WAR ON UKRAINE - Media Insights #18-19

Welcome to the 18-19th issue of our regular bi-weekly English newsletter, featuring an independent review of media coverage of the war in Ukraine. Our previous newsletters have offered a unique perspective on two different perspectives - the Russian state media's perspective and how they interpret the ongoing "special military operation" in Ukraine, and how the same events are covered by the independent media. You can find all previous issues on our website.

The current issue offers a summary of the topics of the day presented in our Telegram channel "Россия в медиа фокусе" (Russia in Media Focus). If you enjoyed our previous weekly Media Insights - War in Ukraine and would like to receive more regular daily updates, please see our Telegram channel 'Россия в медиа фокусе' (@glasnost2022).

The current issue offers the following stories, topics and events covering the period from 26 September to 9 October 2022.

[27 September 2022]


Topic of the day:
Russian men of conscription age are leaving the country en masse amid rumors of an imminent border closure. According to independent website Meduza, Russian authorities are going to close the borders for men of mobilization age, According to a source close to the Russian presidential administration, the most likely date of the ban is September 28.

According to independent media reports, those subject to mobilization pay £25,000 each for seats on private planes bound for Armenia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. "The situation is absolutely crazy right now," Evgeny Bickov, director of the brokerage Your Charter, commented to the Guardian on the situation. "We used to get 50 requests a day, now there are about 5,000.

Many are also trying to fly on regular flights, the prices of which sometimes reach a million rubles. Anders Aslund, a well-known expert on Russia and Ukraine, wrote on his Twitter (https://twitter.com/anders_aslund/stat): "Flying on the last night flight from Helsinki to Stockholm. It is crowded, overwhelmingly tall, silent, young Russian men, obviously fleeing Putin's mobilization. They move with great determination. I'm probably the only Swede on this plane."

Russian men are also trying to leave Russia through Georgia. The Russian Interior Ministry said a mobile military registration and enlistment office station will be set up at the Upper Lars border crossing with Georgia to check the military eligibility of Russians fleeing from mobilization. A curious situation has arisen at that checkpoint. Due to the fact that the Russian side prohibited crossing the border with Georgia on foot, enterprising Georgians were quick to react and started a business - now runaways from mobilization are required to have 50-70 thousand rubles to buy a bicycle to cross the checkpoint.

Why it matters:
According to one study (https://www.theguardian.com/world), Russia will lose 15% of its millionaires as early as this year, as the country's wealthiest citizens move abroad. Mobilization is likely to intensify this exodus, potentially compounding the damage to Russia's economy. The exodus of the rich and powerful from Russia could fuel the resentment already observed in poorer parts of the country, which are disproportionately affected by the draft (for example, in Yakutia and Dagestan, as we wrote about yesterday).

In addition, many question the effectiveness of mobilization to turn the tide of the war, since most recruits will not have the opportunity to receive the necessary training. Britain predicts a "high attrition rate" among Russian conscripts. According to British Defense Intelligence, Russia faces "administrative and logistical problems" in preparing the first groups of men drafted as part of the partial mobilization.

What the independent media report:
Russians pay £25,000 for seats on private planes after mobilisation is announced. (The Guardian)
Number of Russians arriving in Georgia has doubled since mobilization - report. (Deutsche Welle)
Huge line of people trying to flee Russia stretches 10 miles (over 16 km) and can be seen from space. (Newsweek)
'We're scared, we want to run': Russian men fleeing conscription. (The Guardian)

What the Russian media write:
Russian propaganda media do not write directly about the mass "exodus" of men of conscription age, but there is related news.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has no plans to request other countries to forcibly return Russians. (KP)
A mobilization post will open at the Upper Lars checkpoint on the border with Georgia in North Ossetia. (TASS)
Some 98,000 Russians have entered Kazakhstan since September 21. (RIA)
Peskov says Kremlin has no data on number of Russians who left. (KP)


[28 September 2022]

Topic of the day:
According to Russian propaganda media reports, the majority of residents of the DNR, LNR, and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, with high turnout, supported the annexation of their regions to Russia in referendums. Voting, which took place from September 23 to 27 in all four regions, was deemed valid.

