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¿Wine Not? Unpretentious Wine Tasting

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• Introduction
• Day 1 Wine Not?

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Operated by Stoke Travel

Stoke does travel your way, we won’t herd you around with inflexible itineraries, losing track of the beauty of travel. None of Stoke’s trips are identical, but there is a consistent theme. We like to consider our guests to be participants in the experience, not observers. We create an environment where you feels you ‘own’ your trip, with enough flexibility in our schedule for you to make your own decisions as to what you do. We consider ourselves ‘fun merchants', we believe that fun can be created, and is indeed valuable to the traveler. When you’re looking back on the travels you’ve done, surely the trips where you’ve had the most fun will be the trips you remember most fondly. There is no set formula for fun, and everybody enjoys different things, but we make sure the environment is there for you to enjoy yourself while you’re traveling with us.

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Cancellation policy.

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Customer Reviews

• Overall Rating Excellent 5.0
• Itinerary Excellent 5.0
• Guide Excellent 5.0
• Accommodation Excellent 5.0
• Tour Operator Stoke Travel 4.4

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Good to Know

• Currency € Euro Spain

As a traveller from USA, Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa you will need an adaptor for types C, E, F.

• These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
• Hepatitis B - Recommended for Spain. Ideally 2 months before travel.
• Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
• Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
• For any tour departing before 8th July 2024 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after 8th July 2024, a minimum payment of 50% is required to confirm your booking with Stoke Travel. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 35 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
• Some departure dates and prices may vary and Stoke Travel will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
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• Accessibility Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveller, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team , who are ready and waiting to help you.
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The Original Barcelona Boat Party

'Wine Not' - Unpretentious Wine Tasting in Barcelona

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'Wine Not' - Unpretentious Wine Tasting in Barcelona

Barcelona Party Bus

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Stoke Travel - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Viognier Venture Concierge Wine Tour

Description

Head out of town, into the rural landscape that hasn’t changed for millennia. Visit the gorgeous Rivaura tasting room, located at their estate vineyards. This panoramic view overlooking the Clearwater River is perfectly paired with their multi-award-winning wine.

Head into the rural landscape to Colter’s Creek, enjoy the beautiful view at Rivaura, then one more winery of your choice listed below! Hear about history, culture, and Lewis-Clark AVA.

Enjoy a flight of either red or white wines, at this modern winery and event center. It’s the perfect place to relax and look out for spectacular views.

The 2020 Northwest Winery of the Year, this is one of the two (re)-founding wineries in the Lewis-Clark AVA. Their wines will wow, as they are the only winery in the area to join the prestigious King of Platinum list, for having nearly twenty of their wines get platinum awards, and consistently win top awards at wine competitions locally and nationally. You’ll be able to taste the quality shine through for yourself!

Here, you’ll feel like you’ve always been friends with the winemakers. At this 2021 Idaho Winery of the Year, these two friends (and their wives!) make amazing wine. Their wines consistently win medals at all wine competitions they submit their wines. We will visit them at their tasting room in Newberry Square in beautiful downtown Lewiston. (They will soon be moving directly behind the building to their new winery!)

As we drive up the original highway to get into Lewiston, you can easily see how this vineyard got its name (the Old Spiral Highway). Stu will greet you at his residence (and winery) and you will take in the incredible views of the Clearwater River and the City of Lewiston. As this is primarily a wedding and event venue, getting in to taste is dependent upon there being no events that day.

You’ll feel like family, here. Paul and Heidi love showing off their great variety of white and red wines, which pair perfectly with the incredible views you see from their house. They have won many awards in regional and national wine competitions.

The newest tasting room in downtown Lewiston, tucked into the historic Morgan’s Alley, is a definite treat. This dynamic duo have many of their wines which are focused on Spanish varietals. Take a sip, and taste summer in every glass. Enjoy great wines, and a great husband and wife who want to share their love of wine with you.

This destination winery is meant to wow! Their winemaker is a Master of Wine, of which there are only a few hundred, world-wide. The wines consistently win awards, and the views are absolutely stunning, looking out over the Clearwater River.

Why not have a bite to eat, here where most of the dishes are made with locally sourced ingredients, and have some award winning wine in this chic venue in Juliaetta, Idaho. Or, if you are starting your tour in Moscow, have a taste of wine at Colter’s Creek’s tasting room in Moscow!

Primary pickup location is the Hells Canyon Grand Hotel, our Premier Partner.

Why take this tour?

Head into the rural landscape to Colter’s Creek, enjoy the beautiful view at Rivaura then one more winery of your choice listed above! Hear about history, culture, and Lewis-Clark AVA.

Tasting fees for all venues

Bottled water, convenience snack (such as crackers), things to know.

You Can Choose One Winery Of Your Choice!

1. Lindsay Creek Vineyards 2. Clearwater Canyon Cellars 3. Vine 46 4. Spiral Rock Vineyards 5. Two Bad Labs Vineyards 6. Jovinea Cellars 7. Rivaura 8. Colter's Creek Tasting Room-Juliaetta OR Moscow

Want a pickup in Moscow, Idaho? No problem! We pickup from the Hattenbaugh Hotel, our Palouse Preferred property for $10 per person. Pickup may also be arranged at the same price for other hotels. Pickup from private residences is also an option within Moscow for $15 per person.

