April 12, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage for the day has ended. Follow the latest Ukraine news here or read through the updates below.

There have been more than 77,000 alleged war crimes registered by Ukraine, the country’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin told The Washington Post Wednesday.

The chief prosecutor told the newspaper he has 305 alleged perpetrators “who are notified of suspicion,” along with 150 indictments ready and 30 convictions “by Ukrainian courts with regard to Russian war criminals” who committed alleged crimes on Ukrainian soil. He added that “99-plus percent of all cases of war crimes committed against Ukrainians will be prosecuted and tried in Ukraine.”

According to Kostin, there are four elements contributing to the criminal accountability documented throughout the war in Ukraine: National efforts, assistance from the International Criminal Court, international coordination and the creation of a special international tribunal for the alleged “crime of aggression.”

“These four layers of criminal responsibility create full web of accountability on (a) criminal level for Russia and its perpetrators,” Kostin told the Post.

Russia says its forces hit Ukrainian army reserves attempting to get into the battered city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.

According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Russian forces hit “reserves of the enemy that tried to break into Bakhmut from the settlements of Chasiv Yar and Bohdanivka, as well as the units of the 28th Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Kostiantynivka.”

On Tuesday, Ukrainian officials denied Wagner founder and financier Yevgeny Prigozhin’s claim that Russian forces now control 80% of the city.

Here are other headlines:

Sanctions: The United Kingdom announced sanctions on a network of companies and individuals with financial links to Russian oligarch and ex-Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich, as well as Alisher Usmanov. It said the move would would target those helping the pair to “avoid the full cost” of sanctions already imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United States also imposed a large tranche of sanctions Wednesday on more than 100 people and entities around the world for their ties to the war.

Beheading video responses: The EU has pledged to hold those responsible for war crimes in Ukraine to account, EU spokesperson Nabila Massrali said on Wednesday. The statement is in response to two videos released on social media in the past week that appear to show beheaded Ukrainian soldiers. Wagner private military company leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has denied that his fighters were involved in the grisly video.

Leaked documents: A Russian military group fighting in Ukraine on behalf of Vladimir Putin attempted to buy weapons and equipment from an unlikely source: NATO member Turkey, according to a leaked US intelligence document that was obtained by CNN. The leaked document appears to show the lengths the Russian private military group Wagner has gone to try to further strengthen its capabilities as the war in Ukraine — in which it is playing a key role — continues on with no signs of abating.

Electronic conscription bill: A new bill allowing for the electronic delivery of military draft papers is meant to fix a chaotic process of registration and enlistment, the Kremlin said Wednesday. The bill is designed to make the process “modern, efficient and convenient for citizens,” spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. The final step is for the bill to be signed by President Vladimir Putin before it officially becomes law. Russian officials have denied suggestions that the bill lays the groundwork for a fresh wave of mobilization.

Evan Gershkovich: The US continues its public push for consular access to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, as the top official handling hostage negotiation committed to bringing him home from Russia. Access to Gershkovich, who was detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage, is being considered and will be worked out in due course, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

Military aid: Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal repeated Ukraine’s requests for F-15 and F-16 fighter jets and longer-range missiles from the US directly to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in remarks at the top of their meeting at the Pentagon. Shmyhal also thanked the US for its continued military support during their meeting. Also, the Serbian government has denied it sold weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, after a report emerged claiming otherwise.

The Pentagon is seen from the air on March 3, 2022.

Pentagon officials provided an unclassified briefing about the leaked classified information Wednesday afternoon for House leadership, the House Intelligence Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, according to three congressional sources familiar with the matter. 

 The 45-minute phone briefing was held by the Pentagon’s Under Secretary for Defense and Security Ronald Moultrie, Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Rheanne Wirkkala and Under Secretary for Policy Colin Kahl. 

It was the first official briefing the lawmakers received on the topic, coming a week after the Defense Department was made aware of the leaked classified documents. 

Senate leadership and the relevant Senate national security committees also received a briefing from the Biden administration on the leaked classified documents, according to a source familiar with the matter. 

