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White supremacists convicted after training for civil war in Michigan

by www.newsweek.com Leave a Comment

Four members of a white supremacist group known as “The Base”—which trains recruits for a race war—have been convicted in Michigan, authorities said.

The cases against Justen Watkins, Alfred Gorman, Thomas Denton and Tristan Webb all ended in guilty or no-contest pleas, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced on Tuesday.

One of the charges filed against Watkins, Denton and Webb was conspiring to train for a civil disorder, making the first convictions for the felony in the state’s history.

“Securing these convictions on the conspiracy to train for civil disorder holds significance for many reasons,” Nessel said.

“They reiterate this office’s commitment to protecting Michigan residents, they create a historic precedent in our state’s court system, and they convey the real danger domestic terrorism poses here and around the country.”

“The Base”—the literal translation of ” Al-Qaeda ” in English—is a white supremacy gang founded in 2018 that “openly advocates for violence and criminal acts against the U.S.” and purports to be training for a war to establish white ethno-nationalist rule in parts of the U.S., according to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.

The group is “fundamentally anti-Semitic” and embraces Nazi ideology, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Membership is limited to nationalists of European descent, with the group valuing those with military experience.

According to the attorney general’s office, Watkins claims to be the leader of the group and reportedly ran a “hate camp” for members, where he led tactical and firearms training with the goal of “being prepared for the violent overthrow of the government.”

He and Gorman were charged in 2020 in connection with an incident where a family in Dexter was “terrorized” by two men who shined a light in their home, took photos of their property and posted the images online, the Attorney General’s Office said. They targeted the home, mistakenly believing it belonged to Daniel Harper, a podcaster who speaks out against white supremacists.

Watkins, Denton and Webb entered two vacant Michigan Department of Corrections properties in Caro in 2020 to assess whether they could be used as “hate camps,” the office added.

Webb pleaded no contest this week to gang membership, conspiracy to train with firearms for a civil disorder and felony firearm. A larceny in a building charge will be dismissed as part of the plea. His sentencing date is yet to be set.

Watkins in April pleaded guilty to conspiracy to train with firearms for a civil disorder and a gun charge in Tuscola County. A sentencing date is not yet set. He also pleaded guilty to gang membership in Washtenaw County for a different incident in 2019.

Denton pleaded no contest to felony firearm and conspiracy to train with firearms for a civil disorder in Tuscola County and was sentenced to two years for felony firearm and between nine months and four years for the conspiracy charge. Those sentences will run concurrently. Other charges against him were dismissed.

Gorman was sentenced to probation in February after pleading guilty to gang membership. The other charges against him were dismissed.

Nessel added: “I appreciate the thorough work done by our team and partner agencies to secure these convictions. Let them send the message that in Michigan, we will not hesitate to prosecute those who commit crimes in the name of overthrowing our government or perpetuating racist ideologies.”

It comes days after President Joe Biden called white supremacy a “poison” that has been “allowed to fester and grow right in front of our eyes” as he mourned with Buffalo families earlier this week, following a deadly mass shooting where authorities said a racist gunman targeted Black shoppers at a supermarket.

Five ways Ukraine war could end: From diplomacy to all-out nuclear war

by www.express.co.uk Leave a Comment

Ukraine: Zelensky shares video of destruction with US Congress

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In the latest developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated his plea for a no-fly zone over Ukraine and called for further sanctions against Russia in an impassioned address to US Congress on Wednesday. Horrific reports are emerging daily, including one from the US embassy in saying Russian forces shot and killed 10 people standing in line for bread in the northern city of Chernihiv this week. Meanwhile, troops are allegedly holding 400 people, including doctors and patients “like hostages” inside a hospital in Mariupol.

So how might this war end?

1. Diplomacy

Peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow have failed to produce a breakthrough yet, though there are some early signs of hope.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said negotiations were becoming “more realistic”, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was “some hope for compromise”.

The Kremlin said the sides were discussing status for Ukraine similar to that of Austria or Sweden, both members of the European Union that are outside the NATO military alliance.

Ukraine’s chief negotiator said it would give Kyiv binding international security guarantees to prevent future attacks, while satisfying Russia’s long-standing call for Ukraine to be kept out of NATO and prevent the Westernisation of the region.

But analysts are urging caution. While today’s news looks promising, there is still a long way to go before the bloodshed ends, and experts have said the talks could yet fall apart.

Dr Domitilla Sagramoso, an expert on Russian foreign and security policy at King’s College London, told Sky News: “Ukrainians are going to continue fighting. Russia, in turn, has indicated a willingness to still use massive force.

