TheOldGuy @TheOldGuy@qoto.org

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https://open.substack.com/pub/wonkette/p/at-least-biden-made-with-some-preemptive?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=70k1h

Czech Republic Finishes Pipeline Extension, Ending Reliance on Russian Oil.

The Czech Republic no longer needs to import Russian oil following the completion of an expansion to the Transalpine Pipeline (TAL) from Italy, announced Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

"The construction of this expansion has now been completed," Fiala told reporters. "Russia can no longer blackmail us, and we have a guarantee that we can completely supply ourselves with oil from the West."

The TAL pipeline transports oil from the Italian port of Trieste to southern Germany, where it connects to the IKL pipeline supplying the Czech Republic. The expansion doubles the country's oil import capacity via TAL to eight million tons per year.

Since the 1960s, the country has relied on the russian Druzhba pipeline for oil. When the EU allowed some exemptions on the EU ban of oil imports in 2022, Fiala pledged to remove the exemption as soon as alternative oil supplies became available.

Read more

🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇨🇿

Russian hackers paralyzed the websites of Swiss banks and municipalities.

The Russian hacker group NoName057 carried out cyberattacks on the websites of a number of Swiss banks and municipalities, which led to a temporary shutdown of their work, reports NZZ. Among the attacked resources were the websites of large cantonal banks and government agencies.

As NZZ notes, NoName057 actively uses the media to create a panic effect and exaggerate his own successes. For example, an hour after the start of the attacks, the hackers posted an article translated into Russian and English by the Swiss edition of 20 Minuten on their Telegram channel, where the incident was called a "mega-attack". Such a media strategy is aimed at increasing public anxiety.

However, the real effectiveness of the attacks turned out to be much lower. On Monday, January 20, NoName057 announced attacks on 17 Swiss web resources, of which only seven were successful. On Tuesday, out of 19 planned targets, hackers were able to temporarily disable only 10 sites. For example, attempts to hack the online resources of the Basel and Geneva cantonal banks ended in failure. Even in cases where the attacks were successful, the failures lasted no more than one or two hours.

@freerussia_report
🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇨🇭

"Half-truth" and "complete nonsense". Criticism of the reports about Russia's alleged non-involvement in the cable cuts

The Finnish media are publishing responses to an article by the American newspaper "The Washington Post", which on Sunday, January 19, wrote, citing high-ranking representatives of the US and EU countries, that the damage to submarine cables in the Baltic Sea in the past few months "was most likely the result of accidents, and not the result of deliberate Russian sabotage."

"We see here false news, half-truths, which have a significant impact on our European information environment, undermining joint projects of NATO and the European Union, as well as trust in them," said Jukka Savolainen, a former commander of the Western Finnish Coast Guard.

The true half of the Washington Post article is the fact that so far no one really claims definitively that it was Russia that ordered the crew of the Eagle S vessel, which was recently detained by the Finnish Coast Guard, to try to anchor the Estlink 2 cable used to transmit electricity between Finland and Estonia.

But the claims of the American newspaper that representatives of the intelligence services of the EU countries and the United States have already concluded that Moscow is not involved in this and other similar incidents - is not true.

Russia's guilt in sabotage is difficult to prove using the mechanisms of criminal investigation under the rule of law, reminds Savolainen. "Then the captain of the ship would have to say that he received instructions from the Russians and did it. There will be no evidence without a confession of guilt or some intelligence."

According to him, it is "always easy to use when you want to deliberately distort information." But Savolainen also called it "pointless" to find out whether the Washington Post article was the result of journalists falling victim to Russian disinformation.

Doubts about Russia's alleged non-involvement were also expressed in an interview with the Finnish edition of Yle and the director of investigations of the Central Criminal Police of Finland (PKK), Commissioner for Criminal Affairs Sami Liimatainen, who stressed that he "did not hear anything" from his colleagues about the alleged conclusions finding Moscow innocent of such sabotage, and the investigation into the cable breaks "continues as usual."

