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- By RFE/RL
Armenia Accuses Azerbaijan Of Launching Fresh Attack On Border
The Armenian military has accused Azerbaijani forces of again attacking one of its positions at a section of the border where deadly fighting raged last week.
Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanian said late on July 21 that an Azerbaijani commando unit suffered heavy losses while being repelled by Armenian troops deployed in the Tavush region. Some of the unit's soldiers were "left trapped" as a result of the failed incursion, she said, without elaborating.
"The Armenian side suffered no casualties," Stepanian wrote on Facebook.
Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry denied the claim.
"There were no new attacks, let alone casualties, from our side," ministry spokesman Vagif Dargahli said. "The Armenian report is yet another disinformation."
Dargahli said earlier in the day that the situation on the border between Tavush and the Tovuz district in western Azerbaijan remained "tense but stable."
Fighting between the neighboring countries had calmed recently after a flare-up of violence on July 12 that lasted several days.
The Armenian military said on Twitter that the fresh fighting broke out at 10:30 p.m. on July 21, when Azerbaijani special forces attempted an attack on an outpost known as Anvakh but "failed and fled with losses."
After fighting at the volatile border section broke out on July 12, each side accused the other of trying to seize its frontline positions in the mountainous area. At least 12 Azerbaijani soldiers, including a general, and four Armenian servicemen died before the clashes involving artillery fire and drone attacks largely stopped on July 16.
WATCH: Armenia showed off parts of drones on July 21, saying they belonged to Azerbaijan and that Armenian armed forces had shot them down during border fighting last week
According to Stepanian, Azerbaijani special forces targeted late in the evening the same hilltop post of the Armenian Army that they had unsuccessfully stormed early on July 16.
"Although there was no gunfire as of 12:47 a.m., I must nonetheless note that the leadership of the Azerbaijani armed forces is not in control of the situation," the Armenian official wrote in another Facebook post early on July 22.
Russia has expressed concern over the recent escalation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which maintain deep hostilities in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The international community has expressed serious concern over the worst escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in years.
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a war over the region in the late 1980s and early 1990s as they transitioned into independent countries amid the dissolution of the Soviet Union. About 30,000 people were killed.
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but is controlled by Armenian separatists.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe last week issued a statement urging the sides to resume peace talks. Both Washington and Moscow called on the countries to halt the violence immediately.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Armenian Service and dpa
More News
- By Reuters
Ukraine Commander Says North Korea Troops Prepare To Fight Alongside Russian Troops
Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskiy, said on November 9 that there were reports North Korean troops were preparing for combat alongside Russian forces. "We have numerous reports of North Korean soldiers preparing to participate in combat operations alongside Russian Forces," Syrskyi wrote on Facebook of his conversation with Christopher Cavoli, a senior U.S. general who heads the U.S. European Command. Syrskyi said the situation in front line sectors of the nearly 1,000-day war with Russia remained "difficult and show signs of escalation."
- By Reuters
Iranian Foreign Minister Denies Plot To Kill Trump
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi denied U.S. charges that Tehran was linked to an alleged plot to kill Donald Trump and called on November 9 for confidence-building between the two hostile countries. "A new scenario is fabricated....As a killer does not exist in reality, scriptwriters are brought in to manufacture a third-rate comedy," Araqchi said in a post on X. He was referring to an alleged plot Washington said was ordered by Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to assassinate Trump, who won the U.S. presidential election on November 5 and takes office in January.
- By AFP
Iran Urges Trump To Change 'Maximum Pressure' Policy
Iran signaled an openness toward Donald Trump on November 9, calling on the U.S. president-elect to adopt new policies toward it after Washington accused Tehran of involvement in a plot to kill him. Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif urged Trump to reassess the policy of "maximum pressure" he employed against the Islamic republic during his first term. "Trump must show that he is not following the wrong policies of the past," Zarif told reporters. His remarks came after the United States accused Iran of conspiring to assassinate Trump. The Foreign Ministry on November 9 described the American accusations as "totally unfounded."
- By AFP
Burkina Faso Says Russia Partnership 'Suits' Better Than France
Burkina Faso's foreign minister praised cooperation with Russia on November 9 as "suiting" his country better than its historic ties with France. Following a 2022 military coup, Burkina Faso's new leadership broke with Paris and has embraced Russia, which has sent army instructors to help Ouagadougou's fight against an Islamist insurgency. Attending a Russia-Africa summit in the southern Russian city of Sochi, Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore said Russia was a "partner with whom we can make progress" and that there was "no fear" of becoming militarily dependent on Moscow.
- By AFP
Afghan Women Not Barred From Speaking To Each Other, Says Taliban
Women in Afghanistan are not forbidden from speaking to one another, the Taliban government's morality ministry told AFP on November 9, denying recent media reports of a ban. Afghan media based outside the country and international outlets have in recent weeks reported a ban on women hearing other women's voices, based on an audio recording of the head of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, about rules of prayer. Ministry spokesman Saiful Islam Khyber said the reports were "brainless" and "illogical," in a voice recording confirmed by AFP.
EU Pledges 'Unwavering' Support For Ukraine As Kyiv Plans Trump Meeting
EU foreign policy chief Josef Borrell assured Ukraine that the war-torn country had Europe’s "unwavering" support, while Kyiv announced during the EU official’s surprise visit that it was organizing a meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
It was the first visit by a top EU official to Ukraine since Trump's November 5 victory, which has led to uncertainty in Kyiv about the West's continued commitment to supporting Ukraine as it tries to fend off invading Russian forces.
Borrell's surprise visit also came as Russia continues to heavily target Ukraine with drone and missile strikes and as Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow was open to hearing Trump's proposals on ending the war Russia launched nearly 1,000 days ago. Trump has claimed he could end the war even before he takes office on January 20.
"The clear purpose of this visit is to express European Union support to Ukraine. This support remains unwavering," Borrell told journalists in Kyiv. "This support is absolutely needed for you to continue defending yourself against Russia aggression."
Earlier Borrell, who is set to leave office next month, wrote on X that "the EU's support for Ukraine has been my personal priority throughout my mandate and will remain at the top of the EU's agenda."
Those comments came hours after another deadly attack on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, this time an apartment building in the Black Sea port city of Odesa. Meanwhile, Ukraine claimed it had struck with drones a Russian munitions plant in Tula.
Trump's election victory has raised concerns in Kyiv, which depends heavily on U.S. and EU support in the face of Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Trump has suggested Kyiv should agree to cede some territory to Moscow in return for peace, a condition Ukrainian President Zelenskiy has rejected.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha told reporters on November 9 that Ukraine is ready to work with the Trump administration.
"Remember that President Zelenskiy was one of the first world leaders...to greet President Trump," he said, referring to Zelenskiy's phone call with Trump on November 6 . "It was a sincere conversation, an exchange of thoughts regarding further cooperation."
Sybiha confirmed alongside Borrell that the Ukrainian government was organizing a meeting between Zelenskiy and Trump. The two last met in September when the Ukrainian president traveled to the United States to present his "victory plan" against Russia.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov said in an interview with the Russian state news agency Interfax prior to Borrell's arrival in Kyiv that Moscow and Washington were "exchanging signals" on Ukraine through "closed channels."
He did not say whether the exchanges were with outgoing President Joe Biden's administration or with Trump or members of his incoming administration.
Ryabkov said Moscow was prepared to listen to Trump's proposals regarding ending the war against Ukraine as long as they were "ideas on how to move forward in the area of settlement, and not in the area of further pumping the Kyiv regime with all kinds of aid."
A report by the British daily the Telegraph this week suggested that Trump could propose freezing the current front line, which runs through significant swaths of territory in eastern Ukraine, setting up a buffer zone between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
In exchange, the newspaper reported based on sources close to Trump, Ukraine would agree not to join NATO for 20 years and Washington would provide Kyiv with a large amount of weapons to deter Russia from resuming the war.
On November 9, a long-time Republican strategist who worked on Trump’s campaign told the BBC that the incoming administration would be asking Zelenskiy for a “realistic vision for peace.”
According to the strategist, Bryan Lanza, that vision would not include restoring territory occupied by Russia in eastern Ukraine, nor Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, which Russia invaded and illegally annexed in 2014.
“If President Zelenskiy comes to the table and says, well we can only have peace if we have Crimea, he shows to us that he's not serious. Crimea is gone," Lanza said.
A spokesperson from the incoming Trump administration later said that Lanza did not speak for Trump and that the president-elect’s transition team is still drafting policies that Trump might adopt in his second term in office.
"Nobody knows exactly what the new administration is going to do," Borrell told an AFP journalist accompanying him on his trip to Kyiv, noting that Biden still has two months left in office. "But we Europeans have to use this opportunity in order to build a stronger and united Europe, and one of the manifestations of being united and being stronger and able to act is our role in supporting Ukraine."
Borrell said it was up to EU countries to decide "when and how to increase" their support if needed. However, he added that at a meeting of EU leaders in Budapest on November 8 "most of the member states were insisting on the same line, [to] continue supporting Ukraine."
Ukrainian troops are fatigued and stretched as Russian invading forces make gradual gains in the east. Meanwhile, Russian drone and missile attacks on civilian infrastructure continue.
Russian drones struck an apartment building in Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa late on November 8, triggering a large fire.
The public broadcaster Suspilne and other media outlets posted video on social media showing cars and buildings ablaze and thick smoke billowing skyward.
One person was killed and 13 injured, including children, in the attack, the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office said on November 9.
A further 32 Russian drones were shot down over 10 Ukrainian regions, while 18 were "lost," according to Ukraine's air force, likely having been electronically jammed.
Experts say systematic or widespread bombardment of housing, civilian objects, and infrastructure are strictly prohibited by international humanitarian law, criminal law, and human rights law. Russia regularly denies targeting Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.
Meanwhile, a source in Ukraine's SBU Security Service told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service on November 9 that drones had struck the Aleksinsky chemical plant in the Tula region about 200 kilometers south of Moscow.
The plant produces gunpowder, ammunition, and weapons. The targeting of the plant was part of a strategy to target factories that support Moscow's war against Ukraine, the source said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said earlier that 50 Ukrainian drones were destroyed over Russian regions overnight. The governor of the Tula region said a house there had been damaged by drone debris. He made no mention of the reported strike on the plant.
Deadly Blast Rips Through Pakistani Train Station
The prime minister of Pakistan has denounced a suspected suicide bombing at a train station in a restive part of the country that killed dozens and wounded many more earlier on November 9.
Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement that those who orchestrated the attack in Quetta in southwestern Pakistan "will pay a very heavy price for it," adding that security forces were determined to eliminate "the menace of terrorism."
Police and hospital officials told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that 24 people had been killed and 53 injured in the bombing.
The attack happened when nearly 100 passengers were waiting for a train to travel to the garrison city of Rawalpindi from Quetta, the capital of the restive Balochistan province, the city's police chief Mohammad Baloch told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal.
The separatist group, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed the attack in a statement, saying a suicide bomber targeted troops present at the railway station. The outlawed BLA has long waged an insurgency seeking independence from Islamabad.
Police said about a dozen security forces were among those killed in the attack.
Video from the site after the attack showed the steel structure of the platform's roof blown apart and luggage strewn far and wide.
Ayesha Faiz, a Quetta police official quoted by AP, said some of the critically wounded passengers had died at a hospital, raising the death toll.
The attack came a little over a week after a powerful bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded near a vehicle carrying police officers assigned to protect polio workers in Balochistan, killing nine people including five nearby children.
The oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest but also least populated province. It is also a hub for the country's ethnic Baluch minority who have long accused the central authorities of discrimination and exploitation.
The Baloch Liberation Army has waged an over 20-year insurgency against the Pakistani state, carrying out mostly small-scale attacks against government forces as well as foreigners, especially Chinese nationals who are in Pakistan as part of Beijing's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which is building major infrastructure projects.
