https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/ukraine-warns-it-might-target-europes-longest-bridge

Ukraine warns it might target Europe’s longest bridge

Major General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Dmitry Marchenko stated that Ukraine should target the Kerch Strait Bridge connecting Crimea to the Russian mainland as soon as it receives necessary weapons from the West.

In an interview with US state-run media Crimea Realities (Krym.Realii), he tersely said: “The Kerch Bridge is absolutely our number one target.”

“As the main way of sending in reserves, we just have to cut it off. As soon as that road is cut off, they will start to panic. And believe me, those who flew Russian flags in Simferopol will quickly get Ukrainian flags and start flying them instead,” he added.

Marchenko's remarks were part of an interview published on Wednesday in which he predicted a Ukrainian "counter-offensive" that would see Kiev victorious by the end of the summer – if enough weapons and ammunition arrived from the US and NATO allies.

Earlier in the day, US President Joe Biden announced a $1 billion military supply package that included anti-ship missiles, long-range rockets, and more artillery.

While the United States is sending only four HIMARS rocket launchers, which have yet to arrive in Ukraine, other NATO allies have pledged compatible equipment.

It is also worth noting that the Pentagon’s policy chief, on Tuesday, revealed that the US will provide guided missiles with a range of 70 kilometers.

Ukraine reportedly provided Washington with "assurances that they will not use these systems against targets on Russian territory," according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this month.

However, the US refuses to recognize Crimea as Russian territory, dubbing the peninsula, which overwhelmingly voted to rejoin Russia in March 2014, "illegally annexed."

It was unclear what weapons Marchenko hoped to use against the bridge, which the Kiev government has previously threatened to attack. While the bridge was the only way to reach Crimea from the Russian mainland for several years, the entire Black Sea coast from Kherson to Mariupol is now under Russian and Donbass republics' control.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/yemeni-journalist-assassinated-by-car-bomb-in-aden

Yemeni journalist assassinated by car bomb in Aden

A Yemeni journalist was killed by a car bomb in Aden, the country's second-largest city and the main center point for the Saudi-backed forces, a security official said on Thursday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that “unidentified assailants had planted an explosive device in the vehicle of journalist Saber Al-Haidari, who works for a number of foreign media outlets."

The bomber struck on Wednesday night as "Haidari was driving home, killing him and injuring others in the car," according to the official.

Furthermore, the official compared the attack to the November car bombing that killed pregnant Yemeni journalist Rasha Abdullah Al-Harazi. It is worth noting that her husband, journalist Mahmud Al-Atmi, was also injured in the attack.

On its account, Reporters Without Borders said that Haidari "was killed yesterday (Wednesday) night after an explosive device was placed in his car."

He was a correspondent for China's Xinhua News Agency, according to the report.

Saudi-led military aggression launched in 2015 has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions more displaced in what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Yemeni journalists attempting to cover the war on Yemen have constantly faced threats of retribution.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/16-kurdish-journalists-arrested-in-turkey-for-terrorism

16 Kurdish journalists arrested in Turkey for "terrorism"

More than a dozen Turkish journalists have been imprisoned Thursday by court order for allegedly belonging to terrorist organizations in Southeastern Turkey. The journalists have been unlawfully detained, alongside others, for "spreading terrorist propaganda" since June 8 according to Turkish authorities.

Originally 20 journalists were detained June 8 in Diyarbakir, a city with a Kurdish majority population, for working at Kurdish media outlets. According to police sources, the police department had investigated the "press committee" of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PPK) group.

Serdar Altan, co-chairman of the Dicle Firat Journalists' Association, Jin News CEO Safiye Alagas, and Mezopotamya news agency editor Aziz Oruc were among those jailed. While 16 journalists were imprisoned, the rest were set free following the investigative decisions.

Non-governmental groups frequently decry the loss of journalistic freedom in Turkey, which is ranked 149th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 2022 Press Freedom Index.

Moreover, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the Peoples' Democratic Party, the third-largest party within the Turkish parliament, of being the political wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Since 2016, hundreds of the Peoples' Democratic Party members have been arrested, including leader Selahattin Demirtaş.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sanaa-government:-violation-of-truce-gives-right-to-review-p

Sanaa government: Violation of truce gives right to review position

Deputy Foreign Minister in the Sanaa government, Hussein Al-Ezzi, announced Thursday that his government had accepted the extension of the armistice in Yemen based on "serious promises" to increase the number of flights and to make progress on the issue of salaries.

