Putin Ally Predicts Nuclear Strike on Ukraine 'Most Likely'

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Russian President Vladimir Putin's friend, Viktor Medvedchuk, recently predicted that a nuclear strike will "most likely" be coming. Putin and senior Russian officials have repeatedly threatened nuclear escalation against Kyiv and its Western partners since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

During Putin's annual state of the nation address last month he warned that Russia's "strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness." He also warned that there was a genuine risk of nuclear war if Western nations send troops to Ukraine, as suggested by French President Emmanuel Macron last month.

While Russia is indulging itself in some nuclear saber-rattling, it seems unlikely that Putin will actually take this step, which would involve crossing a big red line that would threaten to bring other European powers into the conflict. Medvedchuk does not rule out that countries outside of Europe could become involved if the conflict expands. "It is clear that the Arab world is being drawn into the war, and after that, China and India will also be involved, as they do not have issues with soldiers."

According to the International Nuclear Threat Initiative, Ukraine does not possess any nuclear weapons; devices that had been located in Ukraine in the Soviet era were returned to Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union and Ukrainian independence.

Any nuclear strike in this conflict would more likely be a small device focused on a tactical target, rather than a strategic-level weapon used on a city, like Kyiv. Russia has also withdrawn from the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

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GA Gov Brian Kemp: 150 People Arrested in Scheme Using Drones to Drop Guns, Drugs Into Georgia Prisons

An extensive investigation that began in November 2022 targeting an alleged drone-based contraband scheme within Georgia's prisons has resulted in the arrest of 150 individuals, including eight corrections officers. The investigation, dubbed "Operation Skyhawk," uncovered that drones were being used to transport cellphones, drugs, and weapons into Georgia Department of Corrections facilities.

Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's office issued a press release on Thursday stating that a collaboration between the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Safe Streets Gang Task Force resulted in search and arrest warrants being executed at two sites in the Metro Atlanta area.

The office of the Governor reported that the vast criminal network had been "successfully dismantled," writing,

This operation successfully dismantled an elaborate criminal network spanning multiple states, encompassing civilians, inmates, and staff engaged in smuggling contraband into GDC facilities.

The charges stemming from the investigation include over 1,000 counts related to contraband smuggling, drug trafficking, and possession of firearms by felons, with potential additional charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and gang-related offenses. This could potentially lead to the largest gang-related RICO case in Georgia's history, state officials said.

It is believed that several other states are affected by the same criminal enterprise, according to the governor's office. Items seized during the operation included 87 drones, 273 contraband cellphones, 22 weapons, as well as significant quantities of tobacco, marijuana, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and cocaine. The street value for the seized items is an estimated $7 million.

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