Russia will respond "extremely harshly" to future incursions, defense minister says
From CNN’s Uliana Pavlova
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday called the cross-border raid in Belgorod a “terrorist act” and warned that Russia will respond "promptly and extremely harshly" to any further attempts.
Shoigu also claimed that more than 70 saboteurs were killed, as well as automotive and armored vehicles.
CNN could not independently verify Shoigu's claim.
“During the counter-terrorist operation, the national formations were blocked and defeated,” Shoigu said during a televised meeting.
“We will continue to respond promptly and extremely harshly to such actions by Ukrainian militants,” he said.
Some context: A group of anti-Putin Russian nationals, who are aligned with the Ukrainian army, claimed responsibility for an attack in Russia’s southwestern region of Belgorod, which borders north-eastern Ukraine.
The Ukraine-based Freedom for Russia Legion has said its goal is the "complete liberation of Russia" after claiming a surprise attack in Belgorod.
CNN's Rob Picheta and Nathan Hodge contributed to this post.
9:06 a.m. ET, May 24, 2023
2022 migration from Russia to Finland higher than after Soviet Union collapse: Finnish statistics authority
From CNN’s James Frater
A customs official is seen in Vaalimaa, Finland, on the border with Russia, in September 2022. Alessandro Rampazzo/AFP/Getty Images
In the latest migration figures released Wednesday, 6,003 people emigrated from Russia to Finland in 2022, which is the highest number in more than 30 years, according to Finland's national statistical institute.
Statistics Finland said 1,958 people immigrated to Finland from the Soviet Union in 1990 and 5,515 people did so in 1991.
“In the years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, 1992-1995, there were approximately 1,700-2,600 emigrations from Russia per year,” according to the institution. And until 2021, “emigration from Russia has remained below 3,100” a year.
According to Statistics Finland, “there were a record 49,998 immigrations to Finland in 2022” total, compared to previous years, where there have been between 29,000 and 36,000 per year. The figures do not include Ukrainians staying in Finland under temporary protection and people seeking asylum.
9:16 a.m. ET, May 24, 2023
Belgorod governor lifts "counter-terrorist operation," claiming region was targeted by Ukrainian armed forces
From CNN's Seb Shukla
A view shows damaged buildings in the Belgorod region in an image released May 23. Handout/Governor of Russia's Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov via Telegram/Reuters
The "counter-terrorist operation" that has been in place since an incursion into the southwestern Belgorod region of Russia by anti-Putin Russian nationals aligned with Ukraine has been lifted, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
In a post on Telegram, Gladkov also gave an update on a series of attacks that took place across the region overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.
Gladkov said that the city of Belgorod and its immediate surroundings were targeted by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, “attacked by a drone at night,” and an explosive device was “dropped from a UAV.” He said that the city came under fire eight times over the past few days, with a drone also being shot down south of the city in Nizhny Olshanets, causing no damage.
Some background: The Freedom for Russia Legion said on Telegram early Tuesday that it and another group, the Russian Volunteer Corps, “continue to liberate the Belgorod region!” The post described the groups as “patriot volunteers” and claimed that Russia was vulnerable to attack as “Russia has no reserves to respond to military crises. All military personnel are dead, wounded or in Ukraine.”
The Russian Ministry of Defense said the fighters who crossed from Ukraine into Russia’s western Belgorod region on Monday were pushed back into Ukrainian territory.
Russia repelled the attackers using air strikes, artillery fire and military units, it said, adding, “The remnants of the nationalists were driven back to the territory of Ukraine, where they continued to be hit by fire until they were completely eliminated.”
Other impacted areas: In addition to the city, Gladkov said that six other districts of the Belgorod region were also targeted: Borisov, Volokonovsky, Grayvoron city, Krasnoyaruzhsky, Shebekinsky city and Yakovlevsky urban district.
There were no casualties in any of these events but some damage to houses and infrastructure like power grids and pipelines.
8:59 a.m. ET, May 24, 2023
It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Kyiv was given advance warning about the cross-border raid in Belgorod, a Ukrainian defense source told CNN on Wednesday.
“Within Ukraine, international fighters are coordinated by the Defense Intelligence,” the source said. “As to this particular operation [in the Belgorod region], it was outside Ukraine, but Ukraine was warned about its intentions.”
Questions linger about the groups behind the cross-border attack that anti-Putin Russians say they launched from Ukraine earlier this week.
