They knew the job was dangerous when they were forced into it.
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China Says Russia Isn’t Actually It’s Friend
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Air Force employee charged with sharing classified info on Russia’s war with Ukraine on dating site
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Mar 04, 2024 • 1 minute read
WASHINGTON — A civilian U.S. Air Force employee has been charged in federal court in Nebraska with transmitting classified information about Russia’s war with Ukraine on a foreign online dating platform, the Justice Department said Monday.
David Franklin Slater, 63, who authorities say retired as an Army lieutenant colonel and was assigned to the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, was arrested Saturday on charges of illegally disclosing national defence information and conspiring to do so.
Prosecutors say Slater attended briefings between February and April 2022 about Russia’s war with Ukraine and, despite having signed paperwork pledging not to disclose classified information, shared details about military targets and Russian capabilities on an online messaging platform with an unindicted co-conspirator who claimed to be a woman living in Ukraine.
According to an indictment, that alleged co-conspirator, who is not identified by prosecutors, repeatedly asked Slater for information and described him as “my secret informant love.”
It wasn’t immediately clear if Slater had a lawyer. He is due to make his first court appearance Tuesday.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Mar 04, 2024 • 1 minute read
WASHINGTON — A civilian U.S. Air Force employee has been charged in federal court in Nebraska with transmitting classified information about Russia’s war with Ukraine on a foreign online dating platform, the Justice Department said Monday.
David Franklin Slater, 63, who authorities say retired as an Army lieutenant colonel and was assigned to the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, was arrested Saturday on charges of illegally disclosing national defence information and conspiring to do so.
Prosecutors say Slater attended briefings between February and April 2022 about Russia’s war with Ukraine and, despite having signed paperwork pledging not to disclose classified information, shared details about military targets and Russian capabilities on an online messaging platform with an unindicted co-conspirator who claimed to be a woman living in Ukraine.
According to an indictment, that alleged co-conspirator, who is not identified by prosecutors, repeatedly asked Slater for information and described him as “my secret informant love.”
It wasn’t immediately clear if Slater had a lawyer. He is due to make his first court appearance Tuesday.
Air Force employee charged with sharing classified info on Russia’s war with Ukraine on dating site
A civilian U.S. Air Force employee has been charged in federal court in Nebraska with transmitting classified info on an online dating site.
Air Force employee shared classified intel on foreign dating site, DOJ says
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Annabelle Timsit, The Washington Post
Published Mar 05, 2024 • 3 minute read
The Justice Department indicted a civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force – a retired Army lieutenant colonel – on charges of sharing classified information about Russia’s war in Ukraine on a foreign dating website.
Prosecutors said in the indictment shared Monday that David Franklin Slater, 63, improperly transferred information classified as “secret” to a person who “claimed to be a female living in Ukraine” on the dating website.
From February to April in 2022, Slater allegedly shared information about military targets and Russian military capabilities with a “co-conspirator” who “regularly asked” Slater for secrets.
In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said Slater “knowingly transmitted classified national defense information to another person in blatant disregard for the security of his country and his oath to safeguard its secrets.”
The messages sent to Slater on the dating site, some of which were transcribed in the indictment, appeared romantic. They called Slater “beloved,” “love” and “my sweet Dave,” among other terms of endearment.
But the messenger also frequently sought highly specific security information. While asking about Slater’s work and his knowledge of U.S. and NATO operations concerning Ukraine, the alleged co-conspirator also referred to Slater as “my secret agent” and “my secret informant.”
The indictment does not include any information about the identity of the person Slater corresponded with on the dating website or their country of origin. It does not name the website.
The indictment states that Slater had access to classified information through his work at the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, where he “worked in a classified space” and held a “TOP SECRET” security clearance from about August 2021 until about April 2022. He previously held the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, but retired in December 2020, the indictment said.
Slater is due to appear in court in Nebraska on Tuesday. Slater was charged with two counts of unauthorized disclosure of national defense information and one count of conspiracy to disclose national defense information. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and $250,000 in fines for each count.
