Apr 26: E-Stories
Day 427: RUattacksDonetskKherson CrimeaResistance Prigozhin IranWeapons UNSession Ammo Ze-Kallas EnergySummit Kuleba Brics A&P Rodriguez Porter UKDef ISW Christie Lee Scherba Kallas Applebaum Biden
Catching up…
EA Worldview’s Ukraine Up-date- hop over to Scott’s amazing hourly Ukraine up-date page. I’ll fill in with some bits and bobs.
We celebrated Liberation Day on Tuesday in Italy, in commemoration of Italy’s resistance movement and its partisans, and Western Allies (the US, UK, Canada, India, Poland, New Zealand, Brazil, Greece, Free France) in the Second World War. In Italy’s piazzas, you’ll hear bands and Italian citizens sing, “Bella Ciao”, the partisans’ song. It gives me goosebumps and I well up in tears every time I hear it, knowing how difficult it must have been for the partisans and the Allies to liberate this beautiful land from Nazi and Fascist rule.
I’m thinking of Ukraine that is doing the same, fighting for its existence, resisting Russian attacks to obliterate Ukraine and Ukrainians. I’m thinking of the soldiers far away from their families, doing their duty to defend their nation. This isn’t hyperbole: it’s the truth. I’ll leave this post here by Giovanni Rodriguez, journalist and disinformation watcher, and join him in wishing the Ukrainian forces and the Ukrainian people Godspeed and victory.
“Ahead of the border, save this Love which grows everywhere, like wild blackberries.”(Ukrainian soldier, former journalist)
Long-live liberty, long-live the Resistance. Always.
Unverified photo of a Ukrainian flag on the left bank of the Dnipro River. Let’s cross fingers.
Stories we’re following…
Suspilne reports several explosions in Zaporizhzhia at 23:27 after an air-raid warning was issued in the city.
Two people have been killed and 13 others wounded as a result of the Russian attack on Donetsk Oblast, and the occupiers also killed a civilian woman in Kharkiv Oblast, in Kupiansk, killing a museum worker and wounding 5 others, and other 17 settlements, and Kherson oblast, as reported by the civil authorities in the oblasts. 117 Russian attacks were recorded in the Zaporizhzhia region on Monday.
Ukrainian forces based on the western side of the Dnieper River are frequently carrying out raids on the eastern bank near the city of Kherson to try to dislodge Russian troops, a regional official said on Tuesday. Yuriy Sobolevskiy, deputy head of the Kherson regional administration, said the raids were intended to reduce the combat capability of Russian troops who have been shelling Kherson city since being forced to retreat. “Our military visit the left (eastern) bank very often, conducting raids. The Ukrainian armed forces are working, and working very effectively,” Sobolevskiy told Ukrainian television.
Mayor: High concentrations of Russian troops near occupied Melitopol. There are "powerful concentrations" of Russian troops near occupied Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, city mayor Ivan Fedorov said on Ukrainian national television on April 24.
As per the Washington Post, Ukrainian intelligence had planned a massive strike on Moscow on the anniversary of the full-scale invasion on 24 February but abandoned it at the request of the US. Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, planned bold strikes deep behind enemy lines that unnerved officials in Washington. Major General Kyrylo Budanov instructed one of his officers "to get ready for mass strikes on 24 February … with everything Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence had."
The Russians are intensifying their search for the Ukrainian underground movement in annexed Crimea. As reported by the National Resistance Centre, “In the temporarily occupied peninsula of Crimea, the enemy continues to strengthen measures to identify members of the Ukrainian underground. In particular, apartments on the peninsula have been searched which belong to those whom they suspect of ‘disloyalty’. Searches have also been carried out without the presence of the owners." The Russian occupiers have begun installing video surveillance cameras along the railway line to combat partisans.
Russian authorities announced Tuesday that they will close Red Square to the public for an unprecedented two weeks ahead of the country’s annual parade marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. “In connection with the preparation and holding of solemn events, Red Square will be closed to the public from April 27 to May 10, 2023,” the Federal Guard Service (FSO), which provides security for the Kremlin, said in a statement.
Tass reported on Monday that Denis Pushilin, acting head of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic, has said the situation in Bakhmut continues to be tense, but that Wagner group forces have made some advances.
Work is also being actively carried out to finally and irrevocably cut off the enemy’s last supply route. Fighting continues in the area of the Khromove settlement. The enemy still has some paths. The task is simple: to minimize and completely make it impossible for the enemy to move.
Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s intelligence services, said on Monday that Russian forces were now in a defensive position in all areas except for Bakhmut.
Wagner chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said his men fighting in the flashpoint eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut would kill rival soldiers and take no more prisoners. He was reacting to a Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel's posting of an alleged recording of what it said were two Ukrainians deciding to shoot a Russian prisoner of war. “We will kill everyone on the battlefield. Take no more prisoners of war!" Prigozhin said in an audio recording on Sunday.
WSJ: Iran shipping ammunition to Russia by Caspian Sea. Russia is resupplying its troops fighting in Ukraine with Iranian artillery shells and other ammunition that it is shipping across the Caspian Sea, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Middle East officials.
