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U.S. Republicans Filibuster Over Drones
Rand Paul, senator from the state of Kentucky, launched the filibuster March 6 against John Brennan’s nomination to be CIA director.
Paul is demanding that the Obama administration issue a statement making clear that drones will not be used in the United States to kill terrorism suspects who are American citizens.
Senators were continuing to make filibuster speeches in the chamber late into the night.
Senators can speak for as long as possible, delaying action, until 60 votes in the 100-member Senate are gathered to end the filibuster.
In a letter to Paul this week, Attorney General Eric Holder said he could not rule out the use of drone strikes against American suspects on U.S. territory.
Holder said that while Obama had "no intention" to order such strikes, it theoretically could be possible if there was an "extraordinary circumstance," such as an attack similar to Pearl Harbor in World War II or the attacks of September 11, 2001.
The United States regularly uses missile strikes by the unmanned drone aircraft to target suspected terrorists, most notably in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Yemen.
Critics say many civilians have been killed in such strikes, alongside militants.
In the United States, concerns have been raised following disclosures that the administration was reserving the right to target Americans suspected by high-ranking officials of plotting an imminent attack.
Defenders of civil liberties say such strikes could infringe on constitutionally protected due-process rights.
"I will speak until I can no longer speak," Paul said as he launched the filibuster around midday on March 6. "I will speak as long as it takes, until the alarm is sounded from coast to coast that our constitution is important, that your rights to trial by jury are precious, that no American should be killed by a drone, on American soil, without first being charged with a crime, without first being found guilty by a court."
Brennan earlier responded to a query from Paul, saying the CIA does not have the authority to conduct lethal operations inside the United States.
Brennan, considered a key architect of the drone program, is widely expected to eventually win a Senate majority to be confirmed as CIA chief.
Critics of the drone program point to the September 2011 strikes in Yemen that killed Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan – both U.S. citizens who had never been charged with a crime by U.S. authorities.
A drone strike two weeks later in Yemen killed Awlaki’s 16-year-old U.S.-born son.
Officials have said Awlaki was linked the planning of a series of attacks, including the attempted Christmas 2009 bombing of an airliner over Detroit.
The use of drone strikes began under the administration of President George W. Bush, but their frequency has increased since Obama took office in early 2009.
The record for longest U.S. Senate filibuster is held by the late Senator Strom Thurmond, who spoke for more than 24 hours against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa
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Danish Military Keeps Watch On Chinese Ship Suspected Of Baltic Cable Sabotage
The Danish Defense Command said it is "present" in the area near the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3, which is anchored off the coast of Denmark and suspected of being involved in recent damage to fiber-optic communications cables in the Baltic Sea.
Suspicions have been growing in Western capitals that damage to two key Baltic Sea cables was likely the result of deliberate actions.
The Chinese ship, reportedly captained by a Russian naval officer, was sailing from the Russian port of Ust-Luga. It is suspected of having traveled over the area in the Baltic Sea where the cables connecting Sweden and Lithuania are located.
European governments and Washington have not tied Moscow directly to the damage, but they have accused Russia of orchestrating "hybrid attacks" on Western infrastructure to punish European countries for their assistance and support for Ukraine's military as it tries to repel invading Russian forces.
Some analysts say the ship may have damaged the cables when dragging its anchor.
"The Danish Defense can confirm that we are present in the area near the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3. The Danish Defense currently has no further comments," the Danish Defense Command said in a post on X on November 20.
Ukraine's allies pointed to past incidents of alleged sabotage by Moscow, especially following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has hit the 1,000-day mark this week amid devastating losses on both sides.
Authorities in states bordering the Baltic Sea are investigating the cutting of the cables -- the second connects Finland to Germany -- following similar suspicious occurrences in the sea in recent years.
A year ago, Finland said it couldn't exclude that a "state actor" was responsible for damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea.
The pipeline was damaged by an anchor dropped from the deck of the Chinese container ship Newnew Polar Bear. The ship was not detained and sailed away.
Moscow has said such allegations are being fabricated by the West to discredit Russia.
Chinese officials have not commented on the situation surrounding the Yi Peng 3.
Russia Detains German Citizen On Terrorism Charge
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on November 20 that its officers had detained a German citizen on suspicion of involvement in a March explosion that damaged a gas pipeline at a distribution center in Kaliningrad, the capital of Russia's western exclave of the same name. According to the FSB, Nikolaj Gajduk was detained after investigators found 0.5 liters of an unspecified "explosive substance" in his car while he was entering Kaliningrad from Poland. The statement also said that Gajduk had planned to conduct "sabotage acts" at energy facilities in the region, adding that the plan had been "masterminded" by a Ukrainian citizen residing in Germany. Gajduk was charged with terrorism and smuggling explosive substances. The Agentstvo Telegram channel said that Gajduk is a 57-year-old native of Ukraine. German authorities are yet to comment on the situation. To read the original report by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
Iran Using Executions To Suppress Ethnic Minorities, Rights Group Says
Iranian authorities are using executions as "a tool of fear," particularly directed at ethnic minorities, dissidents, and foreign nationals, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on November 20.
The rights watchdog highlighted a recent surge in capital punishment sentences against these groups, noting that the verdicts are handed down amid rampant violations of due process.
According to Iran Human Rights group, in the first 10 months of this year, at least 651 people were executed in Iran -- 166 people in October alone.
HRW noted the case of Kurdish political prisoner Varisheh Moradi, sentenced to death by Iran’s revolutionary court in Tehran on November 10 on the charge of “armed rebellion against the state."
Moradi, a member of the Free Women’s Society of Eastern Kurdistan, was arrested in the city of Sanandaj in Kurdistan Province in August last year and kept for five months in solitary confinement in the infamous Evin prison where she was tortured. Her family has not been allowed to visit her since May, the group said.
Moradi was not allowed to defend herself, and the judge did not permit her lawyers to present a defense, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network reported.
