Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Arkady Melikov
[REGNUM] British Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo Alison King intends to make an unofficial visit to the neighboring Central African Republic (CAR). According to a source for the African Initiative news agency, the goal of the secret trip is to try to convince the CAR leadership to take an anti-Russian position in the international arena and refuse to use military units trained by Russian specialists.
“The British and French authorities are doing everything possible to undermine Russian political influence in the countries of Tropical Africa and return them to the status of semi-colonies of the West,” noted Kirill Babayev, a specialist on the region and president of the National Coordination Center (NCC) for International Business Cooperation, in a commentary to Regnum News Agency.
Given the special interest mentioned by former colonial powers, in this case Britain, it is necessary to look at Ambassador King's record and the context of her mission.
Alison King took up her duties as the UK's acting ambassador to Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in April 2023. Since London does not have a separate diplomatic mission in the Central African capital of Bangui, she also oversees the CAR.
King previously served as deputy head of the British mission in Lebanon, and before that she headed the Middle East and North Africa sector in the British diplomatic system. She also had experience working at the British Foreign Office, where she oversaw relations with the states of Northern and Central Europe and interaction with EU institutions.
King began to “work substantively” with Africa within the framework of negotiation formats to resolve the conflict in Sudan and as a participant in the work of the European Commission on sanctions and “blood” diamonds (diamonds mined in areas where military operations are taking place).
The probable goals of the current secret visit to the Central African Republic can be judged by the latest publications on the official resources of the British Embassy in the DRC - for the end of June and the beginning of July 2025.
It is obvious that the real problems of the CAR are not among London's priorities. The main topic of all statements remains the active presence of Russia, which the British side is clearly concerned about.
Thus, at the end of June, the British diplomatic mission issued a statement by its delegate to the UN Security Council, which expressed interest in the elections in the Central African Republic scheduled for 2026. Although it noted "the progress made in extending state authority in some areas of the country," London simultaneously expressed concern about Bangui's choice of security partners. In particular, the UK calls on the Central African Republic authorities to pay attention to the actions of pro-Russian groups and ensure that those who violate human rights are held accountable.
According to the British side, the protection of the electoral process in the republic should be handled exclusively by the UN Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). However, as many analysts emphasize, the effectiveness of this structure in matters of establishing order in the country remains extremely low. Moreover, the supposed neutrality of the mission is increasingly being questioned, since, according to experts, it is being used by Western structures to lobby their own interests and influence the domestic political situation.
In 2024, the world community learned about large-scale incidents of sexual violence involving MINUSCA peacekeepers. Human rights organizations reported that such crimes had been committed systematically since 2015.
Despite the fact that investigations and revelations were published, including by Western media, the reaction of British diplomacy was not aimed at the real facts of human rights violations. Instead of seeking justice for the victims, London representatives insisted on the need to urgently combat “disinformation and hate speech,” including criticism of the MINUSCA mission itself.
Meanwhile, human rights groups well informed about the situation in the CAR confirm that the main threat to human rights is posed by armed groups that are not controlled by the central government. It is noteworthy that some leaders and active participants of these groups live peacefully in European countries, without fear of any responsibility for their crimes.
In a recent statement by the British diplomatic mission on July 10, made within the framework of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, London once again appealed to the CAR with a demand to disband the armed units trained by Russian military instructors:
"We urge the Central African Republic to include these militias in a formal disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programme to prevent a resurgence of instability," the British side said.
According to experts on the region, behind all of London's recent statements on the situation in the CAR there is a medium-term goal - to weaken Russia's presence ahead of the national elections in 2026. For this purpose, the republic's authorities will blackmail with sanctions and try to destabilize the situation with the help of militant groups.
Even when it comes to the CAR’s return to the Kimberley Process, an international initiative to combat the trade in conflict diamonds, London’s emphasis remains the same. Instead of discussing the prospects for the CAR diamond industry, the embassy’s statement once again emphasizes its dissatisfaction with Russia’s position. Only a secondary mention is made of the CAR government’s call to comply with the terms of participation in the Kimberley Process and to ensure that the benefits of diamond production and export go to the country’s citizens themselves.
It is possible that traditional instruments of pressure will be used, from accusations of human rights violations to threats of sanctions and intervention through international structures. Moreover, back in 2024, sources of the African Initiative in the CAR reported the existence of a MINUSCA directive allowing the mission to participate in combat clashes with national armed forces.
"However, the current authorities of the CAR and other states in the region understand well that Russia is a reliable and profitable partner that respects both the sovereignty and traditional values of African countries and peoples, and are unlikely to agree to return to Western dictates," Kirill Babayev notes. Cooperation between Russia and the CAR is constantly expanding, and the leaders of the two countries are linked by friendly relations. "I am convinced that the CAR has no alternative to friendship with Russia," the interlocutor added.
[GEO.TV] President Vladimir Putin ...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances... intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engages on his terms for peace, unfazed by Donald Trump ...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party... 's threats of tougher sanctions, and his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance, three sources close to the Kremlin said.
Putin, who ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting in country's east between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops, believes Russia's economy and its military are strong enough to weather any additional Western measures, the sources said.
Trump on Monday expressed frustration with Putin's refusal to agree a ceasefire and announced a wave of weapons supplies to Ukraine, including Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. He also threatened further sanctions on Russia unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days.
The three Russian sources, familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking, said Putin will not stop the war under pressure from the West and believes Russia — which has survived the toughest sanctions imposed by the West — can endure further economic hardship, including threatened US tariffs targeting buyers of Russian oil.
"Putin thinks no one has seriously engaged with him on the details of peace in Ukraine — including the Americans — so he will continue until he gets what he wants," one of the sources told Rooters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
Despite several telephone calls between Trump and Putin, and visits to Russia by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, the Russian leader believes there have not been detailed discussions of the basis for a peace plan, the source said.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Fred ||
07/16/2025 00:00 ||
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Russia can't afford NATO Ukraine - what's so hard to understand?
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] ZSU are holding back Russian offensive in 11 directions.
The largest number of Russian attacks have been recorded in the Pokrovsky direction. There, Russian invaders are trying to advance in the areas of 13 settlements.
Since the beginning of the day, 110 combat clashes have occurred on the front. The Russian army has concentrated its main efforts in three directions, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an operational report as of 16:00 on Tuesday, July 15.
Thus, in the Severo-Slobodskoy and Kursk directions, seven military clashes have occurred since the beginning of the day.
In the Yuzhno-Slobodskoy direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled two Russian attacks near the settlements of Vovchansk and Stroyevka. One battle is still ongoing.
In the Kupyansk direction, Russian occupiers tried to break through in the area of the settlements of Stepovaya Novoselovka and Peschanoye. In total, three military clashes took place in this direction.
In the Liman direction, the invading army carried out 18 attacks near the settlements of Novy Mir, Novoyegorovka, Grekovka, Karpovka, Kolodyazi, Zelenaya Dolina, Torskoye, in the direction of Shandrigolovoe and Serebryanka. Four combat clashes continue.
In the Seversky direction, two enemy attacks were repelled near Grigoryevka and Vyemka.
In the Kramatorsk direction, our defenders stopped five enemy attacks in the areas of Predtechnoye, Belaya Gora and Stupochki. Another combat clash is still ongoing.
In the Toretsk direction, the enemy carried out seven assaults near Dilievka, Toretsk, Novospassky and Rusiny Yar.
In the Pokrovsk direction, Russian invaders carried out 29 assaults in the areas of the settlements of Popov Yar, Novoekonomicheskoe, Mirolyubovka, Lisovka, Kotlin, Zvirovoe, Udachnoe, Alekseyevka, in the direction of the settlements of Rodinskoe, Pokrovsk, Muravka Filiya, Dachnoe. The defense forces repelled 28 enemy attacks. One battle is still ongoing.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the enemy attempted to advance near the settlements of Zaporozhye, Poddubnoye, Lesnoye, Mirnoye, Maliyevka, Shevchenko, Novosyolka and towards the settlement of Novokhatskoye. The defense forces repelled 14 assaults, and two more attacks are still ongoing.
