U.S. Reportedly Allows Ukraine To Strike Russia With Long

U. A. According to media reports, President Joe Biden’s administration has removed restrictions that had stopped Ukraine from striking deeper into Russian territory with weapons supplied by the United States.

The New York Times, The Washington Post, AP, Reuters, and other outlets quoted people with knowledge of the situation in their reports published on November 17.

News and Analysis on the Invasion of Ukraine.

Get the most recent information on Russia’s invasion, Western military assistance, civilian suffering, and territorial control maps with RFE/RL’s Ukraine Live Briefing. Click here to view RFE/RL’s complete coverage of the conflict.

In response to RFE/RL’s requests for comment, the White House did not immediately comment on the reports. Additionally, the National Security Council (NSC) refrained from commenting.

Initially, it was unclear how extensive such authorization would be. In remarks made while visiting Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, Biden ignored journalists’ yelled inquiries about the issue.

It would be a significant change in U.S. if verified. S. policy in the face of persistent requests from Kyiv to permit such activities.

Although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy did not directly confirm the reports, he stated that his military’s use of long-range weapons was one of the key components of his “victory plan” that he presented to allies.

Many media outlets today claim that we have authorization to take the necessary actions. However, the military does not use words to attack. These things are not publicized. On Telegram, he stated, “Rockets will speak for themselves.”.

Kyiv intends to launch the first of these long-range attacks in the coming days, according to Reuters, which cited its sources but did not provide any details.

Ukraine would probably use ATACMS rockets, which can travel up to 300 kilometers, according to Reuters, which cited three people with knowledge of the matter.

The U. S. Ahead of Biden’s departure on January 20, when President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, the administration has been looking for ways to strengthen support for Ukraine.

Trump has said he will work to end the war as soon as possible, but on terms that Ukraine would probably find unacceptable, and he has criticized Biden for his strong support for Kyiv.

A key adviser criticized the move in a post on X, but the Trump transition team did not immediately comment.

Richard Grenell’s article, “Escalating the wars before he leaves office,”.

But Ben Hodges, a former U.S. A. formerly serving as the commander of the U.S. A. According to European Army forces who spoke to RFE/RL, such a move would “send a message to the Kremlin that the [United States] is not just folding up our tents and waiting for Trump.”. “”.

It would be a “good thing because this policy would be in effect as the Trump administration takes over and, frankly, it’s a good thing for Donald Trump,” according to Hodges. “”.

He said that Ukraine’s use of the weapons will probably be concentrated in the Kursk region of Russia, where they will be used to attack artillery batteries, weapons depots, and command-and-control facilities.

Attacks on airfields used by Russia to launch attacks on Ukrainian cities are probably the next top priority.

Phillips O’Brien, who teaches strategic studies at the University of St. In Scotland, Andrews stated that while he thought the action was long overdue, the current worry was whether Trump would undo it after he assumes office.

Along with other observers, he said the U. S. action would probably prompt comparable actions from other allies, such as France and Britain.

While many of Kyiv’s allies have benefited from Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons supplied by the West, others are concerned that it may spark Russian retaliation and spark a wider European conflict.

Although the White House authorized the use of ATACMS in May for limited strikes just across the Russian border to deter impending strikes against Ukraine, Biden himself had been hesitant to permit such actions.

According to sources cited by AP and other media, Biden’s most recent decision is probably a reaction to North Korea sending thousands of troops to Russia, some of which have reportedly already started fighting in the Kursk region of Russia.

The United States and other Western allies allowing the use of long-range weapons against Russia would be viewed as a significant escalation, the Kremlin has warned.

Since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has attacked deep inside Ukraine using its long-range weapons and warplanes, striking both military targets and civilian and infrastructure locations.

All Ukrainian regions will face temporary power consumption restrictions on November 18, according to Ukraine’s energy authority, following one of Russia’s biggest airstrikes on the nation’s energy infrastructure on November 17.

Western allies, including NATO and the European Union, denounced the most recent Russian attacks.

A spokeswoman said, “NATO strongly condemns Russia’s large-scale attack against Ukraine that has targeted critical energy infrastructure and killed and terrorized civilians.”.

The statement read, “We stand by Ukraine and allies continue to make unprecedented contributions to Ukraine’s defenses.”.

Todd Prince of RFE/RL reported from Washington.

