Oorlog in Oekra�ne #979: Drone Wars

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White House: Ukraine can shoot down hostile aircraft over Russia
Ukrainian forces are not limited to striking Russian warplanes that pose a potential threat or drop guided bombs from Russian territory.
White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said in response to a question about whether the permission for Ukrainian forces to use U.S.-made weapons involves striking Russian bombers outside Ukraine.

"I just want to note, there has been some confusion on this. There's never been a restriction on the Ukrainians shooting down hostile aircraft, even if those aircraft are not necessarily in Ukrainian airspace," Kirby said.

He specified that the Ukrainian Armed Forces "can shoot down Russian airplanes that pose an impending threat."

In addition, according to him, Ukrainian forces have been doing this since the beginning of the war.

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China claims its 'peace plan' already supported by dozens of countries. Ukraine's MFA reacts
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Ukraine and Russia allegedly separately "affirmed most of the content" of the war settlement plan
After China's refusal to participate in the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, the country's Foreign Minister Wang Yi claimed that the Chinese "peace plan" was supported by 26 countries of the world, reported Bloomberg.

Wang clarified that a total of 45 countries have expressed positive views on China's proposals, of which 26 are fully ready to support the "peace plan". At the same time, he added, Ukraine and Russia separately "affirmed most of the content" of the principles for a political solution outlined by China and Brazil in a joint statement in May 2024.

The Chinese diplomat did not indicate that the main demand of Kyiv to Moscow is the withdrawal of occupation troops from the territory of Ukraine, in particular, from those that were occupied by Russia during the first invasion.

Wang Yi added that "conditions are not yet ready for peace talks," so China will "make its own decisions" about participating in such meetings.

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Drones of the 92nd Brigade hit over 500 targets in the Kharkiv region

^{Destroyed Russian T-80BV tank in Kharkiv region. May 2024. Ukraine. A frame from the video of the FLIGHT CLUB unit}

In May, soldiers of the 92nd ‘Ivan Sirko’ Assault Brigade hit hundreds of targets in the Kharkiv region with drones.

The brigade’s drone operators reported that at least 557 targets were hit.

To detect and destroy targets, the brigade involves aerial reconnaissance men of the Attack Drone Group “Flight Club”, the Attack Drone Battalion “Achilles”, and other units with attack drones.

According to published data, 141 units of equipment were damaged, and another 45 units of equipment were completely destroyed.

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The Russians installed ZU-23-2 on the Japanese Toyota HMV military SUV

^{ZU-23-2 based on a Japanese SUV. Source: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation}

The Russians have turned a Japanese demilitarized Toyota HMV SUV into a mobile firing platform with a ZU-23-2.

The Russian Ministry of Defense published the video of the equipment.

The video shows that the firing platform includes a portable electronic warfare device in addition to the 23-mm anti-aircraft gun.

So, obviously, the platform is primarily designed to counter drones. However, the Russian Ministry of Defense also writes about the use of the system against Ukrainian infantry.

This platform is reportedly being used by Russian occupation forces near the village of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region.

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As Russia’s Armored Vehicles Get Worse, Ukraine’s American-Made M-2s Destroy Them Faster
Thirteen-ton Russian MT-LBs are no match for 34-ton Ukrainian M-2s.


In 28 months of hard fighting, Russia’s military has lost around 4,000 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles—the two types of armored vehicle that haul troops into battle. That’s around 150 destroyed Russian APCs and more-heavily-armed IFVs a month, on average, that the analysts at Oryx have visually confirmed.

Ukrainian losses are much lower: around a thousand APCs and IFVs since Russia widened its war on Ukraine in February 2022.

Last month, Russian losses spiked—to a staggering 288 APCs and IFVs, according to analyst Andrew Perpetua, who also tallies vehicle losses in Ukraine. “This is only what we could see and count,” Perpetua stressed.

It’s apparent what’s happening. Around the ruins of the eastern city of Avdiivka, one of the most violent sectors of the 700-mile front line in Ukraine, the Ukrainians are deploying better vehicles, while the Russians are deploying worse ones. When the Ukrainian and Russian vehicles clash, the Russians get beaten—badly.

A pair of videos that circulated on social media over the past month graphically illustrate the vehicular imbalance. In both cases, Ukraine’s American-made M-2 Bradley IFVs took on Russian APCs—and demolished them. Potentially dozens of Russians died in the two skirmishes.

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Russia attacked Ukraine with 27 drones, air defense systems downed 22
Russian forces launched another kamikaze drone attack on Ukraine during the night of June 5. Air defenses managed to intercept all but five of the 27 drones that were launched, citing the Commander of the Air Forces, Mykola Oleshchuk.

"On the night of June 5, 2024, the occupiers attacked with 27 Shahed-131/136 strike UAVs from the Kursk region of the Russian Federation and Chauda Cape in Crimea," he said.

To counter the aerial assault, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare units of the Air Force, and mobile fire groups of Ukraine’s Defense Forces were deployed.

"As a result of the anti-air battle, 22 Shaheds were shot down over the Mykolaiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, and Poltava regions," Oleshchuk added.

