WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

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NATO does not currently see military threat from Russia — Secretary General

Jens Stoltenberg stressed that NATO should be prepared for threats from Russia and stay vigilant

BRUSSELS, March 11. /TASS/. NATO does not currently see any military threat from Russia against the bloc’s member-states, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference in Brussels.

"We don't see any imminent military threat [from Russia] against any NATO ally," he said, answering a relevant question from journalists.

Nevertheless, Stoltenberg stressed that NATO must be prepared for threats from Russia and stay vigilant. In his opinion, at present Moscow does not threaten the alliance due to the fact that it is preoccupied with Ukraine.

On Monday, Sweden’s flag was officially hoisted at the NATO headquarters in Brussels following its accession to the alliance. Sweden became NATO’s 32nd member.

Seven Russian regions were attacked by drones 03/12/2024,

At least seven Russian regions were attacked on the night of March 12. Fuel and energy complex facilities are burning in the Oryol and Nizhny Novgorod regions, and seven villages are without power in the Belgorod region. UAVs were also shot down in the Voronezh, Kursk, Moscow and Tula regions.

In the Belgorod region, an unmanned aerial vehicle dropped four explosive devices, damaging a power line. As Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said, no one was injured; the villages of Yasnye Zori, Cheremoshnoye, Ustinka, Lozovoye, Rovenek, Petrovka and Solovyovka were cut off. In addition, shelling is underway in the Gorkovsky village of the Grayvoronsky urban district. Residents were asked to go to shelters or basements.

One drone was shot down in the Voronezh region . According to preliminary information, there are no consequences on the ground, Governor Alexander Gusev wrote in Telegram . “At the same time, a danger regime from air targets was not introduced. I keep the operational situation in the region under control,” he added. Later, the danger of a UAV attack was declared in the region .

Six drones were destroyed in the Kursk region : over Fatezhsky, Zolotukhinsky, Kursk, Solntsevsky and Ponyrovsky districts. The consequences on the ground are being clarified, said Governor Roman Starovoyt.

In the Moscow region , a drone was shot down in the Ramensky urban district, said the mayor of the capital, Sergei Sobyanin. According to him, the UAV was flying towards Moscow.

In the Nizhny Novgorod region, Governor Gleb Nikitin reported a fire at a fuel and energy complex facility after an attack by drones. He did not specify what specific object he was talking about.

In Oryol , an unmanned aerial vehicle fell on a fuel and energy complex facility, said Governor Andrei Klychkov. No harm done. According to RIA Novosti and a number of Telegram channels, a tank with petroleum products caught fire.

In the Tula region, air defense systems on duty destroyed a UAV. No one was injured, there was no destruction of infrastructure, the Tula Ministry of Regional Security reported .

On the night of March 11, the Bryansk and Oryol regions were attacked by drones. Air defense systems destroyed six UAVs.

https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/6562122
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Displaced Ukrainian kids want to live in Russia – human rights boss 12 Mar, 2024

Dozens of children rescued from the conflict zone have been reunited with their families

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Some Ukrainian children that were relocated to Russia from the conflict zone prefer to stay there instead of coming back to their own country, Alexander Pavlichenko, head of the Ukrainian Helsinki Union for Human Rights, said on Tuesday.

According to Pavlichenko, some of the children that returned to Ukraine see more opportunities in Russia than in their home country, which he called “a problem.”

“They see better conditions there [in Russia], they see themselves better realized there,” he stated on the air of the TV channel Kiev 24. According to Pavlichenko, the Ukrainian authorities should do more to help the returning kids adapt to living in Ukraine.

“They need constant attention… they need to be included in an active social life, given new opportunities and advantages, so that they do not want to return to Russia,” he stressed.

Just last month, 11 children from Ukraine and Donbass were reunited with their families. They met with their loved ones at the Qatari embassy in Moscow.

