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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: May 11, 2025
2025-05-12
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:45 Since the beginning of the day, 111 combat clashes have occurred on the front, including 47 attacks by the Russian army in the Pokrovsky direction, according to the report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 22:00.

22.29 President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be in Turkey on May 15 to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian forces would respond in kind to Russia’s ceasefire or continuation of the fire from May 12.

20.34 US President Donald Trump said Ukraine should immediately agree to talks proposed by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Turkey on May 15, although they do not include a 30-day ceasefire.

19.59 President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he expects Russia to cease fire on May 12 and will personally wait for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Turkey on May 15.

16.46 US Special Representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg stressed that negotiations with Russia on ending the war should be preceded by a 30-day ceasefire.

15:52 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insists that Russia must agree to a pause in hostilities before any negotiations begin on possible formats for ending the war, dpa reports.

15.46 Pope Leo XIV called for a "sincere and lasting peace" in Ukraine and an immediate end to the fighting in Gaza, with the release of hostages, in his first Sunday address. The pontiff said he carried "the suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine" in his heart.

14.25 Turkey is ready to facilitate the peace process to end hostilities in Ukraine by any means, including negotiations, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He said that a "historic milestone" had been reached on the path to ending the war between Ukraine and Russia, that this opportunity must be seized, and that Turkey was ready to make all possible contributions, including holding negotiations, to ensure a ceasefire and lasting peace.

12:48 During the so-called three-day "ceasefire" that was unilaterally declared by the Russian Federation, Russian troops did not cease, but on the contrary, intensified their assault operations. This was reported by the DeepState project.

The occupiers carried out 193, 196 and 161 assault actions over three days, respectively. In April, the average daily activity was 155 attacks per day.

"There were almost no ceasefire areas. There were isolated cases and that's all," DeepState analysts noted.

12:30 French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for the idea of ​​deploying foreign troops in Ukraine and also estimated the number that could be discussed.

According to him, the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine is necessary to stabilize the situation after the cessation of hostilities with the Russian Federation.

Asked about the number of foreign troops that could be deployed in Ukraine in the future, the French president replied: "It could be several thousand, but not several hundred thousand."

"It's not about numbers. It's about us being there to provide a support presence, as a second line of defense, in the air or in strategic points away from the front line. Above all, we're there to show solidarity," Macron said.

11:52 The talks in Istanbul between Ukraine and Russia should be held "taking into account the real situation and the developments of the 2022 talks." This was stated by the Russian dictator's assistant Yuri Ushakov.

"Taking this into account, of course. Taking into account, naturally, the real situation," he said in response to a question about whether negotiations would resume where they left off in 2022.

In turn, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian leader's proposal "confirms the real intention to find a peaceful solution."

"A lasting peace can only be achieved through serious negotiations, and the readiness for these negotiations has now been shown and demonstrated by the president," he said.

11:22 Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has rejected a ceasefire in Ukraine. He is probably counting on a summer offensive. This was stated by the head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, Andriy Kovalenko.

"Putin chose war and refused to end it in favor of a summer offensive," he wrote on Telegram.

10:55 President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia was "thinking about a ceasefire" and called it a good sign.

Thus, the president responded to the proposal of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to resume direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine from May 15 in Istanbul.

According to Zelensky, Moscow must first agree to a ceasefire from May 12 – then Kyiv is ready to meet.

"There is no point in continuing the killings even for a day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire - complete, long-term and reliable - starting tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine is ready to meet," the head of state said.

10.20 On the night of May 11, Russian troops attacked with 108 Shahed-type attack UAVs and various types of drone imitators. Air defense forces shot down 60 drones. Another 41 enemy drone imitators were lost. The Russian attack affected Sumy Oblast.

09.55 French President Emmanuel Macron responded to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's initiative to resume negotiations in Istanbul.

According to the French leader, Putin's proposal is "a first step, but not sufficient."

"An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations," Macron said, noting that Putin "is looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time."

09.40 Over the past 24 hours, 161 combat clashes were recorded at the front. In particular, in the Pokrovsky direction, the defenders stopped 60 assault and offensive actions of the Russian invaders.

09.18 Russian troops attacked the Kiev region with drones. In the Brovarsky district, a man born in 1954 was injured as a result of an enemy attack. A summer house was damaged. Five private houses in the Obukhovsky district were also damaged.

08.43 US President Donald Trump made another statement regarding Russia's war against Ukraine, calling the upcoming events "potentially a big day" for both countries.

"Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved when this endless 'bloodbath' is hopefully over. It will be a whole new and much better world," Trump said.

The US president spoke of a "potentially big day for Russia and Ukraine" after Kyiv's offer of a 30-day ceasefire and the Kremlin's proposals for direct talks.

Trump assured that he plans to continue to work with both sides to achieve a result. According to him, the United States seeks to focus on recovery and trade development. The US leader also said that "it's an important week ahead."

08.15 As of May 11, 2025, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 965,890 people (1,310 per day).

05.25 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his country's experts were ready to help resume air traffic with Ukraine as soon as a ceasefire was achieved.

"I am pleased that British experts are working on the ground to reopen flights to Ukraine once a ceasefire is achieved. It will take some time, but it will be a huge boost to Ukraine's economy, boost investor confidence and help reunite families torn apart by the war," Starmer said.

04.44 Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has officially acknowledged the participation of North Korean servicemen in Russia's war against Ukraine. The head of the Kremlin expressed gratitude to the leaders of 13 states that sent units of their national armed forces to participate in the parade on Red Square. In particular, the dictator noted that he was pleased to personally thank the military leaders of the Korean People's Army for their participation in the military operations on the front of the war against Ukraine.

03.17 US President Donald Trump promised to quickly end Russia's war against Ukraine and the war in Gaza. However, he now understands that this will be difficult. In particular, last week, during a speech to leading donors, Trump called the end of Russia's war against Ukraine "a growing frustration that keeps him up at night." He also noted that Russian dictator Putin had taken a "particularly tough" position in the negotiations and wanted "everything," meaning Ukraine.

02.02 President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a joint statement by the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, Great Britain and Ukraine following their meeting in Kyiv. The politicians agreed that there should be a complete and unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days from Monday, May 12. It is noted that an unconditional ceasefire by definition cannot be "limited by any conditions". If Russia puts forward such conditions, this can only be seen as an attempt to "continue the war and blow up diplomacy". The leaders demand that the ceasefire be comprehensive: in the air, at sea and on land.

01.13 Russian leader Vladimir Putin said he was proposing that Ukraine resume direct talks, which were suspended in 2022. He proposed resuming direct talks with Ukraine "without preconditions" in Turkey on May 15. Putin noted that he should address Turkish President Recep Erdogan with this proposal on Sunday, May 12. He suggested that an agreement on a ceasefire could be reached during these talks.

Link


The Grand Turk
A Knife in Erdogan's Back: Why Macron Is Pleasing Turkey's Turkic Allies
2025-04-12
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Victor Vasiliev

[REGNUM] The first EU-Central Asia summit, held in Samarkand on April 3–4, was attended by EU leaders, as well as the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. The high-level event would have gone unnoticed in Russia if not for one scandalous detail.

Over the course of two days, the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, laid out everything that European diplomacy has been voicing for three years now: green energy, water management, communications, transport, and calls to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The only thing added was the newfangled topic of critically important materials.

Following the summit, a Joint Declaration consisting of 20 points was approved. However, point 4, which was noted by a number of experts, contained an anti-Turkish call.

In particular, the signatories of the declaration reaffirm their firm commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 550 of 1984.

It condemns “illegal separatist activities” in the Turkish-occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus in violation of previous resolutions, and again calls on UN member states not to recognize the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Turkish international journalist and war correspondent Arda Zenturk called the events a “geopolitical blow” to Turkey and an “act of betrayal.”

Another interesting thing is that during the summit, Turkish leader Recep Erdogan made a statement that “by getting closer to Turkey, Europe can also strengthen its relations with the Central Asian countries, and this is also a great opportunity for the Central Asian countries that want to free themselves from the influence of Russia and China.”

At the very least, Türkiye was counting on certain prospects as a result of this summit, playing on the contradictions between the EU and Russia, and certainly did not expect to get a knife in the back from its allies in the Organization of Turkic States (OTG).

Since the Central Asian countries themselves did not react to this scandal at all, one can assume that the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan simply did not bother to carefully read the final declaration. And one can understand them.

This is the third time that high-level meetings of this format have been held. The previous ones were held in 2022–2023 in Astana, Kazakhstan, and Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan. At first glance, it is not even clear why this meeting is designated as the “first” and why the European side attaches special importance to it. Moreover, all the rhetoric and declarative part of the events are repeated exactly.

FRENCH HAIRPIN
The position of France had an undoubted influence on the text of the final declaration. It is France that has set the tone in all foreign policy activities on behalf of the EU in recent years.

France has also consistently failed to recognise the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In 1983, the Fifth Republic supported UN Security Council Resolution 541, which declared the TRNC's declaration of independence legally invalid.

In 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Erdogan's calls for a two-state solution to the Cyprus issue, calling them a "provocation."

In December 2024, French military aircraft stationed at Paphos Air Base under a 2017 defence cooperation agreement between France and the Greek Cypriot administration violated TRNC airspace, sparking protests from the Northern Cypriot authorities.

