Russian military wipes out saboteurs near Ukraine border - VIDEO

Russian forces have destroyed several temporary bases near the Ukrainian border used by sabotage units, the Defense Ministry said in a series of statements on Thursday. The Russian military has also released video clips purporting to show the strikes.

Last week, several groups presumably made up of Russians fighting for Ukraine attempted to force their way into Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk regions, with Moscow’s forces repelling the attacks. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Kiev suffered more than 1,500 casualties and lost seven tanks, three Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and two armored personnel carriers.

In recent days, Ukrainian forces have intensified their shelling of Russian border regions, killing and maiming multiple civilians.

In a post on its Telegram channel, the ministry shared footage apparently captured by a drone, showing “preemptive air and artillery strikes” on Ukrainian targets near the border with Belgorod Region.

Another video clip depicts the destruction of a Ukrainian sabotage unit in what appears to be a different wooded location adjacent to the frontier.

In yet another message on its website, the ministry posted a different video clip, reporting that its electronic warfare unit had detected the firing of Ukrainian multiple launch rocket systems and artillery from across the border. Acting on this information and the coordinates provided, a Russian Smerch ('Whirlwind') long-range multiple launch rocket system struck the Ukrainian positions, with drones providing real-time support.

The ministry released similar footage and reports on Tuesday and Monday.

Watch Russia's Smerch MLRS Annihilate Ukrainian Artillery

Developed in the 1980s, the Russian BM-30 Smerch, also known as the Tornado, is a formidable and adaptable multiple rocket launcher system specifically designed for long-range fire support. It stands as a vital pillar of the Russian military's artillery capabilities.

The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage showing its Smerch MLRS crew demolishing the artillery crews of Ukrainian terrorist formations in the border area near Russia's Belgorod region.

According to the ministry, the crew of the Zoopark radar station detected the deployment of enemy MLRS and foreign artillery howitzers in the border area of the Belgorod region. Subsequently, the crew calculated the trajectory of the shells to pinpoint the targets' locations. Upon acquiring the target, the Smerch MLRS crews of Battlegroup Zapad promptly moved into firing positions. Following precision rocket strikes and consecutive salvos, the soldiers successfully neutralized the enemy's artillery.

The crews eliminated US-made M777 howitzers, Grad MLRS and armored combat vehicles of Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups, the ministry added.

Russian servicemen to kill all French soldiers in Ukraine — senior lawmaker

©Andrei Rubtsov/TASS

Russian servicemen will eliminate all French soldiers coming to Ukraine, State Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy said.

"We will kill all French soldiers who will come to the territory of Ukraine. All of them," he told the BFMTV channel. The politician also pointed out that 147 out of 367 French mercenaries who arrived in Ukraine earlier have been eliminated.

In addition, Tolstoy emphasized that Russia "does not care" about the statements of French President Emmanuel Macron and his words about the rejection of red lines in the provision of aid to Kiev.

On March 19, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin said that France was already preparing a military contingent to be sent to Ukraine, which would initially amount to about 2,000 soldiers. After that, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces made a statement on the social network X that what Naryshkin said did not correspond to reality.

The Russian intelligence chief pointed out that France unofficially recognized the deaths of its own servicemen. The French army has not experienced such a level of losses since the Algerian War of 1954-1962. The Elysee Palace, as Naryshkin noted, also believes that the number of dead Frenchmen has exceeded a psychologically significant threshold, and now there is a question about how to bury the dead and treat the wounded in secret so as not to spark a public outcry.

In late February, after a conference in Paris devoted to Ukraine, Macron did not explicitly rule out the possibility of sending ground troops from Western countries to the special military operation zone. Macron also said that Western states "intend to do whatever is necessary" to prevent Russia from gaining the upper hand in this conflict.

Potential deployment of French troops to Ukraine may be of benefit to Russia — Medvedev

Eliminating French military personnel that may appear in Ukraine would be a critical but not particularly difficult mission for the Russian Armed Forces, but for Paris such a humiliating defeat of its legions would be tantamount to being guillotined, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said.

"Actually, for the success of our cause, it would be nice if the restless French dispatched a couple of regiments to ‘Banderaland.’ It would be very problematic to hide such a number of servicemen, so systematically eliminating them would not be the most difficult task, but surely the most important one. But, just think of the beneficial knock-on effect!" he wrote on his Telegram channel.

