Omnibus Russia Ukraine crisis
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In Russia, a monument to the anal plug was erected
A shiny metal sculpture was mounted in one of the squares in the Kuban. Local officials deny the similarity with the 18+ toy, because "show someone a finger, it will cause them associations."
The government gently hints where the Russians should put their opinion.
For our taste, let the whole of Russia be forced with anal plugs than with tanks and missiles.
Ukraine Now
Kyiv readies for 'worst winter of our lives'
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Yuras Karmanau And John Leicester
Publishing date:Nov 21, 2022 • 1 day ago • 5 minute read
KYIV, Ukraine — When the power is out, as it so often is, the high-rise apartment overlooking Ukraine’s war-torn capital feels like a deathtrap.
No lights, no water, no way to cook food. And the risk of not being able to escape from the 21st floor in time should a Russian missile strike. Even when electricity comes back, it’s never on for long.
“Russian strikes are plunging Ukraine into the Stone Age,” says Anastasia Pyrozhenko.
In a recent 24-hour spell, her 26-story high-rise only had power for half an hour. She says the “military living conditions” have driven her and husband from their apartment.
“Our building is the highest in the area and is a great target for Russian missiles, so we left our apartment for our parents’ place and are preparing for the worst winter of our lives,” said the 25-year-old.
The situation in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and other major cities has deteriorated drastically following the largest missile attack on the country’s power grid on Tuesday. Ukrainian state-owned grid operator Ukrenergo reported that 40% of Ukrainians were experiencing difficulties, due to damage to at least 15 major energy hubs across the country.
Warning that electricity outages could last anywhere from several hours to several days, the network said that “resilience and courage are what we need this winter.”
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, too, stressed the need to be ready and resilient in the face of a potential blackout: “Worst case scenario. Actually, I don’t like to talk about that, but I have to be prepared if we (do not) have electricity, blackout, no water, no heating, no services and no communication,” Klitschko told the AP on Friday.
Ukrenergo said in a statement that “thousands of kilometers of key high-voltage lines are not working,” affecting the entire country.
It published a picture of a transformer station that was destroyed by a Russian missile, leaving around 400,000 people without power. According to the report, “there are dozens of such transformers in the power system now. This equipment cannot be replaced quickly.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after last week’s strikes that more than 10 million Ukrainians were left without electricity; by Sunday, he said some areas had seen improvements.
“The restoration of networks and technical supply capabilities, the de-mining of power transmission lines, repairs — everything goes on round the clock,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.
Blackouts were scheduled Sunday night in 15 regions and the city of Kyiv, he said. Ukrenergo said there would be scheduled outages in every region on Monday.
A sharp cold snap and the first snow have significantly complicated the situation in Kyiv, where temperatures are often below freezing in winter months. The cold forces people to turn on their heaters, which drastically increases the load on the grid and makes power outages longer. In light of the dropping temperatures, the Kyiv authorities announced they were setting up communal heating points.
In the city of 3 million people, 528 emergency points have been identified. Here, residents will be able to keep warm, drink tea, recharge their phones and get any necessary help. The heating points will be equipped with autonomous power sources, as well as special boiler rooms.
Mayor Klitschko, too, spoke of measures taken to prepare for energy outages with the onset of colder temperatures: “We prepared and we (asked for) electric generators (from) our partners, which they send to us. For this case, we have a reserve of diesel, (of) oil. We have a lot of warm stuff. We have medication.”
Many residents in Kyiv have begun to leave boxes of food, flashlights and power banks in elevators, in case anyone gets stuck in one for a long time. Due to the lack of electricity, public transport is disrupted, many small shops cannot operate, and some medical institutions can only work to a limited capacity.
Dentist Viktor Turakevich said that he was forced to postpone his patients’ appointments “for an indefinite time” because without electricity his central Kyiv clinic cannot function even during the day, and the generator will only arrive in a few weeks.
“We cannot accept patients even with acute toothache, people have to suffer and wait a long time, but the light comes on only for a few hours a day,” Turakevich said. “Generator prices have skyrocketed, but even with money, they are not easy to come by.”
Most hospitals in Kyiv have already received generators and there are no power outages there yet. The Oleksandrivska hospital, the largest and oldest one in the center of Kyiv, reported that it had not canceled elective surgeries because the hospital had received electric generators from France. Generators have also been supplied to educational institutions and social services.
“Such facilities are a priority for us, and most of them are equipped with autonomous energy sources,” Ukrenergo head Volodymyr Kudrytskyi said on Friday. However, many schools in Kyiv have endured significant disruption to the learning process, with a lack of electricity meaning internet outages that make remote learning near impossible.
