Oorlog in Oekra�ne #972 - Iran zonder president

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When A 70-Year-Old Russian BTR-50 Attacks Ukrainian Troops, It’s Bad News For The Whole Russian War Effort
BTR-50s are only slightly better than the golf carts some Russian troops ride in

The thinly-protected, 1950s-vintage BTR-50 might not be the worst vehicle the Russian army has sent in a direct assault on Ukrainian positions, but it’s probably the oldest.

And while it’s safer for Russian troops to ride in a 70-year-old BTR-50 with its 10-millimeter-thick armor than to ride in, say, a brand-new Chinese golf cart, it’s still an ominous sign for Russia that more BTR-50s are appearing on the battlefields of eastern Ukraine as Russia’s wider war on Ukraine grinds toward its 28th month.

“Without mechanized units fully equipped with proper combat vehicles like tanks, achieving swift and decisive penetration of defenses will be very challenging,” Ukrainian analysis group Frontelligence Insight explained. “This limitation is likely to result in slower and more limited advances, hampering the overall progress of Russian forces.”

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Ukrainian Teenager Critically Injured After Stabbing Attack in Germany
A 15-year-old Ukrainian refugee was critically injured in a stabbing attack in Dortmund, Germany, on the evening of May 19th. The boy was walking with friends in the Nordstadt district when they encountered another group.

According to German newspaper Bild, an interaction with two girls sparked a confrontation between the teenagers. The situation escalated when a young man from the opposing group pulled out a knife and stabbed the Ukrainian boy’s neck before inflicting a further stab wound to his upper body.

The teenagers managed to escape the scene. The victim walked for a kilometer before collapsing, with paramedics arriving to find him in a critical condition. Emergency medical personnel fought for his life on the street before transporting him to a local hospital. Fortunately, authorities report his condition has since stabilized.

German police are currently investigating the incident as attempted manslaughter. The attacker remains at large, and a search is underway.

In April, a Russian national was accused of murdering Ukrainian soldiers undergoing rehabilitation in the country. Earlier this year, an attack in D�sseldorf resulted in the deaths of two young Ukrainian men, basketball player Volodymyr Yermakov and his friend Artem Kozachenko. In September 2023, in the German city of Einbeck, a man attacked children from Ukraine because they were speaking Ukrainian.

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Germany’s initiative to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense has raised almost a billion euros
The German initiative to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense has raised almost a billion euros.

The German Foreign Ministry announced this on the occasion of the visit of the head of the department, Annalena Baerbock, to Kyiv on Tuesday, May 21.

The German Foreign Ministry noted that the purpose of the Minister’s visit was to assure the Ukrainian side that, despite the deteriorating situation in the combat zone, Germany and Europe would continue to stand firmly on the side of Ukraine and would not stop supporting it.

“The global initiative to strengthen air defense, which the Foreign Minister recently launched together with Defense Minister Pistorius, should also be considered in this context,” the German Foreign Ministry stated.

The Ministry said that almost a billion euros have already been raised to provide additional assistance to Ukraine’s air defense.

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Russia's Cutting-Edge Icebreaker Faces Delay After Ukraine Factory Bombed
Russia has boasted it will have the world's most powerful icebreaker vessel by the end of the decade but the project has been hit by delays exacerbated by Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it has been reported.

Russia's first deputy prime minister, Denis Manturov, said that the "one of a kind" vessel Rossiya, intended for year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route, one of several routes in the Arctic, would be built by "approximately by 2030," Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported Monday.

But this is three years later than the original deadline of December 2027 as the vessel's construction faces cost overruns and delays that follow damage to a Ukrainian site, which was supposed to supply some of the components.

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Russian oil tankers stand idle for months due to sanctions
Dozens of Russian oil tankers have been idle for three to six months. US sanctions against Russian oil have been effective.

On the sanction list, Russia’s Sovcomflot owns 21 of the 40 ships under sanctions, while a UAE company controls the remaining vessels. SCF Primorye is the only one removed from the sanctions list.