Russian drone attack on Ukraine
On the evening of June 4, alarms were sounded in several regions of Ukraine. According to the Air Force, there was a threat of strike drones in the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Poltava regions.

Air defenses were active in five regions of Ukraine, mostly in the south. According to the regional military administrations, four drones were shot down in the Dnipropetrovsk region: two in the Kryvyi Rih district and one each in the Dnipro and Nikopol districts. Six Russian drones were downed in the Mykolayiv region.

Previously, the downing of a Shahed drone was reported by the Ukrainian Navy.

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Moldova’s former Chief of the General Staff worked for Russia

^{Igor Gorgan, Former Chief of the General Staff of Moldova. Photo credits: UN}

Russian intelligence recruited Moldova’s former Chief of General Staff, who worked until the end of 2021 and wanted Russia to invade the country.

The Insider has gained access to the Telegram correspondence between Igor Gorgan, former Chief of the General Staff of Moldova, and his GRU handler, Russian Colonel Alexei Makarov.

Gorgan regularly reported to Makarov on Moldova’s domestic political situation and provided information on visits from Ukrainian Ministry of Defense representatives, who came to Moldova to purchase military equipment and ammunition.

Gorgan served in the General Staff until late 2021, when the country’s new president Maia Sandu requested his resignation.

Before the July 2023 mass expulsion of Russian spies working in Moldova under diplomatic cover in Moldova, Gorgan even managed to secure a job at the UN.

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Ukrainian defenders inflict heavy losses on Russian troops in south front

^{Photo: Ukrainian Armed Forces destroy two Russian Pantsir systems in the south (wikipedia.org)}

The Ukrainian military destroyed two Russian air defense systems in the southern direction. They also eliminated two points - the command and control center for drones, according to the head of the Joint Coordination Press Center of the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine Dmytro Pletenchuk.

“Minus two Rusian Pantsirs in our direction. The command post and drone control center are also there,” he says.

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Russia fears ahead of Belgium's double EU and national elections
Two leading Belgian parties have hit back at allegations they were Russia-friendly, as the EU host-state prepares for double elections.

MEPs from the rightwing Flemish NVA party and the far-left PVDA party told EUobserver they fully aligned with mainstream Western views condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The NVA's Assita Kanko, an MEP, said on Monday (3 June): "There is absolutely no connection between the Russian regime and my political party or our candidates. We fully support Ukraine".

"Two weeks ago, I met a delegation of Ukrainian mothers in the European Parliament. I heard their stories and saw their tears, felt their pain," she added.

Marc Botenga, an MEP from PVDA, said the Russia allegations were "preposterous".

The PVDA had opposed Russian president Vladimir Putin's regime for over 20 years due to its greed and "barbarity", Botenga said.

"We firmly condemned Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine from day one ... Russia must stop its invasion and withdraw all its troops," he added.

The allegations of undue “Russian influence” in Belgium’s Flemish political scene were chronicled in a 37-page dossier circulated on Monday by a Belgian politician of Ukrainian origin, Marta Barandiy, who is running to become an MEP.

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AfD politician exposed for creating pro-Russian influence network in Europe
Politician Petr Bystron of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party helped create a pro-Russian network in Europe, an investigation has found. Source: DW

Czech investigators believe that the involvement of Bystron, a member of the right-wing populist AfD party, in a pro-Russian propaganda network was much deeper than previously believed, European media reported.

Bystron, who ranks second on the AfD list in the European Parliament elections, not only received money, but also actively tried to influence events, writes Die Zeit. According to several sources, such conclusions were made based on intercepted conversations.

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Belarusian hackers target Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence in new espionage campaign
Belarusian state-sponsored hackers targeted Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and a military base in a new cyberespionage operation, researchers say.

They attributed the attacks to the threat actor Ghostwriter, a Belarus-linked group known for its attacks on Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland. In the latest campaign, observed in April by researchers at the cybersecurity firm Cyble, the hackers sent their targets phishing emails with an attachment that contained drone image files and a malicious Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

Researchers said they identified alleged victims based on the content of lure documents.

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Russian soldier who killed 7 comrades with grenade given 23-year sentence
A Russian soldier was sentenced to 23 years in a maximum security penal colony by a military court on Wednesday for killing seven soldiers from another unit when he threw a grenade into an army barrack, state news agency TASS reported.

Dmitry Lobovikov, a sergeant from the Sverdlovsk region in the Urals, was found guilty of multiple counts of murder, illegal possession of explosive devices and the deliberate destruction of property by explosion. He was also fined 70,000 rubles (�700) and stripped of his military rank.

A heavily intoxicated Lobovikov threw a grenade into a barrack in Russia’s Belgorod region in January 2023, after allegedly attempting to reprimand the troops for their poor behaviour, state-affiliated daily RBC reported.

The grenade detonated flammable gas cylinders, killing seven people and injuring 16 others.

At the trial, Lobovikov’s lawyers requested the court acquit their client of all charges, claiming that he had had no intention of killing his comrades, blaming the incident on “stupidity and alcohol”.

Lobovikov’s lawyers argued that the grenade had slipped out of their client’s hands when he lost consciousness after mixing sedatives with alcohol. While the jury ultimately found him guilty, they did also note that he was “deserving of leniency”.

