Latest news with #Polishchuk
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Welcome to North Korea's Costa Blanca, where only five-star reviews are allowed
But that's no surprise, as the visitors to Wonsan Kalma were warned in no uncertain terms that any negative feedback could threaten Russia's alliance with Kim Jong Un's hermit kingdom. Natalia Fisher (52) and Daria Polishchuk (22) flew to North Korea on a package holiday at the end of July, just weeks after the resort's official opening. During their trip, guides told them to be careful with what they said about their experience back home, suggesting 'any friendship can be broken with some awkward, improper words'. North Korea has forged a strong alliance with Russia, with Mr Kim piling troops and weaponry on to the Ukrainian battlefield in support of Vladimir Putin. The cloistered nation is now opening its doors, appealing for Russian tourists to visit the mega resort, which stretches nearly 5km along the beachfront of Wonsan, featuring high-rise hotels, a water park and accommodation for 20,000 guests. The resort was inspired by Spanish seaside resorts, after Mr Kim sent a delegation on a fact-finding mission to the Costa Blanca. 'If someone had shown me a photo, I would never have thought it was North Korea,' Ms Polishchuk said. 'Visually, I think it could compete with many European resorts.' Ms Fisher said: 'The locals all seemed so happy. They walked around smiling, waving to us, taking videos of us, greeting us – and, in general, the mood towards tourists was so positive.' A journalist with Russia's Kommersant newspaper, who travelled to Wonsan with Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, in mid-July, had doubts about the authenticity. Anastasia Dombitskaya questioned whether the other guests were really North Korean tourists, saying: 'They understood and even spoke Russian perfectly.' She noticed the streets were deserted, and the same couple were playing billiards continuously throughout the day. All foreign tourists, apart from Russians, are currently barred from the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist zone 'This couple did not even end up with the worst role − others had to portray vacationers right underneath the scorching sun,' she wrote. 'One person sat smoking one cigarette after another … another rode a bicycle up and down the embankment, and another settled on the veranda sipping a glass of beer that stayed full.' Wonsan, on North Korea's eastern seaboard, was once the site of missile-testing facilities and has long been a coveted holiday spot for the nation's ruling elite. Mr Kim maintains an opulent villa complex in the city, thought to be his personal favourite of his portfolio of more than a dozen properties. All foreign tourists, apart from Russians, are currently barred from the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist zone. The mega resort reportedly aims to attract one million visitors, though Ms Polishchuk said there were just 50 other holidaymakers during her trip. Her stay spanned Wonsan, Pyongyang and Mount Myohyang. It included trips to the Victorious War Museum, monuments to leaders, and the International Friendship Exhibition. As part of their all-inclusive package, Ms Fisher and Ms Polishchuk stayed in luxury hotels and were fed extravagant buffets of foie gras, chips and battered cheese, as well as local delicacies. Such meals would be unimaginable for a typical local in North Korea, where the average monthly salary is under $10 (€8.55). A week-long package holiday from Russia is advertised at around the equivalent of €1,750. Ms Polishchuk said the tour guides were very attentive and did everything they could to cater to Russian tastes, though some aspects were lost in translation. 'They were apparently told that Russians love black bread, but they probably don't quite understand what black bread is,' she said, referring to the sourdough rye known in Russia as borodinsky. 'They took this bread, mixed it with activated charcoal, and ended up with bread that was literally black.' The tourists had to be accompanied by a guide at all times outside of their hotel rooms, were not allowed to talk to locals and had to pay to access the heavily restricted internet. In front of the portraits of the leaders, the locals bow, treating them with great respect However, they said they were greeted like celebrities, with locals waving, photographing them and screaming 'Russia, Russia!' as they walked by. 'They consider us a truly brotherly nation,' Ms Fisher said. 'Even the guides told us that they have a great relationship with Russia … but they said, 'What you carry to the masses, what you tell about us, our friendship depends on this'.' Ms Polishchuk said that the nation reminded them of the Soviet Union. 'You have to understand that there is still a cult of personality in Korea,' she said. 'In front of all these statues, in front of the portraits of the leaders, the locals bow, treating them with great respect.' The group was instructed that any time they took a picture with a portrait, photo or statue of the supreme leader, Mr Kim had to be fully visible. If any part was cut off in the photo, they would be asked to delete it. On the flight from Vladivostok to Pyongyang, Ms Polishchuk's family fell foul of flight attendants after accidentally filling out a form atop a North Korean magazine. 'Since the magazine is probably 70pc made up of photos of leaders, it just so happened that the declaration was obscuring one of the portraits of the leader, and the flight attendants got seriously upset with us,' Ms Polishchuk said. Direct flights from Moscow to Pyongyang began at the end of July in a bid to deepen economic and military ties between Russia and North Korea. North Korea has been one of Russia's closest military allies since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The countries signed a mutual defence treaty in 2024 that calls on each side to come to the other's aid if faced with an armed attack. In April, Moscow and Pyongyang confirmed for the first time that North Korea had sent thousands of troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine. At the July meeting between Mr Lavrov and Mr Kim, the latter reaffirmed his government's commitment to 'unconditionally support and encourage all measures' that Russia takes in Ukraine.
