Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 03-06-2024

"Journalism no longer exists in Russia," the journalist said.

Russian court on Wednesday sentenced a journalist to seven years in prison for criticizing the Ukraine offensive in social media posts.

Roman Ivanov, 51, was found guilty of spreading "false information" about Russia's armed forces and punished under Moscow's strict military censorship laws.

Medvedev, who the West once saw as a liberal reformer, said Russia’s “geostrategic space” was indivisible from Ukraine and that any attempt to change that by force was doomed.

In a bellicose presentation that suggested Russia’s military goals in Ukraine are far-reaching, Medvedev, who was Russia’s president from 2008-2012, praised the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union and said Moscow would prosecute its “special military operation” until the Ukrainian leadership capitulated.

“One of Ukraine’s former leaders said at some point that Ukraine is not Russia,” Medvedev, a hawk who diplomats say gives a flavor of the thinking inside the Kremlin, told a youth forum in the Black Sea city of Sochi.

“An honor that says more about Putin's fascist regime than about me,” Kasparov said.

Russia's financial watchdog added chess grandmaster and political activist Garry Kasparov to its list of “terrorists and extremists” on Wednesday.

The 60-year-old former world chess champion has been a longtime opponent of President Vladimir Putin and has repeatedly spoken out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The latest escalation of the Polish farmers’ protest saw mass protests in Warsaw outside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s office, though Ukraine had already conceded to the demands.

Thousands of angry farmers could be seen blowing horns, throwing smoke bombs and firecrackers and lighting fires outside the prime minister’s office in Warsaw in the latest escalation over the Polish-Ukrainian grain dispute, as reported by AFP.

However, the fact that Ukraine already conceded to the demands could indicate that political infighting is ultimately at play beneath the persisting voices against Ukrainian farm imports.

The WSJ reported that last summer President Zelensky sent Ukrainian special forces, including intelligence officers, to the African country at the request of its leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Ukrainian special forces continue to fight against Russian mercenaries in the African country of Sudan, as the Kyiv Post reported earlier. In the summer of 2023, Ukrainian soldiers arrived in the African country at the request of its de facto ruler, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to help fight rebel forces, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing Sudanese and Ukrainian military officials.

The news site said that President Zelensky had agreed to this step after al-Burhan had secretly supplied Ukraine with weapons immediately after Russia's full-scale invasion. The move was also because Sudanese rebels were being supported by the Wagner PMC troops, who were mining gold in the country which was used to finance Russian aggression.

By detonating a nuclear weapon in lower Earth orbit, Putin could asymmetrically nullify the US advantage in space.

Russian plans to deploy a new anti-satellite system in space — first revealed on Feb. 14 by House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and reiterated in another warning on Feb. 22 — sounds the alarm about Vladimir Putin’s preparations to detonate a nuclear weapon in space in violation of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.

More importantly, US officials are also concerned that Russia intends to deploy an exo-atmospheric missile interceptor, which is a dual-capable missile that can possess either a conventional/kinetic explosive or a nuclear warhead.

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

Donald Trump is sailing into battle against President Joe Biden powered by anger over the two policy issues that have driven his comeback campaign so far: immigration and the economy. Trump came close to sweeping the board in the 16 “Super Tuesday” Republican primary races, putting him on the verge of clinching the party's nomination and allowing him to train his full fire on Biden ahead of the November election. Trump has tapped into a current of dissatisfaction about the state of the country that he has amplified at every opportunity. It is one that could tip the scales in the rematch with Biden, who beat him in 2020. Republican voters who went to the polls on Tuesday exhibited a deep pessimism about the economy that extends beyond Trump’s loyal base of supporters to many moderate and swing voters that could help determine the election – Reuters

Olena Zelenska will not attend U.S. President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address to the US Congress on Thursday despite being invited by the White House. According to Washington Post sources, Zelenska was supposed to sit near US first lady Jill Biden and Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison in Russia last month. But the Post said that caused discomfort for Ukraine’s top leadership, as many Ukrainians do not see Navalnaya and other Russian opposition figures as allies in the fight against President Vladimir Putin. That’s due to Navalny’s former remarks about Crimea “not being a sandwich to give back and forth,” which was viewed as backing Russia’s claim over the Ukrainian peninsula that it illegally annexed and occupied in 2014. In the end, Navalnaya also declined the White House’s invite to the State of the Union, citing fatigue – Politico

A favorite of affluent, moderate Republican voters, Haley failed to derail Trump’s path to the nomination since finishing a distant third in the opening contest in Iowa in January.