Last month, BLA claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that targeted a convoy with Chinese nationals outside the Karachi airport, killing two. Since then, Beijing has asked Pakistan to ensure the safety of its citizens working on multiple projects in Balochistan and other parts of the country.
With reporting by AP
Pentagon To Allow U.S. Defense Contractors To Maintain Weapons In Ukraine, Reports Say
The Pentagon is easing restrictions to allow a small number of private U.S. defense contractors to work inside Ukraine, according to reports in U.S. media on November 8. The contractors will help repair and maintain equipment far away from the front lines and will not be taking part in combat, U.S. officials quoted in the reports said. Ukraine has received a number of sophisticated weapons systems as part of the U.S. military assistance provided to the country over the past two years. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Pentagon was allowing the contractors to go because some equipment -- including F-16 fighter jets and air-defense systems -- requires high-tech expertise to repair. Using the contractors, they said, will ensure the weapons are fixed quickly so Ukrainian forces can continue to use them in combat. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.
Musk Reportedly Took Part In Call Between Trump And Zelenskiy
Elon Musk was present during a phone conversation between U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to media reports citing sources. A senior Ukrainian official who asked to remain anonymous told AFP on November 8 that the information first reported by Axios about the November 7 call was accurate. The billionaire founder of SpaceX and Tesla said during the call that he would continue to support Ukraine through his Starlink satellites. Zelenskiy thanked Musk for the satellite Internet devices, which are used by Ukrainian troops. The Ukrainian president also congratulated Trump on his victory, and Trump said he would support Ukraine but did not go into details. Musk gave millions of dollars to support Trump's presidential campaign and made public appearances with him, but some of his statements about U.S. military support for Ukraine have angered Kyiv.
Russia Expands 'Foreign Agents' Registry With New Additions
In a move that extends Russia's crackdown on dissent, the Justice Ministry on November 8 added several high-profile journalists and entities to its controversial registry of "foreign agents."
The new entries include journalist Dmitry Treshchanin from the independent outlet Mediazona, Chechen opposition blogger Tumso Abdurahmanov, and stand-up comedian Denis Alesin (aka Denis Chuzhoi), as well as the online news platform Govorit neMoskva.
The "foreign agent" label, introduced by Russian authorities in 2012 and expanded in 2020, has been widely criticized for targeting independent journalists, activists, and media outlets. The designation requires those on the list to register with the government, report their activities, and disclose funding sources.
Treshchanin has long been known for his independent reporting on Russian political affairs, including the war in Ukraine. Prior to joining Mediazona, Treshchanin worked for the independent television channels Dozhd and Current Time, outlets that have faced increasing pressure from the Russian government.
His reporting on sensitive issues, including state corruption and human rights violations, has led to consistent harassment and threats.
Abdurahmanov, a prominent opposition figure and vocal critic of the authoritarian leader of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, gained international attention through YouTube videos in which he exposed human rights abuses and corruption in Chechnya.
A native of Chechnya, Abdurahmanov fled the region in the mid-2010s after a conflict with Kadyrov's family and eventually sought asylum in Sweden in 2021.
His reporting on the authoritarian practices of Chechen officials has made him a target of harassment, including a 2020 assassination attempt in his Swedish apartment. Abdurahmanov managed to subdue his attackers, later identifying them as Russian nationals, though the perpetrators' direct ties to the Chechen leadership were not conclusively proven.
Alesin is a popular Russian stand-up comedian, writer, and blogger known for his participation in Russia's Open Mic comedy shows and his satirical YouTube projects. His comedy series, including Klass Naroda (The People’s Class) and Neuverennaya Rossia (Uncertain Russia), have garnered millions of views.
Alesin became a public figure in Russia for his outspoken opposition to the war in Ukraine, issuing an open letter to President Vladimir Putin in 2022 denouncing the invasion. Following the letter, he received threats and ultimately left Russia.
Govorit neMoskva, an online publication focused on regional news from across Russia, provides in-depth coverage of lesser-known stories from the Russian provinces, a source of independent reporting that has increasingly drawn the ire of the Russian authorities.
The inclusion of these individuals and organizations highlights the Kremlin's ongoing efforts to suppress critical voices and curb dissent, particularly as it faces increasing international scrutiny over its actions in Ukraine and the repression of domestic opposition.
Critics of the law argue that it is a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate and silence independent media and activists who challenge the government's narrative.
- By RFE/RL
Court Documents Allege Iranian-Backed Plot To Assassinate Trump, Dissidents
The U.S. Justice Department on November 8 unsealed criminal charges that include details of a plot allegedly backed by Iran to kill President-elect Donald Trump before the November 5 election.
A criminal complaint filed in federal court in New York City alleges that an unnamed official in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) instructed a contact to develop a plan to surveil and ultimately kill Trump, the Justice Department said in a news release.
Three men, including an Iranian national, were charged in the criminal complaint in connection with their alleged involvement in a separate plot to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin.
Two of the three men -- Carlisle Rivera, 49, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, both of New York City -- made an initial appearance in court on November 7 and were ordered detained pending trial, the department said.
The third man, identified as Farjad Shakeri, remains at large and is believed to be in Iran.
"The charges announced today expose Iran's continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump, other government leaders, and dissidents who criticize the regime in Tehran," FBI Director Christopher Wray said in the news release.
The IRGC "has been conspiring with criminals and hitmen to target and gun down Americans on U.S. soil and that simply won't be tolerated," he added.
Shakeri allegedly recruited Rivera and Loadhold to follow and kill a prominent Iranian-American. The target was not named in the news release or in court documents but appears to be dissident journalist Masih Alinejad.
Alinejad said on X that she was shocked to have learned of the plot from the FBI.
"I also learned that the person assigned to assassinate @realDonaldTrump was also assigned to kill me on U.S. soil," she said on X, calling on Trump to be tough on terrorism. "The Islamic Republic understands only one language: the language of pressure," she said.
Alinejad, who has criticized Iran's laws requiring women to wear a hijab, was the target of a kidnapping plot in 2021, and in 2022 a man was arrested with a rifle outside her home.
