Dead in Rostov, wounded in Belgorod, and Putin's "spiritual and moral" AI: Non-Moscow news overnight
Another night of exchanges of shelling and new civilian casualties took place in Russian and Ukrainian regions. Furthermore, security forces in St. Petersburg are preparing large-scale raids on teenagers, and Vladimir Putin signed laws on "spiritual and moral" artificial intelligence and tightening immigration regulations.
Victims of drone attacks in Rostov-on-Don and Belgorod
In particular, a grave situation has developed in southern Russia. A married couple was killed and five others were injured during a drone attack in Rostov-on-Don. According to Governor Yuri Slyusar, two of the victims are currently in serious condition. Fires broke out in private businesses, warehouses, residential buildings, and parking lots in the Zheleznodorozhny, Proletarsky, and Leninsky districts of the city.
Additionally, 12 civilians were injured during the Ukrainian drone attack on Belgorod, according to the local task force. Fires were reported in several apartments in a multi-story building, and more than 15 parked cars were also destroyed.
Strikes on Zaporizhia and Sumy Oblast
Meanwhile, Russian strikes in Zaporizhia and the Sumy region of Ukraine left one person dead and at least 11 injured. In Zaporizhia, a private home was completely destroyed: a 67-year-old man died, and rescuers managed to pull a 22-year-old man alive from the rubble. In the Sumy region, residential buildings, transport, and key infrastructure were damaged.
Raids on teenagers in St. Petersburg shopping centers and a performance for Maria Bontsler's anniversary
However, domestic violence is also intensifying in Russian cities. In St. Petersburg, two-month raids will be conducted in shopping malls to identify members of "informal" and "antisocial" youth groups. The investigations will be carried out by officers from the Center "E," the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Contact Center for Social Adaptation, who plan to identify teenagers directly by their "clothing and accessories."
Meanwhile, colleagues of Kaliningrad human rights activist Maria Bontsler released an audio performance, "Anniversary in Handcuffs," to mark her 66th birthday. The production is based on a work Bontsler wrote in prison. It describes her hospitalization from the courtroom: her examinations under guard and in handcuffs, her reflections on the penitentiary system, and her personal tragedy—the death of her youngest son.
Force Majeure for Marketplaces and Putin's New Laws
Consequently, amid ongoing attacks on warehouses, businesses continue to minimize risks. Yandex Market updated its agreement with sellers, completely waiving liability for failure to fulfill obligations during drone attacks, shelling, and military action. As a result, the platform's obligation to promptly inform sellers of force majeure and provide documentary evidence was removed from the document. Ozon and Wildberries previously made similar amendments.
Furthermore, Vladimir Putin signed a package of laws tightening the rules for migrants' stay in Russia and introducing state regulation of artificial intelligence. According to the new regulations, adult children of migrant workers are required to leave Russia within 30 days unless they obtain their own work permit, and foreigners themselves must prove their income, including dependents, is no less than the subsistence minimum.
The second set of signed laws introduces the concept of "sovereign" AI models for the first time. Such systems are required to be trained on government data and to comply with "traditional spiritual and moral values."
