RT News - January 11th 2023 Late (Soledar updates)

Soledar Updates: RT receives exclusive footage from the Donbass city of Soledar, where the Russian private military group Wagner says it's secured the area. Denis Pushilin (Donetsk Republic head) says that taking control of Soledar is to prepare for the liberation of all Donetsk/DPR

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The head of the Russian General Staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov, has been appointed to lead Moscow’s joint forces group in Ukraine

It's a decade since a much-vaunted French military operation began in Mali, but concerns continue to mount over its failure to address the core political problems that brought chaos to the West African region.

In the United Nations Security Council the US and allies accused Russia of "robbing" Africa, when the exact opposite is true.

Israel seems to be able to cause concern for everyone. Hanock Milwidsky (Israel MP) has made some shocking comments. The new government is less than one month old and tensions appear to be boiling over with open calls for violence. Voices in Israel louden, protesting Benjamin Netanyahu's new cabinet, calling it the most extreme government that's ever existed.

Cough-syrup deaths in Uzbekistan: Marion Biotech has had it's licence removed after failing to respond to notices sent to them. Eighteen children allegedly died after using the cough syrup.

Multi-polar world: The U.S. doesn't like multipolarity and is fighting against it - that's according to George Yeo, Singapore's previous FM. U.S. Senators/law-makers have voted to establish a new committee to counter "the Chinese threat".

Belgium says the US is aggressively luring European companies to take up shop in U.S.A. - especially true now that energy has become so expensive for businesses (QS and was always the plan - to destroy European industry) "Predatory Practices". Report from Rachel Marsden.

India: India is set to be a seven trillion dollars economy within the next seven years (QS if the dollar holds up, that is) The goal to achieve $3 trillion will be achieved by this March.

Stop press: A fire has broken out at a chemical plant in La Salle, Illinois. Explosions have been heard. We hope all are safe.

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Below via RT website 1) --- Moscow explains appointment of new head of Ukraine operation
2) --- Arrested journalist of Russian news outlet shares letter from EU prison
3) --- Poland to send western-made tanks to Ukraine – president
4) --- Ukrainian and Russian officials meet in Ankara
5) --- Britain and Japan to sign defence pact
6) --- Kremlin explains lack of peace talks on Ukraine
6a) ---No one has done enough for Ukraine – FM
7) --- Pacific nation ignoring Ukraine’s calls – ambassador
8) --- Russia’s space agency shares plan for ISS evacuation
9) --- Deadly explosion in Kabul kills 20 – media
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11 Jan, 2023 16:08

1) --- Moscow explains appointment of new head of Ukraine operation

The move is linked to the increased scale and more complex coordination between troops, the defense ministry says

The head of the Russian General Staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov, has been appointed to lead Moscow’s joint forces group in Ukraine, the defense ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The former commander of the military operation, Army General Sergey Surovikin, has been made his deputy.

The need to “raise the operation command level” was linked to an “increased scale of the combat missions,” and the need for closer coordination between various services and branches of the armed forces, the ministry said.

The move will also improve logistics support and command effectiveness for the Russian forces in Ukraine, it added.

It comes just around three months after the defense ministry appointed Surovikin, the Russian Air Force commander, to lead the effort.

Gerasimov is known as one of Russia’s top military commanders and a renowned strategist, who has earned the respect of Kiev’s top commander, Valery Zaluzhny. Back in September, Zaluzhny told Time that he had “learned from Gerasimov.”

“I read everything he ever wrote… He is the smartest of men, and my expectations of him were enormous,” the Ukrainian general admitted at that time.

Gerasimov has visited troops fighting in Ukraine on several occasions to improve coordination between the forces, but did not take over direct operational command until now. In December, Kiev admitted trying to kill Gerasimov during one of his unannounced visits back in April 2022, despite the US objections.

Previously, the New York Times reported that Ukrainian forces had shelled the positions where Gerasimov was thought to have been, but the general was unaffected by the strikes. Moscow never officially confirmed that the general even visited troops at that time.

In the West, Gerasimov is alleged to have been the author of the “Gerasimov doctrine.” This term was coined in 2013 by writer and ‘Russia watcher’, Mark Galeotti, and overhyped by Western media as a unique Russian hybrid warfare system, combining military and non-military methods. Moscow never confirmed the existence of any such doctrine. Gerasimov himself, however, said back in 2019 that it was the West that was using “hybrid warfare” methods against Russia.

