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U.S. Offers $10 Million Reward for Arrest of Russian Who Allegedly Developed Software That Siphoned $500 Million

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Federal prosecutors charged a Russian national in absentia with creating, developing and administering one of the world’s most prolific ransomware attacks since 2019, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Tuesday. The DOJ also announced a $10 million reward for the Russian’s arrest.

“Today, we are announcing that Dmitry [Yuryevich] Khoroshev, a Russian national, is charged in a 26-count indictment with committing and conspiring to commit LockBit attacks,” Nicole Argentieri, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ’s Criminal Division, announced Tuesday.

Khoroshev, 31, of Voronezh, Russia allegedly created, developed and administered LockBit. “[T]his malicious cyber scheme … has targeted over 2,000 victims and stolen more than $100 million in ransomware payments,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, according to the DOJ’s statement.

Some 2,500 victims — from individuals and small businesses to multinationals, law enforcement, and governments — in at least 120 countries paid at least $500 million in ransom after LockBit intruded into and disrupted their systems, seizing troves of data since Sept. 2019. Some 1,800 of the victims are in the United States, the DOJ’s statement revealed.

Khoroshev — alias LockBitSupp, LockBit, and putinkrab — pocketed $100 million of the proceeds, the DOJ alleged. He kept the data of victims who paid the ransom, reneging on his promise to delete their data after receiving the payments, and threatened to leak the data of those who did not pay, the DOJ further alleged. LockBit’s victims also reportedly lost revenue and spent money trying to recover their hijacked systems to the tune of billions of dollars.

(Read more from “U.S. Offers $10 Million Reward for Arrest of Russian Who Allegedly Developed Software That Siphoned $500 Million” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Biden DHS Shuts Down ‘Experts’ Panel Featuring Signatories of Infamous Hunter Biden Laptop Letter

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The Biden administration agreed Friday to shut down a panel of “experts” that included multiple signatories of a letter that dismissed a laptop abandoned by Hunter Biden as Russian disinformation.

The Department of Homeland Security agreed to “wind down” the Homeland Intelligence Experts Group in 30 days following litigation from America First Legal, according to court documents. The experts in the group included former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who signed an October 2020 letter that claimed a bombshell New York Post report about emails from the laptop supposedly abandoned by Hunter Biden “has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”

“The Experts Group shall be wound down within thirty (30) days of the entry of the Order, it will not hold any future meetings, and the Department will not reconstitute the Experts Group inconsistent with the FACA or the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The Department will also provide the Experts Group meeting agendas and meeting minutes with participant identifying information redacted within fifteen (15) days of the entry of the Order,” the order submitted to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia reads. “Based on these representations, Plaintiffs have agreed to dismiss their lawsuit with prejudice.”

Twitter locked multiple accounts, including the New York Post’s and the personal account of then-White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany for sharing the story, citing its “hacked materials” policy. (Read more from “Biden DHS Shuts Down ‘Experts’ Panel Featuring Signatories of Infamous Hunter Biden Laptop Letter” HERE)

The US Spent So Much Time Fighting Insurgents That It Forgot ‘What It Means to Actually Fight a War,’ a US Vet in Ukraine Says

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An American veteran who fought in Ukraine said the US military spent so long focused on fighting insurgents that it forgot “what it means to actually fight a war.”

“We have neglected a lot of the training” on “how to fight and survive in a peer-on-peer adversary war,” the veteran, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Business Insider.

He said that “in the US military, we mostly have been focusing on a guerilla war” and battling insurgents, with places with Iraq and Afghanistan in mind. The US military invested decades, billions of dollars, and thousands of lives into fights in these places.

The former soldier spoke about how his training with the US military a number of years ago compared to what he saw in Ukraine, where he started fighting when Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022 and left last December. . .

In the US military, he explained, “I believe that a lot of the training that we have is tailored more to fighting in a guerilla warfare nowadays than it is to actually fighting a near-peer adversary like it would be with Russia or China.” He said that it is an issue that many NATO members face. (Read more from “The US Spent So Much Time Fighting Insurgents That It Forgot ‘What It Means to Actually Fight a War,’ a US Vet in Ukraine Says” HERE)

Ukraine Faces Defeat Against Russia in 2024, Warns Former UK Commander

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Amidst the prolonged conflict between Ukraine and Russia, General Sir Richard Barrons, former commander of the UK’s Joint Forces Command, has issued a stark warning regarding Ukraine’s precarious position. In an interview with the BBC, Barrons expressed concerns over Ukraine’s ability to withstand the Russian onslaught, stating that there is a “serious risk” of Ukraine succumbing to defeat this year.

