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The Journal
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Probe into whether bomb found near Russian-owned company was reaction to attacks on Ukraine
GARDAÍ ARE INVESTIGATING if a 'viable' bomb, found near a Russian-owned alumina refinery located at Askeaton, Co Limerick on Friday was a direct reaction to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine. On last Thursday night and into Friday, Russia launched its largest-ever aerial bombardment on Ukraine's capital Kyiv since invading the country in February 2022. On Friday afternoon, a bomb was discovered attached to a fuel tank that services the Russian-owned Aughnish Alumina refinery sports and social club building located close to the Shannon-estuary towns of Foynes and Askeaton. A spokesman for the Irish Defence Forces confirmed the bomb was 'viable', meaning it was capable of detonating and causing injuries or death. The bomb is believed to have included a battery-timed mechanism so that it could be detonated long after the perpetrators had left the area. It's understood that up to 100 staff at the Rusal-owned Aughinish refinery were unable to leave the plant while a 350-metre security cordon was in place at the scene for several hours between Friday night and Saturday morning. A garda spokeswoman said local gardaí were 'alerted' to the scene after a 'suspect device' was discovered 'at a premises near Foynes, at approximately 3.30pm, Friday, and a cordon was established'. A statement provided by the Defence Forces read: 'On Friday evening, bomb experts from the Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team responded to a request for assistance from An Garda Síochána (AGS) in relation to a suspect device in the area of Askeaton, Co. Limerick.' 'Following an assessment, the EOD team confirmed the device was viable, and it was rendered safe. The EOD Team then handed the scene over to AGS.'. The army EOD unit were on scene for a total of six hours, from arrival on scene at 6:58pm, Friday, to departure at 1:04am, Saturday 5 July. Advertisement Security sources said CCTV will play a huge role in the ongoing investigation in attempting to discover who was behind the bomb threat. Aerial view of Aughinish Alumina Refinery on the Shannon River, Co Limerick. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The area around and inside the alumina refinery plant is heavily populated with security cameras and gardaí hope to secure video footage that may assist them in tracking and apprehending those behind the bomb. A garda spokeswoman confirmed Sunday that the scene had been lifted and the area was safe. The area where the bomb was found is located close to a publicly accessible nature walking trail. A source said investigating gardai were examine one of many lines of enquiry, including the possibility that the bomb may have been a direct response to Russian missile attacks in Kyiv, last Thursday night. While the Aughinish Alumina plant has no direct link to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, it is owned by Russian aluminium giant Rusal, and one of its significant shareholders is Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, a close associate of the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Deripaska was previously hit with UK government sanctions including a full asset freeze and travel ban, in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, however the Irish government has refused to support any potential sanctioning of Rusal's Askeaton plant. The Kremlin stated in April 2024 that UK and US sanctions imposed then on Russian metals would have no impact on its ability to supply aluminum to world markets and would only serve to hurt countries imposing sanctions. In February 2022 Gardaí launched an investigation into criminal damage at the entrance to Aughinish Alumina which was daubed with slogans in red paint, similar in nature to protests at Russian embassies around the world at Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Aughinish Alumina which employs 450 people at its Askeaton refinery, has been contacted for comment. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
06-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
Gardaí probe if Aughinish bomb linked to Russian attack on Ukraine
