Cincunri Sakia: April 2022

Sabtu, 30 April 2022

'Launch Satan nukes on Britain' rants Russian politician as state TV shows missiles hitting UK in 202 seconds - Hull Live

A ranting Russian politician has gone on state TV to threaten Britain with nuclear war and even showing Moscow’s missiles hitting the UK in just 202 seconds.

As the 60 Minutes programme showed the impact of Sarmat, or so called “Satan II”, nuclear missiles on Germany, France and the UK, chairman of the Nationalist Rodina party, Aleksey Zhuravlyov, declared: "one Sarmat missile and the British Isles will be no more." The leading ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin added: "That's how you talk to them."

It is the latest in worsening rhetoric about Russian retaliation on the west for helping support Ukraine militarily in its defence against Putin’s bloody invasion. The war has killed tens of thousands and left millions without homes.

As Zhuravlyov ranted, one of the hoists says despairingly: “The UK also has nuclear weapons, no-one will survive this war. No-one on the planet.” But Zhuravlyov persists: “This missile can’t be shot down. Their abilities are limited."

Nationalist Rodina party, Aleksey Zhuravlyov, threatening the UK with nukes over its support for Ukraine (Image: @JuliaDavisNews)

He adds: “They need to be shown this picture. That’s the way. Let them think about it. Count to 200 seconds. That's how you talk to them.” Challenged by one of the hosts, Zhuravlyov insisted he was 'serious'.

Viewers were shown a map simulating Sarmat missiles being lunched from Russian territory on the Baltic coast and impacting Berlin in 106 seconds, Paris in 200 seconds and London in 202 seconds. Zhuravlyov adds: "Get a stopwatch, count 200 seconds. That's how you talk to them."

The TV debate appeared to be a reaction to growing tension in Moscow over the UK and other western nations ramping up military support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Western weapons, including UK anti-tank missiles, have left a devastating trail of destruction through Russian ranks in Ukraine.

Putin has already ordered test-firing of its Sarmat hypersonic missiles which he claims are able to penetrate any western defences.

The 60 Minutes show on Thursday came as Britain's Defence Minister Ben Wallace warned that crews of Britain’s nuclear weapon-armed submarines were “deep underwater, hiding, waiting, in case Britain needs to be protected”.

And Armed Forces Minister James Heappey also said strikes by Ukraine on Russian soil would be 'completely legitimate' if they disrupted supply lines. Ukraine has attacked oil storage areas near its borders which are in Russia.

The 208-ton 15,880mph RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental missile (Image: Russian Defence Ministry)

The 60 Minutes host with a graphic showing Russian nuclear missiles striking the UK (Image: @JuliaDavisNews)

Heappey said: “It is completely legitimate for Ukraine to be targeting in Russia's depth in order to disrupt the logistics that if they weren't disrupted would directly contribute to death and carnage on Ukrainian soil. There are lots of countries around the world that operate kit that they have imported from other countries; when those bits of kit are used we tend not to blame the country that manufactured it, you blame the country that fired it.”

Zhuravlyov is chairman of the right wing Rodina political party which supports Vladimir Putin in the Russian parliament, the State Duma.

In a tweet sharing the video, Julia Davies, creator of Russian Media Monitor, said: “Russian TV keeps threatening nuclear strikes against Western nations, desperately trying to deter them from continuing to help Ukraine. On a side note, this is the first state TV host who doesn't seem to be eager to die for the Motherland, arguing with a trigger-happy lawmaker.”

Ukraine war: Russian offensive in south and east 'slower than planned' as Zelenskyy's troops fights to hold off 'depleted units' - Sky News

Vladimir Putin has been forced to merge and redeploy depleted units in Ukraine, UK defence chiefs say, as Ukrainian troops fight to hold off Russia's attempts to advance in the south and east.

A senior US defence official said Moscow's offensive was going much slower than planned, with the Kremlin seeking to capture Ukraine's industrial Donbas region.

The US has accused the Russian president of acting with "depravity" in his attack on Ukraine.

Angelina Jolie makes surprise visit to Lviv - Ukraine latest

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was attempting to "empty" the Donbas of people and peace talks were in danger of collapsing.

