Oorlog in Oekraïne #1020 Trumpiaanse vrede is overgave Oekraine.

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Ukraine’s western-trained ‘navy seals’ unleash wave of destruction
Special forces emerge from the waves to wreak havoc against the coastal defences of the Russian occupiers

^{Captain “Judy” is one of only a few women known to have trained on the gruelling special forces “Q” course
MAXIM TUCKER FOR THE TIMES}

In the black of night, four Ukrainian divers dropped over the sides of their boat, disappeared under the waves and moved towards the enemy coastline.

Trained by UK and US special forces and equipped with the best rebreathers, they swam in pairs, leaving no bubbles above them to give away their positions. The Russians never saw them coming.

Deep behind enemy lines, the divers of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Centre — the equivalent of the US Navy Seals or Britain’s Special Boat Service — have been wreaking havoc on Russian coastal defences as Ukraine tries to drive President Putin’s army from its territorial waters.

A compass, watch, depth gauge and mental arithmetic are their only guides. Tugging on a rope strung out between them is their only form of communication under water.

“Our divers conduct covert infiltration into enemy areas by boat, dive, approach the coast, conduct reconnaissance, clear mines, land and perform special operations,” the young commander of one of the diving teams, “Alex”, said as he drilled his unit for its next mission. While the Ukrainian military’s land grab in Kursk has focused attention hundreds of miles to the north, the more strategic battle is being fought in the Black Sea — and it is one that Ukraine is winning, against all odds, with British help.

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Putin will be pleased:
Wagenknecht has a poisoned Ukraine “peace plan”

^{According to BSW boss Sahra Wagenknecht, the war in Ukraine can only be ended through negotiations with Putin. Now she explains how she envisages this}

Sahra Wagenknecht (55, BSW) keeps saying that the war in Ukraine can only be ended at the negotiating table and not with weapons - while Russia's army continues to bombard Ukrainian cities. Now the ex-leftist with clear Kremlin sympathies is presenting her own peace plan - and it is likely to find a receptive audience, especially in Moscow.

In an interview with the “Tagesspiegel”, the BSW boss now proposes offering Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin (71) “a halt to arms deliveries” if he “agrees to an immediate ceasefire on the current front line”.

This means that Putin will be rewarded with all the territories that have been conquered so far if he agrees to stop trying to conquer more territory. A poisonous plan.

Only then, in Wagenknecht's view, should negotiations begin - about areas that Russia has occupied. In Wagenknecht's words: "And then we would have to negotiate about what is happening in the areas where the Russians are currently located."

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Belousov orders investigation into death of drone operators in “meat assault” who accused commander of protecting drug trafficking
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov instructed Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and the FSB Department of Military Counterintelligence to investigate the circumstances of the death of servicemen with the call signs "Ernest" and "Goodwin," the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry reported .

"The Minister of Defense has instructed (...) to promptly look into the situation related to the information about the death of two servicemen with the call signs "Ernest" and "Goodwin" of the 87th separate rifle regiment of the Southern Military District," the statement said.

Belousov also assigned this matter to his deputy, the Chief of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Armed Forces, Colonel General Viktor Goremykin. The Minister put this assignment under his personal control.

Earlier, Z-channels and war correspondents reported that drone operators Dmitry Lysakovsky (Goodwin) and Sergey Gritsai (Ernest) were sent to a "meat assault" near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. The decision to do so was made by regiment commander Igor Puzik (Zloy) as a "preventive measure."

War correspondent Yuri Kotenok published a video of the soldiers' deathbed on his Telegram channel. According to him, the recording was forwarded to the competent authorities.

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‘Ronins’ Unit Destroys 5 Russian IFVs Near Tokmak by FPV Drones

^{Destroyed IFV in the lens of a reconnaissance drone. Source: 'Ronins'}

Soldiers of the Attack Drone Company “Ronins” of the 65th Mechanized Brigade destroyed five Russian infantry fighting vehicles in the enemy’s rear in the Zaporizhzhia region.

The press service of the unit reported on this.

The Russian combat vehicles located in the forest plantation were destroyed with the help of FPV drones.

