Europe faces stagflation as Ukraine war amplifies concerns
PARIS — Surging energy prices are posing a growing problem for Europe’s economies, as new figures showed on Friday that inflation in the eurozone increased to 7.5 percent this month, the highest level on record, while economic growth weakened to 0.2 percent.
Rising inflation was a key concern in Europe even before the war in Ukraine, as its economies struggled to weather supply chain disruptions and the long-term impact of coronavirus restrictions. The more recent European sanctions against Russia and the rising tensions over fossil fuel imports have further amplified the concerns by sending energy prices spiraling upward.
Pressure is unlikely to fade. On Wednesday, Russia’s state-controlled gas company effectively shut off the supply of natural gas to Poland and Bulgaria and the Kremlin warned that other countries could face the same fate.
Read the full story here.
PARIS — Surging energy prices are posing a growing problem for Europe’s economies, as new figures showed on Friday that inflation in the eurozone increased to 7.5 percent this month, the highest level on record, while economic growth weakened to 0.2 percent.
Rising inflation was a key concern in Europe even before the war in Ukraine, as its economies struggled to weather supply chain disruptions and the long-term impact of coronavirus restrictions. The more recent European sanctions against Russia and the rising tensions over fossil fuel imports have further amplified the concerns by sending energy prices spiraling upward.
Pressure is unlikely to fade. On Wednesday, Russia’s state-controlled gas company effectively shut off the supply of natural gas to Poland and Bulgaria and the Kremlin warned that other countries could face the same fate.
Read the full story here.
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Here is the latest from Ukraine.
- While some Ukrainian forces are holding out in Mariupol at a time when officials have called for a planned evacuation from its steel plant, the Azovstal field hospital is still “under tank fire” from Russian troops, Mykhailo Vershynin, the chief of the Donetsk region patrol police, told The Post. “We don’t have a cease-fire,” he said.
- In the battle for eastern Ukraine, Russian forces are making “slow and uneven” advances, hampered by logistical challenges, according to the Pentagon.
- Two British volunteers were captured by Russian forces as they were trying to help three people leave Ukraine, a Britain-based nonprofit group said Friday.
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told U.S. lawmakers the world had changed dramatically and declared support for Finland and Sweden joining NATO.
- Britain will send 8,000 troops to join NATO forces across Europe “in one of the largest shared deployments since the Cold War.”
More live updates here.
- While some Ukrainian forces are holding out in Mariupol at a time when officials have called for a planned evacuation from its steel plant, the Azovstal field hospital is still “under tank fire” from Russian troops, Mykhailo Vershynin, the chief of the Donetsk region patrol police, told The Post. “We don’t have a cease-fire,” he said.
- In the battle for eastern Ukraine, Russian forces are making “slow and uneven” advances, hampered by logistical challenges, according to the Pentagon.
- Two British volunteers were captured by Russian forces as they were trying to help three people leave Ukraine, a Britain-based nonprofit group said Friday.
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told U.S. lawmakers the world had changed dramatically and declared support for Finland and Sweden joining NATO.
- Britain will send 8,000 troops to join NATO forces across Europe “in one of the largest shared deployments since the Cold War.”
More live updates here.
Here is the latest on key battlegrounds in Ukraine.
Kyiv: Russia on Friday confirmed it launched five missiles that struck the capital city late Thursday, reportedly striking an arms factory and at least one residential building. The attack came as U.N. Secretary General António Guterres was visiting the capital.
Mariupol: An area surrounding the Azovstal steel plant remained under heavy tank fire as Ukrainian forces and civilians cling to their last stronghold in the strategic southern port city.
Elsewhere in the Donbas region: Russian forces continue to press on the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, but their slow progress has come at a high cost in the face of strong resistance from Ukrainian forces, the British Defense Ministry said in a Friday intelligence update. Fighting has been heaviest in the Luhansk oblast cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk.
More live updates here.
Kyiv: Russia on Friday confirmed it launched five missiles that struck the capital city late Thursday, reportedly striking an arms factory and at least one residential building. The attack came as U.N. Secretary General António Guterres was visiting the capital.
Mariupol: An area surrounding the Azovstal steel plant remained under heavy tank fire as Ukrainian forces and civilians cling to their last stronghold in the strategic southern port city.
