President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on a tour of European capitals, tells leaders at a summit in Brussels that Europe’s freedom depends on Ukraine’s.

Russian forces have significantly stepped up attacks in eastern Ukraine and are trying to break through defences near Kreminna, says the Ukrainian governor of Luhansk.

The Russian embassy in London warns of “military and political consequences” after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “nothing is off the table”, including combat aircraft for Ukraine.

Russia’s Wagner mercenary group says it has stopped recruiting prisoners to fight in Ukraine.

He was earlier given a standing ovation at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Czech Republic to repair damaged Ukrainian armoured vehicles

The Ukrainian army’s armoured vehicles will be repaired in the Czech Republic, the Czech Defence Ministry said.

The ministry said that state-owned company VOP CZ signed a memorandum of understanding with Ukraine’s government arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom on the repairs on Monday.

“The memorandum … contains a specific plan and timetable for the repairs or securing of spare parts,” said Ales Vytecka, director of the Czech government’s AMOS agency for military cooperation, who co-signed the memorandum.

The Czech Republic has been one of the top weapons providers to Kyiv among NATO allies, supplying Ukraine with armoured personnel carriers, tanks or howitzers.

Russia may take legal action over Nord Stream investigation

Russia might take political or legal action in response to a report alleging that the US was involved in the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines last year, the TASS news agency reported, citing a foreign ministry official.

In a blog post, Pulitzer Prize-winning American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh cited an unidentified source as saying US navy divers had planted explosives on the pipelines in the Baltic Sea on the orders of President Joe Biden.

The White House dismissed the report as “utterly false and complete fiction”, and Norway, which is investigating the explosions, said the allegations were “nonsense”.

Mr Zelensky said Germany and France had the potential to be « game-changers » in the war. The sooner Ukraine received heavy, long-range weapons and modern planes, « the quicker this Russian aggression will end », he explained.

Although President Macron has previously signalled some openness to providing fighter jets, Mr Scholz has not.

The French leader vowed Ukraine could count on his support, with France « determined to help Ukraine to victory and the re-establishment of its legitimate rights ». Chancellor Scholz added: « The position is unchanged: Russia must not win this war. »

Because of the 11-month long Russian invasion, Mr Zelensky rarely leaves his own country and a senior Ukrainian official said that the purpose of his trip was to obtain results.

He argues that fighter jets and long-range missiles are important in addition to the Leopard 2 tanks that Western nations have recently committed to supplying. While Mr Zelensky said he had discussed the issue of combat planes in Paris, he warned there was « very little time » to provide much-needed weaponry.

The Dutch prime minister said that many sensitive issues had to be discussed before a decision could be made on supplying fighter jets. « The pros and cons – you have to make absolutely sure that you are not getting into an Article Five direct confrontation between Nato and Russia, » Mr Rutte told the BBC.

Moscow has repeatably warned the West against weapons deliveries since the war began, frequently threatening to retaliate against what it calls « provocations ».

Asked by reporters in Moscow about the growing debate over sending warplanes to Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia saw it as evidence of the growing involvement of the UK, France and Germany in the conflict.

« We regret this and state that such actions of these countries lead to the escalation of tension around this conflict, prolong it and make it more painful and torturous for Ukraine, » said Mr Peskov.

Chancellor Scholz agreed only recently to allow German Leopard tanks and has warned against getting involved in a « public bidding war » of weapons systems for Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky had earlier addressed a joint session of the UK Parliament in Westminster Hall, underlining his plea for fighter jets: « Freedom will win – we know Russia will lose. »

Downing Street said UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was investigating what aircraft could potentially be offered, but emphasised this was « a long-term solution » and that training pilots could take years.

World Opinions – agencies

L’article Analysis. Zelenskyy lobbies EU leaders as battles rage est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

Russia has strongly criticised the visit to Washington by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing the US of fighting an indirect war against it.

Tonight, the fourth night of Hanukkah, we honor the timeless miracle of a small band of warriors fighting for their values against a much larger foe.

That story of resilience reminds me of Ukraine. Even in the darkest days of the year – light will always prevail. pic.twitter.com/4Xqavk1zMA

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 22, 2022

President Joe Biden has pledged $1.85bn (£1.45bn) of military aid for Ukraine – including an advanced missile system to help guard against Russian attacks.

In a defiant address to US lawmakers, Mr Zelensky welcomed the assistance.

But Russia’s US ambassador said these « provocative actions » would lead to an escalation with severe consequences.

In Ukraine's fight against Russia's unprovoked, unjustified war, I’m proud to say they have not stood alone.

And on my watch, they never will. pic.twitter.com/2RV8dyXHxr

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 21, 2022

Anatoly Antonov told Russian state media that Moscow was « trying to appeal to common sense at all levels », but talk of delivering the Patriot missile system to Kyiv was « deeply disturbing ».

Patriot missiles are capable, effective and expensive. The White House says they will help defend Ukrainians against « Russia’s barbaric attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure ».

