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- 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.
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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
Amid Clampdown On Dissent, Kazakh Voters 'Support' Nuclear Power Plant
Kazakhstan's Central Referendum Commission (OSK) said that almost three-quarters of voters cast ballots in support of the construction of a nuclear power plant amid a crackdown on activists opposed to the project.
The OSK said on October 7 that preliminary results from the referendum a day earlier showed 71.12 percent voted in favor of Kazakhstan building its first nuclear power plant.
Supporters say the project will help end the country's reliance on coal, but opponents argue it is too expensive and will be an environmental hazard.
Despite widespread opposition, many observers had expected the referendum to pass given the government's tight hold on Kazakhstan's political environment.
Voters were presented with a single yes-or-no question in the October 6 referendum: "Do you agree with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?"
Overall, almost 64 percent of eligible voters participated in the referendum, the OSK said.
The lowest turnout was recorded in Almaty, the country's largest city with the most politically active population, where only 25 percent of voters participated.
Many in the city say the majority of the residents were against the plan to raise a nuclear power plant but decided to boycott the poll amid pressure imposed on the opponents of the idea.
In the days ahead of the vote, nearly 30 activists were detained and protest rallies ruled out as the government looked to keep a lid on dissent.
There were also reports of detentions and arrests on the day of the referendum, while observers reported irregularities in several regions, including allegations of election officials placing multiple ballots into the urns at certain polling stations.
In Astana, noted activist Elvira Bekzadina was detained for protesting against the nuclear power plant, while in Almaty, activist Aset Abishev was also detained.
Both were later fined for violations unrelated to public gatherings.
Qural Seitkhanuly said he filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office when he observed what he said was a person dropping off five or six ballots at a polling station in the Turkistan region. He said he was removed from the station.
"There are 2,438 registered voters here, and only about 500 people came. But they reported 70 percent [turnout]. How?" he said.
The government sees the project as a way to provide clean and affordable energy, helping Kazakhstan maintain low electricity tariffs.
In addition to concerns about environmental risks, some activists and opposition politicians warned such a plant could pose a national security.
They say if Russia's state-owned nuclear agency, Rosatom, is involved, it could increase Kazakhstan's dependence on Russia and make the country a strategic target in the event of future conflict.
Memories of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and Russia's recent actions at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine, where the Kremlin launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, have further fueled public skepticism.
While Kazakh officials have not confirmed which foreign company might lead the project, Rosatom, China's CNNC, South Korea's KHNP, and France's EDF have all been named as potential partners.
"The government should conduct an analysis and conduct relevant negotiations," President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev said after casting his ballot.
"From my personal point of view, an international consortium consisting of global companies possessing advanced technologies should work in Kazakhstan," he added.
He did not provide further details.
Hundreds Evacuated After Ukrainian Strike On Crimean Fuel Depot
A Ukrainian drone strike on the largest fuel depot in occupied Crimea early on October 7 triggered a huge fire that prompted the evacuation of hundreds of people as Russia and Ukraine exchanged another series of drone attacks.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, meanwhile, opened a meeting with his Slovak counterpart, Robert Fico, who has voiced obstinate opposition to military aid for Kyiv since returning to power as relations between the two neighbors worsened.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian military claimed that its forces launched a successful strike on the fuel depot in the southeastern Crimean port city of Feodosia early on October 7.
The depot is the largest fuel storage facility in the occupied region that serves the occupying Russian military.
Russian Telegram channels said residents reported several powerful explosions that rang out in Feodosia around 4:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT/UTC), after which a fire started.
Russian Telegram channel Astra posted a video purporting to show the fire, with local residents saying off-screen: "Such explosions! They did hit the oil depot after all." The footage shows a road sign for the village of Berehove, located near Feodosia.
Igor Tkachenko, the Russian-installed chief of Crimea, confirmed that a fuel depot had caught fire, without mentioning a drone attack.
Oleg Kryuchkov, an adviser to Tkachenko, wrote on Telegram that there were no casualties.
About 300 people were evacuated from Feodosia, a city of some 70,000, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the authorities.
Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said on its Telegram channel that air defenses shot down 21 Ukrainian drones early on October 7 -- 12 over Crimea, six over the Kursk region, and the rest over the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Voronezh regions.
