Blame Your Woes on Putin: How Russia’s President Became ‘Scapegoat’ For West’s Failings

©Sputnik / Aleksei Babushkin / Go to the mediabank

In yet another example of the ‘blame game’ spawned by the collective west, Britain’s Conservative party chairman, Nadhim Zahawi, recently drew ridicule after claiming that nurses going on strike and demanding inflation-matching pay rises was “exactly what Putin wants to see.”

'Blame Putin' has increasingly become a go-to mantra for the so-called collective west, as it struggles with its economic woes and policy failings. Why bother to dig deep into the reasons behind one's own shortcomings when there is a readily designated scapegoat - Russia's President Vladimir Putin?

In one latest incident, more ridiculous than offensive, the chairman of the British conservatives, Nadhim Zahawi, found himself mocked after comments made in connection with the strike action mulled by the UK’s nurses. After years of diminishing real-term wages, the latter were seeking to rectify this by locking in an increase in pay that goes 5 percent above inflation. The nurses threatened to go on strike on December 15 and 20 unless the government complied.

Nadhim Zahawi, refusing to look any further, opted deflect blame, saying that strikes by UK nurses was “exactly what Putin wants to see.” The lame attempt to link the government's failings with economic and political fallout from NATO’s ongoing proxy war against Russia in Ukraine immediately set Zahawi in the crosshairs, with commentators suggesting that “Putin Derangement Syndrome is getting out of control."

But while this last instance of the “blame game” may seem ludicrous, in effect, throughout the past few months, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been labeled as responsible for a plethora of grievances and policy shortcomings plaguing the so-called collective west.

Putin’s ‘War’

In an impassioned verbal outburst at the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in late September, US President Joe Biden lashed out at President Vladimir Putin for Russia's “war on Ukraine”.

According to Biden, Russia "invaded its neighbour," and "shamelessly violated" the core tenets of the UN charter by launching a special military operation in Ukraine. He also referred to the then upcoming referendums to join Russia in the Donbass republics, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions a "sham." The rhetoric had come from the president of a country that was itself complicit in violating the UN charter, as when it attacked Yugoslavia in 1999.

Furthermore, Washington had been determined to fan the flames of the Ukraine conflict, helping stage a coup in Ukraine in 2014 and aiding the overthrow of the elected government there. At the UNGA Joe Biden blamed "Putin's war," totally disregarding the fact that Russia had been forced to act to stop an invasion by the Ukrainian forces in February-March 2022.

In July, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey signed an UN-brokered deal to secure a humanitarian corridor via the Black Sea to allow exports of food and fertilizers. Moscow has repeatedly said, however, that the deal is not effective in bringing grain and fertilizer to developing countries, as European nations take a big share of the deliveries. Russia noted that sanctions continue hindering its grain and fertilizer exports even though the deal is supposed to guarantee their free flow to global markets.

The Russian President weighed in on the 'blame game' he had found himself at the heart of.

As Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko during a televised meeting with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in May 2022 underscored, western sanctions had served to give both countries the impetus to focus on self-development, he added that the elites of the West were deluded about the causes of their economic woes.

"On the economy, thanks are really due to them (in the West) as they have given us such a push to our own development... What is happening over there is that they really underestimated it by reading their own media. They got inflation yet the truth is 'Putin is to blame', 'Putin is to blame for everything'," Lukashenko said.

Vladimir Putin menanggapi dengan menyindir, "Kami akan berbicara serius dengan mereka."

Ekses APG Semeru Jalur Curah Kobokan Ditutup Total

Jalur Curah Kobokan di Tutup Akibat Erupsi Semeru, 4/12/2022)

Akibat Awan Panas Guguran (APG) Gunung Semeru pada hari Minggu, 04/12/2022, Jalur penyeberangan Curah Kobokan untuk sementara waktu ditutup total, Personil Polres Lumajang bersiaga, bersinergi dengan Personel TNI dan BPBD berikut sejumlah stakeholder, meminta warga yang hendak menyebrang agar tidak melewati jalur tersebut.