Gardaí are investigating if a 'viable' bomb found near a Russian-owned alumina refinery in Limerick last Friday had been a direct reaction to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine. On Friday afternoon a bomb was discovered attached to a fuel tank that services the sports and social club building of the Russian-owned Aughinish Alumina refinery. The refinery is located close to the Shannon Estuary towns of Foynes and Askeaton. A spokesman for the Irish Defence Forces confirmed that the bomb was 'viable', meaning it was capable of detonating and causing injuries or death. The bomb is believed to have included a battery-timed mechanism so that it could be detonated long after the perpetrators had left the area. Security cordon It is understood that up to 100 staff at the Rusal-owned Aughinish refinery were unable to leave the plant while a 350-metre security cordon was in place at the scene for several hours between Friday night and Saturday morning. A Garda spokeswoman said local gardaí were alerted to the scene after a suspect device was discovered at a premises near Foynes. Explosive Ordnance Disposal team A statement provided by the Defence Forces read: 'On Friday evening, bomb experts from the Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team responded to a request for assistance from An Garda Síochána in relation to a suspect device in the area of Askeaton, Co Limerick. "Following an assessment, the EOD team confirmed the device was viable, and it was rendered safe. The EOD Team then handed the scene over to gardaí." The army EOD unit were on scene for a total of six hours. Security sources said CCTV will play a huge role in the ongoing investigation in attempting to discover who was behind the bomb threat. The area around and inside the alumina refinery plant is heavily populated with security cameras and gardaí hope to secure video footage that may assist them in tracking and apprehending those behind the bomb. 'Possibly a response to attack on Kyiv' A Garda spokeswoman confirmed on unday that the cordon on the scene had been lifted and the area was safe. The area where the bomb was found is located close to a publicly accessible nature walking trail. A source said investigating gardaí were examining one of many lines of enquiry, including the possibility that the bomb may have been a direct response to Russian missile attacks in Kyiv last Thursday night. While the Aughinish Alumina plant has no direct link to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, it is owned by Russian aluminium giant Rusal, and one of its significant shareholders is Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, a close associate of the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Aughinish Alumina, which employs 450 people at its Askeaton refinery, has been contacted for comment.
The Sun
29-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
YouTuber seduction coach linked to Putin's oligarch pal probed after ‘urging fans to grope women and ask for sex'
A RUSSIAN YouTube seduction coach with links to one of Putin's close oligarchs is facing investigation - after he urged viewers to "grope women and ask for sex". Alexander Kirillov is being investigated on suspicion of inducement to rape after he instructed men to grab women in the street by the buttocks and demand sex. 8 8 Self-proclaimed "seduction guru" Kirillov, known online as Alex Lesley, gave the sickening advice to fans on his YouTube channel - which has nearly 100,000 subscribers. Following the depraved remarks, numerous complaints from women reached Russian authorities - claiming they had been harassed by his followers. Kirillov, who previously made headlines for being embroiled in a political scandal involving a female escort and a close Putin oligarch, currently lives outside Russia. The political controversy in question was linked to Belarusian escort Anastasia Vashukevich, 35, and Russian energy tycoon Oleg Deripaska. It came to light after Vashukevich claimed to have evidence that Deripaska and Russia's deputy prime minister were part of a Kremlin conspiracy to skew the 2016 US presidential election in favour of Donald Trump. Vashukevich revealed on Instagram that she had been on Deripaska's yacht in 2016 alongside the deputy prime minister Sergei Prikhodko when a secret meeting was held concerning the plot. But both Deripaska and Prikhodko denied wrongdoing. Following her claims Vashukevich, who known online as Nastya Rybka, was arrested. At the time of her detention she was in Thailand, where she had been running a bizarre four-day 'sex training' class alongside none other than Kirillov. As part of the "sex seminars" - which participants reportedly paid £1,000 to take part in - the pair claimed they could teach people how to make their partners climax. They spent nine months in custody - before