SPOILER

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:22 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Maar nog steeds geen WW3.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:27 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

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Eigenlijk ook onverantwoordelijk dat er sinds het begin van de oorlog niks in Europa wordt gedaan tegen de toenemende nucleaire dreiging. Is er ook maar 1 bunker gebouwd of gerenoveerd? En waar blijven de Jodiumpillen?

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:27 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

[..]
Eigenlijk ook onverantwoordelijk dat er sinds het begin van de oorlog niks in Europa wordt gedaan tegen de toenemende nucleaire dreiging. Is er ook maar 1 bunker gebouwd of gerenoveerd? En waar blijven de Jodiumpillen?

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:22 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Maar nog steeds geen WW3.

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Invallen bij medewerker FvD-Europarlementari�r De Graaff in Russische inmengingszaak
https://nos.nl/artikel/25(...)ische-inmengingszaak

In een onderzoek naar Russische inmenging hebben rechercheurs invallen gedaan in kantoren van medewerkers van het Europees Parlement. Twee huizen in Brussel en Straatsburg van een medewerker van Forum voor Democratie-Europarlementari�r Marcel de Graaff zijn ook doorzocht.

De invallen houden verband met de onthullingen rond het pro-Russische nieuwskanaal Voice of Europe. Eind maart maakte de Tsjechische inlichtingendienst bekend dat het medium Russische propaganda in Europa verspreidt.

Europarlementari�r Marcel de Graaff was nog niet bereikbaar voor commentaar.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:45 schreef Aether het volgende:

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:57 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

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Ik hoorde gisteren op de radio dat FvD zoals het er nu voor staat geheel uit het Europese Parlement zou verdwijnen want alle zetels kwijt

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:37 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Wil je de hele Europese bevolking in bunkers stoppen?

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:57 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

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Ik hoorde gisteren op de radio dat FvD zoals het er nu voor staat geheel uit het Europese Parlement zou verdwijnen want alle zetels kwijt

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:39 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Zoals voorspeld, iedereen is rijk maar er is niks te koop.

[ afbeelding ]

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:57 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

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Ik hoorde gisteren op de radio dat FvD zoals het er nu voor staat geheel uit het Europese Parlement zou verdwijnen want alle zetels kwijt

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:27 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

[..]
Eigenlijk ook onverantwoordelijk dat er sinds het begin van de oorlog niks in Europa wordt gedaan tegen de toenemende nucleaire dreiging. Is er ook maar 1 bunker gebouwd of gerenoveerd? En waar blijven de Jodiumpillen?

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Uitgelekt gesprek: Trump zou Moskou ‘bombarderen’ als hij president was

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 13:46 schreef sp3c het volgende:
niemand gaat moskou bombarderen

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 13:19 schreef byah het volgende:

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Jodiumpillen helpen bij een kernramp, niet bij een nucleaire bom op Amsterdam

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 12:28 schreef oheng het volgende:

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Zie je ook in de supermarkten. De Lidl in NL is inmiddels goedkoper. Zie bijv Tomaten, aardbeien, eieren (lol).
En dat is vooral wat de armsten treft.

Ondertussen gaat rusland door met hun Zapp Brannigan aanvallen:
[ x ]

Eentje heeft zijn koplamp aan....

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 16:18 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Soldaten op brommerTs die door drones worden gebombardeerd? Uit welke MadMax film is dat?

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 16:09 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

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Straling is straling. Ook een zonnebril (tegen de flits) en als het niet te veel gevraagd is een hazmat pak.
Of het valt allemaal wel mee met die dreiging (ook nadat de westerse raketten straks Rusland zullen betreden), kan ook.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 16:18 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Soldaten op brommerTs die door drones worden gebombardeerd? Uit welke MadMax film is dat?

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 13:19 schreef byah het volgende:

[..]
Jodiumpillen helpen bij een kernramp, niet bij een nucleaire bom op Amsterdam

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:27 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

[..]
Eigenlijk ook onverantwoordelijk dat er sinds het begin van de oorlog niks in Europa wordt gedaan tegen de toenemende nucleaire dreiging. Is er ook maar 1 bunker gebouwd of gerenoveerd? En waar blijven de Jodiumpillen?

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 17:23 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:
Maar buitenlandse wapens op Ruslands territorium gebeurde toch al lang, tussen de regels door? Lijkt me niet dat er heel veel gaat veranderen, bovendien hebben ze �berhaupt wel wat lange-afstandsspul dat echt significant verschil kan maken. Lijkt me ook niet.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 17:25 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Je hebt gelijk en Putin loopt om niets te dreigen.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:13 schreef Perrin het volgende:
Meer en meer gaan ook mannen uit Moskou de gehaktmolen in

[ x ]

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 17:23 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:
Maar buitenlandse wapens op Ruslands territorium gebeurde toch al lang, tussen de regels door? Lijkt me niet dat er heel veel gaat veranderen, bovendien hebben ze �berhaupt wel wat lange-afstandsspul dat echt significant verschil kan maken. Lijkt me ook niet.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:19 schreef RamboDirk het volgende:

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russianbride.ru gaat naar de oorlog heel wat nieuwe dames opleveren, op zoek naar broodnodige mannen.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 16:10 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Ik had eerder gezegd dat Oekra�ne AWACS nodig had naast hun F16's om ze te scrambelen op het moment dat Russische vliegtuigen de lucht in gaan.

Nu krijgen ze die.

Het lijkt erop dat er een plan achter de leveringen zit.

Dit is beter dan het leveren van SAAB Grippens.

[ x ]

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:27 schreef BEFEM het volgende:
Hebben die �berhaupt iets geleverd? Dat is volgens mij echt het lachertje van de NAVO tegenwoordig?

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:19 schreef Ulx het volgende:

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Of je moet de geannexeerde gebieden als Rusland zien.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:54 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

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Zijn ze natuurlijk wel volgens Rusland, de jure zelfs.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:29 schreef AgLarrr het volgende:

En dat in combinatie met systematische aanvallen op radars en AA batterijen.. CAS incomming.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:55 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

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Dus is die rode lijn geen reet waard, net als vrijwel alle andere.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:57 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

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Geen idee, ik weet niet wat er achter de schermen met elkaar besproken is omtrent rode lijnen tussen Burns en Naryshkin. Publiek is dat natuurlijk heel wat anders. Die treinverbindingen, bijvoorbeeld, met hoogwaardigheidsbekleders laat Rusland met rust. Dat is een rode lijn. En zo zijn er wel meerdere.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:29 schreef AgLarrr het volgende:

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En dat in combinatie met systematische aanvallen op radars en AA batterijen.. CAS incomming.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 19:01 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

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[ afbeelding ]

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 19:10 schreef AchJa het volgende:

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En dan heb je ook nog AAA (Anti Arcraft Artillery) batterijen...

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:27 schreef BEFEM het volgende:
Hebben die �berhaupt iets geleverd? Dat is volgens mij echt het lachertje van de NAVO tegenwoordig?

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 09:03 schreef polderturk het volgende:

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Waarom is deze wet zo slecht?

De VS heeft een wet die hierop lijkt

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FARA does not prohibit lobbying for foreign interests, nor does it ban or restrict any specific activities.[3] Its explicit purpose is to promote transparency with respect to foreign influence over American public opinion, policy, and laws;

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:27 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

[..]
Eigenlijk ook onverantwoordelijk dat er sinds het begin van de oorlog niks in Europa wordt gedaan tegen de toenemende nucleaire dreiging. Is er ook maar 1 bunker gebouwd of gerenoveerd? En waar blijven de Jodiumpillen?

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 11:35 schreef oheng het volgende:
Ah, de nieuwe inkomstenbelastingen zijn bekend.
- Nu: 13 of 15% (vanaf 50.000 eurodollar)
- Wordt: 13 tot 22% (vanaf 24.000 eurodollar, oplopend)

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The funds received from changes in the tax system will be used for social needs: supporting families with children, repairing and equipping medical institutions, building housing and roads, financing national projects.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 20:14 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

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Dat is een flinke stijging voor vooral de 24.000 - 50.000 dollar range lijkt mij. Hier gaan veel mensen niet blij mee zijn. Al is het volgens mij nog steeds voor de rijkere deel van de bevolking.

Wat ik wel grappig vindt is dit:
[..]
Hier geloof ik namelijk niks van. Dit extra geld gaat gewoon de oorlogskas in lijkt mij.

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MOSKOU, 29 mei – RIA Novosti. Rusland heeft na een verklaring van secretaris-generaal Jens Stoltenberg het recht om het grondgebied van NAVO-landen aan te vallen waar wapens voor Oekra�ne zich bevinden, zegt de Italiaanse politicoloog Alessandro Orsini in een artikel voor IL Fatto Quotidiano .

“Als Zelenski het recht heeft om aan de achterkant op Russisch grondgebied toe te slaan, zoals Stoltenberg voorstelt, dan zal (Russische president Vladimir – red.) Poetin het recht hebben om aan de Oekra�ense achterkant op Pools grondgebied aan te vallen”, zei de expert.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 20:18 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:

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Watis dit , wie is dat
https://ria.ru/20240529/nato-1949225038.html?in=l
[..]

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 20:21 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

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Tja, zo is het wel.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:35 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Het lachertje van NAVO is trouwens Belgi�.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 19:28 schreef Nebelwerfer het volgende:

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Canada? Die dragen gewoon bij hoor.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 20:18 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:

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Watis dit , wie is dat
https://ria.ru/20240529/nato-1949225038.html?in=l
[..]

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 20:44 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

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Van mij mag hij dat doen. Maar dan moet hij niet gaan huilen als de NATO terug gaat slaan.

Dit zal volgens mij de snelste manier zijn om de oorlog in Oekra�ne te stoppen in het voordeel van Oekra�ne. Want Rusland wordt dan gewoon de pan in gehakt en Oekra�ne krijgt zijn vrede met alles wat zij willen.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 20:21 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

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Tja, zo is het wel.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 20:21 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Tja, zo is het wel.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 20:18 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:

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Watis dit , wie is dat
https://ria.ru/20240529/nato-1949225038.html?in=l
[..]

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 20:49 schreef sp3c het volgende:
maar hey, ze doen maar dan is dit feest iig snel afgelopen

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 21:03 schreef Perrin het volgende:
De laatste dagen van Putler.
[ x ]

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 21:11 schreef oheng het volgende:

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"Wollt ihr den totalen Krieg!!!!"

Tevens putler: De russische overheid moet vakantieparken gaan bouwen.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 20:21 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

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Tja, zo is het wel.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 21:11 schreef oheng het volgende:

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"Wollt ihr den totalen Krieg!!!!"

Tevens putler: De russische overheid moet vakantieparken gaan bouwen.

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Putin also ordered that at least half of the proceeds from increasing duties on wine from unfriendly countries be allocated to a national tourism project.

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18 fires blaze in Kharkiv region's hellish forests, rescuers work under shelling.

Most of the large-scale forest fires were caused by the occupants. Firefighters work under constant shelling.
More than 2,300 hectares of forests are burning in Kharkiv region, most of the fires were caused by Russian shelling. This is reported by the State Emergency Situations Service.

Rescuers of the State Emergency Service are now extinguishing 18 forest fires in Kharkiv region. It was possible to localise 9 forest fires on an area of 141 hectares.

To work in the hellish forests of Kharkiv region also involved sappers and medics of the State emergency service, - stated in the message.

Firefighters are working in extremely difficult conditions, being under constant enemy attacks.

Extinguishing fires is very complicated by the fact that areas of forests in frontline areas are mined and contaminated with unexploded ordnance.

Earlier Socialportal reported that in Kharkiv region there are almost no places left that could be safe.

In some areas of the region announced a mandatory evacuation of children, which will last 60 days.

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Ecologen waarschuwen dat het Baikalmeer in het zuiden van Siberi�, het oudste en diepste zoetwaterreservoir ter wereld, als gevolg van afvaldumping verandert in een moeras van algen.

De Russische overheid heeft miljoenen beloofd om het meer te redden.11 sep 2014

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How deep is lake Issyk-Kul?
Global Nature Fund - Lake Issyk-Kul (Kyrgyzstan)
Background Lake Issyk-Kul

Its length is 180 km and its width 60 km. The lake has an average depth of 270 m (maximum depth 668 m).
As the salt content of the lake water is low (approx. 58 mg/l) and because of the numerous warm springs at the bottom of the lake it does not freeze despite the low temperatures.

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Lake Baikal/Maximale diepte
1.642 m
Lake Baikal fills an ancient rift valley, just as Lake Tanganyika does in East Africa.
At the Baikal Rift Zone, the Earth's crust pulls apart. It is the deepest lake in the world at 1,642 m (5,387 ft).

The bottom of the lake is 1,186.5 m (3,893 ft) below sea level, but below this lies some 7 km (4.3 mi) of sediment.

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Border guards hit Russian trucks, positions near Bakhmut
In the Bakhmut axis, drone operators of the Phoenix border guard unit with the Pomsta Brigade destroyed enemy trucks carrying ammunition and military positions with the help of one-way attack drones.
This was reported by the State Border Guard Service, Ukrinform saw.

According to the report, the Vampir attack drone destroyed Russia’s Ural and Kamaz trucks, the latter carrying ammunition, on one of the roads in the Bakhmut axis.

Вночі прикордонники знищили «Урал» окупантів та «Камаз» з боєкомплектом на Бахмутському напрямку

As Ukrinform reported earlier, referring to the estimates from the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Russia’s total combat losses in Ukraine since February 24, 2022, have amounted to 503,800 as of May 28.

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Donald Trump: ‘Orb�n doesn’t want war, I don’t want war either’
If you look at Viktor Orb�n, we don’t want to see wars, I don’t want to see wars,’ said former US President Donald Trump on the Timcast podcast. The Republican presidential candidate was asked about migration, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, among other issues, and stated that during his presidency the US had not been involved in or started any conflicts, except the war against the Islamic State (ISIS), which was won.

‘I don’t want wars. I think it’s so horrible, so unnecessary, and so costly in terms of lives and money—in that order—and it destroys these countries,’ the former US president said.

Trump said that if he had been president at the time, the war in Ukraine and the October 7 attack on Israel would never have happened.

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He called Orb�n ‘a very powerful guy’
and quoted the Hungarian prime minister as saying ‘The problem with the world today is that Donald Trump is no longer president.’

The interview was also shared on X by Bal�zs Orb�n, the political director of the Hungarian Prime Minister.

The fact that Trump mentioned Viktor Orb�n in an interview is not at all surprising. The two politicians have a great relationship; in 2016, Orb�n was the first European leader to endorse Trump. The latter also mentioned PM Orb�n in several campaign speeches. Back in November 2023, in Iowa, for instance, Trump referred to the Hungarian prime minister as ‘the most respected, strongest leader in Europe.’

Viktor Orb�n has also praised Donald Trump on several occasions in recent years. Last August, during an interview with the American right-wing opinion leader and former Fox host Tucker Carlson, he said: ‘Trump is the man who can save the Western world.’ In March, Orb�n called Trump ‘the president of peace,’ after his visit at the former President’s residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

Donald Trump’s first presidency was clearly focused on peace. The former Republican president’s tenure saw the historic Abraham Accords materialize, under which several Arab states recognized Israel’s right to exist—times have changed significantly in the Middle East since then. Trump is also credited with the agreement on the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, which was then chaotically implemented by the Biden administration.

And today, there are no crowds of pro-peace leaders, either in Europe or overseas. At the very same time as Donald Trump’s statement, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France would allow Ukraine to strike Russian military bases on Russian territory with Western weapons. ‘We have to allow [Ukrainians] to neutralize the military sites from which the missiles are fired, but not other civilian or military targets. We’re not being escalatory by doing this,’ Macron said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, compulsory conscription in Europe is also an increasingly popular topic among pro-war leaders. The idea was first mooted by Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party (EPP), and is now reportedly being worked on by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius—although German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has ordered the plan to remain under wraps until after the European elections in June.

These statements should always be interpreted in context and not taken at face value, and the context is currently the campaign drive for the crucial European elections. Nevertheless,

there is no doubt that the risk of escalation has increased significantly
in recent months, largely due to irresponsible statements by Western European leaders who are in a state of war psychosis. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance that the forthcoming European elections see pro-peace forces gain a majority in the European Parliament and the EU institutions.

In a recent interview with Blikk, PM Orb�n said that the European elections will not simply be about the allocation of seats in the European Parliament, but also a national election everywhere, and that governments have a responsibility towards their own citizens. He assumed that after the elections, European leaders’ attitudes to the war will change noticeably because European politics, for all its weaknesses, is still fundamentally democratic and cannot go against the will of the people: prime ministers must adapt to public opinion. ‘I expect that there will be a European Parliament where there will be more pro-peace than pro-war members, and in the European Council—where the prime ministers sit—the balance of power will change: there will be more pro-peace and fewer pro-war members,’ he said.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 19:10 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
En dan heb je ook nog AAA (Anti Arcraft Artillery) batterijen...

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 20:51 schreef sp3c het volgende:
ben er sowieso alweer klaar mee, helemaal geen leuke oorlog

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Ukraine demonstrates medical evacuation equipment to Western partners

^{Ukrainian ground unmanned platforms for evacuating the wounded. May 2024. Ukraine. Photo credits: Militarnyi}

Ukraine has conducted demonstration tests of medical evacuation equipment for Western partners.

