World Monthly Headline News February 2022
Grayson QuayUkrainian United Nations Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya read text messages between a fallen Russian soldier and the soldier's mother in front of the U.N. General Assembly on Monday. Kyslytsya did not identify the soldier or explain how he obtained the screenshot, though he did say the messages were sent only "several moments" before the soldier was killed. Before reading the messages, Kyslytsya held up a printout of what he described as "an actual screenshot from someone who is dead already." more...
Karim Khan says that although Ukraine isn’t a member of the ICC, it has awarded jurisdiction to the courtJulian BorgerThe prosecutor of the international criminal court (ICC) in The Hague has announced that he will launch an investigation into possible war crimes or crimes against humanity in Ukraine. Karim Khan said that although Ukraine was not a member of the ICC, it had awarded jurisdiction to the court. He said that there was grounds to open an investigation based on a previous preliminary investigation on Crimea and the Donbas published last year, and on current events in Ukraine. “I have already tasked my team to explore all evidence preservation opportunities,” Khan, a British lawyer, said. more...
By Stephanie NebehayGENEVA, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Ukraine and its allies on Monday called for a United Nations inquiry into possible war crimes committed by Russia during its military actions in Ukraine. more...
Rachel TreismanUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has officially signed an application for Ukraine's membership in the European Union, according to a post from his verified Facebook page. "[Zelenskyy] has just signed a historical document — Ukraine's application for European Union membership," tweeted Andrii Sybiha, the deputy head of the president's office. Ukraine's prime minister and head of parliament also signed a joint statement, he added. more...
By Richard Roth, CNNNew York (CNN) The United States has asked 12 Russian United Nations diplomats to leave the US, accusing them of "espionage activities," as Russia continues its attack on Ukraine. The Russian diplomats were asked to leave due to their alleged engagement in "activities that were not in accordance with their responsibilities and obligations as diplomats," Ambassador Richard Mills, deputy representative of the United States to the United Nations, said during a UN Security Council meeting Monday afternoon. Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia responded by saying Mills' explanation of the expulsions was "not satisfactory." more...
By Parisa Hafezi and John IrishVIENNA, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday efforts to revive a 2015 nuclear deal could succeed if the United States took a political decision to meet Tehran's remaining demands, as months of negotiations enter what one Iranian diplomat called a "now or never" stage. more...
CBS NewsKyiv — Ukrainian and Russian delegates sat down Monday for the first direct negotiations between the two countries since Russia launched its invasion five days earlier. The talks went for hours, and while they brought some hope for an end to the war, Ukraine's president and residents in Kyiv made it clear they expected little out of the discussion. Even as the meeting took place there were reports of intensified Russian shelling in eastern Ukrainian cities. Russia would not clarify its aims for the talks, but CBS News' Haley Ott reported that Ukraine's key demands were an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russian troops. Russian officials said the meeting had ended by early evening and that the respective delegations were heading back to their capitals to discuss the negotiations. more...
By Ron Bousso, Dmitry Zhdannikov, Carolyn Cohn and Saeed AzharFeb 28 (Reuters) - Energy giants BP and Shell, global bank HSBC and the world's biggest aircraft leasing firm AerCap joined a growing list of companies looking to exit Russia on Monday, as Western sanctions tightened the screws on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. The West has moved to punish Russia with a raft of measures, including closing airspace to Russian aircraft, shutting out some Russian banks from the SWIFT global financial network and restricting Moscow's ability to use its $630 billion foreign reserves. read more...
CBS NewsRussia's currency is tumbling after Western nations on Saturday agreed to put crippling sanctions on the country's financial sector in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The ruble fell about 30% against the dollar Monday — making it worth less than 1 U.S. cent — after the U.S., European Union and United Kingdom announced moves to block some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system and to restrict Russia's use of its massive foreign currency reserves. The system is used to move billions of dollars around more than 11,000 banks and other financial institutions around the world. more...
‘STOP THIS MADNESS’Jamie Ross News CorrespondentPeople logging on to Russian state-owned news agency Tass to get the Kremlin’s version of events in Ukraine got a shock early Monday. Instead of the latest lines from the Kremlin, the site showed an anti-war message that condemned President Vladimir Putin for forcing Russian journalists to lie. “Dear citizens. We urge you to stop this madness, do not send your sons and husbands to certain death. Putin makes us lie and puts us in danger,” the hacked site read. more...
Travis GettysUkraine's ambassador to the United Nations called on Vladimir Putin to fulfill his apparent death wish by taking his own life. Sergiy Kyslytsya made the startling remarks Monday at an Emergency Special Session to discuss Putin's order to put Russian nuclear deterrent forces put on alert, which the Ukrainian diplomat called insane, and he compared the move to Adolf Hitler's desperate final moments as the Allies encircled Berlin at the end of World War II. video...
Military analysts believed Russia had hoped for "shock and awe" advance.By Patrick ReevellKYIV -- There is growing evidence that Ukraine is managing to inflict significant casualties on Russian forces as they try to advance deeper into the country -- and that the swift strike Russia hoped to carry out on the capital, Kyiv, has been slowed by intense and popular resistance. Russia hasn't managed to make significant progress in the last two days. The main Russian force pushing down from Belarus towards Kyiv does not appear to have advanced closer towards the city since coming within about 20 miles, although smaller advanced groups have been fighting gun battles with Ukrainian forces inside the capital since at least Friday. more...
Russians heading toward Kyiv are slowed by fuel shortages and stiff resistance.By Morgan Winsor,Libby Cathey,Meredith Deliso,Nadine El-Bawab,Emily Shapiro,Julia Jacobo,Ivan Pereira,Mark Osborne,Celia Darrough,Kevin Shalvey, and Bill HutchinsonRussian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymr Zelenskyy, are putting up "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials. The attack began Feb. 24 as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation." more...
By Fatma KhaledA Ukrainian ship crew member reportedly tried to sink a yacht owned by the CEO of a Russian weapons manufacturer in protest over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The 55-year-old Ukrainian who was identified as D. Taras O. tried to sink the boat by flooding its engine room by opening a large valve as well as another one in a different part of the boat, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported. more...
The consequences of the war are rippling through the sports world, as athletes and fans express solidarity with Ukraine.By John DuerdenIn 2018, Russian football basked in international sporting acclaim – hosting a World Cup that was admired off the pitch and was successful on it as the national team reached the quarter-finals for the first time in post-Soviet history. However, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, European football clubs are now cutting ties with Russian companies, sporting organisations are moving events out of the country, and players and fans around the world are sending messages of support for Ukraine. more...
ReutersFeb 28 (Reuters) - About 800 people were arrested as Belarus voted to ditch its non-nuclear status in a referendum that raises the stakes at a time when the country has become a staging ground for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the government said on Monday. The vote sparked the biggest protests in months as thousands took to the streets in Belarus, where President Alexander Lukashenko has imposed a sweeping crackdown on dissent after a contested election challenged his grip on power in 2020. more...
By Katharine JacksonWASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The United States shuttered its embassy in Minsk and allowed non-emergency employees and family members to leave its embassy in Moscow on Monday as Russia pushed on with its invasion of Ukraine for a fifth day. "We took these steps due to security and safety issues stemming from the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces in Ukraine," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. more...
NBC NewsNBC News' Kier Simmons reports on Secy. Blinkens statement where the U.S. suspended operations at the embassy in Minsk, Belarus, and authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency employees and families at the embassy in Moscow. video...
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, DAVID McHUGH and KEN SWEETMOSCOW (AP) — Ordinary Russians faced the prospect of higher prices and crimped foreign travel as Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine sent the ruble plummeting, leading uneasy people to line up at banks and ATMs on Monday in a country that has seen more than one currency disaster in the post-Soviet era. The Russian currency plunged about 30% against the U.S. dollar after Western nations announced moves to block some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system and to restrict Russia’s use of its massive foreign currency reserves. The exchange rate later recovered ground after swift action by Russia’s central bank. more...
Maia VinesCosmetics company Estee Lauder said Monday that it had forced out executive John Demsey, days after he acknowledged he posted a racist meme on a personal social media account. The announcement came in a letter that was shared with its employees worldwide. Demsey, 65, faced backlash for an Instagram post containing the N-word and a joke about Covid-19, which is no longer on his feed. He was initially suspended without pay. Demsey, who oversaw cosmetic brands such as Clinique, later apologized in another post. more...
By KATE FELDMAN | New York Daily NewsBefore he was standing in the streets to stop incoming Russian troops, Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy danced his way to a trophy. Zelenskyy, who was elected president in 2019, won the first season of Ukraine’s version of “Dancing with the Stars” in 2006 and a viral compilation of his performances has provided a little levity. video...
Tom PorterRight-wing provocateur Candace Owens drew criticism Sunday for saying that the US should invade Canada in response to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's crackdown on the trucker protests there. "STOP talking about Russia. Send American troops to Canada to deal with the tyrannical reign of Justin Trudeau Castro," wrote Owens, a supporter of Donald Trump known for stirring controversy online. "He has fundamentally declared himself dictator and is waging war on innocent Canadian protesters and those who have supported them financially," she wrote of Trudeau. Some critics responded with mockery. more...
Prospects for cease-fire in talks held in Belarus are uncertain as Russian forces attack neighborhood in Kharkiv and Ukraine holds on to KyivBy Yaroslav TrofimovKYIV, Ukraine—A delegation led by Ukraine’s defense minister held cease-fire talks on Monday with Russian officials in Belarus as Russian troops shelled a residential neighborhood in the eastern city of Kharkiv, killing at least 10 civilians, and Ukrainian defenders repelled attacks on the capital, Kyiv. The talks on the fifth day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine come after Russian forces have struggled to make headway in most of the country, and failed so far to take any of Ukraine’s major cities as they faced fierce resistance. Russia was pouring large reinforcement convoys across the border on Monday, in what could be preparation for a renewed push on Kyiv and an attempt to besiege it. more...
Russian president has ordered nuclear deterrence forces on high alert. We look at what that meansDan SabbaghWhat did Vladimir Putin say about Russian nuclear weapons?Russia’s president summoned the defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, and military chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, to a public meeting on Sunday and ordered them to “transfer the deterrence forces” – a reference to nuclear weapons – “of the Russian army to a special mode of combat duty”.Do Putin’s words have any specific military meaning?Although the diplomatic threat was clear enough, the exact phrasing confused nuclear experts and defence ministries, who did not recognise what a “special mode of combat duty” might specifically entail. But there was agreement that the threat, though it had gone up a notch, remained at a low level. more...
By Rachel Ramirez, CNN(CNN) Climate change is on course to transform life on Earth as we know it, and unless global warming is dramatically slowed, billions of people and other species will reach points where they can no longer adapt to the new normal, according to a major report published Monday. The UN-backed report, based on years of research from hundreds of scientists, found that the impacts from human-caused climate change were larger than previously thought. The report's authors say these impacts are happening much faster and are more disruptive and widespread than scientists expected 20 years ago. more...
