15 Jul, 2022 13:03

Hungary has ‘military plans’ for Ukraine – minister

Budapest needs to protect ethnic Hungarians living in the western part of the bordering country, FM Peter Szijjarto has said

(This is exactly why Russia went in to protect Donesk and Lungansk region, Hungary prepared to ptotect their own in Ukraine)

Hungary has military plans on how to protect ethnic Hungarians living in western Ukraine, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has revealed.Budapest is ready to act in defense of 150,000 people it considers its own, he revealed in an interview on Friday.

“Our country has prepared emergency war scenarios,” the minister told Index news website. He said the Hungarian government wanted to avoid using them, which is why it sought a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine armed conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, rejected the idea of offering concessions to Russia to secure a ceasefire, and claims his country can defeat Russia with the help of Western backers. The Hungarian foreign minister commented on the two countries’ objectives, saying his country has different interests than Ukraine.

“And what is the Ukrainian interest? To involve as many countries as possible in this conflict, at least through arms shipments. Our interest on the other hand is to stay out of this conflict and minimize the risk of getting dragged into a war,” Szijjarto said.

Szijjarto claimed that after Russia attacked Ukraine, Budapest “closed all the issues” that had caused tensions with Kiev before.

Kiev has long accused Budapest of encouraging secessionism among its Hungarian diaspora, including by allegedly secretly giving citizenship to ethnic Hungarians. In 2018, Kiev kicked out the Hungarian consul in the town of Beregovo over the issue. The mission’s staff was previously filmed apparently handing out citizenship paperwork to Ukrainian Hungarians and instructing them to keep it a secret.

Relations between the two nations took a turn for the worse in 2017, afterKiev adopted a law which set out a roadmap for removing minority languages from Ukrainian schools. Budapest said it was discriminatory against ethnic Hungariansand pledged to stand in the way of Ukraine’s plans to join NATO and the EU unless the law is scrapped.

Despite Szijjarto’s assessment that the tensions are in the past, his country has received harsh criticism from Kiev in recent months. In May, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk accused Budapest of cozying up to Russia for its “cheap gas,”and secretly wishing to seize the Hungarian-majority parts of Ukraine.

https://www.rt.com/news/559046-hungary-ukraine-military-plans/

15 Jul, 2022 14:49

Russia labels Bellingcat ‘undesirable’

(Kekkity)

The controversial ‘citizen journalism’ organization has been banned by the prosecutor general’s office

Russia’s prosecutor general’s office on Friday labeled investigative journalism group Bellingcat, as well as two other non-profits, “undesirable organizations.” The designation, which is expected to be formalized by the country’s Justice Ministry shortly, effectively means a ban on operating in Russia.

The prosecutors targeted both UK-based Bellingcat Ltd. and its Netherlands branch Stichting Bellingcat. Latvia-based media outlet The Insider and Czechia-based Central and Eastern European Law Initiative (CEELI) non-profit were also deemed “undesirable.” All of the organizations pose a threat to Russia’s “constitutional order and security,” the prosecutors said in a statement.

The designation essentially amounts to a complete ban on the groups’ operations in Russia, entailing the mandatory closure of all local chapters and freezing of assets. Attempts to circumvent the ban carry administrative and criminal penalties.

Over the past few months, Russia has repeatedly targeted Bellingcat, placing the supposedly independent group under various restrictions. Back in October 2021, Russia labeled Bellingcat a “foreign agent” – a status that placed certain restrictions on its operations in Russia. Further action was taken by Russia’s internet and media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, in March, when it blocked access to its website.

Founded back in 2014, Bellingcat portrays itself as an independent investigative group specializing in fact-checking and open-source intelligence, with both professional and citizen journalists contributing. The group’s favorite topics include armed conflicts, various criminal networks and human rights abuses.

Bellingcat has repeatedly targeted Russia in its publications, pinning the blame on Moscow for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Donbass, as well as for various incidents related to the war in Syria and even the alleged poisoning of prominent Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny. The group’s findings have been repeatedly amplified by leading Western media outlets, which routinely take them at face value.

Moscow, however, has on numerous occasions called Bellingcat’s credibility into question, challenging the group’s findings with its own data. The head of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, Sergey Naryshkin, last August questioned Bellingcat’s proclaimed independence,pointing out that its team at least partly comprised former intelligence operatives from Western countries. The sole purpose of the group was to “put pressure on either the country [Russia], or individuals and entities,” the spy boss alleged.

“They use dishonest methods. And the information that is used in such cases is false, unverified, it has its own goals… They are ready to perform any task, because they do it for money, not objectively,” Naryshkin asserted.

https://www.rt.com/russia/559058-bellingcat-security-undesirable-designation/

15 Jul, 2022 13:42

HomeBusiness News

Russian oil price cap won’t solve energy crisis – Indonesian FM

The measure could increase the gap between supply and demand

The US-proposed limits on the price of Russian oil could further exacerbate the global energy crisis, as it would not help solve the supply issues the world is facing, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told CNBC on Friday.

