Oorlog in Oekraïne #981: Drone Wars 3

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Polish arms plant explosion starts fire, leaves 1 employee dead
An explosion in the Mesko arms factory in the southeastern Polish city of Skarzysko-Kamienna on June 10 started a fire and killed a 59-year-old worker, RMF 24 reported.

Another employee was hospitalized after inhaling smoke, but his life is not in danger, local authorities said.

"We had an explosion at the rocket fuel center, which was put into operation a few years ago," the plant's chair, Elzbieta Sreniawska, told RMF 24.

The company's services put out the fire and the incident's causes are currently being investigated.

This is not the first such tragic case to have taken place at the Mesko factory. In September 2021, an explosion killed a 41-year-old woman.

In yet another incident, a 48-year-old woman was seriously injured during a blast in April 2021, later dying due to her injuries.

Mesko, owned by state-run Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa SA, manufactures various defense products, including Grom and Piorun man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), Spike-LR anti-tank missiles, and small arms ammunition.

Poland has provided extensive military support to Ukraine, leading to local arms factories significantly increasing production. Mesko signed a contract in 2022 for the supply of ammunition of various calibers to Ukraine.

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Belarus to participate in Russia's nuclear drills
Belarus will participate in the second stage of Russian drills simulating the launch of tactical nuclear weapons, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced on June 10.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced in May it would practice the usage of tactical nuclear weapons in response to purported and unspecified "provocative statements" from the West.

Later on, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Belarus and met Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko to discuss the potential participation of the Belarusian military in Russia's non-strategic nuclear drills.

"We are consistently strengthening our defense capabilities. And our participation in the second stage of the Russian Armed Forces' drills using non-strategic nuclear weapons proves it," Khrenin said in a statement published by the ministry.

Russia allegedly carries out such planned drills to "ensure its own security," while Belarus does not aim to "create tension" in matters of regional security, Khrenin claimed.

Belarus has been a key ally to Moscow and supported Russian aggression against Ukraine, though it has not committed its own forces directly to hostilities. The country is also reportedly hosting Russian tactical nuclear arms on its territory.

The first stage of the exercises, which were ordered by Putin on May 6, involved missile units in Russia's Southern Military District, including the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Lukashenko ordered a sudden inspection of the country's tactical nuclear weapons launchers the following day. The nuclear weapons allegedly located in Belarus cannot be used without Moscow's authorization.

Putin has repeatedly made nuclear threats against Ukraine and the West since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The threats have failed to materialize, and Russia continues to wage its all-out war without using its nuclear arsenal.

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Dutch defence minister arrives in Ukraine on unannounced visit – photo

Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren has arrived in Ukraine on an unannounced visit.

Source: Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Facebook, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Shmyhal reported that a meeting with Ollongren took place in Kyiv, during which he thanked the Netherlands "for their support in strengthening Ukraine's air defence".

Quote from Denys Shmyhal: "I praised the Dutch-led initiative to supply Ukraine with Patriot air defence systems in collaboration with partners. We are also looking forward to the quickest possible delivery of the F-16 aircraft, which will help protect [Ukrainian] people and infrastructure," he added.

The parties also discussed joint defence production, technology exchange, the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland and Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration.

Kajsa Ollongren is known to be among the officials who called for restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons to be lifted.

Later, she stressed that her country would allow Ukraine to use the F-16 fighter jets the Netherlands will supply, including for strikes on targets in Russia.

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Investigation finds that almost 50,000 Russian prisoners were recruited by Wagner to fight in Ukraine
Russia’s notorious Wagner mercenary group recruited at least 48,366 convicted felons directly from prisons to fight in Ukraine in 2022 and 2023, a joint investigation carried out by BBC News Russian and independent media outlet Mediazona published on Monday has revealed.

In the summer of 2022, Wagner Group military recruiters, including the group’s co-founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, began visiting Russian penal colonies to offer incarcerated individuals early release from prison if they signed a six-month contract to fight for Wagner in Ukraine.

Based on internal documents that detail compensation paid to the families of deceased Wagner fighters, the group recruited 48,366 soldiers from penal colonies all over Russia. Following Wagner’s success in enlisting prisoners, the Russian Defence Ministry also began to recruit prisoners for military service.

