February 2023 – Page 16 – The Tarbabys Blog

Abused Russian Troops Relocated After Leaking Beatings by Own Allies

Daily Beast

Abused Russian Troops Relocated After Leaking Beatings by Own Allies

Shannon Vavra – February 8, 2023

(Sputnik/Sergei Fadeichev/Pool via REUTERS, via third party)

The Russian Ministry of Defense is transferring some mobilized Russian troops out of Donetsk in Ukraine after they reported that the militia of the Donetsk People’s Republic beat them earlier this month, according to Vladislav Khovalyg, the governor of Tuva.

The Russian troops, who were trained in the Novosibirsk region of Russia, began fighting at the front in Ukraine in December, according to Novaya Gazeta. But come February, the militia in the DPR began beating them, troops said in a video message shared with Russian news outlets and posted to Telegram.

“On February 4, the military from the DPR arrived. They fired at us with machine guns,” said the Russian troops, who came from Tuva, a region in southern Siberia. “The military police came and beat us.”

Another video appears to show a Russian soldier getting knocked down and held at gunpoint.

The withdrawal of the Russian soldiers following the beatings peels back the layers on Russia’s attempts to integrate the illegally annexed Donetsk in Ukraine with Russia, and could be a sign that Russia’s efforts to integrate the militia in Donetsk with Russia’s military are not going smoothly.

Moscow illegally annexed Donetsk, along with Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, in October. Russia’s military has also just formally integrated occupied areas of Ukraine into its Southern Military District in an attempt to further meld together the occupied territories with Moscow, according to a British intelligence report released this week.

“The Russian military likely aspires to integrate newly occupied territory into a long-term strategic posture,” the intelligence report stated.

Putin’s Men Fear ‘Minced Meat’ Fate in New Offensive

The integration, though, might not go over well for some time, since the deployment of forces has not been systematic, the intelligence report warned. “It is unlikely to have an immediate impact on the campaign: Russia currently deploys forces from across all of Russia’s military districts, commanded by an ad hoc deployed headquarters,” the intelligence assessment said.

Russia’s illegal annexation of territories in Ukraine last fall has been bungled since the start. The Kremlin admitted in the early days after the annexation that it wasn’t clear on what the borders of the claimed territories were. And within days of laying claim to the land, Ukraine’s military was able to claw back some of the occupied regions, such as Lyman in Donetsk.

Indications that the integration efforts with the claimed territories are faltering coincides with western officials’ warnings that Russia is preparing to unleash a new offensive against Ukraine in the coming months. Moscow is plotting to mobilize between 300,000 to 500,000 troops in addition to those mobilized last year in the so-called “partial mobilization,” according to a Ukrainian intelligence brief.

Even so, the Russian government appears intent on signaling that Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared for a prolonged fight with Ukraine. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held a press conference on the status of the war Tuesday, in what was likely an “attempt to posture the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) as an effective and involved leadership apparatus as the Russian military prepares for a renewed major offensive in Ukraine,” the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in an analysis.

“Shoigu likely held this press conference in order to create the guise of formality and legitimacy for the Russian MoD as it continues efforts to reform the Russian military, prepare for a renewed offensive, and set conditions for prolonged operations in Ukraine,” the ISW said.

Putin likely supplied the missile that downed flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014, investigators say

Insider

Putin likely supplied the missile that downed flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014, investigators say

Sinéad Baker – February 8, 2023

Lawyers attend the judges' inspection of the reconstruction of the MH17 wreckage, as part of the murder trial ahead of the beginning of a critical stage, on May 26, 2021 in Reijen, Netherlands. — Lawyers attend the judges’ inspection of the MH17 wreckage, on May 26, 2021 in Reijen, Netherlands.Photo by Piroschka van de Wouw – Pool/Getty Images

Putin likely gave separatists the missile that hit flight MH17, investigators said on Wednesday.
298 people died when the Malaysian Airlines flight was shot down in 2014.
But prosecutors said they can’t pursue suspects due to the high bar of proof necessary.

Russian President Vladimir Putin likely supplied the missile system that shot down flight MH17 in July 2014, killing 298 people onboard, international investigators said on Wednesday.

The team has been investigating the crash since August 2014, and said in a statement that there are “strong indications” that the Russian president decided on supplying the missile system to separatists in Ukraine.

Investigators have previously said that the Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down by a Buk missile brought from Russia to a field in Ukraine.