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Roissy-en-France: A Ukrainian-Russian in police custody after burning himself while making an explosive, the anti-terrorism prosecution seized.
The arrested man, aged 26, was from Russian-speaking Donbass. An investigation was opened by the national anti-terrorism prosecution and the DGSI was contacted.

A man of Ukrainian and Russian nationality, originally from Russian-speaking Donbass, was arrested in Roissy-en-France (Val-d'Oise) on Monday June 3, BFMTV learned from a source close to the matter, confirming information from JDD . The man, aged 26, was treated with serious burns around 4:30 p.m., after having made an explosive, and transported to a hospital center.

The first findings made it possible to discover on site products and materials intended for the manufacture of explosive devices, specifies the national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office to BFMTV. One of them having exploded. The hotel had to be evacuated.

Anti-terrorism prosecution seized
The explosives were designed using an old method which consists of connecting them to a telephone to trigger them with a telephone call, corroborating sources tell BFMTV. Several passports were found on site.

In the early evening, around 9 p.m., the suspect was taken into police custody following his treatment. The divestment is then decided in favor of the national anti-terrorism prosecution and the DGSI.

An investigation was opened by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday June 4 into charges of "participation in a terrorist criminal association with a view to preparing crimes of personal injury" and "possession of an incendiary or explosive substance or product or elements intended to compose an incendiary or explosive device with a view to preparing destruction, damage or harm to persons, in relation to a terrorist enterprise.”

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Russia: Gazprom will need at least a decade to recover the gas sales volumes lost due to sanctions
The company's exports to Europe will average between 50 and 75 billion cubic meters per year by 2035, just a third of pre-war levels

The Russian energy company Gazprom It is unlikely that it will be able to recover the natural gas sales volumes lost following the invasion of Ukraine within a decade. This was reported in a report commissioned by Gazprom itself and taken up by the British newspaper "Financial Times". The company's exports to Europe will average between 50 and 75 billion cubic meters per year by 2035, just a third of pre-war levels, according to estimates from the Russian energy giant. Although Gazprom hopes that building a new gas pipeline to China – Power of Siberia-2 – will help offset lost European export volumes, its capacity will be only 50 billion cubic meters per year and prices fixed with Beijing they are much lower than those with European countries, as the company's experts note in the report. An agreement on the construction of the connecting infrastructure with China, which should pass through Mongolia, has yet to be reached, Gazprom adds.

“The main consequences of the sanctions for Gazprom and the energy industry are the contraction of export volumes, which will be restored to the 2020 level no earlier than 2035,” the authors of the document wrote. The 151-page report, commissioned by company management and compiled late last year, is among the most candid acknowledgments yet of how Western sanctions imposed in response to Russia's war have damaged Gazprom and the broader Russian energy sector, according to the “Financial Times”.

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Ukraine frustrated with US over F-16 pilot training
Kyiv is increasingly frustrated by the limited training pipeline. The U.S. says it has other customers.

Ukrainian officials are pressing the U.S. and other countries to ramp up their F-16 pilot training, saying the current pipeline isn’t producing enough aviators to fly the jets that will be soon donated to Kyiv.

Ukraine says it has 30 pilots who are eligible to start training in the U.S. immediately. Yet the Biden administration has told Kyiv it lacks the school seats in its Arizona-based program to accept more than 12 pilot trainees at a time, according to three people with direct knowledge of the request. Two other facilities in Denmark and Romania have a similar issue with available training spots.

It’s the latest hurdle in the drawn-out effort to get modern F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. Kyiv began pushing for the aircraft in the months following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, but was repeatedly rebuffed by the Biden administration. In May 2023, President Joe Biden greenlit other countries’ requests to send their F-16s, but logistical challenges repeatedly delayed the training. Further complicating the effort, it took months for Western countries to agree to send their own aircraft to Ukraine.

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Putin warns that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets
President Vladimir Putin warned Wednesday that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets in response to NATO allies allowing Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory.

Putin also reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to use nuclear weapons if it sees a threat to its sovereignty.

The recent actions by the West will further undermine international security and could lead to “very serious problems,” he said, taking questions from international journalists — something that has become extremely rare since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.

“That would mark their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, and we reserve the right to act the same way,” Putin added.

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Russian Twitch streamer sentenced to more than 5 years in prison for criticizing the invasion of Ukraine
Anna Bazhutova, known on Twitch as Yokobovich, was arrested in 2023 after streaming witness accounts of Russian massacres in Bucha.

Russian streamer Anna Bazhutova, known on Twitch as Yokobovich, has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for livestreaming witness accounts of alleged atrocities committed by the Russian army during its occupation of the Ukrainian city of Bucha.

French news agency AFP, via the Moscow Times, says Bazhutova was found guilty of spreading false information about the Russian army on her Twitch channel. The live broadcast originally occurred in June 2023, according to the report (although other sources, including Radio Free Europe, say the incident took place in 2022), and included witness accounts of massacres carried out by Russian forces. The government of Ukraine has made similar allegations of mass killings conducted by withdrawing Russian forces that left hundreds dead; Russia has rejected the claims and said evidence of the massacres was "staged" by the West.

