Updated on: October 7, 2026 / 5:42 AM EDT / CBS News
London — The involvement of a small American firm linked to **** ociates of President Trump in an energy project in Bosnia and Herzegovina worth more than $1.5 billion has raised questions about how the White House could be using its leverage in the fragile Balkan state.
U.S. lawmakers accuse the Trump administration of lifting sanctions on Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik in an effort to enrich and empower allies of Mr. Trump, and of undermining longstanding U.S. foreign policy interests in the region in the process.
On Sunday, Mr. Trump was hailed by Dodik after his Serb nationalist party won one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's three presidency seats, which are split between Bosnia's Muslim minority, known as Bosniaks, as well as Serb and Croat ethnic groups under the country's complex power-sharing electoral system.
"If it had not been for Donald Trump's magnificent victory … we would probably be political corpses today," Dodik told supporters in a speech, in which he also thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support.

#Trump #bosnia #updated

Trump signed the legislation into law on Friday, the White House said.
LONDON -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday thanked President Donald Trump for signing into law a bill championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, which allows for the expansion of sanctions on Russia related to Moscow's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Trump signed the bill on Friday, the White House said in a statement, after the legislation passed both the House and Senate with strong bipartisan backing. The legislation "authorizes and expands statutory sanctions, tariffs and prohibitions on Russia and extends existing sanctions on Iran," the White House said.
The bill's passage came about two months after Graham died suddenly following a tear in his aorta. Graham had long been an advocate of U.S. support for Kyiv and more stringent measures on Russia and the regime headed by President Vladimir Putin. In 2024, Russia's state financial monitoring agency added Graham to its list of alleged "terrorists and extremists."
In a post to Telegram on Friday night, Zelenskyy thanked Trump for signing what he called "critically important legislation," extending his thanks to "all the senators and members of the House of Representatives who supported it."

#legislation #white #Russia #zelenskyy

Former US CIA director David Petraeus was at a Ukrainian train station at the very moment a Russian drone struck a passenger train on Sunday, shortly after a diplomatic train carrying former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other foreign dignitaries had passed through.
Kyiv framed the attack as evidence of the increased threat Russia's Vladimir Putin poses to Europe, with Ukraine's rail operator saying it was "quite likely" a targeted attack.
The diplomatic train carrying Johnson, European security officials and other former leaders from Kyiv to Poland had made an early departure from Yahodyn station –– about two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Polish border –– due to the "constant threat of Russian strikes," said Ukrainian Railways. It had already crossed into Poland by the time of the attack.
Petraeus was traveling on a separate train which was still at Yahodyn station, a Ukrainian Railways statement said. CNN has reached out to Petraeus for comment.
The rail operator said that while it was still clarifying details, it is "quite likely" that the Russian drone could have deliberately targeted the officials' train.

#ukrainian #russian

This one had everything. Troy Melton struggled and got knocked out early, but the bullpen managed to bend without breaking. Meanwhile, the young Tigers hitters were centre stage as they fought back repeatedly with good at-bats late in this one. Kenley Jansen picked up his 496th major league save to wrap up the victory.
Monday night's first of three at the Rogers Centre featured Melton against right-hander José Soriano. The Blue Jays have had almost as strange a season as the Tigers. Struggling through the first half, they moved long time top starter Kevin Gausman, but acquired Soriano at the deadline as well, and have kept themselves in the thick of the wild card race.
Things didn't start off too well as the Tigers quickly went 1-2-3 in the first, and Melton immediately dug himself a hole. Brett Bateman led off by slashing a single the opposite way past a diving Hao-Yu Lee for a leadoff single. Bateman appeared to be thrown out stealing second on a pitch that was called a ball and incorrectly challenged by Dillon Dingler to walk George Springer. So everyone was safe, and after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to advance the runners, Alejandro Kirk singled home Bateman for a 1-0 lead.
Melton didn't help his cause against Nathan Lukes by yanking a wild pitch to score Springer, but he retired Lukes and Kazuma Okamoto flew out to Clark to end the first inning. 2-0 Blue Jays.
A Dingler strikeout started the second inning, and Max Clark and Brett Callahan grounded out.

