RT News - December 15th 2022

The mayor of Donetsk says the republic's capital has come under the most intense attacks since 2014, as Ukrainian forces launch 40 missiles at the city overnight. The casualty list is not yet released. (QS: Somebody should tell those in NATO and other political alliances that the bombing of civilian only regions with the intent of killing civilians will not win them their proxy war against Russia and with respect to yesterday's censorship commentary, if the citizens of the EU and NATO member states knew what was going on there would be hell to pay. No licences have been asked for from any western MSM in Donbass since 2016. If you get the chance to share this video (it's perfectly legal) you should do so directly to your MP and insist that the censorship is immediately removed. Certainly for those is USA who have just said goodbye to $100,000,000,000 this year alone, to facilitate the mostly civilian attacks. Nobody knows how much money has been given by Europe and Britain .govs where accountability is "foggy")

The top chemical weapons watchdog's chief is awarded France's highest national honour despite a cover-up scandal alleging a Syrian chemical attack back in 2018.

Lawmakers in the United Nations have asked to terminate the rights and privileges of Russia in the UN Security Council. (QS For those who missed the recent "election" mid-terms, the Democrats are "in charge" of the House of Representatives, headed up by Nancy Pelosi. This exclusion is not possible by the way, they must know this? So why bother to ask for it?)

The next round of sanctions against Russia is to include the freezing of assets of Russian media outlets.

World Cup: In Paris and across France fans of Morocco and fans of France have clashed after France won the game 2-0 in the semi final.

USA rolls out the big guns as it tries to hold on to influence in Africa despite continuous threats of sanctions against Africa for dealing with anyone they please, to benefit Africa and not third party interests of other countries. Pres. Biden gave a teleprompter address at only the 2nd Africa/US summit ever, first set up in 2014.

Censorship of Russian media and freezing of assets - report.
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Below 1) -- British general admits UK deployed troops to Ukraine
2) --- US struggling to track Ukraine aid – Politico
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1) -- British general admits UK deployed troops to Ukraine

Russia has long claimed that NATO personnel are taking part in the conflict

British Royal Marines conducted high-risk operations in Ukraine in April, Lieutenant General Robert Magowan has admitted, according to a report in The Times on Tuesday.

Russia has consistently warned that NATO troops have been active in the conflict, but these statements have been dismissed by Western analysts and media.

Members of 45 Commando Group of the Royal Marines left Ukraine in January after evacuating the British embassy in Kiev to Poland. However, some 300 members of the elite unit were sent back into the country in April to reestablish the British mission in Kiev, before going on to conduct “other discreet operations,” Magowan wrote in the force’s official journal, The Globe and Laurel, the newspaper said.

These operations took place “in a hugely sensitive environment and with a high level of political and military risk,” Magowan, who formerly served as commandant general of the Royal Marines and is now deputy chief of Defense Staff at the Ministry of Defense, stated.

While Magowan did not elaborate on what kind of missions the commandos carried out, his statement marks the first time that the UK has admitted its troops conducted special operations in Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense refused to confirm earlier accounts of British special forces training Ukrainian troops in Kiev in April.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the conflict in Ukraine as one between Russia and the “entire Western military machine,” and claimed in September that there are entire military units in Ukraine "under the de-facto command of Western advisers.”

Putin’s words were rejected by Western media outlets. "There is no evidence of NATO ground forces participating in Ukraine," Edward Arnold of the Royal United Services Institute think tank told the BBC at the time. "Nor of NATO commanders directing Ukrainian units on the battlefield. There is also a very low likelihood of this happening in the future as Nato seeks to mitigate escalation risks."

Magowan’s admission proves Arnold incorrect, but the UK is not the only NATO country to acknowledge the presence of its forces in Ukraine. An unnamed Pentagon official told reporters in October that an unspecified number of US troops were inspecting American arms shipments somewhere within Ukraine.
https://www.rt.com/russia/568189-uk-troops-ukraine-operations/
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14 Dec, 2022 18:37

2) --- US struggling to track Ukraine aid – Politico

Washington is seeking technological solutions to the problem of weapons diversion, according to a cable seen by the outlet

The administration of US President Joe Biden is turning to the blockchain and other tech-based solutions amid mounting calls for oversight of over $50 billion in aid pledged to Ukraine this year, according to a State Department cable seen by Politico on Wednesday.

Reportedly signed by the US Ambassador to Kiev, Bridget Brink, on September 6, the nine-page “sensitive but unclassified” document laments that “kinetic activity and active combat between Ukrainian and Russian forces creates an environment in which standard verification measures are sometimes impracticable or impossible.”

The State Department declined to comment on the document's contents, merely stating that it “takes very seriously our responsibility to ensure appropriate oversight of all US assistance.”

Washington’s options for imposing order on uncontrollable spending in Ukraine reportedly include “a commercial smartphone app that uploads all photo and video media onto a blockchain at the point of capture,” delegating equipment inspections to the Ukrainian military in the absence of Western contractors willing to work in “high-risk” areas, and requiring photographic proof that aid has been received, especially in “hard to reach areas.” The use of management consultants to “review [and] identify gaps” in oversight was also recommended.

With members of both parties demanding stricter oversight of taxpayer funding to Kiev, Washington is reportedly assembling a dedicated program focused solely on overseeing aid to Ukraine under the heading MEASURE (Monitoring, Evaluation and Audit Services for Ukraine Reporting). This will apparently operate alongside the many inspectors general tasked with overseeing aid spending for the Pentagon, State Department, USAID and other agencies.

Politico’s cable sets out a March timeline for MEASURE’s launch, with a three-year contract.

Earlier this month, Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, alerted other regional leaders that western weapons earmarked for Ukraine had reportedly surfaced in the hands of militant groups in the African Sahel. Interpol head Jurgen Stock has warned as far back as June that weapons sent to Ukraine would likely “be trafficked not only to neighboring countries but to other continents.”

Even when aid shipments make it to the Ukrainian military, they are often used to illegally attack civilians, especially in the absence of US or international oversight, University of Pittsburgh human rights professor Daniel Kovalik told the UN Security Council earlier this month.

Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, last week warned the US and its allies that there would be “concrete legal repercussions” for those who supplied the weapons used by Kiev in criminal acts.
https://www.rt.com/news/568254-us-struggling-track-ukraine-aid/
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