BenB

Argentina’s State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE) uncovered a group of suspected Russian spies operating within Argentina aimed at spreading disinformation campaigns promoting Russian interests. The group, linked to the Kremlin and Project Lakhta, was led by Russian citizens Lev Andriashvili and Irina Iakovenko. The operation allegedly included spreading content on social media, influencing local civil groups, conducting focus groups with Argentine citizens, and gathering political intelligence. Project Lakhta is known as a Russian interference operation, overseen by the late oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, associated with ‘troll farms’ running disinformation campaigns such as those targeting the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Category: Intelligence & Espionage

Subcategory: Human Intelligence (HUMINT)

Incident Type: Recruitment of locals

Country: Argentina

Source report: therecord.media/argentina…

Bart De Wever, Prime Minister of Belgium and mayor of Antwerp, has maintained extensive connections with Russian officials and elites since the late 1980s, including multiple high-profile visits such as to Moscow in 2018 where he signed cooperation agreements with Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin and engaged a delegation of 100 business representatives. De Wever’s stance includes blocking the use of €185-210 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets held primarily at Euroclear in Belgium, citing ‘legal uncertainty’, which effectively protects Russian interests amid the conflict in Ukraine, undermining aid efforts. His contacts include Sergey Sobyanin, linked to corruption and Kremlin-loyal power, Georgy Poltavchenko, former KGB and tax police elite, and Alexander Beglov, current governor of St. Petersburg with strong ties to Kremlin networks and alleged organized crime groups. De Wever’s cooperation with these figures, alongside their entanglement with Kremlin military and political objectives, illustrates a politically motivated course favoring Russia. This was symbolized during the 2020 visit where De Wever helped deepen port city ties between Antwerp and St. Petersburg to break political isolation of Russia. Notably, Yevgeny Prigozhin of the Wagner Group has close links to local officials in St. Petersburg, intersecting with De Wever’s engagements. The Belgian PM’s actions, especially blocking Russian asset use for Ukraine, emerge as deliberate political decisions benefiting the Kremlin amidst ongoing hostilities.

Category: Political & Legal Subversion

Subcategory: Political Manipulation

Incident Type: Unknown

Country: Belgium

Source report: threadreaderapp.com/thread/19…

The number includes 990 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

The Kremlin's own classified assessments estimate that 1,315,000 Russian soldiers have been killed and wounded on the battlefield since the start of Russia's full-scale of Ukraine in February 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 10, citing Ukrainian intelligence reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed a successful missile strike by Ukraine’s Defense Forces on Bryansk. The target was a plant that produced control systems for all types of Russian missiles.

Zelensky said he was informed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi. He shared the details while speaking to reporters, according to RBC-Ukraine. 

“The commander-in-chief told me about a successful operation that just took place. A Bryansk plant was hit. This plant produced control systems for all types of missiles of the Russian Federation,” Zelensky said.

He thanked Ukraine’s military for their service and for delivering a precise strike on the target.

Around 17:00, explosions were heard in Bryansk as the city came under a missile attack. The type of missile remains unknown, though various Telegram channels suggested it could have been Neptune or Storm Shadow.

The strike is believed to have targeted the “Kremniy El” plant, which manufactures microelectronics for missile systems, the Pantsir air-defense complex, Iskander missiles, as well as for radars, electronic warfare systems, and Russian drones.

On March 9, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Ukrainian drones attacked the Akron chemical plant in Veliky Novgorod, which, in addition to mineral fertilizers, produces explosive components for Russian missiles and shells.

In Crimea, three Russian Pantsir-S1 air-defense systems protecting key military facilities on the temporarily occupied peninsula were also destroyed.

Overnight on March 8 in Crimea, the “Nadgrobie” radar - used by Russian forces as the “eyes” for the S-300PM and S-400 air-defense systems - was destroyed.

Late on March 10 and after midnight, sirens and explosions sounded across Russia’s Krasnodar region amid a drone attack. Residents reported unidentified drones over Anapa and Sochi.

The drone strikes paralyzed operations at airports in Krasnodar and Sochi, where authorities activated the “Kover” (Carpet) security protocol in response to the threat, Russian Telegram channels reported.

In Anapa, sirens and blasts began around 10 p.m. local time. Witnesses told media they heard a series of explosions from the direction of the Black Sea, strong enough to set off car alarms.

Residents in Anapa counted at least five loud explosions heard in different parts of the city. Witnesses also reported active air defense interceptions.

Russian monitoring channels said the air-raid siren in Anapa sounded for the third time on March 10. Local officials did not comment publicly on the attack or its aftermath.

Shortly afterward, Russian Telegram channels reported explosions in Sochi and in the nearby Sirius settlement. Residents in Sochi likewise said the city was under a drone attack.

Locals counted at least five loud blasts in Sochi’s Adler and Central districts. Sirens warning of danger sounded across the city, and witnesses reported bright flashes over the Black Sea.

Local authorities did not disclose details about damage or casualties in Sochi. Residents were urged to remain in shelters amid the continuing threat.

Explosions were also reported in Russian-occupied Crimea. The “Crimean Wind” Telegram channel reported air defense activity in Feodosia and near the Kerch Strait.

Earlier, on March 10, the Russian city of Bryansk came under missile attack: explosions were reported at the “Kremniy EL” plant, which produces microelectronics for Russian missile systems.

