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US Senate Democrats ask Postal Service to stop work on new mail-in voting regulations
The?U.S. Postal Service was urged by lawmakers to halt the work on new mail-in voting rules. Postal Service ordered the halt to "work" on new rules for mail-in voting, Friday. In a letter to the USPS, Senator Gary Peters from Michigan and six other Democrats on the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee wrote: "The Postal Service’s continued illegal efforts to transform itself into an electoral administration agency under the direction of President Trump risk disenfranchising American voters and threatening the integrity of the upcoming elections." On Thursday night, the Trump administration requested that the Supreme Court allow it to enforce a new USPS rule restricting the use mail-in votes. USPS didn't immediately comment. The Democratic Senators -- Peters, Richard Blumenthal, Maggie Hassan, Andy Kim, Elissa, Slotkin, and John Fetterman, all of Pennsylvania, and Ruben, Gallego, of Arizona -- warned that the "verification" system planned by USPS "could collapse the absentee voting system, and disenfranchise millions of Americans." U.S. district judge Indira Talwani issued an order temporarily prohibiting the USPS to enforce the new rule. The USPS adopted the new rule following an executive directive by the Republican President restricting mail-in votes. USPS regulations would require new standards for voter data and ballot envelopes, and could refuse delivery of any ballots that did not meet these requirements. Critics say this could lead to thousands of votes being invalidated as the election date of November 3 draws near. Republicans are in a fierce battle to "retain" control of Congress during the elections. Critics claim that restricting mail in ballots would benefit Republicans more than Democrats, since Democratic voters are traditionally more likely to mail in ballots. The new USPS rule requires that states provide the postal service with lists of voters who will be receiving mail ballots. They must also use envelopes for outgoing and return mail ballots which are approved by the agency, and have barcodes. Postal?services could refuse to send ballots that don't comply with new standards, or are associated with voters not listed on the list. Trump has cast doubts on the security of mail-in votes for years, even though evidence of voter fraud in rare. Trump has falsely claimed that widespread fraud is occurring in U.S. election, including his loss to Joe Biden as former Democratic president in 2020.
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Norway will help Russians stuck in Arctic after ship seize, says government
Norway's foreign ministry said on Friday that it would provide the necessary assistance to Russians in the Arctic Svalbard Islands following the arrest of a ship carrying passengers and supplies to the archipelago. The Norwegian court ordered this week the seizure of the Professor Molchanov Cruise Ship in Svalbard on behalf of an Ukrainian company involved in legal disputes, leaving its passengers and crew stranded and leading Moscow accuse Norway "piracy". Norway's Foreign Ministry said that they were complying with their international obligations by protecting Russian citizens in Svalbard. Statistics Norway reports that the town of Barentsburg is where the ship is docked. It is one of two Russian settlements in Svalbard, with a total of 392 residents. The ministry said that Russian companies receive regular'sanctions relief' to allow them to import food and other essential goods to the islands. According to Cruisemapper's website, the 71-metre-long Professor Molchanov has 32 crew members and 52 passengers. It also features a bar, a sauna, a library and two restaurants. The vessel is used both for commercial cruises and scientific expeditions. The seizure of the assets was ordered by a court on behalf Naftogaz - a Ukrainian energy company - which is seeking to enforce a compensation award of $4.22 billion for 'assets Moscow took in 2014 when it annexed Crimea. Russia plans to appeal this ruling.
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What is Ukraine's SBU Security Agency?
