Oorlog in Oekra�ne #940 Transnistri� wil Russische hulp en bescherming

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Sweden Cuts Support for Russian Church After Intelligence Warnings
Sweden's Security Service (Sapo) said the Russian state was using the church “as a platform for gathering intelligence and other security-threatening activities.”

A Swedish agency for grants for faith institutions said Thursday it was cutting support to the Russian Orthodox Church, after Sweden's intelligence service warned the church was used for intelligence activities.

The Swedish Agency for Support for Faith Communities said in a statement that it was also cutting financial support for the church, also known as the Moscow Patriarchate, for not living up to its “democracy criteria.”

It said that Sweden's Security Service (Sapo) believed the church was used by the Russian state “as a platform for gathering intelligence and other security-threatening activities.”

“In the Swedish Security Service's remarks, it appears that representatives of the religious community have had contact with people who work for Russian security and intelligence services,” the agency said in a statement.

It added that the church had received significant funding from the Russian state and that representatives had acted in a manner that seemed to encourage “support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.”

The agency also noted that the Russian church denied the allegations made against it.

The Moscow Patriarchate was already among the smaller recipients of grants for faith-based institutions, and in 2022 the church received just under 200,000 kronor ($19,300) from the Swedish state.

In its annual assessment published last week, Sapo pointed to Russia as one of the main threats to Sweden.

In January 2023, a former Swedish intelligence officer was handed a life sentence for spying for Russia.

And in September, a Russian-Swedish national went on trial accused of passing Western technology to Russia's military. A Stockholm court found he had exported the material but ruled his actions did not amount to intelligence gathering.

Sweden also dropped two centuries of military non-alignment and applied for NATO membership in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and is expecting to become a full member within days after Hungary, the last holdout, ratified the country's membership on Monday.

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If Ukraine loses, NATO will fight Russia – Pentagon chief
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin believes that if Ukraine loses the full-scale war with Russia, the latter will be forced to fight the entire North Atlantic Alliance.

Source: Austin's statement at the US House Armed Services Committee hearing, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Although the hearing focused primarily on Austin's hospitalisation at the beginning of the year, about which he did not notify either the White House or Congress in advance, the congressmen also asked several questions about how much US military assistance Ukraine requires.

The Defense Secretary emphasised that the approval of additional funding for Kyiv is important to prevent a situation in the world "where one country can redraw its neighbours’ boundaries and illegitimately take over its sovereign territory."

Quote: "We know that if Putin is successful here, he will not stop. He will continue to take more aggressive actions in the region. And other leaders around the world, other autocrats around the world will look at this and will be encouraged by the fact that this happened and we failed to support a democracy," he added.

Later, Austin clarified that if Ukraine loses on the battlefield, the Baltic countries may be threatened.

"If you are a Baltic state, you are really worried about whether you are next. They know Putin. They know what he is capable of. And, frankly, if Ukraine falls, I really believe that NATO will be in a fight with Russia," the official said.

Background:
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced at a news conference last week that Ukraine had notified the United States, specifically Congress, of the need to approve a multibillion-dollar aid package within a month.
• However, in the House of Representatives, they intend to address the issue of avoiding a shutdown rather than helping Ukraine.

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Former ballerina detained in Russia has appeal denied in Siberian court
Ksenia Karelina, 33, was arrested on Jan. 27, according to Russian state media.

LONDON -- A court in Siberia denied on Thursday the appeal of Ksenia Karelina, a dual American-Russian citizen, who appeared via video link to appeal her detention on charges of treason.

Karelina, 33, was arrested on Jan. 27, according to Russian state media. The Sverdlovsk Regional Court on Thursday extended her pre-trial detention in a jail in Yekaterinburg, Russia, until April 6.

A former ballerina who lives in California, Karelina holds both U.S. and Russian citizenship. She was jailed for allegedly organizing fundraisers for Ukraine's military, attending pro-Ukraine rallies, and posting messages against Russia's war in Ukraine, according to Russian state media.

A U.S. official said diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow were working to learn more and gain access to Karelina.

White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby last week urged U.S. passport holders to "depart immediately" from Russia.

"So if you’re a U.S. citizen, including a dual national, residing in or traveling in Russia, you ought to leave right now if you can," Kirby said following the arrest.

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Op vrijdag 1 maart 2024 00:30 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://abcnews.go.com/In(...)s/story?id=107664483
[..]
Mogelijk 20 jaar cel voor het doneren van 52 dollars aan een goed doel in Amerika voor steun aan Oekra�ne.

Ik begrijp waarom je graag familie wil bezoeken ook al woont deze in Rusland. Maar om dit te doen als Amerikaanse vrouw (half Amerikaans in elk geval) in het midden van een oorlog is toch wel erg na�ef. Hopelijk komt ze er met een sisser vanaf. Maar dat betwijfel ik.