TBILISI — While anti-government groups pledged a “disobedience campaign” in central Tbilisi for the next 24 hours, student organizations in the Caucasus nation of Georgia united in a manifesto denouncing the disputed October 26 parliamentary elections that were won by the Russia-friendly Georgian Dream party.

“Systematic rigging of elections reveals a gross attempt by the Georgian Dream party to seize control of the state,” the manifesto for November 17 said of the government. “.

“We will not relinquish our nation’s freedom. It stated: “As Georgian citizens, we continue to be dedicated to democratic principles and state interests.”. “We are prepared to fight for our country’s and our own freedom, and we do not recognize the elections or the parliament set up in accordance with the results of these elections.”.

Additionally, the manifesto mentioned what it claimed were assaults on the educational system through “the imposition of censorship on the part of the teaching” and “discriminatory and selective decisions in the process of granting” admission to educational institutions. “”.

The manifesto declared, “The fact of systematic election rigging reveals a gross attempt by the Georgian Dream [party] to seize the state, in light of repressive actions enforcing ‘Russian’ and censorship laws and other rights and freedoms.”.

13 organizations, including students from at least 13 Georgian universities, signed it.

The results of last month’s contentious elections were confirmed by Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) on November 16 in spite of weeks of opposition protests and charges of widespread fraud and Russian meddling.

During an unruly session that was briefly interrupted after opposition representative Davit Kirtadze splashed a black liquid on CEC chief Giorgi Kalandarishvili and referred to him as a “dark spot,” the CEC announced that the Moscow-friendly ruling Georgian Dream party had won 53.93 percent of the vote, compared to 37.79 percent won by an opposition alliance. “.”.

The purpose of Kirtadze’s protest was to draw attention to the ink from voters’ pens that was visible through the thin paper on the opposite side of some ballots. According to the opposition, this jeopardized confidentiality during the contentious October 26 voting.

The only party that accepted the election results was Georgian Dream, which has held power since 2012. Pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili has yet to accept the results, claiming they were largely influenced by Russia.

Alleging widespread fraud and Russian meddling, Georgia’s pro-European opposition has boycotted the new parliament and rejected its mandates from the October 26 vote.

Police surrounded the main building of Tbilisi State University as demonstrators gathered on November 15 as part of student-led demonstrations.

Western officials, including those from the EU, have voiced grave concerns about the elections and alleged anomalies.

The “foreign influence” law and anti-LGBT policies have put a halt to Georgia’s bid to join the EU, which began last year.

In July, the United States warned that Georgia was regressing on democracy and announced that it would halt more than $95 million in aid to the government.

BERLIN—On November 17, nearly 2,000 Russian exiles and other opponents of President Vladimir Putin and his war against Ukraine marched to the Russian Embassy in Berlin. Prominent activist Yulia Navalnaya said, “Putin is a murderer,” while others held signs that read, “No War, No Putin.”. “.”.

“If I have to climb up a table and say that Putin is a murderer, then I’ll climb up a table and say that Putin is a murderer,” Navalnaya declared to supporters while standing on a table that served as a platform for speakers. “.”.

Participants yelled “No to war” and “Russia without Putin” as Navalnaya led the procession to the embassy alongside other opposition leaders Ilya Yashin and Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Following the mysterious death of its most well-known leader, Aleksei Navalny, in a jail in February and a decades-long crackdown that has intensified since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and forced many of Putin’s detractors to flee Russia, the action comes as the opposition is finding it difficult to retain a significant voice.

At the start of the march, which traveled from Potsdamer Platz to the Brandenburg Gate, German media reported that Berlin police estimated the crowd to be 1,800. It seemed that everything went off without a hitch late on November 17.

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The rally was organized by Kremlin critics Yashin and Kara-Murza, who were both freed from Russian prisoner exchange in August, as well as Navalnaya, who is Navalny’s widow.

The march’s organizers said in a statement before the march that it aims to bring together all those who oppose Vladimir Putin’s aggressive war in Ukraine and political repressions in Russia.

During the event, Yashin declared to the audience, “Russia is not Putin. We are Russia. And we oppose the war,” marchers shouted as they chanted, “Russia will be free” and “Freedom for political prisoners.”. “.”.

The “immediate withdrawal” of troops from Ukraine, Putin’s trial as a “war criminal,” and the release of all political prisoners in Russia are the three primary demands of the opposition.

