Oorlog in Oekra�ne #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.”

SPOILER

Om spoilers te kunnen lezen moet je zijn ingelogd. Je moet je daarvoor eerst gratis Registreren. Ook kun je spoilers niet lezen als je een ban hebt.

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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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SPOILER

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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 тягачі, БМП та військовослужбовців 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 Oekra�ne. 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 Oekra�ne. 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.