On Friday, Russia launched a drone at the Security Service of Ukraine's (SBU) headquarters in central Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities called it the latest in a series of war escalations. The following are key facts about the organization. What is the?SBU? SBU is an enigmatic and powerful organisation which emerged from the Ukrainian branch KGB of Soviet times when Ukraine became independent in 1991. The SBU has broad powers over matters of domestic security. It has been involved in combat since the Russian invasion of 2022, and it is now investigating war crimes, countering a cyberattack, conducting counterintelligence, and catching Russian agents. Alpha special forces have also conducted drone attacks against Russian military hardware in the field as well as on oil refineries and other military installations deep within Russia. They've also used sea drones against tankers transporting Russian oil. Authors of 'Operation Spiderweb' It has claimed to have carried out some spectacular wartime operations against Russia. For example, it used a truck bomb to attack Russia's bridge into the occupied Ukrainian peninsula Crimea in 2022. Last year, the organization masterminded a sophisticated '2025 drone strike, codenamed Spiderweb. It targeted a number of Russian strategic air-bombers deep within Russia. It is widely regarded as being a key player in the covert campaign to assassinate senior Russian military figures and others who are blamed by Ukraine as having committed war crimes. Russia has called these killings terrorist attacks. Who is in charge of the?SBU? According to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the agency is headed by Oleksandr Pklad. His office was the target of the drone which hit the SBU headquarters in Kyiv last Friday. Poklad was not hurt, according to the agency. He was appointed in July. How big is the SBU? During the war, the SBU grew in size. The SBU's size is secret, but the maximum number of employees it can have in wartime is 41,000. The figure is probably in the same ballpark. Last year, the legislative cap was raised from its previous threshold of 31,000 personnel during wartime. BITTER RIVALRY WITH MILITARY INTELLIGENCE The 'SBU' has had a long-standing rivalry with Ukraine's military spy agency, the Main Intelligence Directorate. This week, a dispute between the two organisations escalated into a shooting in Kyiv that left several military intelligence officers injured. Zelenskiy ordered an investigation to determine what happened.
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Portugal asks Air France, KLM and Lufthansa to improve their offers for TAP sale
Portugal's government asked rivals Lufthansa and Air 'France-KLM to submit better offers for a'minority stake' in the 'flag carrier TAP', starting a final round of negotiations, after judging that both groups' first bids were too similar to choose one. In July, both European airline groups made binding but undisclosed offers to purchase a 44.9% stake in TAP. They also offered to become TAP's strategic partner. The?government received the assessment of the offers from Parpublica, the state-owned holding company. Leitao Amaro stated that the two binding offers "differeced in their content but were rated as being broadly similar overall". He told reporters that after a cabinet session, "we have decided to start a final round?of negotiations lasting a few weeks. During?this time we expect bidders to increase their offers." Portugal has revived its long-delayed TAP privatisation in July 2025. It is looking for a strategic investor who can expand the airline's reach internationally and increase its competitiveness. The winning bidder will have the option of acquiring any shares that are not claimed by employees. TAP's biggest attraction is its?valued?slots connecting its Lisbon hub to Brazil, Portuguese-speaking African nations and the United States. These routes are important for Portugal's diaspora and tourism, as well as investment. The government has asked that the future strategic partner of TAP support growth in Portugal's airport system, strengthening operations and connectivity, not only in Lisbon, but also in Porto and Faro and in the Azores and Madeira. The government can sell the remaining 50% stake in the company to the strategic investor.
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Son of Sri Lanka's ex-president arrested on corruption charges
A top court in Sri Lanka announced on Friday that the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was arrested and remanded to a prison until September 18 for alleged graft related to purchases of Airbus aircraft by SriLankan Airlines. Namal Rajapaksa is a member of the opposition Sri Lankan Podujana peramuna. He was arrested after more than five hours?of questioning from Sri Lanka's main anti-corruption body, the Commission to Investigate Allegations Of Bribery Or Corruption. The order remanding?him came from Colombo Chief Magistrates?Asanga?S. Bodaragama. Rajapaksa has consistently denied any wrongdoing. His lawyers weren't immediately available to comment. His arrest is part a ongoing investigation into a multimillion-dollar purchase made by Airbus in 2013 of planes. Airbus sent a delegation to Colombo, Sri Lanka in August 2013 to help with the investigation. Airbus has reached a pact with French, British and U.S. officials in 2020 following a three-year investigation into allegations of bribery over jetliner sales. The?case was settled with a $4 billion fine. SriLankan Airlines & Airbus did not respond immediately to a comment request.
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UAE shares rise as PMI shows solid growth for August
The stock markets of the United Arab Emirates rose on Friday, after a survey showed that the non-oil sector in the country grew at a steady pace in August. This was due to higher output and new business expansion. The S&P Global UAE Purchasing Managers' Index?rose from 52.7 to 55.3 in?August. Dubai's main stock index gained 0.7%, with broad gains. The blue-chip developer Emaar Properties rose by 2.2%, while low-cost carrier Air Arabia grew by 2.1%. Air Arabia announced that it would increase the frequency of its Bangkok flights by adding four daily flights to Sharjah. Abu Dhabi's benchmark Index advanced 0.5%. This was aided by a 1.5% rise in 'UAE's biggest lender First Abu Dhabi Bank, and a a 1.2% increase in 'Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank'. Aldar Properties' shares jumped 1.6% after completing mortgage finance on an off-plan home for its customers through the newly launched framework of Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC). By 1139 GMT, oil prices -- which are a major catalyst for the Gulf financial market -- had fallen?0.45%.