By Stephanie NebehayGENEVA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Swiss President Ignazio Cassis said on Sunday that it was "very probable" that neutral Switzerland would follow the European Union (EU) on Monday in sanctioning Russia and freezing Russian assets in the Alpine country. Cassis, interviewed on French-language Swiss public television RTS, said that the seven-member Federal Council would meet on Monday and review recommendations by the departments of finance and economy. more...
By JUSTIN SPIKEBEREGSURANY, Hungary (AP) — The mass exodus of refugees from Ukraine to the eastern edge of the European Union showed no signs of stopping Monday as they flee Russia’s burgeoning war, with the U.N. estimating that more than 500,000 people have already escaped. Long lines of cars and buses were backed up at checkpoints at the borders of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and non-EU member Moldova. Others crossed the borders on foot, dragging their possessions away from the war and into the security of the EU. Several hundred refugees were gathered at a temporary reception center in the Hungarian border village of Beregsurany, where they awaited transportation to transit hubs that could take them further into Hungary and beyond. more...
By Brian Fung, CNNWashington (CNN Business)Facebook (FB)'s parent Meta said Monday it has caught dozens of fake, pro-Russian accounts, groups and pages across its platforms trying to spread anti-Ukrainian propaganda as the war in Ukraine continues to rage. Meta's takedown of the influence campaign also coincided with what company officials described as a separate, intensified push by pro-Russian hackers to compromise the social media accounts of Ukrainian journalists, military leaders and government officials. The hacking campaign, attributed to an actor security researchers have nicknamed "Ghostwriter," appears to have succeeded with at least some Facebook accounts, Meta said. more...
Shannon BondFacebook parent company Meta says it has uncovered Russian efforts to undermine trust in the Ukrainian government and a separate attempt to hack Ukrainian military officials and journalists using its platform. The two campaigns were both small in scale and caught in the early stages, the company said. "There's been a lot of speculation and interest on whether there are covert influence operations targeting public debate in Ukraine and to what degree we're seeing cyber hacking groups targeting individuals in Ukraine," said Nathaniel Gleicher, Meta's head of security policy. "This is a case where we're seeing both of those things." more...
ReutersMOSCOW, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Russia on Monday barred airlines from 36 countries including Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy and Canada from using Russian airspace in a retaliatory move after sweeping sanctions targeting its aviation sector. more...
By Scott McDonaldBelarus will reportedly allow Russia to position nuclear weapons in its country, a report stated Sunday night—which is early Monday morning in Eastern Europe. Belarus, which is an ally to Russia and borders Ukraine to the northwest and Ukraine's NATO allies the other direction, has renounced its non-nuclear status and neutral status. "Belarus will renounce its non-nuclear and neutral status, allowing Russia to place nuclear weapons on its territory, as a result of the referendum held today," the Kyiv Independent reported. "65.16% of [Belarus] citizens allegedly supported these constitutional amendments." more...
From CNN's Paul P. Murphy, Katie Polglase, Gianluca Mezzofiore, Tim Lister and Josh PenningtonVideos uploaded to social media are giving a rare view of clashes between Russian and Ukrainian military forces on the streets of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine. Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, has been the target of frequent Russian military strikes since the invasion began early Thursday morning. Now it's the site of intense street battles as the Russian military attempts to win control of the city. more...
By Ramishah Maruf, CNN BusinessNew York CNN — Ukrainian Instagram influencers are now warzone witnesses and urban warfare experts are tweeting tips to Ukrainian fighters, CNN’s chief media correspondent Brian Stelter said on “Reliable Sources” Sunday. But the onslaught of words and images is fueling a confusing media environment where disinformation is rampant. Many are calling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine the TikTok war — users of the platform were actively posting about the military escalation even as Russian authorities were denying it. Many are also using social media outlets to become “anti-war activists,” Stelter said. more...
“We show our character, our knowledge, our values," Vitali Klitschko said.By Associated PressKYIV, Ukraine — As Russian troops draw closer to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv’s mayor is both filled with pride over his citizens’ spirit and anxious about how long they can hold out. In an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday, after a grueling night of Russian attacks on the outskirts of the city, Mayor Vitali Klitschko was silent for several seconds when asked if there were plans to evacuate civilians if Russian troops managed to take Kyiv. “We can’t do that, because all ways are blocked,” he finally said. “Right now we are encircled.” more...
Maroosha Muzaffar, Andrew Naughtie, Bevan Hurley, Graeme MassieFormer US attorney general Bill Barr says Donald Trump has “shown he has neither the temperament nor persuasive powers to provide the kind of positive leadership that is needed” in a new book. Mr Barr calls on the Republican Party to move on from Mr Trump and directly blames him for the violence at the US Capitol on 6 January in One Damn Thing After Another. The former president fired Mr Barr when he refused to go along with his claims that the election had been stolen. Mr Barr writes that his former boss “lost his grip” after the election, and that his false claims of voter fraud led to the attack on the US Capitol. On Saturday, Joe Biden laughed off Donald Trump’s praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin. more...
Barak RavidU.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield protested to her Israeli counterpart over Israel's refusal to join 87 countries in backing a U.S.-led resolution to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the UN Security Council on Friday, Israeli officials tell Axios. Why it matters: Israel has attempted to maintain good relations with both Russia and Ukraine during the crisis, and has even offered to serve as a mediator. But that fence-sitting has resulted in criticism from both sides and now from the U.S. more...
By Emir Nader & Ahmed ElShamy | BBC News ArabicThe telecoms company Ericsson put contractors' lives at risk by insisting they continued working in territory controlled by the Islamic State [IS] group in Iraq, according to a leaked Ericsson report seen by BBC News Arabic. This resulted in them being kidnapped by IS militants, the report finds. Ericsson is one of the world's biggest telecoms companies and a key player in the rollout of 5G networks in the UK, having replaced Chinese telecoms firm Huawei after security concerns. The latest revelations follow last week's admission by Ercisson Chief executive Borje Ekholm - in response to the leaked document - that money had been paid by the company to access quicker transport routes in Iraq at the time, and that IS may have been the recipients. More than $5bn was wiped from Ericsson's market value after Mr Ekholm's comments. more...
By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA and RAFAL NIEDZIELSKIMEDYKA, Poland (AP) — While hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians flee their country, some Ukrainian men and women are returning home from across Europe to help defend their homeland in the face of Russia’s invasion. Poland’s Border Guard said Sunday that some 22,000 people have crossed into Ukraine since Thursday, when Russia invaded the country. At the checkpoint in Medyka, in southeastern Poland, many stood in a line early Sunday to cross into Ukraine. “We have to defend our homeland. Who else if not us?” said a moustachioed man in front of a group of some 20 Ukrainian truck drivers walking to the checkpoint to enter Ukraine. They came from across Europe to return to Ukraine. Another man in the group said: “The Russians should be afraid. We are not afraid.” more...
trtworld.comThe nexus between white supremacists in the US and neo-Nazis in Russia reveals a deep history of convergence between the two sides. US intelligence is convinced that Russian authorities provide “indirect and passive support” to neo-Nazi groups operating in America and other countries. Yahoo News has had the chance to examine the issue more in detail. Documents obtained by the journalists revealed that the Kremlin "probably tolerates support from some private Russian organisations" for white nationalist movements because it is consistent with the Kremlin’s goal of aggravating social divisions in the West. Intelligence agencies have acknowledged that Russian groups have tried to recruit and provide paramilitary training to North American associates in order to "expand their presence in the West, increase membership and raise money." According to these assessments, this pumping of resources into Western supporters of white supremacy "poses a potential threat to Western security by encouraging and making possible attacks on ethnic minorities and government facilities." more...
By Chandelis Duster and Daniella Diaz, CNNCNN — Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah on Sunday called the Russian government “a pariah” in the wake of the country’s invasion of Ukraine and said countries should continue cranking up sanctions against “an evil regime.” “The world is behind the people of Ukraine. … The Russian government is a pariah and the entire world should be protesting and letting Russia know how badly they’re seen on the world stage,” Romney told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.” more...
A conversation with the Republican senator about Russia’s threat to the world, the members of the GOP who praise Putin, and how this conflict endsBy McKay CoppinsOn October 22, 2012, Mitt Romney sat across a table from President Barack Obama for the final debate of the presidential election. The theme of the night was foreign policy. Obama’s campaign had been working all year to cast Romney as out of touch and inexperienced, and when the moment came, the president deployed what seemed like a devastating putdown. “A few months ago, when you were asked what’s the biggest geopolitical threat facing America, you said Russia. Not al-Qaeda. You said Russia,” Obama told him. “And the 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back.” more...
A researcher on how the Kremlin’s disinformation is coming to America.By Aymann IsmailRussia’s war effort in Ukraine began years ago, but it has often raged out of view. Organized disinformation campaigns against Ukraine have been pervasive, with extensive hacking and practical operations similar to ones that targeted U.S. elections in 2016 in favor of Donald Trump. Now there is some evidence Russia’s manufactured narrative about the current war on the ground in Ukraine is reaching America, too. Jane Lytvynenko has made it her job to monitor, identify, and study such disinformation campaigns as a senior research fellow at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard. She was born in Ukraine and still has close family there, and told me she hasn’t slept in weeks. With full-scale war now underway, we talked about what the disinformation campaign against Ukraine looks like, its impact, and how to spot its influence in American outlets. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. more...
Michael RuizRussian President Vladimir Putin had a long career as an intelligence officer in the former Soviet Union’s KGB – the former Communist spy agency – and likely took great efforts to plan his invasion of Ukraine before sending thousands of troops into the country earlier this week. But American and British intelligence analysts say Russia appears to have underestimated Ukraine’s defensive capabilities – at least initially. Russia’s stalled advance could be because of faulty or ignored intelligence, according to Dan Hoffman, a former CIA senior officer and station chief. But it’s impossible for anyone outside the Kremlin to know for sure, he added. more...
By Sam Fossum, Arlette Saenz and Devan Cole, CNNWashington CNN — White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to put Russia’s deterrence forces, which includes nuclear arms, on high alert are part of a wider pattern of unprovoked escalation and “manufactured threats” from the Kremlin. “This is really a pattern that we’ve seen from President Putin through the course of this conflict, which is manufacturing threats that don’t exist in order to justify further aggression – and the global community and the American people should look at it through that prism,” Psaki told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on “This Week.” Additionally, a senior administration official told CNN on Sunday that Putin’s move was “yet another escalatory and totally unnecessary step,” a senior administration official said Sunday. more...
Caren Bohan, David Jackson, Kevin Johnson, Joey Garrison, Michael Collins, Jordan Culver, Tom Vanden Brook | USA TODAYAs Russia's assault on Ukraine reached into its second largest city, and Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was putting nuclear forces on high alert, the EU announced unprecedented new actions against Moscow. Putin's order to make his nuclear weapons more ready for launch – made Sunday in response to “aggressive statements” by leading NATO powers and economic sanctions by the West – represent an unnecessary and dangerous move, according to the Pentagon. A senior Defense Deparment official said Russia is under no threat from the United States and its NATO allies. The Pentagon is confident it can protect the United States and its allies, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. more...
