Desperate Parents traverse war-torn Ukraine to recover their abducted children



Tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been put on trains and moved into the interior of Russia, where they’re being adopted out to Russian parents under the guise of “humanitarian aid” — and Mark Levin is disturbed.

“They’re literally enslaving these kids in Ukraine and taking them into Russia,” Levin explains.

According to a report by the Yale Humanitarian Lab, there are at least 43 Russian facilities holding Ukrainian children, and 78% of those “camps” are engaged in systematic re-education efforts.

The parents of these children have been fighting to get them back.

The children were taken from territories seized by Russian authorities after the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Many families were told it was to protect the children from the fighting and that they would be gone for two weeks.

One woman told PBS that while she initially gave permission for her granddaughter to go for two weeks, she was never returned.

The woman was eventually able to get her granddaughter back, but it took extraordinary effort, and her granddaughter has not been the same since.

The granddaughter told PBS that the rescue by her grandmother came just in time as the camp she was in told the children they were planning to move them out of the camp and that they may be forcibly adopted and become Russian citizens.

“They’re not adopting them, they’re enslaving them. That’s what’s taking place, and it’s only one side that’s doing this. It’s not the other side. Ukraine was invaded. It’s trying to defend itself,” Levin says.

“People are now attacking Zelenskyy,” Levin continues, “[saying] that he’s ungrateful and he’s this and he’s that. He’s a man who’s trying to save his people in his country, and they’ve seen absolute horror. Put yourself in his shoes.”


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Keith Olbermann says Tucker Carlson, Tulsi Gabbard are 'Russian assets,' suggests 'detaining them militarily' — and gets lambasted for it



"The View" co-hosts on Monday said Fox News' Tucker Carlson and former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) should be investigated by the Justice Department and even be criminally detained for alleged pro-Russian views.

A few hours later, far-left noisemaker Keith Olbermann piggybacked on those assertions and called Carlson and Gabbard "Russian assets."

What are the details?

On "The View" episode, co-host Ana Navarro said, "I think DOJ, in the same way that it is setting up a task force to investigate [Russian] oligarchs, should look into people who are Russian propagandists and shilling for Putin. If you are a foreign asset to a dictator, it should be investigated."

Co-host Whoopi Goldberg added, "They used to arrest people for doing stuff like this. If they thought you were colluding with a Russian agent or putting out information or taking information and handing it over to Russia, they used to actually investigate stuff like this. And I guess now, you know, there seems to be no bars."

And co-host Joy Behar declared that Carlson and Gabbard were getting "money" for expressing what she saw as their expression of pro-Russian views.

A few hours later a Twitter user posted a video of "The View" co-hosts in action, calling their declarations "deranged" — and Olbermann fired back in agreement with the show.

"They are Russian Assets, and there is a war," Olbermann wrote in reference to Carlson and Gabbard. "There's a case for detaining them militarily. Trials are a sign of good faith and patience on the part of democracy."

They are Russian Assets and there is a war. There's a case for detaining them militarily. Trials are a sign of good faith and patience on the part of democracy.
— Keith Olbermann (@Keith Olbermann) 1647289557

Others on the left have attacked Carlson for opposing U.S. intervention in Ukraine, Mediaite said, adding that he's floated the idea that American citizens have no direct issue with Putin.

Meanwhile U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Sunday accused Gabbard of "treasonous lies," after which Gabbard said Romney should resign if he can't offer evidence to back up his accusations.

Both Carlson and Gabbard have denied being mouthpieces for Putin.

