Oorlog in Oekraïne #950 No Surrender

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 20:59 schreef cabe0002 het volgende:

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Ik zie 0,0 onderbouwing hier in dit artikel. Op jaarbasis kost Rusland dit miljarden aan gederfde inkomsten. Dus hoe is dit alleen wat PR-effect? En we zullen we zien hoe snel ze de schade kunnen repareren met alle sancties die ze nu hebben. En waarom heeft Rusland dan een export stop ingesteld als het geen effect heeft?

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Ernst and Krutikhin noted that unlike other oil infrastructure such as pipelines, a lot of complex machinery and sophisticated engineering goes into refineries, and they can take several months to fix. Some analysts say the repairs could take longer than usual because sanctions prohibit Western sales of certain components to Russia.

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Mikhail Krutikhin, an independent Russian energy analyst living in exile in Oslo, Norway, said the strikes had prompted Moscow to introduce a six-month ban on gasoline exports, starting March 1, to try to ensure that domestic demand is met while repairs are made to damaged refineries.

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Sergey Vakulenko, an energy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a research group, said Russia was producing far more diesel than it needed to supply its troops. "It will be quite a while before Ukraine manages to hit enough refining units to have an impact on Russia’s diesel capacity,” he said.

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On Thursday, Pavel Sorokin, Russia’s first deputy energy minister, suggested that Russia was pivoting again to meet a new challenge. He acknowledged that he expected the output of refineries to decrease this year, according to the Russian state news agency Tass. But he indicated that the country has options and would instead increase its crude oil exports.

"The situation is stable,” he said, according to Tass. "There is nothing critical because it means oil exports will be higher.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 21:09 schreef 3rr0r het volgende:

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Hier wat uit een ander artikel van de Japan Times omtrent die drone anvallen en effecten ervan:

Paar maanden voor reparatie en wellicht langer door de sancties voor onderdelen.
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Analyst die zegt dat de ban het gevolg is van de drone strikes
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Expert die zegt dat het geen effect zal hebben voor diesel voor Russische troepen.
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Rus beweert dat ze gewoon meer ruwe olie exporteren dan. Kennelijk weten/denken ze dat er elders wel genoeg raffinagecapaciteit is, of hij praat onzin natuurlijk.
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https://www.japantimes.co(...)e-russia-oil-target/

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 20:48 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

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Omdat het al meer dan een jaar in een patstelling bevind. Wat Zaluzhny ook toegegeven heeft.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 20:48 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

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Het is denk ik duidelijker als je ziet hoe groot een raffinaderij is en zo zijn er een stuk of 20. Je kan wel degelijk serieuze schade aanrichten, maar dan moet je het echt met tientallen drones weten te raken.

https://www.google.com.mx(...)%2F0281_08?entry=ttu

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 21:19 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Zolang er massa's Russen dood gaan is er geen patstelling.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 21:19 schreef 3rr0r het volgende:

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Je hoeft niet de hele raffinaderij plat te bombarderen om hem buiten werking te stellen lijkt me.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 20:37 schreef 3rr0r het volgende:

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https://nos.nl/artikel/25(...)vallen-op-oliesector

Laatst postte iemand @:oheng (?) hier dat Oekraine juist de onderdelen van de raffinaderijen probeert te raken die niet even makkelijk te repareren zijn. Of dat zo is en of ze daarin slagen zullen we wel niet echt te weten komen. Maar de experts in het NOS artikel vinden het dus niks voorstellen en geen effect anders dan wat PR.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 21:39 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

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Het zijn allemaal losse eenheden, het zijn eenheden die onafhankelijk van elkaar produceren. Zie het gebruik van "units" in het artikel wat je postte. Je schakelt dus bij een aanval een unit uit, niet de hele fabriek.
Maar dan nog is het aanzienlijke schade, zeker als je het aantal drones waarmee je kunt aanvallen kunt doen toenemen.
Bijvoorbeeld die Kinef fabriek heeft 20 raffinageëenheden.

In principe kun je zo'n fabriek wel tijdelijk uitschakelen, dan zul je echter het controle centrum moeten raken en dat is eigenlijk altijd wel goed beschermd.

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Putin may be the biggest dupe of his fake election landslide
With official results showing he won 9 out of every 10 votes, has the Russian autocrat overplayed his hand?

“The most important outcome of any Russian election is legitimacy,” Vladimir Putin told Russia’s top election officials when they gathered at his residence outside Moscow in November. “That is the foundation of political stability.”

On Sunday, after three days of voting, those same officials declared a landslide victory for the president, giving him a record 87 percent of the vote.

There is no doubt that Putin will use the outcome as proof of mass support. But such a distorted election — in which all challengers were crushed and even the dead may have voted for him — risks undermining the political stability he craves.

This election was a historic low for post-Soviet Russia.

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Czechia to propose EU-wide grain import ban on Russia, Belarus
Czechia is planning to propose a ban on grain imports from Russia and Belarus into European Union countries at next week's European Council meeting, Czech Agriculture Minister Marek Vyborny said on March 17.

Over the last year, 1.5 million tons of grain were imported into the EU market from Russia, which amounted to more than what was imported before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

“There is no reason why we should support the aggressor by buying Russian grain in Europe,” Vyborny said on Czech television, insisting that grain must be added to the list of sanctions.

The European Union has already implemented thirteen sanctions packages against Russia, including on trade restrictions, travel bans, and freezing of assets.

In February, Latvia’s parliament voted to ban a list of Russian and Belarusian agricultural and food product imports.

"This Latvian initiative to ban the import of agricultural and fodder products from Russia and Belarus... is an additional element to the common EU sanctions policy,” the Latvian government statement read.

Similarly, on March 14, the Lithuanian parliament adopted a resolution calling on the EU to ban Russian grain crop imports.

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Ukraine's Baykar factory: production plans for Bayraktar drones

Turkish Bayraktar drones, symbols of Ukrainian resistance, are soon to be manufactured in Ukraine, symbolizing deeper ties

The text covers the following:
• Bayraktar in Ukraine
• What is Bayraktar and what are its features
• What will the Baykar plant in Ukraine look like
• When will there be a Bayraktar plant in Ukraine

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Slovenia to help purchase shells for Ukraine
Slovenia will join the Czech Republic’s initiative to purchase and supply artillery shells for the Ukrainian Defense Forces outside the European Union.

The Ministry of Defense of Slovenia announced this on social media.

Thus, Slovenia will join other countries that have already supported the Czech initiative to jointly purchase and quickly deliver large-caliber ammunition to Ukraine.

For this purpose, the Slovenian government has allocated one million euros as part of its contribution.

President Pavel announced the possibility of purchasing artillery shells for Ukraine from third countries at the Munich Security Conference in mid-February.

According to the Czech President, the country’s representatives managed to find about 500,000 155-mm artillery shells and 300,000 122mm shells abroad.

To date, more than 15 countries have committed to finance the purchase of artillery shells. Among them are Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Lithuania, France, Norway, as well as Canada and Sweden and Portugal.

Currently, representatives of the Czech Republic do not comment on the cost of potential deals for the purchase of artillery shells as part of military assistance for Ukraine.

According to TomᨠKopečný, Government Commissioner for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, the delivery of ammunition to Ukraine will take several months.

In addition, Kopečný also announced the plans to expand the initiative, which will be announced after the first 800,000 artillery shells are financed.

Subsequently, the Czech Republic announced the possibility of purchasing another 200,000 artillery shells for Ukraine.

Militarnyi also recently reported that, in addition to the Czech ammunition procurement initiative, Ukraine wants to implement two more such campaigns by the end of the year and is already working with partners to finance them.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 21:18 schreef cabe0002 het volgende:

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Bedankt dat je mijn post onderstreept.
Reken nou nog even die paar maanden of laten we zeggen een half jaar om in harde euro's. En dat terwijl Oekraïne nog maar een maandje bezig is met deze strategie....
Reken daarna nog even door wat het het verschil tussen ruwe olie exporteren tov van benzine/diesel etc.
Dit zijn miljarden aan gemiste inkomsten maat.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 21:19 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Zolang er massa's Russen dood gaan is er geen patstelling.

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Volkov attack signals Russia’s return to cold war-era spying in Europe
Defence experts say Moscow is rapidly improving its intelligence operations after Ukraine invasion

It was a crude and violent assault, but as a bloody message, it was chillingly effective. An attacker ambushed Leonid Volkov, a close adviser to the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Nalvany, outside his home on the outskirts of Vilnius, Lithuania. The time was 10.06pm on Tuesday night as he arrived, after having filmed an anti-Putin video in time for this weekend’s election.

The assailant smashed open the car window and blasted Volkov with teargas, and repeatedly struck him with a hammer – about 15 times – breaking his left arm and bloodying his left leg before fleeing the scene. It was, Volkov said in the aftermath, “an obvious, characteristic, typical, gangster-style greeting from Putin” and the assault reflected an emerging truth: Russian intelligence operations in Europe are back.

On Thursday, Lithuanian intelligence said the plot “seems to be the work of the Russian special services”, though Darius Jauniskis, the director of state security, said Moscow had apparently using a hired hand to carry out the attack itself. Since the invasion of Ukraine, more than 400 and up to 600 Russian intelligence officers have been expelled from embassies around Europe. Rebuilding the network at speed is said by analysts to have required Moscow to tap into organised crime to help carry out its dirty work.

A month earlier, Maksim Kuzminov, a Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine, was found dead with half a dozen shotgun wounds, on the Costa Blanca. He had moved to Spain in the hope of starting a new life. Although firm evidence was absent, Spanish intelligence concluded that he had been slain on Russian orders, probably by hired killers. After the shooting, they had run over his body and subsequently burned out their getaway car, before almost certainly fleeing the country.

