Tag: ukraine

Orban Announces Will Block All EU Measures For Ukraine Until Oil Transit Restored

Hungary remains one of the lone Ukraine-skeptic EU/NATO members which actually has a lot of leverage, resulting in bolder and bolder pronouncements being issued by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of late.

He has newly made clear this week that Hungary will block all EU summit decisions in Ukraine’s favor until oil Russian flows resume. There’s ongoing controversy centered on the contested Druzhba pipeline and the central European nation’s vital flows from Russia.

“We would like to get the oil, which is ours, from the Ukrainians, which is now blocked by the Ukrainians, I did not support any kind of decision here, which is in favor of Ukraine … [as long as] the Hungarians are not able to get the oil which belong to us,” Orbán stated.

Obran has already blocked a proposed €90 billion ($103 billion) loan for Ukraine as well as efforts to slap new sanctions on Moscow, despite the pleadings, pressure, and interventions from other EU leaders.

“I will never support any kind of decision here which is in favor of Ukraine,” Orbán made clear at an EU meeting Thursday. “The Hungarian position is very simple. We are ready to support Ukraine when we get our oil, which is blocked by them,” Orbán underscored further.

Budapest has accused Ukraine of intentionally leaving the pipeline in a state of disrepair after Kiev alleged that Russia struck it. Ukraine has been charged with seeking to indirectly punish Hungary and squeeze its energy supplies.

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Researchers uncover iPhone spyware capable of penetrating millions of devices

A powerful software exploit capable of penetrating and stealing information from potentially hundreds of millions of Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab iPhones ‌was planted on dozens of websites in Ukraine in recent weeks, researchers said on Wednesday.

The discovery marks the second time this month that researchers have found spyware targeting iPhones and other Apple devices. Together, the two hacking tools show that the market for sophisticated malware capable of stealing data and cryptocurrency wallet information ​is flourishing, researchers said.

Researchers with cyber firm Lookout, opens new tab, mobile security firm iVerify, opens new tab and Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O), opens new tabGoogle, opens new tab published coordinated analyses of the malware they dubbed “Darksword.” ​On March 3, Google and iVerify revealed a separate powerful iPhone spyware called “Coruna.” Researchers found Darksword hosted on ⁠the same servers.

“There’s now a verified pipeline of recent exploits … that have ended up in the hands of potentially criminal entities with ​a financial focus,” said Justin Albrecht, principal researcher with Lookout.

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Hungary To Declassify Bombshell National Security Report Proving Globalist Opposition to Viktor Orbán Is Illegally Funded by Ukraine

Orbán will expose Ukraine’s disruption of the Hungarian election.

Next month, Hungarians will decide the future of the Eastern European nation: will they remain on the nationalistic and conservative path they have been on for the last 14 years, or will they embrace the Globalist opposition?

Péter Magyar and his Tisza party are the darlings of the EU establishment, bound to bring all the suicidal Brussels policies: unchecked mass migration, LGBT propaganda, ‘Net Zero’ insane environmental regulations, total funding for Ukraine military… the list is long and sad.

But Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is not giving up without a fight, facing the EU and Ukraine for stopping the flow of Russian oil to Hungary, as you can read in: ORBÁN FIGHTS BACK: Hungary Blocks $106 Billion EU Loan to Ukraine Until Zelensky Allows Flow of Russian Oil Through Druzhba Pipeline To Resume

He also unleashed his Law Enforcement to disrupt illegal money transit from Kiev to fund his opposition, as you can read in: WATCH: Hungarian Counter Terrorism Forces Arrest 7 Ukrainians Suspected of Money Laundering, Seize $80 Million and 9 Kilograms of Gold.

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Trump Says, ‘We Don’t Need Ukraine’s Help,’ Rejects Zelensky Offer of Assistance With Drone Defense

Quite the Trump dismissal of Zelensky’s offers.

Now that a much bigger crisis is ongoing in the Middle East, the Ukrainian regime is trying to remain in the spotlight of the world’s media and in the thoughts of world leaders who have, for years, paid for its war effort.

But to do that and manage a losing war at once seems to be too much for Kiev regime leader Volodymyr Zelensky, who has reportedly become more and more aggressive in his criticism of Russia, the Europeans, and, of course, of the US.

As of late, unsurprisingly, Zelensky is decrying Donald J. Trump’s administration decision to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian oil ‘already at sea’.

At the same time that he is super cranky, the Ukrainian embattled leader has been trying to flatter Trump for his operation against Iran, and also offering help with his ‘drone defenses’ against the Iranian Shahed drones.

But the fact is: If their drone defenses were so good, they’d not be begging for Patriot missiles all the time, and also, they would not be in the dark because of Russian combined missile-drone attacks on almost all the power generation facilities.

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The Satanic Temple working to save Satanists in Ukraine

The Satanic Temple launched an effort to save fellow worshippers of Baphomet in war-torn Ukraine:

“As the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine continues unabated, The Satanic Temple is organizing its networks to ensure TST members trying to flee can reach safety,” the organization posted on its website. “By coordinating donations to pay for transport and accommodations, and strategically locating members who can physically aid refugees, we are doing what we can to assist our members who are caught in the conflict.”

The site called for Ukrainian Satanists to contact them.

Jack Matirko, formerly associated with the  Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and now an advocate for The Satanic Temple, covered the story for Only Sky Media.

“While it is taken for granted that larger religious organizations will be offering aid to members of their communities who need help, we rarely focus on the plights of members of severely marginalized religions, such as Satanism,” Matirko wrote.

Though it is unknown how many, or even if there are any Satanists in Ukraine, Russia has accused several members of the Ukrainian government of worshipping the devil. In 2014, Rossia 24, a state-owned Russian news channel, accused Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and parliament speaker Oleksandr Turchynov of allying with Satanists in a plot to destroy the Russian Orthodox Church. The report claimed that the group had received permission from local authorities to build a church, focusing on footage of a lamb that is apparently about to be slaughtered in a ritual sacrifice. As a Baptist, Turchynov drew suspicion. Yatsenyuk was even worse, accused of practicing Scientology, which the Russian government does not recognize.

It should be noted that there are Satanists on both sides of the conflict. The Satanic Church of Russia began operating in 2013 and received legal recognition on May 10, 2016 

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Defense Department Records Reveal U.S. Funding of Anthrax Laboratory Activities in Ukraine

Judicial Watch announced today it received 345 pages of records from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), a component of the U.S. Department of Defense, revealing that the United States funded anthrax laboratory activities in a Ukrainian biolab in 2018. Dozens of pages are completely redacted, and many others are heavily redacted. The records show over $11 million in funding for the Ukraine biolabs program in 2019.

The records were obtained in response to a February 28, 2022, Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency for records regarding the funding of Black & Veatch involving work of any manner with biosafety laboratories in the country of Ukraine.

Three phases of work are discussed in the records, several of which are indicated to have occurred “on site” at the Ukrainian labs.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency provided a report titled “PACS [Pathogen Asset Control System] at the [redacted (b)(3), which exempts information from disclosure when a foreign government or international organization requests the withholding, or the national security official concerned has specified in regulations that the information’s release would have an adverse effect on the U.S. government’s ability to obtain similar information in the future] Phase 2 On-the-Job Training Report, December 11-13/December 26, 2018” The Executive Summary includes information regarding “on-site” activities, likely referring to a Ukrainian biolab:

  • PACS [Pathogen Asset Control System] on-the-job training was conducted for users of the [redacted (b)(3)] on December 11-13, under Phase 2 implementation activities, Anthrax Laboratory activities were conducted on December 28, 2018.
  • PACS existing configuration and customization were checked jointly with the on-site PACS Working Group
  • Phase 1 implementation activities including progress and current status were reviewed; issues and problems discussed and resolved;
  • Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for PACS use at [redacted (b)(3)] was updated to include Subculturing Operation process – the updated SOP submitted to the on-site Working Group.

The report provides a list of titles of “OJT [on-the-job training] Participants” with all participants names from Black & Veatch redacted, citing exemptions (b)(6) for personal privacy and (b)(3).

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Zelensky Casually Threatens to Unleash Ukrainian Military on Hungary’s Viktor Orbán for Blocking €90 billion EU Aid

A new war on the horizon?

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky have been clashing for years, over a number of issues, but most importantly, because Budapest does not support Kiev’s membership in either NATO or the EU.

Orbán has repeatedly said that Ukraine does not fulfill the conditions for membership in the organizations, and furthermore, its participation would ‘bring the war’ to Europe.

These stances, needless to say, caused Orbán to be seen as an enemy of Zelensky’s regime – to the point where Kiev’s ruler, having repeatedly offended the Hungarian president, now half-jokingly threatens Orbán’s life in public.

The reason for the recent escalation is energy.

Orbán and his government accuse Ukraine of cutting the supply of Russian oil flowing through the Druzhba (‘Friendship’) pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia, threatening their energy security.

Ukraine says that the pipeline was destroyed by a Russian strike – again, insanely suggesting Russians would destroy their own pipelines, like they did when the Nord Stream was destroyed.

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Pentagon in Talks on Buying Ukrainian-Made Interceptors To Counter Iranian Drones

The Pentagon is in talks on purchasing Ukrainian-made interceptors to counter Iranian drones, the Financial Times has reported, as senior US officials have told Congress that US forces in the Middle East are having more trouble intercepting Iran’s drones than expected.

The report said that at least one Gulf country was also in talks on acquiring Ukrainian-made drone interceptors as they been using advanced US Patriot missiles, which cost more than $4 million apiece. The Ukrainian systems are much cheaper and have been designed to counter the Russian version of Iran’s Shahed drones.

One Ukrainian official said that the talks were “sensitive” but that it was “obvious that there is a surge in interest in the Ukrainian drone interceptors, which can intercept the Shahed for a very low cost.” The Ukrainian drone interceptors cost a few thousand dollars to stop one Iranian Shahed drone, which is estimated to cost about $30,000 each.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this week that he has been in contact with Qatar and the UAE about the use of Ukraine’s anti-drone systems, though he expressed concern about Ukraine’s own stockpile.

“Ukraine’s expertise in countering ‘Shahed’ drones is currently the most advanced in the world,” he said. “However, any such co-operation aimed at protecting our partners can only proceed without diminishing our own defence capabilities.”

Ukraine’s anti-drone technology, which includes smaller drones and anti-drone guns, has struggled to intercept the Geran-3, a Russian-produced drone based on Iran’s Shahed-238 and powered by a jet engine.

Secretary of Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine told lawmakers this week that US forces will not be able to intercept all of Iran’s drones and that more US casualties are expected.

Since the US and Israel launched the war against Iran on Saturday, US Central Command has confirmed the deaths of six American soldiers, who were killed by an Iranian drone that hit a makeshift operations center in Kuwait. According to media reports, they had no notice or warning to evacuate before the drone struck.

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Ukrainian Christians Go Underground in Face of Persecution and Church Seizures

Some Ukrainian Christians have been forced to retreat to the “catacombs” to worship because of persecution and church seizures, the Daily Caller reported Friday.

Furthermore, the embattled Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is in danger of being shut down under a 2024 law prohibiting churches from having any ties to Russia.

The UOC — which, according to the Daily Caller, “traces its roots to the 17th-century Russian Orthodox Church (ROC)” — claims to have full autonomy from Moscow except for its canonical relationship. (For instance, sacraments performed by the UOC are considered valid in the ROC and vice versa.)

However, wrote the Daily Caller, “Opponents claim the UOC’s divine liturgy often includes Russian propaganda — such as prayers for Patriarch Kirill, head of the ROC, and vocal supporter of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

OCU vs. UOC

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which has no Russian connections, benefits enormously from the government’s antipathy toward the UOC. This is not surprising since the OCU was, at Kyiv’s instigation, “artificially constructed” in 2018 from two schismatic Orthodox branches to serve “the political interests of the government,” Metropolitan Feodosii, head of the Cherkasy UOC, told the Daily Caller.

UOC churches are being seized and transferred to the OCU, with priests and parishioners often brutalized in the process, Feodosii and other UOC leaders allege.

The Daily Caller recounted one such incident:

Nearly a dozen UOC parishioners described to the Caller an alleged violent takeover of St. Michael’s Cathedral in Cherkasy in October 2024.

Parishioners claimed more than 500 men — many wearing masks, camouflage and armed with crowbars and bolt cutters — arrived just after liturgy ended. The men allegedly used tear gas and trapped nearby residents in their homes before parishioners briefly fended them off.

One parishioner showed the Caller bruises still visible on his legs. Another claimed her husband was beaten so badly he could not even talk, and he suffered “many fractures of his bones.” The woman’s youngest child was so traumatized by the event that he went almost a whole year only addressing himself as “kitten” instead of his given name, she told the Caller.

Feodosii allegedly suffered burns and a concussion during the fracas and ended up in the hospital.

“Parishioners alleged priests from the OCU stood along the fence laughing with the police as they waited to take over the property,” wrote the Daily Caller.

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IMF approves $8.1 billion loan for Ukraine, with $1.5 billion to go immediately

The International Monetary Fund’s executive board on Thursday approved an $8.1 billion, four-year loan for Ukraine, with $1.5 billion to be disbursed immediately to help keep the government running as its war against Russia’s invasion drags into a fifth year.

The IMF said the new Extended Fund Facility arrangement for Ukraine would help anchor a $136.5 billion international support package for the war-torn country, which this week marked the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The new loan, which replaces a $15.5 billion program that was approved in 2023, will help Kyiv to maintain economic stability and keep public spending flowing, the IMF said.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko hailed the IMF loan as part of a broader financial framework that would cover an estimated budget shortfall of $136.5 billion over four years, including a 90 billion euro loan from the European Union.

“It is very important for us that in the fifth year of the full-scale war, against the backdrop of systematic attacks on the energy sector, Ukraine has guaranteed international financial support from partners and the resources for the stable functioning of the state,” she wrote on Telegram.

The World Bank, European Union, United Nations and the Ukrainian government this week issued a new report that put the cost of rebuilding Ukraine at $588 billion over the next decade.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the IMF loan would resolve Ukraine’s balance of payments problem and restore medium-term external viability, while boosting prospects for reconstruction and growth after the war ended and help to facilitate Ukraine’s steps to join the European Union.

“Ukraine and its people have weathered a long and devastating war for over four years with remarkable resilience,” she said in a statement, lauding work by Ukrainian authorities to maintain overall macroeconomic and financial stability, boost domestic revenues and advance some critical reforms.

She said officials were committed to “tackling longstanding bottlenecks to growth,” including through continued efforts to combat corruption, address tax avoidance and evasion, reform energy markets, and strengthen financial market infrastructure.

The program would be “promptly recalibrated” in the case of successful peace negotiations, she said in a statement.

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