Ascensão e queda, e morte, na Rússia de Putin - Centre for Defence Strategies (CDS)

 The story of the Wagner PMC, a quintessentially Russian narrative, has reached its conclusion. 

Employing infernal symbolism, Vladimir Putin orchestrated the demise of Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a one-time loyal supporter turned renegade, marking the beginning of the failed mutiny two months ago. This event draws striking parallels to the assassination of Anna Politkovskaya, an independent Russian journalist and vehement critic of Vladimir Putin, who was murdered on Putin's birthday seventeen years ago. Putin's reputation is rooted in ruthless actions and rancour. Among those observing Kremlin affairs, few doubted that the leader of Wagner was doomed.

The tradition of absolute power runs deep in Russia's history, tracing back to Muscovite rulers like Ivan the Terrible and even earlier. In this system, a czar holds complete authority over all subjects, treating them as possessions regardless of their social status – whether nobles with recognized rights or serfs with limited freedoms. The ruler retains the authority to bestow official positions or property as he pleases, without temporal restrictions. The ruler's “jurisdiction” extends to the appropriation of his subjects' possessions, freedoms, and even lives, at his sole discretion and timing. Concepts like the Magna Carta and Habeas Corpus remain foreign to Russia, up to the present day.

The FSB, a successor to the KGB, intricately blurred the lines between the state and the criminal underworld. Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a convicted criminal, has been a recurring figure in Vladimir Putin's realm since the tumultuous 1990s. Back then, Putin, serving as an aide to the mayor of St. Petersburg, was involved in a web of corrupt dealings and more serious transgressions. After consolidating his power and dismantling the oligarchic circle around "retired" President Boris Yeltsin, Putin assumed dominion over virtually all facets of Russia—its assets, entities, and populace.

Dissenters found themselves met with a choice between assassination, incarceration, or banishment from the Russian landscape. From that juncture, the so-called oligarchs were granted the liberty to misappropriate and squander resources, exercising unrestrained control. However, they had to satisfy the actual proprietor through bribes—whether channeling funds towards his caprices at the Gelendzhik palace or endowing various opulent superyachts. Moreover, they were mandated to fund a spectrum of intelligence operations and exert influence campaigns abroad on behalf of the Kremlin. It's important to highlight that they never held control over Putin's decisions, which excludes them from being classified as genuine oligarchs..

The so-called Wagner Private Military Company (bearing in mind that formal mercenary endeavors are proscribed within Russia) has functioned as a valuable instrument for the Kremlin, offering a shroud of plausible deniability. Prigozhin evolved into a well-established operator in Africa with some 5,000 mercenary forces deployed across the continent. A sophisticated network of companies established and run by Yevgeniy Prigozhin generated profit from the mercenary business serving various regimes. This endeavor not only yielded financial gains but also facilitated access to coveted resources encompassing precious minerals such as gold and diamonds, as well as fossil fuels like oil and gas.

Parallel to the inflow of untraceable financial resources, the operations conducted by the Wagner PMC bolstered the Kremlin's capacity to wield influence beyond its apparent heft, in the competitive arena of African influence vis-à-vis more resource-abundant entities from the free world and China. Before the extensive involvement in Ukraine, the Wagner PMC had already gained infamy due to its involvement in war crimes in Africa and Syria.

While the Wagner PMC momentarily captured headlines with its audacious march towards Moscow during in June, the Kremlin's propaganda machine skillfully revealed that the company's autonomy was less substantial than it seemed. Notably, the company received significant military contracts totaling $2 billion between May 2022 and 2023. Concurrently, a sophisticated propaganda network associated with Wagner, including entities like the Internet Research Agency (previously implicated in U.S. electoral interference), secured an astonishing $20 billion in government contracts.

The Kremlin discarded its facade of plausible deniability by orchestrating the destruction of a civilian aircraft carrying the chieftain and his key subordinates. In doing so, the Kremlin effectively eliminated former collaborators and operatives who had displayed disloyalty. It's worth noting that Yevgeniy Prigozhin was destined for doom even without the staged mutiny, a fate shared by numerous other figures who fought in Ukraine since 2014, often portrayed in propaganda as local "miners and tractor drivers" in the so-called civil war narrative.