The official results are as follows:

- In the Kherson region, 87.05% of those who voted (497,051 people) supported joining Russia, while 12.05% (68,832) spoke out against it.
- In Zaporizhzhia region, the initiative was supported by 93.11% of voters (430,268).
- In the DNR, 99.23% of voters supported joining Russia.
- In the LNR, 98.42% of the referendum participants voted in favor of joining the Russian Federation.

The leaders of the occupied territories - except the DNR, where they have already done so - intend to address the Russian leadership on September 28 with an official request to become part of Russia. According to Reuters, the Russian parliament plans to consider the annexation issue on October 4.

The votes held in the occupied Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions are illegal under international law and have been widely condemned by Western countries as "sham" referendums. According to witnesses, only a small part of the local population actually voted, and people were forced to vote virtually at gunpoint. "Very, very few people were there and voted," a Kherson resident told the New York Times. He said armed soldiers came to his relatives and demanded that they vote.

"The so-called 'referendums' held in the last few days in the occupied regions of Ukraine are 'fiction,'" Alexander Hug, one of the heads of the OSCE special monitoring mission in Ukraine, commented to Deutsche Welle. "And it is a very obscene fiction in which viewers are invited to assume that victims of atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces can side with those who commit them," he said. According to Hug, the scenario of what happened and what will happen in the occupied Ukrainian regions was written a long time ago.

Why it matters:
The fictitious and hastily organized referendums in Russia-occupied territories of Ukraine are a prologue to the annexation of these territories, something Russia is already openly talking about. This scenario replicates the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that Moscow plans to annex the four occupied regions of Ukraine and force people to join the Russian armed forces - "Either you will be killed or you will be killed.

The European Union called the referendums illegitimate, and the UN insists on Ukraine's territorial integrity within its recognized borders in light of the results. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrel wrote on Twitter:

"The EU condemns the holding of illegal 'referendums' and their falsified results. This is yet another violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, amid systematic violations of human rights." European Council President Charles Michel also tweeted, "Fake referendums. Fake results. We recognize neither."

The United States, Canada, Britain and Austria also said they did not recognize the results of the "referendums.

What the independent media report:
The authorities of Ukraine's occupied regions claim an overwhelming majority in favor of joining Russia after the "sham" referendums. (CNN)
EU condemns "rigged results" of sham voting in Ukraine. (Deutsche Welle)
Kremlin claims victory in referendum, paving the way for annexation of parts of Ukraine. (France 24)

What the Russian media write:
Residents of Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson region supported joining Russia by a majority. (TASS)
An absolute majority of residents of the DNR, LNR, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions want a common future with Russia. (Channel 1)
Choice under fire. Donbass voted to join Russia. (РИА)


[29 September 2022]


Topic of the day:
Two days after the explosions that led to a gas leak from underwater gas pipelines running from Russia to Germany, the increasingly likely version of what happened is sabotage. Recall that Sweden's National Seismological Center recorded two explosions in the Baltic Sea. As a result of a leak natural gas comes to the surface of the sea. An 8-kilometer (5-mile) exclusion zone for navigation was established around the island of Bornholm and flights below 1,000 meters in the area are prohibited.

The European Union and several European governments called it sabotage and demanded an investigation. "All available information indicates that these leaks are the result of deliberate actions," European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement Wednesday. "We will support any investigation aimed at achieving full clarity on what happened and why."

The pipelines are owned by a company called Nord Stream AG, most of whose shares are held by Russian state company Gazprom. Russia has said it cannot repair the pipelines because of anti-war sanctions, although Germany has said existing sanctions do not affect repairs to the pipelines.

