Moscow is yet to hear from Ottawa over the extradition of Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian Nazi collaborator who received a standing ovation in the Canadian parliament in September, despite assurances that the matter will be reviewed, Russian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov said.
"The request for the extradition of the Nazi henchman — this is a whole package of documents — has been submitted to the relevant Canadian authorities," Stepanov said. "We were assured that the materials would be reviewed. But there is no response from the Ministry of Justice and other agencies yet."
The Russian Embassy continues to work with the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the matter, the ambassador added.
According to the ambassador, the issue is a matter of principle, and Russia will not let the Canadian government hush up this story.
He pointed out that the Hunka scandal sparked outrage in Canadian society where the memory of the Canadian soldiers who fought against Nazism is honored to this day.
The ambassador did, however, mention the efforts by the Canadian "liberal cabinet" to keep under wraps the colossal embarrassment caused by the Hunka affair.
In September, the 98-year-old Nazi collaborator was invited to attend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's address at the Canadian parliament. Hunka was introduced as a hero who fought against the Russians during World War II and received a standing ovation from the entire Canadian legislature.
The honoring of a Nazi collaborator prompted outcries from Russia, Poland and elsewhere.
In October, Hunka was charged in absentia with genocide of civilians during World War II by the Russian Investigative Committee. He is accused of participating in large-scale executions of at least 500 civilians in the Lvov region of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1943-1944.
The Russian Prosecutor General's Office told Sputnik in December that it had requested that Hunka be extradited to Russia to face criminal charges of genocide against Soviet citizens.
Kiev regime forces in the Ukrainian conflict have once again been reminded of the fact that they could never consider themselves safe when Russian combat aircraft are in the air.
A Ukrainian command post in the Kupyansk sector of the Kharkov region was hit by a surgical airstrike executed by a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber aircraft.
The airstrike was performed using the unguided FAB-500 bombs that have been fitted with a universal gliding and correction module – a kit that essentially turns “dumb” freefall bombs into gliding precision-guided munitions.
This video released by the Russian Ministry of Defense online shows how the strike was performed.
Ukrainian forces lose up to 290 servicemen, equipment in Donetsk area
The Russian armed forces wiped out up to 290 Ukrainian servicemen, a tank and two infantry fighting vehicles in the Donetsk area over the past 24 hours, the Defense Ministry said.
Here are the details of this and other combat actions that happened over the past 24 hours, according to the Ministry report.
Donetsk Area
"The Ukrainian military lost up to 290 servicemen, a tank, two infantry fighting vehicles and three vehicles. In addition, a US-made M777 artillery system, a Msta-B howitzer, and a US-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar were hit," the Ministry said.
The Russian army continues to take more favorable positions in the Donetsk area, with seven Ukrainian attacks repelled over the past 24 hours, the Defense Ministry added.
Southern Donetsk Area
Units of Russia’s Battlegroup East repulsed two attacks of Ukrainian assault teams in the south Donetsk area over the past 24 hours in the special military operation in Ukraine, the Defense Ministry announced.
"In the south Donetsk direction, units of the battlegroup East improved their frontline positions, repelled two attacks and inflicted damage on the manpower and military hardware of the Ukrainian army’s 58th motorized infantry brigade, 105th and 128th territorial defense brigades near the settlements of Staromayorskoye, Urozhainoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic [DPR] and Priyutnoye in the Zaporozhye Region," the Ministry stated.
"The Ukrainian army’s losses in the south Donetsk area over the past day amounted to roughly 195 personnel, a tank and two motor vehicles.," the Ministry specified.
In counter-battery fire, Russian forces destroyed an Akatsiya motorized artillery systems and a Gvozdika motorized artillery system.
Kiev regime forces’ plans in the Donetsk People’s Republic have once again hit a snag due to objections from the Russian side in the form of rocket artillery strike.
One day, a group of Ukrainian officers decided that it would be a grand idea to conduct troop rotation on the front line in the Seversk sector of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
Alas, their plans did not take into account one small detail: Russian troops in the area had multiple launch rocket systems and little patience for Ukrainian militants creeping around.
One shelling later, a group of Ukrainian militants ended up being relieved of duty and their lives while their commanders were left to ponder their mistakes.
