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Ukraine is preparing a partisan resistance that will operate behind Russian lines should President Vladimir Putin order a full-scale invasion and attempt to occupy Ukrainian cities.
A senior Ukrainian security source directly involved in the preparations said the plan would involve sleeper agents already in place in the occupied Crimean Peninsula, as well as the Donbas region that is under the control of a pro-Russian militia. Other agents are setting up now in places like Kharkiv – a city of 1.4 million people less than 50 kilometres from the increasingly militarized border – that are considered possible targets of any Russian aggression.
The source, whom The Globe is not naming because of the sensitivity of their post, said they could not discuss details such as the number of agents currently in the field, or the kind of insurgency campaign they might be planning.
More coverage:
- Latvia asks Western allies, including Canada, to help bolster its defences in face of Russian threat
- Andrew Coyne: Trudeau stands squarely for Ukraine’s right to defend itself – with everything but weapons
- Explainer: What’s the latest in Russia and NATO’s standoff over Ukraine? The story so far
Ukrainian servicemen carry water supplies for an advanced position on the front line in the Luhansk area, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022.Vadim Ghirda/The Associated Press
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Erin O’Toole to meet with ‘Freedom Convoy’ protesters; parliamentary security warns MPs of potential threats
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole says he will meet some of those heading to Ottawa in a convoy against vaccine mandates, as the head of security for the House of Commons warned MPs that some protesters may target their personal residences in the country’s capital.
In a memo that The Globe obtained, Sergeant-at-Arms Patrick McDonell said some individuals – not named – have inquired online about the personal addresses of local MPs in connection with the rally. The memo describes this activity as potential doxing, or a process where personal information is posted online with malicious intent.
McDonnell’s memo urges MPs who may be confronted with a demonstration at their home or constituency office to “not get involved and to go somewhere safe.”
- Explainer: Why an anti-vaccine-mandate trucker convoy is driving across Canada
- Gary Mason: Trucker convoy has evolved into something far more dangerous
Family of Afghan boy who became one of Lionel Messi’s best-known fans faces Taliban threats
The family of an Afghan boy who became famous at five years old after a photo of him in a Lionel Messi jersey made from a plastic bag went viral says they live under constant threat from the Taliban and want help getting out of the country.
In 2016, Murtaza Ahmadi begged his father for a Messi jersey, because he was a huge fan of the Argentine soccer player, his sister Mahdia Ahmadi remembers. Because they couldn’t afford one, Murtaza’s brother Hamayoon made him the shirt, and put “Messi” on it. Murtaza’s brother shared a photo of him sporting the jersey on Facebook that went viral and eventually reached Messi. The soccer player sent Murtaza an autographed shirt and a signed football, and months later, they met at one of his games in Qatar.
What was meant to be a dream come true for the little boy turned his life upside down. As the excitement came, so did threatening phone calls and intimidation.
Read more:
- Canada left out of Taliban talks held by Norway
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Authorities identify bodies of family from India who tried to cross into U.S. by foot: India’s High Commission in Ottawa and RCMP have confirmed the identities of four Indian nationals whose bodies were found frozen in Manitoba near the border last week. Mounties are pleading for information surrounding their deaths.
Biden vows to name a Black woman to U.S. Supreme Court by end of February: U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday said he plans by the end of February to nominate a Black woman as the successor to retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, a historic first that he called “long overdue.” The 83-year-old justice plans to depart at the conclusion of the court’s term.
Trudeau isolating after COVID-19 exposure: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the rapid antigen test he took came back negative, but will isolate for five days – according to public-health rules – after he learned about his exposure to the virus.
- Listen to The Decibel: The promises and limitations of the new COVID-19 pill
Election review report calls on Conservatives to improve outreach, reduce infighting, sources say: An internal autopsy of the Conservatives’ 2021 election campaign says party leader Erin O’Toole comes across as over-coached and needs to be more assertive, sources say. The party is also being urged to review its team of senior advisers, reduce infighting and improve its outreach to racialized communities.
MORNING MARKETS
Europe’s main bourses fell again on Friday as worries about a sudden stop to central bank stimulus and rising tensions between Western powers and Moscow continued to drive world stocks to one of their worst ever starts to a year. Strong earnings from Apple provided some encouragement for battered tech and North American markets, but traders were struggling to draw a line under a global selloff that has now firmly taken root. The Canadian dollar was trading at 78.15 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Erin O’Toole has to unhitch Conservatives from the ‘Freedom Convoy,’ or get run over
“Those in the convoy are of course within their rights to protest peacefully. But they, along with the Conservative MPs supporting them, are completely out of touch with the vast majority of Canadians.” - Editorial
We still don’t know who betrayed Anne Frank
“Ms. Sullivan does an admirable job providing the historical perspective and an account of an impressive research effort. Literally, no stone or document is left unturned. But no matter how much she and the members of the team want to believe and are convinced they have likely solved this mystery, they have certainly not.” - Allan Levine
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
Brian Gable/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
Literary gems to brighten the darkest season
The dead of winter tends to be dead, or at least slow, for publishing as well. But as this selection of fiction and non-fiction titles – from Carl Bernstein’s coming-of-age memoir, Chasing History, to Sheila Heti’s latest novel, Pure Colour – show, there are always a handful of gems to brighten these short, frigid days.
MOMENT IN TIME: Jan. 28, 1911
Federal officials hear grievances over residential schools and other issues
In January, 1911, a small delegation representing Treaty 4 bands from Saskatchewan travelled to Ottawa to present First Nations grievances directly to Wilfrid Laurier’s Liberal government.Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan (R-B584)
In January, 1911, a small delegation representing Treaty 4 bands travelled to Ottawa to present First Nations grievances directly to Wilfrid Laurier’s Liberal government. Not only did the delegates meet face to face with the country’s two senior Indian Affairs officials, cabinet minister Frank Oliver and his deputy Frank Pedley, but the discussions also lasted a remarkable five days. Louis O’Soup from Cowessess First Nation, who had been present at the signing of Treaty 4 almost 40 years earlier, talked about his people’s inability to make a living because they had little control over their lives. Other speakers raised a number of related concerns: the residential schools experience, the permit system, the ban on religious ceremonies, and the removal of chiefs. They also demanded to know what had happened to the money secured from the sale of surrendered reserve lands. During the daily meetings, the two federal officials repeatedly assured the delegation that Treaty 4 bands were not being cheated; privately, the Indian Affairs department dismissed the delegates as “a few misguided malcontents.” When the meeting concluded on this day in 1911, the only concession was that O’Soup be provided with an artificial leg to replace the right limb he had lost in an accident. Bill Waiser
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