Putin Recognizes Donbass Republics, Sends Russian Military to 'Denazify' Ukraine

[sToRmR1dR]

'The peace is not profitable for the West.'

West working to disrupt Ukraine peace talks – Russia​

5 Apr, 2022

The ‘provocation’ in Bucha happened as Kiev was putting possible peace terms on paper for the first time, Moscow has complained

Russia believes the West is enabling ‘hysteria’ around the alleged mass killings in the Ukrainian town of Bucha to derail the peace talks between Moscow and Kiev, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed on Tuesday.

The purported events in the town, which he referred to as a ‘provocation,’ have been introduced just as progress was being made at the peace negotiations in Istanbul, he added.

“We tend to think that the reason lies in the desire to find a reason to disrupt the ongoing negotiations. And to do it exactly at the moment when, as they say, the light, even if not very bright, but nevertheless, began to dawn."

"On March 29, for the first time in the entire period of contacts between our delegations, the Ukrainian side proposed a written vision of how the treaty could look in terms of the status of Ukraine and security guarantees,” the minister said.

According to Lavrov, in the course of negotiations with Russia, Kiev had "for the first time put on paper" its readiness to declare itself neutral, not aligned to any bloc and non-nuclear. What's more, he insisted, the Ukrainians had formalized a refusal to deploy the weapons of foreign states on their territory, or to conduct exercises there with the participation of a foreign military without the consent of all guarantor states of the future treaty, including Russia.

The security guarantees provided by the agreement, Lavrov argued, would have completely ruled out NATO's eastward expansion and ensured "indivisible security on the European continent." In addition, the minister added, the Ukrainian side itself wrote down in the draft of the main provisions that security guarantees would not apply to Crimea and the Donbass, a move that Lavrov dubbed as "progress."

“Once again we want to urge those who are leading the actions of Kiev, and we know who they are, to still realize their responsibility for security in Europe ... Russia is ready for this conversation but, in order for us to have real progress and not the appearance of progress, we insist that an unambiguous signal be sent to Kiev not to engage in sabotage, otherwise we risk repeating the fate of the Minsk agreements and we will never agree to this," the minister said.

After the withdrawal of Russian troops from Bucha, hundreds of murdered civilians were discovered in the town north of Kiev. Ukraine blames the massacre on Russian troops, who had occupied the area until recently, but Moscow denies this. While Western politicians sided with Ukraine on the matter, China issued a reminder that an investigation is necessary.

Ukraine signaled that it is still interested in a diplomatic settlement of differences with Russia. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a peace agreement between Kiev and Moscow is possible. “Yes, because Ukraine must find peace. We are in Europe of the 21st century. We will continue our diplomatic and military efforts,” he said while visiting Bucha on Monday.

Earlier, on March 29, another round of negotiations between Moscow and Kiev took place in Istanbul. Prior to this, representatives of the two held three face-to-face meetings in Belarus. Negotiations started on February 28 in the Gomel region. They then continued on March 3 and 7 in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The talks continued from there via video link.

(Translated by Google)

NATO announced the start of large-scale arms supplies to Ukraine​

2022-04-06

US Nuclear Sub Makes Surprise Call at Norwegian Port​

By Igor Kuznetsov - 1 hour ago

The visit by the 110-metre-long USS Albany marks a change in policy by the Norwegian armed forces, which has stopped informing about port calls by nuclear-powered vessels amid controversial receptions and protests by locals.

The nuclear-powered submarine USS Albany has arrived in the harbour of Tromso in northern Norway in an unannounced visit. Nor is it known how long it will stay, national broadcaster NRK has reported.

Elisabeth Eikeland at the Norwegian armed forces' operational headquarters described the visit as "operational activity". According to her, the port call was not announced in advance like previous ones due to recent information restrictions. Likewise, she refused to comment on the duration of the visit.

The port of Tonsnes in Tromso has received several nuclear submarines over the last year, polarising Norwegian society. In the past, the Norwegian military has always warned the public before the controversial submarine visits. According to Eikeland, no public meetings could be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why the military chose to be more open about it.

