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On the OP website, the petition to unblock the supply of American weapons to Azov was twice rejected
The president's website rejected a petition to unblock the supply of Western weapons and aid to the 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade. Azov noted that the petition was rejected twice.

This was reported by the press service of "Azov" in Telegram , Censor.NET informs .

The press service of the brigade says that "Azov" defended Mariupol in 2022 with limited resources and outdated weapons. This was the result of amendments to the US laws, which have been in effect since 2017, and block "the provision of weapons and the provision of training or other assistance to the Azov battalion."

The OP's website twice rejected a petition to unblock the supply of American weapons to Azov

Azov also noted that despite the fact that its military has repeatedly demonstrated its professionalism and efficiency, the spread of Russian propaganda continues to contribute to limiting access to modern Western weapons.

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"The publication of a petition calling on the political leadership of Ukraine to make every effort to remove the amendment prohibiting the provision of American weapons to Azov from the US laws on consolidated appropriations was rejected," the report said.

The press service of "Azov" also noted that their fighters proved their professionalism and determination in repelling Russian aggression with blood.

"Fighters of the 12th "Azov" brigade defend the civilized world every day and need support to obtain modern Western weapons," the press service of "Azov" writes.

Why does "Azov" still not receive Western weapons?
The Azov Special Forces Brigade does not receive Western weapons due to a US ban introduced several years ago. Previously, brigade commander Denys Prokopenko reported that "from 2017 until now, a number of US Appropriations Bills contain the following amendment: "No funds provided by this Act may be used to provide weapons, training or other assistance to the battalion "Azov".

The amendment was proposed in 2015 by Democratic Congressman John Conyers Jr. As a result, the Congress passed it, because then the leading media, in particular the magazine "Foreign Affairs" called "Azov" "openly neo-Nazi and fascist."

Because of this, the "Azov" regiment was excluded from the recipients of US military aid. Also, "Azov" fighters cannot participate in exercises with NATO forces in Europe.

Earlier, Denys Prokopenko called for the repeal of the amendments to the US legislation prohibiting the transfer of Western weapons to his military unit.

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Patriot air defense systems will arrive in Ukraine no earlier than the end of June
The delivery of the weapons promised in the last three weeks by the United States, Great Britain and Germany could take months - combat vehicles, boats, complex guns, missile launchers and air defense systems are very difficult to transport.

The New York Times writes about it , Censor.NET reports .

Last Sunday, as Russia pressured Ukrainian forces along a 965 km front line, Ukraine received a shipment of anti-tank missiles and much-needed 155mm artillery shells. It was the first installment of $61 billion in military aid approved by President Biden.

The second batch of these weapons and ammunition arrived on Monday. And a fresh delivery of Patriot interceptor missiles from Spain arrived in Poland on Tuesday. They will soon be on the Ukrainian front, said a high-ranking Spanish official.

Over the past week, a flurry of planes, trains and trucks have arrived at NATO warehouses in Europe carrying ammunition and smaller weapons systems to be shipped across Ukraine's borders.

"Now we need to act quickly, and we are doing it," Mr. Biden said on April 24 as he signed the bill authorizing the aid.

He added: "I am making sure that the deliveries start immediately."

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But it may be difficult for Biden and other NATO allies to immediately deliver aid to Ukraine. The delivery of weapons pledged by the United States, Britain and Germany — all of which have announced significant new military support in the past three weeks — in sufficient quantities to bolster Ukraine's battlefield defenses could take months, officials say.

This has raised doubts about Ukraine's ability to contain Russian attacks, which have kept Kyiv at a disadvantage for several months.

In particular, we are talking about combat vehicles, boats, complex guns, rocket launchers and air defense systems.

"(They are) much more difficult to deliver, and take longer to transport — in part because their size often requires them to be shipped by sea and by heavily guarded trains," a US official said.

He added that it will not be possible to deliver large-scale weapons to Ukraine before the beginning of summer, or even later. Moreover, most of the aid will come from the USA.

But the Patriot system will arrive in Ukraine no earlier than the end of June, sources claim. The delivery of air defenses may coincide with the delivery of another major weapons system that Ukraine has long requested: F-16 fighter jets.

We will remind, on April 30, the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, called on the countries that have Patriot air defense systems to hand them over to Ukraine.

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Zelensky: Ukraine open to considering all-for-all POW exchange
Ukraine is open to considering an all-for-all prisoner of war (POW) exchange, and will discuss the idea at the upcoming Peace Summit in Switzerland in June, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 3.

"It's desired that we swap all-for-all. All reasonable countries support this route," Zelensky told recruits while speaking at the National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. "We are conducting exchanges, but they are slower than we would like."

The last reported prisoner exchange occurred on Feb. 8 with 100 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) returned from Russian captivity. Before that on Jan. 3, 230 prisoners were exchanged in the largest prisoner exchange since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Previously, Moscow had gone months without a POW exchange, refusing to continue the practices in an alleged effort to turn Ukrainian families of POWs against their own authorities.

Zelensky said that despite some skeptics believing that an all-for-all was only possible after the end of the war, he hoped that there was "an opportunity to try to make this happen earlier," pointing towards the upcoming peace summit which is being held on June 15-16.

Zelensky noted that Ukraine has three priorities for the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland: energy and nuclear security, free navigation of the Black and Azon seas, and the humanitarian issues of an all-for-all POW exchanges, as well as returning Ukrainian children who have been forcefully deported to Russia.

Russia, the aggressor in the ongoing war, will not be invited to the Peace Summit "at this stage," the Swiss government announced on May 3.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 17:38 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://kyivindependent.c(...)or-all-pow-exchange/
[..]

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The USA to provide seekers for Ukraine’s JDAM-ER to defeat electronic warfare systems

The United States has ordered seekers that will enable U.S. JDAM-ER bombs from Ukraine to defeat electronic warfare systems.

The US Air Force has signed a contract with Scientific Applications and Research Associates for the acquisition of Home-on GPS seekers.

The JDAM-ER kits, which are mounted on bombs, will be equipped with these seekers.

Plans to provide Ukraine with JDAM-ERs with new seekers arose as Western precision bombs reportedly suffer from Russian GPS jamming systems.

The Home-on GPS seeker should enable Ukrainian JDАM-ERs to defeat GPS jammers.

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Essentially, this will turn one of the weapons most affected by this counter into a weapon used to directly engage it.

This follows growing reports that Russian jamming is seriously reducing the effectiveness of GPS-guided munitions supplied by allies, including JDAM-ER.

Scientific Applications and Research Associates Inc., was awarded a $23 million contract for the acquisition of Home-on GPS Jam seekers. This contract provides for the integration of the extended range seekers into existing Joint Direct Attack Munition wing kits.

JDAM-ERs have been used in Ukraine since at least March 2023. Soviet-era MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter aircraft are used to operate these weapons.

Details about the seeker itself are limited, but Scientific Applications and Research Associates has been developing similar capabilities for integration into various precision munitions for many years.

“If the enemy tries to complicate the battlefield with electronic warfare, HOJ SARA seekers can allow a guided bomb or missile to hit an obstacle,” the company said of the system.

HOJ is compact enough to be 10 times cheaper than its predecessors, and its component base allows it to be easily integrated into the guidance system of any existing precision-guided munition.

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We do not produce ammunition in Poland, we assemble it from imported components
A "national ammunition program" should be created, which will provide at least 3-5 million pieces of ammunition for artillery and tanks within 5 years. Today, we do not produce ammunition in Poland, but we assemble it from imported components, said the former commander of the land forces, General Waldemar Skrzypczak, in the PAP Studio.

Gen. Skrzypczak, asked in the PAP Studio on Monday (January 22) about the modernization of the Polish army, said that it had never been carried out at such a pace in the history of Poland. Similarly, in the case of military equipment purchases, which are "at historic levels."

“If we were able to organize troops based on this equipment, our military potential would definitely increase and would be an element that would primarily deter the Russians. However, the key issue is that this equipment goes to the military units where soldiers will be trained, so that we have well-coordinated battalions and brigades organized to operate with this equipment," he said.

The second element, according to the general, should be the start of production of Polish ammunition. The former commander of the land forces referred to the contract signed in December 2023 for the supply of several hundred thousand pieces of 155 mm artillery ammunition for the Polish Armed Forces, implemented by the PGZ-AMMUNICJA Consortium.

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“There was information in the media that we produce ammunition. We assemble it from components that we import. Poland does not have an ammunition program. Contracts he signed include: PGZ is ammunition that we will buy within five years, but it will be enough for 15 days of combat," he said.

Gen. Skrzypczak emphasized that a "national ammunition program" should be created, which would produce not more than 300,000 munitions within five years. and at least 3-5 million rounds of ammunition for artillery and tanks, i.e. "the main mass of fighting troops in a defensive operation in the country."

Another element of support for the army, according to General Skrzypczak, should be the expansion of the Polish arms industry, which so far "has been based mainly on the propaganda of success." He emphasized that the industry should produce "equipment that Poland expects" and that is missing in the army.

Details on the December 2023 order of 155 mm ammunition were provided by the Armament Agency in a statement. "The subject of the contract is the supply of several hundred thousand pieces of 155 mm artillery ammunition for the Polish Armed Forces. The agreement was concluded between the State Treasury - Armament Agency and the PGZ-AMMUNICJA Consortium composed of: Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa SA (leader), Zakłady Metalowe +Dezamet+ SA, Mesko SA, Zakłady Chemiczne +Nitro-Chem+ SA, Zakład Produkcji Młodych +Gamrat+ Sp. z o. o. and Bydgoskie Zakłady Elektromechanne +Belma+ SA” – it was indicated.

As noted, the value of the contract is over PLN 10 billion gross. Ammunition deliveries are scheduled for 2024-2029. AU emphasizes that this is the first executive agreement for the June framework agreement, which provided for the purchase of several hundred thousand 155 mm artillery shells of various types.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 18:00 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Oekra�ne krijgt Skynex luchtafweer geschut van Duitsland.

https://twitter.com/SamRa(...)Lbkow42A1dNyi9g&s=19

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‘I love my country, but I can’t kill’: Ukrainian men evading conscription

^{Two years after Russia's full-scale invasion, many men are serving in the armed forces. Far more women than men are visible on the streets of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The Guardian}

As the war stretches on indefinitely, there are few eager recruits and Kyiv’s armed forces are short of soldiers

Anton* was on his way to work as a civilian volunteer in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv 10 days ago. Several men stopped him. They asked: “Hi, who are you?” And: “Can you show me your documents please?” One of the officers produced a tablet and scrolled down a list. He found Anton’s name. A single word was written next to it in red capital letters: ukhyliant, or draft dodger. The men took him to the nearest conscription office.

That morning, Anton and his colleague Serhii were due to drive a truck full of humanitarian aid to a frontline zone. The two men – aged 32 and 31 – had been checked twice before, once outside a metro station, and on a second occasion while waiting for a tram. They received pieces of paper. The first was a polite request to register details. The second an official summons to report to a recruiting centre as soon as possible.

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More than two years into Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s armed forces are short of soldiers. Russian troops in February captured the city of Avdiivka and in recent weeks they have been advancing further in the east of the country, besieging the town of Chasiv Yar. Ukrainian commanders acknowledge Moscow has more troops, but say the decisive factor is its superior artillery, as well as war planes, used to pound defences.

^{Soldiers of the 25th storm battalion of the 47th brigade at their base near Avdiivka. Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The Guardian}

Nevertheless, the army is trying to find new people to replace those who have been killed or injured and to relieve exhausted soldiers propping up the frontline. In spring 2022 volunteers queued to joined up, but with the war stretching on indefinitely, there are few eager recruits.

Measures allowing the military to call up more soldiers and to tighten punishment for evasion were approved by Volodymyr Zelenskiy in April. The mobilisation age was reduced from 27 to 25 and, from 18 May, draft evaders can lose their driving licence and have their bank accounts frozen and property seized.

The government has also said it is withdrawing consular services from Ukrainian men living abroad in countries such as Poland and Lithuania. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, admitted that few were likely to come home but he said it was a symbolic move as “guys in the trenches are very tired” while their counterparts in the rest of Europe were “sitting in restaurants”.

With draft officers roaming the streets of Ukrainian towns and cities, some men of conscription age are hiding. Telegram channels have sprung up where users can report sightings of state representatives in order to avoid them. Posts are written in a simple meteorological code. The officers are dubbed “clouds” or “rain”. A typical exchange goes: “What is the weather like at Defenders of Ukraine metro station?” Answer: “Three clouds have covered a young guy.”

At the Kharkiv conscription centre, meanwhile, Anton explained he was a volunteer doing useful NGO work. The military official interviewing him was unimpressed. He told Anton he had to appear within three days before a medical commission, which would assess whether he was fit to join the army. If he didn’t turn up he faced a 5,100 hryvnia (�100) fine. “There was hate in his eyes. He was a Dalek. He emphasised Ukraine has been fighting Russia since 2014,” Anton’s friend Serhii said.

The official said that if Anton didn’t want to serve, he could swim across the Tisa river to Romania, one of several routes used by draft evaders. Or he could “tunnel” to the Russian city of Belgorod.

“It was a joke but not a joke,” Serhii said. Instead, Anton vanished. He moved to a village. Now he works remotely. “I love my country. But I can’t kill anyone and I don’t want to die,” Serhii said. He added: “Everyone is tired of war. And of this government. There’s an attitude of: ‘Go fuck yourself.’”

^{Ukrainian soldiers, returning from the southern frontline, in Izium. Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The Guardian}

Oleksandr – a 36-year-old IT manager – said he rarely went out. He avoided public transport, travelling only by car. He moved to a wealthy neighbourhood of Kyiv because draft officers preferred to operate in poorer districts, where it was easier to catch evaders, he said.

Some of the apartment owners in his block were members of parliament. “The military don’t visit here. Our compound is an island of survival. To be poor in Ukraine is to be dead,” said Oleksandr’s wife, Nastia.

Nastia said she worried about her husband and suffered from panic attacks. “We’ve been married for 12 years. We are one organism. If he dies I will die too. Maybe I will kill myself,” she said.

The couple paid taxes, were “100% Ukrainian” and bought a prosthesis for a soldier who lost a leg. But they believed Ukraine should negotiate with Russia, even though Putin was a “madman”, they said. “I feel a slave. You have one life. If it’s a choice between life and flag I choose life,” Oleksandr said.

In October 2023 one of their friends, Myroslav, fled Ukraine on foot. He bought a map for $500 (�400), paying on a crypto site, and trekked for 24 hours to Hungary, across fields and through a forest.

Myroslav said he only took with him a small backpack. At one point he spotted a patrol and lay down in the grass for 40 minutes. He crawled through a hole in a border fence. Then he went to a Hungarian police station. Myroslav is now in Warsaw. “I didn’t want to fight. I’m afraid to die,” he said.

Others pay local smugglers to show them the route. The going rate is $5,000 to $15,000 per person. Another option is to pay a bribe to obtain a medical exemption certificate and to exit via normal channels.

About half of those who try to escape – 40,000 people, up to summer 2023 – get caught. Some drown. On Saturday the state border service said its guards found the bodies of two men who tried to swim across the Tisa river.

^{Fedir Venislavskyi says Kyiv needs more soldiers to fight Russia, but adds: ‘It’s not a huge issue. Russia exaggerates it for propaganda.’ Photograph: Artem Mazhulin/The Guardian}

Fedir Venislavskyi, a deputy and member of the national security committee, said the number of would-be escapers was smaller than in 2022, when 6 million refugees left.

“We have a problem with conscription. But it’s not huge and it should not be exaggerated,” he said. “Russia is trying to blow up the issue for propaganda reasons.” A “few dozens” of men tried to cross illegally, he acknowledged. “People are afraid. Fear makes them do stupid things.”

Venislavskyi said the government had no easy options. Moscow has 470,000 to 500,000 troops fighting at the frontline and was seeking to mobilise another 500,000. It offered a $7,000 sign-on fee to new recruits: a fortune for men from deprived areas, he said.

Ukraine had to respond by boosting its reserves “by a few hundred thousand”. A professor of constitutional law, Venislavskyi fought Russia in 2014. He saidonly a handful of colleagues from his university had volunteered so far.

Conscription has radically changed the nature of Ukrainian society. In the capital there appear to be more women on the streets than men, mostly students and older officer workers.

