Eastern Europe / News
Kyrgyzstan resists Russian pressure to give sanctions-busting firms lenient treatment
Kyrgyz bank is latest entity to join US sanctions list.
Azerbaijan claims possession of Russian missile fragment extracted from doomed AZAL Flight 8243
Cautiously worded Kazakh government report on tragedy, meanwhile, stops short of identifying “foreign metal objects”.
Fidesz in panic mode ahead of release of explosive documentary on Orban family’s wealth
Investigative outlet Direkt36 has released a trailer for its upcoming documentary on the Orban family’s business empire, sparking accusations from the government that the film is part of a foreign smear campaign.
Zelenskiy said he is open to face-to-face negotiations with Putin
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was open to face-to-face negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, reversing his earlier stance of refusing to meet with the Russian leader.
Russia’s Mir cards remain an open question in India
Indian Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar has expressed optimism about Indian financial institutions adopting Moscow’s Mir payments system and Russian banks adopting New Delhi’s RuPay payments system
British teen killed by Russian drone minutes into first Ukraine mission
An 18-year-old British volunteer fighting for Ukraine was killed by a Russian drone just minutes into his first frontline mission. James Wilton, from Huddersfield, had no prior military experience and travelled to Ukraine aged 17 to join the fight.
Serbia requests delay of sanctions on oil company NIS
Serbia has formally requested the US to delay sanctions on its Russian-owned oil company, Naftna Industrija Srbije, for a minimum of 90 days, citing concerns over the company’s critical role in regional energy stability.
Azerbaijan launches border security operation amid rising tensions with Russia
The timing of Azerbaijan's large-scale Border Shield operation raises geopolitical questions.
Missing money, delayed arms deliveries and demands for mining deals, Ukraine's relations with Trump are off to a rocky start
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has complained that Ukraine has only received $75bn out of a pledged $177bn of aid pledged by the US to support Ukraine last year and he doesn’t know where the missing $100bn money is.
Bomb blast kills pro-Russian paramilitary leader in Moscow
A bomb explosion in a luxury residential complex in Moscow has killed Armen Sarkisyan, a pro-Russian paramilitary leader from eastern Ukraine, in what authorities are treating as a targeted assassination.
Russia forced to turn to foreigners and criminals as Moscow military recruitment plunges fivefold
Military recruitment in Moscow has dropped fivefold since its peak in mid-2024, forcing Russian authorities to rely increasingly on foreign mercenaries, criminals and debtors to bolster troop numbers.
Romanian presidential candidate Georgescu claims Ukraine is an “invented state”
Foreign ministry attempts damage control after far-right, pro-Russian politician Calin Georgescu proposes carving up Ukraine between Hungary, Poland, Romania and Russia.
Russia to unveil new Kalashnikov in Abu Dhabi
NEW: Russian arms maker Kalashnikov set to showcase RPL-7 machine gun at next month's Abu Dhabi defence expo
Seven bid for Lukoil’s Bulgarian refinery, PM Zhelyazkov says
Lukoil has been actively seeking to sell its Bulgarian assets since December 2023, when Sofia banned imports of Russian crude oil.
Russian Orthodox Church to send more “military priests” to the front in bid to make army more religious – and beat Ukraine
The Russian Orthodox Church has announced plans to increase the number of military chaplains deployed with Russian forces in Ukraine fivefold, aiming to provide spiritual support and combat what it describes as the "brutalisation" of soldiers.
Russian military withdraws from Syria amid tensions with Damascus regime
Russian forces have begun withdrawing from Syria, with two cargo vessels, the Sparta II and Sparta, departing from the port of Tartus on January 30.
Germany’s Russian LNG imports surge over 500% in 2024, via other countries
Germany talks loudly about ending Europe’s imports of Russian gas, but as a result of alternative sources of energy, it has seen imports of Russian LNG soar by 500% in 2024 y/y, worth a total of €7.32bn, delivered via other European countries.
Ukraine's stored gas falls to critically low levels, imports urgently needed
Ukraine's natural gas reserves in its massive underground storage tanks have fallen to a critical level and the country urgently needs to import more gas, says Serhiy Makogon, the former head of Ukraine's gas transit operator.
Russia is creating a list of LGBT+ citizens – and it could be made public
Russian authorities have escalated their crackdown on the LGBT+ community by creating a national database to track individuals associated with the group.
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Brazil's President Lula and Putin hold talks on Ukraine war and BRICS
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Ukraine conflict, trade and bilateral relations in a telephone conversation on January 27.