They said on Wednesday that the separatists had asked for longer-range anti-aircraft systems and that there is “concrete information” that the separatists’ request was presented to the Russian president, and that this request was granted.

But, they added, it’s not known whether their request explicitly mentioned the missile system that was later used to shoot down MH17.

Nor was it ultimately clear if Putin “deliberately assisted in the downing of MH17.”

Russia has always denied any involvement in the fate of the plane.

Investigators said on Wednesday that the evidence was not strong enough to formally accuse Putin.

“Although we speak of strong indications, the high bar of complete and conclusive evidence is not reached. Furthermore, the President enjoys immunity in his position as Head of State,” they said in the statement.

Prosecutors also said on Monday that they did not have enough evidence to pursue criminal proceedings against anyone else associated with the crash.

A Dutch court sentenced three men — Russian nationals Igor Girkin and Sergey Dubinskiy and Ukrainian national Leonid Kharchenko — to life in prison last November over the downing of the plane. But the men are still at large.

The plane, a Boeing 777, was flying from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was shot down over eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists had taken over parts of the country.

MH17 inquiry: ‘Strong indications’ Putin OK’d missile supply

Associated Press

MH17 inquiry: ‘Strong indications’ Putin OK’d missile supply

Mike Corder – February 8, 2023

Digna van Boetzelaer, the Netherlands, Andy Kraag, the Netherlands, David McLean, Australia, Asha Hoe Soo Lian, Malaysia, Eric van der Sypt, Belgium, and Oleksandr Bannyk, Ukraine, from left to right, are seen during the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) holds a news conference in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, on the results of the ongoing investigation into other parties involved in the downing of flight MH17 on 17 July 2014. The JIT investigated the crew of the Buk-TELAR, a Russian made rocket launcher, and those responsible for supplying this Russian weapon system that downed MH17. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) — Netherlands Ukraine MH17
Digna van Boetzelaer, the Netherlands, Andy Kraag, the Netherlands, David McLean, Australia, Asha Hoe Soo Lian, Malaysia, Eric van der Sypt, Belgium, and Oleksandr Bannyk, Ukraine, from left to right, are seen during the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) holds a news conference in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023.

FILE - People walk amongst the debris at the crash site of a passenger plane near the village of Grabovo, Ukraine, July 17, 2014. An international team is presenting an update Wednesday Feb. 8, 2023 on its investigation into the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine. The announcement comes nearly three months after a Dutch court convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian rebel for their roles in shooting down the Boeing 777 and killing all 298 people on board on July 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky, File) — People walk amongst the debris at the crash site of a passenger plane near the village of Grabovo, Ukraine, July 17, 2014. An international team is presenting an update Wednesday Feb. 8, 2023 on its investigation into the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine. The announcement comes nearly three months after a Dutch court convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian rebel for their roles in shooting down the Boeing 777 and killing all 298 people on board on July 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky, File)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An international team of investigators said Wednesday it found “strong indications” that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the supply of heavy anti-aircraft weapons to Ukrainian separatists who shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014 with a Russian missile.

However, members of the Joint Investigation Team said they had insufficient evidence to prosecute Putin or any other suspects and they suspended their 8½-year inquiry into the shooting down that killed all 298 people on board the Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Russia has always denied any involvement in the downing of the flight over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, and refused to cooperate with the international investigation.

Dutch prosecutors said that “there are strong indications that the Russian president decided on supplying” a Buk missile system — the weapon that downed MH17 — to Ukrainian separatists.

“Although we speak of strong indications, the high bar of complete and conclusive evidence is not reached,” Dutch prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer said, adding that without Russian cooperation, “the investigation has now reached its limit. All leads have been exhausted.”

She also said that, as head of state, Putin would have immunity from prosecution in the Netherlands. The team played a recording of an intercepted phone call in which they said Putin could be heard discussing the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

“Are we disappointed? No, because we think we came further than we had ever thought in 2014. Would we have liked to come further? Of course, yes,” said Andy Kraag of the Dutch police.

The team informed relatives of those killed in the downing of MH17 of their findings before making them public.

“There was disappointment because … they wanted to know why MH17 was shot down,” Kraag said. “We’re really clear on what has happened, but the answer to the question why MH17 was shot down still remains in Russia.”

Van Boetzelaer said that while the investigation is being suspended, phone lines will remain open for possible witnesses who may still want to provide evidence. If that happens, the inquiry could be reactivated.

