Yale University has found evidence of the use of Putin's administration planes to deport Ukrainian children. The study tracked 314 deported children, of whom 148 were included in the adoption databases of the Russian Federation.
Planes and funds belonging to the administration of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin were used to illegally deport Ukrainian children. This is reported by Reuters with reference to a study by the Yale University School of Public Health, writes UNN.
Details
It is noted that the new report, transmitted to Reuters, contains detailed information about the likely deportation program and those involved in it, including what, according to a leading researcher, are new ties with Putin.
Nathaniel Remont, executive director of the Yale University Humanities Research Laboratory, said that he plans to present the results of the study to the UN Security Council on Wednesday, December 4.
According to Raymond, the study contains evidence that supports the ICC's additional accusations against Putin of "forcibly moving" people from one national and ethnic group to another.
He also noted that the report proves that "the deportation of Ukrainian children is part of a systematic, Kremlin-controlled program" aimed at making them Russian citizens.
Two Ukrainian children returned from the temporarily occupied territories thanks to The Bring Kids back UA initiativeNov 26 2024, 11:35 PM • 17051 view
The report, in particular, says that in the period from May to October 2022, the Russian Aerospace Forces and aviation, which are under the direct control of the Putin administration, transported several groups of Ukrainian children on military transport aircraft with the flag of the aggressor country.
In May and October 2022, at least two groups of children were transported on planes of the Presidential Administration under the Putin administration.
In particular, on September 16, 2022, children who were illegally abducted from the occupied Ukrainian territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions were brought to the Chkalovsky military airfield near Moscow. For their transportation, a Tu-154M aircraft of the 223rd flight detachment of the Russian Defense Ministry was used.
It is noted that the study lasted 20 months, during which analysts tracked and identified 314 Ukrainian children deported by Russia. 148 children from this list were included in Russian adoption databases, and 42 of them have already been adopted, taken into custody, or have a designated Russian Guardian. Another 166 children were placed in Russian families.
recall
Recently, Yale researchers identified hundreds of children abducted by the Russian Federation from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. 148 children are already in Russian databases, 166 are placed in Russian families.
Russia has about 50 programs to manipulate the minds of Ukrainian children – GURNov 23 2024, 12:33 PM • 22428 views
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has announced that martial law in the country will be lifted at a government meeting.
Source: Reuters; YNA
Details: President Yoon explained that martial law was declared "with the firm determination to protect the nation from anti-state forces" which, he said, aimed to "paralyse key state functions and disrupt the constitutional order of liberal democracy".
However, after a formal request from the National Assembly, the country's parliament, the government will proceed to revoke the measure.
Quote: "We will withdraw the troops and promptly approve the National Assembly's request during the Cabinet meeting to lift martial law."
Background:
On Tuesday, 3 December, President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a state of emergency and martial law in South Korea. In a televised address to the nation, he stated that the move was necessary to protect the country from "communist forces".
Yoon did not cite a specific threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, instead focusing on domestic political opponents.
The National Assembly of South Korea voted on Wednesday to demand that President Yoon rescind the declaration of martial law.
PoliticsWar The Biden administration urgently wants to provide Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of weapons; Kellogg supports the move. Wednesday, December 4, 2024
US representatives from the Biden administration say that their increased efforts to provide Ukraine with weapons at the end of Biden’s term, along with the president’s authorizations for missile strikes deep into Russia and the deployment of antipersonnel mines, could give Kyiv some room for maneuver. At the same time, they are urging Ukrainian leaders to enlarge their military with more than 160,000 recruits, the WP writes. At the same time, the White House believes that, despite the problems with American reserves, it is better to send as much aid to Ukraine as possible, given the consequences that the war in Ukraine has for international order. Trump’s special representative for the Russian war against Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, reacted positively to Biden’s decision to accelerate and increase military aid to Ukraine. “This is very good for the president-elect because it gives him leverage. And the more the Biden administration does this, the more opportunities for Trump to do what he wants to do,” the official noted.
