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Police Use Tear Gas On Khan Supporters Marching Toward Pakistani Capital
Thousands of protesters calling for the release of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan defied roadblocks and tear gas on November 25 to march toward Islamabad despite a lockdown and a ban on public gatherings.
Protesters clashed early on November 26 with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets at Khan supporters to stop them from entering the capital.
The government said one police officer had been killed and dozens were critically wounded in clashes with demonstrators as they closed in on Islamabad.
Islamabad has been locked down since late on November 23 and mobile Internet services have been sporadically cut.
The Islamabad city administration last week announced a two-month ban on public gatherings, but convoys of Khan supporters traveled from the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province determined to enter the city.
Security officials say they expected between 9,000 and 11,000 demonstrators, while Khan's party, Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI), said the number would be much higher. Video on social media showed Khan supporters donning gas masks and protective goggles.
The leadership of Khan's party went ahead with their plans to travel to the capital even as Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka arrived for a three-day visit. He was received at an airport near the capital by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif late on November 25.
Meanwhile, the government was in talks with Khan's party to avoid any further violence, officials said.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters that the government was willing to allow Khan supporters to rally on the outskirts of Islamabad, but he threatened extreme measures if they entered the city to protest.
Khan, who has been in jail for over a year and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains popular. PTI has said the cases are politically motivated.
PTI has defied a government crackdown since Khan was barred from running in elections in February with regular demonstrations aiming to seize public spaces in Islamabad and other large cities.
PTI's chief demand is the release of Khan, the charismatic, 72-year-old former cricket star who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
The party is also protesting alleged tampering in the February polls and a recent government-backed constitutional amendment giving it more power over the courts, where Khan is tangled in dozens of cases.
Sharif's government has come under increasing criticism for deploying heavy-handed measures to quash PTI's protests.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
- By RFE/RL
Cargo Plane Crash In Vilnius Raises Question About Possible Link To Sabotage
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the deadly crash of a cargo plane in Lithuania on November 25 could have been a "hybrid incident" with outside involvement.
"We must now seriously ask ourselves whether this was an accident or whether it was another hybrid incident," Baerbock told reporters at a G7 foreign ministers meeting in Italy.
"We have recently seen multiple hybrid attacks in Europe, often targeting individuals and infrastructure, whether underwater or hard infrastructure," she said, alluding to the recent severing of telecom cables in the Baltic Sea that officials have said could have been sabotage.
German authorities are working very closely with the Lithuanian authorities to get to the bottom of the crash, she added.
Lithuanian authorities have so far stopped short of making the same link.
"We cannot reject the possibility of terrorism.... But at the moment we can't make attributions or point fingers because we don't have such information," Lithuanian counterintelligence chief Darius Jauniskis told reporters.
Marius Baranauskas, head of the Lithuanian National Aviation Authority, said the communications between the pilots and the control tower indicated nothing extraordinary, adding that investigators need to examine the black-box recordings to know what was happening in the aircraft.
Many Western intelligence agencies have accused Moscow of involvement in sabotage acts in Europe, which they have said are aimed at destabilizing allies of Ukraine as it relies on Western governments in its war against Russia's full-scale invasion.
The cargo plane, which belonged to global courier DHL, crashed as it attempted to land at Vilnius airport, killing the jet's Spanish pilot and injuring another Spanish crew member, a German, and a Lithuanian, according to airport and police officials cited by Reuters. At least one of the injured was in critical condition.
The plane, a Boeing 737-400 jet that had departed Leipzig, Germany, about 90 minutes before the crash, hit several buildings as it skidded hundreds meters, according to the police and DHL. A spokesperson for the governmental National Crisis Management Center said one of the buildings hit was a house whose occupants survived.
Firefighters were not able to determine whether the plane began burning or breaking up while still in the air, and authorities were still looking for the black boxes that record flight data.
A DHL statement said the plane "made a forced landing" about 1 kilometer from the Vilnius airport and the cause of the crash was still unknown.
Lithuanian Commissioner-General of Police Arunas Paulauskas said surviving crew members told investigators there was no smoke, fire, or other emergency situation in the cabin prior to the crash. He also said the probability of an external force impact was very low.
The crash came after a series of fires at DHL depots in Britain and Germany during the summer. Western security officials were quoted in a news report earlier this month linking the fires to a test run of an alleged Russian operation aimed at igniting fires on cargo or passenger aircraft bound for North America.
The Wall Street Journal quoted security officials as saying that devices that ignited in July in DHL depots in Leipzig and the British city of Birmingham were part of the test run.
Last month, Polish officials said four people had been detained as a result of the investigation into parcels that caught fire while en route to United States and Canada.
The activities of the four people "consisted of sabotage and diversion related to sending parcels containing camouflaged explosives and dangerous materials via courier companies to European Union countries and Great Britain, which spontaneously ignited or detonated during land and air transport," Polish prosecutors said in a statement on October 25.
"The group's goal was also to test the transfer channel for such parcels, which were ultimately to be sent to the United States of America and Canada," the statement said, adding that foreign intelligence services were to blame. The statement did not directly accuse Russia of involvement.
Canada in early November expressed concern to Russian officials after he arrests were announced. Russia responded by summoning a Canadian diplomat on November 8 to rebut allegations that Russia's secret services had orchestrated the campaign to mail explosive packages.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa
Serbian Deputies Scuffle As Opposition Keeps Pressure Over Deadly Rail Station Collapse
Serbian lawmakers scuffled in parliament on November 25 after opposition members accused the ruling coalition of failing to address the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at the railway station in Serbia's second-largest city earlier this month.
A scuffle broke out after Radomir Lazovic, a member of the opposition Green-Left Front party, placed a poster showing a red hand imprint with the words "You have blood on your hands" on the speaker's platform.
After Health Minister Zatibor Loncar approached Lazovic and started arguing, other deputies rushed in shouting, pulling, and hitting one another. Lazovic told N1 television that he was "attacked" by Loncar, and after a fight with him, there was a "general fight" in the assembly hall. Lazovic said several deputies were injured.
The audio of the parliament's internal broadcast was turned off, so it was not possible to hear what the deputies were saying to each other. They were separated by security guards.
While the government accused the opposition of trying to "seize power by force," opposition members said they were also attacked by government representatives in the hall of the parliament building and accused them of starting the fight.
The collapse of the concrete canopy on November 1 at the station in Novi Sad has turned into a political headache for President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling party.
The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad announced on November 21 that 11 people had been arrested. The huge canopy collapsed on November 1, killing 15 people and seriously injuring another two.
