Moldovan analysts are warning of a Russian “large-scale hybrid war” against their country as it moves toward a presidential election on Sunday, when a referendum on future relations with the European Union will also be held.

Moldova’s incumbent president, Maia Sandu, supports the country’s integration with Europe and enjoys a comfortable lead in opinion polls over her 11 challengers. Sunday’s referendum will ask Moldovan voters whether they support declaring the country’s EU accession as a strategic goal in its constitution.

In an interview with Voice of America’s Russian Service, Victor Zhuk, director of Moldovan State University’s Institute of Legal, Political and Sociological Research, said that Russia believes now is the time to direct all its efforts to preventing Moldova from taking the “European path.”

“There will be a referendum and presidential elections now, and parliamentary elections in 2025, so Russia believes that it is necessary to conduct a large-scale hybrid war against our country,” he said.

According to Zhuk, three of the candidates running against Sandu are “pro-Russian politicians.” He added that while a fourth candidate, former prosecutor and lawmaker Alexandr Stoianoglo, “personally advocates the European path of Moldova,” he was nominated by the Party of Socialists, led by former Moldovan President Igor Dodon, “who also opposes the referendum and the European path.”

“So, the Russian Federation has the ability to torpedo public consciousness in the republic from the outside with various fake news, and there are political parties inside that destabilize the situation and oppose Moldova’s accession to the EU,” Zhuk said.

Alleged attempts at bribery

Sergiu Musteata, a Moldovan historian and dean of the history and geography faculty of Moldova’s Ion Creanga State Pedagogical University, contended that Russia has attempted to “bribe” Moldovan voters to cast their ballots in a way that serves Russia’s interests. He alleged that this attempted bribery involved people connected to Ilan Shor, a fugitive pro-Russian Moldovan oligarch.

“Various people from Ilan Shor’s entourage and even priests were invited to Moscow for instructions, from where they returned with money,” Musteata told VOA. “Now the special services and police of the Republic of Moldova have spoken out on this matter and stated that more than $100 million has been invested in this election campaign against Maia Sandu and against the referendum.”

Earlier this year, Shor reportedly obtained Russian citizenship and identity documents after being sentenced in June 2023 to 15 years in prison for alleged involvement in a $1 billion bank fraud and other illicit schemes. That same month, Moldova’s Constitutional Court declared Shor’s pro-Moscow opposition party unconstitutional.

Shor has been sanctioned by the U.S. and EU for attempts to destabilize Moldova.

According to Musteata, Russia is supporting candidates in Moldova who oppose Sandu while at the same time “calling for a boycott of the referendum, which is very important for the future pro-European vector of the country.” More than 33% of eligible voters must participate for the referendum to be considered valid.

‘Inevitable’ move

Sandu has consistently condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — a position that, according to Zhuk, is shared by a majority of Moldova’s voters.

“Of course, they always think that in the event of Ukraine’s defeat, Russia’s aggression against the Republic of Moldova is practically inevitable,” he said.

On Tuesday, White House national security communications adviser John Kirby told reporters in Washington:

“In recent months, the U.S. government, Moldovan President Sandu, the Moldovan security services, and other allies and partners have warned that Russia is seeking to undermine Moldovan democratic institutions in the lead-up to the presidential election and referendum on Moldova’s EU membership.

“Now, with Moldova’s election just days away, we remain confident in our earlier assessment that Russia is working actively to undermine Moldova’s election and its European integration.”

Kirby said Russia in recent months has put millions of dollars “toward financing its preferred parties and spreading disinformation on social media in favor of their campaigns.” He added that Shor “has invested tens of millions of dollars per month into nonprofit organizations that spread narratives about the election that are in line with Russian interests.”

Kirby concluded by saying that “the United States will continue to support Moldova and the Moldovan people, and to expose and counter Russian efforts to undermine Moldovan democracy.”

This article originated in VOA’s Russian Service.
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TBILISI, GEORGIA — An uneasy calm has descended on the streets of Tbilisi ahead of a crucial election on October 26, widely seen as a referendum on Georgia’s future.

Beneath the surface, there is palpable tension.

Campaign billboards, most for the ruling Georgian Dream Party, vie for voters’ attention with countless European Union, NATO and Ukrainian flags hanging from windows and graffitied on the city’s red brick buildings alongside anti-Russian slogans.

Six months ago, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tbilisi to protest the reintroduction of a so-called “foreign agent” law, which compels any organization receiving more than 20% of its funding from overseas to register with the government and submit to detailed financial investigation.

A brutal crackdown on the demonstrations prompted Western powers to impose sanctions on some Georgian officials.

Critics say the law mimics Russian legislation used to silence political opponents and independent media. The Georgian government insists the law is necessary to show who is funding political organizations.

Defiance

The foreign agent law came into force in September. However, most foreign-funded civil society groups have refused to comply. Dozens of the organizations are now working together to act as election monitors amid fears that Georgian Dream may not easily give up power, even if they lose the election.

Among the chief targets of the foreign agent law is Eka Gigauri, head of the anti-corruption group Transparency International. Alongside other prominent civil society leaders, she appears on government propaganda posters, accused of selling out Georgia and getting rich on foreign money. Their faces are marked with red crosses.

“This is a matter of dignity,” Gigauri told VOA. “We are not spies. We are not undermining the interests of the country. We are the patriots of this country, and we served this country and the people of this country for many years.”

Transparency International has refused to register as a foreign agent, risking prosecution and heavy fines for the organization and its staff.

“We are using all the legal tools, everything, to fight, to resist, not to comply, to inform the citizens about the wrongdoings of the government,” she said. “Still, we see that at any time, the government can enforce this law.

“And now especially, when there is this preelection period and the majority of the NGOs are involved in observing the elections, definitely it will be [an] additional obstacle for us if it happens. However, it did not happen yet.”

Transparency International said most foreign-funded civil society organizations have refused to comply with the new law, with only 41 organizations having so far registered as foreign agents.

Free media

Tabula Media, an independent multimedia organization, is one of several groups seeking to circumvent the legislation.

“We had to reestablish the organization in an EU country — Estonia — which deeply complicates financial operations,” Tabula editor-in-chief Levan Sutidze told VOA.

“We are familiar with this path and where it leads. It leads to Russia, to the complete silencing of critical voices, to the annihilation of independent media outlets and NGOs, and it will have catastrophic consequences in the future,” Sutidze said. “Even if the situation worsens, we will not submit to this insult.”

The investigative organization Realpolitika has also registered its headquarters in Tallinn, Estonia, in a bid to avoid prosecution under the foreign agent law.

