Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] In Yekaterinburg, a man who served a sentence for extremist activity was detained immediately after his release from Penal Colony No. 10. This was reported on February 27 by the press service of the regional Federal Penitentiary Service.
According to the agency, four days before his release, the FSB investigative unit opened a new criminal case against him. He is suspected of inciting and recruiting others to terrorist activity (Part 1.1, Article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code).
The arrest was carried out by officers from the regional Federal Penitentiary Service's operational department, jointly with the Federal Security Service (FSB), with the support of members of the Rossy special forces unit. He was then handed over to investigators for procedural action.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The planetary parade expected on February 28 will be visible across Russia, Nathan Eismont, a leading researcher at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and an associate professor at the Department of Mechanics and Control Processes at RUDN University, told TASS.
The scientist explained that the parade of planets can be observed in the evening, approximately an hour after sunset.
"All the planets except Mars will participate in the parade. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and the Moon will be visible in the night sky. They will all be lined up practically in a single row," Eismont added.
All planets, with the exception of Uranus and Neptune, will be visible to the naked eye. An amateur telescope will be sufficient for viewing planets distant from Earth.
Four solar and lunar eclipses are expected in 2026. However, Russians will only be able to see two of them.
An international team of astronomers has discovered a potentially habitable planet, HD 137 010 b, 146 light-years from Earth. The scientists published their research in the scientific journal Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Dangerous weather conditions are forecast for several Russian regions in the coming days. Snow, ice, and avalanche danger in the mountains are expected, according to Marina Makarova, a leading specialist at the Hydrometeorological Center.
According to the weather forecaster, heavy snow, sleet, and ice are forecast for most of the Volga Federal District, with icy conditions in Siberia.
"There is an avalanche danger in the south, and it persists in the mountains of the Krasnodar Territory, Adygea, and the republics of the North Caucasus," TASS quotes Makarova as saying.
According to the expert, the Arkhangelsk region and Karelia will be located in the warm sector of the cyclone, which will also bring heavy snowfall, blizzards, icy conditions, and wet snow accumulation.
Earlier, Andrei Kiselev, a PhD candidate in physics and mathematics at the Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory, made a preliminary forecast and stated that the abnormally cold and snowy winter could well be offset by an abnormally hot season, and it's not a given that it will be summer.
Forecasters previously predicted that temperatures in Moscow and the Moscow region would warm up to 4 degrees Celsius on the first day of spring. Starting on March 1, amid cloudy skies and light precipitation, temperatures in the capital could range from -1 to 4 degrees Celsius. Experts also warned of icy conditions, which will be a concern in early March due to subzero nighttime
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 22.28 Employees detained a serviceman who was undergoing training at a training center in the Zhytomyr region and his acquaintance for attempting to bribe a company commander. The State Bureau of Investigation reported this on its website.
22.09 The war in Ukraine could become protracted if Russia does not agree to talks in the format of a trilateral meeting in the near future. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with the British television channel Sky News.
21.42 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would "be happy" to accept nuclear weapons from France and Britain, but there were no such offers. This is evidenced by an interview of the Ukrainian head of state with the British television channel Sky News.
20:58 Russian war criminals attacked an agricultural enterprise in the Yampil community of Sumy region with drones. This was reported by the head of the regional military administration, Oleg Grigorov, on Facebook.
19.19 In the Chernihiv region, two servicemen were reported on suspicion of illegally purchasing and selling combat grenades. This was reported by the regional specialized prosecutor's office.
According to the investigation, two servicemen, who had previously left military units without permission, organized the illegal circulation of explosive ammunition in the Chernihiv region by prior conspiracy.
In particular, they purchased hand grenades, stored them for later sale, and sought out buyers to sell them for a cash reward, which they then divided among themselves.
During the pre-trial investigation, it was documented that during January-February 2026, the suspects illegally purchased and sold 12 combat fragmentation grenades of various types for $1,200.
