Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 11-03-2024

The US citizen claimed at a press conference organized by the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti that he had spent more than two years passing intelligence to Moscow from Ukraine.

The Russian Ria Novosti state news agency paraded an alleged US spy at the “Russia Today” media center on Saturday. The man claims to have spent more than two years covertly passing intelligence to Russia from Ukraine before being evacuated by Moscow’s special forces at the beginning of the week.

Identified as Daniel Martindale, he said he had initially entered Ukraine under the pretense of being a volunteer and a foreign journalist on Feb. 11, 2022. He didn’t provide any information on what his motivation for spying for Russian had been other than to say:

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

Moldovans head to the polls today for a second-round vote to choose between the incumbent pro-EU president, Maia Sandu, and a Russia-friendly challenger. Despite securing 42% of the vote in the first round, Sandu faces a tough challenge in the runoff against an opposition bloc led by Alexandr Stoianoglo of the Socialist party, which aligns with Moscow. The election in this small nation of under 3 million people in south-eastern Europe follows a referendum in which a slim majority voted in favour of pursuing membership of the EU. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Moldova has gravitated between pro-western and pro-Russian courses. But under Sandu, a former World Bank adviser, the impoverished country has accelerated its push to escape Moscow’s orbit amid its war in neighbouring Ukraine. The results of the referendum and first round of the election were marred by allegations of a Moscow-backed vote-buying scheme. Sandu and her allies have accused Russia and its proxies of leading a large-scale campaign involving vote-buying and misinformation to sway the election. They accuse the fugitive Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor, a vocal opponent of EU membership, of running a destabilising campaign from Moscow. - Guardian

King Charles is profiting from the deaths of thousands of people in the north-west of England whose assets are secretly being used to upgrade a commercial property empire managed by his hereditary estate, the Guardian can reveal. The Duchy of Lancaster, a controversial land and property estate that generates huge profits for King Charles III, has collected tens of millions of pounds in recent years under an antiquated system that dates back to feudal times. Financial assets known as bona vacantia, owned by people who died without a will or known next of kin, are collected by the duchy. Over the last 10 years, it has collected more than £60m in the funds. It has long claimed that, after deducting costs, bona vacantia revenues are donated to charities. However, only a small percentage of these revenues is being given to charity. Internal duchy documents seen by the Guardian reveal how funds are secretly being used to finance the renovation of properties that are owned by the king and rented out for profit - Guardian

Latest from the British Defence Intelligence.

• Around 10,000 Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) combat troops are in Russia. It is almost certain some have already deployed to the Kursk region.
• Russia and DPRK have committed to deepening their bilateral partnership with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, which includes a mutual defence clause, and was ratified by the Russian State Duma on 24 October 2024. For Russia, DPRK's military support to its war in Ukraine has highly likely been the core driver for the partnership and has, until now, centred around North Korea's provision of arms. In return, DPRK has received high level international support from Russia and has secured a trading partner willing to break sanctions.
• Russian and DPRK forces would almost certainly experience interoperability difficulties having not previously carried out joint military exercises. DPRK troops conducting combat operations would almost certainly have issues operating Russian equipment, integrating into Russias command and control structure, and working around the language barrier with Russian forces.

With its wide tracks and light ground pressure, this vehicle can traverse soft soils, swamps, sand, and even water obstacles, providing much-needed versatility in the field.

The Ukrainian Ground Forces have officially welcomed a new addition to their ranks: Swedish-made PBV 302 (Pansarbandvagn 302) tracked armored personnel carriers, the Strategic Committee of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Sunday, Oct. 3.

In a new video released by the Ground Forces press service, soldiers praised the PBV 302’s handling, noting its smooth operation, ease of use, and strong off-road capabilities.

As a sweetener in his bid for re-election former President Trump is offering to send a mission to Mars, but we won’t get to the Red Planet in a launch from the ruins of the free world.

I am the founder and president of the Mars Society. For the past third of a century, I have been among the foremost advocates in the world for human space exploration and settlement of the Red Planet.

In 1990 I set forth the Mars Direct plan, which revolutionized thinking about how to do human Mars missions. I publicized it widely in a series of papers leading up to the publication of my 1996 bestseller, The Case for Mars, which inspired untold myriads of people internationally, including Elon Musk, to make the human settlement of Mars their cause and their passion.