At some point after Bazhutova's stream, Russian bloggers supporting the war filed complaints with police, shortly after which her home was searched and her electronic devices confiscated. She was later arrested and has reportedly been held in pre-trial detention since August 2023.

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Former Ukrainian military spokeswoman moved to non-media position

Natalia Humeniuk, the former Deputy Head of Communication for Operational Command Pivden (South), has been fired and transferred to a position unconnected with communication with the media.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda sources independent from one another in Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and military circles

Details: Colonel Natalia Humeniuk is reported to have been demoted from her position as Deputy Head of Communication for Operational Command Pivden (South) of Ukraine’s Ground Forces as a result of a reorganisation.

Quote: "Humeniuk has been transferred to another position that corresponds to her professional training. This activity has no connection with communication with the media."

Updated: Later, the Strategic Communications Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially confirmed this information.

Background: On 5 June, it was revealed that Natalia Humeniuk, the former spokesperson for the Defence Forces of Ukraine’s South, had been appointed Deputy Head of Communication for Operational Command Pivden (South).

On 18 April 2024, more than 150 media professionals from Ukraine and abroad appealed to the Parliamentary Committee on Freedom of Speech to dismiss Natalia Humeniuk, then head of the Joint Coordination Press Centre of Operational Command Pivden (South).

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Russia Sets Up Filtration Camps in Vovchansk, Kharkiv Region
Russian forces have established a filtration camp in the Russian-controlled part of Vovchansk, while the town itself is being destroyed by shelling and rendered uninhabitable, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniegubov, said on air on the Ukrainian national channel.

“People have nowhere to return to. We understand that they will be living in compact living spaces or in accommodation that they find on their own for the winter and possibly the next year. Not many people remain in the territory under the occupiers, whom the enemy is using as a human shield, and according to our information, filtration camps have been created there,” Syniegubov said.

According to his data, up to 50 residents remain in the part of Vovchansk controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The evacuation of people is being carried out by the military and the police under constant shelling by Russians.

Vovchansk is currently divided into three parts: occupied, a so-called “gray zone,” and under the control of Ukrainian forces, according to Syniehubov. “And, according to our information, filtration camps have been set up there,” he stated, referring to the part of Vovchansk under Russian control.

Filtration camps, established by Russian forces on the occupied territories of Ukraine, function as processing centers for Ukrainian citizens, subjecting them to security checks, personal data collection, interrogation, oftentimes torture and detention, before potential forced deportation to Russia.

As of May 31, the Ukrainian army held approximately 70% of the town, according to Nazar Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Khortytsia group.

Earlier, it was reported by the National Resistance Center of Ukraine, that a large-scale construction of filtration camps has been launched in Russia’s Volga region under the guise of children’s summer camps.

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Op donderdag 6 juni 2024 10:37 schreef skysherrif het volgende:
[ x ]

[ x ]

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Op donderdag 6 juni 2024 10:45 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Dit heeft een hoog gehalte: "Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic".

[ x ]

Gaat helemaal nergens meer over daarzo.

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Switzerland and Global South countries promote Peace Summit decision unfavourable for Ukraine
Under pressure from Switzerland and the countries of the Global South, amendments unfavourable for Ukraine have been added to the draft decision of the Peace Summit which threaten the without-alternative status of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace formula, and open the way for other peace initiatives.

Source: article by European Pravda (EP) Without peace and with compromises. What threats does the Peace Summit in Switzerland pose to Ukraine and is it possible to avoid them?

Details: The decision by the summit, if approved in the wording that some media outlets have seen, will definitely not meet Ukraine’s ambitions.

Switzerland, which is hosting the summit, has taken into consideration the proposals put forward by key players in the draft decision (and added some amendments unfavourable for Kyiv itself) and sent out the results to the capitals of the participating states for final approval before the summit.

EP says this document "completely destroys the idea of the Peace Summit". But Ukraine gave up its plans under pressure from Bern and other countries.

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The far-right “friend of the Kremlin” in Romania was suspected of election fraud
In Romania, prosecutors said a party leader was suspected of fraud in European and local polls. The leader of the parliamentary party incited his staff to falsify signatures to help the "independent" candidate from the extreme flank pass the necessary threshold to participate in Sunday's elections. Source: Reuters

Read also: The Center for Defense Reforms presented a report on the hybrid operations of the Russian Federation against Ukraine in Romania

Although the statement does not name the party leader, George Simion, head of the far-right Alliance for the Unification of Romanians AUR, said the investigation against him was politically motivated.

Read also: GRU operation in Romania reveals a crisis in the work of Russian intelligence - RLI

Opinions show AUR, a far-right party founded five years ago that opposes migration and military aid to Ukraine, will come second in the upcoming European elections to the ruling coalition of left-wing Social Democrats and centrist liberals.

The party hopes to join the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) in the European Parliament, home of Georgia Meloni's Brotherhood of Italy and the opposition Right and Just Poland (PiS), although it is also in contact with the far-right Identity and Democracy bloc.

Earlier it became known that Simion, during the Yanukovych regime, met with FSB agents on the territory of Ukraine .

