⚡️Initial data received from those detained in the case of the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall confirms links to Ukraine, Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov has said.

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Throwback to 2016: Putin explained how the US ignored Russian intelligence warning before the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing

"On my command, the [Russian Security Services] FSB sent them an official written notification that we had individuals under surveillance, posing a threat, and we proposed to work together on it. There was no response", Vladimir Putin explained.

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Assange ruling reflects shifting attitudes on press freedom

President of the World Council for Public Diplomacy and Community Dialogue Andy Vermaut has hailed the recent court decision on Julian Assange's extradition case. "[It] is a great triumph for freedom of speech great triumph for freedom of speech and journalism conduct," he told Sputnik.

He emphasized the ruling's importance for "clean and accountable governance." Vermaut noted a shift in the court's attitude towards journalists and whistleblowers, suggesting "a trend towards a more moderate view of problems of national security."

Despite this, he cautioned that the legal battle continues, with "America continu[ing] to pursue other legal routes for his extradition." Vermaut anticipated "a mixed public response," highlighting the complexities of balancing press freedom and national security interests.

He affirmed his support for Assange. "For me, he is a hero," he told Sputnik.

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Navigating Julian Assange's 14-year legal saga: Key moments

Today's court decision marks a pivotal moment in Julian Assange's protracted legal saga, which began with the explosive revelations of WikiLeaks in 2010. Amid global scrutiny and controversy, Assange has faced extradition requests, legal battles, and allegations of espionage.

▪️2010: WikiLeaks publishes classified US military documents and diplomatic cables, related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These disclosures reveal US military abuses and diplomatic secrets, sparking global attention and controversy.

▪️November 2010: Swedish authorities issue an arrest warrant for Assange on sexual assault allegations.

▪️February 2011: UK court approves Assange's extradition to Sweden, triggering fears of later extradition to US.

▪️June 2012: Assange seeks asylum in Ecuador's Embassy in London to avoid extradition.

▪️May 2017: Swedish prosecutors drop the investigation into the sexual assault allegations, citing difficulties in proceeding while Assange remains in the embassy.

▪️April 2019: Ecuador's new government revokes asylum, leading to Assange's arrest and US extradition request.

▪️May 2019: US charges Assange under the Espionage Act, igniting a legal battle.

▪️November 2020: Sweden drops rape investigation due to insufficient evidence.

▪️January 2021: UK court blocks Assange's extradition, citing mental health concerns.

▪️June 2022: UK approves Assange's extradition, setting stage for legal challenges.

▪️February 2024: High Court hears Assange's appeal amid health concerns.

▪️March 2024: High Court decision grants Assange the right to challenge his extradition, further extending his legal battle.

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Angara space rocket: How many versions does it have and why is it so important to Russia?

A new carrier rocket Angara-A5 is scheduled to blast off into space from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East in early April.

This three-stage carrier rocket is capable of delivering up to 24.5 tonnes of payload to low orbit, while its upgraded version Angara-A5M can move even more cargo (up to 27.7 tonnes) thanks to its improved engines.

A new version of the Angara rocket, Angara-A5V (currently still in development), is expected to push that bar even higher, being able to deliver up to 37.5 tonnes of cargo into orbit.

Angara’s developers at the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center also proposed a piloted version of the rocket, Angara-A5P, that is meant to launch cargo and spacecraft in orbit.

According to Russian space corporation Roscosmos, the Angara carrier rockets are going to ensure that Russia can launch all types of spacecraft from its soil and maintains an “independent access to space."

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Russian intelligence services: US and NATO weaponize ISIS* to win Ukraine conflict

Over the past two years, Russian security services have collected intelligence indicating Western involvement in training and arming jihadi terrorists to weaponize them on the Ukrainian battlefield and Russia's rear.

▪️In May 2022, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) stated that about 60 ISIS* terrorists were released from prisons controlled by the US-backed Syrian Kurds a month earlier with the aim of dispatching them to Ukraine as sabotage units.

▪️In February 2023, the SVR said it obtained intelligence that the US military was actively recruiting militants from jihadist groups affiliated with ISIS* and al-Qaeda* to carry out terrorist attacks in Russia and the CIS countries. As per the SVR, in January 2023, dozens of terrorists with experience of participating in hostilities in the Middle East were recruited by the West, adding that they were undergoing training at the American base in Al-Tanf, Syria.

▪️In October 2023, Russian Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov stated that ISIS* and other terrorist groups were fighting against Russia as part of the Ichkerian and Crimean Tatar mercenary units in Ukraine. ISIS* is also part of sabotage and reconnaissance groups sent to Russian territory to carry out attacks and terrorist attacks, as per the FSB.