By Ian SwansonUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has emerged as a hero to his nation's citizens and far beyond as the former actor and comedian first elected in 2019 remains in his country at great personal risk during its bombardment by Russia. Zelensky, who agreed on Sunday to talks at the Belarus border with Russia to end the military conflict, has been his country’s man in the capital city of Kyiv, where he has issued a series of videos urging Ukrainians to resist the invasion. more...
Joe HernandezA group of Ukrainian soldiers stationed on an island military outpost who were presumed dead after a terse yet profane interaction with a Russian warship last week may still be alive, Ukrainian officials announced Sunday. The Ukrainian troops on Zmiiniy Island – also known as Snake Island – may instead have been captured by Russian military forces, according to a statement from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. "We sincerely hope that the boys will return home as soon as possible, and the information received at the time of the attack on the death will not be confirmed," the statement reads. more...
Russia Ukraine War: Ukraine-made AN-225 'Mriya' -- meaning 'Dream' in Ukrainian -- qualified as the world's largest cargo aircraft, before it was reportedly burned on an airfield outside Kyiv due to Russian shelling.Edited by Sasha GopalakrishnanKyiv: The largest aircraft in the world was destroyed today by Russian troops battling on an airfield near Kyiv, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba said, as Moscow continued its assault on its neighbour during the fourth day of its invasion. AN-225 'Mriya' -- meaning 'Dream' in Ukrainian -- was manufactured by Ukrainian aeronautics company Antonov, and qualified as the world's largest cargo aircraft, before it was reportedly burned at Hostomel Airport outside Kyiv due to Russian shelling. more...
Times of IsraelRussia has destroyed the world’s largest transport aircraft, the AN-225 ‘Mriya,’ which belongs to Ukraine and performed a host of humanitarian flights, including the delivering of medical supplies to countries throughout Europe to combat the pandemic, Ukraine’s foreign minister tweets. more...
AxiosUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday Russia's unprovoked attacks "show signs of genocide" and called on the international court at The Hague to investigate.Driving the news: In a video address posted on Facebook, Zelensky said Russia "deserves an international tribunal. We are documenting their crimes. And there would have been many more of these crimes if it hadn't been for our courageous defenders," per a translation on CNN. more...
CNNCNN has geolocated video appearing to show the destruction by Ukrainian forces of a column of Russian armored personnel carriers and other vehicles on the edge of Kyiv, Ukraine. Source: CNN video...
The column was reportedly deployed by Russia to ‘capture and kill’ Ukraine’s leaders, including President Zelensky, using infamous ‘deck of cards’ systemBy TOI staffUkrainian military forces were successful in destroying a Chechen special forces column of 56 tanks near the capital of Kyiv on Saturday, Ukrainian news agency The Kyiv Independent reported. According to the report, which the outlet said was confirmed by the Ukrainian President’s Office, the attack killed top Chechen general Magomed Tushayev, head of the 141 motorized regiment of the Chechnya National Guard. The report was not independently verified. more...
Jessica BursztynskyBritish energy giant BP announced Sunday it was offloading its 19.75% stake in Rosneft, a Russian-controlled oil company. BP CEO Bernard Looney and former exec Bob Dudley are also resigning from Rosneft’s board, effective immediately. Looney had been a director of Rosneft as one of two BP-nominated directors since 2020. Dudley had been a director since 2013, the company said. BP has worked in Russia for more than 30 years, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced the company to reevaluate its holding. more...
From Tehran to Tel Aviv and London to Buenos Aires, people take to the streets in support of Ukrainians and against Moscow’s military incursion into its neighborBy AFPROME, Italy — Pro-Ukraine demonstrations erupted across the world on Saturday, as thousands took to the streets from London to New York to Tehran to denounce Russia’s assault on its neighbor. Moscow’s invasion has sparked global outcry and prompted punishing sanctions from the West, some directed against Russian President Vladimir Putin himself. On Saturday, rallies were held in cities across the world to join the chorus of condemnation and urge an end to the bloodshed. more...
By Yaroslav TrofimovIn Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city and where a Russian tank assault was stopped by Ukrainian forces on Thursday and Friday, Russian reconnaissance troops in Tigr-M armored vehicles managed to penetrate northern neighborhoods before dawn, Ukrainian officials said. Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Synehubov warned that urban combat is under way and urged residents to stay in shelters. “Ukrainian armed forces are liquidating the enemy,” he said. more...
By EMILY SCHULTHEIS and LORNE COOKBRUSSELS (AP) — Germany announced Sunday it was committing 100 billion euros ($113 billion) to a special armed forces fund and would keep its defense spending above 2% of GDP from now on. It was one of the most significant shifts in European security policy in decades, brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The announcement by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which came hours after Germany announced it would send weapons and other supplies directly to Ukraine, underscored how Russia’s war in Ukraine was rewriting Europe’s post-World War II security policy. more...
By The Associated PressKYIV, Ukraine — The Ukrainian president’s office said Russian forces blew up a gas pipeline in Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city. more...
The president further described “complete unanimity” within NATO as the U.S. and its allies levied harsh sanctions on Russia and increasingly stepped up aid to Ukraine.By Maeve SheeheyPresident Joe Biden said his goal “from the very beginning” was to keep America’s allies on the same page, as Russian leader Vladimir Putin believed he could “split NATO” and proceed with his invasion of Ukraine without encountering much in the way of international resolve or resistance. Instead, Putin is “producing the exact opposite effect that he intended,” Biden said in an interview released Saturday with political host Brian Tyler Cohen. The president further described “complete unanimity” as the U.S. and its allies levied harsh sanctions on Russia and increasingly stepped up aid to Ukraine as Putin’s invasion entered its third day. more...
Matt ClinchSpaceX’s internet service Starlink is available in Ukraine and more terminals are being sent to the country, according to the company’s CEO Elon Musk. The conflict-hit nation has seen internet disruptions with Russian troops advancing and missiles hitting key infrastructure. Monitoring group NetBlocks said Thursday that disruptions had been tracked across much of Ukraine including capital city Kyiv. On Saturday, Musk was asked by a Ukrainian government official if he would provide more of his company’s Starlink stations to the country. more..
By Tim Lister, Ivana Kottasová, Julia Hollingsworth and Laura Smith-Spark, CNNKyiv, Ukraine CNN — Ukraine has accused Russia of committing “war crimes” in an attempt to weaken its country’s resistance, as Ukrainian forces engage in fierce fighting with Russian troops in multiple cities across the country. In the capital, Kyiv, residents awoke Sunday to find the city still firmly under Ukrainian control, despite two massive explosions some 30 kilometers, or about 18 miles, south of the city lighting up the sky overnight. more...
Erin DohertySeveral of Russia's closest allies and former Soviet satellite states have sharply rebuked President Vladimir Putin over his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.Why it matters: As the Western world seeks to make Putin an international pariah, even his closest allies are resisting showing support for his assault on Ukraine.Driving the news: Czech President Milos Zeman and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, both historically strong pro-Russian voices in the European Union, condemned the affront as "an unprovoked act of aggression," AP reports. more...
Russian troops facing fierce resistance as Germany abandons its postwar military stance to supply arms to UkraineEmma Graham-Harrison in Kyiv, Peter Beaumont in Lviv, Andrew Roth in Moscow, Philip Oltermann in BerlinVladimir Putin was facing growing international isolation and the prospect of pariah status on Saturday night as long-term allies dramatically turned against him following the invasion of Ukraine, and western nations planned further decisive military and financial action against Moscow. As his hopes of a quick victory evaporated in the face of fierce resistance by Ukrainian soldiers and armies of citizen volunteers, Russia’s president was deserted by his key ally, China, and had his ultimatum demanding Kyiv’s surrender defiantly brushed aside by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. more...
Ethan BartonFinland’s ambassador to the U.S. boasted about his country’s strong military and said he didn’t see an "immediate threat" after a Russian official suggested military action if the Nordic nation were to join NATO. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Finland and Sweden would "face some military and political consequences" if they joined. "We are not in a position that we will get scared because of one statement," Ambassador Mikko Hautala told Fox News. "We have one of the best armies in Europe." more...
Shannon BondFacebook and YouTube are blocking Russian state media from running ads on their platforms, while Twitter is suspending all advertising in Ukraine and Russia, as pressure mounts on tech platforms to respond to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy at Facebook, tweeted on Friday: "We are now prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on our platform anywhere in the world." On Saturday, Google-owned YouTube said it was also suspending several Russian state-media channels, including RT, from making money from ads. In addition, the online video platform is limiting recommendations to those channels and is blocking them entirely in Ukraine at the request of the Ukrainian government, according to a YouTube spokesperson. more...
By Pascal RossignolBOULOGNE-SUR-MER, France, Feb 26 (Reuters) - France on Saturday seized a car cargo ship in the English Channel that Washington says was linked to the son of a former Russian spy chief, in one of the first visible displays of the West enforcing sanctions on Moscow over its Ukraine invasion. more...
Joshua ZitserFootage from inside of Russia appears to show a thermobaric rocket launcher being deployed towards the Ukrainian border, according to The Guardian. The video, shared on Twitter by CNN correspondent Frederik Pleitgen, displays a TOS-1 heavy flamethrower, which can shoot thermobaric rockets mounted on a T-72 tank chassis. The footage was captured south of Belgorod, Pleitgen said, which is about 45 miles away from Kharkiv, Ukraine. more...
Bobby AllynRussia's invasion of Ukraine has unleashed a flood of misleading and false material on TikTok. The popular app used by more than 1 billion people has been amplifying videos portraying old conflicts, scenes from movies and even video game battles as if showing on-the-ground live footage. In times of crisis, social media platforms are always struggling to stay head of misinformation and make round-the-clock calls on when a viral post should be removed. But the flurry of conflict-themed footage now on TikTok has overwhelmed the platform in new ways, sending countless fake or videos framed as if depicting the war in Ukraine to millions of viewers. more...
By Paresh DaveFeb 26 (Reuters) - YouTube on Saturday barred Russian state-owned media outlet RT and other Russian channels from receiving money for advertisements that run with their videos, similar to a move by Facebook, after the invasion of Ukraine. Citing "extraordinary circumstances," YouTube said that it was "pausing a number of channels’ ability to monetize on YouTube, including several Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions" such as the European Union's. Ad placement is largely controlled by YouTube. more...
By DASHA LITVINOVA and VLADIMIR ISACHENKOVMOSCOW (AP) — As Russian troops were closing in on the Ukrainian capital, more and more Russians spoke out Saturday against the invasion, even as the government’s official rhetoric grew increasingly harsher. Street protests, albeit small, resumed in the Russian capital of Moscow, the second-largest city of St. Petersburg and other Russian cities for the third straight day, with people taking to the streets despite mass detentions on Thursday and Friday. According to OVD-Info, rights group that tracks political arrests, at least 460 people in 34 cities were detained over anti-war protests on Saturday, including over 200 in Moscow. more...
