Kherson regional governor convinced Kherson city to return under Russian control shortly

©Sergey Malgavko/TASS

The city of Kherson will soon be returned under Russia’s control, Acting Governor of the Kherson Region Vladimir Saldo said on Saturday.

According to Saldo, it will happen very soon.

"People ask me, ‘What do you think about Kherson?’ I have one thing in mind that in the near future, very soon, Kherson will again be part of the Kherson Region within the Russian Federation," Saldo told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar for regional headquarters of volunteers of the We Are Together campaign.

Saldo emphasized that Kherson had been left temporarily and praised the Russian People’s Front for the city’s evacuation.

Ukrainian militants near Avdiivka have significantly increased the number of NATO small arms, they said in the first Slavic brigade of the RF Armed Forces

"A large-scale operation was organized to evacuate residents," he said. "Almost 150,000 residents of Kherson and people living on the right bank [of the Dnieper River] were relocated to the left bank," he said.

On October 18, 2022, Saldo said civilians living on the western bank of the Dnieper River in the Kherson Region would be evacuated to the eastern bank amid the risk of flooding in the event that Ukrainian forces attack the Kakhovka hydro power plant. On October 31, Saldo said that the evacuation area would be expanded by 15 km along the eastern bank of the Dnieper in the region.

LPR head says situation near Kremennaya, Svatovo very difficult

The situation near Kremennaya and Svatovo is very difficult along the line of engagement due to Ukrainian shelling, Leonid Pasechnik, acting head of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), said on Saturday.

"As for Kremennaya and Svatovo, this is a very complicated situation. They are close to the contact line and the difficulty is that all types of ammunition [the Ukrainian armed forces] have are reaching [them] due to that proximity. And the enemy takes advantage of this," he told reporters on the sidelines of a workshop for regional headquarters of the volunteers from the We Are Together movement.

On February 8, LPR People’s Militia retired Lieutenant Colonel Andrey Marochko told TASS that Russian forces had been occupying more advantageous positions near Svatovo and Kremennaya which would enable them to deliver targeted attacks on Ukrainian manpower and hardware.

Earlier, Rodion Miroshnik, the LPR’s former ambassador to Moscow, told TASS that more than a half of residents of Kremennaya had been evacuated due to never-stopping shelling attacks by Ukrainian troops. He added that key social institutions of Kremennaya and Svatovo had also been evacuated over hostilities.

The Bayraktar-TB2 UAVs

📹 Russian Buk-M2 air defense system crews protecting the air from enemy airpower (video by Russia's MoD)

One target is usually neutralized by one missile. Exceptions occur regarding large and high-speed targets like Tochka-U missiles.

This system has destroyed a large number of the Bayraktar-TB2 UAVs in the beginning of the special military operation. The Buk-M2 efficiently neutralizes projectiles launched by HIMARS or other multiple-launch rocket systems.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reports:

▪️ in the Kupyansk direction, as a result of the offensive actions of the "Western" group of troops, the settlement of Gryanikovka, Kharkiv region, was completely liberated;

▪️ in the Donetsk direction, the offensive of the units of the "Southern" group of troops continued;

▪️ enemy losses in the Kupyansk direction amounted to 80 military; in the Donetsk direction, up to 150 Ukrainian servicemen were destroyed per day; In the South-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, enemy losses exceeded 50 servicemen killed and wounded; up to 20 enemy military were destroyed in the Kherson direction;

▪️ in the districts of Avdiivka and Krasnogorovka of the DPR, three warehouses of ammunition and rocket and artillery weapons of the enemy were destroyed; in the area of Ugledar, the ammunition depot of the 72nd mechanized brigade was destroyed.

Putin Greets African Union Summit, Calls It 'Effective Mechanism for Multilateral Cooperation

©Sputnik / POOL / Go to the mediabank

The two-day 36th African Union (AU) Summit, which focuses primarily on economic issues, began in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Saturday chaired by Senegalese President Macky Sall.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has greeted African heads of state and governments participating in the African Union Assembly, noting that the organization has established itself as an effective mechanism for multilateral political, economic and humanitarian cooperation.

Dear heads of state and government! I greet you on the occasion of the opening of the Assembly of the African Union. Over the years of its existence, the African Union has established itself as an effective mechanism for multilateral political, economic and humanitarian cooperation. This authoritative international structure plays an important role in resolving local conflicts and crises, in strengthening good neighborliness, security and stability on the African continent.

Vladimir Putin Russian President

Putin also noted that for Russia, African countries have always been and remain important and reliable partners, with whom Moscow is united by a desire to build a just multipolar world "based on true equality and the rule of international law," as well as free from discrimination, forceful dictate and sanctions pressure.

The Russian president also noted that the Russia-Africa summit held in 2019 created good conditions to increase friendly ties both at the bilateral level and on a multilateral basis. Putin expressed confidence that the second meeting in this format, which will be held in St. Petersburg in July, will help define new tasks to expand Russia's cooperation with African partners in various areas.

"I will be glad to see you in St. Petersburg. I look forward to continuing constructive joint work for the benefit of our countries and peoples, in the interests of ensuring the peaceful and prosperous development of the African continent. I sincerely wish success and all the best to the assembly participants," Putin concluded.

The AU Summit in Addis Ababa was preceded by the AU foreign ministers format held on February 15–16. The ministers discussed the continent's most pressing problems, such as the rise in insecurity and the need to strengthen economic links.

African foreign ministers called for concerted efforts to improve the continent's standing in the world, advance continental integration, and foster inter-regional cooperation.

The main theme of the ongoing summit is the acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The AfCFTA agreement, which provides for the elimination of tariffs and trade barriers, was signed in the spring of 2018 and, after ratification, became legally binding in the summer of the following year. The practical operation of the AfCFTA began on January 1, 2021. The agreement provides for the gradual connection to AfCFTA of all new sectors of the economies of African countries.

The summit is expected to give an additional impetus to the continental free trade area, including its financial component. In addition, there is a plan to create a single African currency. AfCFTA is the world's largest international free trade area in terms of the number of participating countries. It unites 54 states with a total population of 1.27 billion people and a total GDP of $3.4 trillion.

Russian Military Accuses Ukraine of Using Toxic Munition Near Ugledar - Photo

©Sputnik / Konstantin Mihalchevskyi / Go to the mediabank

Ukraine's army dropped a munition carrying an unidentified toxin on the positions of the Russian military near the villages of Urozhainoye and Velikaya Novoselka in the Ugledar direction, Russian military officials told Sputnik media.

"In the morning of February 16, two enemy attack drones appeared over Russian positions near Ugledar. One of the drones was immediately shot down, while the other managed to drop a chemical munition on our positions," a military officer said.

The explosive detonated and two Russian troops exposed to the attack suffered lung burns, the officer said, adding that both men had the telltale symptoms of poisoning, including vomiting and irritation of mucous membranes.

"The fragments of the munition that detonated and the one from the downed drone were sent for examination," the officer said.

Sputnik has obtained photos of the purportedly chemical munition which looks like a metal cylinder tube covered with a black film on one of its ends.

Ukrainian militants dropped ammunition with an unknown poisonous substance on the positions of Russian troops close to Ugledar, the Russian military told Sputnik.

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.

On September 30 last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, signed agreements on the accession of these territories to Russia, following referendums that showed that an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia.

DPR head announces improvement of Russian forces’ positions near Artyomovsk

Russian forces have strengthened their positons near Artyomovsk, Denis Pushilin, acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), said on Saturday.

"Artymovsk is being liberated. Now we have information about the improvement of positons on its outskirts, that is Praskovyevka (Paraskovyevka - TASS) has been liberated, which also enables us to advance closer to the blocking of the remaining road towards Chasov Yar, which is in fact the only of five roads, which remains the enemy supply route," he told reporters on the sidelines of a workshop for regional headquarters of the We Are Together volunteers.

According to Pushilin, blocking the road towards Chasov Yar will bring the liberation of Artyomovsk closer.

"It is actually one road, but it is branched. In other words, it has to be blocked and then we’ll bring the liberation of Artyomovsk drastically closer," the DPR acting head said.

About 62.5% of Zaporozhye Region controlled by Russia — acting governor

Russian forces have control over about 62.5% of the Zaporozhye Region, Acting Regional Governor Yevgeny Balitsky said on Saturday.

"As of now, 62.5% of the region is controlled by the Zaporozhye administration and Russian troops," he told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar for the regional headquarters of volunteers of the We Are Together campaign.

Russian forces liberate Gryanikovka settlement in Kharkov Region — Defense Ministry

Russia’s Western group of forces have completely liberated the Gryanikovka settlement in the Kharkov Region, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov told reporters on Saturday.

"The Gryanikovka settlement in the Kharkov Region has been completely liberated as a result of an offensive operation by the Western group of forces along the Kupyansk frontline," he said.

Russia’s MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️In the Kharkov region, the settlement of Gryanikovka was completely liberated as a result of the offensive actions of the Russian troops.

▪️In addition, Russian air strikes and artillery fire inflicted a defeat on enemy soldiers and equipment in the LPR and Kharkov region. The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in this direction amounted to up to 80 troops, three armored combat vehicles, four vehicles, the Msta-B howitzer and the Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer.

▪️In the LPR, Russian troops inflicted a comprehensive fire defeat on units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. More than a hundred Ukrainian troops, two armored combat vehicles, two vehicles, Akatsia and Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, as well as D-20 and D-30 howitzers were destroyed in this direction.

▪️ In the DPR, with the support of Russian air strikes and artillery fire, the units continued their offensive. Up to 150 Ukrainian troops, five armored combat vehicles, three other vehicles, a Grad MLRS combat vehicle and a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer were destroyed. Also, three warehouses of ammunition and rocket and artillery weapons of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed.

▪️In the Zaporozhye region and the DPR, Russian aviation and artillery inflicted damage on enemy troops and equipment. Enemy losses amounted to more than 50 killed and wounded, four armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks and a D-20 howitzer. In addition, an ammunition depot of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed near the settlement of Ugledar.

▪️In the Kherson region, as a result of fire damage, up to 20 Ukrainian troops, as well as four Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, were destroyed in a day.

▪️Russian aviation, missile forces and artillery defeated 85 artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at firing positions, troops and military equipment in 112 districts.

▪️Air defense systems shot down 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles per day.

Betting on Ukraine victory was ‘suicidal’ – Seymour Hersh

©Russian Defence Ministry/TASS

The US and its allies should have attempted to reach an agreement with Moscow as their belief that Ukraine can win a conflict against Russia is “suicidal,” iconic American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has argued.

Speaking in a YouTube interview with the Consortium News outlet on Friday, Hersh accused the Biden administration of making “so many bad mistakes,” adding that “it’s impossible to believe just how dumb this leadership was.”

“It was suicidal to think you can win that war, that Ukraine can win the war (against Russia). There’s just too much corruption. That was a very, very bad decision. We should have been pushing for peace, we should have made an agreement,” the former Pulitzer Prize winner insisted.

US President Joe Biden basically “blew off NATO in Europe” by telling allies that he is backing Ukraine with its “totally corrupt government,” Hersh added. The journalist also pointed out how Kiev glorifies Stepan Bandera, “the great pro-Nazi who killed Jews like crazy during World War II.”

“It’s just silly not to right away assure the Russian government that we weren’t interested in making Ukraine a member of NATO,” Hersh stated, referring to long-standing concerns in Moscow. “NATO didn’t want Ukraine anyway because of the corruption.”

Hersh recently published a bombshell report which accused the US of sabotaging the Nord Stream pipelines last year. He cited an informed source as explaining that explosives were planted on the bottom of the Baltic Sea by US Navy divers under the guise of a NATO exercise back in June 2022. They were detonated in late September, rendering the pipelines, which were built to deliver Russian gas to Europe through Germany, inoperable.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as well as Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, are all “very hawkish,” according to the journalist. The trio “pushed Biden very hard” to go ahead with the sabotage because “they have long-standing incredible hatred for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. It’s almost personal, I would guess,” Hersh claimed.

US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson branded Hersh’s bombshell report “utterly false and complete fiction.” The journalist has promised even more revelations on how the pipelines were blown up.

NATO chief reveals biggest risk in terms of Ukraine conflict

There are no risk-free options in terms of the conflict in Ukraine but the biggest risk of all is if Russia wins, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, addressing the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

"Some worry that our support to Ukraine risks triggering escalation. Let me be clear: there are no risk-free options, but the biggest risk of all is if Putin wins," he noted, adding: "This will make the world more dangerous and us more vulnerable."

The NATO secretary general highlighted the need to learn "some important lessons" from the Ukraine conflict. "First, we must sustain and step up our support to Ukraine" and "give Ukraine what they need to win," Stoltenberg pointed out.

"The second lesson is that we need to continue to strengthen our deterrence and defense," he went on to say. "The third lesson is that we need to strengthen the resilience of our societies. Military forces are necessary to protect our security but they are not sufficient. We must also secure our cyberspace, our supply chains and our infrastructure," the NATO chief stressed.

