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International Envoy Urges Bosnian Politicians To Find Negotiated Solution To Property Dispute
The high representative of the international community in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, has again urged local politicians to resolve a dispute regarding state property in the face of continuing claims by ethnic Serbs that such property belongs to the country's two entities and not to the Bosnian state.
Republika Srpska, the ethnic-Serb entity, which along with the Bosniak-Croat Federation makes up the Bosnian state, has tried multiple times to implement a property law that would allow it to transfer state property under its jurisdiction despite this being deemed unconstitutional.
The 1995 Dayton accords that ended the Bosnian civil war established an administrative system under which Bosnia remains partitioned between Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat federation connected by a weak central government.
Republika Srpska says the property law it has come up with aims to ensure that assets located on its territory including local governments, public companies, public institutions, and other departments belong to the Serbian entity.
But Bosnia’s Constitutional Court has stated that the national parliament must adopt a property law that would be valid across Bosnia and not only in one of the country’s two entities.
Schmidt on April 25 emphasized that the decisions of the Constitutional Court are final, binding, and must be implemented since the constitution of Bosnia-Herzegovina is an integral part of the Dayton peace agreement.
“The [ethnic Serb] claims that the issue of the state property ownership was already settled in [the] Dayton [accords] are not true. This is a fundamental question that still needs to be resolved in this country. Therefore, the conclusion is a simple one: Bosnian politicians, do your work," said Schmidt.
Ethnic Serb politicians on April 24 signed a declaration stating that the Bosnian central state does not own territory but only the external border, Bosnia's Constitutional Court and the country's Prosecutor's Office are unconstitutional and illegal, and that Republika Srpska will take over all competencies "that are not directly determined by the State Constitution."
Schmidt underscored the need for negotiations on a technical and legal level to move toward acceptable and sustainable solutions for the distribution of assets between the central state and its entities.
In response to repeated threats by Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik that Republika Srpska would leave Bosnia if the property issue is not resolved in its favor, Schmidt reminded the entities that they do not have the right to secede since they legally exist only on the basis of the constitution forged in the Dayton accords.
"The sovereignty and territorial integrity of [Bosnia-Herzegovina] are unquestionable and I resolutely reject all kinds of irresponsible activities in this regard," said Schmidt, reiterating that no borders or boundaries can be implemented within Bosnia, and that any restriction of freedom of movement is unacceptable.
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Ukraine Gaining 'Useful' Intel From Captured North Korean Soldiers, Kyiv Says
Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR) says two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia continue to be interrogated with Kyiv ready to swap them for Ukrainian troops held by Moscow if North Korean leader Kim Jong-un can arrange such an exchange.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service on January 13, Yevhen Yerin, a representative of HUR, said the capture of live North Korean soldiers, the first Ukraine has announced since their entry in support of Russia into the nearly 3-year-old war last autumn, provides Kyiv "many useful opportunities."
"The information we can gather from these individuals is important not only for operational intelligence but also as a political tool to reveal the participation of the North Korean Army in Russia's military actions," he said.
The capture of the two wounded soldiers, announced on January 11 by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has yet to be confirmed by either Moscow or Pyongyang.
Last fall, North Korea sent some 11,000 troops to the Kursk region to support Russian forces there. Moscow has reclaimed some 40 percent of the territory, but Ukrainian troops still control more than 500 square kilometers in Kursk, and Pyongyang's troops have reportedly been experiencing mass casualties.
Yerin said it appears North Korean soldiers are being integrated into many parts of the battle in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukraine has taken control of some territory.
"They are primarily used as cannon fodder. However, among them there are various specialists who deal with different issues, but in general, they are, generally speaking, infantry," he said on North Korean soldiers fighting in support of Russia.
Earlier on January 13, South Korea's National Intelligence Service reported that more than 300 North Korean soldiers had been killed in the Russian region of Kursk, with around 2,700 more injured.
The Ukrainian Security Service (SUB) said one prisoner, who said he was born in 2005, claimed he believed he was "going for training, not to fight a war against Ukraine."
The other man was forced to write his answers because of an injured jaw, the SBU said. That soldier said he was born in 1999 and was a sniper in the North Korean Army.
One of the soldiers purportedly said he would prefer to stay in Ukraine rather than return to North Korea for fear of "severe punishment" from his government, saying he possibly faces execution or a lengthy imprisonment.
"North Korea's participation is not only a matter on the battlefield—it has big diplomatic implications," Yerin said.
"The very fact that they are there impacts the dynamics of the war, even though they're mostly 'cannon fodder.'"
Zelenskiy has publicly accused Russia and North Korea of trying to cover up evidence of the deployments by issuing fake papers to North Korean soldiers identifying them as Russian citizens.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on January 13 declined again to comment on the situation, which Russia has neither confirmed nor denied.
"We cannot comment in any way, we do not know what is true there," he said of the Ukrainian claims on capturing the two soldiers.
"We continue to discuss the possibility of exchanges, which is not easy work...but for us the life of every Russian soldier is important," Peskov added.
- By RFE/RL
Biden Speaks To Families Of Taliban's U.S. Prisoners, Vows To Press For Release
The White House said President Joe Biden spoke to the families of three Americans held by the Taliban in Afghanistan since 2022 and promised to do everything possible to bring them home as he heads into the final days of his presidency.
Biden "spoke with the families of Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann, and Mahmood Habibi -- Americans unjustly held by the Taliban in Afghanistan since 2022 -- this afternoon," the White House said on January 12.
"The president and the families discussed the U.S. government's continuing efforts to reunite these three Americans with their families. The president emphasized his administration's commitment to the cause of bringing home Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained overseas," the statement added.
Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter, last week reported that the administration has been negotiating with the Taliban since at least July concerning a U.S. offer to release the three Americans in exchange for Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani, a high-profile prisoner held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center.
Afghani has been held at Guantanamo Bay since 2008 and is believed to have been an associate of Osama bin Laden, the late founder of the Al-Qaeda terrorist group.
Aid worker Corbett, 40, and Habibi, 37 -- who led the Afghan Aviation Authority under the previous Afghan government -- were detained separately in August 2022, a year after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan from the Western-backed government. Glezmann, now 66, was detained later in 2022 while visiting as a tourist.
Family members who spoke with Biden said they were told no deal had yet been reached.
Habibi's brother, Ahmad Habibi, was on the call, and welcomed the president's efforts.
"President Biden was very clear in telling us that he would not trade Rahim if the Taliban do not let my brother go," he told Reuters.
"He said he would not leave him behind. My family is very grateful that he is standing up for my brother."
Reuters quoted sources as saying the Taliban, which has not acknowledged holding Habibi, had countered with a proposal to exchange Glezmann and Corbett for Rahim and two other people.
A U.S. Senate report called Rahim an "Al-Qaeda facilitator" and said he was arrested in Pakistan in June 2007 and turned over to the CIA the next month and eventually transferred to Guantanamo Bay.
Biden, who will depart the White House on January 20, last week ordered the release of 11 Guantanamo detainees to Oman, reducing the prison population there to 15.
Biden's administration has been working to reduce the number of detainees, with a goal of closing down the prison, which is on a U.S. naval base on the island of Cuba. At its peak in 2003, it held an estimated 680 prisoners.
President George W. Bush opened the prison in January 2002 to hold international terrorism suspects following the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.
With reporting by Reuters
Italy Frees Iranian Wanted By U.S. For Alleged Involvement In Drone Attack
Tehran has confirmed that an Iranian national has returned home following his release from Italy, despite a request by Washington for his extradition to the United States for alleged involvement in a deadly drone attack in Jordan.
Italy's release of 38-year-old Mohammad Abedini on January 12 came four days after the freeing by Tehran of 29-year-old Italian journalist and podcaster Cecilia Sala, although no mention of a prisoner swap was made by either side.
After saying Abedini had been released earlier in the day by Italy, the Iranian Foreign Ministry and judiciary announced he had arrived in Iran.
Abedini, an Iranian-Swiss businessman, was arrested in Italy in December at the request of the United States.
