13 MAY, 05:51

If West wants to solve Ukraine conflict on battlefield, 'so be it' — Lavrov

Sergey Lavrov reiterated that Russia was ready to negotiate peace not only in words, but also in deeds

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/.If the West wants to solve the Ukraine conflict on the battlefield, "so be it,"Sergey Lavrov, candidate for the post of Russia’s foreign minister, told a Federation Council committee meeting discussing his reappointment.

"If they want [to resolve the conflict in Ukraine] on the battlefield, let it be on the battlefield," Lavrov said.

He reiterated that Russia was ready to negotiate peace not only in words, but also in deeds. "[During talks] in Istanbul, we indeed <…were a step away from signing an initial document to end the special military operation on conditions that Ukrainian sponsors now admit were very beneficial to Ukraine," Lavrov continued. "Our political analysts also say so. And I agree with this," he added.

According to Lavrov, theIstanbul negotiations were Russia's last attempt "to extend trustand show good will, despite multiple past deceits on the part of the West." "Andwe were misled again, so they forced us to go fight," he concluded.

https://tass.com/politics/1787031

12 MAY, 20:34Updated at: 20:49

US ready to do utmost relieving Kiev of responsibility for atrocities — Russianambassador

"The reaction of American officials to the deadly strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on residential areas, or rather the absence of even a hint of condolences, is very telling," Anatoly Antonov said

WASHINGTON, May 13. /TASS/. The lack of a response onbehalf of the United States to the Ukrainian strikes on residential neighborhoodsin Russia shows their readiness to do everything possible to relieve Kiev of the responsibility for its atrocities, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said on Monday.

"The reaction of American officials to thedeadly strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on residential areas, or rather the absence of even a hint of condolences, is very telling," the press office of the Russian Embassy quoted Antonov as saying, when asked to comment on the US position regarding the Ukrainian attack on May 12 on the Russian southwestern city of Belgorod.

"It emphasizes Washington’s readiness to do everything to relieve the Kiev puppets of responsibility for their atrocities," he noted.

"Let me emphasize: children, women and old people are being killed with Western weapons," the press office of the Russian Embassy quoted Antonov as saying. "Somepromises by Kievnot to use weapons it received from America on targets in our country arenot worth a penny."

"Such "ostrich" policy of the collective West, led by the United States, and the reluctance to rein in Ukrainian henchmen will not lead to any good. Covering up terrorists is monstrous and inhumane," he continued.

"There can only be one conclusion. TheRussian Armed Forces need to increase combat operations. Move the military threat away from the borders of the Russian Federation. No compromise is acceptable when it comes to our national security," he added.

https://tass.com/politics/1786873

MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE

13 MAY, 05:54

Ukraine’s military redeploying reserves to Kharkov from DPR

It is reported that currently, several Ukrainian army brigades are stationed in Krasnoarmeisk

DONETSK, May 13. /TASS/. The Ukrainian army is redeploying reserves to the Kharkov area from Krasnoarmeisk in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), a spokesman for defense circles told TASS on Monday.

"Ukrainian formations are observed to be redeployed to the area near Kharkov from Krasnoarmeisk," the spokesman said.

Currently, several Ukrainian army brigades are stationed in Krasnoarmeisk, he said.

"The larger part of them still remains there," he specified.

Defense circles told TASS earlier that the Ukrainian military was redeploying reserves to the Kharkov direction from Konstantinovka in the DPR.

(Russia has taken over major areas of Kharkov in the last two weeks. I think Kiev is putting up a pretense of fighting, the number of soldiers remaining is small compared to Russia. Col. MacGregor said on a podcast yesterday, at least 600,000 Ukrainian soldiers are dead and another 500,000 to one million are serious casualties)

https://tass.com/politics/1787035

>>20860338

13 MAY, 04:14

Russia’s onslaught on Kharkov may compel Ukraine to truce — NYT

On May 11, Russia’s Defense Ministry reportedliberating severalpopulated localities in the Kharkov Region

NEW YORK, May 13. /TASS/. The advance of Russia’s Armed Forces on Kharkov may force the Ukrainian leadership to agree to a truce with Russia, the New York Times (NYT) said.

According to the newspaper, theonslaught of Russian troops on Kharkovmaycompletely demoralize Ukrainians and their allies. In particular, they may get "the impression thatafter two yearsand hundreds of thousands of casualties and billions of dollars,little has changed." Which, in turn, will intensify pressure on the Ukrainian leadership to negotiate a truce with Russia, the news outlet said.

On May 11, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported liberating several populated localities in the Kharkov Region. Vitaly Ganchev, head of the regional military-civilian administration, told TASS thatUkrainian troopsdug in near Kharkov buthave to retreatunder the onslaught of Russian forces.

https://tass.com/politics/1786971

(NYTs reports come from the WH, is Bidan sending messages?)

MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE

13 MAY, 03:29

Russian robotic drone jammers shield evacuation groups in Ukraine operation

The innovation was prompted by the existence of gray zones in areas of combat operations that are dangerous for groups to evacuate wounded personnel, Denis Oslomenko noted

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/. Russian robotic drone suppressors based on theTriton electronic warfare systemhave begun to provide protection for evacuation groups in the gray zone of combat operations in Ukraine, CEO of Laboratory PPSh (the jammer’s developer) Denis Oslomenko told TASS on Monday.

Eventually, the lab intends to develop such jammers to shield assault groups, he specified.

The innovation was prompted by the existence ofgray zonesin areas of combat operations that aredangerous for groups to evacuate wounded personnel, he explained.

"It is hard to get there and evacuate a wounded or a killed soldier as evacuation groups will immediately begin to be hunted down by explosives and FPV drones. That is why, we cooperate with those who produce robots and conceptuallywe have two robotswith the Triton system toescort either an assault group or assault robots," Oslomenko said.

"In the future, this innovation is set to emerge on a large scale. But these robots with the electronic warfare system thatshield evacuation or mine-laying robotsare already operating in the zone of the special military operation," the chief executive said.

Laboratory PPSh is a Russian company that provides information security services and products, including telephone line protectors, wireless communications blockers and drone suppressors, in particular, LPD-801 and LPD-802 anti-drone guns and the Triton electronic warfare system.

(Warfare has certainly changed.)

https://tass.com/politics/1786941

13 May, 2024 11:36

Elon Musk wins court battle against Australia

The tech billionaire’s X platform has insisted that Canberra’s order to remove a stabbing video was invalid

An Australian Federal Court judge has decided not to extend an order banning Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) platform from displaying a video of a stabbing attack in a church in Sydney.

On Monday, Justice Geoffrey Kennett denied an application by the country’s eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, to extend restrictions on the clip, which she had deemed to be “class 1” material relating to high-impact violence. The judge hasn’t yet provided explanations for his ruling.

The initial ban on the video, which was imposed by the Federal Court in Melbourne on April 22, expired on Monday.

X had refused to comply with the order, which would have made the clip inaccessible to users worldwide. The platform only agreed to block the content in Australia. Musk insisted back then thatone country should not have the power to censor the whole internet. The eSafety commissioner argued that a blanket ban was needed as Australians could still access the video through a VPN.

The clip in questionshowed a stabbing that took place during a live-streamed sermon at an Assyrian Christian churchin the suburbs of Sydney on April 15. Four people, including Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, were injured in what the Australian authoritiesdescribed as a “terrorist incident.”The footage of the attack was widely shared online and allegedly prompted heated protests near the crime scene.

During the hearing on Friday, lawyer for the eSafety Commissioner, Tim Begbie, argued that the refusal to comply with the order by X amounted to mockery of the Federal Court. “What that says about the authority of the court is pretty striking,” he said.

X’s lawyer Bret Walker argued that the platform did not implement the ban on the stabbing video because the commissioner’s initial take-down notice was invalid and“manifestly inadequate” due to the absence of a detailed description of the reasons for the ban.

The social media company believes that “global removal is reasonable when X does it because X wants to do it,but it becomes unreasonable when it is told to do it by the laws of Australia,” Walker told the judge.

In late April, Bishop Emmanuel supported Musk during a sermon, saying that he wanted thevideo of the attack against him to remain onlinebecause it is “our God-given right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion.”

https://www.rt.com/news/597503-musk-x-australia-stabbing/

12 May, 2024 18:26

Putin removes Shoigu as Russian defense minister

The Russian president has proposed appointing Andrey Belousov instead

President Vladimir Putin has proposed that Sergey Shoigu be replaced as Russian defense minister by acting First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov, the Federation Council said on Sunday evening.

Shoigu has been appointed secretary of the Russian Security Council.

Senators are scheduled to engage in consultations regarding the nominees put forth by the president during committee sessions on May 13 and during a Federation Council meeting on May 14, as announced by the upper house of the Russian parliament.

No further alterations have been made to the roster of candidates Putin has submitted for cabinet positions. His nominations include Vladimir Kolokoltsev for the position of interior minister, Alexander Kurenkov for minister of emergency situations, Sergey Lavrov for foreign minister, and Konstantin Chuichenko for justice minister.

Denis Manturov, who served as deputy prime minister and head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade during Putin’s last term in office, has been nominated for the position of first deputy prime minister.

(This is third replacement since the start of the Operation.)

https://www.rt.com/russia/597472-new-defense-minister-russia/