These actions reflect France's traditional position of supporting the unity of Cyprus and non-recognition of the TRNC.

In general, it can be confidently assumed that the theses of point 4 of the Samarkand summit declaration were prudently “put in” by the French side. And while French foreign diplomacy is active in the Mediterranean, there is no point in talking about any potential membership of Turkey in the EU.

But, what is most interesting, a similar statement is partly true for Central Asia. If only because, over the past few years, Paris has achieved a significant increase in influence in this region, both in the diplomatic dimension and in the economic one.

France is pursuing its own strategy in Central Asia in defiance of both Moscow and Ankara, and its successes have come as a surprise to many traditional players in the region.

FRANCE'S STRATEGY IN CENTRAL ASIA
Last November, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid a state visit to Paris. The French recently hosted Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on a state visit. And Macron's visit to Kyrgyzstan was announced the other day. Such attention to the region is not accidental.

Emmanuel Macron's priorities are well illustrated by the details of the reception for the Uzbek leader, which took place on March 11-13. The French side threw a lavish banquet. The special attention to the leader of the Central Asian country is surprising for France, which has never organized such celebrations for its loyal satellites from Africa.

And then there was a whole reception at the Elysee Palace, attended by official delegations of the two countries, members of the French government, famous figures of culture, art and science, representatives of business circles and the public.

The French know how to make sweeping decisions in foreign policy. This was evident in the South Caucasus (the rise of Nikol Pashinyan and the velvet revolution of 2018 in Armenia are largely French style) and in Ukraine. And now Central Asia.

The official website of the President of Uzbekistan states the following about the results of the visit:

"A Joint Declaration on the establishment of strategic partnership relations was adopted, as well as a solid package of agreements on various areas of cooperation. The leader of our country took part in a round table with the heads of leading companies, banks and organizations of France. A Cooperation Program in the investment and innovation spheres was adopted, providing for the implementation of specific cooperation projects worth 6.5 billion euros."

Everything is explained quite simply. Uzbekistan ranks 10th in the world in terms of uranium reserves and 5th in terms of its production. France is the world's main consumer of uranium, while there are no deposits in the country itself.

It was uranium that at one time determined Paris’s special strategic interest in its former colonies on the Black Continent, in many of which it is mined (primarily in Niger, but also in Mali and the Central African Republic).

As France is forced to leave Africa due to objective reasons (terrorist threats, lack of security and convenient logistics) and pressure from competitors (Russia first and foremost), its gaze turns to the post-Soviet space. First and foremost, to Uzbekistan.

Coinciding with the Uzbek leader's state visit to Paris, French nuclear fuel company Orano said it would begin developing its South Dzhengeldy uranium mining project in Uzbekistan through its Nurlikum Mining joint venture with Uzbek state mining company Navoiyuran.

The mine is expected to operate for more than ten years, with peak production forecast to be 700 tonnes of uranium per year.

In addition to Orano, more than 50 French companies successfully operate in Uzbekistan in various sectors of the economy, including energy, infrastructure, environmental protection, aviation, food production and tourism.

Among the most well-known are SUEZ and Veolia (large companies in the field of water and waste management, actively involved in projects to develop water supply and sanitation infrastructure in Uzbekistan), TotalEnergies and Voltalia (energy companies expanding their presence in Uzbekistan, involved in renewable energy and infrastructure projects), Lactalis (one of the largest dairy companies in the world) and others.

Economic expansion is supported by initiatives in the field of culture and education: French lyceums and cultural centers have begun operating, scholarships and academic cooperation have been launched, various media and NGOs receive support from the French embassy.

A similar and quite successful strategy is being implemented by France in Kazakhstan.

Of course, Paris itself cannot compete with the influence of China or Russia in the region. However, it manages to play well on the desire of some local elites to reduce dependence on their usual partners. And at the same time, France really does have something to offer in economic terms, unlike Turkey.

France, like the EU as a whole, supports the diversification of foreign policy and economic relations between the countries of the region.

Given the leading role of French diplomacy in the EU, Paris can thus play at a fairly high level, at least outplaying Erdogan (as can be seen in the example above), adding to Russia’s troubles (competing in the nuclear industry and regularly recording a position in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity) and reducing the region’s dependence on Chinese loans and technologies within the framework of the Belt and Road initiative.

And finally, after Joe Biden's defeat in the US presidential election and the significant reduction of the American presence in the region, Paris has become the new favorite destination for some of the local intelligentsia and liberal-minded public.

France does not directly state its political demands in the region, if only because it has no historical interests in Central Asia. But it does softly and effectively position itself as an alternative to the influence of Russia, China and Turkey.

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
In Astrakhan, gypsies married an 8-year-old groom to a 13-year-old girl on a grand scale
2025-01-24
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

It should be noted that the Romas (gypsies) heavily influence the culture of the Slavs of the Transcaucasus, evidenced by the wedding dance videos I have watched.
[Regnum] In Astrakhan, the Gypsy community married an eight-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl. A video of the celebration appeared online on January 23.

The children's wedding took place in a restaurant according to gypsy traditions on a grand scale. According to Russian law, registry offices do not have the right to register such marriages. The celebration was accompanied by music and congratulations.

In a video posted online, children are dancing a wedding dance.

In July, Regnum reported that in Stavropol, an 18-year-old man was facing prison for a "Gypsy marriage." A criminal case was opened against him for having sex with his 15-year-old common-law wife. They were married according to Gypsy customs, but such a union has no legal force and does not cancel Russian laws.
Related:
Gypsy 08/20/2024 Azerbaijan reports shootout on border with Armenia
Gypsy 06/02/2024 Is Recep Erdogan's Jew-Hatred Shame Based?
Gypsy 12/15/2023 Current information on the situation on the front line: December 14 (updated)

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
'Regional Bully' at the 'Islamic Eight': Will Iran Return to Syria
2024-12-25
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Leonid Tsukanov

[REGNUM] The Islamic Eight (D8) summit, an international organization that brings together Turkey, Iran, Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh, was held in Cairo recently. The current meeting took place amid unprecedented tensions in the Middle East and growing escalation between Iran and Israel.

Over the past year and a half, Tehran has firmly established its reputation as a “regional bully” and one of the architects of the Middle East crisis. It is not surprising that the Iranian authorities have tried to use the D8 platform to strengthen their regional positions and eliminate past tactical miscalculations.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's speeches on the sidelines of the D8 were expectedly focused on the topic of maintaining stability in the Middle East. Pezeshkian repeatedly emphasized that Tehran is not a "regional bully" and advocates maintaining good-neighborly relations with the Middle Eastern powers.

True, Israel was expectedly deleted from the list of “candidates for good neighborliness” – the Iranian president blamed it not only for the destabilization of individual countries in the Middle East, but also for the worsening economic situation in the Islamic world.

Pezeschkian's speech was generally well received, with the D8 leaders thanking Iran for "taking responsibility for its actions" and reaffirming their commitment to stabilizing the situation in the region.

However, Pezeshkian was unable to completely take over the anti-Israeli agenda.

The Turks were the first to call for the "immediate international isolation" of Tel Aviv from the D8 rostrum. However, they were very disingenuous: despite criticism of Israeli operations in Gaza and Lebanon, Ankara still remains one of Israel's key trading partners, including providing for the needs of the IDF.

AS THE OWNER
The Cairo summit was significant in many ways because it was the first time in a decade that an Iranian president had traveled to Egypt in person, a clear sign of improved dialogue between Tehran and Cairo. Pezeshkian also met with Egyptian leader Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, discussing the current contours of the conflict in the Middle East.

On the other hand, despite the face-to-face meeting, the conversation took place in the most neutral tones possible - the leaders of the two countries did not touch on the issues of combating terrorism, and spoke about key regional conflicts with restraint and almost without judgment.

The issue of shipping safety in the Mediterranean and Red Seas was also ignored – this is a sore subject for Cairo, since the country suffered more than others from attacks by the pro-Iranian Houthis; Egypt’s total losses from the naval blockade in the Red Sea amounted to tens of billions of dollars.

Cairo and Tehran continue to keep an eye on each other, including because in the current conflict in the Middle East they are de facto on opposite sides of the barricades.

Egypt, although it seeks to play the role of mediator on Gaza, remains a strategic partner of the United States and Israel, and one of the opponents of Iranian interference in Arab affairs.

For the same reason, the interlocutors avoided the topic of establishing contacts with the “new Syria” — largely because both had previously “bet” on Bashar al-Assad’s regime in the conflict. However, Cairo still has an additional trump card up its sleeve — support for the “new Syria” at the level of the League of Arab States, but the Egyptian authorities do not plan to share it with the Iranians.

The D8 summit only confirmed that suspicions between the two powers remain and that a major breakthrough in dialogue between them should not be expected in the near future.

At the Islamic Eight platform, Iran attempted to simultaneously resolve the ambiguities in the Syrian direction.

During a meeting with Turkish President Recep Erdogan, the issue of post-war reconstruction of Syria became one of the main ones. Despite the fact that the meeting was rather short, the Turkish leader hinted to his Iranian counterpart about the existence of some “loopholes” in the dialogue with the “new Damascus”, noting that the restoration of Syria is a “collective matter”.

In addition, Ankara and Tehran criticized the illegal Israeli presence on Syrian territory, as well as the “extended occupation” of the Golan Heights.

