15 hours ago
Russia issues arrest warrant for Lindsey Graham over Ukraine comments
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) looks on during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 14, 2022 calling for calling Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.
Tom Brenner | Portal
Russia’s Interior Ministry on Monday issued an arrest warrant for US Senator Lindsey Graham after he recently commented on the fighting in Ukraine, the Associated Press reported.
The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday released an edited video of his meeting with Graham, who said “the Russians are dying” and called US military aid to the country “the best money we’ve ever spent.”
Graham appeared to have made the comments at different parts of the conversation, and the short video from Ukraine’s presidential office juxtaposed them, sparking outrage in Russia, according to the AP.
The Board of Inquiry, Russia’s top criminal investigation agency, has requested the opening of a criminal investigation into Graham and the Home Office has issued an arrest warrant for him, the AP reported.
Graham commented on TwitterHe said: “It gives me great pleasure to know that my involvement in Ukraine has drawn the wrath of Putin’s regime.”
“I will continue to stand for the freedom of Ukraine until every Russian soldier is expelled from Ukrainian territory,” he tweeted. “I will wear the arrest warrant from Putin’s corrupt and immoral government as a badge of honor.”
– Melody Warner
17 hours ago
Russia says it reserves right to take “strict measures” after drone attack in Moscow
A view of a damaged multi-storey apartment building after a reported drone strike in Moscow on May 30, 2023.
Kirill Kudryavtsev | Afp | Getty Images
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it had the right to take the “most severe measures” after Tuesday morning’s drone attack on Moscow, which it blames on Kiev.
“Assurances by NATO officials that the Kiev regime will not launch attacks deep into Russian territory are proving to be completely hypocritical,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Russia reserves the right to take the toughest measures in response to the terrorist attacks of the Kiev regime,” it said.
A Ukrainian presidential aide denied the government’s involvement in the attacks, but said, “We are pleased to observe and predict an increase in attacks.” The drone strikes caused “minor damage” and two wounded but no deaths, Moscow authorities said .
The drone strikes were followed by three heavy Russian missile and drone strikes on Kiev in a 24-hour period that began on Sunday and killed at least one person, according to city officials.
— Natasha Turak
17 hours ago
Russia says it will target western arms supply routes in Ukraine
Russia will target and attack any Western arms supply routes it discovers ahead of Ukraine’s expected counteroffensive, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted as saying by the state media agency TASS.
Shoigu pointed out that Ukraine’s western allies are stepping up arms supplies to Kiev ahead of an upcoming “large-scale” Ukrainian offensive.
The defense chief said Moscow was inflicting “effective fire damage” on the enemy and that Ukraine’s western-supplied weapons would not change the outcome of his country’s “special military operation,” as the Kremlin calls its all-out war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
— Natasha Turak
17 hours ago
“Let your houses burn”: Wagner boss criticizes Moscow elites
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group, claimed Saturday his mercenaries captured Bakhmut after nine months of intense fighting there.
Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Images
Early morning drone strikes on Moscow reportedly hit some of the city’s prestigious neighborhoods and exclusive residential streets, including a part of western Moscow where Russian elites, including President Vladimir Putin, have homes.
The head of Russia’s private military company Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was quick to criticize the wealthy senior Russian military officials, saying the attacks were their fault.
“Why the hell are you allowing these drones to fly to Moscow? Who cares if they fly to your houses on Rublevka! Let your houses burn,” Prigozhin wrote on his Telegram account.
The suburb of Rublevka is home to many of Moscow’s wealthiest business, political and cultural figures. Prigozhin has long been a vocal critic of Russia’s top military and senior officials, whom he accuses of corruption and neglect of ordinary Russians, particularly those fighting on the front lines in Ukraine.
The Wagner group led some of the deadliest fighting in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the bloody battles around the town of Bakhmut, inflicting heavy casualties.
— Natasha Turak
20 hours ago
Ukrainian Presidential Advisor: We are “pleased” to see drone attack on Moscow, but have “nothing” to do with the attack
A specialist inspects the damaged facade of a multi-story apartment building after a reported drone strike in Moscow May 30, 2023.
Kirill Kudryavtsev | Afp | Getty Images
A Ukrainian presidential aide on Tuesday morning denied Kiev’s involvement in a drone attack on several buildings in Moscow, but admitted his government was glad the attack took place.
“As far as the attacks are concerned, we are of course pleased about the observation and predict an increase in the number of attacks. But of course we have nothing directly to do with it,” adviser to the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office Mykhailo Podolyak told the Breakfast Show YouTube channel, according to Portal.
The Russian Defense Ministry called the drone strikes a “terrorist attack” and blamed it on Kiev. Eight drones were involved in the offensive, all of which were shot down. According to Moscow authorities, there were no casualties and minimal damage, while some residential buildings were evacuated. CNBC was unable to independently verify the information.
The attacks on Moscow were followed by an intensive phase of three heavy Russian drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kiev within 24 hours. Hostilities began on Sunday, May 28, Kiev Day, an annual celebration of the city’s official founding.
Attacks on Moscow are rare. On May 3, two drones were intercepted by Russian defenses over the Kremlin in what the Russian government said was a Ukrainian assassination attempt on Vladimir Putin, although the Russian president was not at the scene at the time. Kyiv has denied involvement.
