1.VIII- Exchange of prisoners
On 1 August in Ankara there was an exchange of prisoners between the US and Russia. Poland, Germany, Belarus, Norway and Slovenia besides participated in the event. In terms of scale, this is the biggest exchange since the Cold War. The Russians released 4 German citizens tried in Russia and Belarus, including Rico Krieger sentenced to death by the Belarusian court for terrorist activity. Another group of freed are 3 U.S. citizens convicted of spying in Russia, these are journalists Evan Gershkocivh and Alsu Kurmashev and marine soldier Paul Whelan. The exchange continued with representatives of the Russian opposition and journalists criticizing Putin's regime: Vladimir Kara-Murza, Oleg Orlov, Lilia Czanyshev, Ilja Jaszyn. The Western side released 8 people convicted of dense crimes specified as political homicide, cybersecurity-related safety crimes and Russian intelligence activities. They were Russians imprisoned in Germany, USA, Poland, Slovenia and Norway. The exchange of prisoners is affirmative in the political context for both parties. The recovery of U.S. citizens is an image strengthening for the Democratic organization before the presidential elections to take place in November. The U.S. seeking the release of German citizens is proof of its alliance within NATO and of its common relations and interests. On the another hand, this exchange besides benefits the Russian Federation for interior policy purposes. The release of spies and people active in the murders is simply a signal to the peculiar services that they can follow Kremlin's orders without fear, as the state will aid in the situation of capture and judgment. Moscow besides utilized the exchange as propaganda. Russian state media have presented a communicative that contact with Western powers is evidence of the crucial position of the Russian Federation internationally.
5.VIII-Corruption
Another arrest with allegations of corruption of persons associated with the Ministry of Defence. The Russian Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case on the theft of budget resources to support activities Patriot Park located in Moscow Oblast. The investment is simply a amusement park and museum that focuses on equipping the Russian army and winning the russian Union in planet War II. The manager of the park, Viacheslav Achmedow, was arrested by a military court, the second defendant, the deputy chief of the Main Board of Innovation improvement of the Ministry of Defence of Russia, Maj. Gen. Vladimir Szesterov, was not arrested due to the fact that he was hospitalized due to sick health. The park was supervised by erstwhile Deputy Minister of defence Timur Ivanov, who is presently in prison on charges of taking bribes. However, the current phase of the investigation did not show any link to the case of manager Achmedov. It should be noted that even before the arrest of the first persons active in the investigation in late July in Patriot Park The search was carried out. Investigators and agents secured interesting papers and media. According to investigators, the defendants in the case together with the partners not yet discovered in the investigation were active in the theft of budgetary resources allocated by the Ministry of National Defence to guarantee the operation and operation of Patriot Park and a convention and exhibition centre. The embezzlement of money took place during the conclusion of maintenance contracts for the park, which were signed regularly. During the word of Achmedov 250 contracts were concluded, their full value in 2023 alone reached 674.2 million rubles.
6.VIII- Fights in Kursk Oblast in Russian propaganda
On the night of 6-7 August, the offensive of Ukrainian troops in the Kursk Oblast began. The operation began with the disposal, disarmament and captivity of Russian border services. Subsequently, the Armed Forces of Ukraine moved towards larger urban centres in the Oblast. Suja, Gujevo, Ukrainians besides approached Korenevo, but the attack was stopped in front of the city. Taking part of the Kursk circuit and the attack itself proved to be a success as the operation was carried out by surprise. The Russian defence was not prepared for offensive action in the region. The intrusion into the Russian Federation has so caused surprise to the Russian public and the first panic in the propaganda transmission of Kremlin-related media. The subject of the offensive dominated most tv stations. However, the main nonsubjective of authoritative media coverage was to calm the moods and present the situation as full controlled by the Moscow authorities. The authoritative communicative completely underestimated the situation. The message of this kind was to convince the Russians that the state administration headed by Putin was completely in control of the course of action. The media besides ignored the issue of losses suffered by the Russian side in order to hide the ineffective protection of the border. The question of Western states' attitude to the Ukrainian offensive was besides manipulated. The Russian propaganda to justify the failure convinced that the attacks were carried out by Western mercenaries. In fast interviews with the population of the circuit, residents of border towns were convinced that Poles were trespassing. The full operation according to propaganda is controlled by Americans and NATO and the Ukrainians themselves play a insignificant function in it. specified communicative specifically diminishes the Ukrainian function to justify the crucial losses suffered by the Russian Armed Forces and to make the Russians aware that the state is at war with the full West.
