Mikhail Gorbachev Dies
Russia refuse passes for the IAEA to enter the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
Day 189 (31 August)
Last night, 30 August 2022, Mikhail Gorbachev died. He was the last Soviet president and the one who ended the Cold War and paved the wave for freedoms in Russia and the former Soviet states. His death is a reminder that the Cold War was not that long ago, and that Putin has been planning the reformation of the USSR since then.
Gorbachev had conflicting views on the current war, and had criticised Putin. He did however consider Ukraine back in 2014 to be part of Russia, and supported the annexation of Crimea. Out of the recent leaders in Russia, he was one of the better ones
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The IAEA arrived at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant but were refused passes to enter by the Russians. They are seeking to establish a permanent base there, which was not announced earlier. I doubt the Russians will agree to that, and was that part of the deal? The trip was bound to result in some stalling from the Russians, so this wasn’t unexpected.
This will be a test as to how useful the UN actually is and if they can pull it off, and will there be assurances for their safety and who can offer that? If Russians kidnapped them, what would the UN do? Issue another statement of disapproval for all that is worth?
The visa rules for Russians entering the EU are to be tightened, with the bordering countries, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland and Latvia to introduce temporary bans and restrictions based on safety issues. France and Germany oppose a ban for all Russians, as the Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has criticised the move as a half measure.
Russians travelling into the EU pose a security risk now as the war appears to have escalated, with concerns over spies and terrorist activity. The Visa facilitation agreement with Russia will be suspended, and the European commission is finalising the paperwork and guidance to implement this as soon as possible.
Ukrainian military appears to have deceived Russian troops into using the missiles on dummy targets. This is part of the Ukrainian army's tactics which appear to have worked for the time being. The war is not only about numbers and the amount of weapons each side has, but how effectively they are used.
In Crimea another oil depot has been on fire in the village of Krasnogvardiyske. The Russians are looking to retain Crimea however explosions appear to continue in the occupied region, and it looks like Ukraine is behind the counter offensive manoeuvres although that has not been officially claimed.
Ukraine has requested that Odesa is added to the world Heritage list. This is to give it some protection as it is a prime Russian target. UNESCO supports this bid, and also looking to add Kyiv and Kyiv and Lviv to the list of world heritage sites in danger
At a forum in Prague, the Polish prime minister has said that the EU would be looking to accept Ukraine as a member in a few years time. While the EU is not a military alliance at present, nonetheless it is an alliance that creates further ties with Western Europe that Russia has disapproved of.
Reports claim that in Mariupol that there are at least 113,750 residents who died during the Russian attack. There are also around 27,650 bodies that have not been identified and these include soldiers on both sides. This is to give an idea of the death and destruction that has taken place in less than six months. Russia is wholly culpable for the destruction of Mariupol, yet the UN did next to nothing while all of this was happening.
In Kyiv, starting from the 1st of September there will be curfews from 11 pm until 5 am each day, therefore restaurants and coffee shops will not be allowed to be open after 10 pm. This comes as the war escalates, more air raids will probably take place in the capital city. I expect the war is going to become bloody very soon, therefore, the government is implementing preventative measures now so that people can get used to them.
The declaration of cooperation between the Freedom of Russian Legion, Russian Volunteer Corps (RDC) and the National Republican Army (NRA) was signed today (the latter has claimed responsibility for the assassination of Daria Dugina). The NRA was represented by Ilya Ponomarev, a former Russian lawmaker.
This took place in a secret location in Kyiv for security purposes, and these are all anti-Putin Russian groups. This is the Russian resistance whose aim is to liberate Russia from the tyranny of Putin and all oppose Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This is called ‘The Russian Centre of Armed Resistance’. Not all of Russia is behind Putin and the Kremlin, and removing Putin is one way to end this war, the same as removing Hitler in the Second World War.
In Russia, there are reports that the Russian army is attempting to conscripted residence in Moscow and Saint Petersburg in order to deploy them to Crimea. The Russians need more cannon fodder.
I note that visa rules tightening restrictions on Russians entering border countries based on safety issues is a wise precaution.
The latest news is that Putin has denied a state funeral for the former Russia leader and, putting the final nail in Gorbachev's coffin, will not attend the funeral himself because he is too busy.
The Russian Centre of Armed Resistance against the Kremlin and Putin, hopefully will cause turmoil ( beneficial to Ukrain) within Russia and its numbers grow.