Western weapons used in Ukrainian raid inside Russia – Washington Post

Fighters with an armored vehicle during a meeting near the Ukraine-Russia border May 24. (Sergey Kozlov/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

Military equipment and small arms provided by several NATO nations, including the US, ended up in the hands of militants who launched a cross-border raid into Russia's Belgorod region in May, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing sources linked to US intelligence.

At least four tactical vehicles initially supplied to the Ukrainian military by the US and Poland were employed in the May raid, raising concerns about Kiev's commitment to fulfilling the demands of its Western supporters, the sources told WaPo.

The US and its Western allies have consistently expressed opposition to the use of Western arms by Ukraine in attacks on Russian territory. They also urged Kiev to "carefully track the billions of dollars’ worth of weapons that have flowed into the country," Waashington Post reported.

The attack in question occurred in late May, and in response, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that "over 70 Ukrainian terrorists, four armored combat vehicles, and five pickup trucks" had been destroyed in the clash in Belgorod. The remaining militants were subsequently forced back into Ukraine and targeted by Russian artillery. The incursion resulted in one civilian death and 12 injuries, according to Russian authorities.

The Russian military shared a series of photographs showing what appeared to be destroyed Western equipment abandoned by the militants. Some of the images depicted two M1151A1 Humvee armored cars stuck in bomb craters, while others displayed two M1224 MaxxPro armored vehicles. An AMZ Dzik-2 armored car, manufactured in Poland, was also visible in the images.

Kiev attempted to distance itself from the raid by claiming it was carried out by the "Freedom of Russia Legion" and the "Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK)," the neo-Nazi units responsible for a similar attack in the Bryansk Region in March. The Pentagon and the US State Department expressed doubts regarding the authenticity of the images.

The State Department also said that the US "does not encourage or enable attacks inside of Russia." Washington also does not "support the use of US-made equipment … for attacks inside of Russia," it added.

According to the Washington Post, videos published by the "Freedom of Russia Legion" and the RDK militants themselves showed fighters using the Czech-made CZ Bren and Belgium's FN SCAR assault rifles. Both types of weapons were provided to Ukraine by the respective nations, the paper said, adding that "Bren and SCAR rifles are commonly distributed to Ukraine’s soldiers" and foreign fighters who travel to Ukraine to combat Russian forces.

A spokesperson from the Belgian Defense Ministry informed the Washington Post that they only provided weapons to "official authorities and the regular army" in Ukraine, placing responsibility on Kiev for their usage. Poland and the Czech Republic declined to comment on the findings presented by the Washington Post.

The use of Western military supplies in an attack on Russian territory raises the issue of Kiev’s accountability, Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think-tank, told WaPo. The Ukrainians "are clearly complicit here," Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps officer, added.

Kremlin Says France Cannot Mediate in Ukraine Conflict

©Sputnik / Alexey Druzginin/Anton Denisov/Russian Presidential Press Office / Go to the mediabank

Russia does not see France as a neutral party in the Ukrainian conflict and will not accept its mediation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.

The US business newspaper reported earlier this week that French President Emmanuel Macron had offered his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, to host a Ukraine peace summit in Paris. France and its NATO partners have been providing Kiev with military assistance for over a year.

"In this respect, France can hardly be considered a neutral state that can claim the role of a moderator, like Brazil, China, African countries or the Vatican did. France cannot do it anymore because France is a de facto active participant in the conflict and has sided with Ukraine," Peskov told a Russian broadcaster.

Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin remained open to contacts on the Ukrainian conflict that would allow Russia to achieve its goals by non-military means.

Russian President Vladimir Putin remains open to any contact that would allow meeting the goals of the special military operation through peaceful means, but the West does not provide such a chance, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in the ‘Moscow. The Kremlin. Putin’ program on the Rossiya-1 TV channel.

An excerpt from the TV program was posted by journalist Pavel Zarubin on his Telegram channel.