“This is the largest group of children during our family reunification activities,” Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, who led the effort, said. She earlier revealed that her department had facilitated the reunification of 48 children with their Ukrainian relatives living either in Ukraine or abroad since the start of the conflict in February 2022. According to the ombudsman, Russia is ready to assist other children displaced by the hostilities to reunite with their relatives, but the process takes time and each request is processed on a case-by-case basis.

continue: https://swentr.site/russia/594139-di...kraine-russia/

75 Years of NATO Expansion in One Pic

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was established by the United States in 1949 as a "collective security" bloc.

NATO has experienced nine waves of expansion since it started with 12 members, with previously non-aligned Sweden joining the bloc on March 7, 2024.
Although NATO casts itself as a purely defensive bloc, history has shown otherwise.
This alliance was established to deter alleged Soviet expansion, yet after the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, NATO did not cease to exist. Despite promises given to late Soviet leaders by the US, NATO proceeded to expand eastward and encircle Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently admitted that he had a “naive idea” that after the end of the Cold War, the West and NATO had “no basis for confrontation with Russia”. However, after years of diplomatic efforts, Putin became “100% convinced” that NATO strategists want to “collapse Russia”.

Have a look at Sputnik’s infographic to learn about the scope of the militaristic bloc.

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https://youtube.com/watch?v=IpDZlbMgU_Q

The Collapse | Nevelske Has FALLEN! | Pervomaiske Defensive Lines Are On A Brink Of TOTAL Collapse!

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Do your duty, come what may: why do Russian women take up arms and go to front line?

"It's the love for the Motherland that played a role," a 33-year old woman, call sign "Shum" (lit. "Noise"), told Sputnik. "I didn’t immediately manage to enroll in contract service: for almost a year, I delivered humanitarian aid, including to the front line. So I knew what I was getting into."

Shum, an evacuation group medical worker of the "Don" Volunteer Assault Corps, will soon be dispatched to Avdeyevka, a city in the Donetsk region that was liberated by the Russian military on February 17.

"What am I expecting? I can’t say anything about that. During war, you're just waiting for an order. I live according to the principle: 'Do your duty, come what may.'"

Shum says she faced difficulties while enlisting. She argues that if one wants to defend their Motherland, one should be enrolled in the military regardless of one's sex.

Those in the West who believe Russia is waging a "war of aggression" know virtually nothing about Ukraine and the roots of the conflict, she underscored. NATO countries that are continuing to send arms and special ops forces to Ukraine must remember: Russians don't surrender, Shum concluded.

👉 Check out the full article: https://sputnikglobe.com/20240313/do...117267245.html

Courage knows no gender: Shum's journey to the volunteer assault corps

A 33-year female soldier, call sign “Shum” ("Noise"), joined the "Don" Volunteer Assault Corps to defend her Motherland in the special military operation zone. Shum believes that at the front line, there are no "men" or "women," but only "comrades-in-arms."

"How do I prepare [for battle]? I don’t. You can't be prepared for this. What am I expecting? I can’t say anything about that. During war, you're just waiting for an order. I live according to the principle: 'Do your duty, come what may.' It can be scary. But only a fool or a dead person is not afraid of anything. Fear is a natural defense mechanism to survive. It's the so-called self-preservation instinct. He who is not afraid will die."

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🚁💥 The Russian Ministry of Defence has released a video of the destruction of Ukrainian helicopters on the territory of the DPR controlled by Kiev.

After three helicopters were detected, they were hit with an Iskander cluster missile. The attack was not entirely accurate, one helicopter managed to fly away. The other two were destroyed later.

@ukraine_watch

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Ukraine Plans to Mobilize 500,000 New Recruits

The Ukrainian government intends to mobilize 500,000 new recruits, with 330,000 slated for deployment to the front lines to replenish exhausted troops, according to statements from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The remaining 170,000 recruits will reportedly compensate for losses and fulfill other military needs.

However, a significant portion of able-bodied men of military age in Ukraine are reportedly hesitant to join the frontline. An estimated 1.1 million Ukrainians aged 25 to 60, only 3.7 million are theoretically eligible for mobilization. The rest of the potential recruits either fled the country, have disabilities, or are already serving on the front lines.

