https://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/1502284765688389643?s=20&t=FJXq0MI_R9a2upXFCyaqMw
https://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/1502274010532487178?s=20&t=FJXq0MI_R9a2upXFCyaqMw
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1502298153265115139?s=20&t=Q1YLQU0vR5TQ44fC4-HXtg
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1502297556738621443?s=20&t=Q1YLQU0vR5TQ44fC4-HXtg
11 Mar, 2022 14:08
Croatia confirms crashed drone came from Ukraine
The aircraft that fell on Zagreb traveled through Romania and Hungary, officials said
The military drone that crashed overnight in the Croatian capital of Zagreb apparently came from Ukraine, President Zoran Milanovic said on Friday, after chairing a meeting of the National Security Council.
The six-ton aircraft traveled through the airspace of Romania and Hungary before reaching Croatia, Milanovic claimed, citing reports he received during the meeting. It flew through Hungarian airspace for about 40 minutes.
The six-ton aircraft traveled at the speed of almost 1000 km (621 miles) per hour and spent seven minutes over Croatia, before apparently running out of fuel and crashing, the president said.
Milanovic called the incident very serious, but stressed that it didnāt appear to be some sort of attack against his country. He expressed relief over the fact that nobody was hurt by the crash and called on Croatians to maintain calm.
The president wondered how a relatively unsophisticated drone could spend an hour in NATO airspace without being intercepted, despite being detected by radar stations. The incident showed that the country needs to better develop its defenses, he stated.
When asked by journalists whether Zagreb would complain to Ukraine if the origin of the drone was confirmed to be Ukrainian, Milanovic said Kiev had its hands full fighting off the Russian attack.
āI just hope it doesn't happen again,ā he said.
Croatian Defense Minister Mario Banozic held a press-conference, during which he said the Croatian military didnāt fail in the incident since the aircraft posed no threat to the country.
Admiral Robert Hranj, the Chief of the General Staff of Croatia, who spoke alongside the minister, confirmed that Zagreb didnāt scramble fighter jets in response to the droneās violation of Croatian airspace, claiming that the military didnāt have enough time to do so.
The aircraft that crashed in Zagrebās Jarun neighborhood on Thursday night is widely presumed to have been a Soviet-designed Tu-141 Strizh reconnaissance drone. Hranj declined to assign ownership of the unmanned plane, stating that this type of aircraft was ārelatively old-fashioned and widespread in the Soviet Union since the last century.ā
A Tu-141 weighs about six tons, has a speed of around 1,000 km (621 miles) per hour and a range of 1,000 km. It lands with the help of a tail-mounted parachute system. Croatian police discovered parachutes in the area of the crash.
Ukraine is the only nation that officially operates Tu-141s at the moment.
https://www.rt.com/news/551700-zagreb-drone-ukraine-territory/
11 Mar, 2022 14:23
US designates two āmajor non-NATO alliesā
Biden (Obama redux) labeled Qatar and Colombia as Washingtonās āmajor alliesā outside of the military bloc
US President Joe Biden designated Qatar and Colombia as major non-NATO allies of the US on Thursday, a special status that will grant the two nations defense and trade privileges in their relations with Washington.
āThe Major Non-NATO Ally designation is a powerful symbol of the close relationship the United States shares with those countries and demonstrates our deep respect for the friendship for the countries to which it is extended,ā the US Department of State explained.
The major non-NATO ally status has been granted to over 15 nations around the world. It providesUS partners with economic privileges such as loans, cooperative research, and even exclusive defense contracts with NATO countries. The status, however, does not entail any security commitments to the designated countries.
After his country was designated a major non-NATO ally, Colombian President Ivan Duque thanked the US and president Biden for ātaking the bilateral relationship to [its] highest.ā
Although the Biden Administration made a pledge to grant the special status to Qatar back in January, the decision comes only now amid rising concerns over growing fuel prices due to Washington imposing a ban on Russiaās energy supplies.
Bidenās move to upgrade the partnership with Doha is a U-turn from his predecessorās unfriendly policy towards the Gulf country. Led byDonald Trump, the previous Republican administration not only accused Qatar of financing international terrorism but also supported the economic blockadeof the Arab nation by its neighbors.
Earlier, there were reports that Washington allegedly failed to negotiate an energy production increase with its Gulf allies since Saudi Arabia and the UAE ignored President Bidenās phone calls.
https://www.rt.com/news/551713-biden-qatar-colombia-allies/