In its latest intelligence update, the MoD said local counterattacks have hampered Russian attempts to reorganise its forces, amid fears Chernihiv could become the next Mariupol.
An armoured vehicle painted with the Z of pro-Russian troops near Mariupol in southern Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has admitted it would be “impossible” to completely force Russian forces out of Ukraine, amid fears Vladimir Putin is seeking a Korea-style split.
The head of military intelligence in Kyiv said the Kremlin wanted to split the country like “North and South Korea”, securing itself a region controlled from Moscow after failing in its bid for a complete takeover.
Speaking hours later, Mr Zelenskyy appeared to acknowledge his government would have to concede territory.
He said attempting to completely force Russia out “would lead to a Third World War”.
Mr Zelenskyy said he was seeking a “compromise” with Moscow over Donbas, the region which has been partly controlled by Russian-backed separatist groups since 2014.
It’s been suggested that the Kremlin wants to hold “referendums” in such areas to determine whether the people living there want to be part of Russia.
But Mr Zelenskyy wants Russian troops out of parts of the country they’ve occupied since last month’s full invasion, saying a deal is “only possible” if they are withdrawn.
Previous to sanctions, Russia’s restrictions on cryptocurrencies were inexorable, contrary to what is proposed now.
The Chairman of the State of Duma Committee on Energy Pavel Zavalny said that Russia will now accept Bitcoin payment for oil. He made the announcement at a press conference on Thursday. However, Russia specified that only China and Turkey could pay for oil with Bitcoin.
The economy of Russia has thrived fervently on oil & gas for centuries. So much so that the country is referred to as an “energy superpower” with the world’s largest natural gas reserves. The oil and gas industry makes up about 40% of its budget revenue. Having faced sanctions from virtually all quarters that supported its economic growth, Russia’s economy has nose-dived. Trades on Russia’s stock market have equally stopped, reducing the ruble by half its value, thereby bleeding against the dollar.
Bitcoin hit $44,118 for the first time since early March. The digital coin has seen an upward movement after the announcement. The cryptocurrency managed to reclaim the mid-area around its current levels and could see further upside in the short term if bulls can sustain momentum.
Russia to Accept Bitcoin as Payment for Oil and Gas
As Russia is enlisted as the eighth-largest oil reserve and the world’s leading natural gas exporter, there were earlier speculations that Russia would resort to oil and gas amid sanctions. Indeed, wide speculation is now an option for Russia. Russia has lost its investors since it invaded Ukraine. The withdrawal of countries resulted in President Putin’s acceptance of Bitcoin from neutral countries like Turkey and China. Other countries regarded as “unfriendly” due to their exit from economic ties with the Russian Federation must pay for oil with rubles and gold. According to Zavalny’s transcripted speech version:
“If they want to buy, let them pay either in hard currency, and this is gold for us, or pay as it is convenient for us, this is the national currency. As for friendly countries, China or Turkey, which are not involved in the sanctions pressure… You can also trade bitcoins.”
Investment management company BlackRock CEO Larry Fink noted in an investor letter on Thursday. He posited that the invasion has caused nations to agree on deterring economic and trading ties with Russia. Unified in their steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine, the West launched an “economic war” against Russia.
Why Bitcoin?
Previous to sanctions, Russia’s restrictions on cryptocurrencies were inexorable, contrary to what is proposed now. Russia planning to accept Bitcoin acceptance for oil may indicate that Putin’s war is nowhere near an end. Until the Western Societies strengthen their policy against Russia, nothing will stop its gas producers from Bitcoin payments. The matter was discussed on the agenda at the meeting between President Biden and European leaders on Thursday in Brussels. The West will dissociate every source of potential growth in Russia. They range from technology, supply chain, and human resource.
The speculation that Russia intends to evade sanctions through cryptocurrencies is still unproven. No one can seize or stop funds that are in BTC and any entity can use it worldwide. Nonetheless, energy transactions involve heavy funds, which is almost impossible to push through Bitcoin’s broad virtual paper trail.
Russia’s security policy dictates that the country would only use nuclear weapons if its very existence were threatened, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN in an interview on Tuesday.
The comment, nearly four weeks after Russia sent its forces into Ukraine, came amid Western concern that the conflict there could escalate into a nuclear war.
Peskov made the comment in an English-language interview when asked whether he was confident President Vladimir Putin would not use nuclear weapons.
(Reuters) – Russia’s space agency on Saturday dismissed Western media reports suggesting Russian cosmonauts joining the International Space Station (ISS) had chosen to wear yellow suits with a blue trim in support of Ukraine.
Photo: https://www.aljazeera.com/
“Sometimes yellow is just yellow,” Roscosmos’s press service said on its Telegram channel.
“The flight suits of the new crew are made in the colours of the emblem of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, which all three cosmonauts graduated from … To see the Ukrainian flag everywhere and in everything is crazy.”
Roscosmos Director-General Dmitry Rogozin was more acerbic, saying on his personal Telegram channel that Russian cosmonauts had no sympathy for Ukrainian nationalists.
In a live-streamed news conference from the ISS on Friday, veteran cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, the mission commander, was asked about the suits.
“Every crew picks a colour that looks different. It was our turn to pick a colour,” he said. “The truth is, we had accumulated a lot of yellow fabric, so we needed to use it up. That’s why we had to wear yellow flight suits.”
India’s sharp reaction comes at a time when Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the country’s top oil firm, has bought 3 million barrels of crude oil that Russia had offered at a steep discount on prevailing international rates.
Underlining that India’s “legitimate energy transactions should not be politicised”, Delhi hit out Friday at the West, saying countries with “oil self-sufficiency or those importing themselves from Russia cannot credibly advocate restrictive trading”.
India’s sharp reaction comes at a time when Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the country’s top oil firm, has bought 3 million barrels of crude oil that Russia had offered at a steep discount on prevailing international rates. The purchase, made through a trader, is the first since Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine that led to international pressure to isolate the Putin administration.
Russian oil exports to India, the third largest energy consumer, quadrupled in March, Financial Times reported Friday.
Russia has so far exported 360,000 barrels of oil a day to India in March alone, nearly four times the 2021 average. The report cited Kpler, a commodities data and analytics firm, to say that Russia is on track to hit 203,000 barrels a day for the whole month, based on current shipment schedules.
Sources in Delhi said “countries with oil self-sufficiency or those importing themselves from Russia cannot credibly advocate restrictive trading. India’s legitimate energy transactions should not be politicised.”
India is highly dependent on imports for meeting its energy requirements. “Nearly 85 per cent of our crude oil requirement (5 million barrels a day) has to be imported,” a source said.
Moscow has reportedly offered crude oil and other commodities at a discount to New Delhi, at a time when the Russian economy has been hit hard by sanctions imposed by the US and its allies over President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
India on Thursday did not rule out buying crude oil at discounted rates from Russia, with external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi pointing out that several European countries were still importing energy from Russia.
Moscow has reportedly offered crude oil and other commodities at a discount to New Delhi, at a time when the Russian economy has been hit hard by sanctions imposed by the US and its allies over President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. As the West seeks to isolate Putin, US officials have acknowledged India’s dependence on Russia for military hardware but said they would like to see New Delhi distancing itself from Moscow.
Asked about reports that India had taken up the Russian offer of crude at discounted rates, Bagchi did not deny the development but said: “India does import most of its oil requirements… So we are always exploring all possibilities in global energy markets because of this situation that we face of importing our oil requirements.”
Noting that Russia has not been a major supplier of oil for India, Bagchi said: “On imports of energy from Russia – let me just highlight that a number of countries are doing so, especially in Europe, and for the moment I’ll leave it at that.”
“We are a major oil importer and we are looking at all options at all points, we need the energy.”
State-run Indian Oil Corporation has reportedly bought three million barrels of crude oil that Russia offered at a steep discount on prevailing global rates. European powers such as Germany have faced criticism for continuing to procure energy from Russia while putting pressure on other countries to reduce oil purchases and economic ties with Russia.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who is due to meet with China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome on Monday, warned Beijing it would “absolutely” face consequences if it helped Moscow evade sweeping sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
Russia asked China for military equipment after its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, sparking concern in the White House that Beijing may undermine Western efforts to help Ukrainian forces defend their country, several U.S. officials said.
U.S. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks to the news media about the situation in Ukraine during a daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 11, 2022. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo
Sullivan plans in his meeting with Yang to make Washington’s concerns clear while mapping out the consequences and growing isolation China would face globally if it increases its support of Russia, one U.S. official said, without providing details.
Asked about Russia’s request for military aid, first reported by the Financial Times, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, said: “I’ve never heard of that.”
He said China found the current situation in Ukraine “disconcerting” and added: “We support and encourage all efforts that are conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis.”
Liu said “utmost efforts should be made to support Russia and Ukraine in carrying forward negotiations despite the difficult situation to produce a peaceful outcome.”
Sullivan told CNN on Sunday that Washington believed China was aware Russia was planning some action in Ukraine before the invasion took place, although Beijing may not have understood the full extent of what was planned.
After the invasion began, Russia sought both military equipment and support from China, the U.S. officials said.
Sullivan told CNN Washington was watching closely to see to what extent Beijing provided economic or material support to Russia, and would impose consequences if that occurred.
