Ukraine, “overseas specialists affected”. Missiles and the Gershkovich case, Russia-US pressure skyrocketing –

Stress may be very excessive between Russia and the US over arms provides to Ukraine, whereas the case of the Wall Road Journal journalist on trial in Moscow can be inflaming. The Russian army introduced that it had destroyed three US-made Himars a number of launch rocket launchers and the “overseas specialists” who operated them. This was reported by the Russian Ministry of Protection, as reported by Tass. “Operational-tactical aviation, unmanned aerial automobiles, missile troops and artillery of troop teams of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed three US-produced Himars a number of rocket launchers, in addition to a transport automobile -cargo and overseas specialists who ensured its use,” the ministry mentioned, including that the meeting store and locations of preparation for launching drones have been additionally hit, in addition to buildings for the regrouping of enemy troops and depots for army gear in 109 districts.

In the meantime, Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Road Journal journalist who has been in jail in Moscow for fifteen months, at the moment appeared in courtroom for the beginning of his trial in Yekaterinburg, the place he was arrested on expenses of espionage whereas he was doing a report for the newspaper American. This was reported by the BBC, which was one of many publications briefly admitted to the courtroom earlier than the trial started behind closed doorways. The 32-year-old American journalist smiled on the photographers, with out saying something, from the aquarium, as it’s known as in Russian courts a glass and steel cage wherein the defendants are closed. Gershkovich was sporting denims and a checked shirt and had a shaved head. After a couple of minutes the journalists have been requested to go away. The prosecution claims that the American journalist was gathering labeled details about a plant that produces tanks and that he was working for the CIA. The accusations are rejected as unfounded by Gershokovich, his newspaper and the American authorities which considers him illegally detained by Russia. If convicted, he dangers 20 years in jail. The monetary newspaper has condemned the trial that opened at the moment in opposition to its reporter, underlining that the espionage expenses in opposition to him are “invented”.