Militarnyi reports on this.

The event demonstrated robotic platforms that can evacuate the wounded from under fire.

“The goal is to show that Ukrainian manufacturers can produce equipment for medical evacuation and to ask them to convey this information to their governments along with a proposal to purchase such equipment for the Ukrainian defense forces,” the event organizers shared.

In particular, they demonstrated the Rys PRO, Mule, and TerMIT ground drones. Logistics platforms are capable of evacuating the wounded while the operator is at a safe distance.

SPOILER

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<sup>Ukrainian KNLR-E ​​VEPR evacuation ground drone. May 2024, Ukraine. Photo credits: Militarnyi


Ukrainian Rys PRO evacuation ground drone. May 2024, Ukraine. Photo credits: Militarnyi


Ukrainian TerMIT evacuation ground drone. May 2024, Ukraine. Photo credits: Militarnyi


Ukrainian Mule evacuation ground drone. May 2024, Ukraine. Photo credits: Militarnyi</sup>

Several types of VEPR drones were presented at the exhibition. KNLR-B VEPR is designed to deliver goods to positions.

In turn, the KNLR-E VEPR version is equipped with a trolley that can transport the wounded.

The foreign partners were also shown Ukrainian-made medical off-road vehicles.

^{A vehicle based on the Kozak armored vehicle for medical evacuation. May 2024, Ukraine. Photo credits: Militarnyi}

The exhibition featured a medical evacuation vehicle based on the Kozak armored vehicle. The Ukrainian company Practika introduced this vehicle in a sanitary version in 2023.

^{A vehicle based on the Kozak armored vehicle for medical evacuation. May 2024, Ukraine. Photo credits: Militarnyi}

The original armored vehicle and its medical version are built on a modified chassis of the American Ford F550 off-road vehicle with a 4�4 wheel configuration.

Among the medical evacuation vehicles, the Bogdan-2251 on the Great Wall Wingle 5 chassis was also presented.

^{Bohdan-2251 medical evacuation vehicle. May 2024, Ukraine. Photo credits: Militarnyi}

The first ten vehicles were transferred to the Armed Forces in April 2017. From 2017 to 2019, Bohdan Motors produced over two hundred Bohdan-2251 medevac vehicles.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:54 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

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Zijn ze natuurlijk wel volgens Rusland, de jure zelfs.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 22:09 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Bron?

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:56 schreef AchJa het volgende:

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Ik denk dat ze niet heel snel aan CAS gaan doen met de schaarse middelen (luchtwapen in het algemeen) aangezien het een aardig riskante bezigheid is.

https://warontherocks.com(...)t-close-air-support/

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Putin Taps Ex-Bodyguard Dyumin to Head Russia’s State Council

President Vladimir Putin’s former personal security guard and newly appointed presidential aide Alexei Dyumin was tapped to head Russia’s State Council on Wednesday.

“Aide to the president Alexei Dyumin has been appointed Secretary of the State Council of the Russian Federation by presidential executive order,” an announcement on the Kremlin’s website read.

Russia’s State Council is a constitutional body composed of top federal officials and regional governors who advise and coordinate with the president on matters of national importance.

Putin elevated the State Council’s role from a largely ceremonial low-profile advisory body in 2020 constitutional reforms.

Dyumin, an ex-deputy defense minister and deputy head of Russia’s GRU military intelligence service, has been rumored to be a potential successor to Putin.

He previously served as governor of the Tula region south of Moscow, a key hub for the military industry, before his appointment as presidential aide earlier this month.

Dyumin’s return to federal politics in Moscow — where he will advise Putin on issues related to the military-industrial complex — coincided with Sergei Shoigu’s firing as defense minister and appointment as head of Russia’s Security Council.

“[Dyumin] will look after the Defense Ministry on the one hand and balance Shoigu [and limit his influence] on the other,” an anonymous government official told The Moscow Times earlier this month.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 21:56 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.hungariancons(...)aine_gaza_elections/
[..]

SPOILER

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[ x ]
Wat een onzin zitten beide weer uit te spugen zeg. En respect van dictators en autocraten als iets goed zien lol. Ik zie Trump echt niet Moskou aanvallen om de oorlog te eindigen zoals eerder in het topic gemeld werd. Trump geeft maar om ��n persoon en dat is hem zelf. En ondertussen is hij wel een halve burger oorlog in zijn eigen land aan het leiden/opzetten.

Vandaag is het jury beraad begonnen in de "zwijggeld" geld zaak. En het is al duidelijk dat er van vrijspraak geen sprake zal zijn, omdat de jury daarvoor unaniem moet zijn. Hij hoeft slechts 1 jury lid te hebben die twijfelt aan zijn schuld om een "mistrial" te krijgen, dus het is ook niet zeker dat hij schuldig wordt begonnen. Maar een aantal juridische experts geven het een 80 procent kans op het ogenblik. Daar zijn verdediging slappe hap was.

Laten we hopen dat hij achter de tralies verdwijnt. Het beraad van de jury kan wel een tijdje duren helaas, de verwachting is een week ofzo. Maar hoe sneller de uitspraak er komt hoe beter, want dat betekend dat ze eensgezind zijn, wat dus waarschijnlijk schuldig zal betekenen voor alle overtredingen.

Na de uitspraak zal de rechter nog moeten beslissen wat de straf zal zijn, wat ook weer een week of 2 kan duren. Trump kan maximaal 20 jaar krijgen. Maar een flutstraf zoals een proeftijd, en enkele maanden gevangenis straf is helaas ook mogelijk. Maar met hoe Trump zich tijdens de rechtszaak heeft gedragen naar de rechter, de ooggetuigen en ook de jury toe hoop ik daar niet op. De rechter zal een appeltje te schillen kunnen hebben.

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US warns Europe to get serious about China’s aid to Russia
Beijing’s leadership is determined to back Moscow “to the hilt,” says State Department No. 2 Kurt Campbell.

BRUSSELS — The U.S. is stepping up diplomatic efforts to convince Europe about the scale of China's role in aiding Russia's war against Ukraine.

And according to the second most senior figure in the U.S. State Department, Europe is now hardening its stance on Beijing.

Kurt Campbell — the deputy secretary of state who until recently served as U.S. President Joe Biden's "Indo-Pacific czar" — this week hand-delivered that warning to European diplomats in NATO with "as much detail and specifics as possible." His visit came ahead of a big NATO leaders' summit in Washington in July at which the alliance is expected to send a serious message to Beijing.

"It is fair to say that China's general goal has been not only to support Russia — in our view, to the hilt — but to downplay that publicly and try to maintain normal diplomatic and commercial ties with Europe," Campbell told a small group of media outlets including POLITICO during a visit to Brussels on Wednesday.

SPOILER

quote:

"And I think what we were heartened by yesterday in the discussions at the NAC [North Atlantic Council, the main political decision-making body within NATO] was how many European countries spoke up clearly, with the view that it would be impossible to maintain a normal relationship with China if, at the same time, the Chinese were surreptitiously abetting the most destabilizing war in Europe since the Second World War," Campbell said.

Campbell described Beijing's aid for Russia over the last 18 to 24 months as "deeply concerning."

"I do want to underscore that what we've seen from China to Russia is not a one-off or a couple of rogue firms involved in supporting Russia.

"This is a sustained, comprehensive effort that is backed up by the leadership in China that is designed to give Russia every support behind the scenes that will allow them to reconstitute elements of their military force, their long-range missiles, their UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones], some of their capacities to track movements on the battlefield, long-range artillery and the like," Campbell said. "This is an effort that has been designed to be largely out of view."

EV tariffs
Apart from the Russian war, the other common focus for the U.S. and EU has been on China's overcapacity when it comes to trade.

Earlier this month, the Biden administration quadrupled the tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to 100 percent. The European Commission is expected to start imposing tariffs shortly.

European firms — from German auto giants to French cognac-makers — have been appealing to their countries not to go down the path of a trade war with China, for fear of losing market access should the Chinese authorities take punitive action in retaliation.

Campbell cited China's economic uncertainties as a reason Beijing might not retaliate against Europe — if tariffs are imposed — as rigorously as it had in the past.

"In the current environment, I think China is aware of some of the vulnerabilities of its own economy, and so it has been wary to undertake some of the full-scale efforts [of] retaliation that we've seen in previous periods against Australia, South Korea, Philippines and others," he said. "I don't think that should give us too much comfort. But I think there is a recognition right now that the economic and commercial circumstances are more complex, from Beijing's perspective.

"In many respects, if steps are coordinated among countries, it is then more difficult to retaliate at simply one country or the other," said Campbell.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 21:33 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:
vakantie in het opdrogende bailkal meer ??????????

Wie gaat de Hr Poetin eens een keer de waarheid vertellen
Lake Baikal is nog groener dan het Balaton meer

Poetin die kent lake bailkal alleen van een plaatje
[..]
Als het in Sharm el Sheik in Egypte 25 graden is dan vriest het in lake Baikal 10C
https://www.weerenradar.n(...)9e-98c9-238b146534b2

Schaatsen dat gaat wel

Ik ben wel eens in het Yssik Kul lake geweest , maar nooit in Lake Baikal
[..]
[..]

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 22:28 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Ja mooi he. Daarom postte ik dat belachelijke proefballonnetje van putin ook. Een vakantie in een staatsresort aan een steenkoude of vervuilde zee. Wie wil dat nou niet. Enige voordeel is dat het kansen biedt om geld achterover te drukken.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 22:30 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
Lol, ik ben benieuwd hoe lang die er zal staan. Want ik verwacht niet dat het Kremlin er blij mee zal zijn.

quote:

Trump Promises ‘Immediate’ Release of US Journalist, But Kremlin Denies Contact
Donald Trump stirred controversy again with a bold claim about securing the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is currently detained in Russia on charges of espionage. Trump asserted that, if re-elected, Gershkovich would be “released immediately,” even before his presidential term begins. “He will be HOME, SAFE, AND WITH HIS FAMILY. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING!” Trump proclaimed during a campaign event on Thursday.

However, this claim was quickly met with skepticism from the Kremlin. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, responded to Trump’s remarks by clarifying that there have been no communications with the former U.S. president. “There aren’t any contacts with Donald Trump. Regarding [US-Russian] contacts on the matter of incarcerated and convicted individuals, we can say that these contacts must be carried out in total secrecy. This is the only way they can be effective,” Peskov stated, as reported by The Guardian.

The Biden administration has been actively attempting to secure Gershkovich’s release since his arrest in March of the previous year. Despite considering various strategies, including prisoner swaps, the U.S. has faced repeated rejections from the Russian government. This incident underscores the challenges that the U.S. faces in negotiating with Russia, especially concerning individuals accused of espionage. Notably, Paul Whelan, a U.S. Marine detained for five years on similar charges, has also been the subject of unsuccessful negotiations for a swap deal.

Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a contentious issue throughout his political career. His administration was frequently criticized for its perceived proximity to Putin, particularly after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia had interfered in the 2016 U.S. election to favor Trump—a claim Trump has vehemently denied, dismissing the extensive investigation as a “hoax.”

The former president’s latest statements on Gershkovich’s situation highlight his continued confidence in his personal influence over international affairs, including complex diplomatic negotiations. However, the Kremlin’s response suggests that Trump’s assertions may not align with the current reality of U.S.-Russian diplomatic communications. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how these claims will impact Trump’s campaign and the ongoing efforts to secure the release of Americans detained in Russia.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 22:34 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:

[..]
maakt Kremlin niets uit, de man is toch dood , hoe meer verzetshelden hoe mooier

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 22:36 schreef Anton91 het volgende:
Heeft niet zo zeer met de oorlog zelf te maken, maar toevallig net mijn appartement verkocht (overdracht halverwege juli) aan een vrouw uit Oekra�ne

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 22:41 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Gefeliciteerd!

quote:

Poland arrests man suspected of seeking intelligence on Ukraine aid
WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish security services have arrested a man suspected of trying to get photos of military vehicles crossing the border into Ukraine, a spokesperson said on Wednesday, the latest in a string of spy cases.

The 26-year-old Ukrainian man was suspected of encouraging a Polish citizen to share the photos and "take part in the activities of foreign intelligence against the Republic of Poland," the spokesperson said.

Poland says its role as a hub for supplies to Ukraine has made it a key target for Russian spies who are trying to gather information on support for Kyiv's war effort and engage in acts of sabotage.

The Ukrainian man, named as Oleksandr D., sent messages to a Polish citizen encouraging him to help foreign intelligence, Jacek Dobrzynski, the spokesperson of the minister coordinating special services said in a statement.

"This activity was to consist in sharing photos of military vehicles that were intended to help Ukraine and crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border," Dobrzynski said.

"In exchange for the information provided, the Polish citizen was to receive a remuneration of 15,000 euros."

A court agreed to a request from the prosecutor to hold the suspect in pre-trial detention for three months. If found guilty he could face up to eight years in prison.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 22:36 schreef Anton91 het volgende:
Heeft niet zo zeer met de oorlog zelf te maken, maar toevallig net mijn appartement verkocht (overdracht halverwege juli) aan een vrouw uit Oekra�ne

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FSB saboteur from Moldova sets fire to power substations in Odesa Oblast

Law enforcement officers have detained a saboteur of the Russian secret services, who set fire to electrical substations in the southern part of Odesa Oblast.

Source: Odesa Oblast Prosecutor's Office; Security Service of Ukraine

Quote from the Prosecutor's Office: "A citizen of the Republic of Moldova has been served with the notice of suspicion of sabotage committed under martial law."

Details: The investigation stated that the Russian secret services planned acts of sabotage at critical infrastructure facilities in Odesa Oblast. For that purpose, they involved a citizen of a neighbouring country who had a permanent residence permit in Ukraine.

In mid-April 2024, he poured five cans of gasoline on the technological equipment of two local electrical substations, which provoked fires there.

Then, a fire occurred at power transformers that provided power to eight settlements in the oblast, more than 14,000 consumers, healthcare institutions and water, heat, and gas supply facilities.

The equipment was destroyed, and electrical substations were disabled due to the fire.

As a reward for his "services", the saboteur expected to receive US$2,000, but he was detained "in hot pursuit".

The court granted the prosecution's request and arrested the suspect.

Investigative actions also continue so as to identify other persons involved in criminal activities.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 22:46 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:

[..]
een lekker ding ??

quote:

PM Tusk says Poland will create buffer zone at Belarusian border following attack on border guard
Poland plans to create a 200-meter-wide buffer zone along its state border with Belarus, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on May 29.

The announcement came after a Polish border guard was left in critical condition after being stabbed through the existing fence with a makeshift spear the previous day. The attack was reportedly carried out by a migrant who was attempting to illegally cross the border.

The attack was not the first violent incident at the border.

Tusk said that a decision on the buffer zone, which was previously implemented under the previous government in 2021, would be made at "the beginning of next week."

Following the full-scale invasion, Poland's relations with Russian ally Belarus have deteriorated. Warsaw has also long accused Belarus of deliberately pushing migrants into Poland in order to pressure the EU over sanctions, a charge Belarus has denied.

Tusk announced earlier in May that Poland plans to invest 10 billion zlotys ($2.55 billion) in strengthening its borders with Russia and Belarus to deter potential aggression.

The prime minister first mentioned his plans to fortify Poland's entire eastern border with Belarus due to a growing "hybrid war" and illegal migration on May 11.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 22:51 schreef Anton91 het volgende:

[..]
Geen idee, ze nam toevallig gister contact op via whatsapp en ze heeft wel een foto maar is onherkenbaar. Ik gok wel dat ze een aardig salaris heeft als ze nu alleen kan kopen

quote:

Lukashenko withdraws Belarus from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe
Alexander Lukashenko signed a law suspending the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe for Belarus.

The document was published on Wednesday on the National Legal Portal of Belarus.

“To suspend the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe of November 19, 1990,” the law states.

This treaty was ratified by Belarus and entered into force in 1992.

It provides for limits on aggregate levels of conventional weapons and equipment in five main categories (tanks, armored combat vehicles, artillery, attack helicopters, and combat aircraft), as well as mechanisms for verifying compliance with the commitments (information exchange and inspections).

Lukashenko’s press service noted that the suspension of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe does not mean that Belarus will withdraw from it and stop implementing internal procedures related to its implementation in the armed forces.

SPOILER

quote:

As reported, the Czech Republic and Poland decided not to fulfill the agreement on Belarus in August 2022 and March 2023, respectively.

In response, Alexander Lukashenko signed a law terminating the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe with respect to Poland and the Czech Republic.

On November 7, 2023, Russia finally withdrew from yet another international arms limitation agreement, this time saying goodbye to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

In response, NATO member states announced their intention to suspend the Treaty “for as long as necessary”.

The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe concluded in the last years of the Cold War, set limits on key categories of conventional military equipment in Europe (from the Atlantic to the Urals) and provided for the destruction of surplus weapons. The treaty offered equal restrictions for two groups of states: NATO members and the Warsaw Pact.

As previously reported, a military base is under construction in Belarus, where Russia may store its nuclear weapons.

quote:

A Russian Buk-M1 rocket launcher was destroyed on the outskirts of Melitopol

Photos of the 9A310М1-2 self-propelled launcher of the Buk-M1 SAM system destroyed 20 kilometers south of Melitopol have been released.

The Dosye shpiona Telegram channel published photos of the equipment.

According to the source, the strike was carried out using an FPV drone. The date of the strike is unknown.

Given the distance of about 100 kilometers from the line of contact, it can be assumed that the launcher was destroyed by a sabotage and reconnaissance group or a resistance movement.

SPOILER

quote:

The hit resulted in the detonation of one of the anti-aircraft missiles, which completely destroyed the launcher.

Hunting for Russian Buk SAM systems
The Ukrainian Defense Forces are actively hunting for enemy air defense systems that cover important facilities and positions of Russian troops along the entire front line.

Militarnyi previously reported that the Special Operations Forces hit the Russian Buk system using a new kamikaze drone.

The military discovered the location of the Russian Buk missile systems during reconnaissance operations.

After that, a drone promptly hit the system. A reconnaissance drone monitored the process.

At the beginning of May, it was reported that the operators of one of the Special Operations Forces units discovered and destroyed the Buk-M1 air defense system’s launcher with six missiles.

It is reported that the transporter loader launcher and firing unit of the Buk-M1 system were discovered while working in the Sumy direction.

The firing unit was damaged, and the transporter loader launcher was destroyed.

The operators inflicted fire damage using fixed-wing kamikaze drones while a Shark drone monitored the target.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 22:33 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:

[..]
Ik proef eruit dat hij een soort Noord Korea wil creeren,

quote:

Al die Russen in Zuid Frankrijk, Londen en Azie is hem een doorn in het oog

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 23:05 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Dat zie je ook aan de dagelijkse stroom aan nieuwe regelgeving. Bijvoorbeeld: putin bepaalt dat Roscosmos aanbestedingen niet meer openbaar hoeft te maken. En zo gaat dat de hele dag door.
[..]
Zeker omdat hij daar nooit meer naartoe kan gaan.

quote:

Does Ukraine use Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russia? Minstrategprom: It's about Crimea
The Air Force does not comment on whether Ukraine uses British-supplied missiles on Russian territory

The United Kingdom had previously allowed Ukraine to use its long-range Storm Shadow missiles to attack targets inside Russia. Ukraine has successfully used them, Yuriy Sak, an aide to the Minister of Strategic Industries, told Bloomberg.

He later clarified to LIGA.net that he was referring to the use of these missiles in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

"We already have a precedent [with permission to attack Russia]. The United Kingdom has previously allowed Ukraine to use its long-range Storm Shadow missiles, and we have used them successfully," he said.

SPOILER

quote:

UPDATE: Sak clarified to LIGA.net that the above statement referred to an existing precedent for the use of Storm Shadow missiles against Russian forces and military targets. However, he was specifically referring to their use against military targets in Crimea.

It is important to note that there was no mention of Crimea during the Bloomberg broadcast after the phrase "and we have used them [missiles] successfully."

He also said that the Ukrainians need to be "flexible and dynamic" and that the country is producing its own long-range capabilities.

Sak stressed that Ukraine has managed to reduce Russia's oil refining capacity by 15% using weapons produced by the Ukrainian defense industry.

The Air Force is currently not commenting on whether Ukraine is using the British-supplied missiles against Russia, Air Force spokesman Illia Yevlash told LIGA.net.

The Main Directorate of Intelligence also declined to comment.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 22:56 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:
Putin die leeft helemaal in zijn eigen wereld

Russians React to Putin's Words

quote:

Trump Allegedly Suggested He Would Have Bombed Beijing and Moscow
In a shock to donors, the former US president is reported to have suggested he would have bombed the two capitals if they invaded Ukraine and Taiwan during his presidency.

Former US President and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reportedly suggested he would have bombed Beijing and Moscow if they invaded Taiwan and Ukraine under his presidency.

According to the Washington Post, Trump made the comment during an unspecified leg of his nationwide fundraising tour, a statement which reportedly shocked some of his donors.

“Oftentimes, his comments at the events are about foreign policy and topics he discusses at rallies, such as inflation and immigration.

“For example, at one event, he suggested that he would have bombed Moscow and Beijing if Russia invaded Ukraine or China invaded Taiwan, surprising some of the donors,” Josh Dawsey the writer of the report commented without further elaboration.

SPOILER

quote:

The publication said it reached out to the Trump Campaign with “detailed questions about his fundraising requests” but only received “a statement in support of his efforts.”

Trump has been known, and at times scrutinized, for his ambiguous position on Ukraine.

In February 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion, he praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as being a “genius” and “savvy,” a comment preceded and followed by a longstanding skepticism over aid to Ukraine.

However, in February this year, Trump alleged current US President Joe Biden – who has officially called for more aid to Kyiv – to be a weak leader who will “give” Ukraine to Putin, suggesting that he would do more for Ukraine.

Trump also accused Europe of “not paying their fair share” in support of Ukraine compared to Washington, a statement that was debunked in a Kyiv Post analysis earlier this month.

In a comment made in September 2023, Trump also said he would end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours without providing details of how he would go about it. An April Washington Post report claimedthat Trump’s plan would require Ukraine to cede Donbas and Crimea, which would be a strategically significant departure from Washington’s current policy.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 23:11 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Zoals ik al tijden zeg: de prijzen zijn inmiddels gelijk aan die in Nederland. Bekijk voor jezelf eens de folder van de Dixi supermarkt (in PDF).

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:35 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Het lachertje van NAVO is trouwens Belgi�.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 22:13 schreef SillyWalks het volgende:

[..]
Waar denk je dat die F16's eerst voor ingezet gaan worden?
AA uitschakelen, en Russische vliegtuigen uitschakelen die normaal de Oekra�ense vliegtuigen uit de lucht schieten?
Om het luchtruim veiliger te maken om vrijer met de F16 te kunnen vliegen.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 23:21 schreef polderturk het volgende:

[..]
Belgi� levert wel 30 F16's.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 23:14 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/33446
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

Hij zegt wel meer. Ongeveer 90 procent van wat hij zegt zijn leugens, en hij zal alles zeggen als hij denkt er kiezers mee te kunnen winnen. Ik geloof er dus niks van. Maar ik zie nu wel waar die comment eerder in het topic vandaan kwam.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 23:21 schreef polderturk het volgende:

[..]
Belgi� levert wel 30 F16's.

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 23:24 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
Ik denk idd vnl in de Air-to-Air rol en daarnaast stand-off wapeninzet.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 23:21 schreef polderturk het volgende:

[..]
Belgi� levert wel 30 F16's.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 00:24 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Canada vervangt hun CF-18A's vanaf 2026 met de F-35A, dus die hebben niet veel opties wat dat betreft.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 00:58 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Als canada die zou willen doneren volgen er weer "intensieve discussies" met "westerse landen" en wordt dat uitgesteld omdat <excuus van de dag>.

Maar nee, Australie had gespeeld met het idee die van hun te doneren, en na "intensieve discussies" is daar vanaf gezien.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 01:23 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Canada bestelde de F-35A in 2023 maar pas in 2026 komen de eerste vier en pas dan zijn er dus toestellen beschikbaar. Maar doe gerust je huilshow over hoe schandelijk dat is.

quote:

Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 22:12 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Weet je nog dat filmpje met Poetin en die vier mannen toen ze die documenten tekenden?

quote:

Major fire breaks out in Moscow, efforts to extinguish fire involve aviation
In Moscow (Russian Federation) today, May 30, a powerful fire broke out in a warehouse covering an area of ​​two thousand square meters. A helicopter was involved in extinguishing the flames, according to the Telegram channel of the Russian Emergencies Ministry and Russian media.

A fire broke out in the eastern part of the capital of the aggressor country in the Novogireyevo District. Due to the intense fire, Martenovskaia Street, where this building is located, was closed.

Russian Emergencies Ministry officials say that extinguishing the fire at the warehouse in Moscow is complicated by the high fire load of the building.

It is noted that inside there are containers with flammable liquids.

Also, the Russian ministry reported that they are trying to extinguish the fire with 120 firefighters, 40 pieces of equipment, and the Ka-32 helicopter.

As the Russian press writes, the fires at the warehouse in eastern Moscow were classified as 3rd rank complexity. Residents reported hearing some bangs during the fire.

Earlier in May, a building of the district administration in Sokolinaya Gora District in Moscow was on fire. The Russian Emergencies Ministry claimed that the fire occurred in a trading-office building.

Also, this month in the Russian town of Naro-Fominsk, located near Moscow, a large fire broke out at a building materials warehouse.

In mid-April, a fire broke out in Moscow on the premises of the Avangard factory. It is part of the joint-stock company Concern for Air and Space Defense Almaz-Antey.

quote:

A List Of All The Countries In Favour of Ukraine Using Weapons To Strike Targets Inside Russia

An expanding list of nations advocating for Western arms assistance to Ukraine for targeting Russian positions, that we’ll keep updating.

Amid the ongoing Russian full-scale war against Ukraine and the re-opening of a second front in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine’s Western allies are seriously debating whether to allow Ukraine to use Western weapons to target strategic military targets on Russian soil or not.

SPOILER

quote:

France
On May 28 at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his visit to Germany, Macron stated: “We think that we should allow them to neutralize military sites where missiles are fired, from where… Ukraine is attacked,”

In this context, Jean-Louis Bourlanges, President of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee and Modem deputy, issued a press release pressing France to “come out of its reserve and make a decision comparable to that of the British and Americans,” according to the international affairs specialist. “The right to self-defense excludes the right to protect the territory of the aggressor.”

Lithuania
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis believes that Ukrainians should be able to use the equipment provided to them to achieve their strategic goals.

“They should be able to strike Russian territory, supply lines and troops preparing to attack Ukraine,” he said in an interview with the French television channel LCI.

“Only one side obeys the rules. We must abandon these rules that we ourselves have created,” according to Lithuanian Landsbergis.

Latvia
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has urged Western partners to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of supplied weapons, noting that Russia’s current offensive attempts are also a result of Western delays and indecision.

“What we see is the consequence of our inability to provide Ukraine with weapons and also putting restrictions [on using] those weapons to strike military targets inside Russia.”

Sweden
The Minister of Defense of Sweden Pal Jonson stated, in a commentary to Hallandsposten newspaper, that Ukraine can use Swedish weapons to strike targets on Russian territory.

“Ukraine is exposed to an unprovoked and illegal war of aggression by Russia.”

“According to international law, Ukraine has the right to defend itself through military actions aimed at the enemy’s territory as long as the military actions comply with the laws of war. Sweden stands behind international law and Ukraine’s right to defend itself,” Jonson added.

Estonia
According to Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, Ukraine should be permitted to target positions within the territory of Russia, using weaponry supplied by Western allies.

“Ukraine has its own drones that hit targets behind the front line in the very deep rear of the enemy, at a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers, so, of course, I sincerely hope that all countries that have long-range means will give permission to Ukraine as well, because this is not normal, that Russia is attacking from the depths of its territory, and the Ukrainians are fighting with one hand behind their back,” Pevkur stated.

Poland
The Deputy Defense Minister of Poland Cezary Tomczyk stated that Poland does not limit Ukraine from hitting targets on the territory of Russia.

“Polish weapons, which we transfer to Ukraine, have no restrictions on hitting enemy territory,” Tomczyk emphasized.

“Ukrainians can fight as they want and I believe that this is a very important aspect of this donation.”

Finland
In Februaury 2024, Finland joined Ukraine in urging Germany to “seriously consider” sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

“If necessary, Ukraine should also strike military targets on the Russian side. It is a completely legitimate defensive battle that Ukraine is waging. The U.N. Charter allows military targets to be attacked across land borders,” according to Jukka Kopra, chair of the Finnish Parliamentary Defense Committee.

Czech Republic
The Czech government has responded positively to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s proposal for Ukraine to utilize Western weaponry to conduct strikes within Russian territory.

“As a country under attack, Ukraine certainly has every right to use all means of defense,” Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in Prague on May 28.

Great Britain
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron visited Kyiv on May 2 and affirmed Ukraine’s right to use the weaponry provided by the UK for strikes within Russia. “Ukraine has that right. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it’s defending itself.”

Netherlands
On May 23, Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Hanke Bruins Slot expressed her support, allowing Ukraine to use weapons on Russian territory, and promised that the Netherlands would state its position in communications with the European Union and NATO members.

Several EU countries and the US have held back from authorizing the use of the weaponry they supplied to directly target Russia, citing concerns about the potential escalation of the conflict. However, as pressure mounts on the Ukrainian frontlines and territory is being lost, there is an increasing discourse on reassessing this stance.

Canada
On May 29, at a press conference in Ottawa, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly stated that Canada did not set any conditions for Ukraine regarding the use of the transferred weapons. Joly stressed that Canada's commitment to Ukraine's defense is resolute.

“Because Russia does not have any "red lines", and therefore we must be sure that when it comes to the defense of Ukraine, we are ready to help them and show that, despite what is happening, we are on their side. And in Canada, there are no conditions for the supply of weapons to Ukraine, and therefore we will continue to work with the Ukrainian armed forces," Joly emphasized.

quote:

EU probes Telegram, because size matters for regulators
Russian info slinger could be on the hook for posting disinformation

The European Union is reportedly looking into messaging app Telegram, and whether it has more users than the platform lets on.

EU officials are currently in discussions with Telegram concerning its user base according to Bloomberg, which cited unnamed sources. While Telegram officially claims it has just 41 million European users, local regulators are skeptical and suspect the actual user amount is higher. This is particularly relevant since platforms with 45 million or more users (termed very large online platforms or VLOPs) operating in the EU are subject to stricter rules of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).

"As of February 2024, Telegram had an estimated average of 41 million monthly active EU users over the preceding six months," the platform claims in a now-defunct page about Telegram and the DSA, which can be viewed via the Wayback Machine.

SPOILER

quote:

"The number of monthly active users relevant for calculating this threshold is likely to be even lower, as only some of Telegram's features can be considered 'online platforms' within the meaning of the Digital Services Act."

The URL for this webpage now redirects to the regular terms of service, which makes no mention of the DSA. It is unclear why the page was taken down, though it might have something to do with the probe.

The EU may have been spurred into its investigation at least partly by Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who reportedly said "it should qualify as a very large online platform." She compared Telegram to Facebook and X, and said it should follow the same rules.

Should Telegram be found to have more than 45 million EU users, it would qualify as a VLOP and potentially be responsible for the content hosted on the service. The platform is especially popular among Russian accounts that spread (dis)information about the Russo-Ukrainian War and other topics. The Wagner Group has used Telegram prolifically, and its late leader Yevgeny Prigozhin even announced his rebellion against the Russian government on Telegram.

Running afoul of the DSA could result in big fines up to 6 percent of revenue, or even banishment from the EU, if Telegram refuses to cooperate. The new law has been used to probe Meta and TikTok on the grounds of child safety, so the EU clearly isn't shy about at least looking into matters. Most notably, X was the first to be investigated via the DSA for hosting disinformation and other illegal content. �

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Think tank close to Kremlin says Russia should consider a 'demonstrative' nuclear explosion
(Reuters) - A senior member of a Russian think tank whose ideas sometimes become government policy has suggested Moscow consider a "demonstrative" nuclear explosion to cow the West into refusing to allow Ukraine to use its arms against targets inside Russia.

The proposal, by Dmitry Suslov, a member of the Moscow-based Council for Foreign and Defence Policy, was issued a day after President Vladimir Putin warned the West that NATO members in Europe were playing with fire by proposing to let Kyiv use Western weapons to strike deep inside Russia, something he said could trigger a global conflict.

Ukraine's leadership says it needs to be able to strike Russian forces and military targets inside Russia with long-range Western missiles to be able to defend itself and prevent air, missile and drone attacks, a view which has found some support among some Western countries but not yet with Washington.

Russia, which possesses the world's largest nuclear arsenal, has warned it would view such a step as a grave escalation that would pull NATO and the countries concerned into a direct conflict with Moscow, increasing the risk of nuclear war.

Suslov, a member of the Council for Foreign and Defence Policy, a think tank praised by Putin who has said the authorities sometimes pick up its policy ideas, said Russia needed to act to dissuade the West from crossing a red line.

"To confirm the seriousness of Russia's intentions and to convince our opponents of Moscow's readiness to escalate, it is worth considering a demonstrative (i.e. non-combat) nuclear explosion," Suslov wrote in business magazine Profil.

"The political and psychological effect of a nuclear mushroom cloud, which will be shown live on all TV channels around the world, will hopefully remind Western politicians of the one thing that has prevented wars between the great powers since 1945 and that they have now largely lost - fear of nuclear war."

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Suslov is the latest Russian security expert and lawmaker to argue that Moscow should test a nuclear bomb to intimidate amid the Ukraine war, fuelling fears among Western security experts that Russia may be inching towards such a test.

Such a move, if it did happen, could usher in a new era of big power nuclear testing.

There was no immediate comment on Suslov's proposal from the Kremlin, which has said Russia's nuclear policy remains unchanged while signalling its displeasure with what it cast as increasingly aggressive Western rhetoric on arming Kyiv earlier this month by ordering tactical nuclear weapons drills.

