WAR RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE - Consolidated Thread

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Plain Jane

Just Plain Jane
apnews.com

Moldova imposes 60-day energy emergency after Russian strikes in Ukraine cut key power line

Moldova’s Parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of imposing a 60-day state of emergency in the country’s energy sector after Russian strikes on neighboring Ukraine’s energy grid disconnected a key power line linking Moldova to Romania.
apnews.com apnews.com

Moldova imposes 60-day energy emergency after Russian strikes in Ukraine cut key power line​


By STEPHEN McGRATH and AUREL OBREJA
Updated 3:31 PM EDT, March 24, 2026

​
CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Moldova’s Parliament voted on Tuesday to impose a state of emergency in the country’s energy sector after Russian strikes on neighboring Ukraine’s energy grid disconnected a key power line linking Moldova to Romania.

The overnight strikes triggered the disconnection of the high-voltage Isaccea-Vulcanesti power line, which links southern Moldova to EU member Romania, after which Moldovan authorities urged citizens to consume electricity “rationally” during peak hours while repairs were underway.

Seventy-two lawmakers in the 101-seat legislature approved the measure that will last for 60 days. No one voted against and 18 abstained.

“What is happening in the energy sector today is not an accident,” said Moldovan Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu. “Russia’s attacks on the civilian energy infrastructure in Ukraine represent a war crime, but also an attack on us, here in the Republic of Moldova ... Russia is the only one responsible for this.”

The state of emergency will begin on Wednesday. It will allow authorities to “act faster: mobilize additional resources, protect critical infrastructure and, if necessary, take additional measures to limit the effects of the crisis,” Munteanu added. “We remain vigilant and act for the safety of every citizen ... This is not a measure of panic, it’s a measure of responsibility.”

Moldova’s Soviet-era energy systems remain interconnected with Ukraine, and the country has suffered periodic outages since Russia fully invaded Ukraine in 2022. Moldova’s energy minister Dorin Junghietu said estimates to repair the damaged power line is around five to seven days.


Moscow has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, such as dams and river ports, throughout the full invasion. The impact of the war next door has reverberated across Moldova, a former Soviet republic with EU candidate status, since the full invasion began.

Last week, tens of thousands of Moldovans were left without water after another Russian strike on a hydroelectric plant in Ukraine resulted in oil polluting a major river that flows through both countries.

The Ukrainian plant is situated about 15 kilometers (9 miles) upstream from Moldova’s northern border with Ukraine and supplies water to about 80% of Moldova’s population of about 2.5 million. In January, Moldova experienced major power outages, including in the capital, Chisinau, after a disruption to a power line from Ukraine caused a drop in voltage.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu blamed Moscow directly on Tuesday, saying that “Russia continues to deliberately undermine the security of the Republic of Moldova and endanger the lives of our citizens.

“After the bombing of the Ukrainian hydroelectric power plant ... tonight, a new brutal attack led to the disconnection of the Isaccea-Vulcanesti line, which in certain periods provides 60-70% of our electricity consumption,” she wrote on Facebook. “All these are not accidents, but deliberate actions of Russia to weaken and leave Moldova in the dark.”

Russia has repeatedly denied it is trying to destabilize Moldova.

___

McGrath reported from Leamington Spa, England.
 
A

Abert

Veteran Member
Not sure where to post this - here or with Iran - more and more looking like the same war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Saudi Arabia today to meet with Saudi officials on expanding Saudi-Ukrainian security cooperation, amidst the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and news that Russia is completing a phased supply of drones to Iran.
 
A

Abert

Veteran Member

Russia Gives Ukraine Two Months — US Ready to End Iran War​

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP1o06of9aw

Run Time 16 min
The US is prepared to end the war in Iran within the next two to three weeks. Media is reporting that the US is now prepared to take this step even if the closure of the Strait of Hormuz remains “unresolved”. The US would expect the European allies and the Gulf countries to take a lead in reopening the strait. This comes after tensions rise between the US and it’s NATO allies in Europe. Zelensky has claimed that Russia has given Ukraine an ultimatum according to which Russia expects Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas region within the next two months, or Russia’s conditions for ending the war will be much harsher.
0:00 Intro
0:58 US ready to end Iran war
8:30 Russia's "Ultimatum" to Ukraine
14:09 Why is Orban strong?
 