Local Guide

Your local guide, Clint, will talk about the Lewis-Clark AVA, culture of the Nez Perce, as well as the history and scandals of the past, depending on the interest of the guests!

Capacity and Age Requirement

A minimum of four guests guarantees the tour will go. Ages 21+ only.

The tour typically takes 5-6 hours.

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Muscat Concierge Wine Tour

Explore three wineries on this VIP wine tour, while getting behind the scenes access, and learning about local culture, history, and the Lewis-Clark AVA.

Venues: Take A Look At The Venues Listed Below And You Can Choose Up To Three Of Your Choice!

Syrah Ultimate Concierge Wine Tour

For the guest who wants it all, this is your tour. Start out with a pickup from your Lewiston-based residence and have lunch. Then explore up to four wineries on this VIP wine tour of regional wineries, and end with dinner and a complete chef culinary experience by Foodology catering with a three-course dinner, paired with wine, at a local vineyard or scenic location. Of course, you always get behind-the-scenes access, learning about local culture, history, and the Lewis-Clark AVA.

Venues: Take A Look At The Venues Listed Below And You Can Choose Up To Four Of Your Choice!

Cabernet Concierge Wine Tour

Explore up to four venues, with lunch included at a local restaurant, on this VIP wine tour of regional wineries, while getting behind-the-scenes access, and learning about local culture, history, and the Lewis-Clark AVA.

Note For Venues: Take A Look At The 8 Venues Listed Below And You Can Choose Up To Four Of Your Choice!

More than a wine tasting, this is a wine drinking. Music, rooftop terrace and fun times with friends.

Date and time

Pg. de Gràcia, 33

Refund Policy

About this event.

Join ¿Wine not? for fun, fabulous and unpretentious wine tastings and tours in Barcelona. Not only do we try a variety of delicious whites, reds, rosés, cava and vermouths from Catalonia and further afield in Spain, but we enjoy them in a social, lighthearted, party environment. Our wine party will leave you more than just a little bit tipsy, with knowledge and confidence to confront Spanish wine lists and with more than just a little bit of drunk love for Spanish wines.

The basic tasting includes 6 wines. Starting with a welcome cava, a comparison tasting of Spain’s most prevalent white wines, and then we’ll try a range of Spain’s famous reds, from light to heavy. What we want to do is:

🍷 Introduce you to some delicious wines from all over Spain,

🥳 Encourage you to really enjoy what you’re drinking,

🥂 Chat a little about tasting techniques,

🍇 Learn about the grapes and the regions we’re enjoying, and above all

🥴 Have a whole lot of fun and get tipsy with us

• Spain Events
• Barcelona Events
• Things to do in Barcelona
• Barcelona Parties
• Barcelona Food & Drink Parties
• #hens_night
• #hens_party_ideas
• #hens_party

Organized by

'Wine Not' - Unpretentious Wine Tasting in Barcelona

• Alcoholic Beverages
• All Fees and Taxes
• Catalonia, Eixample, 08007, Barcelona, Spain Please arrive 15 minutes before the tasting begins. You will be greeted at the front desk of the Safestay hostel on Passeig de Gracia, the wine tasting will take place on the roof top terrace!
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Near public transportation
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Not recommended for pregnant travellers
• This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travellers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

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'Wine Not' - Unpretentious Wine Tasting in Barcelona provided by Stoke Travel

Spatula Desserts US

The Top Wine Countries In The World That You Need to Visit

Posted: June 2, 2024 | Last updated: June 2, 2024

Enjoying a good glass of wine is one of life's simple pleasures. Thanks to these top wine countries, we are able to try new and exciting wines anytime we'd like. These countries are creating some of the best wines in the world, and we are beyond thrilled. Find a wine from one of these top-producing countries, and you will not be disappointed.

Immerse In Experience

Traveling to the top wine countries can be a culturally immersive and fun vacation idea, even for those who aren't necessarily wine connoisseurs. Many wine-producing regions offer breathtaking, beautiful scenery to marvel at with a nice glass of wine.

France has a rich history of winemaking traditions and diverse wine regions. It's also a culinary hotspot, a must when consuming the country's delicious wine, like its world-famous Bordeaux.

Italy produces the most wine in the world but has the third-highest consumption rate. With a whopping 453 grape varieties , it has historical significance in the winemaking game. Its beautiful vineyards are another popular attraction for wine lovers.

American winemakers have gained world-class recognition. In Napa Valley, California, they're known for producing a high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon. They have an innovative spirit with a flair for experimentation. Conveniently, it also has an excellent wine tourism infrastructure.

Spain is famous for its Sherry wines. Here, you can pair wine with a cultural experience and atmosphere. The Spanish wine industry boasts value for your dollar, offering wines at more affordable prices.

In Australia, cool-climate wine regions cultivate elegant and elevated wines, like vibrant Reisling. Australia is also famous for its Shiraz wine, which attracts wine lovers from all over.

China is an intriguing destination for wine lovers with unique experiences. The landscape offers a distinct climate for the grapes and produces original flavors like the famous Chinese Cabernet.

Portugal offers rich experience and unique aspects that make it stand out in the wine industry. The historic Douro Valley is famous for Port wine, which comes in various styles, flavors, and age profiles.

Germany is well known for its Riesling production. It thrives in the region's cool climates. It's a beautiful area to explore, and you can even visit it during one of their renowned wine festivals .