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.
Ukraine, whose civilian and energy infrastructure has been battered relentlessly by Russian drone and missile strikes that have killed and wounded numerous civilians since the start of Moscow's unprovoked invasion in February 2022, has over the past year resorted in turn to striking military facilities inside Russia.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 32 Russian drones and a Kinzhal cruise missile on October 7 over the Mykolayiv, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Chernihiv, Poltava, and Kharkiv regions, the air force said on Telegram.
Meanwhile, Fico and Shmyhal started a meeting with talks ostensibly focusing on issues linked to oil and gas disputes but with Kyiv's overall battle against Russia’s full-scale invasion likely to dominate matters.
Earlier reports said the meeting was to be held in the Ukrainian border city of Uzhhorod, although no official confirmation came.
Since returning as prime minister of Slovakia a year ago, the populist Fico has dramatically altered the NATO and EU member's stance toward Ukraine, halting military aid, making a string of remarks that questioned Ukraine's sovereignty, and calling for peace with Russia.
Fico has also come out strongly against Ukraine potentially joining NATO.
"I think the question of Ukraine's NATO membership will be a decisive moment that will reveal a lot about NATO's future," he told Slovak TV at the site of a World War II battle near the northeastern Slovak village of Vysny Komarnik on October 6.
"This is something that I have openly told Prime Minister Shmyhal, the Americans, and everyone else: As long as I am Slovakia's prime minister, I will instruct the lawmakers who are under my political control as leader of the [Direction-Social Democracy] party that they never agree with Ukraine's NATO membership."
2 Chinese Workers Killed In Karachi Blast Claimed By Baluch Separatists
Two Chinese citizens were killed in a large blast near the airport of Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, which the Chinese Embassy called a "terrorist attack." The blast was claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in a statement. The attack took place late on October 6 and it targeted a convoy of Chinese employees of the Port Qasim Electric Power Company Limited that was traveling from the airport, the embassy said. The Chinese citizens were working on the construction of two coal-fired power plants in Pakistan. Thousands of Chinese work in Pakistan, most on projects related to Beijing's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, a massive Chinese plan to build infrastructure projects to economic links with the rest of the world. To see the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, click here.
Massive Blast Outside Karachi Airport Kills At Least 1, Injures 10
A massive blast outside Karachi airport in Pakistan on October 6 killed at least one person and injured 10, officials said. Police and the provincial government said a tanker exploded outside the airport, which is Pakistan’s biggest. But the provincial home minister, Zia Ul Hassan, told local TV station Geo that it was an attack targeting foreigners. A Home Ministry official told the Associated Press that it was an attack on Chinese nationals, one of whom was injured. He spoke on condition of anonymity. A statement purported to be by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the blast. The BLA has waged an insurgency for decades against the Pakistani state, carrying out mostly small-scale attacks against government forces and others.
International Crews Arrive As Bosnia Battles Devastation From Deadly Floods, Landslides
Rescue efforts intensified in Bosnia-Herzegovina on October 6 with the arrival of international rescue crews, as authorities postponed scheduled elections in the areas hit hardest by the devastating flooding that killed at least 19 people.
Authorities declared a state of emergency following the October 4 floods, which left some villages completely cut off and forced many residents to dig out of the ruins caused by the disaster in the Balkan nation of some 3.2 million people.
Rescue teams from European Union countries were joining aid efforts and attempting to help locate those who were missing following the flash floods and landslides.
Luigi Soreca, who heads the EU mission in Bosnia, said on X that the bloc had activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM) to help aid the country, which is not yet an EU member but aspires to become one.
“Response teams are arriving on site,” he wrote. “Solidarity in action!”
Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Turkey were among those that have either sent teams or offered help, the Bosnian government said.
Pope Francis expressed solidarity with flood victims during his Sunday prayers at in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.
The pontiff declared that he was "close to the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina, who were affected by the floods."
"May the Lord welcome the deceased, comfort their families, and sustain these communities," he added.
In one of the hardest-hit areas, the Jablanica region southwest of the capital, Sarajevo, roads to and from the area were destroyed in the floods, with communications between Jablanica city and Mostar being established for emergency vehicles.
RFE/RL video showed ruins of rail lines, bridges and roads in the region.
