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Stories under this heading cover Russia, as well as countries in the eastern part of the European continent, such as Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova.

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Jittery Kremlin hits out at Central Asia NGOs

Jittery Kremlin hits out at Central Asia NGOs

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, speaking on the occasion of the Special Operations Forces Day at a meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation in Moscow on 27 February, unleashed an attack against Central Asian NGOs, accusing them of "continuously increasing hostile activities against Russia", especially in the "creation of new initiatives and structures aimed at discrediting and countering the Russian presence in countries traditionally our friends". Shoigu said the situation in this region is "very delicate", recalling the contemporary threat of the Afghan Taliban and ISIS terrorists, to which he equates the works of non-governmental organizations. In his speech, Shoigu said "over 100 large pro-Western NGOs operate in these countries, which have more than 16 thousand representations and branches, which aim to weaken the technical-military, economic and cultural collaboration with the Russian Federation, against the background of the special military operation [Ukraine War], and we have to do something."   Central Asia is hardly the first place that comes to mind when it comes to civil society activism, but the process of opening up to the world, and the reforms being put in place across the region, has widened the space for NGO activity – even if only to a small extent. Enough it seems to worry the head of the Russian Defence Ministry who one would have thought would have other things to worry about at the moment. But Kremlin observers say that Shoigu’s outburst is a jittery reaction of a paranoic Kremlin that is obsessed by criticism at home or abroad, and sees everything as one big conspiracy. Reaction in Central Asia has been mixed but in Kazakhstan, where President Tokayev has set out a course for systematic reforms in the country, and where the government is looking at civil society as partners in this process, the reaction to Shoigu’s speech was negative, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roman Vasilenko, spoke out in defence of the NGOs in Kazakhstan. “As you know, support for the civil sector and support for NGOs are a top priority for the president, for the government and for the Ministry of Culture and Information, which is responsible for this area”, Vassilenko said on 29 February.

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Russia lifts ban on flights to Georgia, removes visa restrictions for Georgian citizens

Russia lifts ban on flights to Georgia, removes visa restrictions for Georgian citizens

On Wednesday (10 May), Russian President Vladimir Putin signed two separate decrees lifting a ban on flights to Georgia, and abolishing visas for Georgian citizens. From 15 March, Georgian nationals will be allowed to enter Russia without visas for up to 90 days. Lifting the ban on flights reverses a 2019 decision in which the Kremlin banned air traffic with Georgia following a wave of anti-Kremlin protests there. After President Putin signed the decrees, the Russian Foreign Ministry also released a statement reversing its 2019 advice against Russian citizens travelling to Georgia. The statement added that Putin's decrees "are in line with our principled approach of consistently facilitating the conditions for communication and contacts between the citizens of Russia and Georgia, despite the absence of diplomatic relations". Later, Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti reported that the Georgian Deputy Minister of the Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili said that Georgia would issue permits for direct flights to non-sanctioned airlines, before adding that authorities were yet to receive any such requests from Russian airlines.
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Russian brigade flees Bakhmut, UK prepares to supply Ukraine longer-range missiles

Russian brigade flees Bakhmut, UK prepares to supply Ukraine longer-range missiles

An entire Russian brigade has reportedly fled the embattled town of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine. This news was initially announced by the Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, and confirmed by Ukraine's Third Assault Brigade on Tuesday (9 May).  Russian forces have been trying to take the town for some 10 months, but have reportedly taken huge losses in the face of strong Ukrainian resistance. Bakhmut, which had a pre-war population of around 70,000, has been almost completely destroyed by the fighting. "Prigozhin's report about the escape of the 72nd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces from Bakhmut and the '500 corpses' of Russians who remained there is true. The Third Assault Brigade is grateful for the publicity of our success at the front," the Third Assault Brigade wrote in a statement. Meanwhile, the leader of the Third Assault Brigade, Andriy Biletskiy, claimed that they had liberated a 3km x 2.6km strip of land south-west of Bakhmut in the process.
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Railway sabotage and oil depot explosions in Russia and Crimea as Ukraine gears up for counteroffensive

Railway sabotage and oil depot explosions in Russia and Crimea as Ukraine gears up for counteroffensive

Russia's Bryansk Oblast that borders Ukraine's north-east has now seen two railway derailments in as many days, both reportedly as a result of sabotage. On Monday (1 May), Bryansk Oblast Governor Alexander Bogomaz published a post on his Telegram channel announcing that "an unidentified explosive device" detonated near railway tracks, derailing the train and resulting in the suspension of rail traffic in the area. Overnight on Sunday (30 April), overhead powerlines in Russia's Leningrad Oblast were also blown up, although power supply to populated areas and civil infrastructure was allegedly not disrupted. Then, yesterday on Tuesday (2 May), Russian media reported a second supposed railway sabotage in Bryansk Oblast in as many days. Governor Bogomaz said that railway lines had been blown up near Snezhetskaya station, derailing a locomotive and approximately 20 freight cars. Being critical for logistical operations in their full-scale invasion of Ukraine, railways in Russia's border regions have frequently been targets of suspected sabotage during the ongoing war.
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Russian pre-dawn missile strikes on Ukraine kill at least nineteen

Russian pre-dawn missile strikes on Ukraine kill at least nineteen

Russia has launched another wave of missile strikes at Ukraine before dawn on Friday (28 April), killing at least nineteen people as of 3pm CET. According to Ukrainian national police, at least 17 people were killed after two Russian missiles hit a nine-storey residential building in the central city of Uman. Three children were also rescued from the rubble. In a separate attack, a 31-year-old woman and her 2-year old daughter were killed after a Russian missile hit the eastern city of Dnipro, according to the regional governor, Serhii Lysak. Four people were also wounded. In total, according to Ukrainian authorities Russia fired 23 missiles and two drones at Ukraine before dawn on Friday (28 April). 21 missiles in total were shot down, with 11 missiles and the two drones were intercepted by air defense over Kyiv, said the city hall, with no immediate reports of missiles hitting targets and no reports of casualties. It is the first attack on the city since March. Interfax news agency also reports there have been explosions in the cities of Poltava and Kremenchuk.