Russian invasion

Russian invasionRussian reactions  

American woman arrested by FSB in Russia  

 

An American woman has been arrested in Russia on suspicion of having collected money for Ukraine, writes Financial Times Moscow correspondent Max Seddon at X. 

  

The woman has both Russian and American citizenship, according to Russian state news agency Tass. The 33-year-old woman was arrested in Yekaterinburg by the FSB intelligence service.  

 

A video published by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti shows the woman being led away by masked police with a cap pulled down over her eyes. She is then brought before a remand judge and taken away to a cell.  

 

The woman is suspected of treason, a crime that can carry a life sentence after Russian laws were tightened in connection with the invasion.  

 

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Russia extends detention of American journalist  

 

The American journalist Evan Gershkovich will be forced to remain in custody until at least March 30, according to a statement from a court in Moscow, reports AFP. Thus, the court rejected Gershkovich's appeal of the detention.  

 

Gershkovich was arrested while on a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg for the Wall Street Journal. He is suspected by Russian authorities of espionage - charges strongly denied by his employer and the White House.  

 

On March 30, Gershkovich will have served a year in prison. 

 

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Russian invasionReactions to Navalny's death  

New US sanctions against Russia after Navalny's death  

 

The United States is planning new sanctions against Russia as a direct reaction to the death of Alexei Navalny, Reuters reports.  

 

The sanctions package is expected on Friday. The sanctions are aimed at holding Putin responsible for the Ukraine war and Navalny's death, White House sources told Reuters. The US demands full transparency from Russia about how Navalny died. 

 

"Regardless of the scientific answer [to how Navalny died], Putin is responsible," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told the AP.  

 

Russian authorities stated on Friday that the 47-year-old Navalny died in the penal colony where he was serving a prison sentence for what large parts of the outside world consider to be politically motivated sentences. His co-workers and family have still not been given access to the body.

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