Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] Algerian leader Abdelmajid Tebbun confirmed that he would arrive in Russia in May at the invitation of Vladimir Putin. Relations between Moscow and a key player in North Africa are not cloudless, but there are far more questions about neighboring Morocco, which is transferring tanks to Ukraine. Boris Dolgov, a political scientist and orientalist, told REGNUM news agency about the benefits of relations with Algeria for Russia and whose competition we may face here.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboun is going to visit Moscow in May at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin - this visit is already included in the schedule. The Algerian leader also suggested in an interview with Al Jazeera: in the future, his country could become a mediator in resolving the Ukrainian conflict. Algeria is one of the few states that has sufficient international credibility to fulfill this function, Tebboune said.
At the end of February, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev met with the Algerian president. He assured Tebbun that Moscow views his country as a key foreign policy partner, especially since the positions of the two countries coincide on most issues of the international and regional agenda. Earlier, on January 31, Putin spoke with the President of Algeria by phone. The presidents confirmed their readiness to work in the OPEC+ format and within the framework of the gas exporters forum.
About why it is important for Russia to maintain a good level of relations with Algeria and how this will affect our positions in the global arena, Boris Dolgov, a leading researcher at the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told REGNUM.
IA REGNUM: Boris Vasilyevich, let's start with a short historical digression. How have Russian-Algerian relations developed recently and at what level are they now?
Boris Dolgov: Relations between Russia and Algeria have recently, and even earlier, developed quite positively. Algeria is an Arab state friendly to Russia. This was also evident in his attitude towards the Ukrainian crisis. Of course, the official position is neutral, but Algeria has managed to maintain very good relations with Russia.
I regularly communicate with representatives of the Algerian media, and they show that we are treated with great sympathy there. Moreover, the Soviet Union played an important role in the country's struggle for independence from France, which provided Algeria with support in all areas. I was then in Algeria and saw this support with my own eyes. Up to 30,000 of our specialists helped create entire sectors of the national economy there. Now one of the areas of cooperation with Russia is military-technical.
BakuToday: But there are difficulties, aren't there?
B. D: Although they are insignificant, they, unfortunately, exist. Algeria does not quite understand Moscow's position on Algerian-Moroccan relations. We are talking about the confrontation over Western Sahara. This is a longstanding conflict that has been going on for decades. Morocco, as you know, adheres to a pro-Western orientation and follows a pro-American course. Recall, for example, the Moroccan tanks , which are now in the Czech Republic, are being modernized and then will be sent to support the Ukrainian regime. There are not so many of them (about three dozen), but still.
BakuToday: The global alignment is more or less obvious. And how interesting is North Africa in itself for Russia? Why should we strengthen ourselves in this region?
B. D: For Russia, this direction of foreign policy is very important. Algeria is the most significant state in North Africa. And the historically established friendly relations between Russia and Algeria must be developed. Algeria seriously influences the situation in North Africa, and the further policy of this Arab state is determined by its relations with Russia.
If we talk about the economic sphere, then we should not forget that Algeria is an oil-producing country, also rich in gas. In addition, an important aspect is cooperation in the field of modern technologies, for example, in nuclear energy. And here Russia could succeed.
But the main thing is the global political aspect, since not many Arab countries adhere to a friendly position towards Russia. Take, for example, the situation with the return of Syria to the League of Arab States. At the recent Arab League summit, Algeria clearly expressed its position on the need for representatives of Bashar al-Assad , although some of the Arab states opposed it. And on many other issues, Algeria takes a position close to the Russian one.
BakuToday: Algeria is a serious player in the EU gas market, the very one from which we, if not completely gone, are leaving. Will this situation, which is fraught with competition, overshadow Russian-Algerian relations?
BD: In my opinion, no. Algeria, of course, fills those niches that are freed up after Russia's departure. However, the most important thing is not competition on individual economic issues.
The global politics and national-state interests of Russia must prevail over the interests of individual Russian businessmen and companies. And in terms of geopolitics, Algeria is an important player.
BakuToday: Then a logical question - is the influence of Algeria in North Africa great?
B. D: This is the most influential country in the region when compared to Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt or Libya. Of course, all its neighbors listen to the opinion of this state. And after the departure of Algerian President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika from power and the arrival of a new leadership, the role of this country is increasing. Both in North Africa and globally.
REGNUM: Algeria is a candidate for joining the BRICS group. Should we expect that in the foreseeable future he will become a full member of this organization?
B. D: Algeria is in line to join the BRICS. How soon he will enter this alliance depends on many factors. The first, and also the most important of them, I would call the Ukrainian conflict. How it will end, what will be the result - this is the most important question for Russia's relations with many countries, including Algeria. Algeria's membership in the BRICS also depends on this.
BakuToday: If Algeria joins the BRICS, is it likely that other North African states will follow suit?
B. D: Absolutely right. Following him, not only North African, but also other Arab (and not only) countries will rush there. Syria, definitely. In addition, we can talk about the interest of Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain. And also Iran. And if all these states join the BRICS, then this will be a completely different configuration, more favorable for Russia.
BakuToday: But not only Russia, but also America and China are probably eyeing North Africa. How do you see such a confrontation between major players in this region and will Moscow outplay Washington and Beijing here?
B. D: The US and its allies are trying to steer the countries of North Africa into a pro-Western policy. In some cases, they succeed (think of Morocco). And Algeria is also under pressure. For example, after he announced the need to return Syria to the League of Arab States, the United States began to threaten him. There was even talk of imposing sanctions.
BakuToday: Does America have a strong position in North Africa?
B. D: Here the US prefers to influence through its allies. First of all, through France, a country that has its own interests in this region.
BakuToday: And China?
B. D: He also has interests in North Africa. The PRC is a rapidly developing country, a powerful military power with aircraft carriers that Russia does not have. And Chinese expansion is directed to almost all regions of the world. Particularly in North Africa. When I was in Algiers, I saw there the most modern factories built with the help of China. So China is a powerful player in Africa.
BakuToday: But China does not invade our territory? Will we have a confrontation with him over spheres of influence in North Africa?
B. D: No. There can be no confrontation here . Especially now. Our countries work in different areas, and there will be no rivalry with the Russian side.
#1
"Algeria is the most significant state in North Africa."
That is like saying Anacostia is the most significant city in Virginia. Or Somalia is the most significant state in East Africa.
[Epoch Times] A Russian fighter jet was scrambled on Monday to intercept a pair of U.S. strategic bombers flying over the Baltic Sea, Russia’s defense ministry said.
"On March 20, 2023, radars of the Western Military District Air Defense force on duty detected two airborne targets over the Baltic Sea, flying towards the state border of the Russian Federation," the ministry said, as per Russian state media TASS. "The targets were identified as two U.S. Air Force B-52H strategic bombers."
A single Su-35 fighter jet took to the air to "prevent violations of the state border" by the American warplanes that allegedly reached a "designated air patrol area," but returned to its home base after the targets moved away from Russian territory, according to the ministry.
In a statement released Tuesday, the U.S. Air Force in Europe said that the bombers were conducting a mission with NATO allies and partners in Estonian airspace as a part of their "normally scheduled training operations."
"The flights remained within Estonian airspace the entire flight at an approx. distance of 50NM from Russian air space," the statement reads. "At no point did B-52’s make contact with Russian aircraft."
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[LB] Destroyed and damaged houses.
by Iryna Gamalii
Yesterday, the occupiers shelled 13 settlements in Donetsk region: two people were killed, five were injured
Yesterday, March 21, the Russian army shelled 13 settlements in the Donetsk region. As a result of the attacks, four civilians were killed and five more were injured.
Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the Donetsk OVA, reported this in Telegram .
In the Donetsk direction, one person was killed and one was injured in Krasnohorivka of the Marin community. In the Ocheretyn community, a person was injured in Stepovoy, one house was damaged in Lastochkino and one in Netaylovo. In the Kurakhiv community, six houses were damaged in Ostrivskyi and two in Hirnyk.
In the Horliv direction in the Chasovoyarsk community, two people were killed, one civilian was injured. Another person died in Bakhmut. In the Kostyantynivska community, three houses in Predtechyny and one house in Stinky were damaged. Recorded shelling of Minkivka, Vasyukivka and Rozdolivka of the Soledar community.
The administrative and industrial building of the enterprise was damaged on the Lysychanskyi direction in Siversk. No casualties. In just one day, the Russians killed four residents of Donetsk region and wounded another five.
We will remind, in Donetsk region, invaders killed two and injured three civilians during the past day, March 20.
The Tuesday edition of this Ukrainian news roundup did not appear because I screwed up.
[Korrespondent] 22:46 Erdogan said that Turkey will not take sides in military conflicts, including the Ukrainian one.
21:48 Stoltenberg did not rule out that the NATO member countries will go further in the supply of weapons and send F-16s or other Western aircraft to Ukraine. "We must continue to consider the need for greater capabilities," the secretary general said, and stressed that despite Biden's initial apparent refusal to provide American-made fighters, "no decisions have been made on the F-16."
21:27 Prince William announced that he visited a military base in Polish Rzeszow near the Ukrainian border. There he met with the British and Polish military "where he heard about their extraordinary work in support of Ukraine." The Prince also met with the Polish Minister of Defense and members of the Polish Territorial Defense Forces to learn about their support for Ukraine. The Duke praised their "passion and determination to defend our common liberties".
21:18 Xi Jinping and Putin, after talks in Moscow, resolutely reaffirmed their agreement on a number of issues and their general distrust of the United States. The parties also set their sights on the formation of a "new world order." At the same time, the Chinese leader did not directly support the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and did not give Putin consent to increase gas supplies from the Russian Federation. What the parties agreed on and what they could not agree on - in Xi's material in Moscow .
21:11 In Zaporozhye, a rescue operation has been completed after a Russian missile attack on an apartment building, Interior Minister Igor Klimenko said. 34 people were injured, 29 were hospitalized, including three children. One person died in the hospital.
19:22 In the Kherson region, the curfew has been reduced: from March 24, it will last from 20:00 to 6:00, said the head of the OVA Alexander Prokudin.
19:11 Zelensky said that during today's working trip, he handed over the honorary distinction of the Hero City of Ukraine to Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov. Also in Kharkiv, a meeting was held on the situation in the region.
19:08 The restoration of Ukraine needs 411 billion dollars - this is 2.6 annual GDP of the state for 2022, the World Bank said. In September, the World Bank estimated the amount of damage caused by Russia's armed aggression at $349 billion. The World Bank has already allocated about $20.6 billion to restore Ukrainian infrastructure.
19:01 US aid to Ukraine is under control, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said: "Pentagon and State Department officials in Ukraine control the targeted use of US aid to Kiev." CNN reported that House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCall will hold hearings on March 29 on oversight of aid to Ukraine.
18:53 The Russian army continues to conduct offensive operations in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky, Maryinsky and Shakhtyorsky directions. The most fierce fighting continues in the southern and northern parts of Bakhmut, and the enemy also carried out offensive operations in the Avdiivka direction in order to establish control over Avdiivka and Maryinka, the General Staff said in an evening report .
In the occupied territory of the Kherson region, local "authorities" have been threatening local residents since April to stop paying pensions if they do not have a Russian passport. In the meantime, a meeting of teachers was held at the Starobelsk professional college of the Luhansk National Agrarian University, who expressed dissatisfaction with the instruction of the "management" to all college employees to receive a Russian passport before June 1. Teachers are not given the opportunity to resign of their own free will, and the occupiers dispersed the meeting by force.
18:08 China has not yet provided significant military assistance to Russia, US State Department Secretary Anthony Blinken said: "At the moment, we do not see that they have crossed this line. I think that their diplomatic support, their political support and some material support for Russia, certainly not compatible with our desire to end this war."
17:49 Ukrainian technical specialists are carrying out work in Slovakia on the acceptance of MiG-29 fighters, Defense Minister Yaroslav Nagy said: "Technicians from Ukraine have been in Slovakia for several days, inspecting fighters and carrying out the acceptance process." According to the minister, Ukrainian specialists brought the spare parts necessary for replacement in fighters so that they could be finalized before being transported to Ukraine. Nagy noted that the process should take several weeks.
17:14 In Snegirevshchina of the Nikolaev area three people were lost, having blown up on the Russian anti-tank mine, the chief of regional police Sergey Shaikhet reported. He said that the inhabitants of the village of Sadovoe drove across the field to the forest belt to collect firewood, and at some point the car exploded. All three died on the spot.
17:10 The Russians are changing targets for their missile strikes, Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Vadim Skibitsky said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine: "Let's take the last strikes with unmanned aerial vehicles on the night of March 17-18 and on the night of March 21-22. We hit the bases fuels and lubricants in Novomoskovsk, Zhytomyr, and there were also hits in the Yavorovsky district. What were the main goals? The logistics system of our troops and the concentration of our equipment, which is located at the points of deployment."
Skibitsky noted that the climatic winter is already ending, and Russia has not managed to destroy the Ukrainian energy system, so now it will somewhat reorient the direction of strikes. "These can be military installations, and the concentration of troops, and the logistics system of our groupings," he specified and added that energy and critical infrastructure facilities would still remain among the enemy's targets.
In addition, hydrotechnical and treatment facilities can become targets of the enemy, the representative of the GUR added: “We are analyzing which objects the Russian Federation is reconnaissance of. Among them are hydraulic structures, bridges across the Dnieper, airfields and airports, supply routes for weapons and military equipment from the West. Russia is constantly conducting reconnaissance of these objects, including space exploration."
16:59 Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said that the Orthodox Church of Russia shares responsibility for the war in Ukraine: "The Church and the state leadership of Russia cooperated in the crime of aggression and shared responsibility for the crimes committed, such as the shocking abduction of Ukrainian children."
The Patriarch also emphasized that interreligious dialogue should focus on ways to counter the Moscow Patriarchate: "Our interreligious dialogue should focus on ways to counter and neutralize the ability of the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate to undermine unity and theologically legitimize criminal behavior."
16:48 Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said that Putin would risk being arrested if he arrived in his country: "Anyone who travels to a country that is a member of the ICC may have problems, I have no doubt about it." According to him, Brazil respects and adheres to the decisions of the International Criminal Court. Vieira also confirmed that Brazil condemns the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
16:15 Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda announced a new batch of military aid to Ukraine, which is planned to be transferred in the coming months. It will include anti-drones, weapons, ammunition, and Lithuania will also provide military training for Ukrainian servicemen. Nauseda added that support for Ukraine is more than 1.2% of Lithuanian GDP.
16:04 The head of the National Police of the Kiev region Andrey Nebytov specified that as a result of the Russian attack on the hostels in Rzhishchev, seven people were killed, nine were injured, including one child.
16:00 Russian invaders in the occupied territory continue forced mobilization, Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said. In particular, according to her, in the settlements of Starobelsk, Shchastya, Novoaidar, Nizhneteploye, Novopskov, Luhansk region, the next stage of large-scale military training of Russian troops was announced with mobilization exercises held in the spring and summer.
It is planned to call on the entire local male population of military age to participate in these mobilization activities (primarily those who have received citizenship of the Russian Federation and the "LPR"). To motivate potential conscripts, the Russians promise to hand over to the mobilized Ukrainians who have left the occupied territory. In turn, men, realizing the prospect of going to the front after undergoing military training, quit their jobs and change their place of residence.
15:52 Russia hit Zaporozhye with MLRS, because of this, they could not announce the alarm in time, Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said: “You must understand that Zaporozhye is a front-line city ... It was rocket artillery that flies very fast From launch to impact, seconds, tens of seconds.” He added that it might have been a Tornado-S.
15:44 The Russians today fired six rockets at Zaporozhye, one did not explode, said the head of the Zaporizhzhya OVA, Yuriy Malashko. According to preliminary data from the State Emergency Service, 21 people were hospitalized, including two children. One person died in the hospital. Four people were also rescued.
15:29 The number of victims of a night attack by Russians on Rzhishchev, Kiev region, has risen to seven - rescuers pulled out the bodies of three more people from under the rubble of the dormitory, Victoria Ruban, the speaker of the regional State Emergency Service, said in a commentary to the UP.
15:07 During his visit to Moscow, Xi Jinping refrained from committing himself to significantly increase purchases of Russian gas, writes Bloomberg.
14:46 Zelensky announced that he had held a meeting on the social and security situation in the Donetsk region. He listened to the report of the military command on the state of the operational situation in the zone of responsibility of the Liman operational-tactical group. Separately, they discussed the restoration of the destroyed infrastructure, ensuring the uninterrupted supply of water and electricity, etc.
14:25 The SBU reported that since the beginning of the year, ten militants, including Belarusian mercenaries, have been convicted based on the materials of military counterintelligence. The court sentenced them to eight to 15 years in prison. Among the convicts, in particular, is an employee of the Belarusian KGB. As part of the Russian private military company Redut, he fought against the Defense Forces in the Kharkov and Kramatorsk directions.
14:04 In Zaporozhye, one person was killed due to a Russian missile attack on an apartment building, 25 people are in hospitals , three of them are in serious condition, said Anatoly Kurtev, secretary of the City Council.
14:01 British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley said that the transfer of shells with depleted uranium to Kiev does not mean a nuclear escalation: "There is no nuclear escalation. The only country in the world that talks about nuclear issues is Russia. There is no threat to Russia, speech is solely about helping Ukraine defend it."
Meanwhile, Lavrov called London's decision "a step towards a significant escalation."
13:53 The Kiev School of Economics has estimated the total amount of damage to Ukraine's infrastructure due to the full-scale Russian invasion at $143.8 billion.
13:50 The United States supports and fully rely on the choice of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the defense of Bakhmut, said John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council at the White House. According to him, Washington will help Ukraine, regardless of Zelensky's priorities in the fight.
13:42 As a result of a rocket attack on an apartment building in Zaporozhye, at least 18 people were injured , including two children aged seven and nine. According to the secretary of the City Council Anatoly Kurtev, 11 people were hospitalized. The house was hit by two Russian missiles.
13:36 Speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuriy Ignat warned about the criminal liability of the administration of telegram channels that provide the enemy with information about the location of Ukrainian air defense and its weak points. In particular, we are talking about channels that inform about the movement of enemy missiles and drones in real time. The enemy takes this information into account when planning the next missile attacks.
Ignat also said that serious decisions would probably be made in the near future, perhaps even criminal cases would be initiated.
13:15 Zelensky visited the forward positions of the Ukrainian military in the Bakhmut direction and awarded the Ukrainian defenders.
12:58 Lukashenka warned of a "terrible response" to the use of depleted uranium shells by Ukraine: "As soon as these ammunition explodes over the positions of Russian troops, you will see, the answer will be terrible. It will be a lesson for the whole planet. Russia has not only depleted uranium, you you know that very well."
12:56 The Russians fired on Zaporizhia - a rocket hit a multi-storey building. Zelensky showed a video of the strike:
12:20 Russia removes from storage Soviet T-54/55 tanks, produced in the late 1950s. The Conflict Intelligence Team notes that this is the first time this has been recorded. The vehicles were seen on trains in the city of Arseniev, Primorsky Krai, where the Central Base for the Reserve and Storage of Tanks is located. Since last summer, T-62s have been sent from it to the front.
11:39 Peskov said that Putin did not discuss the Ukrainian peace plan with Xi Jinping - there was an "exchange of opinions" on the Chinese initiative.
11:14 U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said that Putin is not interested in peace: "After all yesterday's talks in Moscow, again Russian missiles and again drone attacks on civilians at night show very clearly how much President Putin is interested in a just peace or an end to the war which he started.
11:10 British intelligence believes that the offensive of Russian forces near Bakhmut is beginning to weaken, although the situation remains difficult. According to analysts, in recent days, Ukrainian forces launched a local counterattack west of Bakhmut to relieve enemy pressure on the H-32 highway, which is important for supplies.
At the same time, fighting continues around the city center, Ukrainian defenders remain under threat due to the cordon from the north and south. Analysts say the Russian offensive against the city is beginning to lose momentum, in part because some Russian units are being redeployed to other sectors of the front.
10:56 The United States has offered Slovakia to sell 12 new Bell AH-1Z Viper helicopters at a two-thirds discount after Bratislava sends its decommissioned MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine, Slovak Defense Minister Yaroslav Nagy said. As part of the deal, Slovakia will pay $340 million over three to four years for a package worth more than $1 billion, he said. The remainder will be covered under the US Foreign Military Financing Program. The deal also includes parts, training and over 500 AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles.
10:38 Russia will soon try to launch another offensive in several directions, said John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council at the White House. According to him, the West must do everything possible to ensure that Ukraine is ready for this, as the critical moment in the war approaches.
10:34 As part of the reform of the defense industry, according to a government decision, the Ukroboronprom concern will switch to a corporate governance model and become a joint-stock company Ukrainian Defense Industry , in which 100% of the shares belong to the state.
David Arakhamia explained that the corporatization of Ukroboronprom will create conditions for opening many joint ventures with strategic partners of Ukraine. "Corporatization gives our defense industry access to technologies, investments, financial markets, international projects. This means even more weapons for victory and even more opportunities to develop new models for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and world markets," the people's deputy added.
10:16 Ukrhydroenergo reported that in total during the full-scale war, as a result of Russian shelling, there were more than 30 hits on hydropower facilities. The preliminary amount of damage caused by the Russian army reaches about 40 billion hryvnia.
09:59 Zelensky commented on the Russian night attack: “More than 20 Iranian killing drones, and also missiles, numerous attacks. And this is just for one last night of Russian terror against Ukraine. Every time someone tries to hear the word “peace” in Moscow ", they give another order for such criminal strikes. The success of the Ukrainian forces on land, in the sky and the sea really brings peace closer. Full compliance with the sanctions regime against Russia really restores the strength of the UN Charter. Global unity can restore global stability."
09:51 Ukroboronprom reported that, in cooperation with the NATO country, it has launched the production of a 122-mm artillery shell abroad and has already managed to ship a batch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is the third type of munition after the 120-mm mortar mine and the 125-mm tank projectile, produced according to Ukrainian technology and with the involvement of Ukrainian narrow-profile specialists at foreign facilities.
09:27 The head of the National Police of the Kiev region, Andriy Nebytov, specified that as a result of drones entering the hostel building, three people were killed, seven were injured, the fate of five more is unknown. The first explosions thundered around 3:00, followed by a number of more. Police and emergency services evacuated more than 200 people, one part of the hostel was almost completely destroyed, a fire started. Among the dead is an ambulance driver who came to rescue citizens.
09:18 In Crimea, the airs of several radio stations were hacked. Local "authorities" said that the reports spread about a possible evacuation from the peninsula are false.
09:16 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the paragraph of the statement by Putin and Xi Jinping, which refers to the inadmissibility of nuclear war, is "a direct signal to the United States." According to him, Moscow and Beijing are calling on Washington "to take the path of de-escalation and strengthening strategic stability."
09:10 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, four people were killed (two in Chasovoy Yar, one each in Krasnohorivka and Bakhmut), five more were injured. Two wounded in the Kherson region, according to the IVA.
09:06 The State Emergency Service specified that on the night of March 22 in the city of Rzhishchev, Kiev region, as a result of an enemy attack by drones, the 4th and 5th floors of two five-story dormitories and a three-story educational building of a professional lyceum were partially destroyed. There was a fire on the area of 330 square meters. m, it has already been eliminated.
09:02 As a result of a night attack by drones, one of the infrastructure facilities of the Zhytomyr region was damaged, said the head of the OVA Vitaliy Bunechko. Three enemy drones were shot down by air defense units, there are no victims or injured.
08:56 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 22.
personnel - about 167,490 (+920) people liquidated,
tanks - 3557 (+5),
armored combat vehicles - 6887 (+8),
artillery systems - 2589 (+3),
MLRS - 509 (+2),
air defense systems - 272 (+2),
aircraft - 305 (+0),
helicopters - 290 (+0),
UAV operational-tactical level - 2183 (+16),
cruise missiles - 909 (+2),
ships/boats - 18 (+0),
automotive equipment and tankers - 5434 (+6),
special equipment - 270 (+4).
08:44 The Russian army is conducting offensive operations in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky, Maryinsky and Shakhtyorsky directions, in others it is defending itself. Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces repelled 114 enemy attacks on the eastern sector of the front, the General Staff said in a morning report .