Miami Herald
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Russia-Linked Tankers Keep Exploding
An explosion on a tanker at a port in Russia is the latest unexplained incident to happen on a vessel linked to the country, which has raised speculation over sabotage. Russia's transportation ministry said Sunday it was investigating the blast on the Eco Wizard tanker at the Ust-Luga port near St. Petersburg, which had caused an ammonia leak on board. Last week, a blast caused flooding in the engine room of the Greek-owned Vilamoura off the coast of Libya. Ukraine said that the ship was part of Russia's "shadow fleet" used to evade oil sanctions. Four other mysterious limpet mine attacks hit vessels that had called at Russian ports this year. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility, but media outlets have noted how Kyiv's security forces often conduct covert action against Russian interests. Olha Polishchuk from the analysis firm ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data) told Newsweek on Monday that regarding the latest incident, "it is not unreasonable to suggest Ukraine's involvement." Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense for comment. The blasts on oil tankers linked to Russia have shaken the shipping world and prompted speculation that they were part of a state-backed sabotage campaign. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility, and there could be other causes, but Kyiv's drone strikes on Russian targets coincide with a fight against vessels that evade oil sanctions aimed at choking off funding for Moscow's military machine. Russian authorities reported an explosion on the Eco Wizard tanker at the strategically important Ust-Luga port in northwestern Russia's Leningrad region, located on the Gulf of Finland. No casualties were reported. The blast caused "a minor leak of liquid ammonia" on board the vessel whose 23-person crew was evacuated, according to Russian Telegram news channel Baza, which said there was "an explosion of an unknown nature." Eco Wizard was built in 2024 to transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and was sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands and is suspected to belong to Russia's sanctions-busting shadow fleet, according to the Kyiv Independent. The vessel had arrived from Antwerp, Belgium, on July 3, according to ship-tracking data from VesselFinder. Polishchuk said that ACLED monitors Ukrainian strikes deep into Russia's territory and had previously recorded explosions where Kyiv's involvement was either confirmed or highly suspected. Ukraine has also frequently targeted oil and gas-related facilities in the past, particularly those facilitating export, Polishchuk told Newsweek. "Taking into consideration the reach of the previous attacks, the location of the current attack, and the nature of the target, it is not unreasonable to suggest Ukraine's involvement, though there are other possible causes." The vessel Eco Wizard is the latest Russian-linked tanker to have suffered an explosion since the start of this year. Last week, there was a blast on the Vilamoura shortly after it visited Ust-Luga in early April, where it loaded Kazakh-origin barrels and had called in at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal near Novorossiysk in May. This is a pattern that correlates with at least four other tanker explosions since January, three of which happened in the Mediterranean, according to analysis by Lloyd's List, which was shared with Newsweek. However, the common link to previous Russia oil terminal visits may not be sufficient to establish a connection between all recent explosions without clear evidence, Lloyd's List said. All five tankers had passed through Malta's outer port limits, but links to Libya were also the common denominator in at least two explosions, it added. Four of the vessels belonged to Greek and Cypriot shipowners, according to the Financial Times. The Vilamoura is part of the Cardiff Group of George Economou. The Seacharm, hit in January off Turkey, and the Seajewel, hit in February in Italy, belong to Thenamaris, which Nikolas Martinos controls. The Grace Ferrum, damaged off Libya in February, belongs to the Cypriot firm Cymare. Another vessel, the Koala, was damaged in an explosion at Ust-Luga Port in February and had been sanctioned by the European Union in May for transporting Russian oil. Olha Polishchuk, Eastern Europe Research Manager at ACLED, told Newsweek: "Previous attacks have also shown vulnerabilities in Russia's defense of not only its oil and gas industry, but also high-value military targets-vulnerabilities that Ukraine will continue to prod and exploit." Lloyd's List on June 30: "A common link to previous Russia oil terminal visits may not be sufficient to link all recent explosions without clear evidence." The latest incident will be investigated by Russian authorities. Security analysts assume that such explosions are related to the vessel's recent loading at Russian oil export facilities; however, Lloyd's List said that there is no hard evidence to support these theories, making vessel risk assessments difficult for shipowners and operators. Related Articles Iran Gets Significant Diplomatic BoostPutin Minister Found Dead After Ukraine FailuresRussia Appears To Be Hiding Its Death FiguresLavrov Lists Russia Demands for Ukraine Peace 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Russia-Linked Tankers Keep Exploding
