Truth Too Big to Hide: How Washington Fails to Sweep Ukraine's Biolab Revelation Under Rug

©AP Photo / Damian Dovarganes

National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby admitted that the US worked with Ukrainians on "some pandemic prevention research" prior to Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, adding that research facilities had been "safely deactivated."

Earlier this week, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) released a new batch of information pertaining to the Pentagon's biological programs in Ukraine. The information was obtained in the course of Moscow's special military operation that was launched on February 24, 2022.

Russia's Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense (RCB) Troops revealed on Monday that in 2022 the US evacuated Ukrainian specialists working on bioweapons to western countries, including the US, Canada and throughout the European Union.

The relocation was undertaken in part to prevent Russia from obtaining more information about activities by Ukrainian and US specialists that may be in contravention of international obligations and treaty norms. RCB troops began exposing the extent of the US bioweapons program in Ukraine last spring.

Responding to the latest findings by the Russian MoD, National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby claimed: "There are no bioweapons labs, there is no bio weapons work being done by or with the United States with Ukraine in Ukraine."

At the same time, however, Kirby noted that the US "had been working with the Ukrainians on some pandemic prevention research," adding that "all those research facilities were vacated and safely deactivated before" the beginning of the Russian special military operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify the country.

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov immediately drew attention to a clear contradiction in Kirby's statement: "If such a program was purely peaceful, then why were the works so promptly curtailed? Why are these issues handled by the military, but not the civilian specialists?" the Russian diplomat asked.

Antonov presumed that the US projects were closed, and the laboratories were deactivated strictly before the special military operation started, because Washington did not want the results of its research to fall into the hands of the Russian military.

Nuland's Bizarre Admission About Ukraine's 'Biological Research Facilities'

Antonov's assumption appears to be not without merit. On March 8, Russia's Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow "obtained documents proving that Ukrainian biological laboratories located near Russian borders worked on the development of components of biological weapons."

On March 10, the Russian Ministry of Defence released documents related to the suspected military biological activities of the United States in Ukraine.

Judging from the files presented by the MoD, the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency played the leading role in financing and developing components for biological weapons. Over 30 biological laboratories belonging to the US in Ukraine had been found, according to the MoD.

The US dismissed the accusations as "laughable." However, on March 8, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland testified before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Ukraine and admitted that "Ukraine has biological research facilities."

She hastily added: "We are now in fact quite concerned that Russian troops, Russian forces, may be seeking to, uh, gain control of [those labs], so we are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach."

Some prominent American journalists raised inconvenient questions about Ukraine's biological program which appeared to be dangerous enough, given the US government's grave concerns that some of the "research materials" could end up in Russia's hands.

They quoted, in particular, Robert Pope, the head of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program at the Pentagon, who claimed in his February 25 interview that some Ukrainian biolabs may hold pathogen strains left over from the Soviet bioweapons program preserved in freezers for research purposes.

Moreover, a conservative British outlet recovered a deleted article titled "Biolab Opens in Ukraine," dating back to June 18, 2010. The article said that the US had built a level-3 biosafety lab in the Ukrainian city of Odessa to study dangerous pathogens, including anthrax, tularemia, and Q fever, "used by bioterrorists".

A 2011 report from the US National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on Anticipating Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High-Containment Biological Laboratories, also quoted by the British media outlet, further revealed that the Odessa lab was reconstructed through "a cooperative agreement" between the Pentagon and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine that started in 2005.

To complicate matters further, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian raised the red flag on March 13, stating on his Twitter account that "the US Embassy in Ukraine has deleted from its website all documents about Pentagon-funded biolabs in Ukraine recently."

US Senior Officials Involved in Ukrainian Biolab Projects

On 24 March, the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed, citing documents obtained during the Russian special operation in Ukraine, that Rosemont Seneca maintained "close ties" with the US defense contractors, including Metabiota and Black & Veatch (B&V).

It also showed that the firm – which was co-founded by US President Joe Biden's son, Hunter – participated in the financing of the Pentagon's biological program in Ukraine.