#melton #soriano #brett

A Russian businessman close to Vladimir Putin paid for Donald Trump Jr.'s island getaway in May, something the couple called "an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend."
Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina, confirmed the spending on social media after ProPublica reported that Umar Kremlev paid for "hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses," including renting out one of the private islands in the Bahamas where there was a reception and where guests stayed.
Kremlev is the president of the International Boxing **** ociation, an organization that has been criticized for its ties to the Russian government and has lost much of its standing in international sports. In April, Putin awarded Kremlev the "Order of Friendship," the organization announced.

#putin #paid #wedding

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure used to produce and distribute diesel, saying the attacks are causing a global shortage. He spoke after diesel prices in the U.S. hit a record on Friday, soaring past $6 a gallon on average.
Ukraine has for months been targeting Russia's oil and gas industry with long-range strikes, prompting fuel rationing across the country and causing Moscow to ban diesel exports in July, removing supplies from the already tight global market.
But the global crunch also came after the war on Iran curtailed oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Fuel prices are weighing on Americans as they prepare to vote in midterm elections in November.
Trump was asked by a reporter if he had spoken with Zelenskyy following his recent conversation with Russia's Vladimir Putin. He responded by calling on Zelenskyy to halt strikes against Russia.

#zelenskyy #global #Trump

Orioles 3 Jays 7
That was a much better game.
The Jays went up 2-zip in the first. Brett Bateman started the game with a walk, and scored on Vladimir Guerrero's double off the wall. Then Alejandro Kirk singled Vlad home.
And we got three more in the third. Bateman started this inning with a home run. George Springer singled and, an out later, Kirk homered. 5-0 and we could coast.
We got one in the sixth: Josh Smith was hit by pitch and Andrés Giménez doubled him home. We should have scored more that inning, but on a single Giménez rounded third, and, after Orioles third baseman faked a throw to first, tossed to SS Christian Encarnacion-Strand (covering third) and Giménez was tagged out. Not good baserunning, but that seems to be a theme lately.

#game

Tapatío will have the chance today to get back to winning ways against Dorados. On Matchday 8 of the 2026 Apertura in the Liga de Expansión, the Young Flock will visit the Sinaloa side at Estadio El Encanto, where they will look to earn all three points and climb the standings toward the top of the table.
Here we present the list of the 20 players that José Meléndez selected to represent the Red-and-White pride in Sinaloa.
'Tapa''s squad to face Dorados
-Rodrigo Parra-Saúl Zamora-Eduardo García-Carlos Hernández-Gael García-Leonardo Jiménez-Vladimir Moragrega-Cruz Medina-Carlo Soldati-Raúl Nuño-Sebastián Esparza-Juan Pablo Uribe-Enrique Ledesma-Axel Leyva-Matías Cendejas-Diego Latorre-Carlos Corona-Daniel Villaseca-Leonel Calderón-Diego Rosales
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

#ndez #tapat

Orioles 7 Jays 4
This one couldn't have gone much worse.
Dylan Beavers homered on the second pitch of the game.
Then, in the bottom of the first, the Jays had two on and one out, and Vladimir Guerrero was picked off first—just bad baseball. With a runner on second, he wasn't going anywhere. It looked like the Orioles put a play on: pitch low and outside to the right-handed-hitting Alejandro Kirk and catch Samuel Basallo throws straight to first. Vlad was out, and it wasn't close.
The second inning was even worse. The Orioles started the inning with four straight singles (2-0). Then a double (4-0). And another single (6-0). After that, Max Scherzer got the next 12 outs without giving up a hit. Barn doors and horse.

#second #straight #inning

By Andrew Osborn
MOSCOW, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Bone fragments from the sword hand of a medieval Russian prince who won a famous victory over the Mongols have been sent to the front in Ukraine to raise army morale in the Russian Orthodox Church's latest show of support for President ‌Vladimir Putin's war.
The sarcophagus of Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy, who died in 1389 and is revered by Russian nationalists for defeating the Mongol Golden Horde at ‌the 1380 Battle of Kulikovo, was uncovered this summer during restoration work at Moscow's Cathedral of the Archangel inside the Kremlin.
Putin personally inspected what experts said were the prince's well-preserved remains in August, hailing them as "an absolutely unique and marvellous discovery" which reinforced the foundations of Russian history.
The Russian Orthodox Church, which has backed Putin throughout the conflict, said it had dispatched a fragment of Donskoy's right hand to Donetsk, one of four Ukrainian regions Putin said he had incorporated into Russia in 2022, a move Kyiv rejected as an illegal land grab.