Elsewhere in the Donbas region: Russian forces continue to press on the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, but their slow progress has come at a high cost in the face of strong resistance from Ukrainian forces, the British Defense Ministry said in a Friday intelligence update. Fighting has been heaviest in the Luhansk oblast cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The Russian military is only making slow progress in eastern Ukraine, even as the Kremlin attempts to concentrate its firepower in Donbas, according to newly released analyses by Western governments. The Pentagon said Friday that the Russian troops’ “plodding” pace reflects an attempt to avoid stretching supply lines after fierce Ukrainian resistance.
- As the offensive in the eastern region of Donbas continues, Western governments continue to funnel weapons toward Ukrainian forces. More than 12 flights carrying weapons and equipment, including artillery and drones, will make their way from the United States through Friday and Saturday, according to the Pentagon.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday walked back recent brinkmanship about nuclear war, telling a Saudi-owned news channel that Russia does not consider itself to be at war with NATO.
More live updates here.
- The Russian military is only making slow progress in eastern Ukraine, even as the Kremlin attempts to concentrate its firepower in Donbas, according to newly released analyses by Western governments. The Pentagon said Friday that the Russian troops’ “plodding” pace reflects an attempt to avoid stretching supply lines after fierce Ukrainian resistance.
- As the offensive in the eastern region of Donbas continues, Western governments continue to funnel weapons toward Ukrainian forces. More than 12 flights carrying weapons and equipment, including artillery and drones, will make their way from the United States through Friday and Saturday, according to the Pentagon.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday walked back recent brinkmanship about nuclear war, telling a Saudi-owned news channel that Russia does not consider itself to be at war with NATO.
More live updates here.
On the battlefield, Ukraine uses Soviet-era weapons against Russia
KYIV, Ukraine — In a town near the front with Russia in eastern Ukraine, grease-stained Ukrainian soldiers huddled over the engine hatch of a battle-damaged T-64BV battle tank. They had been working for three days straight.
“Fortunately, it wasn’t a direct hit and the crew survived,” said their commander, Zhenya, who for security reasons gave only his first name. “But the engine had to be replaced.”
Inside this makeshift workshop near Ukraine’s eastern front, soldiers in teams worked round-the-clock to repair the tanks and other vehicles that are the backbone of Ukraine’s military resistance to Russia’s invasion — Soviet-designed and -built equipment once destined for soldiers with allegiance to Moscow.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — In a town near the front with Russia in eastern Ukraine, grease-stained Ukrainian soldiers huddled over the engine hatch of a battle-damaged T-64BV battle tank. They had been working for three days straight.
“Fortunately, it wasn’t a direct hit and the crew survived,” said their commander, Zhenya, who for security reasons gave only his first name. “But the engine had to be replaced.”
Inside this makeshift workshop near Ukraine’s eastern front, soldiers in teams worked round-the-clock to repair the tanks and other vehicles that are the backbone of Ukraine’s military resistance to Russia’s invasion — Soviet-designed and -built equipment once destined for soldiers with allegiance to Moscow.
Read the full story here.
For Muslims in Ukraine, war revives questions of faith and belonging
The Quran on Murad Suleimanov’s desk has become a crisis management manual as he figures out how to serve the hundreds of terrified, displaced people who stream through the doors of the mosque he leads in western Ukraine.
When his heart grows heavy over Russia’s war, Suleimanov reads about lopsided battles in Islamic history. When he checks on a Muslim elder whose house was destroyed by shelling, he recites verses about faith in hard times. And when the imam sees pro-Russian Muslim militias participating in brutalities, he turns to passages about the sanctity of life and thinks there must be “some other kind of Muslim, with some other Quran” to justify such acts.
For Suleimanov and others in Ukraine’s tiny Muslim population, there’s no question that they should share in the country’s protection.
Read the full story here.
The Quran on Murad Suleimanov’s desk has become a crisis management manual as he figures out how to serve the hundreds of terrified, displaced people who stream through the doors of the mosque he leads in western Ukraine.
When his heart grows heavy over Russia’s war, Suleimanov reads about lopsided battles in Islamic history. When he checks on a Muslim elder whose house was destroyed by shelling, he recites verses about faith in hard times. And when the imam sees pro-Russian Muslim militias participating in brutalities, he turns to passages about the sanctity of life and thinks there must be “some other kind of Muslim, with some other Quran” to justify such acts.
