WAR IN UKRAINE: December 3, 2022
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 283
Russia is consolidating its military presence in the captured port city of Mariupol by constructing a large army base, satellite photos released from the Earth observation company Maxar appear to show. The new, U-shaped compound sits near the centre of the city. On its roof, the red, white and blue star of the Russian army can be seen, with letters reading "From the Russian army to the people of Mariupol" - BBC
A rich Russian businessman has been arrested at his luxury home in London by police investigating criminal activity by oligarchs. The 58-year-old was held on suspicion of money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the Home Office, and conspiracy to commit perjury. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has not named the man, or two others, who were also arrested - SKY News
A cap on the price of Russian oil will restrict Russia's revenues for its "illegal war in Ukraine", the US says. The cap, approved by Western allies on Friday, is aimed at stopping countries paying more than $60 (£48) for a barrel of seaborne Russian crude oil. The measure - due to come into force on Monday - intensifies Western pressure on Russia over the invasion - BBC
As many as 17 Ukrainian diplomatic missions abroad have received either letter bombs or blood-stained envelopes. "This campaign is aimed at sowing fear and intimidating Ukrainian diplomats," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with CNN.
Foreign Ministry: Ukraine's Embassy in Spain also receives blood-stained parcel. Similar packages were earlier sent to the Ukrainian diplomatic missions in Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Croatia, Italy, and Austria, the consulates general in Naples and Krakow, and the consulate in Brno. Separately, Ukraine's ambassador to Vatican says his house was vandalized. Ukraine's ambassador to the Vatican, Andriy Yurash, said on Dec. 2 that the entrance to his home in Rome had been smeared by unknown people with what he believed to be animal feces - Kyiv Independent
In the Black Sea, Russia currently keeps 24 Kalibr cruise missiles on standby, the enemy can practice massive missile strikes - spokeswoman for the press center of the Southern Defense Forces Humenyuk. “That's why we take air warning signals very seriously, perform all the necessary measures of the algorithm, but without any panic," she added - Ukrainska Pravda
Required reading…
Russia seeks help from friends for sanctions evasion - Oxford Analytica
Friday, December 2, 2022
The government is keen to exploit sanctions-free trade routes and legal loopholes
Kazakhstan's Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vasilenko on November 30 reiterated that his country would not let its territory be used to help Russia circumvent sanctions. The US government has named Kazakhstan and many other countries as routes by which sanctioned goods have reached Russia, but has refrained from hitting them with secondary sanctions. Unusual spikes in trade are helpful in identifying which countries are re-exporting goods to Russia.
What next
Russia will cast its net wider to procure the Western goods and technology it needs. Neighbouring states that have close economic ties with Russia but are wary of its imperialist ambitions will strike a delicate balance between observing sanctions and accommodating Moscow's wishes. Some states such as Turkey (openly) and the United Arab Emirates (quietly) will ignore US pressure, but many will opt for caution and comply.Russia seeks help from friends for sanctions evasion