The 110-metre-long USS Albany is a Los Angeles class attack submarine, which forms the backbone of the US Navy's submarine force. A total of 62 submarines of this class has been built, of which 41 are still in active service.

Tromso, Western Europe's largest city above the Arctic Circle, is one of the Norwegian cities whose duty it is to receive Allied boats, and Tonsnes is one of two ports in Norway to receive NATO's nuclear-powered vessels, even though the municipality initially said no.

The city's contentious arrangement to receive nuclear-powered vessels has provoked reactions in Tromso. In January, demonstrations were held amid a port call by the USS Washington, because locals were anxious of a nuclear accident or leakage.

The reason for the strong reactions was that Tromso municipality basically lacked expertise or equipment to handle a possible accident with radioactive leakage that would entail health issues, death, or massive damage to the environment. Nevertheless, a risk and vulnerability analysis by the military emphasised that the government would never have chosen Tonsnes if it had any doubts.

Reds party leader, Bjornar Moxnes, argued that the Defence Ministry underestimated and downplayed the consequences of a potential accident and suggested Tromso will thus become a major military target for foreign powers.

 

[Tyomodachi]

Peskov called the withdrawal of Russian forces from the Kiev region a gesture of goodwill

https://twitter.com/x/status/1511622784685948932

How many conversations there were that the withdrawal of troops was the original plan, and now it is called "a goodwill gesture to create conditions for negotiations during which serious decisions are possible"

 

[Pierre]

One more casual day in Ukraine:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1511270714778730496

 

[bjorb]

Peskov called the withdrawal of Russian forces from the Kiev region a gesture of goodwill

I remember after a month into the Syrian campaign, Putin announced the withdrawal of Russian troops as a good gesture of goodwill toward the opposition and peace talks. Not long after, the opposite happened. More RU planes flew in and the attacks intensified. Who knows what happened behind the scenes.

The Russians control the battlefield, so there is no reason to capture large swaths of territory or take cities. The RU air force will demilitarize most of Ukraine. When they are sufficiently weakened, the RU's ground forces will go on the offensive again. In the first 3 weeks, they took the size of the UK. Now it's just a matter of the right timing when phase 2 will begin. And they prefer to fight on as much open ground as possible. It's less risky, for them and the civilian population. I think the so-called retreat around Kyiv was also a tactic to lure the enemy more into the open.

Kyiv's military does not control Ukraine. For the Russians, it's just search and destroy. Once the Ukrainian army is demilitarized, the RU ground troops can waltz all over the place.

 

[Tyomodachi]

I remember after a month into the Syrian campaign, Putin announced the withdrawal of Russian troops as a good gesture of goodwill toward the opposition and peace talks. Not long after, the opposite happened. More RU planes flew in and the attacks intensified. Who knows what happened behind the scenes.

The Russians control the battlefield, so there is no reason to capture large swaths of territory or take cities. The RU air force will demilitarize most of Ukraine. When they are sufficiently weakened, the RU's ground forces will go on the offensive again. In the first 3 weeks, they took the size of the UK. Now it's just a matter of the right timing when phase 2 will begin. And they prefer to fight on as much open ground as possible. It's less risky, for them and the civilian population. I think the so-called retreat around Kyiv was also a tactic to lure the enemy more into the open.

Kyiv's military does not control Ukraine. For the Russians, it's just search and destroy. Once the Ukrainian army is demilitarized, the RU ground troops can waltz all over the place.

~maybe

The order to withdraw Russian troops from the Kiev region was given personally by Vladimir Putin, said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “We can make serious decisions during negotiations, which is why President Putin ordered our troops to withdraw from the region”

https://twitter.com/x/status/1511636096698003459

 

[bjorb]

The order to withdraw Russian troops from the Kiev region was given personally by Vladimir Putin, said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “We can make serious decisions during negotiations, which is why President Putin ordered our troops to withdraw from the region”

The Ukrainian authorities should seize this opportunity and not see this as a victory. As mentioned, they have moved troops from Kyiv to the villages and open terrain to ''take back and control'' this area. In fact, they are now easier to hit. RU's drones will pick them apart when the order comes.

 

[Tyomodachi]

The Ukrainian authorities should seize this opportunity and not see this as a victory. As mentioned, they have moved troops from Kyiv to the villages and open terrain to ''take back and control'' this area. In fact, they are now easier to hit. RU's drones will pick them apart when the order comes.

They will be able to split the Donbass grouping into several small boilers, I agree, but taking into account that huge grouping of ~ 40k forces near Pavlograd assembled precisely to hit the rear and send reinforcements can be difficult.
Well, yes, yes, this is a general battle that will decide the outcome of the military campaign, and especially if the Pavlograd grouping is put into a meat grinder, but if the General Staff decides that the Donbass is lost and retains these defense forces for Dnipro, then the campaign will last a little longer.

 

[thorbiorn]

My husband last night commented that Zelensky, with all his appearances reminds him of Greta, but the 2.0, male version.

I agree with this assessment, I don't know if it was the talk to the EU or one of the other talks that Zelensky has given to parliament and assemblies around the world, but he is on a mission just like Greta was, and the way they push it, the result will be the same, less CO2 (less people), more control.

 

[Pierre]

The mayor of Volchansk (Kharkiv region) Anatoly Stepanets has previously prevented local residents from receiving humanitarian aid from the Russian military. Now he is detained by law enforcement agencies.

Intel Slava Z

🇺🇦 The mayor of Volchansk (Kharkiv region) Anatoly Stepanets has previously prevented local residents from receiving humanitarian aid from the Russian military. Now he is detained by law enforcement agencies.

t.me

 

[Laurentien2]

https://southfront.org/day-40-war-in-ukraine/WAR IN UKRAINE DAY 40: RUSSIAN PROGRESS ON EASTERN FRONT AMID POLITICAL FOGSupport SouthFrontOn 4 March, 267 soldiers and officers of the AFU Marines surrendered in Mariupol. Apparently the decision to surrender was taken after the units suffered significant losses from artillery fire by the Russian Armed Forces and the DPR. The scale of the casualties became clear after the AFU marines’ positions were occupied.

Heavy fighting in Mariupol continued throughout the day. The Ukrainian Armed Forces blockaded the territory of the Azovstal plant. Separate groups of AFU soldiers continue to operate in areas nearby the plant.

On 5 April, more than 30 more AFU soldiers surrendered in Mariupol. They came out with their hands up in the area of kindergarten No 91 in the left-bank district of the city.
The detained AFU soldiers said that Azov had distributed its fighters among the AFU units – one nationalist for 10 Ukrainian soldiers. This was done to prevent the surrender of AFU units. Apparently, it is this information that could explain the rumours circulating about exchanges of fire between Azov fighters and the Ukrainian armed forces.
A grouping of troops of the Luhansk People’s Republic continued its offensive against the positions of the Ukrainian 24th Independent Mechanized Brigade and was fighting on the eastern outskirts of Novotoshkivske village.
On the Severodonetsk direction, units of the Luhansk People’s Republic broke through the defence of the 57th AFU motorized infantry brigade, destroying up to 50 personnel and 9 armoured vehicles, and were fighting on the northern outskirts of the Zamulovka settlement.
Russian units have captured the village of Malaya Kamyshevatka near Izyum and the road to Barvenkovo is now open. On the morning of 5 April, the AFU General Staff confirmed the loss of control over Brazhkivka south of Izyum. The offensive on Dolhonkoye continued, after its capture the road to Slavyansk will open.
The Ukrainian armed forces have been firing at Izyum throughout the day, including with cluster munitions.
The town of Popasna was almost completely cleared by LPR units. Fighting was taking place on the western outskirts of the town. Fightings continued for Marinka and Novomikhailovka, to the south and around Avdeevka (Novoselovka, Troitskoye). Novobakhmutovka was occupied a day earlier.




Russian troops completely withdrawn from Kiev and Chernihiv regions.
In the direction of Mykolaiv, fighting was taking place on the administrative borders of Kherson Region opposite Mykolaiv and Kryvyi Rih along the line Black Sea – Aleksandrovka – Snigiryovka – Velyka Aleksandrovka – Dnieper River.
The Russian Armed Forces continued to launch missile strikes against military infrastructure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the rear of the Ukrainian army, including in the vicinity of the city of Dnipro.

The situation within the Russian political establishment is extremely unclear. The Russian Foreign Ministry’s leadership has not yet commented on the recent shootings of Russian POWs.
On March 5, employees of the Russian patriotic publishing house Listva were detained by the Police in the city of Saint Petersburg, allegedly on the basis of an anonymous denunciation, as well as people who happened to be in the shop. The publishing house Listva is known in Russia as an organisation which has consistently opposed manifestations of Nazism in Ukraine. Listva provided financial support to armed units of the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics.
The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin has not spoken for several days to explain Russia’s position on the situation with the military operation in Ukraine. In its turn, statements by his press secretary, Mr. Peskov, raise more questions than answers. Especially among residents of eastern Ukraine and Russian soldiers.

 

[Laurentien2]

More Evidence, More Doubts About Bucha Massacre

A few days ago, the media were actively discussing the question – who arranged the mass murders in Bucha?...

southfront.org

MORE EVIDENCE, MORE DOUBTS ABOUT BUCHA MASSACRE​

Support SouthFront

A few days ago, the media were actively discussing the question – who arranged the mass murders in Bucha? At that time, most of the media were inclined toward the actions of the Russian military. However, some facts now cast doubt on the earlier conclusions.
The crux of the matter is that the Russian military was blamed for the massacre back in mid-March, but most of civilians were killed after the troops withdrew from Bucha.
At that time, Maxar Technologies provided images that were proof of the massacre. Maxar Technologies has several satellites (models WorldView-1 32060, WorldView-2 35946, WorldView-3 40115, GeoEye-1 33331). Three satellites were moving in all. The satellites started moving on March 19, but none of them had a trajectory over Bucha (watch the video below). Hence we can conclude that there was no information on Bucha from these satellites.

Everyone well remembers that there were satellite images after all. The question arises – when were they taken? The New York Times published images of dead people. The images show the aftermath of the downpour (the downpour took place from March 31 to April 1). You can also look at the position of the shadows (compared to March 19 and February 28). The shadows and time match, only the picture for March 19 was not taken on March 19 but was taken on April 1. Also, using the SunCalc program, the specialists compared the angles of the Sun’s declination over the horizon, which also matched. The study was conducted by a team of OSINT and GEOINT specialists. The specialists concluded that the image was not taken on March 19, but on April 1 at 11:57 GMT.

Click to see full-size image

Click to see full-size image
If we turn to The New York Times article, we can notice that the first photos of Bucha were taken between March 9 and 11. At that time, the territory was under the control of the AFU. It also states that the Russians took the city on March 11. However, according to the Institute of War report, the Russians did not control the south of the city from March 9 to 11. Attention should also be drawn to the statement of the General Staff of Ukraine on Facebook on March 10, which reads «the enemy is trying to break through the defenses of Ukraine’s defenders in the areas of Poliske, Kukhari, Zhovtneve, Andriyivka, Kopyliv, Motyzhyn, Buzova, Horenychi, Bucha, Demydiv, and block Kyiv». Next, the Institute of War, in its Facebook post of March 11, states that all attempts by the Russian army to take Bucha have failed.

Putting together the first and second parts of the puzzle, a picture emerges where the Russian troops did not commit the acts attributed to them. The question of trusting one side or the other remains open and a personal matter for everyone.

 

[Laurentien2]

Russian Forces Set Conditions For Advance On Slovyansk And Kramatorks

As of April 6, the Russian Armed Forces and units of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics continue their military...

southfront.org

RUSSIAN FORCES SET CONDITIONS FOR ADVANCE ON SLOVYANSK AND KRAMATORKS​

Support SouthFront

Russian forces in the area of Izum
As of April 6, the Russian Armed Forces and units of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics continue their military operation in Ukraine. While Russian and DPR units are finalizing the operation to take control of Mariupol city, important tactical developments are taking place in the areas of Izum and Severdonetsk-Lysichansk in the northern part of the Donbass sector of operations.
After establishing the full control of the key area of Izum and its surroundings in the southern part of Kharkiv region, Russian-led forces are currently working to open the road for an advance towards the cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
Russian units already reached the town of Dovgenke and blocked the town of Studenok from the northern and northwestern directions. At the same time, the tightened the siege on the Severodonetsk-Lysichansk agglomeration and blocked the town of Kreminna from the north, east and southeast. Fighting also continued in the area of Popasnaya to the south from Lysichansk.
Russian-led forces during the operation in Ukraine:

Click to see the full-size image

Click to see the full-size image

Click to see the full-size image

Click to see the full-size image

Click to see the full-size image
Tactical developments on the ground indicate that the advance on the cities of Slavyansk and Kramatorks will likely become the breakpoint of the Russian-led operation in the region of Donbass. Kyiv’s forces are actively working to deploy reinforcements and additional equipment to these areas and turn them into strongholds to stop the Russian advance. Therefore, if this group of Kyiv’s forces is neutralized, the military capabilities of the Kyiv government in this region will be significantly reduced.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian forces carried out a strike with air- and ground-based missiles destroyed on 5 fuel storage bases near Radekhov, Kazatin, Prosyanaya, Nikolaev and Novomoskovsk. The statement said that these facilities had been used to supply fuel to Ukrainian military formations in Kharkov, Nikolaev and Donbass areas.
Captured Ukrainian military equipment:

The Russian military also provided additional details on recent strike on other military targets in Ukraine:

“During the night, operational-tactical aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces hit 24 military assets of Ukraine. Among them: 1 Osa-AKM anti-aircraft missile system, 5 logistics depots, as well as 11 strong points and areas of Ukrainian military equipment concentration.
Russian Air Defence means shot down 4 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the air near Berdyansk, Gornyak, Uvanskoe and Chernobaevka.”

The Russian side says that since the start of the operation Russian forces have destroyed 125 Ukrainian aircraft and 93 helicopters, 407 unmanned aerial vehicles, 227 anti-aircraft missile systems, 1,978 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 215 multiple launch rocket systems, 854 field artillery and mortars, as well as 1,882 units of special military vehicles.

 

[Laurentien2]

Humanitarian Mission In Ukraine: Results, Wills, And Possible Cooperation

The refugee situation in Ukraine is becoming increasingly acute. Each side of the conflict is trying to facilitate the peaceful...

southfront.org

HUMANITARIAN MISSION IN UKRAINE: RESULTS, WILLS, AND POSSIBLE COOPERATION​

Support SouthFront

Illustrative image
The refugee situation in Ukraine is becoming increasingly acute. Each side of the conflict is trying to facilitate the peaceful and safe evacuation of civilians from the war-torn regions. Unfortunately, good intentions and the desire to help people are being politicized. Thus, the sides are hijacking the evacuation initiative based on their foreign policy goals.
Attention should be paid to the statement published by the Russian Federation on April 5 entitled «Statement of the Joint Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response in Ukraine (April 5, 2022)». This document is interesting as it provides statistics on Russian humanitarian aid in Ukraine and covers the regular disruptions of the Russian humanitarian operations in Ukraine.
Initially, Moscow states that despite humanitarian initiatives by Turkey, Germany, and France to evacuate Ukrainians from Mariupol, the Russian humanitarian operation on April 5 was disrupted by Ukrainian fighters and the intensity of shelling of Mariupol increased.

“Since March 31, 2022, the militants of the nationalist battalions have never fulfilled the requirements for observing the ceasefire, and on April 4 and 5, 2022, they increased the intensity of random shelling, including with the use of mortars, of a section of the humanitarian corridor adjacent to Mariupol.” – the report reads.