“Iranian authorities use the death penalty as a tool of fear, particularly targeting ethnic minorities and political dissidents after unfair trials,” said HRW's Nahid Naghshbandi. “This brutal tactic aims to suppress any opposition to an autocratic government through intimidation,” she said.
Five other Kurdish men were sentenced to death in recent weeks on charges of “espionage for Israel," HRW said.
Four Arab prisoners from Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province, are at risk of imminent execution, after being sentenced to death by a revolutionary court with two other individuals for their alleged involvement in the killings of two Basij members, a law enforcement officer, and a soldier.
The four -- Ali Majdam, Moein Khonafri, Mohammadreza Moghadam, and Adnan Gheibshavi (Musavi) -- were arrested in 2017 and 2018, according to human rights groups.
Afghan citizens in Iran have been targeted, in particular, by death sentences, HRW noted, adding that according to human rights groups, at least 49 Afghan nationals have been executed in Iran this year, 13 in the past month alone.
“Iran’s revolutionary courts are a tool of systematic repression that violate citizens’ fundamental rights and hand out death sentences indiscriminately, leaving legal protections meaningless,” Naghshbandi said.
“The international community should categorically condemn this alarming trend and pressure Iranian authorities to halt these executions,” she added.
Mai Sato, the United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, has also voiced concern about the "alarming" increase in the number of executions.
"In August 2024 alone, at least 93 people were executed, with nearly half in relation to drug offences," Sato said on November 1.
At Least 11 Killed In Militant Attack In Pakistan
At least 11 members of Pakistan's security forces were killed and at least four others were wounded in a car-bombing and shooting attack, the country's military said in a statement. The attack occurred late on November 19 in Bannu, a district in the restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, the statement said. Residents told RFE/RL that the sound of gunfire could be heard until late at night. A splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, saying that 23 members of the Pakistani security forces had been killed, a toll that could not be independently verified. The attack occurred as Pakistan's political and military leadership was meeting in Islamabad to discuss ways to tackle the current surge in militant violence. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, click here.
Police Again Force Georgian Protesters Out Of Tbilisi University
TBILISI -- Hundreds of Georgian police have forced demonstrators for a second night in a row out of the area near Tbilisi State University where they were protesting the results of last month's parliamentary elections and calling for a repeat of the vote.
Unlike the previous day, there were no clashes early on November 20 as protesters retreated from the advancing police forces and left the university area, moving to the nearby Melikishvili Avenue in downtown Tbilisi.
The protest leaders then announced that they were temporarily suspending their action in order to come up with a new plan.
"We have to somehow replan and think about something different, not the same as what we have been doing here," Zurab Japaridze, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change movement, told the demonstrators.
On November 19, Georgian police violently dispersed the days-long protest at the university, detaining at least 16 people and taking down the tents where demonstrators had taken shelter from the cold during the night.
The Interior Ministry told RFE/RL that the 16 people detained were held for alleged disobedience to the lawful demands of the police and petty hooliganism. Three of them were released on their own recognizance.
Tbilisi has been rocked by protests since the elections, with opposition leaders demanding a repeat of parliamentary elections amid claims of widespread fraud and Russian influence during the October 26 polls that were won by the Georgian Dream party, which has been in power since 2012.
The latest protests broke out after Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC) on November 16 validated the results of last month's disputed elections, despite accusations of widespread fraud and Russian interference.
According to the official results, Georgian Dream won 53.93 percent of the vote against 37.79 percent garnered by an opposition alliance.
The office of pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili -- who backs the protesters and has refused to recognize the October 26 vote -- said she filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court on November 19, "requesting annulment of the election results as unconstitutional,” although she acknowledged little hope of success.
"This is not because I believe in the Constitutional Court -- we all know that no institution in this country is independent any longer and we have received evidence of this repeatedly.
Georgia's pro-European opposition has boycotted the new parliament, renouncing its mandates from the October 26 vote, alleging widespread fraud and Russian interference.
EU and other Western officials have expressed serious doubts about the elections and perceived irregularities.
Georgia has been a candidate for EU membership since last year, but a "foreign influence" law and anti-LGBT measures have stalled that effort.
On November 20, the EU Delegation to Georgia issued a statement voicing support for young people who are fighting to protect the country's European values .
"Here in Georgia, youth is safeguarding their rights, freedoms and the country's EU future. We stand firmly by them and stress the need to respect their fundamental right to freedom of expression and assembly," the EU Delegation said in a message on X on the occasion of "World Children's Day."
The United States in July announced that it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning it that it was backsliding on democracy.
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Rights Watchdog Says Tajik Activist Deported From Germany Has Been Jailed
Dilmurod Ergashev, a Tajik opposition activist who was deported from Germany despite significant concerns about the risk of his detention and torture upon returning to Tajikistan, has been jailed for two months, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on November 20, calling on Berlin to press for his release.
An administrative court in Germany ordered Ergashev's deportation on October 28. The 40-year-old is a prominent member of Group 24, an opposition movement that is banned in Tajikistan, and part of the Reforms and Development of Tajikistan movement established by exiled dissidents.
His activism has included participating in demonstrations in Berlin, notably during a protest against Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's visit to Germany in September 2023.
"Germany should urgently press Tajikistani authorities to release Ergashev or make clear the legal grounds and evidence justifying his detention and ensure that his due process rights are fully respected," HRW said in a statement.
"This includes access to appropriate and quality medical care and ensuring that he is not mistreated. Ergashev was deported after a German court dismissed concerns, that he and human rights groups had raised, that he would be detained on arrival in Tajikistan," it said.
Ergashev has been in Germany since February 2011 and first applied for asylum on political grounds that same year. Despite several applications, his asylum requests have been consistently rejected.
According to his lawyer, German immigration authorities have expressed doubts about the sincerity of Ergashev's commitment to opposition causes.
