Oorlog in Oekraοne #988:

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Ten More Ukrainians Freed from Russian Captivity
Ten Ukrainian citizens have been successfully returned from Russian captivity, as announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Those freed include Nariman Dzhelyal, the Deputy Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, detained in Crimea in 2021. Olena Pekh and Valeriy Matiushenko, civilians held since 2017–2018, are also among the freed. Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church priests Bohdan Heleta and Ivan Levytsky, captured in Berdyansk, have been released. Additionally, five civilians captured in Belarus—Mykola Shvets, Nataliya Zakharenko, Pavlo Kupriienko, Lyudmyla Honcharenko, and Kateryna Bryukhanova—are now back in Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the release, stating, “We are grateful to everyone who helped bring our people home. This success highlights our unwavering commitment to securing the freedom of every Ukrainian held in captivity.”

The Vatican played a crucial role in facilitating the exchange that led to the return of ten Ukrainian citizens from Russian captivity.

On June 25, 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the return of 90 Ukrainian defenders from Russian captivity, including soldiers from various military branches. He thanked those involved in the exchange, including the UAE, and reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to liberating all captives.

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Dozens of MPs and Senators Added as Friends a Fake Z-Poet Who Published Translations of German Nazi Poems

Anti-war activists created an account on VKontakte of the fictional z-poet Gennady Rakitin, on whose behalf they published patriotic poems, which were actually translations of poems by Hitler’s Nazis. During the year of the existence of the profile, “Rakitin” received a certificate from the organizers of the All-Russian competition of patriotic poetry named after Tvardovsky, which is held by the Kaluga branch of the Union of Professional Writers, and dozens of deputies, senators and z-bloggers were added to his friends. Among the “poet’s” friends, for example, are Andrei Klishas and Dmitry Rogozin. In addition to z-publics, Rakitin’s work was published by Nikita Mikhalkov and the Moscow magazine.

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IMF approves US$2.2 billion tranche for Ukraine
The IMF Board of Directors has completed the fourth review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Ukraine, approving a decision to disburse about US$2.2 billion to Ukraine to be used for budget support.

Source: IMF’s statement

Quote: "Ukraine’s performance remains strong under the EFF despite challenging conditions. All quantitative performance criteria for end-March were met, and all structural benchmarks through end-June were implemented on time or with a short delay.

The Ukrainian economy continues to be resilient although the outlook remains subject to exceptionally high uncertainty. Sustained reform momentum and timely disbursement of external support are necessary to safeguard macroeconomic stability, restore fiscal and debt sustainability, and enhance institutional reforms to lay the path to European Union accession."

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Russian coal industry profit drops by 93% amid sanctions and loss of clients – The Moscow Times
The profit of the Russian coal industry, one of the largest raw materials industries in the economy, fell by 93%, or 15 times, over the year, The Moscow Times reported on June 27 with reference to Rosstat data.

Profitable companies accumulated 72 billion rubles ($840.4 million) of profit in January-April 2024, while unprofitable companies recorded 58 billion rubles ($677 million) of loss. In total, the Russian coal industry made 14 billion rubles ($163.4 million) in profit. This is almost 200 billion ($2.3 billion) less than in the same period a year earlier.

Less than half of the industry's companies ended the first four months of 2024 in the black, although a year ago there were two-thirds of them, and their total financial result was reduced threefold. At the same time, one in two companies, according to official statistics, became unprofitable (52.4%).

"Cut off from Western markets by sanctions, coal companies are rapidly losing clients in countries that the Kremlin calls 'friendly,'" the newspaper writes.

In the first quarter, Russian coal exports decreased by 13%, and in March the decline reached 17%. Every month, the industry lost about 3 million tons of exports, and prices for Russian coal fell to a three-year low: $95 per ton in the ports of the Far East (-6% since the beginning of the year), $72 per ton in Taman (-13% since the beginning of the year), and only $61 in the ports of the Baltic Sea (-14%).

India, which accounts for about a third of Russia's coal exports, reduced purchases by 22% to 6.76 million tons in March-May, NV reported earlier. Exports to Turkiye, South Korea, and Japan also fell.

China, the largest buyer of Russian raw materials, has imposed an import duty on coal that does not apply to other suppliers, such as Indonesia and Australia, which are members of the free trade zone with China.

India's largest steel company stopped buying Russian coal in May 2022.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 07:43 schreef PluggieOD het volgende:

[..]
Zonder steenkool kun je niet eens een (huidige) windmolen maken.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 08:16 schreef PluggieOD het volgende:

[..]
We verbruiken wereldwijd steeds meer steenkool.

https://www.iea.org/energy-system/fossil-fuels/coal
Global coal consumption reached an all-time high in 2022 and the world is heading towards a new record in 2023. Global coal demand reached a record high in 2022 amid the global energy crisis, rising by 4% year-on-year to 8.42 billion tonnes (Bt).

