"A record storm in Northern California brought with it historic snowfall and two exceptionally rare tornadoes that touched down.A tornado touched down in Kings County on Saturday afternoon — the second tornado in two days to hit Central California. The tornado touched down in the south end of Corcoran around 4:37 p.m., said meteorologist Carlos Molina with the National Weather Service’s Hanford office. The tornado moved eastward and than dissipated by the time it reached U.S. Route 99, he said.
The tornado comes less than a day after a funnel cloud briefly touched down in the county of Madera, about 30 minutes north of Fresno. ABC7 reported the tornado touched down near an elementary school, forcing students to shelter in the cafeteria." Breitbart
"The leak of a wiretapped telephone conversation in which senior German officers discuss the use of German Taurus missiles, training, the capabilities of this system and the possibility of destroying the Crimean bridge. German chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised a full investigation after Russia published a recording of a phone call between senior German air force officers in which they appeared to discuss supplying missiles to Ukraine.Politicians from parties in Scholz’s coalition expressed concern that Russia may have eavesdropped on other sensitive conversations, and that government communications may no longer be adequately protected. From the telephone conference it emerges that the aim of this discussion was to prepare a meeting between these participants and Foreign Minister Boris Pistorius, during which the possibilities and difficulties of using the Taurus system would be presented.
For the first 5 minutes, the conversation is a chat between the employees, who talk about private and business matters, until Gerhartz joins the conversation.
The only interesting thing is that one of the employees promises the other to send business information via WhatsApp. It seems that security is not at a high level. This attitude may also be the reason why this conversation made it into the public domain.
Gerhartz leads the conversation. Pistorius wants to get deeply involved in Taurus. Scholz is blocking it. He had been asked by a journalist whether the reason for the blocking was that this system did not work at all. That is of course not true. You have to give [Pistorius] a good presentation.
When it comes to mission planning, the British use “reachback” and then have a few people on the ground. [This probably means that the missions are planned outside of Ukraine and then implemented with people on the ground (British military personnel).
There is talk that the British on the ground [Ukraine] could support the Germans. The planning could go through MBDA [producer of Taurus] – how should that be done – question to the employees.There are two points that are sensitive: firstly, the delivery and secondly, the adaptation of the aircraft (Sukhoi). This would take about 8 months. The manufacturer needs about 6 months to convert Taurus for the Sukhoi or F-16. Political risk of direct involvement: Data does not come directly from us, but via the manufacturer. Target data combined with satellite images must be processed in Büchel (Germany) and could then be transported by car through Poland to Ukraine [bypassing direct participation in the war]. Response time: Order to “Airborne” we would need 6 hours, if it has to be more precise than 3 meters, 12 hours. There are already a lot of Americans walking around in civilian clothes. The Ukrainians have satellite data. Russian air defense: We can take evasive action because we are flying low. Storm Shadow flies over waypoints – we fly around the Russian systems. We need about 50 Taurus in the first round – that won’t change the war, even if we deliver another 50, but then we’re done, there’s no more. There are two interesting “target types”: firstly the bridge in the east [Crimean Bridge] and then also ammunition depots. The Crimean Bridge is difficult to reach and the pillars are small. Taurus can do that, Storm Shadow can’t. The Ukrainians don’t have many left – it’s in the single digits [less than 10].
Pilots can be trained quickly, but training in “image planning” will not be quick [when the Taurus flies low, terrain images have to be loaded]. The Crimean bridge is as big as an airfield. You need 10-20 Taurus for that. “If we go for the pillars, we might just make a hole and then there we are." Planning to destroy ammunition depots difficult due to massive air defenses. We don’t know where the Russian air defenses are; hopefully the Ukrainians do.
Firstly, no one knows whether this is an isolated case or whether the Russian secret services can intercept entire sections of German or even NATO communications.
It is further explained that 50 or even 100 Taurus would be delivered, but that these would have no influence on the course of the war. The question arises as to why this is even being considered – the answer is clear: marketing and politics and the absolute will to escalate.