NUCLEAR TEST?
Suslov suggested Russia also initiate strategic nuclear exercises, warn any country whose weapons are used by Kyiv to attack Russia that Moscow reserves the right to strike that country's targets anywhere in the world, and warn it could use nuclear weapons if that country then retaliates conventionally.

Putin in November signed a law withdrawing Russia's ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests, a move he said was designed to bring Russia into line with the United States, which signed but never ratified the treaty.

Russian diplomats said at the time that Russia, which has not carried out a post-Soviet nuclear test, would not resume nuclear testing unless Washington does.

The Soviet Union last tested in 1990 and the United States in 1992. Only North Korea has conducted a test involving a nuclear explosion this century.

Russia warned Britain this month that it could strike British military installations and equipment both inside Ukraine and elsewhere if British weapons were used by Ukraine - with London's blessing - to strike Russian territory.

It issued the warning after British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Kyiv had the right to use UK-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia.

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Top Biden aides signal openness to letting Ukraine strike Russia with US weapons
No final decision has been made, but the consideration comes amid mounting pressure from allies and Democrats.

Two senior Biden administration officials Wednesday opened the door to allowing Ukraine to use American-donated weapons to strike inside Russia.

The move, if made, would come as European allies, lawmakers and Ukrainian officials exert pressure on the White House to lift the restrictions, and as Russia has made major advances on the battlefield. It also suggests that President Joe Biden and his team are increasingly worried about Kyiv’s ability to fend off Russia’s attacks, especially its latest advance in Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken signaled the possible change during a visit to Moldova when pressed by reporters. A “hallmark” of the Biden administration’s approach toward Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion two years ago “has been to adapt as the conditions have changed, as the battlefield has changed, as what Russia does has changed.”

“We’ve adapted and adjusted, too, and we’ll continue to do that,” he continued.

Shortly afterward, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, while stating that there’s “no change” in the current policy that says Ukraine can’t use U.S.-supplied weapons to strike inside Russian territory, also noted that America’s “support to Ukraine has evolved appropriately.”

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Two other Biden administration officials cautioned that no final decision has been made and that Blinken and Kirby were describing a general trend of American support for Ukraine during the war — one of initial caution followed by permission. They were not necessarily guaranteeing a forthcoming shift.

The topic is “under consideration,” a U.S. official familiar with the issue said. Both were granted anonymity to speak about sensitive internal deliberations.

Kyiv hasn’t seen concrete movement on the matter from the Biden administration, according to a person close to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office. Zelenskyy, during a visit to Belgium on Tuesday, begged Western governments to “please give us permission” to use their weapons to strike targets in Russia’s sovereign territory.

The U.S. restrictions “significantly reduce the effectiveness of partners’ assistance and neutralize the efforts made,” according to an internal Ukrainian government document on Wednesday setting out talking points for Ukrainian officials, obtained by POLITICO.

Biden has faced mounting pressure at home to lift the restriction, including from Democrats, and foreign allies’ decisions to give Ukraine the go-ahead to use their transferred weapons on Russian soil have added to that pressure.

This month, U.K. Foreign Minister David Cameron said Kyiv could use British weapons to strike sovereign Russian territory. Then on Monday, NATO’s parliamentary assembly adopted a resolution calling on Western countries to allow Ukraine to use weapons to strike military targets inside Russia.

The issue gathered momentum on Tuesday, when French President Emmanuel Macron opened the door to Ukraine using donated weapons to “neutralize” Russian military sites.

“We’re not being escalatory by doing this,” Macron continued during a joint press conference alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, arguing that Ukraine should be allowed to hit targets in Russian territory where missiles are being shot from. Scholz didn’t go as far but still signaled his openness to the idea, saying Ukraine’s use of Western weapons “must always be within the framework of international law.”

Also this week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: “By having too many restrictions we are tying one hand of the Ukrainian armed forces on their back.”

The Biden administration has changed other Ukraine policies after allies have done so, namely sending long-range missiles after London and Paris delivered their versions to Kyiv.

Many top U.S. lawmakers are publicly supportive of the idea.

Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Ukrainians have been unable to defend themselves because of the Biden administration’s policy. A group of bipartisan lawmakers led by House Intelligence Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) sent the Pentagon a letter asking military leaders to lift the restriction.

“I haven’t seen a single person in the House or Senate who didn’t support this idea,” said Oleksandra Ustinova, the head of Ukraine’s special parliamentary commission on arms and munitions, who met with several lawmakers in Washington this month. They noted that Kyiv had watched as Russian troops massed on the border preparing to strike at Kharkiv, and could not hit the formations with their U.S.-supplied missiles because of Washington’s rule.

On Wednesday, 60 former officials and scholars sent Biden a letter, obtained by POLITICO, demanding that he lift the restriction because it could help Ukraine fend off the attack on Kharkiv and prevent other large-scale Russian offensives elsewhere.

“We must finally learn from Ukraine’s successes at calling out Russian bluster that it is not escalatory for Ukraine to defend itself. The past two years have shown that if we allow the U.S. to be held hostage to the Kremlin’s threats of escalation, Russia gains the upper hand and Ukrainian civilians pay the price,” wrote the group.

The letter’s signatories include retired Gen. Philip Breedlove, the former top U.S. commander in Europe, and multiple former American ambassadors to Ukraine.

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Czechia urges allies to meet commitments, fund ammunition for Ukraine
Czech Defence Minister Jana Černochov� (ODS, ECR) called on its European allies to contribute financially to the so-called Czech ammunition initiative, as only four countries have so far met their financial commitments.

Czechia has taken a proactive role in addressing Ukraine’s urgent need for artillery ammunition through the so-called Czech initiative. This campaign involves sourcing artillery shells from the global market.

The initiative has secured financial commitments from 18 countries, mainly EU and NATO member states. Czechia has positioned itself as a mediator, negotiating memorandums on donors’ commitments and procurement agreements and then coordinating the logistical aspects of the deliveries.

While the number of countries pledging financial support is growing, only a few of them have actually sent the money.

“Funds flow to us gradually; we cannot buy ammunition on debt,” the Czech defence minister said, underscoring the logistical and financial challenges involved.

“If some countries have signed a memorandum but have not yet sent funds, we cannot proceed with acquisitions. It is a bit of an appeal to those governments which have already signed memorandums to send the money,” Černochov� said to Czech journalists after Tuesday’s meeting of defence ministers in Brussels.

She also revealed that only Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Portugal have sent money to buy the ammunition so far.

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The first ammunition is expected to be delivered to Ukraine in early June. This was also confirmed by the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS, ECR) who discussed the initiative with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal during their Tuesday’s informal dinner in Prague.

The first tens of thousands of 155 mm ammunition will arrive in Ukraine in June, the Czech prime minister informed, adding that Ukraine can expect the first shipment in the next few days.

According to Frederiksen, the money collected so far is enough to purchase 500,000 pieces of ammunition by the end of the year. “It can change the situation on the battlefield,” she said during the press conference in Prague.

Duda warned that while Russia is still strengthening its military capabilities, Ukraine is facing shortages. “The responsibility to strengthen Ukraine’s supply and defence capabilities lies with the West,” he said. Ukraine’s potential failure would be a threat to the Euro-Atlantic order, he added.

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Pentagon Opens Ammunition Factory to Keep Arms Flowing to Ukraine
A plant still under construction in Mesquite, Texas, will soon turn out 30,000 artillery shells each month, roughly doubling current U.S. output.

^{Workers assembling computer-driven robots and flow-forming machines at a new General Dynamics artillery ammunition factory in Mesquite, Texas.Credit...Desiree Rios for The New York Times}

In a warehouse off Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway in an industrial area outside Dallas, the future of American military ammunition production is coming online.

Here, in the Pentagon’s first new major arms plant built since Russia invaded Ukraine, Turkish workers in orange hard hats are busy unpacking wood crates stenciled with the name Repkon, a defense company based in Istanbul, and assembling computer-controlled robots and lathes.

The factory will soon turn out about 30,000 steel shells every month for the 155-millimeter howitzers that have become crucial to Kyiv’s war effort.

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Ukraine fired between 4,000 and 7,000 such shells daily for several months in 2023, according to NATO’s secretary-general, before infighting among House Republicans held up further funding for Pentagon arms shipments. Large shipments of American artillery ammunition resumed in April after Congress passed an aid package that included $61 billion to Ukraine.

The gap led to a drastic ammunition shortage for Kyiv, with Ukrainian troops able to fire only a fraction of the shells shot at them by Russian forces.

To keep Ukraine’s artillery crews supplied, the Pentagon set a production target last year of 100,000 shells per month by the end of 2025. Factories in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., together make about 36,000 shells per month. The new General Dynamics facility in Mesquite, Texas, will make 30,000 each month once it reaches its full capacity.

The 100,000-per-month goal represents a nearly tenfold increase in production from a few years ago.

An Ohio-based defense firm called IMT is expected to make up the difference.

Less than a year ago, the surrounding area here in North Texas was just a dirt field. But with millions of dollars from Congress and help from Repkon, the American defense firm General Dynamics was able to open the factory about 10 months after breaking ground.

<sup>Even as the first production line for making 155-millimeter shells was being completed at General Dynamics facility in Mesquite, Texas, workers were already fitting out a second line within the same building.Credit...Desiree Rios for The New York Times


Bins of parts awaiting assembly at a factory that will turn out 30,000 artillery shells each month when construction is completed.Credit...Desiree Rios for The New York Times</sup>

“Despite all our starts and stops with the government, the continuing resolutions and getting the last supplemental, the industrial base responds when you fund it and it’s done right,” William A. LaPlante, the Pentagon’s top acquisition official, said in an interview with his Army counterpart, Douglas R. Bush.

According to Mr. LaPlante, the United States has provided more than three million 155-millimeter shells to Kyiv since the war began in February 2022.

“When government and industry work together and Congress gives us sufficient latitude, we can still do great things in this country really fast,” Mr. Bush added.

Whether the increase in artillery ammunition production alone will be enough to change outcomes on the battlefield in Ukraine’s favor is, however, unknown.

“The steady increase of artillery ammunition production is significant for long-term U.S. and Ukrainian needs,” said Michael Kofman, an expert on the Russian military and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, “but even in the best case scenario, I would say those late-2025 output targets will arrive late in this war, and it is likely that Russian artillery output will still be higher than the U.S. and Europe combined at that point.”

“Let’s say a year and a half from now both the U.S. and Europe are making, or buying, over a million shells each,” he added. “That’s still probably less than Russia is going to produce this year.”

The Mesquite factory will consist of three production lines in different buildings — one of which will share space with a distribution center for Frito-Lay that had a Cheetos-branded truck parked outside. When all three lines are completed, most of the Turkish workers will go home.

Half of the on-site American work force came from another General Dynamics plant about 10 miles north in Garland, where the company forges steel casings for aerial bombs. The Mesquite factory will add about 350 jobs to the local economy when it reaches its full production capacity next year, company officials said.

<sup>In the first stage of production, 18-foot rectangular steel bars are cut into roughly foot-and-a-half-long pieces, each of which will be turned into an artillery shell.Credit...Desiree Rios for The New York Times


Artillery shells made in early production runs are set aside for testing and calibrating new equipment before the factory begins full-rate production for the U.S. military.Credit...Desiree Rios for The New York Times</sup>

It can take days to forge shells at the military’s current factories in Pennsylvania, which use a combination of new and nearly century-old technologies to heat and press steel billets into tapered projectiles. But the new plant in Mesquite spins rounds out much faster.

The shorter turnaround comes from the use of something called flow forming — a machine inside an enclosure roughly the size of a city bus rotates a 130-pound steel cup at high speed while simultaneously squeezing it until it becomes a long gleaming cylinder. From there, robots do much of the remaining work.

A series of identical orange-colored robot arms throughout the factory grab the metal projectile parts from one machine and place them on small automated carts that drive them to the next station, where another robot gripper that slides along a track begins the next stage of the process.

Each robot’s work area is fenced in, and its openings are flanked by an “air gate” — a strip of sensors that allow Roomba-like carts to enter but shut machines down if they detect a human.

Humans are needed in a few steps to lift things along the way, often with a large yellow device bolted to the floor called a manipulator that allows them to move shells to other machines.

Laser scanners have replaced human eyes and hand tools for inspecting shells inside and out, quickly verifying that the projectiles are within their desired specifications.
https://vp.nyt.com/video/(...)N-29675_wg_1080p.mp4
Once complete, the empty shells made in Mesquite will be shipped to the Army’s sole facility for filling them with explosives — a World War II-era plant in Burlington, Iowa. Next year, however, many of the shells will be sent to another new General Dynamics factory that is under construction in Camden, Ark.

The Pentagon’s drive to reinvest in ammunition production will also result in the Army’s Iowa plant opening a second line for filling shells with explosives, and the partial reopening of a plant in Parsons, Kan., for packing artillery propellant charges that was largely shuttered in a round of base closures in the 2000s.

Once complete, an unguided shell will be just under three feet long and weigh roughly 100 pounds — 24 pounds of which will be its explosive fill. That is enough to kill people within 150 feet of impact and cause injuries more than 400 feet away.

Mr. LaPlante and Mr. Bush both indicated that European countries were also ramping up their artillery ammunition production, and U.S. defense contractors are in talks with the Ukrainian government to find ways to help Ukraine bolster its own domestic defense industry.

The United States has transferred sensitive manufacturing plans for more than 1,000 American weapons to Kyiv, and translated an equal number of technical manuals from English to Ukrainian, the two officials said.

When asked, they stopped short of saying which weapons.

“What are they using the most?” Mr. Bush replied.

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Ukraine insists it needs Gripen fighter jets – ambassador

Ukraine still wants to receive Gripen fighter jets, Andrii Plakhotniuk, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Stockholm, said after Sweden’s defence minister mentioned that some countries have requested that plans to supply these combat aircraft be put on hold.

Source: Plakhotniuk in an interview with the Swedish agency TT, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Plakhotniuk said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s message during his visit to Sweden last August still holds true today. "He made it clear that we are interested in this system," the ambassador said, referring to Gripen fighter jets.

"We need Gripens, we need ammunition, and we need air defence systems. We need everything to protect Ukrainian lives," Plakhotniuk added.

Earlier, TT cited a statement by Swedish Defence Minister P�l Jonson, who revealed that several states had asked Sweden to halt its plans to supply Ukraine with Gripen fighter jets in order to focus on the delivery of F-16 fighter jets.

The following day, on 29 May, Sweden announced its sixteenth package of military aid to Ukraine – its largest yet, worth SEK 13.3 billion (about �1.16 billion).

As part of this package, Sweden will send an ASC-890 Airborne Surveillance and Control aircraft.

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Turkey to assist in rebuilding Ukraine's power grid
A meeting between Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko and Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Levent Bilgen was held to address the consequences of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy systems.

The parties discussed cooperation between the countries in repairing damages caused by the attacks, especially in the Kharkiv and Odesa regions.

They focused on increasing the flexibility of Ukraine's power system and enhancing electricity generation capacity, including developing distributed and mobile generation capabilities.

"For us, this is a matter of survival in the coming winter," Halushchenko said.

Turkish companies expressed readiness to participate in these projects, with particular emphasis on installing mobile power plants.

Previously, Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of Ukraine's parliament, visited Turkey on an official visit from May 13 to 15.

The talks addressed the implementation of President Zelensky's peace formula and the reconstruction efforts in Ukraine, with a focus on engaging Turkey in the rebuilding process.

Russian strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure have cost the state over $1 billion in damage, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on May 5 on national television.

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Kremlin uses issue of prisoner exchanges to destabilize situation in Ukraine
Russia has accused Ukraine of halting prisoner exchanges for several months, attempting to stoke discontent within Ukrainian society and divert Western support, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The report highlights that Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova accused Ukraine of making groundless demands, which she claimed led to the pause in prisoner exchanges over recent months. She added that Russia is doing everything possible to maintain dialogue with the Ukrainian government and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regarding prisoners of war.

In contrast, in November 2023, Petro Yatsenko, a representative of Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters on POW Affairs, noted that Russia had already suspended prisoner exchanges in the summer of 2023 for an unspecified reason.

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On May 29, Radio Svoboda reported that Ukraine was forced to open a third camp for Russian POWs, partly due to de facto blocking of exchanges by the Russian side, and partly due to an increase in the number of Russian deserters becoming POWs. This aligns with several recent statements by Ukrainian officials, indicating that Russian authorities are resisting the continuation of prisoner exchanges.

The ISW report also notes that in the months following the last exchange in February, Russia has committed various abuses against Ukrainian POWs. These include extrajudicial executions and using POWs as human shields on the battlefield - both violations of the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War. There has also been evidence of a black market for selling Ukrainian POWs to Russian paramilitary groups.

Furthermore, the report states that Russia is deploying a battalion composed mainly of Ukrainian POWs in combat operations in Ukraine, another blatant violation of the Geneva Convention.

The ISW suggests that Moskalkova's accusations against Ukraine for halting the exchanges may be an attempt to rhetorically shift the blame to Kyiv and obscure the numerous well-documented abuses by the aggressor against Ukrainian POWs.

