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Recent Appearances...

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran plans new uranium-enrichment expansion with 6,000 more centrifuges — IAEA report

2024-11-30

[IsraelTimes] Tehran says the move is a response to a resolution passed against it by the nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors last week

Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
has informed the UN nuclear watchdog that it plans to install more than 6,000 extra uranium-enriching centrifuges at its enrichment plants and bring more of those already in place online, a confidential report by the watchdog said on Thursday.

The ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency report seen by Rooters details what Iran meant when it said it would add thousands of centrifuges in response to a resolution against it that the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors passed last week at the request of Britannia, La Belle France, Germany and the United States.

More enrichment capacity means Iran can enrich uranium more quickly, potentially increasing the nuclear proliferation risk. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons but Western powers say there is no civil explanation for enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% that is weapons grade, which no other country has done without producing a nuclear bomb.

The only enrichment level specified for new centrifuges was 5% purity, far from the 60% Iran is already producing. The lower purity, particularly at its Fordow site, could be seen as a conciliatory move by Iran as it seeks common ground with European powers before the return of US President-elect Donald Trump
...Oh, noze! Not him!...
, though enrichment levels can be changed easily later.

Iran already has well over 10,000 centrifuges operating at two underground plants at Natanz and Fordow and an above-ground pilot plant at Natanz. The report outlined plans to install 32 more cascades, or clusters, of more than 160 machines each and a massive cascade of up to 1,152 advanced IR-6 machines.

At the same time, the number of cascades Iran plans to install vastly outnumbers those that are already installed and that Iran said it would now bring online by feeding them with uranium feedstock, which the IAEA verified it had yet to do.

"The Agency has determined and shared with Iran the changes required to the intensity of its inspection activities at FFEP (Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant) following the commissioning of the cascades," the report said, referring to Iran’s plan to bring eight recently installed IR-6 cascades there online.

Fordow is particularly closely watched because it is dug into a mountain and Iran is currently enriching to up to 60% there. The only other plant where it is doing that is the above-ground Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant at Natanz.

Just before last week’s quarterly meeting of the IAEA board, Iran offered to cap its stock of uranium enriched to up to 60%, but diplomats said it was conditional on the board not passing a resolution against Iran.

Although the IAEA verified Iran was slowing enrichment at that highest level and called it "a concrete step in the right direction," the board passed the resolution regardless, repeating a call on Iran to improve cooperation with the IAEA.

Thursday’s report said Iran had finished installing the last two cascades of IR-2m centrifuges in a batch of 18 at its vast underground Fuel Enrichment Plant at Natanz, and that it planned to bring all 18 online, though the IAEA verified on Nov. 26 that no uranium had been fed into them.

Iran also told the agency it intended to install 18 extra cascades of IR-4 centrifuges at that Natanz plant, each with 166 machines, the report said.

At the above-ground pilot plant at Natanz, Iran informed the IAEA it planned to take various steps that suggested it would increase the number of full, rather than small or intermediate, cascades there, which could produce more enriched uranium.

It also said it planned to install one cascade of up to 1,152 IR-6 centrifuges at that pilot plant, which could be the biggest cascade by far in Iran yet.

British and French intelligence chiefs on Friday expressed concern over Iran’s nuclear program, as European officials met with senior diplomats from Tehran for talks on the matter.

In a speech in Gay Paree, the United Kingdom’s foreign intelligence chief said Iran’s nuclear ambitions pose a major global security threat, even after setbacks dealt to its terror group allies Hamas
Hamas

..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
and Hezbollah by Israel.

"Iran’s allied militias across the Middle East have suffered serious blows," said Secret Intelligence Service chief Richard Moore. "But the regime’s nuclear ambitions continue to threaten all of us."

Meanwhile,
...back at the palazzo, Don Smilzo looked for an avenue of escape. The only window opened a hundred feet above the moat. The nearest of the hired assassins hold a bloody axe.
The window was looking better all the time....
the head of La Belle France’s intelligence service said the risk of Iranian nuclear proliferation is a serious threat in the coming months and Britannia and La Belle France are working out strategies to prepare for such an event.

Meanwhile,
...back at the palazzo, Don Smilzo looked for an avenue of escape. The only window opened a hundred feet above the moat. The nearest of the hired assassins hold a bloody axe.
The window was looking better all the time....
Iran, Britannia, La Belle France and Germany have agreed to continue diplomatic dialogue "in the near future," the German foreign ministry and the high-level diplomats representing La Belle France and Britannia and Iran said separately on X after Friday talks on Tehran’s nuclear program.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Budanov's time: who will fire the head of the Ukrainian GUR and, most importantly, for what

2024-10-08

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Denis Davydov and Vladislav Sovin

[REGNUM] Since the second half of September, rumors have been persistently circulating in the Ukrainian media about the possible resignation of the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov (included in the list of terrorists and extremists). Apparently, these are not just rumors - his resignation is really being considered in Zelensky's office.

It is connected with the fact that after the exile of the former commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valeriy Zaluzhny as ambassador to Britain, the lover of showing off in the media Budanov became too public a person. And in Ukraine there can only be one star - an expired president, to whom all victories should belong. While the head of military intelligence shamelessly attributes to himself a lot of achievements, even those that have nothing to do with the activities of the GUR.

And he even allows himself to carry out combat operations with major losses purely for the sake of a pretty picture - like the completely idiotic attempt to land sabotage groups on the Kinburn Spit.

In addition, Budanov is a favorite of American "partners", always ready for any dirty tricks that they come up with, and invents his own. The attack of Ukrainian kamikaze drones on the Kursk NPP, according to informed sources, is his personal project. And this independent game does not always suit Zelensky's gray cardinal - the head of the presidential office Andriy Yermak, who goes under the British. Purely emotional aspects are superimposed on political intrigues.

The only question is whether Budanov will accept his resignation as meekly as Zaluzhny, and what this could mean for the Kyiv regime, given the resources at the disposal of the Main Intelligence Directorate. And this is the most interesting thing in the rather banal story about the dismissal of the undesirable.

The first serious sign that trouble was gathering over Budanov was the dismissal of two of Budanov's deputies, Viktor Zaitsev and Igor Ostapenko, by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. It was very important that they were dismissed, apparently, without the approval of the Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate himself.

This was, of course, not officially confirmed, but this widely circulated information was not refuted by anyone, and people from Budanovsky’s orbit are speaking about this nuance with undisguised irritation.

Thus, in particular, the former head of the GUR Valery Kondratyuk, who worked closely with Budanov, stated in an interview that "the very fact of not coordinating with the leadership is today a violation of even ordinary ethics - not only corporate, military, but human ethics in general. Such decisions, both in accordance with the procedures and the legislative field, must be agreed upon by the GUR leadership. And such things undermine and demoralize the GUR team when they see that today the commander is deprived of any influence and decisions are made without him."

However, the Ministry of Defense is clearly not worried about reputational losses and its next step was to remove the company Spetstekhnoeksport, which is engaged in purchasing weapons for the Ukrainian army abroad, from Budanov’s control.

Numerous facts of suspicious purchases of weapons at clearly inflated prices, accumulated debts to suppliers and other violations in the company's activities were immediately "suddenly" revealed. Thus, for high-explosive fragmentation rounds, which were purchased from India via the Czech Republic, 2 thousand euros were overpaid for each compared to prices on the world market.

Public figures close to the presidential office began to vied with each other to talk about various shortcomings in Budanov’s work.

Thus, the popular military expert, former SBU employee Ivan Stupak took aim at the excessive public activity of the GUR, which is supposed to remain in the shadows.

"There are many claims in terms of media coverage. There are many claims regarding the killed Ukrainian GUR specialists, instructors. These are not just special forces, but highly qualified people, instructors who died as a result of not very well planned operations, media... There were moments when special forces were deployed exclusively for PR purposes," Stupak said.

Well, on the other hand, political scientists piled in, convincingly proving that Budanov had gained too much weight, and this is also unacceptable for a military leader.

"As far as I know, individual sociological surveys show a high level of trust in the hypothetical party of Budanov. I know for sure that sociological measurements were taken and that it definitely exceeds the 5% indicator (the barrier to entry into the Verkhovna Rada. - Ed.). Although he is not the most popular figure in Ukraine today, there is a political perspective," political scientist Alexey Koshel comments on the situation.

Another expert, one of the long-standing and "famous" ones, Vladimir Fesenko explains to the public that the GUR has become "very focused" on Budanov during the war. "Budanov rebuilt it for himself. I have heard from various people that many employees are personally loyal to Budanov. And therefore, paradoxically, it will be more difficult to replace the head of the GUR than to replace the commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which happened at the beginning of the year," Fesenko emphasizes.

However, Kirill Alekseevich is no fool either and switched on defense mode.

To begin with, the above-mentioned Kondratyuk, without a moment's hesitation, equated the enemies of the head of the GUR with the enemies of Ukraine. "When Budanov devoted his entire life and activity in the structure he headed to the defense of our state, I would say today that he should not have personal enemies, but there should be, as [Cardinal] Richelieu once said, enemies of our country. He once said that there are no personal enemies, but there are enemies of France. In this case, it seems to me, this very accurately applies to Budanov," he is sure.

The thesis was picked up by representatives of fan movements of the largest football clubs of Ukraine. In the statement they distributed, it was stated that since the personnel of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine cannot express their opinion, "we, as a football community from all over the country, represent soldiers and officers of different brigades and battalions." And therefore they express absolute trust and support to Kirill Budanov, whose personality as the head of the GUR "is key today."

Considering that the fan movement in Ukraine was the backbone of the Maidan and the nationalist movement in general, and that now its representatives, with weapons in hand, are part of various military units (which is directly stated in the appeal), the statement can well be regarded as a hint addressed to the authorities: resistance to Budanov’s dismissal may not only be informational.

Unlike Zaluzhny, who did not display his own political ambitions, did not strive for media activity, did not resist (at least not openly) his resignation and calmly left after it as an ambassador to London, the situation with Budanov is, by all parameters, truly completely different.

After Yermak consistently, over several years, successfully "cleansed" the entire vertical of power in Ukraine of personnel not under his personal control, Budanov remained almost the only noticeable figure independent of the head of the presidential office. Ambitious, able to hold his own in front of the camera, clearly maintaining a staff of image-makers (who come up with loud statements like "drink coffee in Crimea") and also possessing large-scale resources.

The main one of these resources, as already indicated, is foreign support. The fact that the head of the GUR is a long-time CIA agent is no secret to anyone in Kyiv.

Some details of this interaction were openly reported in February of this year, for example, by The New York Times. The American publication, in particular, reported that Budanov was part of the so-called "Unit 2245" of Ukrainian military intelligence, which acted in the interests of American intelligence services, and which had been trained by the CIA since 2016.

"General Budanov was a rising star in Unit 2245, known for daring operations behind enemy lines and deep ties to the CIA. The agency trained him and also took the extraordinary step of sending him to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland for rehabilitation after he was wounded in the right arm during fighting in the Donbas," the publication reports.

And Yermak, in turn, has had long-standing close ties with British intelligence – MI-6.