Why it matters:
Damage to the Nord Stream pipelines threatens Europe's energy security ahead of winter, given its heavy reliance on Russian gas.

Given the difficulty of carrying out an undetected sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, most analysts agree that only government agencies could have carried it out. But because there was little evidence - U.S. officials said explosive gas leaking from ruptured pipes made it too dangerous to approach the site of the breach - the United States and most of its European allies did not publicly name suspects.

Still, many Western officials and analysts say the sabotage fits well with Putin's broader Russian strategy of waging war on several fronts, using economic and political tools. "This is classic hybrid warfare," said Marie-Agnes Struck-Zimmermann, head of the defense committee in the German parliament, who stressed that so far she has no evidence that Russia was behind the attack, but she considers it the most "plausible" culprit.

The Russian side, for its part, seeks to shift the blame to the United States. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said blaming Russia is "predictably stupid and absurd." He said U.S. natural gas suppliers make "huge profits" from increased sales to Europe, suggesting that the United States is to blame.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also blamed the United States: "Regarding where it happened. The story was actively circulated that it was supposedly neutral waters and so on. This is a special economic zone of Denmark and Sweden, these are the very nato-centric countries that are stuffed with American weapons, which are fully controlled by the American secret services, which have full control of the situation there.

What the independent media report:
Gas leaks in the Baltic Sea: Who or what is behind them? (Deutsche Welle)
The apparent sabotage of two underwater gas pipelines harbors a mystery: Did Russia do it? (The New York Times)
Europe investigates "attacks" on Russian gas pipelines to Europe (France 24)

What the Russian media write:
Explosions at an underwater pipeline: Who attacked Nord Stream (Life)
The Nord Stream incident occurred in waters controlled by U.S. intelligence agencies (Izvestiya)
Investigation of gas leaks from Nord Streams (TASS)


[30 September 2022]

Theme of the day:
The president of Russia signed treaties on the annexation of four Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye. In his address to the Russians, Putin stated that the residents of these regions "become our citizens forever!"

Why it matters:
The proclamation of completely uncontrolled territories (Zaporozhye, Donetsk regions) as part of Russia after "referendums" can generally be described as a historical incident with no analogues. At the same time, the continuation of the war for a long period of time and the involvement in this war against Ukraine of all Russian mobilization resources (conscripts, reservists and not only) are included in such a proclamation. Also, the hasty annexation of Ukrainian territories eloquently speaks of panic in the Kremlin and the fear of protests and a drop in the rating due to military losses.

Given that there are increasing reports of mobilized soldiers being sent to the front line without any training or proper equipment, Russian army losses may increase by an order of magnitude and the daily report of 5-6 thousand eliminated Russian soldiers is not that far from reality.

There is a hypothetical possibility of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine in the south and southwest of the country, which could entail a retaliatory strike with conventional weapons by Western countries, of which the occupants of the Kremlin have already been warned.

What the independent media report:
Stick and carrot: what awaits Ukraine's southeast after Russia's annexation. (Deutsche Welle)
What Russian annexation means for Ukraine's regions. (BBC)
Putin says four annexed Ukrainian regions will be "Russian forever." (Euractiv)

What the Russian media write:
The Kremlin is all set for a solemn signing ceremony for the four regions to become part of Russia. (Channel One)
Putin concluded his "St. George's speech" with the words "The truth is behind us, Russia is behind us!" (TASS)
The sea, factories and a quarter of Ukraine's income: What Russia will get with the annexation of Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson. (Komsomolskaya Pravda)


[1-2 October 2022]


Topic of the day:
On October 1, the Russian army retreated from the town of Liman in the Donetsk region. The move came amid reports that the city had been encircled and a "cauldron" was being prepared for the 5,000-strong Russian grouping in that direction.

Why it matters:
The beginning of the AFU offensive on Liman was announced as early as three weeks ago. The town itself was strategically important to the Russian army as a bridgehead for the capture of Slavyansk. It was also of operational importance as a gateway to Luhansk Oblast, with access to Kreminna and Svatovo.