Late last month, a sixth Bulgarian, Tihomir Ivanchev, a painter and decorator, was arrested and charged in the UK on suspicion of committing espionage. He is expected to stand trial this autumn, alongside five fellow nationals. All are accused of spying for Moscow in collaboration with Jan Marsalek, a former executive of the German company Wirecard, who is wanted by Interpol after fleeing to Russia following its collapse in 2020.

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Prosecutor General's Office: Over 128,000 victims of war crimes recorded in Ukraine
Ukraine has collected pretrial information on over 128,000 victims of war crimes, Veronika Plotnikova, the head of the Coordinating Center for Support of Victims and Witnesses of the Prosecutor General's Office, said on air on March 18.

War crimes include acts such as deliberate attacks on civilians, attacks on cultural sites or medical institutions, torture, and deportations.

Though the Coordinating Center is currently working with 170 victims of war crimes, "the real number of people who need help is much higher," as information on over 128,000 victims of war crimes has been recorded in the national register of pretrial investigations, Plotnikova said.

The Coordinating Center "provides a bridge between victims and those who provide help," Plotnikova said.

According to Plotnikova, staff at the Coordination Center are trained to use accessible language to tell victims and witnesses of war crimes which procedural actions are taking place, and to accompany them to court, while taking care not to retraumatize the victims.

"We are creating an ecosystem of support because no government body, no organization can provide for so many victims."

Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said in November 2023 that Ukraine had collected evidence of 109,000 Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

"It's our commitment to decide to document, prosecute each and every incident, because each and every incident of war crimes has its victims," Kostin told Politico at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada.

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Three Exhausted Ukrainian Brigades Guarded Robotyne. Just One Fresh Brigade—The 141st—Came To Help.
Robotyne, a town in southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast, marks the farthest advance of Ukrainian forces in their summer 2023 offensive. As summer turned to fall last year, the weary Ukrainians dug in—and braced for the inevitable Russian counterattack.

When the Russians finally came, in October, the very same exhausted Ukrainian brigades that had liberated Robotyne now had to defend it. Nearly six months later, those same brigades still are there—and only recently have begun to receive some reinforcements in the form of the 141st Infantry Brigade, one of Ukraine’s newest combat formations.

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Defense fortifications are being strengthened and built in Odesa region

On the territory of the Odesa region new defensive lines are being renewed, strengthened and created.

This was told by Oleh Kiper, Head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, and shown by published corresponding photos.

According to the official, strengthening the defense capability of the region is a priority.

Kiper said that fortifications are being built in the region, and the barriers, dragon`s teeth, anti-tank ditches and other non-explosive barriers are being installed.

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Russian Rebels' Raid Settlements Just 10 Miles From Nuclear Storage Site
Russian volunteer fighters who staged an incursion from Ukraine across Russia's border are within miles of an empty nuclear storage site.

The Freedom of Russia Legion, Siberian Battalion, and the Russian Volunteer Corps, are fiercely critical of Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion. Last week, they said they had crossed into the Belgorod and Kursk oblasts. On Sunday, the Siberian Battalion said on Telegram that "Russian liberation forces" had taken control of the administration building in the village of Gorkovsky.

The groups staged similar incursions in May 2023. Ukrainian intelligence service had said at the time this had led to Russian forces evacuating nuclear ammunition stockpiles from the Belgorod-22 facility in the region's Grayvoronsky district.

This was not independently verified amid doubts that it could take place unnoticed, while Kremlin-friendly Telegram channel Rybar said at the time nuclear weapons had not been at the site for a long time before the raid.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 21:56 schreef 3rr0r het volgende:

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Als de boel goed in de fik gaat kan 1 drone alsnog meer installaties kapot krijgen misschien. Maar ze zullen op zo'n plek wel goed voorbereid zijn op het uitbreken van een brand en die snel kunnen blussen. Je hebt eigenlijk zo'n tungstenregen als bij een GLMRS van een HIMARS nodig om zoveel mogelijk buizen en torens te beschadigen.

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SBU Detains Two FSB Agents Coordinating Missile Strikes, Burying Russian Soldiers Near Kyiv
The investigation led to the detention of two individuals who previously served with Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and who received monetary “rewards” from Russia for completing their tasks.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has exposed two Ukrainians recruited by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) to coordinate missile strikes on Ukraine and bury the remains of Russian soldiers killed near Kyiv.

“The recruited father and son were preparing Russian missile strikes on the capital region,” the SBU's press service reported on Telegram.

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Romania agrees to train 50 Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters – Digi24
According to the Digi24 news outlet, the corresponding decision was made by the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis

The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has given his consent to the training of about 50 Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets at the training center at the Fetești Air Force base, reported local agency Digi24 with reference to an unnamed source in the country's authorities.

The Romanian leader reportedly sent a letter to the parliament in which he informed that he agreed to the training of about 50 Ukrainian soldiers on F-16 aircraft.
Iohannis also approved the transit to Ukraine of the equipment and material values transferred by Finland. On March 18, this letter was included in the agenda of the joint meeting of the leadership of both chambers of the Romanian legislature.

The interlocutor of the publication did not say when the training will begin, but Digi24 sources claim that Ukrainian pilots should arrive at the air base this summer, and the training will end at the end of 2024.

On January 5, 2024, it was reported that Belgium plans to send two F-16 fighter jets to Denmark and about 50 personnel between March and September 2024 to train Ukrainian pilots.

On February 15, the speaker of the Ministry of Defense Oleksandr Pavlyuk reported that the issue of F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine was not discussed at the 19th Ramstein format meeting, because all decisions had already been made.

On March 1, the then spokesman of the command of the Armed Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Yuriy Ihnat, reported that Ukrainian pilots are already practicing the task of striking air and ground targets on F-16 fighters, and training tactical techniques.

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EU condemns Russia's illegal election in occupied Ukraine, organizers to 'face consequences'
The results of Russia's election in occupied territories of Ukraine are "null and void," and the election organizers "will face consequences of these illegal actions," Josep Borrell, the European Union's top diplomat, said in a statement on behalf of EU member states on March 18.

Russia conducted a pseudo-democratic presidential election on March 15-17 that granted Vladimir Putin, who has been in power since 1999, six more years in office.

The Russian authorities organized the election not only in Russia, but also in regions of Ukraine under Russian occupation, namely parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, as well as Crimea, in violation of international law.

The EU "does not and never will recognize either the holding of these so-called elections," Borrell said. The U.S., U.S., and Canada also denounced Russia for holding the illegal vote.

Russian voters were denied "a real choice" in the presidential elections, which took place in a "highly restricted environment," exacerbated "by Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine," Borrell said.

"The shocking death of opposition politician Alexei Navalny in the run-up to the elections is yet another sign of the accelerating and systematic repression," Borrell said.

The EU also "regrets" Russia's decision not to invite OSCE election observers, which goes against Russia's commitments to the OSCE and "has denied Russia's voters and institutions an impartial and independent assessment of these elections."

According to Borrell, the EU "will continue to support the important work of Russian civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and independent media."

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 22:29 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

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Blijft ironisch dat jij het beter weet dan Zaluzhny en Zelensky hunzelf. Alleen jouw woorden zijn de waarheid.

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Czech Republic Helps Rebuild Eight Hospitals in Kharkiv Region
UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Mar 18 — Tomas Kopecny, the commissioner of the Czech government for the restoration of Ukraine, said that in 2024 the Czech Republic joined projects to restore eight hospitals in the Kharkiv Oblast.

He said this in a commentary for Radio Svoboda.

According to Tomas Kopecny, Ukraine lacks the infrastructure to assist war victims. Therefore, the Czech Republic and Ukrainian partners are developing and implementing projects to train medical staff and rebuild medical facilities.

“Over the past year, we [the Czech Republic, together with Ukrainian partners] have sent our medical teams several times to treat post-traumatic disorders, as well as to assist in the fields of surgery, intensive care, and burns. They [medical teams] not only perform surgeries and provide services to Ukrainians but also train local doctors,” the Czech official said.

In addition to the Kharkiv Oblast, the Czech Republic is also helping to rebuild two hospitals in the Dnipro Oblast. Kopecny stressed that such cooperation is also beneficial for Czech companies, which can acquire unique experiences.

As the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration reported, the Czech government has allocated $10 million in aid to strengthen medical facilities in the Kharkiv Oblast. This is the third time since the start of the full-scale war that representatives of the Czech Republic have visited the Kharkiv Oblast.

The Czech Republic has also provided financial support by purchasing power-generating units. Now, the units supply power to boiler houses that heat 36 multi-story residential buildings, ten hospital complex buildings, educational institutions, a children’s development center, and other facilities.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 23:21 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
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Wat een onzin weer in beide gevallen.

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Belgium Agrees to Transfer Minesweeper to Ukrainian Navy

The Belgian government agreed to transfer the third Alkmaar-class minesweeper to the Ukrainian Navy.

This was announced to the Belga media by Ludivine Dedonder, Minister of Defense of Belgium.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 22:58 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

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Maar ook meer drones kan simpelweg hetzelfde effect sorteren. Bijvoorbeeld zo'n installatie als bij St Petersburg, als je die over 3 maanden met 200 drones raakt (stel 75% wordt neergeschoten) dan kun je alsnog prima de helft van de capaciteit beschadigen.
Momenteel heeft Oekraïne die capaciteit nog niet, maar die capaciteit en daarnaast de actieradius van drones verbetert snel.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 23:12 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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It's just logical deduction, dear Watson.

