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This digest covers Russian investigative news and analysis. If it’s important, we summarize it.
Grain exports will start in the near future, subject to breach of agreement: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine plans to start exporting grains in the near future. “We have everything ready. The corridor is working on our side; in our waters it is under Ukrainian control, and only Ukraine will inspect [the ship]. We are determined to start exports to prove to the world that Ukraine does not belong to us.” not disrupting exports,” Zelensky said in Kyiv.
On Monday, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s Minister of Infrastructure, stated that Ukraine may still decide to drop its plans to export grain if Russia threatens the security of the Black Sea grain corridor. “We reached an agreement with the United Nations as well as with Turkey. Those are the two parties that have to ensure security. Kurbakov stated that if they can guarantee it, the agreement is successful. If they can’t then it won’t.”
‘Mirror’ agreements to keep food on the table Kyiv and Moscow sign deals in Istanbul, laying the groundwork for the reopening of some Ukrainian ports and the resumption of grain exports
‘Mirror’ agreements to keep food on the table Kyiv and Moscow sign deals in Istanbul, laying the groundwork for the reopening of some Ukrainian ports and the resumption of grain exports
Russia integrates self-declared LNR in its telephone numbering system: The Russian government announced that landlines in the self-declared Luhansk People’s Republic will switch to the Russian numbering system today with the new area code 857. In May, Russian authorities announced that mobile subscribers in The self-proclaimed “republic” of Donbas will receive Russian phone numbers and be in a position to make calls to Russian numbers free of charge.
Ukrainian official advises “special treatment” for Russian travelers: Ukraine sanctions envoy Oleksii Makeiev said that Russians seeking visas to travel abroad should be asked if they support Russia’s war in Ukraine. Makeiev explained to Politico that all Russians “have some responsibility for what their government does.” He suggested that those applying for foreign visas should be asked questions such as whether they were supporters of war crimes, or whether they held themselves responsible for the conflict.
Moscow refers to a third party guarding Ukrainian ships through the Black Sea: Russia’s foreign minister revealed on Sunday that third countries (besides Russia and Turkey) would be involved in transporting Ukrainian ships carrying grain to the Bosphorus Strait. Lavrov did not identify a third country.
On July 22, Moscow and Kyiv signed separate agreements with Turkey and the United Nations designed to reopen Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and allow agricultural products to be sold on international markets. The Russian military launched a missile at the Port of Odesa the next day. The Ukrainian government immediately accused Russia of violating its agreement. However, Moscow claims that it is only targeting warships and ammunition supplies, and not port infrastructure.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Russia’s Ministry of Justice has threatened to designate several Jewish organizations as “foreign agents” in a bid to escalate tensions with Jewish groups. Last month, ministry officials demanded the dissolution of the Jewish Agency (an organization that manages immigration of Jews to Israel) for unspecified violations of the law. The hearing is scheduled for July 28.
Another opposition politician fled Russia to avoid being accused of “disinfo”: Helga Pirogova, the opposition city representative from Novosibirsk who was recently charged with the crime of spreading “disinformation” about the Russian military, has left the country. He is now in Tbilisi, Georgia. (Pirogova’s offense should have been a deleted tweet about Russian volunteer soldiers being killed in Ukraine.) If she is tried and found guilty, she could be sentenced to up to three years in prison.
The FSB claims that it stopped NATO and Kyiv plans to recruit Russian pilots. The Federal Security Service claims that it stopped Ukraine’s attempts to recruit pilots for the Russian Air Force. Moscow accuses NATO intelligence agencies of overseeing the operation. A Ukrainian military operation that offers Russian pilots citizenship and money in exchange for landing their planes at Ukrainian airfields and handing them over.
According to Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti, “DNR” “cleared the area around the main nuclear power plant: Russian proxy forces in the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic “cleaned” the area around Ukraine’s Vuhlehirska thermal power plant in Svitlodarsk. ” Russia focuses on capturing critical infrastructure for the country”: “May also try to gain access in Vuhlehirska as part of its efforts to regain momentum in its progress towards the main cities of Kramatorsk, Sloviansk,” tweeted the UK Ministry of Defense on July 21. (On July 24, the military Ukraine reports that fighting at the power plant continues.)
Sergey Mokhnatkin was not released posthumously: The Arkhangelsk Court ruled not to release activist Sergey Mokhnatkin, and instead ended the case against the activist more than two decades after Mokhnatkin died from spinal injuries he suffered while in prison at a local correctional institution. He was charged with contempt of court and assaulting prison guards. Mokhnatkin’s family fought the charges, despite his death. They expect a not guilty verdict.
Sergey Mokhnatkin is part of Russia’s human rights movement, having been jailed several times for alleged violence against police and government officials. He is the founder of the Tver branch, which is the movement “For Human Rights” Lev Ponomaryov.
Declining Russian alcohol consumption: Russian restaurants could run out of alcohol in the fall according to restaurant owners who spoke to reporters on 1prime. Industry representatives said they wanted to avoid shortages by making more liquor domestically and switching to “parallel imports” (importing products without the manufacturer’s approval). The labels will likely remain available in Russia but prices could spike, a source said.