“It’s good there are talks – it is early days. Let’s hope there is a breakthrough soon.”

She added: “Putin may try for a solution to save face because he will need to show a kind of achievement.”

There is also the possibility that talks might only halt the bloodshed temporarily, with some analysts saying any cracks in diplomacy might lead to a fresh outbreak of violence after a period of respite.

Zelensky and Putin

Five ways Ukraine war could end – from diplomacy to all-out nuclear war (Image: GETTY)

2. Victory for Ukraine

What once seemed like the most unlikely of outcomes has become a real contender on the list since the war began, as Ukrainians dug in, delivering a fiercer resistance to the Russian invaders than anyone could have predicted.

Last weekend, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the BBC that Ukraine could “absolutely” win the war, praising the “extraordinary resilience” of the Ukrainian people.

He added: “If it’s the intention of Moscow to try somehow to topple the government and install its own puppet regime, 45 million Ukrainians are going to reject that one way or the other.”

US President Joe Biden will announce a further $800million (£611million) package of military aid to be sent to Ukraine this week, as NATO rallies in support of the region – although a no-fly zone, long called for by Mr Zelensky, remains off the table.

Russian invasion of Ukraine map

Russian invasion of Ukraine map (Image: PA)

Not everyone shares Mr Blinken’s optimism. Some analysts have said it is only a matter of time before the far-superior weight of Russian firepower overwhelms the Ukrainian resistance.

Putin has reportedly called on just a fraction of the Russian air force available to him – when he calls this in, the potential for mass airstrikes will be devastating.

If Russia is successful in seizing key cities and blocking the access of aid, including food and fuel supplies, Ukraine could eventually be forced to surrender to spare hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Cormac Smith, a former British official who advised the Ukrainian government for two years, said that the more the West “cowed” then the “more likely Ukraine will eventually be overwhelmed militarily”.

He said the West’s decision to rule out a no-fly zone and its failure to provide arms quickly enough had emboldened Putin.

He said: “We need to put down a red line and it needs to be far ahead of nuclear strike.”

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Russia-Ukraine military imbalance

A look at the Russia-Ukraine military imbalance (Image: EXPRESS)

3. Victory for Russia

Putin has said he will recall his troops and stop the war in an instant if his demands are met. This would constitute a true victory for Russia.

Under Putin’s demands, Ukraine would recognise Crimea as part of Russia, as well as the independence of the separatist-run east in Donetsk and Luhansk.

Ukraine would also change its constitution to guarantee it will never join NATO or the EU.

He would also see NATO reverse its eastward expansion, complaining Russia has “nowhere further to retreat to – do they think we’ll just sit idly by?”.

That would require NATO to remove its forces and military infrastructure from member states that joined the alliance in 1997 and not to deploy “strike weapons near Russia’s borders” – meaning Central Europe, Eastern Europe and the Baltics.

Refugees flee Ukraine

More than two million refugees have fled Ukraine since the conflict began (Image: GETTY)

4. World War 3

Even if all Russia’s demands were not met, an emboldened Putin, seeing a turn toward Russian victory, could decide to try to take more territory, by moving into NATO countries that border Ukraine.

NATO is boosting defences on its eastern flank, but Putin might use this as an excuse, blaming nations for shipping in arms to support the war in Ukraine, and thereby in direct conflict with Russia.

Last week, a British military source said that during times of war an enemy supply base could be considered a legitimate target, with fears that airfields in NATO countries used could come under attack.

Using that as a pretext for war, Putin could move forces across the border into Poland, Moldova, or try to take the Baltic States.

NATO would fight back – but by then there would be a wider war in Europe in which all bets are off.

Russia's nuclear arsenal

Russia’s nuclear arsenal mapped (Image: EXPRESS)

5. Nuclear war

The worst-case scenario for the globe: nuclear conflict.

Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin said he was moving his “deterrent forces” ‒ meaning nuclear weapons ‒ to “combat ready” status.

Some analysts have said that, if Ukraine continues to grind down Russian forces and eventually exhaust them, the West cannot rely on Putin’s “rationality”.

Western analysts have said that, while the chances of all-out nuclear war are low due to Mutually Assured Destruction, Putin might still be tempted to use a smaller tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine.

But others have said it could go beyond this, with the actions of an increasingly isolated and desperate man hard to predict.