"President Putin has been, is, and will be open to any contact in order to attain our objectives by other means than the special military operation. If it is possible, it would be preferable," Peskov said, adding that "both Mr. [French President Emmanuel] Macron and other European leaders should be aware of it."

Thailand Open 2023 - Bagas/Fikri Ke Final

HUMAS PP PBSI

Indonesia menempatkan satu wakilnya di partai Final Toyota Gacoo Racing Thailand Open 2023, yaitu dinomor Ganda putra Indonesia, pasangan Bagas Maulana/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri ke final setelah menyingkirkan Choi Sul Gyu/Kim Won Ho (Korea Selatan) dalam duel sengit di Indoor Stadium Huamark, Bangkok, hari Sabtu petang WIB, 03/06/2023.

Bagas/Fikri lolos setelah menang dalam pertandingan sengit rubber set. Bagas Fikri menang 22-20, 13-21, 21-16 dengan durasi 56 menit.

Set pertama, Fikri/Bagas lebih banyak menekan pada awal pertandingan pertama mereka dengan Choi/Kim. Bagas/Fikri mampu unggul 3-1 atas Choi/Kim. Setelah itu, Choi/Kim bisa menyamakan skor jadi 6-6. Kemudian BaKri membuka jarak empat poin menjadi 10-6.

Tertinggal poin, Choi/Kim meningkatkan permaianan dengan bermain lebih agresif. Hasilnya, mereka hampir menyamakan skor di 10-9 tetapi placing yang keluar dari Choi membuat wakil Indonesia masih unggul 11-9 saat interval.

Fase berikutnya, Choi/Kim dapat menyamakan kedudukan menjadi 15-15. Poin 15 diperoleh juara German Open ini diraih berkat pengamatan ragu-ragu dari Bagas.

Choi/Kim pun kemudian berbalik unggul di 18-17 setelah netting dari Choi ke area kosong tidak dapat diantisipasi dengan baik oleh Fikri.

Namun Fikri/Bagas berhasil membalikkan kembali kedudukan lagi menjadi 19-18. Sayangnya, pada situasi kritis ini mereka malah kurang tenang.

Sebuah servis yang keluar dari Bagas membantu lawan menyamakan angka. Choi/Kim menekan di reli berikutnya untuk merebut game point duluan.

Beruntung, Fikri/Bagas dapat menemukan kembali fokus mereka, dan berhasil menciptakan kesempatan untuk menyerang, dengan membombardir pertahanan Choi/Kim untuk mencetak tiga poin beruntun. Akhirnya set pertama menjadi milik Fikri/Bagas dengan skor 22-20

Awal set kedua sejumlah kesalahan sendiri dari Choi/Kim membantu Bagas/Fikri untuk memimpin pada awal gim kedua dengan skor 4-2. Namun, kesempatan pindah servis bagi Choi/Kim karena smes Fikri yang mengenai bibir net mengubah keadaan.

Choi/Kim mulai mampu mengatur serangan, dengan menekan Bagas/Fikri hingga berbalik unggul pada 5-4 dan melebarkannya hingga 7-4.

Bagas/Fikri belum dapat benar-benar merespons hingga tertinggal skor saat paruh set pertama menjadi 7-11.

Poin Bagas/Fikri masih belum bertambah lagi sampai Choi/Kim mencetak tiga poin lagi setelah break interval. Skor sementara 7-14.

Bagas/Fikri akhirnya dipaksa bermain hingga tiga set setelah lawan merebut gim kedua dengan skor meyakinkan 21-13.

Set ketiga tidak dimulai dengan ideal bagi Bagas/Fikri setelah serangan yang terburu-buru membuat mereka tertinggal 0-3.

Bagas/Fikri kemudian mampu merespons dengan baik untuk menyamakan angka. Permainan mereka terlihat lebih solid, termasuk ketika Bagas dipaksa bertahan sendiri karena Fikri harus mengganti raket.

Benteng pertahanan Bakri tak ditembus dan justru lawan yang membuat kesalahan sendiri sehingga skor menjadi sama kuat 3-3.

