According to the new Prime Minister of #Slovakia, #RobertFico, he received a message from the Italian government regarding the withdrawal of the #AirDefenseSystem that was lent to Slovakia for a year - (it) will be withdrawn from because #Italy needs it elsewhere.

Earlier, #Fico had stated that Bratislava would not support providing military assistance to #Ukraine to counter Russian aggression. #Russia

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/italy-decided-to-withdraw-its-air-defense-1709435486.html

Just a heads up, the #RussianTrolls are starting to appear in the #Ukraine hashtag timelines. Blocked two already since yesterday. Easy to spot since they echo the propaganda narratives from #Russia. "Nothing to fear from a (Russian) occupation:" & "an exhausted (and soon defeated) Ukraine" are telltale phrases.

Oh, and include "everything is going according to plan" 😜

Kyiv is bracing for a Kremlin-sponsored narrative that will seek to exploit doubts about the President Volodymyr #Zelenskiy standing in an effort to destabilize public trust, particularly among Ukrainian frontline troops.

Although he is backed by a large majority of Ukrainian citizens, polls show his standing softening. Last month’s dismissal of his popular top general, Valeriy #Zaluzhnyi, and setbacks on the frontline have prompted a slow erosion of trust. #Ukraine

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-03/ukraine-braced-for-russian-disinformation-attacks-on-zelenskiy

More than 20,000 soldiers from 14 countries will take part in the Norweigan-led #NordicResponse24 exercises in the northern regions of #Finland, #Norway and #Sweden, with the participation of Finland as a #Nato member for the first time.

#Russia-#Ukraine war live: newly enlarged Nato begins large-scale military drills in northern #Europe
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/04/russia-ukraine-war-live-nato-military-drills-northern-europe-zelenskiy-putin?page=with%3Ablock-65e584708f0848c0e204e0c4#block-65e584708f0848c0e204e0c4

The air base is located in the small town of #Kucova once known as "#StalinCity" when Soviet and Chinese-made MIGs were on standby for orders to scramble in the case of a war with the West that never arrived.

The likely targets then were #Austria, #Germany, #Italy and #Denmark, Rama said. #Ukraine

#Albania, wary of #Russia, reopens Soviet-era air base to #NATO
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/albania-wary-of-russia-reopens-soviet-era-air-base-to-nato/ar-BB1jiSuv?ocid=emmx-mmx-feeds&PC=EMMX01

Using #WebX for this top secret conference call was crazy 🤪
-----
An extraordinary leak of an online call involving #Germany’s air force chief and three subordinates emerged on Friday, in which they discussed whether it might be possible to persuade a reluctant chancellor to approve giving the long-range #TaurusMissile to #Ukraine

How significant is #Russia’s apparent interception of military talks on Ukraine?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/04/what-are-the-implications-of-russias-apparent-interception-of-military-talks-on-ukraine

Too expensive to deploy = useless tank
-----
The new #T14 is much more advanced and functional than Russia's arsenal of existing #tanks, but it is "too expensive" to be fielded in #Ukraine, #SergeyChemezov, director general of the defense conglomerate #Rostec, told the RIA state news agency. #Russia

https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-unlikely-using-best-tank-ukraine-too-costly-weapons-maker-2024-3#image=AA1mtPZE|3

T14 Armata: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-14_Armata

The European Defence Industrial Strategy (#EDIS) aims, over the long term, to give incentives to European #ArmsManufacturers to invest more, make their production more agile and -- for the first time -- to collectively catalogue what they have available. #US #Russia

#EU proposes vast defence boost, spurred by Russian war in #Ukraine
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/eu-proposes-vast-defence-boost-as-ukraine-war-drags-on/ar-BB1jmGzE?ocid=emmx-mmx-feeds&PC=EMMX01

You don't need a private army unless you think your side has a good chance of losing.
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Former U.S. Army Lt. Gen. #MarkHertling warned in March 2023 that #PrivateMilitaryGroups in #Russia would "contribute to chaos" should #Putin's government collapse. #Ukraine

Putin Allies Quietly Gathering Private Armies
https://www.newsweek.com/rotenberg-brothers-private-army-ukraine-russia-1875980

That's it - Sweden is officially in NATO 😁
-----
The remaining formalities, such as depositing accession documentation in Washington, are likely to be concluded swiftly. #Russia #Ukraine

#Hungary president signs #Sweden's #NATO membership ratification
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/hungary-president-signs-sweden-s-nato-membership-ratification/ar-BB1jn0oB?ocid=emmx-mmx-feeds&PC=EMMX01

The strength of the proposal is that seized assets would be deemed to have been returned to #Russia after the payment of #reparations. The proposal’s weakness is that it assumes Ukraine will win a military victory and a defeated #Moscow will be prepared to pay reparations for the damage it caused to #Ukraine.

Russia-Ukraine war live: Britain prepared to loan Ukraine all frozen Russian central bank assets in UK, says minister
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/06/russia-ukraine-war-live-emmanuel-macron-urges-ukraines-allies-not-to-be-cowards?page=with%3Ablock-65e838338f08bec6f4ed6e07#block-65e838338f08bec6f4ed6e07

International Atomic Energy Agency (#IAEA) head #RafaelGrossi said that he would discuss the #Zaporizhzhia #NuclearPlant with Russian President Vladimir #Putin on Wednesday, and that talks with other Russian authorities had been “tense". #Russia #Ukraine

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/06/russia-ukraine-war-live-emmanuel-macron-urges-ukraines-allies-not-to-be-cowards?page=with:block-65e845b58f08bec6f4ed6e7a#block-65e845b58f08bec6f4ed6e7a

On March 11, in a significant event at #NATO headquarters in #Brussels, #Sweden’s national flag will be hoisted, signifying the country’s formal induction into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as reported by Swedish broadcaster TV4 on March 6. #Russia #Ukraine

Sweden Will Raise Its Flag at NATO Headquarters, Cementing Membership
https://theubj.com/uae/world/38638/sweden-will-raise-its-flag-at-nato-headquarters-cementing-membership/

The business newspaper Kommersant reported that in the first two months of 2024, #CorporateBankruptcies had increased by more than a half compared with the same period last year—and experts predicted an increase in #insolvencies in future. Russian firms are facing #refinancing issues "as the effects of monetary tightening are starting to kick in." #Ukraine

#Russia Hit By Tsunami of #Bankruptcies
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-bankruptcies-economy-kommersant-1876806

The Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) said it had found that trafficked Indian nationals were being trained in combat roles and deployed at front bases in #Russia-#Ukraine war zone "against their wishes, thus, putting their lives in grave danger".

#India busts 'major' network trafficking people to Russia
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-68499211?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bmicrosoft%5D-%5Bheadline%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D

President Vladimir #Putin met with billionaire #RomanAbramovich to discuss swapping the late opposition activist #AlexeiNavalny for Russians jailed in the West just hours before he died in an Arctic prison last month, the investigative outlet Agentstvo reported Friday, citing four sources familiar with the matter. #Russia #Ukraine

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/putin-discussed-prisoner-swap-hours-before-navalny-s-death-agentstvo/ar-BB1jybyo?ocid=emmx-mmx-feeds&PC=EMMX01

The first flight was made by a Swedish #GulfstreamS102B reconnaissance aircraft. It flew over #Poland near the borders of the #Kaliningrad region and #Belarus. The aircraft is equipped with various equipment capable of intercepting and analyzing messages and other electronic signals. #Ukraine

Historic mission. Swedish planes fly near #Russia for first time since joining #NATO
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/historic-mission-swedish-planes-fly-near-1710017775.html

Finally, that "white flag" comment was a disaster on the part of #PopeFrancis.
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Cardinal #PietroParolin, the# Vatican's secretary of state, says the Vatican was pressing for a ceasefire and 'first of all it should be the aggressors who stop firing'. #Russia #CatholicChurch

Vatican says Russian aggression must end to allow peace in #Ukraine
https://www.rappler.com/world/europe/vatican-says-russian-aggression-must-end-allow-peace-ukraine/

#Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 has shattered #Ukraine’s economy and finances, forcing it into a #SovereignDefault. This would be the first effort to formalize debt talks between private #bondholders and the country

Ukraine bondholders poised to form creditor group for $20-billion #DebtTalks, sources say
https://www.rappler.com/business/ukraine-bondholders-to-form-creditor-group-debt-talks/

WASHINGTON, DC, #USA – #G7 nations are prepared to respond with severe new penalties that could include a ban on #IranAir flights to #Europe if #Iran proceeds with the transfer of close-range ballistic missiles to #Russia, a senior US official said on Friday, March 15. #Ukraine

Iran Air could be banned from Europe if Tehran sends missiles to Russia, US warns
https://www.rappler.com/world/global-affairs/iran-air-ban-europe-tehran-sends-missiles-russia/

Driving cars registered in #Russia in #Finland is no longer possible without a special permit as from Saturday, 16 March. All Baltic countries have now banned the entry of cars with Russian number plates. #Ukraine

Finland stops allowing cars with Russian number plates
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/03/16/7446754/

Ahead of a concert in #Vilnius on Thursday, band members met with exiled Belarusian opposition leader #SvetlanaTikhanovskaya and supporters of late Kremlin critic #AlexeiNavalny who died in an Arctic prison last month.

