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Ukraine’s Western patrons in panic mode amid Avdeyevka reports

Mainstream media in the West has been churning out hysterical headlines warning of Kiev’s imminent loss of Avdeyevka, a city used by Ukrainian troops as a staging area for attacks against the Donetsk People's Republic.

The New York Times ran a story under the headline “Losing Ground, Ukraine Seeks New Positions Around Avdiivka.” “Ukraine on verge of losing Avdiivka, strategic city long targeted by Russia” was the headline that The Washington Post went with, amid reports that Ukrainian forces have started withdrawing from the city as they otherwise risk being cut off by advancing Russian troops.

Newsweek joined the chorus, highlighting “Ukraine's Last Ditch Effort to Save Avdiivka.” The publication cited Ukrainian officials as admitting the situation was “critical” and that Russian forces had “almost encircled” Kiev’s troops.

The frenzied reporting was set off after the Ukrainian military said that a partial withdrawal from Avdeyevka had begun. The Washington Post reported earlier that Kiev’s military believes that the city's liberation by Russian forces is only a matter of time.

Avdeyevka was seized by Kiev in 2014 during the onset of the Ukraine conflict. Since then, the city has been used by Ukrainian troops as a staging area for attacks against the DPR, with Ukrainian artillery deployed in Avdeyevka frequently shelling residential areas of nearby Donetsk.

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Second time’s the charm? Biden asks ‘sanctions architect’ who failed to thrash Russian economy to try again

Career Washington Beltway insider and financial whiz Daleep Singh has been tapped to rejoin the Biden White House to try find new ways to try to puncture Russia’s stubbornly sanctions-resistant economy after the first attempt, which he coordinated, failed utterly in 2022.

▪️ Singh, 47, left the post of deputy national security advisor for international economics in April 2022 for “family reasons,” after it became clear that unprecedented US and EU sanctions failed to achieve their goal of collapsing the Russian economy. Instead, the Russian ruble bounced back, Moscow reoriented its exports and turned to neighbors like China for its high-tech imports and machine goods.

▪️ To date, the only tangible result of Western sanctions has been to see Russia’s economy overtake Germany’s in GDP PPP terms to become the fifth-largest in the world

▪️ The career deep-state operator’s reappointment, planned for the end of February, comes amid the Biden administration’s increasingly comical efforts to find ways to continue what Russian officials have characterized as an economic ‘total war’ against Russia — as European aid for Kiev shrivels and a $61-billion US package of aid to Ukraine remains stuck in Congress.

▪️ It may also be a sign of growing desperation in the administration, as officials jump ship ahead of the upcoming presidential elections — where the incumbent is widely expected to be thrashed if a free and fair vote takes place.

▪️ Returning to the National Security Council, Singh is expected to help “coordinate” the US position on sanctions at international forums including the G7 and the G20.

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The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on the United States to exercise restraint instead of making sweeping accusations regarding the death of Navalny and to wait for the results of the forensic examination.

The ministry also questions why the death of a Russian citizen is more significant to the United States than the death of an American, Gonzalo Lira, who was killed in a Ukrainian prison.

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Inside Russian troops' underground city in special op zone

▪️ The protected underground facility, built by personnel from the Dnepr Group of Forces in a frontline area in Kherson region, consists of a massive tunnel network over 3 km long and some 3 meters underground.

▪️ Along with defensive features, the facility includes lighting, heating, living quarters, a kitchen, laundry and clothing drying room, clothing repair shop, gym complete with weights, dumbbells, barbells, and bunching bags, Russian sauna, barbershop, and other conveniences.

▪️ A cat keeps troops company and keeps a lookout for rats.

▪️ The “underground city’s” main purpose is “to protect personnel from artillery shells, shrapnel, and copter-dropped bombs,” the clothing supply officer, call sign ‘Lis’ (lit. ‘Fox’) told a Sputnik correspondent touring the facility. “All the dugouts where our personnel live are covered with slabs used on airfields and earthen embankments covering them,” the soldier explained.

▪️ The bunker network’s kitchen serves hearty meals ranging from pea soup and canned meat to buckwheat porridge, pasta and borsht. “The guys are happy” with the cooking, the regiment’s head cook said. “Basically, they say it’s like being at home."

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The death of Navalny will provoke a military hysteria in the West in support of Kiev and strengthen censorship in the media, believes Florian Philippot, the leader of the French party "Patriots."

All of this, in his opinion, will be done, "undoubtedly, for the sake of good and democracy."

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🇺🇸 "The US perceives that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are running out of 'critical' resources and view Avdeevka as a precursor to new setbacks if American assistance is not resumed," Pentagon officials stated.

