NATO is directly involved in Ukraine conflict against Russians

"Special forces of the United States, France, and England are fighting in Ukraine. This should also be kept in mind. (…) We see that NATO is really involved and is actively taking part in hostilities on the side of Ukraine," Leonid Reshetnikov, a retired lieutenant general of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), told Sputnik.

According to Reshetnikov, NATO's deployment in Ukraine includes:

▪️Western intelligence operatives

▪️Sophisticated Western-made weapons with repair staff, crews, and trainers

▪️Professional Special Ops disguised as foreign mercenaries

On March 1, a trannoscript of the conversation of high-ranking German Bundeswehr representatives discussing a plan to attack the Crimean Bridge with Taurus missiles was released.

Judging from the chatter, the British and French military have also been acting in Ukraine. This echoes German Chancellor Scholz's earlier remarks about UK and French soldiers helping Ukrainians fire missiles at Russia's targets. Scholz has been lambasted for a "flagrant abuse of intelligence" by his allies for disclosing this information.

Earlier, a senior European official told the FT that NATO troops have covertly participated in hostilities on Ukraine's side for quite a while.

Reshetnikov assumed that the latest leaks may show some Western players are seeking to stop their NATO peers from getting bogged down in Ukraine as it is fraught with a risk of a direct confrontation with Russia.

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Russian FM Sergey Lavrov's statements at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum:

▪️There are not only foreign mercenaries but also career officers from other countries, including the French and British, in Ukraine;

▪️The words of the Pentagon chief that Ukraine’s defeat in the conflict with Russia threatens a military clash between NATO and Russia are a “Freudian slip";

▪️The OSCE does not represent an organization for Russia that can be relied upon;

▪️Moscow does not expect changes in relations with the United States after the election of the US president;

▪️About Tiraspol asking for help: the question should be addressed to the regime in Kishinev, which is following in the footsteps of the one in Kiev.

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Russia demands explanations from Germany after a conversation of German military officials about a potential attack on the Crimean Bridge was published, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.

"We demand an explanation from Germany. Official Berlin is obliged to provide them as soon as possible," Zakharova said, adding that attempts to avoid responding to questions will be considered as "pleading guilty."

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West desperate as Ukraine loses ground, shifts to more terror attacks

Judging from the trannoscript of the German Bundeswehr representatives' chatter about blasting the Crimean Bridge, the West is desperate and ready to move towards more terrorist attacks, Earl Rasmussen, a retired lieutenant colonel with over 20 years in the US Army, told Sputnik.

"[It's indicated by] the extent of the discussions, the planning, the use of potential long-range weapons, the attempt to wipe their hands clear, to basically target essentially civilian infrastructure in what everyone knows Crimea is never going back to Ukraine, no matter what negotiations are held," he said.

A leaked trannoscript of a recent phone conversation between high-ranking German officers was published online by Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT and Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group. Discussing a planned attack on the Crimea bridge, one of officers said that more than 10 or even 20 missiles may be needed to destroy it. According to Rasmussen, it's safe to assume that Britain's MI-6 and Germany's BND are coordinating on the ground, including in targeting and orchestrating sabotage attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure.

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More than 20,000 people from 188 countries will be meeting at the World Youth Festival in Russia

"The brightest and most talented young people from all over the world are gathering here. And of course, everyone is waiting for Russian leaders and politicians to share their opinions and experiences with the participants".

As an official media partner, Sputnik will cover all the most interesting events from the festival, Stay tuned!

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Ukraine’s agricultural sector ravaged by fighting and Kiev’s press-ganging

The ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine has taken its toll on the country’s agriculture.

While swathes of arable land became inaccessible due to constant fighting, not to mention the risk posed by unexploded ordnance that might be lurking in the fields, the lack of farm workers further complicates the situation.

Seeking to bolster the numbers of its rapidly-dwindling armed forces, Kiev has resorted to press ganging Ukrainians into service, with Bloomberg lamenting that the skills possessed by some of these drafted farmers are often “so specialized that it isn’t easy for women, retirees or others who remain to fill the gap.”

These factors have apparently contributed to a significant decline in Ukraine’s grain production between 2020 and 2024, including corn, wheat, barley and sunflower seeds, the report added, citing data from the US Department of Agriculture.

Such concern for the plight of Ukraine’s agriculture may or may not have something to do with the fact that much of Ukrainian farmland is owned by Western corporations.

“A significant portion of Ukrainian arable land (over 17 million hectares) is owned by Western corporations such as Cargill, DuPont and Monsanto,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said last year.

Having managed to acquire these lands thanks to Kiev lifting a 20-year moratorium on the sale of agricultural land at the IMF's behest, these companies thus “became the main beneficiaries of the Ukrainian grain exports,” the ministry added.

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US nuclear umbrella: why Germany doesn’t want it anymore

The main reason why Germany along many other EU members have purportedly started to look at an autonomous European nuclear defense system is that “they have serious doubts” about whether a possible second Trump presidency “will continue to protect Europe in the future,” Mikael Valtersson, former officer of Swedish Armed Forces, told Sputnik.

“Many European politicians are skeptical not only about Trump's commitment, but the entire Republican party's commitment to European security,” Valtersson, who is also former defense politician and chief of staff with Sweden Democrats, said.

He remained downbeat about the EU’s ability to create the bloc’s common European nuclear defense system, arguing that “Neither France nor the UK is likely to give up their control of their own nuclear forces.”

Even if created, the EU’s nuclear capability “would only be a fraction of US or Russian capabilities. Advanced ABM and other Air Defense assets would probably be able to destroy most of these few nuclear weapons and Europe would risk a devastating nuclear attack in case of a nuclear war, with limited capability to inflict huge damages on an enemy”, according to Valtersson.

He spoke amid reports that Germany is “quietly” discussing the creation of a European alternative to US nuclear umbrella. Former US President Donald Trump, for his part, earlier pledged that if elected, he would “encourage” Russia “to do whatever... they want” to countries that are “delinquent” in paying their NATO “bills”.

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Breakdown of the conversation between high-ranking German military officials about attacking the Crimean Bridge

Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT and Rossiya Segodnya (Sputnik's parent media group), published the text of a conversation held between Bundeswehr representatives discussing a possible attack on the Crimean Bridge with Taurus missiles.

People involved:

1. Gen. Frank Grafe (department head for operations and exercises at the Air Force Command);

2. Ingo Gerhartz (Bundeswehr Air Force inspector);

3. Fenske and Frohstedte (employees of the Air Operations Command within the Space Operations Center).

Topics discussed:

▪️Taurus deliveries being blocked by Chancellor Olaf Scholz;

▪️Deliveries were discussed behind closed doors;

▪️Transferring missiles as aid to Ukraine will have political consequences;

▪️UK has supplied missiles via Ridgeback armored vehicles;

▪️French supplies of Scalp missiles;

▪️Close cooperation with the German missile manufacturer;

▪️Using UK’s experience in training Ukrainian soldiers;

▪️Providing close technical support for Ukraine;

▪️Possible involvement of Poland in multilateral communications channel;

▪️US military personnel present in Ukraine as “people in civilian attire who speak with an American accent”;

Attack details:

▪️Possible strike would target the Crimean Bridge and nearby ammunition depots;

▪️Taurus missiles would be mounted on a Tornado carrier;

▪️Admission of Russian civilian casualties.

The FULL TRANSCRIPT is available on the Sputnik website. Audio is here.

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Is NATO seeking to drag Russia into direct conflict?

A series of leaks concerning NATO's involvement in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, including the leaked chatter between high-ranking German officers, appear to indicate that the transatlantic alliance is seeking to drag Russia into a direct conflict, according to Earl Rasmussen, a retired lieutenant colonel with over 20 years in the US Army and and international consultant.

"There shouldn't be a concern of Russia attacking NATO, but they're definitely trying to create that situation. And so if they're attacked by NATO, then Russia will counterattack," Rasmussen told Sputnik.

A leaked trannoscript of a recent German Bundeswehr representatives' conversation was published online by Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT and Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group. One of the officers mentioned a planned trip to Ukraine on February 21 to coordinate attacks on Russian objects. Apparently this push stems from Ukraine's losses on the ground and growing divisions within NATO over further arming and supporting Ukraine, the consultant presumed.

"They're creating this conflict into an existential threat for NATO. You noticed this statement from Macron the other week, they've got divisions inside NATO, I think, heavy, heavy divisions," Rasmussen said. "They're in a very critical, desperate situation."

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❗️EXCLUSIVE: Russian commander tells the inside story of how cheap Russian drone destroyed an expensive US Abrams tank

The US-made M1 Abrams tank, an armored behemoth worth several million dollars, was taken out by a cheap drone made in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk, says commander of an assault reconnaissance UAV team of Russia’s 15th Guards “Alexandria” Brigade, the unit responsible for the tank's destruction.

In an interview with Sputnik, the commander, identified only by his callsign “Kolovrat”, explained that the drone model is called Piranha and that it is only 10 inches in size. “The payload was ordinary, the most primitive one – a PG-7L, an RPG rocket,” he added, saying that both the drone and the munition it was carrying were slightly upgraded by the Russian troops on the frontline. Kolovrat also said he hopes that the Abrams’ wreck will be recovered so that Russian children can play on it and “trample this American foe.”

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‘Impressive results’: growth of Russia’s agro-industrial sector reflects country's economic might

The past few years have seen sustained growth of the Russian economy’s agro-industrial sector, something that was specifically touted by President Vladimir Putin in his annual State of the Nation address.

Thanking Russian agrarian workers for the “impressive results”, Putin pointed out that:

▪️Russia not only fully provides itself with food but also remains the leader in the global wheat market;

▪️The country is among the world’s top twenty food exporting countries;

▪️By 2030, the volume of production of the Russian agro-industrial sector is due to further increase by at least a quarter compared to 2021, with exports set to grow by one and a half times;

▪️The government will continue to support the industry, as well as the program for the comprehensive development of rural areas;

Agriculture became one of the most dynamically developing sectors of the Russian economy in 2022, showing production growth of more than 10%, the Russian Agriculture Ministry has revealed. The statistics also reflected a rise in the share of profitable agricultural companies in Russia: over 90% in 2022 as compared to 86% in 2021.

