Prigozhin is confirmed dead. What happened to Putin’s other rivals?
Some of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foes, among them journalists and opposition politicians, have died or fallen ill in suspicious circumstances after opposing the Russian leader.
In the latest case, on Aug. 23, Yevgeniy Prigozhin — the head of the guns-for-hire Wagner Group and Putin’s longtime ally turned foe — was killed, along with the three crew members and six other passengers on board, when a private jet flying north of Moscow crashed.
Russian authorities confirmed Sunday that Prigozhin was killed in the crash, citing DNA testing. The cause of the crash remains unclear.
Here are some Putin foes who suffered suspicious fates.
Some of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foes, among them journalists and opposition politicians, have died or fallen ill in suspicious circumstances after opposing the Russian leader.
In the latest case, on Aug. 23, Yevgeniy Prigozhin — the head of the guns-for-hire Wagner Group and Putin’s longtime ally turned foe — was killed, along with the three crew members and six other passengers on board, when a private jet flying north of Moscow crashed.
Russian authorities confirmed Sunday that Prigozhin was killed in the crash, citing DNA testing. The cause of the crash remains unclear.
Here are some Putin foes who suffered suspicious fates.
Russia says it will question U.S. diplomats about former consulate worker
Russia’s Federal Security Service, the FSB, said that it planned to interrogate two U.S. diplomats after accusing them of directing a former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok to gather information about Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Robert Shonov is a Russian citizen who had worked at the consulate, in Russia’s Far East, for more than 25 years. The FSB has charged Shonov with “cooperation on a confidential basis with a foreign state,” a crime publishable by up to eight years in prison.
The FSB accused Shonov of working alongside the two U.S. diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, whom it identified as Jeffrey Sillin and David Bernstein, since last September, “gathering information about the special military operation, mobilization processes in Russian regions, problems and the assessment of their influence on protest activities of the population in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.”
Read the full story here.
Russia’s Federal Security Service, the FSB, said that it planned to interrogate two U.S. diplomats after accusing them of directing a former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok to gather information about Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Robert Shonov is a Russian citizen who had worked at the consulate, in Russia’s Far East, for more than 25 years. The FSB has charged Shonov with “cooperation on a confidential basis with a foreign state,” a crime publishable by up to eight years in prison.
The FSB accused Shonov of working alongside the two U.S. diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, whom it identified as Jeffrey Sillin and David Bernstein, since last September, “gathering information about the special military operation, mobilization processes in Russian regions, problems and the assessment of their influence on protest activities of the population in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.”
Read the full story here.
Wagner chief Prigozhin is buried in secret as Kremlin seeks to avoid unrest
RIGA, Latvia — Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin was buried in an unusually secret ceremony in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, with his press service announcing that the event was closed to outsiders, after a series of hearses and funeral cortèges laid false trails at several local cemeteries and other locations tracked throughout the day by local journalists.
Prigozhin’s press service said in a brief statement that the last rites for Prigozhin were held in secret on Tuesday without offering details of the time and location, or providing photographs of the event — perhaps a fitting final chapter to a secretive life of disguises, clandestine security arrangements, diversions to conceal travel plans, duplicate passports and body doubles.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin was buried in an unusually secret ceremony in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, with his press service announcing that the event was closed to outsiders, after a series of hearses and funeral cortèges laid false trails at several local cemeteries and other locations tracked throughout the day by local journalists.
Prigozhin’s press service said in a brief statement that the last rites for Prigozhin were held in secret on Tuesday without offering details of the time and location, or providing photographs of the event — perhaps a fitting final chapter to a secretive life of disguises, clandestine security arrangements, diversions to conceal travel plans, duplicate passports and body doubles.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Wagner Group boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin was buried, without any public display or pomp, on Tuesday in a cemetery in St. Petersburg, local media outlets reported.
- Pope Francis drew criticism, including from Ukraine’s government, for off-the-cuff remarks he made to Russian Catholic youths over the weekend exalting the country’s cultural history. ”
- The United States announced an additional support package worth some $250 million to bolster Ukraine’s security and defense.
- Poland and the three Baltic countries called on Belarus to expel Russia’s Wagner Group over border security concerns.
- The United Nations said it has recorded 9,511 confirmed civilian deaths in Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022 but noted that its count is incomplete and that “the actual figures are considerably higher.”
More live updates here.
