by tyler | Apr 3, 2023 | CNN, europe
Russian authorities have detained a 26-year-old anti-war protester, claiming she was involved in the blast that killed well-known military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky at a cafe in St. Petersburg on Sunday.
The country’s interior ministry added Daria Trepova to a wanted list following the explosion, and her arrest was announced on Telegram by the Investigative Committee of Russia shortly after that.
But Trepova’s husband, Dmitry Rylov, has told an independent Russian publication that he is convinced she was set up.
Meanwhile, a leading Russian politician has used the killing to call for “stringent measures” against the country’s informal opposition groups, following accusations from officials that organizations critical of the Kremlin were involved.
State media outlet TASS reported that “preliminarily, it was Trepova who handed Tatarsky a figurine with explosives” at the cafe. Russian media had reported suggestions that Tatarsky may have been killed by a device hidden in a statue presented to him by a woman. CNN is not able to independently verify the claims.
Tatarsky, a hawkish blogger who gained a high profile for his commentary on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was killed when a blast tore through the cafe where he was appearing as a guest of a pro-war group called Cyber Front Z.
Trepova was arrested in the early days of the conflict for demonstrating against it, TASS reported.
“Trepova participated in an unsanctioned rally on the day the special military operation began in Ukraine and was subjected to administrative arrest,” the article read, adding that court records confirmed that Trepova was arrested on March 9, 2022 and sentenced to 10 days in prison.
According to the TASS article, law enforcement officers conducted a search at Trepova’s residence in St. Petersburg on Sunday night, where her sister and mother were also questioned.
Trepova’s husband, Rylov, was a member of the Libertarian Party of Russia, the article said. Trepova, however, was not associated with the small political party. The Libertarian Party said in a statement Monday that Trepova, “has never been a member of our party. According to our records, she has never been a supporter … either.”
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the mercenary Wagner group that has taken a prominent role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said Monday that he “gave” the St. Petersburg cafe where the explosion took place to the Cyber Front Z group.
Russia’s independent news outlet Fontanka reported that the cafe belongs to Prigozhin, on the basis of the Concord company’s ownership mentioned on the cafe’s receipt. Prigozhin is the founder and sole owner of Concord, according to public records.
When asked to confirm whether he was the owner of the cafe, Prigozhin didn’t deny it, in comments published Monday by his holding company Concord on its VK social media page. “Indeed, I gave the cafe to the patriotic movement Cyber Front Z, and they held various seminars there,” Prigozhin said.
Russia’s National Anti Terrorism Committee (NAC) meanwhile claimed Monday that the explosion involved agents of the Ukrainian special services and associates of the jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny, allegations that were immediately treated with skepticism.
The Investigative Committee of Russia later claimed that “the planning and organization” of the killing was “carried out from the territory of Ukraine,” reclassifying the criminal case as a terrorist act.
Ivan Zhdanov, a long-time associate of Navalny, said the accusation that his Anti-Corruption Foundation was involved is an attempt to prolong Navalny’s jail term. “This is a rather idiotic situation. To refute the fact that we did it is idiocy. Obviously, we are not involved in this,” he said.
A senior politician with the governing United Russia party said Monday that the killing of Tatarsky shows that “stringent measures” must be taken against the informal opposition in Russia, despite Zhdanov’s rejection of any link.
“This is treason. All these people related to such organizations, should be prosecuted a traitors. This is a matter of honor to detain the heads of these organizations no matter where they are,” lawmaker Andrei Isaev said.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov meanwhile repeated the claim during a news briefing that Ukraine may be behind the murder of Tatarsky, describing his killing as a “terrorist attack.”
US and Ukrainian officials have in the past warned that Russia has planned so-called “false flag” attacks inside Russian territory as a pretext for military escalation, including Russian claims ahead of last year’s full-scale invasion that Ukraine was sending “saboteurs” over the Russian border.
An independent Russian publication, The Insider, said it interviewed Trepova’s husband who believed his wife was framed.
“She was really just set up and used,” Rylov was quoted as saying. “Over the last day I contacted her, but I lost contact about 4-5 hours ago.”
“All I knew was that Daria needed, either for some task, or for some reason, to give some gift, I didn’t even know what,” he said, referring to the event at which the explosion took place.
“There is one very important point that she told me several times: she was sure that this thing would allow access to a person. That is, it was not something that should have exploded,” he said. “Dasha [Daria], in principle, is not the kind of person who could kill anyone.”
