[RT] Alexey Navalny collapsed and died on Friday, in a prison colony north of the Arctic circle where he was serving a 19-year sentence for extremist activities. He was 47. In the West, he enjoyed the reputation of a Kremlin critic and Russian "opposition leader." In Ukraine, he was denounced as a Russian nationalist. In Russia itself, his legacy is at best complicated.
Born in 1976, Navalny graduated from law school in 1998 and earned a degree in finance in 2001. He would go on to dabble in law, investments and activism during his career, but kept coming back to politics.
"I have always been obsessed with politics," he told the outlet Kommersant-Money in 2009.
The nationalist phase
Between 2000 and 2007, Navalny was a member of the liberal Yabloko party, before co-founding an ethnic nationalist movement called ’Narod.’ He appeared in two notorious YouTube videos for the movement, one advocating for gun rights to fight "flies and cockroaches" (while showing Muslims), and another comparing immigrants to tooth decay.
In August 2008, Navalny spoke approvingly of the Russian intervention against Georgia on behalf of the beleaguered South Ossetia. He went on to participate in three annual ’Russian March’ rallies with advocates for ethnic nationalism. Activist Evgenia Albats later said she had urged Navalny to join the marches as a way to leverage ethnic nationalism against the Kremlin. In 2010, Albats would co-sponsor Navalny’s six-month stay in the US through the Yale World Fellows program.
The anti-corruption blogger
By that point, Navalny had already called on his finance expertise to launch an investment activist group called "Union of Minority Shareholders," which tried to shake down major companies such as Rosneft, Gazprom, Lukoil, and others. His umbrella NGO network, the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), was registered in September 2011. Navalny would continue accusing the government in Moscow, regional governors and corporations of fraud, graft and corruption — often getting sued for defamation in the process.
'Opposition leader'
By February 2011, Navalny was dabbling in politics as well. He attacked the ruling United Russia party as a collection of "crooks and thieves," and in December claimed it had stolen the national elections. Western media dubbed him the "Russian opposition leader" after he gave a series of speeches at anti-government protests that followed.
The high point of Navalny’s political career was the July 2013 election for mayor of Moscow, when he won 27.24% of the vote but lost to Sergey Sobyanin. His attempt to run in the 2018 presidential election was blocked due to his criminal record.
The Kirovles and Yves Rocher cases
Navalny’s first criminal conviction was for embezzlement from Kirovles, a state forestry company. In 2013, he was sentenced to five years in prison, but this was later changed to probation. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said in 2016 that his actions had been "indistinguishable from legitimate business activities."
At the trial, Navalny denounced the charges as politically motivated and railed against the "disgusting feudal system" in which "one hundred families" were allegedly looting Russia.
Navalny and his brother Oleg — a postal employee — faced more charges of embezzlement in 2012, for defrauding the Russian branch of the French cosmetics giant Yves Rocher. The brothers were found guilty in December 2014, but Alexey once again received only probation.
In 2019, the Russian government labeled Navalny’s FBK a "foreign agent," severely limiting its activities.
2020 'poisoning' and arrest
In August 2020, Navalny fell ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow and was transported to Germany for treatment. Western doctors alleged he had been targeted with a ’Novichok’ nerve agent, which Moscow rejected as a "provocation." Upon returning to Russia, Navalny was arrested for breaching the terms of his probation and sent to a prison colony.
He was hit with additional charges of fraud and contempt of court, receiving an additional nine-year sentence in 2022. In August 2023, Navalny was sentenced to another 19 years behind bars on charges of fomenting, financing and carrying out extremist activities and "rehabilitating" Nazi ideology. The FBK was shuttered on government orders.
In December 2023, Navalny was transferred to a penal colony in the Yamalo-Nenets Region of northern Siberia. The cause of his death on Friday is still under investigation.
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[BBC] Ukraine's military says it has withdrawn its troops from Avdiivka - the key eastern town for months besieged by Russian forces.
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said he acted "to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of service personnel".
He added that the troops were moved to "more favourable lines".
His deputy said the Russians had a huge artillery advantage, and were advancing "on the corpses of their own soldiers".
Avdiivka - a gateway to the Russian-seized city of Donetsk - has been engulfed in fierce fighting for months, and is now almost completely destroyed.
It has been a battlefield town since 2014, when Russian-backed fighters seized large swathes of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The fall of Avdiivka marks the biggest change on the more than 1,000km-long (620-mile) front line since Russian troops seized the nearby town of Bakhmut in May 2023.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title
[Korrespondent] 22:45 The signed security agreement between Ukraine and Germany does not imply Berlin’s obligation to enter the war, Scholz said: “The agreement with Kiev does not mean that Germany will become a party to the conflict. There will be no German soldiers in Ukraine.”
22:32 Russian troops almost managed to cordon off Ukrainian fighters in Avdeevka, but they were unable to close the ring, and now the situation has leveled off, said deputy commander of the Third Assault Brigade Rodion Kudryashov. At the same time, he added that the enemy outnumbers the Ukrainian troops in a ratio of 7 to 1, but “does not have much success.”
22:23 In Avdiivka, Ukrainian fighters, if necessary, retreat to new positions, and during one of these exits, several soldiers were captured, Tarnavsky said. He also said that the evacuation of the wounded “is complicated by continuous shelling, but is being carried out.” At the moment, the necessary reserves are being transferred to the Ukrainian defenders, and ammunition continues to be supplied. The fire continues at the Avdeevka coke plant, where the Russians set fire to a tank with naphthalene residues and bitumen tar in the warehouse.
22:15 Zelensky said that Ukraine will receive new military assistance from France: “Today there is another important package - shells, effective Caesar systems, additional strengthening of air defense.” In turn, Macron said that he would visit Kyiv “before mid-March.”
21:48 Ukraine and France signed a security agreement. It will be valid for ten years. France will also allocate up to 3 billion euros for the military needs of Ukraine in 2024, Macron said.
21:14 Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said that in a few weeks he expects the signing of a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine.
20:21 Biden, after reports of Navalny’s death, called for help to Ukraine: “This tragedy reminds us what is at stake. We need to continue funding Ukraine so that Ukraine can protect itself from Putin’s terrible aggression, from his crimes. If we cannot support Ukraine "At this critical moment, history will not forget this. This will go down in history and will have enormous consequences. Time is ticking. The clock is ticking. We all must understand that we are dealing with Putin."
19:55 Zelensky said that he arrived in Paris, where he is scheduled to meet with Macron and sign a security agreement.
19:13 Russia has spent up to $211 billion on equipping, deploying and maintaining its troops in Ukraine, an anonymous US official told Reuters. In addition, according to him, Moscow lost $10 billion due to the cancellation of deals to sell its weapons. In total, the war against Ukraine cost Russia $1.3 trillion, which was previously supposed to be spent on economic growth until 2026, the official added. According to him, Russia has lost 315 thousand people wounded or killed since the beginning of the invasion.
18:37 As a result of the Ukrainian attack on the command post at the Belbek airfield on January 31, it was not General Alexander Tatarenko who died, as Russian publics wrote, but his son and namesake - major, pilot, deputy unit commander Alexander Tatarenko, reports the Crimean Wind telegram channel with reference to your sources. The general himself retired and currently lives in Yekaterinburg. Ukraine then denied the death of the general.
