Latest news with #MilitaryAssets
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russian woman arrested for leaking military secrets to Ukraine
A Russian woman suspected of treason has been detained in Novorossiysk, a major port city on the Black Sea in southern Russia, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Thursday. The agency said she gathered and sent information on Russian military assets to Ukrainian intelligence. The FSB stated that the suspect worked on a civilian vessel in the ports of Novorossiysk and Sochi. During this time, she allegedly initiated contact with a pro-Ukrainian terrorist group, which the FSB said is controlled by Ukrainian intelligence services. The woman is accused of collecting details regarding the locations of Russian Navy vessels and air defense sites and sharing them with her Ukrainian handlers. 'No damage was allowed to be inflicted on military equipment or personnel of the Russian Armed Forces due to timely measures taken,' the statement reads. The FSB's branch in Krasnodar Region has opened a criminal case under the article for high treason. The woman has been placed in pretrial detention. The offense carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The agency has also shared a video of the woman's arrest. In the clip, when confronted about passing information about military facilities to a foreign government, she said she 'didn't see anything terrible in it.' The video also included a recorded confession in which the woman said she was contacted by a representative of Ukrainian intelligence. 'He offered me monetary compensation for cooperation. I agreed. Later, he gave me tasks to collect information about the locations of military facilities in Novorossiysk, Sochi, and Sevastopol,' she said. The suspect stated that she sent the information to a person named 'Maxim' via Telegram and acknowledged her guilt. In a separate message, the FSB warned that Ukrainian intelligence services are increasingly using Telegram and WhatsApp to recruit Russian citizens for reconnaissance and sabotage activities. Earlier on Thursday, the Russian security services reported the arrest of another woman in St. Petersburg who has also been charged with collecting data on Russian military personnel on behalf of Ukrainian intelligence and aiding in the organization of an act of terrorism. The woman allegedly helped establish the residences of Russian servicemen, as well as their vehicles and those of family members 'for the purpose of preparing and carrying out terrorist attacks against them,' the FSB said. The suspect faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Fox News
03-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Dem governor ripped as 'total disgrace' after vetoing bill limiting Chinese land ownership near military bases
Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who is up for reelection this year, garnered backlash Tuesday after vetoing a bill aimed at preventing China from buying up land next to strategic assets, such as military bases. Arizona state Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp said the "politically motivated veto" was "utterly insane," blaming Hobbs for being "an obstructionist against safeguarding our citizens from threats." However, Hobbs said the bill, S.B. 1109, was "ineffective at counter-espionage" and did not "directly protect" American military assets in the state. Chinese investment in land near military bases has become an increasing concern for national security hawks. Shamp, in her efforts to get the now-vetoed bill passed, cited recent Chinese attempts to lease buildings alongside Arizona's Luke Air Force Base, where the military trains fighter pilots. "Governor Hobbs's veto of SB 1109 hangs an 'Open for the CCP' sign on Arizona's front door, allowing Communist China to buy up American land near critical assets like Luke Air Force Base, Palo Verde nuclear power plant, and Taiwan Semiconductor's growing fabrication footprint," said Michael Lucci, the CEO and founder of State Armor Action, a conservative group with a mission to develop and enact state-level solutions to global security threats. "Allowing Communist China to buy up land near our critical assets is a national security risk, plain and simple, and Governor Hobbs is substantively and completely wrong when she says that SB 1109 'is ineffective at counter-espionage and does not directly protect our military assets,'" Lucci added. Lucci pointed to Ukraine's recent drone attacks that destroyed significant numbers of Russian military aircraft, noting that "proximity produces peril in asymmetric warfare." S.B. 1109, which can still pass if the Arizona legislature overrides Hobbs' veto, would have prohibited the People's Republic of China from having a 30%, or more, stake in Arizona property. Hobbs, in her defense of the veto, added that in addition to being ineffective at countering Chinese espionage efforts, the bill lacked "clear implementation criteria," which opened the door for "arbitrary enforcement." However, the bill went through a bipartisan amendment process in an effort to assuage those concerns that the legislation might lead to discrimination in land sales, according to local outlet the AZ Mirror. The initial version of the bill banned certain people and entities deemed to be national security threats from buying up land in Arizona, but following subsequent amendments the bill only sought to ban Chinese government-linked entities and its subsidiaries. In addition to Arizona, other states have proposed or passed legislation aimed at curtailing Chinese land grabs in the United States. Congress has also taken steps in an effort to effectuate change through national policy. As of March 17, according to the China-focused nonprofit Committee of 100, 27 states are currently considering 84 bills aimed at restricting foreign property ownership in some way, while Congress is currently considering seven separate bills addressing the issue. So far, the committee indicated, 22 states have passed bills restricting foreign property ownership, 17 of which were passed into law in 2024.
