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Yashin Advocates For Secession Rights In Russia's Federal Treaty
Ilya Yashin, a Russian opposition figure who was exchanged in a historic prisoner swap between Russia and the West in August, says Russia needs a new federal treaty that allows for regions to secede from the federation. Speaking to RFE/RL in Warsaw, Yashin looked to clarify previous public statements regarding non-ethnic-Russian regions within the Russian Federation that sparked an outcry among Russian activists abroad, as well as his vision of governance if he were to come to power. "We need a new federal treaty, written from scratch," Yashin said, adding that such a treaty "must include mechanisms for secession." He also pointed out that current Russian law lacks such provisions, but emphasized that if he and his team gained power, they would ensure that these mechanisms were part of a new federal agreement. Yashin’s political journey has been tumultuous. He was sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison in December 2022 for expressing his thoughts on the Russian Army’s alleged atrocities against civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha in 2022. In August, after the prisoner swap, he was sent to Germany. Yashin's controversial statement in September regarding the possible consequences of Russia's collapse sparked furious backlash, particularly from regionalists and national liberation movements and activists, most of whom are currently outside of Russia. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities, click here.
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Death Toll Rises in Bosnian Flooding Amid Warnings Of New Rainfall
PHOTO GALLERY: Bosnia Attempts Recovery After Record Floods, Landslides
The death count in the devastating floods in Bosnia-Herzegovina has risen to at least 22 while authorities on October 8 warned of additional rains and potential landslides in the coming days. Casualty figures are difficult to determine as crews and residents dig out from the destruction brought by heavy rains and flash floods that started on October 4. Rescue teams from throughout the region are aiding Bosnian crews, with emergency teams from the Serb-led Republika Srpska joining with federal authorities in rescue activities despite political differences. Authorities warned of potential landslides in the capital, Sarajevo, saying flooding along river embankments are putting residents in danger. To read the original stories by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, click here.
Ahead Of EU Speech, Orban Says Current Ukraine Strategy 'Does Not Work'
Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban -- who has been assailed by the West for his often Russian-friendly stance -- has suggested that Ukraine cannot win its war with Russia and pressed again for negotiations, even as a Hungarian opposition figure disrupted his news conference at the European Parliament.
"We don't want to block anything. We just want to convince European leaders to change their strategy [regarding Ukraine] because the current strategy does not work," Orban told reporters on October 8.
"If you cannot win on the battlefield -- you have to communicate, you have to negotiate, you have to have a cease-fire."
Orban is in Strasbourg to address the parliament on October 9 to mark Central European country's six-month stint in the rotating EU presidency.
The populist Orban government has maintained ties with Moscow despite Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Orban has opposed aid to Kyiv and also angered the EU with his increasingly authoritarian rule and for his ties to China.
Marton Gyekiczki, an activist and city councilor for Hungary’s opposition Democratic Coalition (DK), interrupted Orban's news conference, tossing a stack of what appeared to be banknotes at the prime minister.
"How much did you sell out the country for? How much did you betrayed the country for, Mr. Prime Minister?” Gyekiczki shouted.
“He sold out to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. He sold out to [Chinese leader] Xi Jinping!”
A video posted online showed Gyekiczki approaching Orban before he was escorted out of the hall.
Orban told reporters that U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump -- if elected – would immediately start working on a peace deal for Ukraine, not waiting until his January 20 inauguration, and that EU leaders would need to be prepared.
By law and tradition, newly elected U.S. presidents do not engage in setting government policies prior to taking office.
Orban has long endorsed Trump, who critics say would attempt to force Ukraine into agreeing to terms with Russia that have been unacceptable to Kyiv.
With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
Putin, Pashinian Agree To Withdraw Russian Troops From Armenia-Iran Border
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 8 announced an agreement that will see Russian border guards withdraw from the Armenian-Iranian frontier checkpoint as of January 1, 2025.
Under the deal, Armenian border guards will take over full operation of the checkpoint, with Yerevan's troops to also be involved in guarding the border with Turkey along with the existing Russian forces.
For decades, Armenia's frontiers with Turkey and Iran have been guarded solely by Russian troops.
This development signals a shift in Armenia's security arrangements, as agreed to in May, when the two leaders decided that Russian forces would withdraw from certain regions of Armenia, though they would remain deployed along Armenia's borders with Iran and Turkey.
It comes as Yerevan increasingly distances itself from its longtime ally following dissatisfaction with the role of Russian peacekeepers in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Armenian authorities have criticized Russia for failing to prevent Azerbaijan's rapid offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, which ultimately resulted in Azerbaijan regaining control over the region after nearly three decades of ethnic Armenian rule.
Following Azerbaijan's military success, the ethnic Armenian separatist government in Nagorno-Karabakh dissolved, leading to further discussions between Yerevan and Baku to establish a lasting peace.
Pashinian announced at the Commonwealth of Independent States summit in Moscow on October 8 that Armenia was prepared to sign a draft peace agreement with Azerbaijan by the end of the month.
The proposed agreement includes mutual recognition of territorial integrity, a commitment to refrain from territorial claims, respect for noninterference, and the establishment of diplomatic relations, marking a potential resolution to the long-standing conflict between the bitter rivals.
Experts say this would represent a major step toward stabilizing the region after years of tensions.
With reporting by Reuters, TASS, and Interfax
Vocal Kyrgyz Government Critic Released From Jail After Sentence Changed
Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court on October 8 changed the five-year prison term handed to vocal government critic and journalist Oljobai Shakir (aka Egemberdiev) with three years of parole-like probation. Shakir, who was sentenced in May on a charge of making online calls for mass unrest, was immediately released from a detention center in Bishkek. Shakir was arrested in August 2023 after he criticized the government's decision to hand four spa centers near Lake Issyk-Kul to Uzbekistan and called on President Sadyr Japarov and State Committee of National Security chief Kamchybek Tashiev to participate in public debates with him. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.
