Putin Recognizes Donbass Republics, Sends Russian Military to 'Denazify' Ukraine

Cosmos said:
That was one of the many atrocities that russia was quickly blamed for, although it makes very little sense that russia did it:


In the same city (second-biggest city) two big explosions happened again today, that are now also used to blame the russians, although a lot again speaks against the russians, including this eyewitness report from the same reliable source above:
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Gonzales reported the following about one hour ago (I assume he is still in Kharkiv= second-biggest city in Ukraine). Telegram says it was posted at 17:49, german time. Notice especially the bolded part:

t.me

Gonzalo Lira

I just heard the loudest explosion of my life. About three minutes ago, I was finishing a cigarette outside, when I saw a brief flash of light to the south of the city. The flash was vaguely orange. Two seconds later I was hit with the shockwave and the sound. I’ve never felt anything like it...
t.me t.me

I just heard the loudest explosion of my life.

About three minutes ago, I was finishing a cigarette outside, when I saw a brief flash of light to the south of the city. The flash was vaguely orange.

Two seconds later I was hit with the shockwave and the sound. I’ve never felt anything like it. Not even in the best cinemas with the best sound system. It was a single loud bang, like God shooting a bullet.

The weird thing is, this is pretty much the only thing that has happened all day in Kharkov. Total silence all day long — and then one big loud bang.
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Given what happened so far, we probably can expect another "the Russians just committed an atrocity in Kharkiv" circulating in the Mainstream Press. He is starting a livestream on YouTube, exactly now:

 

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Wheat futures soar to 14-year high and food prices could be next​

Fears of supply shortages from Russia and Ukraine have sent prices skyrocketing

Global prices for wheat reached new multi-year highs on Thursday, as warring tensions between major exporters Russia and Ukraine continued to raise concerns about the global supply of the commodity.

Wheat futures were up 7.62%, at $10.59 per bushel – the highest since 2008. Corn and soybean oil futures prices also surged. May corn futures were up 0.7%, at $7.31 a bushel, after touching levels not seen since 2013.

Despite an attempt to resume negotiations, fighting has continued between Russian and Ukrainian troops. As a result, the Black Sea ports used by both countries to export grain have been avoided by international shippers.

Russia is the world’s largest exporter of wheat, accounting for over 18% of international exports. Together with Ukraine, which has also stopped shipping grain, the two countries supply about 30% of global wheat supplies. The crisis threatens to push food prices across the world to an all-time high.
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The Department for Transport says the port ban is directed at vessels, not cargo

The UK Department for Transport said on Wednesday that oil and gas from Russia could still be imported into Britain despite Russian ships being banned from entering British ports.
On Tuesday, Britain passed a law prohibiting access to its ports for all ships having any connection to Russia, following the Russian offensive in the Ukraine. The ban applies to all Russian-owned, operated, controlled, chartered, registered, or flagged vessels.
However, the Department for Transport has since clarified that these new regulations target only vessels, and not their cargo. Moreover, the sanctions won’t block ships registered in other countries from transporting oil or natural gas from Russia.
According to the British i newspaper, the UK relies on Russia for around 4% of its gas supplies and a larger proportion of its oil. MPs are currently actively seeking alternative sources. The Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (Beis) is conducting talks with UK companies on excluding Russian oil and gas from Britain’s energy networks.
“We are continually seeking to increase our renewable energy and nuclear energy, and we know that Beis is looking at further boosting supply from outside Russia so we can remove any remaining dependence on Russian gas,” Downing Street announced, as cited by i.
Russia launched a large-scale military offensive in Ukraine last week, proclaiming the need to “denazify” and “demilitarize” the country. Moscow claimed the assault on its neighbor was the only option left to prevent Kiev from launching an all-out assault on the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Ukraine has rejected such allegations, insisting it had not planned to retake the two regions by force, and the invasion was unprovoked.
The attack was met with outrage by the international community, with the US, the European Union, and their allies across the globe imposing unprecedented economic sanctions against Russia and its officials in retaliation. On Tuesday, the UN adopted a resolution condemning the offensive and demanding Russia withdraw its military forces immediately.
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Airlines that used Russia’s airspace for their European flights have cited safety risks amid the war in Ukraine

Japan’s flag carrier, Japan Airlines Co. Ltd. (JAL), along with another major airline in the country, belonging to ANA Holdings Inc, have canceled all flights to and from Europe, citing safety concerns amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to Reuters, both companies announced their decision on Thursday. A JAL spokesperson said the airline was “continuously monitoring the situation,” and, in light of the “present situation in Ukraine and the different risks, we have decided to cancel flights.”

ANA Cargo’s website, in turn, cited the “high possibility of its operations not being able to overfly Russia due to the current Ukraine situation.”