The band was held in #Phuket, #Thailand in January on #ImmigrationCharges in a case that has alarmed anti-#Putin Russians living abroad. #BI2 #Russia #Ukraine

Dissident Russian band returns to stage after Thai detention
https://www.yahoo.com/news/dissident-russian-band-returns-stage-021936729.html

#Russia recognised #SouthOssetia and another breakaway region, #Abkhazia, as independent states in 2008 after Russian troops repelled a Georgian attempt to retake South Ossetia in a five-day war in 2008.

But the West accused Russia of effectively annexing Abkhazia and South Ossetia, one fifth of #Georgia's territory. #Ukraine

Breakaway Georgian region is discussing becoming part of Russia, says local official
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/breakaway-georgian-region-is-discussing-becoming-part-of-russia-says-local-official/ar-BB1k29rO?ocid=emmx-mmx-feeds&PC=EMMX01

People also wrote '#Navalny' on their ballots & took it to his grave.
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Long queues formed at several polling stations in Moscow and other Russian cities as people took up a call from #AlexeiNavalny’s widow to head to the polls at noon on Sunday in a symbolic show of dissent against Vladimir #Putin’s all but certain re-election as president. #Ukraine

Russians form long queues at polling stations in ‘#NoonAgainstPutin’ protest | #Russia
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/17/russians-urged-to-disrupt-final-day-of-vladimir-putins-presidentia

The experiences from conflicts like those in #Ukraine and the #Gaza Strip have impacted the utility of #CombatHelicopters. Their future role , particularly in reconnaissance, must evolve, incorporating #drones as forward observers or for marking targets, enhancing their survival odds.

#US Army halts $20 billion #helicopter revamp, pivots to unmanned tech
https://essanews.com/u-s-army-halts-20-billion-helicopter-revamp-pivots-to-unmanned-tech,7006874823862401a

The #Kremlin has relocated some of its #BlackSea assets from #Crimea to its #Novorossiysk base in Russia's #Krasnodar region, further from #Ukraine's coastline. Moscow is also thought to be establishing another base in #Abkhazia, a breakaway region internationally recognized as part of #Georgia.

#Russia Vows Major Response to #BlackSea Naval Defeats
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-naval-drones-upgrade-black-sea-fleet-crimea-sergei-shoigu-1880055

The colors of the Ukrainian flag can be seen all around #Vilnius. The capital changed the name of the street where the #RussianEmbassy is located to #HeroesOfUkraine Street. "Putin, #TheHague is waiting for you," is written across the top of a building. #Lithuania #Ukraine

Where Russians go after speaking out against Vladimir #Putin
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-dissidents-speaking-out-from-vilnius-lithuania-60-minutes/

More than a dozen #EuropeanCouncil members have said that the #EU must increase its #security and defensive capabilities in the face of #Russia’s full scale invasion of #Ukraine.

The signatories also say that the #EuropeanInvestmentBank (EIB), which functions as a lending arm to the EU, needs to be empowered to invest in #DefenceRelated initiatives beyond existing dual-use projects.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/mar/18/russia-ukraine-war-live-west-criticises-putins-election-win-as-another-breach-of-international-law?page=with%3Ablock-65f80ad08f08066f08f9cd11#block-65f80ad08f08066f08f9cd11

When the #US and #Europe tried to sever #Russia from the Western financial system, #Moscow found workarounds. Key among them: banks in the #Gulf and #Europe that maintained ties with Russia.

Now, Washington’s efforts to close these loopholes appear to be paying off. #Ukraine

Russia’s #Backdoor to the #GlobalBankingSystem Is Slamming Shut
https://www.wsj.com/finance/banking/russias-backdoor-to-the-global-banking-system-is-slamming-shut-49bf5c53?mod=RSSMSN

Funny, this is exactly what #China is saying to the #Philippines over bases being built on *our* northern territory. Maybe the experts are right, we are the "Romania" of Asia.

According to Klimov, the larger the 'anti-Russian' #MilitaryBase and the 'closer it is to #Russia's borders, the more likely it is to be among the first targets for retaliatory strikes”. #Ukraine #Taiwan

Russia warns #Romania over building “largest #Nato military base” in #Europe
http://www.intellinews.com/russia-warns-romania-over-building-largest-nato-military-base-in-europe-317479/

The rebirth of the ‘#WeimarTriangle’ suggests that Franco-German tensions are on the mend and a common agenda on arming Kyiv is possible.