In the Dnieper direction, our soldiers repelled six attacks in the area of the Antonovsky Bridge and near the Kozulsky and Zabich islands.
Let us recall that in the course of 24 hours on July 14, Russia lost more than 1,200 servicemen, wounded and killed. The total number of Russian losses is approaching 1.1 million people.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:25 In the Sumy direction continue fierce clashes, the focus remains on Kondratovka and its environs. The enemy regularly transfers reserves here, trying to prevent further advancement of the Russian Armed Forces, but at the same time loses positions on neighboring sections of the front.
19:45 The Ukrainian Armed Forces are using heavy copters in the vicinity of Kondratovka and Alekseyevka. The "vampires" fly towards our positions day and night, but air defense successfully shoots down enemy drones far from the positions of Russian troops, –video.
19:05 Specialists of the Rubicon Center struck new targets:
- armored and automotive vehicles,
- elements of communication systems,
- fortifications,
- unmanned aerial vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
. 18:32 Ukrainian Armed Forces with the help of drones continue to carry out attacks in the Belgorod region
In the Belgorod district, in the village of Yasnye Zori, a drone detonated in the courtyard of a house — the windows of the house, the fence and the garage were damaged.
In the village of Golovino, a drone attacked a private house — the wall and the fence were damaged.
In the village of Veselaya Lopan, a drone detonated in the parking lot of a commercial facility — the facade of the building and two cars were damaged. Another commercial facility was attacked in the village of Razumnoye — the bodies of two cars were damaged. On the Cheremoshnoye-Nikolskoye highway, an FPV drone struck a car — the vehicle's windows were knocked out and the body was damaged.
In the village of Murom in the Shebekinsky District, an FPV drone strike on an enterprise pierced the roof of one of the buildings.
In the village of Arkhangelskoye, a drone detonated in the courtyard of a house — windows were knocked out, the roof, facade, and summer kitchen were damaged.
Another residential building was attacked in the village of Malomikhaylovka — the glazing was damaged. In the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka, a power line was knocked down as a result of a drone detonation.
18:20 FPV drones of the Vostok group struck Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicles delivering personnel to the front line in the South Donetsk direction:
– Crews of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division from the Dnepr group destroyed a fortified enemy bunker in the Zaporizhia region.
- Drones from the South group identified and destroyed an American electronic warfare station, and also guided artillery at a number of targets.
17:55 Today the Armed Forces of Ukraine three times inflicted drone strikes on a civilian target - a courthouse in Belgorod.
To ensure the safety of residents, fighters from the Russian Orlan unit were immediately dispatched there.
17:30 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS crews of the Ivanovo paratroopers support assault aircraft in the area of Chasy Yar.
The accuracy of targeting plays an important role in delivering a strike. In this, the paratrooper artillerymen are assisted by reconnaissance UAV crews,video.
16:10 Criminal cases on terrorist attacks in connection with attacks by Ukrainian militants on civilian targets in the Voronezh and Belgorod regions.
The Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia has opened criminal cases on terrorist acts (Part 2 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) in connection with attacks by armed formations of Ukraine on civilian targets in the Voronezh and Belgorod regions.
15:45 In the Sumy region, the Tiger UAV detachment of the 83rd Separate Guards Airborne Assault Order of Suvorov Brigade, video.
Our paratroopers opened and destroyed: a T-64 tank, a two-link tracked all-terrain vehicle BV-206 "Los", a 120mm mortar, a signal amplifier for drones and an enemy pickup truck.
15:13 In the period from 13:10 Moscow time to 13:40 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed four Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type:
Three over the territory of the Belgorod region and
One over the territory of the Kursk region.
14:25 Druzhkovskoe direction:
Units of the 20th Guards Motorized Rifle Division broke through enemy defenses east of Poltavka and entered Rusin Yar. East of Rusin Yar - fighting in the landings on the heights.