Under normal circumstances, both companies use Russia’s airspace for their flights to and from Europe. Before the conflict broke out, JAL and ANA reportedly operated 60 per week, on average, with London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Helsinki among the main destinations.

Last week, JAL also canceled a weekly return flight between Moscow and Tokyo, “in light of the current situation in Russia and Ukraine.”

Taiwanese carriers have stopped flying over Russian territory as well, Reuters has reported.

As of March 3, Korean Air Lines continues to use Russia’s airspace, however.

Since February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, more than 35 countries, including the US, Canada, and all those in the EU, have banned Russian planes from entering their respective airspace. Russia has mirrored those decisions, closing the usual routes from Europe to Asia to Western airlines.

Japan has not yet closed its airspace to Russian jets, however, nor has Moscow imposed any such curbs, so technically Japanese carriers can still fly over Russia.

In light of the restrictions, a number of companies have had to either cancel or reroute their flights from the European Union to north Asia. The alternative routes are typically longer, meaning planes use up more fuel and can carry less cargo, according to Reuters.

In addition to the massive disruptions to air travel on both sides, Russia has been slapped with a raft of crippling sanctions over the past week, which, among other things, target the country’s central bank’s assets, several major commercial banks, and the country’s leadership directly.

When launching the military offensive in Ukraine in late February, Russian President Vladimir Putin named the “demilitarization and denazification” of its neighbor as the operation’s main objectives. He also cited the need to protect the Russian-speaking population of the Donbass republics. Ukraine and the West, however, insist that Russia is waging an aggressive and “unprovoked” war against a sovereign nation, with Moscow’s grievances being merely a pretext. The Ukrainian government and some of its allies suspect that Putin is intending to install a pro-Russian puppet government in Kiev.
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The aircraft manufacturer has been using giant Russian cargo planes to transport supplies to its plants

American multinational corporation Boeing may be impacted by the Biden administration’s ban on Russian aircraft in US airspace, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

Boeing had been contracting giant Antonov An-124 cargo planes, operated by the Russian Volga-Dnepr Group, to move supplies to its plants in the US, potentially meaning the new restrictions will limit the American company’s ability to operate out of its base in Washington.

“We work closely with our wide range of supply chain and logistics partners to manage through any potential impacts,” Boeing told Bloomberg in response to the airspace ban. Volga-Dnepr has not issued a statement on the matter.

Since early 2021, the US Transportation Department has granted authorization for Volga-Dnepr to operate at least, 27 flights, most on behalf of Boeing, according to regulatory filings. The latest request filed with the agency, on February 24, showed the Russian company had requested permission for six flights by April 4 to move materials from a Florida supplier.

Using Volga-Dnepr’s cargo planes is the only way “to perform the services in question within the set schedule,” as ensuring swift deliveries is crucial if Boeing is to ensure its production schedule is not disrupted, it said.

The world’s largest production air freighter, the Antonov An-124, was designed in Ukraine and built in Russia. The only other civil operator of AN-124 is Antonov Airlines, based near Kiev, but the status of its aircraft is currently unknown. Its sole AN-225, a larger version of the cargo plane, was reportedly damaged beyond repair during clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces at Hostomel Airport, northwest of the capital.
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Companies blacklisted and accused of close ties to Russia

The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has announced it is blocking trading in 27 corporations with close ties to Russia. The targeted firms include EN+, Gazprom, Lukoil, Rosneft and Sberbank.

The step, which comes into effect immediately and follows similar actions from other bourses, comes as part of Western efforts to cut Russia off from the international financial markets in response to Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine.

Russian miners Polymetal and Evraz have also been ejected from the FTSE 100 after heavy share price losses following Western sanctions on Russia.

Earlier this week, the Deutsche Borse halted trading in 16 companies with alleged links to Russia, while the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq followed suit.
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Roscosmos will no longer ship or maintain rocket engines, or conduct joint projects on the International Space Station

In a tit-for-tat move against restrictions slapped on it by the international community due to the Russian-Ukrainian war, Russia’s space agency announced on Thursday that it would be imposing counter-sanctions.
According to the agency’s director, Dmitry Rogozin, Roscosmos will halt shipping RD-181 rocket engines to the US and maintaining the 24 engines that are currently owned by the country.
“In this situation, we can no longer provide the US with the best rocket engines in the world. Let them fly on something else – their brooms,” he stated live on Russian television.
Rogozin also announced that he had written to Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, the head of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), announcing that Russia would cease conducting joint scientific experiments on the International Space Station.
What he described as the hostile and destructive actions of the DLR had curtailed crucial joint space projects, Rogozin said. He pointed to the shutdown of the German eROSITA wide-field telescope aboard the Russian observatory, which had led to the collapse of a unique scientific project to create a map of the entire sky in the Röntgen (X-ray) spectrum.
“German colleagues who took such steps to politicize our relations will end up with nothing,” he opined.
Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine last week, claiming it was forced to do so to stop Kiev’s armed forces from attacking the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, and in order to “demilitarize” and “denazify” the country.
The West has almost universally condemned Russia for what it called its unprovoked aggression. The sanctions that have since been imposed on Moscow in retaliation target a lengthy list of Russian authorities and are intended to seriously impact the Russian economy. The UN has adopted a resolution condemning Russian actions in Ukraine and demanding Russia immediately withdraw its troops.
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Germany to ship more weapons to Ukraine – reports​