Hasil koordinasi dengan pihak BPBD Kabupaten Lumajang, akses curah kobokan tdk bisa dilalui karena pada posisi kisaran jembatan kajar kuning tertutup endapan material APG... dan ini suhunya cukup tinggi diatas 400 drajat celcius..jadi perlu bapak ibu ketahui dg suhu yg masih tinggi itu membutuhkan waktu 2 minggu menuju normal tetapi ini tergantung ketebalan endapan APG nya..jadi dihimbau agar tdk dilakukan pembukaan akses ini karena sangat berbahaya jika melitasi area tersebut.

“Untuk sementara waktu, sambil menunggu perkembangan lebih lanjut, jalur penyeberangan di Curah Kobokan ditutu demi keamanan,” kata Kapolres Lumajang AKBP Dewa Putu Eka D, S.I.K M.H melalui Kasubsipenmas Aidpa Eko Budi Laksono dihari yang sama.

Hingga saat ini, pihaknya terus berkoordinasi dengan sejumlah pihak, guna terus memantau kondisi terkini. Tegas Eko sebagai dasar pengambilan langkah dan tindakan selanjutnya, menyikapi situasi yang ada.

Sebagai informasi, mengutip laporan Badan Geologi Kementerian Energi, dan Sumber Daya Mineral ( ESDM ), sumber awan panas guguran, berasal dari tumpukan material di ujung lidah lava yang berada sekitar 800 meter dari puncak gunung Semeru.

Disisi lain, Eko mengimbau masyarakat agar tidak panik. Terus berkoordinasi dengan petugas yang sudah berada di lapangan dalam ranah informasi terkini.

Menurutnya, jangan serta merta menerima informasi yang belum tentu benar adanya.

“kepada masyarakat juga kami sangat mengimbau, agar tidak memberikan informasi hoaks. Tunggu informasi resmi dari PVMBG yang akan diteruskan oleh BPBD atau pihak berkewenangan di Kabupaten Lumajang,” pungkasnya.

Cucu Bung Hatta yang Gugat Jokowi ke PTUN, Sudah Malang Melintang di Forum Internasional

Gustika Fardani Jusuf/Net

Cucu Sang Proklamator, Mohammad Hatta, Gustika Fardani Jusuf ikut menggugat Presiden Jokowi dan Mendagri Tito Karnavian. Gugatannya terkait pengangkatan dan pelantikan 88 Penjabat (Pj) kepala daerah di Indonesia dalam rangka Pemilu 2024

Cucu Proklamator Bung Hatta, Gustika Jusuf Hatta, ada tiga orang dan satu LSM yang ikut menggugat. Mereka antara lain Adhito Harinugroho, Lilik Sulistyo, Suci Fitriah Tanjung, dan Yayasan Perludem.

Pengangkatan dan pelantikan 88 Penjabat (Pj) kepala daerah digugat Cucu Wakil Presiden Pertama RI Mohammad Hatta, Gustika Fardani Jusuf. Bersama beberapa rekannya, Gustika melayangkan gugatan tersebut ke Pengadilan Tata Usaha Negara (PTUN) Jakarta.

Dikutip dari laman Sistem Informasi Penelusuran Perkara (SIPP) PTUN Jakarta, gugatan tersebut teregister dalam perkara 422/G/TF/2022/PTUN.JKT, Senin (28/11).

Dalam pokok perkaranya, penggugat yang salah satunya merupakan cucu Wakil Presiden Pertama RI, Mohammad Hatta, yakni Gustika Jusuf, menyatakan tindakan Jokowi dan Mendagri melantik 88 Pj kepala daerah berpotensi penyalahgunaan kekuasaan.

“Menyatakan tindakan pemerintahan berpotensi mengandung unsur penyalahgunaan kekuasaan (abuse of power) sebab dilakukan tanpa terlebih dahulu menerbitkan peraturan pelaksana sebagai tindak lanjut dari keberlakuan Pasal 201 ayat (9), (10), dan (11) UU 10/2016 sebagaimana dimandatkan ketentuan Pasal 205 C UU 10/2016, jo Putusan MK 67/PUU-XIX/2021, tertanggal 20 April 2022, jo Putusan MK 15/PUU-XX/2022 merupakan perbuatan melawan hukum oleh badan/ penjabat pemerintahan (Onrechtmatige Overheidsdaad),” demikian salah satu pokok perkara yang dikutip redaksi, pada hari Sabtu, 03/12/2022.

