Oorlog in Oekraïne #956

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“Wake up, no one will protect you.” The head of Tatarstan called on enterprises in the region not to rely on air defense - and to independently defend themselves from drone attacks
The head of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, called on the heads of the republic's enterprises not to rely on Russian air defense forces and to independently defend themselves from drone attacks. His statement at the republican energy forum was quoted by the website “116.ru”

During his speech, Minnikhanov commented on the Ukrainian drone attacks on Elabuga and Nizhnekamsk on April 2. He noted that “the most affected areas” are energy and related production.

“Apparently, due to the fact that Uraza and fasting are Orthodox, the Almighty gives us a sign: wake up, guys, no one will protect you except yourself. <…> There is no need to wait for missile defense to work; it solves other problems. “We must decide on our own, every enterprise, every municipality, every city,” said the head of Tatarstan, addressing the heads of enterprises in the region. However, he did not specify how enterprises should repel attacks.

Minnikhanov also called on emergency services to always be ready, to have supplies and teams.

• On the morning of April 2, drones attacked enterprises in Tatarstan for the first time since the start of the full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine. In Nizhnekamsk, drones attacked the Taneco oil refinery, a subsidiary of Tatneft. In Yelabuga, a dormitory for students at the Alabuga Polytech College was damaged as a result of the attack. According to the authorities, 14 people were injured, including citizens of Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Sudan. Two of the victims are minors.
• The damaged Alabuga Polytech dormitory is reportedly located a few hundred meters from the plant where the Shahed-type kamikaze drones that Russia uses to attack Ukraine are assembled.
• Ukrainian publications, citing sources, reported that the drone attack on enterprises in Tatarstan was an operation of military intelligence of Ukraine and the SBU.

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Zelenskyy: We clearly understand what Russia is preparing for
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an evening address on April 3 that Ukraine clearly understands why Russia will be drafting soldiers into its army.

Source: Zeleskyyʼs address

Quote: "We are gradually planning our work with our partners for the coming months – both May and June should be a time of activity for the sake of Ukraine, for the sake of achieving our goals in this war.

We clearly understand what Russia is preparing for, what they want, and what they will be drafting soldiers into their army for. And we, all of us, our partners, must have a strong response to Russian operations – any Russian operations. We must win this war. This is Ukraine's historic chance to thwart Russian revanchism, and we must seize it. For the sake of reliable security for our children."

Details: Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said he had listened to a long and detailed report of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi on actions on key fronts and on protection and strengthening of positions. They also discussed key defence and active action plans for the near future.

Note: Zelenskyy said Russia is preparing to mobilise 300,000 military personnel by 1 June.

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MP's demand names of Dutch politicans possibly bribed by Russia; Tricky, Minister says
The Tweede Kamer wants to know as soon as possible whether, and if so, which Dutch politicians have been bribed by Russia. As long as this information is unknown, suspicions will hang over the political parties and the European elections in June, and that is harmful, the parliamentarians agreed in a debate on the Czech Republic's revelation of a Russian disinformation and bribery campaign, NOS reports.

That’s easier said than done, outgoing Minister Hugo de Jonge of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations told the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament. It concerns information from the secret services - the AIVD in this case - and they decide for themselves what they disclose.

On Thursday, Czech authorities announced that they exposed a pro-Russian disinformation campaign. According to them, Russia was using pro-Russian politicians in several European countries and the news site Voice of Europe to plant questions about Ukraine’s “territorial integrity, sovereignty, and freedom” in people’s minds ahead of the European Elections in June.

The Czech Republic did not reveal the names of Dutch people involved and does not intend to do so “at the moment,” De Jonge said in the debate. The Dutch intelligence service AIVD is in contact with its counterpart in the Czech Republic. But, the Cabinet and the AIVD do not intend to say what information they have received.

FvD leader Thierry Baudet and MEP Marcel de Graaff have often given interviews to Voice of Europe. The party is also notoriously reluctant to publish its financial accounts. Much to the Tweede Kamer’s disappointment, Baudet refused to participate in the debate on Tuesday. He said his party was the subject of a witch hunt and called the debate “unworthy” of the Tweede Kamer. “Bickering and speculation that is based on nothing is reserved for the pub or the kitchen table.”

PVV leader Geert Wilders acknowledged that he and his party are mentioned in suspicions because of his former close ties with the Putin government and Russian parliament. He again denied the allegations and said he is resigned to the fact that nothing will be made public for now. “What we don’t want is to get in the way of the secret services if they possibly want to tackle a corrupt person,” he said in the debate.

The Tweede Kamer has little choice but to wait and see what the AIVD will reveal. Several parliamentarians made proposals to make the rules on financial donations to political parties stricter. But most don’t think it will stop this kind of bribery.

