rferl--2020-07-16--Fighting Resumes On Armenian-Azerbaijani Border After Brief Lull

Fighting on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan reportedly resumed early on July 16 after a brief de-escalation in fighting , with the two sides accusing each other of attacking their frontline positions and shelling villages .
The Armenian military claimed to have thwarted a predawn Azerbaijani raid on one of its border posts in the northeastern Tavush district .
“ After a fierce gunbattle , the enemy was repelled , suffering casualties , ” Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanian said , adding that Azerbaijani forces then began shelling two Armenian border villages with mortars and howitzers .
“ Gunfire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stepanian wrote on Facebook in the morning .
“ Units of the Armenian Armed Forces are neutralizing Azerbaijani provocations.
” Stepanian also claimed in a Facebook post on July 16 that Armenian forces had destroyed an Azerbaijani tank and struck “ artillery and mortar positions that were shelling our settlements and positions.
” She posted a short video of plumes of black smoke rising from behind a hill on what appeared to be the Azerbaijani side of the frontier : Stepanian also said that Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan had phoned Andrzej Kasprzyk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitoring the cease-fire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone , to brief him on the latest escalation .
She said Tonoyan told Kasprzyk that the Azerbaijani side suffered “ many casualties.
” The official added that no Armenian soldiers were killed at the volatile border section as of 9 a.m. local time .
Speaking to RFE/RL ’ s Armenian Service at around the same time , Tavush Governor Hayk Chobanian said that not only the local villages but also the town of Berd came under Azerbaijani artillery fire .
None of their residents was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding that the shelling caused damage to civilian homes and infrastructure .
“ Residents are hiding in basements and shelters , ” said Chobanian .
“ Their life is not at risk.
” “ There is no need for evacuation.… I hope that [ this situation ] won ’ t last long , ” added the governor .
Meanwhile , the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry accused Armenian forces of attacking its frontline troops and shelling Azerbaijani villages in the Tovuz district bordering Tavush .
It gave no details .
The renewed fighting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pause that followed three days of deadly clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces that left at least 15 soldiers dead and prompted serious concern from the international community .
Before the July 16 escalation , the U.S. , Russian , and French mediators co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group hailed the lull in the fighting and urged the parties to “ make every effort to continue de-escalation.
” “ The co-chairs welcomed the confirmation of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan to hold substantive negotiations on crucial aspects of a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of returning OSCE monitors to the region as soon as circumstances allow , ” said the statement issued late on July 15 .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Armenian and Azerbaijani services and AFP

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Fighting on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan reportedly resumed early on July 16 after a brief de-escalation in fighting, with the two sides accusing each other of attacking their frontline positions and shelling villages.
The Armenian military claimed to have thwarted a predawn Azerbaijani raid on one of its border posts in the northeastern Tavush district.
“After a fierce gunbattle, the enemy was repelled, suffering casualties,” Defense Ministry spokeswoman Shushan Stepanian said, adding that Azerbaijani forces then began shelling two Armenian border villages with mortars and howitzers.
“Gunfire is continuing at the moment,” Stepanian wrote on Facebook in the morning. “Units of the Armenian Armed Forces are neutralizing Azerbaijani provocations.”
Stepanian also claimed in a Facebook post on July 16 that Armenian forces had destroyed an Azerbaijani tank and struck “artillery and mortar positions that were shelling our settlements and positions.”
She posted a short video of plumes of black smoke rising from behind a hill on what appeared to be the Azerbaijani side of the frontier:
Stepanian also said that Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan had phoned Andrzej Kasprzyk, the head of an OSCE mission monitoring the cease-fire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, to brief him on the latest escalation.
She said Tonoyan told Kasprzyk that the Azerbaijani side suffered “many casualties.”
The official added that no Armenian soldiers were killed at the volatile border section as of 9 a.m. local time.
Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service at around the same time, Tavush Governor Hayk Chobanian said that not only the local villages but also the town of Berd came under Azerbaijani artillery fire.
None of their residents was hurt as a result, he said, adding that the shelling caused damage to civilian homes and infrastructure.
“Residents are hiding in basements and shelters,” said Chobanian. “Their life is not at risk.”
“There is no need for evacuation.… I hope that [this situation] won’t last long,” added the governor.
Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry accused Armenian forces of attacking its frontline troops and shelling Azerbaijani villages in the Tovuz district bordering Tavush. It gave no details.
The renewed fighting in the area broke out after a one-day pause that followed three days of deadly clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces that left at least 15 soldiers dead and prompted serious concern from the international community.
Before the July 16 escalation, the U.S., Russian, and French mediators co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group hailed the lull in the fighting and urged the parties to “make every effort to continue de-escalation.”
“The co-chairs welcomed the confirmation of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan to hold substantive negotiations on crucial aspects of a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement as soon as possible and emphasized the importance of returning OSCE monitors to the region as soon as circumstances allow,” said the statement issued late on July 15.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Armenian and Azerbaijani services and AFP


rferl--2020-07-16--U.S. House Of Representatives Hears Concerns Over Democratic Backsliding In Eastern Europe

WASHINGTON – Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have expressed concern over democratic backsliding in Eastern Europe as it discusses ways to improve frayed ties with transatlantic allies during the coronavirus pandemic .
Representatives Bill Keating ( Democrat-Massachusetts ) and Dina Titus ( Democrat-Nevada ) told a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on July 14 that leaders in former communist nations , including Poland and Hungary , have used the pandemic to consolidate power .
“ We have seen human rights abuses .
We have seen journalists attacked .
We have seen a lot of this in Eastern Europe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be dealing with the impacts of democratic backsliding that has taken place during this virus for many years to come , ” Titus told the hearing .
Titus also said she was “ particularly concerned ” about Ukraine reversing its reform agenda .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , who won in a landslide last year on a promise to fight corruption and attract foreign investment , fired his pro-reform government in March after six months .
The central bank chief also stepped down this month after complaining of political pressure .
Rachel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NATO policy at the Defense Department , told the subcommittee that Brussels could encourage democracy and the rule of law in its Eastern neighbors by tying EU stability funding to progress on those issues .
Addressing concerns over Ukraine , Ellehuus said the United States could coordinate with Poland , the Baltics , and other nations to “ invest a significant amount of money there.
” Ukraine ’ s economy has struggled since 2014 following the forceful annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia and the outbreak of war in its eastern provinces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The unrest has caused investment , both domestic and foreign , to whither .
James Carafano , a national security and foreign policy fellow at The Heritage Foundation , told the hearing that U.S. investments in energy infrastructure in Central and Eastern Europe could not only give regional economic growth a boost but also enhance energy security in the face of Russian aggression .
The United States and the EU are promoting energy infrastructure in Central and Eastern Europe that runs north to south to diversify supply options .
“ That is potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is really going to benefit all of Europe , ” Carafano said of the infrastructure projects , adding that private companies are ready to invest .
The United States last year passed a bill that sets aside $ 1 billion in funding to support energy infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe .
However , Carafano said the launch of Russia ’ s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany would destroy the economic rationale for some of those projects under discussion .
Congress is now considering more sanctions against Nord Stream 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany , to halt its completion .
Russia is trying to finish the project , which is more than 90 percent built .
Keating said the House will discuss appropriation bills next week “ with strong investments on the international front in many areas , ” though he did not give more details .
The National Defense Authorization Act submitted to the House includes a provision to turn a Soviet-era air base in central Romania into a regional hub for the U.S. Air Force .
The experts said the coronavirus has weighed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for more transatlantic cooperation on finding a cure for the virus as well as developing integrated supply chains for medical equipment that helps reduce their mutual dependence on China .
The United States and the EU have disagreed over a host of issues in recent years , including NATO funding , trade , climate change , and policy toward Iran .
The disagreements have intensified under President Donald Trump .
The pandemic , rather than enhancing cooperation , “ has exposed just how bad relations have gotten , ” Karen Donfried , president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former National Security Council official , told the hearing .

WASHINGTON – Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have expressed concern over democratic backsliding in Eastern Europe as it discusses ways to improve frayed ties with transatlantic allies during the coronavirus pandemic.
Representatives Bill Keating (Democrat-Massachusetts) and Dina Titus (Democrat-Nevada) told a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on July 14 that leaders in former communist nations, including Poland and Hungary, have used the pandemic to consolidate power.
“We have seen human rights abuses. We have seen journalists attacked. We have seen a lot of this in Eastern Europe, and I am afraid we are going to be dealing with the impacts of democratic backsliding that has taken place during this virus for many years to come,” Titus told the hearing.
Titus also said she was “particularly concerned” about Ukraine reversing its reform agenda.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who won in a landslide last year on a promise to fight corruption and attract foreign investment, fired his pro-reform government in March after six months. The central bank chief also stepped down this month after complaining of political pressure.
Rachel Ellehuus, a former official dealing with NATO policy at the Defense Department, told the subcommittee that Brussels could encourage democracy and the rule of law in its Eastern neighbors by tying EU stability funding to progress on those issues.
Addressing concerns over Ukraine, Ellehuus said the United States could coordinate with Poland, the Baltics, and other nations to “invest a significant amount of money there.”
Ukraine’s economy has struggled since 2014 following the forceful annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia and the outbreak of war in its eastern provinces between government forces and Kremlin-backed separatists. The unrest has caused investment, both domestic and foreign, to whither.
James Carafano, a national security and foreign policy fellow at The Heritage Foundation, told the hearing that U.S. investments in energy infrastructure in Central and Eastern Europe could not only give regional economic growth a boost but also enhance energy security in the face of Russian aggression.
The United States and the EU are promoting energy infrastructure in Central and Eastern Europe that runs north to south to diversify supply options.
“That is potentially a new engine of economic activity that is really going to benefit all of Europe,” Carafano said of the infrastructure projects, adding that private companies are ready to invest.
The United States last year passed a bill that sets aside $1 billion in funding to support energy infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe.
However, Carafano said the launch of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany would destroy the economic rationale for some of those projects under discussion.
Congress is now considering more sanctions against Nord Stream 2, which would double gas exports to Germany, to halt its completion. Russia is trying to finish the project, which is more than 90 percent built.
Keating said the House will discuss appropriation bills next week “with strong investments on the international front in many areas,” though he did not give more details.
The National Defense Authorization Act submitted to the House includes a provision to turn a Soviet-era air base in central Romania into a regional hub for the U.S. Air Force.
The experts said the coronavirus has weighed on already strained U.S.-EU relations. They called for more transatlantic cooperation on finding a cure for the virus as well as developing integrated supply chains for medical equipment that helps reduce their mutual dependence on China.
The United States and the EU have disagreed over a host of issues in recent years, including NATO funding, trade, climate change, and policy toward Iran.
The disagreements have intensified under President Donald Trump.
The pandemic, rather than enhancing cooperation, “has exposed just how bad relations have gotten,” Karen Donfried, president of the German Marshall Fund and a former National Security Council official, told the hearing.