Al-Ezzi said in a Tweet that the number of flights before the extension of the armistice has not been met.

The Deputy FM explained that there was a "clear and significant breach of the truce," expressing his belief that not rushing to correct this defect "would give Sanaa the full right to review its position."

Al Mayadeen counted 13,859 violations of the armistice by the Saudi-appointed Yemeni Presidential Council forces and the Saudi coalition during the first two months of the truce.

Yemen has been suffering from a Saudi-led war for 8 years now. A UN-brokered truce went into force in April but was repeatedly violated by the Saudi-led coalition.

The UN special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced earlier this month that the Sanaa government and the Saudi-led coalition have agreed to renew the armistice in Yemen for two months.

Grundberg explained at the time that "the terms of the armistice agreement include facilitating the entry of 18 ships carrying fuel to the ports of Al Hudaydah, and allowing two flights to and from Sanaa airport, every week," while the Yemenis assert that Saudi Arabia did not abide by the agreed terms of the armistice.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-claims-to-have-captured-isis-leader-in-syria

US claims to have captured ISIS leader in Syria

US Army General Michael Erik Kurilla, head of US Central Command, declared that the US army has captured, in a raid conducted on Thursday, Hani Ahmed Al-Kurdi, also known as the ‘Wali of Raqqa’ within ISIS.

The raid took place in Northeastern Syria where ISIS continues to strive despite all efforts of containment. Kurilla confirmed his post as the head of US Central Command in February; a position considered to be of the highest profiles in Pentagon’s assignments.

US Army General met with American diplomats and foreign counterparts to better familiarize himself and discuss further highly sensitive topics.

According to the news release on Thursday, the US official said no civilians were harmed during the operation. Moreover, no US personnel suffered any casualties.

Earlier in February, the US claimed to have assassinated ISIS leader, Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, at his hideout in Atma, Syria. At the time US Army personnel claimed two children were killed in the operation, while local first responders and UNICEF counted at least 5.

Racking up civilian casualties is no recent endeavor for the US military. In recent months, they have come under significant criticism as a result of that shameful history in operations targeting alleged ISIS members on occupied Iraqi and Syrian soil.

Last month, the Pentagon admitted that an attack in Baghuz, Syria, in 2019 went horribly wrong, killing civilians, including children, as well as suspected ISIS combatants.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-in-contact-with-ukraine-about-2-us-fighters-captured-by-r

US in contact with Ukraine about 2 US fighters captured by Russia

The US State Department is in contact with Ukrainian authorities about two American fighters who were allegedly captured by Russian forces in Ukraine on Wednesday, according to Fox News.

The media reported that Russian forces captured US citizens Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, earlier in the day.

The US government is closely monitoring the situation and is in contact with Ukrainian authorities, but due to privacy concerns, the US government has no further comment, according to the report.

The official urged US citizens to avoid traveling to Ukraine, particularly for the purpose of fighting Russian and allied forces during Russia's special military operation there.

One of the captured Americans is a US Marine Corps veteran, and the other is an Army veteran, The New York Post reported.

White House has no confirmation

The National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby stated that the White House is unable to confirm media reports of two US fighters captured by Russian soldiers in Ukraine.

"I can't confirm the reports … Just was made aware of them before I came out here," Kirby told a press briefing. "We'll do the best we can to monitor this and see what we can learn about it. " The White House discourages Americans from going to Ukraine and fighting there, he added.

"It is a war zone. It’s combat," he said. "Ukraine is not the place for Americans to be traveling."

Moreover, in May, defense authorities reported that the US military is increasing weapon training for Ukrainian soldiers, with hundreds currently being taught about artillery systems, drones, and radars.

The program, which involves sending Ukrainians out of the country to train in various sites throughout Europe, has accelerated dramatically after the Pentagon reported in early April that it had educated roughly a dozen such personnel on how to use Switchblade drones.

More than 220 Ukrainians have received training in US artillery, including the M777 Howitzer, a 10,000-pound device that can be carried by trucks and reach targets up to 18 miles distant with 155 mm shells. Washington has offered 90 such systems to Kiev.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/macron-scholz-draghi-visit-ukraine-to-meet-with-zelensky

Macron, Scholz, Draghi visit Ukraine to meet with Zelensky

European leaders from France, Germany, and Italy traveled by train to Kiev Wednesday overnight and arrived on Thursday morning. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Italy’s PM Mario Draghi sought to express and validate their support for Ukraine.

The three leaders of the top EU economies arrived in Kiev for the first time since the Russian special military operation in Ukraine began. Scholz and Macron, the leaders of the largest economies, have been criticized for not visiting Ukraine yet.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will discuss with the three leaders sensitive topics including Ukraine’s bid to join the EU.

Earlier on Wednesday, Macron visited a NATO base in Romania where approximately 500 French troops are deployed. During his visit, the French President stated that “we are at a time when we, the European Union, need to send clear political signals to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in a context where they have been resisting heroically for several months.”

Despite their different perspectives, all three countries are in support of Ukraine joining the EU. A response to the candidacy of Ukraine to the EU is expected to unravel during the European summit on 23-24 June. If successful, this will start a negotiation process to become a bona fide member state, which may take several years.

France's Europe minister, Clement Beaune, reportedly said Ukraine's EU membership was "15 or 20 years" away from being realized.

"We have to be honest. If you say Ukraine is going to join the EU in six months, or a year or two, you're lying," Beaune said, speaking to a local radio station. "It's probably in 15 or 20 years, it takes a long time."

French President Emmanuel Macron had earlier voiced his aspiration to create a European political community to ensure Ukraine could join the 27-nation bloc later on. However, Zelensky dismissed the move, asking to join the European Union.

The European Commission's chief, Ursula von der Leyen, said Sunday that once the war in Ukraine is over, the EU will support Ukraine's efforts to rebuild.

Von der Leyen said in an interview on CNN that Kiev belonged in Europe, and the EU will support Ukraine's bid for membership, adding that its accession to the Union might be viewed as an extraordinary case.

Usually, it takes a country wishing to join the EU years in order to cross obstacles preventing its accession, von der Leyen admitted. She had traveled on Friday to meet Volodymyr Zelensky a membership questionnaire in order to launch the process of Ukraine's accession.

Von der Leyen promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukraine's accession to the European Union would be expedited.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/washington-yet-to-inquire-about-captured-us-mercenaries:-zak

Washington yet to inquire about captured US mercenaries: Zakharova

The US has not yet lodged a formal inquiry with Moscow regarding the two US mercenaries captured by Russian forces near the Ukrainian city of Kharkov.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told the Solovyov Live show, on Thursday, when asked about this matter in specific “I do not have such information, and I have been checking it every day. I will check it today as well. We disclose to the public all information about the fate of arrested mercenaries or those on trial… I want to reiterate that I will double-check whether there is any additional information on this issue.”

On Wednesday, The Telegraph reported that these are the first two American mercenaries captured in Ukraine by Russian forces. The two captives, according to the newspaper, are former US servicemen, Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27.

On the other hand, US Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby said, on the same day, that the US had claimed to discourage Americans from becoming boots on the ground in Ukraine.

The US State Department is in contact with Ukrainian authorities regarding this situation, according to Fox News.

"The US government is closely monitoring the situation and is in contact with Ukrainian authorities, but due to privacy concerns, the US government has no further comment," according to the report.

US involvement in Ukraine

The New York Times (NYT), citing senior US officials, claimed that Washington provided Kiev with intelligence that led to the death of high-ranking Russian officers whose number is not specified.

The newspaper's sources declined to specify how many Russian generals had been killed with US assistance.

But Ukrainian officials claim they have killed 12 Russian generals on the front lines, "a number that has astonished military analysts," the NYT said, adding that the US is said to prohibit itself from providing intelligence on Russia's "most senior" military leaders to Kiev.

According to the newspaper, the US and other NATO allies are secretly providing real-time battlefield intelligence to Ukraine.

That intelligence in particular includes anticipated Russian troop movements after the start of the second phase of the war in Ukraine.

Furthermore, Republican senator Rand Paul, in May, said that Congress needs to borrow money from China to send aid to Ukraine, just a day before the US Senate voted by majority to send $40 billion in military and economic aid to Ukraine and its allies. According to Investopedia, the US owes China $1 trillion in debt.

"To borrow the money from China simply to send it to Ukraine makes no sense and makes us weaker not stronger," Paul said on the Senate floor regarding the aid package.

Last February, the US Treasury announced that its national debt had hit a record high of over $30 trillion, in addition to the inflation which has skyrocketed reaching the US' biggest jump in 40 years.

>>16456331

Thank you for the compliment Einstein.

>>16456435

Killing and trafficking

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/mbs-image-being-whitewashed-ahead-of-biden-visit

MBS image being whitewashed ahead of Biden visit

According to Intelligence Online, the US is attempting to whitewash the image of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), through the Muslim World League (MWL) and the global consulting firm Berkeley research group (BRG) ahead of US President Biden's visit to the Kingdom in a Middle East tour.

MWL and BRG are attempting to ease tensions between MBS and the US President by roping BGR in Government Affairs, a lobby familiar with Saudi Arabia.

BRG has previously worked for Azerbaijan, Bahrain, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and the Somali Ministry of Finance.

According to Intelligence Online, it is likely to face a difficult challenge in trying to modify the image the American public has toward Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose reputation was severely damaged by the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The MWL has also taken a back seat on matters of Saudi Arabia since MBS came into power.

But the league is now back in force in Washington, where it is striving to restore MBS' image by offering a "moderate" vision of Islam promoted by Riyadh. This push aims to pave the way for long-term cooperation, after the US President's visit to the Saudi capital.

Days ago, CNN reported that senior American officials told Saudi Arabia that the US is ready to move forward in restoring the relationship between the countries, ignoring the issue of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Washington named the street in which the Saudi Embassy building is located after journalist Jamal Khashoggi, 'Khashoggi Way', and activists considered Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia a shameful surrender.

After news surfaced regarding the visit to Saudi Arabia and "Israel", those who believed Biden would be a champion for human rights, thus distancing himself from Saudi Arabia, or in his words, the "pariah" state, have gotten what feels like a slap in the face.

According to Foreign Affairs, not only is Biden most likely going to gain nothing from the visit, but it will also forever tarnish his image.

In May, the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Saudi Vice Minister of Defense Khalid bin Salman in Washington

Sullivan reaffirmed President Biden’s commitment to helping Saudi Arabia defend its territory, and expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s leadership in securing an UN-brokered truce in Yemen. which Saudi Arabia continues to violate.

>> What about all the crimes in Yemen? Are the children of Yemen going to be saved too?

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iranian-intelligence-arrests-element-linked-to-detained-fren

Iranian intelligence arrests element linked to detained French spies

Iranian intelligence forces apprehended a suspect linked to the arrest of two French spies in May.

The detention of a person linked to the espionage operations carried out by the two French nationals in Iran was announced by Iranian intelligence forces in the northwestern province of West Azerbaijan. They apprehended the convict while attempting to flee the country with the help of dissident groups.

The detainee had coordinated the actions of two French spies who sought to cause chaos in the country last month.

Iran announced the detention of two French nationals engaged in espionage and who attempted to foment sedition in the country. The spies are Cécile Kohler, 37, and Jacqeus Paris, 69, who were arrested for attempting to incite chaos and social disorder in Iran during teachers' protests.

The two French nationals entered Iran as tourists on April 28 but turned out to be spies for Western intelligence agencies.

According to the Ministry, the duo attempted to foment instability and social disorder earlier this month when some teachers took to the streets in peaceful protests to demand fair wages and better working conditions.

Two French spies are shown entering Iran and participating in protests in a video released by local media.

Read next: Iran dismantles an Israeli cyber-espionage network

In a low-quality audio file, a woman and a man discuss a "battle to gather majority" to create a "revolutionary doc".

The video also includes photos of the French couple visiting activists in Iran who were imprisoned on spying or attempting to cause social disorder charges.

Some photos show the two with teachers' unionists, including Rasoul Bodaqi. According to the video, the French nationals were arrested on suspicion of spying.

In January, another French national, Benjamin Brière, was sentenced to eight years in prison on spying charges after photographing "prohibited areas" with a drone.

In April, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry detained three agents working with the Israeli spy agency Mossad in the Sistan and Balouchestan province of Southeastern Iran.

According to the Intelligence Ministry, the spies were involved in the dissemination of classified information and documents. It went on to say that the three spies were apprehended on a judicial order, without naming their nationalities.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/stingers-javelin-missiles-sent-to-kiev-sold-on-black-market:

Stingers, Javelin missiles sent to Kiev sold on black market: Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointed out Thursday that Stingers and Javelin missiles, supplied by the West to Kiev, were already being sold at a discount on the black market and have surfaced in Albania and Kosovo.

"It doesn’t hurt to take a closer look at what is already happening with the weapons available in Ukraine — the same Stingers, Javelins, they are already on the black market, they surfaced in Albania and Kosovo," he said in an interview for the NTV broadcaster.

Lavrov considered that the weapons "will return to a large extent to where they came from to Ukraine."

Kiev admitted it does not want negotiations with Moscow

The Russian Foreign Minister said that Ukraine has admitted that it prefers not to negotiate with Russia.

Lavrov told Russia’s NTV broadcaster that "lot at the staging of negotiations that failed after Istanbul: they [Kiev] simply signed that they do not want these negotiations."

"We still do not understand what kind of instruction [President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy receives from his masters in Washington, London," he expressed.

The top Russian diplomat indicated that there are attempts to create a "second Ukraine" from Moldova.

EU to undermine own criteria if grants membership to Ukraine

Lavrov considered that if the European Union grants membership to Ukraine, it will once again prove that the bloc is ready to ignore its own criteria in favor of geopolitical considerations.

"If Ukraine is given this roadmap to prepare for membership, it will only mean one thing that once again the European Union is ready to close its eyes to all its criteria, which have always existed for candidates and is ready to be guided solely by geopolitical considerations," he said.

>> If they're being sold by Kiev, then who is buying them?

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/france-germany-italy-and-romania-back-eu-candidacy-for-ukrai

France, Germany, Italy, and Romania back EU candidacy for Ukraine

France, Germany, Italy, and Romania all support Ukraine getting "immediate" formal candidate status to join the European Union, French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday in Kiev.

During a joint press conference with Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Premier Mario Draghi, and Romanian leader Klaus Iohannis, Macron assured that "All four of us support the status of immediate candidate for accession."

Ukraine applied for the EU membership on February 28, shortly after Russia launched its military operation. It was followed by Georgia and Moldova, which decided to fast-track submission of their applications and similarly received the EU questionnaire in mid-April.

Last month, EU executives had reviewed Ukraine's accession bid in record time; cutting the process from months to weeks. This cut was defended by the chief spokesperson of the European Commission, Eric Mamer.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had warned Ukraine against joining the European Union and NATO as Kiev aspired to obtain membership in both after the Ukraine war broke out.

Austria's EU Affairs Minister Karoline Edtstadler has predicted that the process will take more than a decade.

Even if approved, the candidacy is expected to be subject to strict conditions.

"This status will be accompanied by a roadmap and will also involve taking into account the situation in the Balkans and the neighboring area, notably Moldova," Macron stated.

France has the EU's rotating presidency until the end of this month.

On a surprise visit to Kiev on June 11, EU leader Ursula von der Leyen said the commission will deliver a clear signal this week on Ukraine's ambition to become a candidate.

Paris sending 6 more Caesar howitzers to Ukraine

Macron also announced that France would send an additional 6 Caesar long-range self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine to help it counter the Russian forces.

"On top of the 12 Caesars already delivered, I took the decision (to deliver) in the coming weeks six additional Caesars," Macron stated.

Macron assured Zelensky that "Europe is at your side. It will stay so until it needs to, until victory."

Earlier, on a visit to the war-torn Kiev district of Irpin, he urged Ukraine must "resist and win."

Caesars are highly acclaimed for their accuracy and are manufactured by Nexter, a partially state-owned armaments manufacturer in France.

Ukraine showcased the weapon to media, including AFP, earlier this week, as the country called for additional Western armaments to oppose Moscow.

>>16456782

The one in the picture is the German Chancellor.