08:39 Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Britain's plans to transfer depleted uranium shells to Kiev are "another reckless provocation by London and Washington," which is aimed at "bringing the situation around Ukraine to a new round of aggression, conflict and confrontation, give a qualitatively different dimension.
Zakharova also believes that the use of depleted uranium shells is "a manifestation of genocide against the population against whom they are used, and the population that uses them."
And the speaker of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, said that the supply of ammunition with depleted uranium to Kyiv "leads to a tragedy on a global scale, which will primarily affect European states."
08:26 Russians attacked Ukraine with drones at night. According to preliminary data from the General Staff, 16 out of 21 drones were shot down. In the Kiev region, as a result of the attack, a civilian object was damaged, three people were killed and seven were injured , the information is being specified, the OVA said.
About eight enemy Shahed-type UAVs were detected in the airspace around Kyiv, all of them were destroyed by air defense forces, said Sergey Popko, head of the KGVA.
07:17 In Sevastopol on the night of Wednesday, March 22, explosions thundered, after which electricity was lost in the South Bay area, local telegram channels report. According to eyewitnesses, after the explosions, the raid in the Sevastopol Bay was blocked. It is also noted that strong explosions were heard from the South and North breakwaters.
The "governor" of the city, Mikhail Razvozhaev, said that the Black Sea Fleet allegedly repulsed the attack of marine drones in Sevastopol, people and warships were not injured.
05:22 Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan said that Russia is using Ukrainian children as war trophies: "You must look after them. If they are not safe, you move them to a safe part of Ukraine. If this is not possible, then to a neutral country And, it seems, this is not just deportation to the Russian Federation, where they are met by strangers who have now suddenly become foster parents. And children are not property, not military booty."
Khan stressed that Russia does not deny the accusations of the ICC, but "wears them as a badge of honour." The Russian authorities also did not respond to prosecutors' attempts to negotiate. "Children are not the property of the country, which can be moved for political or ideological reasons. This should be regulated by law," Khan said.
00:43 In Washington, following the meeting between Putin and Xi Jinping, they saw no signs of an imminent end to the war in Ukraine, said John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications of the National Security Council at the White House: "We did not see anything that Xi and Putin said, which forced would make us believe that the war in Ukraine will end soon." Kirby added that he wouldn't call the Russia-China relationship an alliance, but it's clear that both countries "would like the world to play by their rules."
The White House also stressed that Xi must urge Russia to stop invading Ukraine if he wants to play any constructive role in the conflict. According to Kirby, adherence to the UN Charter means that Russia must leave the entire territory of Ukraine.
00:19 The United States will transfer Abrams M1A1 tanks to Ukraine instead of the newer M1A2 - this will allow delivery by the fall of this year, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said. He specified that such a decision was made "in close coordination with Ukraine." The United States is going to transfer 31 tanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ryder added that the tanks to be delivered have improved armor, a 120mm cannon and a heavy machine gun.
21 March
23:34 Apparently, the sharp reaction of the Russian leadership was caused not so much by the presence of depleted uranium in the composition of shells for British tanks, but by the fact that they will be able to more effectively hit Russian ones. Read more in the material Shells for the Armed Forces of Ukraine scared the Kremlin .
23:03 Japan will allocate $30 million for the supply of non-lethal weapons to Ukraine through the NATO Trust Fund, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during a visit to Kiev. Japan will also provide $470 million in grant assistance for Ukrainian energy and other industries. According to Kishida, the funds will be used for demining, supporting broadcasting, education, strengthening public administration and protecting cultural heritage.
22:57 Zelensky said that he had spoken with Chilean President Gabriel Boric: "We have updated our states' vision of the current situation in international relations. I informed Mr. President about exactly how Russia continues its aggression. I also informed about how we can counteract Russian terror , counteract successfully".
22:49 Zelensky recalled in an evening video message that today Ukraine began to celebrate the first anniversary of the first victorious battles of a full-scale war: "It was on March 21 last year that the battle for Moshchun, a small village in the Kiev region, ended, which was the first big step of our state towards victory in this war."
22:18 Russians today fired from barrel artillery and MLRS Tornado Krasnogorovka, Chasov Yar and with. Stepnoe Ocheretinsky community of Donetsk region. In Krasnogorovka and Stepnoy, one person was killed, three more were injured. In the town of Chasov Yar, two people were killed and one injured, the regional prosecutor's office said.
22:09 In the sky over the Odessa region tonight, air defense forces shot down two X-59 guided air-to-surface missiles fired by Russian Su-35 fighters from the Black Sea, the Air Force command reported.
OK Pivden clarified that the Russians fired three X-59 missiles, one of which hit the three-story building of the UOC monastery of the Moscow Patriarchate. Four people were injured as a result of the missile attack.
22:04 Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made an unexpected trip to Ukraine to meet with President Zelensky. For the sake of this, he secretly flew out of India and arrived in Kyiv through Warsaw. The visit of the Japanese prime minister to Ukraine took place against the backdrop of a meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Putin in Moscow. Kishida also became the last leader of the Big Seven, who has not yet visited Kyiv. Read more about the significance of the visit in the material What does the arrival of the Prime Minister of Japan mean .
21:46 Explosions in Dzhankoy damaged the junction station, its use is currently impossible, OK Pivden speaker Natalya Gumenyuk said on Svoboda Live: "We understand that they will try to restore what is damaged as soon as possible, because the railway communication is a way to deliver heavy weapons and personnel, but we continue to work, including on fire control, to ensure that these efforts are futile." Gumenyuk stressed that this attack is "one of the elements of a plan that precedes active actions."
21:12 The Russians launched a missile attack on the Odessa region from Su-35 fighters from the sea. Some of the missiles were destroyed, but there were hits, and a private house was partially damaged. There are victims, previously without casualties, said the head of the Odessa RVA Yuriy Kruk.
20:54 The US Treasury announced new sanctions against four companies and three people in Iran and Turkey in connection with the production of Shahed kamikaze drones.
20:46 Zelensky said that there were "no specifics" regarding his possible conversation with Xi Jinping: "We received some signals about a meeting or conversation with China, but there was no confirmation." He added that Kyiv publicly and through diplomatic channels conveyed to Beijing the Ukrainian formula for peace and offered to take part in its implementation.
20:28 Pentagon Speaker Patrick Ryder confirmed that Ukraine will be given an older version of the Abrams tanks to speed up their delivery.
19:33 Russia and China adopted a joint statement following the talks between Putin and Xi Jinping, which, in particular, states that the Russian Federation and China intend to provide "mutual support to protect each other's interests, above all, sovereignty, territorial integrity, security" . At the same time, they call on NATO "to respect the sovereignty of other states and their interests."
Also, Moscow and Beijing are calling to avoid "further degradation of the crisis in the Ukrainian conflict up to its transition into an uncontrolled phase", to stop "all steps that contribute to the escalation of tension and the prolongation of hostilities" in Ukraine. In addition, China and the Russian Federation agreed that "there can be no winners in a nuclear war, and it must never be unleashed." They also opposed "all unilateral sanctions imposed bypassing the UN Security Council."
18:49 Patriot air defense systems will arrive in Ukraine "within the next weeks," Voice of America journalist Ostap Yarysh said, citing a statement from a Pentagon spokesman. It is assumed that the Ukrainian military will complete training on these systems in the United States in the coming days. After that, they will go to Europe for final training with other groups of the Ukrainian military.
18:23 The most fierce battles are currently going on for Bakhmut and in the Avdievsky direction, the General Staff said in the evening summary. The Russian army continues to conduct offensive operations in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky, Maryinsky and Miners directions.
According to the General Staff, in one of the military units, which is deployed in the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation, active work is being carried out with conscripts to sign contracts. Servicemen who agree to sign contracts are expected to travel to Ukraine in August 2023.
18:11 In Kiev, most heating points will be switched to standby mode, the Kyiv City State Administration reported. Two points in each district will remain in working order, and the rest will be transferred to standby mode. In the event of a massive power outage, all 767 points will resume operation within three hours.
17:52 Putin said that China's "peace plan" can be taken as the basis for a "peace settlement" when "the West and Kiev are ready for it." According to him, Xi Jinping paid much attention to China's "peace initiatives" during the talks.
Putin also commented on Britain's intention to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium shells: "The West has decided to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian not in words, but in deeds. Russia will be forced to react, since the collective West begins to use weapons with a nuclear component."
In turn, Xi Jinping called the talks with Putin productive and said that Sino-Russian ties "have gone beyond bilateral relations and are of great importance for the world order."
17:38 Russia has asked China to provide lethal weapons, but so far there is no evidence that Beijing is supplying this kind of assistance to Moscow, Stoltenberg said. At the same time, he added that Xi Jinping's visit to Russia testifies to the rapprochement between Beijing and Moscow, which has been taking place in recent years.
17:30 NATO member countries provided about $120 billion in military, humanitarian and financial assistance to Ukraine in 2022, according to Stoltenberg's annual report. The United States is the largest donor, with European countries and Canada collectively providing more than half of total aid. In addition, the European members of NATO received about 5 million refugees from Ukraine.
17:06 Lavrov said that Britain's plans to supply Kiev with depleted uranium shells indicate that London is "ready to take not just risks, but also war crimes." He added that for Britain "it will end badly."
16:54 Stoltenberg announced that on April 4-5 he will hold a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO commission at the level of foreign ministers. The Secretary General noted that he was aware of Hungary's objection to this, and he hoped that the issue of national minorities would be resolved. This meeting at the level of foreign ministers may be the first since 2017.
16:43 The Pentagon will accelerate the delivery of Abrams tanks to Ukraine due to the fact that Kiev will be the first to send a repaired older model of the tank instead of the newer M1A2, AP reports, citing US officials. At first, the US planned to ship 31 new M1A2 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, which could take a year or two to produce and deliver. Now they say that the tanks can be delivered in eight to ten months.
16:18 Stoltenberg warned China against supplying weapons to Russia - according to him, this will only prolong the conflict. The NATO Secretary General also said that Beijing needs to begin to understand the Ukrainian side of the conflict and contact President Zelensky personally. In addition, Stoltenberg believes that NATO countries are too slow to increase their military spending.
15:55 The Rada adopted bill No. 7253, which introduces a ban on assigning names to geographical objects that "exalt, commemorate, propagate or symbolize the occupying state or its sights, memorable, historical and cultural places, cities, dates, events, its figures who committed military aggression against Ukraine and other sovereign countries."
15:39 The SBU reported suspicions to the "head" of the Zaporozhye NPP, collaborator Yuri Chernichuk, as well as Russian blogger Artemy Lebedev, who illegally entered the ZNPP territory in June last year and filmed a propaganda report there. In addition, the SBU reported suspicions to the former deputy head of the departmental paramilitary guard of the Zaporizhzhya NPP - he was involved in the transfer of material values of the unit to the occupiers.
15:34 Zelensky held a regular meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the presidential press service reported. The participants heard a report by Zaluzhny and commanders of operational-strategic groupings of troops; Budanov spoke about the possible actions of the Russian Federation in the near future. The members of the Headquarters also considered the issue of providing the defense forces with ammunition, in particular, the calendar for the receipt of weapons and ammunition from partners. Special attention was paid to the issue of information security and prevention of its leakage.
15:16 Representative of the Russian Federation Konstantin Gavrilov at the OSCE forum in Vienna said that Moscow would regard as "the use of dirty nuclear bombs" the supply of shells with depleted uranium cores to Ukraine.
14:47 The UK will transfer depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine, Deputy Defense Minister Annabelle Goldie said: "Along with providing a squadron of Challenger 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, we will also supply ammunition, including armor-piercing shells that contain depleted uranium."
14:39 The United States is working to deliver Abrams tanks to Ukraine a little faster than previously expected, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. According to him, "there are some changes that we can make to the process to speed it up."
14:20 It was possible to return 15 Ukrainian children to Ukraine along with their mothers and legal representatives, Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets said. He clarified that these are children from the cities of Kharkov and Kherson regions, which were occupied at the beginning of the war.
