Omnibus Russia Ukraine crisis
- Thread starter B00Mer
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Honestly never heard of Kharkiv until this morning, so this is the first I’ve heard of this. Interesting. Didn’t realize the Ukrainians were kidnapping Russian civilians & warehousing them amongst their own civilians. They mustn’t have been wearing Go-Pro cameras & posting that footage to the Internet while they were doing it then?
Any footage of these tunnels under this city that the Ukrainians are fighting the Russians from?
Kharkiv is/was the second largest city in Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine to "free the ethnic Russians forced to be and speak Ukrainian" in Ukraine.
Language policy in Ukraine - Wikipedia
Russian and Belarusian propaganda resources are disseminating information in a coordinated manner on social networks, trying to present the Ukrainian Armed Forces as using the “human shield” tactics in the Kursk region. These accusations are based on the statements of an unnamed Russian soldier without any confirmation. This means that it is not true. This is what the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security writes.
The “human shield” message is typical of the Russian army, which has repeatedly used civilians in the occupied territories as cover since 2014. For example, in December 2023, the Ukrainian prosecutor's office opened a criminal case on the use of Ukrainian prisoners as a “human shield” in the Zaporizhzhia region. This is another attempt by Russian propaganda to shift the blame for its crimes to the Ukrainian side.
The purpose of disseminating disinformation about the alleged use of civilians in the Kursk region by the Ukrainian military as a “human shield” is to discredit the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the international arena and to increase hostility towards Ukraine among the Russian population and its presence in Ukraine to shift attention to the numerous war crimes committed by Russian troops, accusing the Ukrainian side of such crimes.
Israel would not do propaganda like that cuz holocaustages.
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It's not hard to draw parallels between the Kremlin and Knesset propaganda.Kharkiv is/was the second largest city in Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine to "free the ethnic Russians forced to be and speak Ukrainian" in Ukraine.
Language policy in Ukraine - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org
Russian and Belarusian propaganda resources are disseminating information in a coordinated manner on social networks, trying to present the Ukrainian Armed Forces as using the “human shield” tactics in the Kursk region. These accusations are based on the statements of an unnamed Russian soldier without any confirmation. This means that it is not true. This is what the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security writes.
The “human shield” message is typical of the Russian army, which has repeatedly used civilians in the occupied territories as cover since 2014. For example, in December 2023, the Ukrainian prosecutor's office opened a criminal case on the use of Ukrainian prisoners as a “human shield” in the Zaporizhzhia region. This is another attempt by Russian propaganda to shift the blame for its crimes to the Ukrainian side.
The purpose of disseminating disinformation about the alleged use of civilians in the Kursk region by the Ukrainian military as a “human shield” is to discredit the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the international arena and to increase hostility towards Ukraine among the Russian population and its presence in Ukraine to shift attention to the numerous war crimes committed by Russian troops, accusing the Ukrainian side of such crimes.
Israel would not do propaganda like that cuz holocaustages.
Countering disinformation with facts - Russian invasion of Ukraine
The Kremlin has long spread disinformation and propaganda to achieve its objectives. It continues to disseminate lies to justify its illegal, unprovoked, unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. Below, you will find a sample of the many lies by the Russian regime about its invasion of Ukraine, along...
Replace NATO with Hamas.
NATO (Canada specifically) trained and armed the "Azov Nazis".
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More human shields killed in Ukraine.
www.youtube.com
Russia Ukraine War LIVE | Missile Attack On Kyiv's Kryvyi Rih Area Kills Over 18, Including Children
A Russian missile strike on April 4, 2025, targeted the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, resulting in at least 19 fatalities, including nine children, and injur...
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There was never going to be one. Now Trump can say "I tried" as Europe moves troops in.what happened to the ceasefire?
Ain't WW3 cool?
KYIV, April 4 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that European military planners could be ready within a month with details of a foreign troop contingent in Ukraine seen as critical to ending the war with Russia.
Kyiv is seeking security guarantees from its allies in the event of a peace agreement with Moscow to prevent a repeat of its February 2022 full-scale invasion.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv after meeting British and French military chiefs, Zelenskiy said many other countries would also contribute to the effort, which envisages foreign troops patrolling Ukrainian land, sea and airspace.
Podcast counsels Russian women to marry soldiers for death benefits
Author of the article:Brad Hunter
Published Apr 07, 2025 • Last updated 17 hours ago • 2 minute read
Realtor Marina Orlova was busted for counselling Russian women to marry soldiers so they could cash in when they were killed in Ukraine.
Realtor Marina Orlova was busted for counselling Russian women to marry soldiers so they could cash in when they were killed in Ukraine.
Now this is a Russian affront.
A glamorous Russian real estate agent has been caged after telling the nation’s women to marry soldiers so they can cash in on their $133,000 death benefit when the men are killed in Ukraine.
Marina Orlova’s gold digging outraged Russians, even for an unpopular war and put her on the police map.
“It turned out really bad, I ask you to forgive me,” she said in a video. In addition to the mean culpa, Orlova was sentenced to 80 hours of community service.
fire following a Russian rocket attack in Dobropillya
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire following a Russian rocket attack in Dobropillya, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, March 8, 2025.