The accident occurred after the railway station, built in 1964, had been renovated twice in recent years by the consortium China Railway International and China Communications Construction Company.
The most recent renovation was included in a project involving several companies that were in charge of the expert supervision of the reconstruction of the railway line from Novi Sad to the border with Hungary. The main contractor for the project was the company Project Biro Utiber of Novi Sad.
The opposition has called on Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, who was mayor of Novi Sad when construction started, to resign. The ruling coalition denies the allegations and accuses the opposition of triggering clashes with police in protests at the station.
The parliament was due to debate the 2025 budget on November 25, but the opposition demanded a debate on the collapse of the canopy. They also filed a no-confidence motion against the government, but speaker Ana Brnabic said it would not be on the agenda.
The session was interrupted for almost two hours before resuming, but opposition deputies continued disrupting the session as Brnabic spoke surrounded by security guards who prevented opposition legislators from approaching her.
"This is what freedom of speech looks like in their interpretation," Brnabic said as opposition deputies blew whistles in the hall.
Brnabic accused the opposition of an "attempt to seize power by force." She told reporters at a news conference that opposition deputies damaged a microphone and a monitor in the hall after the session was adjourned.
The session began with a minute of silence for those killed in at the railway station and with Brnabic asking that the session be dignified.
"Unfortunately, this is anything but a dignified tribute to the deceased and their families," Brnabic said at the news conference.
With reporting by Reuters
Russian Beaten In Custody By Kadyrov's Son Gets 13 1/2 Years In Prison
Nikita Zhuravel, a Russian political prisoner who was beaten by the teenage son of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov while in pretrial detention, has been sentenced to 13 1/2 years in prison for high treason.
The Volgograd regional court sentenced the 20-year-old Zhuravel on November 25 after finding him guilty of sending a video to a representative of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) that allegedly contained footage of military equipment being transported by train, images of military aircraft, and details of a service vehicle's movements.
Zhuravel is already serving a 3 1/2-year prison sentence handed down by a court in Chechnya in February after being convicted of hooliganism for publicly burning a Koran in his hometown of Volgograd.
He was also sentenced to 300 hours of community service for insulting religious believers.
It was not immediately clear whether the sentences would be served concurrently or consecutively.
During the trial, Zhuravel apologized to the Muslim community, acknowledging his actions but claiming he had no intention of offending anyone.
The case drew widespread attention when it was revealed that while Zhuravel was in custody in Chechnya, he was attacked by Adam Kadyrov, the then-15-year-old son of Ramzan Kadyrov.
A video of the assault in a jail was shared on social media by the elder Kadyrov, sparking public outrage.
Despite this, law enforcement in Chechnya declined to pursue a criminal investigation, citing a lack of evidence.
Kadyrov defended his son's actions, publicly stating that it would have been better if his son had killed Zhuravel.
Adam Kadyrov was later awarded the title of "Hero of the Republic of Chechnya," the highest honor in the region, and received further accolades from several Russian regions.
The human rights group Memorial has recognized Zhuravel as a political prisoner, raising doubts about the Koran-burning accusations and criticizing his transfer from Volgograd to mostly Muslim-populated Chechnya for investigation and trial.
The organization has also condemned the violence Zhuravel endured in detention as a serious legal violation.
RFE/RL Journalist Andrey Kuznechyk Marks 3 Years In Belarusian Prison
RFE/RL journalist Andrey Kuznechyk marked his third year in prison on November 25 on charges, he, his employer, and human rights organizations call politically motivated.
Kuznechyk, a father of two, was arrested on November 25, 2021, and initially sentenced to 10 days in jail on hooliganism charges that he rejected.
After serving that penalty, Kuznechyk was not released but charged with creating an extremist group, a move that officials didn't reveal to Kuznechyk's relatives and colleagues for months.
On June 8, 2022, the Mahilyou regional court in the country's east found Kuznechyk guilty and sentenced him to six years in prison. The trial lasted just one day.
Human rights groups in Belarus have recognized Kuznechyk, who works for RFE/RL's Belarus Service, known locally as Radio Svaboda, as a political prisoner.
The Crisis In Belarus
Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
Kuznechyk, who has maintained his innocence, and some 150 other Belarusian political prisoners, including another RFE/RL journalist, Ihar Losik, and former would-be presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka, are serving sentences at the same prison in the northern city of Navapolatsk.
The facility is known as one of the most restrictive penitentiaries in the country.
Initially, the site was occupied by a number of temporary houses built for workers at a then-newly built oil refinery in 1958.
The territory was later turned into a prison where mostly members of organized criminal groups, noted crime kingpins, and so-called thieves-in-law served their terms.
Belarusian authorities started sending political prisoners there in 2010.
Since a disputed August 2020 presidential election sparked mass protests over authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka's victory, tens of thousands of Belarusians have been arrested for voicing any dissent against the regime.
The crackdown has pushed most opposition politicians, who say the vote was rigged, to leave the country fearing for their safety and freedom.
Many Western governments have refused to recognize the results of the election and do not consider Lukashenka to be the country's legitimate leader.
Many countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions against his regime in response to the suppression of dissent in the country.
Kuznechyk is one of three RFE/RL journalists -- Losik and Vladyslav Yesypenko are the other two -- currently imprisoned on charges related to their work. Rights groups and RFE/RL have called repeatedly for the release of all three, saying they have been wrongly detained.
Losik is a blogger and contributor for RFE/RL’s Belarus Service who was convicted in December 2021 on several charges including the "organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order" and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Yesypenko, a dual Ukrainian-Russian citizen who contributed to Crimea.Realities, a regional news outlet of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, was sentenced in February 2022 to six years in prison by a Russian judge in occupied Crimea after a closed-door trial. He was convicted of “possession and transport of explosives,” a charge he steadfastly denies.
- By RFE/RL
British Man Fighting For Ukraine Reportedly Captured In Russia's Kursk
A British national fighting for Ukraine has reportedly been captured by Russian forces in Russia's Kursk region, marking a significant development in the ongoing war.
A video released on pro-Russian Telegram channels and TASS news agency over the weekend shows a man in a military uniform identifying himself as 22-year-old James Scott Rhys Anderson from the United Kingdom.
Speaking with a clear English accent, Anderson says he previously served as a signalman in the British Army until 2023 and later joined Ukraine's International Legion to fight against Russia. The footage has not been independently verified, and it remains unclear when or where the video was recorded.
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Anderson's alleged capture highlights the broader involvement of foreign volunteers in Ukraine's resistance against Russia.
Since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's 2022 call for international recruits, thousands of fighters have joined the conflict, many enlisting in the International Legion, a highly selective unit integrated into Ukraine's ground forces.
The British man's capture also comes amid shifting dynamics in the Kursk region. While Ukraine initially gained significant ground in its August offensive, recent reports suggest it has lost over 40 percent of the territory it seized.
Russia’s apparent use of North Korean soldiers in the region and its push to reclaim lost ground signal a deepening of the war, while Ukraine’s cross-border operations represent a bold challenge to Moscow’s defenses.
As the war drags on, the fate of foreign fighters like Anderson remains emblematic of the broader stakes and human costs of this conflict.
With reporting by TASS and The Guardian
3 Uzbeks Arrested In U.A.E. For Alleged Role In Israeli-Moldovan Rabbi's Killing
The United Arab Emirates on November 25 disclosed the names of three suspects detained in the killing of a 28-year-old Israeli-Moldovan ultra-Orthodox rabbi saying they were Uzbek nationals.
The suspects were arrested a day earlier after the body of Zvi Kogan, who ran a Kosher grocery store in Dubai and was also a representative of the Orthodox Jewish group Chabad, was discovered by security services.
U.A.E. authorities identified the suspects as Mahmudjon Abdurahim, 28, Olimboi Tohirovich, 28, and Azizbek Kamilovich, 33, apparently giving patronymic names of the last two men instead their last names. They did not say if official charges have been filed against the suspects.
"Hate has no place in our world. Our thoughts are with his family, the Jewish community, and all who grieve. We are in contact with Israel and the U.A.E.," Moldovan President Maia Sandu said in a statement.
Kogan had been reported missing on November 22. His body was found later in the city of Al Ain.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the killing of Kogan, calling it a "heinous anti-Semitic terrorist act."
While Israeli officials have not publicly accused archrival Iran for the deadly attack, analysts noted that Tehran has been threatening retaliation against Israel for recent air strikes it carried out on Iranian soil after Iran launched a missile attack against Israel.
Tehran has denied any involvement in the murder of Kogan.
The Muslim-majority Gulf state with an overwhelmingly expatriate population prides itself on its safety, stability, and religious tolerance. The Chabad Hasidic movement is known for its outreach efforts worldwide.
The U.A.E. normalized relations with Israel in 2020 alongside Bahrain and Morocco in a series of U.S.-brokered agreements known as the Abraham Accords.
There is no figure for the number of Jews in the U.A.E., but an Israeli official has told AFP there were about 2,000 Israelis in the Gulf country, with the Jewish community estimated to be up to twice that figure.
The White House also condemned the killing on November 24.
"This was a horrific crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance, and coexistence. It was an assault as well on U.A.E. and its rejection of violent extremism across the board," the White House said in a statement on November 24.
Protesters Pelt Georgian Parliament With Eggs During First Session Since Disputed Election
Georgia's new parliament met for its first session since the Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party won elections last month that ignited calls for fresh polls amid accusations the balloting was rigged, as protesters gathered outside and pelted the building with eggs.
Opposition lawmakers boycotted the session on November 25 after calling on foreign diplomats not to legitimize the new parliament by attending the first session.
EU and other Western officials have expressed serious doubts about the October 26 elections in which Georgian Dream officially won 53.9 percent of the vote.
The first item on the agenda for the opening session, which will be attended by the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC), is recognizing the authority of all 150 parliament members. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, however, has refused to recognize the result validated by the CEC.
Zurabishvili has filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court "requesting annulment of the election results as unconstitutional."
Protesters allege there was widespread fraud during the campaign and vote and that Russia heavily influenced the outcome favoring Georgian Dream, which has been in power since 2012. They gathered outside the parliament but were not able to block the entrance amid a heavy police presence.
"Black Monday in Georgia: Police...guarding the doors behind which 'Georgian Dream slaves' are killing our Constitution and making a mockery of our Parliament," Zurabishvili said in a post on X.
Police have moved quickly -- sometimes using violence -- to shut down previous demonstrations, but no altercations were reported on November 25.
Georgian Dream's billionaire founder and "honorary chairman," Bidzina Ivanishvili, attended the session and holds the right to nominate a prime minister.
Ivanishvili, who is widely regarded as dominating the government even though he does not hold an official position, is expected to push for lawmakers to approve current Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to continue as head of the government.
Georgia has been a candidate for EU membership since last year, but a "foreign influence" law and anti-LGBT measures enacted under Georgian Dream's leadership have stalled that effort.
The United States in July announced it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning that it was backsliding on democracy.
Iran's Khamenei Says ICC Arrest Warrants For Israeli Leaders 'Not Enough'
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes against humanity during the conflict in Gaza are "not enough." Khamenei told a gathering of the Basij volunteer corps on November 25 that the two Israeli leaders should face the death penalty. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan issued the warrant and judges said there were "reasonable grounds" to believe Netanyahu and Gallant "intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival" as part of a "widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza." Israel has called the warrants "absurd." The current war in the Gaza Strip was sparked by an attack on Israel by Iran-backed Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU. Some 1,200 people died in the attack, with around 240 more taken hostage back to Gaza. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.
Ukraine Says It Hit Russian Oil Depot, Other 'Important Targets'
Ukraine's military said it struck an oil depot overnight in Russia's western Kaluga region and "a number of important targets" in two other Russian regions after Russia shelled the center of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement on social media that the early morning attacks focused on Bryansk, Kaluga, and Kursk.
"There is confirmation of a successful impact of the oil base in the Kaluga region," it said.
Vladislav Shapsha, the governor of Kaluga, said on Telegram that eight Ukrainian drones were shot down in the region, with debris from one of the downed drones sparking a fire at an industrial site. The fire has been extinguished, and no casualties were reported, Shapsha said.
Unconfirmed reports from the Telegram channels Ostorozhno, novosti, and Baza claim the fire affected a tank at a local oil depot and the Kaluga instrument-making plant Typhoon. Videos allegedly showing the fire at the refinery have surfaced online, though official verification is pending.
The attack came as the mayor of Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, said at least 15 people were wounded in an attack that targeted residential areas, adding to the series of strikes the city has faced in recent weeks that have caused significant casualties and damage to civil and energy infrastructure.
In Ukraine’s southern Mykolayiv region, Russian strikes hit energy infrastructure overnight, regional Governor Vitaliy Kim reported. Engineers managed to restore power to most affected areas, and no casualties were reported.
Meanwhile, in the southeastern Zaporizhzhya region, Russian forces launched attacks on industrial facilities using "dozens of drones," according to regional Governor Ivan Fedorov. One child was reportedly wounded in these strikes.
Sources at the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense (HUR) told Ukrayinska pravda that the attack on the Kaluga oil depot was planned by Ukrainian special services. The targeted depot is reportedly linked to Russia’s military operations against Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that on the night of November 25, air-defense systems intercepted and destroyed 23 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions. These included eight drones over Kaluga, seven over Kursk, five over Bryansk, and three over Belgorod, the ministry said.
The overnight strikes highlight the growing intensity of Ukraine's efforts to stop Russia's ongoing invasion that Moscow launched in February 2022. The situation continues to evolve as both sides accuse the other of escalating the violence.
With reporting by Ukrayinska pravda
Pro-Russian Candidate In Shock Win Advances To Romania's Presidential Runoff
BUCHAREST -- Pro-Russian far-right candidate Calin Georgescu has won a surprise victory in the first round of EU and NATO member Romania's presidential vote and will face pro-Western center-right candidate Elena Lasconi in the December 8 runoff.
Complete preliminary results of the November 24 election showed independent Georgescu -- who has been criticized for his anti-NATO and anti-Semitic statements -- won with 22.94 percent of the vote.
Lasconi, a former TV journalist and small-town mayor for the center-right Save Romania Union (USR), trailed in early results reporting, but edged ahead of the initial favorite, leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
With 19.17 percent of the vote, Lasconi advanced by a wafer-thin margin over Ciolacu's 19.15 percent, which prompted Ciolacu to concede and announce his resignation as leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). The margin between the two was just 2,742 votes.
"I sent a message to Mrs. Lasconi and extended my congratulations," Ciolacu told the media.
Ciolacu's third-place finish means that for the first time since 1989, the PSD, the heir to Romania's Communist Party, won't have a candidate in the presidential runoff.
Lasconi has yet to declare victory, telling journalists just that "it's been devilishly difficult."
Hundreds of pro-Lasconi protesters, mostly students and other young people, demonstrated on the evening of November 25 in downtown Bucharest on University Square in front of the National Theater to show their dissatisfaction with Georgescu.
They shouted, "Do not vote for a dictator" as they gathered peacefully, though there was a minor incident with a pro-Georgescu supporter carrying a Bible. Georgescu frequently quoted biblical phrases in his campaign.
When the man appeared in front of the demonstrators, they booed him and he started running between cars on the road. Romanian police said he tried to provoke the demonstrators.
Police officers intervened to prevent a possible conflict, the police said in a statement. The man tried to flee and was "immobilized and taken to the police station," the statement said. The protest continued without further incident.
Some demonstrators expressed surprise that Georgescu came first in the elections.
"Like everyone else, I expected this man to take what he had in the polls, somewhere around 5 percent," Alex Zlavog said. "It was a surprise, and I think we have to ask ourselves very serious problems about polling agencies and what happens with these polls."
Georgescu thanked his voters, telling them, "Your voice was heard." He also rejected the accusations of extremism and fascism, saying they were "totally false" and he is "completely dedicated to the Romanian people."
The runoff will be held a week after the parliamentary elections on December 1 -- a faceoff the media is portraying as a battle between East and West.
George Simion of the ultranationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) had 13.86 percent, a surprisingly low score after many predicted he would advance to the runoff together with Ciolacu.
Critics have charged Simion with also being Russian-friendly and, while he wants Romania to remain in NATO, he has also said Bucharest should be neutral.
The winner of the second round will succeed the outgoing center-right incumbent, Klaus Iohannis, who is completing his second and final term after a decade in office.
Fourteen candidates officially registered in the race, but liberal ex-Prime Minister Ludovic Orban last week announced he was withdrawing and threw his weight behind Lasconi.
Election officials put the turnout at just over 52 percent, or about 9.44 million voters casting their ballots.
In 2019, total first-round turnout was 51.18 percent. In the second round, it rose to 55.1 percent.
Georgescu, an obscure figure who held positions in Romania's Foreign Ministry and at the UN environmental agency UNEP, started as a member of AUR and was twice put forward as a possible prime minister by Simion's party.
But Georgescu's anti-Semitic statements made him too radical even for AUR, which eventually broke with him when the authorities opened a criminal investigation on his radical views.
However, even without the overt backing of a party, Georgescu performed unexpectedly well both inside the country and in Romania's Western diaspora, where he took more than 43 percent of the vote, ostensibly by using the TikTok social media platform to call for an end to Romania's aid to Ukraine.
Under the incumbent Iohannis, Romania has turned into a key ally of Ukraine, not only providing training and military equipment but playing a key role in transporting Ukrainian grain and other agricultural goods to global markets.
The 62-year-old, who has been criticized in the Romanian media for his pro-Russian and anti-NATO statements, claimed his shocking victory was a vote for "peace," echoing statements by other pro-Moscow European leaders such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
"Tonight, the Romanian people cried out for peace. And they shouted very loudly, extremely loudly", he said late on November 24.
In previous interviews, Georgescu urged closer ties with Moscow, claiming that "Russian wisdom" was Romania's best chance, although he has not publicly backed Russia's war in Ukraine.
Asked about Georgescu's upset victory, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on November 25 said Russia did not know much about him or his opinions.
"I would not make any predictions yet. We probably cannot say that we are that familiar with the world view of this candidate as far as relations with our country are concerned."
Lasconi, a former small-town mayor and TV journalist, was the only presidential candidate who opposed the idea of Ukraine giving up land to Russia in a peace deal, saying doing so would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"If Ukraine cedes territory, Putin won't stop," she had said. "We need to help Ukraine win this war," she said during the only presidential debate, held last week.
She was also the most bullish among the top candidates on NATO, calling for the military alliance to have a greater presence in Romania.
Lasconi garnered 56 percent of the Romanian vote in Moldova, where more than 80,000 Romanian passport holders showed up to vote. Moldova was part of Romania before World War II and the countries share a common language and history. Many Moldovans have acquired Romanian citizenship, which gives them the right to travel and work in the West.
Some analysts said Georgescu's shock victory was also a result of mounting disillusion with Romania's entrenched political elites among young Romanians, many of whom leave the country because of what they say is a lack of opportunities.
Rima, a voter at a Bucharest polling station, told RFE/RL, "There should be more opportunities for young people, so we don't have to leave the country after we graduate from high school or college."
"The president should be more open-minded on some topics, especially international ones. That's what I want: to live in a free country where we as young people have a voice," she said, without specifying her candidate.
Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy. Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments.
- By RFE/RL
White House Condemns Killing Of Israeli-Moldovan Rabbi In U.A.E.
The White House has condemned the killing in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi in an assault that Israel called an anti-Semitic "terrorist attack."
"This was a horrific crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance, and coexistence. It was an assault as well on UAE and its rejection of violent extremism across the board," the White House said in a statement on November 24.
Hours earlier, U.A.E. authorities said three suspects have been arrested in the killing of a man identified as Zvi Kogan, who worked in the U.A.E. for the Orthodox Jewish group Chabad, which supports Jewish visitors and residents in the country.
The victim had been reported missing on November 22. His body was found in the city of Al Ain near the Omani border, but it was not clear where he had been killed.
The U.A.E. Interior Ministry did not provide further details on the suspects held in the matter.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also denounced the killing of the 28-year-old rabbi, calling it a "heinous anti-Semitic terrorist act."
Moldova's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it is "in contact with the authorities of the United Arab Emirates to clarify the circumstances of this case." It gave no further details.
According to Reuters, Iran quickly rejected any implication that it was involved in the killing.
The Iranian embassy in the UAE "categorically rejects the allegations of Iran’s involvement in the murder of this individual," the news agency quoted the embassy as saying.
With additional reporting by Reuters
U.A.E. Arrests 3 In Killing Of Israeli-Moldovan Rabbi
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) on November 24 said three suspects have been arrested in the killing of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi in an assault that Israel called an anti-Semitic "terrorist attack." The victim, who was reported missing on November 22, was identified as Zvi Kogan, who worked in the U.A.E. for the Orthodox Jewish group Chabad, which supports Jewish visitors and residents in the country. His body was found in the city of Al Ain near the Omani border, but it was not clear where he had been killed. The U.A.E. Interior Ministry did not provide further details on the suspects held in the matter.
Freight Train Arrives In Afghanistan From China As Beijing Looks To Increase Ties
The first train carrying goods from China to Afghanistan arrived in Mazar-e Sharif on November 23 after crossing through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the de facto Taliban rulers said. The Taliban said 55 containers arrived in Afghanistan after a 22-day journey, marking the inauguration of the first direct train link between China and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The train is expected to take Afghan goods back to China for sale there. Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, no country, including China, has formally recognized the extremist group -- which has been accused of massive rights violations -- but Beijing has attempted to increase ties as part of its economic push in the region, including its Belt and Road initiative. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, click here.
- By RFE/RL
Russia Set To Name New Ambassador To United States
Aleksandr Darchiyev is slated soon to be appointed as Russia's ambassador to Washington, the Kommersant newspaper reported on November 24, citing three unidentified sources. Darchiyev, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's North American section, was ambassador to Canada from October 2014 to January 2021. He would succeed Anatoly Antonov, who concluded his term in October. The move would come at a time of high tensions between Washington and Moscow and just ahead of the return of Donald Trump to the presidency on January 20. The United States, under President Joe Biden, has been the top foreign supporter of Ukraine in its battle against Russia's full-scale invasion, while Trump has suggested aid could be curtailed.
- By RFE/RL
Russia Reportedly Recruiting Fighters From Yemen Through Huthi Intermediaries
The Financial Times reports that Russia has recruited hundreds of Yemeni men to fight in Ukraine, lured by the promise of high salaries and potential Russian citizenship. The November 23 report said they were helped by a Huthi-linked company to travel to Russia, then forcibly inducted into the Russian Army and sent to the front lines in Ukraine. The report said the action illustrates how the Kremlin is desperately trying to avoid a full mobilization of its society by using foreign fighters following reports that North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to train and fight alongside Russian forces.
Iran Says It Will Hold Nuclear Talks With Britain, France, Germany
Iran on November 24 confirmed it will hold talks regarding its disputed nuclear program with officials from Britain, France, and Germany on November 30, saying they will also focus on “bilateral, regional, and international issues.” In a news conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei spokesman did not specific the location of the talks. Earlier, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported that Iran was arranging nuclear talks with Britain and the European Union starting on November 30 in Geneva. Kyodo quoted several diplomatic sources as saying the Iranian administration is seeking a solution to Iran's nuclear impasse ahead of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 20. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, click here.
Pakistan Says Cease-Fire Deal Reached Among Warring Parties In Northwest
The Pakistani government on November 24 said its mediation team had reached agreement on a seven-day cease-fire among warring sectarian groups in the northwest of the country, looking to end clashes that have killed more than 80 people.
Mohammad Ali Saif, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa information minister and government spokesman, told news agencies that Shi'ite and Sunni leaders had agreed to halt attacks for at least a seven-day period as a longer-lasting solution was sought.
The violence between Sunni and Shi'ite groups in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province began on November 21 after gunmen opened fire on a convoy of vehicles carrying Shi'ite Muslims, killing at least 38 people.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest in a series of deadly confrontations in Kurram.
Police said armed men torched shops, houses, and government property before a government delegation arrived in the area seeking to defuse the crisis.
"The clashes and convoy attacks on November 21, 22, and 23 have resulted in 82 fatalities and 156 injuries," a local administration official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
He added that among the dead were 16 were Sunni and 66 Shi’ite members of the community.
Prior to announcement of the truce agreement, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi said that "our priority today is to broker a cease-fire between both sides. Once that is achieved, we can begin addressing the underlying issues."
The delegation arrived on November 23 and met with Shi’ite leaders, then held talks with Sunni leaders on November 24, an official said.
Sunnis and Shi'a living in Kurram have clashed over land, forests, and other property as well as religion over the years, despite government and law enforcement efforts to build peace.
Minority Shi'ite Muslims have long complained of discrimination and violence in Sunni-majority Pakistan.
With reporting by Reuters, Dawn, and AFP
Zelenskiy Calls For More Air-Defense Systems For Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on November 24 his country "needs more air-defense systems" to protect its people as Russia continues to target Ukraine with aerial bombs, combat drones, and missiles.
"Strengthening the protection of our skies is absolutely critical," Zelenskiy wrote on social media, adding that Kyiv was "actively working" with its partners on improving the country’s air defenses.
Russia has launched more than 800 guided aerial bombs, around 460 strike drones, and over 20 missiles of various types against Ukraine over the past week, according to Zelenskiy.
Both Ukraine and Russia on November 24 reported repelling dozens of drones from the other side overnight.
