British military intelligence sees evidence of targeted violence against civilians

Zelensky calls again for boycott of Russian oil

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky has reiterated his call for an import ban on Russian oil in a new video message. “If tyranny has launched an attack against all that rests on peace in Europe, we must act immediately,” international news agencies quoted the video published late Saturday night as saying.

An oil embargo should be the first step for the entire civilized world, according to Zelensky. Then Russia will feel it and only then will there be an argument for that country to seek peace, to end senseless violence.” Without this step, he said, Russian aggression will not only fall on Ukraine, but “the entire European project” will become a target.

Greenpeace tries to hinder imports

On Saturday night, Zelensky’s call for a boycott was reinforced by Greenpace activists. Some activists have entered the port area of ​​Antwerp and chained themselves to a lock there, to try to prevent a ship carrying Russian oil from entering the port. The ship is the Seychelles Pioneer, ANP reports, and would now transport 33,000 tons of diesel.

“Fossil fuels such as oil and gas cause and exacerbate conflict in several ways and destroy the climate and human life,” explains Greenpeace Belgium in the action in Antwerp. The environmental organization hopes that the war will encourage countries to move away from fossil fuels more quickly. The campaign aims to draw attention to Russian oil imported during the war.

Secretary General: NATO plans for stronger border presence at eastern member states

The Russian invasion and aggression in Ukraine will have “long-term consequences” for NATO’s defense of its borders. In an interview with the British newspaper The Telegraphprinted on the front page of the Sunday edition, states Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that the alliance is working on a “fundamental transformation”. According to him, the military top is working on a plan for a stronger, permanent presence on the eastern border.

Enough troops should be stationed to prevent an incursion into the territory of (one of) the eastern member states. Now NATO has a rotating, small presence in Poland and the Baltic countries. These battalions are seen as a kind of ‘tripwire’: an attack on these limited troops would herald reinforcements by troops from other NATO countries. In the new setup the presence is therefore immediately frightening.

Stoltenberg previously decided to extend his expiring term as boss of NATO by one year, because of the war in Ukraine. He sees the Russian president’s actions as a warning, a sign on the wall for Western military cooperation: “What we are seeing now is a new reality, a new standard for European security.” A decision on the new plans will be made at a NATO summit in Madrid in June.

British intelligence on evidence of deliberate attacks on Ukrainian civilians

With the continued withdrawal from northern areas of Ukraine by Russian troops, attacks on civilian targets are not over. According to the British Ministry of Defense, the Russian military continues to focus heavily on targets, such as major infrastructure, with a known “high risk” on civilian targets.

That is the main message in an update from the Ministry on the situation on the ground during the war. In the most recent bulletin, released late Saturday night, military intelligence summarizes evidence of the high toll. For example, mass graves have been found in the released areas, and stories about the use of human shields have come out. British intelligence calls the “targeted” violence against civilians “disproportionate”.

According to military analysts, it appears that Russian troops are increasingly withdrawing from parts of Ukraine that have been besieged or taken in recent weeks. The battle is expected to flare up in the east of the country.

Also read: Also read: It is certain that the battle for the Donbas will be fierce and bloody