Kremlin

World leaders and intelligence agencies are still unpicking reports of leaks along the two Nord Stream pipelines, which supply natural gas from Russia to Europe. Some believe the actions could be an act of sabotage, potentially by Russia or by the U.S. Drops in pressure were first detected Monday by the operators of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, funded and constructed by the Russian government, which have been at the center of the geopolitical storm fueled by Russia's war in Ukraine. While neither pipeline was in operation at the time of the incidents, they contained gas under pressure within them, and they come at a time of heightened tensions after Russia held illegitimate "referendums" on its annexation of regions in eastern Ukraine. So what will the impacts be on the global energy supply and on the conflict in Ukraine, and to what extent do we know the facts about how the pipelines were damaged? Newsweek Fact Check looked at the evidence. What We Do Know … [Read more...] about Russian Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipeline explosions—what we do know, what we don’t

Amid Russia's claims that the results of an internationally disputed referendum held in four regions in Ukraine under partial Russian military control have produced near-unanimous support for their annexation to become part of the Russian Federation, reactions from Kyiv, Moscow and Washington have detailed their next steps in the conflict still raging in Eastern Europe. Preliminary results were released late Tuesday by election commissions established under Russian military administration in the four contested eastern and southern regions. The reported results included 99.23% in favor in Donetsk and 98.42% in favor in Luhansk — two regions partially under pro-Moscow separatist control since 2014 — as well as 93.11% in favor in Zaporizhzhia and 87.05% in favor in Kherson, according to Russia's state-owned RIA Novosti. The results were rejected outright Wednesday by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, which referred to the vote as a "propaganda show" in a statement shared with … [Read more...] about Ukraine, Russia, U.S. react to disputed vote approving Putin’s annexation

Russian President Vladimir Putin may be stress-testing the limits of his friendship with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping this week after taking the first steps in formally annexing pro-Russian regions in eastern and southern Ukraine . Each of the occupied regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia declared landslide victories on Tuesday after holding controversial referendums to become Russian federal subjects. The pro-Kremlin leaders of Luhansk and Donetsk—whose independence was recognized by Putin in February as a pretext for a full invasion—have asked the Russian president to begin accession procedures. The voting, which began last week, was called a "sham" by the United States and slammed as "illegal" by the European Union . The United Nations also dismissed the results, saying it remained "fully committed to the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders." Putin's move could … [Read more...] about Putin is testing the limits of China’s friendship

Moscow’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that Russian-occupied regions in Ukraine made a “conscious and free choice” to join Russia after Kremlin proxies organised so-called referendums in the territories they control. “The results of the plebiscites speak for themselves: the people of the Donbas, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions do not want to go back to their old lives and have made a conscious and free choice in favour of Russia,” the ministry said in a statement. The statement came after the Moscow-installed leaders in the three regions asked President Vladimir Putin to formally annex the territories. The statement said that an “overwhelming majority” had backed joining Russia, claiming an almost one hundred percent backing in the Donetsk region — “99.23 percent.” Moscow said the voting was “carried out in full accordance to the norms and principles of international law”, even though the territories were captured by force and the votes hastily organised in a race against … [Read more...] about Moscow Says Occupied Ukraine Regions Made ‘Free Choice in Favour of Russia’

The EU’s executive on Wednesday proposed a new round of sanctions on Moscow over its latest “escalation” in Ukraine, including an oil price cap and ban on Russian exports worth seven billion euros ($7 billion). It also plans to expand its travel blacklist and asset freezes to include high-ranking Russian defence officials and organisers of widely derided annexation votes in occupied Ukrainian territories. “Last week, Russia has escalated the invasion of Ukraine to a new level,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. She listed the “sham” referendums staged by Russia in the occupied regions of Ukraine, Moscow’s military mobilisation and President Vladimir Putin’s “threat to use nuclear weapons”. “We’re determined to make the Kremlin pay for this further escalation,” von der Leyen said. As part of the new round of sanctions — which has to be signed off by the bloc’s 27 nations — the commission is laying out a “legal basis” for a price cap on Russian oil, in … [Read more...] about EU Proposes New Russia Sanctions Including Oil Price Cap Over Latest ‘Escalation’ in Ukraine

