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Moldova Encouraged By NATO's Call For Withdrawal Of Russian Troops From Transdniester
WASHINGTON -- Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi said it is encouraging to Moldova that a declaration issued at the NATO summit in Washington calls on Russia to withdraw all its forces from Moldova and also welcomes Moldova’s reform efforts.
“We are happy to see Moldova mentioned and also the acknowledgement of the...positive efforts that we are [making] to reform the Republic of Moldova, but also the call for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Republic of Moldova, which is a very important message,” Popsoi, who is also a deputy prime minister, told RFE/RL on July 11 on the sidelines of the summit.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has repeatedly demanded an end to the presence in Moldova's breakaway Transdniester region of hundreds of Russian troops at a Soviet-era weapons depot.
The declaration agreed upon by the leaders of the 32 NATO countries on July 10 has one sentence about the withdrawal of all Russian forces from Moldova. It also has one sentence on Moldova’s efforts to continue democratic reforms.
Popsoi said at a panel discussion at the summit that, while there is always room for improvement, Moldova has been on the agenda of its friends and partners in NATO and the European Union and has “received remarkable support in the last few years.”
This was especially true during the energy crisis that rocked Moldova as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he said, adding that the crisis has eased recently thanks to the resilience of the Moldovan people and “the generous support of the international community that has come to the rescue of not just Ukraine, but also the Republic of Moldova.”
Popsoi said Moldova and the Moldovan people have also made achievements on their own, citing energy independence from Gazprom after 30 years of being tied to the Russian energy giant.
“Russian gas contracts come with significant political strings attached and we suffered more than our fair share through this political blackmail,” he said.
He also touted the 30 years that Moldova has been in NATO’s Partnership for Peace program and its contributions to peacekeeping missions in Kosovo, Lebanon, Somalia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, saying that Moldova is “firmly committed to be not just a security consumer given our challenges, given the Russia-backed separatists region.”
Popsoi told RFE/RL that Moldova now has a chance to make further progress through accession talks with the European Union that began on June 25.
“We count on the accession process helping us advance when it comes to our economic circumstances, but also democratic institutions,” he said, calling the accession negotiations “a key priority for us” and a chance to fulfill the “sincere craving of our citizens to return to the European family of nations.”
Whether Moldovans are hungry enough to become part of the EU will be tested on October 20 when a referendum on joining the 27-nation bloc takes place alongside the country’s presidential election.
Popsoi said Sandu’s government is counting on the citizens of Moldova to back the referendum.
“There's a lot of attempts to divide us domestically, to paint a negative picture of what we want to achieve. And this referendum is another democratic exercise for the Moldovan people to speak out,” he said. “And we are confident that they will support a prosperous, a peaceful future for their children in the European family of nations.”
On joining NATO, he said the question is being debated in Moldova, where “you don't need to look far” to see the risks of the region, he said.
He said many Moldovans believe that neutrality ensures security but "that is, of course, a questionable proposition in light of historic experience,” adding, “But nonetheless, in a democratic society, we need to abide by the will of the majority, and for now, there is not a majority in Moldova that would support NATO membership.”
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- By Current Time
Ukraine Does Not Plan To Occupy Russian Territory, Zelenskiy Aide Says
Ukraine continues to press its incursion into Russia's border region of Kursk and now controls hundreds of square kilometers of territory, but its action is meant to create a buffer zone and not to acquire or occupy Russian lands, the Ukrainian leadership has said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on August 19 announced that Ukrainian forces hade taken control of 92 settlements in the Kursk region of Russia and now control more than 1,250 square kilometers of enemy territory in the nearly two weeks since the start of the surprise cross-border incursion.
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.
Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces were fulfilling their objectives while pressing their incursion into Kursk as Moscow acknowledged that Ukraine has damaged a third bridge over the River Seym critical to Russian troop movements in the region.
But one of Zelenskiy's senior advisers, Mykhaylo Podolyak, told Current Time that unlike Russia's unprovoked invasion of his country, Ukraine's operation has a clear scope that is adhering to international legislation and protects the civilian population.
"Ukraine does not intend to seize populated areas or occupy this territory," Podolyak said on August 19.
"This is a different type of war, a war that is clearly spelled out in international law and in conventions that regulate behavior toward combatants and especially toward noncombatants, toward the civilian population on this territory."
Ukraine launched its surprise counteroffensive into Russia's Kursk region on August 6, altering the dynamics of the 2 1/2-year war and causing 120,000 people to flee.
Zelenskiy on August 18 said Ukraine's main task is "to destroy as much Russian potential as possible and conduct maximum counterattack work," with the aim of creating a "buffer zone."
Podolyak clarified the need for such a zone, telling Current Time that Moscow has been using border areas to strike civilian infrastructure up to 70-80 kilometers inside Ukraine.
"Along the border, including in the Kursk region, artillery is deployed 1 or 2 kilometers from the state border, ballistic launchers are deployed, multiple-launch rocket systems are deployed," he said.
"Take [Ukraine's] Sumy region, located just opposite Kursk region. About 500-600 shellings were carried out daily targeting the territory of the Sumy region. Squeezing out Russian weapons to a depth of 100 kilometers will already make it possible to protect the civilian population in the Ukrainian border area, for example in the Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions."
Referring to the civilian population that remains in the territory now under Ukrainian military's control, Podolyak said Kyiv is fulfilling all the requirements of international humanitarian legislation.
"We keep a register of civilians. International law very strictly requires that you bear actual responsibility for residents, citizens, and noncombatants. International humanitarian law clearly spells out your responsibility in the zone of actual control if there is military action there. Of course, registers will be compiled, our guys are looking at who is there, who needs to be sent where, and so on."
On August 19, Zelenskiy again pushed for permission from Ukraine's allies to use long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.
"Ukraine is separated from halting the advance of the Russian Army on the front by only one decision we await from our partners: the decision on long-range capabilities," he said.
The United States and other allies of Ukraine have placed restrictions on the use of the weapons over concerns that it could escalate the war.
Podolyak, however, said such an escalation would only occur if Ukraine acted in a similar way to Russia and struck civilian areas, which would put Kyiv morally on the same footing as Moscow.
"There is definitely no point in striking big cities or populated areas as such. This will not solve any problem and would equalize Ukraine and Russia in the type of warfare, which is absolutely pointless," Podolyak said. "Once again, Ukraine is waging war in a completely different way, and again, it makes no sense to destroy civilian objects. It makes sense to destroy only military infrastructure."
However, the United States, Ukraine's main ally and supplier of modern weapons systems, remains opposed for the time being to allowing Ukraine to use long-range western arms to strike deeper inside Russia.
"I will say that our policy has not changed. I just don't have anything to add to that," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in response to a question on the subject on August 19.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian air-defense systems repelled a missile strike on Kyiv early on August 20, the fifth missile attack by Russia's military on the Ukrainian capital this month, the air force reported.
According to early assessments, there were no casualties or damage, the air force added.
The military said the wave of Iskander K cruise missiles was preceded just hours earlier by drone strikes.
Elswhere, a large fire broke out in the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, regional officials said, urging people to remain inside.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
- By AP
U.S. Intelligence Officials Say Iran Is To Blame For Hacks Targeting Trump, Harris Campaigns
U.S. intelligence officials said on August 19 that they were confident Iran was responsible for the hacking of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. They cast the cyber intrusion as part of a brazen and broader effort by Tehran to interfere in U.S. politics and potentially shape the outcome of the November election. Besides breaching the Trump campaign, officials also believe Iran tried to hack into the presidential campaign of Kamala Harris. Iran’s mission to the United Nations denied the allegations as "unsubstantiated and devoid of any standing," saying Iran had neither the motive nor intention to interfere with the election.
Ukraine Repels Fifth Missile Attack On Capital This Month
Ukrainian air-defense systems repelled a missile strike on Kyiv early on August 20, the fifth missile attack by Russia's military on the Ukrainian capital this month, the air force reported, adding that according to early assessments there were no casualties or damage. The military said the wave of Iskander K cruise missiles was preceded just hours earlier by drone strikes. Meanwhile, a large fire broke out in the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, regional officials said, urging people to remain inside. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Reopening Of Mitrovica Bridge Long Overdue But Must Be Done In Consultation With Allies, Says Kosovo's President
PRISTINA -- Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani says Kosovo is in consultations with the international community on opening the main bridge in Mitrovica that divides ethnic Albanian and Serbian communities.
Osmani told RFE/RL in an interview on August 19 that opening the bridge, which has been a point of contention in Mitrovica because of concerns that it would increase already high ethnic tensions, is a priority and could turn into a “symbol of normalization” in relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
The bridge divides the Albanian-majority southern side and a Serb-majority northern side of the city, Kosovar authorities have been seeking a way to open it in a way that does not provoke conflict with Kosovo's international partners.
“Of course, we need to ask for the bridge to open very soon because we are already eight years too late,” she said, adding that this doesn’t mean that Kosovo has told its allies in the Quint -- an informal decision-making group consisting of the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and Britain -- that Pristina would disregard security concerns or open the bridge without working with them.
Osmani said it would not make sense for Pristina to take the step without making sure that its security partners were on board because “it would backfire” and “that is not in the interest of Kosovo.”
Prime Minister Albin Kurti at the beginning of August announced plans to open the bridge to vehicle traffic despite opposition from members of both NATO and Quint. The announcement sparked protests by Serbs in northern Kosovo, who expressed concerns that the move would increase ethnic tensions and impact their safety.
NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) peacekeeping mission and the European Union have requested that the matter be taken up by Brussels, but Osmani said she opposes this given that Kosovo and Serbia already have an agreement and the two sides consider the issue closed.
Talks will continue, she said, but it will be crucial that the two sides fully coordinate with NATO.
Osmani said that she spoke about the opening of the bridge with Kurti about a month ago and they agreed that there must be coordination with NATO’s presence in Kosovo, which includes EU partners that are members of NATO and others that are not, along with the United States, which she described as “our main security partner.”
The current security assessment regarding the bridge is critical and open to exploitation by Serbia, Osmani said.
“There is a constant threat, as we all know, and as we've said it publicly many times, from forces that are financed, instigated, as well as pushed politically and trained militarily by Serbia,” she told RFE/RL. “Of course, it is in Serbia's interest to always cause some sort of a tension in Kosovo.”
She noted that Milan Radoicic, a Kosovar Serb politician who has claimed he is the sole mastermind of an armed attack on the village of Banjska in September 2023 that left a Kosovo police officer and three attackers dead, is still free.
Serbia has refused to extradite him to face charges in Kosovo despite an arrest warrant issued by Interpol, but there has been no formal decision.
She also claimed there are people in Kosovo who “still try to hide their weapons,” adding that even as recently as just a few days ago Kosovar police confiscated weapons “that are hidden by certain people in the north” who cooperate with “gangs” in Serbia.
She also repeated her claim that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is the “mastermind” behind the hiding of weapons and the deadly attack in September -- a charge that Vucic has vehemently denied.
“It's not a political assumption. I know for a fact that Aleksandar Vucic is directly involved in ordering the Banjska attack” she said, adding that Kosovo’s NATO partners and other Balkan countries know this as well.
“When you deal with minds like that, you need to gather around, regroup, reorganize, understand who your friends and partners are, and work with them to prevent such scenarios which are trying to bring our region back to the 1990s,” she said.
Phil Donahue, American Talk Show Host Who Bridged U.S., Soviet Audiences, Dies Aged 88
U.S. television talk show pioneer Phil Donahue, who hosted a groundbreaking television discussion series between U.S. and Soviet audiences in the 1980s, has died aged 88. Donahue, who died on August 18, was well known in the United States for launching the daytime television talk show genre. His Cold War programs were known as Citizen Summits and featured simultaneous broadcasts from a city within each country where studio audiences could ask questions of one another. Donahue and Soviet television journalist Vladimir Posner moderated each of their respective audiences. In the 1990s, the pair also co-hosted a weekly issues roundtable on U.S. business broadcaster CNBC. To read the full story by RFE/RL’s Russian service, click here.
Zelenskiy Again Requests Permission To Use Long-Range Weapons To Hit Targets Deep Inside Russia
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has again pushed for permission from Ukraine's allies to use long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.
"Ukraine is separated from halting the advance of the Russian Army on the front by only one decision we await from our partners: the decision on long-range capabilities," Zelenskiy said in a speech to Ukrainian ambassadors on August 19.
The United States and other allies of Ukraine have placed restrictions on the use of the weapons over concerns that it could escalate the war.
Zelenskiy also told the diplomats that Ukrainian forces have taken control of 92 settlements in the Kursk region of Russia and now control more than 1,250 square kilometers of enemy territory in the nearly two weeks since the start of the surprise cross-border incursion.
"Ukrainian soldiers continue the defensive operation in certain areas of the Kursk region of the Russian Federation," he said. "We are continuing to strengthen our positions, stabilize certain areas, and replenish the exchange fund," Zelenskiy said in an apparent reference to Russian troops taken prisoner by Ukraine.
The operation is "our biggest investment in the process of freeing Ukrainians from Russian captivity. "This is one of our goals," he said.
Zelenskiy said earlier on Telegram that Ukrainian forces were fulfilling their objectives while pressing their incursion into Kursk, while Moscow acknowledged that Ukraine has damaged a third bridge over the River Seym critical to Russian troop movements in the region.
A video statement from a representative of Russia's Investigative Committee was posted on the Telegram channel of Russian state TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov. In the video, the investigator said Ukrainian forces had struck the bridge a day earlier.
On August 18, Ukraine’s Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk said his troops had damaged a second strategic bridge over the Seym, limiting Russia’s supply capacity as it tries to prevent Ukraine from bolstering its positions.
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.
Russian military bloggers previously posted an image of the first bridge that was hit near the village of Zvannoye in Kursk.
According to Russian security officials, the destruction of that bridge cut off part of the Glushkov district.
Analysts say taking out bridges over the Seym is crucial for Ukraine to ensure a secure flank to its offensive in Kursk by making it difficult for Moscow to supply its troops south of the river.
