Mar 9: E-Stories
SWE-NATO RUattacks CombatSit BehindLines MOL-FR InRussia Allies A&P Farrell Zabrisky MacKay UKDef Tikhanovskaya Wired Lau Kenyon Biden Cameron ICIC KremlinFile PevkurEE Murdoch Balfour
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.
Sweden on Thursday became the 32nd member of Nato. On a visit to Washington, Sweden’s prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, and foreign minister, Tobias Billstrom, handed over final Nato accession documents to US representatives. It is Sweden’s last step in a two-year process to join the military alliance.
Stories we’re following…
Overnight on Mar 8, Russia attacked Ukraine with a total of 37 Shahed drones of which 33 were shot down. They were launched mostly from the southern direction aimed for the southern and eastern regions.
Governor announces mandatory evacuation from near Kupiansk. Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov announced on March 7 that local authorities would conduct mandatory evacuation of residents living in communities near Kupiansk.
Zaluzhnyi appointed as Ukrainian ambassador to UK. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former commander-in-chief, has been approved by President Volodymyr Zelensky to be the next Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K., Ukraine's Foreign Ministry announced on March 7.
Zarina Zabrisky: “Svitlana, a young schoolteacher, survived a Russian drone attack. 12 neighbors, including 5 kids, killed that night. Her home's gone. She lived here all her life, with her mother and handicapped father. Svitlana asks: "Show this to the world. Stop the war."
The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution for the immediate return of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to full control of Ukraine and the removal of all unauthorized Russian personnel, including the military. - MinEnergo.
Combat Situation Update
Military: Russian forces intensify attacks near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Russian forces began more active in the Orikhiv direction in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, attempting to cut off the Robotyne salient, said Dmytro Lykhovii, a spokesperson of the Tavria group of forces, on March 7.
On the Bakhmut front, Ukrainian defenders repelled 20 attacks by the Russian fascist invaders in the areas of Berdychi, Orlivka, Tonen'ke, Pervomays'ke and Nevel's'ke.
The Russians carried out airstrikes on Ocheretyne, Novobakhmutivka, Umans'ke, Kostyantynivka and Vuhledar in Donetsk region. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine operational information as of 18:00 on 7 March 2024 regarding the Russian invasion.
Zelensky signs decree on transferring some conscripts to reserve in spring 2024. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on March 7 ordering to transfer some conscripts of compulsory basic military service to the reserve in the spring of 2024.
India’s embassy in Moscow confirmed the death of a citizen recruited by the Russian army, days after a relative told Agence France-Presse (AFP) he had been sent to fight in Ukraine. The embassy did not state the circumstances behind Mohammed Afsan’s death but said it was in touch with his family and Russian authorities.
In Cherepovets, Vologda region in Russia, an explosion occurred in the vicinity of a metallurgical plant. The Russians claim that the cause was allegedly a drone attack. Earlier, the general director of the plant stated that a "technological incident" occurred at the plant this morning.
Just a reminder: Ukraine has sunk a Russian warship near the Kerch strait in occupied Crimea in a further blow to Moscow’s naval power and its control over the Black Sea. Kyiv’s military intelligence agency, the HUR, said it attacked the Sergei Kotov on Tuesday using naval drones. The vessel, which was on patrol, suffered damage to the stern, right and left sides, then sank, said the HUR. Also 13 Russian aircraft in 13 days.
Behind the Lines
Border guards stop Russian sabotage group in Sumy Oblast. Ukrainian border guards defended against a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group in Sumy Oblast overnight, the State Border Guard Service reported on Telegram on March 7.
Syinat Sultanalieva—Courageous Women: International Women’s Day 2024 in Bishkek - hundreds of women and men marching for equal rights, protection from gender-based violence, freedom of speech in Kyrgyzstan.
Russian state-backed hackers accessed Microsoft’s core software systems, company says. Russian state-backed hackers gained access to some of Microsoft’s core software systems in a hack first disclosed in January, the company said Friday, revealing a more extensive and serious intrusion into Microsoft’s systems than previously known
The ‘governor’ of Russian occupied Zaporizhzhia says no Ukrainian POWs will ever be returned back to Ukraine. They will be engaged in penal labor and sent to war to fight against their countrymen as punishment for resisting "Mother Russia" – to "redeem [their sins] with blood."
Microsoft said today that Russian state-sponsored hacking group Midnight Blizzard have gained access to some of its source code repositories and internal systems, after a hack that was detected in January, Reuters reported.
Moldova signs defense deal with France: Sandu said on Thursday that Russia was renewing its efforts to destabilise her country and warned that, if Putin was not stopped in Ukraine, he continue to be a threat for the rest of Europe. “If the aggressor is not stopped, he will keep going, and the frontline will keep moving closer. Closer to us. Closer to you,” the Moldovan president said as she signed a defence and cooperation agreement with Macron in Paris.