Dozens of fresh graves of the same type appeared at the Gusynobrodskoye cemetery in the Russian regional center of Novosibirsk. This was reported by Taiga.info, Ukrinform reports.
"We may be talking about nearly 200 graves with Russian flags and wreaths from a private military company (Wagner - ed.). The names on the crosses did not previously appear in the official obituaries released by authorities," the statement reads.
Russia has not sent about 120,000 more conscripts to Ukraine out of the number it called up earlier; some of them simply cannot be deployed. Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, in an interviewwith RBC-Ukraine. "An interesting question [how many conscripts have not yet been deployed to Ukraine – ed.]. About 120,000 of the number that was already officially called up at that time."
The Kremlin said on Monday that President Vladimir Putin would decide whether to attend a Brics conference in South Africa in August closer to the time, Reuters reports. South Africa, a party to the international criminal court (ICC), maintains good relations with Russia but would be theoretically required to arrest Putin under an ICC indictment issued in March.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister, has called on his European counterparts to accelerate weapons and ammunition delivery to Ukraine, as European security depends on it. Kuleba, on the European Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, 24 April, writes European Pravda with reference to the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine. Kuleba emphasised that the side which has better logistics and supply will have more chances to be victorious in this war.
We have a shared strategic goal: to ensure peace in Europe for the future generations. This aim is now determined by the speed of taking crucial decisions and their implementation. We should get rid of all paper barriers. Overcome all bureaucratic procedures. Accelerate all processes. To do away with any kinds of latency on the way between decisions to supply arms and their arrival on the border of Ukraine," the Minister asserted.
A proposal by U.N. chief Antonio Guterres on improving and extending a deal on the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain can succeed only if the international community collectively pressures Russia, a senior Ukrainian official said on Tuesday. In comments to Reuters, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote:
Guterres’ absolutely justified initiative can succeed only if the international community collectively pressures Russia…Ukraine, on the other hand, will continue to follow the agreements with Turkey and the U.N. and will continue to deliver grain cargoes to their destination, solving the problem of global food supply.
Borrell: Ammunition to Ukraine 'has to grow quicker in the next days'. "More than 1,000 missiles have been provided to Ukraine and a number of ammunition, which is still growing, but it has to grow quicker in the next days," Borrell said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
EU and Ukraine to recognize, enforce each other’s court decisions. The EU Council has agreed to establish treaty relations with Ukraine under the so-called Judgments Convention, which obliges contracting states to recognize and enforce judgments rendered in civil or commercial cases in other participating states.
Pope Francis leaves on Friday on a three-day trip to Hungary, where the war in Ukraine, migration and Europe’s Christian roots are expected to top the agenda in his public addresses and private talks with nationalist prime minister Viktor Orbán. Reuters reports that while its main purpose is meeting Hungarian Catholics, Francis acknowledged on Sunday that its content is affected by current events.
Former Polish PM: Ending war in Ukraine with compromises would lead to 'new dangers.’ Former Polish Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński said there is a risk of the war in Ukraine ending with compromises rather than a definitive resolution, as cited by PAP on April 24.
Lithuanian President: 'Red lines' regarding military aid to Ukraine must be crossed Any self-imposed "red lines" regarding military aid to Ukraine must be crossed to ensure its victory against Russia, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in an interview with Spiegel on April 24.
100 Ukrainian soldiers arrive in Norway for training. One hundred Ukrainian military personnel arrived in Norway on April 24 for a four-week training in military medicine, sharpshooting, and team leadership, Norwegian Armed Forces reported.
Zelensky meets with Estonian Prime Minister in Zhytomyr Oblast. President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in Zhytomyr Oblast on April 24, the President's Office reported on April 24. Kallas said that Ukraine should be admitted into the EU and Nato, and signed a joint declaration on her visit. She said that she supports Ukraine getting more ammunition, arms and training which is why she proposed the EU move to provide 1m shells to Ukraine.
President Zelensky called on Western allies to speed up their delivery of weapons and ammunition, emphasizing that it is crucial in protecting the lives of Ukrainians. “People's lives directly depend on the speed of delivery and the implementation of decisions that have already been made,” Zelensky said in his evening address.
The Abrams M1 tanks, which the United States will soon send to Germany, will be used only for the training of Ukrainian units in Grafenwoehr and will be different from the battle tanks that will be handed over to Ukraine separately. Defense Department Spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said this at a briefing on Monday, April 24, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
Financial Times: EU, Japan resist US plan to ban all G7 exports to Russia. The European Union and Japan have opposed the U.S. proposal for G7 countries to ban all exports to Russia, the Financial Times reported, citing three people familiar with the discussions.
A wind energy summit of countries surrounding the North Sea took place in Ostend, Belgium on Monday. The EU countries participating are Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen also attending. Norway and Britain will also participate. At the start of the meeting Reuters reports Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo has said security will be a key issue.
“The topic of security will be centre stage, as North Sea infrastructure such as wind turbines and other installations are vulnerable to espionage and sabotage,” he said.
