Drone From Ukraine War Travels Over Multiple NATO Countries Before Crashing In Croatia

"A drone crash in Croatia which is believed to have come from the nearby war in Ukraine is
being described as "a serious incident" by the Balkan country's president Zoran Milanovic. The Soviet-era Tu-141 "Strizh" reconnaissance drone, likely operated by Ukraine's military (given as the Associated Press noted that it's the only known country currently operating Tu-141 drones) crashed just outside the capital city of Zagreb on Thursday.

Milanovic questioned "how a relatively unsophisticated drone flew for over an hour over NATO countries without being detected" - indeed it appears it flew across Hungary, possibly Romania, and over much of Croatia." ZH

Putin 'has placed the head of the FSB's foreign intelligence branch under house arrest because he is furious at security services for failing to warn him' that Ukraine could fiercely resist invasion

"Putin has placed the head of the FSB's foreign service and his deputy under house arrest after
blaming them for intelligence failings that saw his army handed a series of embarrassing defeats in Ukraine, it has been claimed.

Andrey Soldatov, a respected author on the Russian secret services, said sources inside the FSB told him that Sergey Beseda, 68, head of the agency's foreign service, has been placed under arrest on Putin's orders.

Also arrested is Anatoly Bolyukh, Beseda's deputy, according to Soldatov, who said Putin is 'truly unhappy' with the agency - which he ran before becoming president." DailyMail

Ex-Zelensky rep rips Harris for laughter, says it would be ‘tragedy’ if she’s ever president

"Vice President Kamala Harris was slammed Thursday for breaking into inappropriate
laughter after she was asked whether the US will take in Ukrainian refugees — leading Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former press secretary to say it would be a “tragedy” if she ever became president.

The awkward moment took place during a joint press conference with Harris and Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw.

The two leaders had been asked about the US accepting Ukrainian refugees or otherwise easing pressure on Poland’s strained humanitarian resources. When the reporter stopped speaking, Harris and Duda looked at each other as if each expected the other to respond first.

“OK,” Harris finally said, drawing a chuckle from Duda and the assembled reporters.

“A friend in need is a friend indeed,” the veep added before laughing loudly at her own line. After the merriment died down, Duda confirmed that he had asked Harris to help speed up the consular process so Ukrainian refugees with family in the US could stay with them." NYP

Russians keep pressure on Mariupol; massive convoy breaks up

"Russian forces kept up their bombardment of the port city of Mariupol on Thursday, while
satellite photos showed that a massive Kremlin convoy that had been mired outside the Ukrainian capital split up and fanned out into towns and forests near Kyiv, with artillery pieces moved into firing positions." JapanToday

Facebook Okays Calls for Violence Against Russians

"Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, sent an email to employees of both
social media platforms informing them that calls for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers will temporarily be allowed, according to a report by Reuters." Breitbart

Biden: Warns Kremlin Of "Severe Price" If Chemical Weapons Used

"President Biden called for an end to normal trade relations with Russia, clearing the way for
increased import tariffs, and announced a ban on Russian-made vodka and caviar.

Biden was asked a question by a reporter in the press pool at the moment he wrapped up the televised address over what the US response would be in the event Russia launched a "chemical weapons attack".

Biden's answer on Friday was vague, saying he wouldn't discuss specific intelligence, and then followed with, "Russia would pay a severe price if they use chemical weapons." ZH

US Army soldiers undergo parachute training at crucial Alaska base in show of force to Putin

"US ARMY soldiers underwent further training in the latest show of force to Vladimir Putin
as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues.

Soldiers with the 1st Squadron 40th Cavalry Regiment conducted an airborne infiltration and insert as opposing forces for Alaska’s first Home Station Combat Training Center rotation on Wednesday." Sun

China Requests UN Inspectors Be Sent To US-Funded Ukraine Biolabs

"Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian discussed the US-run biolabs in Ukraine
and other nations around the globe.

Despite the US State Department confirming their existence on Wednesday, mainstream media continues to claim Ukrainian biolabs are a “Russian disinformation” campaign.

During the Chinese Ministry of Affairs press conference, Lijian urged America to “give a full account of its biological military activities at home and abroad and subject itself to multilateral verification.”

