Latest news with #Ratnik
Gulf Today
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Al Ain shifts focus to City after Juventus loss, says Ratnik
Marcel Ratnik, Al Ain football club's central defender, has affirmed that the team has put their recent loss to Italian giants Juventus behind them and is now fully focused on their next challenge—a clash against Manchester City in the second round of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Ratnik acknowledged the disappointment of the opening round performance but expressed confidence in the team's ability to bounce back stronger. "We are well aware that the result in our previous match was far from satisfactory," Ratnik said. "However, we have pledged to change the way the team presents itself moving forward. We've immediately begun working hard to elevate our overall performance, and training sessions have been intense and highly focused." He added that the coaching staff has played a vital role in addressing the team's weaknesses, correcting errors from the last match, and reinforcing key tactical areas ahead of the showdown with the English champions. 'We're determined to rise to the challenge. Facing Manchester City, one of the best teams in world football, will not be easy—but we believe in our abilities. Al Ain is a club with a champion's mentality, and we have what it takes to deliver a strong and memorable performance,' Ratnik emphasized. Regarding preparations, the Slovenian defender highlighted the positive atmosphere within the squad. 'Our preparations are going very well. All the players are focused, the spirit in the camp is excellent, and we are united by a common determination to give our absolute best.' Ratnik also took the opportunity to address the club's loyal fan base. 'We deeply appreciate your continuous support and belief in us. We promise to give everything we have in the remaining matches. Your presence in the stands means the world to us—it truly makes a difference. We look forward to seeing you, just as you've always been there for us.' Al Ain will meet Manchester City on Monday.
American Military News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
Chinese nationals smuggling military gear from Russia: Report
A new report claims that Chinese nationals are trying to smuggle military equipment, such as body armor and tactical gear, out of Russia as Russia's war with Ukraine continues. Izvestia, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, cited anonymous sources in a report on Monday regarding an increased number of attempts by Chinese nationals to smuggle military equipment, such as tactical gear and body armor, and dual-use goods out of Russia. The outlet reported that the sources indicated Chinese nationals often use international postal services to conduct the smuggling operations. Izvestia reported that Russian customs authorities and law enforcement officials have indicated that Chinese nationals have smuggled military uniforms, bulletproof vests, tactical backpacks, and other military equipment that are studied, replicated by using cheap materials, and sold in Russia, Ukraine, and other countries. According to The Kyiv Independent, the report of Chinese nationals smuggling military equipment out of Russia comes as China has been accused of increased involvement in the war between Russia and Ukraine. The outlet noted that despite Chinese officials denying any supply of weapons to Russia, China has supplied many dual-use goods to Russia throughout the war in Ukraine. Reuters reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused China last week of supplying weapons to Russia. 'We finally have information that China is supplying weapons to the Russian Federation,' Zelensky said. 'We believe that Chinese representatives are engaged in the production of some weapons on the territory of Russia.' READ MORE: Videos: 150+ Chinese citizens fighting for Russia in Ukraine: Report According to Izvestia, the efforts of Chinese citizens smuggling Russian military equipment out of the country have increased since 2022. An anonymous source with knowledge of the market for military gear told the Russian news outlet that the demand for counterfeit military equipment is high due to various loopholes with international shipping and differences in prices. Izvestia also reported that some of the counterfeit Russian military equipment has been found on the battlefield in Ukraine. A source told the outlet, 'Counterfeit versions of Russian tactical equipment are regularly seen on fallen Ukrainian soldiers in the combat zone.' Ruslan Shapiev, CEO of RUSARM, a defense contractor, told Izvestia that some of the recent Chinese smuggling incidents could be connected to foreign intelligence services or industrial espionage. According to the Russian news outlet, Russian law enforcement officials arrested a Chinese national in Moscow earlier this month. Izvestia reported that the Chinese national was accused of smuggling two tactical vests through the mail. According to Izvestia, an investigation into the incident led to the discovery of multiple other shipments of Russian military equipment to China, including body armor, combat backpacks, and Ratnik transport vests.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
