22 Apr, 2023 11:40

Huge stray bomb found in Russian city bordering Ukraine

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, a military jet accidentally released a bomb over the city of Belgorod on Thursday

Some 3,000 people were evacuated from their homes in the Russian city of Belgorod on Saturday after an unexploded aviation bomb was discovered in a residential area, local Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has said.

Belgorod, located not far from the border with Ukraine, was rocked by an explosion on Thursday, which left three people injured, smashed the windows of nearby buildings, and damaged serveral vehicles. The Defense Ministry later said the incident was caused by an unintended release of an aerial bomb from a Su-34 jet.

On Saturday the sappers, who worked on Belgorod’s Shalandin Street not far from the site of the initial blast, found the second aerial bomb, Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

A decision was made to move the device to a nearby military testing range and dispose of it there, the governor said.

While the operation was ongoing, people living in 17 nearby apartment blocks were told to evacuate, according to Gladkov.

Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov said 90 buses have been allocated to move around 3,000 people to temporary accommodation.

A few hours later, Gladkov reported that the device had been successfully removed, and that residents would be returned to their homes shortly.

According to Russia’s Izvestia newspaper, the unexploded device is a FAB-500 general purpose air-dropped bomb. The ordnance, whichweighs 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds), was found at a depth of five meters, the paper said.

Arms experts have ruled there is no danger of the bomb exploding, Sergey Potapov, head of the local department of the Emergencies Ministry, told RIA Novosti news agency.

https://www.rt.com/russia/575177-belgorod-aviation-bomb-evacuation/

22 Apr, 2023 08:29

German tanks pose problems for Ukraine – Foreign Policy

The hardware donated by eight countries reportedly fires different rounds, making it impossible for Kiev to buy munitions in bulk

Ukraine will likelyhave to procure a range of different munitions, rather than a single type, for German-made Leopard tanks, supplied by some of its western backers, Foreign Policy has reported.

On Thursday, the media outlet claimed that the vehicles provided to Kiev, by eight countries, arenot uniformin terms of the shells they fire. The article also highlighted the supposed inadequacy of air defences that have already been supplied.

Foreign Policy wrote that the “Leopard tanks arriving from eight different countries fire different rounds, meaning that Ukrainianscan’t buy munitionsfor their newly tricked-out ground forces in bulk.”

As for Abrams tanks which the US has pledged to donate, thesewill likely take monthsto actually arrive on the battlefield, the outlet noted.

According to the article, Ukraine is also facing severe shortages of modern air defense systems. The country reportedly has enough to cover just a few cities. To make matters worse, theHawk missile systemsprovided by Washington have beenshipped without radars, Foreign Policy claimed.

The setbacks are supposedly holding up Kiev’s planned spring counteroffensive, and causing discontent among the Ukrainian leadership.

The media outlet cited President Vladimir Zelensky’s calls on the West to step up its military support for Ukraine late last month.

Echoing that sentiment, Aleksey Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council,lamented to the Associated Pressearlier this week that some of Ukraine’s backers “promise one thing and do a completely different one.” The official also made it clear that “nobody will start unprepared,” referring to the planned counteroffensive.

A Ukrainian MP quoted by Foreign Policy claimed that the push had originally been planned for April, but had to be postponed indefinitely due to the lack of weapons necessary to pull it off.

On Friday, the New York Times published a report saying that as of late February Kiev had only 200 of the 253 tanks that US military officials deemed sufficient for a successful counteroffensive. The paper, citing leaked Pentagon documents, noted that the majority of hardware was of Soviet design.

The NYT also claimed that the US and its allies were having difficulty keeping up with Ukraine’s demand for artillery shells.

https://www.rt.com/news/575169-foreign-policy-ukraine-leopard-tanks/

22 Apr, 2023 07:55

Ukraine bans place names connected to Russia

A new law prohibits toponymy related to its neighbor's history, culture or personalities

President Vladimir Zelensky has signed legislationeradicating references to Russian history or culturein the names of cities, towns, villages and other geographical locations in Ukraine.

Zelensky approved the so-called “decolonization” law on Friday, according to the website of the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. The legislation was passed by MPs in March and had been in the works since early last year.

The law prohibits “praising, commemorative, propagandist names” relating to the Russian state, its symbols, historic or cultural places, cities, dates, and events. The ban also covers personalities who “committed military aggression against Ukraine and other sovereign countries,” according to the legislation.

The law will come into force three months after its publication, European Solidarity Party MP Vladimir Viatrovich wrote on Facebook. After that, local administrations will have six months to “free the public space from symbols of the ‘Russian world’: dismantle statues and monuments, rename streets and other objects,” he said.

The drive to remove monuments and geographical names associated with Russia and the Soviet Union has beenunderway in Ukraine since 2015, when a so-called “decommunization” law was adopted in the country.