From CNN's Jamie CrawfordSecretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday he has authorized $350 million in new US military assistance to Ukraine.“Today, as Ukraine fights with courage and pride against Russia’s brutal and unprovoked assault, I have authorized, pursuant to a delegation by the President, an unprecedented third Presidential Drawdown of up to $350 million for immediate support to Ukraine’s defense,” Blinken said in a written statement. more...
By ZEKE MILLER, RAF CASERT and ELLEN KNICKMEYERWASHINGTON (AP) — The United States, European Union and United Kingdom on Saturday agreed to put in place crippling sanctions on the Russian financial sector, including a block on its access to the global financial system and, for the first time, restrictions on its central bank in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The measures were announced jointly as part of a new round of financial sanctions meant to “hold Russia to account and collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.” The central bank restrictions target the more than $600 billion in reserves that the Kremlin has at its disposal, meant to limit Russia’s ability to support the ruble amid tightening Western sanctions. more...
TMZThe Ukrainians are not only a stronger force than the Russians expected, but they're also bringing attitude to the fight, and they're doing it in an awesome fashion. Check out this video ... some Ukrainians were driving and came upon a Russian tank that apparently ran out of gas and was simply stuck in the road. Rather than hightailing it out of there, the Ukrainians mocked the Russians, asking if they wanted a tow back to Russia. Here's the translation of how the convo went ... more...
By Kaitlan Collins, Phil Mattingly, Kevin Liptak and Donald Judd, CNNCNN — The White House, along with the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Canada, announced Saturday evening that they would expel certain Russian banks from SWIFT, the high-security network that connects thousands of financial institutions around the world, pledging to “collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.” “This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally,” they wrote in a joint statement released by the White House, also pledging “restrictive measures that will prevent the Russian Central Bank from deploying its international reserves in ways that undermine the impact of our sanctions,” and restricting the sale of “golden passports” that allow Russian oligarchs to avoid the brunt of sanctions already levied. more...
CNNDramatic video out of Bakhmach, Ukraine, shows a man attempting to stop a Russian tank with his body. video...
Guardian NewsVideo footage shared by Ukrainian news outlet HB apparently shows a Ukrainian man attempting to block a Russian military convoy. video...
Luciana Lopez, Craig Harris, Caren Bohan, Mike Snider, Tom Vanden Brook |USA TodayRussian forces have grown increasingly frustrated by Ukrainian resistance, particularly near the capital of Kyiv, and the Russian advance remains about 18 miles from the city, a senior Defense Department official said Saturday. Russia has, however, sent reconnaissance forces into Kyiv, the official said, declining to say how many of those troops have penetrated the city. About 50% of Russia’s combat troops have entered Ukraine up from 30% on Friday, the official said, characterizing the number in the tens of thousands of combat and logistics troops. Russian troops are advancing along three major routes into Ukraine. more...
Zachary BasuGermany will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger missiles to Ukraine, marking a complete reversal in Berlin's restrictive arms export policy, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Saturday. Why it matters: Germany has for months come under intense criticism for its response to Russia's aggression toward Ukraine. The government said its "historical responsibilities" prevented it from shipping arms to conflict zones, and had previously blocked other NATO allies from transferring German-origin weapons to Ukraine. What they're saying: "The Russian attack marks a turning point. It is our duty to do our best to help Ukraine defend against the invading army of Putin. That's why we're supplying 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 stinger missiles to our friends in the Ukraine," Scholz tweeted. more...
By Chloe FolmarIn addition to official government sanctions, bars and liquor stores across the U.S. and Canada are attempting to economically hurt Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine by refusing to sell Russian vodka and other Russian liquor. “Ontario joins Canada’s allies in condemning the Russian government’s act of aggression against the Ukrainian people, and will direct the [Liquor Control Board of Ontario] to withdraw all products produced in Russia from store shelves,” Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy tweeted, adding, “#StandwithUkraine.” “The people of Ontario will always stand against tyranny and oppression,” Bethlenfalvy later added. more...
Experts expressed concerns about the influx of non-government cyber groups taking sides in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.by Jonathan Greig, Staff WriterMultiple ransomware groups and members of the hacktivist collective Anonymous announced this week that they are getting involved in the military conflict between Ukraine and Russia. On Thursday, members of Anonymous announced on Twitter that they would be launching attacks against the Russian government. The hacktivists defaced some local government websites in Russia and temporarily took down others, including the website of Russian news outlet RT. The group claimed on Friday that it would leak login credentials for the Russian Ministry of Defense website. more...
Sunday's launch came less than two weeks ahead of a pivotal March 9 presidential election in South Korea.By REUTERSNorth Korea fired what could be a ballistic missile on Sunday, military officials in South Korea and Japan said, in what would be the first test since the nuclear-armed country conducted a record number of launches in January. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that North Korea had fired one suspected ballistic missile toward the sea off its east coast from a location near Sunan, where Pyongyang's international airport is located. more...
‘China supports Russia and Ukraine to resolve the issue through negotiation,’ Chinese president says.AljazeeraChina’s President Xi Jinping said he supported solving the Ukraine crisis through talks in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Moscow launched an invasion of its neighbour. In a readout of the call on Friday on state broadcaster CCTV, Xi pointed out the “situation in eastern Ukraine has undergone rapid changes … [and] China supports Russia and Ukraine to resolve the issue through negotiation”. Russian forces have launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, unleashing air strikes and sending troops deep into the country, after weeks of diplomatic efforts failed to deter Putin from launching the military operation. Beijing has trod a cautious diplomatic line on the crisis and refused to call it an “invasion” or condemn the actions of Russia, its close ally. more...
Analysis: President makes appeal to Ukraine’s military to abandon its ‘drug-addicted, neo-Nazi’ leadersAndrew RothLooking dead-eyed into the camera on Friday, Vladimir Putin gave one of the most bizarre speeches of his 22 years as Russia’s leader, a directive that managed to sound alarming even in a week when he has ordered tanks into Ukraine and missile strikes on Kyiv. “Once again I speak to the Ukrainian soldiers,” he said, addressing his enemy. “Do not allow neo-Nazis and Banderites to use your children, your wives and the elderly as a human shield. Take power into your own hands. It seems that it will be easier for us to come to an agreement than with this gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis.” The speech seemed to be ripped from an alternate reality – or from the second world war, where Putin appears to be spending more of his time as he launches the kind of broad military offensive not seen in Europe for nearly 70 years. more...
Matthew S. SchwartzFierce street fighting is being reported in Kyiv as Ukrainian troops defend the capital city against the ongoing Russian invasion. Air raid sirens blared throughout the night as the city was hit by missiles and rockets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging Ukrainian citizens to stay inside, take cover and "stand firm." Zelenskyy has released two videos in the last few hours, cautioning that he and his family are top targets and disputing what he says is disinformation being spread that he has called on his army to surrender. "We have withstood and successful repelled enemy attacks," Zelenskyy said in a video message, according to a BBC translation. "The fighting continues in many cities and districts of our state. We are defending our country, the land of our future children. more...
Security experts have warned that any cyberattacks on Russia could prompt digital retaliation by either Moscow or sympathetic criminal hackers.By Eric GellerA Russian ransomware gang on Friday threatened to hack the critical infrastructure of any nation or organization that retaliates against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, according to a statement shared by cybersecurity researchers. The statement, attributed to the operators of the Conti gang, pledged “full support of [the] Russian government” and vowed to use “all possible resources to strike back at the critical [infrastructure] of an enemy” that launches “a cyberattack or any war activities against Russia.” The group is best known for devastating Ireland’s health system in May 2021, an attack whose real-world effects persisted for months. more...
By Joshua Berlinger, CNNCNN — Volodymyr Zelensky approached a lectern under bright lights, preparing to deliver a message to the Ukrainian people. “Today I will start with long-awaited words, which I wish to announce with pride,” he said. “Finally,” he continued. “Ukraine is United … This is our victory.” The speech was fiction. It is from the closing scene of “Servant of the People,” a satirical TV show about a down-on-his-luck high-school teacher, played by Zelensky, who is thrust into the Ukrainian presidency after his rant about corruption goes viral. more...
Al Jazeera EnglishInvading Russian forces have closed in on Ukraine’s capital in an apparent encircling movement after a barrage of air attacks on cities and military bases around the country. Frequent artillery blasts could be heard in Kyiv in the early hours of Saturday, coming from an unspecified location some distance from the city centre, according to the Reuters news agency. video...
Polygraph.infoOn February 24, Russian Defense Ministry Igor Konashenkov said its forces invading Ukraine were not targeting civilians. Konashenkov said no missile, aviation or artillery strikes would target cities, and that Russia’s military aim was to disable Ukrainian military infrastructure, aircraft, airfields and other facilities. “The Russian armed forces are not striking at the cities of Ukraine. They are not threatening the civilian population,” Konashenkov told reporters. more...
Chloe Taylor, Amanda Macias, Christina WilkieRussian forces are closing in on Kyiv as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine continues. The United States and its European allies, meanwhile, have decided to sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin directly. Kyiv officials warned residents in the capital’s northern Obolon district not to go outside on Friday due to “the approach of active hostilities.” Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense urged people in the area to either take shelter or make petrol bombs to “neutralize the occupier.” It came as Ukrainian officials blew up bridges leading into Kyiv to prevent Russian troops infiltrating the capital. more...
By Nathan Hodge, Matthew Chance, Tim Lister and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN(CNN) The fight by Ukranian forces to hold back a Russian advance on the capital, Kyiv, stretched into early Saturday morning, amid warnings the city could fall within days and as officials handed out weapons to reservists. "This night will be very difficult, and the enemy will use all available forces to break the resistance of Ukrainians," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a late-night video message Friday. "This night we have to stand ground. The fate of Ukraine is being decided right now." A CNN team reported hearing a series of explosions on the outskirts of Kyiv just after 2 a.m. local time, though the exact nature and location of those detonations were unclear, and reporters in Kyiv have heard loud booms to the west and south of the city. The sky lit up early Saturday with a series of flashes on the horizon. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian armed forces reported heavy fighting around the city of Vasylkiv, some 30 kilometers southwest of Kyiv. more...
Analysis: President makes appeal to Ukraine’s military to abandon its ‘drug-addicted, neo-Nazi’ leadersAndrew RothLooking dead-eyed into the camera on Friday, Vladimir Putin gave one of the most bizarre speeches of his 22 years as Russia’s leader, a directive that managed to sound alarming even in a week when he has ordered tanks into Ukraine and missile strikes on Kyiv. “Once again I speak to the Ukrainian soldiers,” he said, addressing his enemy. “Do not allow neo-Nazis and Banderites to use your children, your wives and the elderly as a human shield. Take power into your own hands. It seems that it will be easier for us to come to an agreement than with this gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis.” more...