Let us recall that in March 2023, the pro-Russian senator of the Romanian parliament, Diana Soshoaca, known for her connections with the Kremlin, introduced a legislative initiative into parliament , according to which the 1997 agreement between Bucharest and Kiev should be terminated and Ukrainian territories should be annexed.

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Ukrainian flag reinstated atop Krak�w's Kościuszko Mound
In Poland's southern city of Krak�w, solidarity with Ukraine was publicly demonstrated when the Ukrainian flag was raised back atop Kościuszko Mound, alongside the Polish flag, on Wednesday.

The ceremony came after controversial Polish politician Grzegorz Braun , a member of the far-right Confederation party, had removed the Ukrainian flag on Tuesday — a deed he announced on social media.

Authorities said the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag's presence beside the red-and-white Polish national flag symbolized solidarity, particularly in light of ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Local and regional officials, led by Małopolska Province Governor Krzysztof Jan Klęczar, were present for the reinstallation of the flag, alongside Piotr Dobosz, head of the Kościuszko Mound Committee.

Those attending the ceremony also included Viacheslav Voinarovskyi, the Ukrainian consul in Krak�w.

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Op donderdag 6 juni 2024 20:25 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Eh, ok.

[ x ]

Tekort aan S-300s/S-400s?

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12 Countries Urge Belgium to Advance Ukraine and Moldova’s EU Accession Talks
Led by the Czech Republic’s Minister for European Affairs, Martin Dvorak, a group of 12 EU nations has called on Belgium, the current president of the Council of the European Union, to expedite the process of accession talks for Ukraine and Moldova.

“I believe that now is the right time to move forward and take concrete steps in the process of Ukraine’s and Moldova’s accession to the EU,” Dvorak said.

The letter, co-signed by 11 other EU member states — Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia — was addressed to Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Labib.

“The EU Council should ‘no later than’ June approve the negotiating frameworks for Ukraine and Moldova, allowing for the convening of intergovernmental conferences with both countries by the end of this month,” as stated in the letter.

EU Ambassador to Kyiv Katarina Maternova also pointed out that Ukraine is ready to begin accession talks with the EU.

The letter encourages the EU Council to consider approving negotiating frameworks for Ukraine and Moldova by June. If approved, this would allow for intergovernmental conferences with both countries to take place later in the month.

It was reported earlier that formal accession negotiations might start as early as June 25.

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Russian shelling burns down already closed Epicentr mall in Kherson – photo, video

Пожежа в Епіцентрі у Херсоні 6 червня

Overnight, the Russian army shelled Kherson. As reported by the press service of the State Emergency Service, three residential buildings, commercial buildings, eight passenger cars and the construction hypermarket Epicentr, which was closed after the previous shelling a year ago, came under enemy fire.

Firefighters tried to extinguish the fire until the morning.

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Drones hit a refinery in the Rostov region

A group of attack drones hit a Russian oil refinery in Novoshakhtinsk, Rostov region.

Local media reported on this.

On the night of June 6, a series of explosions blasted out at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery, which resulted in a large-scale fire at the enterprise.

Local residents reported that the explosions were preceded by the flight of unknown drones.

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Ukrainian paratroopers hit Russian Tor SAM with an FPV drone

^{9A331M сombat vehicle of the 9K331M Tor-M2 self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system of the Russian military. 2017. Photo credits: Russian media}

Ukrainian paratroopers used an FPV drone to destroy a Russian Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile system.

Volunteer and blogger Serhiy Sternenko posted the video of the incident.

The enemy air defense system was attacked by a UAV of the 77th separate airmobile brigade.

According to the volunteer, the 9A331M self-propelled gun was hit by a heavy FPV drone that was supplied to the Ukrainian military within public procurement.

The Russians deployed their Tor-M2 air defense system in an open area on the temporarily occupied territory.

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Russian UR-77 Meteorit mine clearing vehicle destroyed in the Kharkiv region

Soldiers of the 57th Motorized Brigade destroyed a Russian UR-77 Meteorit mine-clearing vehicle.

Volunteer and blogger Serhii Sternenko posted the video of the incident.

Enemy engineering equipment was destroyed during the defense of the Kharkiv region.

According to the volunteer, the Russian mine-clearing vehicle was hit by an FPV drone with a thermal imaging camera, which allows attacking Russian equipment at night.

The UR-77 Meteorit was discovered while traveling on the road. The Ukrainian military sent an attack drone to destroy it.

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Hungary to participate in Ukraine's peace summit, FM confirms
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto confirmed his participation at Ukraine's peace summit while visiting St. Petersburg for the International Economic Forum, the Hungarian news outlet Telex reported on June 6.

The peace summit will be held in Switzerland on June 15-16, with 107 countries and international organizations confirming their participation as of this week.

Szijjarto previously voiced hesitation regarding participation in the global peace summit as Russia would not be present.

Hungary favors peace and will participate in any event where peace is on the agenda, Szijjarto said, adding that he regrets that not all warring states will participate in the event.

"We believe that real results would be achieved if everyone was at the negotiating table," Szijjarto said.

"This is not the case this time. But as we respect the peace efforts of the Swiss, we will participate at the foreign minister level."