According to him, the most important lesson is that "North America and Euyrope must stand together.".

If Russia Wins in Ukraine

Jens Stoltenberg's concern was because as a result of his own decisions (NATO), he was not restoring the war situation, on the contrary it had become a real slave to the USA, a proxy war in Ukraine.

Jens Stoltenberg has been running in his own imagination, that Russia will take revenge on the Nato countries after the victory in Ukraine. If not, he said it was only to cover up his real intentions of supporting Ukraine.

So far, efforts to disinformation about the facts of the war situation that have been carried out by the West since the beginning of the war in Ukraine until now have almost been said to have failed.

They did the same thing when they were in Syria, by fabricating tragedies and events, through their scenarios (disinformation) they have managed to make most of the public believe it was true except for me, who since 2001 has seen the hidden crimes of the West.

If Russia wins in Ukraine, Russia will not be a threat to the world, instead the world order will work according to human values with dignity. And of course that will not be liked by the west (NATO), because they will lose the way to divide a country for their benefit.

Gunman kills 6, including ex-wife, in Mississippi - Sheriff

Man arrested after 6 killed, including suspect's ex-wife, in series of shootings in Mississippi, sheriff says

Law enforcement personnel work at the scene of a shooting, Feb. 17, 2023, in Arkabutla, Missippi. Six people were fatally shot in the small town; authorities said they had taken a suspect into custody

A lone gunman killed six people including his ex-wife and stepfather Friday at multiple locations in a tiny rural community in northern Mississippi, the sheriff said, leaving investigators searching for clues to what motivated the rampage.

Armed with a shotgun and two handguns, 52-year-old Richard Dale Crum opened fire at about 11 a.m. and killed a man in the driver’s seat of a pickup truck parked outside a convenience store in Arkabutla, near the Tennessee state line, Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance said.

Deputies were working the crime scene when a second 911 call alerted authorities to another shooting a few miles away. After arriving at a home, they found a woman, whom the sheriff identified as Crum’s ex-wife, shot dead and her current husband wounded.

Lance said deputies caught up with Crum outside his own home and arrested him. Behind the residence they found two handymen slain by gunfire — one in the road, another in an SUV. Inside a neighboring home, they discovered the bodies of Crum’s stepfather and his stepfather’s sister.

Crum, 52, was jailed without bond on a single charge of capital murder, and Lance said investigators were working to bring additional charges. It was not immediately known if Crum had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

That initial murder charge was for the killing of Chris Eugene Boyce, 59, the man who was shot outside the store. Boyce’s brother was in the truck with him at the time and fled, according to the sheriff. Lance added that Crum chased the brother through a wooded area before he escaped unharmed.

Deputy Tate County Coroner Ernie Lentz identified the others killed as Debra Crum, 60; Charles Manuel, 76; John Rorie, 59; George McCain, 73; and Lynda McCain, 78. Lentz also said Boyce was from Lakeland, Florida.

Ethan Cash, who lives near the store, told WREG-TV he heard a gunshot from inside his house.

“I had just woken up and I look back here, and I see dude walking back here with a shotgun,” he said.

Cash added that he went to the scene and found one person who had been shot. He checked for a pulse, but found none.

In the lobby of the Sheriff’s Office, Norma Washington told The Associated Press that Boyce was her nephew. She said he and the brother, Doug, who lives in Alaska, had been in town cleaning up a property they inherited from their deceased uncle.

“I lost my brother, and now this one,” Washington said. “This has been something else.”

It was unclear whether Crum knew either of the brothers.

The killings stunned residents of Arkabutla, home to 285 people and located about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Memphis, Tennessee. It’s the hometown of famed actor James Earl Jones, and nearby Arkabutla Lake is a popular fishing and recreational destination.

An elementary school and a high school in nearby Coldwater both went on lockdown while the suspect was being sought, according to the Coldwater Elementary School Facebook page. A short time later, a second post on the page said the lockdown had been lifted and “all students and staff are safe.”

April Wade, who lives in Arkabutla and grew up in Coldwater, said both are small communities where most people know each other, “but if you don’t, you know somebody who knows somebody.”

Speaking from a local tire store in the afternoon, Wade said she and her husband were aware of the shootings but had not yet heard the names of the suspect or victims.

“I think it’s crazy,” Wade said. “You do not expect something like that to happen so close to home.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said its agents were providing assistance to the sheriff’s department and state investigators. Lance said one of their top priorities was to determine a motive.

