Latest news with #DefenseIntelligence
24-05-2025
- Politics
Kyiv hit by Russian strikes as largest prisoner swap of war begins
LONDON -- Russia launched a large drone and missile attack on Kyiv early Saturday, injuring six and damaging buildings across the city as the next stage of a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia is set for today, with 390 people already freed and up to 1000 inmates expected to be released in the coming days. Russia fired 14 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and 250 Shahed drones, mostly targeting Kyiv. Ukraine's Air Force said it shot down six missiles and 245 drones. At least 17 people were injured in Kyiv, with residential buildings and infrastructure damaged across multiple districts. Elsewhere, Russian shelling in Kherson region over the past day killed two people and injured 13, damaging critical and social infrastructure, along with three apartment buildings and 12 private homes. Russian forces also killed four and injured eight more In the Donetsk region on Friday. In Russia, Ukrainian drone attacks overnight and on Saturday morning injured three people and targeted industrial sites in the Lipetsk and Tula regions. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed 94 drones were downed over six regions. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence (HUR) says Russian forces have executed more than 150 captured Ukrainian soldiers since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, describing it as part of a deliberate campaign by Moscow's leadership. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for stronger sanctions against Russia, saying Moscow's aim is to prolong the war by rejecting ceasefire proposals. The exchange was prepared following bilateral peace talks in Istanbul last week. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday that once the swap is complete, Russia will hand over a draft "outlining the conditions for achieving a sustainable, long-term, comprehensive settlement agreement," according to Russian state media. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Friday that Ukraine is committed to a ceasefire and called the exchange the "first stage." "We achieved 1,000 for 1,000. After this, if it will be successful, as I said first is exchanges, second is the ceasefire," he said. Such exchanges have taken place throughout Russia's 3-year-old invasion, though the swap -- once completed -- will be by far the largest to date. Prisoner exchanges are one of the few areas in which Moscow and Kyiv have been able to reach an accord during the conflict.
Russia Today
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU country tells citizens how to spot Russian spies
One of Latvia's intelligence agencies has published an instruction manual on how to spot potential Russian spies and saboteurs. The Latvian Defense Intelligence and Security Service (MIDD) released the instructions to the general public on Wednesday. 'A sloppy, unkempt appearance and insufficient hygiene,' could be a visual clue that someone is a Russian reconnaissance-sabotage group member, according to the release. Other potential cues are tourist, paramilitary, or sports clothing, an athletic physique or a short haircut, it added. No one factor is a surefire sign of a spy, MIDD stressed, warning Latvians against attempting to take matters into their own hands or confronting anyone they may suspect. Maps, radios, navigation equipment, weapons, and survival foods could also be a red flag, the agency wrote. Infiltrator groups may choose remote places to live, such as in forests, near bodies of water, or in abandoned buildings, it said. In addition, Latvians should watch out for people unfamiliar with their surroundings, who appear to be observing the area or questioning locals about their political beliefs, MIDD wrote. Potential Russian spies could claim they are in the country on tourist or business trips, or for visiting friends or relatives, the agency wrote. MIDD warned that potential saboteurs could operate in groups of three to four and move 'military style.' One of the group members could be familiar with the local language, it added. They could also be carrying a Russian passport and rubles, the agency said. Latvia has shown particular hostility to its significant Russian minority, especially since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Around a quarter of the Baltic state's roughly 1.8 million people are ethnic Russians, according to official Latvian statistics. In May, Latvian Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis urged the EU to halt issuing Schengen tourist visas to Russian citizens, accusing them of posing a threat to the bloc's security. It is the EU's 'moral duty' to impose an outright visa ban on Russian tourists, the minister argued. During last week's Victory Day commemorations in Latvia, local police detained eight people and opened 67 administrative cases related to the events. The authorities charged people with singing Russian wartime songs, displaying banned Soviet symbols and making flower offerings in the colors of the flag of the Russian Federation.
Arab News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
That ‘tourist' in the forest might be a Russian spy, Latvia warns
MIDD offered advice on how to identify possible reconnaissance and sabotage also warned that Russian saboteurs might also attempt to incite unrest or assassinate 'socially significant individuals'WARSAW: They might look like lost tourists — unkempt and overloaded with gear — or hikers with military haircuts, survival gear and no clue how to behave in the Latvia's intelligence agency said Wednesday that they might actually be Russian saboteurs and its annual report, Latvia's Defense Intelligence and Security Service, known by Latvian acronym MIDD, offered advice on how to identify possible reconnaissance and sabotage an increasingly relevant concern given regional tensions and a string of arson and other acts of sabotage, which Western governments blame on Russia — allegations that Moscow has repeatedly list of telltale signs is striking: slovenly appearance, mismatched military or sportswear, and a knack for asking locals suspicious questions. According to the security service, such groups may linger near military or critical infrastructure sites, pose as humanitarian workers or stay in remote areas without showing any interest in may carry specialized medical kits, maps or radios — items better suited for clandestine operations than camping Latvian guidance comes as countries across the region, including new NATO members Sweden and Finland, have been issuing booklets with advice on how to survive war or a natural Poland is now preparing its guidelines, while Norway recently published a book with advice on how to survive for one week.'We live in an increasingly turbulent world,' it says. 'Even though in Norway most things generally function as they normally would, we must remain aware that extreme weather, pandemics, accidents, sabotage — and in the worst case acts of war — can impact us.'MIDD, one of Latvia's three security services, alongside the State Security Service and the Constitution Protection Bureau, warned that Russian saboteurs might also attempt to incite unrest or assassinate 'socially significant individuals.'Their activities might also be focused on 'studying the position of the target country's society and inciting unrest directed against the existing government.'The agency cautioned that appearances can deceive.'The Ukrainian experience shows that Russian special services are able to adapt,' the report says. Not all spies will fit the mold, and suspicions must be judged in also warns that if a sabotage group is spotted, leave the James Bond heroics to the professionals.'If you do think you might have spotted a sabotage group on Latvian soil, MIDD does not recommend tackling them yourself,' it said. 'Instead report your suspicions to the State Police, special services, or the nearest armed forces unit.'
