Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has drawn criticism from the Kremlin for its decision to ban Russian state media entities like Rossiya Segodnya and RT from its global apps. This move is part of Meta’s proactive measures against foreign interference activity, following an increase in speculation over Russia’s alleged usage of social media to manipulate global public sentiment and electoral outcomes. Russia’s response to Meta’s actions included listing the company as an extremist group, preventing access to Facebook and Instagram on Russian soil – all of which began with Russia’s comprehensive invasion of Ukraine back in February 2022. According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, such discriminatory measures against Russia’s media outlets wreak havoc on any potential normalization of relations between the Kremlin and Meta.
Simultaneously, Ukraine reported that it had successfully intercepted 34 out of 51 attack drones launched by Russia during the initial hours of Tuesday. Furthermore, the Sumy region, located on the periphery of Russia’s Kursk province, was barraged by missiles leading to a power outage for over 280,000 residents. Vadym Mysnyk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military, indicated that Ukraine had assumed control over more than 1,000 square kilometres in the Kursk region within the past six weeks, which could be why the Russian is attacking Sumy.
Russian authorities have instigated evacuation protocols for over 150,000 residents in the border regions of Kursk. Earlier this week, an additional part of the province was marked for evacuation, despite Russia claiming the reclamation of a dozen settlements along the line.
The defence ministry in Moscow reported on Tuesday that the Russian military, aided by army aviation and artillery fire, successfully thwarted five incursions by the Ukrainian armed forces into Russian territory, in the areas of Veseloe and Medvezhe.
This week, the Kremlin has confirmed plans to boost its active service personnel to 1.5 million. This augmentation of 180,000 will render Russia’s military forces the second-largest globally, with only China surpassing them.
Mr Peskov, on Tuesday, cited multiple threats along Russia’s borders, exacerbated by heightened tensions along the western boundaries and unsettled conditions in the east, as the impetus for this measure.