WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine's Kharkiv swept by fire after Russian drones strike petrol station

Russian drones struck a petrol station in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, late on Friday, triggering a vast fire that engulfed private homes, local officials said.

Officials said drones also hit a hospital and a restaurant in the town of Velykyi Berluk, east of Kharkiv.

In Kharkiv, the head of the local prosecutor's office, Oleksandr Filchakov, said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app that three drones hit the petrol station in Nemyshlianskyi district just before 11 p.m.

"There was a great deal of fuel and that's why there are these dreadful consequences from the fire," Filchakov said.

One person was injured. Filchakov said that toll could rise as search and rescue operations proceeded through the night.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said 14 private homes had been destroyed and 50 residents evacuated. A video posted by the mayor showed flames and smoke rising over a wide area.

The top military official in Velykyi Burluk, Viktor Tereshchenko, told public broadcaster Suspilne that drones had damaged a hospital and a restaurant. Details on casualties were being clarified.

Officials reported an attack on a hospital in the town last week, prompting the evacuation of dozens of patients.

Reuters was not able to independently confirm details of the attack. Russia did not immediately respond to a request for comment but says it does not deliberately target civilian sites.

Kharkiv has been under attack regularly since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been a frequent target of Russian assaults in recent weeks.

In the Black Sea port of Odesa, the regional governor said a drone attack had injured one person.

Three people were reported killed in shelling earlier in the day in a village in Sumy region on the border with Russia.

 

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine running out of ammunition – FT

Ukrainian frontline units have resorted to rationing artillery rounds because US supplies have stopped and the EU has been unable to deliver on its promises, according to a Financial Times report on Friday.

Kiev is facing a “critical” shortage of Western-caliber artillery ammunition, unnamed EU and US officials told the UK-based outlet. One American described it as a “gap in the hose.”  

“It is a desperate situation on the front lines for the Ukrainians, far worse than they are letting on,” a senior NATO diplomat told FT.

The outlet said it had seen a letter from Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell, which lamented that shortages are getting worse by the day.

“The old truism still holds true — the side with the most ammunition to fight usually wins,”  Umerov wrote. The “absolute critical daily minimum requirement” for Ukraine was 6,000 shells a day, but its military has been able to fire about a third of that, he added.

A Pentagon official described the situation as “a very grim scenario,”noting that without Congress approving additional aid, the US can’t send over more ammunition from its own stockpiles, or commission new rounds from the industry.

The White House had bundled a $60 billion Ukraine aid package with funding for Israel and the US-Mexico border, which ended up getting stuck in Congress due to domestic political concerns. The foreign aid portion of the bill finally advanced in the Senate earlier this week.

The Pentagon’s own stockpiles of 155mm ammunition had run low by last summer, however, prompting President Joe Biden to send the Ukrainians some cluster munitions instead – and upsetting several NATO allies who had banned their use.

Meanwhile, the EU has fallen far short of its pledge to crank out a million rounds for Ukraine by March 2024, managing to deliver less than half of that number.

“It will not be easy for the Europeans to substitute for the US. That’s not entirely realistic,” one senior EU diplomat told FT. 

Ukraine has become entirely dependent on the US and its allies for ammunition, weapons, equipment and even salaries of government employees. According to Russian estimates, the collective West has poured more than $200 billion into Kiev since February 2022.

 

Reuters/RT

A Hong Kong finance worker at a multinational company was tricked into transferring $25 million to scammers after attending a video conference with deepfake CFO and several colleagues.

Hong Kong police recently reported that it is investigating an elaborate scam that saw a group of bad actors defraud a multinational firm of $200 million Hong Kong dollars ($25.6 million) using deepfake technology to impersonate company management during a video call.

Fraudsters initially targeted one of the unnamed company’s finance workers with an email from the company’s UK-based chief financial officer (CFO). Seeing that the message involved a ‘secret transaction’ to the tune of $200 million Hong Kong dollars, the man suspected it was a phishing email, but those doubts were put to rest when he was invited to a video conference with the CFO and several other colleagues he recognized.