German media claim Berlin will provide Kiev with Soviet-designed ‘Strela’ anti-aircraft missiles

Berlin has approved the delivery of 2,700 anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion, German media have claimed. According to the DPA news agency, the weapons in question are Soviet-designed ‘Strela’ missiles from the stockpiles of the former East German army.

Unlike the US and the UK, up until February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, Germany had consistently refused to provide the eastern European nation with lethal weapons. However, Berlin changed its position following Moscow’s military offensive.

On top of the cited anti-aircraft missiles, Germany’s defense ministry is preparing further shipments of weapons to Ukraine, DPA has also reported.

On Saturday, Berlin announced the decision to deliver 1,000 anti-tank weapons as well as 500 anti-aircraft ‘Stinger’ missiles to Ukraine. This shipment had reached its destination by Wednesday, DPA claims, citing sources in the German government. Moreover, it has given the green light to shipments of German-made weapons from the Netherlands and Estonia.

Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz argued on Saturday that the “Russian attack on Ukraine marks a turning point in history,” adding that Moscow’s actions “threaten our collective post-war order.” He went on to say that “in this situation it is our duty to support Ukraine as best we can in the defense against the invading army of Vladimir Putin.”

The country’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, along with vice-chancellor, Robert Habeck, also stressed that “following Russia’s shameless attack, Ukraine must be able to defend itself.” The German officials insisted that Kiev has an “inalienable right” to self-defense.

Ukrainian authorities, who had previously criticized Germany for its refusal to ship lethal weapons to the country, welcomed this major shift in Berlin’s policy. On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted “keep it up, Chancellor Olaf Scholz.”

Unsurprisingly, Moscow is far from happy with Germany’s shipments. Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has warned that “with this decision, Germany is not only raising the specter of the Cold War, but also that of the hot war.” She added that, now that “weapons against Russian soldiers are being sent from German soil,” Chancellor Scholz’s words about the reconciliation between the two people after WWII, which he had delivered during his visit to Moscow on February 15, sound “particularly cynical.”

In his televised address to the Russian people, President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia had no other choice but to launch a military offensive in Ukraine in light of what he described as the rise of neo-Nazi forces there, and NATO’s alleged plans to drag the country into the military alliance and to use its territory to threaten Russia’s security. The Russian head of state said that his forces were seeking to “demilitarize and denazify” a neighbor, as well as to protect the Russian-speaking population in the Donbass. Ukraine and its Western allies dismiss those claims as merely a pretext for waging an aggressive and “unprovoked” war against a sovereign country. Kiev and some Western governments also claim that Putin’s endgame in Ukraine is the installation of a pro-Russian puppet government in the country.
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US recalls official memo that hammered nations for being ‘in Russia's camp’​

The release of a strongly-worded instruction was an “error,” according to the State Department

The US has recalled a diplomatic cable that instructed its envoys to tell their Indian and UAE counterparts that their countries were “in Russia's camp” due to their neutral stance on the Ukrainian conflict.

The US State Department had on Monday forwarded the cable – labeled “sensitive, but unclassified” – to American embassies in almost 50 countries represented at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), according to an Axios website report.

The directive was distributed after last week's vote on the US-sponsored UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution condemning the Russian “aggression” in Ukraine, in which India, the United Arab Emirates and China became the only abstaining parties.

Cables usually contain instructions to diplomats abroad on how best to relay Washington’s stance to the authorities in the countries where they’re stationed. This particular one suggested that they shouldn't mince words while trying to persuade India and the UAE to change their minds.

“Continuing to call for dialogue, as you have been doing in the Security Council, is not a stance of neutrality; it places you in Russia’s camp, the aggressor in this conflict,” the cable read, according to Axios, which saw parts of the document.

“We strongly encourage you to take the opportunity to support Ukraine in the HRC, an opportunity you failed to seize in the UNSC,” it added.

The Human Rights Council is set to meet in Geneva later on Thursday to discuss its own resolution on the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

However, on Tuesday the not-so-diplomatic cable was recalled by Washington. The State Department spokesperson explained the move to Axios by saying that “the language in question was never intended for clearance and the cable was released in error.”

Washington’s apparent hopes to persuade India – which also has close relations with Russia, especially in the defense sector – to become its ally in countering China’s influence in Asia, while the oil-rich UAE has been one of America's key Arab partners for decades.