Since October last year, dozens of vessels carrying Russian oil have remained under sanctions for violating the price cap. Many of them have been inactive for 3 to 6 months, Bloomberg reported.

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Tucker Carlson became an anchor on Russian television

It has become known that the scandalously famous American journalist Tucker Carlson has started hosting his show on Russian television.

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has suddenly started hosting his own program on Russia 24. The name is banal – TUCKER.

This first episode of the program talked about ticks and Lyme disease.

Journalist Carlson during the broadcast communicates with an expert on the spread of the disease.

Video of the broadcast. The host of the program Tucker Carlson. TV channel Russia 24.

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Moldova, EU sign pact on security, defense
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean and the European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, signed a Security and Defense Partnership on May 21, Borrell said on X.

Moldova became the first country to sign such a document with the EU, which is designed to "enhance the country's resilience."

Chisinau has moved closer to Europe amid worries that the Kremlin is attempting to carry out a destabilization campaign in the country.

Russo-Moldovan relations have soured since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with fears that Russia's aggression may spill over via Transnistria, a Moldovan territory where Russian troops have been stationed since the early 1990s.

"It (partnership) will allow to jointly address common security challenges, make our engagement more effective, and explore new areas of cooperation," Borrell said.

The partnership will function as an umbrella mechanism for all interactions between Moldova and the EU, including the spheres of cybersecurity, countering disinformation, and defense, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry said.

The document does not have the status of an international treaty and is based on political commitments.

Moldova and France signed a bilateral defense deal in March, days after Moldova's intelligence agency warned that Russia would seek to destabilize the country as it prepares for a presidential election and a referendum on EU membership.

President Maia Sandu will run for re-election in October. Sandu has put the country on a decisively pro-EU course, helping to secure Chisinau's membership candidacy and accession talks.

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Russia has tightened restrictions on travel abroad for those with access to state secrets
Persons with access to state secrets in the Russian Federation are now required to notify the FSB and the SVR of their intention to travel abroad no later than a month before departure, according to Vladimir Putin’s decree. Source: portal of legal information of the Russian Federation

Read also: In Russia they are going to deprive access to state secrets for dual citizenship

The decree applies to senators, State Duma deputies, judges, deputies of legislative bodies of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, heads of municipalities and lawyers who have access to top secret information or information of special importance.

According to the bill, an employee who violates the conditions for traveling abroad may be deprived of access to state secrets. For those who have access to top secret information or information of special importance, a violation threatens liability up to and including criminal liability.

Let us recall that due to fears that foreign states may try to gain access to state secrets during the most intense crisis in relations with the West in the last sixty years, the Russian Federation is tightening the rules for traveling abroad for its officials.

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Russia Fails in Rival UN Bid on Nuclear, Other Weapons in Space
A Russian-drafted UN Security Council resolution that called on all countries to prevent “for all time” the placement, threat or use of any weapons in space failed on Monday, May 20.

A Russian-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution that called on all countries to prevent “for all time” the placement, threat or use of any weapons in outer space failed on Monday (20 May) with the 15-member body split over the move.

The draft failed to get the minimum nine votes needed: seven members voted in favor and seven against, while one abstained. A veto can only be cast by the United States, Russia, China, Britain or France if a draft gets at least nine votes.

Russia put forward the text after it vetoed a US-drafted resolution last month that called on countries to prevent an arms race in outer space. The Russian veto prompted the United States to question whether Moscow was hiding something.

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Russia jails hypersonic missile scientist for 14 years for treason
Anatoly Maslov is among a string of prominent Russian scientists to have been charged with treason in recent years.

Russian physicist Anatoly Maslov has been convicted of treason, according to the press service for courts in the city of Saint Petersburg.

On Tuesday, he was sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony. Maslov, 77, who protests his innocence, is among a string of eminent Russian scientists to have been charged with treason in recent years.

He and a number of the others had conducted theoretical work in areas relevant to the development of hypersonic missiles – cutting-edge weapons capable of carrying payloads at up to 10 times the speed of sound to punch through air-defence systems.