"If the Ukrainians can make it impossible for the Russians to supply troops south of the Seym, they will at a minimum provide a secure flank to their offensive," said Philips P. O'Brien, a professor at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. "The Russian military is ponderous and needs heavy logistical supply to undertake operations. Without bridges, its hard to see the Russians supplying the needed forces to keep that area effectively militarized," O'Brien wrote in a blog post on August 18.
Ukraine launched its surprise counteroffensive into Russia's Kursk region on August 6, altering the dynamics of the 2 1/2-year war and causing 120,000 people to flee.
Zelenskiy on August 18 said Ukraine's main task is "to destroy as much Russian potential as possible and conduct maximum counterattack work," with the aim of creating a "buffer zone."
Meanwhile, intense fighting continued in the eastern region of Donetsk, Zelenskiy said, as Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have captured the village of Zalizne.
"Heavy fighting continues in the Pokrovsk direction, and the defense of Toretsk," Zelenskiy said in his message on Telegram, while regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said, "We are starting the forced evacuation of families with children from the Pokrovsk community."
Earlier on August 19, Russian shelling in Donetsk killed three and injured nine people, according to Filashkin. He also said casualties were reported in Myrnograd, Toretsk, and Rozliva.
Governor Vasily Golubev of Russia's Rostov region that borders Ukraine said on August 19 that a state of emergency was introduced in the town of Proletarsk. The day before, 18 firefighters were injured while trying to extinguish a massive fire caused by drone attacks.
Golubev also said four firefighters are in serious condition, adding that despite all efforts to extinguish the fire, the situation remains "the same."
Local authorities said on August 18 that Ukrainian forces staged two drone strikes at the oil depot.
Kyiv said the attacks were organized by the Ukrainian armed forces and Ukraine's HUR military intelligence service.
Russia also launched 11 Shahed-type drones toward Donetsk and several other regions, including Kyiv, but the Ukrainian Air Force said they had all been intercepted.
With reporting by Reuters
Prison Term Of Kazakh Ex-President's Nephew Replaced By Suspended Sentence
A court in Kazakhstan's eastern city of Oskemen has replaced a six-year prison sentence given to a nephew of Kazakhstan's former strongman President Nursultan Nazarbaev with a suspended sentence.
Court No. 2 in the capital of the East Kazakhstan region ruled on August 16 that Qairat Satybaldy, 52, must be released with a suspended 40-month sentence, stressing that the once extremely powerful businessman and politician had returned all the money he was accused of embezzling to the State Treasury.
At a hearing prior to the ruling, Satybaldy offered his apologies to the Kazakh government and people for his crimes.
The court's ruling came less than two years after Satybaldy was sentenced to six years in prison by a court in Astana after he pleaded guilty to all charges following indictments for fraud and embezzlement.
Satybaldy was arrested in March 2022 while trying to board a plane heading to Turkey. The probe launched against him was one of a series of investigations targeting relatives and allies of Nazarbaev.
Kazakhstan’s Anti-Corruption Agency accused Satybaldy of embezzling tens of millions of dollars from state companies Kazakhtelecom and Transport Service Center.
The agency said at the time that $500 million had been returned to the State Treasury and that 29 percent of Kazakhtelecom's shares that had been controlled by Satybaldy were placed back under state control.
After unprecedented anti-government protests in January 2022, the Kazakh regime began to quietly target Nazarbaev, his family, and other allies -- many of whom held powerful or influential posts in government, security agencies, and profitable energy companies.
President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, whom Nazarbaev handpicked as his successor after stepping down in 2019, distanced himself from the former leader after the January unrest, which was fueled by Kazakhs’ pent up frustration with cronyism and corruption.
Toqaev stripped Nazarbaev of the sweeping powers he had retained as the head of the Security Council after resigning.
Just days after the protests, two of Nazarbaev’s sons-in-law were pushed out of top jobs at two major oil and gas companies.
Another son-in-law, Timur Kulibaev, resigned as chairman of the country’s main business lobby group, while Nazarbaev's eldest daughter, Darigha, was apparently forced to give up her parliamentary seat.
Authorities also launched probes against leaders of a company linked to Nazarbaev's youngest daughter, Aliya.
Moscow Is Ready To Get Involved In Azerbaijan-Armenia Peace Process, Putin Says
BAKU -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said after talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on August 19 that Moscow is ready to get involved in the process of signing a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the basis of trilateral agreements reached after the 44-day war between the two South Caucasus nations in 2020.
"We also are ready to facilitate the delimitation and demarcation of the [Azerbaijani-Armenian] border, as we have possessed corresponding documents since the Soviet times; unblocking transborder routes; establishing humanitarian contacts," Putin said, stressing that "stable peace in the South Caucasus corresponds to the deep interests of all the nations in the region."
Aliyev said in turn that he was “very satisfied” with the current state of Russian-Azerbaijani relations.