Ukrainian military said early in the morning that its air defenses shot down 50 of 73 Russian drones, with more than 10 of the intercepted drones targeting the capital, Kyiv. The Ukrainian Air Force added that it lost track of 19 drones and four more were still in the air.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said the air-raid alert lasted for more than three hours as the drones "were flying from different directions" toward the city.
Russia's Defense Ministry reported its air-defense systems destroyed 34 drones overnight, including 27 over the Kursk region bordering Ukraine. The ministry did not provide information about any damage or casualties caused by the strikes.
Ukrainian forces swept into the Kursk region in a surprise offensive in August, seizing nearly 1,400 square kilometers of Russian territory. But Kyiv has since lost about 40 percent of the territory it captured in Kursk, according to a source in Ukraine’s General Staff.
"At most, we controlled about 1,376 square kilometers, now of course this territory is smaller. The enemy is increasing its counterattacks," the source was quoted by news agencies as saying.
The source said Kyiv now controls approximately 800 square kilometer in Kursk and "will hold this territory for as long as is militarily appropriate."
The United States and the United Kingdom reportedly gave permission to Ukraine recently to strike inside Russia with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles, respectively. The missiles are precision tactical weapons designed to hit command-and-control centers, logistics, and arms depots near the front.
Ukraine has already used the missiles to strike in Kursk and the neighboring region of Belgorod.
France also joined the United States and Britain in signaling to Ukraine that it is allowed use long-range weapons against targets on Russian territory.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in an interview with the BBC that Ukraine could fire French long-range missiles into Russia "in the logics of self-defense.” But he would not confirm if French weapons had already been used.
With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and the BBC
Pakistani Capital Locked Down, Internet Partially Suspended Ahead Of Protest
Pakistani authorities have locked down Islamabad and partially suspended mobile phone and Internet services as supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan geared up for a protest in the capital, calling for his release.
The government announced late on November 23 that Internet and cellphone services would be temporarily unavailable "in areas with security concerns" while "continuing to operate as usual in the rest of the country."
It did not specify the areas, nor did it explain when the suspension would be lifted. The announcement was posted on X, which is banned in Pakistan.
WATCH: At least one officer was killed and dozens of people were injured outside Islamabad after police fired tear gas at supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan on November 25.
The action came ahead of the planned visit of Belarusian authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who was due to arrive on November 25. A 60-member Belarusian delegation arrived in Islamabad on November 24 to pave the way for his stay.
Highways leading to Islamabad through which the protesters are expected to enter the city and gather near the parliament have been blocked by the government.
Most major roads in the city have also been sealed off with shipping containers, while large contingents of police and paramilitary personnel could be seen deployed in riot gear.
Islamabad police issued a statement, saying gatherings of any sort have been banned under legal provisions.
Khan has been in prison since August 2023 and has over 150 criminal cases against him, ranging from corruption to inciting violence.
Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf or PTI, deny all the charges as politically motivated.
Khan’s supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of protest rallies.
Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and a key Khan ally, called on protesters to gather near the entrance of Islamabad's red zone, known as D Chowk.
The red zone houses the country's parliament building and important government offices, as well as embassies and foreign institutions' offices.
"Khan has called on us to remain there till all our demands are met," Gandapur said in a video message on November 23. He is expected to lead the largest convoy into Islamabad.
Last month, a PTI protest in Islamabad turned violent with one policeman killed, dozens of security personnel injured, and protesters arrested. Both protesters and authorities accused one another of instigating the clashes.
The shutdown of Internet and cellphone services during that protest disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, ride-hailing, and food delivery.
With reporting by Reuters and AP
Pro-West PM Leads Romanian Presidential Vote, Russia-Friendly Candidate Makes Surprise Challenge
BUCHAREST -- Partial preliminary results in Romania's presidential vote give Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu a narrow lead, but a surprisingly strong showing by pro-Russia candidate Cailin Georgescu has thrown the race into unexpected territory.
With 80 percent of polling stations reporting on November 24, the pro-Western Social Democrat Ciolacu had 22.17 percent of the vote, according to election officials.
But his opponent in an expected runoff round remains unclear after Georgescu – who has been criticized for his anti-NATO sentiments – was in second place with 22.11 percent.
Pro-West Elena Lasconi of the center-right Save Romania Union was third with 14.97 percent, while George Simion of ultranationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) had 14.94 percent.
Experts said that results from the large cities – where Ciolacu and Lasconi are likely to poll stronger than Georgescu – could still decide the tight race.
Two exit polls gave Ciolacu 25 percent of the vote, while Lasconi was second at around 18 percent. Georgescu and Simion trailed in the exit polls with 14-16 percent in the cluttered field of 13 candidates.
The exit polls did not include diaspora polling, where Lasconi and Simion were expected to lead the balloting.
Some observers said that even with Ciolacu's slim lead, the far right appeared to be the big winner in the vote.
If no candidate receives over 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held on December 8 featuring the two top finishers, a week after a parliamentary election on December 1.
Ciolacu was the favorite heading into the election and pre-vote surveys indicated five candidates had a shot at advancing to the runoff to succeed the outgoing center-right incumbent, Klaus Iohannis, who is completing his second and final term after a decade in office.
Fourteen candidates officially registered in the race, but Ludovic Orban announced he was withdrawing from the contest.
Election officials put the turnout at just over 52 percent, or about 9.44 million voters casting their ballots. Long lines were reported at polling stations in the capital, Bucharest, ahead of the 9 p.m. poll closings.
In 2019, total first-round turnout was 51.18 percent. In the second round, it rose to 55.1 percent.
At three polling stations, turnout was reported at 150-300 percent. Officials said the high figure was due to supplemental lists holding more names than the permanent lists and by people voting in precincts they were not originally assigned.
Georgescu, 62, who has been criticized in the Romanian media for expressing pro-Russia sentiments, claimed his shocking vote total represents a real victory for Romania.
"The rich of the system have become poorer, and the poor Romanians have become richer. It's an astonishing awakening in consciousness," said the candidate, who utilized the TikTok social media platform to press his campaign.
Following release of the exit polls, Lasconi told reporters that the results remain tight and that she will wait until official results are clear before "rejoicing" over her potential placement in the runoff.
Lasconi, a former small-town mayor and journalist, was the only presidential candidate who opposed the idea of Ukraine giving up land to Russia in a peace deal, saying doing so would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"If Ukraine cedes territory, Putin won't stop," she had said. "We need to help Ukraine win this war."
She was also the most bullish among the top candidates on NATO, calling for the military alliance to have a greater presence in Romania.
Ciolacu expressed pro-Europe sentiment leading up to the election.
"We will support the deepening of the European integration project for the benefit of citizens, and we will have a more active voice in the decision-making process at the European level," he has said.
Critics have charged Simion with being too Russia-friendly and, while he wants Romania to remain in NATO, said Bucharest should be "neutral."
Despite the exit polls, Simion expressed confidence in reaching the second round.
"We were alone against the parties of the system, and we will enter the second round," said Simion, who urged his supports to "turn off the TVs" and ignore reports stating that a "stranger," Georgescu -- who had received little attention ahead of the vote -- was ahead of him in the exit polls.
Romania has become a key ally of Ukraine, not only providing training and military equipment but playing a key role in transporting Ukrainian grain and other agricultural goods to global markets. Much of the credit for Bucharest's pro-Ukraine stance goes to the incumbent, Iohannis.
Rima, a voter at a Bucharest polling station, told RFE/RL, "There should be more opportunities for young people, so we don't have to leave the country after we graduate from high school or college."
"The president should be more open-minded on some topics, especially international ones. That's what I want: to live in a free country where we as young people have a voice," she said, without specifying her candidate.
Romania's president has significant decision-making powers, including on matters of national security and foreign policy. Elected for a five-year term, the president can also reject party nominees for prime minister and government nominees for judicial appointments.
Diaspora voting began on November 23, with initial figures indicating a higher turnout than in 2019 among those abroad, with about 675,000 of such votes cast by 6 p.m. on November 24, up about 90,000 from the 2019 election.
In Moldova, more than 80,942 voted at 59 polling stations, with officials calling it a record high. In the first round of the 2019 Romanian presidential election, 43,307 people voted in Moldova.
Most of Moldova was part of Romania until the end of World War II and many Moldovans also hold Romanian citizenship.
Voting was also reported to be high in London, where almost 8,900 Romanians went to the polls.
Oana Popescu-Zamfir, director of the Bucharest-based think tank GlobalFocus Center, told RFE/RL in an email that this is a high-stakes election for the NATO and EU nation.
"Romania is faced with two important realities next year: the threat of further instability and conflict in the region and globally, especially in the context of a [President-elect Donald] Trump White House," she said, along with the risks of a "deepening economic and financial crisis."
Foreign policy is also of concern to voters, namely Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine and how that conflict could change with a switch in Washington from U.S. President Joe Biden, who has steadily backed Kyiv, to Trump, who has suggested support could be curtailed.
"The threat of regional instability and war is also a source of concern. Voters care about candidates' positions on Ukraine, Russia, Trump, the extent of their Euro-Atlantic orientation," Popescu-Zamfir said, adding that voters were also focused on the presidential candidates' "ability to lead the country in case of escalating tensions with Russia."
In an interesting sidelight, election officials say that at least 50 Romanians over the age of 100 are expected to vote in the presidential election. The oldest is a man aged 113, while the oldest woman is aged 108, officials said.
- By RFE/RL
United Nations Climate Talks On Verge Of Failure Amid Walkout
Developing nations staged a walkout at the United Nations climate talks in Baku, demanding wealthy emitter nations step up financial aid to combat the effects of global warming.
Host nation Azerbaijan urged delegates to seek consensus as COP29, already extended into an extra day, verged on the brink of failure.
“I know that none of us wants to leave Baku without a good outcome,” COP President Mukhtar Babayev told climate officials from around the world on November 23, urging them to “bridge the remaining divide.”
Small island states and the least developed nations walked out of negotiations on a funding package for poor countries to curb and adapt to climate change, saying their climate finance interests were being ignored.
“[The] current deal is unacceptable for us. We need to speak to other developing countries and decide what to do,” said Evans Njewa, chair of the Least Developed Countries group.
Developing countries have been pushing rich countries for years to finance their attempts to battle the impact of climate change, saying that the extreme weather and rising seas hurting them is the result of greenhouse gas emitted by the wealthy nations decades ago.
In 2009, rich countries pledged $100 billion a year in annual climate aid by the early 2020s but some have been struggling to meet their commitments.
The last official draft on November 22 pledged $250 billion annually by 2035, more than double the previous goal, but far short of the annual $1 trillion-plus that experts say is needed.
Experts said that rich countries like the United States and Europe are facing budget constraints due to the coronavirus pandemic and now wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The United States has allocated $174 billion to Ukraine and billions more to Israel to help bolster their defenses. European nations have also allocated well north of $100 billion for Ukraine.
In a bid to save COP29, representatives from the European Union, the United States, and other wealthy countries met directly with those of developing nations to work out an agreement.
“If we don’t get a deal I think it will be a fatal wound to this process, to the planet, to people,” Panama’s special representative for climate change, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez said.
With reporting by Al Jazeera and AP
Uzbek President Fires Top Officials Amid Assassination Attempt Scandal
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev has fired several top officials in the State Security Service (SSS) and Interior Ministry in a sweeping reshuffle following an assassination attempt last month on a close ally of his eldest daughter.
Abdusalom Azizov, the head of the State Security Service (SSS) and Alijon Ashurov, the head of the Presidential Personal Security Department, were among those dismissed by Mirziyoev on November 22, several law enforcement sources told RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service.
Meanwhile, Otabek Umarov, the deputy head of the SSS and the husband of Mirziyoev’s youngest daughter, left the country on November 23, the sources said. It is unclear whether he fled or intends to come back, they added said.
The upheaval is the biggest in the security services since the authoritarian Mirziyoev took office eight years ago. It comes amid a back-door power struggle among Uzbekistan's political elite that was thrust into the spotlight following an assassination attempt on Komiljon Allamjonov, a former high-ranking official in the presidential administration.
Alisher Ilkhamov, an analyst at U.K.-based political risk firm Central Asia Due Diligence, said Mirziyoev needed to take action to show that no one was above the law and demonstrate his control over the country.
"Impunity for such actions is a sign that the group that committed this is given carte blanche. And this will create a certain mood in society - an atmosphere of fear," he said.
Allamjonov was traveling in a car on October 26, one day before parliamentary elections, when it was sprayed with bullets. Allamjonov survived, but the incident -- the first assassination attempt on a current or former member of Mirziyoev’s administration -- sent shockwaves through the country.
Earlier this month, South Korean authorities detained Uzbek citizen Javlon Yunusov on suspicion of involvement in the attempted murder of Allamjonov.
An RFE/RL investigation also linked another man, Shokhrukh Ahmedov, along with Yunusov and other suspects to organized crime, prior assassination attempts in Turkey, and high-level officials within Uzbekistan’s administration, including Umarov.
The 40-year-old Allamjonov left his government post in September allegedly to focus on a private business venture. Meanwhile, Umarov had been accused of allegedly establishing a "deep state," controlling the country's security services and major businesses through his proxies.
Sources close to the investigation have suggested that the organizers of the attack may have sought to curb Allamjonov’s growing influence and connections within the administration.
Prior to the assassination attempt, Allamjonov received the personal backing of 39-year-old Saida Mirziyoeva, the president’s eldest daughter who is widely seen as his potential successor.
NOTE: This article has been corrected to say that Javlon Yunusov was detained by South Korean authorities, not Shokhrukh Ahmedov, who is also a suspect in the case and is in custody in Uzbekistan.
Zelenskiy Says Putin Aiming To Regain Kursk Territory Before Trump Takes Office
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Russia is seeking to drive his forces out of the Kursk region before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office next year but added that the military situation in the Donetsk region is the most critical for his country.
“I am certain that [Russian President Vladimir Putin] wants to push us out before January 20,” Zelenskiy told reporters, referring to the day of Trump’s inauguration. “It is very important for him to show that he controls the situation” in Kursk.
Ukraine stunned the Kremlin by sweeping into the Kursk region in August, seizing nearly 1,400 square kilometers of Russian territory. With Trump promising to end the war upon entering office, Moscow could be forced to exchange land it seized in Ukraine for Kursk territory should it fail to push Ukrainian forces out in time.
Putin has sent tens of thousands of Russian troops to Kursk who are mounting wave after wave of counterattacks, a source on Ukraine's General Staff said. Russia has regained about 800 square kilometers in Kursk or about 40 percent of the territory Ukraine seized, the source said.
Zelenskiy said that Ukrainian troops are inflicting large-scale losses on Russian forces in Kursk. Russia has recently been losing as many as 1,500 troops a day to injury and death across the entire theater of the war, the most since the invasion began in February 2022, Ukrainian and Western officials said.
“Russia hasn’t suffered such losses as it is now suffering in Kursk,” Zelenskiy said.
Russia has recruited more than 11,000 North Korean troops to help it take back Kursk territory. The North Korean troops reportedly arrived last month though it is unclear if they have taken part in fighting yet.
The United States and the United Kingdom reportedly gave permission this week to Ukraine to strike inside Russia with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles respectively. The missiles are precision, tactical weapons designed to hit command-and-control centers, logistics and arms depots near the front.
Ukraine has already used the missiles to strike in Kursk and the neighboring region of Belgorod.
Russian Advances
Meanwhile, Russian ground forces continue to make incremental advances in eastern Ukraine, including near the town of Velyka Novosilka, according to Deep State, an open-source organization with ties to the Ukrainian Army, and confirmed by other analysts.
Ukraine has been struggling to hold back the Russian advances due to a lack of manpower, raising concern about a possible breakthrough. While Russia is losing forces at a greater rate, the Kremlin is able to quickly replace them thanks to lucrative wages and incentives.
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
Putin on November 23 widened those incentives, signing a law permitting the cancellation of debt for new army recruits volunteering to fight in Ukraine.
The new law allows the state to forgive up to 10 million rubles ($95,835) of debt for those signing contracts with the Defense Ministry to fight in Ukraine for at least a year, beginning on December 1.
The law applies to all potential recruits who have had debt collection proceedings opened against them before December 1. The maximum debt forgiveness is several times the average annual salary in Russia’s provinces.
Valeriy Zaluzhniy, the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, said in an interview published on November 23 that new technological advances will prevent a “serious breakthrough” at the front.
Ukraine and Russia have been rapidly developing reconnaissance and strike drones as well as electronic warfare weapons. The technology advancements have helped Ukraine partially compensate for its lack of manpower.
In the interview, Zaluzhniy said that Russia will struggle to expand the front line and break through because it would require huge resources "which the Russians no longer have."
Trump Presidency
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet his counterparts from the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations outside Rome on November 25-26 to discuss the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
It will be the last G7 meeting for the Biden administration, which is seeking to ensure that support for Ukraine is sustained when Trump enters office in January.
Trump has criticized aid to Ukraine, raising questions whether he will continue support should a peace deal not be reached.
The president-elect met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Florida on November 22 to discuss Ukraine and other issues facing the alliance.
Meanwhile, Trump is reportedly considering Richard Grenell, his former intelligence chief, for the new post of special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Zelenskiy told reporters that the war could end next year if Ukraine continues to get strong Western support. Zelenskiy spoke with media following the Grain From Ukraine Summit in Kyiv. Ukraine is one of the largest exporters of grains to world markets.
Prior to the conference, Zelenskiy visited a memorial to the victims of the Holodomor, the man-made famine orchestrated by the Soviet government in the 1930s that led to the deaths of millions of Ukrainians.
In a clear reference to Putin’s war against Ukraine, Zelenskiy said: "There is something we know for certain. They wanted to destroy us. To kill us. To subjugate us. They failed."
With reporting by Reuters
Police Violence Against Foreign Students In Kazan Leads To Iranian Diplomatic Protest
The violent detentions of brawling foreign university students, including from Iran, in Tatarstan has led to a protest by Iran’s consul general to the Russian region.
“Iranian citizens studying abroad have the right to respect and fair treatment,” Consul General Davud Mirzakhani said on November 23. “We will ensure that the rights of our students are fully protected."
"The Russian police confuse the Iranian people with those of other nations," Mirzakhani added. "We will never allow anyone to treat our people abroad inhumanely and illegally."
The comments came after a brawl broke out among foreign students at Kazan Federal University on the morning of November 22 as they stood in line for documentation needed to renew their student visas.
Video of the incident can be seen here:
According to the Russian news agency TASS, two students who instigated the brawl were detained. Iranian students involved in the incident were later released.
However, Tatarstan’s Investigative Committee announced that it has opened a criminal case against one student who “used violence against a police officer.”
It is not clear if the student being investigated was among those released.
Local media reported that the brawl may have started when someone cut into a large line of students who had been waiting to register their documents for hours.
Foreign students were reportedly transferred from their dormitories at the university to make room for attendees of the BRICS summit held in Kazan on October 22-24.
Students affected by the move launched a petition to protest the decision at the time, and were reportedly among those attempting to get their documentation in order on November 22.
Local media reported that the foreign students lining up for documents were there trying to extend their student visas needed to study in Kazan.
Following the brawl, the university reportedly opened additional service stations for the foreign students to submit their documents.
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