Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 **Media Thread** NO DISCUSSION #2

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office says he has called for an urgent cease-fire in Ukraine in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a statement following Sunday's one-hour call, the Turkish presidency said Erdogan had urged a halt to fighting to “address humanitarian concerns” and “seek a political solution” to the conflict. The war is now in its 11th day. Erdogan called for the opening of humanitarian corridors and a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

Turkey has extensive ties with both Russia and Ukraine and has sought to place itself as a mediator. It has invited both to a diplomatic forum in Antalya next week. Erdogan's office said he told Putin that he was “ready to make every contribution" to resolving the crisis.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article259116948.html#storylink=cpy

 

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Russian FM confirms his visit to Antalya next week: Çavuşoğlu - Turkey News

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has confirmed his planned visit to Antalya next week to attend a diplomacy forum, according to Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who reiterated Ankara’s wish to gather Lavrov and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba for talks to end the ongoing armed conflict between the two nations.

“We continue messaging with Mr. Lavrov. He confirmed to me that he will come to Antalya. I hope a ceasefire can be reached so that we can organize a meeting at the ministerial level,” Çavuşoğlu said at a press conference in Brussels after an extraordinary NATO meeting on March 4.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry will organize the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on March 11 and 13, where leaders from all over the world, as well as scholars, media and other experts, will come together to discuss the current world affairs.

 

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Pope Francis says he has dispatched two cardinals to Ukraine, a highly unusual move.

The pontiff said Sunday that “the Holy See is willing to do everything to put itself in service for peace.” The papal almsgiver, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, has been dispatched with aid, along with Cardinal Michael Czerny, who is head of the papal office that deals with migration, charity, justice and peace. Francis did not say where exactly the cardinals had gone, but said they represented him and all Christian people with the message that “war is madness.’’

Referring to Ukraine as “that martyred country,” Francis called for a cessation of violence, the establishment of humanitarian corridors and a return to negotiations. “In Ukraine, rivers of blood and tears are flowing. This is not just a military operation, but a war that sows death, destruction and misery,’’ he said in his traditional Sunday blessing.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article259116948.html#storylink=cpy

 

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Game-changing drones used in Ukraine are straining the relationship between Russia's Putin and Turkey's Erdogan. Here's why
[...]

The Bayraktar TB2 drones—which have disabled multiple Russian launch rocket systems and taken out columns of armored Russian tanks and personnel transporters in recent days—are produced by Baykar Makina, a private Turkish corporation whose chief technology officer is Selcuk Bayraktar, son in law of Erodogan, according to Bloomberg. In an English-language tweet Tuesday, Ukraine lauded the "jewelry work" of the drones' crews.

It's not the first time that crewless aircraft made by Turkey’s Baykar have had a significant impact on battlefields where Moscow maintained an interest. Relatively cheap to make and deploy, the aircraft have in recent years helped swing conflicts in places as far afield as Azerbaijan and Libya in favor of Turkish allies.

Now they are prized items in the budding relationship that’s made Turkey one of Kyiv’s most important backers. In the process, the planes are straining ties between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin—a relationship that has consequences for Turkey’s economy, defense ties, and regional flashpoints, including Syria’s war.

Ukraine has bought dozens of Bayraktar TB2s since 2019 together with control stations and missiles, several Turkish officials and an executive at one of the country’s defense companies with close government ties told Bloomberg. The two nations also agreed to cooperate on a new generation of the drones during a visit to Kyiv by Erdogan early last month.

The low-flying and highly maneuverable TB2s are operated from mobile stations and protected by jammers, said a Turkish official who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity. They’re a product of Erdogan’s ambition to make Turkey’s projection of regional power more self-sufficient.

[...]

 

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What Happened on Day 10 of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
An evacuation of the besieged city of Mariupol was scheduled to begin at noon (5 a.m. Eastern time), with a convoy led by the Red Cross leading the effort to get civilians out of increasingly dire conditions, city officials announced. A cease-fire and evacuation effort on Saturday fell apart before it could begin because of Russian shelling, according to the Ukrainians. On Sunday, city officials told residents to gather in three locations and be prepared to move, although it was not clear if they would move ahead with the plan if there was intense fighting along the proposed evacuation route.

Ukraine official says assault halts evacuations for 2nd time

What Happened on Day 10 of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is in Moldova, a nation on Ukraine’s western border that formally applied to join the European Union last week, after Russia’s invasion. Responding to Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita’s request for America’s endorsement for its application, Mr. Blinken said that Moldova “can count on that support across the board.”

 

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South Korea said on Sunday that it was tightening export controls against Belarus, which has provided a staging ground for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Its foreign ministry did not release details other than to say that its restrictions against Belarus would be similar to those imposed against Russia. South Korea had earlier banned shipments of strategic goods to Russia and joined Western countries in suspending financial transactions with several major Russian banks.

