Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alleged that the Kremlin, via the Georgian government, is trying to kill Mikheil Saakashvili, who was the pro-West president of Georgia during Russia’s 2008 invasion. Zelensky called on Tbilisi to stop the “demonstrative execution” of Saakashvili, who is imprisoned in Georgia, and transfer him to Ukraine — where he is a citizen — “for the necessary treatment and care.” In a court appearance via videoconference, Saakashvili — who has staged multiple hunger strikes in prison — appeared emaciated when he lifted his shirt to reveal his torso.
Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport temporarily restricted takeoffs and landings early Tuesday, as the city’s mayor said Ukraine attempted to attack the Moscow region with drones.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
As war nears Crimea, Russian occupiers are trying to lure tourists: Tourism-dependent Crimea is looking ahead to a grim summer holiday season as the war grinds on, Francesca Ebel and Natalia Abbakumova report. Many visitors, concerned by recent attacks, are canceling their summer bookings to the Black Sea peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Crimea accounted for only 1 percent of Russian hotel bookings this year, according to the online booking portal Ostrovok.ru, down from 3 percent last year and 19 percent from the year before.
“There are indeed fewer people in Crimea than usual,” said Nikita Krimskiy, a tour guide in Yalta. “Many people were intimidated by military news and various ‘fakes.’ They have changed their plans and decided to not go to Crimea this season.” Some all-inclusive hotels have lowered their prices by as much as 60 percent. Others have simply decided not to open this summer. Sixty percent of Crimean tourism businesses lost money last year, official data shows, with combined losses of $10 million as tourist revenue dropped by about a third.