What the man didn’t know was that all the familiar faces and voices in the video call were actually deepfake filters designed to make total strangers look and sound like company staff. Relieved that he was acting at the request of his CFO, the finance worker transferred over $25.6 million into the scammers’ account and went about his business.

“They used deepfake technology to imitate the voice of their targets reading from a script,” senior superintendent Baron Chan Shun-ching said, adding that his department was highlighting this case because it was the first one in Honk Kong where the victim was tricked during a “multi-person video conference”.

The tricked employee said that company employees in the call looked and sounded like real people, but that in hindsight, the people he was on the call with mainly gave him instructions before ending the conference abruptly, and didn’t really interact with him. The scam was only discovered when the employee checked with the head office about the transaction, only to learn that no one knew anything about it.

Deepfake and voice cloning scams have become very frequent in the last few years as the technology has reached a level where most people cannot discern between real people and digital clones.

 

Oddity Central

An airline has announced it will begin weighing passengers with their carry-on luggage in order to better estimate the plane's weight before take-off.

The controversial move comes from Finnish carrier Finnair, who told media they began 'measuring' passengers departing from Helsinki on Monday.

'So far, more than 500 volunteer customers have participated in the weigh-ins,' spokeswoman Kaisa Tikkanen said.

Finnair, which services the UK with budget flights to and from Finland, noted in a statement airlines work out the weight of the plane, its interior and passengers on board to balance the flight and make for safe transit.

Airlines may use average weights provided by aviation authorities - assumed to be 88kg - or collect their own data, it said. 

Finnair assured potential passengers that collected data is not linked 'in any way' to customers' personal data in their statement.

'Only the customer service agent working at the measuring point can see the total weight, so you can participate in the study with peace of mind,' said Satu Munnukka, head of ground processes at Finnair.

But some social media users have been left 'horrified by the announcement, which they argue will lead to embarrassment for overweight passengers, describing the plan as 'cruel'. 

People said that the news meant that they would 'not flying Finnair any time soon,' while others welcomed the plan 'one way of solving the obesity crisis'.

One user has lashed out at the airline, stating that she would not be travelling via Finnair, because she 'won't be fat shamed by a bloody airline', adding that she never weighs herself out of choice. 

Another furious user said: 'Finnair are to start weighing their passengers? Have I read that correctly? I am utterly shocked! And disgusted'.

Others went as far as describing the move as 'draconian', with one user posting: 'Finnair’s weigh in rules are not about passenger safety. No airplane has ever crashed because of overweight passengers. This is draconian law and nanny state.'

Another user on X, formerly known as Twitter, saw a comical side to the announcement, and wrote: 'Finnair saying they will start weighing passengers is one of the funniest things I've ever heard in my life'.

The company told The Huffington Post that passengers would stand on a scale in all their clothes and with their carry-on luggage at the same time to get a combined reading. 

It is not just body weight Finnair are interested in, then, but the whole package. Communications director Päivyt Tallqvist told the outlet that Finns tend to bring a lot more weight onto the plane in colder months as they come prepared with thick, heavy coats.

'This is part of having a very strong safety culture in our organization,' Tallqvist said. 

'We want to see if the data we're using for calculations is accurate. We use them for every flight, and they're important for the aircraft's performance. 

'When you explain this to [passengers], they understand.' 

Weigh-ins will take place in February, April and May and are on a voluntary basis, the company said today. It was not clear why they would not measure travellers in March.

They will also take a note of age, gender and class of travel. 

Finnair are not the first airline to take the initiative and measure the weight of passengers themselves.

In August last year, Korea's largest airline, Korean Air, announced it would start weighing passengers at Gimpo Airport on domestic routes and Incheon Airport on international flights for a short period through September.

The company said the move was aimed at reducing wasted fuel and helping more accurately estimate the weight of the plane. 

A month prior, an easyJet flight from Lanzarote to Liverpool asked 19 passengers to get off the plane because it was deemed 'too heavy to take off'.

A spokesperson confirmed the incident in a statement, writing: 'easyJet can confirm that 19 passengers on flight EZY3364 from Lanzarote to Liverpool volunteered to travel on a later flight as a result of the aircraft being over the weight limits for the weather conditions.