The Justice Department said Shakeri was an IRGC "asset" who immigrated to the United States as a child and was deported around 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for robbery.
According to the criminal complaint, Shakeri allegedly disclosed the plot to assassinate Trump in telephone conversations with FBI agents in recent months.
Shakeri spoke with FBI agents because he was hoping to obtain a sentence reduction for a person who is imprisoned in the United States, the court document said.
Shakeri told the FBI he was approached by an IRGC official about organizing the assassination of Trump. He planned to use a network of criminal associates he met in prison, including Loadholt and Rivera, to supply the IRGC with operatives to conduct surveillance and assassinations of IRGC targets, the Justice Department said.
Shakeri promised to pay $100,000 in the murder-for-hire plot described in the document in which Alinejad appears to be the target.
The IRGC also tasked Shakeri with carrying out other assassinations of U.S. and Israeli citizens located in the United States, according to the press release.
"In particular, Shakeri has informed law enforcement that he was tasked on October 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill President-elect Donald J. Trump," the Justice Department said.
Shakeri was unable to draft a plan within the time span requested by the IRGC official, and the official then told him Iran would pause its plan until after the presidential election because the official believed Trump would lose and it would be easier to assassinate him afterward, the criminal complaint said.
The United States has repeatedly accused Iran of seeking to assassinate U.S. officials in retaliation for the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, who died in a U.S. military drone strike in Iraq in 2020.
In his first term as president, Trump withdrew the United States from an international nuclear agreement negotiated between Iran and nuclear powers, imposed new sanctions on the country, and classified the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
Shakeri, Rivera, and Loadholt have all been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and money-laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Shakeri faces additional charges related to terrorism.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and dpa
- By RFE/RL
Russia Summons Canadian Diplomat To Reject Sabotage Accusations
Moscow summoned a Canadian diplomat on November 8 to rebut Western allegations that Russia's secret services had orchestrated a campaign to mail explosive packages to addresses in NATO countries, including Canada.
After a series of fires at DHL depots in Britain and Germany during the summer, Russia was accused of being behind a brazen plot to ship explosive parcels via commercial airliners.
Ottawa expressed its concern earlier this week to Russian officials after Poland and Lithuania announced several arrests as a result of a probe into attempts to send parcels packaged with explosives on cargo flights to the United States and Canada.
"The deputy head of the Canadian diplomatic mission in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where he was handed a note in connection with false accusations of allegedly planned 'Russian sabotage' against NATO countries," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in post on Telegram.
Moscow said the Canadian diplomat "was told that these speculations" were being spread in a "coordinated manner, in the context of the hybrid war" being waged against Russia by the West.
Russia blasted the allegations as "false," "unacceptable," and part of a "provocation" being led by the United States, the ministry said.
Canada's Public Safety Ministry said Ottawa was "aware of and deeply concerned with Russia's intensifying campaign, from cyber-incidents and disinformation operations to sabotage activities."
It confirmed the Canadian government had "expressed this concern directly to Russian officials and unequivocally stated that any threat to the safety and security of Canadians is unacceptable."
The ministry added there was "no imminent threat" to the public but said Canada "will continue to monitor the situation very closely."
Canadian Transport Minister Anita Anand told reporters on November 6 that she required "more information" on the alleged plot but said she would taking "additional steps" to ensure the safety of passengers and packages but provided no details.
Many Western intelligence agencies have accused Moscow of involvement in sabotage acts in Europe as well, which they have said are targeted at destabilizing allies of Ukraine.
With reporting by AFP
Russian Pediatrician May Face Prison For Anti-War Comments To Patients
The prosecution has requested a six-year prison sentence for 68-year-old Russian pediatrician Nadezhda Buyanova on charges related to the dissemination of so-called "fake news" about the Russian military.
Buyanova, who has been in pretrial detention since her arrest in February, is accused of making defamatory statements about the Russian Army during a medical appointment.
The case against Buyanova was initiated after a complaint from Anastasia Akinshina, a Moscow mother who brought her 7-year-old son to the pediatrician for a checkup. During the appointment, Buyanova allegedly noticed that the child was acting nervous.
When Akinshina explained that her son was struggling with the trauma of losing his father, a Russian soldier killed in the war in Ukraine, Buyanova is said to have referred to the deceased father as a "legitimate military target" in front of the child.
This remark, according to Akinshina, prompted her to file a complaint with law enforcement.
Buyanova denies making any such statement and insists that she did not discuss the military or the boy's father with Akinshina during the visit. The pediatrician maintains that she is the victim of a false accusation.
Buyanova's defense attorney, Oskar Cherdzhiyev, argued during hearing on November 8, that the pediatrician had committed no crime and that the case was based on slander and a deliberate fabrication.
Cherdzhiyev pointed out that he had been denied access to a search that was conducted at Buyanova's home during which law enforcement officials allegedly committed several procedural violations.
Cherdzhiyev also highlighted contradictions in the child's testimony. The defense attorney pointed out that he was too young to understand or articulate terms like "aggressor country," "legitimate target," or "special military operation" (the official Russian term for the invasion of Ukraine).
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
The defense also raised questions about the credibility of the child's testimony, suggesting that it may have been influenced by external parties.
Buyanova was dismissed from her job following the complaint filed by Akinshina. She has consistently denied the allegations and has called for her reinstatement. A court ruled in her favor in July, demanding that she be reinstated to her position at the medical clinic.
The case has drawn attention from human rights groups and the media, particularly due to the growing number of legal actions under Russia's "fake news" law, which has been increasingly used to silence critics of the government and its military actions, especially those related to the war in Ukraine.
Critics argue that the law is part of a broader pattern of repression designed to stifle dissent and control public discourse regarding Russia's actions in Ukraine.
Buyanova's case has also sparked concerns about the politicization of health-care professionals, as the law appears to be increasingly weaponized against those who speak out against government policies or make statements deemed contrary to the state's official narrative.