19.02 Ballistic missiles are being tested in Ukraine. This was announced by the co-owner of the Fire Point manufacturing company, Denis Shtilerman, on the social network X.
"Congratulations FP7," he wrote briefly and posted the first video of the rocket launches from different angles.
18.46 In Luxembourg, statements about the possible return of Ukrainian men of military age to defend the country have drawn criticism from opposition politicians and Ukrainian activists. This is reported by the Luxembourg Times.
Luxembourg's Interior Minister Leon Gloden said that since the summer the number of applications for temporary protection from Ukrainian citizens has increased sharply. He called it "strange" that the country actively supports Ukraine, while "persons who should fight for Ukraine are coming to various EU states" as asylum seekers.
18.08 The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has transferred three powerful autotransformers worth a total of over $20 million to Ukrenergo as part of the Emergency Recovery and Reconstruction Project. The company announced this on Friday.
17.43 Five people, including two children, were injured in the Russian strike in the Kharkiv region. This was reported by the Kharkiv region police on February 27. It is noted that this afternoon, the Russian military carried out a shelling using UAVs on the village of Verkhnya Rohanka, Kharkiv district. As a result of the shelling, a fire broke out in a private house. Five people were injured, including a 4-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl. The children have an acute reaction to stress.
17.25 In Russia, on Friday afternoon, for the first time since the start of the great war in Ukraine, a "missile alert" was declared simultaneously in at least 13 regions, most of which are not border regions. The Moscow Times reports.
17.23 The territory of the enhanced curfew has been significantly expanded in the Donetsk region since February 27. This was announced by the head of the regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin, on Friday.
On August 17, the Romanian Ministry of Defense reported an incident in which a Ukrainian air defense system shot down a Russian drone 100 meters from the Romanian village of Ciliai-Veche. This was stated in a statement by the Romanian defense ministry.
16.56 Since the beginning of the day and as of 16:00, 57 battles between the Ukrainian army and the Russian invaders have taken place on the front, which is more than half the figure from yesterday. There is a lull in four directions, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an operational summary.
16.48 Since the beginning of the day and as of 16:00, 57 battles between the Ukrainian army and the Russian invaders have taken place on the front, which is more than half the figure from yesterday. There is a lull in four directions, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an operational summary.
16.41 Suspicion has been reported against an official of one of the district CCCs of Donetsk region, who illegally made changes to the register of conscripts in Oberig and removed 15 conscripts from the wanted list. The State Bureau of Investigation reported this on February 27.
16.21 In the Lviv region, a 63-year-old man was charged with fraud of over UAH 2 million. He promised to help the family of a missing serviceman return his body, but he extorted money without planning to keep his promise. The regional prosecutor's office reported this.
16.1 1 Ukrainian military drones hit a Russian Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun complex in temporarily occupied Mariupol on the territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant. This was reported by the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
15.59 In Poltava region, the case of the director of a local society, who is accused of embezzling over UAH 4 million during the renovation of the honorary burial sector at the Zaturyn cemetery, has been referred to court. The Prosecutor General's Office reported this on February 27.
15.56 A digital officer will now be in every corps and every brigade. He must introduce innovations and changes. This was stated by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov during a meeting with journalists on Friday, February 27.
15.19 The military group working on agreements between Ukraine, the US and the Russian Federation has worked out the absolute majority of issues, however, further refinements depend on political decisions. This was reported by First Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Serhiy Kyslytsia, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
During the last rounds of trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, the US, and the Russian Federation, the military group has completed 90% of its work.
"Therefore, these rounds of negotiations that have already taken place indicate that we are at a stage where the military group has completed 90% of the work, we have reached the point where we cannot do the rest of the work that needs to be done because political decisions are needed," the diplomat noted.
15.00 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on the sequence of steps and schedule for approving updated regional and energy sustainability plans. He reported this on Telegram.
