Russia Wire

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Dr. Theodore Postol of MIT gives a dire warning on the risks of nuclear war as the Russia Ukraine conflict escalates https://youtu.be/yZwE0BBO5S0

🔴 Multiple injuries have been reported after train was derailed in Komi Republic on Wednesday. Over 70 people were injured, according to TASS, but no fatalities reported. Overall, the train carried more than 230 passengers. Train 511 was carrying passengers between Vorkuta in northeastern Komi above the Artic circle, and the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, in Russia’s south. @RussiaWire

Julian Assange lands in Australia Hopefully, the 12-year saga is over @RussiaWire

Russian Ministry of Defence shared a footage of bilateral exercise of Pacific Fleet force groups. The fleet is conducting ten-day exercises involving 40 warships, cutters, and auxiliary ships, 20 naval aircraft, and a helicopter in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. @RussiaWire

Reuters: A shaven-headed Evan Gershkovich appeared briefly before journalists in a Russian court on Wednesday at the start of a trial on charges of espionage that the U.S. reporter denies. Gershkovich, 32 was seen standing in a glass box, wearing an open-necked shirt and with his arms folded. The Wall Street Journal reporter is accused by prosecutors of gathering secret information on the orders of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency about a company that manufactures tanks for Russia's war in Ukraine. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 20 years. Against the background of the Ukraine war, Gershkovich and other Americans detained in Russia have been caught up in the gravest crisis between Moscow and Washington for more than 60 years. President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is open to the idea of a prisoner exchange involving Gershkovich and that contacts with the United States have taken place, but they must remain secret. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/gershkovich-appears-with-shaved-head-before-start-closed-trial-russia-2024-06-26/

New footage showing Sunday’s attack by US-supplied ATACMS missiles on Sevastopol emerged The strike killed five people, including at least two children, and injured more than 150 others, according to Russian officials. Russia blamed both Ukraine and the U.S., which supplied the weapons, for the strikers. A note of protest was conveyed to the US Ambassador to Russian Lynne Tracy. Washington distanced itself, claiming it provides weapons to Kyiv to protect itself (no logic but who cares) "Russia could stop this war today and end the suffering caused by the war Russia launched today if it would stop its occupation of sovereign Ukrainian territory and stop launching attacks on civilians," the State Department's Spokesperson Matthew Miller told a daily briefing on Monday. "We lament any civilian loss of life in this war.  We provide weapons to Ukraine so it can defend its sovereign territory against armed aggression. That includes in Crimea, which of course is part of Ukraine" Miller added. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said it was a valid military target. They also said people who suffered in the attack are “Russian occupiers” “In Crimea, there are no and cannot be any "beaches", "tourist zones" and other fictitious signs of "peaceful life". Crimea is certainly a foreign territory occupied by Russia, where there are military operations, a full-scale war continues,” adviser to the president of Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak told Ukrainian media @RussiaWire

🔴 European Union governments agreed to use 1.4 billion euros ($1.50 billion) in profits from Russian frozen assets for arms and other aid to Ukraine, prompting Hungary to accuse fellow EU members of a "shameless" rule breach to bypass its objections. At a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, chief diplomat Josep Borrell said the usual unanimity for foreign policy decisions was not needed as Hungary had opted out of previous decisions underpinning the scheme. "We will now speed up, without having this blockage," Borrell told reporters after the meeting. He said 1.4 billion euros in windfall profits would be available in the coming month and another 1 billion euros by the end of the year. The funds would be used to help Kyiv with air defence, ammunition and support for Ukrainian industry, he said.

❗️Russia is restricting access to 81 media outlets operation in the European Union on its territory, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. https://mid.ru/ru/press_service/spokesman/official_statement/1959391/ "As a response to the decision made by the EU Council on May 17 to ban ‘all broadcast activity’ of three Russian media outlets (RIA Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta), which comes into force today, June 25, counter restrictions are being introduced on access from the territory of the Russian Federation to broadcasting a number of media outlets of EU member states and EU-wide media operators who systematically disseminate false information about the progress of the special military operation," the ministry said. Among the foreign media outlets access to which will be blocked in Russia are Germany’s Spiegel, Zeit, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Spain’s El Pais, the Italian La Stampa, La Repubblica, French media Le Monde, Liberation, as well as the pan-European Politico and EUobserver. @RussiaWire

What the media is saying about Assange's release: 🌏 New York Times: Top officials at the Justice Department accepted an agreement with no additional prison time because Mr. Assange had already served longer than most people charged with a similar offense 🌏 Sydney Morning Herald: The apparent deal follows determined lobbying by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who raised the Assange case in his meetings with US President Joe Biden 🌏 Wall Street Journal: The plea deal offers a neat solution to what was becoming an increasing political headache for the US government 🌏 Telegraph: The decision to allow Mr Assange to leave jail without facing spying charges in the US follows years of wrangling between at least four countries over his case [US, UK, Australia and Ecuador] 👍 Boost us! | Subscribe to @geopolitics_live