Prof. Jeffrey Sachs: Can Ukraine and Gaza Be Saved?
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Prof. Jeffrey Sachs: Can Ukraine and Gaza Be Saved?
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🇷🇺⚔️🇺🇦 Residents of Chasov Yar Can't Be Evacuated, According to Ukrainian TG
As Russia approaches the outskirts of Chasov Yar from the east, the New Voice of Ukraine yesterday reported that 875 residents wouldn't leave the city. But NPR reported today the Mayor is still trying to keep the city running in a limited capacity.
Now, on the TG channel of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces a Ukrainian soldier tells of a plea from a man trying to get his family out of the city.
I was contacted by a man named Evgeniy, whose relatives are now in Chasov Yar. He told me one interesting thing: that his relatives could not evacuate from the city because the military would not let them out...
Evgeny...began writing to chats in nearby cities and towns with an appeal to help his loved ones leave the city. What is noteworthy is that Evgeniy’s message did not bother anyone; people simply sent him contacts of evacuation teams, etc...the enemy is approaching the city despite all the attempts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to contain it, and at the same time the military themselves are not letting people out of the city.
❗️If this story proves true, it could mark a return to Ukraine's earlier tactic of employing human shields to slow the advance of Russians forces.
Slavyangrad
https://x.com/dana916/status/1775933874238824815
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One woman killed, 3 others wounded in enemy strike on Donetsk
- Women born in 1936, 1962 and 1969 were wounded of varying degrees of severity in the Kuibyshevsky district of the DNR capital, according to D. Pushilin.
- 2 residential houses in Donetsk and Gorlovka were damaged. 38 enemy shellings were recorded, 113 munitions were fired, 155 mm caliber artillery, including cluster-type artillery, and kamikaze UAVs were used.
https://x.com/mazzenilsson/status/1775697419386147303
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▪️The Czech Republic needs more money for shells for Ukraine
According to the head of the Czech Foreign Ministry Lipavsky, Prague has already collected money from about 20 countries. This is enough for 300 thousand ammunition, which is planned to be purchased outside the EU.
However, now “more money is needed” to buy another 500 thousand. This is because Russia, as it turns out, can produce “many more shells than Ukraine can spend on the battlefield.”
▪️Previously it was reported that Ukraine will receive 300 thousand ammunition by June.
@ukr_leaks_eng
https://x.com/djuric_zlatko/status/1775872265818660984
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Russian strikes on military facilities in Kharkov region of Ukraine commented by underground coordinator Sergei Lebedev:
▪️ The strikes were carried out on Wednesday evening and Thursday night. One of the targets was the Merefyan Mechanical Plant, where the drones were manufactured and stored;
▪️ A train with Ukrainian military and equipment was unloading near the plant, it was also damaged;
▪️ Another target is a tank school, where some time ago foreign tanks with foreign instructors were brought in;
▪️ One of the strikes hit the local police department building: about 15 Ukrainian security forces were killed and more than 20 wounded;
▪️ The town of Lozovaya, which is a significant transport hub, was also hit, but details are still being clarified;
▪️ One Russian reconnaissance drone was shot down near Kholodnaya Gora in Kharkov, with debris falling on Ukrainian military positions and civilian buildings.
http://t.me/ukraine_watch
https://x.com/djuric_zlatko/status/1775853825934446694
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HersonVestnik reports:
⚡️We continue to receive reliable information about incidents with civilians from the territory of the right bank of the Kherson region temporarily occupied by militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On 04/03/2024, the National Police of Ukraine received an anonymous message that at about 23:00 there was a robbery of the "Bravo" clothing store, located at Kherson, Ushakov Ave. 81. Cameras installed in the store recorded a group of people in military uniform clothes. The looters, being disguised, smashed shop windows and scattered clothes throughout the shopping area. Leaving the mess behind and taking branded items with them, the criminals fled in an unknown direction.
Militants from the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the right bank of the Kherson region continue to rob and terrorize the local population of Kherson. Be vigilant and careful, warn your family and friends.
Life under occupation
https://x.com/djuric_zlatko/status/1775782540780941610
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Important news for Thursday morning, April 4:
🔷 The Russian Armed Forces carried out active strikes with Geraniums on Kharkov and the Kharkov region at night.
🔷 Air defense forces repelled a UAV attack on the Tula and Belgorod regions.
🔷 The person involved in the case of smuggling foreign-made explosives and fuses in Orthodox icons and church utensils from Ukraine to Russia through the EU and NATO countries has been charged and arrested for 2 months, RIA Novosti source.