During the forum in St. Petersburg, the foreign minister also claimed that Hungary was one of the European countries worst affected by the war in Ukraine, referring to energy supplies.

Energy prices have skyrocketed, with the annual cost of Hungarian imports rising from 7 billion ($7.6 billion) to 17 billion euros ($18.5 billion), while a 10 billion euros ($10.8 billion) difference represents 6% of gross domestic product, according to Szijjarto.

Budapest has repeatedly opposed Ukraine's accession to NATO and the EU, sanctions on Russia, undermined Western aid efforts for Ukraine, and maintained close relations with Moscow throughout the full-scale war.

In mid-May, Hungary vetoed a resolution in the Council of Europe to officially recognize and support President Volodymyr Zelensky's 10-point peace formula, which is to be discussed during the upcoming summit.

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Production of the new PzH 2000 was launched in Germany

For the fourth time in its history, the Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzer has returned to the production line in Germany.

Sources of the defense publication Shephard Media reported that the manufacturer received contracts for the production of a total of 22 howitzers, with the possibility of supplying six more units.

“There are plans to purchase additional PzH 2000s, in addition to the orders already received,” the source said.

The tracked self-propelled howitzers will be manufactured in Kassel, where the KNDS Deutschland plant is located.

The first deliveries of the new Panzerhaubitze 2000s to the German army are due in mid-2025.

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Op donderdag 6 juni 2024 22:15 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Benieuwd naar het eerste bommetje op Fransen.

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Kakhovka Hydro Plant Rebuild Could Take 6-7 Years After De-Occupation
Ukrainian energy company Ukrhydroenergo estimates a six to seven-year timeframe to rebuild the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, once the area is liberated from Russian occupation. This timeline was outlined by company CEO Ihor Syrota in a June 6 interview.

“According to preliminary estimates, the station can be rebuilt in 6-7 years, but before that the territory must be de-occupied, and then we will be able to drain the place where the explosion occurred, conduct an inspection, dismantle the destroyed structures and structures of the Kakhovka hydroelectric complex,” Syrota said. “What it will be like is still difficult to say, since at the moment without expertise we do not know how critical the situation is.”

On the one-year anniversary of the power plant’s destruction by Russian forces on June 6, 2023, Syrota highlighted the severe humanitarian and environmental consequences for Ukraine.

It’s been announced in March 2024 that Ukrhydroenergo’s [Ukraine’s state-owned energy company — Ed.] losses from the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant’s destruction facilities exceed 2.5 billion euros.

The loss of the Kakhovka plant has also impacted the Zaporizhzhia Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant, causing unfavorable operating conditions and periodic power restrictions due to the drained Kakhovka reservoir upstream. This has affected not only the Zaporizhzhia plant itself but also other hydroelectric plants connected to the Dnipro River.

Ukraine asks for global help to ensure nuclear and food security through the Peace Formula that will be presented at the Summit on Peace for Ukraine in Switzerland on June 15-16.

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Op donderdag 6 juni 2024 22:43 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Die dingen zijn eigenlijk spotgoedkoop waarom hebben we er maar iets van 30 operationeel.

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Reliability of PzH 2000
If we take a step back and remember the summer of 2022, we'll notice that the PzH 2000 encountered issues during the periods of intensive operation. Later in December, reports suggested that only up to 50% of all transferred German self-propelled guns were at the frontline, while the rest were undergoing repairs.

The available information shows that only the PzH 2000 suffered such problems. Neither CAESAR, nor Krab, nor M109, which all were under the same pressure at that time, were known for being out of order at such a large scale.

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Another challenge surfaced concerning the lack of repair capacity for these self-propelled guns, compounded by delays in establishing repair centers: the allies could not agree on putting up one in Poland, and the deployment of a repair hub in Slovakia was delayed. Not to mention even in the Bundeswehr, only 30% of the PzH 2000s in active service were in operational condition as of December 2022.

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Delivery Time of PzH 2000
Apart from cost, an extremely important condition is the delivery deadline. The mentioned contract for 10 PzH 2000s for the Bundeswehr was scheduled to be fulfilled by 2025–2026.

Surely, it would be incorrect to extrapolate the 10-unit contract onto the larger deal for 100 howitzers, resulting in a 20 to 30-year time frame. Yet delivering 100 artillery systems to Ukraine would still likely take dozens of years to finish because so far the defense industry of Germany has demonstrated unsatisfactory rates of production.

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"...do not spare your own blood or life"

We regret to inform you that on June 6 in the afternoon, a stabbed soldier of the 1st Armored Brigade died at the Military Medical Institute in Warsaw, surrounded by the support of his family and soldiers.

Despite the help provided in the area of ​​the bandit attack on the border with Belarus and the efforts of doctors, his life could not be saved.

The deceased soldier's relatives were provided with support and psychological care. Additional help, both psychological and organizational, will be continued depending on the family's wishes.

Matthew, Our Brother in Service, you have fulfilled the words of the oath.

Rest in peace.

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Polish soldier dies after clash with migrants on Belarus border
As Poles prepare to vote in the EU election on June 9, the soldier’s death could provide a boost to anti-immigrant parties.