Bosnian Security Minister Nenad Nesic visited the village of Donja Jablanica – where at least four people are believed to have died – and thanked rescue teams that are searching for the missing.
"In this difficult situation, the help provided and the solidarity expressed mean a lot to the people who lost almost everything in these floods, and unfortunately some of them lost their loved ones," Nesic said.
Local elections appeared to have taken a backseat to the flooding disaster, although balloting did take place in areas safe enough to conduct the vote.
More than 25,700 candidates were competing for seats in local legislatures and the voters were also to elect 142 mayors.
Slovakia's Russia-Friendly PM To Meet Ukrainian Counterpart In Border City
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is due to meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal, in the Ukrainian border city of Uzhhorod on October 7, with talks ostensibly focusing on issues linked to oil and gas disputes but with Kyiv’s overall battle against Russia’s full-scale invasion likely to dominate matters.
Since returning as prime minister of Slovakia a year ago, the populist Fico has dramatically altered the NATO and EU member’s stance toward Ukraine, halting military aid to Kyiv, making a string of remarks that questioned Ukraine’s sovereignty, and calling for peace with Russia.
Fico has also come out strongly against Ukraine’s potential entry into the NATO military alliance.
“I think the question of Ukraine's NATO membership will be a decisive moment that will reveal a lot about NATO's future," he told Slovak TV at the site of a World War II battle near the northeastern Slovak village of Vysny Komarnik on October 6.
"This is something that I have openly told Prime Minister Shmyhal, the Americans, and everyone else: As long as I am a Slovak prime minister, I will instruct the lawmakers who are under my political control as leader of the [Direction-Social Democracy] party that they never agree with Ukraine's 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.
“Therefore, we strongly oppose the ideas that Ukraine should be in NATO," he said.
He did say, though, that he agrees with the possibility of Ukraine’s membership in the European Union.
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.
In comments the day before, Fico called for an end to the fighting in Ukraine and suggested that he will likely travel to Moscow for a so-called “peace rally” at some point.
"Everyone is praying for an end to this pointless war that Western countries thought would bring Russia to its knees through Ukraine, but which has failed,” he said.
“Big companies are losing huge money [due to the war]. And you will see: The moment a peace deal is signed, everyone will rush to Russia and do the same business as before. It is simply called business as usual."
"Next year will be the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Who will stop me from going to a peace rally in Moscow?” he asked.
"I think that I will [go]. Why shouldn't I go? What does it have to do with the present?"
Slovakia and Ukraine have also been at loggerheads over the transit of Russian oil and gas, whose export fuels Moscow’s war machine.
Most EU nations boycotted the import of Russian oil and gas following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine with the exception of a few nations, including Hungary and Slovakia.
Kyiv slapped sanctions on Russia's LUKoil in June, halting the company's oil from passing through Ukraine to refineries in Slovakia and Hungary, which also has a Russia-friendly leader in Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Fico said on July 29 that his country would halt diesel supplies to Ukraine if Kyiv failed to restore oil flows from LUKoil through its territory. Ukraine needs the diesel to supply its forces.
In September, Hungarian energy company MOL announced it had reached a "sustainable solution" securing the transportation of oil to Hungary and Slovakia through agreements with suppliers and pipeline operators.
As part of the deal, MOL said it would "take over ownership of the affected volumes of crude oil at the Belarus-Ukraine border."
Also in September, sources told Reuters that LUKoil was set to resume oil supplies in October through the Druzhba pipeline to both countries after MOL struck its agreement.
Despite threats to shut down the pipeline, Ukraine said in late August that it will continue to meet its obligations to transit Russian oil to Europe, although disputes among the sides could still derail deliveries of oil and gas in the future.
Revenues from oil and gas exports account for the lion’s share of Russia's federal budget revenue. Washington and Brussels have sanctioned Russian energy in an attempt to starve its budget of funds to finance its invasion.