'This is a routine operational decision in these circumstances and weight restrictions are in place for all airlines for safety reasons.'

The spokesperson said that in the event a plane is found to be too heavy to take off, passengers are asked to volunteer to transfer to a later flight free of charge, and volunteers are provided with compensation in line with regulations.

Airlines offer similar compensation when they oversell tickets for a flight and ask some passengers to volunteer to reschedule.

In the case of the Lanzarote to Liverpool flights, passengers were offered 'up to €500 per passenger', according to a crew member, citing easyJet.

In 2010, 58 per cent of Britons said they wanted overweight passengers to pay more to fly, according to research from Holiday Extras.

45 per cent believed it made no difference to them if an airline started charging extra based on weight, and six percent even said the measures would actively encourage them to fly more often.

In 2017, another poll by jetcost.co.uk revealed nearly 90 per cent Britons believed overweight passengers should pay more to fly.

Nearly 80 per cent also said they thought 'plus-sized zones' should be introduced on flights. 

 

Daily Mail

Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have given the federal government two weeks to commence the implementation of policies that will reduce the impact of the government’s economic policies on citizens.

Nigerians have continued to lament the impact of government policies such as the removal of the petrol subsidy and the devaluation of the naira, both of which have led to an astronomical increase in the prices of goods and services.

In a joint statement, the NLC and TUC said they are concerned about the “non-implementation of the 16-point agreement reached with the Federal Government on October 2, 2023.”

“These agreements which were reached with the federal government were focused on addressing the massive suffering and the general harsh socioeconomic consequences of the ill-conceived and ill-executed IMF/World Bank induced hike in the price of PMS and the Devaluation of the Naira,” the NLC said.

“Constrained by this development and recognizing the urgency of the situation and the imperative of ensuring the protection and defence of the rights and dignity of Nigerian workers and citizens, the NLC and TUC hereby issue a stern ultimatum to the Federal Government, to honour their part of the understanding within 14 Days from tomorrow, the 9th day of February, 2024.”

Read the full statement below:

NON-IMPLEMENTATION OF AGREEMENT BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: DEEPENS MASS SUFFERING AND A SHOW OF BAD FAITH.

The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria express profound concern over the non-implementation of the 16-point agreement reached with the Federal Government on October 2, 2023. Despite the passage of time, the majority of these crucial agreements remain unmet or negligibly addressed, indicating a blatant disregard for the principles of good faith, welfare and rights of Nigerian workers and Nigerians.

These agreements which were reached with the federal government were focused on addressing the massive suffering and the general harsh socioeconomic consequences of the ill-conceived and ill-executed IMF/World Bank induced hike in the price of PMS and the Devaluation of the Naira. These dual policies have had as we predicted dire economic consequences for the masses and workers of Nigeria.

Widespread Hunger is now ravishing millions of Nigerians, with the Workers purchasing power significantly eroded, while insecurity has assumed an increasing dimension. Nigerians are left wondering where their next meals will come from and what tomorrow might bring. The level of panic and anxiety amongst the populace has become nightmarish. Unfortunately, in the midst of all these, it appears our government is bereft of appropriate measures to ameliorate the huge burden it has foisted on the citizenry.

We wish to state that these agreements, which encompass a wide range of issues crucial to the well-being of Nigerian masses and workers, have not been honored as pledged by the Federal Government.

From Wage Awards, Palliative adjustments to improved access to public utilities; to the meddlesomeness in the internal affairs of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the interference by the Lagos State Government in union activities, the case of illegal and unlawful proscription of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria RTEAN. The government’s failure to uphold its end of the bargain is deeply regrettable and unacceptable to the Working people and the citizenry.

Constrained by this development and recognizing the urgency of the situation and the imperative of ensuring the protection and defence of the rights and dignity of Nigerian workers and citizens, the NLC and TUC hereby issue a stern ultimatum to the Federal Government, to honour their part of the understanding within 14 Days from tomorrow, the 9th day of February, 2024.