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Chinese shipper COSCO denies that its vessels were spied on for Beijing
COSCO, the state-owned Chinese shipping company, has denied allegations that it used hidden equipment on its vessels to gather intelligence for Beijing. The claims were called "totally false" and "unfounded". On Tuesday, the?report? cited two senior Trump Administration officials that COSCO had used the equipment to spy military communications near coastlines of countries including the United States. The officials, who spoke on condition ?of anonymity, said COSCO has a decades-long intelligence-collection partnership with Beijing, ?which allows China to collect communication signals from vessels and aircraft ?operating across Europe, North America and Asia. In a?statement, the?company stated that "COSCO SHIPPING adheres to market-oriented operation and compliance practices across all of our global businesses." It said: "All communications, navigation, safety, and operational equipment installed aboard our vessels are used exclusively for legitimate commercial purposes including navigation safety, Ship-to-Ship Communications, and Emergency Response." COSCO said that the equipment on its ships was not used to intercept military communications or gather intelligence. Beijing has not yet confirmed the date of the visit. The summit will likely focus on a number of sensitive trade and security issues. China's embassy in Washington previously said Beijing would not ask any company or person to "collect data, information or spying located abroad that is against local laws."
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Will Trump's restrictions regarding mail-in votes be in effect for the midterm elections?
The administration of President Donald Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to let it enforce a new U.S. Postal Service rule tightening use of mail-in votes has left states in limbo about whether or not they'll be required to implement this for the November 3,?midterm election. As deadlines for U.S. state mail ballots near, the uncertainty is growing. Trump's Republicans are defending narrow majority in both chambers. North Carolina, the first to do so, was expected to mail out its ballots this Friday. Here is a description of the ruling, the current court case and the possible next steps. WHAT DOES THE NEW RULE DO? Trump signed an executive directive in March that required states to provide the U.S. Postal Service lists of mail-ballot recipients and barcodes unique to each envelope. The order states that USPS must only deliver mail-in ballots to those voters who are on the approved list of each state. Trump has cast doubts on the security and reliability of mail-in ballots for years. He has also falsely claimed that the fraud in the 2020 election resulted in his defeat. Trump has voted regularly by mail. Democratic Party officials claim that their supporters will be disproportionately impacted by the restrictions because Democrats are more inclined to vote via mail than Republicans. They also say the measures could disenfranchise eligible voters. According to the MIT Science Lab, 37 percent of Democrats cast their ballots by mail during the 2024 elections, while only 24% of Republicans did. What has happened in the Courts? Legal challenges were filed against the executive order by Democratic Party officials, Democratic states and voting rights organizations. The lawsuits claimed that the USPS did not have the authority to reject mail-in ballots, and that Trump's order violated the U.S. Constitution's?authority to administer elections' granted to individual states. On June 25, U.S. district judge Indira Talwani in Boston blocked the implementation of the executive orders for the Democratic-led States that sued. And on August 11, she effectively extended that order, preventing USPS to implement?its?new rule nationwide. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month that Talwani’s June executive order was invalidated because the states brought their challenges before the USPS had released its finalized rule outlining how it would implement Talwani’s order. The Supreme Court, where conservatives have a 6-3 majority of justices, has left the door wide open for states to sue once again. States and groups then renewed challenges, arguing the case was ready for adjudication because the USPS had issued a finalized rule on August 22, 2008. Talwani once again prevented the USPS from implementing this rule. The Trump administration requested the Supreme Court on Thursday to reverse Talwani’s latest order. It was a strange move, since the 1st U.S. The Circuit Court of Appeals has not yet ruled on the Justice Department's appeal of Talwani's ruling. The Democratic Party has challenged this rule separately in Washington, D.C., Federal court. What will the state election officials do? Many state election officials have stated that they will not be able to upgrade their systems to meet the USPS rules in time for the midterm elections. The online portal through which states could upload their lists has not yet been activated, but many state election offices have already printed their envelopes and ballots. Sam?Hayes (executive director of the North Carolina State Board of elections) told reporters Thursday that county officials will mail out ballots as scheduled on Friday. Hayes stated that the USPS has already approved the design for the state's envelopes. "We are watching what the court does." Hayes stated that if anything changes we will be compliant. How is the Trump Administration responding? In court documents, the Justice Department stated that the USPS had the authority to implement the rule and that it was up to each state to decide who would be eligible to vote. USPS has stated that it will help states comply with this rule. According to a whistleblower's complaint made public by the U.S., USPS is meanwhile moving?forward in building the online portal. This week, Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat senator, made a complaint. The whistleblower claimed that design flaws could lead the USPS to refuse to send ballots to eligible voter. A USPS official stated in a court document on Thursday that the service is continuing to refine the portal and that it could be available to states who wish to use it voluntary next week.