Speculation has arisen regarding Yevgeniy Prigozhin's rumored possession of a collection of Kompromat, potentially containing compromising information about Vladimir Putin and other senior regime figures. This alleged leverage was reportedly intended for release in case of Prigozhin's untimely demise. Some of his mercenary forces, motivated by loyalty, issued threats to retaliate against those deemed responsible (Vladimir Putin and/or military leadership) for the assassination of their revered chieftain.

The Russian Volunteer Corps, a military unit operating within the Ukrainian Armed Forces, extended an invitation to Wagner PMC members who had refrained from participating in war crimes during their time in Ukraine—although such instances appeared quite rare. The offer was for them to join their ranks and confront Putin and the Russian military. 

Those Russians, often holding fascist and imperialistic views, who are now setting up improvised memorials for Yevgeniy Prigozhin in various Russian cities or engaged in the war have learned that the next mutiny or coup d'état must result in Vladimir Putin's demise. He, they argue, bears responsibility for the catastrophic war in Ukraine, having breached agreements with Prigozhin. However, the feasibility of these threats remains questionable, as the Wagnerites were disarmed (heavy armaments and artillery), bereft of significant resources, and severed from their influential leader's connections within both the ruling hierarchy and criminal circles.

While their capabilities remain restricted, it's conceivable that dissatisfied individuals could become involved in future insurrections, especially if a coup d'état orchestrated by elements within the regime occurs, or if Russian forces experience a collapse in Ukraine leading to internal turmoil. However, these individuals might also become targets of mid and low-tier purges following actions by higher echelons of power. Russia's non-democratic framework impedes crisis resolution through elections, and Putin's inability for criminal-like dealings within the elite was starkly demonstrated as unviable. Putin doesn't obey either formal agreements or his words, which is also a lesson for the Western partners willing to find a diplomatic solution to the "Ukrainian war."

The Russian military has lost a formidable and highly effective (within Russian context) fighting force, bolstered by considerable resources. The legacy of the Wagner enterprise is now being taken up by both established and emerging loyalists. It wouldn't be surprise if figures like Viktor Bout, dubbed the "Merchant of Death," are positioned to secure substantial African assets—his conspicuous presence at the recent Russia-Africa summit lends credence to this prospect. Nevertheless, it's unlikely that Putin will repeat the mistake of allowing an individual or faction to amass resources that could potentially threaten his personal authority.

Wagner's striking ability to achieve outcomes that the conventional Armed Forces struggled with highlights the clear inefficiencies of the existing governance model. Putin, invested billions into his war apparatus and attempted reforms on multiple occasions, obsessively cultivating an image of Russia as a potent state fortified by a formidable military. Yet, the mutiny's occurrence and its resolution exposed the limitations of Putin's authority, eroding his portrayal as an invincible strongman—an element pivotal within Russian political culture.

The public's support for the Wagnerites and the popularity of figures like Yevgeniy Prigozhin reveal the deep-rooted discontent prevailing within society. Escalating internal contradictions coupled with the progressively evident catastrophe triggered by the ongoing war foreshadow a monumental upheaval, unparalleled in recent Russian history. This convulsion might be catalyzed by domestic triggers or, more likely, by the inevitable successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Though more robust and swift support from the West to Ukraine has been dragged back by the fear of Russia’s collapse, it’s highly likely to came about. It’s better for Ukraine and its partners to turn to contingency planning.

Centre for Defence Strategies (CDS) is a Ukrainian security think tank. We operate since 2020. 

Antecipando sobre a contra-ofensiva ucraniana contra as forças russas invasoras: estimativa sobre as perdas acumuladas (CDS)

 Vou colocar aqui as estimativas das perdas russas acumuladas desde o início da invasão, tal como coletadas pelo CDS (Centre for Defence Strategies), com base em dados válidos até 21/04/2023: 

Russian operational losses from 24.02.22 to 21.04.23

Personnel - almost 185,050 people (+630); 

Tanks - 3,668 (+1);
Armored combat vehicles – 7,126 (+6); 

Artillery systems – 2,827 (+2)

Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) - 539 (0); 

Anti-aircraft warfare systems - 285 (0); 

Vehicles and fuel tanks – 5,713 (+6); 

Aircraft - 308 (0);

Helicopters – 293 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 2,394 (+8);
Intercepted cruise missiles - 911 (0);
Boats/ships – 18 (0).

