Russian billionaire pleads for sanctions relief after criticizing war: FT
Arkady Volozh, billionaire and co-founder of Yandex, speaks during a panel session at the annual VTB Capital “Russia Calling” Forum in Moscow, Russia, on Nov. 20, 2019.
Andrey Rudakov | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Russian billionaire Arkady Volozh, the co-founder of social media and tech company Yandex, appealed via his lawyers to have EU sanctions against him lifted shortly after openly condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Financial Times reported.
“Lawyers for Volozh petitioned the EU to repeal the measures days after Volozh condemned Vladimir Putin’s ‘barbaric’ invasion of Ukraine, according to people familiar with the move. The request will be discussed by EU officials next month,” the FT wrote Sunday.
In a statement published on Aug. 10 by Russian independent website The Bell, Volozh said: “I am categorically against Russia’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine.”
He said he was horrified that the “homes of Ukrainians are being bombed every day, adding that he understood that he also shared “responsibility for the country’s actions.” Access to The Bell in Russia was blocked by Moscow in February.
The Yandex search engine is often dubbed as Russia’s Google. It came under European sanctions in the months following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine for what the EU said was its role in “promoting state media and narratives in its search results” and removing “content related to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.” Volozh resigned from Yandex shortly after that.
— Natasha Turak
Ukraine says its forces liberated southeastern village of Robotyne
Ukrainian forces have retaken the southeastern settlement of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar told national television on Monday.
“Offensive operations are ongoing in the southern region. Robotyne has been liberated. And our troops are moving further south-east of Robotyne and south of Mala Tokmachka,” Maliar said according to an English translation by Ukrainian state news outlet Ukrinform. CNBC could not independently verify details on the ground.
Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, along with three other eastern regions, in late September of 2022. Ukraine’s counteroffensive is attempting to take back as much of that territory as possible, though progress is slow.
— Natasha Turak
Russian air defense shoots down drones approaching Moscow and western border region, officials say
Russian defense forces shot down drones approaching Moscow and flying over the country’s western border region of Bryansk, officials reported.
“Today the Air Defense Troops destroyed a drone flying towards Moscow in the Lyubertsy area. For the time being, there are no casualties and no destruction. Emergency services are working at the scene of the incident,” Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin wrote on his Telegram channel, according to an English translation provided by Russian state news agency Tass.
Russia’s Defense Ministry earlier in the morning reported that air defenses also took down two drones flying over Bryansk, a region that has had numerous drone incursions in the past several weeks.
Moscow calls the attacks acts of “terrorism” from Ukraine. Kyiv has not officially commented.
— Natasha Turak
Putin expected to meet with Turkey’s Erdogan soon, Kremlin says
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) with Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) in October 2022.
Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to hold in-person talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan soon, as Ankara seeks to mediate a return to the Black Sea grain deal that Moscow exited last month.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday in a briefing with reporters that the time and location of the meeting is currently being finalized.
“We usually synchronize announcements of such visits with our partner countries. We will announce shortly when and where it will take place. The meeting is being prepared, and is being prepared very thoroughly,” he said, in comments reported by Reuters.
— Karen Gilchrist
Speculation that Putin killed Prigozhin is an ‘absolute lie,’ Kremlin says
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that an investigation into Wednesday’s plane crash that President Vladimir Putin said had killed Prigozhin was ongoing, according to a Reuters translation of a call with reporters.
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The Kremlin on Friday rejected what it said was Western “speculation” that Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin had been killed on its orders, calling it an “absolute lie.”
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that an investigation into Wednesday’s plane crash that President Vladimir Putin said had killed Prigozhin was ongoing, according to a Reuters translation of a call with reporters.
Peskov added that it’s impossible to say whether Putin would attend the funeral of Prigozhin, citing the president’s “very full schedule.”
— Karen Gilchrist