With the fate of further U.S. support for Ukraine, and thereby the future of the country, up in the air as Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, the EU wants to send the message to Kyiv that it has its back.
Kaja Kallas, the EU's new top diplomat, was in Kyiv on her first day in office on Dec. 1. In an exclusive interview, Kallas told the Kyiv Independent that "the EU is the biggest investor in the Ukrainian defense industry."
"So 400 million euros this year, 1.9 billion euros next year. This is definitely something that's going to boost the defense industry in Ukraine with the help of the EU," said Kallas, the former Estonian prime minister turned high representative for EU's foreign affairs.
Talking to the Kyiv Independent after a long first day in office, and less than an hour before leaving the country, she focused on three main topics — doing more to support Ukraine militarily and economically, showing the U.S. that supporting Kyiv is in its best interest, and bleeding out Russia's economy to make sure that when the time for negotiations comes, Moscow doesn't have the means to continue its war.
Europe's quest for political will
Kallas' visit, together with that of new European Council President Antonio Costa, was a sign that, at least for now, the EU will attempt to keep Ukraine's economy and military industry in shape.
"I think the investments into the Ukrainian defense industry are very, very welcome because these things are produced here and immediately used as well," Kallas said.
"We are thinking about different initiatives, how we can support and help Ukraine," she added.
In the first public mention of the figure, Kallas said Ukraine had finally received the 1 million shells from the EU, which were badly needed and long overdue.
For a just and lasting peace, for Ukraine, together in a united Europe.@antoniolscosta @kajakallas pic.twitter.com/f9dnSPRl2a
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 1, 2024
"Yes, this 1 million rounds of shells have been delivered, but of course, as we know here, it's not enough, more needs to be done," Kallas acknowledged.
For comparison, Russian factories could produce or refurbish 4.5 million 152 mm shells in 2024, according to a Spring report by Sky News.
With the change in EU leadership chewing up the last months of 2024 and the election campaign in Europe's biggest economy, Germany, set to take up the first few months of 2025, Kallas was not ready to discuss European production in the upcoming year.
"There is no actual number yet," she said. "We need to really speed up the process of producing more."
Kallas gave a sneak peek at Europe’s strategy going forward — making sanctions against Moscow more effective and using Russian Central Bank assets frozen in the West to keep Ukraine afloat.
"First, in March, the criminalization of circumvention of sanctions will enter into force," Kallas said.
"I think this is a good thing. And a signal to everybody not to circumvent sanctions. But there is so much more we have to do to make sure that the sanctions are really followed," she added.
"What I want to stress is that we also see the sanctions working, but if we concentrate all our efforts on implementing the sanctions properly, we could achieve more results, which is weakening Russia," Kallas said.
The Russian economy has in fact experienced several challenges over the past few months, with a record-high interest rate unable to stop the accelerating inflation, set to hit around 10% in 2024.
The U.S. government's Nov. 21 decision to impose new sanctions on dozens of Russian banks has added insult to injury for the country's economy, with the value of the Russian ruble dropping over 10% within a week, hitting an exchange rate of 113 rubles per $1.
"If you think about the interest rate of the Russian bank, it's 21%. Their national fund is completely depleted. They can't get the revenues from the gas that they used to get. And they have a very difficult situation with the employment market because everything is going to the military industry," Kallas said.
In 2025, Russia will spend around 40% of its budget on the country’s defense sector.
"We shouldn't overestimate the power of Russia. We should not underestimate our own power,” Kallas said, referring to the fact that the EU, with an economy eight times larger than that of Russia, must approach Moscow from the position of strength.
"We shouldn't overestimate the power of Russia. We should not underestimate our own power.”
While in Kyiv, European Council President Costa assured that the EU would continue to provide economic, humanitarian, and military assistance to Ukraine, including 4.2 billion euros ($4.4 billion) to support the Ukrainian budget by the end of the year. In 2025, the EU will transfer 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) to Ukraine monthly, obtained from profits received from the frozen Russian assets.
Costa said those funds can be used for military needs.
"We also need to discuss how we can proceed with the use of frozen assets because it's clear that we have the Russian frozen assets, and it's clear that Russia is causing all the damages to Ukraine, so it should be also Russia that pays for those damages," Kallas echoed Costa's earlier remarks.
It all circles back to US
At multiple points throughout the interview, Kallas mentioned that the EU has been pulling its weight in supporting Ukraine. However, maintaining the current level of support Kyiv is enjoying in case the U.S. decreases its commitments seems hard to achieve.
"Of course, it's challenging, it's clear," she said.
European officials are now attempting to make a case for the U.S. support to continue.
"The EU has been the biggest supporter of Ukraine, and we intend to be so. We also intend to talk to our American allies about why it's in their interest to also invest in Ukraine's security," Kallas said.
"Ukraine aid is not charity, it's an investment into our own security, and in the interest of the U.S. If we look at the bigger picture, we see North Korea, Iran, China, and Russia working together. We see the North Korean soldiers now also recruited by Russia in the fight in Ukraine,” she added.
"So if the U.S. is concerned about emboldening China, then they should first also deal with Russia because, in all the places, Russia is their biggest adversary."
Kallas is adamant that it’s “up to Ukraine to decide” when to hold peace talks, which President-elect Trump’s incoming team appears eager to initiate.
"Right now, it is our obligation to support Ukraine so that it can strengthen its position on the battlefield," Kallas said.
"The stronger Ukraine is on the battlefield, the stronger Ukraine is around the negotiation table."
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A federal court has suspended proceedings against Hunter Biden following a presidential pardon. The president's son was previously found guilty of illegal possession of weapons and lying about drug use.
In the United States, a court closed the case against 54-year-old Hunter Biden after President Joe Biden pardoned his son. This is reported by The Hill, writes UNN.
Details
In a brief order, federal judge Mary Ellen Noreika dismissed all legal proceedings, citing an executive order granted by President Biden.
The publication recalls that Hunter Biden in June was found guilty of lying about the use of illegal drugs when buying weapons six years ago, as well as illegal possession of them. In 2018, when buying a Colt Cobra 38spl revolver, Biden Jr. indicated in a federal questionnaire that he did not use or depend on drugs. After that, he illegally owned the weapon for 11 days.
The Hill also emphasizes that Biden's decision to pardon was a radical departure from the president's previous statements that he would allow legal proceedings against his son to continue. At the same time, the president said that he believes in justice, but also believes that politics influenced the case of his son.
recall
Earlier, US President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted of illegal possession of weapons and tax violations. This decision caused controversy due to the political resonance of the case.
Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to tax evasionJan 11 2024, 11:18 PM • 31263 views
In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, there is a critical situation in boarding houses for the elderly due to a lack of medicines and staff. Recently, a 73-year-old woman died in Crimea due to the replacement of necessary medicines with existing ones.
In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, inhumane conditions in "boarding houses" for the elderly. This is reported by the Center for National Resistance, writes UNN.
Inhumane conditions, rudeness and lack of vital medical supplies. This is what the situation looks like today in most of the so-called boarding houses for the elderly in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. But now the managers have already managed to pass 100% certification of their wards with Russian pieces of paper. In most cases, people didn't even understand what documents they were filling out and signing,
– it says.
According to the central nervous system, recently in the annexed Crimea, a 73-year-old woman died in a boarding house for the elderly only because the manager-collaborator of the institution decided to change the necessary drugs to those that were simply available.
The reason for such" negligence " of medical workers in Ukraine was a critical shortage of personnel.
Since the beginning of the Russian occupation, most doctors have refused to cooperate with the enemy. And those who have collaborated with the Kremlin are often responsible for treason after meeting with representatives of the Resistance Movement.,
– added to the central nervous system.
recall
In the temporarily occupied areas of Zaporizhia region, housing and utilities workers have not received salaries since the summer. Because of this, there is a massive layoff of employees and a critical shortage of staff.
A Ukrainian delegation including Andrii Yermak, Head of the President’s Office, is on its way to the US for discussions with key figures in Donald Trump’s inner circle.
Source: Radio NV, citing sources in diplomatic circles; Ukrainska Pravda sources in the president’s team
Details: According to Radio NV, the delegation also includes Defence Minister Rustem Umierov and Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko.
NV’s sources say "the primary purpose of this trip is to meet with individuals within the inner circle of US President-elect Donald Trump".
However, Ukrainska Pravda’s sources say Umierov is still in Kyiv and the delegation includes his deputy, Serhii Boiev.
Yermak is expected to have arranged meetings with Keith Kellogg, the retired general whom Trump has nominated as his special envoy on Ukraine and Russia, and National Security Advisor nominee Mike Waltz.
Background:
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine must work directly with US President-elect Donald Trump, as "there are different voices" within Trump’s circle.
Zelenskyy has also said he hopes to see Trump’s proposals for ending the war in Ukraine shortly after he takes office.
PoliticsWar Rutte warns Trump of threats to the US if Ukraine is forced to sign an favorable peace deal. Wednesday, December 4, 2024
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that the US would face a “dire threat” from China, Iran, and North Korea if Ukraine has to make concessions in order to end the war with Russia. In an interview with the FT, the secretary-general warned the US president-elect against brokering such a peace deal, which would lead to the West’s enemies planning their own attacks. “We cannot allow a situation where the leaders of North Korea, Russia, China and Iran shake hands because we have reached an agreement that is unfavorable for Ukraine. In the long term, this will become a serious security threat not only for Europe but also for the US,” Rutte said. According to him, when the time comes to negotiate with Russia, Ukraine needs to conclude a “solid deal.” For now, he called on the US to continue providing military support. NATO’s secretary-general noted that there are deep military and economic ties between Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran that are fueling the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The new manager bounce was in full effect as Ruud van Nistelrooy immediately got a tune out of Leicester City, who should have sealed Julen Lopetegui’s fate…
The former PSV Eindhoven head coach said he was “astonished” at the level of interest in him in response to his short but sweet stint as the main man in the Old Trafford dugout, so it is somewhat surprising that he landed at Leicester City.
The Foxes were above the relegation zone by the skins of their teeth before Van Nistelrooy‘s first game in charge against fellow strugglers West Ham on Tuesday night and would have been badly craving the positive impact of a new manager bounce.
Thankfully for Leicester, it took just one minute and 39 seconds to benefit from their fresh injection of optimism.
Bilal El Khannous was the provider for the early opener with a precise through ball, but the goal was all about 37-year-old Jamie Vardy.
The veteran forward peeled off the back of Konstantinos Mavropanos and cooly found the far corner of the net past Lukasz Fabianski after narrowly beating the offside trap.
READ: Slot teaches Van Nistelrooy and Guardiola must ‘learn to accept defeat’ like Klopp and Ferguson
Van Nistelrooy was reserved when he celebrated and was assumingly aware of the risks that come from scoring ‘too early’.
The opening 99 seconds were beyond Van Nistelrooy’s wildest dreams, but the rest of the first half showed why the Dutchman perhaps should have been more trepidatious about accepting the Leicester job.
Jarrod Bowen forced in-form goalkeeper Mads Hermansen into a couple of smart saves as West Ham grew into the opening half, while Leicester had to valiantly defend their one-goal advantage.
The Hammers racked up 20 shots to Leicester’s three before the break. Van Nistelrooy would be right to be impressed by his side’s uncharacteristically strong defensive work, but their confidence-lapsed play in the other half was cause for concern.
Vardy showed for Leicester’s opener that he remains capable of the finishes and in-behind runs that he became famous for, though he has to be more selective when making these moves as he is understandably not as all-action as he once was. This means the supporting cast needs to step up and provide support on the counter-attack when allowed to break clear.
Leicester’s lack of confidence was clear at times as their backwards/sideways passes sparked the same apathetic groans heard for much of Steve Cooper’s failed stint as manager. This was while Vardy cut a frustrated figure as he was over-relied upon to produce each time he collected the ball.
Van Nistelrooy had just two days to work with his new players before this match and we are unlikely to see a big change in Leicester’s style in the coming weeks with limited training time in this gruelling festive period.
However, the new boss showcased his ability to have a mid-game impact as Leicester took the match away from West Ham.
West Ham remained on top at the start of the second half, but Leicester were rewarded for the doggedness around the hour mark.
After the Hammers had a goal chalked off for the slightest nudge on Hermansen, the visitors were punished for their missed chances as Leicester became clinical on the counter-attack. Moments after Vardy was taken off, Kasey McAteer found El Khannous, who expertly found the bottom corner with a precise first-time finish.
Leicester had another chalked off for offside before substitute Patson Daka broke in on goal and fiercely shot high into the net to score his side’s third.
READ: West Ham giving Lopetegui ‘two games to save his job’ yet again is pointless, laughable and weak
Niclas Fulkrug’s stoppage-time goal ensured West Ham had something to show for their 30+ shots, but was not enough to force a wry smile from Julen Lopetegui,who is the firm favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked and would be fortunate if he does not lose his job before the weekend.
There were positives for Lopetegui to take from this game. On another night, West Ham would have won as comfortably as they should with the number of chances they created.
Though this will not provide adequate solace for Lopetegui, whose side was wide open and too easily picked off by one of the Premier League’s weaker teams.
A positive summer in the transfer market raised optimism at the London Stadium, but the board made a mistake when they appointed Lopetegui (a.k.a. Moyes-lite) as supporters have not connected with the like-for-like replacement for the similarly pragmatic Scotsman.
West Ham’s players too have not responded well to Lopetegui’s introduction and have been too easily brushed aside by superior and inferior opposition.
It’s time for West Ham’s board to right their summer wrong and get supporters back on board with the appointment of an exciting young manager because this underperforming squad are capable of much more than being stuck in the relegation picture.
Three leading European Space companies plan to create a joint venture to compete with Starlink. The project, codenamed "Bromo", involves the development of a new super-satellite.
European Space companies Airbus, Thales and Leonardo are exploring the possibility of creating a joint venture. merger proposals are not related to job cuts in these companies. At the same time, it is indicated that the implementation of the planned project may take years.
Reports UNN with reference to Reuters.
Details
European companies Airbus AIR.PA, Thales TKFP.PA) and Leonardo (LDOF.MI), are studying plans to create a new joint space company, in order to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink.
The "Bromo Project", named after the Ionesian volcano, is located near the European super satellite behind the MBDA rocket, Yakim volodiyut Airbus, Leonardo i BAE Systems (BAES.L).
Musk tested the first Starlink on a Qatar Airways planeOct 23 2024, 07:19 AM • 16045 views
Negotiations are still at an early stage, but they are already advanced enough to assign a codename to Airbus and create the desired structure in which the new company will combine satellite assets.
Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani told Reuters that the talks included several technical discussions and confirmed that the proposed structure will be based on the MBDA model. According to the source, the merger proposals are not related to the job cuts that Airbus will announce this week, and their implementation may take years.
SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilityNov 18 2024, 03:15 PM • 15884 views
Add-ons
Also today it became known that a new European satellite for Earth observation is ready for launch thanks to a rocket built mainly in Italy.
In French Guiana, at 18.20 local time, Vegas must turn on the engines to put the European Earth observation satellite Sentinel-1C into orbit.
The satellite is encapsulated in the olive body of the rocket, the height of which reaches 35 meters. every departure from the spaceport operated by Arianespace is important, but special attention is paid to it, both because of the value of the cargo being transported and because it will mark the return to Vega-C flights after a two-year hiatus, since December 2022, when it was unable to complete its second mission due to a problem with the second stage.
Fire at the Spaceport: Japan suspends testing of Epsilon S rocketNov 26 2024, 01:57 AM • 18292 views
After a long series of thorough checks and tests to avoid repeating the anomaly of two years ago, getting started on the right foot will mean opening a new chapter. The goal is to achieve up to six launches per year.
The Kyiv IndependentFelix Blatt
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