Before the demonstration, a social media debate broke out over whether the Russian flag should be raised during the demonstration.

Pictures from a 2014 demonstration against Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula were included in the protest announcement. Critics counter that Russia’s bloody war has damaged the country’s reputation.

Yashin stated that “the discussion of flags clearly obscures the essence of the action that we want to hold in Berlin” when the controversy first surfaced late last month. “.”.

Ahead of the scheduled march, Ukrainian officials and others voiced skepticism.

Oleksiy Makeev, the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, denounced the event as a “walk without dignity and without consequences,” pointing out that it demonstrated the opposition’s “weakness.”. “,”.

In an article published in the Zeit newspaper, Makeev argued that the three opposition leaders were not doing enough to encourage their fellow Russians to demonstrate and support Kyiv.

The Ukrainian exiles’ association in Germany, Vitsche, also stated that the event “failed to deliver a clear message” of support.

At the age of eighty-two, Bela Karolyi, the controversial gymnastics coach best known for training Nadia Comaneci—the first person to receive a perfect score at the Olympics—died.

Karolyi passed away on November 15, according to USA Gymnastics. No reason for death was stated.

Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton were among the Olympic gold medalists and world champions that Karolyi and his wife, Martha, trained in Romania and the United States.

Comaneci, who was only 14 when Karolyi coached her to gold for Romania at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, wrote on X, “A big impact and influence on my life.”.

Karolyi was a divisive and contentious figure, partly because of his harsh training regimens that were questioned at the height of the Larry Nassar controversy.

When the disgraced former doctor for the USA Gymnastics team pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting gymnasts and other athletes, he was essentially given a life sentence. According to over a dozen former gymnasts, the Karolyis were a part of a system that fostered an oppressive culture that permitted Nassar’s actions to continue unchallenged for many years.

In 2018, the Karolyis told CNN that they had no knowledge of Nassar’s actions and denied any responsibility. But as a result of the disclosures, they lost prominence.

Five years after his first significant—and perhaps most significant—success at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, the Karolyis defected from Romania to the United States in 1981. Comaneci enthralled the world there by scoring a perfect ten not once, but seven times, while Karolyi gave her his famous bear holds.

After winning just three bronzes in Olympic gymnastics prior to 1976, Romania took home seven medals from Montreal, including the team silver and Comaneci’s golds in the uneven bars, balance beam, and all-around. As the first individual to be featured on the covers of Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated all in the same week, Comaneci gained widespread fame.

with coverage from AP and AFP.

On November 17, tensions in Georgia’s Abkhazia, a breakaway region supported by Russia, remained high, with the self-styled president claiming that no agreement had been reached with the opposition.

In protest of an investment agreement with Moscow, protesters stormed the capital’s parliament compound in Sukhumi on November 15 and were still reportedly inside.

Aslan Bzhania, the region’s de facto leader, had declared on November 16 that he would step down after the demonstrators had left the compound. But later that day, in his hometown of Tamysh, Bzhania met with his cabinet to talk about “ways to stabilize the situation that arose.”. “,”.

The parliament storming came after weeks of tensions in a region Moscow has supported since a five-day war against Georgian forces in 2008 over another breakaway Georgian province, South Ossetia, raising fears of increased violence.

Along with calling for the permanent cancellation of a proposed agreement with Russia that critics claim would unfairly give wealthy Russians access to the real estate market, opposition leaders have also called for the resignations of Bzhania’s vice president and the prime minister of the breakaway leadership.

“The situation will be stabilized. We will put everything back into the legal system,” he stated on November 16, according to a quote from Bzhania’s press service.

He allegedly went on to say that “the entire country”—which is virtually universally recognized as Georgian territory—”is under the legitimate authorities’ control, apart from the complex of buildings they have taken over.”. “.

The distance between Tamysh and the region’s capital is roughly 40 kilometers.

On November 16, Bzhania, a former head of Abkhazia’s state security service, told his supporters that massive pressure was being applied to parliamentarians in order for them to illegally decide to fire the president. But he cautioned that the “2014 scenario will not be repeated,” alluding to one of two occasions in which opposition protests forced Abkhaz leaders to resign.

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In statements, the Interior Ministry and security service of Abkhazia said they would follow the president’s instructions.

In a statement, protesters claimed that Bzhania was the target of the occupation, accusing him of “trying to use these relations for his own selfish interests [and] manipulating them for the sake of strengthening his regime,” rather than Abkhazia’s close ties with Russia. “.

