Russia's Invasion of Ukraine - Consolidated Thread

[Honoria]

'After this Putin is finished': Military experts say Russian leader has bitten off more than he can chew with 'massively foolish' invasion of Ukraine and it marks the start of the end of his time in power even if Kyiv falls

Professor Michael Clarke said sending soldiers to take Kyiv 'massively foolish'

Said it could become a 'peak Putin' moment that leads eventually to downfall

'Every day the Ukrainian government is up and running is a political victory'

By DAVID WILCOCK, WHITEHALL CORRESPONDENT FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 07:02 EST, 7 March 2022 | UPDATED: 08:41 EST, 7 March 2022


Vladimir Putin could be 'finished' by the invasion of Ukraine after under-estimating military, social and economic resistance at home and abroad, a military expert has suggested.



Professor Michael Clarke said that sending soldiers to take Kyiv was 'massively foolish' and could become a 'peak Putin' moment that leads eventually to his downfall.



Russian forces are widely seen as having struggled in the face of Ukrainian military resistance and civil disobedience since entering the country 11 days ago.





Today president Volodymyr Zelensky vowed that 'God will not forgive' and Ukraine 'will not forget' the slaughter of civilians by Russian forces, saying a 'day of judgement' is coming for them as Moscow was slammed for opening up 'humanitarian corridors' for civilians to flee - with routes leading into Russia itself.



Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour, Prof Clarke said 'every day the Ukrainian government is still up and running and standing is a political victory for them and a political defeat for Russia'.



'The Russians can occupy the country at a superficial level. But given that the Ukrainians now hate them - and you are talking about a big country, a physically big country of 45 million people - it is a sheer impossibility that the Russians can control Ukraine in the way that they thought likely or the way Putin thought likely,' he said.



'It’s a completely impossible scenario Putin has set his military forces, it’s a huge strategic blunder, which incidentally has now become a political crisis in Russia … this is peak Putin. After this Putin is finished.

Full story with pictures at link

[Honoria]

'The enemy has retreated again': Cheering Ukrainian navy hits Russian war ship in Black Sea off Odessa as Kyiv continues to fight back

Russian ship Vasily Bykov was said to have been hit in the Black Sea overnight

Video appeared to show defence forces in Odessa exchanging fire with ships

President Zelensky claimed Russia has plans bomb to the port city of Odessa

The Vasily Byko ship features two machine guns and two grenade launchers

By KATE DENNETT FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 10:05 EST, 7 March 2022 | UPDATED: 17:03 EST, 7 March 2022




A Russian war ship was struck by Ukrainian forces as they continued to defend the port of Odessa from invading troops, according to Ukraine's navy.



Video footage appeared to show Ukrainian defence forces, based in Odessa, cheering as they exchanged fire with ships in the Black Sea in the early hours of the morning.



One Russian ship - said to be the patrol vessel Vasily Byko - is thought to have been hit as Ukrainian forces defended the country's largest port, Ukraine's navy said on Monday.


'The enemy has retreated again,' it said in a brief statement on Facebook.



While the Ukrainian Armed Forces added: 'Today, March 7, 2022, Navy marine units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine defending the Odessa region hit an enemy ship.'



The apparent attack marked yet another setback for Vladimir Putin as his invasion enters its twelfth day, with the capital of Kyiv still fighting back against invading troops.

Full story with pictures at link

[shalom]

Zelensky: ‘We Are Not Prepared for Ultimatums’ from Kremlin



TRENT BAKER7 Mar 2022914

1:43

In an interview with ABC News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the conditions given by the Kremlin to stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.



According to the Kremlin, the invasion would cease if Ukraine would give up on joining NATO, recognize Crime as part of Russia and recognize the independence of two separatist regions in the eastern part of Ukraine.



Monday, Zelensky pushed back against the conditions, describing them as “another ultimatum.” He urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to get out of his information “bubble” and “start the dialogue” to put an end to the war.

Continued at link

[ShofarSoGood]

Russia Offers to Carry Out a Cease Fire Tomorrow Morning in Ukraine

By Joe Hoft

Published March 7, 2022 at 8:12pm


Russia is reportedly announcing a cease-fire that will occur tomorrow in Ukraine.

The Washington Times reported tonight:


Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia says Russia will carry out a cease-fire on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. Moscow time and open humanitarian corridors to evacuate citizens from Kiev, Chernigov, Sumy and Mariupol.



He took the floor at the end of a U.N. Security Council meeting on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine on Monday to make the announcement.


“This proposal doesn’t have any demands about the citizens being sent necessarily to Russia, into Russian territory,” he said.



The Houston Chronicle also reported:



Advertisement - story continues below



“There’s also evacuation offered towards Ukrainian cities to the west of Kyiv, and ultimately it will be the choice of the people themselves where they want to be evacuated to,” Nebenzia said.



Earlier today Russia offered terms to Ukraine to end the crisis.

More at link

[Midnight]

Russia destroyed Ukraine nuclear neutron generator - IAEA chief

Asked if this meant that Russia had attacked a facility protected by IAEA safeguards rules, Grossi paused, but then answered, "yes, when there is nuclear material."

By YONAH JEREMY BOB Published: MARCH 7, 2022 14:59

Updated: MARCH 7, 2022 16:37


IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi on Monday told a press conference that Russia's military assault on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station led to the destruction of a neutron generator in one of the facilities on the campus.



His answer came in response to a question from the media about what would happen if Russia's attack harmed the generator.



Until now it had been reported that Russian forces fired on the facility, but the results of the attack were unknown.



"Apparently it has been destroyed," said Grossi matter-of-factly, leaving the assembled media shocked.

However, he then tried to assure those present that the situation would not be a new Chernobyl-style disaster, saying, "the neutron generator facility had a very small inventory. It was a subcritical facility to use neutrons for scientific experiments."




Continued at link

[schwartzie]

Four Gigantic US Bombers Arrive At UK Airbase Amid World War 3 Fears

[Pink Rose]

Kremlin officials 'are privately denouncing 'clusterf**k' invasion' as Putin's forces get bogged down in snow with temperatures set to drop to -20C as landmine kills three people north of Kyiv and Ukraine claims it has killed 12,000 Russian troops


Russian politicians and powerful business figures are privately denouncing the invasion, it has been claimed

Comes as President Putin's invasion grinds to a bloody halt, with no significant territory captured in days

Temperatures are set to plunge in coming days - down to as low as -20C with wind chill

The worsening conditions will pose major difficulties for refugees and Russian forces alike

Kyiv claims 12,000 Russian soldiers have now been killed in fighting, with more than 300 tanks destroyed

Russian forces continue to bomb major cities, with strike on Sumy overnight killing 21 including two children

A US military think tank warned that Russian forces could launch their assault on Kyiv as early as tonight

The Institute for the Study of War said Russian military has been bringing reinforcements and supplies to its front lines around Kyiv, and warned that Putin's forces could launch an assault within the next 24 - 96 hours

Zelensky meanwhile address the House of Commons today with a rousing speech reminiscent of Churchill

He compared Ukraine's fight with Russia to Britain battling the Nazis and said his people 'became heroes'

By CHRIS PLEASANCE and DAVID AVERRE FOR MAILONLINE and AFP



PUBLISHED: 02:29 EST, 8 March 2022 | UPDATED: 12:40 EST, 8 March 2022



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Kremlin officials are privately denouncing Putin's 'clusterf***' war in Ukraine and 'in mourning' for the death of the Russian economy as his invasion grinds to a halt amid mounting casualties with a cold snap over the next few days expected to make fighting even harder, it has been claimed.



Farida Rustamova, a Russian journalist who was well-connected in government circles before fleeing Russia amid a crackdown on free speech, said sources she spoke to before leaving never believed Putin would go to war and are now making 'apocalyptic' forecasts about the weeks and months ahead as fighting grinds on and sanctions bite.



'They're carefully enunciating the word clusterf***,' one source told her when asked how Russian politicians were reacting to the news. 'No one is rejoicing. Many understand that this is a mistake, but in the course of doing their duty they come up with explanations in order to somehow come to terms with it.'





Ukraine estimates that some 12,000 Russians have now died fighting and while that number cannot be verified, casualties are almost certainly higher than Putin bargained for when he gave the order to attack 13 days ago. Captured soldiers have complained of a lack of food, fuel, and overall battle plan - with conditions set to get worse in the coming days.

A pronounced cold snap will see temperatures drop to -10C overnight in the middle of the week around Kyiv and Kharkiv - down to -20C when wind chill is taken into account - with many Russian soldiers stuck outdoors in a 40-mile column of stalled vehicles near the Ukrainian capital.



The cold will also make life much harder for thousands of desperate refugees fleeing the fighting, some of whom have been without access to heat or water for days because their cities have been under bombardment.



In a dire warning late last night, a US military think tank warned that Russian forces could launch their assault on Kyiv as early as tonight with Vladimir Putin's troops currently threatening the capital from three fronts.



The Institute for the Study of War said the Russian military has been bringing reinforcements and supplies to its front lines, as well as carrying out air and artillery strikes on key Ukrainian military targets to weaken their position and to intimidate the city's defenders ahead of a large assault.



'The Russians are bringing up supplies and reinforcements as well as conducting artillery, air, and missile attacks to weaken defences and intimidate defenders in advance of such an assault,' the report said.



'If Russian troops have been able to resupply, reorganize, and plan deliberate and coordinated simultaneous operations along the several axes of advance around and into the capital, they may be more successful in this operation than they have in previous undertakings.'



Regions around Kyiv, such as Irpin to the north-west and the Brovary area to the east, have come under heavy fire from Russian strikes in the last couple of days, tallying with the institute's report.



In its report published overnight, the think tank said Kyiv should be prepared for an assault within the next 24 to 96 hours and warned if Russia's recent efforts to reinforce its forces have been successful, it could be more prepared than it has been in recent attacks on the capital, which has seen Ukrainian troops mount an effective resistance.



Three civilians died near Kyiv today after stepping on a landmine, a six-year-old girl died from dehydration in Mariupol after water was cut off, and hundreds of people were pictured evacuating from the city of Irpin in bitter conditions whilst snow fell.

Continued at link

[Pink Rose]

Kremlin officials 'are privately denouncing 'clusterf**k' invasion' as Putin's forces get bogged down in snow with temperatures set to drop to -20C as landmine kills three people north of Kyiv and Ukraine claims it has killed 12,000 Russian troops


Russian politicians and powerful business figures are privately denouncing the invasion, it has been claimed
Comes as President Putin's invasion grinds to a bloody halt, with no significant territory captured in days

Temperatures are set to plunge in coming days - down to as low as -20C with wind chill

The worsening conditions will pose major difficulties for refugees and Russian forces alike

Kyiv claims 12,000 Russian soldiers have now been killed in fighting, with more than 300 tanks destroyed

Russian forces continue to bomb major cities, with strike on Sumy overnight killing 21 including two children

A US military think tank warned that Russian forces could launch their assault on Kyiv as early as tonight

The Institute for the Study of War said Russian military has been bringing reinforcements and supplies to its front lines around Kyiv, and warned that Putin's forces could launch an assault within the next 24 - 96 hours

Zelensky meanwhile address the House of Commons today with a rousing speech reminiscent of Churchill

He compared Ukraine's fight with Russia to Britain battling the Nazis and said his people 'became heroes'

By CHRIS PLEASANCE and DAVID AVERRE FOR MAILONLINE and AFP



PUBLISHED: 02:29 EST, 8 March 2022 | UPDATED: 12:41 EST, 8 March 2022




Kremlin officials are privately denouncing Putin's 'clusterf***' war in Ukraine and 'in mourning' for the death of the Russian economy as his invasion grinds to a halt amid mounting casualties with a cold snap over the next few days expected to make fighting even harder, it has been claimed.



Farida Rustamova, a Russian journalist who was well-connected in government circles before fleeing Russia amid a crackdown on free speech, said sources she spoke to before leaving never believed Putin would go to war and are now making 'apocalyptic' forecasts about the weeks and months ahead as fighting grinds on and sanctions bite.



'They're carefully enunciating the word clusterf***,' one source told her when asked how Russian politicians were reacting to the news. 'No one is rejoicing. Many understand that this is a mistake, but in the course of doing their duty they come up with explanations in order to somehow come to terms with it.'


Ukraine estimates that some 12,000 Russians have now died fighting and while that number cannot be verified, casualties are almost certainly higher than Putin bargained for when he gave the order to attack 13 days ago. Captured soldiers have complained of a lack of food, fuel, and overall battle plan - with conditions set to get worse in the coming days.



Here's how YOU can help: Donate here to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal

Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis.




A pronounced cold snap will see temperatures drop to -10C overnight in the middle of the week around Kyiv and Kharkiv - down to -20C when wind chill is taken into account - with many Russian soldiers stuck outdoors in a 40-mile column of stalled vehicles near the Ukrainian capital.



The cold will also make life much harder for thousands of desperate refugees fleeing the fighting, some of whom have been without access to heat or water for days because their cities have been under bombardment.



In a dire warning late last night, a US military think tank warned that Russian forces could launch their assault on Kyiv as early as tonight with Vladimir Putin's troops currently threatening the capital from three fronts.



The Institute for the Study of War said the Russian military has been bringing reinforcements and supplies to its front lines, as well as carrying out air and artillery strikes on key Ukrainian military targets to weaken their position and to intimidate the city's defenders ahead of a large assault.



'The Russians are bringing up supplies and reinforcements as well as conducting artillery, air, and missile attacks to weaken defences and intimidate defenders in advance of such an assault,' the report said.



'If Russian troops have been able to resupply, reorganize, and plan deliberate and coordinated simultaneous operations along the several axes of advance around and into the capital, they may be more successful in this operation than they have in previous undertakings.'



Regions around Kyiv, such as Irpin to the north-west and the Brovary area to the east, have come under heavy fire from Russian strikes in the last couple of days, tallying with the institute's report.



In its report published overnight, the think tank said Kyiv should be prepared for an assault within the next 24 to 96 hours and warned if Russia's recent efforts to reinforce its forces have been successful, it could be more prepared than it has been in recent attacks on the capital, which has seen Ukrainian troops mount an effective resistance.



Three civilians died near Kyiv today after stepping on a landmine, a six-year-old girl died from dehydration in Mariupol after water was cut off, and hundreds of people were pictured evacuating from the city of Irpin in bitter conditions whilst snow fell.



Irpin has been the scene of some intense clashes as Russian forces try to take it on their mission to surround and besiege Kyiv, with one commander reporting hand-to-hand fighting as Putin's men battle street-to-street.



'In some places, there is hand-to-hand combat,' an officer who gave his name only as Stas said. 'There is a huge column - 200 men, 50 light armoured vehicles, several tanks,' he said of the Russian threat. 'We are trying to push them out, but I don't know if we'll be fully able to do it.'



Vitaliy Shichko, resident of nearby Bucha, said Russian forces have been attacking the town since last week - initially throwing in men 'they weren't afraid of losing' but increasingly moving in better armed and equipped troops to capture and hold ground. 'Basically special forces,' he said.



Others said that Russians had cleared residents out of their homes so they could set up sniper positions, with some alleging that civilians had been fired at as they tried to flee. Ukrainian artillery is now being brought to bare on Russian forces as they set up the next phase of their attack, commanders said.



Ukraine's commanders say Putin's invasion has 'slowed significantly' in recent days, with American intelligence saying he has now committed all of the forces he built up along the border to the fight.



Ukraine's military, giving an overview of combat as the war enters its 13th day, said defensive operations continue in the north, east and south of Ukraine, with all major cities other than Kherson - which fell last week - in Ukrainian hands. Russian troops are 'demoralised and increasingly tend to looting and violations of international humanitarian law,' commanders added.



It has also emerged that another Russian commander - Major General Vitaly Gerasimov, first deputy commander of Russia's 41st army - was killed in Kharkiv on Monday, just the latest in an increasingly long line of senior military figures to lose their lives in Ukraine.



Kyiv claimed today that 12,000 Russian troops have now died fighting in Ukraine, while 300 tanks have been destroyed along with more than 1,000 armoured vehicles, 48 planes, 80 helicopters and three boats. Moscow has acknowledged taking losses but has not given a recent update. Ukraine's losses are unknown.



Strikes on civilian areas also continued overnight, with the city of Sumy - in the east - struck by bombs which the local mayor said killed 21 people including two children and left others wounded. Ukraine's parliament published a photo of a bloodied infant they said was hurt in the attack.



Russia said it will again open up 'humanitarian corridors' today to allow civilians to flee bombarded cities - but the offer has already been dismissed by Kyiv, with President Volodymyr Zelensky accusing Moscow of 'cynicism', saying its troops have laid mines across the routes and blown up buses intended to be used as transports.



'There was an agreement on humanitarian corridors. Did that work? Russian tanks worked in its place, Russian Grads (multiple rocket launchers), Russian mines,' Zelensky said in a video posted on Telegram. 'They ensure that a small corridor to the occupied territory is open for a few dozen people. Not so much towards Russia as towards the propagandists, directly towards the television cameras.'



At least one of the corridors - out of Sumy - appeared to be operating early Tuesday, with around a dozen people pictured boarding a bus marked with medical symbols as they tried to leave. Ukraine's foreign ministry said the route of of Mariupol, which has been without water or electricity for the best part of a week, has been shelled.



In Bucha, to the northwest of Kyiv, the mayor said the city is under such heavy shelling that medics cannot get into the streets to retrieve the bodies of the dead - which are now being 'pulled apart' by stray dogs. 'It's a nightmare,' he added.


Continued with pictures and video at the link

[PrisonerOfHope]

The question now is, will Russia attack Poland and/or the United States? From what I've been reading, he'll consider this an act of war. Pray!  

[shalom]

Ukraine Russia war: Russia sending 'Wagner' mercenaries into Ukraine

12,000 Russian soldiers allegedly KIA * Russian major general among those slain * Over 60 Ukrainian hospitals out of action

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF, MICHAEL STARR, REUTERS Published: MARCH 8, 2022 09:45

Updated: MARCH 9, 2022 05:13Email Twitter Facebook fb-messenger




Russia is reportedly enlisting a thousand mercenaries from the "Wagner" group and freezing all contracts of military personnel.



"Russia is conducting covert mobilization, forbade the fighters to terminate contracts and plans to transfer up to a thousand militants from the private military company "League", formerly Wagner, to Kyiv." The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has reported.



"In order to stop the outflow of personnel, the military leadership of the RF Armed Forces decided to ban the termination of contracts for military service. In order to strengthen the grouping of troops in the direction of Kyiv, Russia plans to transfer up to a thousand militants from the private military company "League" (former "Wagner")" The ministry explained.


Continued at link

[maybetoday]

US pours cold water on Poland's 'untenable' offer to hand over all their MIG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine: Pentagon risks rift within NATO and 'raises serious war concerns for alliance' in the face-off with Putin

The Pentagon has poured cold water on Poland's offer to hand all its MiG-29 fighter jets to the US

The idea has been floating around for more than a week after Ukraine pleaded for more aircraft

But Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said on Tuesday night the deal was unworkable and would cause serious concerns for the 'entire NATO alliance'

The plan to deliver Soviet-era planes to Ukraine has stalled over fears it could escalate Russian aggression

Poland said it was placing the jets at the 'disposal of the government of the United States of America'

That suggests Poland is trying to push Washington to go further in backing Ukraine with weaponry

Biden administration officials said the Polish announcement had taken them by surprise

By ROB CRILLY, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM



PUBLISHED: 16:14 EST, 8 March 2022 | UPDATED: 22:23 EST, 8 March 2022


The Pentagon has poured cold water on Poland's offer to hand all its MiG-29 fighter jets to the US, apparently as part of an arrangement to deliver the warplanes to Ukraine's armed forces where they are desperately needed to fight off invading Russian forces.



The idea has been floating around for more than a week after Ukraine pleaded for more aircraft but the plan has been dogged by questions about how to deliver the planes to Ukrainian territory without dragging NATO into the conflict.



But Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said on Tuesday night the deal was unworkable and would cause serious concerns for the 'entire NATO alliance'.


In a statement he said: 'We are now in contact with the Polish government following the statement issued today. As we have said, the decision about whether to transfer Polish-owned planes to Ukraine is ultimately one for the Polish government.



'We will continue consulting with our Allies and partners about our ongoing security assistance to Ukraine, because, in fact, Poland's proposal shows just some of the complexities this issue presents.



The prospect of fighter jets 'at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America' departing from a U.S./NATO base in Germany to fly into airspace that is contested with Russia over Ukraine raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance', he added.



'It is simply not clear to us that there is a substantive rationale for it. We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland's proposal is a tenable one.'



Tuesday's announcement was seen as a Polish effort to force the US and NATO to go further in backing the Ukrainian fight amid mounting concerns over whether it would be seen as an escalation by Vladimir Putin.



There were suggestions NATO electronics would need to be removed if adopted by the Ukrainian Air Force. Russia could have responded if Ukrainian pilots flew them in from a foreign airfield. If American or Polish pilots dropped them in, it could be interpreted as NATO forces operating inside Ukraine.



'The authorities of the Republic of Poland, after consultations between the president and the government, are ready to deploy – immediately and free of charge – all their MIG-29 jets to the Ramstein Air Base and place them at the disposal of the government of the United States of America,' said the Polish foreign ministry.



Poland is believed to have 28 MiG-29s - a Soviet-era fighter flown by the Ukrainian air force - although not all are airworthy.



'At the same time, Poland requests the United States to provide us with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities,' it said in their statement released earlier on Tuesday.



US officials were considering a proposal to send F-16s to Poland to 'backfill' its air force, replacing the MiGs, but have also suggested caution is in order. The Polish announcement appeared to take them unawares.



Victoria Nuland, State Department undersecretary, was asked about the decision when she appeared before a Senate committee to discuss Ukraine.



'I was in a meeting where I ought to have about that before I came so I think that actually was a surprise move by the Poles,' she said. Sources familiar with the issue said the problem was how to deliver the planes to Ukraine.



Russia has made clear that it will consider any use by Ukraine of neighboring country's territory as a 'casus belli,' or justification for attack. That means Ukrainian pilots taking off from Poland or Germany in the MiGs would cross a Russian red line. Asking Polish pilots to fly them in would also be viewed by Russia as NATO entering the conflict.



The move came with Kremlin officials 'privately denouncing' Putin's 'clusterf**k' invasion as US officials warned that the isolated Russian despot could lash out in anger at Ukraine's fierce resistance by using small nuclear weapons on some of its cities.



Russian journalist Farida Rustamova, who was well-connected in government circles before fleeing the country as the Kremlin launched a sweeping crackdown on dissent, has claimed that officials in Moscow never believed that Putin would go to war.



They are now allegedly making 'apocalyptic' forecasts about the weeks and months ahead as fighting grinds on and punitive sanctions bite.

Full stories with pictures at link

[maybetoday]

US officials fear 'desperate' Putin could use a tactical nuke on a Ukrainian city in effort to win floundering war because he 'cannot afford to lose': Kremlin officials 'privately denounce' despot's 'clusterf**k invasion'


The House Select Committee on Intelligence on Tuesday held an open heading on 'Worldwide Threats', with testimony from the intelligence chiefs

Heads of the CIA, FBI, NSA, Defense Intelligence Agency and the Director of National Intelligence all spoke about their biggest concerns

Lt Gen Scott Berrier, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said Putin has been working overtime to modernize its weaponry, particularly smaller-yield nuclear weapons

All emphasized that Putin had been angered by the pace of the invasion of Ukraine and by his perceived disrespect from the rest of the world

Some U.S. officials have privately speculated that the 69-year-old Russian president could use smaller-scale nuclear weapons to terrorize Ukraine into submission

The U.S. believes up to 4,000 Russian soldiers have died in the two weeks of the Ukraine war

By comparison, nearly 2,500 American troops were killed in Afghanistan over 20 years of war

Putin on Tuesday broadcast a message for International Women's Day in which he told the nation's mothers, wives and girlfriends that only professional soldiers were being sent to Ukraine, not conscripts

Russian news outlet Meduza claimed conscripts are being coerced into signing contracts of voluntary service to change their status

By HARRIET ALEXANDER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM



PUBLISHED: 19:25 EST, 8 March 2022 | UPDATED: 21:17 EST, 8 March 2022




Vladimir Putin 'feels aggrieved' and could resort to using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, U.S. intelligence chiefs said on Tuesday.



Speaking at a House Intelligence Committee hearing, the heads of the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency gave their assessment of the Russian leader's intentions and potential future actions, with CIA director William Burns describing Putin as having 'been stewing in a combustible combination of grievance and ambition for many years.'



The Russian leader, 69, has been angered by Ukriane's refusal to capitulate after two weeks of bombardment and he may lash out, they said - noting an elevated nuclear threat.





Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, director of the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency, said Russia under Putin has been working overtime to modernize its weaponry, particularly smaller-yield nuclear weapons.



Putin has 'invested in tactical nuclear weapons,' Berrier said.

Continued with pictures at link


'I believe that he thinks that gives him an asymmetric advantage.'

[ShofarSoGood]

Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant Datastream Mysteriously UNPLUGGED, Radioactivity In Europe Now UNKNOWN!!

[ShofarSoGood]

[ExquisiteGerbil]

Putin sinks to new low: Maternity hospital is bombed, with children buried under rubble in Mariupol, where '3,000 babies are without food or medicine', while Russian troops round up 400 Ukrainian 'hostages' in Kherson



Children's hospital in Mariupol, southern Ukraine, suffered a 'direct hit' by Russian rockets, Zelensky has said

Video shows one building completely destroyed and another badly damaged as wounded patients evacuate

Zelensky said children are trapped under rubble as he accused world leaders of being 'accomplice to terror'

Hours earlier, foreign minister had warned 3,000 babies in the city were without access to food or medicine

Ukrainian military says 400 people have also been arrested by Russian forces in the occupied city of Kherson

Red Cross has warned conditions in Mariupol are 'apocalyptic' after food, water and electricity were cut off more than a week ago as Russian forces surrounded the city


By CHRIS PLEASANCE and KATE DENNETT and DAVID AVERRE FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 03:28 EST, 9 March 2022 | UPDATED: 13:04 EST, 9 March 2022




A maternity hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol has been decimated in a 'direct hit' by Russian rockets leaving children buried in the rubble, President Zelensky has said, in what he described as an 'atrocity.'



Zelensky posted a video showing the badly damaged hospital buildings, filmed inside a destroyed ward room with its windows blown out and ceiling partially collapsed. More footage showed a car park covered in rubble and the smouldering wrecks of vehicles as injured families evacuated into the freezing air while snow fell.



'Direct strike of Russian troops at the maternity hospital. People, children are under the wreckage. Atrocity! How much longer will the world be an accomplice ignoring terror? Close the sky right now! Stop the killings! You have power but you seem to be losing humanity,' he tweeted.





The UK's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss described the hospital attack as 'absolutely abhorrent', but continued to reject Ukraine's request for a no-fly zone to be imposed over its skies.



Speaking in Washington, she said: 'The best way we can protect the skies is through anti-air weaponry which the UK is now going to be supplying to Ukraine.



'Of course the attack on the hospital is absolutely abhorrent, reckless and appalling.'



Prime Minister Boris Johnson also condemned the strike as 'depraved' and vowed to step up support to the beleaguered Ukrainian military.



He said the UK was considering more support for Ukraine to defend itself against airstrikes and would hold President Vladimir Putin to account 'for his terrible crimes'.



'There are few things more depraved than targeting the vulnerable and defenceless,' the Prime Minister declared.



Earlier Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told the MPs that the Ministry of Defence was looking at whether they could supply anti-aircraft missiles as well as more anti-tank weapons, while other Western officials expresed concern that Putin could next resort to the use of 'non-conventional weapons' such as chemical weapons, in the conflict.



Here's how YOU can help: Donate here to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal

Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis.



Calling upon that human spirit, we are supporting a huge push to raise money for refugees from Ukraine.



For, surely, no one can fail to be moved by the heartbreaking images and stories of families – mostly women, children, the infirm and elderly – fleeing from the bombs and guns.



As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of this conflict will require accommodation, schools and medical support.



Donations to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal will be used to help charities and aid organisations providing such essential services.


Mariupol's city council said the hospital had suffered 'colossal' damage but did not immediately give a figure of the wounded and dead. The deputy head of Mr Zelensky's office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, said authorities are trying to establish the number of victims.



Mariupol has been under heavy Russian bombardment for more than a week, with food, water and electricity cut off several days ago - with the Red Cross describing conditions there as 'apocalyptic'.



Just hours before the hospital was hit, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba warned that 3,000 babies were without food or medicines and begged for a humanitarian corridor to allow them to flee. Moscow had promised a ceasefire in the city today so civilians could be evacuated, but failed for the fourth time to keep its word.



Meanwhile Ukrainian commanders said Russian military police had rounded up 400 activists protesting against the invasion in the occupied city of Kherson - as the long arm of Vladimir Putin's police state reached across the border to grab people on foreign soil.



It is not the first time that Russian airstrikes have targeted hospitals. While fighting alongside Bashar al-Assad in Syria in 2016, Putin's generals were accused of 'deliberately and systematically' blowing up hospitals as a way of weakening the city of Aleppo ahead of a ground assault.



Observers have suggested that Russia is now using a Syria-style battleplan against Ukraine after its early precision strikes failed.



The Ukrainian Healthcare Center, a think-tank based in the country, says that between the outbreak of fighting on February 24 and today, their team documented 42 cases of Russian forces attacking either healthcare facilities or medics in order to deliberately provoke a 'humanitarian crisis'.



Hospitals had been struck in every theatre where Russian forces were operating, the think-tank said, including Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia and Mykolaiv.



'The humanitarian catastrophe is a part of Russia's hybrid war. [It] intends to spread panic, create a flow of refugees at the borders and force the Ukrainian government to surrender,' said Pavlo Kovtonyuk, co-founder of the think-tank.



The bombing took place during what was supposed to be a ceasefire in Mariupol so that civilians could evacuate. It marks the fourth time a so-called 'humanitarian corridor' out of the city has failed because Russian forces opened fire.



The mayor of Izyum, to the east of Kharkiv, said evacuations that were supposed to be underway there today also had to stop because Russians were bombing the escape route. But in Sumy, a short distance away, some civilians had managed to make it out. Successful evacuations also took place in Enerhodar, in the south, with women and children able to leave.



It is feared the evacuations are simply a precursor to Russia stepping up its bombardment of the cities to wear down dogged Ukrainian defenders before rolling in troops and tanks to capture them. CIA Director William Burns, briefing Congress on Putin's state of mind Tuesday, warned the 'angry and frustrated' despot is 'likely to double down and try to grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties.'



Giving an update on the military situation this afternoon, Ukrainian commanders said Russian units continue to try and surround the capital Kyiv with attacks taking place to the west and north-east of the city, with several highways blocked.



Fighting is also going on close to the city of Sumy in an attempt to surround Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, commanders said. Battles have also broken out around the city of Mykolaiv, in the south, as Russians attempt to push out from Kherson towards Odessa - but were turned back.



Meanwhile at least 10 people were killed in a Russian military attack in the eastern Ukrainian town of Severodonestk on Tuesday, a local official for the Luhansk region said in a statement on Telegram.



The Russian military 'opened fire' on residential homes and other buildings in the town, he said, without immediately specifying whether it was an artillery attack. The region has seen heavy fighting in recent days.



Russia's defence ministry meanwhile acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday that some conscripts had been sent to fight on the frontlines in Ukraine, just days after Putin promised that only professional soldiers would be sent in.



none would be deployed in the war zone. They blamed this on 'errors' by those in charge and said efforts are underway to withdraw all of those troops.



Russia's defence ministry acknowledged on Wednesday that some conscripts were taking part in the conflict with Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin denied this on various occasions, saying only professional soldiers and officers had been sent in.



Some associations of soldiers' mothers in Russia had raised concerns about a number of conscripts going incommunicado at the start of what Kremlin calls a 'special military operation' in Ukraine, suggesting they could have been sent to fight despite a lack of adequate training.



The revelation comes just one week after Russia's parliament passed a law imposing a prison term of up to 15 years for spreading intentionally 'fake' news about the military.



'Unfortunately, we have discovered several facts of the presence of conscripts in units taking part in the special military operation in Ukraine. Practically all such soldiers have been pulled out to Russia,' the defence ministry said, promising to prevent such situations in the future.

Continued at the link

[ExquisiteGerbil]

Chernobyl could be 48 HOURS from leaking radiation, Ukraine warns, after power is cut off, making it impossible to cool spent nuclear fuel


State-run nuclear company Energoatom said it cannot cool spent nuclear fuel

The spent fuel is stored away in metal containers cooled in a large pool of water

But without electricity, the water cannot be kept at the necessary temperatures

Electricity is also used to power ventilators, and for monitoring radiation levels

Work to restore power has not been possible due to Russian control of plant

Russia took control of the defunct atomic plant on the first day of the invasion

Click here for MailOnline's liveblog with the latest updates on the Ukraine crisis

By CHRIS JEWERS and JACK NEWMAN FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 06:21 EST, 9 March 2022 | UPDATED: 11:54 EST, 9 March 2022

Ukraine has said Chernobyl could be 48 hours away from leaking radiation, and called on Russia to observe an urgent ceasefire to allow for repairs to be made.



The country's nuclear company Energoatom earlier warned that radioactive substances could be released if an electricity outage at the site continues any longer, as it makes it impossible to cool spent nuclear fuel.



Russian forces captured the plant and cut the power in the early days of the invasion.





It has not been possible to make repairs at the plant since, and the plant is currently running on emergency back-up generators that are powered by diesel.



The French government said it was in contact with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and was urging Russia to co-operate.



'Reserve diesel generators have a 48-hour capacity to power the Chornobyl NPP,' Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a warning on Twitter.



'After that, cooling systems of the storage facility for spent nuclear fuel will stop, making radiation leaks imminent.'

Continued at the link

[shalom]

Russian forces may use chemical weapons, says Ukraine’s envoy to OPCW

“Possibility of provocation, such as blowing up industrial tanks with chemicals.“

By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL Published: MARCH 9, 2022 23:48\

Ukraine’s permanent representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on Tuesday issued a shocking letter to the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons), warning that Russian forces in occupied Donetsk might use chemical weapons as a pretext to advance their war machinery in Ukraine.



“According to the intelligence information from the temporarily occupied Donetsk, the occupiers are handing out gas masks to local militants and the Russian military. There is a possibility of provocation, such as blowing up industrial tanks with chemicals,“ wrote Maksym Kononenko, Ukraine's ambassador to the OPCW.



Kononenko added that “Russia would then most likely accuse the Ukrainian military of this sabotage against the civilian population. We declare that, unlike the Russian occupiers, Ukraine does not use such methods. We do not have any chemical weapons and—unlike Russia—we would never use them.“

Continued at link

[shalom]

Russia dropping ‘dumb bombs’ on Ukrainian cities, says Pentagon, Amnesty

Dumb bombs are not precision-guided and thus have limited ability to strike targets with precision and accuracy – leading to collateral damage.

By BEN ZION GAD Published: MARCH 10, 2022 04:26




A senior US defense official told Reuters on Wednesday that the Pentagon believes Russia is using unguided munitions – colloquially known as “dumb bombs” – in their war efforts in Ukraine.



Dumb bombs are not precision-guided and thus have limited ability to strike targets with precision and accuracy – leading to collateral damage.



The US official said the US has seen “increasing damage to civilian infrastructure and civilian casualties,” though the official noted that it is unclear if the use of dumb bombs was due to damage to precision capabilities or if they were truly intentional.



International NGO Amnesty International corroborated the Pentagon's claims with their own Wednesday report, which highlighted the use of dumb bombs in a March 3rd Russian airstrike that reportedly killed 47 civilians in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv.



“The airstrike that hit the streets of Chernihiv shocks the conscience. This was a merciless, indiscriminate attack on people as they went about their daily business in their homes, streets and shops,” said Joanne Mariner, Amnesty International’s Crisis Response Director.

Continued at link

[Pink Rose]

Putin begins to move on Kyiv: Russian tank column is repelled and 'ANOTHER top commander killed' in devastating ambush as Moscow's forces move 'within a few miles' of capital outskirts amid fears Mariupol bombings are a sign of what is to come



Russia attacked Kyiv from west and east Wednesday, as analysts say battle for the capital is now underway

Footage showed that a Russian assault from the east was ambushed by artillery and suffered heavy losses

Interior ministry said it was a 'difficult night' in Irpin, to the west of the capital, but Ukrainian forces 'counter-attacked' throughout the morning as the battles continued throughout the day

Comes amid fears capital could soon come under heavy bombardment as Putin's forces have done elsewhere

Strike in Mariupol yesterday killed three and wounded 17 at maternity hospital, while strike on Kharkiv overnight killed four, two of them children, with a five-year-old girl injured

By CHRIS PLEASANCE and JACK WRIGHT and DAVID AVERRE FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 20:59 EST, 9 March 2022 | UPDATED: 12:40 EST, 10 March 2022


The battle for Kyiv is underway as Russian tanks push to within just a few miles of the city outskirts, analysts and witnesses have said, though initial assaults to the west and east of the capital were repelled as Vladimir Putin's forces face a long and bloody campaign to try and take the capital.



Kremlin troops launched two attacks on Kyiv Wednesday - one via the besieged western city of Irpin and another through the eastern district of Brovary, with video showing the moment Russian tanks and armoured vehicles were bombarded with artillery in a devastating ambush and forced to turn back.



Colonel Andrei Zakharov, commander of the tank regiment, was also killed in the ambush according to the Ukrainian defence ministry and radio chatter intercepted from Russians on the battlefield. The same transmissions suggested the column suffered heavy losses, with one tank and an armoured vehicle destroyed.





It marks just the latest Russian commander to be killed in Ukraine, after two generals were slain by Kyiv's troops. Colonel Zakharov had been awarded the Order of Courage by Vladimir Putin in 2016.



Here's how YOU can help: Donate here to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal

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Calling upon that human spirit, we are supporting a huge push to raise money for refugees from Ukraine.



For, surely, no one can fail to be moved by the heartbreaking images and stories of families – mostly women, children, the infirm and elderly – fleeing from the bombs and guns.



As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of this conflict will require accommodation, schools and medical support.



Donations to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal will be used to help charities and aid organisations providing such essential services.



In the name of charity and compassion, we urge all our readers to give swiftly and generously.



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Vadym Denysenko, adviser to Ukraine's interior ministry, said Ukrainian forces had also managed to stop the attack in Irpin and were counter-attacking on Thursday morning with battles underway. In an afternoon update, the military said it had foiled a Russian attempt to cross the Irpin River in the town of Moshchun.



'The night was quite difficult, but in general we can say that the Ukrainian army counterattacked near Kyiv,' he said. 'There is no further detailed information yet.' Fighting was also reported to the south west of Kyiv as Putin's men continued their efforts to surround the city.



It means the Russian mission to overwhelm the Ukrainian capital is now underway, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War said, amid fears that devastating airstrikes on the city of Mariupol - which struck a maternity hospital killing three including a six-year-old girl - and Kharkiv could soon be seen in the capital.



President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is still in Kyiv, said Thursday that his 'heart breaks at what the occupants have done with our cities, our country, and at what they want to do to our people' who he said needed 'urgent help.'



Zelensky said seven humanitarian corridors were urgently being organised from bombarded cities to get civilians out and aid packages in, which were meeting with mixed success. Some 35,000 people were able to flee cities under attack by Russian forces on Wednesday, he said, including from the Kyiv suburbs and the eastern city of Sumy.



However, there has been no relief for the people of hard-hit Mariupol, which has been under bombardment for more than a week with no food, water, or electricity.



On Wednesday, a Russian airstrike targeted a children's hospital in Mariupol in the south, wounding at least 17 people. Mortuary workers were pictured putting corpses in body bags or carpets, taking them to the outskirts of the besieged port city, and then dumping them in mass graves.



A convoy was trying to reach the city today to bring supplies, but there was no word on whether it had managed to get through by early afternoon. Four previous attempts to bring relief to the city have failed, after Ukraine said Russia shelled the route it was intending to use.



Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said today that the city has been turned into a fortress ahead of the Russian assault, with about 2 million people - half the residents of the metro area of the capital - having fled.



'Every street, every house is being fortified, the territorial defence is joining. Even people who in their lives never intended to change their clothes, now they are in uniform with machine guns in their hands,' he said in televised remarks.



Troops were also warning civilians not to stray beyond the outskirts of the city, because Russian vehicles had been spotted just a few miles away. If Putin's men can encircle Kyiv, they are expected to shell it as they have done with other cities such as Mariupol, Kharkiv and Chernihiv.



Shelling in Kharkiv overnight killed four people, two of them children, with a five-year-old girl injured and rushed to hospital. Emergency workers said they are still working to pull people from the rubble of houses in the town of Slobozhanske. Three people were also killed in shelling on the city of Sumy - two women and a 13-year-old boy.



Bombs also fell on two hospitals in Zhytomyr west of the capital, the mayor said, as Russian forces intensified their siege of Ukrainian cities.



Giving an update on the situation on the ground onThursday, Ukraine's military said Russian efforts to attack Kyiv had been 'restrained' with offensives also thwarted in the cities of Mykolayiv as Putin's men try to push towards Kryvyi Rih - to the northeast and birthplace of the President - and Voznesensk - to the northwest.



Mariupol continues to be surrounded by Russian forces but is still in Ukrainian hands, officials said. They said Ukrainian fighter jets and anti-aircraft missile units destroyed four Russian Su-25 attack jet and two Russian helicopters over the past 48 hours.



Kyiv estimates that Russia has lost some 12,000 troops in the fighting, along with 335 tanks, 1,100 armoured personnel carriers, 500 vehicles, 81 helicopters and 49 planes. Moscow has admitted suffering losses, but has not given an accurate figure.



There has been no word from Ukraine on casualties its military has suffered. Russia says it has destroyed more than 2,900 Ukrainian military infrastructure facilities has has taken control of a number of neighbourhoods in besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.



Speaking about the Russian strike on the hospital in Mariupol, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday denied that any patients had been inside at the time - despite pictures showing pregnant women being taken out with injuries - and accused Ukrainian 'extremists' of occupying it.



In a stunning act of hypocrisy, he outright denied that Russia had attacked Ukraine and added that the Kremlin 'does not intend to attack anyone else' - raising fears that Putin does in fact aim to go beyond the borders of his ex-Soviet neighbour. Battle plans broadcast on TV by Belarus ally Alexander Lukashenko in the opening days of the war seemed to suggest that Moldova could be targeted.



He also vowed that Russia 'will survive' western sanctions on Putin's regime, and 'will do everything not to rely on the West ever, in any areas of our lives.' He added: 'We have no illusions the West can be a reliable partner, [it will] betray whoever, and will betray its own values.'

Pictures and video at the link

[Pink Rose]

This is going to be the scene worldwide after the rapture.  😥

Starving Ukrainians have resorted to 'attacking each other for food' and looting pharmacies in besieged Mariupol, Red Cross reveals as deputy mayor says 1,200 bodies have been 'collected on the streets'


Mariupol has been without power, food or water for days amid constant bombardment from Russian forces

Supplies are so low, starving families are fighting for food and looting pharmacies in harrowing scenes

Bodies are piling up on the street with an estimated 1,207 dead in the city which saw no evacuations today

By JACK NEWMAN FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 11:23 EST, 10 March 2022 | UPDATED: 16:02 EST, 10 March 2022


Bodies are piling up on the streets of Mariupol where starving Ukrainians have resorted to fighting each other for food in the desperate conditions in the besieged port city.



Residents have been sheltering for days without food, water and power in below freezing weather amid constant bombardment from Putin's forces, which saw a maternity hospital shelled yesterday, killing three people including a six-year-old girl.



This is despite Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov claiming that all women and nurses were evacuated from the hospital and it was deliberately targeted because it had been taken over by Ukrainian radicals, dismissing the Western reaction as a 'pathetic outcry'.





The Red Cross said the situation in Mariupol is so harrowing that people are 'attacking each other for food' on a day in which not a single person was evacuated to safety from the under-fire city.


link
Supplies are so low that residents are melting snow for water and children are not being fed, with an estimated 1,207 people killed and bodies lying among the rubble.



Sasha Volkov, the delegation head of the Red Cross in the city, told the BBC there is 'some sort of a black market with vegetables' but other food is not available.



Medical supplies are running low and pharmacies 'were looted four to five days ago' amid the freezing conditions which drop to -9C at night with people huddling together for warmth in underground shelters.

Continued at the 

[Pink Rose]

Sergei Lavrov says Russia 'DIDN'T attack Ukraine', dismisses 'pathetic outcry' over maternity hospital bombing and admits the building WAS deliberately targeted - after peace talks collapse in Turkey


Peace talks between Sergei Lavrov and Dmytro Kuleba in Ankara collapsed today without any progress

Lavrov then made extraordinary claims that Russia did not attack Ukraine, hours after shelling a hospital

Kuleba vowed Ukraine 'will not surrender' to Russia's demands after the 'difficult' negotiations

The meeting was the highest-level diplomatic encounter since the Kremlin launched the invasion

By JACK NEWMAN and JACK WRIGHT FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 06:12 EST, 10 March 2022 | UPDATED: 15:35 EST, 10 March 2022


Sergei Lavrov has made the extraordinary claim that Russia 'did not attack Ukraine' and dismissed the 'pathetic outcry' over the Mariupol hospital bombing as peace talks broke down in Turkey today.


Vladimir Putin's attack dog met with Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, who vowed his country 'will not surrender' to Russia as the negotiations made no progress towards a ceasefire.



Speaking after the failed talks, Lavrov said: 'We are not planning to attack other countries. We didn't attack Ukraine, either.'



Lavrov said in reference to the hospital attack: 'It is not the first time we see pathetic outcries concerning the so-called atrocities perpetrated by the Russian military.'



Despite his bizarre claim that Russia is not attacking Ukraine, he then admitted the hospital was deliberately targeted, saying it had been taken over by Ukrainian radicals and all the 'mothers and nurses were chased out of there'.



Images from the senseless shelling, which saw three people killed including one child and dozens injured, show pregnant mothers and nurses being rushed from the building on stretchers among the rubble.



But Lavrov said: 'A few days ago, at a meeting of the UN Security Council, the Russian delegation presented the facts that this maternity hospital had long been captured by the Azov battalion and other radicals, all women in labor, all nurses, and in general, all the staff were expelled from there. It was the base of the ultra-radical Azov battalion.'

Continued at the link

[Pink Rose]

Russia has fired 'about EIGHT' generals for failing to 'complete the task' of taking Ukraine in days, Kyiv official claims - as Putin rages over FSB failures


Eight Russian generals sacked over Ukraine invasion failings, Kyiv said today

Head of security council said Moscow has changed tactics after early defeats

Putin also said to be furious at secret services for misleading him over resistance

Moscow expected Ukrainian military to fold, but has met determined fighters

By CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 07:45 EST, 10 March 2022 | UPDATED: 13:46 EST, 10 March 2022


Vladimir Putin has sacked his top generals and is 'raging' at the FSB after failed intelligence and poor strategy saw his troops handed a series of embarrassing defeats in the opening days of the war in Ukraine.



Oleksiy Danilov, head of Ukraine's security council, said 'around eight' Russian commanders have been fired since the start of the conflict as Moscow scrambles to change strategy after its attempted 'shock and awe' blitz fell flat.



Putin is also said to be infuriated with commanders of the FSB security service - which he used to run - for handing him intelligence suggesting that Ukraine was weak, riddled with neo-Nazi groups, and would give up easily if attacked.


Philip Ingram, a security expert and former senior British intelligence officer, told The Times that Putin is obviously 'very angry' and is blaming his intelligence agencies.





'He blames them for seeding him the advice that led to the poor decision-making in Ukraine,' he said.



That poor decision making has led to Russia suffering much higher casualties than it expected in its attack, which has now been going on for two weeks.



It seems Moscow had anticipated little resistance when it sent in light forces backed by airstrikes to seize key targets during the opening days, but was met with punishing counter-attacks.



Reliable numbers are hard to come by, but Ukraine believes Russia has lost up to 12,000 men in a fortnight. European intelligence puts it lower - between 6,000 and 9,000 - and US lower still, at up to 3,000.

Continued at the link

[Pink Rose]

China is refusing to supply Russia with aircraft parts after aviation sector was hit by Western sanctions, Moscow admits in another sign of cracks in Beijing support for Putin


China has refused to supply Russia with aircraft parts, an aviation official said

Russia has been hit by crippling sanctions with Boeing and Airbus halting supply

Valery Kudinov said Moscow would look to source parts from Turkey and India

He said the Russian companies are registering planes in country after sanctions

By KATE DENNETT FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 10:43 EST, 10 March 2022 | UPDATED: 11:06 EST, 10 March 2022


China has refused to supply Russia with aircraft parts after the aviation sector was hit by crippling Western sanctions, a Moscow official has admitted.



Valery Kudinov, a federal air transport agency official, said Russia would be looking for opportunities to source parts from other countries including Turkey and India, according to Russian news agencies.



Kudinov, who is responsible for maintaining airplane airworthiness, was quoted as saying the change in tact came after a failed bid to obtain aircraft parts from China, which has previously voiced concerns about sanctions on Russia.





China's apparent refusal to supply parts for Russia could be a sign of another crack in support for Putin in Beijing, after it said the invasion was 'deeply worrying' and that it would take a lead in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.



But the Communist country continues to avoid taking a side due to diplomatic ties and it is yet to condemn the invasion, while China also blamed NATO and the US for pushing Russia to 'breaking point'.



Russia's aviation sector has come under Western sanctions over Vladimir Putin's ruthless invasion of Ukraine, with Boeing and Airbus both halting the supply of components.

Continued at the link

[Pink Rose]

Ukrainian mothers say 'Russian b**tards' who ordered artillery strike on Mariupol maternity hospital as women were giving birth 'must be put to DEATH'


Women across Ukraine have expressed their disgust at Vladimir Putin

They branded the attack on the maternity hospital 'worse than a war crime'

Millions of families have been forced to flee their homes to escape shelling

By NICK FAGGE FOR MAILONLINE



PUBLISHED: 09:04 EST, 10 March 2022 | UPDATED: 11:21 EST, 10 March 2022


Mothers across Ukraine have expressed their anger at the heartless bombing of the maternity hospital in Mariupol that has shocked the world.



Women fought back tears as they told of their sympathy for the three who were killed and the dozens injured by the senseless bombardment by the Russian army.



Mother Katia Poltorak spoke for many when branded the Kremlin leaders 'b**tards'.

Continued at the link

[ShofarSoGood]

UKRAINE WAR MARCH10TH ZELENSKIY SAVES HIS BUTT, WHILE RUSSIAN FORCES ADVANCE 14TH DAY OF OPERATIONS



www.bitchute.com/video/eeTwdd3A7lll/