#KREMLIN

Ukrainian forces have claimed to have destroyed more than two dozen Russian ships since the war started in February 2022.

Marat Kasem, the former editor of the Russian propaganda outlet, Sputnik Lithuania, was recently released on bail from a prison in Latvia. He openly acknowledged that his objective at Sputnik was to sow discord in Lithuania, as reported by Latvia’s public broadcaster, LSM.

The Kremlin can produce around 250,000 artillery shells per month, totaling approximately 3 mln per year.

Russia has appointed Admiral Alexander Moiseev as acting commander-in-chief of the Russian navy, the Fontanka news outlet reported on Sunday, citing unidentified sources.

Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday one participant on a high-level military call on Ukraine intercepted by Russia had mistakenly joined via a non-secure line and German communications systems had not been compromised. He also clarified that Berlin has not made any political decision on sending Taurus cruise missiles to Kyiv.

Moldova’s spy chief stated on Tuesday that Russia was planning fresh attempts to meddle in the country’s internal affairs by provoking protests, interfering in upcoming presidential elections, and disrupting plans to join the European Union.

Germany accused Russia on Monday of leaking an intercepted recording of German military discussions about how to support Ukraine against the Kremlin’s invasion, in an attempt to divide Europe.

Eight European Union countries called on Wednesday for sanctions on Russia’s prosecutors, courts, and penitentiary officials over the death earlier this month of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, a letter seen by Reuters showed.

The committee awarding the Nobel Peace Prize said on Wednesday it was “appalled” by the jail sentence imposed on Russian activist Oleg Orlov, a leader of the disbanded human rights center Memorial, who shared the prize in 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman where he praised the kingdom’s efforts in seeking a solution to end Russia’s two year long invasion of Ukraine.

Vasily Dubkov, lawyer for Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who accompanied Navalny’s mother last week as she fought to get authorities to hand over her son’s body, was briefly detained on Tuesday in Moscow, Russian news media said.

Poland, Germany, Britain, and other European countries said on Tuesday that they had no plans to send ground troops to Ukraine after France hinted at this possibility. “Poland does not foresee sending its units into Ukraine’s territory,” said the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

The Russian ambassador to Poland was summoned to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday in demand for Russia to conduct a transparent and thorough inquiry into the death of Alexei Navalny.