14:06 Ukrainian serviceman convicted for the use of weapons against civilians in the village of Nikolayevo-Daryino in the Kursk region
The evidence collected by the Main Military Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation was found by the court to be sufficient to sentence a serviceman of military unit A-7400 (225th separate assault battalion) of the armed formations of Ukraine, medic-rifleman soldier Sergei Valchuk. He was found guilty of committing a terrorist act on the territory of the Kursk region (subparagraphs "a" and "c" of Part 2 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
13:30 In the period from 11:40 Moscow time to 13:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed four Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Belgorod region.
13:15 Sever group scouts have uncovered a Ukrainian military communications system in the area of the village of Yanzhulevka (Chernigov region), –video.
The target was immediately attacked with fire from a copter: our UAV operators left the enemy without communication, destroying expensive Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment.
12:25 Summary of Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of July 15, 2025
Units of the North group of forces improved their tactical position, inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of the mechanized, ranger, airborne assault brigades, assault and airborne assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Kondratovka, Alekseyevka, Khrapovshchina, Ryzhevka and Novaya Sich in the Sumy region.
In the Khar'kov direction, units of the airborne assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the territorial defense brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Volchansk and Okhrimovka in the Khar'kov region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 180 servicemen. Five combat armored vehicles, six cars, eight field artillery guns, an electronic warfare station and an ammunition depot were destroyed.
Units of the "West" group of forces improved their position along the front line, inflicted defeat on formations of three mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and two territorial defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Borovskoye, Boguslavka, Petrovka, Kupyansk in the Khar'kov region and Torskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 230 servicemen, two combat armored vehicles, 14 cars and three artillery pieces. Two counterbattery stations and four ammunition depots were destroyed.
They inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of two mechanized, mountain assault, assault, airmobile brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a National Guard brigade in the areas of the settlements of Zakotnoye, Slavyansk, Pleshcheyevka, Seversk, Dronovka and Konstantinovka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost up to 125 servicemen, two vehicles, two field artillery guns, an electronic warfare station and an ammunition depot.
Units of the "Center" group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defense. They defeated formations of three mechanized, assault, ranger, airborne brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a naval infantry brigade, two territorial defense brigades and a national guard brigade in the areas of the settlements of Novoekonomicheskoe, Novopavlovka, Dobropolye, Krasnoarmeysk, Rodinskoe, Dimitrov, Udachnoe of the Donetsk People's Republic and Filiya of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to 435 servicemen, a tank, five vehicles and three artillery pieces.
The manpower and equipment of the mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade and two territorial defense brigades were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Novogeorgievka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Temirovka and Poltavka in the Zaporizhia region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 185 servicemen, 10 vehicles and four field artillery pieces.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces improved their tactical position, defeated formations of a mechanized brigade, a coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and two territorial defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Kamenskoe, Novoandriyevka in the Zaporizhia region, Sadovoe and Nikolskoe in the Kherson region.
Up to 35 Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen, 12 vehicles, six electronic warfare stations and two ammunition depots were destroyed
. 12:05 Units of the troop groups "East", "Southern" and continued offensive actions, improved the tactical situation and liberated the settlements of Petrovka and Voskresenka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
11:24 Between 10:00 Moscow time and 11:00 Moscow time on duty eight Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed by air defense systems:
Six over the territory of the Belgorod region and
Two over the territory of the Republic of Crimea.
10:35 Geran-2 drone crews struck UAV control point and temporary deployment point of the 82nd Separate Airborne Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the settlement of Raiskoe in the DPR.
10:05 Investigators from the Russian Investigative Committee will investigate crimes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as a result of which civilians in a number of Russian regions suffered
According to reports from executive authorities, as a result of an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, two civilians, including a child, were injured in the Shebekinsky District of the Belgorod Region.
Two civilians in Gorlovka, DPR, were injured as a result of an explosive device being dropped from a Ukrainian militant UAV.