The high-flying realtor had been accused of inciting hatred, enmity and humiliation of human dignity.
Podcast host and “influencer” Darya Cherdantseva was also taken to the Tomsk branch of the Center for Combating Extremism, where she also apologized.
But according to Russian media reports, many women have been cashing in on Vladimir Putin’s violent crusade.
Marina Orlova, left, and podcaster Darya Cherdantseva got into hot water.
Marina Orlova, left, and podcaster Darya Cherdantseva got into hot water.
Orlova gave details of the scheme that targets single Russian soldiers. Then women do a quickie wedding before the men are dispatched to the Ukrainian meatgrinder.
Once the women collect the death benefits, they use the money to buy apartments and get on the property ladder.
“It’s easy and simple,” she told Cherdantseva. “You find a man now who is serving [for Russia in the war], he dies, and you get 8 million rubles ($133,000).
Realtor Marina Orlova was busted for counselling Russian women to marry soldiers so they could cash in when they were killed in Ukraine.
Realtor Marina Orlova was busted for counselling Russian women to marry soldiers so they could cash in when they were killed in Ukraine.
“A lot of people are doing it now. A lot of women come to us with this $8 million, buy some cheap flat. It’s a working scheme. It’s a business plan.”
Second banana Cherdantseva added that widows should then seek a new war husband, thereby gaining a second payout if he too is killed in action.
Of course, the conversations didn’t sit well with Russia’s Investigative Committee and Prosecutor General’s Office. The women were arrested, and the podcast was deleted.
Sergei Shoigu
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu salutes to soldiers as he is driven along Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2024.
But the pair insisted they were only having a laugh. However, other Russians have commented that they know women who have put Orlova’s “business plan” into action.
“We have a lot of those,” said one user, Galina, who said her brother had suddenly married before going to the war.
“My brother also signed right before leaving, they just brought him in, he hadn’t been buried yet, and his supposedly fake wife was already running around the offices to arrange the money.”
Another widow asked on VK: “Will I be entitled to payments in the event of his death, if I already received them for my first husband in 2022?”
Independent journalist Andrey Kalitin said: “This is probably what absolute fall into the abyss looks like.”
The strongman’s prosecutors intervened after the pro-Putin cultural group, Call of the People, demanded action.
“Her cynical and blasphemous statements about a ‘business plan’ based on the deaths of our servicemen are an insult to everyone who is risking their lives on the front lines today, defending our Motherland.
“This is an insult to the memory of fallen heroes and their families,” conservative Sergei Zaitsev said.
Orlova quickly apologized for herself and the host: “I apologize for myself personally, and I apologize even for Daria. In no way did I mean to offend anyone.”
She added: “We were not talking for the public. It was black humour between us.”
bhunter@postmedia.com
@HunterTOSun
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Brad Hunter
Published Apr 07, 2025 • Last updated 17 hours ago • 2 minute read
Realtor Marina Orlova was busted for counselling Russian women to marry soldiers so they could cash in when they were killed in Ukraine.
Realtor Marina Orlova was busted for counselling Russian women to marry soldiers so they could cash in when they were killed in Ukraine.
Now this is a Russian affront.
A glamorous Russian real estate agent has been caged after telling the nation’s women to marry soldiers so they can cash in on their $133,000 death benefit when the men are killed in Ukraine.
Marina Orlova’s gold digging outraged Russians, even for an unpopular war and put her on the police map.
“It turned out really bad, I ask you to forgive me,” she said in a video. In addition to the mean culpa, Orlova was sentenced to 80 hours of community service.
fire following a Russian rocket attack in Dobropillya
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire following a Russian rocket attack in Dobropillya, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, March 8, 2025.
The high-flying realtor had been accused of inciting hatred, enmity and humiliation of human dignity.
Podcast host and “influencer” Darya Cherdantseva was also taken to the Tomsk branch of the Center for Combating Extremism, where she also apologized.
But according to Russian media reports, many women have been cashing in on Vladimir Putin’s violent crusade.
Marina Orlova, left, and podcaster Darya Cherdantseva got into hot water.
Marina Orlova, left, and podcaster Darya Cherdantseva got into hot water.
Orlova gave details of the scheme that targets single Russian soldiers. Then women do a quickie wedding before the men are dispatched to the Ukrainian meatgrinder.
Once the women collect the death benefits, they use the money to buy apartments and get on the property ladder.
“It’s easy and simple,” she told Cherdantseva. “You find a man now who is serving [for Russia in the war], he dies, and you get 8 million rubles ($133,000).
Realtor Marina Orlova was busted for counselling Russian women to marry soldiers so they could cash in when they were killed in Ukraine.
Realtor Marina Orlova was busted for counselling Russian women to marry soldiers so they could cash in when they were killed in Ukraine.
“A lot of people are doing it now. A lot of women come to us with this $8 million, buy some cheap flat. It’s a working scheme. It’s a business plan.”
Second banana Cherdantseva added that widows should then seek a new war husband, thereby gaining a second payout if he too is killed in action.
Of course, the conversations didn’t sit well with Russia’s Investigative Committee and Prosecutor General’s Office. The women were arrested, and the podcast was deleted.
Sergei Shoigu
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu salutes to soldiers as he is driven along Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2024.
But the pair insisted they were only having a laugh. However, other Russians have commented that they know women who have put Orlova’s “business plan” into action.
“We have a lot of those,” said one user, Galina, who said her brother had suddenly married before going to the war.
“My brother also signed right before leaving, they just brought him in, he hadn’t been buried yet, and his supposedly fake wife was already running around the offices to arrange the money.”
Another widow asked on VK: “Will I be entitled to payments in the event of his death, if I already received them for my first husband in 2022?”
Independent journalist Andrey Kalitin said: “This is probably what absolute fall into the abyss looks like.”
The strongman’s prosecutors intervened after the pro-Putin cultural group, Call of the People, demanded action.
“Her cynical and blasphemous statements about a ‘business plan’ based on the deaths of our servicemen are an insult to everyone who is risking their lives on the front lines today, defending our Motherland.
“This is an insult to the memory of fallen heroes and their families,” conservative Sergei Zaitsev said.
Orlova quickly apologized for herself and the host: “I apologize for myself personally, and I apologize even for Daria. In no way did I mean to offend anyone.”
She added: “We were not talking for the public. It was black humour between us.”
bhunter@postmedia.com
@HunterTOSun
Podcast counsels Russian women to marry soldiers for death benefits
Now this is a Russian affront.
Zelenskyy says 2 Chinese were caught fighting for Russia
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Vasilisa Stepanenko
Published Apr 08, 2025 • 2 minute read
This handout video grab published on the official Telegram channel of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 8, 2025 shows, according to the Ukrainian president, one of two Chinese soldiers he said were captured by Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian military has captured two Chinese men fighting with the Russian army in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Tuesday.
Ukraine has information that there are “significantly more” Chinese fighting alongside the Russians in the more than three-year war, Zelenskyy said, adding that he has asked his top diplomat “to immediately contact Beijing and find out how China is going to react to this.”
China has provided strong diplomatic support for Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor, which was widely criticized in the West. Beijing has also contributed an economic lifeline through the trade in energy and consumer goods.
However, China is not known to have provided Russia with weapons or military expertise, unlike Iran and North Korea, with the latter even providing troops, according to American and South Korean officials.
Russia allows foreigners to enlist in its military, as does Ukraine. The pay offered by Moscow makes serving for Russia attractive.
Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting, and both sides are believed to be readying a spring-summer campaign on the battlefield.
“I cannot see any indications that would lead to a ceasefire or even a peace, but I see many indications (for) the continuation of the war,” Nico Lange, a Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington, said in an analysis Monday.
Zelenskyy said a clash with Chinese soldiers occurred near the villages of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka in the Donetsk region, where six Chinese military personnel engaged Ukrainian troops. Two Chinese were taken prisoner, Zelenskyy said at a news conference in Kyiv alongside visiting Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
Zelenskyy said China would be the third country to offer military support to the Kremlin after Iran, which has supplied attack drones, and North Korea. The U.S. and Europe have been Ukraine’s biggest backers in the war.
Zelenskyy noted that previously captured North Korean soldiers were fighting in Russia’s Kursk border region, where Ukrainian forces captured territory, while the Chinese were caught on Ukrainian soil.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian Foreign Ministry officials will take part in talks with the U.S. in Istanbul planned for Thursday.
He didn’t elaborate what the talks would be about, but the foreign ministry’s involvement suggests it is another round of talks about normalizing their respective embassies’ operations and increasing their staff numbers after years expelling each others’ diplomats.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Vasilisa Stepanenko
Published Apr 08, 2025 • 2 minute read
This handout video grab published on the official Telegram channel of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 8, 2025 shows, according to the Ukrainian president, one of two Chinese soldiers he said were captured by Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian military has captured two Chinese men fighting with the Russian army in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Tuesday.
Ukraine has information that there are “significantly more” Chinese fighting alongside the Russians in the more than three-year war, Zelenskyy said, adding that he has asked his top diplomat “to immediately contact Beijing and find out how China is going to react to this.”
China has provided strong diplomatic support for Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor, which was widely criticized in the West. Beijing has also contributed an economic lifeline through the trade in energy and consumer goods.
However, China is not known to have provided Russia with weapons or military expertise, unlike Iran and North Korea, with the latter even providing troops, according to American and South Korean officials.
Russia allows foreigners to enlist in its military, as does Ukraine. The pay offered by Moscow makes serving for Russia attractive.
Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting, and both sides are believed to be readying a spring-summer campaign on the battlefield.
“I cannot see any indications that would lead to a ceasefire or even a peace, but I see many indications (for) the continuation of the war,” Nico Lange, a Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington, said in an analysis Monday.
Zelenskyy said a clash with Chinese soldiers occurred near the villages of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka in the Donetsk region, where six Chinese military personnel engaged Ukrainian troops. Two Chinese were taken prisoner, Zelenskyy said at a news conference in Kyiv alongside visiting Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
Zelenskyy said China would be the third country to offer military support to the Kremlin after Iran, which has supplied attack drones, and North Korea. The U.S. and Europe have been Ukraine’s biggest backers in the war.
Zelenskyy noted that previously captured North Korean soldiers were fighting in Russia’s Kursk border region, where Ukrainian forces captured territory, while the Chinese were caught on Ukrainian soil.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian Foreign Ministry officials will take part in talks with the U.S. in Istanbul planned for Thursday.
He didn’t elaborate what the talks would be about, but the foreign ministry’s involvement suggests it is another round of talks about normalizing their respective embassies’ operations and increasing their staff numbers after years expelling each others’ diplomats.
Zelenskyy says 2 Chinese were caught fighting for Russia
Ukraine has information that there are "significantly more" Chinese fighting alongside the Russians in the war, Zelenskyy said.
More human shields...
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Foreign Ambassadors and Diplomats, Visited Site of the Russian Missile Strike on Kryvyi Rih
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Watch | Large NATO DrillS in Black Sea With 2200 Troops From 12 Nations
A large NATO drill took place in the Black Sea, involving 2,200 troops from 12 nations. The exercises focused on enhancing military cooperation and readiness...
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Ukraine says more than 150 Chinese mercenaries fighting for Russia
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Samya Kullab
Published Apr 09, 2025 • Last updated 10 hours ago • 4 minute read
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine on Wednesday expanded on its claim that significant numbers of Chinese nationals are fighting for Russia’s invading army, saying it had gathered detailed intelligence on more than 150 mercenaries Moscow allegedly recruited through social media. In China, officials called the allegations “totally unfounded.”
The Ukrainian accusation and Chinese denial come as the U.S. strives to secure a ceasefire in the more than three-year war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Tuesday that the Ukrainian military had captured two Chinese men fighting alongside the Russian army on Ukrainian soil. It was the first time Ukraine had made such a claim about Chinese fighters in the war.
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy said he was willing to exchange the two prisoners of war for Ukrainian soldiers held captive in Russia. Without providing evidence, Zelenskyy said officials in Beijing were aware of Russia’s campaign to recruit Chinese mercenaries. He stopped short of saying the Chinese government authorized the mercenaries’ involvement in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine has the last names and passport data for 155 Chinese citizens fighting for the Russian army and that “we believe that there are many more of them.” He shared with journalists documents listing names, passport numbers and personal details of the alleged Chinese recruits, including when they arrived in Russia for military training and departed for service; the AP has not independently verified the documents.
China has provided strong diplomatic support for Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It has also sold Russia machinery and microelectronics that it can use to make weapons, Western officials say, in addition to providing an economic lifeline through the trade in energy and consumer goods.
China is not believed to have knowingly provided Russia with troops, weapons or military expertise.
U.S. officials have accused Iran of providing Russia with drones, while American and South Korean officials say North Korea has sent thousands of troops and ammunition to help Russia on the battlefield.
With the U.S. and Europe having provided substantial military support and diplomatic heft for Ukraine, the war has to some degree become a contest between power blocs.
Tensions between the U.S. and China have deepened in recent years. Disputes have centered on geopolitical influence, technology and trade — and recently escalating import tariffs between the countries have roiled global financial markets. Zelenskyy said U.S. officials expressed “surprise” when informed of the presence of Chinese mercenaries in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to follow through on a campaign promise last year to swiftly end the war in Ukraine.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said at a briefing in Washington on Tuesday that reports of Chinese citizens fighting on behalf of Russia were “disturbing.”
“China is a major enabler of Russia in the war in Ukraine,” Bruce said. China provides nearly 80% of the dual-use items Russia needs to sustain the war, she claimed.
But Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, said he is “not convinced yet” the Chinese personnel identified as fighting on behalf of Russia against Ukraine are more than mercenaries or volunteers.
“There’s an axiom in the military, the first report is always wrong,” Kellogg said during a Wednesday appearance at Georgetown University. “And this is one of those let’s sit back and see how this plays out, because it could be volunteers.”
Kellogg noted that Ukraine also has volunteers from other countries, including the United States, fighting on its behalf. He added that the early reports of Chinese personnel are not on par with North Korea’s deployment of thousands of troops to the frontlines.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, also called Beijing “the key enabler of Russia’s war.”
Dual-use goods are entering Russia via China, she said in Brussels, adding “it’s clear that if China would want to really stop the support then it would have an impact.”
China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow in turn is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry for the war, according to a U.S. assessment last year.
The Kremlin has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting in Ukraine. The Kyiv government has consented to it. Both sides are believed to be readying spring-summer military campaigns.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in Beijing that China has played a “constructive role in politically resolving the Ukraine crisis.”
Lin told a daily news briefing Wednesday that “the Chinese government always asks Chinese citizens to stay away from conflict zones, avoid getting involved in any form of armed conflict, and especially refrain from participating in any party’s military operations.”
His comments appeared to indicate that the captured Chinese had joined Russia’s ranks on their own initiative. Both Russia and Ukraine allow foreign soldiers to enlist.
China has previously put forward a vague peace plan that was swiftly dismissed by most observers.
In the meantime, both countries have kept fighting a war of attrition along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line and targeted each other with long-range strikes.
The city of Kramatorsk in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk endured a “massive drone attack” overnight, regional head Vadym Filashkin said, injuring an 11-year-old girl, her mother and her grandmother.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 55 Shahed and decoy drones at the country overnight.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 158 Ukrainian drones over 11 Russian regions overnight but reported no casualties or damage.
Several Russian regions temporarily suspended flights at their airports because of the attack, however, and some Ukrainian drones reached Russia’s Orenburg region in the southern Urals located nearly 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) east of the Ukrainian border, the Defense Ministry said.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Samya Kullab
Published Apr 09, 2025 • Last updated 10 hours ago • 4 minute read
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine on Wednesday expanded on its claim that significant numbers of Chinese nationals are fighting for Russia’s invading army, saying it had gathered detailed intelligence on more than 150 mercenaries Moscow allegedly recruited through social media. In China, officials called the allegations “totally unfounded.”
The Ukrainian accusation and Chinese denial come as the U.S. strives to secure a ceasefire in the more than three-year war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Tuesday that the Ukrainian military had captured two Chinese men fighting alongside the Russian army on Ukrainian soil. It was the first time Ukraine had made such a claim about Chinese fighters in the war.
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy said he was willing to exchange the two prisoners of war for Ukrainian soldiers held captive in Russia. Without providing evidence, Zelenskyy said officials in Beijing were aware of Russia’s campaign to recruit Chinese mercenaries. He stopped short of saying the Chinese government authorized the mercenaries’ involvement in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine has the last names and passport data for 155 Chinese citizens fighting for the Russian army and that “we believe that there are many more of them.” He shared with journalists documents listing names, passport numbers and personal details of the alleged Chinese recruits, including when they arrived in Russia for military training and departed for service; the AP has not independently verified the documents.
China has provided strong diplomatic support for Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It has also sold Russia machinery and microelectronics that it can use to make weapons, Western officials say, in addition to providing an economic lifeline through the trade in energy and consumer goods.
China is not believed to have knowingly provided Russia with troops, weapons or military expertise.
U.S. officials have accused Iran of providing Russia with drones, while American and South Korean officials say North Korea has sent thousands of troops and ammunition to help Russia on the battlefield.
With the U.S. and Europe having provided substantial military support and diplomatic heft for Ukraine, the war has to some degree become a contest between power blocs.
Tensions between the U.S. and China have deepened in recent years. Disputes have centered on geopolitical influence, technology and trade — and recently escalating import tariffs between the countries have roiled global financial markets. Zelenskyy said U.S. officials expressed “surprise” when informed of the presence of Chinese mercenaries in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to follow through on a campaign promise last year to swiftly end the war in Ukraine.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said at a briefing in Washington on Tuesday that reports of Chinese citizens fighting on behalf of Russia were “disturbing.”
“China is a major enabler of Russia in the war in Ukraine,” Bruce said. China provides nearly 80% of the dual-use items Russia needs to sustain the war, she claimed.
But Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, said he is “not convinced yet” the Chinese personnel identified as fighting on behalf of Russia against Ukraine are more than mercenaries or volunteers.
“There’s an axiom in the military, the first report is always wrong,” Kellogg said during a Wednesday appearance at Georgetown University. “And this is one of those let’s sit back and see how this plays out, because it could be volunteers.”
Kellogg noted that Ukraine also has volunteers from other countries, including the United States, fighting on its behalf. He added that the early reports of Chinese personnel are not on par with North Korea’s deployment of thousands of troops to the frontlines.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, also called Beijing “the key enabler of Russia’s war.”
Dual-use goods are entering Russia via China, she said in Brussels, adding “it’s clear that if China would want to really stop the support then it would have an impact.”
China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow in turn is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry for the war, according to a U.S. assessment last year.
The Kremlin has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting in Ukraine. The Kyiv government has consented to it. Both sides are believed to be readying spring-summer military campaigns.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in Beijing that China has played a “constructive role in politically resolving the Ukraine crisis.”
Lin told a daily news briefing Wednesday that “the Chinese government always asks Chinese citizens to stay away from conflict zones, avoid getting involved in any form of armed conflict, and especially refrain from participating in any party’s military operations.”
His comments appeared to indicate that the captured Chinese had joined Russia’s ranks on their own initiative. Both Russia and Ukraine allow foreign soldiers to enlist.
China has previously put forward a vague peace plan that was swiftly dismissed by most observers.
In the meantime, both countries have kept fighting a war of attrition along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line and targeted each other with long-range strikes.
The city of Kramatorsk in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk endured a “massive drone attack” overnight, regional head Vadym Filashkin said, injuring an 11-year-old girl, her mother and her grandmother.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 55 Shahed and decoy drones at the country overnight.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 158 Ukrainian drones over 11 Russian regions overnight but reported no casualties or damage.
Several Russian regions temporarily suspended flights at their airports because of the attack, however, and some Ukrainian drones reached Russia’s Orenburg region in the southern Urals located nearly 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) east of the Ukrainian border, the Defense Ministry said.
Ukraine says more than 150 Chinese mercenaries fighting for Russia
Ukraine on Wednesday expanded on its claim that significant numbers of Chinese nationals are fighting for Russia's invading army
U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Karelina is released in prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Jon Gambrell and Dasha Litvinova
Published Apr 10, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Moscow freed a Russian American convicted of treason in exchange for a Russian German man jailed on smuggling charges in the U.S., a prisoner swap that was completed Thursday as the two countries met to repair ties.
“They released the young ballerina and she is now out, and that was good. So we appreciate that,” President Donald Trump said of Ksenia Karelina, who was expected to arrive back in the U.S. on Thursday evening. She was arrested in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg in February 2024 and convicted of treason on charges stemming from a donation of about $52 to a charity aiding Ukraine. U.S. authorities have called the case “absolutely ludicrous.”
Arthur Petrov was released as part of a swap in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, according to the Federal Security Service, or FSB, Russia’s main security and counterintelligence agency. Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in August 2023 at the request of the U.S. on charges of smuggling sensitive microelectronics to Russia and extradited to the U.S. a year later.
Karelina was among a growing number of Americans arrested in Russia in recent years as tensions between Moscow and Washington spiked over the war in Ukraine. Her release is the latest in a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges Russia and the U.S. carried out in the last three years — and the second since Trump took office and reversed Washington’s policy of isolating Russia in an effort to end the war in Ukraine.
CIA director John Ratcliffe hailed “the CIA officers who worked tirelessly to support this effort.” The CIA also emphasized that “the exchange shows the importance of keeping lines of communication open with Russia, despite the deep challenges in our bilateral relationship.”
Meanwhile, Russian and U.S. diplomats met in Istanbul for a second round of talks on normalizing embassies’ work, following the first such meeting in February. The State Department said the delegations “exchanged notes to finalize an understanding to ensure the stability of diplomatic banking for Russian and U.S. bilateral missions.”
It said the U.S. reiterated its concerns about the Russian ban on hiring of local staff, “the key impediment to maintaining for stable and sustainable staffing levels at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.”
Alexander Darchiyev, Russia’s ambassador to Washington who led Moscow’s delegation in the talks, praised their “positive atmosphere” and noted the parties agreed to continue discussions to facilitate diplomats’ travel. He added that the Russian side also pushed for a quick return of its diplomatic property seized by U.S. authorities.
In February, Russia released American teacher Marc Fogel, imprisoned on drug charges, in a swap that the White House described as part of a diplomatic thaw that could advance peace negotiations. That same month, Russia released another American just days after arresting him on drug smuggling charges.
Karelina, a former ballet dancer also identified in some media as Ksenia Khavana, lived in Maryland before moving to Los Angeles. She was arrested when she returned to Russia to visit her family last year.
The FSB accused her of “proactively” collecting money for a Ukrainian organization that was supplying gear to Kyiv’s forces. The First Department, a Russian rights group, said the charges stemmed from a $51.80 donation to a U.S. charity aiding Ukraine.
Karelina’s lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, said on Instagram that she had been in touch with her family since her release.
“I am overjoyed to hear that the love of my life, Ksenia Karelina is on her way home from wrongful detention in Russia,” Karelina’s fiance, professional boxer Chris van Heerden, said in a statement. “She has endured a nightmare for 15 months and I cannot wait to hold her. Our dog, Boots, is also eagerly awaiting her return.”
He thanked Trump and his envoys, as well as prominent public figures who had championed her case, including Dana White, a Trump friend and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Trump also credited White, too, saying White had called him about the case.
White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said on X that “President Trump and his administration continue to work around the clock to ensure Americans detained abroad are returned home to their families.”
The exchange was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Karelina was headed to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, according to a person familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity to discuss her case.
The United Arab Emirates’ state-run WAM news agency released photos of Karelina boarding a plane and one of her standing next to Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE’s ambassador to the U.S.
The FSB, which said President Vladimir Putin had pardoned Karelina before the swap, released a video showing her being escorted to a plane somewhere in Russia. The footage then featured what appeared to be the scene of exchange at the Abu Dhabi airport, with Petrov walking off a plane and shaking hands with Russian officials on the tarmac.
The video showed Petrov undergoing medical checkups on a flight to Russia. “I have no particular complaints, just a bit tired,” he said.
Another video released by the FSB later in the day showed him walking off a plane after arriving in Russia.
Petrov was accused by the U.S. Justice Department of involvement in a scheme to procure microelectronics subject to U.S. export controls on behalf of a Russia-based supplier of critical components for the country’s weapons industries. He was facing a 20-year prison term in the U.S.
Abu Dhabi was the scene of another high-profile prisoner swap between Russia and the United States. In December 2022, American basketball star Brittney Griner was traded for the notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The UAE has been a mediator in prisoner swaps between Russia and Ukraine, while the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai has become home to many Russians and Ukrainians who fled there after the start of Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
— Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia. Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Jon Gambrell and Dasha Litvinova
Published Apr 10, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Moscow freed a Russian American convicted of treason in exchange for a Russian German man jailed on smuggling charges in the U.S., a prisoner swap that was completed Thursday as the two countries met to repair ties.
“They released the young ballerina and she is now out, and that was good. So we appreciate that,” President Donald Trump said of Ksenia Karelina, who was expected to arrive back in the U.S. on Thursday evening. She was arrested in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg in February 2024 and convicted of treason on charges stemming from a donation of about $52 to a charity aiding Ukraine. U.S. authorities have called the case “absolutely ludicrous.”
Arthur Petrov was released as part of a swap in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, according to the Federal Security Service, or FSB, Russia’s main security and counterintelligence agency. Petrov was arrested in Cyprus in August 2023 at the request of the U.S. on charges of smuggling sensitive microelectronics to Russia and extradited to the U.S. a year later.
Karelina was among a growing number of Americans arrested in Russia in recent years as tensions between Moscow and Washington spiked over the war in Ukraine. Her release is the latest in a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges Russia and the U.S. carried out in the last three years — and the second since Trump took office and reversed Washington’s policy of isolating Russia in an effort to end the war in Ukraine.
CIA director John Ratcliffe hailed “the CIA officers who worked tirelessly to support this effort.” The CIA also emphasized that “the exchange shows the importance of keeping lines of communication open with Russia, despite the deep challenges in our bilateral relationship.”
Meanwhile, Russian and U.S. diplomats met in Istanbul for a second round of talks on normalizing embassies’ work, following the first such meeting in February. The State Department said the delegations “exchanged notes to finalize an understanding to ensure the stability of diplomatic banking for Russian and U.S. bilateral missions.”
It said the U.S. reiterated its concerns about the Russian ban on hiring of local staff, “the key impediment to maintaining for stable and sustainable staffing levels at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.”
Alexander Darchiyev, Russia’s ambassador to Washington who led Moscow’s delegation in the talks, praised their “positive atmosphere” and noted the parties agreed to continue discussions to facilitate diplomats’ travel. He added that the Russian side also pushed for a quick return of its diplomatic property seized by U.S. authorities.
In February, Russia released American teacher Marc Fogel, imprisoned on drug charges, in a swap that the White House described as part of a diplomatic thaw that could advance peace negotiations. That same month, Russia released another American just days after arresting him on drug smuggling charges.
Karelina, a former ballet dancer also identified in some media as Ksenia Khavana, lived in Maryland before moving to Los Angeles. She was arrested when she returned to Russia to visit her family last year.
The FSB accused her of “proactively” collecting money for a Ukrainian organization that was supplying gear to Kyiv’s forces. The First Department, a Russian rights group, said the charges stemmed from a $51.80 donation to a U.S. charity aiding Ukraine.
Karelina’s lawyer, Mikhail Mushailov, said on Instagram that she had been in touch with her family since her release.
“I am overjoyed to hear that the love of my life, Ksenia Karelina is on her way home from wrongful detention in Russia,” Karelina’s fiance, professional boxer Chris van Heerden, said in a statement. “She has endured a nightmare for 15 months and I cannot wait to hold her. Our dog, Boots, is also eagerly awaiting her return.”
He thanked Trump and his envoys, as well as prominent public figures who had championed her case, including Dana White, a Trump friend and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Trump also credited White, too, saying White had called him about the case.
White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said on X that “President Trump and his administration continue to work around the clock to ensure Americans detained abroad are returned home to their families.”
The exchange was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Karelina was headed to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, according to a person familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity to discuss her case.
The United Arab Emirates’ state-run WAM news agency released photos of Karelina boarding a plane and one of her standing next to Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE’s ambassador to the U.S.
The FSB, which said President Vladimir Putin had pardoned Karelina before the swap, released a video showing her being escorted to a plane somewhere in Russia. The footage then featured what appeared to be the scene of exchange at the Abu Dhabi airport, with Petrov walking off a plane and shaking hands with Russian officials on the tarmac.
The video showed Petrov undergoing medical checkups on a flight to Russia. “I have no particular complaints, just a bit tired,” he said.
Another video released by the FSB later in the day showed him walking off a plane after arriving in Russia.
Petrov was accused by the U.S. Justice Department of involvement in a scheme to procure microelectronics subject to U.S. export controls on behalf of a Russia-based supplier of critical components for the country’s weapons industries. He was facing a 20-year prison term in the U.S.
Abu Dhabi was the scene of another high-profile prisoner swap between Russia and the United States. In December 2022, American basketball star Brittney Griner was traded for the notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The UAE has been a mediator in prisoner swaps between Russia and Ukraine, while the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai has become home to many Russians and Ukrainians who fled there after the start of Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
— Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia. Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed.
U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Karelina is released in prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington
Ksenia Karelina, also identified in the media as Ksenia Khavana, is "on a plane back home to the United States," Rubio said in a post on X.
A video shows men identified as Russian troops holding Ukrainian POWs. Then the killing begins
Two videos. Two stories. In one, the prisoners appear to live. In the other, they die.
More human shields die from ballistic missiles in Sumska (Sumy)
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21 people killed, 34 injured in Russian missile attack on the center of Sumy
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The wars in Ukraine and Gaza are not isolated regional conflicts. They are existential battles that will determine the future of the world order.
In both cases, authoritarian forces — Russia in Ukraine, Iran and its proxies in the Middle East — are testing the resolve of western democracies. Yet, instead of responding with a unified strategy, the United States and Canada have taken diverging approaches: Washington prioritizing Israel while retreating from Ukraine, while Ottawa does the reverse.
(Aren’t Russia & Iran BRICS nations?
)
Ultimately, the U.S. and Canada’s opposing priorities are self-defeating. The same adversaries are behind both conflicts. Tehran supplies Moscow with drones and other advanced military equipment to sustain its war against Ukraine, while Russia has provided Iran with military aircraft, intelligence and assistance in bypassing sanctions.
This inconsistency reflects a broader strategic paralysis in the West that emboldens adversaries and weakens the democratic world. Despite strained relations between Canada and the U.S., the two countries should unite and start treating Ukraine and Israel as two fronts in the same war against authoritarian aggression. Doing so would not only send a strong signal to our enemies, it would pave the way for greater cohesion between western nations.
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It’s no secret that U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to power has reshaped America’s foreign-policy priorities. While staunchly pro-Israel, the administration has significantly scaled back support for Ukraine. Aid packages for Kyiv have stalled, and Trump’s rhetoric suggests a willingness to force Ukraine into an unfavourable peace, freezing the conflict in a way that benefits Russian President Vladimir Putin (No-Homo-Bromance).
Meanwhile, Trump has strengthened U.S. support for Israel. Washington has continued military aid, backed Israeli operations against Hamas and signalled strong opposition to Iran’s regional ambitions. This approach reflects Trump’s worldview: prioritize strong bilateral relationships while disengaging from multilateral commitments.
Canada has taken the opposite approach. Liberal LeaderJustin Trudeau Mark Carney has reaffirmed his intention to provide assistance to Ukraine and continue putting pressure on Russia. Yet Carney’s government, much like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s before it, maintains a cautious stance toward Israel.
While Canada has condemned Hamas’s actions, it typically does so in statements that also condemn Israel — creating a moral equivalence between terrorist organizations that have murdered Canadians and a sovereign member state of the United Nations.
But if Israel faces another escalation from Iran or Hezbollah, or if Washington pressures allies to align more closely with its pro-Israel position, Canada may be forced to choose between diplomatic neutrality and its alliance with the U.S. A failure to support Israel could deepen divisions within the western alliance.
If the West cannot muster the will to defend Ukraine and Israel simultaneously, it will lose more than two wars — it will lose its credibility, its deterrence and, ultimately, its global leadership.
In both cases, authoritarian forces — Russia in Ukraine, Iran and its proxies in the Middle East — are testing the resolve of western democracies. Yet, instead of responding with a unified strategy, the United States and Canada have taken diverging approaches: Washington prioritizing Israel while retreating from Ukraine, while Ottawa does the reverse.
(Aren’t Russia & Iran BRICS nations?
)Ultimately, the U.S. and Canada’s opposing priorities are self-defeating. The same adversaries are behind both conflicts. Tehran supplies Moscow with drones and other advanced military equipment to sustain its war against Ukraine, while Russia has provided Iran with military aircraft, intelligence and assistance in bypassing sanctions.
This inconsistency reflects a broader strategic paralysis in the West that emboldens adversaries and weakens the democratic world. Despite strained relations between Canada and the U.S., the two countries should unite and start treating Ukraine and Israel as two fronts in the same war against authoritarian aggression. Doing so would not only send a strong signal to our enemies, it would pave the way for greater cohesion between western nations.
Opinion: Ukraine and Israel are fighting two fronts in the same war — the West must support both — National Post
By following diverging policies on the two conflicts, Canada and the U.S. are playing into the hands of our enemies
Meanwhile, Trump has strengthened U.S. support for Israel. Washington has continued military aid, backed Israeli operations against Hamas and signalled strong opposition to Iran’s regional ambitions. This approach reflects Trump’s worldview: prioritize strong bilateral relationships while disengaging from multilateral commitments.
Canada has taken the opposite approach. Liberal Leader
While Canada has condemned Hamas’s actions, it typically does so in statements that also condemn Israel — creating a moral equivalence between terrorist organizations that have murdered Canadians and a sovereign member state of the United Nations.
But if Israel faces another escalation from Iran or Hezbollah, or if Washington pressures allies to align more closely with its pro-Israel position, Canada may be forced to choose between diplomatic neutrality and its alliance with the U.S. A failure to support Israel could deepen divisions within the western alliance.
If the West cannot muster the will to defend Ukraine and Israel simultaneously, it will lose more than two wars — it will lose its credibility, its deterrence and, ultimately, its global leadership.
LIVE | Beijing Responds to Zelensky, Warns Against ‘Manipulation’ Over Chinese POWs in Ukraine
In a press conference held in Kyiv, Chinese citizens Zhang Renbo and Wang Guanjun, captured by Ukrainian forces on the Donetsk front said they were subjected...
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