A

Abert

Veteran Member
Orbán Warns of Europe’s ‘Worst Crisis In History’ as NATO’s Future Comes Into Question
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1lnJweOFno

Run Time 14 min
Viktor Orban has stated that Europe is on the brink of the worst financial crisis in its history. He argued that the only way out of this crisis is for Europe to lift the sanctions which were imposed on Russian energy. There is also talk in Europe about a new security architecture in the light of recent US criticism of NATO and even US warnings that the country might withdraw from NATO altogether. Zelensky has stated that Ukraine needs to be prepared to fight even if there’s going to be a halt in US weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
zerohedge.com
All German Men Aged 17-45 Must Now Obtain Army Approval For Trips Abroad Lasting Over 3 Months

All German men aged between 17 and 45 now need approval from the Bundeswehr - i.e., the German army - for longer stays abroad. Under the new Military Service Act, this applies to trips abroad lasting more than three months, the Defence Ministry has announced. The daily Frankfurter Rundschau was the first to report on the change.

The rule is part of what is known as the Military Service Modernisation Act, which came into force on 1 January 2026. The law is intended to ensure that the Bundeswehr is fit for the future in terms of personnel and organization. Plans include, among other things, a more attractive form of voluntary military service, broader registration of young men and new legal instruments to enable faster action if needed.

What the new law says

Specifically, this concerns paragraph 3 of the Conscription Act, which governs the scope and duration of compulsory military service in Germany. Paragraph 1 states: "Compulsory military service is fulfilled by military service or [...] by civilian service." The provision applies to all men of conscription age between 18 and 45.

The newly worded paragraph 2 now says: "Male persons who have reached the age of 17 must obtain approval from the competent Bundeswehr careers centre if they intend to leave the Federal Republic of Germany for longer than three months [...]."

As long as military service remains voluntary, this approval is deemed to have been granted, a ministry spokesman said. The aim, he added, was to find a straightforward arrangement for people travelling abroad. For as long as military service is voluntary, approval is in principle regarded as granted.

BREAKING | Starting January 1, 2026, all men aged 17 to 45 must obtain permission from a Bundeswehr career center if they plan to leave Germany for more than three months — whether for studying abroad, work, or extended travel — Berliner Zeitung.

This requirement is now in… pic.twitter.com/g8U4GhjzpN
— Visioner (@visionergeo) April 3, 2026

However, the necessary administrative regulations have not yet entered into force. In theory, therefore, it still formally applies that 'approval from the competent Bundeswehr careers centre must be obtained' before travelling abroad for more than three months. The spokesman stressed, however: 'Since, under current law, military service is based exclusively on voluntary service, such approvals are in principle to be granted.'

The reasoning and the back story

Since Russia's attack on Ukraine around four years ago, the defence of Europe has once again moved more sharply into focus. Against this backdrop, the previously suspended system of conscription is also being hotly debated once more.

At the beginning of this year, the Military Service Modernisation Act came into force. In future, young men are once again to be systematically registered and called up for assessment. The federal government aims thereby to increase the strength of the Bundeswehr from the current roughly 184,000 to between 255,000 and 270,000 service personnel by 2035.

A spokeswoman for the Defence Ministry told IPPEN.MEDIA: "In an emergency we need to know who is potentially staying abroad for a longer period."

The impact is 'profound', ministry admits

This far-reaching encroachment on personal autonomy previously applied only in exceptional cases - namely in a state of tension or defence - that is, when an attack by another country is highly likely.

Now, however, paragraph 2 has been revised. It now additionally states: "Outside a state of tension or defence, sections 3 [...] apply." This means that the rule set out in paragraph 3 now applies as a matter of principle.

The Defence Ministry acknowledges that the impact is "profound". Young men who, for example, want to spend a semester abroad or take a gap year must first obtain approval from a Bundeswehr careers centre. For this reason, "more detailed rules governing exemptions from the approval requirement are currently being drawn up at the Federal Ministry of Defence".

It is still unclear what consequences people face if they fail to obtain approval before a longer stay abroad, although in a country where the wrong retweet gets you a prison sentence we can only imagine.

According to RND, a large newspaper chain, the Defence Ministry initially declined to explain why the public had not been clearly informed about the new rules.

All German Men Aged 17-45 Must Now Obtain Army Approval For Trips Abroad Lasting Over 3 Months<!-- --> | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
www.zerohedge.com www.zerohedge.com
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Tony Seruga
@TonySeruga
7h

Explosives Found Near Russia‑to‑Hungary Pipeline—Days Before Election: Coincidence or Power Play?

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić confirmed today, April 5th, 2026, that two large packages of explosives with detonators were discovered near the Balkan Stream gas pipeline in northern Serbia, close to the Hungarian border at Kanjiza.

This pipeline carries Russian gas through Serbia to Hungary and forms part of the TurkStream network, which supplies much of Central Europe with Russian energy.

I am compiling a concise synthesis of the situation, based on all current information and the contextual reality from my intelligence assets in the area.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Visegrád 24
@visegrad24
1h

BREAKING:

Ukrainian suicide drones are obliterating Russia’s oil terminals in the Port of
Novorossiysk on the Black Sea coast tonight.

Sound on for this video
 
P

Plain Jane

Just Plain Jane
www.france24.com

More than 40 trapped underground after strike on coal mine in Russian-controlled Luhansk region

More than 40 people have been trapped underground after a strike on a coal mine in the Russia-controlled Luhansk region, a Moscow-installed official said on Monday, blaming the attack on Ukraine.
www.france24.com www.france24.com

More than 40 trapped underground after strike on coal mine in Russian-controlled Luhansk region​

Europe
More than 40 people have been trapped underground after a strike on a coal mine in the Russia-controlled Luhansk region, a Moscow-installed official said on Monday, blaming the attack on Ukraine.
Issued on: 06/04/2026 - 10:13Modified: 06/04/2026 - 10:16
1 minReading time
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By:
FRANCE 24

Ukraine struck the Bilorichenska coal mine in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region, damaging a power ‌substation ⁠and leaving 41 ‌mine workers trapped underground, a ⁠Russian-installed official said on Monday.


“All the relevant services are ‌taking steps to rescue the miners and ‌restore power to the mine,” Leonid Pasechnik, the Moscow-appointed head of the region, said.

He said that the contact with the miners had already been established, and that they had a ⁠supply of drinking water.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
 
A

Abert

Veteran Member

Russia’s Major Shift, Europe’s Energy Crisis, Trump’s Iran Deadline​

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSSumvwNyRU

Run Time 16 min
Dmitri Trenin, one of the most prominent Russian political analysts has given an interview recently where he spoke about “where does Russia go from here”. He argued that Russia needs to get a new understanding of the major powers of the world and also of itself. The US has successfully rescued the missile weapons system officer, part of the F15 crew which was forced to eject a few days ago. The operation was highly complex but it was completed successfully. Donald Trump has given Iran a new deadline which expires tomorrow, Tuesday the 7th of April. Serbian authorities claim to have found explosives near a gas pipeline connecting Serbia and Hungary. This is important, considering that this week there will be elections in Hungary, on the 12th of April. Also, the media reports that the negotiations between the US and Iran have reached a deadlock. Meanwhile, there is an energy criss looming over Europe.
  • 0:00 Russia's New Strategy
  • 6:01 Trump's outburst
  • 7:21 US-Iran negotiations
  • 10:59 US rescue operation
  • 12:48 Europe's looming energy crisis
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Trent Telenko reposted
Slava
@Heroiam_Slava
4h

Ukraine has developed drones that operate without GPS, using an optical odometry system from NASA’s Martian helicopters and Qualcomm chips, according to Russian military bloggers.

