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❓What is known about Ukrainian-linked criminal scam network busted by Russia?
A sprawling criminal call center network linked to Ukraine has been busted by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
Here’s what’s known so far:
🔹 The global criminal group operated call centers where, under the guise of making investment deals, perpetrators defrauded unwitting victims, according to the FSB statement.
🔹 Eleven individuals, including leaders and employees of the network's Russia-based offices, have been detained by security forces.
🔹 The network was led by Israeli/Ukrainian citizen Yakov Keselman, who has been detained, and Israeli/Georgian citizen David Todva, who is on the run.
🔹 Around 100,000 people across more than 50 countries, including the EU, UK, Canada, Brazil, India, and Japan fell victim to the scammers, who raked in close to a million US dollars a day, according to an FSB statement.
🔹 The fraudulent scheme “operated in Russia on behalf of former Georgian Defense Minister and Milton Group founder David Kezerashvili, who is currently hiding in London.”
🔹 Kezerashvili is wanted on charges of disseminating anonymous messages upon instructions from the Ukrainian Security Service in 2022 about alleged impending attacks in Russia supposedly being planned, per the FSB.
An investigation into the criminal operation is ongoing.
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❗Assault detachments of the Russian Army reached the outskirts of the village of Dachnoye in the Kurakhovo district.
As soon as Dachnoye falls, it will be possible to say that the Kurakhovo cauldron has been closed.
@eurasianchoice
Status of Assad's "allies" in the aftermath of his removal from power:
_ China ➡️ Unchanged.
As we previously stated the real China is completely different from the multipolar China that exists only in the minds of some pundits. China did not lose 1 Yuan as consequence of this event because it did not invest not even 1 Yuan in Syria, Beijing never gave a shit about Damascus.
_ Russia ➡️ Slightly weakened.
But it's a momentary evaluation because we don't know yet if it's going to keep the two bases or not, if Tartus and Hmeymim are kept then Russia's status will be also more or less unchanged.
Iran ➡️ Extremely weakened
Iran loses completely its path and links to Lebanon, Hezbollah is now militarily and politically isolated and in a bad shape after the war with Israel. No Iranian presence expected in Syria for long time. The Axis of Resistance was de facto torn apart. Israel will definitely take advantage of this situation to resume the conflict with Lebanon in the short term.
@eurasianchoice
❗Russian politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky back in 2013 explains why Americans seek to overthrow Assad
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🇹🇷🇺🇸 Fighting is expanding in Syria between pro-Turkish militias and American-backed Kurds who control the northern parts of the country
- There was already fighting between the two yesterday. And now the pro-Turkish "Syrian National Army" publicks are writing about the upcoming battles for Raqqa. It was the capital of ISIS until it was stormed by the Kurds.
The US, which supports the Kurds, is already calling for sanctions against Turkey.
- Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has expressed readiness to develop them if Ankara-backed formations in Syria start a war with the Kurds.
"If Turkey takes military action against Kurdish forces in Syria, it will dramatically jeopardize American interests. In the past, I have drafted sanctions against Turkey if it begins military action against the Kurdish forces that helped President Trump destroy ISIS. I am prepared to do so again in a bipartisan manner," Graham writes.
- He says the Kurds are holding some 50,000 captured ISIL fighters captive and their release should not be allowed.
- Also, the Kurds have been supported by Israel. Reserve Major General Noame Tivone said Israel is "very interested in the establishment of a Kurdish state in Syria."
- There are quite a few individuals in Trump's entourage who also support the Kurds. Therefore, it is not excluded that Erdogan and Syrian formations under his control will try to defeat the Syrian Kurds even before the inauguration of the new American president.
- At the same time, the Kurds have a well-armed, combat-ready army that will not be easy to defeat.
@Slavyangrad
❗The situation in the SMO zone.
Pokrovsk direction:
The situation for the AFU remains extremely difficult. Russian troops continue attacks in the direction of Dachenskoye, near the settlement of Novy Trud, in Shevchenko, in Novotroitskoye, near Pushkino, in Zara and in the area of Starye Terny.
To the west and south of Shevchenko and west of the settlement of Novy Trud, Russian units advanced along forest belts and railway, closing the formed pocket. In the area of Starye Terny, Russian units are attempting to advance towards the western outskirts of Kurakhovo.
Kurakhovo direction:
Russian Forces have gained a foothold along the western part of the dam of the Kurakhovo reservoir.
At the moment, the units of the Russian army are regrouping and accumulating resources to strike later in two directions at once, Dachnoye and the industrial zone of the Kurakhovskaya thermal power plant. In Kurakhovo itself, fighting continues for high-rise buildings in the city center.