14:18 After nighttime explosions in the north of Crimea, serious damage to the railway station was recorded in Dzhankoy, according to the Russian telegram channel Astra. According to journalists, at least five addresses revealed serious damage. At the railway station, the locomotive depot, the station security building, inventory and fuel depots were damaged. There was a power outage in the locomotive depot's electrical network. In addition, an agricultural shop was damaged, and one local resident was injured.
14:04 Parliament adopted bill No. 8169 on the performance of military duty and military service. The document proposes to establish a mandatory test for up to six months for citizens who are first recruited for military service under a contract.
13:59 The Rada supported the bill, according to which Ukrainian servicemen will be able to store their reproductive cells in cryobanks for free.
13:52 The Rada adopted changes to the state budget, which provide for an additional allocation of 518 billion hryvnias for defense.
13:38 Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida has arrived in Kiev , Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova said.
13:23 The authorities of the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation said that Ukrainian troops allegedly attacked the territory of the Novozybkov oil pumping station with the help of a drone. There were no casualties, to ensure safety, power was turned off in five settlements.
12:41 China sent more than $12 million worth of drones to Russia in a year, writes The New York Times. Drones from manufacturing giant DJI and other smaller companies often came through small middlemen and exporters. In total, almost 70 Chinese companies sold Chinese drones from 26 different brands to Russia after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the newspaper notes.
At the same time, journalists note that official sales are most likely only part of a wider flow of technology through unofficial channels and through other countries friendly to Russia, such as Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Belarus.
12:25 The European Union transferred another tranche of benefits to Ukraine in the amount of 1.5 billion euros , Ursula von der Leyen said. "Our support helps Ukraine function on the defensive. It also puts Ukraine firmly on its path to the EU, supporting reforms such as good governance and financial stability," she wrote.
11:57 The defense of Bakhmut continues, along the entire front line in the zone of responsibility of the Eastern Group of Forces, intense hostilities are underway, said the commander of the Ground Forces Alexander Syrsky. According to him, in the Bakhmut direction, the Defense Forces are constantly destroying enemy equipment, manpower and warehouses of the enemy. Enemy assault teams are trying to move from the neighborhood into the city center, but the Defense Forces are destroying them 24/7, Syrsky added.
11:50 The Russian government has canceled the grace period of stay on its territory for Ukrainian citizens from the "DNR" and "LNR". In particular, the rule has lost its force, according to which, since 2018, such citizens could stay on the territory of Russia continuously for 180 days, and not 90, like other foreigners.
11:22 Russia is convening an informal meeting of the UN Security Council in early April on the issue of deportation of Ukrainian children, said Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's permanent representative in the organization. According to him, Moscow planned a meeting of the UN Security Council allegedly long before the decision of the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Putin and children's ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova. This is due to the fact that Russia is chairing the Security Council in April, Nebenzia specified.
He noted that the Russian Federation proposes to discuss the "real situation" with Ukrainian children, and called this issue "completely inflated." According to him, the children were taken to Russia "because they wanted to protect them from the danger that military operations could bring."
10:37 Russia manages to mobilize about 20,000 people every month, Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said. He also said that Belarus is used by Russia as a training ground, while China will strengthen its position in the region and on the territory of the Russian Federation. At the same time, the facts of the supply of weapons from China to Russia have not been recorded.
According to Yusov, Crimea has long been used by the Russians as a "military base with elements of a concentration camp," fortifications are being built there, because the enemy is aware of the inevitability of the de-occupation of the peninsula. The families of the occupiers are fleeing Crimea and trying to get rid of all their property, Yusov added.
10:29 Denmark intends to train the Ukrainian military in mine clearance and the use of CAESAR artillery systems, Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said.
10:13 APU uses Australian disposable cardboard drones at the front. According to The Australian, about a hundred such drones come from this country every month. Durable cardboard is impregnated with wax so that the body does not collapse from moisture. The drone can lift 3-5kg, carry cargo for 1-3 hours, and has a range of 40-120km. Their main task is the delivery of ammunition, food and medicine. Reconnaissance flights and the release of explosive devices are also possible.
09:46 The Russians are changing tactics in the occupied territories of the Zaporozhye region. As the mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov said, if earlier the occupiers promised high salaries and cheap utilities to local residents, now instead of promises there are more and more restrictions and more and more observers in uniform every day. So, following the FSB, the occupational "procurator" and "court" registered the department of the National Guard. A SOBR officer from Moscow was sent to lead the new structure, who appeared in the showdown of thieves in law.
09:17 In the Donetsk region over the past day as a result of Russian shelling, two people were killed (in Bakhmut and Avdeevka), three more were injured. In the Kherson region, one person died and seven were injured, including an eight-year-old child, according to the IVA.
09:14 British intelligence believes that in the coming weeks, thousands of Russian prisoners who fought in the Wagner PMC will be pardoned and released. According to analysts, PMC recruitment peaked in the fall of 2022, when they were offered a reduced sentence after six months of service.
And while about half of the prisoners recruited were likely killed or injured, evidence from Russia suggests the group is making good on its promise to free the survivors. The certificates issued to the released Wagner mercenaries indicate that they were approved by Putin's decree.
Now that PMC Wagner is likely to be banned from recruiting new prisoners, this will exacerbate personnel problems for the Russians, analysts predict. The intelligence also believes that the drastic influx of often violent offenders with recent and often traumatic combat experience is likely to be a major problem for Russian society.
09:03 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that the Russians have increased the pace of operations and stepped up to make minor gains before they lose the initiative on the battlefield. In particular, Russian forces have made limited gains in and around Bakhmut amid reports of an increase in the pace of Russian operations around Avdiivka. As of March 20, the Russians appear to have captured additional positions in the southwest and north of Bakhmut, as well as in the northwest of Bakhmut between Bogdanovka and Khromov.
At the same time, the increase in the pace of Russian operations in the Avdiivka region has led to significant losses and is probably a misguided attempt to divert Ukrainian forces from other sectors of the front, analysts say. At the same time, ISW experts have not noticed that Russian troops are concentrating significant combat forces in the vicinity of Donetsk, and consider it unlikely that Russian forces will be able to withstand this temporarily increased pace.
The ISW estimates that the all-out Russian spring offensive is likely to culminate, and the Russian forces could step up efforts to make even minor gains before they lose the initiative. Experts consider it unlikely that a Russian offensive will force Ukraine to retreat from Bakhmut and/or Avdiivka.
08:46 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 21.
personnel - about 166,570 (+960) people liquidated,
tanks - 3552 (+15),
armored combat vehicles - 6879 (+10),
artillery systems - 2586 (+9),
MLRS - 507 (+0),
air defense systems - 270 (+0),
aircraft - 305 (+0),
helicopters - 290 (+0),
UAV operational-tactical level - 2167 (+7),
cruise missiles - 907 (+0),
ships/boats - 18 (+0),
automotive equipment and tankers - 5428 (+12),
special equipment - 266 (+1).
08:25 The Russian army is concentrating its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky, Maryinsky and Shakhtyorsky directions. Over the past day, the Defense Forces repulsed more than 120 attacks in the indicated directions, the General Staff said in the morning report .
08:19 The authorities of Dzhankoy, after a night attack by drones, introduced a state of emergency at the municipal level in the city.
06:36 The Chinese agency Xinhua released a report on the results of the first day of the meeting between Xi Jinping and Putin, in which it said that "an in-depth exchange of views on the Ukrainian issue took place in Moscow." In particular, Xi Jinping stressed that "the voices for peace and reason on the Ukrainian issue are growing, most countries are in favor of de-escalation of tension, for peace and negotiations and against adding fuel to the fire. History shows that conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and negotiations."
06:11 Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida left for Ukraine on an unannounced visit , the Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported, citing official sources.
05:25 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Xi Jinping, during a meeting with Putin, offered a more restrained vision of bilateral relations than the head of the Kremlin had hoped for. In particular, the leaders of the two countries, in their articles published on the eve of the meeting, offered different interpretations of the scale of future relations.
Thus, Putin in his article claims that Russia and China "are building a partnership to create a multipolar world order, contrary to the collective desire for Western dominance and the US policy of double deterrence against China and the Russian Federation." In turn, Xi proposed a less aggressive main goal for Russia-China relations, noting that the Russian Federation and China in general seek a multipolar world order, but not specifically against the West.
Analysts say Xi Jinping's refusal to join Russia in a geopolitical conflict with the West is a marked departure from China's declared "limitless partnership" with Russia ahead of its invasion of Ukraine. Xi's rhetoric suggests that he is reluctant to fully give Putin the economic and political support Russia needs to overcome setbacks in Ukraine, according to ISW.
01:20 EU defense ministers proposed to increase the European Peace Fund, from which, in particular, compensation is paid for military equipment and ammunition transferred to Ukraine, by 3.5 billion euros, Borrell said.
00:49 Justice ministers from over 40 countries have gathered in London for a conference on war crimes. As a result, they pledged to allocate $4.9 million to support investigations of Russian war crimes at the International Criminal Court, AP reports.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Irina Alksnis
[RIA] The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, directly named the forces responsible for the plans to supply depleted uranium shells to Ukraine, pointing out that "this is a matter of absolute recklessness, irresponsibility, impunity of the Anglo-Saxons, the Anglo-Saxon duo in the first place - London and Washington."
The use by the collective West of weapons with a nuclear component - and this is how Vladimir Putin described the intentions voiced by London - provides another round of escalation, not only in Ukraine, but even more so in the global geopolitical confrontation.
It is noteworthy that in the title story of today - "Putin threatens to respond to British toxic tank shells" - the British Times without equivocation called these weapons toxic. The harm caused by them is enormous, and primarily for the territories where they are used, and for the population that lives on them, as well as for the military personnel who use them. Among American soldiers who directly interacted with depleted uranium projectiles during the fighting in Iraq and Yugoslavia , there was a surge in cancer and the birth of children with genetic pathologies.
The use of shells with depleted uranium in Ukraine means severe toxic contamination of its territory, the actual destruction of the best black soil in the world, a powerful long-term blow to the health of both the people living there now and future generations. Well, there is no need to talk about the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - they are already suicide bombers and consumables for transatlantic partners.
The reason why the West decided to resort to this measure is quite obvious: it is losing in a geopolitical confrontation. Not only in Ukraine, but in general. The process will continue for quite a long time, but the trend has already emerged quite clearly, all attempts to reverse it fail. The system of global political and economic dominance of the United States and Europe is crumbling with acceleration - being unable to achieve their goal, they are ready to leave behind a scorched field. And more and more actively and openly work in this direction.
Atlantists all last autumn voluptuously slandered for the use of tactical nuclear weapons by Russia in Ukraine, so that our country would do what they need with their own hands. They failed, so they are forced to spin the nuclear flywheel on their own - or rather, the flywheel so far.
Moreover, London and Washington cannot be denied ingenuity and Jesuitism . A direct military clash between Russia and the West means a global nuclear apocalypse, and, of course, no one is interested in such an outcome. Accordingly, with each of their provocations, they cross a dangerous line, but not far enough for Moscow's radical response to look like a proportionate reaction. The deliveries of depleted uranium shells to the Ukrainian Armed Forces organically continue this policy: for all the egregiousness of this decision, launching a world nuclear war and turning the planet into radioactive ash does not look like an adequate response to it - which the British are counting on.
It is here that the biggest challenge and the most difficult problem for Russia is to find such a response to the Anglo-Saxon provocations that would be painful enough for the West to sober up and make them realize that not only its hegemony, but also its existence is at stake.
This is a task not only for the Russian Foreign Ministry, but also for the General Staff and our special services.
#1
This as opposed to the radioactive trash that Russia scattered at Chernobyl.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
03/23/2023 10:14 Comments ||
Top||
#2
The use of DU tank rounds in Iraq during whichever war that was caused quite an international commotion with the usual suspects. Was there any follow-up to determine if the alleged horribleness was all that horrible?
A casual google turns up a lot of Oh Noes! and might/could/possibly be awful, but nothing you could take to the bank (or bury in a mason jar, what with the state of banks today).
#3
DU rounds from St. Warthog ruined quit a few days for Iraqi gunners.
Brrrrrrrrrrrt!
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/23/2023 11:30 Comments ||
Top||
#4
#2, since the COVID fiasco, what studies would be trustworthy to make a citation to?