Washington has accused him of supplying sophisticated drone technology to Iran's military in violation of U.S. sanctions and of alleged involvement in a January 2024 drone attack on a U.S. base in Jordan that killed three soldiers.
The U.S. Justice Department said Abedini was the founder and director of an Iranian company "that manufactures navigation modules used in the military drone program" of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry claimed Abedini's arrest was a "misunderstanding" that was resolved in talks between the Iranian and Italian intelligence services.
The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported Abedini had been released from a Milan prison by the Court of Appeals based on a ruling by Justice Minister Carlo Nordio.
Italy's Justice Ministry said that, according to the country's treaty with Washington, extradition can only occur if an alleged crime is punishable under both countries' laws.
"The first conduct attributed to the Iranian citizen of 'criminal association to violate the IEEPA' [is not] punished by the Italian criminal system," it said, referring to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a U.S. law that gives the president sweeping emergency powers.
The Iranian man is also accused by Washington of "criminal association to provide material support to a terrorist organization resulting in death" and of providing "material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death."
However, Italy's Justice Ministry said no evidence was offered as "a basis for the accusations made."
Washington has not commented on Abedini's release.
Sala, who was arrested on December 19 by Tehran police for her "journalistic activities," was released on January 8 and has returned home.
The journalist, who has a podcast called Stories that covers life in places around the world, was held for over a week before Iranian authorities confirmed her detention.
The arrest sparked a diplomatic clash between Tehran and Rome, with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto calling her arrest “unacceptable.”
The United States called Sala's detention "retaliatory," while media watchdogs Reporters Without Borders and the International Federation of Journalists described her arrest as "arbitrary" and aimed at "extortion."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced in a post on X that Sala was released "thanks to intense work on diplomatic and intelligence channels."
Iran is routinely accused of arresting dual nationals and Western citizens on false charges to use them to pressure Western countries.
With reporting by AFP
Fresh Protests Erupt In Romania Over Canceled Presidential Election
BUCHAREST -- Thousands of people rallied in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, on January 12 to protest the December annulment of the presidential election in which right-wing, pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round.
The protest began around 2 p.m. at Bucharest’s University Square and spread out to other sites. At 10:30 p.m., some 200 people were still in front of government buildings near Victory Square.
Protests have been continuing in Romania since December 6 when the Constitutional Court canceled the election two days before the second round amid allegations of Russian interference.
Demonstrators on January 12 waved the Romanian flag and carried Christian icons as wells as banners that read "Democracy," "Freedom," and "Give us back the second round," as they demanded the court to reverse its ruling.
They also called for the resignation of the outgoing President Klaus Iohannis, whose term expired on December 21 but is staying on as head of state until his successor is elected.
While the rally, which blocked traffic, was peaceful, police said they have arrested three people for "possession of knives and other prohibited items."
Georgescu, who is critical of NATO and opposes Romanian support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion, was a little-known figure in Romania until he unexpectedly won the first round of the presidential election on November 24 with about 22 percent of the vote.
Georgescu, 62, was to face pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi in a runoff, which had been seen as a referendum on the future course of Romania, a member of NATO and the European Union.
The Constitutional Court's decision to scrap the election and ordering a new vote came after state documents showed Georgescu, who ran as an independent candidate, had benefitted from an unfair social media campaign likely orchestrated by Russia. Moscow denies interfering in the election.
Georgescu's lawyers filed a request on January 10 for the Constitutional Court to revise its decision and reinstate the election result.
A similar request was filed on the same day by George Simion, the leader of far-right pro-Russian AUR party, together with parliamentarians from AUR. The party announced plans to stage more protests.
Ahead of the January 12 rally, Simion told reporters the protesters demand "free elections with the resumption of the second round and respect for democracy."
Pro-European parties in Romania struck a deal late last year to form a coalition government without the far right after parliamentary elections on December 1. The new government was sworn in on December 23.
Georgescu's first-place finish sparked fears and also triggered protests in favor of the country's pro-Western path, especially among younger Romanians concerned over the future of democracy in the country.
On December 5, about 3,000 people marched in Bucharest, decrying Russian interference and chanting "Freedom" and "Europe."
The new presidential vote is planned for May 4, with a possible run-off vote scheduled for May 18, but it remains unclear whether Georgescu will be allowed to run for president again.
Malala Condemns Taliban On Women’s Rights, Assails ‘Gender Apartheid’
ISLAMABAD -- Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai urged Muslim leaders not to "legitimize" the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan and instead to "raise their voices" and "use [their] power" against the militant group's curbs on women and girls' education.
"Do not legitimize them," Yousafzai said on January 12, as she addressed the second and final day of a Muslim-led summit on girls’ education in her home country, Pakistan.
"Simply put, the Taliban do not see women as human beings. They cloak their crimes in cultural and religious justification," Yousafzai, 27, told the gathering in Islamabad.
She also urged Muslim leaders and global politicians to support efforts to make what has been called “gender apartheid” a crime under international law.
The event marked a full circle for Yousafzai, who was shot in 2012 by the Pakistani Taliban in the northwestern valley of Swat because she had campaigned for girls' education.
Following the conference, organizers released a 17-point "Islamabad Declaration," including an agreement "emphasizing that girls' education is not only a religious obligation but also an urgent societal necessity."
"It is a fundamental right safeguarded by divine laws, mandated by Islamic teaching, reinforced by international chargers and well-established by national constitutions," it said.
The rights of girls and women – especially access to education – is often a controversial subject in conservative Islamic nations. Domestic activists and international organizations have pressed leaders to promote and protect such rights, and observers in recent years have noted improvements in many, but not all, countries.
Some 47 Muslim-majority nations and organizations sent representatives to the event, but it was shunned by the Afghan Taliban, whom activists say are among the world's leading violators of the rights of women and girls.
Ahead of the gathering, Yousafzai said she would focus her speech on Afghanistan -- which is now the only nation among the 57 members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation that bans women's education. The ban has been widely assailed by the international community and many people inside Afghanistan.
"I will speak about protecting rights for all girls to go to school, and why leaders must hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes against Afghan women & girls," she wrote on X.
The attack on Yousafzai, who had become a target for her campaign for girls' education, sent shock waves across Pakistan and provoked international outrage.
Yousafzai, who was 15 at the time, survived after months of treatment at home and abroad and became an international figure, winning 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.
Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), urged leaders of Islamic nations to protect the rights of Afghan girls.
"I really call on all these ministers...who came from all over the world, to offer scholarships, to have online education, to have all sorts of education for them. This is the task of the day," she said during a panel discussion.
'Crime Against Humanity'
Yousafzai's father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, criticized Muslim countries for what he described as being "either silent, complicit, or apologetic" toward the Taliban's curtailing of Afghan women's rights.
Echoing condemnations by the United Nations, which has labeled the Taliban’s treatment of women "gender apartheid," Ziauddin Yousafzai told RFE/RL that "the international community, especially Muslim countries, should call the [government in Kabul] an apartheid regime."
He said the Taliban-led administration's curb on girls and women's rights is a "crime against humanity."
No Taliban representatives were present among participants of the two-day conference that brought together ministers and education officials from dozens of Muslim-majority countries, backed by the Muslim World League.
A senior Taliban diplomat in Islamabad told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that "so far, Kabul has not told us anything about this event."
Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Pakistan's education minister, said, “No one from the Afghan government was at the conference," but that Taliban leaders were formally invited to the event.
The Taliban government banned teenage girls from education soon after returning to power in August 2021.
Since then, the Islamist group has imposed draconian bans on women’s work, education, and mobility despite domestic opposition and a global outcry.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in his opening statement that preventing girls from receiving an education is "tantamount to denying their voice" and restricting their choices.
"The Muslim world, including Pakistan, faces significant challenges in ensuring equitable access to education for girls," Sharif said.
Muhammad al-Issa, a Saudi cleric and secretary-general of the Muslim World League, who organized the event with the Pakistani government, said, "The entire Muslim world has agreed that girls' education is important."
"Those who say that girls’ education is un-Islamic are wrong," he added.