Dicecar lawan membuat Bagas/Fikri kembali tertinggal. Akan tetapi, mereka dapat menyamakan sampai akhirnya berbalik unggul di 7-6.

Pertandingan kian berjalan sengit. Kedua pasangan bergantian mencetak angka. Reli panjang yang seru pun terjadi saat skor 9-9.

Sayangnya, sambaran Kim Won-ho menyengat Bagas hingga bola keluar. Kehilangan poin di reli berikutnya, BaKri tertinggal 9-11 saat interval.

Bagas/Fikri langsung menyamakan kedudukan lagi pada 11-11. Dua kesalahan lawan dalam pengembalian servis membuat mereka berbalik unggul 13-11.

Kepercayaan diri Bagas/Fikri meningkat. Serangan mereka kian intens sementara Choi/Kim hanya bisa mengikuti tempo wakil Indonesia ini.

Selisih skor terus melebar. Match point didapat Bagas/Fikri pertama kali di 20-15 setelah bola silang Kim Won-ho gagal menyeberang.

Disela satu poin, Bagas/Fikri memastikan kemenangan setelah sambaran Fikri dari depan net tak dapat dikembalikan

Bagas/Fikri melakukan selebrasi dengan melakukan sujud syukur. Mereka kembali ke final setelah Orleans Masters 2023 pada Mei lalu.

Kemenangan Bagas/Fikri juga menyelamatkan kans juara Indonesia karena mereka satu-satunya wakil Tanah Air yang melaju ke final di Thailand Open 2023.

Rekap Hasil Toyota Gacoo Racing Thailand Open 2023 Semifinal

President of Eritrea: Ukraine Conflict is Part of US' 30-Year-Long War on Russia

©Sputnik

The Russo-Ukrainian conflict is in reality a war declared by NATO and waged by Washington against Moscow over the past 30 years, President of Eritrea Isaias Afwerki told Sputnik.

Eritrea, a Horn of Africa nation located on the Red Sea coast, became one of five states to vote against the Western-sponsored anti-Russia resolution in the UN General Assembly in March 2022, after the beginning of Moscow's special operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine.

Later, the African state resolutely condemned the West's unprecedented sanctions regime weaponized against Russia. So what's behind Eritrea's firm stance?

"This is not because we are doing any favors to the Russian Federation," President Afwerki told Sputnik Africa. "This idea of 'war in Ukraine' or 'war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine' is not true at all. This is a war declared by NATO and Washington against the Russian Federation for the last 30 years. And Russia has a right to defend itself. You can't force or even use force, all sorts of coercion, to subdue nations. This is not acceptable. This is the law of the jungle. We need to get out of this law of the jungle and people will have to be free to live like human beings. Our position was very clear. We are against containment. We are against the domination or hegemony of one nation. We can't accept it. And our support for the Russian Federation against these hegemonic policies was a natural phenomenon or outcome of what we did also."

Eritrea knows well what Western sanctions mean: it has withstood their pressure for over ten years. Most recently, in November 2021, the US slapped unilateral economic restrictions on the nation's ruling party, armed forces, businesses, institutions and individuals. The Horn of Africa nation was also excluded from the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Transactions) system.

Nonetheless, it did not bow down to the West and signaled its support to Russia when the latter was subjected to maximum pressure. Afwerki underscored that Russia's case is part of the West's broader strategy aimed at coercing other nations into submission. Not only big and powerful countries like Russia or China have been subjected to this strategy: virtually every nation that refuses to kneel down to the US "ideology of hegemony" is punished.

Eritrea knows well what Western sanctions mean: it has withstood their pressure for over ten years. Most recently, in November 2021, the US slapped unilateral economic restrictions on the nation's ruling party, armed forces, businesses, institutions and individuals. The Horn of Africa nation was also excluded from the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Transactions) system.

Nonetheless, it did not bow down to the West and signaled its support to Russia when the latter was subjected to maximum pressure. Afwerki underscored that Russia's case is part of the West's broader strategy aimed at coercing other nations into submission. Not only big and powerful countries like Russia or China have been subjected to this strategy: virtually every nation that refuses to kneel down to the US "ideology of hegemony" is punished.

"We need a new world order," said President Afwerki. "The need for a new world order is obvious. It's a demand for every people, every nation in the world. We need to get out of this cycle of containment, containment now, containment of Russia, containment of China, containment of Eritrea. Then punishment for this and that. Sanction here, sanction there. It's not a question limited to facing the challenge. Facing the challenge is one thing, but what about beyond the challenge? Beyond facing the challenge? We have to be clear on where we are going. We have to prepare the ground for creating a new environment. That new environment will have to be there for everybody. Justice to prevail. Nations and people should be allowed to progress. (…) I think it's a transitional issue. It's a transition from the last 30 years of a hegemonistic attempt, which has failed, practically, to go to a new order. That new order will have to be an order that comes as a result of consultations. Consultations – bilateral, multilateral, continental. Ultimately, we will arrive at an understanding, and the fundamentals are very clear."

Medvedev certain smartphone producers cooperate with secret services

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev
©Yekaterina Shtukina/POOL/TASS

The deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, has advised the owners of any smartphones not to believe that their manufacturers can afford to refuse to cooperate with the secret services of their countries.

On Thursday, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had uncovered, jointly with the Federal Protective Service (FSO), a US intelligence operation that used a virus program on Apple mobile devices. The company itself responded by claiming it was not cooperating with US intelligence.

"When any, even the largest high-tech company, says it refuses to cooperate with the national intelligence community for ideological reasons, it can mean one of the two things: a) it is shamelessly lying, or b) it is about to go out of business. There are no miracles," Medvedev said in response to journalists' questions about whether he believed Apple's statements. "This should be kept in mind by the owners of any smartphones, whether Apple products with iOS closed to all users, or Samsung with Android open to third-party applications.

Spyware suspicions

According to the FSB, several thousand Apple phones belonging to both Russian subscribers and foreign users "using SIM cards registered to diplomatic missions and embassies in Russia, including NATO and post-Soviet countries, as well as Israel, China and Syria," were infected. The company gives vast opportunities for controlling any persons of interest to the White House, the FSB concluded.

On Thursday, it was reported that Kaspersky Lab had detected a targeted cyberattack being conducted using Apple mobile devices. Several dozen iPhones of the company’s employees were infected with spyware. It was stated that no effective way of removing such software had been devised yet.

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, while commenting on the situation to the media, stressed that all employees of the Presidential Staff were prohibited from using iPhones for official purposes.

Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II weds Saudi national Rajwa Al-Saif at royal wedding

The couple wed at Zahran Palace. (Supplied)

Amman - It was an affair to remember as Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II wed Saudi national Rajwa Al-Saif, who by royal decree will now be known as Princess Rajwa Al-Hussein, on Thursday at Zahran Palace in Amman, before the royal couple travelled by motorcade to Al-Husseiniya Palace for a lavish reception.

When the crown prince takes the throne, the princess will be Queen Rajwa. The bride wore a custom-made Elie Saab gown, while Queen Rania opted for Dior.

The religious ceremony was held at Zahran Palace, where the crown prince’s parents — King Abdullah II and Queen Rania — wed in 1993. The ceremony was attended by around 140 guests, including members of the Royal Hashemite family, invited royals and heads of state - US President Joe Biden and US First Lady Jill Biden even shared a congratulatory message on social media.

The bride was escorted by the crown prince’s younger brother, Prince Hashem bin Abdullah II. (Royal Hashemite Court)

Queen Rania wore an elegant Dior gown. (Royal Hashemite Court)

Guests include dignitaries and royals from around the world, including the UK’s Prince and Princess of Wales William and Kate Middleton; US First Lady Jill Biden; Qatar’s Sheikha Moza bint Nasser; the king and queen of Malaysia; the king and queen of The Netherlands; King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía of Spain; Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg; Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark; Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland; Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway and Hisako, Princess Takamado and her daughter, Princess Tsuguko of Takamado of Japan, among others.