On November 6, The Insider investigative group reported that Ergashev had attempted to commit suicide before being deported from Germany to Tajikistan, citing self-exiled Tajik opposition activist Sharofiddin Gadoev.
Germany has faced criticism for similar actions in the past. In 2023, two Tajik dissidents, Abdullohi Shamsiddin and Bilol Qurbonaliev, were deported to Tajikistan, where they were immediately detained and later sentenced to lengthy prison terms on dubious charges related to attempts to overthrow the constitutional order.
Reports indicate that Shamsiddin has faced mistreatment while incarcerated.
The Tajik government is known for its systematic persecution of opposition members, especially those affiliated with banned groups like Group 24.
A recent report by HRW highlighted Tajikistan as a country of major concern regarding transnational repression, noting that the government actively targets critics abroad on charges of extremism and terrorism, leading to severe penalties and mistreatment upon forced return.
Given Ergashev's documented activism and participation in protests, he is seen as a clear target for persecution by the Tajik authorities.
U.S. Embassy In Kyiv Closes Amid Air Strike Threat
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv closed its operations on November 20 after receiving "specific information" about "a potential significant air strike." It also urged employees and U.S. citizens in the Ukrainian capital to take immediate shelter if an air-raid alert was announced.
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"Out of an abundance of caution, the Embassy will be closed, and Embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place," it said in a statement, without giving any details about the possible strike.
The embassies of Italy, Greece, and Spain said they had also shut their operations following the unusual U.S. warning.
France kept its embassy open but urged its citizens to be cautious.
An air raid alert was issued for several Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv, early on November 20 due to the imminence of Russian drone strikes.
The U.S. warning came one day after Moscow said that Ukraine had used U.S.-made long-range ATACMS missiles to strike a weapons depot in Russia's Bryansk region following U.S. President Joe Biden's reported authorization of their use.
The White House has not officially confirmed the decision.
President Volodymyr Zelensky did not confirm or deny the use of ATACMS in the attack on Bryansk, saying during a news conference that “Ukraine has long-range capabilities... We now have a long ‘Neptune’ (Ukrainian-made cruise missiles) and not just one. And now we have ATACMS. And we will use all of this.”
On November 20, Ukraine's military intelligence agency said a Russian military command post had been "successfully struck" in the town of Gubkin in Russia's Belgorod region, some 168 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. It did not say what kind of missiles had been used in the attack.
Separately, the Ukrainian Air Force said Russian troops attacked Ukraine early on November 20 with 122 drones, 56 of which were shot down over 14 regions -- Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskiy, Sumy, Mykolayiv, Kherson, Zaporizhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Kharkiv.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, Hennadiy Trukhanov, said the death toll after a Russian strike on the city on November 18 had risen to 11.
- By RFE/RL
Exiled Opposition Leader Condemns Belarus 'Anti-Riot' Drills Ahead Of January Election
Exiled opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya condemned so-called anti-riot drills conducted by Belarusian police ahead of the planned January 26 elections in which strongman ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka will likely be declared the winner for a seventh term.
"The security forces' training marks preparation for a crackdown on dissent before the fictitious election," Tsikhanouskaya said in remarks to AP on November 19.
"Drills in suppression of citizens aren’t a sign of force. They are a sign of fear. No such intimidation would suppress the Belarusians’ striving for freedom and democracy," she said.
Tsikhanouskaya spoke from Estonia, where she met with leaders in Tallinn to bolster support for the opponents of Belarus's authoritarian government.
Belarusian authorities said the drills are intended to train police to prevent "any manifestation of extremism and terrorism" and block "attempts to draw citizens into unlawful actions and any violation of public order."
Interior Ministry video depicted helmeted police in black riot gear slamming shields with truncheons in preparation for breaking up a potential protest.
Massive street protests followed the disputed 2020 presidential election that extended Lukashenka's long-standing rule for another term.
The election was widely condemned as fraudulent by the United States, the European Union, and other international actors.
The protests, which demanded Lukashenka's resignation, were met with mass arrests, alleged torture, and violent crackdowns that left several people dead.
Tsikhanouskaya's husband, Syarhey Tsikhanouski, as well as other opposition politicians and activists were arrested and many were sentenced to lengthy prison terms.
Many opposition leaders remain imprisoned or in exile, while Lukashenka refuses dialogue with his critics. Tsikhanouskaya was forced into exile in 2020.
Tsikhanouskaya on November 19 said she was assured by Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna that the Baltic nation would not recognize the "Belarus regime's fake elections."
With reporting by AP
- By RFE/RL
Afghan Teen Wins Children's Peace Prize For Work Advocating For Girls' Rights
Nila Ibrahimi, an Afghan teenager living in Canada, has been awarded the prestigious International Children's Peace Prize for her efforts in advocating for the rights of girls in her native country. "The young change-maker's courageous efforts to advocate for the rights of Afghan girls has seen her recognized as a true inspiration, offering a message of hope for other young people around the world," the Amsterdam-based organizers said on November 19. Following the return to power of the repressive Taliban extremist group in 2021, the 17-year-old fled the country with her family, first to Pakistan, then to Canada, where she lives now. The Taliban has been assailed by international groups and Western leaders for human rights abuses, especially against girls and women.
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Scholz Blasts Soft G20 Statement On Russia But Reiterates Stand On Long-Range Missiles
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on November 19 attacked the final declaration of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro for not plainly stating that Russia was responsible for the war in Ukraine.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy -- speaking nearly 11,000 kilometers away in Kyiv -- agreed with those sentiments, he also suggested criticism toward Berlin for not providing Taurus long-range cruise missiles to strike deeper inside Russia as it battles against the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion.
Scholz told the gathered leaders that Russian President Vladimir Putin has bombed Ukraine for "1,000 days in which people have had to suffer for the blind megalomania, for the intention to simply expand his country by force."