The Russian Armed Forces themselves retreated late and in a panic rush, resulting in many Russian soldiers being killed or captured. According to military expert and founder of the Military Russia portal, Dmitry Kornev: "In fact, there is no exact information as to how successful everyone was in getting out..."

British Military Intelligence believes that Russia suffered heavy casualties while fleeing from Liman. "Liman was probably defended by understaffed units of the Russian Western and Central Military Districts, as well as a contingent of voluntarily mobilized reservists. Their forces appear to have suffered heavy losses as they retreated by the only road that was in Russian hands," according to its Oct. 2 report. "The flight from Liman is also a serious political failure, given that this is Donetsk Oblast, a region that Russia was supposedly going to 'liberate' and wants to annex."

Earlier, the Russian occupation group had asked the command to allow it to withdraw from the city, but was refused because such a withdrawal on the eve or day of Putin's proclamation of the annexation of Ukrainian territories could have spoiled the TV picture and tarnished its rating. This indirectly confirms the repeated reports of Western intelligence that it is Putin who determines the importance of this or that direction on the front and unilaterally allocates the number of troops.

In this light, the criticism of military failures by Kadyrov and Prigozhin looks interesting - both have private armies at their disposal and are contenders for a piece of the power pie in post-Putin Russia.

What the independent media report:
The Ukrainian army has reached Liman and surrounded Russian troops. (Euractiv)
Russian troops are retreating from a strategic city in the Donetsk region, one day after Moscow's annexation of the region. (CNN)
The Russian-Ukrainian War: Russians flee Liman and Ukrainian troops resume control of the city one day after Putin's illegal annexation - as it were. (The Guardian)

What the Russian media write:
Russia announced the withdrawal of forces from Krasny Liman. (Lenta.ru)
Russian Ministry of Defense: Troops from Krasny Liman withdrawn to more favorable lines. (Rossiyskaya Gazeta)
The Ministry of Defense announced the withdrawal of troops from Krasny Liman. (РИА)


[3 October 2022]


Topic of the day:
The State Duma of the Russian Federation formally approved the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories - passing laws on the accession of the DNR, LNR, and Kherson and Zaporozhye regions to Russia. Four draft constitutional laws on the accession of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions to Russia were passed on first reading and immediately adopted as a whole. According to the laws, residents of the new subjects are recognized as Russian citizens as of the date of their admission to Russia - September 30 - and are given a month to submit applications to renounce Russian citizenship.

According to the documents, the DNR and LNR within Russia will retain their status of republics and their former names, and Russian will be the official language. The Kherson and Zaporozhye regions will also be included in Russia as separate entities - they will remain regions. The boundaries of the republics and regions will be determined by their borders, which "existed on the day of their formation and admission into the Russian Federation."

Why it matters:
The vote by the lower house of the Russian parliament is only a formality because the pro-government party controls both houses of parliament. Although the Duma unanimously supported the illegal annexation, about 30 Duma deputies did not take part in the vote, indicating that there is no complete consensus in Russian politics. According to pre-registration data, a total of 408 Duma deputies came to the Duma on Oct. 3, although their total number is 450.

Also, according to Meduza, the vote was held four times - separately for each annexed territory. And each time, judging by the State Duma's scoreboard, a different number of deputies voted for ratification of the treaty, although not a single vote "against" was cast and there were no abstentions.

