Did you miss the latest developments on the war in Ukraine? 20 minutes gives you an update every evening. Between strong statements, advances on the front and the results of the fighting, here is the essential information from this Tuesday, July 30, the 888th day of conflict.
The fact of the day
At least five opposition figures, as well as a Russian-German convicted of treason and an activist who “cooperated with Ukraine,” all imprisoned in Russia, have apparently been transferred to unknown destinations. In Russia, the transfer of prisoners after their conviction to their place of confinement usually takes place in opaque conditions and it can take several weeks before it is known where they have been sent. But the fact that so many opposition figures imprisoned at different sites are transferred at the same time is unusual.
Some observers were speculating on Tuesday about the possibility that a prisoner exchange involving Russian opponents and Americans held in Russia was in the works. “It seems that we are on the verge of a very important exchange (and not only with the Americans),” independent political scientist Tatiana Stanovaya, who has gone into exile, noted on Telegram.
While the Kremlin declined to comment, observers noted that the United States and Russia are actively discussing an exchange involving American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was sentenced earlier this month in a summary trial to 16 years in prison for espionage, sparking anger at the White House.
Statement of the day
” It’s hard here. It’s hell. Everything I had left I spent on candles and bread. I understand that I should leave, but the war will come wherever I go anyway and I don’t know where to go.” »
These are the words of Oksana, 54. This resident of Toretsk, interviewed by AFP, does like most Ukrainians who have remained in the city located 40 kilometers north of the large city of Donetsk, occupied by Moscow: she now lives hidden in her basement, in an attempt to shelter herself in particular from the powerful gliding bombs used by the Russians. Toretsk is less than 5 kilometers from the front line.
The number of the day
300. This is the number of ships taking part in naval maneuvers that began Tuesday in Russia. The Russian Northern, Pacific and Baltic fleets, as well as the Caspian flotilla, are taking part in these maneuvers, whose “main goal is to test the actions of the Navy’s military command at all levels, as well as the readiness of the ship crews, naval aviation units and coastal troops.”
In addition to 300 ships, boats and submarines, up to 50 aircraft, as well as 20,000 personnel, military and civilian, will carry out “more than 300 exercises with the use of weapons”, including “anti-aircraft missile firing, artillery firing on maritime and air training targets”.
Today’s trend
Russia was cut off by the West from entire sections of international payment networks, in response to its large-scale attack on Ukraine in February 2022. And on Tuesday, Russian deputies adopted a bill paving the way for the use of cryptocurrencies as a means of international payment to circumvent Western sanctions, while strictly regulating their production.
The new legislation passed Tuesday is intended to allow the Russian central bank to create a pilot project to expand the use of cryptocurrencies in cross-border transactions, which was not previously allowed. Moscow hopes that such cryptocurrency transactions, which are harder for Western regulators to track, will make it easier for it to buy sanctioned goods on the international market. The text, which passed its second and third readings Tuesday by the lower house of parliament, must now be approved by the upper house and then signed by President Vladimir Putin, which is usually a formality.