Pakistan Bans Pashtun Civil Rights Movement As Threat To Security
Pakistani authorities have banned a popular civil rights movement that campaigns for the country's ethnic Pashtun minority. The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) has been engaged in “certain activities” that are harmful to public order and security in the country, the Interior Ministry said in a statement on October 6 without providing details. The PTM had in recent days reported a series of police raids and arrests targeting its leaders and members ahead of a “curial jirga” or people's assembly on October 11 in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. The PTM has campaigned since 2018 for the civil rights of the country’s estimated 35 million ethnic Pashtuns. Many of Pakistan’s ethnic Pashtuns live in areas close to the border with Afghanistan, where the military has conducted campaigns it says defeated the Pakistani Taliban. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Israel Intensifies Attacks Near Beirut As October 7 Anniversary Looms
Israel stepped up its massive air strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs in its drive to wipe out Hezbollah's capabilities and leadership, even as the world awaits with trepidation the October 7 anniversary of the bloody attack on Israel by Hamas -- which, like Hezbollah, is a U.S.-designated terror group with ties to Iran.
Meanwhile, Tehran said it had lifted “all flight restrictions” after earlier announcing it was closing Iranian airports as of 9 p.m. on October 6 until 6 a.m. on October 7, citing "operational restrictions," at a time when Israel is weighing options for its response to Iran's recent massive missile strike on its territory.
State media said the restrictions were lifted “after ensuring favorable and safe conditions.”
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,” where Israel is battling fighters of Hamas, which has been deemed a terrorist organization by the United States and EU.
Israel earlier said conducted a series of “targeted strikes” on “weapons storage facilities” and infrastructure sites that belong to Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has been designated by the United States as a terror group, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing but not its political unit, which holds seats in the Lebanese parliament.
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.
"Last night was the most violence of all the previous nights," Hanan Abdullah, a resident of the Burj al-Barajneh area in Beirut's southern suburbs, told Reuters.
"Buildings were shaking around us and at first I thought it was an earthquake. There were dozens of strikes -- we couldn't count them all -- and the sounds were deafening,"
Israel has bombed Beirut 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.
Senior Hezbollah member Mahmoud Qmati, when asked about Qaani's whereabouts, told Reuters: "I have no information. We are also searching for the truth of this matter.
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 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.
"Every civilian casualty is one too many," the spokesperson said.
Israel said on October 5 that its forces had killed 440 Hezbollah fighters in ground operations in southern Lebanon and destroyed 2,000 Hezbollah targets. Nine Israeli soldiers had been killed in southern Lebanon so far, the authorities said.
According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, nearly 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the latest conflict, most of them since September 23.
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.
The Israeli forces were on high alert ahead of the first anniversary of an attack on October 7 last year, which sparked the war and was carried out by Hamas.
According to Israel tallies, some 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage in the unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel.
Israeli police on October 6 said several people had been injured in a suspected shooting attack in Beersheba, a city in southern Israel. One attacker was killed, the ambulance service said.
Separately, health officials in Hamas-run Gaza reported on October 6 that at least 41,870 Palestinians have been killed in the territory in the yearlong war between Israel and Palestinian militants.
Palestinian officials said that an Israeli strike on a mosque in Gaza early on October 6 killed at least 19 people who were sheltering after being displaced from their homes near the town of Deir al-Bala.
The Israeli military said the strike was targeting militants. The reports could not immediately be confirmed, but the Associated Press said one of its journalists counted the bodies at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue.
AP also reported that hospital records showed that the fatalities from the mosque strike were all men.
Israel said its forces on October 6 surrounded the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza in response to indications that Hamas was rebuilding “its operational capabilities in the area.”
Israel is also considering a retaliatory strike on Iran, which fired at least 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1.
Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad visited Kharg island on October 6, amid concerns that Israel could target Iran's largest oil terminal there.
"The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC] Navy plays an important role in the security of oil and gas facilities," Paknejad was quoted as saying at the facility, from which around 90 percent of Iranian oil exports are shipped.
In Syria, state media and local rights monitors said an Israeli air strike targeted three cars in the city of Homs, although details remained sketchy.
Israeli forces have for years been striking Iran-linked targets in Syria and have intensified such actions since the October 7 attacks.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP
- By AP
Russian Prosecutors Seek 7-Year Sentence For U.S. Man Accused Of Fighting For Ukraine
Russian prosecutors have asked for a seven-year sentence in the trial of a U.S. citizen accused of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine against Russia, Russian news agencies reported on October 5. Prosecutors asked the court to take 72-year-old Stephen Hubbard’s age into account and said he has admitted guilt, according to Interfax. They asked that Hubbard serve the sentence in a maximum-security penal colony. Prosecutors accuse Hubbard of signing a contract with the Ukrainian military after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, for which he allegedly was to receive at least $1,000.