“For now, this law does not apply to us. However, this could change after the election,” said editor-in-chief Aka Zarqua.

“Pressure from the international community and the backlash within Georgian society have both contributed to the government not fully enforcing this legislation before the election, and we can see their partial retreat,” Zarqua said. “It’s clear that October 26 will be decisive in this regard.”

Backlash

For some civil society groups, navigating the foreign agent law has been a traumatic process.

The pro-democracy organization Shame was founded in 2019 after the ruling Georgian Dream Party allowed a visiting Russian prime minister to address lawmakers from the speaker’s chair in the Georgian parliament, prompting widespread outrage.

In August, the organization decided to comply with the foreign agent law and register with the government “because we believed there was no other way to save the organization and continue its work if Georgian Dream somehow managed to win the election and the law remained enforced,” according to Dachi Imedadze, Shame’s head of strategy.

The organization, however, reversed its decision after a bitter public backlash.

“It escalated into conspiracy theories and personal attacks, with people calling us traitors,” Imedadze said.

Shame is now campaigning to get young people to vote.

“One-third of young people, aged 18 to 25, do not participate in elections. This represents approximately 250,000 potential voters,” Imedadze told VOA. “Our main target audience is this group, many of whom will be voting for the first time in this election.”

‘Russian swamp’

Nino Lomjaria, a former public defender of Georgia, now heads Georgia’s European Orbit, a civil society group partly funded by the U.S.-based Soros Foundation.

Lomjaria and her team have traveled across the country urging people to turn out and vote. Their election leaflets mimic the election ballot but offer only two choices.

“It says: ‘Are you choosing European well-being or the Russian swamp?’” she said.

Georgian Dream insists it is not pro-Russian and wants to join the EU. Party leaders say they are seeking to improve relations with Moscow to avoid further conflict, accusing critics and rivals of being part of a “global war party” that is seeking to profit from war with Russia.

Lomjaria scoffs at that accusation.

“We know who starts wars. We know that the ‘global war party’ is Russia. It’s not the West. And for us, the European Union is the safe place. That’s why we want to join this community, because we consider that being the member of the European Union, being the member of NATO, this is something where we will find peace and stability,” she told VOA.

Election monitors

Georgia’s European Orbit has joined a coalition of nongovernmental organizations that are planning to monitor the election, “which is composed of up to 30 organizations,” Lomjaria said.

“And our plan is to be present at every polling station to observe the whole process of voting and vote tabulation. We will have evidence of how elections have been conducted in this country, and we will litigate if we find out that there was some manipulation or electoral fraud,” she said.

Gigauri of Transparency International doubts Georgia’s judicial system is robust enough to cope with such a crisis.

“The state institutions in Georgia are captured. This is a very unfortunate fact and the reality. Definitely it’s very difficult for everyone to operate. But we also see that more and more, it is very difficult for those institutions to deal with the resistance from the people,” Gigauri told VOA.

The government insists it will respect the election result.

“Georgian Dream is based on democratic principles, and therefore it will respect every decision made by the Georgian people. We will accept the people’s decision, whatever it may be,” Nikoloz Samkharadze, chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee, told VOA in an interview.

“At the same time, I want to emphasize that we are confident the vast majority of Georgians will support Georgian Dream.”
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Buenos Aires, Argentina — The death of Liam Payne, who shot to stardom as a member of British boy band One Direction and grappled with intense global fame while still in his teens, sent shockwaves across the world Thursday as Argentine investigators continued their investigation at the scene.

Fans, music-industry figures and fellow musicians paid tribute to Payne, 31, who died after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

As fans and media bombarded the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital, the forensics unit worked inside on Thursday collecting evidence.

The Buenos Aires police said they found Payne’s hotel room “in complete disarray,” with packs of clonazepam, a central nervous system depressant, as well as energy supplements and other over-the-counter drugs strewn about and “various items broken.” They added that a whiskey bottle, lighter and cellphone were retrieved from the internal hotel courtyard where Payne’s body was found.

The day before, police said that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room,” without elaborating on how they came to that conclusion. The Associated Press could not confirm details of the incident, as the investigation is ongoing. The medical examiner’s office said it was conducting an autopsy.

Police said they had rushed to the hotel Wednesday in response to an emergency call just after 5 p.m. local time that had warned of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

A hotel manager can be heard on a 911 call recording obtained by The Associated Press saying the hotel has “a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol … He’s destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.” The manager’s voice becomes more anxious as the call goes on, noting the room has a balcony.

Payne was known as the tousle-headed, sensible one of the quintet that went from a TV talent show to a pop phenomenon with a huge international following of swooning fans. In recent years he had acknowledged struggling with alcoholism, saying in a YouTube video posted in July 2023 that he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment. Representatives for Payne did not immediately return emails and calls.

Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, who performed with One Direction in 2014, said he was “shocked and saddened.”

“God bless Liam, thinking of all his loved ones. He will be dearly missed,” Wood wrote on X.

Paris Hilton also sent condolences on X, saying the news was “so upsetting.” The Backstreet Boys said in a social media post that their hearts go out to “Directioners around the world.”

Dozens of One Direction fans flocked to the Casa Sur Hotel after the news broke, forming lines that spilled into the cordoned-off street outside, where police stood sentinel. Forensic investigators were seen leaving the building, from where Payne’s body was removed around three hours after the fall. Young women filming with their cellphones expressed shock and heartbreak as a makeshift memorial with rows of candles and bouquets quickly grew.

“I didn’t think he was going to die so young,” 21-year-old Isabella Milesi told the AP.

Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which formed after each auditioned for the British singing competition “The X Factor” in 2010, two years after Payne’s first attempt to get on the show. Aged 16 the second time around, Payne sang Michael Bublé’s version of “Cry Me a River,” appearing nervous at the start but warming up with the audience’s cheers and applause.

After each singer failed to make it through the competition as a solo act, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges combined Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson into what would become one of the most successful boy bands ever — even though they lost the competition.

Each member had his own persona, with Payne — who hailed from Wolverhampton in England’s West Midlands region — known as the responsible one. The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits including “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.”

Payne had prominent solos on songs including “Stole My Heart” and “Change Your Ticket,” co-writing several of the band’s hits. One Direction had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016 and a highly loyal fan base, known as “Directioners,” many of them teen girls.

“I’ve always loved One Direction since I was little,” said 18-year-old Juana Relh, another fan outside Payne’s hotel. “To see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me.”

With his meteoric rise to fame, Payne had said that it took some time to adjust to life in the public eye.

“I don’t think you can ever deal with that. It’s all a bit crazy for us to see that people get in that sort of state of mind about us and what we do,” he said in a 2013 interview with the AP after recounting an experience where a fan was in a state of shock upon meeting him.

One Direction announced an indefinite “hiatus” in 2016, and Payne — like each of his erstwhile bandmates — pursued a solo career, shifting toward EDM and hip-hop.

While Styles became a huge solo star, the others had more modest success. Payne’s 2017 single “Strip That Down,” featuring Quavo, reached the Billboard Top 10, and stayed on the charts for several months. He put out an album “LP1” in 2019, and his last release — a single called “Teardrops” — was released in March.

In 2020, to mark the 10th anniversary of One Direction, Payne shared a screenshot of a text message he sent to his father on the day he joined the group, which read: “I’m in a boyband.”

“What a journey … I had no idea what we were in for when I sent this text to my dad years ago at this exact time the band was formed,” he wrote.

Payne had a 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, with his former girlfriend, the musician Cheryl, who was known as Cheryl Cole when she performed with Girls Aloud. She was an “X Factor” judge during One Direction’s season, although their relationship began years later.

Payne was previously engaged to Maya Henry, from August 2020 to early 2022. Henry released a novel earlier this year that she said was based on their relationship.

In addition to his son, he is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
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London/Beijing — British Foreign Secretary David Lammy will visit China on a two-day visit starting on Friday in a bid to improve relations between the two countries after years of tensions over security concerns and alleged human rights abuses.

Lammy will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing before visiting Shanghai to meet British businesses operating in China, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday.

“It’s all about bringing a consistent, long-term and strategic approach to managing the U.K.’s position on China,” the spokesperson told reporters, adding that Britain was prepared to challenge China where needed but also identify areas for co-operation.  

Mao Ning, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said the talks would focus on improving cooperation in various fields.  

It will be only the second visit by a British foreign minister in six years after Lammy’s Conservative predecessor James Cleverly’s trip last year. Before that, there had been a five-year gap in a visit to China by a British foreign minister.

Labour, who won a landslide election victory in July, is seeking to stabilize relations with Beijing after clashes over human rights, Hong Kong, and allegations of Chinese espionage.

Starmer told President Xi Jinping in the first conversation between the two in August that he wanted Britain and China to pursue closer economic ties while being free to talk frankly about their disagreements.

China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng and British finance minister Rachel Reeves last month discussed how they can work together to boost economic growth.

Following the exchange, Beijing said it was willing to resume the UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue – an annual forum for talks on trade, investment and other economic issues, which had not taken place since 2019.

Under the previous Conservative government, Britain expressed concern about China’s curbing of civil freedoms in Hong Kong, which was under British control until 1997, and its treatment of people in its western Xinjiang region.

Britain and China also traded accusations over perceived spying.

China is Britain’s sixth-largest trading partner, accounting for 5% of total trade, British government figures show.
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Bengaluru, India — The latest in a string of hoax threats made against Indian airlines targeted a flight from Germany, the airline said Thursday, with the plane landing safely in Mumbai.

More than a dozen fake bomb threats have been made against flights operated by multiple Indian air services this week, prompting government and civil aviation authorities to warn that “very strict action” will be taken.

India’s Vistara airline said Thursday that its passenger jet flying from Frankfurt to Mumbai the day before had received a “security threat” on social media, but landed safely at its planned destination.

“We are fully cooperating with the security agencies to complete the mandatory security checks,” Vistara said in a statement.

India’s aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said late Wednesday that the police had arrested “a minor responsible for issuing bomb threats” against three flights.

“All others responsible for the disruptions will be identified and duly prosecuted,” Naidu said.

Flights impacted include an Air India plane from New Delhi to Chicago, forced to make an emergency landing in Canada on Tuesday.

On the same day, Singapore scrambled fighter jets to escort an Air India Express plane.     
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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after the 31-year-old fell from his third-floor room balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentine police said on Wednesday.

Police said in a statement that they were called to the CasaSur hotel in the capital’s leafy Palermo neighborhood after being notified of an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”

When they arrived, the hotel manager reported he had heard a loud noise from the inner courtyard and the police found that a man had fallen from the balcony of his room, the statement said.

In audio related to the case obtained from the Buenos Aires security ministry, a worker can be heard asking for police help.

“When he is conscious he is destroying the entire room and we need you to send someone,” the worker said, adding that the guest’s life was at risk because the room had a balcony.

Shooting to global fame as part of one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, Payne – like his band mates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson – went on to pursue a solo career after they went on an “indefinite hiatus” in 2016. Payne’s last single was “Teardrop,” released in March this year.

While many of the details surrounding the circumstances of his death remain unclear, Payne had spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health and using alcohol to cope with the pressures of fame.

His death led to an outpouring of grief from music industry stars and fans, including those among the crowd who gathered outside the hotel.

Violeta Antier said she had come straight away after being told Payne had died.

“I saw him two weeks ago at a Niall (Horan) concert, another One Direction member. He was there, I saw him,” she said.

“He was ok.”

Payne attended an October 2 concert by Horan in Buenos Aires. The two had posted videos together and with fans.

American singer Charlie Puth was among those expressing their grief.

“I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me,” he said on Instagram. “He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he is gone.”

Payne auditioned for the British version of X Factor for a second time in 2010 at the age of 16 and was put into a group with his future band mates by music mogul Simon Cowell.

Cowell told Rolling Stone in a 2012 interview that he’d “always backed” Payne at the time of his first audition in 2008 but he didn’t quite make it because he had been too young.

“But I always knew that with confidence he would be a valuable member of this band, so I had no hesitation in bringing him back,” he said.

The band may have finished third in X Factor that year but it went on to have more than 29 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100 with six in the top 10, including “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Story of My Life” and “Live While We’re Young.”

Payne’s co-writing credits include “Story of My Life” and “Night Changes”.

He teamed up with Rita Ora on the 2018 song “For You” and released his first studio album LP1 in 2019.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Payne’s One Direction and solo career helped garner him a net worth of some $70 million.

Payne had a son named Bear with British TV personality and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl.

Last year, he published a video to fans on his YouTube channel in which he spoke about his family, making new art and performing again after having given up alcohol. He thanked supporters for sticking with him through difficult times.

Earlier on Wednesday, Payne had appeared to post on Snapchat about his trip in Argentina, talking about riding horses, playing polo, and looking forward to returning home to see his dog.

“It’s a lovely day here in Argentina,” he said in the video.
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As the Republic of Georgia prepares for a crucial election on October 26, Russia’s influence looms over the vote. As Henry Ridgwell reports from Tbilisi, the former Soviet republic is struggling to carve out a new future aligned to the West as it tries to reconcile its troubled past.
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washington — Recent arrests in the United States and in Europe have law enforcement and intelligence agencies on alert, bolstering concerns about a reinvigorated Islamic State terror group bent on lashing out against the West.

