Ukraine’s new counteroffensive: Same old bravado, same pleas… same outcome?

Volodymyr Zelensky recently asked his Western sponsors for more “modern weapons systems” and money as he claimed in an interview with German tabloid Bild that Ukraine has a plan for a new counteroffensive. A quick reminder: the previous one, pre-announced in spring 2023, started with a delay on June 4 and ended in November 2023 without achieving its goal - to reach the Azov sea in order to cut “the land bridge” between Crimea and “mainland” Russia.

The losses of that operation in 2023 were:

▪️The number of Ukrainian casualties in the period of the counteroffensive, estimated by Russia’s Defense Ministry, stands around 159 000 soldiers, including 5,800 mercenaries mostly from the Western countries.

▪️During 2023, Western sponsors provided Kiev with $68.6 billion in economic assistance and $41.4 billion in military aid, most of which was wasted without progress on the ground.

▪️In terms of weaponry, the Ukrainian army lost: 766 tanks, including 37 German-made Leopards; and 2,300 armored vehicles, including 50 American-made Bradley-2.

▪️The land gains of the “counteroffensive” were minuscule. It stopped far from the Azov Sea, set as the main task set by the US and the EU during the meeting at the base in Wiesbaden in the winter of 2023.

The main loss, however, was psychological: Western enthusiasm for the “Ukrainian cause” lessened. The US Congress blocked a new batch of money for Kiev for the first time at the end of 2023, suspecting corruption and ineffective use of American funds. Zelensky was no longer met in the West by cheering crowds.

This year, Zelensky is pleading for support again amid urgent calls for assistance. But with the same approach, are there any guarantees it will have a different outcome?

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

▪️Chemical Weapons Convention you say? How Ukraine uses warfare agents against Russian troops

▪️Ukraine’s new counteroffensive: Same old bravado, same pleas… same outcome?

▪️The West should admit that attacks on Zaporozhye nuclear power plant were carried out by Ukraine

▪️Biden family ties with Burisma under microscope over alleged terrorism funding

▪️Marking the 80th anniversary of Odessa's liberation

▪️AI-powered drone revolution: Autonomous unmanned vehicles flooding the battlefield

▪️Meet Skorpion, Stalker & Uran, Russia’s best mine-sweeping robots

▪️PP-2000: Russia's submachine gun that can operate no matter how hard you try to damage it

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

PP-2000: Russia's submachine gun that can operate no matter how hard you try to damage it

The gun has managed to endure an extreme crash test, which reveals that it can still fire even with dirt stuck in its barrel and receiver.

The test involved throwing the weapon on the ground, submerging it in water and mud and even running it over with a car.

Could the PP-2000 still function after all that?

Spoiler: it could!

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Pepe Escobar: State terror attack on Iranian Embassy is an attack on expanded BRICS and SCO

“The state terror attack on Damascus, which shredded the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunity, crucially was also an attack on both the expanded BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO),” says veteran geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar in his op-ed for Sputnik.

He underscores that Iran is a member of both alliances and closely cooperates with Russia and China. That is why the Russian and Chinese presidents are closely watching the situation and “carefully considering all possible repercussions”.

The analyst stresses that Western politics in the Middle East mirrors the Ukrainian crisis, in which “NATO’s approaching cosmic humiliation”.

However, there are “adults in the room” – Russia and China – who carefully establish the architecture of Eurasian security and will together oppose Western efforts “to slow down the natural course of history”.

The Russia-China partnership is an example how global politics should be run, he says. Escobar recalls that before launching the special military operation, Vladimir Putin traveled to China to personally explain to Xi Jinping “why NATO/hegemon expansion into Ukraine was totally unacceptable for Russia”.

While the world is torn apart by several conflicts instigated by the collective West, there are skillful and responsible grandmasters of the global chessboard, Escobar concludes.“

What is clear is that the Russia-China leadership, as well as Iran’s, knows full well the dangers roaming the chessboard when the usual suspects seem to go all out gambling everything, even knowing that they are outgunned; outproduced; outnumbered; and outwitted.”

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Ukraine poised to use advanced drones to kill civilians in Russia

Whatever drones with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities Ukraine may get its hands on, they will definitely be used to attack civilian targets in Russia, says military analyst and chief editor of the Fatherland Arsenal Internet portal Dmitry Drozdenko.

“Considering the nature of the terrorist Ukrainian regime that deliberately uses weapons against civilians, both ours and those it used to call its own. Whatever it gets its hands on, it will use it for killing. It is a crazed state,” he tells Sputnik.

Drozdenko also suggests that companies from the United States will most certainly be involved in drone development for Ukraine because they regard the latter as a “unique testing range where all kinds of new armaments are being tested.”

“It is a testing range not just for weapons but for tactics as well,” he adds. “The British SAS recently held drills where they learned how to operate in our trenches. They have a different trench system, a colonial one, and here they had to deal with a real one, suited for a big war.”

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Russian FM Sergey Lavrov discussed with UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland the situation in the Middle East, primarily in the Gaza Strip, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"A detailed discussion was held on the current situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, primarily in the Gaza Strip. Against the backdrop of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the enclave, the importance of an immediate ceasefire, safe and unhindered access to all affected people and those in need and the release of hostages was reaffirmed," the ministry said in a statement.

The meeting also focused on prospects for reviving the peace process between Palestine and Israel after the end of the "hot phase" of the conflict, the statement read.

"Both sides emphasized the invariability of a two-state solution, which provides for the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting in peace and security with Israel," the ministry said.

Lavrov and Wennesland also exchanged views on the overall situation in the Middle East region, taking into account the growing tension between Israel and Lebanon, Israeli attacks on the territory of Syria, as well as instability in the Red Sea, the ministry added.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Ukraine's Burisma with Hunter Biden on its board could have been used by CIA to fund covert ops

The Russian Investigative Committee's investigation potentially implicating Ukrainian gas company Burisma of funneling money for terrorist activities could be "very dangerous" for US President Joe Biden given his son's ties to the energy firm, Larry Johnson, retired CIA intelligence officer and State Department official, tells Sputnik.

Johnson pointed out that there could be more to Biden's Burisma saga than just influence peddling schemes, referring to former top level CIA official and ex-Blackwater vice chairman named Joseph Cofer Black who also served on Burisma's board. Prior to joining Burisma, Black had been hired by Baltic International Bank (BIB). Like Burisma, the Latvian bank was repeatedly accused on money laundering and murky financial operations.

"Prior to joining the board at Burisma, Black was also on the board of a Latvian bank, and they put him on the board, allegedly for what he described as his expertise with counter-terrorism finance, in other words, tracking money that goes to terrorists," says Johnson. "Two years later, that Latvian bank was sanctioned for its role in failing to put in proper procedures to prevent terrorist financing."

Johnson does not rule out that the organizations could be used for money transferals related to CIA covert activities.

"Hunter Biden's activities with Burisma alongside with Cofer Black means that Burisma probably was being used by the CIA as one means of at least moving money," Johnson says.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Ecuador’s ex-veep Glas on hunger strike, tried to commit suicide

Former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, who was arrested last week as result of the storming of the Mexican embassy in Quito, tried to commit suicide, former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said on Wednesday, adding that Glas is currently on a hunger strike.

On Monday, Glas was transferred from prison to a military hospital, Ecuadorian media reported.

"Finally, his children and their attorneys were able to contact Jorge Glas through Zoom. We confirmed that the medical emergency was a suicide attempt. He is not eating anything and is on a hunger strike. We hold [Ecuadorian President] Daniel Noboa responsible for Jorge's physical and emotional safety. I remind Noboa that he has clearly committed a crime under Article 125 of the Criminal Code [of Ecuador]," Correa said on X.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🌐 The West is not going to denounce Kiev's strikes on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, as by doing this it would "have to admit wrongdoing on the part of the proxy," South African expert tells Sputnik Africa

Following the Ukrainian attacks on the nuclear facility, US State Department official Matthew Miller called on Russia to "withdraw its military and civilian personnel from the plant" and to refrain from any action that could lead to a nuclear threat.

Oscar van Heerden explained this move with the fact that, firstly, the West wants to pretend that Russia is the one who threatens nuclear war, and, secondly, they hint that in case of a nuclear disaster at the station, the blame will be put on Russia.

"As for the international community, especially South Africa, who voluntarily gave up their nuclear weapons, they have a moral authority to call on Ukraine to refrain from doing such actions, but also, I think the in the international community, particularly the Global South, should begin to consider taking sanctions and action against Ukraine to bring an end to this conflict," he concluded.

👉 Read the full story!

Subscribe to @sputnik_africa

🔸 TikTok | Sputnik Africa | Boost us on Telegram 🔸

Ukrainian football player reportedly was sent to the frontline for refusing to buy pickup trucks for the military registration center

Former midfielder of Ukrainian football club Ingulets Nikolay Stetsenko has said that he ended up on the frontline after he refused to buy four pickup trucks for Malinovsky military enlistment center in Odessa at the request of the military commissioner.

"Representatives of Real Pharma (soccer club) wanted to help me and convince the military commissariat that I would do more good by playing soccer, especially since I didn't even serve. But the military commander of Malinovsky military enlistment center Vyacheslav Kushnerov, who was then caught on bribes and fired a month later, set a fancy condition", - said Stetsenko in an interview with the "Ukrainian Football".

Stetsenko noted that the main condition of his dismissal was to buy and transfer four pickup trucks for the military recruitment center. The sum was beyond the reach of Real Farma. At the same time, allegedly, even the current contract with the previous club did not help, because there was no immunity from mobilization. "That's how I ended up in the service," added Stetsenko.

In October, Time magazine quoted Zelensky's aide as saying that the ranks of Ukrainian troops had thinned so much that military recruitment offices were forced to draft people with an average age of 43. The New York Times earlier reported that Ukraine was trying to recruit more women into the army, which indicates that the Ukrainian army was suffering huge losses.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

The FAB glide bombs have been such a game changer in Ukraine that even Western media outlets are forced to concede their effectiveness, which has tormented Ukraine’s defenses on the front line as their use has increased.

“The Western press is calling this weapon a game changer,” Security and international relations expert Mark Sleboda told Sputnik’s Fault Lines on Wednesday. “And for once, I might actually agree with them. This weapon has been a game changer.”

“The only way to counter [FABs] is if you have really long-range air defense, which the Kiev regime has none left of,” Sleboda explained, adding that a Patriot system may have the capability to target the planes dropping FABs but even that is questionable as advancements in FABs have increased their range as the conflict has gone on.

“Other than that, there’s really nothing. You have to shoot down the planes [that] drop them or have really substantial air defense capable of targeting them incoming,” Sleboda continued. “The regime has neither left, which is why now they’re making a big splash on the battlefield. Russia is free to use them because all of [Ukraine’s] Soviet legacy air defense, all the hodgepodge of Western air defense that’s been sent to them is gone.”

Follow the link to learn more

Hamas reportedly rejects US truce plan in Gaza, will present its own plan

Palestinian movement Hamas has largely rejected a plan for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip proposed by the United States and will propose its own plan this week for a permanent end to the conflict in the region, The Wall Street Journal has reported, citing mediators.

The dismissal of the plan illustrates the wide disagreement between the two parties to the conflict on the deal, the report said, adding that it also reflects Hamas' growing confidence that diplomatic and domestic pressure on Israel to end the conflict in Gaza gives the Palestinian movement the upper hand in negotiations.

Media reported earlier that the latest ceasefire proposal for Gaza, made at talks in Cairo over the weekend, provides for the release of 40 Israeli hostages in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners as a part of a three-stage plan adopted by international mediators. Each stage of the plan was expected to stretch for 42 days, with the first involving the return of the displaced people to northern Gaza, which would be supported by the UN temporary housing efforts and 500 aid trucks delivering supplies daily.

However, CNN reported, citing an Israeli official and a source familiar with the discussions, that Hamas had told international mediators — which include Qatar and Egypt — that it was unable to identify and track down 40 Israeli hostages needed for the first phase of a ceasefire deal.

The report cited sources as saying that Hamas' inability or unwillingness to tell Israel which hostages would be released, alive, is a major obstacle, adding that Israel has pushed for Hamas to fill out the initial release with younger male hostages, including soldiers, since the movement appears to be unable to reach 40 in the proposed categories.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

The Israeli air force carried out several strikes in the Rafah neighborhood in the southern Gaza Strip, the Jerusalem Post reports.

At the same time, Palestinian TV reports that the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on Wednesday evening in the area of the border crossing and the destroyed airport (Yasser Arafat Airport in the south of the enclave). TV later reported another strike on Rafah, without giving details.

Israeli PM Netanyahu earlier claimed that the date for the Israeli army to enter Rafah has already been agreed upon. Many countries, oppose the Israeli operation in Rafah, including the US. The media billed the start of the operation as right after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ended on April 9.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Iran's missiles built in past 12 years not relying on GPS, other int'l systems

All missiles built in Iran in the past 12 years do not use any international positioning systems, including the Global Positioning System (GPS), Iranian news agency Fars has reported, citing a source in the aerospace forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who commented on reports of GPS jamming in Israel.

"Iran has premeditated a solution to this issue, and all missiles built in the past 12 years do not use GPS or any other international positioning system," the report quoted the source as saying.

A source close to Israel's security agencies confirmed to Sputnik last week that Israeli security services are massively jamming GPS signals in various parts of the country to, among other things, disorient potential enemy aerial targets such as missiles or drones. These measures come amid Tehran's threats to respond to a recent Israeli airstrike on the consular annex of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Russian state commission clears Angara-A5 for third launch attempt

Russia's state commission has authorized another attempt to carry out the first launch of the Russian-made Angara-A5 spacecraft from the Vostochny Cosmodrome on April 11 at 12:00 p.m. Moscow time (09:00 GMT) following launch cancellations on April 9 and 10, a spokesperson for Russian state space corporation Roscosmos has told reporters.

"Today at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, the first Angara-A5 space rocket has been cleared for refueling and launch by the decision of the state commission," the spokesperson told journalists.

"The start of the Angara-A5 launch vehicle with the Orion upper stage carrying testing payload is scheduled for April 11 at 12:00:00 Moscow time (09:00:00 GMT) from launchpad 1A," the spokesperson added.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

After it failed in Ukraine, the collective West better “think twice” before provoking a conflict with China, military veteran, author and international geopolitical consultant Dr. David Oualaalou told Sputnik’s The Critical Hour.

While speaking about NATO plans to open an office in Japan, Oualaalou said that it “doesn’t make any sense” to put an office for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the Pacific unless “this is where the next conflict will be.”

“The Western leaders, as incompetent as they are, better think twice, because China is not Ukraine,” Oualaalou warned.

The aggressive posture of the US comes not from the democratic process, but from what Oualaalou called “the hidden hand” of weapon manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. “[They] are the ones pushing for this direction [in] US foreign policy, which is not going to bode well for the average Joe, average Jane, here at home.”

“Until, at some point, [people] say ‘enough is enough,’” this situation will continue, Oualaalou argued. “We’ve already crossed that point. Something has to change, period.”

Hit the link to learn more

Germany's Lufthansa suspends flights to Tehran until Thursday

German flag air carrier Lufthansa has suspended flights to and from Tehran until Thursday, a spokesperson for the company has said, citing security threats as the reason.

"[Lufthansa], after a thorough evaluation, has decided to suspend flights to and from Tehran until Thursday, April 11, 2024 ... The safety of our guests and crew members is Lufthansa's top priority," German newspaper FAZ quoted the spokesperson as saying.

The spokesperson did not give specific reasons for suspending flights but said the decision was due to "the current situation in the Middle East."

In recent years, Lufthansa has suspended air service with Tehran several times - in particular, following the mass protests after the death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in 2022 and a drone attack on the city of Isfahan.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt