Ukraine may ditch legally toothless finger-pointing blacklist under Western pressure

Kiev may jettison its so-called "sponsors of war" register amid strong backlash from Western countries, Reuters reported. The illegal list has been integral to the Kiev regime’s concocted "name-and-shame" campaign, targeting an estimated 50 major companies that continued to do business with Russia despite sanctions.

"It's China, but not only China," one insider reportedly said, while also making reference to France, since French retailers Auchan and Leroy Merlin, in addition to China’s Alibaba Group (Aliexpress owner) and the country’s largest oil and gas companies, are on the notorious list.

Earlier, the press service of Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers said on March 20 that the government was removing public access to the ‘International Sponsors of War’ list from the website of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) following requests from partners.

The blacklist hasn’t got a legal leg to stand on, being purely an instrument of blackmail by the Kiev regime.

However, it naturally sparked an array of scandals: last October, Hungary blocked the allocation of 500 million euros ($533 million) for arms deliveries to Ukraine after it failed to receive guarantees from Kiev on the non-inclusion of Hungarian companies in the list because of “far-fetched reasons.”

With the lack of battlefield successes and further US military aid in limbo, the Kiev regime may have to swallow yet another bitter reputational pill, as more and more countries grow irritated with Ukraine's attempt to drag them into the conflict with Russia with fake news and blackmail.

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The US knew about the preparation of the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told Rzeczpospolita.

According to him, if you believe the press, the subversion was committed by someone who had an interest. At the same time, the diplomat did not specify who exactly, in his opinion, carried out the attack.

"The American side had preliminary information about it and did not hinder the case," Sikorski emphasised.

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Ukraine's prime minister said about 20 power substations had been damaged, calling the damage the most extensive in recent times. "There are problems in several regions," he said.

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A Ukrainian Oscar-winning "documentary" film passed off Ukrainian forces' shelling of Gorlovka, where a family was killed, as an alleged Russian attack on Mariupol.

The movie showed a pink baby jacket hanging from a tree, allegedly filmed in Mariupol, but it is footage from the DPR.

An RT journalist revealed that the clips of the movie claiming authenticity do not correspond to reality. The items shown belonged to a dead little girl whose family was killed due to shelling by Ukrainian forces in 2014.

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FAB-3000: Russia turns deadly dumb bomb into standoff smart munition

Russia has begun the mass production of the FAB-3000 – a three-ton air-launched munition packed with a whopping 1,400 kg of explosives.

“These weapons have an enormous destructive effect,” retired Russian colonel and military analyst Viktor Litovkin told Sputnik, commenting on the FAB-3000’s capabilities.

“They can strike at strong points, at underground, concrete-reinforced command points. They can penetrate their targets, exploding and destroying everything, including underground warehouses, underneath concrete-reinforced roofs, and so on. Of course, they can also hit enemy personnel and military equipment. These are very powerful bombs because they cause enormous destruction,” the observer stressed.

Equipping the basic FAB-3000 free-falling munition with an UMPK (‘Unified Planning and Correction Module’), wings and rudder turns the dumb bomb into a laser and satellite-guided, glide-assisted standoff weapon that’s almost impossible to intercept. “That is, the aircraft can avoid entering the coverage area of the enemy’s air defenses, drop the bomb, and it will fly to the target and inflict damage, fulfilling its mission. These are its advantages – power and accuracy,” Litovkin said.

Along with the Tupolev Tu-22M3 supersonic strategic and maritime strike bomber, Litovkin expects the FAB-3000 to be carried by the Sukhoi Su-34 fighter bomber, and possibly Su-25 close air support and Su-24 tactical bombers.

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❗️The shooting occurred in the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, at least 3 people in camouflage opened fire. Some people are wounded, Sputnik correspondent reports.

Video from social media.

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Smoke occurred in Moscow’s Crocus City Hall, firefighters rushed to the scene, emergency services reported.

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Reports appear on social media about an explosion in the Crocus City Hall building in Moscow.

Video from social media

❗️Details about the shooting in Crocus City Hall from a Sputnik correspondent who was at the scene:

People in camouflage, at least three of them, burst into the ground floor of the Crocus City Hall and opened fire with automatic weapons. There are definitely wounded"

After that, according to him, they threw a grenade or an incendiary bomb, which started a fire.

“The people in the hall lay down on the floor to escape the shooting, lay there for 15-20 minutes, after which they began to crawl out. Many managed to get out.”

❗️Law enforcement officers are working at the scene of an emergency in Crocus City Hall, reports Sputnik correspondent

❗️The Governor of the Moscow Region Vorobiev reported that he had gone to the site and an operational headquarters had been created

Russian Belgorod has been bombed twice in its history. That's who did it.

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⚡️An operational headquarters has been created at the scene of the emergency in the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, all forces and means are directed to the scene of the incident, information about the victims is being clarified, the local administration reported

Footage of fire in Moscow's Crocus City Hall

⚡️More than 50 ambulance teams have been sent to Croсus City Hall area to provide medical care to everyone in need, the Moscow Region Ministry of Health told Sputnik

Footage of Crocus City Hall in these minutes

❗️About 100 people were escorted out of Crocus by firefighters, reports the Moscow region headquarters of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

An operation is underway to rescue people from the roof of the building using lifting mechanisms.