#prince #andrew #osborn #reuters

Detroit is still without a permanent general manager, and training camp opens Sept. 17. Shawn Horcoff is running day-to-day operations on an interim basis, with one significant restriction: he cannot make trades. Chris Ilitch has brought in an outside search firm, and the list of outside names has already been trimmed.
Most of the attention has gone to the candidates coming from other organizations. But three of the most credible Red Wings GM candidates already work in the building, and the Wings need to at least consider looking at them.
Steve Yzerman's tenure in Detroit was less than fruitful; fans and ******* ysts both tried to stay faithful to the so-called "Yzerplan." Yzerman stepped down on July 15 after seven seasons that produced zero playoff berths, and he remains with the organization as a senior adviser to Ilitch rather than having been fired outright. During his tenure there seemed to be no urgency to help the team make it back to the playoffs, even though they were within range the past three seasons.
Now, this is not the complete fault of Yzerman, as he was handcuffed by Chris Ilitch. Reports have come out that Yzerman needed approval from Ilitch on certain deals, more specifically signing Steven Stamkos as a free agent, just to see him put up productive seasons — 69 goals across two campaigns for the Nashville Predators, 27 in his first year and 42 in his second.
Yzerman's highlights of acquisitions for the team are trading for Alex DeBrincat and signing Patrick Kane coming off hip surgery. He also had his fair share of misses, such as Andrew Copp ($5.625 AAV/5 years), J.T. Compher ($5.100 AAV/5 years), Michael Rasmussen ($3.200 AAV/4 years), Vladimir Tarasenko ($4.750 AAV/2 years), and the list can go on. He made poor contract extensions and signed aging superstars to try and get any juice that they had left.

#chris

By Andrew Osborn
MOSCOW, Sept 7 (Reuters) - North Korea and Russia opened their first road bridge on Monday in a carefully choreographed display of friendship, a structure which spans the Tumen river and which both sides cast as an important milestone ‌in their deepening strategic partnership.
The first flag-adorned trucks trundled across the 1 km (0.6 mile) long two-lane bridge as Russian Prime ‌Minister Mikhail Mishustin and North Korea's Premier Pak Thae Song tuned in by video link to address workers and government officials from both countries.
Construction of the new bridge, which had been under discussion for years, began in April last year after the project was agreed during a visit by President Vladimir Putin to North Korea in 2024. There are already direct air and rail links between Moscow and Pyongyang, but until Monday there had not been a proper road link. Instead, since 1959 and by special arrangement, planks had been placed on the nearby rail bridge - for decades the sole border crossing point - ‌in order to move vehicles across the border ⁠between the two countries.
"I am convinced that the expansion of cross-border transport infrastructure will provide a powerful impetus for the further development of trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation," said Mishustin, who said ties between ⁠Moscow and Pyongyang were "at an unprecedented high level" and called the opening of the bridge "a genuinely historic event."

#bridge #moscow #korea

Russian oil producer Rosneft has commenced oil shipments from its Vostok Oil project following a commissioning ceremony overseen by Russian President Vladimir Putin via video link.
The first oil from the development was loaded onto the Valentin Pikul Arc7-class Arctic tanker at the Bukhta Sever port.
Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak also participated in the event.
The Vostok Oil project consolidates a number of significant oil and gas deposits in the northern Krasnoyarsk Territory.
Rosneft estimates the project's resource base at seven billion tonnes (bt) of oil with sulphur content ranging between 0.01% and 0.1%.

#russian #rosneft #president

By Dmitry Antonov and Gleb Bryanski
MOSCOW, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of "highly useful" talks on Saturday with two U.S. envoys seeking a deal to end the Ukraine war, a Kremlin aide said, but he gave no indication of any breakthrough.
The ‌aide, Yuri Ushakov, said Americans Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner "outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement". Ushakov did not say what ‌these ideas were.
He said Putin had told the pair that Russia was making "real progress" on the battlefield and was confident of achieving its goals, while stressing the necessity of addressing "all the root causes of the conflict".
These are statements that Moscow has made repeatedly since Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Russia's smaller neighbour in February 2022. Both sides have intensified long-range air strikes in recent weeks while the front lines remain largely static.