7.VIII-Putin in talks with ministers
On 7 August 2024 Vladimir Putin held a gathering with ministers and heads of individual administrative units of the Russian Federation. Understandably, even though the French government ministers and governors of various districts, republics or countries attended the meeting, the main subject of the talks was the situation in the Kursk Oblast.
W.Putin emphasized that the attack of the Ukrainian armed forces on the territory of the Oblast is simply a provocation, and during the fighting Ukrainians are to focus on the shooting of civilian buildings and rescue teams. At the same time, the Russian president assured that the victims were to receive all the assistance, and the process itself was to be coordinated by the Vice-President of the Russian Federation government- Denis Manturov.
As regards the military situation in the Kursk region, according to Chief of General Staff Walerija Gierasimov, “everything is to be done under control” and “the enemy suffered severe losses in surviving power and technology.” In turn, the “operation” itself, as the FR troops in the Kursk Oblast have been named, is to be completed with the rejection of the opponent beyond the state borders.
The further part of the gathering was marked by the “control” of the construction of social infrastructure in the various regions of the Federation.
President Putin learned about the advancement of building a city clinic in the Permian Country, as well as the beginning of a fresh kindergarten in Symferopol. During the part devoted to Putin infrastructure, he spoke not only to representatives of local authorities, but besides to residents- in this case to the manager of the kindergarten.
The unquestionable format in which the president of the Russian Federation is curious in the destiny of average Russians, not only through the prism of large politics, aims to present the image of the Russian president as a good guardian of the Russian people. Undoubtedly, specified projects are strictly propaganda oriented towards the interior Russian market.
The economical situation of Russia was besides discussed during the meeting. erstwhile politician of Kaliningrad, and now Minister of manufacture and Trade FR- Anton Alichanov was to state that the situation of the Russian economy was very good and local companies adapted to the fresh realities in which import of materials from abroad was replaced by native production. A tangible proof of the condition of the Russian economy is to release the fresh car of the Łada Aura, which by Alichanov was described as “perfect”.
Undoubtedly Putin's gathering with ministers was carefully directed for needs inside Russia. On the 1 hand, the government is to be aware of the situation in the Kursk Oblast, but at the same time Russia is to be ready to respond effectively to its opponent, as well as to supply assistance to the residents. At the same time, despite the hard situation, the Russian State is not to forget citizens and their material situation, as illustrated by the investments in social infrastructure or the affirmative state of the Russian economy.
The full course of Vladimir Putin's gathering with ministers was published in “CompassantIt’s okay. ”
9.VIII-End of Russian vacation in Crimea ?
Russian media inform that in the last 2 years the hotel manufacture operating in occupied Crimea has seen a crucial decrease in the number of visitors. The start of the tourism manufacture is besides reflected in another sectors of the economy - presently interest in flights to Crimea is not maintained at a level that would let the beginning of the airport in Symferopol.
At the same time, the situation in Crimea has not been translated into the tourism manufacture in the Russian Federation, which has enjoyed much greater interest over the last 2 years, due, among another things, to crucial difficulties in travelling for Russian citizens.
Similar dynamics can be seen in the Krasnodar Region, besides located on the Black Sea, only in the last 2 years the number of beds increased by nearly 5%, to 4.7 thousand.
The main reason for the decline in interest in the Crimean peninsula is the ongoing war. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have repeatedly attacked Russian military installations in Crimea, especially in the last year. This has a direct effect on the attractiveness of the peninsula as a vacation destination in 2023. The Crimea visited 5.2 million people for recreational purposes - more than 45% little than 2021. At the same time, the same interest in Crimea is diversity - tourists mostly decide to stay in the confederate part of the peninsula.