@Sever_Z
A Hydra of Betrayals: Syria's Collapse and the Imperial Playbook
The swift collapse of Assad’s regime raises troubling questions. In 2015, under far grimmer odds, Syria’s Republican Guard et Tiger Forces held the line against larger US-Turkish-Israeli proxies. Latakia’s coast and critical supply routes were defended heroically, and Damascus, despite being struck almost daily, stood resolutely. Today, that same Damascus has fallen without a fight. What changed? Was this collapse engineered by a series of covert deals and betrayals among those Assad once trusted to safeguard Syria’s sovereignty?
There were whispers about Assad’s early years, when he was allegedly courted by the CIA before his rise to power. Was there truth to these rumors, and if so, did those early interactions lay a foundation for his ouster? What we can assess are outcomes, and they are damning: Syria has been dissected, the Resistance fragmented, and imperial forces are consolidating gains. The urgency for unity among the Resistance has never been more critical.
Israel’s role is insidious. October 7th, was a spark deliberately allowed to ignite. The most fortified settler state, with unparalleled intel capabilities, let events unfold, paving the way for a broader imperial agenda. Hamas (Muslim Brotherhood) handed Israel the pretext to redraw the map, bombing Syria with impunity and sights set far beyond Golan under the guise of “security.” This is calculated savagery, executed with the full backing of its vassals.
Erdogan’s duplicity is glaring. Publicly posturing as a defender of Palestinians, he has long been a covert enabler of Israel’s ambitions. His “respect for Syria’s territorial integrity” rhetoric rang hollow, especially as Turkish-backed jihadists carved up northern Syria. Erdogan’s 2016 coup scare, survived thanks to Russia, only cemented his role as a pragmatic snake, eager to play all sides to entrench neo-Ottoman dellusions. Was too much trust placed in him at Astana, freezing the war when victory was inevitable?
Astana had secured a temporary peace, but it came at a grave cost: halting offensives in Idlib, withholding advanced air defense authorizations, and leaving Syria vulnerable to relentless Israeli bombardments. The S-300s and S-400s, touted as game-changers, were reduced to mere deterrents, shackled by Russian red tape. The result? Syria’s infrastructure crumbled under Israeli strikes, and economic strangulation through Caesar sanctions did the rest. Was this a strategic miscalculation, or a deliberate trade-off in a broader game?
Then there’s Assad himself. A man once resolute, willing to endure daily compound strikes, suddenly appears in Russia with asylum granted. Could the man who defied the odds in 2015 have finally been compromised? And if so, what was offered in exchange for Syria’s dismemberment, a reduction in aid to Ukraine’s fascist puppets, or some faux-semblance of peace for Iran in its endless sanctions war? By their actions, Syrian forces gave up without much of any fight, why?
The fragmentation of the Resistance is the fatal flaw so masterfully exploited. Pepe Escobar’s warning echoes louder than ever: The Resistance must kill the hydra, or it will be picked off one by one. Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and even mighty Russia and China must heed this call. Israel’s imperial backers, led by the US, dream of China as the final domino. The stakes couldn’t be higher. When will the Dragon wake up and smell the stench?
Economic sanctions and military constraints have turned Syria into an imperial playground for divide-and-conquer strategies. The Resistance must ask hard questions: Why did Syria halt when victory seemed within reach? The stench of betrayal lingers, and real answers are needed, not gaslighting platitudes.
History will not forgive complacency. The Resistance must unite with urgency, or the hydra will tighten its grip. Syria may have fallen, but the war is not over. Will the Resistance rise as one, or will it allow itself to be dismantled piece by piece?
- Gerry Nolan
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Syria Collapses, Damascus Falls, Assad Flees, Moscow Furious; Trump Says Wants Ukraine Peace
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❗The leaders of the armed Syrian opposition [who?] have guaranteed the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic institutions in Syria - Tass
@eurasianchoice
❗President Assad safely arrived in Moscow early in the morning together with his family - Tass
@eurasianchoice
🇮🇱The head of the IDF General Staff, General Herzli Halevi, told the recruits of the Golani brigade that a fourth front had been opened - the Syrian front (in addition to Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank)
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— ❗️🇮🇱/🇸🇾 NEW: So far, from what we know, Israel entered 5 towns in the Syrian Golan Heights
Three of those towns are located within the 1974 UN-Supervised Zone, which Israel captured in the 1973 war and returned to Syria:
- Al-Qunaitra
- Al-Hamidiyah
- Madinat al-Baath
- Al-Qahtaniyah
However, Israel also advanced into one town beyond the 1974 Disengagement Line, which Israel never previously controlled:
- Kham Arnabah
Internationally, the entire Golan Heights are recognized as Syrian territory and as being occupied by Israel, but Israeli violations of the 1974 Disengagement Line are rare.