Russian officials say that a decision to provide rebels with military support over the summer of 2014 was in Putin’s hands.

A decision to supply arms was even postponed for a week “because there is only one who makes a decision (…), the person who is currently at a summit in France,” the investigative team said, citing a phone conversation that was referring to Putin.

Prosecutors said that at the time Putin was at a commemoration of D-Day in France.

The announcement by the investigative team comes nearly three months after a Dutch court convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian rebel for their roles in shooting down the plane. One Russian was acquitted by the court.

None of the suspects appeared for the trial and it was unclear if the three who were found guilty of multiple murders will ever serve their sentences.

The convictions and the court’s finding that the surface-to-air Buk missile came from a Russian military base were seen as a clear indication that Moscow had a role in the tragedy. Russia has always denied involvement. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the court in November of bowing to pressure from Dutch politicians, prosecutors and the news media.

But the November convictions held that Moscow was in overall control in 2014 over the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, the separatist area of eastern Ukraine where the missile was launched. The Buk missile system came from the Russian military’s 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, based in the city of Kursk.

The Joint Investigation Team is made up of experts from the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, Belgium and Ukraine. Most of the victims were Dutch. It had continued to investigate the crew of the missile system that brought down the plane and those who ordered its deployment in Ukraine.

As well as the criminal trial that was held in the Netherlands, the Dutch and Ukrainian governments are suing Russia at the European Court of Human Rights over its alleged role in the downing of MH17.

The findings revealed Wednesday will likely strengthen the case at the human rights court and could also be used by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court who are investigating possible war crimes in Ukraine dating back to the start of the separatist conflict.

What a brain expert does daily to ward off dementia

The Telegraph

What a brain expert does daily to ward off dementia

Hattie Garlick – February 7, 2023

Sahakian says she has reduced her coffee since a study published in the journal Cerebral Cortex last year showed it was associated with reduced grey matter in the cerebral cortex - David Rose — Sahakian says she has reduced her coffee since a study published in the journal Cerebral Cortex last year showed it was associated with reduced grey matter in the cerebral cortex – David Rose

Barbara Sahakian, an expert in grey matter from the University of Cambridge, describes the lifestyle habits she employs to keep brain deterioration at bay.

Breakfast

I like getting up early when it is quiet and listening to the birdsong while I drink my coffee.

I used to drink more coffee, but have cut down my intake since our study, published in the journal Cerebral Cortex last year, showed that coffee was associated with reduced grey matter in the cerebral cortex.

Our findings also highlighted the importance of a “cereal” breakfast for reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. So I have muesli cereal, with no added sugar, for breakfast every day.

Learning

Sarakian regularly visits museums and is looking forward to an exhibition at the V&A this spring - Sam Mellish — Sarakian regularly visits museums and is looking forward to an exhibition at the V&A this spring – Sam Mellish

Recently, I co-wrote an article for The Lancet called “Use It or Lose It”. In essence, in order to keep your brain functioning at its best, you need to drive its neural networks through cognitive activities, including learning new things. We hear a lot about how learning a language or musical instrument can build cognitive reserve but actually learning anything new will have benefits. Different areas of the brain will be activated during different kinds of learning, be it music, a foreign language or motor skills such as cycling.

Fortunately, I keep my mind active through my research work and teaching.

I learn a lot when I travel, too. I like to read about the cities I’m staying in, as well as their history and culture. I’ll visit art, history, textile and fashion museums. When I was in Chengdu, I was taken to see the bronze masks discussed so brilliantly on TV by Simon Schama, and I’m looking forward to seeing the exhibition “Hallyu! The Korean Wave” at the Victoria and Albert Museum this April.

Lunch

I’ll often have tuna fish sandwiches or zero per cent fat yoghurt and fruit. Oily fish provides omega-3 fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. I always have several different kinds of fruit in the house, my favourite being blueberry. Oxidative stress has been identified as a major factor in diseases including Alzheimer’s, and these berries are high in antioxidants that prevent oxidative damage to cells.

Meanwhile, Vitamin C, which is found in most citrus fruits, is thought to have a therapeutic role in a number of diseases, including ischemic stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease.

Exercise

Sahakian swears by the power of a brisk daily walk - Kevin Dodge — Sahakian swears by the power of a brisk daily walk – Kevin Dodge

I get out every day for a brisk, one hour walk. Exercising is vital for your physical health, brain health, cognition and mood. It actually increases neurogenesis in the brain (the creation of new brain cells), including in the hippocampus, which is an important area involved in learning and memory.

When I walk, I usually practise mindfulness and stay in the moment, listening to birds and appreciating the natural world around me. If I have a difficult problem to solve, I often find my mind is clearer and my decision-making improved after a fast, long walk. The key is to do exercise that you enjoy, so you will be sure to stick with it.

Supper

For dinner I often have chicken and dark green vegetables, which are important for brain health, due to the protective effects of vitamin K and other nutrients. I like Indian-style vegetables and South Korean kimchi rice.

Socializing

Our study, published in Neurology last year, showed that socially isolated individuals had a higher risk of developing dementia. Keeping socially connected is good for your brain, cognition, wellbeing and mental health, so it’s really important to keep in touch with family and friends. I meet mine at restaurants, theatres and museums or, on sunny days, just to go on long walks together.

Sleep

Our study, published in Nature Aging in 2022, showed that seven hours of sleep is ideal in middle and old age, for cognition and mental health. The brain recharges itself and stores memories during sleep, as well as removing toxic waste by-products and boosting the immune system. Sleeping four hours or less increases your risk of death, but sleeping more than seven probably means that you have had poor quality or disrupted sleep. So I try to get those seven hours each night.

It is important to be relaxed and not stressed when you get into bed, so I try to not work or watch thrillers immediately before sleep. I like reading, but if my work has already required me to read for much of the day, then I’ll usually relax and watch something light on TV – a comedy or romantic comedy.

To some extent, how much screen time is beneficial or detrimental to your brain will depend on what you are watching. For example, some nature or history programmes can be very educational, but there’s no harm in switching off occasionally.

At bedtime I make sure my bedroom is dark and quiet, and the room temperature is right for me and my bed comfortable. It also helps, sometimes, to think of a relaxing event when falling asleep. I might drift off thinking of how I felt when lying on a beautiful beach in the sun, watching the ocean and listening to the sound of the waves.

‘Superbugs’ caused by climate change are becoming a greater threat to humanity, report finds

The Week

‘Superbugs’ caused by climate change are becoming a greater threat to humanity, report finds

Devika Rao, Staff writer – February 8, 2023

Bacteria on agar petri dish held by gloved hands. Rodolfo Parulan Jr./Getty Images

A new report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has identified antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the rise of “superbugs” as major threats to humanity.

“The development and spread of AMR means that antimicrobials used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants might turn ineffective, with modern medicine no longer able to treat even mild infections,” the UNEP explained in a news release.

“[H]igher temperatures and extreme weather patterns, land-use changes that alter its microbial diversity, as well as biological and chemical pollution” — all of which comprise the “triple planetary crisis” — contribute to the “development and spread” of AMR, which is predicted to cause “10 million additional direct deaths by 2050,” the UNEP said in the report.

Climate change, specifically warming temperatures, has been proven to make AMR worse because it causes microbes to grow and spread faster, thereby hastening the spread of resistant genes. The genes themselves are becoming more prevalent because of the widespread use of antimicrobial products like disinfectants and antibiotics, which are finding their way into waterways and soil and interacting with microbes. The germs that survive those interactions then end up multiplying and creating stronger strains.

“Climate change, pollution, changes in our weather patterns, more rainfall, more closely packed, dense cities and urban areas – all of this facilitates the spread of antibiotic resistance,” Dr. Scott Roberts, an infectious diseases specialist at Yale School of Medicine, told CNN.

AMR is also expected to disrupt the global economy, causing annual GDP to drop by at least $3.4 trillion by the end of the decade, per the UN. “The impacts of anti-microbial resistance could destroy our health and food systems,” warned UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who is also chair of the One Health Global Leaders Group on AMR added: “We must remain focused on turning the tide in this crisis by raising awareness and by placing this matter of global importance on the agenda of the world’s nations.”

Climate change contributing to spread of antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’: UN report

The Hill

Climate change contributing to spread of antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’: UN report

Zack Budryk – February 7, 2023

Climate change is heightening the risk posed by antibiotic-resistant viruses, according to research published Tuesday by the United Nations Environment Program.

The report found so-called superbugs have been exacerbated by climate change due to increased bacterial growth caused by warmer temperatures and pollutants that have increased the spread of antibiotic-resistance genes.

