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ARTICLE

Kremlin Critic Alexei Navalny Goes Missing: He Hasn’t Been Heard From In 6 Days
Molly Bohannon
Forbes Staff
Dec 11, 2023, 10:25am EST
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/12/11/kremlin-critic-alexei-navalny-goes-missing-he-hasnt-been-heard-from-in-6-days/?sh=4b88d6b666ad

Allies of Russian politician and avowed critic of President Vladimir Putin, Alexei Navalny, said they haven’t been able to contact him in prison in six days after he didn’t appear in court on video on Monday, multiple news outlets are reporting.

Key Facts

• Navalny was sentenced to 19 years in prison on charges of extremism earlier this year—while already serving a nine-year sentence—as Russia worked to silence his criticism of the Kremlin.

• Navalny was set to be transferred out of the prison he was in to a “special security” colony, one of the highest security facilities in the Russian system, according to the Associated Press.

• Kira Yarmysh, a spokesperson for Navalny, said prison officials said Navalny didn’t appear on his video call Monday due to electricity problems.

• The prison Navalny was in no longer lists him as a prisoner but officials would not say where he was transferred to, Yarmysh said on X.

• On Friday—the third day with no contact from Navalny—-Yarmysh said on X that he had nearly fainted earlier in the week, adding “given the fact that he’s not being fed, is being kept in a punishment cell with no ventilation and the time for walks has been reduced to a minimum, it looks like a hunger faint.”

Key Background

Navalny has been one of Putin’s loudest political opponents for more than two decades. He has called Putin and the Russian court system “traitors against the Russian people,” and has been a vocal critic of Russia’s war with Ukraine, calling it “pointless” and saying “one crazy thief has seized hold of Ukraine and no one understands what he wants to do with it.” Navalny’s nine-year prison sentence followed a two-year sentence and came when he was found guilty of fraud and contempt of court, though Navalny has said the accusations are politically motivated.
Big Number

14. That’s how many criminal cases Navalny is a defendant in, according to Yarmysh. Charges in those trials range from justification of terrorism to vandalism, and his supporters have often said they believe the Kremlin is trying to continue adding prison time to his sentences to silence Navalny.

ARTICLE - Britain

U.K. to transfer two minehunters to Ukraine in joint naval coalition
TVP World
11.12.2023, 04:57
https://tvpworld.com/74688821/uk-to-transfer-two-minehunters-to-ukraine-in-joint-naval-coalition

Britain said on Monday it would transfer two Royal Navy minehunter ships to the Ukrainian Navy as it sets up a new maritime defense coalition alongside Norway to help strengthen Ukraine’s sea operations.

The two Sandown Class mine countermeasures vessels are intended to enhance Ukraine’s ability to counter the threat from Russian sea mines, with the aim of restoring Ukraine’s export routes via the Black Sea.

The transfer of the vessels was announced alongside the launch of the Maritime Capability Coalition set up by Britain and Norway to improve Ukraine’s navy to make it more compatible with western allies and increase security in the Black Sea.

“This capability boost marks the beginning of a new dedicated effort by the U.K., Norway, and our allies to strengthen Ukraine’s maritime capabilities over the long term,” British defense minister Grant Shapps said in a statement.

After the United States, Britain has been the second-largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine since the war started in February 2021. London has also provided military training courses to around 20,000 Ukrainians over the past year.