With reporting by AFP
Key Trump Adviser Blasts Iran At Paris Opposition Gathering
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's incoming special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, while attending an Iranian opposition event in Paris, called for the return of "maximum pressure" against Tehran to push it to allow more democracy and to cease support for extremist elements in the Middle East.
"These pressures are not just kinetic, just not military force, but they must be economic and diplomatic as well," Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant-general, on January 11 told attendees at a gathering of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) – which Tehran considers a terrorist group.
Trump has vowed to return to the "maximum pressure" policy he pursued during his previous term, with the goal of hampering the Iranian economy enough to force it to negotiate its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and curb regional activities.
Trump in 2018 withdrew Washington from a landmark nuclear deal signed with world powers, reimposing crippling sanctions on Iran. Trump said the terms were not strict enough to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
In Paris, Kellogg said there were now opportunities "to change Iran for the better" but that "we must exploit the weakness we now see. The hope is there, so must too be the action."
It was not immediately clear if Kellogg's trip and statements on Iran policy were directly synchronized with Trump.
Trump on November 27 tapped Kellogg, who has long served as a top adviser on defense issues, as his nominee to be special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.
Earlier this month, Kellogg postponed a trip he was expected to make to Kyiv and other European capitals until after Trump takes office on January 20.
Meanwhile, Hussein Salami, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), on January 11 warned the incoming administration that strategic miscalculations could lead to armed conflict.
He added that Tehran's military was not as weak as some believed.
"We know that such judgments are the dreams of the enemy, not realities on the ground," he said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
"Be careful, don't make any strategic mistakes or miscalculations," he said, without directly mentioning Trump.
The Trump administration in 2019 officially designated the IRGC a foreign terrorist organization.
With reporting by AFP and dpa
- By RFE/RL
Zelenskiy Says Ready To Swap Captured N. Korean Soldiers For Ukrainian Troops
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he is prepared to hand over captured North Korean soldiers to Pyongyang if reclusive leader Kim Jong Un can arrange a prisoner swap for Ukrainians held in Russia.
"Ukraine is ready to hand over his people to Kim Jong Un if he can organize their exchange for our soldiers who are in captivity in Russia," Zelenskiy wrote on social media on January 12.
He also offered "some other paths" for any North Korean soldiers who did not want to return to their authoritarian home country.
"In particular, those Koreans who express a desire to bring peace closer by spreading the truth about this war [back] in Korea will have such an opportunity," he added.
The Ukrainian president's comments came as South Korea said Kyiv had captured two North Korean soldiers, confirming remarks made a day earlier by Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian officials.
"Through real-time cooperation with Ukraine's intelligence agency...[South Korea's National Intelligence Service] has confirmed that the Ukrainian military captured two North Korean soldiers on January 9 in the Kursk battlefield in Russia," Seoul said in a statement.
Neither North Korea nor Moscow has commented on the reports.
Ukraine's SBU intelligence on January 11 released a video showing two men in hospital bunks, one with bandaged hands and the other with a bandaged jaw.
Ukrainian officials said the prisoners were talking through interpreters working with South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS).
The SBU said one prisoner, who said he was born in 2005, claimed he believed he was "going for training, not to fight a war against Ukraine."
The other man was forced to write his answers because of an injured jaw, the SBU said. That soldier said he was born in 1999 and was a sniper in the North Korean Army.
In separate televised comments, Zelenskiy said one to the two captured soldiers had "expressed a desire to stay in Ukraine, the other to return to [North] Korea."
The NIS also said one of the captured soldiers had claimed he received training from the Russian military after he arrived in the country in November.
“He initially believed he was being sent for training, realizing upon arrival in Russia that he had been deployed," South Korea's intelligence agency said.
It added that one of the prisoners "went without food or water for four to five days before being captured" by Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine has launched new attacks in Kursk to prevent Russia from snatching back territory. A lightning Ukrainian offensive first captured large swaths of the Kursk region in August 2024. It was the largest incursion onto Russian soil since World War II.
Last fall, North Korea sent some 11,000 troops to the Kursk region to support Russian forces. Moscow has reclaimed some 40 percent of the territory, but Ukrainian troops still control more than 500 square kilometers in Kursk, and Pyongyang's troops have reportedly been experiencing mass casualties.
Zelenskiy on December 23 said more than 3,000 troops, or about a quarter of the North Korean special forces sent to Russia, had been killed or injured, though he did not provide evidence.
White House spokesman John Kirby on December 27 told reporters that North Korean forces were suffering heavy casualties on the front lines, adding that some 1,000 of their troops had been killed or wounded in the Kursk region over a one-week period.
"It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses," Kirby said.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
- By RFE/RL
N. Korean Soldier Claims He Thought He Was On Training Mission, Ukraine Says
Ukrainian investigators are questioning two soldiers from North Korea whom the country’s forces captured in Russia’s Kursk region, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
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“These are two soldiers who, although wounded, survived and were brought to Kyiv and are talking to SBU [Ukrainian Security Service] investigators," Zelenskiy said in a statement on Telegram on January 11.
Zelenskiy's Telegram post included photos of the soldiers he says were taken prisoner. He did not provide evidence that they were North Korean, but if this is confirmed, it will be the first time Ukrainian authorities have published images of captured North Korean troops.
The Ukrainian president said it was “not easy” to capture the North Korean soldiers, claiming that Moscow attempted to hide their presence by letting Russian and North Korean troops kill their wounded comrades on the battlefield to avoid being taken prisoner by Kyiv.
Ukrainian officials said the prisoners were talking through interpreters working with South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS).
The SBU said one prisoner, who said he was born in 2005, claimed he believed he was "going for training, not to fight a war against Ukraine."
The other man was forced to write his answers because of an injured jaw, the SBU said. That soldier said he was born in 1999 and was a sniper in the North Korean army.
The developments followed new Ukrainian attacks in Kursk to prevent Russia from snatching back territory. A lightning Ukrainian offensive first captured large swaths of the Kursk region in August 2024. It was the largest incursion onto Russian soil since World War II.
Last fall, North Korea sent some 11,000 troops to the Kursk region to support Russian forces there. Moscow has reclaimed some 40 percent of the territory, but Ukrainian troops still control more than 500 square kilometers in Kursk, and Pyongyang's troops have reportedly been experiencing mass casualties.
Referring to the captured soldiers on X, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said that the "first North Korean prisoners of war are now in Kyiv" and that they were "regular [North Korean] troops, not mercenaries."
“The security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific is directly linked. We need maximum pressure against regimes in Moscow and Pyongyang.,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, a Russian drone attack killed a woman in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya region.
Ivan Fedorov, the head of the region’s military administration, said a 47-year-old woman was killed instantly after a Russian drone hit a civilian car with five passengers.
“The occupiers attacked Prymorske all night,” he said.
Fedorov said the wounded included two men aged 46 and 60. Two women, 49 and 52, were also injured.
Earlier on January 11, Yevgeny Pervyshov, the governor of the Tambov region in western Russia, said Ukrainian drones crashed into two apartment buildings in the town of Kotovsk, which injured several people.
Photos and videos of the incident, which have not been verified by RFE/RL, were posted online by local residents, who said there had been no air raid siren before the drones struck.
With reporting by AP and AFP
Taliban Absent As Pakistan PM Opens Summit On Girls' Education
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said preventing girls from receiving an education is “tantamount to denying their voice” as he opened a major Muslim-led summit on the subject that remains sensitive in the Islamic world.
The gathering attracted Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai – who is scheduled to speak on January 12 – while it was apparently shunned by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, who activists say are among the world’s leading violators of the rights of women and girls.
"The Muslim world, including Pakistan, faces significant challenges in ensuring equitable access to education for girls," Sharif said at the opening of the event in Islamabad.
"Denying education to girls is tantamount to denying their voice and their choice, while depriving them of their right to a bright future," he added.
On January 11, no Taliban representatives were present among participants from some 50 Muslim-majority countries when the two-day conference opened in the Pakistani capital.
A senior Taliban diplomat in Islamabad told RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal that “so far, Kabul has not told us anything about this event.”
Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Pakistan's education minister, said, “No one from the Afghan government was at the conference," but they were formally invited to the event.
The Taliban government banned teenage girls from education soon after returning to power in August 2021.
Since then, the Islamist group has imposed draconian education on women’s work, education, and mobility despite domestic opposition and a global outcry.
It is now the only nation among the 57 members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation that bans women’s education. The ban has been widely opposed by Afghans and internationally.
"The entire Muslim world has agreed that girls' education is important,” said Muhammad al-Issa, a Saudi cleric and secretary-general of the Muslim World League, who organized the event with the Pakistani government.
“Those who say that girls' education is un-Islamic are wrong," he added.
Nobel laureate Yousafzai wrote on X ahead if the conference that “leaders must hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes against Afghan women and girls.”
In 2012, Pakistani Taliban militants shot Malala in the northwestern valley of Swat because she campaigned for girls' education.
The Taliban banned women’s education despite promising to allow it while it negotiated a peace agreement with the United States.
Senior Taliban government leaders, who are Sunni Deobandi clerics, have adopted a "fringe opinion" of Islamic Shari'a law to enforce the ban on the education of teenage girls and women.
Pakistan has also faced criticism for violation of the rights of girls and women in the country, particularly in rural areas. But poverty, lack of infrastructure, and cultural issues have also hampered the educational system.
“Millions of Pakistani children do not attend school, and those that do must deal with absent teachers and poor learning environments, among other things,” the U.S.-based Wilson Center said in a report.
Injuries Reported In Western Russian Town After Drone Attack
Drones crashed into two apartment buildings in the town of Kotovsk in the Tambov region of western Russia, injuring several people, the region’s governor said early on January 11.
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Yevgeny Pervyshov said on Telegram that several people suffered injuries from glass shards and were being treated. Pervyshov said the buildings did not catch fire and sustained only minor damage.
Photos and videos of the incident, which have not been verified by RFE/RL, were posted online by local residents, who said there had been no air raid siren before the drones struck.
The Russian state news agency TASS said the drones were launched by Ukraine, but the General Staff of the Ukrainian military has not reported any drone attacks on Russian regions.
TASS added that authorities in other parts of Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea also reported Ukrainian drone attacks on the night of January 10-11, including in the Krasnodar Krai region to the east of Crimea. Explosions were also heard in the Kursk and Voronezh regions of Russia.
Voronezh Governor Aleksandr Gusev said more than 15 drones were shot down on the night of January 10-11. There were no casualties or damage, he said.
Eyewitnesses also reported seeing a fire in the port area of Novorossiisk on the Black Sea, and the bridge connecting the Russian mainland to Crimea was closed for more than three hours.
Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said several drones were destroyed in the Kursk region. There were no casualties, but three private houses were damaged, he said on Telegram.
The governors of the other regions that came under drone attack have not commented on any damage or casualties. The Russian Defense Ministry has also not yet reported on drones being shot down.
Russia on January 10 accused Ukraine of conducting a deadly missile strike on a supermarket in the Moscow-controlled city of Donetsk.
Another Russian state news agency, RIA, said investigators were looking into the supermarket attack, claiming a U.S.-supplied HIMARS missile hit the supermarket, killing two people.
Video on social media, which has been verified by RFE/RL, appears to show a massive explosion in an area where a small market is located.
Ukrainian officials have not commented on the Russian accusation.
The Ukrainian Air Force, meanwhile, said Russia attacked Ukraine with 72 Shahed-type strike drones on January 10 in the Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, Khmelnytskiy, Vinnytsya, and Kherson regions.
The Ukrainian General Staff said several small towns east of Pokrovsk and an important highway a few kilometers south of the area had been the site of intense battles on January 10. The city has been the target of a brutal, bloody drive by Russia in recent months.
The January 10 fighting came a day after the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting in Ramstein, Germany, where Kyiv's allies vowed no letup in aid to bolster Ukraine's air defenses amid Moscow's relentless assaults throughout the east, including attacks on civilian and infrastructure sites.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who traveled to Rome following the Ramstein gathering, also praised new actions by the United States and Britain to sanction Russia's oil producers, a major liquefied natural gas project, and more than 100 tankers in its “shadow fleet" as the West looks to deprive Moscow of funds needed to carry on its war.
U.S. Makes Romania Part Of Its Online Visa Waiver Program
Romanians will no longer need to visit a U.S. Embassy or consulate to obtain a visa before traveling to the United States for business or tourism, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on January 10.
The department announced that starting on March 31, Romania will be part of the Visa Waiver Program, which simplifies the process of obtaining a visa.
U.S. Ambassador to Romania Kathleen Kavalec told a gathering at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest that it was a “historic moment” for U.S.-Romania relations and the result of several years of work between the two countries.
“With today’s announcement, it is clear that our relations are only getting stronger,” Kavalec said. “I expect it will supercharge our relationship, giving a boost to our growing economic ties, encouraging more investment in both directions.”
She said the change will allow most Romanian travelers visiting the United States for business or tourism to skip in-person visits to an embassy or consulate and long waits for approval.
The Visa Waiver Program processes applications online, saving travelers money and lowering barriers for Romanian businesses, Kavalec said.
The online application, known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), must be completed before travelers leave for the United States, and Kavalec said the processing time in most cases will be less than three days.
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu told the embassy gathering the decision was the "success of the entire Romanian society" and noted that it comes after the lifting of the European Union land border controls.
Romania and Bulgaria celebrated on January 1 when the two EU members gained full entry into the bloc’s free-travel Schengen Zone.
Romania became the 43rd country to enter the Visa Waiver Program. Bulgarian citizens do not yet have access to it.
German Foreign Minister Says Stricken Tanker In Baltic Sea Belongs To Russia's 'Shadow Fleet'
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said a heavily loaded oil tanker that Germany's maritime emergencies agency had to secure on January 10 in the Baltic Sea is part of the "shadow fleet" that Moscow uses to avoid sanctions on its oil exports.
Baerbock criticized Russia's use of such tankers, calling them "dilapidated” and labeling them a threat to European security, after the 274-meter-long Eventin was reported adrift.
"With the reckless deployment of a fleet of rusty tankers, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is not only circumventing sanctions, but also accepting that tourism on the Baltic Sea will come to a standstill -- be it in the Baltic States, in Poland, or in our country," Baerbock said.
"Russia is endangering our European security not only with its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, but also with severed cables, displaced border buoys, disinformation campaigns, GPS jammers and, as we have seen, dilapidated oil tankers," she added.
The environmental organization Greenpeace also says the ship belongs to Russia’s shadow fleet and names it on a list published on its website. It says all the tankers on the list are old and many have technical defects.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys also reacted to the incident, saying he favored more decisive action against Russia's shadow fleet.
"The Baltic Sea is the most important gateway for Russia's oil exports and we must stop this," he said during a visit to the Estonian capital Tallinn.
At the same time, the "shadow fleet" is an "instrument in hybrid activities" and poses a threat to the environment, he said.
Germany's Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME) said the vessel, which is carrying almost 100,000 tons of oil, experienced an engine failure on January 10 and "was drifting at low speed" off the island of Ruegen.
An emergency tug intercepted the Eventin to stabilize the ship and was joined by two tugboats that successfully attached towing lines to the stricken vessel and held it in place, the German command said.
No oil leaks were detected by surveillance aircraft, and a spokesman for the CCME quoted by the dpa news agency said the vessel did not pose an immediate environmental risk or a danger to the crew on board.
No decision has been made on whether to tow the ship to a port.
Since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022, Western countries have taken steps to reduce oil revenues that Russia has used to fund the war. In response, Russia has relied on the shadow fleet to continue lucrative oil exports.
In addition to direct action against Russia's oil industry, Western countries have moved to sanction individual ships thought to be in the shadow fleet.
The United States and Britain announced sweeping sanctions on January 10 to impose restrictions on more than 180 ships in the fleet.