Masha Lavrova, a 24-year-old TikTok producer, said the “number of guys had dropped” off since 2023, when she came back to Ukraine after eight years abroad. She said it was difficult to find suitable matches on dating apps such as Tinder, with so many potential dates serving in the armed forces.

^{Masha Lavrova, a 24-year-old TikTok producer, says it is hard to find a date because many men her age are fighting on the frontline. Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The Guardian}

“When I open Tinder near the frontline I get thousands of likes. My telephone loses charge. In Kyiv it’s different,” she said. “I think many guys are quite depressed. You feel guilty for living. It’s hard to do anything that’s not about survival or Ukraine’s victory.”

She said that some men pretended the war was not happening, with one telling her he didn’t want to “waste his energy”. “It seems a lot of guys with values that align with mine are somewhere else,” she said.

Olha – a 34-year-old living near Kharkiv – said her husband didn’t want to fight because they have two small children and household debts. An IT programmer, he is “at home 24/7”. When he had to see a dentist they researched back routes to get there, including one “through the woods”, she recalled.

“Before 2022 we went to the cinema, holidayed in Spain and travelled. Now we go nowhere. My husband’s brother is in the army. He tells him every time ‘you don’t need this shit’,” she said.

Her husband felt “ashamed” that he was not participating in the war. She explained: “He met a friend who is in the army. They were joking. But I could see he felt uncomfortable that this man went and he didn’t.”

She added: “The problem is now we are in some bubble. Yes, rockets are flying. But in our small town it’s not so bad. That’s why many people are sitting at home and trying to avoid going to the army. Many don’t give a shit. They are living their lives as normal.”

*Some names have been changed

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A cannibal and a serial killer were released from prison and went to the front line

They became best friends.
Dmitry Malyshev was sentenced to 25 years in a maximum security prison for cannibalism and a series of murders. 10 years ago, he killed his friend Tajik, and roasted his heart with vegetables. He videotaped the whole process.

"We're roasting a human meat. Here it is - the heart. I've already added onions," Malyshev commented on the video.

Malyshev signed a contract with the Defense Ministry in October 2023 and went to war as part of the fine battalion "Storm V". He was wounded twice. At the time of the conversation with a journalist of the Volgograd edition of V1, the ex-convict was in the hospital.

He explained his motivation to go to war to journalists as follows:

"I understood why I was going and where I was going. How would you feel if your little daughter was told in primary school how to put on a condom? Or men walking down the street and licking each other? Is that normal for you? It's not normal for me."

Together with the cannibal, Alexander Maslennikov, convicted of double murder and dismemberment of girls, left the prison to war. Malyshev published joint photos of them both smiling while sitting in an embrace on social networks.

The "Storm V" penalty squads replaced the "Storm Z" units of prisoners pardoned by Putin. The prisoners who have been sent to the front under contract with the Defense Ministry as part of the "Storm V" units since September 2023 cannot apply for a pardon.

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SSU drone operators hit the Russian tanks and other equipment

Soldiers of the Security Service of Ukraine have recently destroyed a significant amount of the Russian equipment in different parts of the frontline.

The Security Service of Ukraine has released a video of the drone operators in action.

In total, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed a number of armored vehicles, tanks and military vehicles of the invaders in two weeks.

To defeat enemy equipment and manpower, they used mainly FPV drones and UAVs with ammunition.

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Most of the footage of the SSU video shows Ukrainian FPV drones, equipped mainly with cumulative warheads, hitting enemy tanks of various modifications.

Спецпризначенці СБУ «відмінусували» більше півсотні броньованої техніки і 430 окупантів

Light armored vehicles, including Grad or Tornado-G MLRS and trucks used by the Russians for logistics, were also hit.

Attack drones and the dropping of ammunition from unmanned aerial vehicles also struck at the locations of the Russian manpower, such as positions and dugouts.

The Ukrainian drones also hit the invaders’ visual surveillance systems, which are located in buildings and on rooftops or cell phone towers.

Previously, soldiers of the Security Service of Ukraine effectively deployed drones equipped with target auto-acquisition capabilities against the invaders’ air defense systems.

Operators were able to target Russian BUK and TOR systems using these drones.

СБУ уразила парк З� К росіян дронами з автозахопленням цілі

Before the strikes, reconnaissance and target adjustment were likely conducted by Shark drones.

Meanwhile, Russian air defense systems proved unable to detect and counter the Ukrainian drones, resulting in successful strikes against their targets.

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China to open drone production plant in Russia
Chinese company Jitian Intelligent Equipment has announced its intention to build a drone manufacturing plant in Krasnodar, Russia. Preliminary reports suggest the facility will produce 20 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) per month, reports the Russian news outlets CNews.

The Chinese company reportedly plans to invest 40 million rubles ($436,200). Currently, Jitian Intelligent Equipment has only established a representative office in Krasnodar and is in the process of selecting a site for the factory.

Initially, the company will produce the Jtilep JT40 UAV, designed for agricultural use such as spraying fertilizers over crops. However, media reports highlight that the drones can also be deployed for surveillance of various facilities and patrol duties. Moreover, the Jtilep JT40 can carry payloads of up to 60 kg. The intended selling price for the drones is 2.9 million rubles ($31,624).

Scheduled for launch in 2024, this production facility will focus on drones for agricultural applications. Notably, some Russian regions, including Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, Astrakhan, Volgograd, Voronezh, Lipetsk, and Tambov regions, are subject to flight restrictions for agrarian drones under 30 kg. The Russian Defense Ministry has extended these restrictions throughout 2024 within the so-called temporary airspace closure zones.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 17:43 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://mil.in.ua/en/news(...)nic-warfare-systems/
[..]

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 20:31 schreef AchJa het volgende:

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Dus de GPS jamming is toch net iets vervelender dan allerlei "deskundigen" initieel riepen. Ik kan me nog wel wat discussies en uitleg herinneren.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 20:43 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Helaas wel ja. Maar het is een kat en muis spel. Oekra�ne krijgt nieuwe wapens ter beschikking, hiermee doen zij een paar weken erg veel schade mee. Dan komt Rusland met tegenmaatregelen en worden die wapens in sommige gevallen haast waardeloos. Dus dan komt Oekra�ne weer met tegen tegenmaatregelen en gaat het weer een tijdje goed.

En zo blijft het door gaan.

Natuurlijk zijn zij ook druk bezig met systemen te ontwikkelen die veel moeilijker te jammen zijn. Denk aan de AI drones waar ze nu mee bezig zijn.

Maar het blijft een kat en muis spel.

Ik had ook ergens gelezen dat ze bang zijn dat dit ook zo met die ATACMS zal gaan. Dat Oekra�ne gewoon een aantal weken heeft om maximaal schade ermee te doen voordat Rusland mogelijk met tegenmaatregelen kan komen. Maar dat is natuurlijk afwachten.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 19:59 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://en.nexta.tv/russi(...)t-to-the-front-lines
[..]

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 22:02 schreef luxerobots het volgende:

[..]
Gezellige jongens hoor.

Ze zien er overigens ook oud uit.

Dmitry Malyshev, 36, was jailed for eating the heart of one of three men he killed.
Rapist and killer Alexander Maslennikov, 38, was also released early by Putin.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 14:57 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Nee, ze wonnen vanwege een Amerikaans lend-lease programma.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 22:09 schreef Jaroon het volgende:

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Putin noemt dit vrienden. Ik zou mij wat zorgen maken.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 21:55 schreef Jaroon het volgende:
Wat een debiele titel.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 20:43 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Helaas wel ja. Maar het is een kat en muis spel. Oekra�ne krijgt nieuwe wapens ter beschikking, hiermee doen zij een paar weken erg veel schade mee. Dan komt Rusland met tegenmaatregelen en worden die wapens in sommige gevallen haast waardeloos. Dus dan komt Oekra�ne weer met tegen tegenmaatregelen en gaat het weer een tijdje goed.

En zo blijft het door gaan.

Natuurlijk zijn zij ook druk bezig met systemen te ontwikkelen die veel moeilijker te jammen zijn. Denk aan de AI drones waar ze nu mee bezig zijn.

Maar het blijft een kat en muis spel.

Ik had ook ergens gelezen dat ze bang zijn dat dit ook zo met die ATACMS zal gaan. Dat Oekra�ne gewoon een aantal weken heeft om maximaal schade ermee te doen voordat Rusland mogelijk met tegenmaatregelen kan komen. Maar dat is natuurlijk afwachten.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 21:55 schreef Jaroon het volgende:
Wat een debiele titel.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 22:57 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
Nog nooit van gehoord?

https://timpanogos.blog/2(...)f-war-who-said-that/

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 16:00 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Mediazona/BBC heeft al meer dan 50.000 russische doden geteld en bevestigd, exclusief:
- LPR
- DNR
- buitenlanders
- vermisten

Dit is minimum aantal doden, en het aantal gewonden is een veelvoud hiervan. 100.000 gesneuvelde soldaten is zeker haalbaar. Het totaal (KIA+WIA+MIA) gaat dus "richting de half miljoen".

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 22:57 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
Nog nooit van gehoord?

https://timpanogos.blog/2(...)f-war-who-said-that/

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So far as I can determine, Plato did not use those exact words (even in Greek), but he said something that could be similar. In his Apology he has Socrates saying that death is either an uninterrupted sleep or a transmigration to another realm. In this sense he could be saying that the dead have seen the end of the world’s conflicts.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:10 schreef PluggieOD het volgende:

[..]
Volgens je eigen extrapolatie:

Zelensky/BBC heeft al meer dan 31.000 ukraiense doden geteld en bevestigd, exclusief:
- buitenlanders
- vermisten

Dit is minimum aantal doden, en het aantal gewonden is een veelvoud hiervan. 62.000 gesneuvelde Ukraiense soldaten is zeker haalbaar. Het totaal (KIA+WIA+MIA) gaat dus "richting de 310.000".

310.000 Ukraiense slachtoffers volgens de oheng methode. Zou een 3:5 verhouding betekenen.

Het wordt nog interressanter als we Papierversnipperaar zijn schatting meenemen uit het vorige deel: 380.000 Russische slachtoffers. Afgezet tegen de 310.000 Ukraiense slachtoffers welke oheng betoogd zitten we bijna 1 op 1 qua verhouding.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:10 schreef PluggieOD het volgende:


Het wordt nog interressanter als we Papierversnipperaar zijn schatting meenemen uit het vorige deel: 380.000 Russische slachtoffers. Afgezet tegen de 310.000 Ukraiense slachtoffers welke oheng betoogd zitten we bijna 1 op 1 qua verhouding.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:11 schreef Jaroon het volgende:

[..]
Je maakt er een hobby van.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 22:21 schreef Seeburg54 het volgende:

[..]
Het is veelzeggend over hoe dat volk in elkaar zit. Wat een land.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:18 schreef PluggieOD het volgende:

[..]
Rekenen met de fok! experts.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:22 schreef Jaroon het volgende:

[..]
Dat gaat niet.....:

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:22 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
"Minderwaardig", een andere term voor hun normen en waarden en cultuur is er niet.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:24 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
(1 FOK! expert * 3 FOK! experts)/2 kritische denkers = ?

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:24 schreef Jaroon het volgende:

[..]
Je kan moeilijk zeggen "beschaafd en aantrekkelijk".

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:25 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
"Achterlijk en onderontwikkeld" dekt de lading ook wel.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:10 schreef PluggieOD het volgende:

[..]
Volgens je eigen extrapolatie:

Zelensky/BBC heeft al meer dan 31.000 ukraiense doden geteld en bevestigd, exclusief:
- buitenlanders
- vermisten

Dit is minimum aantal doden, en het aantal gewonden is een veelvoud hiervan. 62.000 gesneuvelde Ukraiense soldaten is zeker haalbaar. Het totaal (KIA+WIA+MIA) gaat dus "richting de 310.000".

310.000 Ukraiense slachtoffers volgens de oheng methode. Zou een 3:5 verhouding betekenen.

Het wordt nog interressanter als we Papierversnipperaar zijn schatting meenemen uit het vorige deel: 380.000 Russische slachtoffers. Afgezet tegen de 310.000 Ukraiense slachtoffers welke oheng betoogd zitten we bijna 1 op 1 qua verhouding.

quote:

Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:10 schreef PluggieOD het volgende:

[..]
Volgens je eigen extrapolatie:

Zelensky/BBC heeft al meer dan 31.000 ukraiense doden geteld en bevestigd, exclusief:
- buitenlanders
- vermisten

Dit is minimum aantal doden, en het aantal gewonden is een veelvoud hiervan. 62.000 gesneuvelde Ukraiense soldaten is zeker haalbaar. Het totaal (KIA+WIA+MIA) gaat dus "richting de 310.000".

310.000 Ukraiense slachtoffers volgens de oheng methode. Zou een 3:5 verhouding betekenen.

Het wordt nog interressanter als we Papierversnipperaar zijn schatting meenemen uit het vorige deel: 380.000 Russische slachtoffers. Afgezet tegen de 310.000 Ukraiense slachtoffers welke oheng betoogd zitten we bijna 1 op 1 qua verhouding.

quote:

Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:10 schreef PluggieOD het volgende:

[..]
Volgens je eigen extrapolatie:

Zelensky/BBC heeft al meer dan 31.000 ukraiense doden geteld en bevestigd, exclusief:
- buitenlanders
- vermisten

Dit is minimum aantal doden, en het aantal gewonden is een veelvoud hiervan. 62.000 gesneuvelde Ukraiense soldaten is zeker haalbaar. Het totaal (KIA+WIA+MIA) gaat dus "richting de 310.000".

310.000 Ukraiense slachtoffers volgens de oheng methode. Zou een 3:5 verhouding betekenen.

Het wordt nog interressanter als we Papierversnipperaar zijn schatting meenemen uit het vorige deel: 380.000 Russische slachtoffers. Afgezet tegen de 310.000 Ukraiense slachtoffers welke oheng betoogd zitten we bijna 1 op 1 qua verhouding.

quote:

Op zondag 5 mei 2024 00:04 schreef BlaZ het volgende:
Vandaag schoof Floris Akkerman aan bij Boekestijn en de Wijk, en hij komt net terug uit Oekra�ne. Hij heeft wel een aantal interessante observaties.
Een detail pik ik er even uit, hij stelt dat de Russen tien keer meer drones hebben dan de Oekra�ners. Heeft iemand toevallig recente artikelen gezien over de machtsverhouding op dronevlak?

quote:

Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:10 schreef PluggieOD het volgende:

[..]
Volgens je eigen extrapolatie:

Zelensky/BBC heeft al meer dan 31.000 ukraiense doden geteld en bevestigd, exclusief:
- buitenlanders
- vermisten

Dit is minimum aantal doden, en het aantal gewonden is een veelvoud hiervan. 62.000 gesneuvelde Ukraiense soldaten is zeker haalbaar. Het totaal (KIA+WIA+MIA) gaat dus "richting de 310.000".

310.000 Ukraiense slachtoffers volgens de oheng methode. Zou een 3:5 verhouding betekenen.

Het wordt nog interressanter als we Papierversnipperaar zijn schatting meenemen uit het vorige deel: 380.000 Russische slachtoffers. Afgezet tegen de 310.000 Ukraiense slachtoffers welke oheng betoogd zitten we bijna 1 op 1 qua verhouding.

quote:

Op zondag 5 mei 2024 11:24 schreef Opnaarutrecht het volgende:

[..]
Je praat onzin. Het aantal dode en gewonde Russen ligt tussen de 450 en 500k, bij Oekraine tussen de 120 en de 180k.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 23:51 schreef polderturk het volgende:
WTF???

Dit is echt bizar.

https://twitter.com/TOGAj(...)J6UfuzuCSMxDD5g&s=19

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 11:49 schreef over_hedge het volgende:

[..]
Een rus die niet liegt komt je idd niet vaak tegen

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 19:59 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://en.nexta.tv/russi(...)t-to-the-front-lines
[..]

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 12:58 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Zien er idd wel apart uit, deze granaten.

[ x ]

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 13:44 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
Dat zijn 155MM Vulcan granaten, die hebben ze al een tijdje.

Germany Announces Vulcan Guided Artillery Shells for Ukraine.