For four long years, the United States was run by a “sophisticated parrot,” as campaign aides reportedly called him. Rather than asking a high-ranking general to further elucidate a concept he didn’t quite grasp, Donald Trump, the nation’s commander-in-chief, instead “shouted down the teachers.” When preparing to debate sensitive issues such as transgender rights, he inquired as to whether the subject of one hypothetical scenario was “cocked or decocked.” And while certain people believed Trump had a malign intent in many of his decisions, such as impulsively tweeting out a classified image in 2019 of an Iranian missile launch facility, others “believed he was operating with the emotional development of a 12-year-old,” playing fast-and-loose with state secrets “to get attention for himself.” “If you take out the classification that’s the sexy part,” Trump allegedly responded to horrified advisers at the time.That’s all according to Confidence Man: The Making of Donald … [Read more...] about Bomb Mexico, Fire Javanka: All the Wildest Bits From Maggie Haberman’s New Trump Book

“Hello, I have a pregnant wife and a mortgage. My wife is panicking, and I have no money to go abroad. How can I escape the draft?” This is a message we received at Helpdesk.media , a website I and other journalists set up in June to help people — with information, legal advice and psychological support — affected by the actions of the Russian government. The writer, after completing his mandatory military service seven years ago, was being drafted into the war in Ukraine. The Russian government was not interested in who will pay the mortgage or take care of his pregnant wife. It simply wanted more fodder for its war. In the days since Vladimir Putin announced a “ partial mobilization ,” clearing the way for hundreds of thousands of men to be conscripted into his failing war effort, we’ve fielded tens of thousands of messages like these. Some were plaintive; others were defiant. Some were simply defeated. Along with Russians desperately trying to board flights, crossing … [Read more...] about Russians Are Terrified and Have Nowhere to Turn

The European Union’s (EU) High Representative declared on Wednesday that the leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines were deliberately caused, according to a press release. European countries discovered a gas leak at three separate locations in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday which caused the pipeline’s pressure to drop, meaning that it could no longer deliver Russian gas to Germany and other EU nations. Josep Borrell Fontelles, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security, said that the available information indicates that the leaks were caused by “a deliberate act,” according to Wednesday’s press release. (RELATED: ‘Act Of Sabotage’: Europe Investigates Massive Leaks From Nord Stream Pipelines) “These incidents are not a coincidence and affect us all,” Fontelles said. “Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response.” It is unclear which individuals or … [Read more...] about ‘Deliberate Act’: EU Declares That Crucial Pipelines Were Sabotaged

Terrified schoolchildren leapt from windows today after a gunman stormed their school and slaughtered at least 14 people including kids. At least 15 people including 11 children were killed when a "man in black" stormed school Number 88 in Izhevsk, 600 miles east of the Russian capital, Moscow. A total of 24 people were injured, according to reports. The shooter has been identified as Artyom Kazantsev, born in 1988, who is thought to have been a former pupil at the school. A message suspected to have been sent by the attacker reads: “What happened is not a terrorist attack. "As the only reason for what happened, I ask you to cite hatred. “I am not a member of any extremist organisations, I have no political demands.” Branded a “neo-fascist” by the Kremlin, Kazantsev wore a black shirt with an image of the Swastika on it and holstered two pistols with 25 cartridge magazines. Each of the magazines had the word "Hate" crudely scribbled on them. A view of the … [Read more...] about Russia school shooting: 15 dead as kids leap out windows after gunman opens fire

Iranian “kamikaze” drones are being used by Russia to launch attacks on Ukrainians in a worrying escalation of the war. Kyiv confirmed that it recently shot down a number of unmanned Shahed-136 drones after they were used in attacks over the weekend. Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for Odesa's regional administration said: "The enemy is trying to save on missiles... these Shaheds are much cheaper, they can be used much more frequently and in pairs. "We are seeing that the enemy can even launch several of these kamikaze drones for one attack." These low-flying weapons, dubbed suicide drones, have been called "evil’" by Ukraine who has broken off diplomatic contact with Iran since they discovered the new weapons were being used. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), what Ukrainian authorities consider to be Iranian made ( Image: REUTERS) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky withdrew the Iranian ambassador's accreditation and cut its diplomatic staff in Kyiv. … [Read more...] about Russia unleashes Iran’s terrifying suicide drones as war in Ukraine escalates