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Netherlands, Estonia, and Lithuania Consider Sending Military Support to Ukraine
High-ranking officials in the Netherlands, Estonia, and Lithuania do not exclude the possibility of sending their military to Ukraine.

Several Western media reported on this, citing high-ranking officials.

Officials of the countries stressed that such assumptions are linked with support personnel who will provide training, help set up processes, and do other work without being involved in hostilities.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that all options are on the table to help Ukraine defeat Russia.

“I think that these are also signals that we are sending to Russia that we are not ruling out different options. Because all the countries have realized that we have to do everything to make sure that Ukraine wins and Russia loses this war,” Kallas said on the POLITICO podcast.

Kestutis Budris, Chief National Security Advisor to the President of Lithuania, stated that his country is considering sending its instructors to Ukraine, but the priority is to support them with weapons and ammunition.

“We are talking about that possibility, and we are doing this quite openly. There are a lot of nuances about what could happen and under what conditions,” he said.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anu�auskas also spoke about the possibility of sending NATO troops to Ukraine to conduct exercises. His counterpart, Dutch Defense Minister Onno Eichelsheim, also expressed his opinion on sending his troops to Ukraine.

“I think you have to keep all options open to see how you can best support Ukraine,” Eichelsheim said, adding that there are other ways to help Ukraine.

According to the Dutch Minister of Defense, if Western troops go to Ukraine, it should be within the framework of a coalition.

As previously reported, French President Emmanuel Macron was the first to speak about the possibility of sending his military to Ukraine.

He noted that there are currently no specific plans to deploy troops, but emphasized that such a possibility should be part of a policy of strategic ambiguity to show Russia that Western countries are ready to take decisive action.

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Op vrijdag 1 maart 2024 00:38 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Waarom zou je als Russische met US paspoort niet naar Rusland kunnen? Ik ken er meerderen die dat gewoon doen, w.o. mijn vrouw.

Zal toch meer achter steken hier.

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Ukrainian Air Force Strikes Invader Command Post with JDAM Bombs in Kherson Region

The Ukrainian Air Forces destroyed the command post and missile and artillery depot of the invaders near the village of Chelburda in the Kherson region.

The corresponding video was published by the press service of the Ukrainian 38th Marine Brigade.

The airstrike was carried out by the air force combat aviation, and the air reconnaissance unit of the 38th Marine Brigade monitored the confirmation of the destruction of the enemy targets.

According to the marines, the position was destroyed by a JDAM-ER precision-guided bomb.

Знищення командного пункту окупантів авіабомбою JDAM на Херсонщині

The Ukrainian Air Forces quite successfully use bombs of this type, since they can be dropped without entering the enemy’s air defense zone.

It should also be noted that the United States transmits the JDAM-ER kit for installation on Mk.82 227 kg bombs.

Since this ammunition is not integrated into the aircraft armament system, its can be used by any aircraft capable of carrying 227 kg bombs on specially designed pylons.

Equipped with the JDAM-ER kit, the Mk.82 bomb is capable of striking the target at a distance of up to 72 kilometers with a maximum circular error probability of up to 11 meters.

To accurately hit the target, the kit uses two main methods of guidance: inertial system and GPS adjustment.

If the enemy uses a powerful EW and the tail GPS antenna can’t get a connection, the aircraft can use INS as the main bomb guidance system after the release.

It should be noted that this method of guidance increases its circular error probability, which will be 13 meters after 38 seconds of flight.

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Russia to resume production of A-50 reconnaissance aircraft
The Russian corporation Rostec intends to restart production of the A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft.

Source: Russian edition of Vedomosti

Quote: "Of course, this aeroplane is needed. Of course, we'll do it. Not only does our army require it, but it also works well for export," said Sergey Chemezov, the head of the corporation.

Background:
On the evening of 14 January, reports about the downing of a Russian A-50 reconnaissance aircraft and damage to an Il-22M appeared on Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels.
On 23 February, the Armed Forces of Ukraine downed another Russian A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft. Later it was revealed that it was shot down with a Soviet-made S-200 long-range anti-aircraft missile system.

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Since the beginning of 2024, Ukraine has produced about 200 thousand FPV drones
In the first two months of 2024, the Ukrainian defense industry produced about 200 thousand FPV drones.

Anna Hvozdiar, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine, stated this in her comment to Forbes.

She stated that this year, the production capacity will reach 2 million drones of various types, in particular, FPV ones.

According to Hvozdiar, FPV drones of the fixed-wing type and light reconnaissance drones, which can be called analog to Mavic quadcopters, are under development.

FPV drones are becoming increasingly common in the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Recently, it was reported that units of the Security Service of Ukraine have started to attack enemy logistics facilities using such drones.