- By AP
Pakistani Ex-PM Khan Charged With Attempted Murder Over Policeman's Death In Protests
Pakistan's police on October 8 charged the country's imprisoned former prime minister, Imran Khan, with attempted murder over the death of a policeman during violent protests last weekend by his supporters. Khan, who has been behind bars since 2023, is accused of inciting people to violence, the police said. The police argued that Khan -- who had urged his followers to rally on his behalf and demand his release from prison -- had incited his supporters, leading to the killing of officer Abdul Hameed. According to the police, Hameed was injured in clashes between Khan's supporters and police in Islamabad and died in a hospital. Khan has so far been embroiled in over 150 cases and has been sentenced to prison in several of them.
Turkmenistan Confiscates Passports Of Travelers With Bank Loans, Dealing Blow To Migrant Workers
Authorities in Turkmenistan, an authoritarian state known for its tight control over citizens, have begun confiscating the passports of individuals trying to leave the country if they have outstanding bank loans.
The move is seen as a major blow to many who are migrant workers heading abroad to earn badly needed cash to send home.
RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service reports that authorities are stopping travelers en route to Russia and Turkey for work when they arrive at the airport, even if they hold valid visas.
The travelers said they were told by migration officials that their documents would only be returned once their loans, usually ranging from around $5,700 to $8,500, are repaid.
Officials were not available for immediate comment.
The move is part of an expanding system of travel restrictions in Turkmenistan and hits migrant workers hard, because many take out loans to pay for their travel to a destination where they can earn far more than at home.
Since August 2023, citizens wanting to travel abroad have been forced to provide a letter of guarantee from a government-employed relative confirming they will return and are not in debt.
The regime’s growing repression under President Serdar Berdymukhammedov has further isolated workers and highlights the state’s authoritarian control over personal freedoms.
To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service, click here.
Jailed Azerbaijani Journalist Transferred To Georgian Prison Infirmary
Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadiqov, arrested in Georgia in August at Baku’s request, has been transferred to a prison medical facility due to his deteriorating health following a hunger strike that began on September 21, his wife, Sevinc Sadiqova, told RFE/RL on October 8.
Sadiqov, who ran the news outlet Azel.TV, has been arrested multiple times in Baku since 2016 and served over a year in prison on what rights groups called politically motivated charges.
The news of Sadiqov's failing health comes as Human Rights Watch accused Azerbaijani authorities of using "politically motivated, bogus criminal charges" to prosecute and imprison civic activists, journalists, and human rights defenders just months before it hosts COP29, the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
In a 74-page report, the rights watchdog documented what it calls "the government’s concerted efforts to decimate civil society and silence its critics."
“The Azerbaijani government’s contempt for civic freedoms is putting independent groups and critical media on the path of extinction,” said Giorgi Gogia, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
“This is not the image the government should be projecting of itself on the eve of COP29. It is not too late for the government to improve its reputation by freeing imprisoned critics and immediately ending the use of spurious charges against civil society, but it needs to act now.”
Released in May 2023 after a pardon, Sadiqov fled to Georgia in December, where he was arrested again in August, accused by Azerbaijani authorities of extortion.
Amnesty International has called on Georgia to halt his extradition, warning that he could face torture or death if returned to Azerbaijan. A decision on his extradition is still pending in a Georgian court, while his health remains a growing concern.
Last week, a letter signed by nearly 60 lawmakers in the U.S. Congress urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to press Azerbaijan "for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, hostages, and POWs, including ethnic Armenians, to enable a more conducive environment for successful diplomacy at COP29."
- By RFE/RL
EU Parliament Blasts Russian Interference In Moldova Ahead Of Vote
A draft resolution from the European Parliament warns Russia to stop its "provocations and attempts to destabilize" Moldova ahead of a crucial presidential election and referendum.
It also urges EU member states to provide Chisinau with "all necessary assistance" to counter Moscow's disinformation.
The resolution likewise calls for the EU to slap additional sanctions on individuals and entities "responsible for supporting or carrying out actions which undermine or threaten the Republic of Moldova’s sovereignty and independence."
Pro-Western President Maia Sandu is running for reelection on October 20 and Moldovans will also vote the same day in a referendum on joining the 27-member European Union.
The two polls are seen as a make-or-break moment for the future of one of Europe's poorest countries, where Russia still wields massive influence and maintains more than 1,000 troops in the separatist Transdniester region, 33 years after Chisinau declared independence from the Soviet Union.
Under the U.S.-educated Sandu, who came to power after defeating Russian-backed incumbent Igor Dodon in 2020, Moldova took an about-turn toward the West, condemning Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and joining the EU sanctions regime against the Kremlin.
Moldova secured EU candidate status in June 2022 and opened membership negotiations with the bloc earlier this year, steps that prompted Russia to step up attempts to undermine the credibility of Moldova's government and portray Moscow as a better alternative for Chisinau's future.
In a copy of the draft resolution seen by RFE/RL, the European Parliament "strongly condemns the escalating malicious activities, interference, and hybrid operations by the Russian Federation, pro-Russian oligarchs, and Russian-sponsored local actors aimed at undermining the electoral processes, security, sovereignty, and democratic foundations of the Republic of Moldova" in order to derail its European trajectory.
The document reiterates EU calls on Moscow "to respect the Republic of Moldova's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to cease its provocations and attempts to destabilize the country and undermine its constitutional order and democratic institutions."
It also urges Moscow to withdraw its troops from Transdniester and support the peaceful resolution of the conflict between Chisinau and Moscow-backed separatists, while calling for "stronger cooperation on security and defense" policy between the EU and Moldova, the first country to have signed a security and defense partnership with the bloc.
The draft resolution welcomes reforms implemented by the current government and urges the EU to assist it in "pressuring social media platforms to effectively address disinformation" and give Moldova "more consistent support" in its EU accession efforts while investing more funds in the country's infrastructure and human capital.
A vote on the nonbinding resolution is to be held later in the European Parliament, on October 8 or 9, once debates on the subject have been concluded.
Top Romanian Court Bans Pro-Russian Candidate From Presidential Race
Romania's Constitutional Court has banned a pro-Russian, anti-EU, far-right candidate from running in the presidential election next month, ruling 5-2 that Diana Iovanovici Sosoaca's public statements and conduct "systematically" violate the country's constitutional foundation -- its membership in Euro-Atlantic structures. Iovanovici Sosoaca, who shot to notoriety with her virulent anti-vaccine stance during the COVID-19 pandemic and won a seat in the European Parliament earlier this year, has been a vocal proponent of closer relations with Moscow, meeting with Russia's ambassador to Bucharest and making anti-Semitic and anti-Western statements. In her first speech in Brussels, she accused the EU of "killing" Romanians with anti-COVID vaccines, waving black trash bags that she said symbolized "body bags" destined for Romania. The ruling against Iovanovici Sosoaca has been criticized, however, with critics saying the decision by the court, which is split along party lines, was politically motivated and meant to smooth the way for the ruling Social Democratic Party's presidential candidate, current Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Romanian Service, click here.
Israel Says Nasrallah's Successor Likely 'Eliminated'; Harris Blasts Iran
Israel has claimed that the successor to slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has likely been "eliminated," while U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called Tehran the greatest adversary of the United States.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 8 said that Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, was an "organization without a head."
"Nasrallah was eliminated -- his replacement was probably also eliminated," Gallant told officers at the military's northern command center without providing details.
"There's no one to make decisions, no one to act," he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later echoed those comments, saying, "We've degraded Hezbollah's capabilities."
"We took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah's replacement, and the replacement of the replacement," Netanyahu said.
Hezbollah is 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.
Hashem Safieddine, a top Hezbollah official and a cousin of Nasrallah, was widely expected to be named to the group's top position, but his whereabouts and condition are a mystery since an Israeli strike hit a suspected Hezbollah leadership meeting on October 2.
Hezbollah has not commented on Safieddine's fate, although unidentified members have told various media that the group had lost contact with him since the attack.
Safieddine has been declared a global terrorist by the United States.
Meanwhile, Harris told CBS TV's 60 Minutes program in an interview that she considered Iran to be the greatest adversary of the United States.
"Iran has American blood on their hands," she said. "And what we saw in terms of just this attack on Israel, 200 ballistic missiles, what we need to do to ensure that Iran never achieves the ability to be a nuclear power -- that is one of my highest priorities."
Harris -- the Democratic presidential nominee who will face Republican Donald Trump in the November 5 election -- declined to speculate on whether the United States would take military action itself should proof be uncovered that Iran is building a nuclear weapon.
Tehran has denied it is building such weapons and says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.
The comments came as the battered and bloodied leadership of Hezbollah suggested it might be ready to negotiate a cease-fire with Israel
Deputy leader Naim Qassem, in a televised speech, for the first time did not suggest that ending the war in Gaza was a precondition to reaching a truce with Israel in Lebanon.
Qassem said the group backed an effort by Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, to reach a deal to halt the fighting.
The Israeli military also said on October 8 that it had killed another senior Hezbollah commander, a day after marking the somber anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people.
Suhail Husseini, who was responsible for overseeing the logistics, budget, and management of Hezbollah, was killed in a targeted attack on October 7, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
"Husseini played a crucial role in weapon transfers between Iran and Hezbollah," the statement said, adding that he was also in charge of distributing advanced weapons to the group's members and for its "most sensitive projects" that included operations against Israel.
The IDF said Husseini was also a member of the Jihad Council, the supreme military body of Hezbollah.
There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah.
The Israeli announcement came after Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a barrage of rockets on October 7 into Israel, where President Isaac Herzog led a national moment of silence to mark the start of last year's Hamas attack, which started at Kibbutz Reim in the south of the country.
Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union.
In Washington on October 7, President Joe Biden condemned Hamas on the anniversary, while also stating again the U.S. administration's commitment to reaching cease-fire agreements to end fighting in both Gaza and Lebanon.
"On this solemn anniversary, let us bear witness to the unspeakable brutality of the October 7 attacks but also to the beauty of the lives that were stolen that day," Biden said in a statement.
In Jerusalem, relatives of the some 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity, out of a total of 250, gathered outside Netanyahu's residence and stood in silence as a siren wailed in a gesture of protest against what relatives say is the failure of the government to secure their loved ones' release.
The conflict in Gaza is still raging while Israel is now fighting on a second front in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.
Following the October 7 attack, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza that has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas. Some 90 percent of the population of Gaza has been displaced and large areas have been destroyed by Israeli bombardments.
The Israeli military said on October 7 that over the past year it has bombed more than 40,000 targets in Gaza, found 4,700 tunnel shafts and destroyed 1,000 rocket launcher sites.
Israel in recent weeks has been carrying out air strikes across Lebanon, including Beirut, and has staged a ground invasion into south Lebanon in its drive to wipe out Hezbollah's capabilities and leadership.
In the attacks, Israel killed Hezbollah leader Nasrallah and dozens of other leaders of the group.
On October 6, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters that Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force -- the overseas arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) -- had also not been heard from in recent days since traveling to Lebanon.
Tel Aviv’s campaign against Hezbollah prompted Iran to respond by attacking Israel with a large wave of rockets that were largely shot down by Israeli air defenses without causing substantial damage, but the attack renewed fears of a larger regional conflict.
Gallant on October 6 threatened Iran that it might eventually find itself looking like Beirut or Gaza -- which has also been battered over the past year -- if Tehran attempts to further harm Israel.
With reporting by CBS and AP
Prison Labor Allegations Surrounding German Lawmaker's Farm In Belarus Investigated
German prosecutors in the land of Saxony have opened a preliminary investigation into reports that far-right lawmaker Jorg Dornau used prisoner labor at his farm in Belarus. Dornau is a member of the far-right populist Alternative for Germany party (AfD) and co-owns Zybulka-Bel Ltd., an agricultural production company in Belarus. A recent media report by independent Belarusian website Reform.news alleged that activists jailed by Minsk on administrative charges in 2020 were sent to work at onion plantations belonging to Dornau's company. The AfD's general secretary in Saxony, Jan Zwerg, said the party "welcomes the fact that this case is now being investigated in a legally clean and fact-based manner. We trust the independent Saxon judiciary." Kerstin Koeditz, a lawmaker in the Saxony parliament, told RFE/RL last month that if the allegations are found to be true, Dornau must resign. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Georgian Service, click here.