The briefers told the House and Senate committees that the Pentagon is looking for the source of the leak and that the Biden administration is trying to ease the concerns of nervous allies, according to another source familiar with the briefings.

One source declined to provide details about what was said but told CNN that members learned very little, and some left the meeting feeling like there was a lack of urgency inside the administration over the leak.

All senators will receive a briefing on the leaked documents on Wednesday afternoon next week, according to a Senate Democratic aide. A classified briefing for all House members is also expected next week, possibly on Wednesday, one of the sources said. 

The European Union Delegation at the United Nations said those who are committing war crimes in Ukraine must be held accountable after a video appears to show beheadings of Ukrainian soldiers.

Some background: A video was posted to a pro-Russian social media channel on April 8, which appears to show the beheaded corpses of two Ukrainian soldiers lying on the ground next to a destroyed military vehicle.

Russian social media accounts said the video was shot near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, which has been the scene of the war’s fiercest fighting for many months, with Wagner fighters very heavily involved.

CNN is unable to independently confirm the video’s location.

A second video, which was posted on Twitter and is heavily blurred, looks to have been filmed during the summer because of the amount of plant life on the ground. It purports to show a Russian fighter using a knife to cut off the head of a Ukrainian soldier. A voice at the beginning of the video suggests the victim might have still been alive when the attack began.

A Russian military group fighting in Ukraine on behalf of Vladimir Putin attempted to buy weapons and equipment from an unlikely source: NATO member Turkey, according to a leaked US intelligence document that was obtained by CNN.

The leaked document appears to show the lengths the Russian private military group Wagner has gone to try to further strengthen its capabilities as the war in Ukraine — in which it is playing a key role — continues on with no signs of abating.

As a NATO member, Turkey is broadly considered a partner nation to the US and other nations providing direct military support to Ukraine and it has publicly expressed opposition to Russia’s invasion.

It is also home to a major US military base where nuclear weapons are stored and act as an obvious warning sign to deter Russian aggression against NATO members. 

Evidence that Turkey has discussed selling weapons to Russian mercenary forces would likely raise serious concerns in Washington and complicate Ankara’s relationship with other NATO members.

Not only does the document reference intelligence about Wagner seeking to purchase weapons from Turkey, it also states that the paramilitary group planned to resume recruitment of prisoners from Russia’s jails. 

According to the US signals intelligence reporting cited in the document, personnel from the Wagner Group met with “Turkish contacts” in early February with the intent “to purchase weapons and equipment from Turkey” that could then be used by Wagner mercenaries who are fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.

Wagner also planned to use the weapons and equipment from Turkey in Mali, where the group maintains a significant presence, according to the leaked document.

While there is no evidence that shows that Turkey has moved forward with any arms sales to the Wagner Group, details about the February meeting — outlined in a section of the leaked document titled, “Mali, Russia, Turkey: Vagner seeks weapons from Ankara” — suggest US officials believe the Russian mercenary outfit has at least tested the waters. 

CNN has not independently confirmed the veracity of the document, but US officials have indicated that most of the leaked tranche are authentic. A State Department spokesperson said the “the Department of Defense and the intelligence community are actively reviewing and assessing the validity” of the leaked documents, adding “we are not in a position to confirm or comment on any specific information they contain.”

CNN has reached out to the US National Security Council, the office of the Turkish President and Turkey’s Embassy in Washington for comment on the document.

Read more here.

Workers repair infrastructure at a power station that was damaged by a Russian air attack November 4, 2022, in Kyiv Oblast.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has secured a $200 million loan from the World Bank to help rebuild the country’s energy sector.

“Today we signed the agreement with World Bank VP Anna Bjerde to provide an additional $200 million to restore power system in #Ukraine,” he tweeted Wednesday, after a meeting in Washington. “We are also preparing to implement a military risk insurance project for foreign investors.” 

“Grateful for the support for Ukraine’s recovery,” he added.

Shmyhal said Ukraine would begin rebuilding damaged areas this year.

“The funds attracted from the World Bank will be used to rebuild the power grid and heat supply systems in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Sumy and the cities of Chernihiv region,” he said, according to his office. “This winter, we have defeated Russia in the battle for light and are already preparing for the next heating season.”

Access to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage, is being considered and will be worked out in due course, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

“Regarding the visit of Evan Gershkovich by representatives of the US Embassy in Moscow, we inform you that the issue is being considered and will be worked out in due time in accordance with consular practice and Russian law. The status assigned to him by the American authorities in this case does not matter,” said Zakharova in a statement published by the ministry Wednesday.

Zakharova said the “noise” staged in the Western media around the detention of a journalist “caught red-handed” is “an example of blatant hypocrisy.”

“It is kept silent that the American embassy in Moscow was notified in a timely manner about the detention of Evan Gershkovich. Our diplomats in similar cases, in violation of the bilateral consular convention, are informed either with a delay or not at all, especially in high-profile cases under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Justice and the FBI,” she said.

According to Zakharova, the calls by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other US officials to its citizens to leave the Russian Federation are “hypocritical,” since it was Washington that launched “the real hunt for Russians in the US and third countries.”

“I emphasize that any attempts to put pressure on the Russian authorities and the courts, insisting on a ‘special treatment’ for US citizens who have broken the Russian law, are senseless and futile. It is time for Washington to learn that we will not tolerate interference in our internal affairs and will act exclusively in accordance with our national interests,” Zakharova added.

Some background: On Monday, the US State Department officially designated Gershkovich as wrongfully detained by Russia.

The designation gives further backing to the assertions by the US government and the Wall Street Journal that the espionage charges against the reporter are baseless. It will empower the Biden administration to explore avenues such as a prisoner swap to try to secure Gershkovich’s release.

Reporting from CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed to this post.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, left, stands alongside US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during an honor cordon ceremony at the Pentagon on Wednesday.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal thanked the United States for its continued military support as he met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon on Wednesday.

The pair discussed Ukraine’s further needs, with Shmyhal asking Austin to supply Ukraine with more weapons. 

“Ukrainian soldiers have proven that they can master the latest equipment in a short time and use it effectively on the battlefield,” he said, according to his office. “For a quicker victory, Ukraine also needs more weapons: Air defense, heavy artillery and equipment, mortars and ammunition.”

Wagner private military company founder and financier Yevgeny Prigozhin has called for the entire Russian society to be mobilized, saying people are ready to contribute to Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine. 

“When we travel to the regions, our recruiters see that people are ready to be mobilized and understand that there is a war going on for the very existence of Russia,” he added. Unlike Prigozhin, the Russian government continues to deny it is waging a war in Ukraine, referring to the conflict as a “special military operation.”

The new bill put forward by the Kremlin, which is set to be signed into law by President Vladimir Putin, would tighten the rules for Russians drafted into the conflict to prevent them from leaving the country — as many did in droves during last year’s “partial mobilization.” The Wagner leader criticized Russian officials who fled the country with their wealth and said the whole “system” needs to be shaken. 

“Why don’t we want to clean out this anthill that has been created over the years and which over the years has turned from a community of people who are ready to develop something in this country into a community of people who are only interested in their own well-being?” he questioned. “The system requires global sanitation and a reduction in the number of participants in this bureaucratic community.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, right, welcomes Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to the Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, on April 12.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal repeated Ukraine’s requests for F-15 and F-16 fighter jets and longer-range missiles from the US directly to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in remarks at the top of their meeting at the Pentagon.

Austin did not comment on the specific requests, but did commit to expanding the production of military assets in the US for Ukraine.

“We will keep investing in our own defense industrial base to further ramp up production,” said Austin.

Austin also thanked Ukraine for its focus on accountability for the security assistance the US has already provided.

“Let me commend you for the unprecedented level of transparency that Ukraine has provided to ensure our security assistance remains in the hands of Ukraine’s defenders,” said Austin.

Austin ignored a question about the effect of the leaked classified documents from the Pentagon on Ukraine.

More on jets: In March, Slovakia joined fellow NATO member Poland in pledging to send MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. The White House had said that Poland’s decision to send the fighter jets is a “sovereign decision” that won’t spur US President Joe Biden to send F-16 aircraft.

