The Russian authorities’ grip on independent journalists, particularly those who criticize the military intervention in Ukraine, is not easing. The latest case made known is that of Serghei Mingazov, journalist for the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, arrested, according to the lawyer, for having shared a post on his Telegram channel regarding the discovery of mass graves in 2022 in Bucha, in the region of Kiev, where the Russian army is accused of having carried out a massacre of civilians.
Moscow has always rejected the accusations, which however several reporters and internal opponents continue to cite in their interventions against the conflict. For them, as for Mingazov himself, the accusation is of “spreading false news about the armed forces”. A crime introduced in a reform of the penal code in 2022, immediately after the start of the military operation in Ukraine, which can lead to sentences of up to ten years in prison. According to media estimates taken from the independent website Meduza, 132 people have so far been convicted on this charge.
One of the most famous opponents, the former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, also ended up in the sights of the Russian judiciary, against whom a court in the city of Syktyvkar issued an arrest order on charges of having created a “terrorist community”. , of financing “terrorist activities” and of having publicly incited terrorism. The same measure was taken against several other activists, including Ivan Tyutrin, with whom Kasparov founded the opposition organization Free Russia Forum (FRF) in 2016. Kasparov, who left Russia in 2013, lives in New York.
ANSA Agency Compensation on the way for Ukrainian women victims of rape – News – Ansa.it The Guardian reports this, recalling that the move was strongly supported by the first lady, Olena Zelenska, who defined the decision as “an important step towards the restoration of justice” (ANSA)Meanwhile, on the ground in Ukraine, the slow Russian advance continues, with Kiev’s forces withdrawing in the last few hours from a key fortified area in the settlement of Krasnogorovka, in the Donetsk region. This was made known by the authorities of the self-proclaimed republic of Donetsk, annexed by Moscow. But in difficulty and short of men on the front line, Kiev is trying to respond by multiplying raids deep into Russian territory. Actions which, according to what was said in an interview with the Financial Times by the British Chief of Staff, Tony Radakin, will become even more frequent with the use of new weapons supplied by the West. For example, Ukrainian military intelligence said in the last few hours that it had destroyed a Ka-32 military transport helicopter belonging to the Russian Ministry of Defense at Ostafievo airport in Moscow. The same intelligence released a video, not very clear, in which flames can be seen enveloping what actually appears to be a helicopter, but did not clarify by what means the attack was carried out.
The Russian Defense Ministry meanwhile said that Moscow’s forces bombed a convoy in Ukraine carrying “weapons and military equipment” from the West. The raid, the ministry specifies, was carried out by aviation, missile forces and artillery in the area of the Udachnoye settlement, in the Donetsk region. An announcement made after an important Ukrainian security source told the AFP agency that in recent weeks the Russians have actually increased attacks against the country’s railway network in an attempt to “paralyse” military supplies, particularly Western ones. The same source added that it is “a classic method before an offensive”, which would confirm Moscow’s intention to launch a large-scale attack between May and June, as already said by Kiev and the Western allies.
However, Moscow once again assures that it has no intention of attacking NATO countries, after the repeated alarms that have arisen from Europe and the USA in recent months. “We have no geopolitical or military interest in attacking member countries” of the Alliance, said Defense Minister Serghei Shoigu. “Russia does not pose a danger to anyone in Europe and hopes that no one in Europe poses a danger to it,” reiterated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “I don’t think we are on the eve of an attack by Russia on a NATO country”, said Antonio Tajani for his part. “I don’t think Moscow wants to go that far and there are no signs in this direction,” insisted the head of the Farnesina.
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