It is regrettable that we are compelled to resort to such measures, but the persistent neglect of the welfare of citizens and Nigerian workers and the massive hardship leave us with no choice. Therefore, everything must be done within the two weeks to avoid a situation where we may be compelled to take appropriate steps to protect Nigerian workers and the masses.

We call upon the Federal Government to honor its commitments without delay. The time for empty promises and excuses has passed. The time for action is now. Our patience has worn thin and the situation has become unbearable for workers and the masses all over the federation. Further silence amounts to committing mass suicide and this remains the only feasible course of action left for us and Nigerians to -compel remedial action by Government.

We are committed to this resolve towards salvaging Nigerian workers and masses from the apparent insensitivity and lethargy of those in the corridors of power who are supposed to be the bastion of public trust.

 

PT

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate release of food items from the strategic reserve to cushion the effect of hardship in the country.

Nigerians have been lamenting the rising cost of living, mounting pressure on the Federal Government to reverse the trend.

On Thursday, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is to release about 42,000 metric tons of maize, millet, garri and other commodities in their strategic reserve.

Idris, told State House correspondents after a series of meetings of the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention at the Aso Rock Villa on Thursday, the decision was arrived at.

Idris said, “The first one is that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has been directed to release about 42,000 metric tons of maize, millet, garri, and other commodities in their strategic reserve so that these items will be made available to Nigerians; 42,000 metric tons immediately.

“The second one is that we have held meetings with the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria. Those who are responsible for producing this rice and we have asked them to open up their stores.

“They’ve told us that they can guarantee about 60,000 metric tons of rice. This will be made available and we know that that is enough to take Nigerians the next one month to six weeks, perhaps up to two months.

“Now the government is also looking at the possibility, if it becomes absolutely necessary as an interim measure, to also import some of these commodities immediately so that these commodities can be made available to Nigerians immediately within the next couple of weeks.

“Now the whole idea of this is to crash the cost of these food items. And these are measures that will happen immediately. This is an emergency situation. Every nation faces emergency situations like this. It is not the first time that it has happened. Many countries of the world have faced this.

“It is our own time to face this challenge. Government is going to respond adequately and it is already responding adequately. The President has directed that whatever it will take, food will be available to Nigerians at a cost that is also very reasonable. And that is what the summary of this meeting entails.”

The organised Labour had issued a 14-day strike ultimatum to the Federal Government over the current economic crisis.

 

Daily Trust

French energy giant TotalEnergies is seeking to sell its minority share in a major Nigerian onshore oil joint venture, following Shell's divestment last month, CEO Patrick Pouyanne said.

Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), in which TotalEnergies holds a 10% stake, has struggled with hundreds of onshore oil spills as a result of theft, sabotage and operational issues that led to costly repairs and high-profile lawsuits over the years.

"We want to divest our share of SPDC, and we are looking to reshape the portfolio," Pouyanne said at TotalEnergies' annual results presentation on Wednesday.

"Fundamentally it's because producing this oil in the Niger delta is not in line with our [Health, Security and Environmental] policies, it's a real difficulty."

SPDC operates a network of pipelines, 263 oil wells, 56 gas wells, six gas plants, two oil export terminals and a power plant, according to its website.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

TotalEnergies is the latest international oil company seeking to withdraw from Nigeria's onshore sector after decades of operations. But the French group, which produced a total of 219,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2023 in Nigeria, remains a major operator of offshore fields in the West African country. Earlier this week it announced the start-up of the Akpo West oilfield located 135 kilometres off the coast.

Shell last month announced it had agreed to sell its 30% stake in SPDC to a consortium of five mostly local companies for up to $2.4 billion.

Other partners in the joint venture are the state's Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which holds 55% and Italy's Eni with 5%.

Exxon Mobil, Eni and Norway's Equinor have all sold assets in Nigeria in recent years to focus on newer, more profitable operations elsewhere.

Pouyanne said TotalEnergies would keep its Nigerian gas resources, which he described as crucial for the company's planned expansion of liquefied natural gas development in coming years.

Any sale would require Nigerian government approval.

