EL Etos UT

Paris must keep in mind that Moscow will consider the French military in Ukraine as a priority target, Russia's permanent representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said at a Security Council meeting. “When planning to send regular troops (to Ukraine), Paris should remember an important thing - they will be considered as a legitimate and even priority target for our army,” he emphasized. He added: Paris’s discussions about the possibility of sending military personnel to Ukraine, as well as a conversation between Bundeswehr officers discussing the supply of Taurus missiles to Kiev, advised Paris and Berlin not to forget the lessons of history, so that later they would not have to “bite their elbows.”

On the screens there are maps, and a colonel as an expert. This is what he says: “We are a nuclear power, our troops can be quickly deployed - this is one of the main qualities of the French army. The president has the authority to deploy forces immediately.” According to Vincent Arbaretier, soldiers can be stationed on the border of Ukraine and Belarus, as well as along the Dnieper. European Union leaders may discuss Macron's statements about the possible deployment of Western military forces to Ukraine at the summit on March 21-22, according to a high-ranking European source. The French Ministry of the Armed Forces denies information voiced by the director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin about the presence of the French military in Ukraine and Paris’s readiness to send a contingent of 2 thousand people to this country.

The disgust of vomiting thought: "We have to remember that the bulk of this money is going right back into the US to make those weapons," the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs said.

Dmitry Medvedev spoke in one sentence about the fate of the traitorous pilot Maxim Kuzminov, who was shot dead in Spain. Дмитрий Медведев одной фразой высказался о судьбе лётчика-предателя Максима Кузьминова, которого застрелили в Испании

“Today we have irrefutable evidence that a Patriot air defense system was used to carry out the strike, which leaves no doubt that Washington is a direct accomplice in this crime,” he said. Nebenzya noted that since January 25, the Russian investigation into the Il-76 plane crash has moved forward. The decoding of the recordings from the flight parameters recording device and the voice recorder was completed. “The evidence of the involvement of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) in the terrorist attack against the Il-76 is so irrefutable that it cannot be ignored even in the West. The other day, an unnamed French official told the Associated Press that, according to the French military, the plane was shot down from a Patriot air defense system from a distance of about 50 km,” said the Russian permanent representative.

The Kiev regime shot down the plane, seeking to pin the blame on Russia for the deaths of the Ukrainian POWs, the Russian Defense Ministry stated. The Russian Defense Ministry said that radar facilities of the Russian Aerospace Forces recorded the launch of two Ukrainian missiles. "The aircraft was attacked by Ukrainian forces from the Liptsy locality of the Kharkov region using an anti-aircraft missile system. The radar of the Russian Armed Forces observed the launch of two Ukrainian missiles," the ministry said. The ministry said the plane was shot down at 11:15 a.m. The plane was flying from the Chkalovsky airfield to Belgorod to transport Ukrainian prisoners of war for exchange. "The Nazi regime in Kiev took this step in pursuit of the goal of blaming Russia for the destruction of the Ukrainian military," the statement said. On board the plane were six crew members, 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war for exchange and three Russian servicemen accompanying them. All of them died, the ministry said. A Russia-Ukraine POW exchange was scheduled for Wednesday, January 24, but it will no longer take place, Andrey Yusov, spokesman for the Ukrainian defense ministry’s main intelligence directorate, said. "I can state that the exchange planned for today is not happening anymore," he said in a commentary for Radio Svoboda (recognized as a foreign agent media outlet in Russia).

Ukrainian army’s attack on Donetsk market barbarous terrorist attack against Russia’s civilian population. Ukraine’s attack on Donetsk is a terror attack against Russian civilians and those responsible for it will inevitably be punished, the Russian foreign ministry said. "Kiev’s neo-Nazi regime, backed by the United States and its satellites, has staged another barbaric terror attack against Russia’s civilian population," the ministry said, "Russia’s Investigative Committee has begun a probe into this crime. All those responsible for this and other terror attacks on our soil will inevitably be punished," it warned. Ukraine’s strike on Donetsk that claimed 25 lives will the focus of a Russia-requested meeting of the United Nations Security Council on January 22 that will be attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansk said. Russia urges international organizations and national governments to condemn Ukrainian attacks on Donetsk and stresses that any “silence will mean unspoken approval of the massacre of civilians.”