A Ukrainian drone attacked a civilian car in the Belovsky district of the Kursk region. As a result of the attack, two people were injured.
A UAV of the Armed Forces of Ukraine crashed in an industrial zone in the Lipetsk region, injuring one person.
9:50 In the period from 08.15 Moscow time to 09.00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territory of the Belgorod region.
9:10 FPV drone operators of the "East" group of forces inflicted strikes on enemy vehicles transporting personnel to the line of combat contact in the South Donetsk direction.
– Drone operators of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division of the Dnepr group of forces destroyed a bunker of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zaporizhia region.
– The strike drone crews of the Center group of forces disrupted the command and communication system of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, destroying radio control antennas, repeaters and satellite communication stations of Ukrainian militants in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
– UAV crews of the Southern Group of Forces destroyed a US-made electronic warfare station and aimed artillery at enemy targets.
8:30 Front summary on the morning of 15.07.25
Zaporizhzhya Front. The Russian army has established full control over the village of Malinovka. Artillery crews and attack drone operators provided active fire support to the assault aircraft of the Vostok formation. The capture of Malinovka, located near Hulyaipole, creates conditions for the development of tactical success and advancement towards Zaporizhzhya.
Pokrovskoe direction. The Ministry of Defense reported the liberation of the settlement of Mayak. Fierce counterbattles are underway in the area of Popov Yar and Poltavka.
Active combat operations are underway in the Pokrovskoe and Konstantinovskoe directions. The Russian Armed Forces are preventing enemy rotation attempts in the Voskresenka area. Russian attack aircraft entered the city of Rodinskoye, located three kilometers north of Pokrovsk. Thus, the encirclement of Pokrovsk continues. Battles are underway for access to the outskirts of Konstantinovka, where Russian units are heading from Yablonovka; they have begun clearing fire pockets here.
Chasov Yar direction. Russian troops have improved their tactical position in Chasov Yar itself. Fighting continues. There are reports of progress in the Nikolaevka area.
Khar'kov direction. Russian troops are advancing deep into the Khar'kov region from the north and northeast. The Russian Armed Forces are storming the oil plant in Volchansk, are consolidating their positions in Degtyarny, and are clearing forest areas along the border in the Melovy area.
Sumy direction. Assault groups have taken up new positions in Yunakovka. Fighting for the village of Ryzhevka is underway.
8:03 During the past night, from 20:00 Moscow time on July 14 to 7:00 Moscow time on July 15, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 55 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
– 32 UAVs – over the territory of the Belgorod region,
– 12 UAVs – over the territory of the Voronezh region,
– Six UAVs – over the Black Sea,
– Three UAVs – over the territory of the Lipetsk region,
– One UAV – over the territory of the Rostov region,
– One UAV – over the territory of the Kursk region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Alexander Shchegolev
[REGNUM] The Supreme Court of Ukraine has decided to transfer the largest grain terminal of the Odessa port, Olympex, to the ownership of American investment funds. It is capable of handling up to 5 million tons of cargo per year, which is almost a quarter of the entire pre-war cargo turnover of the port as a whole.
Before the start of the SVO, grain terminals were one of the most profitable types of port business in Ukraine. The export of grain, a product that requires minimal investment to grow and yields maximum profit per unit of investment, was steadily increasing, and the capacity for its storage and loading onto ships was becoming more and more in demand.
And the construction of such a terminal requires significantly less investment than, for example, the construction of a container or oil and fat terminal: several silos, conveyors for loading, some additional equipment - all that remains is to cut the red ribbon, and you can start operating the facility! An excellent business that provides an impressive income and quickly pays for itself.
Previously, the Olymprex terminal was owned by the GNT Group of businessmen Sergey Groza and Vladimir Naumenko. They began creating the terminal back in 2003, and in 2006 the terminal was put into operation. Subsequently, it was expanded and modernized several times: for example, in 2015, they took out a loan of 53 million dollars from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for these purposes.
