Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 **Media Thread** NO DISCUSSION #3

[PommyMommy]

MAR 29, 2022
Russia to scale back military activity toward Kyiv, Chernihiv as part of peace talks: Putin defense official
Russian defense officials announced Tuesday that Moscow will scale back military activity in two key areas as part of the ongoing peace negotiations.

After nearly five weeks of fighting, Russia has decided to draw back its forces around the capital city of Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said.

"In order to increase mutual trust and create the necessary conditions for further negotiations…a decision was made to radically, at times, reduce military activity in the Kyiv and Chernihiv direction," Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin was quoted as saying by a Russian state-owned media outlet.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

Russia-Ukraine war latest: Moscow says it will ‘drastically reduce military activity’ around Kyiv and Chernihiv – live | World news | The Guardian

2m ago 14:29
A quick snap from Reuters that in comments broadcast on state media, Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said that Kyiv’s proposals to Moscow at talks in Istanbul included one that Russia would not oppose Ukraine joining the European Union.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 29, 2022
Belarusian Priest Fined For 'Ukraine, Forgive Us' Sticker On His Car (rferl.org)
A Belarusian Greek Catholic priest has been fined for having a bumper sticker on his car saying: "Ukraine, Forgive Us."

A court in the eastern Belarusian city of Mahilyou ordered Vasil Yahorau on March 28 to pay 1,600 rubles ($490) as a penalty for having the sticker on his car. It is not clear what the official charge was in the case.

Russia Says To 'Dramatically' Decrease Military Activities Around Kyiv, Chernihiv (rferl.org)
He added that more detailed information on the results of the talks held in Istanbul will be made public after the Russian delegation returns to Moscow.

IAEA Chief In Ukraine To Secure Nuclear Facilities (rferl.org)
"There have already been several close calls," Grossi said.

"We can’t afford to lose any more time. This conflict is already causing unimaginable human suffering and destruction. The IAEA's expertise and capabilities are needed to prevent it from also leading to a nuclear accident," he added.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 29, 2022
After Russian forces pull back, a shattered town breathes | AP News

[...]

Russian tanks lay burned, twisted, left behind like the soldiers in the woods. One of the soldiers had a red band around his leg. The other had an arm flung over his head as if napping on the leaves in the late afternoon light. A Ukrainian soldier nudged him with his toe.

[...]

A red “Z” marked a Russian truck, its windshield fractured, near stacked boxes of ammunition. Hundreds of the boxes, including ones with artillery shells, had been stacked around the town. Curious residents peered into an open box of shells.

It is not clear where the Russian forces went, under what circumstances they fled or whether the town will remain free of them in the days ahead. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his overnight address emphasized that the situation remains tense in Ukraine’s northeast around Kharkiv, the nearest large city, and other areas.

[...]

Packets of Russian food rations were seen amid the debris. But residents indicated that the soldiers were still hungry.

“In the evenings they came to us, to our houses and our basements, and stole our pickles, potatoes, lard and cucumbers,” said one resident who didn’t give her name.

She called the Russians “orcs,” or goblin-like creatures. Militias from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions were there as well, she said. The entire town had been occupied.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

@tackettdc

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Netherlands is expelling 17 Russian intelligence officers, citing a threat to national security

@ZekeJMiller

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium says it's expelling 21 Russian diplomats for actions related to espionage or unlawful influence peddling

 

[PommyMommy]

$50M Russian superyacht seized by U.K. authorities amid oligarch crackdown - National | Globalnews.ca
''Britain has detained a Russian-owned $50 million superyacht hours before it was due to leave London where it had docked for a meeting of the superyacht awards, saying the move was part of its sanctions package aimed at punishing Moscow.

The near 190 feet (58.5 metre) Dutch-built yacht, named Phi, was detained in the Canary Wharf financial district of London under the government’s Russian sanctions, the first time the regulations have been used to detain a ship.

The government said Phi was owned by a Russian businessman that it did not name, but that ownership was “deliberately” hidden, with the company the ship is registered to based in St Kitts and Nevis, and the ship carrying Maltese flags.''

View image in full screen
The superyacht Phi owned by a Russian businessman in Canary Wharf, east London which has been detained as part of sanctions against Russia. The vessel is the first to be detained in the UK under sanctions imposed because of the war in Ukraine. Picture date: Tuesday March 29, 2022. (Photo by James Manning/PA Images via Getty Images)
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the owner of the vessel had not been sanctioned in Britain but that under the law a ship owned, controlled, chartered or operated by persons connected with Russia could be subject to detention.''