- By Schemes
Official In Ukrainian President's Office Was Frequent Flier To Russia, Investigation Finds
The last known time Oleh Tatarov flew to Moscow was on April 22, 2019, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy won his first term in office.
A little over one year later, Tatarov was a controversial high-ranking member of Zelenskiy's administration in Kyiv.
Tatarov's appointment to serve as deputy head of the presidential office in August 2020 raised eyebrows, with critics pointing out that he was a key police official under former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, has been accused of representing pro-Russian figures as a lawyer in Ukraine, and was himself once named as a suspect in a corruption investigation.
Now, a new investigation by the Schemes investigation unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has uncovered that Tatarov traveled to Russia from Ukraine at least nine times from 2017 to 2019.
The investigation suggests that shortly before his appointment to work in the presidential office, Tatarov, while working as a lawyer, was traveling to an avowed enemy of Ukraine.
The investigation also reveals that Tatarov's trips to Russia came three years after Russia's illegal invasion and annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for anti-Kyiv separatists in eastern Ukraine in February 2014.
Zelenskiy has been in office the entirety of the current war that began with Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Tatarov, was a deputy head of the Main Investigation Department of the Interior Ministry who was dismissed following the pro-Western Euromaidan protests of November 2013 to February 2014, which he had worked to suppress.
Amid the protests, Schemes later reported, Tatarov was awarded as an "honored lawyer of Ukraine" by former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia in February 2014 after being ousted from power by the Euromaidan protests.
Shortly afterward, Russia occupied Crimea and backed pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine fighting against Kyiv.
In the ensuing years, Tatarov went on to become a high-profile lawyer who has been accused of representing Vadym Novinskiy, a Russian-born tycoon who made his fortune in Ukraine and was involved with the pro-Russian opposition, and Andriy Portnov, a former deputy head of Yanukovych's office.
As a lawyer, Tatarov also headed the legal department of the Ukrbud construction company.
Three months after becoming deputy head of Zelenskiy's administration in 2020, which drew fierce criticism from Euromaidan activists, the president's office was notified that a deputy head of the office was among three suspects, along with the owner of Ukrbud, in a case looking into allegations of corruption.
Tatarov denied any wrongdoing or involvement in the alleged crimes, and highlighted his role as the head of the anti-corruption body within the president's office. The case was eventually transferred to Ukraine's Security Service and dropped in April 2022.
Tatarov’s position in the presidential administration nevertheless continued to attract scrutiny, and the latest Schemes investigation has raised new questions after it found that Tatarov traveled nine times to Russia from Ukraine after 2014.
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
The investigation, published on November 7, determined that Tatarov traveled to Russia three times in 2017, four times in 2018, and twice in 2019 -- once just two weeks before the first round of Ukraine's presidential election, and the second a day after Zelenskiy won the runoff.
Direct air travel between Ukraine and Russia was suspended by Kyiv in 2014, requiring Tatarov to reach Moscow from Kyiv via Belarus. Schemes came to its conclusions based on its analysis of border-crossing data from three countries -- Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.
The data from Russia and Belarus, a key Moscow ally in the full-scale invasion Russia launched against Ukraine in February 2022, was based on leaked databases obtained by Schemes.
There is no evidence that Tatarov, who was working as a lawyer at the time, broke any laws.
Schemes sent questions to Zelenskiy's office requesting comment on the investigation's findings and asking what the purposes of Tatarov's trips to Russia were and with whom he met.
Neither the president's office nor Tatarov has responded to the requests. However, in comments to BBC Ukraine on November 7, Tatarov denied traveling to Russia or communicating with representatives of Russia.
"It is absolutely unacceptable to spread unreliable data and even hints about the alleged existence of my communication with someone from Russia or trips to its territory. Especially with reference to enemy-controlled sources," Tatarov told BBC Ukraine in written comments.
Kazakh Journalist Mukhammedkarim's Appeal Of Prison Sentence Denied
An Almaty regional court in Kazakhstan upheld the seven-year prison sentence handed to journalist Duman Mukhammedkarim for allegedly "financing an extremist group" and "participating in a banned group's activities," charges he rejects as politically motivated. Mukhammedkarim's lawyer, Ghalym Nurpeiisov, told RFE/RL in an interview on November 8, that the court decision was a violation of the journalist's rights and alleged the case had political motives. Mukhammedkarim's arrest in June 2023 followed an interview he did with exiled opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov, whose Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan movement is banned in the country. The closed appeal session prevented supporters from attending, but activists gathered outside the courthouse chanting, “Free Duman!” Mukhammedkarim's defense plans to appeal the ruling further. Human rights groups in Kazakhstan have recognized Mukhammedkarim as a political prisoner. Kazakh authorities insist that there are no political prisoners in the tightly controlled former Soviet republic. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
- By Current Time
Ukraine, Russia Exchange Bodies Of Fallen Soldiers
The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported that the bodies of 563 servicemen have been returned to Ukraine, of whom 320 were killed in Donetsk, 89 in Bakhmut, and another 154 had been in morgues on Russian territory. At the same time, the bodies of 37 Russian servicemen have been returned to Russia. The International Committee of the Red Cross, the Security Service of Ukraine, Ukraine's Interior Ministry, and other representatives of security and defense institutions assisted in the exchange, the Coordination Headquarters reported. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.
Dozens More Dead Seals Found Along Caspian Coast In Kazakhstan
Dozens more dead seals have been found on the Kazakh shores of the Caspian Sea, adding to the hundreds already discovered to have died with no clear cause identified. According to Nurlybek Ghaisin, head of the Ural-Caspian fisheries inspection, another 79 dead seals were found on November 7, adding to the more than 500 dead seals found over the past two weeks. Caspian seals, the only marine mammals in the Caspian Sea, have seen their population decline from over a million in the early 20th century to around 70,000 due to pollution and overhunting. Samples from seal carcasses and sea water have been sent to multiple laboratories for analysis, including tests for potential infectious diseases. Preliminary findings reveal that most of the dead seals were young and pregnant, suggesting an early and sudden death. Local residents also reported dead birds and sturgeons along the shore. Results from further testing are expected by the end of November. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
Being John Malkovich In Sofia -- Acclaimed Star's Production Disrupted By Nationalists
Bulgaria’s interior minister has accused the theater director behind Hollywood A-lister John Malkovich’s production of a 19th-century comedy in Sofia of wrongdoing amid a crush of nationalist backlash that doomed the play’s opening night on November 7.