According to the official, energy prices are high because demand is outstripping supply, which has already been disrupted due to Russia’s military operation in Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions which target the country’s energy sector.

“Putting a cap is definitely not going to solve the problem, because it is about the quantity which is not adequate, comparing to the demand which is in place,” Indrawati said, speaking to the press on the sidelines of the G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors in Bali, Indonesia.

The official added that the supply-demand gap is only going to widen in the coming months as the heating season approaches.

Indrawati’s statements come amid US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s trip to Asia, during which she aims to garner support for the price-cap mechanism. Yellen on Wednesday called the price cap “one of our most powerful tools” to fight inflation.

Also on Wednesday, Assistant Secretary of State for the US Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Molly Montgomery said Washington views the proposed mechanism as an opportunity to pay less for Russian energy imports and stabilize the global oil market.

Analysts, however, doubt whether the measure would work, as Russia could choose not to sell its oil at the price set by Washington. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan recently said the introduction of a price cap mechanism will take time, as many details have to be sorted out before it can be finalized.

The US has been trying to persuade India and China to support the price cap, but experts doubt they will agree, as both countries are currently stocking up on Russian crude at large discounts.

Indrawati said the source of the current crisis is the conflict in Ukraine.

“It is because of that war, that the whole disruption of all this supply, as well as then the implication of war in terms of sanctions – it’s even creating a more complex situation,” she stated, referring to the US ban on Russian oil imports and the EU’s partial oil embargo.

https://www.rt.com/business/559054-russian-oil-price-cap-energy-crisis/

15 Jul, 2022 14:34

Poland buys used US tanks after Germany’s snub

Warsaw intends to use M1 Abrams main battle tanks to replenish its stock after sending weapons to Kiev

(All these compassionate and caring countries are sending their old worn out shit to Ukraine, so they can buy new equipment)

Poland will purchase 116 used M1 Abrams main battle tanks from the US in order to backfill the armored vehicles it had delivered to Ukraine.

Warsaw has reached an agreement on the matter with the White House, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak told Polish news agency IAR on Friday.

The agency reported that the first US-made tanks would be delivered early next year and replace more than 240 Soviet-era T-72 tanks, which Poland transferred to Ukraine in April.

Poland initially hoped to replenish its stocks with German Leopard 2 tanks. But the planned deal failed to materialize, after which Polish President Andrzej Duda in May accused Berlin of breaking its word.

Steffen Hebestreit, the German government’s spokesman, said at the time that Berlin was “perplexed” by the allegations. He told reporters that Poland requested the newest Leopard 2A7 tanks, but the German army itself had a relatively small number of such vehicles.

In April, Poland and the US signed a separate deal for Warsaw to purchase 250 new Abrams tanks.

Many Western countries, including EU nations, have been supplying Ukraine with heavy weapons after Russia launched a military operation against the neighboring state in late February.

https://www.rt.com/news/559055-poland-buys-used-tanks/

15 Jul, 2022 09:35

Russia explains deadly strike on Ukrainian city

Moscow said it targeted a meeting of Kiev's military commanders with foreign arms suppliers in central Vinnitsa

The Russian military has confirmed launching a missile attack at a target in the city of Vinnitsa in Ukraine. It denied claims that it was a deliberate strike on civilians,stating that it hit Ukrainian military commanders as they negotiated with foreign arms suppliers.

Russia attacked the House of Military Officers in Vinnitsa with sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles, the Defense Ministry said on Friday during a daily briefing.

The statement claimed that the attack happened when a group of Ukrainian senior military officers were holding a meeting with foreign arms suppliers. The discussion was about the “transfer of more warplanes and weapons systems as well as the repair of the Ukrainian military air fleet,”the ministry said.The Russian strike killed all participants at the gathering.

According to Ukrainian officials, the Russian strike killed 23 civilians and injured scores of others, 80 of whom had to be hospitalized for treatment. President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Moscow attacked the city center deliberately and accused it of terrorism.

The head of Vinnitsa Region, Sergey Borzov, reported that Ukrainian air defenses engaged Russian missiles over the city and claimed they intercepted four of them.

Kiev has accused Russia of waging a genocidal war, claiming that Russian forces have a policy of killing Ukrainians. Moscow has rejected such allegations, saying its forces only attack legitimate military targets.

https://www.rt.com/russia/559038-russia-comments-airstrike-vinnitsa/

15 Jul, 2022 13:36

Russian defense industry chief reassigned to head space agency

Top government officials have undergone a major reshuffle

The top Russian official responsible for the defense industry has been reassigned to head up the space agency Roscosmos. This move was part of a reshuffle ordered by President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Yury Borisov, who previously held the office of deputy chair of the Russian government and supervised defense contracts and research, was given the space job previously held by Dmitry Rogozin.

Although it was not immediately clear what the former Roscosmos head would do next, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he would get a new assignment in the future.