"Moskalkova's accusation that Ukraine is the party responsible for the cessation of POW exchanges may be an attempt to rhetorically shift the blame towards Ukraine and obfuscate a litany of well-documented Russian abuses of Ukrainian POWs, potentially to stoke discontent in Ukrainian society or to discourage Western support for Ukraine. The Kremlin appears to be using the politics of POW exchanges as another rhetorical device to undermine Ukrainian decision-making," the ISW report concludes.

Prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia
On January 3, 2024, the largest prisoner exchange since the start of the full-scale war took place, with 230 defenders returning home.

The most recent prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia occurred on February 8, 2024, facilitated by the United Arab Emirates. In this 100-for-100 swap, 49 members of Ukraine's National Guard, 25 border guards, and 26 Armed Forces servicemen, including 11 territorial defense fighters, returned home. At least 28 of those freed were injured or seriously ill.

On January 24, Ukraine and Russia had planned to conduct the 50th prisoner exchange, but it was thwarted by the crash of an Il-76 plane near Belgorod. This disrupted exchange was set to be one of the largest during the war.

Meanwhile, over 400 Ukrainian women, most of whom are civilians, remain in Russian captivity.

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Lithuania bans imports of over 2,800 products from Russia, Belarus

^{Lithuania-Belarus borders / E. Bla�ys / LRT}

Lithuania’s government on Wednesday approved a specific list of Russian and Belarusian products, following the Seimas’ ban on imports of agricultural products and feed of Russian or Belarusian origin in April.

Drafted by the Agriculture Ministry, the list includes more than 2,800 different products.

The list includes a total of 24 groups of products: certain live animals, meat and certain meat products, fish and shellfish, milk and milk products, eggs, honey, trees and other plants, bulbs, vegetables, fruits and nuts, coffee, tea, spices, cereals and their products, flour, starch, oils and fats, waxes, sugar, cocoa, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, vinegar, animal feed, food industry residues, as well as tobacco and their processed substitutes.

The ban on imports of these products will come into force on June 3.

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"Here's what Lyosha brought us today. We bought 50 pieces. Here's a bag, 300 roubles for one. It's for our boys. This kind of bag, the worst sort of purchase. Here they are, 50 bags." Hope they get filled up with Russian meat soon.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 08:07 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/05/29/7458232/
[..]
Die radarvliegtuigen die bij het volgende pakket zitten zijn natuurlijk beter dan de Gripen op het ogenblik, vooral ook omdat zij perfect kunnen samenwerken met de F-16, en prima aansluiten op wat er voor de F-16 nodig is. Al is het wel de vraag hoelang training hiervoor zal duren, hopelijk zijn ze daar al mee begonnen.

Natuurlijk hoop ik wel dat de Gripen zelf ook niet al te lang op zich laat wachten.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 07:43 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.politico.com/(...)-us-weapons-00160462
[..]

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[..]

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Survivors say Russia is waging a war of sexual violence in occupied areas of Ukraine. Men are often the victims

Within an hour of being arrested by Russian security forces, Roman Shapovalenko was threatened with rape.

On August 25, 2022, the day after Ukraine’s Independence Day, he said three armed, masked officers from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) stormed his home in the southern Ukrainian port city of Kherson, which was occupied by Russian forces at the time.

They turned his house inside out searching for incriminating evidence. A message in Shapovalenko’s phone that called Russian soldiers “orcs” — a derisive reference to the evil forces in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth books and a popular Ukrainian slur for the Russian army — was enough for them. He said he was tied up, blindfolded and stuffed into an unmarked car.

For days after, Shapovalenko said he was repeatedly electrocuted in his genital area, threatened with being raped with a glass bottle, and was even made to believe he could be sterilized.

“They seemed to have a fetish for genitalia. Sometimes the door would open, and they would say: ‘We’re going to take out our batons and we’re going to rape everyone here,’” the 39-year-old farm manager told CNN.

Describing the graphic detail of his experience matter-of-factly, Shapovalenko sometimes paused to laugh nervously. He said his sense of humor is helping with what he knows will be a long recovery. The Russians, he said, hated it. “I made a little joke, and they didn’t like it. I got punched for that.”

Shapovalenko’s experience of sexual violence at the hands of Russian forces is common among Ukrainians – including civilians and soldiers – who have been detained since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country more than two years ago.

Human rights monitors have long reported on the rampant use of sexual violence by Russian police and security forces against prisoners and detainees in Russia. Now it seems Russia is exporting the practice to occupied Ukraine.

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^{A Ukrainian soldier walks through the basement of a restaurant that was allegedly used as a torture site by Russian forces during the occupation of Snihurivka in southern Ukraine. Chris McGrath/Getty Images}

Few men have spoken publicly about their ordeal, but Ukrainian prosecutors and rights groups say male victims make up a growing proportion of cases. The crimes often go unreported because of the stigma and shame associated with them. The latest United Nations Security Council annual report into conflict-related sexual violence said that 85 cases had been documented in Ukraine in 2023 – affecting 52 men, 31 women, one girl and one boy. A separate report from UN rights officials who interviewed 60 male Ukrainian prisoners of war following their release found that 39 were victims of sexual violence while in Russian detention.

CNN interviewed four male survivors, two in person and two by phone, and obtained testimonies from two more, who were held by Russian units across five Ukrainian regions that have been occupied or annexed by Moscow: Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Crimea. All described being subjected to forced nudity, genital electrocution – most often with wires from the Soviet-era miliary field telephone TA-57, known as “Tapik” – and threats of rape.

Their accounts tallied with cases documented by regional prosecutors in Kyiv, Kherson and Kharkiv and were corroborated by witnesses held in the same detention facilities in Kharkiv and Kherson.

Taken together, their stories capture what prosecutors describe as Russia’s systematic and continuing use of sexual violence in occupied areas as part of its efforts to force the Ukrainian people into submission.

“We see it over and over again in different regions under occupation. They use the same method of committing sexual violence, the same method of humiliation, the same method of how they explain it to their victims,” said Anna Sosonska, a Ukrainian prosecutor and the acting chief of the conflict-related sexual violence division in Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General.

Speaking to CNN from her office in Kyiv, Sosonska said that a significant number of documented crimes of sexual violence by Russian troops, including forced nudity, genital mutilation, rape and forced exposure to sexual violence against others, were being carried out against men. “Especially by using electric current on genitals – that is the top of the list,” she said.

‘They all laughed’
Roman Chernenko said he spent seven months in a “punishment cell” in a prison in the occupied city of Olenivka, in the eastern Donetsk region, after he was captured by Russian troops in Mariupol area. The 29-year-old intelligence officer with the Ukrainian military – who goes by the call sign “Omen” – described being tortured as often as three times a day, every day, for four months.

“Tapik is a military phone with two wires. One is connected to your balls, the other to your finger, and they just keep turning the current up,” he told CNN. “They just keep twisting it until the person tells them what they need.”

He said he believes officers from Russia’s GRU, the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) and the FSB, Russia’s main intelligence agency, all took part in the torture.

Chernenko was released as part of a prisoner exchange in January 2024 and is still recovering from the ordeal. Speaking to CNN a few weeks after his release, on the day he proposed to his girlfriend, he said it was his thoughts of her and his mother that gave him strength to survive captivity.

“They laughed when they tortured me … they told me that my mother was being f**ked by Chechens. They took me to be shot twice, they threatened me with rape,” he said.

CNN asked Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Interior Ministry, FSB, National Guard (Rosgvardia) and the military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, for comment on allegations of sexual violence at specific detention facilities, but has not received any response.

^{A photo taken in Bucha shows a basement believed to have been used by Russian forces to torture and kill civilians. Ukrainian police said the bodies of five men aged between 24 and 54 were found there. Kyodo News/Getty Images}

Rape and sexual violence are explicitly prohibited by the Geneva Conventions – the set of international laws that regulate the conduct of armed conflict – and can constitute a war crime. Mock execution is considered a form of torture under international law.

Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), committing rape and sexual violence in a systematic or widespread way is considered a crime against humanity.

According to Ukrainian prosecutors investigating conflict-based sexual violence and abuse, all available evidence indicates that it is a deliberate tactic, part of Russia’s modus operandi in Ukraine.

“It’s in every region that was under occupation. Everywhere that Russian troops were located, we’re seeing cases of sexual violence and gender-based violence. The bottom line is that it looks like it is Russian policy,” Sosonska said.

As of early May, Ukraine has officially recorded 293 cases of sexual violence, although Sosonska said that it is impossible to estimate the real number of crimes that are being committed, particularly in occupied territories which remain inaccessible to its investigators and prosecutors.

Some 37,000 Ukrainian citizens are unaccounted for, according to the Ukrainian ombudsman’s office, with thousands believed to be held in Russian detention and at risk of torture and sexual violence.

But the real scale of sexual violence committed during the war may never come to light. Only a fraction of victims tend to come forward and, according to the UN, this is especially true for men, some of whom may not initially realize that what happened to them was a sexual violence crime.

Some male victims of sexual violence may describe what happened to them instead as “torture.” The distinction, Sosonska explained, is important for any future court cases and war tribunals. Her office is also trying to educate the public about the fact that men can be victims of sexual violence – something Sosonska said may still not be fully understood.

Anna Mykytenko, who heads the Ukraine team at Global Rights Compliance (GRC), an international legal non-profit, said that Ukrainian witnesses and survivors of sexual violence have testified that Russian troops told them it was a “punishment.”

“In several villages in the south we heard witnesses and survivors say that the Russian servicemen came in, occupied the village, and then looked specifically for the wives of Ukrainian soldiers, or their mothers or sisters,” Mykytenko told CNN. GRC acts as the co-lead of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group, an initiative launched by the European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom to provide Ukraine with assistance in the investigation and prosecution of atrocity crimes.

Mykytenko said that while most cases of conflict-related sexual crimes that were reported and investigated earlier in the war concerned female victims, many of the cases recently recorded have been against male victims, especially against men held in captivity.

“Sexual crimes are fairly common in detention centers and it’s very common for prisoners of war or civilians to be threatened with rape or with the sexual abuse of different types, this is something that’s almost normal for the Russian and Russia-related armed forces,” she said.

‘A systematic approach’
The Ukrainian ombudsman’s office told CNN it believes that the Russian armed forces and Ministry of Defense, as well as the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service, are the Russian government bodies officially responsible for what happens inside detention facilities.

However, it is Rosgvardia – a paramilitary police force deployed to keep order in occupied regions of Ukraine – and the FSB that appear to be driving the campaign of torture and sexual violence against the Ukrainian people, according to the ombudsman and Ukraine’s military intelligence service.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the FSB has opened several regional offices in occupied Ukraine to recruit agents and gather intelligence. According to an official organizational chart published on its website, the FSB has directorates in the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, in Crimea and in the occupied portions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Several survivors in these locations told CNN that the Russians who submitted them to sexual violence either identified themselves or were referred to by others as FSB officers.

Meanwhile, members of Rosgvardia, part of the Russian security apparatus that reports directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin, are working alongside the Russian military to detain activists, quash protests and spread terror among the civilian population in occupied areas.

The SBU, Ukraine’s security service, has managed to track down several Rosgvardia and FSB officials who it said were either the direct perpetrators or the enablers of sexual violence against people held in detention.

^{A Rosgvardia serviceman watches a parade in Russia. The force, which reports directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been deployed to occupied Ukraine to quash protests and opposition. Aleksey Smagin/Sipa USA/AP}

The SBU and the Ukrainian regional prosecutor’s office in Kherson have identified Aleksandr Naumenko, the deputy head of Rosgvardia in Russia’s Rostov region, as a suspect in more than a dozen cases. Ukrainian authorities said last May he was responsible for overseeing a detention facility in Kherson during the occupation and that he personally ordered sexual torture of several victims who were electrocuted in their genital areas.

The notice of suspicion against Naumenko, a legal document seen by CNN, alleges that his subordinates and other members of Russian armed forces acted directly on his orders when they sexually abused at least 17 victims.

Two other Rosgvardia officers – Oleksandr Chilengirov and Yehor Bondarenkov – have also been accused of torture, including electrocuting at least 24 victims in their genitals at a different detention facility in Kherson.

Dmitry Laikov, an officer with the FSB’s Department for the Defense of Constitutional Order and Fight against Terrorism, is accused of overseeing genital electrocution of a detained Ukrainian citizen in a police station in the occupied city of Nova Kakhovka.

All four men have been indicted and their cases are currently being heard in court, according to Kherson prosecutors. Their whereabouts are unknown.

Ukrainian officials say that it is difficult, but not impossible, to track down individual perpetrators of sexual violence crimes. As of early May, Ukrainian prosecutors had issued official notices of suspicion against 42 Russian officers, filed 19 indictments against 28 individuals and sentenced five people. All of the trials took place in absentia, according to the prosecutors’ office.

Sosonska told CNN a handful of cases are added to her file each month, and that investigations are progressing. However, none of the alleged perpetrators are in Ukrainian custody.

Oleksii Butenko, a prosecutor in the Kherson regional prosecutor’s office, said he has no doubt that sexual violence was part of Russia’s strategy to subjugate the Ukrainian people in Kherson and to “destroy the Ukrainian national identity.”

“We can speak of a systematic approach – 17 men were identified as having been sexually abused inside a single torture chamber,” he told CNN. “We can say that the leadership, not only the perpetrators but also the management, is responsible – they gave permission or orders to commit these crimes.”

‘They were having fun’
Andrii, a Kherson resident who was held in one of the Russian detention facilities, still remembers the screams of his fellow detainees more than a year and half after he was released. “We were kept in the basement of an office building. It was a small room with no furniture, we slept on cardboard and used a bucket to go to the toilet,” Andrii said.

Speaking to CNN in Kyiv, Andrii was clutching his hands nervously, looking away when describing what happened during his time in detention. He asked for his name to be changed and that no identifiable information about him be published.

“I was the last one to be taken in for interrogation, so I could hear them all being tortured in the next room. I couldn’t hear the conversations, only the screams and the moans. It was impossible to sleep because of these screams,” he said, recalling one particularly horrifying incident. “I don’t know who this man was and what happened to him … he was taken out into the corridor, where he was raped with a baton so that everyone could hear and see him.”

^{A war crime prosecutor inspects a basement of an office building in Kherson where some 30 people were held for two months during the Russian occupation. Anna Voitenko/Reuters}

According to Andrii, the threats of rape and genital electrocution were the norm among the Russian forces. “They enjoyed it. They were having fun,” he said.

Ukrainian prosecutors have recorded incidents of Russian officials raping or attempting to rape victims using objects including batons, a pipe, a bottle, a handle of a shovel, a stick and a pen.

Sosonska said her office is determined to bring to justice not just the direct perpetrators, but also those who were in charge – whether they ordered them or failed to prevent them.

Her office is focused on prosecuting individuals, but it is also collecting evidence that will be shared with international courts, including the ICC, which prosecutes individuals over grave offenses such as genocide and war crimes, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which hears cases brought up against states.

The ICC has already issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Russia’s children’s commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, over an alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russia. The Kremlin has denied the allegations and called the ICC’s actions “outrageous.”

Sosonska said she believes that, just like the child deportations, sexual violence is part of what she called “Russia’s genocidal campaign” against Ukraine.

‘It is happening now’
Oleksii Sivak knew the Russians were coming for him after his neighbor Shapovalenko, the farm manager, was taken.

The 39-year-old sailor from Kherson had helped him put up Ukrainian flags around their neighborhood on Ukrainian Independence Day.

Both men were civilian volunteers. Shapovalenko had been distributing supplies, helping people evacuate and sharing information about the location of Russian troops with Ukrainian military acquaintances, while Sivak ran a soup kitchen, organizing assistance, distributing leaflets and putting up posters and flags.

“We already knew about these torture rooms; we knew that people do not return from there. I went to deliver soup, warned the people I was helping, cut off all contacts and came home to wait for them,” he said. Hiding or trying to go on the run was not an option, he added, saying he was aware Russian forces were targeting the relatives of people they were interested in.

He said eight men came to arrest him – four in military uniforms and four wearing civilian clothes, all with their faces covered. They took him to a local police station and then handed him over to what they said was the FSB.

He recalled being beaten and tortured with an electric current from the same kind of field telephone described as being used in other detention facilities. “They called it ‘the lie detector’ and they were obviously having fun when spinning the dynamo, asking me ‘do you want to call Zelensky?’” he told CNN in an interview in Kyiv.

“First, they put the clamps on my ears and while they were shocking me, they were also beating me with a stick, kicking me, and hitting me with their hands … then they moved these wires from my ears to my genitals. They said, ‘we’re going to sterilize you now’ and things like that, while they were electrocuting my genitals.” Sivak believes he has a pretty good idea why the Russian troops chose to torture him in the way they did and threatened him with rape.

“They wanted to humiliate me. It’s obvious. What do you do to cause a man the most pain? You hurt his wife or his genitals,” he said.

Of the dozens of men he was held with, Sivak said roughly half were subjected to sexual violence. “It’s a whole system. Four people (tortured me) but they were just the hatchet men. Yes, they have no brains, yes, they are animals, but even if they are imprisoned, what about their bosses? Someone was managing them; someone was giving them orders.”

