Ukraine war in the live ticker: +++ 02:42 Estonia is considering closing the border with Russia +++

November 30, 2023

Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 02:42 Estonia is considering closing its border with Russia +++

One day after Finland closed its last open border crossing with Russia, Estonia also agreed to take this step. Estonia is “ready to close its border with Russia and defend itself against any hybrid attack,” says Estonian Foreign Minister Tsahkna. The situation at the Finnish-Russian border, where an increasing number of migrants have recently arrived, is an “obvious hybrid attack by Russia”. The government in Helsinki accuses Moscow of wanting to destabilize Finland by deliberately smuggling people.

+++ 01:48 Russia loses seat on the Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons +++
Russia loses its seat on the decision-making body of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The country competed with Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania for three places on the Executive Council in the election and received the fewest votes. This means that for the first time in the organization’s history, Russia will not have a seat on the body. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj welcomes the result. The exclusion is a “logical consequence” of Russian aggression against his country. Moscow’s role in “international affairs is becoming smaller and its isolation is increasing,” explains Zelensky. The OPCW, based in The Hague, monitors the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which came into force in 1997. In 2013, she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to rid the planet of chemical weapons.

+++ 00:39 “Gift for Putin” campaign: Czechs want to buy Ukraine a helicopter +++
A fundraising campaign in the Czech Republic and Slovakia for a Black Hawk helicopter for Ukraine has so far raised almost half a million dollars, ten percent of the targeted amount. The “Gift for Putin” initiative started the fundraising campaign on November 16th. The US helicopter Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is to be used in Ukrainian reconnaissance. “Gift for Putin” had previously handed over a T-72 tank and 15 anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine.

+++ 23:18 Kazakhstan condemns Wagner fighters +++
A court in Kazakhstan sentenced a man to six years and eight months in prison for his service in the Russian Wagner private army. The court in Karaganda explains that the 34-year-old is accused of being a mercenary, “particularly participating in armed conflicts, military operations and other acts of violence.” Accordingly, the Kazakh joined the Wagner group in March 2023 and was involved in the fighting for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Russian military bloggers sharply criticized the verdict. Kazakhstan is traditionally considered a partner of Russia. At the same time, however, President Tokayev has repeatedly made cautious comments about the war against Ukraine in recent months and has reiterated that his country supports the sanctions regime of the EU and other countries. With the verdict against the mercenary, Astana is once again making it clear that it does not approve of Russia’s war of aggression.

+++ 22:25 Microsoft helps Ukraine again with free cloud +++
Microsoft is providing free cloud services to Ukraine’s state institutions for another year. This is announced by the Minister for Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov. In addition to government and military, hospitals, schools and universities can also use cloud services such as storage and software applications. Thanks to cloud services, important data was preserved during the war, when offices and archives were destroyed in Russian attacks, said the minister. So far, Microsoft has supported Ukraine with services worth the equivalent of 491 million euros.

+++ 22:03 Poland also boycotts OSCE meetings +++
Poland will not take part in the Ministerial Council meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) because of the invitation to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, joining a boycott by Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine. “We cannot ignore the fact that the Russian Foreign Minister will be present at the table of the organization that aims to create peace and security in Europe,” said Poland’s Foreign Minister Szynkowski vel Sek.

+++ 21:46 Zelensky visits war and storm-torn southern Ukraine +++
Ukrainian President Zelensky visits the Odessa, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions in the south of the country, which have been hit hard by war and the recent storm. Many security issues were discussed at the meetings, says Zelensky. In Odessa, the aim was to strengthen air defense and secure the corridor set up by Kiev to export grain across the Black Sea. The port city has been a target of Russian drone and missile attacks for months. At the same time, he also consulted with representatives of the city and region about solving the energy problems that were exacerbated by the recent storm. Among other things, a thermal power plant was damaged there by the snowstorm.

+++ 21:10 ESC winner Jamala is reportedly being charged in Russia +++
The Ukrainian singer Jamala, who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016, is apparently being tried in absentia in Russia. Russian media reports, that the Moscow prosecutor’s office accuses her of spreading “false information” about the Russian army. Accordingly, it’s about a video that the singer of Crimean Tatar origin published in April. Jamala will be taken into custody if she travels to Russia, it is said. Russian state news agencies had already reported last week that the singer had been put on a wanted list. She had repeatedly publicly denounced the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. She also campaigns for the Crimean Tatars, who, according to human rights reports, are being oppressed on the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia.

You can read all previous developments here.