The head of the Baku-based Institute of Political Management, Azer Qasimli, told RFE/RL that major issues discussed between Putin and Aliyev were related to Baku’s regaining control over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in September last year, which led to the dissolution of the region’s separatist ethnic Armenian government.
Qasimli added that Putin is looking for ways to sell Russian gas to Europe via Azerbaijan amid Western sanctions imposed on Russia over its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
"Russia has tried to topple [Armenian Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinian and bring pro-Russian politicians to power. It failed to work and Pashinian’s government got stronger and chose the course of getting closer to the West,” Qasimli said, adding that the tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia remains very high and could lead to "a new wave of clashes.”
Putin arrived in Baku for a two-day official visit on August 18.
His visit comes as Azerbaijan and Armenia have been in talks over a peace treaty.
Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but was mostly populated by ethnic Armenians, used to be under ethnic Armenians' control for three decades.
Since Baku regained control over the breakaway region, ties between Russia and Armenia have been tense. Yerevan has accused Moscow of failing to meet its obligations after Russian troops stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh as part of a November 2020 cease-fire agreement avoided any involvement in Baku's victorious lightning offensive in September.
The authorities in Yerevan did not immediately react to Putin’s comments in Baku, while Gagik Melkonian, an outspoken lawmaker representing the ruling Civil Contract party, dismissed them. He claimed that the Russian leader travelled to Baku to discuss further anti-Armenian moves with Aliyev.
“They handed over Karabakh to Baku and are now reminding them that Baku is in debt to them for that,” Melkonian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “So, I personally don’t expect anything good from that [Baku] meeting.”
Bulgaria Indefinitely Postpones Parliamentary Elections
Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections, which were scheduled for October 20, have been indefinitely postponed after President Rumen Radev refused to sign a decree approving the formation of a caretaker government. Radev is said to have a problem with the decision by his own nominee for caretaker prime minister, Goritsa Grancharova-Kozhareva, to retain Kalin Stoyanov as interior minister. Radev’s refusal to approve Grancharova-Kozhareva’s proposed cabinet means the current caretaker government of Dimitar Glavchev will remain in power until the parliament presents a new shortlist of potential prime ministers. To read the full story by RFE/RL’s Bulgarian Service, click here.
- By AFP
Germany Says It Is 'Fully Committed' To Supplying Ukraine Aid
A government spokesman on August 19 insisted that Germany would continue to supply necessary aid to support Ukraine against Russia's invasion, despite plans to halve its budget for helping Kyiv in 2025. "Reporting that insinuates we are cutting back on aid is simply inaccurate," spokesman Wolfgang Buechner told reporters, adding that Germany was "fully committed" to supporting Ukraine "for as long as necessary." The latest budget draft includes around 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) set aside for Ukraine in next year's budget, compared with around 8 billion euros in 2024.
Trial Of 12 Belarusians Over Drone Attack At Military Airport Starts In Minsk
The trial started in Minsk on August 19 of 12 people over a drone attack at the Machulishchy Air Base near the Belarusian capital in late February 2023 that damaged a Russian military plane.
The Vyasna human rights center said the defendants, many of whom are being tried in absentia, were charged with high treason, terrorism, facilitating extremist activities, financing terrorist activities, organizing and preparing of activities that blatantly disrupt public order, premeditated damage of vehicles, illegal operations with weapons and explosives, participation in terrorism training, etc.
The defendants include Maksim Lapatsin, Andrey Stsyapurka, Aleh Sychou, Dzyanis Sakalou, Anastasia Pilko, and six other defendants who are not in Belarus -- Alyaksandr Azarau, Yauhenia Tachytskaya, Mikhail Dzyomin, Syarhey Laparau, Vital Yakutsik, Ala Yatsuta, and Ukrainian national Mykola Shvets.
The leader of the Belarusian antigovernment group ByPol, Alyaksandr Azarau, said in July last year that the attack at the Machulishchy Air Base that damaged Russia's A-50 early warning and control plane was a joint operation by ByPol and Ukraine's Security Service (SBU).
Russia used the Machulishchy Air Base near the Belarusian capital for aircraft involved in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022.
Although the invasion was partly organized in Moscow-allied Belarus, authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka has sought to downplay his regime's role in the conflict.
Belarusian authorities said at the time they arrested more than 20 men and women suspected of involvement in the high-profile attack.
Belarusian investigators claimed the Ukrainian national, Shvets, was an SBU agent. Shvets and several other Ukrainians were released and returned to Ukraine in a prisoner swap in June, but despite that Shvets is among the Belarusians being tried in absentia.
In March this year, Ukrainian officials confirmed the SBU's involvement into the attack at the Belarusian airbase.