Sivak said he and several other survivors have formed an informal support group and are trying to raise awareness of the fact that men can be victims of sexual violence. Sivak has attended meetings with government officials and conferences where he shared his experiences.

Ukraine is prepared for a lengthy process to bring perpetrators to justice – while protecting the victims. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Sosonska’s prosecutors, as well as other civil servants and local government officials, have received specialized training on victim-oriented approaches, learning how to recognize conflict-related sexual violence, run investigations and communicate with victims.

Some of the training programs have been provided by the UN in a direct response to the large number of sexual crimes occurring during the occupation. Others are run in cooperation with local non-governmental organizations and victim support groups. The UN has also co-sponsored a psychological helpline specifically aimed at male survivors.

It can take years or even longer for courts to rule and victims to speak out. Some survivors of sexual violence committed by the Bosnian Serb army during the Bosnian war in the early 1990s are only now coming forward.

“Some survivors might be willing to testify within a few months, for some, it may never happen, they may never be ready,” Sosonska said.

As for Shapovalenko, he said he wanted everyone to know what happened to him – and what is still happening to others.

“I want to tell everyone, tell the international community, that it is not like they came, occupied us, stood there with machine guns and left. No, it wasn’t like that,” he said. “And the most terrible thing is not what I am telling you now. The most terrible thing is that it is happening now in the occupied territories.”

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Soldiers in Ukraine say US-supplied tanks have made them targets for Russian strikes
Ukrainian crews working on US-supplied Abrams tanks have told CNN of a series of the weaknesses and flaws with the armored vehicles, calling into doubt their utility on the war’s ever-changing frontlines. The donation was announced by US President Joe Biden as evidence of the United States’ “enduring and unflagging commitment to Ukraine.”

CNN journalists were the first reporters to see the M1 Abrams in Ukraine, at a location in the country’s east, where around six vehicles were visible, hiding in the foliage.

Crews trained in Germany said the vehicles – the US military’s main $10 million battle tank used in Iraq against Saddam Hussein’s forces and insurgents – lacked armor that could stop modern weapons.

“Its armor is not sufficient for this moment,” said one crew member, callsign Joker. “It doesn’t protect the crew. For real, today this is the war of drones. So now, when the tank rolls out, they always try to hit them.”

His colleague, Dnipro, added they are the “number one target.”

“Without defense, the crew doesn’t survive at the battlefield,” he said.

The crew showed CNN their attempts to affix active armor to one damaged tank. They used plates of plastic explosive that, when hit by a round, detonate and provide a protective counter-blast.

SPOILER

quote:

All 31 Abrams deployed to Ukraine are engaged near the frontline in the east, according to officials in the 47th Mechanised Brigade, who took receipt of them all. The Ukrainian request for Abrams, complex and heavy tanks, sparked significant debate in early 2023, as the American vehicle has a complex supply chain. Some versions even run on jet fuel.

Pentagon officials said in April that the Abrams were pulled back from the frontline due to the threat of Russian attack drones, although the 47th said some were still in action, despite the deficiencies that had materialized.

Much of the Ukrainian frontline is now dominated by the use of self-destructing attack drones, tiny and accurate devices that can swarm infantry and even cause significant damage to tanks. The advent of these so called First-Person Vision (FPV) drones, flown by soldiers wearing gaming goggles, has changed the nature of the war, limiting movement and introducing a new element of vulnerability to armored vehicles.

This Ukrainian crew have learned of the Abrams’ limitations the hard way, in pitched battles around the town of Avdiivka, which Russia finally took control of in February. A driver lost a leg when the armor was penetrated. Yet it is not just innovation that is hamstringing the tanks — they appear to have technical issues too.

One, parked under a tree, was almost immobile during CNN’s visit, due to an engine problem, the crew say, despite the vehicle having just been shipped in from Poland. They also complain of how, in rain or fog, condensation can fry the electronics inside the vehicle.

CNN has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.

^{Ukrainian troops repair an American-supplied Abrams tank. Mick Krever/CNN}

Ammunition is also a problem, like elsewhere on the Ukrainian frontline. They say they seem to have the wrong type for the fight they are in.

“What we have is more for direct tank-to-tank fights, which happens very rarely,” Joker said. “Much more often we work as artillery. You need to take apart a tree-line or a building. We had a case when we fired 17 rounds into a house and it was still standing.”

The tank’s poor performance has been mocked by Russian analysts, dubbing them “empty tin cans.” One model was captured by Russian forces and, damaged, paraded in Red Square.

^{NATO “would never” use the Abrams tank the way the Ukrainian military has to use it, a Ukrainian soldier who uses the moniker “Joker” said. Mick Krever/CNN}

The Ukrainian crew expressed frustration the tanks were made for a NATO style of warfare, in which air power and artillery prepare the battlefield before tanks and infantry advance. Kyiv has long bemoaned its lack of artillery and air power.

“They would never do it,” Joker said, of NATO soldiers undertaking the same advances they make without air support. He switched to English to mimic a NATO soldier: “‘Call the aviation, call the artillery,’” he said. “We have no aviation and artillery. We have only tank. And it’s the problem.”

A spokesperson for the Ukrainian defense ministry told CNN that “Ukraine is now testing and improving equipment that was not initially prepared for our war.”

“We are asking all countries to support us with equipment of any technical capacity levels. We use all of it accordingly,” the spokesperson added.

Biden’s decision to supply the Abrams came after European allies pledged to send their own battle tanks in early 2023 ahead of Ukraine’s failed summer counteroffensive last year, a step that had been deemed unthinkable months earlier.

Kyiv’s allies have slowly swallowed the red lines of what equipment they once refused to supply. F-16s may arrive in Ukraine in the months ahead. Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine’s military commander, on Monday said he had signed initial paperwork to permit France to send military trainers into the country to try and reverse an urgent manpower problem on the frontlines. France’s defense ministry declined to confirm the plan, but said it, and other ideas, had long been under discussion. The move would mark a significant escalation in the West’s involvement in the war, now in its third year.

The Ukrainian defense ministry later appeared to tamp down those expectations, saying in a statement to CNN that it had “started internal paperwork to move forward when the decision is taken.”

For the Abrams crew, each delay in equipment or assistance costs the lives of friends. “I only have one question,” Joker said of US assistance. “Why is this taking so long and (comes) partially? We are losing time. It’s death to us.”

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 08:59 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Wel wat vreemd dat ze de afgelopen twee jaar lang hamerden op de F-16. Dit komt een beetje raar over, heel veel toegevoegde waarde gaat de Gripen op dit moment niet hebben. Een programma opstarten om de F-16's weer te vervangen door nieuwe Gripen-E/F's snap ik dan wel.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 08:59 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Wel wat vreemd dat ze de afgelopen twee jaar lang hamerden op de F-16.

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Dit komt een beetje raar over, heel veel toegevoegde waarde gaat de Gripen op dit moment niet hebben.

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Een programma opstarten om de F-16's weer te vervangen door nieuwe Gripen-E/F's snap ik dan wel.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 09:29 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
Maar ik ben het er mee eens dat de Gripen wel even kan wachten. Eerst alles in orde krijgen voor de levering van de F-16.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 09:38 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
En dat bepalen andere landen blijkbaar voor oekraine...?

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 09:34 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Of die AWACS achtigen echt lekker kunnen communiceren met F-16s is nog maar de vraag, dat die dat kunnen met gripens staat vast, omdat het allemaal zweeds materiel is.

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Ukraine Getting Swedish Airborne Early Warning Radar Planes Is A Big Deal
The Saab airborne early warning and control capability will provide a massive, force-multiplying boost to Ukrainian air and maritime defense.

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For Ukraine, an AEW&C aircraft capability is of huge significance.
Compared to ground-based radar systems, the airborne Erieye radar offers a much more useful 'lookdown' capability. This ability to peer down from above, less encumbered by line-of-sight limitations of terrain, is especially useful for detecting low-flying Russian drones and cruise missiles, which can otherwise remain unseen or at least hard to track and engage due to their lower operating altitudes and small signitures. Just the benefits in battlespace awareness this aircraft can provide in this application alone are immense considering the constant threat of Russian long-range kamikaze drones and cruise missiles that have battered Ukraine for years.

Once F-16s are available to Ukraine, the Saab 340 AEW&C will be able to work as a fighter control asset, detecting targets, prioritizing them, and then assigning them to the fighters for interception. The same data can, of course, also be passed on to other air defense assets. However, the F-16 and Western-supplied ground-based air defense systems are most relevant in this regard, since the radar plane is fitted with the NATO-standard Link 16 datalink communications system.

Link 16 will allow the operators onboard the twin-turboprop Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft to provide a real-time air defense ‘picture’ and targeting data to compatible systems in the air and on the ground, essentially filling a critical node in a modern integrated air defense system (IADS).

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 09:38 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
En dat bepalen andere landen blijkbaar voor oekraine...?

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 09:47 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Ik weet niet of je het nieuws hebt gevolgd de afgelopen twee jaar, maar Oekra�ne hamerde op F-16's. Dat was het toestel dat ze wilden hebben. Gripen's werden nauwelijks genoemd.

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Plakhotniuk said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s message during his visit to Sweden last August still holds true today. "He made it clear that we are interested in this system," the ambassador said, referring to Gripen fighter jets.

quote:

Het komt dus nogal vreemd over om een paar weken voordat die F-16's komen te gaan roepen dat je eigenlijk andere toestellen nodig hebt. Ook omdat er op dit moment meer toestellen zijn dan F-16 piloten en technici.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 09:51 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
Jij weet niet wat er nu precies gebeurd is (ik ook niet).

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In plaats van de Gripen is er misschien wel onderhandeld om deze radarvliegtuigen te leveren ter ondersteuning van de F-16. Wat in mijn optiek een veel slimmere levering is in dit geval.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:02 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 09:56 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Lees je wel waar je op reageert?
[..]
Dus, in ieder geval is die wens al bekend sinds augustus verleden jaar.

Maar de cope is dus: ja, eigenlijk wel raar dat oekraine dat ineens vraagt (?), daarom niet vreemd dat andere landen dan wel ff voor oekraine gaan bepalen dat die niet mogen komen?

Moeilijk om dat bij te houden.
[..]
Ja, en voor je cope praat je naadloos rus na, snap je dat. Oekraine heeft blijkbaar 0,0 eigen wil, hebben zelf geen idee wat ze nodig hebben, het westen moet ze eigenlijk maar bevoogdend vertellen wat ze echt nodig hebben en wat niet.

Want wat weten hun daar nou van, hun eigen land verdedigen. Wat denken ze wel niet joh.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:10 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Prima, stappen ze naar Zweden en vragen ze om Gripens.

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Zolang dat niet in de weg gaat zitten van het F-16 programma zal de F-16 coalitie daar niet moeilijk over doen.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:07 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Dan moet je ff teruglezen naar deze post, en bij voorkeur ook even het bronartikel doornemen:

Ulx in NWS / Oorlog in Oekra�ne #974 IKEAanvalluh!

Wat daar NIET staat is dat oekraine zegt: wacht er even mee.
[..]
Ow, dus je fantaseert erbij dat het een OF OF was?

IPV dat zweden gewoon bereid was om zowel die AWACS als gripens te leveren?

En het bevoogdende westen moest kleine kleuter oekraine natuurlijk overrulen: nee, beste oekrainers, wij weten wat goed is voor jou, neem die AWACS nou maar?

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All to focus for the time being on one aircraft system: the American F-16.

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- We have been urged by the other countries that run the coalition to wait for the Gripen system. It has to do with the fact that the focus is now on introducing the F-16 system, Jonson explains.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:25 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Hou gewoon eens op met je Russische verdeel-en-heers talking points. Zweden trainde piloten op dat toestel.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 09:34 schreef ExTec het volgende:

Of die AWACS achtigen echt lekker kunnen communiceren met F-16s is nog maar de vraag, dat die dat kunnen met gripens staat vast, omdat het allemaal zweeds materiel is.

quote:

Speaking at the 2005 International Data Link Symposium in Sydney on 5 October, Wiss said Swedish air force S100B airborne early-warning aircraft, based on the Saab 340 turbobprop and carrying the Ericsson Erieye phased-array radar, are to be fitted with fully integrated Link 16 terminals in a similar timeframe to the JAS39s.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:29 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
Jij kan wel heel gemakkelijk zeggen dat Zweden alles maar moet leveren, maar ga jij dat betalen?

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Wie betaald bepaald tenslotte.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:30 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Ow, dus calling out het slowwalken van (met name) de VS is ineens het bezigen van "Russische verdeel-en-heers talking points.".

Kan er ook nog wel bij, wordt ook uitgemaakt voor republikein, omdat ik het gore lef heb om te zeggen dat het biden en clan zijn die daarvoor verantwoordelijk zijn, en niet de republikeinen.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:39 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Net was het nog de F16 coalitie die de Gripen slowwalkte.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:29 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

- Is er personeel (technici/grondpersoneel) opgeleid voor de Gripen?
- Hebben de piloten die getraind hebben op de Gripen deze helemaal onder de knie? Op het niveau dat zij nu de F-16 onder de knie zullen hebben?
- Is er infrastructuur aanwezig in Oekraine specifiek voor de Gripen?

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Op woensdag 29 mei 2024 18:27 schreef BEFEM het volgende:
Hebben die �berhaupt iets geleverd? Dat is volgens mij echt het lachertje van de NAVO tegenwoordig?

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:39 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Je opmerkingen zijn niet veel anders dan de "hulp helpt niet geef je maar over Oekraine"

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Geef gewoon f*ckin' alle hulp die kan, zo snel mogelijk

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:39 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Net was het nog de F16 coalitie die de Gripen slowwalkte. (Voiceover: Hoe kregen ze Zweden zo ver?)

Je opmerkingen zijn niet veel anders dan de "hulp helpt niet geef je maar over Oekraine" berichten uit de Russische trollfarms.

Het kan toeval zijn, maar het valt wel op.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:43 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
Uurtje op de SIM en klaar ben je...

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:37 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Eh, wat???

Zover ik weet doen landen donaties uit eigen zak, maar nu fantaseer je erbij dat er wel degelijk en rekening is, die... verdeelt wordt?

Levendige fantasie heb jij.
[..]
Ja, en..... dat is inzake gripens zweden, en die waren blijkbaar prima bereid, uit eigen zak die dingen te leveren?

Entree: "intensieve discussies"?

quote:

Nee, kleine oekrainse kleuter, jij snapt niet dat je training nog niet klaar is, en je ze daarom nog niet mag hebben. Luister naar die niet nader gedefinieerde "westerse landen", die weten het heus beter.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:43 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
Uurtje op de SIM en klaar ben je...

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:46 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Die donaties hebben een economische waarde die afgeschreven moet worden. En jij bent diegene die zegt dat Zweden beide maar moet leveren.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:07 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Ow, dus je fantaseert erbij dat het een OF OF was?

IPV dat zweden gewoon bereid was om zowel die AWACS als gripens te leveren?

En het bevoogdende westen moest kleine kleuter oekraine natuurlijk overrulen: nee, beste oekrainers, wij weten wat goed is voor jou, neem die AWACS nou maar?

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:43 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
Uurtje op de SIM en klaar ben je...

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:42 schreef over_hedge het volgende:
Nieuwe dag. Nieuwe ExTec die boos is als iemand niet 100% met hem eens is.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:46 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Die donaties hebben een economische waarde die afgeschreven moet worden. En jij bent diegene die zegt dat Zweden beide maar moet leveren.

En voor bepaalde dingen wordt de rekening verdeeld ja. De landen leggen geld in de pot waarvan dan de aankopen gedaan worden. De lasten worden dan samen gedragen.

Zo zou het ook met de F-16 coalitie kunnen zijn bijvoorbeeld. Maar dat zou ik niet met zekerheid kunnen zeggen.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:54 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Ja, ik ga zo naar kantoor, zijn jullie weer even van me af

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:54 schreef sp3c het volgende:
dan aew toestellen want die zijn na 3 dagen stuk natuurlijk

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:54 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
Zweden moet niks

verder denk ik dat Oekraine atm meer heeft aan Gripen dan aew toestellen want die zijn na 3 dagen stuk natuurlijk

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:54 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:
Lang, maag omdraaiend, verhaal over verkrachtingen door Ruzzen in de bezette gebieden:
Survivors say Russia is waging a war of sexual violence in occupied areas of Ukraine. Men are often the victims

[ afbeelding ]

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:43 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
Canada het lachertje van de NAVO?

lol, heb je heel dat ISAF verhaal gemist ofzo?

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 11:01 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Want?

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 11:01 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Want?

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 11:05 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Feit is gewoon dat Zweden probleemloos een zwik Gripens kan neerzetten in Oekra�ne.
Wat kunnen andere landen daartegen doen? Helemaal niks.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 11:23 schreef Cilantro het volgende:
[ x ]

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 10:58 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Ja, dat denk ik ook want:

- Is er personeel (technici/grondpersoneel) opgeleid voor die dingen?
- Hebben de piloten die getraind hebben op de dingen deze helemaal onder de knie? Op het niveau dat zij nu de F-16 onder de knie zullen hebben?
- Is er infrastructuur aanwezig in Oekraine specifiek voor die dingen?

Of hebben ze alleen een uurtje op de SIM gezeten.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 11:39 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
De radar vliegtuig is veel simpeler en heeft veel minder onderhoud nodig.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 11:54 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Maar kunnen ze dat mindere onderhoud dan....?

En waar blijkt dat uit....?

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 12:12 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Een straaljager heeft straalmotoren en vliegt (in het geval van Gripen) mach2+, zo'n 2100km/h. Deze is dus veel meer onderhevig aan G-krachten. Ook maakt hij veel meer manoeuvres.

Dat is ��n van de hoofdredenen waarom deze veel meer onderhoud nodig heeft. En ook de reden waarom de benodigde infrastructuur veel gespecialiseerder moet zijn.

De radarvliegtuig heeft motoren die veel algemener gebruikt worden, net zoals veel van de andere onderdelen op zo'n vliegtuig. Het vliegtuig in het algemeen is gewoon veel minder specialistisch. Als de radar stuk is, of onderdelen daarvan dan is er zeker wel een probleem. Die zijn niet zo gemakkelijk te repareren of te vervangen. En daar is zeker wel specialistische kennis voor nodig.

Maar deze is lang niet zo aan slijtage onderhevig natuurlijk.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 12:12 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Een straaljager heeft straalmotoren en vliegt (in het geval van Gripen) mach2+, zo'n 2100km/h. Deze is dus veel meer onderhevig aan G-krachten. Ook maakt hij veel meer manoeuvres.

Dat is ��n van de hoofdredenen waarom deze veel meer onderhoud nodig heeft. En ook de reden waarom de benodigde infrastructuur veel gespecialiseerder moet zijn.

De radarvliegtuig heeft motoren die veel algemener gebruikt worden, net zoals veel van de andere onderdelen op zo'n vliegtuig. Het vliegtuig in het algemeen is gewoon veel minder specialistisch. Als de radar stuk is, of onderdelen daarvan dan is er zeker wel een probleem. Die zijn niet zo gemakkelijk te vervangen. En daar is zeker wel specialistische kennis voor nodig.

Maar deze is lang niet zo aan slijtage onderhevig natuurlijk.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 12:22 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Dankje wel dat je nogmaals het verschil uitlegd, maar de vraag was:

Zijn ze dan al opgeleid om dat onderhoud te doen? En waarom kom je tot die conclusie?

Als: ja - waarom veronderstel je dan in dit postje dat dat, gebaseerd op wat precies? - inzake de gripens niet het geval is?

Als: nee, weet ik niet, waarom vormt die nee/onduidelijke status wel een showstopper voor gripens, maar niet voor deze dingen?

Stond zweden niet op het punt van uitleveren? Kunnen we er dan niet gevoeglijk vanuit gaan dat dit in orde was?

Als daar niets over bekend is, en dat lijkt mij de status, kunnen we er alleen vanuit gaan dat dit in beide gevallen goed is.

En dan is het merkwaardig dat, gebaseerd op dezelfde informatie; zijnde niets, het in het ene geval wel goed geregeld is, en in het andere niet.

Je bent niet consistent.

quote:

Maar kunnen ze dat mindere onderhoud dan....?

En waar blijkt dat uit....?

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 12:25 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Bijna een doorbraak.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 12:22 schreef AgLarrr het volgende:

[..]
Volgens mij is de charme aan die Zweedse kisten nu juist dat ze, net als veel van hun hardware, ontworpen zijn om langs de snelweg gerepareerd te kunnen worden. Je hebt in Zweden hele stukken verbrede snelweg die als reserve landingsbaan dienen precies voor dit doel.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 12:28 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
[..]
Dit was de vraag. En mijn antwoord in het kort was dat de radarvliegtuig veel meer lijkt op vliegtuigen waar de gemiddelde vliegtuig technici al ervaring mee hebben. Dus zal er veel minder training nodig zijn om de nuances hiervan te leren.

En nee, daar kan je niet van uit gaan. Want dat noem jij fantaseren.

Van de F-16 weten wij dat de piloten en ook de technici/grondpersoneel zwaar getraind zijn de laatste 10 maanden ofzo (ben de tel kwijt, dus kan langer/korter zijn).

Van de Gripen heb ik dat niet gehoord. Alleen dat er een aantal piloten in augustus getraind zijn op de Gripen. Maar verder is er voor mij niks over bekend. Net zoals er niets bekend is over grondpersoneel/technici die voor de Gripen getraind is.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 15:46 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Het doel van een gedemilitariseerd Oekra�ne lukt niet zo op het moment.

quote:

◾️ Our 'non-victory' is defeat. And defeat is the end of Russia. We will not be able to sacrifice new subjects or reparations, we will be torn apart.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 16:03 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
[..]
Hier ben ik het mee eens.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 13:46 schreef Cilantro het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 16:17 schreef Aether het volgende:

[..]
Naast de rode lijn nu ook een gele en oranje?

This Map Helps Explain Why the Russia-Ukraine War Hasn’t Ended

quote:

Just a professor who studies war and game theory.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 17:41 schreef havanagila het volgende:
Waarom moet Oekra�ne publiekelijk toestemming krijgen trouwens. Laat het Kremlin lekker in het gewis.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 17:41 schreef havanagila het volgende:
Waarom moet Oekra�ne publiekelijk toestemming krijgen trouwens. Laat het Kremlin lekker in het gewis.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 17:41 schreef havanagila het volgende:
Waarom moet Oekra�ne publiekelijk toestemming krijgen trouwens. Laat het Kremlin lekker in het gewis.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 18:04 schreef quirina het volgende:

Putin hints striking European civilians | Ukraine allowed to hit russia | Ukraine Update: Day 827

Putin dreigt ons aan te vallen! Nou maar hopen dat hij Den Haag niet nuked want waar berechtten we hem dan?

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 18:31 schreef ipa84 het volgende:
Rusland komt ook met cijfers wat ze claimen te hebben vernietig.
[ x ]
Toch knap dat ze 605 vliegtuigen hebben neergehaald terwijl Oekra�ne bij de start van de oorlog er maar 98 had. Over de rest zullen we het maar niet hebben want volgens deze cijfers zou het complete Oekra�ense leger zijn vernietigd.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 18:50 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:

[..]
Waarschijnlijk hebben ze al 500 F16s vernietigd.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 18:31 schreef ipa84 het volgende:
Rusland komt ook met cijfers wat ze claimen te hebben vernietig.
[ x ]
Toch knap dat ze 605 vliegtuigen hebben neergehaald terwijl Oekra�ne bij de start van de oorlog er maar 98 had. Over de rest zullen we het maar niet hebben want volgens deze cijfers zou het complete Oekra�ense leger zijn vernietigd.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:01 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:
Demonstratief gebruik van een kernwapen lijkt me een logische stap in de verdere escalatie nu.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 16:03 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
[..]
Hier ben ik het mee eens.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 17:53 schreef MaxMark het volgende:

[..]
Dit inderdaad. Letterlijk elke stap moet eerst publiekelijk worden bekend gemaakt. Wie doet dit, wie doet dit niet. Hoe lang duurt de training, hoe ver zijn de F16 piloten met hun Engelse les, etc. etc. Snap het niet.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 14:37 schreef QAnonn het volgende:
[ x ]

quote:

For the next seven days The Telegraph is running a series of exclusive essays from prominent international commentators imagining the consequences if Russia were successful in its war...

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:01 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:
Demonstratief gebruik van een kernwapen lijkt me een logische stap in de verdere escalatie nu.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:16 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

En zoals gewoonlijk weer het bewijs dat je niet verder kijkt dan je neus lang is.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 17:59 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Omdat sommige mensen anders flippen op Scholz en Biden.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:19 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:

[..]
Ik vind het moeilijk om de mindset van de Russen te begrijpen, maar zo gauw Rusland een kernwapen inzet hebben ze verloren. Hetzij, alleen de oorlog in Oekra�ne, hetzij, een escalatie waarbij er over de hele wereld alleen maar verlierzers zijn.
Met kernwapens winst afdwingen lijkt mij voor Rusland geen mogelijkheid, maar ik weet niet of ze er zelf anders over denken.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 17:53 schreef MaxMark het volgende:

[..]
Dit inderdaad. Letterlijk elke stap moet eerst publiekelijk worden bekend gemaakt. Wie doet dit, wie doet dit niet. Hoe lang duurt de training, hoe ver zijn de F16 piloten met hun Engelse les, etc. etc. Snap het niet.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:26 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[.
Maar het is toch de VS die limiteringen oplegt mbt waar het e.e.a. ingezet mag worden?

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 18:31 schreef ipa84 het volgende:
Rusland komt ook met cijfers wat ze claimen te hebben vernietig.
[ x ]
Toch knap dat ze 605 vliegtuigen hebben neergehaald terwijl Oekra�ne bij de start van de oorlog er maar 98 had. Over de rest zullen we het maar niet hebben want volgens deze cijfers zou het complete Oekra�ense leger zijn vernietigd.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:19 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:

[..]
Ik vind het moeilijk om de mindset van de Russen te begrijpen, maar zo gauw Rusland een kernwapen inzet hebben ze verloren. Hetzij, alleen de oorlog in Oekra�ne, hetzij, een escalatie waarbij er over de hele wereld alleen maar verlierzers zijn.
Met kernwapens winst afdwingen lijkt mij voor Rusland geen mogelijkheid, maar ik weet niet of ze er zelf anders over denken.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:40 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Daarom demonstratief, bijvoorbeeld hoog in de lucht boven Oekra�ne. Geen schade en geen fall-out. Bovendien vragen de Russen zich af of, stel dat in Europa een kernwapen gebruikt wordt, de VS dat riskeert door een all out nucleaire oorlog. Want wat gaat de VS in godsnaam dan doen? Het is zo onbekend terrein, maar we moeten nou ook niet doen alsof we er totaal niet dichtbij zitten. Geen idee hoe het tijdens de Cuba crisis ging, maar dat was ook zoiets.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:40 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Daarom demonstratief, bijvoorbeeld hoog in de lucht boven Oekra�ne. Geen schade en geen fall-out. Bovendien vragen de Russen zich af of, stel dat in Europa een kernwapen gebruikt wordt, de VS dat riskeert door een all out nucleaire oorlog. Want wat gaat de VS in godsnaam dan doen? Het is zo onbekend terrein, maar we moeten nou ook niet doen alsof we er totaal niet dichtbij zitten. Geen idee hoe het tijdens de Cuba crisis ging, maar dat was ook zoiets.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:46 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Amerika heeft onlangs al aangegeven dat bij het gebruik van kernwapens op Oekra�ens grondgebied, ongeacht of er schade is en doden vallen, zij alle Russische troepen en materieel in Oekra�ne aan zullen gaan vallen, en dus van de kaart zullen vegen.

Wat Rusland bedoeld met die demonstratie van een kernwapen/aanval is een test op een nucleaire testsite bijvoorbeeld. (Ten minste dat neem ik aan). Zij will dit slechts gebruiken als afschrikking, Een mooie paddenstoel wolk op tv kunnen laten zien, het westen bang maken voor escalatie.

Al weet je met Rusland nooit natuurlijk.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:51 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Waar waren die testsites toen de USSR nog bestond? Niet in wat nu Rusland is dacht ik.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:51 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Waar waren die testsites toen de USSR nog bestond? Niet in wat nu Rusland is dacht ik.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:46 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Amerika heeft onlangs al aangegeven dat bij het gebruik van kernwapens op Oekra�ens grondgebied, ongeacht of er schade is en doden vallen, zij alle Russische troepen en materieel in Oekra�ne aan zullen gaan vallen, en dus van de kaart zullen vegen.

Wat Rusland bedoeld met die demonstratie van een kernwapen/aanval is een test op een nucleaire testsite bijvoorbeeld. (Ten minste dat neem ik aan). Zij will dit slechts gebruiken als afschrikking, Een mooie paddenstoel wolk op tv kunnen laten zien, het westen bang maken voor escalatie.

Al weet je met Rusland nooit natuurlijk.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:46 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
Wat Rusland bedoeld met die demonstratie van een kernwapen/aanval is een test op een nucleaire testsite bijvoorbeeld. (Ten minste dat neem ik aan). Zij will dit slechts gebruiken als afschrikking, Een mooie paddenstoel wolk op tv kunnen laten zien, het westen bang maken voor escalatie.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:49 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
En als een militaire satelliet daarmee wordt opgeblazen? Dan heeft Rusland wel zomaar kernwapens ingezet tegen de strijdkrachten van de Fransen, de Britten of de VS of een ander land.....Is wel een dingetje....

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 20:03 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Wat? Doordat er ��n hoog boven de grond tot ontploffing wordt gebracht? Dat is heel erg onwaarschijnlijk en misschien zelfs onmogelijk.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:40 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:
Geen schade en geen fall-out.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:56 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Kazachstan

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 20:05 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
En jij denkt dat al die zware elementen die bij de splitsing gecreerd worden zoals ik noem maar wat strontium en cesium gewoon magisch oplossen als het maar in de lucht gebeurt?

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 20:09 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novaya_Zemlya

Hier ook

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 20:09 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Het is gewoon algemeen bekend. Schade is nihil.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 19:01 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:
Demonstratief gebruik van een kernwapen lijkt me een logische stap in de verdere escalatie nu.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 20:25 schreef Anton91 het volgende:

[..]


Dat duurde even, maar we hebben weer een post van Discombobulate over kernwapens.

quote:

Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 20:09 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Het is gewoon algemeen bekend. Schade is nihil.

quote:

How the Kremlin uses comics to glorify its war in Ukraine

^{A Ukrainian soldier is portrayed surrendering and changing his name to its Russian version}

War-themed comic books are being used by the Kremlin to sell its vision of the war in Ukraine to the youth.

During the first months following the start of invasion of Ukraine, a poll by the Russian state pollster suggested that young Russians were the least supportive of the war.

It now seems the Kremlin is taking steps to ensure that changes.

In April, the Russian defence and education ministries started distributing tens of thousands of comic books that praise the invasion of Ukraine in schools across Russia and Ukraine’s Russia-occupied territories.

According to the project’s official website, the goal is ultimately to supply these comics to every school under Russian control.

SPOILER

quote:

The comics consist of 22 short stories dedicated to Russian servicemen decorated for their role in the war.

They echo the Kremlin's unfounded claim that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 prevented a "genocide” planned by Kyiv authorities in eastern Ukraine and backed by Nato countries.

Among the protagonists is Col-Gen Azatbek Omurbekov, the commanding officer of the unit responsible for the killing of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha in 2022.

The comic book describes Mr Omurbekov as a “real man” and claims that his troops have shown “humanity” during the first months of the war in Ukraine.

“As they [Ukrainian soldiers] retreated, the enemy abandoned their wounded. Russian soldiers gave them first aid – even in war, one must remain human,” the comic reads.

In fact, Russian troops have been accused of torturing and killing Ukrainian prisoners of war by major rights groups, including Amnesty International and the United Nations human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine.

The books were written by Oleg Roy, a prominent Russian children’s author and a vocal supporter of the war in Ukraine.

The comics employ the anti-Western, anti-Nato and anti-Ukrainian rhetoric long peddled by Russian authorities. "Out of hatred for Russia, the West arms their puppy neo-Nazis in occupied Kyiv," one of the books reads.

Mr Roy previously created a series of comics devoted to patriotic "Russian superheroes" which were praised by Kremlin-backed media as Russia’s "answer to DC and Marvel".

^{In Oleg Roy's books, Nato generals are portrayed as evil and scheming}

In September 2023, another series of 23 war-themed comics was issued by prominent military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk, who is also part of the Russian Presidential Council on the War in Ukraine. These comics were translated in English, Arabic and Chinese.

The stories they tell claim to be based on real-life situations from the war in Ukraine. They highlight the courage and determination of Russian soldiers, while derogatory language is used to describe Ukrainian soldiers, who are portrayed as pawns of Western generals.

Some of the stories also echo the narratives of Russian state-controlled media, claiming that Ukrainian soldiers lack the motivation to fight, as their commanding officers send them to die.

One of Zvinchuk’s comic books describes the battle for the eastern Ukrainian village of Klischiivka, which Russia has since claimed to have captured.

It tells the story of a Ukrainian soldier named Mykola, who surrenders to Russian troops, shoots members of his own battalion and changes his name to Nikolai, the Russian variant of his name.

In another issue, two Ukrainian drone operators are desperate and forced to surrender, because they cannot handle the might of Russian armoured vehicles, which one of them calls “cyborgs”.

Mr Zvinchuk’s comics were showcased as part of an art exhibition set up on a train that travelled across Russia.

The train featured nine thematic cars depicting the “heroism” of Russian soldiers, starting with World War Two and ending with the war in Ukraine.
According to official data, more than half a million people visited the Ministry of Defence-backed initiative, which was dubbed The Power of Truth. The train covered more than 34,000km (21,200 miles), stopping in more than 75 cities between Moscow and Russia’s Far East.

^{A Polish general scolds Ukrainian soldiers}

Another series of Ukraine war-related comics is centred around the exploits of the Russian Wagner mercenary group and its late founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin - although this series appears to have no official backing.