This publication highlights discrepancies in President Zelensky's statements regarding casualties, contradicting his claim of "only 31,000 casualties." Additionally, despite Zelensky's previous assurance that there would be no demobilization, the Ministry of Defense's announcement suggests otherwise, framing the move as preparation for another wave of recruitment.

Source: Ostashko

https://x.com/djuric_zlatko/status/1767864610235855032

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Putin open to Ukraine peace talks, but what are his terms?

Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed in an interview with Dmitry Kiselev, director general of Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group, that he is ready for peace talks with Ukraine, but stressed that he trusts no one and will seek guarantees.

Russian political scientist Dmitry Evstafiev explained to Sputnik, Putin’s key reservations for any possible negotiations about Ukraine.

- In no way will the so-called “Zelensky formula” be discussed. Putin clarified that the Kiev regime’s proposals are not on the table;

- To achieve lasting peace, it is crucial to ensure that the talks do not simply result in a tactical pause that enables Kiev to rearm. The analyst stressed that the negotiations must be based on “the West’s decision not to supply weapons to Ukraine.”

- A public format and binding obligations are needed. Putin laid out very clearly that Russia needs guarantees, Dmitry Evstafiev stressed.

The political scientist explained that the guarantees Russia requires “can only be given by responsible political figures representing stable Western governments, and must be offered in the form of absolutely binding, signed documents”.

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Russia is ready to resolve conflicts by peaceful means, but guarantees are needed, Vladimir Putin said

"We want, I repeat, we want to resolve all disputes, and this dispute, this conflict, by peaceful means. And we are ready for this. We want to do this. But it should be a serious conversation with the provision of security for the party to the conflict. In this case, we are primarily interested in the security of Russia, of the Russian Federation. We will proceed from this," he said.

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📹 Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Emmanuel Macron's militaristic statements could be related to resentment over the loss of influence in Africa. However, he said that Russia did not interfere and did not expel France on purpose, but that it was African leaders themselves who wanted to cooperate with Moscow.

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📹 Vladimir Putin said that the presence of foreign military contingents will not change the situation on the battlefield, but may lead to serious geopolitical consequences. He cited the example of Poland, which wants to regain Ukraine’s western territories, which it considers historically its own.

"... They dream about it, they want to reclaim territories they consider historically their own that were taken from them by the ‘father of nations,’ Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, and handed over to Ukraine. Of course they want them back. And if official Polish troops are deployed there, they are not going back. Then, other countries that lost their territories as a result of World War II may follow in their footsteps," he said.

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🗣 "I hate to say it, but I don't trust anyone. But we need guarantees," Putin said regarding the likelihood of Ukraine peace talks

"I hate to say it, but I don't trust anyone. But we need guarantees. And the guarantees must be spelled out, they must be guarantees that would suit us and that we would believe in. This is what we are talking about. But right now it is probably too early to talk publicly about what it could be. But we will certainly not buy into some empty promises," he said in interview to Dmitry Kiselev, the director general of Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group.


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‘No сhance’ war-weary US will put boots on the ground in Ukraine amid Putin’s warning

President Putin “made it very clear that if the United States or its European allies actually put boots on the ground in Ukraine, they’d probably be at war with the Russian Federation,” political scientist and Russia specialist Dr. Joe Siracusa told Sputnik, commenting on Putin’s interview with Rossiya Segodnya’s Dmitry Kiselev, in which the Russian leader warned that Moscow would treat NATO troops in Ukraine as invaders.

Siracusa is confident that “there is no chance the United States will be involved in the ground war in Ukraine,” even if “sometimes some of the Europeans get very excited about this, particularly the Poles and the French. But it would be very risky on their part because the United States Congress is frankly in no mood to continue funding” the conflict.

As for Russia’s defense industry, which Putin hailed in his interview for its efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to the US, the academic said it has become clear that Russia can "reproduce or to replenish munitions as soon as they’re used in Ukraine. In fact, I think Russia outproduces Americans by 10 to 1 in terms of ammunition reproduction.”