Could #Poland’s promotion to #Europe’s top table be a turning point for #Ukraine? | Paul Taylor
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/20/poland-europe-top-table-ukraine-weimar-triangle-france-germany

Sanction efforts have slowed and in some cases stopped shipment of goods that could have military uses through countries such as #Turkey, #Serbia and the #UnitedArabEmirates.

#Russia is now increasing focus on #HongKong, #China as the source of these products. Western production hubs in #SoutheastAsia are also possible sources of supply. #Ukraine

#EU, #US discussed how to address China’s role as conduit for goods to Russia
https://www.euractiv.com/section/china/news/eu-us-discussed-how-to-address-chinas-role-as-conduit-for-goods-to-russia/

Since #Russia’s invasion two years ago, #Ukraine has revolutionized warfare with its use of #drones in the #air and at #sea. Now it wants to do the same with unmanned ground vehicles, or #UGVs, aiming to replicate the low-cost, do-it-yourself approach that it has used to such deadly effect. #UGV

#Robots Are Entering the Ukraine Battlefield
https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/robots-are-entering-the-ukraine-battlefield-fab195d2?mod=RSSMSN

MSN link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/robots-are-entering-the-ukraine-battlefield/ar-BB1kjYmB

Empires start unraveling at the edges first.
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At the invitation of the American side, the Kazakh Foreign Minister, #MuratNurtleu, will visit the #USA, where he will hold talks with several high-ranking officials. On his way back, he will make a two-day visit to #China.

Chinese journalists found it strange that there is no trip to #Russia planned in the Kazakh minister's schedule. #Ukraine

China Believes #Kazakhstan Is Drifting Further Away from Russia
https://www.dagens.com/news/china-believes-kazakhstan-is-drifting-further-away-from-russia

The Ukrainian air force said #Russia had launched 88 missiles and 63 Iranian-made #ShahedDrones. Of them, 37 and 55 respectively were shot down, but others hit the country’s largest dam and caused blackouts in several regions, it said.

Over 1m Ukrainians without power after major Russian assault on energy system | #Ukraine
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/22/over-1m-ukrainians-without-power-after-russias-largest-assault-on-energy-sector

Despite pressure from the West over the past two years, #India’s government has relied on cheap #RussianOil to help curb inflation. Last month, Bloomberg reported that India was becoming a key global player in the #OilMarket as it was refining its cheap Russian #CrudeImports and then exporting it to #Europe and the #US. #Ukraine

India Stops Accepting Russian Oil Delivered By US-Sanctioned #Tankers
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2024/03/22/india-stops-accepting-russian-oil-delivered-by-us-sanctioned-tankers-reports-say/

Triggered by shifts in the security landscape, the project aims to erect a barrier designed to deter unauthorized crossings. The wall, featuring #SteelMesh construction, surveillance enhancements, and #barbed wire, is targeted to span approximately 200 kilometers of critical border areas by the end of 2026. #Ukraine

#Finland Accelerates Construction of #BorderFence with #Russia
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/finland-accelerates-construction-of-border-fence-with-russia/ar-BB1kkPcp?ocid=emmx-mmx-feeds&PC=EMMX01

With Russia's internal security apparatus concentrating on suppressing dissent, this was bound to happen. They took their eye off other internal and much deadlier threats - this won't be the last one.

#MOSCOW, #Russia – At least 40 people were killed and 145 wounded on Friday, March 22, when camouflage-clad gunmen opened fire on concertgoers near Moscow, with #IslamicState claiming responsibility for what was one of the deadliest attacks on Russia in decades. #Ukraine

https://www.rappler.com/world/europe/russia-concert-terror-attack-updates-march-23-2024/

At least 60 people have been killed and 145 wounded in #Russia’s worst #TerrorAttack in years, as #gunmen in combat fatigues opened fire and detonated explosives in a major #ConcertHall on the outskirts of Moscow. The #IslamicState claimed responsibility. #CrocusCityHall #CrocusCityMassacre #Russia #Ukraine

At least 60 killed and scores wounded in Moscow concert hall attack
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/22/moscow-concert-hall-shooting-blast

Back toot: https://noc.social/@Norobiik/112142539055888217

#TerrorAttack #IslamicState #Russia #CrocusCityHall #CrocusCityMassacre #Ukraine

Image source: https://aje.io/pjv4lm?update=2791785

Back toot: https://noc.social/@Norobiik/112144297453295031