Indonesia has long maintained a neutral foreign policy and refuses to take sides in the Russia-Ukraine war, but Prabowo has called for stronger ties with Moscow.

Indonesia's first joint military drills with Russia this week signal that new President Prabowo Subianto will seek a bigger role for Jakarta on the world stage as part of a significant foreign policy shift, analysts say.

Indonesia has long maintained a neutral foreign policy and refuses to take sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict or US-China rivalry, but Prabowo has called for stronger ties with Moscow despite Western pressure on Jakarta.

Now Moscow’s relationship with Jerusalem is in shreds, Tehran could elevate its connections with Moscow by becoming “military dependent’,” but a comprehensive strategic partnership appears distant.

The world witnessed Russian President Vladimir Putin interacting with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on Oct. 11 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. President Masoud Pezeshkian’s first interaction with President Vladimir Putin following his victory in the recently held Iranian presidential elections has increased speculation among strategic experts and scholars as to what was the outcome of this engagement.

During the meeting, Putin reiterated Moscow’s mirroring of elements of Tehran’s foreign policy. In contrast, Pezeshkian reflected sheer optimism for the growth of the strategic partnership between the two nations, which was reflected during discussions over the signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty between the two nations on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan this month.

Estonia’s defense minister and the commander of the defense forces have discussed the need for missile and drone procurement, according to Estonian media.

The news outlet ERR, part of Estonia’s Public Broadcasting corporation reported that during an Oct. 26 discussion between Estonia’s Defense Minister, Hanno Pevkur, and the commander of its Defense Forces, Major General Andrus Merilo, about the need to purchase missiles and drones, the possibility of including Ukrainian producers in any future tender process arose.

According to ERR, which forms part of the Estonian Public Broadcasting corporation, the pair discussed purchasing long-range missiles, such as the Neptune, from Ukraine. However, they ruled out the idea as they considered them to be significantly inferior to those produced by other Western manufacturers.

Russian forces have seized more territory in eastern Ukraine than at any other time in 2024, capturing over 200 square kilometers (77 square miles) in the last week.

The Russian military is currently mounting one of its most powerful offensives since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky.

His remarks came during a meeting with Karel Rzegka, the head of the General Staff of the Czech Republic.

For the sake of balance, Kyiv Post is reprinting the view of a retired Ukrainian-American military officer who supports Donald Trump in the US presidential election.

Articles and letters written in The Ukrainian Weekly in support of Kamala Harris were filled with emotional viewpoints, but they did not point to a realistic view of events. Some who do not like Donald Trump feel validated to make stuff up to make stuff happen.

I spent the 1990s in Ukraine with the United States Army and the United States Air Force on a variety of missions. I was in Ukraine when former US President Bill Clinton managed to convince Ukraine to give up their nuclear weapons, not to the United States, but to Russia.

As the election heads into its final days, the stakes for the future of Ukraine and European security couldn’t be higher.

As the election heads into its final days, the stakes for the future of Ukraine and European security couldn’t be higher. As a proud Ukrainian American, I am acutely aware of the geopolitical implications of next Tuesday’s outcome. The leader we elect will steer our nation towards one of two poles.

The Harris administration will continue to support its allies, forge a unified West that stands up against its adversaries, and solidify military support for Ukraine as it battles a tyrannical Putin regime on its doorstep.

US presidential election battle enters final tense stage.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump dueled across the swing states Saturday on the final weekend of the tensest US election of modern times, with the Democrat urging voters to "turn the page" on the Republican's scorched-earth brand of politics.

Seventy-five million people have already cast early ballots as the hours tick down to the Election Day climax Tuesday.

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

The Lebanese health ministry data and CNN’s analysis of airstrikes show that the Israeli military has dropped bombs within dangerous proximity of hospitals in Lebanon, which are protected under international law. For a country that has been embroiled in many cycles of war and crises, the Lebanese healthcare sector has rarely been so vulnerable to firepower, the country’s health minister, Dr. Firass Abiad, told CNN. Abiad accused Israel of “weaponizing” access to healthcare and drew parallels to Gaza, where Israel has openly attacked hospitals, accusing them of links to Hamas. “Health institutions are supposed to be sanctuaries,” said Abiad. “It’s clear that this is premeditated, that this is a state policy that Israel is following, whether in Gaza or in Lebanon.” CNN has reviewed over 240 airstrikes in Lebanon and found that at least 24 hospitals were within a 500-meter danger zone – used by the Israeli military as its parameter for evacuation areas – of the bombs. Israel dropped munitions within what is known as a “lethal range” – 340 meters – of at least 19 hospitals, the analysis, which covered the first month of the war, showed. - CNN