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A Ukrainian soldier said that Ukraine's losses are so heavy where he's fighting that they struggle to recover the bodies
• A Ukrainian soldier says they're suffering heavy casualties and are struggling in the country's northeast.
• Part of this is down to Russia's increased use of glide bombs, per The Times of London.
• F-16s could help counter this threat, but they are not expected to arrive until the summer.

A Ukrainian soldier fighting near the country's northern front line has described the menace of Russia's bombardment, telling the Times of London that they are "losing so many people, there are so many bodies we can't even bring them all back."

Describing the fight as "fucking awful," the soldier, identified by the paper as Lemur, added that Ukrainian forces in the area can't move forward.

"We can barely hold the line," he said.

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Ukraine to Receive Armored Vehicles and Artillery Ammunition from Belgium
Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder announced to Belga local media that the Belgian government has agreed on a new tranche of military aid for Ukraine.

This aid package will include armored vehicles and artillery ammunition.

On Friday, the Belgian Council of Ministers approved ¤412 million worth of defense aid, including ammunition, multi-purpose and armored medical evacuation vehicles.

The first package of military assistance worth ¤32.9 million is a joint initiative of the Benelux countries. As part of the cooperation, the governments of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg agreed to purchase reconnaissance drones and an unknown number of armored ambulances, which will be modernized before being transferred.

In addition, artillery ammunition worth ¤373.1 million will be transferred to Ukraine. The ammunition will be sourced from Defence’s own stocks as well as through an international group purchase from various companies.

The statement also states that the Belgian Ministry of Defense will finally deliver about 300 Lynx armored vehicles to Ukraine.

As part of the package, Belgium also pledged to hand over a third Alkmaar-class minesweeper together with the Netherlands, as Militarnyi wrote about earlier.

Belgium will hand over the Narcis ship after performing maintenance to ensure that it is fully ready for service in the Ukrainian Navy.

The total value of the above-mentioned assistance is ¤412 million, bringing Belgium’s financial assistance to Ukraine to ¤575.7 million in 2024.

In addition to raising its own funds, Belgium is also considering the possibility of using the ¤1.7 billion received from frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine’s defense needs.

At the beginning of March, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said that the Belgian government is ready to finance Ukrainian defense contracts from the profits received from frozen Russian assets in Belgium.

“Belgium has declared that it has received ¤1.7 billion in revenue from Russian assets. Part of these funds were allocated to support Ukrainian refugees in the EU. Belgium is partially ready to finance Ukraine’s needs, including defense,” said Denys Shmyhal.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 23:39 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

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Raar dat Zaluzhny of Zelensky dan dom zijn volgens jou.

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‘Putin Devours Lives of People’ – Pro-Kyiv Militias Claim Over 1,400 Russian Military Casualties
Russian anti-Putin volunteers assert significant losses for Kremlin troops and a blow to Putin’s image amid ongoing operations in Belgorod and Kursk.

Russian anti-Putin volunteers have claimed that their operations in the Belgorod and Kursk regions have resulted in substantial losses for the Russian army, with over 613 military personnel reported killed as of Monday morning, March 18.

The Freedom of Russia Legion (LSR) and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) conveyed through their Telegram channels: “In just a few days of conducting a limited military operation against Putin’s troops, our enemy has suffered significant losses in manpower and equipment.”

The reported losses of the Russian army in the Belgorod and Kursk regions total 613 military personnel permanently lost, 829 with injuries, and 27 captured.

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Poroshenko Hands Over Mobile Command Complex for Ukrainian Aviators

MP Petro Poroshenko handed over the command and staff complex made by order of military pilots.

The news was published on Petro Poroshenko’s X account.

Petro Poroshenko, together with volunteers of the NGO Sparva Hromad, handed over the first command and staff complex, which should provide operation in the field for Ukrainian pilots.

Based on the DAF YA truck, the mobile complex consists of two parts: a headquarters and a rest area. The work area is located on the truck chassis, and the place for rest—in the trailer.

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Car industry insists 2,000% increase in sales to Azerbaijan has nothing to do with Russia
Sky News analysis found that over precisely the same period as British car exports to Azerbaijan rose sharply, there was a near-simultaneous rise in car exports from Azerbaijan to Russia.

Britain's car industry has insisted that an unprecedented 2,000% increase in vehicle exports to Azerbaijan has nothing to with Russia and is explained by the fact that the former Soviet state is a "flourishing market in its own right".

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General Command of the Armed Forces: unarmed unmanned aerial vehicle MQ9 Reaper of the US Air Force in Europe, performing a planned quarterly training at the airport in Mirosławiec, lost contact with the base. The ship is waiting for an emergency landing. The services were put on alert.

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Trump is unable to make $464 million bond in civil fraud case, his lawyers tell court
Former President Donald Trump can’t find an insurance company to underwrite his bond to cover the massive judgment against him in the New York attorney general’s civil fraud case, his lawyers told a New York appeals court.

Trump’s attorneys said he has approached 30 underwriters to back the bond, which is due by the end of this month.

“The amount of the judgment, with interest, exceeds $464 million, and very few bonding companies will consider a bond of anything approaching that magnitude,” Trump’s lawyers wrote. (Trump himself was ordered to pay $454 million; the $464 million includes the disgorgement for his adult sons Don Jr. and Eric.)

An insurance broker, Gary Giulietti, who testified for Trump during the civil fraud trial, signed an affidavit stating that securing a bond in the full amount “is a practical impossibility.”

Potential underwriters are seeking cash to back the bond, not properties, according to Trump’s lawyers.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 23:21 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 01:15 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:

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Echt, wat een zombies allemaal.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 23:21 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
Wat een onzin weer in beide gevallen.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 07:14 schreef Momo het volgende:

[..]
Als Rus in Estland wonen en dan beginnen over hoe kut Estland is en hoe goed Rusland.
Of moeten ze daar enkel zitten zodat er wel een deel van de Estse bevolking Russisch moet zijn?

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 01:15 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:

[..]
Echt, wat een zombies allemaal.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 20:48 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Het is denk ik duidelijker als je ziet hoe groot een raffinaderij is en zo zijn er een stuk of 20. Je kan wel degelijk serieuze schade aanrichten, maar dan moet je het echt met tientallen drones weten te raken.

https://www.google.com.mx(...)%2F0281_08?entry=ttu

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 07:14 schreef Momo het volgende:

[..]
Als Rus in Estland wonen en dan beginnen over hoe kut Estland is en hoe goed Rusland.
Of moeten ze daar enkel zitten zodat er wel een deel van de Estse bevolking Russisch moet zijn?

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 20:48 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Het is denk ik duidelijker als je ziet hoe groot een raffinaderij is en zo zijn er een stuk of 20. Je kan wel degelijk serieuze schade aanrichten, maar dan moet je het echt met tientallen drones weten te raken.

https://www.google.com.mx(...)%2F0281_08?entry=ttu

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 10:01 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Oef.

[ afbeelding ]

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 09:42 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Dat zegt dus totaal niks. Als je wel eens op zo'n object gewerkt hebt, weet je dat het redelijk normaal is dat als bepaalde processen stilvallen, bepaalde vloeistoffen afkoelen, stollen, of veel te dik worden. Betekent dat je complete leidingen mag vervangen. Ook heb je bij processen soms dat proces A afhankelijk is van proces B, en andersom. Betekent dat je bij opstart tankwagens met product A en B moet hebben staan, die de boel feeden tot dat het zichzelf bedruipt.

Allemaal nachtmerrie materiaal. Spul is bedoeld om permanent te draaien. Het is niet je broodrooster, waar je de knop om haalt, is uit, en daarna weer knop om en is weer aan.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 10:01 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Oef.

[ afbeelding ]

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 10:14 schreef nixxx het volgende:

[..]
https://nl.m.wikipedia.or(...)olieraffinaderij.png

Dat schema laat het leuk zien. De atmosferische en vacuüm destillatie torens zijn echt het hart. En dat zijn enorme torens, die in het beste geval al ruim meer dan een jaar levertijd hebben. En Rusland zit nu zeker niet in het beste geval. Ik weet niet of ze die zelf kunnen maken zelfs, anders zijn ze van China afhankelijk. En voor het transport van zulke mega torens heb je ook wat speciale kennis en apparatuur nodig.

Zelfs reparaties zijn niet altijd mogelijk, als een toren een tijd aan vuur is blootgesteld dan verandert de structuur van het staal en kan het verzwakken of gevoelig worden voor verschillende corrosie mechanismen

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👉 Blyat! Exchange prices for gasoline in Russia soared to the highest in six months after Ukraine struck the largest refineries

On Monday, a ton of AI-95 on the stock exchange cost 63,361 rubles - a record high since September 2023 and 12% more expensive than in early March. In time, the rise in prices directly correlates with attacks by Ukrainian drones on refineries in the European part of Russia.

At the moment, 13% of Russia's oil refining production capacity has already been damaged, Reuters estimates. Some experts predict that if Ukrainian drone attacks on refineries and oil storage facilities continue, this will not end with just an increase in fuel prices.

At a certain point, when a significant portion of the plants shut down, the volume of excess oil that would normally be processed at refineries will increase sharply. If it cannot be sold abroad, then Russia will find itself in a “anecdotal situation”: with a shortage of fuel, the country has an excess of oil.

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Op maandag 18 maart 2024 23:30 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://mil.in.ua/en/news(...)r-to-ukrainian-navy/
[..]