KEYS TO SYRIA
Erdogan's public position on Syria does not oblige his protégés in Damascus to anything.

Representatives of the "Syrian Salvation Government" (SSG) continue to criticize "destructive Iranian influence" and demand the "cleansing" of Iranian creatures from all state institutions.

Considering that nothing changed in the rhetoric of the PSS either during the summit or after its completion, Tehran, apparently, failed to reach the new Syrian authorities through Turkey.

Another important result of the Cairo D8 summit was the expansion of the participants: Azerbaijan joined the G8 (not without the support of the Iranian authorities). For Tehran, Baku's participation in the D8 opens up significant prospects for further deepening of contacts. Moreover, both sides are interested in developing joint infrastructure projects, in particular the Southern Cargo Terminal.

There are, however, more specific tasks.

It is important for Tehran to prevent Azerbaijan from being drawn into the "anti-Iranian club" at all costs. Especially since the activity of Israeli special services in the Transcaucasus has increased significantly over the past two years, and official Tel Aviv is increasingly positioning Baku as its strategic partner, which causes some concern among the Iranians.

Also, due to its political proximity to Turkey, Azerbaijan is considered by Ankara as one of the economic donors of the “new Syria”, and Tehran hopes to reach out to the new Syrian government, including through them.

Overall, the Cairo summit brought certain dividends to Tehran.

The Iranian authorities have demonstrated their willingness to continue cooperation with all D8 countries regardless of disagreements “on the ground,” and have also partly absolved themselves of responsibility for further escalation.

On the other hand, the Iranians have still not been able to solve the main regional task at the moment – ​​to establish a dialogue with the “new Syria” through other players (both regional and external).

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Jews Starting War In Syria. Honest.
2024-12-01
[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

There are those who agree. Scott Ritter, for instance, courtesy of 3dc. Say what you will about the man (and I have), he’s not afraid to put his ideas out there:


… backed by the US, to cut off the supply route from Iran to Lebanon for Hezbollah, and threaten to destabilize/topple the Assad government, forcing Russia to divert resources from Ukraine to salvage their position in Syria. Ukraine has provided advisors to the anti-Assad militants on drone warfare. Israel has apparently extended its explosive pager/radio scheme into Syria as well, disrupting Syrian tactical command and control at a critical moment in the fighting.

Syria had largely demobilized, and Hezbollah had mostly returned to Lebanon. Iranian-backed Iraqi militias are ill prepared to contain this assault.

It is highly likely Aleppo will fall to the pro-Turkish Islamist forces. There will most likely be a concerted effort, led by Russia and Iran, to salvage the situation in Syria.

This will take time.
This offensive may threaten the ceasefire in Lebanon.
The biggest loser in all of this is Turkey and its President, Recep Erdogan.

This offensive could not have been carried out without close cooperation and coordination with Israel and the US.

Erdogan’s critical words against Israel have been exposed as empty rhetoric.

Erdogan has once again betrayed Russia.
And his support for Palestine has beed exposed as fraudulent in every way.

Russia and Iran will stabilize Syria.
This will take months.

Syria and its allies will destroy the Islamist stronghold in Idlib.
This will take years.

The Iran-Hezbollah supply line will be restored/maintained.
Israel will be defeated.
And the US will withdraw from Syria, probably in mid-2025.
And Turkey will continue to betray everyone it does business with, because Erdogan stands only for Turkey.
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: September 11, 2024
2024-09-12
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:35 The death toll from the Russian strike on Konstantinovka in Donetsk Oblast has risen to three, with six people injured, OVA head Vadim Filashkin reported.

20:43 Blinken said that he had discussed permission to use long-range missiles with the Ukrainian leadership and would now report on the results of the talks to Biden. The US President and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will discuss this issue on Friday, September 13. Blinken also said that the US would send additional air defense systems to Ukraine in the coming weeks. In addition, the US Secretary of State said that NATO countries have made it clear that Ukraine's membership in the Alliance is inevitable and the country is on track to join.

20:02 The United States is providing Ukraine with over $700 million to overcome the consequences of Russian aggression, Blinken said. Of this amount, $325 million is allocated for repairing power grids, $290 million for humanitarian aid, and $102 million for demining.

19:16 Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina announced that the new package of military aid to Ukraine will include armored vehicles and drones, as well as the training and equipment of several thousand more Ukrainian troops.

18:55 220 Iranian Fath-360 ballistic missiles have arrived in Russia from Iran via the Caspian Sea, Sky News writes. In turn, The New York Times reports that Russia recently received new supplies of ballistic missiles from North Korea.

18:48 UK Defence Secretary John Healey said Ukraine will receive hundreds of additional air defence missiles, tens of thousands of additional artillery rounds and armoured vehicles by the end of the year.

18:43 The victory plan will be presented at the Second Peace Summit and should force Russia to end the war diplomatically, Zelensky said: "This plan must be presented at the Second Peace Summit to force Russia to end the war diplomatically. If partners support it, it will help Ukraine force Russia to end the war."

18:39 Ukraine received information about Iran's transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia from intelligence services of partner countries, Zelensky said. He added that he does not know the exact number of missiles, nor does he have information about their use: "I will be able to confirm this when there is evidence. As was the case with North Korea. We know so far about the use of a large number of Iranian drones. As for the use of Iranian missiles, there are no other details yet."

18:35 The SBU has announced suspicion against Russian Lieutenant General Konstantin Stepanishchev, deputy commander of the 6th Combined Arms Army of the Western Military District of the Russian Federation, who planned a "blitzkrieg" to capture Kharkov.

18:32 The British government said it would provide £242 million ($315 million) to Ukraine for urgent humanitarian, energy and stabilisation needs, as well as to support reform, recovery and reconstruction. The funds will be provided over 2024-2025.

London will also provide $484 million in loan guarantees through the World Bank by the end of the year. The funds will be used to fund vital public services, including schools and hospitals, civil servants’ salaries and pensions. This is the second part of a total of $3 billion in loan guarantees that the UK pledged at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London last year.

18:14 Zelensky said that he knows nothing about Scholz's "peace plan" and doubts that it even exists: "There can be no plans for us without Ukraine. I'm not even sure that such a plan exists."

17:56 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, after announcing new Western sanctions against the country for supplying Russia with ballistic missiles, said that no deliveries had allegedly taken place: "Once again, the US and EU are acting on faulty intelligence and flawed logic - Iran did not supply ballistic missiles to Russia. Period. Those who support sanctions should ask themselves: how can Iran produce and allegedly sell sophisticated weapons? Sanctions are not a solution, they are part of the problem."

17:39 Zelensky reported that he held a meeting in Kyiv with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. The key topics of the conversation were humanitarian demining, post-war reconstruction and restoration of energy facilities. Croatia announced the 11th package of military aid to Ukraine today.

16:57 The Russian army fired a Tornado-S at Konstantinopol in the Velikonovoselkovskaya community of the Donetsk region - two people were killed, two were wounded, reported the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin.

16:18 Russians fired at rescuers during the evacuation of civilians in the Volnovakha district of Donetsk region, the State Emergency Service reported. Two rescuers from Zaporizhia and Kherson regions were wounded, two armored vehicles were damaged.

15:50 Russia has committed at least 137 thousand war crimes in Ukraine, Zelensky said.

15:43 Lithuania is providing 10 million euros to finance Ukraine's long-range capabilities, in particular for the production of the Palyanitsa drone missile, Rustem Umerov said at the opening of the Lithuanian-Ukrainian Defense Industry Business Forum in Kiev.

15:39 Britain is allocating 30 million pounds to support Ukraine's energy sector, Shmyhal said after a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lemmy.

15:36 The Wall Street Journal writes that the West demands a "Plan B" from Ukraine with realistic war goals. According to the newspaper, Ukraine has been told that a complete victory over Russia will require hundreds of billions of dollars that the West cannot provide, so partner countries want to see a convincing plan for 2025 that could be presented to their voters tired of the war so that Kiev would continue to receive weapons and aid. The question of what can be considered a victory and what will be needed to achieve it is one of the main topics of the visit to Kiev by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lemmy, the newspaper writes.

14:58 Latvia has announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine, which will include, in particular, armored personnel carriers, Shmyhal said. Latvia will also support Ukraine with energy equipment, provide solar panels to hospitals, and help restore the Chernihiv region.

14:44 Pokrovsk and several other settlements of the Pokrovsk community of Donetsk region were left without water and gas as a result of constant shelling, the city military administration reported.

14:35 In the Kamensky district of the Dnipropetrovsk region, as a result of an enemy attack, two people have already been wounded and one has been killed, there is destruction at one of the enterprises, reported the head of the OVA, Serhiy Lysak.

14:29 Turkish President Recep Erdogan, in his video address to the participants of the Crimean Platform, said that Crimea should return to Ukraine in accordance with international law. He stressed that the annexation of Crimea, which Turkey opposed from the first day, further aggravated the suffering of the Crimean Tatars, who survived the deportation 80 years ago.

13:37 Kiev would like India to "moderate" possible talks with Moscow, said Ukrainian Ambassador to New Delhi Oleksandr Polischuk. According to him, India should play a more active role in ending the war in Ukraine if it wants to get a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. According to the diplomat, Ukraine has offered India to hold a second Peace Summit by November 2024, but it is not yet clear whether New Delhi will agree.