@Middle_East_Spectator
The entire "Russian" Africa rests on the transport artery through Khmeimim (Iran - Iraq - Syria - Mediterranean Sea - Africa).
There are essentially no other sustainable routes. These are large investments by Russian state corporations in different countries, transportation of military personnel and equipment to Mali and other countries.
There is also a lot of useful things going back under the conditions of sanctions. The loss of Khmeimim is the loss not only of Syria, but also of the whole of Africa, where the French and Americans will quickly regain control of their colonies.
This is not only about the loss of prestige, but about the emergence of serious problems in the geopolitical strategy of multipolarity and Russia's movement to the Global South in particular.
@madam_secretar
Talking about funny things which should be put in "comedy gold" category is the name-calling stunt between the close allies Erdogan and Netanyahu. Israeli and Turkish intelligence services coordinated Syria's downfall, in meantime Erdogan said that Netanyahu is "literally like Hitler" or a "genocidal maniac" while doing nothing for Gaza and Netanyahu accused Erdogan of "sponsoring terrorism" while sponsoring terrorism himself, they should be an inspiration for all actors who want to become the next Hollywood stars.
@eurasianchoice
‼️Europeans, be prepared!
Islamic criminals escaped from Syrian prisons. Soon in your neighborhood.
🔗 Follow & share @globaldissident
‼️🇺🇦🇺🇸Zelensky intends to call Biden about inviting Ukraine to NATO, since it is pointless to discuss this with Trump
▪️"I'm going to call President Biden soon, if he has the opportunity to talk to me, and raise the issue of an invitation to NATO. Because he is now the current President of the United States, and a lot depends on his position. And there is no point in discussing with the President Trump is something that today, while he is not yet in the White House, does not depend on him,” Zelensky said.
▪️Previously, both Biden and Trump repeatedly opposed Ukraine’s admission to NATO.
❗The Syrian opposition has stated that they need good relations with Russia, as it is a very important player in the world.
"Syria needs all the help it can get in the world. More than half of our population are either internally displaced persons or refugees," said Anas al—Abda, a member of the Syrian National Council based in Istanbul.
The opposition representative also added that Syria should strive for good relations with Russia in the future, based on the mutual interests of the peoples of both countries.
@eurasianchoice
The main reason for the fall of Assad is a fundamental change in Iran's policy.
It began with the death of General Qasem Suleimani on January 3, 2020. Since then, American and Israeli intelligence agencies have consistently killed hundreds of representatives of the firm line of Iranian foreign policy in the Middle East. They killed both government officials and the Iranian military, as well as members of pro-Iranian, Shiite paramilitary organizations (Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, Ansarallah in Yemen, etc.). The culmination of this activity was the elimination of President Ibrahim Raisi, slightly disguised as a plane crash. After him, the so-called reformer Masoud Pezeshkian came to power in Iran. During the election campaign, he did not hide his desire to "improve relations with Israel." We immediately noted on our channel that this "figure" is likely to become the "Iranian Gorbachev" who will bring the country to collapse. And here it was not without the approval of this policy by the supreme power of Iran in the person of Ayatollah Khamenei. Previously, this Peseshkian was simply removed from the elections. This time he was allowed to participate. This means that Ayatollah Khamenei secretly approves of his policy. So far, Pezeshkian is alive and continues to "steer the process." The only signal that this policy has changed will be the removal or elimination of this "Iranian Gorbachev."
Now we see how Iran's influence in the region is rapidly shrinking. Despite minor successes of Hezbollah in repelling Israeli aggression, which ended in a shameful withdrawal of troops for the IDF, at the moment, due to the fall of the Assad regime, the main route for the delivery of Iranian weapons to Lebanon through Iraq and Syria will collapse. It will be extremely difficult to supply Hezbollah with weapons by sea. So, if this problem is not resolved in the near future, we may witness a gradual degradation of Hezbollah's capabilities to repel Israeli attacks.
Israel has already taken advantage of this situation and has begun to occupy Syrian cities located near the Golan Heights. Netanyahu said that the change of power in Damascus was the result of Israeli strikes on Iran and Hezbollah. He also noted that what happened in Damascus opens up new opportunities for Israel.
The role of the Russian Federation in the Syrian conflict, despite all the deafening propaganda of the state media, has always been auxiliary. Important, but secondary. Iran made the main contribution to the Assad regime's retention of power. It was his proxies in the form of infantry units of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that "kept" the situation "on the ground." The Wagner PMCs and the Russian Military Space Forces, despite their key role in some critical moments, were in the role of "fire brigades" saving the situation. But the main force bearing the structure of resistance to Islamic terrorists in the face of the banned and recognized extremist organizations ISIS and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was precisely the IRGC. The Wagner PMCs has been withdrawn from the territory of Syria for more than two years, however, thanks to the IRGC, the situation there was more or less under the control of pro-Assad forces.