Without doubt, the current situation in Crimea is adversely affecting the image of the Russian authorities. After 2014, crucial sums were allocated from the national budget to the improvement of the occupied peninsula, headed by land connections with the remainder of Russia via the bridge. besides during the russian period Crimea was associated with a place of rest, it is worth to add that during the time of the Janajev Forest it was in the presidential cottage in Crimea that the then president of the USSR- Mikhail Gorbachev was held.
19.VIII-Putin in Baku
Between 18 and 19 August, Vladimir Putin stayed in Azerbaijan, on an authoritative state visit. For Moscow, the relation with Baku is highly crucial despite Azerbaijan's abroad policy. In fresh years, Baku has importantly strengthened the relation with Turkey, which for Moscow is simply a natural opponent in the Caucasus. 1 of the most striking examples of Turkish-Azerbian cooperation was the Second Caribbean War of late 2020, in which Baku won, thanks to measurable military cooperation with Ankara.
At the same time, despite maintaining a affirmative relation with Turkey, Azerbaijan does not turn distant from Russia, an example of the state of Moscow's relation with Baku was to be Vladimir Putin's August visit.
Vladimir Putin's visit to Baku was marked by the deepening of “friendly relations” as the current state of common relations is determined by both sides. The main fields of cooperation are, among others, trade issues, or the promotion of cultural cooperation, at the same time, the question of common infrastructure projects specified as International North-South Transport Corridor INSTCwhether the network of energy connections developed.
In the political sphere, Baku strives to balance Turkey and Russia peculiarly with respect to strained relations with Armenia. At the same time, in the case of Moscow's relation with Yerevan, there has been considerable cooling in fresh months, as was the example of the words of the head of the Russian MFA-Sergei Szojgu, in which he described that Armenia “sabotage the normalisation of the situation in the regionIt’s okay. ” In fresh months, Nikola Paszynian's government has been trying to reduce the intimacy with Moscow, to make cooperation with France or the United States.
During W. Putin's visit to Baku, a typical of the Azerbaijani Ministry of abroad Affairs announced that his country would begin the accession procedure to BRICSThat's what Moscow is expected to favor.
Azerbaijan's function in Russia's policy on confederate caucasus is highly important, especially in the process of sanctions and isolation of Russia. After 2022, there was an increase in trade between Moscow and Baku. At the same time, the Caucasus region itself is highly crucial for Russia, being 1 of the areas of the alleged close foreign, as in Russian terminology the area of the B.ZSRR is defined. For this reason, Moscow attaches large importance to building a relation with Azerbaijan.
20.VIII-Putin in Chechnya
For the first time in 18 years Vladimir Putin visited Bieslane- a city where in 2004 a terrorist attack on the school that shook Russia at the time and was an crucial phase of early Putinism.
During his visit on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the assassination, the Russian president met with members of the Bieslana's parent committee, bringing together women whose loved ones died or suffered during the August 2004 events. At the same time the gathering itself was carefully directed by the Kremlin-W.Putin met only 3 women belonging to the association, and the invited were not able to ask Putin on-air. The Russian president in his speech focused solely on calling on his fellow countrymen to further support “Special Military Operations” and the request to fight “neonazists”.
The Russian President's visit to the North Caucasus was not limited to Bieslana. Vladimir Putin met with the politician of North Ossetia-Sergea Mieniajło and head of the Republic of Chechnya- Ramzan Kadyrov.
It is worth noting that the visit of the French president to Chechnya was Putin's first visit to the Republic since 2011, at a gathering with Kadyrov, the Russian president laid flowers on the grave of Father Ramzan-Achmat, who commanded the republic from 2003 to 2004.
20.VIII- Members of Duma proposed to recognise “British Council” and “Deutsche Welle” as an undesirable organization in Russia
Vasily Piskariew, acting typical of the safety and Corruption Committee in Duma, announced that a request from members of the Duma concerning the inclusion of the “British Council” and the agency “Deutsche Welle” on the list of “foreign agents” was received by the national prosecutor.
The reason for the inclusion of both organisations on the list of “inoagents” was expected to support actions of an “anti-Russian” nature and spread false information in the public space.
Organisations or associations that are included on the list of “foreign agents” have a full prohibition of activities in the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as persons who will effort to cooperate with them.
At the same time Moscow had already restricted the activities of the “British Council” and “Deutsche Welle” in the FR territory. Since March 2022, the site of the German station is blocked on the Russian Internet, which was to be a consequence to blocking the German branch of “Russia Today” in Germany.
In the case of the British Council, the activities of the British organization have been under the supervision of the Kremlin since 2018. The authoritative reason was to be the “irregular status” of the organization, but Russian opposition to the British Council coincided with a period of crucial cooling of Russian-British relations related to Sergei Skirpala's poisoning in March 2018 on the territory of England.
21.VIII-attack of drones on Moscow
On the night of 21 August B.R. there was a drone attack on targets located in the Moscow Oblast. According to the Russian MON and the mayor of the capital- Sergei Sobianin's attack was to be the largest 1 always carried out. 45 drones were to be shot down in the sub-capital towns, while over the capital itself - 11, and the attack itself was to be carried out from the south.
The August attack on the Moscow region was the first major drone attack on the center of Russia since the summertime of 2023, erstwhile 1 of the drones struck the tower of the Moscow City complex. The Ukrainian side did not admit to the attack.
23.VIII- Fights in Colony IK-19
On 23 August 2024, in the IK-19 prison located in the Volgograd region, there was to be a revolt of prisoners against prison guards. In the course of the fighting inside the prison, the attackers were to take 4 officers as hostages, who in the next fewer hours were recaptured in the course of an action carried out by the Rossgwardi-owned specnazu units.
The motive of the perpetrators was to be clear- in 1 of the recordings made available by them they were to justify their actions with a desire to revenge for the captured perpetrators of the March bombing at the “Crocus City Hall” in Moscow.
The leader of the group of 4 people liable for the mutiny in prison was to be Karimov Szoddulkarimchon– while in prison since 2019 for drug trafficking and production, the group itself was to be linked to the muslim State. In the course of the action, apart from the 4 hostages, the wound and death were to be borne by respective hostages who were to be wounded by the kidnappers.
The 4 kidnappers were to be of Central Asian origin - 2 were to be citizens of Tajikistan and another 2 were to be Uzbekistan. At the same time, they were to be listed earlier for drug trafficking and armed robbery, without any ties to Muslim extremism.
At the same time, akin events have occurred in Rostów prison over Don in the last fewer months, where guards were taken hostage as a consequence of the inmates' speeches, as we explained in the June issue “Eye on RussiaIt’s okay. ”
24.VIII-stopping Paul Durov
On August 24, the French services reported the arrest at the Paris airport of Pawel Durowa- creators of Vkontakte and the highly popular communicator Telegram. The main reason for the detention was that Telegram did not monitor the content that users of applications sent to themselves, including drug trafficking or pornographic materials. In this case, the allegation for Durov was to be that he was not willing to cooperate with the services liable for monitoring the situation on the network, and the application itself did not have the moderators moderating function.
The telegram is an highly popular communicator, especially in the b.ZSRR countries. The application created by Durov gained peculiar importance during anti-Luke protests in Belarus in the summertime of 2020, erstwhile it was the main communicator utilized by the opposition and protesters. At the same time, the creator of the Telegram himself left Russia in 2014, due to a conflict with the Russian authorities during which he refused to supply contact details to the Russian authorities who participated in Euromaidan.
On the substance of Durov's detention in Paris, among others Elon Musk, who stated that “In 2030, in Europe, you will be convicted of liking meme” and covered his message with hashtag #freePavel. Critics of Paul Durov's detention were besides joined by the Government of the Russian Federation, which, through its embassy in France, stated that the French side had not yet provided concrete answers to questions asked about Durov's detention. Maria Zacharova besides spoke, who in the news channel “Rossija24’ described the detention of Durov as highly complex, as he is simply a French national from the position of French law, given the fact that he has French citizenship.
Eventually, after respective days of imprisonment, Paul Durow went free, but at the same time this does not mean the end of Durov's criminal case. president Emanuel Macron besides referred to the situation, stressing that the issue is not political and France is on defender freedom of expression.
Paul Durow himself described the events around him and Telegram as unfounded, noting that he was ready to talk to the French authorities, and that the actions themselves should be directed towards a company dealing with the Telegram alternatively than aimed at its creator.
