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Ukraine war: Thousands of children to be evacuated from Belgorod after strikes

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Approximately 9,000 children are being evacuated from Belgorod and its surrounding areas following shelling incidents attributed to Ukraine, according to Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The recent attacks have resulted in injuries, power outages, and casualties, with 16 people killed and 98 wounded this week alone.

In response to the attacks, schools in Belgorod were closed earlier in the week, and evacuation orders now extend to several villages in the region. The evacuation process is set to begin on Friday, with the initial group comprising 1,200 children.

Russia’s defense ministry claims to have intercepted Ukrainian shells over Belgorod and conducted strikes against alleged Ukrainian “saboteurs” near the border regions. Concurrently, Ukrainian border areas have also faced Russian attacks, necessitating evacuations.

Although Kyiv has not officially responded to the incidents in Belgorod, Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt his re-election campaign through the strikes. Putin has urged the Federal Security Service to identify and punish Russian fighters supporting Ukraine’s cause, vowing retribution regardless of their location.

Earlier this month, reports emerged of Russia-based paramilitary groups crossing into Russian territory from Ukraine. Videos circulated by these groups claimed control over villages in the Belgorod and Kursk regions, although Russia’s defense ministry refuted these claims, stating that such attempts were thwarted.

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Anna Politkovskaya: Russian convicted of journalist murder gets pardon

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Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, one of the individuals convicted in connection with the 2006 murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, has been pardoned, according to his lawyer. Khadzhikurbanov, a former Moscow police officer, was sentenced to 20 years in 2014 for providing logistical support for the crime.

His lawyer stated that he received a presidential pardon after completing a six-month military contract, during which he served as a special forces fighter.

The murder of Politkovskaya, an investigative reporter critical of Russia’s actions in Chechnya, remains unsolved in terms of who ordered the killing. The Russian defense ministry has reportedly been recruiting prisoners for military operations in Ukraine, following the precedent set by the Wagner mercenary group. In the 2014 trial, Rustam Makhmudov, the triggerman, received a life sentence, while others involved, including Khadzhikurbanov, faced varying prison terms.

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Russia Enlists Prisoners for Ukraine Invasion Forces

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The Russian defense ministry has reportedly taken over the practice of recruiting prisoners to fight in Ukraine, assuming the role previously held by the Wagner mercenary group. These units are informally known as Storm-Z, with the letter Z symbolizing Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” against Ukraine and referencing the Russian word “zek” for “inmate.” Similar to Wagner’s prisoner units, Storm-Z detachments are allegedly treated as expendable forces, with little regard for the well-being of their soldiers.

There are suggestions that members of other army units may be sent to Storm-Z detachments as punishment for infractions such as insubordination or drunkenness. Last year, Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as “Putin’s chef,” was permitted to recruit from prisons after significant Russian troop casualties in Ukraine. He promised inmates their freedom and expungement of their convictions after six months of service if they survived.

However, Prigozhin later publicly criticized Russia’s top military officials and died in a plane crash along with Wagner’s other commanders. The group has since disappeared from the Ukrainian battlefield, with reports indicating that the defense ministry has taken over the recruitment of inmates for the conflict.

One former Storm-Z member revealed that recruits were promised substantial payments but were sent into battle unprepared and unaware of the true situation on the front line. The Russian military has neither confirmed nor denied the use of convicts in its units, but there are multiple accounts of prisoners being sent to Storm-Z units. These accounts include a confession from the governor of Sevastopol and an interview with a convicted murderer now serving in the Russian military.

The defense ministry in Moscow acknowledged the existence of “storm units” without divulging the identity of their members. These units are tasked with breaking through intricate layers of Ukrainian defenses and are reportedly deployed without due consideration for their survival. A regular soldier who fought alongside Storm-Z members referred to them as mere “meat,” while reports suggest that soldiers from other units can be sent to Storm-Z as a form of punishment.

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Viktor Sokolov: Russian video ‘shows Black Sea fleet commander alive’

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The Russian Defense Ministry has released a video featuring the commander of the Black Sea Fleet at a conference, despite Ukraine’s claim of his death. The timing of this footage, where Viktor Sokolov is seen in a video link with the defense minister, remains uncertain.

The Russian ministry stated that this meeting with high-ranking officials occurred on Tuesday. On Monday, Ukraine’s special forces announced that Admiral Sokolov and 33 other officers had been killed in a missile strike on the fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol, Crimea, which is currently under Russian control.

On Wednesday, a television channel affiliated with Russia’s defense ministry aired an interview with Admiral Sokolov, where he claimed that the fleet was performing well. The exact date of this interview is unclear.

Kyiv did not directly name the admiral and lacked evidence of his death. Now, they are “clarifying” their earlier reports, referring to “open sources” for their claim about the admiral’s fate. This represents a notable shift in tone from their initial confidence.

The video, lasting eight minutes, depicts a Defense Ministry collegium meeting that purportedly took place on Tuesday morning, with Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu conversing with senior officials in Moscow. He is briefly shown on video link with the commanders of Russia’s five fleets, including the Black Sea Fleet, although none of them speak.

Facial recognition software suggests a match between the man in the video and other images of Admiral Sokolov. However, the BBC has not been able to confirm whether the meeting occurred on Tuesday or if the image of Admiral Sokolov on the video link is in real time.

Last Friday, Ukraine claimed to have targeted the fleet’s headquarters, which is considered a crucial target. Footage on social media showed smoke over the building. Russia stated that it had intercepted five missiles, though one serviceman was reported missing. Kyiv has been launching near-daily strikes against Russian forces in Crimea.

Aside from its role in potential attacks against Ukraine, the Black Sea Fleet symbolizes Russia’s long-standing military presence in the region. It was based in Crimea even before Russia’s annexation of the peninsula in 2014.

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