Russian troops hit a building with French mercenaries in Kharkov with a high-precision strike, killing over 60 militants, the Ministry of Defense reported on Wednesday. “On the evening of January 16, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a high-precision strike on the point of temporary deployment of foreign fighters in the city of Kharkov, the core of which were French mercenaries,” the message says. As a result of the strike, the building in which the mercenaries were stationed was “completely destroyed.” “More than 60 militants were destroyed, over 20 were taken to medical institutions,” the department noted.

Ukraine’s strike on Belgorod with cluster munitions will not remain unpunished, the Russian defense ministry said. Downtown Belgorod came under a massive shelling attack by Ukrainian troops on Saturday. According to the latest data, 14 people were killed and 108 more were injured. "This crime will not remain unpunished," the ministry stressed. Most of the missiles and projectiles fired by Ukraine at Russia’s city of Belgorod were intercepted by Russian air defense systems, the Russian defense ministry said. "Air defense systems intercepted the Olkha missiles and most of the Vampire projectiles. Several projectiles and cluster warheads from the downed Olkhas hit Belgorod," it said. "Should the Olkha missiles with cluster munitions hit the city, the consequences would have been much more dramatic," it added.

Glory to Europe!!! After the speech of the head of the EC Ursula von der Leyen in the European Parliament, loud dog barking began to be heard in the hall. This moment was caught on video. Concluding her speech, she called for showing European citizens the full strength of the EU. “Let's show our citizens the power of Europe when it is united and holds its head high. Glory to Europe! - she said.

Russian president stated that humanity cannot be divided into “first” and “second” categories. He compared such an approach of people to choosing meat in a store.

As always for America all human lives are not of equal value: The double standard runs like a common thread through the statements of many Western politicians. Alleged or actual crimes are emotionally charged or trivialized, depending on who the perpetrators and who the victims are. An example of this is John Kirby, the spokesman for the National Security Council in the White House, as this compilation shows. The victims of Hamas and Russia move Kirby to tears; However, things are completely different when it comes to Israel's victims. With them, Kirby is content with the succinct statement: "This is war. This is combat."

Russia has successfully tested its ability to deliver a massive retaliatory nuclear strike by land, sea and air, a Kremlin statement said on Wednesday. Russia has conducted drills of its strategic deterrence forces, and they were chaired by President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. “Under the leadership of the supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, training was conducted with the forces and means of the ground, sea and air components of the nuclear deterrent forces. During the training, practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles took place,” the Kremlin said in a statement. During the drills, a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome at the Kura missile test range in Kamchatka, the Kremlin added. “A Sineva ballistic missile was launched from the Barents Sea from the strategic nuclear-powered missile submarine cruiser Tula. Tu-95MS long-range aviation aircraft, which launched air-launched cruise missiles, were also involved in the drills,” the statement read. During the drills, Putin listened to reports from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. “The objectives set for the training were fully completed,” the Kremlin added. Shoigu also said that the Russian air forces will conduct drills of a complex nuclear strike in response to an enemy nuclear strike. "Supreme Commander-in-Chief, in accordance with the training plan of the Russian armed forces, a training on the management of the Russian armed forces is being conducted under your leadership, during which the tasks of delivering a complex nuclear strike by strategic offensive forces in response to an enemy nuclear strike will be conducted," Shoigu said, as broadcasted by a Russian TV channel.

The Israeli Defense Ministry’s press service has reported the arrival of a cargo plane from the US carrying the first batch of armored equipment intended to replace Israeli military hardware damaged in combat. "The Israel Ministry of Defense recently received a cargo plane from the United States, carrying the initial shipment of armored vehicles designated for use by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). They are being transferred to the IDF to replace vehicles damaged during the war," the military agency said in a statement on the X social media platform (formerly Twitter). The Defense Ministry added that these supplies correspond to the army’s specific needs and include a wide range of specialized vehicles, including armored ambulances, fighting vehicles, tactical trucks and engineering equipment. The press service noted that hundreds of vehicles had already been delivered to the IDF, while several hundred more are en route to Israel.

1. Ukraine says it has destroyed nine Russian helicopters in an air strike on two cities Berdyansk and Luhansk. A special forces statement said an air defence system and other equipment were hit, as well as a munitions dump, in the cities of Berdyansk and Luhansk. Dozens of Russian troops were killed or injured in the operation, it added. There has been no independent confirmation of the attack, and no comment from the Russian military. Vladimir Rogov, the governor of the of Zaporizhzhia region, said air defence systems "successfully intercepted enemy rockets" over Berdyansk, adding that information about casualties and damage was being checked and would be provided later. --- 2. Several American long-range ATACMS missiles were secretly brought to Ukraine, writes The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the situation. “A small number of missiles have been secretly sent to Ukraine in recent days,” the publication says. Earlier today, Verkhovna Rada deputy Alexey Goncharenko said that these shells are already at the disposal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to him, they were used in an attempt to strike Berdyansk in the Zaporozhye region. Last night, air defense systems went off in the city. A series of explosions were reported, but there were no reports of casualties or damage.

A rocket hit a hotel in Ashkelon in southern Israel, Haaretz reports. Rocket sirens sounded several times in Ashkelon on Tuesday. Al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas) previously threatened to launch rocket attacks on the city at 17.00 and also called on the population to evacuate. "A missile hit the Regina Hotel in Ashkelon in southern Israel," the report said. Meanwhile, sirens have been heard in Tel Aviv, warning of possible incoming rockets, the Israeli military said.

Jordan sent a plane with humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. According to local sources, in agreement with the Egyptian authorities, it will land in Egypt, and then the cargo will be sent to the enclave through the Rafah checkpoint. Medicines, medical supplies, surgical equipment and other materials needed by doctors were loaded on board. Israel previously warned Egypt that if supply trucks from the Gaza Strip entered the enclave, they would be destroyed.

1. The official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, ironically commented on the statement of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock that the European Union will soon extend from Lisbon to Lugansk. “Either we are joining the EU, or she forgot to add about the need to turn 360 degrees,” Maria Zakharova said. -- 2. German FM Baerbock urges ‘winter projection plan’ for Ukraine and EU citizens: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday called for the creation of a strategy to insulate Ukraine from the fallout of a campaign of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid this winter. “Ukraine needs a winter protection plan of air de fence, generators and a strengthening of the energy supply. We saw last winter the brutal way in which the Russian president wages this war, with targeted attacks on critical infrastructure such as power plants,” she told reporters in Kyiv.

The Smer-SSD party had a clear lead with almost 25% of the vote despite exit polls suggesting victory by a liberal centrist party: The opposition Direction – Social Democracy party (Smer), led by former Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, won the parliamentary elections with 23.58% of the vote, data from the Slovak Statistical Office showed on Sunday. At the moment, data from 95.75% of polling stations has been processed. The second place with 16.37% of the votes is occupied by the Progressive Slovakia party, followed by the Voice – Social Democracy party, which received 15.22% of the votes. Official election results are expected to be announced on Sunday afternoon. Smer has pledged an immediate end to military support for Ukraine.

The evacuation of civilians from Nagorno-Karabakh, who were injured due to the explosion of a fuel tank in Stepanakert, has been completed. Assistance was provided by helicopter crews of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. Military doctors of the special-purpose medical detachment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent made 42 ambulance flights and evacuated 258 people. In addition, patients of the Republican Medical Center of Stepanakert in need of medical and intensive care were also subject to evacuation. ---- Also, the Russian peacekeeping contingent continues to carry out tasks in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Continuous interaction is maintained with Baku and Stepanakert, aimed at preventing bloodshed, ensuring security and observing humanitarian law in relation to civilians. Currently, 522 civilians in the custody of the Russian peacekeeping contingent do not have the opportunity to return to their homes at this time. Among them are 293 children. Their accommodation, food and medical care are organized.