Fonte: Centre for Defence Strategies (CDS) is a Ukrainian security think tank. We operate since 2020. We publish this brief daily. If you would like to subscribe, please send us an email at cds.dailybrief@gmail.com

Agora, cabe esperar as próximas estatísticas...

CDS Daily Brief on Russia's war against Ukraine - Centre for Defence Strategies (23/03/2023)

Recomendo a leitura e a assinatura, para os que se interessam pelo MAIOR DESAFIO À ORDEM INTERNACIONAL desde a Segunda Guerra Mundial:

 Please find attached the CDS Daily Brief on Russia's war against Ukraine. 

Kind regards, 

CDS Team

About our daily briefs

The daily brief is a short digest describing the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine. 

The expert team of Centre for Defence Strategies prepares these updates throughout the day. We only focus on key events, which we believe are worth knowing and can be put in a concise document.

We attempt to analyse the key news and developments and provide our comments on the main topics.

We welcome your suggestions to improve the content of the brief.

Snapshot of the day:

General, humanitarian:

•        The Russian forces attacked 9 Oblasts of Ukraine on March 22. As a result, there are damages andcivilian casualties.

•        All children were evacuated from Vuhledar, Velyka Novosilka and Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast. Thereare difficulties with evacuating 32 children remaining in Bakhmut, but the work is ongoing.

•        Volodymyr Zelensky visited Kherson Oblast today after yesterday's visit to Donetsk and KharkivOblasts.

•        49.5% of Ukrainians expect their families' well-being to improve over the next 2-3 years, and 10%expect it to change for the worse.

Military:

•        The Russian troops grouping "West" does not stop trying to reach the outskirts of Kupyansk byattacking from the north and east. They act with two tactical groups in directions converging in thePetropavlivka area.

•        The probable enemy offensive in the Kupyansk direction will be of local nature and would inhibit activeactions in all other directions due to a lack of resources.

International:

•        Slovakia has already handed four out of pledged thirteen MiG-29 fighter jets over to Ukraine. Finlandsent three Leopard 2 MBTs, and the Swedish Parliament voted for a €554 million assistance package.

•        Dmitry Medvedev believes in 1,500 modern MBTs in 2023, though the overall capacity to modernize andproduce new tanks is way more modest.

•        Russia paints delivery of armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium as "escalation", though ithas been using them for months and previously stated that it violates no international treaties. Chinesepropaganda spins the theme of pretending to be a peacemaker while portraying the West aswarmongers.

•        Iceland recognized the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as the genocide of the Ukrainian people.

•        While Antony Blinken believes all signatories to the Rome Statue should arrest war criminal Vladimir Putin on their territory, Hungary rules it out. Meanwhile, Dmitriy Medvedev threatens with nuclearweapons in case of a hypothetical arrest of his boss.

Humanitarian aspect:

The head of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, Oleksandr Tkachenko, called on the PACE to recognize the cultural genocide by Russia, arrest the assets of "rossotrudnichestvo" [Russian federal agencymanaging state property abroad] and promote the return of cultural values to Ukraine. Tkachenko emphasized that the confirmation of cultural genocide is "numerous evidences of crimes collected by Ukrainian andinternational partners during 2014- 2023".

A representative office of the International Criminal Court will be opened in Ukraine. The Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin signed the corresponding agreement in the Hague with the Secretary of the InternationalCriminal Court, Peter Lewis.

 

Russian attacks

Overall, the Russian forces attacked 9 Oblasts of Ukraine on March 22. As a result, there are damages and civilian casualties.