a Thai court handed them a suspended 18-month sentence for soliciting and running an illegal "sex training course". Vashukevich and Kirillov were then deported to Moscow in January 2019 and arrested - but later released. Upon their arrival back in Russia, shocking footage showed Vashukevich, appearing to have been sedated, struggling as four men pushed her into a wheelchair and then carried her off. The current controversy came to light last week when at least 10 young women went public saying they had being groped by Kirillov's fans in Moscow. Some claimed that the encounters were filmed by accomplices as the men groped them and asked for sex. Two Russian MPs then complained to higher authorities before the Investigative Committee opened a case against Kirillov. 8 8 8 They said he had 'induced his followers to commit illegal acts of a sexual character towards female residents of the capital'. Two men have already been slapped with 15‑day jail terms for hooliganism following the reports, and a third suspect was remanded in custody in connection with the case against Kirillov. Twisted Kirillov, a Belarusian, told Moskva‑24 from an undisclosed location that he was not fazed by the allegations. He said: "If we lived in America or Germany, God forbid, then it could result in serious consequences. "Thankfully, we are in Russia." Billionaire Deripaska, was once estimated to be Russia's wealthiest man by Forbes, became notorious in the US for his alleged ties to political consultant Paul Manafort. Manafort was convicted of tax fraud, bank fraud and failure to report foreign bank accounts. These convictions stemmed from an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. Deripaska was also previously reported to be tyrant Putin's "favourite" industrialist. And the low-profile oligarch also once hosted Lord Peter Mandelson, now the British Ambassador to the US, on his private yacht in Corfu. But Deripaska was hit by UK sanctions following a response to Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 8 8
Times
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Times
Sex coach linked to Deripaska scandal accused in harassment cases
A self-styled 'seduction guru' once caught up in a political controversy involving a female escort and an oligarch close to President Putin has now become embroiled in a harassment scandal in Moscow. Russia's Investigative Committee opened a case against Alexander Kirillov, also known as Alex Lesley, on suspicion of inducement to rape after he urged men to grab women in the street by the buttocks and offer them sex. The advice, given openly on his YouTube channel, led to numerous complaints from women claiming to have been harassed by his followers in Moscow since last week. Kirillov, 43, who is currently outside Russia, came to public attention in 2018 when he was linked to Anastasia Vashukevich, 35, a Belarusian escort also known on social media as Nastya Rybka, who wrote a book called How to Seduce a Billionaire. She revealed in Instagram posts that she had been on a yacht belonging to the Russian metals and energy tycoon Oleg Deripaska in 2016 when he held a meeting with Sergei Prikhodko, Russia's deputy prime minister, a fact that the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny picked up on as a sign of corruption. Vashukevich later claimed to have evidence that the two men had been involved in a Kremlin attempt to skew the US presidential election in favour of Donald Trump. Deripaska and Prikhodko both denied wrongdoing. Vashukevich and her 'pick-up coach' Kirillov were arrested in Thailand for holding illegal 'sex training' seminars in the country. They were deported to Moscow and arrested but then released. The current scandal broke out last week when at least ten young women told Russian media that men, some of them filmed by accomplices, had groped them in public places in Moscow and suggested that they had sex. Two Russian MPs complained to the Investigative Committee, linking the incidents to Kirillov. The committee then opened its case, saying that he had 'induced his followers to commit illegal acts of a sexual character towards female residents of the capital'. Two men have already been handed 15-day jail sentences for hooliganism over the incidents and a third was remanded in custody in connection with the case against Kirillov. Kirillov, a Belarusian, told Moskva-24 from an unnamed location that he was unfazed by the allegations. 'If we lived in America or Germany, God forbid, then it could result in serious consequences,' he said. 'Happily, we are so far in Russia.'
