18 Jan, 2025 16:56

UK and Ukraine have ‘no place’ in Azov Sea – Russian Foreign Ministry

The 100-year agreement reached by Keir Starmer and Vladimir Zelensky is “insignificant” to Moscow, Maria Zakharova has said

Britain and Ukraine will never gain a foothold in the Azov Sea, andRussia will “severely suppress” any attempt by either country to do so, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmersigned a 100-year bilateral agreement on Thursday, under which the two nations will “explore options for deploying and maintaining defense infrastructure in Ukraine, including military bases, logistics depots, reserve military equipment storage facilities and war reserve stockpiles.”

The document also commits the two countries toestablishing “a partnership in the field of maritime security, including with the aim of strengthening the security of the Baltic, Black and Azov Seas.”

“This reflects London’s long-standing desire to gain a foothold in these waters, especially in the Azov-Black Sea basin,” Zakharova told reporters on Saturday.“We would like to warn the dreamers at Bankova and Downing Street that there is no place for eitherUkraine or the UK for cooperation in the Sea of Azov,” she added, using a shorthand term for government buildings in Kiev.

Bordering Crimea to the south, the Russian mainland to the east, and the former Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson to the north and west, the Azov Sea is linked to the Black Sea by the Kerch Strait, which separates Crimea from the Russian mainland.

Ever since the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson voted to join the Russian Federation in 2022, the Azov Sea has been an inland Russian sea.

“Any claims to these waters are a gross interference in the internal affairs of our country andwill be severely suppressed,” Zakharova continued.

“As for the agreement between Ukraine and the UK itself, it is insignificant for us,” she said. “We consider it another PR campaign by theKiev regime, which is ready to sign a bill of sale for the sale of the country or make it a new British colony.”

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the agreement as “worrisome.” Like Zakharova, Peskov emphasized that the Azov Sea is a Russian inner body of water, meaning that “interactions between Ukraine and Britain can hardly happen there.”

The UK has been one of the most vocal supporters of Kiev’s war effort. In the 100-year agreement, it has committed to no less than £3 billion ($3.66 billion) in annual military assistance to Ukraine until financial year 2030/31.

https://www.rt.com/russia/611146-russia-uk-azov-sea/

These people are insane, why would the UK vote for the idiot Starmer?It's as bad as the US being stolen by Bidan.

19 Jan, 2025 17:55

Ukrainian serviceman breaks ranks over conscription – media

Younger men lack the motivation to fight and are unwilling to end up in a “meat grinder,” an active-duty soldier has told a popular YouTube channel

Active members of the Ukrainian military are extremely wary of further lowering the conscription age, a serviceman with the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade “Kholodny Yar,”has reportedly claimed.

A soldier named as Maksim Yukhnevich told the Govorit Veliky Lviv YouTube channel in a broadcast aired on Saturday that the popular perception among active soldiers is that younger men lack proper motivation to fight.

“I talked with my comrades and my acquaintances from other brigades.Let’s say some 90% said that they were all against lowering the draft age,” Yukhnevich said.

Most of the soldiers believe younger Ukrainians lack the will to fight and will be no use in battle. “If this person is not motivated, nothing can be taught, nothing can be done with him,”Yukhnevich explained.

Many of those younger Ukrainians who willingly joined the militaryhave promptly lost their morale, Yukhnevich said. The 93rd brigade is currently considering applications from deserters who previously went AWOL from other units, with many of them claiming their commanders were incompetent.

“The [deserters] are 18-19 years old as well. When you ask him why he went AWOL, [he says], ‘I was afraid.’ ‘The commanding officers sent me into the meat grinder.’ That’s it,"Yukhnevich said.

The Ukrainian government recently introduced a program offering deserters a pardon in exchange for going back to the front, as well as relaxed penalties for servicemen going AWOL in an effort to stem a shortage of troops. Kiev’s mobilization efforts have faced increasingly widespread draft dodging and desertions.

Last spring, Ukraine lowered the draft age from 27 to 25, simplified the conscription process, and gave more powers to enlistment officers. In recent weeks, Kiev has faced growing pressure from its Western backers, particularly the US, to further lower the country’s conscription age to 18.

The Ukrainian mobilization effort has grown increasingly violent and lawless over the course of the conflict, with numerous videos circulating online showing enlistment officers chasing potential recruits in the streets, brawling with them, and subjecting them to abuse.

https://www.rt.com/russia/611237-ukrainian-military-draft-age/

17 Jan, 2025 17:0

US secretly invested in Ukraine’s drone industry – NYT

Declassified information has confirmed Washington’s spooks bolstered Kiev’s UAV program

The US played a crucial but secret role in helping Ukraine develop its drone industry following Kiev's disastrous counteroffensive in 2023, officials have told the New York Times,citing information that has been declassified by the administration of President Joe Biden.

Washington reportedly provided financial and technical assistance to Kiev's drone program, the sources have told the outlet. While the US had publicly admitted sending billions of dollars in missiles, air defense systems, tanks and training, details about support in other areas remained under wraps.

A tranche of some $1.5 billion paid in September 2024, reportedly allocated direct financial aid to drone manufacturers, intelligence-sharing,and collaboration between American technology firms and Ukrainian producers.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also said in a statement on Thursday that US involvement had “a real strategic impact” on the battlefield, as drones have become central to Ukraine’s defense strategy.

The funding reportedly began after Kiev’s first counteroffensive in fall 2022 and intensified after the 2023 effort, which ultimately failed due to Russia’s extensive defensive use of mines, artillery, and drones.

US officials reportedly said that the losses incurred by Kiev pushed them to rapidly increase support to Ukrainian drone makers.

People familiar with the matter told the New York Times that the US effortalso included sending American intelligence officials to Ukraine to help build its drone program. However, CIA Director William J. Burns has so far only indirectly acknowledged this, stating earlier this week that US intelligence support extended beyond information-sharing to assisting with key defense systems.

Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed thatWashington has provided around $100 billion in financial aid and military assistance to Kievsince the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Kiev’s other backers, meanwhile, have “spent about $150 billion,” he said.

Moscow has repeatedly condemned the West’s continued military aid to Ukraine, arguing that it makes it party to the conflict. Russia has also argued that no amount of Western aid will change the ultimate outcome or prevent Moscow from achieving the goals of its military operation.

https://www.rt.com/russia/611108-us-invested-ukraine-drones/

17 Jan, 2025 16:03

Russia won’t be represented at Trump’s inauguration – Putin’s top aide. Moscow does not have an ambassador in Washington at the moment

It is unlikely that any officials from Moscow will attend the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, the Russian president’s special aide on foreign policy, Yuri Ushakov, has revealed.

Trump is set to be sworn in on Monday for his second term in the White House. By tradition, countries that have diplomatic relations with the US send their envoys to the ceremony.

Moscow will not have a plenipotentiary at the ceremony, however. “No one will represent Russia at the inauguration,” Ushakov told reporters at the Kremlin on Friday.

Russia currently doesn’t have an ambassador in Washington, he explained.If Moscow's charge d’affaires receives an invitation, a representative could attend the inauguration after all, Ushakov said.

Ambassador Anatoly Antonov, who had been in Washington since August 2017, was recalled by the Kremlin in October. Russian media have mentioned diplomat Alexander Darchiev,Moscow’s former envoy to Canada, as the most likely replacement but there has been no official confirmation of a new ambassadorial appointment.

Trump won the electoral college and the popular vote in November’s election, making him the second-ever US president to win non-consecutive terms. Traditionally, members of Congress, justices of the US Supreme Court, and any former presidents and their spouses attend the inaugural ceremonies,along with foreign ambassadors and any special guests invited by the new president.

https://www.rt.com/russia/611099-russia-trump-inauguration-ushakov/

Bidan kicked out a lot of ambassadors, and closed Russian consulates in US.

>>22382706

Russia is letting Trump know that Bidan has blocked diplomancy for the past 4 years, and they can only send someone if they are invited by his team.

It's truly been despicable what Bidan and Blinken has done to any relationship with America and Russia.

I have no doubt that Trump is not aware of how Russian diplomats have been blocked by the US State Dept for the last 4 years

17 Jan, 2025 13:1

Trump unlikely to adopt new Russia policy – Kremlin

Moscow is not expecting a major change in bilateral relations after the US president-elect takes office, spokesman Dmitry Peskov says

The Russian government has no expectations of a radical change in relations with the US under Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. Trump, who is set to be inaugurated on Monday, campaigned on a promise to change many of the policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden, including those related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The incoming president has described the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev as a product of Biden’s diplomatic blunders, which he said had serious repercussions for all parties involved, including the US.