Here is how the results look like:
For the "accession" of the DNR - 413 votes
For "joining" of LNR - 412 votes
For "joining" Zaporizhzhya region - 409 votes
For "joining" of Kherson region - 411 votes

What the independent media write:
The Russian parliament begins the process of approving the annexation of Ukrainian territories while the Ukrainian military makes progress. (CNN)
The Russian State Duma unanimously approved the annexation of Ukrainian regions. (The Guardian)
In the State Duma, more deputies voted "for the annexation of new territories" than there were at the meeting. Vyacheslav Volodin said there was a "technical glitch." (Meduza)

What the Russian media write:
The State Duma passed laws on the incorporation of the DNR, LNR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions into Russia. (TASS)
The State Duma approved constitutional laws on the accession of the new territories to Russia. (Izvestiya)
The Duma has approved laws on accepting new subjects into Russia. (РИА)

[4 October 2022]


Topic of the day:
Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk blew up the social media with his proposals for peace terms between Russia and Ukraine. On October 3, he published a message on his Twitter, where he gave four main parameters of a possible truce:

-> Hold a new vote in the occupied territories of Ukraine under UN supervision.
-> Russia must leave if that is the will of the people.
-> Crimea "formally becomes part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 - before Khrushchev's "mistake".
-> Water supplies to Crimea are guaranteed.
-> Ukraine remains a neutral state.

Later he also stated that a military threat to Crimea would lead to many deaths on both sides: "Russia is conducting a partial mobilization. It will move to full military mobilization if there is a threat to Crimea. The deaths on both sides will be devastating. Russia's population is more than three times that of Ukraine, so a Ukrainian victory in an all-out war is unlikely. If you care about the people of Ukraine, pursue peace," wrote the founder of Tesla, who decided to try on his laurels as a peacemaker.

Why it matters:
Ilon Musk's suggestions have sparked a strong reaction from Ukraine. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky also took a vote on Twitter in response to Musk's statements. He asked users which Elon Musk they liked better: "The one who supports Ukraine" or "The one who supports Russia. Among the 1.9 million people who voted, more than 80% chose Musk, who supports Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that people who "offer Ukraine to give up its people and land" should stop using "the word 'peace' as a euphemism for "letting the Russians kill and rape thousands more innocent Ukrainians and seize even more land."

In Russia, the deputy head of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, who compared the businessman to Stirlitz, commented on Ilon Musk's statements. "Musk is good, however," Medvedev wrote in his Telegram channel. - Worthy of an extraordinary officer's rank. True, he deciphered Eustace early. The next post will say something like "Ukraine is an artificial state".

What the independent media write:
Musk and Zelensky had a Twitter tiff over the billionaire's peace plan for Ukraine. (Reuters)
Crazy Twitter altercation between Ilon Musk, Melnyk and Zelensky. (Focus)
Ilon Musk suggested conditions for making peace between Russia and Ukraine. For example, not to return the Crimea In Ukraine responded with counter proposals - demilitarization of Russia and a tribunal for war criminals. (Meduza)

What the Russian media write:
The Kremlin commented on Musk's initiative on Ukraine. Peskov called Musk's attempt to find a path to a peaceful settlement in Ukraine positive. (РИА)
The Kremlin believes that many of the ideas that Elon Musk outlined on Twitter about the outcome of the military operation in Ukraine are "noteworthy." (РБК)
Ilon Musk was invited to visit Crimea. (Ren TV)

[5 October 2022]


Topic of the day:
In the Omsk region, those mobilized for the war in Ukraine recorded a video appeal in which they asked the authorities to send lump sum payments to their families and solve problems with the provision of credit vacations.

"We are guys from the Omsk region, from Omsk itself. We were all put on alert, you could say. We left our families at home. Some of us have children, wives on maternity leave. We have this question: will there be payments to the mobilized?"

Why it matters:
From the first days the partial mobilization was announced, protests against it swept across Russia. In all, up to 700,000 people have already left the country after Sept. 21. And while Shoigu has reported a figure of 200,000 mobilized, there are doubts that this figure is up to date. There are more and more frequent news reports about mobilized people being sent straight to the front without any training or appropriate equipment, and about problems with material supplies and logistics. After a series of military losses in the war against Ukraine, dissatisfaction is growing among the Russian military. With the arrival of cold weather these problems will only worsen and further affect the morale of the Russian army and the Russian economy. The opposition in Russia has already announced the reopening of headquarters to fight against Putin's regime, war and mobilization. Against this backdrop, large-scale protests in Russia, primarily in the regions, are an entirely objective reality.

