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‘A big mess is brewing’ Thousands of Russian fighters are flooding into Libya, raising concerns over what the Kremlin might be planning

^{A Russian Tigr armored personnel carrier being used in a Libyan National Army military exercise. March, 2024}

Russia has been bolstering its military presence in Libya for the past few months, according to a joint investigation from the independent outlet Verstka and the All Eyes on Wagner project. Libya has been mired in civil war since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, and Russia has long been accused of meddling in the conflict. Now, the Kremlin appears to be shipping more military equipment to Libya and the surrounding region and redeploying regular troops disguised as mercenaries, along with recruits from Wagner Group’s Africa operations.

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‘Tectonic shifts’
In the past three months, Russia has begun actively transferring military personnel and mercenaries to Libya, according to Verstka’s findings. These forces are primarily concentrated in eastern Libya, a region under the control of Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army and a Kremlin ally. (The western part of the country, including the capital, Tripoli, is governed by the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord.)

A source within a Libyan security agency reported that at least 1,800 Russian military personnel have arrived in the country in the last two weeks alone. Some were dispatched to Niger, while others remain in Libya awaiting further orders.

One serviceman told journalists that he and several hundred other special forces soldiers were redeployed from Ukraine at the beginning of the year. Several thousand more fighters — both professional soldiers and mercenaries from Wagner Group’s Africa operations — arrived in Libya between February and April. In conversations with journalists, the soldiers themselves acknowledged that their presence in Libya is unofficial. They said that they’re there as part of a private military company, though they didn’t specify which one.

Russian military personnel and equipment have been spotted in at least 10 locations in eastern Libya since the beginning of March. Russian troops are stationed around major military bases, such as Al Jufra Air Base and Ghardabiya Air Base, as well as near smaller ones by Waddan and Marj.

Sources say that some of the newly arrived Russian military personnel are involved in training local soldiers and new recruits from private military companies. Others are carrying out combat missions, such as securing the transport of military equipment.

“There’s never been such a fuss; tectonic shifts are happening here,” one Russian soldier in Libya commented. “I think a big mess is brewing.”


Following the breadcrumbs
Location data from Telegram users show an increase in activity around military sites in Libya. On March 5, a Russian soldier with the username “Andrey” showed up near the Ghardabiya Air Base near Sirte. A few months before, “Andrey” was in Mulino — a city in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region where soldiers are being trained for combat in Ukraine. Nearly two weeks after “Andrey” appeared at Ghardabiya Air Base, the Libyan National Army conducted military exercises there.

Soon after, another group of Russian soldiers was spotted in Marj, Libya. On March 17, photos of them were posted on Libyan social media; Verstka and its investigative partners were able to geolocate these photos by comparing the buildings and structures in them with satellite images.

In early May, geolocation data confirmed the presence of two Russian soldiers in Jufra. One of them was the same “Andrey” who’d been at the Ghardabiya Air Base in March. He stayed there until at least April, then moved to Jufra by May.

The second soldier in Jufra was 26-year-old Pavel Vavilov from Russia’s Vladimir region. It’s likely that Vavilov entered the military recently: leaked data shows he worked as a security guard in 2020, and before that, as a taxi driver. He’s faced various legal issues, including a theft conviction. Another Telegram account linked to Vavilov shows a car with a license plate from the self-proclaimed “Luhansk People’s Republic” in the profile picture.

^{Wagner Group mercenaries walk around the city of Marj in eastern Libya.}

In recent weeks, there’s been a notable increase in shipments of Russian weapons and transport vehicles from Syria to Libya. In photos published on March 30 by the Russian pro-war Telegram channel Military Informant, several Russian Tigr armored personnel carriers can be seen being used in Libyan National Army exercises. Judging by the unit insignia on the front doors, they were delivered to the Libyan National Army’s 106th Brigade.

<sup>A five-door Russian Tigr armored personnel carrier


Footage published by Military Informant was geolocated to an area between Al Jufra Air Base and the town of Waddan</sup>

The channel also released video footage of the exercises. After comparing the terrain, buildings, and landmarks seen in the video to satellite images, Verstka and its investigative partners determined that the footage was shot between Al Jufra Air Base and the town of Waddan.

Russia is shipping a large amount of military equipment to Libya by sea. A source told Verstka that he had personally escorted equipment from a “military port” to various “military bases.” In some cases, the equipment comes to Libya via Syria’s Tartus port. For instance, on April 2, two Russian landing ships — the Alexander Otrakovsky and the Ivan Gren — were spotted in Tartus. On April 6, the same ships were off the coast of Crete, and on April 8, they arrived at the Port of Tobruk in Libya. These vessels were transporting vehicles and weaponry; one item in the shipment resembled a Soviet-era 2S12 “Sani” heavy mortar system. According to open-source investigators, this marked the fifth such shipment in the last six weeks. Satellite imagery shows that since then, the ships have continued to make trips back and forth.

Jalel Harchaoui, a Libya expert at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank, drew attention to the fact that Russian military personnel are being redeployed to the Brak al-Shati base in Libya. According to him, the number of Russian-speaking personnel at the base has increased by about 25 percent in recent weeks.

Back in March 2024, investigators from the All Eyes on Wagner project didn’t find any Russian Telegram accounts at the base. However, the situation has changed in the last few weeks. For example, in early May, an account registered to a Russian number was discovered near the base. The user, 28-year-old Russian Maxim Kukol, doesn’t appear to have been connected to the military before 2021. But there’s no public record of his employment after this. However, by 2022, his debts had been cleared.

Geolocation data also shows a steady stream of Russian military personnel arriving at the Tartus port in Syria, which has become a kind of redistribution hub for military resources. Among them is 19-year-old Navy serviceman Anton Zaikin, who was stationed in Baltiysk, in Russia’s Kaliningrad region, in early 2024. By early May, he had relocated to Syria.

A strategic move
Turkey, the U.S., and other countries have repeatedly accused Russia of interfering in the Libyan conflict, including through the use of Wagner Group mercenaries. Journalistic investigations have confirmed that Russian mercenaries have been present in Libya since at least 2019, and experts say the Kremlin has been supporting Khalifa Haftar since around 2018.

In 2023, Russian officials and Haftar held their first public negotiations since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In August, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov met with him in Libya, and in September, Haftar met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Following this, there were multiple media reports of Kremlin plans to build a Russian naval base in Tobruk, Libya (where Russian military cargo arrives from Syria).

In January 2024, shortly before Russia began sending large numbers of troops to the region, Yevkurov visited Libya again. He met with Haftar in Benghazi; Verstka’s sources say that a new Russian military training base is already operating not far from this city. According to Verstka and All Eyes on Wagner’s sources, the Russian contingent in Libya is controlled by four commanders who were previously in Syria. They, in turn, report to Yevkurov.

^{Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov and Khalifa Haftar meet in Benghazi. January, 2024.}

“I think the Russians are betting on a war inside Tripoli among the militias, so they’re going to shift gears,” said one military source. Another source suggested that the current influx of Russian equipment and the repositioning of troops are intended to supplant Wagner Group forces in Libya and pave the way for further deployments to other African countries.

RUSI’s Jalel Harchaoui noted that an increased presence in Libya aligns with many of Russia’s strategic regional interests. “Libya offers extremely valuable access to the Mediterranean Sea, acts as a southern flank to exert pressure on NATO and the E.U., and strengthens dialogue with other key Arab countries,” he explained. “Importantly, it also serves as a gateway to Sub-Saharan African countries, offering a strategic route to countries like Sudan, Niger, and beyond.”

According to him, cooperating with the Haftar family allows the Kremlin to achieve these goals while minimizing costs. “Roughly speaking, the Haftar family rewards Moscow materially and financially for doing things that are already in its interest,” Harchaoui believes.

The increased military activity in the region may also have something to do with increased pressure for Libya to hold elections. While there have been several attempts to hold elections, plans have often been delayed or disrupted due to escalations in the military conflict. The U.N. has urgently called for elections to be held to prevent the country from sliding further into war.

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Op maandag 20 mei 2024 21:04 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/05/16/a-big-mess-is-brewing
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Russia may launch massive missile strike on Ukraine — Defense Express

Satellite images of Russia's Olenya airfield in Murmansk Oblast suggest preparations for a massive missile strike on Ukraine, military portal Defense Express reported on May 19.

As of May 15, 12 Tu-95MS strategic bombers, 13 Tu-22M3 strategic bombers, one Tu-160, and two An-12 military transport aircraft were spotted at the airfield.

Defense Express highlights that Ukraine needs to monitor the Olenya airbase closely, as it is a key site for Russian Air Forces to launch massive missile strikes against Ukraine.

British and Ukrainian intelligence estimate that Russia still has approximately 40 Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers in its strategic aviation and can use them for large-scale missile strikes on Ukraine.

This means that Russia has gathered a third of its combat-ready bombers of this type at the Olenya airfield at once.

Defense Express reports that deploying a third of the combat-ready Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 fleet at such a remote airfield may indicate that Russia is preparing for new strikes on Ukraine's critical infrastructure and is also trying to protect its most valuable aircraft from potential long-range kamikaze drone attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

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Op maandag 20 mei 2024 20:47 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

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Zelfs dan lijkt het mij dat er wel een grens is. Stel dat er een Russische generaal in een ziekenhuis in Belgorod ligt. Dan zou je zeggen dat het geen legitiem doelwit is. Maar is het dan opeens wel een legitiem doelwit als die generaal bijvoorbeeld een order geeft aan een onderschikte? Of een militaire beslissing maakt?

Zou dat dan opeens van het ziekenhuis een militair doelwit maken die dan geraakt mag worden? Zelfs als er 999 burgers liggen tegenover die ene generaal?

Je zou dan prima kunnen beargumenteren dat het ziekenhuis (op dat ogenblik) gebruikt wordt in de oorlogsvoering. Maar ik denk ook dat het veel weerstand zou oproepen. En dat ondanks die ene beslissing die die generaal maakt de hoofdtaak van het ziekenhuis nog steeds een ziekenhuis is.

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Op maandag 20 mei 2024 21:04 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/05/16/a-big-mess-is-brewing
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India Confirms Participation in G-7 and Ukraine Peace Summits
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that India will attend all significant summits promoting global peace, security, and development. He made this statement in reference to invitations to attend the G-7 meeting and the Ukraine Peace Summit that will take place next month.

In an interview, the Prime Minister emphasized India’s role in advocating for the Global South at these summits to influence global discussions and promote a vision for human-centered development in a peaceful and prosperous world.

“The level of participation will be the factor of timing, logistics, and parallel commitments,” Modi stated in response to a question on whether he will be attending the two multilateral meetings.

Coinciding with a major global gathering, the G-7 Summit in Italy June 13-15, Switzerland will host a Peace Summit for Ukraine June 15-16.

Modi views the invitations to both events as a recognition of India’s growing significance and contributions to international affairs.

He linked these invitations to India’s philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family), emphasizing India’s strong commitment to global engagement.

“India will be participating in all important summits that promote the agenda of global peace, security, and development,” according to Modi.

In March 2024, during a phone call with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine’s interest in strengthening trade and economic relations with India.

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Britain and Finland will become strategic partners in the fight against Russian aggression
Britain and Finland will sign a new strategic partnership agreement on Monday to strengthen ties and counter the "threat of Russian aggression", the British Foreign Secretary said. Source: Voice of America

According to a Foreign Office press release, both countries will declare Russia "the most significant and direct threat to European peace and stability."

The agreement will be approved by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen in London.

“As we stand together in support of Ukraine, including through military assistance and training, we are clear that the threat of Russian aggression once war has begun will not be tolerated,” Cameron said.

“This strategic partnership, based on our shared values, will enable the UK and Finland to intensify cooperation to strengthen European security, as well as seize new opportunities, from science and technology to closer energy ties,” he added.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the countries will work together to counter Russian disinformation, malicious cyber activity and support the recovery, reconstruction and modernization of Ukraine.

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Op maandag 20 mei 2024 21:06 schreef Perrin het volgende:

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Nou, rara wat zouden die van plan zijn.

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Powerful explosions in Luhansk: Strikes on Russian training base reported

On May 20, a series of explosions were recorded in Luhansk occupied by the Russian army near the village of Yuvileine. The so-called Academy of Internal Affairs was hit, according to Tribune.

According to residents, there were about eight explosions, and only once was the Russian air defense system activated. The Russian occupiers were based on the territory.

HIMARS and missiles strikes
The Armed Forces of Ukraine are constantly striking at Russian military targets in the occupied territory of the Luhansk region.

In particular, after a strike on an oil depot in Luhansk on May 7, the Russians are experiencing serious fuel problems.

In addition, an oil depot in the town of Rovenky was hit on May 10, which resulted in a large fire.

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Explosion in Luhansk: Russian military base reportedly hit

Explosion rocks occupied Luhansk at Eduard Didorenko University, long used by Russian troops as a base
Radio Liberty reported the informtion, citing local Telegram channels and Artem Lysohor, head of the Luhansk regional military administration.

On May 20, an explosion occurred in occupied Luhansk. According to Radio Liberty's Donbas Realities project, the Luhansk State University of Internal Affairs named after Eduard Didorenko was struck. According to the project's sources, Russian troops have been based there for a long time.

Donbas Realities cites reports in local Telegram channels, according to which eyewitnesses saw military and artillery shells being brought into the area of the attack.

The head of the Regional Military Administration also reported a hit on the village of Yuvileine in the Luhansk city community, where the university is located.

"In local chats, Luhansk residents confirm that a military camp has been set up at the site of the hit in the middle of civilian buildings. Until 2014, an academy of internal affairs was operating in the area, which was then chosen by the Russians (as a base - ed.)," he said.

The "LPR" armed group accused the Ukrainian Armed Forces of the attack. The Ukrainian command has not yet commented on the situation.

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Op maandag 20 mei 2024 21:21 schreef halfway het volgende:

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Gaat die nou al die shit holes innemen?

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The village of Soloviove turned into a “cemetery” of Russian armored vehicles

^{Destroyed Russian BMP-1 near the village of Soloviove in the Donetsk region. May, 2024. Ukraine. Footage from the video of the 47th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine}

The Russian military has already lost more than two dozen armored vehicles with infantry near the village of Soloviove.

In early May, the Russian command set out to break through the Ukrainian military’s defenses near the village of Soloviove in the Donetsk region.

Soloviove is located in the Avdiivka direction, south of Ocheretyne. The settlement came under occupation in late April.

However, the Russian invaders cannot advance further than the village and are exposed to powerful attacks by the Ukrainian military.

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^{The village of Soloviove on the deepstatemap map as of May 19, 2024}

This area is being defended by the 47th Mechanized Brigade, which has been repelling Russian assaults for almost the entire month of May.

The Russians form armored groups for assaults, which usually include a couple of tanks and several MT-LB armored personnel carriers with assault teams.

Село Соловйове перетворилося у "кладовище" російської бронетехніки

The Ukrainian military stops the invaders with artillery, drones, and sometimes US Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.

Over the course of 20 days in May, the Ukrainian military released videos showing the destruction of more than 20 units of Russian equipment. T-72B3, T-80BV, T-90M Proryv tanks, BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-82A and MT-LB armored personnel carriers were destroyed.

Such Russian assaults were also accompanied by significant losses among the Russian military personnel.

The 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade said on May 20 that the Russian invaders had recently conducted another two-stage assault near the village of Soloviove.

“Realizing that they would not be noticed due to the high winds, they planned to conduct reconnaissance by combat and distract themselves from the main attack. Thanks to the FPV drone operators and anti-tank teams, the Russian invaders said goodbye to their miserable lives,” the military said about the last assault.

^{Destroyed Russian BTR-82A and Russian infantry near the village of Soloviove in the Donetsk region. May, 2024. Ukraine. Footage from the video of the 47th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine}

The Russians struck again with tanks, covering the landing of their infantry. The Ukrainian soldiers first destroyed the equipment and then neutralized the Russian assault groups.

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Op maandag 20 mei 2024 21:38 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:
Van mij mag het westen ook wel eens een rode lijn zetten: Kharkiv blijft Oekra�ens.

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Over 260,000 Ukrainians swiftly update military data via Reserve+ app
As of today, 260,000 Ukrainians have updated their data for draft offices in Reserve+ mobile application, said Dmytro Lazutkin, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on May 20.

Lazutkin highlighted the immediate impact of the app, which was launched just two days ago, on May 18. "If we talk about the Reserve+ app, a service that was launched on May 18 and immediately caused a stir, about 260,000 Ukrainians have updated their data," he stated.

Read also: Not all draft updates lead to summon — General Staff

He noted that the app has been used 80 times more frequently for updating personal information than Administrative Services Centers. However, there is no complete data yet on how many people have visited local draft offices to update their information, as "the process is ongoing."

