Ukraine: US Lies, Provocation, Broken Promises, Fake News

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Kiev counteroffensive flop

Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh explains that the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive must drive Washington to stop funding the war in Ukraine with the"hope of a miracle that will not arrive."

Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh said, on Thursday, that the US should consider Kiev's failure to cross over Russian defense lines as a “wake-up call.”

Hersh asserted that throughout the past 10 days of combat, and according to battlefield information provided by an anonymous source, Ukrainian armed forces had only been able to capture two square miles, about 5.2 square kilometers, of Russian-held territory.

The journalist stated that in the two weeks prior, the Ukrainian military had only captured 44 miles of terrain, the majority of which was open country situated before the first of Russia's multilayered defense lines.

An informed official told Hersh that "it would take [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky's military 117 years" to reassert Kiev's power over the lands which Russia now controls; which is approximately a surface area of 40,000 square miles.

Hersh urged US President Joe Biden to finally acknowledge, publicly, that “the estimated more than $150 billion that his administration has put up [to arming Ukraine] thus far turned out to be a very bad investment,” before adding that the “looming disaster in Ukraine… should be a wake-up call” for lawmakers in Washington who continue to seek to offer Kiev billions of dollars “in the hope of a miracle that will not arrive.”

Previously, in an interview with George Galloway on Mother of All Talk Shows (MOATS), the Pulitzer Prize-winning US investigative journalist said Ukraine's counteroffensive will not bring any good to Kiev, the United States, or NATO.

Hersh explained how "this [counteroffensive] isn't going to be good for Ukraine, it's not going to be good for NATO, it's certainly not going to be good for the Biden administration."

When asked about the possibility of NATO joining the war, Hersh stated that they were "probably already in it."

The journalist further explained that the Ukrainian army is comprised of "so many disparate groups," comparable to 15 different dance teams that suddenly are forced to organize a routine together after practicing alone for a very long.

Despite the ongoing efforts to attempt to organize, Hersh said it is "impossible" for them to be able to successfully do so.

The Russian Ministry of Defense published a video on Thursday showing a Russian T-80 tank destroying an American-made Bradley fighting vehicle operated by Ukrainian forces.

The Ministry confirmed that "artillery units succeeded in destroying targets at long distances outside the range of direct vision, using coordinates obtained through the use of drones," noting that the distance of fire was around 9.5 km along the Kupyansk front in the Kharkov region.

Russian forces also destroyed observation posts, warehouses, and foreign military equipment, as per the statement.

Sputnik quoted a member of the Russian combat tank units as saying that the Ukrainian targets were "widely varied, including bunkers, trenches, communication systems and equipment."

In the Donetsk Region, the head of the Russian Battlegroup South press, Vadim Astafyev, told the agency that "the group's artillery destroyed the strongholds of two brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the regions of Kalinovka and Avdeevka."

Three 120-mm mortars were destroyed on the Mariinsky axis, and units operating the Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower systems targeted Ukrainian forces gathered at the outposts of Malaya town in Kalinovka, according to Astafyev.

Within 24 hours, Ukraine's military attacked areas in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) 34 times, firing 196 shells, according to a statement by the DPR representative in the Joint Center for the Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes by Ukraine.

The Interim head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, said the Ukrainian shelling killed two people and left others wounded, many of which are teenagers.

"According to preliminary data, fire from Ukrainian armed formations on the Kirovsky District of Donetsk killed two people and inflicted wounds of various severity to eight more civilians, including five children - girls with dates of birth in 2008, 2009, 2005 and 2009 - and a teenage boy born in 2006," he said on Telegram.

In addition to civilian infrastructure in Yasinovataya and a school in the Petrovsky District of Donetsk, Pushilin also said a number of homes were damaged by the artillery rounds.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... ke-up-call

We like George Galloway because he supports Kurds

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Our world did not collapse

The Russian President says the country's GDP "gained 5.4% in May in annual terms, from May to May" despite sanctions and Western company withdrawals from Russia

At the third annual forum, Strong Ideas For A New Time, organized by the Russian Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI), Russian President Vladimir Putin underscored that the exit of foreign companies from Russia due to sanctions has not only failed to weaken the nation but on the contrary it strengthened it.

At the forum, Putin said, "The world did not collapse due to sanctions, due to the withdrawal of Western companies," adding that "on the contrary, opportunities for Russian businessmen have expanded many-fold."

Putin explained that Russian businessmen, as a result of the ordeal, have been "proactively taking market niches becoming vacant and developing new, including export, business lines," and as a result, the head of state explained,

"The entire economy is progressing."

Putin further highlighted that over 43,000 applications from various Russian businessmen have been submitted for trademark registration in five months of the year which, relative to the same time period of 2022, indicated a 35% increase.

"Meanwhile, registrations of domestic brands and the turnover of trademark rights are growing consistently. It means they are becoming more valuable assets. National entrepreneurs need to learn to more efficiently capitalize them and earn extra profits from that," Putin remarked.

Moreover, the President stressed that "the Russian GDP gained 5.4% in May in annual terms, from May to May. This is a decent figure. As regards the processing industry, growth is measured by double-digit figures there - 12.8%. The processing industry moved upward."

Putin also underscored that "this is not merely on the account of the defense industry, not only. Related industries are also on the rise, and this is amid the unemployment rate being the lowest throughout contemporary history and low inflation. This is a good result."

Putin hails Russian troops for stopping civil war

Earlier on Tuesday, Putin told troops gathered at the Kremlin that they prevented a civil war after the June 24 attempted armed mutiny by the Wagner group and held a minute's silence for pilots killed during the latest events.

"You de facto stopped civil war," Putin told troops from the Defense Ministry, National Guard, FSB security service, and Interior Ministry.

He addressed them inside the Kremlin's Cathedral Square, standing on a red carpet and facing men in different uniforms.

"You proved your loyalty to the people of Russia and the military oath. You showed responsibility for the fate of the motherland and its future," the Russian leader expressed.

He continued, "In the confrontation with rebels, our comrades-in-arms, pilots, were killed. They did not flinch and honorably fulfilled their orders and their military duty."

Putin considered that Wagner fighters, who were approaching Moscow before their chief Yevgeny Prigozhin called the mutiny off, did not win the support of the Russian people or its army.

"People who were drawn into the rebellion saw that the army and the people were not with them," he said.

In the same context, the Russian President noted that Moscow did not redeploy any soldier from the special military operation zone to counter the mutiny.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/Eco ... -sanctions

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Kiev uses banned landmines

Human Rights Watch (HRW) announced on Friday that it has found further proof of Ukrainian forces' indiscriminate deployment of illegal anti-personnel landmines against Russians in 2022

The organization urged the Ukrainian government to uphold a pledge it made earlier this month not to deploy such weapons, to look into any reports of their possible use, and hold those responsible accountable.

"The Ukrainian government’s pledge to investigate its military’s apparent use of banned anti-personnel mines is an important recognition of its duty to protect civilians," Steve Goose, Human Rights Watch's arms director, said in a statement.

HRW said it conveyed its findings to the Ukrainian government in May; however, it received no response.

It is worth noting that anti-personnel mines can kill and maim long after a conflict is over since they are set off by a person's presence, proximity, or contact.

The current assessment is a follow-up to a January report revealing that between April and September 2022, when Ukrainian troops took control of the eastern city of Izium, they launched rockets that dispersed hundreds of PMF-1 mines in and around Izium.

According to the report, each of these rockets releases 312 PFM-1S anti-personnel mines randomly.

One warhead's handwriting was analyzed, and it was discovered that the first word was the Ukrainian word for "from," while a second Latin alphabet phrase had to do with a Kiev-based organization that the report failed to name

The group's leader, who was likewise anonymous, posted on social media "indicating that they had donated funds to the Ukrainian military via a non-governmental organization (NGO)."

According to the investigation, images of Uragan warheads with slogans written in Ukrainian that were put online were connected to another group based in Ukraine.

Ukraine is a signatory to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty and claimed it destroyed much of its Soviet stock by 2020. But in 2021 -- the year before the war erupted -- Kiev reported to the UN that it had over 3.3 million PFM mines contained in artillery rockets that were yet to be destroyed.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... mines:-hrw

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People around the world are protesting

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But governments are being bullied and threatened with sanctions if the do not follow the US commands

Polish people protest


Whatever the mainstream media says, the Polish population remembers that more than 100,000 Poles and Jews were slaughtered by Ukrainian Nazis within a short period during WW2

The silenced majority of Poles do NOT support NATO's war in the Ukraine or the support of Ukrainian Nazis

NOTE: Never forget that the Donbass fought against Ukrainian Nazis in WW2

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Ukrainian counteroffensive

On Saturday, the Ukrainian military attempted but failed to launch an attack near the hamlet of Berkhivka in the Bakhmut region of the Donetsk People's Republic, according to a source in the command of Russia's South group of soldiers

The source explained that "Airborne troops stopped the enemy in the gray zone … As a result of the battle, more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel, five tanks, eight infantry fighting vehicles, and more than 10 unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed."

According to the report, the onslaught included roughly 300 men, six tanks, and ten armored fighting vehicles.

Hersh urged US President Joe Biden to finally acknowledge, publicly, that “the estimated more than $150 billion that his administration has put up [to arming Ukraine] thus far turned out to be a very bad investment,” before adding that the “looming disaster in Ukraine… should be a wake-up call” for lawmakers in Washington who continue to seek to offer Kiev billions of dollars “in the hope of a miracle that will not arrive.”

Previously, in an interview with George Galloway on Mother of All Talk Shows (MOATS), the Pulitzer Prize-winning US investigative journalist said Ukraine's counteroffensive will not bring any good to Kiev, the United States, or NATO.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... roffensive

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Russia laws to castrate paedophiles

Speaker Valentina Matviyenko is calling for an examination into a new law enforcing castration for men convicted of child sex offences in Russia, similar to neighbouring Kazakhstan

Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the upper house of Parliament, was speaking after the passing of new laws to jail for life all repeat child sex attackers and also paedophiles who kill.

The close ally of Vladimir Putin told senators that Russia should examine imposing chemical castration routinely for men convicted of child sex offences, a punishment used in neighbouring Kazakhstan.

Her deputy Andrei Turchak intervened and said: “I'd suggest physical [castration].”

But the priority was to jail child sex attackers, she said.

Turchak won applause from senators when he said life sentences should be imposed on first-time paedophile offenders.

The new laws which apply to cases when the victims are under 18 follow a spate of cases which have received big publicity in the Russian media.

An attack this month saw “a convicted paedophile and his male lover” snatch a girl, five from a snowy street.

The child was subsequently raped and then killed, say reports citing law enforcement.

She had been stabbed multiple times and her body hidden in a duffle bag.

When the suspects were later detained, they needed police protection to stop a lynching by furious locals.

The child, Veronika Nikolayeva, had been playing near the cinema and cultural complex where her mother works in Kostroma.

One of the suspects was named as Denis Gerasimov, 44, earlier jailed for paedophile offences including producing child pornography.

He was released from jail in March last year, after serving four-and-a-half years for convictions which included sex with an underage girl.

The other suspect, Vadim Belyakov, 24, reportedly has a conviction for theft.

The case led to politicians vowing to rush new laws through parliament.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-new ... s-26053792

A truly excellent idea perhaps a little guillotine in the court:

Justice not not only be done, but must also be seen to be done

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Storm Shadow downed over Zaporozhye

The United Kingdom's Storm Shadow missile has been downed by Russia, giving Moscow access to the technologies the missile has and proving its might

The Storm Shadow missile provided to Ukraine in light of the ongoing war has fallen into the hands of the Russian armed forces after they successfully intercepted one without dealing severe damage to it in Zaporozhye.

The missiles were praised for their immunity against air defense systems, as they fly extremely low to the ground, though photos appeared all over social media showing how the Russian side managed to down one over the region of Zaporozhye.

The Storm Shadow travels at subsonic speeds of Mach .95 while also maneuvering to evade any missiles that might attempt to intercept it, with a GPS to its name, making it a supreme missile that has proven quite difficult to shoot down.

Tuesday saw a Russian soldier posing with a downed Storm Shadow missile in a field somewhere in Zaporozhye, with pro-Russian social media users celebrating the event and their pro-Ukrainian counterparts voicing their dissatisfaction with it.

The missile was previously used by Kiev's forces to shell the Lugansk People's Republic on May 12, with the representative office of the LPR in the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of issues related to Ukraine's war crimes (JCCC) revealing that children were injured as a result of the attack.

The latest hit to the Western arms and equipment comes after the Russian Defense Ministry said in late June that the Russian armed forces destroyed a depot with Storm Shadow cruise missiles in Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi region.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed back then that the strikes were carried out "using Storm Shadow missiles supplied to the Kiev regime by the UK, contrary to London's assertions that these weapons would not be used against civilian targets."

Later on in the month, acting Kherson Governor Vladimir Saldo said the Ukrainian armed forces attacked bridges on the administrative border between the Kherson Region and the Crimea near the village of Chonhar.

"The criminal Kiev regime committed barbaric shelling of civilian objects - bridges on the administrative border between the Kherson Region and the Crimea near Chonhar," Saldo said on Telegram.

He considered that Kiev wants to intimidate residents of the Kherson Region and sow panic among the population, affirming that it will not succeed in this plan.

According to the preliminary assessment, the Ukrainian armed forces used the United Kingdom's Storm Shadow missiles in the attack on the bridges.

It is noteworthy that the 250km-range Storm Shadow missiles were sold with the condition that they may only be used "within Ukrainian sovereign territory."

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... uthorities

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Kiev plans to wage attack on ZNPP

Renat Karchaa, a spokesman for Rosenergoatom, a subsidiary of Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, said on Tuesday that Kiev is scheming plans to carry out an attack on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP) and will do so using high-precision weapons and drones

"Today we received information that I am authorized to talk about... On, or about July 5, literally at night in the dark, the Ukrainian armed forces will try to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant using high-precision long-range means and unmanned kamikaze aircraft," Karchaa said on air of Rossiya 24 broadcaster.

The official added that Kiev's forces plan to use ammunition loaded with radioactive waste removed from the South Ukraine NPP on July 3.

In March of this year, the British government announced that it would provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds that contain depleted uranium.

Depleted uranium has been used frequently by NATO allies in various conflicts in the past.

For instance, the UK used depleted uranium in Iraq and Yugoslavia. According to the UN, the US used approximately 300 tonnes of depleted Uranium in Iraq.

Dutch peace group PAX indicated that the US fired depleted uranium on civilians and troops in Iraq.

The group highlighted that more than 3000 sites in Iraq were contaminated by depleted uranium, with an expected cost of approximately $30m to clear up the contamination.

Furthermore, prominent doctors and scientists in Iraq pointed out that the use of depleted uranium and other military-related pollution caused a sharp rise in congenital birth defects, cancer cases, and other illnesses.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... ergoatom-s

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Kiev’s Threat to ZNPP

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Russia is taking all necessary measures to counter Kiev's possible attack on the Zaporozhie nuclear power plant

Peskov warned of the tense situation and the high threat of sabotage of the ZNPP by Ukraine, which "has repeatedly demonstrated that it has no qualms about doing anything."

According to the Russian diplomat, such an incident could have "disastrous consequences." In this regard, Peskov brought up the "horrible consequences" of the recent attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.

"Therefore, it is obvious that measures are being taken to counter" the possible attack, the Kremlin spokesman said.

His comments came a day after Renat Karchaa, adviser to the general director of Russia's Rosenergoatom, warned that Kiev planned to attack the power plant with high-precision weapons and kamikaze drones, as well as launch ammunition with radioactive waste.

The Zaporozhie nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, is located near the town of Energodar on the banks of the Kakhovka reservoir.

It has six pressurized water reactors of the VVER-1000 model and a total capacity of 6,000 megawatts. The reactors of the power plant, under Russian military protection, are currently shut down amid the ongoing conflict.

At the end of February 2022, Russia took control of the facility, which belonged to the Ukrainian national company Energoatom. Over the last year, Moscow repeatedly denounced that Kiev forces were targeting the power plant and the town of Energodar.

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Kre ... -0017.html

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Cluster munitions for Ukraine

According to the White House on Thursday, the Biden administration continues to consider whether to send them, as it may require presidential approval to go through with it

Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder announced on Thursday that the potential provision of dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICMs) to Ukraine is not a possible discussion, claiming that the US will not transfer older variants of the cluster munitions as they pose a greater risk to civilians.

Cluster bombs are prohibited under the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), an international convention that, through a categorical prohibition and a framework for action, tackles the humanitarian repercussions and unacceptable harm inflicted on civilians by cluster munitions

During a press briefing, he said, "In terms of DPICMs, I don’t have anything to announce today," adding, "That is something that is under consideration… the ones that we are considering providing would not include older variants with dud rates that are higher than 2.35%."

According to the White House on Thursday, the Biden administration continues to consider whether to send them, but it may require presidential approval to go through with it.

Russia already warned the US against sending the cluster munitions to Ukraine, and Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia argued it would count as a bigger step toward escalating the conflict.

Ryder continued to declare that if the Biden administration does agree to send them, the US will carefully select which cluster munitions variants to send.

"As I mentioned before, in the event that we do provide this capability, we would be carefully selecting rounds with low dud rates for which we have recent testing data," he stated.

Late last month, the US military said that despite it being banned by most countries, supplying Ukraine with cluster bombs could be useful against Russia.

The Ukrainian government has urged members of Congress to put pressure on President Joe Biden's administration to accept the shipment of Dual-Purpose Conventional Improved Munitions (DPICM). Cooper stated that congressional constraints and concerns from US allies are the reasons why such munitions have not yet been approved for Kiev.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... ns-for-ukr

Ukraine has already used cluster bombs on the Donbass many times but the international community remained silent

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US to provide cluster bombs

Just hours before, humanitarian organizations condemned the initial plans to supply the cluster munitions after citing the long-lasting threat posed by them since they leave behind unexploded bomblets

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed on Friday that although the decision was "difficult to make", US leader Joe Biden ultimately decided to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions for its counteroffensive after consulting with allies and lawmakers.

During a press briefing, Sullivan said: "It's a difficult decision...There was a unanimous recommendation from the national security team, and President Biden ultimately decided, in consultation with allies and partners and in consultation with members of Congress, to move forward on this step".

Just hours before, humanitarian organizations condemned the initial plans to supply the cluster munitions after citing the long-lasting threat posed by them since they leave behind unexploded bomblets.

Baptiste Chapuis of Handicap International - Humanity and Inclusion (HI) said: "This is a death sentence to civilians over the long term. There are people who have not yet been born who will fall victim" to cluster bombs.

This comes just before the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius next week.

Amnesty International researcher Patrick Wilcken said in a statement, "The USA's plan to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine is a retrograde step, which undermines the considerable advances made by the international community in its attempts to protect civilians from such dangers," adding that it "urges the USA to reconsider"

"There is also the question of physical access to affected areas for humanitarian organizations," HI's Chapuis told AFP. The bombs' use can "prevent a lifeline reaching affected populations," he continued.

Russia already warned the US against sending the cluster munitions to Ukraine, and Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia argued it would count as a bigger step toward escalating the conflict.

Late last month, the US military said that despite it being banned by most countries, supplying Ukraine with cluster bombs could be useful against Russia.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... ed-cluster

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Donbass girl who faces war

Two years ago, when Savenkova was 12 years old, her name was listed on the Ukrainian "Myrotvorets" website, in which the Nazis record the data of people they describe as "Kremlin agents" and "wanted"

Faina Savenkova defines herself as a writer and social activist who lives in the war, but otherwise, she is an ordinary teenager who loves to watch anime and TV series, and if there was no war and she had a choice, she wouldn’t be different from most of her peers.

