Kremlin says UK tanks sent to Ukraine 'will burn' and warns military aid 'will not change the situation on the ground, but prolong' the war

The Kremlin said on Monday that any British tanks sent to Ukraine will 'burn' on the battlefield and warned military aid 'will not aid the situation on the ground' but instead only serve to prolong the on-going invasion

Since President Vladimir Putin's The Special Military Operation in Ukraine on February 24, the United States and its allies have given tens of billions of dollars' worth of weaponry including rocket systems, drones, armoured vehicles and communications systems

Britain said on Saturday it would send 14 of its Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine as well as other advanced artillery support in the coming weeks.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Britain of 'using this country as a tool to achieve their anti-Russian goals,' when asked about the British tanks.

'The special military operation will continue. These tanks are burning and will burn,' he said, using Moscow's term for Putin's invasion.

He added that plans by some countries - like the UK and Poland - to send tanks to Ukraine will 'not change the situation on the ground. It will only prolong this story.'

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised last week to provide British Challenger 2 tanks to Kyiv. Earlier this month France also pledged to send tanks - the French-build AMX-10 RC - to Ukraine.

Monday also saw the Kremlin deny any conflict between the Defence Ministry and the Wagner mercenary group fighting for Russia in Ukraine, calling it an invention of the media.

Tension between Wagner and the defence establishment burst into the open last Friday when the ministry claimed the capture of the Ukrainian town of Soledar - which Ukraine disputed - but made no mention of Wagner's role in the fighting.

Wagner's boss Yevgeny Prigozhin complained of attempts to minimise his forces' role and belittle their achievements. The defence ministry later issued an update praising the 'courageous and selfless actions' of Wagner fighters.

Peskov told reporters it was unhelpful for pro-Russian media to take part in media 'manipulations' about an alleged rift between the armed forces and Wagner. He said Russia recognised both as heroes, and 'both of them will be forever in our memory'.

'As for any conflicts, these are mainly products of informational manipulations, which are, okay, sometimes arranged by our informational opponents, but sometimes our friends behave in such a way that such enemies are not needed,' he said.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is under pressure to approve an increase in international military support for Kyiv by allowing the export of Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine by manufacturer Germany, and other countries that have them.

Warsaw has signalled it is willing to send Leopard tanks to its neighbour.

However, Kyiv suffered a setback on Sunday when German armsmaker Rheinmetall said it could deliver repaired Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine in 2024 at the earliest and would need a confirmed order to begin repairs.

Its chief executive was quoted as saying this by Bild newspaper on Sunday.

Germany announced earlier this month that it would provide Ukraine with 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles to help repel Russian forces.

But Kyiv has also requested heavier vehicles such as the Leopards, which would represent a significant step-up in Western support to Ukraine.

Still, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said earlier this month delivering the Leopard tanks could not be 'ruled out'.

The German army has only around 350 Leopard 2 tanks today, compared to some 4,000 battle main tanks at the height of the Cold War.

For Rheinmetall, repairing the tanks it has in stock - at least 22 Leopard 2 tanks and 88 Leopard 1 tanks - would cost several hundred million euros, Papperger told Bild.

'The vehicles must be completely dismantled and rebuilt,' he added.

The firm also has 100 Marder vehicles, Papperger said, but these would also need repairs taking seven to eight months before they could be used.

'The vehicles must be completely dismantled and rebuilt,' he added.

The firm also has 100 Marder vehicles, Papperger said, but these would also need repairs taking seven to eight months before they could be used.

Germany has become one of Ukraine's top military supporters in response to Russia's invasion after last year, overcoming a taboo that is rooted in its bloody 20th century history on sending weapons to conflict zones.

Still, critics say German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ruling SPD are too slow, waiting for allies to act first instead of assuming Germany's responsibility as the Western power closest to Ukraine.

Germany's defence industry is banned by law from producing tanks for stock-keeping. Even if production were ramped up, experts say it could take at least two years for new tanks to be ready for use.

The country's military aid for Ukraine was potentially plunged into further disarray on Monday as Germany's much-criticised defence minister announced her resignation.

Christine Lambrecht's decision also comes as her department steers the massive project of modernising the country's military.

In a written statement, she said she submitted her resignation request to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, adding that 'months of media focus on my person' had stood in the way of a factual debate about the military and Germany's security policy.

The 57-year-old Lambrecht has been defence minister since Scholz became chancellor in December 2021.

Critics have long portrayed her as out of her depth. But Scholz stood by her, describing her last month as 'a first-class defence minister.'