"It will be insufficient if these 20 [nations] cannot find clear words on Russia's responsibility in this matter. I would have liked to have seen something different," the chancellor said at the end of the summit of the 20 leading industrialized nations and emerging economies.
But Scholz also restated his decision not to send long-range German Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, saying Germany is Kyiv’s largest supporter in Europe and will remain so but that it was important "to do everything we do with prudence."
"In my view, supplying cruise missiles would be a mistake for many reasons," he added, including the danger that it would bring Germany closer to direct conflict with Russia.
According to multiple U.S. media reports, the United States has granted Ukraine permission after months of pleading to use ATACMS long-range cruise missiles to strike deeper inside Russia. The White House has not denied the widespread reports, but it also has not confirmed them.
Meanwhile, Zelenskiy, speaking at a Kyiv news conference, also blasted the G20 leader for failing to act after Putin signed a decree easing Russia’s benchmarks for using nuclear weapons.
"Today, G20 countries are sitting in Brazil. Did they say something? Nothing," Zelenskiy told reporters, adding that they failed to develop a "strong strategy."
Following a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Kyiv, Zelenskiy also said that "I think after statements about nuclear weapons, it is also time for Germany to support corresponding decisions," referring to the reports of the U.S. decision to allow use of long-range missiles.
With reporting by dpa and Reuters
- By RFE/RL
Afghan Teacher, Imprisoned Tajik Lawyer Win Prestigious Rights Award
Zholya Parsi, a women's rights activist in Afghanistan, and imprisoned Tajik lawyer Manuchehr Kholiqnazarov have been declared co-winners of the prestigious Martin Ennals Award, often referred to as the Nobel Prize for human rights.
"Two outstanding human rights defenders who have made it their life mission to protect human rights in Afghanistan and in Tajikistan will receive the Martin Ennals Award 2024 on November 21" in Geneva as the award marks its 30th anniversary, organizers said on November 19.
The two "have shown exceptional courage and determination to bring human rights at the forefront despite evolving in deeply repressive environments," the group said.
It is not clear if Parsi would be allowed to travel to the award ceremony, while Kholiqnazarov remains imprisoned in his home country, serving a 16-year sentence.
The jury consisted of 10 leading human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
Parsi, a teach from Kabul, founded the Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women (SMAW) to protest the return of policies and practices against women's rights and fundamental freedoms following the extremist Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
The movement quickly grew in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan and now has 180 members and has mobilized communities to resist the Taliban’s policies and practices, organizers said.
Parsi was arrested in the street by armed Taliban members in September 2023 and detained along with her son.
"She was released after three months of torture and ill-treatment under their custody, which further strengthened her resolve to resist Taliban oppression and repression," award organizers said.
Since returning to power, the Taliban has been assailed by international groups and Western nations -- which have not yet officially recognized the extremist group as legitimate rulers -- for human rights violations, especially those against women and girls.
Kholiqnazarov is director of the Lawyers Association of Pamir, one of the few civil society organizations active in Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan region.
After mass protests erupted in the region in November 2021 following the extrajudicial killing of Khorugh district resident Gulbiddin Ziyobekov, Kholiqnazarov joined the Commission 44 organization in which members of law enforcement agencies and local civil society representatives joined to investigate the reasons behind the unrest.
But in May 2022, the Tajik authorities renewed their crackdown on protests in the region, leading to the arrest of Kholiqnazarov and a dozen other members of Commission 44.
In December 2022, the Supreme Court sentenced Kholiqnazarov to 16 years in prison after finding him guilty of being part of a criminal organization and of participating in the activities of a banned organization engaged in extremist activities.
Kholiqnazarov pleaded not guilty to the charges.
"We are very proud to honor these two exceptional laureates," said Hans Thoolen, chair of the Martin Ennals Award Jury, said.
- By RFE/RL
Europeans Probe Baltic Cable Damage As Suspicions Turn Toward Russia
European government and the United States have accused Russia of intensifying "hybrid attacks" following reports that Baltic Sea fiber-optic communications cables were damaged by suspected sabotage, although they have not yet directly tied Moscow to the damage.
Moscow has long denied it is involved in sabotaging Western infrastructure to punish European countries for their assistance to Ukraine's defense, but suspicions grew in Western capitals on November 19 that damage to two key Baltic Sea cables were likely the result of deliberate actions.
Ukraine's allies pointed to past incidents of alleged sabotage by Moscow, especially following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has hit the 1,000-day mark amid devastating losses on both sides.
"Moscow's escalating hybrid activities against NATO and EU countries are also unprecedented in their variety and scale, creating significant security risks," the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Britain said in a statement.
"Our European security is not only under threat from Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, but also from hybrid warfare by malicious actors. Safeguarding our shared critical infrastructure is vital to our security and the resilience of our societies," the statement said.
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, during his regular daily briefing, said Washington generally is "incredibly" concerned about hybrid warfare conducted by Russian and that it remains in touch with European allies, although he did not directly mention the cable damages.
The comments come as regional states investigated the cutting of the Baltic cables -- one connecting Finland to Germany and one linking Sweden and Lithuania -- following similar suspicious occurrences in the sea in recent years.
"If Russia does not stop committing acts of sabotage in Europe, Warsaw will close the rest of [Russia’s] consulates in Poland," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.
Boris Pistorius, Germany defense chief, said, "No one believes that these cables were cut accidentally."
"We also have to assume, without knowing it yet, that it is sabotage," Pistorius said.
Swedish prosecutors and Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation separately said national authorities had launched investigations into the cut cables.
Moscow has said such allegations are being fabricated by the West to discredit Russia.
CNN in September cited two U.S. officials as stating that Washington believed Moscow was likely to carry out sabotage operations, saying it had been bolstering its secretive marine unit that deploys ships, submarines, and drones to survey the Baltic seabed.
NATO stepped up monitoring critical infrastructure in the Baltic following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the destruction of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline seven months later.
A year ago, Finland said it couldn't exclude that a "state actor" was responsible for damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable in the Baltic Sea.