 

Reuters

MultiChoice Group has agreed to pay N35.4 billion as part of its tax obligations to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Multichoice owns the satellite television services, DStv and GOtv — popular subscription-based platforms in Nigeria.

In a statement to shareholders on Thursday, the firm said the payment is to offset against “security deposits”.

“Shareholders are advised that MultiChoice has reached a settlement with the FIRS in Nigeria in relation to the tax assessments raised in April 2021 on MultiChoice Nigeria (MCN) and in June 2021 on MultiChoice Africa Holdings BV (MAH),” the company said.

“The parties (FIRS, MCN and MAH) concluded a ‘without prejudice or precedent’ agreement in full and final settlement of all matters in dispute. In terms of the agreement, MCN and MAH shall pay a total tax amount of NGN35.4bn (US$37.3m), to be offset against the security deposits and good faith payments made to date.”

In 2021, FIRS issued notices of assessment and demand notices of N1.82 trillion as tax bills.

The agency appointed some commercial banks as agents to recover the amount.

However, MultiChoice disputed the assessments and approached the tax appeal tribunal (TAT), which led to a series of cases at both the TAT and the federal high court.

Multichoice further instituted a court action on August  25, 2021, challenging the assessment of FIRS over unpaid value-added tax (VAT) amounting to $342 million. 

Seven months after the challenge, FIRS and MultiChoice Nigeria agreed to an amicable resolution over pending tax disputes.

As part of the agreements, MultiChoice was to withdraw all pending lawsuits, while FIRS was to conduct a forensic system of the company’s accounts.

 

The Cable

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Thursday announced that the interconnect debt dispute between MTN Nigeria Communications Plc (MTN) and Globacom Limited (Globacom) has been amicably resolved.

In accordance with this resolution, the NCC said the approval granted to MTN for the disconnection of Globacom has now been withdrawn.

Following its initial public notice, the NCC said it undertook further regulatory intervention, by mediating between the parties and facilitating the reconciliation process.

“The Commission reiterates that strict adherence to the terms and conditions of licenses, particularly those delineated in interconnection agreements, is imperative for all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and other licensees within the telecommunications industry.

“In order to proactively address and prevent future instances of interconnect indebtedness within the industry, the Commission will be requesting relevant records and regular updates from MNOs, as well as adopting a transparent approach towards industry indebtedness.

“This statement serves as a reminder of the commission’s commitment to fostering a stable and compliant telecommunications ecosystem in Nigeria,” the NCC said.

 

PT

Strikes kill 13 in Gaza as Biden describes Israel's military response as 'over the top'

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 13 people in Rafah in the Gaza Strip after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas’ cease-fire terms and vowed to expand the offensive into the southern Gaza town.

President Joe Biden called Israel’s military response in Gaza “over the top” and said he continues to work “tirelessly” to press Israel and Hamas to agree on an extended pause in fighting.

“I am of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in the Gaza Strip has been over the top,” Biden told reporters in an exchange on Thursday evening after delivering remarks on a special counsel report on his handling of classified documents.

Biden has been under political pressure to mend any rifts with voters he might need, especially in the Arab American community, where he has faced increased backlash for his vocal support of Israel’s war in Gaza. On Thursday, he sent emissaries to a suburb of Detroit, where the nation’s largest concentration of Arab Americans resides.

More than half of the Gaza Strip’s population has fled to Rafah, a city on the mostly sealed border with Egypt that is also the main entry point for humanitarian aid. Egypt has warned that any ground operation there or mass displacement across the border would undermine its 40-year-old peace treaty with Israel.

The strikes killed at least 13 people, including two women and five children, according to the Kuwaiti Hospital, which received the bodies. At the scene of one of the strikes, residents used their cellphone flashlights as they dug through the rubble with pick-axes and their bare hands.

“I wish we could collect their whole bodies instead of just pieces,” said Mohammed Abu Habib, a neighbor who witnessed the strike.

Israel’s 4-month-old air and ground offensive — among the most destructive in recent history — has killed over 27,000 Palestinians, driven most people from their homes and pushed a quarter of the population toward starvation.