Russia’s state-run TASS news agency quoted a representative of the protesters, Adgur Ardzinba, as saying they would remain in place until the president resigned.

Moscow said on November 15 that it was following the “crisis situation” with concern and urged Russian citizens to avoid travel to Abkhazia.

With reporting by Reuters.

KYIV — Following one of Russia’s biggest airstrikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Ukraine’s energy authority announced that all Ukrainian regions will face temporary power consumption restrictions on November 18.

The invasion of Ukraine: news and analysis.

Listen to RFE/RL’s Ukraine Live Briefing for the most recent information on the invasion by Russia, Western military assistance, civilian suffering, and maps of territorial control. Click here to view RFE/RL’s complete coverage of the conflict.

According to Ukrenergo, the power outages would begin at 6 a.m. on November 17. A. up until ten o’clock. m. in an effort to fix the attacks’ damage “as quickly as possible.”. “”.

It will be necessary to implement consumption-restriction measures in every region. The Energy Ministry stated that the temporary limitations were brought on by the damage done to power facilities during today’s intense drone and missile attack.

Ukrenergo also reported that the Russian attacks early on November 17 killed two workers at a substation it runs.

A Russian missile strike on a residential building in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy late on November 17 killed at least eight people, including two children, and injured about 20 others, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. This was one of the bloodiest attacks in recent months.

Russia launched massive aerial attacks on Ukraine overnight, Kyiv’s foreign minister said on November 17. The attacks targeted civilian sites in cities throughout Ukraine, including energy infrastructure, with drones and missiles, prompting neighboring Poland to scramble fighter jets.

Using drones and missiles, Russia launched one of the biggest airstrikes against civilians sleeping, peaceful cities, and vital infrastructure. This is [President Vladimir] Putin’s actual response to everyone who recently called and came to see him. We need peace through strength, not appeasement,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote on X.

Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had launched around 120 missiles and 90 drones in what he described as a “massive” combined air strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

“Our energy infrastructure across Ukraine was the enemy’s target. Unfortunately, there is damage to objects from strikes and falling debris,” he said in a statement on social media.

Explosions were reported early on November 17 in the capital, Kyiv, as well as other cities across the country, including Odesa on the Black Sea coast and the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhya. Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko stated that the launch of preventive outages was prompted by Russia’s missile attack that targeted power infrastructure throughout Ukraine.

The massive attack occurs as Russia approaches the 1,000th day of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia is investing an enormous amount of money and human resources to gradually expand its territory beyond the nearly one-fifth of Ukraine that it currently controls.

Ukraine, meanwhile, is struggling to minimize losses, maintain morale, and convince allies that, with more military aid, it can turn the tide. U. S. Donald Trump, the president-elect, has stated that he could put an end to the war quickly, but it is unclear how.

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations reaffirmed their “unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes” in the fight against Russian invasion forces on November 16.

WATCH: On the evening of November 16–17, a volley of Russian drones and missiles swept across Ukraine. In Mykolayiv, a man told RFE/RL that he was assisting a neighbor and her child in escaping burning debris while standing amidst severely damaged and destroyed homes. In the end, the woman was declared deceased.

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Russia’s attack on Ukraine on November 17 prompted neighboring Poland to scramble jets.

“Polish and allied aircraft have started operating in our airspace due to the massive attack by the Russian Federation using cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles on objects located, among others, in western Ukraine,” the armed forces’ operational command of NATO member Poland wrote on X.

It claimed that it had “scrambled the on-duty fighter pairs, activated all available forces and resources at his disposal, and reached the highest state of readiness for the ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems.”. ”.

The Polish prime minster, Donald Tusk, wrote on X that the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine won’t be stopped through phone calls — remarks coming days after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke by phone with Putin.

Nobody will use the phone to stop Putin. One of the largest attacks in this war, which occurred last night, demonstrated that phone diplomacy cannot take the place of genuine Western support for Ukraine, Tusk wrote.

According to Zelenskiy’s social media post, Russia used cruise, ballistic, and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles in addition to a variety of drones, including Shaheds… There were 140 air targets shot down by Ukrainian defense forces, he said.

The drone strike on Ukraine’s capital overnight was followed by the missile assault. At least one person was hurt when falling debris caused the roof of a residential building in Kyiv to catch fire, according to city officials on the Telegram messaging app.

