Ukraine Briefly

June 02, 2023

Ukraine, Briefly

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This week, the Russian capital of Moscow experienced its first drone attack on residential areas since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began last year, the Moscow Times reported. The attack damaged a number of buildings in Moscow but there were no casualties. Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack, while Ukraine denied involvement. The attack coincided with Russian drone strikes on Kyiv earlier this week.

Meanwhile, a senior Russian official said British politicians are now legitimate military targets for Moscow, in response to British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly’s statement that Ukraine has the right to use force inside Russia, Politico added. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused the United Kingdom of leading an undeclared war against Russia by providing military aid to Ukraine, declaring that UK officials facilitating the war could be considered legitimate military targets.

Also this week:

• Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has promised nuclear weapons to any nation that joins Russia and Belarus, NBC News wrote. Lukashenko’s comment follows his confirmation of the transfer of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus. The statement added to the escalating tensions between Russia and the West since the invasion of Ukraine. The US State Department criticized the alleged deployment, labeling it irresponsible behavior by Russia.

• South Africa is planning to change its law to give itself the power to decide whether or not to arrest a leader wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to the BBC. The move comes amidst speculation over South Africa’s invitation to Putin to visit in August, despite an ICC arrest warrant over the Ukraine war. South Africa, a member of the ICC, currently has an obligation to arrest Putin – but the country wants to remain neutral and has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, South Africa is contemplating a change in the venue of an upcoming BRICS summit to resolve the dilemma of whether to enforce the international arrest warrant, Bloomberg wrote.

• A beluga whale nicknamed Hvaldimir, widely speculated to be a Russian “spy,” entered Swedish waters this week having spent the last four years swimming down the coast of Norway, CNN noted. Hvaldimir gained attention in 2019 when he was seen wearing a harness believed to be for a camera, suggesting possible training by the Russian military. OneWhale, an organization dedicated to the whale’s welfare, praised Sweden for its care and swift action in protecting the animal. Hvaldimir has been observed following boats and playing with people on board. Experts have noted that the harness found on the whale had connections to St. Petersburg, fueling theories of its Russian origin and potential military training by the Russian navy.

This story originally appeared in the June 02, 2023 newsletter, Seed to Stem.