Many parts of the conversation revolve around efforts to support the Ukrainians directly – including people on the ground – and thus to play a direct role in attacks on Russia. They are looking for solutions and “tricks” to prevent this from appearing to be the case." ZeroHedge
"Seventy-eight combat engagements were reported along the front lines in Ukraine in the past 24 hours. Russian airstrikes targeted the settlements of Lisne, Rozhkovychi, Druzhba, Bobylivka, Kyivnytsia, and Yamne of Sumy region; Vovchansk, Velykyi Burluk, and Synkivka of Kharkiv region; Nadiia, Tverdohlibove, and Bilohorivka of Luhansk region; Nove, Terny, Bohdanivka, Predtechyne, Druzhba, Oleksandropil, Pokrovsk, Novobakhmutivka, Orlivka, Umanske, Pervomaiske, Netailove, Kurakhove, Vodiane, Vuhledar, Urozhaine, and Staromaiorske of Donetsk region; as well as Verkhia Tersa, Robotyne of Zaporizhzhia region. Over 80 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions came under Russian artillery fire.
Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna directions: the enemy retains military presence near the border, going for subversive missions in order to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian troops to other front line directions.
Kupiansk direction: the enemy undertook 11 offensive attempts in the areas of Synkivka and Tabaivka of Kharkiv region, unsuccessfully trying to improve their tactical position.
Lyman direction: Ukraine’s forces repelled five attacks near Bilohorivka of Luhansk region, and Terny and Verkhniokamianske of Donetsk region.
Bakhmut direction: Ukraine repelled five assaults near Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, and Andriivka of Donetsk region.
Avdiivka direction: Ukrainian defenders repelled 20 attacks near Berdychi, Orlivka, Tonenke, Pervomaiske, and Nevelske of Donetsk region.
Novopavlivka direction: Ukraine’s soldiers continue to hold the enemy back near Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, and Novomykhailivka of Donetsk region, where the Russians 30 times attempted to penetrate the defense lines.
Orikhiv direction: the enemy conducted three assaults near Robotyne, none of which bore fruit.
Kherson direction: Ukraine’s forces are holding their ground. Russian troops undertook no offensive efforts in the area." Ukrin
"The German ambassador to Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry in the wake of a scandal involving a private conversation between German Armed Forces leaders being leaked; the conversation in question regarded the possibility of supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine. TASS reported that the German ambassador arrived at the Russian Foreign Ministry, "where he was summoned in light of the German Air Force officers’ conversation about the attacks on the Crimean Bridge"." Ukrin
"Six alleged members of the Islamic State group were killed in a shootout in Russia’s volatile North Caucasus region, in what the country’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) described Sunday as a “counterterrorism operation.” According to a statement by the NAC the six men barricaded themselves in a third-floor apartment in Karabulak, a town of about 30,000 in Russia’s semi-autonomous Republic of Ingushetia. A shootout with security services followed, as surrounding streets were blocked off. The NAC did not immediately name the alleged militants, but said three of them were on Russia’s wanted list and all six had been involved in violent acts, including an attack on a traffic police unit last March that killed three officers." Breitbart
"A ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of their campaign over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The sinking of the Rubymar comes as shipping through the crucial waterway for cargo and energy shipments moving from Asia and the Middle East to Europe has been affected by the Houthi attacks." Breitbart
"Over the past day, 71 combat engagements took place. In total, the enemy launched one missile and 50 airstrikes and fired 112 times from multiple launch rocket systems at the positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas. More than 120x settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv oblasts came under artillery fire.Pivnich operational-strategic group, Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes.
Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: the adversary maintains its military presence in the areas of Russia bordering Ukraine. The enemy troops conduct subversive activities in order to prevent the deployment of Ukrainian troops to threatened axes. The adversary increases the density of minefields along the state border in Belgorod region (russia).
Khortytsia operational-strategic group, Kupyansk axis: the enemy launched 4x unsuccessful attacks in the vicinity of settlement of Tabaivka (Kharkiv region).
Lyman axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 8x attacks of the adversary in the vicinities of Terny and Yampolivka (Donetsk region).
Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 15x attacks of the occupiers in the vicinities of Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, and Andriivka (Donetsk region).
Tavria operational-strategic group, Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 14x enemy attacks in the vicinities of settlements of Berdychi, Orlivka, Tonenke, and Nevelske (Donetsk region).
Novopavlivka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the vicinities of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Pobjeda, and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk region). The invaders made 25x attempts to break through the defense of Ukrainian troops in that area.
Orikhiv axis: the enemy launched 4x unsuccessful attacks in the vicinity of Robotyne and west of Novoprokopivka (Zaporizhzhia region)." Ukrin
"Germany must improve its healthcare system to be able to swiftly respond to crisis situations, such as a new pandemic or a military conflict, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has said.
