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Proof the Rwanda plan IS working! How Ireland is in meltdown amid riots, tent cities and a record surge of migrants fleeing Britain, as IRAM RAMZAN'S dispatch from Dublin shows

2024-06-04

[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] It was around 11pm on Tuesday when, last week, another petrol bomb was thrown — and St John's House, a four-storey block in Tallaght on the outskirts of Dublin was suddenly ablaze.

It could have been much worse but, fortunately, no one was inside and firefighters were quickly on the scene.

As to why anyone might take the trouble to attack a set of empty offices, the answer is all too clear: they'd been earmarked as housing for asylum seekers.

A recent and dramatic rise in the number of migrants reaching Ireland has sparked a furious campaign of protests and petrol bombings right across the country. This was just the latest.

In December, a blaze ripped through the disused 19th century Ross Lake House country hotel in Rosscahill, Galway. The Great Southern Hotel in the seaside town of Rosslare, County Wexford was targeted with petrol bombs just the month before. Both had been due to accommodate refugees.

More than 6,500 people have already claimed asylum since the start of the year — a radical increase from the past, and the calm weather of the summer months is yet to come, threatening more arrivals and unrest.

Earlier this month, the Minister of Finance, Michael McGrath, said that up to 30,000 asylum seekers are forecast to land Ireland in 2024, more than double the 13,600 in 2022.

Ireland has long enjoyed a reputation as the land of 'a hundred thousand welcomes', taking around 3,000 refugees from Syria and 105,000 Ukrainians since 2022.

Now, though, there's a backlash - and it's clear that the Irish state is struggling to find enough accommodation. Some 1,900 asylum seekers are said to be homeless, with hundreds of them sheltering in tents.

The vast majority are in Dublin where, last week, the authorities dismantled a large migrant encampment — but amid much sceptical comment: the clearance happened just before the capital was due to host the Europa League Final.

Besides, it's far from clear how much difference such operations make. The authorities tried the same thing a fortnight earlier but, like a game of whack-a mole, tents sprang up elsewhere that same evening.

Now, amid growing concern from a population not used to large influxes from abroad, the Irish government has decided to blame Britain and, in particular, our plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Deputy Taoiseach (or prime minister) Micheál Martin could hardly have been more direct, stating that it was 'fairly obvious' that fearful immigrants were hoping 'to get sanctuary here and within the European Union, as opposed to the potential of being deported to Rwanda'.

I see this for myself on the three-hour bus journey from Belfast to Dublin, where I meet 22-year-old friends Zahid Khan and Wali Khan from Afghanistan.

When I ask Zahid how they arrived in Northern Ireland, he replies: 'Dunki', a south Asian term that refers to people crossing a country's borders illegally.

They both paid people-smugglers 15,000 afghanis (about £167) before making the perilous journey through Iran and Turkey to Europe, where they had to fend for themselves. Then they hid inside a container on a boat crossing the Channel before catching a ferry to Belfast. Now they want to cross the border from Northern Ireland into the Republic and claim asylum in Dublin.

Zahid travelled to Belfast last month by ferry; Khan stepped off the boat just that morning. When I ask them why they'd picked Ireland, the response is clear: 'Rwanda'.

'It's now difficult to stay in the UK so we've had to come to Ireland,' says Zahid. 'Inshallah (God willing), they'll give us a house so that we can stay.'

A bus departs hourly from the Europa bus centre in Glengall Street in Belfast. One-way tickets for the three-hour trip cost around £17. Across the road, the Dublin Express, promises to transport passengers in as little as two hours and 20 minutes for just £11. The border between north and south is famously porous: checks are few and far between.

We chat in Urdu, a second or third language for many Afghans. It seems Zahid set off for the UK in spring 2022. He was caught by the border guards in Turkey, where he was imprisoned for five months. He was released with the expectation that he would return to Afghanistan.

Instead, he snuck into Bulgaria, but was caught by officials before being deported to Turkey. Undeterred, he headed back to Europe. The entire journey from his home to Ireland, which normally takes three or four months, took him two years.

Zahid says that life under the Taliban was unbearable, claiming that they killed his father, who had worked for the previous government. Wali, meanwhile, says the Taliban killed his uncle who worked in the army. His father is dead and his mother is a refugee in the city of Peshawar in Pakistan. It took him a year to get to Ireland.

'I like Europe,' he says when asked why he came here. 'I just want to work, whatever job I can get.' In his old life, he worked at a bakery making fresh naan bread.

Zahid has brought a cricket ball with him. He played the sport at a good level in Afghanistan, and hopes he can play for Ireland one day.

When the bus arrives in Dublin, they'll make their way down to the Grand Canal, where a tent city has been established.

Migrants usually make their way to the International Protection Office (IPO), in Lower Mount Street, where newcomers to Ireland must present themselves to lodge asylum claims. Those who register at the IPO can expect a weekly allowance of 113.80 euros (around £97).

There were also tents outside the IPO and along Mount Street for the best part of a year until, finally, they were removed at the beginning of May. Taoiseach Simon Harris has declared that these 'makeshift shanty towns' will not be allowed to reappear — although he was embarrassed earlier this month when it emerged that Irish taxpayers themselves have indirectly helped to pay for the encampments.

Why? Because the country's Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has funded four homelessness charities providing tents to the migrants.

Arriving in Dublin, I walk down to the Grand Canal, overlooked on either side by elegant Georgian and Victorian houses. Along the lush, tree-lined banks are rows of tents crammed together side-by-side.

There are more than 100 men down here, mostly from Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Africa. One man is folding away an Islamic prayer mat. Socks are hanging out to dry on an improvised washing line.

I speak to a young barefoot man who gives his name as Ali. He tells me he is 20 and from Gaza.

But when I question him further, I realise he's not even 18. Ali says the people-smugglers told him to lie about his age. He looks close to tears as he explains that he doesn't know why they brought him to Ireland.

Occasionally, Irish men walk by and hurl abuse, telling the migrants to 'f*** off and leave'. A constant police presence ensures there is no further trouble.

'We get a lot of that type of racism,' a 22-year-old Afghan named Safiullah tells me in broken Urdu.

Tension has been growing among the locals. Last month, six people were arrested for public order offences during four nights of anti-migrant protests at Newtownmountkennedy, a small town in County Wicklow, over plans to turn a disused guest house into an accommodation centre. Four of them were charged after rocks were thrown at Gardai and the window of a police car smashed by a man wielding an axe.

Then, on the first Bank Holiday Monday in May, thousands marched through central Dublin, waving Irish tricolours and shouting 'Get Them Out' (to the government) and 'You'll Never Beat the Irish'. Some brandished signs saying 'Ireland is full'. Elsewhere, demonstrators have belted out slogans such as 'Ireland is for the Irish'. They've also branded Sinn Fein 'traitors', due to the party's support for mass migration, which has alienated much of its working class base.

This anger will no doubt play its part in next week's European and local elections. Malachy Steenson, a solicitor who is standing as an independent in the European elections, believes immigration will be a top priority at the ballot box. 'June 7 will show a huge rise in nationalism,' he tells me. 'We were described as racists or fascists, but we're just seeing what's an obvious fact. People are flooding in at a rate that has never been seen before. They're not genuine asylum seekers.'

Earlier this month, a high court in Belfast suspended the Rwanda Act in Northern Ireland, saying it considered it a violation of the Windsor Framework, which regulates UK-EU relations following Brexit. It also declared parts of the act to be incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

But Steenson believes Ireland should co-operate, saying: 'When Rishi Sunak next uses the military plane [to transport the migrants to Rwanda], we should tell him to keep a few seats on it, land it at Baldonnel airbase [near Dublin] and we'll fill the rest.'

Back at the canal, Mashal, 22-year-old from Pakistan, tells me: 'All these people are risking their lives to come here. They shouldn't send them to Rwanda.' He shows me a picture of him with a class of children, to whom he taught science and English.

I struggle to understand why he'd want to leave that all behind. He claims he couldn't support his family on 15,000 rupees per month, around £43, which is well below Pakistan's minimum wage.

He lived in France for a year, leaving because he couldn't understand the language. 'This place is better. I hope I can get a job as a teacher here.'

A new plan to accommodate asylum seekers will see the Irish state provide 14,000 beds by the end of 2028, as part of a wider strategy to make 35,000 spaces available across the system.

Coilean O Ruaric thinks it's 'outrageous'. He documents Ireland's growing homelessness crisis on his YouTube channel and believes the state is neglecting its citizens. 'We have 14,000 of our own homeless people. They didn't make that promise to us,' he tells me. 'I've got nothing against these guys. My issue is with the government. We just don't have the capacity or the infrastructure [to house them].'

The day of my visit, the Dublin authorities removed more than 100 tents and erected steel barriers to stop them returning.

Nearly 200 asylum seekers were removed and taken to an IPAS (International Protection Accommodation Services) centre a few miles away, which offers washing facilities, health care, food, and 24-hour security.

But that's not enough for Steenson. 'It's pure optics and total opportunism,' he says. 'The government needs to close the borders. Tomorrow, another 50 tents will appear somewhere else.'

And they did, this time close to the affluent area of Ballsbridge.

Perhaps it's not all that surprising. I think back to my conversation with Zahid and Wali on the bus. When I asked if they were worried about sleeping rough, Zahid simply smiled as he replied: 'If I wasn't scared to walk through jungles, why would I be scared of sleeping in a tent?'

They are determined — while the Irish state seems feeble and disjointed in respose.

Things here won't change any time soon.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Convicted in the case of the terrorist attack in Domodedovo won the case in the ECHR

2023-10-27

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] The European Court of Human Rights recognized the violation of the rights of Islam Yandiyev, sentenced to life in prison in the case of the terrorist attack at Domodedovo Airport,

...suicide bomb by Al Qaeda-linked Caucasus Emirate on 24 January 2011. The bombing killed 37 people and injured 173...

and awarded him compensation of 1,000 euros, although Russia refused to comply with the decisions of the Strasbourg court.

As the "Caucasian Knot" wrote, the natives of Ingushetia, brothers Islam and Ilez Yandiev, Akhmed Evloev and Bashir Khamkhoev, were involved in the case of the terrorist attack in Domodedovo. They denied their guilt. The court sentenced them to life terms, but the appeal court upheld the sentence.

The European Court of Human Rights today considered the complaint of Islam Yandiyev, who is serving a life sentence in the case of the terrorist attack at Domodedovo Airport, the Kavkaz.Realii publication reported today*.

As follows from the decision in the case "Yandiev v. Russia", published today on the court's website, he complained about overcrowding - about a person on a train, which for more than a month, from December 17, 2017 to January 26, 2018, transported him to the place of serving his sentence, accounted for less than three square meters of space, as well as the absence or poor quality of bedding, lack of privacy for the toilet, lack of fresh air, cold, insufficient lighting, limited access to warm water.

The court found that Article 3 of the Human Rights Convention on the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment had been violated in relation to Yandiev and awarded him compensation of one thousand euros.

Russia refused to implement the decisions of the ECHR. On June 11, 2022, Vladimir Putin signed a bill on non-execution of ECHR decisions made after March 15 of the same year. On September 16, Russia ceased to be a party to the European Convention on Human Rights. The ECHR stated that it retains competence to consider applications directed against Russia, provided that they were filed before this date.

In April, it became known that the Supreme Court of Russia refused to satisfy the claim of Islam Yandiev, who is serving a prison sentence in the Khabarovsk Territory, with a request to give him the Tetris game. In 2020, a package containing Tetris was sent to his colony. Correctional officers did not give Yandiev the game because it is an “electronic storage medium,” that is, an item that prisoners are prohibited from using.

Yandiev objected that this was a board game that did not provide access to the Internet. He filed an administrative claim in court. In 2021, the Nazran District Court of Ingushetia refused to satisfy his request. The convict filed an appeal - the appellate court considered the actions of the FSIN employees to be illegal and ordered the game to be returned to Yandiev, but the Supreme Court banned him from using the game, RBC reported on April 27.

The "Caucasian Knot" also wrote that in the appeal against life imprisonment, Islam Yandiyev's defense, without challenging the court's arguments about his guilt, stated that the punishment of life imprisonment is excessively harsh and the sentence is unfair. The defense motivated its position by the fact that “Yandiev actively participated in solving the crime, but the court did not take this circumstance into account.” Yandiev also stated in court that he testified against his brother Ilez in connection with the pressure put on him . “They constantly threatened me that they would kill my father, my mother, there were threats against the family that they would blow up the house if I didn’t give the necessary testimony,” Islam Yandiev said then.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Transcaucasus Tales of Torture News Roundup for September 29th, 2023

2023-09-30

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
Human rights activists achieved verification of a Kuban pensioner’s claim of torture

[KavkazUzel] The investigation refused five times to consider the statement of a resident of the village of Novorozhdestvenskaya, Viktor Krasnoborodko, about torture, during which the security forces obtained from a pensioner a confession of beating his stepson, but they managed to obtain a new review of the actions of the security forces, human rights activists reported. Krasnoborodko was arrested, his case was sent to court, his family does not believe in his guilt and calls the case falsified.

As the " Caucasian Knot " wrote, a resident of the village of Novorozhdestvenskaya, Viktor Krasnoborodko, complained about torture by security forces who demanded that he confess to beating his stepson, the man himself told human rights activists.

The case of 60-year-old pensioner Viktor Krasnoborodko, who, under torture, incriminated himself in the murder of his 38-year-old stepson Andrei, is being considered in the Tikhoretsk city court. The security forces put forward a version according to which the pensioner beat the young man to death “due to hostile relations.” The article on causing grievous bodily harm (Article 111 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), under which the case was opened, after the death of the stepson in the hospital, was reclassified as an article on murder (Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), human rights activists reported.

