on Friday to announce the accession of the occupied regions of Ukraine to Russia, British intelligence officials say.
- At least 2,386 arrests have been made since Sept. 21, when a wave of demonstrations broke out against a partial military mobilization announcement, according to rights group OVD-Info. Thousands of fighting-age men have fled.
- Japanese officials condemned Russia’s detention of its consul in Vladivostok. Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said that Russia carried out a “coercive interrogation” that included blindfolding and physical restraint, and called it “extremely regrettable and unacceptable.” The diplomat has since been released, and is in good health.
More live updates here.
Putin to declare annexation of Ukraine regions within days, U.K. says
Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to declare Russia’s annexation of four partially occupied regions in eastern Ukraine shortly after staged referendums organized by Kremlin proxies are concluded, the British Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
There is “a realistic possibility” that Putin will use an address to the Russian parliament, which Russian state media have reported will take place on Friday, to formally announce his intention to absorb the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, despite international condemnation, the Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence report on the Ukraine war.
With Putin’s impending announcement, and fears that it could be accompanied by a declaration of martial law, the exodus of fighting-age Russian men trying to flee military mobilization appeared to be reaching critical levels, with worsening traffic jams and huge queues at border crossings.
Read the full story here.
Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to declare Russia’s annexation of four partially occupied regions in eastern Ukraine shortly after staged referendums organized by Kremlin proxies are concluded, the British Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
There is “a realistic possibility” that Putin will use an address to the Russian parliament, which Russian state media have reported will take place on Friday, to formally announce his intention to absorb the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, despite international condemnation, the Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence report on the Ukraine war.
With Putin’s impending announcement, and fears that it could be accompanied by a declaration of martial law, the exodus of fighting-age Russian men trying to flee military mobilization appeared to be reaching critical levels, with worsening traffic jams and huge queues at border crossings.
Read the full story here.
Photos show 10-mile line at Russian border as many flee mobilization
A traffic jam at Russia’s border with Georgia has stretched for nearly 10 miles after President Vladimir Putin’s partial military mobilization order, satellite images show.
The line of cars and trucks trying to leave formed at a crossing point on the Russian side of the border, according to U.S.-based firm Maxar Technologies, which released the photos on Monday. “The traffic jam likely continued further to the north of the imaged area,” the U.S.-based firm said. Aerial photos from the company show vehicles snaking into another long line near Russia’s border with Mongolia.
Cars have also lined up at Russia’s borders with Finland and Kazakhstan since last week, when Putin announced a call-up of hundreds of thousands of reservists to fight in the Kremlin’s faltering war in Ukraine. It marks Russia’s first military mobilization since World War II.
Read the full story here.
A traffic jam at Russia’s border with Georgia has stretched for nearly 10 miles after President Vladimir Putin’s partial military mobilization order, satellite images show.
The line of cars and trucks trying to leave formed at a crossing point on the Russian side of the border, according to U.S.-based firm Maxar Technologies, which released the photos on Monday. “The traffic jam likely continued further to the north of the imaged area,” the U.S.-based firm said. Aerial photos from the company show vehicles snaking into another long line near Russia’s border with Mongolia.
Cars have also lined up at Russia’s borders with Finland and Kazakhstan since last week, when Putin announced a call-up of hundreds of thousands of reservists to fight in the Kremlin’s faltering war in Ukraine. It marks Russia’s first military mobilization since World War II.
Read the full story here.
Nord Stream operator decries ‘unprecedented’ damage to three pipelines
European officials on Tuesday launched investigations into three mysterious leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines, built to carry Russian natural gas to Europe, after the system operator reported “unprecedented” damage to the lines in the Baltic Sea.
The leaks had no immediate impact on energy supplies to the European Union, since Russia had already cut off gas flows. But gas had remained in the pipes, raising concerns about possible environmental harm from leaking methane — the main component of natural gas and, when in the atmosphere, a major contributor to climate change. Images supplied by the Danish military showed gas bubbles reaching the surface of the water.
Read the full story here.
European officials on Tuesday launched investigations into three mysterious leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines, built to carry Russian natural gas to Europe, after the system operator reported “unprecedented” damage to the lines in the Baltic Sea.
The leaks had no immediate impact on energy supplies to the European Union, since Russia had already cut off gas flows. But gas had remained in the pipes, raising concerns about possible environmental harm from leaking methane — the main component of natural gas and, when in the atmosphere, a major contributor to climate change. Images supplied by the Danish military showed gas bubbles reaching the surface of the water.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Western leaders have condemned the staged referendums that concluded in parts of four Ukrainian regions under Russian control this week, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken accusing Moscow of engaging in a “diabolical scheme” to annex Ukraine’s territory.
- The votes were illegal under international law, with reports of residents being coerced into voting. Russian state media claimed that initial results show 98% of those voting in Donetsk and Luhansk support joining Russia.
- Several European leaders said the explosions at the gas pipelines appeared to be sabotage, as the E.U. put out a statement vowing to respond. Five European officials with direct knowledge of security discussions said there was a widespread assumption that Russia was behind the incident. Russia has denied responsibility for the damage.
More live updates here.
- Western leaders have condemned the staged referendums that concluded in parts of four Ukrainian regions under Russian control this week, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken accusing Moscow of engaging in a “diabolical scheme” to annex Ukraine’s territory.
- The votes were illegal under international law, with reports of residents being coerced into voting. Russian state media claimed that initial results show 98% of those voting in Donetsk and Luhansk support joining Russia.
- Several European leaders said the explosions at the gas pipelines appeared to be sabotage, as the E.U. put out a statement vowing to respond. Five European officials with direct knowledge of security discussions said there was a widespread assumption that Russia was behind the incident. Russia has denied responsibility for the damage.
More live updates here.