The Ukrainian forces, vastly outnumbered and outgunned by their Russian counterparts, are grappling with the daunting prospect of conceding to Russian advances. Barrons highlighted the potential for pessimism to permeate Ukrainian society as the conflict drags on, raising questions about the sustainability of their defense efforts.

Reflecting on the failed Ukrainian counteroffensive of the previous year, Barrons noted the strategic setbacks suffered by Ukraine despite concerted efforts to reclaim occupied territories. There are mounting apprehensions that Russia utilized this period to consolidate its position and prepare for further incursions into Ukrainian territory.

Anticipating a significant Russian offensive in the coming months, Barrons cautioned against the possibility of Russian forces breaching Ukrainian defenses and advancing into key strategic areas. He singled out Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city and a symbolic bastion of Ukrainian identity, as a potential target for Russian encroachment, emphasizing the demoralizing impact such a loss would have on the Ukrainian populace.

Barrons painted a grim picture of the ongoing conflict, describing the relentless pounding of Ukrainian positions by Russian forces wielding superior firepower and weaponry. The disparity in artillery, ammunition, and manpower poses a formidable challenge to Ukrainian resistance, compounded by the introduction of technologically enhanced munitions by the Russians.

One such innovation highlighted by Barrons is the retrofitting of Soviet-era “dumb bombs” with guidance systems, enabling precision strikes on Ukrainian targets while minimizing the risk to Russian aircraft. The deployment of these munitions, coupled with Russia’s overwhelming numerical advantage, has placed significant strain on Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

Recent statements from Ukraine’s top military brass corroborate Barrons’ assessment of the deteriorating situation on the Eastern Front. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi acknowledged the escalation of hostilities following Vladimir Putin’s consolidation of power and the onset of warmer weather.

Top U.S. General in Europe Issues Stark Warning About Russian Military (VIDEO)

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General Christopher Cavoli, the head of U.S. European Command, warned this week that Russia’s military has grown stronger and has recovered faster from its war in Ukraine than the U.S. thought was possible.

Cavoli, who is also the supreme allied commander of Europe at the Western security alliance NATO, made the remarks Wednesday during a House Armed Services hearing on National Security Challenges in Europe.

“With the help of the United States, and invaluable help from other allies and partners, Ukraine has inflicted significant damage upon the Russian military,” he said in his opening remarks. “However, Russia relies on the mass and quantity available to a large country, and despite its military’s evident deficiencies and dysfunctions, continues to pose an existential threat to Ukraine.”

Cavoli said that Russia has increased its production of long range precision munitions and has started to buy “ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and long-range drones from third countries who were previously outside this fight.”

“In fact, it is mainly only in the land forces that Russia has suffered, losing over 2,000 tanks and 315,000 soldiers wounded or dead,” he said. “However, Russia is reconstituting that force far faster than our initial estimates suggested. The army is actually now larger – by 15 percent – than it was when it invaded Ukraine. Over the past year, Russia increased its front line troop strength from 360,000 to 470,000. Russia’s army increased the upper age limit for conscription from 27 to 30, which increases the pool of available military conscripts by 2 million for years to come.”

(Read more from “Top U.S. General in Europe Issues Stark Warning About Russian Military (VIDEO)” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Ukraine Recklessly Detonates Drone Against Reactor Dome at Russian-Occupied Nuclear Power Plant

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Ukrainian forces detonated a drone against the dome covering a shut-down nuclear reactor at the massive Russian-occupied power plant in southeast Ukraine on Sunday, according to Kremlin and international energy officials.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said the unmanned device exploded against the dome above one of six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is the largest in all of Europe.

The damage was reported by the Russian-installed administration, which was placed on site after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Russian staff claimed there was no serious damage to the reactor, with radiation levels remaining normal.

The Russian-run plant said the Ukrainian strike “attacked the dome” of the building housing Reactor No. 6, which is currently in cold shutdown along with three other reactors. (Read more from “Ukraine Recklessly Detonates Drone Against Reactor Dome at Russian-Occupied Nuclear Power Plant” HERE)

Zelensky Warns USA: Give Ukraine the Money or Russia Wins!

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Kyiv will lose the war against Russia if the U.S. fails to approve military aid to battle Moscow’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday.