The Russian Federation established permanent humanitarian corridors in the Kharkiv and Mariupol directions. In the past 24 hours, the Russian Federation evacuated 18,654 people (2,837 children) from Ukraine. Since the beginning of the operation, 620760 people (122684 children) have been evacuated. 7,8341 vehicles crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border, with 2,541 vehicles crossing the border daily.
From Mariupol 127776 people were rescued, 1681 people in the last 24 hours. In the last 24 hours, there were 1065 requests for evacuation, and in general, the Russian Federation received 2738174 requests.
At this point, more than 22,500 tons of food, medicine, and necessities have been prepared at collection points. Since March 2, Russia has already delivered 8,541 tons of humanitarian goods to Ukraine and conducted 757 humanitarian actions. The civilian population has already received 449 humanitarian shipments. It was planned to deliver 130 tons of humanitarian cargo to the regions of Mykolaiv and Kherson on 5 April.

This report may indicate a quite feasible humanitarian operation by the Russian Federation in Ukraine as a whole. However, the Russian Armed Forces report that another operation to evacuate civilians in Mariupol was disrupted. The Ministry of Defense accuses the Ukrainian authorities of this and states that the AFU shelled the humanitarian corridor during the evacuation.
One can also note the requests of French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Russian President Vladimir Putin to open a joint humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to evacuate civilians and foreign citizens. However, no satisfactory answer was received from Moscow, who is not willing to allow foreign serviceman to be deployed in the area.
Despite requests addressed to the Russian president, Turkey and France pushing their initiatives for a humanitarian operation in Ukraine. The French leader came up with an initiative to implement a humanitarian operation in Ukraine with the support of Turkey and Greece. The essence of the initiative was to create conditions for the evacuation of residents of Mariupol, and the control of the process would be accountable to the UN. Hygiene supplies and medications are also supposed to be delivered to the city during the operation.
France, represented by Macron, has several political reasons to carry out this mission: to continue the course of rapprochement with Turkey, gain power chairing the EU Council, and to increase the electorate support before the upcoming elections on April 10.
As for Turkey, it also mediates between the West and Moscow and tries to earn power points in the regional arena. In addition, there are reports about more then a 100 Turkish citizens who were blockaded in the city of Mariupol. Probably the number includes Turkish military instructors deployed in the city.
On April 4, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky thanked Turkey for mediation.

– What are your realistic scenarios for saving Mariupol?
– In Mariupol, one of the most difficult situations. I’m afraid I don’t have the right to tell you all the real scenarios. We are engaged in supporting the guys (AFU soldiers, including nationalist units like Azov). They are in a very hard situation. We are in touch almost every day. We are talking about mediation in this mission with Turkey. For a reason. I think that in the next few days, and maybe the next few hours, we will have an answer to your very difficult question, to which I, no one can find an answer.

In his turn, Emmanuel Macron held talks with the mayor of Mariupol. He also stated that most residents have already left, but some cannot leave, so the situation can only stabilize with their final release. No plans have yet been implemented.
Based on the above events and initiatives of the actors, one can note that the possibility of implementing a humanitarian operation in Ukraine directly depends on the material, geographical, and mobilization factors. Russia is more successful in carrying out a humanitarian operation, but France and Turkey are not yet, as the implementation of such an operation is much more difficult due to the above-mentioned factors. Other questions are whether Moscow will agree to accept French and Turkish aid in full and what the true intentions of the French and Turkish leaders are.

 

[Adobe]

If the US earnestly hopes to help de-escalate the #Ukraine situation, it should stop fanning the flame, imposing sanctions or coercive words and deeds, Chinese FM spokesperson said on Wed. pic.twitter.com/nc8ocyuXbd

ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

 

[Hi_Henry]

Germany and EU are the US target. Ukraine is just the pawn forcing a move by Russia to "check" Germany and EU. Is "check mate" about to happen ?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1508935457547210755