The United States imposed a large tranche of sanctions on more than 100 people and entities around the world for their ties to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Wednesday’s sanctions are the latest action meant to diminish Moscow’s abilities in its war in Ukraine and punish those who are supporting it, including through helping Russia to evade existing sanctions.

Sanctions on Russian billionaire and associates: The latest sanctions target a wide network tied to Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who is already under sanction in multiple countries, and were taken in coordination with the United Kingdom.

According to the US Treasury Department, Usmanov “is one of Russia’s wealthiest billionaires” who “holds significant interests in the metals and mining, telecommunications, and information technology sectors.”

Sanctions on international companies and a bank: The US also imposed sanctions on companies based in China, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, which the US Treasury Department said is supporting Russia’s military industrial complex in defiance of existing sanctions. 

The Treasury also sanctioned the International Investment Bank, “a Russia-controlled financial institution” in Budapest, as well as its Moscow-based subsidiary and several former and current executives. 

Sanctions on organizations that target children: In addition, the US State Department is sanctioning two Russian entities “that support Russia’s efforts to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine through the militarization and indoctrination of schoolchildren: The All Russian Children’s And Youth Military Patriotic Public Movement Youth Army, and the State Budgetary Educational Institution of Additional Education of the Republic of Crimea Crimea Patriot Center,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. 

The Serbian government has denied it sold weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, after a report emerged claiming otherwise.

“Serbia has not and will not sell weapons to either Ukraine or Russia,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Milos Vucevic said in a statement Wednesday. “We have rejected those allegations more than ten times, and we will do it again.”

Vucevic was responding to a Reuters report that claimed a leaked Pentagon document names Serbia as having sent or is planning to send lethal aid to Ukraine. 

“Someone obviously aims to drag Serbia into that conflict, but we adhere to our policy consistently,” Vucevic said.

More about the documents: CNN has reviewed 53 leaked documents, all of which appear to have been produced between mid-February and early March.

The highly classified Pentagon documents have provided a rare window into how the US spies on allies and foes alike, deeply rattling US officials, who fear the revelations could jeopardize sensitive sources and compromise important foreign relationships.

Many of the documents, which US officials say are authentic, had markings indicating that they had been produced by the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s intelligence arm, known as J2, and appear to be briefing documents.

CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Natasha Bertrand and Kylie Atwood contributed to this post.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, third on right, and Spain's Minister of Defence Margarita Robles, fourth on left, attend a meeting in Madrid, Spain, on April 12.

Ukrainian and Spanish defense ministers have denied claims that NATO troops are fighting against Russian armed forces in Ukraine, refuting allegations that emerged from a leak of highly classified Pentagon documents.

“It is totally false that there are NATO troops in Ukraine,” Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said Wednesday at a joint news conference in Madrid with her visiting Ukrainian counterpart. 

Responding to a question about the document leak, Reznikov said it “has a lot of data that’s not true (and) is no longer current. The beneficiary of this operation is Russia or its allies or sympathizers,” adding that he is confident that Ukraine’s US allies will work to “neutralize this leak and avoid this in the future.”

Ukraine has “full confidence in our in our American allies” in spite of the leak, he said. From Spain’s perspective, Robles said the unity of NATO and European Union allies remains strong and Russia will “not achieve a break in that.” 

Update on tanks: Robles said Spain’s first shipment of six modern battle tanks for Ukraine will leave soon via ship and should arrive in the war-torn country by the end of this month. Along with these six Leopard 2A4 tanks, Spain will also send 20 armored vehicles, she added. Spain will later send four more of the Leopard tanks “as soon as possible,” after they are repaired.

Reznikov said Ukraine asked Spain for air defense systems, including combat jets, artillery rounds, and for training and technical advice in amphibious military operations, including undersea mine removal. The Ukrainian defense minister said he would meet with executives of Spanish arms makers on this visit. He and the Spanish defense minister were also expected to tour a military hospital in Madrid treating Ukrainian troops severely wounded in combat, including those whose limbs have been amputated.

Russian officials have denied suggestions that a bill to allow for the electronic delivery of military call-up papers lays the groundwork for a fresh wave of mobilization. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters it is meant only to “fix the mess” that followed September’s controversial partial mobilization order, which was beset by issues and prompted thousands of Russians to flee.

But the strict new rules make it more difficult for Russian men to avoid an order should it be made, and Russians told CNN of their concerns about the plan.

“Now it will be much easier to mobilize me, given how digitalized life in Moscow has become,” Alexey, a 41-year-old lawyer from Moscow, told CNN.

While he is not within the official age range for mobilization, he does not expect the Kremlin to stick to their own guidelines when calling up recruits.

“I believe the mobilization has never ended. It has begun and continues to the day,” he added. “You can look at this development as preparation of the state to step up mobilization. To make it possible to notify and mobilize large number of conscripts in a short period of time.”

The bill passed through its third reading in the lower chamber of Russia’s parliament Tuesday, and was approved by the upper chamber, the Federation Council on Wednesday. Its final formality is to be signed into law by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

CNN also spoke to Olga, a 48-year-old woman who fears her son, who is 16, will be sent to fight in the coming years, disrupting his plans for higher education.

“Should (the war) drag on and intensify, and if there is a real second wave of mobilization, then I think some will try to leave (Russia), of course,” she added.

Read more.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense on Wednesday claimed its forces hit Ukrainian army reserves attempting to get into the battered city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.

According to the ministry, Russian forces hit “reserves of the enemy that tried to break into Bakhmut from the settlements of Chasiv Yar and Bohdanivka, as well as the units of the 28th Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Kostiantynivka.”

The ministry also said Wagner private military company fighters had captured three more blocks in their attempt to seize control of the embattled city.

CNN cannot independently verify these claims. 

What Ukraine says: On Tuesday, Ukrainian officials denied Wagner founder and financier Yevgeny Prigozhin’s claim that Russian forces now control 80% of the city.

“I’ve just been in touch with the commander of one of the brigades that are defending the city. I can confidently state that the Ukrainian defense forces control a much larger percentage of the territory of Bakhmut,” Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces told CNN on Tuesday.

Western officials have conceded Russia had been able to make some progress in Bakhmut, but added it could be “measured in meters.”

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner private military company, attends a funeral ceremony at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery in Moscow, Russia, on April 8.

Wagner private military company leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has denied that his fighters were involved in a grisly video that purportedly shows Ukrainian soldiers who have been beheaded.

“I have watched this video. It’s bad when people’s heads are cut off, but I haven’t found anything to support that this is happening near Bakhmut and that Wagner fighters are participating in the execution,” he said in a statement published by his company Wednesday.

Prigozhin was responding to a question about a video that was posted to a pro-Russian social media channel on April 8, which appears to show the beheaded corpses of two Ukrainian soldiers lying on the ground next to a destroyed military vehicle.

Russian social media accounts say the video was shot near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, which has been the scene of the war’s fiercest fighting for many months, with Wagner fighters very heavily involved. CNN is unable to independently confirm the video’s location.

A second video, which was posted on Twitter and is heavily blurred, looks to have been filmed during the summer because of the amount of plant life on the ground. It purports to show a Russian fighter using a knife to cut off the head of a Ukrainian soldier. A voice at the beginning of the video suggests the victim might have still been alive when the attack began.

CNN’s Vasco Cotovio, Andy Carey, Josh Pennington and Yulia Kesaieva contributed reporting to this post.

Reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich appears in an undated handout image.

The US continues its public push for consular access to Evan Gershkovich as the top official handling hostage negotiation committed to bringing the detained Wall Street Journal reporter home from Russia. 

“The Russians owe us a consular visit. We have yet to have consular access to Mr. Gershkovich,” US special envoy for hostage affairs Roger Carstens told “CNN This Morning.” 

Asked if a prisoner swap is on the table, Carstens said that the US is committed to bringing Gershkovich and others who are wrongfully detained home and that US President Joe Biden would do “whatever it takes to get that job done” and is willing to make “hard decisions.”