Not that it matters to Alexandra Chalupa — a longtime Democratic operative and daughter of Ukrainian immigrants who investigated former President Donald Trump's alleged ties to Russia prior to the 2016 election and worked with reporters in that vein. And despite it all turning out to be a hoax, Chalupa appears to be singing that same old song — but this time about Carlson:

.@TuckerCarlson needs to be tried at The Hague as a disinformation agent in Putin\u2019s war. Carlson is a war criminal aiding and abetting a hostile enemy of the U.S. while thousands of American veterans are risking their lives helping Ukraine defend the free world from Putin.
— Alexandra Chalupa (@Alexandra Chalupa) 1647315939

But folks appear to be on to Chalupa. "Alexandra, as an attorney, I’m sure you know the importance of providing evidence to back up your claims," one commenter told her. "Would you like to share with the rest of the class, or nah?"

"We're not at war. Why are you issuing psychotic proclamations? Any dissent to the Biden regime qualifies as being a war criminal?" another user told Chalupa. "You ppl have been hyperbolic for years, but this is over the top. Too far. BTW, what was your role in DNC/Ukraine 2016 election meddling?"

How did folks react to Olbermann?

As you might guess, a number of Twitter users weren't down with Olbermann saying Carlson and Gabbard are "Russian assets":

  • "Yes, nothing says 'democracy' like detaining those with opposing political beliefs," one commenter wrote back to Olbermann.
  • "Sounds like your gut instinct is to encourage a mob lynching of anyone who disagrees with your warmongering," another user told Olbermann. "But you're willing to show 'good faith and patience' by putting American dissidents on trial for wrongthink? Do you understand you're revealing the soul of a fascist?"
  • "Good little fascist, aren't you? Or is it communist?" another commenter asked. "I get you totalitarians mixed up some times. We are not at war. I recommend reviewing your tapes [of] the Bush years, and then checking yourself into the prison you so heartily recommend for others."
  • "You are right on par with the ladies on the view, and NO ONE is surprised by that," another user said to Olbermann.

Anything else?

Mediate said Olbermann’s suggestion occurred the same day it was reported that he wanted to sit in for on-hiatus MSNBC host Rachel Maddow — but she vetoed that idea, which the cable network actually had been considering, according to the Daily Beast.

UN tells staff to avoid using terms 'war' and 'invasion' to describe Putin's war in Ukraine



The words "war" and "invasion" are apparently too politically incorrect for the United Nations, which has instructed staff to avoid using those terms in reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Instead, the U.N. communications department would like staff to use terms such as "conflict" or "military offensive" to describe the nearly universally condemned war of aggression waged by Russian President Vladimir Putin against his country's smaller neighbor. Employees were also asked to refrain from describing the conflict as a war and from adding the Ukrainian flag to their personal or official social media accounts or websites.

“[USE] ‘conflict’ or ‘military offensive’ and NOT ‘war’ or ‘invasion’ when referring to the situation in Ukraine,” an email reported by the Irish Times stated. “Do NOT add the Ukrainian flag to personal or official social media accounts or websites."

The instructions were given to avoid harming the international body's reputation by offending Russia, which has killed hundreds of Ukrainian civilians and forced 2 million people to flee the country.

“This is an important reminder that we, as international civil servants, have a responsibility to be impartial,” the email stated. “There is a serious possibility of reputational risk that has been flagged by senior officials recently.”

Teachta Dala Neale Richmond, spokesman on European affairs for Ireland's Fine Gael party, blasted the "illegal war of aggression" and called on the U.N. to condemn Russia in a statement to the Irish Times.

“The fact is just because Russia is a big country that has an essential role in the UN, they’re influencing policy in a direction that’s simply false,” he said, referring to how Russia holds one of five permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.

"Quite clearly this is not just any war, but an illegal war of aggression, that should be condemned from a height by all members of the U.N. and the U.N. itself," he added.

Russian officials refer to the invasion as a "special military operation," using Putin's preferred euphemism for the war. Putin's government has severely restricted what Russian media outlets are allowed to report about the war with a new law enacted Friday that could put journalists in prison for up to 15 years if they publish any stories the government considers "fake."

Thousands of Russian anti-war protesters have also been arrested, two local independent broadcasters were closed down, and international media websites have been blocked in the country.

Russian star soprano won't repudiate support for Vladimir Putin. Now she's gone from NY Metropolitan Opera — and Ukrainian singer is replacing her.



A Russian star soprano refused to repudiate her support for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid her native country's invasion of Ukraine, and now soprano Anna Netrebko has withdrawn from future engagements at the New York Metropolitan Opera, the Associated Press reported.

What are the details?

“It is a great artistic loss for the Met and for opera,” Met General Manager Peter Gelb said in a statement Thursday, the AP noted. “Anna is one of the greatest singers in Met history, but with Putin killing innocent victims in Ukraine, there was no way forward.”

Gelb said Sunday that the Met would not engage artists who back Putin, the outlet added.

The Met made repeated efforts to convince Netrebko, 50, to repudiate her support for Putin but couldn't persuade her, according to an individual familiar with the situation who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because that detail wasn't announced.

Netrebko was to perform in Giacomo Puccini’s “Turandot” in the spring and Giuseppe Verdi’s “Don Carlo” next season, the New York Post reported, adding that Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska is slated to replace her in both productions.

The developments followed the international career implosion of Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, who has been close to Putin as artistic and general director of the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, the AP said.

(L-R) Russian President Vladimir Putin, conductor Valery Gergiev, and singer Anna Netrebko at the opening of the new Mariinsky II Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, May 2, 2013. Photo by Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images

Russia's invasion has resulted in a striking show of solidarity with Ukraine among members of the arts and culture world, as well as those in the sports world; it also has resulted in backlash against Russia and those who won't denounce Putin, the AP said.

Netrebko, who hails from Krasnodar, received the People’s Artist of Russia honor from Putin in 2008, the outlet noted.

Anything else?

Netrebko withdrew from all her upcoming performances, the AP said, adding that her next listed performance was April 3 at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu followed by three concerts with her husband — Azerbaijani tenor Yusif Eyvazov — and an April 13 concert with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

“I am opposed to this senseless war of aggression, and I am calling on Russia to end this war right now, to save all of us. We need peace right now,” Netrebko said, according to the AP. “This is not a time for me to make music and perform. I have therefore decided to take a step back from performing for the time being. It is an extremely difficult decision for me, but I know that my audience will understand and respect this decision.”

The outlet said Netrebko didn't immediately respond to Gelb’s announcement.

Russian soprano Anna Netrebko withdraws from Met Operayoutu.be

Source: Ukrainian sniper reportedly kills highly decorated Russian general



A highly decorated Russian general was killed Wednesday, the Daily Mail reported, adding that a military source said a Ukrainian sniper did the job on Major Gen. Andrey Sukhovetsky.

What are the details?

Sukhovetsky was deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army of Russia's Central Military District, the outlet said, adding that Russia's Ministry of Defense had not confirmed his death.

However, Sukhovetsky's colleague Sergey Chipilyov announced his death on social media, and several Russian and Ukrainian news outlets reported the general's demise, the Daily Mail said.

Top Russian general is killed by Ukrainian sniper in major blow to Putin's invasionhttps://trib.al/F3bzvyW
— Daily Mail Online (@Daily Mail Online) 1646320203

The post from Chipilyov — who's with the Airborne Forces Union of Russian Paratroopers — reads as follows, the outlet said: "With great pain, we received the tragic news about the death of our friend, Major-General Andrey Aleksandrovich Sukhovetsky, in Ukraine during a special operation. We express our deepest condolences to his family."

The Daily Mail said it wasn't clear where Sukhovetsky was killed. The military source also told the outlet a funeral will be held Saturday in Russia, the outlet said.

Sukhovetsky would be by far the most senior Russian figure to have have died since the invasion of Ukraine commenced last week, the Daily Mail said.

The 47-year-old was a highly decorated veteran who was appointed deputy army commander of the 41st division in October 2021, the outlet said, adding that he previously commanded the 7th Airborne Assault Division in Novorossiysk for three years, completed several combat deployments in the Chechen war, Abkhazia, and the intervention in Syria, and received special commendation for his participation in Russia's annexation of Crimea.

The Daily Mail said Sukhovetsky's death would be seen in Ukraine as another encouraging sign that the Russia's invasion isn't going well.

What else?

The Kremlin on Wednesday acknowledged that nearly 500 of its troops have been killed and another 1,600 have been injured in Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine, the outlet said, adding that the real numbers are "almost certainly higher."

Ukraine's armed forces said Thursday that Russia's army had suffered 9,000 casualties, the Daily Mail added, although noting that the military's statement said the actual death toll "is complicated by the high intensity of hostilities."

A Ukrainian defense official also announced this week that a kill squad sent to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was "eliminated" by the country's armed forces.

What's more, some Russian troops in Ukraine reportedly are surrendering en masse and even sabotaging their own vehicles to get out of the conflict, a U.S. defense official said Tuesday.

Zelenskyy on Thursday lauded the fight his fellow citizens are waging against Russian's military and claimed "all lines of defense are holding" in the cities of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Mykolaiv, the Daily Mail reported.

"They wanted to destroy us. They failed. We've been through so much. And if anyone thinks that, having overcome all this, Ukrainians will be frightened, broken, or surrender, they know nothing about Ukraine," Zelenskyy said, according to the outlet: "We will restore every house, every street, every city, and we say to Russia: learn the word 'reparations.' You will reimburse us for everything you did against our state, against every Ukrainian, in full."

He added, "We are a people who in a week have destroyed the plans of the enemy. They will have no peace here. They will have no food. They will have here not one quiet moment," the Daily News reported, and also said Russian soldiers "are not warriors of a superpower. These are confused children who have been used."

Transgender woman who wants to leave Ukraine rips country's transphobia, says 'there's no way Ukrainian border people can let me through'



A transgender woman living in Ukraine wants to get out of the country amid the Russian invasion, but Zi Faámelu's passport says "male" — and the 31-year-old noted to CBS News that "there's no way Ukrainian border people can let me through. There's no way."

What are the details?

The Ukraine State Border Guard Service reportedly announced last week that men ages 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving the country. But Faámelu may not be granted entry into a neighboring country anyway because of the mismatch between Faámelu's legal sex and lived gender, LBGTQNation said.

"This is not a very rainbow-friendly place. ... Lives for trans people are very bleak here," Faámelu noted to CBS News. "If you have a male gender in your passport, they will not let you go abroad. They will not let you through."

The LGBTQ community has become more accepted over the years, but the network said it's more complicated for transgender people.

Demonstrators rally in Mykhailivska Square, Kyiv, capital of Ukraine, during Trans*March 2021 pro-transgender procession. Yuliia Ovsiannikova/Ukrinform/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

LBGTQNation explained it's not easy for transgender Ukrainians to get updated passports, as Human Rights Watch said they're likely still required to undergo psychiatric observation and gender-affirming surgery to update their documents.

“I don’t want to go through that. This is like, humiliating for the world…. I decided to keep my passport, keep male in my passport, and now I cannot leave this country,” Faámelu noted to CBS News. “[It’s] a war within a war, truly.”

'I'm literally scared for my life'

The network said Faámelu — who lives in Kyiv, which has been barraged by Russian military forces — is running out of food and hasn't left home for days.

"A few hours ago I heard bombings and my windows were shaking. ... I'm literally scared for my life," Faámelu added to CBS News.

What's more, Faámelu told the network that transphobia is the norm in the city and in neighboring countries, and fears that if that trying to leave will increase the chances the transgender woman will be treated violently.

"Many people have guns and weapons. ... It can be an excuse for violence," Faámelu told CBS News, adding, "This is a very scary situation."

CBS News added that Faámelu also was a popular contestant on the Ukrainian singing competition show "Star Factory."

Anything else?