I adore this man & hope that this war comes to an end swiftly in the new year. #Zelenskyy & #Ukraine need peace & time to rebuild. #Vladimir is reaping karma. It's a sad loss of life on both sides. Some #Russians were lied to & died for nothing, while others deserved death https://t.co/3gKLd1OAph

— Riscie L (@Riscie81) December 22, 2022

Moscow has complained that no calls for peace were heard during President Zelensky’s trip to Washington – with spokesman Dmitry Peskov describing this as proof that the US was fighting a proxy war with Russia.

Mr Peskov added that delivering Patriot missiles would not prevent Russia from « achieving its goals during the special military operation ».

« The talks in Washington have shown that neither Ukraine nor the United States is seeking peace. They are simply intent on continuing the fighting, » said Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

#Zelenskyy in Poland https://t.co/EEdVhsk3Qo

— chris wynnyk wilson 🫐🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 (@CWynnykWilson) December 22, 2022

Russian commentators have echoed this – repeatedly accusing the US of « pumping Ukraine full of weapons ».

Some media reports from Moscow ridiculed the Ukrainian leader – with state TV’s Channel One comparing him to a stripper begging for money. On Wednesday, he was likened to a toilet brush.

Marking his first foreign trip since the start of the invasion, Mr Zelensky told Congress his country was « alive and kicking » and would never surrender to Moscow.

As well as the $1.85bn package that has already been announced, another $45bn of US emergency assistance is currently before the Senate.

Mr Zelensky expressed hope this extra funding would be approved, to « help us to defend our values and independence ».

But there are signs that US support is likely to face greater political scrutiny. Republican support for continued assistance has been eroding.

In a survey conducted in November, just over half of Republican voters supported aid to Ukraine – down from 80% in March.

The party, which will take control of the House of Representatives in January, has warned it will not write a « blank cheque » for Ukraine.

But President Biden has vowed to stick by Ukraine « for as long as it takes ».

Mr Zelensky, who travelled on a US Air Force jet from the Polish city of Rzeszow, said that « regardless of changes in the Congress », he believed there would be bipartisan support for his country.

He made his plea in emotive terms before a joint session of Congress – a speech that was interrupted 18 times with standing ovations by nearly all members of Congress, with the exception of some Republican lawmakers who did not clap.

Speaking in English, he told them his country was still standing « against all odds » and predicted « a turning point » in the conflict next year.

To illustrate the brutality of the war, Mr Zelensky evoked US troops fighting the Nazis during World War Two.

« The Russians’ tactic is primitive. They burn down and destroy everything they see. They sent convicts to the front lines, to the war. They threw everything against us, similar to the other tyranny, which in the Battle of the Bulge threw everything it had against the free world.

« Just like the brave American soldiers who held their lines and fought back Hitler’s forces during the Christmas of 1944, brave Ukrainian soldiers are doing the same to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s forces this Christmas, » he said. « Ukraine holds its lines and will never surrender. »

Concluding his speech, Mr Zelensky presented Congress with a battle flag signed by the defenders of Bakhmut, a frontline city in the east of Ukraine that he visited on the eve of his Washington trip.

At a joint news conference, Mr Biden told reporters he was « not at all worried » about holding the international coalition together.

Despite concerns some allies may be feeling the strain of the conflict’s cost and disruption to global food and energy supplies, the US president said he felt « very good » about the solidarity of support for Ukraine.

As Ukraine’s most important ally, the US has already committed $50bn (£41bn) of humanitarian, financial and security assistance – far more than any other country.

On his way home from Washington, Volodymyr Zelensky stopped in Poland where he met Polish President Andrzej Duda, one of his strongest allies.

The two discussed the US visit as well as their « strategic plans for the future », Mr Zelensky said.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, the US military estimates that at least 100,000 Russian and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured, along with some 40,000 civilian deaths.

The UN has recorded 7.8 million people as refugees from Ukraine across Europe, including Russia. However, the figure does not include those who have been forced to flee their homes but remain in Ukraine.

By Phelan Chatterjee – BBC News – World Opinions

L’article Analysis. Zelensky’s visit shows neither Ukraine nor US want peace, Russia says.. Video est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

La Pologne, membre de l’Otan, a confirmé dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi qu’un projectile « très probablement de fabrication russe » avait atteint son territoire, faisant deux morts. Le président polonais a précisé ne pas disposer à ce stade de « preuve univoque » sur le lanceur du missile. La France et la Chine ont appelé à la « prudence » et au « calme ».

Le général Mark Milley a estimé peu probable, du moins à court terme, que l’Ukraine puisse déloger militairement la Russie de l’ensemble des territoires qu’elle occupe dans le pays, y compris la Crimée.

« La probabilité d’une victoire militaire ukrainienne, expulsant les Russes de tout l’Ukraine y compris (…) la Crimée, la probabilité que cela se passe de sitôt n’est pas très élevée militairement », a-t-il déclaré lors d’une conférence de presse.

Le chef d’état-major américain a par ailleurs jugé que les frappes de missiles russes ayant visé la veille les infrastructures d’énergie civile en Ukraine constituaient un « crime de guerre ».

S’exprimant lors d’une conférence de presse, le plus haut gradé des États-Unis a estimé que la Russie avait échoué sur tous les fronts dans sa guerre contre l’Ukraine, et y menait par conséquent une « campagne de terreur ».

Zelensky appelle la Chine « à ne pas choisir le côté de la Russie »

« Il est important pour nous que la Chine ne choisisse pas le camp de la Russie », a déclaré Volodymyr Zelensky à la télévision ukrainienne, alors que Pékin a refusé de condamner l’invasion russe de l’Ukraine et rejette les sanctions occidentales contre Moscou.

La Hongrie critique les propos de Zelensky

Le gouvernement hongrois a estimé que le président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky donnait « un mauvais exemple » en affirmant que le missile ayant tué deux personnes dans un village polonais près de la frontière avec l’Ukraine était russe. 

« Dans une telle situation, les dirigeants mondiaux s’expriment de manière responsable », a déclaré à la presse Gergely Gulyas, chef de cabinet du Premier ministre Viktor Orban. Or « le président ukrainien, en accusant immédiatement les Russes, a eu tort, c’est un mauvais exemple », a-t-il ajouté, saluant au contraire l’attitude prudente de la Pologne et des États-Unis.

World Opinions – Agences

L’article  L’explosion en Pologne « vraisemblablement due à un missile ukrainien », selon Stoltenberg est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

Ukrainian soldiers have been welcomed into Kherson by jubilant residents, after Russia said it had fully withdrawn from the key southern city.

Video showed locals on the streets, flying Ukraine’s national flag and chanting as Kyiv’s troops arrived.

Some sang patriotic songs around a large camp fire well into the night.

Kherson was the only regional capital taken by Russia after February’s invasion. The retreat has been seen as one of its biggest setbacks of the war.

Moscow said 30,000 personnel had been taken out of the area – as well as around 5,000 pieces of military hardware, weaponry and other assets.

The White House hailed what it called an « extraordinary victory », while Ukrainian President Zelensky called it an « historic day ».

But Ukraine’s foreign minister said the « war goes on ». Speaking in Cambodia on the sidelines of a summit of Asian countries, Dmytro Kuleba said: « We are winning battles on the ground. But the war continues. »

An evening update on Friday from the Ukrainian side said troops had pushed as far forwards as the western bank of the Dnipro river.

Images also emerged showing that the main river crossing – the Antonivsky Bridge – had partially collapsed. It remains unclear how the damage was caused.

The Russian troops who occupied Kherson are thought to be taking up new positions on the eastern side of the river.

A Kherson resident described his « overwhelming » emotions as people emerged singing and dancing onto the streets.

Alexei Sandakov revealed his full name to the BBC, having previously referred to himself only as « Jimmy ». He said Kherson was « free now. It’s different. Everyone is crying since this morning ».

He added that « everybody wanted to embrace » the arriving Ukrainian soldiers.

The city’s change of control followed a rapid Ukrainian counter-offensive in recent months, in which Kyiv said it had recaptured 41 settlements near Kherson.

In his evening address, President Zelensky said the people of Kherson « were waiting » and « never gave up on Ukraine ».

He added that residents had been working to remove « any traces of the occupiers’ stay » from the streets, including Russian symbols.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin denied the move represented a humiliating defeat.

For weeks, the Kremlin has regarded Kherson and its locality as its own territory, after running so-called « referendums » in four occupied provinces of east and south Ukraine.

These votes were widely discredited by the international community, and Ukraine kept up its efforts to take back the affected land.

Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson was announced on Wednesday by the country’s commander in Ukraine, who said it was no longer possible to supply the city.

Although there was little evidence of any Russian retreat on Thursday, Ukraine claimed advances of up to 7km on two axes as its troops pushed forwards.

Events continued to move quickly on Friday. Initial reports that the Russians had abandoned Kherson came from locals.

Crowds of flag-waving civilians were later filmed in Freedom Square, greeting Kyiv’s soldiers and chanting: « Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine! »

On Friday afternoon, Alexei Sandakov appeared to be still adapting to the new situation on the ground, commenting: « No-one is going to sleep tonight. »

The local television service in Kherson was also reconnected to Ukrainian broadcasts.

Shortly after 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT), a Ukrainian official said his troops were « almost fully in control » of Kherson, as well as the wider tranche of land to the west of the Dnipro river.

Troops were treading carefully amid fears of Russian traps, said Yuriy Sak, an adviser to the defence minister.

Mr Sak told the BBC that some enemy soldiers were believed to be lingering in the city, had cast off their uniforms and were trying to disguise themselves as civilians. He urged them to surrender.

He hailed Kherson’s recapture as a major win comparable to his side’s successful efforts earlier in the war to drive Russian troops away from other urban centres – namely Kyiv, Chernihiv and Kharkiv.

But he said he remained « cautious », citing the possibility of Russian retaliations, and referring to a missile attack in Mykolaiv earlier in the day, which allegedly killed at least seven people.

Mr Sak vowed to retake further territory from Russia, including land that has been occupied by the neighbouring country since 2014.

In Russia, the exit from Kherson has been played down by officials and styled as a « redeployment » – despite criticism from pro-war commentators on social media.

Mr Putin was notably absent from Wednesday’s announcement by the military that Russian forces were leaving the city they had snatched, virtually unopposed, in the early stages of the war.

World Opinions – BBC News

L’article Ukraine. Celebrations as Kyiv takes back key city Kherson est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

Putin’s message to the West, East and South is to focus on the global crises they face and let him have Ukraine.

As Vladimir Putin was finishing his first term in office in 2004, he sought to develop modern channels of communication with the world, especially the West. That is why the Valdai Club was launched, along with its annual conference in which the president would participate. It became one of the main venues where Russia’s leader would address the rest of the world.

From the mid-2000s to the early 2010s, he would spend hours at the conference answering the questions of top Russia experts, talking about the country’s unique democratic development and openness to the world.

What we heard on October 27, at this year’s Valdai event, was a radically different rhetoric.

Ahead of the event, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov promised that people “will read and re-read” Putin’s Valdai speech. This was likely what the president wished would happen, as he finds himself in a moment in history that will define his legacy and in which he certainly believes he is not going to be the loser.

But that was not how many saw his speech. Most of the address was full of complaints about the West, which led some Russia watchers to dismiss it as yet another rant by a bitter leader who is out of touch with reality.

But it is important to dig through Putin’s quite direct and at times vulgar rhetoric to understand what his global strategy is. He delivered several messages directed at different audiences, trying to drive one key idea through: it is not about Ukraine, it is about much more than that.

Putin’s main and most popular narrative directed at the international audience is the “end of the unipolar moment” and the “coming of multipolarity”. He has been preaching about it for most of his presidency, picking it up from the writings of Russia’s former prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, the late Yevgeny Primakov.

Unsurprisingly, it dominated much of his speech at Valdai. He accused the West and the United States of triggering crises and sowing chaos around the world, and reiterated his conviction that the rise of other powers necessitates respect for their interests and participation in drawing the rules of how the world is governed.

His key message – directed at other powers like China and India – was that the end of American hegemony should lead to the end of the Western promotion of democracy and institutions of governance, universality of human rights and what has become known as the “liberal world order” in general.

It should also give space for a non-Western financial architecture to emerge – an idea that Russia has been running with for at least a decade. That is already taking place to a certain degree in the form of dedollarisation, but clearly not at the pace that Putin needs to fight the negative consequences of Western sanctions.

The Russian president also addressed the Global South with an updated version of Soviet messaging: that Moscow respects the sovereignty and the right of every nation to “follow its own path”, unlike Western colonial powers which historically have not. He also drew attention to continuing Western economic dominance and exploitation of developing countries through “neocolonial” globalisation.

Putin also did not miss the opportunity to talk about the “ills” of Western societies, seemingly directing his words to those who oppose their governments in the West or disagree with mainstream cultural and societal norms.

He specifically seemed to play on the sentiments of Western conservatives, bringing up “cancel culture” and presenting it as a despotic erasure of what is deemed wrong or no longer tolerable by liberal elites. He spoke about the traditional, Christian core of the Western civilisation, dismissing “strange ideas” like “dozens of genders and gay pride parades”. Putin emphasised that his problem is with the Western “elites” not the people of the West.

The Russian president even tried to appeal to environmentalists, proclaiming that because of conflict with Russia, the West is ignoring climate change.

In a nutshell, he gave everyone in the West, East and South a broad enough reason to think of their own problems and of global crises and to see the war in Ukraine through that prism: it is not about Ukraine; it is about much more.

This is the message Putin and the Kremlin are trying to convey to the world and especially the West – the cost of supporting Ukraine is too much, and its importance – too negligible, when compared with what the world is dealing with. It can be resolved simply with “dialogue on an equal footing”.

Moscow is, of course, playing an important role in stoking these crises: from waging a gas war on the European Union to undermining the United Nations grain deal, curbing Ukrainian wheat exports and exacerbating food shortages in the Global South. The goal is to distract the world from the war in Ukraine, to present it as a small, regional – if not domestic – issue.

Indeed, for those that do not follow the war in Ukraine closely, who do not understand the context and who mistrust the news of war crimes, what Putin is saying may seem reasonable enough. But unfortunately, what he envisions as a “dialogue” or a “solution” is, in fact, a full surrender of Ukraine – the West agreeing to step back and turn a blind eye to the horrors of the Russian war and occupation.

This is the multipolarity Putin is preaching – a world order that enables those that have the power to do what they want and to bend international laws.

And while Putin wants the world to forget Ukraine, he is obsessed with it. For him this is a personal affair; it is about delivering “historical justice” in his Russian imperial understanding of it.

Anton Barbashin – Political analyst / Aljazeera

L’article Analysis. Putin wants the world to forget Ukraine est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

 Les forces russes et d’autres personnes opérant sous leur commandement ont régulièrement torturé des détenus durant les six mois d’occupation russe d’Izioum, une ville de la région de Kharkiv dans le nord-est de l’Ukraine, a déclaré Human Rights Watch aujourd’hui.

Des survivants ont décrit comment ils ont été soumis à des chocs électriques, des simulacres de noyade, des passages à tabac, des positions douloureuses pendant de longues périodes, ainsi qu’à d’autres abus infligés sous la menace d’une arme. Ils ont identifié au moins sept endroits à Izioum, dont deux écoles, où, selon eux, des soldats les ont placés en détention et maltraités.

« Ces cas de violences et d’abus cruels à Izioum n’étaient pas des incidents isolés », a déclaré Belkis Wille, chercheuse senior auprès de la division Crises et conflits à Human Rights Watch. « Plusieurs victimes nous ont livré des récits crédibles d’expériences similaires de torture lors d’interrogatoires dans des installations placées sous le contrôle des forces russes et de leurs subordonnés, indiquant que ce type de traitements faisait partie d’une politique et d’un plan. »

Fin septembre et début octobre, Human Rights Watch a mené à Izioum des entretiens avec plus de 100 personnes qui s’y trouvaient pendant l’occupation russe, ayant duré de mars à début septembre 2022. Presque toutes ces personnes ont déclaré qu’au moins un membre de leur famille ou un de leurs amis avait été torturé, et quinze personnes – 14 hommes et une femme – ont décrit comment elles avaient elles-mêmes été torturées. L’un des hommes avait des liens avec les forces armées, mais tous les autres étaient des civils. Les familles et les amis de deux autres hommes, détenus et torturés eux aussi, ont déclaré que ces derniers s’étaient suicidés peu de jours après leur libération.

Les personnes détenues ont été arrêtés chez elles, dans la rue ou sur un marché en plein air et maintenues en détention pendant une période allant parfois jusqu’à 14 jours. Tous les hommes ont dit avoir reçu des décharges électriques ou avoir reçu des coups portés avec les mains, des crosses de fusil, des tubes métalliques ou en plastique, un tuyau en caoutchouc et, dans un cas, avec un bâton sur lequel était fixé un sac de sable. Un homme a été détenu cinq fois, et torturé à plusieurs reprises au cours de chacune de ces détentions.

La femme a déclaré que les soldats l’avaient giflée et frappée à l’estomac, et qu’ils avaient menacé de la violer pendant sa détention, qui a duré une journée. Le Washington Post a rapporté le cas d’une autre femme, apparemment détenue dans la même pièce à un autre moment, et qui a déclaré avoir été violée à plusieurs reprises. Un homme détenu au même moment a déclaré avoir entendu des femmes crier et avoir entendu des soldats parler de violences sexuelles infligées à au moins une détenue.

Un homme de 21 ans a déclaré que des soldats l’avaient arrêté à un marché en plein air, le 5 ou le 6 juillet, parce qu’ils avaient vu un tatouage sur son coude qui, selon lui, est courant chez certaines personnes ayant des opinions marquées à droite. Il a ajouté que ce tatouage était également populaire chez certains fans ukrainiens de football.

Un homme arrêté début avril sur son lieu de travail, à la station de pompage d’eau, a déclaré que les soldats russes l’avaient forcé à se laisser filmer alors qu’ils l’accusaient d’être un « Banderovets », terme utilisé de manière péjorative par les Russes pour désigner les Ukrainiens qui soutiennent leur gouvernement, et qui fait allusion au mouvement partisan antisoviétique du même nom, actif pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Lorsque l’homme a été libéré deux jours plus tard, certains de ses amis lui ont dit qu’ils avaient vu la vidéo. Human Rights Watch a également retrouvé sur YouTube cette vidéo, dans laquelle des soldats russes accusaient cet homme d’être un « Banderovets ».

Tous les anciens détenus dont Human Rights Watch a recueilli les témoignages ont déclaré qu’on leur avait donné l’ordre de révéler les noms des habitants d’Izioum qui servaient dans la police ou au sein des Forces de défense territoriale, ou ayant participé aux opérations menées en 2014 par l’armée ukrainienne et les forces de sécurité (sous de le nom d’Anti-Terrorist Operation, ATO) dans la région du Donbass. Certains détenus ont été accusés de posséder des armes ou de la drogue, et deux d’entre eux ont dit qu’on leur avait demandé directement s’ils soutenaient la Russie. Les forces russes ont tenté de contraindre un homme qui possédait un générateur électrique à signer un document aux termes duquel il leur cédait son domicile. Un autre a déclaré que les forces russes étaient venues chez lui, avaient déposé de la marijuana sur la table de la cuisine et lui avaient demandé de signer une déclaration selon laquelle il possédait de la drogue.

Tous ces anciens détenus ont ajouté que les soldats russes leur avaient volé divers biens, notamment de l’argent, des bijoux, des appareils électroniques et des voitures.

Human Rights Watch a précédemment documenté plusieurs cas de tortures infligées par les forces russes à des habitants d’autres régions d’Ukraine lors de leur occupation de ces zones.

Les organisations et agences médicales internationales et nationales devraient d’urgence mettre en place des services dans la région de Kharkiv et dans d’autres zones libérées afin de soutenir les victimes de torture, y compris des services de soutien psychosocial et de santé mentale et des d’autres services spécialisés destinés aux survivant-e-s de violences sexuelles.

« Même sans tout savoir sur l’ampleur des crimes et d’autres abus commis contre les habitants d’Izioum pendant l’occupation russe, il est clair que les survivants ont besoin d’aide dès maintenant », a déclaré Belkis Wille. « Nos recherches indiquent que les troupes russes ont commis d’horribles abus dans de nombreuses zones qu’elles ont occupées, et suscitent une forte inquiétude quant à la possibilité que des abus similaires aient été commis dans d’autres zones qu’elles continuent de contrôler. »

Des témoins ont identifié sept endroits à Izioum que les forces russes auraient utilisés comme bases et lieux de détention : deux écoles, un poste de police, un ancien complexe hospitalier, une station d’épuration, une résidence privée et une usine. Les chercheurs ont pu visiter quatre de ces lieux, afin de vérifier les allégations de leur utilisation comme centres de détention. Les personnes dont Human Rights Watch a recueilli les témoignages sont identifiées par des pseudonymes, pour leur protection.

Deux des détenus ont dit avoir été déplacés dans différents endroits et ne pas être en mesure de dire où ils avaient été détenus. Plusieurs familles ont entendu dire que des personnes étaient également détenues à l’École n° 2 d’Izioum, mais les chercheurs n’ont identifié personne qui y aurait été détenu.

Un ancien détenu a montré à Human Rights Watch une maison privée abritant désormais les forces ukrainiennes, où il pense avoir été détenu pendant une journée par les forces russes. Il a déclaré que ses ravisseurs l’avaient menacé en disant : « Ne nous cherche pas, ou les forces spéciales de Kirov vont rappliquer ». Plus tard, ils l’ont emmené dans une autre maison, beaucoup plus loin, en lui disant qu’elle se trouvait « sur la ligne de front » et qu’il allait disparaître, avant de le ramener en ville et de le libérer. Des habitants de la région ont déclaré que les forces russes s’étaient bien servies de cette première maison pendant la période où l’homme dit avoir été détenu..

World Opinions – Human Rights Watch

L’article Ukraine : Les forces russes ont torturé des détenus à Izioum est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

Unlike those that return to base once missiles are launched, suicide drones are destroyed in an attack.

A new wave of deadly Russian air strikes on Ukraine has killed more than 25 people and wounded over 100, according to authorities in Kyiv, in the most extensive attacks since the early days of the war.

The current strikes, which began on October 10, have targeted at least 10 regions across the country and have been carried out using Russian missiles as well as Iranian-made drones, Ukrainian authorities have said.

Swarms of explosive-laden, unmanned aircraft called “kamikaze” drones targeted Kyiv on Monday, killing at least four people and targeting energy facilities.

Among the victims was a young couple expecting a baby in three months, according to the mayor of Kyiv.

The Ukrainian Air Force said it destroyed at least 37 drones in one day.

For their part, officials in Tehran deny supplying Russia with the weapons.

Why are they called ‘kamikaze’ drones?

Unlike drones that return to base once missiles are launched, “kamikaze” or “suicide” drones are destroyed in an attack.

Al Jazeera’s defence analyst Alex Gatopoulos said these munitions can hover above an area to identify a target before diving to destroy it.

Like cruise missiles, they can strike targets hundreds of kilometres away, but cruise missiles are expensive, and Gatopoulos said “kamikaze” drones are a cheaper yet precise alternative.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had bought 2,400 “kamikaze” drones but its fleet is being depleted quickly.

Where do they come from?

Ukraine says Russia imported the drones from Iran, where they are known as Shahed-136, which could be translated as “witness of faith” but also as “martyr”.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, accused Tehran of being responsible for the “murders of Ukrainians”. The Kremlin did not comment.

Iran, which has called NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe the root cause of the war, has denied supplying Russia with arms.

Gatopoulos said the drones are unlikely to be Russian-made because Moscow “has been behind in developing low-end tactical drones, especially armed ones”.

Samir Puri, an analyst at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera that some form of a sales agreement is likely to have taken place between Moscow and Tehran.

These drones were “bought off the shelf from Iran, moved to the war zone and being used, I think, very much as a weapon that will continue to confuse Ukrainian air defences by adding something else in the mix,” Puri said..

World Opinions + Al jazeera News

L’article What are the ‘kamikaze’ drones Russia is reportedly using?.. Video est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

Ukrainian forces have seized even more territory from Russia as they continue their counter-offensive, the country’s president has said.

Volodymyr Zelensky said troops have now retaken more than 6,000 sq km (2,317 sq miles) from Russian control in September, in the east and the south.

The BBC cannot verify these figures.

Russia has admitted losing key cities in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, in what is seen by some military experts as a potential breakthrough in the war.

Moscow describes its troop withdrawal from the region in recent days as a « regrouping » with the aim of focusing on the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in Ukraine’s east.

That claim has been ridiculed even in Russia, with many social media users there describing the stated pull-out as « shameful ».

Speaking later on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ukrainian forces had made « significant progress » in their counter-offensive, but added that it was too early to predict the outcome.

« The Russians maintain very significant forces in Ukraine as well as equipment and arms and munitions. They continue to use it indiscriminately against not just the Ukrainian armed forces but civilians and civilian infrastructure as we’ve seen, » Mr Blinken said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. Russia still holds about a fifth of the country.

In his late video address on Monday, President Zelensky said: « From the beginning of September until today, our warriors have already liberated more than 6,000 sq km of the territory of Ukraine – in the east and south ».

« The movement of our troops continues, » he said.

The counter-offensive appears to have been rapid. Last Thursday, President Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had retaken 1,000 sq km, but by Sunday that stated figure had tripled to 3,000 sq km.

Mr Zelensky thanked several of Ukraine’s brigades involved in the counter-offensive, describing their fighters as « true heroes ».

He did not reveal which Ukrainian cities and villages had been liberated.

Russia’s military earlier admitted that its troops had to leave the key cities of Balakliya, Izyum and Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region. Russia now controls only a small eastern part of the region.

Significant – albeit slower – advances by Ukrainian troops have also been reported in the southern Kherson region, which borders with Crimea – a Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

UK defence officials say the Ukrainian army’s recent successes will have « significant implications » for Russia’s overall operational design.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has insisted that military operations in Ukraine will continue « until all the tasks that were initially set » have been fulfilled.

Russia says its forces have been carrying out strikes in those areas retaken by Ukraine in recent days.

Valerii Marchenko, mayor of Izyum, told the BBC the Ukrainian army was in his city and the state flag had been raised.

The military is now engaged in cleaning up the war-torn city and Ukrainian forces are searching for Russian soldiers potentially hiding in people’s houses.

Mr Marchenko said that after « about 10 days », residents who had to flee the city would be able to return « safely ».

Russia has been accused of targeting civilian infrastructure in revenge for setbacks on the battlefield.

A wave of missile strikes on Sunday caused massive power cuts across north-eastern Ukraine, leaving tens of thousands of people without electricity and running water for several hours.

World Opinions – BBC News

L’article Ukraine war: We’ve retaken 6,000 sq km from Russia, says Zelensky est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

The six-month anniversary of Russia’s war today coincides with the day Ukraine decided to break from the Soviet Union.

August 24 is a historic day for Ukraine, celebrated as Independence Day in recognition of the 1991 vote by the country’s still-Soviet legislature declaring independence from Moscow.

Today, however, it marks not just that anniversary, but the global struggle for national sovereignty: The date also coincides with the completion of six months of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s all-out-attack on Ukraine. It is a day that should matter to the whole world.

Back in 1991, competing visions for a post-Communist era in Moscow held up Ukraine’s drive for separation from Russia. Ukrainians would re-assert their desire for independence that December, with 92.3 percent of voters backing the legislature’s declaration, including a majority of residents of Crimea and the Donbas – regions that Putin today falsely insists are more Russian than Ukrainian.

Ukraine would achieve independence on December 26, when Mikhail Gorbachev formally dissolved the Soviet Union. If August 24, 1991, represented a key step in Kyiv’s long and drawn-out fight to secure its sovereignty from Moscow, August 24, 2022, marks an equally pivotal moment. The West’s role – like in 1991 – is critical as Ukraine tries to shape its future.

Although Russia’s then-president Boris Yeltsin pushed Gorbachev to break up the USSR, Yeltsin had not given up hopes of retaining Ukraine in some form of successor union, as detailed in Collapse, Vladislav Zubok’s recently-published critical history of the end of the Soviet Union. In the aftermath of the collapse of communism, Russian nationalist politicians pursued similar aspirations. Russian territorial claims were formally settled in 1994, via the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances that saw Kyiv formally renounce its nuclear weapons. In exchange, Russia promised to refrain from threatening to use military force or economic coercion against Ukraine.

The last eight years have made a mockery of the document, to which the United States and the United Kingdom were guarantors. They failed to uphold the pledges to Ukraine after Russia’s 2014 invasion and annexation of Crimea, while Putin justified it by arguing that the Euromaidan Revolution at the beginning of that year had created “a new state” with which Russia had not signed any treaties.

This year, Putin has extended his war, ordering attacks north of Crimea, across the Donbas, and in Kharkiv, Sumy, Zhytomyr, and Chernihiv as well. Many of these attacks were launched from Belarus, which has seen its sovereignty deeply compromised, with President Alexander Lukashenko more beholden than ever to Putin after the regime in Minsk cracked down on pro-democracy protests in 2020.

Although Putin’s invasion army has been forced into a humiliating retreat from Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy, Russian troops remain in Belarus today. Ukrainian officials continue to warn that Russian forces could launch a new ground assault via Belarus, and Putin still uses Belarusian land to launch missiles and air raids across Ukraine.

Many Ukrainians have been unable to celebrate Independence Day for the past eight years, with Russia not only annexing Crimea but effectively administering half of Luhansk and Donetsk after sending its forces into those territories in 2014 as well. Fewer will celebrate this year. Celebrations have been suspended in the country’s two largest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv, amongst others, for fear of Russian attacks.

Yet more cannot commemorate the occasion because Russia has expanded its occupation significantly since February, taking all but a sliver of Luhansk, nearly all of the region of Kherson, half of Zaporizhzhia and portions of northern and eastern Kharkiv. Russia also maintains a foothold in Mykolaiv and by mid-May had seized all of the coastal region of Donetsk, following the siege of Mariupol’s Azovstal.

Over the last month, the lines of control have hardly changed. Russian forces are threatening to take the key Donetsk suburb of Avdiivka and have pressed assaults on a line of Ukrainian cities – Siversk, Soledar and Bakhmut – in northern Donetsk. Ukrainian forces have for weeks been planning an offensive of their own in Mykolaiv and Kherson seeking to retake territory on the northern bank of the Dnieper River before winter, though it remains to be seen whether they can be successful. Russia has itself counterattacked in recent days near the village of Blahodatne just 35km (21.7 miles) away from Mykolaiv.

Nevertheless, six months after Putin vastly escalated the war, his forces appear stuck in a quagmire. He might have expanded Russia’s occupation and all but erased Belarus’ sovereignty in the process, but Ukraine has held on and continues to fight to repel the Kremlin’s military.

That is a reason to celebrate – but with caution. On August 24 this year, the opening stanza of Ukraine’s national anthem has never rung more true:
Ukraine’s freedom has not yet perished, nor has her glory,
Upon us, fellow Ukrainians, fate shall smile once more.
Our enemies will vanish like dew in the sun,
And we too shall rule, brothers, in a free land of our own.

Yet while the war might not have gone the way Putin had hoped, that won’t derail his long-term ambitions. While Ukrainians remain steadfast in their resolve to continue the fight, questions are growing about the West’s continued commitment to the economic war against Moscow: Countries that have imposed sanctions are once again increasing exports to Russia. Some sanctions have been relaxed slightly and Russia is using its own economic weapons – particularly natural gas – to attempt to break Western resolve.

The Kremlin remembers the West’s abandonment of its Budapest Memorandum guarantees and is counting on history repeating itself. That’s why, this August 24, Ukrainian sovereignty should be celebrated not just by Ukrainians, but all those who value freedom and independence. If the international community lowers its commitment to Ukraine and fails to uphold the universal values that Ukrainians are fighting for, the next anniversary may prove far bleaker.

By Maximilian Hess – Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute / Aljazeera

L’article Analysis. Ukraine is reliving a promise it made on this day in 1991 est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.

African countries are innocent victims of the war in Ukraine and Russia should help ease their suffering, the head of the African Union has told Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Sochi.

After three hours of talks, Macky Sall said the Russian leader had promised to ease the export of cereals and fertiliser.

However, he did not give any details.

Prior to the conflict, more than 40% of wheat consumed in Africa came from Russia and Ukraine.

The war has exacerbated shortages caused by bad harvests and insecurity.

Food prices have shot up across the continent since Russian invaded Ukraine 100 days ago, pushing huge numbers towards hunger.

Chad has declared a national food emergency. A third of the population needs food aid, according to the UN and the government has appealed for international assistance

Mr Sall, who is Senegal’s president, told Mr Putin he should be « aware that our countries, even if they are far from the theatre [of action], are victims of this economic crisis » caused by the conflict.

He said he was also pleading on behalf of other countries like « Asia, the Middle East and also Latin America ».

Mr Putin said exports could either go through the Black Sea port of Odessa « which is difficult because Ukrainians have to clear mines » or via the Russia-controlled port of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, the AFP news agency quotes Mr Sall as saying.

Ukraine’s ports in the Black Sea have been largely blocked for exports since the conflict began.

Russia’s defence ministry says that vessels carrying grain can leave Ukraine’s ports in the Black Sea via « humanitarian corridors », with Russia ready to guarantee their safety, Reuters quotes the Interfax news agency as saying. However, it is not clear how these corridors would work.

Before the meeting, Mr Putin said he was always on the side of Africa, but didn’t explicitly mention the continent’s food crisis.

Like many African countries, Senegal has avoided taking sides in the conflict and the Senegalese leader also said food supplies should be « outside » the West’s sanctions on Russia. He said he had made this point when he spoke to the European Council earlier in the week.

On Friday, US President Joe Biden dismissed the idea that the West bore responsibility for the global price rises.

« This is a Putin price hike. Putin’s war has raised the price of food because Ukraine and Russia are two of the world’s major bread baskets for wheat and corn, the basic product for so many foods around the world, » he said.

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L’article Africa is victim of Ukraine war, Macky Sall tells Vladimir Putin est apparu en premier sur World Opinion | Alternative Média.