The Journal
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Journal
An Bord Pleanála raised concerns over use of ChatGPT for inspector's report into Limerick plant
AN BORD PLEANÁLA removed one of its inspectors from deliberations on a controversial expansion of a large steel plant in Limerick following concerns that a report was being written with the help of ChatGPT. A spokesperson for the State body told The Journal that the report was scrapped 'out of an abundance of caution' as its board members felt the use of artificial intelligence (AI) had the potential to 'raise concerns about the integrity of the decision-making process' for the report into Aughinish Alumina, near Foynes on the Shannon Estuary. An Bord Pleanála also 'advised all staff that the use of unapproved technology was strictly prohibited' in the wake of the incident. The file was then re-assigned to a new inspector for fresh consideration, with the second inspector's report sent to a 'newly constituted' board to decide on. This board granted planning permission to expand Aughinish Alumina's waste storage at the site in March. It was the second time the development had come before An Bord Pleanála, with the High Court previously quashing its decision to expand the site following objections by environmental groups. However, the use of AI now forms part of a challenge by Limerick-based environmental group Environmental Trust Ireland in its bid to halt the expansion of the site. The Aughinish Alumina plant near Foynes Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo A spokesperson for An Bord Pleanála told The Journal that it learned that the 'unapproved technology' was used for 'editing and formatting certain aspects' of a report after the employee reported their use of ChatGPT. In a lengthy statement, An Bord Pleanála said the incident 'raised the need to improve the policy' relating to the acceptable use of technology such as artificial intelligence. Access to AI software was also disabled on An Bord Pleanála systems in response to the discovery, the body's spokesperson said. 'The incident reaffirmed the need for bespoke GenAI technology specifically designed for the requirements of An Bord Pleanála,' the spokesperson added, pending the development of a digital strategy with guidelines for use of the advanced AI programmes. The spokesperson said that this work was already underway since the appointment of a new director of digital strategy last year. Major employer with Russian links A major employer in the mid-west, Aughinish Alumina employs 450 people on its 222-hectare site. The plant is owned by Russian metals company Rusal, which was co-founded by Oleg Deripaska. Deripaska, who is still a shareholder in Rusal, is an industrialist who is reported to have had close ties to Russia president Vladimir Putin. Advertisement In 2018, Deripaska was placed on a US sanctions list and the UK government also announced sanctions against the oligarch in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The businessman is well-connected in Russian politics and business, and was pictured earlier this month at the Kremlin in Moscow for a ceremony ahead of World War II commemorations. Rusal co-founder Oleg Deripaska addressing a meeting of the Bank of Russia's financial congress last year. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Aughinish Alumina has been looking to expand its disposal area for bauxite residue – an ore from aluminium, also known as 'red mud' due to its copper colouring. The site's expansion plans have been the subject of legal challenges over recent years, with the High Court quashing previous planning permission granted by An Bord Pleanála. The amended planning application that received approval in March included findings from An Bord Pleanála stating that the development 'would not have significant negative effects on the environment' if given the go-ahead. This permission has now been challenged by two environmental groups – Environmental Trust Ireland and Futureproof Clare – in separate judicial reviews lodged this week. Environmental Trust Ireland, which is represented by Limerick firm Hayes Solicitors, has taken a case which it is understood is partly based on the alleged concerns raised internally within An Bord Pleanála. In the planning authority's board minutes from last October for the Aughinish refinery's expansion – seen by The Journal – it records that it was 'brought to the Board's attention that certain parts of the Inspector's report may have been written following interaction with an external technology system', later referring to ChatGPT. However, it is understood that Environmental Trust Ireland is challenging whether the inspector remained involved in the process after the AI use was flagged, referring to later minutes for An Bord Pleanála's March meeting to discuss the refinery's expansion. While the inspector was listed in later minutes, An Bord Pleanála has stressed to The Journal that the individual was not involved in the case after November 2024. It is understood that an admin error may have resulted in the confusion. Environmental claims The judicial review taken by Environmental Trust Ireland is one of two filed this week against the expansion of the refinery's disposal area the red mud waste. A group called Futureproof Clare has taken the other, separate case. It is represented by FP Logue solicitors and The Journal understands its arguments are based around the environmental impact of the expansion. The plant has capacity at its bauxite residue disposal area (BRDA) until 2030 and the new extension will extend the lifetime of the BRDA up to 2039. The proposed development would increase the height of sections of the disposal area by 12 metres. It would bring the total height to 44 metres. The company has maintained that it can't continue production unless its waste facility is expanded. Aughinish Alumina did not respond when contacted for comment. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