NYT: The UN suggests Black Sea grain deal extension to a reluctant Russia. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres on April 24 proposed an extension and expansion of an agreement with Russia that has allowed Ukraine to transport grain from its Black Sea ports, the New York Times reports citing a summary of a meeting he held with Russia’s foreign minister.
Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that he will be running for a second term in 2024.
Follow up on Lavrov’s UN statements
The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, told the UN security council on Monday that the world may have reached a more dangerous situation than it had even during the cold war.
Representatives of about 50 countries spoke, with many pointing to the increasing confrontation among UN member states. They stressed the importance of preserving multilateralism, including by reforming the security council to reflect the 21st-century instead of the post-second world war power structure.
Lavrov led a meeting on multilateralism and the founding UN Charter as part of Russia having the rotating chair of the body. He said: “As was case in cold war, we have reached the dangerous, possibly even more dangerous, threshold.”
He accused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of “morphing” into a body working for the “achievement of the goals of the United States and their allies including goals of a military nature”.
He added that the US had taken the path of “destroying globalisation, which for many years they have raised up as the highest benefit of all humanity” and said it had been hypocritical in applying its standards in different situations across the globe.
He said: “The western colleagues have long found it inconvenient to reach agreement through [the] universal format such as the United Nations for ideological, justified polices to undermine multilateralism and abandonment of democracy”.
Lavrov said the west was promoting a “rules-based order” where nobody had seen the rules and which bars access to modern technologies and financial services to punish countries it disagreed with. The west had imposed a series of economic sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
“Let’s call a spade a spade. Nobody allowed the western minority to speak on behalf of all humankind,” he said.
UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was causing “massive suffering and devastation to the country and its people”, and called for urgent “effective responses”.
In response, Lavrov, who is one of Putin’s key ministers and has been in charge of foreign affairs for Russia for 19 years, blamed the US and their western allies. He said the UN was “enduring a profound crisis” and that the US had replaced international law with “a certain rules-based order”.
The Russian foreign minister also strongly criticised Nato members’ activities in the western Pacific, specifically the alliance between Australia, Britain and the US, and also strengthening US ties with Japan, South Korea and a number of south-east Asian countries.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador, told the council that Russia’s actions during the 14-month war showed the invasion of Ukraine was not an isolated incident.
“This does not just concern Ukraine or Europe,” she said. “It concerns all of us. Because today it’s Ukraine, But tomorrow it could be another country, another small nation that is invaded by its larger neighbour.”
She called Russia a “hypocritical convener” of the meeting whose “illegal, unprovoked and unnecessary” war in Ukraine “struck at the heart of the UN charter and all that we hold dear.”
Britain’s UN ambassador, Barbara Woodward, said countries had seen “what Russia’s idea of multilateralism means for the world” – the trampling of the UN charter and a war that had brought unimaginable suffering to Ukraine and been “an unmitigated disaster for Russia, too”.
The 27-member European Union called Russia’s attempt to portray itself as a defender of the UN charter and multilateralism “cynical”, saying it is “in contempt” not only of the UN charter but UN general assembly resolutions demanding the withdrawal of Russian forces.
But the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, defended what Moscow calls its “special military operation”, reiterating accusations that Ukraine was promoting “Nazi practices” and banning the Russian language and culture, and Nato was planning to expand into Ukraine.
He stressed, however, that “it’s not all about Ukraine” but what he called the west’s plans to leverage the Ukrainian government in the hope of weakening Russia.
“We cannot consider the Ukrainian issue separately from the geopolitical context,” Lavrov said. “It’s about how international relations will continue to be shaped through the establishment of a sound consensus on the basis of balance of interests, or through aggressive and volatile advancement of Washington’s hegemony.”
CNN: US ambassador to UN says Russia leading UN Security Council meeting was 'epitome of irony and hypocrisy'. “It was the epitome of irony and hypocrisy to have the foreign minister of Russia chairing the security council, a meeting on multilateralism when Russia has, in their unilateral, unprovoked action against Ukraine, attacked everything that the UN Charter stands for,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield told CNN.
The Saudi crown prince wants to build a trillion-dollar utopia in the desert. His deals with China reveal a darker vision.
By Tom Porter, Business Insider, April 23, 2023
By 2040 Saudi Arabia is aiming to build a futuristic city in the desert called NEOM.
It's part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's modernizing vision of the country.
But analysts believe that Chinese tech could be used to place residents under total surveillance.
Plans for the trillion-dollar Saudi Arabian desert city of NEOM are taking shape, and prospective residents are being promised an experience like something from a sci-fi movie.
The city will have a 100-mile-long "vertical sky scraper" running through its heart. Also known as 'The Strip," it will be carved through the desert in the arid northwest of the country.
But behind the outlandish plan, developed by Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, is a much darker reality.
The crown prince has been strengthening his ties with China's leader, Xi Jinping, who has agreed to provide powerful surveillance technology.
China has already provided surveillance technology for the creation of so-called "safe cities", run on user data, in Egypt and Serbia, report by the Washington Institute think tank found. [continue reading]