What the independent media report:
"We have this question: will there be payments?" The mobilized in the Omsk region recorded a video message to the authorities. (Meduza)
A mobilized Russian man was found dead in a military unit in Omsk. This is the eighth death of a conscript since mobilization began. (The Insider)
Mobilized men from Norilsk were left to sleep in an open field in Omsk. (Current Time)

What the Russian media write:
The Omsk region is looking for ways to help the mobilized. (РИА Новости)
Mobilized fighter appealed to Omsk Kazakhs. (Superomsk)
Families of mobilized men on Sakhalin will be given 5 kilograms of fish. (Iasakh.com)

[6 October 2022]


Topic of the day:
On October 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree obliging the government to take federal ownership of nuclear power facilities at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. The six-unit nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe. It is located in the Russian-occupied Zaporozhye region of Ukraine.

Why it matters:
Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, called Putin's decree an attempt to raid the nuclear power plant and called for sanctions against Rosatom and an end to cooperation with Russia in the nuclear power sector. Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi has already announced that he will hold consultations in Kiev and Russia in connection with the transfer of ZNPP under Russian control.

Russia seized ZNPP in March after a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian specialists still work at the plant, but most of the plant's power units are now shut down at the initiative of Ukraine because the plant's territory was frequently shelled and there were fears of a radioactive disaster. Ukraine and Western countries are calling for the demilitarization of the plant, that is, the withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also adopted a resolution with a similar call, but Russia has responded by rejecting it.

A few days ago the Russian military kidnapped Igor Murashov, general director of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, on his way from the plant to the city of Energodar. He was subsequently released, but forced to leave for Ukraine-controlled territory. It is not ruled out that in this way he was forced to cooperate in the transfer of ownership of ZNPP to Rosatom.

On the whole, such a raider seizure of key energy assets testifies to the fact that Russia's strategy and objectives have not changed. That is to ensure a land link to the Crimean peninsula and continue using energy weapons in a hybrid war against Europe along with the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

In this case, Russia may aim to make it impossible for Ukraine to produce electricity and supply it to the European Union.

What the independent media report:
Ukrainian nuclear workers accuse Russians of abuse: "Terrible things are happening there." (Global News)
Putin signed a decree to hand over Zaporizhzhia NPP to Russia. (Radio Liberty)
Vladimir Putin issued a decree on Russia's takeover of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. (Deutsche Welle)

What the Russian media write:
Putin has instructed Russia to take over the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant facilities as federal property. (TASS)
Speculation, October 5: Zaporizhzhya NPP taken over by Russia. (RIA)
Oleg Romanenko, an ex-engineer of Balakovo NPP, headed the operating organization of Zaporizhzhya NPP. (Rossiyskaya Gazeta)

[7 October 2022]


Topic of the day:
This year's Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to human rights activists from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. In particular, it was awarded to the Russian human rights organization Memorial, which has been formally liquidated in Russia by a court decision, the Belarusian human rights activist Ales Belyatski, and the Ukrainian organization Center for Civil Liberties. It is symbolic that the awarding of the prize took place on Putin's birthday, and some observers saw it as an implicit rebuke.

Why it matters:
"The Center for Civil Liberties, a Ukrainian non-governmental organization founded in 2007, has been identifying and documenting war crimes against Ukrainian civilians since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of this year. "Memorial, Russia's largest human rights organization, was founded back in 1990. Throughout the years, it has fought to preserve the memory of victims of communist repression and campaigned against rights abuses related to Russia's wars in Chechnya and beyond.

"Peace Prize laureates represent civil society in their countries. Over the years, they have championed the right to criticize government and defend the basic rights of citizens. They have made outstanding efforts to document war crimes, human rights violations and abuses of power. Together they demonstrate the importance of civil society for peace and democracy," the Nobel Committee said.