The sheriff, who has lived in the area his entire life and served in law enforcement for 25 years, said he could recall no prior problems with Crum.

The U.S. has seen a deadly start to 2023, including six mass killings in a three-week period in January, according to an Associated Press/USA Today database. It defines a mass killing as four or more people dead, not including the perpetrator.

There have also been a number of mass shootings in which fewer people were slain, such as Monday’s shooting at Michigan State University in which three people were killed and five were wounded.

In a statement, President Joe Biden said he and first lady Jill Biden were mourning the six victims and praying for the survivors. He urged Congress to act now on gun law reforms to address what he called “an epidemic” of gun violence.

Richard Dale Crum

On a small road behind the suspect's home, authorities found two men who had been shot and killed. One was found on the road and the other was in a vehicle, Lance said.

Another two victims were found shot and killed in a house neighboring the suspect's home, Lance said. According to Lance, deputies believe the suspect might be related to the victims, a man and woman.

Lance said another person was injured in the shootings. That person was treated by emergency crews and not taken to a hospital for additional treatment, Lance said.

Deputies took the suspect into custody as he was trying to leave the scene near his house, Lance said.

Lance said deputies found several handguns and a shotgun in the suspect's car. The suspect is being held at the Tate County jail, according to Lance.

The victims have not been identified. Lance said a motive is unclear at this time

Dosen UII Yogyakarta dilaporkan hilang usai kunjungi kampus Norwegia

Dokumentasi - Dosen UII Yogyakarta Ahmad Munasir Rafie Pratama dilaporkan hilang kontak setelah mengunjungi University of South-Eastern Norway (USN) di Norwegia. (ANTARA/HO-Humas UII)

Seorang dosen Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII) Yogyakarta bernama Ahmad Munasir Rafie Pratama (AMRP) dilaporkan hilang kontak setelah mengikuti aktivitas mobilitas global di University of South-Eastern Norway (USN) di Norwegia.

"UII terus melacak dengan berbagai cara dan berkoordinasi dengan banyak pihak. UII memohon doa dari seluruh pihak agar keberadaan AMRP segera diketahui dalam kondisi sehat dan baik," kata Rektor UII Fathul Wahid dalam keterangannya yang diterima di Yogyakarta, Sabtu.

Fathul menjelaskan kunjungan ke kampus negeri Norwegia itu dilakukan oleh tim dari UII Yogyakarta yang terdiri atas empat orang, termasuk dirinya, Ahmad Munasir, dan dua orang lain.

Kunjungan ke Norwegia tersebut untuk mempererat hubungan kerja sama antara UII Yogyakarta dan USN Norwegia, dengan dukungan pendanaan dari Uni Eropa melalui skema Erasmus+.

Setelah beraktivitas selama sepekan di USN sejak hari Minggu, 05/02/2023, tim UII kemudian meninggalkan Norwegia melalui Bandar Udara Gardermoen Oslo (Oslo Airport) pada hari Minggu, 12/02/2023. Fathul mengaku berjumpa terakhir kali dengan Ahmad Munasir di Oslo, Norwegia, pada Sabtu malam, 11/02/2023.

"Tim terbagi dalam tiga penerbangan berbeda. AMRP sendirian dalam penerbangan kembali ke Indonesia, melalui Istanbul, Turki," kata Fathul.

Menurut rencana yang disampaikan secara lisan, Ahmad Munasir mengatakan kepada Fathul bahwa rute perjalanan pulangnya ke Indonesia adalah Oslo-Istanbul-Riyadh-Istanbul-Jakarta. Ahmad Munasir tidak membagikan informasi penerbangannya secara detail kepada rekannya maupun kepada istrinya.

Perjalanannya ke Riyadh dilakukan karena sebagian tiket dibayar oleh panitia konferensi di Arab Saudi yang mengharuskan rute tersebut. Sebelum ke Oslo, kata Fathul, Ahmad Munasir sempat memberikan pidato kunci pada konferensi internasional di Jeddah.

Fathul menambahkan komunikasi terakhir Ahmad Munasir dengan istrinya tercatat pada Minggu siang, 12/02/2023, dalam perjalanan pulangnya yang saat itu berada di Bandara Oslo beberapa saat sebelum menaiki pesawat menuju Istanbul.

"Menunggu boarding," bunyi pesan Ahmad Munasir kepada istrinya.

