France seizes cargo vessel targeted by US sanctions on Russia

"France seized a car cargo ship in the English Channel that Washington says was linked to the
son of a former Russian spy chief, in one of the first visible displays of the West enforcing sanctions on Moscow over its Ukraine invasion." France24

 

Islamist Kadyrov Ready to Unleash Thousands of Chechen Fighters on Ukraine for Putin

"Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the Russian Federation’s Muslim-majority Chechen Republic, is prepared to unleash up to 70,000 fighters on Ukraine to support his “commander-in-chief”, Vladimir Putin.

State-backed Russian news outlet RT published video footage on Friday showing an enormous rally of, it reported, 12,000 “local volunteers” in the Chechen capital of Grozny, with Kadyrov telling the assembly that his advice to Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky was to “[call] our President, Supreme Commander Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, and [apologise] for not doing so sooner. Do it in order to save Ukraine. Ask for forgiveness and agree to all the conditions that Russia puts forward....the assembled masses responded with chants of “Allahu Akbar!”” Breitbart

Russia’s Northern Neighbour Spooked: Finns Buy Up Anti-Radiation Iodine Tablets, Prepare Beds for Refugees

"Concern over a broader conflict has led Finns to buy large quantities of anti-radiation iodine
tablets and to prepare a thousand beds for fleeing Ukrainians as Russia threatens consequences if the country joins NATO.

Pharmacies across Finland have claimed that stocks of iodine tablets, which are used to combat the effects of radiation and nuclear fallout, have run low and, in some cases, have sold out completely, as Finns fear the war in Ukraine could spread." Breitbart

European countries make pledges.

"The report continues,

"The Netherlands will send 200 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles as soon as
possible, in addition to other military aid approved earlier this month. The Czech Republic will send machine guns, sniper rifles, handguns and ammunition on top of 4,000 artillery shells already agreed. Belgium is dispatching fuel and 2,000 small arms, while Slovakia -- which shares a border with Ukraine -- is sending shells and fuel." Bloomberg

Putin Shows Signs of Panic, as He Calls on Ukraine Military to Mutiny

 "Looking dead-eyed into the camera on Friday, Vladimir Putin gave one of the most bizarre
speeches of his 22 years as Russia’s leader, a directive that managed to sound alarming even in a week when he has ordered tanks into Ukraine and missile strikes on Kyiv.

“Once again I speak to the Ukrainian soldiers,” he said, addressing his enemy. “Do not allow neo-Nazis and Banderites to use your children, your wives and the elderly as a human shield. Take power into your own hands. It seems that it will be easier for us to come to an agreement than with this gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis.” RedState

China’s Xi Jinping stresses cooperation with North Korea’s Kim under ‘new situation’

"Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
emphasizing cooperation between the two countries, according to state media in North Korea.

Xi said that China was ready to work with North Korea to realize the two sides’ "common understanding" and promote friendly and supportive relations under "a new situation,".....The messages of support between the two countries also come a day after Xi offered his "support" for Russian President Vladimir Putin as Russian forces bombarded Ukraine in a full-scale invasion." FOX

Russian Troops Show Off Dead Ukranians Like Trophies

 "Pro-Russian separatists from the Donbas region show a news crew a group of Ukrainian
soldiers they recently killed using a tank. 

They show the Ukrainian soldiers have NATO issued boots. 

They do not express joy in killing these soldiers, but show their commitment to leaving Ukraine.

The captured soldiers claim they are new and their commanders sent them to clear dead bodies." NW

Ukraine hit by more cyberattacks, destructive malware

"Ukraine’s parliament and other government and banking websites have been hit with another
wave of distributed-denial-of-service attacks.

Some of the infected computers were in neighboring Latvia and Lithuania, the researchers said.