By Barbara Starr and Jeremy Herb, CNN(CNN) For the first time, the NATO Response Force has been activated as a defensive measure in response to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Tod Wolters activated the multinational force consisting of land, air, sea and special operations forces from the allies that can deploy quickly in support of the NATO alliance. The activation of the response troops does not mean that any US or NATO troops will go into Ukraine, which is not a member. US President Joe Biden has been clear that US troops are deploying to eastern Europe to help bolster NATO countries nervous about Russia's aggressive actions, and they will not be fighting in Ukraine. more...
Courtney Kube and Corky SiemaszkoTwo days in, the Russian offensive appeared to be stymied by stiffer-than-expected resistance from highly motivated Ukrainian armed forces. Despite an overwhelming advantage in manpower and equipment, the Russian advance lost some of its momentum Friday and the quick victory Russian President Vladimir Putin was counting on is no longer assured, a senior United States defense official told NBC News."We do assess that there is greater resistance by the Ukrainians than the Russians expected," the official said. “They are fighting for their country.” While Russian forces are threatening the capital, Kyiv, and other major cities like Kharkiv and small-but-strategic cities like Rivne, none have have been taken so far and the Ukrainian air defenses remain largely intact, despite being targeted by relentless missile attacks, the official said. more...
Chloe Taylor, Amanda Macias, Christina WilkieRussian forces are closing in on Kyiv as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine continues. The United States and its European allies, meanwhile, have decided to sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin directly. Kyiv officials warned residents in the capital’s northern Obolon district not to go outside on Friday due to “the approach of active hostilities.” Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense urged people in the area to either take shelter or make petrol bombs to “neutralize the occupier.” It came as Ukrainian officials blew up bridges leading into Kyiv to prevent Russian troops infiltrating the capital. more...
Luciana Lopez, Maureen Groppe, Michael Collins, Bart Jansen | USA TODAYThe U.S. and its European allies moved to sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday as Russia's military pushed further into Ukraine in an invasion that threatened to topple its democratic government. The White House announced the new sanctions after President Joe Biden met with fellow NATO heads of state to discuss the mounting crisis. Ukrainian officials reported at least 137 deaths on their side and claimed hundreds on the Russian one. Russian authorities released no casualty figures. Bridges and schools have been damaged in the shelling, which also sliced through a Kyiv apartment building. more...
By ANDREW DRAKEKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Yurii Zhyhanov woke before dawn to his mother’s screaming and found himself covered in dust. On the second day of Russia’s invasion, shelling on the outskirts of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, struck their residential building. Many civilians, horrified to find their lives at risk, started to flee during the attack’s first hours. Amid the smoke and the screeching of car alarms on Friday, Zhyhanov and his family packed and joined them. “What are you doing? What is this?” he said, addressing Russia and gesturing to the damaged building behind him. “If you want to attack military personnel, attack military personnel. This is all I can say.” more...
Andriy ZagorodnyukThe situation in and around Ukraine is extremely tense. We have 150,000 Russian troops scattered near our borders – from Belarus to Crimea and the Black Sea. There are tens of navy vessels and thousands of planes, tanks, artillery units and other equipment, ready to be engaged within hours. There is strong evidence that the Russian government is seriously considering engaging all of these capabilities against Ukraine. We believe all preliminary decisions have been made, so the decision rests now with the president. If a campaign does start, it will mean a joint forces operation in all domains: land, air, navy, cyber, information and special operations. It will be a war on a scale unseen in Europe since the second world war. more...
Muyao Shen and David Pan(Bloomberg) -- Trading volume has slowed across many cryptocurrency trading platforms during the rout in global assets triggered by the Ukraine crisis, a potentiality troubling sign for a sector that has billed itself as alternative to traditional finance. Bitcoin’s aggregated daily spot trading volume on Coinbase, Bitstamp, FTX, Gemini, ItBit, Kraken and LMAX Digital was around $3 billion, according to data from researcher Skew. That’s compared with previous highs of roughly $5 billion in the beginning of December. At one point Thursday, Bitcoin lost about $27 billion in market value. more...
‘Go fuck yourself’, Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island tell Russian ship before being killed – audioGuardian NewsThe soldiers who died defending an island in the Black Sea from an air and sea bombardment told an officer onboard a Russian navy warship to 'go fuck yourself' when asked to surrender. video...
Guardian NewsExplosions and gunfire have been heard in a northern district of Kyiv, as invading Russian forces closed in. Footage shared on social media appears to show armoured vehicles driving through Obolonskyi, a district approximately 10km from central Kyiv. Ukraine’s defence ministry asked residents not to leave their houses and to prepare Molotov cocktails. video...
By University of OxfordThe past two decades have seen extraordinary advancements in human genetic research, generating genomic data for hundreds of thousands of individuals, including from thousands of prehistoric people. This raises the exciting possibility of tracing the origins of human genetic diversity to produce a complete map of how individuals across the world are related to each other. Until now, the main challenges to this vision were working out a way to combine genome sequences from many different databases and developing algorithms to handle data of this size. However, a new method published today by researchers from the University of Oxford’s Big Data Institute can easily combine data from multiple sources and scale to accommodate millions of genome sequences. more...
The time for the US and its European allies to act is now.By Nicole NareaThe United Nations has estimated that about 100,000 Ukrainians have already been displaced as a result of the Russian invasion, and that number could ultimately grow to 1 to 5 million. The international community is making preparations to meet their humanitarian needs — though perhaps not quickly enough. Just hours after Russia’s assault began on Thursday morning, there were massive traffic jams, sold-out train tickets, and long lines at ATMs in Kyiv as people tried to flee with little clue as to how long they might be gone or if they’ll ever return. more...
By Maria TsvetkovaKYIV, Feb 25 (Reuters) - People in Kyiv were told to make Molotov cocktail petrol bombs on Friday as they hid in makeshift shelters and basements, awaiting a Russian assault on the Ukrainian capital. Missiles pounded Kyiv overnight and air raid sirens wailed, increasing fears among residents who did not flee the city of 3 million on Thursday that an assault was imminent. "Make Molotov cocktails, neutralise the occupier!," the Defence Ministry said, while local authorities told people in the northwestern Obolon area of the city to stay off the streets because "active hostilities" were approaching. read more...
The Associated PressMOSCOW — Shocked Russians turned out by the thousands Thursday to decry their country's invasion of Ukraine as emotional calls for protests grew on social media. Some 1,745 people in 54 Russian cities were detained, at least 957 of them in Moscow. Hundreds of posts came pouring in condemning Moscow's most aggressive actions since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Vladimir Putin called the attack a "special military operation" to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine from "genocide" — a false claim the U.S. had predicted would be a pretext for invasion, and which many Russians roundly rejected. more...
Ukraine nuclear agency reports rise in Chornobyl radiation levels after Russian troops seize controlSam MeredithUkraine’s nuclear agency on Friday warned radiation at the defunct Chornobyl nuclear power plant had exceeded control levels after Russian troops seized control of the area. Experts at the state nuclear agency said in a statement that the change was due to the movement of a large number of heavy military machinery lifting the top layer of soil into the air. The condition of the Chornobyl nuclear facilities and other facilities remains unchanged, according to the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine. more...
By YURAS KARMANAU, JIM HEINTZ, VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV and DASHA LITVINOVAKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending in troops and tanks from three sides in an attack that could rewrite the global post-Cold War security order. Ukraine’s government pleaded for help as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee. Scores of Ukrainians, civilians and service members alike, were killed in the first full day of fighting. Russian President Vladimir Putin ignored global condemnation and cascading new sanctions as he unleashed the largest ground war in Europe since World War II and chillingly referred to his country’s nuclear arsenal. He threatened any country trying to interfere with “consequences you have never seen,” as a once-hoped for diplomatic resolution now appeared impossible. more...
By Kevin Liptak, CNNWashington (CNN) President Joe Biden on Thursday unveiled harsh new sanctions on Russia meant to punish the country for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, calling out Russian President Vladimir Putin for his aggression even as he acknowledged it would take time for the new measures to alter Putin's behavior. "Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences," Biden said, laying out a set of measures that will "impose severe cost on the Russian economy, both immediately and over time." The new sanctions include export blocks on technology, a centerpiece of Biden's approach that he said would severely limit Russia's ability to advance its military and aerospace sector. He also applied sanctions on Russian banks and "corrupt billionaires" and their families who are close to the Kremlin. The targets were not limited to Russia. The US also went after individuals in Belarus, including the country's defense minister, for that country's role in facilitating the Russian attack. more...
Some financial analysts have likened ousting Russia from SWIFT as a "nuclear option," and would be an unprecedented move against one of the world's largest economies.By Erik OrtizPresident Joe Biden unveiled new sanctions against Russia on Thursday in response to President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine, and said that collectively, they will be "more consequential" than one of the strongest single options he could seek. Biden stopped short of announcing the U.S. and its allies would impose a harsh financial penalty against Russia — kicking it out of the SWIFT banking system — but said such action may still be on the table as the crisis unfolds. "It is always an option," Biden told reporters at the White House, "but right now it's not the position that the rest of Europe wishes to take." more...
ABC7Russian troops launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday, as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to "consequences you have never seen." video...
Russia's economy is fueled by energy, especially natural gas exports to Europe. That could be an important tool in the arsenal used in Ukraine -- and either side can play it.With Russia's invasion of Ukraine having begun, the U.S and its allies are reviewing the additional, heavy sanctions that it can levy. The biggest weapon for both sides may be a commodity that most homeowners take for granted — natural gas. Here's what's at stake: Ukraine isn’t a member of NATO and there is no appetite so far to confront Russia militarily over its invasion. Instead, the allies have chosen to try to squeeze Russia economically, hoping that Russians will be so dismayed over the state of their economy that President Vladimir Putin will back off. more...
By VANESSA GERAWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Russian troops launched a broad, three-pronged assault on Ukraine that brought explosions and set off air raid sirens to the country’s capital, Kyiv, and other cities, shattering any remaining hope that a military conflict would be avoided. Ukraine’s leadership said at least 40 people had been killed in what it called a “full-scale war” targeting the country from the east, north and south. It said Russia’s intent was to destroy the state of Ukraine, a Western-looking democracy intent on escaping Moscow’s orbit. As Ukrainian forces fought back and civilians piled into trains and cars to flee, NATO and European leaders rushed to respond, if not directly in Ukraine, with strong financial sanctions against Russia and moves to strengthen their own borders. more...
By: The Associated Press, Nexstar Media WireKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The missile fragment pierced the ceiling of Mikhail Shcherbakov’s apartment in Kharkiv. In an instant, Ukrainians found that war, after weeks of warnings, had hit home. “I heard noise and woke up. I realized it sounded like artillery,” Shcherbakov said. He jumped from the couch and ran to wake his mother, and something exploded behind him. The missile left a nearby computer and teacup shrouded with dust, instant artifacts of Europe’s latest war. more...
ReutersKYIV, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been captured by Russian forces, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Thursday. "It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians," he said. "This is one of the most serious threats in Europe today," Podolyak said. Russian troops took over the power plant while Ukrainian forces battled them on three sides on Thursday after Moscow mounted an assault by land, sea and air in the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two. read more...