“Emergency services were dispatched to the scene,” Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

The combined drone and missile attack was the most powerful in three months, according to the head of Kyiv’s military administration, Serhiy Popko.

After speaking with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz over the phone, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated on November 16 that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is not interested in holding negotiations to end the war but wants to hold talks with foreign leaders to put an end to his international isolation.”.

“Even though I believe Putin has no interest in peace, this does not preclude him from meeting with some of the leaders [at the negotiating table].”. Because political isolation means devastation to him. “It is very lucrative for him to sit down, converse, and disagree,” Zelenskiy stated during a November 16 radio interview.

The invasion of Ukraine: news and analysis.

Get up-to-date information on Russia’s invasion, Western military assistance, civilian suffering, and territorial control maps with RFE/RL’s Ukraine Live Briefing. For all of RFE/RL’s coverage of the war, click here.

Negotiating would allow him to go somewhere, but he is unable to travel. Zelenskiy declared that this would be the last time he was isolated.

Zelenskiy acknowledged that the situation on the battlefield in the east, where Russia was making small advances, was challenging for the outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian Army, but he also stated that Ukraine must end the conflict as quickly as possible.

“From our side, we must do everything so that this war ends next year, ends through diplomatic means,” Zelenskiy said.

“I would like to speak with U,” he added. A. President-elect Donald Trump directly, without going via middlemen, but stated that the U.S. A. law prior to Trump’s inauguration.

In his capacity as president of Ukraine, Zelenskiy declared, “With all due respect to any entourage, to any people, I will only take seriously a conversation with the president of the United States of America.”.

Zelenskiy has blasted Scholz’s November 15 phone conversation with Putin, saying it had unlocked a “Pandora’s box” that hampered attempts to isolate Putin and bring the conflict in Ukraine to a “fair peace.”. “..”.

IN THE LAST YEAR, Inventors in Ukraine have created over 200 distinct ground robotic systems. They have the ability to fire machine guns, move shells and equipment, demolish enemy positions, and lay mines.

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Meanwhile, Russia persisted in attacking Ukraine’s infrastructure and cities.

The Russian air force posted on Telegram that it had fired an S-300 missile and 83 drones at targets in Ukraine.

Across 11 Ukrainian regions—Cherkasy, Odesa, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Mykolayiv, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Zaporizhzhya, Kharkiv, and Khmelnytskiy—Ukraine’s air defense systems shot down 53 Russian drones.

Separately, Russian shelling killed one person on November 16 in the city of Slovyansk, in the eastern region od Donetsk, regional Governor Vadym Lyakh reported.

TBILISI — Despite weeks of opposition protests and charges of widespread fraud and Russian meddling, Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) on November 16 confirmed the results of last month’s contentious elections.

Following an unruly session that was briefly interrupted when opposition representative Davit Kirtadze splattered a black liquid on CEC chief Giorgi Kalandarishvili and referred to him as a “dark spot,” the CEC announced that the Moscow-friendly ruling Georgian Dream party had won 53.93 percent of the vote, compared to 37.79 percent obtained by an opposition alliance. “.”.

“Unfortunately, the CEC, under your leadership, your direct involvement, and your unfair decisions, instead of leading the country toward Europe, is moving it towards Russia,” Kirtadze told Kalandarishvili after throwing the black liquid on him.

Kirtadze’s protest was intended to refer to the ink from voters’ pens that was visible through the thin paper on the other side of some ballots. According to the opposition, this jeopardized confidentiality during the contentious October 26 voting.

The only party that accepted the election results was Georgian Dream, which has held power since 2012. Pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili has yet to accept the results, claiming they were largely influenced by Russia.

Georgia’s pro-European opposition has boycotted the new parliament, renouncing its mandates from the October 26 vote, alleging widespread fraud and Russian interference.

Representatives of the two main opposition blocs — the United National Movement (ENM) and the Coalition for Change — filed an appeal this week with the CEC in a technical move to prevent it from registering the opposition candidates who won seats as lawmakers.

The new parliament is expected to hold its first postelection session by the end of the month, with the makeup of a new government possibly to follow within days.

While the CEC was announcing the validation of the election results, a protest was under way outside the commission’s building. The opposition has been holding large daily protests in Tbilisi since Georgian Dream claimed victory.