The OSINT community geolocated the attacked positions of Russian troops, which were located almost 17 kilometers from the front line near the temporarily occupied city of Tokmak.

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Civilians rat out Kadyrovites to Ukrainian defence forces in Kursk Oblast
More and more Russians, both civilians and military, are cooperating with the Ukrainian defence forces. Residents of Kursk Oblast are reporting Kadyrovites en masse, as this is the only way to protect themselves from them [Kadyrovites is the collective term for Chechen troops loyal to the country's leader, Ramzan Kadyrov – ed.]

Source: National Resistance Center (CNS)

Quote: "Similarly, behind almost every effective strike deep into the temporarily occupied territories, there are people who are providing information about air defence positions, ammunition depots or the movement of Russian units."

Details: The CNS said that on 31 August, it was reported that on the Kursk front, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had shot down an unusual target – a rare Orion reconnaissance and attack UAV, "a kind of Russian Bayraktar", but not as good.

According to open sources, up to 30 of these drones were produced, and at least six were shot down (excluding the one in Kursk Oblast), with the destruction confirmed visually. Their cost is not disclosed, but the total investment in this project has already amounted to about US$30 million.

The Orions are manufactured by the Russian joint-stock company Kronstadt, a self-described "leader of the national unmanned aerial vehicle industry" in Russia. The company is based in St. Petersburg and has offices in Moscow. In addition to Orion, it produces several other drone systems.

According to the CNS, the Russians themselves were involved in the destruction of this particular Orion. More precisely, an informant within the group that maintains and pilots these drones is connected to Kronstadt.

This person got in touch with representatives of certain units of Ukraine's defence forces and offered to provide information about the UAVs, the control system and personnel training – and most importantly, how the Russians use Orions against Ukrainian troops.

With all this information, the Ukrainian Air Force was able to ambush this rare and expensive Russian UAV.

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Russians deploy GPS jamming system near Novorossiysk

^{Russian Navy base in Novorossiysk. Photo: Google Earth}

Russians deployed a GPS jamming system near the port of Gelendzhik in Novorossiysk.

OSINT analyst H I Suttonl reported on this.

The analysis used information from an Automatic Identification System (AIS), which is used in civilian shipping.

For example, when analyzing the AIS system, it was noticed that the location of Russian ships differed from their actual location.

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Five Takeaways From President Zelenskyy's Interview With CNN
on September 13, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria where he addressed Ukraine’s challenges on the battlefield, the need to be able to strike Russian territories, and his stance on Trump’s statements.

Here is an overview of the interview’s main points.

Lack of munition
Zelenskyy revealed that the military aid provided to Ukraine is barely able to equip even 4 of the 14 brigades that need to be prepared.

"First, it’s going very slowly [delivery of aid packages from allies]. Second, we need 14 brigades to be ready. As of now we do not have that, from this package of brigades we did not equip even 4," said Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy pointed out that the country exhausted all of its reserves during the eight-month delay before the US Congress approved aid to Ukraine.

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Former member of Ukrainian parliament accused of being ‘Russian agent’ appointed senator in Russia

^{Photo: Andriy Derkach / Telegram}

A former member of the Ukrainian parliament who was accused of working for a network of Kremlin agents to facilitate a Russian takeover of the country has been appointed a senator in Russia’s Federation Council, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on Sunday.

The governor of Russia’s southern Astrakhan region, Igor Babushkin, signed a decree appointing Andriy Derkach to represent the region as a senator in Russia’s upper house of parliament on Thursday, RFE/RL said.

Derkach, who served as a deputy in Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada for over 20 years where he represented now mostly banned pro-Russian parties, fled to Russia following the start of the full-scale war in February 2022.

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Russian Media Claims Ukraine Planning ‘Staged Missile Attack,’ Kyiv Denounces Disinformation
According to the Russian claims, Ukraine is planning a “staged Russian missile attack” on a children’s institution.

Russian outlets have spread false claims that Ukraine is planning a “staged Russian missile attack” on a children’s institution, such as a kindergarten or hospital, in a “territory controlled by Kyiv.”

The Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) has dismissed these statements as outright disinformation.

The claims originated from the RIA Novosti agency and the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation.

According to the Russian claims, Ukraine supposedly aims to use this alleged provocation to “boost morale among Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) fighters… justify the lifting of Western restrictions on the use of long-range missiles deep into Russia… and gain support from countries in the Global South.”

The CCD quickly responded, labelling these statements as disinformation with no real basis. They suggested that such disinformation could signal that Russia is preparing another attack on civilian targets.

“Russia continues to use disinformation campaigns to justify the massive crimes of its army, including attacks on civilian targets, including children’s institutions,” the message on the CCD Telegram channel read.

The CCD also mentioned previous instances where Russia attempted to shift blame onto Ukraine, such as during the occupation of Bucha and after the missile strike on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital.

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Ukraine to receive another batch of Danish F-16s this year, minister says
The Danish government promised to transfer another batch of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine later this year, the DR broadcaster reported on Sept. 15, citing Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.

"Denmark will deliver an additional contribution of F-16 aircraft in the second half of 2024," Poulsen said in a comment to the Ritzau news agency after his visit to Kyiv.

Ukraine received its first U.S.-made fourth-generation jets in late July, one year after Denmark, the Netherlands, and other foreign partners launched the fighter jet coalition for Kyiv.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed on Aug. 31 that these initial F-16s included aircraft from Denmark, while earlier reports suggested that the first batch was comprised of Dutch planes.

Copenhagen has pledged to deliver 19 aircraft to Ukraine in total but did not disclose how many had already been provided. Poulsen did not name the size of the second batch either "for the sake of operational security."

Kyiv has already deployed F-16s to intercept Russian mass aerial attacks. One aircraft crashed during such a mission, marking Ukraine's first F-16 loss.

Ukraine was also promised 24 F-16s by the Netherlands, six by Norway, and 30 by Belgium. President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country needs at least 128 F-16s to successfully counter Russian air power.

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Russians strike near aggregate plant in Vovchansk, inflict losses on own forces
Russian troops have been blocked at this facility for several months

In Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, Russian forces shelled areas near the aggregate plant, accidentally causing losses to their own units, according to a report by the Ukrainian Kharkiv Operational-Tactical Group.

On the evening of September 15, invaders in northern Vovchansk attempted to transport personnel using motor vehicles, which were subsequently destroyed by fire strikes.

In addition, the occupiers used multiple rocket launchers to hit areas adjacent to the aggregate plant, causing casualties to their own units.

Russians in Vovchansk are also conducting operations to evacuate injured personnel and provide logistical support.

On August 25, group spokesman Vitaliy Sarantsev reported that Russian troops had been blocked at the aggregate plant for several months. He also mentioned that the invaders continue to use drones for logistical tasks, particularly within the plant's territory.

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Kremlin Reacts to Ukraine’s Call for UN and Red Cross in Kursk Region, Calling It a Provocation
The Kremlin has responded sharply to Ukraine’s request for the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to visit areas of the Kursk region currently under Ukrainian control. Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Russian leader, dismissed the invitation as a provocation.

According to TASS, Peskov stated, “We expect that such provocative statements will not be taken seriously by the intended recipients. This is pure provocation.”

Earlier, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had formally invited the UN and the ICRC to assist with humanitarian efforts in parts of the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have been active since August 6, 2024. The Ukrainian government emphasized its commitment to international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians, asserting that its military operation aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further Russian aggression.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted that since the beginning of the operation, Ukrainian Defense Forces have adhered to humanitarian principles, providing aid and evacuations for civilians in the region. Ukraine has requested that the UN and the ICRC engage in humanitarian response efforts to address the needs of the affected population.

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Ukrainian Drone Downs ZALA Lancet Over Sudzha in Kursk Oblast

^{Enemy ZALA Lancet loitering munition. Source: Serhii Sternenko}
A Ukrainian interceptor drone has shot down an enemy ZALA Lancet kamikaze drone over Ukrainian-controlled Sudzha.

The video was posted by volunteer Serhii Sternenko.