Polygraph.infoDuring a televised speech on February 21, President Vladimir Putin addressed the people of Russia and Ukraine to, in his words, “explain” the reasons for Russia’s response to the “critical, acute situation” in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. The same day, Putin formally recognized two sections of Donbas that have been controlled by Russia-backed separatists as “independent states” and ordered Russian troops into Ukraine, prompting worldwide condemnation. more...
By Kevin Liptak, CNNWashington CNN — President Joe Biden, vowing the world will “hold Russia accountable” for the attack underway in Ukraine, will spell out a set of sanctions on Thursday once meant to deter such an assault. Set to address the nation Thursday afternoon, Biden is expected to unveil new measures that could cut off Russia from advanced technology, announce new restrictions on large financial institutions and slap sanctions on additional members of the inner circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin. more...
Guardian NewsRussian forces can be seen crossing into Ukraine across the Senkivka-Veselivka border checkpoint with Belarus in border guard CCTV and a separate video shows tanks crossing the border from occupied Crimea. video...
Reuters
Associated PressKYIV, Ukraine — Russian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine on Thursday, as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions. more...
ReutersKYIV, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday called on all citizens who were ready to defend the country from Russian forces to come forward, saying Kyiv would issue weapons to everyone who wants them. Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea on Thursday, the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two and confirmation of the worst fears of the West. read more...
By YURAS KARMANAU, JIM HEINTZ, VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV and DASHA LITVINOVAKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday, hitting cities and bases with airstrikes or shelling, as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee. Ukraine’s government said Russian tanks and troops rolled across the border in a “full-scale war” that could rewrite the geopolitical order and whose fallout already reverberated around the world. In unleashing Moscow’s most aggressive action since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, President Vladimir Putin deflected global condemnation and cascading new sanctions — and chillingly referred to his country’s nuclear arsenal. He threatened any foreign country attempting to interfere with “consequences you have never seen.” more...
By Natalia Zinets and Aleksandar VasovicKYIV/MARIUPOL, Ukraine, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday in a massed assault by land, sea and air, the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two. Missiles rained down. Ukraine reported columns of troops pouring across its borders from Russia and Belarus and landing on the coast from the Black and Azov seas. Ukrainian troops fought Russian forces along practically the entire border, and fierce fighting was taking place in the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Odessa and at a military airport near Kyiv, an adviser to the presidential office said. more...
WGN NewsRussian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine on Thursday, as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences you have never seen.” video...
By YURAS KARMANAU, JIM HEINTZ, VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV and DASHA LITVINOVAKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday, hitting cities and bases with airstrikes or shelling, as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee. Ukraine’s government said Russian tanks and troops rolled across the border in a “full-scale war” that could rewrite the geopolitical order and whose fallout already reverberated around the world. In unleashing Moscow’s most aggressive action since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, President Vladimir Putin deflected global condemnation and cascading new sanctions — and chillingly referred to his country’s nuclear arsenal. He threatened any foreign country attempting to interfere with “consequences you have never seen.” more...
By The Associated PressBUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and for the first time laid responsibility directly on Moscow for the tensions and violence in Hungary’s eastern neighbor. “Together with our European Union and NATO allies, we condemn Russia’s military action,” Orban said in a video on Facebook. A member of the European Union and NATO that borders Ukraine, Hungary under Orban has pursued close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a point of concern for many of Hungary’s western partners. more...
Anna Medaris MillerA highlight reel of life's memories may flash before your eyes when you die, a first-of-its kind study suggests. The research, published Tuesday in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, describes a man who was connected to brain scans when he suffered a heart attack and died. The scans, which had never been captured on a dying human before, showed the man experienced the types of brain waves associated with memories, meditation, and dreaming right before — and even about 15 seconds after — his heart stopped beating. more...
Scientists have way more DNA from ancient Europeans than Africans. Now analysis of a genome from nearly 20,000 years ago is answering questions about the continent’s past.Human history is written in DNA. Where our ancestors lived and who they loved—the story is right there if we can see into their genes. The trouble is that the ravages of climate and time degrade DNA, making its secrets harder and harder to detect. Gradually, however, scientists have begun to peer back through time by sequencing ancient DNA. In 2016, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology pieced together DNA from a skeleton found in a cave in northern Spain. The human ancestor it was from lived more than 430,000 years ago. more...
YaleUniversityAn analysis of ancient human DNA provides the first genetic evidence of major demographic changes during the last Ice Age of Africa. Yale anthropologist Dr. Jessica Thompson, in collaboration with the Malawi Department of Museums and Monuments, discovered some of the ancient individuals in the study. video...
By Kevin Liptak, CNNWashington (CNN) President Joe Biden, vowing the world will "hold Russia accountable" for the attack underway in Ukraine, will spell out a set of sanctions on Thursday once meant to deter such an assault. Set to address the nation at 12 p.m. ET, Biden is expected to unveil new measures that could cut off Russia from advanced technology, announce new restrictions on large financial institutions and slap sanctions on additional members of the inner circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The planned sanctions, the latest US reprisals against Moscow this week, had been reserved as Biden hoped to maintain some leverage in dissuading Putin from a full-scale invasion. But so far, Western threats of economic punishment, as well as Biden's strategy of revealing what the US knew about Putin's buildup of forces to try to make the Russian leader second-guess himself, have proven ineffective. more...
By Netty Idayu Ismail and Anna AndrianovaRussian assets nosedived as military attacks across Ukraine prompted emergency central bank action and investors braced for the toughest round of Western sanctions yet, wiping out as much as $259 billion in stock-market value. The cost of insuring Russian debt against default soared to the highest since 2009 and stocks collapsed as much as 45% -- their biggest-ever retreat. The ruble sank to a record low, before paring losses. The Bank of Russia said it will intervene in the foreign exchange market for the first time in years and take measures to tame volatility. more...
WBNS 10TVBig explosions were heard before dawn in Ukrainian cities as world leaders decried the start of a Russian invasion that could topple Ukraine's government. video...
Guardian NewsIn a tense exchange with the Russian ambassador, Ukraine's representative to the United Nations has told the security council that Russian president Vladimir Putin has 'declared war on Ukraine'. video...
By Charlie D'Agata, Justine Redman, Haley OttKyiv, Ukraine — As the U.S. and other nations announced further sanctions against Russia in a bid to dissuade President Vladimir Putin from launching a full scale invasion of Ukraine, the situation on the ground was getting tenser by the minute. With violence escalating in the country's east, Ukraine's government called up military reservists and on Wednesday, the National Security Council met in Kyiv and asked lawmakers to approve a national state of emergency, which would give authorities more powers to "strengthen security of public places and locations that are critical for the public," Oleksiy Danilov, Ukraine's national security chief, said. more...
Ryan BrowneA key investment case for bitcoin is deteriorating as geopolitical uncertainty and rising inflation hammer cryptocurrency prices. The price of bitcoin fell to a two-week low Tuesday after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Donetsk and Luhansk, two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, shortly after declaring them as independent. Bitcoin is often referred to as “digital gold” by its backers. The term refers to the idea that bitcoin can provide a store of value similar to gold — one that’s uncorrelated with other financial markets, like stocks. more...
By ROB GILLIESTORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday he is removing emergency powers police can use after authorities ended the blockades at the borders and the occupation in Ottawa by truckers and others opposed to COVID-19 restrictions. Trudeau said the “threat continues” but the acute emergency that included entrenched occupations has ended. His government invoked the powers last week and lawmakers affirmed the powers late Monday. “The situation is no longer an emergency, therefore the federal government will be ending the use of the emergencies act,” Trudeau said. “We are confident that existing laws and bylaws are sufficient.” more...
Some accounts claiming to support the Canada trucker protests are run by con artists abroadNick Robins-EarlyWhen Facebook removed dozens of groups dedicated to Canada’s anti-government “Freedom Convoy” protests earlier this month, it didn’t do so because of extremism or conspiracies rife within the protests. It was because the groups were being run by scam artists. Networks of spammers and profiteers, some based as far afield as Vietnam or Romania, had set up the groups using fake or hacked Facebook accounts in an attempt to make money off of the political turmoil. That foreign networks of social media scammers had seized on a divisive political issue may feel like somewhat of a throwback. Before investigations into Russian troll factories’ operations during the US presidential election and culture war conflicts over content moderation, one of the biggest challenges facing social media platforms was profiteers pushing fake news articles and spam for easy money. Hundreds of websites mimicking US news outlets promoted their content on social media, reaping ad revenue from the traffic they generated. more...
By The Associated PressANKARA, Turkey — Turkey is torn between Russia and Ukraine as tensions between its Black Sea neighbors escalate. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says of those two countries, “It is not possible for us to give up on either of them.” He told reporters: “We have economic, military and economic ties with Russia. We also have political, military and economic ties with Ukraine ... Our aim is to take such a step that we can solve this problem without having to give up on neither of them.” Turkey has repeatedly offered to mediate as fears mount that Russia could order its troops to invade Ukraine any day now. more...
By Simone McCarthy, CNNHong Kong (CNN) China's envoy to the United Nations on Monday called for "all parties" to exercise restraint and avoid "fueling tensions" in Ukraine, but stopped short of condemning the Kremlin's recognition of independence for two pro-Moscow regions in the east of the country. Beijing is navigating a complex position as the crisis in Ukraine intensifies, attempting to balance deepening ties with Moscow with its practiced foreign policy of staunchly defending state sovereignty. In a brief statement at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council Monday night, China's UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said Beijing welcomed and encouraged every effort for a diplomatic solution, adding that all concerns should be treated on the "basis of equality." "The current situation in Ukraine is the result of many complex factors. China always makes its own position according to the merits of the matter itself. We believe that all countries should solve international disputes by peaceful means in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," Zhang said. more...
Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN(CNN) It took only 24 hours for Donald Trump to hail Russian President Vladimir Putin's dismembering of independent, democratic, sovereign Ukraine as an act of "genius." The former President often accuses his enemies falsely of treason, but his own giddy rush to side with a foreign leader who is proving to be an enemy of the United States and the West is shocking even by Trump's self-serving standards. As President Joe Biden reprises the fabled presidential role of leading the free world, the predecessor who wants to succeed him is showing Putin that impunity, dictator-coddling and hero worship will return if he wins back the White House. Trump's remarks on a conservative radio show on Tuesday will not only find a warm welcome in the Kremlin. They also will concern allies standing alongside the US against Russia who fear for NATO's future if Trump returns. more...
By Natalia Zinets and Matthias WilliamsKYIV, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday said he was introducing the conscription of reservists for a special period but ruled out a general mobilisation after Russia announced it was moving troops into eastern Ukraine. One of Europe's worst security crises in decades was unfolding after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised two areas of eastern Ukraine as independent. Both adjoin Russia and have been controlled by Russian-backed fighters since 2014. Ukraine accused Russia of wrecking peace talks on ending an eight-year-old conflict in eastern Ukraine and resisted Moscow's demands it scrap its ambition to join the NATO alliance. more...