U.S. federal cybersecurity and intelligence officials say a viral video purporting to show Haitian immigrants engaging in voter fraud was made by Russian interference groups that are trying to undermine confidence in the elections. The video, which began circulating on social media this week, shows two men who claim they arrived to the U.S. from Haiti six months ago. They claim to have American citizenship and that they are voting for Vice President Kamala Harris in multiple Georgia counties, showing cards that appear to look like drivers’ licenses. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly told MSNBC on Friday that the video was “Russian-produced and specifically designed to go viral and undermine American confidence in the security and the integrity of our election. CISA, the Director of National Intelligence and the FBI released a joint statement shortly after, pointing to “Russian influence actors” as responsible for the video. Russian entities also created a video that falsely accuses a person linked to the Harris-Walz ticket of taking a bribe from an entertainer, the agencies said - MSNBC

Being able to overcome the dense jamming across the Ukrainian front has netted the US AI drone maker a unique spot among the few foreign makers who broke into the competitive Ukrainian market.

As Ukraine strives to bolster its domestic drone industry, only a handful of foreign drone makers are making a successful entry into the market – Shield AI being one of them.

Shield AI, a US military startup founded by a former Navy Seal member alongside his brother, utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to help guide drones to their targets, thus overcoming the prolific electronic warfare (EW) jamming across the Ukrainian front – its key advantage over its competitors, as per a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report.

The vote in a country bordering war-torn Ukraine comes two weeks after a razor-thin "yes" in a referendum on joining the European Union.

Moldovans went to the polls on Sunday in a tense presidential election runoff that could play a key role in the country's European future amid fears of Russian interference.

The vote in a country bordering war-torn Ukraine comes two weeks after a razor-thin "yes" in a referendum on joining the European Union.

The democratic world is imperiled because it lacks a nation at the helm that serves with constancy, courage, character, conviction and confidence.

A democratic bloc needs a prominent nation that is ready to defend the collection of values that it cherishes. We call it free for shorthand, but what we mean is freedoms of expression, equality before the law, the rule of law, accountable and electable government, international respect for borders and self-determination.

The list goes on, but the underlying principles are simple enough to grasp. The leader of the free needs to be a nation that can be counted on, a country that will not flip-flop from day to day as political tides come and go.

Russia’s air assault on Kyiv has continued almost non-stop since early morning Saturday until early morning Sunday, with only a six-hour break.

For nearly two days, Russian forces have launched continuous drone attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, igniting fires and causing damage as debris from intercepted drones falls across the city.

Drone raids on the capital have been relentless, starting early Saturday morning around 4:30 a.m. and lasting until 2 p.m.

The exercise took place three days after Pyongyang launched one of its most powerful and advanced solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).

South Korea, Japan, and the United States on Sunday conducted a joint air drill involving a nuclear-capable bomber, Seoul's military said, in response to North Korea's latest long-range missile test.

The exercise took place three days after Pyongyang launched one of its most powerful and advanced solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), which experts say could reach targets in the mainland US.

It is increasingly clear that the terminology we use to label actions, intentions, and events in respect of the war in Ukraine is a powerful weapon that shapes perceptions and outcomes.

We must call a spade a spade

As the war in Ukraine approaches the three-year mark, we must learn the lessons of history where language has been used to conceal or expose crimes, influence public opinion, and shaped their narratives. In the case of the war in Ukraine, failing to call things by their real names accepts the Kremlin’s propaganda and could potentially shield Russia, the brutal aggressor, from accountability for its crimes.

“You can kill in battle, one-to-one at close range, looking into each other’s eyes. Or you can kill sitting in a bunker, drinking a Coke and pressing a button. It’s a great feeling.”

Yaroslav used to be a hardcore gamer. “I would often play online with Russians, but then in 2014 I realized they were not OK,” he recalls.

Years later in Kyiv, working as an IT Project Manager, he volunteered to join the army in response to the full-scale invasion. A knee injury, followed by retraining, has led to piloting drones for the 116th Brigade. Yet again, Yaroslav is spending many hours each day with a controller in his hands.