The intelligence chief drew special attention to the US and British intelligence services' efforts to create a "belt of instability" in Afghanistan near the southern borders of the CIS, where al-Qaeda and the ISIS* groups are becoming stronger.

The Crocus City Hall terror attack was carried out by the hands of radical Islamists, but it is necessary to find the masterminds and those who benefitted from the hideous crime, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Monday.

* ISIS and al-Qaeda are terrorist organizations outlawed in Russia.

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Maria Zakharova called a Bloomberg report that Putin’s circle does not believe in Ukraine’s involvement in the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall the “mother of all fakes”

"Masterpiece news. Simply the mother of all fakes. It turned out to be especially fortunate that it came out today, given that Vladimir Putin was 'surrounded' in the morning by Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov with the entire central apparatus of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, Secretary of the Russia's Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Director of the FSB Alexandr Bortnikov," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"And Nikolai Patrushev and Alexander Bortnikov also gave an interview on the topic of the involvement of the USA, Britain and Ukraine in the tragic events at Crocus City Hall," the spokeswoman added.

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Why gold and Bitcoin prices have surged so high?

The record-high price surge of both gold and Bitcoin may be related to the “perceived value of scarcity” of both, says Paul Goncharoff, chief manager of consulting firm Goncharoff LLC.

While gold is costly and “increasingly difficult” to obtain, the total amount of Bitcoin is forever limited to 21 million tokens, some 19.6 million of which have already been mined, he tells Sputnik.

Whereas gold already has an established reputation as a reliable asset and safe investment proven by thousands of years of human history, the reputation of Bitcoin as a safe haven of sorts stems from two factors, according to Goncharoff.

“One is its finite supply and the other is that ideally it is trustless, and as such protected against the political/economic whims of centralized authorities such as governments, central banks, and the like,” he elaborates. “It is felt by many to be the digital equivalent of gold, and much more efficient to hold and transfer as needed, being always controlled by the individual with the e-wallet, not a bank.”

He notes, however, that it remains to be seen whether Bitcoin is going to become an asset as reliable as gold.

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What does UK court ruling mean for Assange’s fate?

The High Court of Justice in London deciding to not immediately proceed with Julian Assange’s extradition to the US, at least until Washington provides certain assurances regarding his fate, does not just grant him a temporary reprieve, says senior British human rights barrister Geoffrey Robertson.

“It was only a provisional ruling in his favor, but it does give him another chance, a strong chance of going forward and possibly succeeding on appeal,” Robertson, who acted for Julian Assange in the past, tells Sputnik.

He also suggested that many believe that Assange’s case “has gone on too long,” with plenty of people believing that the United States should “desist in its pursuit of him,” and that the WikiLeaks founder should be allowed to return home to Australia.

“But for the time being, the case goes on,” Robertson remarks, adding that Assange has nevertheless “succeeded in showing that he does have serious arguments that the Americans are seeking him for political purposes.”

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▪️Russian intelligence services: US and NATO weaponize ISIS to win Ukraine conflict

▪️Who is behind the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall?

▪️Navigating Julian Assange's 14-year legal saga: Key moments

▪️A British court decision to delay Assange's possible extradition reflects shifting attitudes on press freedom and deals a blow to US authority

▪️EXPOSED: Zelensky's "Mujahid": Who is Daniyal Al-Takbir?

▪️Angara space rocket: How many versions does it have and why is it so important to Russia?

▪️Why gold and Bitcoin prices have surged so high?

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Why Zelensky's decision to fire Danilov evokes memory of Moscow concert hall attack

Volodymyr Zelensky reshuffled his cabinet on March 26 by firing Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov and replacing him with Oleksandr Litvinenko, who previously held the position of the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service.

"I refer to this as shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic," Larry Johnson, a retired CIA intelligence officer and State Department official, tells Sputnik. "It’s chaos. And, I think in recent days the Ukrainians are taking steps to hide a lot of casualties that have been inflicted through a variety of Russian missile strikes on key command centers."

Johnson notes, however, that Danilov's recent brags with regard to Ukraine's apparent ability to hit Russia hard as well as his firing have facilitated suspicions of the Kiev regime's apparent role in the recent Crocus City Hall attack.

Meanwhile, Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov stated on March 26 that initial data received from those arrested in relation to the terror attack confirms links to Ukraine.

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US President Joe Biden claims he commuted over the Francis Scott Key bridge by train "many, many times."

But there is a catch: the bridge doesn’t have any rail lines and no trains run over it.

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