The analysis notes that overuse of antimicrobials and pollutants can spread resistance, while contact with resistant microorganisms can create resistance in bacteria already present in air, water and soil. Pollution associated with wastewater, particularly from hospitals, is a major factor, as well as runoff from pharmaceutical production and agriculture, according to the report.

The risk is particularly great for historically polluted waterways, which are more likely to provide shelter for microorganisms that foster antibiotic resistance. A combination of increased pollution and decreased resources for pollutant management has made the problem worse in combination with resistance in health care and agriculture settings.

Meanwhile, 2021 research published in the journal Sci Total Environ suggests urban flooding is also increasing the threat from antibiotic resistance due to disruptions of soil, with the risk possibly lingering for up to five months after major floods or hurricanes.

“While the relationship between environmental pollution and AMR [antimicrobial resistance] and the reservoir of resistance genes in the environment has been established, the significance and its contribution to AMR globally is still unclear,” researchers wrote. “Even so, there is enough knowledge to implement measures to reduce the factors that influence AMR from an environmental perspective; this will also address the triple planetary crisis by addressing sources, sinks and waste.”

The report calls for stronger regulatory frameworks to address the spread of AMR, as well as increased incorporation of environmental factors into National Action Plans for antimicrobial resistance and international standards for signs of antimicrobial resistance.

Policymakers should also develop stronger water sanitation standards, U.N. Environment Program researchers wrote.

Biden, Republicans engage in fiery debt ceiling back-and-forth during State of the Union address

Yahoo! News

Biden, Republicans engage in fiery debt ceiling back-and-forth during State of the Union address

David Knowles, Senior Editor – February 7, 2023

President Biden and Republican lawmakers engaged in an animated back-and-forth during Tuesday’s State of the Union address over whether to raise the debt ceiling.

“Some of my Republican friends want to take the economy hostage, I get it,” Biden said over threats made by Republican lawmakers to insist on spending cuts before they would agree to raise debt ceiling, “unless I agree to their economic plan. All of you at home should know what those plans are.”

As Biden continued his speech, a handful of Republicans began voicing their displeasure, calling out and interrupting the president.

Joe Biden with Kamala Harris and Kevin McCarthy — President Biden delivers the State of the Union address as Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy look on. (Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via AP)

“Instead of making the wealthy pay their fare share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security sunset,” Biden said as many Republican booed him.

“Anybody who doubts it,” Biden said as a chorus of Republican boos ensued, “contact my office, I’ll give you a copy of the proposal.”

As Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, continued to boo and taunt the president, he quipped, “That’s OK, I enjoy conversation.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene heckling President Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“If Congress doesn’t keep the programs the way they are, they can go away, Republicans say. I’m not saying it’s a majority of you. I don’t even think it’s a significant majority—” Biden said before being cut off by more jeering. “It’s being proposed by individuals. I’m politely not naming them, but it’s being proposed by some of you.”

At one point, Greene could be heard calling Biden a liar.

“The idea is, we’re not going to be moved into being threatened to default on the debt if we don’t respond,” Biden said, drawing applause from his Democratic colleagues.

After Republican curtailed their vocal objections, Biden concluded by saying, “So folks, as we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare is off the books now, right? They’re not to be touched. All right.”

That again gave Democrats something to cheer.

While it’s unusual for lawmakers to shout during presidential addresses to Congress, it’s not entirely unprecedented. In 2009, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., yelled out “You lie!” during a health care speech by President Barack Obama.

Wilson’s outburst was roundly criticized by Republican leaders at the time and he quickly issued an apology.

Scientists Discover Molten Layer of Rock Beneath Earth’s Crust

Gizmodo

Scientists Discover Molten Layer of Rock Beneath Earth’s Crust

Kevin Hurler – February 8, 2023

The layer of molten rock corresponds with the upper mantle, also known as the asthenosphere.

Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are a result of the movement of large swaths of Earth’s crust, but while the theory of plate tectonics has been widely accepted as a fundamental law of geology, there are still things to be discovered. New research from the University of Texas Austin points to the presence of a partly molten layer of rock underneath Earth’s surface that could provide some explanation for how the plates move like they do.

The layer is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) below Earth’s surface, and while scientists have found patches of melt at this depth previously, new research published in Nature Geosciences indicates that molten rock could be more widespread. Through analysis of seismic data, a team led by Junlin Hua identified that the molten layer—which belongs to the upper part of the mantle, called the asthenosphere—probably has little to no bearing on how Earth’s tectonic plates move over the mantle.

