Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine

Russia is currently experiencing a labor shortage in no small part due to the war in Ukraine, with some sectors experiencing significant problems recruiting workers, the British Ministry of Defense said Tuesday, noting that the situation could lead to a “mobilisation of labour.”

Russia had a shortage of 4.8 million workers in 2023, according to estimates by the Russian media outlet Izvestia, cited by the defense ministry. The newspaper noted that the Russian transport and logistics industry was unable to fill 25% of its truck driver vacancies during 2023.

“The labour shortage has at least in part been caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has led to mobilisation of parts of the working population and emigration by some skilled professionals seeking to avoid the call-up,” the defense ministry said in an intelligence update on X on Monday.

More recently, the labor shortage has been exacerbated by restrictions on migrant employment implemented following the March 22 terrorist incident in Moscow, an attack claimed by an Islamic State militant group affiliate.

“As a result of the labour shortages, a group of Russian parliamentarians are looking at possible amendments to the Russian labour code. If enacted, it would mean that excess labour force could be moved under state supervision to a place of work which lacks sufficient labour. The moves will be temporary and workers will only be transferred with their consent,” the U.K. said.

“However, although not coercive, it is a potential move towards the mobilisation of labour,” it added.

— Holly Ellyatt

Poland has arrested nine people in connection with acts of sabotage committed in the country on the orders of Russian services, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said late on Monday.

Warsaw says its position as a hub for supplies to Ukraine has made it a key target for Russian intelligence services, and accuses Moscow of trying to destabilize the country.

“We currently have nine suspects arrested and charged with engaging in acts of sabotage in Poland directly on behalf of the Russian services,” Tusk told private broadcaster TVN24.

“This includes beatings, arson and attempted arson.”

He said Poland was collaborating with its allies on the issue and that the plots also affected Lithuania, Latvia and possibly also Sweden.

Tusk said earlier this month Poland would allocate an additional 100 million zlotys ($25.53 million) to its intelligence services due to the threat from Russia.

In April, two people were detained in Poland on suspicion of attacking Leonid Volkov, an exiled top aide to late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

— Reuters

Ukraine said Monday that its military is “holding back” Russian troops near Bilohorivka, a rural settlement in the east of the country, which Moscow claimed earlier in the day to have seized.

“The defence forces for quite a long time today have been holding back the onslaught of the enemy, which is trying to somehow move forward in the area of Bilohorivka,” Kyiv’s general staff said in a Google-translated Facebook post.

— Karen Gilchrist

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday spoke to Iran’s interim President, Mohammed Mokhber, who was previously the country’s vice president, the Kremlin said in a statement.

“Both sides will emphasize their mutual desire to further consistently strengthen comprehensive Russian-Iranian interaction for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries,” the Kremlin said, according to a Google-translation.

Earlier on Monday, Russian state news agency Ria Novosti had reported that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said he expected all agreements previously made between the two countries to be fulfilled even after the death of Iran’s president and foreign minister. The two died in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

— Sophie Kiderlin

China and Russia should stabilize the foundation of their cooperation, said China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi after meeting on Monday with his counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Wang called on both countries to maintain the security and stability of neighboring areas, according to Reuters. The minister spoke at the meeting with his counterpart in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana.

The ministers also discussed the situation in the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean peninsula, Reuters reported.

– April Roach

Ukraine still holds around 60% of the embattled town Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region, Deputy Governor Roman Semenukha told Ukrainian national television on Monday, Reuters reported.

“The enemy continues to try, especially inside Vovchansk, to push the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of the town,” he said, noting that assaults from Russia are not stopping.

CNBC could not independently verify developments on the ground.

Vovchansk has become a fighting hot spot and heavily contested town in recent weeks since Russia launched a fresh offensive on the Kharkiv region in the northeast of Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine have at times given conflicting information about the the situation on the ground, including on territorial gains and losses.

— Sophie Kiderlin

The Russian Defense Ministry on Monday said it took control of another Ukrainian settlement, Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region, according to a Google-translated post on Telegram.

That was a result of “hostile activities” and allows Russia to take on more advantageous positions, the ministry said.

Separately, the ministry said attacks from Ukraine on the border region Belgorod were thwarted. Two drones and a rocket were destroyed by Russian air defense systems, the ministry said in another Google-translated Telegram post.

Belgorod is a key region for Ukrainian attacks and at least 13 people were injured in the area after strikes on Sunday.

CNBC could not independently verify battleground reports.

— Sophie Kiderlin