The footage shows an interceptor drone of the Ukrainian Defense Forces pursuing with an enemy loitering munition from behind.

The Ukrainian drone operator landed the interceptor drone directly on the fuselage of the Lancet.

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Russian Military Aircraft Tracked in Alaska Airspace for Third Time in One Week
On September 14, two Russian IL-38 military aircraft were detected and tracked while operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ ), marking the third such incident within a week, according to a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) report released on September 15.

The Russian planes stayed in international airspace and did not breach US or Canadian airspace, NORAD stated, adding that the flights are "not seen as a threat."

Earlier in the week, on September 11, NORAD reported detecting two Russian military aircraft in the ADIZ. Two days later, on September 13, the agency tracked a pair of Russian Tu-142 military aircraft in the same area.

NORAD defines the ADIZ as a "stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security."

Earlier this summer, on July 25, the US and Canada—both part of NORAD—scrambled fighter jets to intercept Russian and Chinese military planes in the ADIZ. US F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, along with Canadian CF-18s, intercepted Russian and Chinese bombers. NORAD also detected and tracked four Russian warplanes in the ADIZ in mid-August.

NORAD notes that such incidents occur "regularly."

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Iranian president denies missile transfers to Moscow since taking office
Masoud Pezeshkian says supplies might have occurred in the past

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that his government has not transferred any weapons to Russia since he took office in August, as reported by Reuters.

In September, Western nations accused Tehran of supplying Moscow with ballistic missiles. The United States and several other countries subsequently imposed sanctions on Iran in connection with this.

Asked whether Iran had transferred missiles to Russia, Pezeshkian told a televised news conference: "It is possible that a delivery took place in the past... but I can assure you that since I took office, there has not been any such delivery to Russia."

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Ukrainian military to launch new project in coming months to improve basic training, Syrskyi says
Ukraine is working to improve the training quality for its military, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced on Sept. 15, and will roll out new plans over October and November.

In a recent working meeting with military leaders and authorities responsible for military training, the group discussed problems related to military training and discussed strategies to solve them, Syrskyi said in a post on Facebook.

"Instructors play a key role in the quality of training. Therefore, we pay maximum attention to attracting motivated instructors with combat experience. We are also working on the possibility of creating an instructor school, which will be the main and only source of well-trained instructors," Syrskyi wrote.

"We are working on increasing the term of basic combined military training. The corresponding project will be started in October-November of this year," he added.

In July, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the military suffered from a lack of training facilities for new soldiers, citing the Ukrainian military.

"Considering training facilities, there are not enough of them. They are already being expanded," Zelensky said.

Ukraine's parliament adopted an updated mobilization law in mid-April to ramp up mobilization amid Russia's ongoing war. The new law simplifies the process for identifying eligible conscripts and includes additional penalties for those dodging the draft and came into force on May 18.

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Facebook owner Meta bans Russian state media outlets over 'foreign interference activity'
Meta alleges RT and others used deceptive tactics to covertly influence people

Facebook owner Meta said on Monday it was banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media networks, alleging the outlets used deceptive tactics to carry out influence operations while evading detection on the social media company's platforms.

The ban marks a sharp escalation by the world's biggest social media company against Russian state media after it spent years taking more limited steps like blocking the outlets from running ads and reducing the reach of their posts.

"After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity," the company said in a written statement.

Enforcement of the ban would roll out over the coming days, it said. In addition to Facebook, Meta's apps include Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.

"Meta is discrediting itself with these actions. Such selective actions against Russian media are unacceptable," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

"This complicates prospects for normalizing our relations with Meta."

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After 2 years of peddling Putin’s propaganda, the IMF is returning to Russia in open defiance of the West

^{International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a press briefing at the IMF headquarters in Washington, DC on Apr. 18.}

The news that the International Monetary Fund will become the first major international financial body to officially return to Russia since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 underscores the systemic pro-authoritarian impulses of the IMF and its tolerance to blunt violations of international law by Russia under its current Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, who needs to be replaced urgently. With the U.S. presidential election reaching fever pitch, the problem of Georgieva’s anti-Western bias can no longer be swept under the carpet.

The IMF’s decision to send an official mission to Russia represents far more than a symbolic victory for President Vladimir Putin. An IMF delegation pledging to visit Moscow for meetings with senior Russian officials next month provides not only a false veneer of legitimacy for the Kremlin at a time when other multilateral organizations are correctly shunning Putin but also the opportunity for his savvy economic officials to further distort the IMF’s representations of the Russian economy, which unsuspecting Western journalists have sadly echoed as fact. Furthermore, the IMF has inexplicably agreed to accept as the new Russian executive director a former Putin crony who is under U.S. sanctions.

As such, it is hardly surprising that Putin’s cronies are all but dancing in the streets and taking victory laps in celebration of the IMF’s false legitimization of the Kremlin. In fact, the news that the IMF would be returning to Russia was broken not by the IMF itself, but by the IMF Russian representative, who crowed to Reuters about how they “were excluded from the IMF under pressure from our Western friends” but still prevailed.

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Russian Forces Execute Captive Ukrainian Soldier with a Sword
Russian forces have executed an unarmed Ukrainian prisoner of war with a sword, according to Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets. The prisoner’s hands are visibly bound with tape.

The sword was inscribed with the words 'For Kursk'.

Lubinets condemned the act as a violation of the Geneva Conventions and called on international organizations, including the Red Cross and the UN, to document this latest war crime.

He emphasized that such actions aim to demoralize, society, as well as organizations, including the Red Cross and the UN, to document this latest breach of human rights.

“I want to emphasize that these demonstrative fines are meant to demoralize Ukrainian society. However, witnessing such actions should only strengthen our resolve to fight the aggressor,” he wrote.

“I have sent letters to international organizations, including the ICRC and the UN, urging them to document yet another human rights violation by Russia,” he added.

Previously, CNN has released exclusive drone footage showing Russian forces executing three Ukrainian soldiers who were surrendering near Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine, in late August.

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Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry sends a note to Russia over the forced deployment of Azerbaijanis to war

^{Flags of Russia and Azerbaijan. Photo from open sources}

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry sent a note to the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with the Azerbaijanis detained in Chechnya. They were allegedly sent to war with Ukraine by force.

Azerbaijani media APA reported on this, citing diplomatic sources.

It is reported that a note was sent to the Russian Foreign Ministry concerning Azerbaijani citizens Nihad Rzayev, Elkhan Shirinov, and Vugar Magerramov detained in Chechnya.

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Russian Soldier in Coma After Finger Wound, Family Blames Hospital Neglect
Gusev slipped into a coma as a result of the complications.

A Russian soldier, Alexander Gusev, from the Kursk region, has fallen into a coma following a seemingly minor injury to his finger.

A Superficial Wound
Gusev, who enlisted with the Ministry of Defense in June 2024, was injured during Russia’s Special Military Operation (SMO) on July 19. His wound appeared to be superficial, involving a fragment lodged in his index finger, according to Lenta.

Despite being transferred to several hospitals, including those in Makiivka, Starobilsk, and Izhevsk, Gusev’s condition steadily worsened.

By the end of summer, communication with Gusev ceased, and his family grew increasingly concerned.

They were later informed that his condition had deteriorated during surgery, causing a sharp drop in blood pressure, respiratory failure, and a lack of oxygen to the brain. Gusev slipped into a coma as a result of the complications.

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West funding Putin’s soldiers with growing Russian fuel purchases, report warns
Countries opposed to Moscow are spending ever more on cheap fuel made from Russian oil, according to a new analysis shared with POLITICO.

^{The Azerbaijan-owned Star Aegean is 98-percent dependent on Russian crude, with some 73 percent of its supplies coming from Russian energy giant Lukoil. | Nikolay Doychinov/AFP via Getty Images}

Western allies bought roughly $2 billion in fuel made from Russian oil in the first half of 2024, using a sanctions loophole that enables Moscow to pay its soldiers in Ukraine, an upcoming report seen by POLITICO has found.