For Suleimanov and others in Ukraine’s tiny Muslim population, there’s no question that they should share in the country’s protection.
Read the full story here.
Kyiv urges residents to stop driving, so military can have the fuel
Municipal officials in Kyiv on Friday urged residents to stop driving private vehicles to conserve Ukraine’s limited fuel supplies for troops fighting off the Russian invasion, in an announcement that reflected uncertainty about energy stability across Ukraine and the rest of Europe.
The city administration encouraged commuters to use public transit, which is slowly being restored after Russian forces aborted their attempt to seize the Ukrainian capital about a month ago. “Remember the needs of the army,” officials said in a Telegram post.
Kyiv now runs 140 buses, 70 trams, and 77 trolley buses, city data show, up from roughly 150 buses and 30 trams on April 5, just days after Russian forces pulled out of the capital’s suburbs.
Read the full story here.
Municipal officials in Kyiv on Friday urged residents to stop driving private vehicles to conserve Ukraine’s limited fuel supplies for troops fighting off the Russian invasion, in an announcement that reflected uncertainty about energy stability across Ukraine and the rest of Europe.
The city administration encouraged commuters to use public transit, which is slowly being restored after Russian forces aborted their attempt to seize the Ukrainian capital about a month ago. “Remember the needs of the army,” officials said in a Telegram post.
Kyiv now runs 140 buses, 70 trams, and 77 trolley buses, city data show, up from roughly 150 buses and 30 trams on April 5, just days after Russian forces pulled out of the capital’s suburbs.
Read the full story here.
Russian troops looted art museums in Mariupol, city council says
Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have seized more than 2,000 pieces of artwork from Mariupol. They have been taken to Russian-occupied Donetsk, local channel TV7 reported.
The Mariupol City Council wrote in a Telegram message Thursday that Russian forces have raided the three local museums, including the Kuindzhi Art Museum, since the start of the invasion.
“The occupiers ‘liberated’ Mariupol from its historical and cultural heritage,” the city council wrote. “They stole and moved more than 2,000 unique exhibits from museums in Mariupol to Donetsk.”
Among the works taken was the Gospel of 1811 from the Venetian printing house for the Greeks of Mariupol, three works by 19th-century artist Arkhip Kuindzhi and others by famed Russian romantic painter Ivan Aivazovsky.
Read the full story here.
Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have seized more than 2,000 pieces of artwork from Mariupol. They have been taken to Russian-occupied Donetsk, local channel TV7 reported.
The Mariupol City Council wrote in a Telegram message Thursday that Russian forces have raided the three local museums, including the Kuindzhi Art Museum, since the start of the invasion.
“The occupiers ‘liberated’ Mariupol from its historical and cultural heritage,” the city council wrote. “They stole and moved more than 2,000 unique exhibits from museums in Mariupol to Donetsk.”
Among the works taken was the Gospel of 1811 from the Venetian printing house for the Greeks of Mariupol, three works by 19th-century artist Arkhip Kuindzhi and others by famed Russian romantic painter Ivan Aivazovsky.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- A long-awaited effort to evacuate civilians from a Mariupol steel plant that is the last battleground for control of the strategic port city got underway Saturday, though an official cautioned it was still in the early stages.
-Ukraine’s military claimed it regained control of four villages in the Kharkiv region on Saturday, asserting that Russian troops were “not succeeding” in plans to quickly take control of vast swaths of territory in the east.
- Ukrainian police have been informed of more than 7,000 missing people since the war began — a total that the country’s Internal Affairs Ministry called an “unprecedented” toll.
More live updates here.
- A long-awaited effort to evacuate civilians from a Mariupol steel plant that is the last battleground for control of the strategic port city got underway Saturday, though an official cautioned it was still in the early stages.
-Ukraine’s military claimed it regained control of four villages in the Kharkiv region on Saturday, asserting that Russian troops were “not succeeding” in plans to quickly take control of vast swaths of territory in the east.
- Ukrainian police have been informed of more than 7,000 missing people since the war began — a total that the country’s Internal Affairs Ministry called an “unprecedented” toll.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest on key battlegrounds in Ukraine.
Kyiv: As more Ukrainian residents return to the capital, where Russian forces pulled out in early April, government officials are urging people to quit driving so that gas and energy supplies can remain at levels needed for Ukrainian combat troops.
Kharkiv: The Ukrainian military said Saturday it had regained control of four settlements in the Kharkiv region that had been under Russian control. The regional governor of Kharkiv said battles raged around Izyum as Russian forces fought to advance.
Mariupol: Civilian evacuations are expected to continue Sunday from a steel plant that has become a final battlefield and shelter for Ukrainian fighters and residents in this strategic port city.
More live updates here.
Kyiv: As more Ukrainian residents return to the capital, where Russian forces pulled out in early April, government officials are urging people to quit driving so that gas and energy supplies can remain at levels needed for Ukrainian combat troops.
Kharkiv: The Ukrainian military said Saturday it had regained control of four settlements in the Kharkiv region that had been under Russian control. The regional governor of Kharkiv said battles raged around Izyum as Russian forces fought to advance.
Mariupol: Civilian evacuations are expected to continue Sunday from a steel plant that has become a final battlefield and shelter for Ukrainian fighters and residents in this strategic port city.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made an unannounced visit to Kyiv with Democratic lawmakers, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the first official congressional delegation to Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
- In a video posted by Zelensky, Pelosi could be seen walking the streets of Ukraine’s capital with House lawmakers. The trip had not been announced before Zelensky shared visuals on Sunday, with a caption praising the United States for being a leader in support of Ukraine.
- The visit came as civilian evacuations from a Mariupol steel plant that has been the last base for Ukrainian fighters in the besieged port city were expected to continue on Sunday, after a group of about 20 women and children were allowed to leave under a cease-fire that began Saturday.
More live updates here.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made an unannounced visit to Kyiv with Democratic lawmakers, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the first official congressional delegation to Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
- In a video posted by Zelensky, Pelosi could be seen walking the streets of Ukraine’s capital with House lawmakers. The trip had not been announced before Zelensky shared visuals on Sunday, with a caption praising the United States for being a leader in support of Ukraine.
- The visit came as civilian evacuations from a Mariupol steel plant that has been the last base for Ukrainian fighters in the besieged port city were expected to continue on Sunday, after a group of about 20 women and children were allowed to leave under a cease-fire that began Saturday.
More live updates here.
Hacking Russia was off-limits. The Ukraine war made it a free-for-all.
For more than a decade, U.S. cybersecurity experts have warned about Russian hacking that increasingly uses the labor power of financially motivated criminal gangs to achieve political goals, such as strategically leaking campaign emails.
Prolific ransomware groups in the last year and a half have shut down pandemic-battered hospitals, the key fuel conduit Colonial Pipeline and schools; published sensitive documents from corporate victims; and, in one case, pledged to step up attacks on American infrastructure if Russian technology was hobbled in retribution for the invasion of Ukraine.
Yet the third month of war finds Russia, not the United States, struggling under an unprecedented hacking wave that entwines government activity, political voluntarism and criminal action.
Read the full story here.
For more than a decade, U.S. cybersecurity experts have warned about Russian hacking that increasingly uses the labor power of financially motivated criminal gangs to achieve political goals, such as strategically leaking campaign emails.
Prolific ransomware groups in the last year and a half have shut down pandemic-battered hospitals, the key fuel conduit Colonial Pipeline and schools; published sensitive documents from corporate victims; and, in one case, pledged to step up attacks on American infrastructure if Russian technology was hobbled in retribution for the invasion of Ukraine.
Yet the third month of war finds Russia, not the United States, struggling under an unprecedented hacking wave that entwines government activity, political voluntarism and criminal action.
Read the full story here.
In Kharkiv, a 24-hour shift with paramedics amid Russian shelling
Ukraine’s first responders have some of the most dangerous jobs of this war. They’re not armed or behind a fortified military position. But for the past two months, they’ve worked at the front lines of battles with Russia, driving into danger with nothing more than a bulletproof vest to protect themselves as they treat the wounded.
The Washington Post shadowed a brigade of paramedics for a 24-hour shift in Kharkiv, the eastern Ukrainian city about 25 miles from the Russian border that has been heavily battered by airstrikes and artillery since the first day of the war.
The sounds of incoming and outgoing fire reverberated around their ambulance station all day. But Stepan Yaremko and Natalia Mykytenko's phones were silent until almost 6:30 p.m., when they got the call that dispatched their ambulance toward the dark smoke suddenly rising in the distance.
Read the full story here.
Ukraine’s first responders have some of the most dangerous jobs of this war. They’re not armed or behind a fortified military position. But for the past two months, they’ve worked at the front lines of battles with Russia, driving into danger with nothing more than a bulletproof vest to protect themselves as they treat the wounded.
The Washington Post shadowed a brigade of paramedics for a 24-hour shift in Kharkiv, the eastern Ukrainian city about 25 miles from the Russian border that has been heavily battered by airstrikes and artillery since the first day of the war.
The sounds of incoming and outgoing fire reverberated around their ambulance station all day. But Stepan Yaremko and Natalia Mykytenko's phones were silent until almost 6:30 p.m., when they got the call that dispatched their ambulance toward the dark smoke suddenly rising in the distance.
Read the full story here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The United Nations resumed a “safe passage” operation Sunday to evacuate civilians from a steel plant in Mariupol that has been the last base for Ukrainian fighters and others in the besieged port city, according to a U.N. spokesman. About 100 civilians were being transferred to Ukrainian-controlled territory, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday.
- Moscow’s recent actions in the Russian-occupied region of Kherson — where civilians are facing an Internet blackout and the implementation of a plan to use Russian currency — “are likely indicative of Russian intent to exert strong political and economic influence in Kherson over the long term,” according to a British intelligence update.
- Europe is scrambling to respond to the energy crisis prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, after Putin cut off natural gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland for refusing to pay in rubles.
More live updates here.
- The United Nations resumed a “safe passage” operation Sunday to evacuate civilians from a steel plant in Mariupol that has been the last base for Ukrainian fighters and others in the besieged port city, according to a U.N. spokesman. About 100 civilians were being transferred to Ukrainian-controlled territory, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday.
- Moscow’s recent actions in the Russian-occupied region of Kherson — where civilians are facing an Internet blackout and the implementation of a plan to use Russian currency — “are likely indicative of Russian intent to exert strong political and economic influence in Kherson over the long term,” according to a British intelligence update.
- Europe is scrambling to respond to the energy crisis prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, after Putin cut off natural gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland for refusing to pay in rubles.
More live updates here.
Jill Biden to meet with displaced Ukrainians on Mother’s Day in Slovakia
Jill Biden will travel to Romania and Slovakia this week to meet with Ukrainian families displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The first lady will depart the United States on Thursday evening, arriving at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania on Friday — a base for NATO response force troops — where she will meet with U.S. service members, the White House said in a statement.
The tour May 5 to 9 also includes meetings with government officials, U.S. embassy staff and humanitarian aid workers helping to teach displaced Ukrainian children and support them and their families during the crisis.
On Mother’s Day, the first lady will meet with Ukrainian mothers and children in Kosice and Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia, who have been forced to flee their homes.
Read the full story here.
Jill Biden will travel to Romania and Slovakia this week to meet with Ukrainian families displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The first lady will depart the United States on Thursday evening, arriving at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania on Friday — a base for NATO response force troops — where she will meet with U.S. service members, the White House said in a statement.
The tour May 5 to 9 also includes meetings with government officials, U.S. embassy staff and humanitarian aid workers helping to teach displaced Ukrainian children and support them and their families during the crisis.
On Mother’s Day, the first lady will meet with Ukrainian mothers and children in Kosice and Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia, who have been forced to flee their homes.
Read the full story here.
Here’s the latest from Ukraine.
- After weeks of failed efforts, a convoy of about 100 evacuees from the Azovstal steel plant is expected to arrive in Zaporizhzhia on Monday morning.
- Moscow appears to have instituted an Internet and cellular-service blackout in Kherson in an attempt to consolidate political control. The Russian-installed government there said Sunday the city will start using the Russian ruble, which Western military analysts say signals Moscow’s intention to keep its hold on the city permanently.
- First lady Jill Biden will travel this week to Romania and Slovakia, where she will meet with displaced Ukrainian families, U.S. service members and embassy staff. Her trip follows a surprise visit to Kyiv by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic lawmakers. Pelosi is set to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw.