The Dutch intelligence services’ processes and methods are all strictly confidential in the interest of national security. The only politicians to receive information about some of their activities are the members of the Stiekem Committee - the parliamentary faction leaders of the five largest parties. Currently that’s Geert Wilders (PVV), Frans Timmermans (GroenLinks-PvdA), Sophie Hermans (VVD), Pieter Omtzigt (NSC), and Jan Paternotte (D66). The word “stiekem” translates to “secret.”

The information they receive is strictly confidential and may not be shared with the other members of their party or used in parliamentary debates. It is possible that the AIVD informed the Stiekem Committee about Dutch politicians who form part of the Russian disinformation campaign, but the members can’t say anything about it.

According to NOS, it is for this reason that it has sometimes been suggested that the Stiekem Committee be abolished because what good is information that can’t be used? But the alternative is that no one will know anything about what the intelligence services are doing.

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Seoul seizes cargo ship sailing from North Korea to Russia — report
South Korean authorities have seized a vessel believed to be in breach of UN sanctions against North Korea, Yonhap news agency reported on April 3, citing unnamed sources.

The 3,000-ton cargo ship DEYI was en route from North Korea to Russia via China when South Korean forces intercepted it near Yeosu, on the peninsula's southern coast.

The vessel's 13-person crew, including the Chinese captain and various Chinese and Indonesian crew members, reportedly refused to stop the ship when approached, leading to its forced redirection and docking near Busan.

Commenting on the incident, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official said, "Our government is working closely with the United States to investigate the suspected breach of UN Security Council resolutions by the ship in question."

Officials have yet to confirm whether the ship has violated sanctions, as the crew has denied access to the vessel's cargo hold, the report adds.

Under UN Resolution 2397, adopted in 2017, nations have the right to detain, inspect, and seize any vessel within their territorial waters if it is suspected of engaging in illegal activities with North Korea.

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 19:53 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://english.nv.ua/nat(...)report-50406922.html
[..]

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Chinese farmers are quietly “taking over” Vladivostok
Despite the fact that Beijing and Moscow are actively promoting their “borderless partnership” on the international stage, China has turned its attention to the Russian Far East. The border region of Primorsky Krai has seen a large influx of Chinese farmers, and their growing economic presence is beginning to surpass the local population. Source: Newsweek

Read also: China will use the port of Vladivostok for domestic trade

The area, which was ceded to Russia by the Qing dynasty in 1860, is attracting attention from Beijing's political circles and Chinese nationalists. Last year, the government stipulated that maps of the country must include Haishenwai (the Chinese name for Vladivostok, the administrative center of Primorsky Krai) and the Chinese names for seven other Far Eastern Russian localities. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, believes that Ukraine has supposedly “always been part of Russia,” similarly, Chinese leader Xi Jinping puts the restoration of lost territories at the forefront of his program for the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”

China promises to annex autonomous Taiwan in the future. It also claims much of the South China Sea, where Beijing's "historic rights" clash with claims from the Philippines and other neighbors.

In light of the dire economic conditions in Hegang, a former coal mining town in northeast China, more Chinese farmers are considering moving to Russia.

Concerns about the “yellow menace” in the Russian Far East are not new. It has existed for decades, if not centuries, due to significant population imbalances on both sides of the border.

The concern is that the arrival of the Chinese could undermine Russian control.

A 2021 study published in the American Journal of Economics and Sociology found that in some cases, the presence of Chinese farms and the sale of businesses to Chinese owners led to higher land prices through increased competition.

Russia, which is dependent on the yuan, would be in a difficult position in the event of any diplomatic or trade conflicts between the two countries, and already finds itself more susceptible to economic difficulties. Moscow is also exposed to influence from third parties due to its dependence on Beijing. For example, Russian companies with business ties to China faced payment problems after Washington imposed secondary sanctions on banks that facilitate the transport of prohibited goods.

Let us recall that Chinese nationalists demanded that Russia return Vladivostok.

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F-16 fighter jets ‘no longer relevant’, says Ukrainian military official
American-made F-16 fighter jets due to arrive in Ukraine this summer are “no longer relevant”, a senior Ukrainian military official has said.

Ukraine’s air force is expected to take delivery of the first tranche of a dozen aircraft in July after Ukrainian pilots have been trained and the country’s airfields prepared.

Before their arrival, the Western warplanes had been held up by some as a potential war-winner that could turn the tide of the conflict in Kyiv’s favour.

“Often, we just don’t get the weapons systems at the time we need them – they come when they’re no longer relevant,” a Ukrainian high-ranking officer told the Politico news website.

“Every weapon has its own right time. F-16s were needed in 2023; they won’t be right for 2024.”

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 20:16 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/f-16-fighter-jets-no-131449451.html
[..]