The analysis, set to be unveiled jointly on Tuesday by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air and the Center for the Study of Democracy, determined that shipments of gasoline, diesel and other products made from Russian crude oil have grown in recent months as a result of imports from just three Turkish refineries.

The imports are technically legal due to a well-known sanctions workaround. While the EU and its Western allies banned nearly all Russian oil imports long ago, countries can still buy fuel of Russian origin if it is first processed in another country, such as Turkey.

According to the report, Turkey — and the Western firms buying from it — is taking increasing advantage of this so-called refining loophole, despite repeated Ukrainian pleas that it be closed.

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US arrests a Russian national for smuggling drone microelectronics to Russia

^{Image on the topic: detention/arrest}

A Russian man has been arrested in the United States on charges of violating export restrictions, money laundering, and illegally supplying military-grade microelectronics to Russia.

The U.S. Department of Justice reported on this.

It is noted that these components can be used to produce drones.

According to the agency, 44-year-old Denis Postovoi lived in Sarasota, Florida, and since at least February 2022, he has been purchasing and illegally exporting microelectronics that can be used in unmanned aerial vehicles from the United States.

According to the investigation, the suspect did this through a network of companies he owns or manages in Russia, Hong Kong, and other countries.

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Zelensky says plan for Ukrainian victory in war with Russia is over 90% complete
Ukraine’s plan for victory in its war with Russia is more than 90% complete and will be presented to Kyiv’s Western allies next week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.

Speaking in his nightly video address to the nation, Zelensky said that the military, political, diplomatic and economic steps laid out in the plan would give Ukraine “the strongest possible positions” to ensure “a real and just peace”.

“There is nothing impossible in this plan. Over 90% of it is already laid out. This comprehensive package will ensure the right development of the situation not only for Ukraine but for everyone around the world who values international law”, Zelensky said.

While few details of Zelensky’s plan have been disclosed, the Ukrainian president said in an interview with CNN earlier this month that it included five main points, among which were Ukraine’s “geopolitical place” and security, economic support and the freedom to use Western aid as it sees fit, and “very strong” military support.

In August Zelensky said that the incursion into Russia’s Kursk region carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine had been intended to strengthen Kyiv’s position in any potential negotiations with Moscow ahead of a proposed second peace summit in November.

On Sunday, the presidential administration denied reports by German tabloid Bild that Zelensky’s peace plan would propose a partial ceasefire or freezing of hostilities along the current frontline.

“Bild has spread a fake. Bild has not seen the victory plan, and of the few people currently involved in the preparation of the victory plan, none of them have spoken to Bild”, Zelensky’s communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn told news outlet Ukrainska Pravda, stressing that Kyiv opposed “any freezing of the war”.

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Ukraine's Intelligence Reveals Russia's Scheme to Lure Syrians as “Cannon Fodder”

^{Mohammed Mansour and Wahid Mursal Al-Shibli lured by Russia to fight against Ukraine. (Source: HUR / Facebook)}

On September 17, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) reported that Russia is luring men from Syria, using them as cannon fodder in the battles in eastern Ukraine.

This was stated by HUR on their official social media account.

"Russia has established a scheme with travel companies to dupe Syrians for the war against Ukraine. First, poor people are offered jobs as security guards in Russian oil regions, and then they are lured with a higher salary" to fight the war against Ukraine, HUR said on social media. Syrian nationals are also promised Russian passports.

HUR says Syrian mercenaries are then reportedly used as cannon fodder in mass infantry attacks and are being rejected evacuation when wounded, and mentions the stories of 2 Syrians who fought alongside Russia against Ukraine and were killed.

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Doctors Without Borders to end operations in Russia after being named ‘foreign agent’
International medical relief organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), known in English as Doctors Without Borders, announced in a statement on Monday that it had closed down its operations in Russia following a decision by the country’s Justice Ministry in August to deem it a so-called “foreign agent”.

“It is with a heavy heart that we have to close our activities in Russia,” the MSF statement said. “Our organisation’s work is guided by the principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality, and medical ethics.”

