CDS Daily brief (12.10.22) | CDS comments on key events

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Humanitarian aspect:

The Ukrainian energy system is functioning normally, and there was no need to ask for emergency help from European neighbors. There is no capacity deficit. The repair work is ongoing. In total, electricity supply has been restored for almost 4,000 towns and villages and millions of consumers, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. He stressed that Ukraine was ready for the fact that Russia would try to destroy critical infrastructure facilities, and various response scenarios had been developed.

Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan said that the court would investigate the Russian massive missile attack on Ukraine on October 10. He stressed that international law would ensure that the perpetrators are punished. “We have to be there to get to the truth,” he said.

A special tribunal is being created in the Hague to try Putin and the political leadership of Russia, Current Time TV reported. The tribunal is being formed at the request of Ukraine and will involve the best international lawyers. They [political leadership] will be tried for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The court will be able to start work in about a year.

Russian forces continue targeting Ukrainian critical infrastructure. In particular, the head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, Valentyn Reznichenko, said that this morning, the Russian military hit the energy infrastructure in the Kamianka district. There was a large fire and significant damage. The head of the Sumy Administration, Dmytro Zhyvytsky, reported two hits on energy infrastructure in Sumy and Shostka districts, leading to power outages.

Russia continues to terrorize peaceful residents in Ukraine. The authorities of seven central Ukraine regions, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Kirovograd, Poltava, Chernihiv and Cherkasy, reported on Wednesday about air raids, missile strikes and the operation of air defense systems. The Russian forces shelled the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with Grad MLRS and heavy artillery all night long. Three people were injured in Nikopol, including a 6-year-old girl who had to have both her legs amputated. Doctors assess the condition of the wounded as serious. At least 7 civilians were killed and 8 wounded as a result of the morning shelling of Avdiyivka, Donetsk Oblast, where the Russians struck the busy central market.

More than 70 people have died in Zaporizhzhia since September 30 due to Russian attacks, and hundreds of the city residents have been injured, the head of the Zaporizhia Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Starukh, said. “All the missiles that hit the city are precision-guided missiles. They fly where they were directed”, Starukh stressed.

Ukraine will need $17 billion to restore critical infrastructure, destroyed homes and schools, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

During an additional inspection, prosecutors of the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor’s Office discovered the body of the 25th victim, who died as a result of a Russian shooting into the civilian caravan on September 25. A 75-year-old woman crawled about 200 meters away from the place and died in the nearby forest strip.

Occupied territories

The Russian Federal Security Service reported that a total of 8 people were detained in connection with the Kerch Strait Bridge exposition. There are five citizens of Russia, three citizens of Ukraine and Armenia. The organizer, the Russians believe, was Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence and its head, Kyrylo Budanov. Russian propagandist Volodymyr Solovyov has already called Kyrylo Budanov “target No. 1” in his Telegram channel.

Russian special service personnel received evacuation plans in all temporarily occupied territories, particularly in Crimea, where many officers are stationed. According to Ukraine’s Center of National Resistance, the families of the Ukrainian nationals who agreed to cooperate with the occupying authorities, “leaders” of the districts, and the top military leaders have already begun to leave the temporarily occupied territories.

The Russian occupiers almost completely blocked the departure of Ukrainians from the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast after Russia signed the “document” on the accession of this region. Over the past day, about 60 people left. In addition, it is known that the Russians abducted at least 529 people in the region, reported the head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, Oleksandr Starukh.

The head of Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, said that several units of the Zaporizhzhia NPP stolen from Ukraine are planned to be converted to Russian fuel. They currently run on fuel from the American electrical company Westinghouse. However, the timing of the move was not announced.

Operational situation

(please note that this part of the report is on the previous day’s (Oct 11) developments)

It is the 231st day of the strategic air-ground offensive operation of the Russian Armed Forces against Ukraine (in the official terminology of the Russian Federation – “operation to protect Donbas”). The enemy tries to maintain control over the temporarily captured territories. It concentrates its efforts on disrupting the counteroffensive actions of the Ukrainian troops, and continues the offensive in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions.

