russia – Page 13 – BOL News Staging

US diplomat: “What’s it like to negotiate with Putin?”

February 22, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

The US ambassador to Russia told the sources about how difficult it is to deal with the Kremlin. The US ambassador spoke with Russian authorities about preventing war. Vladimir Putin wasn’t interested in negotiating before the war, the US ambassador says. The former US ambassador to Russia has told the sources about how difficult it … Read more

Putin pulls back from the United States’ only surviving nuclear weapons control treaty

February 22, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Russia will withdraw from the New START nuclear weapons reduction accord with the United States.
Putin made the announcement on Tuesday.
The treaty restricts the number of deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons that both countries have.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that his country will withdraw from the New START nuclear weapons reduction accord with the United States, putting the world’s two greatest nuclear arsenals in jeopardy.

Putin made the announcement on Tuesday during his much-delayed annual state of the country address to Russia’s National Assembly.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated hours after Putin’s address that the decision to suspend participation in the treaty was “reversible.”

The treaty restricts the number of deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons that both the United States and Russia can have. It was last renewed for five years in early 2021, implying that the two parties will need to start discussing another arms control pact shortly.

Both the US and Russia are allowed to undertake inspections of each other’s nuclear weapons installations under the major nuclear arms control treaty, yet inspections have been delayed since 2020 owing to the Covid-19 epidemic.

While Russia does not appear to be abandoning the accord entirely, it does appear to be formalizing its current attitude. For months, American officials have been irritated by Russia’s failure to comply with the agreement.

Very sad and reckless

Putin’s decision was described as “very sad and reckless” by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Blinken stated that President Joe Biden’s government is ready to discuss the nuclear pact “at any time with Russia, irrespective of anything else going on in the world.”

Several Western allies, like France and the United Kingdom, joined him in calling on Putin to lift the ban. According to a representative for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Britain hopes Putin would “reconsider his hasty judgment.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a lengthy statement published on its website that the decision to suspend participation in the treaty is “reversible,” adding that “Washington must show political will, make conscientious efforts for a general de-escalation, and create conditions for the resumption of the Treaty’s full functioning and, accordingly, comprehensively ensuring its viability.”

The ministry urged “the American side to do just that. Until then, any of our steps towards Washington in the context of START are absolutely out of the question.”

According to the ministry, Russia urges the US to “refrain from taking actions that could block the resumption of the New START in the event that the essential conditions for this mature.”

It also said that it would respect the nuclear weapons caps established under the treaty.

Failing to meet obligations

According to American authorities, Russia has previously refused to allow inspections of its nuclear installations. “Russia is failing to meet its obligations under the New START Treaty to permit inspection efforts on its territory,” a US State Department official stated in January.

Russia’s refusal to assist inspection efforts prohibits the US from executing crucial treaty rights and jeopardizes the viability of US-Russian nuclear weapons control, according to the spokeswoman.

The Bilateral Consultative Commission on the Treaty was scheduled to meet in Egypt in late November, but it was abruptly canceled. The US has blamed Russia for the delay, with a State Department official stating the decision was made “unilaterally” by Moscow.

The newest news from Putin “puts (the) pact on life support,” stated Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project, on Twitter, questioning whether Russia will now stop providing data with US counterparts.

Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling during the war has alarmed the US and its allies, though officials have repeatedly dismissed the moves as empty threats.

Putin warned of the “growing” possibility of nuclear war in December, while Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, warned this month that Russia losing the conflict may “provoke the outbreak of a nuclear war.”

“Nuclear powers do not lose major conflicts on which their fate depends,” Medvedev wrote in a Telegram post. “This should be obvious to anyone. Even to a Western politician who has retained at least some trace of intelligence.”

And, while a November US intelligence assessment revealed that Russian military leaders considered under what circumstances Russia might use a tactical nuclear bomb in Ukraine, officials said they have seen no proof that Putin has chosen to take the dramatic step of using one.

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Biden praises the ‘rock solid’ as Putin blames NATO for Russia’s war

February 22, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Joe Biden ailed Western democracy for standing up to open Russian aggression.
Mr. Putin said that the West had aided Nazi Germany and had transformed Ukraine into an “anti-Russian” neo-Nazi regime.
Mr. Putin has repeatedly blamed the West and Nato.

Vladimir Putin’s antipathy for the West has grown as President Joseph Biden, fresh from a visit to Kyiv, hailed Western democracy for standing up to open Russian aggression.

Mr. Putin spoke first in a week packed with activities leading up to the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Friday.

He stated that the West had aided Nazi Germany and had transformed Ukraine into an “anti-Russian” neo-Nazi regime.

Mr. Biden later stated that autocrats understood only one word: “No, no, no!”

“Putin thought the world would roll over, he was wrong,” he said, vowing that Nato was more united than ever. Kyiv stood strong, proud, tall, and free and Western support for Ukraine would not fail, he added.

While welcoming him to Warsaw’s royal castle, Polish President Andrzej Duda stated that by traveling to Kyiv, Mr. Biden demonstrated that the free world is fearless. Nato’s job was to defend and support the free world, and Ukraine “must win this battle,” according to the organization.

No indication

Mr. Putin’s speech scarcely touched on Russia’s military accomplishments in Ukraine, and there was no indication of how the war may finish. The primary military news came from Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, who accused the chief of staff and defense minister of attempting to destroy his outfit and deprive it of weaponry.

Russia’s president did, however, declare the suspension of the New Start nuclear arms control accord struck with the United States in 2010. The agreement limits the number of nuclear warheads, and Nato and UK leaders have pushed Trump to reconsider.

He also stated that he had deployed new ground-based combat systems. Last year, he promised to use “all means at our disposal” to safeguard Russia and the territory it had acquired in Ukraine.

The reality was among the first casualties of Mr. Putin’s lengthy address at an exhibition center near the Kremlin.

“They were the ones who started the war… we’re using force to stop it,” President Putin asserted in his address to both houses of Russia’s parliament.

Although there have been no Western troops on the ground in Ukraine, Russia’s foreign ministry appeared to back up this allegation when it summoned US Ambassador Lynne Tracy on Tuesday, stating that Washington should take steps to evacuate “US-NATO military and equipment” from the country.

Putin repeatedly blamed the West and Nato

Mr. Putin has repeatedly blamed the West and Nato, and he repeated many of his accusations from his Broadcast address on the day of the invasion a year ago. He brought up the Iraq war and the bombing of Belgrade but avoided discussing Russia’s protracted and destructive role in the Syrian civil war, its invasion of neighboring Georgia, or its territorial grab in Crimea.

There was a terrible reminder of the human cost of Europe’s most lethal invasion since World War II as he spoke.

Six people were killed and several more were injured when Russian munitions hit Kherson, which was liberated from Russian soldiers in November. In the city center, a bus stop, a drugstore, and residential areas were targeted, and local media reported that a kindergarten was among the structures targeted.

In his nightly address on Tuesday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia’s attacks “did not and could not have any military purpose”, and were instead intended to sow “terror”.

He noted that despite intense pressure, Ukrainian forces remained on the front lines in eastern Ukraine, where the majority of the present fighting is taking place.

What is the New Start treaty?

The New Start deal, signed in 2010 by two then-presidents, Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, was intended to prevent nuclear war. It restricts the amount of strategic nuclear warheads that each country can deploy and gives each country the authority to inspect the other.

The agreement went into effect in 2011 and was extended ten years later, despite the fact that weapons inspections were hampered by the Covid epidemic.

Each side has a limit of 1,550 long-range nuclear warheads, which is lower than the prior Start agreement.

The two former Cold War adversaries control nearly all of the world’s nuclear weapons. Notwithstanding aggressive rhetoric on both sides during the Ukraine war, Moscow has previously stated that it wished to preserve the treaty in force.

In a highly complicated security operation, President Biden visited Warsaw a day after visiting Kyiv to see President Zelensky.

The visit, according to the Polish president, conveyed “an enormously important political signal, mainly for Ukraine,” but it was also a sign that the free world and the US president were with them and did not forget.

Mr. Biden lavished admiration on Mr. Zelensky and the Ukrainians who had recaptured the area captured in the early days of the war.

He did, however, express support for Moldova’s pro-EU president, Maia Sandu, in the face of suspicions that Russia was conspiring to destabilize the existing government.

President Putin inflamed tensions in Moldova on Tuesday by canceling a 2012 directive that supported Moldova’s sovereignty in determining the future of Transnistria, a breakaway territory of Moldova where Russian forces are stationed.

An attack against one is an attack against all

President Biden is scheduled to meet with leaders of nine nations on Nato’s eastern flank on Wednesday, and he went out of his way to reiterate the United States support for one of the alliance’s key objectives.

Nato members agree to support any other member who is attacked under Article 5. Mr. Biden stated that the US was “rock solid” in its commitment to both the alliance and Article 5.

“Every member of Nato knows it and Russia knows it as well – an attack against one is an attack against all.”

Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, followed up Mr. Biden’s visit to Kyiv on Tuesday with her first trip to Ukraine. Visiting the towns of Bucha and Irpin, where Russian troops murdered hundreds of civilians, she said Ukrainians could count on Italy: “We have been with you since the start and we will be until the end.”

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Biden will depict the Ukraine conflict as a fight for democracy

February 21, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Joe Biden will deliver his speech in Warsaw, Poland, as part of a three-day visit to the country.
It will come just hours after Russia’s president blamed the West for the war.
Mr. Biden paid a surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday.

At a speech later on Monday, US President Joe Biden is set to lay out his perspective on the Ukraine conflict as a battle for democracy.

He will deliver his speech in Warsaw, Poland, as part of a three-day visit to the country.

It will come just hours after Russia’s president blamed the West for the war.

Mr. Biden paid a surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday to reinforce America’s support for Kyiv.

Both leaders’ statements come only days before the year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In Warsaw, the US president is expected to emphasize the critical role the US has played in rallying Western support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.

But he will also be looking to shore up support for his policy at home, where some politicians are expressing doubts about the scale of US involvement.

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his annual state of the nation speech – accusing the West of hypocrisy and of withdrawing from “fundamental agreements”.

“I want to repeat: it is them who are culpable for the war, and we are using force to stop it,” he said to great applause.

Mr. Putin also reiterated his unfounded claim that Moscow had been facing a Nazi threat from Ukraine, which he used as justification to launch his “special military operation”.

Before to his speech, US Vice President Joe Biden will meet with Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and other central European allies to discuss bilateral cooperation and strengthening Nato’s defenses against aggression.

That’s after the president met his Ukrainian colleague, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Kyiv on Monday – assuring a news conference that the US will assist Ukraine for “as long as it takes”.

“We have every confidence you’re going to continue to prevail,” he said.

The two also went to a memorial for troops who perished in the nine years since Russia annexed Crimea and its proxy forces took control of sections of the eastern Donbas region.

Following the visit, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a new $450 million (£373 million) package of security support for Ukraine, as well as an additional $10 million in emergency aid to preserve Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

A new round of sanctions targeting individuals and firms “seeking to escape or backfill Russia’s war machine” will be unveiled later this week.

The United States is one of Ukraine’s most important allies, having already provided billions of dollars in military aid.

Mr. Biden recently declared that the United States would supply 31 combat tanks and longer-range missiles, but has so far declined to send F-16 fighter fighters, despite repeated requests from Ukraine.

However, Mr. Zelensky on Monday said that he had discussed with Joe Biden the possibility of the US sending other weapons.

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Moscow has once again urged Sweden to share the conclusions of the Nord Stream 2 investigation

February 21, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Moscow urged Sweden to divulge the results.
Sweden and Denmark have decided that the pipes were deliberately blown up, but have not stated who might be to blame.
Nord Stream 2 construction was completed in September 2021.

Moscow urged Sweden late Monday to divulge the results of its ongoing investigation into the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year.

The United Nations Security Council will convene on Tuesday to consider “sabotage,” following Moscow’s request for an independent investigation into the September strikes on pipelines that spewed gas into the Baltic Sea.

Sweden and Denmark, whose exclusive economic zones the explosions occurred, have decided that the pipes were deliberately blown up, but have not stated who might be to blame.

“Almost five months have passed since the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. All this time, however, the Swedish authorities, as if on cue, remain silent,” Russia’s embassy to Sweden said on the Telegram messaging platform. “What is the leadership of Sweden so afraid of?”

The embassy echoed the Russian foreign ministry’s inquiry about whether Sweden had something to hide in connection with the explosions.

It also restated Moscow’s claim, without offering evidence, that the West was behind the blasts that damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which delivered Russian gas to Germany.

Nord Stream 2 construction was completed in September 2021, but it was never put into service since Germany halted certification just days before Russia unleashed soldiers into Ukraine a year ago this week.

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China is “seriously concerned” about the Ukraine issue, vows to “encourage dialogue”

February 21, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Beijing is “deeply concerned” about the violence in Ukraine.
China has indicated it will issue a proposal this week aimed at finding a “political solution.”
China will address the concerns of all parties and seek common security”.

China‘s foreign ministry said Tuesday that Beijing is “deeply concerned” about the violence in Ukraine, which is “intensifying and even getting out of control.

Beijing will “work with the international community to promote dialogue and consultation, address the concerns of all parties and seek common security”, Qin Gang said in a speech on global security in the Chinese capital.

As the year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of its neighbor approaches on February 24, China has indicated it will issue a proposal this week aimed at finding a “political solution” to the Ukraine crisis.

Qin said Tuesday that Beijing would “continue to promote peace talks” and “offer Chinese wisdom for the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, and work with the international community to promote dialogue and consultation, address the concerns of all parties and seek common security”.

“At the same time, we urge the countries concerned to stop adding fuel to the fire as soon as possible, to stop shifting the blame to China,” Qin said, following US claims that Beijing may be considering sending arms to Moscow — allegations China has denied.

Today Ukraine, tomorrow Taiwan

And regarding the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory and has vowed to seize one day, Qin urged countries to “stop making an uproar by shouting ‘Today Ukraine, tomorrow Taiwan'”.

“The pressures and attempts to contain China, coming from the outside, are getting stronger and stronger, they are getting worse and worse, posing a serious threat to China’s sovereignty and security,” Qin said.

“We firmly oppose all forms of hegemonism and power politics, firmly oppose Cold War mentality and camp confrontation, and firmly oppose any external interference in China’s internal affairs.”

Senior diplomat Wang Yi told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday that with regard to the Ukraine war, Beijing was against attacks on nuclear power facilities, opposed the use of biological weapons, and was open to engaging with “all parties”.

He also battled with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken over Washington’s shooting down of a Chinese balloon in its airspace — a response Wang described as “hysterical and absurd”.

Wang is scheduled to arrive in Moscow for talks on his penultimate stop on a European tour that has taken him through France, Italy, Hungary, and Germany.

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China criticizes US remarks about arming Russia-Ukraine conflict

February 20, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

China has refuted US allegations of arming Russia in Ukraine. Urging “peace-loving” countries to take action to put a stop to the fighting. The US is “in no position to make demands of China,” according to Wang Wenbin. China has vehemently refuted US allegations that it was considering arming Russia in its conflict with Ukraine … Read more

Three died by Russian shelling on village in Kherson

February 19, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

Three people from a family were murdered by Russian shelling in Kherson. And an 8-year-old boy was hurt. Putin claimed four areas of Ukraine had been annexed. Three individuals from a family were murdered by Russian shelling on Sunday in Kherson, an area in southern Ukraine, according to local authorities. Officials reported that two children … Read more

US is making “excuses” to escalate war, says Russia

February 19, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

Russian war crimes allegations in Ukraine have been used by Washington. To justify its own actions, including supplying Ukraine. With heavy armorment, intelligence and training. Russian war crimes allegations in Ukraine have been branded as a “excuse” by Washington to deepen the conflict, according to Russia’s ambassador to the United States. US Vice President Kamala … Read more

Russia must be defeated but not ‘crushed’, says Macron

February 19, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Emmanuel Macron does not want Russia to be defeated in Ukraine.
He criticize those who he claimed intended to extend the conflict to Russia.
He also downplayed the idea of regime change in Russia.

French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that he does not want Russia to be defeated in Ukraine.

Mr. Macron told French media that he was prepared for a long war and asked Western nations to strengthen military backing for Kyiv.

“I want Russia to be defeated in Ukraine, and I want Ukraine to be able to defend its position,” he said.

But he hit out against those who he said wanted to extend the war to Russia itself in a bid to “crush” the nation.

He did, however, criticize those who he claimed intended to extend the conflict to Russia itself in order to “crush” the country.

The remarks came as international leaders convened in Munich for the Munich Security Conference when vows were made to speed up the delivery of arms to Kyiv and to slap tighter penalties on Russia.

“I do not think, as some people do, that we must aim for a total defeat of Russia, attacking Russia on its own soil,” Mr. Macron told the paper Le Journal du Dimanche.

“Those observers want to, above all else, crush Russia. That has never been the position of France and it will never be our position.”

Mr Macron told a conference in Munich on Friday that now was not the time for engagement with Moscow.

But, he did not shy away from citing peace discussions as a long-term aim.

According to the president, the only way to “bring Russia back to the table and achieve a permanent peace” is for Ukraine’s military actions to be supported by friends.

He also downplayed the idea of regime change in Russia, calling such efforts around the world a “total failure”.

Notwithstanding Mr. Macron’s remarks, Ukraine’s officials see dialogue as a long way off.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba praised the decision not to invite Moscow to the Munich meeting on Friday.

‘Should not be invited’

Russian leaders should not be invited to the table as long as the “terrorist state kills, as long as it uses bombs, missiles, and tanks as an argument for international politics”, he said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out quick discussions with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, citing a lack of “trust” between the two countries. In an interview with the BBC earlier this week, he also opposed the idea of ceding land in order to reach an agreement with Moscow.

Other Nato countries have previously chastised Mr. Macron for sending conflicting messages about Ukraine.

Last June, he was chastised by Mr. Kuleba for saying it was crucial that Russia was not “humiliated over its invasion”.

