26 Dec, 2022 14:14

Iran slams ‘irresponsible’ rhetoric from Kiev

Tehran stressed it is not party to the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Ukraine's allegations that Iran is delivering drones to Russia are “irresponsible” and untrue, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has said. Tehran's remarks came in response to accusations by an aide to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Mikhail Podoliak, who last week claimed that Tehran was “planning to boost missile, drone supplies for Russia.”

In a post on Twitter, the Kiev official urged the international community to move from “nonworking sanctions” against Iran to “more destructive tools – liquidation of plants, arrest of suppliers”.

“Making accusations against various parties, including Iran, won’t help Ukraine, its people and the leadership of the country,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said during a briefing on Monday.

Iran rejects the claims being made by the Ukrainian authorities and “by this Ukrainian official in particular,” he said, referring to Podoliak.

“We consider this threatening rhetoric irresponsible… and place all political and legal responsibility for such statements on the Ukrainian government,” Kanaani insisted

Tehran is not a party to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but is ready to assist the sides in resolving the crisis in a peaceful manner, he added.

The Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, has also rejected claims by Ukraine and the US that Moscow’s Geran-2 drones are in fact Iranian-made Shahed-136 UAVs. Those statements are “part of the enemy’s psychological warfare,” he claimed in an article on Sunday. According to Baqeri, the very appearance of such accusations shows that the West acknowledges the effectiveness of Iranian UAVs.

In his speech before the US Congress on Wednesday, Zelensky claimed: “Iranian deadly drones sent to Russia in the hundreds became a threat to our critical infrastructure. That is how one terrorist has found the other.”

Podoliak earlier made even harsher statements regarding Iran, insisting that “it could be possible to launch strikes on drones and ballistic missiles manufacturing facilities”in the country. Tehran should not be allowed to keep supplying UAVs to Moscow “with impunity,” he said in a TV interview in early November.

READ MORE: Top Zelensky aide calls for strikes on Iran

Russia insists that it only relies on locally produced hardware for its military operation in Ukraine, which has been underway since late February. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has only confirmed sending a small batch of drones to Russia before the outbreak of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

https://www.rt.com/news/568941-iran-ukraine-drones-podoliak/

26 Dec, 2022 16:35

One of UK's ‘most powerful warships’ longer in repair than at sea – The Times

The HMS Prince of Wales has suffered a series of costly failures since its launch in 2019

(Definite trolling)

The British Royal Navy’s largest ship, the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, has spent more time docked for repairs than on duty since it was commissioned in 2019, The Times reported on Monday. The vessel is currently sitting in a Scottish dockyard with a broken propeller shaft.

The £3.2 billion ($3.8 billion) warship has spent only 267 days at sea since entering active duty in December 2019, the newspaper reported, citing Ministry of Defense figures. Christmas Eve marked the 268th day it has spent undergoing repairs.

In a lecture earlier this month, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, chief of the Defence Staff, admitted that the carrier has been a source of “deeply frustrating” problems. Such megaships “are massive capital projects where sometimes things will go wrong,” Radakin added.

The Royal Navy describes the Prince of Wales as “one of the most powerful surface warships ever constructed in the UK.” Capable of launching NATO’s latest F-35B multirole combat aircraft, its flight deck is 70 meters wide and 280 metrers long, and with aircraft onboard it takes a crew of around 1,400 to operate.

The carrier’s malfunctions began with two major floods in 2020. The second flood filled the engine room with thousands of gallons of seawater, resulting in the Prince of Wales missing a planned trip to the US and returning to its home port of Portsmouth for six months of repairs.

The carrier managed to sail to Gibraltar in 2021, but disaster struck again a year later when it broke down shortly after leaving Portsmouth en route to the US this August. Engineers discovered damage to its propeller shaft, which naval officials reportedly blamedon the crew forgetting to grease it adequately.

A Royal Navy spokesman told The Times that repairing the damaged shaft will take until Spring 2023, after which time the Prince of Wales will return to Portsmouth to undergo more “pre-planned maintenance.”

The Labour Party has condemned Britain’s Conservative government for allowing the ship to repeatedly break down on its watch.

“We need our fleet at sea, not stuck in dock,”shadow defense secretary John Healy said. “HMS Prince of Wales is a NATO flagship and ministers cannot allow problems to undermine the ability of our armed forces to lead joint exercises.”

https://www.rt.com/news/568955-uk-aircraft-carrier-repairs/

26 Dec, 2022 18:53

Indian police investigate death of Russian MP

The politician who was visiting India as a tourist has died after apparently falling from a hotel’s third floor, police have

(Why is it always falling from hotels 3-7th floor, or down the stairs? Are intel setting up a conspiracy theory on Russia? It’s doubtful Russia would be so obvious, eh?)

A Russian regional MP from the central Vladimir Oblast, Pavel Antov, died on Monday, while visiting India as a tourist, Russian and Indian media have reported. The circumstances of his death are still being investigated.