The Nobel Committee also called for the release of Bialiatski, who is currently imprisoned in Belarus on tax evasion charges. "Our message is a call to the Belarusian authorities to release Mr. Bialiatski, and we hope it will happen so he can come to Oslo and receive his award," said Berit Reiss-Andersen, head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Leader of the Belarusian opposition Svetlana Tihanovskaya stated on Friday that the decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Bialiatski is "recognition of all Belarusians fighting for freedom and democracy.

At the same time, Ukraine criticized this year's choice. Presidential Advisor Mikhail Podolyak wrote on his Twitter: "The Nobel Committee clearly has an interesting understanding of the word 'peace' if the Nobel Prize is awarded together to representatives of two countries attacking a third. Neither Russian nor Belarusian organizations were able to organize resistance to this war. The Nobel this year is just 'super'."

What the independent media report:
Nobel Peace Prize awarded to human rights activists from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine. (Deutsche Welle)
Nobel Peace Prize awarded to three "human rights activists" from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. (France 24)
Nobel Peace Prize awarded to human rights activists in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine
Ales Belyatski, Memorial and the Center for Civil Liberties received the prize, which will be seen as a condemnation of Putin. (The Guardian)

What the Russian media write:
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Memorial and human rights activists from Belarus and Ukraine. (TASS)
Political scientist Martynov: This year's decision by the Nobel Committee is purely political and causes ambivalent feelings. (Izvestiya)
Political scientist explained why Memorial was awarded the Nobel Prize. (Ren TV)

[8-9 October 2022]

Topic of the Weekend:
In the early morning hours of October 8, an explosion occurred on the railroad bridge across the Kerch Strait (Crimea Bridge), causing part of the bridge to collapse. Several fuel tanks caught fire, and car and train traffic on the bridge was temporarily suspended. According to the Russian Investigative Committee, three people died as a result of the explosion on the bridge. "They are presumably passengers in a passenger car that was next to the truck that exploded. At the moment, the bodies of the two dead - a man and a woman - have already been lifted from the water, their identities are being established," the agency said in its Telegram channel.

Why it matters:
The Crimean bridge is a key transportation artery between occupied Crimea and mainland Russia. The cost of the bridge at the time was $3.6 billion (3.25 billion euros). The 19-kilometer (12-mile) long ambitious project, designed to help strengthen Crimea's infrastructure and strengthen its connection to Russia, is the longest bridge in Europe.

The undermining of the bridge has paralyzed both traffic between Crimea and Russia and the supply of Russian troops fighting in southern Ukraine. In addition, the bridge has almost sacred significance for Vladimir Putin, who celebrated his 70th birthday the day before, on October 7.

The bombing of the bridge was a testament to the chaos and disarray in the Russian military, which failed to protect the bridge despite its key role in the war effort. Hours after the bombing, the Kremlin appointed General Sergei Surovikin, another new commander, to lead its forces in Ukraine. Previous leadership reshuffles have done little to improve the situation on the front.

The New York Times, citing a high-ranking Ukrainian official who spoke on condition of anonymity, claims that the explosion on the Crimean bridge was organized by Ukrainian special services. However, Ukraine's special services did not officially claim responsibility for the explosion on the Crimean bridge.

What the independent media report:
Crimean bridge explosion strikes blow against Russian military campaign in Ukraine. (The New York Times)
Why is the Kerch Bridge important to Russia and Ukraine? (Deutsche Welle)
Putin faces even tougher choices after an explosion brought down the Crimean bridge dear to him. (CNN)

What the Russian media write:
Army General Kulikov on Crimean Bridge Emergency: They will get even more cocky if they don't get a response. (KP)
The first passenger train passes over the Crimean bridge after the accident. (Channel 1)
NYT named Ukraine's security services as mastermind of Crimean bridge bombing. (Izvestia)


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