Page 35 - RusRPTOct22

Habeck announced on Sept. 5 that two of Germany’s last nuclear power plants will remain “on standby until mid-April 2023, in order, if necessary, to provide an additional contribution to the electricity grid in southern Germany," the Guardian reports. Germany’s last two nuclear plants were set to cease operations at the end of 2022 following a 2011 law in Germany to phase out nuclear power.
US officials say Russia has spent over $300mn on influencing foreign elections since 2014. Citing a review by the U.S. intelligence community, a senior U.S. official told CNN that “Russia has covertly transferred over $300mn dollars, and planned to covertly transfer at least hundreds ofmns more” to influence foreign political parties in over 20 countries across four continents. The official said Russia transferred the money “to advantage specific political parties and undermine democracy.” The review was ordered by the U.S. government earlier this summer.
Russian court shuts down Novaya Gazeta, one of country's last independent news outlets. Moscow's Basmanny District Court stripped the media license from Novaya Gazeta on Sept. 5, banning the news outlet from operating inside the country. While Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor accused Novaya Gazeta of failing to provide a change of ownership documents in 2006, editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov said the ruling was “a political hit job, without the slightest legal basis.”
Hungary threatens to block EU sanctions renewal if 3 Russian oligarchs not exempted. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty citing Hungarian diplomatic sources, Hungary will request the removal of Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov, Piotr Aven, and Viktor Rashnikov from the EU sanctions list as a condition for renewing personal sanctions against Russia. The restrictive measures, which target 1,217 individuals and 108 entities, were imposed after Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Russia repeatedly misses deadlines to occupy entire Donbas. The Ukrainian authorities have claimed that Russian troops have a Sept. 15 deadline for seizing all of the Donbas but they are highly unlikely to achieve this, the U.K. Defense Ministry said. Russian troops have only advanced 1 kilometer per week in the Donbas so far, according to the ministry. The missed deadlines will further complicate Russia's efforts to organize sham "referendums" in the region, the report stated
US intelligence reports Russia is buying artillery from North Korea.
According to newly declassified American intelligence, North Korea is selling artillery shells and rockets by themns to Russia, the New York Times reports. Together with Iran’s shipment of drones to Russia, U.S. officials consider both moves as signs that sanctions are affecting Russia’s ability to obtain arms.
35 RUSSIA Country Report October 2022 www.intellinews.com