- Denmark and Sweden have issued a diplomatic reprimand to Moscow after accusing a Russian plane of violating their countries’ airspaces.
More live updates here.
- After weeks of failed efforts, a convoy of about 100 evacuees from the Azovstal steel plant is expected to arrive in Zaporizhzhia on Monday morning.
- Moscow appears to have instituted an Internet and cellular-service blackout in Kherson in an attempt to consolidate political control. The Russian-installed government there said Sunday the city will start using the Russian ruble, which Western military analysts say signals Moscow’s intention to keep its hold on the city permanently.
- First lady Jill Biden will travel this week to Romania and Slovakia, where she will meet with displaced Ukrainian families, U.S. service members and embassy staff. Her trip follows a surprise visit to Kyiv by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic lawmakers. Pelosi is set to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw.
- Denmark and Sweden have issued a diplomatic reprimand to Moscow after accusing a Russian plane of violating their countries’ airspaces.
More live updates here.
Here’s the latest on key battlegrounds in Ukraine.
Mariupol: A convoy of about 100 evacuees who had been holed up in a steel plant here is expected to arrive in Zaporizhzhia on Monday morning local time.
Kharkiv: The head of Kharkiv’s regional government said Sunday that shelling had killed three people and injured eight, hours after he said the strikes seemed to be slowing.
Kherson: Moscow appears to have instituted an Internet blackout in a bid to consolidate political control. Its pro-Russian puppet government said the city would begin using the Russian ruble on May 1.
Kyiv: Top U.S. lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, made a surprise visit to the capital over the weekend and pledged support for Ukraine “until the fight is done.” Pelosi is the highest-ranking U.S. leader to visit the country, a sign of continued political support from the U.S.
Inside Russia: The regional governor of Belgorod said he was awakened in the early hours Monday by two explosions.
More live updates here.
Mariupol: A convoy of about 100 evacuees who had been holed up in a steel plant here is expected to arrive in Zaporizhzhia on Monday morning local time.
Kharkiv: The head of Kharkiv’s regional government said Sunday that shelling had killed three people and injured eight, hours after he said the strikes seemed to be slowing.
Kherson: Moscow appears to have instituted an Internet blackout in a bid to consolidate political control. Its pro-Russian puppet government said the city would begin using the Russian ruble on May 1.
Kyiv: Top U.S. lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, made a surprise visit to the capital over the weekend and pledged support for Ukraine “until the fight is done.” Pelosi is the highest-ranking U.S. leader to visit the country, a sign of continued political support from the U.S.
Inside Russia: The regional governor of Belgorod said he was awakened in the early hours Monday by two explosions.
More live updates here.
Mass flight of tech workers turns Russian IT into another casualty of war
RIGA, Latvia — In his two-bedroom Moscow apartment, 35-year-old start-up wizard Pavel Telitchenko spent years mulling a move from Russia, fearing the gradual rise of a police state. Then, three days after the Kremlin’s tanks rolled into Ukraine, he made the hard choice — packing up his young family, along with his prized vinyl-record collection, and joining a historic exodus that includes a massive outflow of Russia’s best and brightest minds in tech.
“I did not want to make an emotional decision, but I could not raise my son in a country like that,” said Telitchenko, who resettled in neighboring Latvia in March with his wife and 3-year-old son. He spoke in their comfortable Riga two-story walk-up, standing near a high shelf with a white Santa Claus statue from his childhood — a reminder of what he had left behind.
“The war made me realize that Russia will not change,” he said.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — In his two-bedroom Moscow apartment, 35-year-old start-up wizard Pavel Telitchenko spent years mulling a move from Russia, fearing the gradual rise of a police state. Then, three days after the Kremlin’s tanks rolled into Ukraine, he made the hard choice — packing up his young family, along with his prized vinyl-record collection, and joining a historic exodus that includes a massive outflow of Russia’s best and brightest minds in tech.
“I did not want to make an emotional decision, but I could not raise my son in a country like that,” said Telitchenko, who resettled in neighboring Latvia in March with his wife and 3-year-old son. He spoke in their comfortable Riga two-story walk-up, standing near a high shelf with a white Santa Claus statue from his childhood — a reminder of what he had left behind.
“The war made me realize that Russia will not change,” he said.
Read the full story here.