The news of Slater’s indictment comes as the Justice Department continues to deal with the fallout from last year’s massive leak of classified U.S. intelligence. Jack Texeira, the former member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard accused of leaking the documents to friends in an online chatroom, pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of willfully retaining and transmitting classified information.
According to prosecutors, between February and April in 2022, Slater attended Strategic Command briefings on the war in Ukraine, where he collected national defense information that he messaged the person claiming to be a Ukrainian woman on the dating website.
Around March 15, 2022, about three weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, the person allegedly messaged Slater, “By the way, you were the first to tell me that NATO members are traveling by train and only now (already evening) this was announced on our news. You are my secret informant love! How were your meetings? Successfully?”
Around March 18, she apparently asked: “Beloved Dave, do NATO and [President] Biden have a secret plan to help us?”
And around March 23, the co-conspirator allegedly wrote: “Dave, it’s great that you get information about [Specified Country 1] first. I hope you will tell me right away? You are my secret agent. With love.”
A few days later, Slater sent classified information about “military targets in Russia’s war against Ukraine,” according to the indictment.
Then, around April 12, the person wrote: “Sweet Dave, the supply of weapons is completely classified, which is great!”
The next day, according to the indictment, Slater shared classified information about “Russian military capabilities relating to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
The government classifies information as “secret” when its unauthorized disclosure “reasonably could be expected to cause serious damage to the national security.”
In announcing the indictment, prosecutors accused Slater of failing to adhere to pledges he made not to disclose information that could jeopardize U.S. interests – and said he received multiple trainings on how to handle classified information. “Certain responsibilities are incumbent to individuals with access to Top Secret information. The allegations against Mr. Slater challenge whether he betrayed those responsibilities,” said Susan Lehr, U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska, in a news release.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Annabelle Timsit, The Washington Post
Published Mar 05, 2024 • 3 minute read
The Justice Department indicted a civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force – a retired Army lieutenant colonel – on charges of sharing classified information about Russia’s war in Ukraine on a foreign dating website.
Prosecutors said in the indictment shared Monday that David Franklin Slater, 63, improperly transferred information classified as “secret” to a person who “claimed to be a female living in Ukraine” on the dating website.
From February to April in 2022, Slater allegedly shared information about military targets and Russian military capabilities with a “co-conspirator” who “regularly asked” Slater for secrets.
In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said Slater “knowingly transmitted classified national defense information to another person in blatant disregard for the security of his country and his oath to safeguard its secrets.”
The messages sent to Slater on the dating site, some of which were transcribed in the indictment, appeared romantic. They called Slater “beloved,” “love” and “my sweet Dave,” among other terms of endearment.
But the messenger also frequently sought highly specific security information. While asking about Slater’s work and his knowledge of U.S. and NATO operations concerning Ukraine, the alleged co-conspirator also referred to Slater as “my secret agent” and “my secret informant.”
The indictment does not include any information about the identity of the person Slater corresponded with on the dating website or their country of origin. It does not name the website.
The indictment states that Slater had access to classified information through his work at the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, where he “worked in a classified space” and held a “TOP SECRET” security clearance from about August 2021 until about April 2022. He previously held the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, but retired in December 2020, the indictment said.
Slater is due to appear in court in Nebraska on Tuesday. Slater was charged with two counts of unauthorized disclosure of national defense information and one count of conspiracy to disclose national defense information. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and $250,000 in fines for each count.
The news of Slater’s indictment comes as the Justice Department continues to deal with the fallout from last year’s massive leak of classified U.S. intelligence. Jack Texeira, the former member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard accused of leaking the documents to friends in an online chatroom, pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of willfully retaining and transmitting classified information.
According to prosecutors, between February and April in 2022, Slater attended Strategic Command briefings on the war in Ukraine, where he collected national defense information that he messaged the person claiming to be a Ukrainian woman on the dating website.
Around March 15, 2022, about three weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, the person allegedly messaged Slater, “By the way, you were the first to tell me that NATO members are traveling by train and only now (already evening) this was announced on our news. You are my secret informant love! How were your meetings? Successfully?”
Around March 18, she apparently asked: “Beloved Dave, do NATO and [President] Biden have a secret plan to help us?”
And around March 23, the co-conspirator allegedly wrote: “Dave, it’s great that you get information about [Specified Country 1] first. I hope you will tell me right away? You are my secret agent. With love.”
A few days later, Slater sent classified information about “military targets in Russia’s war against Ukraine,” according to the indictment.
Then, around April 12, the person wrote: “Sweet Dave, the supply of weapons is completely classified, which is great!”
The next day, according to the indictment, Slater shared classified information about “Russian military capabilities relating to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
The government classifies information as “secret” when its unauthorized disclosure “reasonably could be expected to cause serious damage to the national security.”
In announcing the indictment, prosecutors accused Slater of failing to adhere to pledges he made not to disclose information that could jeopardize U.S. interests – and said he received multiple trainings on how to handle classified information. “Certain responsibilities are incumbent to individuals with access to Top Secret information. The allegations against Mr. Slater challenge whether he betrayed those responsibilities,” said Susan Lehr, U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska, in a news release.
Air Force employee shared classified intel on foreign dating site, DOJ says
The Justice Department indicted a civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force on charges of sharing classified info on a foreign dating website
Former ballerina facing harsh conditions in Russian jail, boyfriend says
Author of the article
ostmedia News
Published Mar 05, 2024 • 2 minute read
Ksenia Karelina, an American citizen, is seen under arrest in Russia.
Ksenia Karelina, an American citizen, is seen under arrest in Russia. PHOTO BY RIA NOVOSTI / VOLUNTEER INFO /Facebook
The conditions former ballerina Ksenia Karelina faces in a Russia jail are harsh and inhumane, her boyfriend revealed.
Chris Van Heerden said he recently received a letter from her that said she is only allowed to shower once a week, has no access to hot water and is forced to sleep with the lights on inside a Yekaterinburg jail.
“She told me she’s got a 6 a.m. wake-up call, (must) go to bed by 10 p.m. at night,” Van Heerden told Fox News’ Fox and Friends on Monday. “The lights stay on all the time, so she’s got trouble sleeping.”
Karelina, a dual American-Russian citizen who was arrested in January after flying into the country to visit family, is accused of treason for allegedly donating $51 to a Ukraine charity.
Van Heerden said his girlfriend is allowed to have fresh air on the jail’s rooftop, but she no longer ventures out of her cell after guards locked the door in the past and left prisoners shivering in the cold for hours.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Karelina left Russia more than a decade ago as part of a program to work and study English in the Baltimore area. She became a U.S. citizen when she married in 2013, but the relationship didn’t work out. She moved to Los Angeles in 2015 to start a new life and began working at a spa.
Van Heerden said Karelina has maintained her humour while locked up.
“In the cell where she’s at, they have a little water sink and there’s only cold water, which she makes fun of because she’s an aesthetician, so she tells me the cold water is good for her face,” he said.
Karelina also wrote about her fear of spending the rest of her life in a Russian prison.
“It’s a day-by day thing. One day she wakes up very hopeful and very positive and then other days there is no hope,” he said.
Last Thursday, Karelina made a court appearance via video link to appeal her detention, according to ABC News.
Russian state media reported the Sverdlovsk Regional Court denied the appeal and extended her pre-trial detention until April 6.
abcnews.go.com
latimes.com
foxnews.com
torontosun.com
Author of the article
ostmedia NewsPublished Mar 05, 2024 • 2 minute read
Ksenia Karelina, an American citizen, is seen under arrest in Russia.
Ksenia Karelina, an American citizen, is seen under arrest in Russia. PHOTO BY RIA NOVOSTI / VOLUNTEER INFO /Facebook
The conditions former ballerina Ksenia Karelina faces in a Russia jail are harsh and inhumane, her boyfriend revealed.
Chris Van Heerden said he recently received a letter from her that said she is only allowed to shower once a week, has no access to hot water and is forced to sleep with the lights on inside a Yekaterinburg jail.
“She told me she’s got a 6 a.m. wake-up call, (must) go to bed by 10 p.m. at night,” Van Heerden told Fox News’ Fox and Friends on Monday. “The lights stay on all the time, so she’s got trouble sleeping.”
Karelina, a dual American-Russian citizen who was arrested in January after flying into the country to visit family, is accused of treason for allegedly donating $51 to a Ukraine charity.
Van Heerden said his girlfriend is allowed to have fresh air on the jail’s rooftop, but she no longer ventures out of her cell after guards locked the door in the past and left prisoners shivering in the cold for hours.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Karelina left Russia more than a decade ago as part of a program to work and study English in the Baltimore area. She became a U.S. citizen when she married in 2013, but the relationship didn’t work out. She moved to Los Angeles in 2015 to start a new life and began working at a spa.
Van Heerden said Karelina has maintained her humour while locked up.
“In the cell where she’s at, they have a little water sink and there’s only cold water, which she makes fun of because she’s an aesthetician, so she tells me the cold water is good for her face,” he said.
Karelina also wrote about her fear of spending the rest of her life in a Russian prison.
“It’s a day-by day thing. One day she wakes up very hopeful and very positive and then other days there is no hope,” he said.
Last Thursday, Karelina made a court appearance via video link to appeal her detention, according to ABC News.
Russian state media reported the Sverdlovsk Regional Court denied the appeal and extended her pre-trial detention until April 6.
Former ballerina detained in Russia has appeal denied in Siberian court
Ksenia Karelina, a dual American-Russian citizen, appeared via video link on Thursday to appeal her detention on charges of treason.
Russia arrests L.A. woman for treason after she gave $50 to Ukraine, employer says
A Russian American woman from Los Angeles is held in Russia on treason charges, apparently over a donation to a charity for Ukraine.
latimes.com
American ballerina details horrific life behind bars in Russia | Fox News Video
Chris Van Heerden, boyfriend of an American ballerina detained in Russia, tells 'Fox & Friends First' about a letter he received from her detailing life inside prison.
Former ballerina facing harsh conditions in Russian jail, boyfriend says
The conditions Ksenia Karelina faces in a Russian jail for donating to a Ukrainian charity are harsh and inhumane, her boyfriend says.
Former commander-in-chief Zaluzhnyi to become Ukraine’s ambassador to UK
Popular national figure given new role after being dismissed by Volodymyr Zelenskiy a month ago
Former commander-in-chief Zaluzhnyi to become Ukraine’s ambassador to UK
Popular national figure given new role after being dismissed by Volodymyr Zelenskiy a month ago
Zaluzhnyi is seen as the only likely challenger to Zelenskiy in the event of an election in Ukraine
Ukraine’s former commander in chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, is to become the country’s next ambassador to the UK, a month after he was fired by the president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, from his job leading the military.
The decision makes good on Zelenskiy’s promise to keep the popular former general “as part of the team” but it also removes him from Ukraine, where he is seen as the only realistic challenger to the president if there were to be an election.
Zaluzhnyi was dismissed after the failure of the summer counter-offensive against Russian invasion forces, and after a to-and-fro in which the general initially refused to resign at the president’s request before accepting that his position was no longer tenable.
The former commander developed a close personal relationship with his British opposite number, Adm Sir Tony Radakin, during the first two years of the war, although he is not otherwise thought to have any prior connection to the UK.
Radakin was in Kyiv on Thursday, visiting Zelenskiy alongside the UK’s defence secretary, Grant Shapps. But there was no sign of Zaluzhnyi in a video released by the Ukrainian president of their meeting.
Shapps said the UK would supply Ukraine with 10,000 drones for the frontline and increase an investment package from £200m to £325m. Most of the drones are inexpensive first-person-view types used for bombing, but the package also includes £100m for maritime drones of the type used to attack Russian warships in the Black Sea.
“Ukraine’s armed forces are using UK-donated weapons to unprecedented effect, to help lay waste to nearly 30% of Russia’s Black Sea fleet,” Shapps said, drawing an unusually close connection between a donated weapon and its battlefield purpose.
Although Ukraine considers the UK one of its closest allies, the ambassadorship has been vacant for many months. Zelenskiy dismissed the former envoy, Vadym Prystaiko, in July 2023 after he publicly criticised the president.
A row between the two had blown up after Prystaiko went on Sky News to question some of Zelenskiy’s behaviour around that month’s Nato summit, criticising the president for making an apparently sarcastic response to former British defence secretary Ben Wallace.
“On 7 March 2024, the president of Ukraine approved the candidacy of Valerii Zaluzhnyi for the post of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United Kingdom,” the Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Murder is fine and dandy if Russia had an eco-agenda.
youtube.com
John Kerry: If Russia ‘Reduced Emissions’ People Would ‘Feel Better’ About War #shorts #shortsfeed
John Kerry: If Russia ‘Reduced Emissions’ People Would ‘Feel Better’ About War #shorts #shortsfeed SUBSCRIBE TO ME: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4GnflrC...
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Possibly another A-50 was there
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India says some citizens have been duped into working for Russian army
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Sheikh Saaliq
Published Mar 08, 2024 • 2 minute read
NEW DELHI — Indian authorities on Friday said they are in talks with Russia’s government about the return of Indian citizens who were duped into working for the Russian army, a day after a federal investigation agency said it broke up a human trafficking network that lured people to Russia under the pretext of giving them jobs.
India’s foreign ministry said the government has initiated action against a network of agents who duped the men into traveling to Russia.
“We remain committed to the early release of our nationals serving as support staff with the Russian army and their eventual return home,” Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi.
Jaiswal urged Indian citizens not to be deceived by offers by agents of support jobs with the Russian army.
“This is fraught with danger and risk to life,” he said.
On Thursday, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation said at least 35 Indian nationals have been sent to Russia through the agents. It said the men were recruited through social media and local agents.
It said the men were being trained in combat roles and deployed at front-line bases in the Russia-Ukraine war against their wishes. Some of the men were “grievously injured,” it said.
India’s embassy in Moscow on Wednesday confirmed the death of an Indian citizen in Russia whose family told local media that he was recruited by the Russian army. The embassy did not describe the circumstances behind the man’s death but said it was in touch with his family and Russian authorities.
In January, Nepal asked Russia to send back hundreds of Nepali nationals who were recruited to fight against Ukraine. At least 14 Nepali nationals have died in Ukraine, according to Nepal Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud.
India considers Russia a time-tested ally from the Cold War era with key cooperation in defense, oil, nuclear energy and space exploration.
It has so far avoided voting against Russia at the United Nations or criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Sheikh Saaliq
Published Mar 08, 2024 • 2 minute read
NEW DELHI — Indian authorities on Friday said they are in talks with Russia’s government about the return of Indian citizens who were duped into working for the Russian army, a day after a federal investigation agency said it broke up a human trafficking network that lured people to Russia under the pretext of giving them jobs.
India’s foreign ministry said the government has initiated action against a network of agents who duped the men into traveling to Russia.
“We remain committed to the early release of our nationals serving as support staff with the Russian army and their eventual return home,” Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi.
Jaiswal urged Indian citizens not to be deceived by offers by agents of support jobs with the Russian army.
“This is fraught with danger and risk to life,” he said.
On Thursday, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation said at least 35 Indian nationals have been sent to Russia through the agents. It said the men were recruited through social media and local agents.
It said the men were being trained in combat roles and deployed at front-line bases in the Russia-Ukraine war against their wishes. Some of the men were “grievously injured,” it said.
India’s embassy in Moscow on Wednesday confirmed the death of an Indian citizen in Russia whose family told local media that he was recruited by the Russian army. The embassy did not describe the circumstances behind the man’s death but said it was in touch with his family and Russian authorities.
In January, Nepal asked Russia to send back hundreds of Nepali nationals who were recruited to fight against Ukraine. At least 14 Nepali nationals have died in Ukraine, according to Nepal Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud.
India considers Russia a time-tested ally from the Cold War era with key cooperation in defense, oil, nuclear energy and space exploration.
It has so far avoided voting against Russia at the United Nations or criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
India says some citizens have been duped into working for Russian army
Indian authorities said they are in talks with Russia's government about return of Indians who were duped into working for the Russian army
Doing what could be done all along. Its shows America's weakness.