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
03/23/2023 11:42 Comments ||
Top||
#5
DU rounds are slightly radioactive and only emit Alpha particles. Those can't even penetrate your skin.
The danger is if they breath in DU dust after it hits a target. The dust is too heavy to be expelled from your lungs, so it will sit there, radiate your lungs and give you cancer.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
03/23/2023 14:03 Comments ||
Top||
#7
What Darth said. It’s called depleted because it’s, you understand, depleted of its main radioactivity. The primary risk (besides very high velocity impacts) is from the general toxicity of heavy metals, not all that different from lead or even copper.
Kindly note that several entries in this article may have been removed because they included discussions of the grand strategic level.
[NewsFrontInfo] 21:50 Air control, work on the ground: combat Job crews of 82-mm mortars "Tray" of the Airborne Forces in the special operation zone
The reconnaissance of the paratroopers received information about the enemy's consolidation in one of the sectors in the zone of responsibility of their units.
After receiving the coordinates of the target, the mortar crews literally have a few minutes to take up a firing position, calculate the initial data for firing, and fire the first shot.
Enemy detection is carried out using an unmanned aerial vehicle. The commander not only knows the type of target and the distance to it, but sees it. The camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle is the eyes of the mortar crew.
20:33 Debacle Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Svatovsky direction
The Russian military captured a large number of prisoners during the defeat of the fortified area of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
20:33 Shoigu awarded pilots who prevented the violation of the borders in the Black Sea by the American MQ-9 drone.
19:14 Debacle Enemy DRG at Ugledar
The sabotage group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine tried to approach the positions of the Russian troops under the cover of darkness, but was discovered.
19:13 Russian artillery definitely hit the concentration of infantry of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the village of Spornoye
The enemy unit was scattered.
18:22 Personnel of destroyed equipment after the failed offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Zaporozhye direction
17:12 A series of blows inflicted on Kramatorsk
According to "Go and look," powerful explosions are heard in Kramatorsk.
"Arrivals in Kramatorsk. They are hitting Ukrainian positions," said the source of the channel.
Currently, Kramatorsk is under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
17:11 Armed Forces officer demonstrates the result of a mortar hit close to the shelter where they were hiding
16:05 Highlights from the briefing of the RF Ministry of Defense:
🔹Russian troops destroyed more than 50 Ukrainian soldiers in the Kupyansk direction during the day.
🔹The armed forces of the Russian Federation destroyed about 40 military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the M777 artillery system in the South-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions in a day.
🔹Russian troops destroyed more than 300 military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donetsk direction in a day.
🔹Russian troops destroyed more than 90 military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a self-propelled howitzer in the Krasnolimansky direction.
🔹The Russian Armed Forces destroyed a fuel depot for military equipment of the 102nd Territorial Defense Brigade in the Zaporozhye region.
🔹The Russian Armed Forces destroyed an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian territorial defense in the Kislovka area in the Kharkiv region.
🔹Russian air defense systems destroyed 26 Ukrainian drones in a day, shot down three HIMARS MLRS shells.
15:26 Completed the combat mission: combat Job crews of attack helicopters Ka-52
The pilots of the army aviation carried out missile launches at the discovered fortified points of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
As a result of combat use, the command post and armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed.
During the special military operation, army aviation helicopter crews continue to carry out tasks to destroy armored vehicles and military infrastructure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, escort military columns, deliver troops and military cargo, and provide air support.
15:23 In the region of Odessa, on the territory of the Shkolny airfield, two hangars with weapons and military equipment of Ukrainian nationalists were hit - Russian Defense Ministry
14:05 In the Belgorod region, a civilian died from the shelling of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The Ukrainian military shelled the village of Borisovka, Volokonovsky district, from artillery, said the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov.
“Most of the shells flew into the territory of an agricultural enterprise. Unfortunately, one person died. This is a man, the watchman of the enterprise,” said the head of the region.
Shrapnel from Ukrainian shells damaged three private houses, disrupted electricity and gas supply in the village.
13:42 Russian military inflicted strike on the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Krasnolimansky direction
According to the head of the press center of the Center group, in the Krasnolimansky direction, Russian artillerymen, using the Masta-S installation, struck at a cluster of Ukrainian equipment.
Also, in the Chervonodibrovsky section, Russian soldiers destroyed the equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the enemy dispersed in the forest.
12:25 Destroyed near Vuhledar armored car APU Humvee
12:23 Heading "There are no Nazis in Ukraine"
On the footage, another VSUshnik demonstrates his car with a swastika of the Third Reich and German crosses
And there are hundreds of such videos, thousands of photos
11:24 Soldiers of the 2nd AC of the RF Armed Forces with a direct hit from an ATGM destroyed APU ammunition transport vehicle
10:30 Air raid alert announced throughout Ukraine
10:30 Exclusive personnel combat work of the Special Forces unit of the Southern Group of Forces to destroy enemy manpower in the Donetsk direction
09:35 The Black Sea Fleet repulsed the attack of surface drones - the governor of Sevastopol.
Mikhail Razvozhaev said that by the morning three objects that were trying to enter the bay had been destroyed - they were fired upon from small arms. In addition, air defense worked on an air target. Warships were not damaged, people - too. Several buildings were damaged.
"Our military confidently and calmly repulsed the attack of enemy drones on Sevastopol. The situation is under control. All operational services are at the ready," the governor said.
09:30 Compilation video, on which the lancets continue to destroy enemy artillery and armored vehicles.
09:25 Russian Ministry of Defense published personnel destruction of strongholds, manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by 152mm Akatsiya artillery mounts of the Central Military District in the special operation zone.
09:15 Artillerymen of the 132nd Brigade identified andstartledaccurate fire on the enemy position.
Crews of 122mm self-propelled guns 2S1 "Gvozdika" of the 132nd brigade of the 1st Donetsk Army Corps (formerly the 3rd Brigade of the NM of the DPR) hit the positions of Ukrainian militants with accurate fire, corrected with the help of UAVs.
08:55 There is no fascism in Ukraine, but there is one caveat. OnpersonnelA fighter of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the call sign "Grandfather of Bandera" demonstrates a sticker on a car with a swastika of the Third Reich, donated by his "brothers."
08:17 The Investigative Committee is investigating the use of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles on the territory of an oil pumping station in the Bryansk region, the press service of the RF IC reported.
“The investigators of the Investigative Committee of Russia will establish in detail the circumstances of the incident, the actions of all those involved will be given a legal assessment,” the report says.
06:55 Sevastopol was attacked by UAV drones, all attacks were repulsed by air defense forces. There were no casualties or infrastructure damage.
It was reported that several explosions thundered in the Crimean Sevastopol as a result of an attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to attack the peninsula using drones. According to local residents, the sounds of the attack were heard from the South and North breakwaters.
02:55 Explosions in the Khmelnitsky region.
02:45 Explosions are reported in the Zhytomyr region. First, air defense is working.
02:20 Explosions are reported in the Kyiv region. The Kyiv OVA confirms the attack by kamikaze drones.
01:19 An air alert has been declared in Kyiv. In addition to Kyiv and the region, the siren also roars in the Chernihiv, Sumy and Poltava regions of Ukraine.
Kindly note that several entries in this article may have been removed because they included discussions of the grand strategic level.
[NewsFrontInfo] 21:06 CalculationThe 100mm anti-tank gun MT-12 "Rapier" of the 9th Brigade of the 1st Donetsk Army Corps hits enemy fortifications with aimed fire, supporting the advance of the brigade's assault detachments. 19:52 On the operational lines of the DPR JCCC for March 22, additional information was received about damage as a result of artillery attack of the Ukrainian cities of the Republic:
19:42 Ukrainian troops fired at the Kiev region of Donetsk, firing five rounds with a caliber of 155mm, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) reported.
19:07 Compilation of episodes of fire defeat of enemy special forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation near Avdievka.
18:49 Grouping "Center" captured the stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and replenished the exchange fund in the Svatov direction -video.
18:44 In the Kherson region, servicemen neutralized about 200 units of ammunition of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with a caliber of 152mm -video.
Servicemen of the military police of the commandant's office of the region, together with the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Kherson region, promptly responded to the information received about the location of ammunition abandoned by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Ammunition was found after the water level dropped in the North Crimean Canal, after the arrival of sappers, a decision was made to neutralize it.
18:20 Ukrainian troops fired at the Kuibyshevsky district of Donetsk, firing seven rounds with a caliber of 155mm and 8 rounds with a caliber of 152mm, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) reported.
17:57 APU continue artillery attack the rear of the DPR - Makeevka came under attack
The footage shows that in the private sector a residential building is completely destroyed - there are no walls, no roof, only fragments. It is also reported that in the Soviet district a woman received numerous injuries.
17:35 Artillery units of the RF Armed Forces near Spornovo destroy enemy manpower.
17:10 On the operational lines of the DPR JCCC for March 22, additional information was received about civilian casualties in the cities of the Republic:
Donetsk:
Kirovsky district:
- on the street. Kirova, 166/2, a woman born in 1955 was wounded.
Petrovsky district:
- in the area of ??the Petrovsky market, a man born in 1984 was wounded.
- on the square. Victory, 17 wounded man born in 1947
Kuibyshevsky district: - st. Miner's Glory, women born in 1965 and 1967 were injured.
Additional information has been received about the damage caused by the artillery attack of the Ukrainian cities of the Republic:
Donetsk:
Kirovsky district:
- st. Pecherskaya, 42 - a private residential building.
Kuibyshevsky district:
- st. Miner's Glory, 9 - apartment building;
- Seven transformer substations are de-energized, 1,600 subscribers of the village are without electricity. Grabari and 1st Platform.
17:02 Ukrainian troops fired at the Kiev region of Donetsk, 8 rockets were fired from the MLRS, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) reported.
16:47 Another counterattack on the position of the 291st Regiment of the 42nd Division of the RF Armed Forces from the Ukrainians ended loss of personnel and equipment.
About ten units of Western armored vehicles turned into scrap metal, and more than 40 servicemen of the Kyiv regime remained on the battlefield.
16:27 Personnelurban battle of the tank "what is the strength, brother?" The crew of the T-72B3M cover the infantry, and UAVs help them find targets
16:10 Rocket strike by Ukrainian nationalists on the civilian infrastructure of the city of Donetsk -video.
On the night of March 22, Ukrainian nationalists fired rockets at the emergency service building of the Donetsk water utility in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk. As a result of the shelling, the building and equipment of the service was completely destroyed. Fortunately, no one was hurt from the terrorist attack on the infrastructure of the city.
15:49 Fixation of consequences of artillery attack of the Petrovsky district of Donetsk on March 22, 2023.
Specialists of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC confirmed the artillery attack of the Petrovsky district, and also clarified direction firing and weapons used.
The enemy launched a 9M79 missile from the Tochka-U OTRK, while in their positions in the area of the settlement. Kramatorsk.
Damage to purely civilian infrastructure facilities was recorded:
— district section of the PUVKH SUE DPR “Water of Donbass”;
– MBOU “School No. 87 in Donetsk”.
The victims were avoided.
15:26 According to updated information, as a resultshellingin the village of Ozeryanovka (Tsentralno-Gorodskoy district of Gorlovka), from the positions of Ukrainian terrorists, houses were damaged at the following addresses: st. Glebova, 39, st. Komarova, 21, Komarova 23/2, st. Komarova, 25. No casualties.
14:45 On the operational lines of the DPR JCCC for March 22, additional information was received about damage as a result of artillery attack of the VFU cities of the Republic:
n.p. Gorlovka (Ozeryanovka village):
- st. Komarova, 21, 23, 25 - private residential buildings; gas pipelines were also damaged;
- st. Glebova, 39 - a private residential building; The pipeline was also damaged.
14:30 Crossing the river in Artemovsk (Bakhmut). The militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to lose vehicles on the roads leading out of the city
14:17 Ukrainian troops fired at the Kuibyshevsky district of Donetsk, firing 9 rounds with a caliber of 155mm, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) reported.
14:15 Panorama of fighting in the Donetsk direction.
The first columns of smoke are the area of ??the village of Severny, which is now being fought over. When this settlement is taken under fire control, several roads for the supply of fuel and fuel to Avdeevka are at once under fire control.