The following video shared online by the Russian Ministry of Defense shows how the episode looked from the Russian rocket artillery crew’s perspective.
Bull’s Eye: Watch Russian FPV Drone Decimate Ukrainian Dugout in Special Op Zone
Since the beginning of the conflict, Russian forces have been using small unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with first-person view (FPV) technology to launch precision strikes on Ukrainian troops.
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has released a video of an FPV drone crew destroying a dugout with infantry of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the village of Verbovoye in the Zaporozhye area.
After loitering, the drone hit the military personnel in the dugout. A repeated strike from the second FPV drone killed several more Ukrainian soldiers, according to the MoD.
After completing the combat mission, the crew quickly changed their position to protect themselves from a retaliatory strike by the Ukrainian forces, the MoD said. FPV technology allows the operator to have a real-time view from the drone's perspective.
Zaporozhye Area
The Ukrainian armed forces lost more than 95 servicemen, a D-20 gun and a Gvozdika howitzer in the Zaporozhye area over the past 24 hours, the Defense Ministry said.
"The enemy lost over 95 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles and two pickup trucks, as well as a a D-20 gun and a Gvozdika howitzer," the Ministry said, adding that Russian forces defeated the 128th Ukrainian mountain assault, 65th, 118th mechanized brigades near Rabotino, Nesteryanka and Pyatikhatki of the Zaporozhye Region.
Krasny Liman Area
Russian forces left roughly 240 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded in the Krasny Liman area over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, the Defense Ministry reported.
"In the Krasny Liman direction, the battlegroup Center improved its frontline position and repelled two attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian army’s 60th mechanized brigade near the settlement of Yampolovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic [DPR]," the Ministry stated.
The Ministry also said that the Russian forces also destroyed a Ukrainian field artillery arms depot and inflicted damage on the enemy’s military hardware and personnel.
The enemy’s losses in the Krasny Liman direction over the past 24 hours "amounted up to 240 personnel, three armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles and an Akatsiya motorized artillery system," the statement specified.
Kupyansk Area
The Russian army repelled six Ukrainian attacks near Kupyansk during one day, with the enemy's losses estimated at 35 men, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"In the Kupyansk area, units of the western group of forces repelled six attacks by assault groups of Ukraine’s 25th airborne, 30th and 44th mechanized brigades and 18th brigade of the National Guard in the areas of Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region, and Terny in the Donetsk People's Republic. The enemy lost up to 35 servicemen and 2 vehicles," the news release reads.
Kherson Area
The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 30 servicemen and 2 automobile vehicles in the Kherson area, the Defense ministry reported.
"On the Kherson area, actions of the Russian battlegroup and complex fire damage over the past 24 hours resulted in Ukrainian armed forces’ casualties of 30 servicemen and 2 automobile vehicles," the Ministry noted.
Seversk area
A Grad multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) of the South battlegroup destroyed a group of Ukrainian infantry and disrupted a rotation at frontline positions in the Seversk direction, the Defense Ministry said.
"Air reconnaissance exposed accumulations of Ukrainian personnel preparing to rotate in the Seversk direction. The Grad MLRS advanced to the firing position and delivered a strike at the adversary," it said.
The MLRS then abandoned the position and drove to a safe area for reloading, it added.
Destroyed equipment tally
The Russian Air Defense Troops shot down two HIMARS rockets and 30 Ukrainian drones over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported.
"The Russian Air Defense Troops downed two HIMARS rockets. In addition, 30 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed near Masyutovka of the Kharkov Region, Baranikovka, Lisichansk, Nikolayevka of the Lugansk People's Republic, Otradovka of the Donetsk People's Republic, Novaya Kakhovka and Alyoshki of the Kherson Region," the statement said.
The Ministry also said that since the beginning of the special military operation, Russian forces destroyed 568 aircraft, 265 helicopters, 11,863 drones, 462 anti-aircraft missile systems, 14,927 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,217 multiple rocket launchers, 7,973 field artillery and mortars, as well as 18,283 units of special military vehicles.
US journalist Tucker Carlson said on Tuesday that he decided to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as a journalistic duty, as well as to inform Americans about the realities of the conflict in Ukraine.
“We’re in Moscow tonight. We’re here to interview the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin,” Carlson said in a video posted to social media platform X (formerly Twitter). “Here’s why we’re doing it. First, because it’s our job. We’re in journalism. Our duty is to inform people.”
Most people in the United States are not informed about the conflict in Ukraine and have no idea what is happening in the region, Carlson said.
The conflict in Ukraine is a “human disaster” that has killed an entire generation of Ukrainians, Carlson said. The conflict has also reshaped global military and trade alliances, Carlson said.
Carlson highlighted that his team independently paid for a trip to Russia to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We paid for this trip ourselves. We took no money from any government or group," Carlson said in the video.
The interview with Putin will be freely available online, Carlson said, adding that Elon Musk vowed not to suppress the interview on X.
Western journalists have not bothered to interview Putin, Carlson said. Carlson said that he also requested an interview with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which he hopes the Ukrainian president will accept.
Over the weekend it was reported that Carlson arrived in Moscow on Thursday and was spotted attending a ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre on Saturday.
Carlson said in an interview with the Swiss magazine Die Weltwoche in September 2023 that he planned to interview Putin but was stopped by the US authorities.
Carson gained fame as a host of the nightly political talk show Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, broadcast from 2016 to 2023. After Fox News abruptly terminated his contract, Carlson begun running the Tucker on Twitter show. During his career, Carlson has done interviews with former US President Donald Trump, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Argentine President Javier Milei and other politicians, as well as with world-renowned celebrities.
Houthi attacked US and UK merchant ships in the Red Sea, causing damage to the ships. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Tuesday.
"The Naval Forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces and with the help of God, have carried out two military operations in the red sea, the first targeted the American ship 'Star Nasia,' while the other one targeted the British ship 'Morning Tide,' with suitable naval missiles, and strikes were direct and accurate," Saree said in a statement on Telegram.
The Houthis have been targeting commercial vessels with drones and missiles in the Red Sea since mid-November, in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war.
The Greek-owned Star Nasia, managed by Star Bulk Carrier, was damaged by an explosion at 1115 GMT, a Greek shipping ministry official said, adding that its crew were not injured.
It is unclear whether the explosion was caused by a sea mine or a rocket, the official added.
Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency and British maritime security firm Ambrey reported an explosion near a merchant vessel off Yemen's port of Aden on Tuesday.
Ambrey said the southbound Greek-owned bulk carrier had been targeted while heading through the Maritime Security Transit Corridor about 53 nautical miles southwest of Aden, en route from the U.S. to India.
Maritime monitoring service TankerTrackers.com said the vessel was carrying U.S. coal to India.
MORNING TIDE
Ambrey said the second vessel, a Barbados-flagged general cargo ship owned by a British company, had suffered damage from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while sailing south through the Red Sea.
No injuries were reported. The ship performed evasive manoeuvres and continued its journey, Ambrey said.
The owner of the Morning Tide, British firm Furadino Shipping, told Reuters the ship was currently sailing without problems, but gave no further information.
LSEG ship-tracking data showed the Morning Tide was heading south through the Red Sea after navigating the Suez Canal on Friday. Its most recent signal shows it sailing out of the Red Sea through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency had reported just after midnight GMT on Tuesday that a projectile had been fired at the port side of a ship located 57 nautical miles west of Hodeidah and that a small craft was seen nearby.
The projectile passed over the deck and caused slight damage to the bridge windows, but the vessel and crew were safe and proceeded on the planned passage, UKMTO added.
The Red Sea attacks have disrupted global shipping and forced firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa and stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread to destabilise the wider Middle East.
The United States and Britain began striking Houthi targets in Yemen last month in retaliation for the attacks on Red Sea shipping.
Houthis Attack US, UK Merchant Ships in Red Sea damaging both
Ketua DKPP Heddy Lugito saat ditemui di Kompleks Parlemen, Jakarta, Senin (5/2/2024). ANTARA/Bagus Ahmad Rizaldi/aa.
Ketua Dewan Kehormatan Penyelenggara Pemilu (DKPP) Heddy Lugito mengatakan pelanggaran kode etik Ketua KPU beserta komisioner lainnya tidak memengaruhi pada pencalonan Gibran Rakabuming Raka sebagai calon wakil presiden Pilpres 2024.
