Section: The Centre for Eastern Studies (Poland)
Staying the course: Merz in Kyiv
On 4 October, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) paid his second visit to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He was accompanied by the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Minister, Katherina Reiche (CDU) and a delegation of German business representatives. Merz and Zelensky took part in a German-Ukrainian...
Kremlin handpicks new State Duma deputies in ‘special election operation’
Between 18 and 20 September, Russia held parliamentary elections to determine the make-up of the new 450-member State Duma, the lower house of parliament. The vote coincided with an annual series of regional and local elections. For the first time, parliamentary ‘elections’ were also held in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine,...
The Ukrainians are overwhelming Moscow’s air defence. Day 1672 of the war
…read more Source:: Centre for Eastern Studies...
Ukraine’s Black Sea attacks take a toll on Russia’s economy
Since early June this year, Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks on Russian shipping in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, as well as on port infrastructure along the coast. This has severely curtailed the flow of Russian commodities through these waters, with the agricultural and oil sectors bearing the brunt of the losses. …read more...
Russia’s war plan: subjugate Ukraine, intimidate Europe, buy off the US
Russia is preparing to escalate its aggression against Ukraine and launch a new phase of its so-called hybrid war against Europe. The Kremlin is pursuing this course because it remains unable to achieve its objectives and faces mounting domestic challenges. At the same time, it remains confident of victory, basing this assessment on the perceived...
Russia: the second wave of the fuel crisis
Signs of a deepening fuel crisis have reappeared in Russia since August, with petrol shortages reported in many regions, alongside rising prices and queues at filling stations. The situation deteriorated after Ukraine intensified its attacks on Russian refineries, following a period of partial market stabilisation in mid-July. At least 22 strikes...
A bridge too far? Ukraine’s operation to isolate Crimea
Over the past three months, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on the Russian army’s operational rear on Crimea. The targets have included logistics hubs, road, rail and maritime infrastructure, troop concentrations, air defence systems, ammunition depots and command posts. The operation aims to cut the peninsula off from military...
SBU versus HUR: conflict between Ukraine’s security services
On 3 September, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the dismissal of deputy heads of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (HUR). The decision came in response to an incident in Kyiv in which SBU officers used firearms against HUR personnel. The confrontation stemmed...
Ukraine: criminal group within the Prosecutor General’s Office
On 4 September, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) searched the office of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. On the same day, the agency announced that it had carried out Operation Carthage, targeting an organised criminal group operating within the Prosecutor General’s Office. …read more Source:: Centre for...
Witkoff and Kushner in Moscow and Kyiv: White House resumes peace mediation
On 5 September, President Donald Trump’s special envoys, Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner, visited Moscow, resuming efforts to bring Russia’s war against Ukraine to an end after a hiatus of more than six months. Their talks at the Kremlin with Vladimir Putin, attended by his foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov and special...