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Special forces show enemy vehicles, ammo depots being destroyed by Brimstone missiles
The Special Operations Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed an enemy ammunition depot, two tank transporter tractors and two Russian infantry fighting vehicles.
According to Ukrinform, the Command of the Special Operations Forces reported this on Facebook and posted a relevant video.

🔥 Оператори ССО ЗС України знищили танкові т�гачі, БМП та вій�ьково�лужбовців противника

While performing combat missions in one of the operational areas, FPV drone operators of the eighth regiment of the Special Operations Forces spotted and destroyed two tank transporter tractors, one infantry fighting vehicle and eliminated two Russian invaders.

Brimstone missiles were used to destroy one infantry fighting vehicle with its crew and a field ammunition depot.

As reported by Ukrinform, soldiers of the eighth regiment of the Special Operations Forces destroyed a mortar position and eliminated five Russian servicemen using FPV drones.

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 20:22 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Dat lijkt me nonsens.

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 20:25 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

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Ga er maar gewoon vanuit dat hij uit frustratie spreekt dat het zo lang duurt. Natuurlijk zullen de F-16s bruikbaar zijn. Alleen hij heeft wel gelijk dat Rusland meer dan genoeg tijd heeft gekregen om voorbereidingen te treffen. En dat de levering al meerdere keren uitgesteld is om wat voor reden dan ook.

En eerlijk gezegd zal het mij niks verbazen als straks de door de F-16 gebruikte wapens de bottleneck zullen zijn. Dat ook de benodigde raketten maar mondjesmaat aangeleverd gaan worden zoals nu gebeurd met de normale raketten en wapentuig.

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 20:30 schreef Ulx het volgende:

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Veel standaard F16 spul is al Oekraïne. Daar maak ik me niet zo druk over.

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 20:30 schreef Ulx het volgende:

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Veel standaard F16 spul is al Oekraïne. Daar maak ik me niet zo druk over. En qua voorbereidingen? Wat precies? Drones ter grootte van een Cessna vliegen dwars door de Russische luchtverdediging.

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 20:34 schreef ExTec het volgende:

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Als de bange puppies in het witte huis verkondigen, nee, je krijgt geen BVR raketten, want anders krijgen wij een nuke op ons hoofd! - zakt de toegevoegde waarde naar ongeveer: niet anders dan een mig29.

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Guns: 1 × 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon, 511 rounds

Hardpoints: 2 × wing-tip air-to-air missile launch rails, 6 × under-wing, and 3 × under-fuselage pylon (2 of 3 for sensors) stations with a capacity of up to 17,000 lb (7,700 kg) of stores

Rockets:
4 × LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (each with 19/7 × Hydra 70 mm/APKWS[288] rockets, respectively)
4 × LAU-5003 rocket pods (each with 19 × CRV7 70 mm rockets)
4 × LAU-10 rocket pods (each with 4 × Zuni 127 mm rockets)

Missiles:
Air-to-air missiles:
6 × AIM-9 Sidewinder
6 × AIM-120 AMRAAM
6 × IRIS-T
6 × Python-4
6 × Python-5
2 × AIM-7 Sparrow[286][287] and 4 × AIM-9 Sidewinder

Air-to-surface missiles:
6 × AGM-65 Maverick
2 × AGM-88 HARM
AGM-158 JASSM (JASSM)
4 × AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW)

Anti-ship missiles:
2 × AGM-84 Harpoon
4 × AGM-119 Penguin
Joint Strike Missile (to be integrated)

Bombs:
8 × CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition
8 × CBU-89 Gator mine
8 × CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon
4 × Mark 84 general-purpose bombs
8 × Mark 83 GP bombs
12 × Mark 82 GP bombs
8 × GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB)
4 × GBU-10 Paveway II
6 × GBU-12 Paveway II
4 × GBU-24 Paveway III
4 × GBU-27 Paveway III
4 × Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) series
Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD)
B61 nuclear bomb
B83 nuclear bomb

Others:
ADM-160 MALD[285]
SUU-42A/A flares/infrared decoys dispenser pod and chaff pod or
AN/ALQ-131 & AN/ALQ-184 ECM pods on centerline or
LANTIRN, Lockheed Martin Sniper XR & Litening targeting pods or
AN/ASQ-213 HARM targeting system (HTS) Pod (typically configured on station 5L with Sniper XR pod on station 5R) or
Up to 3 × 300/330/370/600 US gallon Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight/extended range/loitering time or
UTC Aerospace DB-110 long range EO/IR sensor pod on centerline

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 20:40 schreef QAnonn het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 20:35 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

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Die F-16s mogen niet op Russisch grondgebied gebruikt gaan worden. En hoe dat precies zit met de raketten weet ik niet.

