Zero Hedge

Critical Part Of Hungary & Slovakia's Russian Oil Flows Has Just Been Blown Up

Critical Part Of Hungary & Slovakia's Russian Oil Flows Has Just Been Blown Up

Ukraine's long-range drone campaign has reportedly once again struck at the heart of Russia's energy artery, igniting a fire at a key Transneft oil pumping station in the republic of Tatarstan early Monday.

Regional officials confirmed the incident after local media and Telegram channels first reported explosions near the strategic facility, with authorities announcing: "as a result of falling drone debris, a local fire broke out in an industrial zone."

Source: Moscow Times/@exilenova_plus

No casualties resulted from the blasts which took place around 4am at the Kaleykino pumping station. A fire ensued after eyewitnesses reported hearing some seven explosions.

Ukrainian media has cited a source who described, "Tonight, long-range SBU drones caused a 'bavovna' (explosion) at the main oil pumping station 'Kaleykino' near Almetyevsk in Tatarstan. It receives oil from Western Siberia and the Volga region and mixes it before sending it for export. The station is a key hub for supplying raw materials to the 'Druzhba' oil pipeline."

The Moscow Times also notes: 

Kaleykino serves as a critical receiving and mixing terminal that aggregates crude oil flows from several Russian regions and facilitates the transport of nearly 30% of the country’s crude oil toward major export routes like the Druzhba pipeline.

Druzhba has been featured heavily in the news of late, given oil shipments to Hungary and Slovakia via Druzhba were halted after a Jan. 27 airstrike on equipment in western Ukraine.

Ukraine blamed the attack on Moscow, while Hungary is blaming Kiev for deliberately not repairing the pipeline because it doesn't want it to supply Budapest, or Slovakia, with Russian oil. A political firestorm has ensued ever since.

The controversy has led the Orban government to on Monday block the EU's proposed €90 billion loan package for Ukraine and also it vetoed the 20th round of anti-Moscow sanctions.

Interesting timing, to say the least...

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has been very open about its cross-border aims regarding attacks on Russian energy, with a Ukrainian SBU official boasting as follows: 

"The SBU is systematically working to cut down on the extraction and transportation of Russian oil. Our special operations are methodically reducing the filling of the Russian budget with petrodollars, which finance the war against Ukraine. This work will continue to exhaust and gradually bleed the Russian economy."

At the same time, Hungary and Slovakia's stances as disrupters of EU policy have been a big 'win' for Moscow.

Tyler Durden Tue, 02/24/2026 - 04:15

These Are The World's 10 Deadliest Viruses

These Are The World's 10 Deadliest Viruses

Some viruses infect millions but kill relatively few. Others spread less widely yet prove far more lethal once contracted.

This graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti, ranks 10 of the world’s deadliest viruses by case fatality rate: the percentage of infected people who die from the disease.

Rabies tops the list, with a fatality rate approaching 100% once symptoms appear.

The data for this visualization comes from various sources such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the BC Centre for Disease Control, the Australian Government, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Reuters, and the UK Government.

Rabies: Almost Universally Fatal

The virus kills an estimated 59,000 people per year, primarily in Africa and Southeast Asia. The virus spreads primarily through the saliva of infected animals, especially dogs.

Despite being vaccine-preventable, rabies still causes thousands of deaths, mainly in Africa and Southeast Asia. Limited access to post-exposure treatment is a key reason for its continued toll.

Hemorrhagic Fevers: Ebola, Marburg, and CCHF

Several of the viruses on the list cause viral hemorrhagic fevers, including Ebola, Marburg, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). These diseases often lead to severe internal bleeding and organ failure.

Ebola and Marburg both have fatality rates around 50%, with outbreaks concentrated in Central and Sub-Saharan Africa. The 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak alone killed over 11,000 people and brought global attention to epidemic preparedness.

CCHF, transmitted primarily through ticks and livestock, is more geographically widespread across Eurasia and Africa. While its fatality rate ranges from 10–40%, it causes an estimated 1,000–2,000 deaths annually.

Zoonotic Spillover: From Bats to Camels

Most of the viruses ranked here originate in animals. Fruit bats are linked to Nipah and Marburg viruses, while rodents are associated with Lujo virus. Camels are the primary reservoir for MERS-CoV, first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.

Avian influenza (H5N1) spreads from infected birds and has a roughly 50% fatality rate among confirmed human cases—far higher than seasonal flu. Although human infections remain relatively rare, the high case fatality rate has kept global health authorities on alert.

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Countries With the Biggest Gains in Life Expectancy on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

Tyler Durden Tue, 02/24/2026 - 02:45

Despite Deportation Order Dating Back 23 Years, Bosnian Criminal Migrant Gets €7,250 Every Month In Welfare From German Taxpayers

Despite Deportation Order Dating Back 23 Years, Bosnian Criminal Migrant Gets €7,250 Every Month In Welfare From German Taxpayers

Via Remix News,

A Bosnian national, identified as Huso B., is being labeled one of the worst cases of a foreigner taking advantage of Germany’s generous welfare system.

The man, who has numerous criminal offenses on his record, remains in Germany despite being under a mandatory order to leave the country for 23 years.

Remarkably, the German justice system failed to find him and “suspended” criminal proceedings against him, while Bild newspaper then went on to find him with ease.

Despite Huso B. overstaying his welcome by decades, the state provides him €7250.77 every month to support his wife and eight children.

The bureaucratic confusion reached a new peak last December. When the Cologne District Court attempted to try B. on fraud charges, officials claimed he could not be located—despite his address being documented by the City of Cologne and the city’s job center. However, reporters from Bild newspaper were able to find him almost immediately.

On Dec. 8, 2025, Huso B. was scheduled to appear before the Cologne District Court. He faces allegations of defrauding a drugstore chain out of a four-figure sum across three separate instances. However, the trial was derailed because the court’s formal summons was reportedly never served at his asylum seeker accommodation.

According to officials, the postman was unable to deliver the documents to B. personally or leave them in a mailbox. Because the court was “thus unable to load him,“ the trial date was scrapped, and the legal proceedings were suspended.

Bild, however, appears to have embarrassed the city government and the German legal system.

The paper sent a reporter directly to the asylum seeker’s home in southern Cologne.

There, without much work, they found his mailbox with his name clearly listed.

Not only that, but once the reporters arrived, they found Huso B. in person.

He spoke to the reporters, telling them that he does not have any legal troubles and the last time he was investigated was back in 2014.

Bild’s efforts did not go to waste.

Once Bild revealed the incompetence of German authorities, they are now responding

“He is currently being searched for. However, there is no arrest warrant against him. That would be disproportionate given the allegations made,“ Cologne’s senior public prosecutor Ulrich Bremer told Bild.

“However, we will now use the Bild research as an opportunity to check again whether he can be found at the address.“

Bild further highlighted the absurd situation in the Cologne justice system. While the police and justices said Huso B. could not be found, the social welfare office was continuing to send him money.

He and his family receive €87,000 a year under the Asylum Seekers Benefit Act, which includes “support for living expenses.”

In addition, the family lives rent-free in a state-provided home. When reviewing documents from the Job Center, the press confirmed that the proper address is on file and that the welfare office authorities had this information the entire time.

Read more here...

Tyler Durden Tue, 02/24/2026 - 02:00

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