Officials tread water over recognised borders of self-proclaimed republics in Luhansk and Donetsk until Putin’s statementAndrew RothThe veteran Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov certainly had not been authorised to declare war on Ukraine in his daily press briefing on Tuesday, but he was coming perilously close to doing so anyway. He could not explain if Russia had recognised the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk up to their current borders, or with claims on further Ukrainian land. The answer could be the difference between a stalemate and a Russian war of conquest. And, not knowing that Vladimir Putin would weigh that evening to settle the question in favour of the expanded borders, Peskov was making a hash of it. “Do these borders include Mariupol,” a journalist asked. more...
A Chinese news outlet accidentally leaked its own censorship instructions on Russia-Ukraine coverageJake LahutAn accidental social media post revealed how one Chinese outlet is toeing the line while the world grapples with the mounting Russia-Ukraine conflict. Horizon News, a subset of Beijing News, which is owned by the Chinese Communist Party, posted "instructions" on how to cover the escalating tensions to its Weibo page on Tuesday, according to The Washington Post. China has strengthened its alliance with Russia in recent years and the two countries have also become increasingly active economic partners. Trade between China and Russia has grown from $10.7 billion in 2004 to $140 billion by 2021, according to the Carnegie Moscow Center think tank. more...
Sam MeredithLONDON — The U.K. has slapped targeted economic sanctions against five Russian banks and three wealthy individuals following President Vladimir Putin’s decision to send troops into eastern Ukraine. Addressing lawmakers on Tuesday in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the first tranche of sanctions would target Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank and the Black Sea Bank. The measures would also sanction three “very high net worth” individuals: Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg and Igor Rotenberg. The individuals concerned will see their U.K. assets frozen and be banned from traveling to the country, Johnson said. All U.K. individuals and entities will also be barred from having dealings with them, he added. more...
ReutersRussian ratings agency ACRA estimates that the country's banks imported $5 billion worth of banknotes in foreign currencies in December, up from $2.65 billion a year before, in a pre-emptive step in case of sanctions that create increased demand. Dollars traditionally dominate such imports which, along with other currencies, many Russians like to hold as a hedge against any drop in the value of the ruble or rise in inflation, both potential outcomes of foreign sanctions. Valery Piven, senior director at ACRA, told Reuters that calculations based on technical reports which banks submit to Russia's central bank each month showed that they had also imported $2.1 billion in foreign banknotes in November. more...
By Charles Riley, CNN BusinessLondon (CNN Business)The West showed Tuesday it was ready to target Russia's huge energy industry — even at the risk of hurting itself — after Moscow ordered troops into parts of eastern Ukraine. Germany said it was halting certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline following Moscow's actions in eastern Ukraine on Monday. "With regard to the latest developments, we need to reassess the situation also with regard to Nord Stream 2. It sounds very technocratic but it is the necessary administrative step in order to stop certification of the pipeline," Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Berlin. more...
Martin ChulovIn 2011, as popular revolts reverberated around the Middle East, a monarch in the midst of it all made some banking decisions. Sometime that year, as neighbouring Egypt and Syria withered in the face of momentous civil protests, King Abdullah II of Jordan opened two new accounts with Credit Suisse, the Swiss bank that had discreetly served the region’s well-heeled for decades. Abdullah, one of the world’s longest-serving current monarchs, had chosen a banker that shared his approach to secrecy, particularly surrounding his personal wealth. Over the next five years, the king was the beneficial owner of at least six accounts with Credit Suisse, while his wife, Queen Rania, had another. more...
By Andrew Osborn and Dmitry AntonovMOSCOW, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent on Monday and ordered the Russian army to launch what Moscow called a peacekeeping operation into the area, upping the ante in a crisis the West fears could unleash a major war. Putin told Russia's defence ministry to deploy troops into the two regions to "keep the peace" in a decree issued shortly after he announced recognition for Russia-backed separatists there, drawing U.S. and European condemnation and vows of new sanctions. more...
ReutersCredit Suisse faces new trouble after a huge leak of client data going back decades raised questions over the nature of some of its customers. video...
Hugh SonCredit Suisse was scrambling Sunday to contain the fallout from its latest scandal after several newspapers reported that more than 18,000 leaked accounts showed that criminals, alleged human rights abusers and sanctioned individuals including dictators had been clients of the Swiss bank. The leaked information, which covered accounts holding more than $100 billion, came from a whistle-blower who shared his findings with German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, according to a press release. The newspaper then involved an anti-corruption group and 46 other media outlets around the world, including The New York Times, Guardian, Le Monde and others. more...
By Andrew Osborn and Dmitry AntonovMOSCOW, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will sign a decree recognising two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent entities shortly, the Kremlin said, upping the ante in a crisis the West fears could unleash a war. Putin announced his decision in phone calls to the leaders of Germany and France, who voiced disappointment, the Kremlin said in a readout of the calls. Moscow's move could torpedo a last-minute bid for a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine, and the rouble extended its losses as Putin spoke on the issue, falling 3.3% on the day to 79.83 per dollar. more...
Those at risk for human rights abuses after an invasion would most likely include political activists, "religious and ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ persons."By Andrea MitchellThe U.S. has warned the United Nations that it believes Russia has plans to kill large numbers of critics, dissidents and "vulnerable populations" in Ukraine or send them to camps after an expected invasion. The Kremlin denied the report on Monday, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling it an “absolute fiction.” Ambassador Bathsheba Nell Crocker, the U.S. representative to the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, recently made the assertions in a letter to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, the contents of which were first reported Sunday evening by The Washington Post. more...
Michael HeseltineThere is an air of desperation in attacks from those on the right and their supporters in the press. They fear if Johnson falls, the Brexit deception will crumble too. Did something change this month? Having proclaimed the Brexit referendum triumph of 2016 as the unique achievement of Boris Johnson and praised his historic success in the election three years later with the slogan “get Brexit done”, did the wreckers of the European dream slowly begin to realise that if Johnson goes, it shifts the sands from beneath their feet?I’m the president of European Movement – Andrew Adonis is chair – and between us we agreed that this link needed a public airing. Learning from the direct and simple messaging of the anti-European newspapers, we felt the phrase: “If Boris goes, Brexit goes” said it clearly enough. Adonis duly tweeted it, to the horror of the pro-Brexit press. The past few weeks have been a torrid time for the prime minister. He designed a set of restrictions he said were of critical importance for our safety and for the ability of the NHS to cope with the pandemic. He was right to do so. But disclosures since give the clearest impression that he not only broke the rules, but that he also misled parliament. more...
Former model agency boss accused of rape and suspected of trafficking minors has died in prisonKim WillsherThe former boss of a French model agency accused of rape and under investigation on suspicion of supplying underage girls to the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead in prison. The body of Jean-Luc Brunel, 75, was reportedly found hanging in his cell in the early hours of Saturday. The French prosecutors’ office confirmed the report and said an inquiry had been opened into the exact cause of death, but early indications pointed to suicide. Brunel was arrested in December 2020 at Charles de Gaulle airport before boarding a plane for Dakar in Senegal where he told police he was going on holiday. more...
By Polina Nikolskaya and Tom BalmforthDONETSK, Ukraine/MOSCOW, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Russia's President Vladimir Putin launched exercises by strategic nuclear missile forces on Saturday and Washington said Russian troops massed near Ukraine's border were "poised to strike". As Western nations fear the start of one the worst conflicts since the Cold War, U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Russian forces were beginning to "uncoil and move closer" to the border with its former Soviet neighbour. "We hope he steps back from the brink of conflict," he told a news conference on a visit to Lithuania, saying an invasion of Ukraine was not inevitable. read more...
Fears Russia is trying to create pretext for attack as nursery school in Stanytsia Luhanska is hitLuke Harding, Shaun Walker and Emma Graham-HarrisonTensions in the east of Ukraine have risen dramatically after Russian-backed separatists launched an intense artillery barrage across the line of control with Ukrainian forces, shelling a nursery school and injuring three people. According to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) there were “multiple shelling incidents” on Thursday morning across the frontline in the Donbas region. The attack on the city of Stanytsia Luhanska blew a hole through the wall of kindergarten number 21. The school day had just begun when a shell landed on the building in Depovska Street. Video showed debris and masonry strewn over a play area. more...
AxiosA new military pontoon bridge has been established over the Pripyat River in Belarus, less than four miles from the Ukraine border, Maxar Technologies found, as satellite images this week continue to show heightened military activity in Belarus, Crimea and western Russia.Why it matters: The Biden administration told reporters last evening that it now believes Russia's claims of withdrawing troops from near Ukraine are "false," Axios' Zachary Basu reports. Moscow has in fact increased its presence on the border "by as many as 7,000 troops" in recent days, a senior administration official said. more...
By Sean Lyngaas, CNNWashington (CNN) Russian government-backed hackers have acquired sensitive information on the development and deployment of US weapons by breaching American defense contractors over the last two years, US security agencies said in a public advisory on Wednesday. The information gathered is unclassified, but offers "significant insight into US weapons platforms development and deployment timelines," and also covers export-controlled technology, according to the FBI, National Security Agency and US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). It's one of the clearest public statements yet from the US government on how Kremlin-linked hackers have gathered intelligence on US defense contractors — a problem Washington has faced for years. The intrusions hit contractors supporting every US military branch, including the Air Force, Army, Navy and Space Force, as well as firms that work on defense and intelligence programs, US officials said. more...
William EcholsOn February 13, RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan appeared on the “Evening With Vladimir Solovyov” political talk show to deflect allegations that Russia plans a large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Simonyan argued that it is incorrect to ask whether Russia will invade Ukraine: “I am absolutely convinced that Russia is not going to start a war with Ukraine, and this will not happen in any way. And if Russia is compelled to interfere with what’s happening in Ukraine, [it will only be] with the goal of ending the war in Ukraine, not to start a war in Ukraine.” more...
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attacks, while tensions remain high with Russian troops massed on the Ukrainian border.By Kevin Collier and Leigh Ann CaldwellSeveral key Ukrainian websites, including those of two of the country’s largest banks and its defense ministry, were temporarily knocked offline Tuesday after an apparent cyberattack. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attacks. Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications, a government-funded organization aimed at countering disinformation, said in a Facebook post that the websites of PrivatBank and Oscadbank were knocked offline due to a distributed denial of service attack. DDoS attacks flood websites with traffic in an effort to disrupt their operations or knock them offline. The public website for the armed forces of Ukraine was also knocked offline. more...
By Alexander Marrow and Aleksandar VasovicMOSCOW/KYIV, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The United States and NATO said Russia was still building up troops around Ukraine on Wednesday despite Moscow's insistence it was pulling back, questioning President Vladimir Putin's stated desire to negotiate a solution to the crisis. In Ukraine, where people raised flags and played the national anthem to show unity against fears of an invasion, the government said a cyberattack that hit the defence ministry was the worst of its kind the country had seen. It pointed a finger at Russia, which denied involvement. read more
ReutersKYIV, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Ukraine's defence ministry and two banks came under a cyber attack on Tuesday that shut access to the ministry's website, Ukraine's information security centre said. The Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security, which is part of the culture ministry, did not say who it blamed for the attack, but a statement suggested it was pointing the finger at Russia. "It is not ruled out that the aggressor used tactics of little dirty tricks because its aggressive plans are not working out on a large scale," it said. more...