Tens of billions of dollars in military assistance for Kyiv has been blocked for months in Congress. The package faces resistance from House Republicans.

“It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” Zelensky said during a video meeting of Kyiv-organised fundraising platform United24, per AFP.

Zelensky said it would be “difficult” for Ukraine to “stay” (survive) without the latest aid on top of an estimated $113 billion already sent to Kyiv at the cost of $900 per American household.

He said that “if Ukraine loses the war, other states will be attacked.” (Read more from “Zelensky Warns USA: Give Ukraine the Money or Russia Wins!” HERE)

Antony Blinken Confirms Ukraine Will Join NATO

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reiterated NATO’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s aspirations to join the defensive alliance.

During a gathering of NATO member states in Brussels to mark the alliance’s 75th anniversary, Blinken emphasized the enduring determination to bolster the country during the Russia-Ukraine War. He declared, “Ukraine will become a member of NATO,” underscoring NATO’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s defense capabilities and fostering closer ties with the alliance.

Blinken’s statement echoes sentiments expressed by U.S. President Biden and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in previous years, affirming NATO’s stance on Ukraine’s eventual membership. However, Blinken’s remarks also underscore the complexities involved, including the need for Ukraine to meet the criteria for membership, such as not being occupied by a foreign power.

Despite these challenges, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba welcomed Blinken’s comments, revealing ongoing efforts within NATO to advance Ukraine’s membership aspirations. Kuleba expressed gratitude for the encouraging messages and highlighted NATO’s commitment to determining the next steps towards Ukraine’s membership.

While formal NATO membership for Ukraine may still be on the horizon, individual member states are forging closer ties through “NATO-lite” arrangements. These agreements, exemplified by recent treaties with Finland and other nations, offer further funding, support, and military aid to Ukraine, in an attempt to bolstering its defense capabilities.

Russia’s Financials Are Far Better Than the Wests’; It Could Pay off All External Debt Tomorrow

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Russia’s external debt has been falling steadily and reached $326.6bn in December 2023, compared with $322.3bn in the previous quarter and $383.6bn at the end of 2022. It could pay the entire amount off tomorrow – in cash.

The Kremlin has been paying off its external debt. Low external debt means Russia doesn’t need to tap international capital markets so is not vulnerable to any sort of sanctions on bond issues, which are easy to apply and enforce.

Coupled with Russia’s strong current account surplus, which was up to $5.2bn in February from $4.5bn in January, thanks to high oil prices, Russia can fund itself easily on this profit.

At the same time gross international reserves have been rising and are now hovering around $600bn at the end of the first quarter. Half of these reserves are frozen. About $150bn are in monetary gold (up from $135bn pre-war) and the rest in yuan.

Even counting out the frozen funds, Russia can cover its external debt dollar for dollar with cash, whereas everyone in the West is massively leveraged, including the Ukraine where the debt-to-GDP ratio is almost at 100%.

It is these rock-solid fundamentals – no one else in world has even remotely similar metrics – which is the essence of Putin’s Fiscal Fortress. It is a ridiculously strong basis, which means even if the West manages to reduce Russia income from oil and gas exports, it will still have a massive amount of wiggle room.

To see the charts and rest of the article, please click HERE.

Senior NATO Officers, Including Polish General, Reportedly Killed in Russian Strike in Ukraine

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[T]he Russians successfully bombed a six-story deep command bunker in Chasiv Yar on March 26.

According to the Russians, the bunker was hit by one or more Iskander missiles. The Iskander is a short-range ballistic missile that can operate at hypersonic speed (Mach 5.9). It has different types of warheads including bunker busters that weigh between 1,000 and 1,500 pounds.

RU POV: Russian FAB bombs hit positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Novomykhailivka
byu/LordMinax inUkraineRussiaReport

Inside that command center were very senior NATO officers, some of whom were killed, according to Russian reports. One of them was Brigadier General Adam Marczak of the Polish army. . .

Poland reported his death, which the Polish Army said was due to “unexplained natural causes.”

Various Telegraph channels report that other NATO officers were either killed or wounded in the attack at Chasiv Yar. According to these accounts, some of the wounded were hastily evacuated to Poland. We don’t know the names, the ranks or the nationality of any of those killed or wounded other than Marczak. (Read more from “Senior NATO Officers, Including Polish General, Reportedly Killed in Russian Strike in Ukraine” HERE)