As Medvedev noted, with so many coffins to be delivered to France from a foreign country it would be impossible to hide the mass deaths of professional soldiers.

"There will be no chance of getting away with various lame excuses and speculations that mercenaries choose their own fate and that they are risking their lives at their own discretion," he warned.

The deputy head of the Russian Security Council pointed out that such military personnel would become full-fledged combatants as part of an interventionist contingent, and so their destruction would be "a priority and a matter of honor" for the Russian Armed Forces.

"As for the Gallic roosters in the French leadership, it would be tantamount to being guillotined. They would be torn to pieces both by the enraged relatives and angry members of the opposition, who have been assured all along that France is not at war with Russia. Also, it would be a good lesson for other rambunctious fools in ," Medvedev predicted.

He suggested that the immortal lines of 19th century classic Russian writer Alexander Pushkin will prove their timeless relevance once again:

"Then send your numbers without number,

Your maddened sons, your goaded slaves,

In Russia's plains there's room to slumber,

And well they'll know their brethren's graves!"

On French military in Ukraine

On March 19, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin said that France was already preparing a military contingent to be sent to Ukraine, which would initially amount to about 2,000 soldiers. At the same time, he remarked that French military personnel have been unofficially present in Ukraine for quite a while already. Some have already been killed or wounded.

Naryshkin pointed out that France unofficially recognized the deaths of its own servicemen. The French army has not experienced such a level of losses since the Algerian War of 1954-1962. The Elysee Palace, as Naryshkin noted, also believes that the number of dead Frenchmen has exceeded a psychologically significant threshold, and now there is a question of how to bury the dead and treat the wounded in stealth so as not to spark popular protests.

Baru Dalam Sejarah PPP Tak Lolos Senayan Selama Kiprahnya di Pemilu

Ilustrasi PPP

Partai Persatuan Pembangunan (PPP) gagal lolos ke Senayan karena tidak memenuhi ambang batas parlemen atau parliamentary threshold sebesar 4%. Hasil data Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU), PPP hanya memperoleh suara 5.878.777 atau 3,873% pada pemilihan umum 2024.

Tidak lolosnya PPP ke Senayan menjadi ironi bagi partai berlambang Ka'bah tersebut. Sebab, jika disandingkan dengan partai-partai lain, PPP sudah jauh lebih lama berkiprah di dunia politik Indonesia.

PPP partai yang dibentuk di masa Orde Baru sebagai bagian kebijakan fusi partai. Fusi partai adalah ide Presiden Soeharto untuk merampingkan partai-partai yang punya satu ideologis serupa.

Merujuk pada website resmi, PPP merupakan salah satu partai politik di Indonesia. PPP didirikan pada tanggal 5 Januari 1973 yang merupakan hasil Fusi atau gabungan dari empat partai berbasis Islam yakni Partai Nahdhatul Ulama, Partai Muslimin Indonesia (Parmusi), Partai Syarikat Islam Indonesia (PSII), dan Partai Islam Perti.

Partai ini dipelopori oleh KH Idham Chalid (Ketua Umum PB NU), H.Mohammad Syafaat Mintaredja (Ketua Umum Parmusi), SH, Haji Anwar Tjokroaminoto ( Ketua Umum PSII), Haji Rusli Halil (Ketua Umum Perti), dan Haji Mayskur (Ketua Kelompok Persatuan Pembangunan di DPR). Dengan hasil gabungan dari partai-partai besar berbasis Islam, maka PPP telah memproklamirkan diri sebagai "Rumah Besar Umat Islam".

Sejak berkuasa, Presiden Soeharto memang tak ingin ada banyak partai di Indonesia. Dia belajar dari era demokrasi terpimpin masa Soekarno saat keberadaan banyak partai terbukti tidak efektif. Saat itu, partai-partai yang ada malah saling menjatuhkan satu sama lain, sehingga stabilitas politik terganggu dan kebijakan negara tak terwujud.

Alhasil, Soeharto ogah masalah itu terjadi saat dia berkuasa. Maka, lahirlah ide fusi atau penyederhanaan partai.

Namun, ide tersebut tak langsung terwujud saat Soeharto berkuasa. Pada Pemilu pertama Orde Baru tahun 1971, semua partai apapun ideologinya masih bertanding. KPU pun menetapkan organisasi masyarakat, Golongan Karya (Golkar), memenangi Pemilu.

