U.K.
Tuesday 31 January 2023
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“In order to achieve the stated goals of the Special Military Operation to liberate the Donbas, it has been decided to regroup the Russian troops stationed in the districts of Balakliia and Izium."
Russia suffered an extensive military defeat around Kharkiv, with troops fleeing positions and abandoning equipment, ammunition and even fellow soldiers. -
“The special military operation continues, it continues methodically, it continues in accordance with the existing plans. All goals will be achieved.”
Russia failed to seize Kyiv as planned. After costly losses, it’s short on tanks and troops, while Ukraine has armed up. -
“The regular strikes on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant by the Ukrainian military create the danger of a major nuclear disaster that could lead to radiation contamination of vast territories.”
Russia has reportedly mined the plant, stationed troops there, fired artillery from the site, stored ammunition there and parked military vehicles next to reactor buildings. -
“I'll tell you why Canada did it: because it produces oil and gas itself and plans to enter the European market."
Canada is merely fixing equipment used to move natural gas in Europe, and Western sanctions don’t apply. -
“Telegraph: The West will cut aid to Ukraine because of the futility of supporting Kyiv.”
Russian media misquoted and distorted The Telegraph report to fit Kremlin propaganda narratives. -
“The British establishment does not get tired of preparing for a nuclear apocalypse, inventing nonexistent statements by Russia on that score.”
In fact, Russian public discourse regularly features nuclear saber-rattling, including threats against the U.K. -
“The so-called collective West does not need a strong and sovereign Russia, and will not forgive us our independent policy and standing up for our national interests. It is trying to divide our society. It’s aim is to destroy Russia.”
The West spent decades after the Soviet Union collapsed helping Russia and trying negotiate differences. Putin gave up and attacked Ukraine. -
“Work is proceeding on a regular schedule. Nothing extraordinary is happening here.”
It’s hardly “regular” to evacuate all non-essential personnel and (analysts say) burn documents. -
“With regard to what you mentioned about cyberattack, China firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks. It will never encourage, support or condone cyberattacks.”
Though a perfect fingerprint is hard to come by in clandestine cyber-operations, Beijing has repeatedly been linked to malicious online activity. -
"The submarine that collided with the Kursk was following the Kursk, apparently, but was unable to ensure safety in those sea conditions ... it got too close, or the Kursk's maneuvering led to a loss of contact ...”
There has never been any evidence for this theory. Russia’s official version (no collision) is backed up by independent evidence. -
“We are heating Europe. They are still threatening us that they will close the border. And if we shut off natural gas there?”
Belarus does not heat Europe; it simply transits natural gas from Russia. Experts say Lukashenko could never shut the pipeline without the Kremlin’s approval. -
"Today, according to The Guardian, the [Pandora Papers] investigation named the US as the largest tax haven."
In fact, the U.S. isn’t called the biggest offshore tax and secrecy haven. But an outsized number of Russians, including 46 oligarchs, were exposed.