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Blinken bolsters support for Niger as Russia expands nearby

March 17, 2023 by Raba Noor

Blinken said that the US was committed to working with Niger on environmental challenges.
Niger is one of the countries hit hardest by climate change.
Niger has since become the linchpin for French military efforts in West Africa.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday offered new aid as he threw his support behind Niger on a rare visit, holding up the Western military partner and new democracy as a model in a jihadist-torn region where Russia is making inroads.

Blinken is the highest-ranking US official ever to visit the former French colony, where both France and the United States maintain forces to battle insurgencies in the troubled Sahel region.

“Niger is a young democracy in a challenging part of the world,” Blinken told a news conference in the capital Niamey.

“But it remains true to the values we share. Niger has been quick to defend the democratic values under threat in neighbouring countries.”

After talks with President Mohamed Bazoum, Blinken announced $150 million in new humanitarian assistance for the Sahel region including Niger, one of the world’s poorest countries.

The funding, which brings the total for the Sahel to $233 million for the fiscal year, includes food aid and support for migrants who have fled to war-ravaged Libya, he said.

Niger, one of the world’s poorest countries, has seen stability since a democratic restoration in 2011 as military regimes have taken over in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso.

Mali has shifted decisively into Russia’s orbit, hiring the Wagner mercenary group after French troops withdrew following a nine-year military operation.

Burkina Faso, which saw two coups last year alone, has also fallen out with France, although both the country’s military leader and Russia have denied claims including from democratic Ghana that Wagner is operating there.

Nigerien Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou, speaking alongside Blinken, said he had no proof of Wagner activities in Burkina Faso but he warned against any movement to the group.

“Our hope,” he said, “is that it does not go down this trajectory towards this organisation which we consider criminal and mercenary,” he said.

“We see that Wagner is only present in failed or failing states,” he said.

“Our democratic institutions can defeat terrorism. In fact, there is no alternative,” he said.

Unlike many African diplomats, he also offered a full-throated condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, noting Niger’s own history as a former colony.

Reintegrating fighters

Blinken began his visit by meeting former violent extremists who have been rehabilitated through vocational training backed by $20 million in US funding.

The programme is about “giving them a better choice” and is “from our perspective, very much a model that others can look to”, Blinken said afterwards.

Blinken also said that the United States was committed to working with Niger on environmental challenges.

Niger is one of the countries hit hardest by climate change, losing 100,000 hectares (250,000 acres) of arable land each year to desert, according to the United Nations.

The Biden administration launched its bid for greater engagement in Africa in the face of rising investment by China, seen as the top rising challenger to the United States, but concerns have grown more recently about Russia.

Last month, Mali was one of just six countries that joined Russia in voting against a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly urging Moscow to withdraw from Ukraine on the invasion’s anniversary.

Niger has since become the linchpin for French military efforts in West Africa, with 1,000 troops stationed in the country.

The United States also operates so-called Air Base 201 in the centre of the desert country, which is used to fly drones for attacks and surveillance on jihadists in the Sahel.

Blinken started Thursday with talks in Addis Ababa with the leadership of the African Union, part of the Biden administration’s effort to show deference to the region and avoid perceptions of an overbearing US role.

AU-led negotiations, backed by US diplomats, brought about a November 2022 ceasefire that has largely ended the brutal two-year Tigray war in Ethiopia.

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Russia is facing a “sanctions war”, claims Vladimir Putin

March 16, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

Putin blames the West for the decrease in GDP due to sanctions. Praising Russian entrepreneurs for their work supporting the state. It was his first speech to the business community since the start of the War. Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has claimed that the West has attacked his nation with “sanctions war,” which … Read more

Putin: Russia has more opportunities for business after sanctions

March 16, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

Putin stated that the Russian economy has more prospects than before sanctions. And that those who stayed and worked hard proved to be wiser. More enthusiastic, and more productive than those who left. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the country now has more prospects than it did before Western sanctions were put in place. … Read more

Explosions at Security Service building in Russian city of Rostov

March 16, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

The explosions at the Security Service headquarters in Rostov caused by electrical short-circuit. Resulting in the collapse of two walls. One victim being admitted to the hospital with moderate wounds. The explosions at the Security Service headquarters in the Russian city of Rostov were brought on by an electrical short-circuit, according to Vasily Golubev, the … Read more

Poland: Russian spy network accused of sabotage was arrested

March 16, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Six persons were held on suspicion of installing concealed cameras.
According to RMF FM, the cell had devised sabotage plots.
After the Ukraine crisis, Russia and the West’s decades-long spy war has escalated.

Two Polish government officials informed the sources that a number of foreign people had been arrested on suspicion of spying for Moscow.

RMF FM stated that Polish security agencies had dismantled a Russian spy network.

Six persons were held on suspicion of installing concealed cameras to film transport infrastructure used to transfer supplies to Ukraine, according to the report.

According to RMF FM, the cell had devised sabotage plots.

After the Ukraine crisis, Russia and the West’s decades-long spy war has escalated.

Poland is one of Ukraine’s greatest allies, and its security forces have arrested many people on suspicion of espionage for Russia since the invasion last February.

The organization, according to the radio station, has planted dozens of cameras alongside railway junctions and vital transportation routes in Poland’s Podkarpackie area, which borders Ukraine.

Military and humanitarian goods to Ukraine

These were discovered at a small regional airport that has been transformed into an international logistical hub for transferring military and humanitarian goods to Ukraine.

Military and cargo planes from the United States and Europe regularly fly into and out of the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport, where US troops can be seen beside their Humvees, to give supplies to waiting trucks on their way to the Ukrainian border.

Because the location is deemed so critical, Washington has placed American Patriot air defense systems to safeguard the airstrip.

On his trip to Kyiv, US Vice President Joe Biden landed at the airport.

According to RMF FM, security at key infrastructure locations has been increased.

On Thursday morning, Poland’s Interior Minister, Mariusz Kaminski, who is in charge of the Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW), whose personnel allegedly made the arrests, is scheduled to talk to the media about the RMF FM report.

In the last year, several people have been arrested for spying. Prosecutors charged a Russian national who has lived in Poland for a long time with espionage for Russia between 2015 and 2022 last month.

