Author: disinfo1
The Russians announce that they have thwarted an assassination plot against one of Putin’s trusted men. The Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Monday, November 17, that there was a plan by a “sabotage group” to kill the Secretary of the Security Council, Sergei Shoigu. The FSB claimed to have discovered a “Ukrainian connection” in preparing the attack. According to tvpworld, the FSB thwarted the assassination and found an explosive device hidden in a vase, along with a video camera. The attack was planned to take place during Shoigu’s private visit to a cemetery in Moscow. Shoigu was dismissed by…
The State Duma of Russia has approved an increase in VAT from 20% to 22% starting from 2026, hoping that this decision will bring 12.3 billion dollars to the budget. The changes also reduce the annual income threshold for businesses that must collect VAT from 739,000 dollars to 123,000 dollars, according to unn.ua. Against the backdrop of Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing for nearly four years, Moscow is looking for new sources of income to boost its economy. On Tuesday, the State Duma of the Russian Federation introduced significant changes to the value-added tax (VAT), which…
A new television channel, “Nomad”, associated with the propaganda channel Russia Today (RT), funded by the Kremlin, and with the organization of fugitive Ilan Șor, is being launched in Kyrgyzstan, writes Meduza, citing an investigation published by “Radio Azattyk”, part of the media corporation Radio Free Europe. The sources specify that the new platform will promote a pro-Russian agenda. The creation of the “Nomad” television channel was discovered a few months ago, writes Newsmaker.md. According to “Radio Azattyk”, the recruitment of staff for the new TV channel was carried out by editors who worked in the Kyrgyzstan office of the…
For months, European Union officials have been focused on a plan to use frozen Russian assets to provide Ukraine with a loan that could help Kiev carry the next phase of the war. It is becoming increasingly clear that if the plan fails, the EU will be left with only weak alternatives, says Jeanne Smialek, head of the Brussels office for The New York Times. A loan plan in which the European Union would use assets held by the Central Bank of Russia in Belgium to transfer 140 billion euros to Ukraine was supposed to be approved at a political…
Russian giant Gazprom has taken control of Aurus, which produces the luxury limousines used by Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking officials in Russia, reports Moscow Times. Aurus was taken over by 51%, in the summer of 2025, by Gazprom Tech, a division of the parent company Gazprom. The transaction was concluded for the amount of 12-13 billion rubles, equivalent to about 140 million euros, according to Vedomosti publication. Gazprom Tech was created in 2023 and owns assets in areas such as aviation, shipbuilding, and the auto industry. One of the sources familiar with the transaction stated that Gazprom did not…
On Monday, November 17, Russia conveyed its “negative” view of the United States’ ongoing approval of a bill to sanction countries that negotiate with Moscow, an initiative supported by President Donald Trump. “We will be attentive to the development of this bill and its details. Of course, we see it as something negative,” stated the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov, in the daily telephone press conference, according to Agerpres. On Sunday, President Trump warned that there would be “severe sanctions” for “any country” doing business with Russia, and possibly Iran as well, supporting an initiative in the US…
An armistice in Ukraine is unlikely before spring, and European allies must maintain their support despite the corruption scandal affecting Kiev, Finnish President Alexander Stubb told the Associated Press. He described the attitude Europe should adopt in the coming period using the Finnish term “sisu”, which means endurance, resilience, and strength. Europeans must demonstrate sisu to help Ukraine get through the winter months, he said, while Russia continues its hybrid attacks and information warfare across the continent. Stubb, who has a good relationship with the American president through their shared passion for golf, presents himself as one of the key…
The former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and the renowned economist Sergei Guriev have been added to the official list of “extremists and terrorists” by the Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation, in a new crackdown on government opponents in Moscow. The institution included the names of Mikhail Kasyanov and Sergei Guriev on a list that already contains 19,131 individuals and 823 organizations, reports Reuters. Since the beginning of the War in Ukraine, the evidence of this list has expanded considerably, with individuals or entities considered by the Kremlin to be involved in anti-state activities, writes Mediafax. Mikhail…
The European Commission is preparing a project of measures to reduce border blockages and create common rules for military transport, in the context of concerns about European security and the need for a rapid response in crisis situations. The European Commission intends to launch a set of measures to facilitate the rapid movement of armed forces within the European Union, according to a draft document consulted by Reuters. The new proposal aims to create both an emergency system for cross-border military transport and the development of an initiative through which member states can pool their transport capabilities. The European Union…
Officials from European Union countries believe that the special envoy of the US president, Steve Witkoff, does not understand all the nuances of Russia’s war against Ukraine. This would be one of the reasons why EU leaders want to speak directly with Donald Trump, reports Politico. The publication recalls that Donald Trump sent his friend Witkoff to conduct personal negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and to act as his special envoy in the Middle East. However, according to Bloomberg, EU officials were shocked by the fact that Witkoff does not understand the “complexity of the war between Russia and…