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 11:13 schreef Anton91 het volgende:
Edit: Beter beeldmateriaal
[ x ]

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 14:07 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

[..]
Ergens ben ik blij voor die jongens. Deze zinloze oorlog is in ieder geval voor hen afgelopen.

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 14:32 schreef ipa84 het volgende:
[ x ]
Lang draadje van iemand die met satellietbeelden is gaan tellen hoeveel BMPs en BTRs Rusland nog over heeft.

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 11:40 schreef Perrin het volgende:

[..]
De bekende 3:1-verhouding tussen aanvallers en verdedigers.

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 14:37 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

[..]
Conclusie?
Voor degenen zonder Twitter account (ik kan alleen het bericht in die post lezen, de rest niet).

quote:

Op zondag 5 mei 2024 14:39 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Die verhouding zal anders -in het nadeel van de Russen- zijn wegens die meatwaves die ze doen. Oekra�ne let toch meer op het overleven van de eigen soldaten.

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 14:46 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
En de Russen gebruiken weer veel meer artillerie en vliegtuigen waardoor dat meer in hun voordeel is...

quote:

Op zondag 5 mei 2024 15:18 schreef ExTec het volgende:
This for real?

[ x ]

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 15:18 schreef ExTec het volgende:
This for real?

[ x ]

quote:

Op zondag 5 mei 2024 15:18 schreef ExTec het volgende:
This for real?

[ x ]

quote:

Op zondag 5 mei 2024 15:18 schreef ExTec het volgende:
This for real?

[ x ]

quote:

Op zondag 5 mei 2024 11:49 schreef over_hedge het volgende:

[..]
Een rus die niet liegt komt je idd niet vaak tegen

quote:

Xi gearriveerd in Parijs voor staatsbezoek en begin Europese tour
19 min geledenin BUITENLAND

PARIJS - De Chinese president Xi Jinping is in de Franse hoofdstad Parijs aangekomen voor een staatsbezoek, melden Chinese staatsmedia.

Hij heeft er maandag een ontmoeting met de Franse president Emmanuel Macron en Europese Commissievoorzitter Ursula von der Leyen.

quote:

Xi is voor het eerst in vijf jaar weer in Europa.
Volgens een woordvoerder van het Chinese ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken wil Xi ,,stabiliteit brengen in de relatie tussen de EU en China en een nieuwe bijdrage leveren aan vrede en stabiliteit in de wereld."

Na zijn bezoek aan Frankrijk reist Xi verder naar Servi� en Hongarije, twee landen waar Chinese bedrijven sterk vertegenwoordigd zijn.

quote:

Het Kremlin heeft het bevel gegeven om 'iets' te veroveren voor de fanfare van de Dag van de Overwinning in Moskou (op 9 mei, red.), of als dat niet lukt voor het bezoek van Vladimir Poetin aan Peking een week later",

quote:

Ukraine shoots down Russian Su-25 aircraft in Donetsk Oblast, Zelensky says
Soldiers of Ukraine's 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade shot down a Russian Su-25 fighter jet in Donetsk Oblast on May 4, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address.

Russia is carrying out intense attacks in multiple sections of the eastern front, which covers much of Donetsk Oblast, after it captured the city of Avdiivka in February. Moscow shifted its focus toward Chasiv Yar, an elevated town that potentially opens the way to further advances into the region.

The Su-25 is used to provide close air support for Russian troops on the ground.

"Well done. I thank all our soldiers at the front in combat missions at combat posts," Zelensky said.

Russia's total losses during the all-out war amount to about 673 aircraft — 348 planes and 325 helicopters, according to Ukraine's General Staff.

The General Staff's figure could not be independently verified.

Russia used eight missiles of various types against Ukraine and dropped nearly 70 guided aerial bombs on border settlements and positions at the front within a day, according to Zelensky.

Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov also reportedly briefed Zelensky on "the actions of specific units in specific areas" at the front.

"We are aware of all aspects of the situation now," Zelensky said.

Ukraine is facing a "new stage" in the full-scale war as Russia is preparing to expand its offensive, Zelensky said earlier.

Russian forces are trying to advance in the Lyman, Bakhmut, Kupiansk, Novopavlivka, and Avdiivka sectors in the east of Ukraine, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on May 4.

quote:

Op zondag 5 mei 2024 17:30 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]

quote:

Op zondag 5 mei 2024 14:37 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

[..]
Conclusie?
Voor degenen zonder Twitter account (ik kan alleen het bericht in die post lezen, de rest niet).

quote:

Op zondag 5 mei 2024 17:35 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Mocht Rusland winnen dan zullen dit soort dingen wel vaker gaan gebeuren. Net zoals vergiftigingen. Bomaanslagen. Noem maar op.

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 19:11 schreef BEFEM het volgende:
Oekra�ne heeft er wel problemen mee. Als het werkt dan werkt het.

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 16:50 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Geef gewoon je positie door aan Oekra�ne en je bent zo van je probleem af.

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 19:31 schreef Hyperdude het volgende:
Je zou zo'n tank moeten kunnen taseren ofzo. Forse stroomstoot er doorheen jagen en electronica en bemanning is uitgeschakeld..

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 19:26 schreef RamboDirk het volgende:

[..]
Sorry hoor maar wat is de slagkracht van zo'n tank nog. Je kunt er niks mee verder, het enige is dat ze niet kapot gaan van drones.

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 19:31 schreef Hyperdude het volgende:
Je zou zo'n tank moeten kunnen taseren ofzo. Forse stroomstoot er doorheen jagen en electronica en bemanning is uitgeschakeld..

Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge - Testing Tesla Tanks

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 19:31 schreef Hyperdude het volgende:
Je zou zo'n tank moeten kunnen taseren ofzo. Forse stroomstoot er doorheen jagen en electronica en bemanning is uitgeschakeld..

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 20:46 schreef Perrin het volgende:

[..]
Of stiekem wat beton op storten.

[ afbeelding ]

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 19:26 schreef RamboDirk het volgende:

[..]
Sorry hoor maar wat is de slagkracht van zo'n tank nog. Je kunt er niks mee verder, het enige is dat ze niet kapot gaan van drones.

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 18:50 schreef Perrin het volgende:
De Russen worden steeds zuiniger met hun nog werkende tanks.
[ x ]

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 21:31 schreef MaxMark het volgende:

[..]
Ze gebruiken het nu meer als APC/IFV om manschappen af te zetten. Stuk of 10 infanteristen midden in een centrum droppen en er weer heelhuids vandoor gaan. Is ze al een paar keer gelukt.

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 21:39 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

[..]
10 Pyrenee�n zeker, want met alleen al de crew aan boord zit een tank al mudjevol

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 21:41 schreef MaxMark het volgende:

[..]
Gewoon d'r bovuh op. Op de tank, onder de shell.

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 20:46 schreef Perrin het volgende:

[..]
Of stiekem wat beton op storten.

[ afbeelding ]

Catching a Human With a Giant Glue Trap! | MythBusters Jr.

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Op zondag 5 mei 2024 20:55 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Gossie.....Dan zal het met een F16 ook wel kunnen op zo'n geprepareerd stuk autoweg.

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Propaganda under the guise of education

Before May 9 , a single lesson dedicated to the so-called "Victory Day" will be held in Belarusian schools.

This lesson will tell about "a Russian soldier who is now fighting for our world." On May 7 and 8, uniform lessons will be held in all schools in Belarus, where students will be forced to listen to the speech of the pocket archpriest Fyodor Povny, the Center of National Resistance reported.

According to reports, his video will "show the beauty of the spiritual feat in the Great Patriotic War", but in fact it is outright Z-propaganda. In a video lesson for Belarusian children, the following saying is heard: "Just like then, a Russian soldier fights for our world. Boys voluntarily go to the front because their grandfathers and great-grandfathers defended their homeland. Their grandchildren do not dare to disgrace the family. We wish victory so that Nazism is broken this year. After a new victory, new heroes will come to your school to talk about the homeland and how to protect it."

This is how the Russian church tries to whitewash its punishers and occupiers, who without a shadow of a doubt shoot at peaceful Ukrainian cities. Full is known as "Lukashenka's spiritual adviser". In addition to his church service, he is also a businessman with great ambitions. It was he who blessed all those terrible crimes of the dictator against the Belarusian people.

quote:

North Korean weapons are killing Ukrainians. The implications are far bigger

On 2 January, a young Ukrainian weapons inspector, Khrystyna Kimachuk, got word that an unusual-looking missile had crashed into a building in the city of Kharkiv. She began calling her contacts in the Ukrainian military, desperate to get her hands on it. Within a week, she had the mangled debris splayed out in front of her at a secure location in the capital Kyiv.

She began taking it apart and photographing every piece, including the screws and computer chips smaller than her fingernails. She could tell almost immediately this was not a Russian missile, but her challenge was to prove it.

Buried amidst the mess of metal and spouting wires, Ms Kimachuk spotted a tiny character from the Korean alphabet. Then she came across a more telling detail. The number 112 had been stamped onto parts of the shell. This corresponds to the year 2023 in the North Korean calendar. She realised she was looking at the first piece of hard evidence that North Korean weapons were being used to attack her country.

"We'd heard they had delivered some weapons to Russia, but I could see it, touch it, investigate it, in a way no-one had been able to do before. This was very exciting", she told me over the phone from Kyiv.

SPOILER

quote:

Since then, the Ukrainian military says dozens of North Korean missiles have been fired by Russia into its territory. They have killed at least 24 people and injured more than 70.

For all the recent talk of Kim Jong Un preparing to start a nuclear war, the more immediate threat is now North Korea's ability to fuel existing wars and feed global instability.

Ms Kimachuk works for Conflict Armament Research (CAR), an organisation that retrieves weapons used in war, to work out how they were made. But it wasn't until after she had finished photographing the wreckage of the missile and her team analysed its hundreds of components, that the most jaw-dropping revelation came.

It was bursting with the latest foreign technology. Most of the electronic parts had been manufactured in the US and Europe over the past few years. There was even a US computer chip made as recently as March 2023. This meant that North Korea had illicitly procured vital weapons components, snuck them into the country, assembled the missile, and shipped it to Russia in secret, where it had then been transported to the frontline and fired - all in a matter of months.

"This was the biggest surprise, that despite being under severe sanctions for almost two decades, North Korea is still managing to get its hands on all it needs to make its weapons, and with extraordinary speed," said Damien Spleeters, the deputy director at CAR.

Over in London, Joseph Byrne, a North Korea expert at the defence think tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), was equally stunned.

"I never thought I would see North Korean ballistic missiles being used to kill people on European soil," he said. He and his team at RUSI have been tracking the shipment of North Korean weapons to Russia ever since Mr Kim met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Russia in September of last year to strike a suspected arms deal.

Using satellite imagery, they have been able to observe four Russian cargo ships shuttling back and forth between North Korea and a Russian military port, loaded with hundreds of containers at a time.

In total RUSI estimates 7,000 containers have been sent, filled with more than a million ammunition shells and grad rockets - the sort that can be fired out of trucks in large volleys. Their assessments are backed up by intelligence from the US, UK and South Korea, though Russia and North Korea have denied the trade.

"These shells and rockets are some of the most sought-after things in the world today and are allowing Russia to keep pounding Ukrainian cities at a time when the US and Europe have been faltering over what weapons to contribute," Mr Byrne said.

Buying and firing
But it is the arrival of ballistic missiles on the battlefield that has concerned Mr Byrne and his colleagues the most, because of what they reveal about North Korea's weapons programme.

Since the 1980s North Korea has sold its weapons abroad, largely to countries in the North Africa and the Middle East, including Libya, Syria and Iran. They have tended to be old, Soviet-style missiles with a poor reputation. There is evidence that Hamas fighters likely used some of Pyongyang's old rocket-propelled grenades in their attack last 7 October.

But the missile fired on 2 January, that Ms Kimachuk took apart, was seemingly Pyongyang's most sophisticated short-range missile - the Hwasong 11 - capable of travelling up to 700km (435 miles).

Although the Ukrainians have downplayed their accuracy, Dr Jeffrey Lewis, an expert in North Korean weapons and non-proliferation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, says they appear to be not much worse than the Russian missiles.

The advantage of these missiles is that they are extremely cheap, explained Dr Lewis. This means you can buy more and fire more, in the hope of overwhelming air defences, which is exactly what the Russians appear to be doing.

This then raises the question of how many of these missiles the North Koreans can produce. The South Korean government recently observed North Korea has sent 6,700 containers of munitions to Russia, it says that Pyongyang's weapons factories were operating at full-tilt, and Dr Lewis, who has been studying these factories through satellites, reckons they can churn out a few hundred a year.

Still reeling from their discovery, Mr Spleeters and his team are now trying to work out how this is possible, given that companies are banned from selling parts to North Korea.

Many of the computer chips that are integral to modern weapons, that guide them through the air to their intended targets, are the same chips that are used to power our phones, washing machines and cars, Mr Spleeters explained.

These are being sold all over the world in staggering numbers. Manufacturers sell to distributors in their billions, who sell them on in their millions, meaning they often have no idea where their products end up.

Even so, Mr Byrne was frustrated to learn how many components in the missile had come from the West. It proved that North Korea's procurement networks were more robust and effective than even he, who investigates these networks, had realised.

From his experience, North Koreans based overseas set up fake companies in Hong Kong or other central Asian countries to buy the items using predominantly stolen cash. They then send the products onto North Korea, usually over its border with China. If a fake company is discovered and sanctioned, another will quickly pop up in its place.

Sanctions have long been considered an imperfect tool to combat these networks, but to have any hope of working they need to be regularly updated and enforced. Both Russia and China have refused to impose new sanctions on North Korea since 2017.

By buying Pyongyang's weapons, Moscow is now violating the very sanctions it once voted for as a member of the UN Security Council. Then earlier this year it effectively disbanded a UN panel that monitored sanctions breaches, likely to avoid scrutiny.

"We are witnessing the real-time crumbling of UN sanctions against North Korea, which buys Pyongyang a lot of breathing space", Mr Byrne said.

All this has implications that reach far beyond the war in Ukraine.

"The real winners here are the North Koreans", said Mr Byrne. "They have helped the Russians in a significant way, and this has bought them a tonne of leverage".

In March, RUSI documented large amounts of oil being shipped from Russia to North Korea, while railcars filled with what are thought to be rice and flour have been spotted crossing the countries' land border. This deal, thought to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds, will boost not only Pyongyang's economy, but its military.

Russia could also supply the North with the raw materials to continue making its missiles, or even military equipment such a fighter jets, and - at the most extreme end - the technical assistance to improve its nuclear weapons.

Additionally, the North is getting the chance to test its latest missiles in a real-war scenario for the first time. With this valuable data, it will be able to make them better.

Pyongyang: A major missile supplier?
More troubling still is that the war is providing North Korea with a shop window to the rest of the world.

Now that Pyongyang is mass producing these weapons, it will want to sell them to more countries, and if the missiles are good enough for Russia, they will be good enough for others, said Dr Lewis - especially as the Russians are setting the example that it is okay to violate sanctions.

He predicts going forward that North Korea will become a big supplier of missiles to countries in the China-Russia-Iran bloc. In the wake of Iran's assault on Israel this month, the US said it was "incredibly concerned" that North Korea could be working with Iran on its nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes.

"I see a lot of gloomy faces when we talk about this problem," said Mr Spleeters. "But the good news is that now we know how reliant they are on foreign technology, we can do something about it".

Mr Spleeters is optimistic that by working with manufacturers they can cut off North Korea's supply chains. His team has already succeeded in identifying and shutting down an illicit network before it was able to complete a critical sale.

But Dr Lewis is not convinced.

"We can make it harder, more inconvenient, maybe raise the cost, but none of this is going to prevent North Korea from making these weapons," he said, adding that the West had ultimately failed in its attempt to contain the rogue state.

Now not only are its missiles a source of prestige and political power, but they are also generating it vast amounts of money, Dr Lewis explained. So why would Kim Jong Un ever give them up now?

quote:

'He Wants to Stop the Murders' - Trump Prepared 'Secret Peace Plan' for Ukraine, Sources Say
However, some NATO leaders fear a potential return of Trump to the presidency could endanger the existence of the Alliance and sabotage military support for Ukraine.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has reportedly developed a detailed peace plan to end Russia's full-scale war with Ukraine. The document, according to a source from Trump's entourage speaking to The Telegraph, is being kept secret until the election.

The initiative, which the Republicans are keeping out of media discussion, is deemed crucial "not to lose leverage," the source mentioned.

Trump's strategy primarily revolves around communicating his intentions to end the war, aiming to win over voters who prioritize achieving peace.

"He wants to stop the murders. Trump will stop the killings, that will be his slogan," the source stated.

SPOILER

quote:

If re-elected, Trump plans to focus on pushing NATO members to increase defense spending to 3% of their annual GDP.

However, this has raised concerns among some NATO leaders, who fear a potential return of Trump to the presidency could endanger the existence of the Alliance and sabotage military support for Ukraine.

A representative from Joe Biden's campaign headquarters voiced concerns to the publication, alleging that Trump's approach could result in the abandonment of allies in case of an attack.

"He will allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to do whatever he wants. This will make Americans less protected," the source claimed.

Trump's recent statement, indicating that he would withhold aid to Ukraine if Europe did not align military spending with the United States, has also caused consternation.

Nevertheless, Ukraine has received over $100 billion in aid from the European Union since the beginning of the full-scale war.

Donald Trump last year claimed he would end the war in Ukraine “in 24 hours.” His comments came on June 2, 2023, during a town hall event on Fox News, where he also said he “got along with Putin” and made bizarre comments about the current waves of Russian missile and drone attacks against Kyiv.

When asked about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he said: “I want to stop that war, I don’t want that war to continue.

“And I’ll stop that war, mark my words, I’ll stop that war in 24 hours.”

The event’s host Sean Hannity then interrupted to say: “Mr President, let me ask. Serious question. How do you stop that war in 24 hours?”

He replied: “I will get them into a room, and I know an exact way. You tell one ‘you’re not going to get anything unless you make a deal.’ You tell the other one ‘they’re going to get a lot unless you make a deal.’

“And you just sit them, and you put them, and you have to make a determination.”

Although Trump did not say which one was which, his comments appear to suggest he would force Ukraine to accept the loss of territories illegally occupied and annexed by Russian forces with the threat of rewarding President Putin with even more if they refuse to accept his offer.

President Zelensky has rubbished claims made by Donald Trump that he could stop Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine “in 24 hours”, saying he already had the chance to do so when he was serving as president, yet didn’t.

Speaking to ABC’s “This Week” in a Sunday interview with Martha Raddatz, Zelensky responded: “It seems to me that the desire [by itself] to bring the war to an end is beautiful but this desire should be based on some real-life experience.

quote:

NATO defines 'red lines' for Ukraine's entry into war with Russia
NATO has confidentially and unofficially identified at least two "red lines" that could lead to the Alliance's direct intervention in the war in Ukraine, according to to Repubblica.

The agency emphasizes that there are currently no operational plans that foresee the deployment of troops to Ukraine, and the described "red lines" should be considered only as an assessment of potential plans in the event of extraordinary circumstances, such as involvement in a war in Ukraine by third parties.

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The first "red line"
The first "red line" focuses on the scenario of direct or indirect involvement by a third party, such as in the event of a possible breakthrough in northwestern Ukraine, creating a corridor between Ukraine and Belarus.

"This tactical scenario has recently been considered likely by several analysts of the allies. This would directly involve Minsk in the war. Its troops and arsenal would be crucial for Moscow. And this circumstance could only activate the defense in favor of Ukraine," the article states.

The second "red line"
It concerns military provocation against the Baltic States or Poland or a deliberate attack on Moldova.

"This does not necessarily mean an invasion that could occur after an advance on Odesa, but rather a military strike to test the reaction of the West," journalists note.

In particular, this could be an attempt to test NATO's ability to react "in a phase of potential confusion." Here, as stated in the article, the season of elections in Europe and the United States "might lead the Kremlin to think that NATO is distracted, however, the Alliance will not tolerate such aggression."

NATO and war in Ukraine
In early April, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg did not rule out the possibility that the war in Ukraine could last for years.

According to him, there are two scenarios - NATO allies could provide assistance to Ukraine and the Ukrainian Armed Forces could regain more territory, otherwise "the situation in Ukraine could become even more dangerous."

In turn, the Main Intelligence Directorate named the terms within which Russia could capture the Baltic countries. According to Ukrainian intelligence representative Vadym Skibitskyi, the Russian army would only need a week for this. However, a NATO response would take a whole decade.

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'What Are You Even Bragging About?' - Russian Soldier's Wife Slams Kremlin for Displaying Captured Weapons
In an intercepted conversation, a Russian serviceman's wife urges her husband to hide "under bushes" when his group moves forward on assault, saying that there is "nothing to fight for" in this war.

Russian soldier's wife urges her husband to hide "under bushes" when his group moves forward on assault.

In an intercepted call, published by Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR), she says: " Didn't you fall out of a tree? Are they shooting from a machine gun? And you're not sitting in a tree? Kolya, are you crazy? My god....?"

"Well, okay, Kolya. The main thing is to hide under the bushes. Don't get ahead of everyone.

The assault begins, and you're under a bush. Damn it. Just sit there while the rest move forward. How many times do I have to teach you?" the woman adds.

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Speaking further, she says that at the current stage, there is no clear understanding of what Russia is fighting for. Therefore, it's better to focus on survival rather than bravery.

"Well, I understand that you're the senior of the group. Well, damn it, Kolya, you know, it used to be "For the Motherland!" And now, for whom the hell? For Stalin, damn it. Before, it was for Stalin; yes, after Stalin, it was " for the motherland". And now, for what?"

Continuing, the woman suggests that even Putin may not be aware of the dire situation on the frontline, or he may be hiding the real circumstances Russian troops are facing.

"Yeah, [you are fighting] for all the dying boys, that's just for them. There's nothing to say, not even for Putin. Maybe he doesn't even know what's happening in this war right now. He doesn't know anything. It's insane."

"Or maybe he's hiding it, or maybe he knows. This is nonsense, of course."

The woman criticizes the Kremlin for displaying Western weapons on Red Square, claiming that it was obtained at a high cost.

A May Day parade in Moscow drew crowds of spectators to admire Western tanks, armored vehicles and other weapons captured in Ukraine during Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Held in Park Pobedy, or “Victory Park” named to commemorate the defeat of the Nazis in World War II, the spectacle was designed to draw fictitious parallels between that war and the Kremlin’s “special operation” in Ukraine, and to reassure the average Russian that the campaign has been wildly successful.

"Today, the tanks were paraded on the Red Square, they bragged: "We took these in Ukraine, and we took these in America." Are you bragging about that? Screw your mother. What are you even bragging about? Assholes, motherfuckers," the woman says.

Discord over commanders' unrealistic goals and extremely hazardous combat tasks appears to be growing among Russian soldiers.

In a number of conversations recently intercepted by HUR, soldiers discuss ways to give up serving and avoid further deployment to the frontline while civilians panic about being conscripted.

For example, a Russian soldier was overheard on a phone call revealing that a portion of Moscow's battalion had defied orders and was currently “idle in the forest, not engaged in combat.”

In another instance, Russian soldiers were complaining about not being given leave in almost two years and saying that “soon we'll gather a crowd and head towards Russia.”

Last year, Kyiv Post interviewed Maria* who works as one of Ukrainian intelligence’s professional eavesdroppers and spoke about the shocking things she hears.

Russia regularly dismisses the content of intercepted calls published by Ukraine, saying they are faked, a claim Kyiv Post put to Maria.

She said: “Yes, they all are real even though they might seem insane. Sometimes I can’t believe the words I’m hearing myself, but we have what we have.”

Kyiv Post regularly reposts some of the most revealing and shocking intercepted conversations.

You can read some of them in the links below:

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 10:10 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:
Zou de USA hulp te laat zijn voor Donbas/ Luhansk?

Voor de steden ten westen daarvan uiteraard niet

Russian Forces Heading Towards Operational Victory in Donbas

Las elders dat Oekra�ne wel wil onderhandelen maar niet eerder dan de tweede helft van 2025

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 12:32 schreef Cilantro het volgende:
[ x ]

NOEKS

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 12:32 schreef Cilantro het volgende:
[ x ]

NOEKS

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 12:45 schreef koemleit het volgende:

[..]
Ik kan me nog een tijd herrineren dat ik echt de rillingen kreeg als Poetin zei.

"zorg dat onze beste verdedgingswapens paraat worden gemaakt" .
Tegen Shoigu en Gerasimov (meen ik).

Maar blijkbaar kun je zoiets een paar keer per jaar roepen, en dan nog steeds denken dat mensen het serieus nemen.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 12:49 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
"Noeks" zijn een vergeldings- en afschrikwapen, je maakt je zelf er niet geloofwaardiger op wanneer je daar stoer mee gaat lopen doen als zij het een aanvalswapen wat je naar believen kunt inzetten.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 12:44 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Wat moeten ze daarmee? Hun argument is toch dat Oekra�ne eigenlijk Rusland is en dat Oekra�ners Russen zijn? Waarom zou je een atoombom op je eigen mensen willen gooien?

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 12:49 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
"Noeks" zijn een vergeldings- en afschrikwapen, je maakt je zelf er niet geloofwaardiger op wanneer je daar stoer mee gaat lopen doen als zij het een aanvalswapen wat je naar believen kunt inzetten.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 13:55 schreef Confetti het volgende:
Ik denk dat hij op een gegeven moment de afweging zal maken om een bovengrondse test te doen om de vijand echt bang te maken, zonder het risico te lopen op een kernoorlog.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 13:55 schreef Confetti het volgende:

[..]
Ik denk dat hij op een gegeven moment de afweging zal maken om een bovengrondse test te doen om de vijand echt bang te maken, zonder het risico te lopen op een kernoorlog.

Een Tsar Bomba in full HD zal het Westen doodsbang maken. De geopolitieke gevolgen zullen niet gering zijn, maar niet fataal.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 14:09 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Dit had ik allang verwacht eerlijk gezegd.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 14:44 schreef Cilantro het volgende:
Edit: klopt niet.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 14:53 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Da's geen schip uit de Kirov Klasse en dat is niet de Krimbrug.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 14:53 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:
Kirov Klasse

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 15:58 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

De R73 is een IR guided raket met een bereik van 20-40km (afhankelijk van de versie)

Als dit klopt heeft het potentieel.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 16:23 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Dat moet toch wel een droombaan zijn in het russische leger: met een heli boven open zee jagen op zeedrones gewapend met AA.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 11:30 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
Hij is een van de betere uitleggers. En spreekt heel duidelijk
De meesten zijn te hijgerig om snel update nieuws te willen geven, en weten bijzaken en hoofdzaken niet te onderscheiden.-

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 19:00 schreef oheng het volgende:
Hah, hebben ze hem eindelijk te grazen genomen. Met je elite 1e tank leger regiment, lol.

Morgen is de inauguratie van Putin. Om het russische volk alvast warm te maken, wordt ze bestookt met dit soort juweeltjes:

RIA: "Putin is confident that the authorities will do a lot in the interests of the people"
De ontvangst in de Z comment sectie is lauwwarm.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 19:28 schreef havanagila het volgende:
Gewoon netjes blijven hopen dat die Russen een keer wakker worden.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:23 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Jeetje, Macron, zo kunnen de Russen toch niet anticiperen op wat je gaat doen?

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Updated: Ukraine destroys Russian fast attack craft in occupied Crimea

^{Illustrative purposes only: A Mangust-class patrol boat of the Russian Coast Guard, July 21, 2011. (Vitaly V. Kuzmin/Wikipedia).}

Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian military fast attack craft on May 6, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported.

The attack was reportedly carried out with a Magura V5 multi-purpose sea drone in occupied Crimea overnight.

The agency later identified the targeted Russian vessel as a Mangust-class patrol boat, also known under the designation Project 12150.

In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on occupied Crimea, targeting Russian military assets in and around the Black Sea.

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Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk earlier said that Russia had withdrawn nearly all its major ships from ports in occupied Crimea following successful Ukrainian strikes.

The Mangust-class vessels, worth around $3 million a piece, are used by Russia as multi-purpose high-speed crafts for patrolling, countering subversive operations, and search and rescue, the military intelligence agency said.

The boats are usually equipped with a remote-controlled weapon station with a 14.5 mm machine gun, as well as two AGS-17 grenade launchers, one DP-64 grenade launcher, and two Igla and Verba man-portable air-defense systems (MANPANDS).

The combat mission was conducted by the "Group 13" unit of Ukraine's military intelligence in collaboration with the fundraising platform United24 in the Vuzka Bay in the Black Sea.

Ukraine previously destroyed several Russian ships with a Magura V5 multi-purpose sea drone, including a landing ship Caesar Kunikov, a Sergei Kotov patrol ship, high-speed Serna and Akula landing crafts, and a Tarantul-class Ivanovets missile corvette.

Ukrainian forces also partially damaged the Russian military ship Ivan Khurs using a Magura V5 drone.

On April 21, Ukraine's Navy struck the Kommuna ship in occupied Sevastopol. It was launched in 1915 and is the oldest ship still in service in the Russian Navy.

Sevastopol is home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet and is frequently targeted by Ukrainian missile and sea drone strikes.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:23 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Jeetje, Macron, zo kunnen de Russen toch niet anticiperen op wat je gaat doen?

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 21:55 schreef Jaroon het volgende:
Wat een debiele titel.

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 22:47 schreef Jaroon het volgende:
Alleen de doden kennen de einde van de oorlog. Tja. Moet je dan de regel slim noemen?

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Op zaterdag 4 mei 2024 22:58 schreef Jaroon het volgende:
Kende het echt niet. Het zegt ook weinig.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:14 schreef Jaroon het volgende:
Het blijft een verbazingwekkend domme titel.

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Hospitals in Russian-occupied Luhansk region threatening to take away newborns: ISW
Hospitals in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine are threatening mothers with having their newborns taken away if at least one parent does not have Russian citizenship, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has reported.

In its daily report, ISW cited information from the head of Ukraine’s military administration, Artem Lysohor, who stated on May 1 that starting May 6, mothers who give birth in hospitals in the occupied territories will have to prove that at least one parent holds Russian citizenship in order for the newborn to be delivered.

“If these reports are true, such actions violate Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which defines genocide as ‘the imposition of measures to prevent births within a group’,” the institute stated.

In its report, the ISW also conveyed with reference to a communiqu� from the Security Service of Ukraine that the occupying Russian authorities continue to forcibly deport Ukrainian civilians deep into Russia.

On May 2, occupation authorities in the Kherson region reported that Russian officials brought 10 minors from the occupied territories to the Ocean children’s camp in the Seaside Krai in Russia’s far east and encouraged them to apply for admission to vocational schools in Russia.

“The occupation administration of the Kherson region has stated that it will transport an additional 200 minors from the occupied Kherson region to the Ocean children’s camp in 2024. The Ukrainian Resistance Center reported on May 1 that the occupation authorities of the Kherson region are forcibly relocating Ukrainian civilians from the villages of Hola Prystan, Kochaniv and Gladkivka to the occupied Crimea and deep into the occupied part of the Kherson region,” the document proclaims.

According to the ISW, Russian officials in the occupied territories are continuing to militarize and indoctrinate Ukrainian youth.

“The Lugansk People’s Republic [LNR] said on May 1 that it is developing a new textbook presenting the recent history of the occupied Luhansk region in accordance with Russian educational standards. Zaporizhzhya Oblast occupation official Vladimir Rogov stated on May 2 that 200 children recently took part in military-patriotic games of the Russian youth organizations First Movement and Yunarmiya in occupied Berdyansk and Melitopol,” ISW pointed out.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:39 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
[..]
[..]
[..]
Aangezien het jou enorm irriteert ga ik dit vaker doen...

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 18:17 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Mooi, opgeruimd staat netjes.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:40 schreef Jaroon het volgende:
Men neemt jou niet mee om zinvol te zijn wss.

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Finland plans to build a plant for the production of TNT
Finland, together with its allies, plans to urgently build a TNT production plant.

Finnish Defense Minister Antti H�kk�nen announced this, Yle reports.

This is due to a critical shortage of explosives in Western countries amid the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The shortage is caused by an unprecedented increase in demand for explosives due to the increased production of ammunition. TNT is used in artillery ammunition and is one of the standard explosive materials.

“We need to significantly increase the production of explosives. Therefore, we must seriously consider the role of the domestic industry in this matter,” emphasized H�kk�nen.

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According to the minister, Finland has conveyed to its allies that the decision should be made as soon as possible, as Russia is set for a long war, and the need for explosives will be high.

“The decision should be made now so that we can start the production in a year or two,” H�kk�nen said.

The Minister noted that this was a joint project. The issue is being advanced in close dialogue with the Nordic countries and other allies. So far, no final decision has been made on where the new plant will be built.

Last December, Finland agreed to double its ammunition production to help Ukraine.

The agency has committed to investing approximately �24 million to boost the production of heavy ammunition and secure long-term orders from the Finnish industry. This initiative aims to enable the industry to make independent investments.

In addition, the Finnish industry will be able to apply to the EU for support under the financial package of the Ammunition Production Support Regulation, known as ASAP (Act in Support of Ammunition Production).

The total investment of the Finnish Ministry of Defense and Industry will be about �120 million.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:41 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
Alweer verwijderd?

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:41 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
Alweer verwijderd?

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:41 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
Zit je aan de drank ofzo met je wartaal?

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Russia is unlikely to unleash the Su-57 against Ukraine
The Sukhoi Su-57 is a fifth-generation Russian fighter jet. It is an extremely advanced weapon, often mentioned in the same category with the American F-22 and F-35. This is undoubtedly the most advanced Russian jet fighter today. And it will not participate in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Russia is hiding its Su-57 from the Ukrainian air defences. If it did attack targets in Ukraine, it was only from very far away, without flying into the air space of Ukraine. The spokesman of the Air Force of Ukraine Ilya Yevlash says the Su-57 is too expensive a toy for Russians to risk losing it.

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The Sukhoi Su-57 took off for its maiden flight in 2010 and entered service in 2020. It is a large twin jet fifth generation fighter, originally designed to replace the MiG-29 and Su-27. Russia thought that India would also buy the Su-57, but those talks fell through. Russia still dreams of exporting the Su-57 to cut down the costs. But here lies a big risk – if the Su-57 were to be shot down in Ukraine, it would severely damage the image of this jet fighter. After all, the Su-57 is a fifth-generation fighter and should be very difficult to detect by radars.

Another reason why Su-57s will not see action in Ukraine is that Russia still has a relatively small number of them. And only a handful of pilots are qualified to fly them. The Su-57 is simply not ready for war.

Being a member of the very exclusive fifth-generation club the Su-57 is stealthy – it carries its weapons in the closed weapons bays, it has a very small radar signature, features electronic warfare capabilities and has other advanced technologies. Interestingly, the Su-57 is larger even than the F-22, which in turn is larger than the single-engine F-35. The size does matter, because stealthy jets carry their weapons onboard and a smaller jet cannot possibly have room for a lot of missiles and bombs.

Russia claimed that the Su-57 was used in the war against Ukraine, but it never came anywhere close to the Ukrainian air defence zone. It is simply too expensive for that. This, by the way, should remind you of another Russian weapon. The most advanced Russian main battle tank, the T-14 Armata, will also not participate in the war against Ukraine because it is too expensive. More precisely, there are no Armata tanks that are ready for combat. Russia still dreams of being a large arms exporter, but the war in Ukraine is going to deliver a tremendous blow to the image of Russian weapons.

Can Su-57 still come to Ukraine? Sure. But there isn’t much reason for it. Russia hasn’t lost that many fighter jets yet and can rely on fighter jets that are cheaper to operate and make.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:47 schreef Jaroon het volgende:
Nee. Ik heb gewoon commentaar op de titel. Wat maakt jou daar zo boos over?

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:51 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
JIj bent degene die volledig in de vernieling ligt...

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:55 schreef Jaroon het volgende:
Je roept het. Ik zie het niet. Ik heb commentaar op een titel en jij gaat blind.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:46 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[ x ]

Volgens Russische bronnen had hij verwondingen die incompatibel met leven zijn opgelopen.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:57 schreef sp3c het volgende:
The dead know only one thing, it is better to be alive

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Russia Threatens UK With Strikes in and Beyond Ukraine Over Weapons Use, Citing “Serious Escalation”
Russia has officially threatened Britain with “retaliatory strikes beyond Ukraine” if Ukraine employs British-supplied weapons against Russian targets.

The threat came in response to remarks made by British Foreign Minister David Cameron, affirming Ukraine’s right to utilize weaponry provided by London to target Russian assets within Russian territory.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, in a statement published on its official website, condemned Cameron’s comments and cautioned Britain against involving itself in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The statement asserted that any attempt by Ukraine to attack Russia using British weapons would prompt retaliatory measures, extending beyond the borders of Ukraine.

“The British Ambassador was informed that the Russian side considers D. Cameron’s words as evidence of a serious escalation and confirmation of London’s growing involvement in hostilities on the side of Kyiv. N. Casey was warned that any military facilities and equipment of Great Britain on the territory of Ukraine and beyond could become targets in response to Ukrainian strikes using British weapons,” the statement said.

The British side has not yet issued a response.

This marks the first time Russia has explicitly threatened retaliatory strikes directly against a NATO member.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 20:46 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
[ x ]

Volgens Russische bronnen had hij verwondingen die incompatibel met leven zijn opgelopen.

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Poland Proposes Redirecting Unused EU Recovery Funds to Defense Projects
Polish officials have proposed that more than �400 billion from the EU’s emergency bailout fund meant for helping member states recover from the pandemic should be put towards building the defense industry to help Ukraine.

Two top Polish officials stated this during the Defence24 Days defense conference.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Deputy Prime Minister of Poland believe that the European Union should allocate the remaining funds in the stabilization fund to the development of the military-industrial complex.

“All unused national recovery plan funds should be shifted towards defense projects,” Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak Kamysz said.

The Head of the Polish National Security Bureau, Jacek Siewiera, noted during the conference that insufficient industrial capabilities did not allow Europe to fulfill its promise to supply Ukraine with one million 155 mm shells.

He warned that disputes over the solution and who should benefit most from joint projects could lead the EU “into a permanent deadlock.”

Repurposing the unused EU recovery funds
The fund, which was created to help EU countries recover from the COVID pandemic, currently totals about �422 billion.

According to Politico, the EU is discussing the possibility of using these funds to develop its military-industrial complex.

The publication points out, based on its sources, that the Fund can provide cheap loans for the purchase of weapons or investments in the European defense industry. In addition, it can be used to rebuild Ukraine.

However, in order to change the intended use, the consent of the EU finance ministers is required.

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Netherlands plans to supply F-16s to Ukraine from the fall, following Denmark – Dutch DM
Danish side announces transfer of fighters in the summer

The Netherlands plans to start sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in the fall, following Denmark, which will supply them in the summer, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said at a joint briefing with her Lithuanian counterpart in Vilnius, Delfi reported.

Follow LIGA.net in English on Twitter

Ollongren said the partner countries have everything lined up for the project, which includes training for Ukrainian pilots, training of support staff, and the transfer of aircraft.

In particular, the plan includes a training center in Romania, where partners will help start training Ukrainians, she said.

Ollongren noted that Ukrainian pilots are currently being trained in Denmark, the United States, and other countries.

"And if we manage to stay on this path and everything works out for Ukraine in their own country, then the first planes will be delivered from Denmark already this summer. And we hope to participate in the deliveries from the fall with our F-16s," she said.

Earlier, the Dutch minister announced plans to transfer 24 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 21:22 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Russische soldaat die zonder fatsoenlijke training en uitrusting naar het front wordt gestuurd:

[ afbeelding ]

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U.S. soldier is detained in Russia, officials confirm
A U.S. Army sergeant stationed in Korea has been detained in Russia, accused of stealing from a woman, two Pentagon officials said Monday.

Staff Sgt. Gordon D. Black. was arrested on May 2 in Vladivostock. It is unclear how he got there but he was in the process of changing duty stations from Korea back to Fort Cavazos (Ft. Hood) in the U.S. He was not there on official travel.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the U.S. is "aware of this case and other matters related to Russia," but he said he couldn't "say much about it right now." NBC News first reported that a soldier had been detained in Russia over the weekend.

The U.S. has long been trying to secure the release of two other Americans who it considers to be wrongfully detained in Russia.

Paul Whelan, a former Marine, has been imprisoned in Russia since 2018 on espionage, which the U.S. and his family have said are sham charges. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was jailed in March 2023 on espionage charges, which the U.S., his family and employer all insist are baseless. He is awaiting trial.

The State Department said in December that Russia rejected a "significant" proposal for their release.

The U.S. has warned Americans for months not to travel to Russia and had urged U.S. citizens living there to depart immediately. An updated travel advisory in September said Americans traveling to the country could be singled out "for detention by Russian government security officials" and the U.S. Embassy had "limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia."

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 21:42 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 21:25 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
Denkt Rusland nu echt dat wij ons nog bang laten maken door zijn loze bedreigingen en de steeds verder opschuivende rode lijnen?

Het is duidelijk dat Rusland bang aan het worden is. Wij moeten gewoon door blijven gaan met dit soort uitspraken. Ook al zijn ze misschien slechts bedoeld om Rusland op het verkeerde been te zetten. En om Rusland zich te blijven verwonderen over wat wij daadwerkelijk gaan doen.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 21:25 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
Denkt Rusland nu echt dat wij ons nog bang laten maken door zijn loze bedreigingen en de steeds verder opschuivende rode lijnen?

Het is duidelijk dat Rusland bang aan het worden is. Wij moeten gewoon door blijven gaan met dit soort uitspraken. Ook al zijn ze misschien slechts bedoeld om Rusland op het verkeerde been te zetten. En om Rusland zich te blijven verwonderen over wat wij daadwerkelijk gaan doen.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 21:25 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
Denkt Rusland nu echt dat wij ons nog bang laten maken door zijn loze bedreigingen en de steeds verder opschuivende rode lijnen?

Het is duidelijk dat Rusland bang aan het worden is. Wij moeten gewoon door blijven gaan met dit soort uitspraken. Ook al zijn ze misschien slechts bedoeld om Rusland op het verkeerde been te zetten. En om Rusland zich te blijven verwonderen over wat wij daadwerkelijk gaan doen.

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Russian army forms troops for advance on Kharkiv but cannot capture city - ISW
The Russian military is forming the Northern grouping of troops from elements of the Leningrad Military District to conduct operations on the Belgorod-Kharkiv operational direction. The Russian army does not have sufficient forces to capture Kharkiv or Sumy, however, any operations in the direction of these cities will divert forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from other fronts, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The department refers to information from Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets, according to which Russian troops continue to transfer newly formed military units of the 44th Army Corps (AC) to the Northern grouping of troops within the Leningrad Military District (LMD).

According to the analyst, as of May 3, Russian troops have transferred personnel and equipment of the 30th Motorized Rifle Regiment (72nd Motorized Rifle Division, 44th AC, LMD) and the 128th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade to the Northern grouping of troops. The Russian army pretended to unload troops and equipment at railway stations in isolated areas of the Kursk region for further relocation to the Northern grouping of troops, presumably to then march to deployment areas in the Belgorod region.

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Mashovets noted that the units of the 30th Motorized Rifle Regiment were initially relocated to the Kursk railway station and then transferred further to the Belgorod region, presumably to move to concentration areas near the Kharkiv region.

In addition, the analyst reminded that Russian troops have recently intensified air, drone, and missile strikes on the northeastern border regions of Ukraine, such as Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions.

Mashovets reiterated ISW's earlier assessment that the Russian Northern grouping of troops is unlikely to be able to carry out a successful offensive operation to capture Kharkiv and suggested that elements of the Russian 11th AC, 44th AC, and 6th AC (all - LMD) may subsequently attempt to conduct limited offensive actions or cross-border raids into the territory of the Kharkiv and Sumy regions.

"Ukrainian officials have increasingly warned about the threat of a possible future Russian offensive operation to seize Kharkiv city. ISW continues to assess that the Russian military lacks the forces necessary to seize the city but that Russian offensive operations against Kharkiv or Sumy cities would draw and fix Ukrainian forces from other, more critical parts of the frontline," the ISW report said.

Advance on Kharkiv
Recently, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated that Russia is increasing its military presence in Kharkiv and strengthening the most dangerous areas in this direction.

Over the past few months, the Russian army has intensified shelling of Kharkiv. At the same time, Kremlin propagandists are trying to intimidate the population with the risk of a large-scale offensive and occupation, which could provoke mass migration from the city.

However, for a possible occupation of Kharkiv, the enemy will need several years.

On the night of May 5, the Russian army shelled Kharkiv several times, first with Shahed drones, and later with guided air bombs.

On the night of May 6, the enemy shelled Kharkiv and Sumy, and in the cities, there was a partial loss of electricity and water supply.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 22:17 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:
Wanneer zien we die F16's nou eens

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 22:17 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:
Wanneer zien we die F16's nou eens

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Translation: "Something interesting is moving towards us... Haha, da fuq is it? Another modern shitcan? An assault garage? The 21th century's war for real... A7V, the German tank?... Nope, it is a re-upholstered MT-LB! In the 21th century! High tech assault chicken coups!"

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 23:12 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 22:01 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
lol

een van je bots knalt een onzinverhaal de wereld in over de Fransen en vervolgens begin je zelf zo te bibberen dat je de ambassadeur op het matje roept

#clownworld

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 23:12 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 23:15 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
Als de brug niet meer functioneel is op die manier, hoef je hem ook niet te bombarderen.

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Op maandag 6 mei 2024 18:00 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 01:17 schreef Cilantro het volgende:
Zou mooi zijn als er nog wat vuurwerk te zien is bij de inauguratie van Putler.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 09:27 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:
Ik las gisteren her en der dat het Franse vreemdelingen legioen 1500 man Oekraine in gaat sturen nabij de de frontlinie. Nu lijkt mij dit wel ver gaan maar zag dat TASS het ook opgepikt had.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 09:27 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:
Ik las gisteren her en der dat het Franse vreemdelingen legioen 1500 man Oekraine in gaat sturen nabij de de frontlinie. Nu lijkt mij dit wel ver gaan maar zag dat TASS het ook opgepikt had.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 08:11 schreef Aether het volgende:
Nee, hij is niet geraakt.

Met kanonschoten en parade wordt Poetin opnieuw be�digd
https://nos.nl/l/2519569

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 09:27 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:
Ik las gisteren her en der dat het Franse vreemdelingen legioen 1500 man Oekraine in gaat sturen nabij de de frontlinie. Nu lijkt mij dit wel ver gaan maar zag dat TASS het ook opgepikt had.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 14:52 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Wat een idioot.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 14:52 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Wat een idioot.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 14:52 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Wat een idioot.

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“we do not refuse dialogue with Western states. The choice is theirs: do they intend to continue trying to restrain the development of Russia, continue the policy of aggression and relentless pressure that they have pursued for years, or look for a path to cooperation and peace.”

talks must be carried out with mutual respect on equal terms, and without “arrogance,conceit, and personal exclusivity,” Putin insisted.

“Together with our partners in Eurasian integration and other sovereign development centers, we will continue to work to form a multipolar world order and an equal and indivisible security system,” Putin said.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 15:15 schreef Glazenmaker het volgende:
Heb even de Russische staatsomroep bezocht.
[..]
Ik snap gewoon niet zo goed hoe Russen dit soort dikke stukken als zoete koek slikken.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 15:22 schreef BEFEM het volgende:
Niet zo raar toch? Ieder gelooft z'n eigen land het meest. Over de hele genomen tenminste. Wij denken ook ons gelijk te hebben, China ook weer, Brazili� hun kant etc etc.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 15:48 schreef -XOR- het volgende:

[..]
Dit is ook niet voor Russen bestemd.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 15:50 schreef Glazenmaker het volgende:

[..]
Zijn inauguratiespeech wordt toch wel door heel wat Russen bekeken.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 15:49 schreef Glazenmaker het volgende:

[..]
Als Rutte Belgi� had aangevallen en 100k jongens als cargo 200 vleeskubussen waren teruggekomen, zou ik toch wel gek staan te kijken als Rutte vervolgens zegt dat de boze omstanders de keuze moeten maken om in vrede met ons te leven.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 15:48 schreef -XOR- het volgende:

[..]
Dit is ook niet voor Russen bestemd.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 15:54 schreef -XOR- het volgende:

[..]
Dit complete frame is vooral bedoeld voor de niet-Westerse wereld. Dat "with mutual respect on equal terms, and without arrogance" is echt bedoeld om in ontwikkelingslanden (en het Midden-Oosten) gehoord te worden, daar slaat frame enorm aan, en met reden.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 15:49 schreef Glazenmaker het volgende:

[..]
Als Rutte Belgi� had aangevallen en 100k jongens als cargo 200 vleeskubussen waren teruggekomen, zou ik toch wel gek staan te kijken als Rutte vervolgens zegt dat de boze omstanders de keuze moeten maken om in vrede met ons te leven.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 18:46 schreef stavromulabeta het volgende:

[..]
Maar het zou anders zijn als Rutte eerst geframed had dat het nodig is omdat Belgi� met evil Frankrijk samenspant om Nederland in te bedreigen. En jij geen zicht hebt op die 100k slachtoffers en ze toch voornamelijk uit regio Delfzijl en Kerkrade komen

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FT: Russia is trying to prevent Georgia's European integration through an influential agent
The Georgian government's rapprochement with Moscow has been going on for three years, despite Russia's war against Ukraine. But government analysts and critics say the foreign agents law and a speech by Georgian billionaire and former prime minister Bidzine Ivanishvili echoing the Kremlin's line mark a turning point as Georgia returns to Russia's orbit. Source: FT

Since Ivanishvili served as prime minister in 2012-2013, the oligarch, whose $5 billion fortune is equal to one-third of Georgia's GDP, has largely controlled power behind the scenes. But last week he descended on the people to deliver a conspiracy-filled anti-Western speech in which he portrayed Georgia as the victim of a "global war party" and its alleged agents among civil rights groups. Ivanishvili's rare public appearance at a pro-government rally was a show of support for the controversial foreign agents law that his Georgian Dream party is pushing through parliament. The law will require NGOs and media with foreign funding to register with the Ministry of Justice to avoid fines and bans.

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Critics say it was inspired by Russia's crackdown on civil society and will be used to help Georgian Dream win parliamentary elections in October. The draft law has sparked the country's biggest demonstrations in decades, and many Georgians fear its passage would threaten (and could even be aimed at blocking) their hopes of the country joining the European Union.

The Georgian oligarch is a member of the so-called "seven bankers" group - influential Russian financiers and businessmen, including Boris Berezovsky, Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Mikhail Fridman - who saved Boris Yeltsin's re-election campaign as Russian president in 1996. He remained out of politics until 2011, when he founded Georgian Dream, a coalition of all forces opposing then-President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Within a year, the new party won parliamentary elections.

Ivanishvili sought to establish stable relations with Moscow, receiving the blessing of the West, while priority was given to Georgia's integration into the EU and NATO. However, balancing became impossible after Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. One theory is that, as is the case with many Russian oligarchs, his business interests could be at risk if he does not follow the Kremlin's line. Another possible explanation is that he is responding to the EU's request for Georgia to seriously limit the influence of its oligarchs before entering accession negotiations. Another explanation for the pivot to Russia is that in the run-up to the election, Ivanishvili is adopting tactics used by Hungary's Viktor Orban, polarizing political debate, portraying domestic opponents as foreign lackeys and waging a culture war battle to appeal to socially conservative Georgians, especially in rural areas.

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“Operation Chrysalis”: how France organizes the delivery of Scalp missiles to Ukraine
While Ukraine, in difficulty, calls on the Western camp to provide it with as many weapons as possible to slow down the Russian advance, RFI reveals the French method for supplying Ukrainian forces with Scalp cruise missiles without touching its own strategic stocks . A secret operation which is based on an unprecedented industrial plan. Narrative.

On January 16, 2024, during a press conference, Head of State Emmanuel Macron announced new arms deliveries to Kiev. For the first time, the president gave a precise figure: “ Forty Scalp missiles ” for Kiev. This is the second time that Paris has transferred such weapons to Ukrainian forces. But where do these missiles considered strategic come from?

The program was named “Chrysalis”, in reference to the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into a butterfly.

France has identified several batches of Scalp cruise missiles, placed under “cocoons” in its arsenals. A cocoon is a waterproof packaging which is used to protect and preserve equipment with a view to possible return to service.

Two types of stocks appeared: on the one hand, old missiles that had reached the end of their life but were intact. On the other, cocoons containing missiles no longer in use, because they had been cannibalized: that is to say, a certain number of parts or components had been removed to keep others in working order. Scalp deployed within Air Force squadrons.

They must therefore return to the factories where they were assembled, in France. More precisely in Bourges, on one of the industrial MBDA sites from where these machines came out from the 2000s.

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Streamlined procedure
An equipment upgrade is planned over a period of three months, to complete and pass each missile a battery of tests. A simplified procedure, because Paris is certain that the Scalps sent to Ukraine will not be stored again but will be fired against Russian targets in the coming weeks. Short-term consumables.

The operation began in January, as soon as the presidential announcement was made. “ A very effective economic approach, since the Scalp released from the cocoons were in any case intended to be “scraped” [destroyed]”, according to a source close to the matter. Thus, they are delivered to Ukraine at an ultra-competitive price, “ a quarter of the value of a new missile ”, specify our sources. The operation is entirely financed by Paris via the French aid fund for Ukraine. In addition, “ this mechanic [scheme] has no impact on the needs of the French forces ”, we conclude in Paris.

All-round search for weapons
Apart from “Chrysalide”, this strictly Franco-French program which must be completed within the year, the French authorities are also prospecting elsewhere. Looking for all types of ammunition: Scalp, but also 155 mm shells for artillery and ground-to-air weapons for the defense of the Ukrainian skies.

There are also “ export” version Scalp missiles , and the main idea, again, is to ensure that those which reach the end of their life or those which could be sold, are used by Ukraine. This idea has been circulating insistently since the beginning of the year.

Some customers from the French defense industry have ordered the Scalp in large quantities in a version slightly different from that which equips the French squadrons. However, a source close to the manufacturer clarified to RFI that these versions cannot be programmed via French computers. These missiles must therefore be adapted so that they are compatible with the mission preparation system that Paris has made available to kyiv.

On this sensitive subject, discretion is required, but it is likely that these “ export ” missiles, if sold, will undergo some transformations on the assembly lines in order to be usable by the Ukrainian air force. The scope of these Scalp “exports” is a little lower, and some software is different.

As for the industrial plan, several scenarios are possible: the most favorable case would be that of "a direct transfer to Ukraine with the purchase of a new missile behind it, that's the best!" �, whispers someone close to the file, his finger crossing his lips. Shh… it’s a well-kept secret.

The architect of victory in the Black Sea
The first copies were delivered to Ukraine in the second half of 2023. In August, Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky dedicated a Scalp missile by writing on the sides of the weapon: “ Glory to Ukraine ".

The first shot targeted a Russian command center located in the Luhansk oblast, which was until then out of range of the Ukrainian arsenal. But the Scalp missiles, with their range of 300 kilometers, were above all the architects of the victory in the Black Sea.

On September 12, a large-scale missile attack destroyed two ships that were dry docked in the port of Sevastopol, a large landing ship and a kilo-class submarine, the Rostov on Don .

On September 22, 2023, a salvo of missiles penetrated Russian surface-to-air defenses and struck the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet located, again, on the Sevastopol naval base, injuring and killing high-ranking officers. Admiral Victor Sokolov was reportedly killed in the attack, although this information has not been confirmed.

On November 4, 2023, the Kerch shipyard suffered a massive attack from around ten missiles, a Russian warship carrying Kalibr cruise missiles was damaged.

Scalp missiles helped push the Russian fleet back to the easternmost part of the Black Sea. A victory which allowed kyiv to protect the port of Odessa and secure a naval corridor along its coasts, allowing the export of cereals.

A “ game changer ” also on the front
The Scalps also participated in the destruction of important logistical assets which supplied the Russian front. Indeed, its penetrating head makes it possible to destroy buried fortifications.

The missile, with a range of 300 km, can penetrate several meters into concrete and detects the cavity where its 450 kilogram charge is to explode. Its very high precision makes it possible to drill a hole into which a second missile can engage.

Furthermore, its inertial and visual navigation system allows it to fly in “ GPS denial ”, that is to say without satellite positioning capability. It can finally release decoys to attract the enemy's ground-to-air defense and thus penetrate into the depths of the enemy's device. In military terms, the Scalp is a real “ game changer ”.

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New Russian Turtle Tank With Cage-Like Armor Emerges On Ukrainian Battlefield
Recent video footage not only shows Russia’s latest ‘turtle tank’ but provides an operator’s-view of it in action.

We now have our first look at what it's like to actually operate Russia's monstrous 'turtle tanks.' The type seen in a new video is yet another variant on Russia's expanding, and rapidly evolving, fleet of turtle tanks — the first of which emerged on the battlefield in early April — which feature distinctive armor modifications for protection against drone attacks, notably first-person view (FPV) kamikaze kinds.

Video footage shot from inside one of the turtle tanks, alongside a clip showing off its exterior, emerged on social media this weekend. When and where the footage was captured precisely cannot be independently verified by The War Zone. So far, T-72 tank variants have been readily identified as the basis for turtle tank conversions, although whether other tanks have as well remains unknown. The particular turtle tank seen in the recent video sports a KMT-series mine roller.

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First and foremost, the footage in question gives a clear sense of the obstructed forward-facing view for its operators. This is created largely by the addition of the turtle-shell-like steel apparatus that cocoons the tank beneath, restricting the wider visibility of the crew. Prior to the emergence of Russia's turtle tanks, its military relied on increasingly elaborate "cope cages" for armored vehicle and tank protection.

However, on top of this, an additional heavy layer of protection has been added in the form of extra cage armor. This looks akin to "net" and "slat" armor, which offers defense against rocket-propelled grenades and other light anti-armor weapons. Net and slat armor is designed to protect against the shaped charges in many anti-tank rounds, which need to detonate at certain distances from the target to be most effective. This new addition changes the smoother outer shell of the turtle tank into something that looks more like a porcupine.

The view from the inside of the tank also shows that its front-end has been largely closed-up by the added armor, affecting the traverse of its main gun. However, this still leaves space for precision-guided munitions, like well-piloted FPV drones, to pass through up front. We have seen chains and wire fencing hung at either end of the turtle tanks in the recent past to give them some defense against FPV drones attacking from those vectors.

The tank's KMT-7 mine roller is indicative of these crudely adapted tanks' mission. Mine rollers are designed to detonate various kinds of mines prematurely, protecting the vehicle they are attached to and its occupants, as well as any that may follow behind them. That the latest Russian turtle tank has been fitted with one of these isn't surprising, given that the first turtle tank we saw on the frontline, as later footage of it close-up showed, was fitted with a mine plow up front. At the time we posited that these tanks were to be used as 'point men' in armored assaults, clearing the way for columns and taking a massive beating in the process.

Since then, further videos have shown that these tanks are being used for exactly this purpose — to clear a path from mines and provide smoke screens for other armored equipment advancing behind them. Mine clearing operations tend to be slow-moving, with the vehicles leading the way all the more likely to be targeted by drones.

Russia has, it should be noted, added advanced electronic warfare jammers onto a least some of its turtle tanks in the past in order to disrupt Ukrainian drones. These sorts of jammers — seen on a variety of Russian tanks and armored vehicles — work by severing the LOS datalink between the operator and the drone.

The impact of FPV drones during the war in Ukraine cannot be overstated. They have become a signature weapon of the conflict, having been used to great effect against tanks and soldiers on the battlefield. Both sides are desperately trying to develop various forms of countermeasures against them.

The significance of cheap to make FPV munitions is such that, for Ukrainian forces, they are increasingly seen as being on par with artillery. While Ukraine is looking to up production of them this year to around a million, Russia has also quickly increased its own stockpiles of them, to the point where it is considered to have rivaled the numbers at Kyiv's disposal.

In light of this, it's no surprise that Russia has had to look for any ways possible to counter marauding drones during its armored assaults, even if this greatly reduces the visibility, maneuverability, and lethality of some of its vehicles. In the end, the turtle tanks' job is to survive long enough to get other armor through, becoming a sponge for drone attacks, and other sorts of attacks, in the process.

Considering how rapidly these improvised vehicles are evolving, who knows what features they will sport next.

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Reuters: Tuapse refinery hit by drone resumes work after 3 months of repairs

Rosneft's Tuapse oil refinery has resumed processing after sustaining damage from a drone strike in January, Reuters reported on May 6, citing industry sources.

A fire broke out at the Tuapse facility on Jan. 25 following reports of a drone attack. Multiple strikes on oil depots in Russia, including in Bryansk, Oryol, and Leningrad oblasts, were reported in January, amid increasing claims of drone attacks in Russian regions bordering Ukraine.

Two industry sources told Reuters that the Rosneft plant in Tuapse has resumed operations. Repairs were completed at the facility's primary oil refining unit CDU-12 at the end of April, they said.

According to the sources, the unit's capacity totals around 250,000 barrels per day (bpd). The refinery processed 20,000 metric tons of oil on May 1, they claimed.

Rosneft's Tuapse refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai is one of the largest oil processing plants in southern Russia.

Ukraine has escalated attacks against Russia's oil industry in recent months, successfully reducing the processing capacities of multiple facilities.

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Far-right parties wage disinfo war ahead of EU vote
Paris (AFP) – Far-right populist parties are way ahead of their traditional rivals in the race for voter attention on social media, where disinformation is stirring fear and rage around key issues in June's European elections, experts say.

Platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram and others have been used by populist parties to spread misleading or false claims on hot topics such as the war in Ukraine, migration and regulations intended to protect the environment, as AFP's fact-checkers have found.

"Populist parties are masters of a new type of propaganda. Disinformation is at the core of (their) communication strategies," said consultant Johannes Hillje, who advises parties and politicians in Berlin and Brussels.

And the right-leaning parties have a lead in the quest for views and likes.

According to research by Politico magazine in March, the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the European parliament -- which includes France's National Rally (RN), AfD in Germany and PVV in the Netherlands -- has 1.3 million followers on TikTok.

The centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the largest and oldest parliamentary grouping, has a paltry 167,000.

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- 'Scapegoating immigrants' -

A key issue for online misinformation is migration.

With the economy an overriding concern, "opportunistic politicians... are scapegoating immigrants for society's ills," said Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan, deputy director of Washington-based think tank Migration Policy Institute.

"Dis/misinformation about migrants and migration has long been used to foment fear and mobilise voters in Europe," she said.

In March, for example, a false claim on X that immigration cost France 40 billion euros per year was repeated by the lead FN candidate, Jordan Bardella. Economists involved in the research cited as the source for the figure told AFP this was a "misleading interpretation".

Another battleground for the right is the EU's Green Deal measures to stem climate change. In April, a number of AfD politicians shared false claims that France had banned the construction and operation of wind power turbines. In fact, a court had merely issued a ruling regarding the noise levels of such turbines.

Social media is "handy for... organised right-wing populist political parties to impose their lies, conspiracies and frames", said Ayhan Kaya, chair of European Politics of Interculturalism at Istanbul Bilgi University.

Many election issues are complicated, making them easy targets for disinformation. People wanted simple black and white answers "to the complexities of today's globalised world", he told AFP.

Far-right politicians such as the AfD's top candidate Maximilian Krah have become veritable TikTok stars, garnering millions of likes for their videos.

In March, however, Krah was forced to deny allegations he accepted money to spread pro-Russian positions on a Moscow-financed news website. Since then, German prosecutors have launched an investigation against him for suspicious links to Russia and China.

The average number of views for AfD's TikTok videos in 2022 and 2023 was 435,394, way ahead of Germany's conservative CDU/CSU parties with an average of 90,583 views, said Hillje.

The gap was also substantial on YouTube, he said.

'Major threat'
Already last October, the EU's Agency for Cybersecurity called for vigilance ahead of the June 6-9 vote for the European Parliament, saying "information manipulation campaigns are considered to be a major threat to election processes".

In a bid for votes, Bulgarian far-right party leader Kostadin Kostadinov in March falsely claimed on Facebook that an EU report listed his country as having the third most asylum applications from illegal migrants.

In Romania, the lead candidate for the SOS party, Diana Sosoaca, has veered into deep conspiracy, repeatedly spreading material related to the widely rejected chemtrails theory, that condensation trails in the sky from aircraft are actually from biological agents.

In Hungary, "one of the major sources of disinformation is the government itself," according to EU DisinfoLab.

Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban was scolded by Brussels last year for a series of misleading claims on Facebook, including that Brussels wanted to establish migrant ghettos in Hungary.

Populist parties are "animating their electoral successes" by painting the migration issue as an existential one, said Banulescu-Bogdan.

They "benefit from multiple crises by exploiting the fear of people," said Hillje. "The main problem is that disinformation spreads faster and wider than information," he said.

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Nicaragua and Russia: Strategic Alliance or Spy Nest?
Nicaragua’s National Assembly approved an agreement to establish a Russia-funded and administered police training center. This measure, which the Daniel Ortega regime pushed through in mid-March, raises concerns about the real intentions behind the Russia-Nicaragua cooperation.

“In the post-pandemic, Ortega renewed the authorization for Russian military operations, which together with this new center evidences the strategic and geopolitical course that the dictatorship adopted,” Jorge Serrano, a member of the team of advisors of the Peruvian Congress Intelligence Commission, told Di�logo on April 8.

Decree no. 8873, published on April 2 in the regime’s official gazette, details the agreement between Nicaragua and Russia, stressing the importance of police activity in confronting challenges and threats to public security.

According to the agreement the goal is to train Nicaraguan police forces and those of other Latin American and Caribbean nations, Argentine news site Infobae reported. The police center will be run entirely by the Russian Interior Ministry.

“Nicaragua is Russia’s strategic ally in Central America,” Laureano Ortega Murillo, an advisor to the dictatorship and Ortega’s son, told reporters. “We position ourselves as its regional platform in all fields and we are committed to enhancing Moscow’s influence and action in our region.”

A clause in the agreement grants the Russian personnel of the new center to be exempt from any criminal, civil, or administrative liability before Nicaraguan laws, from all actions carried out in the fulfillment of their functions.

Article 7 specifies that the National Police will provide surveillance service, basic utilities, and translation at no cost to the Russians. In addition, the Police will help in registering the ownership of the land and buildings acquired by the Kremlin to establish the center, Nicaraguan newspaper Confidencial reported.

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Espionage base
According to Confidencial, based on the signed agreement, Ortega ceded a part of the territory to Moscow, without state control, opening the door for the Kremlin to appoint agents of the Federal Security Service (the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB) to operate freely in Nicaragua.

“Nicaragua has positioned itself as a key player for non-Western nations such as Russia, Iran, and China, acting as a kind of aircraft carrier into the region. It uses its territory to expand its influence and conduct operations in Latin America,” Serrano said.

The police training center will be a “nest of espionage” rather than a police training center, Serrano added. This would not be the first time Russia has set up an agency on Nicaraguan soil. In October 2017, it inaugurated the Russia-Nicaragua Anti-Narcotics Training Center, Confidencial reported.

In April 2017, Moscow inaugurated its global satellite navigation system known as Glonass in the Nicaraguan capital, Infobae reported. From 2013 to date, Russia has established nine of these satellite ground stations outside its territory. The last one was installed in Nicaragua.

The Russian presence in Latin America has intensified, “evidencing the activity of the Russian intelligence service in the region,” Serrano said. According to him, “evidence has been collected of these covert operations, designed to go unnoticed and avoid detection by regional authorities.”

In addition, “secret meetings have been held between Managua and Moscow to coordinate actions through their intelligence services to perpetrate attacks against the United States and against Latin American nations still aligned with democratic principles, seeking to destabilize the region in a domino effect,” Serrano added.

Tasks and equipment
The training of foreign police forces will be carried out at the center and at different locations in Nicaragua. The main tasks of the center will include training and education of police personnel, as well as organization and holding of seminars, workshops, conferences, and other events of “educational and scientific” nature.

The Kremlin will provide the center with all necessary equipment, including forensic tools, technical teaching aids, publications, teaching, and scientific materials. It will also provide teachers, financial, and logistical support, to ensure the operation of the unit for an initial period of 10 years, the agreement details.

Change of strategy
“Russia has modified its tactics in Latin America: It has eliminated intermediaries such as Cuba or Venezuela to establish a direct connection with the Nicaraguan dictatorship, privileging its strategic position and its capacity to destabilize the region,” Serrano said. “This decision highlights the importance that the Kremlin attaches to Nicaragua in its regional strategy.”

Russia, Serrano said, will attempt to escalate any conflict in the region by using Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, and other regional leaders, to facilitate its geopolitical objectives. “This strategy seeks to take advantage of existing tensions to expand its influence in the continent,” he said.

“In the face of this growing threat, the response of democracies must be to form solid alliances among their governments, recognizing and understanding the nature of the Russian threat,” Serrano concluded. “It is key to strengthen cooperation between the intelligence services of democratic nations, to take effective and joint measures.”

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Moldova — Russia’s Last Chance to Derail the Journey to Europe?
This year’s elections for the Moldovan presidency and a vote on EU membership are causing Russia to change tactics.

The fugitive pro-Russian businessman Ilan Șor presumably has multiple skills in business, but there’s little sign that he understands irony.

“Moldova lost its independence a long time ago,” Ilan Șor lamented on April 21 at a conference of Moldovan opposition parties in Moscow, the former imperial capital. “Today we have foreign control.”

Șor was the messenger for what is visibly a Russian-backed effort to seize the political initiative from pro-Western forces led by President Maia Sandu. He has been absent from Moldova since 2019 and faces a 15-year jail sentence for involvement in a $1bn bank theft if he returns.

Moldova’s smaller pro-Russia parties, including Șor’s, announced the launch of a “Victory” election bloc to contest the upcoming presidential election and referendum on European Union (EU) accession scheduled for October 20.

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Tired of the losing streaks and concerned for the future of the geriatric leadership of Russia’s longtime communist and socialist proxies in Moldova, the Kremlin has thrown immense resources behind a new Moldovan opposition centered on Șor. But with little to show for the tens of millions spent already and little sign that Șor can appeal to uncommitted voters, Russia risks cannibalizing its own vote from better-established Russophile opposition groups.

Russia had long thrown its weight behind communist leader Vladimir Voronin and socialist leader Igor Dodon, both Russian citizens and presidents from 2001-2009 and 2016-2020, respectively. But following bruising defeats to Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) for the presidency in 2020 and for parliament in 2021, Russia began investing in the up-and-coming, 37-year-old Șor.

He is married to the Russian pop star Jasmine, and is an entertainment television fixture, earning the adoration of Russia’s public. He has also proven himself willing to disrupt the system in Moldova and has as a result been sanctioned by the US as a pro-Russian agent. In June 2022, he organized a series of long-lasting and chaotic protests against Sandu in Chisinau, which it later transpired was funded by Russia. That resulted in a court’s deregistration of Șor’s party, although that was later reversed.

The court case came just after a Șor ally won the governorship of Gagauzia, a Turkic autonomous region long dominated by pro-Russian parties that is now at the center of a Kremlin pay-for-votes scheme. In local elections a few months later, another shell party — Chance — was organized with the help of $55m in Russian funding funneled through Șor, Moldova’s security service said. Despite the deregistration of Șor’s party, the socialists and communists made significant gains.

His new grouping has allied with Chance and three others to form the so-called Victory coalition. Its platform rests heavily on well-worn tropes from Russian propaganda, above all that Moldova’s problems all stem from the lack of cheap gas that a pro-Russian leader could ensure. This appeals in a country where the cost-of-living crisis heads voter concerns.

In fact, the inflation surge of 2022 was a direct result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian gas is indeed cheaper under pro-Russian rulers, but Russia’s ability to deploy access to energy as a form of political warfare has repeatedly undercut Moldovan sovereignty. One of Sandu’s major accomplishments has been to wean Moldova from Russian gas.

It’s not entirely clear Russia will get much out of its dalliance with Șor. A recent poll from IRI found Șor receiving only 4% of the vote in a hypothetical election, nearly the same as the difference between Dodon and Sandu. And more recent polls have shown Sandu up by 20 points on Dodon and Șor a nonfactor.

Victory’s platform, drawing almost exclusively from past campaigns by pro-Russian leaders, is unlikely to pull many voters away from Sandu. But with Moldovans ambivalent about Russia (almost three-quarters judge relations with the Kremlin to be poor, but 59% believe it to be Moldova’s most important political partner), it is early days to make a judgment.

October’s votes are absolutely critical for Russia. Its war against Ukraine was largely triggered by that country’s decision to seek EU membership, and the stakes are just as high this time.

The Kremlin fears that it has a diminishing chance of preventing a decisive move toward Western Europe and away from its Eurasianist vision for Moldova. Polls show an 8% lead for those likely to back the pro-EU vote, which may mean the Kremlin’s best chance to derail the process will come from winning control of the country’s presidency and parliament.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 20:23 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.twz.com/news-(...)krainian-battlefield
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De zicht naar buiten is hierdoor inderdaad flink beperkt. En natuurlijk kun je de toren niet meer draaien, wat de hoofd functie van een tank alleen maar beperkt. Ook zal de tank nu veel zwaarder zijn uiteraard en zal de bemanning een veel kleinere kans hebben op overleven als het toch mis gaat. Daar in tegen is de kans dat het mis gaat veel minder geworden. Maar nu er weer meer artillerie shells beschikbaar zijn en zullen komen voorzie ik een snel einde aan dit soort gedrochten.
[ x ]
In het artikel staan nog een aantal voorbeelden van deze turtle tanks die hier al voorbij zijn gekomen.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 21:18 schreef AgLarrr het volgende:

[..]
Die Russen zijn het concept St�rmgeschutz opnieuw aan het uitvinden..

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 21:02 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
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Ik denk niet dat er veel Finnen zijn die dit willen lol.

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Zelensky Assassination Plot Foiled
Kyiv has foiled an alleged Russian plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the country's security service (SBU) said on Tuesday.

The SBU said it had exposed a network of agents from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) who were "preparing the assassination of the president of Ukraine" and other senior Ukrainian officials.

"Counterintelligence were detained and SBU investigators foiled the plans of the FSB to eliminate the president of Ukraine and other representatives of the top military and political leadership of the state," the security service said on Telegram.

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The Context
Ukraine said Zelensky has been targeted countless times since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. The Ukrainian leader previously said that he had lost track of the number of times Moscow had attempted to assassinate him since the war began.

Shortly after the war began, in May 2022, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak claimed that Zelensky had already survived more than a dozen attempts on his life.

Russia has denied all accusations that it has plotted to eliminate Zelensky.

The FSB masterminded a plan to assassinate Zelensky as well as Major General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's Military Intelligence Directorate (HUR), and the head of the SBU, Vasyl Malyuk, "and other high-ranking officials", Kyiv's security service said.

"They were going to liquidate the head of the HUR, Kyrylo Budanov, before Easter," the SBU said.

Two colonels of the State Security Service of Ukraine, which oversees Zelensky's security, were detained.

"One of the tasks of the FSB intelligence network was to search for individuals among the military close to the president's security who could take the head of state hostage and later kill him," the SBU said.

The assassination attempt would have involved using missiles and a drone, Kyiv said.

"The enemy's plan was as follows: first, the recruited agent had to observe the movement of the person under guard and pass information to the enemy," and then "it was planned to launch a missile attack on the coordinates of the house where the official was supposed to be hit."

"Then they were going to attack the people who remained at the affected area with a drone. After that, the Russians planned to target with another missile, including to destroy traces of the use of the drone," the SBU added.

Newsweek couldn't independently verify the veracity of the SBU's claims, and has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment.

Views
Malyuk said he personally oversaw the operation which uncovered the assassination plot, and vowed consequences for "every traitor."

"A limited circle of people knew about our special operation, and I personally controlled its progress. The attack, which was supposed to be an inauguration gift for Putin, was in fact a failure of the Russian intelligence service," he said.

"But we must not forget—the enemy is strong and experienced, he cannot be underestimated. We will continue to work proactively so that every traitor receives the justice they deserve," Malyuk added.

What's Next?
The defendants have been detained on suspicion of committing high treason under martial law, and preparing for a terrorist attack. They face life imprisonment, the SBU said.

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Paratroopers destroyed Russian motorcyclists in the Donetsk region

Soldiers of the 79th Separate Tavrian Air Assault Brigade fought off an assault and destroyed a group of Russian invaders riding motorcycles.

The brigade’s press service released a video of the combat work.

Russians tried to seize the positions of Ukrainian paratroopers near Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk region.

To break into the Ukrainian positions, an advanced group of invaders moved on motorcycles, but they were destroyed by operators of the Brigade’s Attack Drone Company.

The published footage captures Russian motorcyclists moving toward the positions of Ukrainian defenders and suffering losses as a result of fire.

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Українські десантники знищили російських мотоциклістів біля Новомихайлівки [травень 2024]

After the Russians stop, Ukrainian drones immediately start targeting them, dropping ammunition on the Russian soldiers and equipment.

The motorcycles caught fire and exploded, and the Russian invaders riding them died.

The invaders also used armored vehicles and tanks in this area but suffered losses.

The 79th Separate Tavrian Air Assault Brigade said that Ukrainian paratroopers destroyed eight motorcycles and one infantry fighting vehicle while repelling the attack. Ukrainian soldiers also managed to damage another infantry fighting vehicle and a tank.

The Russian invaders continue to storm the village of Novomykhailivka, located about 12 kilometers south of Marinka in the Donetsk region, almost daily. The invaders have intensified these attacks since the beginning of October 2023.

This sector continues to be one of the hottest spots on the Russian-Ukrainian front line, where fierce fighting continues.

У районі Новомихайлівки ДШВ ЗСУ знищили вже понад 300 одиниць техніки

Ukrainian paratroopers, together with other units of the Defense Forces, have already destroyed hundreds of units of Russian equipment near Novomykhailivka.

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What are the consequences for the Belarusian economy due to sanctions
The overdue debt of Belarus increased by half a billion dollars on May 3.

The Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus updated the lists of malicious defaulters for the same technical reasons as the Ministry of Finance. The bank announced that it could not settle with the buyers of its Eurobonds due to Western sanctions. It is about the issue of five-year Eurobonds placed by the bank in 2019 at the rate of 6.75% per annum. The placement period ended on May 2, and on May 3, the bank announced the impossibility of payment due to sanctions.

Instead, the bank reported reserving money on the relevant accounts for future payments, having already credited other people's funds to its own account, similar to the Ministry of Finance, which has not paid its debts for two years. The bank stated that it will pay the debts after the approval of the relevant legislative act or after the sanctions are lifted.

Savings due to non-payment of debts to the Ministry of Finance and the Development Bank amount to about 1.5 billion dollars, but this negatively affects the country's reputation. Thus, Belarus falls to the level of African countries. This is the summary of the rule of Lukashenka and his gang.

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Poland Funds 20,000 Starlink Devices to Support Ukraine's Military
Starlink operates through a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, enabling internet access in remote areas where traditional communication infrastructure is unavailable.

Poland has announced its financing of 20,000 Starlink internet devices in Ukraine, essential for the country's military communications amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.

"Today, we have more than 20,000 Starlink devices, the operation of which is financed by Poland," stated Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland's Minister of Digital Affairs, during a visit to Kyiv, as quoted by the PAP news agency.

Gawkowski emphasized that Starlink not only supports the Ukrainian army but also provides crucial connectivity to hospitals.

Starlink, a satellite internet network owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, operates through a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, enabling internet access in remote areas or regions where traditional communication infrastructure is unavailable.

However, the relationship between Ukraine and Musk has been strained over the past year.

In 2023, Musk declined a request to activate the network in the Crimean city of Sevastopol to support a Ukrainian attack on Russia's naval fleet.

Musk justified his decision by stating that agreeing to the request would make SpaceX "explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation."

Additionally, last year, Musk expressed concerns about indefinitely funding the service in Ukraine, though he eventually agreed to maintain the connections.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 20:37 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.france24.com/(...)war-ahead-of-eu-vote
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Tja dat doen populistische partijen nu eenmaal. En de PVV is daar een goed voorbeeld van. Zij zeggen wat de kiezer wil horen, ongeacht of dit de waarheid is of dat zij er daadwerkelijk wat aan kunnen doen. Zij geven aan hier tegen te willen vechten en deze problemen op te willen lossen zonder met daadwerkelijk haalbare en betaalbare plannen te komen. Dit soort desinformatie moet gewoon hard aangepakt gaan worden.

Misschien dat sociale media met een betrouwbaarheidsmeter moet komen. Dat wanneer iemand bewijsbare onwaarheden zit te verkondigen, desinformatie zit te verspreiden, of de waarheid in een grote mate aan het verdraaien is, dat dat bekend wordt gemaakt en voor iedereen zichtbaar zal zijn.

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Belarus announces start of nuclear weapons inspection

Belarus announced a sudden inspection of tactical nuclear weapons carriers with Iskander systems.

Alexander Lukashenko ordered the inspection.

“A division of the Iskander operational-tactical missile system and a squadron of Su-25 aircraft are being engaged to perform the tasks,” Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said.

He added that it is planned to check the whole range of measures from planning, preparation, and use of strikes with tactical nuclear weapons.

Viktor Gulevich, Chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian Army, said that during the inspection, parts of the aviation forces and means were relocated to the reserve airfield.

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After the relocation of the technical staff, they plan to start preparing for the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.

According to Alexander Volfovich, Secretary of the Security Council, it is also planned to practice the delivery of nuclear munitions to delivery vehicles.

He explained the decision to inspect “the military-political situation, primarily around Belarus.”

He explained that this inspection “was planned amid measures taken by our colleagues from the Russian Federation on the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons and synchronized with them.”

Before that, on May 6, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that, on behalf of Vladimir Putin, it started preparations for exercises to “improve the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to perform combat missions.”

During the exercise, it is planned to practice “preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons” to “unconditionally ensure territorial integrity” and “in response to provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials” against Russia.

In late August, Militarnyi reported that Belarus received nuclear warheads from Russia. Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Defence Intelligence, officially confirmed this information. The new Belarusian military doctrine will also include the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 22:43 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

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Je komt dan echter vanzelf weer uit bij het eeuwenoude adagium: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

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Stephen King urged Zelenskyy and Putin to fight one-on-one

American writer Stephen King believes that Vladimir Zelensky and dictator Vladimir Putin should “settle their differences”.

He called on the opponents to fight one-on-one. About this, he wrote in the social network X.

Stephen King, known for his constant support of Ukraine, made a new statement.

He emphasized that Putin and Vladimir Zelensky should stop killing people.

King suggests that Putin and Zelenskyy should have a fight between themselves to settle all differences.

The writer believes that the Ukrainian president would win in a hand-to-hand fight, and he would like to see it.

King also suggests charging to watch the fight

“I think Putin and Zelensky ought to stop killing people and settle their differences mano a mano on Pay Per View. I’d love to see Mr. Z kick Putin’s ass” wrote the king of horror.

Earlier, the star of “The Lord of the Rings,”, American actor Viggo Mortensen, recorded a video in support of Ukraine.

“Putin is an occupier. The seizure of territories is inexcusable for me. I support the people of Ukraine and their desire for territorial integrity. Long live free Ukraine,” Viggo Mortensen stated.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 22:21 schreef Anton91 het volgende:
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🪖URGENT!
Lugansk

The enemy attacked Lugansk with new OTB MGM-140B ATACMS Block IA missiles with a range of 300 km, which we wrote about earlier (https://t.me/rusich_army/14276)

They hit the oil depot.
There are no casualties.
The fire is localized.

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Polish judge defects to Belarus
Tomasz Szmydt, a judge of the provincial administrative court in Warsaw, left Poland for Belarus and said he intends to apply for political asylum due to his "disagreement" with the Polish government's policies.

Tensions between Poland, a NATO country, and Russian ally Belarus have surged following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"I express my protest to the Polish authorities who, under the influence of the U.S. and Great Britain, are leading the country to war," Szmydt said at a press conference in Minsk on May 6.

"The Polish nation supports peace and good neighborly relations with Belarus and Russia. That's why I'm in Minsk and I'm ready to tell the truth."

Szmydt claimed that he was subject to political persecution and intimidation by Polish authorities for his pro-Russian viewpoints and that he was "forced to leave" Poland.

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Polish officials denounced Szmydt as a traitor following the press conference.

"I don't know what Tomasz Szmydt is running away from," Stanislaw Zaryn, a Polish presidential adviser, said on X.

"In the past, similar acts were performed by those who were afraid of responsibility for their actions in Poland. No one in their right mind runs away to Belarus to become a puppet in the hands of Putin and Lukashenko."

Zaryn said that he expects the former judge to begin a new career as "a propaganda star for Russia and Belarus."

Poland's Internal Security Agency said it had opened an investigation into the scope of classified information Szmydt may have had access to during his time as a judge.

Belarus, led by dictator Alexander Lukashenko, is a close ally to Russia and has provided extensive support to Moscow's war in Ukraine. The Belarusian army regularly conducts military drills along its border with Poland and other EU countries.

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President Iohannis: Romania open to discussing sending Patriot to Ukraine
Romania is open to discussing the possibility of sending a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, the country's president said on May 7, Reuters reported.

Speaking in Washington after a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, Klaus Iohannis said he would discuss the matter with his Supreme Defence Council.

This is the latest development from Western nations responding to calls from Kyiv for more air defenses in the face of escalating Russian missile and drone attacks on cities across Ukraine.

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"There has been a discussion about who can send Patriot systems to Ukraine over the last few weeks," Iohannis said.

"President Biden mentioned it... in our meeting, and I said I was open to discussion. I must discuss it in the Supreme Defence Council to see what we can offer and what we can get in return, because it is unacceptable to leave Romania without air defenses."

Romania signed a deal in 2017 to obtain Patriot systems but so far only has one that is operational. Iohannis said any discussions would concern a system that was in an advanced stage of becoming operational.

Germany announced on April 13 that it would provide Kyiv with an additional Patriot system. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz then called on other NATO allies to do the same.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded that Poland could not give up the Patriot system installed at Rzeszow airport in southeastern Poland, as it is a key logistics hub for defense aid deliveries into Ukraine.

Greek media reported on April 22 that Athens planned to send at least one Patriot system to Ukraine, but Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ruled this out in an interview on April 25.

Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles then announced on April 26 that Spain would send Patriot anti-aircraft missiles to Kyiv. They arrived this week.

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Op dinsdag 7 mei 2024 23:00 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://ua-stena.info/en/(...)to-fight-one-on-one/
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Eerlijk is eerlijk ik zou voor het zien van dit gevecht betalen. Maar dan moet Zelenski eerst wel flink getraind gaan worden. Want ondanks dat Putin bejaard, ziek, zwak en misselijk is. Heeft hij wel de benodigde training and ervaring natuurlijk.
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Lol, die comments onder Musk zijn bericht. Wij wachten inderdaad nog op zijn gevecht met Zuckerberg. Dus laat hem eerst maar het goede voorbeeld geven dan.

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Slovakia hit by wave of bomb threats
Police in Slovakia are trying to find out who sent more than 1,000 bomb threats to schools and other institutions on Tuesday.

Police teams with sniffer dogs and bomb disposal experts were called out repeatedly across the country.

The alerts prompted mass evacuations.

Officials said they were treating the threats "as a particularly serious crime of terrorist attack".

Emails from an anonymous sender reportedly began arriving at 05:00, alleging that explosives were stored in hundreds of schools spanning the country's eight regions.

The number of confirmed threats issued has reportedly been growing.

Officials have not specified what is in the threats. But according to TV reports, they were written in Slovak, sent from a Russian email address and targeted what the author described as enemies of Islam.

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Classes were suspended as specialist teams investigated the alerts. The vast majority were sent to schools, but Slovakia's national police announced on social media that at least 110 banks and 40 electrical stores also received the bomb threats.

Police say they are working intensively, co-operating with security services to identify those behind the threats.

Authorities said the threats had caused psychological stress across the country, adding that the disruption to educational services could have "far-reaching consequences".

It comes after similar emails were reportedly sent to more than 120 schools in the Bratislava region last week, according to police.

If caught, the perpetrator faces life imprisonment.

The incidents come at a time of heightened tensions over the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

In April, Slovakia's newly elected populist-nationalist leader, Robert Fico, pledged not to send "one more round of ammunition" to Ukraine.

For months, Ukrainian forces have struggled to defend their front lines from the Russian advance because of a shortage of shells, rockets and air defences.

But Mr Fico has refused to join about 20 countries that have signed up to a Czech-led operation to procure large quantities of artillery ammunition on the global arms market.

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The EU plans to ban parties from receiving funding from the Russian Federation due to threats of interference in elections
The European Union is actively considering the possibility of including a ban on the use of the Russian analogue of SWIFT - the financial messaging system (SPFS) by the Bank of Russia as part of the 14th package of sanctions against Russia. In addition, as part of the new EU sanctions, it is proposed to ban political parties, think tanks and other groups from receiving funding from Russia. Source: Bloomberg

The measures come amid growing concerns about disinformation being spread by the Kremlin, especially ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections in June.

The elections, scheduled for 6 to 9 June 2024, will be important in determining the composition and direction of the EU's main legislative body over the next five years.

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In addition, sanctions are being considered against some media outlets, such as Voice of Europe, which is accused of spreading pro-Russian disinformation, as well as against some Russian media outlets, such as Rossiyskaya Gazeta, RIA Novosti and Izvestia.

The sanctions package also includes a ban on imports of Russian helium, tightening restrictions on the export of manganese ore and other rare minerals, and restricting access to EU ports for certain ships suspected of having ties to Russia.

In addition, a number of sanctions are planned against Belarus for its involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, including a ban on the import of navigation technology and luxury goods, as well as on the export of crude oil and diamonds, as well as any transactions that could help increase Belarus' industrial potential.

In the energy sector, the EU is considering introducing a ban on services for transhipment of liquefied natural gas from Russia intended for third countries, as well as a ban on servicing Russian liquefied natural gas projects in the Arctic.

Let us recall that on the eve of the parliamentary elections in the EU, the Russian Federation intensified its disinformation campaigns, the purpose of which is to shape public opinion and the political situation in Europe.

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Berlin bans Russian flag on Victory Day
The German authorities have banned Russian flags, military uniforms, placards featuring the letters V or Z, and other symbols and signs that could be seen as glorifying Russia's war against Ukraine during events in Berlin on 9 May [Victory Day, a Russian holiday that commemorates the Soviet victory in WWII – ed.].

Source: European Pravda with reference to Zeit

Details: On Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 May, Berlin will host a number of events to mark the end of World War II in Europe, including several wreath-laying ceremonies at Soviet memorials in Treptower Park and the Tiergarten, as well as rallies at the Brandenburg Gate and in the government quarter.

This year, police have once again banned Russian flags, military uniforms, placards featuring the letters V or Z, and other symbols and signs that could be seen as glorifying Russia's war against Ukraine near Soviet memorials. Russian military marches and songs are also banned.

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Wednesday begins with a large demonstration in Treptower Park entitled The 79th Anniversary of Liberation from Fascism – Thank You to the Liberators, in which 200 people will take part. Throughout the day, left-wing and communist groups, as well as representatives of district authorities, will lay wreaths at memorials in various locations in Berlin.

Supporters of Ukraine have announced that there will be a demonstration in the government quarter: "Peace for Europe! Russian soldiers out of Ukraine".

On Thursday there will be more demonstrations in the government quarter and Treptower Park, where a left-wing rally with 300 participants has been registered to start at 09:00.

A 1,000-strong rally is set to take place at 11:30 on Strasse des 17 Juni (17 June Street), which runs through the Tiergarten, to commemorate the Soviet soldiers who died during World War II. At noon, a left-wing demonstration will march from Friedrichshain to Treptower Park. A similar event is planned around the Brandenburg Gate from 17:00.

In addition, the Night Wolves, a group of pro-Putin bikers, are expected to arrive in Berlin on Thursday.

Previously:
• Lithuania’s Department of State Security has not ruled out the possibility of Russian provocations in the country on 9 May.
• Latvian law enforcement and security agencies have promised to prepare for 9 May very seriously this year.
• And in Moldova, the authorities have warned that people who wear a St George's ribbon or the Z or V signs – symbols of Russian aggression – on 9 May will be fined.

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Students in St. Petersburg began to be forced to work in military production under the threat of expulsion
Students of the Baltic State Technical University "Voenmech" in St. Petersburg are sent to do internships at military enterprises LLC "Special Technology Center", JSC "Research Institute of Command Devices" and JSC "Research and Production Enterprise "Radar mms", where they are forced to sign employment contracts and documents for access to state secrets. The university students themselves spoke about this in a conversation with Groza .

When filling out documents for access to state secrets, young people have to provide their personal data, including information about travel abroad and information about their immediate family. The students are not told what they will do in production, but they themselves believe that the work will involve assembling drones and other military equipment. For this they are promised a salary of 60 thousand rubles. Students complain that if they refuse, they are threatened with expulsion “for practice debt.”

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This case is not the first time in Russia recently that they are trying to force young people to work at defense industry enterprises. Thus, in April, the Tatarstan authorities announced a new program to promote employment for young people, according to which the region plans to attract teenagers from the age of 14 to work at enterprises of the military-industrial complex: minors will be simplified in finding employment and will be allowed to work in factories in their free time from school. Last year, the State Council of the Republic prepared draft amendments to the Labor Code, allowing teenagers from 16 years of age to be employed in hazardous and hazardous industries. In February, the general director of the Alabuga SEZ, Timur Shagivaleev, proposed transferring full-time students to evening studies so that they would have time to work at enterprises during the day.

In August 2022, the Russian government allowed employees of the military-industrial complex and any enterprises providing state defense orders to be involved in overtime work without their consent. According to the decree, additional work can last up to 4 hours a day. At the same time, enterprise management received the right to change employees’ schedules at their discretion, as well as call employees back from vacation.

The State Duma then stated that this resolution was adopted because of the war in Ukraine. Chairman of the Industry Committee Vladimir Gutenev noted that if the Russian defense industry fails to satisfy all the needs of the state, the authorities should be able “to attract a limited number of people for extracurricular work on the basis of adopted regulations.”

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Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 06:52 schreef RamboDirk het volgende:

Surrounded by the Russians. 🇺🇦Paratroopers & United24 Journalists under 🇷🇺Assault. Kayfariki & BSDG

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Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 06:52 schreef RamboDirk het volgende:

Surrounded by the Russians. 🇺🇦Paratroopers & United24 Journalists under 🇷🇺Assault. Kayfariki & BSDG

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Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 09:59 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

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Holy fuck 😱

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Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 10:33 schreef Perrin het volgende:

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Jezus wat een rapportage.

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Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 06:54 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/05/7/7454692/index.amp
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Mooi zo. Dit soort symboliek heeft op dit ogenblik niks te zoeken tijdens dit soort evenementen.

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Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 06:52 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://ghall.com.ua/2024(...)shatelstva-v-vybory/
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Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 11:18 schreef Ulx het volgende:
De kerchbrug lijkt dus al in 2022 uitgeschakeld te zijn voor treinverkeer.
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Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 12:30 schreef stavromulabeta het volgende:

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Ik lees het artikel meer als "de Kerchbrug is vooral nog van symbolisch belang, voor transport zijn inmiddels andere routes aangelegd."

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Door zijn hoge terreinvaardigheid kan de Boxer goed worden ingezet in gebieden waar de infrastructuur slecht is.

quote:

Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 12:34 schreef Cilantro het volgende:
[ x ]

quote:

Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 12:37 schreef Perrin het volgende:

[..]

quote:

Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 12:34 schreef Cilantro het volgende:
[ x ]

quote:

Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 12:48 schreef Sabata het volgende:

[..]
In Snowrunner getest zeker?

quote:

Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 12:37 schreef Perrin het volgende:

[..]

quote:

Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 12:59 schreef sp3c het volgende:
Platrijden zolang je niet in Amersfoort woont

quote:

Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 12:55 schreef sp3c het volgende:
Daarom altijd rupsen als je de weg af moet

En dan nog is het de normaalste zaak van de wereld, daarom heeft elk leger zoveel bergingsvoertuigen

quote:

Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 13:02 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Of de juiste bandenspanning gebruiken voor het terrein.

SPOILER

Wapenindustrie aldaar tiert welig

quote:

Op woensdag 8 mei 2024 12:59 schreef sp3c het volgende:
Platrijden zolang je niet in Amersfoort woont