The individual, who owned a business in Poland, is said to have been associated with historical reconstruction groups, where he met with Polish military members.

He was arrested in April of last year after an inquiry revealed that he reportedly collected information on the organizational structure of Polish military formations in the country’s northeast.

The ABW detained a Spanish national of Russian ancestry last year in Przemysl, south-eastern Poland, on suspicion of spying for Moscow. He was identified as an agent for Russia’s military intelligence service (GRU).

In March of last year, Tomasz L., a Polish employee of the Warsaw Registration Office, was arrested on suspicion of passing operationally valuable material to Russian intelligence agents.

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US drone downing: Russia will attempt to recover drone fragments

March 16, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

The massive MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed into the ocean.
Moscow was attempting to locate the aircraft.
“I don’t know whether we’ll be able to retrieve it or not but it has to be done,” Mr. Patrushev said.

Russia announced on Wednesday that it will attempt to recover the remains of an American drone that had crashed into the Black Sea.

On Tuesday, the massive MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed into the ocean.

The US said it brought down the damaged drone after it became “unflyable” after a Russian plane clipped its propeller, but Moscow denies this.

Russian security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev stated on state television that Moscow was attempting to locate the aircraft.

“I don’t know whether we’ll be able to retrieve it or not but it has to be done,” Mr. Patrushev said.

A confirmation of War

He also said that the drone’s presence in the Black Sea was “confirmation” that the US was directly involved in the war.

Top Washington official John Kirby said the US was also seeking for the aircraft, but warned that if Russia beat them to it, “their potential to use relevant intelligence will be significantly reduced”.

General Mark Milley, America’s top military commander, emphasized that the US has taken “mitigating measures” to guarantee there was nothing of value aboard the downed drone.

He predicted that retrieving the drone would be difficult, adding that the water where it crashed was anywhere between 4,000ft and 5,000ft (1,200m to 1,500m) deep.

According to US military officials, the incident occurred on Tuesday morning and lasted approximately 30-40 minutes.

The Pentagon said in a statement that Russian jets poured gasoline on the drone several times prior to the crash.

According to Pentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder, the drone was “unflyable and uncontrollable,” and the crash likely destroyed the Russian aircraft as well.

Russia has denied any touch between its two Su-27 fighter jets and the US drone.

Sharp maneuver

The drone fell after a “sharp maneuver,” according to Russia’s defense ministry, and it was flying with its transponders (communication devices) turned off.

Lloyd Austin, the US Defense Secretary, revealed he met with his Russian colleague, Sergei Shoigu, the day after the drone was shot down.

Russia’s defense ministry blamed the event on “increasing reconnaissance actions against the interests of the Russian Federation” in a statement made following the phone contact. It also branded US drone missions off the coast of Crimea “provocative”.

The United States and the United Kingdom have historically gone to extreme lengths to recover their technology following catastrophes.

They recovered the wreckage of their F-35 stealth fighter plane after it sank in the South China Sea.

On the surface, the Military appears to be less concerned by the loss of a Reaper drone. It’s older technology, and many have been lost in the past.

And attempting to recover a downed drone in deep waters near a war zone, with Russian ships and submarines patrolling, may pose even greater risks of escalation.

Since Russia’s annexation of nearby Crimea in 2014, tensions have risen over the Black Sea.

Increase in surveillance flights

During Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, the United States and the United Kingdom have increased surveillance flights, always flying in international airspace.

The missing Reaper may have carried a surveillance pod capable of absorbing electronic data such as radar waves.

The US Department of Defense said in a news release that the surveillance trips are designed to acquire information that helps strengthen security for Europe and aids “allied partners”.

The US is said to have already shared intelligence with Ukraine, including assistance in sinking a Russian ship in the Black Sea.

According to Ukraine’s foreign minister, occurrences like the downing of an American drone over the Black Sea are unavoidable until Russia departs Crimea.

It is described as “As long as Russia holds Crimea, these types of incidents will be unavoidable, and the Black Sea will not be a safe place,” Dmytro Kuleba warned.

Although Russia took Crimea in 2014, the vast majority of countries still consider it to be part of Ukraine.

The sources questioned Mr. Kuleba if the US and its allies would be more careful in the aftermath of the drone disaster.

“If the West wants to demonstrate its weakness, it should certainly demonstrate its cautiousness after an incident like this, but I don’t have a feeling that this is the mood in capitals,” he replied.

US MILITARY VOWED

“The mood is not to escalate but nor is the mood to lean under the pressure – the physical or rhetorical pressure – of Russia.”

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed the military would “continue to fly and operate” wherever international law allows.”

After being asked to confer with officials in Washington, Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov stated that the drone incident was viewed as a “provocation” by Moscow.

From the Kremlin’s point of view, Mr. Antonov added: “The unacceptable activity of the US military in the close proximity to our borders is a cause for concern.”

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, there has been no high-level interaction between Moscow and Washington regarding the event.

He did, however, state that Russia would never refuse to engage in meaningful conversation.

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Russia-US relations at “lowest point” after drone incident

March 15, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

Relations between the US and Russia are at their lowest point. After a Russian fighter jet forced a US Air Force drone to crash in the Black Sea. The drone was carrying out routine operations in international airspace at the time. Relations between the US and Russia are at their “lowest point” and are in … Read more

Vladimir Putin says Germany remains “occupied”

March 15, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Vladimir Putin said Germany’s reaction to the North Sea pipeline accident demonstrated that the country was still “occupied.”
The pipelines were supposed to transport Russian gas to Germany.
He also said that European politicians had been browbeaten into surrendering their feeling of sovereignty and independence.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Germany’s reaction to the North Sea pipeline accident demonstrated that the country was still “occupied” and unable to act autonomously decades after its capitulation at the conclusion of World War II.

In an interview with Russian television, Putin also said that European politicians had been browbeaten into surrendering their feeling of sovereignty and independence.

Western countries, particularly Germany, have reacted gingerly to probes into the explosives that struck Russia‘s Nord Stream gas pipelines last year, stating they believe the blasts were intentional but declining to name who they suspect was responsible.

“The matter is that European politicians have said themselves publicly that after World War Two, Germany was never a fully sovereign state,” sources quoted Putin.