Mr. Kuleba commented at the time that Russia, which was “humiliating itself,” ought to be put in its place.

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Harris blames Russia of ‘crimes against humanity’ in Ukraine

February 18, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

The ICC is not authorized to arrest suspects. And can only exercise jurisdiction inside nations. That ratified the agreement. US Vice President Kamala Harris accused Russia of committing “gruesome acts of murder, torture, rape, and deportation” in Ukraine and said the US has “officially established” that Russia had done so. According to US Vice President … Read more

Russia launches missiles from Black Sea, says Kyiv

February 18, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

Russia has fired four cruise missiles at Ukraine from the Black Sea. Causing civilian buildings, educational facilities, windows. And eleven cars to be damaged. Russia had fired four cruise missiles at Ukraine from the Black Sea, Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Air Force Command said on Telegram on Saturday. “On February 18 Russian occupation forces launched four … Read more

Military in need of ammunition, says Yehor Firsov

February 18, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

Yehhor Firsov said his country needs more munitions to wage war against Russia. He also discussed the effect of tiredness on the front lines. And the momentum of the enemy offensive. Yehor Firsov, a soldier with the 109th territorial defense brigade of Ukraine, said on Friday night that his country needs more munitions to wage … Read more

Around 30,000 Wagner fighters have been injured or died in Ukraine, says US

February 18, 2023 by Qurat ul Ain Khan Qurat ul Ain

Over 30,000 mercenaries serving for the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group have been killed or injured.
9,000 fighters were killed in fighting.
Despite the fatalities, Wagner has made inroads into Bakhmut.

According to American officials, over 30,000 mercenaries serving for the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group have been killed or injured since the Ukrainian war began.

The group has suffered severe losses in recent weeks, according to White House spokesperson John Kirby, with around 9,000 fighters killed in fighting.

Wagner has aggressively recruited in Russian jails, and Mr. Kirby claims that the majority of casualties were inexperienced criminals.

Despite the fatalities, Wagner has made inroads into Bakhmut.

The eastern city has seen some of the heaviest combat of the war, with Wagner mercenaries prominently participating in Russian efforts to conquer it.

Ukrainian troops say Wagner fighters had been sent into attacks in large numbers over open ground, and a Ukrainian army spokesperson said Moscow had failed to evacuate wounded and dead soldiers – leading to “places where their bodies are just piled up”.

Taking Bakhmut could help Russia to make gains further west, such as in Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.

However, Mr. Kirby – the US National Security Council spokesperson – warned additional improvements could prove tough since the gains made in Bakhmut had taken months to achieve and come at a “devastating cost that is not sustainable”.

He also questioned the city’s military importance.

“They may end up being successful in Bakhmut, but it will prove of no real worth to them because it is of no real strategic value,” Mr. Kirby told reporters.

In addition, UK intelligence officers estimate that Russian regular forces and Wagner troops suffered between 175,000 and 200,000 casualties, including 40,000 to 60,000 deaths.

Poor medical provision

The high number of deaths was “very definitely” caused by “quite poor medical provision,” according to the UK defense ministry.

Before the war, the Wagner Group was substantially smaller, with only 5,000 combatants, the majority of whom were experienced, former soldiers.

While Russia struggled to locate troops for its invasion of Ukraine, it began recruiting tens of thousands of fighters last year, primarily from prisons, according to the US. According to UK officials, half of those convicted have most likely been injured or killed.

But last week, Mr. Prigozhin, the group’s founder, announced it would stop recruiting in prisons. The move followed longstanding tensions between Wagner and the Russian military.

“The number of Wagner units will decrease, and we will also not be able to carry out the scope of tasks that we would like to,” he said.

Mr. Prigozhin has accused Moscow’s “monstrous bureaucracy” of stifling progress in Ukraine, and the Russian army of improperly claiming credit for previous Military achievements.

Wagner is reported to have begun operations in the occupied Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and has subsequently expanded to other parts of Ukraine, Syria, and Africa. It has been charged with atrocities and war crimes.

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Russian shelling kills 5 and injures 10 in Kherson

February 17, 2023 by Aimen Siddiqui

Russian forces attacked Kherson region 76 times. Resulting in five fatalities and ten injuries. They fired from MLRS, mortars, artillery, tanks and UAVs. Russian shelling in the Ukrainian territory of Kherson on Thursday resulted in five fatalities and ten injuries, according to officials. Russian forces attacked Kherson region 76 times over the last 24 hours, the … Read more

Russian defense official Marina Yankina dies after falling from 16th floor window

February 17, 2023 by Raba Noor

She was the head of the financial support department for the Eastern Military District of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
People think that Yankina fell 160 feet to her death.
She was a key figure in getting money for Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine.

Marina Yankina, a high-ranking Russian defense official died after falling out of a building window in St. Petersburg. Marina Yankina was found by a passerby at the front door of a house on Zamshina Street in St. Petersburg. She was the head of the financial support department for the Eastern Military District of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

People think that Yankina fell 160 feet to her death. According to the news report, she was a key figure in getting money for Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine. The Russian Investigative Committee and the press service of the Western Military District “Fontanka” have confirmed that she is dead and are looking into how she fell. This was reported by The DailyMail.

The 16th floor of the building was where her things were found. The news article said that Yankina had called her ex-husband and told him what she planned to do. It got this information from the website Mash on Moika.

“She told him what she was going to do and where she was going to leave things. She also asked him to call the police. She was found dead a few minutes after the call, “The news site “Mash on Moika” said this.

Yankina worked in the Federal Tax Service and as the Deputy Chairman of St. Petersburg’s Property Relations Committee before he joined the Western Military region. She is thought to have been in the middle of trying to get more money for the war that Russia started on February 24.

During the war between Russia and Ukraine, Marina Yankina is the latest Russian to fall to her death. The news said that she died just days after a Russian general, Major General Vladimir Makarov, who had just been fired by Russian President Vladimir Putin and was thought to have killed himself, was found dead.

According to a news report, Pavel Antonov, a member of the Russian Duma, died in India on December 26 after falling out of a hotel window. Aleksey Maslov, the former head of the Russian Ground Forces, died in a hospital on December 25. On the same day, Aleksandr Buzakov, who had been in charge of Russia’s “admiralty shipyards” for ten years, also died.