MSF has been active in Russia since 1992, and most recently had operations in the cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Belgorod and Rostov-on-Don, as well as in the Kemerovo, Arkhangelsk and Ivanovo regions, and the North Caucasus republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan. Its programmes focused on providing unhoused people with medical care and helping to reduce Russia’s once soaring numbers of drug-resistant tuberculosis cases.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, MSF has also provided over 52,000 refugees and displaced people with humanitarian aid, while a further 15,400 people have received free medical, mental health and psychosocial support, the organisation said.

“We are very sad to conclude our programmes in the country as many people in need of medical and humanitarian assistance will now be left without the support we could have provided to them,” MSF’s Russia operations manager Norman Sitali said, stressing that MSF would still like to work in Russia again “if and when possible”.

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US military aid packages to Ukraine shrink amid concerns over Pentagon stockpiles
US military aid packages for Ukraine have been smaller in recent months, as the stockpiles of weapons and equipment that the Pentagon is willing to send Kyiv from its own inventory have dwindled. The shift comes amid concerns about US military readiness being impacted as US arms manufacturers play catchup to the huge demand created by the war against Russia.

The shortage means the Biden administration still has $6 billion in funds available to arm and equip Ukraine, but the Pentagon lacks the inventory it is willing to deliver more than two years into the war, two US officials told CNN.

“It’s about the stockpiles we have on our shelves, what [the Ukrainians] are asking for, and whether we can meet those requests with what we currently have” without impacting readiness, one of the officials said.

The Pentagon has asked Congress for more time to spend that money before it expires at the end of September, according to Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary. It’s a stark reversal from last winter, when the administration was pleading with lawmakers for additional funding to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

“Replenishment is also an issue,” the official said. The US is ramping up production of key items, such as 155 mm ammunition and Patriot missile systems, both to supply Ukraine and to refill US inventories. But it is a yearslong process that won’t quickly meet the surging demand.

SPOILER

Om spoilers te kunnen lezen moet je zijn ingelogd. Je moet je daarvoor eerst gratis Registreren. Ook kun je spoilers niet lezen als je een ban hebt.

quote:

Translation:
"My message to all our guys is to quit this rotten thing, since we don't even understand why we are fighting... Everyone has a choice to make. I've made mine, I surrendered, and it helped me to save my life..."

SPOILER

Om spoilers te kunnen lezen moet je zijn ingelogd. Je moet je daarvoor eerst gratis Registreren. Ook kun je spoilers niet lezen als je een ban hebt.

quote:

Radio Liberty vox pop contributor given 5 years in prison for comments on war

^{Yury Kokhovets in court. Photo: Mediazona}

A court in Moscow has resentenced a Russian man who gave a street interview to Radio Liberty to five years in prison for spreading “false information” about the Russian army, after prosecutors challenged his initial sentence, independent news outlet Mediazona reported on Tuesday.

Yury Kokhovets, who told the broadcaster during a street survey in July 2022 that the Russian military had shot “civilians for no reason at all” in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha and that the Russian government “bombs shopping centres” while claiming to “fight nationalists”, was sentenced in April to five years of correctional labour, meaning he would have to live and work at a special correctional centre, a facility that is far less strict that prison.

Prosecutors subsequently appealed the sentence handed down in April, arguing that it had been too lenient and requesting a 5.5-year prison sentence. Meanwhile, Kokhovets’s attorney Yelena Sheremetyeva argued that her client should be acquitted, stressing that Kokhovets had expressed his opinion without knowing that the interview would be broadcast, independent news outlet SOTAvision reported in early September.

Kokhovets said in court on Tuesday that he was not aware he could be charged for speaking about the war at the moment of the interview, and that he did not know the interview would be published online. “Had I known they were going to publish it, I wouldn’t have approached them,” he said.

Sheremetyeva called the new sentence “excessively harsh” and added that Kokhovets’s defence would appeal it.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a US-funded news outlet, was branded a “foreign agent” by the Russian authorities in 2017 and designated an “undesirable” organisation in February.

RFE/RL asked Moscow residents including Kokhovets for their thoughts on the war in Ukraine, posting a video of the results on their Telegram channel on 11 July 2022, which led to the prosecution of Kokhovets in March 2023.