The Czech Republic has announced it is suspending intergovernmental consultations with Slovakia amid growing concerns that Bratislava is shifting away from western policy on supporting Ukraine. The two countries have traditionally enjoyed a special relationship, given their history as part of the former Czechoslovakia, and close economic links.
US Democratic congressmen open investigation into Musk's SpaceX, Russian alleged usage of Starlink. The letter by congressmen Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia warned SpaceX's president, Gwynne Shotwell, that the alleged use of Starlink by Russian forces represented "a serious threat to Ukraine's security, Ukrainian lives, and U.S. national security."
The military in NATO ally Germany is offering communications apps to soldiers and other federal employees on Chinese phone maker Huawei's app store — even though the telecoms giant has been deemed a security risk by the U.S. and European Union, Newsweek can reveal.
Exiled Belarusian opposition leader, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, told reporters on Friday that she has not heard from her jailed husband for a year and described the lack of communication as “a form of torture.”
“It’s been a year since I last heard from my husband Sergei Tikhanovsky. Since then, it has only been silence. No letters, no phone calls, no visits of lawyers,” Tikhanovskaya told reporters in Vilnius.
“I only received anonymous letters claiming that he had passed away and video that was published last year where I can barely recognise my own husband,” she added.
Meanwhile in Russia
Putin is considering at least one high-profile resignation at the top of the country's largest oil and gas companies. The candidates for elimination were Chairman of Board of Gazprom, Alexey Miller, and the Chief Executive Officer of Rosneft, Igor Sechin. First Sechin loses his son, though that is still being kept secret, and now may potentially lose his job.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, has accused the US of trying to suppress China and has vowed to deepen relations with Russia, as Beijing continues to assert the importance of what it calls a “multipolar” world order.
Foreign minister Wang Yi accused the US of imposing sanctions on Chinese companies to a “bewildering” and “unfathomable” level. Wang said the relationship between China and the US was “critical” but that it was the relationship with Russia that would be deepened and strengthened in the coming months.
Wang praised the “strategic guidance” of China’s president Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin for strengthening the relationship to the point that bilateral trade hit a record $240bn last year. Wang noted that Russian natural gas was fuelling Chinese households, while Chinese cars were driving on Russian roads.
US and UK warn their citizens of possible terrorist attacks in Moscow, Latvia has gone further and warned of a possible terrorist attack in Russia, Australia, Estonia, Sweden, Canada and South Korea issued similar advisories to their citizens in Russia
Japan’s top government spokesperson, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said on Thursday that Tokyo was gravely concerned about closer military cooperation between China and Russia in light of security for Japan as well as for the region, reports Reuters. “Our country intends to keep a close eye on development in Sino-Russian relations,” chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular press conference.
Col-Gen Vladimir Zarudnitsky has warned in an article that the conflict in Ukraine could escalate into a full-scale war in Europe and said the probability of Moscow’s forces becoming involved in a new conflict is increasing “significantly”, reports news agency Reuters.
“The possibility of an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine – from the expansion of participants in ‘proxy forces’ used for military confrontation with Russia to a large-scale war in Europe – cannot be ruled out,” RIA cited him a saying.
“The main source of military threats to our state is the anti-Russian policy of the US and its allies, who are conducting a new type of hybrid warfare in order to weaken Russia in every possible way, limit its sovereignty and destroy its territorial integrity,” he was quoted as saying.
Moscow threatened to expel U.S. diplomats from the country, accusing them of meddling in next week's presidential election.
Andrei Danko, Deputy Chairman of the National Council of Slovakia, leader of the far-right government coalition party SNS, said that Russia is not the aggressor in the full-scale war against Ukraine, but "is protecting its interests".
Swiss Senate votes in favor of transferring frozen Russian assets to Ukraine The Swiss Cantonal Council has approved the idea of using frozen assets of the Bank of Russia for the needs of Ukraine. 21 senators voted in favor, 19 voted against, three more abstained, AFP reports. The agency said that more than 8 billion dollars belonging to the Russian Central Bank had been frozen in Switzerland. However, the senators' decision has no mandatory force and it is not known whether the cabinet will take such a step.
Designating Entities Linked to Russia’s Malign Activities in Africa
The United States is today designating one Russia-based entity and one Central African Republic-based entity for their efforts in advancing malign activities of the Kremlin-backed Wagner Group in Africa.
The targets being designated have played an important role in supporting the Russian Federation by seeking monetary gain from illicit resource extraction and providing logistical support to elements of the Wagner Group’s commercial endeavors.
Today’s action reflects the United States’ commitment to disrupting the Wagner Group’s damaging and destabilizing presence in Africa. We will continue to use the tools at our disposal to disrupt Putin’s ability to arm and equip his war machine.
Allied Support
Pavel: Allies collect required funding to purchase 800,000 shells for Ukraine. Czech President Petr Pavel said on March 7 that after Norway had joined the Czech-led allied initiative on purchasing 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine, the required funds were collected, Czech outlet CT24 reported.
Bloomberg: Biden considers tapping into US Army funds for temporary Ukraine aid. Drawing on the Pentagon reserves would free up about $200 million in immediate military aid to Ukraine.
The United States Joins the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children
Macron met leaders of France’s main political parties on Thursday as he sought to hammer home the importance of greater support for Ukraine ahead of European elections this summer. The president and party leaders were expected to discuss the war, including the results of an international conference to step up military support for Ukraine held in Paris last week.
Ireland’s prime minister Leo Varadkar has said his government supports a Europe wide defence policy, despite Ireland’s policy of neutrality, adding that he did not believe that “Putin’s ambitions will stop at Ukraine”. He said: “This is our war too and it’s not just happening on Ukraine’s territory. It’s happening all around us, in our seas, and in the form of physical and cyber-attacks.”
The opposition faction of the CDU/CSU wants to once again submit to the Bundestag a draft resolution calling on the government to transfer long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. A vote is expected next week.
Biden: We will not walk away from Ukraine. Congress needs to stand up to Vladimir Putin, President Joe Biden said during the annual State of the Union address on March 7. "I say this to Congress," Biden announced. "We have to stand up to Putin. Send me a bipartisan natural security bill. History is watching.”
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, speaking at the European People's Party conference in Bucharest, sent a message to the Kremlin after he witnessed a Russian missile attack on Odesa the day before.
"We must have only one message to the Kremlin: You will not intimidate us, we will continue to support Ukraine and its great citizens as long as necessary. And, of course, we will remain completely united in this decision," Mitsotakis said.
Germany rejects the possibility of deploying its troops in Ukraine. Berlin calls for an end to discussions on this topic. Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen was similarly critical: "No one supports the 'boots on the ground' idea now," he said.
In Berlin, British Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, sent a pointed message to Scholz that he should not fall into Putin’s trap that sending Taurus would represent an escalation. “We’re not causing escalation, we’re allowing Ukraine to defend itself.” “There should be nothing to stop you helping that country.”
US Treasury Secretary: Congressional inaction on Ukraine aid is 'gift' to Putin. "As the House continues to stall, Russia is gaining ground and Ukraine is being forced to ration ammunition and supplies," U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on March 7.
US House may start gathering signatures to bypass speaker on Ukraine aid. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick said he keeps working with House Speaker Mike Johnson's office to hold a vote through regular channels but will start collecting signatures to bypass the speaker if he does not comply.
The recently elected Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, issued a stark warning on Thursday that Europe now stands in a new prewar era just as it did before the second world war. “We are living in new times, in a prewar epoch. In fact, for some of our brothers, it is no longer even a prewar time. It is a full-scale war in its most cruel form,” he told fellow prime ministers and hundreds of MEPs attending the annual congress of the EPP alliance in Bucharest.
Norway will provide new funding to buy artillery shells for Ukraine, under the Czech-led ammunition initiative, the Ukrainian defence ministry said on Thursday. “Norway will provide €140m to procure artillery shells for Ukraine within the Czech initiative,” it said.
Lithuania transfers 155-mm artillery shells to Ukraine. The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced the transfer of 155-mm artillery shells to Ukraine on March 7. Artillery shells are among the most crucial military supplies for Kyiv, as they are used daily in high numbers on the Ukrainian battlefields.
Zelensky met Erdogan in Turkey on March 8. The two leaders discussed Russia’s war, the Black Sea grain deal, and bilateral relations, according to the announcement. In addition, Erdogan wants to hold a peace summit with Russia's participation. The Turkish president announced this at a press conference with Zelensky in Istanbul.
The EU’s largest political party on Thursday endorsed Ursula von der Leyen’s bid for a second five-year term at the helm of the bloc’s powerful Commission. As the two-day European People’s party (EPP) meeting came to a close on Thursday, von der Leyen warned of the expected rise of populists in the bloc’s upcoming elections and Russia’s attempt “to wipe Ukraine off the face of (the) earth”.
Trump is the presumptive nominee for the Republican ticket: here’s his CV.
Masked Palestinian activist completly destroys historic British painting by slashing it with a knife and spray painting it. The activist from the Palestine Action group ruined the Lord Balfour painting in Trinity College, University of Cambridge using a box cutter Stanley knife . The group claimed the protest was due to the historic 1917 Balfour Declaration which they say “began the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by promising the land away — which the British never had the right to do.”
Something we talked about in the video below…
Kremlin File: Week in Review
A recap of this week’s news stories. Listen to it on your preferred podcast platform here.
Moscow threatens to expel US diplomats for interfering in upcoming elections ? I laughed so hard. Firstly: Pot. Kettle. Black. Secondly : the idea that there isn’t a forgone conclusion to their ‘elections’ is laughable at best.