Eastern Europe / News
Russian investigator warns of ‘killers roaming the city’ after Putin pardons criminals who fought in Ukraine
Convicted murders and hitmen who were pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin after fighting in the army in Ukraine are back in St. Petersburg and “won’t hold back,” a senior investigator in the city has said.
Hong Kong shell companies’ exports bust sanctions, as Ukraine's Foreign Minister holds talks with Russian ally China
Shell companies operating out of Hong Kong are shipping restricted military technology to Russia, the NYT reveals. The revelations comes as Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba travels to China for key talks.
Family drama in Russian e-commerce major Wildberries as divorcing husband demands half
Vladislav Bakalchuk, the estranged husband of Wildberries e-commerce major and Russia’s richest woman Tatiana Bakalchuk, threatens to sabotage a merger with Russ Group billboard operator and claim 50% of Wildberries if the pair divorce.
European Commission in no rush to step in and settle Lukoil transit ban dispute
Ukraine’s recent sanctions have barred Lukoil from using the country for transit, affecting both Hungary and Slovakia.
Bucharest summons Russian chargé d'affaires after drone debris hits Romanian territory
Romania’s defence ministry found debris from a Russian Gheran1/2 drone near the Ukrainian border.
Political tensions and security concerns mount as Paris Olympics begin
As the Paris 2024 Olympics prepare to open, the event is facing a complex web of political tensions and security concerns, with reports of potential threats to the event putting the French organisers on high alert.
Russia to ban smartphones from the battlefield, used by Ukraine to find targets
The State Duma approved an amendment to a new law that would make it a serious disciplinary offence for soldiers to carry smartphones and other certain gadgets while serving in combat zones such as Ukraine.
Momentum builds for the start of peace talks on Ukraine
A little more momentum was built for a start to peace talks as Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba travelled to Beijing for his first post-invasion meeting with China, and more commentators say a deal is possible.
Slovakia threatens Ukraine with retaliation over halted Russian oil imports
Ukraine’s tightened sanctions against Russian oil giant Lukoil have led to a decreased flow of Russian oil into Hungary and Slovakia.
Georgia investigates alleged plot to assassinate Ivanishvili and violently overthrow government
Claims made that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies involved. Georgian soldiers fighting in Ukraine summoned for questioning.
Moscow raises bonus for new army recruits to $22,000 as military seeks to replace losses
Moscow residents who voluntarily sign up to join the military will receive a one-time payment of RUB1.9mn ($22,000) upon signing a contract with the Russian Defence Ministry, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has announced.
Russians take to streets in rare protest after prolonged power cuts
Residents of a large Russian city have taken to the streets to protest against prolonged electricity cuts and repeated water supply interruptions.
Father of the Russian internet jailed for transferring IP addresses abroad
A court in Moscow has sentenced Alexey Soldatov, former Russian Deputy Minister of Communications and one of the founders of Runet, to two years in a general-regime penal colony.
Hungary to block disbursement of European Peace Facility to Ukraine until Lukoil delivery issues resolved
Hungary has been blocking the disbursement of the next European Peace Facility tranche for more than a year.
Indonesia looks to break decade-long hiatus on purchasing Russian oil
Pertamina, the Indonesian state-controlled refiner, is said to be on the lookout for Russian oil grades for what will be the first time in years, according to three traders
German sentenced to death by Minsk may be part of Kremlin’s prisoner swap deal preparations
A Belarusian court has sentenced German citizen Rico Krieger to death on terrorism changes. But observers believe Krieger’s case is linked to the Kremlin's preparation for a prisoner swap deal.
Rumours of possible spy swap increase as Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva sentenced to 6½ years for spreading false information
Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), has been convicted of spreading “false information” about the Russian army and sentenced to 6½ years in prison.
Ukraine avoids default with generous bond restructuring deal
Ukraine appears to have averted a disastrous default on its debt and has secured a last-minute “comprehensive restructuring” of its external public commercial debt, Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko announced on July 22.
Hungary faces energy crisis, after Ukraine cuts off Russian oil deliveries
Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has warned that a durable solution is urgently needed following Ukraine's decision to cut off oil deliveries from Russia’s Lukoil, causing a significant disruption to Hungary's oil supply.