Welcome to the 'New Russia:' How the Kremlin remade occupied Ukraine
Black smoke, burning tracks and blazing trains
The footage posted by Ukrainian fighters online documents their repeated sabotage attack on a vast rail system being constructed by Russia in the occupied territory of Ukraine. Their efforts aren't enough to stop the rapid industrial expansion of Moscow.
Orest, a Ukrainian fighter operating behind enemy lines, in the Donetsk Region, uses his military call sign for reasons of security. He said that the railroad was hundreds of kilometers long. "We're not all-powerful, unfortunately."
According to the Kremlin these occupied areas represent "Novorossiya", New Russia. It's a hive of activity.
A new investigation found that while Moscow is waging a brutal war against Ukrainian forces in the west, the country has been pouring hundreds and millions of dollars in a years-long aggressive buildup of transport and trading infrastructure in areas it?has captured to the east and south.
Reporting shows that the spending spree dwarfs other Russian regions' development funds and facilitates transport of troops, military equipment, grain, and mineral resources. Moscow also has a long-term objective in mind with the construction projects: to weave the seized territory into Russia. This includes the Donbas region, whose fate is at the center of the U.S.-backed peace talks.
Reporting provides the first detailed picture of how Russia-held Ukraine is changing under occupation. This analysis is based on the analysis of thousands satellite images, official Russian documents, public statements, freight and export data, and interviews with over three dozen Ukrainian officials.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukrainian president, used Crimea to illustrate the Russian infrastructure building in occupied territories. He said that the Russian investments in Crimea are only a "facade", and don't actually benefit the residents of the Ukrainian Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014. In an interview, he stated that "it doesn't seem like a modern resort." "It is all militarized." Zelenskiy’s office did not respond to an inquiry for comments on the findings of the investigation.
Officials at the White House said that President Donald Trump wants to stop the senseless killing and is doing everything he can to bring an end to the war.
Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, said that the four territories were an integral part and "subjects" of Russia. He added: "It's written in the Constitution of the Country."
The construction of the Novorossiya Railways System is already underway. This system includes a 525 km (326 mile) planned line that will be completed in 2023, one year after Russia invaded Ukraine. The route will span the regions Donetsk, Luhansk (which comprise the Donbas), Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.
In the meantime, the Novorossiya highway is carving its way through those seized territory as part of an 1,400 km superhighway "Azov Circle" loop which will connect these regions with Russia and strategic Crimea.
Under the Russian flag, occupied Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov (which connects the Black Sea to the inland Sea of Azov) that were mostly inactive during the early years of the conflict have been reopened and renovated. Satellite images from last August show that a new facility, about the size of a football field, has been built on the docks of Mariupol city in Donetsk during the Russian occupation. A mountain of coal-looking material is also visible in the area.
Satellite analysis conducted by used a machine learning model to scan through thousands of radar and optical images in order to identify major construction. The analysis found that between 2022-2025, more than 2,500 km worth of roads, highways, and railroads were built, upgraded, or repaired in the four occupied territory and nearby Russian regions.
According to Karolina HIRD, a Washington-based national security fellow with the Institute for the Study of War, the Kremlin's investment in infrastructure and its long-term nature show that it has no intention of returning the territories as part of a future peace agreement.
She said that "the way Russia invests heavily in the industry and economy of occupied Ukraine so it can reap profit off the occupation also financially entangles Ukraine with Russia."
This is a bad news for Ukraine, and its European allies. They insisted on Moscow returning the captured land, and rejected U.S. demands that Kyiv cede the entire Donbas to the United States as part of a deal to end this four-year conflict.