“When we think about something melting, we intuitively think that the melt must play a big role in the material’s viscosity,” said lead author Hua, a postdoctoral fellow at University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences, in a press release. “But what we found is that even where the melt fraction is quite high, its effect on mantle flow is very minor.”

The mechanism that helps fuel the motion of Earth’s tectonic plates is one of the great mysteries of geology. Hua and his colleagues’ research suggests that convection currents in the mantle could be the cause. While the interior of Earth is mainly solid, the mantle can be thought of as an incredibly viscous liquid, that shifts and flows over long periods of time.

“We can’t rule out that locally melt doesn’t matter,” said Thorsten Becker, a co-author on the paper and a professor of geology at University of Texas Austin, in the release. “But I think it drives us to see these observations of melt as a marker of what’s going on in the Earth, and not necessarily an active contribution to anything.”

For a planet that is 4.5 billion years old, Earth is still full of surprises.

Russian state energy giant Gazprom is starting its own private security force, a move Ukraine fears will lead to a new Wagner-like mercenary army

Business Insider

Russian state energy giant Gazprom is starting its own private security force, a move Ukraine fears will lead to a new Wagner-like mercenary army

Mia Jankowicz – February 8, 2023

Vladimir Putin Gazprom — President Vladimir Putin, right, with Alexei Miller, CEO of state-controlled energy company Gazprom.AFP/Getty Images

Russia’s government is allowing energy giant Gazprom to start a private security outfit.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence drew comparisons with the notorious private army the Wagner Group.
Experts said it’s plausible that another Russian mercenary army is in the works.

Russian majority state-owned energy company Gazprom has been authorized to create its own private security outfit, in a move that Ukrainian intelligence says is part of a war-fueled “arms race” to develop a mercenary army.

Russia’s government gave its go-ahead for the energy giant to create a private security organization on February 4, under the pretext of securing the country’s energy sector.

The decree gives Gazprom 70% control of the resulting company, per Ukrainska Pravda’s translation.

Commenting on Tuesday, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence intelligence department said that the move signals intent to mimic the Wagner Group, the notoriously cruel mercenary army run by ally of President Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The Wagner Group has been a major player as a Russian proxy in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Gazprom did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.

Private military companies (PMCs) are technically outlawed in Russia, with the Russian government’s decree authorizing a conventional security company — the kind that any major company would conceivably use to protect its sites.

Nonetheless, experts told Insider that it’s possible another Wagner-like mercenary army is in the works, as a means to leverage Gazprom’s vast riches in the direction of international conflicts.

“The timing is obviously curious,” Dale Buckner, CEO of security firm Global Guardian, told Insider. “Following the Wagner template, everyone’s drawing conclusions that there might be a tie there — which is probably a very good assumption at this point.”

Stepan Stepanenko, research fellow at the UK security think tank The Henry Jackson Society, told Insider it was “entirely plausible” that the Gazprom outfit could operate as a PMC.

If the new entity does operate as a PMC, we can be “certain” that “Putin is behind it, or at the very least approved it, and it will have support from the army,” Stepanenko added.

Wagner — which has been designated a “transnational criminal organization” by the US — apparently operates with no legal backing other than Putin’s personal say-so.

The murky legal situation makes Russian PMCs particularly difficult to track.

Gazprom’s CEO, Alexei Miller, is considered among Russia’s super-elite class of silovarchs — olicharchs with exceptional connections to Putin, as Insider’s Sam Tabahriti previously reported.

But Stepanenko said that even if the Gazprom entity does begin to operate as a PMC, the decree “is not a clear-cut move to Gazprom’s direct involvement in Ukraine.”

To fight in Ukraine, Gazprom’s would-be combatants would have to compete with the conventional army and Wagner, while production and logistics are already stretched, he said.

“While the financial muscle of Gazprom is sufficiently large, it is not a bottomless pit of cash,” he added.

Training an elite mercenary also takes years, the use of state-supported facilities, and a lot more men, Buckner said, pointing out that Prigozhin had already resorted to recruiting troops from Russian penal colonies.

“Why would it be any easier for Gazprom to recruit?” Buckner asked.

Noting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s recent visits to multiple African countries, Stepanenko suggested that the Gazprom move could be connected to sending Russians to countries like those.

“Should Ukraine be worried? No,” he added. “Ukrainians are handling Wagner, they are handling the Russian army.”