🔷 The Ukrainian crisis may go beyond its geographical boundaries as a result of adventurous actions even by one of the NATO countries, - Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Grushko.
🔷 More than nine thousand children from the Belgorod region left for other regions, - Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
🔷 Ministers of several NATO countries "rolled their eyes" when they learned about the idea of creating a general fund to help Ukraine worth $100 billion, Politico newspaper reports.
🔷 American journalist Tucker Carlson said that zelensky ignored his requests for an interview. He also sent numerous interview requests to zelensky himself to explain his position but he ignored them. - FRWL reports
https://x.com/djuric_zlatko/status/1775788633351418262
https://tass.com/politics/1769875
Lavrov to hold roundtable on Ukraine with envoys from over 70 countries on April 4 — MFA
Maria Zakharova added that the Russian Foreign Ministry highly values such events at the Diplomatic Academy
MOSCOW, April 3. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold a roundtable dedicated to Ukraine at the Diplomatic Academy on April 4 with the participation of ambassadors from over 70 countries, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.
"On April 4, tomorrow, Sergey Lavrov will speak at another roundtable at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry with the participation of ambassadors from more than 70 countries," she said. "The topic is the Ukrainian crisis. Legal and human rights dimension."
Zakharova added that the Russian Foreign Ministry highly values such events at the Diplomatic Academy because "they allow us to hold open discussions on current issues related to the Ukrainian crisis."
¤=[Post Update]=¤
https://tass.com/politics/1770435?ut...m_social_share
West wants all NATO members to assist Kiev as long as it keeps fighting Russia — Lavrov
Since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, foreign countries and international organizations have provided Kiev with assistance totaling more than $150.8 bln
MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. Western countries are trying to compel all NATO member states to sign up for providing obligatory aid to Ukraine just so long as Kiev keeps up its fight against Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
"Now they want to turn voluntary military aid to Ukraine into mandatory military aid under NATO auspices, to force all NATO members to sign up for the obligatory provision of funds and weapons to the Kiev regime through heavy-handed disciplinary measures, just so that it can continue to fight Russia," the top diplomat said at a meeting with foreign ambassadors on a potential settlement in Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, foreign countries and international organizations have provided Kiev with assistance totaling more than $150.8 bln. Almost one-third - $48.5 bln - went to Ukrainian military needs, according to TASS calculations based on official statements by the authorities of donor countries and media data.
Thus, the total amount of Western aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the special military operation has exceeded its budget for 2022 ($55.5 bln) by 2.7 times. And military aid to Kiev alone is already equal to 94.9% of Russia's defense spending last year ($51.1 bln).
Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that today the military potential and capabilities of almost all major NATO countries are being "actively used against Russia." Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu emphasized that Moscow was fighting not so much with the Ukrainian military as with the "collective West."
¤=[Post Update]=¤
https://tass.com/politics/1770519?ut...m_social_share
West ignores Ukraine peace initiatives from China, Africa, Brazil — Lavrov
According to the top Russian diplomat, Ukrainian negotiators have been told to hold off on putting out any final documents at these meetings
MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. The West has largely ignored the peace initiatives on Ukraine that were put forward by China, South Africa, Brazil and the Arab League, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
"Switzerland’s idea to hold a peace conference, with the only goal being to make sure that there are as many participants as possible at the event based on [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky’s ‘peace formula.’ The formula does not involve compromises or alternatives," he noted at a meeting with foreign ambassadors dedicated to achieving peace in Ukraine.
"It fully ignores the initiatives that China, South Africa, Brazil and the Arab League have presented in good faith. They (the West - TASS) listen to these things but don’t take them into account, and they never will," the top Russian diplomat added.
"It’s strange that Switzerland has volunteered to host the conference, seeing itself as a neutral country," he went on to say. "Switzerland indeed has such a tradition, or, rather, used to have it. Its neutrality, as well as Austria’s neutrality, made it possible for these countries to act as unbiased and neutral hosts," Lavrov said.
"However, Switzerland has now not only joined all sanctions on Russia but in some areas, it acts as the instigator of sanctions," he pointed out. "I met with the Swiss foreign minister in New York a couple of months ago. I told him all this, stressing that we could not consider Switzerland as a neutral platform for international negotiations," he added.
Tricks up their sleeve
"We know that Western strategists seeking to promote [Zelensky’s] formula recommend the Kiev regime resort to various tricks, particularly luring in the countries that are present here through arguments such as the following: you may not like all the ten points of Zelensky’s formula but at least choose one of them, an innocuous one, which concerns food or energy security, and sign that particular point," the Russian foreign minister noted. "Clearly, it’s nothing but a ruse," he added.
