Andrei Rudakov | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Russia’s economy shrank by 5% year-on-year in September, according to the economy ministry, a sharper contraction than the 4% recorded a month earlier. Western sanctions and the fallout from Russia sending tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine in February have pushed the country into recession, but Moscow says the West has failed to destroy the Russian economy. Earlier this year, economists forecast a double-digit recession for 2022. The economy ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the country was on track to contract 2.9% this year and that September’s slowdown was due to a high base effect compared to the same month last year. — Reuters
Ukraine’s foreign ministry is calling for increased sanctions against Russian state media
The English-language Russian news site RT “is intended for a Western audience, and so what is shown on RT is not what is said in Russia,” said Jeremiah Fowler of Security Discovery. Lionel Bonaventure | AFP | Getty Images Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry called for new and expanded sanctions against Russian state media over its disinformation campaign and to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. “We call on the international community to introduce and expand sanctions against Russian state media that spread false information, including to justify Russia’s armed attack against Ukraine,” the ministry said in a statement. “The invasion of Russian troops became a new record of violent repression against representatives of the regional media: hundreds of media outlets in the temporarily occupied territories were forced to stop their work due to threats and the impossibility of conducting journalistic activities under conditions of temporary occupation,” the ministry said. According to data from the Institute of Mass Information, Russia has committed 457 crimes against journalists and media outlets in Ukraine in the eight months since the large-scale incursion began. “We also express our gratitude to thousands of Ukrainian and international journalists who, often risking their lives, tell the world the truth about the war in Ukraine,” the ministry said. – Rocio Fabbro
Putin confirms restart of Black Sea Wheat Initiative, but says Russia may withdraw again
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a press conference following the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) leaders’ summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, October 14, 2022. Ramil Sitdikov Sputnik via Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin said that despite Russia’s return to the Black Sea Initiative, he “reserves the right to withdraw” from the agreement if Ukrainian guarantees are not met. Russia suspended its participation in the grain deal over the weekend after it claimed a Ukrainian drone attacked its Black Sea fleet in Crimea. Ukraine did not claim responsibility for the attack, which some Ukrainian officials blamed on Russian soldiers mishandling their own weapons. “We asked for assurances and guarantees from the Ukrainian side that nothing like this will happen in the future,” Putin said at a meeting with the permanent members of the Russian Security Council. “I have instructed the Ministry of Defense to reiterate our full participation in this project,” he added. “At the same time, Russia reserves the right to withdraw from these agreements if these guarantees are violated by Ukraine.” Early in the war, Russia relied on its Black Sea fleet to launch missiles deep into Ukraine, but the fleet was put back on the defensive after a series of embarrassing attacks in the spring by Ukrainian forces. Before last weekend’s drone attack, analysts noted that Russia already appeared to be laying the rhetorical groundwork for pulling out of the deal, before reversing course this week. The grain is critical to feeding populations in some of the world’s poorest countries, and a return to a full blockade could have caused famine for millions in Asia and the Middle East. Putin also pledged to deliver “for free” the “entire volume” of grain delivered by Ukraine to poorer countries if Russia pulls out of the deal in the future. – Rocio Fabbro
The Kremlin insists Russia will honor international commitments to responsible nuclear powers
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs the meeting of the supervisory board of the presidential forum “Russia – Land of Opportunities” at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on April 20, 2022. Mikhail Tereshchenko Sputnik | via Reuters The Kremlin’s Foreign Ministry released a new statement pushing back on a New York Times report that Russian generals discussed how Moscow could use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine. “Russia is strictly and consistently guided by the doctrine that a nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought,” said the statement, which was published in English on the ministry’s website. The Times, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, said word of the troubling conversations leaked to the intelligence community in mid-October. The Kremlin said it remains fully committed to the 5-nation pledge released in January this year, which said in part that “none of our nuclear weapons are aimed at each other or any other state”. Asked about the new statement, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “we’re monitoring it as best we can.” Growing concerns about the potential development of a Russian nuclear weapon are due in part to provocative statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as perceived frustration in Moscow over Russia’s inability to make progress on the battlefield in Ukraine. — Christina Wilkie
North Korea Prepares to Supply Russia with Weapons to Wage War in Ukraine, White House Says
White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby addresses the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, July 27, 2022. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US has indications that North Korea has agreed to supply Russian President Vladimir Putin with weapons for his war in Ukraine. “We don’t think this is going to change the course of the war,” Kirby told reporters by telephone, adding that the US was nevertheless “concerned” about these additional arms shipments. “It’s certainly not going to change our calculus,” Kirby said, adding that the US and its allies will continue to supply Kyiv with additional security packages. Kirby declined to elaborate on any possible diplomatic or economic responses Washington might pursue if North Korea supplies Russia with weapons. On Tuesday, Kirby said the US also had indications that Iran was preparing to send Russia more drones as well as surface-to-surface missiles. Moscow has carried out dozens of devastating missile and drone strikes against civilian targets and vital infrastructure, relying heavily on Iranian drones. Iran and Russia have strongly denied reports that Tehran supplied Moscow with a fleet of drones for use in Ukraine, and the Kremlin has repeatedly denied using Iranian drones to target residential and other civilian areas. — Amanda Macias
UN welcomes Russia’s re-engagement in Black Sea Grains Initiative
A photo taken on October 31, 2022 shows a cargo ship loaded with grain being inspected at the anchorage area of the southern entrance of the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Ozan Kose | AFP | Getty Images UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed Russia’s announcement of resuming its participation in the implementation of the Black Sea Grains Initiative. Guterres “is grateful for Turkey’s diplomatic efforts and thanks UN Coordinator Amir Abdullah and his team for their work to keep this vital food supply line open,” the UN Secretary-General’s spokesman wrote Stefan Duzaric. Dujarric added that the Secretary-General “continues his commitment with all actors to renew and fully implement” the agreement. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement brokered in July between Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, eased Russia’s naval blockade and helped reopen three key Ukrainian ports. The first ship departed the port of Odessa, Ukraine on August 1 carrying more than 26,000 metric tons of corn. Since then, more than 400 ships carrying food have left Ukrainian ports. On Saturday, Moscow suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative in retaliation for Kiev’s “terrorist act” against Russian warships. — Amanda Macias
A new film about the occupation of Mariupol by Russia premieres in New York
Screening of the documentary film “Mariupol, unlost hope” in New York, New York on November 1, 2022. Amanda Macias | CNBC A documentary focusing on Russia’s brutal attack on the seaside city of Mariupol has made its US debut in New York. The film, titled “Mariupol, Unlost Hope,” tells the stories of five Ukrainian residents of Mariupol who witnessed Russia’s brutal takeover of the industrial port city. “Three women and two men, who lived in Mariupol during the first month of the invasion, tell what they have seen and felt, how they made decisions in the middle of a war,” wrote the producers of the film. Mariupol, which is still under Russian occupation, has since been labeled a “city of graves” due to heavy fighting and indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure. Proceeds from the event will be used to organize further screenings of documentaries on the situation in Ukraine. — Amanda Macias
‘World’s biggest human displacement crisis’, says UN on Ukrainian refugees displaced by war
A taxi driver takes in his arms a child from Ukraine, a refugee from…