The second column of smoke is Avdievka itself, the area of ??the industrial zone-coking plant.
14:12 Ukrainian troops fired at the village of Golmovsky, firing six rounds with a caliber of 155mm, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) reported.
13:52 Ukrainian troops fired at the Kuibyshevsky district of Donetsk, firing three rounds with a caliber of 155mm, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) reported.
13:16 Ukrainian troops continue artillery attack the Petrovsky district of Donetsk, four rounds of 155mm caliber were fired, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) reported.
13:06 A resident of the urban-type settlement of Kalinovo, belonging to Pervomaisk, lost his foot as a result of an explosion on an unidentified explosive device - the head of the city administration, Sergei Kolyagin.
12:46 According to the operational lines of the DPR JCCC for March 22, information was received about victims among civilians in the cities of the Republic:
n.p. Dokuchaevsk: — po ul. Bazarnoi, 8 injured male, born in 1964.
12:16 On the operational lines of the DPR JCCC for March 22, additional information was received about damage as a result of artillery attack of the VFU cities of the Republic:
Donetsk (Petrovsky district):
- damage to the building of MBOU "School No. 87 in Donetsk" was recorded.
n.p. Gorlovka (Nikitovsky district):
- st. Shashurina, 1, 3, 5 - apartment buildings;
- st. Izmailskaya, 6 - a private residential building.
n.p. Dokuchaevsk: - damage to the building of the communal enterprise "Prometheus" on the street. Bazarnaya.
11:40 Yesterday, an artillery strike was carried out in the area of the settlement. Nikolskoe (Kherson region), as a result of which 120mm was destroyed. mortar crew and ammunition for it, three servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were liquidated, five were seriously injured.
11:24 Thanks to the well-coordinated work of various units of the VETERANS Specialized Brigade, our fightersinflictdamage to enemy strongholds at the Avdievka Promka. UAV operators correct the fire of the mortar battery and the mines hit the target clearly
11:06 Ukrainian troops fired at Dokuchaevsk, firing two rounds with a caliber of 155mm, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) reported.
11:01 Donetsk Mayor Oleksiy Kulemzin said that as a result of the artillery attack of the city on Wednesday night, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) recorded a direct hit on the administrative building of the branch of the Water of Donbass enterprise.
10:56 Ukrainian troops fired at Ozeryanovka, firing six rounds with a caliber of 155mm, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) reported.
10:44 Consequences of artillery attack of the Petrovsky district of Donetsk.
10:34 Ukrainian troops fired at the Nikitovsky district of Gorlovka and Shirokaya Balka, firing 14 rounds with a caliber of 122mm, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) reported.
10:32 At night in the area of N. p. Antonovka, an artillery strike was carried out on the position of one of the brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as a result of which a 122mm gun was destroyed. howitzer D-30 with artillery crew, four - military personnel liquidated; three were seriously injured.
10:30 Ukrainian troops fired at the Petrovsky district of Donetsk, one rocket was fired from the Tochka U OTRK, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) reported.
09:40 Yesterday, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired 56 rounds at the civilian infrastructure of the Kherson region - a source in emergency services.
- Aleshki: nine rounds from cannon artillery;
- Kazachi Lagerya: 11 rounds from cannon artillery;
- Zabarino: four rounds from cannon artillery;
- Kardashinka: 16 rounds from cannon artillery;
- Podlesnoye: six rounds from cannon artillery;
- Krynki: 10 rounds from cannon artillery;
Also during the night, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired 43 rounds from cannon artillery at peaceful villages.
09:05 According to the operational lines of the DPR JCCC for March 22, information was received about damage as a result of artillery attack of the Ukrainian cities of the Republic:
08:37 Information on the artillery attack of Gorlovka as of 08:00 on March 22, 2023
08:10 Ukrainian troops fired at the Petrovsky district of Donetsk, firing six rounds with a caliber of 155mm, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) reported.
07:34 Special Forces Unit of the RF Armed Forces destroyed calculation of electronic warfare and LDPE and the enemy.
Scouts of a special forces unit of the RF Armed Forces revealed an electronic warfare crew and a temporary deployment point for Ukrainian nationalists in the Avdiivka direction. Two well-aimed shots from the ATGM destroyed the targets, the enemy suffered losses - five killed and seven wounded militants.
07:18 Summary of the LPR Representation in the JCCC for the past 24 hours, March 21.
From the side of the armed formations of Ukraine, one artillery attack was recorded at the settlement. Lower Duvanka with the use of 155mm artillery pieces (three rounds).
As a result of the shelling, the State Fire and Rescue Post of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the LPR was destroyed.
07:02 Frontline summary on the morning of 22/03/2023:
In the Kherson direction, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation concentrated artillery fire on the right bank of the Dnieper opposite the controlled Gola Pristan. It is possible that in this area the Armed Forces of Ukraine are forming a shock fist for a possible attempt to force the river through the islands of Belogrudy and Bolshoi Potemkin. Beregovoye, Yantarnoye, Belozerka, Dneprovskoye and Blagoveshchenskoye were under attack. Artillery also hit Kozatsky, Red Lighthouse and Dudchany.
On the Donetsk front, Russian troops attacked again in the Novomikhailovka area. From the side of Sand, they continued their offensive operations on Pervomaiskoye. And from the Vodyany district - to the North.
With the support of artillery, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation tried to advance to the southern outskirts of Avdievka. To the north-west of this fortified area - a ground attack on Berdychi. Russian artillery fired on Ostroy, the city of Krasnogorovka, Thin, Orlovka, Lastochkino, Kamenka and New York. The Ukrainian army struck at Donetsk and Novobakhmutovka.
To the south-west of Bakhmut, PMC "Wagner" resumed assault operations in the direction of Predtechin. This is already an attempt to advance towards Konstantinovka. With the support of artillery, the Wagner PMC attack near Ivanovsky and in the city itself. In the southern part, they managed to advance from the Experimental side.
And northwest of Bakhmut, Wagner operators" had some success near Khromovoy and Bogdanovka. Under heavy artillery fire, the logistics center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Chasovoy Yar. Also under artillery attack are Aleksandro-Shultino, Grigorovka, Minkovka, Privolye, Orekhovo-Vasilievka and Vasyukovka. The Armed Forces of Ukraine hit on Yagodny and Zheleznyansky.
In the Luhansk direction, Russian troops attacked towards Makeevka and in Novoselovsky.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] The head of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation said that the UAV attack in Sevastopol was repelled by female soldiers
A drone attack on Sevastopol was repelled by Russian servicewomen. This was announced at a meeting of the board of the military department by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
According to him, two UAVs were destroyed by contract service senior sailor Marina Faleeva and chief foreman Tatyana Tseluiko. The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation has already given instructions to present girls for state awards. The girls will also receive a cash prize for destroying enemy targets. "And a new Washer/Dryer combo!"
"Today an attempt was made to hit our facilities in the Crimea. All three vehicles were destroyed," Shoigu said.
Earlier on March 22, the head of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, announced the attack by drones and the operation of the air defense system (air defense). According to updated information, drones tried to penetrate the bay. They were fired upon with small arms. From the explosions of the destroyed enemy naval drones in the buildings on Lenin Street, 2, windows were shattered.
On March 14, 2023, a flight of an American MQ-9 drone was recorded over the Black Sea in the region of the Crimean Peninsula . The drone was flying with the transponders turned off. In order to identify the intruder, Su-27 fighters were raised into the air, but the pilots did not come into contact with the MQ-9 and returned safely to their base airfield. The United States confirmed that the American MQ-9 drone was in the Black Sea in order to conduct reconnaissance.
More from RIA Novosti Military women told how Ukrainian drones were destroyed in Sevastopol Photos of the two wimmin at the link
Female servicemen of the Black Sea Fleet Marina Faleyeva and Tatyana Tseluiko told how they discovered and destroyed two Ukrainian drones that tried to attack objects in Sevastopol early in the morning.
"There was (an object) above the water, there was a white trail, only it was going much faster (than a passing boat at the entrance to the bay. - Ed.)," Tatyana Tseluiko said in a story on the Russia 24 channel.
In turn, Marina Faleeva clarified that the equipment could not recognize the enemy object. However, two of the three drones the women managed to destroy with well-aimed shots. Now they receive many calls with congratulations. Tatyana and Marina said that they learned about the decision of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to award them from the media. At the same time, they noted that they do not consider themselves heroes.
Earlier today, the Governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, announced that he had repelled an attack by three sea drones that were trying to enter the bay of Sevastopol. According to him, from the explosions of the destroyed devices in the buildings on Lenin Street, 2, and in the House of Moscow, windows were broken, people were not injured.
The head of the Ministry of Defense, Sergei Shoigu , said that two of the three Ukrainian naval drones that attacked Sevastopol were shot down by female servicemen, they will be presented for awards and will be given cash bonuses. In particular, we are talking about the senior sailor of the contract service Marina Faleeva and the chief foreman Tatyana Tseluiko.
Since July last year, Ukrainian drones have been periodically trying to attack Sevastopol, the main base of the Black Sea Fleet, as well as other objects in the Crimea. The targets of the attacks were the headquarters of the fleet, energy facilities, military airfields. Air defense systems destroy most drones.
In Sevastopol, the yellow level of terrorist danger operates indefinitely. It implies strengthening the work of law enforcement agencies and inspections at railway stations and other crowded places, transferring medical organizations to high alert mode, identifying places suitable for temporary accommodation of people, as well as increased protection of strategic facilities, including energy infrastructure.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] Awarded Russian pilots spoke about how they stopped the violation of the borders by the American MQ-9 drone in the Black Sea in the zone of a special military operation. Video published by the Ministry of Defense.
According to Major Vasily Vavilov, the fighter pilots received the command to take off when they were on duty for air defense. Two crews flew out to intercept the drone, which was moving in order to violate the state border of the Russian Federation.
"After the departure, we approached this aircraft, identified it and performed maneuvers to force it to refuse to perform its task," Vavilov specified the details.
According to Major Sergei Popov , Russian pilots did not use weapons during the interception. They also did not come into contact with the drone.
As REGNUM reported, the incident occurred on the morning of March 14 over the Black Sea. The drone flew with transponders turned off, violating the borders of the temporary regime area. As a result of abrupt maneuvering, the MQ-9 went into uncontrolled flight, lost altitude and fell into the sea. On the same day, it was discovered at a depth of 850–900 meters, 60 km from Sevastopol. At the same time, the Russian fighters returned to the airfield without using their onboard weapons and without making contact with the drone.
On March 22, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu presented the Order of Courage to Su-27 pilots who flew to intercept an American drone.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] Russia is ready to respond with all available means if the United States decides to shoot down Russian aircraft that are approaching American aircraft in international airspace, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on March 22 on the sidelines of the Valdai discussion club.
“This is a reflection of the fact that people making such statements have little idea of the realities of the nuclear age and have completely forgotten that Russia is ready to defend itself from aggressive attacks with all the means at its disposal,” the deputy head of the department said.
Ryabkov noted that his words are not a reference to the Russian nuclear arsenal. He also stressed that Russia's reaction is always "dosed, calibrated and calm" in nature.
In addition, the Deputy Minister urged to take seriously the aggressive statements allowed by the American legislators. Ryabkov explained that such statements reflect the willingness of the West to do anything to inflict damage on the Russian Federation in any area, including the military.
As REGNUM reported , on March 14, an American MQ-9 Reaper drone lost control and fell into the waters of the Black Sea after a maneuver by a Russian Su-27 fighter. At the same time, the aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces did not come into contact with the UAV and did not use weapons.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, because of the incident with the MQ-9, said that Russia needs to be warned about the possibility of destroying its aircraft if they approach American aircraft in international waters.
Commentary by Russian military blogger Andrey Chervonets
More on this story from yesterday.
On March 22, 1943, the Nazis and their faithful accomplices destroyed the Belarusian village of Khatyn
Eighty years ago, a detachment of punishers arrived in the small Belarusian village of Khatyn, consisting mainly of Ukrainian nationalists, commanded by German officers. This was often practiced, because in terms of sophisticated cruelty, even the most inveterate Nazis were far from any Melnikov and Bandera. And this scum was often attracted to the most bloody and cruel punitive actions.