“We are communicating directly, privately to Beijing, that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them,” Sullivan said. “We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world.”
The meeting, planned for some time, is part of a broader effort by Washington and Beijing to maintain open channels of communication and manage competition between the world’s two largest economies, a senior Biden administration official said.
No specific outcomes were expected, the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the meeting’s focus was to “implement the important consensus” reached during the virtual meeting held between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden in November, which discussed “strategic stability” and arms control issues.
A barrage of Russian missiles hit a large Ukrainian base near the border with NATO member Poland on Sunday, killing 35 people and wounding 134, a local official said, in an escalation of the war to the west of the country as fighting raged elsewhere.
An injured serviceman is escorted by medical workers, following an attack on the Yavoriv military base, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at a hospital in Novoyavorivsk, Ukraine, March 13, 2022. REUTERS/Roman Baluk
Russia’s defence ministry said the air strike had destroyed a large amount of weapons supplied by foreign nations that were being stored at the sprawling training facility, and that it had killed “up to 180 foreign mercenaries”.
Reuters could not independently verify the casualties reported by either side.
The attack on the Yavoriv International Centre for Peacekeeping and Security, a base just 15 miles (25 km) from the Polish border that has previously hosted NATO military instructors, brought the conflict to the doorstep of the Western defence alliance.
Russia had warned on Saturday that convoys of Western arms shipments to Ukraine could be considered legitimate targets.
Britain called the attack as a “significant escalation,” and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded with a post on Twitter saying “the brutality must stop.”
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking on CBS’s “Face the Nation”, warned any attack on NATO territory would trigger a full response by the alliance.
Regional governor Maksym Kozytskyy said Russian planes fired around 30 rockets at the Yavoriv facility.
Russian defence ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said Russia had used high-precision, long-range weapons to strike Yavoriv and a separate facility in the village of Starichi.
“As a result of the strike, up to 180 foreign mercenaries and a large amount of foreign weapons were destroyed,” he said.
Satellite images taken Saturday reveal destruction and damage to residential buildings, as well as a hospital, in Mariupol, Ukraine, as Russia’s ongoing war with the country continues.
The images were taken by Maxar Technologies, a private company in the United States, and show severe damage to several residential buildings throughout the southern Ukrainian city.
The photos show fires, as well as artillery craters left behind from Russia’s attack on the city.
Vladimir Putin’s government is clamping down on social media use in Russia.Mikhail Klimentyev/AP, Jenny Kane/AP
Russia’s communications agency Roskomnadzor announced that it will ban Instagram in the country from March 14, according to a statement on the agency’s website.
The statement, which was released on Friday, reads: “Roskomnadzor decided to complete the procedure for imposing restrictions on access to Instagram at 00:00 on March 14, providing users with an additional 48 hours of transition period.”
The announcement comes a week after Russia blocked access to Facebook. The communications agency said that decision was a result of Meta making “an unprecedented decision by allowing the posting of information containing calls for violence against Russian citizens.”
Meta did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment made outside of normal working hours.
Biden authorized $200 million in additional military equipment for Ukraine, as Russia widens its bombardment and pummels civilian areas.
Biden said a number of economic moves collectively will deliver ‘another crushing blow’ to Russia’s economy, already weighed down by global sanctions that have cratered the rouble and forced the stock market to close.(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
US President Joe Biden said on Friday that the US will defend “every inch” of NATO territory, even if it means World War III, while rejecting calls to intervene directly in Ukraine by establishing a no-fly zone, which would almost certainly result in a shootout with Russia.
Biden authorized $200 million in additional military equipment for Ukraine, as Russia widens its bombardment and pummels civilian areas. Washington already authorized $350 million of military equipment on February 26 — the largest such package in US history. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s pleas for help have grown increasingly desperate, and he has repeatedly urged Washington, the EU and NATO for help.
“I want to be clear though: We’re going to make sure Ukraine has the weapons to defend themselves from invading Russian force. And we will send money and food aid to save Euro-Ukrainian lives,” Biden said in Philadelphia.
“We’re going to welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms if, in fact, they come all the way here. And as we provide — as we provide this support to Ukraine, we’re going to continue to stand together with our allies in Europe and send an unmistakable message that we will defend every inch of NATO territory –- every single inch — with a united, galvanized NATO. One movement,” he said.
“That’s why I’ve moved over 12,000 American forces along the borders with Russia — Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, et cetera — because they move once. Granted, if we respond, it is World War Three, but we have a sacred obligation on NATO territory — a sacred obligation — Article 5. And we will not — although we will not fight the third World War in Ukraine. Putin’s war against Ukraine is never going to be a victory,” the US President said.
Russian troops have laid siege to the Ukrainian port city as US and its allies continue to pressure Moscow to end war.
Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine widens, with raids reported on east-central city of Dnipro and airfields in western Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk.
Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, braces for an all-out assault as Russian military convoy edges closer.
Ukrainian officials say Russian shelling again prevented evacuations from Mariupol, where conditions are critical.
US and its top allies are revoking Russia’s “most favoured nation” status amid pressure campaign on President Vladimir Putin to end the war.
Ukrainian envoy to UN dismisses Moscow’s accusation that Kyiv is operating US-backed biological weapons laboratories as “insane delirium”.
Guatemala receives first arrivals of Ukrainians fleeing conflict
Guatemala has received its first arrivals of Ukrainian families fleeing their homeland since Russia’s invasion of its neighbor last month, authorities said.
The eight Ukrainians were the first to arrive in the Central American country “for humanitarian reasons,” an immigration spokesperson told Reuters news agency.
Another flight carrying 10 more Ukrainians is set to arrive later in the evening, officials said. It is unclear how many may have arrived privately to Guatemala since the Russian attacks on Ukraine began.
New satellite imagery has shown what appears to be Russian forces firing artillery from a village 17 miles northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, as well as damage to Hostomel Airport.
New satellite images show homes on fire as Russian troops advance closer to Kyiv, with long lines of cars trying to flee the Ukrainian capital.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence has also warned that “staunch resistance” from Ukraine means Russian tactical aircraft are relying on unguided “dumb” munitions.
“Such weapons are relatively inaccurate and indiscriminate and their use significantly increases the likelihood of civilian casualties,” a defence intelligence update released on Friday night said.
The satellite images from Maxar appear to suggest that Russian military units are “actively firing artillery towards residential areas” – and in one photograph, a bright muzzle flash can be seen from an artillery gun.
Widespread damage and impact craters have been seen in Moschun, a town northwest of Kyiv, and fires are continuing to burn at Hostamel Airport, which is also known as Antonov Airport.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine entered its fifteenth day, the White House warned on Thursday, 10 March, that the Kremlin could be planning to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that Russia was making “false claims about alleged US biological weapons labs and chemical weapons development in Ukraine”.
Additionally, in light of the ban imposed by the US on Russian oil imports, the United Arab Emirates will reportedly encourage OPEC members to bump up oil production, as oil prices surged after the ban was announced.
Ukraine has accused Russia of violating a ceasefire and destroying a hospital in Mariupol.
The United Kingdom announced on 9 March that it will be send more weapons to Ukraine to help defend itself against Russian aggression.
Russia’s military admitted on Wednesday that young draftees were sent to fight in its war against Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin denied that conscripts were involved in the attack.
Russian President Vladimir Putin.MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images
“Unfortunately, some facts have come to light about the presence of conscript servicemen among the Russian armed forces conducting the special military operation on Ukrainian territory,” said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.
“Practically all of the conscripts have been returned to the territory of the Russian Federation,” Konashenkov added.
Konashenkov said, however, that some of the conscripts have been captured.
“In addition, one of the divisions operating toll security has been attacked by a diversionist group of the national battalion,” he said, adding, “A number of military personnel, some of which conscripts, were captured in this attack.”
India on Thursday did not rule out buying crude oil at discounted rates from Russia, with external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi pointing out that several European countries were still importing energy from Russia.
Underlining that India’s “legitimate energy transactions should not be politicised”, Delhi hit out Friday at the West, saying countries with “oil self-sufficiency or those importing themselves from Russia cannot credibly advocate restrictive trading”.
India’s sharp reaction comes at a time when Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the country’s top oil firm, has bought 3 million barrels of crude oil that Russia had offered at a steep discount on prevailing international rates. The purchase, made through a trader, is the first since Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine that led to international pressure to isolate the Putin administration.
Russian oil exports to India, the third largest energy consumer, quadrupled in March, Financial Times reported Friday.
Russia has so far exported 360,000 barrels of oil a day to India in March alone, nearly four times the 2021 average. The report cited Kpler, a commodities data and analytics firm, to say that Russia is on track to hit 203,000 barrels a day for the whole month, based on current shipment schedules.
Sources in Delhi said “countries with oil self-sufficiency or those importing themselves from Russia cannot credibly advocate restrictive trading. India’s legitimate energy transactions should not be politicised.”
India is highly dependent on imports for meeting its energy requirements. “Nearly 85 per cent of our crude oil requirement (5 million barrels a day) has to be imported,” a source said.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/discounted-crude-oil-from-russia-oil-sufficient-countries-need-not-advise-on-russian-imports-says-india-7826389/