Moscow Concert Attack: At least 133 dead in terrorist attack; ISIS claims responsibility; four gunmen caught while heading to Ukraine

By Ruzeki, Shadoww News 

March 22, 2024 

At least 133 people were killed and more than 200 injured when the terrorists stormed the building, firing indiscriminately and setting it alight. 

Russian authorities said 11 people were detained in total, and the four gunmen were caught while heading to Russia-Ukraine border.

The Islamic State terror group's claim was made through an ISIS-linked news agency and was not backed by any proof. 

What we know about the Moscow concert attack

• Men in camouflage broke into a Moscow concert hall and opened fire, shooting an unknown number of people. 
• The ISIS, which is believed to be a CIA and Mossad-backed terror group, has claimed responsibility but has not provided proof of the claim, which was made on ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram. 
• Russia officials said that at least 133 people are dead and more than 200 injured after the attack at Crocus City Hall on Friday. 
• A fire also started inside Crocus City Hall, a large concert venue northwest of central Moscow. 

Firefighters have evacuated about 300 people from the basement of the building and efforts are underway to rescue people from the roof, Russian emergency officials said. 

Russia security service said it was investigating the attack as a terrorist act. 

A popular rock band was scheduled to play what appeared to be a sold-out show at the venue, which has a maximum capacity of more than 9,000 people. 

Guards at the concert hall didn’t have guns, and some could have been killed at the start of the attack, Russian state media reported. 

According to some news outlets, the assailants fled before special forces and riot police arrived.

Reports said police patrols were looking for several vehicles the attackers could have used to escape. 

The U.S. had intelligence that ISIS could mount a mass casualty attack in Russia. In March 7, the U.S. embassy in Russia issued a warning about a possible extremist attacks, including at concerts, urging American citizens to stay away from large gatherings. 

Some Moscow concertgoers filmed events as they unfolded on Friday night, when gunmen opened fire inside a theater and people ran to take cover in fear for their lives.

Witnesses to today’s armed attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall told TASS news agency that they first mistook the gunfire for sounds of an installation being dismantled. 

The terror group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack in Moscow.

The terror group, also known as ISIS and is believed to be backed by the US and Israel, did not provide any proof of its claim, which came from ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram. 

The ISIS terrorists have carried out a number of terror attacks, including the 2015 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people and a recent terror attack in Kerman, which killed about 100 Iranians, in January 2024. 

Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, said children were among the victims of tonight's attack. 

Earlier, Russian officials released a preliminary casualty toll of at least 115 people dead and more than 200 injured. 

People and leaders from all over the world are among those who expressed their condolences to the victims of the attack at the Crocus concert hall in Moscow. 

Several regional leaders across Russia, have canceled public events this weekend over security considerations after the deadly concert attack in Moscow. 

Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations said the number of rescue crews responding to the attack is growing and now includes more than 320 firefighters, 130 emergency vehicles and three helicopters dumping water on the burning concert venue. 

According to RIA news agency, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was informed about the shooting at the Crocus concert hall "in the first minutes" of the attack.

We shall update this Breaking News as soon as new information is available. 

BREAKING: The Wagner PMC boss Yevgeny Prigozhin killed in a fatal plane crash in Russia.

By Ruzeki, Shadow News. 

Yevgeny Prigozhin in fatal plane crash, Russian state media and officials report.

According to emergency ministry, all 10 people on the plane, including three crew members, died in the crash. 

A private jet alleged to be carrying Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose Wagner PMC group launched a failed mutiny in June, has crashed on a flight from Moscow to St Petersburg. 

The Russian officials said a man with Prigozhin’s name was among the passengers, without elaborating further. 

If confirmed, Prigozhin’s death would mark a spectacular end to his career. After playing a prominent role in Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Prigozhin in June led his paramilitary force on a historic, abortive mutiny march on Moscow. 

Viral videos shared on social media channels known to be close to the Russian security services showed graphic images of a crash site in the Tver region north-west of Moscow, near the village of Kuzhenkino. 

The footage appeared to show emergency services approaching the burning carcass of a plane. Eight bodies have been recovered from the site, authorities said. 

The Russian investigative committee said it had opened a criminal case in relation to the crash. Rosaviatsiya, the Russian aviation agency, said it had launched a commission and was searching for the plane’s black box. 

A post by Grey Zone, a Wagner-connected social media channel, claimed Russian anti-aircraft defences had shot down the plane. It said that residents heard “two bursts of characteristic air defence fire” before the crash. “This is confirmed by inversion traces in the sky in one of the videos,” it added. 

President Vladimir Putin was speaking at a concert to commemorate the second world war in the Kursk region near the border with Ukraine when the crash was reported. 

The US president Joe Biden, who is on holiday in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, told reporters he did not know for a fact what happened but, was not surprised as not much happens in Russia that Putin is not behind. 

Prigozhin is a former Kremlin caterer known as “Putin’s chef”, he emerged as one of the most important leaders of Russia’s war effort before souring on the military’s leadership to such an extent that he launched a coup against Kremlin in late June. 

Under an agreement with the Kremlin, Wagner fighters decamped for exile in neighbouring Belarus, whose leader Alexander Lukashenko brokered the deal. 

Last month, Prigozhin said that Wagner fighters would eventually redeploy to Africa, where the group continues to fight as mercenaries in several conflicts. 

