Apr 27 Buonasera! Up-date
The day’s developments
Zelensky: ‘No one has the right to turn nuclear energy into weapons or to blackmail the world with nuclear weapons.’
Ukraine General Staff says Russian troops in Transnistria on high alert. In the Russian-occupied regions of Moldova, there are currently about 8,000 soldiers, including nearly 3,000 Russian troops, according to Vadym Denysenko, advisor to the interior minister. Soldiers are in “full combat readiness,” General Staff reported.
Olga Lautman: “Russian governor says ammunition depot fire in Belgorod area extinguished. The governor of Belgorod, a Russian border city where Kremlin officials earlier this month accused Ukraine of carrying out a helicopter attack against a fuel depot, said Wednesday that authorities had extinguished the fire.”
The Kyiv Independent: According to an undisclosed senior U.S. defense official, the U.S. Defense Department created the EUCOM Control Center of Ukraine in Stuttgart to “streamline the delivery” of military assistance.
The Kyiv Independent: Chinese drone manufacturer pulls out of Russia to prevent use of products in combat.
Transnistria raised its terrorist threat level and introduced vehicle checkpoints following a second day of explosions and alleged ‘drone strikes’. Its leader Vadim Krasnoselsky claims that the “traces of terrorist attacks lead to Ukraine.”
Olga Lautman has discovered that the source of the disinformation campaign targetting Moldova is Igor Girkin (Strelkov). The Russian narrative: Romania is getting ready to invade Moldova.
Samuel Ramani: Ukraine says that Russia has struck a strategic bridge linking southern Odesa to Romania. This is likely aimed at disrupting supply lines from Romania to Odesa, and could also disrupt outward migration.
Rustam Minnekaev, acting commander Central Military District: “Apparently, we are now at war with the whole world, as it was in the Great Patriotic War, the whole of Europe, the whole world was against us. And it’s the same, they never like Russia.”
Russian MoD is organizing a press tour to Mariupol for Western media. (Sounds Geobbelish to me)
Ukraine World: President Zelensky was invited to participate in the G20 meeting.
Always check in with Olga Lautman and her publication, Russia’s War on Democracy. She provides background info and context like no other.
Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin just called upon Russia to cut off gas to all other "unfriendly countries" Here’s your answer…
Via NBC News - U.S. intel helped Ukraine protect air defenses, shoot down Russian plane carrying hundreds of troops
As Russia launched its invasion, the U.S. gave Ukrainian forces detailed intel about exactly when and where Russian missiles and bombs were intended to strike, prompting Ukraine to move air defenses and aircraft out of harm’s way, U.S. officials say….[continue reading]
Via CEPA - Vicious Blame Game Erupts Among Putin’s Security Forces, Andrei Soldatov, Irina Bordogan
The security institutions, the ‘siloviki', that are key to propping up the regime are exchanging recriminations for a growing list of failures in the war on Ukraine.
This is an important article providing a view into Putin’s current relationship with the military and their views on the war.
Campaigns…
Italy is probably the only country in Europe to host Russian propagandists and Russian sanctioned individuals on state and private TV programming. The trend has seen a decisive uptick in the last two months. Along with other journalists and citizen activists, I’ve been very vocal about this because Italians are fed a daily diet of Russian propaganda with very little pushback.
There is nothing in Italian law to counter false narratives and propaganda in the media. We’re working on it. More to come.
More on this campaign in up-coming posts…
Via The Guardian - EU announces plans to protect journalists from vexatious lawsuits, Jennifer Rankin
The EU executive has proposed measures to protect journalists and campaigners working to expose corruption and wrongdoing from vexatious lawsuits.
Start Listening - In Moscow’s Shadow - Mark Galleotti - This is a sobering episode dedicated to Patrushev’s interview in Rossiiskaya Gazeta.
Nikolai Patrushev, hawk’s hawk and a man I described as ‘the most dangerous man in Russia’ (https://buzzsprout.com/1026985/4169738)
On one level, it’s the kind of talking points we’ve heard before, just with some added vitriol and hyperbole, but some lines are worth considering for their implications (And besides, I read this bilious tract so you don't have to).
Set your reminders and join us for EuroFile@6 as Scott and I talk with guests Charlie Herbert, Ivana Stradner and Natia Seskuria about the latest developments in Ukraine, Transnistria and Georgia.
6pm Rome, 7pm Kyiv, 5pm London, 12pm NYC
That’s me signing off…thanks for reading…
Mo