— Natasha Turak
21 hours ago
Finland is hosting a NATO exercise for the first time since joining the Alliance
Finnish and Nato flags fly in the courtyard of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Helsinki, Finland, ahead of its entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on April 4, 2023.
Anti Hamalainen | Afp | Getty Images
As an official member of the alliance, Finland is hosting NATO exercises for the first time alongside Norway and partner country Sweden.
The event kicked off on Monday. NATO’s Arctic Challenge Exercise, planned and led by the Finnish Air Force this year, will take place from May 29 to June 9 and has been held every two years since 2013.
“The Arctic Challenge Exercises are part of the NORDEFCO cooperation between Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Their air forces regularly conduct combined cross-border air combat exercises conducted from their home bases,” read a description of the event on NATO’s website.
“The purpose was for the three Nordic nations to practice together and across the borders of their countries,” it said. “Since then, more allied nations have joined the exercise. It is a unique opportunity for nations to practice on larger ranges and with other aircraft.”
21 hours ago
Russian Defense Ministry blames Kyiv for ‘terrorist’ drone attack on Moscow; Kiev official denies involvement
The Russian Defense Ministry has accused the Ukrainian government of being behind a drone attack on Moscow that was reportedly intercepted and caused no casualties but only minor damage.
The ministry wrote in a post on its Telegram channel:
“This morning the Kiev regime launched a terrorist drone attack on the city of Moscow. Eight aircraft drones were used in the attack. All enemy drones have been shot down. Three of them were suppressed by electronic warfare, lost control and deviated from intended targets. Five more UAVs were shot down by the Pantsir-S SAM system in the Moscow region.”
While the ministry said eight drones were involved in the attack, some Russian media sources report the number as high as 30 drones.
Ukraine’s presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said in an interview Tuesday morning that Kiev had “nothing directly to do with it.”
— Natasha Turak
Tue May 30, 2023 at 2:45 am EDT
Moscow buildings hit by drones, city mayor says
Several buildings in Moscow were hit by drones, the city’s mayor reported early Tuesday morning.
“All of the city’s emergency services are at the scene of the accident,” Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a statement, adding that the drones caused “minor” damage and no fatalities.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the attack was carried out by eight drones and all were shot down. The ministry accused Kiev of being behind the attack. CNBC was unable to independently verify the information and Kiev has not responded to the allegation.
The state-run Russian news agency RIA reported that some residents of a building on a street in southern Moscow were evacuated.
— Natasha Turak
Tue May 30, 2023 2:33 am EDT
Kiev suffers third Russian attack in 24 hours, at least one dead
A local resident carries her dog out of a multi-story residential building partially destroyed after a nighttime drone strike in Kiev May 30, 2023. Ukraine announced on May 30, 2023 that it shot down 29 of 31 drones, mostly over Kiev and the Kiev region in the latest Russian barrage – the third on the capital in 24 hours.
Sergei Supinsky | Afp | Getty Images
The Ukrainian capital, Kiev, has been subject to a series of intense bombardments from Russia, including a rare daylight raid that saw a total of three separate drone and missile attacks in the space of 24 hours.
At least one person has died in a fire caused by falling debris from an intercepted drone, Kiev authorities said.
The Russian attacks caused people to seek shelter. Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska posted a video on her Twitter account showing children screaming and running for cover amid explosions.
The latest wave of attacks began on May 28, Kyiv Day, the anniversary of the city’s official founding. Sunday’s bombardment lasted five hours and Ukrainian officials said 52 of the 54 deadly drones fired by Russia were shot down by anti-aircraft guns.
— Natasha Turak
Monday, May 29, 2023 4:01 p.m. EDT
Zelenskyy congratulates Erdogan on the election victory
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his victory in Turkey’s 2023 presidential election on Twitter on Monday.
Erdogan’s government has played a crucial role during the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, notably as a facilitator in the Black Sea Grains Agreement, which allows the export of Ukrainian products blocked by the Russian invasion.
“In a phone call I congratulated him [President Erdogan] “I have highlighted the President’s personal role in pursuing the Grains Initiative, which is an important part of global food security.” Cooperation between and is important and contributes effectively to the prosperity of our peoples and international stability. We will continue its further development and joint work to strengthen the security of the region, Europe and the world!”
Russian President Vladimir Putin also congratulated Erdogan, who is now entering his third decade in power.
— Gili Malinsky
Monday, May 29, 2023 1:38 pm EDT
Lukashenko of Belarus says there could be “nuclear weapons for everyone”.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that if another country wanted to join a Russo-Belarusian union, there could be “nuclear weapons for all”.
Russia pushed ahead with a tactical deployment plan last week nuclear weapons in Belarus, in the Kremlin’s first use of such warheads outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, raising concerns in the West.
In an interview on Russian state television late Sunday, Lukashenko, President Vladimir Putin’s staunchest ally among Russia’s neighbors, said that one must “strategically understand” that Minsk and Moscow have a unique opportunity for unification.
He added that it was his own view – not Russia’s view.
Russia and Belarus are officially part of a union state, a borderless union and alliance between the two former Soviet republics.
– Portal
Tue May 30, 2023 at 2:10 am EDT