Prigozhin appeared in a video on Monday saying that he was in Africa on a mission to make Russia even greater on all continents. 

Although Prigozhin appeared to have been reintegrated into the Russian security establishment, most analysts had predicted they expected Prigozhin would face retribution. 

According to flight tracking site Flightradar24, the aircraft, an Embraer Legacy, was the same plane that Prigozhin had regularly used to travel around Russia and as far away as Africa.

Recently, the jet had been making trips to Belarus. 

When the Embraer jet last broadcast its position, it was flying at 28,000ft near Tver and moving at a ground speed of 513 knots. The route appears to be the aircraft’s normal flight path to St Petersburg, a run it last made on July 6. 

Video of the crash and its aftermath posted by social media with ties to Russian security services showed the plane rapidly descending from the sky, before crashing to the ground in a ball of flames. 

This developing story shall be updated once new information about the Wagner PMC boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is available. 

Russia-Ukraine War: ICC issues arrest warrant for the Russian President Vladimir Putin over war crime allegations.

By Ruzeki, Shadow News 

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

The ICC alleges President Putin is responsible for war crimes, and has focused its claims on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. 

The ICC believes the crimes were committed in Ukraine since February 24, 2022 - when Russia started its special military operations. 

Moscow has denied the allegations and labelled the arrest warrants as outrageous. 

It is highly unlikely that much will come of the move - the ICC has no powers to arrest suspects, and can only exercise jurisdiction within its member countries - and Russia is not one of them. 

However it could affect the president in other ways, such as being unable to travel to some countries. 

In a statement, the ICC confirmed it had reasonable grounds to believe President Putin committed the criminal acts directly, as well as working with others. It also accused Mr Putin of failing to use his presidential powers to stop children being deported. 

The US President Joe Biden said the arrest warrant of President Putin is justified. Despite the US not being a signed member of the ICC, it believes Mr Putin committed war crimes and should face trial at the Hague. 

Russia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, is also wanted by the ICC for the same crimes. 

Maria Lvova-Belova has been accused of supporting efforts to indoctrinate Ukrainian children taken to Russia. 

The ICC said it initially considered keeping the arrest warrants a secret, but decided to make them public in the event that it stopped further crimes from being committed. 

The ICC prosecutor Karim Khan told the press that children can't be treated as the spoils of war, they can't be deported. 

Reactions to the warrants came within minutes of the announcement, with Kremlin officials instantly dismissing them. 

Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said any of the court's decisions were null and void and the former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev compared the warrant to toilet paper. 

The Russian opposition welcomed the ICC announcement. Led by a close ally of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Mr Ivan Zhdanov said in a tweet that it was a symbolic step but an important one. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated he was grateful to Mr Khan and the criminal court for their decision to press charges against aggressive Russia. 

The Ukraine's Prosecutor Andriy Kostin emphasized the decision was historic for Ukrainians and that it was only the beginning. 

Russia is not a signed member of the ICC therefore, there is no chance that President Vladimir Putin or Maria Lvova-Belova will appear in the dock at The Hague. 

The ICC relies on the cooperation of governments to arrest people. According to international experts on politics and relations, Russia is not going to cooperate with the ICC nonsense. 

However Mr Khan pointed out that no-one thought Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian leader who went on trial for war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo, would end up in The Hague. 

While Putin is the head of a G20 nation, and about to shake hands with China's Xi Jinping in an historic meeting, Mr Putin is now also a wanted man, and this might place restrictions on which countries he can visit. 

On August, South Africa will host the 15th summit of BRICS nations, which include Brazil, Russia, India, China and the host- South Africa. South Africa is a signed member of the ICC, it is unlikely that South Africa will arrest President Vladimir Putin because of its deep relations with Moscow. 

Some experts have said the ICC is on the way to losing members, which have strong ties with Russia. 

This developing story shall be updated as soon as new information is available. 

THE ANNIVERSARY: It's now one year since Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.

By Ruzeki and Faith C., Shadow News. 

Good morning from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

It’s one year since Russia launched its full-scale special military operation in Ukraine - the biggest war on European soil since WWII. 

We'll be with you throughout the day, reporting on the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war and how this war has changed the world. 

Summary

1. ■ A year ago today, Russia launched a full-scale special military operation on its neighbour Ukraine, triggering the largest war in Europe since World War II. 
2. ■ Since then, tens of thousands of people have died, entire cities have been destroyed and millions have fled the country. 
3. ■ Join us as we mark this sombre occasion, hearing the voices of Ukrainians and Russians, and explaining how things are after 12 months of offensive and defensive tactics of both sides. 
4. ■ Many families in Ukraine have been torn apart, millions have been displaced, and thousands of lives have been lost at the frontlines and beyond. 
5. ■ Shadow News will answer your questions about the war - and we'll be joined later by our US correspondent Natasha for live coverage of this one year anniversary. 

What led to the invasion?

Ukraine and Russia have a long, complicated history. Ukraine became independent in 1991, following the fall of the USSR, and gradually grew closer to the European Union and the West.

Russia had long resisted Ukraine's move towards the EU and the West's defensive military alliance Nato.

For years, President Putin denied Ukraine its own statehood, culminating in a lengthy 2021 essay saying that Russians and Ukrainians were one people.

He frequently accused Ukraine of being taken over by extremists, ever since its pro-Russian President, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted in 2014 after months of protests against his rule.