The girl dreams of simple things such as passing her exams, moving forward in her life, and having fun on holidays, but her biggest dream is to see her country in peace and to witness that the war is over.
Fairy tales are my safe haven

Like other children living in war, Savenkova is used to explosions and deaths, but she found a safe space in writing fairy tales because "magic does not allow us to surrender and gives us hope for peace," as she put it.

Faina lives in Lugansk. She’s a member of the Russian Writers’ Union and a member of the International Federation of Writers in the junior category.

She won more than four awards and wrote several books, including "The World That Doesn't Exist," an idea she had in her dream, and the novel "Standing Over Your Shoulder," which speaks about life in the Donbass.

Savenkova knows that life, unlike her fairy tales, can be unfair and cruel. Nevertheless, she clings to her dreams and believes that they will come true, as she told Al Mayadeen English, "Perhaps the only good aspect of war is that you learn to enjoy every day you live and make up your mind faster, unlike children who live in safe cities."

UNICEF and the United Nations refused to meet me!

Two years ago, when Savenkova was 12 years old, her name was listed on the Ukrainian "Myrotvorets" website, in which the Nazis record the data of people they describe as "Kremlin agents" and "wanted".

This came after she sent a letter to the United Nations, calling for an end to Kiev's bombing of civilians in the Donbass and reaching peace with Russia.

The website, which was established in 2014, contains the data of many people, including 327 minors.

This information was illegally collected through hacking and phishing then published without their consent.

Savenkova asked Ukrainian President Zelensky to close this website, which is supported by the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior, the Security Service, and Nazi organizations that are legally active in Ukraine, but she did not receive a response.

In this context, she told Al Mayadeen English, "This has affected my life, because I have to think more about my safety, I have to study remotely when others go to school normally. Am I afraid? It is foolish not to be afraid. But this does not mean that I should turn my life into a continuous nightmare with no place for joy. I just became more careful, and followed the safety rules, which I was laughing at earlier."

Later, she resorted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and UNICEF to delete her own data and the data of other children, but her request was denied and instead of meeting her face to face, they invited her to "become a peace envoy."

She explained to us, "I think they got scared like everyone else when politics gets involved, they don't care about justice, they just do what they are told to in order to satisfy Western public opinion, and they don't do public relations except in cases of great interest."

She is still constantly sending letters to world leaders to draw their attention to the problem of military conflicts in general and the war in Donbass in particular.

She said, "It's not so much about the world leaders, it is rather about the citizens of those countries. Even if it's slow and hard, I want them to understand what's happening in my country, and I hope they can influence their governments because I certainly can't do it by myself, I'm quite realistic about that."

Despite the shelling, we are trying to live like normal children

Every evening, the 14-year-old girl goes out to her balcony in Lugansk and looks at the starry sky.

Silence reigns everywhere, the city falls asleep, and when she hears the roar of cannons, she tries to reassure herself, "It's far away."

"Unlike other cities affected by the war, our city is not scary. We go on with our lives, but we are constantly awaiting a missile or a terrorist attack. It may be horrible, but it has become an integral part of our lives. However, we try to live like normal children, we read books, take walks…"

Everything has changed since 2014, notably the people and the situation in Donbass, but what remains intact is the support of the West for the fascist regime in Kiev, and this is what Savenkova thinks to be the reason that prompted Russia to start its own operation in Ukraine.

She said, "The West has waged open war and we have lost hope of any peaceful solution. Do the Ukrainian people need war? Of course not. Neither do we. But there is no other way, Children grow up when they begin to understand this simple truth."

Savenkova still feels anxious and afraid when someone does not answer her calls or messages. On the other hand, she also does not like to recall the war but she remembers well what happened on June 2, 2014. "I should have gone to the library to get a book for my brother from the summer reading list, but I was too lazy to go, so I told my mother that I was too tired.

A little white lie was the reason we didn't end up killed by the bombing of the park near the regional state administration building. At the time, no one believed it was an air strike perpetrated by Ukraine. Later, of course, all doubts were dispelled, but at that time many still had hope."

The children of Donbass, Syria, and Palestine have the same pain

"When the war began, I was too young to think of anyone suffering. What can we understand at the age of five? We can remember, but we can not understand and feel others’ pain. But time passed, and we grew up and watched the news with our family on TV, and we understood that we are like children in Syria, we are all children of one great war."

This is an excerpt from one of the articles that Savenkova wrote on a local website, showing how she was affected by what is happening in the Arab world. About that, she told Al Mayadeen English, "I believe that war affects all children of the world in the same way. This should not happen in today's world, otherwise, how can we talk about development and civilization? I always support the people of Syria and Palestine. Therefore, I bet they do not like me in Israel, which supports Ukraine and turns a blind eye to the crimes of fascism."

Savenkova read a lot about the real Western press. She looked at the narratives of journalists who exposed the crimes of their leaders in Vietnam and many other countries and said, "Journalism is dead, because of lies and fabricated news that launched wars and destroyed many countries. It's the same scenario in both Ukraine and Syria. Pictures are fabricated without any evidence, vital misinformation like accusing Syria of using chemical weapons, and always no one to listen to the other side."

The Russian girl writes permanently about Syrian children. She also received a reply from Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to a letter she sent to him.

He invited her to visit Damascus, but the daughter of Lugansk does not think that she can travel now.

She promised to continue writing about Syrian children, as she writes about the children of Donbass and concludes her speech by saying, "I don't know much about politics, but I have always respected the Syrian president and his family, you know, when you read about a coup in a country, the president leaves his people and flees. It happened in Ukraine, but President Al-Assad did not abandon his country. He defended his motherland and his people. This may be the most important thing a President can do, stand by his people till the end."

https://english.almayadeen.net/articles ... r-with-her

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Was the Euromaidan a revolution or a coup?

phpBB [video]

https://youtu.be/rFw8fOc7ixA

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Western tanks burn better

During a broadcast address, the Russian President highlights the effectiveness of Russian strategies in containing the surge of Western weapons into Ukraine, as well as Russia's stance on the grain deal

Ukraine's possible accession into NATO will have a counter effect for Kiev as it will pose another security threat for Russia and will not further security for Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"As for Ukraine's membership in NATO, we have repeatedly spoken about this, this creates threats to Russia's security. Obviously. And as a matter of fact, the reason for the special military operation, one of the reasons, is the threat of Ukraine's entry into NATO. I am sure that this will not increase the security of Ukraine itself," The Russian President said in a broadcast message on Rossiya 24.

He also addressed the continued supply of Western missiles and tanks to Ukraine which he asserts pose no critical threat in the combat zone. The President said that the weapon has caused damage to Russian assets, however, the hopes placed upon them to pivot the balance of power toward NATO-backed Ukraine did not materialize. He focused on long-range cruise missiles provided by Western powers to Kiev which were expected to expand the scope of engagement, but Russian air defenses and intelligence have proved their exceptional capabilities in deterring the threat.

"As for the supply of weapons, various weapons, we see how many hopes were placed on the supply of missiles with a sufficiently long range. Well, yes, they cause damage, but nothing critical happens in the combat zone with the use of missiles. The same goes for foreign-made tanks, infantry fighting vehicles,” Putin underlined.

Putin revealed that since June 4, 311 Ukrainian weapons, systems, and vehicles have been destroyed, adding that at least one-third of these weapons come from Western arsenals.

"I can tell you that Ukrainian servicemen often refuse to even get into these tanks because they are a priority target for our guys," Putin underlined, adding that foreign tanks "burn better" than the Soviet-made ones.

Ukrainian security should not threaten others

Putin warned against further weapon supplies to Kiev saying that "the supply of new weapons will not do anything, it will only aggravate the situation. Moreover, it will aggravate [the situation] for the Ukrainian side. And will continue to incite conflict."

He said that Russia does not oppose discussing Ukraine's security guarantees, saying that "We have said many times that any country has the right to ensure its security. And of course, it has the right to choose the way to achieve this goal, which it considers the most correct for itself. There is only one limitation. It is connected with the fact that achieving the security of one country should not create a threat to another country."

Putin on grain deal

The Russian President added that Moscow is considering suspending its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative until its demands are met.

Putin said "nothing was done" for Russia within the framework of the grain deal, as the agreement benefited only the other side.

"We may suspend our participation in this deal. If everyone once again says that all the promises made to us will be fulfilled, well, let them fulfill this promise, and we will immediately join this deal, again," Putin underlined.

"I know that the secretary general and the UN staff who are dealing with this problem are sincerely striving to fulfill the relevant conditions, including in relation to Russia, I have no doubts about this. But they have no success. Because Western countries are not going to keep their promises."

Putin said that Russia will extend the deal only if Western countries stick to the promises they made.

Moreover, Moscow is objecting to the lack of fulfillment of several terms in the signed memorandum, including the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank to SWIFT and the resumption of fertilizer transit through the Tolyatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline.

According to the United Nations, more than 24.1 million tonnes of grain have been exported under the agreement until March. But the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealed in October 2022 that only a quarter of the grain exported under the BSGI is going to low-income countries.

Most of the grain leaving Ukraine's ports is heading to the European Union instead of developing countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in September 2022, as the world's poorest nations bear the brunt of the food crisis most.

Putin has since offered to deliver to poor African countries Russian grain free of charge.

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[Anthea]

Russia's right to mirror actions

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia has not yet used cluster munitions, adding that if such weaponry is used against Russian forces; Moscow reserves the right to respond in kind

"Until now, we have not done this, we have not used it, and we did not have such a need, despite the known shortage of ammunition by us as well in a certain period of time, but we did not do this. But, of course, if they are used against us, we reserve the right to mirror actions," Putin said in an interview for Rossiya-1 broadcaster.

Putin made these comments in response to the recent unveiling of a new US military assistance package for Ukraine, which includes cluster munitions.

He also mentioned that Russia possesses an adequate supply of various types of cluster munitions.

"They [the US] do this not from a good life, but because they have a shortage of ammunition in general," Putin said.

Furthermore, Putin mentioned that while Russia possesses an abundance of contemporary military vehicles, they are open to the possibility of studying equipment provided by Western countries if such an opportunity arises. This willingness to explore and learn from West-supplied equipment is considered beneficial by Putin.

"There is a term, 'reverse engineering.' Well, let's see, modern equipment is modern equipment. We have it, and it is very effective, well, for instance, the T-90 Proryv tank. The best tank in the world. Without any exaggeration," he said, adding that "if there is an opportunity to look inside [trophy equipment] and see if there is something that can be applied to us, well, why not," he stated.

The Russian leader also criticized the use of cluster munitions, stating that it should be considered a crime, referring to previous assessments made by the US administration itself

The United States recently announced new military aid, including cluster munitions, to "assist Ukraine", causing wide criticism from NGOs and embarrassment for some European nations.

The move by the Biden administration has been widely criticized by human rights activists and some US lawmakers, with Congressman Matt Gaetz planning to co-sponsor an amendment to ban the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine or any other country.

Russia already warned the US against sending the cluster munitions to Ukraine, and Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia argued it would count as a bigger step toward escalating the conflict.

Late last month, the US military said despite it being banned by most countries, supplying Ukraine with cluster bombs could be useful against Russia.

The cluster bombs in question are 155mm projectiles with a range of almost 30km when fired that hold up to hundreds of explosive submunitions, also known as bomblets or submunition, which are released over a wide targeted area and detonate on ground impact.

The bombs can be deployed by, warships, or aircraft or fired by ground-based launching platforms, including artillery systems, such as Howitzers, while bomblets are designed to indiscriminately take out multiple targets, including military vehicles and individuals.

The rate of bomblets that fail to explode on contact, also known as a dud rate, continues to be a threat to civilians for long years similar to landmines.

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