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 29, 2022

Poison, spies & peace negotiations | Ukraine: The Latest | Podcast

Putin realizes his Ukraine invasion is going poorly

Putin 'drastically' WITHDRAWS troops from Kyiv in sign Ukraine is winning

 

[PommyMommy]

Ukraine's Zelensky tells Danish parliament Russia sanctions must be tightened - France 24

War with Russia? Finland has a plan for that

Why Congress Should Stay Out of U.S. Sanctions Policy on Russia
At their core, sanctions are bargaining measures. As Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland has stated, if Russia complies with U.S. demands for a peaceful resolution, the United States will offer Moscow sanctions relief in exchange.

 

[PommyMommy]

”The city of Mariupol, which has been besieged and surrounded for weeks, is important because of its port, says the military expert. “If the Russians own that port, they can export coal from the mines in Donbass, something that was not allowed by Ukraine from the two people's republics. With the port you also control access to the land bridge to Crimea.”
DPG Media Privacy Gate

It is astonishing that NATO is not providing military support to Ukraine, says Lou de Jongh.

“NATO fears an escalation of the conflict. This means that Putin can continue with his military actions. It is therefore no longer possible to follow that we have supported the Afghans militarily in the conflict with the Taliban for more than 20 years. It has cost us a lot of money to supply the most modern equipment and have trained the armed forces there for 20 years.”
’NAVO stelt niet veel meer voor’

 

[PommyMommy]

UK says Russian sanctions could be lifted with Ukraine withdrawal
British foreign minister Liz Truss says sanctions imposed on Russian individuals and companies could be lifted if Russia withdraws from Ukraine and commits to end aggression, the Telegraph newspaper reported on Saturday.

<snipped>

"Those sanctions should only come off with a full ceasefire and withdrawal, but also commitments that there will be no further aggression. And also, there’s the opportunity to have snapback sanctions if there is further aggression in future. That is a real lever that I think can be used."

Blinken sets a standard for lifting sanctions: an 'irreversible' Russian withdrawal
In an interview with NPR, Blinken spoke of Western sanctions that cratered the Russian ruble, led global firms to shutter their Russian operations, and closed the Moscow stock market. He said the unplugging of much of Russia's economy from the West is beginning to wreak long-term effects that are "growing over time."

He insisted that U.S. sanctions against Russia are "not designed to be permanent," and that they could "go away" if Russia should change its behavior. But he said any Russian pullback would have to be, "in effect, irreversible," so that "this can't happen again, that Russia won't pick up and do exactly what it's doing in a year or two years or three years."

 

[PommyMommy]

50,000 personal bodyguards:
-It wouldn't surprise me if these people are spied on again," says Van Koningsbrugge.-

This is how Putin protects himself against poisoning, disease and possible coups

" If you look closely at photos of work visits or events that Putin goes to, you will notice that the same people can often be seen around him. They look like spectators, visitors to the site or fishermen on a boat, but are therefore part of the FSB."

" A team of IT experts ensures that signals are blocked, so that Putin cannot be tapped, for example. Otherwise it is possible. "

Long tables and disinfection tunnels
"When it turned out that he had been in contact with someone diagnosed with corona, he disappeared from public life and spoke to the Russians almost exclusively from a windowless room, also known as his bunker"

"Since Putin started the war in Ukraine, he is said to have locked himself in his home, where he is protected by all those layers of security around him. This makes it impossible to get close to him."

Google Translate - from source :
Zo beschermt Poetin zichzelf tegen vergiftiging, ziekte en mogelijke coups

 

[PommyMommy]

Suspected arms depot in western Russia is destroyed 'by Ukrainian missile' | Daily Mail Online
''Suspected arms depot in western Russia is destroyed ‘by Ukrainian missile’ sparking blast seen from across the border

• Footage emerged of a huge explosion in Russia, a mere 12 miles from Ukraine
• The blast is thought to have destroyed an arms depot in a village near Belgorod
• There are reports the suspected arms depot was hit by a Ukrainian missile
• Ukrainian officials have not yet confirmed the strike - but this would represent just the second Ukrainian attack on Russian territory since the war began

Ukraine war latest: UK and US urge caution on Russian pledge to reduce attacks - BBC News

''And here's more American reaction to the Russian announcement: despite a shift in focus to Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, Russia continues to pose a threat to Kyiv, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby says.

Kirby says Russia is likely to have changed its focus as a result of a failure to swiftly take Ukraine's capital - which he claims was a key objective of Russia's operations.

Kirby adds that while "small numbers" of Russian troops have been moving away from Kyiv, the Pentagon believes this is a "repositioning", rather than a withdrawal.

"We are not - and nobody should be - fooling ourselves by the Kremlin's recent claim that it will suddenly just reduce attacks near Kyiv.

"It does not mean that the threat to Kyiv is over. [Russia is] still inflicting massive brutality on the country, including on Kyiv even today, and continued airstrikes."

 

[PommyMommy]

Ukrainian mom weighed down by guilt amid others' grim struggle for survival

More RCMP sent to bolster international court war crimes investigation of Russia

Russia to covertly mobilize reserves, conscript Chechen convicts - GUR

Ukraine floats Canada as security guarantor at peace talks. Here’s what’s happening

The Ukraine War Could Push Millions To Starvation Around The World | Amanpour and Company

 

[PommyMommy]

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 9 hrs ago
Blinken: No signs that Russia is serious about peace talks with Ukraine. “There is what Russia says, and there is what Russia does. We’re focused on the latter,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a press conference, as quoted by CNN.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 8 hrs ago
General Staff: Russia partially withdraws military units from Kyiv, Chernihiv oblasts. According to Ukraine’s military, the Russian army is regrouping in the east to concentrate its military power in the area. In the south, Russia is preparing to resume offensive operations.

NEXTA on Twitter
In #Zaporozhye region, #Russian servicemen kidnapped Ukrainian journalist Irina Dubchenko, head of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine said. She was taken to #Donetsk "to conduct investigative actions." Irina hid a seriously wounded #Ukrainian serviceman at her home.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 7 hrs ago
Poland to block coal imports from Russia. “We cannot wait any longer for the EU reaction on the issue,” said Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller. “We are aware of the risks.” Almost 20% of Polish coal comes from Russia.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
US prepares new round of sanctions against Russia. According to Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, the sanctions will target supply chains for the Russian military and undermine the country’s defense industry.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 6 hrs ago
Russia blocks evacuation to Zaporizhzhia. According to Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Oleksandr Starukh, pre-agreed evacuation routes from Enerhodar and Berdyansk to Zaporizhzhia were blocked by Russia.

NEXTA on Twitter
The #UN Security Council is meeting right now on the humanitarian situation in #Ukraine United Nations - LIVE - YouTube

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 5 hrs ago
France says humanitarian mission to Mariupol not possible ‘at this stage.’ French President Emmanuel Macron asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to provide a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol, however, he didn’t receive a positive answer, says Macron’s office.

NEXTA on Twitter
Pentagon: A small number of #Russian troops have withdrawn from #Kyiv, but this is a redeployment, not a troop withdrawal.
U.S. official warns any Russian troop movement 'not a withdrawal' | Reuters

NEXTA on Twitter - Video
Mayor of #Irpen: it is still impossible to return to the city "The city is still being shelled by the enemy, there are many stretch marks, mines and unexploded shells in the city. I ask you very much to stay where you are now".

 

[PommyMommy]

NEXTA on Twitter - 4 hrs ago
Almost all territory of Ukraine is on air alert There is information about explosions in #Kyiv, #Kharkiv and #Khmelnytskyi. There are reports of a mass launch of rockets towards #Ukraine from the #Khoyniki district of the #Gomel region of #Belarus.

NEXTA on Twitter - 3 hrs ago
Signing an agreement on security guarantees for #Ukraine is possible only after the return of #Russian troops to their positions as of February 23, 2022, Ukrainian permanent representative to the #UN Security Council Sergey Kyslytsya said.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 2 hrs ago
UK Ministry of Defense: Highly likely Russia will look to refocus combat power to their offensive in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Izyum has not received humanitarian convoy since March 14. Max Strelnyk, a deputy of the Izyum city council, told the CNN on March 29 that the city has not received any food, water, or medicine since March 14 and that the humanitarian situation in the city worsens everyday.

Izyum - Google Maps

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Live updates: Ukraine ambassador: Russia being demilitarized | AP News
Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that the “demilitarization of Russia is well under way.”

Since the beginning of the invasion into Ukraine, Kyslytsya said the Russian occupiers have lost more than 17,000 military personnel, over 1,700 armored vehicles and almost 600 tanks.

He also said Russia also has lost 300 artillery systems, 127 planes and 129 helicopters, almost 100 rocket launchers systems, 54 air defense systems and seven ships.

