Germany intercepts conversations on killing civilians...

"Germany’s foreign intelligence service claims to have intercepted radio communications in which Russian soldiers discuss carrying out indiscriminate killings in Ukraine. In two separate communications, Russian soldiers described questioning Ukrainian soldiers as well as civilians and then shooting them... These people also said the radio traffic suggests that members of the Wagner Group, the private military unit with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies, have played a role in attacks on civilians. Another person briefed on the intelligence said the Wagner Group or another private contractor could be involved." MSN

Putin hit by ANOTHER mutiny as ‘60 elite paratroopers refuse to fight in Ukraine after comrades were wiped out’

"The Russian elite paratroopers have staged a mutiny after witnessing their comrades being
wiped out in battle.....The soldiers were from key airborne forces headquarters in Pskov in northern Russia.

The refusenik troops had been moved to Belarus as part of the invasion force but after their mutiny, they were sent in disgrace back to their base in Pskov.

Some have been dismissed and branded "cowards" while others are set to face the Russian equivalent of a court-martial with likely jail sentences.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is reported to have sent one of his deputies to Pskov to handle the insubordination." Sun

The Russian Ambassador: Iraq is a major partner in the region

"The Russian ambassador to Iraq, Maksim Maksimov , confirmed that Iraq is a major partner in the region, while indicating that Russian companies are considering contributing to rebuilding its infrastructure." IraqiNewsAgency

Japan to Refrain From Imposing Embargo on Russian Coal

"The Japanese government will not ban Russian coal imports over recent developments in
Ukraine, Japanese newspaper The Mainichi reported on Thursday citing informed sources. According to the newspaper, Japan fears a price hike on this energy resource in case Russian coal is fully eliminated from the international market. Meanwhile, the news outlet noted that the amount of coal purchased by Japan from Russia accounts for 15% of the country's overall coal imports." Sputnik

Russian Black Sea Fleet Frigate Fired Kalibr Missiles at Military Facilities of Ukraine

"A frigate of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has hit military facilities of Ukraine with Kalibr
cruise missiles, the Russian defence ministry said on Thursday.

"The crew of the frigate of the Black Sea Fleet carried out a salvo launch of four Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea at designated ground targets on the territory of Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement." Sputnik

Ukrainian Forces Fire Shells at Town North of Lugansk

"The Russian military and Donbass militias are tightening their encirclement around the
remaining Ukrainian radicals in Mariupol and preventing their evacuation from the city.

In total, since the beginning of the op, Russia has destroyed 125 Ukrainian planes, over 400 drones, 1,987 tanks and other armoured vehicles, and at least 1,888 special military vehicles, the Defence Ministry said." Sputnik

 

Russian Troops Blunder in Mali while helping hunt Terrorists in Africa

"Malian troops and suspected Russian fighters allegedly executed around 300 civilian men over five days during a military operation in a central Malian town in late March, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report on Tuesday. FRANCE 24 terrorism expert Wassim Nasr gives his analysis, saying that this was a counter-jihadist operation sparked by bad intelligence. 

The alleged killings took place between March 27 and 31 in the town of Moura, a rural town of around 10,000 inhabitants in central Mali’s Mopti region, a hotspot of extremist activity that has intensified and spread to neighbouring countries in the Sahel region. Since many weeks the Malian military – helped with Russian elements – is trying to make a kind of surge in the central region of Mali.

The Malian army "based their operation there on bad information – or bad intelligence", Nasr explained. “I got to know that a member of the first circle of Mohamad Koufa, a prominent leader of al Qaeda there, was caught and brought into interrogation in [the Malian capital] Bamako – and actually this person gave some information, saying that Koufa could be in this region of Moura, which launched this operation with at least 100 Russian operatives backing the Malian army." France24

Turkey detonates stray naval mine in Black Sea amid Ukraine war

"Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of laying mines in the Black Sea, and in late
March, Turkish and Romanian military diving teams defused stray mines in their waters. 

Turkish military diving teams safely detonated a floating naval mine in the Black Sea, the defense ministry said on Wednesday, the third such mine found in its waters since the Ukraine war.

Maritime officials say the risk of coming across floating mines in the major Black Sea shipping route is adding to perils for merchant ships in the region, and governments must ensure safe passage to keep supply chains running." JP

Germany, France to expel dozens of Russian diplomats

"Dmitry Medvedev has promised a harsh reaction to the expulsion of Russian diplomats by
Western governments. 

“It will be symmetrical and destructive for bilateral relations,” Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, wrote on his Telegram channel.

He added that expelling diplomats as a means of pressure is a practice that is “senseless” and “leads nowhere”.Aljazeera

Russian troops 'raped two sisters aged 15 and 16 in occupied village where women resorted to cutting off their hair to 'be less attractive' to Putin's soldiers'

"Two teenage sisters were allegedly raped by Russian troops in a small village outside Kyiv
which was brutally occupied by Putin's forces for as month, its deputy mayor has claimed....that girls restored to cutting their hair 'to be less attractive' after Kremlin troops pulled women by their hair out of their basements to be abused." DailyMail

Dutch customs authorities seize 14 Russian yachts

"Dutch customs authorities have placed 14 yachts owned by Russians under “strict
supervision.”

This includes 12 yachts under construction — including superyachts — and two yachts under maintenance at Dutch yacht builders. The bold move follows an investigation into shipyards in the Netherlands carried out by the customs authorities. It found that the shipyards are still cooperating with the construction of the yachts, despite the major sanctions." DutchReview

 

The Washington Post Finally Admits The Role of the Azov Battalion in Ukraine

"After months of denying the influence of Neo Nazis in Ukraine’s military, the Washington
Post has finally conceded the point – long blasted as “conspiracy theory” or “Kremlin disinformation” – about the nation’s Azov battalion.....Washington Post explains in its headline: “Azov Battalion emerges as a controversial defender of Ukraine.”...the paper interviewed Col. Andriy Biletskiy – co-founder and commander of Azov who is on the record as wanting to “lead the white races of the world in a final crusade … against Semite-led Untermenschen [subhumans]…” NationalPulse