Netanyahu has said the offensive will continue and expand until “total victory” over Hamas, which started the war by launching a wide-ranging attack into southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 hostage.

Biden has pushed for an extended pause in the fighting to facilitate the release of the remaining hostages after brief pauses earlier that had allowed for the release of mostly women and children. More than 100 are still captive and Israel has vowed to bring them back.

Hamas, however, has demanded that Israel release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and end the war as part of a hostage deal. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to agree to those terms.

Biden said he still is hopeful that a deal can be worked out that might create a path to ending the war.

“I am pushing very hard now to deal with this hostage cease-fire,” Biden said. “I’ve been working tirelessly on this deal.”

Israel’s goals appear increasingly elusive, as Hamas reemerges in parts of northern Gaza, which was the first target of the offensive and has seen widespread destruction. Israel has only rescued one hostage, while Hamas says several have been killed in airstrikes or failed rescue missions.

ALARM GROWS AS ISRAEL EYES RAFAH

Netanyahu said preparations were underway to expand the offensive into Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of people who fled from other areas are crowded into squalid tent camps and overflowing U.N.-run shelters.

The Palestinian death toll from four months of war has already reached 27,840, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures but says most of the dead were women and children.

International aid organizations have warned that any major operation in Rafah would compound what is already a humanitarian catastrophe.

“If they aren’t killed in the fighting, Palestinian children, women and men will be at risk of dying by starvation or disease.” said Bob Kitchen, of the International Rescue Committee. “There will no longer be a single ‘safe’ area for Palestinians to go to.”

Outside the hospital where bodies from the overnight strikes were brought, relatives wept as they said farewell to their loved ones. Warda Abu Warda said she felt helpless.

“Where do we go after Rafah? Do we go to sea?” she asked.

GAPS REMAIN IN TALKS OVER CEASE-FIRE AND HOSTAGE RELEASE

The United States, Qatar and Egypt are trying to broker another cease-fire agreement to ensure the release of the remaining hostages. But Hamas has demanded an end to the war, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants.

Netanyahu rejected those demands as “delusional” on Tuesday and said Israel would never agree to any deal that leaves Hamas in partial or full control of the territory it has ruled since 2007.

But visiting Secretary of State Antony Blinken said an agreement was still possible and that negotiations would continue, the latest sign of a growing divide between the two close allies on the way forward. A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Thursday for more negotiations.

Netanyahu is under mounting pressure from families of the hostages and the wider public to bring them home, even if it requires a deal with Hamas. At least one senior Israeli official has acknowledged that saving the captives and destroying Hamas might be incompatible.

Hamas is still holding over 130 hostages, but around 30 of them are believed to be dead, with the vast majority killed on Oct. 7. The group is widely believed to be holding the captives in tunnels deep underground and using them as human shields for its top leaders.

 

AP

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine is ‘artificial state’ – Putin

Modern Ukraine is a country that was artificially created by the actions of the late Soviet leader Joseph Stalin after World War II, Russian President Vladimir Putin told American journalist Tucker Carlson on Friday.

In a wide-ranging and highly anticipated interview that lasted more than two hours, Putin described in detail the process by which Ukraine was created in its current form.

He recalled that, during the feudal fragmentation of Russia in the Middle Ages, Ukraine – which he described as being part of Russian lands – came under heavy Polish cultural, religious, and political influence. In the 17th century, the people of this region wanted to join the then-growing power of Moscow, but Russia wanted to avoid war with Poland.

Nevertheless, after a lot of deliberation, Moscow decided to bring this “part of old Russian lands” back into the fold, he said, which resulted in a war with Poland. Moscow reclaimed all of its “historic lands” during the reign of Catherine the Great, who ruled between 1762 and 1796, he recalled.

After the 1917 Communist Revolution in Russia and another war with Poland, Warsaw regained control over large swaths of western Ukraine, Putin continued. In the 1920s, the Bolshevik government established a Soviet Ukraine that “had never existed before.”

The Soviet authorities were “Ukrainizing” this region, in line with similar indigenization policies pursued in other areas, the president said.