The US has been actively rallying the international community to denounce the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It had also imposed additional sanctions on Moscow and organized supplies of lethal arms to Kiev.

Russia insisted that sending its troops to Ukraine a week ago was the only way to end a “genocide” being perpetrated by Kiev in the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, and to prevent the Ukrainian government from attempting to reclaim those areas by force.

According to Moscow, it has no plans to occupy the neighboring state, the aim of the incursion being to “denazify” and “demilitarize” Ukrainian authorities.Kiev has denied masterminding a full-scale assault on the two south-eastern republics, and accused Moscow of waging an unprovoked war.
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Russia and Ukraine agree on civilian humanitarian corridors​

Ukraine has not achieved the other goals it sought, however, Kiev revealed

During the second round of talks in Belarus on Thursday, Moscow and Kiev agreed on mechanisms to establish routes via which to evacuate civilians from combat zones in Ukraine.
“The parties have reached an understanding on the joint establishment of humanitarian corridors with a temporary ceasefire. Russia and Ukraine will soon create channels of communication and cooperation to organize these corridors,” Ukrainian presidential aide Mikhail Podolyak said.
The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky confirmed the development, stating that the two sides had solved the “main issue” of saving the lives of civilians. The negotiators also found common ground on other outstanding matters, namely military and humanitarian issues, and future political reconciliation, he added.
The Ukrainian side said it had not achieved the results it had been expecting from the negotiations, however. The next round of talks is expected to be held in the near future, it added, without elaborating on the time or location.
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Russia to criminalize ‘disinformation’ about military

The State Duma is proposing a new law, making it a crime to spread disinformation about the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine
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Russia to criminalize ‘disinformation’ about military​

Moscow claims the legislation is designed to fight fake information

People found guilty of spreading disinformation about the Russian Army could soon be heavily punished under proposed amendments to the law, the national parliament has warned amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

On Thursday, the Russian parliamentary Committee on State Construction and Legislation approved a bill that will make it a crime to share false information about the operations of the nation’s armed forces, as well as calls for anti-Russian sanctions.

The bill seeks to ban “public actions aimed at discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.” If the legislation is adopted, citizens will be barred from slandering the country’s troops as they seek “to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its people, and maintain international peace and security.”

Under the draft proposal, the punishment for libeling the Russian Army could result in a fine of up to nearly $3,000 or five years in jail. Time behind bars is reserved for actions which are deemed to have inflicted significant damage to national security.

An amendment to another article of the criminal code proposes a severe punishment of up to 15 years in prison for deliberately spreading false information about troops.

The bill will also punish citizens calling for anti-Russian sanctions. If found guilty, a maximum fine of up to almost $5,000 could be issued, or a three-year prison sentence.

The State Duma is set to vote on the legislation on Friday. In a statement on Thursday, the parliament’s chairman, Vyacheslav Volodin, claimed that “American social networks, controlled by Washington, launched an information war against Russia.”

“We cannot help but react to what is happening. It is necessary to make a decision to combat the spread of fake information. It is important to us that the information shared is true, and those who create and distribute it are responsible,” he wrote.

Moscow’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has made similar remarks, insisting that overseas intelligence services and NATO are responsible for peddling numerous fake reports over Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine.

Russia launched the offensive into its neighbor’s territory last Thursday. According to the Kremlin, the goal of the intervention is “to protect the people [of Donbass] who have been tortured for eight years by the Ukrainian regime.” It came after requests from the leaders of the breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics for assistance in combating what they claim is an uptick in “aggression” from Kiev’s armed forces.
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Russia may nationalize Boeing and Airbus jets – media​

The Transport Ministry is seeking to overcome the challenge of an EU ban on selling and leasing aircraft to Russian carriers

Officials from Russia’s Transport Ministry, along with top managers from the country’s major air carriers, have reportedly discussed the possibility of nationalizing Airbus and Boeing planes. That’s according to unnamed people close to the matter, as quoted by Russian business daily RBK.

The measure could be used as one way of combating the ban on selling and leasing planes to Russian airlines, which was introduced by the European Union last week.

The issue was reportedly discussed by Deputy Transport Minister Igor Chalik and top officials from the Aeroflot Group, S7 Group, Ural Airlines, and Utair.

Last week, Brussels gave leasing companies until March 28 to wind up current rental contracts in Russia.

“This ban on the sale of all aircraft, spare parts and equipment to Russian airlines will degrade one of the key sectors of Russia’s economy and the country’s connectivity, as three-quarters of Russia’s current commercial air fleet were built in the EU, the US and Canada,” the European Council said in a press release published on February 25.

Moscow warned the West it would retaliate against sanctions targeting its aviation industry. The final decision regarding the nationalization of foreign aircraft hasn’t been made, however an announcement is expected by the end of the week, the sources said.