Protesters from nationalist groups and Bulgaria’s oldest writers’ union have demanded the expulsion of Malkovich and a ban on the play, which they call "bullshit" and "anti-Bulgarian."
Police made no arrests after hundreds of picketers surrounded the Ivan Vazov National Theater to block public access to the opening night of Arms And The Man, the late Nobel Prize-winning Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw’s breakout work set during the Serbo-Bulgarian War.
But a day later, on November 8, the Sofia district prosecutor’s office announced it was launching a hooliganism case over the disturbances and the city’s mayor, Vasit Terziev, said the picket’s organizers will be fined for failing to stick to the “conditions” of a peaceful protest.
Caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said he had ordered the Interior Ministry to provide a “detailed description of the event and how who handled their duties and powers, especially the management staff.”
He added that “fists cannot be an argument in either politics or art.”
Waving Bulgarian flags and displaying banners like “Malkovich…, go home,” members of the unruly crowd shouted “Traitors!” as they jostled and intimidated ticketholders, including physically cornering and assailing veteran actor Vladimir Penev.
Filmmaker Theodore Ushev alleged that he was kicked, punched, doused, and spat on as police declined to provide protection.
On November 8, Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov blamed the theater’s general manager, Vasil Vasilev, for the disturbance, saying he had acted “inappropriately” and “escalated” tensions by emerging from the theater to try to talk to the protesters before Vasilev himself was attacked.
Video showed Vasilev being grabbed and struck multiple times as police tried to escort him into the venue.
There were no indications that the widely awarded stage and screen star Malkovich, 70, who has acted in and staged previous theater productions in Bulgaria, was caught up in the melee outside.
Vasilev cited “unacceptable” and “enormous pressure” to censor the play before the premiere, and stated bluntly, “This was not a peaceful protest.”
The play was eventually performed in front of journalists but no spectators, and it was broadcast live by Bulgarian private television station bTV.
Afterward, bTV quoted Malkovich as saying he had suggested Arms And The Man after being approached to direct another play in Bulgaria. “I think it’s a charming and funny play,” he said.
Minister Ilkov said he “hopes” an audience will get to see the play on November 8.
The production’s critics have included the Union of Bulgarian Writers (SBP), and a handful of right-wing groups. Representatives of at least two political parties, the conservative VMRO-Bulgarian National Movement and the ultranationalist Revival (Vazrazhdane), were among the demonstrators. They demanded Vasilev’s resignation.
Atanas said 60 police officers had been deployed to the premiere in anticipation of possible confrontations, and reinforcements were sent as tensions rose.
The interior minister said there had been no arrests because there was no “data on persons who were presented as violators of public order.”
Ushev and others, including some politicians, have called for Atanas’s resignation in the wake of the failure to maintain order outside the theater.
Defenders including from the center-right We Continue The Change-Democratic Bulgaria coalition called the actions of the crowd “an attack against freedom of speech, art, and free creative spirit.”
At a press conference in late October, Malkovich said the outcry and public attacks on the production were not “a very smart idea.” He dismissed the notion that he had come to Bulgaria to mock the country.
Caretaker Culture Minister Nayden Todorov told bTV he “suspect[s] political interference” in the protest and said there was no place for censorship in art.
Set in wartime Bulgaria in 1885 with a sometimes buffoonish cast of Bulgarian, Swiss, Serbian, and Russian characters, Shaw’s play is widely regarded as a humorous but stinging critique of war and perceived hypocrisy.
Shaw suggested the story was nearly complete before he decided on Bulgaria as the setting.
Tajik Activist Reportedly Taken Into Custody Upon Arrival After German Deportation
Tajik opposition activist Dilmurod Ergashev was reportedly taken into custody by authorities as he disembarked a plane in Dushanbe after being deported by Germany hours earlier.
Sharofiddin Gadoev, leader of the opposition Movement for Reform and Development of Tajikistan, told RFE/RL that Ergashev was met by Tajik security officials, who declined to comment on the situation.
His case has raised concerns among human rights advocates and international observers, given the serious allegations of potential torture and the lack of transparency regarding Ergashev’s condition following his deportation.
Ergashev reportedly attempted to harm himself by slitting his wrists and legs as German police were preparing to escort him to the airport on November 6.
The Insider investigative group reported that Ergashev was hospitalized after the incident, but that the deportation proceeded regardless.
Gadoev said Ergashev’s health condition during the deportation was poor, and that since his arrival in Tajikistan, no further information has been available about his whereabouts or well-being.
RFE/RL's efforts to obtain an official statement from Tajik authorities have been unsuccessful with representatives of the Prosecutor-General's Office and the Interior Ministry failing to respond to inquiries.
Leila Nazgul Seiitbek, head of the Vienna-based organization Freedom for Eurasia, informed RFE/RL on November 7 that her organization has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, seeking intervention in Ergashev’s case and advocating for his safe return from Tajikistan.
Seiitbek noted that her organization had called on German authorities to halt the deportation, arguing that Ergashev faces a high risk of torture in Tajikistan.
The deportation order was issued by the Administrative Court of the German town of Kleve on October 28, immediately following Ergashev’s detention.
His associates argued that the court disregarded Ergashev’s pending asylum application in another German court, which is still under consideration.
Ergashev is a prominent member of the Group 24 movement.
Group 24 was founded by businessman Umarali Quvatov, who was assassinated in Turkey in 2015. The group has been a vocal critic of the Tajik government and advocates for democratic reforms. Tajik authorities have labeled it "extremist."
In 2024, Ergashev joined the Movement for Reform and Development of Tajikistan movement.