Lazutkin added that a total of 600,000 individuals eligible for military service, both within Ukraine and abroad, have logged into the app.

Read also: Ukraine tightens penalties on draft dodging as Zelenskyy signs new law

Mobilization bill in Ukraine
A new mobilization bill came into force in Ukraine on May 18. It requires men aged 18-60 to update their military registration data within 60 days - by July 16. The documents of persons liable for military service who have updated their data will have VIN codes (barcodes) pasted into them.

You can update your data in your e-cabinet, in the Reserve+ mobile application, directly in the Administrative Services Centers or draft offices.

This bill also stipulates obligation to carry military registration documents at all times, provides for new rules for serving summonses, reservations, restrictions for evaders, and more.

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U.S. Approves $100 Million Equipment Maintenance Support for Ukraine
The U.S. State Department approves $100 million worth of services for sustainment support of various U.S. systems for Ukraine.

According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, under Foreign Military Sales, the services will also include related equipment.

The Agency informed Congress of the possibility of implementing this program on May 16, 2024.

“The Government of Ukraine has requested to buy equipment and services for sustainment support of vehicles and weapon systems,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated.

The request was made under the Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Arrangement (CLSSA) or the Simplified Non-Standard Acquisition Program (SNAP), as well as other related elements of logistics and program support.

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The release also emphasizes that Ukraine has an urgent need to strengthen local sustainment capabilities to maintain high operational rates for U.S.-provided vehicles and weapon systems.

“This sustainment support will directly contribute to Ukraine’s battlefield effectiveness through improved logistics and will contribute to more resilient and rapid repair cycle times,” reads the statement of the Agency.

The principal contractors will be determined from approved vendors.

Currently, the Ukrainian troops are using a wide range of U.S. military equipment and systems.

The United States supplies Ukraine with armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, tanks, engineering vehicles, and air defense systems.

At the same time, military units in Ukraine are trying to restore various systems on their own. Recently, Ukrainian craftsmen demonstrated the process of restoring M777 howitzers.

As previously reported, Rheinmetall recently opened a defense plant in the Romanian city of Mediaș, which will service military vehicles of Ukraine.

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Russian Tank Convoy Blunders into Ukrainian Minefield

During the offensive, the Russians sent their own tank convoy of six vehicles on the Ukrainian minefield.

The video was released by the Russian side.

The footage shows one of the episodes of the offensive, during which the command launched a tank unit into a minefield, without warning them about the threat.

The author of the video with the call sign “Chelyabinsk,” who seems to have coordinated the work of two tank platoons from the command post, sent a convoy along a well-trodden dirt road through the field towards the Ukrainian positions.

However, the invaders had problems with anti-tank mines and the Ukrainian ATGM crew: the roads were densely mined, according to other military officials.

“Kuzya, the driver is 300 [wounded], the triplex is broken,” the invaders were informing “Chelyabinsk”, while reporting about the consequences of blowing up the tank on a mine. In response to this, the commander only ordered them to drive blindly, using cameras.

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� осійська танкова колона на мінному полі [Травень 2024]

“Chelyabinsk” immediately informed the top officer with the call sign “Geyser” about the mines that were not mentioned in the offensive plan, which already caused damage to two Russian tanks. The top officer, in his turm, made it clear that no mines should be there, and the tank unit should continue to move.

Shortly after this dialogue, a third tank that was at the end of the convoy, exploded with detonation of ammunition.

It is not known what caused the next “meat assault” of the Russian invaders. It is possible that the road was secretly mined by the Ukrainian military or that the Russians got the road wrong.

Previously, Militarnyi reported that Ukrainian units of unmanned aircraft complexes used drones for remote mining of tracks behind the rear of the occupiers with TM-62 anti-tank mines.

Multi-rotor drones, able to hang above the desired place and have a large supply of payload, were used for such tasks. Such drones are actively used by Ukrainian companies of strike drones as bombers.

To prevent the mine from exploding when falling and being properly suspended, it is equipped with an electric “smart” detonator. It turns on the ground some time after the reset and runs on a battery for up to 14 days.

Operation with subsequent detonation of the mine can occur in the event of large metal objects or when the mine itself moves. To do this, the detonator has a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a magnetometer.

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Spain supplies Ukraine with second batch of Leopard tanks and 155-mm ammunition
Margarita Robles, Minister of Defence of Spain, announced the delivery of the second batch of Leopard tanks and other military aid to Ukraine on 20 May.

Source: Robles during the 22nd meeting of the Contact Group for Ukraine’s Defence (Ramstein format), as reported by European Pravda

Details: In her speech Robles confirmed Spain’s commitments to "continue to provide the aid Ukraine deserves and needs with utmost urgency" due to the critical situation in the combat zone.

She announced the delivery of the second batch of Leopard tanks to Ukraine which will be conducted at the end of June, as well as of 155-mm artillery ammunition and new batch on anti-aircraft Patriot, anti-drone systems, optical-electronic system etc.

Robles stated that Ukraine would receive a new military aid package within the contribution of the Spanish defence industry.

She added separately that Spain had an intention to sign a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine in the future.

Background: Back in March the media reported that Madrid was preparing a batch with 19 Leopard 2A4 tanks for Kyiv. Robles did not officially disclose neither the quantity nor the type of tanks Ukraine would receive.

At the previous Ramstein meeting Robles announced the supply of supplementary 155 and 120 mm ammunition to Ukraine, a set of long-range anti-aircraft interception missiles for Patriot air defence systems and other armament.

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Lavrov Roars: Peace Isn’t Their Goal
Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s outspoken Foreign Minister, claims that the upcoming major peace conference on Ukraine, set to be held in Switzerland, is not about peace at all.

With dozens of countries set to attend, the conference promises significant diplomatic engagement.

However, China remains unresponsive to the invitation, and Russia was never invited. Countries from South America, Africa, and the Middle East have confirmed their attendance.

“A Waste of Time”
Lavrov didn’t mince words when discussing the conference, labeling it a waste of time.

“We can hardly believe that grown people are engaging in this nonsense. They are wasting their time,” he said, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.

Switzerland, known for its neutrality, has received 50 registrations from individual countries, with about half of them from outside Europe, Swiss President Viola Amherd announced on Wednesday. So far, over 160 delegations have signed up, according to NTB.

“Hostile Steps Against Russia”
Diplomatic sources indicate that the talks in Lucerne will primarily focus on reducing the risks posed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, Lavrov sees a different agenda.

“The goal is not to achieve peace. It is rather to turn as many countries as possible against Russia, ensuring further hostile steps against us. Our partners in the global south understand this,” Lavrov thundered.

He pointed to the presence of American-made, long-range ATACMS missiles in Ukraine as evidence that the West is not interested in serious peace talks.

“They want to settle things on the battlefield. And we are ready for that – always,” Lavrov asserted.

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The announced Marders will be delivered to Ukraine by the end of September

The General Director of the German concern Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, announced that the delivery of the previously declared 40 Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine will take place between May and September this year.

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Germany has so far delivered to Ukraine a total of 100 of the 140 declared Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles, which allowed soldiers to switch from outdated post-Soviet designs to much newer vehicles (although by Western standards they are already a declining type). The information provided by the general director of the Rheinmetall concern means that the deliveries of the remaining 40 vehicles will probably be divided into several installments, the implementation of which will take over 4 months. This is not good news for Ukraine, because it means a delivery rate of 10 vehicles every month, thus only making up for losses. It is not impossible that in the meantime a donation of additional Marder 1A3s to Kiev will be announced, coming from industrial or army reserves. So far, the Ukrainians have lost at least five of these types of vehicles irretrievably (another 6 were abandoned and their fate is unknown).

Marder 1A3 is a modernization of the German Marder 1 infantry fighting vehicle. The variant was developed by Rheinmetall for the needs of the Bundeswehr in the late 1980s. The main armament is a 20 mm Rheinmetall MK20 Rh202 automatic cannon. It was coupled with a 7.62 mm MG3 universal machine gun. The supply of ammunition for the cannon is 202 rounds, and for the machine gun - 5,000. pieces of ammunition. To combat heavily armored targets, the vehicle can be equipped with a MILAN anti-tank guided missile launcher. The gun does not have stabilization, but the vehicle is equipped with a thermal imaging camera.

The armor in this variant has been thickened compared to previous versions. At the front of the hull, it provides protection against fire from 20 mm DM 43 sub-caliber ammunition. The drive unit is the MTU MB 833 Ea-500 engine with a power of 591 HP, which allows the vehicle to accelerate to 65 km/h. Currently, this type of infantry fighting vehicles is used in the armed forces of countries such as Germany, Greece, Chile, Indonesia and Jordan, and recently also Ukraine.

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Dutch Government Sends Advanced YPR Armored Vehicles with RCWS to Ukraine

^{The Dutch YPR-765 IFV with a RCWS, which is being prepared for shipment to Ukraine. May 2024. The Netherlands. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands}

The Dutch government prepared for Ukraine a batch of YPR armored vehicles, which were equipped with remote weapon stations.

The Dutch Defense Ministry said that they are transferring this equipment at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

YPR infantry fighting vehicles are equipped with RCWS remote weapon stations.

They allow the crew to control the weapon from inside the vehicle. YPRs will be able to provide battlefield fire support more effectively.

Remotely controlled weapons provide the shooter with additional safety.

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^{The Dutch YPR-765 IFV with a RCWS, which is being prepared for shipment to Ukraine. May 2024. The Netherlands. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands}

"These types of armored vehicles are very important for Ukraine. They are maneuverable, can move troops quickly, and can be used for reconnaissance, offensive, and defensive purposes," the Dutch Ministry of Defense added.

YRR will arrive in Ukraine in the nearest future. No information is given about the exact numbers and types of weapons by the ministry.

To date, the Netherlands has delivered a total of 207 YRR infantry fighting vehicles of various types.

"The efforts we have made recently will pay off in the coming months. It is extremely important that all countries continue to contribute to collective efforts," the Dutch Ministry of Defense noted.

^{YPR-765 IFV of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, December 2022. Photo credits: ArmyInform}

Recall that the Ukrainian military has been actively using YRR-765 infantry fighting vehicles since 2022. YPR-765 in its basic version, is armed with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun without remote control.

However, in 2023, YPR-765 IFV in the PRI version produced by the Dutch company DAF was spotted in Ukraine.

^{YPR-795 PRI infantry fighting vehicle of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Frame from the Ukrainian Front video}

The PRI (Pantser Rups Infanterie) armored vehicles have an EWS turret with a Swiss Oerlikon KBA B02 25mm gun.

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5 years of Zelenskyy's presidency: Pain points Russia pressing on and risks for Ukraine's government

RBC-Ukraine analyzes what Ukraine faces in the sixth year of Volodymyr Zelenskyy's presidency and how Russia will try to spin the situation soon.

When five years ago, on May 20, 2019, Volodymyr Zelenskyy walked into the Verkhovna Rada for his inauguration and high-fived his supporters gathered outside the parliament, he had a different vision of his five years as president. In addition to the current internal Ukrainian turmoil, his term included the COVID-19 pandemic considered the most difficult challenge for 2020 - and then the full-scale Russian invasion, which made all previous problems seem insignificant.

If the Russian invasion had not happened, Ukraine would now be preparing for the inauguration of a new head of state. But because of the great war, Ukraine is now thinking not about elections, inauguration, or reformatting the parliament, but about the Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region, problems in the energy sector, and, of course, mobilization.

To these objective difficulties are added the ones that have been pulled out of the air. For several months now, Russia has been trying to swing the theme of Zelenskyy's alleged illegitimacy as President after May 20, the end of his five-year term. The day before, in Beijing, Vladimir Putin made it clear in plain text that from now on, Russia would be pushing the illegitimacy theme even more actively.

Ukraine's military and political leadership had long warned that the end of May and June would be difficult for Ukraine, even by its usual standards. The pressure on the frontline and strikes in the energy sector are compounded by the unpopular topic of mobilization through social media and the infection of Ukrainians with the illegitimacy thought virus.

Obviously, according to Russian calculations, all of this together should lead to an explosion of discontent in Ukraine, a change or at least a weakening of the government, and, as a result, defeat at the front.

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Despite many years of attempts, Russians have not learned to understand internal Ukrainian processes. In particular, not every protest against the government, whether on the street or Facebook, necessarily has pro-Russian sympathies. And starting in 2022, it certainly does not. With maniacal persistence, Putin's propaganda, led by Putin himself, has been promoting completely absurd narratives for more than a decade, such as the coup d'etat that the Kremlin claims the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity was. Such messages may have their mobilizing content for the domestic Russian audience, but for the Ukrainian audience, they are completely meaningless. Again, especially from February to February 2022.

On the other hand, internal cataclysms do not necessarily have to be pro-Russian to lead to the collapse of a state - they can be enough in themselves, especially in difficult times of war. The best proof of this is the failure of the Ukrainian liberation struggle a century ago when it was the war between different groups within Ukraine itself that eventually led to Soviet occupation.

Probably not all Ukrainians reflect so deeply. But the understanding that the enemy is in Moscow, not Kyiv, has nevertheless become entrenched in their minds. The Ukrainian people have also changed and matured over the past two-plus years, albeit not as much as many describe on social media.

Speaking to RBC-Ukraine, Oleksii Antypovych, head of the Rating sociological group, confirms that there are no grounds for the Russians to start any serious fire in Ukraine. "All this cannot become a spark for the Russians to provoke any uprisings, re-elections, Maidan, etc. in Ukraine. I see no reason for these factors (offensive, energy, mobilization, so-called illegitimacy - ed.). We can only inflame ourselves with questions of justice, and we have this for everything: mobilization, corruption, and so on. But Ukrainians know very well where they live. Ukrainians will not engage in internal struggle precisely because we have an external aggressor," he says.

Antypovych does not believe in the illegitimacy theme that Russians are pushing. According to him, it doesn't work for anyone in Ukraine and has no prospects. This is because two-thirds of Ukrainians still trust the President, and because the majority does not support holding elections in the current conditions: because of the inability to conduct a normal campaign and voting, millions of voters abroad and hundreds of thousands in the trenches, and the spending of budget money that would be much better spent on the Ukrainian Armed Forces. "There will be much more questions about the legitimacy of such elections than about the legitimacy of the President or the Verkhovna Rada," he summarizes.

Over the five years of the presidency (especially the second half), Zelenskyy has certainly changed. The most obvious changes, of course, are external. Photos of the President from 2019 and 2024 are a popular template for before/after memes.

But much more interesting, of course, are the internal changes. One of Zelenskyy's associates from the beginning of his presidential campaign says that at the beginning of his term, the President's main goal was to understand how everything works, in the middle - to try to do something good, and from February 24, 2022 - to ensure Ukraine's victory through diplomacy and accession to the European Union and NATO.

At the same time, according to the source, Zelenskyy's management style has remained unchanged. "This is the core story: curiosity, 'I'm always right' - but I have to listen to everyone, healthy aggression, humor, jokes, improvisation, drive - all of this remains," he says.

Zelenskyy's future is inextricably linked to how and when the war ends. And it cannot be ruled out that in the end, he will have to make compromises of varying degrees of pain. The President's entourage assures him that if he realizes that the majority of the population more or less accepts this compromise, on the principle that it could be worse, then he will go for a second term. If not, then he won't.

"But now everything is aimed at not losing, and preferably winning," the source says. However, victory, if it comes, is still a long way off in any case.

At his last meeting with journalists, Zelenskyy publicly acknowledged what hundreds and thousands of articles have already been written about: The West is frankly afraid of Russia's defeat in the war, which would have unpredictable consequences.

The situation will not change shortly. Globally, this shaky balance - Ukraine must win, but Russia must not lose - can only be shaken by Donald Trump's victory in the November presidential election in the United States. The consequences of a change of power in the White House will be unpredictable, especially for its possible new owner.

If the United States continues to follow its current course, which is headed by preventing escalation, the war in its current hot phase will continue indefinitely.

And, as a result, Zelenskyy's presidency will last the same amount of time. Unless at some point, in a year or two or three, a real demand for a change of government appears and strengthens in society. Or at least its procedure through elections, which will give Zelenskyy a more than realistic chance of being re-elected.

Until then, Ukrainians will have to continue to endure all the hardships associated with the war. Sociologist Oleksii Antypovych says that his agency has tried in various ways to find out from Ukrainians the limit of their patience. "The majority of Ukrainians are ready to endure as much as it takes for Ukrainian victory. This is the basic answer that does not change," he says.

The Russians will not be able to turn the Ukrainian boat over unless it is done by the Ukrainians themselves.

However, the government should not be complacent about the lack of democratic rotation, which no one is demanding in the current situation. The flip side of wartime is a naturally heightened sense of justice, a demand for honesty and transparency in everything from mobilization to power outages. At the beginning of his sixth year in office, Zelenskyy is not passing this exam with flying colors.

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Tusk: Poland signs contract with European Investment Bank to join Sky Shield Initiative
The Polish government signed a contract with the European Investment Bank (EIB) worth 300 million euros (around $326 million) to construct its part of the pan-European air defense, according to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Tusk said in April that Poland is interested in joining the European Sky Shield Initiative, which currently includes 21 countries. The initiative aims to create an Iron Dome-style air defense system covering several European NATO member states.

On May 20, Tusk announced that "in a few days," he and other European prime ministers would present the project of building an Iron Dome over Europe, adding that "the idea of pan-European air defense" is not a dream, but "a practical plan."

The loan from the EIB will cover the development of the satellite and reconnaissance systems, an essential part of the project, according to the Polish prime minister.

"We will take advantage of these European opportunities because (...) Europe's security depends largely on Poland's security," Tusk said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was the first to propose Iron Dome construction over Europe in August 2022.

The proposal was made amid intensified Russian attacks against Ukraine and increased concerns about European limited capabilities of air defense.

In December 2022, Scholz expressed hope that the initiative would be developed in the next five years.

The European Sky Shield Initiative is expected to use medium-range IRIS-T, long-range Patriot, and exoatmospheric Arrow 3 anti-ballistic systems.

Iron Dome is an air defense system initially designed by Israel. The system can operate under adverse weather conditions and respond to multiple threats simultaneously.

It can also intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells launched from 4 to 70 kilometers (nearly 3 to 44 miles) away.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 00:50 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Wat lullig nou.

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Op maandag 20 mei 2024 23:41 schreef oheng het volgende:
RIA: The government has suspended the ban on gasoline exports untill june 30.
Maar de prijzen zijn gestegen.

Nog meer vreemd economisch nieuws:
RIA: The Bank of Russia launched a campaign to exchange small change for paper money

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The Libyan House of Fatwas declared jihad against the Russian Afrika Korps
The Libyan House of Fatwa issued a fatwa declaring jihad against Russian forces, particularly the Afrika Korps, calling it a religious obligation of the Libyan people, especially the revolutionary brigades. Source: Libya Observer

In a statement, the Shariah and House of Fatwa Research Council expressed concern about Russian intervention in Libya, noting the arrival of Russian military forces and weapons in preparation for the deployment of the so-called "Africa Korps" in Libya and neighboring countries.

The council said Russia's armed presence on Libyan territory constituted an occupation and "an invasion by an aggressive infidel state."

He called on everyone with resources, weapons or authority to support the revolutionary brigades in driving out the occupiers and those who support them. However, he noted that defensive jihad against Russian forces should not lead to the replacement of one occupier with another.

The statement also underlines the position of Western countries, including the United States, regarding the Russian presence and its cooperation with the Libyans in the resistance, considering it deceptive and unreliable.

Many Russian weapons and mercenaries arriving in Libya do not stay put, but are used in Russian Afrika Korps operations in the Sahel and Sudan. The activities of the Afrika Korps are limited to supporting junta regimes in exchange for contracts for the extraction of gold and minerals. The Russian approach does not provide long-term solutions to conflicts in Africa or development assistance, making it less attractive to legitimate African leaders than support from the US and EU.

However, despite the growing Russian military presence in Tobruk, without a large navy and air defense presence, it does not pose a direct threat to NATO - for now.

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Poland arrests nine suspects over alleged Russian sabotage plot
Prime minister Donald Tusk says detained are accused of ‘beatings, arson and attempted arson’

Poland has arrested nine members of an alleged Russian spy ring in connection with alleged sabotage plots, prime minister Donald Tusk said on Monday.

“We currently have nine suspects detained and indicted, who have been directly implicated in the name of Russian (intelligence) services in acts of sabotage in Poland,” Tusk told private broadcaster TVN24.

“These are Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish citizens,” Tusk said, suggesting some may have been recruited from criminal circles.

Those detained are accused of “beatings, arson and attempted arson,” according to Tusk, who said the Russian plots concern not just Poland, but also Lithuania, Latvia and possibly Sweden.

An international investigation is under way, he said.

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Among the examples Tusk cited was an attempt to set fire to a paint factory in Wroclaw, western Poland, as well as to an Ikea centre in Lithuania.

He said a public information campaign on the issue would follow in the days ahead.

Earlier this month, Tusk announced the strengthening of the Polish intelligence services in the wake of Moscow’s destabilising activities, announcing that Poland would assign a further 100m złotys (�20m) to civil and military counter-espionage services.

He also indicated that Warsaw had foiled several acts of sabotage, “thanks to the vigilance of our services and our allies”.

In recent weeks, Warsaw has announced the arrest of a man suspected of helping Russian intelligence prepare a possible attack on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as well as a Belarusian suspected of sponsoring a March attack on Leonid Volkov, a close friend and ally of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in Vilnius.

Warsaw also arrested two Poles who were responsible for that attack.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, Warsaw has been an unconditional supporter of its Ukrainian neighbour and the main transit country for western weapon deliveries.

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Lithuanian border guard to be given heavy weaponry
Lithuanian border guards are to be equipped with heavy weaponry, the country’s interior minister announced on Monday.

Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defense will contribute to equipping the border guard, interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė said as she accompanied the prime minister, Ingrida �imonytė, on a tour of the country’s border posts on Monday.

The interior minister declined to specify what sort of weapons the border guard would receive, but said the move came in response to the war in Ukraine.

The head of the State Border Guard Service explained, however, that they would be primarily anti-personnel weapons.

“The weaponry we plan to acquire in the first phase will not require special training,” Rustamas Liubajevas said. “It will be intended for use against soldiers.” He added that it would also be suitable for use against certain technical equipment.

Prime Minister �imonytė said in a statement issued by her chancellery that the “inflow of illegal migration across the Lithuanian-Belarusian border and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine show that all the means we use to protect the state borders have to be constantly updated and strengthened.”

The prime minister went on to point out that border guards are the first people in any country to “greet those who are not expected.”

Lithuania shares a 650-km border with Belarus.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 03:37 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

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Dat eerste kan ik nog begrijpen. Even snel een slaatje er uit slaan. Maar waarom willen zij al die munten hebben? Gaan ze dat omsmelten ofzo om kogels van te maken? Of hopen ze dat de meeste mensen voor krediet/digitaal geld kiezen.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 05:27 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://ghall.com.ua/2024(...)frikanskomu-korpusu/
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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 09:11 schreef EmptyBox het volgende:
Oekraine legt het al lange tijd keihard af tegen Rusland. En ze vechten ook nogeens met geavanceerde NATO wapens. Wie denkt dat Oekraine deze oorlog nogsteeds kan winnen van Rusland. Zelfs al zouden straks, na de Amerikaanse verkiezingen, NATO troepen onverhuld mee gaan vechten met de oekrainse soldaten tegen Rusland?
Kan oekraine niet beter hun wite vlag hijsen. En smeken om vergiffenis. Hopende dat Pooier-Poetin niet al te hard met zijn pooier-hand zal gaan straffen?

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 09:11 schreef EmptyBox het volgende:

Kan oekraine niet beter hun wite vlag hijsen?

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 09:11 schreef EmptyBox het volgende:
Oekraine legt het al lange tijd keihard af tegen Rusland. En ze vechten ook nogeens met geavanceerde NATO wapens. Wie denkt dat Oekraine deze oorlog nogsteeds kan winnen van Rusland. Zelfs al zouden straks, na de Amerikaanse verkiezingen, NATO troepen onverhuld mee gaan vechten met de oekrainse soldaten tegen Rusland?
Kan oekraine niet beter hun wite vlag hijsen. En smeken om vergiffenis. Hopende dat Pooier-Poetin niet al te hard met zijn pooier-hand zal gaan straffen?

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 09:27 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

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Protip: Het is nog wat vroeg voor wodka.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 09:11 schreef EmptyBox het volgende:
Oekraine legt het al lange tijd keihard af tegen Rusland. En ze vechten ook nogeens met geavanceerde NATO wapens. Wie denkt dat Oekraine deze oorlog nogsteeds kan winnen van Rusland. Zelfs al zouden straks, na de Amerikaanse verkiezingen, NATO troepen onverhuld mee gaan vechten met de oekrainse soldaten tegen Rusland?
Kan oekraine niet beter hun wite vlag hijsen. En smeken om vergiffenis. Hopende dat Pooier-Poetin niet al te hard met zijn pooier-hand zal gaan straffen?

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 09:30 schreef ExTec het volgende:

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Hey, het is ergens na 5en.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 09:31 schreef Jan_Onderwater het volgende:

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Putin troll is gonna troll

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 09:11 schreef EmptyBox het volgende:
Oekraine legt het al lange tijd keihard af tegen Rusland

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 09:11 schreef EmptyBox het volgende:
Oekraine legt het al lange tijd keihard af tegen Rusland. En ze vechten ook nogeens met geavanceerde NATO wapens. Wie denkt dat Oekraine deze oorlog nogsteeds kan winnen van Rusland. Zelfs al zouden straks, na de Amerikaanse verkiezingen, NATO troepen onverhuld mee gaan vechten met de oekrainse soldaten tegen Rusland?
Kan oekraine niet beter hun witte vlag hijsen. En smeken om vergiffenis. Hopende dat Pooier-Poetin niet al te hard met zijn pooier-hand zal gaan straffen?

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 09:51 schreef phpmystyle het volgende:

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Ken de user niet, misschien inderdaad een Poetin adept.

Maar dat Oekrraiene niet meer gaat winnen lijkt mij wel vast te staan.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:00 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Wie gaat er dan winnen? Want Rusland gaat kapot.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:03 schreef phpmystyle het volgende:

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Oorlog is niet een binair spel h�?
Rusland gaat naar het zich laat aanzien de gebieden Krim, Donbas, Luhansk bestendigen en meer grondgebied veroveren. Daarnaast is de EU al aardig ontwapend door alle leveringen.

Voorshands lijkt het mij niet waarschijnlijk dat Rusland heel Oekraiene of de regering zal omverwerpen.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:05 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Ach gut, een procentje BNP hier en daar en de EU is ontwapend?

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:07 schreef phpmystyle het volgende:

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:07 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Diegene die het hardste wapens verliest is Putin, niemand anders.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:09 schreef phpmystyle het volgende:

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Rusland heeft voorraden + productiecapaciteit dat zij zich dat kan veroorloven. Wij moeten uiterst behoedzaam en effici�nt opereren met onze leveringen en inzet.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:11 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Onze economie is oneindig veel groter dan die van Rusland. En oorlog draait om logistiek. En logistiek in het kwadraat is economie. De Eu heeft de oorlog al gewonnen, toen ze Putins energie-chantage-uitdaging aangingen.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:13 schreef phpmystyle het volgende:

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Het gaat om de productie capaciteit en vermogen om wapens te maken.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:07 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Diegene die het hardste wapens verliest is Putin, niemand anders. De EU heeft meer van een leger dan hij.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:15 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Nee, oorlog gaat om economie. De grootste economie wint. En Putin neemt het op tegen Ukraine, de EU en de NATO. De grootste economie�n winnen van Putin.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:15 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:

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Maar de EU vecht niet. Wat we hebben gezien is dat wanneer de militaire hulp een paar maanden stop, Oekra�ene gelijk in de verdrukking zit. Ik verwacht niet dat Rusland hele grote gebieden of af gaat pakken, maar de situatie op het moment is best zorgelijk. Ze zullen heus niet tot Kiev komen, maar tot Kiev is er nog best veel te winnen. Ik zie Oekra�ene sowieso voorlopig geen terein terugwinnen.
En die ineenstorting van Rusland is een fijne gedachte, maar dat is iets voor over 5-10 jaar. Wat er daarna gebeurt moeten we dan zien, maar op dit moment is dat niet iets waar Oekra�ene veel aan heeft.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:17 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:

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Maar hoeveel van de economie�n van EU en Amerika gaat naar de oorlog in Oekra�ene? Als de wapenfabrieken hier nu 24 uur per dag zouden draaien had je een punt, maar dat is nog niet aan de orde.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:17 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:

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Maar hoeveel van de economie�n van EU en Amerika gaat naar de oorlog in Oekra�ene? Als de wapenfabrieken hier nu 24 uur per dag zouden draaien had je een punt, maar dat is nog niet aan de orde.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:18 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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En zelfs dan wint Putin het nog niet. Het verschil in economische kracht is gewoon te groot.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:20 schreef phpmystyle het volgende:

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We zijn al meer dan 2 jaar bezig (of 10 jaar, afhankelijk hoe je rekent) en dat principe klopt gewoon niet.

Het enige wat helpt is gigaproductie door Duitsland, of interne struggles in het Kremlin zoals een coup.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:23 schreef phpmystyle het volgende:
Praat ik hier tegen een AI bot?

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:26 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Probeer eens een discussie met argumenten te voeren. Dan maakt het niet uit tegen wie je discussieert.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:28 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:

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Probeer het zelf eens ipv enkel dezelfde stelling 'EU heeft een grotere economie; Rusland gaat kapot' te herhalen.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:09 schreef phpmystyle het volgende:

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Rusland heeft voorraden + productiecapaciteit dat zij zich dat kan veroorloven. Wij moeten uiterst behoedzaam en effici�nt opereren met onze leveringen en inzet.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 10:00 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
Wie gaat er dan winnen? Want Rusland gaat kapot.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 11:29 schreef ExTec het volgende:
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Dus; in een aantal regio's storten de belastinginkomsten uit bonafide activiteiten in, en gaan de inkomsten uit inkomsten belasting 48% omhoog. Inkomsten verkregen uit meedoen aan de oorlog.

Echte economische groei, giert omlaag, belasting op inkomsten, die mensen dus uit de schatkist krijgen, omhoog.

Geld rondpompen, dus. Inflatie, iemand?

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 11:29 schreef ExTec het volgende:
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Geld rondpompen, dus. Inflatie, iemand?

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 11:29 schreef ExTec het volgende:
[ x ]

Dus; in een aantal regio's storten de belastinginkomsten uit bonafide activiteiten in, en gaan de inkomsten uit inkomsten belasting 48% omhoog. Inkomsten verkregen uit meedoen aan de oorlog.

Echte economische groei, giert omlaag, belasting op inkomsten, die mensen dus uit de schatkist krijgen, omhoog.

Geld rondpompen, dus. Inflatie, iemand?

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 13:04 schreef Idisrom het volgende:
Alleen was de eigen inkomstenbelastingheffing voor bijna alle regio's onvoldoende om zichzelf te kunnen bedruppen en zaten aan het infuus van de centrale overheid om hun regionale tekorten te financieren.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 13:20 schreef ExTec het volgende:

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En zolang dat infuus 'gevoed' wordt met geld voortkomend uit (echte) economische activiteiten is daar niks mis mee. In NL zal de randstad ongetwijfeld ook menig andere provincie overeind houden.

Maar in dit geval gaat dus het aandeel belasting inkomsten uit rendabele economische activiteiten achteruit, en inkomsten vanuit OF de geldpers, OF het sovereign wealth fund omhoog.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 14:17 schreef Digi2 het volgende:

RUSSIA Workforce Shortage Destroying Oil & Gas Industry as Wages Escalate - Russia Ukraine War

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 15:22 schreef over_hedge het volgende:
Geen idee. Want je plaatje werkt niet

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 15:23 schreef XLVNB het volgende:

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I give up

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 16:13 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Meest effectieve manier om die glide bommen te neutraliseren is het voorkomen dat de vliegtuigen kunnen vliegen.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 17:10 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

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Gaan die zo diep dan? Het punt van die glide bommen is juist dat je ze flink van een afstandje kan lanceren buiten het front.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 19:25 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Deze genocidale Russen moeten aangepakt worden.

[ x ]

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Medvedev says Zelensky is 'legitimate military target'
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, told the state-run TASS media outlet on May 20 that President Volodymyr Zelensky is a "legitimate military target."

Medvedev, who previously served as Russia's president from 2008 to 2012, has regularly used bellicose language in an attempt to intimidate the West and Ukraine.

In February, Medvedev threatened that Russia would use nuclear weapons against the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and Ukraine if Moscow lost control of all of the territory of Ukraine it currently occupies.

"(Zelensky) already heads a political regime hostile to Russia, which is waging war on us," Medvedev said.

"And the leaders of countries waging war are always considered a legitimate military target."

Medvedev had previously portrayed himself as a liberal but has become one of Russia's most aggressive pro-war hawks since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. He has increasingly played the role formerly filled by the late politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, famous for his flamboyant and aggressive rhetoric.

Zelensky reportedly avoided several assassination attempts at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) also said earlier in May 2024 that it had uncovered a network of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) agents who were planning to assassinate Zelensky and other high-ranking officials in Ukraine.