“The Soviet Union at one point withdrew its forces and ended what amounted to an occupation of the country. But that, as is well known, was not the case with the Americans. They continue to occupy Germany.”

Putin informed the interviewer that the explosions were carried out on a “state level,” dismissing as “complete nonsense” accusations that an autonomous pro-Ukraine group was to blame.

The pipelines were supposed to transport Russian gas to Germany, but Berlin has made steps to minimize its reliance on Russian hydrocarbons since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago.

Authorities in Berlin have been circumspect about apportioning responsibility for the explosives, with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius stating last week the blasts could have been a “false-flag operation to blame Ukraine”.

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Russia pilots careless in drone collision, US says

March 15, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

The United States has accused Russia of irresponsible behaviour.
American drone plunged into the Black Sea after colliding with Russian fighter planes.
Russia has denied any touch between its two Su-27 fighter fighters.

The United States has accused Russia of irresponsible behaviour after an American drone plunged into the Black Sea after colliding with Russian fighter planes.

Russian planes are reported to have thrown gasoline into the path of the drone, which the US claims was in international airspace at the time of the accident.

The US brought down the damaged MQ-9 Reaper drone when it became “unflyable,” according to the Military.

Russia has denied any touch between its two Su-27 fighter fighters.

The main question is whether the encounter was simply an attempt by Russia to interrupt the American drone’s job or a purposeful attempt to bring it down.

According to US military authorities, the event occurred on Tuesday about 07:03 Central European Time (06:03 GMT) and lasted approximately 30-40 minutes.

The fighter planes dropped gasoline on the drone many times before the crash in a “reckless, ecologically unsound, and unprofessional way,” according to a statement.

According to a spokesperson Brig Gen Pat Ryder, the drone was “unflyable and unmanageable, therefore we pulled it down,” and the impact likely damaged the Russian aircraft.

He stated that the planes were able to land after the event.

Reaper drones are surveillance aircraft with a wingspan of 20m (66ft).

According to Brig Gen Ryder, the Russians have not retrieved the drone.

The United States’ National Security Council’s John Kirby told: “Without getting into too much detail, what I can say is that we’ve taken steps to protect our equities with respect to that particular drone.”

According to Russia’s defence ministry, the drone crashed after a “sharp manoeuvre” and was flying with its transponders switched off. Transponders are communication devices that enable the aircraft to be tracked.

Prof Michael Clarke, visiting professor in war studies at King’s College, told that the collision was “almost certainly an accident”.

The ex-director general of the defence and security think tank Royal United Services Institute said: “I don’t believe any pilot could deliberately do that [only colliding with another aircraft’s propeller] without seriously endangering their aircraft and own life.”

The event shows the growing danger of a direct confrontation between Russia and the United States over the Ukrainian conflict.

To protest the move, the United States summoned Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov to Washington.

During the discussion, Russian state media cited Mr Antonov as stating that Moscow considered the drone incident as “a provocation” and that “the unacceptable activity of the US military in the close proximity to our borders is a cause for concern”.

After Russia’s takeover of Crimea in 2014, tensions have increased over the Black Sea.

With Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, the United States and the United Kingdom have increased reconnaissance and surveillance planes, always flying in international airspace.

According to the US, there has been a “pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots” interacting with allied aircraft in the region.

This suggests that the drone’s downing might have been caused by a mistake made by a Russian pilot who came too near when they “buzzed” the drone.

Nevertheless, if this was a planned strike on a US aircraft by a Russian warplane, observers believe it would be a tremendous provocation and a significant escalation.

In such situation, the strike would be interpreted as an attempt by the Kremlin to put the US reaction to the test.

Western allies have worked hard to prevent the Ukrainian conflict from turning into a direct confrontation with Russia. Yet that is all that happened over the Black Sea. The United States must now assess its reaction.

As US military chiefs cautioned in their statement, this was a risky conduct that “could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation”.

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US drone crash: A perilous moment

March 15, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

This appears to be the most serious publicly acknowledged US-Russia conflict.
It raises many questions and signals a potentially dangerous period.
The whole episode lasted roughly 30-40 minutes.

The collision between Russian jets and a US drone, which ended in the drone plunging into the Black Sea, appears to be the most serious publicly acknowledged US-Russia conflict since Russia‘s all-out invasion of Ukraine over a year ago.

As so, it raises many questions and signals a potentially dangerous period.

According to John Kirby of the United States National Security Council (NSC), there had been other intercepts “even in recent weeks,” but this one was unique.

Could it have been a mistake?

“Based on the actions of the Russian pilots, it’s clear that it was unsafe, unprofessional,” was the verdict of the Pentagon’s Press Secretary, Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder.

“I think the actions speak for themselves.”

Is Russia’s pilots’ behavior – allegedly pouring fuel in the route of the drone and then colliding with it – a serious escalation?

According to the Pentagon, the whole episode lasted roughly 30-40 minutes.

According to Gen Ryder, there was no direct communication between the Soviet and US armies at the time.

According to US sources, the Russian Su-27 jets involved “likely” received some damage, indicating that the collision was not intentional.

“I do know that the state department is raising our concerns about the incident directly with the Russian government,” he added.

What, if anything, does the incident portend for the future of US drone operations over the Black Sea, as well as the crucial monitoring such flights provide for Ukraine?

“If the message is that they want to deter or dissuade us from flying or operating in international airspace over the Black Sea,” Mr. Kirby told, “then that message will fail because that is not going to happen”.

Not surprisingly, Russia wishes to make such efforts as difficult as possible for Ukraine’s supporters.

Washington is being tight-lipped about what has happened to the drone.

After the collision, US remote pilots were forced to bring it down in the Black Sea.

General Ryder refused to identify where it landed or whether the Russian navy attempted to recover it.

Audio recordings surfacing on social media appear to imply that a Russian recovery effort was in progress. However, this has not been confirmed.

Certainly, Washington would be upset if such sensitive monitoring technology came into the hands of Russia.

For Joe Biden, who is willing to defend Ukraine for “as long as it takes,” this is a tricky situation.

Not only is Western armament assisting Ukraine in repelling Russia’s assault.