Rogozin, formerly an MP, Russia’s envoy to NATO and a deputy prime minister, was tasked to take the helm at Roscosmos in May 2018. While leading the space agency, he preserved his combative style of communication.

In 2014, he suggested that NASA would have to use trampolines for manned space missions, due to freshly imposed American sanctions against Russia. The remark came during a period when the US relied on Russia to deliver and recover crew members of the International Space Station. Lately, he has been involved in a series of public spats with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

Roscosmos marked Rogozin’s departure with a two-minute video highlighting the achievements of his four-year tenure. Those included a record-long string of over 80 successful space launches and the testing of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, Russia’s new nuclear weapons delivery system.

Borisov is a career military officer who specializes in air defense systems and electronics. Between 2012 and 2018, he served as deputy defense minister responsible for modernization of the military, in particular the acquisition of modern weapon systems. He was promoted to deputy chair of the government to replace the outgoing Rogozin.

Another order issued by Putin on Friday was to raise the rank of the office of Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov, who will now be deputy prime minister while keeping his ministerial portfolio.

Manturov, a key person in the Russian government’s effort to mitigate the damage caused by Western trade restrictions, has been charged with finding or creating alternative sources for crucial materials and parts required by the Russian economy.

https://www.rt.com/russia/559053-russian-space-agency-reshuffle/

15 Jul, 2022 09:17

UK national dies in DPR captivity

The Donetsk People’s Republic ombudsman has revealed captured “British mercenary” Paul Urey died of chronic illnesses on Sunday

British national Paul Urey – who had been diagnosed with chronic diseases and was suffering from stress – died while in the custody of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) last Sunday, its ombudsman, Darya Morozova, announced on Friday.

According to the official, Urey had been fighting for Ukraine as a “mercenary” before being captured by the DPR's forces. British media, citing the man’s relatives, claimed he was an aid worker.

Morozova noted that during the first medical checkup following Urey’s capture in late April “a number of chronic diseases” were identified, including “insulin-dependent diabetes, respiratory system and kidney impairment and several cardiovascular diseases.”

“Considering the diagnosis and stress, he passed away on July 10,” the official explained.

She emphasized that all necessary medical treatment had been provided to the captive by the DPR authorities.

According to the official, DPR representatives had notified the British authorities, international organizations and media of Urey’s capture, but “no reaction from Great Britain had been forthcoming.”

The official pointed out that London “had ignored even the mere possibility of conducting talks on his return as part of a prisoner swap.

The DPR ombudsman added that Urey’s home country had allegedly failed to provide the medicine he needed via the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Morozova claims the UK national was a “career soldier,” with tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya under his belt. She went on to say that Urey had been leading combat operations, as well as “training mercenaries” for the Ukrainian military.

The 45-year-old was captured in late April while trying to pass through a DPR checkpoint, the ombudsman added.

Days after Urey went missing, The Guardian newspaper reported on Urey's disappearance, citing his mother, who insisted he was a “humanitarian aid volunteer in Ukraine.”

She, however, at least partly confirmed the DPR authorities’ later reports about the man’s health conditions. The woman explained at the time that her “son Paul is also type 1 diabetic and needs his insulin.”

In early May, Sky News cited the UK government's Foreign and Commonwealth Office as saying that it was “still trying to find out information about Mr Urey and Mr Healy's detentions.” Dylan Healy, 21, from Cambridgeshire, was allegedly captured along with Urey.

https://www.rt.com/news/559037-british-paul-urey-dies/

15 Jul, 2022 11:27

US tells citizens to leave Ukraine

The diplomatic mission has advised US citizens, who are still in the country, to avoid “large gatherings and organized events”

Citing a “highly volatile” security situation, the US embassy in Kiev has urged Americans not to visit Ukraine, and those already there to leave immediately.

In a security alert published on Thursday on the embassy’s website, US citizens who are still in Ukraine have been strongly advised against attending large public gatherings.

It emphasized that the “security situation throughout Ukraine continues to be violent and unpredictable,” claiming that “large gatherings and organized events” may “serve as Russian military targets” anywhere in the country.

The alert warned that US citizens in Ukraine should not “rely on US government assistance” but instead act according to their own “contingency plan,” which has to be developed in advance.

Commenting on the US embassy’s alert on Telegram on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote that the diplomats omitted to mention “that Washington is supplying the Kiev regime with US weapons which is provoking the continuation of the conflict and people’s deaths.”

The US warning was published hours after a deadly explosion hit the city of Vinnitsa in central Ukraine on Thursday. According to Kiev, the attack claimed the lives of 22 civilians, including three children, and injured scores more.

The Russian military, in a statement issued on Friday, confirmed launching a missile attack at a target in Vinnitsa, but denied it was a deliberate strike against civilians. The Defense Ministry said it had attacked Ukrainian senior military commanders while they were negotiating with foreign arms suppliers at the local House of Officers building.