A Polish soldier has died after being stabbed by a migrant on the country’s border with Belarus, Warsaw’s military said Thursday.

The soldier was involved in a clash with migrants attempting to cross Poland’s northeast border from Belarus on May 28, according to Polish media. He was stabbed in the chest through the border barrier.

Despite being treated at a hospital in the nearby city of Hajn�wka, and then transported to a military hospital in Warsaw, “his life could not be saved,” the General Command of the Armed Forces said in a statement on X.

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Major internet provider in Moscow and region could go bankrupt after cyber attack by Ukraine

One of the largest internet providers in Moscow and the region Rialcom may go bankrupt due to a hacker attack by Ukrainian intelligence, according to representatives of the hacker group BO Team.

It is reported that at the beginning of the week, the Ukrainian cyber group BO Team, in collaboration with the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, carried out a large-scale DoS attack on the servers of Russian state institutions and large companies that sponsor Russian aggression.

In particular, the attack involved blocking access to the electronic services of the State Services website and several ministries, including the Ministry of Defense, Finance, Internal Affairs, Justice, Industry, and Energy of Russia. Additionally, the website and services of the Federal Tax Service of Russia were blocked.

The hackers report that some consequences of the Ukrainian cyber attack can never be fixed by the opposing side. This specifically affects one of the largest internet providers in Moscow and the Moscow region - the company Rialcom.

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French citizen arrested in Moscow on charges of collecting military data


MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s top state criminal investigation agency on Thursday announced the arrest of a French citizen accused of collecting information on military issues, a move that comes as relations between Russia and France have grown increasingly tense over the fighting in Ukraine.

The arrest was announced just as France hosted world leaders on the 80th anniversary of D-Day on Thursday. Russia wasn’t invited.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said the suspect, whom it didn’t identify, is accused of failing to register with authorities as a foreign agent while collecting “information about military and military-technical activities of the Russian Federation.” It added that the information could be used to the detriment of the country’s security.

Russia’s state news agency Tass identified the arrested French citizen as Laurent Vinatier, an employee of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), a Geneva-based nongovernment organization.

HD confirmed Vinatier’s detention in a statement released to The Associated Press.

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Russia withdrew a large group of ships from Novorossiysk
Russian dock landing ships with a powerful escort have left the port of Novorossiysk, where they had previously been hiding from Ukrainian attacks for an extended period.

The movement of ships was reported by MT Anderson, an OSINT analyst.

Comparing the latest satellite images from Airbus for June 5 with data from June 2, the analyst noted that a large group of Russian Navy ships had left the port of Novorossiysk.

The vessels in question are:
• Two Project 22160 patrol ships;
• Two Buyan-class corvettes;
• Two Ropucha-class landing ships;
• One Ivan Gren-class landing ship;
• One Tapir-class landing ship;
• Two Kilo-class submarines.

Together with them, two Project 266M “Aquamarine-M” minesweepers and one Project 12700 “Alexandrite” minesweeper also set off in an unknown direction.

The reasons and the destination point of the transfer of such a large group of ships of the Russian fleet are currently unknown.

One explanation could be the involvement of the surviving Russian LSDs to perform logistical tasks, replacing the recently damaged ships at the ferry crossing in Crimea. Along with the landing ships, well-armed patrol and missile ships, as well as minesweepers, were sent as escorts.

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UN again "celebrates" Russian Language Day on anniversary of occupiers' destruction of Kakhovka dam
A similar situation occurred last year when Russian terrorists caused a technological disaster in Ukraine on the night of June 6

The United Nations has posted on X celebrating Russian Language Day, coinciding with the anniversary of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam by Russian occupation forces, which led to a technological disaster in Ukraine.

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

"Russian is one of the six official languages of the UN. Every year on June 6, the UN marks Russian Language Day," wrote the organization's press service on X, encouraging users to follow the Russian-language account.

On the night of June 6, 2023, Russian invaders blew up the Kakhovka HPP, resulting in the flooding of dozens of settlements, some of which are located in temporarily occupied territories. On the same day, the UN almost failed to react for nearly 24 hours to the Russian terror. Instead, much like today, it called for the "celebration" of Russian Language Day.

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Germany Approves Additional 155mm Shells Purchase
The Bundestag Budget Committee approved the purchase of additional 155 millimeter artillery shells.

The procurement project can be used to continue supporting Ukraine with the necessary ammunition, and will also contribute to the further replenishment of the equipment for the German army.

“Ukraine has been protecting its territory from Russia for more than two years. The Ukrainian armed forces depend more than ever on the supply of weapons and ammunition,” the German government stated.

Currently, there is a high consumption of artillery ammunition in the war, especially 155mm shells.

Germany and its allies have repeatedly provided support packages to Ukraine.

“In light of the current security policy situation, stocks must be constantly replenished and expanded,” government officials stated.

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Ukrainian Defense Forces Repel Russian Armored Assault near Andriivka

The Russian armored group conducted an unsuccessful assault and suffered losses in the Bakhmut direction, near Andriivka.

Russian forces attempted to penetrate Ukrainian positions in the Andriivka area with an armored group.