Pressure on her mounted recently after an ill-judged New Year's video message.

The notoriously unwieldy department has a history of diminishing ministers' reputations.

Its importance increased with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That prompted Scholz to announce a special 100 billion-euro fund to upgrade the German military, the Bundeswehr, which has suffered for years from neglect and in particular from ageing, poorly functioning equipment.

Last month, Lambrecht dismissed suggestions that the government had been too slow to get going on its spending drive. She said officials have moved fast but that 'such projects must be carefully negotiated - this is tax money.'

The minister also drew criticism for hapless communication, starting with a January 2022 announcement that Germany would deliver 5,000 military helmets to Ukraine as 'a very clear signal that we stand by your side.'

In April, she took her 21-year-old son along on a military helicopter flight, which became public when he posted a photo to Instagram that it turned out the minister had taken herself.

Her ministry said she had applied for permission and paid the costs herself, but critics said it showed poor judgement.

An amateurish New Year's video message on her own private Instagram account prompted new opposition calls for Lambrecht's departure and strained political allies' patience.

It showed a barely audible Lambrecht speaking against a backdrop of loud New Year's Eve fireworks in a Berlin street.

A war is raging in the middle of Europe,' she said. 'And connected with that for me were a lot of special impressions that I was able to gain - many, many meetings with interesting, great people.'

Live Update - Serbian president says all US might is focused on fighting Russia

©Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in an interview with the Happy TV channel on Monday that the US is focusing all its efforts to fight Russia.

"Let’s not be naive. They [the US] aren’t on the side of Serbia," he said. "They are trying to behave rationally, seriously, so they don’t waste energy and power on someone else because they focused all their efforts against Russia."

The president al so said that "good relations with the US are important for us."

Derek Chollet, counselor of the US Department of State, said on his visit to Belgrade on January 12 that Serbia should impose sanctions on Russia or the country won’t be able to develop.

Vucic earlier described sanctions on Russia as a "double-edged sword." He said he was expecting increasing pressure on Serbia with respect to Kosovo and Metohija and sanctions on Russia. The Serbian president said it would require something significantly more than diplomatic pressure for him to impose sanctions on Russia.

After the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, Vucic said in an address to the nation, following a meeting of the Security Council, that Serbia supported the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but wouldn’t impose sanctions on Russia. The president said that the republic was temporarily suspending army and police exercises with all foreign partners. He said that Serbia considers Russia and Ukraine fraternal states, regrets what is happening in the east of Europe, and is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to Kiev.

Austrian foreign minister says Russia to play role in future European security

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said Russia has a role in the European security architecture and rejected the idea to deny Schengen visas to all Russians, as he spoke at a conference at Sciences Po, or the Paris Institute of Political Studies, on Monday, the Kronen Zeitung newspaper reported.

"We must not overshoot the mark, for example by introducing a visa ban for 144 million Russians," Schallenberg said, the newspaper reported.

"We also have to think about the day after, the week after, and the months after," he went on to say. "The European security architecture will have to include Russia in one way or another in the future as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and as a nuclear power."

The top Austrian diplomat also said the OSCE should be kept as a negotiating platform and criticized Warsaw’s refusal to invite Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the group’s recent meeting in Poland.

As the minister traveled to Paris on a one-day visit, he also met with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna. The Kronen Zeitung reported that Schallenberg told her that "a stable European security architecture that ignores Russia is inconceivable.".

Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

In Kharkov region, Russian Army Aviation and artillery have neutralized units from the 92nd Mechanized Brigade and 103rd Territorial Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Over 30 Ukrainian personnel, two armored fighting vehicles and three motor vehicles have been eliminated.

In the DPR, attacks launched by artillery units at the concentration of manpower from the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade and 125th Territorial Defence Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have resulted in the elimination of over 75 Ukrainian personnel, three tanks, five armored fighting vehicles and one pickup.

Russian troops supported by airborne troops continue their offensive operations in the DPR. Over 50 Ukrainian personnel, one armored personnel carrier, and eight motor vehicles have been eliminated.

Russian forces have launched strikes at the 65th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Zaporozhye region and 108th Territorial Defence Brigade in the DPR. Up to 30 Ukrainian personnel, one armored fighting vehicle and two pickups have been eliminated.

Aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised a depot of ordnance, military and special hardware of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Krasny Liman in the DPR, as well as a hangar with the military hardware of 9th Special Regiment of Ukrainian National Guard in Zaporozhye region and 79 artillery units at their firing positions, manpower and hardware at 101 areas.