Since then, the names of more than 900 settlements and some 50,000 streets have been changed, according to data from RIA Novosti news agency.

The process intensified after the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine more than a year ago. Astatue of Catherine the Greatwas torn down in Odessa in December, even though the city was founded on the order of the Russian Empress in 1794. Several cities, including Dnepr and Chernovtsy, have removed statues and memorial plaques dedicated to classical Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.

Moscow has denounced such policies, saying that attempts to cancel Russian culture and the “forced Ukrainization” of the country violate international norms and infringe upon the rights of around a quarter of Ukraine’s population, who are Russian-speaking.

(They will never accomplish what they want, Ukraine has been part pf Russia for 100s of years. This is a Nina Jancowictz plan, I’m sure)

https://www.rt.com/russia/575170-ukraine-zelensky-decolonization-law/

22 Apr, 2023 12:14

Ranks of Russian billionaires grow – Forbes

The publication’s rich list saw more than 20 new names added in 2022

Many Russian businessmensaw their profits soar last yeardespite the pressure of Western sanctions and the volatile state of the global economy, Forbes reported on Friday.

The latest Forbes Russian billionaire list now includes110 names compared to 88 a year earlier. The businessmen who managed to pass the threshold to become billionaires did so thanks to therecovery of the country’s stock market, the outlet noted. Domestic stocks initially collapsed shortly after the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, but later rebounded as theeconomy gradually adjusted to Western sanctions.

The combined fortune of Russians in the new Forbes ranking grew from $353 billion to $505 billion since last March. The ten most successful billionaires increased their fortunes by a combined $77.4 billion. Out of those present in both last year’s and this year’s rankings, 58 people saw their fortunes grow – by a total of $140.3 billion.

Andrey Melnichenko,whose businesses include thefertilizer producerEuroChem and thecoal producer SUEK, was the biggest winner, topping the Russian Forbes list for the first time. His fortune more than doubled since last March, soaring to $25.2 billion from $11.1 billion.

However, there were also those whose wealth shrunk throughout the year. Thirteen businessmen lost a total of $8.5 billion in 2022. While sanctions affected some of them, many of those whose major assets are located abroad also saw their fortunes dwindle on the drop in the S&P and the Nasdaq indexes. The US Federal Reserve's rate hikes and the deflating big-tech bubble also had an impact, Forbes notes.

The biggest loser among Russia’s billionaires was Pavel Durov, the owner of the Telegram messaging app, who was considered the third-richest Russian businessman in March 2022. He saw his fortune shrink by $3.6 billion compared with 2021, to $11.5 billion.

https://www.rt.com/business/575113-russian-billionaires-ranks-grow/

22 Apr, 2023 10:55

Pentagon leaker began sharing classified data earlier than thought – NYT

The paper says it discovered another online group where Jack Teixeira may have posted sensitive intelligence

Suspected Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira may have begun sharing sensitive data online earlier than previously believed and with a much larger group of people, the New York Times has reported.

The US Air National Guard serviceman was arrested last week and charged with unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified US national defense information. The case relates to documents on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and other issues that the 21-year-old published to a group of 50 people on the Discord social media platform.

But the NYT claimed on Friday that it had discovered another Discord group with some600 members, in which Teixeiramay havebeen sharing sensitive information since late February 2022, when Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine.

The person behind the posts used a nickname previously connected to Teixeira, claiming to have been working at a US Air Force intelligence unit. They uploaded pictures matching those posted by his other family members from their home in North Dighton, Massachusetts, the paper said.

The sensitive data that appeared on the Discord group related to Russian and Ukrainian casualties, the activities of Moscow’s spy agencies, and updates on Western military aid to Kiev. The user claimed that the information had come from theNSA, CIA and other intelligence agencies, the NYT said.

According to the report, thefirst leakapparently took place just48 hours after the outbreakof the conflict, as the user wrote that he “saw a Pentagon report saying that one third of the force is being used to invade.” He then allegedly boasted that he had “a little more than open source info. Perks of being in a USAF intel unit.”

The paper said itdidn’t find any actual classified documents being sharedin the group, but suggested that they could have been deleted by the person who posted them.

The leaks continued until March 19, when the user in question reportedly wrote: “I’ve decided to stop with the updates.”

“The additional information raises questions about why authorities didn’t discover the leaks sooner, particularly since hundreds more people would have been able to see the posts,” the NYT wrote.

The paper said it contacted the FBI, the Department of Justice and Teixeira’s lawyers about their findings, but they all declined to comment.

The Pentagon has never officially confirmed the authenticity of classified briefing slides that made headlines in the media earlier this month. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters earlier that the documents were “not intended for public consumption,” and had “no business”being “on the front pages of newspapers or on television.”

(NYTs making up BS! If they found a group of 600 and couldn’t find any classified documents it seems very likely this was us made up. Who wrote the article will lead to if it’s true or not.)

https://www.rt.com/news/575174-pentagon-leaks-teixeira-discord/

22 Apr, 2023 11:58

Vatican refuses to commit ‘grave sin’ – media

Church officials have reportedly refused a London court’s request for private messages linked to a real estate row

A representative of the Vatican has said in a court filing that it would be a “grave sin” for the church to be forced to disclose communications between an archbishop and a cardinal in a UK trial related to a disputed real estate deal, according to a report by Bloomberg.

“The violation of the pontifical secret is deemed a grave sin,” Carlos Ferando Diaz Paniagua, a Roman Catholic priest and lawyer, declared in documents filed with a London court in March.

The pontifical secret, also referred to as papal secrecy, refers to an oath taken by members of the church designed to protect the distribution of sensitive information. It stands, Diaz Paniagua added to the court, “regardlessof any grave or urgent considerationsor the need to protect the common good.”

The legal request for various emails and text messages stems from a 2018 claim by the Vatican that it was defrauded by financier Raffaele Mincione and his companies in the $383 million sale of a former Harrods warehouse in London’s high-end Chelsea district. Ten people – including an Italian cardinal – have been accused by Vatican prosecutors in relation to various fraud and embezzlement charges amid allegations that the property had been sold at an inflated price.

The Vatican has claimed it could lose as much as $186 million in its purchase of the site, which was intended to bedeveloped into luxury apartments, and that it was improperly advised throughout the proceedings. (Why is the Vatican developing luxury apartments?)

Mincione, who is a defendant in the Vatican case, has in turn sued the church in the aforementioned London civil trial. He claims that his reputation has been damaged by the Vatican’s accusations against him. In 2020, he petitioned the London court for a declaration that he had acted in good faith throughout his role in the real estate deal – a ruling his legal team believes would assist him in the separate trial brought by the Vatican.

As part of the civil case, Mincione’s lawyers sought a trove of digital communications between high-ranking church officials Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra. Diaz Paniagua claimed in response that emails and text messages between the pair are irrelevant to the case, while the Vatican has said messages protected by pontifical secret are akin to state secrets

Lawyers representing Mincione have declined to comment. The Vatican has until April 28 to decide if it intends to maintain pontifical secret as its reason for refusal to comply with a court request.

https://www.rt.com/news/575178-uk-vatican-trial-grave-sin/

21 Apr, 2023 19:42

Pentagon predicts impact of Abrams tanks in Ukraine

The top US general has claimed that American armor will “make a difference” on the battlefield but won’t be a panacea

America’s top-ranking military officer has warned that the M1 Abrams tanks that Washington has pledged to Ukraine will have alimited impactwhen they arrive on the battlefield later this year.

“I’m biased, but I think the M1 tank’s the best tank in the world …,” US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said at a press briefing on Friday after a meeting of Ukraine’s military benefactors at Germany’s Ramstein Air Base. “I do think the M1 tank, when it is delivered, will make a difference.” However, he added, “I would also caution there’s no silver bullet in war.”

US President Joe Biden’s administration agreed in January to give 31 Abrams tanks to Kiev after previously insisting that they were too complicated to operate and difficult to maintain. The M1 Abrams ispowered by a jet engine and guzzles aviation fuel, rather than standard diesel. It weighs 63 tons and travels aboutthree miles on a gallon of fuel.

Battlefield outcomes in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia will depend on many variables, not a single weapon system, Milley said. The US tanks will need to be deployed in combined arms warfare, he added, synchronizing their maneuvers with mechanized infantry, artillery and other weaponry.

M1A1 training tanks will arrive within the next few weeks in Germany, where Ukrainian forces will be taught how to operate them, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters. The 31 tanks earmarked for use in Ukraine arebeing refurbished in the USand will be sent to Kiev when they’re ready.

“All of this is huge progress,” Austin said. “I am confident that this equipment and the training that accompanied it will put Ukraine’s forces in a position to continue to succeed on the battlefield.”

Asked whether US public support would enable Biden’s administration to keep supplying weapons to Ukraine, Austin said he was optimistic. “This is about therules-based international order. This is about a bully not having the ability to trample his smaller neighbor at will. This is about providing the opportunity for a country to protect its sovereign rights.”

US polling has shown declining public support for Ukraine aid. Washington has alreadycommitted $113 billion in assistance to Kiev. A group of 19 Republican lawmakers urged Biden on Wednesday to end “unrestrained”Ukraine aid, saying it was prolonging the bloodshed, diminishing US military readiness and putting America at greater risk of a catastrophic conflict with Russia.

https://www.rt.com/news/575153-pentagon-predicts-abrams-tank-ukraine-impact/