Kyslytsya said that is “an unprecedented blow to Moscow, where the numbers of Soviet losses in Afghanistan pale in comparison.”

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

A Ukrainian serviceman who said “Go f— youself!” to a Russian warship invading an island in the Black Sea that he was protecting has now returned to his home country and received a medal on Tuesday.
Ukrainian serviceman who told Russian warship 'Go f--- yourself' awarded after being taken as prisoner | National Post

In one of his most recent rescue efforts, Tom and his four-man team were able to retrieve 120 animals that were trapped in a bomb-stricken shelter in northeast Kharkiv, the country's second largest city, which has been obliterated by Russian troops.

'It was a shelter that had been blown up twice. No one could go to it, no one could reach it and help the animals, so we went in,' he said.

'It was 900 meters (980 yds) from the Russian frontline. There were artillery rounds landing in and around the area while we were extracting the animals. The dogs were barking like mad, then they settled down.

'One was trying to bite me because he was scared. They were all scared, but we were able to get all the animals out of there, so that's good.'
This is the British army veteran saving abandoned pets from bomb-stricken shelters in Ukraine | Daily Mail Online

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 29, 2022
Leaders of Moscow Patriarchate's exarchy in Ukraine pledging to Kyiv | Euromaidan Press
When Vladimir Putin began his full-scale war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, he destroyed many things but none more completely than the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) whose clergy and laity have been transferring their allegiance to the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

That was demonstrated by a poll conducted in early March which found that most believers in Ukraine no longer wanted to be associated with a church based in the capital of the country attacking their own and were pressing the UOC MP to allow them to join the OCU.

[...]

AP PHOTOS: Day 34: Shattered lives in war-torn Ukraine | AP News

Emergency personnel work at the site of the regional government headquarters of Mykolaiv, Ukraine, following a deadly Russian attack, on Tuesday, March 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

A man walks with his dog near an apartment building damaged by shelling from fighting on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, in territory under control of the separatist government of the Donetsk People's Republic, on Tuesday, March 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov)

A woman cooks in a yard of apartment buildings damaged by shelling from fighting on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, in territory under control of the separatist government of the Donetsk People's Republic, on Tuesday, March 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov)

Ukrainian servicemen stand in trenches at a position north of the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Journalists walk inside a destroyed warehouse for storing food, after an attack from Russia twelve days ago in Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

(10 more photos at the link)

 

[PommyMommy]

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 5 hrs ago
General Staff: Russia transfers 2,000 troops from occupied parts of Georgia to Ukraine. According to Ukraine’s military, 5 battalion tactical groups were sent from military bases in Russian-occupied South Ossetia and Abkhazia to strengthen the Russian army attacking Ukraine.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 4 hrs ago
UK Intelligence: Some Russian units returned to Belarus, Russia to reorganize and resupply. This is placing further pressure on Russia’s already strained logistics and demonstrates the difficulties Russia is having reorganizing its units, according to U.K. Defense Ministry.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
“Russia will likely continue to compensate for its reduced ground maneuver capability through mass artillery and missile attacks,” the report reads.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Russian forces blasted Kharkiv Oblast with Grad multiple rocket launcher systems 180 times on March 30. Russians also shelled the oblast with artillery and mortars, damaging residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, according to governor Oleh Synehubov.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 3 hrs ago
Deputy PM: Special UN mission needed to eliminate risk of nuclear accident at Chornobyl. Iryna Vereshchuk said that Russian forces had set up an ammunition warehouse near Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
“We demand that the UN Security Council adopt immediate measures to demilitarize the Chornobyl exclusion zone and dispatch a special mission to eliminate the risks,” Vereshchuk said.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 2 hrs ago
Media: Priest kidnapped in Russian-occupied Kherson. Serhii Chudynovych, a priest of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, was abducted by 3 men who had introduced themselves as “police officers,” searched his church, checked his ID and messenger apps, local media Vgoru reported.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 1 hr ago
Russia sees no breakthrough in Ukraine's peace proposals. According to Reuters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia hadn’t noticed anything “really promising” in the proposals Ukraine presented at peace talks on March 29.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Mayor says Chernihiv under 'colossal attack' after Russia pledged to halt assault. “They actually have increased the intensity of strikes,” Vladyslav Atroshenko told CNN. He said that a ‘colossal attack’ on central Chernihiv injured 25 civilians on March 30.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Following March 29 Ukraine-Russia talks, Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, said that Moscow would reduce its military activities in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv in northern Ukraine.