Judging by the footage of combat work, the new drones are equipped with day and night-time sensors to operate in various conditions.

It is reported that drones are capable of carrying a warhead weighing up to 4 kilograms at a distance of 40 to 50 kilometers.

Russian sources who have already encountered this type of drone note that they are most likely used in conjunction with relay drones to operate effectively at maximum distances.

According to Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation, the Defense Forces of Ukraine should receive more than a million FPV drones during 2024.

It was also reported that the UK and Latvia will start purchasing drones of this type within the framework of military assistance to Ukraine. They plan to spend about $250 million on the program.

The UK and partner countries are working on significantly modernizing FPV drones, introducing artificial intelligence algorithms and the ability to work in swarms.

The Western military, which is developing this technology, believes that it can offer the Armed Forces of Ukraine the opportunity to suppress the Russians in their positions.

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Two organisers of illegal occupation referendum detained in Ukraine

The Security Service of Ukraine has detained two collaborators who organised an illegal referendum of the Russian Federation during the occupation of the right bank of Kherson Region.

After the liberation of the region, the women fled to other Ukrainian cities. This was reported by the SBU press service.

One of the collaborators was detained in Kiev - she was hiding in a hostel. The other one had registered the status of an internally displaced person and rented a flat in Chernomorsk.

According to the investigation, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, the defendants lived in the Berislavsky district of Kherson region. After the seizure of the region, they supported the invaders, and then entered the occupation "election committee", - reported in the Security Service.

The collaborators went round the yards and urged local residents to vote in favour of "joining" the territory to the Russian Federation. During such visits, the women were accompanied by armed Russians. In the presence of the invaders, the collaborators threatened citizens who opposed the fake plebiscite with imprisonment and confiscation of property.

For cooperation with the aggressor, the figureheads received a one-time monetary "reward" and the ability to move freely on the territory of the community seized at the time," the report said.

The women were reported on suspicion of collaborationist activity, committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons (part 2 of article 28, part 5 of article 111-1 of the Criminal code of Ukraine) The suspects are in custody, they face up to 10 years of imprisonment. The investigation is ongoing.

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In Novosibirsk, a former PMC Wagner mercenary was sentenced to 17 years in prison in the case of sexualized violence against two schoolgirls
The Novosibirsk Regional Court sentenced former Wagner PMC mercenary Sergei Shakhmatov to 17 years in a maximum security colony in the case of sexualized violence against two schoolgirls. This was reported by the press service of the courts of the Novosibirsk region.

The defendant is not named in the press release. It was reported by the local telegram channel “Emergency NSK”. It is alleged that the former mercenary admitted guilt, saying that he was in a state of insanity.

Novosibirsk publications reported the arrest of a former mercenary in the case of violent acts of a sexual nature (clause “b”, part 5 of Article 132 of the Criminal Code) in May 2023. According to them, he took schoolgirls aged 10 and 12 behind garages, threatened them with a weapon and sexually assaulted them. Novosibirsk City Council deputy Svetlana Kaverzina said that Shakhmatov threatened the girls that he would kill them and their parents.

After the incident, one of the girls told her parents that her friend had been raped. They contacted the police. The suspect was reported to be wearing a military uniform with a skull insignia on it. Baza wrote that he served in the Wagner PMC and came to Novosibirsk after completing his contract. Soon, the founder of a private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, confirmed that the arrested man fought in the ranks of the Wagner PMC in Ukraine.

According to the Emergency NSK, Shakhmatov was previously convicted of fraud and theft and spent 15 years in prison.

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A repeat offender who returned from the war killed two people in a Yakut village. Among the dead is the winner of the "Best Teacher of Russia" competition
In Yakutia, a former prisoner who returned from the war in Ukraine was detained on suspicion of committing a double murder.

According to the local department of the Investigative Committee, on the night of February 24, in one of the private houses in the village of Kutana, Suntarsky district, a 35-year-old man broke the head of his 34-year-old drinking companion with a metal crowbar, with whom he had a conflict. After that, he went to a neighboring house where a 64-year-old woman lived. "Out of old grievances, the suspect hit her on the head with an ax. After the crime, the man tried to set the house on fire and fled the scene," the Investigative Committee said in a statement. The suspect was quickly detained by a local police officer.

As SakhaDay writes , the deceased woman, a primary school teacher at the Kutaninskaya secondary school with 40 years of experience, Valentina Fedorova, was the winner of the "Best Teacher of Russia" competition and the owner of a grant from the President of the Russian Federation.

The publication NeMoskva Says learned that the murder suspect's name is Viktor Savvinov. Since 2010, he has been convicted three times on charges of causing grievous bodily harm, theft, car theft, threats to kill, robbery and attempted robbery.