All participants are said to have been killed as a result of the strike. According to the ministry, the discussions centered on the “transfer of more warplanes and weapons systems, as well as the repair of the Ukrainian military air fleet.”

https://www.rt.com/news/559026-us-embassy-security-alert-ukraine/

15 Jul, 2022 14:49

France told to turn off the lights

President Macron has called on the nation to brace for a Russian gas cutoff by saving energy

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on the government and citizens to prepare for a total halt of Russian natural gas supplies, restricting energy use whenever possible.

“We should prepare ourselves for the scenario where we have to go without all Russian gas,” he said, speaking in a televised interview to mark Bastille Day. “The summer, early autumn will be very hard,” the French president warned, referring to the skyrocketing energy costs.

He instructed the government to prepare a “sobriety plan” to conserve energy, which would start with turning off public lights at night when they aren’t useful.

France will keep looking to diversify gas sources, Macron said, calling for a faster shift toward offshore windfarms and more European cross-border energy cooperation to weather the current crisis.

France is less dependent on Russian gas than some of its European neighbors. It receives about 17% of its total gas imports from Moscow.

However, concerns have been growing about winter shortage, as the nation grapples with already limited electricity generation due to unexpected maintenance at its aging nuclear reactors.

https://www.rt.com/business/559042-france-lights-russia-gas/

15 Jul, 2022 08:23

Russia has price cap-busting oil plan - media

Moscow wants to create a crude pricing benchmark by next year as the West seeks to squeeze its profits, Bloomberg reports

Russia has ramped up efforts to create its own national oil pricing benchmark as part of its response to Western efforts to limit its oil revenues, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing government and industry sources.

According to the agency, the Western sanctions campaign, which was launched after Russia began its military operation in Ukraine, and the attempts to squeeze its oil export revenue with a proposed price cap, have reinvigorated the idea.

US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen is attempting to set an upper limit on how much Moscow can charge for its crude exports. Some experts have warned that the scheme may backfire.

The Russian government wants to have a pricing benchmark in action sometime between March and July of 2023, the business news outlet reported.

Discussions about the plan are in the early stages, but were confirmed by an executive in the energy industry, the report said.

The country has tried for years to launch a national benchmark based on crude trade at the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange, but the volume of foreign deals made on the exchange has not been high enough for this purpose.

The US and its allies are seeking to damage Russian crude trade with nations like China and India, which refused to join the sanctions drive, by leveraging their dominance in the areas of insurance and finance.

According to the plan, tankers carrying Russian oil would be denied these types of services if the price of the product is higher than what Western nations allow.

The cap would apparently be at a level that would allow trade to be somewhat profitable for Russia, but far below what it currently earns. Western nations hope that buyers of Russian crude will agree to the plan out of self-interest.

Global oil prices have surged due to supply chain disruptions and uncertainty resulting from the sanctions imposed on Russia, allowing Moscow to receive large profits despite reportedly offering big discounts to customers.

The proposed cap “will give Russia a way to continue exporting oil at a price I expect would be quite profitable for them relative to shutting it in,” Yellen said on Thursday.

Moscow has indicated that it will not trade at discriminatory terms, and has said the US-led plan would likely backfire by further driving up prices.

https://www.rt.com/russia/559031-russian-oil-price-benchmark/

15 Jul, 2022 09:04

Top Russian rapper eyes Starbucks buyout

Timati was named among the future owners of the US coffeehouse's Russian franchise

Rapper Timati was named by news outlet Mash among a group of people about to take over Russian coffee houses previously operated by US giant Starbucks. Like many other Western companies, Starbucks has shut down its outlets and is planning to pull out of the Russian market.

Timati, whose real name is Timur Yunusov, has banded with restaurant tycoon Anton Pinsky and Senator Arsen Kanokov – the owner of a large commercial real estate holding – to acquire Starbucks’ assets in Russia, Mash said on Friday.

Later in the day, the purchase was confirmed by the RBC business news site, which spoke to Kanokov’s holding Sindika and a spokesman for Pinsky, who said the details of the deal published by Mash were accurate.

The Mash report described the sale as almost finalized and said that “the possibility of backtracking like Elon Musk did with Twitter is out of the question,” referring to the US billionaire’s aborted bid to buy the popular social media platform.

The outlet said the buyers will receive the rental agreements for all 130 Starbucks outlets in Russia, as well as the employment contracts of its 2,000 workers, but will have to operate them under a new brand name. It did not offer details about the terms of the purchase.

A popular performer and subject of constant celebrity gossip, 38-year-old Timati is also an accomplished businessman. His former record label, Black Star, grew into a major investment holding over 15 years.

When he split with his business partners and left the label in 2020, Timati took as his share of the assets a chain of barber shops, beauty salons, tattoo parlors, and a carwash business. He also remained involved with a premium burger restaurant brand.According to Forbes estimates, in 2021 alone, he earned over $10.4 million.