With reporting by Reuters, CNN, and dpa
Russian Court Sends Bashkir Activist To 9 Years In Prison Amid Crackdown
A court in Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan on November 19 sentenced activist Marat Sharafutdinov, the final defendant in the high-profile Karmaskaly case, to nine years in prison.
The court found Sharafutdinov guilty of preparing to commit hooliganism on ethnic grounds and organizing an extremist organization's activities.
Investigators said the defendant was affiliated with the Bashqort organization that for decades promoted Bashkir language and culture but was banned in Russia and designated as extremist in May 2020.
The case dates back to November 7, 2020, when police and special forces detained about 50 Bashkir activists in the Karmaskaly district.
The reasons for the detentions remain disputed: Some sources claim the activists were attempting to mediate a conflict with the local Armenian community, while others suggest they were traveling to celebrate a holiday.
While in detention, several activists filed complaints with the Investigative Committee, alleging illegal actions by police and special forces.
However, in December 2020, the Investigative Committee declined to open a case, citing a lack of evidence of police wrongdoing.
Following additional complaints to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the case materials were sent for further review, but no substantive action was taken.
In January 2021, authorities conducted additional searches and detentions. Law enforcement alleged that weapons and ammunition, including a sawed-off shotgun and gunpowder, were found during the raids. Activists and their families claimed these items were planted by the authorities.
Sharafutdinov was detained on January 13, 2021. His lawyers later stated he had been subjected to violence during interrogations, including blows to the head. In August 2021, Sharafutdinov was reportedly sent to a psychiatric hospital in Bashkortostan for "treatment" due to an alleged "exacerbation of illness."
His case was separated into individual proceedings in August 2021 and subsequently suspended. It was reopened by early 2023, with the trial beginning in August of that year. The hearings were delayed multiple times for various reasons, including Sharafutdinov's health issues.
Other defendants in the Karmaskaly case previously received suspended sentences. However, Sharafutdinov's trial ended with a nine-year prison sentence. His defense team has said it will appeal.
Sharafutdinov’s relatives and supporters have described the sentence as unjust.
Bashkir activists fear the case, along with other high-profile prosecutions, could pave the way for broader crackdowns on former members of Bashqort.
The case has drawn significant public attention, highlighting ongoing tensions between activists and authorities in Bashkortostan.
No Charges Filed Against Iranian Woman Who Disrobed In Apparent Protest
No charges have been brought against the Iranian woman who disrobed in an apparent protest outside her Tehran university, a spokesman for the judiciary said, adding that she had been released from the hospital to her family.
"Given that she has been sent to the hospital and it has been determined that she is sick, she has been handed over to the family and they are currently taking care of her," Iranian judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told a news conference on November 19.
The spokesman added that "no judicial case has been filed against this student." It wasn't immediately clear if the comments meant that the case had been permanently closed.
The woman was identified as Ahoo Bahari, a student from the science and research department of Tehran Azad University.
She took off her clothes in public on November 3 in an apparent protest at the university and was arrested shortly afterward.
The circumstances that led to her taking off her clothes remain unclear, but witnesses say she was harassed by the university's security officers over what she had been wearing. One video showed officers violently forcing the unidentified woman into a car.
Reports in Iranian media later alleged she was suffering from mental illness and that she was taken to a psychiatric hospital.
Video footage posted online raised concerns of the woman's safety from international rights groups, who condemned her treatment and demanded her immediate release.
Amnesty International said it had previously published evidence of the government's crackdown on protesters under the pretext of "mental disorders" that needed to be "treated."
Rights groups and Iranian activists have long assailed the government of the conservative Muslim nation for attacks on protesters, often targeting those who challenge strict laws governing women’s dress in public.
New laws increase prison terms and fines for women and girls who breach the dress code in the wake of the mass Women, Life, Freedom protests that followed the death of a young woman while in police custody for an alleged head-scarf violation.
Serbia, Kazakhstan Strengthen Economic Ties Amid Toqaev's Visit To Belgrade
BELGRADE -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev have pledged to strengthen economic cooperation between their countries during Toqaev's first visit to Serbia as the Central Asian country's president. At a joint press conference on November 19, Toqaev highlighted the commitment of both nations to expand their bilateral relations, focusing on key sectors such as industry, mining, and health care. Vucic emphasized the deep political and historical bonds between the two countries, pointing to Kazakhstan's longstanding support for Serbia, referencing Kazakhstan’s non-recognition of Kosovo's independence declared in 2008. The two sides signed 10 agreements and memorandums, aiming to foster cooperation in various fields. These include readmission, defense collaboration, and the peaceful exploration and use of outer space. Serbia and Kazakhstan already share a military-technical cooperation agreement, signed in November 2013 and in effect since July 2021. However, the deal has drawn criticism from the European Union, as Serbia’s agreements with third countries will need to be reevaluated if it joins the EU. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, click here.
Jailed Tajik MMA Fighter, Blogger Chorshanbiev's Sentence Extended
Popular Tajik MMA fighter and blogger Chorshanbe Chorshanbiev, who was sentenced in 2022 to 8 1/2 years in prison on charges he and his supporters call politically motivated, has received an additional four-year term for his involvement in a prison fight.
Chorhsanbiev was convicted in a closed trial for "actions disrupting prison operations," Tajik journalist Anora Sarkorova and two sources close to Tajik law enforcement structures told RFE/RL on November 18.
With the new sentence, part of which will be served concurrently, Chorhsanbiev now faces a total of 12 1/2 years behind bars, of which more than two years have been served.
Sarkorova cited her sources in the Justice Ministry as saying that prison officials were instructed to provoke Chorhsanbiev, allegedly to justify extending his sentence. Reports also detail his repeated solitary confinement and physical abuse, including punishment for speaking his native Pamiri dialect of Persian during family visits.