Currently, Krasnoborodko is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Armavir, a representative of the “Team Against Torture”* told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent . He said that according to the statement of Krasnoborodko, a pensioner The police hung me up with a crowbar and beat me with a stun gun and electric shock. “His internal organs were not damaged, but the expert revealed that he had injuries “in the form of bruises in the area of the upper extremities, the right lower extremity, abrasions in the area of the upper extremities, wounds in the area of the left upper extremity, abrasions in the area of the lower extremities.” C 7 until October 21, 2022, Krasnoborodko was on sick leave issued by an orthopedic traumatologist. A statement was written, however, no criminal case was opened against the police who tortured the pensioner. Moreover, the police, who, according to Krasnoborodko, beat him, helped in the investigation of the criminal case against him. The investigator who verified the use of violence and the investigator who investigated the death of Krasnoborodko’s stepson were in neighboring offices,”

He noted that Krasnoborodko’s application is now being considered again. “Based on the results of the inspection against the police, the investigator issued illegal refusals to initiate a criminal case five times. Currently, the decision to refuse to initiate a criminal case has been canceled, an additional investigation is being carried out. The investigation department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnodar Territory is keeping the progress and results of the investigation of the crime report under control,” the representative of the human rights organization emphasized.

The criminal case against Viktor Krasnoborodko is in court, he said. “He is accused of murdering his stepson under Part 1 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Six people were recognized as victims in the case - Krasnoborodko’s wife Galina and daughters, among whom Alevtina, it was she who found our organization and contacted us. Krasnoborodko filed a petition to consider the case with the participation of jury trial. There were several court hearings at which they could not recruit the required number of jurors. That is, now the consideration of the criminal case is at the stage of jury selection. The next hearing is scheduled for October 10. Krasnoborodko has a lawyer by agreement, who is handling his case in court. The committee in is not involved in this criminal case, we are only dealing with issues related to the torture of Viktor Krasnoborodko,” said a representative of the organization.

Viktor Krasnoborodko’s daughter Alevtina, who turned to human rights activists, does not believe in her father’s guilt. “My father is a strict and fair person. There were six children in our family. Five girls and one boy - my half-brother on my mother’s side, Andrei. We all grew up and were brought up together in love and respect for each other. Everyone in the family is hardworking and friendly. We have a farm and we all worked. Dad taught Andrei men's affairs, they went fishing together. Andrei helped his parents with the housework. Dad treated us all the same. He didn't have that: family - not family. We were all for his relatives. Therefore, not a single member of our family believes in the investigation’s version that he could have beaten Andrei to death,” Alevtina Krasnoborodko told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

According to her, the investigation's version looks extremely doubtful - her brother was a strong and athletic man, and there was never any hostile relationship between father and brother. “How could an almost 60-year-old man, a pensioner, beat a 38-year-old strong, muscular, athletic man like my brother like that? It’s unlikely that one person could have dealt with him, he would have always fought back. I can say for sure that those materials The criminal case that I saw was completely falsified, starting from the time of the crime and ending with the video recordings that we presented, but the investigators distorted everything and presented it as it was beneficial for them,” says Alevtina Krasnoborodko.

The mother of the deceased and the wife of the accused, Galina Krasnoborodko, said that she was experiencing triple grief - from the death of her son, from the unfounded accusation of this against her husband, and from the fact that her husband was subjected to terrible torture. “Andrei’s death is a terrible grief for our entire family. I can’t imagine what the investigators could have come up with and for this they tortured my husband so that he would incriminate himself. The real criminals are at large and this injustice makes our common family grief even greater,” - she told the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot"

She said that her son was found in serious condition by her husband on August 28, 2022. “My husband worked as a security guard, and during the day he was engaged in agriculture. We have a house number 78 on Kommunisticheskaya Street, we gave it to Andrey, we also have a farm there. We live next to each other across the street. We constantly went to each other. He came to eat with us, we to him. And so Victor was walking home after work at about 9 o'clock in the morning and on the way he stopped by to help with the housework at Andrey's, as usual. The video footage shows how he comes in and exactly 47 seconds later comes out and starts calling. He called me and said immediately come, then called the police and an ambulance, as I later found out. I ran quickly, there was no face on him. I went into the room with him and saw Andrei on the sofa. The left side of his head was broken, he was unconscious. There was a pool of blood under him,” Galina said.

The woman said that her son “he spent a month in a coma in the hospital under machines.” “My husband and I went every day. A month later, my son woke up and even smiled at us. How could he smile at Viktor Nikolaevich if he had beaten him like that? He even began to eat, but spoke weakly and quietly. One day I stayed with him and began to ask tell me the names of those who beat him and he told me two names,” noted Galina.

According to her, Andrei “sometimes communicated with these acquaintances out of the kindness of his soul,” but the men “were fans of drinking and dealt with drugs.” Galina emphasized that one of the men was jealous due to her son’s meetings with the woman he liked. “I immediately thought that the motive could be jealousy towards her. As soon as I heard these names from my son, I immediately ran to the police and began to ask the district police officer to come and interview my son, but I was refused. The police officer said that he did not have time for this ", she said.

However, on September 19, security forces began to extort a confession from her husband. “Under torture, he wrote a confession and they opened a criminal case under Article 111 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. And on November 5, his son died. He died without being questioned by the police,” said Galina Krasnoborodko.

Viktor Krasnoborodko was arrested on February 15, Galina said. She noted that she goes to court hearings to meet her husband. “We go to court as a family. My husband has aged a lot and lost weight. I see that morally, from injustice and from the grief associated with Andrei’s death, he has completely given up. But we try to support him and say that we love and believe him that the truth will prevail,” says Galina Krasnoborodko.

She noted that the family, with the support of human rights activists, intends to fight for his release. However, the family fears for his health, since Viktor Krasnoborodko has high blood pressure and a heart condition.

More from kavkazuzel.com
The ECHR recognized Kadyrov's former guard as a victim of torture in a colony

A former employee of the security service of the President of Chechnya, Ayub Tuntuyev, was subjected to torture by security forces in the colony, the ECHR said and awarded Tuntuyev’s heiress compensation of 12.5 thousand euros.

As the "Caucasian Knot" wrote, on May 15, 2008, the Supreme Court of Chechnya sentenced Ayub Tuntuyev, a former member of the security service of the President of Chechnya, to 24 years in prison in the case of a terrorist attack in 2005. On March 12, 2019, Tuntuev, who was supposed to be released in 2030, was found dead in the medical unit of a colony in the Vladimir region. Before this, in August 2018, the defense filed a complaint with the ECHR about pressure on Tuntuev and torture, while the prisoner himself never spoke about the desire to commit suicide, but reported threats against him.

CCTV recordings and an examination of Ayub Tuntuev’s body did not confirm his family’s version of death after being beaten in the colony, the Investigative Committee said. The prisoner's lawyer indicated that the version of Tuntuev's suicide is "absolutely unacceptable."

The European Court of Human Rights recognized Ayub Tuntuev as a victim of torture and ordered the Russian authorities to pay his heiress Hedi Rasueva 12.5 thousand euros, according to a decision published on September 28 on the ECHR website.

Having considered the complaint filed in August 2018, the court concluded that on May 17, 2016, Tuntuev was beaten on the kidneys, chest and head on the territory of a colony in the Vladimir region and threatened with sexual violence and poisoning by “two men in civilian clothes” in order to force him to confess . “Later that same day, and again on May 20, 2016, the applicant was threatened by [security forces] officers who demanded that he waive his right to a lawyer and remain silent about the ill-treatment,” the publication says.

Let us recall that on August 2, 2017, the court recognized Tuntuev as a participant in the attack on Pskov paratroopers in 2000, and his term of imprisonment was increased by 11 months. The convict did not agree with this sentence either.

On June 11, 2022, Vladimir Putin signed a law on non-execution of ECHR decisions made after March 15 of the same year. On September 16, 2022, Russia ceased to be a party to the European Convention on Human Rights. The ECHR stated that it retains competence to consider applications directed against Russia, provided that they were filed before that day.

Even more from kavkazuzel.com
The court suspended the consideration of Ataev's case due to his allegations of torture

The court in Khasavyurt suspended the trial of Eduard Ataev while the prosecutor's office considered the activist's complaint about the actions of security forces during his arrest, the lawyer said.

As the "Caucasian Knot" wrote, the former coordinator of Navalny's headquarters* in Makhachkala, Eduard Ataev, was arrested on charges of possession of an explosive device and drugs. Atayev claims that the grenade and drugs were planted on him, and connects the persecution with his civic and political position and opposition to corruption schemes. The quality of the examination of the grenade found during the search of Ataev raised questions among the defense.

There are signs of falsification in the materials of the case of Eduard Atayev, the defense said in February. In Dagestan, fabrication of criminal cases against critics of the government is practiced, journalist Idris Yusupov pointed out.

The Khasavyurt District Court suspended the consideration of the case of Eduard Ataev, said the lawyer of the accused, Israfil Gadadov. According to him, the judge suspended the process while the prosecutor’s office considered Atayev’s statement about the actions of the security forces during his arrest, Kavkaz.Realii reported on September 28.

In court, Atayev stated that during his arrest, security forces put a bag over his head, wrapped it with tape, and then forcibly put objects that looked like a pistol handle and a grenade into his hands, the publication writes.

The case file for Eduard Ataev on the Khasavyurt District Court website was updated on September 11. It says that the last meeting in the case took place on September 11, the date of the next meeting is not indicated.

Let us recall that Eduard Ataev held single pickets in Makhachkala with calls, in particular, to stop corruption in the Khasavyurt region. On January 25, 2022, he was detained at a protest against natural resource extraction in the village of Endirei. A report was drawn up against him under Part 1 of Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (disobedience to law enforcement officers), but the court did not consider the materials and returned them back due to violations committed during the preparation.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Relatives of Dagestanis killed in Chechnya express disappointment with court decision

2023-07-07

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] The Court of Appeal did not take into account the decision of the ECHR, which held the authorities responsible for the deaths of eight young Dagestanis in Chechnya, relatives of the victims said and promised to appeal the verdict to a higher authority.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 10, 2020, the Supreme Court of Chechnya found the murdered eight Dagestanis guilty of encroachment on the lives of law enforcement officers and illegal arms trafficking, but dismissed the criminal case due to their death. Lawyer Andrei Sabinin sent an appeal in this case to the Third Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction.

On January 10, the European Court of Human Rights awarded 27 relatives of those killed 609,000 euros in compensation. On July 5, it became known that the Court of Appeal refused to reconsider the case for the relatives of the victims.

Residents of Dagestan Gashim Uzdanov, Pakhrudin Makhaev, Islam Magomedov and Shamil Dzhamalutdinov disappeared on September 28, 2016 on the way from Kaspiysk to Makhachkala. On October 4 of the same year, Hussein Huseynov (Gosen Gosenov), Klych Klychev, Shamil Jamalutdinov and Kamil Jamaludinov disappeared in Khasavyurt. The security forces claimed that these people were preparing a terrorist attack and were killed in a shootout.

According to the security forces, the incident occurred on the night of October 9, 2016 in the Gudermes district of Chechnya, when the police tried to stop two cars. Of these, fire was opened. Eight alleged militants were killed and four policemen wounded in the shootout, the Chechen Interior Ministry said. Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Chechnya were presented for state awards. Reward your offer Ramzan Kadyrov previously explained the police officers by saying that "they, risking their lives, neutralized especially dangerous bandits."

The court's decision to refuse to review the case was not surprising, said Gashim Uzdanov's mother Aida . "I was hoping for a different solution, but I understand that no one wants to figure out what happened and what really happened," she told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to her, for all these years after the murder of her son, there was no attention from the authorities to their family. "Our family has not faced any pressure, inspections, searches over the years. But there was also no attention in a good way, that is, no one offered to help, did not provide support," she said.

Umraykhan, the mother of Islam Magomedov, is determined to go all the way and prove her son's innocence. “I have nothing to lose, this is my main goal in life. There are so many inconsistencies, lies, deceit, you can’t even imagine. I want all this to come out so that everyone knows what really happened there. All parents are ready to fight until end, despite all the difficulties," she told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to her, no searches or inspections were carried out during this time, but they came home with various questions. “The last time, about a year ago, the security forces came to us, asked various questions, asked where my daughter-in-law was. But they didn’t particularly bother, I can’t say that there was any direct attention to us,” she noted.

Burliyat, the mother of Pakhrudin Makhaev, is also ready to fight to the end. "The Third Court of Cassation of the city of Sochi left the decision of the Supreme Court of Chechnya unchanged. We don't know what will happen next. But we told the lawyer that we would go to the end. We want to restore justice and prove that the decisions of the courts are illegal," she told a correspondent " Caucasian Knot."

According to her, the Russian courts do not pay any attention to the verdict of the ECtHR. "The decision of the ECtHR was announced at the meetings by both the lawyer and the parents. But there was no reaction to this, they are not taken into account," she stressed.

On June 11, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill adopted by the State Duma on non-execution of ECtHR decisions issued after March 15, 2022. Judgments of the ECtHR are no longer the basis for reviewing decisions taken by Russian courts.

Burliyat also said that during this time there was no attention from the security forces to their family. "Our family has not faced pressure from the authorities. But, as I know, the wives of the guys are all registered and their children, too," she said.

Lawyer Yulia Antonova , who temporarily represented the interests of the relatives of those killed, confirmed that the court did not take into account the decision of the ECtHR in this case. "The decision of the ECtHR was known, but it did not have any influence either on the court of first instance or on the court of second instance," she told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to her, the next step will be to appeal the decision to refuse to reconsider the case in the court of cassation.