The Eventin was built in 2006 and is sailing under a Panamanian flag, according to Greenpeace. Its owners are unknown. It left the Russian port of Ust-Luga in the Leningrad region on January 6 and was heading to Egypt's Port Said.
With reporting by AFP and dpa
Swiss Demand Answers After Death Of Man In Iranian Prison
Swiss authorities have called on Tehran to provide full details on the death of a 64-year-old Swiss national in an Iranian prison following his arrest last month on allegations of spying.
“Switzerland is demanding that the Iranian authorities provide detailed information on the reasons for his arrest and a full investigation into the circumstances of his death,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Valentin Clivaz told RFE/RL in an e-mail on January 10.
Clivaz added that the Swiss Embassy in Tehran has been in daily contact with Iranian authorities since it was informed of the arrest on December 10, 2024, but that, because the allegations included espionage, it was not granted access to the detainee.
“On January 9, 2025, the embassy was informed that the Swiss man had taken his own life in prison,” the Swiss statement said.
It added it was withholding the name of the deceased for the protection of the victim's family but that repatriation of the body to Switzerland is a "top priority."
The Mizan news website, which is affiliated with Iran's judiciary, said the Swiss citizen had been "arrested by security agencies for espionage and his case was under investigation" when he took his own life at the prison in the eastern city of Semnan on January 9.
Mizan quoted Mohammad Sadeq Akbari, the chief justice of Semnan Province, as saying the individual was being held in a cell with another prisoner and took his life when the cellmate was not present.
Akbari did not name the Swiss citizen or provide further details, saying an investigation is being conducted and that, so far, "suicide is certain" as the cause of death.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry said the man was traveling in Iran as a tourist at the time of his arrest and that he had not lived in Switzerland for nearly 20 years. He last lived in southern Africa, it said.
Several European countries and the United States have characterized the Islamic republic's arrest of Western citizens as "hostage diplomacy," claiming Tehran uses such detentions as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.
On January 10, the French Foreign Ministry said it summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest Tehran's detention of three French citizens it says are state “hostages” and demanded their immediate release.
“The situation is intolerable, with undignified detention conditions that, for some, constitute torture under international law," the ministry said.
Teacher Cecile Kohler and her partner, Jacques Paris, were detained in Iran in May 2022, accused of organizing labor protests. A third French national, identified only by the first name Olivier, has also been held since 2022.
In 2021, a Swiss diplomat died under mysterious circumstances in Iran.
Iranian media said the person died from a fall from a high-rise building just outside of Tehran. Swiss authorities did not identify the victim, nor did they give details on the incident.
In December 2024, the Swiss Attorney General's Office said the case of the diplomat's death had been closed and that an investigation had not proven any "criminal interference by a third party."
The investigation reportedly was complicated by the absence of organs in the victim after an initial autopsy was performed in Iran.
Switzerland has represented the United States diplomatically in Iran since Washington and Tehran cut ties in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry, in its January 10 statement, said that there were no other Swiss nationals in Iranian custody at this time.
- By Todd Prince
Biden Slaps Broad Sanctions On Russian Energy Sector In Final Bid To Punish Kremlin
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Biden administration has slapped sanctions on two of Russia’s largest oil producers, a major liquefied natural gas project, and more than 100 tankers in its “shadow fleet” in what U.S. officials say are the most significant economic measures yet against the country.
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The sanctions, announced by the White House on January 10, days before President Joe Biden leaves office, aim to further squeeze Russia’s ability to finance its invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year. Oil is Russia’s most important source of revenue, accounting for more than a third of the federal budget.
The new measures target Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, Russia’s second- and fourth-largest oil producers, as well as 183 vessels transporting Russian oil and oil products to foreign markets. The Biden administration also sanctioned “opaque” traders of Russian oil, more than 30 Russia-based oilfield service providers, and more than a dozen leading Russian energy officials and executives.
"These measures will collectively drain billions of dollars per month from the Kremlin's war chest and, in doing so, intensify the costs and risks for Moscow to continue its senseless war," Daleep Singh, deputy national security adviser for international economics, said in a statement.
Britain joined the United States in sanctioning the two oil companies, which combined produce more than 1 million barrels a day. Their majority-owned subsidiaries, such as Gazprom Neft's Serbian unit NIS, also come under the sanctions.
“Putin is in tough shape right now, and I think it’s really important that he not have any breathing room to continue to do the god-awful things he continued to do,” Biden told reporters at the White House.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he spoke with Biden by phone and thanked him for his "unwavering support" of Ukraine's independence and for the "vital role the United States has played in uniting the international community."
Earlier in a statement on X, he thanked the United States and Britain for the new measures, saying he expected them to cut income for the Kremlin.
"The less revenue Russia earns from oil and other energy resources, the sooner peace will be restored," he said.
The latest measures are meant to complement sanctions previously slapped on Russia's energy sector.
In December 2022, the United States and Europe imposed a price cap of $60 a barrel on Russian oil sold with the use of Western ships and insurance.
The novel measure aimed to trim Kremlin revenues while also keeping Russian oil flowing to global markets to avoid a price spike at a time of surging global inflation.
Western firms dominated the oil transportation industry, pushing Russia to scoop up hundreds of tankers to circumvent the sanctions.
Within two years, Russia had more than 300 vessels in its "shadow fleet" transporting oil mainly to India, China, and Turkey at prices exceeding the cap.
As a result, Russia has continued to reap hundreds of billions of dollars in energy revenue despite the sanctions. Ukrainian officials and Western supporters of Kyiv had been urging the Biden administration for months to impose greater measures on Russia's oil industry and tighten and enforcement.
In the statement, Singh defended the decision to move ahead with additional energy sanctions now, just 10 days before the Biden administration leaves office, saying oil supply is forecast to exceed demand this year.
Some experts have said that Biden was holding back on tougher sanctions against Russia until after the November 5 U.S. presidential election lest they hurt his party's chances of winning. Rising prices for many goods, including energy, were a major issue during the campaign. Biden’s Democratic Party lost the presidency and both chambers of Congress.
Following the announcement of the latest sanctions, oil prices jumped more than 3 percent to their highest since October amid concern they could curtail Russian supply. Russia is currently the largest exporter of oil and oil products, shipping more than 6.5 million barrels to global markets a day.
LNG Project Targeted
The sanctions announced on January 10 also target a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Russia’s Arctic, those involved in Russia's metals and mining sectors, and senior officials from Rosatom, the state-owned builder of civilian nuclear power plants.
Singh said the new sanctions are intended to strengthen Ukraine’s hand in any negotiations that take place to end the war.
Republican President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants to start negotiations to end the war soon after he takes office on January 20 but has not given any details on timing.
A senior Biden administration official declined to say whether the incoming Trump administration supported the latest round of sanctions. However, the official said a number of Republican members of Congress had called on the Treasury Department to impose the type of sanctions included in the January 10 announcement.
Chris Weafer, a Russia energy expert and founder of Macro-Advisory, said the impact of the latest round of sanctions will depend on whether China, India, and Turkey observe them. Russia sells its oil to those countries at a discount to global prices.
"Despite this escalation in sanctions, it is not clear that they will work. It entirely depends on those countries. Will they give up cheap Russian oil in order to buy more expensive oil from someone else? They haven't done it thus far," he told RFE/RL.
Nonetheless, he said sanctions are now at their "most dangerous level" for the Russian economy since the Kremlin launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The latest sanctions come on the heels of stinging measures imposed by the United States on Russia's financial sector.
In late November, the Biden administration designated Gazprombank, one of Russia’s largest lenders, and more than 50 other financial institutions, further cutting the country off from U.S. financial markets and increasing pressures on the economy. Those measures forced the Russian Central Bank to significantly weaken the currency.
Weafer said Trump could use the latest measures on the energy industry as leverage to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.
"Nobody in Moscow is going to panic over these sanctions just yet because the U.S. administration is about to change. They are a further complication but no one is going to push any panic buttons until after they hear what Trump has to say," Weafer said.
One of the officials on the call said the measures, combined with previous sanctions, “provide the next administration a considerable boost to their and Ukraine's leverage in brokering a just and doable peace.”