Maslov was accused of sharing top-secret data related to Russia’s hypersonic missile programme with Germany.

Alexander Shiplyuk and Valery Zvegintsev, two other scientists from the same Siberian institute, all specialists in hypersonics, who have also been arrested since 2022 on treason charges, are awaiting trial.

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‘Code 9.2’: The secretive Ukrainian drone unit tasked with dropping mines into Russia
Near the Russian border, Kharkiv region, Ukraine
CNN — Dusk brings an urgent race to hide before dark.

The “Code 9.2” drone unit, from the 92nd assault brigade, are moving into a new launch position from where they are about to conduct a rare and potent mission: flying drones into Russia and dropping mines onto key roads inside enemy territory.

Twilight provides a moment of opportunity to set up new equipment and unload their Humvee before dark makes these complex tasks impossible. They can only hope the grey, fading light shields them from the endless stream of Russian drones that fly overhead, looking for something to strike.

A Starlink dish, a longer range drone antenna, dozens of battery packs, and two huge “Vampire” quadcopters are dumped into trenches and bunkers, set up, and in use within 30 minutes. It is only when the dark has set in that their work can begin.

And immediately the threat is apparent. Before operators Andrey and Artem can leave the bunker to begin work, a noise sends them rushing back in for cover.

“Sssshhh,” Andrey hisses. “Orlan.” The only way to protect yourself from being seen by an Orlan – a spotter drone that can also have thermal cameras enabling it to see in the dark – is to hide. And to silently listen for it to pass. “They will be flying all night,” he says.

The horizon is peppered with flashes – distant explosions. Across its center twinkles the Russian city of Belgorod, now repeatedly hit by Ukrainian strikes. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed his week-old offensive into Kharkiv region in Ukraine is partially aimed at creating a buffer zone along the border to protect a population whose safety was never in doubt when he launched his invasion in February 2022.

The bunker is quickly turned into an operations hub, the team finding it hard to adjust to the silent open fields of their new home, after months of fierce battles around Bakhmut.

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Ukraine Vows to Take Responsibility For Any Russian Missiles Intercepted By NATO
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an exclusive interview with Reuters in Kyiv on May 20, expressed frustration over the prolonged decision-making process of Western allies regarding military support for Ukraine.

The President emphasized the urgent need for increased direct involvement from partners in the war, particularly in intercepting Russian missiles over Ukrainian airspace and permitting the use of Western weaponry deeper in the Russian territory. He stressed the necessity to expedite aid and redefine “red lines” of engagement in the war.

Describing the current battlefield situation as “one of the most difficult” since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Zelenskyy highlighted recent incursions by Moscow’s troops into northeastern Ukraine, which have further strained Kyiv’s defenses.

“A very powerful wave (of fighting) is going on in Donbas… No-one even notices that there are actually more battles in the east of the country, specifically in the Donbas direction: Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, Chasiv Yar,” the President emphasized.

However, he stated that the situation north of Kharkiv was now “under control.”

Zelenskyy suggested that the armed forces of neighboring NATO countries could aid Ukraine by intercepting incoming Russian missiles over Ukrainian territory, bolstering Kyiv’s defense capabilities in the face of overwhelming odds.

“I immediately relayed the signal to Poland, other countries, and the United States; I personally informed the leaders of these countries. We are ready to sign all documents stating that if a Russian missile is shot down over Ukrainian territory, they will not be held responsible if it falls or explodes.”

With Russia deploying around 300 planes within Ukrainian borders, Zelenskyy underscored the urgent need for additional aircraft to effectively defend Ukrainian airspace, highlighting Ukraine’s anticipation of the delivery of F-16 fighter jets.

“But it is what it is: one big step forward, but before that two steps back. So we need to change the paradigm a little bit,” the President Zelenskyy concluded.