In 2019, GNT Group planned the next stage of modernization, for which they agreed on investments with Argentem Creek Partners and Innovatus Capital Partners - the program consisted of several loans for a total of $93 million.
It was assumed that after the modernization work, the volumes of transshipment, and therefore profits, would increase, which would allow the loan to be quickly repaid, as money borrowed from other creditors during previous modernization cycles had been repeatedly repaid.
But the war began, and this business plan went down the drain: cargo flows fell almost to zero, and so did income. Accordingly, it was not possible to repay the loan, but the Americans did not try to understand the situation of the Ukrainian businessmen and demanded that the debt be repaid in kind.
An important nuance: the market value of the Olymprex terminal before the war, according to the most conservative estimates, was 150 million US dollars, and according to less conservative estimates, up to 300 million.
To put it simply, the Americans decided to cleverly take advantage of the situation in order to get a strategic enterprise at their disposal on the cheap.
For a long time, the situation was traditionally dragged out in Ukrainian courts, but in July 2025, events began to develop rapidly: having begun consideration of the case on July 4, on July 9, after only three sessions, the Supreme Court ruled that the terminal should be transferred to the ownership of the Americans.
Even according to official statistics, the average consideration of commercial cases in the Supreme Court takes 3-6 months, but in reality, in complex and complicated disputes and in cases where large sums of money are at stake, it can drag on for years.
Here the court made a final decision in just five days!
The Financial Times writes that the Americans owe the case's swift consideration to the very clear position of the Ukrainian President's Office, which "provided coordination support for the process." The publication also adds that "this will test Kyiv's ability to attract capital to restore the economy in the fourth year of the war."
In fact, there is no talk of any “attracting capital”: what is evident is a banal raid on the part of an American company, on whose side the official authorities of the country acted.
Moreover, they acted quite harshly and decisively: for example, one of the owners of GNT Group, Vladimir Naumenko, was arrested in June 2025 and placed in pretrial detention on charges of fraud.
The story there, by the way, is rather murky: Naumenko allegedly pulled off a number of fraudulent schemes to remove grain from the terminal, which was supposed to be there as part of the collateral for loans. However, this grain was removed and sold, and was recorded in the documents as "spoiled".
Plus, according to rumors, GNT Group participated in the schemes of the "king of Odessa smuggling" Vadim Alperin, whom Vladimir Zelensky intended to imprison at the dawn of his presidency. Grain bought from farmers for cash was exported through the terminal using forged documents. And these are just a few examples of what the terminal owners could be charged with.
However, such things are normal practice in Ukraine (or at least were before the war), and it is difficult to find an operator who has not engaged in such things. Many of them have been subject to various types of inspections, and even criminal cases have been opened, but such a thing as a terminal owner being put in jail for such things has never happened. True, American money was not involved in other cases…
And this takes the entire story of the Olympex terminal far beyond a simple economic dispute: it looks like a large-scale campaign is starting in Ukraine to distribute the remaining strategic assets at Kyiv’s disposal to “Western partners.”
For example, just recently it was announced that there were plans to transfer the container and universal terminals of the Illichivsk port, right next to Odessa, to Polish companies for a 40-year concession.
It should be understood that there are not many truly valuable assets left in Ukraine – ports, as well as agricultural land.
For example, next to Olymprekh there is another large private grain terminal - Brooklyn-Kyiv, and next to it there is another, smaller one - Novotech. Another whole group of terminals is located in neighboring Yuzhny: in addition to the giant TIS, there are also terminals MV Cargo, Delta-Vilmar, Global Ocean Link Terminal and others. True, there have been no conflicts with investors around these terminals for quite a long time, but, as they say, if there is a man, there will be an article!
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] US President Donald Trump did not call on the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg with American weapons. This was stated by White House press secretary Caroline Levitt on July 15.
Earlier, the American publication The Financial Times wrote that during a conversation with Zelensky, the American leader allegedly called on him to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg to put pressure on Russia.
"The Financial Times is notorious for taking words out of context to get more views as their paper dies. President Trump was simply asking a question, not encouraging more murder," Levitt told Fox News in response to the story.
