Latest from Novaya Gazeta Europe
Novaya Gazeta Europe
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
European spy agencies accuse Russia of ‘widespread' chemical weapons usage in Ukraine — Novaya Gazeta Europe
A Russian Emergency Ministry employee checks radiation levels and potential chemical air pollution in Kursk, Russia, 6 September 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE/STRINGER The Netherlands and Germany have accused Russia of ramping up its chemical weapons usage in Ukraine following a joint investigation of the two countries' intelligence services, according to a joint press release published on Friday. According to the investigation's findings, it is now 'standard practice' for Russia to use tear gas, as well as more serious substances like chloropicrin, high doses of which can be fatal, to force Ukrainian troops to leave cover 'to be killed [with] conventional weapons'. While tear gas is used for law enforcement purposes, its usage in warfare is banned by the 1992 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), to which Russia is a party. "The main conclusion is that we can confirm Russia is intensifying its use of chemical weapons … it is part of a trend we have been observing for several years now, where Russia's use of chemical weapons in this war is becoming more normalized, standardized, and widespread,' Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said in an interview with Reuters on Friday. Russian chemical weapons had been tied to at least three Ukrainian deaths on the battlefield, with over 2,500 injured casualties also reporting chemical weapons-related symptoms, Brekelmans told Reuters. While Moscow has not yet responded to the latest claims, it has previously denied Kyiv's allegations regarding the illegal use of chemical weapons in Ukraine. Most recently, in March, a Ukrainian delegation to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), accused Russia of 'systematically violating' the CWC, having used chemical munitions over 6,900 times since 2022. On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed that the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) had discovered a Ukrainian storage site containing chloropicrin-equipped weapons in the east of the country, and blamed the OPCW for turning a 'blind eye' to Ukraine's 'flagrant breaches' of international law. In May 2024, the OPCW stated that accusations from both Russia and Ukraine regarding the use of chemical weapons were 'insufficiently substantiated'.
Novaya Gazeta Europe
4 hours ago
- Business
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
Off the rails. Disused trains, record-low cargo and engine shortages: how the war has impacted Russian Railways — Novaya Gazeta Europe
State-owned monopoly Russian Railways is at a crisis point, the company's worst since the Great Recession almost two decades ago, with freight volumes at a record low due to the combined effects of Western sanctions and dwindling flows of agricultural goods and construction materials. Nevertheless, Russia's rail network is congested, not only with trains rushing to deliver military supplies urgently needed at the front, but with unused carriages. It also critically lacks both the personnel and locomotives required to keep the rail system running smoothly, and these problems only seem to be getting worse. This matters not only because Russian Railways is one of Russia's largest and richest state-owned enterprises, but because railway transport activity is also a bellwether for the wider economy — freight must be moved today in order for business to be done tomorrow. When rail traffic is disrupted, it usually signals that an industrial slowdown is imminent. So what, then, can the dysfunction of Russia's national rail system tell us about the health of the country's economy in 2025? And will Russian Railways be able to get itself back on track any time soon? Tankers at a railway yard in Tobolsk, Tyumen region, Russia, 24 September 2012. Photo: Sergey Ilnitsky / EPA Track record The origins of the national rail service's current crisis can be traced back to February 2022. Within the first 12 months of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, transport flows in two key categories of goods had collapsed. Raw materials, such as timber, ferrous metals, ores and minerals, came under sanction by the West, while international demand for fertilisers — despite being unsanctioned — also fell significantly after Russia's major banks were excluded from the SWIFT international payment system. As the war entered its second year, Russian Railways appeared to be surviving financially, although clear signs of strain had begun to appear. The national rail service had seen total freight transports fall 4% in 2022, marking the worst-ever drop-off since the global financial crisis hit Russia's economy in 2008. However, transport flows stabilised in 2023 as export numbers for non-sanctioned goods recovered. In particular, fertiliser exports rose as global buyers moved quickly to hedge against possible sanctions, while a strong wheat harvest kept Russia's grain flowing steadily to foreign markets, where demand soared amid low prices. All totalled, shipments have now fallen for 20 consecutive months, and the trend is accelerating. But in 2024, the downturn returned, with freight volumes plummeting by 4% once again, and the situation has only worsened so far this year. Grain transportation, one of the biggest drivers of growth in 2023, dropped sharply last year, as did ferrous metal — usually a reliable category of transport — for the first time. The decrease in traffic is partially due to the decline in both steel smelting and exports, which have fallen for 11 months prior to early 2025, primarily due to sanctions. But it also reflects the struggling Russian construction industry, which usually consumes large amounts of steel. In 2025, the number of new residential construction projects has already declined by a quarter, and the government expects the trend to worsen. That means Russian Railways is hauling fewer metals, construction materials, and cement, all of which hurts transport figures. All totalled, shipments have now fallen for 20 consecutive months, and the trend is accelerating. Last year, freight volumes dropped by just over 4%, matching a post-Soviet record. But they have continued to fall by more than 7% in the first five months of 2025 alone, nearly equalling the total decline since the war began, and painting a bleak picture for the future. Photo: Maxim Shipenkov / EPA Freight to firepower There is one transportation item, however, that grew steadily from 2022 to 2024. Labelled vaguely as 'Other goods, including in containers,' Russian Railways does not specify what this category actually entails in its official data, but transport analysts generally believe it refers to military cargo, from ammunition and equipment to materials used in arms production. In fact, the prioritisation of military freight is likely one of the most important reasons for the decline in other categories of haulage. But, as the Russian macroeconomic analysis Telegram channel MMI put it, it is 'a factor that is not customarily spoken about'. North Korean shells are being transported in containers from east to west. Given the state's prioritisation of all things military, it's no surprise that civilian freight volumes have fallen, military expert Yury Fedorov told Novaya Gazeta Europe. 'Clearly, some of the 'other goods' very likely relate to military production — there may be ammunition in the containers. North Korean shells are being transported in containers from east to west. Trains with tanks and artillery are travelling from factories and repair plants to the front and from the front back to the enterprises that repair them.' The exact volume of weapons and ammunition shipments, as well as raw materials for their manufacture to military factories, has, of course, not been disclosed by Russian Railways. Haul or nothing But Russian Railways' falling freight volumes cannot be explained by the uptick in 'other goods'; these figures have also fallen so far in 2025, despite the Russian military's widely anticipated summer offensive in Ukraine. The problem would appear to lie deeper and likely stems from the structure of Russia's rail network, in which few sections operate independently, so when problems arise in one area, they quickly spread to the others. The Western parts of the rail network, on the other hand, now primarily transport military supplies, with little in the way of exports since the imposition of sanctions in 2022. This can happen incrementally due to several factors. Freight traffic to the southern ports of Novorossiysk and Taman has declined, for example, partly because frequent bombings have led to their closure, resulting in fewer ships docking and a sharp drop in dry cargo shipments by rail. The Western parts of the rail network, on the other hand, now primarily transport military supplies, with little in the way of exports since the imposition of sanctions in 2022. Western Russia had continued to export coal, which accounts for one-third of Russian Railways' overall cargo volumes, but those exports have fallen since last year's coal price collapse and the recent appreciation of the ruble made it unprofitable for Russian Railways to transport the cargo. The same phenomenon has also occurred in Russia's Far East, according to Alexander Polikarpov, managing partner at Rollingstock Agency, a Russian consultancy specialising in rail logistics and infrastructure, which means that the company's three key corridors to the global market are now more or less closed to coal exports. Russian servicemen and military equipment at a railway station in the Rostov region, Russia, 23 February 2022. Photo: EPA Trains in vain Two additional problems