Hingga kini, Ahmad Munasir tidak pernah mengirimkan pesan lagi kepada istri dan rekan-rekannya.

"Sejak saat itu, AMRP tidak pernah mengirimkan pesan lagi. Beragam upaya mengontak melalui beragam kanal daring, termasuk email, diupayakan; tetapi belum satu pun yang direspons oleh AMRP," tambah Fathul.

Rencananya, Ahmad Munasir mendarat di Bandara Internasional Soekarno-Hatta pada hari Kamis, 16/02/2023, pukul 18.00 WIB.

"Adik AMRP menunggu di pintu kedatangan dan tidak mendapati yang bersangkutan. Setelah melakukan konfirmasi ke Angkasa Pura, nama AMRP tidak ada dalam manifes penerbangan tersebut," katanya.

UII Yogyakarta telah berupaya menghubungi berbagai pihak terkait untuk membantu mencari keberadaan Ahmad Munasir. UII Yogyakarta juga menyampaikan informasi ke KBRI di Norwegia dan Turki, serta menghubungi panitia konferensi di Jeddah yang memesankan tiket penerbangan.

UII juga telah menghubungi Turkish Airline di Oslo untuk memastikan bahwa Ahmad Munasir telah naik pesawat.

Keluarga Ahmad Munasir sudah melaporkan kejadian itu ke kepolisian secara resmi. Namun, karena tidak ada nomor referensi pemesanan tiket, maka pelacakan tidak mudah dilakukan.

Setelah dilakukan pelacakan aktivitas daring, terdapat jejak Ahmad Munasir di Turki pada 13 Februari 2023 sekitar pukul 03.00 dan 08.00 waktu setempat. Setelah itu, tidak ada jejak daring Ahmad Munasir yang dapat dilacak.

"Saat ini, pihak UII masih menunggu informasi dari kantor Turkish Airline di Jakarta untuk membantu memastikan kota persinggahan terakhir," ujar Fathul Wahid.

Civilians Killed in Ukrainian Shelling Being Used by Kiev in Snigiryovka Provocation - Authorities

©Sputnik / Valery Melnikov

Kiev is preparing a provocation in the Ukraine-controlled town of Snigiryovka in the Kherson region, planning to pass off civilians killed in Ukrainian troops’ shelling as victims of the Russian military, Yuriy Barbashov, the head of the Snigiryovka district administration, told Sputnik.

"At the moment, the Ukrainian mass media have initiated a campaign to discredit the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In particular, civilians in the city of Snigiryovka, who died from shelling by Ukrainian armed forces, are being passed off as victims of the Russian army," Barbashov said.

He emphasized that Ukrainian troops indiscriminately shelled the residents of Snigiryovka during the eight months when this territory was under the control of Russian forces.

"The Ukrainian army deliberately and purposefully killed the residents of Snigiryovka and now they are trying to pass off the victims of these shellings as victims of the Russian army," Barbashov told Sputnik.

Earlier this month, Barbashov told Sputnik that Ukrainian troops had randomly mined the territory of the Snigiryovka district, which posed severe risks for civilians, including children.

He emphasized that "indiscriminate mining" had been carried out by Ukrainian troops both in the Snigiryovka area and in parts of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR).

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.

On September 30 last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, signed agreements on the accession of these territories to Russia, following referendums that showed that an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia.

Special operation, 17 February. Main:

▪️On Thursday, the Russian Armed Forces attacked enterprises that provide Ukrainian troops with fuel and ammunition, the Russian Defense Ministry said;

▪️ Lieutenant General Mordvichev has been appointed commander of the Central Military District, the Russian Defense Ministry reported;

▪️ Paraskoviyivka in the DPR has completely passed under Russian control, Prigozhin said;

▪️ The air defense of Sevastopol shot down a drone near the Balaklava thermal power plant, there is no damage, the governor of the city said;

▪️ Nuland's words about the strikes on Crimea once again confirm Washington's involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, advising the Deputy Secretary of State to deal with white balloons and UFOs in the United States;

▪️ NATO Secretary General said that a lasting and sustainable peace in Ukraine can only be achieved through the supply of weapons;

▪️ Zelensky during the visit of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands to Kyiv said that there should be no taboo in the supply of weapons to Ukraine;

▪️ The Western world must find the "strength and courage" to build a dialogue with the Russian Federation, without which peace in Europe is impossible, but now is not the time for this dialogue, Macron believes.