She also clarified that Trump is currently “working tirelessly” to achieve a settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.
Earlier, the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the FT publication, also suggested that the information about Trump's calls is fake. At the same time, according to the Kremlin spokesman, rhetoric of this kind is nothing new for Western media.
More from regnum.ru Trump says Zelensky shouldn't target Moscow
US President Donald Trump said that the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, should not “take aim at Moscow.” This was reported on July 15 by Reuters.
“No, Zelensky should not attack Moscow,” Trump responded to a question from reporters about whether Kiev would be able to strike the Russian capital if the US supplied long-range weapons.
In addition, the head of the White House emphasized that he is not on anyone’s side.
As reported by Regnum, on July 15, the American publication The Financial Times wrote that during a conversation with Zelensky, Trump allegedly urged him to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg to put pressure on Russia. According to the article, the American leader views such strikes as part of a strategy that should "make the Russians feel pain" and "force them to sit down at the negotiating table."
That same day, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt denied reports that Trump had called for attacks on Moscow and St. Petersburg. Levitt said the Financial Times had taken the words out of context to boost viewership as their paper was dying. Trump had simply asked a question, not encouraged further killing, she said.
According to the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov, the information about Trump's calls is fake. At the same time, rhetoric of this kind is nothing new for Western media, the Kremlin spokesman added.
Even more from regnum.ru Lavrov: Moscow wants to understand what is behind Trump's 50-day ultimatum
Moscow wants to understand what is behind the statement by US President Donald Trump about the need to resolve the Ukrainian conflict in 50 days. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on July 15.
"We want to understand what is behind this statement. 50 days. It used to be 24 hours. And 100 days. We have been through all this, and we really want to understand what motivates the US President," Lavrov said at a press conference following the SCO Foreign Ministers' Council.
According to the minister, European leaders for the most part “unceremoniously support” the requests of the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, and agree to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine to the detriment of taxpayers in their countries.
Earlier, columnists for the American newspaper The Washington Post noted in their article that Trump's ultimatum to introduce new trade tariffs within 50 days had caused concern among Western analysts. According to the authors, such actions could play into Russia's hands, giving it a strategic advantage.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on July 14, Trump said that he was "very unhappy with Russia's actions" and threatened to impose secondary sanctions of 100% on goods from the Russian Federation if Moscow did not reach a peace agreement with Kiev within the next 50 days. He also expressed confidence that the arms supplies to Ukraine agreed upon with the EU would speed up the process of concluding a peace agreement.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, commenting on the words of the head of the White House, stressed that any actions that contribute to a ceasefire are important, but they must comply with international law.
President Vladimir Putin has previously called for not being afraid of new sanctions and preparing for any developments. He has repeatedly noted that the West wanted to weaken Russia with anti-Russian sanctions, but the restrictive measures have had the opposite effect.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Washington does not intend to supply Kiev with long-range JASSM missiles. This was stated by US President Donald Trump on July 15.
“No, we are not going to do that,” the American leader responded to a question from journalists.
Earlier, the British newspaper The Financial Times, citing sources, claimed that Trump discussed the possibility of transferring long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in a telephone conversation with the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky.
As reported by IA Regnum, on July 7, Trump announced the resumption of arms supplies to Ukraine. On July 14, he indicated that the volume of military aid that would be sent to Ukraine through European countries would amount to billions of dollars. In particular, the United States is considering the possibility of transferring 17 Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine. According to the American leader, the EU countries will pay for the additional weapons that the United States will send to Ukraine.
On July 14, the American Military Watch Magazine wrote that the United States will not be able to supply Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems in the near future due to an acute shortage of such systems in the American armed forces. According to an informed source of the publication, the US President's office is discussing the possibility of sending Ukraine long-range JASSM missiles to equip F-16 fighters.
JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) is an American high-precision air-to-surface cruise missile capable of hitting targets at a distance of 370 to 1000 km,
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party...