It was he who organized and participated in the significant closed meeting between Zelensky and the head of the British intelligence service Richard Moore, which took place in October 2020 in his office on the Prince Albert Embankment in London. It was after that meeting that the previously hesitant Ukrainian leader took an unambiguous course towards a pro-Western policy, the violent suppression of the opposition and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a sharp deterioration in relations with Russia, which ultimately led to the beginning of the SVO. Evil tongues are talking almost about the recruitment of Zelensky.

And although the Americans and the British generally pursue a common strategic line of confrontation with Russia and the use of Ukraine, which has been turned into a puppet of the Anglo-Saxons, as their common instrument in this process, tactical differences between them are inevitable. Therefore, the current conflict between Yermak and Budanov is also an element of the unofficial confrontation between the British and American intelligence services in Ukraine.

"According to my information, Yermak really wants to fire Budanov. He is offered various options. However, the head of the GUR is covered by the US. And he allegedly replies that if there is a command from Washington, or more precisely from the US Defense Intelligence Agency, then, they say, we will talk," fugitive Ukrainian political scientist Kost Bondarenko comments on the situation.

It is unlikely that Budanov’s possible dismissal will cause some kind of military coup on his part with a change of power in Ukraine.

He has the potential for this, as well as the corresponding ambitions. But the decision on this or that turn of the “independent Ukrainian policy” will be determined not in Kyiv, but in Washington and London.

Considering that the presidential election campaign is currently in full swing in the United States, Budanov’s fate will most likely be decided after the elections and the formation of a new (or at least updated, if Kamala Harris wins ) presidential administration.

So, while waiting for this moment, the parties are throwing together arguments that the owners will use when they sort out all the cases. And Budanov's person will become a marker of the main decision: if "the war is to the last Ukrainian" - he will get a promotion; if the project is curtailed - somewhere warm, to prepare dirty tricks for Russia in a different mode and in a different office.

Link

Britain

A British spy chief who goes by the code name 'C' says MI6 channels 'more resources to China than any other mission'

2023-07-20

[Bus Insider] MI6, Britain's intelligence agency, is channeling more resources to China than anywhere else in the world, its chief says.

"We now devote more resources to China than any other mission. That reflects China's importance in the world and the crucial need to understand both the intent and capability of the Chinese government," MI6 chief Richard Moore told Politico's Anne McElvoy in an interview in Prague on Wednesday.

Moore, officially codenamed "C," made these remarks to Politico after delivering his second public speech as MI6 chief at the British embassy in Prague. Moore also shared his take on the Russia-Ukraine war during his address, and openly appealed to Russians who are "silently appalled" by the war to spy for the West.

This is not the first time Moore has sounded the alarm on China's rise as an intelligence threat. During his first public speech as MI6 chief, Moore said the "rise of China is the single greatest priority for MI6."

This was echoed by his predecessor, Alex Younger, who told the BBC in February that the UK needs to "wake up" to the threat posed by China, cautioning that Western nations are "under full press of Chinese espionage."

Western nations have indeed been fending off China's attempts at espionage. In July 2022, the UK Security Service MI5 said their agency disrupted a cyberattack by China against key aerospace companies that took place in May 2022.

Link

Home Front: WoT

US Marine’s Adoption of Afghan War Orphan Voided

2023-04-02

[ToloNews] In a highly unusual ruling, a state court judge on Thursday voided a U.S. Marine’s adoption of an Afghan war orphan, more than a year after he took the little girl away from the Afghan couple raising her. But her future remains uncertain.

For now, the child will stay with Marine Maj. Joshua Mast and his wife, Stephanie, under a temporary custody order they obtained before the adoption. The Masts will have to re-prove to the court that they should be granted a permanent adoption.

Despite the uncertainty, the ruling was a welcome move for the Afghan couple, who had been identified by the Afghan government as the child’s relatives in February 2020 and raised her for 18 months. They dropped to their knees in prayer outside the courthouse. As they held each other, the young man wiped the tears from both their eyes with his wife’s headscarf.

The Masts quickly left the courthouse after Thursday’s hearing, flanked by their attorneys. The parties are forbidden from commenting by a gag order.

The dispute raised alarms at the highest levels of government, from the White House to the Taliban
Taliban

...Arabic for students...
, after an News Agency that Dare Not be Named investigation in October revealed how Mast became determined to rescue the baby and bring her home as an act of Christian faith. But until now, the adoption order has remained in place.

"There’s never, ever been a case like this," said Judge Claude V. Worrell Jr. on Thursday.

The girl, who will turn 4 this summer, was an infant when she was found injured in the rubble after a U.S.-Afghan military raid in a rural part of the country in September 2019. She spent more than five months in a U.S. military hospital before the Afghan government and International Committee of the Red Thingy determined she had living relatives, and united her with them.

Unbeknownst to them, Mast learned about the baby while she was hospitalized, and decided that he and his wife should be her parents. The Masts told Virginia Circuit Court Judge Richard Moore that she was the daughter of transient ~~bandidos~~ ~~bandidos~~ hard boys who died in the fight, and thus a stateless orphan. He claimed that the Afghan government was prepared to waive jurisdiction over her, though it never did. Moore granted him the adoption.

The Masts contacted the couple in Afghanistan, offering to help with her medical treatment. After the U.S. military withdrew and Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021, the Masts helped them evacuate to the United States. Once they arrived, Mast used the adoption order to take the child, and the Afghan couple have not seen her since.

The Masts claim in court filings that they legally adopted the child, and that the Afghan couple’s accusations that they kidnapped her are "outrageous" and "unmerited." They have repeatedly declined to comment to the AP.

Judge Worrell, who took over the case after Judge Moore retired in November, said the Afghan couple "were the de facto parents when they arrived in the U.S." and their due process was violated. Worrell also said from the bench that the Masts knew things that they never told the court, particularly about what was happening in Afghanistan at the same time the judge in Virginia was granting the adoption. He said he wasn’t sure it was intentional, but "the fact of the matter is that the court did not have all the information known to (the Masts) at the time the order was entered."

The ruling is one more twist in what is already a standout case.

"Once an adoption is final, it is extremely difficult and rare for it to be overturned," said Virginia attorney Stanton Phillips.

"This is really, really unusual," said adoption attorney Barbara Jones. "You just don’t hear about this happening."

A Defense Department spokesperson said Thursday it was aware of the ruling and referred the AP to the Justice Department, which declined to comment. Another hearing is scheduled for June.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Winter is coming: Cold weather will help Putin, so Ukraine must act decisively now

2022-08-06

[NY Post OpEd] On paper, Ukraine’s David is running circles around Russia’s Goliath.

In the beginning of the war, Ukrainian defenders worshiped "St. Javelin," the US-supplied, shoulder-fired, tank-killing missile that turned hundreds of Russian tanks into smoldering hulks of roadside wreckage.

In the current phase of the war, it’s America’s HIMARS shoot-and-scoot precision rocket artillery system that’s helped Ukraine overcome Russia’s numerical advantage by taking out ammunition depots far behind the front lines, forcing Russian guns into hiding to avoid deadly accurate GPS-guided artillery fire.

In more than five months of brutal combat, the plucky Ukrainians repulsed the Russian attempt to capture the capital Kyiv and depose President Volodymyr Zelensky, inflicted morale-busting casualties on Russia’s largely conscription army, and fought the putative superpower to a virtual stalemate in the east, where Russian forces are paying heavily for every few meters they take.

The war is now at a critical inflection point, say outside experts, with only a few months of warm weather before the battle lines are frozen in place and pressure increases on Ukraine’s European allies who rely on Russian gas to keep their people from freezing.

"I don’t want to sound like a character from ’Game of Thrones’ but, yeah, winter is coming," said Britain’s top spymaster Richard Moore at the Aspen Security Forum last month.

To maintain the flow of military, economic, and political support, Zelensky needs a dramatic battlefield triumph to show the U.S. and the world the war is winnable.

"It’s important I think to the Ukrainians themselves that they demonstrate their ability to strike back, and I think that will be very important for their continuing high morale," said Moore. "I also think, to be honest, it will be an important reminder to the rest of Europe that this is a winnable campaign by the Ukrainians because we are about to go into a pretty tough winter."

Putin seems to be banking on a "winter strategy" that as European countries face higher prices to heat their homes, Western resolve will buckle, and Ukraine will be forced to cut a deal on Moscow’s terms.

But Russian losses have been staggering, with estimates of war dead ranging from 15,000 to 40,000."We continue to see Russia failing on the battlefield, paying a high price for very little gain, and suffering domestic failures at home," a senior military official told reporters at a Pentagon briefing. "When you look at the numbers of people that they have lost, it’s impossible to believe that they’re not having to figure out ways to replace them if they want to continue to go toe-to-toe with Ukrainians."

That said, the Russian president has a high pain threshold, especially because he’s not the one feeling the pain.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukraine latest updates: British MI6 says Russia ‘running out of steam'

2022-08-01

[Aljazeera] Russia is "running out of steam" in its assault on Ukraine, the chief of the UK’s MI6 foreign intelligence agency, Richard Moore, has said.

British defence intelligence says Russia is looking to hold referendums in newly occupied areas of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military has said it has killed dozens of Russian soldiers and destroyed two ammunition dumps in fighting in the Kherson region, the focus of Kyiv’s counteroffensive in the south and a key link in Moscow’s supply lines.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the deaths of dozens of prisoners in a Russian-held jail show Moscow is a state sponsor of "terrorism". Russia claimed Ukraine carried out missile attacks that killed the prisoners.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: July 22nd, 2022

2022-07-23

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 23:44 The Pentagon has begun a preliminary assessment of the possibility of transferring modern fighter jets to Ukraine, said John Kirby, coordinator of the US National Security Council for strategic communications. According to him, the US Department of Defense is conducting "a certain preliminary assessment of the feasibility of a potential provision of fighter jets to Ukraine." At the same time, a White House spokesman warned that this would not happen quickly, given how difficult these aircraft are to fly and maintain.

23:41 Minister for Reintegration Irina Vereshchuk said that today at a closed interdepartmental meeting they discussed the issue of criminal liability for obtaining a Russian passport in the occupied territories. According to her, work is underway on the relevant bill, discussions are still ahead.

23:21 The United States will not transfer ATACMS missiles with a range of 300 km to Ukraine, which can be used in HIMARS systems, Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said: "There are certain things that, according to the US President, he is not ready to transfer, these include missiles long-range ATACMS, whose range is 300 km.

At the same time, Sullivan emphasized Biden's readiness to do everything possible to support Ukraine, but no less important goal of the president, according to him, is to prevent a world war.

22:57 Ukrainian military personnel in the UK will be trained not only by local specialists, but also by international partners - that is, military instructors from other countries, the press service of the British government said, commenting on the results of today's telephone conversation between Johnson and Zelensky. The report said that the UK is working to expand the training of "thousands" of Ukrainian troops.

22:25 Zelensky commented on the grain export agreement in an evening video message: "Today our state and the entire civilized world have reached an important agreement - there is an agreement that allows us to unblock Ukrainian ports. About 20 million tons of last year's grain harvest will be exported. This year's harvest will it is already being harvested - it will also be possible to sell it. This is the income of farmers, the entire agricultural sector and the state budget. These are jobs. We now already have grain worth about $10 billion."

