November 23:
Unknown saboteurs, believed to be Ukrainian nationalists, have blown up the main power lines leading to Crimea, cutting off power to most of the peninsula, reports the New York Times. With all four of the region's primary electricity lines (which flow from neighboring Ukraine) out of commission, nearly all of Crimea's 1.8 million residents now find themselves without electricity. The Russian government has imposed a state of emergency on the region.
According to the Tasnim News Agency, Russian air defenses are finally en route to Iran. Iran's ambassador to Moscow, Mehdi Sanaei, has announced the commencement of shipments of Russian-made S-300 air defense systems to Iran. The original agreement signed in 2007, which required Russia to send Iran five S-300 defense system batteries, was cancelled by then-Russian president Dmitry Medvedev in response to pressure from the U.S. and Israel. Current President Vladimir Putin has since decided to resume the delivery of the missile system despite protests from the White House.
In anticipation of President Vladimir Putin's upcoming trip to Tehran, the Kremlin has lifted a ban that prevented the supply of uranium enrichment equipment to Iran. Russia's state RT channel reports that a new presidential decree has softened the Russian government's existing ban on supplying goods, materials and equipment so that it no longer applies "to the exports of the enriched uranium from the Islamic Republic of Iran." The decision paves the way for the potential exportation of low-enriched uranium from Iran to Russia as outlined in the nuclear deal signed by Iran and the P5+1 powers back in July.
November 24:
The White House has announced that it will not lift sanctions on Russia in exchange for cooperation on counter-terrorism operations in Syria. "I do not envision a scenario in which sanctions relief is offered to Russia in exchange for greater contributions to Islamic State," The Moscow Times cites State Department spokesman Joshua Earnest as telling reporters. The pronouncement runs parallel to Europe's recent decision to maintain sanctions imposed on Russia over Ukraine for the coming half-year.
Turkey's military has shot down a Russian fighter jet near the Syrian border, sparking a crisis in relations between Moscow and Ankara. According to London's Guardian newspaper, Russian president Vladimir Putin has has called Turkey's government the "accomplices of terrorists" and threatened "serious consequences" against the country in retaliation for the plane's downing. "Our military is doing heroic work against terrorism... But the loss today is a stab in the back, carried out by the accomplices of terrorists. I can't describe it in any other way," he said.
November 25:
Russia is accelerating its military ties to Egypt. According to Cairo's Al-Ahram newspaper, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's recent two-day jaunt to Cairo has paved the way for accelerated defense cooperation between the two countries. In the wake of the visit, Shoigu has "ordered [the] federal service for military-technical cooperation to rapidly respond to an Egyptian request to buy armaments," the paper reports.
November 26:
In retaliation for the recent downing of a Russian fighter jet, the Kremlin has cut all military contacts with Turkey. "Today, in accordance with a previously made decision, all cooperation channels have been cut between the Russian Defense Ministry and the Turkish Armed Forces," Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, has told reporters in comments carried by Sputnik News. "This concerns all ties, not just the so-called hotline that was launched in order to avoid possible air incidents during the destruction of terrorist infrastructure in Syria."
Want these sent to your inbox?
Subscribe