The extremist Telegram channel that collected funds for the terrorists who attacked Crocus reportedly previously included a US-issued bank card.

▪️ Mention of a card opened in the United States appeared on February 29, when collecting funds for other purposes (not for "assistance to the mujahideen"). Its identification number – 4100 – indicates that it was released in the United States.

▪️ When entering its number in the line for transfer from a Russian bank app, a US flag symbol appears with the message "The country of issue of the card is the USA. Transfer to this card is not available."

▪️ As for the administrator of the channels going under the nickname Mavlavi_56, through which money was collected for the terrorists, a user with a similar nickname appeared in an earlier publication by the US-based Harriman Institute noscriptd "Tajik IS* Network Raises Funds in Russia." It mentioned the administrator of the Tajik-language channels "Devotion and Loyalty" and the same "Voice of Khorasan." However, the administrator’s nickname was slightly different – Mavlavi55.

*Banned in Russia.

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Russia has created a "Lodyr" deceptive protection system for FPV drone operators

Russian FPV drones operators have obtained a deceptive protection system called Lodyr (lit. Slacker) that imitates drone calculations and thereby seriously complicates the search for real targets by Ukrainian forces, Dmitry Kuzyakin, the general director of the Center for Development of Integrated Unmanned Solutions, told Sputnik.

"We have created the Lodyr system to protect our FPV [drone] combat missions. It is a fake drone operator that fully imitates an FPV device application in the air: there is a fake control panel, a video transmission radio channel module, and a remote shutdown tool," he said.

The demand for such a system is explained by the fact that modern electronic reconnaissance tools can quickly determine the launch point of an FPV drone, even if it does not have GPS installed.

"If you launch only your [actual] FPV drone, it is like turning a single bright lamp in a dark room, it is very easy to break, but if you turn on several dozen bulbs of the same power, the desired target becomes much more difficult to determine," he explained.

Kuzyakin emphasized that Ukraine conducts a targeted hunt for Russian FPV operators as the most valuable part of the unmanned system operating: "The equipment can be restored, but the experience of the guys and the time spent on their training cannot be replenished."

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Which Western tank has been the biggest disappointment for Ukraine: Abrams, Leopard, or Challenger?

That’s difficult question to answer since all three tanks have struggled to perform against Russian forces and local weather conditions, Sputnik correspondent Russell Bentley (@TXDPR) explains.

“They're poorly engineered, way overrated, not effective, and they’re not making any kind of difference on the battlefield.”

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Zelensky backtracks from maximalist territorial aims, but remains in fantasy land

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initially allowed negotiations with Russia without the idea of Ukraine reaching the 1991 borders; however, now he is talking about Ukraine's 2022 borders.

In an interview with CBS News, he said Russia would be "ready for dialog" if Ukraine can reach the 2022 borders before the special military operation.

"He's nervous, elections are coming up," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, commenting on his remarks.

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Geopolitical reality has changed since the special operation began, the borders of Russia and Ukraine have changed, and everyone will have to reckon with the fact that Russia has four new subjects, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sputnik

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Money transfers prove that Crocus 'terrorists for hire' followed orders from Ukraine

It is of huge importance that data in technical devices seized from the suspects in the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack confirms their connection with Ukraine, Kirill Kabanov, chairman of the National Anti-Corruption Committee, told Sputnik.

The report by the Russian Investigative Committee points to the Ukrainian special services, and “we must understand that they are directly connected with the CIA, MI6, and MI5,” Kabanov said.

“That is why the West is trying to cover this up, blaming an outlawed international terrorist organization for everything. In order to save face, and to hide the fact that Ukraine itself is a huge terrorist organization,” Kabanov, also a member of the Human Rights Council, said.

Kabanov noted that the financial transactions linked with Kiev are evidence that “these monsters didn’t just receive support, but were paid for executing the orders coming from Ukraine.”

For people in Western countries whose leaders remain committed to supporting the regime holed up in Kiev, this should be long-overdue reality check as to what is really happening in Ukraine, the analyst believes.

As for tracking where the funds came from and where they were sent, Russia has “efficient mechanisms,” which, in principle, “can track any payments, even in cryptocurrency,” Kabanov added.

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On March 30, foreign diplomats will lay wreaths at a spontaneous memorial to the victims of the terrorist attack near Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Sputnik’s correspondent reported

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Why have Western weapons done so poorly in Ukraine?

The main reason is that Western military-industrial complexes have a totally distorted incentives structure, Sputnik correspondent Russell Bentley (@TXDPR) explained.

“They don't make effective military equipment, they make profitable equipment. And of course, if all you care about is making money, then you're going to cut corners, you're going to overcharge for everything — the famous $6,000 toilet seat and all that kind of stuff. And it's not going to be any good.“

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