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Tag Archives: kazakhstan
‘I don’t want to die for someone else’s ambitions’: Russian men face mobilization
CNN
—
Tension was in the air as a long trail of cars lined up near the Petkuhovo checkpoint on the border between Russia and Kazakhstan late Friday night.
Andrei Alekseev, a 27-year-old engineer from the city of Yekaterinburg, was among many men in the queue who were fleeing Russia in the wake of President Vladimir Putin’s mobilization orders.
Cars had to go through Russian and Kazakh border checks, both of which lasted about two hours.
Alekseev woke up to the news of Putin’s mobilization order on Wednesday morning and he knew he had to flee Russia. He met up with his friends that night to discuss their next steps and decided to avoid taking any risks and to leave Russia with no plan in mind.
On Saturday, Putin signed the law on military service, setting a jail term of up to 10 years for evading military duty due to mobilization, and up to 15 years in prison for wartime desertion.
The legal amendments also introduce concepts of “mobilization, martial law and wartime” to the Russian Criminal Code. Putin also signed a decree granting university students a deferment from mobilization.
“At the border, all the men were asked whether they served in the army and what is their military service category,” Alekseev told CNN.
“I felt that the border guards were very understanding, however, I had friends who crossed the border to Kazakhstan at a different checkpoint and they were met with grueling questions, it took them seven hours to cross,” he told CNN.
Suffering heavy losses in Ukraine this month amid Ukraine’s counter-offensive, Putin raised the stakes this week with the draft and his backing for referendums in the occupied territories in Ukraine.
The decree signed by Putin appears to allow for wider mobilization than he suggested in the speech that aired on Wednesday. According to the address, 300,000 reservists would be drafted to the front, breaking his promises earlier in the war that there would be no mobilization. However, the decree itself puts no cap on how many people can be mobilized.
“Mobilization is called ‘partial,’ but no parameters of this partiality, neither geographical, nor in terms of criteria, are specified,” Ekaterina Schulmann, a Russian political scientist, wrote on her social media page.
“According to this text, anyone can be drafted, except for workers of the military-industrial complex.”
Men aged 18 to 60 across Russia are now facing mobilization as reservists to fight Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
Once Alekseev and his wife crossed into Kazahstan, they found that all of the hotels in the border towns were booked, so the couple drove to Astana, the country’s capital, where they are now looking for an apartment.
“Three days ago, I did not think that I would be in Kazakhstan and looking for an apartment here. We are planning to stay for two months, then maybe go to Uzbekistan to renew the period of stay, I will look for work at international companies,” he told CNN.
Kirill Ponomarev, 23, who also fled Russia via a Kazakhstan border, said he struggled to book a ticket. The night before Putin’s address he was looking up tickets out of Russia.
“For some reason, I couldn’t buy a ticket, the night before while waiting for Putin’s speech. And then I fell asleep without buying a ticket, when I woke up, ticket prices jumped,” Ponomarev told CNN.
Men rushed to the borders exchanging tips on Telegram channels and among friends. One-way flights out of Russia sold out within hours of the mobilization announcement.
Four of the five EU countries bordering Russia have banned entry for Russians on tourist visas, while queues to cross land borders out of Russia to the former Soviet countries Kazakhstan, Georgia and Armenia take over 24 hours to cross.
The Kremlin mocked Russians’ reactions by calling it a “hysterical and overly-emotional reaction.”
Meanwhile, protests broke out across Russia on Wednesday and brutal detentions followed with reports of detained protesters being handed draft letters at police stations. According to the independent monitoring group OVD-Info, more than 1,300 people were detained by authorities in at least 43 cities across Russia.
While all men aged below 60 in Russia now share the fear of getting drafted, Putin’s mobilization disproportionately affects poorer, more ethnically diverse regions of Russia, according to Alexandra Garmazhapova, president of the Free Buryatia Foundation, who spoke to CNN.
“In Buryatia, mobilization is not partial, everyone is mobilized. Summons come to students, pensioners, fathers of many children, people with disabilities,” she told CNN.
Garmazhapova, whose organization provides legal help to mobilised men and their relatives, says every day she hears multiple stories of people being drafted without any regard to age, military history or health conditions.
“Yesterday afternoon, a taxi driver went to refuel the car, and when he was standing at a gas station, a bus passed by with the recruits,” she told CNN.
“The bus stopped abruptly when they saw him and they stuffed him into this bus. They didn’t give him any things to take, nothing. His car was left at this gas station, then relatives took it away,” she said.
Those men who stayed behind in Russia, now take extra caution when leaving their house. Kirill, a 27-year-old IT professional from St. Petersburg who declined to give his surname, said he is starting to think about moving after most of his friends have already received draft letters.
“I adore St. Petersburg but I am starting to have thoughts about moving. Today, I lived another day and tomorrow it might not be safe for me to get into a taxi without a risk of getting drafted,” Kirill told CNN.
“For now, I am keeping an eye on the situation and how it develops. For me, going to war or going to prison are ‘bad options, so hopefully, I can avoid both,” he said.
Kirill, who is half-Ukrainian, said he cannot imagine going to war and killing Ukrainians. “I will not be able to explain my actions to relatives who are in Ukraine. We talk every day,” he said.
Some men were lucky to find out the news of mobilization orders from abroad. Ilya, 35, was on vacation with his family in Turkey when he received a text from his co-workers in Kurgan, a city in the Urals region of Russia, that his office had received a draft letter for him.
His wife and child returned to Russia while he stayed behind in Turkey. “I don’t want war, I don’t want to die for someone else’s ambitions, I don’t want to prove anything to anyone, it was a difficult decision to not return to Russia, very difficult, I don’t know when I can now see my family, my loved ones,” Ilya told CNN.