At that time, Russia retaliated by seizing the southern Ukrainian region of Crimea. An uprising in the east by Russian-backed separatists sparked a war that claimed some 14,000 lives.

In 2021, Putin began deploying big numbers of Russian troops close to Ukraine's borders.

For months Putin had denied he would invade his neighbour. Announcing the invasion on 24 February 2022, he accused Nato of threatening Russia’s “historic future as a nation". 

What happened on this day last year

02:30 (all times in GMT) In a televised speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin announces the launch of a “special military operation” in Ukraine

03:27 The first explosions are heard in Kyiv, and more blasts are reported across the country as Ukrainians wake up to war

04:58 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirms reports of nationwide missile strikes

11.56 Nato activates its defence plans, which include more than 100 jets on standby and 120 allied ships at sea, from the Arctic to the Mediterranean

12:03 The UK's then-Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, addresses the nation, saying: "Our worst fears have come true and all our warnings have proved tragically accurate. President Putin of Russia has unleashed war… without any provocation and any credible excuse"

18:50 There are reports that the port city of Mariupol has been coming under heavy fire

21:40 Almost 2,000 people are arrested at anti-war protests in 40 cities across Russia

22:59 Zelensky calls for general mobilisation and imposes martial law. He reports that 137 Ukrainians died on the first day of the assault. 

The Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state of the nation speech

Moscow: The Russian President Vladimir Putin has just delivered a state of the nation address, assessing the special military operation in Ukraine as he ordered a year ago. 

President Vladimir Putin giving the state of the nation speech in Moscow.

Here are highlights from his address delivered on Tuesday to members of both houses of parliament, military commanders, soldiers and citizens: 

■ Russia is suspending its participation in the New START treaty. 

President Putin said he's forced to announce that Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty. 

The New START treaty was signed in Prague in 2010 by then President Barack Obama. It came into force the following year and was extended in 2021 for five more years after United States President Joe Biden took office. 

The treaty caps the number of strategic nuclear warheads that the United States and Russia can deploy, and the deployment of land and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them. 

According to military experts and scientists, Russia has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world, with over 6,000 warheads. Together, Russia and the US hold about 90 percent of the world’s nuclear warheads – enough to completely destroy the earth. 

■ A watershed moment for our country. 

Mr Putin stated he was making the address at a difficult time, a watershed moment for Russia, a time of cardinal, irreversible changes around the world, the most important historic events that will shape the future of Russia and its people, when each of them bears a colossal responsibility. 

■ Western nations trying to ‘distract people’s attention’. 

President Putin said the West is trying to use the principles of democracy and freedom to defend their totalitarian values and to distract people’s attention from corruption scandalsand even from economic-social problems. 

■ Responsibility is on West and Ukrainian elite. 

In his address, Mr Putin emphasized that the responsibility is on the West and the Ukrainian elite and government, which does not serve the national interest, but [rather serves the interest] of third countries [which] use Ukraine as a military base to fight Russia. 

He continued to say that the more the West send weapons to Ukraine, the more Russia will have the responsibility of the security situation at the Russian border. This is a natural response. 

■ We don’t fight the Ukrainian people. 

President Putin confirmed that Russia don’t fight with the Ukrainian people. The Ukrainians became hostages of the corrupt Kyiv regime that occupied Ukraine both economically and politically. Over years, Kyiv has been doing everything to bring this degradation … The Kyiv regime is using its people, it’s sad but true. 

■ Donbas subjected to ‘undisguised hatred’. 

Mr Putin said that they will resolve the tasks facing Russia. Since 2014, the people of the Donbas region have been fighting, defending their right to live on their own land, to speak their native language. 

They fought and did not give up in the conditions of blockade and constant shelling, undisguised hatred on the part of the Kyiv regime. They believed and expected that Russia would come to their rescue. 

Meanwhile, Russia did their best to solve this problem by peaceful means. It patiently tried to negotiate a peaceful way out of this most difficult conflict, but a completely different scenario was being prepared behind their backs. 

■ Reviving enterprises and jobs in occupied Ukrainian regions. 

Moscow has already begun and will continue to build up a large-scale programme for the socioeconomic recovery and development of these new subjects of the federation (territory annexed from Ukraine). We are talking about reviving enterprises and jobs in the ports of the Sea of Azov, which has again become an inland sea of Russia, and building new modern roads, as we did in Crimea. 

■ Putin understands how unbearably hard it is for families of killed soldiers. 

Mr Putin said he understood how difficult it was for families of the Russian soldiers who died fighting in Ukraine, and promised a “targeted support” with a new special fund. 

■ Child abuse all the way up to paedophilia … advertised as the norm’ in the West. 

President Putin said the West distort historical facts and constantly attack Russian culture, the Russian Orthodox Church, and other traditional religions of other countries. 

For example, as it became known, the Anglican Church is planning to consider the idea of a gender-neutral God … Millions of people in the West understand they are being led to a real spiritual catastrophe. 

Looking at what the West do to their own people: the destruction of families, of cultural and national identities and the perversion that is child abuse all the way up to paedophilia, are advertised as the norm … and priests are forced to bless same-sex marriages. 

Russia-Ukraine War: How tanks from Germany, US and UK could prolong the Ukraine war

This could be the week when the Russia-Ukraine war escalates to new levels. It is certainly a decisive moment, when a coalition of Western nations led by Germany, US and Britain confirming they are finally supplying modern-made main battle tanks to Kyiv.