Yaroslav, age 8, stopped attending his school in the Vynohradar district of Kyiv after a rocket attack blew out all the windows of the school and damaged a shelter there.
“Most of the children studied remotely, but now it is no longer possible to do this,” said Yaroslav’s mother, Olena, who asked for her last name to be withheld for safety reasons, in a phone interview. “We are trying to protect children from the horrors of war, but the cold and the lack of power greatly hinder this.”
Analysts say that Russian rocket attacks on the energy industry do not affect the successful advance of the Ukrainian army in the south and the situation on the battlefield in general.
“The Russians cannot win on the battlefield, and therefore they use cold and darkness as a weapon against the civilian population, trying to sow panic, depression and demoralize Ukrainians,” Volodymyr Fesenko, an analyst at the Penta Center think tank in Kyiv, told the AP.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “is suffering military defeats and is in dire need of a military pause, which is why he is forcing Zelenskyy into negotiations in such a wild way,” he said.
The analyst believes the Kremlin is also trying to put pressure on Western support for Ukraine, as the EU and the U.S. will be forced to expand aid packages to a freezing Kyiv amid growing domestic troubles.
“Putin is trying to make the price of supporting Ukraine too high — this applies both to money and to a possible new flow of refugees to Europe from a freezing country,” Fesenko said.
Pyrozhenko, having left her high-rise, moved in with her mother in a small apartment in Kyiv, now home to five people. The family has a wooden house in a village near Kyiv and has already prepared firewood in case of a forced evacuation.
“We understand that winter can be long, cold and dark, but we are ready to endure,” Pyrozhenko said. “We are ready to live without light, but not with the Russians.”
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Yuras Karmanau And John Leicester
Publishing date:Nov 21, 2022 • 1 day ago • 5 minute read
KYIV, Ukraine — When the power is out, as it so often is, the high-rise apartment overlooking Ukraine’s war-torn capital feels like a deathtrap.
No lights, no water, no way to cook food. And the risk of not being able to escape from the 21st floor in time should a Russian missile strike. Even when electricity comes back, it’s never on for long.
“Russian strikes are plunging Ukraine into the Stone Age,” says Anastasia Pyrozhenko.
In a recent 24-hour spell, her 26-story high-rise only had power for half an hour. She says the “military living conditions” have driven her and husband from their apartment.
“Our building is the highest in the area and is a great target for Russian missiles, so we left our apartment for our parents’ place and are preparing for the worst winter of our lives,” said the 25-year-old.
The situation in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and other major cities has deteriorated drastically following the largest missile attack on the country’s power grid on Tuesday. Ukrainian state-owned grid operator Ukrenergo reported that 40% of Ukrainians were experiencing difficulties, due to damage to at least 15 major energy hubs across the country.
Warning that electricity outages could last anywhere from several hours to several days, the network said that “resilience and courage are what we need this winter.”
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, too, stressed the need to be ready and resilient in the face of a potential blackout: “Worst case scenario. Actually, I don’t like to talk about that, but I have to be prepared if we (do not) have electricity, blackout, no water, no heating, no services and no communication,” Klitschko told the AP on Friday.
Ukrenergo said in a statement that “thousands of kilometers of key high-voltage lines are not working,” affecting the entire country.
It published a picture of a transformer station that was destroyed by a Russian missile, leaving around 400,000 people without power. According to the report, “there are dozens of such transformers in the power system now. This equipment cannot be replaced quickly.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after last week’s strikes that more than 10 million Ukrainians were left without electricity; by Sunday, he said some areas had seen improvements.
“The restoration of networks and technical supply capabilities, the de-mining of power transmission lines, repairs — everything goes on round the clock,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.
Blackouts were scheduled Sunday night in 15 regions and the city of Kyiv, he said. Ukrenergo said there would be scheduled outages in every region on Monday.
A sharp cold snap and the first snow have significantly complicated the situation in Kyiv, where temperatures are often below freezing in winter months. The cold forces people to turn on their heaters, which drastically increases the load on the grid and makes power outages longer. In light of the dropping temperatures, the Kyiv authorities announced they were setting up communal heating points.
In the city of 3 million people, 528 emergency points have been identified. Here, residents will be able to keep warm, drink tea, recharge their phones and get any necessary help. The heating points will be equipped with autonomous power sources, as well as special boiler rooms.
