WEDNESDAY 8 JUNE 2022
UKRAINE UPDATE:
THE GUARDIAN, 6/4/22, Russian man accused of assassinating Alexander Litvinenko dies in Moscow.
- In 2006, former spy Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned with a radioactive isotope polonium 210 at a London Hotel.
- The polonium used to assassinate Litvinenko was found in all the hotel rooms where the assassins had stayed in London.
- A British inquiry found that Litvinenko was murdered in an operation of the FSB and probably approved by Putin.
- Litvinenko was dismissed from the FSB after publicly criticizing the security services’ connection to organized crime.
- He also claimed that the FSB was responsible for the bombing of apartment blocks in Moscow in 1999, a campaign that helped consolidate power for Putin.
- Dmitry Kovtun was one of two men accused of assassinating Litvinenko. He is now dead.
- Russia refused to extradite him to Britain for trial.
- Books: A Very Expensive Poison by Luke Harding; Blowing Up Russia by Felshtinsky and Alexander Litvinienko; Death of a Dissident: The Poisoning of alexander Litvinenko and the Return of theKGB by Boutsikaris and Goldfarb, et. al; The Litvinenko File: The Life and Death of a Russian Spy by Martin Sixsmith.
- Video: Poisoned by Polonium
CNN
- Over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been transported to Russia for investigation.
- This is a potential bargaining position by the Russians hoping to exchange these soldiers for those held by the Ukrainians.
THE GUARDIAN 6/8/22
- Pro-Russian sentiments are “mainstream in large parts of Africa.”
- For many years Moscow has been cultivating ties with African leaders.
- Some of the support comes from anti-western sentiments. Russia has een accused of amplifying those grievances.
- Resentments are also stoked by the narrative that the west cares more about Ukraine than other tragedies unfolding in Africa.
- Putin is it argued by pan-Africanists “doesn’t have the blood of slavery on his hands.”
- Russia has supplied weapons to “authoritarian leaders.”
- The Wagner group has propped up authoritarian leaders in Mali, Central African Republic and DRC.
THE KYIV INDEPENDENT
- Ukrainian MP accused of treason to be expelled from parliament. Oleksiy Kovalyov, a lawmaker with Zelensky’s party, went to Kherson and publicly supported the Russian occupation.
- New Russian offensive prepared on Sloviansk on the Donbas.
- Lack of medicine is hampering Ukrainian efforts in Kherson.
- Odesa resident sentenced to 8 years for providing Russian forces with information.
- Mariupol is facing a “medical collapse.”
- 100,000 Ukrainians are trapped in occupied Mariupol without utilities, food or water.
- New activity from military in Belarus.
- A train carrying stolen Ukrainian grains from Melitopol heads to Crimea.
- Russia is trying to convince families of sunken cruiser Moskva from disclosing any information regarding the deaths of their relatives.
- Rising social tension in Russia reported.
- Zelensky announces a “Book of Executioners” to detail war crimes.
UKRAINE WORLD
- In Melitipol, there is talk of fake referendums.
- 400 million people around the world are dependent on Ukrainian food.
- Ukraine’s armed forces may leave Sievierodonestsk.