Russian auction documents reveal that Moscow also has put up for sale dozens of valuable commodity assets located in occupied areas. Documents from the Russian state auction show that Moscow has also put dozens of prized commodity assets in the occupied?areas up for sale.
The Russian Transport Ministry and Novorossiya Railways - a Russian state enterprise established in 2023 for the purpose of overseeing rail construction and maintenance on occupied territory - did not respond to questions about the status of infrastructure projects.
Moscow is not shy about its claim on eastern Ukraine and the southeastern part of the country, or its desire to combine the two regions into what it calls the motherland. Vladimir Putin also has big plans for the "Novorossiya", a term that refers to Russia's imperial past, which modern nationalists have adopted.
According to an online analysis of data from the government, Russia has allotted about $11.8 billion in federal cash between 2024-2026 to develop four occupied territories of Ukraine as part of its program of priority national development projects. The data show that this is nearly three times more than the money allotted to 20 other federal regions for similar projects.
Putin's vision for the territories was outlined in a speech he gave on the 30th of September to mark the third anniversary since their "reunification". The president claimed that the regions suffered from decades of neglect and the effects of war. He said that Russia has built 6,350 km worth of roads in the region over the past three years.
"A large-scale socio-economic program has been launched. It is essentially a programme of revitalizing our ancestral and historical Russian lands," declared?Putin.
Moscow controls about one fifth of Ukraine. This includes the majority of four regions, Donetsk Luhansk Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. It has also formally claimed that all four regions are part of Russia.
Ukraine and its Western partners have condemned Russia's move towards annexing the territories as an illegal land grab.
According to the local and Moscow authorities, vehicles and trains transporting people and goods into and out of Ukraine can already circumvent the Crimean Bridge. The bridge was Russia's sole road and rail connection to Crimea. It allowed the transportation of troops, fuel, and equipment via the peninsula. The bridge has been a major chokepoint in the Russian military and commercial flows. Ukrainian strikes have caused delays and disruptions.
Vadym Skibiskyi, deputy head of Ukraine's HUR Military Intelligence Agency, which has been tracking enemy activity, said that the Russians were focusing on building up supply chains to support the war effort.
Infrastructure is the most important issue for Russians. "It is the transport infrastructure," said he.
SATELLITE IMAGERY REVEALS NEW RAILWAY
According to online statements made by Novorossiya Railways in August of last year and the Russian Rail Watchdog, since 2023 Russia has spent $425 million for the construction and maintenance the railway network within the occupied territory.
According to the official Russian media outlet, the centrepiece project is a main line connecting southern Russia with Crimea via occupied territories. The full cost was not specified.
Satellite images taken between July 2023 to November 2025 show the gradual process of a new section of line being laid. This 60-km link between the towns Novoselivka, Kolosky, and Donetsk Region, north of Mariupol.
An official of the Ukrainian intelligence service who monitors Russian activities said that this connection was an example of Russia building new rail connections further away from the front lines, at a safe distance from potential Ukrainian strikes, in order to deliver ammunition and military vehicle to its troops. Couldn't determine whether the line was in operation.
State tender documents reveal that the Russian roads program also absorbs hundreds of millions of dollar, with the Novorossiya Highway Project leading this charge.
According to Russia's official procurement website, 20 tenders totaling more than $214 millions have been awarded contractors. These projects are diverse, ranging from engineering studies to bridge maintenance. The Russian Transport Ministry announced late last year an additional $123 million will be spent on roads in 2026.
UKRAINE OFFICIAL : IT'S LIKE CRIMEA BUT FASTER
It is a mixture of upgraded and new roads that connects existing highway stretches. According to the Russian federal road agency and ministry of transport, it will cover 630 km when finished. The date of completion has not been announced.
Satellite imagery shows the construction of new bridges and interchanges as well as the enlargement of roads.
According to an analysis, road crews have finished the majority of a 100-km section between Taganrog (in southwestern Russia) and Manhush (in occupied Donetsk). The analysis also shows that Russia is building a new major bypass road around Mariupol which was levelled by early war fighting.
The Novorossiya Highway is the leg of the Azov Ring that connects the occupied territories. Officials in Russia say that they intend to finish the highway by 2030. It will connect Rostov on Don in Russia to Mariupol, Donetsk as well as cities in Zaporizhzhia or Crimea.