22:03 Losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the front have significantly decreased this month, Zelensky told the WSJ. According to him, Ukraine now loses 30 people dead and about 250 wounded every day, despite the fact that at the peak of hostilities in May and June, the losses were from 100 to 200 soldiers per day. The President explained that this was due to the supply of more powerful Western weapons, because if earlier the invaders fired 12,000 artillery shells daily against 1-2 thousand shells of Ukraine, now Ukraine can fire about 6,000 shells a day.

21:51 The Russians fired at the residential quarters of Slavyansk, Donetsk region, with cluster munitions. According to Pavel Kirilenko, head of the OVA, there are at least three wounded, as well as six damaged five-story buildings and several private houses.

21:22 Biden signed a new package of military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $ 270 million , said White House spokesman John Kirby, Politico journalist Lara Seligman reports. The package includes five more HIMARS, 580 Phoenix Ghost drones and 36,000 artillery shells , as well as anti-tank weapons.

20:57 Zelensky said that he had held telephone conversations with Johnson: "We talked about increasing the volume of training of Ukrainian soldiers in Britain and other versatile military cooperation. I received assurances that Britain's support for Ukraine remains powerful and unconditional."

20:35 Europol denied the smuggling of weapons from Ukraine and clarified that they had in mind a potential threat, and not specific cases: "Europol is working closely with Ukrainian officials to reduce the threat of arms trafficking in the European Union. We fully trust them, because they are implementing new measures to monitor and trace these firearms."

Europol said in a statement that a potential threat seen in war zones in the past is that firearms could fall into the wrong hands. But at the moment, such facts have not been recorded.

19:57 Ukraine is ready to help Moldova get rid of the Russian occupiers in the unrecognized Transnistria, Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the MOU, said on the air of the telethon: "I support Moldova's desire to get rid of the occupying troops on its territory. And we, as a state and as a special service, will do everything to ensure that to help the fraternal state get rid of the occupiers on their land."

19:29 The Armed Forces of Ukraine did not allow the enemy to advance in the direction of Pokrovsky in the Bakhmutsky direction, in the directions of Verkhnekamenskoye and Ivano-Daryevka in the Kramatorsk direction, and also repelled the assault in the directions of the villages of Veseloye and Vodyanoye, the General Staff reports in the evening report .

19:15 UN officials hope that the first shipments of grain from Ukrainian ports can begin as early as July 23, and expect to reach the pre-war level of exports of 5 million tons per month within a few weeks, writes The Guardian. According to UN officials, there is hope that the agreement will ensure the passage of grain and essential goods such as sunflower oil from three Ukrainian ports, including Odessa.

The deal also aims to ensure the safe passage of Russian-made fertilizers amid efforts to alleviate the global food crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

18:33 Zelensky created the Primorsky city military administration of the Berdyansk district of the Zaporozhye region. Svetlana Makedonskaya has been appointed head of the Primorskaya GBA.

18:19 "Putin's cook" Yevgeny Prigozhin personally visits the colonies for former security forces and agitates them to fight in Ukraine in the Wagner PMC, promising to have their convictions expunged, said Vladimir Osechkin, founder of the human rights project Gulagu.net. Former military, police officers, prosecutors in the Russian penal system serve their sentences separately from the rest of the convicts. Osechkin's source claims that at least 167 people have already agreed to become "volunteers."

18:14 The document that was signed today in Istanbul is called the Initiative for the Safe Transportation of Grain and Food from Ukrainian Ports. Ukraine did not sign any documents with Russia. The initiative, signed by representatives of Turkey, the UN and Ukraine, must be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers and made public in full, the UP writes. The same document was signed separately by representatives of Turkey, the UN and the Russian Federation. From the Ukrainian side, the document was signed by Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov, from the Russian side - by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

18:01 Shoigu said that the signed memorandum on UN assistance in the supply of Russian food and fertilizers to world markets and the algorithm for the export of Ukrainian grain are interconnected - this is a single package. According to him, the algorithm was proposed by Russia. Inspection of vessels with Ukrainian grain will be carried out both at the exit and at the entrance to the Black Sea. Shoigu also stressed that the safety of ships in the territorial waters of Ukraine, within the framework of the agreement, should be ensured by Kyiv.

17:42 Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain with the UN and Turkey in Istanbul , RIA Novosti correspondent reports. The deal involves the export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea from three ports (Odessa, Chornomorsk, Yuzhny), the export agreement is valid for 120 days, with the possibility of extension. The ports will not be cleared of mines, the ships will go along safe fairways. Also, the agreement does not imply military escort of ships.

Glad that’s settled — the world will be less hungry than otherwise.

A coordinating center (Russia, Turkey, Ukraine) will be created in Istanbul to monitor the process, which will resolve incidents if they occur. Vessels going to Ukraine will be inspected for the presence of weapons (access will also be received by representatives of Russia). It is assumed that the full movement of ships to and from Ukrainian ports for the export of food may begin in a couple of weeks. The Ukrainian military is confident that the routes agreed upon under the deal are safe.

The Russian Defense Ministry also reported that Shoigu and the UN Secretary General signed a memorandum on facilitating the supply of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to the world market.

17:24 The European Commission has prepared an emergency plan due to the threat of Russia cutting off gas supplies to Europe. Among other things, he suggests that by March next year, EU member states should reduce their gas consumption by 15%. The President of the European Commission, followed by the European Commissioners for Climate, Energy and Industry, call for solidarity. But not all EU countries agree. Read more in the material The EU is preparing a gas plan .

17:14 The invaders close Mariupol for entry and exit from 16:00 Friday, July 22, until 6:00 Monday, July 25. According to the mayor's adviser Petr Andryushchenko, enhanced filtration and anti-partisan measures will be carried out. According to insiders, the reason is "a bad night for the occupiers in Berdyansk, where they suddenly lost a certain number of soldiers."

16:36 A senior Pentagon official said that the Russian military daily suffer hundreds of losses in the war against Ukraine, in particular, Russia has lost thousands of lieutenants and captains, writes Reuters.

Thousands? Ouch.

An American official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the media that in addition to the killed lieutenants and captains, hundreds of colonels and "many" Russian generals were killed. Russia classifies military deaths as a state secret and has not updated its official casualty figures since the spring.

The US also believes that Ukraine has destroyed more than 100 "high-value" Russian targets on its territory, including command posts, ammunition depots and air defense facilities.

15:52 The businessman and the head of the headquarters of the Territorial Defense of the Dnieper, Gennady Korban, had their Ukrainian passport taken away at the border when he was returning to Ukraine. Representatives of the SBU, NABU and the SBI arrived at the border. Korban, in a commentary to the Ukrainian media, confirmed that the passport was confiscated because he was deprived of Ukrainian citizenship. Earlier, the media reported on Zelensky’s decree, by which he deprives a number of people of Ukrainian citizenship, including Korban and Kolomoisky.

15:35 Ukraine initiates the creation of an international tribunal to try Putin, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Andrey Smirnov said: "A separate tribunal against Russia with the participation of the international community will accelerate the prosecution of Putin and his inner circle, and the presence of an indictment and a warrant for the arrest of Putin or Shoigu will be a big step forward in achieving justice."

15:01 The situation in the Luhansk region is difficult, but controlled, fighting is underway in the areas of Belogorivka and Verkhnekamenka, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai. According to him, the Armed Forces of Ukraine hold the line of defense and do not allow the enemy to advance. Ukrainian artillerymen destroyed many warehouses behind enemy lines. Gaidai said that the Russians are increasingly throwing units of private military campaigns into attacks because their army has suffered huge losses. Also, the invaders have problems with the delivery of ammunition.

14:40 One of the largest ports in Europe - Rotterdam - announced the suspension of container traffic to and from Russia.

14:22 The NBU put into circulation a new 10 hryvnia coin dedicated to the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

14:19 There will be no signing of a direct agreement between Russia and Ukraine on unblocking grain exports, Podolyak said. According to him, Ukraine will sign an agreement with Turkey and the UN, and Russia will sign a mirror document with them. The agreement is planned to be signed today at 16:30 in Istanbul.

14:17 The head of the Lugansk OVA, Serhiy Gaidai, said in an interview with TSN that thousands of residents of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk helped Russian troops and provided information about the location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: “There were 10,000 residents left in Severodonetsk. Even if they were hypothetically traitors, it’s not even 10 "% of the total population that lived there before the full-scale invasion. So it's not a big percentage. But even if it's one or two thousand people who could help, it's still a lot."

13:43 The Rada will adopt the laws necessary to start negotiations on joining the EU by the end of the year, Stefanchuk said. According to him, the main activity on the European integration track in the session hall will begin in September. "We clearly know how we can fulfill the seven requirements that Ukraine received almost a month ago," the speaker stressed. He said that the parliament is already preparing the necessary list of bills, in particular, we are talking about the reform of the Constitutional Court.

13:38 Since the outbreak of hostilities in February, Ukraine has received 12.7 billion dollars of Western financial assistance, and the total volume of announced assistance from Western countries is 27 billion, said the head of the National Bank, Kirill Shevchenko.

13:05 The official representative of Europol, Jan Op Gen Oort, said yesterday that he allegedly has evidence of arms smuggling from Ukraine. According to him, small arms are being exported from Ukraine, and investigators from EU member states have data on the trade in heavy weapons. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said in response that Ukraine expects a substantive conversation with Europol. Danilov stressed that the publication of "arms smuggling" in the Western media coincides with the start of a large-scale information special operation of the Russian Federation MakZim, discrediting Ukraine. The main goal of the campaign is to stop the supply of weapons from the allies.

13:02 Russian media report that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Istanbul to sign an agreement on unblocking grain exports from Ukraine. From Turkey, the document will also be signed by Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar, and from the Ukrainian side - Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov.

12:59 Only 11% of educational institutions in Ukraine have their own protective structures of civil protection, the State Emergency Service reported. At the same time, the presence of bomb shelters is a key condition for launching offline training.

12:33 Since the beginning of a full-scale war, the Russian army most often hit Izyum in the Kharkiv region - a total of 476 missile strikes, said NSDC Secretary Alexei Danilov. In second place - Mariupol, then Nikolaev.

12:14 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation explained the blow to the Kramatorsk school: according to Moscow, "the stationing point of the Black Hundred national formation" was destroyed there.

12:09 In the Kherson region, the invaders are trying to engage in "military-patriotic education" of Ukrainian youth. According to the GUR MOU, "public organizations" such as "young builders of the Kherson region", "youth of Kherson", etc. are being actively formed for this purpose. The participation of Ukrainian youth in them is increasingly becoming compulsory. At the same time, the older generation of the region is involved in the newly created organizations "union of mothers of the Kherson region", "organization of veterans of the Kherson region".

11:42 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that from July 5 to July 20, "four HIMARS launchers and one transport-loading vehicle" were allegedly destroyed in Ukraine.

11:26 In the "DNR", following the "LNR", they also decided to block Google, Pushilin said.