 ESET Research Labs said it detected a previously unseen piece of data-wiping malware on “hundreds of machines in the country.”...........Boutin said the malware’s timestamp indicated it was created in late December. “Russia likely has been planning this for months, so it is hard to say how many organizations or agencies have been backdoored in preparation for these attacks,” said Chester Wisniewski." Breitbart

 

"Cash Delay" Deliveries Strike Polish ATMs As People Panic Hoard Amid Ukraine Crisis

"Poland, which has a 326-mile border with Ukraine, is bracing for a wave of refugees. The
spillover of chaos is also causing Polish people to panic hoard cash on Friday as bank ATMs run out of money.

The National Bank of Poland (NBP) released a statement Friday indicating it had enough cash reserves though increased demand for cash contributed to some ATMs running out of money." ZH

Biden admin gave China intelligence on Russia in bid for help — then China handed it off to Russia

"According to an eye-opening new report from the New York Times published Friday, the
Biden administration since late last year endeavored to enlist Chinese assistance, only to have its plan turned on its head..... over the past three months, senior administration officials arranged urgent meetings with Beijing during which they shared intelligence showing Russia's troop build-up on the Ukraine border in hopes that China would step in and tell Russia not to invade. 

Each time, the officials said the Chinese rebuffed the Americans, playing coy about Russia's intentions — and at least one time, the Chinese turned around to hand over the intelligence to Moscow. The account raises concerns about the White House's naivety regarding Russia and China, the U.S.'s two strongest adversarial powers." Blaze

Conflicting reports on Chernobyl radiation after Russian capture

"Radiation levels increased at the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine authorities said on
Friday, warning that the seizure of the nuclear plant by invading Russian troops could have “terrible consequences”.

The still-radioactive site of the 1986 nuclear disaster lies some 130km (80 miles) from the capital Kyiv.

“In the terrible hands of the aggressor, this significant amount of plutonium-239 can become a nuclear bomb that will turn thousands of hectares into a dead, lifeless desert,” said Ukraine’s environmental protection ministry.

However, experts at Ukraine’s state nuclear agency said the radiation-level change was caused by the movement of heavy military equipment in the area, lifting radioactive dust into the air.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the radiation at the site did not pose any danger to the public.

“The readings reported by the regulator – of up to 9.46 microsieverts per hour – are low and remain within the operational range measured in the Exclusion Zone since it was established,” the IAEA said." AlJazeera

Italy formally approves NATO contingents

"Premier Mario Draghi’s Cabinet on Friday formally approved previously announced
participation by 250 Italian military forces and 139 land vehicles in NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence in Latvia, as well as air policing by some 12 aircraft currently deployed in Romania and patrols by an intelligence-gathering aircraft and a refueling aircraft as part of NATO’s shoring up of its eastern flank allies in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The government also approved deployment of 235 military forces aboard two or three naval vessels, as well as an aircraft as part of surveillance and intelligence-gathering in the eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea." AP

Arabs fear for wheat supplies after Russia invades Ukraine

 "Russia's invasion of Ukraine could mean less bread on the table in Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen
and elsewhere in the Arab world where millions already struggle to survive. 

 The region is heavily dependent on wheat supplies from the two countries which are now at war, and any shortages of the staple food have potential to bring unrest." France24

U.S. stands ready to evacuate Zelensky, Russia’s ‘target No. 1’

"The U.S. government is prepared to help Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky leave
Kyiv to avoid being captured or killed by advancing Russian forces, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials. But so far, the president has refused to go." MSN

Putin prepares to use 'father of all bombs' as brave Ukrainians hold up advance

"Russia could use savage superweapons that vaporize bodies and crush internal organs if their
assault of Ukraine becomes bogged down, Western officials warned tonight.

They fear Vladimir Putin could resort to high-power thermobaric weapons - dubbed the 'father of all bombs' - as brave Ukrainians resist his attempts to take control of Kyiv.

There are also concerns that units that are running behind schedule as they encounter stiff opposition could resort to indiscriminate shelling as a terror weapon.

Thermobaric weapons - also known as vacuum bombs - are high-powered explosive that use the atmosphere itself as part of the explosion. They  are among the most powerful non-nuclear weapons ever developed." DailyMail