Vessel Hit by Houthis Becomes First Ship to Sink During Red Sea Crisis

"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 past day, 71 combat engagements occurred in frontline

"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

German healthcare system should prepare for war – minister

"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

France considering placing Special Forces in Ukraine

"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

Russian drone strikes on Odesa region hit port area and cut ferry service to Romania

"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

Kenya & Haiti Sign Agreement To Deploy Force To Caribbean Nation

"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

Ukrainian intelligence about explosion at substation in Yekaterinburg

"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

Alleged Engagement of Aerial Targets over Gulf of Finland by Russian Forces

"Alexander Drozdenko, Leningrad Oblast’s governor, reported the engagement and destruction

of 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

Leaked Crimean Bridge attack conversation is real

"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

56 attacks in six directions over past day

"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

Palestine’s Vatican envoy urges Gaza ceasefire for Ramadan, Easter

"Palestinian Ambassador to the Holy See, Issa Kassissieh, met with a top Vatican official about the ongoing war in Gaza, stressing the need for immediate humanitarian assistance and calling for a ceasefire ahead of the holiest days on the Christian and Muslim calendars. As the Muslim holy month Ramadan and the Christian feast of Easter approach, “we hope that by this day there will be a ceasefire, so that especially the people in Gaza would see at the end of the tunnel a glimpse of hope, if there was any hope,” he told Crux." Crux

Navalny was close to being freed in prisoner swap deal

"Associates of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said Monday that talks were underway shortly before his death to exchange him for a Russian imprisoned in Germany. According to Pevchikh, Navalny and two US citizens held in Russia were supposed to be swapped for Vadim Krasikov. He was serving a life sentence in Germany for the 2019 killing in Berlin of Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian citizen of Chechen descent. German judges said Krasikov acted on the orders of Russian authorities, who gave him a false identity, passport and resources to carry out the killing." France24

Jerusalem police thwart terrorist plot coordinated with Hamas in Gaza

"The Shin Bet and the Central Unit of the Jerusalem District Police revealed a thwarted terrorist plot planned by two terrorists who coordinated with a Hamas terrorist in Gaza......uncovered the plot using undercover agents. One terrorist is a 17-year-old resident of Israel living in Shuafat, in East Jerusalem, who worked alongside his cousin, the second terrorist, who is a 29-year-old Palestinian resident of Nablus. With the assistance of the IDF, the older terrorist was arrested and taken into custody. Both suspects were interrogated, and extending their detention." JP

Putin loses top colonel after missile strike 'on medal ceremony' kills 19

"Vladimir Putin has suffered a major blow after losing a top colonel following a missile

strike during a medal ceremony, according to reports.
The hit which also killed 19 troops and injured another 12 wiped out Colonel Roman Kozhukhov in occupied Donetsk in Ukraine.
Another high ranking officer Colonel Mikhail Gudkov was wounded as was Major Alexander Abilov." Metro

Indonesia denies rumors on its diplomatic relations with Israel

"Presidential Special Staff Coordinator Ari Dwipayana emphasized that circulated news in foreign media, stating that Indonesia had plans for official diplomatic relations with Israel, is false.

"The information is completely incorrect," Dwipayana stated in a short message." Antara