14.57 At least 663 athletes and coaches have been killed since the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. This was announced by the Minister of Youth and Sports Matviy Bidny, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
14.52 In North Korea, soldiers who fought against Ukraine in Kursk marched under the Russian tricolor. The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Heorhiy Tykhyi, reacted to the parade of North Korean troops.
"They may look proud, but they are not proud of anything. This propaganda charade is missing at least 6,000 North Korean soldiers who did not march in Pyongyang that day. They died in an illegal war of aggression eight thousand kilometers away, to which they had nothing to do," the diplomat said.
14.37 Elon Musk's SpaceX company has effectively deprived the Russian troops of communications by disconnecting their Starlink satellite internet terminals. This was stated by Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov at a meeting with journalists dedicated to the first month of work of the updated Defense Ministry team, Ukrinform reported.
14.15 Ukraine and Russia have agreed on a local truce to repair the network near the Zaporizhzhia NPP. This was reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This allowed specialists to begin repairing the Zaporizhzhia TPP and the Ferosplavna line. The work will last at least a week.
14.10 In Zaporizhia, the National Police and the Security Service of Ukraine detained two Russian agents who set fire to a military vehicle. The National Police reported this on February 27.
13.31 Ukraine was able to destroy a modern communications system that was helping the Russian "Shaheeds". This was announced by Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov.
"We managed to eliminate the Mesh network used by the "Shaheeds" in the north, which had a positive impact on the defense capability of Kyiv and the central part of Ukraine," he said.
The minister did not specify exactly how this network was destroyed and how it was organized.
13.18 Russia has increased its crude oil exports in order to get more money and cover the budget deficit due to the war. Therefore, it is necessary to limit its oil refining and put pressure on the "shadow fleet". This was stated by Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov at a meeting with journalists dedicated to the first month of work of the renewed Defense Ministry team, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
12.50 On Friday night, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine struck the Luhansk oil depot, which is involved in supplying the troops of the Russian aggressor, as well as other facilities in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT). The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this.
12.23 An indictment has been filed against a Russian agent who was exposed in August 2025 during the shelling of Poltava and Odessa. The perpetrator faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property. The SBU reported this on February 27.
12.17 Russian invaders are striking the city of Kostyantynivka in Donetsk region with phosphorus munitions. This was reported by the 28th Knights of the Winter March Rifle Brigade.
12.14 In the first month of work, the Defense Ministry team made the main bet on strengthening air defense. After each massive Russian attack, the defense forces conduct a detailed analysis of the strikes in the After Action Review format - they analyze the trajectories, the work of interceptors and the effectiveness of "small" air defense. This was announced by the head of the department, Mikhail Fedorov, at a meeting with journalists, reports UP.
"Every time after a large-scale attack, teams from the Ministry of Defense and the Air Force gathered to analyze the attack: where the interceptors were located, where the Shaheds were shot down, what were the ballistic trajectories, how the "small" air defense works, what were the consequences of each attack. Decisions were made on what needed to be improved," the minister noted.
12.03 In the village of Pidseredne, Kupyansky district, Kharkiv region, rescuers removed the body of a woman from under the rubble of a house destroyed by Russian airstrikes. Thus, the death toll has increased to two. This was reported by the State Emergency Service in Kharkiv region on February 27. It is noted that another woman was injured as a result of the shelling.
11.55 New power outages have been recorded in six regions of Ukraine due to attacks by Russian invaders. This was reported by Ukrenergo. Due to the consequences of previous massive Russian attacks, emergency power outages have been applied in certain regions.
11.28 Ammonia spilled in the Smolensk region of the Russian Federation after a strike on the Dorogobuzh chemical plant on February 25. This was reported by the Astra Telegram channel, citing sources in the region's emergency services.
According to them, the attack targeted the ammonia and nitrate plants. The drones punched two holes in a liquid ammonia storage tank containing 1,900 tons of the substance, causing a leak.
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported that during the strike on the plant, "as a result of the detonation of explosive devices," seven people were killed and another 10 were injured. Astra's interlocutors noted that the list of victims of the attack included two rescue workers who died from ammonia poisoning. The authorities also concealed information about damage to a tank with this substance.