What Happened on Day 10 of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

 

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March 6 2022
Fleeing sanctions, oligarchs seek safe ports for superyachts | The Star
''Working with the U.K.-based yacht valuation firm VesselsValue, the AP compiled a list of 56 superyachts — generally defined as luxury vessels exceeding 24 meters (79 feet) in length — believed to be owned by a few dozen Kremlin-aligned oligarchs, seaborne assets with a combined market value estimated at more than $5.4 billion.

The AP then used two online services — VesselFinder and MarineTraffic — to plot the last known locations of the yachts as relayed by their onboard tracking beacons.''

''While many are still anchored at or near sun-splashed playgrounds in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, more than a dozen were underway or had already arrived in remote ports in small nations such as the Maldives and Montenegro, potentially beyond the reach of Western sanctions. Three are moored in Dubai, where many wealthy Russians have vacation homes.

Another three had gone dark, their transponders last pinging just outside the Bosporus in Turkey — gateway to the Black Sea and the southern Russian ports of Sochi and Novorossiysk.''

 

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[URL='https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/02/france-hits-uks-overly-restrictive-approach-ukrainian-refugees/']France hits out at UK’s ‘overly restrictive’ approach to Ukrainian refugees[/URL]

Ukraine warns of threat to hydroelectric power station

The Ukrainian military warned on Sunday morning that Russian forces advancing north toward Kyiv could be moving to seize the dam of a key hydroelectric power station.

The threat to the Kaniv hydroelectric power station, located about 100 miles south of Kyiv on the Dnieper River, is part of what Ukrainian officials describe as a systematic effort to gain control over parts of the country’s critical infrastructure.

Number of refugees fleeing Ukraine reaches 1.5 million | CBC News
Last Updated: 7 minutes ago
''Zelensky says Russia is preparing to shell strategic port of Odesa
'Drive this evil out of our cities'
''Ukrainian police said there was relentless Russian shelling and air raids in the northeast Kharkiv region, reporting many casualties, while the UN World Health Organization said there had been several attacks on Ukrainian health-care facilities.'

Elsewhere, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on those in areas occupied by Russian troops to fight.

In a televised address on Sunday, Zelensky said Russia was preparing to bombard another southern city, Odesa, on Ukraine's Black Sea coast.''

 

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BREAKING VLAD: Meet the morons in Putin's fan club | Toronto Sun
''Isolated as he is, Vladimir Putin is not without a fan base.

The Russian strongman and aspiring czar is still getting love from politicians, activists and influencers who have taken to wearing T-shirts and buttons with the letter Z to show their support for obliterating Ukraine.

Russian tanks and military vehicles rolling over Ukraine also have Z painted on their sides. Predictably, the Putin propaganda pushers at Russia Today are behind the campaign. Proceeds from the maniacal merch are said to be going to a charity supporting “children of war.”

The T-shirts with the letter Z are selling for 1,190 rubles (about $13), the Daily Mail reports.

Among those sporting the evil ensemble are former spy and Russian MP Maria Butina, who was convicted in 2018 in the U.S. for acting as a foreign agent. She sported one of the spiffy T-shirts in a photo.''

 

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Ukraine Warns Russia To Shell Historic Port City Odessa

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Sunday that Russian forces are preparing to shell Odessa, a historic port city on the Black Sea coast.

"They are preparing to bomb Odessa. Odessa!" he declared, in a video address.

"Russians have always come to Odessa. They have always felt only warmth in Odessa. Only sincerity. And now what? Bombs against Odessa? Artillery against Odessa? Missiles against Odessa?" he demanded.

"It will be a war crime. It will be a historical crime."

Russian forces have made progress in southern Ukraine since their February 24 invasion, overrunning the city of Kherson and besieging the port of Mariupol, but Odessa has so far been largely spared.

Almost a million people live in Odessa, a cosmopolitan harbour on Ukraine's southern coast with both Ukrainian and Russian speakers and Bulgarian and Jewish minorities.

The Russian advance from occupied Crimea has in part turned east to link up with Russian-backed separatists and to seize the Azov Sea port of Mariupol.

But another part of the force has also headed west to Kherson, on the road towards Odessa. The city is also close to the Moldovan border and the Russian-occupied region of Transnistria.

 

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WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES: Today I witnessed Russian troops deliberately targeting civilians fleeing for their lives from the village of Irpin. At least three members of a family of four were killed in front of me.
Live Updates: Evacuation of Key Ukrainian City Is Canceled Again - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Odessa prepares for aerial attack as Putin tries to 'choke' off lifeline | Daily Mail Online

 

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Kevin Rothrock on Twitter
Police officers in Moscow today are stopping people, demanding to see their phones, READING THEIR MESSAGES, and refusing to release them if they refuse. This from Kommersant journalist Ana Vasilyeva. https://t.me/Crexcrexcrex/3059

 

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Lviv bracing for a potential Russian attack | CTV's Paul Workman in Ukraine

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LIVE: Kyiv skyline as Russian troops reach capital of Ukraine

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'Hungry' Russian Soldiers Loot Ukrainian Shops

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More than 2,000 anti-war protestors arrested in Russia
Russian police have arrested more than 2,034 people at anti-war protests in cities across Russia on Sunday, the OVD-Info protest monitor said.

Putin holding talks with Macron
Russian state television has confirmed that Russian president Vladimir Putin is holding talks with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. This comes after Putin spoke with Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan earlier today.

Conflict will only end if Ukraine stops fighting - Putin
Russia will only stop its invasion of Ukraine if Volodymyr Zelenskiy's country stops fighting and Moscow's demands are met, the Kremlin has said in a statement.

Fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since WW2
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, has issued a warning to the world, stating that "More than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed into neighbouring countries in 10 days - the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II," tweeted Grandi.

War could last months, if not years - Raab
The United Kingdom's deputy prime minister, Dominic Raab, has warned that Russia's invasion of Ukraine could last months or even years. "We ought to be under no doubt that our mission with our allies is to ensure [Vladimir] Putin fails in Ukraine and is going to take some time," Raab said on Sky News on Sunday. "We're talking about months, if not years, and therefore we'll have to show some strategic stamina because this is not going to be over in days."

Russia Ukraine news LIVE: Putin holding talks with Macron

 

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Elon Musk waarschuwt: 'Gebruik Starlink in Oekraïne alleen als het echt nodig is' | NU - Het laatste nieuws het eerst op NU.nl

SpaceX owner Elon Musk points out that there is a high probability that his satellite network Starlink for broadband internet will be attacked in Ukraine. The internet should therefore only be used if there is absolutely no other option.

"Important warning: In some parts of Ukraine, Starlink is the only non-Russian communication system still working. The chances of being targeted are high. Be careful," Musk wrote on Twitter .

Starlink does not require ground cables because the service uses satellites. However, a receiver is required.

Musk asks people to use Starlink only when absolutely necessary and to place the receiver as far away from people as possible. He also advises "putting light camouflage over the antenna to avoid visual detection".

In Ukraine, internet services in several places in the country have been disrupted by the Russian invasion. There are problems with the connection, especially in the east and west of the country, where there is heavy fighting.

Musk therefore decided to turn to Starlink for Ukraine last week, after Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov asked him for help. He also sent more recipients to the country.

 

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The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen calls for investigation into potential Russian war crimes

“I think there needs to be a strong and clear investigation on this question,” von der Leyen said in an interview.

Ukraine ambassador to US calls Russia a ‘terrorist state'

“This is a terrorist state and we should treat Russia as a terrorist state,” Oksana Markarova said in an interview.

She also renewed calls for the United States to provide Ukraine with anti-aircraft weapons and other arms.


Odesa prepares for attack as Putin ‘shifts focus to Black Sea’ – latest news

 

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Putin blames Ukraine for recent Zaporizhzhi nuclear plant incident

President Vladimir Putin has blamed “Ukrainian radicals” for an incident on 3 March at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.

French President Emmanuel Macron asked Putin during a phone call about a fire at Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant.

“Vladimir Putin informed about the provocation by Ukrainian radicals in the area of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” the Kremlin said.

“The radiation levels are normal.”

Putin also accused Ukraine of preventing civilians from leaving Mariupol.

Odesa prepares for attack as Putin ‘shifts focus to Black Sea’ – latest news

 

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Putin Signs Law Introducing 15-Year Jail Term For "Fake News" On Army

Russian media have been instructed to only publish information provided by official sources, which describe the invasion as a military operation.

State-controlled broadcasters have meanwhile reinforced government narratives about nationalism in Ukraine and Moscow's claim that Ukrainian soldiers are using civilians as human shields.

 

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Brazilian politician’s sexist remarks about Ukraine refugees spark outrage | Ukraine | The Guardian
''A prominent member of the Brazilian right is facing calls to resign after he was exposed in leaked audio messages making a succession of callous and misogynistic remarks about Ukrainian refugees during a purportedly humanitarian mission to the recently invaded country.''

''In one recording, the politician says: “I’ve just crossed the border on foot between Ukraine and Slovakia. Bro, I swear to you … I’ve never seen anything like it in terms of beautiful girls. The refugee queue … it’s like 200metres-long or more of just total goddesses … It’s some incredible **** … The queue outside Brazil’s best nightclub … doesn’t come close to the refugee queue here.”

In a second excerpt Do Val says: “Let me tell you, they’re easy because they’re poor.”

In a third he makes obscene remarks about female security officials at the Ukraine/Slovakia border, before adding: “Just unbelievable, dude. As soon as this war’s over, I’m coming back.”

 

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In the days since Putin's devastating invasion of Ukraine, over 200 companies have announced that they are withdrawing from Russia in protest, calling to mind the large-scale corporate boycott of Apartheid South Africa in the 1980s.

Nevertheless, some western companies have continued to operate in Russia undeterred; we identified thirty companies with particularly significant exposure to Russian markets.

The full list of companies that have curtailed operations in Russia as well as those that remain, as of March 6, can be seen below.

Download the list by clicking here.

The list is updated daily by Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and his research team at the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute

Over 200 Companies Have Withdrawn from Russia - But Some Remain | Yale School of Management