According to the top Russian diplomat, Ukrainian negotiators have been told to hold off on putting out any final documents at these meetings. "Hold discussions and, most importantly, take a family photo. A family photo with so many people will in itself encourage others to support the Zelensky 'formula'," Lavrov said.
In conclusion, he emphasized that Russia was always ready for an honest conversation on all those issues.
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🇺🇦⚔️🇷🇺 Ukraine blackmails the daughter of a prisoner of war, trying to trade her father's life for a possible terrorist attack in Russia
A minor resident of the DPR, whose father was recently captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the front, told us how the Ukrainians, using blackmail and threats, tried to force her to give them a photo of her passport and her Young Guard membership card, and also questioned her in detail about where she lives and where she studies, works and spends her time. Particularly striking was the question of where exactly the young girl plans to work as an educator - in Russia or in the DPR. According to security force experts who commented on the situation, working with the girl was part of recruiting into the ranks of terrorists acting in Ukraine's interests against the Russian civilian population, including children from pioneer camps.
internationalreporters
https://x.com/dana916/status/1775944307456766414
- US Secretary of State Blinken says Ukraine will become a member of NATO:
:facepalm::facepalm::facepalm:
Quote:
Posted by Jaak
Putin's aides
Mariupol was completely destroyed by Russia. Tens of thousands of civilians were killed and displaced. Reconstruction plays a central role in the Russian propaganda war. According to Monitor research, German companies are also involved.
It was one of the most terrible battles of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For weeks, Russian troops besieged Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, starving the population and sparing neither the patients in hospitals nor civilians hiding in the theater. Many survivors were driven out by Vladimir Putin's army. A large city was completely ruined.
When the Russian flag was raised on the destroyed buildings of Mariupol, construction work on the "new" Mariupol began. A Russian city, with Russian residents, built on behalf of the Kremlin. There are construction sites all over the city, blocks of flats built out of the ground.
Putin in Mariupol
This is so important for Russian propaganda that even Putin personally got an impression of the progress of the work last year. "We will rebuild the apartments, schools, hospitals, theaters and museums," Putin said of Mariupol. Everything that he previously had brutally destroyed.
But who will help him with this project? Reporters from the ARD political magazine Monitor set out to search for clues. In annual reports, on company websites, in pictures and in videos - there is evidence and evidence everywhere that German companies are also playing an important role in the reconstruction of Mariupol.
They are heavy machines or windows on which the logos of several German manufacturers can be found. And again and again on plaster bags: the name Knauf. The German family business from the Franconian province is a world leader in plaster production. Also because it has been doing important business in Russia for a long time.
4,000 Knauf employees continue to work in Russia
Company patriarch Nikolaus Knauf was Russian honorary consul for more than two decades; in photos he smiles next to President Putin. He retained this post even after the annexation of Crimea, and in 2018 he described the subsequent sanctions against Russia as “terrible”. Knauf says it continues to employ 4,000 people in Russia and has billions in sales there.
In a general statement on Russia business, Knauf writes to Monitor that it condemns the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and follows all EU sanctions against Russia. They produce in Russia “exclusively for the Russian market”. However, Knauf left an extensive list of questions from the editorial team unanswered.
So does the Russian business have nothing to do with the German parent company? Sanctions law expert Viktor Winkler disagrees: "The idea that if I have a subsidiary in Russia only in the Russian area, only on the Russian territories, that this is, so to speak, irrelevant to sanctions, that is an absolute myth and couldn't be further away the reality."
Russia benefits
Even if building materials are not fundamentally covered by the EU's sanctions rules, companies must be able to "effectively rule out that there is a military connection, any military connection to what they deliver," says Winkler.
This does not necessarily have to be an act of war in the narrower sense. "But it is also enough that the military, and Russia's military actions, benefit indirectly from what they do," says the expert.
This “military relationship” arises from the client: an official Knauf dealer publicly advertises that he has built a residential building project with Knauf building materials on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Monitor editorial team has photographs of this construction site with Knauf sacks.
Criticism from Kiesewetter
The CDU member of the Bundestag and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Bundestag, Roderich Kiesewetter, condemns the participation of German companies in the construction work in Mariupol. They placed themselves in the service of a war that violated international law: "This is very obvious with Knauf because they are actually cementing Russian power in the occupied territories, including in Mariupol."
But Knauf is not an isolated case. In the images and videos evaluated by Monitor , concrete blocks in green packaging film are noticeable on numerous construction sites. On it is the logo of a German company from Münsterland in North Rhine-Westphalia - WKB Systems GmbH. The company equips, among other things, factories for the production of concrete blocks.