“The nationalization of the fleet is the most realistic scenario, there are no other options [to maintain efficiency] right now,” one person close to the discussion said, stressing that the carriers have no right to hold onto the jets when lessors demand them back.

The source added that the decision must be taken by the Russian government. If they opt to purchase the liners, the possibility will have to be discussed with the US and the EU.

Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency told the media that the issue is at the stage of evaluation, when asked about the possible nationalization of foreign airliners.

According to the agency, the largest Russian airlines operated 491 aircraft manufactured by Airbus, Boeing and Embraer as of mid-February 2022. At the end of 2021, they carried 80 million people, or 72% of the total passenger traffic of Russian airlines.
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Russia’s main gas pipeline to Europe stops supplies​

Bids remained for supplies in both directions

Westbound gas flows from Russia to Germany via the Yamal-Europe pipeline stopped on Thursday, while bids remained for supplies in both directions, according to data tracked by the pipeline operator Gascade.

According to the operator, westbound gas supplies had been mostly at about 17.5 million kWh/h at Mallnow metering point for some 10 hours before the stoppage.

The data also showed preliminary bids of 6.4 million kWh/h for the next 24 hours for westbound supplies, with bids for eastbound flows of 6.1 million kWh/h.

Gazprom said on Thursday it was shipping gas to Europe via Ukraine in line with customers’ requests.

In December, the German-Polish section of the pipeline switched into reverse – eastbound – mode as buyers in Poland drew on stored supplies from Germany rather than buying more Russian gas at the spot market where the prices recorded all-time highs nearly every day. Western media at the time accused Russia’s Gazprom of deliberately cutting European supplies.

The Russian state-controlled energy giant has intermittently sent gas westward via the link in recent days amid high demand in Europe. The company has also increased supplies to the continent via Ukraine.

Russia covers nearly 40% of European gas demand with the Yamal-Europe route accounting for nearly 15% of the country’s westbound supply.
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Putin comments on Russian offensive in Ukraine​

Russia’s president has announced financial support measures for troops and gave an update on current state of military conflict

Families of Russian soldiers who died in the line of duty in Ukraine are set to receive compensation of over seven million rubles ($65,000) from the government, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. Putin made the pledge during a meeting with the members of the country’s Security Council.

The leader has also refuted claims circulated by some media outlets that the payouts amount only to 11,000 rubles ($100). Those who were wounded are eligible for a lump sum of three million rubles ($28,000), while servicemen with permanent disabilities will receive lifetime pensions from Russia, according to the president.

The offensive is proceeding strictly according to its “schedule,” Putin stressed, while admitting certain issues were experienced during the military operation. For instance, the Russian military has established safe corridors for Ukrainian civilians to escape the combat zone, yet local “neo-Nazi” forces and foreign “mercenaries” have been trying to prevent them from leaving, he said.

“Nationalist and neo-Nazi groups, foreign mercenaries, including those from the Middle East, are using civilians as human shields,” Putin stated. “As I’ve already said, there is absolutely objective data, photos of how they place heavy military equipment in residential areas of cities.”

Russia’s president also reiterated his stance on Ukraine, and the goal of protecting it from the far-right groups that have seized control in the country.

“Russians and Ukrainians are one nation, I will never give that up,” he stressed.
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Mexico still a friend of Russia

:clap:

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was asked in conference whether Mexico would close its airspace to Russian flights, to which he answered that it will not be closed. Also Obrador ruled out imposing economic sanctions on Moscow.

"We are not going to take any economic type of retaliation, because we want to maintain good relations with all the governments of the world and we want to be in a position to be able to talk with the parties in conflict," he told reporters.

"I do not agree with the fact that media from Russia, or from any country, are censored. We must assert freedom," Lopez Obrador added.


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Mexico rules out imposing economic sanctions on Russia

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday ruled out imposing economic sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine and criticized what he called censorship of Russian media.
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Putin: Special Op in Ukraine Going According to Plan

On Thursday, Russia's Defence Ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, said that the West has increased the dispatch to Ukraine of contract soldiers from private military companies and several European countries are sending mercenaries.
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Putin: Special Op in Ukraine Going According to Plan​


On Thursday, Russia's Defence Ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, said that the West has increased the dispatch to Ukraine of contract soldiers from private military companies and several European countries are sending mercenaries.
The military operation in Ukraine is going according to plan, and all tasks are being implemented "successfully", Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his address to the Russian Security Council.

"Our soldiers fight steadfastly, with a full understanding of the justice of their cause, even after being wounded, they remain in formation, sacrifice themselves [...] in order to save comrades and civilians," Putin said, noting that Russian troops are striving to prevent civilian casualties in Ukraine.

Putin also said that nationalists and foreign mercenaries in Ukraine are using civilians as human shields. They have not kept their promise to remove heavy military equipment from residential areas, he continued.