Siracusa lamented that the Ukrainian crisis has dragged on for as long as it has. "I’m sure that Putin and Biden could have worked this out before the conflict began. Putin has made it very clear since 2007 about the danger of the encroachment of NATO, and the United States has been tone deaf to these suggestions," he stressed.

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Scott Ritter: Putin’s message is warmongers will ‘get more than they asked for’ in fight with Russia

The main takeaway from President Putin’s conversation with Rossiya Segodnya chief Dmitry Kiselev is that those “looking for a contrite Russia, a weak Russia, a compliant Russia” won’t find it in “the Russia that Vladimir Putin was presenting to the world in his interview,” Scott Ritter, former US Marine Corps intelligence officer and international affairs observer, told Sputnik.

“Instead, what he's saying is that Russia's not looking for a fight, but if somebody wants to bring the fight to Russia, they'll get more than what they asked for. And if the world is looking for peace with Russia, it'll be done on terms that are acceptable to Russia,” Ritter stressed.

https://x.com/SputnikInt/status/1767937765792948296

Full Interview with English interpreter ,
of Vladimir Putin's exclusive interview with Dmitry Kiselev, General Director of Rossiya Segodnya Media Group, Sputnik's parent company here:

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Kiev loses 245 troops in Donetsk area over past day, Russia’s top brass reports

The Ukrainian military lost 7 tanks, 7 US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, 2 armored personnel carriers, 4 motor vehicles, an M777 howitzer, 2 D-20 howitzers, a D-30 howitzer, a Gvozdika motorized artillery system and a Nona self-propelled artillery gun

MOSCOW, March 13. /TASS/. The Ukrainian military lost roughly 245 troops, a tank and an air defense system in battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk area over the past day, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday, giving the latest data on the special military operation in Ukraine.

"In the Donetsk direction, Southern Battlegroup units gained more advantageous sites and positions in active operations and inflicted damage on amassed manpower and military hardware of the Ukrainian army’s 56th motorized infantry, 28th, 42nd and 93rd mechanized, 5th and 92nd assault, 17th tank and 241st territorial defense brigades near the settlements of Krasnoye, Kleshcheyevka, Andreyevka and Kurdyumovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said in a statement.

The Ukrainian military lost roughly 245 personnel, a tank, 3 armored combat vehicles, 5 motor vehicles and a Strela-10 surface-to-air missile system. In counter-battery fire, Russian forces destroyed a UK-made AS-90 Braveheart self-propelled artillery system, a D-20 howitzer, 3 D-30 howitzers, a Gvozdika motorized artillery system and a fuel depot in the Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Ukraine’s army loses 250 troops in Kupyansk area over past day

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 250 troops in battles with Russian forces in the Kupyansk area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, units of the Battlegroup West operating in interaction with aircraft and artillery inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian army’s 57th motorized infantry brigade near the settlement of Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region and repelled an enemy counterattack near the settlement of Terny in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They thwarted a Ukrainian army attempt to break through into borderline Russian territory in the Belgorod and Kursk Regions. The enemy’s losses amounted to 250 personnel," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian military also lost 7 tanks, 7 US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, 2 armored personnel carriers, 4 motor vehicles, a US-manufactured M777 howitzer, 2 D-20 howitzers, a D-30 howitzer, a Gvozdika motorized artillery system and a Nona self-propelled artillery gun, it specified.

Russian forces repulse 12 Ukrainian counterattacks in Avdeyevka area over past day

Russian forces repulsed 12 Ukrainian army counterattacks and improved their frontline positions in the Avdeyevka area near Donetsk over the past day, the ministry reported.

"In the Avdeyevka direction, units of the Battlegroup Center improved their forward edge positions in active operations and repulsed 12 counterattacks," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost "as many as 460 personnel, a tank, 3 command and staff vehicles and 17 motor vehicles," it specified.

In counter-battery fire, Russian forces destroyed a UK-made AS-90 Braveheart self-propelled artillery system, a US-manufactured M777 artillery gun, an Msta-B howitzer and a US-made M119 howitzer in the Avdeyevka direction over the past 24 hours, it said.

