US journalist Tucker Carlson broadcast a more than two-hour-long interview with President Vladimir Putin on Thursday night. As of Saturday, the video had been viewed 177 million times on X, while over 290,000 users had reposted it and 940,000 had liked it. On YouTube, the video has been viewed nearly 11 million times.
The leader of France's The Patriots (Les Patriotes) party, Florian Philippot, has said on X that the media in NATO countries received a serious "slap in the face" after Russian President Vladimir Putin's interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson.
"Putin's interview with Tucker Carlson is a global phenomenon. It continues to defy any media essay in the countries of the NATO zone! They all got a serious slap in the face," the politician wrote.
He said that after the interview, many people realized that the "system" and its media had been lying to them about the conflict in Ukraine for two years.
Philippot also called on readers to help share the video of Putin and Carlson in the name of defending truth and peace.
Carlson published an interview with Putin on his website on Friday night Moscow time, and then posted it on X and YouTube. In his interview with Carlson, Putin explained in detail that Moscow does not intend to attack NATO countries, while politicians in Western society regularly "scare" their populations with the "Russian threat," diverting attention from domestic problems.
Putin also noted that Western countries have begun to understand that Russia's strategic defeat in the conflict with Ukraine is impossible, so if they have such an understanding, they should think about their next steps, as Russia is ready for dialogue.
Carlson-Putin Interview Smashed US Media Censorship Wall - Ex-Asst. Defense Secretary
Russian President Vladimir Putin broke through the impenetrable barrier of Western mainstream media’s censorship to present directly to the American and European publics his proposals to end the Ukraine conflict, former US assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs Chas Freeman said on Friday.
"Tucker Carlson has done the American public an enormous favor by offering it an opportunity to break past the wall of censorship by our oligopoly media and hear Mr. Putin directly," Freeman said.
In his two-hour long interview with Carlson, the Russian president listed Moscow's conditions for bringing NATO's proxy full-scale war against Russia in Ukraine to a halt.
Freeman said Putin was reiterating proposals to end the war he had repeatedly offered before and that Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul in 2022 had wanted to accept before being pressured by the US and its NATO allies to reject.
"For anyone who has made the effort to listen to what President Putin has said, as opposed to automatically tuning out, there is very little that is surprising in this interview," he said.
Putin confirmed to Carlson that Russia favored a “negotiated settlement” to the crisis in Ukraine, saying that it would be up to Kiev and its Western partners whether or not to accept it.
The Ukrainian armed forces lost over 2,190 troops in the Donetsk area in the past week, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
"Forces of Battlegroup South repelled 26 enemy attacks near settlements of Krasnoye, Leninskoye, Klescheyevka, Shumy and Pobeda, DPR. Aviation strikes and artillery fire hit Ukrainian armed forces and national guard troops near Bogdanovka, Noviy, Kurdyumovka, Novgorodskoye, Belogorovka, Andreyevka, Georgiyevka and Katerinovka, DPR," the Ministry noted.
According to the Ministry, the enemy lost over 2,190 troops, 2 tanks, 13 armored combat vehicles, 38 automobile vehicles, 19 field artillery guns and a Grad MLRS launcher.
The Russian servicemen advanced their forward positions in the southern Donetsk area and repelled five Ukrainian attacks in the past 7 days. The enemy lost up to 1,160 troops and 3 tanks.
"Forces of Battlegroup East improved their forward positions in the southern Donetsk area in the past week. With their coordinated actions, they repelled five Ukrainian attacks and hit units of the 72nd Mechanized, 105th and 128th Territorial Defense, and 1st National Guard brigades near settlements of Ugledar, Makarovka, Urozhaynoye, Staromayorskoye (DPR) and Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye Region)," the Ministry said.
In the past week, the enemy lost up to 1,160 servicemen, 3 tanks, 6 armored combat vehicles, 23 automobile vehicles and 14 field artillery guns in this area, the Ministry said.
Kherson area
"The Ukrainian armed forces lost over 245 troops, 25 automobile vehicles, 7 boats, 6 field artillery guns and a HIMARS MLRS launcher," the Ministry said.
The Ministry added that Russian aviation and artillery hit personnel and vehicles of Ukraine’s 35th and 37th Marine, 121st and 124th Territorial Defense, 23rd National Guard brigades near Tyaginka, Mikhaylovka, Ivanovka, Tokaryovka, Zolotaya Balka, Antonovka and Stanislav (Kherson Region).
Zaporozhye area
"On the Zaporozhye direction, Russian forces hit personnel and vehicles of the 128th Mountain Assault, 33rd, 65th and 118th Mechanized, 3rd National Guard brigades near Rabotino, Novodanilovka, Nesterenka, Pyatikhatki and Scherbaki, Zaporozhye Region. The enemy lost over 210 servicemen, 4 armored combat vehicles, 9 automobile vehicles, four field artillery guns and a Grad MLRS launcher," the Ministry said.
Krasny Liman area
"Russian forces hit personnel and vehicles of 60th and 63rd Mechanized brigades, 12th Azov special operations brigade [outlawed in Russia] and the 5th National Guard Brigade near settlements of Chervonaya Dibrova (LPR), Yampolovka, Torskoye, Grigorovka (DPR) and the Serebryanskoye Forestry. In the past 7 days, the enemy lost up to 1,500 troops, 11 armored combat vehicles, 31 automobile vehicles and 3 field artillery guns in this area," the ministry said.
Forces of Battlegroup Center improved their forward positions and, in cooperation with aviation and artillery, repelled 14 enemy attacks, the ministry reported.
Kupyansk area
"Forces of Battlegroup West repelled 36 attacks of the 25th Airborne, 30th, 32nd, 44th Mechanized, 13th and 18th National Guard brigades near Sinkovka (Kharkov Region) and Terny (DPR). In addition, enemy troops were hit near Novosyolovskoye (LPR), Kislovka and Berestovoye (Kharkov Region)," the Ministry said.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the enemy lost over 725 troops, 2 armored combat vehicles, 24 automobile vehicles and 10 field artillery guns.
"In the past 7 days, forces of Battlegroup West took more advantageous positions in the Kupyansk area," the Ministry said, adding that Battlegroup South achieved similar results in the Donetsk area.
Air Force and air defenses
"In the past 7 days, aviation and air defense forces downed a Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 and Su-25 planes, 34 HIMARS, Vampire, Uragan and Olkha MLRS rockets, as well as 488 drones," the Ministry noted.
The Groups of Forces’ operational-tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile and artillery formations have hit two launchers and a radar of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, as well as eight ammunition depots, belonging to the Ukrainian armed forces.
Watch Russian T-90M Tanks Obliterate Ukrainian Positions Near Donetsk
Russian modernized T-90M tanks display their technical superiority and precision in an operation targeting position area of a Ukrainian unit in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has released footage showing Russian tank crews belonging to the Battlegroup Yug hit targets harboring enemy servicemen in special op zone.
The modernized T-90M Proryv tanks took up to the fire positions considering the terrain features of the area, eliminated Ukrainian soldiers in their shelters, and neutralized their firing positions. This allowed Russian assault groups to advance further into the enemy's defense lines.
Tally of destroyed equipment
Overall, since the beginning of the special military operation, the enemy lost 570 planes, 265 helicopters, 12,166 drones, 464 missile air defense systems, 14,956 tanks and other armored vehicles, 1,218 MLRS launchers, 8,008 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 18,419 special automobile vehicles.
Watch Russian Precision Drone Strikes on Ukrainian Hideouts
The Russian Armed Forces have been using kamikaze drones, also known as suicide drones or loitering munitions, during the special military operation.
Russia's Defense Ministry has released footage showing precise drone strikes against enemy hideouts near the Berestovoye area.
Kamikaze drones are designed to locate and engage targets. The use of such drones has become a growing trend in modern warfare, and their adoption by the Russian military reflects its commitment to remaining at the forefront of military innovation. These drones are primarily used to neutralize enemy targets, such as tanks, artillery, and other military assets, in order to support ground troops and reduce the risk of friendly casualties.
The Russian Armed Forces have increasingly turned to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the special military operation. These drones are used for a variety of purposes, including reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, precision strike, and intelligence gathering.
The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage showing the Zala reconnaissance UAV detecting camouflaged artillery guns of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and their destruction with Lancets kamikaze drones.
During the aerial reconnaissance, the UAV crew discovered two camouflaged US-made Ukrainian M777 howitzers and a D-30 artillery piece. They were destroyed with Lancet loitering munitions. The drone operators eliminated the enemy equipment with a direct strike.
Bloomberg News memuat laporan pada hari Sabtu, 10/02/2024, kekuasaan Jerman sebagai negara adidaya industri “akan segera berakhir” seiring hilangnya gas alam Rusia yang murah di tengah krisis Ukraina telah memberikan “pukulan terakhir” bagi produsen yang sudah berjuang untuk tetap kompetitif dalam hal biaya.
Sejak tahun 2017, produksi industri di Jerman telah menurun dan penurunan tersebut semakin cepat sejak impor gas Rusia dihentikan pada tahun 2022 sebagai hukuman bagi Moskow atas konflik di Ukraina. Pabrik-pabrik berusia satu abad tutup, dan perusahaan-perusahaan lain memindahkan jalur produksi ke negara-negara dengan biaya lebih rendah, kata Bloomberg.
“Tidak banyak harapan, jika boleh jujur,” kata Stefan Klebert, CEO pembuat mesin GEA Group AG, di Gerainya “Saya benar-benar tidak yakin apakah kita bisa menghentikan tren ini. Banyak hal yang harus berubah dengan sangat cepat.”
Pada bulan September lalu, Federasi Industri Jerman melakukan survey, hasilnya menunjukkan bawa alasan utamanya adalah kekhawatiran terhadap keamanan dan biaya energi apabila mengalihkan investasi ke luar negeri. Produsen bahan kimia termasuk di antara produsen yang paling terpukul oleh hilangnya gas Rusia. BASF SE, produsen bahan kimia terbesar di Eropa, dan Lanxess AG memangkas ribuan pekerja.
Produsen ban asal Prancis, Michelin, dan pesaingnya dari AS, Goodyear, menutup atau memperkecil ukuran pabrik mereka di Jerman. Maria Rottger, kepala regional Michelin, mengatakan kepada Bloomberg bahwa biaya yang dikeluarkan terlalu tinggi bagi eksportir Jerman untuk bisa berkembang. “Terlepas dari motivasi karyawan kami, kami telah sampai pada titik di mana kami tidak dapat mengekspor ban truk dari Jerman dengan harga bersaing. Jika Jerman tidak dapat mengekspor secara kompetitif dalam konteks internasional, negara tersebut akan kehilangan salah satu kekuatan terbesarnya.”
Menteri Keuangan Jerman mengakui krisis ini pada konferensi Bloomberg awal bulan ini. “Kami tidak lagi kompetitif,” katanya. “Kami semakin miskin karena tidak ada pertumbuhan. Kita tertinggal.”
Perekonomian Jerman mengalami kontraksi pada kuartal keempat tahun lalu. Sebuah studi yang dilakukan oleh perusahaan konsultan Alvarez & Marsal menemukan bahwa 15% perusahaan Jerman berada dalam kondisi tertekan, yang berarti neraca keuangan mereka lemah. Tingkat krisis di Jerman meningkat dari tingkat tahun lalu sebesar 9% dan merupakan yang tertinggi di Eropa, kata perusahaan itu.
Presiden Rusia Vladimir Putin mengatakan pada bulan Desember bahwa negara-negara Barat “bermain bodoh” dengan menjadikan Rusia runtuh dengan merugikan rakyat mereka sendiri, daripada melayani kepentingan mereka sendiri melalui kerja sama ekonomi. Dia menuduh para pemimpin Jerman dengan bodohnya merugikan perekonomian mereka sendiri di bawah tekanan AS dan diam-diam menerima pemboman jaringan pipa Nord Stream, yang menurutnya dilakukan oleh CIA.
Bloomberg mengatakan pabrikan Jerman juga terkena dampak buruk dari buruknya infrastruktur, angkatan kerja yang menua, birokrasi, melemahnya sistem pendidikan, dan meningkatnya persaingan dari Tiongkok.
“Anda tidak perlu menjadi pesimis untuk mengatakan bahwa apa yang kami lakukan saat ini tidak akan cukup,” kata Volker Treier, kepala perdagangan luar negeri di Kamar Dagang dan Industri Jerman, kepada outlet tersebut. “Kecepatan perubahan struktural sangat memusingkan.”
Palestinian girl Hind Rajab poses for a photograph, in this undated handout picture obtained by Reuters on February 10, 2024. Palestine Red Crescent Society/ Family Handout via REUTERS
Relatives found the body on Saturday of a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who had begged Gaza rescuers to send help after being trapped by Israeli military fire, along with the bodies of five of her family members and two ambulance workers who had gone to save her.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) accused Israel of deliberately targeting the ambulance it sent to rescue Hind Rajab after she had spent hours on the phone to dispatchers begging for help with the sound of shooting echoing around.
"The occupation deliberately targeted the Red Crescent crew despite prior coordination to allow the ambulance to arrive at the site to rescue Hind," the Red Crescent said in a statement.
Israel's military did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the Red Crescent statement.
Family members found Hind's body along with those of her uncle and aunt and their three children still in a car near a roundabout in the Tel al-Hawa suburb of Gaza City, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
The PCRS released a photo of the ambulance, seen almost completely burned out. Al Jazeera footage of the scene appeared to show the ambulance only steps away from the car they said the family was in, a damaged black Kia Picanto riddled with bullet holes.
The plight of Hind, revealed in harrowing audio clips of her terrified conversation with rescue workers 12 days ago, underlined the impossible conditions for civilians in the face of Israel's four-month assault on Gaza.
The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies
Israel's military has since overrun most of the tiny Palestinian enclave under an intense bombardment in a conflict that has killed more than 28,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities.
During the course of the war, the Israeli military has said it takes steps to avoid civilian casualties. It has faced strong international criticism over the casualty toll.
The audio clips released by the Red Crescent earlier this month recorded a call to dispatchers that was first made by Hind's teenage cousin Layan Hamadeh, saying an Israeli tank was approaching before shots rang out and she screamed.
Believed to be the only survivor, Hind stayed on the line for three hours with dispatchers, who tried to soothe her as they prepared to send an ambulance.
"Come and get me," Hind was heard crying desperately in another audio recording. "I'm so scared, please come."
The PCRS said that after coordinating with the Israeli military through mediators and receiving a green light, it determined it was safe enough to send an ambulance with two crew, Youssef Zeino and Ahmed Al-Madhoon.
"In our last communication with the team, they said the occupation forces aimed a laser beam at them. We heard gunshots and then an explosion," said Red Crescent spokesperson in Ramallah, Nebal Farsakh.
Contact was then lost with both the ambulance team and Hind, leaving their families, colleagues and many around the world concerned about their fate.
"While we continue to look into exactly what happened, we want to reiterate that civilians must be protected - no child should ever be terrified for their life, surrounded by the bodies of their family members. That these were potentially Hind's last moments is devastating and unbearable," a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said
Viral, Detik-detik Pesepak Bola Tewas Tersambar Petir di Stadion Siliwangi. Foto: Tangkapan Layar/Twitter
Pesepakbola asal Subang, Jawa Barat, tewas tersambar petir saat bertanding sepak bola di Stadion Siliwangi, Bandung, hari Sabtu, 10/2/2024. Video detik-detik pesepak bola tewas tersambar petir itu viral di media sosial.
Video saat korban digotong teman-temannya keluar dari lapangan viral oleh sejumlah akun publik di media sosial (medsos) Instagram. Dalam keterangan di media sosial disebutkan, sebelum kejadian korban sedang bermain bola bersama teman-temannya.
Cuaca saat itu mendung. Langit gelap dan petir terdengar menggelegar. Tiba-tiba, petir menyambar dan mengenai korban. Seketika korban terkapar di tengah lapangan.
"Tengah bermain bola, seorang pria tersambar petir di Stadion Siliwangi, KotaBandung pada Sabtu 10/2/2024 sore ini. Dari informasi yang dihimpun, korban sempat dibawa ke RS terdekat, namun nyawa tak tertolong," tulis keterangan salah seorang.
Saksi berinisial GJ mengatakan bahwa peristiwa itu terjadi saat timnya menggelar pertandingan melawan tim korban dari Subang.
"Dia (korban) away (tandang) ke Bandung, timnya lawan tim saya. Cuaca agak mendung, awal main panas, tapi di selatan sama timur sudah kelihatan hujan. Di lapangan masih panas. Makanya kami berani main," kata GJ saat dikonfirmasi wartawan.
GJ menyatakan, saat memasuki babak ketiga, langit mulai mendung dan tiba-tiba terdengar suara petir dan kilatannya menyambar penangkal. Tak lama, terdengar lagi suara petir kedua dan mengenai kaki korban.
"Petir sekali menyambar ke penangkal, kedua kena kaki korban. Dari sana mulai banyak petir-petir. Korban pun tumbang," ujar GJ.
Awalnya, tutur GJ, para pemain mengira korban tiarap menghindari petir. Setelah dicek, korban ternyata sudah tidak sadarkan diri.
"Kirain anak-anak itu tiarap, terus enggak bangun-bangun. Langsung dikasih pertolongan dulu dan telepon ambulans," tutur dia.
Akibat sambaran petir itu, kata GJ, sepatu ber-pull besi yang dipakai korban terbakar dan warna kulitnya menjadi merah.
"Sepatunya kebakar, ngegaris sampe ke baju. Baju korban robek. Luka di dada, kena petir, kulit meleleh, hitam kemerahan," ucap GJ.
Korban sempat dibawa ke Rumah Sakit (RS) Sariningsih dan dikabarkan meninggal dunia.
"Saya dari situ tidak ikut ke RS, tapi dapat kabar korban meninggal, pertandingan juga tidak dilanjutkan lagi karena semua panik," ucapnya.
Sementara itu, Kapolsek Sumur Bandung Kompol S Tarigan belum memberikan informasi terkait peristiwa itu. Wartawan kapolsek mencoba menghubungi melalui sambungan telepon dan aplikasi percakapan WhatsApp, namun tidak dijawab.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has taken a swipe at US President Joe Biden, after the American leader criticized Congress for failing to approve more funding for Kiev. The billionaire said the conflict between Ukraine and Russia should already have ended.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Musk weighed in on Biden’s comments during his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier in the day. The president had suggested that the failure of the US Congress to continue to support Ukraine would be “outrageous” and would border on “criminal neglect.”
The US has for months struggled to approve new funding for Kiev due to opposition among Republicans, who have demanded more money for security on America’s southern border. While Biden recently endorsed a $118 billion bill, $60 billion of which was earmarked for Ukraine, many GOP members have opposed it, saying it does not do enough to address the border crisis.
Responding to Biden’s criticism of Congress over Ukraine, Musk stated “it is time to stop the meat grinder,” adding that this “should have been done a year ago.”
At this point who would be surprised if Biden’s DOJ just starts indicting members of Congress who vote against Ukraine spending — they’ve already indicted everyone else https://t.co/evTpHtBu3V
Earlier this week, the US-based billionaire also argued it is “insane” to send “so much money to Ukraine with no accountability and no end game.”
Russia has repeatedly said it is open to peace talks with Kiev, but has noted that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has outlawed any negotiations with the current leadership in Moscow. The leader signed the ban in 2022 after four former Ukrainian regions overwhelmingly voted to join Russia.
Russia and Ukraine came close to settling the conflict in the spring of 2022, with Ukrainian neutrality a key point on the agenda, according to Moscow. Russian officials have said that the process, however, was derailed by then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who advised Kiev to keep fighting – an allegation he denies.
In January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that any talks on resolving the conflict should be conducted with the West, which he claimed had shown no interest in doing so.