Recall that on September 16, 2022, the Russian Federation ceased to be a party to the European Convention on Human Rights. However, the ECtHR stated that it retains competence to consider applications directed against the Russian Federation, provided that they took place before that day. Earlier, on March 16, 2022, it became known that due to Russia's withdrawal from the Council of Europe, the ECtHR suspended consideration of complaints from Russia. At the same time, cases that were received from Russians at the ECHR before March 16, 2022, should be considered , and decisions made before that date should be executed, analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" pointed out.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Imangazali Magomedov asked not to be deported to Russia

2023-04-02

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Detained in Ukraine, a native of Dagestan, Imangazali Magomedov, asked to be deported to a third country, considering it unsafe to return to Russia.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 29 it became known that a court in the Sumy region of Ukraine extended 43-year-old Imangazali Magomedov's stay in the deportation center for six months. Magomedov decided to appeal this decision.

Imangazali Magomedov crossed the border with Ukraine in the summer of 2022 to escape from administrative supervision in Russia and was detained by Ukrainian border guards. According to him, he twice applied for asylum in Ukraine, but the migration service refused to consider his applications. Magomedov explained the decision to leave Russia by the pressure of the security official, who demanded to cooperate and "inform on Muslims", threatening to "imprison" otherwise.

Imangazali Magomedov is seeking deportation not to Russia, but to another country that is safe for him, said Valery Yakovenko, program coordinator for the Just Cause human rights association from Odessa.

The human rights activist explained that the migration service of Ukraine refused to accept Magomedov's documents, referring to his Russian citizenship, and the court approved this decision.

"The court refers to far-fetched arguments, in particular, that Magomedov did not personally file a complaint. But he could not do this, since he is under arrest in a deportation center," Kavkaz.Realii quoted Yakovenko today as saying.

In connection with the threat of returning to Russia, Magomedov wrote an application for deportation to a third country, where he can apply for refugee status, the human rights activist noted.

“Considering that in the country of my nationality there is a threat for me to become a victim of persecution on the grounds of race, religion and political opinion, the existence of an established fact by the decision of the European Court of Human Rights of the use of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading acts against me by the authorities of the Russian Federation types of treatment, I cannot return to the Russian Federation or enjoy the protection of the country of my nationality," Magomedov said in a statement.

Recall that on June 2, 2014, the security forces detained Magomedov in the Kizlyar district after searches in his house and the house of his mother. During the searches, according to the investigation, a pistol and cartridges were found in Magomedov's car. The defendant's lawyer stated that her client was beaten .

In March 2015, the Kizlyar District Court sentenced Imangazali Magomedov to seven years in prison, finding him guilty of aiding militants and illegal possession of drugs and weapons. The convict himself pleaded guilty only to illegal possession of weapons. His defense appealed the verdict, but the Supreme Court of Dagestan upheld the verdict.

In October 2022, the ECtHR recognized that Imangazali Magomedov suffered from torture by the security forces, and decided to pay him compensation of 33.8 thousand euros.

On September 16, 2022, Russia ceased to be a party to the European Convention on Human Rights. However, the ECtHR stated that it retains competence to consider applications directed against the Russian Federation, provided that they took place before that day. Earlier, on March 16, 2022, it became known that due to Russia's withdrawal from the Council of Europe, the ECtHR suspended consideration of complaints from Russia. At the same time, cases that were received from Russians at the ECHR before March 16, 2022, should be considered, and decisions made before that date should be executed, analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" pointed out.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: January 26th, 2023

2023-01-27

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 22:34 Paris does not exclude the supply of fighter jets to Kiev, however, on the condition that this does not provoke an escalation of the war, and also does not harm the security of Europe and, in particular, France itself, said the head of the National Assembly Committee on National Defense and the Armed Forces of France, Thomas Gasillud .

22:31 The declaration of PMC Wagner as a transnational criminal organization means the freezing of any American assets of the group and prohibits US individuals and legal entities from providing funds, goods or services to this group. For more details, see US Sanctions against Wagner .

22:29 Zelensky said in an evening video message that the tank coalition already includes 12 countries. "Russian terror requires asymmetric responses. We need a new movement of our forces at the front. We need to ensure the defeat of the ground forces of terrorists. No matter what the Russian occupiers are planning, our preparation must be stronger," the president stressed.

21:45 Ukraine turned to Estonia with a request to transfer cluster munitions, and Tallinn is asking Berlin to allow their re-export, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said: “Estonia has decided to provide Ukraine with 155 mm artillery ammunition. If we provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, I don’t see problems, since both belligerents are already using such munitions on the territory of Ukraine."

21:03 Reznikov said that Western tanks on the battlefield will be supported by Ukrainian artillery - in particular, Bogdan's self-propelled artillery mount: "Last year, after a critical period when a significant amount of resources was directed to import necessary for defense, the Ministry of Defense prepared a transition to The amount of funds was sent to Ukrainian manufacturers in 2023. This applies to all components - from uniforms, shoes, bulletproof vests and UAVs to heavy weapons and ammunition." The minister added that soon the Ministry of Defense will present the first results of work on Ukrainian drones.

20:29 The Russians are actively using mobile crematoria - in the rear of the advanced positions of the occupiers, there is a constant movement of about five such vehicles, Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said, citing military intelligence data. According to the GUR, cremations take place without any identification and accounting of the bodies of the dead. Thus, the Russian command hides the huge losses of personnel and avoids paying compensation to the families of the victims.

20:24 France has not yet decided to transfer Leclerc tanks to Ukraine, but promises to respond to Kiev's request for help with air defense systems, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said during a visit to Odessa.

20:21 Auditors are in Kiev this week to ensure accountability for U.S. military and financial aid, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said: "The administration remains focused on preventing the misuse of aid or weapons. We are partnering with the World Bank, with the consulting firm Deloitte, and with a group of US government auditors who are in Kiev this week."

19:56 PACE stated in its resolution that Russian official rhetoric, which is used to justify a full-scale invasion and aggression against Ukraine, has signs of public incitement to genocide and may indicate a genocidal intent to destroy the Ukrainian national group as such, or at least part of it.

19:53 Trump announced the nuclear threat after the transfer of tanks to Ukraine: "First the tanks come, then the nuclear bombs. Stop this crazy war now. It's so easy to do."

19:40 Canada will transfer four Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Defense Minister Anita Anand said. The Canadian military will also be sent to help train Ukrainian crews.

19:27 Zelensky announced that he had held a regular meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, where they discussed measures for even more reliable counteraction to future missile threats. We also listened to the reports of the commanders of the troops of the operational areas on the current situation at the front, examined in detail the situation in the Bakhmut direction. We discussed the issues of the receipt of weapons and equipment and its operational distribution among groupings of troops. Particular attention was paid to the issue of training the Ukrainian military abroad.

19:23 The United States will supply Ukraine with an improved version of the M1A2 Abrams tanks in export configuration, but without secret additional equipment, writes Politico.

6:48 pm Biden is considering a trip to Europe next month to coincide with the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, NBC News reports, citing three White House officials.

18:35 The United States may ease sanctions against Russia for the sake of serious negotiations on Ukraine and the withdrawal of Russian troops from there, said Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland. She also said that the United States would not have time to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine by spring.

18:23 France will give Ukraine 3 million euros to ensure nuclear security, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said during a visit to Odessa.

18:09 Podolyak announced the "final turning point" in the supply of Western military assistance to Ukraine: "There are still echoes of the fear of escalation, but everyone has already understood that there will be no escalation. The escalation is already in full, there is already a big war, and everything is needed give Ukraine here and now... Now there will be an era of saturation of Ukraine with everything necessary to reach the finals in this war."

According to the adviser to the head of the OP, Ukraine needs 350-400 tanks to form tank assault brigades. "I think that we will reach this figure," Podolyak is convinced. According to him, the only problem in terms of supply remains logistics.

He also believes that Russia's nuclear threats towards the West due to the transfer of tanks to Ukraine will not ultimately lead to the real use of these weapons, since the nuclear club, including China and India, will not allow this.

17:46 The United States has declared the Wagner Group a transnational criminal organization, the country's Ministry of Finance announced. The United States is also imposing visa sanctions against 531 representatives of the Russian Armed Forces, the State Department said.

17:27 The United States is imposing new sanctions against Russian legal entities and individuals, the US Treasury said. The list includes ship repair enterprises, structures and individuals associated with the Wagner and Prigozhin groups.

17:00 Today, the first meeting of "financial Ramstein" - a donor coordination platform with the participation of ministers of partner countries - took place, Shmyhal said. The prime minister announced the key tasks of the platform:

Providing predictable, rhythmic budgetary support in 2023. "We have $18 billion from the EU and almost $10 billion from the US. We expect to finance the difference in the deficit with the help of the IMF," the prime minister said.

Plan and ensure the beginning of the restoration of Ukraine. To do this, the government has identified four priorities: energy recovery, humanitarian demining, housing, critical and social infrastructure.

Coordination of financial instruments to support the economy and the private sector (war risk insurance, public-private partnership, assistance in financing projects to support small businesses).

16:54 In the Kharkiv region, the Russians fired at the village of Dvurechnaya this afternoon. According to preliminary information, two local residents died, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said. In addition, the invaders once again fired at the Kazachya Lopan village in the Kharkov region. As a result of hitting a residential building, one person was injured.

16:48 The police showed the wreckage of the X-55 cruise missile, which Russia attacked the Kiev region today. The wreckage was taken from a lake in one of the districts of the Kyiv region.

16:36 During a rocket attack, the Russians hit the building of the Kochubeevsky village council with a rocket, said Alexander Vilkul, head of the military administration of Krivoy Rog. One person died, four were injured.

16:24 The speaker of the State Emergency Service Alexander Khorunzhiy said that today, as a result of Russian attacks with drones and missiles, there were strikes in 11 regions. 11 people died and 11 others were injured.

15:41 Kiev and the region are returning to the stabilization schedules of blackouts, DTEK reports. It took the power engineers two hours to eliminate the critical consequences after the missile attack. In Odessa, the power supply of critical infrastructure was resumed, but the situation there remains difficult.

15:29 The Russians fired on the village of Ocheretino, Donetsk region: at least three private houses were destroyed, two people were killed, one was injured, said the head of the OVA, Pavel Kirilenko.

15:05 Azov announced that he had officially become the Third Separate Assault Brigade of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and was going to fight in the Bakhmut direction.

15:03 Britain plans to deliver Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine at the end of March, the country's Ministry of Defense announced.

14:48 In the Bakhmut area, the enemy loses a battalion every day, the spokesman for the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Cherevaty said: "The enemy is trying to make a breakthrough in the Bakhmut, Avdeevsky and Liman directions. Only in the past day, on January 25, according to the General Staff, the enemy lost 600-700 people killed, that is, almost a battalion. This is not counting the wounded. In two months of attempts to break through our defenses, enemy losses are comparable to two Chechen wars."

Cherevaty stressed that the enemy has not been able to break through the Ukrainian defenses for two months.

14:44 PACE voted for the creation of a special tribunal against Russia and Belarus for crimes in Ukraine and recognized that the military aggression of the Russian Federation began in 2014, not 2022.

14:33 Russia has not yet created a powerful strike group for an offensive in the Zaporozhye direction, said Yevgeny Yerin, spokesman for the Defense Forces of the Tauride direction.

14:15 A company of German Leopard 2А6 tanks will arrive in Ukraine before the end of March, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius specified.

13:46 Russia used a new tactic to attack Kiev - a combined air strike, said the head of the KGVA Sergey Popko. At night, the enemy attacked the capital with Iranian Shahed-type drones, the purpose of which was not only to destroy ground targets, but also to identify and deplete the Ukrainian air defense forces. After that, the second wave of the enemy made a massive attack with missiles of various types.

13:40 As a result of today's missile attack, there are hits and damage to equipment in the Southern, Central, Southwestern regions. In the Dnipro region, at one of the power facilities, the main high-voltage equipment was destroyed, Ukrenergo reported. Problems with power supply caused by shelling in the south, including in the Odessa region. During the attack, emergency shutdowns were introduced throughout Ukraine, and now the planned schedules of restrictions are gradually returning. The deficit in the system is significant, consumption limits have been brought to all regions.

13:28 The volume of assistance that Latvia has transferred to Ukraine during the full-scale war has already reached 1% of the country's GDP, Defense Minister Inara Murniece said.

13:13 The Russians fired 55 missiles in Ukraine today, 47 of them were shot down , Zaluzhny said. The enemy carried out 55 launches of air and sea-based missiles (Kh-101, Kh-555, Kh-47 Kinzhal, Caliber, Kh-59) from Tu-95, Su-35, MiG-31K aircraft and ships from the Black Sea. Air defense forces and means destroyed 47 cruise missiles, 20 of them in the capital area. In addition, three out of four Kh-59 guided air missiles did not reach their targets.

13:08 All over Ukraine, starting from the night, an air raid alarm sounded. First, the occupiers launched 24 Iranian "shaheeds" on our territory, and later they once again tried to carry out a massive attack using missiles. For more details, see Strike on Ukraine: where Russian missiles hit .

12:57 French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna arrived in Odessa , Kuleba said.

12:52 There are more than 16,000 lawsuits against Russia in the ECHR, the court will continue to consider them, despite Moscow's withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights, the court chairman said.

12:50 During today's missile attack, the vast majority of missiles were shot down, but there are hits in the Vinnitsa and Odessa regions, Natalya Gumenyuk, speaker of OK Pivden, said.

12:48 During the 11 months of the war, Russian aggression caused damage to the environment of Ukraine in the amount of more than 1 trillion 743 billion hryvnias, the State Environmental Inspection reported.

12:46 As a result of today's missile attack, there are hits on energy infrastructure facilities, emergency shutdowns have been introduced. The most difficult situation is in the Kyiv, Odessa and Vinnitsa regions, said Minister of Energy Herman Galushchenko.