The bride arrived at the palace in a 1968 Rolls-Royce Phantom V that was custom-made for the late Queen Zein Al-Sharaf and was escorted by the Crown Prince’s younger brother, Prince Hashem bin Abdullah II, and Princess Salma bint Abdullah II. Prince Hashem walked Al-Saif to the gazebo where the Islamic marriage ceremony took place

During the ceremony, the bride and groom signed the marriage contract. Royal Hashemite Court Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Khalaileh, who was appointed to the position in January 2021, presided over the ceremony, which was followed by several women performing the Zaghrouta, or traditional ululation.

Afterwards, crowds lined the 10km route as the couple traveled to the location of the reception party in a custom 1984 Range Rover as part of a convoy worthy of an Arab royal wedding.

The motorcade featured eight red 1980s Land Rovers and 11 red BMW motorcycles. The vintage machines belong to the Royal Convoy Unit, part of a special military formation known as the Royal Guards. The Jordan Armed Forces Musical Band performed during the event.

As is customary, the arrival of the bride and groom was announced with a zaffeh by the Jordan Armed Forces Musical Band. All band members wore the red-and-white shemagh, a traditional headdress for men, in addition to their full-dress uniform. After passing through an honorary Arch of Sabers, the couple proceeded through the courtyard amidst a traditional Jordanian zaffeh, toward the greeting stage, where the family greeted more than 1,700 guests. The remainder of the evening featured a variety of performances by local and regional singers, a choir group, Jordanian bands, the national orchestra, and folk dance troupes.

The couple took part in a motorcade. (Arab News)

After passing through an honorary Arch of Sabers, the couple proceeded through the courtyard amidst a traditional Jordanian zaffeh, toward the greeting stage. (Courtesy of Royal Hashemite Court)

According to the Royal Hashemite Court, the reception space at Al-Husseiniya Palace was designed to showcase Jordanian traditions, craftsmanship, and the country’s natural surroundings. Upon arrival, guests entered on a path that evokes the Jordanian desert, featuring a 20-meter-long handwoven Bedouin rug, created specifically for this occasion by the Bani Hamida Women's Weaving Project in the village of Mukawir in Madaba.

Surrounded by foraged wildflowers that reflect the native landscape of the weavers, guests were welcomed with traditional Arabic coffee and music as they made their way down the reception. Once inside the reception space, guests were greeted by the sight of native olive trees surrounded by a dune-like display of dates, which represent hospitality in both Jordanian and Saudi cultures. The venue featured an installation of five large-scale mesh arches, inspired by the architecture of the palace and the hues of the desert landscape of Jordan’s Wadi Rum.

Guest seats were adorned with traditional embroidery patterns, handstitched by women artisans employed by Al-Karma Embroidery Center and the Jerash Women Charitable Society – all of which were established to empower local women and promote traditional handiworks. Guest tables were made from natural Madaba stone and decorated with hand-blown glass vases and traditional clay pottery made by local artisans. The decor also incorporated hand-hammered basalt stone from the north of Jordan. Utilizing local seasonal flowers, the Palace’s archways wre steeped in jasmine. Other design elements paid homage to Jordan’s wheat harvesting season, which is in full swing, with items reimagining the traditional threshing board used to shred wheat and release its grain.

The reception concluded with the bride and groom cutting the wedding cake.

The royal wedding was almost a year in the making, with the couple announcing their engagement in August 2022. The pair got engaged in Riyadh with members of the Jordanian royal family in attendance, as well as Al-Saif’s parents — Khalid bin Musaed bin Saif bin Abdulaziz Al-Saif and Azza bint Nayef Abdulaziz Ahmad Al-Sudairi.

The Al-Saif family traces its lineage to the Subay tribe, who have been present in the Sudair region of Najd since the beginning of the era of King Abdulaziz, the founder of modern-day Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Al-Saif’s mother comes from the prominent Al-Sudairi family.

Russian forces foil Kiev’s attempt to commit terror act in borderline Shebekino district

©Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

Russian forces foiled another attempt by the Kiev regime to commit a terror act against residents of Shebekino in the borderline Belgorod Region, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Thursday.

"This morning, the Russian Armed Forces jointly with the border guards and other units of the FSB [Federal Security Service] of Russia thwarted another attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terror act against civilians of the town of Shebekino in the Belgorod Region," the spokesman said.

"Ukrainian terrorist formations with a strength of up to two motorized infantry companies reinforced by tanks attempted to make an incursion into Russian territory," the general reported.

All the attacks by the Ukrainian terrorist formations were repulsed, Konashenkov stressed.

"Self-sacrificing actions by Russian forces repulsed three attacks by Ukrainian terrorist formations. Army aviation of the Western Military District delivered 11 strikes on the enemy. Missile troops and artillery accomplished 77 firing objectives and heavy flamethrower systems delivered two strikes," the general reported.

Also, Russian forces eliminated over 30 Ukrainian terrorists, four armored combat vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher and a pickup truck on the Ukrainian side of the border, the spokesman said.

Russian forces thwarted the Kiev regime’s attempt to violate Russia’s state border, Konashenkov said.

"The Kiev regime’s terrorist formations suffered heavy losses and were pushed back as a result of active actions by the units of the Western Military District protecting the state border and the FSB of Russia. No violations of the state border were allowed," the spokesman stressed.

Watch Russian Combat Engineer Blow Up Ukrainian Wheeled 'Kamikaze Drone

While the Russian Aerospace Forces and artillery have continuously made headlines since the beginning of the military operation in Ukraine last year, other branches of the Russian Armed Forces also provide vital contributions to the ongoing fight against Kiev.

In one instance, a combat engineer from the Kostromskoy Airborne Regiment was tasked with dealing with a somewhat uncommon threat – a wheeled unmanned vehicle packed with explosives that was sent by Ukrainian forces to detonate at Russian positions but got stuck in a ditch.

A short video released by Russia’s Ministry of Defense shows the Russian trooper working on this task before destroying this Ukrainian-guided IED with an explosive charge of his own.

Drones Hit Energy Facilities in Russia’s Smolensk Region

Earlier on Friday, several Ukrainian drones were downed by Russia's air defense systems near the Russian city of Kursk.

Two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have targeted several energy facilities in Russia's Smolensk region, Acting Governor Vasily Anokhin wrote on his Telegram channel on Friday.

He added that in the early hours of Friday, “two long-range drones attacked fuel and energy complex facilities” located in the villages of Peresna and Divasy in the Pochinkovsky and Smolensky Districts, respectively.

Anokhin noted that no one was injured and that the facilities have not been critically damaged as a result of the attack. According to him, emergency services are already onsite. In early May, the authorities of the Smolensk region, which is located about 360 kilometers (220 miles) west-southwest of Moscow, introduced a ban on drone flights in the area.

In a separate development on Friday, Kursk Region Governor Roman Starovoyt said on Telegram that "This night near [the Russian city of] Kursk, the air defense system shot down several Ukrainian drones." He urged residents to remain calm as the city was under the "reliable protection" of the Russian military.

Kaluga Region Governor Vladislav Shapsha, for his part, said that an unidentified object collapsed and exploded in the region on Friday morning without any damage or victims. A representative of the local emergency services told Sputnik that the object was a drone, according to preliminary information.

On Thursday morning, another unidentified object fell in a field in Kaluga Region's Dzerzhinsky district. The collapse resulted in an explosion which left a crater and set grass on fire, but no one was hurt in the incident, local authorities said.

This came after similar developments took place in Moscow on Tuesday, when eight drones were intercepted by Russian air defenses, in an incident that officials stated caused no significant damages or injuries.

It was noted at the time that the attack was likely related to Russian strikes against a decision-making center in Kiev, amid the ongoing Russian special military operation in Ukraine.