Donald Trump marched Wednesday towards an unprecedented rematch against President Joe Biden in November as his final Republican rival Nikki Haley looked set to throw in the towel after a thumping defeat in the “Super Tuesday” primaries.

Former UN ambassador Haley was to suspend her campaign shortly, and without endorsing Trump, US media reported.

The Verkhovna Rada, hasn't publicly stated why sessions are canceled. However, the head of the majority party said it's so that members can do some important work for Western allies.

Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, canceled its plenary sessions this week, delaying consideration of laws like the one on conscription that had been planned for this week.

This marks the first time the Rada has canceled meetings since September 2020, when it was canceled as a measure taken against the Covid-19 pandemic.

A number of Russian-installed officials have been targeted in apparent assassination attempts since Moscow launched its full-scale military operation in Ukraine two years ago.

Moscow said Wednesday that an election official had been killed by a car bomb in the Russian-controlled city of Berdyansk in southern Ukraine.

A number of Russian-installed officials have been targeted in apparent assassination attempts since Moscow launched its full-scale military operation in Ukraine two years ago.

Polish farmers have recently resorted to blocking border crossings with Ukraine, prompting discussions within the Polish government about potential border closures and a halt to trade with Ukraine.

Closing borders with Ukraine is a "no-go" for both sides - Kyiv and Warsaw - and could potentially "damage Polish economy in the same amount as for Ukraine and even worse," Taras Kachka, Ukraine's deputy economy minister, said in an interview with AFP in Brussels, stressing the need for dialogue.

"We are in a common situation, and (dialogue) is the best way to resolve this problem by unifying our efforts. Because, after all, Ukraine is like a twin sister of EU agriculture," he added.

Blowing horns, throwing smoke bombs and firecrackers and lighting fires, the farmers gathered outside the prime minister's office in Warsaw.

Thousands of angry farmers descended on the Polish capital on Wednesday to protest EU environmental rules and cheap imports from Ukraine and elsewhere outside the bloc.

Blowing horns, throwing smoke bombs and firecrackers and lighting fires, the farmers gathered outside the prime minister's office in Warsaw, while others used their tractors to block highways nationwide.

The Russo-Ukrainian War presents one particularly disconcerting prospect. Insufficient aid to Ukraine will be taken note of by other countries, encouraging them to develop a nuclear deterrence.

As Russia’s illegal invasion into Ukraine passes two years, debates rage in the US and Europe regarding further support. “Funding fatigue” has set in, and opposing voices grow louder. There is, however, an extremely important reason to support Ukraine that many do not realize. Failing to support Ukraine now will create a far more unstable and dangerous future world. The reason: a rapid growth in nuclear proliferation. 

Background: The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968, included 5 nuclear powers and 189 state parties. The landmark treaty was an international effort to stem a global nuclear arms race, as many nations had begun pursuing nuclear weapons given their dominance in warfare. Since inception, most nations have adhered to the treaty, minus some well-known violators. For context, it’s important to understand that many non-nuclear nations were enticed to sign onto the treaty based on assurances provided by their nuclear capable strategic partners. For example, NATO nations would rely on the US, UK, and France – all nuclear powers.  

The French president has reversed his position on Ukraine since Russia invaded. The drop of a high-tech French bomb on Russian troops is the latest proof of Paris’ newfound commitment to Kyiv.

Ukrainian airmen used a high-tech French guided bomb called a HAMMER for the first time in Kyiv’s war against the Kremlin, sources on both sides of the fighting lines said on Tuesday.

The NATO-standard, precision-guided munition with the full name Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) hit Russian positions geolocated to the frontline southern sector city of Kozachi Laheri on March 4, drone video published by the Ukrainian military showed.

