themoscowtimes--2020-09-18--Belarus Shuts Western Borders as Lukashenko Warns of ‘War’

His announcement came with a warning that the countries could descend into war as he continues to blame Western influence for a sustained protest movement that broke out after his disputed re-election .
Belarus will close its borders with Poland and Lithuania and step up security measures at the Ukrainian frontier , Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday .
Update : Belarus ' borders remained open Friday after President Alexander Lukashenko announced they would be closed .
The country 's border guard service said on its Telegram channel that `` checks have been stepped up '' and `` tactical reinforcements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` checkpoints are permitting people to enter and leave . ''
“ We ’ re forced to withdraw our troops from the streets , put half the army under arms and close the state border from the West , primarily Lithuania and Poland , ” Lukashenko , who has ruled Belarus with an authoritarian grip since 1994 , said .
“ Unfortunately , we ’ re forced to strengthen the state border with our fraternal Ukraine , ” Lukashenko added at a women ’ s forum , according to the independent news website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have expressed “ deep concern ” toward the violent crackdown on anti-Lukashenko protesters that immediately followed last month 's presidential election .
Lithuania and its Baltic neighbors Latvia and Estonia have blacklisted Lukashenko and dozens of other Belarusian officials over the violence , while Lithuania opened its borders to Belarusians fleeing the country , including opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya .
Lukashenko warned Thursday that he ’ s “ forced ” to build up a “ common defense of the Union State together with the Russian president and defense minister , ” the Poland-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vladimir Putin in Russia this week , where he secured the Russian president ’ s backing and a $ 1.5 billion loan in exchange for stronger ties with Moscow .
“ I don ’ t want my country to be at war .
Moreover , I don ’ t want Belarus and Poland , Lithuania to turn into a theater of military operations , ” Lukashenko said at the women ’ s forum Thursday .
“ Therefore ...
I want to appeal to the peoples of Lithuania , Poland and Ukraine — stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let war break out !
” Before the Aug. 9 vote , Belarus cracked down on its border with Russia as it searched for scores of mercenaries it had claimed to be from the Kremlin-linked Wagner military contractor .
Belarus has been one of the few countries worldwide to keep its borders open throughout the coronavirus pandemic .

His announcement came with a warning that the countries could descend into war as he continues to blame Western influence for a sustained protest movement that broke out after his disputed re-election.
Belarus will close its borders with Poland and Lithuania and step up security measures at the Ukrainian frontier, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday.
Update: Belarus' borders remained open Friday after President Alexander Lukashenko announced they would be closed. The country's border guard service said on its Telegram channel that "checks have been stepped up" and "tactical reinforcements have been deployed," but that "checkpoints are permitting people to enter and leave."
“We’re forced to withdraw our troops from the streets, put half the army under arms and close the state border from the West, primarily Lithuania and Poland,” Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an authoritarian grip since 1994, said.
“Unfortunately, we’re forced to strengthen the state border with our fraternal Ukraine,” Lukashenko added at a women’s forum, according to the independent news website tut.by.
Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine have expressed “deep concern” toward the violent crackdown on anti-Lukashenko protesters that immediately followed last month's presidential election. Lithuania and its Baltic neighbors Latvia and Estonia have blacklisted Lukashenko and dozens of other Belarusian officials over the violence, while Lithuania opened its borders to Belarusians fleeing the country, including opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
Lukashenko warned Thursday that he’s “forced” to build up a “common defense of the Union State together with the Russian president and defense minister,” the Poland-based Belsat broadcaster reported. Lukashenko met President Vladimir Putin in Russia this week, where he secured the Russian president’s backing and a $1.5 billion loan in exchange for stronger ties with Moscow.
“I don’t want my country to be at war. Moreover, I don’t want Belarus and Poland, Lithuania to turn into a theater of military operations,” Lukashenko said at the women’s forum Thursday.
“Therefore ... I want to appeal to the peoples of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine — stop your crazy politicians, don’t let war break out!”
Before the Aug. 9 vote, Belarus cracked down on its border with Russia as it searched for scores of mercenaries it had claimed to be from the Kremlin-linked Wagner military contractor.
Belarus has been one of the few countries worldwide to keep its borders open throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
AFP contributed reporting.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-18--Vehicle Breaches U.S. Ambassador’s Moscow Residence – Embassy

A vehicle driven by a Russian national crashed through the perimeter of Spaso House , the U.S .
Ambassador to @ @ @ @ @ residence , the U.S. Embassy ’ s spokeswoman said Friday .
The unnamed Russian driving @ @ @ @ @ Embassy staff and handed over to local authorities , spokeswoman Rebecca Ross said on Twitter @

A vehicle driven by a Russian national crashed through the perimeter of Spaso House, the U.S. Ambassador to Russia’s central Moscow residence, the U.S. Embassy’s spokeswoman said Friday.
The unnamed Russian driving the vehicle was intercepted by Embassy staff and handed over to local authorities, spokeswoman Rebecca Ross said on Twitter.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-18--Russia Jails Second North Korean Poacher for Attacking Border Guards

The court in the city of Nakhodka 6,500 kilometers east of Moscow found the North Korean citizen guilty and sentenced him to seven years in prison , the U.S.-funded RFE/RL reported .
A court in Far East Russia has jailed a second North Korean poacher for attacking Russian border guards at sea last year , the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty news outlet reported Friday .
He was one of three defendants who Russian prosecutors said had struck Russian border guards with sticks .
One of them was sentenced to four years in Russian prison last July .
More than 160 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a two-day operation in Russian territorial waters in the Sea of Japan , RFE/RL said .
Russian border guards reportedly encountered two North Korean schooners and 11 motorboats .
In one of several flare-ups , 18 North Korean poachers were said to have attacked 11 Russian border guards with “ improvised items ” during the operation .
One of the roundups resulted in a North Korean man ’ s death .
Thousands of makeshift North Korean fishing boats invade Russia ’ s and Japan ’ s territorial waters during the squid fishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resulting in their detentions .
Russia previously turned a blind eye toward North Korean poaching , which Pyongyang has explained as the result of storms or technical malfunctions .
This year ’ s prosecutions mark a rare confrontation between North Korea and Russia , which sees itself as a key player in defusing international tensions around Pyongyang ’ s missile program .

The court in the city of Nakhodka 6,500 kilometers east of Moscow found the North Korean citizen guilty and sentenced him to seven years in prison, the U.S.-funded RFE/RL reported.
A court in Far East Russia has jailed a second North Korean poacher for attacking Russian border guards at sea last year, the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty news outlet reported Friday.
He was one of three defendants who Russian prosecutors said had struck Russian border guards with sticks. One of them was sentenced to four years in Russian prison last July.
More than 160 North Koreans were detained in September 2019 in a two-day operation in Russian territorial waters in the Sea of Japan, RFE/RL said. Russian border guards reportedly encountered two North Korean schooners and 11 motorboats.
In one of several flare-ups, 18 North Korean poachers were said to have attacked 11 Russian border guards with “improvised items” during the operation.
One of the roundups resulted in a North Korean man’s death.
Thousands of makeshift North Korean fishing boats invade Russia’s and Japan’s territorial waters during the squid fishing season between June and October, sometimes resulting in their detentions. Russia previously turned a blind eye toward North Korean poaching, which Pyongyang has explained as the result of storms or technical malfunctions.
This year’s prosecutions mark a rare confrontation between North Korea and Russia, which sees itself as a key player in defusing international tensions around Pyongyang’s missile program.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-18--Kremlin Accuses Navalny Aides of Removing Potential Evidence

Members of Navalny 's team said Thursday that German experts found Novichok , a Soviet-designed nerve agent , on a water bottle taken from the Siberian hotel room where the Kremlin foe stayed before falling ill last month .
The Kremlin on Friday said Russia 's ability to probe opposition politician Alexei Navalny 's suspected poisoning was `` limited '' and accused his aides of taking potential evidence out of the country .
The bottle appears to have been key evidence for Germany 's conclusion that the 44-year-old outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin was poisoned with the banned chemical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday reiterated complaints that Moscow 's hands were tied because Germany has not yet shared its findings with Russia and accused Navalny 's aides of removing potential evidence .
`` Unfortunately , our abilities to genuinely conduct an investigation are rather limited , '' Peskov told reporters .
`` The bottle — if it existed — has been taken somewhere , to Germany or some other place , '' he said .
`` What could have become a piece of evidence proving poisoning has unfortunately been taken out .
Another question is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubt on Germany 's findings , saying it would not be possible to take a bottle with traces of a nerve agent out of the country because that person would simply `` have no time '' to do that due to the toxicity of the substance .

Members of Navalny's team said Thursday that German experts found Novichok, a Soviet-designed nerve agent, on a water bottle taken from the Siberian hotel room where the Kremlin foe stayed before falling ill last month.
The Kremlin on Friday said Russia's ability to probe opposition politician Alexei Navalny's suspected poisoning was "limited" and accused his aides of taking potential evidence out of the country.
The bottle appears to have been key evidence for Germany's conclusion that the 44-year-old outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin was poisoned with the banned chemical weapon.
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday reiterated complaints that Moscow's hands were tied because Germany has not yet shared its findings with Russia and accused Navalny's aides of removing potential evidence.
"Unfortunately, our abilities to genuinely conduct an investigation are rather limited," Peskov told reporters.
"The bottle — if it existed — has been taken somewhere, to Germany or some other place," he said. "What could have become a piece of evidence proving poisoning has unfortunately been taken out.
Another question is why."
But he also cast doubt on Germany's findings, saying it would not be possible to take a bottle with traces of a nerve agent out of the country because that person would simply "have no time" to do that due to the toxicity of the substance.


themoscowtimes--2020-09-19--'I Didn’t Recognize People': Navalny Says Long Recovery Ahead in Latest Health Update

Alexei Navalny has said he has difficulty performing everyday functions and that he faces a “ long road ” of @ @ @ @ @ which left him in a coma .
The opposition leader posted an update to his @ @ @ @ @ Charite clinic in Berlin where he is being treated , outlining more details about his @ @ @ @ @ me tell you how my recovery is going .
There is already a clear road @ @ @ @ @ , ” he wrote .
“ A phone in my hands is as useless as @ @ @ @ @ wrote , adding that “ pouring a glass of water ” was still a huge @ @ @ @ @ almost one month after he fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow and @ @ @

Alexei Navalny has said he has difficulty performing everyday functions and that he faces a “long road” of recovery after his Novichok poisoning which left him in a coma.
The opposition leader posted an update to his Instagram page Saturday from the Charite clinic in Berlin where he is being treated, outlining more details about his physical condition.
“Let me tell you how my recovery is going. There is already a clear road, though a long one,” he wrote.
“A phone in my hands is as useless as a stone,” Navalny wrote, adding that “pouring a glass of water” was still a huge challenge for the anti-corruption campaigner almost one month after he fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow and was hospitalized.