At the final stage of the attack, the drone turns off communication and becomes fully autonomous. It compares images from its cameras with a pre-loaded map of heights and terrain in real time.

This makes the drone invisible to detectors and invulnerable to electronic warfare systems.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
:hmm:


Shanaka Anslem Perera ⚡
@shanaka86
21m

BREAKING: JD Vance just confirmed US strikes on Kharg Island from a podium in Budapest standing next to Viktor Orban. Then he pulled out his phone mid-press conference to check an unread text from Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for Iran negotiations. Then he said the war will end very shortly and the US has tools in its toolkit it has not yet decided to use.

Most coverage is treating the Iran signals and the Ukraine signals as two separate stories. They are not. They are one move.

Vance credited Trump and Orban as the two leaders who have done the most to end the Ukraine war. He proposed Budapest as the venue for a leaders’ summit. He said Orban has been better than anybody at helping Washington understand what the Ukrainians need and what the Russians need to achieve peace. He accused EU bureaucrats of foreign election interference in Hungary five days before Orban faces voters.

Now hold both threads simultaneously. Orban is the only NATO leader with a documented direct channel to Putin. He is also one of the only European leaders publicly aligned with Trump’s transactional diplomacy. The Iran war has structurally removed Gulf energy supply from global markets for what the IEA calls the largest disruption in history. That removal destroys Russia’s primary leverage over Europe, which was energy dependency, because Europe is now scrambling for non-Russian, non-Gulf alternatives and building the infrastructure to never be dependent on either again.

The trans-domain move is this: the Iran war makes the Ukraine deal possible. As long as Russia held the European gas card, Putin had no incentive to negotiate. With Hormuz closed and Gulf petrochemical capacity destroyed for years, the entire global energy map is being redrawn. Russia’s gas leverage over Europe is depreciating in real time because Europe is being forced into permanent diversification by the molecule crisis, not by policy choice. The leverage that kept Putin at the table as the strong party is evaporating.

Vance is in Budapest because Budapest is the hinge. Orban talks to Putin. Orban talks to Trump. Orban hosts the summit. The Iran war provides the energy shock that restructures European dependency. The Ukraine deal follows because Russia’s negotiating position weakens with every week that the Gulf remains offline and Europe builds alternative supply chains it will never dismantle.

The Witkoff text is the tell. Back-channel negotiations with Iran are live. The 8 PM deadline tonight is real. If Iran concedes on Hormuz, the energy crisis partially eases and Russia retains some leverage. If Iran does not concede and the US escalates further, Gulf supply stays offline longer, the molecule crisis deepens, European energy diversification accelerates, and Russia’s position erodes further. Either outcome improves the conditions for a Ukraine deal.

Vance did not go to Budapest to boost Orban’s election. He went to Budapest because it is the only capital in Europe where you can simultaneously manage the endgame of two wars using the same energy lever. The Iran war is the forcing function for the Ukraine peace. The molecule crisis is the mechanism. Budapest is the node.

Watch what happens at 8 PM tonight. Then watch what happens in Kyiv next month.

Full analysis - https://open.substack.com/pub/shanakaans
 
Zagdid

Zagdid

Veteran Member
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2041262148760809891
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2041262148760809891


Kalashnikov Ramps Up AK-12K Production
Kalashnikov Concern has reported an increase in production volumes for its latest shortened assault rifles, the AK-12K, in accordance with the 2026 state contract.

High Demand in the SMO Zone
This weapon is in high demand on the front lines. Production volumes in the first quarter of 2026 increased by 15% compared to the 2025 production plan.

Delivery Timeline
The first batch of the new rifles was successfully shipped to the customer in February 2026.
 
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