Mudslides, Floods Damage Hundreds Of Homes In Kyrgyz Resort Region
Mudslides and floods caused by heavy rains damaged hundreds of houses in towns and villages around Kyrgyzstan’s resort region of Issyk-Kul on August 18. Bekmamat Abdyrakhmanov of the Emergencies Ministry told RFE/RL on August 19 that dozens of buildings in spa complexes near the Lake of Issyk-Kul were also damaged. A state of emergency was introduced in the Issyk-Kul and Ton districts. Rescue teams are working on cleaning up roads and areas affected by the mass mudslides and floods. Since spring this year, mudslides and floods caused by heavy rains have killed 25 people in the Central Asian nation. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.
Noted Tajik Journalist Ahmad Ibrohim Reportedly Arrested
Several sources close to law enforcement in Tajikistan told RFE/RL over the weekend that police in the Central Asian nation's southern city of Kulob had arrested noted journalist Ahmad Ibrohim on bribe-related charges. According to the sources, the 62-year-old editor-in-chief of the Paik (Message) independent newspaper was arrested on August 12 after he allegedly offered a bribe to an official in exchange for re-registration of his media outlet. Tajik officials are yet to announce the arrest. In recent years, several Tajik journalists, rights activists, and opposition politicians have been handed lengthy prison terms on charges seen by rights groups as trumped-up and politically motivated. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Tajik Service, click here.
- By Current Time
Moscow Police Reportedly Force Migrant Workers To Enlist Amid Raids
Russian media cited sources close to the Moscow city police department on August 18 as saying that dozens of migrant workers were officially summoned to enlistment centers following police raids over the weekend. The raids were held to locate illegal immigrants and check if naturalized Russian citizens from former Soviet republics comply with a recently adopted law that obliges new Russian passport holders to go through military registration. Since January, police raids on labor migrants from Central Asia have increased across Russia. Some detained labor migrants have been forcibly brought to military enlistment centers where they were forced to sign contracts for deployment in Ukraine. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.
Rights Groups Say 8 Executed In Iranian Prisons
Two rights groups have reported that eight people were executed in two Iranian prisons in the early hours of August 19. Haalvsh, a group that monitors rights violations against Iran's Baluch ethnic minority, said three Baluchis and two Afghan nationals were hanged in a prison in the central city of Yazd. Their charges varied from murder to carrying illicit drugs. Separately, the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights reported that three men had been executed in a prison in the southern city of Shiraz for similar charges. The group said Iran had executed at least 376 people this year. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.
Russia Hits Clooney Foundation With 'Undesirable' Designation
The office of Russia's Prosecutor General on August 19 said it had banned a foundation launched by American movie star George Clooney and his human rights lawyer wife Amal Clooney. In a press release, it said the Clooney Foundation for Justice had been designated as an "undesirable" organization for carrying out extensive work to discredit Russia, actively supporting false patriots, backing banned terrorist and extremist groups, and advancing criminal probes against Russia's top leadership. The foundation along with several other NGOs appealed to the UN Human Rights Committee, accusing Russia of violating the rights of Ukrainians killed in a 2022 missile attack on Vinnytsya. To read the full story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
Montenegro Detains Polish Citizen Suspected of Multimillion-Dollar Crypto Fraud
Montenegrin police announced on August 18 that it had detained Roman Ziemian, a Polish national wanted by Poland and South Korea for multimillion-dollar fraud. Ziemian, who cofounded the digital currency trading platform FutureNet, allegedly defrauded users out of around $21 million. The 51-year-old was detained in Montenegro capital, Podgorica, on August 17. Ziemian was previously apprehended in Italy in 2022 and was placed under house arrest before he escaped. To read the full story by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, click here.
- By AFP
Ukrainian Officials Confirm Indian PM Modi Will Visit On August 23
Ukraine has confirmed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit on August 23. On August 19, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office confirmed an earlier announcement by the Indian Foreign Ministry and provided a date. Modi and Zelenskiy will discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation and several yet-to-be-specified documents will be signed, according to the president's office. The visit comes after Modi's visit last month to Moscow, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskiy criticized that meeting, saying on July 6 that it was "a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy embracing the bloodiest criminal in the world.” To read the original story on RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, click here.
Vladivostok Court Upholds U.S. Soldier Gordon Black's Sentence
A court in Russia's Far East city of Vladivostok on August 19 rejected the appeal filed by the lawyer of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gordon Black against his sentence of three years and nine months in a general regime penal colony on charges of theft and threat to kill.
Black, who had been on active duty in South Korea, was arrested in May in Vladivostok, where he traveled to meet a Russian woman he was romantically involved with.
Black, 34, was accused of theft and making death threats against the woman, who had filed a complaint with prosecutors.
On June 19, a Vladivostok court found him guilty and sentenced him to three years and nine months prison.
Black's lawyer said on August 19 that the regional court's decision would be appealed.
During the hearing, Black's defense argued that the first trial court had been unfair and mischaracterized his actions.
According to the court, Black had been living with Russian woman Aleksandra Vashchuk in Vladivostok since April. In May, they had a fight, during which the defendant grabbed the girl by the neck, "which she perceived as a real threat to her life."
