Fact: The Russian city of Orenburg battled rising water levels after major rivers across Russia and Kazakhstan burst their banks in the worst flooding seen in the areas in nearly a century.
Floods engulfed cities and towns across Russia and Kazakhstan after major rivers burst their banks, forcing about 110,000 people to evacuate and swamping parts of Orenburg in Russia.
Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman and his business partner Petr Aven were successful in appealing against EU sanctions related to Moscow’s war against Ukraine. The European Union Court of Justice annulled the sanctions, stating that there was insufficient evidence to justify their inclusion on the list. The men remain under separate punitive measures for now, with Fridman expressing satisfaction with the court’s decision. The EU has imposed sanctions on over 1,700 individuals and entities in connection to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but some sanctions have been voided or not extended by the ECJ.
More than 100,000 people were ordered to evacuate in Russia and Kazakhstan due to severe flooding caused by swiftly melting snow. The Ural and Tobol rivers reached their highest levels ever recorded, with the Ural River bursting through an embankment dam. President Putin spoke to President Tokayev of Kazakhstan, where over 86,000 people have been evacuated. The flooding affected regions bordering Russia and was described as the worst in 80 years. Despite warnings, some residents ignored evacuation calls, prompting officials to urge them to take the situation seriously. Scientists attribute the severity of the floods to climate change.
Fact: More than 10,400 homes across Russia have been flooded due to swiftly melting snow triggering the worst recorded flooding in Russia’s Ural Mountains.
Flood waters in Russia’s Ural mountains have caused at least 6,000 homes to flood, forcing thousands of people to evacuate with their pets and belongings. The Ural River burst through a dam in the city of Orsk, leading to the worst floods in decades in the region. President Putin ordered Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov to the affected areas, with flooding expected in other regions as well. The cost of flood damage in the Orenburg region is estimated at around 7 million. The situation is expected to worsen, with flood warnings issued in other Russian regions.
Fact: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected assertions by French President Emmanuel Macron that Russia would malevolently target the Paris Olympics this summer. Peskov also denied a claim by the Czech Republic’s transport minister that Russia had been trying to sabotage the EU’s railway networks through hacking.
Russia’s general prosecutor’s office has written to western countries, asking them to respect international obligations in the investigation of Nord Stream blasts and “acts of terrorism” in Russia. Denmark and Sweden closed their inquiries into the explosions, passing evidence to German investigators. The letters were sent to Cyprus, France, Germany, and the United States after requests for information from Russian lawmakers and public figures. The prosecutor’s office is seeking details on possible involvement in funding terrorism acts in Russia and the Nord Stream blasts. The Kremlin has linked a recent attack on a Moscow concert hall to Ukraine, while denying involvement in the pipeline blasts. Both Russia and the West have accused each other, with no one claiming responsibility. The Kremlin has criticized the investigations as “close to absurd.”
Cyprus has not received any request from Russia to assist in investigating alleged Western involvement in terrorist attacks on Russian soil. Russia’s General Prosecutor’s Office has sent official requests to Western countries, including Cyprus, the United States, Germany, and France, asking for cooperation in investigating the Nord Stream blasts and acts of terrorism in Russia. Russia claims to have direct evidence implicating Western countries, particularly the United States and Ukraine, in collaborating with ISIS and Ukrainian intelligence to carry out attacks in Russia. The Kremlin has called the situation regarding the investigations “close to absurd”.
– The Kremlin dismissed a report linking Russian military intelligence to the “Havana syndrome” ailment affecting U.S. diplomats and spies globally.
– A Russia-focused investigative media group reported that members of a Russian military intelligence unit known as 29155 were placed at the scene of reported health incidents involving U.S. personnel.
– U.S. intelligence investigation found it was “very unlikely” a foreign adversary was responsible for the ailment.
– Symptoms of the ailment include migraines, nausea, memory lapses, and dizziness.
– The U.S. Congress passed the Havana Act in 2021 to provide payments to affected staff and their families.