Opinion: Even Russia’s ruthless war in Ukraine can’t get Trump to give up his Putin fixation

by edition.cnn.com Leave a Comment

Michael D’Antonio is the author of the book ” Never Enough: Donald Trump and the Pursuit of Success ” and co-author, with Peter Eisner, of the book ” High Crimes: The Corruption, Impunity, and Impeachment of Donald Trump .” The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN.

(CNN) Former President Donald Trump is resorting to a desperate, yet painfully familiar strategy in a bid to hurt President Joe Biden — and he’s trying to enlist the help of Russian President Vladimir Putin to do it.

Trump never changes, it seems. He only gets worse, and closer to the extreme point where his gross insensitivity could make him politically irrelevant.
In an interview with Just The News, the former President pushed an unproven claim about alleged business dealings in Russia by Biden’s son, Hunter. Trump also urged Putin to release any information he might have on the younger Biden’s business transactions — even though it’s far from clear that the Kremlin has access to any.

Seeking Russian help to attack a political foe is a familiar maneuver by Trump. He tried and failed to manufacture a scandal involving Biden’s son in 2019. The difference this time, though, is that Putin now is a reviled figure around the world due to his scorched-earth invasion of Ukraine.

Trump could not have chosen a worse moment to remind us that, for years, he cozied up to the Kremlin leader while alienating America’s allies and intelligence services. The former President’s latest misinformation scheme involves the same target, the Bidens. It also involves an old Trump ally, Putin, who Biden has recently called both a ” war criminal ” and a ” butcher .”
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The entire charade can’t help but remind us of the earlier scandal in July 2019, when Trump attempted to strong-arm Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into investigating then-candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
Though Trump denied there was any “quid pro quo” in his ask of Zelensky, he then delayed the transfer of promised military aid, which Ukraine needed for its ongoing war with pro-Russian separatists in the eastern region of the country.

John Solomon, the journalist who reported on Trump’s most recent Putin comments to Just The News, played a key role in the 2019 scheme. He used his platform at The Hill to inspire Trump’s effort to use a foreign power to smear Hunter Biden.
By reprising his role as an outlet for Trump’s new anti-Biden scheme, Solomon demonstrates that Trump is up to his old tricks.
Is there any reason for the former President to make such risky moves at this time? It’s possible that he’s so hungry for attention that he’ll do anything to get it. However, it’s more likely that he wants to divert the gaze of the news media, which is currently focused on his worsening troubles with the courts and with the congressional committee investigating the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol.
This week, The Washington Post and CBS News reported that official records show an over seven-hour gap in the White House phone logs on the day of the riot. The gap in the logs, which are supposed to note all of the President’s phone calls, suggests that someone might have tried to hide evidence of Trump’s activities on that bloody day. (A spokesperson for Trump told the Post and CBS News that the former President was not involved in maintaining the White House records and assumed all of his calls has been preserved.)
As CNN previously reported , Trump called Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy during the attack. None of these calls were present in the shared White House records.
In addition to the news about the suspicious records gap, Trump has been vexed this week by bad news from the courts.
In California, a judge hearing a case related to the January 6 attack declared that Trump ” more likely than not ” committed crimes in attempting to disrupt the congressional certification of the election. He also said that the Trump team’s effort to stop Congress’ certification of the 2020 election, which Biden won, constitutes “a coup in search of a legal theory.”
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And in another development this week, a New York judge demanded the Trump Organization quit stalling and release documents sought in a civil investigation headed by the state attorney general.

Throughout his political life, Trump has sought to gain power in part by dominating the news agenda and demonstrating that he could defy convention. “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,” was how he once put it.
Now, with the American people largely united against Russia, Trump’s appeal to Putin with yet another anti-Biden ploy seems tone-deaf. One cannot help but wonder if this is the moment when he begins to lose his once-iron grip on his loyal political base.

Putin will be ‘ousted in 3 months’ as tyrant has ‘already lost Ukraine war’ in shambolic invasion, says expert

by www.thesun.co.uk Leave a Comment

VLADIMIR Putin faces a coup to overthrow him in just a matter of months, as his security chiefs now believe the war in Ukraine is lost, an expert has claimed.

If Putin were to order a nuclear strike on the West, there is a growing chance that Russia ‘s generals would ignore him, according to insiders.

Following the disastrous invasion of Ukraine , a coup is now a realistic possibility, says Russian analyst and investigative journalist Christo Grozev.

And his generals are less likely to listen to him as he becomes more and more isolated within the Kremlin ‘s walls, he said.

This is due to leading security staff losing faith that Putin will still be in power in three months’ time.

