Eastern Europe / News

Putin accuses ‘arrogant’ West of risking global war at 2024 Victory Day celebrations

bne IntelliNews May 9, 2024

The West is risking inciting a global conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed during his speech on Red Square at Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations.

Turkey signs LNG deal with US supermajor ExxonMobil placing question mark over Russian gas supplies

bne IntelliNews May 9, 2024

Ankara has ambition to make country an energy supply powerhouse based on re-exports.

Russia hits Ukrainian power facilities in six regions with intense missile attack, imports from EU won't cover winter demand

bne IntelliNews May 9, 2024

Russian forces launched an intense missile attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in six regions on May 8. Half of Ukraine’s power facilities are now out of action to the point where European imports won't cover this winter's demand.

RBI caves into pressure to give up Strabag deal

bne IntelliNews May 8, 2024

US authorities had raised the threat of sanctions, leading the Austrian central bank to warn RBI against the deal.

Ukrainian oligarch Kolomoisky faces life imprisonment for murder

bne IntelliNews May 8, 2024

Igor Kolomoisky, once considered Ukraine’s most influential oligarch and a supporter of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has been charged with an organised murder from over 20 years ago, which carries a penalty of life imprisonment.

New Ukraine funding deal gives EU members opt out on military spending using CBR frozen funds

bne IntelliNews May 7, 2024

Neutral EU member states will be able to opt out of a plan to use profits from Russia’s central bank frozen assets to purchase weapons for Ukraine.

Polish judge shows up in Minsk asking for political asylum

Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw May 7, 2024

Judge Tomasz Szmydt says he is protesting against the actions of the Polish authorities that could potentially lead to military conflict with Belarus and Russia.

Raiffeisen says pressure to cut Russian loanbook will complicate exit

bne IntelliNews May 7, 2024

Austrian lender suspends full-year target numbers after the ECB warning.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry calls on world to reject the legitimacy of Putin’s presidency

Ben Aris in Berlin May 7, 2024

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it does not recognise Vladimir Putin as the democratically elected and legitimate president of Russia the day before he was due to be inaugurated for the fifth time.

Nothing concrete has yet emerged from nuclear plant talks with Russia, says Uzbekistan

Mokhi Sultanova in Tashkent May 6, 2024

Tashkent has received proposals from other countries, though as things stand there are no talks on alternatives to Russian bid, UzAtom director says.

Russia doesn’t like taking a back seat to China in Central Asia trade

Eurasianet May 1, 2024

But domestic economic woes may be slowing Beijing’s exports.

Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian oil refineries cause domestic petrol prices to surge

Ben Aris in Berlin May 1, 2024

Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries are causing a shortage of petrol on the domestic markets and have sent prices at the pump surging in the last few weeks.

Russia is producing weapons at a record pace, and Ukraine’s partners are trying to increase support for Kyiv

Ben Aris in Berlin May 1, 2024

Russia is producing weapons at a record pace, and Ukraine’s partners are trying to increase support. Over the past year, Russia has learned to develop new weapons and ammunition faster than at any time in its modern history.

Lithuanian leaders back sending 29,000 military-age men back to Ukraine

`Linas Jegelevicius in Vilnius April 30, 2024

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte believe that Lithuania should help Ukraine get back its military-age men living abroad.

Top Russian mobile operator MTS announces $86.5mn share buyback

Ben Aris in Berlin April 30, 2024

Russia’s biggest mobile phone operator MTS is offering its international investors whose shares have been trapped in Russia by sanctions an opportunity to sell their shares at a discount and get a return on their investment.

Czech police point to Russia's GRU as investigation into ammunition explosion is shelved

Albin Sybera April 30, 2024

Czech interior minister says that Russia is “transgressing valid international agreements” after it refused to cooperate with Czech authorities on the case.

European banks still in Russia see profits quadruple, pay over €800mn in taxes

bne IntelliNews April 30, 2024

Western banks that have continued operations in Russia paid more than €800mn in taxes last year, marking a fourfold increase from pre-war levels, despite pledges to reduce their exposure following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Putin did not order death of Navalny, US intelligence agencies conclude

bne IntelliNews April 29, 2024

US intelligence agencies do not believe that the death of Alexey Navalny was ordered by President Vladimir Putin, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

Tajikistan protests to Russia over treatment of citizens with 1,000 stranded at Moscow airport

bne IntelliNews April 29, 2024

Central Asians have faced xenophobic backlash since March terror attack allegedly committed by Tajik gunmen.

Startup Defence Builder to build drones and technology requested by the army

Adrien Henni in Barcelona April 29, 2024

Ukraine has witnessed a surge in defence tech innovation initiatives. Defence Builder is a startup accelerator aimed at fostering collaboration between Ukraine’s military, business and startup community to develop technologies requested by the army.

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