According to a member of the European Parliament, retired Major General and former head of the General Directorate of Military Intelligence of Finland Pekka Toveri, the claim that Russia was not involved in the break in cables at the bottom of the Baltic Sea is "complete nonsense."
"The Russian special services may have managed to make it so that there are no traces that could be used as evidence in court. In all hybrid operations, the most important thing is to have a plausible excuse," says Toveri.

🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇺🇸

Slovak leader Fico preparing for EU exit, opposition says. (https://www.reuters.com/resizer/v2/RDDKUK5C2RMJZLSCGA6I5IEDEI.jpg?auth=59d6c388e73da9fa7beb6c422de0d76b0398d23a17e802b223e0f81ff1a09087&width=640&quality=80)

"This cannot be read in any other way than... what we had warned of: that the government of Smer is preparing the ground for leading Slovakia out of the European Union," Simecka, leader of the Progressive Slovakia party, told parliament.

"I see this as such an existential threat to our national interests that we do not need anything else to declare no-confidence."

Fico told parliament that foreign policy was determined by NATO and EU membership but Slovakia could not be "static" in a fast-developing world.

"What if a group of 3-4 large countries comes and says, ladies and gentlemen, either there will be a superstate where you lose all your national sovereignty ... or go your own way?" Fico said. "We are speaking of a development that can happen very fast."

Fico's cabinet is expected to be backed by Smer as well as deputies from the nationalist SNS and centre-left Hlas party, giving him enough votes to survive. However, Hlas has rejected any discussion over EU membership, and several of its deputies have protested against Fico's foreign policy.

Read more (https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/slovak-leader-fico-preparing-eu-exit-opposition-says-2025-01-21/)

🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇸🇰

Slovak leader Fico preparing for EU exit, opposition says. (https://www.reuters.com/resizer/v2/RDDKUK5C2RMJZLSCGA6I5IEDEI.jpg?auth=59d6c388e73da9fa7beb6c422de0d76b0398d23a17e802b223e0f81ff1a09087&width=640&quality=80)

"This cannot be read in any other way than... what we had warned of: that the government of Smer is preparing the ground for leading Slovakia out of the European Union," Simecka, leader of the Progressive Slovakia party, told parliament.

"I see this as such an existential threat to our national interests that we do not need anything else to declare no-confidence."

Fico told parliament that foreign policy was determined by NATO and EU membership but Slovakia could not be "static" in a fast-developing world.

"What if a group of 3-4 large countries comes and says, ladies and gentlemen, either there will be a superstate where you lose all your national sovereignty ... or go your own way?" Fico said. "We are speaking of a development that can happen very fast."

Fico's cabinet is expected to be backed by Smer as well as deputies from the nationalist SNS and centre-left Hlas party, giving him enough votes to survive. However, Hlas has rejected any discussion over EU membership, and several of its deputies have protested against Fico's foreign policy.

Read more (https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/slovak-leader-fico-preparing-eu-exit-opposition-says-2025-01-21/)

🇪🇺@EU_Report 🇸🇰

https://open.substack.com/pub/twogrumpyoldmenonukraine/p/ukraine-update-tuesday-jan-21-2025?r=70k1h&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Psychiatrists Call for Robert Fico’s Resignation

Over a hundred psychologists and psychiatrists have addressed Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in an open letter:

“Your political conduct is characterized by an increasingly authoritarian style, manipulation of facts, lies, slander, and attacks on political opponents, journalists, and ordinary citizens who disagree with your policies. You do not shy away from targeting the families of opposition members, as seen in the case of the Simečka family.”

They are urging his resignation, citing the harmful impact of his policies on society and Slovakia’s international relations.

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🇱🇹🇺🇦 Lithuanian military aid-filled trucks have arrived in Ukraine.

Continuing to enhance Ukraine’s military capabilities, we have delivered thousands of drones from Lithuanian manufacturers, as well as thermal cameras and five-ton telescopic handlers, - MoD

On 13.01.2025, near Bolshoye Soldatskoye, Kursk region of ruzzia, 3 North Korean soldiers allegedly killed 5 servicemen of Russia's 810th Marine Brigade.

A week later, the suspects remain at large, and the search continues.

https://t.me/WarriorsUkrainian/43453