“I think that it is the informed elite within the security forces who understand that the war is lost,” he told Radio Liberty.

In order to win, Putin would need a full mobilisation of Russia’s population, but if he did this, it would trigger a “social explosion” in the country, he added.

Although hardliners may call for the use of nuclear or chemical weapons on Russia’s enemies, other generals believe “enough is enough” and don’t want to waste a further 10,000 Russian lives.

Grozev, who is linked to the UK online research site Bellingcat, also gave his thoughts on the most likely next scenario.

“Of course, there is the option that Putin himself gives the order to carry out some of these critical decisions, such as the use of nuclear weapons,” he said.

But this could lead to one or more of Russia’s “five hands” needed to launch the country’s arsenal of deadliest weapons refusing to follow orders.

“And this refusal will be the trigger, most likely, of a coup d’etat because, after the refusal to comply with the order of the king, everything will go down very quickly,” he said.

Grozev argues that this means the chance of a nuke strike launched by Vlad is going down.

“If Putin decides to give an order to use nuclear weapons, he must be sure that everyone along the chain will carry out this order,” he said.

“He understands five hands… must press the buttons in sequence.

“If one [person] does not comply, then this will be a signal of insubordination and perhaps even the physical death of Putin.

All you need to know about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Everything you need to know about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine…

“So until he is sure that everyone will comply, he will not give this order.

“Whether Putin will be in power in three months is not clear to the security forces. Therefore, they cannot accept guarantees from him that he will ensure their safety.”

Grozev previously claimed that Putin’s generals fear he is dying and won’t follow his orders to nuke the West.

Two of the other so-called “five hands” needed to sanction a nuke strike include defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of defence staff Valery Gerasimov, who has reportedly been suspended .

A Ukrainian intelligence expert and adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky also claimed that Lieutenant General Sergei Kisel had been fired and arrested.

Kisel was the commander of the first tank army of the western military district and oversaw Russia’s disastrous retreat from Kharkiv .

If true, this would be the largest purge of Russia’s top military brass since the beginning of the war.

Whether Putin will be in power in three months is not clear to the security forces

Christo Grozev Investigative journalist

Speaking on Sky News , Major General Kyrylo Budanov said he believes Putin’s calamitous war will hit a “breaking point” this summer and be over before the end of the year.

He also claimed that Putin will be ousted before the end of the year in a coup by his top generals.

Since the start of the invasion on February 24, Putin has made a point of being seen in public with an official carrying Russia’s nuclear briefcase .

But Grozev says senior figures in Russia’s spy agencies the FSB and GRU are preparing now for life after Putin.

He said the “intellectual part of the GRU” understand that the Russian president is in crisis, as well as “the FSB elite” who are fully aware of Russia’s devastating losses in Ukraine.

“They know that this situation will eventually get out of hand,” he said. “These are those parts of the security forces who know the dangers for the regime, and they themselves are now preparing their future.

“Some of them are looking for an opportunity to take their families out of Russia, all are looking for ways to transfer the accumulated money (corruption money in many cases) into dollars and euros.”

It follows rumours the Kremlin is split over the Ukraine war after Russia’s ambassador to the US claimed Washington was secretly negotiating with Moscow .

Anatoly Antonov hinted at divisions in Putin’s inner circle over the war, with some ready to give up while others want to keep fighting to the bitter end.

Help those fleeing conflict with The Sun’s Ukraine Fund

PICTURES of women and children fleeing the horror of Ukraine’s devastated towns and cities have moved Sun readers to tears.

Many of you want to help the five million caught in the chaos — and now you can, by donating to The Sun’s Ukraine Fund.

Give as little as £3 or as much as you can afford and every penny will be donated to the Red Cross on the ground helping women, children, the old, the infirm and the wounded.

Donate here to help The Sun’s fund

Or text to 70141 from UK mobiles

£3 — text SUN£3

Texts cost your chosen donation amount (e.g. £5) +1 standard message (we receive 100%). For full T&Cs visit redcross.org.uk/mobile

The Ukraine Crisis Appeal will support people in areas currently affected and those potentially affected in the future by the crisis.

In the unlikely event that the British Red Cross raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help them prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters anywhere in the world.