Russian forces take advantageous sites in south Donetsk area over past day

Russian forces took advantageous sites and inflicted damage on Ukrainian manpower and military equipment in the south Donetsk area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"In the south Donetsk direction, units of the Battlegroup East took more advantageous positions and struck manpower and equipment of the 102nd and 128th territorial defense brigades near the settlements of Malinovka in the Zaporozhye Region, Staromayorskoye and Urozhainoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

Russian forces also repelled a counterattack by formations of the Ukrainian army’s 58th motorized infantry brigade near the settlement of Novodonetskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," it said.

"The Ukrainian army’s losses amounted to 150 personnel, two armored personnel carriers and two pickup trucks," the ministry specified.

Russian forces strike four Ukrainian army brigades in Kherson area over past day

Russian forces inflicted damage on four Ukrainian army brigades in the Kherson area over the past day, the ministry reported.

"In the Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr Battlegroup inflicted damage by firepower on formations of the Ukrainian army’s 141st infantry, 23rd National Guard, 126th territorial defense and 35th marine infantry brigades near the settlements of Stepovoye in the Zaporozhye Region, Nikopol in the Dnepropetrovsk Region, Berislav and Tyaginka in the Kherson Region," the ministry said.

The enemy lost roughly 30 troops, two motor vehicles, a US-made M777 artillery system, an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery gun and a Gvozdika motorized artillery system in the Kherson direction over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russian troops destroy 2 Ukrainian Mi-8 gunships, Patriot air defense system in past day

Russian forces destroyed two Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters, an arms repair workshop and a US-made Patriot air defense system over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Operational-tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groupings of forces destroyed two Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopters on a site near the settlement of Novopavlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and a workshop for the repair of armament and military hardware near the community of Balakleya in the Kharkov Region," the ministry said.

Russian forces also destroyed a US-made Patriot air defense system at a firing position in the Kharkov Region and struck Ukrainian manpower and military equipment in 129 areas over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russian air defenses down four HIMARS rockets, 136 Ukrainian UAVs over past day

Russian air defense forces shot down four rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, three French-manufactured Hammer smart bombs and destroyed 136 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the past day, the ministry reported.

"During the last 24-hour period, air defense capabilities shot down 136 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, four rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, six rockets of the Grad multiple rocket launcher and three French-manufactured Hammer guided air bombs," the ministry said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 577 Ukrainian warplanes, 269 helicopters, 15,362 unmanned aerial vehicles, 485 surface-to-air missile systems, 15,464 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,238 multiple rocket launchers, 8,397 field artillery guns and mortars and 19,709 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

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Russian troops carry out night raid on right bank of Dnieper River — governor

The Ukrainian army’s losses amounted to 30 troops, Vladimir Saldo specified
GENICHESK, March 13. /TASS/. A Russian assault group destroyed a Ukrainian UAV control post and an electronic warfare station in a night raid on the Kiev-controlled right bank of the Dnieper River in the Kherson Region, Governor Vladimir Saldo said on his Telegram channel on Wednesday.

"Last night, a joint assault group of fighters from the Dnepr Battlegroup carried out an audacious raid into the right bank of the river. Marine infantry personnel, paratroopers and volunteers disembarked from watercraft at the foot of the Antonovka Bridge. The surprise effect disabled the enemy to react timely. Our fighters destroyed several enemy positions, including an UAV control post and an electronic warfare station, observation, communications and manpower temporary amassment sites," he said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses amounted to 30 troops, he specified.

"Our fighters returned to the left bank without irretrievable losses," the governor specified.

The Russian assault force disembarked at the place where Soviet soldiers commanded by Vasily Margelov seized the first bridgehead on the right bank of the Dnieper River in 1944, which was key to breaching Nazi Germany’s defenses, Saldo said.

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Governor of Russia’s Ryazan Region reports casualties in drone attack on oil refinery

Earlier, the local Unified Duty Dispatch Service reported a fire on the premises of an oil refinery

MOSCOW, March 13. /TASS/. A Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle has attacked an oil refinery in central Russia’s Ryazan Region, causing casualties, Governor Pavel Malkov said.