A months-long conflict between Wagner and then-Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu peaked during the Battle of Bakhmut when Prigozhin publicly blamed the Defence Ministry for the enormous number of casualties. Shortly afterwards, Prigozhin led an ill-fated mutiny, the failure of which heralded the end of the group’s preeminence.

Wagner lost 19,500 soldiers in the battle of Bakhmut, 17,100 of whom were former prisoners. Those that survived the battle, and recruited soldiers fighting elsewhere in Ukraine, returned to Russia as free men.

Prigozhin was killed when his private jet crashed in August 2023, after which Wagner fighters were given the choice of leaving Russia or signing contracts with the Defence Ministry. While no longer a significant force in Ukraine, the Wagner Group still wields considerable influence in Africa, where various governments have hired Wagner mercenaries to shore up their power.

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Ukrainian Missile Hits Russian 6th Army Command Post Near Shebekino

^{Command post. Photo credits: Dosye Shpiona}

The Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a missile attack on the command post of the Russian 6th Combined Arms Army.

The Dosye Shpiona Telegram channel reported on this.

It is reported that the facility was struck on June 9, 2024. The facility was located on the territory of the Nezhehol recreation center, near the Russian Shebekino village.

The command post was in charge of the units participating in the offensive on the city of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region.

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Op maandag 10 juni 2024 22:26 schreef skysherrif het volgende:
[ x ]

leftlaser is wel het levende bewijs van het hoefijzer

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Russians attack at Kupiansk, Siversk, Kramatorsk and Pokrovsk directions. Number of combat engagements increased to 66 - General Staff
The enemy is looking for ways to pierce into our defense and try to push Ukrainian units from the occupied lines. The number of combat engagements along the entire front line has increased to 66.

This is reported on the official Facebook page of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Censor.NET reports.

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Op maandag 10 juni 2024 22:44 schreef skysherrif het volgende:

[..]
Dat neemt ook het verassingseffect weg en kan rusland al hun vliegtuigen snel evacueeren zoals gebeurde maanden geleden bij Engelsk waar het wel een massale aanval was.

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Czech PM suspects Russia of attempted arson of buses in Prague
Petr Fiala, Prime Minister of Czechia, has suggested that Russia may be behind last week’s attempted arson of city buses in Prague.

Source: European Pravda with reference to Reuters

Details: The police reported that they arrested a 26-year-old man on Saturday in connection with the foiled plot and charged him with terrorism.

"There is suspicion that the attack was organised and financed probably from Russia," Fiala said at a news conference.

He added that it was part of a hybrid war waged against Czechia by Russia, "against which we have to defend ourselves and which we must stop".

"Russia is repeatedly trying to sow unrest, undermine citizens' trust in our state," he noted.

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Op maandag 10 juni 2024 22:49 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Misschien is de superieure Russische luchtverdediging niet zo superieur?

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Canada’s Parliament rocked by allegations of treason
Foreign interference probe exposes links to “witting” lawmakers in Ottawa.

OTTAWA — The capital of one of the world’s most stable democracies is gripped by growing panic about foreign agents working in elected office. A bombshell report by Canadian lawmakers has unnerved Parliament Hill, alleging that unnamed politicians have been covertly working with foreign governments.

The revelation in heavily redacted findings released this week by an all-party national security committee adds intrigue to a separate and ongoing inquiry into foreign interference in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections.

The new report from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians is the first to suggest that lawmakers in Canada’s parliament may have helped foreign actors meddle in political campaigns and leadership races. Heightened anxiety in Ottawa about foreign interference comes in the middle of historic global elections where factors such as artificial intelligence and emboldened foreign powers are testing the resilience of democratic systems.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been on the defensive since the allegations broke Monday. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on the government to name names.

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Hungarian president to skip NATO's eastern flank summit -Latvia
VILNIUS (Reuters) - Hungary's President Tamas Sulyok will not attend the summit of the Bucharest Nine, a group of European countries on the eastern edge of NATO in Riga on Tuesday, Latvian president's office said.

Hungary and the other central European nations have been at odds over Prime Minister Viktor Orban's continued cultivation of close ties to Russia and refusal to give arms to Ukraine.

"Hungary will be represented by the Ambassador to Latvia", a spokesperson for Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics told Reuters on Monday.

She did not give reason for this, and referred to Sulyok's office "for questions related to the Hungarian president’s agenda".

The Hungarian president's office did not immediatelly reply to the request for comment, which was sent outside working hours.

The presidents of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia are usually represented at the annual summits of the Buharest Nine grouping. Thare countries are members of both NATO and the European Union.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who will be at the Riga summit, will visit Budapest the next day "to discuss Hungary's staying out from NATO's Ukraine mission", Orban told state media earlier on Monday.

Hungary signalled last week it had no plans to abandon natural gas imports from Russia and sought to deepen business ties with Moscow in non-sanctioned areas.

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Former Google CEO and Tech Titan Eric Schmidt is Testing AI-Powered Drones in Ukraine
Tech heavyweight Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, has been secretly building a drone company called White Stork, luring top talent from industry giants like Apple, SpaceX, and Google.

This startup’s AI-powered drones are now undergoing testing at Schmidt’s Hillspire estate in California and in Ukraine, as reported by Forbes.

News of White Stork became public in January, prompting Schmidt to reportedly rebrand and fast-track development. Sources familiar with the company say these drones boast advanced AI that assists with precision landing on designated targets.

Beyond California testing, Forbes reports that Schmidt’s team is collaborating with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense. This collaboration involves testing drone prototypes and gathering feedback from Ukrainian personnel.

A recent test reportedly included the 14th Separate Brigade, a Ukrainian unit specializing in drone warfare. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on this partnership.

A vocal advocate for Ukraine, Schmidt personally visited the frontlines in 2023 to witness drone warfare firsthand. This act earned him praise from Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, who commended Schmidt’s “bold and heroic” actions.

“He cares about Ukraine and helps us a lot,” Fedorov told Forbes. “He is a legend and has created a lot with his own hands.”

During a visit to Kyiv last summer, Schmidt and White Stork advisor Sebastian Thrun met with Ukrainian officials Oleksandr Kamyshyn, Minister of Strategic Industries, and Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, Schmidt has positioned himself as an expert on the question, writing columns about battlefield strategies and the new era of “network warfare.”

In a piece for the Wall Street Journal, he commented that kamikaze drones are dramatically changing the way wars are fought.

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Ukraine confirms attack on Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery, claims damage totalling $540 million
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces has confirmed it struck the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia's Rostov Oblast on June 5, claiming the attack destroyed 1.5 million tons of oil and oil products worth $540 million.

In a post on Telegram on June 10, the military said the attack had been carried out by "Ukrainian-made means," but did not elaborate.

At the time of the strike, Rostov Oblast Governor Vasily Golubev claimed the fire was caused by a drone attack.

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

"Attacks on Russian oil refineries significantly complicate the execution of tasks by the enemy's troops in the course of armed aggression against our country," the General Staff said.

Ukrainian troops had targeted the facility earlier in the spring. Military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov said on March 13 that the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery partially shut down as a result of a drone strike.

Rostov Oblast borders Ukraine to the southeast. Reports of drone attacks against the region's oil industry have increased in spring 2024.

The CEO of Russia's state-controlled oil company, Rosneft, asked the Kremlin in May to approve tax breaks to offset the cost of preventing drone attacks on the company's oil refineries.

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Op maandag 10 juni 2024 23:53 schreef polderturk het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op dinsdag 11 juni 2024 00:58 schreef oheng het volgende:
Filmpje is van het begin van de oorlog. We hebben het er al eerder over gehad.

Zullen we anders weer eens een rondje zeurende horigen doen?

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‘Please Accept My Condolences on My Death’
Lera Burlakova writes of the death of a close friend, and about her final letter.

It is only a few months since my friend, the frontline medic Iryna Tsybukh, wrote: “If a new day comes, it must be lived.” In late May, a landmine exploded beneath her vehicle and she was killed, along with her paramedic comrades. There will be no new days for Iryna.