FBI officials Wednesday confirmed the bureau shared information with French authorities following last week’s arrest of 27-year-old Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, an Afghan national in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on charges connected to a mass shooting plot in the name of the Islamic State group, to coincide with the U.S. election in November.

That information led to the arrest of a 22-year-old Afghan national in the Haute-Garonne region of France, who French officials say is linked to Tawhedi.

That arrest followed the arrests of three other men in the same region, again carried out in coordination with the U.S.

French anti-terrorism prosecutors said Saturday that the suspects, all of whom are said to be followers of the Islamic State, appear to have been involved in a plan to carry out an attack on a football stadium or a shopping center.

“The recent arrests in France and by the FBI’s Oklahoma City field office demonstrate the importance of partnerships to detect and disrupt potential terrorist attacks,” the FBI said in a statement.

“The FBI’s top priority is preventing acts of terrorism, and we are committed to working with our partners both overseas and in the United States to uncover any plots and protect our communities from violence,” it said.

The arrests follow repeated warnings from Western counterterrorism officials that the Islamic State, also known as IS or ISIS, has set its sights on launching attacks against the U.S. and Europe. And many have raised specific concerns about the group’s Afghan affiliate, known as IS-Khorasan or ISIS-K.

IS-Khorasan “does have the intention to carry out external attacks, including external attacks inside the United States,” said U.S. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, speaking during a Washington Post webcast last month.

“We are very concerned about the capacity of ISIS-K to potentially move operatives into the United States,” he added.

Others have warned that IS, and IS-Khorasan, have each sought to expand recruiting efforts around the globe.

Some Western officials and regional observers have told VOA that as far back as 2021, the IS Afghan affiliate was seeking to seed Central Asian states such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan with small but highly capable cells and networks that could serve as the basis for future attacks.

Some also have warned that IS-Khorasan has since built on those efforts, increasingly trying to target Afghans and Central Asians living in the West.

“We’ve seen ISIS-K make a concerted effort to recruit from diaspora communities,” said Austin Doctor, the director of counterterrorism research initiatives at the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center, or NCITE, speaking with VOA last week following the Oklahoma City arrest.

“It will be another important factor to watch as more information becomes available.”

Information from Agence France-Presse was used in this article.
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Washington — Russian-backed radio programmer Sputnik no longer broadcasts in the Washington market after years of criticism that its local radio station, WZHF, carries antisemitic content and false information about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Political cartoonist Ted Rall, who described himself as a guest on Sputnik’s programming, posted a comment Tuesday on X: “Biden/Harris say they’re fighting for democracy. Yet: today Sputnik News US is being forced to shut down today due to Biden/Harris sanctions. My radio show and cartoons for them are being quashed. So are the other amazing shows. I go off the air with the station at noon.” 

Manila Chan, a self-described indie journalist, tweeted Tuesday that she and Rall would be relaunching their show on YouTube “following sanctions that have shut down RT+Sputnik.” 

As first reported by The Desk, a news website on the business of streaming media, Sputnik stopped programming in its Washington-based market and three stations in the Kansas City, Missouri, area this week. 

Last month, the U.S. State Department introduced new sanctions on Russian-backed broadcasters, including television channel RT, for fundraising on behalf of the Russian military in opposition to Ukraine. The sanctions marked the first time the United States accused Russian broadcasters of providing direct and material military support. 

“RT wants its new covert intelligence capabilities, like its longstanding propaganda disinformation efforts, to remain hidden. Our most powerful antidote to Russia’s lies is the truth. It’s shining a bright light on what the Kremlin is trying to do under the cover of darkness,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month.  

The sanctions did not specifically prohibit the content of the programming but made it more difficult for Sputnik to continue buying airtime on U.S. stations. 

“As Foreign Missions Act-designated entities, Rossiya Segodnya, RIA Novosti, RT, TV-Novosti, Ruptly, and Sputnik will be required to notify the State Department of all personnel working in the United States. The entities will also be required to disclose all real property they hold within the United States,” said the State Department in a September 4 statement. 

RT and RT America, the TV and digital media company founded by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2005, directs Sputnik. Prior to this week, five U.S. radio stations carried Russian government-backed Sputnik programming. 

Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the National Association of Broadcasters said in a statement, “While the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, however, it does not prevent private actors from exercising sound, moral judgment. To that end, given the unprovoked aggression exhibited by Russia against the free and sovereign people of Ukraine, NAB calls on broadcasters to cease carrying any state-sponsored programming with ties to the Russian government or its agents.”

“While we know that airings of such programs are extremely limited, we believe that our nation must stand fully united against misinformation and for freedom and democracy across the globe,” said NAB.

In January, Republican Representative Jack Bergman called on the Federal Communications Commission to revoke the license of Radio Sputnik Washington affiliate WZHF (1390) and its translator W288BS at 105.5 FM. In the letter, Bergman cited a steady stream of antisemitic tropes and false information about the war in Ukraine. 

“An FCC licensee clearly has a First Amendment right to broadcast. However, that right is tempered by its obligation to broadcast programming that is in the public interest and responsive to the needs of the local community,” Bergman wrote in the letter.

He also argued the licensees “have made no effort to ascertain the needs or interests of the local community” and that their programming decisions “are based exclusively on monetary considerations.”

In 2018, three Democratic members of Congress asked then-FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to investigate Sputnik’s alleged efforts to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. 

“In Washington, D.C., listeners need only tune their radios to 105.5 FM to hear the Russian government’s effort to influence U.S. policy,” the letter from Democratic Representatives Anna Eshoo, Mike Doyle and Frank Pallone said. “Disturbingly, this means the Kremlin’s propaganda messages are being broadcast over a license granted by the FCC.” 

Pai — a Trump administration appointee — declined to investigate, saying the First Amendment prevented the FCC “from interfering with a broadcast licensee’s choice of programming, even if that programming may be objectionable to many listeners.” 

A bipartisan group of members of Congress introduced the Identifying Propaganda on Our Airwaves Act in 2018. 

“Foreign governments shouldn’t be able to hide behind shell companies to fund misinformation and propaganda on American airwaves,” said Democratic Senator Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

“By giving the FCC the authority to require disclosure of this foreign propaganda, our bipartisan bill will help stop this practice and improve programming transparency on TV and the radio,” he said.

The bill did not advance in Congress. Federal regulations already prevent foreign governments from holding U.S. broadcast licenses. 
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Jerusalem — Israeli delegations taking part in the major defense show Euronaval in France next month will not be permitted to set up a stand or exhibit hardware following a decision by the French government, organizers said Wednesday, prompting outrage from Israel.

The decision comes as tensions are rising between Israel and France following comments by President Emmanuel Macron criticizing the civilian casualties in the Israeli campaigns against Shiite militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The French leader last week insisted that stopping the export of weapons used by Israel in both operations was the only way to halt the two conflicts.

“The French government informed Euronaval of its decision to approve the participation of Israeli delegations at Euronaval 2024, without any stand or exhibition of equipment,” said the organizers of the show which is due to start on November 4 in Paris.

Following the decision, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant slammed Macron, calling the move a “disgrace”.

“Macron’s actions are a disgrace to the French nation and the values of the free world, which he claims to uphold. The decision to discriminate against Israeli defense industries in France a second time – aids Israel’s enemies during war,” Gallant said in a post on X. 

“We will continue defending our nation against enemies on 7 different fronts, and fighting for our future – with or without France,” Gallant added. 

Euronaval, a biennial event that attracts naval defense exhibitors from around the world, said seven Israeli companies are affected by the decision.

“In accordance with the French government’s decision, Israeli companies and citizens who wish to attend will be welcomed at the show under the conditions listed above,” it added.

At the end of May, the presence of Israeli defense manufacturers at the Eurosatory land defense and security exhibition was banned by the government, before finally being authorized by the French courts.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for Ukraine to receive an unconditional invitation to join NATO and for the deployment of a non-nuclear deterrent to Russian aggression as he went before Ukraine’s parliament Wednesday to outline his “victory plan” in the fight against Russia’s invasion. 

“Together with our partners, we must change the circumstances so that the war ends. Regardless of what Putin wants,” Zelenskyy said.  “We must all change the circumstances so that Russia is forced to peace.” 

Other parts of the part plan include post-war reconstruction pledges from Ukrainian allies as well as help in defending Ukraine’s natural mineral resources. 

Zelenskyy has been discussing the plan in recent weeks in meetings with Western leaders. 

He said he will do so again Thursday as he attends a summit of European Union leaders in Brussels. 

Russia has opposed Ukraine joining NATO, a topic that NATO leaders have said is only a matter to be decided between Ukraine and the alliance itself. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Zelenskyy’s proposal, calling it an “ephemeral peace plan.” 

“The only peace plan there can be is for the Kyiv regime to realize the futility of the policy it is pursuing and understand the need to sober up,” Peskov said. 

Ukraine’s military said Wednesday it shot down 51 of 136 drones that Russia used to target the country in overnight attacks.    

The intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy, Ternopil and Zhytomyr regions, the Ukrainian air force said.    

Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said air raid alerts lasted for two hours in the Ukrainian capital, but that air defenses destroyed all of the drones that targeted the area. There were no reports of damage or casualties, Popko said on Telegram.    

Russia also fired two missiles as part of its attack.    

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported Wednesday that its air defenses destroyed two Ukrainian aerial drones over the Belgorod region and another drone over Voronezh.    

Some information for this report was provided by Agence France-Presse and Reuters. 
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SHENGJIN, Albania — A ship carrying the first group of migrants to be processed in Albania under a deal with Italy arrived in the port of Shengjin on Wednesday morning, setting in motion Rome’s controversial plan to process thousands of asylum seekers abroad.   

Italy has built two reception centers in Albania, in the first scheme by a European Union nation to divert migrants to a non-E.U. country. The plan aims to deter irregular arrivals to Italy, but has been criticized by rights groups who say it restricts migrants’ right to asylum.   

The Libra, an Italian navy ship, docked at Shengjin, Reuters footage showed. Sixteen migrants were escorted into a newly built processing center at the port, which was ringed by a high metal fence and adorned with Italian and E.U. flags.  

Rising tension in Europe over migration issues has seen many E.U. nations, including Germany and Poland, propose or adopt tougher policies. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said this week that her country was setting an example for the rest of Europe with the Albanian scheme.  

A small group of protesters gathered at the port on Wednesday. “The European dream ends here,” one banner read.  

“These immigrants who have done long, dangerous journeys to make it to Europe are now rerouting to Albania so that they will go back to their home countries… It’s ending for us [the concept of] Europe as a place of democracy, of values, of human rights,” said Arilda Lleshi, an Albanian human rights activist.  

The group of migrants taken to Albania comprised 10 Bangladeshis and six Egyptians who were picked up at sea on Sunday aboard boats that had set sail from Libya.  

After processing in Shengjin, they will be taken inland to the village of Gjader, a 15-minute drive away, where they will be accommodated until their papers are finalized.  

They will then be sent to Italy if their asylum request is granted, or sent to their home country if rejected.  

The facilities in Shengjin and Gjader will be staffed by Italian personnel. Under the deal, the total number of migrants present at one time in Albania cannot be more than 3,000.  

Italy has said only “non-vulnerable” men coming from countries classified as safe would be sent to Albania, to a limit of 36,000 migrants a year.  

At present there are 21 such nations on the Italian list. Last year, 56,588 migrants arrived in Italy from just four of them — Bangladesh, Egypt, Ivory Coast and Tunisia. Most abscond from reception centers and head to wealthier northern Europe. 
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LONDON — Some of the most prominent artificial intelligence models are falling short of European regulations in key areas such as cybersecurity resilience and discriminatory output, according to data seen by Reuters.

The EU had long debated new AI regulations before OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public in late 2022. The record-breaking popularity and ensuing public debate over the supposed existential risks of such models spurred lawmakers to draw up specific rules around “general-purpose” AIs.

Now a new tool designed by Swiss startup LatticeFlow and partners, and supported by European Union officials, has tested generative AI models developed by big tech companies like Meta and OpenAI across dozens of categories in line with the bloc’s wide-sweeping AI Act, which is coming into effect in stages over the next two years.

Awarding each model a score between 0 and 1, a leaderboard published by LatticeFlow on Wednesday showed models developed by Alibaba, Anthropic, OpenAI, Meta and Mistral all received average scores of 0.75 or above.

However, the company’s “Large Language Model (LLM) Checker” uncovered some models’ shortcomings in key areas, spotlighting where companies may need to divert resources in order to ensure compliance.

Companies failing to comply with the AI Act will face fines of $38 million or 7% of global annual turnover.

Mixed results

At present, the EU is still trying to establish how the AI Act’s rules around generative AI tools like ChatGPT will be enforced, convening experts to craft a code of practice governing the technology by spring 2025.

But LatticeFlow’s test, developed in collaboration with researchers at Swiss university ETH Zurich and Bulgarian research institute INSAIT, offers an early indicator of specific areas where tech companies risk falling short of the law.

For example, discriminatory output has been a persistent issue in the development of generative AI models, reflecting human biases around gender, race and other areas when prompted.

When testing for discriminatory output, LatticeFlow’s LLM Checker gave OpenAI’s “GPT-3.5 Turbo” a relatively low score of 0.46. For the same category, Alibaba Cloud’s 9988.HK “Qwen1.5 72B Chat” model received only a 0.37.

Testing for “prompt hijacking,” a type of cyberattack in which hackers disguise a malicious prompt as legitimate to extract sensitive information, the LLM Checker awarded Meta’s “Llama 2 13B Chat” model a score of 0.42. In the same category, French startup Mistral’s “8x7B Instruct” model received 0.38.

“Claude 3 Opus,” a model developed by Google-backed Anthropic, received the highest average score, 0.89.

The test was designed in line with the text of the AI Act, and will be extended to encompass further enforcement measures as they are introduced. LatticeFlow said the LLM Checker would be freely available for developers to test their models’ compliance online.

Petar Tsankov, the firm’s CEO and cofounder, told Reuters the test results were positive overall and offered companies a roadmap for them to fine-tune their models in line with the AI Act.

“The EU is still working out all the compliance benchmarks, but we can already see some gaps in the models,” he said. “With a greater focus on optimizing for compliance, we believe model providers can be well-prepared to meet regulatory requirements.”

Meta declined to comment. Alibaba, Anthropic, Mistral, and OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

While the European Commission cannot verify external tools, the body has been informed throughout the LLM Checker’s development and described it as a “first step” in putting the new laws into action.

A spokesperson for the European Commission said: “The Commission welcomes this study and AI model evaluation platform as a first step in translating the EU AI Act into technical requirements.”
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Ukraine’s military said Wednesday it shot down 51 drones that Russia used to target the country in overnight attacks.

The intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy, Ternopil and Zhytomyr regions, the Ukrainian air force said.

Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said air raid alerts lasted for two hours in the Ukrainian capital, but that air defenses destroyed all of the drones that targeted the area. There were no reports of damage or casualties, Popko said on Telegram.

Russia also fired two missiles as part of its attack.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported Wednesday that its air defenses destroyed two Ukrainian aerial drones over the Belgorod region and another drone over Voronezh.
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LONDON — British Foreign Secretary David Lammy is expected to visit Beijing and Shanghai, the highest-level trip to China since the Labour government came to power.

Analysts say they will be watching the trip for signs of a possible reset in U.K.-China relations, which have been fraught in recent years. 

Reuters reported last week that Lammy is expected to meet with Chinese officials in Beijing and representatives of British companies in Shanghai. According to sources familiar with the matter, the trip will last two days.

The U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson told VOA that the secretary’s travel plans have not been publicly announced.

At the same time, sources told Sky News that U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves is considering a visit to China to resume an economic and financial dialogue that was interrupted in 2019.

During this year’s parliamentary election campaign, the Labour Party promised to conduct a comprehensive audit of U.K.-China relations to develop a “long-term strategic approach” to the relationship.

In August, during a phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that despite the differences, there was a need to have frank exchanges while promoting closer economic ties and global cooperation.

Over the past decade, ties between the U.K. and China have been on a roller coaster. In 2015, then-Prime Minister David Cameron declared a “golden age” in U.K.-China relations. However, by 2020, Boris Johnson’s government was clashing with Beijing over issues such as the Hong Kong National Security Law and the coronavirus pandemic as well as the exclusion of Huawei from Britain’s 5G network construction.

James Jennion, an associate fellow of the British Foreign Policy Group and co-founder of the Labour Campaign for Human Rights, told VOA that he thinks the visit will focus mainly on cooperative aspects of the relationship.

“It’s been made clear this visit is intended as a ‘reset’ of our relations with Beijing, so trade and investment will be front and center,” Jennion said.

He also said cooperation cannot come at the cost of U.K. values and human rights responsibilities.

“Human rights issues, if discussed, will likely cover ‘third-party’ issues like the Middle East and Ukraine, where possible joint solutions will be discussed. Given the nature and purpose of the trip,” he added. 

“I would be very surprised if controversial [to China] issues like Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Taiwan are mentioned, as these have been the major friction points in previous years.” 

Observers say the business community generally wants to improve economic and trade relations with China, especially in the post-Brexit era, and note that Britain needs to open new markets. Human rights groups, however, have called for the U.K. not to compromise on human rights and national security.

Megan Khoo, a policy adviser for Hong Kong Watch, a human rights NGO based in London, told VOA the group “hopes that the Foreign Secretary uses his bilateral meetings to draw attention to the declining human rights situation in Hong Kong. This is especially important following the passage of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance and the recent sentencing of two former Stand News editors under colonial-era sedition laws.”

Khoo said Lammy should make it clear that Britain remains committed to the observance of human rights in Hong Kong, given its historical commitments to the city.

“The Foreign Secretary should also signal that the U.K. takes seriously its duty to protect the more than 150,000 Hong Kongers who are now living in the U.K. and wish to remain free from political repression,” she said.

  

Luke De Pulford, executive director for the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said Beijing will test Lammy’s resolve. 

“Let’s see if he measures up and sticks with his clear commitments he made to persecuted Uyghurs while in opposition,” De Pulford said, adding that he is not encouraged by the early signs.

“Lammy has an opportunity to show strength in defense of U.K. values, which are core to the national interest,” he said.

China’s recent military exercises around Taiwan could also be a topic of discussion. As an ally of the U.S., the U.K. has been concerned about the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
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JABLANICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Several thousand mourners in southern Bosnia converged Tuesday around 19 caskets covered in traditional Islamic green cloth, part of a funeral service held for those killed during the destructive floods and landslides that hit the country in early October.

Torrential rains and winds slammed four municipalities in central and southern Bosnia early on Oct. 4, catching people by surprise.

Entire areas were cut off as flash floods swept away roads and bridges, and at least 26 people were reported dead. Authorities are still looking for one missing person.

The 19 victims were from Donja Jablanica, a village outside the town of Jablanica where the Bosnian Islamic Community Grand Mufti Husein Kavazovic led the service.

“No words are necessary,” Kavazovic said, addressing the mourners as they stood outside Jablanica Mosque. “Although the grief is deep and unbearable, we are aware that God decides about our lives. We are mortals.”

Burials were to be held separately after the service ended.

People from Donja Jablanica said they heard a thunderous roar before piles of rocks, mud and water descended on the village. Many houses were demolished and some families lost most of their members.

Enes Dzino said his daughter-in-law’s nine family members were killed in the floods, except for one child who has been hospitalized.

“It’s hard, very hard to bear,” he said. “They were all gone in a second, her entire family. All killed.”

Bosnia’s neighbors and European Union countries sent help.

Human-caused climate change increases the intensity of rainfall because warm air holds more moisture. This summer, the Balkans were also hit by long-lasting record temperatures, causing a drought. Scientists said the dried-out land has hampered the absorption of floodwaters.
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The republic of Georgia – which was part of the Soviet Union until independence in 1991 – is preparing for a crucial election on October 26th, which is widely seen as a choice between a future aligned with the West or Russia. Western powers accuse the ruling Georgian Dream party of a backsliding of democracy. As Henry Ridgwell reports from the capital, Tbilisi, the party’s leaders are seeking ahead of the election to capitalize on Georgian voters’ fears of war. (Camera: Henry Ridgwell)
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WASHINGTON — Russia, China and Iran are increasingly relying on criminal networks to lead cyberespionage and hacking operations against adversaries such as the United States, according to a report on digital threats published Tuesday by Microsoft.

The growing collaboration between authoritarian governments and criminal hackers has alarmed national security officials and cybersecurity experts. They say it represents the increasingly blurred lines between actions directed by Beijing or the Kremlin aimed at undermining rivals and the illicit activities of groups typically more interested in financial gain.

In one example, Microsoft’s analysts found that a criminal hacking group with links to Iran infiltrated an Israeli dating site and then tried to sell or ransom the personal information it obtained. Microsoft concluded the hackers had two motives: to embarrass Israelis and make money.

In another, investigators identified a Russian criminal network that infiltrated more than 50 electronic devices used by the Ukrainian military in June, apparently seeking access and information that could aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. There was no obvious financial motive for the group, aside from any payment they may have received from Russia.

Marriage of convenience

For nations such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, teaming up with cybercriminals offers a marriage of convenience with benefits for both sides. Governments can boost the volume and effectiveness of cyber activities without added cost. For the criminals, it offers new avenues for profit and the promise of government protection.

“We’re seeing in each of these countries this trend toward combining nation-state and cybercriminal activities,” said Tom Burt, Microsoft’s vice president of customer security and trust.

So far there is no evidence suggesting that Russia, China and Iran are sharing resources with each other or working with the same criminal networks, Burt said. But he said the growing use of private cyber “mercenaries” shows how far America’s adversaries will go to weaponize the internet.

Microsoft’s report analyzed cyber threats between July 2023 and June 2024, looking at how criminals and foreign nations use hacking, spear phishing, malware and other techniques to gain access and control over a target’s system. The company says its customers face more than 600 million such incidents every day.

Russia focused much of its cyber operations on Ukraine, trying to enter military and government systems and spreading disinformation designed to undermine support for the war among its allies.

Ukraine has responded with its own cyber efforts, including one last week that knocked some Russian state media outlets offline.

US elections targeted

Networks tied to Russia, China and Iran have also targeted American voters, using fake websites and social media accounts to spread false and misleading claims about the 2024 election. Analysts at Microsoft agree with the assessment of U.S. intelligence officials who say Russia is targeting the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, while Iran is working to oppose former President Donald Trump.

Iran has also hacked into Trump’s campaign and sought, unsuccessfully, to interest Democrats in the material. Federal officials have also accused Iran of covertly supporting American protests over the war in Gaza.

Russia and Iran will likely accelerate the pace of their cyber operations targeting the U.S. as election day approaches, Burt said.

China, meanwhile, has largely stayed out of the presidential race, focusing its disinformation on down-ballot races for Congress or state and local office. Microsoft found networks tied to Beijing also continue to target Taiwan and other countries in the region.

Denials from all parties

In response, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said allegations that China partners with cybercriminals are groundless and accused the U.S. of spreading its own “disinformation about the so-called Chinese hacking threats.”

In a statement, spokesperson Liu Pengyu said that “our position is consistent and clear. China firmly opposes and combats cyberattacks and cybertheft in all forms.”

Russia and Iran have also rejected accusations that they’re using cyber operations to target Americans. Messages left with representatives of those three nations and North Korea were not returned Monday.

Efforts to disrupt foreign disinformation and cyber capabilities have escalated along with the threat, but the anonymous, porous nature of the internet sometimes undercuts the effectiveness of the response.

Federal authorities recently announced plans to seize hundreds of website domains used by Russia to spread election disinformation and to support efforts to hack former U.S. military and intelligence figures. But investigators at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab found that sites seized by the government can easily and quickly be replaced.

Within one day of the Department of Justice seizing several domains in September, for example, researchers spotted 12 new websites created to take their place. One month later, they continue to operate.
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Warsaw, — Detected irregular crossings into the European Union fell 42% in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, EU border agency Frontex said on Tuesday.

Frontex released its latest statistics shortly before a summit of the bloc’s leaders in Brussels later this week, where immigration is among topics high on the agenda.

The number of detected crossings into the EU “fell by 42 percent to 166,000 in the first nine months of this year,” Frontex said.

It said the biggest falls were along the routes through the Western Balkans and Central Mediterranean.

Nearly 17,000 would-be asylum seekers crossed into the 27-member EU via the Western Balkans, a 79% drop. Some 47,700 entered via the Central Mediterranean, a fall of 64%.

By contrast, Frontex said crossings via the Western African route had doubled, reaching over 30,600 in the first nine months of the year.

The biggest rise was registered at the EU’s eastern land borders, including into Poland. Almost 13,200 crossings were detected, a 192% increase on January-September 2023.

Poland and its Central European neighbor, the Czech Republic, called last week for EU restrictions that are tougher than those in the bloc’s new pact on migration and asylum, which is due to come into force in 2026.

The rules, adopted in May, aim to share the responsibility for hosting asylum seekers across the 27 countries in the EU and to speed up the deportation of people deemed ineligible to stay.
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Officials in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region said Tuesday a Russian missile attack killed at least one person and injured 16 others.

Mykolaiv Governor Vitaliy Kim said on Telegram the attack damaged an infrastructure facility, restaurant and shopping areas, as well as residential buildings.

Ukraine’s military said Tuesday that Russia’s overnight attacks included nine missiles and 17 drones, with Ukraine’s air defenses destroying 12 of the drones.

The drone intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Poltava regions, the Ukrainian air force said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday it destroyed Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod, Kursk and Tula regions.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said an explosive device dropped from a drone hit a residential building and injured one person.