Now that Gershkovich has been formally designated by the State Department as wrongfully detained, Carstens said it “by force of law obligates the United States of America to seek a wrongfully detained American’s release. And that’s what we’re doing right now. My office is working closely with the National Security Council at the White House to find those paths that will bring Evan home.” 

More on Americans detained in Russia: Carstens said he spoke with Paul Whelan for about 15 minutes on Monday and they spoke “about Evan’s case.”

“Paul’s spirits are still good. He’s still remaining strong. He’s still resilient. Small known fact — I mean, he sings the National Anthem every day from his prison cell, and he’s ready to come home and we’re going to find a way to bring him home,” he said, adding that his office does not prioritize cases and both Whelan and Gershkovich, along with the 30-40 cases currently being handled by his office are “treated equally.”

Carstens noted that there have been conversations between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as well as discussions between US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy and her counterparts.

“We’ve been pressing them for Evan’s release, we’ve been pressing them for consular access, and anything beyond that I’d rather not talk about. I want to maintain some of our negotiation space,” Carstens said, adding, “We’re going to find a way to bring Evan and Paul Whelan home.”

A smartphone screen showing an open page of Gosuslugi website, in Moscow, Russia, on April 11.

The upper chamber of Russia’s parliament, the Federation Council, has voted in favor of the electronic delivery of military call-up papers, which critics say will make it more difficult for Russians to evade conscription.

The final step is for the bill to be signed by President Vladimir Putin before it officially becomes law.

Once the bill becomes law, a person will be considered notified even if they have not seen the call-up papers or email. The call-up papers will be deemed to be served once they appear on a government portal called Gosuslugi — the main online platform for state services in Russia, such as making a doctor’s appointment, requesting a passport or registering for marriage. 

Previously, conscription documents in Russia had to be hand-delivered by the local military enlistment office or through an employer. 

Those liable for military service will be banned from traveling abroad, the proposed legislation published on the government’s website said. Draft dodgers will receive a travel ban from the day when the summons is considered to have been “handed” to them, in accordance with the law. 

People who fail to show up for a military summons without a valid reason within 20 days will face restrictions, such as being unable to register a vehicle and drive it, being unable to register an apartment, being unable to register as an individual entrepreneur or as self-employed, and be blocked from getting a loan.

Paper and electronic summonses will have equal legal force, Andrey Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Committee on Defense, said to the RBC TV channel. According to Kartapolov, the introduced changes apply to all those liable for military service and not just to conscripts, he told state news agency TASS.

Russia’s Defense Ministry routinely conscripts men for compulsory military service twice per year, in spring and autumn.

The spring conscription this year will apply to 147,000 citizens between the ages of 18 and 27, and will take place from April 1 to July 15, according to an official document published by the government.

More context: The Kremlin has consistently denied rumors of a possible second wave of mobilization in Russia. Its “partial mobilization” last year for its invasion of Ukraine resulted in a significant number of citizens fleeing Russia.

Conscription involves the selection and enlistment of young men into the military, while mobilization refers to the larger-scale process of calling up reservists and other military personnel in the event of an emergency or war.

Roman Abramovich at the UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Estadio do Dragao in Porto, Portugal, on May 29, 2021.

The UK has announced sanctions on a network of companies and individuals with financial links to Russian oligarch and ex-Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich, as well as oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

It said the move would target those helping the pair to “avoid the full cost” of sanctions already imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

“We are closing the net on the Russian elite and those who try to help them hide their money for war,” UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.

“There’s no place to hide. We will keep cutting them off from assets they thought were successfully hidden. Together with our international partners the UK will continue to crack down on those who are supporting the war. We won’t stop until Putin does.”

Among those sanctioned are Demetris Ioannides and Christodoulos Vassiliades, whom the statement described as “two Cypriot professional enablers” of Abramovich and Usmanov.

Companies which the Foreign Office said were part of Usmanov’s financial network were also sanctioned, including USM, Curzon Square and Hanley Limited, according to the statement.

Several family members of other Russian oligarchs who it said were “used as proxies to hide their assets” were also sanctioned, according to the statement. 

The assets of Usmanov and Abramovich were frozen by the UK government shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.