Russia Strikes Kharkiv Again, Wounding At Least 21
A Russian strike on an industrial plant in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, has wounded at least 21 people, local officials reported on October 8, as Moscow continued its relentless attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on his Telegram channel that the search was continuing for two people, who may have remained under the rubble.
Regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said three of the wounded are in serious condition in hospital following the strike, which Russian military bloggers said was carried out by an Iskander missile, while Ukrainian officials said that the city was targeted by several strikes.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia used two Iskander missiles and 19 drones in an attack on the southern Odesa region, but its air defense systems shot down 18 of the Russian drones early on October 8.
In the southern Kherson region, one person was killed in an attack on the city of Antonivka, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on October 8.
Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defense systems repelled a Ukrainian drone attack early on October 8, shooting down 16 unmanned aerial vehicles.
Fourteen of the drones were shot down over the territory of the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, and two other drones were destroyed off Russia's Black Sea coast, the ministry said in a message on Telegram.
However, Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that Ukraine attacked nine districts in his region with 45 drones, wounding two people.
On October 7, Ukrainian drones reportedly struck a fuel depot in Feodosia, the largest such facility in occupied Crimea, triggering a huge fire.
The head of the Moscow-installed Feodosia administration, Igor Tkachenko, said that the fire was still burning on October 8, with social media pictures showing thick plumes of black smoke rising in the air.
Tkachenko said a total of 1,047 civilians had been evacuated from Feodosia due to the blaze.
Ukraine Calls Russian Strike On Grain Ship In Odesa 'Deliberate Terrorist Tactic'
Russian forces continued to hit the Odesa region -- with Ukraine's main Black Sea ports -- with ballistic missiles, damaging a second foreign-flagged civilian vessel a day after striking the main city itself.
Odesa region Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram on October 7 that a Russian missile struck a Palau-flagged ship in the port of Odesa, killing a 60-year-old Ukrainian employee of a private cargo-handling company.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
Five foreign nationals were injured, four seriously, he added.
"Russian terrorists are once again trying to disrupt the work of the Ukrainian grain corridor," he said, referring to work in the port area to export grain products internationally.
Kiper and other Ukrainian officials said it was the second ship struck in two days after a Russian air strike over the weekend hit a grain ship in the Pivdenniy port in the Odesa region.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called Russia's attacks on Black Sea shipping a "deliberate terrorist tactic."
"By attacking civilian vessels, Russia tries to weaken Ukraine's economy and put millions around the world at risk of hunger. We must join forces of all responsible states and organizations to stop the aggressor, ensure freedom of navigation in Black Sea and global food security," he wrote on X.
Oleksiy Kuleba, deputy prime minister for restoration of Ukraine, said he believes the attacks were designed as intimidation to obstruct the export of grain and other products.
"In this way, the aggressor is trying to destroy shipping in the Black Sea again and undermine Ukrainian efforts to ensure food security," he wrote on Telegram.
Ukraine, one of the world's leading grain producers and exporters, has been shipping about 4 million tons of grain each month through the Black Sea corridor, which was set up through a deal mediated by Turkey and the United Nations.
The Russian leadership denies that its forces have targeted the civilian infrastructure of Ukrainian cities, villages, and ports during its full-scale invasion, despite the widespread killing of civilians and destruction of schools, businesses, and energy and water supply facilities.
On October 6, local officials said missiles had hit Odesa city, causing damages but no apparent injuries.
Separately, Ukraine's military intelligence agency, the HUR, said a Ukrainian sabotage operation had damaged a Russian minesweeping ship in Russia's Kaliningrad region, putting it out of action.
It did not provide details of the operation, but identified the vessel as an Obukhov Alexandrit-class minesweeper
“The ship, which was based in the city of Baltiisk and was supposed to go on combat duty, suffered severe damage -- due to the mysterious appearance of a hole in the gas duct, water got into the engine."
It said the vessel was the second "neutralized ship" of Russia’s Baltic Fleet in the past six months
Moscow did not comment on the reports from Odesa or the Baltic region.
- By RFE/RL
U.S. Approves Sale Of Sentinel Radar Systems To Romania
The U.S. State Department on October 7 said it had approved the sale to Romania of four Sentinel radar systems and related equipment worth some $110 million. Congress must approve the deal, which is likely. "The proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe," the U.S. statement said. The Sentinel system is used to alert defense assets to incoming hostile targets. Romania has become an increasingly important ally for the United States in Southeastern Europe, bordering Ukraine and with a Black Sea coastline.
U.S.-Belarusian Lawyer's Prison Term Extended Amid Concerns Over Health
U.S.-Belarusian citizen Yuras Zyankovich -- who has been declared a political prisoner by human rights organizations -- has had his prison term extended by two years to more than 13 years in total in Belarus, the Vyasna human rights group said on October 7.
Zyankovich, 46, has been in prison for more than three years and has been tried three times on criminal charges, most recently in August on allegations of "malicious disobedience of the prison administration," which added two years to his sentence upon conviction.
Vyasna said the extension to his sentence only became known at this time.
The rights group reported that Zyankovich had held numerous hunger strikes and that his health had deteriorated substantially while in custody amid harassment and intimidation by prison officials.
Zyankovich, a Belarusian-born lawyer who also holds U.S. citizenship, was reportedly snatched off a Moscow street in April 2021 and driven to detention in Belarus for trial, along with four other co-defendants.
He was sentenced to 11 years in prison in September 2022 on charges of planning to assassinate authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his family and seize power in the country, allegations he denied.
The Crisis In Belarus
Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
In January 2022, an additional six months were added to his sentence on a charge of insulting an official.
Zyankovich is serving his term in a prison in the eastern region of Mahilyou, notorious for its harsh treatment of political detainees.
Belarusian authorities have been conducting a brutal crackdown on dissent that has intensified since Lukashenka claimed a sixth presidential mandate following a flawed presidential election in 2020.
The opposition and many Western governments say that vote was rigged and do not recognize Lukashenka as the country's legitimate ruler.
On September 20, the U.S. charge d'affaires at the embassy in Minsk condemned a video broadcast on Belarusian state television that showed the imprisoned Zyankovich begging, likely under duress, for help from U.S. presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
"I resolutely condemn the Belarusian regime's reprehensible depiction of a detained U.S. citizen on state media for propaganda purposes and refute the baseless claims made in the program," Peter Kaufman said a statement at the time.
"The regime's history of using coercive tactics to produce content like this strongly calls into question the voluntary nature of the U.S. citizen's participation," he said, adding that U.S. citizens "should not travel to Belarus and those in Belarus should depart immediately."
Vyasna says about 65,000 people have been arrested since protests erupted over the flawed election in August 2020 and that Minsk is holding an estimated 1,300 political prisoners.
Hundreds of thousands of people, including most opposition leaders, have fled the country.
Russia Accuses Medical Director Of Satanism Amid Crackdown On 'Nontraditional Values'
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused Ilya Zhuravlyov, the director of two medical centers in the Ulyanovsk region, of promoting Satanism as part of a broader campaign to spread LGBT propaganda.
Zhuravlyov, who was arrested in August, is now facing up to six years in prison, the FSB said on October 7, claiming he encouraged his subordinates to embrace same-sex relationships as a form of initiation into devil worship, adding a sensational new layer to Russia's growing crackdown on the LGBT community.
According to the FSB, Zhuravlyov misled people by promising them financial success and career advancement if they adhered to the Satanist cult he promoted.
The accusations, aired in a statement on YouTube, have been seized upon by state-aligned media and are being used to further pressure LGBT figures in regional authorities.
Zhuravlyov's arrest is part of a wider crackdown on LGBT rights in Russia, as President Vladimir Putin continues to push an agenda centered around "traditional values." Over the past decade, Putin, backed by the Russian Orthodox Church, has positioned himself as a defender of conservative social norms.
This has included a relentless assault on LGBT rights, including the banning of gender-reassignment surgeries and the nullification of marriages involving transgender individuals.
In 2022, Putin signed a decree formalizing Russia's commitment to "spiritual-moral values" amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The decree stressed the importance of "strong families" and "service to the fatherland," while denouncing what the Kremlin sees as the corrosive influence of Western liberalism, including the promotion of LGBT rights.
Last year, the Supreme Court also moved to ban the "International Public LGBT Movement," a largely symbolic organization that was used to justify further crackdowns on LGBT advocacy.
These legal moves are part of a broader strategy to brand LGBT identities as foreign, anti-family, and even extremist, in a bid to galvanize conservative support.
The accusations of Satanism against Zhuravlyov, however, mark a dramatic escalation. By linking LGBT advocacy to Satanism, the state appears to be pushing a narrative designed to inflame public fears and further stigmatize the LGBT community.
This fits into a larger pattern of demonizing anything perceived as foreign or contrary to the state's strict moral order.
Russia's crackdown on LGBT rights is not an isolated event but part of a broader cultural war that positions Russia in opposition to Western liberal values.
Since the passage of the 2013 "gay propaganda" law, which criminalized the promotion of LGBT relationships among minors, the Russian government has steadily expanded its efforts to marginalize and silence LGBT voices.
The state has framed these laws as necessary for protecting Russia from the corrupting influence of Western ideologies.
Local media and FSB-affiliated outlets such as the VChK-OGPU Telegram channel have suggested Zhuravlyov's arrest is being used as a tool to further pressure LGBT figures within local government and law enforcement.
- By Current Time
Russian Military Court Jails Ukrainian Woman On Terrorism Charges
A Russian military court has sentenced Ukrainian Iryna Navalna, 26, to eight years in prison on charges of attempting to commit a terrorist attack and illegal possession of weapons, independent media outlet Mediazona reported on October 7. Her lawyer, Ivan Bondarenko, told the Rostov-on-Don court that a witness had denied seeing Navalna commit any crime. Navalna denied wrongdoing and claimed she had been tortured in custody. Her mother said the woman was mocked and harassed because of her last name, although she has no relation to late activist Aleksei Navalny or his widow, Yulia Navalnaya. Russian authorities have cracked down on any dissent since the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, often using questionable charges. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.
Ukrainian PM Tells Slovakia's Fico That Russian Gas-Transit Deal Won't Be Extended
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on October 7 told Slovakian counterpart Robert Fico that Kyiv will not extend a gas-transit deal with Russia when it expires at year's end, a move likely to increase tensions between the EU and NATO member and Ukraine, which aspires to join both organizations.
"Ukraine once again says it will not continue the transit agreement with Russia after it expires," Shmyhal told a joint news conference with Fico in the border city of Uzhhorod in western Ukraine on October 7.
"Ukraine's strategic goal is to deprive the Kremlin of profits from the sale of hydrocarbons which the aggressor uses to finance the war," he said.
Shmyhal said Kyiv understands the "acute dependence" of some states, including Slovakia on the Russian gas supply, but said eventual diversification of supply deliveries will overcome such issues.
Shmyhal also said Ukraine and Slovakia -- which share a border of about 100 kilometers -- had agreed to establish an Eastern European energy hub using the resources of the substantial Ukrainian gas storage facilities.
Fico praised Kyiv's continued commitment to utilizing its transit systems after the deal with Russia expires.
"I welcome our discussion which confirmed that you, like us, have an interest in the transit system you have on Ukrainian territory continuing to be used, when it comes to both oil and gas," Fico said.
Slovakia, under Russian-friendly leader Fico, and Ukraine have been at loggerheads over the transit of Russian oil and gas, the export of which is a major source of funding for Russia, which has been struggling under the weight of Western sanctions since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
At the time Moscow launched its invasion, the EU was largely dependent on Russia for gas, but it has since sought alternative supplies. Most EU countries boycotted the import of Russian oil and gas, with the exception of a few, including Hungary and Slovakia.
A deal has reportedly been reached to continue transit of Russian oil through Ukraine, but gas supplies will be severely curtailed should Kyiv follow through on its vow to end transit services at the start of 2025.
Russian gas deliveries to Europe via pipeline are currently limited to two routes: the first through the European leg of TurkStream, a joint Gazprom-Turkish project that ships gas from Russia to Turkey under the Black Sea and then onwards to Central and Southeastern Europe; the second via Ukraine through the Sudzha entry point on the border with Russia.
Russia's current contract with Ukraine is set to expire at the end of 2024.
Outside of the fuel dispute, Fico stood by his strong opposition to Ukraine's possible entry into NATO, while also saying he approved of Kyiv's bid to join the European Union.
Fico, along with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban -- also seen by many to be Russia-friendly -- have opposed Western military aid to Ukraine and have pressed for peace deals unacceptable to Kyiv.
"Slovakia is interested in the restoration of Ukraine and in good neighborly relations. We understand that this peace should be of high quality and sustainable for you. You have to have security guarantees, and we understand that. We will support all initiatives to achieve this goal," Fico said.
"We will not put obstacles in your way to Ukraine's membership in the EU," Fico was quoted as saying by the Suspilne news portal.
"There will be countries that will be against Ukraine quickly becoming a member of the European Union. I say this openly and clearly. We want to provide you with our admission experience. This experience is interesting and valuable. We are quite cold about Ukraine's membership in NATO, but we will participate in all conferences," Fico said.
Prior to their meeting, Fico was quoted as saying about NATO membership: "It would only create a basis for World War III. Because you know what can happen: Once Ukraine is a NATO member and a conflict similar to the present one breaks out, it will count as an attack on a NATO member state and some extremely dangerous mechanisms can be triggered."
Fico said his country was "preparing a new package of financial assistance to Ukraine. The Slovak government is also ready to provide a package of military aid, but it will be a non-lethal weapon."
With reporting by AP and Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Putin To Meet Iranian President As War Rages In Middle East
Vladimir Putin plans to meet with his Iranian counterpart, Masud Pezeshkian, this week amid fears the crisis in the Middle East threatens to spin out of control.
Official Russian news agencies quoted presidential aide Yury Ushakov on October 7 as saying the two leaders will meet in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, on October 11.
Ushakov added that Putin also plans to hold talks with Pezeshkian at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan that runs on October 22-24.
The announcements signal continued cooperation between the two countries amid the ongoing Middle East crisis.
Ushakov did not elaborate on the meetings but added that Putin has no plans to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the escalating situation in the region.
The absence of a planned meeting with Netanyahu suggests Russia's current diplomatic focus may be more aligned with its partnerships within the BRICS framework, of which Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, as well as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, are members, rather than direct involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel marked the first anniversary of the October 7 attack by Hamas that killed more than 1,200 people and saw some 250 people taken hostage as the Israeli military continued its massive air strikes on Beirut and its incursion into southern Lebanon intended to destroy the Iran-allied Hezbollah militant group.
Hamas has been designated a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.
Hezbollah is 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.
The conflict in Gaza is still raging as Israel opens the second front in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.
- By RFE/RL
EU Summit Draft Strongly Backs Ukraine, Moldova, Chastises Georgia
The European Union will continue to strongly support Ukraine in its fight against Russia's unprovoked invasion and will keep offering all its backing to Moldova in its efforts to join the 27-member bloc, according to draft conclusions of a summit scheduled for next week.
The draft, a copy of which was seen by RFE/RL, also warns Georgia that recent legislative moves similar to measures taken by Moscow to stifle political opposition and restrain the rights of the LGBT community "jeopardize" Tbilisi's path to integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions.
The document, which can still be amended before the October 17-18 summit in Brussels, says the bloc continues to show "unwavering commitment" in providing all types of support to Kyiv "for as long as it takes and as intensely as needed," adding, "Russia must not prevail."
While reiterating its support for a peace based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law, the EU reaffirmed that "no initiative about Ukraine can be taken without Ukraine."
The draft also calls for "rapidly stepping up military support and accelerating its delivery," with an emphasis on air-defense systems, ammunition, and missiles.
The EU also welcomes the commitment taken in June by the Group of 7 industrialized countries (G7) to provide about 45 billion euros ($50 billion) to Ukraine by the end of the year by using revenues from frozen Russian assets abroad, the draft says.
The council also will call for deeper integration of Ukraine's energy system with that of the bloc ahead of the cold season and in the face of repeated Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
The draft statement said the bloc will call for "full and effective enforcement" of sanctions against Russia and for extra punitive measures to counter their circumvention.
The document also expresses the bloc's "strong support" for Moldova's EU accession path and its "unwavering commitment" to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Moldova, which secured candidate status in June 2022 together with Ukraine and opened accession talks in June, faces a crucial presidential election and a referendum on EU membership on October 20, and has been targeted by a Russian disinformation campaign meant to scupper the reelection of pro-Western President Maia Sandu.
The EU "condemns Russia’s persistent attempts to use foreign information manipulation and interference to undermine democratic elections and the choice of the Moldovan people for a prosperous, stable and peaceful European future," the draft says.
In Georgia's case, Brussels will also reiterate "its serious concern regarding the course of action in Georgia which runs contrary to the values and principles upon which the European Union is founded," the draft says.
The ruling Georgian Dream party passed and promulgated in quick succession this spring and summer two bills that have sparked massive popular protests and scathing criticism from Brussels and Washington.
One of the pieces of legislation is the "foreign influence" bill, seen as similar to the "foreign agent" law passed several years ago by Russia that allows the Kremlin to stifle political opposition and restrict free speech. The second is a measure that curbs the rights of LGBT people in the name of protecting "traditional family values."
Both passed despite being opposed by President Salome Zurabishvili, whose opposition was easily circumvented by the Georgian Dream lawmakers amid a parliamentary boycott by the opposition.
Brussels "recalls that not reversing the current course of action jeopardizes Georgia's EU path, de facto leading to a halt, the draft says, adding, "it calls on Georgia to adopt democratic, comprehensive and sustainable reforms, in line with the core principles of European integration."
While reaffirming the bloc's support for the Georgian people's desire to join the EU, the draft also warns Georgia's current government to ensure that the upcoming parliamentary elections to be held later this month "are free and fair."
Georgia's Ruling Party Reviving Bid To Impeach Pro-Western President
Georgia’s ruling party, which has raised the ire of the United States and European Union with moves seen as bringing the Caucasus nation closer to Russia, has revived its bid to impeach pro-West President Salome Zurabishvili weeks before a general election.
Zurabishvili's powers are limited under the constitution, but Georgian Dream sees her moves to unite opposition forces as an obstacle to its bid to dominate the vote.
Parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili told a news conference on October 7 that the party is renewing its impeachment attempt as Zurabishvili recently violated the constitution governing her office by making official visits to Brussels, France, and Germany without the consent of the prime minister.
Papuashvili added that if the Constitutional Court finds that Zurabishvili has violated the law, the new parliament will remove her from office. Georgian Dream currently doesn’t have the necessary number of votes to remove the president.
The office of the president has not commented on the resurfacing of the impeachment issue.
Zurabishvili has had a dramatic falling out with the governing Georgian Dream party since it backed her candidacy for president in 2018, culminating in an embarrassing squabble over her right to represent Georgia abroad and then an ultimately failed impeachment in 2023.
She clashed with Georgian Dream by refusing to sign a "foreign influence" bill that Western governments and many Georgians liken to Russia's "foreign agent" law used by the Kremlin to clamp down on dissent with broad discretion, and a bill approved by parliament last month that rights groups and many opposition politicians say drastically curbs the rights of the country's LGBT community.
When she vetoed the foreign agent bill in mid-May, Zurabishvili called it "a Russian law in essence and spirit, which contradicts our constitution and all European standards" and "an obstacle on our European path."
Georgian Dream and its alliance with the Democratic Georgia party hold 84 of the parliament's 150 seats. Lawmakers voted 84-4 to override Zurabishvili's veto in late May.
In response to parliament's approval of the law curbing LGBT rights, Washington on September 16 introduced sanctions on more than 60 Georgians, including two members of the government, who it said had "undermined" democracy and human rights in the country, prompting Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to warn that Tbilisi might revise ties with the United States.
The European Union, meanwhile, reacted to the bill by pausing EU accession negotiations.
Georgian Dream has insisted it remains committed to joining Western institutions and the law was only meant to increase transparency on NGO funding.
Georgia's civil society has for years sought to move the country away from the influence of Russia, which still maintains thousands of troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two breakaway Georgian regions that Moscow recognized as independent states following a five-day war with Tbilisi in 2008.
- By RFE/RL
Amid Rising Moscow-Washington Tensions, 2 Americans Handed Prison Terms In Russia
Two U.S. citizens were sentenced to lengthy prison terms in Russia on October 7, fueling concerns over the political motivations behind their detentions amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington.
The cases of Stephen Hubbard, 72, and Robert Gilman, a 30-year-old former U.S. Marine, have drawn intense scrutiny, with many viewing their cases as part of a broader pattern of Americans being used as leverage in the ongoing geopolitical stand-off between the two nations.
Hubbard was sentenced by the Moscow City Court on October 7 to six years and 10 months in prison on charges of being a mercenary.
Following the sentencing, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington had limited information about the Hubbard case because Moscow has refused to allow consular access.
"Russia should grant consular access to him for the United States. We're looking at the case very closely and considering our next steps," said Miller, who did not immediately comment on the Gilman case.
Russian prosecutors claimed Hubbard had fought for Ukraine's territorial-defense forces in the Kharkiv region under a contract worth $1,000 per month.
Detained by Russian forces in April 2022, Hubbard reportedly pleaded guilty, but his family, including his sister, Patricia Fox, disputes this.
Fox has highlighted her brother's pro-Russian stance and questioned the credibility of the charges, suggesting his reported statements may have been coerced.
Separately on October 7, a court in Voronezh, about 500 kilometers south of Moscow, sentenced Robert Gilman to seven years and one month in prison for assaulting a prison official and a state investigator.
Gilman, already serving a 3 1/2-year sentence for attacking a police officer in 2022 while intoxicated, allegedly committed the assaults in late 2023 while in custody.
His case, much like Hubbard's, raises questions about the timing and severity of the charges.
Both cases follow a pattern of high-profile arrests and detentions of Americans in Russia, which many analysts view as part of Moscow's broader strategy to exert pressure on Washington.
The detentions are increasingly being seen as politically motivated, with the potential for these individuals to become bargaining chips in future prisoner swaps.
This comes in the wake of a exchange in August in which three U.S. citizens were released, including RFE/RL's journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, The Wall Street Journal's reporter Evan Gershkovich, and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, in exchange for Russian prisoners serving sentences in the United States and Europe.
The timing of the sentences coincides with a period of strained U.S.-Russia relations, exacerbated by Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions aimed at weakening Moscow's position.
The sentences handed to Hubbard and Gilman come against a backdrop of diplomatic deadlock between Moscow and Washington, with prisoner swaps serving as rare moments of cooperation amid an otherwise hostile relationship.
With reporting by Meduza, TASS, RIA Novosti, and Interfax
- By Current Time
Once Russia's Best-Known Activist, Ildar Dadin Killed Fighting For Ukraine
Once one of Russia's most prominent rights activists and a vocal Kremlin critic, Ildar Dadin has been killed in action with Ukrainian forces during a battle in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
The news of Dadin’s death was confirmed by the Freedom of Russia Legion, according to a report from The Insider. Journalist Ksenia Larina was the first to report Dadin's death over the weekend, with confirmation later provided by Russian opposition figure Ilya Ponomaryov, who lives in Kyiv.
Ponomaryov revealed that Dadin had been killed on October 4.
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"We have just received confirmation that Ildar Dadin died in a battle in the Kharkiv region," Larina wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on the evening of October 5.
She later explained to Sota that she had learned of the news from Igor Volobuyev, a former vice president of Gazprombank, who is also fighting on the Ukrainian side. Volobuyev had been informed of Dadin’s death by his comrades-in-arms.
Further details of his death have yet to be disclosed.
Initially, Dadin was reported to be fighting with the Siberian Battalion, which consists of Russians from Siberia fighting for Ukraine.
According to Ponomaryov, Dadin transferred to the Free Russia Legion in December 2022.
Dadin rose to prominence in Russia as the first person convicted under a law that penalized repeated violations of rally regulations.
In March 2016, he was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on this charge, and the law became widely known as the "Dadin law."
A year later, Dadin spoke out about the torture he endured while imprisoned in Russia's northwestern Karelia region.
His conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court in February 2017, and he was subsequently granted 2.2 million rubles ($23,113) in compensation for illegal prosecution.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, Dadin fled Russia for Poland in March of that year, aiming to join Ukraine's defense. He spent nearly a year in Poland preparing the necessary documents to enlist in a Ukrainian volunteer battalion made up of Russian opposition fighters.
In June 2023, Dadin joined the Siberian Battalion which he viewed as one of the few viable ways for him to fight against Russia on Ukraine's side. He chose the call sign "Gandhi," in honor of Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian leader known for advocating nonviolent resistance.
With reporting by Sota
- By RFE/RL
Israel Marks Anniversary Of Hamas Attack As War Rages On In Lebanon, Gaza
Israel on October 7 marked the somber anniversary of the Hamas attack on the Jewish state that killed more than 1,200 people and took some 250 hostages as the Israeli military continued its massive air strikes on Beirut and its incursion in southern Lebanon that aims to destroy the Iran-allied Hezbollah militant group.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog led a national moment of silence at 6:29 a.m., the time the attack started, at Kibbutz Reim, the site of the Nova music festival where hundreds of mostly young revelers were killed by gunmen from Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union.
In Washington, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris condemned Hamas on the anniversary, while also stating again the U.S. administration's commitment to reaching cease-fire agreements to end fighting in both Gaza and Lebanon.
"On this solemn anniversary, let us bear witness to the unspeakable brutality of the October 7 attacks but also to the beauty of the lives that were stolen that day," Biden said in a statement.
The Israeli military said that during the ceremony led by Herzog, four projectiles were launched from Gaza toward the same Israeli communities targeted at the start of last year's attack. The military said the ceremony was not disrupted.
In Jerusalem, relatives of the some 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity, many of whom are believed dead, gathered outside the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and stood in silence as a siren wailed in a gesture of protest against what relatives say is the failure of the government to secure their loved ones' release.
Following the October 7 attack, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza that has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas.
The Israeli military said on October 7 that over the past year, it has bombed more than 40,000 targets in Gaza, found 4,700 tunnel shafts and destroyed 1,000 rocket launcher sites.
The conflict in Gaza is still raging while Israel is now fighting on a second front in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.
Early on October 7, Hezbollah, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, fired rockets into the north Israeli cities of Haifa and Tiberias, causing damage and some minor injuries, Israeli police said.
The European Union has blacklisted Hezbollah's armed wing but not its political unit, which holds seats in the Lebanese parliament.
Amid the military activity at the individual level, the private lives of civilians throughout the region have been disrupted.
In the ancient city of Beersheba in southern Israel, Irena Stein, who left Albania in 1991 to resettle in the country, told RFE/RL's Kosovo Service that life in recent times had been filled with "sadness and pain."
"We had several months of rockets. Then, the number of rockets decreased, and we continued with daily life, like someone who goes on with their life after the seven days of mourning with a great pain in the heart," said Stein, who is in her late 60s.
"There's this feeling like something might happen, that we should be cautious. But I believe you can't live with fear, so we've continued our lives, always praying to God that nothing happens to us."
She said that in Beersheba -- where human activity can be traced to the fourth millennium BC -- things have been calm since rockets were last heard on September 29. But she lamented that throughout Israel, "We suffer from this situation, and the Palestinian people suffer from it, too."
"The Lebanese people also suffer...everyone suffers. But as they say, peace must be decided at the highest level."
Meanwhile, in a Lebanese mountain village southeast of Beirut, local resident Hadi Zahwe told reporters an Israeli strike on October 6 was "terrifying."
"There were children killed, there were children's body parts. This enemy is targeting civilian women and children," he said.
Netanyahu has insisted that Israeli forces are targeting terrorist strongholds and that civilian fatalities have been extremely low in the recent military actions.
Israel in recent weeks has been bombing Beirut's southern suburbs and has staged a ground incursion into south Lebanon in its drive to wipe out Hezbollah's capabilities and leadership.
The Israeli campaign on Hezbollah prompted the group's patron, Iran, to respond by attacking the Jewish state with a large wave of rockets that were largely shot down by Israeli air defenses without causing substantial damage, but the attack renewed fears of a a larger regional conflict.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 6 threatened Iran that it might eventually find itself looking like Beirut or Gaza -- which has also been battered over the past year -- if Tehran attempts to further harm Israel.
"The Iranians did not touch the air force's capabilities. No aircraft were damaged, no squadron was taken out of order," Gallant said in reference to the Iranian missile strike, which caused few injuries and slight damage to two air force bases.
"Whoever thinks that a mere attempt to harm us will deter us from taking action should take a look at [Israel’s operations] in Gaza and Beirut."
Israel earlier said it conducted a series of "targeted strikes" on "weapons storage facilities" and infrastructure sites that belong to Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Lebanon's official National News Agency said Hezbollah's stronghold in the area was hit by more than 30 strikes. A petrol station and a medical supplies warehouse were hit by the air raids.
Video footage showed huge flames and plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky as residents fled their homes in panic with explosions echoing in the background.
Many observers said the attacks were the strongest yet of Israel's recent air strikes.
Israel has bombed Beirut's suburbs for days, killing Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and possibly his potential successor, Hashem Safieddine.
Security sources have said Safieddine had been out of contact since October 4 after an Israeli air strike near Beirut's international airport that was reported to have targeted him. Hezbollah has not commented on Safieddine.
Israel says Nasrallah was killed in a strike on the group's central command headquarters in Beirut on September 27.
Two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters on October 6 that Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force -- the overseas arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) -- also had not been heard from in recent days since traveling to Lebanon.
Statements on October 6 out of the United States -- Tel Aviv's most important ally -- indicated some frustrations with the scope of Israel's military action.
"Military pressure can at times enable diplomacy. Of course, military pressure can also lead to miscalculation. It can lead to unintended consequences," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson said Washington supported Israeli actions in going after extremist elements but added that U.S. leaders but did not approve of the targeting of civilian infrastructure.
Israel says the attacks on Hezbollah are aimed at enabling the safe return of tens of thousands of citizens to homes in northern Israel, bombarded by the group since last October.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Kosovo Service and AP
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