In 2020, the Vilyuisky District Court of Yakutia found Savvinov guilty of murdering a woman with whom he drank alcohol - he beat her and stabbed her with four knives. Savvinov received a total of 11 years in a maximum security colony. But in prison he enlisted and went to war in Ukraine.

When he returned from the front to his native village of Kutana, his father did not let him into the house. "On February 23, on Defender of the Fatherland Day, he walked around the village and complained that he was not given due respect," the daughter of the deceased teacher told SakhaDay. -- I walked around the neighbors and came to my mother at about 23:00, she is his daughter-in-law, that is, his dad and our dad are siblings. His mother didn't let him in and was the only one who called the head [of the settlement] and said that he was wandering around the village drunk. The head sent a local policeman, who did not arrest him for a day, but took him to bed." The next morning he returned to the village to take revenge on his daughter-in-law for turning him over to the police.

"She had bruises on her stomach and ribs, her hands were all covered in blood, which means she was trying to defend herself. After the beating, he took a household ax and hit her on the head... They didn't even show us her body, he disfigured my mother so much," said the daughter of the deceased.

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Argentine President plans to hold Latin America support summit for Ukraine
Argentina's President Javier Milei says he plans to hold a Latin American support summit for Ukraine later this year, according to the Financial Times.

The agency notes that Milei's plans sharply distinguish him from other regional leaders, such as Brazilian Luiz In�cio Lula da Silva and Mexican Andr�s Manuel L�pez Obrador, who take a more neutral position on Russia's war against Ukraine.

At the same time, Miley says that he prioritizes alliances with "countries that defend freedom," including the United States, Israel, which he visited earlier this month, and Ukraine, to which he donated two Russian-made military helicopters.

Cooperation with Global South
Ukraine has recently stepped up diplomatic cooperation with countries in the Global South. These include Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America, China, and India.

For example, a major summit was held in Saudi Arabia to discuss peace in Ukraine. Russia was not invited. Ukrainian officials emphasized that the meeting of diplomats and political advisers from 40 countries was a breakthrough.

Earlier, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva said that Argentina had agreed to hold a summit on Ukraine with Latin American leaders in early 2024.

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Italy Uncovers Russian Plot to Disrupt EU with Protests
Amidst recent farmer rallies, Rome’s intelligence identified pro-Kremlin social media attempts to falsely connect them to sanctions on Russia. “It’s a clumsy attempt”, says Undersecretary Mantovano during the presentation of the 2023 Security Intelligence Policy Report
During recent days, amidst protests by Italian farmers, the Italian intelligence community has been monitoring pro-Russian social media channels attempting to promote the unsubstantiated idea that the protests are a result of the economic sanctions imposed on Russia.

• “It’s a clumsy attempt, but it gives you an idea of the challenge,” said Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, who also oversees intelligence matters, during the presentation of the 2023 Security Intelligence Policy Report.
• A few weeks ago, EUvsDisinfo, the European Union counter-disinformation flagship project, had already highlighted how the farmers’ protests across Europe were being exploited by the Kremlin’s propaganda apparatus in an attempt to destabilize the Union. The aim is to exacerbate the perception of divisions between the people and what Moscow refers to as the “Brussels elites,” who are seen as colluding with Kyiv to destroy the EU agricultural market.

Undersecretary Mantovano commented that the task of intelligence “is not, and will never be, to control the content and ideas published online.”

• Instead, intelligence focuses on “verifying the authenticity and traceability of information online, as well as the authenticity of social media profiles and the dynamics of content creation without any distortion by actors who aim to destabilize information and democratic processes. In this light, I hope that during the campaign for the [European] elections, we will never lose sight of the deep sense of common belonging to our nation.”

Italian intelligence assesses that every attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin to signal the start of possible negotiations has been met with an explicit unwillingness to offer any concessions.

• This highlights how any pause in the fighting would only be aimed at reconstituting Russian forces to launch further attacks in the future, as stated in the report.

A major novelty in the document presented today is the unprecedented attention given to China.

• With the Meloni government’s decision not to renew the memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative, the document addresses the challenge posed by China in a new way, within the context of a new globalization marked by competition.
• The current international context requires de-risking policies to limit strategic dependencies and avoid “coercive measures” enacted by actors such as China, explained Elisabetta Belloni, Director of Italy’s intelligence community (DIS).

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Op vrijdag 1 maart 2024 00:30 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://abcnews.go.com/In(...)s/story?id=107664483
[..]
Mogelijk 20 jaar cel voor het doneren van 52 dollars aan een goed doel in Amerika voor steun aan Oekra�ne.

Ik begrijp waarom je graag familie wil bezoeken ook al woont deze in Rusland. Maar om dit te doen als Amerikaanse vrouw (half Amerikaans in elk geval) in het midden van een oorlog is toch wel erg na�ef. Hopelijk komt ze er met een sisser vanaf. Maar dat betwijfel ik.