Russian forces invade Ukraine with strikes on major cities

[Huat Zai]

War in Ukraine: How Russia is recruiting mercenaries

 

Social media channels and private messaging groups are being used in Russia to recruit a new brigade of mercenaries to fight in Ukraine alongside the army, the BBC has learned.

The BBC has spoken to a serving mercenary and a former fighter with close links to one of Russia's leading mercenary organisations, who have shared details of the recruitment campaign.

The serving mercenary said many veterans of the secretive Wagner organisation were contacted on a private Telegram group a few weeks before the start of the war. They were invited to a "picnic in Ukraine", with references to tasting "Salo", a pork fat traditionally eaten in Ukraine.

The message appeals to "those with criminal records, debts, banned from mercenary groups or without an external passport" to apply. The message also included that "those from the Russian-occupied areas of Luhansk and Donetsk republics and Crimea - cordially invited".

The Wagner group is one of the most secretive organisations in Russia. Officially, it doesn't exist - serving as a mercenary is against Russian and international law. But up to 10,000 operatives are believed to have taken at least one contract with Wagner over the past seven years.

The serving mercenary who spoke to the BBC said new recruits are being placed in units under the command of officers from the GRU, the Russian military intelligence unit of the ministry of defence.

 

He stressed that the recruitment policy had changed, and fewer restrictions were applied. "They are recruiting anyone and everyone," he said, unhappy with what he described as the lower professionalism of the new fighters.

He said the new units being recruited are no longer referred to as Wagner, but new names - such as The Hawks - were being used.

This seems to be part of a recent tendency to steer away from the Wagner group's reputation, as "the brand is tainted", says Candace Rondeaux, professor of Russian, Eurasian and Eastern European studies at Arizona State University.

Wagner has faced repeated accusations of human rights abuses and war crimes in its operations in Syria and Libya.

 

The mercenary sources who spoke to the BBC, said the recruits are trained at the Wagner base in Mol'kino in southern Russia, next to a Russian army base.

 

As well as the private messaging groups, there has also been a public campaign in Russia to recruit mercenaries.

On the Russian social media platform VK, a page that describes itself as a specialist in security activities, posted an advert during the first week of the invasion calling for "security guards" from other former Soviet Union countries to apply for "the near abroad". Military experts have said this is a reference to Ukraine.

Previously, a criminal record was a block for those wanting to join the mercenaries. Also restrictions were placed on anyone born outside Russia because of doubts around loyalty.

 

 

There is a "high demand on fighters" and to make a difference on the ground "they're going to need thousands of mercenaries", says Jason Blazakis, senior research fellow at the Soufan Centre, a US-based security think tank.

On Friday, the Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said that 16,000 fighters from the Middle East had volunteered to fight with the Russian army. The Russian president Vladimir Putin gave orders allowing fighters from the Middle East to be deployed in the war.

 

It has been reported that up to 400 fighters from the Wagner group have been in Ukraine.

The Wagner group was first identified in 2014, when it was backing pro-Russian separatists in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The serving Wagner fighter explained that in the first days of the invasion of Ukraine he was sent to the country's second city, Kharkiv, where he said his unit successfully completed a mission without revealing what it was.

"We were then paid $2,100 (£1,600) for a month's work and returned home, to Russia," he told the BBC.

 

 

Blazakis describes using mercenaries as a "sign of desperation" to keep the Russian public's support. Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has stirred several protests in Russia. Thousands have been arrested. Blazakis added that using mercenaries allows the Kremlin to "keep the death toll down because mercenaries are used like cannon fodder".

Moscow has always denied any links with mercenary groups.

The BBC asked the Russian ministry of defence whether the base in Mol'kino was being used to recruit additional forces for what the Russian authorities call "a special military operation in Ukraine''. No response was received.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60711211

[socrates469bc]

jin kumgong.

 

russian bear jiu shi like to use force one without thinking de.

 

if russian brain like limpeh me, confirm can win the war within 2 days de.

 

nb, just take odessa port, the world's 2nd largest grain outlet, and then strangle ukraine and the world's food supply liao.

 

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/03/russias-next-attack-on-ukraine-an-invasion-by-sea-near-odessa/

 

wahahahahahahahahahaha

[Huat Zai]

5 hours ago, socrates469bc said:

jin kumgong.

 

russian bear jiu shi like to use force one without thinking de.

 

if russian brain like limpeh me, confirm can win the war within 2 days de.

 

nb, just take odessa port, the world's 2nd largest grain outlet, and then strangle ukraine and the world's food supply liao.

 

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/03/russias-next-attack-on-ukraine-an-invasion-by-sea-near-odessa/

 

wahahahahahahahahahaha

They have never really been good at fighting wars that don't involve huge amount of losses of their own land and troops, all the way back to the time of Tsar Nicholas II. If suddenly wise up, then something is really wrong.

[Huat Zai]

Novel RURansom wiper targets Russia, motives revealed in the code

 

Initially suspected to be a strain of ransomware, the RURansom malware appears to be a wiper targeting Russia over Moscow's war against Ukraine.

Researchers at Trend Micro claim that the novel RURansom malware is not what it seems. First thought to be a new strain of ransomware, as the name implies, the authors of the bug seem to have motives beyond financial gain.

According to security researchers, no active targets have been seen so far. However, that can be due to the wiper targeting specific entities in Russia.

The authors of the malware do not hide their reasons for spreading the malware. The RURansom code variable responsible for the ransom note contains a message.

"On February 24, President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine. To counter this, I, the creator of RU_Ransom, created this malware to harm Russia. You bought this for yourself, Mr. President. There is no way to decrypt your files. No payment, only damage," reads the note in Russian.

 

Trend Micro claims that the malware was written in the .NET programming language. The worm spreads by copying itself under the file name in Russian "Russia-Ukraine war update."

The file copies itself to all removable disks and mapped network shares, trying to reach maximum impact.

Once the deployment is complete, the malware encrypts the files. No files are spared the encryption. While .bak files are not encrypted, the malware proceeds to delete them.

The encryption algorithm assigns a random encryption key to each file. Since the keys are not stored anywhere, there's no way to decrypt the files, making the malware a wiper and not ransomware.

According to researchers, some versions of the malware first check if the user's IP address is in Russia.

"In cases where the software is launched outside of Russia, these versions will stop execution, showing a conscious effort to target only Russian-based computers," claim authors of the report.

 

Wiper warfare

It is not the first time a wiper malware was deployed in this conflict. Security researchers observed a disk-wiping malware deployed in Ukraine shortly before Russian forces invaded.

The wiper contains driver files that eventually damage the Master Boot Record (MBR) of the infected computer, rendering it inoperable.

According to Crowdstrike, the attackers misused legitimate EaseUS Partition Master drivers to gain raw disk access and manipulate the disk to make the system inoperable.

 

he wiper was dubbed HermeticWiper since the malware's certificate was issued to Hermetica Digital Ltd., a legitimate Cyprus-based company. Other researchers named the novel malware 'DriveSlayer.'

CISA released an advisory on the malware that targeted organizations in Ukraine, with recommendations and strategies to prepare for and respond to the threat.

Security researchers fleeing Ukraine later said that the wiper malware was used to disrupt refugees escaping the war in Ukraine, forcing officials to fall back to using pen and paper.

 

Russian invasion

On the night of February 24, Russian forces invaded Ukraine. In light of the attack, the hacker community started rallying to help Ukrainians.

With Anonymous being the most prominent one, numerous hacker groups and researchers partake in various campaigns to help Ukraine.

Cyber activists targeted Russian state-controlled media outlets TASS, Kommersant, Izvestia, Fontanka, and RBC, pushing them offline.

An unknown group has set up a website tool that allows people to participate in distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against Russian websites that it claims are spreading disinformation.

Others created an 'anti-war hotline' that allows Russian speakers and expats from around the world to call citizens and inform of the atrocities being committed in their name by Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.

Additionally, cybersecurity firms are urging ordinary civilians to join the cyberwar by means of an app that allows them to attack Russian websites spreading disinformation.

Numerous IT-related services got blocked or left the Russian market after the invasion.

According to the United Nations, over 2 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring counties, while thousands of civilians have perished amidst the fighting.

 

https://cybernews.com/cyber-war/novel-ruransom-wiper-targets-russia-motives-revealed-in-the-code/

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

War in Ukraine: What happened on day 19 of Russia's invasion

On day 19 of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, some civilians were able to leave the city of Mariupol along a pre-agreed route for the first time.

Mariupol, a key port city in the south-east of Ukraine, is facing a humanitarian crisis after nearly two weeks of continuous Russian shelling, with food, water, and medicine running out and communication to the outside world all but cut off.

There have been several previous agreements to allow civilians to leave the city, but they quickly broke down each time.

On Monday, however, the Mariupol city council said 160 private vehicles had managed to leave and were on their way to the relative safety of Zaporizhzhia - a city to the north-west.

The level of destruction in Mariupol was made clear in drone footage, which showed bombed out apartment blocks and smoke rising from the rubble.

A tragic update

Last week, Russian bombs hit a maternity hospital in Mariupol. Powerful images of two pregnant women escaping from the wreckage were shared around the world.

But on Monday, we learned that one of the women had died along with her baby who was stillborn by Caesarean section.

After delivering the baby, who showed no signs of life, medics focused on the mother but were unable to keep her alive, surgeon Timur Marin told the Associated Press.

Ukraine's mass graves

In another vivid example of the terrible conditions in Mariupol, the city's deputy mayor told the BBC that several burial sites had been dug to cope with the rising number of civilian deaths.

Serhiy Orlov said the city's street cleaners and road repair teams were collecting dead bodies in the street. More than 2,500 people have been killed in Mariupol since the war began, according to a Ukrainian presidential adviser.

The BBC heard similar stories from local officials elsewhere in Ukraine, for example the town of Bucha near Kyiv, where more than 60 people were buried in a mass grave.

The US warns China

Away from the dire situation on the ground, the war continues to have far-reaching international consequences.

After multiple US news outlets reported that Russia had requested military help from China, the US warned that there would be consequences if Beijing helped Russia to evade sanctions.

The Chinese foreign ministry accused the US of spreading disinformation, and Russia later denied asking Beijing for military help.

With tensions between the global superpowers so high, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday that further escalation of the conflict "threatens all of humanity", with the prospect of nuclear conflict "now back within the realm of possibility".

An oligarch's mansion targeted

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shone a spotlight on the expensive homes around the world that belong to billionaire Russians, many of whom are allies of Vladimir Putin.

On Monday, protesters in London climbed onto the balcony of a mansion in central London thought to belong to the energy tycoon Oleg Deripaska, who has been sanctioned by the UK government over the war in Ukraine.

The protesters said they were reclaiming the building for Ukrainian refugees who have fled their homes.

The UK government is examining whether the properties of sanctioned oligarchs could be used to house refugees, according to the prime minister's official spokesperson, although it is thought new legislation would be required

 

Much-loved pub destroyed

In the city of Kharkiv, in north-east Ukraine, the beloved Old Hem bar - named after the owner's literary hero Ernest Hemmingway - was destroyed by Russian shelling.

An extraordinary image shared widely on social media showed the building which once housed the pub reduced to rubble.

The owner - now in western Ukraine - told the BBC that he hopes to return one day to his city and rebuild his bar.

"We will win and Hem will rise again," Kostiantyn Kuts said.

 

Russia's slow advance continues

Russia's invasion is taking place on several fronts.

Although Ukraine's resistance has been stronger than expected, Russian forces continue to take territory in the south and are slowly moving towards the capital, Kyiv.

You can see full details of the situation on the ground in our guide to the conflict in maps.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60741338

[Huat Zai]

Polish, Czech and Slovenian leaders head to Ukraine in show of support

The leaders will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Kyiv. A European Union aid package is also expected to be presented.

 

 

The leaders of three European countries are traveling by train to Ukraine to pledge their support.

 

The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are due to arrive in Kyiv on Tuesday to express European Union solidarity as Russia continues its assault on Ukraine's capital city.

 

The leaders are set to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and are going in their capacity as representatives of the European Council.

 

Europe must 'guarantee Ukraine independence'

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a tweet that "Europe must guarantee Ukraine's independence and ensure that it is ready to help in Ukraine's reconstruction."

 

 

News

Polish, Czech and Slovenian leaders head to Ukraine in show of support

The leaders will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Kyiv. A European Union aid package is also expected to be presented.

 

The leaders are expected to present an EU aid package following last week's Versailles summit in France

The leaders of three European countries are traveling by train to Ukraine to pledge their support.

The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are due to arrive in Kyiv on Tuesday to express European Union solidarity as Russia continues its assault on Ukraine's capital city.

The leaders are set to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and are going in their capacity as representatives of the European Council.

 

 

Watch video 02:27

Three EU prime ministers travel to war zone: Bernd Riegert reports

Europe must 'guarantee Ukraine independence'

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a tweet that "Europe must guarantee Ukraine's independence and ensure that it is ready to help in Ukraine's reconstruction."

According to Poland's presidential aide Michal Dworczyk, the leaders are expected to present an EU aid package for Ukraine.

"In Kyiv, in addition to a strong signal of support for Ukraine, a concrete support package will be presented by the prime ministers," Dworczyk said.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a tweet: "The aim of the visit is to express the European Union's unequivocal support for Ukraine and its freedom and independence.''

 

 

The three countries are all EU member states and also members of the NATO alliance. Over the weekend, EU leaders made it clear that there could be no shortcut to EU membership, following a two-day informal summit at the Palace of Versailles in France.

Germany's Scholz backs trip

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has welcomed the trip, saying it was "good to try and help in different ways in this situation."

Scholz said the international community was following a clear political strategy to help Ukraine.

He added that it was important to continue discussions with Zelensky, but also with Russian President Vladimir Putin to encourage a ceasefire.

"We are all engaged in different ways, and that is how it ought to be," he said.

The leaders of the 27 EU member states did pledge military aid amounting to €1 billion ($1.1 billion).

At last week's two-day summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Ukrainians were exercising "their right to choose their own destiny" by starting the process to join the EU.

 

https://www.dw.com/en/polish-czech-and-slovenian-leaders-head-to-ukraine-in-show-of-support/a-61129235

 

Mutherfuker, these leaders have balls. Weep sinkie, you will never see this here.

 

 

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

Russia’s cyber weapons might be as weak as its artillery, says expert

 

The Ukrainian government has hacked the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant, Space Program, and Kalashnikov Concern in Russia, indicating that its cyber defenses might be as weak as its military convoys.

Jeff Carr, internationally-known cybersecurity advisor and author of Inside Cyber Warfare: Mapping the Cyber Underworld, is in close collaboration with the Cyber Operations Unit of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Service (GURMO), which recently breached the three key installations.

Carr believes that these entities were chosen to show how vulnerable Russia’s cybersecurity pastures might be, both when it comes to defending its infrastructure and launching cyber attacks.

“It's possible that we give Russia too much credit from a cyber perspective,” he told Cybernews.

Ukraine is mostly alone in the field when it comes to a physical battle. However, when it comes to cyberwar, where NATO borders don't play a role, Russia fights against many allies of Ukraine. I sat down with Carr to discuss recent developments in the cyber realm.

What is the Cyber Operations Unit up to? It seems that they are on the offensive, exposing some key entities in Russia.

They are breaking some new ground in the area of cyberwarfare. The unit I am in touch with is part of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. They are offensive, and so the purpose, as far as I can tell, is to be able to signal to the Russian government that their cybersecurity defenses don't work, and that the most valuable assets they have can be accessed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

I think communicating that message serves the purpose of saying: “if you attack in any way that's going to create too much of an imbalance, your critical infrastructure, your most valued projects are also subject to attack.” As far as I can tell, Russia has not tried to hurt Ukraine from a cyber perspective. They haven't tried to crush any of their power or other utilities, and they don't seem to be having much success interfering with their internet access. It's possible that they have not made successful public operations from Russia against networks, and we haven't heard of them. Possibly, the strategy is an effective one. It's also possible we give Russia too much credit from a cyber perspective.

 

We are used to picturing Russia, along with North Korea, Iran, and China, as nations having strong state-sponsored hacking units. But when these cyber enthusiasts started hacking Russian entities, it seemed like it was too easy at times, simply due to poor cyber hygiene.

Indeed, exposing their vulnerability is a big part of it. It's possible, and what I'm hoping is that after the war is over, they'd be willing to share some information about the state of Russia's cybersecurity – at least as it was during the war, and how difficult or easy it was.

I know that the cyber unit team has an excellent skill set, so I wonder if it is because Russia's network has poor cyber hygiene, or is it simply that these are excellent hackers, and they have tools that enable them to gain access in ways that traditional defenses won't pick up.

In the Space Program, [Russian security service] FSB just arrested an IT engineer for violating the security regimen for an automated system at a launch center. The Kalashnikov company hired a new director of cybersecurity just three months ago. It's possible that they are aware of their networks' vulnerability and trying to do something about that. After this war is over, maybe they will improve their defensive capabilities.

But the other issue is, how strong are they offensively? We haven't seen that directed against Ukraine. Either it's because they have made a conscious decision not to do that, or they don’t have the ability. There are so many unknowns in this field.

 

 

I guess many people are simply hoping that Russian offensive capabilities are just as weak as their physical artillery. At the same time, seeing this massive Ukrainian IT army, Russians probably understand that if Ukraine experienced a significant cyber attack the retaliation could be massive, bearing in mind that there are no NATO borders in the digital realm, and Ukraine's many allies?

Could be – as you pointed out, it's open season. Anonymous decided to get involved and represent hackers from any country. I think it'll be very interesting to see if there is any publicly available information after this is done, regarding Russia's cybersecurity companies and their research and development from universities that specialize in information security – to see if this is a thing that they recognize and start to address.

You mentioned they might get stronger after the war is over. But can they, given that a lot of tech and cybersecurity companies are pulling out of Russia? They will have to rely only on themselves, at least for some time.

I think that's been Russia's intention for a number of years – to not rely on Western technology, because they are paranoid about back doors and other things. Frankly, they really should not have been using Western vendors for their cybersecurity. And they have some excellent companies – Kaspersky and Group IB, and I'm sure that there are others not as well known. They have some of the best universities in the world – education in Russia is wonderful. I think that they can do it without any Western help.

Maybe they need to create a better working environment or living conditions or somehow stop the corruption that seems to be rampant throughout the country. To a certain point, you have talented hackers that might, on the one hand, want to work for the benefit of Russia's networks and defend them. On the other hand, their pay is probably not very much, and the amount of money they could make as a black-hat hacker is a thousand times more.

 

A lot of hacking efforts seem to be just noise. I get that this might be good from a PR perspective. However, I wonder if there are more severe operations going on that we don't hear about because they can't be made public?

There are a lot of operations that are designed to be espionage-driven. That's not shared with me. In some cases, like with their Space Program, they have shared some information, but there are other parts that they are unwilling to because it's ongoing and sensitive.

They are hoping that the message is that the target is vulnerable. In the case of the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant, they only accessed the business network, not the control or operational systems, but what they are trying to say is: we are in the business network and it is not that much harder to cross over into the OT [operational technology] side. Even though they are not releasing any evidence that they've been on that side, they are trying to signal that they could.

The Space Program, I think, was targeted because it's a favorite program of Putin's. He's personally committed to it, it's part of the pride of Russia, which has been an essential part of the International Space Program. I think they picked that because it hurts if your pride and joy is your technology, specifications, research, and all of that – and it's now in the hands of the Ukrainian government, and some of it is being made public.

This is a multi-pronged effort – there's espionage, there's a psychological aspect to it, and there's the communication, signaling, “don't cross this line, because we can do more.”

 

Russian invasion

On the night of February 24, Russian forces invaded Ukraine. The Kremlin dubbed the aggression a 'special operation,' and calling the attack a 'war' can lead to a 15-year sentence.

In light of the attack, the hacker community started rallying to help Ukrainians. With Anonymous being the most prominent one, numerous hacker groups and researchers partake in various campaigns to help Ukraine.

Cyber activists targeted Russian state-controlled media outlets TASS, Kommersant, Izvestia, Fontanka, and RBC, pushing them offline.

Russian nuclear agency Rosatom and the country's space agency Roscosmos were allegedly breached by hacktivists protesting the war in Ukraine.

The German branch of the Anonymous collective also claims to have stolen 20 terabytes of data from the German arm of Rosneft, Russia's state energy company.

The Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine prompted Western governments to sanction Russia. As a result, numerous IT-related services got blocked or left the Russian market after the invasion began.

According to the United Nations, over 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have perished due to Russia's artillery attacks of urban territories.

 

https://cybernews.com/cyber-war/russias-cyber-weapons-might-be-as-weak-as-its-artillery-says-expert/

 

Honestly, this surprised me a bit, recent high profile international hacks came from Russian. Guess only their criminals know what they are doing.

 

 

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

Ukraine: Biden urges Xi not to back Russian aggression

During a nearly two-hour call, the US president called on his Chinese counterpart to rule out military and economic support to Moscow, to ensure Western sanctions are effective.

 

 

US President Joe Biden on Friday warned his Chinese counterpart that Beijing would pay a steep price if it supports Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

 

 

During the phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Biden laid out the "implications and consequences" if Beijing backed Russia's attack, according to the White House.  

"The president underscored his support for a diplomatic solution to the crisis," the White House said. "The two leaders also agreed on the importance of maintaining open lines of communication, to manage the competition between our two countries."  

The almost two-hour call between Biden and Xi comes at a time of deepening acrimony between the US and Russia.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the conversation had not been about "carrots" or incentives to persuade Xi from assisting Russia in its war with Ukraine.

"The president laid out very clearly what the implications would be if they provided material support," Psaki told reporters.

What did China say?

In Beijing's readout of the call, Xi told Biden that the war in Ukraine must end as soon as possible.

"The top priorities now are to continue dialogue and negotiations, avoid civilian casualties, prevent a humanitarian crisis, cease fighting and end the war as soon as possible," Xi told Biden on the video call.

All parties should jointly support the Russia-Ukraine dialogue and negotiations while the United States and NATO should also conduct talks with Russia to solve the "crux" of the Ukraine crisis and resolve the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine, Xi said.

 

News

Ukraine: Biden urges Xi not to back Russian aggression

During a nearly two-hour call, the US president called on his Chinese counterpart to rule out military and economic support to Moscow, to ensure Western sanctions are effective.

 

The US has threatened a tough response if China offers military and financial backing to Russia

US President Joe Biden on Friday warned his Chinese counterpart that Beijing would pay a steep price if it supports Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

During the phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Biden laid out the "implications and consequences" if Beijing backed Russia's attack, according to the White House.  

"The president underscored his support for a diplomatic solution to the crisis," the White House said. "The two leaders also agreed on the importance of maintaining open lines of communication, to manage the competition between our two countries."  

The almost two-hour call between Biden and Xi comes at a time of deepening acrimony between the US and Russia.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the conversation had not been about "carrots" or incentives to persuade Xi from assisting Russia in its war with Ukraine.

"The president laid out very clearly what the implications would be if they provided material support," Psaki told reporters.

What did China say?

In Beijing's readout of the call, Xi told Biden that the war in Ukraine must end as soon as possible.

"The top priorities now are to continue dialogue and negotiations, avoid civilian casualties, prevent a humanitarian crisis, cease fighting and end the war as soon as possible," Xi told Biden on the video call.

All parties should jointly support the Russia-Ukraine dialogue and negotiations while the United States and NATO should also conduct talks with Russia to solve the "crux" of the Ukraine crisis and resolve the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine, Xi said.

 

 

Watch video 04:02

Biden, Xi hold call to discuss Ukraine: Oliver Sallet reports

How could China come to Russia's aid?

Washington this week told its Asian and European allies that US intelligence had determined that China had signaled to Russia that it would be willing to provide military support for the campaign in Ukraine.

Beijing had also promised financial backing to help stave off the impact of severe sanctions imposed by the West, US media reported.

Washington fears if the Chinese side switches to full financial and military support for Russia, it would turn an already explosive trans-Atlantic standoff into a global dispute.

The West would then face the painful decision of how to strike back at the world's second-biggest economy, likely prompting turmoil on international markets.

Washington has also accused China of sending mixed messages after Chinese state-owned banks appeared to pull back from financing Russian activities, according to a senior Biden administration official.

But there have also been public comments by Chinese officials who expressed support for Russia being a strategic partner.

In an attempt to improve US-China relations, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi met in Rome earlier this week for seven-hour talks.

The US and China have been at loggerheads for years over trade, Beijing's military provocations against Taiwan, human rights abuses and the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement.

 

Will Sino-Russian ties endure?

Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in early February, weeks before the invasion, with the Russian leader traveling to Beijing for the start of the Winter Olympics.

During Putin's visit, the two leaders issued a 5,000-word statement declaring limitless "friendship."

Despite the coziness with Moscow, China — the world's biggest exporter — is tightly bound to the US and other Western economies. It also wants to play a leadership role in the world.

Beijing offers some support to Kyiv

Beijing has also tried to remain somewhat ambiguous, declaring support for Ukraine's sovereignty.

China's ambassador to the country on Monday was cited as saying: "China is a friendly country for the Ukrainian people. As an ambassador, I can responsibly say that China will forever be a good force for Ukraine, both economically and politically."  

 

https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-biden-urges-xi-not-to-back-russian-aggression/a-61177075

 

 

 

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

Ukraine: Mariupol rejects surrender, Kyiv hit by shelling — live updates

At least eight people have been killed in an explosion at a shopping center in Kyiv. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has accused Russian forces of committing war crimes in Ukraine. DW has the latest.

 

A man is seen inside a damaged shopping mall in the Podilskyi district of Kyiv

• A Russian court has banned Facebook and Instagram
• At least eight people have died after a Kyiv mall was hit by shelling overnight
• EU foreign and defense ministers have approved rapid reaction force
• A 96-year-old Holocaust survivor has been killed by Russian bombs in Kharkiv
• The Pentagon has accused Russia of committing war crimes

This article was last updated at 20:21 UTC/GMT

Pentagon sees 'clear evidence' of Russian war crimes

The Pentagon has accused Russian forces of committing war crimes in Ukraine and said it would help gather evidence of them.

"We certainly see clear evidence that Russian forces are committing war crimes and we are helping with the collecting of evidence of that," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a news briefing.

"But there's investigative processes that are going to goon, and we're going to let that happen. We're going to contribute to that investigative process. As for what would come out of that, that's not a decision that the Pentagon leadership would make."

Zelenskyy says any compromise with Russia would require a referendum

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday said that any possible compromise with Russia to end the war would require the consent of the Ukrainian people. 

"The people will have to speak up and respond to this or that form of compromise. And what they [the compromises] will be is the subject of our talks and understanding between Ukraine and Russia," Zelenskyy told public broadcaster Suspilne, 

Some of the issues likely to be raised would regard territory currently occupied by Russian forces — such as Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine — as well as security assurances offered by other countries in lieu of NATO membership, he said.

"I explained it to all the negotiating groups: When you speak of all these changes [in a future accord] and they can be historic ... we will come back to a referendum," Zelenskyy said.   

Biden discusses Ukraine support with European leaders

US President Joe Biden spoke about the situation in Ukraine with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and British Prime Minister Borris Johnson, according to the White House.

"The leaders discussed their serious concerns about Russia's brutal tactics in Ukraine, including its attacks on civilians," the White House said in a readout of the call.

They reiterated their continued support for Ukraine, including by providing security assistance and humanitarian aid, the White House said.

The talks, which reportedly lasted for an hour, came as Biden prepared to head to Europe for urgent talks with NATO and European allies later this week.

US warns of potential Russia cyberattacks

Washington warned there was "evolving intelligence" that the Russian government was exploring options for possible cyberattacks in response to Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.

"I urge our private sector partners to harden your cyber defenses immediately," US President Joe Biden said in a statement from the White House on Monday.

Everyone needed "to do their part to meet one of the defining threats of our time," he added.

Vital infrastructure from fuel supply routes to water supplies are at risk from cyberattacks, US authorities said.

But despite Biden's warning, "there is no certainty that there will be a cyber incident on critical infrastructure," Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger told AFP reporters.

Neuberger added there had been "preparatory activity" detected but no sign of a "specific" attack.

Pentagon cannot confirm nor deny Russian hypersonic missile claims

The US Pentagon on Monday said it could neither confirm nor deny Russian claims that it had used next-generation hypersonic missiles to target sites in Ukraine.   

Russia's Defense Ministry on Monday said the country's Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missile, "has proven its efficiency in destroying heavily fortified special facilities." The ministry said the weapon had been used twice over the weekend and promised more such strikes in the future.

"It's a bit of a head-scratcher, to be honest with you, because it's not exactly clear why — if it's true — why would you need a hypersonic missile fired from not that far away to hit a building," a senior US official told reporters, adding, "It could be that they're trying to send a message to the West but also to Ukraine, and trying to gain leverage at the negotiating table."

Other speculation is that Moscow may be turning to higher-end inventory because of what the US says are constraints on Russia's supplies of precision-guided munitions.

"They're failing to launch, or they're failing to hit the targets, or they're failing to explode on contact," said the official.

The Pentagon official called Moscow's decision to turn to long-range missile strikes, "a reflection of what some people believe is a desperate attempt by them to gain some momentum, to try to turn the course of the war. And that's why it's getting so much more dangerous for civilians, because the more you use long-range fires ... the more you're going to hit civilian targets."

 

 

Watch video 02:19

Did Russia really use hypersonic missiles in Ukraine?

Ukraine accuses Russia of seizing grain shipments

Ukrainian prosecutors on Monday announced they have opened an investigation into allegations of the forceful Russian seizure of five ships carrying Ukrainian grain at the southeastern port of Berdiansk on the Sea of Azov.

Ukraine, the world's fifth largest producer of grain, also faces billions of dollars in lost revenue for wheat and corn slated for export as Russia continues to block its ports.

Moreover, authorities are concerned that if the conflict continues, farmers, who are already gravely concerned about sky-high fertilizer prices, may opt not to plant, setting up a potentially disastrous combination of food shortages on top of massive revenue losses.

Zelenskyy: Ukraine won't accept Russia's ultimatums

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country would not bow to ultimatums from Russia to end the war.

"Ukraine cannot fulfil Russian ultimatums. We should be destroyed first, then their ultimatum would be fulfilled," he told local media.

Zeleskyy said Moscow wanted Ukraine to "hand over" Kharkiv, Mariupol and Kyiv, adding that neither the people of those cities "nor me, as president, can do this."

His remarks came after Russia demanded that Ukrainian forces in the southeastern port city of Mariupol lay down their weapons before dawn on Monday for safe passage out.

 

 

Watch video 00:38

Zelenskyy: 'Without trade with you, Russia will not have money for this war'

Germany to host donor conference to aid Moldova, Ukraine refugees 

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday announced that Berlin will host a donor conference on April 5 to assist Moldova in its efforts to house and feed refugees fleeing Ukraine as Russia continues its shelling of the country. 

"It is about support for Moldova which is the most fragile country in this situation," Baerbock told reporters in Brussels, noting that estimates now suggest that as many as 10 million people are expected to flee Ukraine over the next few weeks.

Speaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Moldova's Nicu Popescu said, "we have 100,000 refugees from Ukraine, which represents four percent of our population." Popescu said more than 360,000 refugees had also passed through Moldova on their way to other European destinations.

The refugee crisis resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, said Popescu, "is having a big impact on the socio-economic situation" in Moldova, one of the poorest and smallest countries in the EU.  

Speaking of the swelling number of refugees expected to arrive in Moldova over the coming weeks, Germany's Baerbock said, "No country can cope with that on its own ... That is why we must now do everything together to ensure that we can distribute not only thousands but hundreds of thousands of people in the coming weeks." 

According to Baerbock, the donor conference, co-organized by Germany, France and Romania, will also raise cash to help Moldova with its energy needs. It currently relies mainly on Russia for its energy needs. 

Moscow's stock exchange opens for treasury bond trades

Russia's premier stock exchange reopened after being closed for nearly a month since the day after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, causing the closure of the nation's premier bourse.

Only trading of Federal Loan Obligations bonds, known by their Russian acronym OFZ, resumed when the exchange reopened. The price of ruble-denominated Russian debt fell, causing greater borrowing costs.

The Moscow Stock Exchange was not trading stocks though, and it remains unclear when the Russian markets will properly open to service a sector other than the country's burgeoning debt and borrowing costs.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, credit ratings agencies downgraded Russian bonds, currently at "junk" status and the country's finance ministry contemplated defaulting last week, threatening to pay Eurobonds in severely devalued rubles before sending the money owed in dollars.

Germany to provide core of EU rapid reaction force by 2025

German Defense Minister, Christine Lambrecht told reporters ahead of a meeting of EU defense and foreign ministers in Brussels that Germany will provide a rapid reaction force of 5,000 soldiers by 2025.

"Germany can provide the military core," Lambrecht said.

EU defense ministers signed off on the 27-nation bloc's new security strategy, known as "Strategic Compass," during the meeting. A summit of EU leaders is scheduled for later this week.

The rapid reaction force is an overhaul of the EU battlegroups that have existed theoretically since 2007 though have never been deployed.

Russia claims bombed Kyiv mall was used to store rockets

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov admitted that Russia had hit a shopping mall on the outskirts of Kyiv.

Konashenkov said Ukrainian forces were using it to store rockets to use against Russian troops.

"The areas near the shopping center were used as a large base for storing rocket munitions and for reloading multiple rocket launchers," Konashenkov told reporters.

"High-precision long-range weapons on the night of March 21 destroyed a battery of Ukrainian multiple rocket launchers and a store of ammunition in a non-functioning shopping center," he said.

His claims could not independently verified.

The bombing of the shopping center in the densely populated Podil district killed at least eight people, according to Ukrainian officials.

 

 

Watch video 02:13

Russia shells Kyiv mall, Ukraine rejects Mariupol surrender

Holocaust survivor killed by Russian bombs in Kharkiv

Boris Romantschenko, a 96-year-old Holocaust concentration camp survivor, was killed when a Russian bomb struck his apartment building in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv according to a statement released by the Buchenwald and Mittenwald-Dora Memorials Foundation on Monday. 

"It is with dismay that we have to report the violent death of Boris Romantschenko in the war in Ukraine," read the statement. The foundation said Romantschenko was killed in his home on March 18.

In an English-language Tweet released Monday, the foundation said it was "stunned" at Romantschenko's death.

"This is what they call the 'operation of denazification'," said Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's presidential office, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin's claim that Russian troops are on a "special military operation" to rid Ukraine and Europe of Nazis. "The whole world," said Yermak, "sees Russia's cruelty." 

Although not Jewish, Romantschenko was deported by the Nazis at age 16 to work as a forced laborer. He survived a total of four concentration camps, among them Buchenwald and Bergen-Belsen.  

The foundation called Romantschenko, who served as vice president of the Buchenwald-Dora International Committee, a "close friend" who dedicated his life to educating others of the horrors of the Nazi era.

The Buchenwald and Mittenwald-Dora Memorials Foundation says it is currently partnering with 30 other memorial groups to assist Holocaust survivors still in Ukraine — official statistics put the number thereof at 42,000 — by setting up an aid network as well as helping those fleeing the country to find shelter in Germany.

Ukraine presses China to help end war

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Monday called on China to step up and play an "important role" in helping resolve the conflict brought about by Russia's February 24 invasion.

"We share Beijing's position on the need to find a political solution to the war against Ukraine and call on China as a global power to play an important role in this effort," posted Kuleba on Twitter.

China, a Russian ally who shares Moscow's distaste for the US, has so far resisted calls to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion and the bombardment he has unleashed upon Ukraine since. 

Kremlin summons US ambassador to complain about Biden

Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday summoned US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan to inform him that US President Joe Biden's recent remarks about Russian President Vladimir Putin — Biden has called Putin a war criminal — were pushing relations between the two countries to the point of collapse.

Russian court bans Facebook, Instagram

A Moscow court ruled in favor of Russia's FSB intelligence services on Monday, agreeing to label the US internet giant Meta (formerly Facebook) an "extremist organization." 

Meta platforms such as Instagram and Facebook were immediately blocked by Kremlin authorities after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in an effort to control the narrative on its "special military operation." Monday's decision adds an official court order that moves beyond blocking access to an outright ban. 

"The activities of the Meta organization are directed against Russia and its armed forces," FSB representative Igor Kovalevsky told judges at Moscow's Tverskoi district court. "We ask [the court] to ban Meta's activities and oblige it to implement this ruling immediately," said Kovalevsky.

Meta drew Russia's ire on March 10 by temporarily relaxing its language rules to allow users to post messages like "death to Russian invaders." Meta later reversed its policy, saying that, "Russophobia and calls for violence against Russian citizens are unacceptable." 

Russia's Investigative Committee crimes outfit has said it will launch a probe of the company, "due to illegal calls for the murder of Russian nationals by employees of the American company Meta."

The company had said the language rule relaxations were only for Ukrainian users, and only for calls of violence against invading troops, not civilians.

The Kremlin has worked hard to limit information on the conflict, going so far as to pass laws prohibiting the use of the word "war" in relation to Ukraine and to jail anyone found guilty of spreading such "false information" to as many as 15 years in prison.

UK summons Russian defense attache 

The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense says it has summoned Russia's defense attache to the country for the second time in recent weeks for consultations related to Moscow's unprovoked February 24 invasion of neighboring Ukraine. 

Ukraine accuses Russia of shelling Odesa

On Monday, authorities in the Black Sea port city of Odesa said that several civilian homes were damaged in a strike by Russian forces. The city council said a resulting fire was quickly extinguished, and there were no casualties. 

"We will not leave Odesa and we will fight for our city," Mayor Hennady Trukhanov said while visiting a residential area that appeared to have been hit by shells.

Odesa, in western Ukraine not far from the border with Moldova, has been largely spared so far from the destruction of the conflict.

A view of a building damaged by shelling in Odesa

Curfew announced in Kyiv

The Mayor of the Ukrainian capital Vitaliy Klitschko introduced a new curfew on Monday that is set to run from Monday evening to Wednesday morning.

The curfew "will begin at 8:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) and last until 7:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) on March 23," he wrote on Telegram.

The city introduced a curfew several days into the war as a means to identify Russian saboteurs that authorities said were roaming the city at the time.

Siege of Mariupol a 'massive war crime,' EU says

The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday that Russia's attacks on the Ukrainian coastal city of Mariupol amount to a "war crime."

"What's happening now in Mariupol is a massive war crime, destroying everything, bombarding and killing everybody," Borrell told reporters.

His comments came ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers where they will discuss imposing further sanctions on Moscow. Borrell said that the ministers will also discuss possible measures against imports of Russian oil.

 

 

Watch video 08:42

'So many parts of Ukraine are turning into a living hell'

Russian airstrikes hit military base in western Ukraine

A military base in the western Ukrainian region of Rivne was hit by missiles from the Russian air force on Monday.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that "high-precision air-launched cruise missiles" hit a training center used by Ukrainian as well as foreign soldiers. The Ukrainian agency Ukrinform said that two strikes had hit a firing range.

The attack was confirmed by the mayor of Rivne, Alexandr Tretiak, over his Telegram account, EFE reported.

"Based on initial information, several people were injured. We will update with more details later," he said.

Berlin expects arrival of more Ukrainian refugees

Following a drop in arrivals in recent days, Berlin can expect to see the number of incoming Ukrainian refugees increase to 20,000 per day, the city's accommodation coordinator, Albrecht Broemme, told local radio broadcaster RBB on Monday.

"We had up to 10,000 a day, we can cope with that," Broemme said. "But we should be ready to take in 20,000 refugees a day," he added.

Numbers have fallen in recent days due to blockages in Ukraine, but once these have been dealt with, it is expected that even more people will cross into neighboring countries and on to Germany.

Broemme said that the capital was prepared for the new arrivals and praised the work done to turn the former Berlin-Tegel airport into a shelter for refugees.

"I'm amazed at everything that's been done in such a short time," he told RBB.

Cease-fire talks to restart after Mariupol surrender deadline passes

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet on Monday for a new round of cease-fire talks via video link, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak announced on Sunday.

The Ukrainian delegation had expressed cautious optimism during the last round of talks, saying that Russia had appeared more open to negotiation. However, Podolyak added that it could take weeks to reach a deal with Moscow that would end the war.

Russia has stuck to its demands of demilitarizing Ukraine, the recognition of Donbas and Crimea as Russian territory, as well as guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO.

Kyiv has also said it is unwilling to surrender. A deadline for the surrender of Mariupol to Russian forces passed on Monday morning after Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Sunday evening rejected the call for Ukrainian forces there to lay down their arms.

 

 

Watch video 02:07

Ukraine rejects Russia's call to surrender Mariupol

Overnight shelling in Kyiv leaves eight dead

Emergency services in the densely populated Podil district of the Ukrainian capital said on Monday morning that at least eight people had been killed after shelling hit a shopping center in a residential area. The death toll was revised over the course of the day.

"Enemy shelling" had caused fires on several floors of the 10-storey building and set several cars ablaze, emergency services posted on Facebook.

The force of the blast left a large crater and piles of debris were still smoldering on Monday as rescue workers searched through the rubble. 

An AFP journalist reported hearing a loud explosion that shook the city. Security footage released by emergency services showed a massive explosion, followed by a cloud of smoke rising from the blast site, AFP reported.

Local residents told the news agency that they had seen a mobile rocket launcher near the shopping center over the previous days.

Local residents reported hearing a huge blast in the Podil district of Kyiv overnight

Ammonia leak at chemical plant in northeast Ukraine — reports

The regional governor of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine said there has been an ammonia leak at a chemical plant. The city is besieged by Russian forces who have been shelling it regularly.

The governor did not elaborate on the cause of the leak but said there had been contamination of an area with a radius of more than 5 kilometers (3 miles).

City authorities have advised people living in the area to breathe through bandages that have been soaked in citric acid.

Millions of children are 'in grave danger'

Humanitarian organization Save the Children says upwards of 6 million children are in imminent danger as a growing number of hospitals and schools come under attack during Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. 

"Up to 6 million children in Ukraine remain in grave danger as the war in Ukraine nears the one-month mark," the group's Ukraine director Pete Walsh said.

The organization said that 464 schools and 42 hospitals have been damaged as a resulted of Russian shelling.

According to UN figures, at least 59 children have been killed since the Russian invasion began on February 24.

"School should be a safe haven for children, not a place of fear, injury or death," Walsh said.

The bombardments have forced more than 1.5 million children to flee the country. However, Save the Children points out that nearly 6 million children remain behind.

"The rules of war are very clear: children are not a target, and neither are hospitals or schools. We must protect the children in Ukraine at all costs. How many more lives need to be lost until this war ends?" Walsh said.

 

 

Watch video 01:47

Kyiv children's hospital staff works around the clock

Biden to visit Poland during Europe trip

US President Joe Biden will travel to NATO ally Poland on Friday to hold discussions with President Andrzej Duda over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the White House said.

"The president will discuss how the United States, alongside our allies and partners, is responding to the humanitarian and human rights crisis that Russia's unjustified and unprovoked war on Ukraine has created," said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

Biden's visit will come after a stop in Brussels where he is scheduled to attend special summits of NATO, the G7 and the European Union.

German MP calls for former Chancellor Schröder to be sanctioned

German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) lawmaker Michael Brand is calling for sanctions against former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder over his strong links with Russia.

Brand told German publication Taggespiegel that Chancellor Olaf Scholz must ensure that "Schröder, who was placed in leading positions in the Russian energy sector by Putin himself and who collects hundreds of thousands of euros for representing Putin's interests, is finally also sanctioned."

Brand said that it was no longer reasonable for the German taxpayer and the German state "that a German citizen who is involved in financing the brutal war in Ukraine is not on the sanctions list only because he was once SPD leader and chancellor."

Schröder, who is a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin,is chairman of energy firm Rosneft and and has been nominated for a director's position at Gazprom. His Russia ties have come under scrutiny in recent months.

 

 

Watch video 01:48

German ex-Chancellor Schröder visits Putin – Melinda Crane reports

Summary of Sunday's events in Ukraine-Russia crisis

Russia demanded that Ukrainian forces in the eastern port city of Mariupol lay down their arms.

But Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk refuted the notion of surrender in Mariupol, according to reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia's siege of Mariupol would "go down in history for war crimes."

Authorities in Mariupol said Russian forces bombed an art school in which 400 residents had taken shelter.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Russia and Ukraine were getting closer to an agreement on "critical" issues.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told CBS that Ukraine's resistance to Russia's invasion means Putin's ground forces "are essentially stalled."

Ukrainian authorities said that at least 260 civilians have been killed in the fighting around the country's second-biggest city, Kharkiv, since the start of the Russian invasion.

Russia's "devastating" war on Ukraine has driven 10 million people from their homes, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked why he can't get weapons from Israel and said the Iron Dome air-defense system would protect Ukrainians.

 

 

Watch video 00:37

Zelenskyy: 'Why hasn't Israel imposed strong sanctions against Russia?'

 

https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-mariupol-rejects-surrender-kyiv-hit-by-shelling-live-updates/a-61195491

[socrates469bc]

bee kok and eu jin kumgong.

 

sanction lai sanction qu.

 

in the end, russia just turn off potash and bee kok farmers also cannot produce.

 

wahahahahahahahahahaha

 

https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2022/03/war-in-ukraine-and-its-effect-on-fertilizer-exports-to-brazil-and-the-us.html

 

[Huat Zai]

Advanced Russian Tech Has Been Captured By Ukrainian Army, Offering Military Secrets

 

 

An advanced Russian electronic warfare system has fallen into the hands of the Ukrainian army, a move that could help to reveal the secrets behind one of Russia’s most formidable pieces of military technology. 

Ukraine Weapons Tracker posted an image on Twitter claiming to show a Krasukha-4 electronic warfare system that was captured by the Ukrainian Army just outside the capital of Kyiv in an area called Makariv. The advanced device appears to have been found separated from its truck mount, covered in sticks and tree branches as a rudimental form of camouflage.

 

 

The Krasukha-4 is a ground-based, electronic warfare system built by the Kremlin-owned KRET corporation. It’s capable of detecting and jamming radar on spy satellites, aircrafts, and drones. It can also block GPS, radio, and phone signals, leaving the enemies' communications in the dark. 

In theory, positioning the Krasukha-4 near Kyiv would help to make it harder for Ukrainian and international reconnaissance systems to keep an eye on Russian forces near the capital, which has been the subject of heavy fighting over the past few weeks. 

Not only does the system block aerial radar systems from surveying the ground, but it can also cause autonomous drones to lose control and crash. It’s said to have a range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) and is so powerful it can even cause physical damage to communication equipment.

Keen to understand the secrets of this tech, the capture of the Krasukha-4 has reportedly caught the attention of NATO. It's suspected that the electronic warfare system is already being transported by road to a US Air Force base in Germany where it will be flown to the US for closer examination by military engineers, according to the Telegraph.

 

https://www.iflscience.com/technology/advanced-russian-tech-has-been-captured-by-ukrainian-army-offering-military-secrets/

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[Satki]

this war is like a battle of the influencers

 

honestly at this point, anyone still having compassion for the U should be gone. They dont seem interested to de-escalate but more info getting aid from the liberal west.

 

 

[Huat Zai]

14 minutes ago, Satki said:

this war is like a battle of the influencers

 

honestly at this point, anyone still having compassion for the U should be gone. They dont seem interested to de-escalate but more info getting aid from the liberal west.

 

 

If you were in their shoes, you won't want to de-escalate either. Russia is trying to force them to surrender a big chunk of their land, reduce their military, and promise never to join NATO in the "peace talks". If they agree, they will be Russia's bitch like Chechnya, Belarus, etc. The people has already made it clear that they will go down fighting before that happens, All the influencer part is because modern society digs that shit, and they are using everything they can to get help.

[Satki]

the russians are only interested in Crimea which they already have and the eastern provinces

 

now is to get the U to accept that and not join NATO

 

ah loong is attending meeting with B as the others in Asean are not interested to attend. wonder if he is committing troops to the war

 

if so, not sure our general's balls will shrink

 

[Huat Zai]