It also has a massive amount of real-time intelligence on all aspects of Russia’s military actions, such as the movement of ships in the Black Sea and the launch of missiles intended at targets around Ukraine.

Kyiv relies significantly on information flow, from guarding Ukraine’s crucial national infrastructure to organizing its own offensive operations.

For obvious reasons, US authorities would not discuss what, if any, extra safeguards will be implemented in its monitoring operations.

America wants to keep them going but is wary of deploying force and risking a more direct confrontation with Moscow.

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Encounter with Russian jet resulted in US drone crash

March 15, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Russian fighter plane collided with a US drone.
The drone was on a regular mission in international airspace
The US summoned the Russian ambassador to Washington.

According to the American military, a Russian fighter plane collided with a US drone, leading the unmanned US aircraft to crash into the Black Sea.

The event shows the growing danger of a direct confrontation between Russia and the United States over the Ukraine conflict.

According to the US, the drone was on a regular mission in international airspace when two Russian fighter jets attempted to intercept it.

Russia said the drone crashed after a “sharp maneuver,” but denied that the two planes collided.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the MQ-9 Reaper drone was also flying with its transponders turned off. Transponders are communication devices that enable airplane tracking.

Reaper drones are surveillance aircraft with a wingspan of 20m (66ft).

According to the US military, the event occurred on Tuesday at about 07:03 Central European Time (06:03 GMT).

“Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9,” the statement said.

Several times before the collision the Su-27 fighter jets dumped fuel on the drone in a “reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner”, it said.

The US summoned the Russian ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, to protest against the measure.

Following the discussion, Russian official media paraphrased Antonov as claiming that the drone incident was a “provocation” for Moscow.

After Russia’s takeover of Crimea in 2014, tensions have increased over the Black Sea.

With Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, the United States and the United Kingdom have increased reconnaissance and surveillance planes, always flying in international airspace.

The important question is whether Russia’s interaction on Tuesday was an attempt to interrupt the American drone’s work or a planned attempt to bring it down.

According to the US, there has been a “pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots” in the region while interacting with allied aircraft.

So it’s possible that a Russian pilot got too close to the drone when they “buzzed” it. Nevertheless, if this was a premeditated attack on an American aircraft by a Russian warplane, it would be a massive provocation and a significant escalation.

In such a situation, the strike would be interpreted as an attempt by the Kremlin to put the US response to the test.

Western allies have worked hard to prevent the Ukrainian conflict from turning into a direct confrontation with Russia. But that is all that happened over the Black Sea. The United States must now assess its response.

As US military chiefs cautioned in their statement, this was a dangerous conduct that “could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation”.

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Paris 2024: Majority in France welcome Russian, Belarusian Olympians

March 14, 2023 by Hamza Ali

French citizens support Russian or Belarusian passports. Competing as neutral competitors in Paris in 2024. 3.25 million tickets have been sold in first 3 weeks of sales. According to an online poll conducted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the majority of French citizens support Olympians with Russian or Belarusian passports competing as neutral competitors … Read more

Ukraine orders expulsion from the liberated city

March 14, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

The artillery fire becomes more intense at night, so Liuba and her husband hold hands.
Ukrainian authorities ordered the mandatory evacuation.
Authorities claim, they manage between eight and forty voluntary evacuations.

The artillery fire becomes more intense at night, so Liuba and her husband hold hands It keeps them safe, she says, sadly nodding her head. She’s standing in the ruins of her garden, which was destroyed a month ago during a particularly bad night.

The shelling destroyed their neighbor’s house, knocking Liuba and her husband to the kitchen floor. Serhei, she claims, landed with the fridge on top of him and was thankfully more shaken than physically hurt. They are still refusing to leave.

“This is our home,” Liuba told. “Not the Russians’. Besides it’s getting warmer and with the rainwater we collect from buckets, we will survive.”

Liuba and Serhei, who gave only their first names for security reasons, are among the last 2,500 residents of Kupiansk, a city in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region where the front line has never strayed too far and where Ukrainian authorities fear it will return.

According to Kupiansk police chief Konstiantyn Tarasov, the din of artillery – both the dull thud of outgoing and the sharper whistle of incoming fire – has been getting unnervingly closer since mid-February. Russian positions are now less than 5 miles from a city they occupied at the start of the invasion before losing it in September to Ukraine‘s fall counteroffensive.

Due to “constant” Russian shelling, Ukrainian authorities ordered the mandatory evacuation of Kupiansk’s most vulnerable residents last week.

“We put up signs everywhere about the free evacuation with phone numbers to call,” said Dmytro Kovalov, one of the volunteers assisting with the evacuations.

“As shelling has intensified, more people have been registering. But then the internet was cut for two days so they couldn’t get in touch,” Kovalov told. “That’s why we started just blindly visiting addresses, knocking on doors. But some people refuse to go. They don’t want to leave their houses behind, and they hope that the Russians will be pushed back.”

Authorities claim that on most days, they manage between eight and forty voluntary evacuations.

According to a spokesman for Kupiansk police, there were still 350 children and 363 people with disabilities inside the city as of last week. Aside from the repeated shelling, the city is also difficult to access due to the damage done to its infrastructure by more than a year of war, including many of the roads and bridges leading in and out.

The city’s main market has also been reduced to rubble, forcing the city’s remaining residents to buy and sell whatever they can on cardboard boxes lining a dirt track. If the sound of shelling becomes too close, everything laid out can be easily packed up.

Lida, who stacks yellowed smoked fish among the produce on the table, claims to be an expert on the sound of incoming and outgoing artillery. Last year, she endured six months of Russian occupation. She also told that she will not be relocated from Kupiansk this time.

“We are not rats!” said Lida, who also gave only her first name for security reasons. “Besides, if we go, who will take over?”

Tarasov, the police chief, showed what a Russian Grad missile did to a makeshift medicine dispensary just a few days earlier, about 100 yards from where she sits. But there isn’t much to see beyond the debris and missile remnants. This is what the Russians do as they move closer to the city centre, targeting the few civilians who remain in order to survive, according to Tarasov.

Lida, on the other hand, is unmoved.