Germany said it would send Leopard 2 tanks and the US said it would send M1 Abrams tanks. Both the UK and Poland have already made concrete pledges, and other western nations are expected to follow. Some military analysts have described the move as a potential "gamechanger or escalator" in the war, which has lasted more than a year now.

But is it really enough for Ukraine to win the war? 

Well, the Western tanks will make a difference in favour of Ukraine. 

In modern warfare, tanks have been a key element for offensive operations - to punch through enemy lines and retake territory. 

Used effectively, they provide mobile firepower, protection, shock and surprise. Concentrated in numbers, they can dislocate an enemy's defences. But they also need the support of artillery to first weaken those defences and then the support of infantry to hold retaken ground. 

History shows tanks alone don't win battles. The British first used hundreds of tanks at the battle of Cambrai in November 1917 - to end the deadlock of static trench warfare. Initially they made significant advances, but many tanks soon broke down and a German counter offensive turned British gains into losses. 

Tanks can also be used in defence. In 1940 they were used by the retreating British and French armies at Arras to stall the Nazi invasion, allowing the subsequent evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk.

But Ukraine has made clear that it wants weapons not just to stall any potential Russian spring offensive, but to retake its own territory - to go on the attack. 

If the Western pledges are firmed, Ukraine's armed forces could be boosted by more than 100 tanks. That would still fall well short of what Ukraine's overall military commander asked for.

Last October, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi said Ukraine needed an additional 300 tanks, 700 infantry fighting vehicles and 500 howitzers for his planned offensive this year. It might end up with just half of that.

The training required on the weapons will take time too - weeks if not months. And it's still not clear when all this equipment will arrive.

The US has indicated that its 31 M1 Abrams tanks might not be ready for months. Ukraine is also waiting for the West to respond to its repeated request for modern warplanes. An army attacking on the ground will need protection from the air.

Western officials had hoped that Ukraine may be able to mount an offensive as soon as this spring. They believe there is now a window of opportunity while Russia struggles to recruit and rebuild its battered forces, and to replenish its dwindling supplies of ammunition. 

The greatest challenge for Ukraine will be logistics - maintaining the flow of fuel, ammunition and spare parts. Ukraine is not just having to maintain its old Soviet-era arsenal, it is also having to worry about an increasingly complex inventory of Western supplied weapons. 

The UK is not just sending Ukraine 14 Challenger tanks, but also 30 artillery self-propelled guns and armoured vehicles to carry and protect troops.

That new package of military support also includes mine breaching and bridge-laying vehicles. In other words, the essential elements needed for any offensive operation.

The US is also providing Ukraine with more than 100 Bradley and Stryker armoured vehicles, and Germany 40 of its Marder infantry fighting vehicle - as well as tanks.

Tanks are the tip of the spear, designed to move quickly over open ground. The Challenger 2, Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams are faster than most Russian-made tanks with speeds of more than 25mph (40km per hour) on rough terrain.

To take ground quickly, with any element of surprise, they would likely avoid urban areas where they would be more vulnerable to attack. Russia showed early on in this war, in its failed attempt to surround Kyiv, that a long column of armour on a road is an easy target.

Russia-Ukraine war live: Kremlin defends retreat from occupied regions as Ukraine recaptures ‘dozens’ of towns

Moscow says the occupied Ukrainian regions ‘will be with Russia forever’ as Ukrainian forces continue rapid advance.

Summary of the day so far…

• The electricity supply to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine continues to be extremely precarious, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog has said. 

• 
  
• Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the four laws ratifying the Russian Federation’s claimed annexation of the occupied Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Russian forces do not fully control any of the four areas, and it remains unclear where Russia is attempting to set its new external border.
• 
  
• Ukraine has made major and rapid advances this week, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying in an address on Tuesday night that “dozens” of towns have been recaptured. Ukrainian forces captured the town of Dudchany on the west bank of the Dnipro River in their major advance in Kherson region, and in the east, Ukrainian forces were advancing after capturing Lyman, the main Russian bastion in the north of Donetsk province.
• 
  
• Pro-Russian leaders in the occupied regions have claimed that the situation is stabilising this morning. Denis Pushilin, installed as governor in Donetsk by Russia has said “the situation on the front line in the Lyman direction is stabilising, the defence line is being strengthened”, while Kirill Stremousov, part of the occupation administration imposed on Kherson, has been quoted saying that Russian forces were “conducting a regrouping in order to gather their strength and deliver a retaliatory blow” in the region, and “the advance of the armed forces of Ukraine in the Kherson direction has stopped”.
• 
  
• The UK ministry of defence has said in its daily operational briefing that “Ukraine continues to make progress in offensive operations along both the north-eastern and southern fronts. In the north-east, in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine has now consolidated a substantial area of territory east of the Oskil River.”
• 
  
• Russia’s foreign ministry has said the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) will operate under the supervision of Russian agencies after the annexation declaration. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is expected to visit Moscow in the coming days to discuss the situation at the plant, which has been occupied by Russian forces since the earliest days of the war. Energoatom, the Ukrainian state-enterprise that owns the plant, has said it may restart it to ensure safety.
• 
  
• Oleksandr Starukh, Ukraine’s governor of Zaporizhzhia, said that overnight “the enemy fired rockets at the regional centre and the outskirts of the city. Infrastructure facilities were destroyed.”
• 
  
• President Zelenskiy has posted a series of images of damaged buildings across social media from recently liberated Lyman, with the message: “Our Lyman after the occupier. All basics of life have been destroyed here. They are doing so everywhere in the territories they seize. This can be stopped in one way only: liberate Ukraine, life, humanity, law and truth as soon as possible.”
• 
  
• Russian TV journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, famous for staging an on-air protest against Russia’s war in Ukraine, confirmed she had escaped house arrest over further charges of spreading fake news, saying she had no case to answer.
• 
  
• Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, says Washington’s decision to send more military aid to Ukraine poses a threat to Moscow’s interests and increases the risk of a military clash between Russia and the west.

This is Ruzeki in Nairobi, and I will be updating you as major events occur. You can contact me at itsruzeki@gmail.com 

Referendums: Russia-Occupied regions of Ukraine (Eastern Donetsk, Luhansk, the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia) vote on joining Russia.

By Ruzeki, Shadow News

Updated 2130 EAT September 23, 2022 

The eastern Donetsk, Luhansk, the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine begun voting Friday Sept. 23, 2022 on whether to become part of Russia, in referendums that Kyiv and the west have dismissed as 'sham'. 

Four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine are voting in referendums on joining Russia (23-27 Sept 2022)

This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a mandatory troop mobilization of about 300,000 reservists, which also sparked resounding condemnation from the West. 

The mobilization comes after Ukrainian forces seized back most of the northeastern Kharkiv region in a huge counter-offensive that has seen Kyiv retaking hundreds of villages under Russian control for months. 

The four regions' integration into Russia, which for most political and security analysts is already a foregone conclusion, would represent a major new escalation of the Russia - Ukraine conflict. 

The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a UN Security Council session on Thursday, that U.S. will not allow President Putin to get away with war crimes as he lashed out against today's referendums as "sham".  

Today's referendums are reminiscent of a similar sort in 2014, which saw the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine annexed by Russia. The official result from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was a 97 percent vote for integration of the region into the Russian Federation with an 86 percent voter turnout. 

Referendums to join Russia is currently underway in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions on Sept. 23-27.

Ballots in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions are having this question: "Are you in favor of secession from Ukraine, formation of an independent state by the region and its joining the Russian Federation as a subject of the Russian Federation?" 

The voting process in the four regions is untraditional given the short deadlines and the lack of technical equipment. It was decided not to hold electronic voting and use the traditional paper ballots. 

A billboard in Kherson region encouraging residents to turn out and vote

In addition, Referendum officials are going door-to-door for the first four days to collect votes, and then polling stations would be open on the final day, that is on Tuesday, for residents to cast ballots and the results of these referendums will be announced on the same day. 

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Live Updates: Russian President Vladimir Putin Announcement About Ukraine War

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By Ruzeki

Chinese and Russian nuclear bombers fly over Sea of Japan as Biden visits Tokyo.

Chinese and Russian strategic bombers flew over the Sea of Japan as President Joe Biden attended a Quad summit in Tokyo, in a joint exercise the Japanese government denounced it as “unacceptable”. 

The nuclear-capable bombers conducted a joint flight on Tuesday that began over the Sea of Japan as the US president was meeting his counterparts from Japan, Australia and India, Japanese and US officials said. 

Moscow said the 13-hour flight was carried out “strictly in accordance with the provisions of international law” and was not directed against third countries. But Nobuo Kishi, Japan’s defence minister, condemned the exercise as “provocative” and “unacceptable. 

Latest Updates on Ukraine-Russia War!

By Ruzeki, Shadow News 

In a speech marking Russia's Victory Day on Monday, President Vladimir Putin sought to link his country's struggle against Nazi Germany in World War Two with his invasion of Ukraine and baselessly claimed the West had given him no choice.

Putin said the intervention in Ukraine was necessary as the West was creating "threats next to our borders" and "preparing for the invasion of our land." 

He also said the West didn't want to hear Russia's proposals for dialogue.

"NATO countries did not want to hear us," Putin said, adding that that means "they had very different plans and we could see that."

"Russia gave a preemptive rebuff to aggression -- it was a forced and sovereign decision," he said.

Putin told troops that "today you are defending what your grandfathers and great-grandfathers fought for."

He also addressed the soldiers of Donbas" who "together with Russian soldiers" are fighting for the "motherland." Donbas, a sprawling heartland region that blankets much of eastern Ukraine, has been the front line of Ukraine's conflict with Russia since 2014.

Fighting has intensified in the region in recent weeks as Putin refocused his war strategy following stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces.

"I address the servicemen of Donbas," Putin said in the speech. "You are fighting for the motherland, for its future, so that lessons of World War Two are not forgotten," he said, adding, "there is no place in history for the punitive divisions of Nazis."

"We bow our heads in the memory of our comrades in arms who died in the just struggle for Russia," he said. 

After those remarks, a moment of silence followed.  

What you need to know: 

● US First Lady Jill Biden made an unannounced trip on Sunday to Uzhhorod, Ukraine, where she met with Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska at a converted school, which is now used as temporary housing for displaced citizens. 

● Ukraine has accused Russia of dropping a bomb on a school in Luhansk region where 90 people were taking shelter. It is feared that sixty people are dead. 

● The Ukrainian government said that all women, children and elderly people have been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. President Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 300 civilians have been rescued. 

● US President Joe Biden will meet virtually with the Ukrainian President and his G7 counterparts during a meeting of the G7 forum on Sunday, deliberately scheduled ahead of Russia's Victory Day. 

● Kyiv’s mayor is urging citizens to "be aware" and stay inside Sunday into Monday during the period surrounding Russia's annual Victory Day as Western officials warn Russian President Vladimir Putin could officially declare war on May 9, allowing him to step up his invasion  campaign.

DEBRIEF: How many sovereign countries has US military invaded?

 US Military Invasions and operations in Sovereign Countries, 1798 to 2022. Note: US operations in World Wars I & II have been excluded. 

1798-1800: France.

Undeclared naval war against France, US marines invaded Puerto Plata.

1801-1805: Tripoli.

War with Tripoli (Libya), called "First Barbary War".

1806: Spanish Mexico. 

US Military force invade Spanish territory in headwaters of the Rio Grande.

1806-1810: Spanish and French in Caribbean. 

US naval vessels attack French and Spanish shipping in the Caribbean.

1810: Spanish West Florida.

US Troops invade and seize Western Florida, a Spanish possession.

1812: Spanish East Florida

US Troops invade and seize Amelia Island and adjacent territories.

1812: Britain. 

War of 1812, includes US naval and land operations.

1813: Marquesas Island

US Forces seize Nukahiva and establish first US naval base in the Pacific.

1814: Spanish (East Florida)

US Troops invade and seize Pensacola in Spanish East Florida.

1814-1825: French, British and Spanish in Caribbean. 

US naval squadron engages French, British and Spanish shipping in the Caribbean.

1815: Algiers and Tripoli

US naval fleet under Captain Stephen Decatur wages "Second Barbary War" in North Africa.

1816-1819: Spanish East Florida

US Troops attack and seize Nicholls' Fort, Amelia Island and other strategic locations. Spain eventually cedes East Florida to the US.

1822-1825: Spanish Cuba and Puerto Rico

US Marines land in numerous cities in the Spanish island of Cuba and also in Spanish Puerto Rico.

1827: Greece

US Marines invade the Greek islands of Argentiere, Miconi and Andross.

1831: Falkland/Malvinas Islands. 

US naval squadrons aggress the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.

1832: Sumatra, Dutch East Indies. 

US naval squadrons attack Qallah Battoo.

1833 Argentina Forces land in Buenos Aires and engage local combatants.

1835-1836: Peru. 

US Troops dispatched twice for counter-insurgency operations.

1836: Mexico. 

US Troops assist Texas war for independence.

1837: Canada

US Naval incident on the Canadian border leads to mobilization of a large force to invade Canada. War is narrowly averted.

1838: Sumatra, Dutch East Indies. 

US naval forces sent to Sumatra for punitive expedition.

1840-1841: Fiji. 

US Naval forces deployed, marines land.

1841: Samoa. 

US Naval forces deployed, marines land.

1842: Mexico. 

US Naval forces temporarily seize cities of Monterey and San Diego.

1843: China. 

US Marines invaded Canton.

1843: Ivory Coast. 

US Marines invaded the country.

1846-1848: Mexico

Full-scale war. Mexico cedes half of its territory to the US by the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo.

1849: Ottoman Empire (Turkey). 

US Naval force dispatched to Smyrna.

1852-1853: Argentina. 

US Marines land in Buenos Aires.

1854: Nicaragua. 

US Navy bombards and largely destroys city of San Juan del Norte. Marines land and set fire to the city.

1854: Japan. 

Commodore Perry and his fleet deploy at Yokohama.

1855: Uruguay. 

US Marines land in Montevideo.

1856: Colombia (Panama Region). 

US Marines land for counter-insurgency campaign.

1856: China. 

US Marines deployed in Canton.

1856: Hawaii. 

US Naval forces seize small islands of Jarvis, Baker and Howland in the Hawaiian Islands.

1857: Nicaragua. 

US Marines invaded the country. 

1858: Uruguay. 

US Marines land in Montevideo.

1858: Fiji. 

US Marines invaded the country. 

1859: Paraguay. 

Large US naval force deployed.

1859: China. 

US Troops enter Shanghai.

1859: Mexico. 

US Military force enters northern area.

1860: Portuguese West Africa. 

US Troops land at Kissembo.

1860: Colombia (Panama Region). 

US Troops and naval forces deployed.

1863: Japan. 

US Troops land at Shimonoseki.

1864: Japan. 

US Troops landed in Yedo.

1865: Colombia (Panama Region). 

US Marines invaded the country. 

1866: Colombia (Panama Region). 

US Troops invade and seize Matamoros, later withdraw.

1866: China. 

US Marines land in Newchwang.

1867: Nicaragua. 

US Marines land in Managua and Leon in Nicaragua.

1867: Formosa Island (Taiwan). 

US Marines laninvaded the country.

1867: Midway Island. 

US Naval forces seize this island in the Hawaiian Archipelago for a naval base.

1868: Japan. 

US Naval forces deployed at Osaka, Hiogo, Nagasaki, Yokohama and Negata.

1868: Uruguay. 

US Marines land at Montevideo.

1870: Colombia. 

US Marines landed.

1871: Korea. 

US Forces landed.

1873: Colombia (Panama Region). 

US Marines landed.

1874: Hawaii. 

US Sailors and marines landed.

1876: Mexico. 

US Army again occupies Matamoros.

1882: British Egypt. 

US Troops land.

1885: Colombia (Panama Region). 

US Troops land in Colon and Panama City.

1885 Samoa. 

US Naval force deployed.

1887 Hawaii. 

US Navy gains right to build permanent naval base at Pearl Harbor.

1888 Haiti. 

US Troops landed.

1888 Samoa. 

US Marines landed.

1889 Samoa. 

US forces clash with German naval forces.

1890 Argentina. 

US sailors land in Buenos Aires.

1891 Chile. 

US sailors land in the major port city of Valparaiso.

1891 Haiti. 

US Marines land on US-claimed Navassa Island.

1893 Hawaii. 

US Marines and other naval forces land and overthrow the monarchy. Read More | President Cleveland's Message

1894 Nicaragua. 

US Marines land at Bluefields on the eastern coast.

1894-1895 China. 

US Marines are stationed at Tientsin and Beijing. A naval ship takes up position at Newchwang.

1894-1896 Korea Marines land and remain in Seoul.

1895 Colombia. 

US Marines are sent to the town Bocas del Toro.

1896 Nicaragua. 

US Marines land in the port of Corinto.

1898 Nicaragua. 

US Marines land at the port city of San Juan del Sur.

1898 Guam. 

US Naval forces seize Guam Island from Spain and the US holds the island permanently.

1898 Cuba. 

US Naval and land forces seize Cuba from Spain.

1898 Puerto Rico. 

US Naval and land forces seize Puerto Rico from Spain and the US holds the island permanently.

1898 Philippines. 

US Naval forces defeat the Spanish fleet and the US takes control of the country.

1899 Philippines. 

US Military units are reinforced for extensive counter-insurgency operations.

1899 Samoa. 

US Naval forces land

1899 Nicaragua. 

US Marines land at the port city of Bluefields.

1900: China. 

US forces intervene in several cities.

1901: Colombia/Panama. 

US Marines land.

1902: Colombia/Panama. 

US forces land in Bocas de Toro

1903: Colombia/Panama

With US backing, a group in northern Colombia declares independence as the state of Panama

1903: Guam. 

US Navy begins development in Apra Harbor of a permanent base installation.

1903: Honduras. 

US Marines go ashore at Puerto Cortez.

1903: Dominican Republic. 

US Marines land in Santo Domingo.

1904-1905: Korea. 

US Marines land and stay in Seoul.

1906-1909: Cuba. 

US Marines land. The US builds a major naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

1907: Nicaragua. 

US Troops seize major centers.

1907: Honduras. 

US Marines land and take up garrison in cities of Trujillo, Ceiba, Puerto Cortez, San Pedro, Laguna and Choloma.

1908: Panama. 

US Marines land and carry out operations.

1910: Nicaragua. 

US Marines land in Bluefields and Corinto.

1911: Honduras. 

US Marines intervene.

1911-1941: China. 

The US builds up its military presence in the country to a force of 5000 troops and a fleet of 44 vessels patrolling China's coast and rivers.

1912: Cuba. 

US sends army troops into combat in Havana.

1912: Panama. 

US Army troops intervene.

1912: Honduras. 

US Marines land.

1912-1933: Nicaragua. 

US Marines intervene. A 20-year occupation of the country follows.

1913: Mexico. 

US Marines land at Ciaris Estero.

1914: Dominican Republic. 

US Naval forces engage in battles in the city of Santo Domingo.

1914: Mexico

US forces seize and occupy Mexico's major port city of Veracrus from April through November.

1915-1916: Mexico. 

An expeditionary force of the US Army under Gen. John J. Pershing crosses the Texas border and penetrates several hundred miles into Mexican territory. Eventually reinforced to over 11,000 officers and men.

1914-1934 Haiti Troops land, aerial bombardment leading to a 19-year military occupation.

1916-1924 Dominican Republic Military intervention leading to 8-year occupation.

1917-1933 Cuba Landing of naval forces. Beginning of a 15-year occupation.

1918-1920 Panama Troops intervene, remain on "police duty" for over 2 years.

1918-1922 Russia Naval forces and army troops fight battles in several areas of the country during a five- year period.

1919 Yugoslavia Marines intervene in Dalmatia.

1919 Honduras Marines land.

1920 Guatemala Troops intervene.

1922 Turkey Marines engaged in operations in Smyrna (Izmir).

1922-1927 China Naval forces and troops deployed during 5-year period.

1924-1925 Honduras Troops land twice in two-year period.

1925 Panama Marines land and engage in operations.

1927-1934 China Marines and naval forces stationed throughout the country.

1932 El Salvador Naval forces intervene.

1933 Cuba Naval forces deployed.

1934 China Marines land in Foochow.

1946 Iran Troops deployed in northern province.

1946-1949 China Major US army presence of about 100,000 troops, fighting, training and advising local combatants.

1947-1949 Greece US forces wage a 3-year counterinsurgency campaign.

1948 Italy Heavy CIA involvement in national elections.

1948-1954 Philippines Commando operations, "secret" CIA war.

1950-1953 Korea Major forces engaged in war in Korean peninsula.

1953 Iran CIA overthrows government of Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh. Read More

1954 Vietnam Financial and materiel support for colonial French military operations, leads eventually to direct US military involvement.