Mayor Klitschko, too, spoke of measures taken to prepare for energy outages with the onset of colder temperatures: “We prepared and we (asked for) electric generators (from) our partners, which they send to us. For this case, we have a reserve of diesel, (of) oil. We have a lot of warm stuff. We have medication.”
Many residents in Kyiv have begun to leave boxes of food, flashlights and power banks in elevators, in case anyone gets stuck in one for a long time. Due to the lack of electricity, public transport is disrupted, many small shops cannot operate, and some medical institutions can only work to a limited capacity.
Dentist Viktor Turakevich said that he was forced to postpone his patients’ appointments “for an indefinite time” because without electricity his central Kyiv clinic cannot function even during the day, and the generator will only arrive in a few weeks.
“We cannot accept patients even with acute toothache, people have to suffer and wait a long time, but the light comes on only for a few hours a day,” Turakevich said. “Generator prices have skyrocketed, but even with money, they are not easy to come by.”
Most hospitals in Kyiv have already received generators and there are no power outages there yet. The Oleksandrivska hospital, the largest and oldest one in the center of Kyiv, reported that it had not canceled elective surgeries because the hospital had received electric generators from France. Generators have also been supplied to educational institutions and social services.
“Such facilities are a priority for us, and most of them are equipped with autonomous energy sources,” Ukrenergo head Volodymyr Kudrytskyi said on Friday. However, many schools in Kyiv have endured significant disruption to the learning process, with a lack of electricity meaning internet outages that make remote learning near impossible.
Yaroslav, age 8, stopped attending his school in the Vynohradar district of Kyiv after a rocket attack blew out all the windows of the school and damaged a shelter there.
“Most of the children studied remotely, but now it is no longer possible to do this,” said Yaroslav’s mother, Olena, who asked for her last name to be withheld for safety reasons, in a phone interview. “We are trying to protect children from the horrors of war, but the cold and the lack of power greatly hinder this.”
Analysts say that Russian rocket attacks on the energy industry do not affect the successful advance of the Ukrainian army in the south and the situation on the battlefield in general.
“The Russians cannot win on the battlefield, and therefore they use cold and darkness as a weapon against the civilian population, trying to sow panic, depression and demoralize Ukrainians,” Volodymyr Fesenko, an analyst at the Penta Center think tank in Kyiv, told the AP.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “is suffering military defeats and is in dire need of a military pause, which is why he is forcing Zelenskyy into negotiations in such a wild way,” he said.
The analyst believes the Kremlin is also trying to put pressure on Western support for Ukraine, as the EU and the U.S. will be forced to expand aid packages to a freezing Kyiv amid growing domestic troubles.
“Putin is trying to make the price of supporting Ukraine too high — this applies both to money and to a possible new flow of refugees to Europe from a freezing country,” Fesenko said.
Pyrozhenko, having left her high-rise, moved in with her mother in a small apartment in Kyiv, now home to five people. The family has a wooden house in a village near Kyiv and has already prepared firewood in case of a forced evacuation.
“We understand that winter can be long, cold and dark, but we are ready to endure,” Pyrozhenko said. “We are ready to live without light, but not with the Russians.”
COLD AND DARK: Kyiv readies for 'worst winter of our lives'
When the power is out, as it so often is, the high-rise apartment overlooking Ukraine's war-torn capital feels like a deathtrap.
Ukrainians brace for horrific winter
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
John Leicester
Publishing date:Nov 22, 2022 • 1 day ago • 4 minute read
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine could face rolling blackouts across the country through March, an energy expert said, due to what another official described Tuesday as the “colossal” damage done to Ukraine’s power grid by relentless Russian airstrikes.
Ukrainians are being told to stock up on supplies, evacuate hard-hit areas — or even think about leaving the country altogether.
Sergey Kovalenko, the CEO of private energy provider DTEK Yasno, said in a Facebook post late Monday that the company was under instructions from Ukraine’s state grid operator to resume emergency blackouts in the areas it covers, including the capital Kyiv and the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region.
“Although there are fewer blackouts now, I want everyone to understand: Most likely, Ukrainians will have to live with blackouts until at least the end of March,” Kovalenko warned.
“I think we need to be prepared for different options, even the worst ones. Stock up on warm clothes, blankets, think about what will help you wait out a long shutdown,” he said, addressing Ukrainian residents.
Russia has been pummeling Ukraine’s power grid and other infrastructure from the air for weeks, as the war approaches its nine-month milestone. That onslaught has caused widespread blackouts and deprived millions of Ukrainians of electricity, heat and water.
“This winter will be life-threatening for millions of people in Ukraine,” said Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, the World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe, due to the lack of power and Ukraine’s damaged health facilities.