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Sputnik International
The death of Navalny will provoke a military hysteria in the West in support of Kiev and strengthen censorship in the media, believes Florian Philippot, the leader of the French party "Patriots." All of this, in his opinion, will be done, "undoubtedly, for…
The reaction of Western leaders, politicians, and media to the news of Navalny's death once again demonstrated their hypocrisy, cynicism, and lack of principles, stated the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The "blame Russia in any situation" scheme is in action, Moscow believes, asserting that the responses to Navalny's death were "pre-prepared."

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What NATO members meet alliance quotas on defense spending?

Donald Trump caused quite a stir this week both in the US and in Europe after vowing not to protect NATO states, which he deems to contribute insufficiently to the alliance. "I've been saying, 'Look, if they're not going to pay, we're not going to protect, OK?'," the former president and presumptive Republican nominee in 2024 said on the campaign trail.

What’s the root of the problem? In 2014, NATO members pledged to commit at least 2% of their GDP to defense by the year 2025. However, not all members could fulfill these obligations. It’s not just about greed or poor performance. The “failure” to fulfill the bloc’s agreements mainly stems from some allies’ sheer inability to allocate 2% of GDP for unclear defense efforts against vague “threats”.

So, which countries in the alliance were able to achieve the goal?
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🍔 Tucker Carlson appreciated Russian cheeseburgers, calling them excellent. Sputnik checked the prices of cheeseburgers to find the cheapest and most expensive ones.

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Why is Zelensky pushing for separate security pacts with France and Germany?

Ukraine’s president wants interim support from Kiev’s patrons as his quest to join NATO threatens to drag on into infinity, says Mikael Valtersson, a former Swedish Armed Forces officer and chief of staff of the Sweden Democrats Party, explaining Kiev’s push for bilateral security treaties with European countries.

The pacts are “an easy way out for NATO countries” when it comes to the proxy war quagmire with Russia. “They’ve already promised that they will do a lot for Ukraine in the coming ten years but what’s important for Ukraine is what happens over the next year,” the analyst told Sputnik.

“The European countries – the major powers, and especially Germany and the United Kingdom, have said that they must keep supporting Ukraine even if the US doesn’t continue support. It’s hard to get support from the US right now, and if Trump will become president in the elections, it will become even harder. I believe the US will stop supporting Ukraine. So, the European countries are talking about taking over the US role. It’s very hard. It means a lot of money, and moreover, they can’t replace the United States when it comes to military means because they have no reserves,” Valtersson said.

The bilateral pacts, which are also designed to keep Europe in a state of a permanent “Cold War with Russia,” are inherently unstable given the political weakness of their signatories, who face being thrown out of office in elections, after which the agreements could be nullified, the Swedish observer believes.

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US President Joe Biden said that he has seen no evidence that Russia has decided to move forward with doing anything in space amid reports Russia is considering placing some anti-satellite capability into orbit.

"There is no evidence that they [Russians] have made a decision to go forward with doing anything in space," Biden said.

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🔺Why is Zelensky pushing for separate security pacts with France and Germany?

🔺Ukraine’s Western patrons in panic mode amid Avdeyevka reports

🔺What is Russian troops' underground city in special op zone

🔺‘If you want to get radicalized, see all of Russia’: Scott Ritter on Carlson’s Moscow ‘radicalization’

🔺Second time’s the charm? Biden asks ‘sanctions architect’ who failed to thrash Russian economy to try again

🔺What NATO members meet alliance quotas on defense spending?

🔺The instant reaction of NATO leaders to Navalny's death in the form of direct accusations against Russia is self-revealing, Russian FM spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

🔺Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s key statements at the Conference Marking 10th Anniversary of 'Euromaidan' Unrest
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Battle for Avdeyevka: The view from Donetsk (Part 1)

Sputnik correspondent Russell Bentley (@TXDPR) writes:

I feel the liberation of Avdeyevka not only in my bones, but in my soul. Not only have I lived in Donetsk under shelling from the Nazi strongpoint of Avdeyevka for almost ten years, but my first military position, back in December 2014, was in Yasynuvata, just across the Donetsk - Gorlovka Highway from Avdeyevka.

In 2016, I was in Avdeyevka, when DPR forces pushed back a Ukrainian advance into what was then the ‘Grey Zone’ residential area of Avdeyevka, on the north side of the highway. Shortly after my visit, the entire residential area of Avdeyevka was razed to the ground by Ukrainian artillery, and until recently, everything north of the highway has been under control of Banderastan. In the summer of 2017, I served on the very front line of the Avdeyevka front. One side of the highway was ours (DPR), the other side belonged to the Ukrainians. I could look through a periscope and see Ukrainian flags flying a few hundred meters away.

