Oorlog in Oekra�ne #972 - Iran zonder president

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France to open plant for production of 155mm shells in Belgium
France plans to open a new plant for the production of 155mm artillery shells in Belgium.

A military observer for The Insider reported on this.

The plant will be opened next week by KNDS Mecar in Belgium, a subsidiary of the French company Ouest-France.

In the long run, this will provide a significant increase in the production of artillery shells, which are now so much needed by both Ukraine and European militaries.

It should be noted that the Petit-Roeulx-les-Nivelles plant will specialize in producing the artillery shells.

They will be filled with explosives at other enterprises in Belgium and France.

Despite the opening, the plant’s full operation will begin no earlier than 2025, excluding the increase in production rates.

In addition to expanding the production of 155-mm shell casings, France is also expanding the production of special modular artillery charges used to fire artillery shells.

Modular propellant charge manufacturer Eurenco plans to increase production of propellant charges for artillery to 500,000 units per year.

According to the order, the French company will launch production and produce up to 1,200 tons of artillery powder per year at its facilities in Bergerac, for which over �500 million have been invested.

Militarnyi previously reported that a new gunpowder production line for the needs of the EU and Ukraine was being built in the French city of Bergerac.

The plant’s new production line should start operating in early 2025, and almost immediately, the Ukrainian military should receive the first “fruits” of its production.

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"We expect unknown UAVS": Guerrillas in Smolensk sabotaged and weakened Russian air defences.

The Russian air defence system in the Smolensk region will be noticeably weakened as a result of the actions of the ATESH guerrillas.

An agent of the ATESH guerrilla movement conducted a sabotage near Russia's Smolensk and destroyed air defence telecommunications equipment. This was reported by the ATESH guerrilla movement on 23 May.

An agent of our movement destroyed an external telecommunication cabinet of a communication tower in the village of Stanichki near Smolensk, - the guerrillas reported.

As a result of the sabotage, the air defence communication systems of the 49th anti-aircraft missile brigade of the Russian troops, which were placed on this tower, ceased to operate.

It is noted that the stability of the military control system in the region may be disrupted. The Russian air defence system in the region will be noticeably weakened, which will make it possible to more effectively strike military facilities of the Moscow Military District of the Russian Federation.

We expect unknown UAVs in the region," ATESH added.

Earlier Socialportal reported that ATESH guerrillas carried out a sabotage on the railway in the Tambov region of the Russian Federation.

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Russians armed its Su-30 fighter jets with long-range missiles

^{Su-30SM2 fighter jet of the Russian Navy's naval aviation. Photo credits: Russian media}

Footage of a Su-30 fighter jet of the Russian Navy’s naval aviation, which is equipped with a R-37M long-range missile, is being shared online.

Russian media have released the video.

It captures the takeoff of a Su-30SM2 fighter jet with three R-37M long-range missiles.

The aircraft is a part of the Russian Naval Aviation. This may indicate that their modernization to the level of the 2021 program, which expanded the range of weapons, has already begun.

Винищувач Су-30СМ2 з ракетами великої дальності � -37М

It is reported that these fighter jets are stationed at Saky Air Base in the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea.

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Ukrainian troops destroy Russian Zoopark-1 radar station

^{Russian 1L219 Zoopark-1 counter-battery radar in the sights of the Shark drone, May 2024. Photo credits: Come Back Alive Foundation}

The Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed a Russian Zoopark-1 counter-battery radar system in the Donetsk region.

The press service of the Come Back Alive Foundation reported on this.

An aerial reconnaissance unit detected a Russian Zoopark-1 radar station using a Shark reconnaissance drone purchased by the Foundation.

After identifying the target, the unit transmitted the coordinates of the detected object to the operators of the HIMARS rocket system, which delivered an accurate strike and destroyed the radar station with a GMLRS guided missile.

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Ukrainian military intelligence claims knowledge of Putin's multiple bunkers' locations
Ukrainian intel representative Andriy Yusov stated that his agency has information about Putin's bunkers, which is regularly updated

Ukrainian military intelligence knows about the location of more than one bunker of the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, announced on the air of the national telethon.

Asked about where Putin's bunker is located, Yusov corrected her, saying "bunkers." He added that intelligence has relevant information and it is regularly updated.

The representative of DIU refused to name the number of bunkers of the Kremlin dictator, noting only: "One of his 'callsigns' is bunkerny". He loves this business very much."