"Instead of fulfilling promises to remove this equipment from residential areas, from kindergartens, hospitals, on the contrary, tanks, artillery, mortars are being additionally deployed there," he said.


Foreigners Held Hostage

The Russian president also said that foreign citizens are being held hostage in Ukraine: particularly, among them are some 3,179 citizens of India.

"Neo-Nazis also opened fire on Chinese students who were trying to leave Kharkov. Two of them were injured. I repeat: hundreds of foreigners are trying to leave the war zone, but they are not being allowed to do so," Putin stressed.

But the way "neo-nazis treat their own citizens" is even worse, according to him, as Russian soldiers have witnessed residents of apartment buildings being "herded into the middle floors of buildings", while in the lower floors "they break through windows and walls, put up heavy equipment there". On the roofs and on the upper floors, machine guns and snipers are placed, the president said.
Still, the Russian troops "have provided corridors in all collision zones without exception, provided transport so that civilians, foreign citizens have the opportunity to go to a safe place" - something that "nationalists do not allow to be done", Putin outlined.

Putin's address came shortly after Russia's Defence Ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, said that the West has increased the dispatch to Ukraine of contract soldiers from private military companies, with the US military intelligence launching a massive campaign to recruit PMC contractors for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his turn, stated that Ukraine expects some 16,000 foreign mercenaries to come and fight for the country.

According to estimations from the Russian Defence Ministry, 200 Croatian mercenaries have already arrived in Ukraine, with the UK, Denmark, Latvia, and Poland also giving the green light to sending mercenaries there. Konashenkov said that foreign soldiers who are already in Ukraine "commit sabotage and raids on Russian convoys of equipment and material supplies, as well as aircraft covering them."
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Sean Penn tweets about escaping from Ukraine on foot

Hollywood star Sean Penn, who was making a documentary in Ukraine, said he had been forced to walk miles on foot to get to Poland
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Sean Penn tweets about escaping from Ukraine on foot​

The double Oscar winner said he and his crew had to walk miles on foot to reach the Polish border

Hollywood star Sean Penn took to social media to share his thrilling story of how he fled Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion of the country.

Penn arrived in Kiev last week to film material for a documentary about tensions surrounding Ukraine, which he had been working on for several months.

The actor was even present at a Ukrainian government press conference last Thursday, just hours after Moscow announced its “special operation” to demilitarize and “denazify” the Kiev government, which it accused of “genocide” in the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk.

The 61-year-old celebrity also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and was praised by his office for displaying “the courage that many others, especially Western politicians, lack.”

However, Penn still decided not to stick around in the country for too long after the Russian invasion, and went looking for safety in neighboring Poland.

However, getting to the border together with thousands of Ukrainians, who were also fleeing the conflict, turned out to be really a troublesome affair.


“Myself and two colleagues walked miles to the Polish border after abandoning our car on the side of the road,” the actor wrote on Twitter on Monday.

The post included a photo of Penn dragging his suitcase along the road with a massive queue of vehicles in the background.

Almost all of the vehicles in the line were carrying “women and children only, most without any sign of luggage,” he wrote, suggesting that the cars were the only possessions of value that those people had.

The Ukrainian government had earlier banned men aged between 18 to 60 from leaving the country, saying they must stay and fight.

In his earlier tweets, Penn described the Russian invasion as a “brutal mistake” and called upon Washington to boost its support for Kiev. “If we allow [Ukraine] to fight alone, our soul as America is lost,” he wrote.

UN figures show that nearly 875,000 have fled the conflict since the Russian offensive started.
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Russia’s largest bank leaves EU

Major Russian banking company Sberbank has announced that it is withdrawing from the EU financial markets
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Russia’s largest bank leaves EU​

The announcement comes as a number of the country’s financial institutions become subject to heavy sanctions

Russia’s key state bank has revealed that it will pull out of the European Union’s financial markets, citing threats to the safety of employees and its branches in the wake of Moscow’s attack on Ukraine.

In a statement on Wednesday, Sberbank announced that the decision had been made as a result of its subsidiary banks facing “an abnormal outflow of funds.” The financial giant also claimed that its employees and branches were under threat.

“Due to the instruction of Russia’s Central Bank, Sberbank [Russia] will not be able to supply liquidity to its European subsidiaries,” the notice read, after the institution took measures to preserve its foreign currency.

However, it offered reassurances that its subsidiary banks had “a high level of capital and quality of assets,” and that customer deposits were “insured in line with local legislation.”

The departure of Russia’s largest lender from the EU does not impact its business in Switzerland, which it said is continuing to operate normally, as it has “a sufficient level of capital and assets to continue its activities.”

Sberbank had been operational in a number of EU member states, including Germany, Austria, Croatia, and Hungary, and boasted European assets worth €13bn (over $14.4bn) at the end of 2020.

Brussels revealed on Wednesday that the EU had disconnected embargoed Russian banks from the global payment network SWIFT. A number of major lenders, including VTB and Rossiya, are subject to the cut-off. However, Sberbank and Gazprom are not on the list for now because they are the key channels for payments for Moscow’s oil and gas, on which Europe heavily relies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine last Thursday, after the leaders of the breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, recently recognized by Russia as sovereign states, appealed for assistance in relation to what they said was a sharp spike in “aggression” from Kiev’s armed forces. According to Putin, the aim of Moscow’s offensive is to “demilitarize” and “denazify” the country.
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Russia sanctions could backfire on EU economy – European Commission

Anti-Russia sanctions could harm both Europe’s energy supplies and economic growth, the European Commission said on Wednesday
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Russia sanctions could backfire on EU economy – European Commission​

The bloc’s economic growth and energy supplies are likely to be negatively affected

The war in Ukraine and the ensuing sanctions against Russia could harm Europe’s energy supplies and stall its economic growth, European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni warned on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, he said Europe may encounter problems in the supply of energy resources – more precisely, the supply of Russian gas – and needs to be ready for such an outcome.

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will likely impact growth negatively, including through repercussions on financial markets, further energy price pressures, more persistent supply chain bottlenecks, and confidence effects that we should not under-evaluate,” Gentiloni added.

His statement comes after the EU’s statistical office, Eurostat, reported on Wednesday that inflation within the bloc had soared to a new high of 5.8% in February.

Earlier, the European Commission also issued a statement outlining the negative impact of anti-Russian sanctions on the economic situation of member states.

Russia is the EU’s largest supplier of energy resources, meeting some 40% of its natural gas demand and supplying nearly a third of its crude oil imports. Its oil and gas industries have not yet been added to the sanctions list, but on March 1, members of the European Parliament approved a resolution condemning its military offensive in Ukraine. They called for tougher sanctions, including limiting oil and gas imports and completely cutting the country off from the SWIFT international system of inter-bank payments.
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Russia reveals number of troops killed and injured in Ukraine

The Russian military has released the first official casualty figures amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine
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Russia reveals number of troops killed and injured in Ukraine​

Nearly 500 of the country’s soldiers have died amid the ongoing offensive, the Russian Defense Ministry has revealed

Some 498 Russian servicemen have been killed and nearly 1,600 wounded during the ongoing attack on Ukraine, Russia’s military officially announced on Wednesday.

The Defense Ministry refuted reports that there have been “countless” casualties, branding the claims as deliberate disinformation originating from Kiev.

According to Russian military estimates, Ukrainian army units and far-right paramilitaries have reportedly lost at least 2,870 soldiers, while a further 3,700 have sustained various wounds. Some 572 Ukrainian servicemen have been taken prisoner, the ministry added.

Russian units involved in the offensive are comprised solely of professional soldiers, the military has said, refuting allegations that the invasion force consisted largely of “conscripts.”

The official casualty figures announced by Moscow differ drastically from the claims voiced by Kiev, which alleged that more than 5,800 Russian soldiers had perished since the invasion began.

Moscow launched the invasion of its neighbor last week, claiming it was the only option left to protect the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in the country’s east. The “denazification” and “demilitarization” of Ukraine were among the other expressed goals of the operation.

Kiev has denied harboring plans to re-take the republics by force, branding Russia’s assault unprovoked. Donetsk and Lugansk split from Ukraine in 2014, following the Maidan events that ousted its democratically elected government. Ahead of the invasion, Russia had formally recognized the two republics as independent states.
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Russian tycoon's superyacht seized in Germany – media

Germany has reportedly seized a 512-foot yacht from Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov because of sanctions over Moscow’s attack on Ukraine
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Russian tycoon's superyacht seized in Germany – media​

Alisher Usmanov’s $600 million vessel has reportedly been impounded in Hamburg

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German authorities have seized one of the world’s largest and most expensive yachts from Alisher Usmanov after freezing the assets of the Russian billionaire as punishment for Moscow’s military attack on Ukraine, according to Forbes.

The 512-foot superyacht, named 'Dilbar' after the owner’s late mother, was seized in a Hamburg shipyard where it was undergoing refitting work, Wednesday's report claimed, citing multiple sources.

The Uzbekistan-born Usmanov was sanctioned by the European Union on Monday for alleged links to Russian President Vladimir Putin, resulting in asset freezes and a ban prohibiting him from entering or transiting through EU nations.

Usmanov bought the custom-built vessel, which took more than four years to construct, from German shipyard Lurssen for a reported $600 million in 2016. It ranks as the world’s largest motor yacht by gross tonnage and boasts such features as two helicopter pads, a beauty salon, and a sauna. It also has the largest swimming pool ever installed on a ship of its kind.