11:21 Head of the Defense Committee of the Bundestag Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann announced the need for direct supplies of tanks to Ukraine. According to her, the principle of circular exchange, according to which Poland provides Kyiv with its Soviet-designed equipment, and in return receives German equipment, makes sense, but in the case of Ukraine it did not work: “We must have the courage to admit that everything does not work the way we imagine represented, and should instead supply [tanks] directly to Ukraine if needed."

Strack-Zimmermann added that Ukrainian soldiers have proven their ability to quickly master and start using new equipment.

11:15 The Japanese Ministry of Defense in its annual report warns of an increased military threat from Russia and growing pressure from China on Taiwan. The agency notes, in particular, that the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine may serve as a signal that it is permissible to change the status quo by force unilaterally.

A whole chapter is devoted to the war in Ukraine in the document, writes Die Zeit. It says Moscow may increasingly rely on its nuclear capability as a deterrent, which in turn could mean a surge in activity around Japan, where Russian nuclear submarines regularly maneuver. There are also concerns about the expansion and deepening of relations between Russia and China.

11:09 The "authorities" of the occupied Kherson region are trying to equip a pontoon crossing across the Dnieper, not being able to quickly restore the Antonovsky bridge damaged by Ukrainian strikes, Yury Sobolevsky, First Deputy Head of the Kherson Regional Council, said on the air of the telethon: "The damage is really so significant that they have already applied to Moscow with in order to raise the archival plans of this bridge and develop documentation for the repair. With the design documentation for the bridge, it is not yet formed, and without it, it will not be possible to quickly prepare a restoration work plan. "

According to Sobolevsky, the Antonovsky Bridge is a priority target for both Ukraine and the Russian Federation, so the Russians are actively protecting it with missile defense systems. As an alternative to the bridge, the occupiers have the "Kahovsky way", but it does not allow them to quickly bring heavy ammunition due to a difficult detour.

11:03 From under the rubble at the Kramatorsk school after yesterday's shelling, rescuers removed the bodies of three dead, search work continues, the State Emergency Service reported. Rescuers have already cleared 200 tons of destroyed parts of the building. As a result of the strikes, a school was destroyed in the city, a five-story building and 85 private houses were damaged.

10:44 SBU eliminated in Kiev the scheme of theft of protective equipment of the National Guard for more than 8 million hryvnias. The attackers tried to illegally sell about 2,000 plates for body armor, helmets and other military ammunition. In addition, 120,000 unregistered cartridges for firearms prepared for sale were confiscated from them.

The scheme was organized by the head of a specialized network of stores selling military equipment and the director of the capital's commercial structure. They brought into Ukraine a wholesale batch of protective equipment, allegedly for the needs of the National Guard.

10:28 After yesterday's shelling of Kharkiv, which killed three people, 16 wounded remain in the hospital. Of these, two are in extremely serious condition, the condition of three more doctors assess as serious, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA.

10:04 Russia has expanded the list of "unfriendly states" to include Greece, Denmark, Slovenia, Croatia and Slovakia.

09:47 The Ukrainian military repelled an enemy attack from the Lisichansk Oil Refinery, said the head of the Lugansk OVA Serhiy Gaidai. According to him, during July 21, the Russians launched two missile and two air strikes, carried out five shelling and two more with the use of mortars.

09:28 British intelligence reports that in the Donbass the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to repel attempts to storm the Uglegorsk TPP, Russian artillery is shelling in the directions of Kramatorsk and Seversk. Intelligence also cites statements by the head of the Nikolaev OVA, Vitaly Kim, that Russia has begun to use the S-300 air defense systems more often to attack ground targets. According to analysts, this is due to an acute shortage of specialized missiles for ground attacks.

Intelligence notes that these weapons have relatively small warheads designed to destroy aircraft. They can pose a significant threat to troops in open areas and in unfortified buildings, but are unlikely to penetrate through fortified structures.

08:56 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of July 22. The enemy suffered the greatest losses in the Krivoy Rog and Bakhmut directions.

personnel - about 39,000 (+150) people liquidated,

tanks - 1704 (+0),

armored combat vehicles - 3920 (+8),

artillery systems - 863 (+4),

MLRS - 251 (+0),

air defense systems - 113 (+0),

aircraft - 221 (+0),

helicopters - 188 (+0),

UAV operational-tactical level - 713 (+3),

cruise missiles - 167 (+0),

ships/boats - 15 (+0),

automotive equipment and tankers - 2803 (+22),

special equipment - 72 (+0).

08:50 In Transnistria, they said they want to join Russia. Foreign Minister of the "republic" Vitaly Ignatiev told the Russian media that Tiraspol intends to seek the implementation of the results of the "referendum" held in Transnistria in 2006. Its results assume "independence followed by free accession to the Russian Federation."

08:37 On July 19, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed the Russian electronic warfare station Repellent-1 near the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, the speaker of the Odessa OVA, Sergey Bratchuk, told. According to him, the control center of this station is located in an armored kung equipped with a system of protection against chemical and bacteriological weapons. Repellent-1 was first demonstrated in the Russian Federation in September 2016 at a defense exhibition. The station is capable of detecting miniature aerial targets at a distance of 30-35 km, as well as jamming drones at a distance of up to 2.5 km.

07:58 The Armed Forces of Ukraine repelled enemy attacks in the Yuzhnobuzhsky and Bakhmutsky directions, battles continue near the Uglegorsk TPP and Pokrovsky, the General Staff said in the morning report .

07:49 At night, the Russian army covered three districts of the Dnipropetrovsk region with fire - Nikopol, Sinelnikovsky and Krivorozhsky, said the head of the OVA Valentin Reznichenko. In particular, the Russians fired at Nikopol twice from the MLRS, fired up to 100 shells. Initially, one person was killed and one injured. 11 private houses were damaged, there are gusts of gas and water pipes, and railway tracks were destroyed.

In the Pokrovskaya community, the enemy hit the warehouses, broke the transformer - several villages were left without electricity. The Zelenodolsk community was hit by cannon artillery, touched a private house, the fire had already been extinguished. In Apostolovo, seven rocket attacks were recorded, three schools were destroyed, and residential buildings were damaged. Eight people are preliminarily wounded.

07:41 The IRIS-T air defense system is still at the production stage in Germany and will be ready for shipment to Ukraine at the end of summer, German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock told DW: "Our problem, like many European countries, is that that the stocks do not have everything that Ukraine needs, so we will send to Ukraine, for example, IRIS-T - one of the most modern air defense systems, which is now only at the production stage and, I hope, will be ready at the end of summer. Thus, we are always checking what else can be done to support Ukraine even more."

02:33 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) states that the current operational pace of the Russian troops does not differ significantly from that which was during the officially announced operational pause between July 7 and 16. Since July 16, the Russians have continued local attacks east of Seversk and east and south of Bakhmut; as of July 21, they had not made significant territorial gains in those areas.

The lack of successful ground attacks outside the Slovyansk, Seversk and Bakhmut areas is consistent with the ISW assessment that the Russian advance is likely to end without the capture of Slovyansk or Bakhmut.

01:55 Ukrainian defenders in the south attacked five strongholds and two ammunition depots in the Skadovsky and Beryslav districts of the Kherson region, as well as at the place of accumulation of enemy personnel in the Nikolaev region, OK Pivden reported.

01:19 According to WSJ sources, the European Union at the last moment excluded the Russian titanium giant VSMPO-Avisma from the new package of sanctions. It is the main supplier of the French Airbus. In addition, the company supplies materials for Russian fighters.

00:54 The ability of the Russian Federation to spy in Europe has halved. Since February 24, European countries have expelled 400 Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover, British Foreign Intelligence Service chief Richard Moore said.

00:41 The head of the Nikopol RVA, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, announced an attack on the city from the MLRS.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: July 21st, 2022

2022-07-22

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 23:39 Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said at the Aspen Security Forum that his country supports Ukraine, but it does not need a conflict with Russia: "Israel is definitely on the western side. Israel is definitely on the Ukrainian side. We support it with all diplomatic measures. We support her with humanitarian aid… We have opened a field hospital.”

However, when asked why not do more for Ukraine, Gantz replied: “We have our own operational considerations. We have a common air border with Russia over Syria ... So we have other calculations that we must take into account. Russia does not threatens us directly. But we have to make sure we have a dialogue with the Russians. We have to reduce the conflict with them."

“Also, we’re in the middle of several wars over here, and can’t afford to send off all our weapons and ammunition while we still need them,” he added.

23:28 The EU has published the seventh package of sanctions against the Russian Federation. It provides, in particular, a ban on "direct and indirect" imports of Russian gold, freezing the assets of Sberbank; in addition, First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, artists Vladimir Mashkov and Sergei Bezrukov, and the president of the Night Wolves motorcycle club, Alexander Zaldastanov (Surgeon), fell under the sanctions.

22:56 Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko does not rule out that following tomorrow's meeting in Turkey, a document may be signed containing the obligations of the parties for the safe operation of export routes in the Black Sea: "The Ukrainian delegation will support only those decisions that will guarantee the security of the southern regions of Ukraine , the strong position of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Black Sea and the safe export of Ukrainian agricultural products to world markets."

22:53 After the strike of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Antonovsky bridge, the occupiers stopped throwing military equipment across it, said the adviser to the head of the Kherson Regional Military District Serhiy Khlan.

22:49 Iran is ready to export military equipment and weapons to friendly countries, said the commander of the country's Land Forces Kiomars Heydari, reports Tasnim News Agency. According to him, the Iranian army has been able to develop the most advanced UAVs, which are used in long-range and cross-border reconnaissance, as well as in combat operations. At the same time, efforts are being made to expand the range and improve the accuracy of weapons.

22:46 Zelensky said that he had held talks with the president of Costa Rica today - for the first time in the history of relations between states: "I thanked him for supporting Ukraine - you can feel it, for opposing Russian propaganda and imposing sanctions." The head of state also noted that tomorrow he expects news from Turkey about the unblocking of Ukrainian ports.

22:40 Zelensky said in an evening video message that he held a regular meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today: “We discussed the current situation on the front line, around Ukraine. We identified tasks in some tactical areas to strengthen our positions. And we worked out the issue of supplying the latest weapons to the troops in a very substantive manner "We still need to increase the intensity of strikes against the enemy. The participants in the Stavka meeting agreed that there is a significant potential for advancing our forces at the front and for inflicting new tangible losses on the invaders."

22:17 Zelensky said in an evening video message about the "first real result" of the first lady's visit to the United States: "The senators submitted a draft resolution recognizing Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide. The resolution notes that Russia's actions in Ukraine, including forced deportation to the Russian Federation and purposeful the killing of Ukrainian civilians during mass atrocities constitutes genocide against the people of Ukraine."

21:34 In the occupied part of the Kharkiv region, they began to pay pensions in rubles, Vitaly Ganchev, the head of the CAA, said: "The first tranche has been received and distributed among the districts of the Kharkiv region ... It's already July, we pay for June, soon people will receive for July."

21:29 Lukashenka said in an interview with AFP that he was ready to recognize the status of Crimea and the "LDPR": "If we have to, we will admit it. We cooperate with them and do not hide it. That is, we de facto recognized that there is Crimea, Lugansk and Donetsk. And this is all chatter: why Lukashenka was recognized there, not recognized. It is necessary - we recognize it by presidential decree."