Ukrainian designers swap fashion week collections for army apparel (kyivindependent.com)
While international designers may be busy doing shows at Milan and Paris fashion weeks, Ukrainian designers are making clothes for war.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Ukrainian designers have decided to use their sewing skills to support the Ukrainian army. Instead of fashionable shoes and stylish outerwear, they are now making camouflage nets, combat boots, and even armored vests.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

NEXTA on Twitter - 5 hrs ago
Boris #Johnson said that he intends to supply #Ukraine with "more lethal" weapons.

NEXTA on Twitter - 4 hrs ago
The Prosecutor General's Office of #Ukraine has registered a total of 3,236 war crimes committed by #Russian troops. Since the start of the invasion, 144 children have been killed.

Euromaidan Press on Twitter
In Mariupol, Russian occupiers deliberately target building of the International Red Cross, marked by a red cross, with artillery and aviation bombs, Azov regiment says https://t.me/polkazov/4332

Euromaidan Press on Twitter - 2 hrs ago
Despite announcements of cutting down military activity, Russian Army shelled Chernihiv, Nizhyn & oblast all night, destroying civilian infrastructure, libraries, shopping centers - RegHead Chaus Telegram: Contact @chernigivskaODA
PHOTOS: Destroyed Korolenko library, Suspilne:Chernihiv

NEXTA on Twitter - 1 hr ago
More than 4 million people left #Ukraine since the beginning of the war Most people left for #Poland (2.3 million), #Romania (609 thousand) and #Moldova (388 thousand). According to the #UN, #Belarus received 10,902 Ukrainian refugees during this time.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
UK not ready to give security guarantees to Ukraine. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab says his country isn’t ready to become a guarantor of Ukraine’s independence as part of Kyiv’s proposed peace deal with Moscow. “Ukraine is not a NATO member,” he said.

Putin's super-sniper mother-of-two seen relaxing between kills before she was captured by Ukraine | Daily Mail Online

• A female sniper working for the Russian army, with 40 kills, has been captured
• Irina Starikova, codename Bagheera, was 'left for dead' by her comrades
• The mother-of-two is married to fellow pro-Russian fighter Alexandr

[...]

There are claims she was abandoned by her Russian protectors.

'Knowing that I was injured and having the opportunity to pick me up, they simply decided to leave me there, hoping I would die,' she is quoted as saying.

In a devastating criticism of the Russian war tactics, she said: 'They abandoned me.'

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 30, 2022
Live updates: Hungary accuses Ukraine of election meddling | AP News
ISTANBUL, Turkey - A senior Ukrainian official says the country’s delegation to talks with Russia has remained in Turkey to discuss military issues.

David Arakhamia, a member of the Ukrainian delegation who also leads the governing party’s group in parliament, posted on social media that meetings with “high-ranking Turkish officials during which cooperation in the military-technical field will be discussed” were planned for Wednesday.

Turkey is a supplier of drones which Ukrainian forces have used to destroy Russian vehicles from the air.

Russian media reported that the Russian delegation returned home Tuesday after the talks with Ukraine.

[...]

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Norway says it has donated a further 2,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against the Russian invasion, adding to protective equipment and about 2,000 anti-tank weapons that were sent previously.

Norwegian Defense Minister Odd Roger Enoksen said that if Ukraine succeeds in repelling Russia’s attack, “it will both ensure Ukrainian sovereignty and help maintain the norm of peaceful conflict resolution and respect for borders in Europe.”

[...]

ROME — Italy is renewing its offer to be a guarantor should any peace deal be reached between Russia and Ukraine that involves a neutrality clause.

Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Wednesday that Italy “will put at disposal all our efforts, competence and experience” so that it can made a “fundamental contribution” to an agreement.

[...]

GENEVA — The U.N.’s top human rights body has chosen a Norwegian former judge at the European Court of Human Rights to head a three-member panel to investigate possible abuses and violations in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.

[...]

The three panel members will lead a team that has a one-year mandate to “to establish the facts, circumstances and root causes” of any human rights violations and abuses in Ukraine that could eventually contribute to international justice over the war.

[...]

WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s prime minister says his country will take steps to end Russian oil imports by the end of 2022.

[...]

Poland said Tuesday it was banning imports of Russian coal. Morawiecki said he expects coal imports will be cut in May and called on other European countries to follow suit.

Poland is arguing that money from oil and gas exports are fueling Russia’s war machine and that that should stop.