The company's main shareholder is the Russian oligarch Viktor Konstantinovich Budarin. Budarin used his German company as a supplier to the construction industry in Putin's Russia. Customs data available to Monitor show: For several years, WKB Systems GmbH supplied entire systems for factories for the production of such aerated concrete blocks to a Russian company from Budarin - apparently the very company with whose products Russia is trying to consolidate its power in Mariupol.
EU sanctions without a plan?
Numerous Russian oligarchs have already been sanctioned in recent years. Budarin is not one of them. Sanctions law expert Winkler says: "To put it cautiously, the EU's selection of which oligarch is sanctioned and which is not cannot yet be assigned to a uniform plan."
Many building contractors in particular are not sanctioned, says Winkler. Although it would certainly be conceivable - also in the Budarin case: "From a legal point of view, there is a very good reason to sanction this person, namely that this person is most likely doing a lot to strengthen the Russian economy. And Germany is very much here heavily involved." WKB Systems GmbH did not comment when asked.
Quote:
Posted by Bill RyanI translated the tagesschau.de article article. I make no comment.Quote:
Posted by Jaak
~~~Putin's aides
Mariupol was completely destroyed by Russia. Tens of thousands of civilians were killed and displaced. Reconstruction plays a central role in the Russian propaganda war. According to Monitor research, German companies are also involved.
It was one of the most terrible battles of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For weeks, Russian troops besieged Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, starving the population and sparing neither the patients in hospitals nor civilians hiding in the theater. Many survivors were driven out by Vladimir Putin's army. A large city was completely ruined.
When the Russian flag was raised on the destroyed buildings of Mariupol, construction work on the "new" Mariupol began. A Russian city, with Russian residents, built on behalf of the Kremlin. There are construction sites all over the city, blocks of flats built out of the ground.
Putin in Mariupol
This is so important for Russian propaganda that even Putin personally got an impression of the progress of the work last year. "We will rebuild the apartments, schools, hospitals, theaters and museums," Putin said of Mariupol. Everything that he previously had brutally destroyed.
But who will help him with this project? Reporters from the ARD political magazine Monitor set out to search for clues. In annual reports, on company websites, in pictures and in videos - there is evidence and evidence everywhere that German companies are also playing an important role in the reconstruction of Mariupol.
They are heavy machines or windows on which the logos of several German manufacturers can be found. And again and again on plaster bags: the name Knauf. The German family business from the Franconian province is a world leader in plaster production. Also because it has been doing important business in Russia for a long time.
4,000 Knauf employees continue to work in Russia
Company patriarch Nikolaus Knauf was Russian honorary consul for more than two decades; in photos he smiles next to President Putin. He retained this post even after the annexation of Crimea, and in 2018 he described the subsequent sanctions against Russia as “terrible”. Knauf says it continues to employ 4,000 people in Russia and has billions in sales there.
In a general statement on Russia business, Knauf writes to Monitor that it condemns the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and follows all EU sanctions against Russia. They produce in Russia “exclusively for the Russian market”. However, Knauf left an extensive list of questions from the editorial team unanswered.
So does the Russian business have nothing to do with the German parent company? Sanctions law expert Viktor Winkler disagrees: "The idea that if I have a subsidiary in Russia only in the Russian area, only on the Russian territories, that this is, so to speak, irrelevant to sanctions, that is an absolute myth and couldn't be further away the reality."
Russia benefits
Even if building materials are not fundamentally covered by the EU's sanctions rules, companies must be able to "effectively rule out that there is a military connection, any military connection to what they deliver," says Winkler.
This does not necessarily have to be an act of war in the narrower sense. "But it is also enough that the military, and Russia's military actions, benefit indirectly from what they do," says the expert.
This “military relationship” arises from the client: an official Knauf dealer publicly advertises that he has built a residential building project with Knauf building materials on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Monitor editorial team has photographs of this construction site with Knauf sacks.
Criticism from Kiesewetter
The CDU member of the Bundestag and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Bundestag, Roderich Kiesewetter, condemns the participation of German companies in the construction work in Mariupol. They placed themselves in the service of a war that violated international law: "This is very obvious with Knauf because they are actually cementing Russian power in the occupied territories, including in Mariupol."
But Knauf is not an isolated case. In the images and videos evaluated by Monitor , concrete blocks in green packaging film are noticeable on numerous construction sites. On it is the logo of a German company from Münsterland in North Rhine-Westphalia - WKB Systems GmbH. The company equips, among other things, factories for the production of concrete blocks.
