All posts tagged: Russias

Russia’s Sechin says U.S. companies benefit from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz

Russia’s Sechin says U.S. companies benefit from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz

Published by Sam Flores

Rosneft Chief Executive Igor Sechin said on Saturday that U.S. energy companies were the main beneficiaries of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and that Washington was trying to change the fundamental contours of the global energy markets to suit U.S. interests. Iran blockaded the Strait, the main route for about a fifth of world oil supplies and other vital goods including fertilisers, after the United States and Israel attacked Iran and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in February. The U.S. has blockaded Iranian ports. The closures of the Strait has rattled global markets, sending oil prices to multi-year highs, stoking global inflation and undermining economic growth world-wide. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Sechin, a long-standing ally of President Vladimir Putin, also said that the OPEC+ group of leading oil producers has lost some of its potential with the withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates from the alliance. “The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is an attempt to reshape global energy market regulations to benefit the United States. The …

Russia’s Andreeva beats Ukraine’s Kostyuk in no-handshake French Open semi | Tennis News

Russia’s Andreeva beats Ukraine’s Kostyuk in no-handshake French Open semi | Tennis News

Published by Sam Flores

No handshake and no photo as Mirra Andreeva of Russia beats Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine to reach French Open tennis final. By Kevin Hand, News Agencies and The Associated Press Published On 4 Jun 20264 Jun 2026 Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva reached her first Grand Slam final by beating Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-1, 6-3 in a tense encounter at the French Open. Andreeva converted her first match point when she served for the tennis match on Thursday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list There was no post-match handshake between the pair, however, and Kostyuk walked off quickly, turning only to wave and blow kisses to the crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier, where some fans were draped in Ukrainian flags. The atmosphere beforehand was somewhat tense as the players had separate photos taken as they each stood next to two children on their respective sides of the net. Usually, the players pose for the same photo, standing right next to each other by the net. Kostyuk and countrywoman Oleksandra Oliynykova have spoken out during …

North Korean POWs: Political pawns in Russia’s war on Ukraine? | Kim Jong Un

North Korean POWs: Political pawns in Russia’s war on Ukraine? | Kim Jong Un

Published by Sam Flores

101 East investigates the plight of two North Korean POWs in Ukraine and the campaign to transfer them to South Korea. In January 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced to the world the capture of two North Korean soldiers. It was the first hard evidence that Kim Jong Un had secretly deployed some 15,000 special forces troops to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine in exchange for billions of dollars worth of military technology and cash for Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme. But posting the POWs’ images online and opening their prison doors to media caused alarm, with international human rights organisations arguing that such exposure breaches the Geneva Convention and puts the soldiers and their families in North Korea in grave danger. As Russia’s war on Ukraine continues, 101 East investigates whether North Korean POWs are being used as political pawns and the challenges of bringing them to safety in South Korea. Published On 30 May 202630 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Source link

IIHF Says It Will Determine Russia’s Eligibility on a Tournament-By-Tournament Basis in 2026-27

IIHF Says It Will Determine Russia’s Eligibility on a Tournament-By-Tournament Basis in 2026-27

Published by Sam Flores

ZURICH (AP) — The International Ice Hockey Federation said Friday it will determine the status of Russia’s participation on an event-by-event basis for the 2026-27 season. The decision to evaluate eligibility on a case-by-case basis comes after a January decision to bar Russian teams, including at the youth level, was annulled following an appeal from the Russian Ice Hockey Federation. But that was not a reversal of course, as the IIHF said its disciplinary board “explicitly confirmed that this does not mean that Russia has automatically been reintegrated.” Earlier this week, the IIHF announced it would reintegrate Belarus at the under-18 men’s and women’s events and the women’s Division IV world championship beginning this year. Belarus had also not been allowed to play since aiding Russia in its war in Ukraine. The IIHF Council said the decision to bring back some teams from Belarus was not taken lightly. “Based on the assessments conducted and ongoing consultations with relevant stakeholders, we believe this can be done in a safe, responsible, and controlled manner,” the council said …

Russia’s Lavrov tells Rubio Americans should leave Kyiv

Russia’s Lavrov tells Rubio Americans should leave Kyiv

Published by Sam Flores

TOPSHOT – Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at the site of a heavily damaged building following Russian strikes to the Ukrainian capital in Kyiv on May 24, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Vladyslav MUSIENKO / AFP via Getty Images) Vladyslav Musienko | Afp | Getty Images Russia said on Tuesday its government has warned U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to evacuate diplomats and American citizens from Kyiv, as Moscow plots fresh strikes on the Ukrainian capital. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov “officially informed” Washington that Russia would be launching “systematic and consistent strikes” against Ukrainian military facilities and what Moscow called “decision-making centers,” in a call with Rubio on Monday, according to the Russian government.   CNBC reached out to the U.S. and Ukrainian governments for comment. The call came after the Russian government issued a statement urging foreign citizens, diplomatic personnel, and international organizations to leave Kyiv, warning that it was preparing to target the capital, with a focus on facilities for designing, manufacturing, and programming drones. “The strikes …