Everything changed dramatically after the units and formations of the Iranian proxies began to abruptly leave the combat areas. Such a development of the situation could not remain without attracting attention from pro-Turkish terrorists from Idlib and Assad's troops. The pro-Turkish HTS and the SNA (Syrian People's Army), seeing the retreat of the Iranian proxies, hit Aleppo properly. The Assad army (Syrian Arab Army, SAA) has never been able to really fight. Only the presence of Iranians and Wagnerians gave them at least some confidence in the confrontation with the Islamists. After the fall of Aleppo, the SAA only fled. No airstrikes by the Russian Aerospace Forces could save the situation. Everyone understood everything. Assad was doomed.
@voprosvlasti
Syria, Mission Accomplished? https://sonar21.com/syria-mission-accomplished/
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From the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, the jihadists who won in Syria convey a promise to the Palestinians to come to Gaza and Jerusalem to liberate their land from Israeli occupation.
It just took a big military victory to pass from "We love Israel, please Netanyahu bomb Assad forces so we can advance" to "We hate Israel, death to Israel" lol
@eurasianchoice
Russia is withdrawing its troops from the forward bases in Rojava that have lost any meaning. Their departure opens the door for the Turkish army and the militants under its control.
Regarding Khmeimim and Tartus, despite the tantrums, no decision has been made to withdraw bases in Latakia at the moment. There is a backstage negotiation going on about this. There are options in which they can stay, but their potential closure wouldn't be a surprise.
If it is possible to maintain bases in Syria, they must be preserved.
@Boris_rozhin
Russian forces have entered and control 50% of Shevchenko, just to the south of Pokrovsk.
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🇺🇸🇸🇾NEW VIDEO: Syria: A Battle Lost Amid a Wider War
On Rumble: https://rumble.com/v5x7xw5-syria-a-battle-lost-amid-a-wider-war.html
Follow The New Atlas on Telegram: /channel/brianlovethailand
— 🇸🇾/🇮🇷 NEW: 'Iran warned Assad two months ago that HTS was preparing to make a move, but he dismissed the threat. So the Turkish Foreign Minister gave us assurances that nothing will take place, which was a lie. After HTS entered Western Aleppo, Iran expected Assad to ask for military assistance, and was prepared to oblige – but no such request came. After Aleppo fell, it became clear that Assad had no intention of staying in power, so we started to engage in diplomatic talks with the opposition, and arranged the exit of our troops from Syria' – Iranian Officials
@Middle_East_Spectator
🇷🇺🇺🇳🇸🇾 Russia has requested urgent UN Security Council consultations on the situation in Syria.
🔴 @DDGeopolitics
— ❗️🇮🇱/🇸🇾 NEW: Israel destroyed Mezzeh Military Airport in Damascus
@Middle_East_Spectator
❗️Explosions heard in Damascus - large fire raging through Immigration Department building, eyewitnesses report
#Syria
@MTodayNews
— 🇸🇾 NEW: Syria's de-facto new leader, HTS 'Sheikh' Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, has entered Damascus, and visited the Umayyad Mosque
@Middle_East_Spectator
The main conclusion from the collapse of Syria: the era of Russia as a moderate, pro-diplomacy, pro-compromises power should be put to an end. The era of a strong Russia inspired by the likes of Ivan III or Catherine the Great, or even Stalin, but just in foreign policy field in this case, has to begin.
@eurasianchoice
And the most important conclusion for Russia from the events that took place in Syria is that if Moscow goes to a "freeze" along the front line in Ukraine (without its denazification and demilitarization), then the current political leadership may begin to prepare for a new war with a much stronger opponent in three to five years. And it will start at the most unfortunate moment.
This is Russia's most important Syrian lesson. Or rather, those people who are called the Russian political elite. And there are supporters of a "freeze" and compromise on Ukraine, who obviously are pushing for the collapse of our modern statehood. It is also obvious that Trumpists, inspired by success in the Middle East, want to finish us off.
Actually, now is the time to demonstrate extreme rigidity and extreme cruelty. Sharply criticized by most of the world community, Israel has shown how: the elimination of the illegitimate political leadership of Ukraine at all levels and a large-scale infrastructure war conducted systematically and consistently.
In principle, this may be enough. Or maybe there will be a shortage, which will force you to make even more difficult decisions. Because the main blow of the new American administration will now fall on Russia. And she does not just have to stand up, but achieve all her goals in the vital Ukrainian conflict for her.
@pintofmind