Thousands Of Pro-Russian Candidate's Supporters Protest Halt In Romanian Presidential Vote
Thousands of Romanians rallied in front of parliament to demand the reinstatement of the second round of a presidential election, which was canceled by the Constitutional Court as the country lurches through a constitutional crisis after a Moscow-friendly, far-right candidate won the first round.
The protest, organized by pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu, blocked traffic in central Bucharest on January 10, demanding the reversal of a court decision last month that annulled the entire presidential election -- even as a runoff vote was under way. He was to face pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi.
The runoff had been seen as a referendum on the NATO and EU member's future course amid accusations of Russian meddling that brought thousands of Romanians on to the streets in support of the country's place in the Euro-Atlantic community.
"We want democracy and freedom in Romania, we want a functional state, true justice, competent people, and a functional state," Gabriela Iordachita, a university professor, told RFE/RL.
The court ruling came after the Supreme Defense Council declassified documents allegedly proving Georgescu's presidential bid had been aided by a campaign led by an unnamed "state actor" with the help of the Chinese-owned TikTok social media platform.
In its ruling, the Constitutional Court said the electoral process for the vote "will be resumed in its entirety, with the government to establish a new date for the election of the president of Romania, as well as a new calendar program for carrying out the necessary actions."
"I came for freedom to vote, to be free to vote however I want," Marian Zamfir, who works as an administrator at a company in Bucharest, told RFE/RL at the protest.
The protest was organized by the EPACE platform, which said it has almost 57,000 signatures supporting Georgescu's call for the second round of the election to proceed.
A new coalition government was sworn in on December 23 after parliamentary elections three weeks earlier.
One of the government's first tasks will be to set a date for the new presidential election.
- By Kian Sharifi
Election Of New Lebanese President Signals Iran's Waning Influence
Lebanese lawmakers have elected army chief Joseph Aoun as the country’s new president, ending a two-year gridlock in a clear sign of the weakening of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed political party and military force that had scuttled past efforts to name a president.
Lawmakers from Hezbollah, which is a U.S.-designated terrorist group, and its ally Amal had for two years obstructed attempts to elect a president by walking out of the parliament, preventing it from reaching a quorum.
This time, however, they voted for Aoun in the second round on January 9 after their preferred candidate dropped out.
In the end, Aoun secured a commanding second-round victory, winning 99 out of 128 votes after falling short of the two-thirds majority required for victory in the first round.
Hezbollah’s devastating war with Israel late last year caused significant damage in Lebanon, particularly in the capital, Beirut, and weakened the Shi’ite group militarily, socially, and, it seems, politically.
Hamidreza Azizi, a fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said the election of the U.S-backed Aoun indicates that Hezbollah has “come to terms with the new political realities” in Lebanon.
He said that, by backing Aoun’s election, Hezbollah sought to avoid being blamed for prolonging Lebanon’s political gridlock while also ensuring that more staunchly anti-Hezbollah figures such as Samir Geagea did not become president.
“[Hezbollah’s] focus remains on survival while working toward a more stable situation in the country, which they hope to use over time to regain strength and rehabilitate their position,” Azizi added.
Aoun’s election was backed by the United States, France, and Iran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia, indicating that Riyadh’s influence in Lebanon will likely grow at Tehran’s expense.
“It is quite evident that, as Hezbollah’s role diminishes in Lebanon’s political and military affairs, Iranian influence is also waning,” Azizi argued.
Losing influence in Lebanon caps off a catastrophic few months for Iran, which has witnessed the battering of its sprawling network of regional proxies and the fall of longtime Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Still, Tehran appears supportive of Hezbollah’s strategy of maintaining a lower profile and focusing on rebuilding its strength, according to Azizi.
Even Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian has welcomed Aoun's election, saying it was a "reinforcement of stability and unity" in the country.
Iranian state-affiliated media, meanwhile, have avoided criticizing Aoun, with one news agency even describing him as an “impartial” and “relatively popular” figure.
In his victory speech, Aoun vowed that only the Lebanese state would have a "monopoly" on weapons in a comment seen as a pledge to disarm Hezbollah, which has long been considered a more powerful force than the Lebanese military.
Azizi said disarming Hezbollah is a longer-term goal which is “easier said than done” and that for “clear-eyed” Aoun, the immediate priority is establishing stability in Lebanon.
Of more immediate concern, analysts say, is the implementation of an Israeli-Hezbollah cease-fire while also seeking funding to rebuild Lebanon, especially in areas in the south and east that were hit hard by the fighting.
"Aoun has interlocking objectives. He has to address Hezbollah's weapons through some sort of dialogue forum. Yet he can only do so if he secures funding to rebuild mainly Shi'a areas. And for this he must engage in economic reform, because the Gulf states now demand it," said Michael Young of the Carnegie Middle East Center.
Russia Blames Ukraine For Deadly Supermarket Strike; Kyiv, Pokrovsk Blasted
Russia accused Ukraine of conducting a deadly missile strike on a supermarket in the Moscow-controlled city of Donetsk, while Kyiv reported a massive wave of Russian drone attacks on several regions and fierce fighting near the strategic logistics hub of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine.
The January 10 fighting came a day after the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting in Ramstein, Germany, where Kyiv's allies vowed no letup in aid to bolster Ukraine's air defenses amid Moscow's relentless assaults throughout the east, including attacks on civilian and infrastructure sites.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who traveled to Rome following the Ramstein gathering, also praised new actions by the United States and Britain to sanction Russia's oil producers, a major liquefied natural gas project, and more than 100 tankers in its “shadow fleet" as the West looks to deprive Moscow of funds needed to carry on its war.
Russian state RIA news agency said investigators were looking into the supermarket attack early on January 10, claiming a U.S.-supplied HIMARS missile hit the supermarket, killing two people, in the occupied city.
Video on social media, which has been verified by RFE/RL, appears to show a massive explosion in an area where a small market is located.
Ukrainian officials have not commented on the Russian accusation.
The Ukrainian Air Force, meanwhile, said Russia attacked Ukraine with 72 Shahed-type strike drones in the Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhyzha, Khmelnytskiy, Vinnytsya and Kherson regions.
In Kyiv, bright flashes and explosions were seen as defense systems intercepted several drones in the sky. No deaths were reported, though some damage from debris was seen at a high-rise residential building, military officials said.
The Ukrainian General Staff said several small towns east of Pokrovsk and an important highway a few kilometers south of the area had been the site of intense battles on January 10.
Pokrovsk has been the target of Russia's brutal, bloody drive in recent months, mainly destroying the city with a prewar population of about 64,000 people.
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
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As intense attacks and fighting on the front lines continue, diplomatic efforts to stop the conflict appear to be picking up momentum.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said on January 10 that it expects Kyiv to have high-level talks with the White House once President-elect Donald Trump takes office in 10 days.
"We are waiting for a meeting between our presidents because for us the main thing is to work together with America... we are preparing for contacts at the highest and high levels immediately after the inauguration," ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhiy said.
The Kremlin said it remains willing to meet with Trump and that there has been progress in setting up a meeting after the new president is inaugurated on January 20.
"No conditions are required for this, just a mutual desire and political will to conduct a dialogue and resolve existing problems through dialogue is required," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow a day after Trump said a meeting was being set up between him and President Vladimir Putin, though he laid out no timeline.
"We see that Mr. Trump also declares his readiness to resolve problems through dialogue, we welcome this," he said.
Members of the contact group have said the January 9 meeting could be the last one as its fate remains unclear under Trump, whose advisers have floated multiple proposals to end the war that would effectively cede large parts of the country to Russia for the foreseeable future.
At Ramstein, hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid was pledged -- including $500 million from Washington as part of the outgoing President Joe Biden's goal of sending as much support as possible before Trump returns to office.
Zelenskiy, meanwhile, thanked Washington and London for their "synchronized action" in sanctioning Russian energy firms and ships operating the Kremlin's so-called "shadow fleet" of sanctions-busting vessels in the Baltic Sea -- which are also suspected of sabotaging communications and electrical cables in the body of water.
- By RFE/RL
3 Of Navalny's Lawyers Set To Be Sentenced On 'Extremism' Charges
A Russian court is set to sentence three lawyers who worked for opposition politician Aleksei Navalny and were charged in 2023 with "extremism" charges.
The sentencing hearing for lawyers Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin is scheduled to begin on January 10 at 10:00 a.m. local time in the Vladimir region east of Moscow.
They are accused of participating in an "extremist" organization, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of six years in jail. Prosecutors are demanding jail terms of at least five years for each of the lawyers. They are expected to be found guilty as acquittals are practically unheard of in Russian courts, especially in political cases.
Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and Navalny’s other groups were labeled as extremist and banned in Russia in 2021.
The trial of Kobzev, Sergunin, and Liptser began in September and was held behind closed doors, however the sentencing is to be open to the media.
Investigators said the lawyers used their “status" to pass messages between Navalny and his associates, helping him to “conduct extremist activities from behind bars." Two other former lawyers for Navalny, Aleksandra Fedulova and Olga Mikhailova, fled Russia last year.
Before his death, Navalny condemned the arrest of the lawyers as "outrageous," saying it was part of a campaign to further isolate him in jail.
The Kremlin critic died in suspicious circumstances in an Arctic prison colony in February 2024. His associates have said he was killed, most likely on the Kremlin's command, which the Kremlin has vehemently denied.
Navalny was able to communicate from his jail cell, with his criticism of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and sarcastic comments, often about the conditions he was held in, appearing on social media.
Kobzev was the most high-profile member of Navalny's legal team defending him in court. He also released statements on Navalny's health in prison.
With reporting by AFP
NATO Defense Ministers Discuss Trump’s Suggested Increase In Spending To 5 Percent Of GDP
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- NATO defense ministers meeting in Germany on January 9 expressed skepticism about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's suggestion that members of the alliance should increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP.
During a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the ministers said that the ability of NATO members to fulfill defense tasks is more important than spending relative to GDP.
"All the numbers and percentages don't help us at all at the moment. Two percent of a strong GDP can be a lot, and three and a half percent of a weak GDP can be very little," said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
In Germany, Europe’s largest economy, 5 percent of GDP would be around 40 percent of the federal budget.
"I don't know which country could afford that. So it's not a question of percentages. It is about the question that the capability goals of NATO should be fulfilled," Pistorius said.
Trump put forth the 5 percent spending proposal during a press conference on January 7, raising his long-standing claim that European allies are underpaying for U.S. protection.
"They can all afford it, but they should be at 5 percent not 2 percent," said Trump, who will be inaugurated on January 20.
"Europe is in for a tiny fraction of the money that we're in," Trump said. "We have a thing called the ocean in between us, right? Why are we in for billions and billions of dollars more money than Europe?"
The United States spends 3.38 percent of GDP on defense. Given the size of the U.S. economy, that accounts for more than 60 percent of NATO's total.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur told RFE/RL that the United States should demonstrate its readiness to raise its defense spending to 5 percent. He said this would increase it to $1.5 trillion.
But Latvia, which is already one of the few NATO countries spending more than 3 percent of GDP on defense, plans to increase spending further.
"This year, the contribution is 3.4 percent of our GDP. Next year it will be 3.7 percent. And recently political leadership announced that we are willing to move forward with 4 percent," Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds told RFE/RL.
The level of spending demonstrates an understanding of the threats facing the world, he said.
"During the Cold War years…it was around 4 percent on average. So that's why certainly 2 percent [as] we discussed previously [is] not enough," Spruds said.
Adopting a new defense spending target would require agreement from all 32 NATO member states. As of July, 23 countries in the alliance had reached the 2 percent of GDP defense spending target.
It was the first time that several large European economies -- namely Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Turkey -- achieved the target.
Republika Srpska Holds Parade To Mark Banned Independence Day
Former soldiers, students, and representatives of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s rescue services and police departments marched on January 9 in Banja Luka to mark Republika Srpska Day despite the the country's Constitutional Court declaring it unconstitutional three times.
The marchers carried flags, including the national flag of Serbia and the flag of Republika Srpska, and banners of Republika Srpska military units as the procession passed before a government officials and military officers standing on a dais.
Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, who is recovering from surgery, was not present, but Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, who has been blacklisted by the United States, attended the event.
Dodik is under U.S. and U.K. sanctions for actions that Western governments say are aimed at the secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia. Dodik has denied that the Serbian entity of Bosnia has ever pursued a policy of secession.
January 9 marks the anniversary of the region's 1992 declaration of independence. Bosniaks and Croats did not participate in the adoption of the declaration and view January 9 as the beginning of the 1992-95 Bosnian War. In years past, the banned holiday has been marked in Banja Luka by parades and marches by armed police.
This year's event took place despite warnings from the international envoy for Bosnia, the EU delegation to Bosnia, and the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo.
International envoy Christian Schmidt warned that disobeying the decisions of the Constitutional Court may constitute a criminal offense and said Bosnia’s law enforcement agencies are obliged to investigate.
The U.S. Embassy noted that the Constitutional Court had ruled on multiple occasions that celebrating the Republika Srpska Day on January 9 is unconstitutional.
“This ruling stands regardless of who participates in the celebration. The issue is not simply commemorating a holiday, but specifically choosing January 9, which coincides with an Orthodox religious holiday and violates several provisions of the [Bosnian] Constitution that prohibit discrimination,” the embassy said on January 8 on X.
The embassy said under the Dayton agreement that ended the 1992-95 Bosnian War all entities in Bosnia are obligated to fully comply with the decisions of Bosnian institutions, including the binding and final rulings of the Constitutional Court.
“Failure to adhere to these rulings constitutes a criminal offense under the [Bosnian] Criminal Code,” the embassy said, adding that the United States expects law enforcement and judicial authorities to investigate.
The Prosecutor-General's Office of Bosnia did not respond to RFE/RL's inquiry about whether an investigation had been launched into this year's commemoration or whether anything had been done about it last year after the Prosecutor-General’s office said it monitored activities on January 9.
The U.S. Treasury Department last year imposed sanctions against three individuals for their work in helping to organize the Republika Srpska Day parade.
The three were members of the organizing committee and participated in a meeting when the event plan was approved. Dodik appointed the committee and demanded it plan the celebration, which included events taking place over three days beginning on January 8.
The Bosnian Serb nationalist leader is on trial for failing to comply with Schmidt’s decisions.
Republika Srpska Interior Minister Sinisa Karan said that after the end of the proceedings against Dodik "it will be known whether the Dayton peace agreement and Bosnia will survive."
Swiss Citizen Dies In Iran After Being Accused Of Spying
A Swiss national who was accused of spying by Tehran was found dead in prison in what officials say was a suicide.
The Mizan news website, which is affiliated with Iran's judiciary, said the Swiss citizen had been "arrested by security agencies for espionage and his case was under investigation" when he took his own life at the prison in the eastern city of Semnan on January 9.
The Swiss foreign minister confirmed in an e-mail to RFE/RL's Radio Farda that Switzerland had been informed of the situation and is seeking further details.
"The FDFA (Swiss Foreign Ministry) confirms the death of a Swiss citizen in Iran. The Swiss Embassy in Tehran is in contact with the local authorities to clarify the circumstances of the death in an Iranian prison," said ministry spokesman Pierre-Alain Eltschinger.
"The FDFA is providing consular protection to the relatives. At this stage, the FDFA cannot provide any further information."
Mizan quoted Mohammad Sadeq Akbari, the chief justice of Semnan Province, as saying the individual was being held in a cell with another prisoner and took his life when the cellmate was not present.
Akbari did not name the Swiss citizen or provide further details, saying an investigation is being conducted and so far "suicide is certain" as the cause of death.
No details of the charges against the Swiss citizen were revealed.
Several European countries and the United States have characterized the Islamic republic's arrest of Western citizens as "hostage diplomacy," claiming Tehran uses such detentions as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.
Three years earlier a Swiss diplomat died under mysterious circumstances.