The company's main shareholder is the Russian oligarch Viktor Konstantinovich Budarin. Budarin used his German company as a supplier to the construction industry in Putin's Russia. Customs data available to Monitor show: For several years, WKB Systems GmbH supplied entire systems for factories for the production of such aerated concrete blocks to a Russian company from Budarin - apparently the very company with whose products Russia is trying to consolidate its power in Mariupol.
EU sanctions without a plan?
Numerous Russian oligarchs have already been sanctioned in recent years. Budarin is not one of them. Sanctions law expert Winkler says: "To put it cautiously, the EU's selection of which oligarch is sanctioned and which is not cannot yet be assigned to a uniform plan."
Many building contractors in particular are not sanctioned, says Winkler. Although it would certainly be conceivable - also in the Budarin case: "From a legal point of view, there is a very good reason to sanction this person, namely that this person is most likely doing a lot to strengthen the Russian economy. And Germany is very much here heavily involved." WKB Systems GmbH did not comment when asked.
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🇷🇺⚔️🇺🇦 April 4 Special military operation progress:
▪️ The Russian forces have hit a Ukrainian temporary deployment point for foreign mercenaries and an ammunition depot near Merefa in Kharkov region, the Defense Ministry said;
▪️ The AFU lost up to 910 men and one tank cumulatively during the day, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a briefing. Russian forces advanced in the Kupyansk, Avdeyevka, Donetsk and southern Donetsk directions. A Ukrainian Su-27 was shot down near Kramatorsk;
▪️ The situation around Ukraine is a stalemate, but it was not Russia that pushed it there - "the next step is not up to us", Russian FM Lavrov said. He also noted that Moscow is ready to discuss Ukraine's security guarantees only if the dialogue on the conflict settlement takes place on equal terms;
▪️ Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba said on Thursday that at a NATO meeting it was decided to instruct the "military part" of the alliance to work out what the next step in Ukraine's accession should be;
▪️ Relations between Russia and NATO have actually slipped to the level of direct confrontation, Kremlin spokesman Peskov has said;
▪️ The Ukrainian crisis could spill over its geographical borders as a result of adventurous actions by even one of the NATO countries, any threat to Russia's security will not be left without a response, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grushko has said;
▪️ Senior AFU officers believe that by the time the F-16s arrive in Ukraine, they will no longer be needed on the battlefield because Russia will be ready to counter them effectively, Politico reported.
ukraine_watch
https://x.com/dana916/status/1775981988882604492
Zelensky’s comedy partner slams campaign against Russian language
The Ukrainian president no longer listens to his old friends, Boris Shefir told US state media
https://www.rt.com/russia/595437-zel...an-ban-stupid/
The co-founder of Vladimir Zelensky’s former comedy troupe has condemned the Ukrainian president’s crackdown on the Russian language and culture, telling US state media that he “can’t watch Pushkin’s monuments being destroyed” in his country.
Boris Shefir co-founded the Kvartal 95 (District 95) comedy studio in 2003 with Zelensky and a group of their school friends. Most of these comedians and producers – including Shefir’s brother, Sergey – followed Zelensky into politics, taking prime positions in his administration after he was elected president of Ukraine in 2019.
Shefir was not among them. Speaking to the Ukrainian branch of the US government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) outlet on Thursday, he said that he has had “no relationship” with Zelensky since the conflict with Russia began in 2022.
“For two years, I have not called or talked to him,” Shefir said. “He is working with other people now. He does not communicate with me, does not call me. My calls remain unanswered.”
“Well, you see, I speak Russian,” he explained. “I love the Russian language, Russian culture…I can’t watch Pushkin’s monuments being destroyed in my country.”
During his election campaign, Zelensky portrayed himself as a peacemaker – promising to sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin and resolve the conflict in the Donbass region and to legally guarantee the language rights of Ukraine’s Russian speakers. Once in power, however, Zelensky abandoned the peace process in Donbass and passed a controversial law banning the use of Russian in most aspects of public life. As of this January, the law requires 90% of TV and radio content to be broadcast in Ukrainian.
Since the conflict began in February 2022, monuments to Russian cultural icons have been torn down by the Ukrainian authorities, while streets honoring Russian and Soviet historical figures have been renamed, often after notorious Nazi collaborators.
While Ukrainian Culture Minister Rostislav Karandeev described this historic erasure as “the liberation of Ukrainian cities and Ukrainian culture from communist, Soviet, and Russian-imperial evil,” Shefir called it an exercise in “stupidity.”
“We name streets after Beethoven, and we had a war with Germany,” he told RFE/RL. “We are at war with Putin, not with Russia.”