"A drone attack on the Ryazan oil refinery has resulted in a blaze. According to preliminary information, there have been casualties," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

Two people have been hospitalized in a condition of moderate severity, an emergency hospital worker told TASS.

Emergency services are working at the scene. The local Unified Duty Dispatch Service (EDDS) confirmed fire reports at the oil refinery.

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Press review: Russia’s cybervoting faces DDoS attacks and Moscow pitches frozen asset swap

MOSCOW, March 12. /TASS/. Russia is bracing for increased cyberattacks on its online voting system ahead of the presidential election on March 15-17; the Russian Finance Ministry has released the details of a plan for swapping frozen assets with foreign investors; and proposals for putting Western "boots on the ground" in Ukraine may play against Kiev’s interests. These stories topped Tuesday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.



Izvestia: Russia facing increased DDoS attacks ahead of this week’s presidential election

Russia’s online voting system will be subject to increased malicious distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks coming from abroad, experts told Izvestia. However, the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) factored in such systemic stresses in developing the system to bulletproof it against such risks, making it fully prepared for carrying out online voting in the presidential election that starts this Friday, March 15, and runs through Sunday, March 17.

At midnight, the CEC stopped collecting citizens’ applications to vote online. This year, voters in 29 Russian regions, or one-third of the country’s constituent regions, will enjoy the option of casting electronic votes. As of Monday morning, as many as 4.5 mln Russians, excluding Muscovites, have applied for online voting rights, CEC Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova said. At the start of 2024, Russia’s total electorate stood at 112.3 mln voters, including those in the new regions of the Donetsk People’s

Republic (DPR), the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), the Zaporozhye Region and the Kherson Region.

However, the growing popularity of the new voting system is fraught with risks, experts warned. And Russia’s intelligence services have provided proof of that: In a statement released on March 11, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said that the administration of US President Joe Biden had instructed American NGOs to lead hacking attacks on Russia’s online voting system.

While it is impossible to completely eliminate cybersecurity risks, they can be minimized by using specialized services for repelling DDoS attacks, creating a backup system on a separate server or resorting to special means for detecting or preventing such attacks, Sergey Lipov, IT director at EdgeCenter, told Izvestia. Threats like these tend to intensify during an election period, given that the electoral process is a critical factor in the country’s political stability, the expert explained.

"In the past few years, the United States has been conducting cyberattacks against Russia, which we have witnessed since the online voting system was first introduced. And they are getting increasingly bigger," said Maxim Grigoryev, head of the Russian Civic Chamber’s working group specializing in public control over voting. "Our Central Election Commission and our law enforcement agencies realize that and are bracing for it. This is why the online voting system is quite well prepared. Moreover, it was built to repel such attacks. I know quite well that they prepared for such risks and included them in the work plan," he told Izvestia.



Media: Russian Finance Ministry rolls out plan for swapping frozen foreign assets

The Russian Finance Ministry has made public the key parameters of a plan to swap frozen foreign assets, in which Russian investors have placed trillions of rubles, for the assets of foreign investors. Under the plan, brokerage house Investment Chamber will oversee the swap. It will solicit applications from Russian private investors from March 25 to May 8. Key risks facing the plan are that foreigners may decline to buy assets from Russian nationals for fear of secondary sanctions and restrictions imposed by European financial regulators on such transactions.

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The consensus among market players, brokers and asset management companies interviewed by Kommersant is that the infrastructure is ready to handle such operations.

The mechanism looks logical to Nikolay Shvaikovsky, head of government relations at Alfa Capital, who told Vedomosti that it could primarily be of interest to retail investors. The asset management company is confident that a substantial volume of assets will change hands as part of the plan, given the strong interest among Russian investors, and it expects similarly solid interest among foreign investors as well.

Dmitry Lesnov, head of client services at Finam, finds the plan quite functional, as well, but thinks its implementation will depend on a number of aspects, primarily the willingness of foreign investors to take part, according to Kommersant.