11.25 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he sees a "window" of opportunity to achieve peace in Ukraine between now and the US midterm elections in November. He said this in an interview with Sky News.
11.19 China has warned its citizens living in Russia about a new law that requires foreigners to serve in the Russian armed forces, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported. The Hong Kong-based SouthChinaMorningPost reported on February 26 that the Chinese consulate in Russia had urged Chinese citizens living in Russia to "pay attention" to a new Russian law passed in November 2025 that requires male permanent residents aged 18 to 65 to serve at least one year in the Russian army in order to apply for Russian citizenship or a residence permit.
11.04 As a result of the nighttime rocket attack on Belgorod, about 60,000 residents were left without electricity. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported this on social media.
"As a result of another massive rocket attack on energy facilities in the city of Belgorod, almost 60,000 people are without electricity today. Kindergartens and schools will operate. All have been switched to backup generation," he wrote.
According to Telegram channels, serious damage was caused to energy infrastructure facilities. The Belgorod CHP was hit.
10.56 The First Separate Center for Unmanned Systems of the Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the destruction of an oil depot in the temporarily occupied city of Luhansk. Less fuel means fewer opportunities for maneuvers, rotations, and support for assault operations, the military noted.
10:15 Russian troops hit the center of Novgorod-Siverskyi in Chernihiv region with two "Geraniyas". An employment center, a shop, cars and neighboring residential buildings were under attack. Two police officers were injured.
9.53 In the Kherson region, due to an acute shortage of personnel at the front, Russian commanders have begun transferring medical personnel to combat positions. This is directly related to losses from Ukrainian drones. This is reported by the partisan movement ATESH with reference to the movement's agents from the 28th motorized rifle regiment in the Kherson direction. It is noted that therapists, paramedics, nurses from medical posts, as well as evacuation units, are being involved in the fight - they are all being sent to the trenches with machine guns.
09.52 At night, Russia attacked a private sector in the Kupyansky district of the Kharkiv region with a strike drone. The hit was on a residential building, which was completely destroyed. Rescuers removed the body of a deceased man from under the rubble. Another woman was injured.
09.50 Ukraine cannot return its territories in Donbas now, but Russia cannot win either. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
When asked whether Ukraine could win the war, the head of state noted that at this stage it would mean the loss of a large number of people.
"It all depends on what people mean by the word 'victory'. And, frankly, talking about territories is very difficult. First, how to return all the land today is very difficult. And it will entail too great a loss of human lives... But the good thing is that Russia cannot do this on the battlefield. Therefore, they do not win, and we do not lose," Zelensky said.
The President rejected the idea of transferring Donbas to Russia, noting that this would lead to occupation and repressions against Ukrainians.
"If we leave this territory, as you said, for example, from Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, at the same moment 200 thousand people who are there now will find themselves under Russian occupation. Who told the Russians that these people are ready to become Russian citizens? And if not, they will be killed, sent to the front or put in prison. They have already done the same in Luhansk, in Donetsk, in Crimea," he explained.
09.29 British and French airborne brigades have completed the final preparations for a possible peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
The final phase of Exercise Orion, a military exercise in Brittany, France, has concluded, with more than 600 soldiers from Britain's 16th Airborne Brigade carrying out a simulated raid alongside soldiers from France's 11th Parachute Brigade.
They simulated the seizure of strategic targets and the holding of bridgeheads. The exercise is designed to prepare paratroopers for deployment anywhere in NATO countries.
9.27 As a result of Russian strikes on the Odessa region on the night of February 27, a kindergarten was destroyed, port tanks, a hospital, a residential building and a car were damaged, and there were injuries. This was reported by the head of the Odessa Regional Administrative Organization, Oleg Kiper.