Starbucks, which opened its first coffee house in Russia in 2007, suspended all operations in March, after Russia attacked Ukraine. The US and its allies responded with an unprecedented wave of economic sanctions, and Western companies faced public pressure to cut all business ties with Russia.

A similar deal was struck by McDonald’s, which sold its Russian assets to businessman Aleksandr Govor. The restaurants began reopening last month under a new name that translates as ‘Just Tasty’. Mash joked that Starbucks may soon be known as ‘Just Coffee’ in Russia.

https://www.rt.com/russia/559032-starbucks-russia-rapper-owner/

This guy has Insane eyes

15 Jul, 2022 15:45

Boris Johnson takes revenge on his potential replacement – media

The Times has claimed the outgoing Tory leader has urged fellow conservatives to back any candidate except one

Boris Johnson, who was forced to step down as British premier and the head of the conservative party last Thursday, is busy trying to prevent one of his former ministers from winning the Tory leadership race, The Times has claimed.

Johnson has reportedly been calling on his fellow Conservatives to vote for any candidate except Rishi Sunak – the former chancellor of the Exchequer in Johnson’s cabinet, who eventually turned on his embattled boss.

In its report on Friday, the British newspaper alleged that Johnson has been holding private conversations with the candidates who have already dropped out of the contest for the party’s top position, urging them to back “anyone but Rishi.”

An unnamed source told The Times that “the whole No 10 team hates Rishi. It’s personal. It’s vitriolic. They don’t blame Saj [Sajid Javid] for bringing him down. They blame Rishi. They think he was planning this for months.”

Sunak announced he was stepping down as chancellor last Tuesday, minutes after Health Secretary Sajid Javid tendered his own resignation. This sparked a domino effect of sorts, with dozens more ministers and government officials vacating their posts, which eventually brought about Johnson’s own downfall.

According to another Times source, the prime minister had expressed concern that Sunak would go “soft” on Russia, should he be elected. Speaking to journalists, one of the former chancellor’s allies, however, denied that Sunak was planning to do so.

Meanwhile, an anonymous ally of Johnson’s was cited by the outlet as saying that it was not true that Johnson wanted “anyone but Rishi.” The source, though, did confirm there was a sense of resentment over the ex-chancellor’s resignation, as well as his failure to present a growth strategy in his last months in office.

The paper also claimed the former Tory leader had made it known that of all the candidates to become his successor, he favored foreign secretary Liz Truss most.

Speaking publicly, however, Johnson said he would not endorse any one candidate or get involved in the leadership race in any way.

Sunak, who served as the chancellor of the Exchequer in Johnson’s government from 2020 until this past July 5, came out ahead of the four other remaining candidates, including Truss, during the most recent round of voting on Thursday.

All five remaining hopefuls will be facing off in a televised debate hosted by Channel 4 on Friday, July 15. At least two more TV debates are slated for Sunday and Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the next round of voting within the Conservative Party is scheduled for Monday. Follow-up rounds will be held until only two candidates are left, with the winner decided in a postal ballot.

The two finalists will vie for the hearts of Tory supporters throughout the summer, with the new party leader and prime minister to be announced on September 5. It is only then that Johnson will formally hand in his resignation to the Queen.

https://www.rt.com/news/559059-media-johnson-against-rishi-sunak-candidacy/

(This explains the Bellincat ban)

14 Jul, 2022 17:32

Putin signs media discrimination tit-for-tat law

The bill allows the prosecutor general to ban foreign outlets in response to restrictions against Russian media abroad

President Vladimir Putin signed a bill into law on Thursday making countries that restrict or ban Russian media subject to retaliation.

According to the law, “if a ban (restriction) is imposed on the activity of a Russian media outlet within the territory of a foreign state,” the prosecutor general and deputies may apply similar measures to that country’s media outlets operating in Russia, resulting in “the termination of the correspondents’ accreditation,” revoking of registration or licenses, and the closure of offices.

The ban could be lifted “only after the elimination of the circumstances which served as the basis for its adoption,” the document states.

The new law also allows the prosecutor general and deputies to withdraw the registration or terminate the broadcasting license of any media outlet in certain circumstances.

These include the distribution of false information, discrediting the activities of Russia’s armed forces, as well as demonstrating clear disrespect “for society, the state, and the official symbols of the Russian Federation.”

Dissemination of “information containing calls for the organization and (or) participation in unauthorized public events,” as well as calls to impose sanctions on Russia and its citizens, could also lead to suspension and potentially a ban.

Previously, only courts had the power to withdraw media registration or revoke licenses.

In case of a first violation, the prosecutor general or deputy would submit a request to the media regulator, Roskomnadzor, to suspend the activities of the media outlet for up to three months. In the event of a repeat violation, a similar order could be issued for six months. With repeated distribution of false information, the outlet’s registration would be revoked.