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Russian strikes killed 5 civilians near besieged eastern Bakhmut

February 17, 2023 by Raba Noor

Nine more civilians allegedly suffered severe shrapnel wounds.
The five murdered people ranged in age from 32 to 66.
Other homes were also destroyed by the shelling.

Three men and two women were killed by Russian airstrikes in the area of the strongly contested Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Thursday. Nine more civilians allegedly suffered severe shrapnel wounds.

The five murdered people ranged in age from 32 to 66, according to a statement posted online by the prosecutor’s office for the Donetsk region.

According to the statement, other homes were also destroyed by the shelling.

Iryna Vereshchuk, the deputy prime minister of Ukraine, urged the citizens still in Bakhmut to evacuate the city right away.

Frankly speaking, I am very surprised that there are still 6,000 civilians there (in Bakhmut),” she wrote on Telegram citing the latest data.

She claimed that those who stay in Bakhmut “are putting themselves and their loved ones in danger,” increasing dangers for the military and police, and impeding the efficient operation of the city’s defence and security agencies.

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Russia launches new missile attacks in response to NATO’s increased backing for Ukraine

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

Russia says Ukrainian forces retreated in Luhansk.
Kyiv says Russian balloons shot down over the capital.
Artillery, the ground onslaught on Bakhmut continues.

Russia started missile strikes across Ukraine on Thursday, according to Ukrainian officials, following a commitment by Western partners to increase military help to Ukraine’s armed forces in support of a planned counter-offensive.

Officials in Ukraine said air defenses in the south shot down eight Kalibr missiles launched from a ship in the Black Sea, but other missiles hit northern and western Ukraine, as well as the central areas of Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovograd.

According to authorities, one missile damaged an industrial location in the western city of Lviv, creating a fire that was quickly extinguished.

Russia has expanded ground attacks across southern and eastern Ukraine in recent weeks, bolstered by tens of thousands of reservists drafted in December, and a significant new offensive is widely expected as the first anniversary of its Feb. 24 invasion approaches.

“The enemy’s offensive in the east continues, (with) round-the-clock attacks,” said Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar on Wednesday.

“The situation is tense. But our fighters are not allowing the enemy to achieve their goals and are inflicting very serious losses,” she wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces had retreated in the face of Russian operations in the Luhansk region, though it provided no details, and Reuters was unable to verify this and other battlefield reports.

“During the offensive … the Ukrainian troops randomly retreated to a distance of up to 3 km (2 miles) from the previously occupied lines,” the ministry said on Telegram.

The ministry did not say where the offensive took place in Luhansk. The Donbas, Ukraine’s industrial core, is made up of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, which are now partially occupied by Russia, which seeks full control.

Six Russian balloons, possibly carrying reconnaissance equipment, were shot down after air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv, according to the capital’s military administration.

Russia did not respond immediately.

Russia’s major endeavor has been an artillery and ground assault on Bakhmut, Donetsk.

According to Ukrainian military analysts, Russian troops made multiple unsuccessful raids on settlements to the north and south of Bakhmut on the previous day.

“Things are really difficult for our military there since Russian troops are being sent in large numbers,” stated expert Oleh Zhdanov.

According to the Ukrainian Armed Soldiers’ General Staff’s evening report, Russian forces shot on more than 15 towns and villages surrounding Bakhmut, including the city itself.

Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko released photos and video of a rubble-strewn apartment complex in Pokrovsk, southwest of Bakhmut, that he claimed was destroyed, killing three people.

Bakhmut’s conquest would provide Russia with a stepping stone to march on two larger cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk further west in Donetsk, reviving Moscow’s momentum ahead of the invasion’s 24th anniversary on Feb. 24.

MILITARY EQUIPMENT

NATO countries are increasing the production of artillery munitions as Ukraine consumes shells faster than its partners can produce them, according to the alliance.

“Things are occurring, but… we need to move up even further, because there is a tremendous demand out there to give ammunition to Ukraine,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters after a two-day meeting of the alliance’s defense ministers in Brussels.

Ukraine has received billions of dollars in military assistance, with the US committing over $27.4 billion in security assistance since the conflict began.

Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy leader, asked other countries to join Germany in sending tanks.

Britain and other European countries said they will contribute military equipment, including tank spare parts and artillery ammunition, through an international fund, with an initial shipment worth more than $241 million.

According to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Ukraine has a high chance of seizing and “exploiting” the initiative on the battlefield this year.

Senior US officials earlier recommended Ukraine postpone a big operation until the newest delivery of US hardware arrived and training was completed.

“We have to ensure that this spring it is truly felt that Ukraine is going towards victory,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an evening address.

Russia has described the invasion as a “special military operation” against security threats and has cited significant armament supply to Ukraine as evidence that the West is intensifying the conflict.

Ukraine and its allies have labeled Russia’s efforts as a land grab.

Next week, on the eve of the war’s 24th anniversary, the UN General Assembly will vote on a draught resolution emphasizing the need for sustainable peace and demanding Moscow withdraw its forces.

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NORAD intercepts Russian planes near Alaska

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

Strategic bombers and fighter jets were intercepted by North American air defense.
The aircraft did not enter the US or Canadian airspace and did not constitute a threat.
Russian flights were unrelated to the recent strange spate of flying objects shot down by the US military.

Several Russian strategic bombers and fighter jets were intercepted by North American air defense forces while flying through international airspace near Alaska, according to the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), in routine occurrences unrelated to tensions over Ukraine’s war.

The aircraft, which were discovered on Monday, did not enter the US or Canadian airspace and did not constitute a threat, according to a Feb. 14 statement from the joint US-Canadian center.

It further stated that the Russian flights were unrelated to the recent strange spate of flying objects shot down by the US military over North America, the details of which remain unclear.

NORAD F-16 fighters

“NORAD had anticipated this Russian activity … Two NORAD F-16 fighters intercepted the Russian aircraft,” it said.

The US also routinely conducts surveillance operations that do not penetrate the airspace of other countries, and such flights are a common aspect of military operations.

“NORAD routinely monitors foreign aircraft movements and as necessary, escorts them,” the statement added.

Russia stated on Wednesday that it had recently conducted multiple flights over international waters, including one over the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia.

It claimed that two of its Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers had flown over the Bering Sea with Su-30 fighter aircraft and that it had undertaken similar “regular” flights north of Norway and over international waters to Russia’s far east.

Russia’s defense ministry

“Long-range aviation pilots regularly perform flights over the neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Black Sea, Baltic Sea, and Pacific Ocean,” Russia’s defense ministry said.

North American security forces have been on high alert since a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon broke into U.S. territory, forcing the United States to shoot it and other things down as it combs the skies.

While Russia has previously conducted flights over the Bering Sea, its neighbors in the region have grown increasingly anxious about Moscow’s military action since the country’s invasion of Ukraine last year.

Two Dutch F-35 fighters intercepted a formation of three Russian military planes near Poland and escorted them out, the Dutch defense minister said late Monday.

In recent years, NATO member nations have also increased military drills in the Arctic, as Russia has developed and updated its military infrastructure in the region.

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Ukraine War: Russian migrants forced to serve in Putin’s war

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

Russia’s Wagner mercenary group has reportedly recruited tens of thousands.
Many prisoners are now concerned that they will be forced to fight.
Migrant laborers from Central Asian countries are particularly vulnerable.

Russia‘s Wagner mercenary group has reportedly recruited tens of thousands of prisoners to fight in Ukraine. But the growing number of casualties and extrajudicial executions make it much harder to find volunteers, even in prisons.

Many prisoners are now concerned that they will be forced to fight, and migrant laborers from Central Asian countries are particularly vulnerable.

In 2018, Anuar traveled to Russia in quest of work. He was eventually arrested for drug trafficking and sent to Penal Colony Number Six in the Vladimir region to fulfill his sentence.

At the end of January, he told his father that a group of Central Asians had been sent to fight in Ukraine without their consent. “There are lots of Uzbeks, Tajiks, Kyrgyz there in that prison. Now they are planning to send another group and my son is worried that they will force him to go too,”

Anuar’s letters confirm that he is serving his time in that prison. And Olga Romanova, director of the civil rights organization Russia Behind Bars, validated his claim about the group that was forced to travel to Ukraine in January. The parents of those detainees asked her for assistance.

“They were not given a choice. They were told to sign the contract and were sent to the front line like a bag of potatoes,” Ms. Romanova said.

She claims that the parents were initially willing to go to court so that their children would not wind up in Ukraine. But they rejected it because they were afraid of the punishment their children would suffer if they stayed in prison.

The ill-treatment and frequent beatings of convicts at Penal Colony Number Six are well-known. It was described as a “torture prison” by Olga Romanova. It is the location of Alexei Navalny, a notable Russian opposition figure.

The colony’s administration has yet to react to the sources’ request for comment on reports that convicts were compelled to sign military contracts.

Prison recruitment appears to have been quite successful, but things are changing when the Wagner gang suffers huge losses on the battlefield.

Uzbek sources have spoken to Farukh (not his real name), an Uzbek citizen imprisoned in Russia’s Rostov region. Wagner was joined by several of his fellow detainees. Farukh believes that at first, it was voluntary, but that now prisoners may be compelled to fight.

“In the beginning, I also considered going because everyone thought that Russia was more powerful, that Russia would win – maybe in one month, three months, or in one year. But now we see how many people are dying there and if they are short of soldiers – it’s not good. If they tell me to go and I refuse, then they can declare that I am against Russia.”

Central Asian nationals are recruited to fight for Russia in a variety of settings other than prisons. According to the most recent Russian Interior Ministry statistics, there are approximately 10.5 million migrants from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan working in Russia. That’s a huge resource for military headhunters to tap into.

At the Moscow migration-center, Russian authorities openly sign up people to join the armed forces. There are even advertisements in Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Tajik offering inhabitants of these nations a quicker path to obtaining a Russian passport if they join the armed forces.

However, activists claim that it is not always voluntary.

Valentina Chupik, a migrant rights advocate, told the sources that police officers occasionally stopped Central Asian migrants on the street and coerced them into signing a military contract. They were told that if they did not comply, they would be deported, according to Ms Chupik.

Many labor migrants do not have valid work permits, live somewhere other than where they are registered, or break other immigration restrictions. As a result, they can be a tempting target for recruiters.

According to the sources, Aziz, who has both Russian and Tajik citizenship, was detained during a police raid at the construction site where he works. He was told he’d be taken to a police station to have his ID checked but instead found himself in a military enlistment office. When he began yelling at cops, demanding to know why they had lied to him, they wrenched his arms and tossed him back into the bus.

They eventually let him go.

However, many migrants in Russia are too terrified of law enforcement to resist being drafted for the war.

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Ukraine war: Inside a POW camp for Russians

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

Hundreds of Russian soldiers are seized in the prisoner-of-war center.
It’s one of 50 detention facilities in Ukraine.
Prisoners of war are not permitted to be paraded or exposed in public under the Geneva Conventions.

Ukraine war: Russian missiles were once again teasing Ukraine from the sky as we entered this prisoner-of-war center in the west of the country.

Hundreds of seized Russian soldiers, conscripts, and mercenaries are being kept in these run-down structures, which are one of 50 detention facilities in Ukraine.

The crump of Ukrainian air defenses could be heard in the distance as we were led into a basement, to be met with the sight of dozens of prisoners taking shelter from the Russian attack.

Prisoner exchanges have become a regular feature of this war and for Kyiv, it is crucial that they continue. Ukraine said this month it had secured the release of 1,762 men and women so far in prisoner swaps. These are highly sensitive operations, often taking months to arrange.

Prisoners of war are not permitted to be paraded or exposed in public under the Geneva Conventions.

We were free to approach anyone and ask for their permission. However, the guards accompanied us wherever we went, and these folks were unlikely to be discussed freely.

Many people concealed their faces to hide their identities.

Last November, a UN human rights report based on interviews with prisoners who spoke of torture and ill-treatment uncovered abuses by both sides.

The guards looked eager to demonstrate that they were treating the detainees well.

One combatant revealed he had been working for a mercenary gang. He had been transported to this facility three days earlier after being taken prisoner near the eastern town of Soledar by Russian forces last month.

A few stood defiantly looking on. We caught the gaze of one prisoner, who said he was apprehended on December 29 in the Luhansk region.

“I hope I will be exchanged and that I won’t have to go back into the army,” he said.

“What if you have no choice?” I asked.

He paused for a second: “I have some ideas. I could come back by surrendering voluntarily.”

As we exited the refuge, it became evident that half of the detainees had been injured.

Some had bandaged hands or feet. Others walked with a severe limp.

One young man broke down as he detailed losing his leg in a grenade explosion.

As we approached the throbbing sound of a compression drill, a small assembly line with prisoners of war assembling outdoor furniture sets came into view.

They worked with their heads down once more.

We were told that a local company had a contract with the institution, which meant that the convicts could also earn money, primarily to spend on cigarettes and sweets.

Most prisoners of war are forced to work in tasks like these. Only Russian officers, it seemed, had an option.

The convicts were marched to a temporary canteen on the top floor for lunch. A Ukrainian flag waved in the cold wind through the window.

Except for the sound of eating, they ate rapidly and quietly. Then, table by table, in perfect syncopation, they stood up and exclaimed in Ukrainian, “Thank you for lunch!”

Inmates here are required to watch TV in Ukrainian, including programs on Ukrainian history and the southern city of Mariupol, which was all but obliterated by a Russian siege and bombing that lasted for months.

The last exchange included some of the Ukrainian soldiers who had defended Mariupol.

We asked one inmate whether he knew what he was watching.

“More or less,” he explained. “I find it interesting.” He was unlikely to say anything negative.

It’s probable that some of the Russians in the room couldn’t comprehend the show they were forced to watch and didn’t want to.

The prisoners are allowed one phone call every two weeks, according to the guards. For their families back in Russia these calls are often the first chance they have to find out their sons have been captured.

“Where are you? I’ve asked half the city about you!” one young man’s mother could be heard over the phone.

“Mum, wait. I’m in captivity, I can’t say more.”

“With the bloody Ukrainians?” she said, before breaking down in tears.

“That’s it, Mum. Quiet,” he told her, as the guard stood over him. “The most important thing is that I’m alive and healthy.”

Some of the prisoners’ calls went unanswered, leaving them hoping for another chance on the phone – and a future prisoner swap.

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British man Jonathan Shenkin, who died in Ukraine tributes as ‘hero’

February 15, 2023 by Shehroze Aqueeque

Jonathan Shenkin is the name of a British man who was killed in Ukraine. His family paid tribute to him on social media, calling him a “hero.” He was born in Glasgow and raised in London and Malta before joining the Israeli army. Jonathan Shenkin is the name of a British man who was … Read more

EU debates trade restrictions worth 11 billion euros as new Russia sanctions

February 15, 2023 by Shehroze Aqueeque

Representatives from the EU’s 27 member states will meet in Brussels on Wednesday. On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Further restrictions on EU exports to Russia were intended to limit Moscow’s ability to manufacture arms. Representatives from the EU’s 27 member states will meet in Brussels on Wednesday to … Read more

At least 6,000 Ukrainian kids are hold by Russia for “political re-education”

February 15, 2023 by Raba Noor

The study claimed that “political re-education” appeared to be the camps’ main goal.
Some of the children were adopted by Russian families or placed in foster care in Russia.
Russia would take children who were forced to leave Ukraine.

According to Yale University research sponsored by the US, there are around 6,000 Ukrainian minors detained at locations in Russia and Crimea under Russian control.

A “large-scale systematic network” run by Moscow since its invasion of Ukraine has included at least 43 camps and other institutions where Ukrainian children have been detained, according to a report on human rights abuses in Russia.

The study claimed that “political re-education” appeared to be the camps’ main goal. According to the report, the children in the camps included those who had parents or had obvious familial guardianship, those who Russia deemed orphans, others who were under the custody of Ukrainian state institutions prior to the invasion, and those whose custody was ambiguous or uncertain as a result of the war.

According to the study, some of the children were adopted by Russian families or placed in foster care in Russia. It also stated that the youngest child found participating in the Russian programme was only four months old and that other camps were training youngsters as young as 14 in the military.

According to Sky News, one of the researchers, Nathaniel Raymond, stated that the camps’ main function “appears to be political re-education.”

Nathaniel Raymond stated, “What is detailed in this study is a blatant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Russia would take children who were forced to leave Ukraine, according to the Russian embassy in Washington.

According to Reuters, the embassy stated, “We try our best to retain underage persons with families, and in circumstances of absence or death of parents and relatives – to transfer orphans under guardianship.”

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Russia student detained for an Instagram story during the Ukraine conflict

February 15, 2023 by Sana Fatima

Olesya was detained because of her social media posts opposing war. Olesya was accused of backing terrorists and defaming the Russian military. She might spend up to 10 years behind bars. Olesya Krivtsova, a university student, has missed numerous classes. This is as a result of Olesya, 20, being placed under home arrest. On her … Read more

NATO allies consider more armaments for Ukraine as Russian forces press in on Bakhmut

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

Russia pounds frontlines in the south and east.
City of Bakhmut prepares for assault.
NATO ministers meet to discuss arms supplies.

Russian soldiers bombarded Ukrainian troops and towns along the frontlines in the eastern Donetsk area on Tuesday, in what appeared to be the first salvos of a fresh onslaught, as Western allies met in Brussels to arrange increased supplies to the Kyiv administration.

Bakhmut, a key goal for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invading troops, was in jeopardy.

“There is not a single square meter in Bakhmut that is safe or that is not in range of enemy fire or drones,” regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko told Ukraine’s national broadcaster.

He claimed that Russian artillery was targeting sites all along the frontlines in Donetsk, which, combined with the Luhansk region, forms the Donbas, Ukraine’s industrial heartland and a key Russian target.

With the first anniversary of the invasion coming, the Kremlin has increased activities across a wide swath of southern and eastern Ukraine, and a major new attack is generally expected.

