Russian Digest
Top weekly stories I'm keeping an eye on
Russian attacks across Ukraine injure 10 over past day
Russian strikes against Ukraine injured 10 civilians over the past day, regional authorities reported on Jan. 25.
Russian forces launched 61 drones from the cities of Bryansk, Kursk, Orel, Millerovo, and Primosk-Akhtarsk, and two Kh-59/69 cruise missiles from the Black Sea at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
Ukraine's air defense shot down two missiles and 46 drones in Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kherson, Odesa, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, and Donetsk oblasts, the Air Force said.
Fifteen drones were lost allegedly due to electronic warfare countermeasures.
Read More at Kyiv Independent
Trump Officials Pause Programs to Let In Immigrants, Including Ukrainians
The pause on several initiatives that allowed immigrants to enter the country temporarily will block the entrance of people fleeing some of the most unstable and desperate places in the world.
Department of Homeland Security officials have ordered what amounts to a pause for a range of programs that allowed immigrants to settle in the United States temporarily, including a key initiative providing an entryway for Ukrainians.
The directive, contained in an email sent by the top official at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Thursday and obtained by The New York Times, demands an immediate end to “final decisions” on applications related to the programs while the administration reviews them and decides whether to terminate them.
The scope of the programs mentioned in the pause is vast, and the decision will block the entrance of immigrants fleeing some of the most unstable and desperate places in the world. In addition to Ukraine, which has been battered by years of war, the programs offered a pathway to immigrants from Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela, among others.
Read More at New York Times
Russia Brushes Off Trump’s Threats on Ukraine
Moscow believes it has the resources and manpower to keep up the fight
President Trump’s initial attempts to lure Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table on Ukraine have been met with what essentially amounts to a shrug.
“We don’t see anything new here,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday, a day after Trump took to Truth Social to warn he would be willing to increase the economic pressure on Moscow after a raft of sanctions were applied following its invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.
Putin’s inner circle has reason to regard Trump’s threat as hollow. While the war has drained the country’s resources and manpower, the Kremlin believes it has successfully stood up against sanctions and that Moscow has the capacity to withstand at least another year of the conflict while Russians continue to sign up to serve on the front line.
To be sure, Russia’s economy is showing some stress-related cracks and is being hammered by inflation as it drives billions of dollars into the country’s defense industry. Inducements for Russians to sign up and benefits for the families of those who have been killed or injured are biting into its budget. Western officials say Russia has suffered about 700,000 casualties in Ukraine.
But while it is losing cash and men, analysts say Russia has enough of both to continue fighting for now and has the upper hand. Russian forces have slowly chewed westward through Ukraine, threatening cities and towns that are important logistics hubs for the Ukrainian military. They now control almost one-fifth of the country.
Read More at WSJ
In Absurd News of Blaming the Victim…..
'He shouldn't have done that': Donald Trump criticizes Ukraine president over war
President Donald Trump had tough words for both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin during an interview that aired Thursday, threatening to ratchet up financial pressure on Russia while calling Zelenskyy “no angel.”
Trump promised on the campaign trail to quickly end the war in Ukraine and is trying to force the two sides to the negotiating table.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but Trump said in the interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity that Zelenskyy “shouldn’t have allowed this war to happen.”
“Zelenskyy was fighting a much bigger entity, much bigger, much more powerful,” Trump said. “He shouldn’t have done that, because we could’ve made a deal… and Zelenskyy decided that I want to fight.”
Read More at USA Today
U.S. puts virtually all foreign aid on 90-day hold, issues 'stop-work' order
Virtually all aid programs around the world that depend on U.S. funding will need to halt their operations because of a State Department memo issued on Friday to "stop work."
The internal memo, obtained by NPR, expands on President Trump's executive order, issued on Monday, to freeze foreign assistance for 90 days.
The new instructions mean these programs will likely have to furlough or lay off employees and cease operations until a review determines whether they align with President Donald Trump's foreign policy agenda.
Within 85 days "the government-wide comprehensive review of all foreign assistance shall be completed, and a report shall be produced to the Secretary of State for his consideration and recommendation to the President," according to the memo, which was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Exempt from the order: aid to Israel and Egypt as well as emergency food aid.
Read More at NPR
SBU foils Russian missile plot on Ukrainian military institute, arrests cadet collaborating with FSB
An 18-year-old military cadet has been charged with treason for allegedly aiding Russian special services, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Jan. 24.
The cadet, transferred to Lviv Oblast for training, reportedly communicated with a representative of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and provided sensitive information in exchange for monetary rewards.
According to the statement, the suspect transmitted data on the locations of military facilities, troop deployments, and the aftermath of shelling in the region.
"Law enforcement officers exposed her activities and prevented potential strikes on Ukrainian military positions," the statement said.
Read More at Kyiv Independent
Tens of thousands protest in Slovakia over pro-Russia policies of populist leader Fico
Some 100,000 demonstrators in cities across Slovakia on Friday demanded that their government stop flirting with Russia and respect the country’s obligations toward its Western partners in NATO and the European Union.
The latest wave of anti-government rallies was fueled by Fico’s recent trip to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a rare visit to the Kremlin by a European Union leader since Moscow’s all-out invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, 2022.
Fico’s recent remarks that it was a possibility to change Slovakia’s foreign policy orientation and leave the European Union and NATO were among other recent steps by the prime minister that fueled the anger of protesters.
“Slovakia is not Russia, Slovakia is Europe” and “We have enough of Fico” and “Resign,” protesters chanted in Bratislava.
Friday’s rallies took place in 28 locations, more than double compared to two weeks ago amid heightened tensions after Fico accused organizers and the opposition earlier this week of being in contact with an unspecified group of foreigners who he says are working toward engineering a coup in Slovakia.
Donald Trump in fiery call with Denmark’s prime minister over Greenland
US president insisted he wants to take over Arctic island
Donald Trump insisted he was serious in his determination to take over Greenland in a fiery telephone call with Denmark’s prime minister, according to senior European officials. The US president spoke to Mette Frederiksen, the Danish premier, for 45 minutes last week.
The White House has not commented on the call but Frederiksen said she had emphasised that the vast Arctic island — an autonomous part of the kingdom of Denmark — was not for sale, while noting America’s “big interest” in it.
Five current and former senior European officials briefed on the call said the conversation had gone very badly. They added that Trump had been aggressive and confrontational following the Danish prime minister’s comments that the island was not for sale, despite her offer of more cooperation on military bases and mineral exploitation.
“It was horrendous,” said one of the people. Another added: “He was very firm. It was a cold shower. Before, it was hard to take it seriously. But I do think it is serious, and potentially very dangerous.”
Read More at FT
Europe Has Had Enough of Elon Musk’s X
Institutions and government agencies are finding that the cost of leaving the “propaganda outlet” might not be so high after all.
“I would prefer to stay out of politics,” Elon Musk told his followers in 2021, on the platform then known as Twitter. Plenty has changed since then.
Musk now owns the social media giant, renamed X and repurposed as his personal soapbox. He has welcomed back far-right agitators banned under previous ownership. Musk spent a quarter-billion dollars to help reelect Donald Trump as United States president, and stood a few feet away as Trump took the oath of office on Monday.
Now, with that task complete, the world’s richest man appears to have a new goal: upend Europe, one government at a time.
The mogul has cast himself as kingmaker in the populist wave that is submerging multiple centrist European leaders. “From MAGA to MEGA: Make Europe Great Again!” he posted on Saturday, reveling in the unease he is bringing to the continent.
Several European Union leaders have accused him of interfering in their affairs and promoting dangerous figures; Musk has waged a brutal and personal online campaign against Britain’s government, rallied for a far-right activist there to be released from prison, and endorsed a far-right party in Germany with a staunchly nationalist platform and a string of scandals relating to some of its members’ views on the Nazi era.
Read More at CNN and Bloomberg
Elon Musk Calls on Germans to Fight for a "Great Future for Germany" and Raise Hands at Far-Right AfD Convention
Billionaire and owner of the social network X Elon Musk spoke via video link at a congress of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Die Welt reports. His speech was broadcast on a big screen before the start of the party's election campaign for the Bundestag elections, which will take place next month.
Musk encountered technical difficulties early in the speech and, while trying to establish a connection, joked: "Can you hear me? If so, raise your hand or something." The joke was controversial, given the billionaire's earlier criticism for making a gesture that resembled a Nazi salute.
In his address, Musk called the Alternative for Germany (AfD) “Germany’s best hope.” He emphasized the importance of national pride, saying that the country’s citizens should not lose their identity in the face of globalization and multiculturalism. He said the current federal government “ignores the health and well-being of the German people” and suppresses free speech.
"It's okay to be proud to be German. It's important to preserve German culture and values," Musk said. He also noted that focusing too much on past historical events hinders progress: "Children should not be held responsible for the sins of their parents."
Musk ended his speech with the call: “Fight for a great future for Germany,” which drew thunderous applause from the 4,500 people present at the convention.
Via The Insider
Inside Belarus’ secret program to undermine the EU
Intercepted phone calls and documents obtained by POLITICO reveal how Alexander Lukashenko’s regime weaponized migration.
The guidance from the Belarusian government was clear: Let the migrants go to Europe.
When Ihar Kachalau, the deputy head of the criminal police in Minsk region, received reports about the disappearance of several people who had traveled to Belarus from Africa to learn how to play football, he phoned the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ask for advice.
“The minister gave explicit instructions,” said Mikhail Bedunkevich, a senior official in the ministry, in an intercept of the call shared with POLITICO. “We should not concern ourselves with migrants in transit to Europe.” He paused for a moment, then added: “Disappeared? All good, as long as they don’t settle here. Anything that moves in that direction … we shouldn’t stand in its way.”
The call — recorded in May 2021 and shared with POLITICO by former Belarusian security officials — lasts under two minutes. Together with a trove of other intercepts and documents, and interviews with former and current members of the security forces, it reveals how the Belarusian authorities facilitated the attempts by migrants to fly into the country and cross illegally into the European Union.
The program of hybrid warfare was designed to sow political discord in EU countries. It began in the spring of 2021 as the country came under sanction from the bloc for a crackdown on dissent following a fraudulent election that gave the country’s dictator Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term as president.
Read More at Politico
Iran and Russia deepen cyber ties with new agreement
A deal signed last week between Iran and Russia includes commitments to deepen the countries’ military, security and technological ties.
The agreement between the world’s two most sanctioned nations aims to elevate “friendly interstate relations between the countries to a new level,” according to a statement from the Kremlin. Parts of the agreement specifically address cooperation in cybersecurity and internet regulation.
Russia has signed similar strategic treaties with China and North Korea in the past, agreeing to share expertise in information technology and digital development.
Signed last Friday in Moscow by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, the agreement stipulates the two countries will “expand cooperation in countering the use of information and communication technologies for criminal purposes.”
Read More at The Record
Stop working for Russia, Britain tells its private spies
Security industry guns-for-hire are warned they could face jail time if they work for hostile states — even accidentally.
The British government has warned the country’s burgeoning private intelligence and security industry to stop doing work for hostile states like Russia, China and Iran.
In new guidance for security professionals published this week, the U.K. Home Office said such work risks breaking tough new national security laws — and could even see pros sent to prison for up to 14 years.
British security companies are being told to carry out due diligence to ensure their clients aren’t working for a foreign power looking to threaten the interests of the U.K.
Read More at Politico
OCCRP Investigation…
Sanctioned Russian Firms Sold $2B Air Defense System to Saudi Arabia, Leaked Documents Show
Russia has been exporting arms to countries including Saudi Arabia, bolstering its economy after a barrage of sanctions followed its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Saudi Arabia agreed to pay sanctioned Russian arms companies more than 2-billion euros for an air defense system, according to leaked documents. Trade data shows that some equipment was delivered in 2023, the year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The contract was signed on 8 April, 2021, but the leaked documents show that the agreement stretches into 2026. This means the Russian defense firms have likely continued to work with Saudi Arabia even after a raft of sanctions were imposed by the European Union, the U.S. and other countries following the assault on Ukraine.
Trade data shows that, in 2023, companies named in the contract delivered trucks to Saudi Arabia. The vehicles are the same type that carry components of the air defense system, including missiles and radio communications.
Details about arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other countries are included in leaked emails and internal documents from Roselectronics, which were obtained by OCCRP and analyzed by the Kyiv Independent.
Read More at OCCRP
Moscow Times Investigation…
Kiriyenko's son continues to invest in the West despite sanctions
Note: Kiriyenko’s father has been indicted in the U.S. for election interference
The son of a top Kremlin official continues to hold investments in the West despite being sanctioned by the U.S., EU, and Britain over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, The Moscow Times has learned.
VK CEO Vladimir Kiriyenko — whose father is President Vladimir Putin’s domestic policy chief Sergei Kiriyenko — maintains links with Titanium VC, a venture capital fund he co-founded that he has previously used to invest in tech startups.
According to a court document obtained by The Moscow Times, he is now seeking to transfer his investments from an offshore company registered in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) to another offshore firm in Barbados.
Kiriyenko filed a lawsuit in July 2024 with the BVI Supreme Court to demand that shares of Titanium VC be transferred from the BVI-registered offshore company Yalecrest to the Barbados-based Belvaux Management Limited.
The court document signed by Kiriyenko states the value of his claim at over $500,000.
The Pandora Papers investigation in 2021 named Kiriyenko as Yalecrest’s owner. Documents from the Paradise Papers investigation link Belvaux to a villa at the Royal Westmoreland golf resort in Barbados.
Read More at Moscow Times
Read More at DOJ about Kiriyenko’s father
Background on Sergei Kiriyenko….
The Putin Propaganda Chief Who the U.S. Says Is Now After American Minds
Justice Department names Sergei Kiriyenko as curator of some 30 internet domains aimed at misleading U.S. voters
Since arriving at the Kremlin, Sergei Kiriyenko’s job has been to make sure the Russian people see only what President Vladimir Putin wants them to see. Now U.S. prosecutors say he is trying to do the same for Americans.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department named Kiriyenko as the curator of some 30 internet domains that were being used by the Russian government to spread false information. The domains appeared to be U.S. news sites but were, in fact, filled with Russian propaganda intended to erode international support for Ukraine and manipulate American voters ahead of the November presidential election, U.S. officials said. Russia denied any wrongdoing.
Kiriyenko, a veteran technocrat and one of Putin’s most trusted lieutenants, has seen his portfolio expand in recent years, tasked with everything from organizing disputed elections to leading the Kremlin’s propaganda efforts on the war in Ukraine and overseeing Russia’s occupied territories there.
“He is the perfect technocrat in the worst sense,” said Alexander Gabuev, director of Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, who added that the U.S. allegations serve as a further indication Kiriyenko’s star is on the rise.
“If there are marching orders to kill freedom of expression, he will do that in the most efficient way possible,” he said.
Read More at WSJ
Trump talks big, but I wonder what he’ll have to say when other countries come in here and try to take over our sovereign territory. Saying Zelinsky should have never let the war happen is just ridiculous.
It’s up to Europe to save the world from Putin. It’s a lot, I know.