Argentina has unique characteristics that make it stand out in the industry. It's most known for its Malbec wines, which are internationally known for their bold, rich, distinct textures. Smooth, ripe, fruity flavors can also be found in this region.

Turkey's vineyards have stunning and scenic landscapes. One of the most famous Turkish wines is Öküzgözü, which means " bullseye. " Their unique grape varieties give them a certain edge over other winemakers.

New Zealand

New Zealand is home to some of the best sauvignon blancs in the world. While the country has only been producing wine since the late 19th century, its wine is already known around the world. The mild ocean weather is to thank!

The World Of Wine

The winemaking industry is unique, diverse, and delightful. Visiting one of these top wine-producing countries will yield a memorable and immersive experience. You can even go down to your local wine distributor to bring the taste of other countries to you.

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Vine is a wine bar and retail bottle shop in beautiful downtown Moscow. We offer wine by the glass as well as a carefully curated selection of wines by the bottle from all over the world. We also have specialty beer, cheese, and cider.  We look forward to helping you choose a glass to enjoy in our relaxing bar or a bottle to take home!

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Moscow nightlife unchanged despite Ukraine conflict

At a trendy restaurant in central Moscow, Russian data analyst Alexandra awaited her dessert, determined to carry on as usual despite the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine.

Her friend returned with a glass of red wine and then they went bar hopping in the Russian capital, around 600 kilometres (370 miles) from fighting that has been raging for more than two years.

"Even during the Second World War, women continued to put on makeup and buy lipstick," said the 32-year-old, declining to give her surname.

"This shows that we should continue living... We go out and have a good time," she added, smiling.

Whether due to patriotism, caution or indifference, 10 Muscovites interviewed by AFP asserted their right to a "normal" life despite the conflict and escalating tensions between Moscow and the West.

They avoided directly addressing Russia's offensive on Ukraine, that Moscow calls a "special military operation".

Russia has criminalised criticism of the conflict and arrested and detained thousands since February 2022, when it ordered troops across the border.

Alexandra said the atmosphere in Moscow is "the same as before" the conflict began.

"People go for walks, get to know each other, enjoy themselves, live, work and go about their lives. In that respect, nothing has changed," she said.

Behind her, a crowd of young people, glasses in hand, were chatting, drinking and eating at Moscow's "Central Market" -- a three-storey establishment full of chic bars and food stalls.

It is a different scene from Kyiv, some 750 kilometres away.

Although the Ukrainian capital has retained some form of nightlife, those frequenting bars and restaurants have been forced to grow accustomed to night curfews, air raid sirens, soldiers marshalling the streets, as well as missile and drone strikes.

- 'Why not treat yourself?' -

In the heart of the city, Moscow's famed Bolshoi Theatre was sold out for a performance of Verdi's opera La Traviata that evening.

"Why shouldn't we go there?" asked 49-year-old nanny Anna Savyolova.

She, too, drew a parallel with World War II, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War.

"I know that artists came, performed, supported the soldiers... Life doesn't stop!" she said.

Pastry chef Diana Kitayeva, 28, had been dreaming of visiting the Bolshoi for years. "Why not treat yourself?" she said.

Accompanied by her mother, 14-year-old Alexandra Pomoshnikova said she saw art as an escape, in order to "not panic too much".

Despite tens of thousands of deaths on the Russian side -- the authorities do not provide an exact toll -- the Kremlin has been doing everything to ensure that hostilities have as little impact as possible on the daily lives of Muscovites.

Russia's forced mobilisation of more than 300,000 young men in 2022 also had little effect on the capital. The majority of recruits came from poorer regions, far away from big cities.

In Victory Day celebrations on May 9, a major public holiday that Russia uses to commemorate veterans and showcase its military prowess, no wounded soldiers were visible on Red Square.

Funerals of soldiers in the capital are low-key affairs, with little or no official fanfare for the fallen men Russian officials portray -- enthusiastically and often -- as "heroes".

Posters inviting Russians to enlist or praising the courage of soldiers are the most visible reminder of the fighting Moscow unleashed next-door in Ukraine.

The continued presence of Western brands, often under licencing agreements established before 2022, reinforces an appearance of normality -- a visual challenge to the notion of an irreparable cultural, political and economic rift between Russia and the West.

- 'Cocktails cost more' -

But the conflict in Ukraine has not been entirely painless for Moscow residents. Rising prices, a direct result of Western sanctions and the government's high spending on the offensive, is one of their primary concerns.

After soaring to nearly 20 percent in the spring of 2022, annual inflation remains at almost eight percent, according to official statistics.

The upscale clientele of Moscow's Central Market used to pay about six dollars for a cocktail.

"Now it costs 200 rubles ($2.20) more," said Bogdan Vorobyov, 24, who was out for beers with friends.

The conflict has also affected the lifestyle of Muscovites in other ways.

Trying to get around the city centre using Yandex Maps, the country's main navigation app, has become a headache. Following drone attacks on the Russian capital in May last year, satellite signals in Moscow's centre have been partially jammed, making GPS tracking spotty and unpredictable.

Alexandra summed up the general feel of the city with the help of a phrase that has become a go-to for Russians over the last 30 years.