12:40 Germany will deliver the first Leopard tanks to Ukraine in about three months. At the same time, the Bundeswehr will begin "very quickly" to train the Ukrainian military in the handling of new weapons and will refine supply routes, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.

He also added that Berlin would first provide Kyiv with "relatively new" Leopard tanks from the warehouses of the Bundeswehr in order to deliver the first battalion to Ukraine together with partners. At the second stage, the second battalion will be formed from old tanks, it will take a little more time, the minister specified.

12:19 In the Kiev region, as a result of an enemy attack, there is a hit in an energy facility, civilian infrastructure facilities, private and multi-storey buildings, cars in some areas of the region are also damaged. There were no casualties or injuries, the OVA said. Currently, emergency power cuts are applied in the region, cutoff schedules do not work.

12:15 Last spring, Poland, against the backdrop of disputes over the supply of fighter jets to Ukraine, nevertheless delivered several MiG-29s to Kiev in the form of spare parts, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna writes.

12:11 In the morning, the Russian army shelled the village of Kochubeevka, Beryslav district, Kherson region - the enemy attacked the administrative building with aimed fire. According to preliminary information, as a result of the impact, one person died and three were injured. One of the wounded is in serious condition, the IVA said.

12:09 About 20 missiles of various types were recorded in the airspace of Kiev, all of them were destroyed, said the head of the KGVA, Sergei Popko. As a result of the fall of rocket fragments in the Goloseevsky district, one person was killed, two were injured. Kyiv infrastructure facilities are operating normally.

11:52 In the West, a discussion has already begun about the possibility of providing Ukraine with fighter jets in the future, writes Politico. The debate is expected to be even more difficult than around tanks due to escalation fears. According to one of the interlocutors of the publication, in Washington they say that fighters "are out of the question for the time being." At the same time, he recalled that last summer the red line was HIMARS, then tanks, that is, these red lines are gradually shifting.

11:43 Ukraine needs longer-range missiles before Russia sends reinforcements, Vadym Skibitsky, a spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, said in an interview with CNN. According to him, the invaders began to transfer military cargo throughout the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as through the Crimean peninsula to the southern regions. Now their military depots are located 80-120 km from the front line, and in order to strike at them, Ukraine needs longer-range artillery.

Skibitsky stressed that Ukraine also needs long-range artillery in order to launch a counteroffensive before the arrival of reinforcements from the Russian Federation: "Especially now, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, heavy weapons are needed to form powerful strike groups, which would allow a quick counteroffensive against the enemy."

11:29 A meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine chaired by Stoltenberg will be held at NATO Headquarters on February 14, the alliance said.

11:15 Ukrainian military for the first time will be held in Norway exercises in shooting, command management and medical training, said Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram. The first Ukrainian soldiers, about 100 people, will arrive this spring at the National Guard base in Trondelag. They will spend five to six weeks in Norway, after which the next groups will be prepared.

11:12 Zelensky said in an interview with SkyNews that he was not interested in negotiations with Putin: “I’m not interested. It’s not interesting to meet, it’s not interesting to talk… I really don’t understand who makes decisions in Russia. I don’t want to fight on Russian territory. I want them to stop the war as soon as possible and leave our country as soon as possible. I can tell you for sure - if they leave our territory, the war will stop. That's all ... After a full-scale invasion, Putin is nobody for me."

11:06 Peskov said that the supply of arms by Western countries to Ukraine "talks about their direct involvement in the conflict, it is growing." He also noted that there is no topic on the agenda of changing the status of "special operation" due to the supply of tanks to Kyiv. Earlier, State Duma deputy from Crimea Mikhail Sheremet proposed changing the status of a "special operation" in order to put the economy on a war footing.

10:55 As a result of a massive missile attack, there are hits and damage to several energy infrastructure facilities in Odessa and other regions of Ukraine, so now there are significant problems with power supply, said the head of the Odessa OVA Maxim Marchenko.

10:47 As a result of a rocket hitting non-residential buildings in the Goloseevsky district of Kiev, there is information about one dead and two wounded, Klitschko said. According to the KGVA, we are talking about the fall of part of the rocket.

10:36 Klitschko said that the explosions took place in the Dnipro district of the capital.

10:33 In Odessa, two power facilities were damaged, the head of the RVA, Yuri Kruk, said. There were no casualties in the attack.

10:18 The Czech Republic received the first compensation in the amount of 6.5 million euros from the EU fund for the military equipment transferred to Ukraine, the country's Ministry of Defense reported.

10:16 In Belarus, the Russian A-50U aircraft was lifted into the air to detect and target targets, the Belaruska Gayun monitoring group said.

10:12 The head of the Vinnytsia OVA, Serhiy Borzov, reported that enemy missiles hit the region, no one was injured.

10:09 Klitschko announced an explosion in the capital.

10:02 The enemy fired more than 15 cruise missiles in the direction of Kiev, all of them were shot down, but the danger of air strikes remains, said the head of the KGVA, Sergei Popko.

09:58 During the morning missile attack, Russia pays more attention to the center of Ukraine, Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat said. According to him, according to preliminary data, the enemy fired Kh-101 and Kh-505 missiles. Data on sea launches of cruise missiles are not yet available.

09:37 On the morning of January 26, about six Tu-95 aircraft, previously from the Murmansk region, took off and fired missiles at Ukraine. In total, more than 30 missiles are expected, which have already begun to appear in several areas. Air defense is working, Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat said.

09:25 In the Kherson region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, two civilians were killed, five more were injured, the IVA reported.

08:46 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, one civilian was killed - in Bakhmut. Seven more people were injured in the region, Pavel Kirilenko, head of the OVA, said.

08:42 Yermak reported the first downed missiles, without specifying the details.

08:34 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy as of the morning of January 26.

personnel - about 123,860 (+780) people liquidated,

tanks - 3175 (+14),

armored combat vehicles - 6334 (+27),

artillery systems - 2169 (+15),

MLRS - 452 (+2),

air defense systems - 220 (+0),

aircraft - 292 (+2),

helicopters - 282 (+1),

UAV operational-tactical level - 1908 (+6),

cruise missiles - 749 (+0),

ships/boats - 18 (+0),

automotive equipment and tankers - 4986 (+19),

special equipment - 195 (+1).

08:27 Suffering numerous losses, the enemy does not stop offensive operations in the Bakhmut and Novopavlovsk directions. In the Limansky and Avdeevsky directions, he conducted unsuccessful offensive operations, in the Kupyansky, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson - he is defending, the General Staff said in the morning summary .

The defense forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of the settlements of Chervonopopovka, Luhansk region and Verkhnekamenskoye, Disputed, Razdolovka, Blagodatnoye, Bakhmut, Kleshcheevka, Marinka, Vuhledar and Pavlovka, Donetsk region.

In Crimea, the enemy is preparing for another wave of mobilization. So, until January 29, all "state" and private institutions must provide lists of persons for reservation to the military commissariats. The next massive wave of mobilization is scheduled for the end of February. From February 1, all repair and construction work at public enterprises and institutions will be stopped, and all planned funds will be redirected to military operations in Ukraine.

08:13 An air alert has been declared throughout Ukraine, missile launches have been reported. DTEK introduces emergency power outages, which will help avoid possible damage to critical infrastructure in the event of enemy missiles or drones.

06:59 At night, the Russians attacked Kiev with several dozen Shahed drones - about 15 enemy UAVs were shot down in the airspace. Previously, without casualties and hits on infrastructure, said the head of the KGVA Sergey Popko. He warned that, according to operational information, during the day there is a high probability of further enemy air attacks.

05:55 On the night of January 26, the Russians launched 24 Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones across Ukraine, all of them were shot down, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.

01:21 In Dnipro, an enemy drone hit an industrial enterprise, there are no casualties, head of the regional council Nikolai Lukashuk said.

00:15 The manufacturer of American F-16 fighters Lockheed Martin is ready to supply its aircraft to European countries, which will re-export them to Ukraine, said Frank St. John, a spokesman for the company.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Amina Gerikhanova received refugee status

2022-11-05

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] A native of Chechnya, Amina Gerikhanova, who was put on the wanted list by Russia as a participant in hostilities in Syria, received refugee status in Romania, the Vayfond human rights association reported today.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 8, the Chechen human rights association "Vaifond" based in Sweden informed that the Romanian police did not allow Amina Gerikhanova to be at large after being released from custody.

On September 22, it became known that Gerikhanova complained about the threats of the Romanian police to extradite her to Russia, even contrary to the recommendations of the ECtHR.

The European Court of Human Rights, also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights.

On October 16, representatives of the Chechen diaspora held a picket in Vienna in support of Gerikhanova, and on October 30, employees of the human rights organization Amnesty International also took part in a demonstration in support of Gerikhanova in the capital of Austria.

Amina Gerikhanova received refugee status, the Chechen human rights association Vayfond reported today in its Telegram channel. The organization expressed its gratitude to everyone who participated in helping Amina and went to rallies in support of her.

Amina Gerikhanova, 36, was detained along with her child on March 13 at the Romanian border while trying to leave Ukraine, where she lived after leaving Chechnya about five years ago. Gerikhanov was arrested, and her son was placed in an orphanage, from where he was later taken by a relative.

Interpol is looking for Gerikhanov at the request of Russia, where she is accused of participating in hostilities in Syria. Gerikhanov will not be able to leave Romania, as the authorities still want her extradited to Russia. During the consideration of Amina Gerikhanova's asylum request, the ECtHR extended interim measures, which reduces the risk of her extradition from Romania to Russia, Vayfond reported earlier.

Radio Free Europe reported in April:

Gerikhanova's relative, Amrudi Bakharchiev, told RFE/RL on April 19 that Gerikhanova is wanted in Russia for allegedly taking part in military operations with the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria, which the woman and her relatives have denied.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

From Ukrainian Perspective: Russian invasion of Ukraine, March 24th, 2022

2022-03-24

Direct Translation via Google Translate

21:50 Today, 4,550 people have been evacuated, Vereshchuk said. Difficulties, according to her, were only with the Mariupol direction, where buses were sometimes not allowed to pass. Of the nine humanitarian corridors, seven have worked.

21:45 Key figures of the power and economic bloc of Russia have disappeared from the public space. More about this - in the material Shoigu disappeared, Chubais fled - what is known about this .

21:20 In Chernihiv, as a result of the shelling of one of the food enterprises, the main ammonia pipeline and one container with ammonia were damaged. The head of the Regional State Administration, Vyacheslav Chaus, assured that the State Emergency Service was keeping the situation under control, there were no victims or injured.

21:18 Scholz, in a telephone conversation with Putin, called for a truce and improvement of the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, after which he spoke with Zelensky, the German Cabinet said.

21:00 Blinken officially confirmed the US position that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine: “Today I can announce that, based on the information currently available, the US government believes that Russian troops have committed war crimes in Ukraine. Our assessment is based based on careful analysis of available information from government and intelligence sources.”

20:58 Roskomnadzor reported that access to the News.Google service is now restricted in Russia.

20:56 The Russians fired at the checkpoint in Slavutych, Kiev region today. The city is blocked and it is impossible to leave it, Mayor Yuri Fomichev said.

20:51 Oksana Baulina, a journalist from The Insider, died in Kiev - she filmed the destruction after the shelling of the Podolsky district of the capital by Russian troops and came under new shelling. Another civilian died with her, two people accompanying her were wounded and hospitalized, the newspaper reported.

20:39 The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that they had handed over to the US Embassy in Moscow a note with a list of deported American diplomatic staff declared persona non grata. The American side was informed that any "hostile actions of the United States" against the Russian Federation would receive a "decisive and adequate response."

20:27 The Kinzhal missile is almost the main pride of the Russian military industry. Russia says it's a hypersonic weapon. Allegedly, the Russians have already used it in Ukraine, but there were problems confirming this. More details - in the material Powerful weapon or the myth of the Russian Federation .

20:04 The European Investment Bank transferred two more payments of 100 million euros to Ukraine this week.

19:59 Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas visited Kiev today, Reznikov said.

19:55 Sending peacekeepers to Ukraine is possible only if such a decision is approved by the UN Security Council, said the representative of the UN Secretary General Stephane Dujarric. But since Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council with veto power, a positive decision is out of the question.

19:23 From under the rubble of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration building, which was shelled on March 1, the bodies of 24 dead were removed. The rubble is still being cleared, according to local authorities.

19:16 A number of European officials said that according to the contracts, payment for Russian gas is carried out in euros, there is no other contractual basis.

19:10 Chaotic mining of the area and the destruction of agricultural equipment threatens the sowing campaign in certain regions, the General Staff reports.

19:08 More than half of Ukrainians (53%) lost their jobs due to the war, showed the results of a survey by the Rating group.

18:55 Klitschko said that the Podolsky district of Kiev was fired again. The parking lot was damaged, one person died, two were injured.

18:44 According to UN estimates, more than 3.5 million people have already left Ukraine, the number of refugees may increase by another four million.

18:35 Russians in Ukraine have already fired at 58 ambulances and killed six doctors, Lyashko said.

18:25 NATO leaders today will agree on the creation of four new battle groups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, the Secretary General said.

18:21 The head of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, Vitaly Savelyev, said that due to sanctions, Western lessors demanded that Russia return more than 500 aircraft worth $20 billion to them.

18:19 Israel has banned Ukraine from buying Pegasus spyware, which allows listening to Russian telephone conversations, fearing that this will be seen as an act of aggression against the Russian special services, write The Guardian and The Washington Post.

18:15 The Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council called today's statements by the leadership of the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation that shells allegedly flew from the territory of Ukraine, as a result of which there were dead, as a provocation. According to the Kremlin, such provocations should be the reason for the announcement of a general mobilization.

