Russia Reform Monitor No. 2477

RUSSIA "CHECKMATES" THE F-35
Ahead of the country's biennial air show, Russia has formally unveiled a new Sukhoi stealth fighter, created to challenge the U.S. F-35. The combat jet was developed by Russian defense giant ROSTEC in cooperation with the state-controlled United Aircraft Corporation. The plane, known as the "Checkmate," can attack up to six targets simultaneously on land, sea or air, and do so "even under conditions of strong electronic interference," according to its manufacturers. The Checkmate reportedly costs between $25-30 million per unit, and its manufacturers are planning for it "to be offered en masse to customers starting from 2026." (Agence France Presse, July 20, 2021)

RUSSIA OPENS UP VOTING IN THE DONBAS
According to a resolution passed on July 20th by Russia's Central Election Commission, Russian passport holders living in the seperatist-controlled Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine will be eligible to vote online in Russia's upcoming parliamentary elections. The Russian Interior Ministry estimates that up to 527,000 residents of these regions have obtained Russian passports after President Vladimir Putin simplified the issuance of Russian passports via a 2019 decree. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, July 21, 2021)

SAKHALIN NEWSPAPER SILENCED
In mid-July, journalists at Uglegorskiye Novosti, a weekly newspaper on Sakhalin Island off the Russian Pacific coast, were preparing to publish a front-page story on the Eastern Mining Company's recent coal dump disaster, which had blocked the Zhyoltaya River. The plan was derailed, however, when two men from the company arrived to discuss the forthcoming story with Editor-in-Chief Zinaida Makarova. After defending her newspaper's integrity and dismissing the men, Makarova was called to the Mayor's office, where she was fired from the outlet. Shortly thereafter, 10 men arrived at Makarova's office, took files from computers, and cut power to the entire floor. Over a week later, electricity has still not been restored to Uglegorskiye Novosti. Eastern Mining Company extracts 70 percent of Sakhalin's coal, and is one of the island's major employers. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, July 21, 2021)

WASHINGTON, BERLIN REACH AGREEMENT ON NORD STREAM II
Shortly after German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with President Biden at the White House this month, Washington and Berlin finalized a deal allowing developers to complete the controversial Nord Stream II pipeline. The deal effectively cements the fate of the project, which has been vociferously opposed by some in Congress. As a nod to those criticisms, the Biden/Merkel deal pledges over $230 million for strengthening energy security in Ukraine and energy diversification in Europe.

Nevertheless, the measure is a clear boon for Russia. Completion of Nord Stream II will make the country less reliant on overland transit routes through Ukraine, potentially negatively impacting Kyiv's economy in the process. It also significantly increases Russia's potential leverage over the European Union. In the event that Russia uses Nord Stream II to economically coerce Europe, however, Germany has pledged to "take action at the national level and press for effective measures at the European level, including sanctions to limit Russian export capabilities to Europe in the energy sector," a State Department source has said. (CNBC, July 21, 2021)

RUSSIA FILES SUIT AGAINST UKRAINE IN HUMAN RIGHTS COURT
The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has submitted a lawsuit against Ukraine to the European Court of Human Rights. Russia's complaint includes allegations of various violations committed by Ukrainian authorities, including discrimination against Russian-speaking minorities and cutting off freshwater access to occupied Crimea by blocking the North Crimean Canal. The suit also alleges violence against Russian diplomats and the shelling deaths of civilians in the Donbass, the site of fighting between Ukrainian and Russian proxy forces since 2014. In a Facebook post reacting to Russia's suit, the Ukrainian Justice Minister claimed Moscow's claims were based on "myth." However, he acknowledged the propaganda value the allegations had on audiences in Russia. (Reuters, July 22, 2021)