Chorhsanbiev was initially convicted for alleged calls for the violent overthrow of the constitutional order.
The primary evidence was a November 2021 video in which he discussed events in Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO). Authorities deemed the video an incitement to protests against the state. Chorhsanbiev denied the charges, asserting that his statements were misinterpreted.
In December 2021, Chorhsanbiev was deported from Russia for alleged traffic violations. Upon arrival in Dushanbe, he was detained by military personnel at the airport.
The case is rooted in the November 2021 unrest in GBAO that was sparked by the death of 29-year-old Gulbiddin Ziyobekov during a security operation.
Mass protests erupted, with demonstrators bringing Ziyobekov’s body to government offices, demanding accountability. The protests, which lasted four days, turned violent at times, resulting in three deaths and injuries to around 10 protesters and five security personnel.
Tensions between the government and residents of the restive GBAO have simmered ever since a five-year civil war broke out shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Gorno-Badakhshan, a linguistically and ethnically distinct region, was home to rebels who opposed government forces during the conflict.
While it occupies almost half of the entire country, its population is a mere 250,000. The region is difficult to travel around because of the mountainous terrain, while its economy is wracked by unemployment, difficult living conditions, and high food prices.
- By RFE/RL
North Macedonia's Sekerinska Becomes NATO Deputy Chief
NATO on November 19 said that former North Macedonian Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska has become the alliance's new deputy secretary-general. Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte became the alliance's secretary-general on October 1. Officials familiar with the decision about who would be his deputy told RFE/RL that a candidate from Central or Eastern Europe had been sought, preferably a woman. Other candidates, the officials said on condition of anonymity, included former Bulgarian Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel, former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kititarovic, and former Montenegrin Defense Minister Olivera Injac, currently the mayor of Podgorica. Sekerinska, who was North Macedonia’s defense minister from 2017 to 2022, oversaw her country’s accession to NATO in 2020. She will replace acting Deputy Secretary-General Boris Ruge, who temporarily took over the position earlier this fall following Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana's resignation in order to run in this month's presidential election in Romania.
Four Belarusian Families Face Trial As Crackdown On 2020 Protesters Continues
Four years after mass protests erupted against Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s authoritarian rule in Belarus, trials against those who took to the streets continue.
Multiple proceedings targeting families accused of taking part in the 2020 demonstrations are currently under way in Minsk courts.
On November 19, Hanna, Inna, and Raman Usmanau, along with Kiryl Selyaznyou are going on trial in the Zavod district court. They are charged with "active participation in actions grossly violating public order."
Simultaneously, the Frunze district court has begun proceedings against Katsyaryna and Ihar Gramovich on the same charge.
Further trials involving families are scheduled in the coming days.
On November 21, the case of a couple -- Mark Kunitsky and Iryna Pratazanova-Kunitskaya -- will be heard in the Kastrychnik District Court.
On November 22, Anna, Tatsyana, and Andrey Vashchyshyn will be tried in the Frunze District Court.
The cases stem from the 2020 protests that followed the disputed presidential election that extended Lukashenka's longstanding rule for another term.
The election was widely condemned as fraudulent by the United States, the European Union, and other international actors.
The protests, which demanded Lukashenka’s resignation, were met with mass arrests, alleged torture, and violent crackdowns that left several people dead.
Many opposition leaders remain imprisoned or in exile, while Lukashenka refuses dialogue with his critics. The trials reflect ongoing repression as the Belarusian regime continues its efforts to stifle dissent and consolidate power.
- By Current Time
Ex-Moscow Lawmaker Sentenced In Absentia To 8 Years In Prison
A Moscow court sentenced former municipal lawmaker Anastasia Bryukhanova in absentia to eight years in prison on November 19 on charges of spreading "fake news" about the Russian military. The court also imposed a four-year ban on Bryukhanova’s use of social media. The case was initiated in April 2023 over a video posted on the Obyektiv YouTube channel in December 2022 that discussed alleged civilian killings by invading Russian troops in the Ukrainian city of Bucha. Bryukhanova, currently outside Russia, called the prosecution illegal and described her video as a near-verbatim repetition of a New York Times investigation. Her written statement was read in court by her defense lawyer. Bryukhanova's sentencing underscores the ongoing crackdown on dissent and independent reporting in Russia amid Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.
Russia Says Ukraine Used ATACMS Against Military Target In Bryansk
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on November 19 that Ukraine used six U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles in its attack on the Bryansk region overnight, claiming Russian forces managed to shoot down five of the missiles and damage one.
According to the ministry, fragments from the damaged ATACMS fell on a military target, causing a fire that was quickly extinguished. The ministry also said there were no casualties.
Hours earlier, the Russian RBK news agency quoted an informed source within Ukraine's military as saying Kyiv had used ATACMS missiles for the first time, targeting an object in the city of Karachev in Russia's southwestern Bryansk region, successfully damaging the facility.
Kyiv did not officially confirm the reports, but President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, when asked about them, said only that "Ukraine has long-range capabilities, including domestically produced long-range drones…and now we have ATACMS as well."
AFP quoted an unnamed senior Ukrainian official as saying that the strike "was carried out by ATACMS missiles."
The timing of this operation, coinciding with the 1,000th day of Russia's invasion, carries symbolic weight. By further demonstrating its capacity to retaliate with precision and range, observers believe Ukraine seeks to shift the strategic calculus of the war, showing Russian territory is not immune from direct attacks.
Ukraine for months has been striking inside Russia with its drones, often with precise attacks. ATACMS, however, are more powerful and faster and therefore tougher to shoot down. The reported U.S. permission on ATACMS expands the type and increases the number of Ukraine’s long-range options.
The same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an updated nuclear doctrine. This revision allows for the consideration of nuclear weapons use if Russia faces a conventional missile assault supported by a nuclear power.
The doctrine now includes attacks with conventional missiles, drones, or other aircraft as potential triggers for a nuclear response. Additionally, any aggression against Russia by a state allied with a nuclear power will be viewed as aggression by the entire coalition.