“After the Second World War, Ukraine, in addition to the territories that had belonged to Poland, received part of the territories that had previously belonged to Hungary and Romania… So, we have every reason to affirm that Ukraine is an artificial state that was shaped at Stalin’s will.”

Putin added that these nations in principle have the right to discuss the return of their former territories, but denied that he had ever discussed the matter with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. However, he suggested that Hungarians living in Ukraine want to “get back to their historic land.”

 

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine replaces army chief in shakeup at difficult time in war with Russia

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy replaced Ukraine's popular army chief with his ground forces commander on Thursday, a huge gamble at a time when Russian forces are gaining the upper hand nearly two years into their war.

The shakeup ushering in a new military leadership follows months of speculation about a rift between Zelenskiy and army chief General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, who many Ukrainians see as a national hero.

"As of today, a new management team takes over the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Zelenskiy said in a statement.

He promoted ground forces chief Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, 58, to be the new head of the Armed Forces, citing his role in overseeing the defence of Kyiv in 2022 and the lightning Kharkiv counteroffensive later that year.

Syrskyi, who goes by the call sign "snow leopard", takes the helm amid deep uncertainty as Kyiv awaits vital military aid from the United States that has been delayed by Republicans in the U.S. Congress for months.

The U.S. State Department said the move to replace Zaluzhnyi was a "sovereign decision".

The Pentagon said Washington "will work effectively with General Syrskyi, we already have".

With Ukraine struggling to overhaul how it mobilises civilians into the army, the sacking of Zaluzhnyi could deal a blow to troop morale on a 1,000-kilometre (621-mile) front. It could also backfire politically, hurting Zelenskiy's ratings.

Zelenskiy said he was grateful to Zaluzhnyi for his time as army chief and posted a photograph of the two men shaking hands and smiling, with Zaluzhnyi flashing the peace sign.

MESSAGES OF GRATITUDE

Messages of gratitude for Zaluzhnyi, known widely as the "Iron General", flooded social media following the announcement. Some Ukrainians posted images of the top general alongside images of hearts.

Passers-by in central Kyiv openly questioned the move.

"This is a very odd decision. We know our enemy and it is not Zaluzhnyi," said Svitlana Kalinina, a consultant.

"I am very upset. I don't know about others but I am very upset. This is a signal that worries me," said Olena, a doctor.

Late last year a poll put the public's trust in Zaluzhnyi at over 90%, significantly higher than Zelenskiy's 77%.

Under Zaluzhnyi's command, Ukrainian forces rebuffed Russia's initial assault on Kyiv and reclaimed swathes of territory in 2022. But the battlefield momentum turned against Ukraine last year as a much-vaunted counteroffensive proved unable to break through heavily defended Russian lines.

Russia has since ramped up offensive pressure on the eastern front, trying to cut off and encircle the town of Avdiivka.

Zelenskiy indicated it was last year's setback that underpinned his decision to replace Zaluzhnyi.

"In the second year of this war, we won the Black Sea. We won the winter. We proved that we can regain control over the Ukrainian sky. But, unfortunately, we could not achieve the goals of our state on the ground."

The military shakeup unfolded over a series of statements in which Zelenskiy said he had met Zaluzhnyi to discuss changes to the military leadership, adding that he had asked the general to remain "on his team."

In a separate statement, Zaluzhnyi said he had met Zelenskyi for an "important and serious conversation" and that a decision had been made to change battlefield tactics and strategy.

"The tasks of 2022 are different from the tasks of 2024. Therefore, everyone must change and adapt to new realities as well. To win together too," his statement said.

The two statements were published within moments of one another, suggesting that the two most prominent wartime figures in Ukraine had coordinated closely to put on a display of unity.

As ground commander, the new army chief Syrskyi is also closely associated both with Ukraine's initial successes and its more recent setbacks. In an interview with Reuters last month, he signalled the importance of rotating out exhausted troops who have been under near-constant artillery fire.

"Our task and...one of the reasons for the attention on mobilisation is the timely replenishment of those units that are head for replacement."

 

RT/Reuters