A number of Russian and Western media have been speculating about the bunkers of the Russian dictator for a long time. Last year, The Business Insider published drawings of the underground part of Putin's huge estate in Gelendzhik. On the diagrams one can see an underground complex under the palace, consisting of two separate tunnels connected by an elevator that descends approximately 50 m underground.

^{Scheme of tunnels under Putin's palace (Photo: Business Insider)}

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Another provocation? Russian border guards removed markers from Estonian waters
On Thursday, May 23, Russian border guards removed 24 buoys from the Narva River, which Estonia's Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) had installed to mark shipping lanes. These buoys helped prevent ships from straying into the wrong waters and have been a longstanding feature of the river, writes Delfi news portal.

Eerik Purgel, head of the PPA's Eastern Prefecture, stated that Russia has not provided an explanation for their action. The PPA plans to seek clarification from Russia and expects evidence if Russia believes the shipping route has changed. If no such evidence is provided, Estonia will continue to install the buoys.

The Estonian government, including Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, is seeking to understand the situation. They intend to handle the matter calmly and consult with allies, noting that this fits a pattern of provocative Russian behavior, which includes previous airspace violations. The government emphasizes the importance of these markers for safe navigation, especially for local fishermen and hobbyists, to prevent accidental entry into Russian waters.

Estonia's Interior Minister, Lauri L��nemets, addressed a recent incident on social media. L��nemets described the event as another attempt to influence Estonia's internal security. He wrote that such systematic actions are meant to shape public sentiment and create a foundation for conflicts. Estonia does not share Russia's geopolitical vision and expects such attempts to continue.
He urged not to fall into the trap of fear and confusion that these actions aim to create, as Estonia is familiar with this pattern from its eastern neighbor.

L��nemets assured that Estonia maintains a high level of security and the state is always ready to take preventive and responsive measures. He emphasized that internal security is an ongoing concern, with the country actively countering threats and influence activities.
He concluded by stating that budget cuts should not reduce national defense or internal security capabilities. Instead, Estonia, and Europe as a whole, should be prepared to increase resources for law enforcement agencies if necessary.

Estonia had placed these markers according to an agreement with Russia in 2022. However, this year, Russia has contested the placement of about 125 of the 250 buoys. The removal included some of the disputed markers.

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Explosives were found near a NATO oil pipeline in Germany
This week, explosives were discovered near an oil pipeline in Germany. Source: Suedeutsche Zeitung

Construction workers have found an explosives cache near a NATO pipeline in Rhineland-Palatinate - it is unclear who created it. German and European security authorities have long warned that Russia is not shying away from sabotage.

The small town of Belheim with a population of 9 thousand inhabitants is located between Landau, Speyer and Karlsruhe. The area is traversed by half-timbered streets, parks, two church towers, and the Via Renana, an old Roman road along the Upper Rhine. There is nothing to indicate that this place may have military-strategic significance, the newspaper writes.

But one of the largest NATO oil depots in Germany is located in Belheim. It's also home to the Central European Pipeline System (CEPS), which, as part of the so-called NATO pipeline, has supplied air force bases in western Germany with kerosene, gasoline and diesel since the Cold War. In an emergency, the pipes will be of strategic importance.

Let us recall that across Europe there is an active sabotage campaign organized by Russia as part of President Vladimir Putin’s growing efforts to undermine Western support for Ukraine. American and European officials have reported attempts to damage railroads, military bases and other facilities used to supply weapons to Ukraine.

German law enforcement authorities suspect the Russian intelligence services of an attack on railways, as a result of which trains stopped in northern Germany for several hours.

Also, unknown persons in northern Germany damaged a gas pipeline under construction for an LNG terminal.

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Bulgarian Prosecutor Seeks Closure Of 2 Pro-Russian Paramilitary Groups

^{Pro-Russian demonstrators hold a rally in Sofia in May 2023.}

Two pro-Russian paramilitary organizations operating in Bulgaria should be closed because their activities violate the constitution, a district prosecutor’s office said on May 22.

The request to shut down BNO Shipka and the Vasil Levski Military Union was submitted to the district court in Varna by the local prosecutor’s office. The court is expected to schedule a hearing to consider the request.

The two paramilitary organizations are connected to one another and known for their pro-Russian rhetoric. They have been conducting combat training for years and oppose Bulgaria’s Euro-Atlantic affiliations, including its membership in the European Union and in NATO.

The request comes a year and a half after the state prosecutor’s office announced that it was investigating BNO Shipka for sedition.

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Alarm over Russian-directed sabotage operations growing across Europe
Security agencies and governments across Europe are increasingly warning about the threat posed by Russia-directed saboteurs operating on their territories.

On Wednesday, Norway’s Police Security Service (PST) and the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) warned there was an increased threat of sabotage targeting organizations in the country involved in delivering arms to Ukraine.

Inger Haugland, Norway’s counterintelligence chief, told the media how attempts at sabotage in Poland, Germany and the United Kingdom were conducted by non-Russian nationals to provide the Kremlin with deniability.

Haugland said the PST had warned Norwegian arms suppliers to be on alert for suspicious activity, as reported by the country’s national broadcaster NRK. Earlier this month, the head of the PST warned that Russia was preparing acts of sabotage in the west of the country where its naval bases and oil and gas facilities are based.

The pair of warnings follows Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr St�re describing Russia as posing “a real and serious threat” to the country’s oil and gas industry, following the arrests of seven Russians in Norway in connection to incidents in which drones were flown over major energy installations.

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More than 60 killed and 160 injured: Russian missile spotter sentenced to 15 years in prison
The man was found guilty of treason, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine reported


A court has found a Lviv resident guilty of directing Russian missiles at the Yavoriv military base in March 2022, resulting in the deaths of over 60 people, the Prosecutor General's Office reported, with a law enforcement source telling LIGA.net that the convicted man's name is Oleksandr Kostornyi.

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The 73-year-old resident of Lviv was found guilty of treason and sentenced to 15 years in prison and confiscation of property.

Prosecutors proved in court that the man, a former KGB officer of the USSR, had been collaborating with agents of the aggressor country's Federal Security Service (FSB) since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. He collected information on the location of military facilities, weapons and critical infrastructure in the Lviv Oblast.

According to the investigation, the convict sent the enemy a map of the Yavoriv military training area via Telegram. The map depicted the locations of military camps at the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security. The perpetrator also indicated the locations of barracks and dormitories.

On March 13, 2022, the occupiers shelled these facilities, firing a total of more than 30 missiles. The attack resulted in more than 60 deaths and 160 injuries.

The Prosecutor General's Office noted that during the court session, the spotter did not admit his guilt and showed no remorse.

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Ukrainian intelligence attacks Russian military-industrial complex targets in Tatarstan - Sources
Drones of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine struck several targets of the Russian military-industrial complex in Tatarstan, according to intelligence sources.

It is noted that the strike drones have already reached Kazan and Nizhnekamsk, where several strategically important enterprises, whose products are used in the military industry, are located.

Local media reported explosions in Nizhnekamsk. In addition, employees are being evacuated from Nizhnekamsk Thermal Power Plant, Nizhnekamsk Carbon, Orgsintez, Taneco, TAIF-NK, Nizhnekamskneftekhim, and "Nizhnekamskshina.

^{Photo: Evacuation of Russians (t.me/astrapress)}

Additionally, both airports in Kazan and Nizhnekamsk have ceased operations. Sources reported that information about the results of the strikes on the targets is being clarified.

Other GUR operations
This is not the first time the Main Intelligence Directorate has carried out operations targeting enemy facilities related to the Russian defense complex.

For instance, it was reported that today, GUR drones attacked a Russian military unit located in the Krasnodar region.

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US will announce $275 million more in artillery and ammunition for Ukraine, officials say
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is expected to announce an additional $275 million in military aid for Ukraine on Friday as Kyiv struggles to hold off advances by Russian troops in the Kharkiv region, two U.S. officials say.

This will be the fourth installment of military aid for Ukraine since Congress passed a long-delayed foreign aid bill late last month and comes as the Biden administration has pledged to keep weapons flowing regularly and to get them to the front lines as quickly as possible.

The package includes high mobility artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS, munitions as well 155 mm and 105 mm high-demand artillery rounds, according to the two U.S. officials. Additional items in the aid package include Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems; anti-tank mines, tactical vehicles, small arms and ammunition for those weapons, one of the officials said. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details of the aid package before the public announcement.

It follows a monthly gathering Monday of about 50 defense leaders from Europe and elsewhere who meet regularly to coordinate getting more military aid to Ukraine. At this latest meeting, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Ukraine was in a “moment of challenge” due to Russia’s new onslaught on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. He pledged to keep weapons moving “week after week.”