MI6 chief Richard Moore has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that “no amount of disinformation” will be able to disguise the fact his attack on Ukraine was “unprovoked and long-planned”, as British intelligence had exposed his plot well in advance.
The head of the UK’s secret intelligence service said experts had worked with their counterparts in the US to reveal Mr Putin's plans during the build-up to his invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian leader’s determination to assassinate Ukrainian politicians and stage “false-flag” operations to justify an invasion had been laid bare for the world to see, Mr Moore said.
On Thursday, Russia declared war on Ukraine, after its leaders had for months denied that an invasion was being planned.
Ben Wallace, the UK’s Defence Secretary, said on Friday the Russian army had failed to make progress on any of its objectives on day one of the invasion, and is “behind its hopeful timetable”.
He also claimed Russia had suffered heavy casualties in the first day of the military operation, losing 450 personnel.
“Glory to Ukraine!” Mr Moore tweeted. “US and UK intelligence communities uncovered Putin’s plans for Ukraine.
“We exposed his attempts to engineer ‘false flag’, fake attacks to justify his invasion. We revealed his plans to assassinate Ukrainian leaders and senior officials.
“This attack was long planned, unprovoked, cruel aggression. No amount of Russian disinformation will now disguise that fact from the international community.”
Ukraine has said more than 60 Russian-battalion tactical groups were on Ukrainian territory on the first day of the invasion.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence said on Thursday night that there were continuing clashes between Ukrainian forces and Russian soldiers along the Line of Contact in Donbas, in eastern Ukraine.
Officials believe there had been “no breakthrough by Russian forces” trying to make their way deeper into Ukrainian territory. The ministry took to Twitter as well to make its information known.
Ukraine forces were resisting the Russian offence and it was unlikely that Russia had achieved its first-day objectives.
The ministry said a fleet of Russian warships had entered Ukrainian waters in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Russia has suspended civilian shipping in the Sea of Azov, “likely in preparation for a full blockade”.
“We have seen no evidence to corroborate reporting of an amphibious landing in Odessa,” the ministry said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the resistance the Ukrainian troops were showing during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday morning.
Their conversation came after Mr Zelenskyy publicly rebuked Nato and European leaders for being “afraid” to admit Ukraine to the military alliance.
Britain, the US and the EU have imposed heavy sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion. But Kiev wants guarantees that it will be allowed to join Nato.
“Today, I asked the 27 leaders of Europe whether Ukraine will be in Nato. I asked directly. Everyone is afraid, does not answer.”
Mr Zelenskyy said Ukraine "needs the support of partners more than ever", adding: "We demand effective counteraction to the Russian Federation. Sanctions must be further strengthened."
Mr Johnson assured Mr Zelenskyy that "the world is united in its horror at what Putin is doing" and praised the "bravery and heroism of the Ukrainian people", No 10 said.
"The Prime Minister committed to provide further UK support to Ukraine in the coming days as the people of Ukraine and the world continue to demonstrate that Putin cannot act with impunity," a statement added.
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said just before 4am on Friday that "horrific rocket strikes" had hit Kiev in an attack he compared to the city's 1941 shelling by Nazi Germany.
Mr Zelenskyy said "subversive groups" were encroaching on the capital, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Kiev "could well be under siege".
US officials believe the action is an attempt by Mr Putin to dismantle Ukraine's government and replace it with his own puppet regime.
Speaking on Friday morning, Britain’s defence chief suggested the invasion had not gone as planned for the Russians on their first day.
“The Russian army has failed to deliver on day one its main objective,” Mr Wallace told Sky News.
However, Russia has captured key sites, including the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. No staff were wounded in the capture.
“If President Putin commits a war crime, then, just as I do if I were to commit a war crime, I should expect to be held to account,” he said.
Asked if Mr Putin’s actions already constituted a war crime, he said: “I’m not, I’m afraid, an international lawyer. I couldn’t tell you the difference between breaking international law insofar as directing your forces to invade another country, versus a war crime — for example, things like genocide, and indeed, you know, torture, etc.
“I wouldn’t want to speculate [on] the differences. What I would say is he has clearly broken international law, he is occupying or trying to occupy a sovereign country [that] made one mistake in his eyes. Their mistake in his eyes was not to choose the Kremlin as a way for their future. And that’s all they have done.”
Mr Blinken has warned President Putin may not stop at Ukraine and could send troops into Poland.
Mr Blinken’s comments came after a report suggested Russia had massed troops and military equipment on the Belarusian-Polish border
“Is it a possibility that Putin goes beyond Ukraine? Sure, it is a possibility,” Blinken told ABC News host David Muir.
Jack Detsch, a Pentagon and national security correspondent at Foreign Policy magazine, described how Russia had “assembled troops, armour, artillery and more than 50 heavy equipment transporters at a training area in Brest”, in Belarus, near the Polish border.
He said Mr Putin had “also added more equipment at a nearby rail yard in Belarus”.
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Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
Company%20profile
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OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
More coverage from the Future Forum
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
The%20specs%20
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Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Dubai Creek Open in numbers
- The Dubai Creek Open is the 10th tournament on this year's Mena Tour
- It is the first of five events before the season-concluding Mena Tour Championship
- This week's field comprises 120 players, 21 of which are amateurs
- 15 previous Mena Tour winners are competing at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
SPECS
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Racecard
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