For more information visit https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/disaster-fund

Ukraine War Enters Day 38: Sean Penn calls on billionaires to buy military equipment for Ukraine

by www.newsweek.com Leave a Comment

Live Updates

Today is Day 37 of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

  • Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia resumed Friday.
  • Russia says Ukrainian helicopters hit an oil depot in Belgorod in Russian territory. Kyiv has not claimed responsibility.
  • Ukrainian and Russian authorities have backed a plan for further evacuations from Mariupol, the southern port city under siege. But the Red Cross said conditions around the city made it impossible to evacuate civilians Friday.
  • Russian forces are leaving the Chernihiv region in the north, but have not withdrawn entirely, according to the local governor. The mayor of Kyiv suburb Bucha said the town was liberated from Russian forces.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has f ired two of his top officials and has dubbed them “traitors.”
  • The British Defense Ministry said Ukraine has made “successful but limited” counterattacks to the east and north-east of Kyiv.

The Live Updates for This Blog Have Ended

Sean Penn Calls on Billionaires to Buy Military Equipment for Ukraine

Ukrainian officials thanked actor Sean Penn for appealing to billionaires to buy military equipment for Ukraine.

Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukrainian President Zelensky’s office, thanked Penn for his appeal.

“We appreciate this support very much,” he said in a tweet.

On Thursday, Penn called for two squadrons of F-15s or 16s that he said would cost a private sector buying about $300 million. He said these 12 aircrafts would be better than “Russian MiGs or SUs.”

Penn also asked for another $200 million in missile defense systems.

“One billionaire could end this war in Ukraine,” he tweeted Thursday.

The Oscar-winner was filming a documentary about Zelensky in Ukraine when Russia’s invasion began.

European Parliament President Meets with Zelensky in Kyiv

The President of the European Parliament met with Ukrainian lawmakers in Kyiv Friday.

Roberta Metsola addressed the Ukrainian Parliament to show Europe’s continued support for Ukraine during its war with Russia.

“I am here today, as a representative of the European Parliament, of the people of Europe, to tell you one thing. We are with you. In good times and in less good times – we are with you,” she said.

Metsola promised to continue to hold Russia accountable with “more and harder” sanctions, support Ukraine’s membership into the European Unions and care for those who have fled their homes and rebuild Ukrainian cities that have been devastated by Russian attacks.

“You did not invite this invasion. Nor did you provoke it,” she said. “You did not seek a confrontation. But you have risen to meet this moment that is testament to the greatness of a people, to your courage, to your strength of character.

Metsola called the experience “incredibly moving.”

“Ukraine has shown the world how to stand up for freedom and democracy, for our shared humanity and for our common values,” she said.

She then met with Ukrainian political leaders to reiterate Europe’s support. Metsola said Europe will increase its financial humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine and promised to “go further” with more sanctions on Russia.

“Europe will remain united and will match strength against aggressors with compassion for those fleeing Ukraine,” she said.

Metsola then met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

International Energy Agency to Release Oil from Emergency Stock

The International Energy Agency will release oil from its emergency reserves in solidarity against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

During an IEA Governing Board meeting, Ministers discussed their concerns about energy security in the wake of Russia’s invasion and voiced their support for sanctions imposed on Russia in response.

“The Ministers noted that Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to put significant strains on global oil markets, resulting in heightened price volatility,” the IEA said in a statement. “This is taking place against a backdrop of commercial inventories that are at their lowest level since 2014 and a limited ability of oil producers to provide additional supply in the short term.”

The large-scale disruptions to Russian oil production as a result of sanctions threatens to create a “global oil supply shock,” as Russia plays an “outsized role on global energy markets,” the IEA said.

Russia is the third-largest oil producer in the world, with about 60 percent of its exports going to Europe and another 20 percent going to China.

The 31 members of the IEA have 1.5 billion barrels on oil in their emergency stockpile. This agreement marks only the fifth time the IEA will release those stocks.

U.S. to Send Equipment to Ukraine to Protect Against Chemical Weapons

The U.S. will provide Ukraine with equipment in the event that Russia uses chemical or biological weapons.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the U.S. is providing “life-saving” equipment and supplies that could protect Ukraine against a potential attack.

Russia claimed the U.S. is involved in the production of chemical weapons at labs in Ukraine. The U.S. called these accusations a “conspiracy theory” and said Russia could be presenting these claims as a false flag to use chemical weapons themselves.

The White House said previously that there will be severe consequences from the global community if Russia uses chemical weapons in Ukraine.

More Hits on Russia Are Coming, Ukraine Says After Blinken Call

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Friday after their recent meeting in Warsaw, Poland.

Blinken highlighted U.S. efforts to provide Ukraine the support it needs to defend against the Russian Federation’s “unprovoked, unjustified, and brutal war.”