The Russian military shells the positions of the Ukrainian troops along the entire contact line, fortifies defensive positions and frontiers in certain directions, and conducts aerial reconnaissance. In violation of the norms of international humanitarian law, the laws and customs of war, it strikes critical infrastructure and residential quarters. Thus, during the past day, the occupiers launched one ballistic and twenty-eight cruise missiles. Twenty of them were shot down by Ukrainian air defense units. In addition, the Russian military launched thirteen airstrikes and fired more than forty rounds of anti-aircraft fire. Objects and civilians in more than

forty towns and villages, including Lviv, Popivka, Chuhunivka, Ladyzhyn, Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhzhia, Pavlohrad, and Nikopol, were affected by these criminal actions. The Russian forces also used fourteen kamikaze drones to attack critical infrastructure in Odesa and Mykolaiv Oblasts, twelve of these UAVs were destroyed. In the border areas, Senkivka of Chernihiv Oblast, Seredyna-Buda, Novovasylivka and Sorokyne of Sumy Oblast, Strelecha, Krasne, Ohirtseve, Vovchanski Khutory, Staritsa, Dvorichna and Dvorichne of Kharkiv Oblast were shelled.

The threat of Russian air and missile strikes persists throughout the entire territory of Ukraine.

As a result of the successful actions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces and a large number of wounded [Russian personnel], there is a shortage of medical workers in the temporarily occupied territories of Luhansk Oblast. Therefore, to replenish the hospital staff, the self-proclaimed leaders of the region sent a request for the secondment of medical personnel from the central and eastern regions of the Russian Federation.

The aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces made 15 strikes over the past day. Hits on 13 areas of enemy weapons and military equipment concentration and on 2 Russian anti-aircraft missile systems are confirmed.

Over the past day, Ukraine’s missile forces and artillery hit 12 enemy command posts, 17 areas of manpower, weapons and military equipment concentration, 4 ammunition depots, and more than 20 other important objects.

Alyaksandr Lukashenka of Belarus declares that the Republic of Belarus is ready to provide assistance to the Russian Federation in the war against Ukraine. The defense and industrial complex of the Republic of Belarus is already involved in repairing Russian equipment damaged in action. In addition, the first batch of twenty T-72 tanks was removed from storage and sent to the Russian Belgorod Oblast.

During the last week, the transfer of T-72A tanks, 2s3 self-propelled guns, D-30 and D-20 howitzers, engineering equipment, cargo vehicles, and specialized vehicles from the Republic of Belarus to the Russian Belgorod and Rostov oblasts was recorded. This weaponry is removed from long-term storage and shipped from the 969th tank reserve base (Uryechye village, Lubansk district, Minsk Oblast), the 1868th artillery armament base (Gomel), the 288th reserve base of automobile equipment (Stari Dorogy, Minsk Oblast), 25th rocket and artillery weapons arsenal (Novokolosovo village, Stolbtsovsk district, Minsk Oblast), 1371st engineering base for the storage of engineering weapons (Krasne village, Molodechnensk district, Minsk Oblast).

The first formations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed out of the persons drafted as a part of the partial mobilization, began to arrive on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. At the moment, up to 1,000 Russian military personnel have arrived.

The morale and psychological state of the personnel of the invasion forces remain low.

Kharkiv direction

• Zolochiv-Balakleya section: approximate length of combat line – 147 km, number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 10-12, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 13.3 km;
• Deployed enemy BTGs: 26th, 153rd, and 197th tank regiments, 245th motorized rifle regiment of the 47th tank division, 6th and 239th tank regiments, 228th motorized rifle regiment of the 90th tank division, 1st motorized rifle regiment, 1st tank regiment of the 2nd motorized rifle division, 25th and 138th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 6th Combined Arms Army, 27th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 1st Tank Army, 275th and 280th motorized rifle regiments, 11th tank regiment of the 18th motorized rifle division of the 11 Army Corps, 7th motorized rifle regiment of the 11th Army Corps, 80th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 14th Army Corps, 2nd and 45th separate SOF brigades of the Airborne Forces, 1st Army Corps of so-called DPR, PMCs.