“I know the Ukrainian language, I communicate perfectly in it,” he told RFE/RL. “But my native language is Russian. Therefore, I am not going to give up this language. And what is happening now with the Russian language, I think is wrong.”
Shefir, who lives in Germany, predicted that “no winner” will emerge from the conflict with Russia. “There will be some agreement,” he said. “We will have to give in and they will have to give up something.”
In the meantime, any influence the old Kvartal 95 crew has on Zelensky is waning. Sergey Shefir was fired from his post as Zelensky’s first assistant last month, as was senior adviser Sergey Trofimov, who once worked as an executive producer at the company. The firings came amid a wider reshuffle of Zelensky’s cabinet.
Quote:
Posted by Bill RyanI translated the tagesschau.de article. I make no comment.Quote:
Posted by Jaak
~~~[INDENT]Putin's aides
>snip<
This is another one of those quite extraordinary bodycam shots that bring home the reality and brutality of what's going on. No glorification here, as you all know by now, but a grim reminder of what war or conflict actually involves. Viewer discretion strongly advised as is always the case with these sorts of film - feel free to skip over if that is your wish :flower: :rose:
Description:
Footage of the assault unit of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation capturing the position of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the village of Novomikhaylovka in the Donetsk region.
Rodimir Maksimov, one of the soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, was awarded for heroism and courage, after he alone liquidated up to 27 soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the capture and holding of position. The Armed Forces of Ukraine attempted to regain the lost position at least three times, but without success.
Putin will not like this….😡
BRUSSELS, April 4 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that Ukraine will eventually join NATO as support for the country remains "rock solid" among member states.
"Ukraine will become a member of NATO. Our purpose at the summit is to help build a bridge to that membership," Blinken told reporters in Brussels.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...er-2024-04-04/
Many thanks, and I've merged that new thread (started with the above post) with this one. The current thread (and current Ukraine situation) is of course to a considerable extent about NATO's enlargement, but this won't happen. Russia WILL NOT permit it, and there won't be a meaningful Ukraine left when hostilities cease to join NATO anyway.Quote:
Posted by Eric J (Viking)
Russia is holding all the cards right now, and it makes little or no difference what any US or EU politician says (or lies) to its voters.
“Don’t take prisoners!”: Medvedev called for a bonus for every NATO member 2024-04-04
Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev spoke sharply in connection with the discussed creation of a NATO mission in Ukraine, saying that if alliance forces participate in a special military operation (SVO) on the side of Ukraine, they will be considered as enemies. The politician compared the potential presence of NATO troops in Ukraine with the actions of punitive units during the Second World War, pointing to a radical approach to their treatment.
In his statement published on his page on the social network VKontakte, Medvedev emphasized that the participation of foreign military personnel in the conflict would mean their direct involvement in hostilities against the Russian Federation. He expressed the opinion that such forces should not enjoy the status of prisoners of war and proposed establishing bonuses for their destruction.
“They will become part of the regular forces that are fighting us. Therefore, they can only be treated as enemies. And not just to enemies - as to elite units, punitive units like Hitler’s SS. Take no prisoners! And for each killed, blown up or burned NATO member, the maximum bonus should be given. And don’t give them the corpses. Let relatives suffer in a foreign land"- said Medvedev.
Such a radical position of the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council emphasizes the tension in relations between Russia and NATO countries, and also reflects the difficulty of finding ways to de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine.
https://avia-pro.net/news/v-plen-ne-...zhdogo-natovca
Congresswoman admits CIA presence in Ukraine 2024-04-04
American congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, in an exclusive interview with famous TV presenter Tucker Carlson, made a resonant statement about the direct participation of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the conflict in Ukraine. According to her, the CIA is not only present on the territory of Ukraine, but also plays a key role in coordinating Kyiv’s actions against the Russian Federation.
Greene was critical of her government's policy towards Ukraine, emphasizing that "war financing, support, advisory assistance and direction of military operations through the CIA are beyond the pale." She condemned the continuation of the conflict, which, in her opinion, does not meet the national interests of the United States and undermines the American desire to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine.