18:02 Yermak commented on Putin's decision today: "Russia's decision to convert payments for gas into rubles is an attempt to strengthen the ruble and declare an economic war on the EU. But the West can strike Russia with an oil embargo, which will lead to the fall of the Russian economy. Now this will be key economic battle, and the collective West must win it."

18:00 In the Chernihiv region, Russian invaders are distributing propaganda leaflets, in which they assure that Russia is not at war with the civilian population, but guarantees its safety and freedom of speech. The occupiers are calling on local residents to assist them and report on "sabotage groups" and "negatively minded nationalist elements."

17:54 EU ambassadors approved the provision of an additional 500 million euros to Ukraine for military assistance.

17:52 Zelensky, in an address to the French parliament, said that France should play a leading role in the new post-war security system. He also called for a decision on Ukraine's accession to the EU and to strengthen military assistance, as well as to increase sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation.

17:48 According to a recent survey by the Rating group, 19 percent of Ukrainians were forced to leave their homes during the war, but the vast majority (93 percent) plan to return home as soon as it is safe. About 44 percent of Ukrainians had to temporarily separate from their loved ones.

17:46 Syria fails the plan to attract militants to the war in Ukraine on the side of Russia, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense. According to Ukrainian intelligence, to date, the promises of the Syrian authorities on the systematic supply of mercenaries for the Russian army are not being fulfilled. The majority of the Syrian military is not ready to risk their lives for the sake of an illusory monetary allowance.

17:34 Podolyak urged all speakers not to provide the general public with any logistical information that could be useful to the enemy: "28 days of war were not enough for us to understand the main thing: the Russian Federation is no longer fighting against the Ukrainian army, but only against our logistics centers, humanitarian convoys , centers for the supply and distribution of food, clothing, medicines. And against civilians who want to leave the places of fighting or encirclement."

17:20 Aksyonov said that the "authorities" of Crimea are considering the possibility of nationalizing hotels whose owners support Ukraine.

17:07 Russia will cease to be a party to the European Convention on Human Rights on September 16. This decision was made by the ECtHR after the Russian Federation was expelled from the Council of Europe on March 16, the press service of the Council of Europe reports. This means that the ECtHR will continue to consider complaints against Russia until September 16.

16:59 Ukrainian citizens can stay in the European Union under a visa-free regime or a temporary protection directive, as well as receive refugee status. For more details, see the article How Ukrainians can find housing and work in EU countries .

16:54 Biden considers a real threat of chemical warfare in Ukraine. "I think this is a real threat," he answered a journalist's question about the likelihood of Russia using chemical weapons against Ukraine.

16:41 Stoltenberg said that "Belarus will not start a war against Ukraine, because it is already participating in it."

16:37 Ukraine's ability to win the war against Russia rests on three pillars: its resilience, arms supplies and Western sanctions, Kuleba said.

16:21 President of the European Council Charles Michel said that "Putin must be defeated - this must be a common goal." He is convinced that this is a security issue for the future of Europe and for the future of the world.

Michel also revealed that Zelenskiy had been invited to speak at a European Council meeting that Biden would personally attend.

16:10 Finland will not issue a license for the nuclear power plant being built by Rosatom, said Economic Development Minister Mika Lintilä.

16:08 Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has allowed the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 joint projects with Russia to be frozen. He stated that at the moment economic cooperation between the Russian Federation and Japan is impossible if it concerns "only business" and not national interests.

16:03 Podolyak commented on Putin's decision to transfer payments for gas into rubles: "The Russian Federation has opened an anti-European front. Financial. Putin announced the transfer of payments for gas into rubles and the rejection of dollars and euros, which will provoke operational failures, pressure on public opinion. This is the second a step towards escalation The first one is threats of strikes against Eurologistics centers for helping Ukraine.

15:57 The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, after a many-day stay in Ukraine, arrived in Moscow, where he intends to "raise urgent humanitarian problems" and insist on "alleviating the suffering of people affected by conflicts in Ukraine and in other contexts."

15:55 Johnson said that Putin's actions have already "crossed the threshold of barbarism," and the West should not hesitate to increase sanctions and provide further defensive military assistance to Ukraine.

15:53 Former Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, ex-head of Rosnano Anatoly Chubais left Russia. He also resigned as Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Sustainable Development.

15:49 China said it would not support Russia's exclusion from the G20. The Chinese Foreign Ministry believes that the G20 needs to continue to cooperate to solve common problems, and the Russian Federation is an "important member" of the group.

15:46 Nestlé announced the termination of the supply of products to and from Russia, as well as the further suspension of its brands in the Russian Federation. The company promised that it would not pay any more taxes in Russia for the foreseeable future and would use any profits made to help humanitarian aid.

15:36 Mayor of Mariupol Vadim Boychenko is not in the city, but is constantly in touch, said the head of the Donetsk OVA Pavel Kirilenko. He explained this by the fact that there is no connection in Mariupol.

15:34 NATO leaders will provide Ukraine with additional assistance in the field of cybersecurity and protection against chemical and biological attacks, as well as radiological and nuclear threats , Stoltenberg said.

15:22 The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called Belarus' decision to reduce the number of Ukrainian diplomats "another unprovoked unfriendly step" and promised "not to leave Belarus' actions without a proper response."

15:20 The Belarusian military has already begun to contact representatives of the Ukrainian authorities with a request to take them prisoner in case of war, said Vladimir Fityo, press officer of the command of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

15:18 The International Labor Organization announced the termination of cooperation with Russia. The ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations dealing with the regulation of labor relations. Today it includes 187 states.

15:09 Ukraine has enough food supplies for two years. 30 million hectares of farmland have been mined in the country, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy reported. They also added that the sowing campaign has already begun.

15:06 Until April 15, Belarus allowed visa-free entry from Ukraine to citizens of "all foreign states" who leave the war zone.

15:02 Arestovich said that near Mariupol, a Ukrainian sniper eliminated the commander of the 810th Marine Brigade of the Russian Army, Colonel Alexei Sharov. He was appointed commander in 2021, and considered the phrase "Where we are, there is victory" as his main slogan.

15:01 Ukrainian air forces shot down two Russian aircraft in the southeast of the Kharkiv region, the air command of Skhid reported.

14:56 According to the State Special Communications Service, Mariupol, Vorzel, Irpen, Bucha, Gostomel and Izyum remain without mobile communications.

14:53 Putin instructed to transfer payments for Russian gas supplies to Europe into rubles "in the shortest possible time". He also said that "the collective West, by freezing Russian reserves, declared a default against Russia and drew a line under the reliability of its currencies."

14:48 Russian oligarchs are extremely dissatisfied with Putin's policy, one of them, Pyotr Aven, said at a meeting in Moscow with Kazakh billionaire Alexander Mashkevich. According to Ukrainian intelligence, during the meeting it was said that representatives of Russian big business are looking for ways to influence Putin or his close circle from the power bloc.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Putin is in strict isolation and practically does not let anyone near him. Some oligarchs are even discussing paying for the physical removal of the dictator.

14:44 The authorities of the Isle of Man have deregistered the planes of eight Russian billionaires, including Abramovich and Usmanov.

14:34 Belarus decided to reduce the number of Ukrainian diplomats to five people and close the Consulate General of Ukraine in Brest.

14:15 The mayor of Irpin, Alexander Markushin, reports that 80% of the city is under the control of the terrorist defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, strong shelling continues: since yesterday, a very powerful shelling has been carried out from mortars and MLRS Grad. There are up to 4-4.5 thousand residents left in the city who refuse to leave. There are also many sabotage groups and marauders in the city.

13:53 In the Nikolaev area will allow to sell alcohol on Saturday and Sunday, Vitaly Kim reported.

13:51 The Russian army is trying to turn Chernihiv into a second Mariupol, Arestovich said.

13:49 In the area of Izyum, Kharkiv region, the defense forces of Ukraine liquidated 60 percent of the occupying troops, the General Staff reports.

13:44 Vereshchuk denied Moscow's information that two prisoner exchanges had allegedly taken place.

13:35 Podolyak said that negotiations with Russia are difficult: "In short: the negotiations are constantly online. The negotiations are quite difficult, because the Ukrainian side has clear and principled positions."

13:32 The Armed Forces of Ukraine have encircled Irpen, Bucha and Gostomel near Kiev. At the same time, the Russian occupiers continue to constantly fire at the Makarov, Buchan, Irpin and Dmirovo communities, the Buchansk city council reported.

12:57 Residents of Energodar knocked down a flagpole with a red "flag", which was hung by the Russian invaders, and burned it.

12:54 The occupiers used prohibited phosphorus ammunition over the northwestern outskirts of Kiev, said the mayor of Irpen, Alexander Markushin. According to him, the approximate affected area is Gostomel and Irpin. The use of such types of ammunition against civilians is a crime against humanity and a violation of the Geneva Conventions.

12:48 Poland is expelling 45 Russian diplomats on charges of espionage , the Russian ambassador said. They must leave Poland at various times, but a maximum of five days, he said.

12:46 The EU approved an agreement with Ukraine, which will allow the provision of classified information to Kiev, including satellite images, writes Bloomberg.

12:41 Russia's combat power in Ukraine for the first time since the beginning of the war fell below 90% of its pre-invasion level, The Guardian writes, citing a senior US Department of Defense official.

12:20 Russia has almost completely turned into a no-fly zone for civil aviation. According to media reports citing Flight Radar data, more than 80% of the aircraft in the skies of the Russian Federation are transit flights of Chinese airlines.

12:11 The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Kiev and Moscow held two prisoner exchanges.

11:56 Peskov said that Russia does not trust the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, and "the Russian military does not shoot at civilians, does not strike at them, but helps them."

11:51 In Oleshki, Kherson region, Russian invaders kidnapped the director of the Kherson Regional Music and Drama Theatre, a deputy of the regional council, the organizer of the world-famous theater festival Melpomene of Tavria, an activist of pro-Ukrainian rallies, Oleksandr Kniga. They broke into his home and took him away in an unknown direction.

11:35 The Cabinet of Ministers for the period of martial law allowed drivers of category B (cars) to drive vehicles of category C, C1 (trucks).

11:34 Fedorov said that the Ministry of Digital Transformation is using artificial intelligence to search social networks for accounts of dead Russian soldiers using photos of corpses in order to inform friends and relatives about their deaths, as well as dispel the myth of a "special operation" in which "there are no conscripts" and "nobody dies."

11:32 Zelensky addressed the Japanese parliament and called on Tokyo to take a leadership role in the unification of Asia in order to force Russia to stop the invasion. He also asked for stronger sanctions against the Russian Federation.

11:22 The European Union will allocate 2.5 billion euros for the food security of countries most affected by the consequences of the war in Ukraine.

11:16 In Russia, they are trying to lure Belarusians into war with Ukraine - in particular, they offer a reward of $1,000-1,500 a month and preferential education in Russian military universities for the fulfillment of "special tasks", the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense reports.

11:15 In the Nikolaev area the Russian invaders fired at houses at night therefore two people were lost, Vitaly Kim reported.

11:13 The destroyed bridge to Chernihiv will not interfere with the supply of humanitarian aid to the city, Chaus assured.

11:10 If NATO sends its peacekeepers to Ukraine, this will be a direct clash between the alliance and Russia, Lavrov said. He also accused the United States of using sanctions to "remove the obstacle in the form of Russia on the way to building a unipolar world."

11:09 Russian Defense Minister Shoigu has not been seen since March 11. Also, from that day on, the head of the General Staff Gerasimov did not appear in public, according to Russian publications.

11:07 Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that Zelensky and Xi Jinping will have a telephone conversation today.

11:06 The factories of Mariupol will not work under Russian occupation under any circumstances, Rinat Akhmetov said.

11:04 British intelligence reports that Russian troops are trying to surround the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which hold the defense in the east, approaching them from the north and south.

11:01 Deputies from United Russia were banned from leaving the Russian Federation without good reason. According to the Russian opposition media, deputies of all levels, as well as officials, civil servants, law enforcement and military, employees of the judiciary and prosecutors, and many others have already faced or may soon face a similar ban.

11:55 The General Staff announced the approximate combat losses of the enemy on the morning of March 23:

personnel - about 15,600 people,
tanks - 517,
armored combat vehicles - 1578,
artillery systems - 267,
MLRS - 80,
air defense systems - 47,
aircraft - 101,
helicopters - 124,
automotive equipment - 1008,
ships/boats - four,
tanks with fuel and lubricants - 70,
UAV operational-tactical level - 42,
special equipment - 15.

10:49 According to Ukrainian intelligence, Putin is preparing to block the exit of Russians from Crimea. In particular, information was confirmed about the preparations for blocking traffic along the Crimean bridge towards the Russian Federation by the forces of the Russian Guard. Also, the occupying authorities will restrict the movement of the Parma crossing and air communication between the peninsula and the Russian Federation.

The formal reason for such actions is the fight against Ukrainian saboteurs and the prevention of possible terrorist attacks. In fact, the authorities are trying in this way to respond to panic among Russian citizens who illegally resettled in Ukrainian Crimea after February 2014. Many of them within the last month have started to sell their property and leave.

10:43 Arestovich writes that the Ukrainian military destroyed most of the Russian equipment remaining in Chernobaevka tonight.

10:39 The police resumed work in Irpen, Kiev region. Cleansing of the territory from saboteurs is beginning, but the main task now is to help and evacuate civilians who remain in the city, the National Police said.

10:20 Podolyak addressed the West: "Dear partners! Don't you want to see the dead eyes of murdered Ukrainian children in your dreams and feel the burning from Mariupol? Just four steps: modern air defense if you can't close the sky; cruise missiles/ammunition for heavy jet systems; severe oil embargo; total closure of ports for Russian ships."