On November 15, student-led protests were held, with police cordoning off Tbilisi State University’s main building as protesters gathered.

WATCH: A student-led protest was held in Georgia’s capital on November 15 over elections in October that officials said confirmed the ruling Georgian Dream party’s hold on power. Opposition parties and the country’s president say results were manipulated with help from the Central Election Commission.

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In the Black Sea port city of Batumi, students inside a Shota Rustaveli State University building were promising to remain inside for a second night of protest.

On November 15, Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze left a downtown meeting with the mayor of Tbilisi, ignoring a journalist’s inquiry about the protests, stating only, “The opposition is in trouble.”. The opposition is in trouble. “.

A presidential election should be held by early January.

Zurabishvili has feuded for years with the governing Georgian Dream, but the crisis has boiled over in the past six months with the enactment of curbs on NGOs and media under a “foreign influence” law that Zurabishvili and other critics call a “Russian law. “.

Zurabishvili said the voting showed Georgian Dream had “captured” the country.

EU and other Western officials have expressed serious doubts about the elections and perceived irregularities.

Georgia has been a candidate for EU membership since last year. But the “foreign influence” law and anti-LGBT measures have stalled that effort.

The United States in July announced that it would pause more than $95 million in assistance to the Georgian government, warning it that it was backsliding on democracy.

The embattled leader of Georgia’s Moscow-backed separatist region of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, was quoted as saying on November 16 that “legitimate authorities” control all of Abkhazia except the parliamentary complex that opposition protesters wrested control of a day earlier to block a controversial Russia-related vote.

The opposition has since demanded Bzhania’s and other senior officials’ resignations and new elections.

Bzhania’s press service said he held an urgent meeting with his cabinet at a school in his home village of Tamysh to discuss “ways to stabilize the situation that arose. “.

Bzhania had previously said he was “ready” to step down if opposition supporters agreed to leave the parliament compound in the capital, Sukhumi.

There were fears of escalating violence amid the storming of the parliament, which followed weeks of tensions, in a region whose independence Moscow has backed since a five-day war against Georgian forces in 2008 over another breakaway Georgian province, South Ossetia.

WATCH: The leader of the Moscow-backed Abkhazia region said on November 16 that he would step down if protesters leave the parliament compound. A day earlier, demonstrators against an investment agreement with Moscow stormed the parliament in Sukhumi, the administrative center of the Georgian breakaway territory.

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Opposition leaders have demanded not only the permanent abandonment of a proposed deal with Russia that opponents say would unfairly open the property market to wealthy Russians, but also Bzhania’s resignation and those of his vice president and the breakaway leadership’s prime minister.

“The situation will be stabilized. He was quoted by Bzhania’s press service on November 16 as saying, “We will put everything back into the legal framework.”.

According to reports, he went on to say that “the entire country”—which is widely recognized as Georgian territory abroad—”is under the legitimate authorities’ control, aside from the complex of buildings they have taken over.”. “..”.

About 40 kilometers separate Tamysh and the capital of the area.

After protesters stormed the parliament grounds the day before over a real estate deal with Moscow and demanded Bzhania’s overthrow, the opposition called for a new rally on November 16.

“I am prepared to call elections, resign, and run in new elections after those who took over the buildings and those who attempted a coup d’etat leave the compound,” Bzhania declared from Tamysh.

However, the opposition appeared determined to ignore Bzhania’s demands.

“Aslan Bzhania is resorting to desperate attempts to preserve his government,” a so-called Coordination Council of the opposition said in a statement, adding, “His reign is over. “,”.

Bzhania was charged with “enriching his relatives and a narrow circle close to him,” according to the statement. “,”.

Legislators, according to local media, failed to ratify the agreement on November 15. Opponents believe it would enable wealthy Russians to purchase real estate in the scenic Black Sea region, driving up prices and rendering it unaffordable for residents.

Bzhania, a former chief of Abkhazia’s state security service, told his supporters on November 16 that “enormous pressure is being exerted on members of parliament so that the parliament makes an unlawful decision to dismiss the president. ” But he warned that the “2014 scenario will not be repeated,” an allusion to one of two instances when Abkhaz leaders resigned due to opposition protests.

On June 1, 2014, Abkhaz leader Aleksander Ankvab resigned following opposition protests led by Raul Khajimba, who took his place, only to resign, too, after the Supreme Court overturned the results of the 2019 presidential election. In March 2020, Bzhania won a vote and went on to become president.

Following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Abkhazia and South Ossetia seceded from Georgian authority.

In 2008, Georgia attempted to retake South Ossetia, but Russian forces defeated Georgia in a five-day war, and Moscow recognized the two regions’ independence.

Although the majority of nations still acknowledge Abkhazia as a part of Georgia, the region’s economy is largely reliant on Moscow, which provides social payments to its citizens and pays the salaries of public officials.

In response to tensions in what Tbilisi considers to be its occupied territory, Georgia’s pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili charged that Russia was “taking accelerated steps toward annexation” of Abkhazia.

In recent weeks, tensions have been high in the region, with opposition activists calling for an end to Russia’s economic and regional hegemony. However, opposition parties on November 15 stated that their protest was not directed at Russia.

According to a joint statement, “the protesters’ actions are not directed against relations between Russia and Abkhazia.”. Actually, the opposition has consistently stressed the value of strategic and fraternal ties between our nations. “,”.

The opposition in Abkhazia was accused by Russia’s Foreign Ministry of going beyond the law and “inciting an escalation.”. Russia was not meddling, according to a spokeswoman, and the matter “will be resolved exclusively by peaceful political means.”. “.

Moscow advised anyone who was a Russian national in Abkhazia to leave “if possible” and advised others not to go there.

After Kosovar players left the field in protest of “racist” abuse during a Nations League match between Romania and Kosovo in Bucharest on November 15, the governing body of European football is anticipated to make an announcement.

After some fans yelled, “Serbia! Serbia!” during a brawl between Kosovo captain Amir Rrahmani and Romanian striker Denis Alibec, the Kosovar players left the field in the 92nd minute, with the match expected to end in a goalless draw.

The Football Federation of Kosovo on November 16 warned that it will submit a complaint to UEFA for what it said were “provocations and racist behavior” of Romanian fans during the match.

Kosovo national team manager Bajram Shala said the decision to abandon the match was made by the Kosovar federation, coach Franco Foda, and the players after “racist calls” against their country.

“We, as a federation, coach and team, have decided not to participate in a match where the fundamental values of UEFA are not respected. Not only were the values not respected, but there was racial discrimination, so we decided we couldn’t allow that. It’s happening for the second time in the same stadium from the fans,” Shala said at a press conference in Bucharest.

The captain of the Kosovo team, Amir Rrahmani, said that Romanian fans chanted, “Serbia, Serbia,” and, “Kosovo is Serbia,” and that he had informed Danish referee Morten Krogh “at least three times” that his team would leave the field.

The Romanian team remained on the pitch for about an hour before the referee decided to abandon the game after the Kosovar players refused to return.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has been recognized by more than 100 countries, but not Romania and other four EU states — Spain, Cyprus, Greece, and Slovakia.

The Romanian team on November 16 thanked their fans for “the extraordinary support and for the behavior they had in the match with Kosovo, a game that will remain in everyone’s memory not only as a three-hour one, but also as an example of unity and solidarity. “.

According to the Romanian team’s message, “the visiting team’s decision to leave the field without the referee’s permission and to not finish the game on the field in the spirit of fair play is a regrettable gesture that reflects a lack of respect not only for football, but also for the profession of footballers.”.

According to the Romanian Gendarmerie, nine more spectators were prohibited from participating in any sporting events for a maximum of one year, and thirteen more were fined following the game.

The game is not the first one between the two teams to be marred by incidents.

In September 2023, Romanian ultras yelled chants at Kosovo players during a previous game in Bucharest. They also unfurled a large banner that read “Kosovo is Serbia” in both Serbian and Romanian.

The game was interrupted for 50 minutes, the Romanian Football Federation was fined by UEFA, and Romania played the next match with only children under 14 allowed in the stands.

Kosovar fans responded in kind during the first leg of the League of Nations played in Pristina this fall, which was won by Romania 3-0. In addition to chanting racist epithets and even invading the field, they whistled during the Romanian anthem. As a result of the incidents, UEFA also fined the Kosovar Federation.

“More information will be communicated in due course,” according to UEFA. “,”.

If the game had ended in a draw, Romania would have automatically advanced to the upper Group B, where they currently lead Nations League Group C with 12 points, followed by Kosovo with 9. With one game remaining for each team, a UEFA ruling in favor of Kosovo would put them on equal points.