She seemed certain that she would die, as so many others had died around her. She had experienced so many near-misses that it seemed just a matter of time, Knowing this, she wrote a final letter to be opened in the event of her death. She was just 25 years old. The explosion denied her a 26th birthday on June 1.

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To Catch a Killer — Ukraine Needs Help on DNA
The invasion of Ukraine has underscored the critical role of DNA in the pursuit of justice. International aid is now vital to help expose Russia’s crimes.


Since the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion, non-combatant casualties have mounted in Ukraine, with the United Nations reporting at least 10,000 civilian deaths, including over 500 children, and more than 18,500 injuries. The true numbers are much higher; many thousands of people are listed as missing.

The war crimes committed by Russian forces are not limited to attacks against the civilian population. Combatants have been tortured, and prisoners of war and wounded soldiers killed and grotesquely mistreated.

The brutality inflicted on the Ukrainian people presents a challenge to all legal systems to ensure justice is pursued and due process followed. One of the biggest obstacles is the collection of evidence; areas liberated to date have only highlighted the weaknesses of existing systems.

Some of the challenges relate to the circumstances of armed conflict and the lack of immediate access to the crime scene. Meanwhile, Russian servicemen have followed a pattern of destroying traces of their atrocities, frequently burning bodies, homes, and victims’ transport.

The massive volume of evidence also requires an extensive system of management as well as teams of people for its systematization and analysis.

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Russia has caused over US$56 billion worth of damage to Ukraine's energy sector – Kyiv School of Economics
As of May 2024, the damage caused to Ukraine’s energy sector in the full-scale Russian invasion is equal to US$56.2 billion.

Source: report by the Kyiv School of Economy

Quote: "As a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the energy sector suffered damage and losses of US$56.2 billion, while the recovery needs, which include the complete reconstruction of destroyed facilities on the principle of ‘Build Back Better’, amount to US$50.5 billion."

Details: KSE estimates that direct damage in Ukraine’s energy sector as of May 2024 amounted to more than US$16.1 billion.

Reportedly, the largest losses were caused by the destruction of electricity generation objects (US$8.5 billion), transmission facilities (US$2.1 billion), and oil and gas infrastructure (US$3.3 billion).

The indirect losses of Ukraine’s energy sector are estimated at almost US$40.1 billion, with US$39.6 billion being lost revenues of energy companies. The remaining US$0.5 billion is the costs of debris removal and disassembly of damaged facilities.

Background:
• The Ukrainian agrarian sector has suffered over US$80 billion of damage and direct losses as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
• On Thursday, 11 April, the Russians launched another attack on Kharkiv Oblast. A thermal power plant that supplied the city of Kharkiv with power was damaged in the attack, and a transformer substation was completely destroyed.
• On the afternoon of 11 April the Russians launched an airstrike with guided aerial bombs on a thermal plant in the city of Sumy.

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Orban's party is the EU leader in anti-Western advertising on social networks
The pro-government camp in Hungary spent 4.3 million euros on advertising on Meta and Google, according to the Political Capital analytical center.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party and its allies have become the largest in the entire European Union in terms of the volume of anti-Western advertising on social networks. This is evidenced by the results of a study published on Saturday, June 8, conducted by the independent analytical center Political Capital .

Spending on political advertising in Hungary is very asymmetrical, as follows from the material. “While the pro-government camp spent ¤4.3 million on advertising on Meta and Google, all 14 opposition parties and their associated media spent less than a fifth of that amount, ¤839,000,” the study said.

Fidesz and its politicians alone spent ¤2 million - 2.6 times more than all 14 opposition parties combined, which spent ¤764,558. “This year, Fidesz was the largest advertiser on Google in the EU, paying for six of the 10 most promoted videos,” the material notes.

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Geography problem: Why Russia spreads misinformation about capture of Ryzhivka and reality in gray zone

Russian saboteurs attempted to capture the village of Ryzhivka in the border zone between the Sumy and Kursk regions. The story ended with an unconvincing video, the enemy flag was destroyed, and the village is under Ukrainian control now.

Read more about how the Russian forces captured Ryzhivka in three days, what is really happening in the gray zone, and whether there is a threat of a breakthrough in the Sumy region in the material by RBC-Ukraine.

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