Prior to a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Western countries needed to increase ammunition shipments to Kyiv.

“We see no signs that President Putin is preparing for peace. What we see is the opposite, he is preparing for more war, for new offensives and new attacks,” he told reporters.

Ukraine’s military stated on Tuesday that its soldiers had withstood attacks in five Luhansk settlements and six Donetsk settlements, including Bakhmut, in the previous 24 hours.

They had also repelled an attack on a town in the Kharkiv region of northeast Ukraine, which borders Russia.

Difficult as a whole, but controlled

“The situation is difficult as a whole but controlled,” Kyrylenko said. “The enemy has not been able to achieve a tactical or strategic success there.”

The Wagner group’s mercenaries have led the Russian attack on Bakhmut. Britain stated on Tuesday that the mercenaries had made limited gains in the city’s northern outskirts over the previous three days, but that a push south of Bakhmut had likely made little headway.

The seizure of Bakhmut would be a stepping stone for Russia to march on two larger cities in Donetsk, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk, and would provide Russia with new momentum after months of failures since its invasion last February 24.

Russia now controls large swaths of southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, including its nuclear reactor, as well as practically all of Luhansk and more than half of Donetsk, including the regional capital. Despite the fact that Moscow does not fully control any of the four areas, it claims to have annexed them all.

CITY IN RUINS

Bakhmut, a major transportation and logistical hub have been shelled for months, and several districts are in ruins. Only about 5,000 civilians remain out of a pre-war population of about 70,000, according to Kyrylenko. In preparation for street battle, troops have strengthened their positions.

Authorities intended to limit the number of people present and evacuate the injured, he said.

“Thank you to every one of our soldiers who are preventing the occupiers from encircling Bakhmut,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an evening address.

According to Ukrainian officials, the Russians suffered significant losses around Vuhledar, a town about 150 kilometers southwest of Bakhmut, including tanks and armored vehicles as well as people.

With Ukraine anxious for more armaments, particularly fighter jets, and long-range missiles, ministers from several NATO countries and Ukraine’s other partners met in Brussels to discuss additional military aid.

NATO defense ministers were scheduled to meet later in the day.

Beyond conversations about additional weapons for Kyiv, Stoltenberg stated that already-delivered arms must be kept operational. He stated that while the topic of planes would be discussed, Ukraine required assistance on the ground right now.

Ukraine is using shells at a rate quicker than the West can produce them.

Germany announced it has signed contracts with arms maker Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE) to restart ammunition production for Gepard anti-aircraft guns it has delivered to Kyiv.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin reaffirmed that Washington and NATO were with Ukraine for the long haul.

“That shared resolve will sustain Ukraine’s momentum in the weeks ahead,” Austin said in Brussels. “The Kremlin is still betting that it can wait us out.”

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Dutch F-35 fighter jets intercept three Russian military planes near Poland, Netherlands’ defence minister

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

Two Dutch F-35 fighters intercepted a formation of three Russian military planes.
The Russian Ilyushin Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft is known as the Il-20M Coot-A.
Sukhoi Su-28 fighter aircraft is known as the Su-27 Flankers.

Two Dutch F-35 fighters intercepted a formation of three Russian military planes near Poland and escorted them out, the Dutch defense minister said late Monday.

“From Kaliningrad, the then unknown aircraft approached the Polish NATO area of responsibility,”

Kaliningrad is a Russian Baltic coast enclave sandwiched between NATO and EU members Poland and Lithuania.

“After identification, it turned out to be three aircraft: a Russian IL-20M Coot-A that was escorted by two Su-27 Flankers. The Dutch F-35s escorted the formation from a distance and handed over the escort to NATO partners.”

The Russian Ilyushin Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft is known as the Il-20M Coot-A, whereas the Sukhoi Su-28 fighter aircraft is known as the Su-27 Flankers.

Russia’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to the Dutch defense ministry, eight Dutch F-35s will be stationed in Poland in February and March.

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Sandu, Moldova’s pro-EU president, accused Russia of plotting a coup

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

Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine has put pressure on Moldova.
Moldova’s president accused Russia of planning to use foreign “saboteurs.”
Moldova, a former Soviet republic, relies on Russia for natural gas.

Moldova‘s president has accused Russia of planning to use foreign “saboteurs” to destabilize her pro-EU government.

On Friday, Maia Sandu named a new prime minister, Dorin Recean, who, like his predecessor, is pro-EU.

President Sandu stated the “plot” will involve “protests by the so-called opposition”, trying to “overthrow the constitutional order”.

Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine has put pressure on Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared last week that Kyiv’s intelligence service had discovered a Russian plot to destroy Moldova.

Moldova, which is sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, applied for EU membership last summer. The country of 2.6 million people has suffered from an influx of refugees from Ukraine as well as tensions with Transnistria, a breakaway pro-Moscow territory occupied by 1,500 Russian troops.

Moldova, a former Soviet republic, relies on Russia for natural gas. It has been without power for over a year, coinciding with Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

President Sandu alleged Russia was planning to use “saboteurs with a military background, camouflaged in civilian clothes, to undertake violent actions, attacks on state institutions and taking hostages”.

The plot would involve citizens of Russia, Montenegro, Belarus, and Serbia entering Moldova, she told a news conference.

She urged Moldova’s parliament to adopt laws to give the country’s Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) and prosecutors “the necessary means to fight more efficiently against national security threats”. She added that “the Kremlin’s attempts to bring violence to our country will fail”.

Moldova’s main opposition Socialist and Communist alliance maintains strong ties to Moscow. Igor Dodon, President Sandu’s predecessor from 2016 to 2020, maintained close ties with Russia.

However, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Moldova has developed a closer relationship with Romania, an EU member.

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Very sad and reckless

Failing to meet obligations

No indication

Putin repeatedly blamed the West and Nato

What is the New Start treaty?

An attack against one is an attack against all

Today Ukraine, tomorrow Taiwan

‘Should not be invited’

Poor medical provision

MILITARY EQUIPMENT

NORAD F-16 fighters

Russia’s defense ministry

Difficult as a whole, but controlled

CITY IN RUINS

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