Antov’s death was confirmed by the Vladimir Oblast legislature’s deputy head, Vyacheslav Kartukhin. He did not provide any details about the incident, which he only described as "tragic circumstances." Kartukhin also referred to Antov as a "successful businessman and a philanthropist." The deceased MP was a member of the ‘United Russia’ party – the nation’s largest political organization.

According to India’s NDTV, the 65-year-old was found lying in a pool of blood outside a hotel in the eastern Indian city of Rayagada last Saturday. He was traveling with a four-member tourist group and had checked into the hotel last Wednesday.

Another Russian tourist, Vladimir Bydanov, 61, died in the same hotel last week. According to the Russian Consul-General in India, Aleksey Idamkin, Bydanov suffered a heart attack. He also said that the Russian Consulate is in "constant contact" with the relatives of both men and the police. "The police do not see any criminal aspects in these tragic events,"the diplomat said.

A senior police officer told NDTV that Antov’s death might have been a suicide. The police also said they were investigating all potential versions of the incident, including accidental death. According to the police officer, the man was "in a depression due to the death of his friend."

Some Russian media also referred to Bydanov, who was a businessman from the Russian central Mari El Republic, as Antov’s "friend." The two men were reportedly traveling together.

https://www.rt.com/russia/568961-russian-mp-die-india/

26 Dec, 2022 14:07

Finland denied compensation over canceled Russian nuclear project – official

International arbitration panel called Helsinki’s unilateral withdrawal from the contract with Rosatom “illegal”

The International Dispute Review Board (DRB) has refused to file financial claims against Rosatom, the head of the Russian state-owned nuclear major, Alexey Likhachyov, has said. Finland had earlier this year terminated a contract with the Russian company to build the Hanhikivi-1 nuclear facility in the country.

Likhachyov called Finland's decision to withdraw from the project political, adding that Hanhikivi-1 emerged as the only international venture “on which, so to speak, our foreign activities ‘lost weight’.”

In May, the Finnish Fennovoima consortium, in which Rosatom owns a 34% minority stake, terminated the contract with the Russian corporation to build a nuclear power plant in the cape of Hanhikivi in northwest Finland, citing delays and then increased risks resulting from the conflict in Ukraine.

In August each side initiated legal proceedings against the other, claiming billions of dollars in damages. At the time, Fennovoima said its claims totaled almost €‎2 billion ($2 billion), while Rosatom said it was seeking $3 billion from the Finnish consortium.

Earlier in December, after months of legal battles, the DRB, an arbitration panel that settles international contract disputes, ruled the Finnish termination of the contract to be illegal.

“This is the first and most important decision we have been waiting for,” Likhachyov told Russia’s Izvestia newspaper, commenting on the issue. He added that “we cannot influence the attitude of the Finnish bosses. But let them sell it for their own money, and ours will be returned.”

The head of Rosatom also noted that the first stage of legal proceedings has been completed and “an international arbitration consisting of representatives of only Western European countries has issued an unambiguous verdict. The Finnish side was denied financial claims,” Likhachyov said.

The Finnish company said on its website that the panel's recommendation was neither final nor binding and that the consortium had filed a notice of “dissatisfaction” with the DRB.

Fennovoima signed the contract for Hanhikivi-1 project with Rosatom's nuclear power plant exports subsidiary, Rusatom Overseas, in December 2013. The project implied the construction of a one-unit NPP based on the state-of-the-art Russian reactor VVER-1200, with the capacity of 1,200 MW.

The Hanhikivi project is majority (66%) owned by Fennovoima and shareholders, including the country’s major corporations and several local energy companies. It was at the stage of licensing and preparatory construction works when the contract was terminated.

https://www.rt.com/business/568936-rosatom-damages-finland-nuclear-deal/

26 Dec, 2022 15:00

Putin speaks about ‘threats’ to ex-Soviet states

CIS members are ready to cooperate despite rising challenges from outside the community, the Russian president has said

Post-Soviet republics face an increasing number of external threats to their security, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated.

Speaking at a traditional informal summit of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in St. Petersburg on Monday, Putin stressed that while regional actors sometimes have different opinions, they are ready to cooperate to resolve any disputes.

The Russian president noted that the “friendly circle” is a testament to CIS members’ readiness to cooperate “in the spirit of true strategic partnership, mutual benefit and respect for the interests of all countries.”

Putin highlighted the role the CIS is playing in supporting regional security and stability. “Unfortunately, challenges and threats in this area, coming primarily from outside, are growing every year,” he said. Against this backdrop, he added that CIS intelligence agencies and other security institutions have been engaged in “close contacts.”

Putin did admit that CIS members sometimes find themselves at loggerheads. “The main thing, however, is that we are ready and willing to cooperate. Even if any problematic issues arise, we strive to solve them on our own, together, while providing each other with comradely assistance and mediation,” he added.

According to the Russian leader, deepening cooperation between CIS members is “in line with the fundamental interests of the peoples of our countries,” as it helps in tackling social and economic problems while contributing to regional security.

Putin also pointed out that CIS members are tightly knit in cultural and historic terms, with the Russian language being “a powerful unifying force, bringing together our multinational states.”

The president’s remarks come after he accused the West of “devising scenarios for inciting new conflicts” in the post-Soviet space in a bid to pursue the “policy of dictate in all areas.” He cited the Ukraine conflict as an example of such efforts at a September meeting with the heads of CIS security agencies.

Formed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and incorporating some of its former republics, the CIS promotes cooperation in economic, political, and military affairs. Apart from Putin, the summit was attended by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

https://www.rt.com/russia/568942-putin-eurasia-cis-external-threats/

26 Dec, 2022 12:49

Germans believe state becoming 'dysfunctional' – top MP

Berlin's failure to resolve the energy crisis could ruin the country’s economy, vice president of the Bundestag warns

Germany faces a serious risk of going bankrupt due to the government’s inability to find a viable solution to the current energy crisis, the vice president of the Bundestag and FDP member, Wolfgang Kubicki, said in an interview published in the national Sunday newspaper Bild am Sonntag.

According to the official, Germans now have the impression that their country is on the way to becoming a “dysfunctional state.”

“Infrastructure, energy prices and the inability of the Bundeswehr [the country’s armed forces] to protect us are challenges that require immediate action from the German authorities, otherwise things will go wrong,”he said.

Kubicki blasted Economy Minister Robert Habeck over purchases of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the US for “a lot of money” while at the same time refusing to mine cheaper shale gas in Germany “for purely ideological reasons.”

He added that the German authorities should revise their approach to nuclear power plants, which should continue operating while the country is facing an energy crisis.

“We don't want gas and oil supplies from Russia any more, at the same time our 'green' friends are restarting coal-fired power plants, while preventing a reasonable extension of the life of nuclear power plants,” Kubicki said, commenting on Habeck’s latest decisions

The MP called for a change in the government's strategy and the rejection of excessive financial assistance in the face of the energy crisis.

“If we continue to pursue the policies of paying out money for years as part of the fight against the energy crisis, then we are at risk of national bankruptcy if not state socialism,”Kubicki warned.

According to the vice speaker, the funds that Berlin is planning to spend on additional purchases of energy resources amid the crunch were originally destined for investments in other areas.

“This money cannot be printed or covered by taxpayers. We cannot exist in a state of financial crisis for a long time due to the risk of shortage of funds to support other areas,” he said.

(The whole problem is they gave up being a country and became a state of the EU)

https://www.rt.com/business/568933-germany-economy-dysfunctional-state/

26 Dec, 2022 15:33

Serbia to greatly expand its Special Forces

New units expected by 2023 will be ready to meet any challenges, Defense Minister has said

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has ordered to raise the number of troops within the nation’s Special Forces from 1,500 to 5,000, Defense Minister Milos Vucevic said on Monday. The force is expected to be formed by the end of 2023, he added.

Serbia’s Army would get “5,000 highly trained and well-prepared soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers, who will have completed most modern, up-to-date training… and will have state-of-the-art weapons and military equipment,” Vucevic said in an Instagram post.

The new force would be “the strongest fist that would smash to pieces the malicious intents and goals of those who do not like our nation and want to harm our people,” the minister said, adding that the reformed Special Forces would be ready to fulfill any tasks in any part of the country at any time, and to “respond to all challenges our homeland is facing

The announcement comes amid a tense standoff between Serbia and Kosovo that has already drawn the attention of the EU and NATO. Tensions flared up earlier this month when Serbs, who make up the majority in the northern part of the breakaway region, put up barricades to protest against the arrest of a former police officer accused of attacking a Kosovo law-enforcement patrol.

Serbia has asked the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force for permission to deploy up to 1,000 Serbian troops and police officers in Kosovo. Belgrade has a right to do so under UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which put an end to the NATO bombing of the former Yugoslavia in 1999. The US said it “categorically” opposes the return of Serbian forces to Kosovo.

Earlier on Monday, the US, the UK, France, Germany and Italy reportedly demanded that Belgrade ensure that Kosovo Serbs remove the barricades within 24 hours.

NATO took control of Kosovo in 1999, after bombing Serbia on behalf of ethnic Albanian separatists. The province’s provisional government declared independence in 2008, which Belgrade has refused to recognize.

https://www.rt.com/news/568953-serbia-expand-special-forces/

>>18019856

He called his book “So Help Me God” to convince the public he didn’t betray the country, the president and the people. Its either extreme guilt or a BS story for Christians.

He should just come clean and realize He Will Never Be President! And he should just go away

>>18019912

I thought Russia was trolling the UK by posting that

>>18019754

Scott Ritter says UK’s military is bankrupt

>>18019931

Were the involved in Nordstream sabotage