There is also the hypothesis of the hand of a group of Russian partisans behind the explosion of the bomb placed in the car of Alexander Dugin, in which the daughter of Putin’s ideologist died. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities banned any public gathering until August 25 for fear of “outrageous and cruel” Russian actions on the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day.
-
Lukoil takes over the presidency of Spartak Moscow after sanctions against Fedun oligarchs
The Russian oil company Lukoil said, on Monday, that it had bought the Russian club Spartak Moscow, and the Moscow stadium in which it plays on its home land.
Spartak is in financial trouble after Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine led to a wave of Western sanctions against Moscow and the isolation of the Russian business community. Lukoil, the former general sponsor of Spartak for more than two decades, said the acquisition of a 100% stake in the club means owner and president Leonid Fedun will resign from all of his management positions. Fedun resigned as Vice President of Lukoil in June. The billionaire bought the club in 2004 when he was in dire financial straits. -
Kyiv banned all Independence Day demonstrations
All public events and demonstrations are banned in Kyiv as the 31st anniversary of independence from the Soviet Union approaches, coinciding with the six months of the war. The military administration of the Ukrainian capital has signed a decree banning meetings of large groups until Thursday due to the possibility of missile attacks. On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced that “something particularly bad” could happen on August 24.
-
Fatah: Russia rules out a diplomatic agreement to end the war
Moscow sees no prospect of a diplomatic solution to end the war in Ukraine and instead expects a protracted conflict. This was stated by Gennady Gatilov, Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations in Geneva, to the Financial Times. “Now, I do not see any possibility of diplomatic contacts,” Gatilov said. The longer the conflict continues, the more difficult it will be to reach a diplomatic solution.” Gatilov said the United Nations was mired in “politicization” and this “damaged its authority and the authority of its organizations,” adding that it was “unfortunate” that the United Nations did not play a more important role. I think the wheat deal is the only example in which they played a practical role in trying to mediate. You should do more. Gatilov then accused Western countries of using the situation in Ukraine “to put pressure on Russia” and “as a tool to isolate Russia”. Doing so, Gatilov said, “damages our position economically and politically and they don’t care about the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian soldiers.”