Ilya served in the Russian army years ago, so is considered to be in the reserve. “I am at a loss and do not know what to do, how to provide for my family being so far from them. I’m deep in debt because of such sudden forced decisions, and I’m just morally exhausted,” he said.
Since the start of Moscow’s war in Ukraine, economic sanctions on Russia made any international transactions close to impossible. Ilya said he wants to be reunited with his family.
Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine
U.S. probes firm linked with Russian oligarch Abramovich over hedge fund investments
Former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich looks on from the stands during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on April 16, 2016 in London, England. Abramovich announced on in March 2022 that he was selling the club due to the ongoing situation in Ukraine. The UK government froze Abramovich’s assets there days later due to his “close ties with (the) Kremlin.”
Paul Gilham | Getty Images
U.S. authorities are investigating investment advisory firm Concord Management, which oversaw hedge fund investments worth billions of dollars for Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.
The investigation, being conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is partly focused on how Abramovich’s associates used several offshore shell companies to invest $8 billion in hedge funds and private equity firms, the report added, citing people close to the firm.
Abramovich is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s allies and has been sanctioned by nations across the world over his support of Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
— Reuters
State Department to provide $89 million to help clear land mines in Ukraine
Ukrainian bomb disposal workers carry unexploded ordnance during mine clearance work in the village of Yahidne, in the liberated territories of the Chernihiv region on June 7, 2022 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sergei Supinsky | AFP | Getty Images
The State Department will provide $89 million to help clear land mines, improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordinances in Ukraine.
“Russia’s forces have used explosive munitions in an irresponsible and brutal manner, causing civilian casualties extensive harm to vital civilian infrastructure and contaminating a massive amount of Ukraine’s territory with unexploded ordnance and landlines,” a State Department official told NBC News.
The official added that Ukrainian authorities have found Russian booby traps and improvised explosive devices hidden in cars, toys and in dead bodies.
The official told NBC News that an area of approximately 160,000 square kilometers may be contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordinance.
— Amanda Macias
Approximately 2,200 education facilities have been damaged, Ukraine says
A destroyed classroom inside a school damaged by shelling russian army in the Kukhari village, Ukraine, Kyiv area, Ukraine, April 16, 2022.
Maxym Marusenko | Nurphoto | Getty Images
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine said that approximately 2,200 education facilities have been damaged across Ukraine since Russia’s war began.
The ministry estimates that about 220 education facilities have been destroyed. The assessment comes as parts of Ukraine look to reopen the academic year next month.
“Due to ongoing hostilities, a back-to-learning campaign for the new academic year and university admissions may not be possible. In addition, if students continue to rely on online learning, additional equipment and services will likely be required,” the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs wrote in a statement.
— Amanda Macias
Biden ratifies Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership bids
US President Joe Biden, center, welcomes Sauli Niinisto, Finland’s president, left, and Magdalena Andersson, Sweden’s prime minister, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., US, on Thursday, May 19, 2022.
Oliver Contreras | Bloomberg | Getty Images
President Joe Biden signed ratification documents bringing Finland and Sweden one step closer to joining the NATO alliance.
“They will meet every NATO requirement, we are confident of that,” Biden said before signing the documents.
Biden’s signature follows a 95 to 1 Senate vote last week.
Following the U.S., the governments of the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Turkey still have yet to sign the instruments of ratification. All 30 NATO allies must approve Finland and Sweden’s ascension to the alliance.
— Amanda Macias
At least 366 Ukrainian health-care facilities have been attacked since war started, WHO says
A couple wounded in a shopping mall hit by a Russian missile strike hold hands in a hospital as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kremenchuk, in Poltava region, Ukraine June 27, 2022.
Anna Voitenko | Reuters
Since the Kremlin invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the World Health Organization’s Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care estimates that there have been at least 434 attacks on vital health services in the country.
The organization reports that health care facilities were damaged 366 times, ambulances were targeted in 65 cases and at least 104 attacks affected crucial medical supplies. The group also estimated that attacks on health services led to at least 85 deaths and 101 injuries.
The Kremlin has previously denied that it targets civilian infrastructure like hospitals, schools and apartment buildings.
— Amanda Macias
Biden to sign Finland and Sweden ratification to join NATO
U.S. President Joe Biden walks with Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto (left) and Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson along the Rose Garden colonnade before making statements to the press at the White House on May 19, 2022.
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images News | Getty Images
U.S. President Joe Biden is set to sign the instruments of ratification for Finland and Sweden to join the NATO alliance at 2 p.m. ET.
Last week, the Senate voted 95 to 1 to ratify Finland and Sweden’s entrance into the military group.
In May, both nations began the formal process of applying to NATO.
Biden welcomed leaders from both countries to the White House and pledged to work with the Senate — which has to sign off on U.S. approval of NATO bids — and the other 29 members of the world’s most powerful military alliance to swiftly bring Sweden and Finland into the group.
— Amanda Macias
Russia has lost between 70,000 and 80,000 troops since start of invasion, Pentagon says
Service members of pro-Russian troops stand guard on a road before the expected evacuation of wounded Ukrainian soldiers from the besieged Azovstal steel mill in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict in Mariupol, Ukraine May 16, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
The Pentagon estimates that Russia’s military has suffered between 70,000 and 80,000 casualties since the invasion of Ukraine began in late February.
The rare estimate shared by the Pentagon’s third-highest official comes as the U.S. prepares its largest security assistance package for Ukraine. Casualties include soldiers who were killed or injured.