"Under the current circumstances, for the sake of the health and safety of people in Ukraine, the surrounding region and the whole world, we call on all relevant parties to ensure the safety of these laboratories. In particular, the US, as the party with the best knowledge of these laboratories, should release relevant details as soon as possible, including what viruses are stored and what research has been conducted,” Zhao urged." IW

Russia Calls For UN Security Council Meeting Over "Biological Activities" In Ukraine

"Russia has called for a United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss alleged U.S.  “military biological activities” in Ukraine.

Fact sheets featured on the U.S. Embassy of Ukraine website, found via Internet Archive, link to several documents detailing what appears to be U.S. government investments for select laboratories in Ukraine.

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland on March 8 said Ukraine has “biological research facilities” and the United States is working to prevent Russians from taking control of them." ZeroHedge

Fuming Putin fires generals over invasion losses

"Enraged Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone on a tear, firing as many as eight generals
over Moscow’s military losses in the invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv’s defense chief claims." NYP

Russia threatens to abandon American astronaut in space as sanctions threaten peace aboard ISS

"But unprecedented sanctions against Russia could put Vande Hei's return on hold. After
Russia invaded Ukraine nearly two weeks ago, President Joe Biden announced new sanctions, including cutting more than half of Russia's high-tech imports.

"It'll degrade their aerospace industry, including their space program," Biden said during a White House address Feb. 24.

 Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russia's Space Agency and a close ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin, responded to Biden in a series of hostile tweets. On Feb. 26, he posted a video in Russian that threatened to leave Vande Hei behind in space and detach Russia's segment of the space station altogether.

Kelly said he felt compelled to speak up and engaged with Rogozin on Twitter.

"I was just enraged that he, the [cosmonauts], said that they were going to leave an American crew member behind. I never thought I would ever hear anything so outrageous," said Kelly.?" NASA

Russian state television DEFIES President Putin's propaganda edict and broadcasts criticism of the war in Ukraine

"Putin's war on freedom of expression in Russia appeared to be fraying at the edges on
Thursday after guests on Kremlin-backed TV defied Moscow and openly criticised the brutal conflict in Ukraine, calling the invasion 'even worse than Afghanistan'.

Guests have refused to support the narrative pushed through by television hosts on Putin's request that Russia has been conducting a 'special operation' to 'demilitarise' and 'de-Nazify' Ukraine – claims dismissed as baseless pretexts by Kyiv and her partners in the West.

One who appeared on one of Russia 1's prime time talk show 'An Evening with Vladimir Soloviev' rebelled by referring to the USSR's disastrous invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 which ended in withdrawal ten years later." DM

Forty-mile column moves into 'attack positions' near capital as Ukraine says Russian forces are killing MORE civilians than soldiers in sledgehammer assault on cities

"A 40-mile Russian 'death convoy' that had been stalled to the north of Kyiv has begun
moving towards the capital, satellite images reveal, with rocket artillery taking up firing positions as what is sure to be a long and bloody battle for control of the city enters its early stages.   

Vladimir Putin's forces are now attacking to the north, west and east of Kyiv, Ukrainian commanders say, as the convoy - which had been stuck for two weeks due to fuel and logistical issues - gets moving again - dispersing to take up firing positions or else concealing itself in civilian areas and forests to prevent attacks. 

Ukraine believes the capital - which is currently home to around 2million people - could soon be surrounded, after which it faces the same punishing fate meted out to the cities of Mariupol, which has been without water or power for 11 days, Kharkiv, and Sumy, where thousands of civilians have been killed.

Territorial defence units, charged with protecting the city, were pictured digging trenches there and setting up barricades, as mayor Vitali Kitschko said the capital has been turned into a 'fortress'. 

Oleksiy Reznikov, Ukraine's defence minister, said Russia's attacks have now killed more civilians than soldiers after generals switched tactics from American-style 'shock and awe' precision strikes - which largely failed due to poor battlefield tactics - to 'medieval'-style siege warfare of the kind Moscow's men waged in Syria." DailyMail

WHO Told Ukraine To Destroy 'High-Threat Pathogens' In Labs To Prevent Disease Spread

"The World Health Organization advised Ukraine to destroy 'high-threat pathogens' in the
country's public health laboratories in order to prevent any potential spills" that might infect the population during the Russian invasion, Reuters reports.

"As part of this work, WHO has strongly recommended to the Ministry of Health in Ukraine and other responsible bodies to destroy high-threat pathogens to prevent any potential spills," said the UN agency.

US Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland acknowledged that Ukraine "has biological research facilities, which, in fact, we are now quite concerned Russian troops, Russian forces may be seeking to gain control of. So we are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach." ZH