SPOILER

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Moet Turkije ze natuurlijk wel de Zwarte Zee in laten. Anders hebben ze er weinig aan op het ogenblik.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 11:15 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
https://twitter.com/Beefeater_Fella/status/1770024421719163217

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 13:40 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Toevoeging: rusland heeft al op 21 september 2023 de export van brandstof stopgezet, dus de prijzen zouden moeten dalen, niet stijgen.

Bovendien worden de prijzen zwaar gesubsideerd door de overheid. De prijzen waren de afgelopen jaren 40-50 cent per liter.

Nou kan de russische overheid wel de subsidie op brandstof verhogen, of erger nog: brandstof importeren ( ), maar dat gaat ten koste van de reserves.

Overigens zijn er in rusland 30 grote raffinaderijen en 86 kleinere raffinaderijen.

Bovendien moet de olie blijven stromen. Vergeet inflatie en gederfde inkomsten, het ergste wat er kan gebeuren is dat de olie stopt met stromen. Zelfs de oliebronnen kunnen dan dichtslibben. In dat licht zijn dit soort dagelijkse nieuwsfeitjes zeer interessant:
rusland heeft vervanger gevonden voor verkoop olie aan India, en dit bericht: rusland heeft nog steeds enorme betalingsproblemen met Turkse banken.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 15:17 schreef uitkeringsgenieter het volgende:

[..]
Grotendeels eens met jouw post hoor. Maar ik snap het deel van dalende prijzen nog niet helemaal. Ik heb altijd geleerd als totale aanbod daalt en vraag blijft gelijk, dat dan de prijzen zullen stijgen. En dat is wat we nu ook zien toch of niet?

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Russian rail maintenance companies are struggling to acquire enough spare parts to service locomotives. They also face a shortage of highly educated staff. As a result, Russian Railways (RZD) has had to suspend or delay almost 50,000 trains throughout 2023.

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 15:38 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
https://www.railfreight.c(...)-russia/?gdpr=accept

Maar gelukkig is russia stronK! Allemaal geen probleem, komt goed.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 15:33 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Uitgaande van: afnemende (buitenlandse) vraag, is verbod op export immers, en gelijkblijvende productie

En nu is dat zeer aanwijsbaar, drones uit oekraine, maar verleden jaar, dus niet zo.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 16:00 schreef uitkeringsgenieter het volgende:

[..]
Er veranderd niets aan de vraagkant imo. Wereldvraag veranderd niet. Rusland is 1 van de OPEC landen. Als 1 van deze landen hun aanbod verlaagd en er is geen andere land die dit gat aanvult, dan zullen de prijzen gewoon stijgen. Al heeft de prijs van Rusland wel een cap buitenom India/Rusland.
Dus ja als Oekraïne zo doorgaat, dan zullen de prijzen wel gaan stijgen is mijn beeld.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 16:19 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
Rusland is geen OPEC maar OPEC+

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 16:00 schreef uitkeringsgenieter het volgende:

[..]
Er veranderd niets aan de vraagkant imo. Wereldvraag veranderd niet. Rusland is 1 van de OPEC landen. Als 1 van deze landen hun aanbod verlaagd en er is geen andere land die dit gat aanvult, dan zullen de prijzen gewoon stijgen. Al heeft de prijs van Rusland wel een cap buitenom India/Rusland.
Dus ja als Oekraïne zo doorgaat, dan zullen de prijzen wel gaan stijgen is mijn beeld.

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Electric vehicles to displace over 5 million bpd of oil demand by 2030: IEA report
Oil demand from road transport is projected to peak around 2025 in the STEPS, with the amount of oil displaced by electric vehicles exceeding 5 million barrels per day in 2030.

quote:

Prospects for electric vehicle deployment At the global level, oil displacement by EVs reaches 1.8 million barrels per day in 2025 (over 5 mb/d in 2030) under stated policies. As a result, global demand for oil-based road transport fuels will peak by 2025.

quote:

Oil consumption in Russia from 2012 to 2022(in 1,000 barrels daily)

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 16:32 schreef Digi2 het volgende:

[..]
Er veranderd wel degelijk iets als de russen zelf steeds minder kunnen raffineren. De stroom olie zal noodgedwongen geëxporteerd worden ten koste van het binnenlands verbruik. De situatie kan ontstaan dat de brandstofprijzen in Rusland stijgen terwijl er tegelijkertijd meer aardolie op de markt buiten Rusland terechtkomt.

Bovendien:
[..]
[..]
[..]

RUSSIAN Oil Refineries Catch Fire Following More Drone Attacks as Ukraine Targets Russian Oil Income

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 16:32 schreef Digi2 het volgende:

Bovendien:

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 17:14 schreef uitkeringsgenieter het volgende:

[..]
Iemand noemde dalende prijzen. En ik zei dat ik dat niet zie gebeuren. En daarnaast de vraag nu wijzigt niet, op lange termijn natuurlijk wel.

Benzineprijzen zijn nu 50% gestegen in Rusland.

Daarnaast heeft Rusland aangegeven "vrijwillig" minder olie te exporteren (500K vaten per dag in 2023 en recent nog eens 471K vaten per dag erbij).

Joe Blogs vanaf 10:03: "Demand has remained at the same level in Russia, but supply is going down, and simple economics tell you that prices are going up".

RUSSIAN Oil Refineries Catch Fire Following More Drone Attacks as Ukraine Targets Russian Oil Income

Dus conclusie: Rusland is zoiezo fucked. Of wij fucked zijn hangt er vanaf of andere olielanden het gat wat Rusland achterlaat gaat invullen, ja of nee.

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 17:14 schreef uitkeringsgenieter het volgende:

[..]
Iemand noemde dalende prijzen. En ik zei dat ik dat niet zie gebeuren. En daarnaast de vraag nu wijzigt niet, op lange termijn natuurlijk wel.

Benzineprijzen zijn nu 50% gestegen in Rusland.

Daarnaast heeft Rusland aangegeven "vrijwillig" minder olie te exporteren (500K vaten per dag in 2023 en recent nog eens 471K vaten per dag erbij).

Joe Blogs vanaf 10:03: "Demand has remained at the same level in Russia, but supply is going down, and simple economics tell you that prices are going up".

RUSSIAN Oil Refineries Catch Fire Following More Drone Attacks as Ukraine Targets Russian Oil Income

Dus conclusie: Rusland is zoiezo fucked. Of wij fucked zijn hangt er vanaf of andere olielanden het gat wat Rusland achterlaat gaat invullen, ja of nee.

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 17:33 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Waarom zouden andere landen Rusland's plek als tankstation niet overnemen? Het is toch een multipolaire wereld?

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 17:48 schreef uitkeringsgenieter het volgende:

[..]
Ik gok van wel tot op zeker hoogte. Maar vergeet niet: het is in belang van andere olie producerende landen dat de prijzen hoog blijven. Landen als USA en Saudi Arabië zijn dus wel gebaat bij de huidige situatie.

Kijk je hier dan zie je dat USA meer olie produceert t.o.v. begin van oorlog., maar Saudi Arabië weer minder (terwijl zij wel meer kunnen als ze willen gok ik)....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_oil_production

quote:

Oil Majors Pursue Projects with $30 per Barrel Breakeven

Feb 15, 2024, 7:00 PM CST
Oil majors are pursuing projects with lower breakeven costs.
The news projects are about half the break-even level for oil projects just a decade ago.
Improving drilling and cost efficiency have allowed oil companies to eke out a profit at much lower oil prices.
The U.S. and global oil and gas sector is currently enjoying a third year of relatively high energy prices with oil demand on a steady growth trajectory. WTI crude has traded above $70 per barrel for the better part of the past 12 months, well above the $54 per barrel average breakeven price for U.S. shale basins. However, U.S. oil majors are not allowing high energy prices to lull them into a false sense of security, rankled by the memories of the historic oil price crash of 2020. Oil majors are now hedging their bets by targeting new oilfields that can be profitable even at $30 per barrel oil, reflecting executives' belief that high prices are anything but guaranteed.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 09:03 schreef nixxx het volgende:

[..]
Als je de atmosferische distillatie toren kunt vernietigen, dan heb je toch vrijwel de hele raffinaderij stilgelegd hoor, daar gaat praktisch al het product door.

quote:

US Senator calls for Ukraine's accession to NATO
US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has backed Ukraine's NATO membership as the country with the most combat experience.

Source: Graham during his visit to Kyiv, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "Ukraine should join NATO.

My message to NATO is this: I respect you, allies, but none of you understand how to fight a war like Ukraine."

Details: He emphasised that Ukraine now has the best combat experience and can use the most advanced weapons to exceed expectations.

"If I had to choose people to go to war with, you would be at the top of the list! And this is not a slap in the face of our allies with whom we were in Iraq or Afghanistan; you simply now have the best combat experience and are able to use the latest weapons that you have been provided with, at a level that exceeds our expectations," said the senator.

As reported previously, Lindsey Graham will also ask the administration of President Joe Biden to recognise Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

In addition, Graham, who sparked a debate about Ukraine's elections last year, agreed that holding them during a war was problematic.

quote:

Any EU member state that wants to purchase ammunition for Ukraine outside the EU can receive compensation from the European Peace Fund, - Borrell
Josep Borrell explained how funds from the European Peace Fund in the amount of ¤5 billion can be used.

This is reported by Censor.NET with reference to Ukrinform .