Quantum breakthrough could revolutionize computing

BBC News

Quantum breakthrough could revolutionize computing

Pallab Ghosh – Science correspondent – February 8, 2023

Twenty years ago Winfried Hensinger was told by other scientists that developing a powerful quantum computer was impossible. Now he has made the system behind him that he believes will prove them wrong

Scientists have come a step closer to making multi-tasking ‘quantum’ computers, far more powerful than even today’s most advanced supercomputers.

Quantum computers make use of the weird qualities of sub-atomic particles.

So-called quantum particles can be in two places at the same time and also strangely connected even though they are millions of miles apart.

A Sussex University team transferred quantum information between computer chips at record speeds and accuracy.

Computer scientists have been trying to make an effective quantum computer for more than 20 years. Firms such as Google, IBM and Microsoft have developed simple machines. But, according to Prof Winfried Hensinger, who led the research at Sussex University, the new development paves the way for systems that can solve complex real world problems that the best computers we have today are incapable of.

“Right now we have quantum computers with very simple microchips,” he said. “What we have achieved here is the ability to realise extremely powerful quantum computers capable of solving some of the most important problems for industries and society.”

Rolls Royce — Rolls-Royce is investing in quantum computing research to see if it can speed up the design process for their aircraft engines

Currently, computers solve problems in a simple linear way, one calculation at a time.

In the quantum realm, particles can be in two places at the same time and researchers want to harness this property to develop computers that can do multiple calculations all at the same time.

Quantum particles can also be millions of miles apart and be strangely connected, mirroring each other’s actions instantaneously. Again, that could also be used to develop much more powerful computers.

Cleanroom — The quantum computer chips have to be set up in a clean room an put into a vacuum container as even the slightest contamination can reduce its performance

One stumbling block has been the need to transfer quantum information between chips quickly and reliably: the information degrades, and errors are introduced.

But Prof Hensinger’s team has made a breakthrough, published in the journal Nature Communications, which may have overcome that obstacle.

The team developed a system able to transport information from one chip to another with a reliability of 99.999993% at record speeds. That, say the researchers, shows that in principle chips could be slotted together to make a more powerful quantum computer.

Sarha — The research team can see individual atoms floating above their chips as the test out their quantum computer

Prof Michael Cuthbert, who is the director of the newly established National Quantum Computing Centre in Didcot, Oxfordshire and is independent of the Sussex research group described the development as a “really important enabling step”. But he said that more work was needed to develop practical systems.

“To build the type of quantum computer you need in the future, you start off by connecting chips that are the size of your thumbnail until you get something the size of a dinner plate. The Sussex group has shown you can have the stability and speed for that step.

“But then you need a mechanism to connect these dinner plates together to scale up a machine, potentially as large as a football pitch, in order to carry out realistic and useful computations, and the technology for communications for that scale is not yet available.”

Entanglement — Quantum computers harness two weird properties of particles at the very small scale – they can be in two places at the same time and be strangely connected even though they are millions of miles apart.

PhD student Sahra Kulmiya, who carried out the Sussex experiment, says that the team are ready for the challenge to take the technology to the next level.

“It is not just solely a physics problem anymore,” she told BBC News.

“It is an engineering problem, a computer science problem and also a mathematical problem.

“It is really difficult to say how close we are to the realisation of quantum computing, but I’m optimistic in how it can become relevant to us in our everyday lives.”

One of the UK’s leading engineering firms, Rolls Royce, is also optimistic about the technology. It is working with the Sussex researchers to develop machines that could help them design even better jet engines.

Powerful supercomputers are used to model the flow of air in simulations to test out new designs of aircraft engines.

Transforming engineering

A quantum computer could in principle track the airflow with even greater accuracy, and do so really quickly, according to Prof Leigh Lapworth, who is leading the development of quantum computing for Rolls-Royce.

“Quantum computers would be able to do calculations that we can’t currently do and others that would take many months or years. The potential of doing those in days would just transform our design systems and lead to even better engines.”

The technology could potentially also be used to design drugs more quickly by accurately simulating their chemical reactions, a calculation too difficult for current supercomputers. They could also provide even more accurate systems to forecast weather and project the impact of climate change.

Prof Hensinger said he first had the idea of developing a quantum computer more than 20 years ago.

“People rolled their eyes and said: ‘it’s impossible’.”

“And when people tell me something can’t be done, I just love to try. So I have spent the past 20 years removing the barriers one by one to a point where one can now really build a practical quantum computer.”