Here are the latest developments:
Nine people were hospitalized following drone attacks on Belgorod overnight, its governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Wednesday, adding that it was "not a calm night" in the southwestern Russian region. The drone attacks followed the earlier incursion claimed by the Freedom for Russia Legion and another group, the Russian Volunteer Corps.
China-Russia relations: China and Russia are willing to “firmly support” each other on matters concerning their respective "core interests," Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Wednesday. Mishustin is currently visiting China and earlier predicted that bilateral trade would reach a new record level of $200 billion this year, as Beijing throws Moscow an economic lifeline amid its growing isolation and sanctions from the West.
Zaporizhzhia: The heads of Rosatom, the state-owned Russia atomic energy agency, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have met in Beijing and discussed the “issues related to the work of IAEA" at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. According to the statement, the meeting took place in Beijing as Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev was part of the delegation accompanying Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on his trip to the Chinese capital.
UN report: The war in Ukraine is disproportionately affecting older people, and undermining their human rights, according to a new UN report published Wednesday. "The hostilities, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and Ukraine’s ravaged economy have severely undermined the human rights of older people," the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights finds in the report, which is based on the work of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).
Lukashenko: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will speak with Putin on the sidelines of Eurasian Economic Forum in Moscow, his press service said Wednesday. Belarus is one of Russia’s few allies in its war on Ukraine. While the country’s military isn’t directly involved in the fighting, Belarus helped Russia launch its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, allowing the Kremlin’s troops to enter the country from its territory.
8:34 a.m. ET, May 24, 2023
Here's what we know about the cross-border attack claimed by anti-Putin Russians
From CNN's Rob Picheta and Nathan Hodge
Members of the Russian Volunteer Corps pose atop an armoured vehicle in Kozinka, Belgorod, in this photo released on May 23. Russian Volunteer Corps/Handout/Reuters
Questions linger about the groups behind the cross-border attack that anti-Putin Russians say they launched from Ukraine, how it took place, and what it means for the war:
Was this a classic piece of a military sleight-of-hand, a brief show of force meant to confuse and distract Russian commanders? Does it signal the emergence of serious armed opposition inside Russia? Or are there murkier forces at work?
Here’s what you need to know:
What happened in Belgorod? A group of anti-Putin Russian nationals, who are aligned with the Ukrainian army, claimed responsibility for an attack in Russian’s southwestern region of Belgorod, which borders northeastern Ukraine. Two areas of the region were then hit by unmanned aerial vehicles, according to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov, causing two houses to catch fire. One civilian from the village of Kozinka has died as a result of the cross-border fighting, Gladkov said on Tuesday. About 100 others were evacuated from the Russian border settlements of Glotovo and Kozinka in Belgorod, local authorities said.
What did the attackers do? They appeared to have achieved surprise, apparently taking control of a border post and giving the world dramatic images of Russian nationals actively taking up arms against the Kremlin. Smoke was also seen rising from apparent explosions in the regional capital of Belgorod, where local authorities confirmed what they described as two drone strikes.
Which groups are involved? The Freedom for Russia Legion said on Telegram early Tuesday that it and another group, the Russian Volunteer Corps, “continue to liberate the Belgorod region!” The post described the groups as “patriot volunteers” and claimed that Russia was vulnerable to attack as “Russia has no reserves to respond to military crises. All military personnel are dead, wounded or in Ukraine.”
How is the incident playing out in Russia? As Russian officials condemned the attack, analysts noted widespread confusion in Russia’s information space about how the attack was allowed to take place and how Moscow should respond. It has the potential to be embarrassing for President Vladimir Putin, who has for 15 months been leading an invasion he baselessly claimed was needed to keep Russia safe. With limited returns on the battlefield, Putin may now face discontent that the war is disrupting life at home.
Ukraine was given heads-up about cross-border raid
From CNN’s Victoria Butenko
A helicopter circles over Russia's Belgorod region, the site of fighting between Russian defectors and pro-Kremlin troops amid the war in Ukraine. astrapress/Telegram
Kyiv was given advance warning about the cross-border raid in Belgorod by the Freedom for Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, a Ukrainian defense source told CNN on Wednesday.
“Within Ukraine, international fighters are coordinated by the Defense Intelligence,” the source said. “As to this particular operation [in the Belgorod region], it was outside Ukraine, but Ukraine was warned about its intentions.”
Some context: A group of anti-Putin Russian nationals, who are aligned with the Ukrainian army, claimed responsibility for an attack earlier this week in Russian’s southwestern region of Belgorod, which borders north-eastern Ukraine.