"The enemy attacked the civilian, port, and industrial infrastructure of the Odessa region with strike drones. Unfortunately, two people were injured - a 3.5-year-old girl and a 44-year-old man. Both were hospitalized in moderate condition," he noted.
08.55 On the night of February 27, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 187 Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas attack drones and other types of drones, of which about 120 were "Shaheeds".
Air defenses shot down/suppressed 165 enemy Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas and other types of drones in the north, south and east of the country. 20 strike drones were recorded hitting 14 locations.
08.35 Russian troops struck a hotel in the center of Sumy. The strike occurred in the central part of the city. Rescuers evacuated 50 citizens.
While extinguishing the fire, the dewdrops struck the rescuers again. None of the personnel were injured. The fire has been extinguished.
08.23 Over the past 24 hours, 230 combat clashes were recorded on the front. Missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces hit two areas of concentration of personnel and three other important objects of the Russian invaders.
08.02 In Kazakhstan, a 25-year-old citizen who participated in Russia's war against Ukraine was sentenced to six years in prison. In court, the man pleaded not guilty, stating that he considered himself a citizen of the Russian Federation.
07.24 From February 24, 2022 to February 27, 2026, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 1,265,130 people (+1,280 per day).
06.01 France reported that three Ukrainian pilots are currently being trained on the Mirage 2000 fighter jet.
02.32 In occupied Luhansk, an oil depot is on fire after shelling, the flames are visible for many kilometers. And in Alchevsk, Luhansk region, a substation was hit.
00.20 In Belgorod, Russia, a massive missile attack was announced, after which electricity, heating, and water outages began in most areas of the city. Social media reports say that the Belgorod CHP was hit.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 21:49 Intelligence of the Vostok group opened camouflaged positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
It took just minutes for the Uragan to deploy, and 220mm rockets were launched into the sky. The target was destroyed.
21:28 In the period from 17:00 Moscow time to 20:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 29 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the aircraft type:
21 UAVs – over the territory of the Bryansk region,
Seven UAVs – over the territory of the Belgorod region,
One UAV – over the territory of the Kursk region.
19:50 Defeat of Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment by Lancet loitering munitions in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast,video.
18:38 In the period from 13:00 Moscow time to 17:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 33 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
20 UAVs – over the territory of the Belgorod region,
Seven UAVs – over the territory of the Bryansk region,
Six UAVs – over the territory of Kursk region.
17:42 Air defense forces destroyed 33 Ukrainian drones from 13:00 to 17:00 Moscow time,reportedin the Ministry of Defense.
16:09 Destruction of a 2S1 122mm howitzer "Gvozdika" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces using FPV drones in the area of responsibility of the "West" group of forces, -video.
14:46 Crews of the 2S19 152mm Msta-S self-propelled guns of the Guards Motorized Rifle Division of the Center group of forces destroyed temporary deployment point for Ukrainian Armed Forces formations in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
14:31 In the period from 8:00 Moscow time to 13:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 44 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type:
22 UAVs over the territory of the Kursk region,
14 UAVs over the territory of the Belgorod region,
Six UAVs over the territory of the Republic of Crimea,
One UAV over the territory of the Bryansk region,
One UAV over the waters of the Sea of Azov.
12:49 Units of the Center group of forces have taken up more advantageous lines and positions, released Krasnoznamenka settlement, Dnipropetrovsk region.
11:51 In the village of Alekseevo-Druzhkovka, combat groups of the Rubicon Center detected a self-propelled artillery system AHS Krab of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The target was successfully struck.
09:56 Specialists from the Rubicon Center carried out a series of precise strikes on the equipment and positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, video.
09:05 Operational situation: The situation in the Sumy direction is steadily deteriorating for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, while Russian troops are achieving new successes.
East of Alekseyevka and south of Novonikolayevka, Russian troops occupied a number of forest belts and effectively drove the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of the area of the village of Varachino, which had previously been recaptured by the enemy during the spring-summer counteroffensive.
08:25 During the past night from 23:00 Moscow time on February 26 to 07:00 Moscow time on February 27, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 95 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type flew over the territory of the Belgorod region, Bryansk region, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol region, Smolensk region, Tver region, Tula region, Krasnodar region, Moscow region, including five UAVs flying towards Moscow, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Elena Sobkova
[REGNUM] A true tragedy unfolded in Primorye: a Himalayan bear mother died while her lone cubs were left in her den. The cubs, on the brink of death, were brought to the Tiger Rehabilitation Center.
What staff must do to nurse bear cubs back to health, and why this is a systemic problem, is covered in the Regnum news agency article.
THEY WILL BE RELEASED IN THE SUMMER
Animal rights activists discovered orphaned Himalayan bear cubs in a hollow tree. Their mother was absent, and the cubs were on the verge of death. Despite reports, the Primorsky rehabilitation center has not confirmed that the bear's death was the result of poaching, Ekaterina Pazhetnova of the Orphaned Bear Rescue Center in the Tver Region told Regnum news agency. They had been in contact with "Tiger" almost from the beginning of the incident.
"If someone disturbs an animal in its winter den in winter, it abandons it out of fear of being killed and never returns. This is how orphaned bear cubs, unable to survive on their own, are born. This applies to both brown and Himalayan bear cubs. In the Far East, this happens every year," Pazhetnova explained.
The most critical need of newborn bear cubs is warmth. Unlike hunger, which they can tolerate for a while, cold and drafts are deadly for them and can lead to death. Brown bear cubs are born tiny—about 500 grams, and Himalayan bears are even smaller.
At this age, they are completely helpless: their bodies are not yet fully formed and do not function at full capacity. The cubs are covered with sparse fur, their eyes and ears are closed, and they are unable to keep warm on their own.
However, providing warmth is only the first step for those taking care of them. Proper housing and feeding are next. During the first weeks of life, bear cubs eat very frequently—every hour and a half.
They also need abdominal massage—an essential procedure to stimulate digestion. At this age, they can't do this on their own.
The bear cubs will only be released into the wild in the summer.
"Our rehabilitation work, which has been ongoing for over 30 years, has shown that bears reach independence at around seven months of age, that is, by July. They can feed themselves, identify danger, understand its scope, and take appropriate action. They understand when to immediately save themselves—run away or climb trees and wait out the threat," Pazhetnova explained.
It's worth noting that people regularly come to the aid of lonely wild animal cubs. For example, in Primorye, in March 2025, the Ministry of Emergency Situations rescued a spotted seal pup, which had been lost on an ice floe for several days. It was sent to a marine animal rehabilitation center.
Bear cubs were also rescued in the Krasnoyarsk Territory—a month-old cub was transferred to the Instinct Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. In May 2025, employees of the Ministry of Forestry rescued a week-old moose calf in the Penza Region.
And in December 2025, in the Komsomolsky District of Khabarovsk Krai, a married couple rescued a motherless tiger cub from starvation. Its brother had died.
In January of this year, the aforementioned Tiger Center took in two orphaned tiger cubs—they had lost their mother, who had been killed by poachers, and were found in critical condition.
TROPHY LOVERS
Although there is no evidence of illegal hunting in this particular case, the birth of lone wild animal cubs is often the result of both legal hunters and poachers. Bears, as the largest mammals in our forests, traditionally attract those seeking a large trophy.
One of the most high-profile cases of not a hunt, but a real murder, is the scandal involving the former governor of the Irkutsk region, Sergei Levchenko.
In September 2018, a video surfaced showing Levchenko shooting a bear in the head while it was sleeping in its den. Everyone, including hunters, criticized the shooting, claiming that killing a sleeping animal directly violates hunting ethics.
The politician claimed the hunt was legal, took place within the permitted timeframe, and that the bear was a stray animal and posed a danger. However, footage of the sleeping bear, as well as the criminal case, suggested otherwise.