The Daily Mail reported on 25 March that Hunter "helped secure millions of dollars of funding" for Metabiota, a Department of Defense contractor, which worked in Ukraine, specializing in research on pandemic-causing diseases "that could be used as bioweapons."

The exposure of US longstanding bio-research in Ukraine continued to unfold in the following months with the White House continuing to deny any cooperation with Kiev in the field. Meanwhile, Russia's MoD detailed in May 2022 that senior Democratic Party politicians were the chief "ideologists" of Washington's bio-research in Ukraine.

According to the MoD, former US President Barack Obama "in 2005 entered into partnership agreements with Ukraine to launch military biological programs in the country," while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "initiated the adoption of the American strategy to counter biological threats and contributed to the legalization of dual-use research". Then-Vice President Joe Biden "coordinated the activities of the military biological program and was involved in financial machinations in Ukraine," according to the Russian military.

Pentagon Admitted It 'Collaborated' With 46 Ukrainian Biolabs

On June 9, the Pentagon released a fact sheet, claiming that "the United States worked collaboratively to improve Ukraine’s biological safety, security, and disease surveillance for both human and animal health, providing support to 46 peaceful Ukrainian laboratories, health facilities, and disease diagnostic sites over the last two decades."

According to the DoD, the collaborative programs "have focused on improving public health and agricultural safety measures at the nexus of nonproliferation." The fact sheet further claimed that Ukraine "has no nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons programs."

However, evidence presented by Russia's MoD described quite a different picture. Not only did the US-funded labs research dangerous pathogens and potential ways of their spreading, but also used Ukrainian military, prisoners and people with mental disorders as guinea pigs.

"We have repeatedly pointed out that the United States carries out its most controversial research, from the point of view of international law, outside its own territory," Russia's MoD stated earlier this week.

"We believe that the actions of officials who have conducted research on Ukrainian military personnel whose blood contained high concentrations of antibiotics, narcotics, and antibodies to pathogens of infectious diseases require an appropriate legal evaluation."

Russia's Investigation Received Huge Public Interest

According to the Russian military, its publications on the Pentagon's military biological programs in Ukraine have received significant public interest.

"Mass demonstrations against the activities of US-funded biological laboratories have taken place in the countries of the post-Soviet space. Public organizations of the Eurasian Economic Union have adopted a resolution against biolabs funded by the Pentagon. A number of investigations have also been initiated inside the US itself," RCB Troops Chief Igor Kirillov stated on Monday.

Previously, the Chinese government had repeatedly raised concerns with regard to Washington's secretive biolabs scattered around the world. According to Beijing, the US operates roughly 360 overseas bioresearch facilities.

In November 2022, the UN Security Council held a vote on Russia's proposal to kick off an independent international investigation into Ukraine's apparent biowarfare programs.

China supported Russia’s resolution, while the US, Britain, and France voted against it.

Contradictory statements by Nuland and Kirby as well as the Pentagon's admission that it did provide support to 40+ bioresearch facilities in Ukraine indicate that the truth is too big to sweep under the rug. The Russian military has made it clear that they will continue to expose the extent of the involvement of the Pentagon and US top political figures in Ukraine's questionable and potentially criminal bio-research activities.

Kebenaran yang Terlalu Besar untuk Disembunyikan: Bagaimana Washington Gagal Menyapu Kebenaran Biolab Ukraina di Bawah Permadani

©AP Photo / Damian Dovarganes

Koordinator Komunikasi Strategis Dewan Keamanan Nasional John Kirby mengakui bahwa AS bekerja dengan Ukraina dalam "beberapa penelitian pencegahan pandemi" sebelum operasi militer khusus Rusia di Ukraina, menambahkan bahwa fasilitas penelitian telah "dinonaktifkan dengan aman."

Awal pekan ini, Kementerian Pertahanan Rusia (MoD) merilis sejumlah informasi baru yang berkaitan dengan program biologis Pentagon di Ukraina. Informasi tersebut diperoleh dalam rangka operasi militer khusus Moskow yang dilancarkan pada 24 Februari 2022.