- By Reuters
Russia Has Decided 'At Highest Level' To Remove Taliban From Terrorist List, TASS Reports
Russia's Foreign Ministry said a decision to remove the Taliban from a list of terrorist organizations had been "taken at the highest level," the TASS state news agency reported. The decision needs to be followed up with various legal procedures in order to make it a reality, President Vladimir Putin's special representative on Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, was quoted as saying on October 4. Putin said in July that Moscow considered Afghanistan's Taliban movement an ally in the fight against terrorism. Russia has been slowly building ties with the Taliban since the extremist group seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
In Kharkiv, Dutch Defense Chief Says Drone Aid, More F-16s Coming
KYIV -- In a surprise visit to Kyiv and the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans offered 400 million euros ($439 million) to aid Ukraine’s drone program and vowed that deliveries of additional Dutch F-16 fighter jets would arrive in the "coming months."
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"The Netherlands has previously played a leading role in the supply of [U.S.-made] F-16 aircraft and Patriot systems, and now we continue to do so with modern drones, investing 400 million euros in a drone action plan,” Brekelmans was quoted by the Dutch Defense Ministry as saying on October 6.
Brekelmans said the plan “applies to all types of modern drones that can be used for reconnaissance, defense, and attack. Especially in the air, as well as on land and at sea."
He also said on X that “for the first time, I can officially announce that the first Dutch F-16s have been delivered to Ukraine.”
“This is urgently needed. During my visit to Kharkiv, I saw the damage of Russian air strikes and the air raid sirens went off frequently.”
“The rest of the 24 aircraft will follow in the coming months.”
Ukraine has for months pleaded with Western allies for additional weapons, including warplanes, drones, and air defense systems, to help in its battle against Russia’s full-scale invasion. The Netherlands has been one of Ukraine’s top supporters during that time.
In August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed that the first six F-16 jets had arrived, but he did not provide details. Media reports suggested that they had come from the Netherlands, but Brekelmans' remarks appear to be the first public acknowledgement.
During his visit to Kharkiv, about 40 kilometers from the border and the regular target of Russian rocket and missile attacks, Brekelmans said he was disheartened to see "destroyed apartments. Power shortages. Children going to school in bunkers."
"Ukraine can only defend itself by keeping Russia at a greater distance," he said.
Early on October 6, Russian forces launched 87 drones and four missiles on Ukraine, targeting the capital, Kyiv, and other cities, Ukrainian authorities said.
Ukraine’s air defense units shot down 56 of the drones and two of the missiles, the country’s air force said on Telegram.
Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv's military administration wrote on Telegram that the Russian drones entered the Ukrainian capital "in several waves and from different directions.”
The strikes kept Kyiv and the surrounding areas under an air-raid alert for more than five hours during the night.
The air attacks also hit the Black Sea port of Odesa, causing several blasts in the southern city, according to local authorities.
There were no immediate reports of casualties from the overnight strikes.
Oleksandr Prokudin, the governor of Kherson, said earlier on October 6 that one civilian had died and 15 were injured in Russian attacks on the southern region in the past 24 hours.
Kazakh Exit Polls Indicate 'Yes' Vote In Tightly Controlled Nuclear Referendum
A least two exit polls indicated a large "yes" vote in a tightly controlled referendum to decide whether Kazakhstan should build its first nuclear power plant, which supporters say will help end its reliance on coal but which opponents argue is too expensive and will be an environmental hazard.
Voters were presented with a single yes-or-no question in the October 6 referendum: "Do you agree with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?"
The private Astana research group said its exit polling indicated that nearly 70 percent of voters were in favor of building the plant, while the Sotsis-A Institute for Social Research provided a similar result.
Official results are expected on October 7.
Despite widespread opposition, many observers had expected the referendum to pass, given the government's tight hold on Kazakhstan's political environment.
The Central Referendum Commission said voter turnout was 63.8 percent, easily surpassing the required 50 percent level to be considered valid and representing 7.82 million people.