Wagner mercenaries have been involved in wars in Ukraine and in Syria. Prigozhin died in plane crash on 23 August, exactly two months after he led a short-lived mutiny during which his fighters to took over key military installations in southern Russia and began marching towards Moscow.

The comics – which were published at the end of 2023 on social media platform Telegram - glorify Wagner mercenaries and claim they saved Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine from "genocide".

The protagonist is a Wagner mercenary called Angel of Wrath, who is depicted fighting blue dog-like creatures wearing the Ukrainian coat of arms.

In the comic, these creatures are seen turned into monsters because of the “new serum that the Americans are injecting them with”.

One of the issues in the series ends with Prigozhin giving an ominous warning: "What they [enemies of Russia] don't know is where the Angel of Wrath will appear next. And so, let everyone wait and fear.”

quote:

The US gave sensitive plans for over 1,000 American weapons to Ukraine, say 2 officials who gave only a cryptic hint as to what they are: report
• Two senior US officials told the Times that Washington sent plans for over 1,000 weapons to Ukraine.
• The reported transfer came amid a push to help Ukraine boost its domestic weapons production.
• The officials declined to say which weapons plans were included but gave a clue, per the Times.

The US has given Ukraine manufacturing plans for more than 1,000 American weapons in hopes of helping Kyiv bolster its own arms production, two officials told The New York Times.

The military officials told the Times' John Ismay about the transfer during a visit to a new factory for Howitzer artillery shells near Dallas.

According to the Times, these two officials were William A. LaPlante, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, and Douglas R. Bush, the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology.

They told the outlet that the US also translated technical manuals from English to Ukrainian but declined to say which weapons were involved, the Times said.

"What are they using the most?" Bush told Ismay.

SPOILER

quote:

Drones and artillery shells have been among the most prominently used weapons in the war, but neither official was reported to have given further information on the plans.

Their remarks came amid the opening of the $500 million Dallas plant, which is run by General Dynamics and aims to boost artillery-shell production by another 30,000 155 mm rounds a month.

The US has set a goal of producing 100,000 such shells a month by the end of 2025 after sending more than 3 million rounds together with its allies to Ukraine. Demand there for the ammo is pressing.

The US Army has said it would need about $3.1 billion to buy the rounds and expand production to achieve its ammunition goal. It's unlikely that all these new rounds will be earmarked solely for Ukraine.

Before the Dallas plant was set up, the Army News Service reported the US at the end of 2023 was making about 28,000 Howitzer shells a month. The Times reported that production this month rose to about 36,000 shells without the new factory.

Meanwhile, Russia is estimated to be producing about 250,000 shells a month, according to NATO assessments reported by CNN in March.

Western countries are concerned by the rate at which Moscow has been able to rapidly expand and galvanize its defense-manufacturing industry, with some think-tank estimates saying the Kremlin can sustain its high casualties in personnel and equipment for years.

Ukraine already needs more troops, and the US and Europe have been trying to shore up its military supplies.

The European Union promised in March 2023 to deliver 1 million more artillery shells to Kyiv over the next year. But with reports that it was manufacturing only about 30% of what's needed, some experts said Ukraine would eat up Europe's current entire annual production within two months. The bloc ended up meeting only 50% of its goal by this March.

Press teams for the US Army and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

quote:

Artillerymen of the 43rd Artillery Brigade are armed with new Shark UAVs

^{Shark reconnaissance drones of the 43rd Artillery Brigade. May 2024, Ukraine. Photo from the Brigade’s Facebook page}

Ukrainian gunners from the 43rd Brigade have been reinforced with additional Shark drones.

The 43rd Artillery Brigade reported that the drones were delivered thanks to the assistance of the Come Back Alive Foundation and civilian pilot Dmytro Antonov.

“Two state-of-the-art Sharks made by a Ukrainian manufacturer have already started performing combat missions to reconnoiter and destroy the enemy on Ukrainian soil,” the Brigade shared.

The Shark multifunctional unmanned aircraft vehicle system is designed for a wide range of missions.

It is with these drones that artillerymen scout for Russian equipment and positions and then adjust artillery at them.

SPOILER

quote:

^{Shark reconnaissance drones of the 43rd Artillery Brigade. May 2024, Ukraine. Photo from the Brigade’s Facebook page}

Shark reconnaissance drones are manufactured by the Ukrainian company Ukrspecsystems.

The UAV provides the capability of fully autonomous reconnaissance, surveillance, clear identification, and recognition from a long distance and at high altitudes.

Declared characteristics:
• Up to 4 hours average flight endurance;
• Up to 80 km communication range;
• 3000 m maximum flight altitude;
• Up to 13.5 kg takeoff weight;
• Up to 300 km range (route length);
• Short deployment time;
• Low cost of operation.

The USG-231 optoelectronic system (camera) has a 30x optical and 4x digital zoom.

^{Shark reconnaissance drones of the 43rd Artillery Brigade. May 2024, Ukraine. Photo from the Brigade’s Facebook page}

The military version is equipped with electronic protection equipment, which makes it highly resistant to electronic warfare (EW) attacks.

“Even if the enemy tries to interfere with communication systems, the SHARK-M UAV will continue working and performing its tasks, providing valuable information,” the developers share.

Ураження двох російських БМ-21 та складу боєприпасів [18 жовтня 2023]

This EW protection is a critical advantage in modern warfare, as it ensures that the drone runs smoothly and that critical information is not lost.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 20:05 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
En jij denkt dat al die zware elementen die bij de splitsing gecreerd worden zoals ik noem maar wat strontium en cesium gewoon magisch oplossen als het maar in de lucht gebeurt?

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Lukashenka's fears: what is hidden behind public statements

Oleksandr Lukashenko, commenting on the death of Iranian leader Ibrahim Raisi, revealed his fears again.

This was reported in the Center of National Resistance.

He blamed the US for Raisi's death, citing the sanctions imposed on the Iranian president's helicopter, and emphasized that he was afraid of being in a similar situation:

"The USA has imposed sanctions against ships in Russia and against us, including my plane," he said, expressing his fears about the possibility of a plane crash.

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Lukashenko has repeatedly shared his fears at various events. During a speech at the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, he described the scenario of a possible invasion of Belarusian volunteers who could seize power in the country with the support of NATO.

According to him, the goal of the aggressors is to capture the Kobryn district, where they plan to establish their power and turn to NATO for support. He also claimed that the US was preparing a Belarusian liberation army, the basis of which would be Kalinovsky's regiment and other volunteer formations.

Volodymyr Putin, who started the war against Ukraine, has already been issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children. Lukashenko is also afraid of finding himself in a similar situation, as materials are being collected in the case of the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children to Belarus.

"They want to send me to the criminal court! For what? I didn't even know what was going on when the children's recovery process began. These are scoundrels who grab everything in a row," he reacted nervously.

He often mentions the fate of his friend Slobodan Milosevic, who died in prison while awaiting the sentence of the court in The Hague.

Since 2020, when the Belarusian people went out en masse in protests, the Belarusian dictator regularly expresses his fears of a possible uprising. He believes that the specialists who organized color revolutions and rebellions may again try to destroy the country. Lukashenko mentioned the fate of the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed by the people, and warned about the preparation of a mutiny with the participation of the US special services.

"They planned to kidnap the child and put her in a cellar in the Gomel region. We detained the group and they showed how everything was planned."

Why does Alexander Lukashenko constantly talk about his fears?

An anonymous psychologist explained that such people usually cannot afford to publicly admit their fears, because it is considered a sign of weakness.

"Dictators cannot trust even those closest to them, which causes fears of betrayals and conspiracies. He accumulates all his fears and worries in himself, and sometimes his subconscious forces him to share them in public speeches," the psychologist noted.

Oleksandr Lukashenko probably does not realize that he is openly expressing his fears, which may be an unintentional attempt to free himself from internal tension.

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It’s cheaper to die than to live: how coffins and funeral services have risen in price in Erethia
The war in Ukraine and sanctions imposed by the economic giants of Europe and the United States have triggered a rise in prices at coffins and funeral services in Russia.

According to the Federal State Statistics Service, since January 2022:
• coffin making has risen in price by 52%, to 6,730 rubles;
• grave digging – by 13%, to 8765 rubles;
• cremation – by 36%, to 28,700 rubles.

And that’s not the last price hike; a new price tag is on the way.

Such a substantial increase in prices for crosses, coffins, and funeral fences is due to the rising cost of raw materials – metal and wood, according to funeral home owners. In fact, the price of boards and metal tiles has risen by 2-2.5 times, including the fact that some of the materials were previously purchased in Ukraine. Quite symbolic, isn’t it?

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On the contrary, Vladimir Rodkin, Vice President of the Union of Funeral Organizations and Crematoriums (UFC), claims that raw materials are now cheaper, but there are other factors, such as logistics and rising wages, that matter. In particular, a large number of components come from China, the supply of which has risen significantly.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the cost of funerals has increased by about 30% – up to 120 thousand for burial in a cemetery and up to 50 thousand for cremation. But it all depends on the region and the wishes of relatives. Coffin prices range from 4 thousand to infinity. The price of digging graves is also very high.

Amid this rise in prices, Russians have begun to save money on funerals for their loved ones. Instead of a solid stone tombstone, they may choose a wooden cross. As a result, the volume of the Russian funeral services market grew by only 5% in 2022, which is lower than the inflation rate.

The demand for cremation has grown significantly in Moscow and St. Petersburg, now accounting for 70-72% of the total number of burials. Since this ritual in the Russian capital costs an average of 130-150 thousand rubles, a “false cremation” service has been introduced. A farewell ceremony takes place in the farewell hall, and then the coffin with the body is conditionally lowered down in an elevator or sent into the wall. The body is taken to another city for cremation, and after a while, the family is simply given an urn with the ashes and the relevant documents.

In anticipation of the ban on the export of unprocessed wood, Russian traders are increasing their exports abroad, and amid a shortage, domestic prices are being brought up to export prices, so soon Russians are burying the dead in cardboard boxes or black bags.

They already have this experience. Although, knowing the attitude of people behind the curb, we would not be surprised if they just bury them and forget. And if so, then such a state will be short-lived. Because the state is first and foremost people, and only after that, everything else.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 20:58 schreef Perrin het volgende:
Hoop dat het aanstekelijk werkt.
[ x ]

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 13:42 schreef polderturk het volgende:

[..]
100% mee eens.

Het is onzinnig om meerdere vechtervliegtuigtypes tegelijkertijd te leveren. Lastig voor onderhoud en training.

Het leveren van de radarvliegtuig is 1000 keer beter.

Ik ga een voorbeeld noemen. Ik ga de 6 daagse oorlog tussen Turkije en Syri� benoemen in 2016. Wees aub niet bevooroordeeld door mijn naam. Ik zeg dit niet om Turkije te prijzen. Maar om een punt te maken in het voordeel van Oekra�ne.

Toen de oorlog begon liet Turkije 2 AWACS vliegtuigen voortdurend in de lucht vliegen om het luchtruim in Syri� te bewaken. Iedere keer als er een Syrisch Su-25 vliegtuig de lucht in ging werd er een Turkse F16 gescrambled. Een Turkse F16 schoot 2 Su-25 vliegtuigen in ��n vlucht uit de lucht. Later werd er nog een Syrisch vliegtuig uit de lucht geschoten. Daarna stuurde Syri� geen vliegtuigen meer de lucht in.

De F16 is een bewezen vliegtuig.

Het staat 76-2 tegen Russische vliegtuigen.

DUS.

1. Schiet Russische radars kapot
2. Laat AWACS op 100 km van het front vliegen
3. Stuur F16's de lucht in op het momemt dat Russische vliegtuigen de lucht in gaan.

Dit is de reden dat Putin in zijn broek poept de laatste dagen.

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WP: US concerned about Ukrainian strikes on early-warning radars on Russian soil, official says

The U.S. government is concerned about Ukraine striking radar stations on Russian territory as it could "dangerously unsettle Moscow," the Washington Post (WP) reported on May 29, citing an undisclosed U.S. official.

A long-range drone operated by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) attacked an early-warning Voronezh M radar in Russia's Orsk city in Orenburg Oblast on May 26, reportedly traveling a record-breaking 1,800 kilometers (around 1,200 miles) from the launch site.

Ukraine's military intelligence also struck another Voronezh radar in the village of Glubokii, 12 kilometers (around 8 miles) from the town of Armavir, in Krasnodar Krai on May 23, causing a fire at the facility, a source in the agency told the Kyiv Independent.

Washington expressed its concerns to Kyiv about the two attacks against radar stations that provide conventional air defense as well as warning of nuclear launches by the West, the article read.

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At least one strike against the town of Armavir in southeastern Krasnodar Krai has caused some damage, according to the WP.

The U.S. official claimed that the facilities that were targeted had not been involved in the support of Russia's war against Ukraine.

"But they are sensitive locations because Russia could perceive that its strategic deterrent capabilities are being targeted, which could undermine Russia's ability to maintain nuclear deterrence against the United States," the source told the WP.

"It should be obvious to everyone that there is no intention whatsoever (by the United States) of using nuclear weapons against Russia. But there is certainly concern about how Russia could perceive its deterrent capabilities being targeted and early-warning systems being attacked. "

A Ukrainian official familiar with the matter, in contrast, said Russia has used the radar sites to track the Ukrainian military's activities, particularly the usage of aerial weaponry, including drones and missiles.

The Ukrainian official said that Kyiv strikes radar stations to diminish Russia's ability to monitor the Ukrainian military's activities in southern Ukraine.

Russia "switched all of its capabilities for war against Ukraine," the source added.

In early May, another Ukrainian long-range drone hit an oil refinery, Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat, in Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan.

The drone, operated by the State Security Service (SBU), covered 1,500 kilometers (around 930 miles) to strike the target, a record-breaking distance for Ukraine at the time.

In April, Ukraine hit production facilities in Russia's Tatarstan Republic, 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the state border.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 21:24 schreef TwenteFC het volgende:
[ x ]

Biochemische fascistische nazi sexslaven die aan organen en mensenhandel doen in Oekra�ne, daar zien de russen wel echt 'broederlijk' volk in.

Het is maar goed dat Steven 'zijn eigen' gedachten van te voren heeft uitgetypt, je zou maar wat vergeten in zo'n lange lijst.

Stickertje gekregen van putler en weer naar huis.

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FT: NATO has only 5% of air defense required to defend eastern flank
More than two years into Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine, the air defense capabilities of NATO's eastern flank are only at 5% of the amount seen as necessary to deter an attack, the Financial Times (FT) reported on May 29, citing sources.

NATO members located in central and eastern Europe have publicized plans in recent weeks to improve their collective air defense in response to the Russian threat.

Yet, according to unnamed sources who spoke to the FT, the current air defense capabilities of NATO's eastern flank are far from sufficient.

Air defense is a "major part of the plan to defend eastern Europe from invasion," a NATO diplomat told the FT.

"And right now, we don't have that."

Russia's usage of drones and glide bombs against Ukraine has further highlighted the need for NATO to improve its air defense capabilities.

"(Air defense) is one of the biggest holes we have," another NATO diplomat told the FT. "We can't deny it."

Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said earlier in May that a group of countries, including the Baltic states, Poland, Norway, and Finland, have agreed to create a "drone wall" to help defend their collective borders.

The announcement came after Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland had signed a contract to join the European Sky Shield Initiative, which currently includes 21 countries. The initiative aims to create an Iron Dome-style air defense system covering NATO members across Europe.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 21:27 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://kyivindependent.c(...)efend-eastern-flank/
[..]
[ x ]
Het originele artikel met nog meer informatie hierover. FT wil alleen niet dat ik deze woord voor woord met je deel.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 21:24 schreef TwenteFC het volgende:
[ x ]

Biochemische fascistische nazi sexslaven die aan organen en mensenhandel doen in Oekra�ne, daar zien de russen wel echt 'broederlijk' volk in.

Het is maar goed dat Steven 'zijn eigen' gedachten van te voren heeft uitgetypt, je zou maar wat vergeten in zo'n lange lijst.

Stickertje gekregen van putler en weer naar huis.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 21:32 schreef TLC het volgende:
n verontrustend artikel al zeg ik het zelf op de site van de nos

https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/(...)drempel-van-conflict

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 21:35 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Wow, die raakt steeds verder van het padje af zeg lol.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 21:35 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Wow, die raakt steeds verder van het padje af zeg lol.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 21:32 schreef TLC het volgende:
n verontrustend artikel al zeg ik het zelf op de site van de nos

https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/(...)drempel-van-conflict

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 21:32 schreef TLC het volgende:
n verontrustend artikel al zeg ik het zelf op de site van de nos

https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/(...)drempel-van-conflict

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 21:43 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

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Inderdaad verontrustend hoe bang Rob de Wijk wel niet is voor deze escalatie die volgens hem naar wereld oorlog 3 en een nucleaire holocaust zal leiden. Volgens hem kunnen wij Oekra�ne beter aan zijn lot overlaten. Want stel je voor dat wij Oekra�ne toestemming geven om zichzelf daadwerkelijk te kunnen verdedigen.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 21:34 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

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Dit klinkt mij niet erg realistisch, die 5%.

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Op donderdag 30 mei 2024 21:57 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:
Ijdeltuit Rob de Wijk is weer onder zijn steen vandaan gekropen zie ik.