Hal ini dianggap sebagai perbuatan melawan hukum, penggugat meminta PTUN Jakarta untuk membatalkan tindakan Jokowi dan Tito yang mengangkat dan melantik 88 Pj kepala daerah.

“Menghukum para tergugat untuk membayar biaya perkara yang timbul dalam gugatan ini,” demikian gugatan cucu Proklamator Bung Hatta, Gustika Jusuf Hatta, dan empat pihak lainnya itu.

"Mengabulkan gugatan para penggugat untuk seluruhnya," ujar Gustika dkk dalam petitum permohonannya dikutip pada hari Jumat, 02/12/2022.

Sebelumnya, Mendagri, Tito Karnavian melantik sejumlah penjabat (Pj) kepala daerah untuk sejumlah wilayah. Pada Juli lalu misalnya, Mendagri melantik 36 Pj kepala daerah antara lain untuk Aceh, Banten, dan Gorontalo.

Para pj kepala daerah mengisi kekosongan kekuasaan hingga ada kepala daerah definitif hasil Pilkada Serentak 2024. UU Pilkada meniadakan pilkada serentak pada 2022 dan 2023. Semua pilkada akan digelar pada 27 November 2024.

Pj kepala daerah punya masa jabatan paling lama satu tahun, tetapi bisa diperpanjang untuk satu tahun berikutnya.

Kiprahnya sebagai seorang pelajar Indonesia di luar negeri membentuknya sebagai seorang wanita yang aktif mengkritisi dunia sosial dan politik.

Perempuan yang lahir pada 19 Januari 1994 ini, sebelum menempuh pendidikan di King's College London pada tahun 2015 sudah aktif di beberapa forum internasional.

Tepatnya pada tahun 2012, Gustika sudah mengikuti forum Youth Delegate for COP 18/CMP 8 yang diselenggarakan United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) di Doha, Qatar.

Kala itu dia mewakili kelembagaan pemerintah, mengingat saat itu dia bekerja di bawah Dewan Nasional Perubahan Iklim Indonesia, Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan.

Selain itu, pada tahun 2013 Gustika juga berpartispasi menjadi Delegetion of Indonesia at the 37th General Conference, kemudian juga menjadi Youth Observer at the 8th UNESCO Youth Forum di UNESCO.

Pada masa-masa perkuliahannya di King's College London, Gustika juga aktif membantu kerja-kerja pemeirntahan. Tepatnya pada tahun 2016, dirinya bekerja sebagai anggota tim asistensi Menko Polhukam selama satu bulan. Setelah itu, dia diangkat menjadi ajudan deputi luar negeri selama dua bulan di Kemenko Polhukam.

Tak cuma itu, pada tahun 2017 Gustika mengikuti misi tetap Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa (PBB) sebagai political intern selama 2 bulan. Selang dua tahunnya, atau pada 2019 dia aktif sebagai Summer Research Intern di Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia selama lima bulan.

Sudah Tiga Kali Amblas Pengguna Jalan yang Mau Melintas di Jembatan Cikereteg Bogor Diminta Waspada

Para petugas Satlantas Polres Bogor saat memasang police line di area jembatan Cikereteg. (dok. Humas Polres)

Jembatan Cikereteg Bogor yang berada di Jalan raya H.E Sukma penghubung Bogor Sukabumi mengalami ambles di titik jembatan Cikereteg, Caringin, Kabupaten Bogor.

Amblesnya Jembatan Cikereteg Bogor yang dimilik Provinsi Jawa Barat itu, merupakan kali ketiga sejak 2014. Dampaknya, jalur yang biasa dilalui kendaraan industri itu kini sering macet.

“Itu padahal belum lama, sejak longsor 2014. Ada sekitar dua tahun ke belakang Jembatan Cikereteg Bogor itu di bangun dan diperlebar,” ucap Seftian Nugraha, warga setempat.

Seftian menuturkan dulu di jembatan Cikereteg banyak pedagang kaki lima yang membuka lapak di sana.

Namun, saat amblas dan longsor sebelumnya, tidak ada lagi pedagang di sana.

Pemerintah pun memutuskan untuk memperlebar jalan dan membangun jembatan itu.

Seftian bercerita sebelum jalan itu diperlebar, ia dan keluarganya merupakan salah satu pedagang yang mengisi kios di sana sejak 1990-an.