“It’s no secret that the [future] American administration may declare a political will for dialogue, but will not make any significant changes [in policy towards Russia],” Peskov said during a media briefing, reiterating Moscow’s position. “There can be no radical course correction.”

Peskov’s comments followed remarks by Trump’s nominee for Treasury secretary,Scott Bessent.The American investor told US senators during confirmation hearings on Thursday thathe would escalate sanctions against Russia, if directed to do so by the incoming president. Peskov said such a statement was to be expected for a person seeking a job in the Trump administration.

Since Trump’s election victory last November, the Biden administration has implemented aseries of policies escalating US pressure on Russia. These included authorizing Ukraine to fire American-donated long-range missiles deep inside Russian territory – a move crossing Moscow’s declared ‘red line’ – ramping up the delivery of military aid to Ukraine, and imposing sanctions targeting Russia’s international oil trade.

The outgoing administration is trying to “spoil the whole thing for the next administration before the end of their mandate,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated earlier this week, while discussing the government transition in Washington. The top diplomat denounced this perceived sabotage as inappropriate “from the moral point of view.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/611071-peskov-trump-russia-policy/

16 Jan, 2025 15:40

Russian drones finish off Ukrainian armor (VIDEO)

‘The Veterans’ volunteer brigade has showcased strikes against Kiev’s forces in Kursk Region

A video published by a Russian volunteer military unit has showcased its successful deployment of kamikaze drones to destroy Ukrainian military vehicles in Kursk Region.

The brigade, nicknamed ‘The Veterans’, posted the footage on its social media channel on Wednesday. The unit is currently involved in countering the Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region, and contributed to last month’s liberation of the village of Plyokhovo in Sudzha district.

The short clip features three separate drone strikes against Ukrainian armored vehicles, which apparently became stuck in mud near a small lake. It includes first-person-view recordings from the aircraft, alongside reconnaissance footage capturing the moments of the attacks.

The brigade reported utilizing drones equipped with optic wire, which allows them to remotely control aircraft in environments where enemy electronic warfare can disrupt radio signals.

Kiev ordered its troops into Kursk Region last August. Ukrainian officials intend to use seized Russian land as a bargaining chip in future peace talks.

Moscow has called the Ukrainian incursion a strategic blunder, highlighting the significant cost in manpower and materiel suffered as a result. As of Thursday, more than 52,300 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or seriously injured in the operation, according to Russian Defense Ministry estimates.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian forces renewed efforts to regain ground in Kursk Region that had been lost in previous months. The effort came weeks ahead of the inauguration of Donald Trump for his second term as US president. The incoming American leader has pledged to swiftly end the Ukraine conflict after taking office.

(I have to say the music that Russia puts in these videos, is impressive)

https://www.rt.com/russia/611008-drone-strikes-kursk-region/

>>22382910

16 Jan, 2025 18:56

Russian troops storm Ukrainian positions – MOD (VIDEO)

A clip shows the destruction of a German-made tank and an assault on enemy trenches

Russian forces have successfully taken a Ukrainian fortified position near the strategic Donbass city of Pokrovsk, the Defense Ministry in Moscow stated on Thursday. A video provided by the ministry shows an operation during which a Ukrainian tank, a German-made Leopard, was destroyed.

The clip starts with aerial footage taken from a drone hovering above a Ukrainian tank that has taken a position on a dirt road going through a small village. A first-person view camera shows a Russian drone zeroing in on the target and striking what appears to be a German-made Leopard.

The second part of the video shows a fortified Ukrainian position that includes deep trenches outfitted with dugout shelters and firing positions reinforced with wood. One of the shelters is struck with a suicide drone. The explosion is followed by an assault on another dugout by Russian troops. The clip ends with soldiers successfully taking over the position and reporting on the enemy’s casualties.

Pokrovsk, also known as Krasnoarmeysk, is one of the few major Donbass population centers still under Kiev’s control and the only one in the western part of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). The city used to be a major supply hub for the Ukrainian frontline fortifications but has become part of the front line itself, as Russian forces continue their steady push west.

In late December, the Russian Defense Ministry reported liberating the villages of Novotroitskoe and Novoolenovka near Pokrovsk. The Russian military is currently engaged in a major offensive to the south of the city.

to Moscow’s latest daily report, the Ukrainian military lost almost 600 soldiers in the area over the past 24 hours,as well as three tanks, including one Leopard, three armored vehicles, including a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, and three field artillery pieces.

In late 2024, Ukrainian leader Vladimir=Zelensky referred to the defense of Pokrovsk and another Donbass city, Kurakhovo, as “the most difficult” for the Ukrainian army.

https://www.rt.com/russia/611037-russian-troops-storm-ukrainian-positions/

19 Jan, 2025 10:59

‘Weirdo’ Zelensky begged for inauguration invite – Trump Jr.

The Ukrainian leader unofficially asked for permission to attend three times but was refused, the president-elect’s son has claimed

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky asked incoming US President Donald Trump to invite him to the inauguration several times, but was consistently snubbed, his son Donald Trump Jr. has claimed.

Writing on Instagram, Trump Jr. mocked the Ukrainian leader’s interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman earlier this month, during which Zelensky stated that he could not attend the inauguration on January 20.

“I can’t come especially during the war, unless President Trump invites me personally. I’m not sure it’s proper to come because I know that in general, leaders are for some reason not usually invited to the inauguration of presidents of the United States of America,” he told Fridman.

Trump Jr. opined in response that “the funniest part is that he asked for an invite like three times unofficially, and each time got turned down.”

“Now he’s acting like he decided not to go himself,” he added, branding Zelensky “a weirdo.”

While incoming US presidents typically do not invite foreign leaders to their inauguration, Trump deviated from tradition and extended offers to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Argentinian President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa and Paraguayan President Santiago Pena.

While Xi and Orban have excused themselves, the rest have pledged to come.

Trump has been skeptical of the US campaign to help Ukraine and has vowed to quickly end the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, with Ukrainian officials fearing a ceasefire deal proposed by the president-elect will put their country at a disadvantage. Zelensky and Trump met in late September in New York, with the latter saying afterward that the Ukrainian leader “wants [the conflict] to stop,” and that both of them want “a fair deal.”

Zelensky’s presidential term expired last May, and he has refused to call new elections, citing martial law. Russia considers him “illegitimate,” and says that the only legal authority now rests with the Ukrainian parliament and its speaker.

https://www.rt.com/news/611196-weirdo-zelensky-begged-inauguration-trump/

This makes me so happy, now the other leaders can reject him

19 Jan, 2025 13:27

Western spies backtrack on ‘Russian sabotage’ claims – WaPo

The Baltic cable ruptures were likely maritime accidents, the newspaper reported, citing intelligence officials from three countries

The recent damage to underwater power and communications cables in theBaltic Sea was likely the result of “maritime accidents” rather than Russian sabotage, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing several US and European intelligence officials.

A consensus over the string of incidents that plagued the underwater infrastructure over the past few weeks isnow emergingin the Western intelligence community, anddoes not include evidence of any malicious activities, the newspaper has reported.

The “intercepted communications and other classified intelligence” collected by theWestern nations indicated that inexperienced crews and poorly maintained ships were behind the accidents, officials from the three countries involved in the investigations suggested.

Unnamed US officials told the newspaper that “clear explanations” have emerged in each case, suggesting the damage wasaccidental. One European official said theinitial claims that Russia was involved are now met with “counter evidence” indicating otherwise.

The investigations have focused on three incidents involving vessels traveling to and from Russian ports that occurred over the past 18 months in the Baltics, including the rupture of a natural gas pipeline in the Gulf of Finland in October 2023 attributed to the New Polar Bear container ship, and damage to two cables allegedly inflicted by the Yi Peng 3 bulk carrier in November.

The latest incident occurred in late December when a supposedly Russian-linked oil tanker, the Eagle S, allegedly dragged its anchor across the EstLink 2 power cable that connects Finland and Estonia. The ship was boarded and seized by the Finnish authorities, with investigators claiming the ship was missing one of its anchors.

Moscow has dismissed suggestions that it is to blame for the incidents in the Baltics.“It is quite absurd to continue to blame Russia for everything without any reason,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in November.

https://www.rt.com/news/611218-western-intelligence-baltic-cable-russia/