rferl--2020-07-16--North Macedonia's Pro-EU Social Democrats On Pace To Clinch Narrow Election Victory

SKOPJE -- North Macedonia 's pro-EU Social Democrats appear to have secured a narrow victory in the Balkan country ’ s July 15 parliamentary elections .
The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia ( SDSM ) secured 36.13 percent of the vote , compared to 34.65 percent for the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE , according to preliminary results with 94 percent of votes counted .
The State Election Commission ( SEC ) said it would announce the distribution of seats in the 120-member parliament on July 16 once all results are verified .
If the results hold , former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SDSM to form a new government with an eye toward advancing the country ’ s Euro-Atlantic trajectory .
Zaev claimed victory , saying his coalition with a small ethnic Albanian party won at least three more seats in parliament than the VMRO-DPMNE .
`` We had peaceful , dignified , free , democratic , and safe election , '' Zaev told a news conference at his party ’ s election headquarters .
However , VMRO-DPMNE , whose leader , Hristijan Mickoski , ran a negative campaign attacking Zaev and tapping into nationalist-populist resentment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still in the race to form a new government .
VMRO Secretary-General Igor Janushev said the party is entering the race to form a new government because the existing one is worn out and it is time for change .
`` The race is uncertain , '' Janushev said .
`` We will still wait to see how the mandates will be divided in the end , '' Janushev said .
The largest ethnic Albanian party , the Democratic Union for Integration ( DUI ) , won 11.6 percent of the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
DUI has been in coalition governments for the past 18 years and became the junior coalition partner of the SDSM after the last election in 2016 .
DUI has suggested an ethnic Albanian should be prime minister .
Ethnic Albanians make up about one-quarter of the population .
The Alliance of Albanians won 8.8 percent , the left-wing Levica 4 percent , and the smaller Democratic Party of Albanians 1.5 percent .
The election marked the first time an Albanian party , BESA , had formed a preelection coalition with one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The SEC website that publishes results had been down for almost four hours due to a cyberattack , during which time the count was instead streamed live on YouTube .
The election body said the hack did not impact the ballot count .
The vote was originally scheduled for April but postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic .
With the outbreak in resurgence , polling stations were open for two additional hours to reduce crowding .
Health protocols , including a face-mask requirement , were enforced .
The pandemic and its economic consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dampen voter turnout .
The turnout among the 1.8 million registered voters was just over 50 percent A caretaker government has been running the country since Zaev resigned from the post of prime minister in January after the EU failed in the autumn to provide a start date for accession talks .
After months of delay due to opposition from France , the EU in March finally gave North Macedonia a green light to start formal talks to join the bloc .
Zaev made efforts to mend fences with neighbors and advance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prime minister in 2017 , he reached a landmark deal with neighboring Greece to add `` North '' to the country ’ s name , clearing the way for Athens to lift its veto over Skopje ’ s membership in NATO .
He also signed a friendship deal with neighboring Bulgaria , removing another impediment to prepare for EU membership .
Zaev has tried to convince the public that his party achieved results and promises a brighter , more prosperous future for one of the poorest countries in Europe , where the average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 477 ) .
Hristijan Mickoski , the VMRO leader , ran a negative campaign , attacking Zaev and tapping into nationalist-populist resentment .
The VMRO opposed changing the country ’ s name from Macedonia to North Macedonia , which removed Greek concerns about a perceived claim to the Greek province of Macedonia .
The party also opposed the deal with Bulgaria .
The vote carries broader geopolitical implications , as the EU and United States seek to bring North Macedonia closer to slow moves by Russia and China to increase their influence in @ @ @ @

SKOPJE -- North Macedonia's pro-EU Social Democrats appear to have secured a narrow victory in the Balkan country’s July 15 parliamentary elections.
The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) secured 36.13 percent of the vote, compared to 34.65 percent for the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE, according to preliminary results with 94 percent of votes counted.
The State Election Commission (SEC) said it would announce the distribution of seats in the 120-member parliament on July 16 once all results are verified.
If the results hold, former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev will likely get the mandate for the SDSM to form a new government with an eye toward advancing the country’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory.
Zaev claimed victory, saying his coalition with a small ethnic Albanian party won at least three more seats in parliament than the VMRO-DPMNE.
"We had peaceful, dignified, free, democratic, and safe election," Zaev told a news conference at his party’s election headquarters.
However, VMRO-DPMNE, whose leader, Hristijan Mickoski, ran a negative campaign attacking Zaev and tapping into nationalist-populist resentment, said on July 15 that they are still in the race to form a new government.
VMRO Secretary-General Igor Janushev said the party is entering the race to form a new government because the existing one is worn out and it is time for change.
"The race is uncertain," Janushev said. "We will still wait to see how the mandates will be divided in the end," Janushev said.
The largest ethnic Albanian party, the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), won 11.6 percent of the vote, putting it in a kingmaker position. DUI has been in coalition governments for the past 18 years and became the junior coalition partner of the SDSM after the last election in 2016.
DUI has suggested an ethnic Albanian should be prime minister. Ethnic Albanians make up about one-quarter of the population.
The Alliance of Albanians won 8.8 percent, the left-wing Levica 4 percent, and the smaller Democratic Party of Albanians 1.5 percent.
The election marked the first time an Albanian party, BESA, had formed a preelection coalition with one of the Macedonian parties, the SDSM.
The SEC website that publishes results had been down for almost four hours due to a cyberattack, during which time the count was instead streamed live on YouTube. The election body said the hack did not impact the ballot count.
The vote was originally scheduled for April but postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the outbreak in resurgence, polling stations were open for two additional hours to reduce crowding. Health protocols, including a face-mask requirement, were enforced.
The pandemic and its economic consequences have become a major issue and appeared to dampen voter turnout. The turnout among the 1.8 million registered voters was just over 50 percent
A caretaker government has been running the country since Zaev resigned from the post of prime minister in January after the EU failed in the autumn to provide a start date for accession talks.
After months of delay due to opposition from France, the EU in March finally gave North Macedonia a green light to start formal talks to join the bloc.
Zaev made efforts to mend fences with neighbors and advance integration with the West.
Since becoming prime minister in 2017, he reached a landmark deal with neighboring Greece to add "North" to the country’s name, clearing the way for Athens to lift its veto over Skopje’s membership in NATO. He also signed a friendship deal with neighboring Bulgaria, removing another impediment to prepare for EU membership.
Zaev has tried to convince the public that his party achieved results and promises a brighter, more prosperous future for one of the poorest countries in Europe, where the average monthly salary is 420 euros ($477).
Hristijan Mickoski, the VMRO leader, ran a negative campaign, attacking Zaev and tapping into nationalist-populist resentment.
The VMRO opposed changing the country’s name from Macedonia to North Macedonia, which removed Greek concerns about a perceived claim to the Greek province of Macedonia. The party also opposed the deal with Bulgaria.
The vote carries broader geopolitical implications, as the EU and United States seek to bring North Macedonia closer to slow moves by Russia and China to increase their influence in the Western Balkans.
With reporting dpa and Reuters


rferl--2020-07-15--U.S. Slaps More Sanctions On Kremlin-Linked Businessman Prigozhin For 'Destabilizing Global Activity

U.S. Slaps More Sanctions On Kremlin-Linked Businessman Prigozhin For 'Destabilizing Global Activity'

WASHINGTON -- The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on the interests of an influential Russian businessman close to President Vladimir Putin .
The State Department announced on July 15 that it sanctioned five companies connected to Yevgeny Prigozhin , as well as three individuals , in the latest bid to stop the financier 's `` destabilizing global activity . ''
The companies are located in Sudan , Hong Kong , and Thailand , the statement said .
“ Prigozhin relies on a network of front companies and facilitators ” in an attempt to evade sanctions , Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s global malign activities are well-documented , as demonstrated by his designation under multiple U.S. sanctions authorities . ''
The United States has already imposed sanctions on Prigozhin as well as his previously known companies , including the Internet Research Agency and the Vagner Group , a Russian military contractor force active in Libya , Syria , and Africa .
The Internet Research Agency engaged in online media influence operations during the 2016 U.S. presidential election as part of Russia ’ s attempt to influence the vote .
The State Department said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctioned M Invest and Meroe Gold .
Prigozhin uses the two companies as cover for Vagner ’ s operations in Sudan .
It also sanctioned the companies ’ leaders , Andrei Mandel and Mikhail Potemkin .
“ Prigozhin ’ s role in Sudan highlights the interplay between Russia ’ s paramilitary operations , support for preserving authoritarian regimes , such as that of former Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir , and exploitation of natural resources , ” the statement said .
Hong Kong and Thailand-based front companies Shine Dragon Group Limited , Shen Yang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Co , and Zhe Jiang Jiayi Small Commodities Trade Company Limited were also sanctioned for helping Prigozhin ’ s business interests .
The State Department said the companies “ facilitated more than 100 transactions exceeding $ 7.5 million ” during 2018 and 2019 that were sent in the interest of Prigozhin .
The United States also sanctioned Igor Lavrenkov , who oversaw the Asian businesses .

WASHINGTON -- The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on the interests of an influential Russian businessman close to President Vladimir Putin.
The State Department announced on July 15 that it sanctioned five companies connected to Yevgeny Prigozhin, as well as three individuals, in the latest bid to stop the financier's "destabilizing global activity."
The companies are located in Sudan, Hong Kong, and Thailand, the statement said.
“Prigozhin relies on a network of front companies and facilitators” in an attempt to evade sanctions, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. "Prigozhin’s global malign activities are well-documented, as demonstrated by his designation under multiple U.S. sanctions authorities."
The United States has already imposed sanctions on Prigozhin as well as his previously known companies, including the Internet Research Agency and the Vagner Group, a Russian military contractor force active in Libya, Syria, and Africa.
The Internet Research Agency engaged in online media influence operations during the 2016 U.S. presidential election as part of Russia’s attempt to influence the vote.
The State Department said in the July 15 statement that it had sanctioned M Invest and Meroe Gold. Prigozhin uses the two companies as cover for Vagner’s operations in Sudan. It also sanctioned the companies’ leaders, Andrei Mandel and Mikhail Potemkin.
“Prigozhin’s role in Sudan highlights the interplay between Russia’s paramilitary operations, support for preserving authoritarian regimes, such as that of former Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, and exploitation of natural resources,” the statement said.
Hong Kong and Thailand-based front companies Shine Dragon Group Limited, Shen Yang Jing Cheng Machinery Imp. & Exp. Co, and Zhe Jiang Jiayi Small Commodities Trade Company Limited were also sanctioned for helping Prigozhin’s business interests.
The State Department said the companies “facilitated more than 100 transactions exceeding $7.5 million” during 2018 and 2019 that were sent in the interest of Prigozhin.
The United States also sanctioned Igor Lavrenkov, who oversaw the Asian businesses.


rferl--2020-07-15--Bulgaria’s Borisov To Sack Three Ministers Amid Anti-Graft Protests

SOFIA -- Bulgaria ’ s prime minister has asked his finance , economy , and interior ministers to step down amid nationwide anti-corruption protests that have rocked the country for a week .
The press service of the Council of Ministers announced the move on the evening of July 15 .
Prime Minister Boyko Borisov ’ s GERB party said in a statement he had decided to dismiss the three ministers to put an end to speculation that they were working in connivance with the opposition MRF party and its senior member , businessman and media owner Delyan Peevski .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other Bulgarian cities for seven days demanding the resignation of Borisov 's government and Prosecutor-General Ivan Geshev over rampant high-level corruption .
Protesters have also denounced police violence during protests in Sofia last week and called for Interior Minister Mladen Marinov ’ s resignation .
Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov has been under fire after SMS messages made public by businessman Vasil Bozhkov -- who is facing charges of tax fraud , attempted bribery , and organized crime -- showed that the two men communicated regularly until January 2020 .
Revelations that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 44 million loan to a small company also drew public discontent toward the Economy Ministry , led by Emil Karanikolov .
The anti-corruption protests were sparked by a raid on July 9 by the Prosecutor-General 's Office on the presidential headquarters .
President Rumen Radev ’ s legal affairs and anti-corruption secretary and his security and defense adviser were detained for questioning and their offices searched as part of two separate probes into influence-peddling and disclosure of state secrets .
The demonstrators have condemned the raids as an attack by the government and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also angered when members the National Protection Service ( NSO ) prevented people from using a public beach located near Dogan ’ s summer residence on the Black Sea .
Access to the beach was restored on July 11 under pressure from the center-right Democratic Bulgaria opposition .
Borisov , who has been prime minister almost without interruption since 2009 , has refused to resign .
His current term in office is due to end in early 2021 .

SOFIA -- Bulgaria’s prime minister has asked his finance, economy, and interior ministers to step down amid nationwide anti-corruption protests that have rocked the country for a week.
The press service of the Council of Ministers announced the move on the evening of July 15.
Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's GERB party said in a statement he had decided to dismiss the three ministers to put an end to speculation that they were working in connivance with the opposition MRF party and its senior member, businessman and media owner Delyan Peevski.
Thousands of people have rallied in Sofia and other Bulgarian cities for seven days demanding the resignation of Borisov's government and Prosecutor-General Ivan Geshev over rampant high-level corruption.
Protesters have also denounced police violence during protests in Sofia last week and called for Interior Minister Mladen Marinov’s resignation.
Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov has been under fire after SMS messages made public by businessman Vasil Bozhkov -- who is facing charges of tax fraud, attempted bribery, and organized crime -- showed that the two men communicated regularly until January 2020.
Revelations that the state-run Bulgarian Development Bank granted a $44 million loan to a small company also drew public discontent toward the Economy Ministry, led by Emil Karanikolov.
The anti-corruption protests were sparked by a raid on July 9 by the Prosecutor-General's Office on the presidential headquarters.
President Rumen Radev's legal affairs and anti-corruption secretary and his security and defense adviser were detained for questioning and their offices searched as part of two separate probes into influence-peddling and disclosure of state secrets.
The demonstrators have condemned the raids as an attack by the government and the prosecutor-general against Radev.
Protesters were also angered when members the National Protection Service (NSO) prevented people from using a public beach located near Dogan’s summer residence on the Black Sea. Access to the beach was restored on July 11 under pressure from the center-right Democratic Bulgaria opposition.
Borisov, who has been prime minister almost without interruption since 2009, has refused to resign.
His current term in office is due to end in early 2021.
With reporting by Reuters


rferl--2020-07-15--U.S. Threatens To Expand Sanctions On Nord Stream 2 As Russia Moves To Complete Pipeline

WASHINGTON -- The United States has threatened to sanction any individual or company helping Russia build a controversial natural gas pipeline to Germany as the Kremlin moves to complete the last kilometers of the nearly $ 11 billion project .
“ Get out now -- or risk the consequences , ” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said July 15 during a press conference in Washington announcing the new sanction guidelines for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline .
The State Department essentially removed language that excluded the pipeline from the powerful Countering America 's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act ( CAATSA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Unable to use CAATSA , the United States in December passed legislation to sanction any vessel laying underwater pipes for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline , forcing Swiss-based Allseas to quit the project with just about 160 kilometers remaining .
The pipeline , which consists of two parallel lines running under the Baltic Sea , is a combined 1,230 kilometers in length .
Russia is now trying to use its own vessels to finish Nord Stream 2 after receiving permission from Denmark earlier this month .
The unfinished portion of the pipeline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , the Russian ship would still need to use the services of Western companies , such as port facilities and insurance , giving the United States the potential to hamper their efforts .
CAATSA allowed Congress to sanction Russian energy export pipelines but contained guidance put in by Pompeo ’ s predecessor , Rex Tillerson , that grandfathered in Nord Stream 2 and the second leg of TurkStream , which runs under the Black Sea to Turkey .
Pompeo said the State Department is updating the public guidance for CAATSA authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he described as “ Kremlin tools ” to expand European dependence on Russian energy supplies and undermine Ukraine .
Pompeo is set to visit Denmark on July 22 to discuss the pipeline , among other issues .
Nord Stream 2 would pump up to 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Germany annually upon its completion , doubling the European nation ’ s import of Russian gas .
The project enables Moscow to significantly reduce natural gas shipments through Ukraine , which currently earns billions of dollars annually in transit fees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laying the ground for the imposition of additional sanctions if Russia attempts to deploy its pipe-laying vessels , ” said Dan Vajdic , an adviser to Ukraine ’ s state-owned energy firm Naftogaz , which lobbied Washington to impose more sanctions .
The United States is seeking to export more natural gas to Europe while helping Eastern and Central Europe develop the necessary infrastructure to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas .
Congress last year approved up to $ 1 billion in financing for energy infrastructure projects in the region .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign policy fellow at The Heritage Foundation , told a congressional hearing on July 14 that the completion of Nord Stream 2 would destroy the economic rationale for such U.S.-backed projects .
The State Department has denied that the threat of new sanctions against Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream are designed to help U.S. exporters of natural gas .
Nonetheless , State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told RFE/RL in an interview that Russia and Gazprom are in a `` difficult position '' to be able to finish Nord Stream 2 .
`` Companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do business with the Russians and Gazprom or you can do business with the United States .
We think that companies will make the decision that it is more lucrative to do business with the United States , '' she said .
Senator Ted Cruz ( Republican-Texas ) urged Congress to give the White House more firepower to stop Nord Stream 2 by passing legislation that would impose more sanctions on the pipeline , including on insurance and certification companies .
`` The Kremlin will no doubt continue its frantic efforts to circumvent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imperative that Congress provide the administration the broadest possible authorities to counter these ever-changing attempts at evasion , '' he said in a statement .
Cruz 's home state of Texas is the largest producer of natural gas in the United States and a key energy exporter .

WASHINGTON -- The United States has threatened to sanction any individual or company helping Russia build a controversial natural gas pipeline to Germany as the Kremlin moves to complete the last kilometers of the nearly $11 billion project.
“Get out now -- or risk the consequences,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said July 15 during a press conference in Washington announcing the new sanction guidelines for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
The State Department essentially removed language that excluded the pipeline from the powerful Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which was passed in 2017.
Unable to use CAATSA, the United States in December passed legislation to sanction any vessel laying underwater pipes for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, forcing Swiss-based Allseas to quit the project with just about 160 kilometers remaining.
The pipeline, which consists of two parallel lines running under the Baltic Sea, is a combined 1,230 kilometers in length.
Russia is now trying to use its own vessels to finish Nord Stream 2 after receiving permission from Denmark earlier this month. The unfinished portion of the pipeline lies in Denmark’s economic waters.
However, the Russian ship would still need to use the services of Western companies, such as port facilities and insurance, giving the United States the potential to hamper their efforts.
CAATSA allowed Congress to sanction Russian energy export pipelines but contained guidance put in by Pompeo’s predecessor, Rex Tillerson, that grandfathered in Nord Stream 2 and the second leg of TurkStream, which runs under the Black Sea to Turkey.
Pompeo said the State Department is updating the public guidance for CAATSA authorities to include the two Russian-led projects, which he described as “Kremlin tools” to expand European dependence on Russian energy supplies and undermine Ukraine.
Pompeo is set to visit Denmark on July 22 to discuss the pipeline, among other issues.
Nord Stream 2 would pump up to 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Germany annually upon its completion, doubling the European nation’s import of Russian gas.
The project enables Moscow to significantly reduce natural gas shipments through Ukraine, which currently earns billions of dollars annually in transit fees.
“They are winding up and laying the ground for the imposition of additional sanctions if Russia attempts to deploy its pipe-laying vessels,” said Dan Vajdich, an adviser to Ukraine’s state-owned energy firm Naftogaz, which lobbied Washington to impose more sanctions.
The United States is seeking to export more natural gas to Europe while helping Eastern and Central Europe develop the necessary infrastructure to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas.
Congress last year approved up to $1 billion in financing for energy infrastructure projects in the region.
James Carafano, a national security and foreign policy fellow at The Heritage Foundation, told a congressional hearing on July 14 that the completion of Nord Stream 2 would destroy the economic rationale for such U.S.-backed projects.
The State Department has denied that the threat of new sanctions against Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream are designed to help U.S. exporters of natural gas.
Nonetheless, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told RFE/RL in an interview that Russia and Gazprom are in a "difficult position" to be able to finish Nord Stream 2.
"Companies basically have to choose -- you can do business with the Russians and Gazprom or you can do business with the United States. We think that companies will make the decision that it is more lucrative to do business with the United States," she said.
Senator Ted Cruz (Republican-Texas) urged Congress to give the White House more firepower to stop Nord Stream 2 by passing legislation that would impose more sanctions on the pipeline, including on insurance and certification companies.
"The Kremlin will no doubt continue its frantic efforts to circumvent American sanctions, and so it is imperative that Congress provide the administration the broadest possible authorities to counter these ever-changing attempts at evasion," he said in a statement.
Cruz's home state of Texas is the largest producer of natural gas in the United States and a key energy exporter.


rferl--2020-07-15--More Than 140 Detained In Anti-Putin Protests In Moscow

MOSCOW -- Russian police detained almost 150 people in Moscow protesting recently approved constitutional changes that could allow President Vladimir Putin to serve two more terms until 2036 .
OVD-Info , an independent political watchdog , said at least 147 protesters were detained on July 15 .
Some were later released .
A correspondent for Current Time , the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA , witnessed police dragging protesters on the asphalt , and one of them was pulled by the hair into a police van .
Among those detained was Yulia Galyamina , a prominent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ * Hundreds of people had gathered Moscow ’ s central Pushkin Square on a rainy evening , chanting , `` Putin resign '' and `` Putin 's a thief . ''
They turned out officially to sign a petition against the raft of constitutional changes that were passed in a national , nonbinding plebiscite conducted between June 25 and July 1 .
Among other changes , the amendments allow Putin to seek two more presidential terms after his current second , consecutive presidential term ends in 2024 .
Katya Grishunina , who works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) NGO , compared the recent plebiscite to the vote in Crimea in March 2014 on Russia 's forcible annexation of Ukraine 's Crimean Peninsula .
`` I did n't vote for their constitutional changes .
The vote was rigged , just like the referendum in Crimea , '' Grishunina explained to RFE/RL at the demonstration .
`` Elections are a trigger for people who want real change , '' she added .
`` But I do n't know if we can effect any change right now . ''
With reporting by Matthew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ version of this story reported that Andrei Pivovarov , the executive director of the human rights group Open Russia , had been detained .
That has not been confirmed .

MOSCOW -- Russian police detained almost 150 people in Moscow protesting recently approved constitutional changes that could allow President Vladimir Putin to serve two more terms until 2036.
OVD-Info, an independent political watchdog, said at least 147 protesters were detained on July 15. Some were later released.
A correspondent for Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, witnessed police dragging protesters on the asphalt, and one of them was pulled by the hair into a police van.
Among those detained was Yulia Galyamina, a prominent municipal deputy, and her daughter.*
Hundreds of people had gathered Moscow’s central Pushkin Square on a rainy evening, chanting, "Putin resign" and "Putin's a thief."
They turned out officially to sign a petition against the raft of constitutional changes that were passed in a national, nonbinding plebiscite conducted between June 25 and July 1.
Among other changes, the amendments allow Putin to seek two more presidential terms after his current second, consecutive presidential term ends in 2024.
Katya Grishunina, who works at the Nuzhna Pomoshch (Help Needed) NGO, compared the recent plebiscite to the vote in Crimea in March 2014 on Russia's forcible annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.
"I didn't vote for their constitutional changes. The vote was rigged, just like the referendum in Crimea," Grishunina explained to RFE/RL at the demonstration.
"Elections are a trigger for people who want real change," she added. "But I don't know if we can effect any change right now."
With reporting by Matthew Luxmoore in Moscow
*CORRECTION: A previous version of this story reported that Andrei Pivovarov, the executive director of the human rights group Open Russia, had been detained. That has not been confirmed.


rferl--2020-07-15--Iranian Port Hit By Fire, Latest In String Of Incidents At Military, Civilian Sites

Several vessels caught fire on July 15 at Iran ’ s port of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf , local media reported .
The official IRNA news agency published a photo showing black smoke billowing into the air at a shipyard at the southern port as firefighters battled the blaze .
No casualties were reported , according to the semiofficial Tasnim news agency .
Reports said at least seven vessels were damaged in the fire .
The incident appeared to be the latest in a string of fires and explosions at military and civilian sites across Iran in recent weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tehran , in late June , one near a military site and the other in a health center , the latter killing 19 people .
A fire also broke out at Iran ’ s underground Natanz nuclear facility on July 2 , officials said .
Iran 's top security body said on July 3 that the cause of the Natanz fire had been determined but would be announced at a later time .
Some Iranian officials said it could have been a cyberattack , and one warned that Tehran would retaliate against any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an article in early July , state news agency IRNA addressed what it called the possibility of sabotage by enemies such as Israel and the United States , although it stopped short of accusing either directly .
Israel 's defense minister said on July 5 his country was not `` necessarily '' behind every mysterious incident in Iran .
Based on reporting by AFP , Reuters , and RFE/RL 's Radio Farda

A polytechnic school in Russia’s Tatarstan, a region some 900 kilometers east of Moscow, is using manufacturing facilities that are part of a nearby special economic zone to assemble Iranian attack drones and are increasingly turning to underage students as laborers, many of whom often work in exploitative conditions.
The revelations at Alabuga Polytechnic University raise troubling implications about the lengths that Russian authorities are going to in order to boost the war effort and how the advanced Iranian weaponry -- which is increasingly used to bombard Ukrainian cities and has only recently begun to be manufactured inside Russia -- could contribute to escalating tensions and rising civilian casualties.
The use of underage students as drone factory workers and the details of the manufacturing facilities were first reported by Russian independent media outlets Protokol and Razvorot, which published a series of investigations in July.
Since then, RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities has spoken with students who describe grueling working conditions and interviewed dozens of parents whose children have been enrolled at Alabuga Polytechnic University -- some as young at 15 -- who say that their children were forced to work exceedingly long hours, often without proper breaks or meals, and under hostile conditions that have deeply affected their mental health.
“My son enrolled and 2 1/2 months later he called for me to take him away,” Zhanna, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect against reprisals for speaking about the operation, told RFE/RL. “He said to me on the phone, ‘Come and get me or I’ll die,’ so I picked him up immediately.”
Zhanna, who asked that her underage son’s name also not be used, says that she sent him from Nizhny Novgorod to study at Alabuga Polytechnic University in 2022 because of its reputation as a leading technical institution inside Russia.
The school offered students -- often between the ages of 15-18 -- an opportunity to get vocational training as part of a dual program that combines a classroom education with practical work experience. Students were also promised an opportunity to work and earn a locally competitive salary of up to 70,000 rubles ($700) a month as part of the work experience program that could further their career growth.
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
But, instead, those enrolled were encouraged and in some cases pressured into working at the drone facility, where the salaries of the mostly underage laborers are contingent on meeting tough production quotas.
“This is a textbook definition of what constitutes exploitation,” Sergei Podsytnik, an investigative journalist at Protokol who worked on the series of reports, told RFE/RL. “[Students] assemble drones, with the work taking priority over their studies.”
The pressure to fulfill these quotas has allegedly led to strenuous back-to-back days -- with some shifts lasting up to 15 hours -- with little time for sleep or adequate sustenance. Overtime work is often unpaid, further highlighting potential labor violations. Exhausted students also reported not always meeting their quotas, which led to them not earning the salary initially promised by the school. Many students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and relied on their earnings to cover costs for tuition, room, and board and would send the remainder home.
Other parents, such as Marina, said she decided to take her daughter out of the program when she discovered that she was working in apparent unsafe conditions and that staff from the school had instructed students not to tell their parents about the drone assembly work.
“This was the last straw for me,” Marina, who also asked for her identity to be concealed, told RFE/RL. “This is a dangerous production process that involves dangerous chemicals. They also forbid the kids from telling everything to their parents.”
RFE/RL sent multiple requests for comment to various staff and administrators at Alabuga Polytechnic University but received no replies.
Making Iranian Drones In Russia
The complicated and concerning dynamic at Alabuga Polytechnic University stems from growing military cooperation between Iran and Russia that has accelerated since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Iran has said it provided drones to Russia before the start of the war, but not since. However, U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months of continued deliveries and deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, saying the two sides were exploring how to set up a manufacturing plant for Iranian drones inside Russia.
According to The Wall Street Journal, an Iranian delegation visited Yelabuga in Tatarstan on January 5, touring a potential site for such a factory at the Alabuga special economic zone close to Alabuga Polytechnic University. U.S. officials released satellite images in April of the plant being built.
Russia already possesses an array of unarmed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, which are used mainly for surveillance and artillery spotting, but has turned increasingly to Tehran for attack drones.
After being forced to abandon Ukrainian territory that its troops captured in the early stretches of the war, Moscow shifted to a strategy of relentless air assaults on Ukrainian cities. These attacks often rely on a combination of cruise missiles and self-detonating drones packed with explosives to knock out electricity and running water for the civilian population in Ukraine.
So far, Iran has provided Russia mostly with so-called "suicide" drones, known as the Shahed-136, that contain a modest amount of explosives that can detonate when the drones crash into targets, military experts say.
In acquiring its own domestic assembly line, Russia could dramatically increase its stockpile of the relatively inexpensive but highly destructive weapons systems.
WATCH: Russia has resorted to using Shahed-136 drones from Iran in its war on Ukraine. Ukraine says it's already downed many of the drones, which work by slamming into their intended target, laden with explosives. Ordinary Ukrainians say they can already recognize the sound of the drones, which use two-stroke engines like lawnmowers or motorbikes. Iran has denied supplying the drones to Russia.
The arrangement also offers substantial economic and political benefits for Iran, which has sought to portray itself as neutral in the Ukraine war. The appearance of Iranian-made drones over Ukrainian cities, however, has triggered threats of new economic sanctions from the West. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have also all issued rules in recent months designed to cut off the flow of drone components to Russia and Iran.
The Washington Post reported in November 2022, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, that the agreement to deliver Iranian drone schematics and materials for manufacture in Russia resulted from Iranian leaders believing that the arrangement would allow Tehran to avert new sanctions.
Foreign Recruitment And Patriotic Education
Alabuga Polytechnic University is formally not a college. All of its students are officially enrolled at nearby Yelabuga Polytechnic College, with the Alabuga institution existing on paper as a specialized program for students looking to break into high-tech industries.
Currently, about 1,000 students are studying at Alabuga Polytechnic University, with several hundred of them -- most of whom are between the ages of 15 and 17 -- involved in assembling the Iranian drones.
In addition to the work on the drones, there are other signs that point to blurred lines in Russia between the education system and the country’s military amid the war in Ukraine.
According to current and former Alabuga Polytechnic University students, team-building and organized extracurricular activities through the school often take on a “patriotic” character that may be designed to expose students to official government narratives of international events or echo talking points from state television.
Organized paintball games have become a mainstay for students, especially first-year arrivals, in which they are encouraged to compete against one another and then play together against more experienced outside players. Teachers and administration officials regularly refer to paintball as being part of a “patriotic” education needed to complement the technical aspect of their studies.
In one instance, a group of new students competed in paintball as Soviet soldiers against outside players who were dressed as troops from Nazi Germany in a capture-the-flag competition meant to simulate the World War II battle of Stalingrad. According to one student, the Nazi flag contained the compass symbol used by the NATO military alliance instead of the swastika used by Nazi Germany.
Other instances of political teachings from staff are more direct. In a recording obtained by RFE/RL from June 16, a senior administrator can be heard telling the teenagers that NATO launched a hybrid war against Russia back in 2011 and that it has slowly become more overt. The man then goes on to tell students that their hard work and exceeding long days at the drone factory are part of a nationwide struggle against the West and that their patriotism will be rewarded.
Several students and parents identified the man in the recording as Timur Shagivaleev, the director-general of the special economic zone where Alabuga Polytechnic University and the drone factory operate.
Shagivaleev did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment.
The man in the recording then goes on to tell students not to take holidays and to continue working “even if it's mom's birthday,” before ending his speech with, “Long live our great country.”
WATCH: Amid a new wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, analysts in Kyiv are gaining useful intelligence from a collection of downed Russian aerial weapons. They have been studying the remains of Iranian Shahed drones and Russian Kinzhal missiles, among others.
Multiple current and former students told RFE/RL that students who work in the drone factory are often praised by staff, while those who have refused or asked to be reassigned due to the high workload are often publicly shamed. In some instances -- according to recordings heard by RFE/RL -- staff even encourage students to bully others who are not deemed “patriotic” enough.
According to Protokol and Razvorot’s investigations, Alabuga Polytechnic University has also turned toward recruiting foreign students to enroll. The majority of them come from African countries, but also from Central Asia and Azerbaijan, where they are promised “world class” salaries as part of the dual-track world experience program.
However, these foreign students are then given low-skill and menial tasks around the campus and the special economic zone, such as janitorial work, and are also paid lower salaries than initially promised.
Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by RFE/RL’s Idel.Realities


rferl--2020-07-16--Leaders Of Kosovo and Serbia Agree To Continue Talks After First In-Person Meeting in 20 Months

The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have held their first face-to-face talks in 20 months under a European Union-mediated dialogue process aimed at normalizing relations between the two Balkan neighbors .
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo 's Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti came away from the July 16 talks in Brussels still far apart on a host of issues but agreed to meet again in-person in early September .
Technical-level talks will continue next week among officials .
EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak , who is mediating the talks , said the two sides focused on the issues of missing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperation .
He urged both Belgrade and Pristina to work with the International Committee of the Red Cross to resolve the issue of missing persons to foster reconciliation .
Economic cooperation “ is one of the backbones of the European Union , ” and will improve living standards and create jobs in Kosovo and Serbia , he said .
Hoti emerged from the meeting saying progress had been made in dialogue but that it was a difficult meeting .
“ I have presented our position in this meeting and I will never move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Serbian leader said he wanted to solve the outstanding disputes with Kosovo .
`` But it is obvious that the differences are too big at the moment , concerning all important and strategic matters , '' Vucic said .
`` They would like to solve ( everything ) overnight , with an attempt to make Serbia accept everything they want . ''
Earlier , EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell , who is chairing the Brussels talks with Lajcak , called on both sides to approach dialogue “ in the spirit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European future for their people in Kosovo and Serbia in their minds . ''
Kosovo , a former province of Serbia , declared independence in 2008 in a move rejected by Belgrade .
Five of the EU ’ s 27 countries -- Romania , Cyprus , Greece , Slovakia , and Spain -- also don ’ t recognize Kosovo ’ s independence , and statehood remains huge stumbling block in any rapprochement .
EU-backed negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade broke down in November 2018 over reports of a proposed land swap and after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imports .
Both Kosovo and Serbia , which aspire to join the EU , have been facing mounting pressure from the West to reboot negotiations .
On July 10 , both sides agreed to resume talks after a video summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel .
In those talks , Vucic and Hoti held firm to their positions .
The Serbian president said the EU-backed process will be “ meaningless ” if they focus on whether Belgrade should recognize Kosovo ’ s independence .
Kosovo says mutual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only way to normalize relations .
The new push at dialogue comes as war-crimes prosecutors in The Hague on July 16 ended four days of questioning Kosovar President Hashim Thaci .
The charges against him led to the postponement of a planned June 27 White House summit between Thaci and his Serbian counterpart .

The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have held their first face-to-face talks in 20 months under a European Union-mediated dialogue process aimed at normalizing relations between the two Balkan neighbors.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo's prime minister, Avdullah Hoti, came away from the July 16 talks in Brussels still far apart on a host of issues but agreed to meet again in-person in early September.
Technical-level talks will continue next week among officials.
EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak, who is mediating the talks, said the two sides focused on the issues of missing and displaced persons as well as economic cooperation.
He urged both Belgrade and Pristina to work with the International Committee of the Red Cross to resolve the issue of missing persons to foster reconciliation.
Economic cooperation “is one of the backbones of the European Union,” and will improve living standards and create jobs in Kosovo and Serbia, he said.
Hoti emerged from the meeting saying progress had been made in dialogue but that it was a difficult meeting.
“I have presented our position in this meeting and I will never move from that position,” he said.
The Serbian leader said he wanted to solve the outstanding disputes with Kosovo.
"But it is obvious that the differences are too big at the moment, concerning all important and strategic matters," Vucic said.
"They would like to solve (everything) overnight, with an attempt to make Serbia accept everything they want."
Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is chairing the Brussels talks with Lajcak, called on both sides to approach dialogue “in the spirit of compromise and pragmatism and with the European future for their people in Kosovo and Serbia in their minds."
Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, declared independence in 2008 in a move rejected by Belgrade.
Five of the EU’s 27 countries -- Romania, Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, and Spain -- also don’t recognize Kosovo’s independence, and statehood remains a huge stumbling block in any rapprochement.
EU-backed negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade broke down in November 2018 over reports of a proposed land swap and after Kosovo imposed a 100-percent tax on Serbian imports.
Both Kosovo and Serbia, which aspire to join the EU, have been facing mounting pressure from the West to reboot negotiations.
On July 10, both sides agreed to resume talks after a video summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In those talks, Vucic and Hoti held firm to their positions. The Serbian president said the EU-backed process will be “meaningless” if they focus on whether Belgrade should recognize Kosovo’s independence.
Kosovo says mutual recognition between the two countries is the only way to normalize relations.
The new push at dialogue comes as war-crimes prosecutors in The Hague on July 16 ended four days of questioning Kosovar President Hashim Thaci.
The charges against him led to the postponement of a planned June 27 White House summit between Thaci and his Serbian counterpart.
With reporting by AFP


rferl--2020-07-16--Belarusian Journalists Harassed, Detained Amid Escalating 'Repression'

Belarusian authorities have detained at least 17 members of the press covering protests that erupted across the country this week , in a move decried by activists and watchdogs as part of a campaign of repression ahead of a presidential election next month .
The wave of protests have rocked Belarus in the days since the Central Election Commission ( CEC ) on July 14 denied several opposition presidential candidates the ability to register in the upcoming vote .
Hundreds of people have been detained and physically attacked , including five journalists from RFE/RL , in the cities of Minsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14-15 .
In a statement on July 16 , the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists ( CPJ ) urged the authorities to stop “ harassing , detaining , and charging ” media workers .
`` Belarusian authorities must stop detaining and prosecuting journalists if they want the country ’ s upcoming elections to be seen to have even a shred of legitimacy , ” Gulnoza Said , the media freedom watchdog ’ s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator , said in a statement on July 16 .
Events in Belarus have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European Union , which in recent years have eased sanctions slapped on the country over its human rights record as part of a nascent rapprochement with President Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
Lukashenka , who is seeking a sixth term in the August 9 poll , has rejected Western criticism of the government ’ s violent dispersal of the demonstrations and the disqualification of candidates .
On July 15 , RFE/RL journalist Anton Trafimovich was detained and beaten by riot police who left him handcuffed and kneeling on the floor of a police van , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was taken to a precinct station .
He was later released without explanation .
The previous day , RFE/RL journalists Ales Piletsky and Andrej Rabchyk were detained during a live broadcast about the CEC ’ s decision and held by police for several hours .
“ That our colleagues were attacked in the middle of live broadcasts leaves no doubt that the government is trying to stop our coverage and prevent audiences from having access to reliable news , ” RFE/RL acting President and Editor in Chief Daisy Sindelar said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public opposition to his rule .
The country has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic with more than 65,000 confirmed cases as of July 16 , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
Lukashenka ignored calls to institute any lockdown measures , dismissing the virus as nothing more than a 'psychosis . '
Hundreds of people , including activists and bloggers have been arrested as the government has cracked down hard on rallies and demonstrations despite calls for restraint from Western governments and institutions , including the United Nations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 14 journalists for allegedly participating in unsanctioned protests , and in May , five journalists covering opposition candidates were detained , according to CPJ .
Reporters Without Borders ( RSF ) called on the authorities to “ stop this escalation of the repression of the fundamental freedom to express oneself and to inform.
” RFE/RL 's Belarus Service is known locally as Radio Svaboda ( Radio Liberty ) .

Belarusian authorities have detained at least 17 members of the press covering protests that erupted across the country this week, in a move decried by activists and watchdogs as part of a campaign of repression ahead of a presidential election next month.
The wave of protests has rocked Belarus in the days since the Central Election Commission (CEC) on July 14 denied several opposition presidential candidates the ability to register in the upcoming vote.
Hundreds of people were detained and physically attacked, including five journalists from RFE/RL, in the cities of Minsk, Brest, and Homel on July 14-15.
In a statement on July 16, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged the authorities to stop "harassing, detaining, and charging" media workers.
"Belarusian authorities must stop detaining and prosecuting journalists if they want the country's upcoming elections to be seen to have even a shred of legitimacy," Gulnoza Said, the media-freedom watchdog's Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, said in a statement on July 16.
Events in Belarus have drawn criticism from the United States and the European Union, which in recent years have eased sanctions slapped on the country over its human rights record as part of a nascent rapprochement with President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Lukashenka, who is seeking a sixth term in the August 9 poll, has rejected Western criticism of the government's violent dispersal of the demonstrations and the disqualification of candidates.
On July 15, RFE/RL journalist Anton Trafimovich was detained and beaten by riot police who left him handcuffed and kneeling on the floor of a police van, bleeding with a broken nose, as he was taken to a precinct station. He was later released without explanation.
The previous day, RFE/RL journalists Ales Piletsky and Andrey Rabchyk were detained during a live broadcast about the CEC’s decision and held by police for several hours.
"That our colleagues were attacked in the middle of live broadcasts leaves no doubt that the government is trying to stop our coverage and prevent audiences from having access to reliable news," RFE/RL acting President and Editor in Chief Daisy Sindelar said.
The upcoming election comes as Lukashenka faces mounting public opposition to his rule. The country has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic with more than 65,000 confirmed cases as of July 16, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Lukashenka ignored calls to institute any lockdown measures, dismissing the virus as nothing more than a "psychosis." Hundreds of people, including activists and bloggers have been arrested as the government has cracked down hard on rallies and demonstrations despite calls for restraint from Western governments and institutions, including the United Nations.
Last month, Belarusian authorities detained at least 14 journalists for allegedly participating in unsanctioned protests, and in May, five journalists covering opposition candidates were detained, according to CPJ.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on the authorities to "stop this escalation of the repression of the fundamental freedom to express oneself and to inform."
RFE/RL's Belarus Service is known locally as Radio Svaboda (Radio Liberty).


rferl--2020-07-16--Kosovo's Thaci Says He Committed No Crimes Following Questioning By War-Crimes Prosecutors

Kosovar President Hashim Thaci has finished four days of questioning by international war-crimes prosecutors at The Hague .
As he left the court premises late July 16 , Thaci called the four days of interviews “ productive sessions.
” “ It is now up to the prosecutors and the judge to evaluate without bias my testimony .
If they do that with an unbiased professional manner and fairness , they will easily come to the conclusion that I committed no crime , ” Thaci said .
He arrived in The Hague on July 13 and is due back in Kosovo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) announced on June 24 that Thaci and other prominent Kosovars were the subject of an indictment on suspicion of serious crimes including `` nearly 100 murders , '' enforced disappearances , and torture .
Thaci was a top commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army ( UCK ) , which fought a guerrilla war for independence from Serbia in the 1990s .
A pretrial judge in the SPO has yet to decide whether to put Thaci and the others on trial or throw out the case .
Thaci has told Kosovars that if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resign and face the accusations .
He has also defended his record , saying that he was proud to have fought for an independent Kosovo .
Kosovo , a former province of Serbia , declared independence in 2008 in a move rejected by Belgrade .
Five of the EU ’ s 27 countries -- Romania , Cyprus , Greece , Slovakia , and Spain -- also don ’ t recognize Kosovo ’ s independence , and statehood remains the biggest stumbling block .
Thaci ’ s indictment forced the cancellation of U.S.-sponsored talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House between Kosovar and Serbian leaders .
But the European Union has since breathed new life into long-stalled EU-sponsored talks .
The questioning of Thaci ended the same day Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo 's Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti held their first face-to-face talks in 20 months in Brussels aimed at normalizing relations between the two Balkan neighbors .
EU-mediated negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade broke down in 2018 over reports of a proposed land swap and after Kosovo imposed a 100-percent tax on Serbian imports .
Both Kosovo and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU , have been facing mounting pressure from the West to reboot negotiations .

Kosovar President Hashim Thaci has finished four days of questioning by international war-crimes prosecutors at The Hague.
As he left the court premises late July 16, Thaci called the four days of interviews “productive sessions.”
“It is now up to the prosecutors and the judge to evaluate without bias my testimony. If they do that with an unbiased professional manner and fairness, they will easily come to the conclusion that I committed no crime,” Thaci said.
He arrived in The Hague on July 13 and is due back in Kosovo.
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers (SPO) announced on June 24 that Thaci and other prominent Kosovars were the subject of an indictment on suspicion of serious crimes including "nearly 100 murders," enforced disappearances, and torture.
Thaci was a top commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK), which fought a guerrilla war for independence from Serbia in the 1990s.
A pretrial judge in the SPO has yet to decide whether to put Thaci and the others on trial or throw out the case.
Thaci has told Kosovars that, if he is tried, he will immediately resign and face the accusations.
He has also defended his record, saying that he was proud to have fought for an independent Kosovo.
Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, declared independence in 2008 in a move rejected by Belgrade. Five of the EU’s 27 countries -- Romania, Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, and Spain -- also don’t recognize Kosovo’s independence, and statehood remains the biggest stumbling block.
Thaci’s indictment forced the cancellation of U.S.-sponsored talks scheduled to take place last month at the White House between Kosovar and Serbian leaders.
But the European Union has since breathed new life into long-stalled EU-sponsored talks.
The questioning of Thaci ended the same day Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti held their first face-to-face talks in 20 months in Brussels aimed at normalizing relations between the two Balkan neighbors.
EU-mediated negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade broke down in 2018 over reports of a proposed land swap and after Kosovo imposed a 100-percent tax on Serbian imports.
Both Kosovo and Serbia, which aspire to join the EU, have been facing mounting pressure from the West to reboot negotiations.


rferl--2020-07-16--Iranians Rally In Support Of Protesters Sentenced To Death

Iranian protesters have gathered in the streets of Shiraz and Behbahan , chanting slogans against the country ’ s establishment .
Social-media users on July 16 called for nationwide demonstrations at 7:00 p.m. local time against a court decision to uphold death sentences against three men who participated in protests last year .
Videos shared on social media purportedly showed protesters in Behbahan , in the southwestern province of Khuzestan , and in Shiraz , the capital of southwestern Fars Province , shouting slogans against the death sentences handed to Amir Hossein Moradi , Saeed Tamjidi , and Mohammad Rajabi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as saying security forces fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators in Behbahan .
Meanwhile , an increased presence of security forces was reported in the streets of the capital , Tehran , and several other cities .
On July 14 , Iran 's judiciary said the Supreme Court had upheld the death sentences against Moradi , 25 , Tamjidi , 27 , and Rajabi , 25 , for criminal actions during protests in November sparked by a hike in gasoline prices .
The decision sparked a surge of online protests against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t_Execute in Persian trending globally on Twitter , being used more than 7 million times .
In a joint statement on July 16 , United Nations human rights experts strongly condemned the Supreme Court ’ s decision , and urged the head of Iran ’ s judiciary to “ immediately quash this decision and to grant a prompt and independent judicial review.
” They also called for an “ independent and impartial investigation into the allegations of torture ” made by Moradi , Tamjidi , and Rajabi , followed by the prosecution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founded .
Iran could overturn the death sentences against the three , since a provision in Iran ’ s Code of Criminal Procedure authorizes the head of the judiciary to intervene in finalized rulings deemed to be in violation of Islamic law .
Under that provision , judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi could instruct the Supreme Court to issue a new verdict .
The death sentences were originally imposed in February .
Moradi , Tamjidi , and Rajabi have denied the charges and said they were tortured to make confessions , which were later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From the outset , their arrest and detention and subsequent trial is replete with allegations of denial of their due-process rights , ” the UN independent experts said .
Their statement reads that international law “ limits the imposition of the death penalty to the most serious crimes and precludes its imposition if a fair trial has not been granted and if other rights have been violated.
” It adds that the imposition of the death penalty “ on the basis of overbroad national security charges would amount to an egregious violation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran was rocked by five days of unrest following a hike in gasoline prices in November 2019 .
The protests were violently suppressed by security forces .
Iranian authorities have still not released reliable information on the numbers of fatalities during the unrest .
A senior Iranian lawmaker said in June that 230 were killed and thousands injured during the protests , while Amnesty International said more than 300 people died in the crackdown .
The case of Moradi , Tamjidi , and Rajabi “ is not an isolated incident , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are widespread reports of arbitrary detention of protestors and torture to obtain false confessions .
Other individuals have also reportedly been imprisoned and possibly sentenced to death for their participation in the protests.
” The experts urged Iran to conduct an “ independent , impartial , and transparent ” investigation into the events , prosecute officials involved in human rights violations , and free all those detained for protesting peacefully .
The experts included Javaid Rehman , UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran ; Agnes Callamard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or arbitrary executions ; Clement Nyaletsossi Voule , special rapporteur on rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association ; David Kaye , special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression ; and Nils Melzer , special rapporteur on torture and other cruel , inhuman , or degrading treatment or punishment , among others .


rferl--2020-07-16--EU Recommends Renewed Travel Ban For Serbia, Montenegro Over Coronavirus Spikes

The European Union has removed Serbia and Montenegro from its list of countries whose citizens should be allowed to travel to the bloc because of their improved coronavirus epidemiological situation .
The European Council on July 16 urged member states to “ gradually lift the travel restrictions ” for residents of 12 countries : Algeria , Australia , Canada , Georgia , Japan , Morocco , New Zealand , Rwanda , South Korea , Thailand , Tunisia , and Uruguay .
In addition , the council said , restriction on citizens of China should be lifted “ subject to confirmation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this week that Serbia and Montenegro would be removed from the “ safe list ” because of recent spikes of coronavirus cases .
As of July 16 , Serbia has reported 19,717 infections and 442 deaths , while Montenegro has reported 1,287 infections and 24 fatalities .
Both Balkan countries were included on the list that the EU issued on June 30 .
The list is reviewed every two weeks .
It is not binding on member states , but the European Council instructed that members “ should not decide to lift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before this has been decided in a coordinated manner .
”

The European Union has removed Serbia and Montenegro from its list of countries whose citizens should be allowed to travel to the bloc because of their improved coronavirus epidemiological situation.
The European Council on July 16 urged member states to “gradually lift the travel restrictions” for residents of 12 countries: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay.
In addition, the council said, restriction on citizens of China should be lifted “subject to confirmation of reciprocity.”
EU diplomats told RFE/RL earlier this week that Serbia and Montenegro would be removed from the “safe list” because of recent spikes of coronavirus cases.
As of July 16, Serbia has reported 19,717 infections and 442 deaths, while Montenegro has reported 1,287 infections and 24 fatalities.
Both Balkan countries were included on the list that the EU issued on June 30.
The list is reviewed every two weeks. It is not binding on member states, but the European Council instructed that members “should not decide to lift the travel restrictions for non-listed third countries before this has been decided in a coordinated manner.”


rferl--2020-07-16--Belarusian Opposition Campaigns Issue Joint Program For Presidential Election

The campaigns of three opposition figures involved in Belarus ’ s upcoming presidential election have issued a joint statement on cooperation in the controversial poll .
The campaigns of Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya , former Belgazprombank head Viktar Babaryka , and prominent businessman Valer Tsapkala on June 16 announced a joint program comprising five points .
The program includes urging Belarusians to vote in the August 9 election , a call for the release of all “ political and economic prisoners ” and new trials for each of them , a pledge to hold “ an honest repeat election after August 9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a program to combat electoral fraud and to monitor the presidential poll .
On July 14 , the Central Election Commission registered five candidates for the presidential poll , including Tsikhanouskaya and incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka .
Babaryka , who was viewed as a potential rival to Lukashenka , was denied registration and subsequently jailed on suspicion of money laundering , bribery , and tax evasion .
He denies the charges and says they are politically motivated .
The government took over Belgazprombank on June 15 .
Amnesty International has proclaimed Babaryka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was arrested with his father on June 18 , to be prisoners of conscience .
Tsapkala ’ s attempt to register was foiled after election officials disqualified at least 38,000 of the signatures he had submitted in support of his candidacy .
After the registrations were announced , a wave of protests rocked the country and hundreds of people have been detained .
Lukashenka , who has ruled the country since 1994 , is currently serving his fifth term as president .
Belarus abolished presidential term limits in 2004 .
The 65-year-old Belarusian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the government ’ s violent dispersal of the demonstrations and the disqualification of candidates .
“ We don ’ t want anyone to tell us how to live , ” he said during a meeting in the eastern city of Vitsebsk .

The campaigns of three opposition figures involved in Belarus’s upcoming presidential election have issued a joint statement on cooperation in the controversial poll.
The campaigns of Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, former Belgazprombank head Viktar Babaryka, and prominent businessman Valer Tsapkala on June 16 announced a joint program comprising five points.
The program includes urging Belarusians to vote in the August 9 election, a call for the release of all “political and economic prisoners” and new trials for each of them, a pledge to hold “an honest repeat election after August 9,” and a pledge to cooperate on a program to combat electoral fraud and to monitor the presidential poll.
On July 14, the Central Election Commission registered five candidates for the presidential poll, including Tsikhanouskaya and incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Babaryka, who was viewed as a potential rival to Lukashenka, was denied registration and subsequently jailed on suspicion of money laundering, bribery, and tax evasion. He denies the charges and says they are politically motivated. The government took over Belgazprombank on June 15.
Amnesty International has proclaimed Babaryka and his son, Eduard, who was arrested with his father on June 18, to be prisoners of conscience.
Tsapkala’s attempt to register was foiled after election officials disqualified at least 38,000 of the signatures he had submitted in support of his candidacy.
After the registrations were announced, a wave of protests rocked the country and hundreds of people have been detained.
Lukashenka, who has ruled the country since 1994, is currently serving his fifth term as president. Belarus abolished presidential term limits in 2004.
The 65-year-old Belarusian leader on July 15 rejected Western criticism of the government’s violent dispersal of the demonstrations and the disqualification of candidates.
“We don’t want anyone to tell us how to live,” he said during a meeting in the eastern city of Vitsebsk.


rferl--2020-07-17--Putin Orders Massive Snap Russian 'Combat Readiness Check'

