May 8: E-Stories
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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.
Stories we’re following…
Russian strikes on Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast injure at least 6. At least six people, including a six-year-old girl and a 91-year-old woman, have been injured during an intense day of Russian strikes in Nikopol, in the south-east of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, authorities reported on May 7.
Overnight, Russia attacked six DTEK thermal power plants facilities inside Ukraine. There is reportedly serious damage. "The enemy has launched a large-scale attack on power generation and transmission facilities in Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Vinnytsia oblasts. The aftermath is being assessed," the statement said.
"More than 50 missiles and 20 Shahed drones attacked infrastructure in the Lviv, Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. All the necessary services are already working on the ground, eliminating the consequences of terror," president Zelensky said.
The air force said it shot down 39 of 55 missiles and 20 out of 21 attack drones used in the attack, which piles more pressure on Ukraine’s beleaguered energy system more than two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Reuters reported.
“Another massive attack on our energy industry!” Energy Minister German Galushchenko wrote on the Telegram app. Two people were injured in the Kyiv region and one was hurt in the Kirovohrad region, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
Some 350 rescuers were racing to minimise the damage caused to multiple energy facilities, 30 homes, public transport vehicles, cars and a fire station, he said.
Roman Sheremeta: Russia has a special methodology for kidnapping children from Ukraine. According to Falcon Flight organization, children are told that their parents have abandoned them, russians split them up with friends every two months and say that they will never return home.
"All the children we have managed to return talk about what they were told about their families. They all had the same period of time - exactly 4 weeks later, they would start talking about how your parents left you, you would not return home.”
“It was a methodology, everything was written there, the deadlines, that you had to talk to a child alone, that you had to separate them every 2 months so that they would not have a sense of unity. This is the most widespread scenario of child abduction today."
“Children are subjected to the same filtration procedure as adults. They are forced to undress during the inspection, forced to give away personal belongings and phones, and are not allowed to answer any questions.”
"Where is my mom? Where did you take her?" A child who gets to a filtration event is instantly deprived of dignity. They try to break him or her right away."
Today we remember the end of the Second World War: the defeat of Nazi Germany by the Allied forces. The Second World War gave way to another war, which most call the Cold War. I prefer calling it the Third World War as I really see it as a continuation of a clash of civilisations. The Soviet Union continued occupying states and creating satellite/client states until it was stopped by its own internal weaknesses and U.S. political warfare.
Today we’re still dealing with Russia: some say we are in the Fourth World War. This war was hatched when Putin came to power in 1999. The security forces in Russia took the Kremlin, enlisting and absorbing the services of organised crime, from which Putin emerged via his dealings in St Petersburg. The plans to expand Russian territory were drawn up in 2005, and they included taking Ukraine and other neighbouring states by force or other means. For example, in 2000, Belarus became a Russian satellite state without firing a shot: its military and security services are headed by Russians or Russian-trained leaders. Its economy is now completely dependent on Russia. Why the EU has not applied sanctions against Belarus to the same extent as it has Russia is beyond me. When efforts to take Ukraine in the same way failed, the Kremlin moved onto aggressive kinetic warfare.
Is there a difference between the Soviet Union of the past and its post-communist reiteration today? The short of it: no. It still harbours imperialist aims that date back to the Tsars, and it still uses the same tactics concerning kinetic and non-violent warfare. I have called it post-communist because the Kremlin does not have in an ideology per se, except for the desire to use force to carry out its imperialist designs. Ukraine is bearing the brunt of its war, but Russia’s action also includes all forms of political and psychological warfare, and any activity short of kinetic war, against the West.
President Zelensky’s message below is that regimes of terror share the same modus operandi. At the heart of their existence is the need to control, subjugate, violate, kill, and destroy the targets of their desires.
Combat Situation Update
Syrskyi: Russia trying to break through defenses to reach Kurakhove, Pokrovsk. Russian troops are trying to break through Ukraine's defenses and reach the cities of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 6.
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, a Russian Diversion Reconnaissance Group tried to enter Kharkiv near the settlement of Pylna, but were repelled.
Military: Russia trying to regain control of Nestryha Island in Kherson Oblast. Speaking on national TV, a spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces, said Moscow's troops had tried unsuccessfully to storm Ukrainian positions three times, losing four tanks in the process.
ISW: Russian forces recently advanced northwest of Avdiivka amid continued offensive operations in the area on May 7. Geolocated footage published on May 7 shows that Russian forces advanced along a railway line west of Ocheretyne (northwest of Avdiivka).
Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces also advanced westward in fields east of Novopokrovske (northwest of Avdiivka and southwest of Ocheretyne) and up to the settlement's southern outskirts.
Another Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces advanced 1.5km in depth to a windbreak along the Novobakhmutivka-Berdychi line (south of Ocheretyne and northwest of Avdiivka).
Behind the Lines
A group of Russian agents, including 2 colonels of Ukraine’s State Security Administration, preparing an assassination attempt on Zelensky, Budanov, and other Ukrainian officials were detained by SBU, as reported by the Security Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutor General's Office. The network, which was managed by the Russian special services, included 5 members, including two colonels of the UDO. One of the tasks of this network was to find executors among the military, close to Zelenskyi's security, who could take him hostage and later kill him.
According to the investigation, the attacks were organized by employees of the 9th Department of the Operational Information Department of the 5th Service. Among them, in particular, Maksym Mishustin, Dmytro Perlin and Oleksiy Kornev. The latter met with the UDO colonel on the territory of neighboring European states several times under the conditions of a conspiracy. Funds for agents were also usually transferred abroad.
During the occupation of Borodianka in Kyiv region in the spring of 2022, Russian soldiers were stationed in local schools. After Kyiv region was liberated, 10th graders of one of the schools decided to rebuild their destroyed lyceum and have already raised 2.7 million hryvnias (~ $69,000).
Russia threatens UK military installations, equipment 'in Ukraine and abroad' after Cameron's remarks. Moscow can hit back at "any British military installations and equipment in or outside Ukraine" if Ukraine strikes on Russian territory with U.K.-made weapons, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed on May 6.
AP: Bugging devices were found in a room where Polish PM Donald Tusk was scheduled to meet with his Cabinet. Jacek Dobrzyński, the spokesperson for the head of Poland’s secret services, said a routine security wrote on social media on Tuesday morning that “the State Protection Service, in cooperation with the Internal Security Agency, detected and dismantled devices that could be used for eavesdropping in the room where the meeting of the Council of Ministers is to be held today in Katowice.”
Sky News has learned that the Chinese state has allegedly hacked the British Ministry of Defence in a massive data breach targeting service personnel. Investigations have not revealed any data theft, but the breach reportedly targeted a payroll system, exposing names and bank details of current service personnel and some veterans. The British government has not officially named the country involved, but sources suggest it to be China.
President Xi Jinping of China spoke out firmly against criticism of his country for its close relationship with Russia during the war in Ukraine, saying that “we oppose the 'crisis' being used to cast responsibility on a third country, sully its image and incite a new cold war.” (Me: Without China’s assistance, Russia would not be able to continue destroying Ukraine and killing Ukrainians. China is our adversary, not our friend. It sides with Russia against Ukraine because it means weakening the West.)
EuroMaidan Press: Why Ukraine’s battle is crucial for dismantling the global “Axis of Evil”. The four-party alliance of disruption to peace and prosperity -- Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran — exchange money, expertise, and military tech to undermine US influence globally. If Ukraine perseveres, it could pull Russia away from China, dealing a severe blow to their plans. But if Ukraine falls, the "Axis of Evil" could become unstoppable, dictating terms globally.
India’s federal police said 4 people linked to a network of human traffickers have been arrested, accused of luring young men to Russia with the promise of lucrative jobs or university admissions only to force them to fight in the war in Ukraine.
About 35 Indian men were duped in this manner, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said in March, Reuters reported.
The four Indian nationals arrested were a translator, a person facilitating visa processing and the booking of airline tickets as well as two “main recruiters” for the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the CBI said on Tuesday.
The investigation “is continuing against other accused persons who are part of this international network of human traffickers,” the CBI said.
Media: Xi backs global Olympic truce after Macron's proposal. Chinese President Xi Jinping supported on May 6 the idea of a global truce during the Olympic Games in Paris this summer, Le Monde reported.
Politico: Chinese drug cheats and officials willing to turn a blind eye threaten to make the Paris 2024 Olympics a “train wreck,” the top U.S. anti-doping regulator, Travis Tygart, said.
Last month, The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD published a bombshell investigation revealing 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for prohibited drugs before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but were still permitted to take part in the Games, with several winning medals.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the global drugs regulator for sport, accepted an explanation from Beijing’s domestic watchdog, CHINADA, pinning the swimmers’ failed tests on a contaminated hotel kitchen where the banned drug trimetazidine, known as TMZ, was present.
Meanwhile in Russia
Putin inaugurated for 5th term in office in ceremony largely boycotted by West. The inauguration was attended by representatives from six EU countries: France, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus. (Me: the EU wanted to send one representative but Borrell’s deputy did not want to attend, so each country decided on their own.)
During his inauguration, where he sworn in for another term as Putin did not rule out dialogue with the West but said it needed to be on equal terms. In a short speech, Putin also said that Russia was open to developing relations with other countries he described as “the world’s majority”.
“Together with our partners in Eurasian integration, with other sovereign centres of development, we will continue to work on forming a multipolar world order, an equal and indivisible security system.”
Estonian parliament declares Russian Orthodox Church 'sponsor of Russian military aggression.' Patriarch Kirill, the head of the church, is a staunch backer of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has been accused of using his subordinates in Ukraine and other countries to spread Russian propaganda.
Russia declares US-based NGO Freedom House 'undesirable' organization. Russia's "undesirable organization" law was adopted in 2015, effectively banning cooperation with about 160 organizations included on the list since then.
It’s a surprising painting, and Putin loved it.
Media: Russian Su-30 producer buys back over $400 million of own equipment in past 2 years. A Russian Su-30 fighter jet producer bought back its own equipment previously sold to foreign partners worth over $400 million in 2022 and 2023, the Russian independent outlet Moscow Times reported on May 7, citing customs data.
Bloomberg: Russia uses TikTok content to undermine Ukrainian leadership, Kyiv says. "Russia is dominating us on TikTok due to the scale" of its operation, said Andrii Kovalenko, the head of a department countering disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council.
Xi Jinping will support a peace conference regarding Ukraine if both Kyiv and Moscow are in favor of holding such a meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping said.
Reuters is reporting that Belarus will be holding tactical nuclear drills together with Russia, according to the state news agency TASS. Belarus has begun checks on the readiness of its army to deploy tactical nuclear weapons, simultaneously with a drill being carried out by Russia.
Allied Support
The EU has proposed a plan to use the profits of Russia's frozen assets to buy weapons for Ukraine, with neutral countries having the option to provide non-military aid instead. Countries that oppose military aid, such as Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Malta, Cyprus, and Ireland, can choose to provide humanitarian assistance instead. Politico gets into details below:
The EU Commission wants to stop EU countries re-exporting Russian LNG after receiving it. It would be the first time Brussels has moved against Russia’s powerful gas sector in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Commission’s proposal is expected to hit around a quarter of Russia’s €8 billion in LNG profits.
While the EU has banned imports of Russian coal and seaborne crude oil, the Commission isn’t proposing an outright ban on imports of Russian LNG, which countries including Belgium, France and Spain still purchase in large quantities. Instead, it will take action against so-called transshipments of the liquefied fuel via EU ports. That would particularly affect Russia’s $27 billion Yamal LNG plant in the Siberian far north, which relies on icebreaking tankers to get its fuel out of frozen waters. It is then offloaded at EU ports and shipped onward to the rest of the world.
The new proposal is also expected to target the “shadow fleet” of vessels carrying Russian crude around the world in violation of a G7 oil price cap. The measures would ban individuals and companies in the EU from providing assistance to these sanctions-busting ships.
The 14th package is also expected to include a ban on imports of Russian helium, which is a growing sector of Russian industry that targets high-tech customers like semiconductor and medical-equipment makers.
Ambassadors will also discuss proposed restrictions on European political parties, NGOs and media accepting cash from the Russian government and its proxies.
Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a new humanitarian aid package worth 250 million Danish kroner (€33.5 million) to help meet the needs of the Ukrainians most affected by the war, as reported in a statement on the Danish Foreign Ministry website.
The Netherlands plans to begin sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine this fall, following Denmark, which plans deliveries starting this summer. Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said at a joint briefing with her Lithuanian counterpart in Vilnius.
Politico: Poland has a secret weapon to turn Donald Trump against Russia. “Duda is our Republican whisperer,” Michał Baranowski, who leads the German Marshall Fund’s Poland office, told Politico. (Me: this is nuts. Knowing Trump’s background and history, why would anyone think he wouldn’t be working for Russia and China? I don’t understand this position at all.)
Eto Buziashvili posted this gem: discussion of meeting the Soviet challenge. Nothing has changed…at all.
The EU plans to sanction Viktor Medvedchuk, a former Ukrainian politician and businessman accused of high treason by Kyiv, who was released to Russia in a prisoner exchange in 2022. In addition, the bloc is seeking to ban four more Russian media outlets from the airwaves and internet in its latest round of measures against Russia.
Reuters reports that Britain, the US and Australia have sanctioned a senior Russian leader of the cybercrime gang LockBit, the British government said on Tuesday.
Dmitry Khoroshev will face asset freezes and travel bans after being identified as one of the leaders of LockBit, the ransomware group which has extorted over $1bn from victims globally, Britain said.
“In sanctioning one of the leaders of LockBit we are taking direct action against those who continue to threaten global security, while simultaneously exposing the malicious cybercriminal activity emanating from Russia,” the British minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said in a statement.
Italian FM: Rome sends Ukraine weapons only for use within its borders. Italy supplies Ukraine with weapons only for use within the country's borders, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on May 7, according to the ANSA news agency.
Me: don’t look to Italian politicians for tough-talking courageous statements. The important part is that the Italian government continues to send lethal armaments to Ukraine in whatever measure possible.
With regards to Italy’s defence expenditure, which is below what NATO recommends, it is a contentious issue. Italy’s commitment to international missions is second only to the U.S. The Italian government says this should be taken into consideration when discussing defence expenditure.
European Parliament lawmakers call for suspension of Georgia's EU candidate status. The letter said the "continued undemocratic behavior of the Georgian authorities, in particular their aggressiveness in pushing through a 'Russian-style' law on foreign agents, silencing and using force against peaceful demonstrators, has crossed the line."
Politico: Johan Forssell, Sweden’s minister for international development and trade, was in Georgia on Tuesday. He spoke to lawmakers including embattled Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze about the Russian-style “foreign agent” bill.
“Sweden is the third-biggest bilateral donor to Georgia,” Forssell pointed out, which makes it one of the main partners of the NGOs, media outlets and campaign groups the legislation targets. He insisted Sweden has no ulterior motive for providing that support — pushing back on Kobakhidze’s claims that the U.S. used NGOs to try to stage a revolution in the country.
“Looking at the polls, there’s very strong support in Georgia for not turning its back on Europe and the Georgian government must respect this,” Forssell added.
Forssell said Kobakhidze is sticking to his guns, despite the condemnation from other nations and the unrest among Georgians, who mostly favor joining the EU. The young Georgians determined to stop the ruling Georgian Dream party’s turn toward Russia are not giving up either, and have vowed to continue the protests that have rocked the small country for three weeks.
CNN: Stormy Daniels testifies in Trump's hush money trial. Stormy Daniels, the adult film star who took payments to buy her silence about an alleged affair with Donald Trump, is testifying in the former president's criminal hush money trial.
The payments Trump made to his former attorney Michael Cohen, which prosecutors allege were reimbursements for paying off Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, are at the heart of the 34 charges of falsifying business records against Trump.
Graphic provided by Axios: A new poll hints that the war in Gaza — and the accompanying protests — might not hurt Biden's election prospects among young voters as much as previously thought.
Germany’s AfD, which has been embroiled in scandal after scandal for taking funds and spying for Russia and China are finally taking a hit in the polls. When scandals emerged over the League’s (headed by Matteo Salvini) close political and financial ties to Russia, they saw their electoral consensus collapse from 23% to 8%. It is to be remembered, however, that other parties also receive occult funding and media support from Russia, and they shouldn’t be ignored.
It’s Eurovision Time!
I realise that most of the world looks onto Eurovision and laugh at the complete insane and kitschy costumes and songs. And this year does not disappoint. I’ve come to love watching it thanks to my daughter: when a song is really good, we start dancing around the living room. She also provides all the background stories about the artists, making it a richer experience.
My buddy, Scott Lucas, is also a Eurovision affezionato, so we’ll be live tweeting for Saturday night’s finale, which is being held in Malmo, Sweden. Twenty countries will have moved on from the semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday. We’ll keep it short on the geo-politics, although that seeps through from time to time.
Ukraine made it through last night, and it’s a banger!
The song, “Teresa and Maria” is sung by alyona & alyona and Jerry Heil. Alyona and alyona is the most popular female rapper in Ukraine and a co-founder of the local major label that Eurovision Song Contest 2022 winners Kalush Orchestra are signed with.
And, in just 4 years after starting her video blog, Jerry Heil has become an incredibly popular artist with her videos receiving tens of millions of views.
Teresa & Maria was written to remind people that everyone is capable of achieving great heights, and that ‘all the divas were born as human beings’; emphasising that we all start small and that it is our actions that define us.