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90% of the electronics imported by the Russian Federation come from China. This gives it the opportunity to produce tanks and ammunition at a record pace, - Blinken
China provides enormous support to the defense and industrial base of the Russian Federation in the form of supplies of microelectronics. This gives Russia the opportunity to quickly produce weapons that are then used in the war against Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stated this during hearings in the Senate of the US Congress, writes Ukrinform, Censor.NET reports .

According to Blinken, there has been no record of China transferring weapons to Russia, as Iran and North Korea do . However, the PRC supplies the Kremlin with dual-purpose goods, including microelectronics.

Blinken noted that 70% of all machines imported by Russia come from China. In addition, according to him, 90% of microelectronics also comes to Russia from China.

The head of the US State Department noted that the Russian Federation will direct Chinese dual-purpose goods to the development of its military industry.

"A lot of that goes into building up the defense industrial base, and as a result we see Russia producing tanks, artillery ammunition at a record pace," Blinken said.

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Update from Ukraine | Ruzzian ship was Hit - Ukraine Military | Ruzzian General detained

21 May: GAME CHANGER! Russian Tank Assault DEMOLISHED WITH ARTILLERY BARRAGE | War in Ukraine

Vladimir Solovyov falls for a joke about Eli Copter

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To give some context.

After the discovery of the crashed Iranian helicopter, several meme were created with about Eli Copter (or Eli Koptar) being a Mossad agent who piloted the Iranian president helicopter and crashed it in the mountain. This meme was relayed by an "official" Hamas telegram channel (not understanding the pun). The Hamas post was than read on air by a French commentator for a 24/7 news channel (the pun also work in French, and we can hear the announcer reacting in the background when the name is read and the clip is cut short).

Finally, our good old rusky clown took the French clip as fact and went on a tirade about how Iranian president was assassinated.

Funny how a simple word pun can show how stupid Russian propaganda really is, basing their fascist theory and basically anything but facts.

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Russian banks began to close branches en masse after a collapse in profits
Falling profits are forcing Russian banks to reduce the network of their branches in the country. In total, 101 offices were closed in April , Maxim Osadchiy, head of the analytical department of the BKF, told RIA Novosti, citing data from the Central Bank. According to him, by May 1, the number of branches dropped to 24,347, mainly due to Sberbank, which liquidated 49 branches at once.

The Tomsk region suffered the most, losing 12 bank offices. Next come Tatarstan (-10) and St. Petersburg (-9). However, if we take the first four months of this year, the undisputed leader in the anti-rating was the Stavropol Territory, where 64 bank branches were closed. In total, credit institutions liquidated 171 offices during this period.

It is noteworthy that for the entire 2023, only one bank branch was opened in Russia. However, such structures were actively created in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Thus, Promsvyazbank, TsMRBank, IS Bank and RostFinance opened 296 of their branches there, Osadchiy said. In total, as of May 1, 503 bank branches operate in these regions.

Profits of 20 Russian banks from the top 50 fell sharply in the first quarter of 2024. In particular, for Pochta Bank it fell by 31.2 times (to 190 million rubles), Zenit Bank - by 7.5 times (to 174 million), HKF Bank - by 5.5 times (to 815 million). The profit of Alfa Bank decreased by more than three times, to 8.5 billion rubles, VTB and Sovcombank - by 2.8 times, to 35.2 billion and 11.4 billion rubles. respectively.

Credit institutions explained the drop in business margins by sanctions, rising rates and payments of excess profit tax, also known as the “war tax.”

The profitability of the banking business in Russia is falling: over the last year, banks increased assets by 20%, and the overall growth in quarterly profit was only 2% (the figure increased to 899 billion rubles), noted the director of the group of rating financial institutions of the NKR, Yegor Lopatin.

Despite this, it is the growth of assets of credit institutions that “will become one of the key drivers of banks’ profits,” however, the figure may be lower than in 2023 and amount to 3.1 trillion versus 3.3 trillion rubles, the NKR predicted.

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Russia is using rare 130 mm artillery against Ukraine
Images have appeared online showing that the Russian invaders in Ukraine have begun using the relatively rare Soviet 130-millimeter artillery piece M-46 in battles against the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is quite an interesting development, because Russia has settled into the 152.4 mm standard a long time ago.