He also “emphasized the United States’ unyielding and steadfast support for Ukraine” and “lauded Ukraine’s commitment to engaging in diplomacy,” according to a read out from the State Department.

The U.S. and its allies will continue to “hold accountable those responsible for atrocities committed in Ukraine.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he and Blinken discusses ways to strengthen Ukraine economically and militarily to fight back against Russia.

More hits on Russia’s economy, financial system, and trade are coming,” he said.

Town of Bucha Liberated from Russian Forces, Mayor Says

The town of Bucha, Ukraine was liberated from Russian forces Thursday, mayor reports.

“March 31 will go down in the history of our town,” Mayor Anatolii Fedoruk said, calling it a day of “liberation.”

“This is a happy day of great victory! Glory to Ukraine!” he added.

Bucha is northwest suburb of capital city Kyiv. It faced heavy shelling and was occupied by Russia since Feb. 27.

The Ukraine General Staff of the Armed Forces said Ukrainian Armed Forces and National Guard managed to burned dozens of Russian fighting vehicles, tanks, Typhoon armored vehicles and trucks after “heavy artillery fire.” Ukrainian forces also managed to “destroy the enemy’s manpower.”

“Our soldiers ‘cleaned up’ the area of concentration of the enemy in the Kiev direction,” it said in a Facebook post. “The National Guard and the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to liberate settlements in the Kyiv region from the occupiers.”

Over 100 Children Killed in Airstrikes, U.N. Reports

The death toll in Ukraine continues to climb, as the United Nations releases its latest report.

Since the war in Ukraine began on Feb. 24, 1,276 civilians have been killed and 1,981 have been injured.

The U.N. Human Rights office in Ukraine said most of the casualties were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and launch rocket systems, as well as missile and air strikes.

The agency said the actual number of civilian casualties is likely much higher

Red Cross Unable to Complete Evacuations Out of Mariupol

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it was unable to reach Mariupol to evacuate civilians in the city.

The team of three vehicles and nine personnel did not reach Mariupol or facilitate safe passage of civilians Friday, but they said they will try again tomorrow, the Red Cross said in a statement.

The Red Cross returned to Zaporizhzhia after it said the “arrangements and conditions made it impossible to proceed.”

“For the operation to succeed, it is critical that the parties respect the agreements and provide the necessary conditions and security guarantees,” the Red Cross said.

Turkey President Speaks With Putin on Phone

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone Friday.

The leaders discussed the negotiation talks between Ukraine and Russia.

Erdoğan said the meeting between the two delegations were positive and constructive and stressed the importance for both parties to maintain a dialogue, according to a translated statement from Erdoğan’s office.

He also expressed a desire to declare peace by bringing together President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to the statement, Putin thanked Erdoğan for hosting the meeting between the Russian and Ukraine delegations in Istanbul.

Over 100 Ukrainian Healthcare Facilities Have Been Attacked

Over 100 healthcare facilities have been attacked since Russia began its invasion into Ukraine, officials report.

The Ukrainian Healthcare Center (UHC) said it documented 117 incidents of attacks against healthcare infrastructure in Ukraine as of April 1.

At least 89 healthcare facilities have been damaged and eight have been completely destroyed. Eleven healthcare personnel have been killed and at least 34 others have been injured.

UHC is a think tank based in Kyiv that was established in March 2021.

Before the war began over a month ago, UHC “provided consultancy, analytics, and educational services” and was one of the leaders in disseminating verified scientific information about the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine.

“With the start of a full-scale war, we began to record cases of attacks on the medical facilities and ambulances, and casualties among healthcare workers in Ukraine,” UHC said in a tweet.

Red Cross Says Time is Running Out of Civilians in Mariupol

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is on its way to Mariupol to help

The ICRC Ukraine delegation is traveling from Zaporizhzhia to the besieged city of Mariupol to “ensure safe passage for the civilians who desperately want to flee the city.”

The Red Cross said their effort “has been and remains extremely complex,” as they hope to have the necessary conditions to complete the evacuations.

“If and when it does happen, our role as a neutral intermediary will be to lead the convoy out from Mariupol to another city in Ukraine,” the ICRC said in a tweet.

ICRC spokesman Ewan Watson told reporters in Geneva that their efforts rely on agreements from both Ukraine and Russia to ensure safe humanitarian corridors out of the city.

“In order for us to start leading civilians out at the top of that convoy, we will need to have assurances that the route we are taking is safe,” he said.

Watson added that the ICRC has not received permission to bring humanitarian aid into Mariupol Friday.

