This was Russia today, Thursday, October 10, 2024 Foreigners selling their Russian assets must now settle for just five percent, MSU claims a world-leading supercomputer, and Zelensky denies ceasefire pivot
Howdy, readers! Putin had prisons on the brain today. The president met with the permanent members of his National Security Council to discuss the penal system. Russia’s justice minister and the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service joined the session and presented reports on the subject.
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Today’s main story: Ramzan Kadyrov’s blood feud
It’s one against three: The head of Russia’s Chechen Republic has a bone to pick with Dagestani Senator Suleyman Kerimov and State Duma deputies Bekhan Barakhoev and Rizvan Kurbanov. On Thursday, Kadyrov accused them of planning to order his assassination, sharing a nine-minute video on his Telegram channel with excerpts from a meeting with his security cabinet.
Speaking primarily in Chechen, Kadyrov named Kerimov and the two other federal lawmakers “in the context” of last month’s month’s deadly shootout at a Wildberries office in Moscow (for more about this incident, check out this recent episode of The Naked Pravda), claiming that Kerimov, Barakhoev, and Kurbanov “grabbed” the business “from the wife” (i.e., Wildberries founder Tatyana Kim, the soon-to-be ex-wife of Vladislav Bakalchuk, whom Kadyrov supports).
Let’s not make this a race thing: Kadyrov also said commentators trying to connect Chechnya to the Wildberries office shootout are “diligently giving this an ethnic spin.” He invited anyone with complaints against “Kadyrov’s men” to come to him directly, adding, “After all, I’m the main Kadyrov’s man.”
Aren’t “blood feuds” illegal in Russia? It’s certainly against the law to threaten to murder people. Criminal Code Article 119 makes threats against individuals punishable by up to two years in prison, and aggravating circumstances can raise the maximum penalty to five years. Article 105 mentions “blood feuds” explicitly, listing them as an aggravating circumstance for murder that would put the death penalty in play were it not for Russia’s indefinite moratorium on capital punishment.
(2) A supposed world-leading supercomputer
Moscow State University says it’s built the world’s “second or third most powerful” supercomputer — though industry experts question this claim. Public procurement data show that the school likely evaded Western sanctions by purchasing components from non-existent brands through a Chinese firm on AliExpress for at least 2.8 billion rubles ($28 million) — almost 10 times less than a supercomputer at this level should cost. The components in question appear to be disguised Nvidia products.
Putin’s daughter plays a key role: Use of the machine is restricted to MSU staff, and the supercomputer’s primary focus will be research into artificial intelligence, which Vladimir Putin’s second daughter, Katerina Tikhonova, oversees at the university. Tikhonova’s AI Institute at MSU works largely on dual-use technologies with both civilian and military applications, such as public opinion influence studies, video analysis, and neurorehabilitation methods.
(3) “Grandpa” army recruits
Older fighters increasingly fill Russia’s ranks, according to a new report from Verstka Media. Frontline soldiers say this is a serious problem, given the physical demands of war. Sources say many of these men also fall ill once in the field.
Open-source casualty data also confirm the graying of Russia’s recruits. So far this year, journalists have confirmed the deaths of 2,475 Russian contract soldiers over the age of 45, accounting for nearly half of those whose ages could be verified. The number of soldiers over 55 being killed in combat is also rising sharply.
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(4) Meanwhile, in Russia
🎒 Russia’s English language instruction is becoming more “patriotic” thanks to a new textbook promoting the country’s “traditional spiritual and moral values.” The textbook’s cover literally bears the phrase “Russia’s Glorious Heritage, 19th Century,” with “Glorious Russia” printed in large letters. (Meduza)
💰 Foreigners selling their Russian assets must now settle for just five percent of their market value, following a government subcommission’s decision to increase the minimum discount required for these sales from 50 to 60 percent and raise the “voluntary contribution” the state seizes from 15 to 35 percent. Under the new policy, any deals worth more than 50 billion rubles ($517.4 million) must also get presidential approval. (Kommersant)
🕹️ The Steam gaming service won’t be blocked in Russia anytime soon. Roskomnadzor claimed on Thursday that the Valve-managed company has largely complied with the Russian authorities’ takedown requests. (TASS)
👨🏫 A teacher in Chechnya has been charged with felony hate speech for insulting Christians by calling them “useless cattle,” mocking Christians’ Holy Trinity, and referring to Jesus Christ as a “humanoid.” Chechen state television aired Mansur Zhabrailov’s apology from police custody two days after his arrest. If convicted, he faces up to a year in prison. (Federal Investigative Committee, Chechen Branch, Telegram)
⚖️ Saxophonist Andrey Shabanov has landed in a prison hospital for a second time due to complications of his ankylosing spondylitis (spinal inflation) and psoriasis (skin condition). Pretrial detention has aggravated his illnesses, reportedly leaving him bedridden. Shabanov faces up to seven years in prison on charges of inciting terrorism because of social media posts criticizing Russia’s military. (Novaya Gazeta, Telegram)
👮 Feminist activist Zalyna Marshenkulova is now listed on the Russian Federal Financial Monitoring Service’s official registry of “terrorists and extremists.” In April 2024, police charged her with the felony offense of “justifying terrorism” in comments she posted about the assassination of blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. Marshenkulova no longer resides in Russia. (TASS)
(5) The Ukraine war
🕯️ Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna has died in Russian custody, officials confirmed on Thursday. She disappeared in August 2023 while reporting from occupied Ukrainian territories, but the Russian authorities only acknowledged her arrest in May 2024. Russia’s military says she died on September 19 but has not disclosed the circumstances. Roshchyna’s body will return to Ukraine in an upcoming prisoner exchange. (Meduza)
🔥 A Ukrainian drone attack on Thursday targeted a warehouse in Russia’s Krasnodar region loaded with an estimated 400 UAVs. Russian officials reported a fire in the area but did not disclose the cause of the blaze. (Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff, Facebook)
🪖 Ukraine will audit and likely tighten its procedures for granting exemptions from mobilization to employees of “critically important enterprises.” President Zelensky reportedly expressed outrage at a recent meeting when discussing the 1.5 million men now exempt from the draft because of their jobs. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry is also reportedly pushing for reforms. Until November 15, the government will also suspend provisions for identifying new critical enterprises. (Ekonomicheskaya Pravda)
🇺🇸 The U.S. government reportedly believes that Ukrainian troops will be able to hold onto the ground it seized in Russia’s Kursk region “for at least several months, if not longer.” However, it remains unclear if President Zelensky will be able to realize his stated plan of using the territory as a bargaining chip in future peace talks. (Bloomberg)
🔥 The head of Russia’s Adygean Republic reported Ukrainian drone attacks on Thursday outside Maykop and evacuated one of the capital city’s suburbs. The Ukrainian military reportedly targeted the region’s Khanskaya airfield, where NASA satellite footage showed fires on Thursday morning. (Governor Marat Kumpilov, Telegram)
🕊️ There’s been no ceasefire talk in his recent meetings with Western leaders, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday during a briefing with French President Emmanuel Macron, denying reports that he’s seeking a truce with Moscow. (Interfax-Ukraine)
- Zelensky visited London and Paris on Thursday to present his “victory plan,” which reportedly entails a mutual defense pact with Western countries, requests for specific modern weapons, and more financial aid. The plan also reportedly foresees Ukraine’s continued occupation of Russia’s Kursk region. (The Times)
🇰🇵 “Dozens” North Korean military engineers are reportedly deployed alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, helping with ballistic missile targeting and dying in combat. (The Guardian)
(6) As the world turns
🏭 The Chinese carmaker Chery has started assembling cars in Russia for sale there at three factories vacated by Western rivals, including Volkswagen and Mercedes. Since February 2022, Chinese carmakers have “grabbed more than half of Russia's car market in terms of sales” and are now “extending their reach to account for more of Russia's domestic production.” (Reuters)
🕯️ Anna Politkovskaya’s name now adorns a public square in Hamburg. German officials renamed the space and installed a memorial stone honoring the slain Russian journalist and human rights activist. Local officials and members of Politkovskaya’s family attended a dedication ceremony on Thursday. (Novaya Gazeta)
🛢️ Sanctions have failed to stop tankers from shipping Russian oil, and Moscow’s oil trade is now accelerating, “with close to one-third of the blacklisted vessels back at work,” thanks to rising buyer confidence and declining concerns about the consequences of violating restrictions. (Bloomberg)
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