Putin’s Russia
Russian disinformation: Narva to become independent
A Russian online disinformation campaign claims that Narva, Estonia’s third-largest city located right on the Russian border, will declare independence and form the pro-Russian “People’s Republic of Narva,” Politico reports.
In recent weeks, a series of anonymous, Russian-language social media accounts have advocated for the takeover of Narva and the surrounding Ida-Viru county, which they call “Russian land.”
This has raised concerns that the Kremlin is planning to test NATO’s eastern border in Narva, which is separated from the Russian city of Ivangorod by a 100-meter-wide river.
Mayor Katri Raik is extremely frustrated.
“It’s completely false, complete nonsense. I’ve scolded everyone who made a big deal out of this and said, ‘Now I’m stuck with this problem, not you.’”
98 percent of Narva's residents are Russian-speaking, and over a third have Russian passports.
Political situation in Bulgaria
Pro-Russian ex-president in the lead in Bulgarian elections
Bulgaria's pro-Russian ex-president Rumen Radev and his left-leaning Progressive Bulgaria coalition look set to emerge as the biggest party in the Bulgarian election, Reuters reports.
Radev, a Eurosceptic former fighter pilot who opposes military support for Ukraine, is getting 37.5 percent of the vote in a poll conducted by Alpha Research. Former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and his center-right GERB party are in second place with 16.2 percent.
It is the eighth election in five years in Bulgaria, where many voters are tired of constant new elections and a small group of veteran politicians who are perceived as corrupt, the news agency writes.
Kyiv mass shooting
Ukrainian police chief resigns after Kyiv shooting
Yevhen Zhukov, head of Ukraine's patrol police, is resigning after yesterday's mass shooting in Kyiv. The BBC reports.
The reason is that two of his officers were caught on camera fleeing the crime scene and leaving civilians behind. At a press conference, Zhukov said that the two officers, who have been suspended pending an investigation, acted "unprofessionally and undignifiedly".
Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko is also critical in a post on Telegram, but adds:
"It is not entirely correct to generalize about the entire police force based on the actions of two employees."
Six people were killed and 14 people were injured when a 58-year-old, Russian-born Ukrainian man opened fire on passers-by on the street and inside a grocery store, where he also took several hostages.
The motive is unclear, but according to Klymenko, the man was "obviously unstable."
Middle East Crisis Strait of HormuzTrump: US has attacked and boarded Iranian vesselThe US has fired on and boarded an Iranian-flagged vessel that tried to bypass their blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, writes Donald Trump on Truth Social.
“The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our navy stopped them by blowing a hole in the engine room,” he writes and continues:
”We have full control of the vessel and are investigating what is on board!”
Elections in HungaryHungary could receive billions in frozen Covid funds
A senior EU delegation held talks with Hungary’s future Prime Minister Péter Magyar in Budapest this weekend, Euronews reports.
The talks aim to eventually release ten billion euros in frozen funds from the recovery fund that the EU set up after the Covid pandemic, but which Hungary has still not received due to Viktor Orbán’s illiberal rule.
In exchange, the EU is demanding Hungarian reforms, and if they are not in place by the end of August, there will be no payment. Magyar has drawn up a four-step plan: fighting corruption and restoring the independence of the judiciary, press freedom and academic freedom.
According to Trump, this is the 274-meter container ship Touska.