21:18 The European Union has imposed sanctions against six Syrian citizens and the private security company Al-Sayyad Company for recruiting mercenaries for the war in Ukraine on the side of Russia, the official EU magazine reports. The Al-Sayyad Company itself, known as the ISIS Hunters, has been sanctioned for setting up a recruiting network. She works with PMC Wagner in Syria and is engaged in protecting the interests of the Russian Federation (protection of oil facilities).

20:52 The document on the "grain issue" will be signed in Istanbul on Friday, July 22, at 16:30. Erdogan and Guterres will attend the ceremony, the Turkish presidential administration said.

20:45 The tactics of Russian shelling of Kharkov has changed - if earlier the attacks were at night, then for the third day in a row the city has been shelled in the early morning, Mayor Igor Terekhov said on the air of the telethon. He also urged Kharkiv residents not to be at public transport stops during periods when shelling is most common.

20:08 UK intelligence chief Richard Moore believes that the Russian military will again pause the operational pause in the next few weeks, which will give Ukraine the opportunity to strike back: "I think they are about to run out of potential. Our assessment is that the Russians it will become increasingly difficult to supply manpower over the next few weeks... They will have to pause for a while, and this will give the Ukrainians an opportunity to strike back."

19:43 Lavrov admitted that the Kremlin is waging an aggressive war in Ukraine. He stated that the "geographical tasks" of the Russian war are expanding. Following Putin's "hawk" Medvedev said that the Russian army intends to "push Ukrainian troops not only from Donetsk, but also wider." Details about what this means - in the material Russia "expands the geography" of the war .

19:27 The National Security and Defense Council together with the Ministry of Defense launched a new module of the SOTA information and analytical system for the supply of weapons from partner countries, Alexey Danilov said at the presentation. He assured that all weapons from Western partners that enter Ukraine "are under close control, which can be seen."

19:08 UN Secretary General António Guterres will travel to Istanbul tonight as part of efforts to reach agreements on grain exports from Ukraine and Russia, the office of the Secretary General said.

18:52 A single information hub will be created in Ukraine, which will facilitate the work of military journalists, correspondents of Ukrainian and foreign media. This will allow the world community to be informed as quickly as possible about the situation at the front and about the use of equipment and weapons received by the Ukrainian army from partners, Yermak said following joint talks with Zaluzhny with Biden's national security adviser Jacob Sullivan and head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.

18:04 In the Kharkiv region, from tomorrow alcohol will be sold in stores from 8:00 to 20:00, and in cafes, bars and restaurants from 8:00 to 22:00. The corresponding order was signed by the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov.

17:51 A new Prosecutor General of Ukraine will be appointed in the next ten days, Arakhamia said. His first and main task should be the appointment of the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.

17:24 Russia has canceled the military parade in Sevastopol, which was traditionally held on the Day of the Russian Navy on July 31, Russian media write. In addition, there will be no solemn meeting of sailors in the House of Officers, a festive reception for the commander, as well as a traditional military sports festival for residents of the city in the waters of the Sevastopol Bay. The reasons for the cancellation of events are not reported.

16:51 Lavrov, after talks in Moscow with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, said that Budapest wants to purchase additional volumes of gas from the Russian Federation.

16:27 Tomorrow's meeting in Turkey, which was supposed to finalize the agreements on grain, was canceled by the Russians. Meetings will continue online, people's deputy Oleksiy Goncharenko said. At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry today confirmed that the discussions are taking place online, and stated that "the parties have a constructive approach to the negotiations."

15:55 Lavrov's statement about the "expansion of the geography" of the war against Ukraine testifies to the preparation of the ground for the "attachment" of the occupied territories in the south, Vadim Skibitsky, deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, said. According to him, at first the picture in the information field of the Russian Federation was based on the hostilities in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, but now the Kremlin is "creating the ground for resolving the status of the temporarily occupied territories in the south." This can happen through a pseudo-referendum or direct annexation of the occupied territories of Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.

15:41 The NBU estimates the fall of the Ukrainian economy in the second quarter of this year at 40%, and in general, by the end of 2022, it expects it to fall by a third. At the same time, the regulator notes that when the Black Sea ports are unblocked, the economy will return to growth in 2023-2024.

15:33 The UK will soon transfer more than 20 M109 self-propelled guns, 36 L119 105-mm howitzers and 50,000 artillery shells to Ukraine , Defense Minister Ben Wallace said. Also, Ukraine will be supplied with counter-battery radars, hundreds of drones and 1,600 anti-tank shells.

15:28 The Russian troops have never managed to destroy the HIMARS MLRS, and the Ukrainian military personnel are very effective in using American systems, destroying enemy warehouses, said the head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley: "To date, these systems have not been destroyed by the Russians, I'm knocking on wood every time I say something like that."

15:02 In the Diya application, a survey on what to do with the coat of arms of the USSR on the Motherland monument in Kiev has ended. Almost 800 thousand people took part in the voting, which lasted two weeks. As a result, 85% of respondents voted to replace the coat of arms of the USSR with the coat of arms of Ukraine. Another 9% supported the idea of leaving the shield empty, simply removing the Soviet coat of arms, and only 6% would like everything to remain as it is.

14:46 Zelensky announced the creation of an English-language digital media @U24_gov_ua. Today starts the first show on YouTube called Fight for Freedom about the power of Ukrainian defenders. The pilot episode focuses on the role of military drones in this war.

14:29 Lavrov will hold talks in Moscow today with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó, Russian media report.

14:25 Russia has used 55-60% of its stocks of high-precision weapons, Vadim Skibitsky, a spokesman for the MOU's Main Intelligence Directorate, said. He clarified that we are talking about the Iskander, Kalibr systems, air-launched cruise missiles. At the same time, ballistic missiles were most used for the Iskander complex, although their use has not been recorded for a long time. According to Skibitsky, this is due to sanctions against Russia, since many of the components of this missile were foreign-made.

At the same time, he added that there are large stocks of old Soviet weapons - these are Kh-22 cruise missiles, which have already been used twice from the territory of Belarus, as well as other cruise missiles, a set of Smerch, Uragan rockets, aerial bombs. "It is very difficult to calculate what they have left there," Skibitsky admitted.

14:13 The Russian military dragged at least 14 units of heavy equipment with ammunition, weapons and explosives into the engine room of the first power unit of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Energoatom reports. The equipment of the Russians is located very close to the equipment responsible for the operation of the turbogenerator. In particular, in close proximity to the main oil tank, where flammable oil is stored. Also there is explosive hydrogen.

Energoatom notes that if, for example, an ammunition load accidentally detonates, the scale of the fire can be the same as during the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

13:32 The Russian occupiers not only demand from Mariupol farmers to collect and give the entire crop to the "DPR" property, but also force them to sign legal "papers" on the transfer of ownership of land plots and property to certain people free of charge. According to the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, Petr Andryushchenko, after that, farmers are forbidden to evacuate in any direction, and they are obliged to work for hire practically for free.

13:11 Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi appealed to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken with a proposal to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism - otherwise Congress will do it, writes Politico.

12:46 EU countries agreed on a new package of sanctions against Russia , which included a ban on gold imports, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "Member states have agreed to our strengthened and extended EU sanctions against the Kremlin. I welcome this. This sends a strong a signal to Moscow: we will maintain high pressure for as long as it takes."

12:27 The number of victims of the attack on Kharkov has increased to 21 people, two people remain dead, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said.

11:50 "LPR" leader Leonid Pasechnik accused Google of promoting terrorism and extremism and said that the "LPR" would do without it: "We can manage without Google. If they improve, they start respecting people, we'll think about returning." According to Pasechnik, Google "is deliberately promoting terrorism and extremism, which means that it simply does not value its users from the Luhansk People's Republic."

11:33 As a result of the shelling of one of the districts of Kharkiv by Russian Hurricanes, there are already 19 wounded, among them one child. Four of the wounded are in critical condition. We also know of two deaths. As Oleg Sinegubov, the head of the OVA, said, the enemy hits only the streets of the city, shopping pavilions, and housing infrastructure. There is a hit in a residential building where a private dental office was located, there were no people inside the premises.

11:29 British intelligence reports that the Russian Federation and separatist forces continue to attempt small-scale attacks along the front line in Donbas. Russian forces are likely to be approaching Ukraine's second largest power plant, Uglegorska, 50km northeast of Donetsk. The Russians prioritize capturing critical national infrastructure such as power plants. But, probably, the Russian Federation is also trying to break through to Uglegorsk, trying to restore the pace of its advance towards Kramatorsk and Slavyansk.

11:23 SBU detained the spotter of missile strikes at the airport of Krivoy Rog - he turned out to be "an official of one of the most powerful industrial giants in the region." Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, the man has been collecting intelligence on the deployment and movement of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, recording the geolocation of critical infrastructure facilities and transmitting them to the occupiers through closed communication channels. Among other facts, the involvement of the detainee in adjusting the missile attack on the Krivoy Rog airport on March 10 is being checked.

11:19 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of July 21. The enemy suffered the greatest losses in the Slavic direction.

personnel - about 38,850 (+100) people liquidated,

tanks - 1704 (+4),

armored combat vehicles - 3912 (+7),

artillery systems - 859 (+3),

MLRS - 251 (+1),

air defense systems - 113 (+0),

aircraft - 221 (+0),

helicopters - 188 (+0),

UAV operational-tactical level - 710 (+7),

cruise missiles - 167 (+0),

ships/boats - 15 (+0),

automotive equipment and tankers - 2781 (+6),

special equipment - 72 (+2).

11:12 The head of the Nikolaev OVA Vitaly Kim said that tonight the Russians hit two missiles at one of the humanitarian headquarters, as a result of which thousands of tons of products were completely burned.

11:05 As a result of the shelling of Kharkov, it is already known about one dead, Mayor Igor Terekhov said. According to him, for the second day in a row, at about the same time, the occupier hits public transport stops. 17 people were injured today, of which one is in critical condition.

10:49 The death toll as a result of a rocket attack on Vinnitsa has grown to 26 people: a 20-year-old girl who had 98% of burns died in the hospital, said the head of the OVA, Sergei Borzov.

10:28 As a result of the shelling of one of the residential areas of Kharkiv, according to preliminary data, 17 people were injured , the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov said.

10:24 For the first time since the beginning of a full-scale war, the National Bank lowered the official hryvnia exchange rate. The hryvnia has fallen in price by 25%, and now the rate is 36.5 hryvnia per dollar. The rate will remain fixed.

10:02 Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said that right now one of the most densely populated areas of the city is being shelled, there are wounded. There is a hit in one of the medical facilities.

09:55 T.S. The "military-civilian administration" of the Zaporozhye region stated that in the Russian-occupied city of Pologi, a fire broke out at an elevator due to shelling, as a result of which the roof collapsed. Due to the ongoing shelling, it is now impossible to extinguish the roof.

Also, the Russian media, citing Kirill Stremousov, the "deputy head of the VGA" of the Kherson region, report that they again tried to hit HIMARS on the Antonovsky bridge, but all 12 missiles were allegedly shot down by air defense.