Adding to the difficulty are Faámelu's parents, who live in Crimea, the network said — and, according to Faámelu, don't believe Russia has invaded Kyiv: "They are literally brainwashed. The world sees the picture, but they are simply blind in this case. My parents think it's all fake, that we bomb ourselves, that we try to create some drama."

Transgender woman in Ukraine says she's trapped in Kyiv, scared for her life amid Russian invasionyoutu.be

Diplomats stage walkout during Russian foreign minister's video address to UN Human Rights Council in protest of Ukraine invasion



More than 100 diplomats staged a walkout Tuesday during Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's video address to the United Nations Human Rights Council in protest over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported.

What are the details?

Diplomats from the United States, Britain, Japan, the European Union, and others exited the room while diplomats from Syria, China, and Venezuela — as well as Russia's ambassador to the U.N., Gennady Gatilov, a former Lavrov deputy — remained, the outlet said.

Lavrov addressed the U.N. remotely after canceling his visit over Russian claims that EU states blocked his flight path, Reuters said, adding that in his speech Lavrov accused the EU of "Russophobic frenzy" in giving weapons to Ukraine amid his country's invasion. The outlet added that Russia said its "special military operation" that began last week is aimed at removing "neo-Nazis" ruling Ukraine.

What did the diplomats have to say?

"This Russian war of aggression will have profound implications for human rights in Ukraine and Russia, and the leaders of Russia will be held accountable," Michele Taylor, the U.S. envoy to the Human Rights Council, said in a statement, Reuters reported.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod — both of whom walked out — joined Ukraine's ambassador, Yevheniia Filipenko, behind a large Ukrainian blue and yellow flag, the outlet said.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

"It is a remarkable show of support for Ukrainians who are fighting for their independence," Filipenko told reporters, Reuters said. She added that Kharkiv — Ukraine's second-largest city — suffered "massive destruction to civilian infrastructure" and that the "maternity wards are being attacked, civilian residential buildings are being bombed," the outlet also noted.

Russia denies targeting any civilian sites, Reuters reported.

"Minister Lavrov was giving his version, which is false, about what is happening in Ukraine and so that's why we wanted to show a very strong stance together," Canada's Joly said, according to the outlet.

Human Rights Council diplomats walk out during Sergei Lavrov speechyoutu.be

Anything else?

A dozen Russian U.N. diplomats accused of espionage are being kicked out of the U.S., according to the U.S. Mission to the U.N., in a move that reportedly has been in the works for months.

And 70% of U.S. adults believe U.S. troops should get involved if Russia invades a NATO nation, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll.

'F*** you, b***h': Ukrainian UFC fighter has pointed message for Vladimir Putin and his Russian regime for invading her country



A Ukrainian UFC fighter who has family facing down tanks and missiles amid Russia's invasion of her home country gave Vladimir Putin a pointed piece of her mind in an interview with TMZ Sports.

"F*** you, bitch," Maryna Moroz said when asked what she'd like to say to the Russian president and his regime. "I love my country. Don't touch Ukraine."

What are the details?

Moroz, 30, is scheduled to fight Mariya Agapova — an MMA fighter from Kazakhstan — Saturday night at UFC 272, TMZ Sports said.

While the event is to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, understandably much of Moroz's heart and mind is focused on what's happening in her home country.

"It's hard time for Ukraine," she said, adding, "I want to support my country, my president, whole army in Ukraine, and I want to say we don't want war. ... I worry about my family right now in Ukraine."

Moroz was born in Vilnohirsk, Ukraine, in September 1991, which TMZ Sports said is about the same time Ukraine gained its independence amid the collapse of the Soviet Union.

And with Ukraine's autonomy now threatened, Moroz is deeply concerned.

"Many people die right now," she said, lamenting the increasingly "dangerous" situation in Ukraine.

In fact, she said her father has been making homemade grenades for protection and to fight back against advancing Russian forces.