The M-46 artillery gun was developed in 1946-1950. It started service with the Soviet forces around 1951 and was produced until 1971. At its time, the M-46 was one of the longest-range artillery weapons in the world, with even a standard round flying for about 27 km. Even today most howitzers cannot match that range. For comparison, the British M777 155mm howitzer used by the US, Ukraine, Australia and several other countries has a range of 23.5 km with standard ammunition.

But now the M-46 is an old weapon. The caliber of the M-46 is 130 millimeters, which is not the standard of the Russian ground forces. Russia now officially relies on its 152.4 mm guns, for which ammunition is continuously produced at a mass scale.

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Swedish commander: Putin aims to control Baltic Sea, has his eye on Gotland Island
Russian President Vladimir Putin may be seeking dominance over the Baltic Sea and has his eye on the Swedish island of Gotland, Micael Byden, the supreme commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, said in an interview with the German media network RND published on May 22.

A day earlier, Russia unveiled its plans to unilaterally change the maritime border with Lithuania and Finland in the Baltic Sea. Moscow intends to appropriate inland sea waters in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland and near the cities of Baltiysk and Zelenogradsk in Kaliningrad Oblast, according to a decree prepared by the Russian Defense Ministry.

"I am confident that Putin even has both eyes on Gotland. Putin's goal is to gain control of the Baltic Sea," Byden said.

"Who controls Gotland controls the Baltic Sea."

Gotland, Sweden's largest island, is located about 330 kilometers (around 200 miles) north of the Russian exclave Kaliningrad, the headquarters of Russia's Baltic Fleet, and is strategically important for the defense of the Baltic Sea region.

If Russia seizes control of the island, it could threaten NATO countries from the sea, according to Byden.

"This would signify the end of peace and stability in the Nordic and Baltic regions," the Swedish military chief says. "The Baltic Sea should not turn into Putin's playground where he intimidates NATO members."

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sweden has reinforced Gotland with permanent troops and additional forces that can be deployed temporarily if the risk level escalates.

Sweden officially joined NATO on March 7, almost two years after it applied to join the alliance in a direct response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and in a reversal of 200 years of formal military neutrality.

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Eagles flying to nesting locations in Ukraine modify their routes to avoid areas where hostilities take place. The birds deviate up to 250 kilometres from the usual route, which may have a negative impact on their reproductive rates.

According to The Guardian, a group of UK scientists arrived at these conclusions in a study published in the scientific journal Current Biology.

Using GPS data, the scientists examined the journeys of 19 greater spotted eagles flying through Ukraine to the south of Belarus in March and April 2022. The resulting routes were compared to those recorded earlier – from 2018 to 2021.

Scientists discovered that after the commencement of the full-scale war, the birds travelled an average of 85 kilometres more than usual. One eagle diverted from the path by 250 kilometres.

Because of this tendency, travel duration has climbed to an average of 55 hours. Furthermore, male birds' flight speeds (they fly from East Africa) were slower than before the outbreak of the full-scale war.

Previously, 90% of eagles made stops in Ukraine, but by 2022, only 32% did. As a result, the birds likely used more energy to reach their nesting places.

"It’s kind of like if you were to run a marathon but you had no water breaks. And at the end, someone asks you to run an extra seven or eight miles," explained study co-author Charlie Russell.

According to scientists, the greatest deviations from the direct route happened in areas with higher hostilities. However, not all birds behaved the same.

For example, despite the fierce combat, an eagle named Borovets continued to fly across Kyiv. However, eagle Denisa altered its course and flew within a kilometre of explosions and fights on the outskirts of the capital.

Deviations from the regular paths may cause delays in reproduction since eagles will most likely need additional time to recover. It can also have an impact on their offspring's chances of survival, as prey may become less accessible when the chicks hatch.

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Drone operators of the 3rd Assault Brigade destroyed the enemy Tyulpan ACS in the Kharkiv region

The operators of the unmanned systems battalion and the Lumiere group unit of the 3rd Assault Brigade destroyed an enemy 2S4 Tyulpan 240mm self-propelled mortar in the Kharkiv region.