1954 Guatemala CIA overthrows the government of President Jacobo Arbenz Guzman.

1958 Lebanon US marines and army units totaling 14,000 land.

1958 Panama Clashes between US forces in Canal Zone and local citizens.

1959 Haiti Marines land.

1960 Congo CIA-backed overthrow and assassination of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba.

1960-1964 Vietnam Gradual introduction of military advisors and special forces.

1961: Cuba. 

CIA-backed Bay of Pigs invasion.

1962: Cuba. 

US use Nuclear threat and naval blockade. 

1962: Laos. 

CIA-backed military coup. 

1963: Ecuador.  

@CIA backs military overthrow of President Jose Maria Valesco Ibarra. 

1964: Panama. 

US military forces invaded the Canal Zone and fought the local citizens. 

1964: Brazil. 

CIA-backed military coup overthrows the government of Joao Goulart and install Gen. Castello Branco to power. 

1965-1975: Vietnam. 

Large military invasion, including air, naval and ground units numbering up to 500,000+ troops. Full-scale war, lasting for ten years. 

1965: Indonesia.  

CIA-backed army coup overthrows President Sukarno and install Gen. Suharto to power. 

1965: Congo. 

CIA backed military coup overthrows President Joseph Kasavubu and install  Joseph Mobutu to power. 

1965: Dominican Republic. 

23,000 US troops invade. 

1965-1973: Laos. 

Heavy US military invasion, which lasted for eight years. 

1966: Ghana . 

CIA-backed military coup ousts President Kwame Nkrumah. 

1966-1967: Guatemala. 

Extensive military invasion by US troops. 

1969-1975: Cambodia. 

CIA supports military coup against Prince Sihanouk, install Lon Nol to power. Intensive bombing for seven years along Vietnamese border. 

1970: Oman. 

US Military invasion.

1971-1973: Laos. 

Invasion by US forces. 

1973: Chile. 

CIA-backed military coup ousts government of President Salvador Allende and install Gen. Augusto Pinochet. 

1975: Cambodia. 

US Marines invade and engage in combat with government forces. 

1976-1992: Angola.

US Military and CIA interventions. 

1980: Iran . 

US Special operations units land in Iranian desert. Helicopter malfunction leads to aborting of planned raid. 

1981: Libya.

US Naval jets shoot down two Libyan jets in maneuvers over the Mediterranean sea. 

1981-1992: El Salvador. 

CIA and US special forces begin a long military intervention. 

1981-1990: Nicaragua. 

CIA directs exile "Contra" operations. US air units drop sea mines in harbors. 

1982-1984: Lebanon. 

US Marines land and naval forces fire on local combatants. 

1983: Grenada. 

US Military forces invade Grenada. 

1983-1989: Honduras. 

Large program of military intervention Nicaragua. 

1984: Iran . 

Two Iranian jets shot down over the Persian Gulf by the US. 

1986: Libya. 

US aircraft bomb the cities of Tripoli and Benghazi, including direct strikes at the official residence of President Muamar al Qadaffi. 

1986: Bolivia. 

US Special Forces units engage in a civil war. 

1987-1988: Iran. 

US Naval forces block Iranian shipping. Iranian Civilian airliner was shot down by a US missile cruiser. 

1989: Libya. 

US Naval aircraft shoot down two Libyan jets over Gulf of Sidra. 

1989: Philippines.

CIA and US Special Forces involved in a civil war. 

1989-1990: Panama. 

27,000 US troops as well as naval and air power used to overthrow government of President Noriega. 

1990: Liberia . 

US troops deployed. 

1990-1991: Iraq.

Major military invasion, including naval blockade, air strikes; large number of troops attack Iraqi forces Kenya occupied Kuwait. 

1991-2003: Iraq. 

Control of Iraqi airspace in north and south of the country while carrying out  periodic attacks on air and ground targets(Iraqis). 

1991: Haiti. 

CIA-backed military coup ousts President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. 

1992-1994: Somalia. 

US Special operations forces invaded the country. 

1992-1994: Yugoslavia. Major role in NATO blockade of Serbia and Montenegro. 

1993-1995: Bosnia. 

Active military invasion with air and ground forces. 

1994-1996: Haiti . 

US troops depose military rulers and restore President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power. 

1995: Croatia. 

Krajina Serb airfields attacked by US forces. 

1996-1997: Congo.

US Marines involved in operations in eastern region of the country. 

1997: Liberia. 

US troops deployed.

1998: Sudan. 

US Air strikes destroy country's major pharmaceutical plant. 

1998: Afghanistan. 

Attack on targets in the country. 

1998: Iraq . 

Four days of intensive air and missile strikes. 

1999: Yugoslavia.  

The US was largely involved in NATO air strikes. 

2001: Macedonia.

NATO troops shift and partially disarm Albanian rebels.

2001-2021: Afghanistan. 

Air attacks and ground operations oust Taliban government and install a puppet regime. 

And after 20 years of war, the Americans  were defeated by the Taliban and Afghanis. 

2003-present: Iraq. 

Invasion with large ground, air and naval forces ousts government of Saddam Hussein, vows to destroy WMD and establishes new government. 

Another invasion and occupation force of 150,000 troops in protracted counter-insurgency war. 

2004: Haiti. 

US Marines and CIA-backed forces invade and overthrow President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in a bloody war.