Iranian media said the person died from a fall from a high-rise building just outside of Tehran. Swiss authorities did not identify the victim, nor did they give details on the incident.
In December, the Swiss Attorney General's Office said the case of the diplomat's death had been closed and that an investigation had not proven any "criminal interference by a third party."
The investigation reportedly was complicated by the absence of organs in the victim after an initial autopsy was performed in Iran.
Switzerland has represented the United States diplomatically in Iran since Washington and Tehran cut ties in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
U.S. Pledges New Ukraine Aid In What May Be Biden Office's Final Move
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has announced a new $500 million package of military aid as part of the outgoing Biden administration's goal of sending as much support as possible before President-elect Donald Trump returns to office.
The package includes "additional missiles for Ukrainian air defense, more ammunition, more air-to-ground munitions, and other equipment to support Ukraine's F-16s," Austin said.
Austin spoke at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which is made up of about 50 partner nations that the U.S. Defense Secretary brought together to coordinate weapons support months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
"It's important to look at this as a comprehensive effort by the international community to support Ukraine," U.S. General Patrick Ryder told RFE/RL at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is also attending the meeting, called on Europe to coalesce around Kyiv if U.S. support wanes under the incoming White House administration.
"It's clear that a new chapter starts for Europe and the entire world -- just 11 days from now, a time when we have to cooperate even more, rely on one another even more, and achieve even greater results together. I see this as a time of opportunities," he said.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, also in Ramstein, said he expects leaders of the defense coalitions to approve "road maps" for strategic goals and key needs for military assistance until at least the end of 2027.
"These documents, developed and agreed upon jointly by Ukraine and partners, will become the basis for support and allocation of assistance in areas such as air defense, artillery, armored vehicles, drones, air force, maritime security, and other important areas. There is a lot of work ahead," he added after a meeting with Austin.
The Ramstein gathering comes a day after Ukraine suffered one of its worst single losses of life in weeks -- an attack on the southern city of Zaporizhzhya that killed 13 people.
Authorities believe Russia carried out the attack using glide bombs aimed at an industrial site.
Ukraine claimed earlier on January 8 that its forces hit an oil depot inside Russia that served as a strategic air base in the southern Saratov region. The Ukrainian military’s General Staff said the strike created serious logistical problems for Russian aviation and significantly reduced its ability to strike Ukrainian cities and civilian objects.
Members of the contact group have said the January 9 meeting could be the last one as its fate remains unclear under Trump.
"The most important format is to have a strong-willed determination for finding specific funding and equipment and training possibilities for Ukrainians," Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds told RFE/RL at the meeting, adding that bilateral commitments and willingness to support Ukraine are a "backbone of support."
The outgoing U.S. administration has been working to get as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump takes office on January 20 to improve Kyiv's negotiating position. Trump -- who has repeatedly criticized U.S. assistance to Kyiv -- has claimed he could quickly negotiate an end to the war after he returns to office.
This has raised fears in Ukraine that any hastily arranged negotiations would be used by Russia to hold on to Ukrainian territory it occupies and allow its troops to rest and rearm.
Austin has said it is important for the contact group to continue providing military aid, while German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has also warned against the West slacking off on support for Ukraine.
Designated U.S. Envoy For Ukraine Says Trump Wants Equitable End To War
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s designated envoy for Ukraine and Russia said Trump will take Ukraine’s interests into account when he starts working on a settlement to end the war in Ukraine and will aim to make sure the solution is equitable.
“People need to understand he’s not trying to give something to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin or the Russians,” said Keith Kellogg, the retired lieutenant-general whom Trump has designated as his envoy and tasked with leading negotiations to end the war.
“He’s actually trying to save Ukraine and save their sovereignty,” Kellogg said in the interview with Fox News on January 8. “He’s going to make sure it’s equitable and it’s fair and he’s said that repeatedly,” including to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Trump said during last year’s election campaign he could end the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. He now says he hopes to end the fighting within six months.
"I hope long before six months," Trump said at a news conference on January 7 when asked if he could solve the war within half a year.
Kellogg said he would prefer to set an even shorter time span of 100 days from Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
“I’m on the clock. He’s on the clock as well because he wants to end [the war] as quickly as he can,” Kellogg said. “He knows it’s tough one…but he’s committed to it.”
Kellogg declined to divulge the content of any of his conversations with Trump on the war, saying Trump “speaks for himself” and more information would be forthcoming after the inauguration.
He indicated that the groundwork is being laid for Trump and Putin to talk.
“We’ll set the conditions…and he will eventually get to the position where he’ll be talking with Putin and also President Zelenskiy as well, and I think they are going to come to a…solution in the near term,” Kellogg said.
He was not asked about the postponement of a trip that he was expected to make this month to Kyiv and other European capitals. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced on January 7 that the trip would be rescheduled.
The envoy-designate in the interview criticized President Joe Biden for not talking with Putin, saying it has been more than two years since they spoke. Trump on the other hand speaks with America’s adversaries and allies alike, he said.
“He actually knows that you need to talk to people to get to an end state and that is what we are going to do,” Kellogg said.
With reporting by Fox News
Austin Expected To Announce Military Aid Package At Ukraine Defense Contact Group Meeting
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is scheduled to meet on January 9 with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Ramstein, Germany, and is expected to announce another large package of military aid as part of the outgoing Biden administration's goal to send as much support as possible before President-elect Donald Trump returns to office.
An announcement of an additional $500 million in weapons to Ukraine is expected to be made during the meeting, according to news reports on January 8 quoting unidentified officials.
“Our focus will be on maintaining momentum, delivering results, and sending a clear message: The international community stands resolute in its support for Ukraine,” Austin told reporters traveling with him to Germany.
Austin will meet with the contact group, which is made up of about 50 partner nations that Austin brought together to coordinate weapons support months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
A senior defense official who briefed reporters traveling with Austin said the weapons in the new package will be drawn from U.S. stockpiles and the goal is to get them into Ukraine before the end of the month.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on January 8 that he would attend the meeting and said Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was already in Ramstein.
"The key task for Ukraine is to strengthen our air defense to at least enable Ukraine to keep the Russian air force away from our cities and borders," he said.
The meeting comes a day after Ukraine suffered one of its worst single losses of life in weeks -- an attack on the southern city of Zaporizhzhya that killed 13 people. Authorities believe Russian carried out the attack using glide bombs aimed at an industrial site.
Ukraine claimed earlier on January 8 that its forces hit an oil depot inside Russia that served a strategic air base in the southern Saratov region. The Ukrainian military’s General Staff said the strike created serious logistical problems for Russian aviation and significantly reduced its ability to strike Ukrainian cities and civilian objects.
Members of the contact group have said the January 9 meeting could be the last one as its fate remains unclear under Trump.
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
The outgoing U.S. administration has been working to get as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump takes office on January 20 to improve Kyiv’s negotiating position. Trump -- who has repeatedly criticized U.S. assistance to Kyiv -- has claimed he could quickly negotiate and end to the war after he returns to office.
This has raised fears in Ukraine that any hastily arranged negotiations would be used by Russia to hold on to Ukrainian territory it occupies and allow its troops to rest and rearm.
Austin said it is important for the contact group to continue providing military aid. He told AFP after landing at Ramstein that he hopes it will “because it's not over."
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also warned against the West slacking off on support for Ukraine.
"If we do that tomorrow, it would be the end of Ukraine, a free, sovereign, democratic country, the day after tomorrow. And who comes next?" Pistorius said on January 8 at an election campaign event in the central German city of Marburg.
He said he was very much in favor of "always leaving the doors open for negotiations." It must be possible to talk about peace at any time, but not on the terms that Russian President Vladimir Putin has set," Pistorius added.
Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa
Deadly Russian Strike On Zaporizhzhya Causes Dozens Of Casualties
A Russian strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya has killed more than a dozen people and wounded scores of civilians. The January 8 strike caused extensive destruction in the city's industrial district as firefighters worked to put out several blazes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram: "There is nothing more cruel than air strikes on a city, with the knowledge that ordinary civilians will suffer."
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