The brutal destruction of Khatyn by SS punitive detachments has become one of the clearest evidence of the anti-human nature of fascism. 149 people were killed or burned alive. 75!!! of them were children! Many children were two or three years old, the youngest was only seven weeks old... The 118th Security Police Battalion, created in 1942 from former fighters of the OUN Bukovina kuren, took the main and direct part in the destruction of the Belarusian village.
Punishers Vasyura, Meleshko, Katryuk especially distinguished themselves in the battalion. Under the direct supervision of Vasyura, the police herded the entire population of Khatyn into a collective farm barn and locked it up. Those who tried to escape were killed on the spot. Katryuk shot people running out of the burning shed with a machine gun, and Vasyura and Meleshko, along with other police officers, finished off people with machine guns and pistols.
Before Khatyn, the battalion had already participated in other operations: in the village of Osovi, they shot 78 people, they also massacred the inhabitants of villages near Vileika, shot 50 Jews near the village of Kaminskaya Sloboda ... Now such Banderaites in Ukraine were elevated to heroes. And they are proud of it.
The participation of Ukrainian nationalists in this atrocious crime was not advertised in the Union. The first secretaries of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine and the Communist Party of Belarus, V. Scherbitsky and N. Slyunkov, appealed to the Central Committee of the Party with a request not to disclose information about their participation in the brutal murder of civilians in the village. And that was a very big mistake. Because now, the descendants of those who burned people in Khatyn have returned and captured the whole country.
Commentary by prior service Russian military Igor Valentinovich Bocharnikov. Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] The very fact of issuing warrants for the arrest of the President of Russia V.V. Putin and Commissioner for Children's Rights M. Lvova-Belova is unprecedented in its stupidity, vileness and, of course, provocativeness. Overnight, the entire world community learned about an obscure structure with an incomprehensible status, functions and powers - the ICC.
It turned out, everything is almost like according to Chekhov, more precisely, according to his story "Joy". In order to gain fame, it is not necessary to do something outstanding and worthy. It is enough just to get "under the horse" or to kick something so that the entire world community would have a shock. The Garbage Court clearly succeeded. The decision caused a shock, at least in adequate people. Inadequate persons, of course, supported this inadequate decision.
The case is certainly unprecedented, but quite predictable. Over the past decade, dirty political technologies such as fake news, discrediting, provocations and the like have been increasingly introduced into political practice. The events related to the activities of the Garbage Court testify to the emergence of a new phenomenon in world politics - “fake court” and, accordingly, “fake law”.
All this fits into the logic of the degradation of the political and legal system of the collective West, which uses all possible and impossible instruments, including those of the international level, to solve its opportunistic interests.
If it is impossible to defeat Russia in open confrontation or through sanctions, then you just need to spoil it. This "formula" has long been the dominant feature of England's foreign policy. It is no coincidence that in Russian pre-revolutionary sources there was a stable ideologeme - "an Englishwoman crap." Now it’s not only the “Englishwoman” who is shitting, but the entire “European”.
It is quite obvious that the very procedure for issuing these “orders” is an initiative of the collective West and is supervised by it. It is noteworthy that the representatives of this “West” themselves issued the “order”. This, in particular, is one Rosario Salvatore Aitaloi (Italian, former prosecutor of Rome and adviser to the chairman of the Senate of Italy), Antoine Keziah Mindua (citizen of D.R. Congo, who lived all his life in France and Switzerland) and Tomoko Akane (prosecutor of US-occupied Japan) .
Their names must be publicly known. Since you need to know not only heroes and worthy people, but also outright scoundrels, to which, of course, this “revolutionary European troika” should be attributed.
The decision-making process itself attracts attention. Three clerks gathered and issued a guilty verdict. To whom? What difference does it make to whom, to whom they wanted, they took it out. A decision that clearly goes beyond not only competence and authority, but also elementary common sense. As a result, it naturally raises questions: was it not made under the influence of something or someone.
Therefore, the actions of this "troika" should be the subject of a thorough investigation. Taking into account the fact that in The Hague, and in general in the Netherlands, a loyal attitude towards the use of various kinds of drugs, it is necessary to take measures to exclude their use by persons of various kinds of courts. Otherwise, they may not make such decisions.
Demonstration of this kind of arbitrariness is extremely dangerous. Today they have charged the head of a sovereign state, and tomorrow they may also indict the entire population of the same state. This is where the great European-Anglo-Saxon "cancellation culture" begins, which is realized in society in a number of European countries, and even in The Hague itself under the noses of the Musovites.
It is also fundamentally important that this act - issuing a warrant - for the arrest of the head of state, and indeed any citizen of the Russian Federation in general - is, on the one hand, a violation of all norms of international law, including the UN Charter. On the other hand, in essence, this is an act of aggression against the Russian Federation and its citizens. That is how it should be perceived and therefore appropriate measures should be taken.
First of all, taking into account the obvious criminality of the actions of these “judges” themselves and their danger to society, measures should be taken to bring them to the strictest criminal liability. This should set a precedent for excluding such decisions in the future.
Moreover, we should not talk only about the inclusion of these persons in some kind of sanctions lists, or about some kind of “assessment instructions” and “assessment of instructions”. This kind of "action" is a demonstration of cowardice, weakness and disrespect for either oneself or one's country. And this is all the more unacceptable against the background of the fact that our soldiers risk their lives every minute during the Special Military Operation for denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.
We should talk about taking measures to protect the sovereignty of the Russian Federation, including on issues related to the activities of the President of the country elected by popular vote. What kind of “lists” and “orders” can there be here?
The primary step in this case should be the initiation (not an assignment, but the initiation) of a criminal case under articles related to threats to constitutional and national security, as well as the extremist activities of a group of people from the Garbage Court. And under the article on extremist activity, the extremist community "Aitalo - Mindua - Tomoko" should be kept for life. Appropriate (as to extremists) should be the attitude towards them.
The “court” itself, within the framework of whose activities such criminal acts were committed, must be liquidated as a structure that has discredited itself and international law. Russia should demand its dissolution. Since it was created at the initiative of the UN, the UN should dissolve it. These are just primary goals that must be implemented at the current moment in order to discourage all kinds of provocateurs from issuing any warrants against the President of the Russian Federation and its citizens. If appropriate measures are not taken, then, after the Aitalo-Mindua-Tomoko group, others will appear who want to spoil both Russia and its leadership.
Bocharnikov Igor Valentinovich
I have written about this many times before.In the course of the current transformation of the world order, the international structures serving Washington in their current form must either cease to exist or change to fit the new realities. The presence of Russia in the structures of the outgoing world order, subordinate to Washington, is meaningless.
Commentary from the Telegram account of mzungugram. by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin in italics.
[ColonelCassad] Then a conversation came up with a friend about the fact that when the United States builds a school in some Ethiopia or Zambia at its own expense, this should be understood as a good event. Well, it's like a freebie! A chance for African schoolchildren to get out of impenetrable poverty. However, this event also has a downside.
There is such a document Civil Affairs Foreign Assistance General Concepts ("General principles of relations with civilians abroad"). The doc can be viewed here.
This document has a lot of interesting things, but you should pay attention to the following points about this kind of social programs in developing countries:
1.Projects must promote US and host nation security interests, as well as enhance readiness skills of the US forces that participate.
2. These programs combined with an understanding of the host nation cultures and the ability to plan, coordinate, and synchronize military operations with the civil component—provide the commander a better common operational picture)
3. The focus of these programs is to legitimize and enhance the stability of a host nation's political, social, and economic infrastructure. CA forces can provide a sociocultural understanding of the civil component within the area of operations that will enhance the US position towards achieving the desired end state.
And there's a lot of that. Well, i.e. such compassionate activities work with a specific goal. Throw a school to the Papuans or a piece of mineral wool to repair the school so that local activists do not oppose US activities in the region.
Horrible! Because of course Russia never, ever does anything that meets multiple objectives.
To simply not have the moral right to oppose. For example, the opening of military bases. After all, they are good, they repaired the school for us, and maybe even built it. How to counteract them now. And at the same time, the concept of security is being executed with a bang: the United States remains in maximum security and solves its military tasks, including with little bloodshed and on absolutely foreign territory, which is not a pity.
https://t.me/mzungugram/1944 - zinc
PS. Prigozhin continues to troll Blinken about African projects.
[DefenceBlog] The online.ua team, with the assistance of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence directorate (GUR), released a documentary about foreigners fighting against Russia in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
The online.ua said in a documentary that in March 2022, the International Legion began its combat missions. The ranks of the Legion continue to grow with volunteers from more than 50 countries, and Ukraine gratefully accepts assistance from foreign defenders.
The documentary “International Legion. The Bordeless Will” tells the stories of the volunteers who joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces to defend Ukraine’s independence.
Among the heroes is fighter Harry (who is from Scotland); he has known about Russia’s war against Ukraine since 2014 and joined the Legion in early March 2022. Of the Russians, he says very unequivocally: “Ever since I came here, I realized that they don’t care who they shoot at. It doesn’t matter to them that there are civilians in the cities, they just open fire. For them [Russians], civilian deaths don’t matter. We’re doing everything we can to save people and help them.”
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Prefacing from Aleksandr Kots:
[KP] - Offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine? It will definitely be, you can not even doubt it, - the familiar commander of the Russian unit "delighted" me from the threshold of his basement command post.
- After all, they, in fact, have a mobilization unlimited, they can afford it. Therefore, where we destroy a company, a new one immediately appears, - says my interlocutor.
"They have trained in the rear, there is a constant rotation at the forefront, a rare unit is staffed below 90 percent. Even technically. Let it be old armored personnel carriers and armored personnel carriers, BMP-1 and T-64, and even pickup trucks for evacuation, but there is what is required by the state. So far, the bulk of Western technology has not arrived. Under which, by the way, Ukraine forms up to 3 new shock corps (more on them later). This is how they should go on the offensive.
Unlike last year, when the enemy's offensive in the Kharkiv region became a revelation even for some military leaders, today everyone is aware of the threat posed by Kyiv. And the most dangerous directions are already clear.
Zaporozhye blitzkrieg, Svatovsky breakthrough, Mariupol adventure.
“Perhaps somewhere wedged for several kilometers,” says my friend officer.
- In this case, of course, they will suffer big losses. And the front, after the attackers run out of tanks and ammunition, will freeze for a while. There will be no further action. This, of course, will be a good window of opportunity for our counterattack on an exhausted enemy. If we promptly form several new armies, we will have every chance to unpleasantly surprise Ukraine and the West this year.
Kyiv is preparing an armored "shock fist" and promises the West to launch an "offensive" no later than May. Where can he try to break through our defenses and are our troops ready for this?
by Alexander Kots
Kyiv PUSHED
- Offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine? It will definitely be, you can not even doubt it, - the familiar commander of the Russian unit "delighted" me from the threshold of his basement command post.
Commanding units from underground is the "trend of the season." What do we have, what does the enemy have. The presence of high-precision weapons makes adjustments to the academic standards of command and control. Communications are deployed here, control over the “sponsored” territory is also carried out from here - a picture from drones is displayed on large screens, their operators are right there with joysticks. Artillery strikes are corrected online. A few spotlights and spotlights, and one could mistake what is happening for the e-sports final. It's just that people really die here. And this does not seem to bother our opponents.
- After all, they, in fact, have a mobilization unlimited, they can afford it. Therefore, where we destroy a company, a new one immediately appears, - says my interlocutor. “They have trained in the rear, there is a constant rotation at the forefront, a rare unit is staffed below 90 percent. Even technically. Let it be old armored personnel carriers and armored personnel carriers, BMP-1 and T-64, and even pickup trucks for evacuation, but there is what is required by the state. So far, the bulk of Western technology has not arrived. Under which, by the way, Ukraine forms up to 3 new shock corps (more on them later). This is how they should go on the offensive.
Over the past couple of weeks, the Western media, which can be used to judge the mood in the political community of a potential enemy, have shown unusual volatility.
The Washington Post, for example, "cancelled" the Ukrainian offensive, reporting, citing an officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and officials of the Independent, that Kyiv was not ready. Colossal losses, lack of experience among the junior commanders, a shabby officer corps... The American newspaper described the problems of Ukraine in such a way that it became clear that they would definitely go on the “offensive”.
And then Politico issues: "The United States is in a hurry to prepare Kyiv for the spring offensive." They say that the losses of Ukraine are losses (they are estimated in Washington at “more than 100,000 people”), and no later than mid-May it is necessary to go on the attack.
In vain, perhaps, by the second half of April, the Armed Forces of Ukraine should receive more than 1,000 armored vehicles, including about a hundred tanks, over 300 armored personnel carriers, 250 infantry fighting vehicles and under 400 armored vehicles. And this is just the beginning.
The rest, including 155mm NATO caliber ammunition, will come as Ukrainian allies can. About 800 tanks alone are promised, of which 250 are Western-made, and the rest are T-72s of various modifications. And if you consider that Kyiv "localized" the production of Soviet 82mm, 120mm, 122mm and 152mm ammunition "in one of the NATO countries", then it's time to sound the alarm.
However, unlike last year, when the enemy's offensive in the Kharkiv region became a revelation even for some military leaders, today everyone is aware of the threat posed by Kyiv. And the most dangerous directions are already clear.
Let's sort them out.
SCENARIO #1
ZAPORIZHIA BLITZ-CRIG
Our intelligence notes that in the last month Ukraine has been accumulating reserves in Mykolaiv, Kherson, Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye regions. Terodefense units, as well as newly formed brigades, are transferred here.
The most likely target of the upcoming counteroffensive is Melitopol. Remember, at the beginning of the year, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzhny, in his epistolary “sheet” “On the Prospects of the Campaign of 2023”, designated the capture of Crimea as the main goal for this period. The task is, to put it mildly, ambitious. Russian troops, of course, will not allow him to even approach the peninsula.
But Zaluzhny would very much like to transfer to the Crimea at least remote combat operations (not ground attacks, but air strikes and long-range artillery strikes). First of all, to forge the "unsinkable aircraft carrier" as our main rear base on the Southern Front. So far, the Armed Forces of Ukraine can inflict only minor damage on objects in the Crimea with the help of air and underwater drones. And the damage is more informational than military.
Kyiv, on the other hand, wants to be able to cover our headquarters, warehouses and barracks on the territory of the peninsula. Long-range high-precision missiles are only promised to Ukraine so far. And for the existing types of weapons of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, you need to come close to the Crimea, to the isthmuses.
Remember, at the beginning of the year, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzhny, in his epistolary “sheet” “On the Prospects of the Campaign of 2023”, designated the capture of Crimea as the main goal for this period
And then we return to Melitopol. The city stands at a strategic road junction. From here you can move to Berdyansk - a port on the Sea of Azov, and towards Mariupol, and to Genichesk - where the road to Crimea is. And you can expand the bridgehead towards Kherson, cutting our grouping on the left bank of the Dnieper. It is no coincidence that over the past week the Armed Forces of Ukraine undertook two reconnaissance in force in the direction of the settlement of Pologi, from which there is a route to Tokmak and further to Melitopol, the temporary capital of Russian Zaporozhye.
If the enemy succeeds in Melitopol, our troops on the left bank of the Kherson region will have to retreat to Perekop so as not to be cut off from the corridor to the Crimea. Moreover, this road of life can quickly be under the fire control of the enemy. This means that our group will be under the threat of encirclement.
But, as they say, it was smooth on paper. Two extreme attempts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to arrange reconnaissance in force in the Zaporozhye direction ended in complete defeat. Dozens of dead, burned-out equipment, a reputation that fell below the muddy spring clay. Moreover, the Russian defense in this direction showed not only the ability to repel sudden attacks, but also a reckless desire to do so. Videos have appeared on the Web that show that our fighters have a taste for victories.
The Ukrainians will have to advance in the southern direction along the steppes. That is, open spaces. And if our troops have already coped with two company-tactical groups, then larger formations for artillery will all the more become a tasty target.
In addition, I myself saw how professional builders erected the most powerful defensive structures in all of the above areas - from concrete cone barriers and anti-tank ditches to a network of trenches and trenches with dugouts and cemented firing points. Passing them is not the same as entering a deserted city without a fight.
SCENARIO #2
SVATOVSKY BREAKTHROUGH
Another dangerous direction for the “offensive” of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has already received the unofficial name of the Svatovsky line.
This is the upper part of the Luhansk region, a line from north to south from Troitsky to Kremennaya with Svatovo in the middle. Last year, after the withdrawal of our troops from the Kharkov region and the abandonment of Kupyansk, it was precisely this city that the enemy aimed his main forces at.
In fact, it was possible to stabilize the front along this road only thanks to the arrival of reinforcements from among the mobilized. And since then, our troops are here in "active defense." The Ukrainians managed to push back from the highway in some areas up to several kilometers. Every day, our assault units capture more and more oporniks in the forests, slowly moving forward.
There are two factors behind our success here. On the one hand, this is the increased combat potential of the mobilized - the assault units consist mainly of those called up last fall. On the other hand, for political reasons, the enemy is still forced to transfer more reinforcements to the Artemovsky front than here. Including fresh prepared reserves.
But this does not mean that Kyiv abandoned its plans. After all, with a blow to Svatovo, he has the opportunity to move towards Starobelsk with a wide detour of Rubizhny. At the same time, a simultaneous strike from Kupyansk, and from Liman, and from Seversk (if it still remains under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by May) is not ruled out. And then the Lisichansk-Severodonetsk agglomeration may be surrounded.
In principle, after the well-known events on the Kharkov front and the loss of Krasny Liman by us, the enemy pursued precisely this goal. This plan was thwarted only by the heroic efforts of our units, which survived then rather not thanks to, but in spite of. Today the situation is different. On the Svatovsky line and further, deep into the Luhansk People's Republic, the same layered defense was built as in the southern direction.
The initiative is now on the side of our military, who have learned to attack on the defensive. At the same time, the balance of forces here is now approximately one to one. The enemy is systematically probing our line of defense in search of weak points and so far has not found them. However, in the case of the transfer of reserves with new brigades equipped with Western equipment, it will be difficult. Much will depend on the work of our artillery. And that means from our military industry, which should provide the Gods of War with ammunition.
SCENARIO #3
MARIUPOL ADVENTURE
In Kyiv, there are conditionally two camps of hawks - military and political. According to the Artyomovskaya meat grinder, we see that here the decision is made by the political wing headed by Zelensky. In general, his PR goals often diverge from strategic expediency. The military, instead of recklessly destroying its reserves in the doomed city, would withdraw units to the next line of defense. As the Russian command did in the autumn, having taken a bitter but necessary decision to withdraw the group from the right bank of the Dnieper.
Today, another political decision is being discussed in Kyiv, and Vladimir Putin's visit to Mariupol will surely add supporters to him (the decision). This is an attack from the Zaporizhia and Dnepropetrovsk directions - through Ugledar and Volnovakha - to Mariupol. From an information point of view, the idea is almost a win-win. If you do not think about how to explain the next Azovstal later. But one must be prepared for such suicidal attacks.
ALL INDEPENDENT ARMY
What forces will Ukraine attack? It is known that now, at the expense of Western equipment and weapons, three shock corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, six brigades each, are being formed. The mechanized brigade is 4,500 to 5,500 bayonets. With simple mathematical calculations, we get up to 100,000 people.
Of course, not all of them will come. These reserve corps include air defense, communications, support, medicine... Excluding those who will not go into the forward formations, we get 20,000 people in each corps. By the way, in his "treatise" Zaluzhny wrote that he needed just 60 thousand people to capture the Crimea.
And the assault corps will become an armored fist supported by high-precision artillery and strike drones, designed to make a hole in our defenses, into which the main forces should pour in, expanding the bridgehead.
In total, Kyiv has about 600,000 people under arms today. Ukraine can afford to keep a serious reserve in the rear, which means that there is a possibility of an offensive in two directions at once - the South and the East. Depending on the success of any of them, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will most likely transfer reinforcements exactly there, trying to develop the victory.
"According to my feelings, they will not be able to catastrophically break through our defenses," my friend combat officer believes. - Perhaps somewhere wedged for several kilometers, but no more. In this case, of course, they will suffer big losses. And the front, after the attackers run out of tanks and ammunition, will freeze for a while. There will be no further action. This, of course, will be a good window of opportunity for our counterattack on an exhausted enemy. If we promptly form several new armies, we will have every chance to unpleasantly surprise Ukraine and the West this year.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[ColonelCassad] Everything has a beginning and an end. Yesterday ended the history of the bank founded in 1856. Credit Suisse was created to finance the development of the Swiss and European railway system, as well as to lend to companies involved in the electrification of Switzerland.
In the second half of the 20th century, the bank boomed and launched new business lines - private banking, investment banking, asset management and insurance. The bank was involved in the construction of the Channel Tunnel, the merger of Chrysler and Daimler-Benz, and the purchase of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ).
In the 1900s, the bank moved into retail banking in response to the growth of the middle class and competition from other Swiss banks UBS and Julius Bär. CS expanded its activities outside of Switzerland and became one of the first international banks.
By the way, in the 90s, the first collaboration between Credit Suisse and the investment bank First Boston took place, and largely because of this cooperation, the problems of the bank began.
The combined company Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) was involved in investment banking, capital markets and financial services. CSFB has been involved in many major deals and projects such as the IPO of Google, the merger of AOL and Time Warner, etc.
The CSFB project was successful but ran into a number of problems in the early 2000s. Then it turned out that behind the success of CSFB is the manipulation of stock prices of Internet companies (the collapse of dot-com), violation of antitrust laws and ineffective risk management. But no sooner had CSFB recovered from the crisis at the beginning of the 2000s than a new crisis began to test its strength.
The investment division lost a lot of money due to the financial crisis of 2008-2009. The bank lost billions of dollars due to poor investments in subprime mortgage-backed securities and was forced to raise new capital from private investors in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The bank has also been accused of tax evasion by customers in the US and Germany. The fine amounted to about $3 billion.
After the crisis, the bank carried out a number of reforms to improve efficiency, safety and profitability. CS shrunk its investment portfolio, tightened its risk controls, raised capitalization requirements, and focused on its core business of private banking.
They also updated the logo and slogan, which made it clear who the main client base is - "The bank for entrepreneurs" (Bank for entrepreneurs).
The final stage of the collapse of Credit Suisse began in 2021. Then in March, the bank announced the closure and liquidation of several investment funds in the amount of $10 billion provided by another financial company Greensill Capital. Greensill filed for bankruptcy in March 2021.
Then in the same month, the bank suffered heavy losses due to a scandal with the American hedge fund Archegos Capital Management, which defaulted on its obligations to creditors, that is, collapsed. Credit Suisse was one of Archegos' main creditors and lost about $5 billion due to its default.
These events undermined confidence in the bank and led to the fall of its shares and bonds. CS also spied on its top managers, falsified the accounts of the Chinese company Luckin Coffee, and often got into legal disputes with clients and regulators.
One of the symptoms of big problems was the frequent change of leadership, including due to surveillance of them.
The US banking crisis is the final nail in Credit Suisse's coffin. Clients are withdrawing deposits, shares have lost more than 70% of their value, and no one wanted to buy with the bank's bonds. In the end, after tense negotiations over the weekend, UBS Group AG agreed to buy Credit Suisse in a share swap deal worth about $3.25 billion, less than the bank's market value.
UBS now plans to downsize Credit Suisse's investment arm and integrate its assets and customer base into its structure.
#2
One of the commenters mentioned Peter Drucker in relation to this banking mess the other day.
Drucker said a lot of astute stuff about business. One of my favorites: "An organization can have one mission. As soon as it has two or more, it will fail at all of them."
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
03/23/2023 12:36 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Though a lot of my career was at two large American banks, I didn't know a lot about foreign banks. This article was very informative. Thanks!
Posted by: Tom ||
03/23/2023 14:38 Comments ||
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
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The idea to arrange a trial of Russia is one of the fundamental ones in the strategy of isolating our country. It has been thrown into the information space from the first day of the NWO. And at first, the International Criminal Court (ICC) seemed to be the most suitable platform for this. Continued on Page 49
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