Waktu kejadian Jembatan Cikereteg Bogor yang amblas sebelumnya, Seftian menyebut ia dan keluarga berada di dalam warung dan melihat lantai mereka retak menganga.

Dia beruntung tidak ada kerugian materil atau korban saat Jembatan Cikereteg Bogor amblas pertama kali. Takut kejadian itu terulang, Seftian menjual lapaknya ke orang lain.

“Eh, benar saja, tidak lama dihuni oleh pedagang lain itu longsor dan beberapa bangunan jatuh ke bawah. Untungnya lagi kosong dan tidak ada korban jiwa. Setelah itu diperbaiki 2018 atau 2019, pokoknya belum lama ini. Eh, sekarang ambles lagi dan kondisinya sekarang jauh lebih berbahaya karena lahan di bawah jalan udah kosong,” ucap Seftian.

“Eh, benar saja, tidak lama dihuni oleh pedagang lain itu longsor dan beberapa bangunan jatuh ke bawah. Untungnya lagi kosong dan tidak ada korban jiwa. Setelah itu diperbaiki 2018 atau 2019, pokoknya belum lama ini. Eh, sekarang ambles lagi dan kondisinya sekarang jauh lebih berbahaya karena lahan di bawah jalan udah kosong,” ucap Seftian.

Saat ditanya apa yang menjadi penyebab amblesnya jalan itu, Seftian bercerita bahwa di bawahnya terdapat gorong-gorong saluran air Cibolang yang mengalir ke Cisadane. Menurut dia, gorong-gorong itu dibangun pada zaman kolonial Belanda sekitar abad ke 18.

Dengan berjalannya waktu, gorong-gorong atau drainase Cibolang itu tertutup oleh beberapa bangunan yang ada saat ini. “Makanya tempat ini dulu dinamainya Gonggo Burung, atau gorong-gorong air yang sudah mati,” ujar dia,

Meski gorong-gorong itu disebut sudah mati, sepengetahuan Seftian masih ada air Cibolang yang mengalir ke Cisadane melalui jembatan itu meski debitnya kecil. “Saya menduga itu menjadi penyebabnya,” katanya.

Sebab membahayakan pengemudi, Satuan Lalu Lintas atau Satlantas Polres Bogor memberlakukan buka tutup jalan untuk menghindari adanya hal yang tidak diinginkan. Bahkan pemberlakuan buka tutup jalan itu dipimpin langsung Kapolres Bogor AKBP Iman Imanuddin dengan memasang Police line dan Road Water Barrier.

Kapolres Bogor menghimbau kendaraan hati-hati saat melintasi Jembatan Cikereteg Bogor, lalu untuk kendaraan besar dan atau menuju langsung Sukabumi disarankan untuk melintasi jalur tol Bocimi.

Imbas Keretakan Jembatan Cikereteg Caringin Bogor, Polisi Akan Berlakukan Rekayasa Lalu Lintas

Kapolres Bogor, AKBP Iman Imanuddin melakukan pengecekan ke lokasi jembatan Cikereteg yang hampir amblas di Jalan Raya Bogor Sukabumi, Kampung Ciderum RT 02 RW 06, Desa Ciderum Kecamatan Caringin, Kabupaten Bogor.

Dalam pengecekan, Iman mengaku polisi akan melakukan rekayasa dan membatasi kendaraan yang melintas diseputaran jembatan Cikereteg.

“Untuk kendaraan kendaraan besar akan kami arahkan untuk masuk ke gate tol rancamaya dan gate tol ciawi. Kemudian kendaraan yang akan menuju ciawi atau jakarta dari arah Cigombong dan Caringin kami akan arahkan untuk masuk ke gate tol cigombong-caringin sehingga kendaraan kendaraan dengan notase yang besar itu tidak melalui jembatan cikereteg,” kata Iman kepada wartawan, hari Sabtu, 03/11/2022.

“Untuk kendaraan-kendaraan kecil, lanjut Iman, bisa dilalui namun pihaknya akan melakukan pembatasan dengan melakukan buka tutup dari arah sukabumi ke bogor maupun sebaliknya dari bogor mengarah ke sukabumi secara bergantian.

Iman juga mengungkapkan pihaknya akan menugaskan baik dari Polsek maupun dari Satlantas polres bogor untuk melakukan pengaturan terhadap lalu lintas yang ada di seputaran jembatan cikereteg.

“Kami menghimbau kepada para pengendara yan akan melalui jalur lintas bogor sukabumi khususnya di jembatan cikereteg bagi kendaraan pribadi tolong berhati hati dan ikuti apa yang menjadi pengaturan pengaturan dari petugas di lapangan untuk keselamatan kita bersama,” tutup Iman.

Gunmen Attack Mosque in Northern Nigeria, Abduct Nearly 20 People

©Arise News

Gunmen stormed a mosque in Nigeria's northern state of Katsina, kidnapping 19 worshippers and shooting an imam, local media reported on Sunday.

The perpetrators abducted 19 people from a local mosque on Saturday evening, the Punch newspaper said, adding that six victims were later rescued. Police spokesman confirmed the attack to the media.

"The terrorists stormed the mosque at Maigamji (village) while people were observing Issaih prayers. They shot and injured the Imam and one other person.

Those people are currently responding to treatment in the hospital. The terrorists also abducted some worshippers that night," state police spokesman Gambo Isah was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

While local media did not specify whether the attack claimed any lives, Reuters reported, citing a local resident, that around 12 people were killed in the attack, including the chief imam.

Armed gangs, known as bandits, attack communities where security is stretched, killing people or kidnapping them for ransom. The gangs also demand villagers pay protection fees to be allowed to farm and harvest their crops.

Lawal Haruna, a resident of Funtua, in President Muhammadu Buhari's home state of Katsina, told Reuters by phone the gunmen arrived at Maigamji mosque on motorbikes and started shooting sporadically, which forced worshippers to flee.

About 12, who were attending night prayers, were caught in the gunfire and killed, including the chief imam, said Haruna.

“They then gathered many people and took them to the bush. I'm praying that the bandits release the innocent people they abducted,” said Abdullahi Mohammed, another resident of Funtua.

Katsina state police spokesperson Gambo Isah confirmed the attack and said state-backed vigilantes, with the support of some residents, had managed to rescue some worshippers.

Katsina is among several states in the northwest of Nigeria which share a border with neighbouring Niger, allowing the gangs to move freely between the two countries.

Nigeria's military has been bombing bush camps used by the bandits, but the attacks continue, raising fears about the safety of voters who will go to the polls to choose Buhari's successor in February.

Diplomat slams Nuland’s words about Western influence on decisions during special op

Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova
©Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland's words that Russia has not resorted to the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine because of Western ‘warnings’ are nothing but an attempt to shift blame,

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on her Telegram channel on Saturday, noting that Moscow repeatedly stated that nuclear war was unacceptable.

The diplomat drew attention to Nuland's words in the Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper that Russian President Vladimir Putin decided not to resort to the use of nuclear weapons allegedly because of "tough warnings" from other states, as well as the unacceptability of strikes on energy infrastructure.

"Victoria Nuland has once again defeated herself: first, through her own controlled media and think tanks, she inflated the topic of the nuclear threat from Russia, and now she is trying to put the blame where it belongs: allegedly nuclear Armageddon did not happen because of 'tough warnings' (and not because no one on this side of the border was planning it)," Zakharova said.

In this regard, the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman recalled the ministry's statement published on November 2 on the prevention of nuclear war.

"As for the 'unacceptability of strikes on the energy system,' it is not up to Nuland to teach the world: take a look at how many electrical grids the US destroyed, or even better, how many electrical grids the United States and NATO destroyed together," Zakharova added.

Russian armed forces successfully advance near Artyomovsk - top brass

©Sergey Bobylev/TASS, archive

Russian troops are gaining ground in the vicinity of Artyomovsk on the Donetsk front, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov told journalists on Sunday.

"On the Donetsk front, Russian troops are successfully advancing in the vicinity of the town of Artyomovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic," he said. According to the spokesman, the adversary’s manpower and equipment were eliminated.

Ukrainian Su-25

Russia's Aerospace Forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 over the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Konashenkov told.

"Fighter aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Su-25 aircraft of Ukraine’s air force in the vicinity of the Krasnoarmeysk locality in the Donetsk People’s Republic," he said.

Ukrainian sabotage groups

Russian troops have wiped out three Ukrainian sabotage groups in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman told.

"In the vicinity of the Chervonaya Dibrova community in the Lugansk People’s Republic three sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the Ukrainian army were eliminated," he said.

Kupyansk front

Russian troops have intercepted an attempt by Ukraine’s armed forces to attack near the settlement of Kuzyomovka on the Kupyansk front, Spokesman told.

"On the Kupyansk front, the strikes of army aviation, the fire of artillery, tanks and heavy fire-throwing systems on Ukrainian positions in the vicinity of the Novoselovskoye community thwarted the adversary’s attempt to attack in the direction of the Kuzyomovka locality in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Russia’s Armed Forces destroyed an oil depot in the Kharkov region used to supply fuel to the equipment of Ukrainian troops on the Kupyansk front, he said.

"An oil depot was eliminated in the vicinity of the Shevchenkovo community in the Kharkov region which was supplying fuel to the military equipment of a Ukrainian military formation on the Kupyansk front," he said.

Russia’s Armed Forces have intercepted an attempt to attack by Ukrainian troops in the vicinity of the Yagodnoye settlement in the Kharkov region, Spokesman told.

According to him, more than 60 Ukrainian servicemen were eliminated as well as four vehicles.

Krasny Liman front

Russian troops have repelled all attacks by Ukraine’s armed forces on the Krasny Liman front with the adversary’s losses amounting to over 80 in casualties, Konashenkov told.

"On the Krasny Liman front, the adversary, using two squadron tactical groups, unsuccessfully tried to attack the positions of Russian troops in the direction of the populated localities of Ploshchanka, Chervonopopovka and Zhitlovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic. As a result of strikes by Russian artillery, the attack was deflected and the adversary was repelled to the starting position," he said.

Ukrainian nationalist formation Russia’s armed forces delivered a strike on a temporary deployment center of a Ukrainian nationalist formation in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman told.

"In the vicinity of the Dibrovo populated locality in the Donetsk People’s Republic a temporary deployment center of a Ukrainian nationalist formation was hit," he said at a briefing.

40 troops

Russian troops have thwarted an attempt by Ukraine’s armed forces to storm the populated locality of Pavlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), he told.

Additionally, according to the spokesman, the adversary unsuccessfully tried to attack in the direction of the Shevchenko populated locality. In all, the Ukrainian army lost up to 40 servicemen, one personnel carrier and three pickup trucks on this front.

Russia’s Armed Forces have attacked Ukrainian artillery units in 187 districts over 24 hours.

"Tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery have hit 69 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, as well as manpower and military equipment, in 187 districts over 24 hours," he said.

AN/TPQ-37

Russia’s Armed Forces have eliminated two US-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery stations in the DPR, Konashenkov told.

A Ukrainian missile/artillery arms depot was also wiped out in the Zaporozhye region, the spokesman said at a briefing.

Russian air defense intercepts HIMARS, Uragan rockets in LPR, Zaporozhye Region

Russian air defense systems have intercepted five rockets, including US-made HIMARS MLRS, over 24 hours, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov told journalists on Sunday.

"Five rockets from HIMARS and Uragan multiple-launch rocket systems have been intercepted in the vicinity of the Krasnorechenskoye community in the Lugansk People's Republic and the Dolina and Sladkaya Balka localities in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.

According to Konashenkov, over 24 hours, nine Ukrainian drones have been downed in the vicinity of Zhitlovka, Krasnorechenskoye, Goncharovka in the LPR, Staromayorskoye, Kirillovka, Nikolskoye, Novotroitskoye, Blagoveshchenka in the DPR and Yagodnoye in the Kharkov region.

The spokesman said that in all, since the onset of the special military operation, 337 aircraft, 178 helicopters, 2,618 drones, 391 air defense systems, 6,983 tanks and other armored vehicles, 909 combat vehicles of multiple-launch rocket systems, 3,653 weapons of field artillery and mortars as well as 7,463 units of specialized military automotive equipment have been eliminated.

Elon Musk: Twitter's Censorship of Hunter Biden Scoop Is 'Definition of Election Interference'

©AP Photo / Andrew Harnik, Pool

Twitter boss Elon Musk has followed through on his promise to shed light on how the social media site he bought censored the Hunter Biden "laptop from Hell" story ahead of and during the 2020 presidential election, with the first instalment of the “Twitter Files” dropping on 2 December via investigative journalist Matt Taibbi.

Elon Musk believes that the inside story of how Twitter suppressed the “Hunter Biden laptop” bombshell scoop just weeks before Joe Biden’s election amounts to meddling in the 2020 poll.

“If Twitter is doing one team's bidding before an election, shutting down dissenting voices on a pivotal election, then that is the definition of election interference,” said the billionaire, who bought the microblogging site on 27 October 2022 for $44Bln.

The Tesla and SpaceX boss, added while taking part in a 'Twitter Spaces' audio event:

"Frankly, Twitter was acting like an arm of the Democratic National Committee. It was absurd."

Musk was weighing in on the first instalment of the so-called 'Twitter Files', which he has been trailing for a while and which finally dropped on 2 December after Musk furnished investigative journalist Matt Taibbi with the social media platform's internal documents.

The world's richest man explained his decision to dig deep into Twitter's archives to lay bare how the company suppressed a story which would have been damaging to US President Joe Biden's son, saying:

“It's just obvious there's been a lot of control of information, suppression of information, including things that affected elections, and that just all need to be...you just want to have the stuff out there.”

Musk added that besides Taibbi, he had given "unfettered access" to the internal files to journalist Bari Weiss, claiming he had no control over how they were revealed.

“This is not a North Korea tour guide situation - you get to go anywhere you want, whenever you want, however you want. I'm not controlling the narrative,'' the tech guru, who said he had joined the chat via a Starlink satellite connection from his private jet, emphasized.

In late November, Musk vowed that under his guidance, 'Twitter 2.0' would be "far more effective, transparent, and even-handed". At the time, he also claimed that Twitter "failed in trust and safety for a very long time and has interfered in elections".

Exactly. The obvious reality, as long-time users know, is that Twitter has failed in trust & safety for a very long time and has interfered in elections.

Twitter 2.0 will be far more effective, transparent and even-handed.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 30, 2022

'The Twitter Files, Part One: How and Why Twitter Blocked the Hunter Biden Laptop Story' is based on redacted emails of the social media site's employees. The leaked email exchanges revealed how "Twitter took extraordinary steps to suppress the story, removing links and posting warnings that it may be ‘unsafe'." Furthermore, a tool usually set aside for extreme cases such as, for example, child pornography, was resorted to, as the scoop's transmission via direct message was also blocked, Taibbi's Twitter thread revealed.

The original Hunter Biden story had been labelled by a small circle of top-level executives at Twitter as “hacked material” without any evidence to support this, it was claimed in the 'Files'. Many of the staff, such as former VP of Global Comms Brandon Borrman, questioned whether they could "truthfully claim that this is part of the policy”. However, in response, former Twitter Deputy General Counsel Jim Baker appeared to argue in the leaked exchanges that it was “reasonable” to assume materials had been hacked and that “caution is warranted”.

Despite the fact that “everyone knew this was f***ed", one former employee said, no one appeared to have the "guts" to stand up to it.

Furthermore, the decision to censor reports about the laptop story was made behind the back of then-chief executive and co-founder Jack Dorsey, with Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s former head of legal, policy, and trust, apparently assuming a “key role”.

The leaked exchanges also appeared to show Twitter staffers asked to "review" tweets perceived as "problematic" by "the Biden team", seeming to center on pornographic images of Hunter Biden.

Originally run by The New York Post on 14 October 2020, the exclusive story hinted at a corruption scheme allowing Hunter Biden to peddle access to his father Joe Biden (while the latter was serving as Barack Obama’s vice-president) to businessmen and women from a host of foreign entities. The details, existing in more than 200 gigabytes of data, including nearly 130,000 emails, text messages from Hunter Biden’s iPhone, photos and videos, and other files discovered on the damaged MacBook Pro he had left at a computer repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware.

Reporting on Hunter’s alleged shady dealings with foreign businessmen was swept under the carpet by mainstream media, and dismissed as "Russian disinformation". It was censored by Facebook* and Twitter. However, subsequent investigations by US law enforcement and media outlets would confirm the story was not the result of hacked material.

The first instalment of the 'Twitter Files' elicited a swift response from Republicans, including House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, Senators Rand Paul and Josh Hawley.

McCarthy vowed that once the House Republicans officially take majority control of the lower chamber in January, they intend to “get answers for the American people and the accountability they deserve”. In mid-November, House Republicans announced a criminal probe into the Biden family.