Russian Digest

Top daily stories I'm keeping an eye on

1. "Work has been intensified to involve units of Russian troops based in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova to carry out provocations and demonstrations on the border with Ukraine. offensive and possibly hostilities against Ukraine.” via Ukrainian Pravda

2. The United States is providing Ukraine with supplies and equipment in case Russia deploys chemical or biological weapons in its invasion of Ukraine, the White House said on Friday. via Reuters

3. Governor of Odesa Oblast Maksym Marchenko reported earlier on April 1 that Russian missiles hit residential areas in the region and caused casualties. According to Marchenko, the missiles were allegedly fired from Russian-annexed Crimea. via Kyiv Independent

4. An officer in the German army reserve has been charged with spying for allegedly passing information to Russian intelligence services between 2014 and 2020, according to federal prosecutors.

   The man, referred to as Ralph G, is suspected of supplying information on the German military’s reserves, “civil defence”, the effect of sanctions leveled against Moscow in 2014, and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project between Russia and Germany, the federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement on Friday. via Al Jazeera

5. Russian banks continue to finance Russian aggression against Ukraine.

   This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

   "Through the Russian Promsvyazbank and Gazprombank, UAVs are being procured, components for military equipment and electronic reconnaissance equipment for units of the 47th Panzer Division (Mulino)," the statement said. via Gazeta UA