Ergashev had been living in Germany for the past 13 years as his cases wound through German courts.
EU Leaders Talk Security In Budapest Amid Doubts Over Trump's Stance On Ukraine War
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Donald Trump's reelection as U.S. president has created a "new situation" for Europe as he wrapped up an informal summit in Budapest on November 8, telling his EU counterparts that the continent cannot finance the war in Ukraine alone.
European Union leaders wrapped up the two-day summit, which was held to discuss the continent's security and Russia's unprovoked war on Ukraine after Trump's reelection cast doubts on Washington's continued support for the embattled country and his commitment to NATO's collective defense.
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
The summit kicked off as Russia launched a third day of unusually intense attacks on Ukraine's cities that left more deaths and damage at the onset of a third winter for weary Ukrainian civilians and for outmanned and outgunned troops struggling to stave off a grinding Russian offensive in the east.
The United States is Ukraine's main military and economic backer, with the EU also among the largest donors. Most EU leaders have expressed continued strong backing for Ukraine.
Ahead of the summit, Orban, who has maintained friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump, told Hungarian state radio that the EU must rethink its position on helping Ukraine, calling the conflict a "lost war."
"The Americans will quit this war, first of all they will not encourage the war," said Orban, who has obstructed the bloc's sanctions regime against Moscow.
"Europe cannot finance this war alone.... Some still want to continue sending enormous amounts of money into this lost war but the number of those who remain silent...and those who cautiously argue that we should adjust to the new situation, is growing," he added.
But German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose country is the main European backer of Ukraine, was quick to reaffirm the bloc's unchanged position. "Russia has invaded Ukraine and is continuing this war with unchanged brutality," he said.
"One question is quite clear: Together as the European Union, as Europeans, we must do what is necessary for our security. This will be particularly successful if everyone makes their contribution."
Upon arriving for the summit in Budapest, European Council President Charles Michel also reaffirmed the bloc's strong support for Ukraine.
“We have to strengthen Ukraine, to support Ukraine, because if we do not support Ukraine, this is the wrong signal that we send to Putin, but also to some other authoritarian regimes across the world,” Michel said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was in Budapest on November 7 for a gathering of European leaders that preceded the EU summit, urged Ukraine's allies to provide more arms to help Kyiv defend its land and skies.
"There has been much talk about the need to yield to Putin, to back down, to make some concessions. It's unacceptable for Ukraine and suicidal for all Europe," Zelenskiy said in his speech.
He also said talk of introducing a cease-fire without first agreeing security guarantees for Ukraine was "very dangerous."
"A cease-fire when there are no security guarantees...is a preparation for the continuation of the occupation," he said.
As the summit closed on November 8, NATO issued a statement in response to Russia's deployment of North Korean troops, condemning it as a "dangerous expansion" of the war.
The statement said North Korea is already providing "substantive support to Russia’s war effort" by supplying ammunition and ballistic missiles.
"The deepening military cooperation between Russia and the [North Korea] deeply impacts Euro-Atlantic security, with implications also for the Indo-Pacific," the statement said, adding that the military cooperation violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions.
"We urge all countries not to provide any kind of assistance to Russia’s aggression, and condemn all those who are facilitating and thereby prolonging Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine," the NATO allies said.
Russia on November 8 kept up the pressure on Ukraine's cities, striking the southern region of Odesa and Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city.
At least one person was killed, and at least 38 people, including a baby, were wounded, according to regional officials.
A massive drone attack overnight on Odesa left one person dead and nine others wounded, Ukraine's Emergency Situations Service reported, adding that residential buildings, businesses, warehouses, and a school were also damaged.
Kharkiv was struck for the second day in a row on November 8, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported.
A Russian missile hit a high-rise apartment building in the city's Saltiv district, wounding at least 25 people, including a 3-month-old baby, Terekhov said. Residential and historic buildings in the center of the city were also damaged, he added.
In the Kyiv region, falling debris from a Russian rocket injured four people, two of them seriously, regional Governor Ruslan Kravchenko said.
Separately, the Ukrainian Air Force said its air defenses shot down 62 out of the 92 drones launched by Russia at 12 of its regions -- Odesa, Mykolayiv, Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytskiy, and Ivano-Frankivsk.
Israel Sends Planes To Evacuate Soccer Fans After 'Willful Attack' In Amsterdam
Israel sent several chartered planes to Amsterdam to bring back Israeli soccer fans after they were attacked following a match on November 7 by what Mayor Femke Halsema described as "anti-Semitic hit-and-run squads."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incidents "anti-Semitic attacks" as his office announced that the Israeli airlines El Al and Israir have set up special flights for free on November 8 and 9 to do the job.
El Al said it was sending six planes to bring the fans home, and Israeli airport authorities said later on November 8 that the first plane had landed.
Amsterdam police said that 62 people were detained following the violence, with 10 in custody on November 8 in connection with the clashes -- which left five people hospitalized -- in the center of Amsterdam between young locals and Israeli supporters who had come to watch Maccabi Tel Aviv's game against Ajax Amsterdam in the Europa League competition.
"This is a very dark moment for the city, for which I am deeply ashamed," Halsema told a news conference. "Anti-Semitic criminals attacked and assaulted visitors to our city, in hit-and-run actions," she said.
Dutch authorities said there was no concrete threat to Israeli soccer fans before the game and that it was not clear how or precisely when the violence began.
Peter Holla, the city's acting police chief, told a news conference that the Israeli fans were "willfully attacked."
U.S. President Joe Biden condemned "anti-Semitic" violence against Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam, calling the attacks "despicable" throwbacks to dark moments in history.
"The anti-Semitic attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam are despicable and echo dark moments in history when Jews were persecuted," Biden said on X.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and other world leader joined Biden in condemning the violence.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks as "vile" and said she discussed them with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.
"Outraged by last night's vile attacks targeting Israeli citizens in Amsterdam," von der Leyen said in a post on X. "I strongly condemn these unacceptable acts. Antisemitism has absolutely no place in Europe. And we are determined to fight all forms of hatred."