10:14 At night the Ingulsky district of the Nikolaev area got under attack. According to the State Emergency Service, shells hit a residential building, a warehouse and cars parked nearby. As a result, fires broke out, two people died under the rubble of the house.

10:12 A state website has been created in Ukraine - https://help.gov.ua/, through which anyone can provide or receive humanitarian assistance.

10:10 Turkey said it does not intend to give up the Russian S-400s, which the United States had previously asked to transfer to Ukraine.

09:41 The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that the accusations of the KGB of Belarus in espionage of Ukrainian diplomats will further complicate relations between Kiev and Minsk.

09:38 As of today, humanitarian corridors have been agreed:

Mariupol - Zaporozhye: Berdyansk - Zaporozhye
Zaporozhye region: Pologi - Zaporozhye, Gulyaipole - Zaporozhye
Kyiv region: Velyka Dymerka - Brovary, Bogdanovka - Brovary, Borodianka - Bila Tserkva, Svetilnya - Brovary
Lugansk region: Rubizhne - Bakhmut, Nizhne - Bakhmut
In addition, the routes will pass through other cities: Lisichansk, Severodonetsk, Gorskoe.

09:17 The Security Council of Belarus stated that the country's armed forces are not going to leave its territory: "We will not allow us to be unleashed and drawn into any military conflicts, but we will defend our country, our territory."

09:04 According to the Kyiv City State Administration, as a result of the shelling of the capital, buildings in the Svyatoshinsky and Shevchenko districts were damaged. In particular, a shopping center, private houses and high-rise buildings suffered.

In addition, a housing estate in the Shevchenko district was shelled in the morning, now the fire is being extinguished in several private houses and high-rise buildings, four people were injured.

08:56 The Ukrainian military eliminated the commander of the marine brigade of the Russian Federation, said the speaker of the Odesa OVA Serhiy Bratchuk. According to him, this unit was supposed to storm Odessa.

08:55 Deputy Interior Minister Yevgeny Yenin urged citizens who were forced to leave their homes in the regions where active hostilities were taking place not to rush to return. He explained that "unpleasant surprises" could await them at home: abandoned weapons, ammunition, mines, "stretch marks" and much more. He urged to wait until the police or rescuers clean up the area.

08:46 The Pentagon called the Kremlin's rhetoric on the use of nuclear weapons "dangerous." "This is not how a responsible nuclear state should operate," said US Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby.

Earlier, Peskov said that Russia would use nuclear weapons if there was a "threat" against it.

08:44 In Rubizhne, Luhansk region, a Russian shell hit a high-rise building, three people were killed, two of them were children, local authorities report.

08:43 The invaders hit the Nivki district in Kiev from Gradov, there are victims, MP Goncharenko reports.

08:36 Zelensky on negotiations: "We continue to work at different levels and in order to encourage Russia to peace. Until this brutal war ends. Ukrainian representatives work at the negotiations, which continue almost every day. It is very difficult. Sometimes scandalous. But moving forward step by step."

08:07 In Chernihiv, the Russian military bombed the road bridge across the Desna, which connected the city with Kiev, said the head of the Chernihiv OVA Vyacheslav Chaus. Evacuation flights moved from Chernigov along this bridge and humanitarian aid was brought to the city.

08:00 In one of the special forces involved in the storming of Mariupol, less than 10 percent of the personnel are ready to continue participating in the war, the rest are killed, wounded, sick or demoralized, the General Staff reports.

07:57 In Belarus, representatives of the opposition forces and activists who condemn the assistance of the Russian Federation partially disabled the railway connection with Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.

At the same time, there is an active movement of Russian and Belarusian military equipment in Belarus and its further accumulation along the Ukrainian border.

07:45 American retired lieutenant general, military analyst Ben Hodges believes that Ukraine will not only survive, but also win the war against Russia. The general notes that he was not surprised by the strength of the Ukrainian army - he was surprised by the weakness of the Russians. Their lack of experience is clearly visible, and arrogant behavior leads to huge losses among the generals of the army.

07:32 Ukrzaliznytsia offers a new service - transportation of a car by an evacuation train.

07:20 The Russian military has withdrawn its aircraft from the airfield in Chernobaevka near Kherson, writes The New York Times, citing fresh satellite images.

07:00 In Ukraine, daily monitoring of prices for socially significant goods is introduced, the State Food Service reported.

05:58 Zelensky: "Our Armed Forces made us happy today. Again Chernobaevka - again the defeat of the occupiers. Russian planes were shot down again. Especially important - a bomber over Mariupol. And so it will be with everyone who kills our people, civilians on our peaceful land."

04:01 Russian invaders plundered and destroyed the newest central analytical laboratory in Chernobyl, the State Agency for Management of the Exclusion Zone reported. On the basis of the laboratory there were highly active samples and samples of radionuclides - now they are in the hands of the Russians.

03:35 The White House is preparing new sanctions against Russia, which they plan to announce on Thursday, March 24, American media write.

02:17 British intelligence believes that the occupiers will try to suppress the protests in the occupied territories of Ukraine by force.

01:34 Macron talked on the phone with Putin for an hour, but could not convince him to stop hostilities in Ukraine, French media reported.

00:05 Yermak hopes that Zelensky's conversation with Xi Jinping can take place in the near future.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian perspective: Russian invasion of Ukraine, March 16th, 2022

2022-03-17

Direct Translation via Google Translate
[Korrespondent] 23:55 PACE has officially recognized Pridnestrovie as a zone of Russian occupation.

23:24 Zelensky met with representatives of the authorities of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic.

23:01 According to the Pentagon, since the beginning of the invasion, Russian troops have fired more than 950 missiles at Ukraine.

22:45 The United States has tightened sanctions against Belarus.

21:52 PACE decided to exclude Russia, and also called for air defense systems to be provided to Ukraine. Russia formally remains a member of the organization until the end of the year. PACE also asks to expedite the consideration of claims against the Russian Federation in the ECHR.

21:51 Republican leader in the US Senate Mitch McConnell said that the idea of transferring combat aircraft from Poland to Ukraine is still being discussed.

21:43 Hackers from Anonymous said they hacked into the site of Rosatom, and promised to share "several gigabytes of data" and information about the security of the Russian company.

21:41 Podolyak said that online negotiations with the Russian side will continue tomorrow: "A very complex and tense negotiation process. There are fundamental contradictions. But, of course, there is room for compromise. Work in subgroups will continue during the break."

21:39 Washington plans to increase sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation, but will not announce specific measures, the State Department said.

21:37 EU regulators have ordered some banks to scrutinize the transactions of all Russian and Belarusian clients, including EU residents, to make sure they are not being used to circumvent Western sanctions, writes Reuters.

21:12 According to the experts of the Conflict Intelligence Team, the strike on Donetsk by a missile of the Tochka-U complex, most likely, was carried out from the territory controlled by the Russians. Meanwhile, the "DPR" is trying to accuse Ukraine of using Tochka-U again, this time in Makiivka.

21:10 Zelensky urged global companies to completely stop business relations with Russia. The President also called on Ukrainians from all over the world to contact the government and businesses so that they stop working with the Russian Federation.

20:53 Biden signed the Congressional approved budget for the rest of the year, which includes $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine.

20:48 Russian invaders fired on an evacuation bus that was carrying people from Rubizhne, Luhansk region, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai. 200 residents were forced to stay in the city.

At the same time, the bus successfully reached Novozolotarovka from Severodonetsk. Tomorrow's evacuation remains in doubt.

20:44 About 20,000 people have been evacuated from Mariupol along the humanitarian corridor today , Vereshchuk said.

In total, about 29,000 people left the blocked cities today through humanitarian corridors.

20:23 Naval News writes that 14 Russian warships are moving towards the Ukrainian coast. In particular, satellite imagery shows Russian Navy ships approaching the Ukrainian coast. In total, there are three groups of ships: two - from warships (with the participation of the missile cruiser Moskva), the third - from amphibious assault ships.

20:17 The number of checkpoints on the roads of Ukraine has already been reduced to 1,500, they are planned to be reduced to 800 soon, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported.

19:55 Russian ships began shelling the Odessa region, said the head of the regional administration Maxim Marchenko. Thus, according to him, in the morning one of the settlements was attacked by enemy aircraft and ships, two people were injured.

Around 14:00, the enemy opened fire from naval artillery, using about 90 shells. The Armed Forces of Ukraine adequately hold the defense, Marchenko added.

19:33 The US Congress is preparing a bill allowing the authorities to confiscate the property of Russians who have fallen under sanctions. The proceeds can be used to help Ukraine, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.

19:29 The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia arrived in Kiev, their meeting with Zelensky will begin at 20:00 Kyiv time, Czech television reports.

19:27 Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu will visit Moscow tomorrow, and on March 17 - Ukraine, Erdogan said.

19:25 The White House has confirmed that Biden will visit Europe at the end of March to attend an extraordinary NATO summit. Earlier, the Secretary General said that the summit of the alliance on the situation in Ukraine will be held on March 24.

19:24 The EU has introduced a new package of anti-Russian sanctions , which affected a total of 15 individuals and nine legal entities.

19:22 The fighting for the liberation of the outskirts of Mariupol continues. The Azov Regiment today defeated one of the units of the 22nd separate special forces brigade of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the General Staff reports.

In the Luhansk region, during the day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed five MLRS BM-21 Grad with ammunition, three T-72 tanks, one BMP-3 and more than 15 enemy servicemen.

19:20 Russian invaders kidnapped activist Vitaly Shevchenko for organizing a rally in Berdyansk, local media reported.

19:12 Ukrainian-Russian talks have become "more constructive", a future agreement is being discussed , Igor Zhovkva, deputy head of the Presidential Office, said.

"In the first rounds, Russia was not ready to hear our position, put ultimatums: that Ukraine must surrender, lay down its arms, that our president would sign a surrender. Now Russia speaks in a slightly different tone," he said.

According to Zhovkva, Ukrainian representatives at the talks are "moderately optimistic." He stressed that "a big breakthrough in these negotiations will be achieved with the participation of heads of state."

19:04 Zelensky addressed the Canadian government and parliament: "Russia seeks to destroy everything that makes Ukrainians Ukrainians - our future, our character, our freedom. But it will not succeed."

19:00 NATO convened an extraordinary summit of the alliance on March 24 in connection with the situation in Ukraine , the Secretary General said.

18:58 PACE members from Ukraine, Great Britain, France, Estonia, Georgia, Romania and Turkey proposed to officially recognize the Russian occupation of Transnistria.

18:55 Russian invaders tried to storm Kharkiv from Pyatikhatki today and suffered a "shameful defeat", said the head of the Kharkiv regional administration Oleg Sinegubov.

18:50 The Moscow court fined Marina Ovsyannikova 30,000 rubles for running out with an anti-war poster on Channel One the day before. The accusation was brought for her video message, and criminal proceedings were initiated regarding the release with the poster under the article on "public dissemination of knowingly false information about the Russian military."

18:48 In the UK, more than 100 thousand people and organizations have shown interest in providing housing for Ukrainian refugees, Johnson said.

18:47 Danilov called "complete nonsense" Lukashenka's statement that two days ago a Tochka-U rocket was launched from the territory of Ukraine towards Belarus: "We are a civilized nation, we do not kill children and women, but we protect our land."

18:33 Biden will probably visit Poland soon, the head of the Polish Foreign Ministry said.

18:14 The Ukrainian parliament has increased state budget spending on the army at the expense of a UK loan by 1.7 billion pounds.

18:12 Stoltenberg called "an absolute lie" Russia's accusations against Ukraine and NATO countries in the production of chemical weapons. He also believes that the alliance needs channels of communication with the Russian Federation to prevent "risks and incidents," and China, together with the international community, should condemn Russia's actions.

The Secretary General did not rule out that NATO could convene an emergency summit on Ukraine.

18:09 Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that Zelensky had talked with the leaders of Great Britain, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia.

"A coalition of the willing is offering concrete defense support to Ukraine. You are not alone, we are with you, President Zelensky. Ukraine will win!" Nauseda said.

18:06 In the occupied Nova Kakhovka, Kakhovka and Tavriysk, Kherson region, the Russians, who call themselves the "military-civilian administration," announced recruitment to the "police", media reported.

18:00 Moscow is asking the UN Security Council to vote on its draft "humanitarian resolution on Ukraine" on March 16.

17:56 Russia itself decided to withdraw from the Council of Europe, said the head of the Russian delegation to PACE Petr Tolstoy. And the head of the international committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Leonid Slutsky, said that the Russian Federation "will be forced" to declare invalid the European Convention on Human Rights.

17:52 The Rada allowed the National Security and Defense Council to declare certain territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied for the period of martial law.

17:50 The Russian Federation has imposed personal sanctions on 313 Canadian citizens, including Prime Minister Trudeau, the heads of the Foreign and Defense Ministries, as well as more than 300 parliamentarians.

17:45 The Rada voted to recognize the territorial defense fighters as war veterans.

17:20 In the village of Gorenka near Kiev, as a result of Russian shelling, the operator of the FoxNews TV channel, Irish citizen Pierre Zakrevskiy, as well as Ukrainian journalist Alexandra Kurshinova, were killed, Gerashchenko said. Their colleague, FoxNews journalist Benjamin Hall, is injured.

17:17 Israel said that it would be able to let in only 5,000 Ukrainians, and only with the prior permission of the country's Interior Ministry. The head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, said that such a decision "is surprising."

"We consider the suspension of visa-free travel and the introduction of a system of electronic permits from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for entry into Israel for Ukrainian citizens to be an unfriendly step that requires immediate correction. We will respond harshly and promptly to any steps that harm the interests of Ukraine and Ukrainians," Yermak stressed.

