Norobiik @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
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
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/
Where Russians go after speaking out against Vladimir Putin
Russian dissidents living in Vilnius, Lithuania, are speaking out against Vladimir Putin, who's set to win a fifth term as president.
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.
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/
Gunmen kill at least 40 in concert attack near Moscow, Islamic State claims responsibility
(1st UPDATE) At least five gunmen began shooting civilians cowering in the Crocus City Hall just before Soviet-era rock group Picnic was about to perform to a full house at the 6,200-seat theatre in a suburb west of Moscow
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
#TerrorAttack #IslamicState #Russia #CrocusCityHall #CrocusCityMassacre #Ukraine
Image source: https://aje.io/pjv4lm?update=2791785
While #ISIL’s attack in #Moscow is a “tactical shift”, it highlights grievances with #Russia that have been there since the armed group’s founding, says Kabir Taneja, a fellow at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think tank, and the author of The ISIS Peril. #Russia #IslamicState #CrocusCityHall #CrocusCityMassacre #Ukraine
ISIL views Russia as ‘crusading power against #Muslims’
https://aje.io/pjv4lm?update=2791830
#TerrorAttack #IslamicState #Russia #CrocusCityHall #CrocusCityMassacre #Ukraine
Photos: Russians place flowers at makeshift memorial as death toll rises
https://aje.io/pjv4lm?update=2791826
Excellent updates summary by Al Jazeera on the #TerrorAttack by the #IslamicState on the #CrocusCityHall in #Russia. Be sure to take whatever the FSB says about any link to #Ukraine with at least 3 tons of salt 🧂#CrocusCityMassacre
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"If you’re just joining us it is just after 12:35pm (09:35 GMT) in Moscow, the day after an attack on a Moscow concert hall killed at least 93 people and injured 187.
Here are the latest developments:"
#Russia’s Investigative Committee has announced that the death toll for Friday night’s terror attack at the #CrocusCityHall on the outskirts of #Moscow has risen to at least 115, including three children. #TerrorAttack #IslamicState #Ukraine #CrocusCityMassacre
Photos: First images from inside burnt #CrocusCityHall #CrocusCityMassacre
#TerrorAttack #IslamicState #Russia #Ukraine
https://aje.io/pjv4lm?update=2792015
Fire and chaos after mass shooting at Russian concert hall – in pictures
[Warning: this gallery contains images that some readers may find distressing]
#TerrorAttack #CrocusCityHall #CrocusCityMassacre #IslamicState #Russia #Ukraine
https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2024/mar/22/moscow-concert-hall-shooting-photos
#TerrorAttack #IslamicState #CrocusCityHall #CrocusCityMassacre #Russia #Ukraine
Image source: https://aje.io/pjv4lm?update=2792085
#Putin suggests – without evidence – that #Kyiv may have been involved in attack, claiming attackers planned to flee to #Ukraine.
#TerrorAttack #IslamicState #CrocusCityHall #Russia #CrocusCityMassacre
Moscow terror attack: Putin says all four gunmen held as death toll reaches 133
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/23/russia-fsb-tries-to-link-ukraine-to-moscow-attack-despite-is-claiming-responsibility
Tom Richter, a former #USMarine pilot who flew the jets
when in the #NationalGuard,
told Politico that the #F16 is "a
sensitive beast" compared with
the Soviet-era aircraft that
#Ukraine is used to.
"It is a prima donna, and it is very sensitive and needs high maintenance," he continued, adding that Ukraine's Soviet-era #MiG jets are more "rough and tumble" and require less maintenance.
https://www.businessinsider.com/prima-donna-f-16s-hard-work-ukraine-ex-marine-2024-3
A makeshift memorial has been set up outside the #CrocusConcertHall where people have been lighting candles, laying flowers and paying their respects to the victims of the shooting that has claimed the lives of at least 133 people.
#TerrorAttack #IslamicState #Russia #Ukraine #CrocusCityMassacre
Unfortunately for #Putin, the IS will not allow him to credit the #TerrorAttack to #Ukraine 🤷🏻♂️
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The videos, which were published by #IS’s news agency #Amaq, showed the gunmen filming themselves as they hunted concertgoers through the lobby of the #CrocusCityHall and fired at them from pointblank range, killing scores of people. #CrocusCityMassacre
New #IslamicState videos back claim it carried out Moscow concert hall attack | #Russia
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/24/new-islamic-state-videos-back-claim-it-carried-out-moscow-concert-hall-attack
Back toot: https://noc.social/@Norobiik/112150377402150210
Despite increasingly desperate pleas from #Kyiv, the Republican House speaker, #MikeJohnson, had refused to bring the Senate-passed wartime aid bill to the floor until #Congress finalized a government funding bill, which it did on Friday, before leaving Washington for a two-week recess.
#Ukraine aid back on #US agenda but still at mercy of unruly #HouseRepublicans
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/25/ukraine-aid-house-republicans-mike-johnson
Ally Miller@Ally_SMMiller I remember a time during the Cold War period and even decades after when the GOP was solidly anti-Russia - that Ukraine package would have passed in a heartbeat.
Now the republican party is a decayed, rotting hulk of itself - just another personality cult.