Russian state media Ria Novosti quoted one witness of Sunday’s blast as saying: “This woman sat at our table. I saw her from the back as she was turned away. When she gifted him the figurine, she went to sit in a different place by the window and forgot her phone at our table.”
The witness added: “The host at the stage took the figurine from the box and showcased it, Vladlen held it for a bit. They put it back and shortly after the explosion happened … I was running and my ears were blocked. There were many people with blood on them.”
The independent Telegram channel Astra Press quoted a witness as saying: “Everyone rushed to the exit when explosion happened. I myself saw the girl only until the moment of the explosion, when she gave a gift. She looked like an ordinary person.”
Tatarsky supported the war in Ukraine and had gained popularity since the start of what Russia calls its “special military operation” by providing analysis and commentary.
Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, created his Telegram channel in 2019, naming it in honor of the protagonist of Victor Pelevin’s novel “Generation ‘P,’” according to Russian state news agency Vesti. He had since written several books.
Before that, in 2014, Tatarsky took part in fighting alongside Russian forces in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, according to Vesti, citing public sources, when President Vladimir Putin’s fighters first invaded the country.
Tatarsky had more than half a million followers on Telegram, and while he was aggressively pro-war, he had sometimes been critical of Russian setbacks in Ukraine.
In May last year, he told CNN that he was not criticizing the overall operation, rather “individual episodes,” and that he still believed Russia would achieve its goals in Ukraine.
Tatarsky gained prominence after attending the ceremony in the Kremlin that marked the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions.
Sunday’s blast has echoes of the car bombing that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of influential ultra-nationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin in August 2022. Alexander Dugin is credited with being the architect, or “spiritual guide,” to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Dugina and Tatarsky moved in the same circles, and they had been photographed multiple times together
by tyler | Mar 31, 2023 | CNN, europe
Russia could place powerful strategic nuclear weapons in Belarus, on top of the tactical nuclear warheads Moscow is already planning to deploy there, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said during a national address on Friday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last week that Moscow would complete the construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus by the beginning of July. After days of silence, Lukashenko welcomed the move on Friday, announcing he had intensified talks with Putin about deploying both tactical and strategic nuclear weapons in the country.
The mentioning of strategic nukes is an escalation in rhetoric from Lukashenko. While tactical warheads are designed for use in a limited battlefield, for example to destroy a command post or a column of tanks, strategic nuclear warheads are designed to destroy entire cities. Russia has not announced any plans to send strategic nuclear weapons to Belarus.
Lukashenko, who has been asking Putin for nuclear weapons for a while, claimed Belarus needed the weapons because Ukraine’s Western allies were planning a coup against him. He baselessly accused Western countries of “preparing to invade” Belarus from Poland and “destroy” it.
“If necessary, Putin and I will decide and introduce strategic nuclear weapons here. And they must understand this … We will stop at nothing, protecting our countries, our states and their peoples,” the Belarusian leader was quoted as saying by state media BELGA.
The two leaders are scheduled to meet next week.
Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told CNN on Monday that Russia’s decision to station tactical nuclear weapons in its neighbor “aims to subjugate Belarus.”
“We are not a nuclear country and we don’t want to deploy nuclear weapons in our state,” she said, adding that the decision violates Belarus’ constitution.
Belarus is one of Russia’s few allies in its war on Ukraine. While the country’s military isn’t directly involved in the fighting, Belarus helped Russia launch its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, allowing the Kremlin’s troops to enter the country from its territory.
Putin said last week that Moscow has already transferred an Iskander short-range missile system to Belarus. The device can be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads. However, the Russian leader said he would not transfer control of the tactical nuclear weapons to Lukashenko, likening the move to Washington’s practice of stationing nuclear weapons in Europe to keep host countries, like Germany, from breaking their commitments as non-nuclear powers.
“Our converted planes can also carry a nuclear warhead. You heard from the president of Russia about joint plans to create the appropriate infrastructure on the territory of Belarus. I just want to clarify: The entire infrastructure has been created and is ready,” Lukashenko said.
Lukashenko said that Minsk and Moscow would make “every effort and use the means to ensure their sovereignty and independence.” He specifically accused Poland and its “zealous” Western neighbors of building up the “formation of certain regiments, banners, legions” for a “subsequent coup in Belarus.”
Speaking to the nation on state TV, Lukashenko also called for the freezing of “hostilities” in Ukraine.
“It is necessary to stop hostilities and declare a truce that prohibits both sides from moving groups of troops and from transferring weapons, ammunition, manpower, and equipment. All stopped, frozen,” Lukashenko said.
However, both Russia and Ukraine immediately rejected the proposal.
Senior Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said there cannot be a ceasefire while Russian forces continue to occupy Ukrainian territory.
“Any ceasefire will mean [the Russian Federation’s] right to stay in the occupied territories. This is totally inadmissible,” Podolyak said.
The Kremlin also ruled out the proposal on Friday. “In the context of Ukraine, nothing changes. The special military operation continues because at the moment it is the only way to achieve the goals that our country faces,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a regular call with journalists, referring to the invasion by the Russian propaganda phrase.
But while he called for a truce, Lukashenko added a warning to the West that Moscow would be obliged to use the “full power of its military-industrial complex and the army to prevent the escalation of the conflict – phosphorus ammunition, non-depleted uranium, and enriched uranium – everything must go into action if there is deception and even the slightest movement across the border of Ukraine is noticed.”
by tyler | Mar 31, 2023 | CNN, europe
Turkey has finally approved Finland’s application to join NATO, putting an end to months of delays while also continuing to block Sweden from joining the military alliance.
The Turkish Parliament voted unanimously in favor of Finland’s membership on Thursday, clearing the last hurdle in the accession process.
The vote fulfills Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “promise” to allow Finland in the defense alliance. Turkey was the last NATO member to approve Finland’s accession, although Hungary only did so on Monday.
In a statement after the vote, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said his country is “now ready to join NATO.”
“All 30 NATO members have now ratified Finland’s membership. I want to thank every one of them for their trust and support,” he also said. “Finland will be a strong and capable ally, committed to the security of the Alliance.”
“We look forward to welcoming Sweden to join us as soon as possible,” the Finnish president added.
Jens Stoltenbeg, Secretary General of NATO, said Friday that Finland would formally join the alliance in the “coming days.”
“Finland will bring a lot to our Alliance,” he added.
Although Stoltenberg was optimistic about Sweden’s chances of joining the alliance, tweeting that ratification was “in everyone’s interest” Turkey has not indicated whether it will approve Sweden’s NATO membership.
Finland and Sweden had for decades committed to non-alignment with NATO as a way of avoiding provoking Moscow. However, that changed when the Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine and forced the two Scandinavian countries to re-evaluate their neutral status.
An overwhelming majority of NATO members welcomed their applications, approving them within weeks. But two countries – Turkey and Hungary – began to stall the process.
NATO has an open-door policy, meaning that any country can be invited to join if it expresses an interest, as long as it is able and willing to uphold the principles of the bloc’s founding treaty. However, under the accession rules, any member state can veto a new country from joining.
Erdogan accused Finland and Sweden of housing Kurdish “terrorist organizations,” while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed they were spreading “outright lies” about his country’s rule of law record.
Turkey and Hungary later softened their stance on Finland’s accession, opening the door to its membership earlier this month. However, they remain opposed to Sweden joining – at least for now.
The Hungarian Parliament voted 182 to six in favor of Finland’s application on Monday. On Wednesday, Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said there was “an ample amount of grievances that need to be addressed” before Sweden’s bid to join NATO would be ratified by the country.
Writing in a blog, Kovács said that relations between the two countries “have been worn down over years,” which he said makes “bridging the gap more challenging.”
“We see the need to clear the air with Sweden in order to proceed,” he added.
Turkey too appears steadfast in its opposition to Sweden’s membership. Erdoğan has previously said Turkey would not approve Sweden’s NATO membership unless the country extradites “terrorists” upon Turkish request. Sweden has made clear this won’t happen and for now, the process is stuck.
Turkey is a powerful NATO member, with the bloc’s second-largest military after the United States. Its location at the southeastern flank of the alliance makes it a strategically important member. It acts as a buffer between the West and a swathe of Middle Eastern nations with a history of political instability, and where Western states have major interests. The fact it joined the alliance in 1952, just three years after its founding, adds to its clout.
However, the country has become a bit of a troublesome member under Erdogan’s leadership.
Erdogan has disagreed with NATO allies on a number of issues, including Syria and Libya, and opposed the appointment of Denmark’s Anders Fogh Rasmussen as head of NATO, until then-US President Barack Obama pledged that one of Rasmussen’s deputies would be a Turk.
But Turkey has also benefited from its membership in the alliance, both in terms of security and political influence.
by tyler | Mar 31, 2023 | CNN, europe
A convicted murderer who was allowed to leave prison in Russia to join the Wagner private military company and fight in Ukraine was arrested within days of returning home on suspicion of killing an elderly woman.
Ivan Rossomakhin was already a repeat-offender when he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for murder in 2020. He was released last year after signing up to fight for Wagner.
Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has recruited heavily from Russian prisons, with inmates such as Rossomakhin promised a pardon and other benefits in exchange for a contract.
Rossomakhin did an indeterminate stint with Wagner in Ukraine – the normal contract is for six months – before returning to his home town of Novyj Burets in the Kirov region this month.
Almost immediately, according to local accounts, there was trouble. He was placed under arrest for five days after making a number of threats.
His presence led to a town hall meeting on Monday, which was filmed by a local TV channel.
One resident, Galina Sapozhnikova, said Rossomakhin was seen holding a pitchfork, an ax and a knife, threatening to kill everyone.
The District Police Chief Vadim Varankin told the meeting that Rossomakhin was a “known troublemaker” and was being dealt with.
But before that could happen, an elderly woman in the town was murdered. Rossomakhin was arrested on suspicion of carrying out the crime but has not been formally charged.
Prigozhin himself has commented on the case, saying that his company is willing to assist law enforcement in relation to any of its former fighters.
“If a person is behaving aggressively or provocatively or if there is any risk, especially if he is from the category of former prisoners, you need to let us know. We will send our recruiting group, carefully collect him and send him back to the front, to the place where he should take out his aggression,” he said.
Prigozhin said would no longer recruit convicts in February. However, it appears that the recruitment drive in prisons continued under the Russian Ministry of Defense. CNN has spoken to several fighters who said they were directly employed by the ministry.
Wagner is known for its ruthless tactics, and for showing little regard for the lives of its own soldiers.
The private military was founded in 2014, and has been accused of war crimes in Africa, Syria and Ukraine.
A former Wagner mercenary who escaped to Norway spoke to CNN about the brutality he witnessed among Wagner fighters in Ukraine.
“They would round up those who did not want to fight and shoot them in front of newcomers,” he alleged. “They brought two prisoners who refused to go fight and they shot them in front of everyone and buried them right in the trenches that were dug by the trainees.”
Wagner has played a key role in the Ukraine war and raised the profile of the formerly shadowy Prigozhin.
Wagner fighters were heavily involved in taking Soledar in eastern Ukraine in January, the first Russian military gains in months.
But there’s also been tension between Wagner and the Russian Ministry of Defense, who had publicized competing claims about their roles in the fight.
Prigozhin has openly criticized Russian military leadership, even going as far as blaming his fighters deaths on the officials’ inability to secure enough ammunition.
by tyler | Mar 30, 2023 | CNN, europe
Pope Francis will be hospitalized for “a few days” for the treatment of a respiratory infection, the Vatican said on Wednesday, raising concerns over the health of the 86-year-old pontiff.
“In recent days Pope Francis complained of some respiratory difficulties and this afternoon he went to Policlinico A. Gemelli for some medical checks,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement, referring to the Rome hospital where popes are normally treated. “The outcome of these [tests] showed a respiratory infection (excluding Covid-19 infection) that will require a few days of appropriate hospital medical therapy.”
“Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer,” Bruni added.
After his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Francis was taken to the hospital to undergo a number of tests. Earlier in the day, the Vatican had said that the visit and tests were planned.
“The Holy Father has been at Gemelli since this afternoon for some previously scheduled tests,” Bruni had said.
Shortly after, he said that Francis’ schedule for Thursday had been cleared “to make space for the continuation of tests should that be necessary.”
Vatican sources told CNN Thursday that Pope Francis “slept well” during his first night in the hospital. The Vatican was expected to give a further update on the pontiff’s condition.
The Church of Rome also expressed “all its closeness and affection to its Bishop Pope Francis, and ensures its unceasing prayers, wishing him a speedy recovery,” it said in a statement on Thursday.
Bishops in churches across Italy are praying for Francis’ speedy recovery, the Presidency of the Italian Episcopal Conference, on behalf of the Italian bishops, said in a statement on Wednesday.
“In wishing the Holy Father a speedy recovery, the Presidency entrusts to the Lord the doctors and medical staff who, with professionalism and dedication, care for him and all patients,” it added.
The pontiff – who as a young man suffered from severe pneumonia and had part of a lung removed – has had a recent history of medical issues.
He has often been seen with a walking stick and sometimes uses a wheelchair due to pain in his right knee. Last year, he canceled a trip to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan after doctors said he might also have to miss a later trip to Canada unless he agreed to have 20 more days of therapy and rest for his knee. He ultimately went to the DRC and South Sudan in February.
Francis also suffers from diverticulitis, a common condition that can cause the inflammation or infection of the colon. In 2021, he had surgery to remove part of his colon.
In December, Francis revealed that he had already signed his resignation letter to be used in the event of him becoming “impaired.” Francis made the comment in an interview with Spanish news outlet ABC when asked what would happen if a pope is suddenly rendered unable to perform his duties due to health issues or an accident.
Francis said he wrote the letter several years ago and gave it to then-Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who resigned in 2013.
“I have already signed my renunciation. The Secretary of State at the time was Tarcisio Bertone. I signed it and said: ‘If I should become impaired for medical reasons or whatever, here is my renunciation,’” Francis was quoted as saying, adding that this was the first time he had spoken publicly about the letter’s existence.
Francis said past pontiffs Paul VI and Pious XII had also drafted their letters of renunciation in the event of a permanent impairment.
In 2013, Francis’ immediate predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, made the almost unprecedented decision to resign from his position, citing “advanced age” as the reason and startling the Catholic world.
It marked the first time a pope had stepped down in nearly 600 years. The last pope to step down before his death was Gregory XII, who in 1415 quit to end a civil war within the church in which more than one man claimed to be pope.
This is a developing story …
by tyler | Mar 30, 2023 | CNN, europe
King Charles III on Thursday became the first British monarch to address the Bundestag, the German parliament, paying tribute to the deep historical bonds and longstanding ties between the two nations.
The British sovereign is in Germany on the inaugural state visit of his reign with the Queen Consort until Friday.
Alternating between German and English, Charles said it was a “great honor” to be addressing the Bundestag on Thursday, adding he was proud to be in Berlin to “renew the special bond of friendship between our two countries.”
He said the friendship between the two nations “meant so much to my beloved mother,” who spoke often of her visits to the country.
Charles discussed the war in Ukraine, and praised the countries’ support of Kyiv.
“Countless lives have been destroyed; freedom and human dignity have been trampled in the most brutal way. The security of Europe has been threatened, together with our democratic values,” he said. “Even as we abhor the appalling scenes of destruction, we can take heart from our unity – in defense of Ukraine, of peace and freedom.”
The monarch’s speech also touched on cultural connections, technology and even soccer – referencing England women’s football team’s 2-1 win against Germany at Euro 2022.
“In the long and remarkable story of our two countries, there are many chapters yet unwritten. Let us fill these with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow. The legacy of our past, and the great promise of our future, demand nothing less,” he concluded, before receiving a standing ovation which lasted nearly two minutes.
Earlier on Thursday morning, King Charles met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Following his address at the Reichstag, the King will visit a refugee center supporting Ukrainians displaced by the war.
It was a grand entrance for King Charles and Camilla when they arrived in Germany on Wednesday afternoon with a 21-gun salute and a flypast.
It was a day of many firsts. Even before landing, the royal couple’s plane was escorted by two Typhoon fighter jets as it entered German airspace in an unprecedented sign of respect.
After touching down, King Charles became the first head of state to be greeted with a full ceremonial welcome at Berlin’s famous Brandenburg Gate – a symbol of the country’s division during the Cold War and subsequent reunification.
Despite the overcast spring weather, hundreds of well-wishers turned out in the historic Pariser Platz, waving German and British flags. They were rewarded with a walkabout after King Charles and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier inspected a guard of honor in the shadow of the monument.
The three-day trip is Charles’s 29th official visit to Germany, though he has traveled to the country on more than 40 occasions. The British government will be hoping the trip helps reinforce relations with European allies following its departure from the European Union.
President Steinmeier referenced Brexit during a speech at a lavish state banquet hosted in King Charles and Camilla’s honor on Wednesday night.
“Back then many feared that Brexit could make the Germans and the British drift apart. However, this did not happen. Too strong are the ties between our countries, too close the friendships between our people, too precious the reconciliation efforts after two World Wars,” Steinmeier said.
He called Charles’ decision to visit Germany on his first foreign trip as King a “highly symbolic visit” and a “tremendous personal gesture.”
In his own toast, delivered in a mix of German and English, King Charles vowed to “do all I can to strengthen the connections between us.”
On Friday, the King and Queen Consort will travel to Hamburg, where they will visit St. Nikolai Memorial, a church that was heavily damaged by Allied bombing during World War II. While there, the King and German president will lay wreaths as part of a short remembrance ceremony.