Since they first arrived in Ukraine, Russia has been claiming to have destroyed HIMARS, but the video posted on Tuesday, March 5 is the first “confirmed” success.

Ever since the first deliveries to Ukraine of the US-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) were made in June 2022, Moscow’s troops have been hunting for them and claiming to have destroyed the launchers and their associated logistic vehicles.

Less than a month after the arrival of the first systems Reuters reported a Kremlin claim that between July 5 and20 “four launchers and one reloading vehicle for the US-made multiple launch rocket systems (HIMARS) were destroyed.” Both Kyiv and Washington rejected Moscow’s claims, calling them “fakes” designed to undermine support for Ukraine.

The Washington Post reported US First Lady Jill Biden’s invitations to Olena Zelenska and Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the Russian opposition figure, were turned down by both.

The Washington Post reported that Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, declined an invitation from the White House to attend US President Joe Biden’s annual State of the Union Address to Congress.

WP describes this decision as “forgoing one of Washington’s most dignified events and underscoring the complicated politics facing her war-torn country.”

Hotels in Turkey are encountering challenges in receiving payments for accommodation from Russian guests, with transfers arriving late or being returned.

As major Turkish exporters and buyers of Russian oil felt the impact of sanctions, hotels in Turkey have now begun to experience difficulties with bank payments from Russia, according to The Moscow Times.

Reports suggest that hotels are unable to receive payments for guests’ accommodation, with transfers arriving with significant delays or even bouncing back.

The frontline plant -- seized by Russian forces in the first days of its offensive -- has been in shutdown since 2022 amid frequent shelling attacks.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has cautioned Russia against restarting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeast Ukraine, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said Wednesday.

The frontline plant -- seized by Russian forces in the first days of its offensive -- has been in shutdown since 2022 amid frequent shelling attacks.

Serhiy Kolyada on what many hope will be the outcome of the forthcoming pseudo-election In Rasszia.

The court accused lieutenant general Sergei Kobylash and navy admiral Viktor Sokolov of targeting Ukraine's power infrastructure with strikes between October 2022 and March 2023.

The Kremlin said Wednesday it did not recognise the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants for two senior Russian officers over their actions in the Ukraine conflict.

The court accused lieutenant general Sergei Kobylash and navy admiral Viktor Sokolov of targeting Ukraine's power infrastructure with strikes between October 2022 and March 2023.

Kyiv Post’s sources in the intelligence services said that on Wednesday morning, Ukrainian-made HUR drones hit one of Russia’s largest iron ore mining and processing facilities.

Ukrainian-made HUR drones attacked the Varichev mining and processing plant in Zaliznogorsk, Kursk region, on the morning of Wednesday, March 6, as reported by intelligence officials.

“The enemy is using these facilities for military purposes, to support the occupation army and its war of aggression against Ukraine,” Kyiv Post’s source in the intelligence services reported.

The attack comes five days after the drone strike on an apartment block in Odesa early Saturday morning destroyed several floors, killing more than a dozen people under the rubble.

Ukraine said Wednesday it destroyed most of the 42 attack drones launched by Russia overnight, with damage reported in several regions across Ukraine.

The attack comes five days after the drone strike on an apartment block in Odesa early Saturday morning partially destroyed several floors, killing more than a dozen people under the rubble.

Polish farmers' blockade of Ukrainian agricultural exports stabbing their Ukrainian counterparts in the back as they fight against Russia's war of aggression.

In a field in the Kyiv region, Lyudmyla Martyniuk was standing by silos filled with grain that should be heading for export, but for a blockade on the Polish border disturbing a market already impacted by Ukraine's war with Russia.

"We cannot sell," said Martyniuk, head of the farming company Kivshovata Agro.

Russian Foreign Minister tells Ankara that Moscow is not prepared to discuss ending its war with Ukraine and is now also focusing more attention on its pro-Western neighbor, Moldova

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov publicly rejected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent offer to host a negotiation platform for Russia and Ukraine. Lavrov attended the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey on March 1 and responded to a question about Erdogan’s offer by stating that there are no current dialogue initiatives that consider Russian interests.