explain why less freight is being transported. First, Russian Railways lacks sufficient staff due to the war, which has left Russia's economy facing a significant personnel shortage. Some workers have been mobilised and many others have enlisted after being offered significant financial incentives, while many more have simply left the country. According to the company's own figures, Russian Railways currently has a shortfall of approximately 2,500 engineers and around 3,000 locomotive crews, resulting in it being unable to run some 200 trains each day. Second, locomotives are in short supply as well. In fact, according to a survey conducted last year, one-third of Russian industrial enterprises with non-public tracks lack locomotive engines, although Russian Railways has denied that the problem exists. In January–April 2025, the production of mainline electric and diesel locomotives in Russia fell by 13% and 6%, respectively. By contrast, there are plenty of carriages, but this could be causing more harm than good. Shortages of workers and locomotives are causing bottlenecks, as carriages remain stationary for weeks at a time, often blocking traffic. According to internal data collected by Russian Railways, 300,000 wagons had accumulated on the network as of March 2025, almost a fifth of the rail service's entire fleet. Photo: Maxim Shipenkov / EPA Sky-high investment According to estimates made by Russian Railways, the company will need to purchase approximately 1,000 electric and diesel locomotives annually until 2035, as half of its 20,000-strong fleet of locomotives will require replacement by then. At current prices, therefore, it needs to be spending at least 220 billion rubles every year (€2.4 billion) to meet this vital goal. However, despite the fact that its basic tariff rate for transporting goods has been increased over one and a half times, and passenger transportation profits have continued to grow since the start of the war in Ukraine, the operator's net total profits fell threefold in 2024 compared to the previous year. The company's main problem is that it earns relatively little while simultaneously borrowing and spending a lot — though not on the infrastructural improvements it needs. Last year, for example, of the 1.5 trillion rubles (€16.47 billion) Russian Railways allocated for investments, approximately 200 billion (€2.2 billion) was spent buying a skyscraper in the prestigious Moscow-City commercial development to house new office space. Due to this purchase and a drop in profits from the transportation of freight and cargo, projections show that Russian Railways will have to cut 40% — some 600 billion rubles (€6.59 billion) — of its investment budget this year in order to stay afloat, despite its pressing need for more engineers and locomotives. Rolling on empty In some ways, Russian Railways is simply facing the consequences of economic stagnation, which began in late 2024 and is expected to continue until at least 2027. But even if the war in Ukraine ends, sanctions are lifted, and exports to the West resume, it would take years for the state rail monopoly to recover from its deepening crisis. 'Even in the most optimistic scenario of an improvement in the geopolitical situation and the prompt end to the [war in Ukraine], a real effect on rail transportation will still be noticeable for 1.5–2 years,' Rollingstock's Polikarpov writes. This year, the downturn in construction materials is expected to be the most significant drag on overall freight volumes. Coal transport may recover following a disastrous 2024, which, along with fertiliser (which is still not subject to Western sanctions) and container shipments, will drive some growth. But that won't be enough to compensate for lost freight flows, especially not to the extent needed to keep the system afloat. Russian Railways needs cash to buy more locomotives, hire more workers, and invest in basic infrastructure maintenance. To do that, Russian Railways needs cash — to buy more locomotives, hire more workers, and invest in basic infrastructure maintenance. With profits dwindling and debt rising, the company may have only one option left: to persuade the government once again to raise tariffs above the rate of inflation, as it has done every year of the war so far. Yet, even in this strategy there is a paradox. After raising its tariffs, Russian Railways often resorts to offering steep discounts to cargo customers to ensure its trains don't run empty, according to analysts from Russian Telegram channel Lab, which covers the transport industry with a focus on logistics. If this practice continues, the experts warn, Russian Railways could face an even worse scenario and find itself forced to dismantle parts of its rail network entirely — lines for which there is no longer sufficient demand, and which have become too costly to sustain, both for Russian Railways itself and for the economy as a whole.
Novaya Gazeta Europe
4 hours ago
- Business
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
RFE/RL wins court battle for June funding against Trump-backed USAGM in time for 75th anniversary — Novaya Gazeta Europe
A US district judge has ordered the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to disburse the congressionally appointed funds to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) for June, the latest chapter in an ongoing legal struggle between the two media groups. In a judgment issued on Wednesday, Judge Royce Lamberth of the US District Court for the District of Columbia granted RFE/RL's request for a temporary restraining order in its lawsuit against USAGM, its parent organisation. The ruling comes as RFE/RL marks 75 years on Friday since its first test broadcast beyond the Iron Curtain to audiences in Czechoslovakia on 4 July 1950. In his decision, Lamberth stated this was the third time he had been forced to step in against USAGM's 'illegal action' in mid-March of terminating federal grants for broadcasters like RFE/RL, Voice of America, and Radio Free Asia, which had received such funding for nearly 80 years. RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said Wednesday: 'This ruling is the latest in a series of significant legal victories compelling USAGM to release funding necessary for our vital work', adding that 'RFE/RL's value has been proven time and again throughout its 75-year history'. Speaking on the Ask Dr. Drew podcast on Wednesday, the Trump-appointed USAGM Senior Advisor Kari Lake responded to the decision by claiming that: 'Starting in October, President Trump wants us to eliminate the agency, so I'm working to effectuate that as well. Our tax dollars could be spent more wisely elsewhere, and especially since this agency is not in alignment with our long-term interests and our national policy.' RFE/RL has been locked in a legal battle with Trump administration officials since USAGM's grant termination in March, continuing its work while furloughing dozens of employees and revoking freelance contracts. In late May, the European Union provided €5.5 million in short-term emergency funding, after it became clear that the broadcaster was in imminent danger of shutting down.
Novaya Gazeta Europe
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
Russia grants official recognition to Taliban rule in Afghanistan
Russia has officially recognised the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Vladimir Putin's Special Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov informed state-owned news agency RIA Novosti on Thursday. The Russian Foreign Ministry subsequently confirmed the news to state-owned news agency TASS. Following the announcement, the Taliban flag was raised over the Afghan Embassy in Moscow for the first time. Dmitry Zhirnov, Russia's ambassador to Kabul, said Vladimir Putin took the decision to formally recognise the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on the advice of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Speaking on state-owned propaganda channel Rossiya-1, Zhirnov said the move demonstrated 'Russia's sincere desire to establish a full-fledged partnership with Afghanistan'. The Taliban re-seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, following the departure of US troops from the country, and renamed the country the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The radical Islamist movement had spent 20 years attempting to regain control after losing power following the US invasion of the country following the 9/11 attacks of 2001. The Russian Supreme Court ruled to decriminalise the Taliban in April, following a request from the country's Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov. The Russian parliament passed legislation in December allowing the removal of a group from Russia's list of terror organisations if it had 'ceased activities aimed at promoting and supporting terrorism'. The Taliban was added to Russia's list of terrorist organisations in March 2003, based on resolutions adopted by both the UN Security Council and Russia's Supreme Court.
Novaya Gazeta Europe
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
Russia launches over 500 drones at Ukraine overnight as Trump says he ‘didn't make any progress' with Putin
At least 23 people were injured in Kyiv as Russia launched over 500 drones at Ukraine in one of the largest aerial attacks of the war so far, authorities in the Ukrainian capital said on Friday. Ukraine's Air Force said Russia had used a total of 539 drones and 11 missiles in the all-night assault, with Kyiv the main target as air raid warnings continued from Thursday evening until around 9am local time on Friday. Air defences downed 268 of the drones and two of the missiles, it said — with a further 208 drones failing to reach their targets — but direct strikes were reported in eight locations and falling debris in 33 more. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Russia had unleashed a 'night of terror' on Kyiv, causing damage to residential buildings as well as educational, medicine and transport infrastructure. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, over 450 emergency workers were deployed to respond to the strikes, which caused fires to break out at several residential buildings across the city. Fourteen of the 23 people injured in the strikes had been hospitalised as of Friday morning, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia began the 'deliberately massive and cynical' attack around the same time that Vladimir Putin spoke with US President Donald Trump by phone on Thursday evening, causing a 'brutal, sleepless night' in Kyiv. 'Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror', Zelensky said, adding that without 'truly large-scale pressure', particularly from the US, 'Russia will not change its dumb, destructive behaviour'. Following his call with Putin, Trump told reporters he was 'very disappointed' as he did not get the impression that the Russian leader was 'looking to stop' the war in Ukraine. 'I didn't make any progress with him at all,' Trump said. The Kremlin confirmed the two leaders had discussed the 'Ukrainian issue' in what it described as a 'frank, businesslike and concrete' conversation, with Trump stressing the importance of 'a swift end to hostilities'. Putin, however, told Trump that Russia would 'not give up on its goals' of 'eliminating the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs,' the Kremlin said.