“Time is running out for the people of Mariupol. They are desperately in need of assistance,” he said, describing the situation in the city as “horrendous and deteriorating.”

Ukraine officials said they don’t see a desire from Russians in Mariupol to allow residents to evacuate to Ukraine-controlled areas.

“Since yesterday, the occupiers have categorically not allowed any humanitarian cargo, even in small volumes, to enter the city,” Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the Mariupol mayor, said Friday on Telegram.

Russian officials allowed 42 buses with Mariupol residents to leave from the occupied city of Berdyansk, according to the Associated Press.

U.S. Issues Sanctions to Target Russian Technology Companies

The U.S. issued new sanctions against Russian technology companies as the war in Ukraine continues.

Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) targeted 21 entities and 13 individuals part of the Kremlin’s networks and tech companies, “which are instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine.”

The Treasury also expanded sanction authority to include the aerospace, marine and electronic sectors of the Russian economy. This will allow the U.S. to impose sanctions on any individual or entity determined to operate or have operated in any of those sectors.

“Russia not only continues to violate the sovereignty of Ukraine with its unprovoked aggression but also has escalated its attacks striking civilians and population centers,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. “We will continue to target Putin’s war machine with sanctions from every angle, until this senseless war of choice is over.”

China Rejects Sanctions on Russia, Partially Blames NATO for War

China continues to be critical of Western sanctions against Russia as leaders met with the European Union at a virtual summit Friday.

EU leaders hoped China would not help Russia circumvent economic measured imposed in response to the war in Ukraine, noting their mutual responsibility to “use their joint influence and diplomacy to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine and the associated humanitarian crisis,” Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry partially blamed the conflict in Ukraine on the United States’ push to expand NATO and reiterated that sanctions are not effective.

“China disapproves of solving problems through sanctions, and we are even more opposed to unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that have no basis in international law,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily briefing as the summit met.

He said the U.S. is the “culprit and leading instigator of the Ukraine crisis,” saying the growth of NATO pushed Russia “to the wall.”

Zhao said China will not be forced to “choose a side or adopt a simplistic friend-or-foe approach” when it comes to Ukraine.

“We should, in particular, resist the Cold War thinking and bloc confrontation,” he said.

The European Union said it discussed Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine “extensively” with China during the summit and called on China to “support efforts to bring about an immediate end to the bloodshed in Ukraine.”

“Any circumvention of the effects of the sanctions or any aid provided to Russia would prolong the bloodshed and lead to even greater losses of civilian lives and economic disruption,” the EU said in a statement.

Michel said the EU and China must work together to end Russia’s war and maintain their “common responsibility to maintain peace and stability, and a safe and sustainable world.”

“Key international norms and principles must be respected,” he said. “We count on China’s support to achieve a lasting ceasefire, to stop the unjustifiable war and address the dramatic humanitarian crisis it has generated.”

China refused to condemn Russia’s invasion but said it hopes to keep ties with the EU open to “steadily expand market access, protect fair competition and promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation.”

“China hopes that the EU will also provide a sound business environment to Chinese businesses investing and developing in Europe,” Premier Li Keqiang was quoted saying in a news release following the first summit session.

Russian Forces Have Left Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant

Russia forces have left the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine officials report.

The Ukraine Ministry of Defense confirmed Friday that Russian forces left the plant due to “losses caused by [the Ukraine] army and radiation exposure.”

The Defense Ministry added that Russian forces “looted Chernobyl” before retreating.

During a news conference in Warsaw, Poland, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the Russians behaved irresponsibly at the site during their over four-week occupation. He said the Russians prevented the plant staff from performing their full duties.

Kuleba said Ukraine is working with IAEA to mitigate any danger at the plant.

On Thursday, Ukraine officials told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the Russian forces that took over Chernobyl on Feb. 24 transferred control to Ukrainian personnel and moved two convoys of troops towards Belarus, according to an IAEA report.

Ukraine reported that there are still some Russian forces on the Chernobyl NPP site but presumed that those forces are preparing to leave.

Ukraine has not reported any staff rotation at the Chernobyl NPP since 20-21 March.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he will lead an assistance and support mission at Chernobyl “as soon as possible.”

“It will be the first in a series of such nuclear safety and security missions to Ukraine,” he said in a tweet.

Grossi is meeting with Russian energy leaders in Kaliningrad, Russia Friday.

“The general radiation situation around the plant is quite normal,” he told reporters. “There was a relatively higher level of localized radiation because of the movement of heavy vehicles at the time of the occupation of the plant, and apparently this might have been the case again on the way out.”

