1. Ukraine says 9 Russian warplanes ‘destroyed’ in Crimea blasts
Nine Russian warplanes had been destroyed in explosions at an army base in Crimea on Tuesday, in keeping with Ukraine’s air pressure.
Two US newspapers reported that Ukrainian particular forces had performed an assault at the Russian-annexed peninsula.
But Ukrainian officers have now not publicly claimed duty for the blasts, which Russia mentioned can have been led to through a “careless smoker” inflicting munitions to catch fireplace and blow up.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy final night time mentioned that Crimea was once a elementary strategic purpose.
“This Russian war against Ukraine and against all of free Europe began with Crimea and must end with Crimea – its liberation,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
Russia has denied any airplane had been broken within the blasts in Crimea.
2. Russian dissident faces ‘trumped up fees’ after protesting Ukraine conflict
A Russian critic who burned his passport whilst protesting the conflict in Ukraine is going through imaginable extradition over “trumped-up” tax evasion fees.
Alexey Alchin, 46, who lives in Bulgaria, may well be despatched to Moscow to stand allegations that he didn’t pay VAT money owed of over 282.5 million roubles (€4.5m) in overdue 2015.
Alchin claims to have settled his money owed earlier than leaving Russia and mentioned he knew not anything of the fees which Moscow officers insist move way back to 2018.
A court docket in Bulgaria has authorized Russia’s request for Alchin’s extradition, sparking a backlash over the the verdict.
Alchin’s spouse Olga Gyurova believes her husband is being persecuted through Moscow for his political leanings and anti-war stance.
In February, Alchin took phase in an anti-war protest in Varna, Bulgaria, the place he burned his Russian passport.
If the extradition is to move forward, it will make Bulgaria the primary European Union member state handy over a Russian nationwide for the reason that nation’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
Read extra at our tale right here.
3. Oil deliveries get started once more to EU international locations
Russia has restarted oil deliveries thru a vital pipeline to Slovakia after a fee dispute was once settled.
Shipments had been halted on Tuesday throughout the southern department of the Druzhba – or ‘Friendship’ pipeline – which runs thru Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
Russian state pipeline operator Transneft cited headaches because of EU sanctions, announcing its fee to the corporate’s Ukrainian counterpart was once refused.
Today, Slovakia’s Slovnaft refinery showed that oil deliveries had restarted.
But shipments have now not begun once more in the Czech Republic and Hungary, officers mentioned.
The 3 EU international locations, which can be landlocked, advantages from waivers on European Union sanctions on uploading Russian crude oil.
4. Russian TV journalist detained after on-air protest
Russian government detained a former state TV journalist who made an on-air protest towards Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine.
Marina Ovsyannikova has been charged with spreading false details about Russia’s militia, her legal professional mentioned on social media.
The manufacturer, who labored for Russia’s state-funded Channel One, held an indication right through a reside broadcast studying: “Putin is a killer, his infantrymen are fascists. 352 kids had been killed (in Ukraine). How many extra kids must die so that you can prevent?”
On Wednesday, Ovsyannikova’s house was once raided and she or he was once taken for wondering at Moscow’s police headquarters.
The case towards Ovsyannikova was once introduced beneath a Russian legislation that penalises statements towards the army, her legal professional Dmitry Zakhvatov mentioned. A conviction is punishable through as much as 15 years in jail.
Ovsyannikova has already been fined fined 30,000 rubles ($270 on the time) after she was once charged with criticising the Russian army.
She confronted two additional fines in contemporary weeks for criticising the army in a Facebook put up and for feedback she made at a court docket the place opposition determine Ilya Yashin was once remanded in custody pending trial for spreading false details about the army.
Read extra at our tale right here.
5. Shoppers purchase final items from H&M and IKEA forward of wind down
Russian customers are purchasing the final items from H&M and IKEA because the shops wind down their operations within the nation.
The type and furnishings manufacturers are shifting ahead with their go out from Russia after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
Both stores paused gross sales after the army operation started however are actually taking a look to dump shares.
One H&M consumer in Moscow, who gave his title as Leonid, mentioned he was once “very hurt” that H&M is ultimate down, including: “A good store is leaving.”
Both corporations are shedding personnel. H&M mentioned Tuesday that 6,000 employees can be affected and that it was once operating on main points of persisted enhance within the coming months.
IKEA mentioned in June that many employees will lose their jobs and it has assured six months of pay for them, in addition to core advantages.
It mentioned this week that it has 15,000 employees in Russia and Belarus, but it surely didn’t in an instant ascertain what number of could be laid off.
H&M mentioned it expects prices from leaving Russia to achieve about 2 billion Swedish kronor (€197 million), which can be integrated as one-time prices in its third-quarter income this 12 months.
IKEA mentioned in June that it’s going to get started on the lookout for new house owners for its 4 factories in Russia and can shut its acquire and logistics workplaces in Moscow and in Minsk, Belarus, a key Russian best friend.