According to the bill, Roskomnadzor can lift the restriction if the media outlet rectifies the matter within a specified timeframe. The legislation comes in response to what Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described as “mediacide based on ethnicity and political beliefs.”

Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, which was launched in late February, has further strained relations between Moscow and the West. In response to the operation, Western countries introduced bans and restrictions on certain media outlets. As a result, RT and Sputnik – and even their accounts on some social media platforms – were made inaccessible in the EU. Australia, Canada, and the UK followed suit.

Russia retaliated by blocking the websites of several Western state-run outlets, including the BBC and Deutsche Welle.

https://www.rt.com/russia/559000-media-law-retaliation-foreign/

13 Jul, 2022 11:37

Donbass republic reveals execution method for foreign fighters

Convicted mercenaries will be shot if their appeals are not granted, DPR head Denis Pushilin has said

Three convicted foreign volunteers who fought for Ukraine and were captured in Donbass will be executed by firing squad if their appeals are not granted by the court, the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, said on Wednesday.

On June 9, the republic’s Supreme Court sentenced three foreign fighters – two Britons and one Moroccan – to death, finding them guilty of being mercenaries and taking part in “Ukraine’s armed aggression,” attempting to overthrow the government of the DPR. Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner, and Brahim Saaudun appealed the verdict.

“All foreigners filed an appeal; we are waiting for the court hearing. If the court finds a measure of punishment appropriate, then the cases will be transferred to the executive service for the implementation of the sentence. It is carried out by firing squad,” Pushilin said.

Pushilin’s remarks were made on Soloviev.Live, a prominent journalist’s RuTube channel, the day after the moratorium on executions was officially lifted in the DPR.

Lawmakers explained their move to lift the moratorium, saying capital punishment serves “as a deterrent to the commission of especially heinous crimes, in particular crimes against the peace and security of mankind.”

The fighters surrendered to Russian and DPR forces in or near Mariupol, a port city that the DPR claims as part of its sovereign territory. UK authorities insist its citizens are treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions. However, Britain is not formally at war with the DPR and does not recognize the republic as an independent state.

The lawyers of all three men have filed complaints, asking the court to reduce the punishment. The last appeal, by Aslin’s defense, was filed on July 4. The court confirmed the receipt of the complaints and said they would be considered within two months of the dates the documents were sent.

Officials in Donetsk consider the men to be mercenaries, who are not granted the same privileges as regular combatants under international law.

https://www.rt.com/russia/558895-donbass-republic-execution-method/

11 Jul, 2022 17:58

Ukrainian ‘oligarch’ hands over media empire to state

Owner says the “involuntary” decision was forced under President Zelensky’s “oligarch law”

The largest private equity fund in Ukraine announced on Monday it was handing over its media holdings to the government in response to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decree mandating the registration of “oligarchs.” The law mandated all individuals so designated to divest from all media ownership within six months, something SCM investment group head Rinat Akhmetov said was not possible amid the ongoing conflict.

“I made an involuntary decision that my investment company SCM will exit its media business,” Ahkmetov said in a statement on Monday.

Between the six-month deadline provided by law and the ongoing conflict, it was “impossible for SCM to sell its media business on market terms,” he added. Therefore, Media Group Ukraine will surrender to the state the licenses for all 10 of its terrestrial and satellite TV channels, as well as print media, and cease operations at all of its online outlets.

System Capital Management (SCM) has owned the two top-rated TV channels in the country – Ukraina TV and Ukraina 24 – as well as the most popular sports channel. Akhmetov said he had invested more than $1.5 billion into the media business, with over 4,000 employees.

“Being the largest private investor in the Ukrainian economy, I have repeatedly stated that I have never been and am not going to be an oligarch,” said Akhmetov.

The Donetsk-born Akhmetov is considered Ukraine’s richest man, with a coal and steel empire valued at $7.6 billion in 2021 and ownership of the Shakhtar Donetsk Football Club. Between 2006 and 2012, he was also a member of parliament for the Party of Regions – ousted in the US-backed coup in 2014, which set off the conflict over Donbass.

Since Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, Zelensky has banned a total of 15 political parties as “pro-Russian” and arrested a number of opposition figures. On June 30, he also issued a decree establishing a “register of oligarchs,” targeting the top business figures in the country under a law passed in 2021.

The law defines oligarchs as individuals who fit certain criteria, prohibits them from financing political parties, advertisements and demonstrations, and requires public officials to declare any contact with persons so designated.

To qualify as an oligarch, an individual must fit three out of four of the following criteria: be directly involved in political activities, have “considerable influence” over media, benefit from monopolies as designated by antitrust authorities, and own assets whose value exceeds $81 million.A January 2022 poll showed that 55% of Ukrainians considered Zelensky himself to be an oligarch, in the same company as his predecessor Petro Poroshenko, his benefactor Igor Kolomoisky, and Akhmetov.

https://www.rt.com/russia/558796-ukraine-akhmetov-oligarch-media/

11 Jul, 2022 17:32

Ukraine appoints 25-year-old to high-ranking European integration post

A young woman who got her master’s degree three years ago now oversees Kiev’s European integration in the area of social policy

(SeeEyeAye)

A young Ukrainian woman, who graduated from a Kiev university with a master’s degree in journalism just three years ago, has been appointed as the nation’s deputy social policy minister with responsibility for European integration.