“What’s the difference?” she asked. “They are shelling Kharkiv as well. Is there any certainty I will stay alive there? No. So, we will stay here and hide where we can, behind the houses, or somewhere.”

The relentless attacks have left scars on most buildings, and many have been demolished. There aren’t many places to hide for the last few thousand civilians of Kupiansk.

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China to fully reopen borders to foreigners

March 14, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

China will resume issuing all types of visas on Wednesday.
Prior to the outbreak, areas in China that did not require visas will revert to visa-free admission.
Foreigners who obtained visas before March 28, 2020, will be eligible to enter China if their visas have not expired.

China will reopen its borders to foreign tourists for the first time in three years, allowing all sorts of visas to be issued beginning Wednesday.

The elimination of this final cross-border control mechanism implemented to protect against COVID-19 comes after officials declared victory over the virus last month.

Insiders in the tourism business do not anticipate a large flood of visitors or a big boost to the economy in the immediate term. In 2019, overseas tourism receipts contributed to only 0.9% of China’s GDP.

Yet, the resumption of tourist visa issuing is part of Beijing’s larger attempt to normalize two-way travel between China and the rest of the globe, following the withdrawal of its recommendation to people against international travel in January.

Regions of China that did not require visas prior to the pandemic would restore visa-free entrance, the foreign ministry announced on Tuesday. This will cover cruise ships transiting through Shanghai port as well as the southern vacation island of Hainan, a long-time favorite among Russians.

VISA-FREE

Visa-free entry for foreigners from Hong Kong and Macau to China’s most prosperous province, Guangdong, will also be reinstated, which will benefit high-end hotels popular with international business visitors in particular.

“The announcement that China will resume issuing nearly all types of visas for foreigners from tomorrow is positive for Australian businesses whose executives would like to travel to here to visit their China-based teams, customers, and suppliers and to explore new business opportunities in the mainland market,” said Vaughn Barber, chairman of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in China.

Foreign guests are progressively being allowed back into Chinese events, such as the China Development Forum in Beijing later this month and the Shanghai Autoshow in April. The Asian Games, which are held every four years, will also be held in the eastern city of Hangzhou in September after being postponed last year owing to China’s COVID worries.

But, prospective tourists may not arrive in droves right away.

Unfavorable views of China among Western democracies have hardened as a result of concerns about human rights and Beijing’s aggressive foreign policy, as well as reservations about the handling of COVID-19, according to a global study conducted by the Pew Research Center in September.

“In terms of tourism, China is no longer a hotspot destination,” said an executive at China International Travel Services in Beijing, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

“Commercially, the wish of foreigners to run events in China also decreased after COVID, because too many things here are impacted by politics which has scared them off.”

GEOPOLITICS

In a further loosening of outbound tourist rules, China added 40 new nations to its list of those that accept group visits, bringing the total to 60.

Nonetheless, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the United States remain on the list. As Washington and Beijing sparred over topics ranging from Russia and Ukraine to Chinese military posture in the South China Sea, ties between the two countries became stronger.

“It’s common to use tourist visas to come to China on business, but I don’t know how enthusiastic institutional investors will be to do so, after all the drumbeat of scary news,” said Duncan Clark, founder of BDA, a Beijing-based investment consultancy.

Just 115.7 million cross-border journeys were undertaken in and out of China in 2022, with foreigners accounting for only 4.5 million.

In comparison, prior to the implementation of COVID, China recorded 670 million total travels in 2019, with foreigners accounting for 97.7 million.

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High casualties recorded during battle for Bakhmut

March 14, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Russian forces have lost more than 1,100 lives in the last several days.
Many more have been gravely injured.
More than 220 Ukrainian service members, according to Russia, have died.

As the conflict for Bakhmut continues, reports indicate that Russia and Ukraine have suffered significant losses.

Moscow has been waging a grueling war of attrition on eastern Ukraine for months.

Russian forces have lost more than 1,100 lives in the last several days, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and many more have been gravely injured.

Over the previous 24 hours, more than 220 Ukrainian service members, according to Russia, have died.

Despite having minimal strategic worth, according to analysts, Bakhmut has become a focus for Russian commanders who have found it difficult to bring any good news to the Kremlin.

By taking the city, Russia would be a little bit closer to its objective of dominating the entire Donetsk region, one of the four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine that it annexed last September after holding fraudulent referendums that were roundly denounced outside of Russia.

Russian forces are being constrained, according to Ukrainian commanders who have committed major resources to the city’s defense, and their plan is to stop Moscow from launching any more offensives in the near future.

“In less than a week, starting from 6 March, we managed to kill more than 1,100 enemy soldiers in the Bakhmut sector alone, Russia’s irreversible loss, right there, near Bakhmut,” Mr. Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

He claimed that 1,500 Russian servicemen suffered injuries severe enough to prevent them from participating in further combat.

The Russian defense ministry reported that “more than 220 Ukrainian servicemen” had been killed by Russian forces.

The Russian mercenary Wagner Group, according to Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the ground forces of Ukraine, was hitting his soldiers from a number of angles in an effort to get past defenses and go into the town’s key neighborhoods.

The paramilitary group is the driving force behind the Russian attack on Bakhmut. Yevgeny Prigozhin, its commander, has placed both his reputation and the reputation of his private army on capturing Bakhmut.

He said on Sunday that the situation in the city was “difficult, very difficult, the enemy is fighting for every meter”.

“And the closer to the city center, the fiercer the fighting,” he said in a voice recording published on Telegram.

After his envisioned capture of Bakhmut, “we will begin to reboot” and “will start recruiting new people from the regions”, he said.

And on Saturday, the Institute for the Study of War – a US think tank – reported that Moscow’s offense was stalling.

“Wagner Group fighters are likely becoming increasingly pinned in urban areas… and are therefore finding it difficult to make significant advances,” it said.

Only a few thousand of the 70,000 who were residing in Bakhmut prior to the invasion still do. The city used to be well known for its sizable winery, salt, and gypsum mines.

According to the governor of the Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, those who stay in the city run the risk of leading dangerous lives. On Monday, four individuals were hurt in Bakhmut.

Bakhmut has acquired political significance in Ukraine as well, with President Zelensky elevating the city to the status of a symbol of resistance.