17:14 Zelensky changed command of the Ukrainian troops in the Donbas: instead of Oleksandr Pavlyuk, Major General Eduard Moskalev, who was previously the deputy commander of the JFO, became the new commander of the JFO. And Pavlyuk was appointed head of the Kiev military administration.

"The occupiers hope that control over Kiev will give them control over Ukraine. This is absurd. To further strengthen the defense of the capital and the Kiev region, I appointed Oleksandr Pavlyuk as the head of the regional military administration," Zelensky said.

17:10 Russia has imposed sanctions against 13 Americans, including Biden and his son, Blicken, Pentagon chief Austin, presidential adviser Sullivan, CIA director Burns, White House press secretary Psaki, Hillary Clinton and other officials.

16:52 In Mariupol, the occupiers took hostage doctors and patients of the Regional Intensive Care Hospital, said the head of the Donetsk OVA Pavel Kirilenko. According to him, one of the hospital employees managed to convey such news:

“It’s impossible to get out of the hospital. There’s a lot of shooting, we’re sitting in the basement. Cars can’t drive to the hospital for two days already. High-rise buildings are burning around ... Russians drove 400 people from neighboring houses into our hospital. We can’t get out.”

16:30 Zelensky: "Each of the more than 800 Russian missiles that hit our state is the answer to the old question about NATO. About whether the doors of the alliance are actually open for Ukraine. If they were open, if it were honest , we would not have to convince the alliance for 20 days that the sky over Ukraine should be closed."

16:07 Ukraine needs to conclude a new defense alliance, which must include a country with nuclear weapons , Danilov said. According to him, today it is Great Britain.

16:06 As a result of enemy air attack of school in the Nikolaev area seven people were lost, three more suffered, reports GSChS.

16:04 According to the updated data of the State Emergency Service, as a result of the shelling of a high-rise building in the Svyatoshinsky district of Kiev, three people were killed, five were injured, 48 people were rescued.

16:01 PACE is discussing the exclusion of Russia from the organization. According to the press service of the Verkhovna Rada, today in Stasburg about 200 deputies from 46 member states of the Council of Europe gathered for an extraordinary debate on the response of the Council of Europe to the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

15:56 The invaders are spreading information that a massive shelling is possible in Kherson. The Ukrainian army does not plan and will not shell Kherson, the governor of the Nikolaev area Vitaliy Kim said. "Perhaps the occupiers are thinking about it. Therefore, follow their movements," he warned.

"After the work of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Chernobaevka, through Kherson, a column of invaders is moving away from the Nikolaev region. They are running," Kim also said.

15:39 The Rada adopted changes to the Tax Code, which were previously announced by Zelensky . Including fuel exempted from excise duty, and VAT reduced to 7%.

15:35 The Verkhovna Rada extended martial law from March 26 for 30 days.

15:17 In Ukraine, since the beginning of the Russian invasion, 17 rescuers have died, one was captured, Colonel of the State Emergency Service Gennady Gerasimchuk said.

15:16 Podolyak said that negotiations with the Russian delegation are still ongoing: "Consultations have been resumed on the main negotiating platform. General issues of settlement, ceasefire, withdrawal of troops from the country's territory."

15:15 The US wants all countries, including China, to state their position on the situation in Ukraine. "This is not the time to pretend to be neutral," says the US envoy to NATO.

15:12 The head of the personnel department of the headquarters of the Command of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Roman Gorbach said that almost 100% of the reservists of the first stage, that is, those who had previously participated in hostilities, have already been sent to military units. Now, according to him, the mobilization of those liable for military service, who were not among the reservists of the first stage, is being carried out.

15:08 Zelensky: "Ukraine has realized that it will not become a NATO member now. We understand this, we are adequate people. Our people understand this, and we are starting to rely on our own strength."

15:02 In the Balearic Islands (Spain), the yacht Lady Anastasia was detained, which is allegedly associated with the general director of Rosoboronexport Alexander Mikheev. This is the same yacht that was partially sunk by a Ukrainian sailor at the end of February .

14:47 There are from 500 to 900 invaders at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant , said the head of Energoatom Petr Kotin. According to him, the station is still operated by Ukrainian personnel, but they must coordinate all their actions with the Russian military.

14:41 Arestovich said that Zelensky refused to evacuate on the first day of the war, despite the requests of his personal guards and the West.

According to him, "when the troops landed on Gostomel, we had 100% information that the next troops were landing on Pechersk." But Zelensky then said: "I will pick up a machine gun and fight. Even if you land ten troops here, I will not go anywhere."

14:35 Ilya Kiva wrote a statement about the resignation of the deputy mandate; four more deputies (Igor Abramovich, Tatyana Plachkova, Alexander Feldman and Vadim Stolar) announced their withdrawal from the Opposition Platform for Life faction, MP Goncharenko said.

14:33 Two thousand cars have already left Mariupol, and the same number are standing at the exit from the city, the city council said.

14:16 Since the beginning of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, at least 35 journalists have been injured during the hostilities, three have died, Denisova said.

14:14 At the Ukrainian border during the period of the Russian invasion, about 700 men of military age were detained, who tried to leave the country, reports the State Bureau of Investigation.

14:13 Great Britain imposed sanctions against Shoigu, Vaino, Reshetnikov, Khusnullin, Zakharova, Solovyov, Simonyan, as well as Medvedev and Mishustin.

14:01 Lukashenka once again stated that the troops of Belarus will not take part in the war in Ukraine. "We have nothing to do there, we are not invited there," he said.

Lukashenka also said that two days ago a Tochka-U missile was launched from the territory of Ukraine in the direction of Belarus, it was intercepted.

14:00 In the Luhansk region, 36 settlements are de-energized, 30 are without gas supply. Almost 100 thousand people were left without electricity and heat, said the head of the regional administration Serhiy Gaidai.

13:57 The General Staff reports that the invaders tried to break through the defense of the Ukrainian troops in the Kiev region, but failed. They are also trying to resume the attack on Chernigov, surround Sumy and Kharkov and continue to storm Mariupol with aircraft and artillery.

In the Lisichansk region of the Lugansk region, the Russian army suffered losses and retreated; in the Rubizhne region, it is trying to gain a foothold on the western outskirts of the city.

13:55 There were no offensives from the enemy today, the Russians are trying to make up for losses, recruiting mercenaries and solving problems with logistics, the General Staff reports. Thus, there is information about the organization of training centers for mercenaries in Russian Smolensk and Belarusian Gomel and Bobruisk.

13:42 As a result of a shell hitting a multi-storey building in the Svyatoshinsky district of Kiev, four people have already died, Klitschko said. Rescuers have been putting out the fire since early morning.

13:28 In Ukraine, conscripts will be involved in the defense of the state only in case of hostilities on a previously peaceful territory, Roman Gorbach, head of the personnel department of the headquarters of the Ground Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said.

13:26 In the Nikolaev area for the past day 80 people are wounded, from them two children. There are also those who died after an airstrike on the school on March 13, the governor said.

13:23 The Ukrainian army managed to stop the aggressor, deploy parts of the reserve and even go on the counteroffensive in certain areas, Zaluzhny said. According to him, Ukraine suffers losses - they are several times less than that of the enemy.

"But the life and health of each of our soldiers are priceless," he stressed and expressed his condolences to the relatives of the victims.

13:14 In Kharkiv, Russian invaders attacked civilians right during the evacuation, local media report.

13:09 Arakhamia said that the fourth round of negotiations, which began the day before, resumed after a break. Recall that the negotiations are held in video format.

13:08 The damage to Ukraine from the Russian invasion is about 500 billion dollars, Finance Minister Sergei Marchenko said.

12:55 The SBU announced that it had detained 60 collaborators in a day and exposed 20 enemy DRGs in different regions of Ukraine.

12:53 US Vice President Camilla Harris and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met in Poland and discussed the situation in Ukraine. "Our coordinated response - from sanctions to other economic measures - is based on our shared propensity to support the people of Ukraine," Harris said.

12:51 More than three million Ukrainians have gone abroad because of the Russian invasion , the UN has calculated.

12:47 According to a poll by the Rating group, 56% of Ukrainians surveyed believe that the main goal of the Russian invasion is the complete destruction of the Ukrainian people. This opinion dominates in all areas. Only 2% believe that Russia is trying to protect the Russian-speaking population.

72% of those polled are in favor of Ukraine's accession to NATO, compared with the previous result of 76%. The main reason for the decline in support is the unwillingness of the alliance to close the sky.

The absolute majority believes that Ukraine should use every opportunity to return the occupied territories of Donbass (86%) and Crimea (80%). This figure is now higher than before the war.

12:43 In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a grouping of enemy troops is accumulating in three directions: Novovorontsovka, Velyka Aleksandrovka, Arkhangelsk. The Russians planned to strike at Nikopol, but they were successfully driven back by Ukrainian forces, said Gennady Korban, head of the Dnieper defense headquarters.

He assured that the Dnepropetrovsk region now has enough strength to fortify and prevent the advance of Russian troops: "The region is protected along its borders and holds three fronts - the southern front, the JFO, the northern direction."

12:30 NBU warned Ukrainians about new fraudulent schemes in wartime:

under the guise of evacuation transportation, the attackers ask for an advance payment on the card and disappear;
publish fake ads for renting apartments in safe regions and ask for an advance payment on the card, after which they turn off the phone;
collect money allegedly for the treatment of children affected by the war;
create phishing sites that look like real charitable foundations, as well as fake pages on social networks and instant messengers.

12:28 The head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration Oleksiy Kuleba specified that a curfew has been introduced not only in the capital, but throughout the region. It will be valid for 35 hours: from 20:00 Tuesday, March 15 to 07:00 Thursday, March 17.

12:26 Norway's largest oil company Equinor stops trading in Russian oil and oil products, as well as transporting oil and oil products from Russia.

12:21 Klitschko called on all Kiev men to return to the capital and help defend it, "and not sit somewhere and sympathize."

"Today, the efforts of every Kiev citizen are important. Someone with weapons in their hands is in the terrorist defense. Someone helps build fortifications in the city. We need to cook food for our defenders and socially unprotected Kiev residents. Deliver food. There is a lot of other work. Everyone who loves Kyiv and wants him to survive, he must help as best he can!" - called the mayor of the capital.

12:18 Russia is planning massive deforestation of Ukrainian forests. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, this is discussed in a letter from Minister Shoigu, addressed personally to Putin.

The purpose of the document is to obtain permission for the total cutting of Ukrainian "forests, trees, shrubs and green spaces." The wood not used for the needs of the RF Armed Forces is planned to be sold, and the funds will be used to support the Russian army.

12:02 Occupants are holding hostage the village head of Chulakovka, Kherson region, Oleksandr Musiyenko. He himself stated this in his morning address to the villagers. He also warned that the Russians would conduct searches in the village.

12:00 Johnson called the West's reaction to the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 and the hybrid invasion of the Donbass a "terrible mistake"

11:52 Most of the Belarusian servicemen, in the event of an order to cross the border with Ukraine, will be ready to lay down their arms. This information is confirmed by the families whose men are in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, writes Anton Gerashchenko.

11:50 There will be no humanitarian corridor in the Lugansk region today due to the disrupted regime of silence, said the head of the Regional State Administration Gaidai.

11:49 Since the beginning of the invasion, the invaders have damaged at least 28 buildings of spiritual significance in six regions, most of them are Orthodox churches, the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience said.

11:46 Russian "ultra-modern" and "super-valuable" Kh-101 strategic air-to-ground cruise missile was shot down in the Vinnitsa region from a conventional machine gun, said the head of the regional administration, Sergei Borzov. He urged "everyone who has something - try to shoot down: they fly low and almost always at the same time."

11:44 Great Britain bans the export of luxury goods to Russia and introduces an additional 35% tax on the import of a number of goods from the Russian Federation.

11:29 Deputy Mayor of Izyum Vladimir Matsokin announced a humanitarian catastrophe in the city, which has been under siege for two weeks without water, light, heat and food. According to him, the situation in Izyum is no better than in Mariupol.

"Those who survived the shelling are dying from diseases and lack of medicines. There is no one to bury the dead," he wrote and asked to immediately open humanitarian corridors.

11:26 New EU anti-Russian sanctions include a ban on new investments in the energy sector, exceptions are made for peaceful nuclear power and the transportation of energy resources to the European Union. There will also be a ban on any transactions with some Russian state-owned enterprises.

The EU will ban European rating agencies from assigning ratings to the Russian Federation and Russian companies, the European Commission said.

The EU will impose a ban on the import of certain steel products, which could result in a loss of 3.3 billion euros in export earnings from Russia, the European Commission said.

11:16 Tonight, Russian invaders fired rockets at the airport in Dnipro, the head of the regional administration, Valentin Reznichenko, said. According to him, the runway was destroyed, the terminal was damaged.

11:13 100 buses left Poltava towards Sumy to evacuate local residents. In the column - doctors and representatives of the Red Cross. Almost 100 tons of humanitarian aid were also sent, the head of the Poltava OVA said.

11:09 Ukrainian artillery destroyed the multiple launch rocket system of the Russian invaders, which fired at the residential areas of Chernihiv, the Operational Command of Pivnich reported.

11:06 A curfew has been announced in Kyiv from 20:00 on March 15 to 07:00 on March 17. Thus, residents of the capital should not leave their homes or shelters for a day and a half. As Klitschko explained, today in the capital is "a difficult and dangerous moment."

It is forbidden to move around the city without special passes. You can only go out to reach the shelter.

10:59 The Parliament of Belarus has ratified an agreement with the Russian Federation on the deployment of two military facilities - a missile attack warning system node in Baranovichi and a Navy radio station in Vileyka. The contract was signed for 25 years.