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. An explosion on a tanker at a port in Russia is the latest unexplained incident to happen on a vessel linked to the country, which has raised speculation over sabotage. Russia's transportation ministry said Sunday it was investigating the blast on the Eco Wizard tanker at the Ust-Luga port near St. Petersburg, which had caused an ammonia leak on board. Last week, a blast caused flooding in the engine room of the Greek-owned Vilamoura off the coast of Libya. Ukraine said that the ship was part of Russia's "shadow fleet" used to evade oil sanctions. Four other mysterious limpet mine attacks hit vessels that had called at Russian ports this year. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility, but media outlets have noted how Kyiv's security forces often conduct covert action against Russian interests. Olha Polishchuk from the analysis firm ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data) told Newsweek on Monday that regarding the latest incident, "it is not unreasonable to suggest Ukraine's involvement." Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense for comment. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva Why It Matters The blasts on oil tankers linked to Russia have shaken the shipping world and prompted speculation that they were part of a state-backed sabotage campaign. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility, and there could be other causes, but Kyiv's drone strikes on Russian targets coincide with a fight against vessels that evade oil sanctions aimed at choking off funding for Moscow's military machine. What To Know Russian authorities reported an explosion on the Eco Wizard tanker at the strategically important Ust-Luga port in northwestern Russia's Leningrad region, located on the Gulf of Finland. No casualties were reported. The blast caused "a minor leak of liquid ammonia" on board the vessel whose 23-person crew was evacuated, according to Russian Telegram news channel Baza, which said there was "an explosion of an unknown nature." Eco Wizard was built in 2024 to transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and was sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands and is suspected to belong to Russia's sanctions-busting shadow fleet, according to the Kyiv Independent. The vessel had arrived from Antwerp, Belgium, on July 3, according to ship-tracking data from VesselFinder. Polishchuk said that ACLED monitors Ukrainian strikes deep into Russia's territory and had previously recorded explosions where Kyiv's involvement was either confirmed or highly suspected. Ukraine has also frequently targeted oil and gas-related facilities in the past, particularly those facilitating export, Polishchuk told Newsweek. "Taking into consideration the reach of the previous attacks, the location of the current attack, and the nature of the target, it is not unreasonable to suggest Ukraine's involvement, though there are other possible causes." The vessel Eco Wizard is the latest Russian-linked tanker to have suffered an explosion since the start of this year. Last week, there was a blast on the Vilamoura shortly after it visited Ust-Luga in early April, where it loaded Kazakh-origin barrels and had called in at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal near Novorossiysk in May. This is a pattern that correlates with at least four other tanker explosions since January, three of which happened in the Mediterranean, according to analysis by Lloyd's List, which was shared with Newsweek. However, the common link to previous Russia oil terminal visits may not be sufficient to establish a connection between all recent explosions without clear evidence, Lloyd's List said. All five tankers had passed through Malta's outer port limits, but links to Libya were also the common denominator in at least two explosions, it added. Four of the vessels belonged to Greek and Cypriot shipowners, according to the Financial Times. The Vilamoura is part of the Cardiff Group of George Economou. The Seacharm, hit in January off Turkey, and the Seajewel, hit in February in Italy, belong to Thenamaris, which Nikolas Martinos controls. The Grace Ferrum, damaged off Libya in February, belongs to the Cypriot firm Cymare. Another vessel, the Koala, was damaged in an explosion at Ust-Luga Port in February and had been sanctioned by the European Union in May for transporting Russian oil. The oil tanker Eagle S, part of Russia's sanctions-busting shadow fleet, seen at the Port of Kilpilahti in Porvoo, Finland, on January 7, 2025. The oil tanker Eagle S, part of Russia's sanctions-busting shadow fleet, seen at the Port of Kilpilahti in Porvoo, Finland, on January 7, 2025. ANTTI AIMO-KOIVISTO/Getty Images What People Are Saying Olha Polishchuk, Eastern Europe Research Manager at ACLED, told Newsweek: "Previous attacks have also shown vulnerabilities in Russia's defense of not only its oil and gas industry, but also high-value military targets—vulnerabilities that Ukraine will continue to prod and exploit." Lloyd's List on June 30: "A common link to previous Russia oil terminal visits may not be sufficient to link all recent explosions without clear evidence." What Happens Next The latest incident will be investigated by Russian authorities. Security analysts assume that such explosions are related to the vessel's recent loading at Russian oil export facilities; however, Lloyd's List said that there is no hard evidence to support these theories, making vessel risk assessments difficult for shipowners and operators.
