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James Kilner

0745GMT//Putin's 73rd birthday plans; Putin ally issues economic warning; 1,000 Russian soliders accused of murder

PUTIN ALLY ISSUES ECONOMIC WARNING: Valentina Matviyenko, chairwoman of the Russian Senate, warned on Monday that businesses in Russia's regions were collapsing at an "alarming rate" because of the increasingly tough economic conditions. "The rise in bankruptcies in the regions is extremely alarming. As one

0725GMT//More drone-linked disruptions at EU airports; Ukraine strikes second-largest Russian oil refinery; Kremlin's rouble earnings from oil and gas fall

DRONE DISRUPTION AT EU AIRPORTS: Munich airport, Germany's second biggest hub, briefly suspended operations on Friday because of suspected nearby drone flights. Media reports also said the drones were spotted circling above a military base in Belgium on Friday. (COMMENT: Drones closed airports in Norway and Denmark last

0535GMT//No petrol shortages reported in main Russian cities; Putin urges Russian women to wear traditional tiaras; healthcare budget is cut to pay for more war

NO PETROL SHORTAGES IN MAIN CITIES: Sources in Russia told The Memo that there are no petrol shortages in major cities. Reports have said that Crimea, regions in the Far East and Southern Russia have seen dozens of petrol stations close and refill limits imposed. Some reports have even reported

0755GMT//Russian refinery capacity falls further; Kremlin seizes snack food producer; opposition leader arrested

FUEL SHORTAGES WORSEN: Russia's oil refining capacity has fallen 38% this year, rather than 20%, because of Ukrainian drone strikes, new estimates said. Reuters reported that Russia lost 17% of its oil refining capacity just in August. (COMMENT: Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian refineries have been one of

0657GMT//Russia to start importing fuel through the Eurasian Economic Union; Kremlin cuts budget to propaganda channels; utilities costs to rise faster than expected

IMPORTING FUEL TO EASE CRISIS: The Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union on Tuesday cancelled import duties on car fuel, diesel, jet fuel and shipping fuel to allow Russia to start buying fuel from abroad to plug shortages. (COMMENT: The Kremlin uses the Eurasian Economic Union to dodge Western sanctions. By dropping

0734GMT//Kremlin complains about Moldova election; carmaker puts staff on 4-day week; roughly 1,000 people join 'civic action' in Moscow

MOLDOVAN ELECTION: The Kremlin criticised Moldova's parliamentary election over the weekend for blocking pro-Russia supporters from voting after the pro-EU government party won a majority. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that "hundreds of thousands of Moldovans" couldn't vote in Russia because "only

0652GMT//Pro-EU party wins Moldova election despite Russian interference; Kremlin propagandist dies; Russian paralympians back in favour

MOLDOVA ELECTION: Maia Sandu's pro-EU party won a parliamentary election in Moldova despite alleged Kremlin vote-buying tactics. With 99.5% of the vote counted, media is reporting that Sandu's Action and Solidarity party has won 50.03%, compared to 24.26% for a pro-Russia bloc. (COMMENT:

0825//Drones close Danish airport; Kremlin extends petrol export ban

DRONES CLOSE DANISH AIRPORT: Drones closed an airport in Denmark for the third time this week on Thursday evening. Aalborg airport in the north of the country was closed around midnight. Some Danish and NATO officials have blamed Russia for the drone flights near the airports but Russia has denied

0734GMT//US-Russia meet at UN Gen. Assembly; Drones close Danish airports; Russian military spending drops

US-RUSSIA MEETING: Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, and Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Their meeting lasted less than an hour. According to the Russian delegation, both sides "exchanged views on resolving the Ukrainian

0745GMT//Russia to increase VAT to pay for war in Ukraine; Trump says Ukraine can win back all of its territory; Russia denies it flew drones at EU airports

VAT INCREASE TO FUND WAR IN UKRAINE: The Kremlin plans to increase VAT in Russia to 22% from 20% to fund its war in Ukraine. The VAT increase will be introduced on Jan. 1 on all goods other than "basic goods" such as bread, dairy products, meat, baby