09:43 CDU Bundestag member Roderich Kiesewetter shared details of German military aid deliveries to Ukraine: "The German" offer "after three months of deliberation: 20 Leopard 2 tanks. Delivery from April 2023, one per month, from October 2023 - three pieces per month. Let me remind you: Poland handed over almost 300 T-72 tanks to Ukraine in the first two months."

09:39 Settlements of the Lugansk region on July 20 were subjected to two powerful missile strikes, four long-term artillery attacks, five shelling from mortars, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai. According to him, the occupiers are trying to develop an offensive on Bakhmut, but in every settlement they are given worthy resistance: "The Russians organized several attempts to storm from different sides from the Lisichansk region and the surrounding villages. Damage was added in Verkhnekamenskoye. Belogorovka was once again shelled from the air" .

09:33 The UK will impose new sanctions on the import of coal and oil from Russia, according to the government's amendments to existing sanctions. The ban on coal imports will come into force on August 10, oil - from December 31. Also, London introduces a ban on the import of gold, it takes effect from today.

09:29 At night Russians have let out seven rockets across Nikolaev, the head of OVA Vitaly Kim reported. According to preliminary information, it is known that it hit an infrastructure facility, a gas station, a gas pipeline and a warehouse. Rescue services eliminated all fires that arose as a result of shelling. Currently, one victim is known.

09:15 In the Kharkiv region, Russians attacked the Chuguevsky district tonight. From the destroyed part of the building of the utility company, there were no preliminary victims, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. During the day, the enemy also conducted a massive shelling of the settlements of Chuguevsky, Bogodukhovsky, Izyumsky districts and Kharkov. Residential houses, outbuildings were damaged, fires broke out.

09:03 In the Donetsk region, the invaders destroyed two schools today - in Kramatorsk and Konstantinovka, said the head of the OVA Pavel Kirilenko. In addition, the industrial part of Kramatorsk - the enterprises of SKMZ and NKMZ - was shelled that night. The Russians also fired at Ivanovka of the Cherkasy community with cluster munitions and damaged a private house. On July 20, one civilian was killed by Russian shelling - in Konstantinovka. Another five people were injured.

08:58 Yermak again stated that now "it is important not to let the Russians drag us out of the war into the winter," and announced "many surprises": "The President is serious and ready to do everything so that we liberate our territories as soon as possible. Ready talk to world leaders, convey Ukraine's position to them. A lot depends on the training of our soldiers. We will turn the tide of this war. Soon there will be many surprises."

08:24 A number of US senators called on the Pentagon to provide Ukraine with modern fighters. This is stated in a letter from politicians to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, which is published by Fox News.

In turn, the US Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Brown supported the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly NATO aircraft and admitted the possibility of transferring military aircraft to Ukraine, but did not specify which ones.

08:11 Peskov said that neither Putin nor Lavrov "never said that the issue of negotiations between Moscow and Kiev is closed."

07:58 A Russian tank opened fire on Ukrainian combine operators who drove into the field, said Alexander Vilkul, head of the military administration of Krivoy Rog. According to him, the incident took place on July 20 near the village of Koshevoye in the Dnipropetrovsk region: "Two of our harvesters were gathering grain near the village of Koshevoye, an enemy tank drove out and began to aim at these combines. Thank God, the guys managed to escape. There were only small shrapnel hits on the equipment."

Vilkul also said that tonight the invaders again fired at the Nikopol district from Gradov - more than 20 rockets were fired at the Krasnogrigoryevsk community. There were no casualties.

07:46 Gas began to flow to Germany again via Nord Stream after technical work, DPA reports with reference to Nord Stream AG.

07:35 The Armed Forces of Ukraine repelled the assault on the Uglegorsk TPP, fighting continues in the Novolugansky area in the Bakhmut direction and near Ivano-Daryevka in the Kramatorsk direction, the General Staff reports in the morning report .

07:11 Polish scientists have named a new species of sea lily discovered in Africa, about 150 million years old, in honor of Zelensky. The find was named Ausichicrinites zelenskyyi "in honor of the sixth and current President of Ukraine, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelensky, for his courage and bravery in defending a free Ukraine," according to an article in the scientific journal Royal Society Open Science. Fossils found in Ethiopia. This is the first representative of the echinoderms of the Jurassic period, which was found on the African continent.

06:28 Invaders massively fired at Nikolaev at night, the mayor of the city Alexander Senkevich reported.

05:33 The United States estimates the losses of the Russian Federation in Ukraine "in the region of 15 thousand killed and somewhere three times more wounded," said CIA director William Burns. At the same time, he noted that the Ukrainians also suffered considerable losses: "And the Ukrainians also suffered - probably a little less, but still, you know, these are significant losses."

05:05 The German state railway company Deutsche Bahn plans to transport grain by freight trains from Ukraine to German ports, Reuters reports. Deutsche Bahn said that they are already working on the formation of a transport network designed to transport humanitarian aid, deliver grain from Ukraine to the German ports of Rostock, Hamburg and Brake. The railway operator plans to run several trains a week, most of the grain will be transported through Romania and Poland.

04:36 In Melitopol, the Russian invaders intend to take away apartments from those residents of the city who bought them before February 19 this year, the mayor of the city Ivan Fedorov said on the air of the telethon. He said that the occupiers make a total tour of all residential buildings and apartments and conduct a population census: “They look at who lives in the apartment, and they look especially carefully at when the ownership right or the sale and purchase agreement is formalized. Everything that is formalized before February 19 ", the enemy does not recognize. He says that he will take these apartments and settle in them some of his residents from distant regions of Russia."

Fedorov also said that the occupiers demand that the entrepreneurs who remained in the occupied territories re-register with their "tax office".

04:01 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggests that the current Russian offensive in the Donetsk region may end with the capture of Slavyansk or Bakhmut. Analysts predict that the current Russian offensive in Donbas will result in minor territorial gains northeast of the E40 highway and culminate somewhere along the E40 in the coming weeks. In doing so, Russian forces will encounter terrain that will be much more favorable to the Ukrainian defenders as they advance towards the E40 around Sloviansk and Bakhmut.

Over the past 24 hours, Russian troops have resumed limited ground attacks northwest of Slavyansk and in the Donetsk-Avdiivka area. The invaders continued local ground advances east of Seversk and achieved minor successes northeast of Bakhmut.

Experts also suggest that the Russian occupation authorities are using the latest Ukrainian precision strikes and partisan activities to create conditions for the mass deportation of Ukrainian citizens to the territory of the Russian Federation.

02:14 Ukrainian defenders in the south inflicted ten air strikes on the enemy - by helicopters, bombers and attack aircraft, the Pivden Operational Command reported. The destruction of a command and command and observation post, six more ammunition depots in the Kherson, Berislav and Kakhov regions was confirmed.

00:39 France will allocate 85 million euros to replenish stocks of the Caesar self-propelled guns, which she transferred to Ukraine, said the Minister for the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu: "The package of 85 million euros will allow us to carry out this replenishment, the point is not to cause harm training and training plans of our shooters".

00:52 Russia's war against Ukraine is likely to escalate into a protracted military conflict, General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: "Today is the 147th day since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, illegal and unprovoked, large-scale, strong against weak. This struggle is likely to remain a protracted conflict."

Milli also said that weapons are delivered to Ukraine from the United States within 48 hours after Biden's decision, and to the front line after two weeks of training.

00:24 Every day , Russia spends about $400 million on military operations in Ukraine , Forbes calculated. One of the smallest items of expenditure in the war is the salaries of military personnel.

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 4th, 2022

2022-04-05

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 20:02 German President Steinmeier admitted that economic cooperation with Russia was a big mistake

"I did not believe that Vladimir Putin would accept the complete economic, political and moral collapse of his country for the sake of his imperial madness," he said.

In particular, they talked about the Nord Stream 2 project, which Steinmeier had previously actively supported.
20:00 US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that 140 UN members have already voted to condemn Russia for the war with Ukraine.

19:56 CNN, citing a senior US Department of Defense official, reports that about two-thirds of the Russian troops that were concentrated around Kiev have left the area.

The United States believes that these troops will be "used in the eastern part of the country, in the Donbas region." BUT emphasize that this is "only an estimate".

19:50 The Supreme Court of Russia upheld the amendments on the introduction of criminal liability for the implementation of sanctions on the territory of the country

Responsibility may arise for refusing to work with Russian banks that have fallen under sanctions, as well as for avoiding business cooperation with sanctioned companies.
19:41 In the basement of a children's camp in Bucha, in the presence of international journalists, the bodies of five people were found. All with bandaged hands and traces of torture. Who has been shot in the legs, who has five bullets in the heart or in the head.

19:37 The meeting of the UN Security Council on the tragic events in Bucha will be held tomorrow, April 5. Barbara Woodward, Permanent Representative of Great Britain to the UN, stated this.

19:33 British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Monday called for Russia to be excluded from the UN Human Rights Council.

19:25 Zelensky visited the bridge leading from Irpen to Kiev. According to him, it will take ten days to build a temporary crossing here, and a full repair of the bridge will last two to three months.

19:17 Germany declares 40 Russian diplomats persona non grata, said German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock.

19:13 Elections were held in Hungary and Serbia, which brought victory to Russia's closest political allies in Europe. It is Hungary and Serbia that continue to maintain ties with Russia even after the war unleashed by the Kremlin against Ukraine. What to expect after the strengthening of the existing regimes in the countries?

19:07 "Due to hostilities, Ukraine is losing from 35 percent to 50 percent of GDP. This is a blow to the economy. Budget losses of about UAH 2 billion a day. Infrastructure losses of $ 4.25 billion daily. We have enough reserves. But we must stop the aggressor as quickly as possible. We demand the next package of sanctions!" Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

19:01 "This guy is cruel, and what is happening in Bucha is outrageous, and everyone has seen it. I am considering imposing more sanctions. I will let you know about this later," Biden said.

At the same time, the Associated Press writes that the American leader in the commentary refused to call what happened in Bucha "genocide" - he considers it a "war crime".

18:58 The Israeli Foreign Ministry used the term "war crime" for the first time in relation to Russia.

18:53 President of the European Parliament Roberta Mezola declares the need to develop a strategy, the implementation of which will hit the Russian economy in proportion to the unprecedented brutality of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine.

18:47 In the territories of the Kherson region temporarily occupied by the invaders, hostilities continue, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.

18:41 The creators of the video game Fortnite have completed a charity event. In two weeks, Epic Games managed to raise $144 million to help Ukraine.

18:35 Russians are surprised that a wardrobe in a hospital is the norm.

18:29 The seventh package of sanctions involves a blow even to those who cooperate with Russia, Arestovich said.

18:22 Diagram of EU countries that exported weapons to Russia during 2015-2020.

18:18 Prosecutor General of Ukraine Irina Venediktova said that despite the shocking footage and the situation in Bucha, the situation with human losses is the worst in Borodyanka.

18:13 Operational investigation teams have already arrived in Irpin, Bucha and Gostomel. International observers, investigators and the tribunal are arriving, said Arestovich.