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Sputnik International
Battle for Avdeyevka: The view from Donetsk (Part 1) Sputnik correspondent Russell Bentley (@TXDPR) writes: I feel the liberation of Avdeyevka not only in my bones, but in my soul. Not only have I lived in Donetsk under shelling from the Nazi strongpoint…
Battle for Avdeyevka: The view from Donetsk (Part 2) by Texas Bentley

"Most of the shelling of Donetsk civilian areas over the last ten years have come from Avdeyevka, including the recent mass murder of 27 civilians at the Tekstilshchik Market, in my neighborhood, less than a month ago. Avdeyevka was known as an ‘impregnable fortress’ of Nazi power, and yet I have lived to see it begin to fall. Many of my friends, both civilian and military, did not. But those of us who lived, swore a solemn oath on their blood that we would see it fall, or die like they did, trying. That's why I say I feel this victory in my soul, because I know my friends feel it in theirs today, even from another world. And today, we kept that promise.

And I feel it in my bones today, too, because today, instead of the steady rumble of Avdeyevka artillery, there was silence. There hasn't been any shelling of Donetsk today, at all. Today, the Nazis who have bombed us for almost a decade from Avdeyevka are too busy running for their lives to target civilians or anyone else. My wife even commented today, ‘It's been really quiet today.’ So far, from experience, we know that every time we have a significant military victory, the Nazis take it out on our civilians. The Nazis have HIMARS, CAESAR and TOCHKA-U, that can target Donetsk from far behind Avdeyevka, and we know what kind of atrocities to expect in the coming days. But we are not going anywhere, we are ready to face whatever comes. We know there will be retribution by the nazis against civilians soon. But we stand fast, civilians and soldiers, ready to move forward, for the future of humanity.”

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Friday that the state will establish a base camp for military personnel at the United States’ border with Mexico near Eagle Pass, in an effort to secure the border from illegal immigration.

"To expand our border security capabilities, we are building a new Texas Military Department base camp that allows the Texas National Guard to increase and to improve operations in this area," Abbott said during a press conference.


Construction of the base camp has already started on an 80-acre area designated for the base camp, Abbott said.

The base camp will be able to house up to 2,300 soldiers, if needed, Abbott added.

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Ukrainian media sources publish footage showing Ukrainian armored vehicles with evidence of damage reportedly leaving Avdeyevka.

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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the situation around Rafah does not require the introduction of any additional measures against Israel that are being demanded by South Africa.

"The Court notes that the most recent developments in the Gaza Strip, and in Rafah ... demands immediate and effective implementation of the provisional measures indicated by the Court in its Order of 26 January 2024, which are applicable throughout the Gaza Strip, including in Rafah, and does not demand the indication of additional provisional measures," the ICJ said.


On February 13, the South African government said that it had made an "urgent request" to the ICJ over Israel's decision to expand its operation in the Gaza Strip to the southern city of Rafah.

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“The Russian flag over a monument to Soviet soldiers. Now that's the news of the day. Thank you, brothers!” Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT and Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group wrote on her Telegram channel, commenting on a video purportedly showing Russian soldiers placing a Russian flag on a monument to Soviet soldiers in Avdeyevka.

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Russian Marines of the Pacific Fleet are storming Ukrainian Armed Forces positions near Novomykhailovka.

Marine infantry units have significantly improved their position on the front line and continue to advance. With artillery and assault aviation support, the marines are attacking the enemy from multiple directions simultaneously, systematically breaching their defenses.

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A US judge ruled that former President Donald Trump is liable for more than $354 million in his civil fraud trial in the state of New York, court documents revealed on Friday.

The civil fraud case against Trump was brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James for allegedly lying about the value of Trump properties, for which James sought $370 million in fines and to ban Trump from the New York State real estate industry. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the case.

Moreover, US Judge Arthur Engoron ordered that defendants Donald Trump, Allen Weisselberg, and Jeffrey McConney are prohibited from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation or other legal entity in New York for three years. Engoron also banned Trump and the Trump organization from applying for loans from any New York-chartered financial institution for three years.

Aside from the punishments, Engoron removed the order that Trump's companies must be dissolved.

Trump’s attorney Alina Habba called the ruling a “manifest injustice” and added that, “given the grave stakes” of the case, Trump’s legal team plans to appeal it.

“It is the culmination of a multi-year, politically fueled witch hunt that was designed to 'take down Donald Trump,' before Letitia James ever stepped foot into the [New York State] Attorney General's office," Habba said in a statement to CNN.


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