In October 2021, Valery Rashkin, a Communist Party State Duma deputy and Levchenko's fellow party member, was detained in a forest in the Saratov region. A butchered moose carcass was found in the trunk of his car.
At first, the politician claimed he found the carcass by accident, but later recorded a video confession in which he stated that he mistook the moose for a wild boar due to poor visibility and the lack of binoculars.
Soon, Rashkin was stripped of his parliamentary immunity and given a three-year suspended sentence for illegal hunting, and was then officially stripped of his parliamentary mandate.
SELFIE WITH A WILD ANIMAL
The coexistence of wild animals and humans is a long-standing problem that remains relevant to this day.
Incidents of encounters between people and wild animals that end in conflict, injury, and sometimes even death are, unfortunately, not uncommon.
According to experts, 99% of such encounters are provoked by humans. For example, people chase a wild animal for a selfie. Many don't try to avoid the encounter, but rather approach it to take a photo. While this might be possible with a squirrel, it's a deadly risk with a bear.
A predator doesn't attack immediately, but it maintains a personal safety distance. As soon as a human violates this distance, the animal feels threatened—to itself, its young, or its prey. In such a situation, the bear is forced to defend itself. The outcome of the conflict is often tragic for the human.
The news usually portrays the animal as the aggressor, although the real provocateur is the person who invades their personal space, says Ekaterina Pazhetnova.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Moscow's Khoroshevsky District Court has sentenced participants in a mass brawl at the Shchuka shopping center in Moscow to 15 days in jail. The press service for Moscow's courts of general jurisdiction reported this on February 27.
The court found Russian citizens Abaev A. M., Madaev A. V., Pliev Yu. R., Pliev M. U., Ashikhanov A. M. and Mirzametov R. M. guilty of committing administrative offenses under Part 1 of Article 20.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (“Petty hooliganism”) and sentenced each of them to administrative arrest for a period of 15 days.
On February 26, at approximately 11:20 a.m. Moscow time, a mass brawl broke out between patrons and security guards at the Shchuka shopping center in northwest Moscow. The conflict began with an argument between one patron and a security guard and quickly escalated into a brawl involving approximately 20 people. Some attempted to break up the brawl but were themselves drawn into the conflict. Police detained nine people as a result of the incident and took them to the police station.
I could not find a comprehensive list of Russian and foreign language Russian news outlet. According to this web page they include izvestia.ru. rt.ru, (and probably Russia Today), Sputnik. Banned outlets banned since March 2022 include NTV Mir, Rossiya 1, Perviy Kanal and NTV, STS and Kanal 5.
Newer sanctioned outlets include Eurasia Daily, News Front (where I get Russian language summaries for the daily reports from the Russian Ministry of defense, which I have posted since March of 2022) **, SouthFront (where some of my early work on the war in the Donbass is), the RuBaltic portal, and the online publication Lenta.ru, the Zvezda TV channel, Fondsk and the Foundation for Strategic Culture.
** For a time I was able to get summaries directly from the Russian Ministry of Defense official English language web page, but they stopped that. I can now access the Russian language version, but not the daily summaries they used to provide.
[IZ] French media regulator Arcom has demanded that Internet service providers block the websites of 35 Russian media outlets that are under European Union (EU) sanctions. This is evidenced by the release of the organization, published on its website on February 26.
"Arcom has demanded that Internet service providers, domain name resolution service providers, and search engines block and remove 35 sanctioned official Russian media sites from search results," the release says.
In addition, the media regulator demanded that four streaming platforms that provide access to Russian television and radio broadcasting services be removed from the search results.
Freedom, in a word: discrimination against Russian media has increased in Western Europe
Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland were included in the anti-rating.
Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin noted on February 13 that European citizens are increasingly using the Russian media in search of the truth. According to him, they are tired of the "hypocrisy and lies of their heads of state" and therefore are increasingly opting for those sources of information "that are objective and unbiased." The politician linked the introduction of new sanctions against Russian news agencies to the European authorities' fear of the truth.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