On Monday, the Biden administration announced a $1 billion weapons package, the 18th such installment, bringing U.S. commitment to about $9.8 billion since the start of the war.
— Amanda Macias
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Milley meets French counterpart in Germany
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley speaks with members of the military before the Medal of Honor ceremony for US Army Sergeant Major Thomas Payne for conspicuous gallantry while serving in Iraq, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on September 11, 2020.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley met with the Pentagon’s top general overseeing Europe during a visit to Germany.
The two also met with French Chief of the Defense Staff Gen. Thierry Burkhard and “discussed items of mutual interest and shared assessments regarding the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine,” according to a Pentagon readout of the meeting.
“The long-standing alliance between the U.S. and French militaries plays a critical role in maintaining peace and stability in Europe and other regions around the world,” the readout added.
The meeting between Milley, U.S. European Command Gen. Christopher Cavoli and Burkhard comes as the U.S. readies its 18th weapons package for Ukraine.
— Amanda Macias
U.K. says it has donated more than 100,000 Covid shots to Ukraine
There hasn’t been enough research on how much protection a fourth dose can offer, medical professionals told CNBC.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
The British Embassy in Ukraine said that it has donated 100,800 Covid shots vaccines to the war-weary country.
“We’re protecting those most in need by ensuring Ukrainians impacted by Russia’s invasion are able to access essential healthcare and get vital vaccinations,” the British Embassy wrote in a statement.
— Amanda Macias
U.S. imposes visa restrictions on 100 people affiliated with Putin-ally Lukashenka
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia September 9, 2021.
Mikhail Voskresensky | Kremlin Sputnik | via Reuters
The State Department is imposing visa restrictions on 100 people affiliated with the Alexander Lukashenka regime for their involvement in undermining the presidential election in Belarus in 2020.
Lukashenka, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has previously said that Belarus would support Russian forces amid the Kremlin’s so-called special military operation in Ukraine.
“When it was clear the election had been stolen by the Lukashenka regime, the Belarusian people bravely took to the streets, with reports of hundreds of thousands of people amassing to peacefully demand free and fair elections and a democratic transition,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote in a statement.
— Amanda Macias
March was the deadliest month of Russia’s war in Ukraine, UN says
People stand amid newly-made graves at a cemetery in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict in the settlement of Staryi Krym outside Mariupol, Ukraine May 22, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner said that March was so far the deadliest month in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
There were more than 3,100 civilian casualties and 2,400 injuries due to the conflict in March, according to data compiled by the UN.
Total civilian casualties from 24 February to 31 July 2022 as compiled by the United Nations.
U.N. Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner
In total, the United Nations has confirmed 5,401 civilian deaths and 7,466 injuries in Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24.
“Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects, including shelling from heavy artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, missiles and air strikes,” the UN office wrote in a report.
The human rights office added that the majority of casualties and injuries were reported in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
— Amanda Macias
Chairman Milley meets with Arctic Chiefs amid Russia’s absence
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, U.S., May 3, 2022.
Win McNamee | Reuters
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley met with his counterparts from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden at the Arctic Chiefs of Defense meeting on Monday.
“The military leaders discussed lessons learned from ongoing Arctic operations, cooperation between nations and the shared commitment to the international rules-based order,” according to a Pentagon readout of the meeting.
“In coordination with allies and partners, the U.S. seeks to preserve the Arctic region as a space free of conflict, where nations act responsibly and where economic and energy resources are developed in a sustainable, transparent manner,” the readout added.
A meeting of the Arctic Council was postponed earlier this year due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia was previously slated to chair the international forum until 2023.
Earlier this year the Arctic Council’s seven other member countries – Canada, Finland, Denmark, the United States, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – agreed to boycott any meetings in Russia.
— Amanda Macias
‘Autocracy is on the march around the world,’ Secretary Austin warns
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin holds a news conference with U.S. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact group at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium June 15, 2022.
Yves Herman | Reuters
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin slammed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and warned that “autocracy is on the march around the world.”
“A military exists to serve its people and not the other way around. Militaries must play their legitimate role. That means defending human rights and protecting the rule of law, not toppling civilian governments or wallowing in corruption,” Austin said during a change of command ceremony in Germany.
“That’s especially important now when autocracy is on the march around the world,” he said, adding that Moscow has shown its willingness “to sow chaos and threaten the rules-based international order.”
— Amanda Macias
More than 10 million people have now fled Ukraine
A Ukrainian boy walks past temporary beds at a refugee center in Warsaw on April 19.
Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images
More than 10.5 million people have crossed Ukraine’s border and left the country since Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR, said.
Most are now elsewhere in eastern and central Europe, with Poland, Russia, Romania, Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia taking in some of the largest numbers of refugees.
Moscow says it has taken in many Ukrainians and claims none of the arrivals were forced, though Ukrainian and Western officials as well as some activist groups say that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, including children, were forcibly deported and taken into Russia against their will.
— Natasha Turak
Ukraine reports heavy Russian shelling in frontline cities
Pisky, a village on the outskirts of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, has been seized by pro-Russian forces, according to Russian state news agency Tass.
Gaelle Girbes | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Ukrainian officials reported heavy shelling across frontline towns in the country’s eastern Donbas region, particularly in Donetsk.
“The situation in the region is tense – shelling is constant throughout the front line … The enemy is also using air strikes a great deal,” Pavlo Kyrylenko, the regional governor of Donetsk, was quoted by The Guardian as saying on Ukrainian television. “The enemy is having no success. Donetsk region is holding.”