Moroz added to TMZ Sports that she tries to call home "every couple of hours" but that it's difficult to stay in touch.

What this fight means to her

Despite the hardships in Ukraine, Moroz also has a job to do Saturday — and that's to beat Agapova.

In a way, she knows she'll be fighting for her country.

"I want to show Ukraine girl strong" and that we "don't stand back." She added that she'll be "fighting" to "show that Ukraine people [are] strong, and my flag will be in [the] Octagon."

Ukrainian UFC Fighter Has Strong Words For Vladimir Putin | TMZ Sportsyoutu.be

Neo-Nazis Defend Ukraine While the West Battles Russia | 2/28/22

Neo-Nazis Defend Ukraine While the West Battles Russia | 2/28/22

Twisted Sister's Dee Snider supports Ukraine using 'We're Not Gonna Take It' as battle cry against Russian invasion



Dee Snider — the outlandish and outspoken frontman for '80s metal band Twisted Sister — tweeted over the weekend that he's all in favor of Ukraine adopting the band's famous anthem "We're Not Gonna Take It" as its battle cry amid Russia's invasion.

"I absolutely approve of Ukrainians using 'We're Not Gonna Take It' as their battlecry," Snider tweeted Saturday. "My grandfather was Ukrainian, before it was swallowed up by the USSR after WW2. This can't happen to these people again!"

Snider added a "F***RUSSIA" hashtag to the end of his missive.

However, when it comes to folks in the anti-mask movement wanting to use "We're Not Gonna Take It" as their own rallying cry, Snider has no love for their cause. Indeed, on Sunday he added the following explanation to his Twitter page:

People are asking me why I endorsed the use of "We're Not Gonna Take It" for the Ukrainian people and did not for the anti-maskers. Well, one use is for a righteous battle against oppression; the other is a infantile feet stomping against an inconvenience.
— Dee Snider\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Dee Snider\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1645984193

He explained that "one use is for a righteous battle against oppression; the other is [an] infantile feet stomping against an inconvenience."

It's not like Snider can prevent "We're Not Gonna Take It" from blasting through loudspeakers at any given event, so his disagreement has no actual teeth. Rolling Stone said that earlier this month, the song was used at an anti-vaccination protest in New Zealand, and Snider responded by saying “while I may not agree with some of the things it’s used to fight, I can’t pick & choose the ones I want.”

The magazine added that when a similar protest was held in New York, Snider said he's "aware many people representing many causes use ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ as their battle cry. Some I agree with & some I don’t (anti-vaxxers for example) BUT the song was designed for the listener to 'fill in the blank' (what from whom?) with their own cause.”

Anything else?

According to the New York Post, Snider has been openly anti-Russia since the days of the Cold War and commented on a photo of him wearing a “Russia Sucks” button onstage back in the late 1970s.

“My Ukrainian grandpa would have been so proud!” Snider tweeted Sunday.

Image source: Twitter, redacted

But when a Twitter user posited that Russian citizens didn't have a choice in the war that President Vladimir Putin started, Snider fired back:

My grandfather was Ukrainian when it was taken over by Russia after WW2. My grandmother was Transylvanian when the Russians took over & occupied the Carpathian mountains. Who do you think were carrying those Russian guns, driving the tanks & flying those planes? Canadians?https://twitter.com/LINY1577/status/1497702056697729026\u00a0\u2026
— Dee Snider\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Dee Snider\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1645915201

Then when a user told Snider she's a young Russian woman protesting against the war and getting arrested for it, Snider agreed to stop using the "F***RUSSIA" hashtag in favor of a "F***PUTIN" one.

“And change will come from the young and young at heart," he added to the twee. "It’s never easy."

Here's the iconic official music video "We're Not Gonna Take It" featuring Mark Metcalf hilariously reprising his Doug Neidermeyer character from "Animal House":

Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take it (Extended Version) (Official Music Video)youtu.be