Author: Steven Sahiounie

Moscow is reportedly using ship-to-ship transfers to shorten routes and boost exports to new customers Saudi Arabia has ramped up imports of Russian diesel by both direct and ship-to-ship (STS) transfers, Reuters reported on Friday, citing tracking data and traders. The Gulf state received its first cargoes totaling 190,000 tons of Russian fuel in the ports of Ras Tanura and Jeddah last month, the outlet said. Russia started exporting diesel to its OPEC+ ally after the EU and G7 embargo on seaborne imports of Russian refined products went into effect on February 5. Two cargoes with a total…

Trading companies say Washington “actively encouraged” them to re-engage in shipping crude, the outlet reported. The US administration called on the world’s largest commodity traders to shed concerns over deals with price-capped Russian oil in an effort to ensure global supplies, the Financial Times reported citing sources familiar with the matter. Last year, G7 countries and the EU banned imports of seaborne Russian oil, but sales to countries that haven’t joined the sanctions are still permitted at a price limit of $60 per barrel. While the White House hasn’t opposed trading Russian crude in compliance with the price cap, major…

“Ukrainians keep on supplying endless reserves” Prigozhin said The situation is Artyomovsk (known as Bakhmut in Ukraine) is very difficult, with the Ukrainian army receiving “endless reserves,” Wagner PMC founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Sunday. “The situation in Bakhmut is difficult, very difficult, with the enemy fighting for each meter. And the closer we are approaching the city center the fiercer fighting is growing, the more artillery and tank being used against us. Ukrainians keep on supplying endless reserves. But we are moving forward and will continue to move forward and we will not cover the glory of Russian arms…

The agency quoted the Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying that the South Korean military had detected an unspecified missile fired near the coastal city of Sinpo North Korea on Sunday fired two cruise missiles, Yonhap reported, citing North Korean media. What the news agency said was “strategic cruise missiles” were fired from a submarine. Also, Yonhap quoted the Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying that the South Korean military had detected an unspecified missile fired near the coastal city of Sinpo. Source: Tass

Of this money, $3.6 billion will be spent on the defense nuclear enterprise, while the remaining funds will “replenish and bolster our munitions stockpiles to replace items donated to Ukraine,” the statement reads The British government will boost its defense spending by 5 billion pounds ($6 billion) during the next two years in light of the conflict in Ukraine, the office of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement on Sunday. According to the statement, the investment in defense will be announced in the 2023 Integrated Review Refresh to be available to read on Monday. Of this money,…

The ringleader of the Haraka al-Nidal terrorist group Farajullah Cha’ab was sentenced to death in Iran’s Supreme Court of Justice. Habib al-Asivad or the very Frajullah Cha’ab was accused of carrying out terrorist attacks in Khuzestan, southwestern Iran, which led to the martyrdom and injury of 274 Iranian people.  To name one of the terrorist operations, he orchestrated the attack on the parade of the armed forces in Ahvaz of Khuzestan on August 22, 2019, which resulted in the martyrdom of 25 citizens, including a child, and the injury of 249 others. According to the evidence in the case, the…

Following his sacking, Luca Visentini stated that he “deeply regrets” the confederation’s decision. The head of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Luca Visentini, was ousted from his position on Saturday by the Union over a corruption case within the European Parliament. The union body said it had lost confidence in the leader, noting that the General Council decided to hold an extraordinary meeting to elect his successor “as soon as is practicable.” In a statement, the confederation vowed to carry out amendments to its regulations regarding “the financing of campaigns for ITUC leadership elections, and on financial compliance.” Source:…

Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, who visited Iran at the official invitation of president Raisi, arrived in Tehran Upon his arrival in Tehran at Mehrabad International Airport, he was welcomed by Seyyed Reza Fatemi Amin, Minister of Industry, Mining, and Trade of Iran. He is going to meet with senior officials in Tehran. An official welcoming ceremony is scheduled to be held on Monday morning at the complex of Saadabad. Currently, the Belarusian Foreign Minister is in Tehran and has met with the Iranian Foreign Minister. Source: Iran Press

Vladimir Zelensky is ungrateful for Washington’s support and his war aims are unrealistic, officials have told the news outlet The US and Ukraine are increasingly at odds over how Kiev intends the conflict with Moscow to continue, and eventually end, Politico reported on Sunday. President Joe Biden’s insistence that Ukraine will decide when to seek peace might not remain “tenable” for much longer, US officials reportedly believe. Ukraine’s refusal to abandon the encircled city of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut) has caused some Biden administration officials to worry that it is “expending so much manpower and ammunition” that it could be unable to…

Moreover, in he words, Kuleba forecasted “the end of Europe if Ukraine is defeated” Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has slammed her Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba’s statement that Moscow is reluctant to negotiate the crisis settlement with Kiev as a “colossal lie”. “These days, Kuleba was once again ranting and raving in interview with the Italian newspapers Repubblica and Stampa. He called those Italians who are standing for settling the conflict with Russia through talks rather than in the battlefield hypocrites. In his interpretation, this point of view is nothing but a wish of defeat to his country and…