Ukrainians awoke on November 19 to news of yet another deadly Russian drone strike on a residential building.
Ukrainian authorities said that six people were killed, including one child, in the early morning attack that hit a five-story building in the city of Hlukhiv, in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region.
Twelve people were injured, two of them children, and one section of the building collapsed.
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Rescue workers were on the scene and officials expressed fears that the casualty count could rise.
Just two days earlier, Russian forces targeted an apartment building in the regional capital, Sumy, killing 11 people, including two children, and injuring more than 50.
The Sumy region, which borders Russia, has been a frequent target of artillery and drone strikes, with attacks intensifying in recent months.
Local authorities in Sumy have ordered the evacuation of 23 towns and villages, affecting around 6,000 people, as the region remains under near-constant threat.
Russia's Defense Ministry continues to claim that it targets only military facilities, yet reports from Ukrainian officials and independent media document widespread civilian casualties and destruction of nonmilitary infrastructure.
Russia's full-scale invasion, which began on February 24, 2022, has evolved into a prolonged conflict with significant losses on both sides.
For Ukraine, the war has meant widespread destruction, over 20,000 civilian deaths according to international estimates, and millions displaced. For Russia, the conflict has brought economic isolation, military losses, and growing internal dissent.
The use of ATACMS by Ukraine would reflect both the maturation of its military strategy and the increasing support from Western allies, who have progressively provided more advanced weaponry to counter Russian aggression.
However, it also raises questions about the potential for further escalation, as attacks on Russian soil may provoke a harsher response from Moscow.
With reporting by RBK, TASS, Interfax, dpa, and AP
Bosnia To Expel Russian Man Suspected Of Training Moldovans To Foment Unrest
Authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina will expel a Russian citizen who was arrested on suspicion of instructing Moldovan nationals how to foment unrest in Moldova, Bosnia's Foreign Ministry confirmed to RFE/RL on November 19. The Russian man, Aleksandr Bezrukavy, was arrested in the city of Bosanska Krupa on November 16, The police chief of Bosnia's northwestern Una-Sana Canton, Adnan Habibija, told RFE/RL on November 18. According to Habibija, the arrested man is suspected of having links with training camps near the city of Banja Luka. Last month, media reported about the existence of camps in Bosnia and Serbia associated with Russia's Wagner mercenary group where instructors trained young people to cause unrest in Moldova ahead of and during a presidential election. Moldova's pro-Western incumbent President Maia Sandu defeated Russia-friendly challenger Alexandr Stoianoglo in a November 3 runoff vote in balloting marred by accusations of Russian interference and voter fraud. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, click here.
Putin Signs New Doctrine Widening Rules On Nuclear Weapons Use
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on November 19 updating and expanding Moscow's nuclear doctrine to allow for the use of atomic weapons in case of an attack on Russia by a nonnuclear actor that is backed by a nuclear power.
The move comes just days after President Joe Biden reportedly gave Ukraine permission to use U.S.-supplied long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, to strike deep inside Russia. ATACMS have a range of some 300 kilometers.
The updated doctrine says Russia would consider using nuclear weapons after receiving “reliable information about the launching of a massive attack against it and missiles crossing the Russian border."
Moscow will consider "aggression by a nonnuclear state -- but with the participation or support of a nuclear-armed state -- as a joint attack on the Russian Federation," the document says, without clarifying whether such an aggression would automatically trigger a nuclear response.
Experts highlighted that one key change is that the aggression would not need to pose an existential threat to Russia, with the threshold for a response lowered to aggression that presents a "critical threat to the sovereignty and/or territorial integrity" of the country.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked if a conventional Ukrainian attack using U.S. missiles could potentially trigger a nuclear response, said that it could, pointing out that the revised passage also included threats to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia's ally Belarus.
The document also expands the list of states and military alliances against which nuclear "deterrence" can be carried out, as well as the “list of military threats for the neutralization of which nuclear deterrence measures are carried out.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov downplayed the significance of the changes to the nuclear doctrine, saying in Brazil on November 19 that Moscow is "determined to do everything possible to prevent a nuclear war."
However, the European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, described the changes to Russia's nuclear doctrine as "completely irresponsible."
"It is not the first time that Putin plays the nuclear gamble," he said in Brussels, saying "any call for nuclear warfare is an irresponsibility."
In Washington, a National Security Council spokesperson said that the White House was "not surprised by Russia's announcement" and that the United States did not plan to adjust its own nuclear doctrine in response.
The review of Russia's nuclear doctrine was first mentioned by Putin on September 25, 2024, at a meeting of the Russian Security Council amid discussions around allowing Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia.
Peskov, asked whether the change in doctrine -- which was announced as Russia's war on Ukraine marked its 1,000th day -- was linked to the reported move by Biden, said the update was released “in a timely manner” based on the "current situation."
The reported U.S. decision, which has yet to be officially confirmed by the White House, comes after months of insistence by Kyiv to be allowed to use Western-donated long-range systems to strike military targets deep inside Russia.
Britain and France have also supplied Ukraine with their jointly-made Storm Shadow missiles which have a 250-kilometer range, but have so far refrained from giving Kyiv approval to use them against targets farther into Russia.
Meanwhile, on November 18, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said once again that Germany will not send its Taurus missiles, which have a 500-kilometer range, to Ukraine.
Georgian Protesters Resume Rally After Police Violently Disperse Crowds
TBILISI -- Georgian anti-government protesters resumed their rallies at several points in Tbilisi in the evening on November 19 hours following a violent dispersal by security forces of a tent city they had set up in the Caucasus nation’s capital.
Protesters arrived at several key intersections in the city and the State University in Tbilisi around 7 p.m., with one of the organizers saying, "We will not take a single step backward."
"We have declared the resistance movement, and this movement will only go forward," said the organizer, Elene Khoshtaria of the pro-West Coalition for Change.
"The police will leave, the [Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party] will leave, and Russia will also leave this country," she said.
The opposition protesters have been demanding a repeat of parliamentary elections amid claims of widespread fraud and Russian influence during the October 26 polls that were won by the Georgian Dream party, which has been in power since 2012.
Earlier, around 7 a.m., Georgian police began violently dispersing the dayslong protest at the university, detaining at least 16 people and taking down the tents where demonstrators calling for fresh elections had taken shelter from the cold during the night.
The Interior Ministry told RFE/RL that the 16 people detained were held 16 for alleged disobedience to the lawful demands of the police and petty hooliganism. Three of them were released on their own recognizance.
Video footage by RFE/RL correspondents in Tbilisi showed police dragging people to the ground, including women, and beating them before taking them away. Among those detained was Sergi Baramidze, a cameraman for the opposition channel Mtavari, who was beaten and had his camera smashed.
Reports said many people were injured during the police raid.
Tbilisi has been rocked by protests since the elections, including on November 17-18, when demonstrators marched through the center of Tbilisi, blocking one of the main avenues, then set up tents and sleeping bags at central sites.
Some of those detained on November 19 and taken to the Interior Ministry were later released. Among them was Maya Gogidze, from the opposition's political group Lelo.
She described her ordeal to RFE/RL.
"Suddenly I heard a scream as they started dragging and taking away the participants in the rally one by one.... Law enforcement officers acted in groups, grabbing one demonstrator, dragging him away, then moving on to another," Gogidze said.
"I saw that they were dragging a young boy on the asphalt and I ran to help him. They dragged me from there and suddenly I found myself facing a protester whose face was covered in blood. The police...lifted me up in the air and took me to the car."
The office of President Salome Zurabishvili -- who backs the protesters and has refused to recognize the October 26 vote -- said she filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court on November 19, "requesting annulment of the election results as unconstitutional.”
At a news conference the previous day, Zurabishvili said, "I will file a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court for violation" of election principles," although she acknowledged little hope of success.
"This is not because I believe in the Constitutional Court -- we all know that no institution in this country is independent any longer and we have received evidence of this repeatedly.
"But this should be as a sign that no legal dispute in the country should go uncontested" and that justices should have a chance to openly demonstrate their "conscience," she added.
She reiterated that she did not recognize the elections as legitimate and considered it necessary to hold a new vote, but only with a new election administration chosen with the help of international partners.
The latest protests broke out after Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC) on November 16 validated the results of last month's disputed elections, despite accusations of widespread fraud and Russian interference.
According to the official results, Georgian Dream won 53.93 percent of the vote against 37.79 percent garnered by an opposition alliance.
The Central Election Commission announced the result during an acrimonious session that was briefly interrupted after opposition representative Davit Kirtadze splashed a black liquid on CEC chief Giorgi Kalandarishvili and called him a "dark spot."
Georgia's pro-European opposition has boycotted the new parliament, renouncing its mandates from the October 26 vote, alleging widespread fraud and Russian interference.
EU and other Western officials have expressed serious doubts about the elections and perceived irregularities.
Georgia has been a candidate for EU membership since last year, but a "foreign influence" law and anti-LGBT measures have stalled that effort.
The United States in July announced that it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning it that it was backsliding on democracy.
Separatist Leader Of Georgia's Breakaway Abkhazia Resigns Amid Protests
The de facto leader of Georgia's Moscow-backed breakaway Abkhazia region has signed his resignation amid ongoing protests by opposition supporters against a property deal with Russia.
“In order to maintain stability and constitutional order in the country, in accordance with Article 65 of the Constitution of the Republic of Abkhazia, I resign,” Aslan Bzhania said in a statement on November 19 after hours of negotiations between the breakaway region's authorities and the opposition.
Opposition leaders have demanded not only the permanent abandonment of the proposed agreement with Russia that opponents say would unfairly open the property market to wealthy Russians, but also Bzhania's resignation and those of his vice president and the breakaway leadership's prime minister.
Bzhania agreed to submit his resignation letter in exchange for the protesters’ leaving government buildings they had occupied, but his statement added that he would withdraw his resignation if those gathered on the premises failed to leave.
The local parliament is due to discuss Bzhania's resignation on November 19 while his deputy, Badra Gunba will be the acting leader of the separatist region. Valery Bganba, a former speaker of parliament, will be appointed prime minister, according to the agreement.
It said the current government will remain in an acting capacity until a newly elected leader takes office.
Bzhania has already said that he planned to run for office again. The next elections were supposed to be held in the spring of 2025, but under the current situation, there may be an early vote.
On November 15, protesters stormed the parliament building in Sukhumi, the regional capital, to force the legislature to vote on dropping the real-estate deal completely. They later entered the government building and the presidential compound that are all located in the same complex, forcing Bzhania to flee to his native village outside Sukhumi.
On November 12, opposition protesters blocked a highway and three access bridges into Sukhumi, a picturesque coastal city on the shores of the Black Sea, forcing authorities to release several activists who had been arrested for protesting the real-estate deal.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke away from Georgia's rule after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.
Moscow recognized the independence of the two regions after Russian forces repelled a Georgian attempt to retake South Ossetia in a five-day war in the summer of 2008 that ended with Georgia's defeat.
Most countries still recognize Abkhazia as part of Georgia.
6 People, Including 1 Child, Killed In Fresh Russian Strike On Sumy
Six people, including one child, were killed and 12 others were wounded overnight in a fresh Russian strike in the city of Hlukhiv in Ukraine's Sumy region, the region's military administration reported early on November 19, adding that the strike targeted a dormitory in the city. Authorities said that rescue operations are under way and there might still be people under the rubble. On November 18, a missile strike devastated a residential building in the city of Sumy, 40 kilometers from the Russian border, killing 11 people, including two children, and wounding 89, according to authorities. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.
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