- Wagner Group boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin was buried, without any public display or pomp, on Tuesday in a cemetery in St. Petersburg, local media outlets reported.
- Pope Francis drew criticism, including from Ukraine’s government, for off-the-cuff remarks he made to Russian Catholic youths over the weekend exalting the country’s cultural history. ”
- The United States announced an additional support package worth some $250 million to bolster Ukraine’s security and defense.
- Poland and the three Baltic countries called on Belarus to expel Russia’s Wagner Group over border security concerns.
- The United Nations said it has recorded 9,511 confirmed civilian deaths in Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022 but noted that its count is incomplete and that “the actual figures are considerably higher.”
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- At least two people were killed in Kyiv as the Ukrainian capital was hit by a deluge of drone attacks and missile strikes early Wednesday, according to city officials.
- Russia said it thwarted other drone attacks within its borders early Wednesday. Its Defense Ministry said it shot down at least four drones, including one over Kaluga, one over a district in the Moscow region and two in Ryazan.
- Four Il-76 military transport planes were damaged in an attack on a military airfield in Pskov, Russia, near the border with Estonia and Latvia, the Russian state news agency Tass reported. The attack caused a large fire at the airfield, regional governor Mikhail Vedernikov said.
- Russia destroyed four Ukrainian military speedboats in the Black Sea, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. A naval plane in the country’s Black Sea Fleet carried out the attack around midnight Moscow time on Wednesday, it said.
More live updates here.
- At least two people were killed in Kyiv as the Ukrainian capital was hit by a deluge of drone attacks and missile strikes early Wednesday, according to city officials.
- Russia said it thwarted other drone attacks within its borders early Wednesday. Its Defense Ministry said it shot down at least four drones, including one over Kaluga, one over a district in the Moscow region and two in Ryazan.
- Four Il-76 military transport planes were damaged in an attack on a military airfield in Pskov, Russia, near the border with Estonia and Latvia, the Russian state news agency Tass reported. The attack caused a large fire at the airfield, regional governor Mikhail Vedernikov said.
- Russia destroyed four Ukrainian military speedboats in the Black Sea, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. A naval plane in the country’s Black Sea Fleet carried out the attack around midnight Moscow time on Wednesday, it said.
More live updates here.
Putin struggles with falling ruble, rising prices as sanctions bite
LONDON — When Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed top economic officials last week after a bruising month in which the Russian ruble plummeted to a 16-month low against the U.S. dollar, the Russian president sought to set a confident tone. The Russian economy, he said, was growing again and wages were rising.
But despite the show of bravado, Putin could not avoid mentioning a growing weakness that is stalking the economy as Western sanctions bite ever deeper, and one that has been exacerbated by the ruble’s plunge.
“Objective data shows that inflationary risks are increasing, and the task of reining in price growth is now the number one priority,” Putin said, with a note of tension in his voice. “I ask my colleagues in the government and the Central Bank to keep the situation under constant control.”
Read the full story here.
LONDON — When Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed top economic officials last week after a bruising month in which the Russian ruble plummeted to a 16-month low against the U.S. dollar, the Russian president sought to set a confident tone. The Russian economy, he said, was growing again and wages were rising.
But despite the show of bravado, Putin could not avoid mentioning a growing weakness that is stalking the economy as Western sanctions bite ever deeper, and one that has been exacerbated by the ruble’s plunge.
“Objective data shows that inflationary risks are increasing, and the task of reining in price growth is now the number one priority,” Putin said, with a note of tension in his voice. “I ask my colleagues in the government and the Central Bank to keep the situation under constant control.”
Read the full story here.
Drone strikes hit military aircraft deep inside Russia
RIGA, Latvia — Drone strikes overnight hit at least six Russian cities, including Pskov, more than 370 miles from Ukraine, where an attack on the military and civilian airport destroyed two Il-76 cargo planes and damaged four others, according to Baza, a Russian media outlet with links to the country’s law enforcement.
The overnight swarm of drones, presumed to have been launched by Ukraine, temporarily forced some of Russia’s biggest airports to halt operations and left soldiers firing at the unpiloted aerial vehicles with small arms, demonstrating the ability of Kyiv or its proxies to attack deep within Russian territory. The airstrikes were the largest by Kyiv since President Vladimir Putin ordered his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — Drone strikes overnight hit at least six Russian cities, including Pskov, more than 370 miles from Ukraine, where an attack on the military and civilian airport destroyed two Il-76 cargo planes and damaged four others, according to Baza, a Russian media outlet with links to the country’s law enforcement.
The overnight swarm of drones, presumed to have been launched by Ukraine, temporarily forced some of Russia’s biggest airports to halt operations and left soldiers firing at the unpiloted aerial vehicles with small arms, demonstrating the ability of Kyiv or its proxies to attack deep within Russian territory. The airstrikes were the largest by Kyiv since President Vladimir Putin ordered his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- A deluge of drones and missiles struck the Ukrainian capital early Wednesday, damaging buildings but causing relatively few casualties, according to city officials.
- The Kyiv drone attacks killed two people, ages 26 and 36, according to Kyiv’s military administration, and injured and hospitalized two others, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Wednesday on Telegram.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry said civilian infrastructure was targeted in at least six Russian regions that faced drone attacks overnight.
- Russia said it destroyed four Ukrainian military speedboats in the Black Sea carrying up to 50 paratroopers.
- The Kremlin said a Russian investigation was underway into the plane crash that killed Wagner Group chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin.
- Ukrainian forces made advances in southern and eastern Ukraine, according to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War, which cited geolocated footage.
More live updates here.
- A deluge of drones and missiles struck the Ukrainian capital early Wednesday, damaging buildings but causing relatively few casualties, according to city officials.
- The Kyiv drone attacks killed two people, ages 26 and 36, according to Kyiv’s military administration, and injured and hospitalized two others, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Wednesday on Telegram.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry said civilian infrastructure was targeted in at least six Russian regions that faced drone attacks overnight.
- Russia said it destroyed four Ukrainian military speedboats in the Black Sea carrying up to 50 paratroopers.
- The Kremlin said a Russian investigation was underway into the plane crash that killed Wagner Group chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin.
- Ukrainian forces made advances in southern and eastern Ukraine, according to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War, which cited geolocated footage.
More live updates here.
He pleaded for F-16s for Ukraine but died in a crash before he could fly one
KYIV — The young Ukrainian pilot, Andrii “Juice” Pilshchikov, was scheduled to take an English exam that would have allowed him to begin his long-awaited training on U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets.
For more than a year, Pilshchikov, 30, had lobbied Washington to send the modern planes to Ukraine, even meeting U.S. senators to explain how F-16s could turn the tide in the war against Russia. In those planes’ absence, he flew Soviet-era MiG-29s, which he said in an interview with The Washington Post last year reduced Ukrainians to “just targets” for the Russians.
But before Pilshchikov had the chance to take the test, he and two other Ukrainian pilots — Viacheslav Minka and Serhiy Prokazin — were killed last week when two L-39 training jets collided in northwestern Ukraine in what the Ukrainian Air Force described as an accident during a combat mission.
Read the full story here.
KYIV — The young Ukrainian pilot, Andrii “Juice” Pilshchikov, was scheduled to take an English exam that would have allowed him to begin his long-awaited training on U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets.
For more than a year, Pilshchikov, 30, had lobbied Washington to send the modern planes to Ukraine, even meeting U.S. senators to explain how F-16s could turn the tide in the war against Russia. In those planes’ absence, he flew Soviet-era MiG-29s, which he said in an interview with The Washington Post last year reduced Ukrainians to “just targets” for the Russians.
But before Pilshchikov had the chance to take the test, he and two other Ukrainian pilots — Viacheslav Minka and Serhiy Prokazin — were killed last week when two L-39 training jets collided in northwestern Ukraine in what the Ukrainian Air Force described as an accident during a combat mission.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Russia and North Korea are “actively advancing” negotiations for weapons that would be used in the war in Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said at a news conference.
- In Russia, the funeral of a prominent Wagner Group commander, Dmitry Utkin, took place Thursday, independent Russian media reported.
- Ukraine is investigating its military medical commissions for corruption after finding that some branches accepted bribes in exchange for falsified health documents that made men ineligible for the military draft.
- Russia will discuss an alternative to the Black Sea grain deal with Turkey this week, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to “one of the most disruptive periods in decades for global food security,” according to a report from the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
More live updates here.
- Russia and North Korea are “actively advancing” negotiations for weapons that would be used in the war in Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said at a news conference.
- In Russia, the funeral of a prominent Wagner Group commander, Dmitry Utkin, took place Thursday, independent Russian media reported.
- Ukraine is investigating its military medical commissions for corruption after finding that some branches accepted bribes in exchange for falsified health documents that made men ineligible for the military draft.
- Russia will discuss an alternative to the Black Sea grain deal with Turkey this week, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to “one of the most disruptive periods in decades for global food security,” according to a report from the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
More live updates here.
Ukraine objects after Russia and Belarus invited back to Nobel ceremonies
Ambassadors of Russia and its ally Belarus will be invited back to the Nobel Prize ceremonies, a decision that has drawn criticism from Kyiv after the two countries were left out last year because of the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine.
The Nobel Foundation said ambassadors from all countries that are diplomatically represented in Sweden and Norway will be invited to the award ceremonies this year. Ceremonies are held in Stockholm and Oslo.
“The achievements recognized by the Nobel Prize require openness, exchange and dialogue between people and nations,” the foundation said in a statement, adding that it “would like to reach out with this message to everyone, even to those who do not share the values of the Nobel Prize.”
Read the full story here.
Ambassadors of Russia and its ally Belarus will be invited back to the Nobel Prize ceremonies, a decision that has drawn criticism from Kyiv after the two countries were left out last year because of the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine.
The Nobel Foundation said ambassadors from all countries that are diplomatically represented in Sweden and Norway will be invited to the award ceremonies this year. Ceremonies are held in Stockholm and Oslo.
“The achievements recognized by the Nobel Prize require openness, exchange and dialogue between people and nations,” the foundation said in a statement, adding that it “would like to reach out with this message to everyone, even to those who do not share the values of the Nobel Prize.”
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- White House Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Friday that Ukraine has achieved “notable progress” in recent days in its counteroffensive to retake territory in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.
- The head of Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, said that Moscow’s new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile had after months of delay been put on combat alert.
- Zelensky said Kyiv’s new long-range weapons were produced by the Ministry of Strategic Industries and, according to Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, have been under development since 2020.
- Moscow’s mayor reported early Friday that drones were shot down outside the city.
- A Russian missile hit a private enterprise in the central Ukrainian region of Vinnytsia overnight, according to a local official.
- Russia has created an underwater barrier of submerged ships and floating barriers to prevent attacks on the Crimean Bridge, the British Defense Ministry said Friday.
More live updates here.
- White House Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Friday that Ukraine has achieved “notable progress” in recent days in its counteroffensive to retake territory in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.
- The head of Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, said that Moscow’s new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile had after months of delay been put on combat alert.
- Zelensky said Kyiv’s new long-range weapons were produced by the Ministry of Strategic Industries and, according to Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, have been under development since 2020.
- Moscow’s mayor reported early Friday that drones were shot down outside the city.
- A Russian missile hit a private enterprise in the central Ukrainian region of Vinnytsia overnight, according to a local official.
- Russia has created an underwater barrier of submerged ships and floating barriers to prevent attacks on the Crimean Bridge, the British Defense Ministry said Friday.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The Sarmat missile does not pose a significant threat to the United States, the Pentagon said in April last year after the Kremlin successfully test launched it. NATO has dubbed the weapon “Satan 2.”
- Kirby told reporters Friday that Kyiv’s forces “have achieved some success along that second line of Russian defenses,” but “it is not beyond the realm of the possible that Russia will react” to Ukraine’s push.
- Moscow on Friday designated Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov a “foreign agent,” a label used to harass human rights organizations and journalists in Russia.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that more than 3.7 million children started the new school year Friday, most of whom were in Ukraine.
- Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed early Saturday it had repelled three attempts to attack the Crimean Bridge using drones.
More live updates here.
- The Sarmat missile does not pose a significant threat to the United States, the Pentagon said in April last year after the Kremlin successfully test launched it. NATO has dubbed the weapon “Satan 2.”
- Kirby told reporters Friday that Kyiv’s forces “have achieved some success along that second line of Russian defenses,” but “it is not beyond the realm of the possible that Russia will react” to Ukraine’s push.
- Moscow on Friday designated Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov a “foreign agent,” a label used to harass human rights organizations and journalists in Russia.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that more than 3.7 million children started the new school year Friday, most of whom were in Ukraine.
- Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed early Saturday it had repelled three attempts to attack the Crimean Bridge using drones.
More live updates here.
Ukraine says it has manufactured and fired a long-range missile
MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials say their military is now using a long-range missile that was designed and manufactured domestically and can reach targets inside Russia — a potentially crucial capability because the United States and other Western supporters have imposed restrictions on using weapons they donate to strike Russian territory.
The development of the Ukrainian missile started well before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a top Ukrainian security official said Friday. Officials have not disclosed the name of the missile.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, posting on the social media platform Telegram, said Ukrainian forces had successfully hit a target 700 kilometers (435 miles) away, using a missile “of our own production.”
Read the full story here.
MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials say their military is now using a long-range missile that was designed and manufactured domestically and can reach targets inside Russia — a potentially crucial capability because the United States and other Western supporters have imposed restrictions on using weapons they donate to strike Russian territory.
The development of the Ukrainian missile started well before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a top Ukrainian security official said Friday. Officials have not disclosed the name of the missile.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, posting on the social media platform Telegram, said Ukrainian forces had successfully hit a target 700 kilometers (435 miles) away, using a missile “of our own production.”
Read the full story here.
Musk’s new Twitter policies helped spread Russian propaganda, EU says
Twitter under Elon Musk ownership has played a major role in allowing Russian propaganda about Ukraine to reach more people than before the war began, according to a year-long study released this week by the European Commission, the governing body of the European Union.
The research found that, despite voluntary commitments to take action against Russian propaganda by the largest social media companies, including Meta, Russian disinformation against Ukraine, thrived. Allowing the disinformation and hate speech to spread without limits would have violated the Digital Services Act, the EU’s social media law, had it been in force last year, the commission study concluded.
“Over the course of 2022, the audience and reach of Kremlin-aligned social media accounts increased substantially all over Europe,” the study found.
Read the full story here.
Twitter under Elon Musk ownership has played a major role in allowing Russian propaganda about Ukraine to reach more people than before the war began, according to a year-long study released this week by the European Commission, the governing body of the European Union.
The research found that, despite voluntary commitments to take action against Russian propaganda by the largest social media companies, including Meta, Russian disinformation against Ukraine, thrived. Allowing the disinformation and hate speech to spread without limits would have violated the Digital Services Act, the EU’s social media law, had it been in force last year, the commission study concluded.
“Over the course of 2022, the audience and reach of Kremlin-aligned social media accounts increased substantially all over Europe,” the study found.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- White House spokesman John Kirby said that the criticism of Kyiv was “not helpful to the overarching effort to make sure that Ukraine can succeed. And they are.”
- Ukraine’s state security service named billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky as a suspect in a fraud and money laundering case, the agency, known as the SBU, announced on Telegram.
- The case against Kolomoisky is based on alleged fraud and laundering of criminally obtained property, the SBU reported.
- The Nobel committee on Saturday reversed its decision to allow Russia and Belarus to attend this year’s Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm.
More live updates here.
- White House spokesman John Kirby said that the criticism of Kyiv was “not helpful to the overarching effort to make sure that Ukraine can succeed. And they are.”
- Ukraine’s state security service named billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky as a suspect in a fraud and money laundering case, the agency, known as the SBU, announced on Telegram.
- The case against Kolomoisky is based on alleged fraud and laundering of criminally obtained property, the SBU reported.
- The Nobel committee on Saturday reversed its decision to allow Russia and Belarus to attend this year’s Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson lauded the Nobel Foundation’s decision to rescind its invitations to Russia and Belarus.
- Kolomoisky is accused of fraud and laundering criminally obtained property, according to Ukraine’s state security service, known as the SBU.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country’s forces were continuing to make progress in their counteroffensive after weeks of a near stalemate.
- About 80 percent of the nearly 13,000 schools operating in Ukraine have shelters to protect from wartime attacks, Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported.
- Two more ships successfully passed through a temporary Black Sea grain corridor, Zelensky said Saturday, bringing the total number of vessels that have done so to four, according to Reuters.
More live updates here.
- Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson lauded the Nobel Foundation’s decision to rescind its invitations to Russia and Belarus.
- Kolomoisky is accused of fraud and laundering criminally obtained property, according to Ukraine’s state security service, known as the SBU.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country’s forces were continuing to make progress in their counteroffensive after weeks of a near stalemate.
- About 80 percent of the nearly 13,000 schools operating in Ukraine have shelters to protect from wartime attacks, Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported.
- Two more ships successfully passed through a temporary Black Sea grain corridor, Zelensky said Saturday, bringing the total number of vessels that have done so to four, according to Reuters.
More live updates here.