Russia’s Investigative Committee announced an investigation into the attack on Telegram, claiming: “Residential and administrative buildings and civilian infrastructure were subjected to mortar and artillery fire. As a result of these criminal actions, several civilians were wounded.”
Parts of the region were then hit overnight by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), leaving nine people hospitalized, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
8:08 a.m. ET, May 24, 2023
Ukraine war disproportionately affecting older people, new UN report finds
From CNN's Radina Gigova
An elderly woman receives provisions from volunteers in Chasiv Yar, Ukraine on May 14. Vincenzo Circosta/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The war in Ukraine is disproportionately affecting older people, especially elderly women and people with disabilities, and undermining their human rights, according to a new UN report published Wednesday.
"The hostilities, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and Ukraine’s ravaged economy have severely undermined the human rights of older people," the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights finds in the report, which is based on the work of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).
“It was so scary for me to hear old people crying and moaning at night not from pain, but because they were hungry," a resident of the city of Hostomel is quoted as saying in the report about the situation in the city in 2022.
"Older persons in areas directly affected by hostilities, on both sides of the front line, have not only faced direct threats to their life, but also suffered from food shortages, inadequate living conditions, electricity blackouts, water cuts, and lack of access to health services, medication and pensions (often their only form of income)," the report finds. "All these factors have drastically increased their vulnerability and undermined their right to life with dignity, especially during winter. Those with slower reaction times and restricted mobility have been particularly affected," it said.
A quarter of Ukraine's population is more than 60 years old and over 1.7 million people are above the age of 80, according to the UN.
While older persons were already facing vulnerabilities before the start of the war, "the armed attack by the Russian Federation has led to a grave deterioration of their human rights, in particular their rights to life, social security, adequate housing, and health," the UN said.
The UN called on Russia "to immediately cease its armed attack and withdraw its armed forces from Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders," as well as to take measures to ensure that "the rights to life, health, and an adequate standard of living" are fulfilled and respected of all residents, including older persons, in the areas that are under Russian control.
The UN also urged the international community to "take steps to ensure that older persons are fully taken into account and supported through assistance and reconstruction programs," the report says.
8:06 a.m. ET, May 24, 2023
China and Russia to firmly support each other on "core interests," says Xi Jinping
From CNN’s Wayne Chang
China's President Xi Jinping, center, attends a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, in Beijing, on May 24. Alexander Astafyev/Sputnik/AFP/Getty Images
China and Russia are willing to “firmly support” each other on matters concerning their respective "core interests," Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Wednesday, according to a readout from China's state broadcaster CCTV.
Mishustin is currently visiting China and earlier predicted that bilateral trade would reach a new record level of $200 billion this year, as Beijing throws Moscow an economic lifeline amid its growing isolation and sanctions from the West.
Xi said both sides should continue to improve economic, trade and investment cooperation, consolidate and expand fundamental cooperation in energy and connectivity.
He also stated that China is willing to work with Russia and other Eurasia Economic Union countries – namely Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan – to promote the construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative and the formation of a more open regional market, so as to ensure a stable and smooth global industrial supply chain.
The Chinese leader added that both sides will enhance coordination in multilateral forums, including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRIC and the G20.
6:54 a.m. ET, May 24, 2023
Lukashenko to speak with Putin on sidelines of Eurasian Economic Forum in Moscow
From CNN’s Anna Chernova
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko at the Kremlin prior to the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, on May 9. Vladimir Smirnov/Sputnik/AFP/Getty Images/File
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has left for a two-day working visit to Russia, his press service said Wednesday.
Lukashenko is expected to attend the Eurasian Economic Forum and speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday.
During the summit of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on Thursday, the leaders of Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU) countries will consider the implementation of decisions on strategic directions for the development of Eurasian economic integration, and sum up the results of the international activities of the union, according to Lukashenko’s press service.
The Kremlin earlier confirmed to journalists Putin is expected to hold talks Lukashenko within the framework of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.
Lukashenko attended the May 9 military parade in Moscow but was then taken ill.
Belarus is one of Russia’s few allies in its war on Ukraine. While the country’s military isn’t directly involved in the fighting, Belarus helped Russia launch its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, allowing the Kremlin’s troops to enter the country from its territory.
Putin said in March that Russia would station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, and was constructing a storage facility due to be completed by the beginning of July.