How the Venice Biennale became Russia’s way back into Europe – POLITICO

How the Venice Biennale became Russia’s way back into Europe – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Featuring giant floral installations and various musical performances, Russia’s exhibit was one of the most politically explosive in years, drawing politicians, artists, dissidents and European institutions into an increasingly bitter clash over culture, propaganda and freedom of expression. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini personally visited the pavilion during the pre-opening days. “Art has no borders, no censorship, no gag,” he said. “Culture and sport should remain neutral spaces and places of encounter.” But for critics of Russia’s participation, Russia’s display was less about artistic freedom than an attempt to regain international legitimacy after the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A Ukrainian protester is pictured in front of the closed Russian pavilion on the day of the Biennale’s official opening to the public. | Martina Sapio/POLITICO “The presence of Russia at the Biennale is an attempt to normalize the war,” said Ksenia Malykh, curator of the Ukrainian pavilion, which had its central installation — a deer statue called “Security Guarantees” — installed within sight of the Russia’s building. These concerns had already triggered …

Russia’s Putin Provides Debt Relief to New Ukraine War Recruits and Their Families

Russia’s Putin Provides Debt Relief to New Ukraine War Recruits and Their Families

Published by Sam Flores

May 26 (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin ⁠has ⁠signed a decree providing ⁠debt relief to new Ukraine war recruits ​and their families, the Kremlin said late on Monday, adding to support ‌tools as Moscow seeks ‌to boost its army in more than four-year-long war. People ⁠who signed ⁠a contract with the Russian defence ministry from May ​1 and/or their spouses are free from their debts of up to 10 million roubles ($139,700) if a legal claim to collect those ​debts was in force before that date, the decree posted on ⁠the ⁠Kremlin’s website said.  The contract ⁠to ​join the ‘special military operation’ –  what Russia calls its February 2022 invasion ​and occupation of ⁠Ukraine – should be signed for at least one year, the Kremlin said. The write-off is about the price of a 35 square metre studio-type apartment in Moscow, according to a Cian real ⁠estate database.  The law adds to a variety of support measures ⁠for Russian fighters in the war, from big payouts to preferable admissions for higher education, as the Kremlin …

Ukraine Regained Territory After Cutting Russia’s Black Market Starlink Terminals

Ukraine Regained Territory After Cutting Russia’s Black Market Starlink Terminals

Published by Jenni Sidey

According to a newly declassified U.S. defense intelligence assessment first reported by Bloomberg, Moscow’s frontline command-and-control structures suffered a catastrophic blackout earlier this year due largely to coordinated crackdown that disabled thousands of black market Russian Starlink terminals. The Pentagon document highlights just how deeply Russian forces had come to rely on Elon Musk’s commercial satellite terminals to patch over their own spotty military communication systems. For months, Russian units bypassed international sanctions via shadow supply networks to source the hardware. The Friday Bloomberg report claims that a “Ukrainian offensive against Russia earlier this year retook about 400 square kilometers after thousands of portable Starlink internet terminals operated by Russian forces were deactivated,” citing analysis from the US Defense Intelligence Agency.  The document, authored jointly by the DIA and US European Command, states that “Russian military capabilities in Ukraine were temporarily yet significantly degraded following Ukrainian officials’ efforts in February to deactivate thousands of Starlink terminals that were illicitly used by Russian forces to coordinate movements and unmanned aircraft strikes in areas where communications were …

Ukraine Says It Hit Russia’s Sheskharis Oil Terminal on Black Sea

Ukraine Says It Hit Russia’s Sheskharis Oil Terminal on Black Sea

Published by Sam Flores

KYIV, May 23 (Reuters) – The Ukrainian military ⁠said ⁠on Saturday it ⁠had struck Russia’s Sheskharis oil terminal – one of ​the largest on the Black Sea – and the nearby Grushova oil ‌depot. The overnight attack sparked ‌a fire at the Sheskharis terminal, Ukraine’s general staff ⁠said ⁠on the Telegram app. It also said that a tanker ​named Chrysalis was hit in the Black Sea. Ukraine has sharply increased the number and scale of its strikes on Russian oil ​refining and transportation facilities in recent months, seeking to reduce ⁠Russia’s ⁠revenues from oil and ⁠gas ​exports, which the Kremlin uses to finance its war. The commander of ​Ukraine’s drone forces, ⁠Robert Brovdi, said on Saturday that in the first 23 days of May, Ukrainian drones had attacked 13 major Russian oil facilities. Earlier this week, Brovdi said that six of Russia’s ⁠10 largest oil refineries had stopped processing crude oil following Ukrainian ⁠attacks. Reuters could not independently verify these claims. CHEMICAL PLANT, VESSELS UNDER ATTACK Zelenskiy said earlier on Saturday that Ukrainian drones had …