However, the defense forces quickly detected the invaders’ armor and struck them preemptively.

The operation involved a unit from the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade and the ‘Phoenix’ rapid response border detachment.

“Another attempt at assault by the enemy was defeated. We discovered and destroyed everything that stuck in our direction. Because good and correct teamwork and interaction should look like this,” the military said.

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Rheinmetall Showcases Skyranger Air Defense System to Ukrainian Ambassador

The German company Rheinmetall introduced the Skyranger 30 air defense system to the representative of Ukraine.

The company stated that they briefed the Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany, Oleksiy Makeev, on the capabilities of this air defense system.

Rheinmetall representatives highlighted the system’s capabilities in combating drones.

“Ambassador Oleksiy Makeev learned about the impressive capabilities of the Skyranger system, especially in the field of protection against drones,” Rheinmetall said.

The updated, promising air defense system Skyranger 30 was presented at the ILA2024 exhibition in Berlin.

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Translation.(Caption) dangerous, do not repeat in real life.
Poor thing of ours. 2 fpvs. Somewhere here. Whats here? Fuk it. Yes, here it is. Now we will take it with hook. Carefully. Blya, im dragging entire chunk of it. Dunno. Damn, drone. Huh, sweet. 1st one. There are 2 of them. See it, video transmitter. max will be glad. Looks like there were 1 fpv. Fuk this battery. Its dangerous here, to put softly. Lets hurry back home

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Politico: Zhdanok voted against resolutions criticizing Russia more often than all other MEPs (4)

Over the past four years, the European Parliament has adopted 16 resolutions in which, in one form or another, they condemned the actions of the Russian authorities in domestic and foreign policy. Latvian MEP Tatyana Zhdanok turned out to be the main defender of Vladimir Putin’s regime in the EP: she voted against resolutions 15 times and abstained once. This conclusion was reached by Politico, which studied the roll-call voting results.

Since 2020, European deputies in their resolutions have condemned the Kremlin for the poisoning of politician Alexei Navalny, a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, repressions against political opponents, the deportation of children from the occupied territories of Ukraine, attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the EU and other actions. Usually these documents received the support of the overwhelming majority of parliamentarians.

After analyzing the roll-call voting results for each of 16 such resolutions, Politico compiled a list of 30 MEPs who most often spoke out against the adoption of the relevant document or abstained on this issue.

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See a Russian inspector satellite get up close and personal with a spacecraft in orbit
The satellite "has a history of unusual maneuvering near other satellites in geostationary orbit, which has also generated suspicions regarding its mission."

A Russian military satellite named Luch-2 was found closely approaching a geostationary satellite last month, a maneuver that follows in the footsteps of its predecessor that was found eavesdropping on other nations' satellites on multiple occasions since 2014.

Aldoria, a French startup that tracks satellites in orbit using a network of ground-based telescopes, alerted satellite operators in May 2024 that it had detected "a sudden close approach" by the Russian Luch-2 to a satellite positioned in geostationary orbit. The maneuver by Luch-2 occurred on April 12, 2024 about 22,232 miles (35,780 kilometers) from Earth's surface, the company said in a statement.

Aldoria did not disclose what satellite Luch-2 might have been spying on or precisely how close it approached the object. The minimum distance between the two objects was 6.2 miles (10 kilometers), while today (June 3) they are about 12 to 30 miles apart (20 to 50 kilometers), Saloua Moutaoufik, Aldoria's public relations manager, told Space.com in an email.

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Poland demands location and extradition of criminal who murdered Polish soldier
Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radosław Sikorski, has demanded Belarusian authorities identify and hand over the murderer of a Polish soldier who died defending the border.

The soldier was fatally stabbed while preventing an illegal crossing. Sikorski asserted this act wasn’t perpetrated by refugees but by criminals.

“When someone puts a knife on the tip of a spear and strikes through the fence, across the state border, at a Polish soldier, they are not refugees, but ordinary criminals,” declared the head of Polish diplomacy at a meeting with voters.

The Polish foreign minister also said an investigation is ongoing regarding the death of the Polish soldier. “We demand that the Belarusian authorities identify the murderer and hand him over to the Polish authorities as part of the investigation already conducted by our Ministry of Justice,” Sikorski declared.

He also stated that later on Thursday, “literally in fifteen minutes, a protest note will be handed to the Belarusian charg� d'affaires at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

“I promise that the Belarusian authorities will face consequences for this. It is completely unacceptable for a neighboring country to behave this way at the border,” he emphasized.

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Russia attacks Ukraine's critical infrastructure, including in Kyiv region
Russia attacked Ukraine's critical infrastructure overnight into Friday, targeting at least nine regions including the capital Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said.

Ukraine's air defenses shot down 48 out of 53 attack drones launched by Russia and all five cruise missiles launched, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram.

They were shot down in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Odesa, Kharkiv, Kyiv and Khmelnytskyi regions, he said.

At least one person died and four injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region; four others were injured in the Kherson region and six others in Dnipropetrovsk, local officials said.

In Kyiv region, a fire broke out at an industrial facility, but there were no casualties and responders are working to try to extinguish the fire, the head of Kyiv region military administration said.