10:56 China said it "always stands for respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states and respect for the purposes and principles of the UN Charter." Beijing also assured that "with all its might it promotes negotiations to achieve peace" and calls on the international community to join forces for de-escalation.

China also strongly opposes "spreading false information about it, distorting and discrediting its positions."

10:46 Today you can leave Mariupol by private transport, the humanitarian corridor is open from 09:00, said the head of the Donetsk region Pavel Kirilenko. Corridor route: Mariupol, Mangush, Berdyansk, Tokmak, Vasylivka, Zaporozhye.

The governor advised for personal safety to remove instant messengers and photos, to arrive in Vasilievka no later than 18:00, and for those who do not have time, find a safe place and spend the night in Berdyansk or Tokmak.

10:45 The death toll from a strike on a TV tower near Rivne has risen to 19 people, the head of the regional administration said. Nine people were injured.

10:40 Zelensky signed a law on criminal liability for cooperation with the Russian Federation, said the first vice-speaker of the Rada Alexander Kornienko. Changes to the legislation provide for punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to 15 years for cooperation with Russia, as well as the ability to close parties and organizations associated with those convicted under this article.

10:32 Ukrzaliznytsia begins the nationalization of Russian railcars located in Ukraine. According to UZ, currently 15,000 Russian railcars are on the Ukrainian tracks, they belong to 250 companies.

10:24 The European Aviation Safety Agency has deprived Russian airlines of certificates for flights in the skies of the EU countries.

09:56 A new package of EU sanctions against Russia will be adopted today, the head of the French Ministry of Finance said.

09:54 The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia will arrive in Kiev today for meetings with Zelensky and Shmyhal , the Polish government said.

09:31 The General Staff announced the approximate combat losses of the enemy on the morning of March 15:

personnel - more than 13,500 people
tanks - 404
armored combat vehicles - 1279
artillery systems - 150
RSZV - 64
air defense systems - 36
aircraft - 81
helicopters - 95
automotive equipment - 640
ships/boats - 3
tanks with fuel and lubricants - 60
UAV operational-tactical level - 9

09:29 Vereshchuk reported on humanitarian corridors and evacuation routes for March 15:

Berdyansk - Mariupol (convoy with humanitarian cargo and empty buses will continue to move to Mariupol);
Bogdanovka, Novaya Bogdanovka, Bobrik - Brovary;
Sumy, Lebedin, Shostka, Konotop, Trostyanets - Poltava;
Oskol - Donetsk region.

09:20 In Kharkov over the past day, three people were rescued from the rubble, the bodies of seven dead were seized from under the rubble of destroyed houses.

09:11 The Ministry of Internal Affairs told how to get a machine gun: "Every citizen of Ukraine can apply to the police department, prove that he really works to protect Ukraine, works or is in the ranks of territorial defense, volunteer formations, territorial communities, and receive the appropriate weapon. We are talking primarily about automatic weapons. We have already issued several tens of thousands of automatic weapons throughout the country."

09:08 In Rubizhne, Luhansk region, as a result of shelling by the invaders, a boarding school for children with visual problems, a city hospital and three schools were destroyed. Four people died.

09:06 In the Svyatoshinsky district of Kiev, as a result of ammunition getting into a 16-storey residential building, two people died, 27 were rescued, the State Emergency Service reports.

08:50 Extra checkpoints on the roads will be removed in Ukraine, Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky said. According to him, this will improve the movement of traffic flows and save time, fuel, and most importantly, the strength and nerves of both civilians and the military.

At the same time, he added that in wartime, checkpoints are indispensable, so documents and cars will be checked at the entrances to cities.

08:48 Russian forces are attacking the civilian population and infrastructure in an attempt to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people. "This is deplorable, shameful and tantamount to state terrorism," OSCE Chairman Zbigniew Rau said.

08:38 The Russians are launching a decoy missile designed to "deceive" air defense systems, writes The New York Times. The use of such "decoys" helps explain why Ukrainian air defenses have difficulty intercepting Russian Iskander-M missiles.

08:33 Spain temporarily seized the yacht of the Russian oligarch worth 140 million dollars, which was in Barcelona. It is assumed that the 85-meter superyacht Valerie belongs to the former KGB officer, head of Rostec Sergey Chemezov.

08:31 In Chernihiv, as a result of yesterday's shelling, ten people were killed, according to preliminary information, the Office of the Prosecutor General reported.

08:28 In ORDLO, the invaders are forced to suspend the mobilization of public utilities workers due to the impossibility of maintaining the life of settlements, the General Staff reports.

08:21 Russia has begun military training of reservists in the Far East, the press service of the Eastern Military District reported. "Reservists will have to carry out shooting from small arms, to study the combat capabilities of modern weapons and military equipment."

A distinctive feature of the training camp is the introduction to the program of performing fire missions with the help of mortar systems. In addition, the reservists will continue to improve their skills in driving wheeled and armored tracked vehicles.

08:16 As a result of the shelling of Kiev, the blast wave damaged the facade of the building of the Lukyanovskaya metro station and office premises.

According to the Kyiv City State Administration, two residential buildings (9 and 16 floors) in the Svyatoshinsky district, a 10-storey residential building in the Podolsky district, as well as a house in the private sector of the Darnitsa district were damaged overnight. According to preliminary information, there were no deaths. Information about the victims is being specified, evacuation is underway.

08:15 In the Osokorki area in Kiev, ammunition hit a two-story private residential building, it caught fire. At 06:40, the fire was extinguished, there were no victims or injured, the State Emergency Service reported.

08:07 In the Sumy region, on March 15, green corridors from Sumy, Konotop, Shostka, Trostyanets and Lebedin were agreed. Corridors will work from 9 am to 9 pm, said the head of the Sumy Regional State Administration Dmitry Zhivitsky.

07:29 The State Emergency Service reported that in the Podolsky district of the capital, a shell hit a ten-story residential building . The fire spread from the first to the fifth floor. One person was rescued and hospitalized. There is no information about the victims.

06:09 Power supply at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been restored, the IAEA reports.

05:58 In Kharkiv, Russian invaders also continue shelling the city center, local telegram channels report.

05:50 Russia fired missiles at a residential area in the center of Kiev , eyewitnesses report. This information was confirmed by the People's Deputy Goncharenko, and then by the State Emergency Service.

05:49 The UK Ministry of Defense admits that the Russian Federation may plan to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine in order to stage an attack on its own troops.

05:40 The United States is considering imposing a complete embargo on trade with Russia, as well as blocking Russia's access to international waterways, CNBC reports, citing US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo.

05:38 Arestovich says that 75% of China's economy depends on the West, so "any sanctions from the West - and China will sell Russia three times."

05:34 Western media continue to write that Russia is asking for help from China. So, CNN reports that the Russian Federation asked to provide dry rations to its army . According to the Financial Times and the New York Times, Moscow also wants to receive air defense systems, drones, reconnaissance equipment, armored vehicles and logistics vehicles from Beijing.

The United States has repeatedly warned that if China helps Russia, it will face serious consequences.

05:24 Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has already fired 900 missiles at Ukraine, the Pentagon said.

05:06 The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphanius, said that defending yourself and killing the enemy is not a sin: "We protect, we do not strive for someone else's. And whoever comes to us with a sword will die from the same sword."

"We, as a people, do not seek the death of our neighbors. But since they came to our house, we are protecting our family, our Motherland, our land. Our soldiers protect all Ukrainians," he explained.

05:03 In Trostyanets, Sumy region, the invaders drove local residents into fake green corridors and took away their mobile phones, said the head of the Regional State Administration Dmitry Zhivitsky.

04:58 The former commander of the US Army in Europe, retired General Ben Godges believes that in ten days Russia will run out of opportunities to conduct active military operations in Ukraine.

04:55 The Pentagon says that Russia has deployed all 100% of the troops that were supposed to invade Ukraine and occupy all of its territory as soon as possible. The Russian advance has stalled in almost every direction. In a number of cases, Russian troops deliberately stopped to regroup, but in most cases this is the result of Ukrainian resistance. This also applies to the attack on Kyiv from Gostomel.

The Pentagon also reported that the attack on the Yavoriv test site near the Polish border did not affect the supply of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine. There were no US citizens there.

04:00 Zelensky announced a tax reform in Ukraine , which includes, among other things, the abolition of all checks for all businesses.

"Instead of VAT and income tax, we give a rate of 2% of turnover and simplified accounting. For small businesses - and these are the first and second groups of sole proprietors - we set the voluntary payment of a single tax. If you can - pay, if you can't - there are no questions," the president explained .

03:05 Radar facilities of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine recorded the fact that a Russian drone crossed the state border of Ukraine in the direction of Poland.

02:40 Japan imposed personal sanctions against 17 Russian citizens, including State Duma deputies, businessman Vekselberg and relatives of businessman Kovalchuk.

02:37 In Mariupol, the number of victims of the Russian invasion reaches 20 thousand civilians, said the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, Petr Andryushchenko. According to him, in the coming days, the number of victims could increase many times over and everyone who did not leave the city could die.

Andryushchenko added that today 80% of the city's housing stock is uninhabitable, of which at least 80% cannot even be restored.

At the same time, the Mariupol City Council said: "The official and confirmed information as of the end of March 14, 2022 is approximately 2,357,000 dead Mariupol residents."

02:09 Zelensky: "Russian troops today are actually one of the suppliers of equipment for our army. They could not even see this in a nightmare."

02:04 The US State Department has imposed sanctions on 11 high-ranking representatives of the Russian defense sector. The head of the National Guard Zolotov, Shugaev from the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Mikheev from Rosoboronexport, as well as several deputy defense ministers of the Russian Federation fell under the sanctions.

01:42 Biden said that the United States will make sure that Ukraine has weapons and money, as well as the Americans "with open arms" are ready to welcome Ukrainian refugees.

01:15 Zelensky introduced a visa-free regime for employees of international medical or humanitarian organizations, which will operate during martial law.

00:14 The World Bank has allocated an additional $200 million to Ukraine to support social services for vulnerable groups.

Link

The Grand Turk

Lawyers seek justice from Council of Europe for Demirtas case

2020-07-24

[ARABNEWS] ~~The Sick Man of Europe~~ Turkey
<del>The Sick Man of Europe</del> Turkey

...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
’s refusal to implement the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has pushed lawyers of Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas to take the case to the country’s top court.One of his lawyers also filed an application to the Council of Europa
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
ministers’ committee at the same time.

Demirtas, the former co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), has been imprisoned since Nov. 4, 2016.

The ECHR ruled that the Kurdish politician’s rights were violated after he was given a 10-month prison sentence for his remarks on the Kurdish Roj TV show in 2005 during his Diyarbakir chairmanship of the left-wing Human Rights Association.

He was accused of making terror propaganda for this speech. The European court ruled its member country Turkey should pay compensation to Demirtas for the violation of his freedom of expression.

But the ~~Ottoman~~ Turkish court rejected all requests for a retrial and acquittal, saying there was no need for it and ignored the ECHR ruling.

A continued non-execution of the rulings of the ECHR is considered a challenge to the court’s authority, and according to Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights, contracting parties must abide by the rulings of the court to which they are parties. Otherwise they can face fines from the court, while the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is able to decide to monitor the country in question.

Link

Britain

Thousands Of Muslim Invaders Living In Scotland Have Just Won The Right To Vote

2020-03-05

[Gov.Scot] Approval for Scottish Elections (Franchise and Representation) Bill.

The right to vote in Scottish Parliament and local government elections has been extended today, with the passing of the Scottish Elections (Franchise and Representation) Bill.

The Bill extends voting rights to all foreign nationals with leave to remain, including all those granted refugee status.

It also extends candidacy rights to foreign nationals with indefinite leave to remain, and to those with pre-settled status.

This also marks the first time in the history of the Scottish Parliament that a Bill has passed after requiring a super-majority, the support of two thirds of the 129 members elected.

Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, Europe and External Affairs Michael Russell said:

“This Bill, a historic piece of legislation, is an example of Scotland’s ability to take the lead in making progressive reforms, and one of which we should be proud.

“It also reflects the reality of modern Scotland: a nation committed to robustly meeting our duties to the treaties that safeguard our human rights, that welcomes those who seek to join our society, and gives a democratic voice to the most marginalised in our communities.

“EU and Commonwealth citizens already have the franchise, but it was critical that we recognised the enormous contribution of others by extending the right to vote.

“This extension is especially meaningful in the atmosphere of uncertainty surrounding the UK Government’s plans for the immigration system – but instead of instilling insecurity and fear, this Government is using the powers that it has to send the message that Scotland is open, welcoming, and home to all those who so choose.

“This legislation also ensures that Scotland complies with the European Convention on Human Rights when it comes to the issue of prisoner voting, by making provision for the franchise to be extended to those serving a custodial sentence of 12 months or less.”

Link

Europe

Switzerland to deport terrorists even if they risk death

2019-03-25

Tipping point?

[Voice of Europe] The Swiss Council of States voted for the expulsion of terrorists to their country of origin, even if they risk torture or the death penalty, reported the Tribune de Genève.

Many on the left who were against the decision argued such a plan was against Switzerland’s Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights and the Geneva Conventions.

According to the Swiss Constitution, "no one can be returned to the territory of a state in which he is at risk of torture or any other cruel and inhuman punishment or treatment", the socialist Swiss Minister of Justice Pascale Bruderer recalled.

"Switzerland would play the game of executioners in contravention of the principle of non-refoulement", said Bruderer.

However, the argument that Switzerland’s security was more important than the fate of deported terrorists found favour with a majority of the house. The vote was marginal, but the motion was finally passed by 22 votes to 18.

Independent Thomas Minder noted that "it is about the sovereignty of the country".

The text specifically concerns persons convicted of terrorist acts who still represent a danger to the security of Switzerland after the execution of their sentence.

Link

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