Temperatures commonly stay below freezing in Ukraine in the winter, and snow has already some to many areas, including Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities have started evacuating civilians from recently liberated sections of the southern Kherson and Mykolaiv regions out of fear that the winter will be too hard to survive.
Kovalenko said even if no more Russian airstrikes occur, scheduled outages will be needed across Ukraine to ensure that power is evenly distributed across the country’s battered energy grid.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian missile strikes have damaged more than 50% of the country’s energy facilities.
“The scale of destruction is colossal” on the power grid from the Russian barrage last week, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, the CEO of Ukrenergo, the state-own power grid operator, told Ukrainian TV on Tuesday.
He said Ukraine has “practically no intact thermal (or) hydroelectric power plants” following the large-scale attack by Moscow on Nov. 15.
Also Tuesday, the Kyiv regional authorities said more than 150 settlements were enduring emergency blackouts due to the onset of winter weather, including snowfall and high winds. More than 70 repair teams have been deployed to restore power across the province.
The battle for terrain has continued unabated despite the deteriorating weather conditions, with Ukrainian forces pressing against Russian positions as part of a weeks-long counteroffensive and Moscow’s forces keeping up shelling and missile strikes.
In a key battlefield development, a Ukrainian official acknowledged that Kyiv’s forces are attacking Russian positions on the Kinburn Spit, which is a gateway to the Black Sea basin and parts of the southern Kherson region that are still under Russian control.
Natalya Humenyuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian army’s Operational Command South, said in televised remarks that Ukrainian forces are “continuing a military operation” in the area.
The Kinburn Spit is Russia’s last outpost in Ukraine’s southern Mykolayiv region, directly west of Kherson. Ukrainian forces recently liberated other parts of the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.
Moscow has used the Kinburn Spit as a staging ground for missile and artillery strikes on Ukrainian positions in the Mykolaiv province, and elsewhere along the Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea coast.
Ukraine recently recaptured the city of Kherson, on the western bank of the Dnieper River, and surrounding areas.
Capturing the Kinburn Spit could help Ukrainian forces push into territory Russia still holds in the Kherson region “under significantly less Russian artillery fire” than directly crossing the Dnieper, a Washington-based think tank said.
The Institute for the Study of War added that control of the area would help Kyiv alleviate Russian strikes on Ukraine’s southern seaports and allow Ukraine to increase its naval activity in the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s presidential office said Tuesday that at least eight civilians were killed and 16 were injured over the previous 24 hours, as Moscow’s forces once again used drones, rockets and heavy artillery to pound eight Ukrainian regions.
Since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, the war has killed at least 16,784 civilians and injured 10,189, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates.
In the eastern Donetsk region, fierce battles continued around the city of Bakhmut, where the Kremlin’s forces are keen to clinch a victory after weeks of embarrassing military setbacks.
Speaking on Ukrainian TV, Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said Russia launched missiles at the city of Kramatorsk, home to the local headquarters of the Ukrainian military, and on the strategic city of Avdiivka.
Kyrylenko added that power supplies and communications are non-existent in most of the Donetsk region.
According to Ukraine’s presidential office, one civilian was killed and three others were wounded after Russia shelled the city of Kherson, which Ukrainian forces recaptured Nov. 10.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
John Leicester
Publishing date:Nov 22, 2022 • 1 day ago • 4 minute read
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine could face rolling blackouts across the country through March, an energy expert said, due to what another official described Tuesday as the “colossal” damage done to Ukraine’s power grid by relentless Russian airstrikes.
Ukrainians are being told to stock up on supplies, evacuate hard-hit areas — or even think about leaving the country altogether.
Sergey Kovalenko, the CEO of private energy provider DTEK Yasno, said in a Facebook post late Monday that the company was under instructions from Ukraine’s state grid operator to resume emergency blackouts in the areas it covers, including the capital Kyiv and the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region.
“Although there are fewer blackouts now, I want everyone to understand: Most likely, Ukrainians will have to live with blackouts until at least the end of March,” Kovalenko warned.
“I think we need to be prepared for different options, even the worst ones. Stock up on warm clothes, blankets, think about what will help you wait out a long shutdown,” he said, addressing Ukrainian residents.
Russia has been pummeling Ukraine’s power grid and other infrastructure from the air for weeks, as the war approaches its nine-month milestone. That onslaught has caused widespread blackouts and deprived millions of Ukrainians of electricity, heat and water.
“This winter will be life-threatening for millions of people in Ukraine,” said Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, the World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe, due to the lack of power and Ukraine’s damaged health facilities.
Temperatures commonly stay below freezing in Ukraine in the winter, and snow has already some to many areas, including Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities have started evacuating civilians from recently liberated sections of the southern Kherson and Mykolaiv regions out of fear that the winter will be too hard to survive.
Kovalenko said even if no more Russian airstrikes occur, scheduled outages will be needed across Ukraine to ensure that power is evenly distributed across the country’s battered energy grid.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian missile strikes have damaged more than 50% of the country’s energy facilities.
“The scale of destruction is colossal” on the power grid from the Russian barrage last week, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, the CEO of Ukrenergo, the state-own power grid operator, told Ukrainian TV on Tuesday.
He said Ukraine has “practically no intact thermal (or) hydroelectric power plants” following the large-scale attack by Moscow on Nov. 15.
Also Tuesday, the Kyiv regional authorities said more than 150 settlements were enduring emergency blackouts due to the onset of winter weather, including snowfall and high winds. More than 70 repair teams have been deployed to restore power across the province.
The battle for terrain has continued unabated despite the deteriorating weather conditions, with Ukrainian forces pressing against Russian positions as part of a weeks-long counteroffensive and Moscow’s forces keeping up shelling and missile strikes.
In a key battlefield development, a Ukrainian official acknowledged that Kyiv’s forces are attacking Russian positions on the Kinburn Spit, which is a gateway to the Black Sea basin and parts of the southern Kherson region that are still under Russian control.
Natalya Humenyuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian army’s Operational Command South, said in televised remarks that Ukrainian forces are “continuing a military operation” in the area.
The Kinburn Spit is Russia’s last outpost in Ukraine’s southern Mykolayiv region, directly west of Kherson. Ukrainian forces recently liberated other parts of the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.
Moscow has used the Kinburn Spit as a staging ground for missile and artillery strikes on Ukrainian positions in the Mykolaiv province, and elsewhere along the Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea coast.
Ukraine recently recaptured the city of Kherson, on the western bank of the Dnieper River, and surrounding areas.
Capturing the Kinburn Spit could help Ukrainian forces push into territory Russia still holds in the Kherson region “under significantly less Russian artillery fire” than directly crossing the Dnieper, a Washington-based think tank said.
The Institute for the Study of War added that control of the area would help Kyiv alleviate Russian strikes on Ukraine’s southern seaports and allow Ukraine to increase its naval activity in the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s presidential office said Tuesday that at least eight civilians were killed and 16 were injured over the previous 24 hours, as Moscow’s forces once again used drones, rockets and heavy artillery to pound eight Ukrainian regions.
Since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, the war has killed at least 16,784 civilians and injured 10,189, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates.
In the eastern Donetsk region, fierce battles continued around the city of Bakhmut, where the Kremlin’s forces are keen to clinch a victory after weeks of embarrassing military setbacks.
Speaking on Ukrainian TV, Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said Russia launched missiles at the city of Kramatorsk, home to the local headquarters of the Ukrainian military, and on the strategic city of Avdiivka.
Kyrylenko added that power supplies and communications are non-existent in most of the Donetsk region.
According to Ukraine’s presidential office, one civilian was killed and three others were wounded after Russia shelled the city of Kherson, which Ukrainian forces recaptured Nov. 10.
'Stock up on blankets': Ukrainians brace for horrific winter
Ukraine could face rolling blackouts across the country through March, an energy expert said.
AP fires reporter, reviews sourcing rules after Poland missile strike error
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
David Bauder
Publishing date:Nov 22, 2022 • 22 hours ago • 4 minute read
NEW YORK — The Associated Press has fired a reporter and is reviewing its standards on use of anonymous sourcing following an “egregious” error in a story about a fatal missile strike that killed two people in Poland.
The national security reporter, James LaPorta, was dismissed after being deemed primarily responsible for a Nov. 15 news bulletin that erroneously said Russian missiles had carried out the strike, according to people at the AP familiar with the decision. They asked for anonymity to talk about personnel matters and internal operations.
In fact, it is widely believed that Russian-made antiaircraft missiles fired by Ukraine were responsible for the deadly encounter in the NATO country.
LaPorta, who had worked at AP since 2020, said Tuesday that “I would love to comment on the record, but I have been ordered by the AP to not comment.”
AP is believed to be the first news organization outside of Polish media to report on the strike itself last week. The error ascribing blame to Russia was particularly damaging because of the danger involved given NATO’s commitment to respond to an attack on a member country.
“We review any egregious mistakes that are made,” Julie Pace, senior vice president and executive editor of the AP, said of last week’s error. “We take our standards very seriously. If we don’t live up to our standards, we don’t have any choice but to take action. Trust in the AP and trust in our report is paramount.”
The initial report was attributed to a “senior U.S. intelligence official,” with no explanation of why the person was granted anonymity. A reason for anonymity is required by AP policy. Later, the story was updated to add that the official was not named because of the sensitive nature of the situation.
The AP tries to avoid confidential sources, according to its statement of principles, and it lays out strict guidelines for their use. For example, a reporter must get approval from a news manager who is told the source’s identity in order to use it in a story — a process known as “vetting sources.”
In this case, LaPorta said in an internal Slack message that his source had been vetted by Ron Nixon, an AP vice president and head of investigations, enterprise, partnerships and grants. But Nixon has said he had no knowledge that the source was being used for this particular story and development, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
AP’s policies also call for a second source to corroborate information received through confidential sources, although exceptions are granted on a case-by-case basis.
There has been other disciplinary action taken, according to the company, which did not give details Tuesday afternoon. The AP is reviewing all aspects of the story and the way it was handled, and how the material made it to the wire, Pace said.
“Anytime that we have an error, and certainly an error of this magnitude, we have to stop,” Pace said. “We have to make sure we have the right policies when it comes to anonymous sources and reporting on sensitive information, and we need to make sure that our staff is trained properly and has a clear understanding how to implement these standards.”
The AP’s standards editor, John Daniszewski, sent a note to all AP journalists on Tuesday reminding them on standards for the use of anonymous sources, saying the guidelines “should be known by every AP reporter and editor.”
He noted that the AP’s exception to its two-source rule comes when the material being offered comes directly from an authoritative figure in a position to know, with information so detailed that there is no question of its accuracy.
While the rules are straightforward, “they can become muddled if reporting from anonymous sources is put directly into a Slack channel or conversation with other editors and reporters assembling a piece of AP journalism, especially in a breaking news situation,” Daniszewski wrote.
The AP’s internal messaging from that day included a brief discussion of whether a second source was necessary.
As the day went on, the story was updated — including adding Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s false blame of Russians for the Polish incident. Eventually, AP’s report couched the incident by reporting the Polish Foreign Ministry’s statement that it was a Russian-made missile.
The AP issued a formal correction on its story the next day.
The story contained the byline of a second AP reporter, John Leicester, who was chronicling a series of Russian attacks in Ukraine that day. Leicester, stationed in Kyiv when the story hit the wire, is not facing any discipline because he had nothing to do with the anonymously sourced material about the Polish attack that was inserted into the story.
The incident is a particularly vivid reminder — given the potential consequences — of the need for journalists to take care in “fog of war” situations, said William Muck, a political science professor at North Central College in Illinois.
“We forget that the nature of conflict is that there is a lot of ambiguity and uncertainty,” Muck said. “There is reason for caution and to slow things down.”
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
David Bauder
Publishing date:Nov 22, 2022 • 22 hours ago • 4 minute read
NEW YORK — The Associated Press has fired a reporter and is reviewing its standards on use of anonymous sourcing following an “egregious” error in a story about a fatal missile strike that killed two people in Poland.
The national security reporter, James LaPorta, was dismissed after being deemed primarily responsible for a Nov. 15 news bulletin that erroneously said Russian missiles had carried out the strike, according to people at the AP familiar with the decision. They asked for anonymity to talk about personnel matters and internal operations.
In fact, it is widely believed that Russian-made antiaircraft missiles fired by Ukraine were responsible for the deadly encounter in the NATO country.
LaPorta, who had worked at AP since 2020, said Tuesday that “I would love to comment on the record, but I have been ordered by the AP to not comment.”
AP is believed to be the first news organization outside of Polish media to report on the strike itself last week. The error ascribing blame to Russia was particularly damaging because of the danger involved given NATO’s commitment to respond to an attack on a member country.
“We review any egregious mistakes that are made,” Julie Pace, senior vice president and executive editor of the AP, said of last week’s error. “We take our standards very seriously. If we don’t live up to our standards, we don’t have any choice but to take action. Trust in the AP and trust in our report is paramount.”
The initial report was attributed to a “senior U.S. intelligence official,” with no explanation of why the person was granted anonymity. A reason for anonymity is required by AP policy. Later, the story was updated to add that the official was not named because of the sensitive nature of the situation.
The AP tries to avoid confidential sources, according to its statement of principles, and it lays out strict guidelines for their use. For example, a reporter must get approval from a news manager who is told the source’s identity in order to use it in a story — a process known as “vetting sources.”
In this case, LaPorta said in an internal Slack message that his source had been vetted by Ron Nixon, an AP vice president and head of investigations, enterprise, partnerships and grants. But Nixon has said he had no knowledge that the source was being used for this particular story and development, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
AP’s policies also call for a second source to corroborate information received through confidential sources, although exceptions are granted on a case-by-case basis.
There has been other disciplinary action taken, according to the company, which did not give details Tuesday afternoon. The AP is reviewing all aspects of the story and the way it was handled, and how the material made it to the wire, Pace said.
“Anytime that we have an error, and certainly an error of this magnitude, we have to stop,” Pace said. “We have to make sure we have the right policies when it comes to anonymous sources and reporting on sensitive information, and we need to make sure that our staff is trained properly and has a clear understanding how to implement these standards.”
The AP’s standards editor, John Daniszewski, sent a note to all AP journalists on Tuesday reminding them on standards for the use of anonymous sources, saying the guidelines “should be known by every AP reporter and editor.”
He noted that the AP’s exception to its two-source rule comes when the material being offered comes directly from an authoritative figure in a position to know, with information so detailed that there is no question of its accuracy.
While the rules are straightforward, “they can become muddled if reporting from anonymous sources is put directly into a Slack channel or conversation with other editors and reporters assembling a piece of AP journalism, especially in a breaking news situation,” Daniszewski wrote.
The AP’s internal messaging from that day included a brief discussion of whether a second source was necessary.
As the day went on, the story was updated — including adding Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s false blame of Russians for the Polish incident. Eventually, AP’s report couched the incident by reporting the Polish Foreign Ministry’s statement that it was a Russian-made missile.
The AP issued a formal correction on its story the next day.
The story contained the byline of a second AP reporter, John Leicester, who was chronicling a series of Russian attacks in Ukraine that day. Leicester, stationed in Kyiv when the story hit the wire, is not facing any discipline because he had nothing to do with the anonymously sourced material about the Polish attack that was inserted into the story.
The incident is a particularly vivid reminder — given the potential consequences — of the need for journalists to take care in “fog of war” situations, said William Muck, a political science professor at North Central College in Illinois.
“We forget that the nature of conflict is that there is a lot of ambiguity and uncertainty,” Muck said. “There is reason for caution and to slow things down.”
AP fires reporter, reviews sourcing rules after Poland missile strike error
The Associated Press has fired a reporter and is reviewing its standards on use of anonymous sourcing following an "egregious" error.
Even Lesbeau of the Fifth Column doesn't believe the narrative and sees what I see. A really big fucking hole, 10 tonnes of tractor and grain drier upended, and British AWACS tracking TWO missles out of Belarus (what did the second disappearing missle hit?). The target was high voltage transmission lines coming from Poland to feed the city of Lviv.
Just a little Beau update about Russia and stupid Russian supporters.
Man, it's just gets worse and worse for Russia.
Their tank situation is dire. Their vaunted T-14 Armata seems to be a bit of a dud. They've only got a handful of them and doesn't look like they'll be getting anymore anytime soon. Better hope they can spruce up all those Soviet-era T-60s.
Sources have also confirmed they seem to be out of conventional warheads for their missiles and are firing empty missiles into Ukraine. Presumably hoping the impact speed and any remaining fuel on board when it reaches target provide some kind of impact. It will but not much.
The Russian army is also seriously short of rifles, having had to dig into their stocks of Soviet-era AKs, which are proving to be neither adequate in numbers nor condition. In some cases they're even using Mosin-Nagant rifles from WW2 surplus. Which would be bad enough but that rifle's design also predates WW1 by about 23 years.
And while the Russian admirals spent just over $3 trillion on new ships for the navy, they spent over $4 trillion on luxury yachts for themselves. Turns out the Russian military's worst enemy is its generals, and oligarchs making money from the laughable production of Russian war materiel.
If corruption was the operational standard for a successful military campaign, Russia would have won in hours.
The problem is, Putin is unlikely aware of the deplorable condition of Russia's military-industrial complex because his generals and admirals keep blowing smoke up his ass. Or maybe he did know and figured the Ukrainians (and NATO) would just do nothing like they did when he annexed the Crimea.
This puts him in a tough position. If he continues with his crap in Ukraine he's going to deplete Russia's military stocks to even worse levels. For example, it's been analyzed that if things continue in much the same vein in 2023, Russia's tank force will be rendered ineffective due to materiel losses. It's already teetering on the brink.
But if he relents, he looks weak and foolish.
And in either case, he just might get stupid enough to push the shiny red button.
I'm not sure there's anyway Putin can back out of it at this point and save any face at all. And that's not a comforting thought.
Their tank situation is dire. Their vaunted T-14 Armata seems to be a bit of a dud. They've only got a handful of them and doesn't look like they'll be getting anymore anytime soon. Better hope they can spruce up all those Soviet-era T-60s.
Sources have also confirmed they seem to be out of conventional warheads for their missiles and are firing empty missiles into Ukraine. Presumably hoping the impact speed and any remaining fuel on board when it reaches target provide some kind of impact. It will but not much.
The Russian army is also seriously short of rifles, having had to dig into their stocks of Soviet-era AKs, which are proving to be neither adequate in numbers nor condition. In some cases they're even using Mosin-Nagant rifles from WW2 surplus. Which would be bad enough but that rifle's design also predates WW1 by about 23 years.
And while the Russian admirals spent just over $3 trillion on new ships for the navy, they spent over $4 trillion on luxury yachts for themselves. Turns out the Russian military's worst enemy is its generals, and oligarchs making money from the laughable production of Russian war materiel.
If corruption was the operational standard for a successful military campaign, Russia would have won in hours.
The problem is, Putin is unlikely aware of the deplorable condition of Russia's military-industrial complex because his generals and admirals keep blowing smoke up his ass. Or maybe he did know and figured the Ukrainians (and NATO) would just do nothing like they did when he annexed the Crimea.
This puts him in a tough position. If he continues with his crap in Ukraine he's going to deplete Russia's military stocks to even worse levels. For example, it's been analyzed that if things continue in much the same vein in 2023, Russia's tank force will be rendered ineffective due to materiel losses. It's already teetering on the brink.
But if he relents, he looks weak and foolish.
And in either case, he just might get stupid enough to push the shiny red button.
I'm not sure there's anyway Putin can back out of it at this point and save any face at all. And that's not a comforting thought.
DC Comics will present a new superhero - Ukrainian Pavlo Stupka "Core"
Pavel is “a Ukrainian living nuclear generator, with the power of flight and despite the fact that he is 52 years old, he looks 16. Nuclear generation seems to get rid of wrinkles.”
Pavel "Core" will appear as part of the Stormwatch team in the reboot of the WildStorm comic series, according to Reddit users.
We just don't forget that now every Ukrainian is a hero! Ukraine NowI have to say i'm not sure if i buy this "depeted rusisian stockpiles' thing all that much. For bigger items like tanks and such it makes some sense but things like missiles? I mean, the us and the allies are depleating their stocks too, so they just go to their industries and say "ramp it up, make us more". The russians have the industrial might and they know how to make 'em - early on when putin thought he could win in a week i totally get that they'd have been slow to ramp up but what on earth would be stopping them right now from having their facgtories pumping out missiles and rockets and ammo etc. And it's not hard to make a warhead for a missile.
ANd i am TOTALLY not buying them sending their troops out with mosin's. Rifle practice during training MAYBE but c'mon. I'd need to see some hard core verifiable sources for that. They've been pumping out AK's by the billion since 1950. Coming up with 300 thousand for the new troops seems pretty doable.
I think that while the russians are short on a lot of things and critically short of some things, they're better off than some suggest. They appear to be doing a fair bit of offensive operations in the northern regions and they're not attacking with T-60's and mosins. And they are using a lot of artillery by all reports
THe Ukrainians will win the war in the end but the idea that the russians are only fighting with ww2 eqipment when they have any equipment at al sounds implausible to me.
ANd i am TOTALLY not buying them sending their troops out with mosin's. Rifle practice during training MAYBE but c'mon. I'd need to see some hard core verifiable sources for that. They've been pumping out AK's by the billion since 1950. Coming up with 300 thousand for the new troops seems pretty doable.
I think that while the russians are short on a lot of things and critically short of some things, they're better off than some suggest. They appear to be doing a fair bit of offensive operations in the northern regions and they're not attacking with T-60's and mosins. And they are using a lot of artillery by all reports
THe Ukrainians will win the war in the end but the idea that the russians are only fighting with ww2 eqipment when they have any equipment at al sounds implausible to me.
Russia includes garage that doesn't work as inventory.
As for artillery all their stockpiles of shells are toast. They are firing shit produced in 2022 or buying from China and North Korea.
As for "raketas" they are firing rockets without warheads.
They are fucked.
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