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 20:44 schreef Ulx het volgende:

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D'r zijn helikopters en vliegtuigen door Patriots neergehaald op 80-100km van de grens. Maar om eerlijk te zijn denk ik dat missies ver in Rusland ook niet zo heel slim zijn. Ik denk dat naar Moermansk vliegen om daar de luchtbasis te bombarderen geen goed plan is. Te gevaarlijk. Als je een drone verliest is dat jammer. Maar een F16 met piloot kwijtraken is iets anders.....

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An undisclosed type of air-launched cruise missile with a range of up to 300 miles will be among the munitions delivered to Ukraine alongside its long-awaited F-16 fighters, according to Lt. Gen. Serhii Naev, the commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In a statement reported by the Ukrainian RBC news outlet, Naev said that the deliveries of F-16s were expected to be accompanied by air-to-ground missiles to arm them, with a range of “300-500 kilometers” — 186 to 310 miles. Naev added that the weapons were expected to arrive in “further military aid packages,” but provided no more details.

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As Zelensky’s party falters, Ukrainian parliament drifts to standstill
In recent months, Ukraine’s parliament is drifting to a standstill, as the government struggles to gather necessary votes during sessions.

The reason is not political disagreement over pending legislation, but a general sense of frustration among parliament’s members, according to experts and lawmakers who spoke to the Kyiv Independent. Some of them asked not to be named to avoid political retribution.

Lawmakers cited different reasons for their dissatisfaction, including increased restrictions on their travel abroad, poor communication or pressure from other government bodies, growing concentration of power in the President’s Office, and being blamed for unpopular policies by their constituencies or other government officials.

The two most commonly cited reasons are the travel restrictions, and a general breakdown in the relationship between parliament and other branches of the government.

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Russia's Air Force still strong with 100 Su-35 jets, 7 A-50U radar aircraft, Ukraine's intel says
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense noted that several Russian A-50Us are under repair

The Russian army still has about 100 Su-35 multipurpose fighters, more than 100 Su-34 fighter-bombers, as well as seven A-50U long-range radar detection and guidance aircraft, reported the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense in response to a request from ArmyInform.

Military intelligence reported that three A-50U aircraft are under repair, and Moscow is also trying to modernize them.

According to intelligence data, work is being carried out at the facilities of Taganrog Beriev Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex and the Aviastar Aircraft Plant in Ulyanovsk.

On February 29, the Defense Forces shot down three Russian planes. In the morning it became known that one Russian fighter-bomber Su-34 was shot down on the eastern axis. Oleschuk later stated that the Armed Forces shot down two more Su-34s near Avdiivka and Mariupol.

On March 1, a Russian plane was shot down near Mariupol, which was trying to hit Ukrainian positions with guided aerial bombs.

On March 2, Air Force soldiers attacked two more Russian warplanes.

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 20:16 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/f-16-fighter-jets-no-131449451.html
[..]

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F-16s were needed in 2023; they won’t be right for 2024,” he said.

And that’s because, according to this officer, Russia is ready to counter them: “In the last few months, we started to notice missiles being fired by the Russians from Dzhankoy in northern Crimea, but without the explosive warheads. We couldn’t understand what they were doing, and then we figured it out: They’re range-finding,” he said. The officer explained that Russia’s been calculating where best to deploy its S-400 missile and radar systems in order to maximize the area they can cover to target the F-16s, keeping them away from the front lines and Russia’s logistical hubs.

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Top Republican Says Party Base 'Infected' by Russian Propaganda
Russian propaganda pushed by the Kremlin has "infected" part of the Republican base, a senior GOP congressman has said, as indications grow that a vital U.S. military package for Ukraine will come up for a vote with U.S. lawmakers this month.

"I think Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and it's infected a good chunk of my party's base," House Foreign Affairs Committee chair and Texas Republican, Michael McCaul, told Puck News.

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State Emergency Service: Russian double-tap attacks have killed 91 first responders, injured 348
Russia's "double-tap" attacks against Ukraine have killed 91 first responders and injured 348 since the start of the full-scale war, Suspilne reported on April 4, citing information from the State Emergency Service.

The Kyiv Independent has previously reported on Russia's use of so-called "double-tap" strikes, in which there is an initial strike followed by a second - with a delay - so that it can potentially wound or kill first responders.

Most recently, Russian forces used such a tactic in a drone attack against Kharkiv overnight on April 4, killing three State Emergency Service employees: 52-year-old Vladyslav Lohinov, 32-year-old Serhii Baidalinov, and 41-year-old Volodymyr Matiushenko.

Another rescue worker was injured and is in serious condition, the State Emergency Service said. The attack also killed one other resident and injured 12.

In March, first responders and police officers were among the killed and injured in a double-tap missile attack against the southern port city of Odesa.

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Kremlin says Russia and NATO are now in "direct confrontation"
MOSCOW - Russia and NATO are now in "direct confrontation", the Kremlin said as the U.S.-led alliance marked its 75th anniversary on Thursday.

NATO's successive waves of eastern enlargement are a fixation of President Vladimir Putin, who went to war in Ukraine two years ago with the stated aim of preventing the alliance from coming closer to Russia's borders. Instead, the war has galvanised NATO, which has expanded again with the entry of Finland and Sweden.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "In fact, relations have now slipped to the level of direct confrontation."

NATO was "already involved in the conflict surrounding Ukraine (and) continues to move towards our borders and expand its military infrastructure towards our borders", he said.

Putin has repeatedly said that Russia was cheated by the West in the aftermath of the Cold War as Moscow's Warsaw Pact alliance was disbanded but NATO moved eastwards by taking in former pact members and the three Baltic states that had been part of the Soviet Union.

The West rejects that version, saying NATO is a defensive alliance and joining it was a democratic choice by countries that had shaken off decades of Communist rule.

NATO says it is helping Ukraine fight for its survival in the face of Russian aggression, and has provided Kyiv with advanced weapons, training and intelligence.

Russia says that makes NATO de facto a party to the conflict. Putin said in February that a direct conflict between Russia and NATO would mean the planet was one step away from World War Three. REUTERS

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 21:48 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.straitstimes.(...)ntation-kremlin-says
[..]

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 22:25 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

Update from Ukraine | Ukraine will cut the Kerch Brigre soon Intelligence says | Glory to Ukraine

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 22:43 schreef Jahr00n het volgende:

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Wat is het toch met die brug de hele tijd. Je zou denken dat het slopen daarvan niet zo moeilijk zou zijn

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Putin denies involvement of Islamic fundamentalists in Moscow concert hall attack
Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected the idea that the Moscow concert hall terror attack was carried out by Islamic fundamentalists.

Putin commented on the motivations behind the terror attack during a trade union federation congress on Thursday, saying that Russia could “hardly be an object of attack by Islamic fundamentalists”, as it demonstrated “a unique example of interfaith and interethnic unity”.

Putin went on to say that the sole goal of the attack was to “undermine the unity of Russian society”.

Islamic State had previously claimed responsibility for the attack in Crocus City Hall, a concert venue near Moscow, that killed at least 144 people and injured hundreds more.

The Russian authorities had not previously denied the involvement of Islamist movements in the attack, with Putin himself admitting last week that “radical Islamists” were involved in the Crocus City Hall shooting, but indicating that Kyiv and Washington played a part in organising it. Both Ukraine and the US reject these claims as false.

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Smashing Drone Is A $90,000 Sport Plane With A Robot At The Controls
Ukrainian engineers fitted autonomous controls to an A-22 sport plane—and loaded it with explosives

^{Aeroprakt A-22.}

To pull off one of its deepest strikes ever targeting Russia’s strategic industries, the Ukrainian government took a locally-made ultralight sport plane, swapped its manned controls for robotic controls and packed it with explosives.

Video of the emergency response following the Tuesday attack on the Alabuga Special Economic Zone industrial campus, 600 miles from the Ukrainian border, reveals that the drone—possibly two of which struck the campus—is based on an Aeroprakt A-22. A high-wing, single-propeller sport plane with room for two.

That the Ukrainians could convert an A-22 into an explosive drone strongly implies the strike on the Alabuga facility, which reportedly assembles Iranian-designed Shahed drones for Russia’s own war effort, won’t be the last for this new drone type.

The simple, reliable and innocuous A-22 after all lends itself to drone conversion. And equally importantly, it’s made in Ukraine—and it’s affordable at just $90,000 a copy.

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Wanted American Man Flees to Russia, Signs Military Contract
A former American city council member who is wanted in the United States on child pornography charges appears to have fled to Russia and joined the Russian military, according to footage shared by regional authorities in the northern Khanty-Mansi autonomous district.

Wilmer Puello-Mota, former city councilor of Holyoke, Massachusetts, reportedly left the United States on Jan. 7 in violation of court orders while being tried in Rhode Island for possession of child pornography.

The Massachusetts-based newspaper The Republican reported last month that people who know Puello-Mota had recognized his voice in a short video showing the capture of the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka in February.

On Wednesday evening, the Khanty-Mansi regional government’s official channel on the Telegram messaging app published a video interview at a military enlistment center with a man identified as former U.S. soldier “Wil.” The man appears to be Puello-Mota.

The Republican said Puello-Mota, 28, was a member of the U.S. National Guard before being separated from the service due to child pornography charges in October 2022.

“An American signed a military contract at the patriots center in Khanty-Mansi,” reads a message accompanying the video on Telegram. “He liberated Avdiivka fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with Russians.”

“I definitely would do it again, I’d go back if I could,” Puello-Mota says in the video as he recounts his experience fighting in an “international brigade” alongside the Russian army.

The Khanty-Mansi government did not mention Puello-Mota by name or the outstanding criminal charges against him in the United States. The video was widely circulated among influential pro-war bloggers on Telegram.

Russian authorities have not commented on Puello-Mota’s reported recruitment into the military.

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"We must support Russia": an American signed a contract for military service at the Patriot Center in Khanty-Mansiysk

"Vil" served in the US Armed Forces, but realizing what was really happening in Ukraine, several months ago he came to the Northern Military District as a volunteer. Together with the Russian guys, shoulder to shoulder, I liberated Avdeevka.

Vila's comrades - military personnel from Pyt-Yakh (KhMAD), a volunteer from Serbia, who also went to the Northern Military District through Yugra, convinced the guy by personal example that it was better to sign a contract for service in the RF Armed Forces in Khanty-Mansiysk.

Arguments: payment of 745k rubles immediately and 150k every two months, full equipment now and supply with everything necessary already in service.

In the video: American "Vil" signs a contract at the Center of Russian Patriots in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug: "this is amazing social support."

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 22:43 schreef Jahr00n het volgende:

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Wat is het toch met die brug de hele tijd. Je zou denken dat het slopen daarvan niet zo moeilijk zou zijn

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In rare call, Russian defense minister warns French counterpart against sending troops to Ukraine
Russia's defense minister warned his French counterpart against deploying troops to Ukraine in a rare phone call Wednesday and noted that Moscow is ready to take part in talks to end the conflict.

Sergei Shoigu told French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu that if Paris follows up on its statements about the possibility of sending a French military contingent to Ukraine, “it will create problems for France itself,” according to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry. It didn't elaborate.

The conversation followed French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments in February, in which he said that the possibility of Western troops being sent to Ukraine could not be ruled out.

The call marked the first such contact between Russian and French defense ministers since October 2022.

Shoigu noted Moscow's “readiness for dialogue on Ukraine," emphasizing that a planned round of peace talks in Geneva would be “senseless” without Russia's involvement. He added that possible future negotiations could be based on a draft document, which was discussed during Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul in March 2022.

Media reports have said that the draft negotiated in Istanbul weeks after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine envisaged that Ukraine will abandon its bid to join NATO and remain neutral. No final deal was reached and the talks collapsed quickly after.

The Russian Defense Ministry also said in its readout of Wednesday's call that Lecornu offered condolences over the March 22 attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed 145 in the deadliest assault on Russian soil in decades.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his officials have sought to link Ukraine and the West to the attack despite Kyiv's fierce denial, a claim of responsibility issued by an affiliate of Islamic State group and an advance warning that the U.S. had issued to Moscow about imminent attack.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that during the call Lecornu tried to persuade Shoigu that Ukraine and its Western allies had no relation to the concert hall raid, but Shoigu insisted that Moscow has “information about Ukrainian trace in organizing the terror attack.”

“The Kyiv regime does nothing without approval of its Western handlers,” the ministry quoted Shoigu as telling Lecornu.“We hope that the French special services weren't involved in it.”

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Ukrainian man jailed for life over role in Russian strike on pizzeria
Man provided information on restaurant in Kramatorsk that was hit last June, killing 13 people including novelist Victoria Amelina

A Ukrainian man who helped Russia target a missile strike on a pizzeria in the eastern city of Kramatorsk last June has been jailed for life.

Thirteen people including the novelist and poet Victoria Amelina were killed when a Russian ballistic missile tore through the popular Ria Pizza restaurant on the evening of 27 June 2023.

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HIMARS Strikes Enemy Construction Site, Neutralizes Russian Forces

The operators of the 73rd Maritime Special Operations Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine used HIMARS to target the invaders who were constructing fortifications.

This was reported by the press service of the Special Operations Forces (SOF).

During reconnaissance operations in the southern direction, SOF discovered enemy personnel constructing new fortifications and control posts.

The operators transmitted the coordinates for the strike to the missile-artillery unit and adjusted the fire toward the enemy position.

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Several Allies may announce supply of air defenses to Ukraine in coming days - Stoltenberg
Several NATO member states may announce the supply of air defense systems to Ukraine within the next few days.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this in Brussels on Thursday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Allies understand the urgency and therefore I welcome the announcements from several Allies to provide more ammunition and more types of systems to Ukraine. They also understand the urgency of stepping up when it comes to air defense in particular. And therefore Allies will now go back and look into their inventories, look into if there are any ways they can provide more systems, in particular Patriots. But also, of course, ensure that the systems which are already there have the ammunition but also the spare parts so they can all function as they should. So this is partly a question of systems, batteries, but also very much a question of delivering the interceptors to the systems which are already there [in Ukraine]," Stoltenberg said.

"Several Allies promised that they should make a new effort to find what they can… to look into what more they can deliver. I will not be specific before they are able to conclude, but I just listed several Allies that have just over the last days made new announcements of additional support," he added.

He recalled that a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council was held this morning. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba updated Allies on Ukraine's short and long-term needs and on the progress of its reforms.

According to Stoltenberg, the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine remains serious. Ukraine needs more air defenses, more ammunition, and more aid.

Stoltenberg welcomed that Allies continue to step up with major new announcements. In recent days, this includes nearly EUR 600 million from Germany for the Czech-led artillery initiative, as well as 10,000 drones from the United Kingdom, more missiles and armored vehicles from France, and just yesterday, a new package of aid from Finland worth EUR 188 million.

"But we need to do even more. And we need to put our support on an even firmer and more enduring basis. Yesterday, Allies agreed to move forward with planning for a greater NATO role in coordinating necessary security assistance and training for Ukraine. This work will continue in the weeks ahead," he said.

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 23:33 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Het ligt 250km van de front en zoals Delenlill al opmerkte, om zoiets uit te schakelen moet je de pijlers vernietigen.
Het gaat ook om een 18km lange brug, met een trein- en een weggedeelte. Dat maakt het allemaal erg lastig.

De beste mogelijkheid is wellicht als Duitsland alsnog Taurus raketten gaat leveren. Bij nieuwere wapens is er altijd een aanpassingsperiode en dat is de mogelijkheid om een dergelijk doelwit te treffen.
Misschien is het overigens beter de voorkeur te geven aan andere doelwitten gezien deze verbinding na de nieuwe route naar Melitopol niet zo belangrijk meer is.

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Defense Minister of Netherlands comments on ¤100 billion initiative for Ukraine
Defense Minister of the Netherlands Kajsa Ollongren considers Jens Stoltenberg's proposal to create a NATO fund for Ukraine worth ¤100 billion "very interesting."
She said this in a comment to a Ukrinform correspondent in The Hague.

Ollongren noted that it is necessary to "study the details of this proposal of the NATO Secretary General".

"We are currently coordinating assistance to Ukraine in the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense, the so-called Ramstein format. This is a special format in response to Russia's large-scale invasion. Unfortunately, this war is likely to last for a long time, so I am always interested in strengthening the coordination of military assistance to Ukraine. So I think this is a very interesting proposal and I look forward to discussing it in the context of NATO," said the Netherlands Defense Minister.

As reported, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg proposed to create a fund to finance military assistance to Ukraine with a budget of ¤100 billion for five years.

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When asked which language they speak at home, 12% of Ukrainians said they speak only Russian, while 59% said they speak only Ukrainian, according to a poll by the Sociological Group Rating published on April 4.

A similar survey conducted by Rating in 2022 showed that 18% of respondents spoke exclusively Russian at home. At the end of 2021, shortly before the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, 26% of respondents said they spoke only Russian at home.

The latest survey also showed that 28% of respondents said they speak a mix of both languages at home.

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 00:11 schreef ipa84 het volgende:

[..]
Heeft ook een stukje symbolische waarde natuurlijk als ze die brug weten te vernietigen. Maar zoals je al zegt is het maar de vraag of het lukt.

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Op donderdag 4 april 2024 23:18 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://novayagazeta.eu/a(...)-hall-attack-en-news
[..]

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Trump suffers setbacks in efforts to shut down two of the criminal cases against him
Former President Donald Trump was dealt two major setbacks Thursday in his efforts to derail the criminal cases against him, with judges in the Georgia election interference case and in the federal classified documents case both rejecting bids by the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee to have those cases thrown out.

The judges in both cases have yet to decide other requests put forward by Trump seeking the dismissal of the Georgia and federal prosecutions, which were brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and special counsel Jack Smith, respectively. But for now, the prospect of the cases eventually going before juries remains alive, and a trial in a third criminal prosecution against Trump – the 2016 campaign hush money case brought in New York – is on track to start this month.

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 01:28 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Van een foto van vandaag zegt men dat er negen toestellen zouden staan. Maar al raken ze er maar drie is dat natuurlijk nog steeds een prima score.

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 01:51 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Met meer dan 60 explosies hebben ze hopelijk een heleboel schade gedaan aan die vliegtuigen en de infrastructuur daar.

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 00:26 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Het is Oekraïne al twee keer gelukt. Dat de Russen het ding steeds repareren is ook vooral propaganda.

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Ex-Adviser to Zelensky’s Office Arrested, Released on Bail
Artem Shylo, who had also worked for the SBU, is being held for two months on Hr.30 million ($770,000) bail.

The Supreme Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday evening arrested former advisor to the President’s Office, Artem Shylo, for suspected involvement in a group that allegedly embezzled Hr. 94.7 million ($2.4 million).

The group allegedly charged Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) nearly twice the going rate for transformers.

Shylo had been detained on Tuesday, April 3, Kyiv Post sources in law enforcement said.

He was either to be held for two months in jail or released on Hr.30 million ($770,000) bail.

The press office of the court stated that he exercised his right to be released on bail. However, the court did not disclose who posted the bail. As a condition of his release, Shylo is prohibited from leaving the country and contacting other individuals involved in the criminal case."

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quote:

Engels, Saratov region of the Russian Federation -- explosions.

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Tragedy of 128th Brigade: Ukraine's Security Service claims Russia probably located unit by hacking into soldier's phone
The Ukrainian Security Service believes that the Russians obtained information about the date and location of the gathering of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade by hacking a soldier’s phone.

Source: Illia Vitiuk, Head of the Cyber-Security Department at the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), in an interview with Ukrinform

Quote: "Now, one of the main versions that explains how the attack was made possible is because of technological penetration. This case demonstrates how dangerous it is to use cyber weapons in military operations."

Details: According to Vitiuk, the Russians most likely gained access to the soldier’s messenger apps by distributing phishing messages.

"We found that one of the devices on which there was a Signal messenger received a message about a specific date and place of gathering of military personnel, where the missile struck later."

Background:
• On 4 November, Ukrainska Pravda sources reported that Russia had struck a group of soldiers of the 128th Brigade in a frontline village in Zaporizhzhia Oblast at 10:00 on 3 November. It was reported that more than 20 soldiers may have been killed. The soldiers were supposedly gathered in one place to be presented with awards in honour of Artillery Day.
• On the evening of 4 November, Defence Minister Rustem Umierov instructed the Main Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defence to conduct a full investigation into the tragedy.
• A three-day mourning period was declared in Zakarpattia Oblast because of this strike.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that this tragedy could have been prevented. He stressed that an investigation is underway to provide the families of the deceased soldiers and society with honest answers as to how the tragedy occurred and whose orders were wrong.
• On 6 November, the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade based in Zakarpattia Oblast confirmed the deaths of 19 soldiers from a Russian attack during celebrations near the frontline on 3 November.

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Japanese Executive Found Dead in Moscow Hotel
AJapanese CEO has been found dead in a Moscow hotel room, the latest in a series of executive deaths in Russia.

Acquaintances of Jun Aoki, chairman of Yamaha Music in Russia, had notified police after not hearing from him for several days, according to Baza, a Russian-language Telegram channel with links to the country's security services.

Aoki's body was discovered Tuesday at the five-star Radisson Collection Hotel Moscow, formerly known as the Hotel Ukraina, on Kutuzovsky Prospekt, a major avenue in the Russian capital.

The preliminary cause of death has been listed as acute heart failure, according to Baza. He was 55 years old.

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 07:13 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
Aoki joins a growing list of top executives who suddenly turned up dead in and around the Russian capital. Four of these deaths were high-ranking officials of Russia's second-largest oil producer, Lukoil, which called for a quick end to the war in Ukraine shortly after President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion in 2022. Vitaly Robertus, the energy giant's vice president, was found dead in what appeared to be a suicide.

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 07:05 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
[ x ]
[ x ]

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 07:13 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www-newsweek-com.(...)en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp
[..]

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 07:25 schreef sturmpie het volgende:

[..]
die zie je veel in België
zit ook veel russisch geld in Brussel ?
gingen ze de rente gebruiken om wapens in te kopen ?
gaan ze het gehele tegoed gebruiken ?

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 07:58 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Het plan is inderdaad om de rente en andere inkomsten over de bevroren tegoeden te gebruiken voor Oekraïne. En 90 procent hiervan direct aan wapens.

En uiteindelijk willen ze de bevroren tegoeden gebruiken als pressiemiddel tegen Rusland voor herstelbetalingen wanneer de oorlog voorbij is.

Maar er zijn ook landen die gewoon de gehele 300 miljard nu al willen inzetten voor Oekraïne. Er wordt nog gekeken naar een legale basis hiervoor. Maar andere landen zijn hier erg huiverig over.

Er is al geschat dat het opnieuw opbouwen van Oekraïne, en ook het vergoeden van overige schade 500+ miljard gaat kosten. En hoe langer de oorlog duurt hoe meer dit zal worden natuurlijk.

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 10:30 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Bots!

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 10:30 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Bots!

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 10:36 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

[..]
Alsof het een battlefield lobby is. Geweldig

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 11:54 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

[..]
Wingsuits, grappling hooks 😱

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 11:57 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

[..]
Grappling hooks was toch van Battlefield special forces ofzo?

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 11:57 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

[..]
Grappling hooks was toch van Battlefield special forces ofzo?

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 12:00 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

[..]
[..]
Uit dat gedrocht 2042,waar ze de classes vervangen hadden door 'specialists', waaronder 1 met een wingsuit en 1 met een grappling hook

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2024 12:01 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

[..]
Die was best wel tof, met die enorme motherships. Was alleen niet echt populair