In December, he paid a visit to Washington, referring to it as “the fortress of our morale,” and presented a Bakhmut flag to the US Congress.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have reportedly been killed or injured in and around Bakhmut, according to Western officials.

A proposal presented to the Russian parliament on Monday proposes to raise the age range for conscription from 18–27 years to 21–30 years.

The conscription age would be extended to 10 or 11 years in 2024 or 2025 rather than the customary nine years. This would increase the number of men who are eligible to serve in the military.

Attempts by Russia to enlist thousands of fresh soldiers for the Ukrainian war in the past encountered considerable opposition. Long lines formed at border crossings in September after the announcement of a partial military mobilization as males eligible for the draught tried to evade the call-up.

Reports of males of combat age running away, according to the Kremlin, were overstated.

Seven locals were hurt on Monday in the Donetsk region outside of the fighting in Bakhmut, according to governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.

The regional governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai, claimed that Russian bombardment on the battle line had “seriously intensified” further east. He also mentioned that Russia was stationing an increasing number of troops and equipment nearby.

According to the local administration, there were 47 attacks against Ukrainian forces in Zaporizhzhia in other parts of eastern Ukraine.

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Severe casualties are reported as battle for Bakhmut rages

March 13, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

Russia and Ukraine have suffered significant losses in the conflict for Bakhmut. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claiming 1,100 deaths and 1,500 injuries. The Russian mercenary Wagner Group is the driving force behind the attack. As the conflict for Bakhmut continues, reports indicate that Russia and Ukraine have suffered significant losses. Moscow has been waging a … Read more

United Kingdom ramps up defense spending by $6 billion

March 13, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

UK has increased defense spending by $6 billion to “fortify” against Russia and China. And is expected to purchase four nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines from the US. China opposes the AUKUS pact, claiming it exacerbates nuclear proliferation. On the eve of highly anticipated discussions with AUKUS partners, the United States and Australia, the Premier of the … Read more

Xi Jinping may meet Putin in Moscow next week

March 13, 2023 by Raba Noor

The visit is being planned at a time when China has offered to mediate a settlement in Ukraine.
Putin had asked Xi to come to Russia in the spring.
Since taking office, Xi has personally encountered Putin 39 times.

Chinese President Xi Jinping may travel to Russia as early as next week to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, according to the sources.

The visit is being planned at a time when China has offered to mediate a settlement in Ukraine, a move that has been received with skepticism in the West due to China’s diplomatic support for Russia.

Putin had asked Xi to come to Russia in the spring, according to a January 30 report from the Russian news agency Tass. Last month, The Wall Street Journal claimed that a trip to Moscow might occur in April or early May.

A comment on whether or not Xi might visit Moscow was requested from the Kremlin, but the Chinese foreign minister did not provide one right away.

There were no additional details provided right away.

Given how sensitive the subject is, the sources who were briefed on it declined to disclose their names.

Putin hinted that Xi Jinping would visit Russia last month when he welcomed Wang Yi, China’s senior diplomat, to Moscow.

Weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, in February 2022, when Putin was in Beijing for the Winter Olympics, China and Russia forged a “no limits” alliance. Since then, the two nations have repeatedly reaffirmed the strength of their ties.

Since taking office, Xi has personally encountered Putin 39 times. Their most recent encounter took place in September during a summit in central Asia.

Xi completed the National People’s Congress’ yearly session on Monday, during which he was unanimously elected to a record-breaking third term as president.

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100 troops killed in 24 hours in fight for Bakhmut

March 13, 2023 by Raba Noor

Kyiv is fending off relentless attacks, and the new front line is a small river that cuts the city in half.
Moscow soldiers were slain and more than 300 were injured in Bakhmut.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Donetsk.

In the battle for Bakhmut, hundreds of enemy soldiers are said to have been slain, according to both Ukraine and Russia. Kyiv is fending off relentless attacks, and the new front line is a small river that cuts the city in half.

According to Serhiy Cherevatyi, a military spokesperson for the Ukrainian army, 221 pro-Moscow soldiers were slain and more than 300 were injured in Bakhmut. Up to 210 Ukrainian troops were reportedly killed in the wider Donetsk sector of the frontline, according to the Russian defense ministry.

Although Moscow did not provide specifics regarding Bakhmut casualties, the now virtually deserted eastern Donetsk town has been the scene of one of the war’s longest and bloodiest battles.

Although it is difficult to independently confirm the precise number of casualties, both parties have acknowledged experiencing significant losses and enduring harm in Bakhmut. British military intelligence reported on Saturday that the majority of the eastern portion of Bakhmut has been taken over by the Russian Wagner mercenary group, an advance that group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed on Wednesday.

The Bakhmutka River now delineates the front line in the city center, according to the British Defense Ministry’s daily intelligence report.

The commander in charge of defending Bakhmut stated that it was essential for a Ukrainian counter-strike that Bakhmut be protected as Ukraine maintained it was holding on and providing a “decent rebuff” to Russian forces. Colonel general Oleksandr Syrskyi was quoted by the military as saying, “It is essential to gain time to accumulate reserves and start a counter-offensive, which is not far off.

According to Moscow, taking Bakhmut would weaken Ukrainian defenses and pave the way for capturing the entire industrial area of the Donbas.

Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Donetsk and Kherson regions the day before resulted in at least five deaths and seven injuries, according to Ukrainian officials on Sunday.

Barley contract negotiations

Russian representatives have not yet participated in talks to extend the Black Sea grain agreement, according to the Russian foreign ministry’s statement on Sunday.

Russian representatives were not present during any talks on this matter, according to Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry.

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Russian wives and mothers call on Putin

March 12, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

A group of Russian wives and mothers have petitioned President Vladimir Putin.
The women are seen in the video holding a sign in Russian.
Russia’s decision to send hundreds of thousands of troops to fight on Ukrainian battlefields.

A group of Russian wives and mothers have petitioned President Vladimir Putin to stop sending their husbands and sons “to the slaughter” by forcing them to join assault groups with insufficient training and supplies.

The women claimed in a video shared by the independent Russian Telegram channel SOTA that their loved ones were “forced to join assault groups” at the beginning of March despite having received only four days of training since their mobilisation in September.