13:18 Russians shelled Konstantinovka in Donetsk Oblast again - one person was killed and five were wounded, OVA head Vadim Filashkin reported. Thus, today there are already three dead and five wounded in the city.

13:09 According to the World Bank, about $35 billion will be needed to clear the entire territory of Ukraine of mines. Overall, Ukraine loses $11.2 billion annually due to mined territories, according to a study by the Tony Blair Institute, conducted jointly with the Ministry of Economy. Chernihiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions have lost more than 20% of their GDP. Local budgets of these regions are losing more than $1.1 billion in taxes due to mined territories.

12:50 Peskov said that the decision to strike deep into Russian territory with ATACMS missiles has probably already been made, and they are trying to formalize it through the media. Russia's response to strikes deep into its territory "will be appropriate," Peskov added. According to the Kremlin spokesman, the involvement of the United States and European countries in the conflict is direct, and "the SVO itself is a response to possible strikes deep into Russia." Peskov also said that Biden's call to Putin could not put an end to the war, but the end could be put by "the United States' abandonment of the policy of using Ukraine as an expendable material in an attempt to suppress Russia."

12:46 Zelensky took part in the opening ceremony of the national memorial dedicated to the tragedy of the Crimean Tatar people, and expressed confidence that "certainly" a similar memorial will appear in Crimea. "We are confident that Crimea will be free. This is our common goal, and the whole world is together with Ukraine in this fight today... We are not just fighting for the return of Crimea - we are fighting for the restoration of justice, for the opportunity for every Crimean to return home, to their Crimea, free from Russia and fear," the president emphasized.

12:37 The Russian army shelled Konstantinovka in Donetsk Oblast with cannon artillery, killing two people, OVA head Vadim Filashkin reported. Another two people were killed in Gornyak.

12:33 Russians attacked the Kamensky district of the Dnipropetrovsk region - one person died, there are casualties, reported the head of the OVA Sergey Lysak.

12:21 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lemmy have arrived in Kyiv. They will meet with Zelensky, the State Department website reports.

12:15 At night, two schoolchildren aged 13 and 14 set fire to a Russian Mi-8 helicopter at the Noyabrsk airport in the Tyumen region, local Telegram channels write. The teenagers were promised 5 million rubles (about 55 thousand dollars) for the arson; they received the task on Telegram. The boys poured a flammable substance on the helicopter, lit a cigarette and threw it away, after which the helicopter exploded and burned completely. After this, the schoolchildren fled the scene, but received severe burns, so they sought medical help. In a conversation with law enforcement officers, they admitted that shortly before this, they also set fire to a cell phone tower, for which they received 30 thousand rubles (328 dollars).

11:54 China will continue to advance its vision of ending the Russian-Ukrainian war and will try to convince most countries in the world to support its proposal for a political settlement, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a meeting in St. Petersburg with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu. "China will continue to work to form a balanced, objective and rational point of view on the Ukrainian issue in the international community in order to achieve international consensus and create the necessary conditions for a rapid end to hostilities," Wang Yi emphasized.

In turn, Shoigu welcomed the “six-point consensus” proposed by China and Brazil and expressed satisfaction with the “broad recognition of this consensus by the international community.”

11:39 Murmansk Region Governor Andrey Chibis announced a UAV attack, which is why two airports were closed - Murmansk and Apatity. Russian publics write that two drones were shot down in the Murmansk Region near the village of Vysoky. Preliminary, the Ukrainian Armed Forces tried to attack the Olenya airfield. The distance from the highest point of the Ukrainian border to Russian Murmansk is more than 1,800 km.

10:42 Donald Trump and Kamala Harris held their first and possibly last debate before the US presidential election in November. The candidates repeatedly accused each other of lying. A separate section of the discussion was Russia's war against Ukraine. Read more in the article Ukraine and a Lot of Name-Calling .

09:37 Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda announced that he has arrived in Kyiv, where he will meet with Zelensky. The Crimean Platform summit will be held in Kyiv today. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is also expected to visit.

09:25 In the Kherson region, 13 people were wounded as a result of Russian shelling over the past day, reported the head of the OVA Oleksandr Prokudin. In addition, today a resident of Veletenske, who came under fire on September 9, sought medical assistance.

09:06 In Donetsk Oblast, on September 10, as a result of Russian shelling, one person was killed - in Gnatovka. Three more people in the region were injured in the past 24 hours, reported OVA head Vadim Filashkin.

08:43 Air defense destroyed 20 out of 25 Shahed-type attack UAVs at night, the Air Force reported. Another five enemy drones were lost on Ukrainian territory, no information about casualties or damage was received. In addition, during the night attack, Russia used one Iskander-M ballistic missile, two S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles and six Kh-31P anti-radar missiles. Air defense operated in the Kyiv, Kherson, Cherkasy, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava regions.

08:31 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of September 11:

  • personnel - about 628,930 (+1140) people,

  • tanks - 8642 (+2),

  • combat armored vehicles - 16,938 (+13),

  • artillery systems - 17,936 (+56),

  • MLRS - 1182 (+2),

  • air defense systems - 943 (+1),

  • aircraft - 368 (+0),

  • helicopters - 328 (+0),

  • Operational-tactical level UAVs - 14,990 (+57),

  • cruise missiles - 2591 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 28 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 24,388 (+58),

  • special equipment - 3059 (+6).

07:48 On the evening of September 10, Russians struck Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk region with heavy artillery, one person was injured, reported the head of the OVA, Serhiy Lysak.

05:57 US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris criticized her opponent Donald Trump's call to establish friendly ties with Putin during the debate. She said that Trump "would have given up in 24 hours" and "Putin would be sitting in Kiev" and looking further towards Europe. "We need to understand the importance of NATO and what we are doing to support Ukraine. Otherwise, Putin would already be sitting in Kiev thinking about how to attack Poland. You think you are friends with a dictator, but he would eat you for lunch," Harris said.

Trump, in turn, avoided answering the question of whether he wants Ukraine to win: "I want the war to end. I want to save lives because people are dying in the millions. Billions of money are being spent on this war by America. They are not asking Europe for money in this amount." He also once again emphasized that he "knows well" both Zelensky and Putin. "And if I win the election, I will talk to one president, I will talk to the other, and the war will end," Trump assured.

01:14 The White House is "right now" working on lifting US restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range weapons in the war against Russia, Biden said in response to a question from journalists. The Times writes that part of the US administration already supports such a decision.

Link


Britain
Anti-Israel BDS calls on UK campuses thwarted by lawfare as antisemitism spikes
2024-09-01
[IsraelTimes] Bombastic university protests fuel a record-breaking rise in reported incidents of Jew-hatred — but the type and scope of divestment they seek is often contrary to British law

For decades, the prestigious London School of Economics has been seen as a hotbed of student radicalism and left-wing politics.

But this summer the school has struck twin blows against anti-Israel student protesters — taking legal action in June to end a monthlong occupation of a university building and last month robustly rejecting the demands of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

The stance by the London School of Economics (LSE) reflects the failure of BDS campaigners to advance their goals on Britannia’s campuses despite a wave of pro-Paleostinian protests and a surge in antisemitic incidents in the UK following the October 7 Hamas
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
-led terror onslaught and the subsequent war in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
According to the latest analysis by the Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism and provides protection for Jewish venues, there has been "a significant rise in anti-Jewish hate incidents in higher education settings." January to June 2024 saw a record half-year figure and a sharp increase of 465% over the same period in 2023. Nearly three-quarters of incidents — in which the victims or offenders were students or academics, or which involved student unions, societies or other representative bodies — contained discourse relating to Israel, Paleostine and the Middle East, compared to 52% of all incidents nationally.

The Union of Jewish Students agrees. "Following a year where Jewish students have experienced the worst campus antisemitism crisis — that continues to unfold — a renewed campaign of BDS that targets Jewish life on campus is misguided, disruptive, and unacceptable," a union spokesperson said in a statement. "BDS is a divisive
...politicians call things divisive when when the other side sez something they don't like. Their own statements are never divisive, they're principled...
 movement prioritizing a single narrative instead of nuanced and respectful discussion. It divides peers, alienates Jewish students and creates an atmosphere that can and has fueled antisemitism on campuses across the UK."

Since October 7, there has been a jump in anti-Israel campaigning on campuses. Student unions have passed motions attacking the Jewish state and demanding university authorities heed the demands of the BDS movement.

But, as has often been the case in the past, events at the LSE have drawn the most media attention. Anti-Israel, pro-Paleostinian students occupied a building on the school’s central London campus in mid-May and issued a laundry list of demands they wanted fulfilled if they were to vacate. These included divestment from "any and all companies identified as complicit in crimes against the Paleostinian people"; a ban on "representatives of the Israeli state or Zionist holy warriors" speaking at the university; and a bar on "active or reserve IDF members who have participated in genocidal acts or war crimes" enrolling at the university as students.

The students also demanded the university issue a public statement in collaboration with the Paleostine, Islamic and other pro-BDS societies "expressing unwavering solidarity with Paleostinian liberation," and trash its adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.

At graduation ceremonies in July, students receiving their degrees unfurled Paleostinian flags and banners accusing the university of being "an Islamophobic institution." Unsurprisingly, Jeremy Corbyn, the far-left former leader of the Labour Party, addressed students at the encampment, telling them they were "on the right side of history."

Nonetheless, anti-Israel campaigners appear to have largely faltered in their efforts to use the conflict to push their agenda.

In June, the LSE went to court and became the first UK university to take legal action to end an anti-Israel encampment on its campus. The school’s administration has also taken a tough line against students’ BDS demands.

In a report issued in July, the LSE’s governing council said the school would not adopt the divestment policy demanded by the students which, in effect, encompassed all companies "that do business in or with the State of Israel."

The council’s report argues its decision is consistent with LSE’s environmental, social and governance policy, noting the "impossibility of distinguishing this conflict from so many others of concern to different groups within the LSE community."

The council rejected demands that the university back the Paleostinian cause, saying its duty was to preserve "free expression and thought on campus and protect the academic freedom of all our faculty and students." The Israeli-Paleostinian conflict, it said, is "an ongoing geopolitical dispute with many complex dimensions as to which members of our community hold a wide range of views and positions."

And the council said it would protect "protest and criticism," before pointedly adding "so long as it does not cross the line into harassment or hate and does not impede the teaching, research, and learning opportunities of others."

LEARNING FROM THEIR YANKEE COUNTERPARTS
Inspired by similar efforts in the US, the summer saw pro-Paleostinian encampments appear at universities across the country, including at elite "Russell Group" colleges, such as the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Exeter, and the LSE. In some instances, welcome talks at open days for prospective students were invaded — on occasion, with the permission of staff — by pro-Paleostinian activists. Elsewhere, summer exams were disrupted, canceled and moved due to students barricading themselves in buildings.

The organization UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has been keeping a close eye on developments, warning student unions and university administrators when their actions are likely to breach various British laws which regulate and have an impact upon the higher education sector.

Student unions, for instance, are charities and are barred from campaigning on issues beyond those directly affecting student life.

Those who administer university pension funds — a key target for activists calling for divestment from Israel and companies linked to the Jewish state — are subject to complex legislation. They are, for instance, not allowed to make decisions which might risk significant financial damage to the fund or which might not command broad support from the beneficiaries of the funds — primarily, former university staff.

More broadly, given their reliance on taxpayer funding, universities have to comply with regulations that bar them from allowing politics to influence their purchasing decisions.

Finally, the UK’s Equality Act is stringent and bars discrimination, harassment and victimization on the basis of factors including race (which covers nationality and ethnic origin), religion, or philosophical belief (which may include anti-Zionism), while public order legislation criminalizes threatening or abusive language and stirring up racial or religious hatred. The Terrorism Act bans the expression of views supportive of proscribed terrorist organizations, such as Hamas.

UKLFI has demanded tougher action by universities to protect Jewish students against antisemitism, harassment and discrimination, while warning them of the perils of acceding to the — often illegal — demands made by anti-Israel activists on campuses.

"We are concerned that they are responding to these unlawful encampments by giving in, which will only cause more trouble in future," Jonathan Turner, UKLFI’s chief executive, told The Times of Israel. "They really shouldn’t allow the intimidation by the encampments to affect their policies. It’s one thing to hear reasoned argument from people behaving in a civilized way, but paying off, as it were, those who are making it extremely unpleasant for many of the other students is not actually the best course."

In April, for instance, UKLFI told the University of Exeter, which is ranked one of Britannia’s top universities, that the "current situation" on the campus was "unacceptable" for Jewish students.

It highlighted "extremely aggressive" weekly anti-Israel protests which were accompanied by chants of "genocide," "murderers" and "from the river to the sea." Jewish students, the letter said, were now being forced to cover up outward signs of their Jewish identity and walk in groups. It also detailed instances of lecturers describing the October 7 massacre as "resistance," and PhD students making "viciously antisemitic" comments in an online group.

In June, UKLFI claimed that Oxford University’s "appeasement" had encouraged disruption which had led to the cancellation of some exams, while others took place amid noisy anti-Israel protests. The exam papers of Israeli, Jewish and Zionist students, who had been the "targets of such venomous hostility and threatening behavior," should be marked more generously than those of other students, UKLFI argued, noting anti-discrimination legislation.

And last month, UKLFI wrote to the vice-chancellor of Bristol University — another top UK institution — after masked anti-Israel protesters disrupted visiting day lectures, and were then permitted or encouraged by staff to deliver speeches labeling the university "complicit in the genocide in Gaza" because it had failed to break ties with arms companies. Anyone choosing to attend Bristol University, the protesters told prospective students and their parents, had a "duty to resist" Israel’s "genocide." The "uninterrupted hate speech," and the role of staff in facilitating it, warned UKLFI, breached the university’s obligations under the Equality Act.

FOCUS ON PENSION FUNDS
A number of student unions — including at the University of Manchester and University of Nottingham — that passed motions calling for BDS campaigns have been forced to reverse course by their trustees following warnings by UKLFI and legal advice that advocating on issues not directly affecting students would breach their status as charities.

Turner believes the situation at UK universities is "not quite as bad" as the "horrifying" position on many US campuses.

Nonetheless, pro-Israel groups are not complacent about the potential threat posed by BDS on British campuses. Turner cites the University of Edinburgh’s response to an anti-Israel encampment which included instructions to its fund manager to pause the purchase of new shares in Amazon and Alphabet (Google’s parent company). Amazon and Google are targeted by the BDS movement because they have contracts with the Israeli government to provide cloud technology.

In a letter to the university’s vice-chancellor in June, UKLFI warned that, if the instruction affected the institution’s pension fund, the university could be opening itself up to legal action.

UKLFI is also concerned about decisions made by the University of Aberdeen in response to a pro-Paleostinian student encampment.

Aberdeen has pledged a review of its investments and its contracts with IT giant HP and fast-food company Subway. (HP provides and operates technology for the Israeli government while Subway’s local franchises are accused of offering in-kind donations to the IDF).

And although the university responded to the encampment’s demand of a boycott of Israeli academic institutions by defending academic freedom, it went on to say that it had no active agreements with Israeli universities and no intention of embarking on new ones.

Britannia’s previous Conservative government was pushing an anti-BDS bill through parliament when the general election was called. While the new Labour administration hasn’t proposed reviving the bill, Turner believes the UK’s existing laws remain "quite strong."
Related:
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London School of Economics: 2024-06-02 Is Recep Erdogan's Jew-Hatred Shame Based?
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Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions: 2024-06-16 Barclays bank pulls out of UK music festivals after boycotts over Israel ties
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Link


Fifth Column
More than a dozen people have been arrested at Stanford University
2024-06-06
[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

Related:
Stanford: 2024-06-02 Is Recep Erdogan's Jew-Hatred Shame Based?
Stanford: 2024-05-12 GPS Jamming in the Baltic
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Link


Britain
Tens of thousands march in London to call for release of hostages
2024-06-03
The New York City march is here.
[IsraelTimes] Supporters rally under banner ‘United we bring them home,’ for largest pro-Israel gathering in UK since October 7; speakers include relatives of Hamas captives

Tens of thousands of people marched through London Sunday, calling for the return of Israeli hostages held captive by terror groups in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
 since Hamas
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
’s October 7 massacre.

Under the banner "United we bring them home," the peaceful rally garnered some 40,000 participants, according to organizers, making it the largest pro-Israel gathering in the UK since war erupted in Gaza after the terror onslaught.

There were no reports of violence or arrests at the march, which set out from Central London’s Lincoln’s Inn Fields and ended at Whitehall, accompanied by police guard. Supporters waved Israeli flags and held placards with photos of the hostages.

Family members of hostages joined the march, including relatives of Omer Neutra, who has been held captive since October 7, and the parents of Sgt. Oz Daniel, whose body is held in Gaza.

"It’s very hard for us to travel the world and to speak to people. But we cannot just sit at home and cry," Daniel’s father Amir Daniel told the BBC.

At the culmination of the event, yellow balloons were released, the color that has been adopted to symbolize the plight of the captives, usually in the form of yellow ribbons.

Along with the hostages’ families, speakers included the former head of the Conservative Friends of Israel, Stuart Polak, and Prof. Daniel Shek, former Israeli ambassador to La Belle France, according to the BBC.

"You can really see that London stands with Israel today," Orly Goldschmidt, a spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in London, said in a video posted to X. "It’s been 240 days since our hostages were taken by Hamas bully boyz into Gaza and we need to do everything to bring them home back now."

The march took place in parallel with the annual Israel Day parade in New York City, which also marked the largest pro-Israel gathering there since October 7, but was also held under heavy security.

Since the outbreak of war, launched when Hamas bully boyz carried out a massacre inside Israel on October 7, UK Jewish residents say they have come under increased attack and have cited fears around repeated pro-Paleostinian, anti-Israel marches through London that feature people glorifying Hamas, and anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric.

Though the pro-Paleostinian marches have been largely peaceful, a British counterterrorism official said in March that the protests had made the streets of London "a no-go zone for Jews every weekend."

British Jews say they have been subject to verbal abuse by some pro-Paleostinian supporters since October 7, and there have been recorded incidents of physical violence as well.
Related:
London: 2024-06-02 Is Recep Erdogan's Jew-Hatred Shame Based?
London: 2024-06-02 Chicken feathers can be used to reduce hair loss and nausea from chemotherapy - study
London: 2024-06-01 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: May 31, 2024
Related:
Israel Day parade 06/02/2024 Parade for Israel in NYC braces for pro-Hamas protests as thousands of Jewish New Yorkers take to...

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 11, 2024
2024-04-12
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:25 Putin said at a meeting with Lukashenko that Russia is ready for negotiations on Ukraine. At the same time, he criticized the format of the future conference in Switzerland: “The idea is being promoted to hold some kind of conference in Switzerland. We are not invited there. Moreover, they believe that we have nothing to do there. At the same time, they say that it is impossible to solve anything without us , and since we are not going there, this is already some kind of panopticon. They say that we refuse negotiations. They don’t invite us, but they say that we refuse. Once again I want to emphasize what we are for. But not in the format of imposing any "these are schemes that have nothing to do with reality."

21:34 The United States has allocated $138 million for the modernization of Ukrainian air defense systems, said the American Ambassador in Kiev Bridget Brink: “Today we signed an agreement to provide Ukraine with $138 million for the critical modernization of air defense systems. This funding will help maintain the effectiveness of Ukraine’s air defense in the face of Russia's relentless attacks on the energy grid and the Ukrainian people."

20:19 As a result of the attack on April 11, the Russians completely destroyed the Trypillya thermal power plant in the Kiev region - the largest in the region. Details and consequences are in the material Liquidation of the Trypillya Thermal Power Plant .

20:03 The editor of Radio Liberty in Brussels, Ricard Jozwiak, called the European Parliament’s refusal to approve funding for the Council of Europe until the EU countries transfer Patriot systems to Ukraine as “political theater.” According to him, at the meeting they talked about simply closing accounts, and the money itself has already been spent.

19:48 Ukraine has a critical situation - both with shells at the front and with air defense systems. Bild journalist Julian Röpke, who monitors military operations in our country, said that Ukraine has “practically run out” of missiles for the Patriot and Iris-T air defense systems. Meanwhile, EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell called on EU countries to find available air defense systems and ammunition as soon as possible and transfer them to Ukraine. Read more in the material Critical situation .

19:37 Russia used its new X-69 cruise missiles to attack the Trypilska Thermal Power Plant in the Kiev region, writes the specialized publication Defense Express, citing sources. The launch range of these missiles is about 400 km. This is a subsonic cruise missile for tactical aircraft. It can be launched from Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft, and it is the Kh-69 that should become the main cruise missile for the Su-57.

This is not the first time the X-69 has been used to strike Ukraine. The first mention of their use appeared in February 2024, and there were isolated cases as early as 2023. The main feature of the rocket is the possibility of ultra-low flight at an altitude of 20 meters, which is lower than the capabilities of the X-101. Despite the fact that this missile is subsonic and has a smaller warhead than the Kinzhal, its use by the enemy could have worse consequences, analysts say.

19:22 Zelensky said that he had his first meeting with the new President of Hungary, Tamás Szuyok. We discussed the preparations for the Global Peace Summit, invited Hungary to take part in the summit, proposed to join the G7 Vilnius Declaration on support for Ukraine and begin work on a bilateral security treaty. The Ukrainian president also met in Vilnius with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

19:08 An overnight Russian attack caused significant damage to Ukrainian power plants, Ukrenergo reported. This year this is the third massive attack on Ukrainian generation. Ukrainians are asked to reduce consumption during the evening hours of maximum demand from 19:00 to 22:00. In particular, do not turn on powerful electrical appliances during this period or use them alternately.

18:39 Poland can supply Ukraine with Soviet-made anti-aircraft missiles to strengthen air defense, President Andrzej Duda said following a meeting with Zelensky in Vilnius. He promised to discuss this issue with the Polish Minister of Defense.

17:53 Turkey, through the mediation of President Recep Erdogan, is promoting a freeze of the war in Ukraine. In particular, the Turkish side developed and submitted a new “peace treaty” for Kyiv and Moscow, the Russian opposition publication Novaya Gazeta reports, citing sources. More details - in the material Erdogan handed over a “peace plan” to Ukraine .

17:07 Ukraine has practically run out of missiles for the Patriot and Iris-T anti-aircraft air defense systems, Bild analyst Julian Röpke said: “Ukraine has run out of Patriot and Iris-T missiles. Most other air defense stocks have also been exhausted or destroyed. And this that we have hundreds of systems and thousands of missiles in our warehouses." He also released a map of the flight of Russian missiles and drones on the night of April 11, noting that some flew freely over Kiev.

17:01 The Russians hit the thermal power plant in Sumy with KABs, OVA reported. According to preliminary information, no people were injured. In addition, the enemy fired from cannon artillery at the Esman community of the Shostkinsky district, two people were wounded.

16:49 The Defense Council of the Kharkov Region made a decision on the forced evacuation of families with children in 47 front-line settlements, said the head of the ODA Oleg Sinegubov. He clarified that we are talking only about settlements close to the border with the Russian Federation in the Kharkov, Bogodukhovsky and Izyumsky districts. According to available information, 182 children live in these settlements. Sinegubov emphasized that this decision does not affect the city of Kharkov.

16:38 Lithuania transferred another batch of military aid to Ukraine, the country’s Ministry of Defense reported. It included, in particular, anti-drone systems, generators and folding beds.

16:00 Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico, at a joint press conference with Shmygal, said that he wishes Ukraine early membership in the EU: “We are not a country that will create obstacles in your path. On the contrary, we want to help, share our experience with you , which concerns accession negotiations. We keep our fingers crossed for you." Fico also stressed that Slovakia strives to have friendly relations with Ukraine.

15:56 Zelensky said that in Vilnius he met with Czech President Petr Pavel - he spoke about the situation on the battlefield, Russian shelling of energy infrastructure, and the needs for the supply of energy equipment. We discussed defense support for Ukraine and strengthening cooperation in the defense industry. Zelensky also discussed cooperation in the defense sector during a meeting with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

15:37 Ukrainian pilots who study in Denmark and the USA on the F-16 are already in the final stages of training, said Air Force Speaker Ilya Yevlash. According to him, they are practicing tasks that they will perform in Ukraine, in particular, shooting down Shahed cruise missiles and drones. As for the remaining groups of pilots, some of them are now taking English courses in Britain, one group in France is mastering control systems.

15:12 The European Parliament refused to make a decision on funding the EU Council until member countries can find seven Patriot systems for Ukraine. A corresponding proposal was made by MEP, former Prime Minister of Belgium Guy Verhofstadt. He was greeted with thunderous applause and supported by 515 votes, while 62 MEPs were against. “Parliament refuses to implement the Rada’s budget until the European Council decides to support Ukraine with additional Patriot missile defense systems!” - said Verhofstadt.

13:44 Zelensky said that he held a meeting in Vilnius with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. They discussed Russian strikes and urgent air defense needs, the situation on the battlefield and weapons priorities.

13:56 In Nikolaev, the number of deaths as a result of the Russian strike has increased to four, five people were injured, said the head of the OVA Vitaly Kim.

13:30 Ukraine and Latvia signed a bilateral security agreement , Zelensky said. According to it, Latvia will provide military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 0.25% of GDP annually. In addition, Latvia makes a ten-year commitment to support Ukraine in cyber defense, mine clearance, drone technology and certainly promotes accession to the EU and NATO.

13:27 The death toll as a result of yesterday's Russian attack in the Odessa region has increased to five - one of the 14 wounded died in the hospital, the prosecutor's office reported.

13:24 Peskov said that Moscow is “generally open to negotiations,” but as for the possible adoption of the Istanbul agreements as a basis, “the geopolitical situation is now very different.” Speaking about the peace summit on Ukraine, which will take place in Switzerland this summer, the Kremlin speaker once again said that without Russia’s participation, “negotiations are meaningless.”

13:00 The Russians attacked Nikolaev - according to preliminary information, two people were killed and four were injured, said the head of the OVA Vitaly Kim.

12:51 The Verkhovna Rada voted for a resolution that obligated the government to allocate funds for additional payments to military personnel performing combat missions on the front line in the amount of 70 thousand hryvnia. In addition, in the near future the Cabinet of Ministers should submit a separate bill on rotation to parliament.

12:42 Shmygal said that he arrived in Slovakia for consultations with the government of Robert Fico. The government delegation of Ukraine will hold consultations, in particular, on cooperation in the fields of energy, logistics, trade, and support for the peace formula.

12:29 As a result of the latest Russian attacks, Centrenergo lost 100% of its generation , the company said. Thus, as a result of today’s attack, the Trypilska Thermal Power Plant in the Kyiv region was completely destroyed - it was the largest supplier of electricity to the Kyiv, Cherkassy and Zhytomyr regions. Centerenergo recalled that on March 22, the Zmievskaya Thermal Power Plant in the Kharkov region was completely destroyed, and on July 25, 2022, Russian troops occupied the Uglegorsk Thermal Power Plant in the Donetsk region.

12:01 The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill on mobilization in the second reading. The document was adopted without a norm on demobilization. It is expected to come into force in mid-May. About the main changes that await those liable for military service, see the material New Law on Mobilization .

11:53 As a result of a night attack, Trypilska Thermal Power Plant in the Kiev region was completely destroyed , Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Centrenergo Andrey Gota said in a commentary to Interfax-Ukraine. As a result of the hit, a large-scale fire occurred in the turbine shop; work to contain the fire is currently ongoing. No people were hurt.

11:46 Lithuania will transfer to Ukraine equipment from the now defunct Vilnius Thermal Power Plant, as well as some equipment from the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant and warehouses of energy companies to restore the infrastructure damaged by Russian shelling, Energy Minister Dainius Kreivis said. A large transformer will also be sent to Ukraine.

11:18 President of Finland Alexander Stubb said that during the spring and summer, Western partners should make every effort to support Ukraine, because this is the period when there are risks for the Russian Federation’s success at the front.

11:00 Zelensky said that he arrived in Lithuania to participate in the Trimariya summit and for negotiations with the heads of partner states. A new bilateral security agreement is planned to be signed. “The main thing now is to do everything to strengthen our air defense, meet the urgent needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, as well as consolidate international support so that we can overcome Russian terror,” the president emphasized.

10:49 The Rada adopted the bill on mobilization as a whole , said People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak. At the same time, the provision on demobilization was excluded from the document.

10:46 The mayor of the city of Ukrainka, Obukhovsky district, Kiev region, Alexander Turenko, called on local residents to close their windows tightly so as not to breathe in combustion products, as well as to charge all devices and make maximum supplies of water. He promised to provide more details later. The public writes that there is a strong fire in the Obukhovsky district of the region after a night attack on a critical infrastructure facility.

10:40 Russian public pages write about an attack on a mining and processing plant in the Kursk region - Mikhailovsky GOK in Zheleznogorsk. Governor Roman Starovoit said that three drones were allegedly shot down over the region.

10:27 During today’s massive attack, the enemy attacked two underground gas storage facilities, Naftogaz reported. The storage facilities continue to operate and no employees were injured.

09:58 The size of the Russian army in Ukraine has increased by 15% since the beginning of the full-scale war, said Christopher Cavoli, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. According to him, over the past year alone, the Russian Federation has increased the number of its troops on the front line from 360 to 470 thousand. According to Cavoli, this is due to Russia raising the conscription age from 27 to 30 years. Thus, according to the general, the Russian Federation will be able to increase “the number of available military conscripts by 2 million in the coming years.”

09:29 Air defense destroyed 57 targets at night - 18 missiles and 39 attack UAVs , the Air Force command reported. The main direction of the night combined attack was the Lviv region. In total, the Russian Federation used 82 air attack weapons:

  • 20 X-101/X-555 cruise missiles from Tu-95 TS strategic aviation aircraft (launch area - Saratov region);

  • six Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles from MiG-31K fighters (Tambov region);

  • 12 S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles (launched from the Belgorod region);

  • 40 attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type (Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Chauda);

  • four X-59 guided aircraft missiles (from the airspace of the occupied Zaporozhye region).

The air defense forces managed to destroy:

  • 16 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles;

  • 39 attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type;

  • two X-59 guided aircraft missiles.

08:55 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of April 11:

  • personnel - about 450,890 (+810) people,

  • tanks - 7137 (+5),

  • armored combat vehicles - 13,679 (+12),

  • artillery systems - 11,452 (+48),

  • MLRS - 1040 (+0),

  • air defense systems - 754 (+1),

  • aircraft - 347 (+0),

  • helicopters - 325 (+0),

  • UAV of operational-tactical level - 9104 (+34),

  • cruise missiles - 2069 (+2),

  • ships/boats - 26 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 15,298 (+50),

  • special equipment - 1882 (+6).

08:46 Over the past 24 hours, 55 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In particular, 23 attacks were repelled in the Bakhmut direction - in the areas of Belogorovka settlements in the Luhansk region, as well as Vyemka, Razdolovka, Chasov Yar, Kleshcheevka in the Donetsk region. In addition, the enemy tried 16 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the Krasnohorivka, Georgievka, Novomikhailovka areas of the Donetsk region.

The enemy did not conduct offensive actions in the Kupyansk direction. In the Liman direction, the Defense Forces repelled three attacks in the Ternov area of ​​the Donetsk region; in Avdeevsky - six attacks in the Keramika, Berdychi, Umansky, Netaylovo and Pervomaisky districts of the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - one attack in the Staromayorskoye area of ​​the Donetsk region; on Kherson - six attacks on the left bank of the Dnieper.

08:42 Zelensky said that during the night attack, Russia used more than 40 missiles and about 40 attack drones. “We managed to shoot down some of the missiles and suicide bombers. Unfortunately, only a part,” the president added. The General Staff reported that 37 out of 40 UAVs were destroyed, information about the missiles is being clarified.

08:38 At night, enemy cruise missiles of various classes and UAVs attacked two critical energy infrastructure facilities in the Lviv region: a gas distribution infrastructure facility in the Stryisky district and an electrical substation in Chervonogradsky. The fires were quickly extinguished, no people were injured, said the head of the Fire Department, Maxim Kozitsky.

08:27 As a result of a night attack by missiles and drones, Ukrenergo substations and generation facilities in the Odessa, Kharkov, Zaporozhye, Lviv and Kiev regions were damaged, the company reported. Emergency shutdown schedules were introduced in the Kharkov region; restrictions were not applied in other regions.

08:09 In the Odessa region, as a result of falling debris from downed drones, a fire broke out on the territory of an energy facility; it was promptly extinguished. No people were injured, the Southern Defense Force said.

08:00 The most difficult situation after the night attack is in the Kharkov region: more than 200 thousand subscribers were left without power supply. The Metro operates as a shelter, the President's Office reported.

07:51 In the Zaporozhye region, as a result of a night attack, an energy infrastructure facility was damaged; no information about casualties was received, said the head of the OVA, Ivan Fedorov.

07:36 Russia attacked two DTEK thermal power plants, the equipment of the power plants was seriously damaged, the company reported.

07:25 In the Kiev region, a critical infrastructure facility was attacked, fire extinguishing continues, said the head of the OVA Ruslan Kravchenko. There was no information about casualties or deaths.

07:18 At night, Russia attacked generation facilities and electricity transmission systems in the Kharkov, Zaporozhye, Lvov and Kiev regions, said Energy Minister German Galushchenko.

05:44 The Russians launched at least ten strikes on the critical infrastructure of Kharkov and the region, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. As of now, there are no casualties; there are power outages.

00:27 Kuleba told The Washington Post that Ukraine has found more than 100 available Patriot systems and hopes to receive seven as soon as possible. Countries were even offered to borrow the Patriot and return the batteries as soon as needed.

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The Grand Turk
Visit to Erdogan: what will Putin be offered in Ankara
2024-02-07
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Kamran Hasanov

[REGNUM] Vladimir Putin's visit to Turkey, planned for February, became one of the key events in international politics even before it began.

Until recently, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was hardly behind Alexander Lukashenko in the frequency of meetings with the Russian leader. This is despite the fact that Turkey is a NATO country, and Belarus is in a military-political and economic union with Russia.

After the start of the SVO, the Turkish leader began to lag behind “Batka”. The reasons are clear. On the one hand, in wartime conditions the already high security requirements increased by an order of magnitude. On the other hand, it is not easy for Ankara to choose between the West and Ukraine on the one hand and Russia on the other.

But what still unites Erdogan and Lukashenko is that it was Minsk and Istanbul that became the first platforms for attempts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.

Despite his difficult situation related to NATO membership and economic dependence on the West, Recep Erdogan found opportunities to meet with the Russian president.

Last September he himself came to Sochi.

Then he was unable to agree on the “grain deal”; mediation on Ukraine was also frozen due to the hype around the “counter-offensive”. But decisions were made on the gas hub and alternatives to the “grain deal” were discussed. And joint projects in trade and energy not only remained intact, but also increased in volume. Trade turnover amounted to over $60 billion, and the prospect of construction by Russian forces of another Turkish nuclear power plant in Sinop loomed ahead.

Even if Turkey tries to adhere to “multi-vector”, relations between our countries are often influenced by the totality of events and their context.

We remember the tense negotiations on Syria in March 2020, when the “Crossing the Balkans” figurine flaunted behind the presidents’ backs, reminiscent of the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, the memory of which is sacred to Erdogan. One can also recall the lateness of one or the other president to negotiations. There were also funny moments - probably the most memorable was how Putin treated his colleague to ice cream at the MAKS-2019 air show.

The specificity of our countries is that they both have historical and geopolitical ambitions in the adjacent regions of the Caucasus, Balkans, Middle East, Mediterranean and Black Sea. This alone can cause conflicts, which countries have felt most clearly in Syria. And on top of these ambitions is another important variable—Turkey’s relations with its NATO partners.

As during the Sochi meeting, the Western factor can bring some negativity. Two months before Sochi, Erdogan gave the go-ahead for Sweden to join NATO, lobbied for Ukraine to join NATO and extradited to the latter militants of Azov, which is banned in Russia (an organization whose activities are banned in the Russian Federation).

This time, “gifts” also arrived from the Turkish side.

Turkey's ruling party ratified Sweden's entry into NATO, and a certain rapprochement with the West immediately emerged. Last week, the EU took two steps forward - it invited Turkey to the transport corridor from Central Asia and, at the level of foreign ministers, outlined its intention to improve relations with Ankara.

Dependent on Western investment and trade, Turkey needs normal relations with European and American political elites: they create a favorable investment climate. International rating agencies Standard & Poor's (S&P) and Moody's have upgraded Turkey's credit rating from stable to positive and expect inflation to slow from 65% to 45% by the end of the year.

The Americans are also giving positive signals, promising not today or tomorrow to hand over F-16 fighters and, under certain conditions, to return Turkey to the F-35 development program.

Positive relations with the EU and the US are certainly important for crisis-ridden Turkey. However, as practice has shown, the drift towards the West does not result in a “turn to the West”, and various “unpleasant things” turn out to be unable to upset the positive balance between Dolmabahce and the Kremlin.

At the Sochi meeting, the two leaders, according to Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, did not even discuss the “sensitive topic” of the transfer of Ukrainian militants to Kiev. The presidents focused on positive topics such as nuclear power plants, gas pipes and the supply of 1 million tons of grain to be milled in Turkey and sent from there to poor countries in Africa. On the controversial topic of the grain corridor, which is of great concern to Turkey, Erdogan even expressed an understanding of the reasons for Russia’s withdrawal from the deal.

The topics outlined at the last face-to-face meeting remain relevant today.

Erdogan will again try to raise the topic of the “grain deal”, seeking the implementation of at least an alternative plan for the export of Russian products with financing from Qatar. Specific details are possible regarding the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Sinop. On the issue of trade, it is important to develop mechanisms to overcome Western sanctions and establish mutual payments, including using rubles and liras.

Nowhere without geopolitics.

Putin and Erdogan will not ignore the topic of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Both Russia and Turkey want normalization on their borders and do not intend to let NATO in. The topic of the Middle East is also very relevant. Both Turkey and Russia support the creation of a Palestinian state and are alarmed by the expansion of hostilities involving the Houthis, Iran, the United States and Britain.

Ukraine remains the most important and interesting topic for Russia.

Erdogan, through the media, has already tested the ground several times for Ankara’s return to the mediation mission. Turkish journalists wrote about their leader's new proposal. And this is really more than rumors. A month ago, Erdogan himself offered Zelensky mediation, and after that he said that Putin intended to complete the special operation “as soon as possible.” Assistant to the Russian President Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Ukraine will become one of the main topics of negotiations.

Thus, we can say with confidence that the upcoming meeting of the presidents is not just a return guest visit, although any trip by Putin abroad, especially to a NATO country, is a sensation. Putin and Erdogan have a lot to discuss and decide.

Judging by how the West is putting pressure on Turkey and how poorly things are going for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the theater of operations, the results of the negotiations are of great intrigue.

Erdogan will most likely cope with Western pressure.

Winking at Europe and the United States, he gets closer to their opponents. He recently met with his Iranian counterpart Ibrahim Raisi and agreed to fight terrorism, hinting at Kurdish separatism. Contacts with the Gulf countries are being actively promoted. There are even hints of recognition of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

But with the mediation mission everything is much more complicated.

The Turkish leader's desire alone is not enough. The West does not stop stuffing Ukraine with weapons and is moving on a “war footing.” Nevertheless, in any case, Erdogan will present the meeting with Putin as a new step in Turkey’s efforts to end the war. Moscow, even if it does not have illusions about a settlement, still considers Turkey’s actions useful. It is no coincidence that Putin called the Istanbul negotiations a “breakthrough.”

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
'Competition in Cruelty.' Will Israel achieve the release of the hostages?
2023-10-15
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Oleg Krivoshapov

[REGNUM] The topic of hostages falling into the hands of militants of the Palestinian group Hamas since the start of its invasion of Israel on October 7 has become one of the key ones in the general flow of news about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Thus, on October 13, the foreign ministers of the CIS countries in a joint statement expressed concern about what was happening, condemning, among other things, any manifestations of terrorism and extremism, including the taking of hostages.

A few hours earlier, Hamas reported that 13 hostages in the Gaza Strip, including foreign citizens, had died as a result of Israeli strikes.

The day before, on October 12, the coordinator for strategic communications at the US National Security Council (NSC), John Kirby , said that the White House allows any options for the release of US citizen hostages, including negotiations with Hamas and exchange.

In turn, the Washington Post reported that the organization's militants delivered at least 64 people captured during the attack on Israel to the Gaza Strip. And the Qatari TV channel Al Jazeera showed a video of the release of one hostage and her two children by the military wing of Hamas.

Earlier, on October 11, the Turkish television channel Habertürk reported that Turkish President Recep Erdogan in Ankara discussed the topic of releasing the hostages with representatives of the Palestinian group.

ORIGINS OF TERRORISM
Since the emergence of the modern Israeli state, there has been an expansion of its borders, which was accompanied by the eviction of Palestinians, recalls retired FSB Colonel Vladimir Klyukin . This, he believes, is where the origins of their terrorist activity lie. Which, however, in any case has no moral justification.

Now, 75 years after the proclamation of the State of Israel, the territory inhabited by the Palestinians has actually shrunk to the limit. “And those who remained on Israeli territory found themselves in the role of sort of “guest workers” in the lowest paid jobs ,” notes Klyukin.

At the same time, Israel tried to lay claim to part of the territory of Egypt, which it occupied following the Six-Day War of 1967. And the Israelis still occupy the Golan Heights in Syria to this day.

Under the influence of these circumstances, anti-Israel sentiments were formed in the Middle East, which resulted, among other things, in the high-profile hostage -taking of the Israeli Olympic team by Palestinian terrorists in 1972. Then, in connection with the tragic death of 11 Israeli athletes around the world, the security system for sporting events was revised. And less than two years later in the USSR, in the bowels of the State Security Committee (KGB), a specialized anti-terror group was created for the first time, which later became the legendary group “A” (“Alpha”).

THERE WILL BE NEGOTIATIONS AND EXECUTIONS
However, the now classic understanding of terrorism should not be confused with the events in Israel and Palestine that began on October 7, says Sergei Goncharov, president of the Association of Veterans of the Alpha anti-terror unit . “The hostage-taking in Beslan or later in Moscow, at the musical “Nord-Ost” - these were operations during which the bandits demanded that some political conditions be fulfilled,” says the expert . “ But now there is a war in Palestine and Israel, and I think it is wrong to confuse terrorism with war. Another question is that the cruelty of this war goes beyond all limits. When one of the warring parties takes hostage civilians of another country and announces that they will shoot them, this is already an interweaving of war and terrorism . ”

So the release of civilians caught in the role of hostages in such a situation becomes much more difficult.

The case of the current conflict between Palestine and Israel from the point of view of the practice of releasing hostages is indeed very difficult, agrees intelligence colonel, veteran of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and the Vympel special forces (KGB) Lev Korolkov.

On the one hand, the postulate known from the practice of Israel, which states that no negotiations can be conducted with terrorists, is in fact rarely observed. “We still have to negotiate when a problem needs to be solved for political or social reasons,” says the expert. — Yes, and there are massive seizures. In principle, they are resorted to quite often."

But how to organize work during hostilities? It is also impossible to free the hostages by force; they will absolutely become victims. Negotiations are still conducted through third parties - neutral countries and people who enjoy the appropriate authority.

Due to the surprise of the attack, for the Israeli leadership, the problem of freeing the hostages is relegated to the background, Korolkov believes, since real chaos is happening in the conflict zone: “I mean the massive bombing of residential areas when the city is destroyed. This is an American version, this happened in Iraq.”

It is clear that both Hamas and Israel have already shown a willingness to compete in brutality, says Goncharov: “The Israelis have said that they will wipe Gaza off the face of the earth, and they have every opportunity to do this. And Palestine, most likely, will respond by shooting hostages.”

THE UKRAINIAN CONFLICT IS NOT LIKE THE MIDDLE EAST
Due to the complexity of the current situation, which could be a death sentence for many hostages, Russian special services must analyze this negative experience in order to avoid its repetition, IA Regnum interlocutors note.

From the point of view of Lev Korolkov, a veteran of the Russian special services, what happened in Israel is the result of a malfeasance. Numerous powerful organizations - for example, foreign intelligence Mossad or army intelligence at the General Staff (analogous to our GRU) - did not believe that this could happen. The incoming materials were piling up, but analysts believed that there were disparate groups operating that were simply carrying out demonstration training for the sake of obtaining funding.

“All Hamas structures, all Hezbollah structures are filled with Israeli agents. I think the materials have arrived. And the information received cannot just lie there; there is an obligation to report higher up the chain. But at some levels, the information simply “stuck” and was not put together to make complex decisions,” says Korolkov.

The head of the association of veterans of the Alpha group, Sergei Goncharov, also calls for special attention to be paid to the outright failure in the work of the Israeli intelligence services and the country’s armed forces (IDF). “Conclusion: there is no need to boast in the spirit of ‘our army is the greatest, our security service is the greatest, our intelligence is the greatest,’ there is no need to boast,” he notes.

Russia also has its own serious pain - the intelligence apparatus that the SBU, NATO and the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate have . “We catch three or four Ukrainian spies every day, that’s the problem,” says Goncharov.

At the same time, the expert still calls not to compare the degree of bitterness that is now observed in the Middle East. “What is happening here with Ukraine cannot be compared with what is happening between Palestine and Israel, ” he believes. — Roughly speaking, we are still in a civilized war. And they are waging a war aimed precisely at complete physical destruction, no one even hides this.”

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