"I've gotten used to living in times of crisis."

rbj-str/bur/ach/bc

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Park Inn by Radisson Odintsovo Moscow

Explore Moscow from our modern hotel close to the Airport

• Please note that upon check-in, Russian citizens over the age of 14 must provide their national passport and citizens under the age of 14 must provide their original birth certificate.
• We regret to inform you that Radisson Rewards members are currently not able to pay with points for this hotel.

Restaurant & Bar

Nearby attractions, visit the russian capital from our convenient moscow hotel.

Guests traveling for business or leisure will appreciate the excellent location of the Park Inn by Radisson Odintsovo in the heart of the city of Odintsovo, with developed infrastructure, excellent transport accessibility, and a picturesque park right in front of the hotel. The hotel offers 122 comfortable rooms, several conference rooms, and banquet halls.

Our hotel is close to Moscow and Vnukovo International Airport. Skolkovo Innovation Center is only a 20-minute drive away. Moscow city center, with its rich cultural life, is located just 30 kilometers away and can be easily reached by car or by public transport—the bus stop is next to the hotel and the railway station is just a 10-minute walk away. Enjoy close proximity to attractions such as Patriot Park, the military-themed amusement park; Arkhangelskoye, a historic estate and museum; Barvikha Luxury Village, a concert hall; and Crocus City Hall, an exhibition center and concert hall.

For our guests, we offer one of the best restaurants in the city: Leroy. The restaurant aims to please fans of classic American and European cuisine, offering juicy steaks and good wine. The original interior of the restaurant is designed to invoke the adventurous spirit of 1930s America. In summer, there is a terrace located on the third floor of the hotel.

Standard Room

• 1 child (0-11)
• 2 twin or 1 queen

Superior Room

• 1 queen

Junior Suite

• 1 king

Royal Club Suite

Family Room

• 2 twin

Our large conference hall and two meeting rooms are the ideal location for banquets, seminars and corporate retreats. Our meeting rooms can accommodate up to eight or 20 delegates, while our conference hall can host up to 110 guests. These event facilities are fully equipped with modern audiovisual technology and provide free Wi-Fi. You can also rely on our professional event staff and we'll happily help you pick the best catering options.

Complimentary coffee and tea

Free coffee and tea in the lobby

Express check-out

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Fitness Center

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Luggage storage

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Meeting facilities/social space

On-site dining

On-site restaurant(s)

Running trails

Customized running trails around the hotel

Safety deposit box

Wondering where to dine in Odintsovo? Look no further than Leroy restaurant at Park Inn by Radisson Odintsovo Moscow. Our stylish, cozy eatery offers guests unforgettable dishes and service. Brick walls, sofas and soft chairs create a warm and relaxed atmosphere, while the restaurant's menu combines innovative fusion cuisine and hearty steakhouse dishes. Head to our bar area and enjoy an aperitif before dinner or just relax away from the hustle and bustle of life in Moscow. Our open terrace offers beautiful city views from the third floor.

Bolshoi Theatre

Spend an unforgettable evening at this legendary theatre - the oldest in the city - with its world-leading resident opera and ballet troupes.

Moscow Kremlin

Snap a selfie outside Moscow's most famous historical and political landmark: an impressive walled complex of cathedrals, palaces and state offices.

Fall in love with the residents of Russia's largest zoo, now a huge scientific, educational, and conservation institution.

How to get to the Park Inn by Radisson Odintsovo Moscow

From vnukovo international airport, from sheremetyevo international airport, from belorussky station, by public transport:.

Take any train that stops at Odintsovo. At Odintsovo Station, switch to any bus going to the city center and get off at the Uzel Svyazi bus station. From there it's just a 100-meter walk to the hotel.

What are the check-in times and check-out times at Park Inn by Radisson Odintsovo Moscow?

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Find joy in the little things at Park Inn by Radisson. Surprising feel-good extras, good food, and contemporary design ensure a happy stay!

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow warns US of 'fatal consequences'; 1,300 Russian casualties in 24 hours, Ukraine claims

Moscow has issued a warning to the US after Joe Biden approved the use of its weapons to strike inside Russia. Meanwhile, Ukraine claims the Russian military has had 1,270 casualties in the past day, one of the highest daily figures since the war began.

Monday 3 June 2024 14:08, UK

• The big picture: What you need to know about the war right now
• Russia warns US against 'mistakes that may have fatal consequences'
• Moscow's forces 'suffers 1,270 casualties in 24 hours', Ukraine claims
• China hits back at Zelenskyy over summit disruption allegations
• Energy restrictions imposed across Ukraine after wave of Russian attacks
• Deborah Haynes: UK defence chief doubts Russia wants war with NATO
• Live reporting by Guy Birchall

It will be unsafe to restart the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine as long as war rages around it, the UN nuclear watchdog chief has said.

Rafael Grossi held a meeting with Russia on the issue last week after officials including Vladimir Putin told him Moscow wanted to restart Europe's biggest nuclear power plant.

The six reactors are shut down on safety grounds at the recommendation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 

"The idea, of course, they have is to restart at some point," Mr Grossi told a news conference on the first day of a quarterly meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors. 

"They are not planning to decommission this nuclear power plant. So this is what prompts the need to have a discussion about that."

Russia said after last week's meeting that it was not currently planning to reactivate the plant. 

Mr Grossi said some important steps needed to be taken before it can restart safely. 

"In terms of what needs to happen... there shouldn't be any bombing or any activity of this type," he said. 