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Russian war veteran attacked by neighbor over prosthetic leg noise, hospitalized

A Russian war veteran, celebrated by some as a hero for his role in defending against perceived threats from "NATO," "Banderites" (a derogatory term for Ukrainians), and alleged "biolaboratories," was hospitalized after a confrontation with a neighbor in Vladivostok.

The dispute, which stemmed from noise made by his prosthetic leg, ended in violence.

SPOILER

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Local sources report that the veteran, who lost his right leg and underwent extensive surgery to implant a metal plate in one arm after fighting for what he believed was the "Russian world," faced neglect from the state upon his return. He took up part-time work repairing apartments to make ends meet.

The conflict escalated when the noise from his prosthetic leg allegedly drove the downstairs neighbor to attack him with a stick, breaking his still-healing arm.

“I fell down, and the neighbor started beating me with a stick all over my body, my whole head was covered with bumps,” the veteran recounted.

Now, the veteran, already struggling with his injuries, must undergo another surgery following the assault.

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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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The BTR-50 is a 15-ton, diesel-fueled armored tractor with two crew and space for up to 20 passengers. It usually packs a heavy machine gun.

The Soviet Union developed the BTR-50 in the early 1950s. It entered service in 1954 and, for the next 12 years, was the Soviet army’s main fighting vehicle. BTR-50 crews would haul soldiers into battle, protect them as they dismounted and then support them with its machine gun.

The BTR-50 is lightly-armed and thinly-armored by even 1960s standards, however. When the heavier, and more heavily-armed, BMP-1 debuted in 1966, thousands of BTR-50s cascaded to second-line units. The BTRs hauled artillery, engineers and anti-aircraft guns until MT-LB tractors began displacing the older vehicles from those roles, too.

The present-day Russian military had few uses for a BTR-50 until, around 15 months into the wider war in Ukraine, Russia’s monthly losses of modern armored vehicles exceeded Russia’s monthly generation of reasonably modern replacement vehicles—either through production of brand-new vehicles or the recovery, from long-term storage, of vehicles from the 1980s or later.

The Kremlin began pulling BTR-50s out of open storage in early 2023. It seems Russian commanders initially assigned the vehicles to rear-area support roles and kept them away from the front line. But then, in late 2023, BTR-50s began showing up in Russian assault groups in the east.

Six months later, the Russians have lost in battle at least four BTR-50s that the analysts at Oryx can confirm. One got hit by a Javelin anti-tank missile while attacking Ukrainian lines west of Novomykhailivka on or right before Sunday.

The Ukrainian army’s 79th Air Assault Brigade holds the line in that area—and that brigade’s anti-tank missileers are notoriously bloodthirsty. It’s unsafe to send a modern T-72 tank with hundreds of millimeters of armor against the 79th Air Assault Brigade; it’s suicide to send a BTR-50 with just 10 millimeters of armor.

That BTR-50’s doomed assault is indicative of a wider problem. Tens of billions of dollars worth of fresh military aid the United States and the European Union are on the way to Ukraine. Perhaps hoping to capture additional territory ahead of that aid arriving, the Russians launched a new offensive two weeks ago—rolling south across Ukraine’s northern border with Russia.

This offensive, apparently targeting Kharkiv—Ukraine’s second-biggest city, just 25 miles south of the border—captured a few small border villages before running into a wall of Ukrainian mechanized brigades firing those first consignments of fresh artillery shells coming from the United States.

Sustaining offensives in the north and east in addition to positional fighting in the south has proved difficult for the Kremlin. Big advances in the north would require “a large number of vehicles,” according to Frontelligence Insight. Even as it mobilizes tens of thousands of fresh troops every month, Russia is struggling to equip them with modern vehicles.

A BTR-50 is as old as a combat vehicle gets without coming directly from a museum. And it’s only slightly more protected than a golf cart. When a Ukrainian anti-tank missile team spots a BTR-50 rolling toward it, it’s not just bad news for the crew and occupants of that BTR-50. It’s also bad news for the whole Russian war effort.

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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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Also, at the 22nd meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format on May 20, several states expressed their support for Germany’s initiative to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense, the German Ministry of Defense announced.

According to the report, funding for the initiative is provided by Belgium, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

In addition, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Spain, Lithuania, Romania, the United States, and France have promised to help with “equipment and missiles.” For its part, Latvia has expressed a desire to join the initiative.

The German publication Bild previously reported that the German government is seeking additional funds to increase military support for Ukraine in 2024.

According to Bild, out of the �7.1 billion of aid allocated to Ukraine in 2024, most of it has already been distributed.

Currently, there is a balance of �300 million that will be used to purchase artillery shells and weapons.

As previously reported, Rheinmetall plans to establish another joint venture in Ukraine that will specialize in air defense systems.

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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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Steel cutting for the Rossiya began at the Zvezda shipyard near the far eastern city of Vladivostok in July 2020, but Russian business newspaper Kommersant reported that by March 2023, the construction of its hull had only progressed by 5 percent, or one third of what had been planned by that time.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.

Large steel castings such as rudder horns and propeller shaft brackets had been originally ordered from the Ukrainian company Energomashspetsstal, the outlet reported.

But the production facility's location in the Donetsk city of Kramatorsk, on the front line of Russia's invasion, has added to the ship's problems after it was damaged in 2022 by missiles fired by Russian forces targeting an ammunition depot.

This has forced a move to a domestic supplier that cannot deliver the components before August 2025. The original price tag of 128 billion rubles ($1.4 billion) could increase by between 40 and 60 percent, Kommersant reported.

Known as a Leader-class vessel and part of Moscow's Project 10510 to construct a series of nuclear-powered icebreakers, the Rossiya will be equipped with two RITM-400-type nuclear reactors and have a total capacity of 120 MW, which is twice the power of the currently most powerful icebreakers.

Meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Manturov said on Monday that three nuclear-powered ships Arktika, Sibir and Ural were already operating in the Arctic Ocean and that "we plan to commission the next icebreaker, Yakutia, at the end of this year."

"Three more should replenish the nuclear fleet between 2026 and 2030," he added.

At more than 600 feet long and with the ability to crush through over 12 feet of ice, the Rossiya is central to Putin's plans for Northern Sea Route. The Russian president wants at least 130 million tons of goods to be transported yearly via the Arctic route by 2035.

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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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US sanctions impact Russia’s oil trade
Previously, observers criticized the sanctions on Russian oil for being “inactive.” The Kremlin could easily circumvent them by creating its own shadow fleet, which was the reason. However, sanctions become effective if they impose restrictions on individual Russian vessels.

After the US Treasury imposed sanctions for violating the price limit on Russian oil, 40 oil tankers have been idle at sea for months. This shows that the US is capable of disrupting Russia’s oil supply chain.

Of the 40 vessels, 21 belong to the Russian state-owned shipping company Sovcomflot. Hennesea Holdings Ltd., based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), controls the remaining vessels.

The ships that have been subject to US sanctions are only a small part of Russia’s shadow fleet. Shell companies created the fleet to circumvent G7 restrictions on shipping services.

In 2023, Russia’s oil revenues amounted to 7.03 trillion rubles, according to data from the Russian Ministry of Finance.

In December 2022, the G7 countries and the European Union imposed a price cap on Russian oil. Therefore, they set the price ceiling at $60 per barrel. The G7 states’ move aimed at reducing Russia’s capability to finance its war in Ukraine.

Exclusions from a list
Only the SCF Primorye, which was on the US sanctions list, was able to collect its cargo. In April, the vessel’s violations (transporting Russian oil for more than $75 per barrel) led to its removal from the list. However, the vessel continues to anchor off the coast of Texas.

If the SCF Primorye can unload without any problems, Russia will try to use more vessels for the oil trade.

In the Pacific Ocean, eight Sovcomflot tankers are still near Russian ports. Some of them have been there for more than five months. In addition, there is another cluster of idle Sovcomflot tankers in the Black Sea.

In the Pacific Ocean, eight Sovcomflot tankers are still near Russian ports. Some of them have been there for more than five months.

In addition, there is another group of idle Sovcomflot tankers in the Black Sea.

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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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After the publication of this material, information appeared that Tucker Carlson’s team denied reports about the launch of their own TV show in the Russian Federation.

Dean Thompson, Head of Programming and Production of the Tucker Carlson Network streaming service, announced this.

Earlier, a number of mass media outlets reported that Carlson launched his own show on the Rossiya-24 TV channel and became its host.

As you know, in February, Carlson visited Moscow and interviewed Russian dictator Putin.

Earlier in the broadcasts that Carlson repeatedly sounded narratives of Russian propaganda.

The journalist called Ukraine a tyranny and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “puppet of the Biden administration.”

Back in November 2023, it was reported that Donald Trump said that he would consider Tucker Carlson as a potential vice-president of the United States.

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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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“We are here today because Russia seeks to distract global attention from its development of a new satellite carrying a nuclear device,” deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood told the Security Council before the vote.

He also accused Russia of launching a satellite on Thursday into low Earth orbit that the US “assesses is likely a counterspace weapon presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit.”

“Russia deployed this new counterspace weapon into the same orbit as a US government satellite,” said Wood, adding that the 16 May launch followed Russian satellite launches “likely of counterspace systems to low Earth orbit” in 2019 and 2022.

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia responded: “I didn’t even fully understand what he was talking about.”

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty already bars signatories – including Russia and the United States – from placing “in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction.”

Washington has accused Moscow of developing an anti-satellite nuclear weapon to put in space, an allegation that Russia has denied. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow was against putting nuclear weapons in space.

Nebenzia said the Russian draft resolution covered both weapons of mass destruction and all forms of other weapons and was aimed at stopping an arms race in outer space.

But, when pressed by Nebenzia, Wood took issue with language in the draft seeking “a lengthy binding mechanism that cannot be verified,” saying, “I’ve seen this movie before.”

The Russian draft had language echoing a 2008 proposal by Moscow and Beijing for a treaty banning “any weapons in outer space” and threats “or use of force against outer space objects,” but the diplomatic effort did not find international support.

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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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President Vladimir Putin has said repeatedly that Russia is a world leader in this field of weaponry.

Lawyer Yevgeny Smirnov of Pervy Otdel (First Department), an association that specialises in defending people in cases of treason and espionage, said the charges against the three scientists were approximately the same – leaking information considered a state secret while participating in an international conference or research.

“Any conviction against Maslov is a gross violation of the law,” he told the Reuters news agency.

“I am sure that Maslov is not guilty of the acts accused of him and is a victim of the policies of the Russian authorities.”

Chilling effect
In a rare open letter published last year, colleagues of Maslov, Shiplyuk and Zvegintsev said the men were innocent and the scientific papers they had published or presented to international conferences had been vetted to ensure they did not include restricted information.

They said the cases were having a chilling effect on Russian academia and making it impossible for scientists to do their jobs.

In response, the Kremlin said at the time that the men faced “very serious accusations” and their cases were a matter for the security services.

Russian media cited Maslov’s lawyer as saying that the physicist, in a final address to the court, said he had dedicated his whole life to science and never dreamed of betraying his country.

The defence said Maslov had suffered a heart attack at the start of the year and a long jail term would be tantamount to a death sentence.

‘Exclusively political step’
Last month, Alexander Kuranov, another scientist in the same field, was jailed for seven years. Russian newspaper Kommersant said he had been given a reduced sentence in return for testifying against Maslov.

“It is obvious that the persecution of scientists is an exclusively political step by the Russian authorities, by which they seek to show that intelligence services around the world are trying to steal the secrets of Russian weapons,” said Smirnov of Pervy Otdel.

He said the detained scientists were not working directly on weapons, but were studying physical processes associated with high speeds.

“The essence of the charge is approximately the same for everyone,” Smirnov said, adding that the so-called secrets were actually “openly published and available to anyone”.

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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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^{It is only when the dark has set in that the work of Ukrainian drone unit 'Code 9.2' can begin. Brice Lain�/CNN}

In the silence, Artem says, “you don’t know, will you get hit or not.” He points out the difference with Ukraine’s failed defense last year of Bakhmut, in the eastern Donetsk region – and their work tonight, about four miles from the border. Here the heavy foliage, lack of fixed front lines and proximity to Russia means “reconnaissance groups enter and can get anywhere.” They joke they could wake up to a Russian soldier standing over them.

For Artem though this fight is intensely personal. His parents still live in a partially destroyed village a short drive away. For 18 months he deceived them by saying he was stationed at a peaceful checkpoint, when he was really fighting on the front lines. Now they know he is nearby, and the feeling of fighting for his actual home leaves him feeling unsettled.

“Anxiety,” he says of the main feeling. “My parents are right here so if, God forbid, we fail somehow, if there is a breakthrough… it’s a big responsibility.”

Dark has set in, punctured only by the flashes of artillery strikes and the near-full moon. The team move to work fast. Artem and Andrey race to attach the mines to the drone, using only red lights. Suddenly, a tiny whining noise is audible.

“Run,” says Andrey, and they take cover in a nearby bunker. Spotted once, the trenches could become a target for airstrikes and artillery all night, and there is little chance to escape: they have no vehicle and racing across open ground on foot is perilous too.

A few minutes pass. Flares illuminate an adjacent field. Battles are raging elsewhere too. The team resumes work. Zip ties prime fuses. Masking tape readies explosive. Then again, another drone passes close by, and they race again for shelter.

^{Twilight provides a moment of opportunity for the unit to set up new equipment and unload their Humvee before dark makes these complex tasks impossible. Brice Lain�/CNN}

Interrupted twice, and a little breathless from racing for cover, the team are finally ready to launch.

Back in the bunker, the pilot Sasha can see fields flow below the Vampire on its night vision camera. He points out the border line, and then adds: “Now, we are already in Russia”.

“Did you bring your passport?” quips Artem. “I can go without a visa,” replies Sasha.

Being funny used to be the third team member’s job, before the war dragged Ukrainians of disparate professions into trenches. Andrey was a comic, and briefly worked with Volodymyr Zelensky – long before his days as a politician and Ukrainian president when he was a TV producer and actor – on his comedy show. “Honestly, he had one of the best vibes among the people I met,” he says.

“The strongest energy. It is always interesting with him. We spent a lot of time together, one on one.”

It is a peculiar trait of the Ukrainian force, compared to their enemy: it is unlikely any of Putin’s troops spent time on stage with the Kremlin head cracking jokes before the war.

The drone flies deeper into Russia, and then warning messages ring out loudly in the bunker, on grating repeat, signalling that GPS jammers are at work. Sasha is briefly concerned they may lose the drone. The livestream cuts. He thumbs the controls agitatedly.

But then minutes later, the signal is restored: the drone has flown through the interference, kept on course, and can now continue towards the target. Moments later, two packages drop from its underbelly. The mines sit on the road, and later the next day, the unit says, hit one armored car and a soft skin vehicle.

As the drone approaches, the team have two problems. Firstly, its GPS system appears damaged and it crashes unceremoniously into the field, upside down. Secondly, they think they can see an Russian Orlan that appears to have followed the drone back into Ukraine, perhaps seeking their launch position. The team stay in shelter a few minutes, hoping the threat passes. Shells whistle overhead and crash into nearby fields. They retrieve the drone, but must rely on their spare until dawn, when daylight will give them a chance to assess the damage.

The sorties continue, the team saying they hold the record for the most Vampire flights in one night of 24. But their target now is Russia itself, a powerful symbol of Kyiv’s decision to take the fight back to Moscow, and the new, dangerous escalatory turns this conflict is taking in its third year.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 19:25 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Deze genocidale Russen moeten aangepakt worden.

[ x ]

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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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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 19:35 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Het is ook belangrijk dat we AWACS vliegtuigen leveren aan Oekra�ne samen met de F16's. Duitsland, Frankrijk en GB zouden ze moeten hebben.

Ze hebben een bereik van 500 km.
Door de kromming van de aarde zijn de vliegende radars heel waardevol.

Als de AWACS een Russisch vliegtuig detecteert kan een F16 gescrambled worden. Of misschien een luchtdoelraket vanaf de grond afgevuurd worden.

Laat ze 150 km van het front vliegen.

De Duitsers, Engelsen en Fransen zouden de vliegtuigen zelf kunnen besturen.

Het is ook belangrijk dat ze wat ervaring opdoen.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 22:44 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Uh huh.

[ x ]

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 22:12 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
hebben we zelf al te weinig van, dat zullen ze moeten kopen

Nederland heeft er bv 0

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 21:38 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.reddit.com/r/(...)osition_in_ivanivka/
A Russian films around his position in Ivanivka, Kharkiv sometime in May showing piles of dead Russians left rotting since October 2023

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 12:35 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Ze kunnen altijd nog de basisrente omhoog gooien naar 30%

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The Bank of Russia will consider raising the key rate in June
At a meeting of the board of directors on June 7, the Bank of Russia will consider the issue of increasing the key rate, said Central Bank Deputy Chairman Alexei Zabotkin. According to him, it is necessary to maintain tight monetary policy for a long time.