#putin #aide #antonov #gleb

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) tells Meet the Press Congress "missed a big chance" on passing Russia sanctions as Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff meet with Vladimir Putin in Russia.

#Russia #press #congress

VLADIVOSTOK, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Igor Sechin, chief of Russia's top oil producer Rosneft, said ‌on Thursday that China, not OPEC, has ‌stabilized global oil markets by reducing crude imports by 5.5 million barrels per day this year.
Sechin, the most influential Russian energy manager and a long-standing ally of President Vladimir Putin, was speaking at a ‌Russian - Chinese business ⁠forum in the far eastern city of Vladivostok.
"This year, China has effectively ⁠taken the lead from OPEC and, without being a member of any cartel, has managed to stabilise the global oil market by cutting its oil ‌imports by 5.5 million barrels per day," Sechin said.
Sechin, known for his skepticism towards OPEC, said China will get more influence on the energy markets as the number of OPEC members is ‌declining.
"I believe that further growth in China's reserves will strengthen China's role in the energy market, against a ‌backdrop of OPEC's waning influence and a reduction in the number of its members," Sechin said.

#sechin #energy #vladivostok

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has acknowledged that things have not gone the way he wanted this season, but the Toronto Blue Jays star remains determined to turn his form around.
Guerrero had a productive series against Cleveland, going 4-for-11 with a home run, a double, a walk and six RBI across the three games.
However, his overall numbers have not reflected that performance. He has posted a .689 OPS through 126 games this season.
Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images
The first baseman opened up about his recent struggles after Toronto secured a 2-1 series victory over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.

#series #blue #however

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey is not backing away from the West as it seeks deeper ties with the East, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday as he headed back from a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
The conference in Kyrgyzstan saw Erdogan hold a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at which they discussed further nuclear cooperation.
In comments made to journalists aboard the presidential plane, Erdogan reiterated Turkey's goal of becoming a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, or SCO, whose ten current members include Russia, China, India and Iran.
"I would also like to particularly emphasize that Turkey's membership perspective in the organization does not mean a break from a bloc or turning our backs on the West," the president said.
Turning to the war in Ukraine, during which Ankara has maintained friendly relations with both Moscow and Kyiv, Erdogan said it was his and Putin's "expectation … that the war between Russia and Ukraine ends peacefully as soon as possible."

#istanbul

By Vladimir Soldatkin
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday there was a chance of reaching an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, while Kyiv said it expected a "new dynamic" in ‌peace efforts.
Putin, speaking at an economic forum in Russia's far east, said a number of countries including the U.S. and ‌China were ready to support a peace settlement.
"Ultimately, however, the problem must be resolved by the countries involved in the conflict — Russia and Ukraine," he said.
"We are grateful to everyone attempting to contribute to a settlement. Is there a chance? In my view, yes, there is."

#Russia #ukraine #chance

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian economy runs a risk of going "berserk" if it is run to focus entirely on the needs of the military-industrial complex, President Vladimir Putin's international development envoy was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
The comments by Boris ****** ov to business news outlet RBC were a rare sign of concern in Kremlin circles about the increasing pressure on the slowing economy to secure a victory in the 4-1/2-year war in Ukraine.
Titov, appointed in 2024 as Putin's special representative to international organizations for achieving sustainable development goals, is a wealthy businessman who used to own Russia's leading producer of sparkling wine. He led an influential business lobby and ran for president in 2018.
"Military and civilian economies have always existed in symbiosis everywhere. Many technical inventions that are useful for all originated within the military-industrial complex. The key lies in maintaining balance," ****** ov told RBC.
US pauses new strikes, Iran comments

#development

MOSCOW, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Tuesday that Russian ‌President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald ‌Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping may hold a trilateral meeting at the next Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November.
Asked on state TV about the possibility of such a meeting, ‌Ushakov said: "This ⁠issue was discussed, yes."
He said all three leaders were expected to ⁠attend the summit, adding: "And if it turns out as has been said, then the three of them will be able to have a ‌meeting."
Ushakov was speaking from the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, where Putin and Xi had attended a gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Russia, China and the United States are part ‌of the 21-member APEC. Shenzhen, China, will host the next leaders' summit November 18-19.

#next

MOSCOW, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that the war in Ukraine needed ‌to end for humanity's sake and that New Delhi would support ‌every peace effort to stop the fighting.
Modi, who made his comments at the start of talks with Putin in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, called Putin "my friend" and hailed growing economic ties between the two countries which he said were guided by the need to put the interests of both nations above all else.
India, along with ‌China, is one of ⁠the biggest buyers of Russian oil, which has helped Moscow replenish its budget since it sent tens of thousands of ⁠troops into Ukraine in 2022 and was hit with sweeping Western sanctions.
"As you are aware, India supports all peace efforts in this regard, and we shall continue to do so in the future," Modi told Putin on the sidelines of the ‌Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, according to a Kremlin transcript of their exchange.
"Every day that the war continues, humanity is, in effect, set back a step, whilst every step towards peace gives all of humanity real hope for peace. We need to move from endless war to an end to the ‌war, to a cessation of hostilities. And we will need to move precisely in this direction," said Modi who has said before that he wants a peace settlement for Ukraine.

#modi #moscow #russian

The leaders of China, Russia and India are among the heads of state gathering in Kyrgyzstan this week for the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a group billed as a counterweight to U.S. global influence.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to attend the events in Bishkek, the capital of the Central Asian nation.
Multiple one-on-one meetings are scheduled on its sidelines, including one between Putin and Xi on Monday, as well as talks between the Russian leader and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday, the day of the official SCO sessions.
Russia, now 4½ years into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Iran, six months into a war with the United States and Israel, see the summit as an important platform to strengthen their relations with non-Western partners.
The SCO was founded in 2001 by China, Russia and four Central Asian states as a security forum. Over the past quarter-century, it has grown in size and influence, although its goals and programs remain vague and its brand recognition low.

#Russia #putin #central #summit

MOSCOW/WASHINGTON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - U.S. CIA Director John Ratcliffe spoke with Russian intelligence officials during a visit to Moscow but did not meet President Vladimir Putin, ‌the Kremlin said on Wednesday of a trip that U.S. President Donald Trump described ‌as "semi-routine."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Putin had been briefed on the outcome of Tuesday's visit, which came as the war in Ukraine drags on and as efforts to reach a lasting peace between the United States and Iran have stalled.
Peskov declined to say what had been discussed or to provide any further details.
"All I can tell you is that there have been contacts via the ‌security services. I can tell you ⁠that there have been no meetings with the Russian president. Naturally, President Putin is kept informed of everything without delay," said Peskov.
Trump, in ⁠a radio interview on Wednesday, did not say specifically why Ratcliffe had travelled to Moscow but said it could prove useful.

#president #putin

SEATTLE, WA - AUGUST 24: Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) waves to fans in celebration of his three home runs during the MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners on August 24, 2026 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
A rejuvenated, revised and much improved edition of catcher Cal Raleigh has arrived on the Seattle Mariners roster.
Raleigh, 29, has been missing in action in the Mariners offense for most of the 2026 season.
In fact, Raleigh's struggles have been so bad, cbssportsline.com listed Raleigh as the No. 1 player in an article ******* led :"The most disappointing MLB players of 2026: Cal Raleigh, Paul Skenes, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and more."
Now, as if on cue, as the final month of the Major League Baseball season quickly approaches, Raleigh's bat has come to life.

#raleigh #philadelphia

MOSCOW, Aug 24 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Monday handed the Russian state the power to take control of critically important ‌infrastructure if it is deemed to be poorly protected from ‌Ukrainian drone attacks and other threats.
The special powers, set out in a presidential decree, will allow the state to take over temporary administration of such facilities at a time when Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks on oil refineries and retail warehouses.
The state will be able to take control of physical and financial ‌assets and formal ownership rights ⁠if entities responsible for such facilities are judged to have failed in their duty to protect them and are ⁠too slow to repair them after any attack, according to the decree.
It applies to fuel, energy, industrial, communications, transport and logistics facilities and other objects regarded as critically-important for ensuring the security and economic stability of the state ‌and the population.
First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said the measure should not be viewed as a precursor to nationalisation and would not be used on a broad scale.

#state #control

The wins keep on rolling: tonight, the Kansas City Royals walked into the home of the Toronto Blue Jays and won 5-3 with a wild ninth inning that featured a pair of crucial defensive masterpieces.
In the first inning, both the Royals and Jays traded blows. Carter Jensen immediately singled against Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer; he was immediately followed by Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino walks to load the bases. Salvador Perez hit into a double play, an unfortunate result that at least scored Jensen. Fortunately for Kansas City, Toronto also loaded the bases in the first inning and also only scored one (a sacrifice fly from Jesús Sánchez).
From there, the game remained scoreless until the fifth inning, although not without traffic on the pasepaths. Royals starter Seth Lugo gave up half a dozen hits and a walk in his five innings, while Scherzer allowed nine total baserunners in his five innings.
Three said baserunners happened in the fifth inning. This time, Salvy singled to score Witt from third base and give the Royals a 2-1 lead—a lead which they would not relinquish.
The very next inning, the Royals extended their lead to three. Against relievers Braydon Fisher and Mason Fluharty, Nick Loftin and John Rave notched singles. Kyle Isbel then bunted, fueled by a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. throwing error. Jensen then hit a sac fly.

#kansas #scherzer

Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day on Monday under the shadow of continued Russian attacks, with one regional security expert arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "panicked" as Ukrainian forces strike deeper inside Russia.
The anniversary, commemorating Ukraine's Aug. 24, 1991, declaration of independence from the Soviet Union, came amid intensified Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure and heightened security concerns after Ukraine's Security Service warned of possible terrorist attacks ahead of the holiday.
European leaders joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv for Independence Day events in a show of support as the war grinds on. Zelenskyy declared that Ukraine wants peace but is not prepared to surrender to Moscow's demands.
A Russian drone strike Friday on a packed shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy's hometown, killed at least 16 people and injured 130, according to The ******* ociated Press.
'Pure ******* ' In Moscow As Ukrainian Drones Strike Major Refinery Supplying Capital's Fuel Market

#ukrainian #ukraine #zelenskyy #Monday

MOSCOW, Aug 24 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Monday handed the Russian state the authority to take ‌control of critically-important infrastructure facilities if they are ‌deemed to be poorly protected from Ukrainian drone attacks and other threats.
The special powers, set out in a presidential decree, will allow the state to take over temporary administration of such facilities at a time when Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks ‌on oil refineries and ⁠retail warehouses.
The state will be able to take control of physical and financial ****** ets and ⁠formal ownership rights if the entities responsible for such facilities are judged to have failed in their duty to protect them and are too slow to repair them after any attack, ‌according to the decree.
It listed fuel, energy, industrial, communications, transport and logistics facilities and other objects regarded as critically-important for ensuring the security and economic stability of the state and the population as falling within the new decree's scope.
Putin ‌last week ordered the government to launch a programme to rebuild commercial warehouses damaged or destroyed by Ukraine in recent weeks.

#facilities

MOSCOW, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Monday that measures were being taken ‌to minimise the impact of Ukrainian strikes ‌on Russia's grain exports as global wheat importers brace for tighter supplies amid attacks on Black Sea grain infrastructure.
Tit-for-tat attacks by Russia and Ukraine, both major grain exporters, on ports and vessels in recent weeks ‌have shuttered grain ⁠terminals and forced shippers to delay or cancel loadings for dozens of cargoes ⁠during the peak export season.
"Measures have been identified and will be further developed, ensuring that all grain intended for export is shipped on time and in ‌full," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
President Vladimir Putin acknowledged last week that Russia was experiencing problems with its agricultural exports, but said it would resolve them. The Kremlin chief also pledged ‌that there would be no shortages on global markets.
Russia would have about 60 million tons of grain for ‌export in the current season, Putin estimated. Russian grain exports are expected to pick up to 2.2 million metric tons in August from 1.95 million ‌in July, the Sovecon consultancy said.

#kremlin #Russia