Alexander Clarkson
404.9K posts
@APHClarkson
Senior Lecturer for European Politics and History at King's College London. Opinions my own. RT not always endorsement. Also at @aphclarkson.bsky.social
UEFA is boycotting the FIFA World Cup in protest of FIFA’s plan to sell stakes in the tournament to private investors - The Times
Today, the Russians used their ballistic missile to destroy an ordinary house belonging to an ordinary family in Radushne, near Kryvyi Rih, in our Dnipro region. It was the Voronov family: mother Olena, father Artem, seven children – Mark, Dominika, Zakharii, Azarii Ilai, Federica, Emilia, and Viorika – and one-and-a-half-year-old grandson Artem, the child of their eldest son, who is now defending Ukraine. As of now, it has been confirmed that parents and three children – Mark, Azarii Ilai, and Emilia – were killed. The Russian missile struck with such force that almost nothing was left of the house… Fragments of human bodies were found under the rubble, and only forensic examinations can establish which members of the family they belong to. The fate of Zakharii, Dominika, Viorika, Federica, and Artem is still being determined… It is a horrific crime of Russia’s war against Ukraine – against ordinary people, against ordinary life. This Russian evil can only be stopped by the whole world. No one in the world can be left to face such terror alone. And when we say that Ukraine needs missiles for Patriots, when we seek the capabilities to defend ourselves against Russian ballistic missiles, this isn’t about abstractions. We are talking about families like this, people like these, who can live if we have the means to shoot down Russian missiles – if our partners help us with interceptors. Families who can be killed if we have nothing to stop Russian Iskanders with. It is important that these people are seen by those who make decisions – decisions at the Pentagon, in European capitals, and everywhere in the world where there is an opportunity to help Ukraine protect lives. Reality speaks for itself. Protecting lives is necessary. Air defense missiles are necessary. Eternal memory to all Ukrainians who were killed by Russian strikes… Eternal gratitude to everyone who helps!
🔥The fires at Russian refineries make the headlines. The real damage lies beneath Hundreds of satellite images we studied show that Kyiv is now hitting the hardest-to-repair units — which is why refineries remain offline long after the smoke clears ft.com/content/3990cb…
A massive column of smoke rises from the burning Wildberries hub in Sarapul, around 1,200 km from the front. Footage and Russian statements indicate that the hubs in Sarapul and Penza, with a combined area of 143,000 square metres, were completely or almost completely destroyed today.
“The Ukrainian campaign knocked out more than 30 and 45 per cent of Russia’s actual and nominal capacity, respectively, triggering the worst fuel crisis in the petrostate since the collapse of the Soviet Union… Ukraine’s targeted campaign, aided by US and French intelligence, has helped trigger a severe fuel crisis in Russia, with sales restrictions in nearly every region and long queues at filling stations. Russia had restored some refining capacity, helped by a resumption of operations at Omsk, said Daniel Evans, global head of fuels and refining at S&P Global Energy. But much capacity remains offline, making supply to Russia’s otherwise balanced domestic market “very challenging”, he added.” @NastyaStognei @sdbernard ft.com/content/3990cb…
As I've said before, Reza Pahlavi has peaked. His undoing has been part self-inflicted, part a consequence of geopolitical events outside his control. This even-handed article does a good job of setting out where his campaign went wrong, while offering Pahlavi and his associates a right of reply reuters.com/investigations…
Jenrick tells the Reform UK press conference this morning an official will come to your dying mother's bedroom to tot up her jewellery, brooches and coats under Andy Burnham's new "death tax" which - let's remember - doesn't actually exist.