Legislation for reforms expected to be presented this summer will be “a turning point for the healthcare system,” the Social Democratic Party (SPD) politician told the newspaper Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung in an interview." RT
"The French government is mulling sending a small military force directly into Ukraine to serve as instructors for Kiev’s Armed Forces and as a “deterrent” to Moscow, newspaper Le Monde reported, citing its sources." RT
"Russia struck the Black Sea region of Odesa in a drone barrage that damaged a warehouse, charred dozens of trucks and injured two drivers in fiery explosions that led to the suspension of the ferry service between Romania and Ukraine, officials said." AP
"The leaders of Kenya and Haiti inked a pact for a Kenya-led UN mission to the Caribbean nation. Nairobi plans to send 1,000 armed men, dubbed police officers, to Port-au-Prince as local authorities have all but lost control of Haiti’s capital city. The Biden administration has been working for several years to create a UN force to invade Haiti to restore order." ZH
"Explosions at infrastructure facilities in Russia, including at the substation in Yekaterinburg, are the responsibility of the Russian authorities, according to a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Andrii Yusov. "Their infrastructure continues to degrade. What explodes in Russia is the responsibility of the Russian government," he said." MS
"Alexander Drozdenko, Leningrad Oblast’s governor, reported the engagement and destructionof unidentified “aerial targets” above the Gulf of Finland’s maritime territory and adjacent coastline.
This announcement was aligned with reports from Russian state-owned media sources that there had been a series of blasts in the vicinity of the Bronka port, which is located near St. Petersburg. Russian officials have been documenting a surge in unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) incursions, impacting regions such as Belgorod, Bryansk, Oryol, and Leningrad oblasts, amongst others, over past weeks and months." MS
"The leaked discussions between German military officers, including a top Air Force commander, about aiding Kiev in a potential attack on the Crimean Bridge are genuine, a German Defense Ministry spokeswoman told state broadcaster, ARD. The 38-minute audio dated February 19 contained a conversation between four officers of the German air force(Luftwaffe), including its commander, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz. The military were discussing the operational and targeting details of Taurus long-range missiles that Germany was considering sending to Kiev.
The officers were discussing the matter as if the delivery had already been agreed upon, and also spoke about maintaining plausible deniability in the event of the bridge attack that would allow Berlin to avoid being dragged into the conflict between Kiev and Moscow. German media also reported that the audio clip appeared to be authentic. Germany’s DPA news agency said that the officers were talking using the Webex online calling, messaging and conference platform. Der Spiegel reported that “according to an initial assessment, AI-supported counterfeiting is largely ruled out.” Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the leak a “very serious matter....That is why it is now being investigated very intensively, very carefully and very swiftly,” he told journalists in Rome following an audience with the Pope." RT
"Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 55 enemy attacks on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Novopavlivka, and Orikhiv directions, as well as one attempted assault on the left bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region.Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: the adversary maintains its military presence in the areas of Russia bordering Ukraine. The enemy continues its sabotage and reconnaissance activities, shelling Ukrainian settlements from the territory of Russia and increases the density of minefields along the state border of Ukraine. The adversary launched an air strike in the vicinity of Svesa (Sumy oblast). More than 30x settlements came under enemy artillery and mortar fire, including Klyusy (Chernihiv oblast), Bachivsk, Velyka Berizka, Pokrovka, Basivka, Pavlivka (Sumy oblast), Mala Vovcha, Basove, Vovchansk, Starytsya, Udy (Kharkiv oblast).
Kupyansk axis: the adversary conducted 4x attacks on positions of Ukrainian troops in the vicinity of Tabaivka (Kharkiv oblast). The enemy launched air strikes in the vicinity of Berestove (Kharkiv oblast). The invaders fired artillery and mortars at more than 15x settlements, including Dvorichna, Berestove, Pishchane (Kharkiv oblast).
Lyman axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 7x assaults near Terny, Yampolivka (Donetsk oblast), where the adversary, with air support, made attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. The enemy fired artillery and mortars at around 15x settlements, including Nevske, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Terny, Yampolivka, Torske, Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast).
Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 11x attacks in the vicinities of Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka and Andriivka (Donetsk oblast), where the occupiers made attempts to improve their tactical situation. The invaders launched an air strike near Pivnichne (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Chasiv Yar, Andriivka, Vasyukivka (Donetsk oblast)." Ukrin