Chinese nationals smuggle military gear from Russia using loopholes
Chinese citizens have begun actively smuggling body armour, tactical backpacks, military uniforms and other equipment from Russia to study them and manufacture cheaper replicas. Source: Russian propaganda outlet Izvestia, citing law enforcement sources Details: One of the sources stated: "There has been an increase in the number of illegal operations related to the export of military and dual-use goods". Various loopholes are used for this, particularly in postal services. The Moscow Times reported that in mid-April, law enforcement in Moscow detained a Chinese national immediately after he posted two load-bearing vests, including a Ratnik model with a 6Sh117 patrol backpack. It was later revealed that the same individual had previously shipped two 6B45 general-purpose body armours, combat backpacks and other military gear to China. In December last year, another Chinese student was detained in Moscow for smuggling military equipment. The 27-year-old was keeping body armours, bullet casings, armour plates and other gear in his university dormitory. During interrogation, he claimed to have legally purchased all the items on classified advertisement websites. Background: Russia's financial monitoring agency, Rosfinmonitoring, is set to start forming a registry of "suspicious" cryptocurrency wallets belonging to Russian citizens by adding "digital currency address identifiers". Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chinese nationals reportedly smuggling military gear out of Russia
Chinese nationals have been increasingly attempting to smuggle military equipment and dual-use goods out of Russia, often using international postal services, Russian state-controlled media Izvestia reported on April 21, citing undisclosed sources. The incidents reportedly concern body armor, tactical gear, and other military apparel that are then studied and replicated using cheaper materials before being resold abroad. The news comes as China becomes increasingly involved in the Russian war against Ukraine. While Beijing officially denies supplying arms to Moscow, it has become a major supplier of dual-use goods since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 17 that Chinese exports to Russia also include weapons, making the accusation only days after saying that hundreds of Chinese nationals fight against Ukraine in the Russian military. China has denied any involvement in the war. Russian law enforcement reportedly detained a Chinese citizen in Moscow in mid-April, accusing him of mailing two tactical vests, including a Ratnik load-bearing vest and another modular design. The gear was seized, and further investigation linked the individual to several prior shipments of similar equipment to China, according to an unnamed source cited by Izvestia. Among the seized items were standard-issue 6B45 body armor, additional Ratnik systems, and combat backpacks – all of which are classified as military goods under Russian export law. A 2022 Russian government decree prohibits the export of such items without a license, citing national security concerns. In December 2024, a 27-year-old Chinese student in Moscow was arrested for allegedly storing military gear, including body armor and ballistic plates, in a university dormitory. The student claimed the items were legally purchased through online classifieds. The Russian news outlet reported that incidents of Chinese citizens attempting to smuggle Russian military-related goods have increased since 2022. In one of the first known cases, a Chinese national was convicted in the fall of that year for attempting to export sensitive sensors and sentenced to three years in a penal colony. A source familiar with the military gear market allegedly told Izvestia that the demand for counterfeit or reverse-engineered military equipment remains high, particularly due to pricing disparities and loopholes in international shipping platforms. Some of the replicas have allegedly appeared on Ukrainian battlefields. 'Counterfeit versions of Russian tactical equipment are regularly seen on fallen Ukrainian soldiers in the combat zone,' the source said. Ruslan Shapiev, CEO of defense contractor RUSARM, told the outlet that some of the smuggling cases might be linked to industrial espionage or foreign intelligence services. The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims at the time of publication. While Chinese President Xi Jinping claimed to be neutral in the war, China strengthened its economic and technological ties with Russia, provided key materials for defense manufacturing, and saw some of its citizens join Russia's armed forces. Earlier this month, Ukrainian forces captured two Chinese nationals fighting for Russia in Donetsk Oblast. One of them reportedly said he paid about $3,500 to a middleman in China in exchange for Russian citizenship and military enlistment. Beijing has not publicly commented on the recent smuggling allegations. Read also: 'Everything we heard from Russians was a lie' — Chinese fighters captured by Ukraine speak out We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
