Contents tagged with Russia

  • Investigation reveals another luxury yacht worth $50.1 million linked to Putin

    The investigative Centre Dossier has discovered another yacht belonging to Vladimir Putin: the 71-meter long Victoria, worth $50.1 million, which has been at a shipyard in Istanbul since late October. The investigation notes that this is the ninth yacht owned by Putin that has come to light.

    According to the findings, Victoria was originally laid down at the Sevmash  defense plant in 2005 and completed in 2019. A source from Dossier revealed that the vessel is formally owned by structures …

  • Finland prepares to shut last operating border crossings with Russia over migrant concerns

    On Tuesday, November 22, Finland may close the remaining border crossing points that are still operating on the land border with Russia, reported the Finnish newspaper IltaLehti. According to the newspaper, the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo may make a decision on Monday that all crossing points on the land border with Russia will be closed on Tuesday night.

    Based on the available intelligence, the Finnish government made an assessment that the Russian authorities are involved in …

  • Kyiv: Ukrainian Forces push Russian troops back on Dnipro river's left bank

    Ukrainian Armed Forces have pushed back Russian troops by several kilometers on the left bank of the Dnieper river, preventing mortar shelling from reaching the right bank, said Natalia Gumenyuk, head of the Joint Media Center of the Ukrainian  Defense Forces  South.

    According to Gumenyuk, the Ukrainian Forces have pushed back Russian troops by distances ranging from 3 to 8 kilometers "depending on the specific geography and landscape of the left bank." She added, "Already, their mortar units …

  • Kyiv: Russia halts POW exchanges, using detainees as leverage to destabilize Ukraine and provoke protests

    Russia has effectively suspended the exchanges of prisoners of war, as it aims to use them as a "lever of influence" and destabilize Ukrainian society, said Petro Yatsenko, head of the press service of the Coordination Staff for the Treatment of Prisoners of War,  in an interview with Nastoyashchee Vremya.

    "Russia is trying to convince the families that the exchanges are not happening due to obstacles on the Ukrainian side, thereby calling for mass protests. They are using prisoners of war as …

  • Russian university acquires advanced Canadian-made drone-detecting radar despite sanctions

    Russian National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET) has purchased a Canadian drone-detecting radar called SkyEye for 4.5 million rubles ($60,000), reports the news outlet Agentstvo.

    According to a corresponding government contract, the university announced an auction on May 11th and received the SkyEye radar on June 7th.

    The radar was manufactured by the Canadian company Skycope Technologies Inc. According to the company's website, the radar weighs less than 10 kg and can be …

  • Ukrainian Intelligence Chief: war with Russia may last a long time

    War in Ukraine may continue for a long time. Russians will not sign any agreements with Kyiv and its allies and will continue to carry out sporadic shelling of Ukraine without major military operations, according to the Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Kyrylo Budanov, in an interview with NV (New Voice).

    "There are cases in history when long-standing wars between countries remain legally unresolved. A simple example is Russia and Japan, who have not …

  • Ukraine: Russian fleet struggles to load Kalibr cruise missiles at Novorossiysk

    Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk revealed that Russia has encountered logistical problems after relocating its fleet to Novorossiysk. During a national news broadcast, he explained that the Russians are currently unable to load the Kalibr cruise missiles onto missile carriers.

    "There is a significant pause in missile usage because the enemy is facing logistical issues. They cannot load the Kalibr missiles in Novorossiysk," emphasized Pletenchuk. "Consequently, until they resolve …

  • Russia suspected of using fishing vessels for sabotage and reconnaissance in Baltic Sea and Arctic Ocean

    According to journalists from the investigative center Dossier, Russia may be involved in damaging the Balticconnector gas pipeline in October 2023, located in the sea between Estonia and Finland, as well as damaging the fiber optic cable near the Svalbard archipelago in January 2022. In addition, Russian intelligence services are reportedly directly linked to a number of accidents that have occurred in the waters of the Arctic Ocean in recent years, claim the authors of the investigation.

    "In …

  • Putin signs decree revoking Russia's ratification of Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

    Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Thursday, 2 November, which revokes Russia's ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).

    On October 17 and October 18, members of the Russian State Duma unanimously passed a bill to withdraw from the treaty. This bill was prepared by the Committee on International Affairs under the supervision of the Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. On 25 October, the withdrawal was also supported by all members of the Federation Council …

  • Russian mercenary group Wagner now a National Guard unit, recruitment resumed

    Russian media reports that the Wagner Group has become a unit of the National Guard of Russia (Rosgvardiya) and has resumed recruitment of militants, particularly in Perm and Novosibirsk.

    A representative of the Wagner PMC in Perm said that this new unit of the Rosgvardiya is led by Pavel Prihodko, the son of Wagner PMC founder Yevgeny Prihodko and his sole heir.

    They are recruiting individuals with combat experience, especially those who have previously served in the PMC. According to the …