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar flew to Amsterdam for impromptu meetings with the Dutch government and far-right leader Geert Wilders, and Amsterdam banned demonstrations for three days.
Police said fans had left the stadium on November 7 without incident after the game was won 5-0 by Ajax, but various clashes in the city center were reported during the night.
Video posted online also purported to show Israeli fans chanting anti-Arab slogans in the streets ahead of the game.
Maccabi fans are known to have used similar chants in Israel at recent matches there.
Earlier, a pro-Palestinian protest against Maccabi's visit scheduled to take place near the stadium was banned by Dutch authorities for security reasons amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
Anti-Israeli protests have been held in various parts of the world, including in Western Europe amid Israel's war in the Gaza Strip against Iran-backed Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist group by the United States and the EU, following the group's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people.
The conflict has spilled outside of Gaza and into southern Lebanon against Iran-backed Hezbollah -- designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. Hezbollah’s political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.
Schoof said he was "horrified" by the incidents. which he called "completely unacceptable." He said he told Netanyahu that those who are guilty would be "identified and prosecuted."
Netanyahu told Schoof that he "views the premeditated anti-Semitic attack against Israeli citizens with the utmost seriousness and requested increased security for the Jewish community in the Netherlands," the Israeli prime minister's office said.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he had talked to Dutch King Willem-Alexander on the phone, who had voiced "deep horror and shock over the criminal acts committed."
The Israeli Embassy in the United States said on X that "hundreds" of Maccabi fans were "ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam tonight as they left the stadium following a game against Ajax."
"The mob who targeted these innocent Israelis has proudly shared their violent acts on social media," the embassy said in its message accompanied by a video of violent clashes in the city.
Israel also said it had banned members of its military from traveling to the Netherlands.
Azerbaijani Commentator Sentenced To 13 Years For 'Espionage'
A Baku court has sentenced Azerbaijani political commentator Nazakat Mammadova to 13 years in prison on charges of spying for Russia, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports. Mammadova, who appeared in the media as a commentator and hosted Alfa TV on YouTube was arrested in October last year and sentenced on November 5. She was accused by Azerbaijan's State Security Service of using her journalist credentials to collaborate with Russian intelligence services. Azerbaijani authorities alleged that her YouTube channel was broadcasting "openly pro-Russian materials" and interviews for which she received money during regular trips to Moscow, where she allegedly held secret meetings with Russian intelligence officers. Mammadova has rejected all the charges, saying she traveled to Russia for conferences and the money she received was for travel expenses. Azerbaijani authorities have imprisoned several journalists in recent years. The Committee to Protect Journalists has called charges against journalists "fabricated" and "politicized." To read the original story by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service, click here.
4 Killed, 40 Wounded In Russian Attack On Ukrainian City Of Zaporizhzhya
Russian attacks on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya on November 7 have killed four and wounded 40, Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
The State Service for Emergency Situations said Russian troops carried out five air strikes on the city, hitting a residential building and a hospital.
Klymenko said rescuers pulled two injured children and an injured woman from under the rubble of the residential building. The woman lived on the third floor but ended up on the second floor after the attack caused the building to partially collapse. Rescuers were still searching for people who may be trapped under the rubble, he said on Telegram.
Officials said earlier a hospital had been damaged by an air strike.
Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said on social media that the wounded include four children -- boys aged 1, 5, and 15, and a 4-month-old girl. Two people were in severe condition, he added.
According to Fedorov, all of the Russian strikes hit civilian infrastructure, including houses and an apartment building.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is attending a summit of European leaders in Budapest, urged Ukraine's allies to provide more arms to help Kyiv defend the skies.
"They take pleasure in killing people," Zelenskiy said on X, referring to Russian forces.
He again called for more air defenses for Ukraine and permission to use Western-supplied weapons to carry out long-range strikes against Russian military targets.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
Major General Of Russian Army Dies In Ukraine
A major general of the Russian Army died in Ukraine on November 7. Pavel Klimenko's death was confirmed by his sisters to the publication Important Stories on Telegram. Pro-war publics and bloggers were the first to report the death of the 47-year-old. The circumstances of his death are still unknown. Klimenko was accused of organizing a torture camp and taking money from his subordinates in exchange for moving them off the front lines. An investigation by the online publication Astra in August said the torture camp organized by Klimenko was for Russian soldiers on the territory of an abandoned mine in Donetsk. The Russian soldiers sent there were forced to agree to participate in assault groups and had money extorted from them by the officers in charge of the camp, including Klimenko, Astra reported. Klimenko is the eighth Russian general killed in the war in Ukraine whose death has been confirmed by independent researchers or journalists.
31 Political Prisoners Convicted Under Belarus's 'Extremism' Law Pardoned
Belarusian authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka has pardoned 31 people convicted under the country’s "extremism" law.
Two women and 29 men were pardoned, Lukashenka's press service said on November 7. The press service said 17 of the people released have chronic illnesses, three are disabled, and 27 have children.
Though they will be released, their criminal records will not be expunged and the Internal Affairs Ministry will "ensure control over their law-abiding behavior," the press service said. Lukashenka has pardoned 115 political prisoners this year.
Despite the pardons, Belarus remains home to a significant number of political prisoners. Approximately 1,287 political prisoners recognized by the human rights community remain behind bars in Belarus, according to the human rights center Vyasna.
The political climate in Belarus remains tense, and human rights defenders have reported mass detentions across the country since the announcement of the next presidential elections to be held on January 26, 2025, with both administrative and criminal trials ongoing.
Since the crackdown on dissent that followed the disputed 2020 presidential election, the human rights community has recognized almost 3,600 people as political prisoners, and detentions, arrests, and trials on politically motivated charges continue in Belarus.
The pardons announced on November 7 mark the fifth wave of pardons in recent months. Previous pardons took place on September 4, August 16, and July 3, releasing individuals associated with "political" and "protest" crimes, including some with serious health issues, like opposition figure Ryhor Kastusyou, who was suffering from cancer.
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