Russian forces have taken a majority of the Donbas region, including essentially all of Luhansk and roughly half of Donetsk, according to analysts and officials. They have seen success in their assault toward the eastern town of Bakhmut, the U.K.’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday, but have made relatively slow territorial gains elsewhere in the Donbas in the last 30 days.
— Natasha Turak
Russia halts U.S. inspections of its nuclear arsenal
Moscow announced the suspension of a setup that enabled Russian and American experts to inspect each other’s nuclear weapons facilities, which had been agreed upon as part of the 2010 New START treaty.
The mutual inspections had initially been suspended over safety precautions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Russia now says that U.S. sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine are the reason, as they prevented Russian inspectors from traveling to the U.S.
“There are no similar obstacles to the arrival of American inspectors in Russia,” a statement from Russia’s foreign ministry said. “The Russian Foreign Ministry raised this issue with the relevant countries, but did not receive an answer.”
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said: “The United States is committed to implementation of the New Start Treaty, but we keep discussions between the parties concerning treaty implementation confidential.”
Analysts say the decision to stop U.S. inspectors from traveling to Russia is a major blow to arms control efforts.
— Natasha Turak
Zelenskyy urges Western countries to ban all Russian citizens from entry
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging Western countries to ban entry for all Russians, as part of his call for broader sanctions on the country.
Zelenskyy called for the ban in an interview with The Washington Post, saying borders should be closed to Russians because they “are taking away someone else’s land.” He added that Russians should “live in their own world until they change their philosophy.”
Large numbers of Russians have left their country since the invasion of Ukraine began; some to escape the effects of sanctions, and some out of opposition to the war and fear of Moscow’s crackdown on dissent. Specific numbers of those who have fled Russia are not available, but estimates have placed the figure in the high hundreds of thousands, if not higher.
In this photo illustration, a screen showing president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speech before the members of the international tribunal in The Hague. He accused the Russian authorities of war crimes and international terrorism.
Igor Golovniov | Lightrocket | Getty Images
Several Western countries offer asylum for Russian dissidents including journalists and activists, and asylum applications have soared since the war began. While North American and much of European airspace has been closed to Russian aircraft, Russian citizens can still apply for visas to any of those countries.
Moscow dismissed Zelenskyy’s demand as irrational, with the Kremlin saying that any attempts to isolate Russians will be futile and that Europe must decide whether it has to pay for Zelenskyy’s “whims.”
— Natasha Turak
Russia is stripping airplanes for parts amid sanctions-induced shortage
Aeroflot Russian Airlines and Rossiya Airlines jet aircrafts at Moscow-Sheremetyevo International Airport.
Leonid Faerberg | Lightrocket | Getty Images
Russia has started stripping jetliners of spare parts they can no longer obtain from overseas due to Western sanctions, Reuters reported, citing several anonymous sources.
The majority of Russia’s jetliner fleet is made up of Western passenger planes, and one fairly new Airbus 350 as well as a Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet 100 are already being dismantled, Reuters wrote.
Sanctions imposed by Western countries after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February have cut many of Russia’s business links to the countries it previously traded with, and have prevented its airlines from being able to get maintenance and spare parts in the West.
— Natasha Turak
Russia launches Iranian satellite into space via Kazakhstan
A Soyuz-2.1b rocket booster with the Iranian satellite “Khayyam” blasts off from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan August 9, 2022, in this still image taken from video.
Roscosmos | Reuters
Russia launched an Iranian Khayyam satellite into orbit from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, which it operates. Some Western officials suspect that Moscow will use it to aid in its efforts for the war in Ukraine before allowing Iran to fully control it.
Tehran has rejected such assertions, and Iran’s space agency over the weekend said that Iran would be in charge of the satellite “from day one.”
The launch comes about three weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran.
— Natasha Turak
More ships carrying grain depart Ukraine, Turkish defense ministry says
An aerial view of the Turkish-flagged ship “Polarnet” carrying grain from Ukraine is seen at the Derince Port, Kocaeli, Turkiye on August 08, 2022.
Omer Faruk Cebeci | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Two more ships carrying grain have left the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk, Turkey’s defense ministry said, in an incremental continuation of a deal brokered by Ankara to lift the Russian blockade on Ukraine’s ports.
One of the ships, which set sail for South Korea, is carrying 64,720 tons of corn, while the other is transporting 5,300 tons of sunflower meal to Istanbul, the defense ministry said, according to Reuters.
Four other vessels departed Ukraine in previous days and are anchored close to Istanbul awaiting inspection, the ministry added.
— Natasha Turak
Russia makes incremental gains in the Donbas, Britain’s defense ministry says
Russian forces continue to gain ground in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, though more slowly than likely planned, the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence wrote in its daily intelligence update on Twitter.
“Over the last 30 days, Russia’s assault towards the town of Bakhmut has been its most successful axis in the Donbas; however, Russia has only managed to advance about 10km during this time,” it wrote.
“In other Donbas sectors where Russia was attempting to break through, its forces have not gained more than 3km during this 30 day period; almost certainly significantly less than planned,” the ministry added.
Russian and pro-Russian forces currently occupy the majority of the Donbas region.
— Natasha Turak
No indications of increased or abnormal radiation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, U.S. official says
A serviceman with a Russian flag on his uniform stands guard near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict outside the Russian-controlled city of Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 4, 2022.
Alexander Ermochenko | Reuters
The U.S. has seen no indications of increased or abnormal radiation from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant following Russian missile strikes near the facility, a White House National Security Council official told NBC News.
The U.S. Energy Department and the National Nuclear Security Administration are monitoring radiation sensors at the Zaporizhzhia facility, the official added.
“Fighting near a nuclear plant is dangerous, and we continue to call on Russia to cease all military operations at or near Ukrainian nuclear facilities and return full control to Ukraine,” the national security official said.
— Amanda Macias
U.S. sends $4.5 billion in budgetary support to Ukraine
Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, assist with unloading humanitarian goods in support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in preparation of potential evacuees from Ukraine at the G2A Arena in Jasionka, Poland, on Feb. 25, 2022.
Robert Whitlow | U.S. Army via AP
The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, will provide $4.5 billion in direct budgetary support to the government of Ukraine.
The funds are expected to alleviate Ukraine’s acute budget deficits caused by the Kremlin’s war.
“These funds provided by the United States, through the World Bank, allow the government of Ukraine to maintain essential functions to its people, including social and financial assistance to Ukrainians further pushed into poverty since the start of the war, children with disabilities and internally displaced persons,” wrote the U.S. Agency for International Development in a statement.
The agency wrote that Ukraine would begin receiving the money this month.
— Amanda Macias
Read CNBC’s previous live coverage here:
Elena Rybakina wins Wimbledon women’s singles title, her first grand slam and first for Kazakhstan
Rybakina beat world No. 3 Ons Jabeur in three sets, coming from a set down to win 3-6 6-2 6-2.
The 23-year-old, appearing in her first grand slam final, started slowly but gradually found her rhythm and powerful serve to overcome Jabeur.
Rybakina, who was born in Russia but has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, was the youngest women’s finalist at Wimbledon since 2015 when Garbine Muguruza was 21.
But at the end of an enthralling encounter, Rybakina lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish aloft as she was named Wimbledon champion for the first time.
In her interview on court afterwards, Rybakina’s first emotion was one of relief.
“I was super nervous before the match, during the match and I’m happy it’s finished,” she told Sue Barker on Center Court.
“Really I have never felt something like this. I want to thank the crowd for the support, it was unbelievable these two weeks.
“But also I want to congratulate Ons for a great match and everything you have achieved. I think you are an inspiration for everybody. You have an amazing game. We don’t have someone like this on tour and it is a joy to play against you. I ran so much, I don’t think I need to do fitness anymore.
Rybakina added: “It’s true, I did not expect to be in the second week of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon. To be a winner is just amazing. I don’t have the words to say how happy I am.”
“But I wouldn’t be here without my team of course, so I want to say a big thanks to them. I want to say thanks to my coach, my sponsors, everyone. The most important is my parents of course, they are not here so I am very sorry. My sister is here and it is just the third time she comes on the tour to watch so I’m happy she is here. Without my parents I wouldn’t be here for sure. Thank you so much everyone.”
First steps
It took just a few games of the final for the first shock. The big-serving Rybakina, who had dropped only one set in the whole tournament before the final, was broken by Jabeur in the third game to take an early lead.
And in Rybakina’s next service game, she was forced to save numerous break points as her first set chances looked to be teetering, but she managed to stave off the energetic Jabeur.
A few games later, having held serve, Jabeur’s dogged return game and masterful deftness opened up three set points to give her the opportunity to take the first set; she gladly took them with both hands.
However, despite looking rattled in the opening set, Rybakina began the second frame strongly. Behind her own accurate returns, she broke the lively Jabeur in her opening service game to the shock of everyone watching.
Having taken an early lead, Rybakina almost gave up her advantage soon after, needing to fend off multiple break points before eventually taking a two-game lead in the set.
And, under the blue London sky and bright sun, the next few games passed with very little between the two stars.
Both had to fend off break point opportunities from their opposition to hold onto serve as they showed the skills which had blown away their opponents in previous rounds.
But, Rybakina once again broke Jabeur — who had looked so solid in the opening set — in the second set, to take a commanding 4-1 lead.
And with the set on the line, she rediscovered her usually devastating serving skills, having struggled early on, emphatically clinching the set to send it to a deciding set.
After a short break for water and for nerves to settle, the tennis continued at a fever pitch.
Rybakina once again broke the Tunisian to set the early pace, with the pair exchanging blows. And in a tight final set, it was the Kazakhstani who just got stronger and stronger, eventually claiming her first grand slam title with another emphatic service game.
Not only did she become the first player from her country to win a grand slam title, she also became the youngest Wimbledon champion since 2011.
For Jabeur, she was also looking to etch her name in the history books, having become the first Arab or African player to reach a grand slam title.
When she was asked about inspiring young players back home, she joked that “Elena stole my title but it’s ok!”
“I love this tournament so much and I feel really sad, but I’m trying to inspire many generations from my country. I hope they are listening.”
Wimbledon finalist Elena Rybakina pushes back on questions over Russian ties, says she’s ‘happy’ to rep Kazakhstan
LONDON — After advancing to the Wimbledon final with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Simona Halep on Thursday, Elena Rybakina was faced with questions about her ties to Russia, despite representing Kazakhstan.
Rybakina, 23, was born and raised in Moscow, and originally represented Russia, but switched to represent Kazakhstan in 2018 in order to gain additional funding for her career. But with Wimbledon’s controversial ban of Russian and Belarusian players, due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Rybakina’s country of origin has become of interest.
Having been asked about her connection to Russia throughout the tournament, Rybakina was brief in her responses on the topic after her semifinal match.
“I’m playing already for Kazakhstan for a long time,” Rybakina said. “I’m really happy representing Kazakhstan. They believed in me. There is no more question about how I feel. It’s just already long time my journey as a Kazak player. I played Olympics, Fed Cup.”
Believed to still live and train primarily in the Russian capital, Rybakina didn’t answer a question directly from a reporter about her current residence.