Pasukan Pertahanan Radiologi, Kimia, dan Biologis (RCB) Rusia mengungkapkan pada hari Senin bahwa pada tahun 2022 AS mengevakuasi spesialis Ukraina yang mengerjakan senjata biologis ke negara-negara barat, termasuk AS, Kanada, dan di seluruh Uni Eropa. Relokasi tersebut dilakukan sebagian untuk mencegah Rusia mendapatkan lebih banyak informasi tentang aktivitas spesialis Ukraina dan AS yang mungkin bertentangan dengan kewajiban internasional dan norma perjanjian. Pasukan RCB mulai mengungkap sejauh mana program bioweapons AS di Ukraina musim semi lalu.

Menanggapi temuan terbaru oleh Kementerian Pertahanan Rusia, Koordinator Komunikasi Strategis Dewan Keamanan Nasional John Kirby mengklaim: "Tidak ada laboratorium bioweapons, tidak ada pekerjaan senjata bio yang dilakukan oleh atau dengan Amerika Serikat dengan Ukraina di Ukraina."

Namun, pada saat yang sama, Kirby mencatat bahwa AS "telah bekerja dengan Ukraina dalam beberapa penelitian pencegahan pandemi," menambahkan bahwa "semua fasilitas penelitian itu telah dikosongkan dan dinonaktifkan dengan aman sebelum" dimulainya operasi militer khusus Rusia untuk demiliterisasi dan de-Nazifikasi negara.

Duta Besar Rusia untuk Amerika Serikat Anatoly Antonov segera menarik perhatian pada kontradiksi yang jelas dalam pernyataan Kirby: "Jika program semacam itu murni damai, lalu mengapa pekerjaan itu segera dibatasi? Mengapa masalah ini ditangani oleh militer, tetapi tidak oleh sipil. spesialis?" tanya diplomat Rusia itu.

Antonov menduga proyek AS ditutup, dan laboratorium dinonaktifkan secara ketat sebelum operasi militer khusus dimulai, karena Washington tidak ingin hasil penelitiannya jatuh ke tangan militer Rusia.

Pengakuan Aneh Nuland Tentang 'Fasilitas Penelitian Biologis' Ukraina

Asumsi Antonov tampaknya bukan tanpa alasan. Pada 8 Maret, Kementerian Luar Negeri Rusia menyatakan bahwa Moskow "memperoleh dokumen yang membuktikan bahwa laboratorium biologi Ukraina yang terletak di dekat perbatasan Rusia mengerjakan pengembangan komponen senjata biologis."

Pada 10 Maret, Kementerian Pertahanan Rusia merilis dokumen terkait dugaan aktivitas biologis militer Amerika Serikat di Ukraina. Dilihat dari file yang disajikan oleh Kementerian Pertahanan, Badan Pengurangan Ancaman Pertahanan AS memainkan peran utama dalam pembiayaan dan pengembangan komponen untuk senjata biologis. Lebih dari 30 laboratorium biologi milik AS di Ukraina telah ditemukan, menurut Kementerian Pertahanan.

AS menolak tuduhan itu sebagai "menggelikan." Namun, pada 8 Maret, Wakil Menteri Luar Negeri untuk Urusan Politik Victoria Nuland bersaksi di depan sidang Komite Hubungan Luar Negeri Senat di Ukraina dan mengakui bahwa "Ukraina memiliki fasilitas penelitian biologi." Dia buru-buru menambahkan: "Kami sekarang sebenarnya cukup khawatir bahwa pasukan Rusia, pasukan Rusia, mungkin berusaha untuk, eh, menguasai (laboratorium itu), jadi kami bekerja sama dengan Ukraina tentang bagaimana mereka dapat mencegah penelitian tersebut. material agar tidak jatuh ke tangan pasukan Rusia jika mereka mendekat (masuk ke Ukrania)."

Beberapa jurnalis terkemuka Amerika mengajukan pertanyaan yang tidak nyaman tentang program biologis Ukraina yang tampaknya cukup berbahaya, mengingat kekhawatiran besar pemerintah AS bahwa beberapa "materi penelitian" dapat berakhir di tangan Rusia.

Mereka mengutip, khususnya, Robert Pope, kepala Program Pengurangan Ancaman Kooperatif di Pentagon, yang mengklaim dalam wawancara 25 Februari bahwa beberapa biolab Ukraina mungkin menyimpan strain patogen yang tersisa dari program bioweapon Soviet yang disimpan dalam freezer untuk tujuan penelitian.

Selain itu, outlet konservatif Inggris memulihkan artikel yang dihapus berjudul "Biolab Opens in Ukraine," tertanggal 18 Juni 2010. Artikel itu mengatakan bahwa AS telah membangun laboratorium biosafety level-3 di kota Odessa, Ukraina, untuk mempelajari patogen berbahaya, termasuk antraks, tularemia, dan demam Q, "digunakan oleh bioteroris".

Sebuah laporan tahun 2011 dari Komite Akademi Ilmu Pengetahuan Nasional AS tentang Mengantisipasi Tantangan Keamanan Hayati dari Ekspansi Global Laboratorium Biologi Berkontainmen Tinggi, juga dikutip oleh outlet media Inggris, mengungkapkan lebih lanjut bahwa laboratorium Odessa dibangun kembali melalui "kesepakatan kerja sama" antara Pentagon dan Kementerian Kesehatan Ukraina yang dimulai pada tahun 2005.

Untuk memperumit masalah lebih lanjut, juru bicara Kementerian Luar Negeri China Zhao Lijian mengibarkan bendera merah pada 13 Maret 2022, dengan menyatakan di akun Twitternya bahwa "Kedutaan Besar AS di Ukraina telah menghapus dari situs webnya semua dokumen tentang biolabs yang didanai Pentagon di Ukraina baru-baru ini."

Pejabat Senior AS Terlibat dalam Proyek Biolab Ukraina

Pada 24 Maret 2022, Kementerian Pertahanan Rusia (MoD) mengungkapkan, mengutip dokumen yang diperoleh selama operasi khusus Rusia di Ukraina, bahwa Rosemont Seneca mempertahankan "hubungan dekat" dengan kontraktor pertahanan AS, termasuk Metabiota dan Black & Veatch (B&V). Itu juga menunjukkan bahwa perusahaan - yang didirikan bersama oleh putra Presiden AS Joe Biden, Hunter, berpartisipasi dalam pembiayaan program biologis Pentagon di Ukraina.

Itu Surat harian melaporkan pada 25 Maret bahwa Hunter "membantu mengamankan dana jutaan dolar" untuk Metabiota, kontraktor Departemen Pertahanan, yang bekerja di Ukraina, yang berspesialisasi dalam penelitian tentang penyakit penyebab pandemi "yang dapat digunakan sebagai senjata biologis."

Eksposur bio-penelitian AS yang sudah berlangsung lama di Ukraina terus terungkap di bulan-bulan berikutnya dengan Gedung Putih terus menolak kerjasama apapun dengan Kiev di lapangan. Sementara itu, Kementerian Pertahanan Rusia merinci pada Mei 2022 bahwa politisi senior Partai Demokrat adalah kepala "ideolog" penelitian bio Washington di Ukraina.

Menurut Kementerian Pertahanan, mantan Presiden AS Barack Obama "pada tahun 2005 mengadakan perjanjian kemitraan dengan Ukraina untuk meluncurkan program biologi militer di negara itu," sementara mantan Menteri Luar Negeri Hillary Clinton "memprakarsai penerapan strategi Amerika untuk melawan ancaman biologis dan berkontribusi untuk legalisasi penelitian penggunaan ganda". Wakil Presiden saat itu Joe Biden "mengkoordinasikan kegiatan program biologi militer dan terlibat dalam intrik keuangan di Ukraina," menurut militer Rusia.

Pentagon Mengakui 'Berkolaborasi' Dengan 46 Biolab Ukraina

Pada tanggal 9 Juni 2022, Pentagon merilis lembar fakta, mengklaim bahwa "Amerika Serikat bekerja secara kolaboratif untuk meningkatkan keselamatan, keamanan, dan pengawasan penyakit biologis Ukraina untuk kesehatan manusia dan hewan, memberikan dukungan kepada 46 laboratorium, fasilitas kesehatan, dan penyakit Ukraina yang damai. Situs diagnostik selama dua dekade terakhir."

Menurut DoD, program kolaboratif "berfokus pada peningkatan kesehatan masyarakat dan langkah-langkah keamanan pertanian di nexus nonproliferasi."

Lembar fakta lebih lanjut mengklaim bahwa Ukraina "tidak memiliki program senjata nuklir, kimia, atau biologi."

Namun, bukti yang disajikan oleh Kementerian Pertahanan Rusia menggambarkan gambaran yang sangat berbeda. Laboratorium yang didanai AS tidak hanya meneliti patogen berbahaya dan kemungkinan cara penyebarannya, tetapi juga menggunakan militer Ukraina, tahanan, dan orang-orang dengan gangguan mental sebagai kelinci percobaan.

"Kami telah berulang kali menunjukkan bahwa Amerika Serikat melakukan penelitian paling kontroversialnya, dari sudut pandang hukum internasional, di luar wilayahnya sendiri," kata Kementerian Pertahanan Rusia awal pekan ini. "Kami percaya bahwa tindakan pejabat yang telah melakukan penelitian terhadap personel militer Ukraina yang darahnya mengandung antibiotik, narkotika, dan antibodi konsentrasi tinggi terhadap patogen penyakit menular memerlukan evaluasi hukum yang tepat."

Russia's Investigation Received Huge Public Interest

According to the Russian military, its publications on the Pentagon's military biological programs in Ukraine have received significant public interest.

"Mass demonstrations against the activities of US-funded biological laboratories have taken place in the countries of the post-Soviet space. Public organizations of the Eurasian Economic Union have adopted a resolution against biolabs funded by the Pentagon. A number of investigations have also been initiated inside the US itself," RCB Troops Chief Igor Kirillov stated on Monday.

Sebelumnya, pemerintah China telah berulang kali menyampaikan kekhawatiran terkait dengan biolab rahasia Washington yang tersebar di seluruh dunia. Menurut Beijing, AS mengoperasikan sekitar 360 fasilitas penelitian bio di luar negeri.

Pada November 2022, Dewan Keamanan PBB mengadakan pemungutan suara atas proposal Rusia untuk memulai penyelidikan internasional independen terhadap program biowarfare Ukraina. China mendukung resolusi Rusia, sementara AS, Inggris, dan Prancis menentangnya.

Pernyataan kontradiktif oleh Nuland dan Kirby serta pengakuan Pentagon bahwa pihaknya memang memberikan dukungan kepada 40+ fasilitas bioresearch di Ukraina menunjukkan bahwa kebenaran terlalu besar untuk disembunyikan.

Militer Rusia telah memperjelas bahwa mereka akan terus mengungkap sejauh mana keterlibatan Pentagon dan tokoh politik top AS dalam kegiatan penelitian biologi Ukraina yang dipertanyakan dan berpotensi kriminal.

Diplomat slams Macron's words on jet deliveries to Kiev not leading to escalation 'absurd'

Maria Zakharova stressed that Russia strongly condemned "the increasingly aggressive and bellicose rhetoric of Western officials, who have not been shy about making loud statements on the Ukrainian conflict lately"

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
©Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

French President Emmanuel Macron's statement that the possible delivery of military aircraft to Ukraine will not lead to an escalation is absurd, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday.

"We’ve paid attention to the words of French President (Emmanuel) Macron, who, responding to a question about the possible supply of aircraft to Ukraine, said: 'Nothing is forbidden in principle, provided that it will be useful, in particular, for the Ukrainian armed forces, will not lead to an escalation of the conflict and strikes on Russian territory, will not weaken the defense capability of France itself.' Forgive me, but it’s some kind of absurdity," Zakharova said, "Sorry, but Paris' readiness to supply Kiev with fighter jets was confirmed by the French Defense Minister (Sebastien Lecornu) who visited Ukraine on January 28."

"Is the French president really sure that supplying the Kiev regime with arms, heavy weapons and aircraft for combat operations will not escalate the situation? I refuse to believe that a grown man can have such logic," the diplomat added.

"Such statements only increase the already irrepressible appetite of [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky’s regime, which, by shelling hospitals and massacring civilians, has clearly demonstrated that Western military injections - how did Mr. Macron put it? - will not lead to an escalation of the conflict. Well, of course, they ‘give’ peace. Obviously these planes are going to be used to drop cookies and candy, right? I have a different feeling."

The diplomat stressed that Russia strongly condemned "the increasingly aggressive and bellicose rhetoric of Western officials, who have not been shy about making loud statements on the Ukrainian conflict lately."

"I understand them. They feel the deadlock of their own position and the lack of arguments to explain to their own citizens what they have done, in particular to the European continent. Hence the tearing and shouting, trying to find some kind of explanation for what they are doing," she added.

Kremlin on US Aid to Kiev: Direct Way for Escalation That Will Not Change Events Course

The latest US aid package is a direct path to escalating tensions, but it will not change the course of events in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the week, British news agency reported, citing two US officials, that the US was preparing to provide Ukraine with a new $2.2 billion weapons package, including longer-range rockets for the first time.

"Yes, this is a direct path to heating tensions ... we see this, this requires additional efforts from us. But once again, this will not change the course of events, the special military operation will continue," Peskov told reporters.

Last week, Ukraine's allies decided to supply Kiev with more weapons, including battle tanks, armored infantry vehicles and artillery systems. After that, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on NATO countries to unlock the supply of long-range missiles and military aircraft to Kiev.

Since Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24, Western countries have been providing Kiev with humanitarian, military and financial aid. Moscow has denounced the flow of weapons to Ukraine from its Western allies, saying it adds fuel to the fire.

Moscow has repeatedly warned the West against further involvement in the conflict, while the European Union, the US and NATO have maintained that they are not party to the hostilities despite training Ukrainian soldiers and sending their instructors to Ukraine.

Russian MoD’s latest statements on the Ukraine crisis:

▪️ Russian artillery has launched strikes at the personnel and hardware of the Ukrainian Armed Force’s 14th and 92nd mechanized brigades in Kharkov region and in the LPR. Up to 30 Ukrainian personnel, two pickups, and one D-20 howitzer have been eliminated.

▪️ Russia’s Army Aviation and artillery have neutralized Ukrainian troop concentrations from the 80th and 95th airborne assault brigades in the LPR and DPR. The enemy has lost up to 95 personnel, 3 armored fighting vehicles, and 1 motor vehicle.

▪️ The offensive operations have resulted in more advantageous lines and positions, as well as the neutralization of the enemy in the DPR.

▪️ Over 100 Ukrainian troops, one tank, three armored fighting vehicles, 1 Msta-B howitzer, 1 fighting vehicle equipped with a Uragan multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS), and one French-manufactured Caesar self-propelled artillery system have been eliminated.

▪️ Russia’s Army Aviation and artillery have neutralized troops and hardware from Ukraine’s 72nd Mechanized Brigade and 35th Marine Brigade, as well as troops from the 108th and 124th territorial defense brigades in the DPR. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have lost over 60 Ukrainian personnel, a tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, two armored personnel carriers, and three other motor vehicles.

▪️ A Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, 2 D-30 howitzers, and 1 D-20 howitzer have been destroyed.

▪️ One US-manufactured AN/TPQ-37 counterbattery warfare radar has been destroyed in Zaporozhye region.

▪️ Two motor boats and up to 10 personnel from Ukrainian landing forces have been eliminated in Kherson region.

▪️ Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of Russia have neutralized 88 artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 131 areas.

▪️ Air defense units have shot down 9 unmanned aerial vehicles over the past 24 hours; 3 rocket-propelled projectiles launched by US-manufactured HIMARS MLRS, have been intercepted.

▪️ Some 381 airplanes, 206 helicopters, 2,996 unmanned aerial vehicles, 402 air defense missile systems, 7,706 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, 998 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 3,978 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 8,243 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.

NATO Has Already Entered Into Direct Confrontation With Russia, DPR Acting Head Says

Head of DPR Denis Pushilin
©Nikolai Trishin/TASS

NATO has already entered into a direct confrontation with Russia, and the buildup of the alliance's military presence near the Russian borders was visible long before the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, Denis Pushilin, acting head of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) told.

"The NATO bloc has already entered into a direct confrontation with Russia. We saw the buildup of NATO's military presence near the Russian borders long before the start of the special military operation," Pushilin said.

, "NATO has been involved in the conflict from the very beginning and every day they are more openly demonstrating their presence. We are seeing supplies of weapons to Ukraine, rearmament and training of the forces of the North Atlantic alliance, deployment of new combat groups in the southeast of Europe and in the Baltic states," he said.

'Masks have come off': DPR head says West openly breaks all rules, can’t be trusted

Denis Pushilin, the interim head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, on Tuesday said Western countries had shown they openly break all rules, so they shouldn’t be trusted.

He was commenting on a statement by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock who said European countries are at war with Russia, not with each other.

"The West breaks all the rules and does not hide it: The masks have come off. There are no illusions.... All this should be a warning to us when trying to agree on something with them. We go our own way. No more playing nice, no more trust, at least in the current situation," he said on Telegram.

NATO raises the stakes in the confrontation in Ukraine, dreaming of a strategic defeat of Russia, but these hopes of the alliance will not come true, Sergey Yevgenyevich Naryshkin told.

Pushilin said the West had already, in fact, admitted that they perceived the Minsk deal, which, as was stated, was supposed to put an end to the conflict in Donbass, as an opportunity to funnel weapons into Ukraine and buy time.

He said the United States is the only country that benefits from this conflict. "They are wiping out the Slavs with their own hands by pushing them into war. Supplying a minimum amount of weapons, they demand it from other countries, while at the same time killing the economy of their "European partners." Everything is going without a hitch, or according to Brzezinski's grand chessboard," the top official said.

He said European politics is degenerating before our eyes.

"They no longer have any diplomacy left. The law doesn't exist for them," Pushilin said.

Baerbock told the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on January 24 that European countries are at war with Russia, not with each other. She used the phrase to try to convince Western countries to avoid discord about supplying weapons to Kiev. The German Foreign Ministry later said Baerbock sought to stress West’s unity in supporting Ukraine. The German government continues to insist that Germany isn’t a party to the conflict.

Western Tanks Supplied to Ukraine Will Become Targets, DPR Acting Head Pushilin Says

Any possible supplies of Western tanks to Ukraine will not decide anything - the tanks will become another target for Russia, Denis Pushilin, acting head of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), told Sputnik.

“As for the plans announced by the West to supply tanks to Ukraine, there is no doubt that all of them will become a target for the Russian army, like all previous armored vehicles, which, in fact, caused its shortage," Pushilin said.

"And in general, these tanks will decide nothing. Our side has serious countercapabilities," he said when asked whether the plans announced by the West to supply tanks could postpone the liberation of the DPR.

Special operation, 31 January. The main thing:

▪️ According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Blagodatnoye (DPR) was liberated, up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen were killed here, a French-made Caesar self-propelled artillery mount, and an M-777 artillery system made in the United States;

▪️ Russian air defense systems shot down a Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force in the Kherson region;

▪️ Russian troops this year liberated, took 9 settlements under operational or fire control in the Zaporozhye region, Rogov said;

▪️ Ukrainian troops tried to cross the Dnieper in the Kherson region, the attempt was repulsed, the authorities of the region said;

▪️ Russian troops are taking all measures so that the plans of the West in Ukraine were not destined to come true, and they will not come true, Lavrov said;

▪️ An air raid alert was announced throughout Ukraine;

▪️ France will send 12 more CAESAR howitzers to Ukraine, and there is no taboo for Paris on the issue of possible deliveries of fighters to Ukraine, the French defense minister said;

▪️ The President of Lithuania said that the West "managed to erase the red lines more than once", and called for fighter jets to be given to Kyiv;

▪️ Ukraine will need about 200 Western fighters, the "most likely candidate" for rearmament is the American F-16, the Ukrainian Air Force said;

▪️ Sending planes to Ukraine is inappropriate, said a representative of the British Prime Minister;

▪️ Biden said that the United States will not supply Ukraine with F-16 fighters;

▪️ Any possible deliveries of Western tanks to Ukraine will not solve anything - they will become another target, Pushilin said;

▪️ Most of the problems with the uniforms of the mobilized have been resolved, Prosecutor General Krasnov said at a meeting with Putin;

▪️ Minister of Education Kravtsov said that the heroes of the special operation will be included in the "pantheon of heroes", this will be reflected in history books and films. The history textbook, which includes the subject of SVO, will be tested already this academic year;

The Kremlin is confident that the start of the special operation was correct - it was necessary to save people in the Donbass, Peskov said.

VIDEO - French Police Use Tear Gas Against Participants of Protest Against Pension Reform

©Sputnik / Julien Mattia / Go to the mediabank

Police fired tear gas at a protest against the pension reform in Paris, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Tuesday.

The second nationwide strike against the pension reform is taking place in France on Tuesday, with more than 200 protests taking place across the country. Police expect 1.2 million people to take part in demonstrations across France, and 100,000 people in Paris.

The protest march in Paris began at 13:30 GMT from Italy Square and will proceed to Place Vauban. Tens of thousands of people are participating in the demonstration, including representatives of various industries and youth organizations. Some participants of the protest column began throwing bottles and stones at the police. Law enforcement officers, in turn, used tear gas against the crowd.

From tiny islands to major cities, demonstrators poured by the thousands into France’s streets Tuesday in the latest clash of wills with the government over its plans to push back the retirement age. Labor unions aimed to mobilize more than 1 million protesters in what one veteran left-wing leader described as a “citizens’ insurrection.”

The nationwide strikes and protests are a crucial test both for President Emmanuel Macron’s government and its opponents. The government says it is determined to push through Macron’s election pledge to reform France’s pension system. Labor unions and left-wing legislators fighting in parliament against Macron’s plans were counting on protesters to turn out massively to strengthen their efforts to kill the bill that that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

As large crowds marched in cities and towns, veteran left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon celebrated “a historic day” of protests and predicted defeat for Macron. In Paris, flag-waving, horn-blowing demonstrators gathered in large numbers for an afternoon march through the capital.

“It’s not often that we see such a mass mobilization,” Mélenchon, speaking in the southern city of Marseille. “It’s a form of citizens’ insurrection.”

In big cities and small villages, rebellion was in the air. On Ouessant, a tiny western isle of some 800 people off the tip of Brittany, about 100 demonstrators gathered outside the office of Mayor Denis Palluel and marched, he said.

Speaking by phone with The Associated Press, Palluel said the prospect of having to work longer alarmed mariners on the island with arduous ocean-going jobs.

“Retiring at a reasonable age is important, because life expectancy isn’t very long,” he said.

A first round of strikes and protests brought out between 1 and 2 million demonstrators earlier this month, including many tens of thousands in Paris. Labor leaders were aiming to at least match and even better those numbers Tuesday, with around 250 demonstrations expected around the country.

The government mobilized 11,000 officers to police the protests.

Positions are hardening on both sides as lawmakers begin locking horns in parliament over the retirement reform bill

On Monday, Macron described the reform as “essential.” His prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, insisted this past weekend that raising the retirement age to 64 is “no longer negotiable.”

Strikers and protesters hoped to prove otherwise.

Rail operator SNCF reported major disruptions, with strikes knocking out most trains in the Paris region, in all other regions and on France’s flagship high-speed network linking cities and major towns. The Paris Metro was also hard hit by station closures and cancellations.

Construction worker Said Belaiba was among travelers whose morning train from Paris to the city of Lyon was cancelled, forcing him to wait. Still, the 62-year-old said he opposed the planned reform.

“My job is physically exhausting,” he said. “You can’t keep on over 64.”

Strikes also hit schools, with the Education Ministry reporting that around one quarter of teachers stayed off the job — fewer than in the Jan. 19 first round of protests.

French media also reported walkouts in oil refineries. Radio station France Inter played music instead of its usual morning talk shows and apologized to its listeners because employees were striking