The congresswoman's statement caused a wide resonance and became the subject of discussion among political analysts and international experts. It calls into question the level of direct involvement of the United States in the Ukrainian crisis and raises questions about the appropriateness and consequences of such involvement for global security and international relations.
https://avia-pro.net/news/kongressvu...cru-na-ukraine
Russia Unleashes Massive Retaliation in Response to Ukraine's Bid to Damage Oil & Gas Facilities (Updated: 2 hours ago)
https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/im...eb864.jpg.webp
The Russian Armed Forces have carried out 39 strikes on Ukrainian energy and military facilities in response to the Kiev regime's attempts to damage Russian oil and gas and energy facilities, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"From March 31 to April 5, the Russian armed forces have carried out 39 massive strikes with high-precision long-range land- and air-based weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles, on Ukrainian energy industry facilities, as well as enterprises of military-industrial complex, air defense systems, arsenals, fuel depots, temporary deployment sites for Ukrainian units and foreign mercenaries in response to attempts by the Kiev regime to cause damage to oil and gas industry and energy facilities in Russia," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added that "the objectives of the strikes were achieved and all the targeted objects were hit".
Ukraine has lost more than 2,110 soldiers in the Donetsk area over the past week, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
Over the given period, the Russian armed forces have repelled 15 counterattacks by Ukrainian military in the Donetsk region, as well as have taken control of the village of Vodyane in the Donetsk People's Republic in the Avdeyevka area.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240405/ru...117759332.html
https://youtube.com/watch?v=jQx_mKdOayk
2 hours ago
‼️🇷🇺🏴☠The 11th participant in the preparation of the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall was arrested
▪️The Basmanny District Court of Moscow elected a preventive measure against Sharipzoda Muhammad Zoir from Tajikistan, accused of committing a crime under
clause “b”, part 3, article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (terrorist act).
▪️During the investigation, he was arrested for 1 month 18 days, that is, until May 22, 2024.
- RVvoenkor
https://x.com/djuric_zlatko/status/1776260449140457604
Text:
⚡️ Comment by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry M.V. Zakharova in connection with the next shutdown of part of the external power supply to the Zaporozhye NPP
💬 On the morning of April 4, Europe's largest nuclear power plant - Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) - lost one of the sources of electricity necessary for cooling the reactors, as well as for other important nuclear safety functions.
It is noteworthy that this is not the first time this has happened, and the only source of threats to the security of the Zaporizhia NPP remains the Kiev regime, which does not abandon attempts to commit provocations against the plant. Let us recall that as recently as March 12, the Ukrainian Armed Forces, using a UAV, tried to destroy the diesel fuel warehouse of the Zaporizhia NPP, the basis of its backup power supply. Kyiv’s patrons are getting off with outwardly neutral statements about the “constant nuclear safety risks” that persist in relation to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant against the backdrop of a military conflict. Although everyone understands everything in the UN, the IAEA, and in world capitals, including those that act as direct supervisors of the Zelensky regime.
⚠️ We warn Kyiv and its Western patrons against any attempts to attack or destabilize the situation at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant. We strongly urge the IAEA and its leadership to actively use the experts present at the station to publicly record all cases of attack from the Ukrainian side and clearly state where the threat to the safe operation of this facility really comes from.
https://x.com/djuric_zlatko/status/1776247882133217652
- “Ukraine Will Become A Member of NATO":
:facepalm:
Text:
⚡️The Ukrainian armed forces have attacked the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant near the cargo port and the nitrogen-oxygen station with drones, the plant's press service has reported.
No damage to critical infrastructure or disruption of plant operations was reported.
http://t.me/ukraine_watch
https://x.com/djuric_zlatko/status/1776247538280001906
‼️💥 The enemy shelled the border areas of the Kursk region
▪️Governor Starovoit: The village of Tyotkino, Glushkovsky district, was shelled. 4 arrivals were recorded. A woman is wounded. She is currently receiving medical care.
▪️Also 2 arrivals from Ukraine in the village of Popovo-Lezhachi.
- RVvoenkor
https://x.com/djuric_zlatko/status/1776177682872508498
Text:
The developers of the Piranha drone, which destroyed the first Abrams tank in a SMO, have completely localized production in Russia and reached a capacity of 300 units per day.
This was reported to TASS by the Simbirsk Design Bureau.
More details about the UAV:
Abrams tank was burned by the Piranha 10 UAV. To be sure to hit such a vehicle, a cumulative weapon - an RPG-7 or something like that is required, and the “ten” just copes with this task, the head of public relations at Design Bureau Piranha told Izvestia.
The approximate cost of a drone is 50 thousand RUB (500 USD).
Now there are two models of "Piranha".
"Piranha 7" has a load capacity of up to 2.5 kg, and "Piranha 10" - up to 4.5 kg.
They also have different frame sizes and motor groups. Piranha 10 has more powerful engines and wider propellers. As a result, the load capacity is higher and the flight range is longer.
“Piranha 7” can pick up a shot from an RPG, but it would not have carried it to the distance at which the Abrams was located, because the battery would simply run out, the developers explained.