18:10 In Nikolaev people at a stop and passengers of minibuses got under attack: there are victims.

18:06 In the Zhytomyr region, the invaders were driven back. As of April 4, there are no Russian occupation troops in the region, said the head of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration Vitaliy Bunechko

18:03 The work of the Russian media: first comes the operator, followed by sappers who are looking for mines.

18:00 Lithuanian Ambassador to Ukraine returns to Kiev.

17:55 The Central Bank of the Russian Federation found losses of almost 8 trillion rubles in Russian banks. In one year the bankers will lose 5 years of profit.

17:50 The German Gazprom Germania GmbH was transferred under the trusteeship of the Federal Network Agency - the German Ministry of Economy.

17:45 Beaten and starved. Ukrainian prisoners of war were kept in a tent camp at a time when it was 20 degrees below zero outside, Ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova accused Russia of violating the Geneva Convention.

17:40 Biden called Putin a war criminal, Reuters reports. The US President also spoke on the situation in Bucha - he called for "trial on war crimes." He added that the United States will continue to impose additional sanctions against the Russian Federation.

17:35 The Anonymous hacker group leaked 900,000 emails to the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company.

17:30 The UN office coordinating humanitarian missions has recognized Ukraine as one of the most mined countries in the world. "Even before the start of the military offensive, more than 1.8 million people lived for 8 years surrounded by mines," the OCHA said.

17:27 This week, the European Commission plans to submit a questionnaire to Ukraine, which is a necessary step for obtaining the status of a candidate for EU membership, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna said.

17:25 The Prime Minister [of Hungary] should be grateful to the President of Ukraine that the reality of the war did not reach the borders of Hungary thanks to the heroism of the Ukrainian people in containing the aggressive actions of President Putin, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

17:17 Historian and political scientist, professor at Johns Hopkins University and author of books on the genocide Yevgeny Finkel commented on footage from Bucha, which was occupied by Russian troops for a month. He declared that it was "genocide for what it is".

“As a genocide researcher, I am an empiricist, I usually reject empty rhetoric. I also treat claims of genocide not with a particle, but with a whole truckload of skepticism, because activists now use it almost everywhere. But not now. There are actions, there are intentions. This genocide as it is. Unprecedented, simple and put on public display," the scholar wrote.

17:11 Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova said that the Yunarmiya detachments got into the mobilization of reserves in the Russian Federation, some of them are located on the territory of the temporarily annexed Crimea.

17:06 The mayor of Nikolaev Alexander Senkevich reports that the invaders are again conducting a chaotic shelling of the city with cluster shells.

17:03 Slovakia will act in unison with the EU on the issue of Russian gas payment requirements, Reuters quotes the words of Prime Minister Eduard Heger.

17:00 Pictures from Bucha deny the idea of a compromise, Ukraine needs weapons, said Polish President Andrzej Duda. He also stressed that criminals should be called criminals, and "Ukraine needs only three things: weapons, weapons and more weapons."

16:55 Georgia and China not only did not support the sanctions against Russia, but they can also secretly help the aggressor country bypass them. Thus, according to Bloomberg, China is preparing for secret purchases of Russian gas.

16:51 The developer of World of Tanks and other multiplayer online games Wargaming has decided to stop doing business in Russia and Belarus. The company wrote about this on its LinkedIn page.

16:46 The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced her intention to send investigators to Bucha, who will work in cooperation with the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, Europol and Eurojust.

16:40 Zelensky published a photo from a trip to Bucha, Irpen and Stoyanka. "We will do everything to bring them back to life as quickly as possible," he added.

16:37 The enemy is preparing a new offensive. Russian occupation troops are preparing to encircle the Ukrainian forces of the Joint Forces Operation and capture Kharkiv, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said.

16:35 There are about 130,000 people in the blocked Mariupol, said the mayor of the city Vadim Boychenko.

16:24 The reaction of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the proposal to come to Bucha is a signal that "Western elites still remain in dangerous illusions," said Mikhail Podolyak, a member of the negotiating group, adviser to the head of the President's Office.

16:19 The Latvian Foreign Ministry said that their country "lowers the level of diplomatic relations with Russia."

16:16 Zelensky called the situation with Mariupol one of the most difficult. In response to a question about "realistic scenarios for saving Mariupol," he said: "In the coming days, or maybe in the next few hours, we will have an answer to your very difficult question."

16:13 The office of the president published a video of Zelensky's conversation with the press in Bucha.

16:00 The United States will appeal to the UN General Assembly with a call to expel the Russian Federation from the UN Human Rights Council, said US Ambassador to the organization Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Or maybe from the UN Security Council?

15:57 Ukraine will reduce the area under crops by 25-30 percent due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation, but in general the campaign is provided with fuel and funds, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

15:54 Imports of Russian gas in transit through Ukraine this morning rose to a level close to the maximum. This was announced on Twitter by Bloomberg energy and commodities columnist Javier Blass and provided a corresponding chart.

15:51 Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that his country is recalling its ambassador from Russia, writes Bloomberg.

15:42 Belgrade will try to maintain friendly and partnership relations with Russia, Aleksandar Vucic said after winning the presidential election in Serbia.

"I can promise you that we will not kick Dostoevsky out of schools and Tchaikovsky out of the opera. Serbia will try to maintain partner and friendly relations with Russia," he said.

15:36 Journalists-researchers of the Conflict Intelligence Team received confirmation that Russia is transferring troops from the Kiev region and reserves to the east of Ukraine.

On April 2, a train with BMD-2 landing equipment was filmed on video in Belarus. According to CIT, there may be vehicles on the echelon from the airborne units or formations that took part in the battles on the territory of the Kiev region - the 76th airborne assault division, the 98th airborne division, or the 31st airborne assault brigade.

According to the Russian Railways database, the train goes to the Novy Oskol station in the Belgorod region - this is not far from the border with the occupied part of the Kharkov region.

Also, a train with T-72B3, which departed from Yelnya, where the 59th Tank Regiment of the 144th Motorized Rifle Division is stationed, is also heading to the nearby Valuyki station. According to CIT, in the last weeks before the invasion, the equipment of the 41st Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District was located there.

Research journalists suggest that these tanks may not have taken part in the invasion due to malfunctions, and have now been repaired.

It is reported that the arrived equipment will most likely proceed south through Kupyansk and Izyum, recently captured by Russian troops, towards Slavyansk in the Donetsk region.

"The transfer of both withdrawn and, possibly, previously unused vehicles means that the Russian command is serious, and that in the coming days the battle for Donbass will only flare up," summed up CIT.

15:17 The Mariupol city council has published photos of the drama theater, which was destroyed as a result of the bombardment by Russian invaders. The exact number of dead has not yet been established, because in Mariupol, which Russia has been trying to take control of for the second month, hostilities continue.

15:14 Zelensky visited Bucha, where there is evidence of massacres of civilians by Russians. He inspected the road with the destroyed equipment of the Russian Federation and talked with local residents. The President said that Russia had committed war crimes and genocide in Ukraine.

Asked by a BBC News reporter if he still thinks it is possible to negotiate peace with Russia, he said: "Yes, because Ukraine must have peace. We are in 21st century Europe. We will continue our diplomatic and military efforts."

15:12 The UN Security Council will not hold a meeting on April 4 at the request of Russia, which demanded to discuss "the flagrant provocation of Ukrainian radicals in Bucha."

15:08 Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki criticized French President Macron for frequent calls to Russian President Putin:

"Resident Macron, how many times have you negotiated with Putin, what have you achieved? Did you stop any action that took place? No one negotiated with Hitler. Would you have negotiated with Hitler, with Stalin, with Paul Pot?"

15:07 "All the tanks and machine guns in Putin's arsenal will never break the spirit of the Ukrainian people and conquer their Motherland," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

15:05 Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said that the country would support sanctions against Russian gas. Especially after the tragic events in Bucha. According to the Ansa agency, he expressed this opinion during a visit to Croatia: "Italy will not veto Russian gas sanctions."

15:02 The EU may impose an embargo on Russian gas and oil as early as April 6, the authoritative British newspaper Financial Times writes, citing sources.

14:35 The Kremlin-controlled edition of RIA Novosti published an article that contains direct calls for the "de-Ukrainization" of Ukraine and the need to re-educate the population through "ideological repression." The article is called What Russia Should Do with Ukraine.

In the publication, Rospropagandists substantiate the need for ethnic cleansing and ethnocide in Ukraine.

Now the article is actively discussed in social networks:

14:04 The state budget of Ukraine loses about two billion hryvnia every day.

13:59 In Trostyanets, Sumy region, liberated from Russian invaders, they are already starting to restore the destroyed facilities. Now the city is being surveyed by a group of architects and urbanists who will work on the restoration of the city.

13:48 Journalists were shown a mass grave in the village of Motyzhin, Kiev region, which was discovered after the withdrawal of Russian troops.

13:45 Greece will help rebuild Odessa after the war. This was stated by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Olga Stefanishyna.

Dendias arrived in Odessa yesterday. Earlier, he stated that he would like to lead a humanitarian mission to Mariupol.

13:41 Russia's losses in Ukraine are comparable to the armies of other countries:

13:25 After the massacres in Bucha, the likelihood of European countries imposing an embargo on the import of Russian energy carriers is growing, writes the American newspaper New York Times. The EU has previously rejected calls from Biden in particular to impose such sanctions.

Now, world leaders are expressing horror at images "which appear to show dead civilians, some with their hands tied behind their backs, strewn about the streets of Bucha," according to a New York Times story.

13:24 The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine published the personal data of servicemen of the 64th separate motorized rifle brigade of the Russian Federation, who were directly involved in the atrocities and massacres of civilians in the city of Bucha. The full list of war criminals is here .

13:22 Rescuers showed how the dog Patron helps in demining the Chernihiv region.

13:18 Peskov said that Russia rejects allegations of involvement in the killings of civilians in Bucha. According to him, in the video and photo from the city "there are forgeries and fakes", and "the factology, the calendar sequence of events also does not speak in favor of the reliability of these statements."

Peskov also refused to comment on how the topic of Bucha could affect the negotiations between the delegations of Ukraine and Russia.

13:11 Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel insists that she considers her decision not to admit Ukraine to NATO in 2008 correct. This was stated on Monday by Merkel's press secretary at the request of the DPA agency.

At the same time, the ex-chancellor supported international efforts to end the Russian war of conquest in Ukraine, but did not respond to an invitation to come to Bucha.

13:06 The network publishes footage of the Zhytomyr and Warsaw highways near Kiev. The road is paved with destroyed Russian equipment and cars of peaceful Ukrainians shot or burned by the invaders.

13:04 The Russians are establishing a channel for smuggling sanctioned goods through the territory of Georgia, according to Ukrainian intelligence. Representatives of the Georgian special services were instructed by the political leadership not to interfere with the activities of the smugglers.

12:54 American television channel CNN learned that Macron wants to completely block Russian coal and oil exports to the EU this week after discovering what he called war crimes in Bucha.

"We cannot ignore this. We must have sanctions that discourage what is happening there [in Bucha], what is happening in Mariupol," he said.

12:45 American billionaire Elon Musk is convinced that Russia's attack on Ukraine is a message to other states. "Probably the war will come to them. We can't let Putin take over Ukraine. This is crazy," he said in an interview with Insider.

12:43 CNN journalists spoke about a mass grave in Bucha, in which at least 150 people are buried. The mass grave is located on the territory of the Church of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called and All Saints, the channel said.

It is noted that the CNN team saw at least a dozen corpses in bags dumped in the grave, some were partially covered with earth. Journalists of the TV channel stressed that the burial could be larger.

12:41 State enterprise Antonov told which planes the invader destroyed and damaged in Gostomel: An-225 Mriya, turboprop An-26 and An-74 were destroyed. An-132, which was developed for Saudi Arabia in 2016-2017, was damaged, one of the Ruslans - An-124-100-150; An-12, recently restored An-22 Antey and light twin-engine An-28.

In addition, the airport administration building and the control tower were destroyed.

12:32 Today, photos of a girl killed by Russian invaders with a swastika on her body appeared on the network. As Arestovich said, the Ukrainian woman was tortured to death in Gostomel.

12:21 The Board of Governors of the EBRD voted for the immediate suspension of Russia and Belarus' access to the bank's finances and expertise. Earlier, the EBRD announced that it was closing its offices in Moscow and Minsk.

12:16 Borrell: "Convincing images of a large number of deaths and casualties among the civilian population, as well as the destruction of civilian infrastructure, show the true face of the brutal war of conquest that Russia is waging against Ukraine and its people. The massacres in the city of Bucha and other cities of Ukraine will be included in a list of atrocities committed on European soil. The Russian authorities are responsible for these crimes."

12:14 Mobile crematoriums brought by Russian troops to Ukraine were intended for the disposal of the bodies of civilians killed by them to cover up the crime, the Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council said.

12:12 Germany is the main obstacle to the introduction of tougher sanctions against Russia, said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

The head of the Polish government also called for the creation of an international commission to investigate the events in Bucha and other areas of the Kiev region, which he called genocide.

12:08 The state border in the Sumy region is again under the control of Ukraine.

11:51 By this time, about 350 people had been buried in Bucha, according to funeral services.

11:49 Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in the next few days will begin the process of complete transport isolation from Russia.

This was announced by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Mustafa Nayem.

"Last week, we officially asked our colleagues to stop any road communication from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Thanks to all the ministers of transport of these countries. The response is instant. We are waiting for the final result," he wrote.

According to Nayem, if a positive decision is made, the borders of the countries with the Russian Federation and Belarus will be completely closed, which means that auto connections and all transport will become impossible.

11:36 As a result of attacks by the Russian troops of the cities of Ochakov and Nikolaev on April 3, eight civilians were killed.

11:34 The National Gallery of London has renamed the painting Russian Dancers by the French impressionist Edgar Degas. From now on, the picture is called Ukrainian dancers.

11:06 Russian occupying troops shelled residential buildings in the Sloboda district of the city of Kharkov. Seven people were killed and 34 others were injured.

11:03 Russian troops are planning a huge breakthrough in the Lugansk region, troops and equipment are being pulled together, said the head of the Lugansk regional military administration, Sergei Gaidai.

10:49 The Russian army intends to continue to seize Ukraine, and the current withdrawal of Russian troops is only an intention to concentrate them in other areas, said Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar.

"... the risk of escalation, the likelihood of missile strikes remains. Among them, there remains the possibility of missile strikes on large cities ... Now there is a fierce war, a fierce struggle for every centimeter of our land and for every settlement," Malyar stressed.

According to her, despite the liberation of the Kiev, Chernihiv and Sumy regions, this does not mean the surrender of the enemy, he concentrates his forces in other regions, withdraws part of the troops to Belarus and strengthens and regroups them there.

Malyar noted that today the danger in the East remains high, in addition, the enemy's target is Kharkov, Mariupol, Odessa.

10:34 On April 6, the ambassadors of the EU countries will discuss a new package of sanctions against Russia because of the situation in Ukraine. It may include an embargo on the supply of energy resources, reports the Financial Times, citing its own sources in the diplomatic environment.

10:31 Zelensky performed at the 64th Grammy Music Awards.

10:26 The massacres carried out by the Russian military in Ukrainian cities were part of Putin's plans for an invasion of Ukraine. This was stated by the head of British foreign intelligence MI6 Richard Moore.

"We knew that Putin's invasion plans included extrajudicial executions by his military and intelligence officials," Moore wrote.

9:48 According to British intelligence, Russian forces continue to consolidate and reorganize as they refocus their offensive on the Donbass.

Russian troops are being moved into the area, including mercenaries from the private military company Wagner.

8:59 Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale military aggression in Ukraine, 161 children have died. A total of 425 children were affected. The data is preliminary.

8:55 Russian troops launched several missile attacks on Nikolaev.

7:58 In the Russian Federation, which continues armed aggression against Ukraine, a covert mobilization of reservists has begun. They want to attract up to 60,000 people.

7:17 Russian troops began to actively withdraw from the territory of the Sumy region, said the head of the regional military administration Dmitry Zhivitsky

6:06 The first signs of a mass grave of the inhabitants of Bucha, who were killed by the Russian invaders, are visible on satellite images from March 10, Reuters reports citing Maxar Technologies, which collects and publishes satellite images of Ukraine.

5:44 Canada intends to do everything possible so that Russia is held accountable for the massive bloody crimes against Ukrainians committed in Ukraine, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

3:55 Another man of Putin wins in Europe. The current President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, is leading by a wide margin in the presidential elections.

3:27 Mariupol is certainly a key target for the Russian invasion, because the land corridor from Russia to the occupied territory of Crimea, British intelligence said.

The city continues to be subjected to intense indiscriminate strikes, but Ukrainian forces are putting up staunch resistance, maintaining control in central areas.

3:00 Russian occupiers can launch an offensive in eastern Ukraine, in the direction of Severodonetsk in the next day, according to the operational information of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The General Staff noted that in the Donetsk and Tauride directions, the enemy continued to focus its main efforts on capturing settlements:

Rubezhnoye

popasnaya

Trinity

Avdiivka

Maryinka

Krasnogorovka

In addition, the Russian occupiers are preparing for an offensive, which may start in the next day in the direction of Severodonetsk and Bolshaya Novoselka.

"With the support of aviation and artillery, the enemy continues the assault on Mariupol," the statement said.

In the Polesye direction, the enemy is completing the regrouping and preparation for the redeployment of individual units from Belarus to the Russian Federation.

According to available information, separate units of the airborne troops of the invaders are being transferred by military transport aircraft to the city of Belgorod.

To slow down the advance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the occupiers carried out mass chaotic mining not only of previously occupied positions and areas of the terrain, but also of the ways of advance.

In the Slobozhansky direction, the enemy continues to blockade Kharkov, inflicts artillery strikes on residential areas of the city and tries to regroup troops.

In the Izyum direction, the invaders tried to resume the offensive, but were unsuccessful.

2:33 Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called on the EU to immediately change its policy towards Russia after the massacre in the Kiev region. He noted that the EU is obliged to introduce really working sanctions.

"It is necessary to confiscate all Russian assets and sever trade relations with the Russian Federation," he urged.

The Prime Minister said that the leadership of the European Union should organize a meeting of the European Council as soon as possible. There, Poland will initiate consideration of the war crimes of the Russian Federation and the introduction of effective sanctions.

"Ukraine must receive weapons with which it will be able to protect the women and children of Mariupol, Bucha and many other cities. This is our political and moral obligation. Enough of fake gestures and avoidance tactics. Enough! Sanctions do not work. Turn off the oxygen to the Russian genocide," he said. Morawiecki.

1:09 In Hungary, the election is won by the party of Orban, Putin's main friend in Europe, which prohibits the supply of weapons to Ukraine through its territory, refuses to impose sanctions against Russia and blocks Ukraine's entry into the EU.

Link

Britain

British Spy Boss: ‘LGBT+ Rights' Are What ‘Distinguish Us from Putin'

2022-02-28

He’s not even an ass — that requires deliberation. He’s a plain-vanilla fool of the first water.

[Breitbart] “LGBT+ rights” are the most important “values and hard won freedoms” distinguishing “us” from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Richard Moore, chief of MI6, the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service, wrote on Friday.

Moore did not specify if his use of “us” was a reference to the United Kingdom, the Anglosphere, or the broader West.

He expressed his sentiments via Twitter, relating his remarks to ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He included an acronym from “LGBT+ History Month,” with “LGBT+” for “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans +.”

Link

China-Japan-Koreas

MI6 boss warns of China 'debt traps and data traps'

2021-11-30

[BBC] MI6 chief Richard Moore has warned of China's "debt traps and data traps" in his first live broadcast interview.

Mr Moore - known as "C" - told BBC Radio 4's Today programme these traps threatened to erode sovereignty and have prompted defensive measures.

He denied the fall of Afghan capital Kabul was an intelligence failure and signalled closer ties with tech giants.

The decision to speak more openly about his work was important in a modern democracy, the ex-secret agent said.

In a wide-ranging interview ahead of his first major public speech since taking on the role as head of MI6, Mr Moore:

warned China has the capability to "harvest data from around the world" and uses money to "get people on the hook"
admitted the assessment of the Taliban's progress in Afghanistan this summer was "clearly wrong" - but denied Kabul's fall was an "intelligence failure"
described a "chronic problem" with Russia and Ukraine - with Russia posing an "acute threat" to the UK
supported closer links with technology partners and speeding-up the vetting process for new tech-savvy recruits

Speaking about the threat posed by China, Mr Moore described its use of "debt traps and data traps".

He said Beijing is "trying to use influence through its economic policies to try and sometimes, I think, get people on the hook".

Explaining the "data trap", he said: "If you allow another country to gain access to really critical data about your society, over time that will erode your sovereignty, you no longer have control over that data.

"That's something which, I think, in the UK we are very alive to and we've taken measures to defend against."

Link

Home Front: Culture Wars

Charlottesville Judge Rules Confederate Statues Are Protected War Monuments

2019-04-30

[Breitbart] A judge has ruled that statues of Confederate generals in Charlottesville, Virginia, are protected by state law ‐ which will likely halt any local efforts to remove the monuments, according to reports on the opinion released Tuesday afternoon.
Graphic depicts Confederate memorial at Middleburg, VA.
Local CBS affiliate WCAV reports that Charlottesville Circuit Judge Richard Moore defies the recent phenomenon of city councils, schools, and other governing bodies removing historical markers to address modern residents who are offended by what they perceive as endorsements of slavery and white supremacy.

The judge wrote that he would likely overturn any civil judgment that called for the removal of the statues:

In his nine page ruling, Moore cites the fact that both Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson are depicted in their military uniforms and on horses associated with their time in the Civil War.

"I believe that defendants have confused or conflated 1) what the statues are with 2) the intentions or motivations of some involved in erecting them, or the impact that they might have on some people and how they might make some people feel," Moore writes. "But that does not change what they are."

Moore finds the issue to be so clear-cut that "if the matter went to trial on this issue and a jury were to decide that they are not monuments or memorials to veterans of the civil war, I would have to set such verdict aside as unreasonable..."

Link

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