“I think that the alternative scenario (raising the rate - Kommersant ) will be substantively considered at the June meeting. How significantly the judgment about the likelihood of its implementation will change will be clear based on the results of the discussion,” Mr. Zabotkin said on the sidelines of the conference “GDP Growth and/or Low Inflation?” (quote from Interfax ).

According to him, data received from the regulator’s last board of directors in April indicate the need to maintain a tight credit policy for a long time.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 22:44 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Uh huh.

[ x ]

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 22:44 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Uh huh.

[ x ]

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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.

SPOILER

quote:

A high-ranking American official noted that the United States is taking appropriate steps to counter this. First of all, work is being done to identify these supplies and warn the Chinese side. Blinken noted that during his visit to China, he discussed this with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Washington is also discussing these issues with European countries with which Beijing is targeting trade.

"It is not possible for China, on the one hand, to claim that it is looking for better relations with the countries of Europe, and on the other hand to fuel the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War," said Blinken.

In addition, the chief American diplomat recalled the US sanctions against Chinese companies that violate the embargo regime for Russia.

"We have already introduced sanctions against more than 100 legal entities in China that supplied dual-use products and other things that are on the sanctions lists. We will continue to do so, and we are working on coordinating our efforts with European and other partners," the politician said. .

We will remind that earlier NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that thanks to technological support from China, Russia still has the opportunity to wage war against Ukraine. According to him, the PRC supplies the Russian Federation with electronics and technologies for the production of missiles, drones and other weapons.

quote:

Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 04:05 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
[ x ]

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 00:40 schreef Cilantro het volgende:

[..]
[ afbeelding ]

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 22:12 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
hebben we zelf al te weinig van, dat zullen ze moeten kopen

Nederland heeft er bv 0

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 08:15 schreef polderturk het volgende:

[..]
Finland is NAVO lid.

Estland snel versneld toelaten.

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 22:12 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
hebben we zelf al te weinig van, dat zullen ze moeten kopen

Nederland heeft er bv 0

quote:

Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 08:17 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Estland is een NAVO-lid.

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 10:47 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Een wat duidelijker kaartje, mbt wat de grootheidswaanzinnigen in het kremlin hadden bedacht qua de grenzen even aanpassen.

[ afbeelding ]

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 10:53 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Een kleeeeeeeeeeeeeein beetje meer context:
[ x ]

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 10:47 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Een wat duidelijker kaartje, mbt wat de grootheidswaanzinnigen in het kremlin hadden bedacht qua de grenzen even aanpassen.

[ afbeelding ]

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 12:57 schreef polderturk het volgende:

[..]
Finland en Estland moeten een dam bouwen die dat stukje zee verandert in een meer.

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 13:02 schreef over_hedge het volgende:

[..]
Ja joh maar een dam van 80 km

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 13:18 schreef polderturk het volgende:

[..]
Dan maar een dijk.

De afsluitdijk is 32 km lang.

80 km moet te doen zijn.

Hoe diep het daar is weet ik niet.

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 13:30 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:
Weet niet wat er met twitter aan de hand is, maar onder het tabje 'For you' vandaag niks anders dan Trump- , Rusbots, Vatniks en wappies

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 13:49 schreef Simmertje het volgende:
X en TikTok zijn extreem vervuild met Russische en ultra conservatieve propaganda tegenwoordig. We gaan ooit nog enorm spijt krijgen dat we hier te weinig tegen gedaan hebben.

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

quote:

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.

quote:

Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 13:49 schreef Simmertje het volgende:
X en TikTok zijn extreem vervuild met Russische en ultra conservatieve propaganda tegenwoordig. We gaan ooit nog enorm spijt krijgen dat we hier te weinig tegen gedaan hebben.

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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.

SPOILER

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On the other hand, although the M-46 is an old artillery gun, it is still used in many areas in the world. Even Finland wrote off the last of its own M-46s only in 2019. And it seems that they were handed over to Ukraine, which also received M-46 guns from Croatia. But Russia, which has one of the largest armed forces in the world, prefers to rely on standards that underscore the 152.4mm artillery, so the M-46 has long been relegated to long-term storage sites.

Defense Express reports that Russia had only about 350 M-46 guns before the war in Ukraine. How many of them were taken out of the long-term storage and prepared for service in Ukraine is unknown. But the fact is that the M-46 is now being used in Ukraine (by both sides, of course), despite Russia repeatedly stating that it has no shortage of weapons or ammo.

Analysts believe that Russia may have found shells for these guns in their stockpiles. Or maybe they were provided by North Korea, which has several different types of 130 mm guns.

Analysts at Defense Express believe that Russia decided to pull out their M-46s into the light of day for two reasons – the high losses that they’ve incurred in the war in Ukraine and the range of these weapons. In the ideal case, Russia would like to keep its artillery pieces away from the contact line to avoid Ukrainian kamikaze drones. In addition, Ukraine is so effective at destroying Russian artillery that it may start to run out of guns.

Russia brings many old and unusual weapons to this war in Ukraine. Maybe it is just because they have them. Why write it off and scrap it if it can still be used in Ukraine – that is the simple logic of Russian practicality.

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 17:33 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Vroeger hadden conservatieven een gruwelijke kotshekel aan Russen, waar is het fout gegaan?

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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.

quote:

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.

SPOILER

quote:

Знищення 2С4 «Тюльпан» на Харківщині

It is reported that since the beginning of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, the Russians have lost about 46 2S4 self-propelled mortars.

2S4 Tyulpan
2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled mortar is designed to destroy fortifications, manpower, and enemy equipment with conventional and special (nuclear) munitions.

The 240 mm mortar is mounted by a base plate frame to the beams on the upper aft sheet of the 2C4 tracked chassis.

The 2C4’s undercarriage is a modified SPTP SU-100P chassis and consists of six pairs of rubber support and four pairs of support rollers. There are guide wheels in the rear of the machine and drive wheels in the front.

A hydraulic system is used for rough guidance in the vertical plane (sighting) and loading the mortar.

The main ammunition of the 2B8 mortar includes a high-explosive 53-F-864 mortar projectile with a maximum firing range of 9.65 km, as well as a 3F2 projectile with a maximum firing range of 19.69 km.

In the Russian-Ukrainian war, the invaders apply these systems mainly to destroy the most fortified fortifications.

The Russian invaders also apply 3F5 high-precision mortar rounds from the 1K113 system for use with 2S4 Tyulpan mortars.

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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.

SPOILER

quote:

The move comes a month after the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) lifted sanctions on Fridman and his fellow Alfa Group co-founder Petr Aven, after finding that they had been imposed despite insufficient evidence being produced to support the assertion that they were supporters of Moscow’s policies in Ukraine.

However, as the sanctions Fridman and Aven originally appealed to the CJEU against expired during the court case and were superseded by new ones, the pair remain under sanction and must now relaunch their legal challenge against the newer measures.

Fridman and Aven, both of whom have left the Alfa Group board of directors and have lived abroad since March 2022, have long denied claims that they are close to Vladimir Putin.

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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.

SPOILER

quote:

^{Russian or pro-Russian troops drive a tank along a street past a destroyed residential building in the town of Popasna in the Luhansk region on May 26, 2022.}

Numerous young men interviewed by RFE/RL's Donbas.Realities in the Luhansk region, almost all of which is under Russian control, said universities and institutes have become prime recruiting sites for Russian forces.

Serhiy, a 20-year-old student at an institute in the city of Luhansk, said recruitment posters for contract service in Russia's armed forces are now "the norm" and appear on walls alongside class schedules.

"We used to joke that it looked like a way of motivating us, like, 'If you don't study, you'll join the army," said Serhiy, who, like all interviewees, asked that only his first name be used for fear of repercussions.

'Soviet Standards'
Recruitment flyers target job-hungry students with promises of free housing, medical care, and at least a month of paid vacation each year. Pay varies according to rank and activities, with a sign-on bonus of 195,000 rubles ($2,150).

To make the pitch for contracts, Russian military officers "specially" positioned near one Luhansk institute approach students after breaks or classes and ask for a cigarette or a light, said Anton, who studies there.

The officers "tell you what a great future you'll have if you go fight" and assert that the Russian Army's contract troops are "treated with respect, valued, and protected," Anton said.

In a social media post on April 10, Britain's Defense Ministry said the Russian military "seeks to recruit 400,000 contract soldiers in 2024." The Russian Defense Ministry claimed in early April that more than 100,000 men already had signed contracts so far this year.

Official figures are not available for how many men in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine have responded to this recruitment campaign.

In January, the Russian government made it easier for men to join up by reducing the obligatory two-part medical exam to a single examination at the recruit's local military headquarters.

Ihor, a Luhansk region conscript who is currently at a regional training camp, said Russian Army officials follow "Soviet standards" and fixate on meeting their quotas without bothering about health exams.

"You come and say: 'I want a contract,'" Ihor said, citing relatives' experiences. "They don't even check you. They just ask: 'So, should I write down that you're healthy?'"

^{A conscript undergoes a medical examination at a recruitment center before departing for military service with the Russian Army in Kaliningrad, Russia, in 2021.}

One mother in Luhansk, Anastasia, claimed the "hunt" for young men who will sign a contract with the military starts with high school students aged 16-17. Holders of Russian "internal passports" are eligible for contracts once they turn 18 and graduate from high school. Registering for military service is obligatory from the age of 17.

In recent months, Anastasia said, her son's school has reminded students constantly about that deadline. To encourage them, she added, the school often holds meetings with so-called war heroes who tell students "how important and prestigious it is to defend the homeland from Nazis" -- a reference to Putin's false claims about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's government.

Anastasia described the meetings as a pressure-free, "normal conversation," but her son, she noted, said the discussion also includes "alarming" questions about whether "you shoot well."

Empty Promises
But if the pitches and posters don't work, Russian officials use other tactics as well to increase the number of male students who sign contracts to fight, interviewed students said.

Under Russian law, illegally imposed on occupied areas of Ukraine, attending an institution of higher learning allows men between the ages of 18 to 30 to postpone their mandatory year of military service. But this is no guarantee of safety.

Students "can simply be 'failed' at the end of a semester because security officials came to the university and explained that they need new volunteers," said Anton.

Serhiy told RFE/RL that the Russian Army conscripted several of his classmates who did not pass their winter semester classes and sent them for training in Russia's Belgorod region, which borders the Luhansk region.

"They are digging trenches there" but "no one is teaching the boys how to fight and survive," he said. "You stand and dig."

His former classmates fear they'll be sent to the front, Serhiy added. Though the Russian Defense Ministry claims conscripts are not fighting in Ukraine, Luhansk residents indicate otherwise.

Anton said his older brother, conscripted in 2023, was promised a year of training but was sent to the administrative border of Ukraine's Luhansk and Kharkiv regions "within a few months."

^{The aftermath of recent shelling in the Luhansk region}

"Daily shelling and constant fighting are what taught him to fight -- not conscription," Anton commented.

Kyiv has urged Ukrainians from Russian-occupied territories who are fighting for Russia to surrender "at the first opportunity."

Ihor said five to seven students in his training cohort also do not want to fight against Ukraine but believe that, after their military service, they will not immediately be called to fight in the war.

He doubts that: Russian officers have told him he could be summoned "at any moment" once his conscription is complete, he said. "After your military service, you're still a hostage."

Contracts don't necessarily provide better protection for inexperienced soldiers.

Anastasia said the son of poor neighbors of her relatives signed a contract when he turned 18 because he wanted to be "self-sufficient and independent."

"His parents did not refuse," she said. "They buried him within a few months."

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 18:50 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://united24media.com(...)vernment-website-436
[..]
Aaaah, dit had nooit bekend gemaakt moeten worden voordat de grens verlegt was natuurlijk. Net zoals met het verleggen van de grenzen in Oekra�ne. Eerst moeten hun oorlogsschepen daar ingezet worden en tot dan blijven zij ontkennen.

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 19:24 schreef Cilantro het volgende:

[..]
Iedergeval genoeg redenen om daar een Navo carrier battle group te stationeren.

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 17:46 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.technology.or(...)ery-against-ukraine/
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

SPOILER

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Op dinsdag 21 mei 2024 22:42 schreef TLC het volgende:
Grote brand in winkelcentrum Warschau was het werk van rusland

https://nos.nl/artikel/25(...)abotage-voor-rusland

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 21:24 schreef Hyperdude het volgende:
Geloof weinig van die boogschutters. Als je al zoiets zou overwegen, pakt toch iedereen met een beetje verstand een kruisboog?

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 22:55 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Hopen dat dit genoeg momentum krijgt en houd.

[ x ]

quote:

Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 21:24 schreef Hyperdude het volgende:
Geloof weinig van die boogschutters. Als je al zoiets zou overwegen, pakt toch iedereen met een beetje verstand een kruisboog?

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 23:10 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Fun fact: Micheal McCaul is een republikein uit Texas.

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 19:36 schreef TheoddDutchGuy het volgende:

[..]
Ze verliezen ongeveer 10 artillerie stukken per dag.
Dat kunnen ze niet bijhouden qua productie.

Ze moeten dus diversificeren.
Qua tank productie zouden ze zogenaamd 1500 tanks per jaar kunnen produceren, maar gezien tanks nog maar half een rol spelen door alle drone ontwikkelingen, is artillerie stukken belangrijker.

Dit zie je aan beide kanten trouwens.

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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.

SPOILER

quote:

^{Marines during a training exercise to land on an unprepared coast. Photo credits: Ukrainian Navy}

First of all, the boat crews practiced landing marine groups, crossing the sea, maneuvering, building combat formations, and landing marines on an unequipped coast.

Such exercises are held to sharpen the skills of personnel, as well as to train for landings on the coast captured by the enemy.

“We’re aiming for seamless coordination among the boat crews, regardless of weather conditions or enemy presence. In combat scenarios, the group needs to function as a cohesive unit,” explained Volodymyr, the commander of one of the landing craft.

The Uisko-class landing craft were donated by the Finnish government as part of a military aid package for Ukraine.

^{Marines landing from a Uisko-class landing craft on an unprepared coastline. Photo credits: Ukrainian Navy}

It should be noted that the Finnish government has not officially announced the transfer of boats of this class.

This became known during a speech by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in March 2023. He said that he had authorized the transit of Finnish boats to Ukraine through his country.

Militarnyi previously reported that the Netherlands will provide Ukraine with high-speed inflatable and armored boats in patrol and combat versions.

The Dutch Defense Ministry detailed that Ukraine will receive fourteen rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs), five militarized river patrol boats, and three CB90 combat boats.

quote:

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.

quote:

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.

SPOILER

quote:

Mishustin, a loyal Kremlin technocrat who usually flies under the radar, was reappointed this month as President Vladimir Putin’s head of government while the Kremlin boss shuffled other top jobs.

China has continued to be a key ally to Russia and proved vital to its economy in the face of Western sanctions leveled after Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's automotive industry was hit hard by Western sanctions and the departure of many foreign automakers. In the aftermath, Chinese carmakers have in large part helped to keep the sector viable.

However, Chinese car sales appear to have peaked as Russia pushes for domestic production to recover.

That includes the revival of Soviet-era Volga cars — a production project that will exceed 60 billion rubles (around �600 million) and is expected to launch in 2024, according to Russian news agency TASS.

Putin had previously called for Russian officials to only drive domestically-produced vehicles.

"Ministries, agencies, and the administration of affairs have asked to continue [purchases], to emphasize, in fact, foreign-made cars, to continue this practise," he said last summer. "I said that this should be absolutely excluded and all officials of the country should drive domestic cars."

quote:

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.

quote:

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.

quote:

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.

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Op woensdag 22 mei 2024 23:15 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Shhhhht. Reps bad, Dems good, remember.

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Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 07:01 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

Update from Ukraine | ATACMS comes on the Ruzzian territory | Ukraine Will strike Ruzzian Bases

....knip....

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Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 10:21 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:
Vuile smerige teringlijers

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Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 10:28 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Misschien erkennen Spanje, Ierland en Noorwegen de Russische claim hierdoor wel.

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 10:19 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Ah, ze doen weer een Bucha.

[ x ]

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Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 11:08 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:
Ik had een tante die Ria heette 😱

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 10:28 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Misschien erkennen Spanje, Ierland en Noorwegen de Russische claim hierdoor wel.

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 17:15 schreef Aether het volgende:
Russia says it will strike British targets if UK weapons are used to hit its territory
https://www.reuters.com/w(...)-hit-its-2024-05-23/

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 17:23 schreef over_hedge het volgende:

[..]
Zou ze dit zelf geloven?

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 10:19 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Ah, ze doen weer een Bucha.

[ x ]

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 17:15 schreef Aether het volgende:
Russia says it will strike British targets if UK weapons are used to hit its territory
https://www.reuters.com/w(...)-hit-its-2024-05-23/

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 19:22 schreef TwenteFC het volgende:

[..]
Het Rusland dat Oekra�ne bestookt met wapens uit o.a. Iran en Noord-Korea terwijl het de grens over crost met Chinese golfkarretjes ziet gebruik van externe wapens op ander mans grondgebied als rode lijn

Hebben we het nog niet over de Cubanen, Afrikanen en Chinezen die ze in hun leger recruiteren.

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 19:25 schreef 3rr0r het volgende:

[..]
Chinezen ook ja? Of bedoel je Nepal?

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 19:58 schreef oheng het volgende:
Ik durf het bijna niet te zeggen, maar er is w��r een generaal gearresteerd.

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 20:07 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Het lijkt mij dat de rest van die corrupte zooi daar nu steeds zenuwachtiger aan het worden zijn. Bang dat zij de volgenden zijn die gearresteerd worden of erger. Als Putin zo door blijft gaan kunnen er rare dingen gaan gebeuren. Zelfs een moordaanslag op hem zal dan niet uitgesloten zijn.

quote:

Poland discusses possibility of shooting down Russian missiles, no decisions yet - FM
From a technical and legal point of view, Poland is considering the possible involvement of its air defence systems in shooting down Russian missiles near the country's borders, but no decisions have been made in this regard.
This was stated by Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski in a commentary to Ukrinform, commenting on the words of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba about the possibility of using Polish air defence systems to shoot down Russian missiles over the territory of Ukraine.

"This issue is being considered from a legal and technical point of view, but there are no decisions in this matter," Vronsky said, adding that the Ukrainian side had approached the Polish side with this kind of initiative.

He said that talks on this issue in Poland arose after a Russian missile violated the country's airspace in March this year, staying in it for 39 seconds. According to him, the discussions revolve around whether Polish air defence systems could shoot down such missiles over the territory of Ukraine and what the legal consequences of such a step could be.

SPOILER

quote:

The Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson noted that international law experts should give their assessment of what legal consequences this step might have, as these are missiles with warheads weighing hundreds of kilograms, and they can cause significant damage on the ground when they fall. In addition, technical experts must give their assessment and agree on the conditions under which these missiles can be shot down.

At the same time, the Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson stressed that there is no question of physically transferring elements of the Polish air defence system to Ukraine.

"There is no discussion of this in Poland at all. There is no possibility of the Polish air defence system being outside the country's borders," Wronski said.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that some of Ukraine's neighbours, including Poland, could shoot down Russian missiles in western Ukraine, including from their own aircraft.

In turn, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday that Kyiv's allies have every right to shoot down Russian missiles flying over Ukraine from their territory.

Former Polish Minister of National Defence and security expert Janusz Onyshkiewicz recently told the agency that Poland, together with its NATO allies, could shoot down Russian missiles flying in the direction of Ukraine. However, this requires political decisions at the level of NATO and Ukraine and access to full information on the situation in Ukraine's airspace.

Over the past few months, Polish and allied military aircraft have been flying in Poland on numerous occasions, including two pairs of Polish and American F-16 fighter jets patrolling the airspace of eastern Poland in response to Russia's massive missile attack on Ukrainian territory.

On 29 December, during the largest missile attack on Ukraine in 2023, a Russian missile violated Polish airspace. The missile stayed in Polish airspace for about three minutes and flew almost 40 km inland. At the same time, two pairs of F-16 fighter jets were also flying in Poland.

On the night of 24 March, Russian troops launched another massive attack on Ukraine. During this attack, a Russian missile violated Polish airspace near the town of Ocerd�w in the Lubelskie Voivodeship and stayed there for 39 seconds.

quote:

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.

quote:

De lidstaten van de Europese Unie onderhandelen over een nieuw sanctiepakket tegen Rusland. De belangrijkste maatregel is gericht tegen de overslag van Russisch vloeibaar gas (lng). De doorvoer van dit gas via Europa naar derde landen moet verboden worden. Net als bijdragen aan de ontwikkeling van nieuwe lng-projecten in Rusland.

https://nos.nl/l/2521625

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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.

quote:

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.

SPOILER

quote:

The availability of aircraft with this type of weaponry should theoretically provide the enemy with better capabilities to shoot down Ukrainian Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles.

In addition, unlike MiG-31 interceptors, Su-30 fighters are more common in the Russian Air Force and naval aviation, which, together with the integration of long-range missiles, could expand the ability to intercept air targets.

The R-37M missile has a maximum declared range of 300 km and a built-in radio adjustment system.

^{Test launch of a R-37M long-range air-to-air missile from a Su-35S fighter jet. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation}

When Su-30SM2 aircraft use these missiles, the aircraft doesn’t need to continue to provide correction with its own radar after launch. These tasks can be performed by the modernized A-50U.

The use of this type of missile is not currently limited to MiG-31 interceptors but is integrated into Su-35S and Su-30SM2 fighter jets.

Militarnyi previously reported that in early May 2024, the Russian Aerospace Forces received another batch of new Su-35S fighters.

The aircraft were transferred at the factory airfield in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, which is part of the United Aircraft Corporation.

quote:

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.

SPOILER

quote:

Знищення � ЛС "Зоопарк-1" [Травень 2024]

It was possible to geolocate the site of the Russian counter-battery radar system (here) in the southwest of the village of Vidrodzhennia in the Donetsk region.

The Russian Zoopark-1 radar station was located 16 kilometers from the contact line and was looking for working Ukrainian artillery to further target it.

^{Site of defeat of Russian Zoopark-1 counter-battery radar system}

Radar stations of this class are a valuable and limited resource in the armed forces of the Russian invaders. The loss of one of them should simplify the work of Ukrainian artillery in this sector.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the Oryx project has reliably documented the loss of 16 Zoopark-1 radar stations of various modifications.

Zoopark-1 counter-battery radar
1L219M Zoopark-1 is a Russian reconnaissance and fire control radar. It is designed for reconnaissance and fire detection of ground artillery systems, such as tubed artillery and MLRS.

The radar determines the positions of the enemy artillery, as well as detects the trajectory of the flight of various ammunition during firing. The radar can also be used to adjust their own artillery fire.

The radar is mounted on the chassis of the MT-LB multi-purpose tracked platform. It is a system with a mobile passive electronically scanned array radar that is capable of detecting up to 70 positions per minute and simultaneously tracking up to 4 targets.

^{Russian Zoopark-1 counter-battery radar. Photo from open sources}

According to the manufacturer, the counter-battery radar can detect the positions of 120mm mortars at a distance of 17 kilometers, 105mm and 155mm howitzers – up to 12 kilometers, and the fire of multiple launch rocket systems such as BM-21 Grad and BM-27 Uragan – at a distance of 40-45 kilometers.

quote:

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)}

quote:

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.

quote:

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.

quote:

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.

SPOILER

quote:

Investigators found that the two paramilitary organizations violated the constitution’s prohibition of actions “against the sovereignty [and] territorial integrity of the country and the unity of the nation” and its prohibition of inciting hatred and creating "secret or paramilitary structures."

The Varna district prosecutor's office said members of both groups had made organized visits to the border with Turkey aimed at "catching illegal migrants."

In addition, the leaders of the two associations have maintained contacts with representatives of German political factions, including people known for their far-right beliefs, the investigators said.

The groups describe their activities as patriotic.

The leader and spokesman for the organizations, a man who introduces himself as Vladimir Rusev, has spread conspiracy theories against NATO and the European Union on social media for years. Rusev, who has gained fame in the past with the nickname Walter Kalashnikov, opposes COVID-19 vaccination, linking it to disinformation that circulated on social media during the pandemic.

Questions about the organizations were raised last year by investigative journalist Hristo Grozev, who reported that they were linked to a 2016 attempt by Russia to destabilize Bulgaria using a model deployed in Montenegro the same year.

Grozev’s investigation looked into a protest in Sofia in April 2016 organized by BNO Shipka and the Vasil Levski Military Union in front of the National Assembly. Many of the activists of the paramilitary organizations were preemptively detained before the protest.

A few months later members of the organizations beat protesters who demonstrated against the visit of the pro-Russian biker Night Wolves club to the Black Sea port city of Burgas. The Burgas district court in April 2019 convicted three people in the case.

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 18:39 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Da's vast goed voor het investeringsklimaat.

quote:

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.

SPOILER

quote:

Elsewhere in Europe, three arrests in Poland were announced this week, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk saying that the country’s security services had caught suspected saboteurs whom they believed were directed by Russia’s intelligence agencies.

The three arrests add to the nine detentions of suspected members of a Russian espionage ring last year, which Polish authorities believed was also preparing acts of sabotage. The arrests in Poland have included two men suspected of hacking the national railway’s communications network, and a professional ice hockey player who is accused of conducting espionage for Moscow.

The uptick in arrests and warnings follows NATO and the European Union condemning “intensifying” Russian sabotage and hybrid operations earlier this month.

The North Atlantic Council, NATO’s political executive, announced that allies were “deeply concerned about recent malign activities on Allied territory, including those resulting in the investigation and charging of multiple individuals in connection with hostile state activity.”

The European Council, the EU’s political executive, subsequently alleged that a cyber campaign attributed to Russia’s military intelligence service showed “Russia’s continuous pattern of irresponsible behavior in cyberspace, by targeting democratic institutions, government entities and critical infrastructure providers across the European Union and beyond.”

Amid these concerns, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported that explosives were discovered buried near an oil pipeline in Germany this week.

The concerns about Russia’s sabotage operations extend well beyond the Kremlin’s neighbors.

In the U.K., two British nationals have been arrested within the past few weeks on suspicion of an arson attack against a Ukrainian-owned business in London, allegedly directed by the Kremlin. Separately, the U.K. has charged six Bulgarian nationals suspected of spying under the direction of the Russian state.

The British government cited the spying case when it announced earlier this month what it called a “major package of measures to target and dismantle Russian intelligence gathering operations” in the country, including removing the diplomatic premises status of an estate in the country allegedly used by Russian intelligence officers to meet agents.

Anne Keast-Butler, the head of the cyber and signals intelligence agency GCHQ, said earlier this month that British officials were “increasingly concerned about growing links between the Russian intelligence services and proxy groups to conduct cyberattacks,” warning that the Kremlin’s partnership with criminal groups was also contributing to “suspected physical surveillance and sabotage operations.”

quote:

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.

Stay updated with the latest news by following us on X (Twitter)

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.

quote:

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.

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 22:08 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Oekra�ne heeft alweer een S-400 luchtafweer systeem opgeblazen met een ATACMS raket.

Dat gaat de goede kant op.

Als het zo doorgaat zullen de F16's weinig tegenstand krijgen.


[ x ]

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 22:13 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Wordt toch wel echt tijd hoor dat Oekra�ne gaat winnen aan de X posts te zien. Maar het zit er nog niet echt in.

quote:

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.”

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 22:17 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Als je die troep mag geloven is het een wonder dat ze nog niet in Moskou staan.

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 22:13 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Wordt toch wel echt tijd hoor dat Oekra�ne gaat winnen aan de X posts te zien. Maar het zit er nog niet echt in.

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 22:13 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Wordt toch wel echt tijd hoor dat Oekra�ne gaat winnen aan de X posts te zien. Maar het zit er nog niet echt in.

quote:

NATO to fund equipment for five rehabilitation hospitals in Ukraine

Five rehabilitation hospitals are to be equipped in Ukraine with the financial support of the North Atlantic Alliance.

Natalia Kalmykova, Deputy Minister of Defense, announced this during a roundtable discussion titled “Successes and Challenges of Rehabilitation of Military in Ukraine – Search for Solutions.”

“Under the Recovery program, we plan to finance and provide the necessary equipment to 5 rehabilitation hospitals of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. Repair works are already underway at one of the hospitals in the Kyiv region,” Kalmykova said.

Kalmykova also said that two more hospitals in Kyiv and Vinnytsia regions are currently being repaired with donor funds.

SPOILER

quote:

In addition, a unified information system is currently being developed between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Health.

“For each of our defenders would enter our Ministry of Defense system with information from civilian life. And come back to civilian life with a full package of information. So that doctors could have a base for further work. They would understand what is needed and what has already been done,” Kalmykova added.

Development of infrastructure for rehabilitation
In May, it was reported that a modern gym with rehabilitation equipment for military personnel and veterans was opened within the Kyiv Military Hub space, where they can exercise for free.

The gym is equipped with modern rehabilitation simulators used to train military personnel with amputated limbs and people who use wheelchairs.

In the gym, there is an opportunity to work out independently or with a rehabilitation therapist.

In March, Militarnyi reported that the Foundation of the American philanthropist Dell Loy Hansen and the Kyiv Regional Military Administration began collaboration on developing the concept of a modern rehabilitation center for Ukrainian military personnel and civilians.

This modern center will meet both the physical and psychological needs of military personnel and civilians.

The Kyiv Regional Military Administration explained that the project requires considerable investment, so its implementation requires the involvement of a range of philanthropists, and governmental and non-governmental organizations.

quote:

Explosieven gevonden vlak bij NAVO-pijpleiding in Duitsland
In Duitsland hebben bouwvakkers bij werkzaamheden vlak bij een NAVO-pijpleiding explosieven in de grond gevonden. Dat meldt de S�ddeutsche Zeitung. Het is niet duidelijk wie die explosieven daar heeft geplaatst, maar inlichtingendiensten wijzen er al langer op dat Rusland bereid is om dergelijke infrastructuur van bondgenoten van Oekra�ne te saboteren.

De explosieven werden gevonden in Bellheim, in de deelstaat Rijnland-Palts, tussen Mainz en Stuttgart. Onder die plaats loopt een pijpleiding waar kerosine doorheen stroomt. Die leiding is onderdeel van een netwerk van pijpleidingen van de NAVO, waarmee luchtmachtbases van brandstof worden voorzien. Ook de leidingen in Nederland, waar onder meer Schiphol op is aangesloten, zijn onderdeel van dit NAVO-netwerk.

Volgens de S�ddeutsche Zeitung deden bouwvakkers de ontdekking afgelopen november in het bos bij Bellheim. Tijdens het renoveren van een hoogspanningsmast stuitten ze op enkele honderden grammen aan explosieven met ontstekers en twee handgranaten. De spullen lagen een halve meter onder de grond begraven, op een paar honderd meter afstand van de pijpleiding, netjes verpakt in plastic folie.

Recent geplaatst

De krant schrijft dat de vondst de Duitse veiligheidsdienst heeft gealarmeerd. Eerder werden wel vaker explosieven gevonden, die in de vorige eeuw door de links-extremistische terreurbeweging Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF) in de grond waren verstopt.

Maar de vondst in Bellheim van eind vorig jaar kan volgens de veiligheidsdiensten onmogelijk uit de jaren komen dat de RAF actief was. Geschat wordt dat de opgeslagen explosieven in Bellheim daar pas twaalf tot achttien maanden geleden zijn geplaatst.

Door wie is niet duidelijk. Het Duitse Openbaar Ministerie zegt tegen de krant dat onderzoek niet tot een verdachte heeft geleid. Veiligheidsdiensten wijzen er echter al langer op dat Rusland niet terugdeinst voor aanvallen met zulke explosieven en andere sabotageacties. Incidenten rond faciliteiten die kunnen worden toegeschreven aan de zogenaamde kritieke infrastructuur van Duitsland nemen toe.

Hybride oorlogsvoering

De geheime dienst vermoedt bij deze incidenten steeds vaker een link met Rusland vanwege de oorlog in Oekra�ne. Duitsland is een belangrijke bondgenoot van Oekra�ne door het leveren van wapens en tanks. Het risico dat Rusland terug wil slaan wordt groter, waarschuwen veiligheidsdiensten.

"We moeten ervan uitgaan dat Moskou de komende weken en maanden het volledige scala aan hybride oorlogsvoering tegen ons zal gebruiken, inclusief sabotagedaden", zegt een officier van de Duitse geheime dienst tegen de S�ddeutsche Zeitung. De oorlog in Oekra�ne is "hier allang aangekomen".

Onlangs nog werden in Beieren twee vermoedelijke Russische spionnen gearresteerd omdat ze een militair oefenterrein van de NAVO zouden hebben bespioneerd waar Oekra�ense militairen werden getraind.

Ook de Nederlandse veiligheidsdiensten waarschuwen al langer voor Rusland. Nederland is een aantrekkelijk doelwit voor bijvoorbeeld cyberaanvallen omdat het de thuisbasis is van veel internationale organisaties, zoals het Internationaal Strafhof in Den Haag.

quote:

A man too much like Prigozhin has been spotted in Africa

Suspiciously similar to the deceased Prigozhin man spotted in Africa. The video was published by the PMC “Wagner” itself.

An unknown man with characteristic behavior, gesticulation, gait and general appearance resembles Yevgeny Prigozhin.

“Wagner Group” is still operating and is actively recruiting volunteers for the “distant direction”. Meaning Africa.

SPOILER

quote:

A video has appeared on the network, which allegedly shows footage of a meeting between representatives of the authorities of Chad and the CAR in the Republic of Chad on May 22.

It is claimed that thanks to “Russian specialists from the Wagner Group,” an agreement was reached to open a crossing point near the town of Moyenne Sido.

This crossing point will be designed for the free movement of people and goods.

A version appeared on the network that the video features the deceased head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The footage was initially posted with his face plastered over. Whether this is true, remains only a guess.

Earlier, it was reported that the murder of Yevgeny Prigozhin was organized by Secretary of the Russian Security Council Patrushev.

Russian President Vladimir Putin knew about it and supported the idea to eliminate the head of PMC Wagner.

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 22:34 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:
Was al gepost zie ik nu
[..]

quote:

Ukrainian troops destroyed the Russian invaders with tanks near Bilohorivka

The defenders of Bilohorivka neutralized a group of Russian soldiers and destroyed several tanks.

Ukrainian paratroopers from the 81st Airmobile Brigade conducted combat operations.

Various types of drones were used to destroy tanks.

The Russian T-64BV tank was destroyed with the help of FPV drones equipped with armor-piercing ammunition.

SPOILER

quote:

Before storming the Ukrainian positions, the Russian invaders equipped the tank with protective grilles intended to stop FPV drones.

Біля Білогорівки ЗСУ знищили окупантів з танками [Травень 2024]

The second T-72B3 tank, also equipped with anti-drone grilles, was first hit and then destroyed by a conventional grenade dropped from a drone into the hatch.

The grenade detonated the tank’s ammunition, which immediately exploded and completely burned the tank.

The Ukrainian military also neutralized Russian soldiers by dropping explosives from drones.

Oleksandr, a soldier of the 81st Airmobile Brigade, shared that the brigade is currently on the defensive. The Russian army is actively attacking, recently starting to attack at dawn.

“The time of the assaults has changed. They start at 3 a.m. and can last all day with several attempts. The daylight hours have become longer. In the morning, there is a lot of fog, so it is effective to try to storm. But all attempts failed,” the paratrooper reported.

The Russian army changed its tactics several times in May in an attempt to achieve success near Bilohorivka.

“The tactics changed three times this month. They started with shelling with cassettes, and then in the evening, there was a convoy of 8-10 golf carts trying to get to the positions. The next attempt to storm was with heavy equipment. Then, they tried to get there on motorcycles. The last assault was a massive MLRS attack, followed by vehicles, then infantry as support for the assault groups that have moved forward and are starting to attack our positions in small groups,” the military added.

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 22:40 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://ua-stena.info/en/(...)s-spotted-in-africa/
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

Filmpje in het artikel. Ik zie slechts een vage overeenkomst. Al zou het wel een stunt zijn als hij nog zou leven lol.

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 22:40 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://ua-stena.info/en/(...)s-spotted-in-africa/
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

Filmpje in het artikel. Ik zie slechts een vage overeenkomst. Al zou het wel een stunt zijn als hij nog zou leven lol.

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 23:03 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Laat het alsjeblieft waar zijn. Ome Prigo

quote:

Drones Target Russian Voronezh-DM Radar in Krasnodar Krai

^{The unfinished Voronezh-DM radar. Photo credits: Russian media}

Drones attacked the Russian Voronezh-DM early-warning radar in the Krasnodar Krai.

This was reported by Russian media.

The strike targeted the territory of the 818th Separate Radio Engineering Center, located near the village of Gluboky.

There are two antenna arrays in the decimeter range from the composition of the Voronezh-DM over-the-horizon radar.

SPOILER

quote:

^{Voronezh-DM radar near the settlement of Gluboky, Krasnodar Krai. Photo credits: Google maps}

According to Russian online media Astra, the strike was carried out by a strike drone, on the morning of May 23, 2024.

As a result of the strike, a fire began on the territory of the military unit #41003.

Nothing is known about the dead or wounded.

It should be noted that the radar complex is located at the coordinates 44.925245,40.984025 and is part of the unified missile defense system of the Russian Federation.

^{Radar head of the Voronezh-DM. Photo credits: Russian media}

One station offers a detection range of up to 6000 km across the horizon and 7000 km in altitude, while simultaneously tracking up to 500 targets.

In the first turn, the radar station provides detection of intercontinental ballistic missiles that fly in near space.

Previously, Militarnyi reported that, as a result of a missile strike on the “secret” air defense base of the Russian Federation in the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea, the commander of the unit—Kulakov—was killed.

He served in the 3rd Radio Engineering Regiment (military unit No. 85683) of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which monitored airspace over Ukraine.

Kulakov died in a missile strike on May 13, 2024, when a radio engineering unit atop Bedenekyr was targeted by Storm Shadow missiles. His death confirms the success of the attack on the enemy’s radio engineering complex, causing significant damage to stationary systems.

quote:

Man who shot Fico cites policy towards Ukraine as motivation for assassination attempt
The man charged with shooting Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico cited his country's policy towards Ukraine as a motivation for the attempted assassination, Slovak media reported on May 23.

Fico, 59, was shot in an assassination attempt as he walked out of a government meeting in the town of Handlova on May 15. The attack left the leader in serious condition, and he has since undergone two surgeries. Slovak Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok described the shooting as "politically motivated."

The shooter, Juraj Cintula, is a 71-year-old writer and political activist. According to court documents cited by media, Cintula said he had no intention of murdering Fico but instead wanted to "harm his health." He also reportedly told investigators that nobody else knew of his plans to target Fico.

SPOILER

quote:

During an interrogation at the Handlova police station, Cintula reportedly told authorities that he decided to "harm the health" of Fico because he did not agree with certain policies of the current government.

The suspect noted Fico's abolition of the special prosecutor's office, the body responsible for investigating politically sensitive corruption cases, as well as the persecution of cultural and media workers. Most importantly, Cintula said he wants military aid to be provided to Ukraine. He also reportedly called his current government "Judas" to the European Union.

Several witnesses testified that just before the shooting, Cintula addressed Fico in a "hostile manner" and criticized Fico's friendly relations with Russia and Hungary. The assailant also decried Fico for "speaking negatively" of the European Union, according to media.

Cintula decided two days before, on May 13, to "take revenge on the government for its policies" by carrying out an attack on the Prime Minister.

If convicted, Cintula could face 25 years in prison.

Elected in September 2023 on a populist, Ukraine-skeptic platform, Fico halted arms supplies from Slovakia's military stocks and has repeatedly criticized both defense assistance for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.

The official also blamed "Ukrainian Nazis and fascists" for provoking Russia's war of aggression, repeating false talking points of Russian propaganda.

Fico has since expressed support for Ukraine's accession to the EU.

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 23:33 schreef ExTec het volgende:
[ x ]

Om daarna natuurlijk een estse boot te kapen, 'die over de grens is gegaan'.

Mss moeten ze in het witte huis wat meer 'deescaleren'.

quote:

Translation: Just for lols. We are sitting here, waiting for enemy, all of us. And here this shit is driving. Its about defensive lines, blyat'. For real, is cropping field. Dude is immortal. Explosive shit is falling from skies, and he is cropping field. This is Kharkiv region, baby. Guys have woke up in dugouts, they thought its enemy tank. God, such character.

SPOILER

quote:

Op donderdag 23 mei 2024 22:25 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Als Oekra�ne de restricties niet hadden die hun zijn opgelegd hadden zij inderdaad al in Moskou kunnen staan. Maar wat dan? Een stad zoals Moskou innemen en ook behouden zou bijna onmogelijk zijn geweest. En in de tussentijd had Rusland een algehele mobilisatie gestart van het hele land. En mogelijk zouden ze ook nucleaire wapens zijn gaan gebruiken. (hebben zij meerdere malen mee gedreigd indien het voortbestaan van Rusland in gevaar komt)

Prigozjin kwam daar ook zonder veel weerstand tenslotte. Met slechts een kleine groep van zijn Wagner soldaten. Maar dat is al weer een tijd geleden. Ik mag hopen dat zij de zaakjes nu beter op orde hebben.

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:24 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Ja prigho was nog 'maar'800 kilometer van Moskou verwijderd toen zijn wagner troepen door de luchtmacht werden gedecimeerd.

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:24 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Ja prigho was nog 'maar'800 kilometer van Moskou verwijderd toen zijn wagner troepen door de luchtmacht werden gedecimeerd.

Net zoals die recentelijke aanval van het Russische "vrijheidsleger".

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:31 schreef MaxMark het volgende:

[..]
Wat is dit nou weer voor uitspraak

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:24 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Ja prigho was nog 'maar'800 kilometer van Moskou verwijderd toen zijn wagner troepen door de luchtmacht werden gedecimeerd.

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:37 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Ik kan me herinneren dat er best wat verbolgenheid was, omdat wagner gewoon rus vliegtuigen neerhaalden met de mobiele AA die meereed in de colone. En ze daarna ogenschijnlijk amnestie kregen.

Maar ik merk dat de fok bootlicker brigade het allemaal wat anders beleefd heeft. A'la beetje standaard "russia stronk" verhaaltje.

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:32 schreef MaxMark het volgende:
Geen lijstjes meer? Geen idee wat er is gebeurd, klinkt een beetje drama queen-achtig
[ x ]

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:33 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Er was een visuele confirmatie dat zij op zo'n 300 km genaderd waren. En sommige rapporten zeggen zelfs 100km. En ze waren helemaal niet gedecimeerd door de luchtmacht. Zij hebben slechts een handvol soldaten verloren, minder dan Rusland. En de Russische veiligheidstroepen/leger gaven maar bar weinig weerstand.

Als hij door had gezet was hij gemakkelijk in de buitengebieden van Moskou gekomen. En dat met zo'n 10-15k troepen. Zonder noemenswaardig zwaar materieel.

En het vrijheidsleger doet wat zij moeten doen. Relschoppen net over de grens, zoveel mogelijk schade doen en dan weer terug trekken naar Oekra�ne toe.

Zij hebben dit al een aantal keren gedaan zonder noemenswaardige verliezen. En ook heeft Rusland geen gevangen of lichamen van hun rond geparadeerd. Sterker nog de laatste keer hebben zij niet eens de moeite gedaan om hun "overwinning" in scene te zetten zoals zij de eerste keer hadden gedaan.

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:40 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Volgens mij is er een ander vliegtuig neergehaald

quote:

maar kan zijn dat ik me dat door de veronderstelde verbolgenheid niet meer correct herinner natuurlijk.

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:44 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Juistem. Misschien moet je nog wat links dumpen waardoor de oorlog, ondanks terreinverlies, als een trein lijkt te verlopen.

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:44 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Juistem. Misschien moet je nog wat links dumpen waardoor de oorlog, ondanks terreinverlies, als een trein lijkt te verlopen.

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:50 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Misschien moet je een nieuwe bril hebben, als jouw conclusie is dat de oorlog als een trein gaat voor Oekra�ne naar aanleiding van wat ik post. En het terreinverlies is minimaal, voor elke meter worden er grote verliezen aan Rusland toegebracht.

Net zo min als de oorlog als een trein gaat voor Rusland.

En de informatie over de opstand van Wagner is gewoon publiekelijk beschikbaar. Dus als ik jou was zou ik eens wat onderzoek doen buiten de Russische propaganda om.

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:56 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:
Het kan toch ook zonder gelijk te polariseren in je reactie?

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:56 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Het kan toch ook zonder gelijk te polariseren in je reactie?

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 01:02 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:

[..]
Jouw eerdere opmerking dat Oekra�ne al in Moskou zou moeten zijn, is alleen maar om te stoken. Jij weet van te voren dat dit alleen maar ge�rriteerde reacties en een hoop gezeik oplevert. Je kan je dus even afvragen of het echt nodig on die opmerking te plaatsen.

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 01:33 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Het is helemaal niet om te stoken. Het is gewoon veelal gelul wat ver losgeslagen is van de realiteit wat hier langskomt. En dat komt een constructieve war effort helemaal niet ten goede.

quote:

Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 01:44 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
En als je het hier te eenzijdig vind, trek je conclusies.

Misschien 'overleven' we het wel, zonder jouw 'waardevolle bijdragen'

quote:

Russian forces may have seized first Estonian ground robot in Ukraine

^{Milrem Robotics' TheMIS vehicle clears a course during robotics trials outside Tallinn, Estonia, in late June 2023. (Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo/Staff)}

MILAN — Two years after a Russian defense industry think tank announced a cash reward for the seizure of an Estonian-made unmanned ground vehicle operating in Ukraine, Russian forces appear to have captured one of the robots, according to analysts and photos posted on social media.

Earlier this month, Russian Telegram channels published pictures of what they claimed showed a badly damaged model of the THeMIS vehicle, made by Estonia-based and United Arab Emirates-owned Milrem Robotics.

A Milrem spokesman declined to comment, saying only that the company is aware of the images.

Federico Borsari, a fellow at the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis think tank, told Defense News the pictured vehicle “very much resembles” the THeMIS model. “There is also a visible part of the printed Ukrainian flag on the upper right front corner, confirming this was one of the systems provided to Kyiv.”

The Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) said in 2022 that any military personnel capable of capturing a THeMIS robot would get one million rubles, or roughly $11,000.

In February of this year, the reward was upped to two million rubles, or almost $22,000, according to a statement given by the center’s director, Ruslan Pukhov, to Russian media.

SPOILER

quote:

^{This photo, circulated on Russian Telegram channels in May 2024, purports to show a THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle captured by Russian forces in Ukraine. (Telegram)}

Regarding the implications of Moscow getting its hands on a vehicle, Borsari says the technology isn’t particularly sensitive. Still, there are some risks, he added.

“Accessing Western technology can certainly be useful as it offers Russia alternative ideas or concepts on the engineering and design, and most importantly access to the type of sensors and communications-encryption technologies the system uses,” Borsari said.

Although most manufacturers have mechanisms in place to prevent technology theft, the retrieval of any sophisticated components could allow for Russia to attempt to develop “tailored countermeasures or simply improve its own systems,” he added.

The analyst noted that in the event that there was encrypted data or stored information found in the vehicle’s systems, this could pose an immediate threat to the Ukrainian operators by potentially revealing their location.

“A big, immediate risk could be Russia trying to exploit encryption info or other stored data, provided there is any, to breach Ukrainian secure communications or track Ukrainian operators and strike their location,” Borsari said.

As of February, Milrem had provided 15 THeMIS unmanned vehicles to Ukraine, according to a Jan. 11 company statement. Company executives have said the robots are popular for demining and cargo transport missions in the embattled country.

The company announced May 23 that it was increasing its production capacity fivefold with the addition of new facility next to the company headquarters in Tallinn, Estonia. The new space is expected to pump out 500 THeMIS units per year, officials said.

The ramp-up comes as governments who previously purchased relatively small numbers for testing are now hungry for more, according to the company.

“Many end-users, satisfied with the results of testing the robotic vehicles, are preparing to launch high-quantity procurements,” said CEO Kuldar V��rsi. “With the opening of our new facility, we are better prepared to answer these calls.”

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Partisans: Attack on occupied Crimea damages communications equipment, casualties reported
A missile attack on a Russian communications hub in the city of Alushta in occupied Crimea has caused "significant damage to equipment," with numerous casualties reported, the pro-Ukrainian partisan group Atesh reported on May 24.

The Crimean Wind telegram channel further reported that a large military antenna was struck in the community of Semydviria, just 3 kilometers east of Alushta. The antenna was previously used by Ukraine's military prior to Russia's occupation of Crimea in 2014.

Atesh also reported that the command center of the communications hub may have been destroyed in the attack, although no information is currently available on the status of the military facility.

Ukraine's Armed Forces have yet to take responsibility for the attack, nor have they provided comment.

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Earlier on May 23, Sergey Aksyonov, the proxy head of Russian occupation authorities in Crimea, alleged that as a result of the missile attack on the Simferopol region, two bystanders were killed.

Aksyonov further claimed the attack had caused damage to "empty" commercial property, which was also recorded in the Alushta area.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims, and no information is presently available on the extent of the casualties.

At the start of the attack, sounds of explosions were reported in Sevastopol, Yevpatoriia, and Alushta in occupied Crimea during the late hours of May 23, according to Suspilne Crimea.

At around 10:18 p.m. local time, Suspilne reported hearing explosions in Yevpatoriia. By 10:30 p.m., passenger transport had been suspended in Sevastopol. A video later surfaced online, presumably depicting an explosion in the Alushta district on the southern coast of Crimea. At least five explosions were reported in Alushta.

Within the hour, the Telegram channel Krym Realii announced that residents heard three explosions near the territory of the Belbek airfield in Sevastopol, as well as the work of air defense from Novofedorivka. A total of eight explosions were allegedly heard.

The Crimean Wind telegram channel reported around 12:26 a.m. that a fire had broken out at a military site in the community of Semydvir'ya, about 4 kilometers east of Alushta. Emergency crews are currently on-scene.

Additional sounds of explosions were reported by residents of Sevastopol around 3 a.m., according to Crimean Wind.

Ukrainian forces have launched several attacks against Russia's Belbek military airfield in occupied Crimea in recent weeks.

The Crimean Wind Telegram channel claimed the airfield was attacked late on May 15 and that a fuel depot caught fire, while Russia's Defense Ministry claimed five U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles were intercepted overnight by "air defense systems on duty."

Attacks against the Belbek airfield were also reported the preceding night, which allegedly resulted in fires near the military facility.

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Mysterious shooting outside Army Special Forces residence in North Carolina raises questions
Chechen power company subcontractor found shot in North Carolina near Army colonel’s home

A mysterious shooting in North Carolina north of Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, not far from where some of America’s most elite U.S. Special Operations forces live and train is under investigation by the Army Criminal Investigation Division as well as local police. The shooting in Carthage, North Carolina occurred May 3 at 8:15 p.m. following a phone call about a suspected trespasser near a Special Forces soldier's property.

Two Chechen men who spoke broken English were found near the soldier's home. The family alleges the suspected intruder, 35-year-old Ramzan Daraev of Chicago was taking photos of their children. When confronted near a power line in a wooded part of the property, an altercation ensued and Daraev was shot several times at close range. A second man, Dzhankutov Adsalan, was in a vehicle some distance from the incident and was questioned by authorities and then released. The Moore County Sheriff's office is leading the investigation.

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The FBI told Fox News, "Our law enforcement partners at the Moore County Sheriff's Office contacted the FBI after a shooting death in Carthage. A special agent met with investigators and provided a linguist to assist with a language barrier for interviews."

Sheriff Ronnie Fields said in a statement: "The caller indicated that an individual was observed taking photographs on the property and had become aggressive towards a resident outside their home…. The deceased was found approximately 250 yards from the roadway, along a powerline on the residential property. Identification was not initially found on Daraev; however, his identity was later confirmed through family members and an international identification located in his vehicle."

The shooter has been identified as a Colonel with the U.S. Army who resided at the location of the shooting.

U.S. Special Operations soldiers around the country have experienced strange interactions in recent years that they say involve suspicious surveillance of them and their families. Many believe that U.S. military bases have become an increasing target of foreign probes.

The shooting incident two weeks ago in Carthage could have been a case of mistaken identity. The two Chechens had no personal identification. They did have two cell phones with Russian language contacts and camera equipment. They were not wearing any uniforms for the power company that reportedly employed them.

Sheriff Ronnie Fields said Daraev was working as a subcontractor for Utilities One, a company based in New Jersey, at the time of his death. Investigators are still working to verify his official employment and immigration status.

At the time of the incident, Daraev was not in possession of any utility equipment, utility clothing, or identification. The incident has been reported to the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Sources tell Fox News that "power company employment is often a cover for status/action" that U.S. intelligence agents use for surveillance of foreign targets overseas.

In a separate incident 18 months ago, Moore County experienced another mysterious shooting attack that targeted two electrical distribution substations. Damage from the attack left up to 40,000 residential and business customers without power in North Carolina for nearly 2 weeks. The power outage primarily affected communities heavily populated by U.S. Special Operations families. Less than two weeks prior to the Moore County substation incident, the FBI sent a report to private industry warning of an increase in reported threats to electric infrastructure from people who espouse "racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist ideology." The FBI took over that investigation, which remains unsolved.

Daraev's family launched a Change.org petition called "Justice for Ramzan Daraev" which has already received more than 11,000 signatures adding, "Ramzan left Russia, not realizing that the greatest injustice against him would be done in a free country where in theory he should have received protection."

This May 3 shooting in Carthage may simply have been a case of mistaken identity, but members of the Special Operations community are asking why two Russian-speaking Chechens were taking photos near an elite Army special forces residence at 8:15 pm on a Friday night some 10 minutes after sunset and why the FBI is not the lead in the investigation.

The FBI tells Fox News the Bureau has not opened a counterintelligence investigation and that, "The local investigation has not uncovered evidence of a federal crime," adding "the FBI is in regular contact with the sheriff's office investigators and are prepared to investigate if a federal matter comes to light."

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Russia, in New Push, Increasingly Disrupts Ukraine’s Starlink Service
Russia has deployed advanced tech to interfere with Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Ukrainian officials said, leading to more outages on the northern front battle line.

^{Members of the Achilles Drone battalion of Ukraine’s 92nd Assault Brigade in Kharkiv, Ukraine. They depend on Starlink service for communications and to conduct drone strikes.Credit...Sasha Maslov for The New York Times}

Just before Russian troops pushed across the Ukrainian northern border this month, members of Ukraine’s 92nd Assault Brigade lost a vital resource. Starlink satellite internet service, which soldiers use to communicate, collect intelligence and conduct drone attacks, had slowed to a crawl.

Operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Starlink has been critical to the Ukrainian military since the earliest days of the war with Russia. Without the full service, Ukrainian soldiers said, they couldn’t quickly communicate and share information about the surprise onslaught and resorted to sending text messages. Their experiences were repeated across the new northern front line, according to Ukrainian soldiers, officials and electronics warfare experts.

At the heart of the outages: increased interference from Russia.

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As Russian troops made gains this month near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, they deployed stronger electronic weapons and more sophisticated tools to degrade Starlink service, Ukrainian officials said. The advances pose a major threat to Ukraine, which has often managed to outmaneuver the Russian military with the help of frontline connectivity and other technology, but has been on the defensive against the renewed Russian advance.

The new outages appeared to be the first time the Russians have caused widespread disruptions of Starlink. If they continue to succeed, it could mark a tactical shift in the conflict, highlighting Ukraine’s vulnerability and dependence on the service provided by Mr. Musk’s company. As the United States and other governments work with SpaceX, the disruptions raise broader questions about Starlink’s reliability against a technically sophisticated adversary.

Starlink works by beaming an internet connection down from satellites revolving around Earth. The signals are received on the ground by pizza-box-size terminal dishes, which then distribute the connection like a Wi-Fi router to laptops, phones and other devices nearby. Starlink has provided Ukraine with vital internet service since 2022, with soldiers relying on it to guide internet-connected drones that are used for surveillance and as weapons, among other tasks.

In an interview this week, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s digital minister, said Russia’s recent attacks against Starlink appeared to use new and more advanced technology. The service previously held up remarkably well against interference on battlefields, where there has been widespread electronic warfare, radio jamming and other communication disruptions.

^{Mykhailo Fedorov, the digital minister for Ukraine, said Russia was using more sophisticated means of jamming Ukraine’s Starlink access.Credit...Sasha Maslov for The New York Times}

But the Russians are now “testing different mechanisms to disrupt the quality of Starlink connections because it’s so important for us,” Mr. Fedorov said, without giving details about what he called their “powerful” electronic weapons systems. Ukraine was constantly communicating with SpaceX to resolve the problems, he added.

SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment. An official who leads Russia’s electronic warfare efforts told state media last month that the military had put Starlink on a “list of targets” and developed capabilities to counter the service.

While Mr. Fedorov said Starlink service should improve soon, some of the outages appeared timed to Russian attacks, according to soldiers and officials. Any disruptions at critical battlefield moments put Ukraine’s already stretched army at a further disadvantage, they said.

“We’re losing the electronic warfare fight,” said Ajax, the call sign for the deputy commander of the 92nd’s Achilles strike drone battalion, who in an interview described the challenges his troops faced after Starlink connectivity failed.

“One day before the attacks, it just shut down,” said Ajax, who would be quoted only on the condition of being named by his call sign, in keeping with Ukrainian military policy. “It became super, super slow.”

The disruptions put the entire unit at a disadvantage, said a drone pilot who goes by the call sign Kartel. During the first armored attacks of the Russian offensive this month, he said, he was in a garage without food or a sleeping bag. His team began to launch drone attacks but was hindered by the connection issues with Starlink. Communicating became so slow that soldiers had to use text messages sent across chat apps, he said — and even then it took a while for the messages to send.

“During the first hours the front line was very dynamic. The enemy was moving. And we were moving as well,” he said. “We needed to be fast in communicating.”

Over three days, he said, the unit held off the Russians, but not without difficulties. “It made everything more complicated,” he said. “Everything was more time consuming.”

Kari A. Bingen, a former U.S. Defense Department official and an expert on electronic warfare, said Starlink and other satellite communications could be disrupted by the use of a high-power radio frequency to overwhelm the connection links. The invisible attacks are typically done from a vehicle with a large radio tower attached to the top, she said.

“It’s naturally in the cross hairs of Russian forces,” said Ms. Bingen, now the director of the aerospace security project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington. “It degrades Ukrainian forces from being able to communicate on the battlefield.”

Explanations for Starlink outages in Ukraine over the past year vary. Several experts said Russia had gotten better at interfering with the signal between the satellites and Starlink terminals on the ground by using powerful and precise jammers. Others suggested that the service had been disrupted by specialized electronic weapons mounted on drones, which can confuse Starlink’s GPS signals, the global positioning system that is used to help locate satellites.

Sharp increases in Starlink use can also degrade service. In some instances, technical restrictions intended to keep Russian forces from using Starlink have hurt service for Ukrainian soldiers along the front line. At other times, disruptions can be more random, such as earlier this month when SpaceX reported service problems worldwide because of solar storms.

Throughout the conflict, Ukrainian forces have tried various techniques to shield Starlink from attacks, including placing the terminals in holes dug in the ground and putting metal mesh over them. Infozahyst, a Ukrainian company that works with the military and specializes in building tools for electronic warfare, said it did not believe such improvised solutions were effective

Starlink has given Mr. Musk outsize influence in the war because he controls where the satellite service is available and can choose to cut off access. In some instances, Ukrainian officials have appealed directly to Mr. Musk to turn on Starlink access during military operations so they can conduct drone strikes across enemy lines — requests that the billionaire has not always approved. The U.S. government, which has purchased Starlink terminals for Ukraine, has sometimes gotten involved in the negotiations.

Starlink is not sold directly to Russia. But this year, Ukrainian officials publicly raised alarms that Russia was using Starlink terminals bought from third-party vendors, potentially eroding Ukraine’s connectivity advantage.

Experts have warned that Ukraine is overly dependent on a single company for such a vital resource, particularly one run by someone as unpredictable as Mr. Musk. But Ukraine’s reliance on Starlink is unlikely to shrink. Few alternatives exist for such comprehensive and reliable service.

Mr. Fedorov said the Ukrainian government was constantly testing new systems. The military has specialized systems for maritime drones that have destroyed a number of Russian ships in the Black Sea, he said.

“But of course there is no mass-produced equivalent,” he said.

For Ajax, the Ukrainian commander, the loss of Starlink service brought back bad memories from the war. When he fought near the Russian border in 2022, his unit was sometimes cut off from Starlink, disrupting drone video feeds that were used for targeting artillery from a distance. In its place, the unit deployed soldiers to covertly watch enemy positions and direct attacks.

“It became the old way with radios,” he said. “We had to say, ‘Move left 100 foot.’ It was super strange.”

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CNN's Matthew Chance looks at the increasing appearances of Tucker Carlson on Russian state TV as the Kremlin sees propaganda value in the former Fox News anchor.

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Rosneft asks Kremlin to compensate for costs of protecting oil refineries from drones
The CEO of Russia's state-controlled oil company, Rosneft, sent a letter to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin asking the Kremlin to approve tax breaks to offset the cost of preventing drone attacks on the company's oil refineries, Russian state-controlled media reported on May 23.

In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industry, which is crucial to sustaining Moscow's war efforts, as well as its military hardware.

More than a dozen oil refineries have been reportedly hit. Earlier this week, on May 20, Russian media claimed that a refinery in the Russian town of Slavyansk-on-Kuban was damaged following an overnight drone strike.

In the wake of such attacks, many refineries have been forced to suspend operations, leading to a drop in fuel supplies.

In the letter, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, reportedly asked the Kremlin to "provide tax benefits to offset the costs of drone attacks on oil refineries in the Russian Federation."

Sechin writes that due to the increase in "terrorist risks," the company has been forced to implement a wide and costly set of measures to physically protect oil facilities from drones.

The CEO said the company suspended operations at the Syzran, Ryazan, Kuibyshev, and Tuapse refineries due to drone strikes. Sechin proposed compensating the company for security costs through deductions from the mineral extraction tax or income tax and increasing the reverse excise tax on oil.

He also noted that Western sanctions have undermined efforts to modernize the refineries, limiting the supply of equipment and increasing the cost of logistics and construction work.

Earlier this month, Politico reported that Ukrainian drone strikes were successful in putting pressure on Russia's fuel supplies, causing gasoline and diesel prices to surge for Russian consumers.

Energy exports have long been a key source of Moscow's revenue and have helped to sustain its ongoing war against Ukraine.

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Putin arrives in neighboring Belarus for a two-day visit with a key ally
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday evening arrived in Belarus for a two-day visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived Thursday in Belarus for a two-day visit as part of several foreign tours to kick off his fifth term in office, underscoring close ties with a neighboring ally that has been instrumental in Russia's war effort in Ukraine.

Putin traveled to China earlier this month, and is expected in Uzbekistan on Sunday. Earlier on Thursday, the Russian president hosted Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in the Kremlin.

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In Belarus, Putin is to hold talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko. Lukashenko greeted him on the tarmac, and then the two sat down for a “short conversation” at the airport, the Kremlin reported. Lukashenko promised to discuss “security issues at the forefront, and tomorrow we will discuss economic issues together with our colleagues from the governments.”

The Belarusian leader on Thursday appointed a new chief of the country's military general staff in a move that analysts say is aimed at showing the Kremlin the utmost loyalty of its neighbor and ally.

Russia used Belarus, which depends on Russian loans and cheap energy, as a staging ground in the war in Ukraine, deploying some of its troops there from Belarusian territory. In 2023, Russia also moved some of its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.

Maj. Gen. Pavel Muraveyka, who was appointed as chief of Belarus' General Staff and as first deputy defense minister, is known for publicly threatening neighboring NATO members Poland and Lithuania.

In October 2023, he said that Belarus could seize the so-called Suwalki Gap — a sparsely populated stretch of land running about 100 kilometers (60 miles) along the Polish-Lithuanian border. It links Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia with the rest of the NATO alliance and separates Belarus from Kaliningrad, a heavily militarized Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea that has no land connection to Russia.

Military analysts in the West have long viewed the Suwalki Gap as a potential flashpoint in any confrontation between Russia and NATO. They worry that Russia might try to seize the gap and cut off the three Baltic states from Poland and other NATO nations.

“Muraveiko’s appointment is an open challenge to the West and a desire to show Putin Minsk’s complete loyalty and willingness to maintain a strategic partnership with Russia,” independent Belarusian analyst Valery Karbalevich told The Associated Press.

“The deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus does not leave Lukashenko a strategic choice, turns him into a hostage of the Kremlin and firmly binds Minsk to Moscow’s policies," Karbalevich said.

Both Russia and Belarus began military drills involving tactical nuclear weapons earlier this month. Moscow said its drills, announced publicly for the first time on May 6, were a response to statements by Western officials signaling possibly deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine. Belarus launched its maneuvers involving missiles and warplanes capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons on May 7; Russia's exercises began this week.

Moscow has emphasized that the tactical nuclear weapons deployed to Belarus remain under Russian military control.

Unlike nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles that can destroy entire cities, tactical nuclear weapons intended for use against troops on the battlefield are less powerful. Such weapons include aerial bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions.

The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, which has a 1,084-kilometer (673-mile) border with Ukraine, would allow Russian aircraft and missiles to reach potential targets there more easily and quickly if Moscow decides to use them. It also extends Russia’s capability to target several NATO allies in Eastern and Central Europe.

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Op vrijdag 24 mei 2024 00:56 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Om een voorbeeld te noemen. Jouw grote vriend Andrew Perpetua identificeert altijd de verliezen. Maar let er eens op, als er een Oekra�nse tank sneuvelt kan hij het type amper achterhalen. Hoe kan dat? Want dat willen we niet lezen.