Anna Sergeeva, who was born in 1996, was promoted to the position on June 10 despite having almost no public service experience. She previously ran a management consultancy firm.

The new deputy minister appears to have had very little involvement with public administration prior to her appointment by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal.

According to her profile published by the ministry, Sergeeva graduated from Taras Shevchenko University in Kiev, majoring in journalism. She also received a master’s degree in the same field at the same university the following year. In 2021, she attained a bachelor’s degree, this time in law, and is now undertaking further postgraduate studies in journalism.

Between 2019 and 2022, she also ran a management consultancy firm called Service Revisor. The company, which, according to the Ukrainian media, provided services to barber shops and beauty salons, still lists Sergeeva as its owner and “final beneficiary.”

According to her Facebook page, she also worked for the Ukrainian ‘1+1’ TV channel’s news service, as well as for BBC before her appointment to the ministerial position. She is also reportedly a successful blogger with over 92,000 followers on Instagram.Her account on the platform was recently set to private, however.

Ukraine’s Social Policy Ministry also added that Sergeeva was “actively engaged in public activities” over the past four years as she contributed to the “socialization of children with physical and mental disabilities,” as well as supporting lonely elderly people and orphans. She also worked as an “adviser” to Ukraine’s social policy minister “in a voluntary capacity,” the ministry’s statement added.

https://www.rt.com/russia/558792-ukraine-european-integration-woman-appoint/

11 Jul, 2022 17:30

Zelensky official who threatened to strike Crimean Bridge resigns

The reasons for Viktor Andrusiv’s decision remain unknown

A senior Ukrainian government adviser who threatened to strike the Crimean Bridge announced on Monday that he has decided to resign.

“I resigned from the Office of the President and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Details a little later,” Viktor Andrusiv wrote on his Telegram channel. He had served as an adviser in both government departments.

He did not elaborate on the reasons for his decision.

Earlier, Andrusiv had criticized plans by the Ukrainian authorities to reduce the number of civil servants in the country.

He had previously attracted a lot of media attention after saying that the Crimean Bridge, which connects Russia to the peninsula across the Kerch Strait, “will definitely be destroyed, it’s only a matter of time.”

Andrusiv said Kiev had the necessary weapons but its armed forces would have to advance to the coast of Azov Sea before carrying out such a plan.

The Kremlin responded by describing the statement as an announcement of a terrorist act. Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said the remarks required a legal assessment and may warrant punishment.

Andrusiv had also rejected the possibility of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. According to him, such an outcome would mean the advantage of one country over another. “Until this situation has come, it makes no sense to invent scenarios,” he explained.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decrees dismissing five diplomats, including Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk, who had become a controversial figure following a series of recent statements.

Germany’s Bild newspaper, citing its own sources, said the former head of the diplomatic mission had been offered the position of deputy foreign minister. However, there has been no official confirmation.

https://www.rt.com/russia/558794-ukraine-adviser-andrusiv-resign/

https://twitter.com/cnalive/status/1547618464440864769?s=20&t=Hn0_OFABmjVT2ho341vfdw

https://twitter.com/gurgavin/status/1547960591322476546?s=20&t=KQoWPwvuj8I_OPfM0tEcBA

And here isD Birx openly admitting that she subverted and undermined the White House policy priorities, and did so with the tacit approval of VP Pence.

Pence the traitor!

https://twitter.com/jeffreyatucker/status/1547690602514419716?s=20&t=KQoWPwvuj8I_OPfM0tEcBA

https://twitter.com/MZHemingway/status/1547976654827335680?s=20&t=OsrY6_BDSEA6gx8uct33og

Someone had to say it

https://twitter.com/MZHemingway/status/1547973971680714757?s=20&t=OsrY6_BDSEA6gx8uct33og

https://twitter.com/JesseKellyDC/status/1547627505170821121?s=20&t=OsrY6_BDSEA6gx8uct33og

Nail the guys ass to the wall! Anons its time for more Milley memes

Did Gen. Milley Seize Presidential Power? Banks And Grassley Demand Answers

BY: OLIVIA HAJICEK

JULY 15, 2022

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, demanded Thursday that Gen. Mark Milley finally respond to allegations that he usurped presidential power over the military while he was President Donald Trump’s principal military adviser. Bob Woodward and Robert Costa raised the allegations in their 2021 book “Peril,” and according to the lawmakers, Milley still has not confirmed nor denied them.

“According to Bob Woodward’s book ‘Peril,’Gen. Mark Milley directed senior military officers not to follow the president’s orders unless General Milley approved them first,” Banks said in a speech on the House floor on Thursday.

Grassley said in a speech the same day that Milley’s alleged actions “strike at the heart of our democracy — civilian control of the military,” adding that, if the allegations are true, the actions would have been unlawful.

“He may have stepped out of his lane as the president’s principal military adviser and into the statutory chain of command, where law doesn’t allow him to go,” Grassley said. “By law, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has no command authority.”

In a Jan. 13 letter to Milley, Grassley and Sens. Rand Paul and Marsha Blackburn, asked about another account contained in the book, in which Milley allegedly told Chinese general Li Zuocheng that if America were going to attack China, he would “call [Li] ahead of time ”

“It’s not going to be a surprise,” Milley allegedly told Li.

According to Grassley, Milley has yet to clarify whether the book’s accounts are accurate, in spite of multiple requests from Grassley and other members of Congress.

“I am calling on Gen. Milley to set the record straight,” Banks said. “Gen. Milley is accused of secretly seizing the president’s military powers. That is the most serious crime. If he is innocent, he has a duty to say so.”

https://thefederalist.com/2022/07/15/did-gen-milley-seize-presidential-power-banks-and-grassley-demand-answers/

https://twitter.com/MZHemingway/status/1547964592868827136?s=20&t=OsrY6_BDSEA6gx8uct33og

https://mailchi.mp/thefirsttv/fourth-watch-jul-14-22

>>16738213

Part of the article recommended by Mollie. Seems like Epps sent by FBI to get people to go into tge capitol, and possibly FBI had dirt on him for a long time or he was a CHS for a long time. President of Oath Keepers in 2011?

“The New York Times makes reference to "obscure right-wing media outlets" like Revolver News, but the Revolver story which some of my October reporting was based on gets deep into Epps' personal connection to the Oath Keepers. Linked throughout are many references that show Epps was not only a member of the Oath Keepers Arizona chapter, but the president.

Radley Balko, now of The Washington Post and then of HuffPost, actually interviewed Epps in 2011, and described him as "a retired Marine sergeant from Mesa, Arizona and president of the Arizona chapter of Oath Keepers."

There's a link in the Revolver story to a blog postabout a "meet and greet" with Rhodes called "The Future of Oath Keepers - Restoring Republic from the Bottom Up." On that post is a picture - of Epps and Rhodes:

At the very least, this is a newsworthy nugget for a New York Times profile of Epps - he was just a few years ago associated with a right-wing group at the center of the January 6 committee hearings. But Feuer makes no mention of it. I emailed Feuer to ask why, but did not get a response.

Here's what we know about Ray Epps - one of these three things is true. 1) He was a president of the Oath Keepers 11 years ago, but wasn't on January 6, and on his own beginning the night before the riot he encouraged fellow Trump supporters to go into the Capitol, and then he ultimately wasn't charged with trespass because he explained the situation to the FBI a couple days later, and they just happened to decide not to charge him with a crime, unlike others who did the same thing. I suppose that's a possibility. 2) He was a president of the Oath Keepers, he was or wasn't associated with the group on January 6, and then his conversations with the FBI after helped lead him to go free - by perhaps turning on other members and helping the FBI prosecute the leaders that day. 3) He was a president of the Oath Keepers, on January 6 he was operating in that capacity, but he has some other association which is keeping him from prosecution and allowing him to enjoy puff profiles in the New York Times.

Either way, there's certainly more to this story. And with all the massive time and resources the Acela Media still gives to January 6, maybe someone can give it another shot. I'm struck by something Scott MacFarlane emailed me at the time in October about why Epps was free: "Be patient with the Oath Keepers prosecutions from Jan 6. Five accused Oath Keepers have already pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the feds. Who are they flipping?" Good question Scott - how about a follow up?

https://mailchi.mp/thefirsttv/fourth-watch-jul-14-22

>>16738241

I know I saw that, these people have to be prosecuted now! They destroyed millions of lives

>>16738145

When is this persecution gonna stop, I actually thought Fauci and Birx were the worst, but the DOJ trying to charge for a crime for an illegally constituted committee negates any crime

>>16737715

Fucking freaks. This whole fake government needs a do over fast

>>16737763

Good the states can take them all and God will bring judgement on all of them

They dont have to change “Sexual Habits”, all they have to do is have safe sex, but no, they demand killing a baby is their right

I’m so tired of the dumb and fucking stupid people on this planet

>>16737775

If you run and win to be governor will you still post here?

If you run let us know please

>>16737795

I was wondering how they knew who was coming and what house they were meeting in.

Truthfully the EU and US broadcast their plans all the time

>>16737826

Ues, youre right, Trump had to be out of government for all the festering evil os exposed completely. And our “biggest foe, kek Russia”, gets to expose and destroy them

The Best is Yet to Come!

>>16737853

Wow, love it

>>16737862

Thats pretty insightful, did PP just start reading Q drops or did he see them on TS

I consider his theories very plausible. Too many syncronicities to ignore