As another sign of the growth, revenue from supplies of Russian agri-food production to foreign markets in 2023 exceeded $45 billion for the first time in history.

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German involvement in plot to attack Crimean Bridge would be act of war

If implemented, the Bundeswehr representatives' plot to attack Russia's Crimean Bridge with Taurus missiles would be nothing short of an act of war, retired Lieutenant Colonel Earl Rasmussen told Sputnik, commenting on the trannoscript of chatter between high-ranking German military officers that was released by Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT and Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group.

"Definitely it is an act of war," he said. "Well, I mean, just like the Nord Stream pipeline was really an act of war. And yet they just kind of let it happen and with no response from European countries. Germany specifically stood there right next to President Biden and just kind of like, 'okay'."

According to Rasmussen, details such as where missiles are fired from and who's behind the button are very important.

"We already know that, you know, Western NATO countries are involved in targeting to begin with. And I would say targeting not only within the Donbass, but targeting and plans for terrorist activities within Russia proper. So this would just be another, this would be a major, major escalation," the retired lieutenant colonel warned.

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📹 Sergey Lavrov answered a question about a recording of a discussion between German military officers plotting an attack on the Crimean Bridge.

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How was Transnistria - an unrecognized republic bordering Ukraine that recently asked Russia for help - born?

Find out about the history of the conflict between Transnistria and Moldova in our video.

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Split personality disorder? Still no reason to dodge the draft in Ukraine

Captured 51-year-old Ukrainian soldier Vasily Kulachuk told Sputnik that he was mobilized into the Ukrainian Armed Forces despite his diagnosis.

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▪️Breakdown of the conversation between high-ranking German military officials about attacking the Crimean Bridge

▪️Russian FM Sergey Lavrov's statements at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum

▪️NATO is directly involved in Ukraine conflict against Russians

▪️EXCLUSIVE: Russian commander tells the inside story of how cheap Russian drone destroyed an expensive US Abrams tank

▪️The terms of the almost-agreed-upon April 2022 peace deal between Ukraine and the Russian Federation

▪️Ukraine’s agricultural sector ravaged by fighting and Kiev’s press-ganging

▪️More than 20,000 people from 188 countries will be meeting at the World Youth Festival in Russia

▪️US nuclear umbrella: why Germany doesn’t want it anymore

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The German Defence Ministry has initiated a probe into the possible interception of German Air Force communications about the alleged theoretical use of Taurus missiles, DPA reported.

The White House is taking “extraordinary measures” to minimize the risk of pro-Palestinian activists interfering with events involving US President Joe Biden, NBC News reports.

For the head of state’s speeches, his team now selects more intimate audiences, avoids university campuses due to the increased political activity of students, and keeps the exact location of the meetings secret from journalists and the public until Biden’s arrival.

At least once, the option of hiring a private company to screen participants was considered.

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The West would approve of almost any crime Ukraine might commit while fighting against Russia

Ukraine’s use of landmines - despite the fact that the country is party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention - is unlikely to attract any condemnation from the West, says Boris Rozhin, military expert with an independent Russian military affairs think tank called Center for Military-Political Journalism.

According to him, Western powers would be content with virtually any crime the regime in Kiev might commit, as long as these crimes are committed as part of actions against Russia. And if the crime would be too heinous for the West to openly approve of, Western media would quickly swoop in to do damage control and contain the fallout.

“That said, when it comes to the use of some banned munitions, like cluster munitions, accusing Ukraine of it is laughable,” Rozhin adds. “Because the West, the United States in particular, supplied Ukraine with a vast quantity of cluster munitions that are being used by Kiev both in combat and against civilians, so there is no reason to expect any reaction.”

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Ukraine conflict: Russia's existential struggle against West's might

"It is hard evidence of direct Western involvement in the planning of Ukrainian military operations. Many have assumed this already, but now there is proof of this," Mikael Valtersson, a former officer of the Swedish Armed Forces/Air Defense and former chief of staff with the Sweden Democrats, tells Sputnik, commenting on the release of German military representatives' chatter about attacking Russia's Crimean Bridge with Taurus missiles.

The emerging evidence is changing the perception of the conflict among Westerners: whereas previously they believed it was Russia versus Ukraine, now they see it's Russia versus NATO, he says.

"Many automatically stand with the weaker part in conflicts and if the conflict is seen as an existential struggle for Russia against the entire might of the West, it will strengthen support for Russia in the world," Valtersson underscores.

A leaked trannoscript of a recent Bundeswehr representatives' February conversation was published online by Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT and Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group. The chatter suggests that the German military have been involved in the conflict despite German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's claims that he wouldn't deploy the nation's contingent in Ukraine.

"Scholz said that (…) he didn't want German military personnel in Ukraine. Then it becomes rather hypocritical to say that and at the same time have German officers in Ukraine, involved in the planning of Ukrainian attacks," Valtersson stresses.

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