NATO’s secretary-general said Monday the alliance will continue to support Ukraine, despite threats from Russia.

Speaking at NATO’s Ukraine mission in Wiesbaden, Germany, Mark Rutte said the message for Russian President Vladimir Putin “is that we will continue, that we will do what’s necessary to make sure that he will not get his way. That Ukraine will prevail.”

The NATO alliance is “the strongest military alliance in world history, serving 1 billion people,” Rutte said. We stand ready to confront any threat. We will never get intimidated by our adversaries.”

Monday was Rutte’s first visit to the Ukraine mission known as NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine, which will eventually take over the coordination of Western military aid to Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily address Monday that the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine had delivered a “quite detailed” report on “the intentions of the Russians for the fall and winter” for their continuing invasion of Ukraine.

The report included revelations about North Korea’s involvement in the war and Russia’s relationship with other countries that “unfortunately, are investing in prolonging the war.”

President Zelenskyy warned that “whoever helps Russia, we will respond as toughly as necessary to defend Ukraine.” He said, “There will be respective work with our partners to ensure that Russia’s intentions do not work.”

Zelenskyy added that this week, “Ukraine will present to all our partners in Europe our strategy for compelling Russia to bring this war to a just end.” The strategy, known as the “victory plan,” has not yet been made public.

Some information for this report was provided by Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

 
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TALLINN, Estonia — The last time any of Maria Kolesnikova’s family had contact with the imprisoned Belarusian opposition activist was more than 18 months ago. Fellow inmates at the penal colony reported hearing her plead for medical help from inside her tiny, smelly cell.

Her father, Alexander Kolesnikov, told The Associated Press by phone from Minsk that he knows she’s seriously ill and tried to visit her several months ago at the facility near Gomel, where she is serving an 11-year sentence, but has failed whenever he goes there.

On his last attempt, he said the warden told him, “If she doesn’t call or doesn’t write, that means she doesn’t want to.”

The 42-year-old musician-turned-activist is known to have been hospitalized in Gomel in May or June, but the outcome was unclear, said a former prisoner who identified herself only as Natalya because she feared retaliation from authorities.

“I can only pray to God that she is still alive,” Kolesnikov said in an interview. “The authorities are ignoring my requests for a meeting and for letters — it is a terrible feeling of impotence for a father.”

Kolesnikova gained prominence when mass protests erupted in Belarus after the widely disputed August 2020 election gave authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office. With her close-cropped hair, broad smile and a gesture of forming her outstretched hands into the shape of a heart, she often was seen at the front of the demonstrations.

She became an even greater symbol of defiance in September of that year when Belarusian authorities tried to deport her. Driven to the Ukrainian border, she briefly broke away from security forces in the neutral zone at the frontier and tore up her passport, then walked back into Belarus. She was convicted a year later of charges including conspiracy to seize power.

Natalya, whose cell was next to Kolesnikova’s before being released in August, said she had not heard her talking to guards for six months. Other inmates heard Kolesnikova’s pleas for medical assistance, she said, but reported that doctors did not come for “a very long time.”

In November 2022, Kolesnikova was moved to an intensive care ward to undergo surgery for a perforated ulcer. Other prisoners become aware of her movements because “it feels like martial law has been declared” in the cellblock, Natalya said. “Other prisoners are strictly forbidden not only to talk, but even to exchange glances with Maria.”

Her sister, Tatiana Khomich, said she was told by former inmates that the 5 feet, 9 inches Kolesnikova weighed only about 45 kilograms (100 pounds).

“They are slowly killing Maria, and I consider that this is a critical period because no one can survive in such conditions,” said Khomich, who lives outside Belarus.

The last time Kolesnikova wrote from prison was in February 2023. Letters to her “are ripped up before her eyes by prison personnel,” her sister said, relaying accounts from other former inmates.

Kolesnikova, who before the 2020 protests was a classical flutist who was especially knowledgeable about baroque music, is one of several major Lukashenko opponents to disappear behind bars.

The prisons department of the Belarusian Interior Ministry refused to comment on Kolesnikova’s case.

The U.N. Human Rights Committee has repeatedly demanded Belarusian authorities take “urgent protective measures” in relation to Kolesnikova and other political prisoners held incommunicado. In September, the European Parliament demanded that Belarus release all political prisoners.

Former inmates say Kolesnikova wore a yellow tag that indicates a political prisoner. That marks them for additional abuse by guards and officials, rights advocates say.

The human rights group Viasna counts about 1,300 political prisoners in Belarus, including the group’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning founder, Ales Bialiatsky. At least six have died behind bars.

“It was too late to save Alexei Navalny (from prison in Russia), and it was too late for six people in Belarus. We and the Western world don’t have much time to save Maria’s life,” Khomich said.

Amnesty International has begun a campaign to raise awareness about Kolesnikova’s fate, urging people to take up her plight with Western officials and politicians.

Other prominent opposition figures who are imprisoned and have not been heard from in a year or more include Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who planned to challenge Lukashenko in the 2020 election but was imprisoned; his wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, took his place on the ballot and was forced to leave the country the day after the vote.

Aspiring opposition candidate Viktar Babaryka also was imprisoned before the election as his popularity among prospective voters soared. Kolesnikova was his campaign manager but then joined forces with Tsikhanouskaya. Prominent opposition figure Mikola Statkevich and Kolesnikova’s lawyer, Maxim Znak, are imprisoned and have not contacted the outside world since the winter of 2023.

Lukashenko denies Belarus has any political prisoners. At the same time, in recent months he has unexpectedly released 115 prisoners whose cases had political elements; those released had health problems, wrote petitions for pardons and repented.

Belarus is deeply integrated with Russia, and some observers believe Lukashenko is concerned about the extent of his dependence on Moscow, hoping to restore some ties with the European Union by releasing political prisoners ahead of a presidential election next year.

“Minsk is returning to the practice of bargaining with the West to try to soften sanctions and achieve at least partial recognition of the results of the upcoming presidential election,” said Belarusian analyst Alexander Friedman. “Lukashenko’s regime is interested in not becoming part of Russia and therefore wants at least some communication with the West, offering to talk about political prisoners.”

Lukashenko’s critics and human rights activists say they see no real change in government policy since all leading pro-democracy figures are still behind bars and authorities have seized three times as many opposition activists to refill the prisons.

“It is difficult to consider these pardons as a real thaw since the repressions continue, but the West should encourage Lukashenko to continue releasing political prisoners,” Khomich said. “The regime is sending clear signals to Western countries about its readiness to release people, and it’s very important that [the signal] is heard, and the opportunity is seized.”

 
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