•        Donetsk Oblast: In the middle of the night, the Russians shelled Kramatorsk and the city's outskirts; atleast 3 houses, a boiler room, and garages were damaged. In Avdiivka, 2 people were killed; threerockets were aimed at the Avdiivka Coke Chemical Plant territory. At least 7 houses were damaged inOcheretynska hromada. 4 residential buildings were damaged in Chasiv Yar.

•        Yesterday, the enemy shelled the border settlements of the Kupyansk, Chuhuyiv, Izyum and Kharkivdistricts of Kharkiv Oblast. A church building was damaged in Cherneshchyna, and at least 4residential buildings were damaged in Vilcha.

•        The occupiers attacked Kherson Oblast 54 times; 1 killed and 2 wounded civilians. In Kherson,private and apartment buildings and the Kherson Regional Cardiology Center were damaged.

•        Yesterday, the enemy hit the water area of the Ochakiv community of Mykolayiv Oblast. There are nocasualties.

•        On March 22, the Russians targeted a high-rise building in Zaporizhzhia; 1 killed and 32 injured civilianswere reported. The service station was also damaged. Over the past day, the law enforcement officers ofthe Zaporizhzhia Oblast received 89 reports about the destruction of houses and other peaceful objects in the Zaporizhzhia, Polohy and Vasylivka districts.

 

The rescue operation was completed on the ruins of a destroyed house in Rzhyshchiv, Kyiv Oblast. The deathtoll from the enemy's drone attack on the night of March 22 has risen to nine people; 7 people were injured on theterritory of the Rzhyshchiv Vocational Lyceum. The State Emergency Service has finished clearing the debris.

 

Evacuation

All children were evacuated from Vuhledar, Velyka Novosilka and Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, reported theNational Police of Ukraine. "There are 6 of them [children] left in Avdiivka, 18 in Siversk, and more in otherpopulated cities," the message reads. The police also noted that the evacuation is ongoing.

 

Currently, less than 3,500 residents remain in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, including 32 children, and the work toevacuate them from the city continues, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko,stated at a briefing. "Bakhmut is a city that had about 84,000 inhabitants as of February 24, 2022. Now, accordingto our calculations, less than 3,500 people are left in the city. These are the people who, and I can say this withall responsibility, do not want to leave the city "at all"..." He emphasized that a colossal work was carried out toevacuate

Bakhmut residents safely, but people who remain in the city not only refuse to leave but even hide from the policeand volunteers.

 

Kyrylenko noted that children deprived of parental care, children from orphanages and boarding schools wereevacuated in full; there were about 12 thousand of them in the territory of Donetsk Oblast. And those 32 childrenstill staying with their parents in Bakhmut are in shelters. They are "provided with more than enough food andhygiene kits, even in those terrible conditions. But these are children whose parents refuse to leave with them,hiding" He stressed that there is a [Cabinet of Ministers] resolution with an amendment that allows for the forcedevacuation of children, but there are difficulties in implementing it.

 

Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied Kherson Oblast are urged to evacuate, said Nataliya Gumenyuk,head of the joint press center of the "South" operational command, on the air of a nationwide telethon. "Inparticular, we stress on the clearing of a 20-30-kilometer strip for a reason. This suggests that our work herewill be as active as possible. Therefore, it is necessary to evacuate. If there is no such possibility, set up sheltersand try to place your shelters as far as possible from those places the enemy concentrates," Gumenyuk said.She noted that the invaders try to hide their equipment among the houses of civilians. At the same time, the Resistance Movement in the Kherson region organizes work so that local residents leave the places where theDefense Forces will work, Gumenyuk emphasized.

Operational situation:

•        The enemy concentrates its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Lyman, Bakhmut,Avdiivka, Maryinka, and Shakhtarsk directions;

•        The command of the Russian troops grouping "West" does not stop trying to reach the outskirts ofKupyansk by attacking from the north along the left bank of the Oskil River and east along the highway R-07 Kupyansk - Svatove. They act with two tactical groups in directions converging in the Petropavlivkaarea.

Battleline:

•        Units of the Defense Forces repelled more than 83 enemy attacks in various directions. Bakhmutremains the epicenter of hostilities.

•        The enemy unsuccessfully attacked in the areas of Makiyivka, Bilohorivka, and Verkhnyokamianske in Luhansk Oblast; Bakhmut, Bohdanivka, Predtechne, Novokalynove, Stepove, Berdychi, Avdiyivka, Lastochkine, Severne, Vodyane, Pervomaiske, Maryinka, and Pobieda in Donetsk Oblast.

•        The enemy units of the 25th and 138th separate motorized rifle brigades of the 6th Army and the 347thmotorized rifle regiment of the territorial forces repeatedly tried to attack the advanced positions of the Defense Forces from the Hryanykivka-Horobyivka line, trying to advance to the left bank of the Oskil River in the area of Masyutivka and Dvorichna villages. They attacked in the directions of Kuzemivka-Stelmakhivka, Lyman First-Synkivka. Enemy attacks were detected at the stage of advancing to thefrontiers and thwarted by the Defense Forces' artillery fire.

 

Change in enemy disposition:

•        In the Pershotravneve village area, units of the 15th motorized rifle regiment of the 2nd motorized rifledivision of the 1st Tank Army were reinforced by two "Storm" assault units (presumably from the BARS-5detachment).

•        In the area of the Urazove village (Russia), the command of the 138th separate motorized rifle brigadedeployed an additional brigade's ammunition depot.

•        In the area of Yakovlevka village (Belgorod Region, Russia) is a deployed field center for storage, repair and supply of weapons and military equipment with 360 units of equipment, including about 80 tanks.

•        The command of the enemy's troops grouping "West" has completed the transfer and deployment of fourrifle battalions to the "Bryansk" operational grouping.

 

Escalation indicators:

•        The enemy moves to the Kupyansk direction two divisions of self-propelled mortars 2c4 of the 45thartillery brigade of the Western Military District.

 

Possible operation situation developments:

•        In the short term, the enemy will concentrate its efforts in the areas between Bakhmut and Bilohorivka andin the Kreminna-Lyman direction;

•        If the Ukrainian Joint Forces fail to stop the further advance of the Russian Armed Forces in the westerndirection, or if they do not push them to the eastern side of Krasnohorivka, the position of their units in theAvdiivka area may become critical.

•        The enemy is preparing for active offensive actions in the Kupyansk direction;

•        In the event of success in the Kupyansk direction, the enemy's command will introduce the "Belgorod"operational group into the operation;

•        The probable offensive in the Kupyansk direction will be of local nature and would hinder active actionsin all other directions due to a lack of resources.

 

Azov-Black Sea Maritime Operational Area:

•        The number of enemy ships at sea during the last day has decreased due to weather conditions. 13 shipsand vessels of the Russian Navy are patrolling the Black Sea region off the coast of Crimea. Among them, two corvettes, "Vyshnyi Volochyok" and "Grayvoron" (type "Buyan-M"), and two submarinesproject 636.3 are carriers of Kalibr missiles (up to 24 missiles on board). There is information that the shipsdid restock with Kalibr missiles, which were delivered by rail.

•        Enemy aviation continues to fly from the Crimean airfields of Belbek, Saki, Dzhankoy and Hvardiyske. Atotal of 28 combat sorties were made over the past day. 9 aircraft and two helicopters were involved in the control of the surface and air situation in the northwestern part of the Black Sea water area (three Su-27/30 aircraft from Belbek airfield, three Su30 CM and two Su-24M aircraft, one MiG-29K from Sakiairfield and two Ka-31R helicopters from Kacha airfield). Control of the air situation and the enemy's operational-tactical aviation over the waters of the Sea of Azov was carried out by the A- 50U and Il-22PPAEW&C aircraft.

•        During the day, the work of the RQ-4B reconnaissance UAV of the US Air Force was observed over thewaters of the Black Sea.

•        On March 22, 2023, at 4:30 a.m., enemy’s air defense equipment was activated in the area of the city ofSevastopol by an unidentified UAV. At the same time, a breach of the boom barrier at the entrance to theSevastopol naval base by 3 unidentified unmanned sea attack boats was recorded.

•        "Grain Initiative": the 17th vessel chartered by the UN World Food Program left the port of Odesa. Bulkcarrier DENIZ M will deliver 30 thousand tons of humanitarian wheat to Ethiopia. Under the auspices of theUN WFP, more than half a million tons of Ukrainian wheat have already been delivered to countries inAfrica and Asia. Today, three ships with

112.4 thousand tons of agricultural products for Africa and Asia left the ports of Great Odesa. Amongthem is the bulk carrier BC CALLISTO with 30.5 thousand tons of wheat heading to Algeria. Bulk carrierIOANNIS THEO will deliver 52 thousand tons of wheat to Vietnam. Four vessels loaded with 122,000tons of agricultural products move along the "grain corridor". Since August 1, 833 ships have left theports of Great Odesa, exporting

25.3 million tons of Ukrainian food to the countries of Asia, Europe and Africa.

 

Russian operational losses from 24.02.22 to 23.03.23

Personnel - almost 168,150 people (+660);

Tanks - 3,570 (+13);

Armored combat vehicles – 6,898 (+11);

Artillery systems – 2,608 (+19)

Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) - 511 (+2); Anti-aircraft warfare systems - 273 (+1); Vehicles and fuel tanks – 5,452 (+18); Aircraft - 305 (0);

Helicopters – 290 (0);

UAV operational and tactical level – 2,203 (+20); Interceptedcruise missiles - 909 (+2);

Boats/ships – 18 (0).

Ukraine, general news

Volodymyr Zelensky visited Kherson Oblast today. He visited Posad-Pokrovske village, where many housesand social infrastructure facilities were damaged. Now the residents are gradually returning home, and theelectricity and water supply are being restored. Zelensky also visited one of the region's energy facilities.

 

The First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy, Taras Vysotsky, emphasized that despite many challenges thisyear's sowing campaign has already adapted to work under martial law; the agricultural sector is working andeven developing as much as possible. He identified many government initiatives aimed at helping farmers,particularly the soft credit program, which was extended until March 31, 2024. Another vital aspect of support,according to Vysotskyi, is the implemented government grant program launched in 2022.

More than 10,000 unemployed people in 14 regions of Ukraine participated in the implementation of sociallyuseful works within the framework of the "Recovery Army" project. The leader among the regions is PoltavaOblast, where almost 3,000 people are involved in such works. "Each region can establish a different list ofnecessary works - from weaving camouflage nets, disassembling rubble and restoring structures damaged dueto hostilities, to unloading humanitarian aid," said Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Tetyana Berezhna.Berezhna also emphasized that the payment people receive for performing socially beneficial work is higher than unemployment benefits.

 

49.5% of Ukrainians expect their families' well-being to improve over the next 2-3 years, and 10% expect it tochange for the worse, according to the survey "Socio-economic well-being of citizens of Ukraine: results of thewar year". " Such optimism looks somewhat paradoxical in view of the assessment of real income changes,"Andriy Bychenko, director of the sociological service of the Razumkov Center, said. Bychenko noted that a littlemore than a third of respondents believe that the level of well-being of their family is very bad (8.3%) or ratherbad (26.5%), and 12% believe that it is good or very good. Also, half of the respondents (49.7%) believe theirwell-being is neither good nor bad. According to the survey, after February 24, 2022, 53% of Ukrainians notedthat their incomes decreased, while only 6% of respondents reported increased incomes.

 

International diplomatic aspect

Slovakia has already handed over four pledged thirteen MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. There was no immediateArmageddon, as some had voiced their fears about such a possibility after sending tanks and jest to Ukraine."This is absolutely not a surprise for us. It's just that new figures will be added to our statistics of downed aircraft,"Russia's deputy foreign minister said before repeating the propaganda mantra that such actions by NATO andthe E.U. confirm the course towards the escalation of the Ukrainian conflict. The Swedish Parliament voted toprovide Ukraine with €554 million in assistance, including Leopard 2 MBTs and Archer self-propelled howitzers.Finland will deliver three Leopard 2 MBTs.

 

Dmitry Medvedev is quoted to say that the Russian military-industrial complex will produce 1,500 modern battletanks in 2023. Pavel Luzin, a Russian military expert, suggested that there's no need to "focus on the words of adeeply ill person," for "Russia modernizes 150-180 previously produced T-72, T-80, and T-90 tanks annually, andthe net production of new T-90 tanks is 20-30 units."

 

At the joint press conference with Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin threatened to "respond accordingly, given that thecollective West is starting to use weapons with a 'nuclear component.'" It is a clear overstretch, for the armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium the U.K. is set to provide Ukraine is not a nuclear weapon.Moreover, according to OSINT, Russia has been using depleted uranium rounds for months. Back in 2018,Russia's defense ministry announced T-80BV MBT upgraded to feature the capability of firing depleteduranium shells. At that time, Russian experts insisted that "the use of depleted uranium ammunition does not violate any international treaties." The U.S. reaction to the recent accusation was expressed by John Kirby, whosaid, "make no mistake, this is yet another straw man through which the Russians are driving a stake."

At the same time, Chinese mouthpieces picked up a theme and tried to spin it. After presenting the so-called peaceplan, Beijing is doubling down a propaganda narrative that it is the West that is fueling the conflict, while Chinatries to offer good services and Russia accepts Chinese proposals with minor objections.

 

The Parliament of Iceland recognized the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as the genocide of the Ukrainian people.Iceland joins the list of 26 nations that have already recognized this tragic event.

 

"I think that anyone who is a party to the [ICC] court and has obligations should fulfill their obligations [to arrestPutin]," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in response to a question from Sen. Lindsey Graham at aSenate Appropriations Committee hearing. However, Viktor Orban's chief of staff ruled out the possibility of a warcriminal's arrest in Hungary. "We can refer to the Hungarian law, and based on that, we cannot arrest the RussianPresident ... as the ICC's statute has not been promulgated in Hungary," Gergely Gulyas said.

 

Former Russian president Medvedev routinely turned to nuclear blackmail. "Clearly, such a situation is nevergoing to happen, but still, let's imagine that it has happened. The incumbent head of a nuclear country arrives in,say, Germany, and is arrested. What does it mean? A declaration of war against Russia," Dmitriy Medvedevsaid. Sergei Ryabkov, a hopeful to replace Sergey Lavrov, doubled down on nuclear saber-rattling, "I would notlike to indulge in a discussion whether the probability of a nuclear conflict is high today, but in any case, it ishigher than anything that we have seen over the past decades, let's put it this way."

 

Russia, relevant news

The Metro company condemns the invasion of Ukraine. Still, it will continue its activities in Russia, as it "isresponsible for 10,000 of its colleagues in the Russian Federation," according to the company's statement.Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention included the popular chain of hypermarkets in the list of"international war sponsors". It also includes, in particular, the American Procter & Gamble and the FrenchAuchan.

 

Russian online cinemas have lost up to half of Western films and series. The number of content from thelargest foreign producers on Russian video services has decreased by one and a half to two times, according toa study by the TelecomDaily agency. The experts analyzed the content of Russian online cinemas as of March16, 2022, and March 16, 2023. The most significant drop in content volume was recorded at the Kinopoiskservice owned by Yandex. Over the year, the number of films and series from major studios Disney, WarnerBros., Sony Pictures, Paramount and Universal on the Russian video service has halved to a thousand titles.After the start of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the largest international media companies announcedthe cancellation of the distribution of their films in Russia and began revoking the rights to their movies fromRussian services. As a result, Russian video services are trying to replace European and American films withfilms and series from South Korea, Turkey, India and China.

Centre for Defence Strategies (CDS) is a Ukrainian security think tank. We operate since 2020 We publish this brief daily. If you would like to subscribe, please send us an email at cds.dailybrief@gmail.com

 

The CDC Daily Brief is produced with the support of the Kyiv School of Economics https://kse.ua

 

Please note, that we subscribe only verified persons and can decline or cancel the subscription at our own discretion

 

We are an independent, non-government, non-partisan, and non-profit organisation. More at www.defence.org.ua

Our Twitter (in English) - https://twitter.com/defence_centre Our Facebook (in Ukrainian) - https://www.facebook.com/cds.UA

Our brief is for information only and we verify our information to the best possible extent