"The main advantage of our drones is that they operate at unique video frequencies,"
developer's representative emphasized. —
"If the manufacturer uses standard video transmitters, then electronic warfare can very easily suppress the signal. The drone loses either control or the picture as soon as it begins to move away from the operator at a distance of 100–500 m. In our case, the picture will be stable, crystal clear, as if there was no influence of electronic warfare. We first tested these frequencies in the ERA technopolis of the Ministry of Defense, and we turned out to be the only manufacturer in Russia whose UAV did not crash."
Picture: Pirahna UAV by Uzvestia.
Subscribe to https://t.me/vestnikRus
https://x.com/vestnik_russia/status/1776206229645201416
Text:
❗️🇷🇺🇺🇦 On the massive Ukrainian drone attack on Russian airfields
During the night, the AFU launched drones into Russian territory.
🔻The primary target was the Morozovsk airfield in the Rostov region, where Ukrainian forces dispatched 44 drones. The exact type remains unknown and will be determined upon analyzing the debris. However, there is a high likelihood that these are the same UAVs that the enemy has been utilizing in recent weeks.
Out of these, 26 drones were intercepted by Pantsir-S1 air defense missile systems, and 18 by rifle squads. Based on the videos circulating online, it is evident that the drones were flying at an extremely low altitude, enhancing the level of stealth.
There was no significant damage to the infrastructure. The debris hit a few buildings. Additionally, the substation suffered damage, resulting in a temporary power outage.
▪️ Simultaneously, the enemy also targeted the airfield in Yeysk, where local air defense units neutralized ten UAVs. All of them crashed off the coast of the Sea of Azov and seemingly originated from the Zaporizhzhia/Dnipro region.
▪️ At least one more UAV from the AFU was struck while approaching the strategic aviation airfield in Engels. The reason for the presence of only one drone is unclear. There might have been more UAVs heading in that direction, but they were possibly intercepted over Yeysk and Morozovsk.
❗️ Thanks to the swift response of the air defense crews, any severe repercussions from the attacks were averted - claims from Ukrainian sources about the alleged destruction of six aircraft are fakes coming from enemy propagandists. However, the recent attacks highlight the enhanced capability of the enemy to strike targets beyond the front line.
This once again emphasizes the importance of countermeasures (rifle detachments have consistently proven their usefulness) and the necessity for safeguarding aviation at bases. The infamous hangars, frequently discussed, continue to pose challenges in terms of implementation.
https://x.com/rybar_force/status/1776187744823259326
...
... Scott on NATO doubling down on stoopid and how Russia keeps the upper hand:
Russia has Destroyed Ukraine's Army and its Strategy Defeated NATO's | Scott Ritter 36:57
https://yt3.ggpht.com/_Lvto98R6q8sIh...00ffffff-no-rj Dialogue Works
Apr 5, 2024 Interviews
- LIVE with Scott Ritter: Resistance, Gaza, Ukraine, Russia, NATO & WW3:
Light relief in the context of a serious conflict in which hundreds of men (and some women) die every day. But here's Patrick Lancaster talking to The Duran about an abandoned, one-off, 5 million dollar prototype Ukrainian 'wonder weapon' that never saw battle at all, was discovered left behind 'in a hole', and had the Russian soldiers laughing at the thing. (I'm no military technician, but I can understand why. :))
The section is the first 12 minutes of the video. Patrick Lancaster's own video about this strange contraption is below that.
(The best YouTube comment: "It's just like when Homer Simpson designed a car." :ROFL:)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Obe40Eip23o
https://youtube.com/watch?v=kVaMn_x1wEE
Forgive me for continuing the humor on this otherwise serious and often tragic thread. As I listen to Patrick Lancaster describe this strange vehicle that is supposedly high tech and top secret found buried in a ditch, my mind keeps wandering back to September 2021 (half a year before this war started) when David Wilcock announced he was going to build a flying car. As Lancaster and Mercouris continue to speculate about what this strange "high tech" vehicle is, I kept saying to myself "It's David Wilcock's flying car!!!!" over and over. Wilcock did state that one of his customers of his company, Stavatti Aerospace, would be the Ukrainian government! (Steve Cambian mentioned this in one of his videos, and commented about how naive Wilcock seemed, because one can not simply sell high tech weapons to a foreign goverment.)Quote:
Posted by Bill Ryan
While I want to say "It's Wilcock's flying car" in a completely tongue in cheek way, however, considering how corrupt the Ukrainian and U.S. Governments are, it isn't totally out of the realm of the possible that money was laundered thru a corrupt company like Stavatti that is falsely hyping absurd technology. :ROFL: