+++ Ukraine-Krieg +++: Nord-Stream-Anschläge: Verdächtiger in Kroatien festgenommen

In recent news, a suspect linked to the attacks on the Nord-Stream pipelines has been apprehended in Croatia. The Russian Economy Newspaper "Wedomosti" reported that Russian donors contributed billions to the state treasury amid escalating costs of the war against Ukraine. By mid-August, 383.69 billion Rubles (approximately 3.9 billion Euros) had been donated voluntarily, surpassing all expectations.

The majority of funds came after a March call to entrepreneurs, according to the report citing the Russian Finance Ministry. Donations can come from large corporations, individuals, or family and corporate foundations, as stated by Alexander Schochin, head of the Russian Industrialists and Entrepreneurs' Association. The exact expenditure of the funds remains unclear.

The Russian government may introduce a surcharge for the financial sector next fall to generate more revenue. The Ukrainian city of Odessa has reported at least nine injuries due to Russian attacks, with Russian drones targeting a restaurant and several private homes. In a controversial court case, prominent Russian war critic and opposition figure Lew Schlosberg was sentenced to eleven years and one month in a labor camp for defamation of Russian forces.

Schlosberg plans to appeal the verdict. The state-owned Russian Development Bank VEB released its chief economist after he criticized the economic situation and the Ukraine war. Andrej Klepatsch had previously said that Russia is falling behind in competition with the West and China due to the war's economic impact. Klepatsch's comments were published on a forum for economists and government officials and became known through Reuters.