Dalam perspektif pemerintah, kemenangan Golkar bukan berarti situasi bakal aman. Pasalnya, menurut Andre Feillard dalam NU vis a vis Negara (1999), di Senayan bakal ada banyak partai lain yang bisa mengganggu jalannya pemerintahan.

Atas dasar ini, pemerintah melakukan intervensi kepada partai-partai, termasuk partai Islam yang eksis sejak masa Soekarno dan mewakili kelompok Islam, antara lain:

Intervensi tersebut berupa ikut campur pemerintah mengatur sosok ketua umum partai dalam pemilihan terbuka. Pemerintah menempatkan orang kepercayaan untuk mensukseskan langkah fusi partai.

Singkat cerita, hasil dari intervensi itu sukses menggabungkan partai-partai Islam tersebut menjadi satu wadah bernama Kelompok Persatuan Pembangunan pada Oktober 1972. Penamaan ini juga diatur oleh Soeharto yang tak ingin kelompok partai Islam menggunakan nama "Islamis."

Kelompok Persatuan Pembangunan itulah yang kelak berubah jadi Partai Persatuan Pembangunan (PPP) pada 5 Januari 1973. Selama Orde Baru berkuasa, PPP menjadi pilihan politik para tokoh Islam dan pendukungnya.

Selain PPP, kelompok lain yang terdampak fusi adalah golongan partai nasionalis, seperti Partai Nasional Indonesia (PNI), Partai Musyawarah Rakyat Banyak (Murba), Ikatan Pendukung Kemerdekaan Indonesia (IPKI) serta Partai Kristen Indonesia (Parkindo) dan Partai Katolik. Mereka bergabung menjadi Partai Demokrasi Indonesia (PDI).

Beranjak dari sini, PDI, PPP dan Golongan Karya saling berebut suara di tiap pemilu Orde Baru. Tentu, kita mengetahui selama berulangkali Pemilu terselenggara, tetap saja pemenangnya Golkar, disusul PPP dan PDI.

Di era reformasi, suara PPP juga harus berjuang dengan sengit karena ketatnya persaingan antar partai. Suara PPP terus turun dari 11,33 juta pada pemilu 1999 atau 10,71% menjadi 6,32 juta pada pemilu 2019 atau 4,52%.

Banyaknya partai baru serta pergeseran ideologi dan tren elektoral membuat suara PPP turun. Puncaknya adalah pada 2024 di mana PPP tidak lolos ke parlemen karena suaranya di bawah threshold yang ditentukan.

Hasil Pileg 2024, ada sepuluh partai politik gagal lolos ke DPR RI. Selain PPP, ada PSI, Perindo, Gelora, Hanura, Buruh, Ummat, PBB, Garuda, PKN.

Mengacu pada Undang-Undang Nomor 7 Tahun 2017 tentang Pemilu, partai politik yang gagal meraup sedikitnya 4 persen suara sah nasional tidak dapat mengonversi suaranya menjadi kursi di Senayan.

Kelurahan Cimincrang Tata Ratusan PKL di Kawasan Masjid Al Jabbar

Kawasan Masjid Raya Al Jabbar, Kota Bandung/Ist

Kawasan Masjid Raya Al Jabbar, Kota Bandung, terus ditata dari semrawutnya para pedagang kaki lima (PKL). Sebanyak 120 PKL telah ditertibkan agar kawasan masjid kebangaan masyarakat Jawa Barat itu lebih tertib.

Lurah Cimincrang, Rakha Dhifan mengatakan, penataan PKL dilakukan secara bertahap. Saat ini, para PKL telah direlokasi ke area parkir barat Masjid Raya Al Jabbar.

Rakha menjelaskan, kawasan tersebut merupakan lahan untuk parkir sekitar 80 hingga 100 bus. Nantinya para PKL yang berjualan di area tersebut bisa langsung menawarkan dagangannya saat jemaah turun naik bus.

"Alhamdulilah itu (lahan parkir bus) cukup untuk menertibkan PKL yang asalnya berada di halaman (depan masjid)," kata Rakha, pada hari Kamis, 21/03/2024.

Menurut Rakha, para PKL yang berjualan merupakan warga lokal yang tinggal di wilayah Cimincrang. Pihaknya juga mengoptimalkan warga untuk menjadi pekerja, mulai dari petugas kebersihan hingga sekuriti.

"Kami prioritaskan warga asli, karena mereka yang mendapatkan dampak pembangunan masjid. Ini pemberdayaan warga, ada 70 persen tenaga kerja di sana, warga kami dan 30 persen dari luar," kata Rakha.

Rakha melihat hadirnya Masjid Raya Al Jabbar telah meningkatkan perekonomian warga. Sejauh ini, warga memilih untuk berniaga di kawasan Masjid Raya Al Jabbar.

"Di samping banyak yang berdagang. Saya pernah bertanya ke salah satu pedagang, untuk jual minuman mineral saja, keuntungannya hampir Rp700.000 sehari," tutup Rakha.

Kini wajah Masjid Raya Al Jabbar, Kelurahan Cimincrang, Kecamatan Gedebage, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat, kini semakin rapi sehingga membuat pengunjung pada bulan puasa Ramadhan 1445 H/2024 M ini semakin nyaman.

Kondisi tersebut berkat tangan dingin Lurah Cimincrang, Rakha Dhifan, yang turut membantu menata 120 Pedagang Kaki Lima (PKL) di kawasan Masjid Raya Al Jabbar yang sebelumnya semrawut dan membuat area masjid tidak tertib.

Di kawasan parkir tersebut, lanjutnya, merupakan lahan untuk parkir sekitar 80-100 bus. Sehingga dengan luas itu, dimanfaatkan untuk penataan PKL.

Ia berharap, ketika parkir bus dan turunnya penumpang, para PKL bisa memanfaatkan untuk menawarkan barang dagangannya.

“Alhamdulilah itu (120 PKL) cukup untuk menertibkan PKL, yang asalnya berada di halaman (depan masjid),” ujarnya.

Ia mengungkapkan, pihaknya memprioritaskan warlok alias warga lokal yang tinggal di wilayah Cimincrang.

“Kami prioritaskan warga asli. Karena mereka yang mendapatkan dampak pembangunan masjid itu,” ujarnya.

Selain PKL, Pengelola Masjid Raya Al Jabbar juga mengoptimalkan warga Cimincrang, untuk menjadi pekerja. Mulai dari Office Boy (OB) hingga security.

Hal itu, menurut Rakha, sebagai pemberdayaan masyarakat di wilayah tersebut, sebagai penyerapan tenaga kerja.

“Ini pemberdayaan warga, ada 70 persen tenaga kerja yang merupakan warga kami, dan 30 persen dari luar,” bebernya.

Hadirnya Masjid Raya Al Jabbar juga meningkatkan perekonomian warga. Sejumlah warga memilih untuk berniaga.

“Di samping banyak yang berdagang. Saya pernah bertanya ke salah satu pedagang, untuk jual minuman mineral saja, keuntungannya hampir Rp700.000 sehari,” tutup dia.

Russian Scout Who Destroyed US-Made Abrams Recalls What it Was Like

Russian forces have been using kamikaze drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed to explode upon impact with a target, since the beginning of the special military operation. Such drones provide a cheap and effective way to eliminate specific targets without risking the lives of soldiers.

The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage showing the destruction of American Abrams tanks in the Avdeyevka area.

"There was information that tracked vehicles were coming to the settlement of Berdychi. But it was unconfirmed, so we decided to just work, look, and search. When we started to fly to the target, we spotted some equipment, but we could not really see it. And flying closer, we hit the equipment and could see that it was a tank. At first we thought it was a Leopard," an FPV drone operator said.

He noted that the scouts confirmed the UAV had hit a US-made Abrams tank during the attack only after the second strike. According to him, if heavy equipment is moving, it is better to immobilize it first and then use other drones to eliminate the target.

Watch Russian Forces Probe Destroyed US-Made Abrams Tank in Special Op Zone

The destruction of Ukraine's Abrams tanks by Moscow's forces showcases Russia's powerful anti-tank capabilities and its adeptness at countering advanced Western military equipment.

The Defense Ministry has released footage showing Russian special forces successfully reaching an Abrams tank that was struck in the village of Berdychi. The captured video footage from inside the tank was released as part of the mission given to Battlegroup Tsentr troops, which was to inspect the Abrams and collect technical samples for command analysis.

Approaching the disabled tank was no easy task, given its location in Berdychi, close to the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and with kamikaze drones constantly circling overhead. Despite these challenges, the troops managed to reach the vehicle. During the time the footage was taken, there was an ongoing battle in Berdychi as motorized riflemen from Battlegroup Tsentr continued their assault on the Ukrainian Armed Forces positions.

Russian military hits Ukrainian sabotage groups near border

Moscow has successfully struck the positions of Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance units near the Russian border, the Defense Ministry said in a series of statements on Tuesday. The Russian military also published video clips demonstrating the strikes.

Source: Russian Defense Ministry

The first video published by the ministry shows an air strike targeting Ukrainian positions in the woods near Russia’s Belgorod border region. An “enemy troop and equipment concentration” was hit in a “preventive high-precision strike,” the ministry’s statement said. A short clip shows several explosions in the woods and a field near what appears to be a dirt road. It is unclear what weapons were used in the attack.

A temporary staging point for Kiev’s forces in the village of Ryzhevka was also hit in an air raid, the ministry said. The settlement is located just a few kilometers away from the Russian border. Moscow’s troops used precision gliding bombs to target the Ukrainian positions, the statement added.

Footage shows several major explosions rocking some facilities in a settlement presumed to be Ryzhevka. Details of the operation remain scarce and the Ukrainian losses are unclear.

The reports came just a day after another Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance unit was struck near the Russian border. Moscow used an unmanned aerial vehicle to hit group of Ukrainian servicemen as they were about to get into an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). The strike left eight Ukrainian soldiers either dead or injured and prompted the IFV to flee, leaving the survivors behind.

Russian forces have enhanced their operations against Ukrainian units active near the border following a series of attempted incursions by Ukraine in mid-March. Russian border guards had to repel such attacks in Belgorod and Kursk regions for several days.

The Defense Ministry said that Russian security forces eliminated 234 fighters, seven tanks, three Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and two armored personnel carriers in their defensive operations.

Hasil rekapitulasi suara - Prabowo-Gibran pemenang Pilpres 2024

Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU) mengumumkan hasil rekapitulasi suara Pilpres 2024, Rabu malam, 20/03/2024. Pasangan Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka meraih suara terbanyak, dan unggul hampir di semua provinsi.

Penetapan dilakukan setelah rekapitulasi hasil penghitungan dan perolehan suara tingkat nasional dinyatakan selesai pada Rabu, 20/03/2024, pukul 22.19 WIB.

Rekapitulasi meliputi perolehan suara di 38 provinsi dan 128 wilayah luar negeri.

Prabowo-Gibran dinyatakan menang atas dua pasangan calon lainnya dengan selisih cukup jauh.

Paslon nomor urut 2 ini dinyatakan memperoleh 96.214.691 suara atau sekitar 58,58 persen dari seluruh suara sah nasional.

Sementara itu, pasangan capres-cawapres nomor urut 1 Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar mengantongi 40.971.906 suara atau sekitar 24,95 persen dari seluruh suara sah nasional dan capres-cawapres nomor urut 3 Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD mengoleksi 27.040.878 suara atau sekitar 16,47 persen dari seluruh suara sah nasional.

Dengan hasil ini, maka Prabowo-Gibran di atas kertas memenangkan Pilpres 2024 satu putaran.

Sebagai informasi, dari hasil rekapitulasi, jumlah suara sah 164.227.475 suara.

Hasil Pilpres 2024 ini dituangkan KPU RI dalam Keputusan Nomor 360 Tahun 2024.

"Memutuskan, menetapkan Keputusan KPU tentang Penetapan Hasil Pemilihan Umum Presiden dan Wakil Presiden, anggota Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, Dewan Perwakilan Daerah, Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah Provinsi, dan Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah Kabupaten/Kota secara nasional dalam Pemilihan Umum Tahun 2024," kata Ketua KPU RI Hasyim Asy'ari di kantor KPU RI, Menteng, Jakarta Pusat.

Pengumuman hasil Pemilu 2024 turut dihadiri oleh Menteri Dalam Negeri (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian, Menteri Koordinator Politik, Hukum, dan Hak Asasi Manusia (Menko Polhukam) Hadi Tjahjanto, Kepala Badan Intelijen Negara (BIN) Budi Gunawan, serta jajaran Badan Pengawas Pemilu (Bawaslu) RI.