Aug 14, 2023 at 10:13 PM Update: 6 hours ago
NU.nl regularly gives you an overview of the situation in Ukraine. With this time the Russian ruble dropping again and a Ukrainian general being convicted of high treason. Dutch F-16s also had to come into action because of Russian bombers.
Russian ruble falls to lowest point in almost a year and a half
The Russian ruble fell to its lowest level against the dollar since March last year on Monday. At the lowest point, you got 101.75 rubles for 1 dollar. Later in the day, the Russian currency recovered slightly, to about 98 rubles per dollar. The currency fell 30 percent against the US currency this year.
The weaker ruble will affect Russians in everyday life. A weak currency makes it more expensive to get things from abroad. This will be passed on in the prices. In other words: inflation will continue to increase.
The Russian central bank is expected to raise its key interest rates soon to curb inflation and strengthen the ruble. That is also not without consequences: it makes borrowing money more expensive.
Ukraine Convicts Secret Service General For High Treason
In Ukraine, a major general of the SBU secret service has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for high treason. The high-ranking officer gathered information and passed it on to Russia. This happened before the war in Ukraine.
He is also said to have recruited assassins for an assassination attempt on the commander of a Chechen battalion fighting on the Ukrainian side. The intelligence officer was arrested in April 2020.
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Russian bombers near NATO airspace, Dutch F-16s in action
Both Danish and British pilots had to take action on Monday because of Russian bombers. The Russian Tu-95s were approaching NATO airspace in both cases. In both cases there was no confrontation.
In the first case, the bombers were spotted over Denmark. According to NATO agreements, Dutch F-16s should respond to this and that is why they also took to the air. The Danish air force was quicker, so that the Dutch effort was no longer necessary.
Not much later, something similar happened north of Scotland. Two Russian long-range bombers passed north of the Shetland Islands. They were eventually intercepted by two British Typhoon jets.
Ukraine wants measures after cargo ship intercepted at sea
Ukraine has reacted angrily to an incident in which a Russian naval vessel fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the Black Sea. The country speaks of a “gross violation of international law” and asks the international community to take measures.
The Russians stated on Sunday that they wanted to stop a vessel with a patrol vessel. The Russian navy wanted to check the cargo ship, but the captain would not have cooperated. The Russians then decided to fire warning shots.
Tensions on the Black Sea have been mounting since Russia pulled out of the so-called grain deal. The country now wants to inspect ships sailing to or from Ukraine to ensure that no military goods are taken with them.
Russian soldiers were eventually able to board the freighter to carry out checks. The Russian Defense Ministry said the vessel was then cleared to continue sailing.
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2023-08-14 20:13:00
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