The Russian troops’ command continues to make significant efforts to push units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces south of Svatove away from the R-66 Svatove – Kreminna rocade road, which is important for Russian troops. In particular, it employs up to three BTGs from the 254th motorized rifle regiment of the 144th motorized rifle division, the 55th separate motorized rifle brigade, detachments of the “Wagner” PMC, 13th and 16th BARS detachments to counterattack the positions of the advanced units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the area of Raihorodok, Karmazynivka. The Russian forces conduct persistent and stubborn attacks in the direction of Krasnorichenske – Ploschanka – Makiivka.

In addition, the Russian military continues its attempts to counterattack from the Chervonpopivka-Zhytlivka frontier in the direction of Terny, using for the assault squads individuals recruited among those convicted in the Russian Federation and serving sentences in correctional institutions. It conducts active deterrent actions in the Kolomiychikha area with forces of up to two BTGs of the 27th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 1st Tank Army.

The enemy has so far failed to complete this task and ensure the stability of its defense system northwest of Kreminna and northwest and southwest of Svatove. The R-66 road remains under the fire control of the advance units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and they are able to reach close approaches to Svatove.

Kramatorsk direction

• Balakleya – Siversk section: approximate length of the combat line – 184 km, the number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 17-20, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 9.6 km;
• 252nd and 752nd motorized rifle regiments of the 3rd motorized rifle division, 1st, 13th, and 12th tank regiments, 423rd motorized rifle regiment of the 4th tank division, 201st military base, 15th, 21st, 30th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 2nd Combined Arms Army, 35th, 55th and 74th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 41st Combined Arms Army, 3rd and 14th separate SOF brigades, 2nd and 4th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 2nd Army Corps, 7th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 1st Army Corps, PMCs.

The Russian forces fired mortars, tanks, barrel and jet artillery in the areas around Pershotravneve, Kovalivka, Terny, Yampolivka, Torske, Serebryanka, Bilohorivka and Siversk.

Donetsk direction

• Siversk – Maryinka section: approximate length of the combat line – 235 km, the number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 13-15, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 17 km;
• Deployed BTGs: 68th and 163rd tank regiments, 102nd and 103rd motorized rifle regiments of the 150 motorized rifle division, 80th tank regiment of the 90th tank division, 35th, 55th, and 74th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 41st Combined Arms Army, 31st separate airborne assault brigade, 61st separate marines brigade of the Joint Strategic Command “Northern Fleet,” 336th separate marines brigade, 24th separate SOF brigade, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 15th, and 100th separate motorized rifle brigades, 9th and 11th separate motorized rifle regiment of the 1st Army Corps of the so-called DPR, 6th motorized rifle regiment of the 2nd Army Corps of the so-called LPR, PMCs.

The Russian military inflicted fire damage in the areas of Bilohorivka, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Odradivka, Opytne, Mayorsk, Spirne, Yakovlivka, Avdiivka, Pervomaiske, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka and Novomykhailivka.

Over the past day, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled the Russian attacks in the areas of Mykolaivka, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Mayorsk, Pervomaiske and Krasnohorivka.

Zaporizhzhia direction

• Maryinka – Vasylivka section: approximate length of the line of combat – 200 km, the number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 17, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 11.7 km;
• Deployed BTGs: 36th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 29th Combined Arms Army, 38th and 64th separate motorized rifle brigades, 69th separate cover brigade of the 35th Combined Arms Army, 5th separate tank brigade, 37 separate motorized rifle brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army, 135th, 429th, 503rd and 693rd motorized rifle regiments of the 19th motorized rifle division of the 58th Combined Arms Army, 70th, 71st and 291st motorized rifle regiments of the 42nd motorized rifle division of the 58th Combined Arms Army, 136th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 58 Combined Arms Army, 46th and 49th machine gun artillery regiments of the 18th machine gun artillery division of the 68th Army Corps, 39th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 68th Army Corps, 83th separate airborne assault brigade, 40th and 155th separate marines brigades, 22nd separate SOF brigade, 1st Army Corps of the so-called DPR, and 2nd Army Corps of the so-called LPR, PMCs.

The Russian forces did not conduct offensive actions. Velyka Novosilka, Neskuchne, Mali Shcherbaky, Orihiv, and Chervone were shelled by tanks, mortars, and barrel and jet artillery.

Tavriysk direction

• Vasylivka – Stanislav section: approximate length of the battle line – 296 km, the number of BTGs of the RF Armed Forces – 42, the average width of the combat area of one BTG – 7 km;

• Deployed BTGs: 114th, 143rd, and 394th motorized rifle regiments, 218th tank regiment of the 127th motorized rifle division, 57th and 60th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 5th Combined Arms Army, 37th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army, 429th motorized rifle regiment of the 19th motorized rifle division, 33rd and 255th motorized rifle regiments of the 20th motorized rifle division, 34th and 205th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 49th Combined Arms Army, 70th, 71st and 291st motorized rifle regiments of the 42nd motorized rifle division, 10th, 16th, 346th separate SOF brigades, 239th air assault regiment of the 76th Air assault division, 217th and 331st parachute airborne regiments of the 98th airborne division, 108 air assault regiment, 171st separate airborne assault battalion of the 7th Air assault division, 11th and 83rd separate airborne assault brigade, 4th military base of the 58 Combined Arms Army, 7 military base 49 Combined Arms Army, 224th, 237th and 126th separate coastal defence brigades, 127th separate ranger brigade, 1st and 3rd Army Corps, PMCs.

The Russian military continues shelling the positions of Ukrainian units to deter the counteroffensive along the entire contact line. Areas of more than twenty towns and villages were affected by artillery fire. In particular, Velyke Artakove, Davydiv Brid, Blahodativka, Sukhy Stavok, Shyroke, Ternovi Pody, Soldatske, Pravdyne and Myrne.

In Kherson Oblast, the occupiers continue to raid agricultural enterprises, conduct an inventory of assets there and re-register them under Russian legislation.

Azov-Black Sea Maritime Operational Area:

The forces of the Russian Black Sea Fleet continue to project force on the coast and the continental part of Ukraine and control the northwestern part of the Black Sea. The ultimate goal is to deprive Ukraine of access to the Black Sea and to maintain control over the captured territories.

In the open sea, the Russian naval group numbers 14 units located along the southwestern coast of Crimea. Among them are 2 carriers of cruise missiles – two corvettes of project 21631 with a total of 16 missiles. According to updated data, during October 10-11, the Russian military used 14 “Kalibr” cruise missiles.

There are also three large amphibious ships of project 775 in the sea (perhaps being tested after the completion of maintenance in Sevastopol). The remaining eight amphibious ships are based in Novorossiysk and Sevastopol. The combat coordination of about 2,000 mobilized personnel, including 600 from Sevastopol, continues at the base of the 810th marines brigade. Their training is to be completed end of October. Some of them may form a marines grouping. The local occupation “authority” is trying to raise their morale by introducing family benefits and purchasing additional personal equipment (standard equipment of the 1960s) for the mobilized, among other things.

In the Sea of Azov waters, patrol ships and boats are located on the approaches to the Mariupol and Berdyansk seaports to block the Azov coast.

Russian aviation continues to fly from the Crimean airfields of Belbek and Hvardiyske over the northwestern part of the Black Sea. Over the past day, 14 Su-27, Su-30, and Su-24 aircraft from Belbek and Saki airfields were involved. Passenger planes Tu-154B (registration number RA- 85586) and Tu-154M (registration number RA-85041) from the 224th special flight detachment of the Russian Air Force arrived from the central part of Russia to the Crimean peninsula, delivering another batch of mobilized personnel.

The Russian military continues shelling Ukrainian ports and coastal areas. On the morning of October 12, the Russian forces attacked Odesa and Mykolayiv with “Shahid 136” kamikaze drones. Most of them were shot down by air defense.

The internal political situation in Crimea remains difficult in connection with the explosion and fire on the Kerch Strait Bridge on October 8. According to Russian estimates, the bridge’s restoration will take at least 1.5-2 months. Currently, road and rail traffic is limited only to the transportation of passengers in passenger cars and trains.

Freight transportation to mainland Russia is carried out by “Lavrentiy”, “Kerchensky-2”, and “Yeysk” ferries (previously used to deliver cargo to Mariupol). A kilometer-long traffic jam has formed on both sides of the crossing; the traffic jam on the Crimean side reaches up to 4 km, with 800 trucks in line.

“Grain Initiative”: 9 ships with more than 150,000 tons of agricultural products left the ports of Great Odesa for the countries of Africa, Asia and Europe. Among them are the bulk carrier KLC ERCIYES, which will deliver 11,500 tons of soybeans to Egypt, the bulk carrier SIMAS – 13,400 tons of corn to Lebanon, and the tanker AGNES VICTORY – 42,000 tons of oil for India. Bulk carriers LUCKY, KLC ERCIYES, ELIF S, GREAT ARSENAL departed from the berths of Odesa port. SIMAS, JASMIN QUEEN, LUGANO left the port of Chornomorsk. Ships AGNES VICTORY, EGE BEY left the port of Pivdenny.

Since August 1, when the first ship with Ukrainian food left, 325 ships have exported 7.2 million tons of agricultural products from Ukrainian ports to countries in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Russian operational losses from 24.02 to 12.10

Personnel – almost 63,380 people (+270);

Tanks 2,505 (+1);

Armored combat vehicles – 5,181 (+19);

Artillery systems – 1,507 (+11);

Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 355 (+2); Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 182 (+1); Vehicles and fuel tanks – 3,927 (+11); Aircraft – 268 (+1);

Helicopters – 235 (0);

UAV operational and tactical level – 1,129 (+15); Intercepted cruise missiles – 315 (+20);

Boats / ships – 15 (0).

Ukraine, general news

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said it is possible to stop scheduled blackouts if electricity consumption is reduced by 25% between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. throughout Ukraine. “We are grateful to all Ukrainians who deliberately reduced their electricity consumption yesterday and the night before yesterday. The total savings amounted to 10%.

International diplomatic aspect

“We express our daily regret that Western heads of state, in the United States and Europe, engage in nuclear rhetoric every day,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred to the growing number of warnings from the Western leaders that consider initial Vladimir Putin’s nuclear blackmail reckless and dangerous.

The head of the UK GCHQ has said there are no current indications that Russia is considering using nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war. “I’m sure Putin’s worried about the dangers of escalation. He thinks about those in different terms. But I think it is a sign that he has not reached for these other forms of waging war,” said Sir Jeremy Fleming during a lecture at the RUSI.

A Russian nuclear strike against Ukraine would likely change the course of the conflict and trigger a kinetic response from the West, a senior NATO official said. He added that so far, nuclear threats have been used by Moscow mainly to deter NATO from siding with Ukraine on the battleground.

In the meantime, the following week, NATO will hold “Steadfast Noon,” an annual nuclear deterrence exercise. “I think it would send a very wrong signal if we suddenly now canceled a routine, long-time planned exercise because of the war in Ukraine. So, if we now created the grounds for any misunderstanding, a miscalculation in Moscow about our willingness to protect and defend all Allies, we would increase the risk of escalation, and that’s the last thing we will do,” NATO Secretary-General explained the reasons why the Alliance isn’t going to put off the drill.

NATO Secretary-General couldn’t be more right, especially given that Russia wasn’t deterred from a range of escalatory steps last year and this year because of the US decision to postpone the scheduled ICBM tests several times. The Kremlin should see no gap between the rhetoric that the Alliance is firm and ready to defend every inch of its territory and the actions on the ground. The West should dismiss the manipulative and misleading wording of the Russian officials while conveying a strong message to the Kremlin, the international community, and respective societies that only firmness in the face of escalation could avert it, and consolatory rhetoric is just inviting Russia to push further.

