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Travelers on the Russia-Georgia border at Verkhnii Lars
Photo: IMAGO/Yelena Afonina / IMAGO/ITAR-TASS
This article will be continuously updated.
According to London, flight from mobilization leads to "brain drain" in Russia
8.40 a.m .:
According to British estimates, the flight of tens of thousands of Russian men because of the mobilization led to an enormous intellectual bloodletting for Russia.
“The better-off and well-educated are over-represented among those trying to leave Russia,” the Ministry of Defense in London said, citing intelligence findings via Twitter.
If one also takes into account the conveners, the domestic economic effects should be enormous, it said.
The authority referred to the lower availability of workers and a rapid "brain drain", i.e. a loss of skilled workers in the technology sectors, for example.
"In the seven days since President (Vladimir) Putin announced the 'partial mobilization', a significant exodus of Russians seeking to avoid conscription has begun," a statement from London said.
Exact numbers are unclear.
But the number of those who left the country probably exceeds the strength of the invading army with which Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022.
According to estimates, Moscow had deployed around 150,000 soldiers on the border with the neighboring country before the deployment.
Fourth leak discovered in Nord Stream pipelines
8.36 a.m .:
A fourth leak has been discovered on the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany in the Baltic Sea in the Swedish economic zone.
"There are two leaks on Swedish territory and two on Danish territory," a Swedish Coast Guard official told AFP - the two leaks in Sweden's economic zone were "close to each other."
Read the entire message here.
Alternative Nobel Prize for Ukrainian human rights defender
8.29 a.m .:
The Ukrainian human rights defender Oleksandra Matwijtschuk was awarded this year’s Alternative Nobel Prize for her commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
Matviychuk received the award "for building sustainable democratic institutions in Ukraine and shaping a path to international prosecution of war crimes," the Stockholm-based Right Livelihood Foundation announced on Thursday.
Activists from Somalia, Venezuela and Uganda were also honored with the prize.
As chair of the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), which was founded in 2007, Matviychuk is helping to strengthen Ukrainian civil society and state democratic structures and is committed to promoting national and international law, the foundation said in its statement.
It documents human rights violations and war crimes and thus paves the way for social and legal reappraisal, which has been of particularly great importance since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Podcast on alleged pipeline sabotage: What motives would Russia - or another actor - have?
8:27 a.m .:
An explosion apparently damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 Baltic Sea pipelines.
In the podcast, hear what theories there are about the background and what the consequences of the mysterious incident could be.
Leaks on Nord Stream pipelines: EU Interior Commissioner Johansson announces stress tests for critical infrastructure
8.21 a.m .:
EU Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson speaks of an attack in view of the leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines.
She does not name possible responsible persons, but of course there is a suspicion.
Read the entire message here.
Russian troops face encirclement near Lyman in eastern Ukraine
8.17 a.m .:
The Russian troops are currently on the defensive.
In the north of Donetsk, for example, they are apparently threatened with encirclement by the Ukrainian army.
Russian war reporters on Wednesday reported on successful Ukrainian advances northeast and east of the small town of Lyman.
Should the settlement of Torske be recaptured, the Russians are threatened with cutting off the communication routes from Lyman to Kreminna and Swatowe in the Luhansk region.
The streets are already under fire from Ukrainian artillery.
According to Ukrainian sources, at least one other place on the east side of the Oskil River near the city of Kupjansk in the Kharkiv region, Kivscharivka, has been recaptured.
This means that the Kiev troops are also advancing on the Luhansk region, which Moscow had reported as "completely liberated" in the summer.
Selenskyj asks Scholz for weapons, Erdoğan wants to talk to Putin about mock referendums
8.14 a.m .:
The Ukrainian President describes his expectations of Germany.
Moldova is concerned about its defense capability.
Erdoğan is preparing for a phone call with the Kremlin boss.
Read what happened that night here.
mgo/AFP/dpa/Reuters