By Sarah Marsh and Dmitry AntonovMOSCOW, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Russia said on Tuesday some of its troops were returning to base after exercises near Ukraine and mocked Western warnings about a looming invasion, but NATO said it had yet to see any evidence of a de-escalation that could avert a military conflict. Russia did not say how many units were being withdrawn, and how far, after a build-up of some 130,000 Russian troops to the north, east and south of Ukraine that has triggered one of the worst crises in relations with the West since the Cold War.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said after meeting President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin that the withdrawal of some Russian troops was a good sign. Others were more cautious. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "the intelligence that we're seeing today is still not encouraging", and Ukraine said the reported pullback needed to be seen to be believed. "If we see a withdrawal, we will believe in a de-escalation," Interfax Ukraine quoted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba as saying. more...
Tom Schad | USA TODAYBEIJING — Kamila Valieva has been cleared to compete at the 2022 Winter Olympics. In a momentous decision, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Monday in favor of the Russian figure skating superstar and the country's anti-doping agency, dismissing the provisional suspension that Valieva, 15, would have otherwise faced after she tested positive for a banned heart medication. The CAS panel reasoned that the six-week delay from the time Valieva's sample was collected to the time she was informed of the positive result was "not her fault" and noted her special status as a "protected person" under world anti-doping rules, because she is not yet 16. more...
Jay Busbee and Henry Bushnell | Yahoo SportsBEIJING — Figure skating prizes the value of keeping up appearances, smiling for the world while everything's going to hell. But the sport can't smile its way through this crisis. As Russia's Kamila Valieva resumed competition at the Olympics on Tuesday despite a positive test for a banned drug, some peers broke a longstanding code of decorum and spoke out. "I think it's completely unfair to the rest of the competitors," Chinese American skater Zhu Yi told Yahoo Sports. "It's the fact that everybody else is clean and she tested positive." As Valieva took to the ice for Tuesday night's short program, where she would qualify first ahead of Thursday night's free skate, 16-year-old American Alysa Liu glanced over her shoulder, and acknowledged that Valieva's presence in the event was "a little odd." more...
By Lauren del Valle and Eric Levenson, CNN(CNN) Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre have reached an out-of-court settlement in her sexual abuse lawsuit against him, according to a court document filed by Giuffre's attorneys Tuesday. The parties anticipate filing a stipulation of dismissal of the case within 30 days, according to the letter addressed to federal Judge Lewis Kaplan. The sum of the settlement will not be disclosed, the letter says. "Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights. Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks," the letter states. more...
By Steve Scherer, David Ljunggren and Nichola SaminatherOTTAWA, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday activated rarely used emergency powers in an effort to end protests that have shut some U.S. border crossings and paralyzed parts of the capital. Under the Emergencies Act, the government introduced measures intended to cut off protesters' funding and took steps to reinforce provincial and local law enforcement with federal police. "The blockades are harming our economy and endangering public safety," Trudeau told a news conference. "We cannot and will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue." more...
Gabriela Miranda | USA TODAYJeff Bezos' superyacht is too large to pass through the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, so the town decided to dismantle the bridge. In retaliation, local residents vow to egg Bezos' yacht as it passed through. As of Thursday, more than 14,000 people were "interested" and 4,000 confirmed they will attend a Facebook event titled "Throwing eggs at superyacht Jeff Bezos." The Dutch port city said it would temporarily break down the historic Koningshavenbrug Bridge because Bezos' 417-foot-long yacht won't fit, Agence France-Presse reported. "Calling all Rotterdammers, take a box of rotten eggs with you and let's throw them en masse at Jeff's superyacht when it sails through the Hef in Rotterdam," organizer Pablo Strörmann wrote in the Facebook post. more...
"I just wish that the authorities would do something to stop this hate," Justin Romanov, 26, told NBC News.By Chantal Da SilvaWhen Justin Romanov fled to Canada from Russia nearly a decade ago, he found a safe haven. As a refugee who had been repeatedly beaten by police in Moscow for protesting in support of LGBTQ rights, he felt safe enough to build a life — finding a partner and buying a house just outside Ottawa. But over the past two weeks, Romanov, 26, said he has seen a different side of Canada, with an unprecedented demonstration in the country’s capital. The hundreds of truckers and protesters rallying outside Ottawa’s Parliament Hill and demanding an end to Covid-19 vaccine mandates have made him and many others in the city afraid. more...
By Eliza Mackintosh and Nathan Hodge, CNN(CNN) As French President Emmanuel Macron visited his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Tuesday for diplomatic talks on the country's crisis with Russia, Moscow indicated there were "points of convergence" laid out by Macron during his five-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin a day earlier. But the Kremlin has poured cold water on reports that the two leaders had agreed to de-escalate the tense standoff on Ukraine's border, where tens of thousands of Russian forces have massed in recent months, drawing warnings from Western officials of an impending invasion. The Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday would not confirm any tangible steps toward a resolution, casting a cloud over the French president's shuttle diplomacy as he addressed the media in a joint press conference alongside Zelensky. more...
Analysis: French president’s comments after Ukraine talks with Vladimir Putin should concern Nato alliancePatrick WintourDomestic critics of Emmanuel Macron, Nato hardliners and the leadership in Ukraine will be suspiciously examining the French president’s late-night remarks at his Moscow press conference on Monday for signs of freelancing. At one level, Macron, three months from a re-election campaign, stuck pretty faithfully to the script he had exhaustively agreed with his Nato partners before his meeting with Vladimir Putin, but at another level his particular view of Russia as a European nation, and lofty talk of a new security guarantees, will have set alarm bells ringing. The specifics of the five hours of discussions between the French and Russian leaders, and points of convergence, were kept from the world at the press conference, but that did not stop Macron hinting at shifts in Nato’s outlook that some members say should never be made in response to military intimidation. more...
By ROB GILLIES and TRACEY LINDEMANProtesters have said they will not leave until all vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. They also called for the removal of Trudeau’s government, though it is responsible for few of the restrictive measures, most of which were put in place by provincial governments. Prominent Republicans including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton complained after crowdfunding site GoFundMe said it would refund the vast majority of the millions of dollars raised by demonstrators. The site said it cut off funding for protest organizers after determining that their efforts violated the site’s terms of service by engaging in unlawful activity. Ontario Provincial Premier Doug Ford has called the protest an occupation. more...
Bill BostockRussia has amassed enough troops to "seize any city" in Ukraine, but is still short of the number needed for a full occupation, Ukraine's former defense minister said. "Russia could now seize any city in Ukraine. But we still don't see the 200,000 troops needed for a full-scale invasion," Andriy Zagorodnyuk told The Guardian. Official US estimates put the number of Russian troops at Ukraine's border at 130,000. US officials told the Associated Press that Russia has to date amassed 70% of the total firepower it would need for a mid-February invasion. more...
Thomas ColsonBoris Johnson's premiership was rocked by the departure of another adviser Friday, following the departure of several key Downing Street aides. Elena Narozanski, a member of the Downing Street policy unit, has resigned, according to Conservative Home's Paul Goodman. She was Johnson's special adviser on women and equalities, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and extremism. Her departure follows the resignation of four key Downing Street aides on Thursday. more...
By Phil Stewart and Dmitry AntonovWASHINGTON/MOSCOW, Feb 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden has approved sending additional forces to eastern Europe, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday, as Washington reinforces its allies against what it describes as a Russian threat to invade Ukraine. One of the officials said about 2,000 American troops would deploy from the United States to Poland and Germany, while around 1,000 troops now based in Germany would head to Romania. In signs that, publicly at least, Russia is in no mood to signal compromise, the Kremlin mocked British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as "utterly confused" and ridiculed British politicians for their "stupidity and ignorance". more...
By Natasha Bertrand, Barbara Starr and Jeremy Herb, CNN(CNN) President Joe Biden has formally approved additional US military deployments to Eastern Europe, the Pentagon announced Wednesday, with US troops deploying soon to Poland, Germany and Romania. The deployments to Eastern Europe, which were first reported by CNN, are a show of support to NATO allies feeling threatened by Russia's military moves near Ukraine, US officials said. The troops are expected to deploy "in the coming days," the officials said. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the deployments include roughly 2,000 troops from the United States to Poland and Germany in the coming days. In addition, approximately 1,000 troops currently based in Germany are being deployed to Romania. Kirby said that the moves were not permanents and emphasized, "These forces are not going to fight in Ukraine." more...
ReutersMOSCOW, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Russia said on Tuesday it would insist that Western governments respect a 1999 agreement that no country can strengthen its own security at the expense of others, an issue it argues is at the heart of the Ukraine crisis. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he raised the matter in a conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and that Blinken accepted the need to discuss it further. In the U.S. readout of the call, the State Department said Blinken urged Russia to immediately pull back troops from Ukraine's border and said Washington was willing to continue talking about mutual security concerns. more...
By Andrew Carey, CNNJerusalem (CNN) Amnesty International has become the latest human rights organization to accuse Israel of apartheid for its treatment of Palestinians, prompting an angry response from Israel, which has denounced the report as anti-Semitic. Amnesty's nearly 300-page report, released Tuesday, details "inhuman or inhumane acts of forcible transfer, administrative detention, torture, unlawful killings and serious injuries, and the denial of basic rights and freedoms or persecution committed against the Palestinian population," creating "an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination over Palestinians." "Amnesty International concludes that the State of Israel considers and treats Palestinians as an inferior non-Jewish racial group," it said. Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, told CNN's Becky Anderson on Tuesday that "we call it apartheid because it is apartheid under international law." more...
Holly EllyattLONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his team are waking to a barrage of scathing headlines in the British press on Tuesday following the early findings of an inquiry into various parties held within Downing Street and government buildings during Covid-19 lockdowns. The report, carried out by senior civil servant Sue Gray and published in a limited form on Monday, described “failures of leadership and judgment by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet Office at different times” and said that some of the behavior was “difficult to justify.” The 12-page report was the result of several weeks of investigations by Gray, in which hundreds of pictures and documents were gathered and which have now been passed to the Metropolitan Police as it carries out its own probe into alleged Covid breaches by government staff. more...
Peter GranitzPrime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni announced a lockdown for his nation of 106,000 people after it recorded its first cases of community transmission of COVID-19. Tonga's High Commission in London confirmed the announcement and said it would be reviewed every 48 hours. Two workers tested positive Tuesday, local media reported, after the Ministry of Health increased testing at the wharf they worked at amid a flow of international aid following last month's volcanic eruption and tsunami. Mr. Sovaleni said Wednesday that three more people tested positive for the virus. The lockdown will require people to remain at home, though aid personnel will be exempt. more...
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