While the risks for Russian investors will not be very high as the swap will take place within Russian market infrastructure, Investment Chamber will face certain risks as the organizer, a senior executive at a major asset management company said. "The brokerage will be playing a special role in the mechanism for unblocking [the assets], which is not envisioned in the EU sanctions laws. These risks will intensify if sanctioned investors get access to the exchange program," Andrey Timchuk, co-head of the sanctions practice at the Delcredere law firm, warned.

Oleg Gruzdev, a lawyer at Forward Legal, told Vedomosti that the assets swap plan currently represents the only way out for both Russia and the West as an avenue for unblocking the assets. While many assets may remain frozen for some time to come, Russia’s proposed mechanism would make it possible to address the problem at least partially in the coming months, he added.



Izvestia: Proposals for Western 'boots on ground' in Ukraine could damage Zelensky regime

Discussions of French President Emmanuel Macron’s headline-making proposal to send NATO troops to Ukraine have exposed a split in the bloc, which will ultimately play against Kiev’s interests, experts say. Meanwhile, a remark by Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, who said that the presence of NATO forces in Ukraine "is not unthinkable," heightens concerns among Western countries that the Ukraine conflict may escalate to a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.

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In Europe, there are "many voices" calling on the continent to sit down at the negotiating table, Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, said. In Germany, as many as 56% of people polled believe that Berlin should do more to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine through talks, Bild reported. And experts believe that public sentiment in other countries is almost identical.

"The political elites in NATO countries are afraid of how both Brussels and Washington may react to calls for peace. And I guess the longer the conflict lasts, the more such calls will be heard," Denis Denisov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia. Commenting on the proposal to send troops to Ukraine, he said: "Of course, everybody understands perfectly well that such a step would raise tensions between Russia and NATO countries. And many are actually afraid of that."

The North Atlantic Alliance has other fears, as well. The aggressive rhetoric on the part of France intensifies the visible split in public opinion within the bloc and the growing strife between political forces in individual members of the alliance. And the situation shows, on the one hand, the low level of effectiveness of decisions to send more military aid to Ukraine and, on the other hand, it reveals the lack of a well-designed strategy or any alternative "Plan B."

"In a strategic perspective, the intensified split will certainly play against the interests of the current Ukrainian authorities. Everyone understands perfectly well that the longer the conflict lasts, the more contradictions will arise," Denisov said.

"The Ukrainian authorities expected the West to support them endlessly and that this support would certainly be enough to defeat Russia. The fact that, in reality, things are turning out to be somewhat different from what they were promised has led to a strategic political crisis in Kiev, as Ukraine doesn’t seem to have any Plan B either," said Oleg Nemensky, leading expert at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies.

Kommersant: Russian Urals blend oil finds unexpected market

Russian oil companies have been exporting oil to Venezuela, on whose oil market the United States has eased sanctions until April, Kommersant has learned. The risk of renewed restrictions has encouraged Venezuela to increase its own oil imports as much as possible. In this light, the South American country, which exported more than 650,000 barrels of oil per day in February, decided to buy Russian oil for refining domestically.

The Ligera supertanker carrying 1.8 mln barrels of Russian crude is preparing to transport the shipment of Urals blend oil to Venezuela, Kpler told Kommersant. Also, Russia sent 260,000 barrels of diesel to Venezuela in February.

Russian oil and petroleum product shipments to Venezuela are a unique case as Venezuela mostly uses its own heavy crude for refining, mixing it with naphtha or gas condensate for a proper blend. In 2022-2023, the South American economy also purchased oil from Iran, which became its largest supplier. But those purchases were not large.