He added that the IEAE cannot confirm if any Russian troops were contaminated with radiation.

Peace Talks Resume Friday Over Video Conference

Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia have resumed Friday.

The negotiations will be conducted over video conference after an in-person meeting in Turkey Tuesday.

Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation, shared photos of the talks with the Ukrainian delegation, led by Mykhailo Podolyak.

Medinsky said the Russian positions on Crimea and the Donbas “are unchanged,” the Associated Press reported.

Kremlin Reacts to Gerard Depardieu’s Condemnation of Putin

The Kremlin has responded to criticism of Vladimir Putin by his one time ally, the actor Gerard Depardieu.

The award-winning French star was pictured with Putin after he took Russian nationality in 2013 in protest at a proposed tax hike on the rich in his homeland.

But the unlikely alliance appeared to be over when Depardieu denounced Putin’s “crazy, unacceptable excesses,” over the war.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the actor “does not fully understand what is happening.”

“He does not understand what happened in Ukraine in 2014,” Peskov said, accusing Ukraine of bombarding civilians in the east of the country.

“If necessary, we will be ready to tell him about this and explain so that he understands better,” Peskov added.

Ukraine Says 17,700 Russian Troops Have Died In War

Ukraine has provided its latest update on the number of losses Russia has suffered, claiming that 17,700 Russian troops have been killed and 1,751 armored personnel vehicles have been destroyed.

Other military equipment that has been wiped out includes 131 helicopters, 625 tanks and 143 aircraft.

Newsweek has not been able to verify these claims and has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.

Numbers of Russian troop deaths vary according to the source.

Last week, Russia claimed that 1,351 of its troops had died fighting since the start of the invasion on February 24 while NATO estimated the number to be between 7,000 and 15,000.

Video Said To Show Alleged Ukrainian Strike In Russia

Further to the fire at the oil depot in Belgorod—surveillance footage obtained by the Associated Press is said to show the moment a missile hit the facility.

Belgorod’s regional governor said that Ukraine flew helicopter gunships into Russian territory early Friday morning and targeted the site.

If confirmed, it would be the first time Ukrainian aircraft had flown into Russian airspace to hit a target.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Ukrainian defense spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzyanyk neither confirmed nor denied Kyiv’s forces were responsible.

In his daily briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked if the alleged attack meant an escalation of the conflict. “This is not something that can be perceived as creating conditions comfortable for the continuation of negotiations,” he said.

Ukraine Neither Confirms Nor Denies It Struck Russian Oil Depot

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has batted away questions over whether his country’s forces struck a fuel depot in Belgorod, in Russian territory.

Footage widely shared on social media shows a depot in the city close to the Ukrainian border on fire. The local governor said the attack was carried out by two Ukrainian helicopters although Kyiv has not claimed responsibility.

If confirmed, it would be the first time Ukrainian aircraft had flown into Russian airspace to hit a target.

But Kuleba told reporters in Warsaw on Friday “I am a civilian” when asked about the strike. Meanwhile, Ukrainian defense spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said, “I will not confirm or deny these allegations.”

“Ukraine is currently conducting a defensive operation against Russian aggression on the territory of Ukraine,” he said according to Reuters, “this does not mean that Ukraine is responsible for every catastrophe on Russia’s territory.”

Newsweek contacted the Ukrainian defense ministry for comment on this story which can be read here .

Ukraine Says It has Reclaimed 15 Settlements In Kyiv Region

Ukraine’s defense ministry said on Facebook that its forces have “restored control” over 15 settlements in the Kyiv region from Russian troops.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that it had retaken the settlements of Demydiv, Dymer, Lytvynivka, Gavrylivka, Kozarovychi, Zhovtneve, Hlybivka, Yasnohorodka, Talakun, Sukoluchchya, Lypivka, Gavronshchyna, Makovyshche, Mykolaivka, Khmilna.

In its update on Friday, it said that Russian forces “are regrouping and are likely to focus on an offensive operation in the Eastern Operational Zone,” according to a translation.

Ukraine said that Russian troops continue to blockade Chernihiv, the city in the north of the country that Moscow said this week it would draw down from.

It said that around Donetsk, Russian forces are conducting “fire and assault operations in some areas.”

“The main efforts are focused on taking control of the settlements of Popasna and Rubizhne,” in the Luhansk region it said, “as well as establishing full control over the city of Mariupol.”

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it hopes to lead an evacuation of thousands of civilians from the besieged port city.