Key developments:
• The Foreign Office is investigating reports that a British national has been detained by Russia after a video emerged showing a man in camouflage clothes being questioned
• The family of a former US Marine say he was killed while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, in what would be the war's first known death of an American in combat
• Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, a special envoy to the UN, is reportedly seen in the Ukrainian city of Lviv
• Emmanuel Macron tells Mr Zelenskyy that France will strengthen its military and humanitarian support for Ukraine
• Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says Russian and Ukrainian negotiators talk "almost every day" but "progress has not been easy"
• Russian forces have stolen "several hundred thousand tonnes" of grain in the areas of Ukraine they occupy, a Ukrainian minister says

The UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Russia was facing "considerable challenges" and it had been forced to merge and redeploy "depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in northeast Ukraine".

"Many of these units are likely suffering from weakened morale," the MoD said.

"A lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass, despite localised improvements."

Russian troops turned their focus towards Ukraine's east and south as they moved into the second phase of their invasion after failing to capture the capital city of Kyiv.

Russia trying to 'empty' Donbas of people, says Zelenskyy

Mr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of carrying out "constant brutal bombardments" on buildings and residential areas of the eastern region of his country.

He compared the barrage of attacks as similar to the situation in Mariupol - a key port city that has been largely destroyed after being hit by almost daily strikes since the Russian invasion began in February.

Mr Zelenskyy said: "If the Russian invaders are able to realise their plans even partially, then they have enough artillery and aircraft to turn the entire Donbas into stones. As they did with Mariupol."

He added that the southeastern city has been turned into a "Russian concentration camp among the ruins".

Inside Mariupol, a battle has been taking place at the Azovstal steel plant, which has become the last stronghold in the area.

Ukrainian troops have successfully fought off Russian forces so far, but the mayor of Mariupol, Vadym Boichenko, said the situation is dire and citizens are "begging to get saved".

"It's not a matter of days, it's a matter of hours," he said.

US accuses Russia of 'depravity in innocent people'

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby described Russia's invasion of Ukraine as "brutality of the coldest sort" and said it was "hard to look at" what Mr Putin was doing to the country.

He said: "I don't think we fully appreciated the degree to which he would visit that kind of violence and cruelty and as I said depravity, on innocent people, on non-combatants, on civilians, with such utter disregard for the lives he was taking."

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Mr Kirby appeared to get emotional as he spoke of the scenes emerging from Ukraine, saying: "It's difficult to look at some of the images and imagine that any well-thinking, serious mature leader would do that. I can't talk to his psychology, but I think we can all speak to his depravity."

He also said it was "not entirely clear how truthful the information was" that the Russian leader was getting but there were "indications that he wasn't necessarily getting an accurate picture".

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2022-04-30 14:37:30Z
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Ukraine war: Europe's entire future rests on Ukrainian victory, warns Moldovan minister - Sky News

Moldova's foreign minister has told Sky News that the future of his country and Europe depends on how the war in Ukraine ends.

In a frank interview from his office in the capital Chisinau, Nicu Popescu revealed that:

Moldova is on a "heightened state of alert"
the future of Moldova and Europe rests on a Ukrainian victory
'"forces" in the breakaway region of Transnistria "staged a provocation"
Moldova is "not at the stage of talking about weapons supplies" but is cooperating closely with Western partners

Russia 'forced to merge and redeploy depleted units' after failed advances - follow latest updates

On the importance of a Ukrainian victory over Russia, Mr Popescu said: "The future of the entire continent rests on the capacity of Ukraine to maintain its political system, its country, its resilience.

"And in this sense, the fate and the future of every country in this part of the world, of the entire Europe, depends on how this war ends; on where it ends and when it ends."

Mr Popescu said that last week's unexplained attacks in the breakaway region of Transnistria increased the risks to Moldova.

"Moldova has been in a very difficult region at a very difficult time. We are Ukraine's most fragile neighbour, of course, we've been affected in multiple ways," he said.

"And now, of course, we see that the situation is getting worse… in the last few days, with some explosions taking place in the Transnistrian region of Moldova, we are also increasingly affected by this regional destabilisation."

On Monday, three men fired rocket-propelled grenades at a state security office in the breakaway region in the east of Moldova which is aligned with Russia and borders Ukraine.

The foreign minister said the attacks were a "staged provocation" but he would not be drawn on precisely who he believes was responsible.

"We don't know. Legally the Transnistrian region part of Moldova, [but] de facto our authorities don't have control. So we don't control, we don't have access to CCTV cameras, to forensics. We have some working hypothesis, but we are not in a situation to attribute clear responsibility for these attacks."

The foreign minister, who is also deputy prime minister, said: "Our understanding is that whereas the absolute majority of residents of Transnistria want to live in a peaceful environment and they don't want to end up in the war zone, there are nonetheless forces inside Transnistria which hope to benefit from rising tensions, and they have staged this provocation, which was the attack in Tiraspol."

Last week, a Russian general published a four point plan for the next stage of its 'special military operation' in Ukraine that specifically mentioned Transnistria.

The plan raised the prospect of uniting Russian forces as they attempt to push west from eastern Ukraine with a regiment of Russian troops already based in Transnistria.

Around 1,000 Russian troops have been based, ostensibly as peacekeepers, in the unrecognised republic since it broke away from Moldova in 1992.

On preparations for a possible Russian incursion into Transnistria or even into the rest of Moldova, Mr Popescu said: "Statements such as the one made by this Russian general are really worrying.

"It's of course, completely unhelpful, if it creates new tensions. Formerly, the Russian Federation dissociated themselves from this statement.

"So formally, Russia says that position has not been an agreed message, at the same time we all know that the situation is quite volatile.

"It's risky. We constantly see voices inside Russia calling on bigger and more ambitious war aims.

"At the same time, it's also clear that the war in Ukraine has not been going according to plan. So here, intentions can be intentions, but the realities on the ground always tend to differ."

Moldova is a neutral nation and the foreign minister said that would not change.

He was more nuanced on how neutrality is compatible with self-defence but wouldn't be drawn on whether Moldova would ask for western military support.

"Neutrality does not exclude and prevent us from cooperating on security, on foreign policy, on defence matters," he said.

"We're not at the stage of talking about weapons supplies, but of course for a long time we've had very good cooperative links between our ministry of defence and our partners, between our police and our partners and those conversations still continue and there are projects where our military cooperates with NATO's member states."

Pushed on the issue, he said: "Listen, we're not in a position of now prejudging how things will evolve. I'll tell you very frankly that it's also dangerous to prejudge and speculate.

"But we are nonetheless preparing and we have been preparing for all possible contingencies.

"And what exactly we do within this preparation, we prefer not to discuss in details when it comes to things or to the future, which we, of course, cannot predict."

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2022-04-30 09:51:41Z
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British Virgin Islands: UK minister dispatched for governance talks - BBC

View of boats, sea and hills in Road Town, British Virgin Islands

The UK government has sent a minister to the British Virgin Islands after an inquiry called for a return of UK rule.

It comes after a turbulent few days for the overseas territory, which saw its leader Andrew Fahie arrested in the US for alleged drug trafficking and money laundering.

After his arrest, a report was released recommending direct rule be imposed from London due to corruption concerns.

But the acting leader of the BVI has said he opposes the UK taking control.

The BVI is a British overseas territory home to more than 35,000 people and made up of more than 40 islands, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico.

It operates as a parliamentary democracy, with the premier acting as the head of the elected government alongside the governor, who is appointed by the UK government and represents the Queen.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Amanda Milling, the minister for overseas territories, was travelling to the territory for talks with BVI governor James Rankin and other senior figures on Saturday.

She said the UK government would outline the next steps for the island's governance following the discussions.

Mr Rankin, who it is recommended should take over the rule of the territory, has said his main concern would be the best interests of the BVI's population.

However, acting premier Natalio Wheatley has said the territory opposes efforts by London to impose direct rule.

"What this would mean in real terms is that there would be no more elected representatives who represent the people of the districts and the territory in the House of Assembly where laws are made for our society," he said.

"There also would be no government ministers to advance the public's priorities or a cabinet to approve policy. All of this authority would be vested in the governor."

He told BBC Radio 4's The World Tonight the BVI could address governance problems without resorting to UK direct rule - and said he did not believe the BVI's people wanted to see the constitution suspended.

"Every country in the world has challenges with governance, including the UK," he said.

Mr Wheatley said he had had productive talks with Ms Milling and was expecting those to continue when she arrived in the territory on Saturday, although he said some conversations might be "uncomfortable".

The crisis facing the islands was brought to a head on Thursday when it emerged Mr Fahie had been arrested by the US Drug Enforcement Agency in Miami.

He was detained alongside the head of the BVI's ports Oleanvine Maynard, whose son was also arrested in connection with the case.

They have been charged with cocaine trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies after appearing by video link at a Florida court on Friday, US prosecutors confirmed. They will remain in custody until a bond hearing on Wednesday.

Mr Fahie is accused of agreeing a $700,000 (£560,000) payment to allow traffickers to use BVI ports with an undercover informant, charges filed in the US said.

Questions about governance in the territory pre-dated the arrests, with long-standing concerns over state corruption and misuse of taxpayers' money, but the news expedited the release of an inquiry about how best to address them.

The report, commissioned in 2021 and led by British judge Sir Gary Hickinbottom, described the state of governance in the BVI as "appallingly bad", but is not directly connected to the arrest of the premier.

It recommended the UK government suspend the overseas territory's constitution and implement home rule for at least two years, meaning the islands would effectively be returned to direct rule from London.

'Uncomfortable conversations'

After instructing Ms Milling to travel to the BVI, Ms Truss described the arrests as "extremely concerning" and argued they demonstrated the need for "urgent action".

She said the inquiry showed "clearly that substantial legislative and constitutional change is required to restore the standards of governance".

Ms Truss added that overseas territories formed a "core part of the UK family" and the government was "committed to the security and wellbeing of the people of the British Virgin Islands".

In a televised statement on Friday, governor Mr Rankin pledged that his overriding concern would be the best interests of the people of the BVI - "ensuring transparent, honest and open governance".

British Virgin Islands profile

Leaks of documents known as the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers previously revealed the islands to be a popular tax haven.

British overseas territories are regions which have retained a constitutional and historical link to the UK - these include Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.

Most are largely self-autonomous with their own governments but the UK retains responsibility for their defence and foreign relations.

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2022-04-30 07:18:35Z
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Ukraine war: Russia trying to 'empty' Donbas of people, Zelenskyy claims as he warns peace talks may collapse - Sky News

Russia is attempting to "empty" the Donbas of people and peace talks are in danger of collapsing, Ukraine's president has claimed.

Speaking in his nightly address, Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of carrying out "constant brutal bombardments" on buildings and residential areas of the eastern region of his country.

Live updates from the war in Ukraine

"If the Russian invaders are able to realise their plans even partially, then they have enough artillery and aircraft to turn the entire Donbas into stones. As they did with Mariupol," Mr Zelenskyy said.

Key developments:

Russia uses submarine missile attack for first time on Ukraine
Injured Briton captured by Russian forces and paraded on television
UK says it's sending experts to help Ukraine with gathering evidence and prosecuting war crimes
Two British aid workers reportedly captured by Russian forces in Ukraine
US official says country does not believe there is a threat of Russia using nuclear weapons

He added that the southeastern city has been turned into a "Russian concentration camp among the ruins".

Inside Mariupol, a battle has been taking place at the Azovstal steel plant, which has become the last stronghold in the area.

Ukrainian troops have successfully fought off Russian forces so far, but the Mayor of Mariupol, Vadym Boichenko, said the situation is dire and citizens are "begging to get saved".

"It's not a matter of days, it's a matter of hours," he said.

Russian troops turned their focus towards Ukraine's east and south as they moved into the second phase of their invasion after failing to capture the capital city of Kyiv.

Peace talks could collapse with Russia, Ukraine warns

Ukraine has warned that while attacks continue, peace talks with Russia could collapse.

The two countries have not met for in-person talks since 29 March and the atmosphere has soured over Ukrainian allegations that Russian troops carried out atrocities as they withdrew from areas near Kyiv.

In comments to journalists in Poland, Mr Zelenskyy said: "The risks that talks will end are high because of what they (the Russians) have left behind them, the impression that they have a playbook on murdering people."

But, Russia's foreign minister has said the country is "in favour of continuing the negotiations, although they are difficult".

"At present, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are actually discussing on a daily basis via video-conferencing a
draft of a possible treaty," Sergei Lavrov said in comments to China's official Xinhua news agency published on the Russian foreign ministry's website.

"The talks' agenda also includes, among others, the issues of denazificiation, the recognition of new geopolitical
realities, the lifting of sanctions, the status of the Russian language," he added.

He also accused Western nations, including the UK, of sabotaging talks, saying Kyiv has changed its position following orders from the US and Britain.

Mr Lavrov continued to explain that more than one million people have been evacuated from Ukraine into Russia since the war began.

The 1.02 million includes 120,000 foreigners and people evacuated from Russian-backed breakaway regions of Ukraine.

However, Ukraine has claimed that Moscow has forcefully deported thousands of people to Russia and efforts to evacuate civilians from besieged areas have repeatedly failed.

US accuses Russia of 'depravity in innocent people'

Meanwhile, the US has said Russia's President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is "brutality of the coldest sort".

Speaking to reporters, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby condemned the Kremlin leader's actions in Ukraine and said it was "hard to look at" what Mr Putin was doing to the country.

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He also said it was "not entirely clear how truthful the information was" that the Russian leader was getting but there were "indications that he wasn't necessarily getting an accurate picture".

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Jumat, 29 April 2022

British Virgin Islands should have constitution suspended, says corruption report - raising prospect of rule from London - Sky News

The British Virgin Islands should have its constitution suspended, elected government dissolved and effectively be returned to direct rule from London, an inquiry has found.

The BVI's governor John Rankin ordered the report to investigate "the corruption, abuse of office, and other serious dishonesty" in the British overseas territory's governance.

Launched in 2021, it was led by British judge Gary Hickinbottom.

"He has concluded with a particularly heavy heart that unless the most drastic and urgent steps are taken, the current situation with elected officials deliberately ignoring the tenets of good governance will go on indefinitely," said Mr Rankin, who is the Queen's representative on the BVI.

"He notes that the people of the BVI deserve better, and that the UK government owes them an obligation to protect them from such abuses and assist them to achieve their aspirations for self government as a modern democratic state."

The report recommended any new administrative arrangement should last two years, but also that ministerial
government should resume "as soon as practicable".

If London accepts the inquiry's central recommendation, one of more than 40 in the 946-page report, Mr Rankin - a career British diplomat - would take over the day-to-day running of the BVI.

And in a statement he said: "I pledge that the best interests of the people of BVI will continue to be my overriding concern, ensuring transparent, honest and open governance in accordance with the rule of law to strengthen the foundations of the British Virgin Islands.

"I believe that the COI Report is a vital and hugely valuable contribution towards the achievement of better governance in the BVI in the interest of the people of the territory."

The report is not linked to Thursday's arrest of the island's elected leader Premier Andrew Fahie on charges of money laundering and conspiring to import cocaine.

Fahie was detained in Miami, Florida, as part of an operation led by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

According to the Miami Herald, he was arrested by DEA agents who were posing as cocaine traffickers from the Mexican Sinaloa cartel.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement: "The arrest yesterday of the premier of the British Virgin Islands on charges related to drugs trafficking and money laundering is extremely concerning and underlines the need for urgent action.

"In January 2021, we set out significant concerns about the deteriorating state of governance in the British Virgin Islands, as well as the potential vulnerability of the islands to serious organised crime.

"The UK government supported the then governor's decision to launch an independent inquiry into governance of the Territory.

"The inquiry report published today by the governor shows clearly that substantial legislative and constitutional change is required to restore the standards of governance that the people of the British Virgin Islands are entitled to.

"I have instructed the minister for overseas territories to travel to the territory immediately to speak to the governor and key stakeholders. We will then announce a clear path forward."

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2022-04-29 16:31:59Z
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Britain sends troops and tanks to Europe in show of solidarity - The Times

Thousands of British troops as well as tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery will be sent to countries in Europe in one of the largest deployments since the Cold War.

The British Army would conduct exercises in nations such as Finland and North Macedonia to demonstrate how it had modernised into a “lethal, agile and global force”, the Ministry of Defence said.

About 8,000 British troops are expected to join soldiers from Nato allies and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a UK-led security coalition, for the summer exercises amid rising tensions with Russia.

Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, said that the security of Europe “has never been more important”. He promised a “show of solidarity and strength in one of the largest shared deployments since

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2022-04-29 08:00:00Z
1406113919

Ukraine war: Thousands of UK troops to be sent to Europe in bid to combat Russian aggression - Sky News

Around 8,000 British soldiers are due to be sent to eastern Europe to take part in military exercises designed to combat Russian aggression.

The deployment - which is one of the largest to take place since the Cold War - will see troops placed in countries from Finland to North Macedonia.

Dozens of tanks and more than 100 armoured fighting vehicles will also be sent to the locations this summer under plans that have been bolstered since the war in Ukraine began.

Live updates on Ukraine war as Russia bombards Kyiv during UN chief visit

The armed forces will be joined by tens of thousands of troops from NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force allies, which include the likes of Denmark, Iceland and Norway.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the planned exercises will improve the ability of UK and Finnish troops to work alongside each other, "deterring Russian aggression in Scandinavia and the Baltic states".

Key developments:

Ukraine names 10 Russian soldiers suspected of human rights abuses
Biden to ask Congress for additional $33bn to help Ukraine
Russian forces used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse a pro-Ukraine rally in Kherson
Tributes paid to former British soldier killed in Ukraine
Russia accused of preventing wounded Ukrainian soldiers from being evacuated from steel plant

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the move will show "solidarity and strength".

"The security of Europe has never been more important. These exercises will see our troops join forces with allies and partners across NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force in a show of solidarity and strength in one of the largest shared deployments since the Cold War," he said.

"Operating across Europe, the British Army will stand alongside partners, combining our capabilities and shared values, promoting peace and security."

The UK deployment is expected to build to a peak of around 8,000 personnel operating in mainland Europe between April and June.

Some of the exercises are set to involve parachute drops, helicopter-borne air assaults Challenger 2 tanks.

The drills aim to "showcase the scale and significance of the British Army's contribution to the defence of Europe", the MoD added.

Commander Field Army Lieutenant General Ralph Wooddisse explained: "The UK makes a significant contribution to the defence of Europe and the deterrence of Russian aggression. The British Army's series of exercises is fundamental to both.

"The scale of the deployment, coupled with the professionalism, training and agility of the British Army, will deter aggression at a scale not seen in Europe this century."

Exercises alongside American troops are also taking place in Poland.

Western powers are attempting to show their support for Ukraine is not waning

Joe Pike

Political correspondent

@joepike

The Ministry of Defence says this is one of the largest military deployments since the Cold War and they are blunt that this is about showing solidarity and strength - no prizes for guessing who the intended audience is.

These exercises are to deter Russian aggression, to deter Vladimir Putin from entering a new conflict.

We understand that the military exercises the UK is involved in will peak between now and June, with 8,000 British army troops involved.

But if you count all of the troops from all of the NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force countries together, then we are talking about tens of thousands of armed forces personnel.

Of course this comes as Joe Biden has asked Congress for $33bn (£27bn) for military, economic, and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine.

Western powers here are attempting to show their support is not waning as the conflict enters its third month.

Ukrainian capital comes under attack after meeting between Zelenskyy and UN secretary-general

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv has continued to come under fire, with at least one person killed and several others injured during a strike on Thursday night.

Rescue officials said some civilians were trapped beneath rubble after the Russian attack, which came shortly after a meeting between Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

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Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the Shevchenkivskyi district, in the northwestern part of the city, was hit twice, causing fires in at least two high-rise buildings.

Explosions have also been reported in Chernihiv, which is near the border with Belarus, and Fastiv, in the central part of the country.

Ukrainian authorities also reported intense Russian fire in the Donbas - the eastern industrial heartland that has become a key target for Russia.

Earlier on Thursday, a Ukrainian military official said Russian forces were "exerting intense fire" as they continued the second phase of their invasion.

Former British soldier killed in Ukraine as second Briton reported missing

It comes after a British military veteran was reported to have been killed in Ukraine while fighting Russian forces.

Tributes have been paid to 36-year-old Scott Sibley, who is the first British national confirmed to have died in the war.

A second British man, who Sky News has chosen not to name, has been reported as missing in Ukraine after travelling there to fight.

At the beginning of the war, Ukraine's government urged volunteers from across the world to come and help support its armed forces as they took on Russia's invasion.

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2022-04-28 23:18:59Z
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British Virgin Islands premier held in cocaine smuggling sting - The Times

The premier of the British Virgin Islands was arrested by undercover agents at a Miami airport yesterday and accused of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the US.

Andrew Alturo Fahie, 51, was seized by drug enforcement agency officers (DEA) posing as traffickers with a Mexican cartel as he boarded a plane at Miami’s Opa-locka Executive Airport.

Fahie was accompanied by Oleanvine Maynard, the head of the ports authority in the Caribbean archipelago, who was also arrested, as was a third man reported to be Maynard’s son.

Fahie and Maynard, who had visited Miami for a cruise ship convention, were arrested as they allegedly oversaw the loading of $700,000 in cash, given to them by the agents, which was to be transported back to the British

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2022-04-29 07:30:00Z
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Kamis, 28 April 2022

Russian gas payment demands in 'breach' of sanctions, EU warns - Financial Times

The EU has warned European buyers of Russian gas that they will be in breach of sanctions against Moscow if they accept Kremlin demands for payment to be completed in roubles.

The warning, which is clearer than previous guidance by Brussels, comes after several European companies indicated they would comply with a March 31 decree by President Vladimir Putin to introduce a two-tiered system for gas payments.

This involves opening rouble and euro accounts at Gazprombank in Russia. Under existing payment arrangements, most European companies were paying in euros into Gazprombank’s Luxembourg-based accounts.

Gas distributors in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia had been planning to comply, according to people with knowledge of the preparations.

“Complying with the decree is a breach of sanctions,” European Commission chief spokesperson Eric Mamer told its daily media briefing on Thursday.

“If companies pay in euros, they are not in breach of the sanctions,” said an EU official. “What we cannot accept is that companies are obliged to open a second account in roubles and that the payment is complete only when payment is converted into roubles.”

Companies and national energy regulators are now in the invidious position of breaching EU sanctions, or defying Moscow and having gas supplies possibly cut off. The EU gets about 40 per cent of its gas from Russia and some countries are almost completely reliant.

The EU believes that accepting completion of gas deals in roubles, as Putin has demanded, would mean involving Russia’s central bank in the transactions, which would violate the sanctions imposed on the Russian financial system in a bid to hamper Putin’s capacity to finance the war.

By having the gas payments cleared only when they are converted into roubles, Moscow is seeking to have European companies circumvent the sanctions on the central bank, the EU official said.

Dmitry Peskov, president Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, said: “We do not recognise the legality of these sanctions and are not guided by them.”

Gazprombank, as the main financial arm of Russia’s monopoly gas provider, was deliberately excluded from EU sanctions — underlining how reluctant Europe is to cut off access to vital Russian gas supplies.

Gas importers in Poland and Bulgaria, which have refused to sign up to the Kremlin scheme, had gas supplies from Russia halted on Wednesday, a decision European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen described as “blackmail”.

Two of the largest importers of Russian gas, Düsseldorf-based Uniper and Vienna-based OMV, had said they would be open to paying via the Russian system.

Italian state-backed Eni, another of Gazprom’s largest customers, is evaluating its options, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

Several governments said guidance issued by the European Commission on Friday, which said companies could open a Gazprombank account, appeared to approve the new method.

Mamer said that member states were responsible for the enforcement of sanctions and the commission was in consultation with national authorities and gas providers to ensure compliance.

“If [a state] is not fulfilling its obligations in terms of implementing sanctions, the commission can carry out an infringement procedure against that member state,” he said. “We are not at that stage yet.”

Around 97 per cent of Russian gas contracts were denominated in euros or dollars and companies should continue paying by their usual means, he added.

Futures contracts tracking European wholesale gas prices eased on Thursday, falling about 7 per cent to about €101 per megawatt hour.

Thomas Rodgers, European gas analyst at ICIS, a commodity data firm, said that the market was yet to be convinced that the EU would go through with stopping gas companies from setting up rouble accounts with Gazprombank in some form.

“There isn’t a market consensus on what the EU is or isn’t allowing regarding these accounts,” he said. “The market needs something firmer from the EU saying this is a no-go before we get a more aggressive upswing.”

Additional reporting by Harry Dempsey in London

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2022-04-28 13:36:05Z
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Liz Truss fears Russia's war on Ukraine will last years - The Times

Britain and its allies are putting the security of Europe at risk by “pumping” Ukraine with weapons, the Kremlin has said in a warning that the West is “testing its patience”.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, was responding to a question about remarks by Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, who said the countries must double down on their support, including by supplying heavy weapons, tanks and aircraft.

“The tendency to pump weapons, including heavy weapons, to Ukraine and other countries are actions that threaten the security of the continent and provoke instability,” Peskov told reporters.

Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign affairs ministry, also warned western countries — particularly the UK — against encouraging Ukraine to strike Russian territory.

She said that President Zelensky

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2022-04-28 08:10:00Z
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Putin to 'lay the groundwork for an announcement to cover his failure' and admit Ukraine is a war - City A.M.

Thursday 28 April 2022 3:29 pm

The UK Defence Secretary said this morning that people should not be “too alarmed” by the Russian president’s warning that countries intervening in the Ukraine war will be met with a “lightning-fast” response.

Ben Wallace told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Vladimir Putin has made similar threats before and was trying to “lay the groundwork” for an announcement to “cover his failure”.

“Putin is going to have to admit if he wants to mobilise more of the Russian people that it is a war.”
UK Defence Secretary

“He’s going to have to admit it by trying to blame everybody else, I think that is what he was rolling the pitch for.”

However, Nato takes Mr Putin’s comments “incredibly seriously”, Mr Wallace added.

“We take him seriously but we also must not let ourselves be intimidated from defending Ukraine and protecting the people from brutality.”

Wallace reinforced Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’s view that Russian forces must be pushed out of “the whole of Ukraine”, saying Britain would support Ukrainians in “both diplomatic efforts or military efforts”.

Asked if the UK would help Ukraine win back its territory, the Defence Secretary told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We’re prepared to help Ukraine stand by its sovereignty and defend itself however long that may take.

“There is no difference in the position of the United Kingdom since 2014, which is when Ukraine as a sovereign nation was invaded both in Crimea… and Donetsk.

“That needs to stop, that needs to be reversed.

“We were doing it supporting the diplomatic efforts through the Minsk agreement right up until Putin decided to use military force to invade.

“How we would then resort to that overall aim, if Russia decides to try and consolidate or pull back, that is obviously a matter for the Ukrainians and we would support them in both diplomatic efforts or in military efforts if they chose to do so.”

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Wallace stressed that the supply of weapons to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian invasion is not a Nato effort and said Britain stands ready to send more.

Wallace also told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Contrary to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s claims, this is not a Nato effort.

“These countries including Britain – there are nearly 40 of them now helping Ukraine – are doing so through bilateral arrangements because they want to stand up for the … values that we think are most important.

“But if Putin continues to inflict what clearly are war crimes and indiscriminate bombing and the Ukrainians need further defence, we will consider that and supply it or help supply it.”

Ben Wallace clarified that the long-range Brimstone missiles the UK is sending to Ukraine “will be used over the ground”, but added that Britain is examining an anti-ship missile solution.

The Defence Secretary told Sky News: “We have said we will source and supply, if we can, anti-ship missiles.

“It’s incredibly important that the grain that affects us all, the food prices, does get to get out of Ukraine, that the Russians can’t control the Black Sea”.

He said Russian ships must not be allowed to be “used to bombard cities”.

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2022-04-28 09:00:00Z
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Cincunri Sakia

Sabtu, 30 April 2022

'Launch Satan nukes on Britain' rants Russian politician as state TV shows missiles hitting UK in 202 seconds - Hull Live

Ukraine war: Russian offensive in south and east 'slower than planned' as Zelenskyy's troops fights to hold off 'depleted units' - Sky News

Ukraine war: Europe's entire future rests on Ukrainian victory, warns Moldovan minister - Sky News

British Virgin Islands: UK minister dispatched for governance talks - BBC

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Ukraine war: Russia trying to 'empty' Donbas of people, Zelenskyy claims as he warns peace talks may collapse - Sky News

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British Virgin Islands should have constitution suspended, says corruption report - raising prospect of rule from London - Sky News

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Russian gas payment demands in 'breach' of sanctions, EU warns - Financial Times

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