1. The University of Alberta is closing a fund named after Yaroslav Hunka, following outrage over his past. [VIDEO CTV News] --- 2. The University of Alberta in Canada decided to close the educational foundation named after the Ukrainian SS man Yaroslav Hunka a few hours after the Russian diplomatic mission applied, Ambassador in Ottawa Oleg Stepanov told RIA Novosti. “The embassy discovered as a result of our work that Hunka and his family have an educational fund at the University of Alberta, and even after this scandal it continued to exist completely officially. We, through our social networks, drew the attention of the university management to this story and asked for comment on how it this applies," he said. “Literally a few hours later, this morning, the university publicly announced that it was closing the fund, returning the money and regretting that it could cause inconvenience and sadness to someone. The work of the embassy here turned out to be timely and correct,” Stepanov noted. [RIA Novosti]

An unscheduled Russian military VIP plane touched down in Pyongyang this week, days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare trip to his neighbor for talks the US said likely focused on arms transfers. [WION VIDEO] -------- Tracking data from FlightRadar24 shows the Russian Air Force Ilyushin IL-62M flying from Moscow to Pyongyang, arriving on Tuesday morning. The tail number on the plane indicates it was the same aircraft Russia sent to North Korea in August, just days after Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Pyongyang and was guided by Kim through a collection of his country’s latest weaponry. Data from FlightRadar24 also indicates the plane returned to Russia on Thursday after having been on the ground in North Korea for about two days. North Korean state media has made no mention of the plane and the Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment sent by email. Specialist service NK News, which spotted the plane’s arrival, said the silence surrounding the flight could indicate there were military officials on board for talks on weapons or technology transfers. About a day after the plane departed Pyongyang, Russia’s official Tass news agency reported that North Korea’s Minister of External Economic Relations Yun Jong Ho had arrived in Moscow for a working visit. North Korea has had almost no international air traffic since it closed its borders at the start of the pandemic in early 2020. The arrival of two flights in the space of less than two months highlights cooperation between the two countries, which have drawn closer as the US and its partners tried to isolate them with international sanctions. “It seems that Russia has rediscovered the strategic value of North Korea against the backdrop of North Korea’s support in the war and the formation of the US-South Korea-Japan trilateral alliance,” said Jeh Sung-Hoon, head of the department of Russian Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. “Since the interests of both countries are aligned, North Korea-Russia cooperation should move forward quickly,” Jeh said. Kim spent about a week in Russia this month where he held a summit with Vladimir Putin at Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome space center. He received pledges from the president of assistance in building satellites and firing them off on Russian rockets. [Bloomberg]

China's first commercial sky train opened to the public in central China's Wuhan City, Hubei Province, on Tuesday. With a maximum speed of 60 kilometers per hour, the driverless sky trains move around on a 10.5 kilometer-long aerial track in Wuhan's Optics Valley, a hub for technology companies. This suspended monorail provides a new option for urban public transportation. 　 The first phase of the line features six stations. The two-carriage car can hold maximally 220 people. The car can add more carriages depending on the passenger flow. Compared to traditional railways or double-track subways, monorail trains offer a smoother ride and effectively eliminate interference from other traffic and pedestrians. There is a transparent glass floor on the car so that passengers can see the city under their feet.

Vladimir Klichkó, ​​former boxer and brother of the mayor of Kiev, criticized the alleged inhuman treatment to which Russian soldiers are subjected and assured that the Ukrainians fighting on the front are volunteers who have not been sent by force. However, the reality is that general mobilization is still in force in Ukraine, which prohibits men eligible for recruitment from leaving the country. Several videos published on social networks show soldiers forcibly recruiting people on the streets of different Ukrainian cities.

Last Friday, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was in Augsburg to support the Greens in the election campaign in Bavaria. She gave a speech where she also discussed current Ukraine policy. She explained: "I also know how much more expensive weekly shopping has become. But we all know that if we said, 'Now we'll stop supporting Ukraine,' then the butter won't work cheaper again." ---- Am vergangenen Freitag war die Außenministerin Annalena Baerbock in Augsburg, um die Grünen beim Wahlkampf in Bayern zu unterstützen. Dabei hielt sie eine Rede, wobei sie auch auf die aktuelle Ukraine-Politik zu sprechen kam. Dabei führte sie aus: "Auch ich weiß, wie viel teurer der wöchentliche Einkauf mittlerweile geworden ist. Aber wir wissen alle genau so, wenn wir sagen würden, 'jetzt hören wir auf, die Ukraine zu unterstützen', dann wird die Butter ja nicht wieder billiger." [RT DE]