High Representative of the EU Josep Borrell , answering the question whether the allocated money is available not only to promote the production of military equipment in the EU countries, but also to develop the defense industry of Ukraine in order to manufacture these weapons and ammunition in the place for which they are intended, explained:

"The aid fund for Ukraine is intended to help Ukraine itself, not to develop the European defense industry. I made it very clear today that any member country that wants to buy ammunition outside the European Union has an offer or knows where to buy it - they can do it, and receive a legitimate compensation from the European Peace Fund."

He noted that member states wishing to deliver weapons and ammunition to Ukraine can get them from anywhere - from their own stocks, from the European defense industry, from any supplier in the world. For example, the initiative of the Czech Republic to supply Ukraine with 800,000 ammunition is absolutely legitimate in order to use the Ukrainian aid fund to partially compensate the costs of the member countries participating in this initiative.

"If member states agree to use the proceeds from frozen Russian assets, these resources can also be partially placed in the European Peace Fund, which will allow us to increase our aid to Ukraine. We have been talking about this for several months. This money will also be used to to increase the capacity of the defense industry sector in Ukraine. We should push such industrial capacity of the defense sector of Ukraine at home, and at the same time - continue to provide weapons for Ukraine. That is why we have this tool - the European Peace Fund," Borrell emphasized.

He reminded that such an extra-budgetary instrument as the European Peace Fund was created for a very simple reason. According to EU law, the budget of the European Union cannot be used for the purchase of weapons. At the same time, the intergovernmental off-budget fund is free from such legal restrictions.

"So we can say for sure - the Ukrainian Fund - it was created to help Ukraine, and only for this purpose," - the High Representative of the EU.

quote:

Moldova will hold a referendum on EU membership, - Sandu
This fall, Moldova will hold a referendum on joining the European Union. The referendum will vote to enshrine Moldova's bid for EU membership in the Constitution, which will ensure that future governments do not derail this bid.

This was announced by President Maya Sandu, informs Censor.NET with reference to Reuters .

"The member states of the European Union are more open than ever, we have the necessary political will for this step, and our citizens want to be part of the EU," Sandu said .

According to her, the referendum will prevent Moldova's pro-European aspiration to stop or turn back after the change of power.

"This should be confirmed once again and spelled out in the Constitution, so that no matter who is in the government, the people's vote for this direction of development is binding for the political class."

According to Sandu, the referendum may take place in October, although the date will be chosen by the parliament. It is not yet clear whether the Constitutional Court will allow a referendum to be held on the same day as the presidential election of Moldova.

quote:

Macron has every right to talk about sending French troops to Ukraine - White House
As the leader of a sovereign state, French President Emmanuel Macron has every right to consider sending his troops to Ukraine.
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said this at a briefing on Monday, March 18, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"I can't speak for President Macron. Obviously, he continues to make his points publicly, and, obviously, he has every right to do that," Kirby said

At the same time, he recalled that the United States had made its position clear, which is that it is not indenting to send U.S. troops to Ukraine, and that President Joe Biden had actually reiterated that before the American people in the State of the Union.

"We haven't wavered from that position. We're not wavering from it today," Sullivan added.

Macron said last week that the war in Ukraine is existential for Europe. Therefore, he does not rule out the option of sending French troops to Ukraine if it is necessary in the future.

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 19:25 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://censor.net/ua/new(...)hlenstva_v_yes_sandu
[..]
Moldavië wil zij bod tot toetreding in de EU gaan vastleggen in de grondwet en zal hiervoor een referendum houden. Zodat in de toekomst met nieuwe leiding er niet zomaar van afgeweken kan worden. Ik verwacht niet dat de door Rusland bezette gebieden mee mogen stemmen. Al zullen zij daar natuurlijk anders over denken. Net zoals Rusland.

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 19:31 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
Laat Moldavië maar lekker buiten de EU

quote:

EU states urge European Investment Bank to rethink defence policy
Germany, France, and a dozen other EU countries want the EIB to change its policy on defence investment.

Fourteen nations have sent a letter to European Investment Bank (EIB) officials to call for more efficient funding of defence projects, according to Bloomberg.

The letter, dated 17th March, was sent to EIB President Nadia Calvino, European Council President Charles Michel, and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

The EIB's current policy forbids it from investing in weapons, ammunition, and military infrastructure, but the bank is allowed to finance so-called "dual-use items", which can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

In the face of Russian aggression in Eastern Europe, a growing number of states would like this to change in order to improve the EU's defence capacities.

"We need to explore different possibilities that would enable the EIB to invest in defence- related activities beyond existing dual-use projects," said the letter. "This would mean discussing and re-evaluating current definitions of dual-use projects and the list of excluded activities as well as reconsidering its defence industry lending policy and other restrictive elements."

Signatures of the letter include leaders from Finland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden.

EU leaders will later this week meet for a two-day summit in Brussels where they will discuss security and defence, with Russia's war with Ukraine in mind.

quote:

Poland and Germany to launch an armored vehicle coalition for Ukraine in March
On March 26, Poland and Germany will launch a coalition to supply armored vehicles to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced this after discussions with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

The Polish Minister noted that this is one of the most important coalitions that have been created.

According to him, other partners, including the UK, Sweden, and Italy, have agreed to participate in the coalition.

Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized that Warsaw and Berlin would be leading this project.

As previously reported, Ukraine and the North Atlantic Alliance will establish a joint training center in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated this on February 15, after a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council.

“This center will allow Ukraine to share the experience it gained during the Russian-Ukrainian war and will create a structure that will enable the Armed Forces of Ukraine to learn and train side by side with NATO partners,” the Secretary General pointed out.

The NATO Secretary General emphasized that the joint center in Poland is necessary not only for Ukraine but also for NATO.

Stoltenberg did not disclose details about the center’s work, adding that it will facilitate the process of sharing experiences.

Poland started helping Ukraine develop its defense capabilities even prior to the full-scale Russian invasion.

Initially, Poland supplied the Ukrainian Defense Forces with Soviet-era armored vehicles, artillery, and aircraft, and their Polish-made versions. Warsaw also provided Kyiv with various small arms, ammunition, ammunition, and other military equipment.

quote:

Europe’s soldiers keep quitting, just when NATO needs them
Western allies weigh up conscription or national service, as the threat from Russia grows.

PARIS — It’s no longer so much about recruiting new soldiers as it is about persuading existing troops not to quit.

This week, French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu presented a talent retention plan to incentivize military personnel to remain in uniform.

That comes a few days after an annual report submitted to the German parliament showed that in 2023, some 1,537 soldiers left the Bundeswehr, reducing it to 181,514 personnel.

“Those conversations now exist in all capitals, in all democracies that have professional armies without conscription,” Lecornu said on Monday, mentioning the United Kingdom and the United States.

“At NATO meetings, we can talk about equipment, but now we also talk about ... the level of retention,” he added.

SPOILER

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quote:

Poland is Getting Moscow-Reaching Cruise Missiles
Poland will receive a large shipment of American weapons, which will include AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II and AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, as well as JASSM-ER cruise missiles. This will significantly strengthen Polish national security as well as the security of NATO’s eastern border.

As Ukraine is still being torn apart by the Russian invasion, capabilities of long-range weapons like the JASSM-ER are very important for Poland and the entire region.

The JASSM-ER is a new version of JASSM with extended range (ER – Extended Range). It shares 70% of its components with the predecessor, but instead of the usual 370 km, it flies as far as 900-1000 km. Poland has become the second user of these weapons in the world and has about 70 missiles of this type. And now another large batch of these rockets could be coming.

This March, the US State Department approved the sale of up to eight hundred and twenty-one JASSM-ER missiles to Poland for $1.77 billion.

The JASSM-ER entered service in 2014. It is compatible with many different aircraft, including the American strategic bombers B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and the B-52 Stratofortress. It can also be launched by a range of jet fighters.

A bit more peculiar capability is launching the JASSM-ER from the Rapid Dragon module, which is basically a palletized cruise missile launcher, which can be deployed from regular military transport aircraft like the C-130 and the C-17. The JASSM-ER has a precision guidance system, based on GPS, inertial navigation system and IR sensors for target detection.

Poland will be able to launch JASSM-ER missiles from its F-16 jet fighters, and in the future, the F-35 will also be armed with them. The JASSM-ER is 4.3 m long and weighs approximately 1,200 kg. It can deliver a warhead weighing 450 kg to a distance of 900-1000 km. It is relatively difficult to detect and take down too, even if it is not actually stealth.

By the way, that 1,000 km range means that, at least theoretically, a JASSM-ER launched in Polish airspace could reach Moscow and St. Petersburg. Although it is only a cruise missile, Russia is clearly paying attention to the attack capabilities that Poland is trying to build up.

Poland reacted to the invasion of Ukraine with determination. It is buying new tanks, artillery systems, missile systems and other weapons. Within a few years, Poland will be one of the strongest military forces in Europe. Hopefully, this military might will not have to be put to combat use, but will work as a strong deterrence instead.

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 19:51 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Uiteraard.

quote:

Trump ‘may recruit Paul Manafort to 2024 campaign’ – despite jail time and alleged ties to Russian spies
A bipartisan US Senate report previously described Manafort’s work for Trump in 2016 as ‘a grave counterintelligence threat’

Donald Trump is preparing to welcome his disgraced former campaign manager Paul Manafort back into the fold despite fears of Russian influence, according to reports.

Manafort, a veteran Republican fixer who helped run Mr Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, was convicted in 2018 of concealing millions of dollars he had made lobbying for pro-Russian politicians.

A bipartisan US Senate committee branded him a “grave counterintelligence threat” and a potential channel for covert Russian influence, but he was pardoned by Mr Trump in the dying days of 2020.

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quote:

Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 19:36 schreef AgLarrr het volgende:

[..]
Nope. Als we dit geopolitieke spel gaan spelen, en dat gaan we, dan moeten we het ook goed doen. Realpolitiek 2.0, inclusief spheres of influence en categorie A en B lidstaten. Moldavië is van ons. Net als de Balkan, Armenië en Georgië. Brace for it..

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 19:49 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.politico.eu/a(...)rmany-soldiers-army/
[..]

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quote:

At least 22 million fake votes cast for Putin in presidential election
In what represents record levels of fraud even for a Russian presidential election, at least 22 million votes cast for Russian President Vladimir Putin during last weekend’s election were fake, Novaya Europe can reveal.

The fraud was so wide-ranging that it is virtually impossible to establish with any certainty the proportion of real votes.

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quote:

Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 19:59 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
Daar wordt de EU en wij niet beter van.

Je kan ook invloed hebben op die landen zonder ze bij de EU te laten. Dat kost alleen maar geld en nog meer politieke verschillen tussen Oost en west Europa. Daarnaast gaan die landen nog erger leeglopen. Je zou Moldavië bijvoorbeeld lid kunnen maken van de NAVO, dat heeft veel minder impact en bereik je hetzelfde mee.

Hoewel ik nooit echt begrijp waarom je landen zonder toegevoegde waarde en toekomst tot je sfeer van invloed wilt hebben.

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 19:31 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
Laat Moldavië maar lekker buiten de EU

quote:

Mobilization is being tested in Belarus

In Belarus, the military is practicing the mobilization of reservists and vehicles as part of a combat readiness test.

Militarnyi reports on this.

The combat readiness inspection of forces and military units was announced on March 11.

Within these activities, the military commissariat of the Minsk district conscripts persons liable for military service for military training.

According to Colonel Dmitry Godun, the commissar of this Belarusian district, they are fulfilling orders to conscript and register vehicles and people liable for military service.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 19:31 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

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Laat Moldavië maar lekker buiten de EU

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Ukraine veteran shoots business partner dead in St. Petersburg restaurant
A former prison inmate who was released to fight in Ukraine shot and killed his business partner in a St. Petersburg restaurant on Monday before sitting back down to finish his meal, local news website Fontanka reported.

The shooter, Alexey Isakov, said the shooting involved the 7 million rubles (¤70,000) his business partner allegedly owed him, some of which he apparently brought to Isakov at the restaurant.

Fontanka posted footage of the shooting caught on the restaurant’s security camera, which shows Isakov pulling out a gun and shooting at the man sitting across from him. The man falls to the floor, at which point Isakov shoots him again at close range. He then sits back down and carries on eating.

Despite having time to flee the scene, Isakov remained at the restaurant and was detained and charged with murder shortly afterwards. The court is yet to rule on pretrial detention measures.

Isakov had recently returned from fighting in Ukraine, according to Fontanka, which added that he had likely been recruited to fight straight from prison where he had previously been serving a 3.5-year sentence for theft.

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Estonia expels Russian Embassy employee
An employee of the Russian Embassy in Estonia has been declared a persona non-grata and expelled from the country, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhna said on March 19.

Tensions between Tallinn and Moscow surged following the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said in February that authorities had "successfully stopped a hybrid operation by Russia's security services on our territory."

Earlier in February, Metropolitan Yevgeniy of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate announced he was leaving Estonia after the government decided not to extend his residence permit, citing public statements and actions he had made in support of Russia's military aggression.

In comments printed on the Foreign Ministry's website, Tsakhna said, "With its actions, the Russian Embassy has interfered in the internal matters of Estonia in an unacceptable way, more specifically in the judicial process, acquiring documents from a criminal case and contributing to their publication on Russian social media."

"By expelling the diplomat, we are demonstrating that Estonia will not allow any actions orchestrated by a foreign state on its territory," he concluded.

Tsakhna did not clarify the specifics of the diplomat's actions or which criminal case he referred to.

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Moldova expels Russian diplomat after Russian election held in Transnistria
Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi announced on March 19 that a Russian diplomat had been expelled from the country after Russian presidential elections were held in Transnistria, a region internationally recognized as part of Moldova.

Russian troops have occupied Transnistria since the early 1990s when Russia invaded the region under the pretext of protecting ethnic Russians.

"The Russian ambassador, Oleg Vasnetsov, has been summoned to the Foreign Ministry," Popsoi said on X.

"The Moldovan side expressed its protest against the presidential elections held by Russia in the Transnistrian region, against Moldovan authorities' stance."

"A diplomat was declared persona non grata," Popsoi said.

Russia conducted a pseudo-democratic presidential election on March 15-17 that granted Vladimir Putin, who has been in power since 1999, six more years in office.

News emerged shortly before the election that Russia was opening polling stations in Transnistria.

The Russian authorities also organized the election in regions of Ukraine under Russian occupation.

The EU "does not and never will recognize either the holding of these so-called elections" in occupied Ukraine, Josep Borrell, the European Union's top diplomat, said in a statement on behalf of the EU on March 18. The U.S., U.K., and Canada also denounced Russia for holding the illegal vote.

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Slovakia’s opposition sounds alarm over Russia tilt as election looms
Report alleges that candidate asked Hungary to help arrange visit to Moscow in 2020 – when prime minister – to boost popularit

Slovakia risks moving further away from the west, government critics have warned, as a report alleged that a presidential candidate aligned with the country’s populist prime minister, Robert Fico, had previously sought an invitation to Russia to boost his position at home.

Slovaks will vote in a presidential election on 23 March, in what many consider to be a test for the country’s democracy and future within Europe.

Since returning to power after winning the election last autumn, Fico has shifted foreign policy in a more Russia-friendly direction and taken aim at independent institutions at home, including the special prosecutor’s office and the public broadcaster.

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Rheinmetall to build a gunpowder factory in Romania
Rheinmetall will build a gunpowder factory to expand its ammunition production capacity.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced this on the Digi 24 TV channel.

Romania will receive a modern powder factory as part of a project developed jointly with the European Commission and Rheinmetall.

According to Marcel Ciolacu, the 300-hectare facility will be built near the town of Victoria, Brașov County. The investment is worth ¤400 million.

The Romanian Prime Minister noted that Romania already has capacities to produce NATO-standard artillery ammunition, but they are currently insufficient.

Romanian Economy Minister Radu Oprea shared that Rheinmetall officials have already arrived in Romania to start construction work on the new enterprise.

Rheinmetall’s European expansion
The large-scale deployment of the German defense giant’s production facilities across Europe is linked to plans to scale up arms production and reach an annual output of more than one million artillery shells by 2027.

According to Armin Papperger, Rheinmetall AG’s Chief Executive Officer, the company’s new production facilities across Europe, including in Germany, Hungary, Ukraine, and Lithuania, are expected to help the company reach the one million-unit target.

Rheinmetall plans to set up at least four weapons manufacturing factories in Ukraine.

It is planned that the new ammunition plant will produce a six-figure number of 155-mm artillery shells per year. The German concern Rheinmetall will own 51% of the shares in the joint plant, and the Ukrainian company will own 49%.

It is noted that it will be built on the model of an ammunition plant that Rheinmetall is building in Germany.

In total, Rheinmetall plans to produce up to 700,000 artillery shells and 10,000 tons of gunpowder at its plants in Germany, Spain, Hungary, South Africa, and Australia by 2025.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 20:45 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
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Putin suffers election disaster – in Switzerland
Vladimir Putin has lost the Russian presidential election by a landslide, at least in Switzerland. This is shown by exit polls in Bern and Geneva. The result was the opposite of the 87% approval rating claimed by the official side in Russia.

In Bern, Putin received 16% of the vote, in Geneva 20%. In both cities, hundreds of Russians were interviewed in front of the embassy and the consulate general by members of the Russia of the Future/Switzerland association and volunteers. This was coordinated by the organisation Vote Abroad, Polina Petushkova from Russia of the Future/Switzerland told the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA.

Vladislav Davankov from the New People party, deputy head of the Duma parliamentary chamber, received the most votes. Alongside Leonid Slutsky and Nikolai Kharitonov, he was one of the three candidates authorised to stand for election in addition to Putin.

Davankov, 40, received 45% of the vote in Bern and 29% in Geneva, meaning he clearly outperformed Putin nationwide, according to the post-election poll. Around a fifth of voters spoilt their ballot papers.

Official regret
On Monday the Swiss government said it had taken note of the results of the presidential elections in Russia. The foreign ministry regretted that no OSCE election observer mission had been invited.

Relations with the Russian authorities would continue within the framework of international law, the foreign ministry added in response to an enquiry by Keystone-SDA.

The department once again condemned the so-called elections in the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. Switzerland does not recognise the annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia. This constitutes a serious violation of the sovereignty and inviolability of the territory of Ukraine, it said.

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Finland pledges $36 million to Czech-led shell initiative for Ukraine
Finland joined a Czech-led initiative to provide Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, pledging 30 million euros ($35.6 million) to the effort, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen announced on March 19.

Czech President Petr Pavel said in February that Prague had identified 500,000 155 mm shells and 300,000 122 mm shells outside of Europe that could be bought and sent to Ukraine after the necessary funds were allocated to the initiative.

Artillery shells are a crucial capability for Ukraine as the country faces critical ammunition shortages. Delays in U.S. military assistance, caused by disputes in Congress, have already had a direct impact on the battlefield, contributing to the loss of the key front-line city of Avdiivka.

Hakkanen discussed with Lieutenant General Karel Rehka, the commander of the Czech Armed Forces, how to boost support for European defense and Ukraine as well as Prague ammunition initiative, Finnish minister said on X.

Finland has already provided around 1.8 billion euros ($1.95 billion) in military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Helsinki also joined the artillery and demining collations, one of many allied initiatives launched under the Ukraine Defense Contact Group to support individual sectors of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on March 12 that the initiative has already secured the purchase of 300,000 shells and received nonbinding commitments for 200,000 more.

According to Fiala's security advisor, Tomas Pojar, the rounds could start flowing to Ukraine by June.

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Russia Mulls Defense of Energy Sites with Anti-Aircraft Systems

The Russian government is considering options to cover its strategic energy facilities with Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft systems.

This was stated by Artem Verkhov, Director of the Gas Industry Development Department of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 21:01 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 21:24 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 21:32 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Die Fransen maken de Russen helemaal gek. Zonder een voet in Ukraine of Rusland te zetten.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 21:12 schreef ExTec het volgende:

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Vaag idee ook, om zo'n tank te gaan halen. Is de PR die het je oplevert de potentiele verliezen je waard.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 21:59 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
Ook hopen ze geheimen uit deze wrakken te kunnen halen. En mogelijk zwakke plekken aan het licht te brengen.

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In historic shift, Bulgaria seeks US help to escape Russia’s nuclear grasp
Bulgaria is stepping away from Russian nuclear fuel — a solid source of Kremlin revenue even as Europe slashes oil and gas buys.

Russia is losing control over Bulgaria's power grid to the last country it wants to see in Europe's lucrative energy market: the U.S.

Bulgaria, which built its only nuclear power station with Soviet Union support almost 60 years ago, is now waiting on new American-developed fuel rods that it hopes will make it among the first former Warsaw Pact countries to end its decades-long dependency on Russia.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 21:32 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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[..]
Die Fransen maken de Russen helemaal gek. Zonder een voet in Ukraine of Rusland te zetten.

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China Expresses Discontent Over Russia's Request for a Loan
Tensions have arisen between Russia and China following Moscow's request for a loan, as reported by journalists from the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Over recent years, Russia and China have significantly strengthened their ties, considering each other as close friends and strategic allies on the global stage. They have embarked on numerous joint projects, and the leadership of both states frequently speaks of a partnership without boundaries. According to Chinese journalists, the relationship between Moscow and Beijing is indeed warm, and recently the Russian side asked its neighbor for a delicate favor—to lend money.

During the negotiations between the two countries, tensions emerged, as reported by the publication NetEase according to AB News.

"The behavior of Russia is becoming increasingly incomprehensible," said the authors of the Chinese publication.

Anton Siluanov, the head of Russia's Ministry of Finance, recently announced that negotiations were underway with China regarding a loan for Russia in yuan. However, the parties have yet to find mutual understanding on this matter.

Shortly thereafter, China's ambassador to Russia, Zhang Hanhui, confirmed that the sides had indeed been in contact regarding this issue, but negotiations are far from conclusion.

NetEase observers noted that China did not reject the Russian request outright but did not agree to it either. It seems that Beijing is biding its time, a situation that is categorically unsatisfactory to the Kremlin. On the other hand, China is also displeased with Moscow's behavior during these negotiations. It appears that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not willing to make concessions and intends to act firmly.

"Russia is not going to be led by China," stated journalists from the PRC.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 22:45 schreef Perrin het volgende:
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US Reaper Drone in Emergency Landing Amid Russia GPS Attacks
A U.S. military Reaper drone made an emergency landing during a flight in Polish airspace on Tuesday, according to U.S. and Polish authorities, as spikes in GPS jamming across NATO's eastern flank deepen concerns over the airspace around the Baltic Sea.

A U.S. airborne drone made an emergency landing near the town of Mirosławiec in northwestern Poland at an unspecified time after 11 p.m. local time (6 p.m. ET), the Polish General Command of the Armed Forces said in a post to social media. Warsaw's military shared an image of an MQ-9 Reaper in the post, but Polish military officials did not offer an explanation for why the drone made the emergency landing.

The Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday that a remotely piloted MQ-9 used by U.S. Air Forces in Europe had made an emergency landing at the site, adding the drone was "conducting routine training operations when it lost connection with the command station, affecting their ability to operate the aircraft."

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 22:59 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

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Blijft verbazend zulke reacties.

Je ziet nu met de ontwikkelingen met drones dat je met een paar 1000 euro ettelijke miljoenen aan fregatten en tanks kunt uitschakelen.

Wat willen wij? Miljoenen naar fregatten en tanks.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 22:59 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

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Blijft verbazend zulke reacties.

Je ziet nu met de ontwikkelingen met drones dat je met een paar 1000 euro ettelijke miljoenen aan fregatten en tanks kunt uitschakelen.

Wat willen wij? Miljoenen naar fregatten en tanks.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 22:59 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Blijft verbazend zulke reacties.

Je ziet nu met de ontwikkelingen met drones dat je met een paar 1000 euro ettelijke miljoenen aan fregatten en tanks kunt uitschakelen.

Wat willen wij? Miljoenen naar fregatten en tanks.

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Trump floats method for the Supreme Court to further delay his trial without giving him full immunity

Former President Donald Trump told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that future presidents could be vulnerable to “de facto blackmail and extortion while in office” if the justices did not accept his sweeping view of immunity against special counsel Jack Smith’s election subversion charges.

However, the presumptive 2024 GOP White House nominee also floated an alternative route for the justices – if they were unwilling to accept his maximalist theory of presidential immunity – that would still help him achieve the political goal of delaying a trial until after the November election.

Trump’s new Supreme Court brief also repeatedly referenced statements Justice Brett Kavanaugh made before Trump nominated him to the Supreme Court, in what appears to be an appeal to the justice’s past experience.

Trump is making his full-throated arguments for presidential immunity to the Supreme Court now that the justices have agreed to take up the issue, with oral arguments scheduled for April 25.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 23:17 schreef Perrin het volgende:

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Met drones alleen neem je geen terrein in.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 23:23 schreef ExTec het volgende:

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Uh huh, en daar hebben we voor landvoertuigen active protection systems voor. Bv deze. Zie je nu in gaza zeer succesvol RPG's afvangen, bv.

Vliegende drones zijn tegen schepen volstrekt kansloos. De boot-achtigen van oekraine zijn wat listiger, maar dat is een geavanceerd wapensysteem op zich.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 23:27 schreef dudewhereismycar het volgende:

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Dat snap ik dus ook niet. Deze oorlog maakt toch duidelijk dat tanks en schepen totaal kansloos zijn tegen goedkope drones...

Echt onbegrijpelijk.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 23:27 schreef dudewhereismycar het volgende:

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Dat snap ik dus ook niet. Deze oorlog maakt toch duidelijk dat tanks en schepen totaal kansloos zijn tegen goedkope drones...

Echt onbegrijpelijk.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 23:59 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:
Waarom zou een kamikaze drone volstrekt kansloos zijn tegen een schip? Het door jou genoemde AP systeem helpt daar bijvoorbeeld niet tegen.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 22:59 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Blijft verbazend zulke reacties.

Je ziet nu met de ontwikkelingen met drones dat je met een paar 1000 euro ettelijke miljoenen aan fregatten en tanks kunt uitschakelen.

Wat willen wij? Miljoenen naar fregatten en tanks.

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 00:11 schreef zuchtje het volgende:
Het kan best zo zijn dat de tanks die we bestellen een anti-drone laser hebben.

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Paladin tank in the field

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 00:38 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Maar goed; zoals opgemerkt - met drones ga je geen grond innemen, dat doe je met boots, soldaten.

En als soldaten beschoten worden, vinden die het fijn dat ze achter iets kunnen schuilen -> een IFV, ICV, APC, etc

En dan gaan IFV's vanzelf een keer IFV's tegenkomen en met elkaar moeten matten. En dan heb je ineens een IFV nodig die veel klappen kan hebben, en harde klappen uit kan delen -> een tank.

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 00:46 schreef LitmanenAFCA het volgende:

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Ja hoeveel tankbattles hebben we gezien in dit conflict? En ik neem even alle pantservoertuigen onder een noemer als je het goed vind voor we gaan mieren neuken.

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 01:19 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Een Russische soldaat die aangevallen wordt door een FPV drone.

Is geen etnische Rus.
Lijkt op een Hindoestaan. Misschien een Armeniër? Pakistaan?

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 01:35 schreef polderturk het volgende:
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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 01:35 schreef polderturk het volgende:
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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 02:59 schreef TheJanitor het volgende:

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Gaar propaganda kanaal zeg.

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 00:46 schreef LitmanenAFCA het volgende:

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Ja hoeveel tankbattles hebben we gezien in dit conflict? En ik neem even alle pantservoertuigen onder een noemer als je het goed vind voor we gaan mieren neuken.

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One of UAE's largest banks curtails cooperation with Russians under US pressure – WSJ
Due to the US sanctions pressure, Dubai's main state-owned bank Emirates NBD has closed some accounts of Russian oligarchs and Russian oil traders.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Details: It is noted that Emirates NBD has closed its Russian subsidiary and many Russian accounts. The companies of Azerbaijani businessman Etibar Eyyub, who trades in Russian oil, were also hit.

Emirates NBD ordered the closure of the accounts of Coral, Voliton, Bellatrix and another company associated with Eyyub, Pontus Trading. These companies were the ones that registered old tankers carrying large volumes of Russian oil.

Emirates NBD also closed the accounts of Russian fertiliser giant Uralkali and Russian businessman Ivan Tavrin. In December, the United States imposed sanctions on Tavrin, who had been buying up foreign technology companies since the start of the full-scale war.

In addition to Emirates NBD, the Dubai branch of the Egyptian state-owned bank Banque Misr has also started to curtail its work with Russians.

Background: Emirates NBD will start transferring the assets owned by Russians to separate accounts, where all payments on securities owned by them will be received.

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Ukraine takes note of who congratulated Putin on his "election" victory – Secretary of Ukraine's Defence Council
Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, has noted that Ukraine is closely monitoring those who congratulated Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on his alleged victory in the Russian presidential election.

Source: Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, in an episode of Ukrainska Pravda. Summary

Quote: "We are now observing very closely who congratulates 'president' Putin on his alleged victory. It's quite an interesting list.

We have an understanding of what kind of interests they are pursuing – and whose interests lie with congratulating this modern-day Hitler on his alleged re-election."

Details: Danilov also mentioned that many countries put democracy first and seem to have forgotten that "history puts everything in its place".

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Welsh miners send convoys of aid to Ukraine to repay help over 1984 strike
Askold Krushelnycky reports from Pavlohrad, southeastern Ukraine, where the latest in a number of convoys of vehicles and supplies is handed over to help Kyiv's forces defend against Russia's invasion

It is a bond forged during the miners' strike 40 years ago.

A trio of vehicles filled with drones, military equipment and medical supplies recently arrived in Ukraine – to help them defend against Russia's invasion – from Wales because of that bond.

One of the drivers was Wayne Thomas, who experienced the strike as a young miner and now, at 63, is vice-president of the UK National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

Six volunteers set off with two Mitsubishi SUVs and a Volkswagen “Transporter” from Pontypridd in Wales, where the donated vehicles and supplies had been gathered at a NUM property. They overnighted in Folkestone and next day went by train under the Channel to Calais and drove through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland before crossing into Ukraine after four days.

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Ukrainian drones “have knocked out 600,000 to 900,00 barrels” of Russia’s daily oil-refining capacity

Ukraine launched a major new bombing campaign of Russia’s oil and gas industry infrastructure in January 2024 using domestically produced long-range drones

Industry experts estimate that Ukraine’s campaign of long-range drone strikes on Russia’s energy industry has already succeeded in knocking out between 600,000 and 900,000 barrels of Russia’s daily oil-refining capacity, Bloomberg reports.

Speaking at a conference in Houston on March 18, Gunvor Group CEO Torbjörn Törnqvist estimated the recent wave of Ukrainian drone attacks had reduced Russian capacity by approximately 600,000 barrels per day. Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase analysts report that Ukraine’s drone strikes have taken around 900,000 barrels of daily Russian oil-refining capacity offline and predict that it could be “several weeks, if not months” until capacity is fully restored.

Ukraine launched a bombing campaign against Russia’s oil and gas industry in January 2024 using domestically produced long-range drones. According to Kyiv officials, these air strikes are designed to starve the Russian invasion force inside Ukraine of fuel while also undermining the economic foundations of Vladimir Putin’s war machine. On March 1, Russia imposed a six-month ban on gasoline exports in a move widely linked to Ukraine’s drone attacks.

Since the beginning of 2024, Ukraine has successfully targeted more than a dozen Russian refineries, leading to production halts and damage to critical infrastructure. With the majority of Russia’s air defense systems currently deployed in Ukraine, the Kremlin is struggling to defend against Ukraine’s drone attacks.

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Luxembourg joins artillery coalition
Following a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (Ramstein-20), Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence has reported that Luxembourg has joined the artillery coalition led by France and Germany.

Source: Ukraine’s Defence Ministry on Telegram

Quote: "Luxembourg joins the artillery coalition led by France and Germany."

The ministry added that Luxembourg is purchasing drones for Ukraine jointly with Belgium and the Netherlands and continues to support Ukraine by supplying it with vitally needed equipment.

Background:
• Luxembourg announced on 8 March that it would join the Czech-led initiative aiming to purchase 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine.
• Czech President Petr Pavel announced at the Munich Security Conference that Czechia had found up to 800,000 NATO-standard-calibre shells which it could send to Ukraine within a few weeks if funding for the delivery could be found.

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Ukraine tests "floating body armour" for its special forces – photo

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence is testing "floating body armour" for special forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Source: Ministry of Defence on Facebook

Details: Reports state that the Ministry of Defence is still testing two floating module samples produced by Ukrainian and foreign manufacturers. They are designed specifically for naval forces, pontoon units, special operations forces, and some special forces in air assault forces.

The floating module is attached to body armour and can support the weight of both the soldier and additional equipment weighing 27 kilograms.

The Defence Ministry’s Central Directorate is currently conducting a survey of fighters who have tested the floating body armour.

"If such body armour enters the water, then the air cushion automatically inflates and brings the soldier to the surface," explains Oleksandr Sharko, a specialist at the Central Department for Development and Support of Material Support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Quote: "The feedback from the soldiers is very important to us. After similar tests, we receive important information from the testing teams. This allows improving products so that the Ukrainian army receives equipment which creates an advantage over the enemy’s army."

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Australia to Withdraw Wedgetail AWACS Support to Ukraine at Mission End
Australia deployed an RAAF E-7A Wedgetail AWACS aircraft to monitor threats to aid supply routes for Ukraine for six months in October after a US request.

^{A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail (R) and two US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft on the tarmac at Perth international airport prior to departing to the search area in the southern Indian Ocean for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH 370. (Photo by CPL DAVID GIBBS / AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE / AFP)}

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EU renews suspension on import duties, quotas on Ukrainian agricultural exports
The European Parliament and the EU Council reached a provisional agreement to renew the temporary suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU until June 2025.

The free trade agreement first came into effect in June 2022. It was designed to help Ukraine's economy during the Russian invasion.

Upon the agreement's renewal, different rules will apply for "the most sensitive products," namely Ukrainian sugar, poultry, eggs, oats, groats, and honey, which will be capped at levels from 2022 and 2023. Tariffs would be reimposed if imports of these products exceeded the volumes in 2022 and 2023.

The Commission also emphasized that the EU would take action "if there is a surge of Ukrainian imports of wheat."

The import of Ukrainian agricultural products has been a source of protest for various farming groups in countries neighboring Ukraine, such as Romania and Poland. Farmers claim that the liberalization of import rules for Ukrainian products hinders their ability to remain competitive.

The current measures are due to expire in June 2024.

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 03:58 schreef sp3c het volgende:

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Hoeveel bajonetcharges hebben we gezien?

Toch zullen ze er bijna allemaal 1 bij zich hebben

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 08:11 schreef Aether het volgende:
Video - Letland ontdoet zich van z'n Russische verleden
In Letland, een belangrijke bondgenoot van Oekraïne, wonen sinds de Sovjettijd veel etnische Russen. De Letse regering vindt dat alles dat Russisch is, moet verdwijnen. Maar dat levert nieuwe spanningen op. Ook met Poetins Rusland.

https://nos.nl/l/2513452

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 19:36 schreef AgLarrr het volgende:

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Nope. Als we dit geopolitieke spel gaan spelen, en dat gaan we, dan moeten we het ook goed doen. Realpolitiek 2.0, inclusief spheres of influence en categorie A en B lidstaten. Moldavië is van ons. Net als de Balkan, Armenië en Georgië. Brace for it..

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 11:29 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:
Het is momenteel nog wel een erg armzierig land.

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 08:59 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 11:29 schreef ExTec het volgende:
If Rosneft, Lukoil and Gazprom do not show growth, then a serious gap will form in the budget.

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 13:27 schreef Ulx het volgende:
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Dot is omdat die lui bij Russische instituten werken die op de shitlist staan.

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 15:24 schreef zuchtje het volgende:
Slimme Rus en niet geëmigreerd? Lijkt me een contradictio in terminis.

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 08:11 schreef Aether het volgende:
Video - Letland ontdoet zich van z'n Russische verleden
In Letland, een belangrijke bondgenoot van Oekraïne, wonen sinds de Sovjettijd veel etnische Russen. De Letse regering vindt dat alles dat Russisch is, moet verdwijnen. Maar dat levert nieuwe spanningen op. Ook met Poetins Rusland.

https://nos.nl/l/2513452

RUSSIA Hit by Surge in Corporate Bankruptcies as Sanctions & Interest Rates Damage Russian Companies

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Russian Financial Newspaper Kommersant has Reported that the number of Russian Corporate BANKRUPTCIES has SKYROCKETED in the first two months of 2024. In this video I look at the figures in more details, review the key drivers that are forcing companies into Bankruptcy and discuss the implications for Russia and the Russian Economy.

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 09:47 schreef LitmanenAFCA het volgende:

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Beetje rare vergelijking maar goed

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 11:32 schreef ExTec het volgende:

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Het is niet een erg populair standpunt, maar zoek eens op hoe de levensstandaard in bv polen of de baltics omhoog is gegaan, sinds ze in de EU zitten.

En het is niet zo zero sum dat dat louter is omdat ze geld krijgen van de EU. De landen ontwikkelen zich gewoon enorm.

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 15:03 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

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Triest voor de wetenschap. Al de Russen waar ik mee samengewerkt heb op de universiteit, weliswaar biomedische wetenschappen, waren echt verschrikkelijk slim vergeleken met de andere landen.

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 19:21 schreef ipa84 het volgende:
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Nieuwe mobilisatie in Rusland.

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Op woensdag 20 maart 2024 19:21 schreef ipa84 het volgende:
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Nieuwe mobilisatie in Rusland.

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Op dinsdag 19 maart 2024 21:36 schreef ExTec het volgende:

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Uh huh.

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