On March 9, Russia’s Defense Ministry also announced a record Ukrainian drone attack, with Russians counting more than 700 UAVs.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed Iran’s Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts, pledging Tehran “steadfast support” and expressing solidarity with “Iranian friends.”

“Russia has been and will remain a reliable partner of the Islamic Republic. Now, as Iran confronts armed aggression, your work in this high office will undoubtedly demand great courage and selflessness. I am confident you will carry on your father’s work with honor and rally the Iranian people in the face of harsh trials,” Putin said in a message published by the Kremlin.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “unhappy” with the Assembly of Experts’ decision. According to Trump, Washington wants to see someone who will bring “peace” at the helm of the Islamic Republic. Israeli authorities have threatened to kill the new Supreme Leader if he continues the policies of the previous ayatollah.

News of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death emerged on the first day of joint Israeli and U.S. strikes: Trump first disclosed it, and the next day, on March 1, it was confirmed by Iranian state media.

Khamenei’s nearly 37-year tenure made him the Middle East’s longest-serving head of state at the time of his death and Iran’s longest-ruling leader since Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Critics view him as a repressive despot responsible for political repression and mass killings.

In late 2025, demonstrations erupted across Iranian cities amid mass anti-government protests and a deepening economic crisis, becoming the largest uprising since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. On Khamenei’s orders, police and troops opened fire on protesters, leading to mass killings that left tens of thousands of demonstrators dead.

The forced deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children by Russia throughout its full-scale war in Ukraine amounts to crimes against humanity, a United Nations (UN) investigation published on March 10 found.

Ukrainian air-defense specialists trained to intercept Shahed drones have been deployed to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Teams of Ukrainian experts are already on the ground across the Middle East, assisting partners and allies in countering Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones, he told reporters on March 10.

Zelensky said three Ukrainian teams are currently active, focusing on intercepting Shahed drones and helping Ukraine’s friends defend against Iranian attacks.

In return for this assistance, Kyiv expects new deliveries of missiles for Patriot air defense systems, along with deeper military cooperation, he said.

The President also confirmed media reports that Ukraine previously offered Washington a drone deal - and indicated the proposal is still on the table.

“A year ago we proposed to the United States a drone deal that included interceptors and more. Broadly, it draws on our collective experience and our production capacity at a scale we’re not using today — we simply don’t have the ability to finance all production. We offered this primarily to the Americans — our partners… The drone deal for the United States is absolutely relevant… Absolutely all American experts understand that only Ukraine’s experience can help shoot down mass Shahed attacks today. And even countries that quietly bought or sourced interceptors have already realized that without our troops, our operators, our software — there are many nuances — those interceptors don’t work,” Zelensky said.

Earlier, Axios roported that President Donald Trump’s team previously rejected Ukraine’s proposed drone deal. The outlet characterized that move as a major strategic miscalculation by the White House, noting that recent military operations against Iran exposed the vulnerability of the U.S. and its partners to drone attacks, including strikes on U.S. bases in the Middle East.

Zelensky said last week that Washington has asked Ukraine for help intercepting drone strikes.

Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SSO) released video footage on March 10 showing strikes on military facilities in Russian-occupied Donetsk oblast.

Russia has denied allegations that it has shared intelligence with Iran on U.S. military assets in the Middle East, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said March 10.

Despite a sharp rise in energy prices amid the war in Iran, the European Union has pushed back against a possible relaxation of sanctions on Russian oil.

“We must continue to exert maximum pressure on Russia,” EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said Tuesday, March 10, in Brussels.

He said lifting part of the oil sanctions would be “counterproductive” and “would strengthen Russia’s military capability.” “It is very important to uphold the price cap on Russian oil in the strictest possible way,” the commissioner added.

Dombrovskis was responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement about plans to suspend some previously imposed restrictive measures on Russia’s oil exports, made after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In October, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil.

Any easing of sanctions on Russia discussed amid rising global oil prices was also rejected by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

“I share the American president’s hope for a quick end to this war,” he said. “And if it ends quickly, we will see a relatively fast return to normal conditions in the oil and energy markets.”

According to Merz, if there is a choice between sanctions and solidarity, Germany’s position is clear: it supports Ukraine and is ready, if necessary, to endure a period of high energy prices.

As Bloomberg reports, the U.S. told its G7 partners that any easing of sanctions on Russia in response to the sharp rise in energy prices would be temporary.

That decision by the U.S. administration is “largely limited both in time and in the scale of the measures,” the agency quoted Commissioner Dombrovskis as saying.

He said Washington does not expect this move to have a significant impact on Russia’s oil revenues.

At the same time, the U.S. “broadly shares” Europe’s aim of maintaining economic pressure on Russia over its ongoing war against Ukraine, he added.

According to Bloomberg, U.S. officials told Europeans that easing sanctions on Russia’s oil sector would primarily affect deliveries to India.

Global oil prices have jumped sharply because of the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran.

Authorities in Tehran, amid the fighting, have blocked the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about 20% of the world’s oil trade.

After that, Trump issued a temporary waiver for India to purchase oil from Russia.

Meanwhile, according to Bloomberg, India’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI), is refusing to process payments for Russian oil over doubts about the durability of Trump’s decision and potential risks.