“I think I’m based on tour because I’m traveling every week,” Rybakina said. “I think most of the time I spend on tour. I practice in Slovakia between the tournaments. I had camps in Dubai. So I don’t live anywhere, to be honest.”
Rybakina said she felt badly for the Russian players who were unable to participate but didn’t say if she was in touch with any of them, or had heard from them during her run. Instead she said she hadn’t been checking her phone often.
Ranked No. 23 in the world, Rybakina became the first player representing Kazakhstan to reach a major final. She will take on Ons Jabeur, another first-time Grand Slam finalist, on Saturday with the Wimbledon title on the line.
The Duchess of Cambridge is expected to present the trophy to the champion.
NASA astronaut, Russian cosmonauts prepare to land in Kazakhstan
It’s a highly anticipated return that has only drawn more attention due to mounting geopolitical tensions over the last month, and NASA has repeatedly reaffirmed that it continues to work closely with Russian space agency Roscosmos.
The trio will say their farewells to the remaining space station crew and close the hatch between the Soyuz and the Rassvet docking module around midnight. The Soyuz is expected to undock at 3:21 a.m. ET Wednesday, and the spacecraft will experience its deorbit burn at 6:30 a.m. ET Wednesday.
The crew is expected to make their parachute-assisted landing at 7:28 a.m. ET southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan.
Each step of the crew’s return will stream live on NASA’s TV channel and website.
After landing, Vande Hei will travel back to Houston aboard a Gulfstream jet, as other NASA astronauts have done before, and the cosmonauts will return to their training base in Star City, Russia.
Joint operations between NASA and Roscosmos at the Russian facilities at Baikonur, Kazakhstan, “continue to go well,” said Joel Montalbano, the manager of NASA’s International Space Station program, during a press conference on March 14.
Montalbano’s remarks came as Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin made several fiery social media posts directed at the United States, including a heavily edited, partially animated video that appeared to threaten that Russian astronauts would abandon Vande Hei in space. Rogozin has long been known to share outlandish statements on social media. Former astronaut Scott Kelly just recently backed off of a Twitter war with Rogozin.
Vande Hei and Dubrov launched to the space station in April 2021, and together they have completed 5,680 orbits of Earth and traveled more than 150 million miles around our planet. Vande Hei has now broken the record for the longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut, which previously was set by Kelly at 340 days.
The extended mission will allow researchers to study the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body, like the Twins Study that Kelly and his twin, Mark, participated in during Scott’s long duration. The insights gathered from extended missions can better prepare NASA to send astronauts to the moon and on to Mars, according to the agency.
This was Vande Hei’s second spaceflight, so he has logged a total of 523 days in space. It was Dubrov’s first flight.
Meanwhile, Shkaplerov arrived on the space station in October along with a Russian director and actress who filmed the first movie in space. While they returned to Earth just weeks after their arrival, Shkaplerov remained on the space station and ends his fourth space mission with 708 total days spent in space.
Change of command
Shkaplerov handed over command of the International Space Station to NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn Tuesday morning. Before handing Marshburn a ceremonial “key” to the space station, signifying the change in command, Shkaplerov reflected on his time in space, including some of the situations the crew have faced.
“It’s like some satellites tried to kill us,” he said, causing the assembled crew of 10 astronauts and cosmonauts to laugh. His comment was in reference to a Russian anti-satellite test that created debris in November.
He also reinforced the close-knit and familial nature of the space station crew, especially given current geopolitical tensions.
“People have problems on Earth,” he said. “On orbit, we are one crew, and I think ISS is like a symbol of the friendship, cooperation (and) our flexible future of exploration of space. Thank you very much, my crew members. You are like my space brothers and space sister.”
Marshburn said it was an honor and privilege to accept command of the space station, “continuing the international partnership and that legacy in spaceflight.” Marshburn thanked Shkaplerov for being a “wonderful commander.”
“I can’t thank you enough for your dedication to the safety of the station, the safety of your crew, your humor, your friendship and your dedication to the flight control teams around the world,” Marshburn said.
Comings and goings
After the departure of Vande Hei, Dubrov and Shkaplerov, the remaining space station crew includes Marshburn, along with NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron, European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer and the recently arrived Russian cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov.
When the Russian trio docked with the space station on March 15, they sparked speculation by donning bright yellow spacesuits trimmed with blue. It raised questions about whether the three were showing solidarity with Ukraine by wearing its national colors and rebuking their own government’s invasion. So far, no definitive answer has been given.
The space station won’t be home to a crew of seven for long. The private Axiom Space-1 mission, carrying former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and US crew members Larry Connor, Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy, is launching to the space station no earlier than April 6. The Axiom crew will return after 10 days.
Then, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission will bring NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, as well as ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, to the space station later in April.
No spacewalks are currently on the schedule during this time of heavy crew rotation. NASA continues to investigate a “more than normal” amount of water discovered inside Maurer’s helmet after his first spacewalk on March 23. A thin layer of water was found inside his helmet once he returned to the airlock nearly seven hours after beginning the spacewalk. The crew are trying to understand what caused this and determine how to fix it.
“The agency and our international partners are constantly identifying and mitigating risks of human spaceflight,” according to a NASA statement.
CNN’s Jackie Wattles contributed to this report.
Kazakhstan authorities raise death toll from unrest to 225 | Kazakhstan
The violent unrest in Kazakhstan that began with peaceful protests in early January has left 225 people dead, authorities have said in a dramatic increase on previous tolls.
“During the state of emergency, the bodies of 225 people were delivered to morgues, of which 19 were law enforcement officers and military personnel,” Serik Shalabayev, the head of criminal prosecution at the prosecutor’s office, told a briefing on Saturday.
Others were “armed bandits who participated in terrorist attacks”, Shalabayev added. “Unfortunately, civilians have also become victims of acts of terrorism.”
The unprecedented clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters in the energy-rich ex-Soviet state prompted the president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to declare a state of emergency and call in help from a Russian-led military bloc.
Shalabayev said 50,000 people joined the riots throughout the country at their peak on 5 January, when crowds stormed and torched government buildings, cars, banks and shops in several major cities.
Kazakhstan had previously acknowledged fewer than 50 fatalities – 26 “armed criminals” and 18 security officers – from a conflict that exposed infighting at the top of the government. A higher death toll of 164 appeared on an official Telegram channel last week but was quickly retracted.
Asel Artakshinova, a spokeswoman for the health ministry, said that more than 2,600 people had sought treatment at hospitals, with 67 remaining in a serious condition.
Authorities in Kazakhstan have blamed the violence on bandits and international “terrorists” who they said hijacked the protests that saw the epicentre of unrest move from the west to the country’s largest city, Almaty. They have not provided evidence about who the alleged foreign bandits and terrorists were.
The protests have been the biggest threat so far to the regime established by Kazakhstan’s founding president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who stepped down in 2019 and handpicked Tokayev as his successor.
Much of the popular anger has appeared directed at Nazarbayev, who is 81 and had ruled Kazakhstan since 1989 before handing over power.
Tokayev this week launched an unprecedented attack on Nazarbayev, saying his mentor had failed to share the country’s vast wealth with ordinary Kazakhs.
On Saturday, the sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna said two of Nazarbayev’s relatives, Dimash Dosanov and Kairat Sharipbayev, had lost their jobs at the helm of energy companies.
The moves were made “in accordance with the decision of the board of directors”, the fund said.
Sharipbayev, 58, is widely believed to be the husband of Nazarbayev’s oldest daughter, Dariga Nazarbayeva. He was in charge of the national gas company QazaqGaz, formerly KazTransGas.
Dosanov, 40, is the husband of Nazarbayev’s youngest daughter, Aliya Nazarbayeva, 41, and was the head of the national oil transporter KazTransOil.
Tokayev has in part blamed QazaqGaz for the historic crisis, which started with a spike in prices for liquified petroleum gas, a popular fuel, sparking the peaceful protests at the start of January.
Nazarbayev has three daughters. Middle daughter Dinara Kulibayeva’s husband, Timur Kulibayev, is viewed as one of the country’s richest men with extensive interests in the energy sector. Together the pair control Kazakhstan’s largest commercial bank, Halyk.
With Agence France-Presse and Reuters
Unrest in Kazakhstan leaves 225 dead
The violent protests that erupted in Kazakhstan at the beginning of January have left 225 people dead, according to the prosecutor general’s office.
Serik Shalabayev, the head of criminal prosecution at the prosecutor’s office, said on Saturday that 225 people, including 19 security force members, have been killed, Reuters reported.
Security forces killed the protesters and armed “bandits,” as Shalabayev called them, after protests erupted over high fuel prices and the autocratic government that has been in charge for more than 20 years.
The riots led some protesters to burn government buildings and cars in major cities
Kazakhstan saw 50,000 protesters join the riots throughout the week, with Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev telling authorities to “shoot to kill” during the chaos, according to Reuters.
Tokayev called in Russian troops to help quell the protests.
“Thanks to your arrival, Kazakh military and security forces were able to carry out their immediate task of locating and detaining bandits,” Kazakhstani Deputy Defense Minister Mukhamedzhan Talasov told Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) troops, which began leaving the country this week.
More than 10,000 people have been arrested during the unrest, with Tokayev telling police to be lenient on those who didn’t commit serious crimes after reports of police beatings and torture.
Russian-Led Alliance Begins Withdrawing Troops From Kazakhstan
MOSCOW — A Russian-led military alliance on Thursday began the process of withdrawing troops from Kazakhstan, Moscow said, after a weeklong deployment that helped stabilize the Central Asian country amid a wave of political unrest that left dozens dead and thousands injured.
Troops of the alliance, the Collective Treaty Security Organization, a NATO-like group that includes Russia and five other former Soviet states, have begun handing over strategic facilities that they were guarding to the local authorities and were preparing to leave the country, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
A least one military transport plane with Russian troops on board has already departed from the airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, according to video footage from the scene. The Russian defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, said at a meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin on Thursday that the withdrawal should be completed by next Wednesday.
Russian and Kazakh officials had said this week that the troops would be withdrawn once the unrest had been brought under control, amid concerns among many in Kazakhstan that they would be stationed indefinitely in the country, permanently anchoring it in the Kremlin’s sphere of influence.
Many people in Kazakhstan had “negative” feelings about the presence of Russian troops in their country and therefore “the decision was made to announce as quickly as possible that their mission had been fulfilled,” Dimash Alzhanov, a political analyst, said in a phone interview from Almaty.
By extending a helping hand at the time of crisis, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had achieved a geopolitical triumph, Mr. Alzhanov said. But “such a favor has its own price and will not be forgotten,” the analyst noted. “We will know what that price will be later.”
Last week, Kazakhstan was plunged into the worst political crisis in its three decades as an independent country, after protests over a fuel price hike spread across the country and turned Almaty, its most prosperous city, into a scene of armed street battles.
While protests were largely peaceful in the west of the country, they spiraled out of control in several big cities and most of all in Almaty, with the police there either unwilling or unable to contain violence that led to mass looting and the burning of cars and buildings. The airport in Almaty was captured by a mob and only reopened to flights on Thursday.
The Kazakh authorities have been sending contradictory messages about the origins of the violence. In a speech on Monday, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said, without presenting evidence, that his country had been overrun by a group of international terrorists. He also said that 20,000 “bandits” had attacked Almaty in a Twitter post that was later removed from his official account.
Adding to the overall sense of confusion, the authorities still haven’t released an official tally of how many people died in the clashes, and many Kazakhs have been unable to locate relatives and friends. More than 9,800 people have been detained in the aftermath of the crisis, according to the authorities.
Some analysts say they believe that the violence stemmed from an internal power struggle among the country’s elites, pointing to the removal of various government and security officials that followed the unrest.
On Thursday, the National Security Committee, Kazakhstan’s most powerful security agency, said that it suspected Karim Masimov, its former chief who was dismissed during the turmoil last week, of attempting to stage a coup. Mr. Masimov and two of his deputies have been arrested.
Mr. Masimov was one of the most powerful allies of the former president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, according to Mr. Alzhanov. Mr. Nazarbayev ruled Kazakhstan from 1990 to 2019, when Mr. Tokayev, his handpicked replacement, took over. Mr. Tokayev has since made comments implying that Mr. Nazarbayev was responsible for the cronyism and corruption that many analysts feel contributed to the unrest.
Understand the Protests in Kazakhstan
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Many in Kazakhstan, however, doubt that Mr. Masimov could have orchestrated the unrest on his own.
“Masimov with two of his deputies could never organize a coup to push Tokayev out of power without Nazarbayev and his family,” Baltash Tursumbayev, a former Kazakh deputy prime minister, told TV Rain, an independent Russian television station.
Mr. Nazarbayev has not appeared in public since the crisis began, fueling speculation about his whereabouts and the fate of his family members, who are among the richest people in Kazakhstan. He was dismissed last week from his post as chairman of the government’s Security Council.
On Monday, in a speech to senior government officials and members of Parliament, Mr. Tokayev vowed to implement reforms in the country that would address wide income inequality and tackle the corrupt practices that analysts say have enriched the country’s elite, and which experts believe have contributed to the unrest.
However, even as he has tried to signal a break with past ways of doing things, he has also continued with some of the repressive tactics honed by his predecessor.
Several journalists were detained in Kazakhstan during and after the protests. At least three, including Nurzhan Baimuldin, who criticized the decision to invite Russian troops to Kazakhstan, have been sentenced to administrative detention.
While access to the internet has been mostly restored, Orda.kz, one of the main independent news websites has been blocked.
“The man at the top of the system has changed,” said Mr. Alzhanov, the political analyst, referring to Mr. Nazarbayev’s greatly diminished influence. “But the construction and the framework of the authoritarian model have remained intact.”
Russia-led bloc starts Kazakhstan pullout after possible coup bid crushed
ALMATY, Jan 13 (Reuters) – A Russia-led military bloc began pulling out from Kazakhstan on Thursday after a week-long deployment amid an explosion of unrest during which authorities in the Central Asian nation said the former security chief was suspected of attempting a coup.
Russia said the withdrawal of the troops would be completed by Jan. 19, earlier than previously announced. Their deployment had been criticised by Western leaders alarmed by a buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine. Moscow has denied allegations it plans to invade but said security talks this week had hit a dead end and threatened unspecified consequences. read more
President Vladimir Putin said the mission in Kazakhstan had been a success and was a practice that warranted further study.
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Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev asked for assistance from the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) last week after initially peaceful protests, triggered by a sharp increase in car fuel prices, turned violent in many big cities.
“Thanks to your arrival, Kazakh military and security forces were able to carry out their immediate task of locating and detaining bandits,” Kazakh Deputy Defence Minister Mukhamedzhan Talasov told CSTO troops at a departure ceremony in Almaty on Thursday, where they stood with their respective flags. The Russian group was the most numerous.
The Kazakh authorities announced the completion of what they called an “anti-terrorist operation” in most of the country on Wednesday, although they have yet to declare its biggest city Almaty fully secure.
It was unclear how many troops out of about 2,500 sent in by the CSTO were leaving immediately.
CSTO troops were first deployed to government buildings in the capital city of Nur-Sultan, away from the centres of unrest, and later guarded some key infrastructure objects in Almaty, such as large power plants. read more
The authorities have detained almost 10,000 people over the unrest in which some protesters attacked security forces, captured and torched government buildings and looted shops.
They have said some of the attackers were foreigners trained by Islamist militants. Tokayev has said this justified CSTO involvement although he has not specified who the foreigners were. He has dismissed some of his senior security officials who were later charged with treason.
Authorities in Kazakhstan said on Thursday they were also investigating the former head of state security, Karim Masimov, on suspicion of an attempted coup.
At the height of the unrest, Tokayev said he was taking over former president Nursultan Nazarbayev’s position as chairman of the security council – through which the longtime former leader was still wielding sweeping powers. Nazarbayev has not been seen in public since the protests broke out.
Some Kazakhs have echoed a comment by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Kazakhstan might have a hard time getting rid of Russian troops after letting them in. Tokayev has said no foreign troops would remain in the country after Jan.23.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday the pullout would be completed on Jan. 19, the Interfax news agency reported.
Putin praised the CSTO peacekeepers’ work.
“Everything worked like clockwork: fast, coherent and effective,” Putin told Shoigu on state television. “I want to thank you, the general staff and everyone who led this operation, for this work and to express my hope that this practice of using our armed forces will be studied further.”
“All in all, we should return home. We have accomplished our task,” he added.
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Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov and Mariya Gordeyeva; Additional reporting by Alex Marrow in Moscow; editing by Philippa Fletcher
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