"Then there should be a more stable assurance of external power supply. 

"This requires repairs, important repairs of existing lines, which at the moment, and because of the military activity, are very difficult to envisage."

At least 12 people, including a pregnant woman and eight children, were injured in the attack on Balaklia over the weekend, according to Kharkiv police.

The head of the Balaklia military administration, Vitaliy Karabanov, said: "Preliminary reports suggest that an Iskander missile hit the area. 

"Experts say it exploded a few meters from the house, causing damage and igniting a fire due to the wooden structures. 

"A family of six lived there: father, mother, and four children.

"Another family with four children was visiting, so a total of eight children and four adults were injured. 

"They were all in the house at the time of the explosion."

A Russian strike on a village in Kherson has injured a man in his 70s, according to the regional military administration.

He was left with concussion and injuries to his back and head, and was treated at the scene.

The village, Tomyna Balka, is a few miles north of the Dnipro River delta across the Russian-occupied territories of Kherson and around 12 miles west of the regional capital of the same name.

Ukraine retook Kherson and other settlements on the west bank of the Dnipro River during a counteroffensive in the autumn of 2022.

Allowing Ukraine to use Western air defence systems against targets in Russia is crucial if Kyiv is going to repel Russian glide bomb and missile strikes against Kharkiv, a leading thinktank has said.  

After Joe Biden's partial lifting of restrictions on how Ukraine can use military supplies sent by the US, Kyiv can now use American weapons to strike inside Russia.

Eleven other Western countries have also recently partially or completely lifted restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western-provided weapons to strike military targets inside Russia.

"These policy changes will allow Ukrainian forces to use Western-provided systems to strike Russian firing and staging areas in Russia's border areas and airspace," according to the Institute for the Study of War, which is based in the US.

"Ukrainian officials reported that Ukrainian forces downed a number of Russian military aircraft in February 2024, many of which were conducting glide bomb strikes in the Avdiivka direction.

"Ukrainian forces' ability to down Russian military aircraft in a frontline area indicates that Ukrainian forces will likely be able to replicate the same effects with both Ukrainian and Western-provided systems to protect northern Kharkiv Oblast and Kharkiv City from Russian glide bomb strikes launched from Russian airspace."

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously said that Russian forces would not be able to seize Kharkiv City if Ukrainian forces received two Patriot air defence systems to deploy to the region.

According to the ISW, deployment of these defence systems would have limited effectiveness, were they not able to strike targets in Russian airspace. 

Around 1.5 million men have registered for conscription in Ukraine, the defence ministry has said.

After the new law on mobilisation came into force on 18 May, military-aged men were given 60 days to update their personal data so that the state could locate them.

According to a video posted on the ministry's YouTube channel, the majority of the updates were done on the new Reserve+ online app.

In addition to using the app, Ukrainians can update their data in person at public service centres or enlistment offices.

The ministry added that 14,000 men living abroad across 124 countries had updated their credentials. 

Ahead of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Britain's defence chief Admiral Sir Tony Radakin spoke about the comparisons made between the Second World War and the conflict in Ukraine.

He told Sky News he is confident we are not heading towards another world war and has every faith Ukraine would prevail in its fight.

Admiral Radakin added that by the end of June, 500,000 Russians would have died or been injured in the conflict.

Kazan's airport has imposed temporary flight restrictions for safety reasons today, Russia's aviation watchdog has said.

This is usually done in expectation of Ukrainian drone attacks.

Kazan is the capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan and is located about 500 miles east of Moscow.

The region has been repeatedly attacked by drones in recent  months, an indication that Ukraine has dramatically improved its ability to strike deep within Russian territory.

The Russian military has suffered 1,270 casualties in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian general staff has said. 

If that number is correct, it would be one of the highest daily Russian casualty figures since the war began. 

Kyiv has regularly claimed that Moscow's forces have lost more than 1,000 men a day since Russia launched a new offensive in the Kharkiv region last month. 

The Kharkiv region, which borders Russia, and Kharkiv City, the administrative centre of the region, have been battered nearly daily, since the attacks intensified.

The news comes on the heels of last week's decision by Joe Biden to approve the use of US-supplied weapons to hit targets inside Russia that were involved in attacks on Ukraine's Kharkiv region. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Donald Trump risks being a "loser president" if he retakes the White House and imposes a bad peace deal on Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president said he had "no strategy yet" for what to do if Trump wins in November and that Boris Johnson had approached the Republican on his behalf, according to The Guardian.

He said if Trump were re-elected, the Republican could impose a crushing defeat on Ukraine, should he so chose. 

It's widely thought Trump may end US military support for Ukraine if he gets into the White House.

"Ukraine, barehanded, without weapons, will not be able to fight a multimillion [Russian] army," Mr Zelenskyy told the paper.

"Does he want to become a loser president?" he said.

"A ceasefire is a trap," he added, saying that after a break in hostilities Vladimir Putin would "go further" and make Trump look "very weak" in the eyes of the world.

Donald Trump has previously claimed he could "end the war in 24 hours".

We're getting more warnings from Russia to the US now. 

The foreign ministry told the US not to make any "mistakes that may have fatal consequences" in relation to allowing Ukraine to strike targets on Russian soil, the Interfax news agency reported.

The foreign ministry earlier warned that Ukraine using Patriot air defence systems in Russia would escalate the conflict.

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Once a Sheriff’s Deputy in Florida, Now a Source of Disinformation From Russia

In 2016, Russia used an army of trolls to interfere in the U.S. presidential election. This year, an American given asylum in Moscow may be accomplishing much the same thing all by himself.

By Steven Lee Myers

Steven Lee Myers spoke to more than a dozen researchers and government officials for this article.

A dozen years ago, John Mark Dougan, a former deputy sheriff in Palm Beach County, Fla., sent voters an email posing as a county commissioner, urging them to oppose the re-election of the county’s sheriff.

He later masqueraded online as a Russian tech worker with a pseudonym, BadVolf, to leak confidential information in violation of state law, fooling officials in Florida who thought they were dealing with a foreigner.

He also posed as a fictional New York City heiress he called Jessica, tricking an adviser to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office into divulging improper conduct by the department.

“And boy, did he ever spill ALL of the beans,” Mr. Dougan said in a written response to questions for this article, in which he confirmed his role in these episodes.

Those subterfuges in the United States, it turned out, were only a prelude to a more prominent and potentially more ominous campaign of deception he has been conducting from Russia.

Mr. Dougan, 51, who received political asylum in Moscow, is now a key player in Russia’s disinformation operations against the West. Back in 2016, when the Kremlin interfered in the American presidential election, an army of computer trolls toiled for hours in an office building in St. Petersburg to try to fool Americans online.

Today Mr. Dougan may be accomplishing much the same task largely by himself, according to American and European government officials and researchers from companies and organizations that have tracked his activities since August. The groups include NewsGuard, a company that reviews the reliability of news and information online; Recorded Future, a threat intelligence company; and Clemson University’s Media Forensics Hub.

Working from an apartment crowded with servers and other computer equipment, Mr. Dougan has built an ever-growing network of more than 160 fake websites that mimic news outlets in the United States, Britain and France.

With the help of commercially available artificial intelligence tools, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and DALL-E 3, he has filled the sites with tens of thousands of articles, many based on actual news events. Interspersed among them are also bespoke fabrications that officials in the United States and European Union have attributed to Russian intelligence agencies or the administration of President Vladimir V. Putin.

Between September and May, Mr. Dougan’s outlets have been cited or referred to in news articles or social media posts nearly 8,000 times, and seen by more than 37 million people in 16 languages, according to a report released Wednesday by NewsGuard .

The fakes have recently included a baseless article on a fake San Francisco Chronicle website that said Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, had smuggled 300 kilograms of cocaine from Argentina. Another false narrative appeared last month in the sham Chronicle and on another site, called The Boston Times, claiming that the C.I.A. was working with Ukrainians to undermine Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign.

Mr. Dougan, in a series of text exchanges and one telephone interview with The New York Times, denied operating the sites. A digital trail of clues, including web domains and internet protocol addresses, suggests otherwise, the officials and researchers say.

A friend in Florida who has known Mr. Dougan for 20 years, Jose Lambiet, also said in a telephone interview that Mr. Dougan told him in January that he had created the sites.

Steven Brill, a founder of NewsGuard, which has spent months tracking Mr. Dougan’s work, said he represented “a massive incursion into the American news ecosystem.”

“It’s not just some guy sitting in his basement in New Jersey tapping out a phony website,” he added.

Mr. Dougan’s emergence as a weapon of the Kremlin’s propaganda war follows a troubled life in the United States that included home foreclosures and bankruptcy. As a law enforcement officer in Florida and Maine, he faced accusations of excessive use of force and sexual harassment that resulted in costly lawsuits against the departments he worked for.

He faces an arrest warrant in Florida — its records sealed by court order — on 21 felony charges of extortion and wiretapping that resulted from a long-running feud with the sheriff of Palm Beach County.

Mr. Dougan’s activities from Moscow, where he fled in 2016 one step ahead of those charges, continue to draw scrutiny from the authorities in the United States. Last year, he impersonated an F.B.I. agent in a telephone call to Mr. Brill, according to an account by Mr. Brill to be published next week in a new book, “The Death of Truth.”

Mr. Dougan, who acknowledged making the call in a text message this week, had been angered by a NewsGuard report in February 2023 that criticized YouTube for allowing videos parroting Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine, including some by Mr. Dougan.

In a rambling, profanity-laced video in response on YouTube last year, Mr. Dougan posted excerpts from the call with Mr. Brill and showed a Google Earth satellite photograph of his home in Westchester County, a suburb of New York City — “just down the road from the Clinton crime family,” as Mr. Dougan put it, referring to the home of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The call prompted an F.B.I. investigation that, according to Mr. Brill, traced the call to Mr. Dougan’s telephone in Russia. (A spokeswoman for the bureau did not respond to a request for comment on the investigation or Mr. Dougan’s previous activities.)

A History in Law Enforcement

Mr. Dougan began to hone the skills that he is putting to use today during a turbulent childhood in the United States. In the written responses to questions for this article, he said he had struggled at home and in school, bullied because of Tourette’s syndrome, but found a passion in computers. When he was 8, he said, the man who would become his stepfather began teaching him to write computer code.

“By the time I was 16,” he wrote in one response, “I knew a dozen different programming languages.”

After a four-year stint in the Marine Corps, which he claims he offered to join in lieu of a jail sentence for fleeing a police stop for speeding on a motorcycle, he became a police officer first in a small force in Mangonia Park, Fla., and then the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office from 2005 to 2009.

According to news reports and his own accounts over the years, Mr. Dougan repeatedly clashed with superiors and colleagues, facing numerous internal investigations that he said were retaliatory because he objected to police misconduct, including instances of racial bias.

In 2009, he moved briefly to Windham, Maine, to work in another small-town police department. There he faced a complaint of sexual harassment that resulted in his dismissal before he completed his probationary period.

Mr. Dougan started a website called WindhamTalk to defend himself. The website foreshadowed others he would create, including one devoted to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, PBSOTalk.

After moving back to Florida, he used PBSOTalk to torment in particular the department’s elected sheriff, Ric L. Bradshaw, whom he accused of corruption. He posted the unlawful recordings of “Jessica” chatting with a former detective commander, Mark Lewis, who, Mr. Dougan claimed, was investigating the sheriff’s critics, including himself. As Mr. Dougan acknowledged in a video interview last year, it is illegal in Florida to record a telephone conversation without permission.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office, Therese C. Barbera, said Mr. Dougan was “a wanted felon for cyberstalking using unsubstantiated and fabricated claims that have NO factual basis.”

In February 2016, PBSOTalk posted confidential information about thousands of police officers, federal agents and judges. The next month, F.B.I. agents and local police officers searched Mr. Dougan’s home, seizing all of his electronic equipment.

Fearing arrest, he said, he made his way to Canada and caught a flight to Moscow. He was indicted on the 21 Florida felony charges the next year.

Peddling Russia Propaganda

In Russia, Mr. Dougan refashioned himself as a kind of journalist, documenting his travels around the country, including Lake Baikal in Siberia and Crimea, the peninsula in Ukraine that Russia annexed in 2014 in violation of international law.

He posted photographs and videos from those trips on YouTube, which suspended his channel after NewsGuard’s report last year. He also appeared regularly on state media, including with two former intelligence operatives, Maria Butina , who penetrated Republican political circles, and Anna Chapman , one of 10 spies who inspired the television series “The Americans.”

In 2021, as Mr. Putin began mobilizing the military forces that would invade Ukraine, Mr. Dougan posted a video that the Kremlin would cite as one justification for its attack. In it, he claimed that the United States operated biological weapons factories in Ukraine, an accusation that Russia and its allies have pushed without ever providing evidence .

Once the war started, Mr. Dougan recounted in his written responses to questions, he traveled to Ukraine 14 times to report from the Russian side of the front lines. He appeared in Russian government hearings purporting to expose Ukraine’s transgressions, indicating some level of cooperation with the government authorities.

He has faced criticism for the reports, including in a profile in The Daily Beast, that he posted on YouTube and other platforms. Mr. Dougan has portrayed the war much as Russia’s propaganda has: as a righteous battle against neo-Nazis backed by a decadent West, led by the United States and NATO.

“The West has consistently lied about every aspect of this conflict,” he wrote. “Why does only one side get to tell their story?”

Fake News Sites in the U.S.

In April 2021, Mr. Dougan revived a website called DC Weekly, which had been created four years earlier and published fake articles about the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. According to a report last December by Clemson’s Media Forensics Hub, the domain and internet protocol address were shared by PBSOTalk and Mr. Dougan’s personal website, as well as two marketing books he wrote in exile and a security firm he operated, Falcon Eye Tech, which offered “offshore security monitoring services.”

After Russia’s assault on Ukraine began in 2022, the site carried articles about the war.

Then, last August, the site began to publish articles based on elaborate fabrications that the Western government officials and disinformation researchers said came from Russia’s propaganda units. They often appeared first in videos or audio recordings on obscure X accounts or YouTube channels, then spread to sites like DC Weekly and then to Russian state media as if they were authentic accusations, a process researchers call “narrative laundering.”

The baseless narratives included claims that relatives or cronies of Ukraine’s leader secretly bought luxury properties, yachts or jewelry, and that Prince Andrew, the brother of King Charles III of Britain, had abducted and abused children during a secret visit to Ukraine.

Dozens of new sites have appeared in recent months. They included ones made to look like local news outlets: The Chicago Chronicle, The Miami Chronicle, The Boston Times, The Flagstaff Post and The Houston Post. Some hijacked names of actual news organizations, like The San Francisco Chronicle, or approximated them, in the case of one called The New York News Daily.

When The New York Times reported on the new sites in March, DC Weekly published a lengthy response in a stilted style that indicated the use of artificial intelligence. It was written under the name Jessica Devlin, one of the fictitious journalists on the site. “I’m not a shadowy foreign actor,” the article said.

At the end, the article invited media inquiries at an email address with the domain Falcon Eye Tech.

Two days later, Mr. Dougan answered.

103 New Sites in Two Days

Mr. Dougan, who became a Russian citizen last year and voted in the country’s presidential election in March, said in his messages to The Times that he made a living by selling security devices he designed for a manufacturer in China. He denied being paid by any Russian authorities, claiming he funds his activities himself.

His friend Mr. Lambiet, a private investigator and former journalist, said he considered Mr. Dougan a good man but cautioned that Mr. Dougan had a propensity to make things up. “He’s like a Russian disinformation campaign: It’s hard to know what’s true and what’s not,” he said.

As evidence of Mr. Dougan’s role in the news sites has emerged, he has shifted tactics. Recorded Future, the threat intelligence company, released a report this month that detailed his ties to agencies linked to the Russian disinformation. The report documented the extensive use of A.I., which one of the company’s researchers, Clément Briens, estimated made Mr. Dougan’s work far cheaper than hiring a troll army.

At the time, Recorded Future identified 57 domains that Mr. Dougan had created. In a two-day span after the report was published, 103 new sites appeared, all on a server in California.

“He’s trying to obfuscate the Russian links,” Mr. Briens said.

Mr. Dougan at times treats his activities as a game of cat and mouse. He spent months engaging with a researcher at NewsGuard, McKenzie Sadeghi, revealing details of his life in Moscow while mocking her boss, Mr. Brill.

“He seemed to be toying with me, both to elicit my responses and, it seemed, to show off his talent for global online mischief, without actually admitting anything,” she wrote in the report published on Wednesday.

While Mr. Dougan’s sites have focused on Russian narratives about the war in Ukraine, the researchers and government officials say he has laid the foundation for interference in the unusually large confluence of elections taking place around the world this year.

This suggests a “risk of an expanded operation scope in the near future, potentially targeting diverse audiences and democratic systems in Europe and other Western nations for various strategic objectives,” the diplomatic service of the European Union wrote in a report last month when the network included only 23 websites.

In recent weeks, the sites have included themes that seem intended to stoke the partisan fires in the United States before November’s presidential election.

Last month, articles appeared on two of Mr. Dougan’s newer fake sites, The Houston Post and The Flagstaff Post, detailing a baseless claim that the F.B.I. had planted an eavesdropping device in Mr. Trump’s office at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

Some of the new sites have names, like Right Review and Red State Report, that suggest a conservative political bent. In April, a site that researchers also linked to Mr. Dougan offered “major cryptocurrency rewards” for leaks of information about American officials, singling out two prosecutors and a judge involved in the criminal cases against Mr. Trump.

“If the site was mine,” he wrote in response to a question about it, “I would want people to give documents on any dirty politician, Republican, Democrat or other.”

Steven Lee Myers covers misinformation and disinformation from San Francisco. Since joining The Times in 1989, he has reported from around the world, including Moscow, Baghdad, Beijing and Seoul. More about Steven Lee Myers

Energy shutdowns hit Ukraine after Russian attacks target infrastructure

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Ukraine imposed emergency power shutdowns in most of the country Sunday, a day after Russia unleashed large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure and claimed it made gains in the eastern Donetsk province.

The shutdowns were in place in all but three regions of Ukraine following Saturday’s drone and missile attack on energy targets that injured at least 19 people.

Ukraine’s state-owned power grid operator Ukrenergo said the shutdowns affected industrial and household consumers.

Sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid in recent weeks have forced the government to institute nationwide rolling blackouts. Without adequate air defenses to counter assaults and allow for repairs, though, the shortages could still worsen as need spikes in late summer and the bitter-cold winter.

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Among the most significant recent strikes were an April barrage that damaged Kyiv’s largest thermal power plant and a massive attack May 8 that targeted power generation and transmission facilities in several regions.

Following Saturday’s barrage, Ukraine’s air force said Sunday that air defenses had shot down all 25 drones launched overnight.

Russia claimed Sunday that it had taken control of the village of Umanske in the partially Russian-occupied Donetsk region.

Russia’s coordinated new offensive has centered on Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, but seems to include testing Ukrainian defenses in Donetsk farther south, while also launching incursions in the northern Sumy and Chernihiv regions.

In Russia, six people were injured in shelling in the city of Shebekino in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said Sunday. He also said that a local official, the deputy head of the Korochansky district, had been killed by “detonation of ammunition.” He gave no details.

Russia launches sweeping attack on Ukraine’s power sector, a sign of possible escalation

Russia attacks power facilities across Ukraine, including the largest hydroelectric plant, causing widespread outages and killing at least five people.

March 22, 2024

In the neighboring Kursk region, three people were injured Sunday when an explosive device was dropped from a drone, according to acting regional head Alexey Smirnov.

Speaking at Asia’s premier security conference in Singapore, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused China on Sunday of helping Russia to disrupt an upcoming Swiss-organized peace conference on the war in Ukraine.

Also on Sunday, White House national security communications advisor John F. Kirby confirmed President Biden agreed to allowing Ukraine to use some U.S.-provided weapons to strike inside Russia to relieve “incredible downward pressure” that Russia has put on Kharkiv.

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Ukraine’s president says Russia launched a massive nighttime attack on energy facilities in Ukraine, targeting seven regions with missiles and drones.

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Earlier this week, four U.S. officials, who requested anonymity, said Biden had given Ukraine the go-ahead to use American weaponry to strike inside Russia for the limited purpose of defending Kharkiv.

Ukraine asked for permission to use the U.S.-provided weapons to strike against “imminent threats just across the border,” Kirby said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos.”

“We’re talking about military emplacements, gun positions, that kind of thing. Logistics staging bases that the Russians were using to create some sort of buffer zone so that they could continue to pound Kharkiv.” Kirby said the permission is “limited to the Kharkiv region and it is limited with respect to the kinds of targets they can hit, and how far back they can go.”

Kullab and Morton write for the Associated Press. Morton reported from London. AP writer Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.

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