“We could move the lost volumes from the Nord Streams along the bottom of the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea region and thus make the main routes for the supply of our fuel, our natural gas to

Europe through Turkey, creating the largest gas hub for Europe in Turkey,” Vladimir Putin said at an energy conference in Moscow. “That is, of course, if our partners are interested in this. And economic feasibility, of course,” he added. The Russian President again pushed the conspiracy theory that the US was likely behind the explosions on Nord Stream pipelines. Whoever did this, “economic feasibility” was hardly behind both Nord Stream projects from the beginning, as well as the idea of exporting gas via the Black Sea route. Russia started the energy war against Western Europe this spring, and the Europeans have shifted to alternative markets.

“Our prosperity has been based on cheap energy coming from Russia. Russian gas – cheap and supposedly affordable, secure, and stable. It has been proved not [to be] the case… We have to find new ways for energy from inside the European Union, as much as we can, because we should not change one dependency for another,” High Representative Josep Borrell addressed the EU Ambassadors Annual Conference.

It’s highly likely that, facing difficulties in redirecting natural gas flows from the attractive European market and blaming European policies for triggering the energy crisis, Putin is trying to drive a wedge between Europeans. Hungary is helping Moscow to avoid certain sanctions and pretend that Russia is not diplomatically isolated. The Hungarian Foreign Minister is in Moscow talking to Gazprom for the second time since Russia launched its full-scale aggression. At the same time, Putin aims for Turkey, a would-be European hub, to side with him. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been trying to expand his diplomatic success and serve as a mediator of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Elon Musk might have talked to Vladimir Putin before twitting his infamous “peace plan.” His plan is seen in Kyiv and by Ukrainian partners as Putin’s whims list. It envisaged Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea and guaranteed water supply to the illegally annexed peninsula, new “referenda” in the occupied territories, and Ukraine’s neutrality. However, the business genius didn’t offer anything to Ukraine and feasible explanations of why Ukraine should agree to such a plan, given its resolve to free all of its territory and successful UAF counteroffensive. Furthermore, the “plan” contained no reaction to Russia’s recent illegal annexations and its numerous war crimes.

Had Elon Musk talked to Putin before publishing the plan, which he denies, this action might violate the Logan Act, prohibiting unauthorized negotiations that might undermine the US government’s position. It is something that Michael Flynn, the first Donald Trump national security advisor, did, asking the Russian Ambassador not to escalate and get sanctions relief in return. Flynn pleaded guilty to “wilfully and knowingly” making “false, fictitious and fraudulent statements” to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian diplomat.

“We will address how to ramp up support for Ukraine, and the top priority will be more air defense for Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-General said. Germany has already delivered IRIS-T, and the US promised to provide air defense systems. “These victories belong to Ukraine’s brave soldiers. But the Contact Group’s security assistance, training, and sustainment efforts have been vital,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the beginning of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group’s meeting in Brussels.

Canada will donate $47 million in artillery ammunition, drone cameras, satellite services, and winter clothing to help meet Ukraine’s defense needs. Germany will deliver several PzH2000 howitzers in the next few weeks and MARS II MLRS. France has reportedly promised the delivery of three LRU MLRS (upgraded M270s).

The EU ambassadors agreed on a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament aimed at the non-acceptance of Russian travel documents issued in the occupied territories of Ukraine and Georgia. It’s going to fill the gap in the non-recognition policy.

Russia, relevant news

Over the past seven days, 25,000 Russian nationals have entered the European Union, 50% less than a week earlier. Most of the entrants have crossed the Estonian and Finnish border, according to the data of the Frontex EU border control agency.

On Wednesday, the government of the Czech Republic decided to increase visa restrictions for Russian citizens. Russian citizens entering the Czech territory through the external Schengen border, particularly the Czech international airport, for tourism, sports, or culture will now be refused entry, the Czech government website states.

The Bulgarian government has suspended an agreement on visa-free entry into the country for Russian citizens with diplomatic and service passports, “Kommersant” reports. The Lefortovo Court of Moscow arrested a citizen of Ukraine, Viktor Yakushin, for two months. The Russian FSB accused him of delivering two Igla man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems from Kyiv to Moscow Oblast. FSB investigators calmed that the MANPADs were intended to commit terrorist acts.

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