The United States and four of its closest allies have warned that “intelligence” shows that Russia is considering cyberattacks against countries that support Ukraine, as the Kremlin’s frustration grows with its failure to make military profits.
Vladimir Putin used Wednesday’s launch of a new powerful Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying ten or more warheads to launch nuclear threats against Western countries.
Sarmat has long been in development and test flights were originally scheduled to begin in 2017. The Pentagon confirmed that the United States was notified of the test and was not concerned. Western officials are more concerned about Moscow’s growing emphasis on its nuclear arsenal as its conventional forces have faltered in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian army continued to resist in the besieged and devastated city of Mariupol, but Putin’s Chechen ally Ramzan Kadyrov predicted that the last stand of port defenders at the Azovstal steel plant would fall on Thursday.
The Kremlin has repeatedly threatened many countries that supply modern weapons to Ukraine’s army, and members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network – the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – predict that Moscow may also work. with cybercrime groups to launch attacks on governments, institutions and businesses.
“The development of intelligence shows that the Russian government is exploring the possibility of potential cyber attacks,” they said in an official warning of the cyber threat on Wednesday, noting that “some cybercrime groups have recently publicly promised support for the Russian government.”
“Some groups have also threatened to conduct cyber operations against countries and organizations providing material support to Ukraine,” the Five Eyes signal said. It warns that Russian-sponsored cyber actors have the ability to compromise IT networks, steal large amounts of data from them while remaining hidden, deploy destructive malware, and block networks with “distributed denial of service” attacks.
Putin described the test launch of the Sarmat ICBM as a major breakthrough that would strengthen Russian deterrence, claiming that it has “the highest tactical and technical characteristics and is capable of overcoming all modern means of missile defense.”
“It has no analogues in the world and will not have for a long time,” he said. “This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, will reliably guarantee Russia’s security from external threats and will provide food for thought for those who are trying to threaten our country in the midst of fierce aggressive rhetoric.
Moscow officially warned Washington to cut off arms supplies to Ukraine, but Joe Biden stepped them up. The last tranche of $ 800 million is delivered, including howitzers and helicopters.
Weapons from the United States and its allies are arriving as Putin launches a renewed offensive in eastern and southern Ukraine, focusing on Mariupol, where Ukrainian Marine Commander Sergei Volny said his steel fighters may not be able to. last much longer. President Vladimir Zelenski said about 1,000 civilians were sheltered there.
Kadyrov, the leader of the Russian Chechen Republic, whose troops have been fighting in Ukraine since the invasion, said the Azovstal steel plant would be taken over by Kremlin forces on Thursday.
“Before noon or in the afternoon, Azovstal will be completely under the control of the forces of the Russian Federation,”
Mariupol will be the largest city captured by Russia since invading Ukraine eight weeks ago in an attack that took longer than some military analysts expected, saw more than five million people flee abroad and turn cities into ruins.
Dozens of civilians managed to leave the strategically important southeastern port on Wednesday in a small bus convoy, according to witnesses quoted by Reuters, avoiding the fiercest battle of the war.
However, Ukraine said late Wednesday night that it was ready to resolve the issue of the unblocking of Mariupol and the evacuation of civilians through diplomacy, and offered to hold a “special round” of talks with Russia in the besieged city, officials said.
Ukrainian negotiator and presidential aide Mikhail Podoliak wrote on Twitter that Kyiv is ready to speak “without any conditions.” He added: “One on one. Two for two. To save our boys, Azov, military, civilians, children, alive and wounded. Everyone. Because they are ours. Because they are in my heart. Forever. ”
Ukraine has said it has so far resisted an attack by thousands of Russian troops trying to advance what Kyiv calls the “Battle of Donbass”, a new campaign to seize the country’s eastern provinces.
The Luhansk governor said on Wednesday that Russian forces control 80% of his region, which is one of the two that make up Donbass. Prior to Russia’s invasion, the Kyiv government controlled 60% of the Luhansk region.
Sergei Haidai said that the Russians, after capturing the small town of Kremina, were threatening the towns of Rubezhne and Popasna. He called on all residents to evacuate immediately.
“The occupiers control only parts of these cities that are unable to break through to the centers,” Haidai told the Telegram news app.
Analysts say the offensive in the east could escalate into a war of attrition as Russia faces Ukraine’s most experienced, battle-hardened troops fighting pro-Moscow separatists in Donbas for eight years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address Wednesday night that his country could develop “maximum speed” to join the EU.
Speaking after a meeting with European Council President Charles Michel, Zelensky said the two had discussed Ukraine’s move towards European integration.
“This is the historic moment in which we can develop the maximum speed for joining the European Union,” Zelenski said.
“We have already proved that Ukrainian state and public institutions are effective enough to withstand even the test of war. We are already doing as much to protect the freedom of the European continent as other nations have ever done. “
World Bank President David Malpas has warned of a “human catastrophe” as food prices rise sharply after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Like the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, the food crisis will affect the world’s poorest people because they “will eat less and have less money for everything else, such as school.”
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