The Italian Treasury said over the weekend that it had frozen the assets of Russian Artem Uss, who fled the country as authorities were set to extradite him to the United States to face charges of evading sanctions. Uss was charged with shipping oil to Venezuela against the sanctions imposed by Washington.
The Italian Treasury said in a statement Friday that it has frozen the assets of Uss, who fled to Russia last month a day after a court in Milan agreed that Uss was to be transferred to the US to be tried on charges of shipping oil to Venezuela which is an evasion of US sanctions as well as bank fraud. Uss was under house arrest in his home in Basiglio on the outskirts of Milan. Uss’s electronic tracking tag alerted the authorities when he left the house but was already gone by the time the police arrived.
The Treasury then said that it had frozen Uss’ assets in Italy, including his minority stake in a private firm, his villa in Basiglio, and his Italian bank account that contained over $170,000. Uss’s escape was seen as a blow to the Italian government, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticizing the court’s decision to put Uss under house arrest.
The Italian justice minister has also launched disciplinary action against the three judges who granted house arrest, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Over the weekend, thousands of residents of the Russian city of Belgorod were forced to evacuate when a Russian plane accidentally dropped a bomb on the city two days before and damaged homes. The regional governor said over 3,000 people were made to evacuate while the bomb was being disposed of by the authorities. Belgorod is a city close to Russia’s border with Ukraine.
Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov shared on the Telegram messaging platform that the military explosive experts were able to “neutralize” the bomb at a training ground and that the precautionary measures ended on the same day. Belgorod mayor Valentin Demidov also shared on Telegram that the residents were given the green light to return to their homes.


Trump to Deliver National Address on 2020 Election Intelligence, Voting Machine Security
Ukraine, EU Sign Landmark Drone Deal to Boost Defense Production
Russia Launches Missile and Drone Attacks on Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv
HHS Watchdog Reports $5.56 Billion in Healthcare Fraud Recoveries as Enforcement Actions Decline
Trump Recommends Darline Graham for Interim South Carolina Senate Seat
Trump to Deliver National Address on Declassified 2020 Election Intelligence
Iranian Missile Strike on UAE Oil Tankers Kills Indian Crew Member in Strait of Hormuz
Trump Tells Congress Iran Hostilities Restarted, Citing New 60-Day War Powers Window
Trump Says U.S. Strikes on Iran Will Continue Until Nuclear Deal Is Reached
Western Allies Push for More Air Defenses for Ukraine at Paris Summit
Ukraine, Europe Launch Freyja Missile Shield to Strengthen Air Defense Against Russia
Iraq PM Visits Washington as U.S. Oil, Gas Deals Take Center Stage
Israel-Lebanon Talks Resume in Rome as Ceasefire and Troop Withdrawal Remain Elusive
Minnesota Wildfires Spread as Governor Tim Walz Deploys National Guard
Zelenskiy Cabinet Reshuffle Puts Ukraine Defense Minister Fedorov’s Future in Focus
UK Sanctions 24 Russian-Linked Targets Over Cyberattacks and Election Interference
Trump Administration Bars U.S. Travelers From Congo Flights Amid Ebola Outbreak 



