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Russian police have arrested at least 389 people in anti-war protests in 39 cities on Thursday for violating a rally banned by Russian authorities.

Russia's main opponent, Aleksei Navalny, who has been jailed and charged with new charges, said on Thursday he was opposed to Moscow's war on Ukraine.

Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine - land, air and naval - at the dawn of Thursday, the largest state-run attack on another state in Europe since World War II.

Russian police have arrested at least 389 people in anti-war protests in 39 cities on Thursday for violating a rally banned by Russian authorities.

Dozens of protesters were arrested near Pushkin Square in the Russian capital and about 20 others in Russia's second city, chanting "No to war!"

Several Russian cities have been hit by protests from civilians dissatisfied with leader Putin's latest decisions on the situation in Ukraine. For example, one of the cities where large protests were organized is St. Petersburg, where citizens took to the streets to oppose the war with Ukraine. "No war," chanted the crowd, according to a Twitter post on the Nexta channel.

Extensive protests are also taking place in Novosibirsk, where residents are also marching in protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russian opposition activists called for anti-war protests in several cities across the country on Thursday. She emphasized that the current situation was "the agony of a dying man", but also that "unfortunately, Russia is in agony".

"We will clean up this mess for many years to come. Not even us, but our children and grandchildren, "Marina Litvinovici, an activist from Moscow, wrote on Facebook, writes Agerpres. According to RFI, she was arrested.

Russia's Committee of Inquiry has issued a subsequent warning about the "negative legal consequences of these actions, which include criminal prosecution and even criminal liability", ie for participating in riots and rallies related to the tense security situation in the region.

"It should be remembered that having a criminal record has negative consequences and leaves a mark on the person's future," the Committee of Inquiry added.

In the actions against the war with Ukraine, 167 people are currently detained in 24 cities in Russia, informs Nexta. There are protests in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and other major cities. Beatings were reported. There are hundreds of people, and the weather is not bad; people are leaving work right now. Protests could escalate.

Other sources show higher numbers. Russian police have arrested at least 389 people in anti-war protests in 39 cities on Thursday for violating a Russian-banned assembly ban, OVD-Info reports.

OVD-Info has documented the crackdown on protests in Russia in recent years.

A detained driver in Ekaterinburg was taken out of the car and put face down in the mud because he honked at the protesters.

On Thursday, the country's Committee of Inquiry issued a warning in a statement: "In connection with the spread of calls to participate in riots and rallies related to the tense situation in the field of foreign policy," the statement warned against the "negative legal consequences of these actions. include criminal prosecution and even criminal liability. "

"It should be remembered that having a criminal record has negative consequences and leaves a mark on the person's future," the Committee of Inquiry added.

Russia attacked Ukraine on land and in the air on Thursday. The European Union, the United States and NATO are threatening sanctions, but the Kremlin leader does not seem intimidated. In Moscow, the authorities are threatening all citizens who want to join the anti-war protests.

Moscow threatens Russians who want to join anti-war protests. A leader of the Russian opposition, who called for protests, was arrested when she left the house, according to an American journalist.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the Russian army arrived in the Kiev region, from Belarus, a few hours after Putin started the war. Russian attack helicopters have taken control of Gostomel Air Force Base on the outskirts of Kiev. An imminent attack on Kiev with Grad missiles aimed at military targets is coming, the Ukrainians have announced, reports AFP. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has announced that it does not want to occupy all of Ukraine.

At the same time, NATO is announcing the activation of defense plans, which allows military commanders the authority to deploy forces anywhere in the member countries, when needed, without waiting for the political decision.

Gari Kasparov, multiple world chess champion in the 1980s and 1990s, was involved in Russian political life until 2013, when he decided to leave for the United States.

 

The GrandMaster of Chess, who has been warning since 2015, when he launched the book “Winter is Coming. Why should Vladimir Putin and the enemies of the free world be stopped "that Ukraine is in danger, he presented on Twitter how the Russian president, who approved the siege of the neighboring country, could be stopped, which led to painful images and protests. in the whole world.

 

A world champion has shown how Vladimir Putin can be stopped

"Okay, after years of ignoring my warnings, I just heard 'Gari, you were right!' I will repeat what I said then. Here are my recommendations:

 

• Support Ukraine militarily immediately. Through weapons, information, and technology. Putin's war machine must go bankrupt.
• Freeze the finances of Russia and its allies. Take Russia out of every financial and international institution!
• Withdraw all Russian ambassadors. No more talking. The new unified message is: 'Stop or you will be permanently isolated'.
• Ban all elements of Putin's global propaganda machine. Stop helping the dictator spread lies and hatred.
• Unmask and act against Putin's lackeys! If Schroder (a German politician) and his men continue to work for Putin, make accusations!
• Replace Russian oil and gas. Pressure on OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), to increase production. You can't save the planet if you don't save the people on it.
• Recognize that there will be costs and sacrifices. I waited a long time, the price is high, but it will increase from now on. It's time to dump her and move on. "

 

What would be Vladimir Putin's "Achilles' heel"?

 

The current president of the Foundation for Human Rights also said what is the "Achilles' heel" of Vladimir Putin, namely the accounts of the "free world", "weapon" that can now be used against him.

 

"Putin's Achilles heel is that he and his clique keep their money in the free world, which they say they despise. That's how they came to spread corruption, but they also offered a weapon against them, if we are willing to use it, "wrote Gary Kasparov.

 

Garry Kasparov, born Vajnštejn (Baku, April 13, 1963), is a Russian chess player and activist of Croatian nationality, until 1991 Soviet, in 2014 he obtained Croatian citizenship. A great teacher, he was world champion from 1985 to 2000 (until 1991 for the USSR, then for Russia). After winning the title at the age of 22 years and 210 days, he is the youngest to win the global world title. Due to a long history of victories and confirmations as a world champion, he is considered one of the best chess players in history.

 

 

In April 2021, it launched the Kasparov chess server in collaboration with the French company Vivendi. The site will cover the broadcast of the Grand Chess Tour in 2021. Kasparov founded a company and a site of the same name between 1999 and 2000, raising a significant amount from investors and creditors, but the operation failed. the site closed a few years later. In 2002, Israel's first international bank sued Kasparov in Delaware, claiming unlimited rights to the Russian champion's name and image in exchange for the lost investment, but the lawsuit was rejected by US justice.

 

At the 1988 Thessaloniki Olympics, Kasparov managed to repeat the triumph two years earlier, winning all three golds he could aspire to (team gold, individual in the first table with 8.5 / 10 and Elo performance). In the same year he won the tournaments in Amsterdam with a score of 9/12, Belfort with 11.5 / 15 and the Soviet championship with 11.5 / 17 (equaled with the eternal rival Karpov). During the four years 1985-1988 he won the chess Oscar four times out of four, bringing his total to 6, before the interruption of the trophy that would last until 1994. The following year he won several prestigious tournaments: in Barcelona, ​​Skellefteå, Belgrade and especially for the first time at the Tilburg Chess Tournament. He also played a two-game challenge against the Deep Thought supercomputer, clearly winning both games.

 

 

In 1990, Kasparov won the Linares Tournament for the first time and prepared to defend his world title again. His eternal opponent Karpov once again showed his vigor and strength, facing the tournament of the candidates on an equal footing with the other title contenders (in 1987 he was favored as former world champion, qualifying directly in the final), winning it. The two met for the fifth time in six years; The match took place between New York and Lyon between October 8 and December 30. This time the challenge, although fought, turned out to be less interesting than the previous ones, in fact Kasparov went 4-2 in the twentieth game. Skating on the 21st and 22nd he was sure that he would keep the title (the draw favored him as champion), however Karpov was honored by winning the 23rd game closing the match with a minimum difference of 12.5-11.5.

 

 

European leaders were shocked after the last video conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who addressed them as if he had said goodbye to them, Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said on Friday.

"It was a very emotional discussion. President Zelensky, who was in a bunker, appeared and said, "I don't know if I'll ever see you again, because I'm on Russia's list of targets," Kiril Petkov said in a statement with journalists on the eve of the extraordinary EU summit, which takes place on Friday.

"You are shaking, because this man, who is asking for help and support, may not be alive for the next 48 hours. It shook us all, because it's one thing to see victims as statistics on TV and it's another to look into the eyes of someone for whom survival is a matter of hours, "Petkov said.

He went on to say that no EU member state was really prepared for Russia's massive invasion of Ukraine.

"No European leader expected such a massive attack. Russian tanks were expected to enter the provinces of Donetsk and Lugansk, but no one expected such a massive attack, with so many casualties. One-third of the Ukrainian army has already been destroyed, "he said.

"Young people from both sides die because of a leader who sits at a long table and makes decisions"

"If it had been a partial invasion, we might have imposed easier measures. But in the current situation, there was no voice at the table calling for light measures ", Petkov detailed.

He says Russian troops sent to Ukraine did not know about the operation and thought it was an exercise.

"Young people from both sides are dying because of a leader who sits at a long table and makes decisions. These sanctions will not affect Putin, but we cannot stand idly by, "Petkov said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on the Ukrainian military to turn its weapons against its own government. He reiterated false allegations that the Ukrainian authorities were "drug addicts" and "neo-Nazis".

"I once again addressed the soldiers of the Ukrainian army. Do not allow neo-Nazis to use your children, your wives, your elders as living shields. Take power in your hands. We will get along much better with you than with this bunch of drug addicts and neo-Nazis who took action in Kiev and took the entire Ukrainian people hostage, "Putin said in a speech after the Security Council meeting.

"I want to appreciate the action of the Russian soldiers and officers at the highest level. They act with great courage, professionalism and heroism, fulfilling their military duty, and defending our people and our homeland, "he added.

Putin used the theme of "denazification" of Ukraine to justify invading the country.

The Russian Federation is attacking Ukraine on several fronts. Heavy fighting is raging between the Russians and Ukrainian forces after Putin sent his army to attack from three directions. Several major cities were attacked with missiles, including Kiev, Kharkov, Mariupol and Odessa.

The president of the country, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced a general mobilization. "We are defending our country on our own this morning," Zelensky said in a statement on public television. The West has announced new harsh sanctions on Russia, condemning the attack on Ukraine. In Russia, thousands of people have been arrested after taking to the streets of major cities to protest the invasion of Ukraine.

Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko is ready to defend Kiev along with the military and civilians. Asked by CNN what his intentions are in the event of an attack, the former Ukrainian leader showed reporters his weapon, a Kalashnikov assault rifle.

He said he was ready to defend the city at any cost, even if he did not have the military equipment to fight.

"Putin is crazy to come here and kill us," Poroshenko added.

The former president said that many people come to enlist to defend the capital, even if the weapons they have are few.

"It's exciting and it's clear evidence that the people of Ukraine hate Putin," he said.

Asked how long they would last, Poroshenko replied: "Forever. Putin will never conquer Ukraine, no matter how many soldiers, missiles and nuclear weapons he has. We are a free people with a great European future. "

The Russian Federation attacks Ukraine on several fronts, after the first day of the invasion the balance was a tragic one with dead and wounded. Heavy fighting is raging between the Russians and Ukrainian forces after Putin sent his army to attack from three directions. Several major cities were attacked with missiles, including Kiev, Kharkov, Mariupol and Odessa.

 

Heavy explosions were heard in Kiev on Friday morning, and Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian plane. Ukrainians in the capital and the second largest city, Kharkov, took refuge in the subway. The president of the country, Volodymyr Zelenski, announced a general mobilization. "We are defending our country on our own this morning," Zelenski said in a statement on public television. The West has announced new harsh sanctions on Russia, condemning the attack on Ukraine. In Russia, thousands of people have been arrested after taking to the streets of major cities to protest the invasion of Ukraine.

 

Main information of the day:

 

• The Russians entered several areas on the outskirts of the capital, Kiev.
• Civilians in Kiev receive Molotov cocktails.
• Ukraine accuses Russia of war crimes, and the EU wants to freeze Putin and Lavrov's accounts.
• Heavy fighting continues between Russians and Ukrainian forces in several regions. More than 2,800 Russian soldiers have been killed.
• A rocket hit a Moldovan ship in the Black Sea. Another hit a ship under the Panama flag, which caught fire.
• Putin calls on the Ukrainian military to turn its weapons around and fight for it.
• Bucharest had a format meeting before a NATO meeting.
• The Ukrainian army is being targeted by hackers in Belarus
• Russian artillery fires again on the city of Kharkov. Russian tanks are heading for Mariupol, while a Russian amphibious operation is taking place on the Sea of ​​Azov.
• The Council of Europe has suspended Russia.
• USA: A quarter of Russian troops massed at the border are now in Ukraine.
• Russia is also threatening Finland and Sweden.
• The attack on Odessa began.
• NATO emergency meeting. The Allies decided to send more troops to Eastern Europe.
• Stoltenberg: The Kremlin's goals are not limited to Ukraine.

 

NATO is deploying a rapid reaction force for the first time

 

NATO is deploying elements of its rapid reaction force and will continue to send weapons to Ukraine, including air defense, North Atlantic Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Friday night.

 

Putin and Lavrov have been put on the EU-UK sanctions list

 

UPDATE 25 FEBRUARY 20:20 The EU and Britain will freeze the assets of Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov after the invasion of Ukraine. The announcement of European sanctions was made by the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell.

 

 

Large-scale protests in Tbilisi, Georgia

 

UPDATE FEBRUARY 25 8:15 In Tbilisi, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

 

The protests, however, took on an anti-government tone due to the lack of response from the authorities to the Russian invasion.

 

Protesters' anger escalated after Prime Minister Irakli Gharibasvhili promised that Georgia would not join Western sanctions against Russia, even as he visited a memorial to Georgian soldiers killed by the Soviet army in 1921.

 

 

Odessa, attacked again by the Russians

 

Russian forces have launched a new attack in southeastern Ukraine. The city of Odessa is under rocket attack. The city's anti-aircraft system opened fire. Witnesses say Ukrainians are preparing for a massive attack by Russian planes.

 

 

UN: More than 50,000 refugees left Ukraine in 48 hours

 

More than 50,000 Ukrainian refugees have left the country in less than 48 hours, according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

 

Most went to Poland and the Republic of Moldova, according to CNN. "Many are heading for the border. We truly thank the governments and people of the countries that keep their borders open and receive refugees, "he wrote on Twitter.

 

The UN agency is stepping up its operations in Ukraine and neighboring countries to help refugees.

 

Zelensky and leaders in Kiev, emotional message from the center of the besieged capital: We are here, we are defending Ukraine's independence

 

Volodymyr Zelensky came out of the bunker in which he is taking shelter, along with other administration leaders, to send a message from the streets of Kiev. "The party leader is here, the head of the president's office is here, the prime minister is here. We are all here to defend our independence, we are defending Ukraine ", said the President of Ukraine.

 

Zelensky's message comes in the context of heavy fighting between Russians and Ukrainians on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital. The forces of the Russian Federation have the mission to occupy Kiev in order to forcefully change the country's administration.

 

 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba said on Friday that his country would start collecting data on the actions of the Russian armed forces during the invasion of Ukraine, to send them to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"Today's Russian attacks on a kindergarten and an orphanage are war crimes and violations of the Rome Statute," Kuleba wrote on Twitter, adding that these and other acts would be sent to the ICC.

"They will not escape punishment," he continued, insisting that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is gathering evidence with the Prosecutor General to send it "immediately to The Hague."

Authorities in Kiev have accused Russian troops of attacking Russian installations since the start of Russia's military offensive on Thursday, allegations denied by the Russian Defense Ministry.

Ukrainians are shocked and horrified by what is happening to them. Sirens are heard in Kiev, and people are fleeing the city. Images appeared with huge columns of cars blocking the highway at the exit from Kiev. Meanwhile, others have taken refuge in subway stations or are kneeling on the streets.

On social media, people send messages saying that they are panicking and that they are trying to get to anti-aircraft shelters and basements as soon as possible. Reporters filmed groups of people praying on the street, kneeling.

Russia is also using Belel air base in Belarus to mobilize troops to storm Kiev over damage to Hostomel military airport near the Ukrainian capital, the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff said on Friday, according to Reuters.

"In order to intimidate the population of Ukraine, the enemy is increasingly choosing to destroy civilian infrastructure and housing," the staff said in a Facebook post.

According to the General Staff, Russian troops are advancing towards Kiev in several directions, while Ukrainian forces are fighting around the city of Mariupol in the south and in Kharkov in the northeast of the country.

In parallel, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced that the first units of the Russian army have entered Kiev, according to DPA.

Russian "saboteurs" have entered the Obolon district, in the north of the capital, the ministry announced on its Facebook page.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has asked locals to prepare Molotov cocktails and announce the appearance of Russian army equipment.

At the same time, according to Reuters, gunfire was reported in the government district of Kiev, the RIA reported.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has called on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine and return to dialogue. He says the Kremlin's goals are not limited to Ukraine and that Russia is challenging the European security order.

"We call on Russia to stop this meaningless war, to withdraw all forces from Ukraine and return to the path of dialogue," Stoltenberg said after an online summit of NATO leaders.

"The Kremlin's goals are not limited to Ukraine. Russia has demanded that we renounce NATO enlargement and remove troops and infrastructure from countries that joined the alliance after 1997. Russia is challenging the European security order and using force to achieve its goals, "he said.

Stoltenberg recalled that the United States, the EU and other Western countries had taken harsh sanctions against Russia.

"We have to be ready to do more, even if we have to pay the price," he said.

The NATO chief also sent a message to the Russians.

"The Russian people need to know that the Kremlin war in Ukraine will not make Russia safer, more respected abroad, and will not lead to a better future," Stoltenberg said.

"In response to the build-up of Russian soldiers, we have stepped up our defense. Yesterday, the Allies activated their defense plans. As a result, we send rapid response elements on land, at sea, in the air, to strengthen the flank and respond quickly. The United States, Canada, and the EU have sent thousands of troops to the East Side. We have over 100 aircraft on high alert, 120 ships from the north to the Mediterranean, ”Stoltenberg continued.

"We are now deploying NATO's reaction force for the first time in the context of collective defense," the NATO chief added.

Stoltenberg added that NATO allies will continue to support Ukraine.