Venezuela will be the focus of global oil markets over the next month as the Biden administration will have to decide whether to extend its six-month sanctions waiver, Viktor Katona at Kpler predicts. At the same time, Venezuela’s state-run oil and gas major, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), is seeking to benefit from exporting as much of its own oil as possible, which is why its oil exports reached a four-year high in February. According to the analyst, PDVSA currently sells oil for hard currency, which is a much more preferable scenario than previous transactions under an oil-for-debt deal, mostly with Chinese companies. "Urals plays the role of a substitute for Venezuelan oil in this system of coordinates. Urals is easier to refine than any other [Venezuelan] oil, and PDVSA can buy it now that it has generated profits," Katona maintained. And the situation around purchases of Russian diesel meant for domestic consumption looks the same, he continued, as PDVSA has been exporting all its oil volumes to capitalize on the situation as it substitutes those with petroleum products from "friendly jurisdictions," he concluded.



Nezavisimaya Gazeta: State Duma to address German lawmakers

At a meeting later on Tuesday, the Russian State Duma will discuss a draft address to Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag. Russian legislators are seeking to highlight to their German counterparts the recent leaked audio of a classified conversation among senior Bundeswehr (German armed forces) officers about sending long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine and their potential use for hitting targets inside Russia, including the Crimean Bridge.

Since early this year, the lower house of Russia’s parliament has issued half a dozen such statements addressed to specific overseas audiences. Previously, international relations were the prerogative of the president and the Foreign Ministry, with the Federation Council, or upper chamber of parliament, being involved only partially. Now, the Duma seems to have been given a major mandate for providing informational support for Russia’s foreign policy.

Alexey Makarkin, first vice president of the Center for Political Technologies, told Nezavisimaya Gazeta, that, in fact, the State Duma has been making statements on the country’s foreign policy since the start of the special military operation. "Before, everybody was interested in statements of the president and the Foreign Ministry, while [what] parliamentarians [said] was of lesser interest," he explained.

However, as Russia’s contacts with the majority of parliaments have been severed, Russian lawmakers now mostly visit China, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. And the Duma communicates with the West by issuing addresses. These target specific parties and politicians who either favor and support Russia, or are at least critical of their governments’ backing of Ukraine, Makarkin added.

"All these critics may use the very arguments that the State Duma transmits, albeit indirectly. Therefore, the signal from [the Duma headquarters on] Okhotny Ryad will find its audience," he concluded.

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Maria Zakharova:

💬 The courts of the Russian Federation, based on evidence collected by the Investigative Committee of our country, continue to pass sentences on Ukrainian militants who committed serious crimes against civilians.

The operator of the electronic intelligence group Pecharsky and the commander of the automobile department Georgiou were sentenced to life imprisonment for cruel treatment of the civilian population, the murder of five people and the attempted murder of two persons, committed by an organized group motivated by political and ideological hatred.

On March 7, Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin held an operational meeting in Donetsk of the headquarters for the investigation of crimes committed by Ukrainian formations against civilians and Russian military personnel on the territory of Russia and Ukraine.

The investigation and results of criminal cases involving crimes committed by the Kyiv regime were discussed. Among them are cases of recruitment and mercenarism. A number of citizens of Romania, Poland, New Zealand, and Norway have been charged in absentia. In total, about 700 foreigners are wanted. The head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, was informed that after the liberation of Avdeevka, investigators of the Investigative Committee organized work with citizens evacuated to temporary accommodation centers of the DPR. People report crimes committed by Ukrainian militants and indicate the locations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces units that carried out the attacks.

❗️ None of the Nazi criminals will be able to escape punishment. They will be identified and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

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💥 Command centre of N@zi special unit Kraken destroyed in Kharkov region

Residents of the village of Podoly in the Kharkov region report interesting news: local guerrillas in the ranks of the AFU "leaked" the location of the Kraken command centre to the Russian security services, after which the Nazi formation was hit by a missile strike.

According to preliminary data, the leadership of the Nazis, who were acting as a barrier force, was destroyed.

It should be noted, that the Kraken are hated by both the local population and Ukrainian soldiers.

@ukraine_watch

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Save the rich!

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk allowed the possibility of exemption from mobilization depending on the level of income.

“If I’m not mistaken, in the 12th or 13th century in England, there was such a thing - ‘tax on cowardice’. When they paid money in order not to become a knight,” said the head of the Rada.

@ukr_leaks_eng

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