Lavrov, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other Kremlin officials routinely feign openness to negotiations while promoting information operations that place the onus for negotiations on the West. Lavrov’s demand for a dialogue initiative that accounts for Russian interests is part of a longstanding effort to prompt preemptive Western concessions regarding Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Under Kyrylo Budanov’s stewardship, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has gained a reputation for audaciousness and thinking outside the box – the development of the sea drone exemplifies this.

In the early hours of March 5, yet another Black Sea Fleet (BSF) vessel was sunk as a result of an attack by Ukraine’s Magura-V5 unmanned surface vessels (USV), known more colloquially as sea drones.

The Russian patrol ship Serhiy Kotov became, according to the Oryx OSINT website, the 22nd naval vessel to be sunk by Ukrainian seaborn or airborne drones, or by ground or air-launched missiles, since the start of the full-scale invasion two years ago. Kyiv claims the figure to be even higher, at 26 vessels.

No surprises in US Super Tuesday primaries as Trump and Biden sweep the deck, and Haley's bid in doubt.

Donald Trump celebrated an "amazing night" as he closed in on the Republican presidential nomination with easy wins in the Super Tuesday primaries, setting up an all-but-certain rematch with President Joe Biden in November.

Fifteen states and a US territory staged nominating contests on the biggest day of the 2024 race so far, with both candidates coveting a second term in the White House.

The Deputy Minister of Strategic Industries reveals that Ukrainian drone manufacturers can produce up to 150,000 monthly units.

Ukraine is set to produce two million drones this year, Hanna Hvozdyar, Deputy Minister of Strategic Industries, said during the TV marathon on Tuesday,  March 5.

At the same time, she acknowledged that the current needs of Ukrainian troops far surpass the country's financial capabilities, even with the assistance of partners.

Speaker Johnson has steadfastly refused to put Ukraine aid to a vote. However, there are things that Democrats could do now, to save Ukraine, if they wished.

For nearly half a year, the US Congress has failed to pass legislation to send weapons to Ukraine. Speaker Michael Johnson continues to be a steadfast roadblock, arguing that aid for Ukraine will not be considered until an immigration deal is passed – something that has failed to gain traction with Congressional Democrats. However, Democrats are not without blame in putting Ukraine in this untenable situation.

Johnson’s rise to Speakership came on the heels of ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy being ousted in a coup led by Donald Trump-supporting “MAGA” Republicans, in response to the late Speaker’s push to hold a vote on Ukrainian funding.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Ukraine destroyed the Project 22160 Sergei Kotov large patrol ship of the Black Sea Fleet (BSF) off the coast of the Kerch Strait on the night of March 4-5.
• Russian milbloggers responded to the sinking of the Sergei Kotov by decrying the Russian military command’s lack of response to the incident and mounting a wider critique against the bureaucratic inertia of the Russian military apparatus.
• Russian aircraft appear to be continuing to conduct a relatively high volume of glide bomb strikes in Ukraine despite Ukrainian officials’ reports that Ukrainian forces have downed several bomber aircraft in recent weeks.
• Russia and China are deepening their strategic space cooperation, including cooperation on satellite surveillance and space exploration.
• The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for two senior Russian commanders for their responsibility in perpetrating Russian war crimes – the first time the ICC has charged Russian military commanders.
• Russian forces are reportedly operating a “black market” to sell Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs), including to Russian paramilitary groups that may be conducting their own POW exchanges with Ukraine.
• The director of the Moldovan Intelligence and Security Service, Alexandru Musteata, stated on March 5 that the Kremlin has begun to conduct multi-year hybrid operations aimed at destabilizing Moldova and preventing its accession to the EU.
• Russian forces recently made confirmed advances near Donetsk City amid continued positional engagements along the entire line of contact on March 5.
• Russian authorities are reportedly disbanding elements of the former Wagner Group that were supposed to join Rosgvardia or are currently in Belarus.
• Russian law enforcement is likely intensifying crackdowns against Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea.