Ukrainian intelligence learned that Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion from the financier Denis Kireev. He participated in Russian-Ukrainian negotiations at the end of February, and at the beginning of March he died in Kyiv under mysterious circumstances. The Wall Street Journal was able to restore Kireev's role by talking to government officials, intelligence officials in Ukraine and the United States, and Kireev's relatives. Details.

The leading analyst of the FSIN in Moscow Anna Karenikova left Russia due to pressure from the Office of her own security (USB) of the Federal Penitentiary Service. As Karetnikova told the Agency, the security service threatened her with problems, including the prosecutor's office. Details. Karetnikova left Russia at the end of last week in a hurry.

The main versions of the causes of the helicopter crash in Brovary, Kiev region, the Security Service of Ukraine called the technical malfunction of the vessel, violation of flight rules and sabotage. However, OSINT analyst Oliver Alexander admits that an accident could have been the cause of the incident. Details.

Contrary to publications in some pro-Kremlin telegram channels and the expectations of military experts, Vladimir Putin did not use the anniversary of the lifting of the blockade of Leningrad to rename the “special operation” into a war or announce a new wave of mobilization. The most striking events of this trip of the president to St.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in an interview with Bloomberg called Crimea and Donbass Ukrainian regions. Quote. “For us, Crimea is Ukraine, Donbass is Ukraine. It will remain so, ”Vucic said in an interview. According to him, Serbia said from the very beginning that it could not and would not support a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Prior to this, the Serbian president spoke more cautiously about the status of the peninsula.

Among the dead were Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky, his first deputy Yevgeny Yenin and State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Yuriy Lubkovich, head of the National Police of Ukraine Igor Klymenko said on Facebook. According to the latest data, 15 people died, including three children, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky . 25 people were injured, including 10 children, he said. The helicopter crashed near the kindergarten.

The Federal Criminal Court in Switzerland has dismissed an appeal against the decision of the Swiss Attorney General's Office and will return the funds frozen during the investigation of the Hermitage Capital fund, The Daily Beast (DB) writes, citing the court decision. We are talking about unfreezing assets worth millions of dollars. Details.

Vladimir Putin in the coming days, possibly as early as Wednesday, may announce a new wave of mobilization, experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) say. Details. The announcement may be made during the president's visit to St. Petersburg: on January 18, he intends to take part in events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the breaking of the siege of Leningrad. Putin likes to use symbolic dates when addressing Russians, ISW explains.