Since he had no money, Black took 10,000 rubles ($112) from Vashchuk's wallet, which he spent on paying for a hotel room, where he was detained.
The Associated Press reported that Black was finishing his service in South Korea and was supposed to return to Texas when he instead traveled to Russia.
Black is one of several U.S. citizens held in Russia on a variety of charges.
Dual Russian-American citizen Ksenia Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in prison on August 15 after a Russian court found her guilty of treason for donating $51 to a charity supporting Ukraine.
Russian Antiwar Activists Remember Navalny, Criticize Putin At Demonstration In Montenegro
A group of Russian antiwar activists held a gathering in the Montenegrin city of Budva on August 18 in memory of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny and to express their opposition to Russia's war in Ukraine.
One of the organizers of the gathering, a man who identified himself only as Artem, said the demonstrators also wanted to show support for Russian political prisoners.
"We are here to pay respect to Navalny for everything he has done for our country and to say that we support Ukraine," he told RFE/RL.
Authorities allowed the gathering on the main square in Budva with the condition that there be no banners or musical performances, the organizers said. Some of those gathered ignored the condition and carried pictures of Navalny and banners saying "Russia without Putin, stop the war."
They also showed photos of 20 Russian political prisoners who they say were killed or died in prisons.
Navalny, the most prominent among them, had been convicted in trials that he and his associates judged to be politically motivated before he died on February 16 in a prison in Russia’s Arctic under suspicious circumstances. Many Russians living in Montenegro turned out then to pay their respects to him.
Those gathered on August 18 said there are still around 1,600 political prisoners in Russia, quoting data from the civil sector.
A protest participant who gave his name only as Vasily said he and the others wanted to assure them that they are not alone.
"We do not forget you and we are proud of you, [proud] of people who have the courage to publicly say what they think," Vasily told RFE/RL.
Vasily also said he believes that the only chance for change in his country is Putin's departure from the political scene.
Another participant, Russian dissident and artist Marat Gueljman, said that a change of government is the only hope for Russians in the country.
Gueljman said three years ago, Putin's power in Russia was "incredibly strong” and no one could have guessed then that the army of another country could be on Russian territory and that thousands of people would be in prison for opposing Putin.
"So, with this war, Putin made a mistake. No one can destroy the system better than the people who built it. Putin will destroy that system," Gueljman said.
Putin Arrives In Azerbaijan On Visit To Shore Up Kremlin's Ties With Baku Amid Souring Relations With Armenia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Azerbaijan for a two-day state visit, the Kremlin’s press service said on August 18.
Russian television broadcast images of Putin's plane arriving in Baku in the evening.
Putin is due to hold talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, on bilateral relations and "international and regional problems" during his visit, the Kremlin said.
One of the main topics to be discussed will be the further development of the “Russia-Azerbaijan strategic partnership and alliance," the Kremlin’s press service said. Other “relevant international and regional issues” are also expected to be discussed.
According to the Kremlin, a joint statement and several other documents will be signed. RIA Novosti reported that in addition to signing the documents Aliyev and Putin will also make statements to the press.
Putin is expected to comment on peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which have been taking place following years of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Yerevan and Baku have been negotiating a peace treaty since Azerbaijan retook control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region in September 2023 in a lightning offensive.
A traditional ally and partner of Russia, Armenia recently has turned toward improving its ties with the West and putting on ice its relations with Moscow, which Yerevan has blamed for failing to support it in its conflict with Azerbaijan.
Moscow, which regards both former Soviet republics to be in its sphere of influence, has been perturbed by Armenia’s efforts to deepen its ties with Western countries, especially the United States.
Also on Putin's schedule is a wreath-laying on August 19 at the tomb of Heydar Aliyev, the father of the current leader, who was president from 1993 to 2003.
Putin last visited Azerbaijan in September 2018. During that visit, he watched the judo world championship and participated in the ninth plenary session of the Russia-Azerbaijan interregional forum.
The Caucasus country is a close partner of Moscow but also a major energy supplier to Western countries.
Azerbaijan is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court, meaning Putin is able to travel to the country without fearing arrest under the international warrant issued for him by the court for war crimes in Ukraine.
With reporting by AFP
- By AP
Volcano In Russia's Far East Erupts After Powerful Earthquake
One of Russia’s most active volcanoes has erupted, spewing plumes of ash 5 kilometers into the sky over the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East. The Shiveluch volcano began sputtering shortly after a powerful earthquake struck off Kamchatka’s east coast early on August 18, according to volcanologists from the Russian Academy of Sciences who warned that another, even more potent earthquake may be on the way. The academy’s Institute of Volcanology and Seismology released a video showing the ash cloud over Shiveluch stretching more than 490 kilometers southeast of the volcano. The Ebeko volcano on the Kuril Islands also spewed ash into the sky, the institute said. It did not explicitly say whether the earthquake touched off the eruptions.
Taliban-Led Government Celebrates 105th Anniversary Of Afghan Independence
Top officials of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan marked 105 years of of the country's independence on August 18 by demanding mutual respect from the international community.
Afghanistan gained its independence in August 1919 after the signing of the Anglo-Afghan Treaty, which ended British control over the country’s foreign affairs.
Afghanistan currently remains unrecognized internationally, largely because of the restrictions the Taliban-led government has placed on women since it returned to power in August 2021.
The anniversary of the signing of the Anglo-Afghan Treaty was marked at a meeting of top Taliban leaders in Kabul broadcast live by the Taliban-controlled National Radio and Television.
Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the Taliban's acting defense minister, told the meeting that the government wants strong relations with the world based on mutual respect but will never give in to pressure.
He also said the Taliban, which seized power after the U.S.-backed government collapsed and its leaders fled into exile, will never allow the Islamic State and other destructive groups to create chaos in Afghanistan.
"Whether they are Daesh (Islamic State) or other rebels, they should hear…that we have not surrendered to anyone's power at any cost. By any name, we have established the Islamic system in this land. We will defend it till death and the last century."
The international community has previously expressed concern about the presence of the extremist Islamic State group in Afghanistan, while the Taliban has said it is the only group capable of ruling and establishing security in the country.
Hamid Karzai, who served as the first elected president of Afghanistan from 2004 to 2014, marked the anniversary of the signing of the treaty by calling on the Taliban to allow girls and women to attend school and university.
“I call on the caretaker Islamic government to open the doors of schools and universities in the country as soon as possible so that girls equipped with the jewels of knowledge can play their part in the development of the country alongside their brothers,” Karzai said on X. “Education and national unity are the forces that will keep the country strong.”
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has banned girls and women from studying beyond primary school.
The United Nations said on August 15 that at least 1.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to secondary education and this has almost wiped out two decades of steady progress for education in Afghanistan, leaving the future of an entire generation in jeopardy.
- By RFE/RL
Hungary Says Worries Over Loosened Entry Restrictions For Belarusians And Russians Unfounded
Hungary has responded to a letter sent by Nordic and Baltic countries expressing concern about Budapest’s decision to make it easier for Russian and Belarusian citizens to enter Hungary.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on August 18 that the letter sent to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson showed an alarming level of “disregard for fact.”
"We regret to see that our colleagues from Nordic and Baltic countries continue to pursue their campaign of lies directed against Hungary,” Szijjarto said on Facebook.
The letter, signed by ministers of eight Nordic and Baltic countries and sent to Johansson on August 15, expressed concern that Hungary’s decision “may constitute a serious security risk to all Member States.”
All eight countries -- Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden -- are in Europe’s Schengen zone in which travelers can cross internal borders without having to show their passports or other documents.
Estonian Foreign Minister Marhus Tsahkna posted the letter on X on August 16, saying that easing entry for Russians and Belarusians “is not justified when Russia continues its war in #Ukraine & is intensifying hybrid actions against EU.”
The letter said this includes “sabotage, acts of violence, provocations at borders and instrumentalization of migrants.” It said all eight countries concluded at the NATO summit in July that “these actions constitute a threat to our security.”
But Szijjarto disagreed, saying in his response on August 18 that including Russian and Belarusian citizens in Hungary’s National Card program does not pose any security risk to the Schengen area because the Belarusian and Russian citizens who arrive in Hungary must still undergo thorough checks to enter and stay in the country.
“Any claims to the contrary are outright lies from our Nordic and Baltic colleagues who have been blinded by their adherence to the pro-war camp," Szijjarto said.
Budapest published details of its National Card program last month after it took over the European Union's rotating presidency.
The program is a new fast-track visa system for citizens of eight countries, including Russia and Belarus, to enter Hungary. Budapest has said many of those who enter would be employed in the construction of a nuclear power plant that is contracted to Russia’s Rosatom.
Johansson voiced concern about the decision earlier this month in a letter addressed to Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter asking Budapest for clarifications. She said Russia is a security threat for the European Union and pointed to the need of "more, not less vigilance."
Russian citizens do not face a ban on entering the EU and the Schengen Area, which also includes non-EU members Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland, if they possess a valid visa and have no ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Belarusian Leader Says One-Third Of Army Deployed To Ukraine Border
Belarus has deployed nearly one-third of its troops to the border with Ukraine, the country’s authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka told Russia’s state-run Rossia-1 television channel on August 18. He said the decision was made in response to Ukraine allegedly maintaining 120,000 soldiers near the border with Belarus and amassing more forces. Lukashenka also insisted that Kyiv had raised the stakes by launching a surprise offensive in Russia’s Kursk region. To read the full story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.
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