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a snap `` combat readiness check '' involving 150,000 personnel and hundreds of aircraft and naval vessels to ensure security in Russia 's southwest , where he sees a `` serious threat '' from terrorism .
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on July 17 that the `` check '' had already begun and will test the readiness of Russian armed forces for the Caucasus-2020 military maneuvers scheduled for September .
`` In accordance with the decision of the commander in chief of the Russian Armed Forces [ Putin ] , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by troops of the Southern and Western military districts , '' Shoigu said .
The southern and western military districts of Russia border Ukraine , in the east of which Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian armed forces since April , 2014..
The `` check '' is taking place in several areas , including the Black and Caspian Seas , and involves airborne troops and marine infantry from the Northern and Pacific Fleets .
More than 400 aircraft and over 100 vessels will also take part in the military event , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak of the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine , Russia conducted a large number of snap military exercises in its western and southwestern regions .
In Ukraine , Defense Minister Andriy Taran said on July 17 that Ukrainian armed forces will also conduct military drills in September .
`` As [ Russian ] troops accumulate under the pretext of preparing for the Caucasus-2020 strategic drills , the leadership of Ukraine ’ s Defense Ministry and the armed forces plan to conduct Joint Effort-2020 strategic command exercises ... at the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Taran said .
Taran added that Kyiv expects representatives from NATO countries to take part in the exercises , adding that , according to Ukrainian data , Russia is not preparing any armed offensives during the Caucasus-2020 drills .
Some 13,200 people have been killed since April 2014 in Ukraine ’ s east , where Moscow has been supporting to pro-Russian separatists there .
With reporting by UNIAN , AFP , TASS , and Interfax

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a snap "combat readiness check" involving 150,000 personnel and hundreds of aircraft and naval vessels to ensure security in Russia's southwest, where he sees a "serious threat" from terrorism.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on July 17 that the "check" had already begun and will test the readiness of Russian armed forces for the Caucasus-2020 military maneuvers scheduled for September.
"In accordance with the decision of the commander in chief of the Russian Armed Forces [Putin], a snap combat readiness check is being conducted by troops of the Southern and Western military districts," Shoigu said.
The southern and western military districts of Russia border Ukraine, in the east of which Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian armed forces since April, 2014..
The "check" is taking place in several areas, including the Black and Caspian Seas, and involves airborne troops and marine infantry from the Northern and Pacific Fleets.
More than 400 aircraft and over 100 vessels will also take part in the military event, according to Shoigu.
After forcibly seizing Crimea and the outbreak of the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, Russia conducted a large number of snap military exercises in its western and southwestern regions.
In Ukraine, Defense Minister Andriy Taran said on July 17 that Ukrainian armed forces will also conduct military drills in September.
"As [Russian] troops accumulate under the pretext of preparing for the Caucasus-2020 strategic drills, the leadership of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry and the armed forces plan to conduct Joint Effort-2020 strategic command exercises... at the same time, namely in the last part of September," Taran said.
Taran added that Kyiv expects representatives from NATO countries to take part in the exercises, adding that, according to Ukrainian data, Russia is not preparing any armed offensives during the Caucasus-2020 drills.
Some 13,200 people have been killed since April 2014 in Ukraine’s east, where Moscow has been supporting to pro-Russian separatists there.
With reporting by UNIAN, AFP, TASS, and Interfax


rferl--2020-07-17--Tensions High Along Armenia-Azerbaijan Border After Days Of Skirmishes

Despite a lull in fighting overnight , tensions remain high on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan after days of skirmishes and a threat from Baku that it is capable of targeting nuclear power stations .
Armenia 's Defense Ministry said on July 17 that the situation along the northeastern part of the border was `` relatively calm '' through the night , and that Armenian Armed Forces were `` firmly in control of the situation along the entire border . ''
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry says that tensions boiled over after the Armenian military attempted an artillery attack on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on July 12 .
According to the ministry , 11 military servicemen have been killed .
The Armenian Defense Ministry , in turn , has blamed a breakthrough attempt by the Azerbaijani army on the border .
According to Armenia , four of its troops have been killed and ten suffered wounds .
Despite the relative calm over the past 24 hours , Azerbaijan on July 16 issued a statement that reflected the potential for the conflict 's escalation , warning it could strike Armenia 's nuclear power plant if Armenian forces launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Azerbaijan .
“ The Armenian side must not forget that the state-of-the-art missile systems our army has are capable of launching a precision strike on the Metsamor nuclear power plant , and that would be a huge tragedy for Armenia , ” Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman Vagif Dargyakhly said in the statement .
Armenia 's Soviet-built nuclear power plant is located close to the border with Turkey , a close ally of Azerbaijan .
Armenian military spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said Armenia had brought the Azerbaijani statement to the attention of its international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
He added that Armenian officials have never made threats to strike civilian facilities in Azerbaijan .
Armenia 's Foreign Ministry , meanwhile , denounced the Azerbaijani threat as “ genocidal.
” Earlier on July 16 , the Armenian military claimed to have thwarted a pre-dawn Azerbaijani raid on one of its border posts in the northeastern Tavush district .
“ After a fierce gun battle the enemy was repelled , suffering casualties , ” Stepanian said , adding that Azerbaijani forces then began shelling two Armenian border villages with mortars and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces destroyed an Azerbaijani tank and struck “ artillery and mortar positions that were shelling our settlements and positions.
” Stepanian also said that Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan talked to Andrzej Kasprzyk , the head of an OSCE mission monitoring the cease-fire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone , briefing him on the latest escalation .
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on July 16 accused Armenian forces of attacking its frontline troops and shelling Azerbaijani villages in the Tovuz district bordering Tavush .
It gave no details .
The two neighbors fought a war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan were seized by Armenian-backed separatists who declared independence amid a 1988-1994 conflict that killed at least 30,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands .
Since a fragile , Russian-brokered truce in 1994 , the region has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces that Azerbaijan says include troops supplied by Armenia .
The region 's claim to independence has not been recognized by any country .
Since then , periodic skirmishes have taken place in the region .
Russia , the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) , which acts as a mediator in resolving the crisis .
The group has been struggling for years to mediate a solution .
On July 15 , the Minsk Group urged the parties to “ make every effort to continue de-escalation.
” `` The Co-Chairs welcomed the confirmation of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan to hold substantive negotiations on crucial aspects of a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement as soon as possible and emphasized the importance of returning OSCE monitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow , '' said the statement issued late on July 15 .
With reporting by RFE/RL 's Armenian and Azerbaijani services and AFP

Despite a lull in fighting overnight, tensions remain high on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan after days of skirmishes and a threat from Baku that it is capable of targeting nuclear power stations.
Armenia's Defense Ministry said on July 17 that the situation along the northeastern part of the border was "relatively calm" through the night, and that Armenian Armed Forces were "firmly in control of the situation along the entire border."
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry says that tensions boiled over after the Armenian military attempted an artillery attack on Azerbaijan’s positions along the border on July 12. According to the ministry, 11 military servicemen have been killed.
The Armenian Defense Ministry, in turn, has blamed a breakthrough attempt by the Azerbaijani army on the border. According to Armenia, four of its troops have been killed and ten suffered wounds.
Nuclear Warning
Despite the relative calm over the past 24 hours, Azerbaijan on July 16 issued a statement that reflected the potential for the conflict's escalation, warning it could strike Armenia's nuclear power plant if Armenian forces launched an attack on a strategic water reservoir in Azerbaijan.
“The Armenian side must not forget that the state-of-the-art missile systems our army has are capable of launching a precision strike on the Metsamor nuclear power plant, and that would be a huge tragedy for Armenia,” Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman Vagif Dargyakhly said in the statement.
Armenia's Soviet-built nuclear power plant is located close to the border with Turkey, a close ally of Azerbaijan.
Armenian military spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said Armenia had brought the Azerbaijani statement to the attention of its international partners and expects them to strongly condemn it.
He added that Armenian officials have never made threats to strike civilian facilities in Azerbaijan.
Armenia's Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, denounced the Azerbaijani threat as “genocidal.”
Earlier on July 16, the Armenian military claimed to have thwarted a pre-dawn Azerbaijani raid on one of its border posts in the northeastern Tavush district.
“After a fierce gun battle the enemy was repelled, suffering casualties,” Stepanian said, adding that Azerbaijani forces then began shelling two Armenian border villages with mortars and howitzers.
Stepanian also claimed that Armenian forces destroyed an Azerbaijani tank and struck “artillery and mortar positions that were shelling our settlements and positions.”
Stepanian also said that Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan talked to Andrzej Kasprzyk, the head of an OSCE mission monitoring the cease-fire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, briefing him on the latest escalation.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on July 16 accused Armenian forces of attacking its frontline troops and shelling Azerbaijani villages in the Tovuz district bordering Tavush. It gave no details.
The two neighbors fought a war in 1988-1994 over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan were seized by Armenian-backed separatists who declared independence amid a 1988-1994 conflict that killed at least 30,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.
Since a fragile, Russian-brokered truce in 1994, the region has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces that Azerbaijan says include troops supplied by Armenia. The region's claim to independence has not been recognized by any country.
Since then, periodic skirmishes have taken place in the region.
Russia, the United States, and France are the co-chairs of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which acts as a mediator in resolving the crisis. The group has been struggling for years to mediate a solution.
On July 15, the Minsk Group urged the parties to “make every effort to continue de-escalation.”
"The Co-Chairs welcomed the confirmation of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan to hold substantive negotiations on crucial aspects of a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement as soon as possible and emphasized the importance of returning OSCE monitors to the region as soon as circumstances allow," said the statement issued late on July 15.
In a joint statement on July 17, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (Democrat-New Jersey), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Cory Booker (Democrat-New Jersey), urged "a stop to the fighting" along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and an "immediate resumption of peace talks."
The two senators also accused Azerbaijan of having chosen "a path of violence instead of the peaceful, negotiated process spearheaded by the OSCE Minsk Group," and called on the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to "immediately halt" U.S. military assistance to the Azerbaijani government.
"Providing nearly $120 million in security assistance to a regime that flouts a peace process cochaired by the U.S. is absurd," according to Menendez and Booker.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Armenian and Azerbaijani services and AFP