Russia accused of using vacuum bomb against Ukraine

March 1, 2022 — The Times of Israel reports: “Human rights groups and Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States on Monday accused Russia of attacking Ukrainians with cluster bombs and vacuum bombs, Reuters reported.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both said that Russian forces appeared to have used widely banned cluster munitions against Ukraine.

Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, told reporters after meeting with members of the US Congress that Russia had used a thermobaric weapon, known as a vacuum bomb, in its invasion of her country.

‘They used the vacuum bomb today,’ Markarova said after a meeting with lawmakers. ‘…The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large.’

While there has been no official confirmation that thermobaric weapons have been used in the conflict in Ukraine, CNN reported that one of its teams had spotted a Russian thermobaric multiple rocket launcher near the Ukrainian border early on Saturday afternoon…”  (On March 23, 2022 U.S. Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken released a press statement saying in part: Since launching his unprovoked and unjust war of choice, Russian President Vladimir Putin has unleashed unrelenting violence that has caused death and destruction across Ukraine.  We’ve seen numerous credible reports of indiscriminate attacks and attacks deliberately targeting civilians, as well as other atrocities.  Russia’s forces have destroyed apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, critical infrastructure, civilian vehicles, shopping centers, and ambulances, leaving thousands of innocent civilians killed or wounded.  Many of the sites Russia’s forces have hit have been clearly identifiable as in-use by civilians.  This includes the Mariupol maternity hospital, as the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights expressly noted in a March 11 report.  It also includes a strike that hit a Mariupol theater, clearly marked with the word “дети” — Russian for “children” — in huge letters visible from the sky.  Putin’s forces used these same tactics in Grozny, Chechnya, and Aleppo, Syria, where they intensified their bombardment of cities to break the will of the people.  Their attempt to do so in Ukraine has again shocked the world and, as President Zelenskyy has soberly attested, “bathed the people of Ukraine in blood and tears.”… Today, I can announce that, based on information currently available, the U.S. government assesses that members of Russia’s forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine.)

Russia Arrests Over 5,000 in Single Day for Protesting Ukraine War  

March 7, 2022 — Voice of America News reports: “Russia detained more than 5,000 people protesting President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine in dozens of cities Sunday — an unprecedented number as Moscow clamps down on anyone opposing the Kremlin’s military assault on the country.

OVD-info, which monitors arrests during protests, said police had detained at least 5,016 people in 60 cities during the anti-war protests.

That is an unprecedented number for a single day and far higher than arrests made during a wave of protests that broke out in the country last year when opposition leader Alexei Navalny was imprisoned.

Navalny has called on Russians to protest the war in an appeal from his prison cell.

Protesters risk possible prison sentences by taking to the streets…”  (A protest movement against the invasion of Ukraine is growing in Russia. Demonstrations were held in 60 cities on March 6 and in 37 on March 13, spurred in part by calls to turn out from imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny. More than 14,900 people have been detained by security forces and police for protesting, according to OVD-Info, a Russian human rights organization.

To quell dissent, Russia has intensified a crackdown on independent Russian news outlets, cut off access to social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and declared spreading “false information” about the war a criminal offense punishable by up to 15 years in jail.  See the next report.)

Russia publishes an official list of states it deems ‘unfriendly’ to it 

March 8, 2022 — The Jerusalem Post reports: “A list of foreign states that Russia considers as having committed ‘unfriendly actions’ against ‘Russia, Russian companies and citizens’ was published on the Russian government’s website on Monday.

The countries, international organizations and territories considered ‘unfriendly’ include: ‘Australia, Albania, Andorra, United Kingdom, including Jersey, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Gibraltar, the member states of the European Union, Iceland, Canada, Liechtenstein, Micronesia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, San Marino, North Macedonia, Singapore, USA, Taiwan, Ukraine, Montenegro, Switzerland, Japan.’

Russia lists Taiwan as being part of China.

A complementary item of legislation from Sunday states that Russian citizens and companies must apply for a special permit to deal with ‘unfriendly’ foreign entities…

Former Ukrainian PM: I do not think any negotiation can stop this tragedy now

March 10, 2022 — Israel National News reports: “Ukraine’s former Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, spoke to i24NEWS on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing war in her country.

‘Ukraine is in the heart of the fire,’ said Tymoshenko, who served as prime minister from February to September 2005 and from December 2007 to March 2010.

‘It is impossible to describe in words, as of today 52 children have been killed here, who had done no wrong to anyone. The whole country is in a state of emergency,’ she added.

Tymoshenko thanked the countries that support Ukraine, particularly Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for his continued dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

‘You know that Ukraine and Israel have many historical moments in common,’ she added, noting that former Prime Minister Golda Meir was born in Kyiv.

‘You can now understand Ukraine as no one else can,’ she added, mentioning how Israel is in ‘a constant state of war.’

When asked what can stop Putin, as she has met him several times and has known him many years, Tymoshenko stated, ‘Just power.’

‘I do not think any negotiation can stop this tragedy now. Now it is power against power,’ she continued…”  (Russia is the head warmonger who draws the enemies of the European Union and Americas into World War III – Ezekiel 38:1-5, 8, and 16; Daniel 11:44; Revelation 16:16.)

$1 million bounty on Putin offered by Russian businessman

March 4, 2022 — The Jerusalem Post reports: “A $1,000,000 bounty for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin was offered to military officers by Russian entrepreneur Alex Konanykhin in a post he published on social media this week, as Russia continued its invasion of Ukraine.

‘I promise to pay $1,000,000 to the officer(s) who, complying with their constitutional duty, arrest(s) Putin as a war criminal under Russian and international laws,’ wrote Konanykhin on LinkedIn. ‘Putin is not the Russian president as he came to power as the result of a special operation of blowing up apartment buildings in Russia, then violated the Constitution by eliminating free elections and murdering his opponents.’

‘As an ethnic Russian and a Russian citizen, I see it as my moral duty to facilitate the denazification of Russia. I will continue my assistance to Ukraine in its heroic efforts to withstand the onslaught of Putin’s Orda,’ added the businessman. Orda is the Russian word for ‘horde,’ a predatory, plundering gang…”  (Vladimir Putin has been in power as either the Prime Minister or President of Russia since 1999, and with the Constitutional amendment, voted in on July 1, 2020, and signed by Putin on April 5, 2021, he is in essence, setting himself up as ruler for life in Russia, much as Xi Jinping is set to be ruler for life in China.  Will his Ukrainian invasion put an end to his leadership?  Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 predict the union of Russia and China [Revelation 16:12; Daniel 11:44] as leaders in the battle for the greatest war in history called Armageddon – Revelation 16:16.  Revelation 9:14 – 18 pictures its upcoming disastrous results.)

Zelensky warns Putin: No bunker can protect you from God

March 3, 2022 — The Jerusalem Post reports: “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that ‘No bunker can protect you from God’ on Thursday after Russian forces targeted the Cathedral of the Assumption [Uspensky Sobor] in its assault on Kharkiv, according to Ukrayinska Pravda.

‘It is a holy place. Now, wrecked by the war. Even this does not deter them! They count on the fact that God’s retribution isn’t instant. But He sees. And answers. You cannot hide from His answers. No bunker can protect you from God’s answers,’ said Zelensky.

Zelensky additionally announced that the first of 16,000 foreign volunteers had arrived to fight in Ukraine’s foreign legion.

The Ukrainian president pointed to how Ukraine had experienced two world wars, three Holodomors, the Holocaust, Chernobyl, the Russian takeover of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine, saying ‘if someone thinks that, having overcome all of this, Ukrainians — any of us — will be scared, broken or willing to surrender — he knows nothing about Ukraine, and he has nothing to do in Ukraine,’ according to Ukrayinska Pravda…”  (O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.  Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.  Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.  For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.  Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.  Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;  Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.  If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.  Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.  For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.  My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.  How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!  If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.  Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.  For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.  Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?  I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. – Psalm 139:1-24.  This Psalm focuses on four attributes of God – His knowledge of all things – His presence everywhere – His power – and His holiness.  President Zelensky is correct – there is no hiding from God.)