18:01 Germany transferred another package of military assistance to Ukraine, which included, in particular, 18 FFG APC armored vehicles, three WiSENT mine clearance vehicles, ten Vector UAVs, 30 RQ-35 Heidrun UAVs, 11 Primoco ONE UAVs, seven Songbird UAVs, almost 4000 155 mm shells, etc.
17:56 Russian oppositionist Alexei Navalny died in a correctional colony. According to the official statement, the man allegedly became ill after a walk and immediately lost consciousness. World leaders and Russian oppositionists put forward a version of the murder of the oppositionist and blame Putin for it. For more details, see the article Navalny’s Death: Inconsistencies and the World’s Reaction .
17:33 Throughout the day, the Russians fired artillery at the civilian infrastructure of the Velikopisarevsky territorial community of the Akhtyrsky district of the Sumy region, one person was killed, the prosecutor’s office reported.
16:50 During rocket attacks on Ukrainian territory, Russia used at least 24 North Korean-made ballistic missiles - probably Kn-23/24, said Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin. According to him, the most massive missile attack with this type of missile was documented on February 7. On that day, the Russian Federation attacked three cities - Kyiv (with one missile), Pavlograd and Kharkov (with two missiles for each city). In all these cases, no hits were recorded on possible targets.
“Of the 24 missiles fired, two relatively accurate hits are known - the Kremenchug oil refinery and the technical territory of the Kanatovo airfield. The remaining missiles hit at a considerable distance from each other - up to several kilometers or more - either exploded in the air or hit residential areas in Kharkov,” - added the Prosecutor General.
16:26 The agreement on security cooperation and long-term support between Ukraine and Germany is designed for ten years. The President's Office released the main points of the document .
15:57 Zelensky said that in the situation in Avdiivka, he demands from the military leadership, first of all, to preserve the lives of the Ukrainian military.
15:45 In the Avdeevka area, raid and strike operations are being carried out in order to expand logistics corridors, said Commander Tarnavsky. According to him, logistics are working, the defenders of Avdiivka are being supplied with increased quantities of ammunition and other means of destruction, and stable command and control of the troops is ensured.
As of 13.00, there are no blocked Ukrainian units in Avdiivka. Ukrainian units with minor losses left their position on the southern outskirts of Avdiivka. In other threatening directions, if necessary, troops are also maneuvered to move to new prepared positions.
In the area of the Avdeevsky coke plant, the enemy set fire to a tank with naphthalene residues and started a fire in a bitumen tar storage warehouse. Under the cover of thick smoke, he is trying to storm Ukrainian positions.
According to Tarnavsky, the enemy is suffering huge losses in manpower. Thus, during the day on February 15, in the entire operational zone of the Tavria group of troops, Russian losses amounted to 711 people - the most this year. Of these, up to 500 Russians were liquidated in the Avdeevsky direction.
15:41 The Russians fired artillery at the village. Volchanskie Khutor, Chuguevsky district, Kharkov region - one person was killed, one was injured, the prosecutor's office reported.
15:28 The third separate assault brigade reported that there are at least 15 thousand personnel of the Russian Army against the forces on its sector of the front in Avdeevka. At the same time, the Ukrainian brigade inflicted critical defeats on the 74th and 114th separate motorized rifle brigades of the Russian Armed Forces. Both enemy units are “virtually wiped out”: preliminary, the real number of losses is estimated at 4,200 enemy killed and wounded. The 30th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces also carries significant weight. Despite the fact that the Russians are suffering disproportionate losses, the situation in Avdievka remains extremely difficult, notes the Third Assault.
15:17 The Russians fired at the front-line thermal power plant for the second time in a day, the equipment of the power plant was damaged, DTEK reported.
15:09 The command of the Tavria group of troops, after many months of confrontation, decided to withdraw from the Zenit position on the south-eastern outskirts of Avdeevka , Tarnavsky said: “We held this position as long as it made it possible to effectively contain and destroy the enemy. The decision to withdraw was made with the aim of preserving personnel and improving the operational situation. Tactical occupation of these positions does not give the enemy a strategic advantage and does not change the situation within the framework of the Avdeevka defense operation. Currently, the regrouping of troops, replenishment of supplies and arrangement of units in new positions is ongoing. The planned reinforcement of units is underway."
14:31 Scholz announced a new aid package for Ukraine worth 1.1 billion euros , which will include 36 armored wheeled howitzers from industrial stocks, 120 thousand shells, two Skynex air defense systems and missiles for IRIS-T.
14:25 The agreement on security cooperation and long-term support between Ukraine and Germany secures German support for Kiev at a level of over 7 billion euros for the current year, Zelensky said. In addition, according to him, “this is a weapon for which there are already specific contracts.” The agreement also sets out Germany’s clear position on sanctions against the Russian Federation, the tribunal, and frozen assets. The agreement also provides for a mechanism for emergency consultations in the event of a possible future armed attack by Russia on Ukraine.
14:08 Zelensky and Scholz signed a bilateral security agreement. The German Chancellor called it a historic step: “Germany will continue to support Ukraine in the face of the Russian war of aggression.”
13:46 The main holder of frozen Russian assets in the West, the Belgian investment fund Euroclear, opposed the G7 plan to use this money in the interests of Ukraine, writes the Financial Times. The company holds $191 billion of frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank out of $260 billion. Euroclear said that such a step would carry risks for the European financial system and expose the company to lawsuits.
13:09 Ukraine has returned the bodies of another 58 dead soldiers, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.
12:52 Budanov said in an interview with the French publication Liberation that the situation at the front remains difficult, but not critical: “Our war is not unique. It is just a high-intensity conflict using the entire range of available weapons. We are not on the verge of using weapons of mass destruction, but everything else - from submarines to strategic aviation - has been in use for a long time."
According to Budanov, no technology will help radically change the course of a long war, since other factors are much more important: “The question is how to distribute resources, how to use what is available, and how to plan supply chains. In a long war, the side that wins has a stronger economy and logistics."
12:30 At one of the sites in Avdeevka, fighters of the 3rd Special Brigade are completely surrounded - they are trying to break through the ring, said deputy brigade commander Rodion Kudryashov. The Ukrainian Armed Forces' maneuvers continue in the city. The Russians are razing their defensive positions to the ground. The fighters have to retreat to more advantageous positions. Kudryashov also confirmed that the Russians had captured the Zenit fortified area.
12:07 There is no threat to Zaporozhye now, said the speaker of the Tavria group of troops, Dmitry Likhovy: “I emphasize that the situation in the Zaporozhye direction remains stable. There is indeed a significant group of Russians concentrated there, comparable to the Avdeevka one. But Avdeevka is a narrow strip, an urban area, "literally a few kilometers, and the Zaporozhye direction starts from the border with the Donetsk region and right up to the Dnepropetrovsk region. There this Russian contingent is spread out along the entire front line, and there is no such threat at all."
11:49 Lukashenko said that his border guards allegedly “catch Ukrainian saboteurs at the border two or three times a week.” According to him, “just today, several saboteurs were detained on the Ukrainian border. With the help of drones, some of the Ukrainian citizens crawled through the swamps to our border and transferred explosives to carry out sabotage, primarily on the territory of Russia and Belarus.”
11:11 Zelensky said that he had arrived in Germany: “Two important days are ahead. Meetings with partners in Germany and France, new agreements and participation in the Munich Security Conference are planned. A new security architecture for Ukraine, new opportunities.”
11:08 Lavrov said that in order to start a “dialogue on Ukraine,” Zelensky must cancel the decree by which he prohibited negotiations. According to the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, “the ball is not on our side, and everyone understands this perfectly well.”
10:42 At a meeting of the Political and Security Committee, most EU countries were in favor of allowing EU money to be used to purchase shells for Ukraine produced outside the bloc. However, France, Greece and Cyprus opposed it, Politico writes, citing diplomats.
10:26 Russia once again attacked a front-line thermal power plant, DTEK reported. There were no casualties, but the station equipment was damaged.
10:05 Press officer of the third separate assault brigade Alexander Borodin said that the situation in Avdiivka is critical, the enemy is increasing pressure. The Russians are increasing their use of guided bombs and phosphorus bombs. “The enemy has constant support; instead of an exhausted battalion, another one comes in, and there is no horizon that they could run out of something, both in people and in resources,” he noted.
Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade note that the Russians use 60 aerial bombs - day and night, enemy shelling from artillery and MLRS. There are continuous assaults on armored vehicles and invasions of enemy infantry. The occupiers also use phosphorus shells, which cause fuel tanks to catch fire. Toxic smog spreads throughout the entire territory of the coke plant.
09:56 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that the Russian army, in the event of a potential capture of Avdievka, will not be able to quickly advance and occupy large populated areas to the west of the city. The Russian troops suffered very heavy losses, and in order to capture new territories they need a long period of recovery and rest, analysts say.
09:08 The Russian army shelled the village. Zarya, Kramatorsk district, Donetsk region, preliminary - with cluster munitions from the Uragan MLRS. One person was killed and two were injured, the prosecutor's office said.
08:51 At night, a Russian missile hit an open area in the Mirgorod district of the Poltava region, no people were injured, said the head of the OSA, Philip Pronin.
08:27 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of February 16:
personnel - about 400,300 (+1210) people,
tanks - 6465 (+23),
armored combat vehicles - 12,129 (+39),
artillery systems - 9641 (+21),
MLRS - 984 (+0),
air defense systems - 671 (+0),
aircraft - 332 (+0),
helicopters - 325 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 7408 (+4),
cruise missiles - 1895 (+13),
ships/boats - 25 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 12,716 (+25),
special equipment - 1528 (+4).
07:48 In the Nikolaev region, as a result of artillery shelling in the city of Ochakov, a transport and port infrastructure facility, an enterprise, and residential buildings were damaged. No people were injured, said the head of the OVA, Vitaly Kim.
07:30 In the Avdeevsky direction, a planned reinforcement of Ukrainian Armed Forces units is taking place and troops are maneuvering in threatening directions, the General Staff reported in its morning report . Over the past 24 hours, defense forces have repulsed 28 enemy attacks in the areas of Avdeevka, Lastochkino and five more attacks near Pervomaisky and Nevelsky, Donetsk region.
In total, 95 military clashes took place at the front over the past 24 hours. In the Maryinsky direction, 34 attacks were repelled near Krasnohorivka, Georgievka, Pobeda and Novomikhailovka, Donetsk region; on Kupyansky - three attacks near Sinkovka and Ivanovka, Kharkov region; in Limansky - six attacks in the areas of Ternov, Yampolevka and Vesely of the Donetsk region; on Bakhmutsky - ten attacks near Bogdanovka, Ivanovsky, Kleshcheevka, Andreevka, Donetsk region; on Novopavlovsky - three attacks south of Prechistovka and in the Staromayorsky area of the Donetsk region. The enemy did not conduct offensive operations in the Zaporozhye direction. In the Kherson direction, the Defense Forces hold their positions and repelled three assaults by Russian troops.
06:12 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that at night the air defense allegedly intercepted and destroyed one drone over the territory of the Belgorod region and four over the Black Sea.
04:24 The US House of Representatives went on recess until February 28, without considering a bill to help allies, including Ukraine. Thus, the issue will not be resolved in the coming weeks. Moreover, when lawmakers return to work at the end of February, the main issue will again be avoiding a shutdown in the United States, writes Voice of America.
Biden said on this occasion that “the failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will never be forgotten.”
01:36 As of 23:00 on February 15, the situation in Avdeevka is “complicated, but controllable,” said the commander of the Tavria group of troops, Alexander Tarnavsky. According to him, the fighting is taking place within the city, “a planned reinforcement of units is taking place and troops are maneuvering in threatening directions.” In addition, an additional resource of “ammunition and other means of destruction” has been allocated. New positions have been prepared, and fortifications continue to be prepared “taking into account all possible scenarios.”
00:23 This year's first summit of G7 leaders, chaired by Italy, will take place on February 24, the second anniversary of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, ANSA reports. The meeting will be held via videoconference, as on the first anniversary of Russia’s large-scale military aggression against Ukraine.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Shamil Sadulaev, accused in a terrorism case, died in a pre-trial detention center in Makhachkala, his body had numerous signs of injuries, his mother said. She believes that her son died a violent death. The prosecutor's office explained Sadulaev's death as drug use, but declared the refusal to initiate a criminal case illegal.
The Public Monitoring Commission of Dagestan received a statement from the mother of Shamil Sadulaev, who died on December 8, 2023 in pre-trial detention center No. 1 of Makhachkala. “The appeal is due to the fact that the mother was declared “sudden death of an unknown cause,” and also that “no signs of violent actions were found.” But judging by the photographs sent of Sadulaev’s corpse, there are traces and abrasions on the corpse,” he said in his Telegram - channel Deputy Chairman of the Public Monitoring Committee of Dagestan Shamil Khadulaev.
The mother of Shamilya Sadulaeva, who died in pre-trial detention center-1 of Makhachkala in December 2023, Sabina Sadulaeva, is sure that her son was killed. She said that her son ended up in a Makhachkala pre-trial detention center on charges of calls for terrorism. “He was 26 years old, and he didn’t work anywhere, because he was first imprisoned for three years on charges of theft (he spent the first year in Moscow, and then he was transferred to Dagestan). I don’t know what they did with him there, but he went to prison as a hooligan, and came out charged under Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Public calls for terrorist activities, public justification of terrorism or propaganda of terrorism.” They wanted to take him away right during his release from the colony in Tyube, I then came to pick him up and I see him They take me away, and he shouts: “Mom, they’re taking me away!” she told the Caucasian Knot correspondent .
As Sabina Sadulaeva noted, she managed to get her son released under house arrest after contacting the Investigative Committee for Dagestan. After that, Shamil, according to her, sat at home with a bracelet on his ankle and went monthly to extend his house arrest.
“On December 28, 2023, the trial was supposed to begin in Rostov-on-Don, and on November 30, 2023, he went to court for another extension. He was picked up right in court and taken away. And only on December 4, 2023, I was able to find him in the pre-trial detention center. 1, and on December 5, 2023, I handed over a parcel with food and winter things. But on December 8, 2023, they called me from the morgue and said that they had his body,” she said.
Sabina Sadulaeva reported that when she received her son’s body for funeral, she took a number of photographs that showed serious bodily injuries. At the same time, according to Sadulayeva, the investigator of the investigative department of the Sledkom of the Kirov region, Gyulmagomedov, initially told her that we were talking about a beating. But later he began to claim that he had not said anything like that, and Sadulaev was injured by falling from the bed, although the video recording from the camera shows that he died while sitting. The prosecutor's office claimed that Sadulayev did not receive any serious bodily injuries.