The Battalion’s press service reported on this.

The enemy self-propelled mortar was detected by a reconnaissance drone, after which it was hit by an attack drone.

After further reconnaissance, the operators performed control hits and re-attacked the Tyulpan with FPV.

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Sanctioned Russian oligarch threatens legal action over Luxembourg’s �14.3 billion assets freeze

Russian billionaire and Alfa Group co-founder Mikhail Fridman is challenging the Luxembourg government’s freeze on �14.3 billion of his assets and plans to take his case to international arbitration, Russian state-affiliated business daily Vedomosti reported on Tuesday.

Two sources told Vedmosti that the Russian billionaire, whose net worth is estimated to exceed �12 billion, intends to initiate legal action after the authorities in Luxembourg failed to respond to requests to unfreeze Fridman’s assets submitted by his representatives in February.

According to Vedomosti, Fridman considers his assets, which were frozen following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, to have been “expropriated” and is demanding compensation from the grand duchy.

The Luxembourg authorities have six months to respond to his claim, after which Fridman will be entitled to take his claim to the UN Commission on International Trade Law or the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, an institution for international arbitration.

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Russia Removes Controversial Baltic Sea Border Change Proposal from Government Website
A draft bill proposed by the Russian Ministry of Defense, that called for a unilateral change to Russia’s borders with Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania in the Baltic Sea, has been removed from the Russian government’s website.

However, an archived copy of the bill’s description, as proposed by the Defense Ministry, is still available on the archive.is website.

Earlier, The Moscow Times reported that the text of the bill, which they reviewed on May 21, proposed changes to the borders near Baltiysk, Zelenogradsk, and the eastern Gulf of Finland. These changes would have allowed Russia to claim the corresponding waters as its internal seas.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the proposal by the Ministry of Defense to change Russia’s Baltic Sea border is not politically motivated.

“There’s nothing political here, although the political situation has changed significantly since then. You see how tensions are escalating, what a level of confrontation, especially in the Baltic region. Of course, this requires our relevant departments to take appropriate steps to ensure our security,” Peskov said, according to Russian media.

Peskov suggested journalists seek comment directly from the Defense Ministry.

In response to the bill, Lithuania called the move a provocation after the news broke, and the Finnish Foreign Ministry stated that it expects Russia to comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which governs changes to territorial waters.

Additionally, Sweden is securing the island with permanently stationed units and temporarily bringing additional forces there if the danger situation increases.

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In Occupied Areas, Russia Pushes Ukrainian Youth To Sign Contracts To Fight Ukraine

^{Russian soldiers stand near a mobile recruiting center with a board containing information about payments in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.}

Residents of Ukraine's largely Russian-occupied Luhansk region report an intense effort by Russian officers to recruit male students at universities and institutes for contract service in the Russian armed forces.

"They say that if I sign a contract and don't get mobilized, I'll have better chances of surviving" Russia's war against Ukraine, said a 20-year-old Luhansk student who gave his name as Anton.

With no end in sight to a war in which more than 315,000 Russian men have been killed or wounded since the full-scale invasion of February 2022, by U.S. estimates, Russian President Vladimir Putin's government seems intent on maintaining or boosting troops numbers.

Eager to avoid a repeat of a 2022 mobilization that prompted hundreds of thousands of people to leave Russia, it's looking to contract soldiers to fill the ranks and help increase the size of the armed forces to 1.32 million in 2024. In December 2023, then-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu set a "top priority" target of 745,000 contract personnel by the end of 2024, state news agency TASS reported.

Russian recruitment and conscription efforts are not limited to Russian territory. While it is illegal under international law, the military is also targeting men in the five Ukrainian regions Moscow baselessly claims as its own: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya, Kherson, and Crimea.

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Ukrainian Navy Conducts Training with Finnish-Donated Uisko-Class Boats

^{Uisko-class landing craft donated by Finland. Photo credits: Ukrainian Navy}

Uisko-class landing craft donated by Finland were used by the Ukrainian Navy during the training.

The relevant photos were published on the official page of the Ukrainian Navy on X.

The boats were used by Ukrainian marines in landing exercises on unprepared coastlines.

The exercises were aimed at preparing units for the amphibious assault.

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Ukraine's budget received about EUR 50B thanks to Solidarity Lanes - European Commission
The EU's Solidarity Corridors have helped export Ukrainian goods to the European and global markets for two years and generated about EUR 50 billion in income for Ukraine's economy.
Transport Commissioner Adina Valean said this on the second anniversary of the creation of Solidarity Lanes -- alternative logistics routes via rail, road and inland waterways, Ukrinform reports.

"Two years ago Solidarity Lanes reshaped the logistic routes across Eastern Europe to keep Ukraine and Moldova's economies functioning and to prevent a global food crisis. Until today, they have generated about EUR 50 billion in income for Ukraine's economy. At the same time, they are strengthening Ukraine's economic ties with the EU, with imports worth around EUR 107 billion to date," Valean said.

According to the European Commission, to date, Solidarity Lanes have helped Ukraine export more than 136 million tonnes of goods, such as grain, ores and steel, and import more than 52 million tonnes of essential merchandises, including fuel, vehicles, fertilizers as well as military and humanitarian assistance.

Initially established to bypass Russia's Black Sea blockade of Ukraine's grain exports, today the Solidarity Lanes cover trade across all sectors. They allow Ukraine and Moldova to export all types of goods to world markets while also ensuring crucial imports reach Ukraine

On May 22, 2022, the European Commission, in collaboration with Ukraine and Moldova, created the Solidarity Lanes to help improve the EU–Ukraine–Moldova transport routes in response to Russia's illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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Why is the steering wheel Chinese?! Russian PM jabs domestic carmaker over foreign parts.
Mikhail Mishustin wasn’t impressed during a business expo tour.

So much for Moscow’s “no-limits” partnership with Beijing.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin isn't impressed with the use of Chinese car parts in Russian-made vehicles.

While viewing new models of Volga cars at a business expo in Nizhny Novgorod, Mishustin asked, “Friends, I understand everything but where was this steering wheel made? [Is it] Chinese?”

“We want it to be Russian,” he added, as seen in a video posted on the Russian government’s Telegram channel.

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Zelenskyy to visit France, urging NATO to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine – Politico
The Ukrainian president will seek more support from the West, the publication notes

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit France in June, where he will urge NATO countries to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, Politico reported, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the Ukrainian leader's intentions.

According to the sources, Zelenskyy may visit France as early as next month. According to them, the Ukrainian leader is expected to participate in events commemorating the anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy.

This trip will allow Zelenskyy to meet with world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, to promote his country's interests, journalists say.

The sources told the publication that Zelenskyy's plans could change. However, if all goes according to plan, the president will seek more support from the West and urge NATO to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, similar to how the US and Britain responded to Iran's attack on Israel.

The publication notes that Zelenskyy will also demand that the United States and European countries seize Russian assets to help finance "Ukraine's defense and eventual reconstruction.

Politico also reports that Zelenskyy plans to visit Italy for the G7 summit, which will be held June 13-15.

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Parliament votes to set up temporary commission for fortifications
UKRAINE, May 22 — Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada, voted to establish a temporary special commission to research the construction of fortifications and engineering barriers on the frontline, and allocation of funds for fortifications.

MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak said the Verkhovna Rada voted for corresponding draft law No. 11282 in the first reading. This commission will work for a year and must submit a report to the parliament within six months.

A conversation about lacking fortifications along the frontline in Ukrainian society started after the Armed Forces withdrew from Avdiivka on February 17, and reports about soldiers having to dig trenches under Russian fire started to come in. With the beginning of the Russian new ground offensive on May 10, the Kharkiv Oblast government was criticized for insufficient fortifications near the state border.

On May 3, the Ministry of Defense announced that the construction of the fortification is “nearing completion” in five directions, including in Kharkiv Oblast. Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said that fortifications were constructed in Vovchansk, Kupiansk, and Luhansk directions, noting that the construction work continues.

The head of the Vovchansk military administration, Tamaz Hambarashvili, said that the fortifications had been built before the current offensive, but perhaps “not so tightly” because of Vovchansk’s proximity [~3 miles — ed.] to the state’s border.

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FT: EU countries push for visa-free travel suspension, other sanctions against Georgia over 'foreign agents ' law
Estonia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Sweden are among several EU countries pushing for sanctions against Georgia in response to its government's passing of the controversial "foreign agents" law, the Financial Times (FT) reported on May 22, citing official sources.

Concerns about Georgia's democracy have reached a fever pitch after the ruling Georgian Dream party passed the foreign agents law, which requires organizations that receive foreign funding to be labeled as "foreign agents" and mirrors repressive Russian legislation used to crack down on Kremlin regime critics.

The country has been rocked by protests which grew out of opposition to the controversial law, and have now begun to morph into a larger sign of discontent against the government and the direction the country is heading.

According to the FT, sanctions could include the suspension of visa-free travel to the EU. The issue will reportedly be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers next week.

Another option on the table is the freezing of EU funds, officials familiar with the matter told the newspaper.

Even before the law was revived after a failed attempt to pass it in 2023, EU and U.S. officials warned that Georgia's democratic institutions were weakening and that the country was under the control of the oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, who only holds the title of honorary chairman of Georgian Dream.

Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, but a report by the EU's Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) the following month said that the country had made limited progress in its required reforms and was at risk of drifting toward Russia.

The U.S. is considering a package of military, trade, and visa liberalization incentives for Georgia if it reverses the trend of democratic backsliding and abandons the controversial law, Politico reported on May 20, citing a draft bill to be introduced in Congress in the coming days.

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Romanian President outlines condition of sending Ukraine Patriot system
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis stated that supplying a Patriot system to Ukraine must be approved by the Supreme Council of National Defense, and must not compromise Romania's air defense.

He emphasized that this issue will not be discussed in public, but instead privately with military experts and the Supreme Council, Romanian news channel Digi24 reported on May 22.

Iohannis said that supplying a Patriot system comes with numerous logistical and legal complexities.

"Even if Romania finally makes some concessions, it must receive something in return. Otherwise, nothing will happen," Iohannis said.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu later noted that despite the challenges in providing a Patriot system to Ukraine, it is still possible.

Romania signed a deal in 2017 to obtain Patriot systems but so far only has one that is operational.

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine needs 25 Patriots to protect the country from Russian attacks, but Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he is for now focused on securing seven to protect Ukraine's largest cities.

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Translation: So, its here, sash (short from sasha, alexandr). Thats what problems baba yaga is causing to us. Here were standing bmp-3. We had good forest here, with nets. We were able to hide bmp here. Right here were bmp, then baba yaga arrived, made 3 drops. One got stuck in net, thats why we were able to run away with guys, 2nd hit ammo. Vehicle were torn apart, total detonation. And 3rd one were dud. Now i'll show you what problem its carrying. Shaped charge. Like that. So, we do need thermal sights. We have prepared lookout posts, so it wont go to our rear, wont burn our vehicles and to save our guys.

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He says there were two hits... One of those split that car in two parts which ended up on different sides of the building. They actually thought at first that the car exploded...

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Russian media reports dozens of explosions in center of Belgorod
In the center of the Russian city of Belgorod, two series of dozens of explosions were heard, according to RIA Novosti.

A missile danger was declared in Belgorod and the Belgorod region.

A correspondent for the Russian edition reported that a series of explosions were heard in the city center.

Fifteen minutes later, he reported another series of twenty explosions.

On May 16, the Russian army dropped three air bombs on the Belgorod region.

Yesterday, May 22, residents of the Belgorod region complained of shelling. Some residential buildings have been damaged.

Residents of the city of Murom in the Belgorod region were asked to leave the city for several days.