Olha Kuryshko, Ukraine's representative to Crimea is responsible for monitoring the rights and welfare of Ukrainians who live there. Kuryshko says that Russia is accelerating its efforts to build economic infrastructure across eastern and southern Ukraine, just as it did with Crimea.
After annexing Crimea in 2014, Moscow embarked upon a number of ambitious projects, including a 19-km road span and two power plants to ensure stable electricity for the peninsula.
Kuryshko said that, based on his analysis, "the?Russians" have achieved as much in the three years they've occupied these new territories as in the 10 years they occupied Crimea. She added, "They have done it so quickly, spent so many dollars, and taken everything to the next level from what they did before in Crimea." "Crimea served as their training ground."
KREMLIN COMMANDERS UKRAINE'S PORKS
Russia is also moving to reclaim the occupied Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov. The Sea of Azov is a shallow inland waterway that borders Russia and Ukraine, connecting to the Black Sea via the Kerch Strait. Since centuries, the Sea of Azov is a major trading route.
Kyiv has condemned the addition of Mariupol and Berdiansk in the Azov Sea to a list of Russian ports that are open to international ships. The canals that lead to both hubs have been widened and deepened, allowing larger ships to pass through them again. These projects are part of the construction tenders worth over $13 million for the two Russian ports that have been listed on the Russian government procurement website since 2023.
The port, according to two dock workers who requested anonymity and spoke about the port's recent growth, has been significantly busy in recent months. They said that vessels are arriving and departing loaded with grain or coal. However, activity is still below the pre-war level.
According to an analysis of LSEG vessel tracking data, between July and November last, 18 cargo ships operated by Russian and other companies were recorded leaving Mariupol and Berdiansk ports. The majority headed for Turkish ports. We couldn't tell what the vessels were transporting. The Turkish authorities have not responded to our request for comments on these journeys.
LSEG data shows that in 2024, there were no ships entering or leaving the two ports.
The Russians extract valuable natural resources in the occupied territories.
Russian customs data provided by an export data provider shows that, between March 2022 to March 2025 at least 508,500 tons of coal and coke, worth $13.2million, were exported from occupied areas. According to data, the main buyers of Ukrainian coke during this period were trading firms from Turkey and United Arab Emirates. According to the data, coal was also sold to companies in India and Indonesia as well as Egypt and Algeria.
Indonesia's Foreign Ministry said that the country's trading relations are transparent and it imports coal, among others, from Russia, Australia, and China. The other countries that are the destination of coal imports did not respond to any requests for comment.
GOLD MINING IN EASTERN UKRAINE
Moscow also expanded its control over natural resources in the seized Ukrainian territory via state auctions.
According to documents reviewed by the public auctions, state online auctions are selling dozens of assets, including mines, quarries, farmland, and more. The rights to extract sandstone from Luhansk's four mines, as well as crushed stone, chalk, and granite, have been sold.
The rights to develop the Bobrykivske Gold Mine in Luhansk has been one of the largest sales so far. According to the documents of sale, it was purchased for $9.7million by Alchevskpromgroup which is owned by Russian mining company Polyanka. Polyanka mainly develops mines at the far east of Russia.
Bobrykivske’s reserves consist of about 1.64 tonnes of gold. This would be worth nearly $260 million at current spot prices based on the documents.
Korab Resources, an Australian mining company, had been developing the site. Korab Resources had been developing the site in the past. But the Australian mining company stopped its work when the area became seized by Russian-backed rebels. This made it impossible for Korab to gain access to the region which was under Western sanctions.
Satellite images taken in September of the deposit showed tire tracks around the site. Karpinski said that the site had been in operation since June 2024 when asked to compare images taken then with those from September. He pointed out an excavator that appeared in the main pit, and shipping containers at the base of the stockpile.
Alchevskpromgroup and Polyanka did not respond to any questions regarding the sale of Bobrykivske and whether or not work has begun on the site.
Hird of the Institute for the Study of War said that occupying a large area of land comes with significant costs. She added that Russia's ability harness the natural resources and industrial potential of these regions could be important for its finances. These have been severely affected by the war effort as well as international sanctions.
Hird stated that "that can start tipping scales to the point where occupation becomes profitable for Russia." Reporting by Anastasiia Melenko, FilippLebedev, GlebStolyarov and Mari Saito. Additional reporting by PolinaNikolskayaDevitt, Marian PrysiazhniukMarine Delrue, Dan Flynn and PravinChar.
(source: Reuters)