Counterbattery warfare operations have resulted in the destruction of: One Ukrainian Grad multiple-launch rocket system and 2A36 Giatsint-B howitzer near Avdeyevja, the DPR; One D-30 howitzer near Antonovka in the Donetsk People's Republic; One 2A65 Msta-B howitzer and 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer in Zaporozhye region; One 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer in Kherson region; Two US-manufactured AN/TPQ-37 and AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery warfare radars have been destroyed in the LPR and DPR.

Air defense facilities have destroyed three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles.

At the height of the Cold War 60 years ago, Nikita Khrushchev told the world that the USSR had a hydrogen bomb in its arsenal. Prior to this, the United States considered itself a nuclear monopoly.

This event changed the balance of power in the world: the hydrogen tsar bomb made everyone aware of the threat of a nuclear race. Already on August 5, 1963, the leaders of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain signed the first international treaty banning nuclear tests.

In honor of the anniversary of the creation of the powerful weapon, it prepared footage of the bomb test.

Russia's Special Military Operation in Ukraine: How It is Progressing

Israeli forces kill Palestinian ‘after argument’ near Ramallah

Israeli soldiers keep guard at a checkpoint where Ahmed Kahla was shot and killed near Silwad on January 15, 2023 (Mohamad Torokman/Reuters)

A Palestinian man was killed on Sunday by Israeli soldiers east of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian medics and the Israeli army said.

Ahmad Kahla, 45, was shot dead by Israeli soldiers near the town of Silwad, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement, without mentioning more details about the incident.

Meanwhile, an Israeli army spokesman said in a statement that a Palestinian who tried to stab an Israeli soldier was killed by another soldier.

According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, witnesses said the man was shot on Sunday after he had an argument with Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near the village of Silwad, north-east of Ramallah

The man, named by the health ministry as 45-year-old Ahmed Kahla, was reportedly told to get out of his car before being shot. Kahla’s son, Qusai, said that he had been in the car when it was stopped.

“Soldiers came and they sprayed pepper spray on my face and pulled me out of the car,” the 18-year-old Qusai said.

“I don’t know what happened after that,” he added. “I found out from my uncle that my dad was killed.”

The Israeli military had said that its soldiers had spotted a “suspicious” vehicle that had refused to stop for an inspection, before a clash broke out after they tried to detain one of the occupants, who attempted to lunge for a soldier’s weapon.

The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned Kahla’s killing, and called it a “heinous execution”.

The death takes the number of Palestinians killed by Israelis this year to 13.

More than 170 Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem last year, including Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed while reporting in Jenin in May.

The United Nations called it the deadliest year in the West Bank since 2006.

In March 2021, Israel stepped up raids across the occupied West Bank after a spate of attacks by Palestinians on Israelis that killed 19 people between March and May.

Near-daily raids have led to hundreds of arrests of Palestinians, home demolitions and increased tension, with a new mass Palestinian uprising, or Intifada, a possibility.

That is particularly the case in light of Israel’s new far-right government, which has taken an even harder line on the Palestinians than its predecessor, including plans to withhold tax money from the Palestinian Authority and stop Palestinians from building on 60 percent of the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian foreign ministry said that Israel’s leadership has made it “easy for soldiers to kill any Palestinian without them posing any danger to the occupation soldiers”.

Newly-formed Palestinian armed groups have emerged in the last year, operating independently of traditional groups such as Fatah or Hamas. The Israeli military has been attempting to crack down on the groups in an ongoing operation called “Break the Wave”

Palestinians see the raids as a further entrenchment of Israel’s open-ended, 55-year occupation of lands they seek for their future independent state

Info Penting - CPNS 2023 yang Akan Dibuka Segera

Pejuang ASN bisa berbangga hati karena CPNS 2023 akan segera dibuka. Informasi resmi terkait CPNS 2023 sudah dirilis Kemenpan RB. Artinya, sudah dapat dipastikan CPNS 2023 akan digelar.

Peserta yang berminat ikut pendaftaran CPNS 2023 dibuka bisa mempersiapkan persyaratan yang diminta oleh BKN. Tentunya bisa berkaca pada persyaratan CPNS di tahun sebelumnya.

Pelamar lulusan S1 akan sangat diuntungkan pada pembukaan CPNS 2023 nanti. Karena akan ada beberapa formasi untuk beberapa prodi yang bisa dipilih oleh pelamar PNS 2023.

Proses seleksi CPNS 2023 nampaknya tidak akan jauh berbeda seperti seleksi CPNS di tahun sebelumnya. Seleksi Kompetensi Dasar (SKD) dan Seleksi Kompetensi Bidang (SKB)

Untuk seleksi SKD pada rekrutmen CPNS akan diberikan soal umum terkait dengan Tes Intelegensia Umum atau TIU, Tee Wawasan Kebangsaan atau TWK dan Tes Kepribadian atau TKP.

Untuk seleksi SKD, soal tesnya akan sama untuk semua formasi, yang membedakan adalah seleksi SKB.

Bagi peserta yang dinyatakan lulus SKD maka selanjutnya akan mengikuti seleksi kompetensi SKB.

Peserta CPNS yang lolos hingga seleksi SKB, disini akan menghadapi soal seputar teknis di masing-masing formasi. Untuk itu peserta harus mempersiapkan diri sebaik mungkim untuk menghadapi SKD dan SKB.

Berbeda dari tahun sebelumnya, seleksi CPNS 2023 dan PPPK kali ini, pemerintah akan memprioritaskan beberapa formasi tertentu.

Seperti dilansir dari laman resmi Kementerian Pendayagunaan Aparatur Negara dan Reformasi Birokrasi (Kemenpan RB), seleksi CPNS tahun 2023 diprioritaskan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan profesi tertentu seperti hakim, jaksa, dosen, serta tenaga teknis tertentu lainnya termasuk talenta digital serta jabatan pelaksana prioritas.

Hal ini sesuai dengan Peraturan Menteri PAN RB Nomor 45 Tahun 2022 tentang Jabatan Pelaksana Pegawai Negeri Sipil di Lingkungan Instansi Pemerintah.

Seleksi PPPK tahun 2023 akan difokuskan pada pemenuhan tenaga guru, tenaga kesehatan, dan tenaga teknis lainnya.

Perlu diketahui bahwa pengadaan seleksi CASN tahun depan memiliki empat arah kebijakan yang mendukung transformasi sumber daya manusia.

Fokus pertama arah kebijakan tersebut meliputi pelayanan dasar yaitu guru dan tenaga kesehatan.

Fokus ini juga dilakukan untuk menyelesaikan masalah tenaga non-ASN secara optimal.

Kedua, kebijakan memberi kesempatan rekrutmen talenta digital dan data scientist secara terukur.

Ketiga yaitu merekrut CPNS secara sangat selektif.

Sementara itu, kebijakan keempat yaitu mengurangi rekrutmen jabatan yang akan terdampak oleh transformasi digital, di mana saat ini pemerintah masih menganalisis jabatan mana saja yang bisa terdampak oleh perkembangan digital.

Kemenpan RB meminta instansi pemerintah mulai mendata dan mengusulkan kebutuhan ASN tahun 2023 yang prioritas untuk segera diisi di instansi masing-masing.

Berdasarkan usulan kebutuhan dari kementerian, lembaga, dan pemerintah daerah (pemda), akan ditetapkan formasi dengan memperhatikan pendapat Menteri Keuangan dan pertimbangan teknis Kepala Badan Kepegawaian Negara (BKN).

Ada beberapa jurusan yang paling banyak dicari dalam seleksi CPNS, berikut daftar jurusan atau program studi S1 bisa mengis formasi CPNS:

1. Akuntansi


2. Hukum


3. Kesehatan


4. Pendidikan


5. Politik dan Pemerintahan


6. Sastra Inggris


7. Manajemen


8. Teknik Sipil


9. Psikologi


10. Informatika


11. Ekonomi Pembangunan

Ditegaskan bahwa rekrutmen CASN 2023 juga mempertimbangkan sejumlah variabel tertentu seperti indikator jumlah PNS yang pensiun dan pemenuhan sumber daya manusia guna mendukung program strategis nasional, termasuk letak geografis dan kemampuan anggaran.

Tak hanya itu, pemerintah juga telah menyiapkan kajian terkait penataan dan pemenuhan formasi ASN Papua dan Papua Barat, serta DOB (Daerah Otonom Baru) Papua.

Demikian informasi untuk pejuang ASN yang menantikan seleksi CPNS 2023 dengan begitu dapat mempersiapkan syarat.

Live Update - Kiev rocked by explosion

An explosion hit Kiev on Saturday afternoon, the Ukrainian publication Strana reported.

In addition, Alexey Kuleba, chief of the Kiev regional military administration, said that the air defense weapons had been used in the region.

"The Kiev region. The air defenses are working," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

Air raid alerts are in effect throughout the country.

Earlier in the day, Ukraine reported explosions in the city of Dnepr as well as in the Vinnitsa, Odessa and Kharkov Regions. In particular, after the explosions, power outages were recorded in Kharkov and the city’s subway services were suspended.

The participants in the assault on Soledar managed to catch the Ukrainian troops by surprise, advancing from the north side. About how it was, RIA Novosti was told by a fighter of the Wagner group, who took part in the liberation of the city.

Later, Ukrainian media outlets reported explosions in Ivano-Frankovsk and Ternopol, as well as the operation of air defense crews in the Volyn Region.

UK to Send Up to 4 Apache Attack Helicopters to Ukraine - Reports

The United Kingdom will send up to four Apache attack helicopters to Ukraine as part of a military assistance package that also includes Challenger 2 tanks, a British newspaper reported, citing defense sources.

The delivery of helicopters would follow shipments of tanks to Ukraine, the newspaper stated, adding that the UK would also hope that other NATO states "will follow the suit."

British media reported that the helicopters are armed with Hellfire anti-tank missiles and could be of significant tactical importance on the battlefield. On Saturday, the UK government said that it would provide Ukraine with 14 Challenger 2 tanks in the coming weeks, as part of its goal to accelerate military support to Kiev.

Ukraine has flagged fears of an alleged anticipated Russian offensive in the spring, prompting its Western allies to commit to sending heavier weapons, including modern Western-made tanks, which were never part of earlier official arms aid packages.

Russian officials have repeatedly warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.

Video Shows Ukrainian Forces Prepping Chemical Weapons Attack, Russian Embassy Says

Russia’s Embassy to the UK said canisters seen being loaded onto drones by Ukrainian militants could contain phosgene, which is banned under the UN’s Chemical Weapons Convention.

Russian artillery crews strike the positions of the Ukrainian military in the Zaporozhye direction up to 25 times a day, said the commander of one of the artillery units of the Russian Armed Forces

Russia has condemned the Ukrainian military after a video surfaced which appears to show the Kiev regime’s forces loading drones with chemical weapons. “A video published by [the] Ukrainian military apparently shows them preparing to use chemical weapons… against [the] Russian military,” the Russian Embassy to the UK wrote Friday.

In the video, which appeared on social media earlier this week, soldiers can be seen giving a tour of what appears to be a chemical weapons facility and showing off refrigerated canisters filled with unknown substances.

The widely-shared video opens with a shot of an ammunition case bearing the letters “OB.”

According to the embassy, “(the) letters “OB” stand for toxic munition.”

The embassy speculated that the cans could contain phosgene, which it noted is prohibited by the Chemical Weapons Convention of the United Nations.

“This also explains why the gas cylinders need to be stored in the fridge,” they wrote.

A video published by Ukrainian military apparently shows them preparing to use #chemicalweapons, possibly #phosgene, prohibited by @UN CWC, against Russian military. Letters “OB” stand for toxic munition. This also explains why the gas cylinders need to be stored in the fridge. pic.twitter.com/eDmB43605g

— Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) January 13, 2023

In December, Russia announced that it had uncovered information that contractors from the US had arrived in Ukraine to help the Zelensky regime’s militant prepare “chemical provocations.”

“But the Americans dismiss all this” as “disinformation from the Russian side,” Russian Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Alexander Shulgin said.

Since Russia’s special military operation began in February, US authorities and media outlets have largely insisted that anyone referencing potential Ukrainian chemical weapons usage as a puppet of the Kremlin. But the mask has slipped on at least one occasion.

In March, Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland acknowledged the Kiev regime maintained numerous “biological research facilities” and said the US was “quite concerned” that “Russian forces may be seeking to gain control” of them.

Security forces discovered a cache with weapons and ammunition of Ukrainian terrorists in the city of Dniprorudne, Zaporozhye region, RIA Novosti was told in the regional police department

Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️The Russian Army eliminated two Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Kharkov region;

▪️Russian troops eliminated two Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the DPR;

▪️Russian forces eliminated more than 30 Ukrainian servicemen in the Kupyansk direction;

▪️The Russian Army eliminated more than 30 Ukrainian servicemen in the South Donetsk direction;

▪️Russian forces eliminated more than 70 Ukrainian servicemen in the Donetsk direction;

▪️Russian air defense systems destroyed 4 Ukrainian UAVs and intercepted 7 HIMARS and Olkha rockets;

▪️Russian troops destroyed two Ukrainian ammunition depots in the DPR and Zaporozhye region;

▪️Russian forces destroyed an M777 artillery system, as well as an AN/TPQ-36 and an AN/TPQ-50 radar system in the Kharkov region.