The 68-year-old billionaire issued a statement on Monday decrying the sanctions. “I believe that such decision is unfair, and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honor, dignity and business reputation. I will use all legal means to protect my honor and reputation.”

The EU accused Usmanov of being a “pro-Kremlin oligarch” with close ties to Putin and said he supported the Russian government’s destabilization of Ukraine. Usmanov has potentially much more to lose, including two estates in the UK that are reportedly valued at a combined $280 million, as well as luxury homes in Munich, Germany; Lausanne, Switzerland; and Sardinia. He has stepped down from his role as president of the International Fencing Federation.

Usmanov’s USM Holdings is a major sponsor of Everton. The English football club suspended sponsorship deals with the billionaire’s companies on Wednesday amid pressure from UK government officials.

During his first State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Joe Biden warned that America will target “Russian oligarchs and corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime,” receiving a standing ovation from Democrats and Republicans. Discussing oligarchs, in line with America’s European allies, Biden stated that the US will begin to “find and seize their yachts, their luxury apartments, your private jets,” in pursuit of their “ill-begotten gains.”

On Monday, the British Department for Transport banned all Russian ships from its ports, while Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has also proposed closing European ports to Russian ships as part of sanctions punishing Moscow for its attack on Ukraine.

Russia launched a large-scale military offensive in Ukraine last week, proclaiming the need to “denazify” and “demilitarize” the country, as well as to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weaponry, an idea recently floated by top Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Moscow claimed that the offensive was the only option left to end the bloodshed in the east of Ukraine and prevent Kiev from launching an all-out assault on the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Kiev rejected such allegations, insisting it had not planned to retake the breakaway regions by force and saying the invasion was unprovoked.
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Putin comments on Russian offensive in Ukraine​


Russia’s president has announced financial support measures for troops and gave an update on current state of military conflict
Putin comments on Russian offensive in Ukraine

© Sputnik / Andrey Gorshkov
Families of Russian soldiers who died in the line of duty in Ukraine are set to receive compensation of over seven million rubles ($65,000) from the government, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. Putin made the pledge during a meeting with the members of the country’s Security Council.
The leader has also refuted claims circulated by some media outlets that the payouts amount only to 11,000 rubles ($100). Those who were wounded are eligible for a lump sum of three million rubles ($28,000), while servicemen with permanent disabilities will receive lifetime pensions from Russia, according to the president.
The offensive is proceeding strictly according to its “schedule,” Putin stressed, while admitting certain issues were experienced during the military operation. For instance, the Russian military has established safe corridors for Ukrainian civilians to escape the combat zone, yet local “neo-Nazi” forces and foreign “mercenaries” have been trying to prevent them from leaving, he said.
“Nationalist and neo-Nazi groups, foreign mercenaries, including those from the Middle East, are using civilians as human shields,” Putin stated. “As I’ve already said, there is absolutely objective data, photos of how they place heavy military equipment in residential areas of cities.”

READ MORE: Russia to criminalize ‘disinformation’ about military
Russia’s president also reiterated his stance on Ukraine, and the goal of protecting it from the far-right groups that have seized control in the country.
 
N1mTzo said:
“I want to officially emphasize that all mercenaries sent by the West to help the Kiev nationalist regime are not combatants under international humanitarian law. They do not have the right to prisoner of war status,” he said at a briefing on Thursday. According to him, "the best thing that awaits foreign mercenaries upon arrest is bringing them to criminal responsibility."
Konashenkov said that the US military intelligence launched a large-scale campaign to recruit contract soldiers from private military companies (PMCs) to be sent to Ukraine. “First of all, employees of the American PMCs AkEdemi, Kyubik and Dean Corporation are recruited. Great Britain, Denmark, Latvia, Poland and Croatia have legally allowed their citizens to participate in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine. The command of the French Foreign Legion plans to send military personnel - ethnic Ukrainians to help the Kiev regime," Konashenkov said.

"According to the statement of (President of Ukraine - IF) Zelensky, about 16,000 foreign mercenaries are expected to arrive in Ukraine in addition to the existing ones," Konashenkov recalled, noting that a visa-free regime is being introduced for those arriving.

In addition, the military attache of Croatia in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday due to the arrival in Ukraine of about 200 mercenaries from this country. Konashenkov said Croatian mercenaries arrived in Ukraine via Poland last week and joined a nationalist battalion in southeastern Ukraine.

"The military attache was pointed out to the illegal activities of Croatian citizen Denis Sheler, who participated in the hostilities in southeastern Ukraine in 2015, forming detachments of Croatian mercenaries to be sent to Ukraine," Konashenkov said.

PS Croatian mercenaries in Ukraine? Damn, what's going on in this world?
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This is so sad (and despicable). But I've been watching people around me in Croatia for the past week, and a lot of them completely lost their minds and went back in time, identifying this situation with the war we've had 30 years ago. Very, very sad..
 
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