India.com
29-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Ukraine accuses Bangladesh of 'theft', to appeal European Union for...
Ukraine accuses Bangladesh of 'theft', to appeal European Union for… Ukraine on Saturday approached the European Union and requested it to impose sanctions on Bangladeshi organisations that are importing wheat from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. Kyiv stated that issuing warnings to Bangladesh has had no effect on these organisations. Hence, the war-torn country has no option but to approach the European Union. Notably, the Russian Army has captured a large part of the southern regions of Ukraine since 2014. Farmers there produce wheat that is now exported by Moscow. Most of the wheat is bought by Bangladesh. Now, Ukraine has accused Russia of wheat theft. A Russian official responded to the allegations and said that there has been no theft of grain because the areas are now part of Russia and will remain part of the country forever. Ukraine Sent Several Letters To Bangladesh As per reports, the Ukraine embassy which is located in Delhi, sent letters requesting Dhaka to reject more than 150,000 tonnes of grain allegedly stolen and shipped from the Russian port of Kavkaz. Ukraine's ambassador to India stated that Kyiv has yet to receive a response from Dhaka regarding a confidential diplomatic communication concerning grain shipments. Ukraine's intelligence suggests that Russian entities are blending grain from occupied Ukrainian territories with Russian wheat before export, prompting Ukraine to further investigate the matter. Ukrainian Ambassador to India, Oleksandr Polishchuk, stated that Dhaka has not responded to a confidential diplomatic communication regarding grain shipments. Ukraine will now further investigate, as its intelligence indicates that Russian entities are blending grain from occupied Ukrainian territories with Russian wheat before export. Ukrainian Ambassador Termed It A Crime 'This is a crime,' Polishchuk said in an interview at the Ukrainian embassy in New Delhi. 'We will share our investigation with our EU colleagues, and we will request them to take appropriate measures,' he said. Bangladesh Food Ministry Issued Statement A Bangladeshi food ministry official stated that Bangladesh would have prohibited Russian grain imports had they originated from occupied Ukrainian land. he said that the country does not import stolen wheat. It is to be noted that, amid the ongoing war with Russia, the agriculture sector remains one of the main sources of income for Ukraine, which supplies grain, vegetable oil and oilseeds to foreign markets. In April this year, Ukraine detained a foreign ship and alleged that the vessel was involved in illegal trade. EU Imposes Sanctions On 32 Ships The European Union has sanctioned 342 vessels involved in Russia's 'shadow fleet,' alleging these ships help Russia evade Western sanctions on oil, weapons, and grain exports. Russia maintains that these sanctions are unlawful.
Arab Times
27-06-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
Grain Theft Sparks New Ukraine-EU Diplomatic Pressure on Bangladesh
KYIV, June 27: Ukraine is urging the European Union to sanction Bangladeshi companies accused of importing wheat stolen from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. Despite multiple warnings to Bangladesh, the trade continues, says Ukraine's ambassador to India, Oleksandr Polishchuk. Since 2014, Russia has controlled key agricultural regions in southern Ukraine. Kyiv accuses Moscow of stealing grain, a claim Russia denies, calling the lands theirs permanently. Documents obtained by the Associated Press reveal Ukraine's embassy in New Delhi sent several letters to Bangladesh's government this year, flagging over 150,000 tonnes of allegedly stolen grain shipped via Russia's Kavkaz port. Bangladesh has not responded. Polishchuk warns the EU will be asked to act, as intelligence shows Russian traders blend Ukrainian grain with Russian wheat to mask its origin. 'This is a crime,' he said. 'We'll ask our European partners to take appropriate measures.' Bangladesh denies importing stolen wheat, with officials stating they block Russian grain from occupied Ukrainian areas. Meanwhile, the EU says vessels linked to these shipments are not yet sanctioned but could face restrictions if proven to be involved. The grain trade is vital for Ukraine's economy amid war, but Kyiv is cracking down on illegal exports. Recent seizures of foreign ships accused of transporting stolen grain underscore the stakes. A Russian trader admits tracking grain origin is tricky: 'These aren't diamonds or gold — impurities don't reveal their source.'