Two other generals were also appointed as Gerasimov’s deputies in the ongoing military campaign in Ukraine. One of them is the Russian Ground Forces commander, Army General Oleg Salyukov. An experienced career officer, he served as a battalion commander and head of the Far-East Military District before becoming a deputy head of the General Staff and then Ground Forces commander.

The other is Colonel General Aleksey Kim, a deputy head of the General Staff. He previously headed Russia’s Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces and is known as an experienced military specialist. He is also a professor and holds an academic degree in military sciences.
https://www.rt.com/russia/569712-gerasimov-appoints-ukraine-operation/
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11 Jan, 2023 15:23

2) --- Arrested journalist of Russian news outlet shares letter from EU prison

Sputnik Lithuania Editor-In-Chief Marat Kasem was arrested in Latvia on charges of espionage and violating anti-Russia sanctions

Editor-in-Chief of Sputnik Lithuania Marat Kasem has expressed his gratitude to all those who have offered him support after he was arrested in Riga, Latvia last week on charges of alleged espionage and of violating the EU’s sanctions against Russia.

In a letter sent from a Latvian prison to his close friend Degi Karayev, who shared it on Telegram, Kasem stated that he had lost eight kilos in the week since he was detained, but noted that the food being served in the prison was "adequate" and consisted mainly of fish.

He also confirmed that he was being charged with violating Article 84 of the EU’s economic sanctions by working for Sputnik, but admitted that it would be "foolish to deny that I work for Sputnik, considering the superb rating of our programs."

"The Latvian media must be very happy with my arrest? God will be their judge," Kasem wrote.

Sputnik Lithuania is part of the state-funded media group Rossiya Segodnya, and Kasem, one of its editors-in-chief, was arrested in Latvia on January 5. He is a Latvian citizen but has lived in Moscow for several years, and had traveled to Riga shortly before New Year’s Eve on family business.

Multiple senior Russian officials have since branded the accusations leveled against Kasem as "far-fetched" and "absurd," and have insisted on his immediate release. Russian Human Rights Ombudswoman Tatiana Moskalkova has called his arrest an attack on freedom of speech and has called on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to personally address the issue.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also stressed on Wednesday that Moscow will not allow the issue of Kasem’s arrest to leave the agenda of international organizations and has vowed to constantly raise the issue on human-rights platforms.

Kasem is currently being held in quarantine and is awaiting an appeal. If found guilty under the article of violating EU economic sanctions, he could face up to five years in prison or a fine in the amount of a hundred months' salaries. If found guilty of espionage, he could face an additional 20 years behind bars.
https://www.rt.com/russia/569710-latvia-journalist-prison-letter/
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11 Jan, 2023 14:43

3) --- Poland to send western-made tanks to Ukraine – president

In an unprecedented move, Andrzej Duda has announced the delivery of German-made Leopards

Warsaw intends to hand German-made tanks over to Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Wednesday during a visit to the country.

“A company of Leopard tanks will be transferred as part of coalition building. We want it to be an international company and we decided to put the first package in the form of tanks,” Duda told reporters in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.

He was meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, to sign a joint declaration of the Lublin Triangle, a regional group forged by the trio in 2020 to evoke the 17th-century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Duda’s comments come just days after Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki said Warsaw was “considering” a handover of several Leopard 2 tanks to its neighbor. Morawiecki also said it would have to be a part of an effort by a “broader coalition of states” and that talks with Germany were “ongoing,” according to the outlet Rzeczpospolita.

While Czechia was the first NATO member to send tanks to Ukraine – turning over several T-72s in April 2022 – Poland has given Kiev the most armor. Duda said on Wednesday that 240 Polish T-72s had been delivered as part of “spectacular assistance” to Ukraine. Ukraine has repeatedly demanded western-made tanks, however.

Poland currently operates almost 250 Leopards of various models, mainly hand-me-downs from the Bundeswehr. Under existing agreements, Berlin must approve transfers of any German-made weapons to third parties. Germany had received no transfer request for Leopard 2 models as of January 9, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told reporters in Berlin.

So far, Berlin has agreed to give Kiev 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles and a US-made Patriot air defense battery, already an escalation from its previous deliveries. However, Economy Minister Robert Habeck hinted on Monday at the possibility of Leopards as well, telling the broadcaster ARD1 that this was “not excluded” as “further decisions are being made” in coordination with other countries.

Ukraine has sought a symbolic delivery of Leopards to open the gates for the eventual delivery of US tanks, Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov told the US outlet Politico in October. Last week, Reznikov told Ukrainian TV that his country is “carrying out NATO’s mission” by shedding blood, so it is the West’s responsibility to provide the weapons.

The US and its allies provided almost $100 billion worth of weapons, equipment and ammunition to Ukraine in 2022, according to Russian Defense Ministry estimates. Moscow has repeatedly warned the West that its military aid to Kiev only prolongs the conflict and risks a direct confrontation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the US and NATO are “definitely” taking part in the conflict, “although indirectly, by proxy.”
https://www.rt.com/russia/569709-poland-tanks-leopard-ukraine/
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11 Jan, 2023 15:13

4) --- Ukrainian and Russian officials meet in Ankara

During the talks, the Russian delegation also asked Türkiye to halt weapons supplies to Kiev

Officials from Russia, Ukraine and Türkiye met in Ankara on Wednesday, where they held several rounds of talks. The delegations discussed opening a humanitarian corridor between Moscow and Kiev, swapping prisoners, and establishing a ceasefire amid the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 'Future of Human Rights in the 21st Century' conference, at which Russian human-rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova held a face-to-face discussion with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Lubinets, before being joined by their Turkish counterpart Sheref Malkoch and Speaker of the Turkish Parliament Mustafa Sentop.

The officials also discussed a “wide range of humanitarian problems and issues related to the provision of human rights assistance” to the citizens of the two embattled countries, Lubinets wrote on Facebook following the meeting.

Moskalkova, meanwhile, wrote on her Telegram channel that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to continue providing mutual assistance to citizens of both countries and will continue to cooperate in exchanging prisoners of war. She added that the sides will also work to find missing persons, noting that 22 people have already been found thanks to this cooperation and some have already been returned home.

The Russian ombudswoman also noted that the trilateral discussion touched upon the importance of establishing a ceasefire, which she called a “necessary condition for the prevention of human rights violations.” To that end, Moskalkova personally asked Speaker Sentop to stop Türkiye's ongoing supply of weapons to Ukraine, which, she said, only served to further escalate the situation in the country.

Following the talks, Moskalkova told TASS news agency that she intends to meet with her Ukrainian counterpart again on the sidelines of the conference, which continues on Thursday. She noted that Russia and Ukraine continue to cooperate on human-rights issues, and stressed the importance of upholding such contacts.
https://www.rt.com/russia/569702-russia-ukraine-turkey-ombudsmen/
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11 Jan, 2023 16:01

5) --- Britain and Japan to sign defense pact

UK and Japanese troops will be deployed on each other’s territory, as Tokyo deepens its alignment with NATO powers

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, will sign a major defense agreement on Wednesday, Sunak’s office has announced. With Britain and its NATO allies focused on opposing both Russia and China, Japan is deepening its cooperation with the Western military machine.

The ‘Reciprocal Access Agreement’ will allow both countries to deploy troops on each other’s soil, and to hold “larger and more complex” joint military exercises, according to a statement from Downing Street.

While Japan already hosts around 50,000 US troops, Wednesday’s signing will make the UK the first European nation to have a reciprocal access deal with Japan. Australia has had such an agreement with Japan since 2007, although this pact became non-binding when it was renewed in October.

The signing comes a month after Japan, the UK, and Italy announced that they would team up to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet, merging separate national jet programs.

These developments mark a significant step by Japan away from its post-WWII constitution, which commits the country to a pacifist foreign policy and mandates that its military be a strictly defensive and peacekeeping force.

However, Japan joined the renewed Quadrilateral Security Dialogue – a loose military alliance with the US, India, and Australia explicitly aimed at countering China in the “Indo-Pacific” region – in 2017, and in December announced a doubling of its military budget, citing missile “missile threats” from China and North Korea.

Tokyo also joined the West in sanctioning Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, and plans on stationing supersonic missiles near Russia’s northeastern islands. Moscow considers this plan to pose “a serious challenge” to its security.

Sunak and Kishida are set to discuss both Ukraine and China on Wednesday, with the British prime minister’s office stating that they would talk about “the need to maintain our collective support” for Kiev and strengthen its military.
https://www.rt.com/news/569708-japan-uk-defense-agreement/
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11 Jan, 2023 12:04

6) --- Kremlin explains lack of peace talks on Ukraine

Kiev and Western nations oppose diplomacy with Moscow, a spokesman said

Russia would prefer peace talks with Ukraine over fighting, but sees no potential for them due to the positions taken by Kiev and its Western backers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

The official reminded journalists on Wednesday that Ukrainian law “forbids the president of Ukraine [from having] any dialogue with us.”

“Under the circumstances, in which Westerners are apparently not prone to allowing Kiev show any flexibility on the issue, we cannot say that there is any potential [for negotiations] at the moment,” he added.

In October, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signed into law an order by the Security and Defense Council, which banned any talks with Russia while its President Vladimir Putin remains in office. Senior Ukrainian officials declared that talks with Moscow may only be possible after Kiev seizes control of all the land it considers to be under its sovereignty, including the Crimean Peninsula.

Moscow said it was on the verge of signing a truce with Kiev in early April, after a breakthrough was achieved during Türkiye-mediated talks in Istanbul. The Ukrainian government made a U-turn, however, which Russia believes to have been the result of Western meddling.

The US has declared “strategic defeat” of Russia in Ukraine as its policy goal and pledged to help Kiev “for as long as it takes” to achieve military victory. Moscow says Washington and its allies are waging a proxy war at the expense of the Ukrainian people.

Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk agreements, designed to give the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state. The protocols, brokered by Germany and France, were first signed in 2014. Former Ukrainian president Pyotr Poroshenko has since admitted that Kiev’s main goal was to use the ceasefire to buy time and “create powerful armed forces.”

Moscow demands that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join any Western military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked.
https://www.rt.com/russia/569698-russia-ukraine-peace-talks/
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related 9 Jan, 2023 16:33

6a) ---No one has done enough for Ukraine – FM

Continuing to arm Kiev’s troops against Russia will restore “peace and security” in Europe, the country’s top diplomat has claimed

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba has urged Kiev’s “partners” to continue funneling military aid into the country, claiming that “no one has done enough” to help, yet.

“Ukraine is grateful to partners for their military aid, but we should remain honest with one another: No one has done enough as long as Russian boots remain on Ukrainian ground. Arming our country for victory is the shortest way to restoring peace and security in Europe and beyond,” he tweeted on Monday.

The bold statement did not escape the attention of Russia’s first deputy permanent representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, who delved into Kuleba’s thread to mock his rallying call and suggest that Kiev had different goals in mind.

“Translation from Ukrainian: We have squandered our army again, give us more armies, and we will continue to pretend that we are fighting Russia on our own. And don’t forget to sponsor our oligarchs’ luxurious life in Europe!” he wrote.

Since the beginning of the ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, the collective West has poured extensive military aid into the country to prop up Kiev in its fight and compensate for its heavy battlefield losses. The US has been by far the biggest supporter, having approved more than $100 billion in aid to Ukraine.

Russia has repeatedly urged the West to stop “pumping” Kiev with weapons, maintaining that the continuous aid would only prolong the hostilities and inflict more suffering on ordinary Ukrainians rather than changing the conflict’s ultimate outcome.

Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk agreements, designed to give Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state. The protocols, brokered by Germany and France, were first signed in 2014. Former Ukrainian president Pyotr Poroshenko has since admitted that Kiev’s main goal was to use the ceasefire to buy time and “create powerful armed forces.”

Shortly before the hostilities broke out, the Kremlin recognized the Donbass republics as independent states and demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join any Western military bloc. Last September, Donetsk and Lugansk, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, were incorporated into Russia following referendums.
https://www.rt.com/russia/569611-ukraine-aid-not-enough/
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11 Jan, 2023 15:32

7) --- Pacific nation ignoring Ukraine’s calls – ambassador

Kiev wants the Philippines to participate in Vladimir Zelensky’s Peace Formula, the Ukrainian envoy says

Kiev’s ambassador to Manila Denis Mikhailyuk has complained that, despite trying for months, he hasn’t been able to arrange a phone call between Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and the new President of the Philippines Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.

The embassy requested a high-level conversation in June when Marcos was still president-elect, “but we haven’t gotten a reply from the presidential office yet,” Mikhailyuk told journalists on Wednesday.

Since then, he’s made inquiries with the authorities in Manila at least twice about when Zelensky and Marcos could talk, the envoy said.

The phone call is necessary for Kiev to discuss bilateral ties and the “participation or co-sponsoring” by the Philippines of Zelensky’s Peace Formula, he explained.

The Ukrainian leader revealed his formula during a UN General Assembly session in September, claiming that his plan was designed to punish aggression and restore territorial integrity. According to Zelensky, it could be used to resolve other conflicts, not just the one between Russia and Ukraine. He later floated the idea of a UN-sponsored summit dedicated to that proposal.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on the Peace Formula last month, saying Moscow “will not talk to anyone under such conditions” and that Kiev’s belief that the West will help it achieve its goals in the conflict was an “illusion.”

Mikhailyuk suggested that Marcos, who replaced Rodrigo Duterte as president six months ago, hasn’t talked to Zelensky yet because he has been busy “forming the government and is preoccupied with the domestic agenda.”

The leader of the Philippines last commented on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in late November, calling it “unacceptable.” Marcos pointed out that the fighting between neighbors had affected global food supply, and called for Moscow and Kiev “to move on to diplomacy so that... these aspects of the Ukrainian and Russian economy can be productive again.”

According to the president, “friend to all, enemy to none” is a formula that the Philippines is pursuing in international relations.
https://www.rt.com/russia/569703-philippines-marcos-zelensky-ukraine/
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11 Jan, 2023 13:10

8) --- Russia’s space agency shares plan for ISS evacuation

Two Russian cosmonauts and a US astronaut remain stranded in orbit due to a coolant leak on the Soyuz MS-22 ship

A Russian Soyuz MS-23 craft will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) without a crew so it can be used to evacuate Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev, as well as NASA astronaut Frank Rubio from orbit, Roscosmos chief Yury Borisov said on Wednesday.

Petelin, Prokopyev and Rubio, who have been at the station since September, were unable to return home as scheduled because of a coolant leak discovered weeks ago on the Soyuz MS-22 ship. The rising temperatures aboard the spacecraft, docked to the ISS, were quickly stabilized by the crew but the ship was still deemed unsafe to carry the trio back to Earth.

“The State Commission decided to launch the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft on February 20, 2023 in unmanned mode,” Borisov announced, adding that the ship would still be delivering its intended cargo to orbit.

This means that the launch of Soyuz MS-23, which was scheduled to begin its 188-day mission in March, is being moved to an earlier date.

A plan to send at least one crew member aboard the ship had been discussed but ultimately was abandoned, as it would’ve taken longer to prepare due to the need to provide additional training to the cosmonaut and to make modifications to the ship, the space-agency chief explained.

As for the Soyuz MS-22, the experts have resolved that it’s going to make its way back to Earth in unmanned mode, he revealed.

However, this is not going to happen before the arrival of Soyuz MS-23 to the station, Borisov continued, as the damaged Soyuz MS-22 craft may still be needed to evacuate the crew in case of a “specially critical situation” at the station.

In order for Petelin, Prokopyev and Rubio to fly home aboard the Soyuz MS-22, Borisov said, their mission at the ISS would have to be prolonged.

US space agency NASA "has agreed with the conclusions of the [Russian] commission and confirmed their readiness to provide the necessary assistance,” he added.

The Roscosmos head also pointed out that studies by Russian experts revealed that the leak at the Soyuz MS-22 had nothing to do with faulty parts, but became a result of “a collision with [an] element of space debris of up to one millimeter in size at the speed of 7,000 meters per second.”
https://www.rt.com/news/569693-soyuz-iss-leak-roscosmos/
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11 Jan, 2023 13:29

9) --- Deadly explosion in Kabul kills 20 – media

Multiple casualties have been reported, with the blast allegedly targeting the Taliban’s foreign ministry

A blast in the Afghan capital of Kabul killed at least 20 people on Wednesday, a Taliban official said. The explosion apparently took place outside the Taliban government’s foreign ministry building, with photos from the scene purportedly showing the street littered with debris and corpses.

A Kabul police spokesman confirmed to Ariana News that the explosion happened outside the foreign ministry and “caused casualties.” The Afghan news agency shared a photo of the apparent aftermath of the attack, in which motionless bodies could be seen strewn on the road outside the fortified walls of the ministry.

https://twitter.com/ArianaNews_/status/1613141104307884033

An official at the Taliban information ministry told Reuters that a suicide bomber attempted to enter the foreign ministry compound, but failed, and detonated himself outside. The official said that at least 20 people were killed and several others injured.

Reports on social media suggest that Taliban officials may have been meeting with a Chinese delegation at the time of the blast. While those reports are unconfirmed, Taliban and Chinese diplomats met in Kabul last week to sign an oil extraction deal.

The security situation in Kabul has remained precarious since the Taliban returned to power following the withdrawal of the US military in 2021. A deadly explosion took place outside a military airport in the city at the beginning of the month, while a bombing and shooting attack on a hotel in December killed five Chinese nationals and several Afghan military and police personnel.

ISIS-K, a regional offshoot of the Islamic State terror group, claimed responsibility for both assaults, as well as a suicide attack on the Russian embassy in Kabul in September, in which two embassy staff were killed.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed her condolences over those lost in the “terrorist act” on Wednesday.
https://www.rt.com/news/569701-kabul-suicide-explosion-ministry/
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