More than 12 million citizens were eligible to vote in the referendum, which took place at some 10,000 polling stations in Kazakhstan and at about 70 diplomatic outposts abroad.
Observers reported scattered irregularities in the energy-rich but authoritarian former Soviet republic.
Kural Seytkhanul said he filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office when he observed what he said was a person dropping off five or six ballots at a polling station in the Turkistan region. He said he was removed from the station.
“There are 2,438 registered voters here, and only about 500 people came. But they reported 70 percent [turnout]. How?" he said.
Two days before the referendum, authorities detained at least 26 activists as authorities cracked down on dissent leading up to the vote, Almaty-based human rights activist Bakhytzhan Toreghozhina said on October 4.
The wave of arrests has drawn attention to the increasing restrictions on public dissent surrounding the controversial nuclear-power project.
The referendum was to determine whether Kazakhstan proceeds with the construction of the nuclear facility in the village of Ulken in the Almaty region on the shores of Lake Balkhash.
Proponents argue that the new facility would provide clean and affordable electricity, enabling the country to maintain low energy tariffs.
However, the project has faced significant opposition from environmental groups and concerned citizens, who argue that the plant poses risks to both the environment and national security.
Critics fear that the plant could be built by Russia's state-owned nuclear agency, Rosatom, making Kazakhstan more dependent on Russia and potentially turning it into a strategic target in the event of a future conflict.
Many Kazakhs are also wary of the involvement of Rosatom due to the legacy of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and Russia's recent actions at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
While Kazakh officials have refrained from commenting directly on which foreign company might lead the project, Rosatom, along with China's CNNC, South Korea's KHNP, and France's EDF, have been named as a potential partner.
After casting his vote in Astana, President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev said that “an international consortium” might be involved in the construction, though he did not provide further details.
- By RFE/RL
Moscow's Ambassador To U.S. Concludes Term, Returning Home
Russian state-run news agencies TASS and Interfax on October 5 reported that Anatoly Antonov “is concluding” his stint as Russia’s ambassador to the United States and returning to his home country, citing the Foreign Ministry in Moscow. No mention was made of a successor, with the move coming at a time of high tensions between the two nations. In July, Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported that Antonov had at that time suggested his term was reaching its conclusion, quoting him as saying: “My assignment is coming to an end. I hope together we will continue to defend the interests of our Fatherland!" Antonov, 69, was appointed as the Kremlin’s envoy in Washington by President Vladimir Putin in August 2017.
Magyar-Led Protests Demand Media Freedom In Hungary, End To State 'Propaganda Factory'
BUDAPEST -- Thousands of Hungarians gathered in Budapest on October 5 to protest against what they called the “propaganda factory” run by authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s state television operation and to demand a free media in the Central European nation.
Peter Magyar, the leader of the center-right Tisza opposition party, had called for protesters to gather at the headquarters of state broadcaster MTVA in the Hungarian capital.
Demonstrators demanded the dismantling of the "propaganda factory" and the restoration of genuine public media, along with the immediate firing of MTVA chief Daniel Papp, among other actions.
"We have had enough of the malice, the lies, the propaganda, our patience has run out," Magyar told the crowd.
"The public service media in Hungary today is an international scandal. We have had enough," the 43-year-old opposition leader said.
Independent parliamentary deputy Akos Hadhazy said the MTVA headquarters is the strongest bastion of power in the country. He called for news directors who falsify news to resign and for government propaganda to be prohibited by law.
Orban's cozy relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, his refusal to condemn Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, as well as his attacks on the rule of law and accusations of corruption, have turned Hungary into the European Union's black sheep.
Since taking power in 2010, the increasingly authoritarian prime minister has clamped down on civil rights and taken much of the media under his control.
Over the past months, Magyar has gone from being the unknown husband of the former justice minister to becoming the great new hope for Hungary's opposition. He is also possibly the most dangerous challenger that Orban has faced since taking power.
Human Rights Watch has said that media freedom has “been under attack in Hungary” since Orban took the reins in the country.
“The Hungarian government’s interference with media freedom and pluralism, part of its systematic attack on the rule of law, obstructs the work of independent journalists in holding the authorities to account and prevents the public from accessing information."
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