The women are seen in the video holding a sign in Russian that reads “580 Separate Howitzer Artillery Division,” with the date March 11, 2023.

“My husband… is located on the line of contact with the enemy,” says one woman in the recording.

“Our mobilized [men] are being sent like lambs to the slaughter to storm fortified areas – five at a time, against 100 heavily armed enemy men,” she continued.

“They are prepared to serve their homeland but according to the specialization they’ve trained for, not as stormtroopers. We ask that you pull back our guys from the line of contact and provide the artillerymen with artillery and ammunition.”

Russia’s decision to send hundreds of thousands of troops to fight on Ukrainian battlefields has sparked outrage and prompted many Russians, particularly young men, to flee the country.

”We ran away from Russia because we want to live,” one man, who asked not to be identified to protect loved ones left behind, previously told. “We are afraid that we can be sent to Ukraine.”

Families of drafted Russian men have criticised the mobilisation, claiming that it is plagued by issues such as discipline issues and a lack of leadership from mid-ranking officers, as well as logistical issues such as insufficient uniforms, poor food, and a lack of medical supplies.

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Russia, Ukraine claim hundreds of enemy troops killed in battle for Bakhmut

March 12, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

221 pro-Moscow troops were killed and more than 300 were injured.
Russia did not specify the number of dead at Bakhmut.
Both sides have claimed to suffer and inflict heavy losses at Bakhmut.

Ukraine and Russia said on Saturday that hundreds of enemy troops had been killed in the previous 24 hours in the battle for Bakhmut, with Kyiv fighting off an unrelenting onslaught and a small river that bisects the town now defining the new front line.

According to Serhiy Cherevatyi, a Ukrainian military spokeswoman, 221 pro-Moscow troops were killed and more than 300 were injured in Bakhmut. According to Russia’s defense ministry, up to 210 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the Donetsk sector of the battlefield.

While Russia did not specify the number of dead at Bakhmut, the eastern Donetsk town has been the site of one of the bloodiest and longest clashes of the year-long conflict.

Both sides have claimed to suffer and inflict heavy losses at Bakhmut, though the precise number of casualties is impossible to confirm independently.

According to British military intelligence, Russia’s Wagner mercenary group has taken control of much of Bakhmut’s eastern region, an advance that the group’s head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced on Wednesday.

“In the city centre, the Bakhmutka River now marks the front line,” the British Defence Ministry said in its daily intelligence bulletin.

Ukraine insisted that it was holding on in Bakhmut and was giving a “decent rebuff” to Russian forces, with the commander in charge of defending Bakhmut saying its protection was key for a Ukrainian counter-strike.

“It is necessary to gain time to accumulate reserves and start a counter-offensive, which is not far off,” the military cited Colonel general Oleksandr Syrskyi as saying on Saturday.

According to Russia, taking Bakhmut would breach Ukrainian defenses and be a step towards seizing the whole Donbas industrial region, a significant aim. According to Kyiv, the conflict is wearing down Russia’s strongest units.

Prigozhin stated on Saturday that he is now 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) from the city’s administrative center. The center is located on the west bank of the Bakhmutka River.

British intelligence said that with the river running through some open ground, “this area has become a killing zone, likely making it highly challenging for Wagner forces attempting to continue their frontal assault westward.”

But the situation remained dangerous for Ukrainian forces.

“The Ukrainian force and their supply lines to the west remain vulnerable to the continued Russian attempts to outflank the defenders from the north and south,” it said.

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We are fighting to make sure there is no disgrace, says Prigozhin

March 11, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

Yevgeny Prigozhin declared that his soldiers’ mission is to prevent the “disgrace” of Russia. At the hands of Western governments. He also claimed credit for Wagner’s efforts, sparking rumors of elite factionalism in Moscow. Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed that his soldiers’ “basic” mission is to prevent the “disgrace” of Russia at the hands of Western governments. … Read more

Ukraine says Bakhmut battle wearing down Russia’s best units

March 11, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Ukraine claims that the Bakhmut conflict has given it an advantage.
Russia’s Prigozhin claims to have received additional ammunition.
After Thursday’s missile attacks, most of Ukraine’s power was restored.

Ukraine has decided to fight on in the devastated city of Bakhmut because the war is trapping down and degrading Russia’s best battalions ahead of a planned Ukrainian spring counter-offensive, according to an assistant to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Mykhailo Podolyak’s remarks were the latest indication of a shift by Kyiv this week to continue defending the little eastern city, the site of the war’s deadliest fighting, as Moscow seeks its first significant triumph in more than a year.

“Russia has changed tactics,” Podolyak said in an interview published by Italy’s La Stampa newspaper. “It has converged on Bakhmut with a large part of its trained military personnel, the remnants of its professional army, as well as the private companies.”

“We, therefore, have two objectives: to reduce their capable personnel as much as possible, and to fix them in a few key wearisome battles, to disrupt their offensive and concentrate our resources elsewhere, for the spring counter-offensive. So, today Bakhmut is completely effective, even exceeding its key tasks.”

Russia has designated Bakhmut as the primary objective of a winter offensive involving hundreds of thousands of reservists and mercenaries.

ISIS has taken control of the eastern section of the city as well as the suburbs to the north and south but has yet to form a ring around Ukrainian soldiers.

Kyiv, which appeared to be plotting a withdrawal westward at the start of March, said last week that its generals had opted to strengthen Bakhmut and fight on.

Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar claimed that, as Russia continued its onslaught, “our soldiers are doing all necessary to prevent the adversary completing their objectives”.

Russia’s advances appear to have slowed as a result of public accusations from Yevgeny Prigozhin, commander of the Wagner private militia that is spearheading Russia’s attack, that the military command is failing to supply his men with enough ammunition.

Prigozhin publicly congratulated the government on Friday for a “heroic” rise in productivity, but also expressed concern over “ammunition and shell shortages not only for Wagner… but for all units of the Russian army” in the same audio message.

Capturing Bakhmut, according to Moscow, would breach Ukrainian defenses and pave the way for total control of Ukraine’s Donbas industrial region, a primary goal.

IS MOSCOW SHORT OF MISSILES?

Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar claimed that, as Russia continued its onslaught, “our soldiers are doing all necessary to prevent the adversary completing their objectives”.

On Thursday, Russia launched missiles costing hundreds of millions of dollars over Ukraine, including an unprecedented six of its hypersonic Kinzhal (‘Dagger’) missiles, billed as a superweapon against which NATO has no answer. It is thought to have only a few dozen Kinzhals.

The onslaught killed civilians, including a family buried beneath rubble in their homes in Lviv, 700 kilometers from the conflict. Yet, it seems to have accomplished little else, with damaged power systems being swiftly restored.

The eastern city of Kharkiv looks to have suffered the worst damage, with the regional governor reporting that over 450,000 people were still without electricity on Friday evening.

There had been three weeks since the last similar Russian strike, the longest pause since such attacks began in October. Earlier, Moscow launched such attacks almost every week, putting Ukraine’s ability to restore infrastructure in jeopardy.

The Ministry of Defence in the United Kingdom said on Friday that the lengthier lull was most likely due to Moscow’s lack of missiles.

“The interval between waves of strikes is likely to lengthen because Moscow now needs to accumulate a critical quantity of newly built missiles directly from the industry before it can resource a strike large enough to credibly overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses,” the report stated.

Ukrainian opposition might also have a broader impact on Russia’s economy.

Tankers carrying Russian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were unable to enter the Black Sea because it was deemed unsafe for them to travel beneath the Crimean Bridge, a road link across the Azov Sea that was extensively damaged in October by a blast blamed by Ukraine.

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UK and France share ‘same resolve’ over Ukraine, says Macron

March 10, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

Macron and Sunak have decided to take action on Ukraine. And illegal immigration to create a durable and amicable peace. Macron declares that he wants to advance “lockstep” with the UK. United Kingdom’s Rishi Sunak and French Macron claim to have decided together to take specific action on Ukraine. He says: “Russia cannot and must … Read more

2023 Oscars: Volodymyr Zelensky’s plea denied

March 10, 2023 by Muzzammil Mehboob

Volodymyr Zelensky was denied an invitation to speak at the 2023 Oscars. He had delivered speeches on well-known occasions. He was also rejected during Toronto Film Festival. According to reports, the 2023 Oscars’ organizers and executives turned down Volodymyr Zelensky’s invitation to speak at the ceremony. The comedian-turned-politician, 45, was apparently eyeing a virtual guest … Read more

Ukraine war: Russia launches new barrage of hypersonic missiles

March 10, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

At least nine people have been killed in a new wave of strikes across Ukraine.
Russia used powerful weapons such as rare hypersonic missiles.
The Ukrainian military claimed to have shot down 34 cruise missiles.

At least nine people have been killed in a new wave of strikes across Ukraine by Russia, which used powerful weapons such as rare hypersonic missiles.

Russia had not fired Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, which can evade air defences, since the early months of the conflict, according to reports.

The most recent barrage was the most severe to strike Ukraine in weeks.

It cut power to Europe’s largest nuclear plant, Zaporizhzhia, though it was later restored.

On Thursday Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said: “High-precision long-range air, sea and land-based weapons, including the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system, hit key elements of Ukraine’s military infrastructure.”

It was Russia‘s busiest day of strikes on Ukraine since the end of January.

The Ukrainian military claimed to have shot down 34 cruise missiles as well as four Iranian-made Shahed drones.

However, it stated that it was unable to intercept the six Kinzhal ballistic missiles, as well as destroy older weapons such as Kh-22 anti-ship missiles and S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.

“This was a major attack and for the first time with so many different types of missiles,” the Reuters news agency quoted a Ukrainian air force spokesperson as saying. “It was like never before.”

The strike at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to Energoatom, has severed the facility’s connection to the Ukrainian power grid.

The facility ran on diesel generators for the sixth time since Russia took over a year ago, until the link was restored later Thursday.

Electricity is required to cool radioactive material at the plant.

“Today’s loss of all external power once again demonstrated how fragile and dangerous the situation is for the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant,” said Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Following a series of strikes since the invasion began, he had earlier on Thursday called for an international commitment to protect the plant.

“Each time we are rolling a dice. And if we allow this to continue time after time then one day our luck will run out,” Mr Grossi said.

Emergency services responded to blast sites in Kyiv’s western and southern districts.

A missile also struck an energy facility in Odesa, causing power outages, according to the city’s governor, Maksym Marchenko. There were also reports of casualties in residential areas.

In other news, Ukraine’s military says it has repulsed intense Russian attacks on the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut, despite Russian forces claiming control of its eastern half.

Moscow has been attempting to take Bakhmut for months, despite heavy losses on both sides in a grinding war of attrition.

“The enemy continued its attacks and has shown no sign of a let-up in storming the city of Bakhmut,” the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said. “Our defenders repelled attacks on Bakhmut and on surrounding communities.”

According to reports, between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or injured in the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut since it began last summer. The figures cannot be independently verified.

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Air raid alerts activates across Ukraine, including capital Kyiv

March 9, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

Air raid alarms were activated across Ukraine on Thursday. After Russia fired 80 missiles. Resulting in 11 deaths and 20 injured. Air raid alarms were activated across the entirety of Ukraine including capital Kyiv on Thursday, according to the emergency air alarms map of that nation. The action was taken after missile strikes across Ukraine … Read more

Ukrainian conflict: Russian air attacks target cities across Ukraine

March 9, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Russia has attacked residential buildings and infrastructure.
Power outages have been reported in various places.
Residential areas were also impacted, but no casualties were reported.

Russia has carried out a series of missile strikes across Ukraine, hitting residential buildings and infrastructure in Kharkiv and Odesa, Ukrainian officials say.

Power outages have been reported in various places as a result of the strikes, according to regional officials.

According to the governor of Odesa, Maksym Marchenko, a mass missile attack hit an energy facility, causing power outages.

Residential areas were also impacted, but no casualties were reported, he added.

Oleg Synegubov, chairman of Kharkiv’s regional administration, said “about 15” strikes had hit the city and area, with “critical infrastructure facilities” and a residential building targeted.

Additional strikes were reported in the eastern city of Dnipro and other areas.

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