In the response of the Russian prosecutor's office for Dagestan dated January 22, signed by the senior assistant to the prosecutor of the republic on supervision of the legality of the execution of criminal penalties, justice adviser S. Muradov ( at the disposal of the "Caucasian Knot" ), it is indicated that during the preliminary examination of Sadulaev's body there were "traces of a struggle and no signs of violence,” as well as “visible bodily injuries,” were not found. The prosecutor's office stated that the preliminary version of his death was “poisoning with an unknown substance (narcotic),” and the bodily injuries that were noted in the photographs “were not the cause of death.”
The document states that the prosecutor's office discovered "gross violations of the law in terms of ensuring the protection of suspects and supervision of them, as well as their material, living and medical support <...>, which did not allow taking measures to timely identify the deterioration of it < Sadulayev’s health and subsequent death, as well as the provision of immediate primary medical care,” after which a corresponding submission was made to the Federal Penitentiary Service of the republic on December 13, 2023, and seven employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service were brought to justice. The response also stated that the Dagestan prosecutor’s office is awaiting receipt of a forensic medical examination report, including on the failure to provide medical assistance and the reasons for the appearance of injuries on Sadulayev’s body.
At the same time, in the response of the Kirov District Prosecutor's Office of Makhachkala, signed by the acting Deputy District Prosecutor, Junior Counselor of Justice A. Gamidov, noted that the decision made by investigator Gyulmagomedov on January 7 to refuse to initiate a criminal case into the death of Sadulaev “due to the absence of a crime” was canceled on January 15 as “illegal and unfounded.”
Sabina Sadulayeva added that they even refused to give her her son’s things, claiming that they were either burned or thrown away as if they were stained with urine and feces. Even the passport was given back only after an appeal to the Investigative Committee of Russia, stating that at the time of arrest Sadulayev allegedly had no passport. “But how could he get into the courthouse without a passport?” - asked Sabina Sadulaeva.
The deputy chairman of the public monitoring commission for Dagestan, Shamil Khadulaev, confirmed that Shamil Sadulaev died after 8-9 days in the pre-trial detention center. According to him, the PMC does not yet have any specific documents on this matter. “We are waiting for the official conclusion of the forensic medical examination and the response of the Investigative Committee on this matter,” he told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.
There are no clearly established deadlines for conducting forensic medical examinations, on which the decision to initiate a criminal case or refuse it may depend, said Vladimir Novitsky , President of the Russian Section of the International Society of Human Rights . “This may depend on the complexity of the examination,” he noted.
The " Caucasian Knot " also wrote that relatives of Kurban Dalgatov, who died on January 20, 2023 after being taken to the Sovetsky regional police department of Makhachkala, said that he died of suffocation, which occurred after Dalgatov "was given electric shocks to the region of the heart." The man received injuries before his death , the Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed.
Eleven people are suspected in the case of Dalgatov’s death, Shamil Khadulaev told the Caucasian Knot on January 17. “Six defendants remain in custody, including Kurbanov and Malikov. Today their detention was extended. One defendant, the deputy head of the criminal investigation department, was given no preventive measure. He is actively cooperating with the investigation. And four are under house arrest. Three were witnesses, they "they were charged and sent under house arrest. One was transferred to house arrest from a pre-trial detention center," he said.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Alexei Navalny instilled hope for change in Russia and its democratization, but this hope has faded, said participants in the Yerevan rally.
As the "Caucasian Knot" wrote, the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug reported today that convict Alexei Navalny died in a colony after his condition sharply worsened. Conditions in the colony led to Navalny’s death, noted some social media users in southern Russia; some doubted that the causes of death were natural. Commentators expressed condolences to the politician's family. In Tbilisi, Batumi and Yerevan this evening, activists paid tribute to the memory of Alexei Navalny.
In August 2020, Alexei Navalny fell into a coma after being poisoned at Omsk airport. Consciousness returned to him in Berlin, where Navalny was taken for treatment. Navalny said that Russian authorities were behind the attempt on his life. In January 2021, Alexei Navalny, who flew from Berlin to Moscow, was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport.
A rally in memory of opposition politician Alexei Navalny has ended in Yerevan. The protesters lit candles and laid flowers at an impromptu memorial with photographs of the politician. The action ended without incidents or arrests, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports from the scene.
Russian Mikhail considers the death of Alexei Navalny a murder. “When a person spends more than 300 days in a punishment cell [in harsh conditions], regardless of what caused his death, it can be called murder,” he told a “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.
The protest participant found it difficult to say whether the change would lead to the death of the politician or not. “Everyone who came here hopes for change,” he emphasized.
Protest participant Alexander Martyanov also does not believe in the official version of the politician’s death. “How can one say that he [Navalny’s] blood clot came off if such a conclusion can be made after a doctor’s autopsy. No one did an autopsy, but the blood clot came off. A healthy person who didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, and was involved in sports, had a blood clot come off. Even if not directly, the authorities are to blame for his death. One of the reasons for the thromboembolism could have been his detention for a year in a punishment cell. In the cold, in hunger, they tortured the man," he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
The Russian doubts that Navalny's death can change anything. “In Russia, no one has been trying to pretend to be democracy for a long time. [The authorities] brazenly show that they don’t care about anyone. And they show that if Navalny was removed, any of us will be removed without any fuss,” Martyanov noted.
According to protest participant Ekaterina, Navalny was for her and society the hope for freedom, justice and a fair trial. “Now there are only emotions, and it’s very difficult to think with your head. There is no second Navalny yet, but I hope that he will appear,” she told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.
Producer Sergei Tselikov noted that in the current conditions one can hardly expect the appearance of a “second Navalny.” “If we had a competitive democratic environment, a replacement [for Navalny] would appear, but now the current government is rooting out any sprouts of dissent,” he told a “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.
Navalny's death is an indicator that the Russian authorities will stop at nothing, said one of the protesters.
Protest participant Maria admits that the cause of the politician’s death was a blood clot. “Even the healthiest body can’t stand it for so long in such conditions. In fact, it’s not that important. I came [to the embassy] because I’m sad. I think it’s a big loss. I came here to be with those who feels the same way, and support those who for some reason cannot do this in Russia,” she told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.
For Maria, Navalny is a symbol of freedom, honesty and strength. “There is a poster here that he is a hero of our time, and for me this is so,” the Russian woman emphasized.
According to Elizaveta, Navalny's death showed that the situation in Russia will only get worse. “If you can kill a person for whom the world community stood, what can be done with those who are not so famous and who do not have such media support? There are many political prisoners in Russia, about whom no one actually knows, no one writes. They are supported except relatives and friends,” she noted. She is confident that everyone involved in Navalny’s death will not be punished.
Russian Anatoly noted that Navalny instilled hope for a change of power and democratization of the country. “Today this hope has faded. There was still hope that I could return to Russia, but now I understand that I don’t want to return there for a long time,” he told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.
There was hope that Navalny could become Russia's Nelson Mandela, but today this hope has faded, said a participant in the rally who did not want to introduce herself.
The rallies in support of Navalny, which took place in January 2021 throughout Russia, were recognized by political scientists as the largest in recent decades. Since March 31, 2021, Navalny has been on a hunger strike in the colony, demanding that a visiting doctor be allowed to see him. After mass protests and concessions from the Federal Penitentiary Service, the oppositionist stopped his hunger strike.
Article Linked To Is Available Only Via VPN
[EngMilRu] In the period from 11 to 16 February, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered 30 group strikes by long-range precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles at facilities of Ukrainian military industrial complex producing and repairing aircraft engines, radio-electronic equipment and ammunition.
Moreover, strikes were delivered factories producing fuel and lubricants for AFU hardware, warehouses of military and technical equipment, as well as deployment points of AFU units and nationalist formations.
Over the week, in Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and repelled 18 attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 25th Airborne Brigade, 30th, 32nd, 43rd, 44th, and 60th Mechanised brigades, 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade near Sin'kovka, Tabayevka, Timkovka (Khar,kov region) and Terni (Donetsk People's Republic).
In addition, enemy manpower was struck near Novoselkovskoye (Lugansk People's Republic), Kislovka, and Berestovoye (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 775 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, seven armoured fighting vehicles, 17 motor vehicles, and five field artillery guns.
In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the situation along the front lines and supported by aviation and artillery repelled 14 enemy attacks.
Moreover, losses were inflicted on units of the AFU 24th, 60th, and 63rd Mechanised brigades near Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), Yampolovka, and Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 1,585 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, four tanks, 44 armoured fighting vehicles, 82 motor vehicles, and three field artillery guns.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions and repelled 46 enemy attacks near Belogorovka, Bogdanovka, Kleshcheyevka, Leninskoye, Novomikhailovka, and Shumy (Donetsk People's Republic).
In addition, AFU and Ukrainian National Guard units suffered losses near Kurdyumovka, Andreyevka, Georgiyevka, and Katerinovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses in this direction amounted to more than 1,820 Ukrainian troops, 11 tanks, 14 armoured fighting vehicles, 84 motor vehicles, and 25 field artillery guns.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces improved the situation along the front lines and repelled three enemy attacks.
Unist of the AFU 58th Infantry Brigade, 72nd Mechanised Brigade, 127th and 128th Territorial Defence brigades suffered losses near Vladimirovka, Urozhaynoye, Vodyanoye (Donetsk People's Republic) and Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 1,060 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, ten armoured fighting vehicles, 23 motor vehicles, and 12 field artillery guns.
In Kherson region, aviation and artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 35th Naval Infantry Brigade, 121st Territorial Defence Brigade, and 23rd Ukrainian National Guard Brigade near Tyaginka, Ivanovka, Yantarnoye (Kherson region), and Nikopol (Dnepropetrovsk region).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 310 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, 23 motor vehicles, and 14 field artillery guns.
Aviation and air defence units intercepted one Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 aircraft and Mi-24 helicopter, 36 HIMARS, Vampire, and Olkha MLRS projectiles, one JDAM guided aerial bomb, as well as neutralised 405 unmanned aerial vehicles.
A total of 35 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered over the past week.
In total, 571 airplanes and 266 helicopters, 12,571 unmanned aerial vehicles, 469 air defence missile systems, 15,060 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,221 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,067 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 18,747 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:40 Front bird broadcasts: more positive news from Avdeevka. It is confirmed that the Metal Structures plant has come under the control of the Russian army 21:24 Front-line soldier reports: Avdievka station is already close.
20:40 Military personnel of the Vostok group of troops apply propaganda “strikes” against the enemy in the South Donetsk direction.
Since the beginning of the year, our fighters have convinced hundreds of Ukrainian army soldiers to surrender. With the power of words, without firing a single shot.
20:27 Criminal Kyiv regime continues to fire at the civilian infrastructure of settlements on the left bank of the Kherson region, yesterday during the day the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired from cannon artillery:
-- n.p. Podlesnoe two rounds;
-- n.p. Alyosha five rounds;
-- n.p. Kazachi Lagery four rounds;
-- n.p. Dnepryan four rounds;
-- n.p. Obryvka of three rounds;
-- n.p. Novaya Mayachka two rounds.
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the village. Podstepnoye, n.p. Korsunka, n.p. Aleshki, n.p. Golaya Pristan, firing a total of 16 rounds from cannon artillery.
Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being determined.
19:47 Front-line soldier reports: in the Pervomaisky Armed Forces of the Russian Federation they are advancing. In some places, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are leaving their positions.
19:14 Front-line soldier reports:
Along Avdievka.
The Avdeevsky boiler is closing. There are urban battles going on, we are moving forward, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have nowhere to go, the group is cordoned off, the only way to escape is on foot, through the shoot-out plantings. But in this case the equipment is all captured.
18:35 Front bird broadcasts:
Our missile forces strike at the military airfield on the outskirts of Kirovograd “Kanatovo”
Our troops caught enemy aircraft after an attempted attack on Crimea.
18:06 Footage of the offensive of the Ivanovo paratroopers in the Chasov Yar area -video.
17:39 Front-line soldier reports: 9th quarter.
Fights are taking place in built-up areas. Part of the 3rd Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was destroyed in the 9th quarter, some are hiding at AKHZ.
16:43 We work in any weather:
Army Aviation Strike Group amazed manpower and enemy stronghold in the Krasnolimansk direction.
The strike was carried out by unguided S-8 aircraft missiles from as close as possible.
The strike group includes the Ka-52 Alligator reconnaissance and attack helicopter, the Mi-35M transport and combat helicopter and the Mi-8 multi-purpose helicopter. The group is accompanied by specialists from the search and rescue group and the fire support group.
15:56 Front bird reports:
Avdeevskoe direction. Minirovanie. 16.02
It is reported that when the enemy retreats, he tries to mine everything he touches as much as possible.
Abandoned civilian objects are being mined, as well as potential routes for further advance of our troops.
Our attack aircraft certainly take this into account and try to advance as carefully as possible.
14:45 Front bird broadcasts:
Avdievka
At these moments, the final operation is underway to close the lid of the boiler to the West of Avdievka.
The southern group is attacking from the Severny area, the northern group is attacking from the Lastochkino area. It's about a kilometer before the boiler closes.
14:00 Avdievka DFS moved on under the control of Russian troops
Soldiers of the 1st Army Corps from the international brigade "Pyatnashka" planted flags at the Donetsk filtration station, from where the enemy was driven out that night.
DFS was one of the powerful fortified areas of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the southeast of Avdeevka.
13:35 1st Slavic Brigade fortified area "Cheburashka" -video.
12:59 “We are obliged to fulfill our duty”:
Crews of the 122mm BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket systems of the Vostok group of forces daily destroy defensive structures, equipment and fire weapons of the enemy in the South Donetsk direction. They also strike along possible approach routes for Ukrainian Armed Forces units.
The coordinates of enemy targets are transmitted to the artillerymen by crews of unmanned aerial vehicles, and they also record shell hits on the target. Every square where the enemy can go has already been targeted; the artillerymen can only aim their guns at the coordinates and fire a salvo.
“Different combat missions come. We hit lightly armored vehicles, Ukrainian Armed Forces infantry, and strongholds. I didn’t really count how many goals I had in a year and a half, the cars are different, and the goals come with different ones too. The task came and was completed. On average it takes four to five minutes to reach the target. The drive on all machines works, aiming is carried out quickly. We quickly fold up and change positions,” says the senior officer of the rocket battery with the call sign “Volga.”
The crews try to destroy the targets with the first shot.
“There are adjustments, but very rarely, mostly we get it right the first time. My father served, so I followed in my father’s footsteps. I have a lot of relatives, everyone wants a speedy return with victory,” said Nikolai, gunner of the 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS.
12:34 Front bird reports:
Avdeevskoe direction. Mop up. 16.02
It is reported that our attack aircraft from the right and left flanks over the northern part of Avdievka see each other through binoculars.
This means that there is very little time left before the boiler closes.
The enemy will most likely try to fight his way out, but the outcome for the enemy will be the same.
12:00 Front bird broadcasts:
Avdeevskoe direction
Enemy map. Enemy resources reflected the fortified areas occupied by the Russian Armed Forces yesterday. The fortified areas “Fortress” and the coke plant remain with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces retain the ability to move on secondary roads; the area is mined.
11:35 Front-line soldier reports:
The Russian Armed Forces are approaching the village of Lastochkino.
Be kind!
11:00 Frontline reports:
Along Avdievka.
We capture everything new, fast movements, changing positions. The intensity of traffic is off the charts. The fire station is below us.
10:24 Front bird reports:
Zaporozhye direction. district settlement Verbovoe 16.02 08:35
That night, our Russian Aerospace Forces aviation carried out strikes with UFABs on enemy rear positions.
Numerous explosions were heard and seen in the rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Our artillerymen also worked on forest belts using 152mm guns.
09:55 Telegram channel «WarGonzo":
Two more Avdievka fortifications came under the control of 1AK
While you and I were sleeping, the soldiers of the 1st Army Corps continued to advance on enemy positions, building on their success not far from the former air defense military unit that came under our control yesterday
That night the positions “Cheburashka” and “Vinogradniki” were taken. The defense appendix of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been virtually eliminated.
09:25 Telegram channel «WarGonzo":
Frontline report for the morning 02/16/2024
– In the Zaporozhye direction – oncoming battles west of the village of Rabotino, near Novoprokopovka and Verbovoy. Without success for both sides.
– On the Donetsk Front, the Russian Armed Forces continued assault operations on the south-eastern outskirts of Novomikhailovka, near Pobeda, in the area of Georgievka and Pervomaisky. LBS has not changed significantly. On the southern outskirts of Avdievka, the Ukrainian Armed Forces left fortified areas, where they had previously been virtually encircled.
Now Sportivnaya, Sobornaya and Chernyshevsky streets are almost completely under the control of Russian troops. But this is the outskirts. Next comes the urban development itself. In the north-west, the Russian Armed Forces have also broken through the Ukrainian defense line and are approaching Lastochkin.
They are separated from this village by less than one and a half kilometers. Also, the Russian Armed Forces took up new positions in the forest belt north-west of Avdievka. Near Stepnoye (not to be confused with the settlements of the same name in the Zaporozhye and Ugledar directions) there are oncoming battles.
– In the Artemovsky (Bakhmutsky) direction, the Russian Armed Forces attacked in the area of Ivanovsky and Bogdanovka. The Ukrainian Armed Forces held their positions.
– In the Lugansk direction, Russian troops are trying to break through to Belogorovka. Fighting in the industrial zone east of the village. The Ukrainian Armed Forces make tactical withdrawals and then counterattack. In the area of Yampolevka and Ternov, the Russian Armed Forces carried out offensive operations. But not so much active anymore. In Tabaevka there are oncoming battles.
08:49 Telegram channel «Fisherman":
Chronicle of a special military operation
for February 15, 2024
The Russian Armed Forces attacked military-industrial complex facilities and energy infrastructure in the so-called rear regions. Ukraine. A series of explosions occurred in Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye, Mirgorod, and also in Lvov, where a substation was disabled as a result of the attack.
At the same time, Belgorod again came under fire from the Czech Vampire MLRS from Ukrainian formations. This strike was the most massive since the beginning of this year. According to authorities, seven people were killed, including a four-month-old baby, and 18 others were injured.
As a provocation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces used Serbian rounds received through third parties during the shelling, which very “fortunately” coincided with the day of statehood in Serbia.
At the front, the main attention was focused on the Avdeevsky direction. The most significant event of the day was the capture of the legendary and most important defense center of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the south of Avdievka - Zenit.
However, the successes of Russian units were not limited to this. Thus, objective control footage has appeared online, which confirms the advance of the Russian Armed Forces along Industrial Avenue and the O0542 highway, as well as entry into the territory of the AKHZ industrial zone in the western part of the city.
On the eastern outskirts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, they retreated from the Donetsk filtration station deeper into the city, trying to hold back the onslaught of Russian assault groups. However, given the successes of the Russian Army along the western edge of the sand pit, the Ukrainian formations will not be able to stay there for long.
08:10 Official summary Representative offices of the DPR in the JCCC:
Five armed attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces were recorded by the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC,Three civilians were reported injured.
No damage was recorded.
Two attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donetsk direction,
Two attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Gorlovka direction,
One artillery attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Volnovakha direction.
A total of 15 units of various ammunition were fired by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
[Regnum] The commander of the Tavria Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Alexander Tarnavsky, said that the Ukrainian military is leaving positions destroyed by the Russian Armed Forces in Avdievka, Donetsk People's Republic.
At the same time, according to the commander, several people were captured by Russian soldiers.
“The Ukrainian Armed Forces are withdrawing from destroyed positions through maneuvers and are consolidating on new defense lines. During one of these exits, several of our soldiers were captured,” the Ukrinform agency quotes Tarnavsky.
It is also reported that on the evening of February 16, fighting in Avdeevka continued.
As Regnum reported, the decision to withdraw the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Avdievka should be made by the army leadership; this event does not threaten political consequences for Kiev, said Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the office of the Ukrainian leader, during a telethon on February 16.
The official added that the Russian military could add pressure in some areas. Podolyak cited the delay in supplies of Western weapons and ammunition to Ukraine as the reason for the failures of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Tarnavsky previously stated that the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces decided to retreat from the Zenit fortified area in the southeast of Avdeevka. He clarified that these measures were taken to preserve personnel and improve the operational situation.
The decision to withdraw the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Avdievka should be made by the leadership of the army; this event does not threaten political consequences for Kiev, said on February 16 during a telethon, adviser to the head of the Ukrainian leader’s office, Mikhail Podolyak.
Journalists asked the adviser what political consequences should be expected if Ukrainian soldiers left Avdiivka.
“The military must decide whether it is necessary to continue defending a specific line or whether it is possible to retreat to more advantageous positions, taking into account the fact that Russia has quantitative superiority there. The events around Avdiivka will not have political consequences,” Podolyak replied.
At the same time, he believes that Russia can add pressure in some areas. Podolyak cited the delay in supplies of Western weapons and ammunition to Ukraine as the reason for the failures of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
As Regnum reported, on February 16, Ukrainian general, commander of the Tavria operational-strategic group of troops, Alexander Tarnavsky, said that the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had decided to retreat from the Zenit fortified area in the southeast of Avdievka. He clarified that these measures were taken to preserve personnel and improve the operational situation.
Ukrainian public pages published a video of damaged Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment leaving Avdievka. The footage shows burning tanks moving along the road.
Soldiers of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, who were transferred to Avdievka, called the situation in the battle zone “Avdievka hell.” According to Ukrainian soldiers, they are opposed by seven brigades of the Russian Armed Forces, and they have to fight “360 degrees.”
Burning Ukrainian tanks began to be withdrawn from Avdievka. The corresponding video was published on February 16 in the Telegram channel by the Ukrainian publication “Country. ua".
“Ukrainian armored vehicles with traces of strikes are leaving Avdiivka,” the journalists captioned the video.
The footage shows burning tanks moving along the road. The exact date of filming is not indicated.
As reported by Regnum news agency, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine decided to retreat from the Zenit fortified area in the southeast of Avdievka to the DPR, said on February 16 the Ukrainian general, commander of the operational-strategic group of troops "Tavria" Alexander Tarnavsky. According to him, these measures were taken to preserve personnel and improve the operational situation. Now the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to regroup troops, replenish supplies and arrange units in new positions, he added.
British expert Alexander Merkouris said that the leader of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, fled from Ukraine to Western Europe amid the encirclement and defeat of Ukrainian Armed Forces units at the front. According to the analyst, Zelensky, as the supreme commander in chief, should have remained in Kyiv and taken responsibility for what was happening in the combat zone.
One of the Ukrainian soldiers called his wife via video link and said that he was wounded and could not move: both legs were broken and there were shrapnel in his back. A corresponding video appeared on Telegram channels. The man said that his colleagues abandoned him and five other people in Avievka.
The Ukrainian said that the commanders promised to send a car for them, but it never arrived.
“Everyone left, everyone retreated. They told us that the car would pick us up... There are six of us, four others like me also cannot walk,” said the Kiev militant.
When asked by his sobbing wife why and how their commanders abandoned them, he replied that he did not know.
As Regnum reported, new positions have been prepared for the Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters located in Avdievka, said the commander of the Ukrainian operational-strategic group of troops “Tavria” Alexander Tarnavsky on February 16.
A prisoner of war from the Azov regiment (a terrorist organization whose activities are prohibited in the Russian Federation) Roman Tutov said that after the incident with the Russian Il-76 shot down by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Belgorod region, in which there were Ukrainian prisoners, he is afraid to return home on exchange, because he might die from the impact of missiles from their own countrymen.
The Ukrainian called the crash caused by the Ukrainian Armed Forces with a Russian plane a crime for which the perpetrators must be punished.
The daily routine of Ukrainian Armed Forces military personnel in Russian captivity does not involve work. They are prescribed to get full sleep, walk twice a day and eat three times a day. Viktor Murakhovsky, editor-in-chief of Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, told RIA Novosti about this.
Ukrainian fighters maneuver out of destroyed positions in Avdiivka and gain a foothold on new lines
The commander of the Tavria OSUV, Alexander Tarnavsky, spoke about the situation in the Avdeevsky direction.
Ukrainian defenders maneuver out of destroyed positions in Avdiivka and consolidate on new lines of defense. However, some of the soldiers were captured by Russians. This was stated by the commander of the Tavria OSUV, Alexander Tarnavsky, on his Telegram channel on Friday, February 16.
“Heavy fighting continues within the city of Avdievka. The enemy continues to launch artillery shelling and massive bomb attacks, practically wiping the city off the face of the earth,” the statement says.
The military man emphasized that the enemy is throwing all his reserves into the assault, transferring them to other directions, and is trying to push through our defenses. The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to restrain the Russian occupiers, who numerically predominate in personnel, artillery and aviation.
Since the beginning of the day, Ukrainian defenders have repelled more than 30 Russian attacks in the Avdeevka area. The aggressor carried out 20 airstrikes and more than one and a half hundred artillery attacks.
He also said that Ukrainian soldiers were maneuvering out of destroyed positions and gaining a foothold on new lines of defense.
“I note that the priority is preserving the lives of our soldiers. Therefore, if necessary, they retreat to new positions. Unfortunately, during one of these exits, several of our soldiers were captured,” the commander wrote.
He added that Ukraine will fight for the release of every soldier.
Tarnavsky said that the evacuation of the wounded was complicated by continuous shelling, but was being carried out. The necessary reserves are being transferred to our defenders.
According to him, there is now a fire at the Avdeevka coke plant, where Russian terrorists, as a result of shelling, set fire to a tank with naphthalene residues and bitumen tar in the warehouse.
Tarnavsky explained that to understand the scale of the enemy’s offensive, you need to know that the lion’s share of the occupiers’ losses in the Tauride direction occurred precisely in Avdeevka. In particular, since the beginning of the year, the losses of the occupiers in this direction amounted to 20,018 people, 199 tanks and 481 armored combat vehicles (January 1 - February 15, 2024).
The Avdeevka defensive operation continues, the enemy is paying a high price.
We previously wrote that the Russian army has lost 18 thousand people in the Tavria OSUL zone since the beginning of 2024.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Russia considers it necessary to calculate the damage that was caused to various countries due to the colonial policies of the West, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said on February 16 at the forum “For the Freedom of Nations.”
Has he ever thought to calculate the damage done by Russia’s colonialist policies, just during the Soviet era? North Korea, for instance…
“It is important to systematize information about crimes committed during the colonial period and begin an objective assessment of the damage caused. It is to assess the damage,” Medvedev said.
The Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council also noted that former colonial empires still think in the logic of their own exclusivity and cling to the ghosts of the past.
Medvedev also drew attention to the fact that the United States is trying to subjugate everyone to its will, but alone is not able to win the global battle. Therefore, Washington continues to involve its satellites in the implementation of neocolonial policies and place the main burden of all costs on them, he concluded.
As Regnum reported, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his greeting to the international forum “For the Freedom of Nations,” said that colonial policy should have remained a shameful page of the past, but the West is still trying to resort to similar practices.
Aggressive manifestations of colonial policy are occurring today in attempts by the collective West to maintain its dominance and dominance by any means, to economically subjugate other countries, deprive them of sovereignty, and impose foreign values and cultural traditions, the Russian President emphasized.
The Forum “For the Freedom of Nations,” which takes place in Moscow, was organized on the initiative of United Russia; the meeting of the organizing committee took place in November 2023. The party’s proposal was supported by President Vladimir Putin, and the Russian Foreign Ministry provided support for the event. It is expected that the forum will be held twice a year.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Viktor Lavrinenko
[REGNUM] Following the results of two rounds of presidential elections, Finland has a new head of state. The thirteenth president of Suomi was 55-year-old Kai-Göran Alexander Stubb, for whom 51.6% of voters voted. The inauguration will take place on March 1. Stubb is a definite “Westerner”, an ardent supporter of NATO membership. And all the more unexpected are the assumptions about the role that the West can entrust to him.
And upon closer examination of his biography, it turns out that the image of an uncompromising Russophobe attributed to Stubb is by no means so unambiguous.
SWEDE WITH A RUSSIAN NAME
Interestingly, the new president of Finland is not a purebred Finn. Born in 1968 in Helsinki, Stubb comes from a Finnish-Swedish family and graduated from a Swedish-language high school. It is also noteworthy that his father at one time admitted that he named his two sons Alexander and Nicholas in honor of the Russian emperors, whose possessions included Suomi. That is, the future head of state grew up in an atmosphere of interest in Russian culture and history.
After high school, Stubb received higher education at Furman University in South Carolina and at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. He completed his doctorate in international relations at the London School of Economics. After graduating, he received a position in the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Alexander Stubb's political career began when he was elected as a European parliamentarian in 2004, running for the Finnish right-wing party National Coalition. In 2008, he joined the government and headed the Finnish Foreign Ministry.
During his tenure, the South Ossetian crisis occurred. Although Stubb condemned Russia’s recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, he nevertheless showed himself to be a strong opponent of the introduction of sanctions. On September 7, 2008, Stubb announced that he was quite satisfied with Moscow’s cooperation with the OSCE mission in South Ossetia.
However, he advocated for Finland’s membership in NATO even then.
In 2011, Stubb was elected to the Finnish parliament from the same “National Coalition”, and a little later he was appointed Minister of EU Affairs and Foreign Trade. In April 2014, he announced his intention to fight for the post of party chairman and prime minister, since it was the National Coalition that then ruled the government.
He successfully implemented his plans, but after the failure of the National Coalition in the 2015 parliamentary elections, Stubb resigned as prime minister. A member of the Center Party, Juha Sipilä, was elected as the new prime minister, in whose cabinet Stubb took the post of Minister of Finance. In 2016, following the results of internal elections, Stubb lost the leadership of the National Coalition to Petteri Orpo, the current Finnish Prime Minister.
The politician's personal life has never become the subject of scandals.
At one time, Alexander Stubb married an Englishwoman, Susanna Innes, now their son and daughter are already adults. He has the image of an “athlete” - in his youth he was seriously interested in golf and was even a member of the national youth team, but then he gave up this activity to study. Stubb, however, did not completely abandon the sport and later became interested in triathlon. As a minister, he often appeared in the media in tracksuits for running and cycling, and also ran many marathons.
By the way, he was repeatedly criticized for his “too unbusinesslike and inappropriate appearance for a prime minister” (he could show up at a press conference in sandals and shorts), for “excessive arrogance”, for his commitment to foul language and for the fact that he has little understanding of the internal affairs of Finland.
"SIMPLE POLITICS"
As prime minister, Alexander Stubb repeatedly became the target of criticism for failing to establish interactions with coalition partners.
Thus, when Finland decided to cooperate with Rosatom to build a new nuclear power plant, the Green Party was so outraged that it chose to leave the government. In 2022, the Finnish side terminated this agreement by a unilateral decision. Later, Stubb was scolded for not breaking off relations with Russia, although sanctions had already been imposed on it for Crimea. Moreover, he accused his critics of Russophobia - that happened!
In 2017, Stubb left politics completely, seemingly forever. For some time he worked as Deputy General Director of the European Investment Bank, and since 2020 he has worked as a professor at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence.
However, last summer, representatives of the current Finnish ruling coalition decided to nominate Stubb for the presidency. As political scientists note, Stubb’s agreement was influenced by the fact that in Suomi the president mainly represents the state in the foreign political arena and is practically not involved in internal affairs.
At the same time, Stubb admits that if it were not for the aggravation of the Ukrainian crisis, he would hardly have run for office.
“After the attack (the start of the SVO in Ukraine - editor’s note), I got the impression that my experience, knowledge and network could be useful for Finland in the current situation in world politics,” Stubb said at the pre-election debate. Also, in a conversation with the press, he stated that during his presidency “there will be no political relations with the head of the Russian Federation or the Russian political leadership until they stop the war in Ukraine.”
At the same time, Stubb, however, invariably added that communication between diplomats of the two countries continues. The politician emphasized that he was not interested in the further deterioration of diplomatic ties with Russia, which are already extremely bad. But, according to him, now this “is not the main direction of Helsinki’s foreign policy.” The main direction is relations with the United States, other EU countries and NATO.
During the election debates, he had to fend off attacks from competing candidates, who recalled how Stubb had once signed an agreement on cooperation between Finland and Rosatom. Stubb had no choice but to repent for his action and say that he had made a “mistake” then.
Alexander Stubb also says that “it is very important that we in Europe take care of our own defense.” He explained: "In this sense, I largely agree with the current President of Finland, Sauli Niinisto, who said that we need a more European NATO." Stubb does not believe that the United States, even if Donald Trump is elected president there, will self-isolate on its continent. However, the Finnish presidential candidate believes that “it is always good to be prepared for a situation where we have to take on more responsibility.”
After his election, Stubb held a press conference, during which he repeated most of his previous statements and made new ones.
“The policy towards Russia is simple. Diplomatic and official relations remain. But there are no relations at the political level and there will not be until Russia stops the war in Ukraine,” said the newly elected head of state.
The election winner was also asked about the situation on the border with Russia, which was closed last year. He promised to “consider the issue calmly,” but added that “the government has dealt with the crisis.” In addition, he said that Finland needs to modernize its ground forces and work to bring its army into line with NATO standards. Stubb also said that he would take “an active position in the role of Supreme Commander.”
From this, experts concluded that Finland will continue the process of its militarization.
UNEXPECTED TURN
After Stubb’s victory in the elections became a fait accompli, the local press circulated the most interesting opinion of political scientist Johanna Rainio-Niemi, voiced on Finnish television.
As strange as it may sound now, Rainio-Niemi believes that during Stubb's term, Finland will have to reconsider its relations with Russia. From her point of view, Finland “may be asked” to act as a mediator between the West and Russia. Johanna Rainio-Niot noted that both Stubb and his main election rival Pekka Haavisto expressed their readiness to mediate “if such a wish comes from the Western allies.”
From Rainio-Niemi’s point of view, such a request, given Finland’s previous relations with Russia, quite normal until 2022, is very possible. They say that in the West the Finns are viewed as specialists in Russia, better acquainted with the mentality of its people and leaders. “At some point, relations with Russia will have to be reconsidered, and the president will play a key role in this,” the political scientist said, adding, however, that this is another question: is Suomi interested in playing the role of a mediator?
The fact that such an opinion has some basis was confirmed by Stubb himself.
Speaking at the aforementioned press conference about the formation of his administration, he said that he would need people with connections to the foreign and defense ministries of other Western bloc countries, an expert on NATO, as well as “someone with extensive experience in peace negotiations.”
Stubb's focus on foreign policy will shield him from undue criticism of the state's internal turmoil.
Since the presidency in Finland imposes mainly representative functions on its holder, this means that all the big shots will continue to fall on the Cabinet of Ministers, headed by Petteri Orpo. By the way, Stubb is no longer a member of the Orpo party, because immediately after the victory he left the National Coalition, so as not to be associated with any one party.
Meanwhile, Finland has been rocked by large-scale strikes for more than a year.
The country is short of money, and the right-wing government that came to power last year is trying to cut costs by cutting social benefits. The gigantic budget deficit did not appear out of nowhere: the country is experiencing an economic recession. The reasons for this decline are complex, but not least among them is the breakdown of economic relations with Russia. By refusing to trade with its eastern neighbor, the state of Suomi caused itself significant economic damage, which it would not be possible to compensate for, even if it wanted to.
Representatives of various industries are now on strike in Finland all the time.
Thus, on February 14–16, the Finnish Industrial Trade Union (Teollisuusliitto) is organizing a strike at a number of heavy industry enterprises. About 60 thousand workers from the technological and chemical industries, as well as mechanical wood processing enterprises, take part in the action. Chairman of Teollisuusliitto Riku Aalto considers the strike justified, since the government, according to him, has not expressed any desire to listen to the opinions of trade unions.
Other major trade unions also joined the three-day action initiated by Teollisuusliitto. Among others, drivers of the capital's metro, tram drivers, dock workers, employees of the nuclear power plant in the city of Loviisa, staff of shops and logistics centers, teachers in kindergartens, etc. are on strike.
The end of the strikes is not visible for objective reasons, since there are no grounds for a sharp economic recovery in Finland. And this could be an additional incentive for Stubb if the leadership of the Western bloc really decides to entrust him with the mission of a negotiator.
Improving relations with Russia could have a positive impact on the economy of Suomi and the well-being of its people. But it is clear that the republic will not agree to any negotiations on its own initiative.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