Menurutnya vonis yang telah diputuskannya tersebut terhadap Hasyim Asy'ari dkk, itu murni soal kode etik. Sehingga menurutnya hal tersebut tidak ada kaitannya dengan status Gibran yang kini menjadi peserta pemilu.
"Nggak ada kaitannya dengan pencalonan juga, ini murni soal etik, murni soal etik penyelenggara pemilu," kata Heddy saat ditemui di Kompleks Parlemen, Jakarta, Senin.
Dia mengatakan keputusan atau vonis dari DKPP itu tidak bersifat akumulatif, sehingga perkara pengaduan Ketua KPU itu berbeda dengan perkara pengaduan yang lainnya. Menurutnya putusan itu pun tidak membatalkan pencalonan Gibran sebagai calon wakil presiden.
"Tidak ada putusan akumulatif di DKPP, perkaranya beda. Yang dulu yang soal pengaduan lain ya berbeda, itu aja," tuturnya.
Sebelumnya, Dewan Kehormatan Penyelenggara Pemilu (DKPP) memvonis Ketua Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU) RI Hasyim Asy'ari dan enam anggota lainnya melanggar kode etik dalam menerima pendaftaran Gibran Rakabuming Raka sebagai calon wakil presiden Pemilu 2024.
Hasyim Asy'ari dijatuhi sanksi berupa peringatan keras terakhir. Selain Hasyim, anggota KPU RI lainnya, yakni Yulianto Sudrajat, August Mellaz, Betty Epsilon Idroos, Parsadaan Harahap, Idham Holik, dan M Afifuddin, juga dijatuhi sanksi peringatan.
Hasyim bersama enam anggota lain KPU RI diadukan oleh Demas Brian Wicaksono dengan perkara Nomor 135-PKE-DKPP/XII/2023, Iman Munandar B. (Nomor 136-PKE-DKPP/XII/2023), P.H. Hariyanto (Nomor 137-PKE-DKPP/XII/2023), dan Rumondang Damanik (Nomor 141-PKE-DKPP/XII/2023).
People mourn victims at a hospital after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 5, 2024. The death toll of Palestinians killed from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 27,478, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Monday. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)
The death toll of Palestinians killed from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 27,478, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Monday.
During the past 24 hours, at least 113 Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks in various places in the Gaza Strip, raising the total number of deaths to 27,478, the ministry said in a press statement.
The ministry added that with heavy Israeli bombardment and the lack of civil defense and ambulance crews, some victims are still under the rubble.
Meanwhile, the number of wounded people has also risen to 66,835 since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, the ministry explained
An injured girl is seen at a hospital after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 5, 2024. The death toll of Palestinians killed from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip has risen to 27,478, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Monday. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)
The death toll in the Gaza Strip has increased following the latest airstrikes on the Palestinian territory, the militant group that attacked southern Israel almost four months ago.
‘The situation is indescribable,’ said Said Hamouda, a Palestinian who fled his home in the Gaza Strip to the southern city of Rafah on the border with Egypt.
Dubbed a ‘pressure cooker of despair’ by the United Nations, Rafah now hosts more than half of Gaza’s population, displaced due to Israel’s assault.
‘Whether you have a million dollars or a hundred you are in the same situation,’ Hamouda said.
Over the weekend, Israel pressed further south towards the overflowing border city, warning its ground forces could advance on Rafah as part of its campaign to eradicate Hamas.
At least 128 people, mostly women and children, were killed in Israeli strikes overnight Sunday to Monday in the besieged territory, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.
The Hamas government media office said Israeli bombardments have continued across the centre and southern end of the coastal Strip, including near hospitals.
Gazans have faced dire humanitarian conditions, and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on X that ‘there is very limited access to clean water and sanitation amid relentless bombardment’.
UNRWA itself is facing a major controversy after accusations that 12 staff members were involved in Hamas’s October 7 attack.
More than a dozen countries, led by the United States, suspended their funding to the agency after the claims surfaced.
The UN has announced an audit into the agency’s operations.
Before departing for the region, Blinken said that the humanitarian crisis would be one of his focuses.
‘Urgently addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza and advancing stability in the Middle East are priorities we share with Saudi Arabia,’ Blinken said he told Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan.
The Gulf state had been mulling establishing formal relations with Israel before the war.
After talks in January with de facto Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Blinken said he still saw a ‘clear interest’ in pursuing normalisation.