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U.S. Army awards contract for production of 870 Patriot missiles

^{PAC-3, PAC-3 MSE and THAAD missiles. 2015. Photo credits: flickr.com}

The U.S. Army has signed a contract to produce 870 missiles for the Patriot air defense system.

The website of the U.S. Department of the Army says that the contract with Lockheed Martin is worth $4.5 billion.

The contract provides for PAC-3 MSE missiles with related equipment.

“This multiyear contract award for the PAC-3 MSE missile follows through on the Army’s commitment to stabilize and expand our production capability for this critical weapon system, which is vital to supporting the US Army and Joint Force, along with Ukraine and other allies around the world” said Douglas Bush, the Army’s Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology.

The PAC-3 MSE missile is capable of countering “incoming threats,” including tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, hypersonic missiles and aircraft.

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Ukraine veteran sentenced to seven years in prison for beating his grandmother to death

^{Alexey Zharikov. Photo: VKontakte}

A court in the southern Russian city of Volgograd sentenced a veteran who fought in Ukraine to seven years in prison for the murder of his grandmother, the court’s website announced on Friday.

According to criminal investigators, Alexey Zharikov became angry with his grandmother when he returned from work to a home they shared and proceeded to beat her to death with a wooden chair.

When considering Zharikov’s sentencing, the court took into account his military service, the independent Russian media outlet Verstka reported. Verstka noted that it is “unknown when exactly Zharikov returned from war”. However, photos Zharikov posted to social media in September 2023 depict him in combat gear holding military-grade weapons.

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DIU and cyberactivists carry out a large-scale attack on Russian companies

^{A cyber training ground was opened at the Zhytomyr Military Institute. 2020. Photo credits: ArmyInform}

Activists of the BO_Team cyber community with specialists from the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine attacked Russian companies.

The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine reported that they had attacked Russian companies that supported the war.

Over the past week, they have, among other things, destroyed all data on eight servers of a developer and supplier of navigation equipment.

The company in question is Orient Systems, which cooperated with Russian manufacturers of military equipment, including drones.

Also, according to the DIU, more than 100 terabytes of OrbitSoft data were destroyed during the week.

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Drones of the SSU hit 8 Russian air defense systems

^{A Ukrainian strike drone strikes a Russian TOR-M2 air defense system. June 2024. Frame from SSU video}

Drones of the Security Service of Ukraine hit 8 different air defense systems of the Russian invaders.

The SSU said that the TOR-M2, Pantsir-S1 and BUK systems had been hit.

UAVs, capable of long-range strikes, were used to carry out the attack.

Presumably, the drones are equipped with a targeting system that allows the drone to hit the target more accurately.

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ArmyTV: Production of BTR-4 continues

^{BTR-4E armored personnel carrier of the 3rd Brigade of Operational Assignment in the Kharkiv region. April 2023. Ukraine. Photo credits: Andrii Marienko}

Production of Ukrainian BTR-4 armored personnel carriers continues despite Russia’s large-scale invasion.

This was reported in the story “A RUSSIAN SU-25 WAS SHOT DOWN, A STUFF TREAKS THE ARMOR, ATTACK ON THE OIL FILLING STATION: Stream from a Frontline City” by host Junior Lieutenant Serhii Lipko.

The video shows that the armored personnel carrier of the 56th Separate ‘Mariupol’ Infantry Brigade was manufactured in 2023.

Just recently, we wrote that the soldiers of the 56th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had been practicing combat operations and maneuvers using their BTR-4E armored personnel carriers.

“The most important thing is that the production of Ukrainian BTR-4 Bucephalus is still going on,” said Lipko in the story.

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At least 12 killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine. Rescue work continues at destroyed apartment bloc
Russian attacks across eastern Ukraine killed at least 11 people Saturday, while rescuers in the city of Dnipro dug through rubble after a Russian strike ripped through a nine-story residential building, leaving one dead, officials said.

The attacks came as Russia continues to stretch out Ukrainian forces in several areas along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front. Moscow has stepped up airstrikes in a bid to drain Ukraine’s resources, often targeting energy facilities and other vital infrastructure.

The shelling of the front-line village of Niu-York in the Donetsk region also injured five people, said Gov. Vadym Filashkin. He said that Russian forces had shelled populated areas 13 times over the past 24 hours.

A further seven people were killed Saturday afternoon in Russian shelling on the town of Vilniansk, including two children, said Gov. Ivan Fedorov. Ten more were injured, while infrastructure was also damaged, he wrote on social media.

Meanwhile, in Dnipro, at least one person died and 12 were injured, including a 7-month-old girl, after a Russian strike destroyed the top four floors of the apartment bloc Friday evening, said regional head Serhii Lysak. Rescuers confirmed that several residents remained missing.

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Ukrainian defenders push back Russians from Terny and Yampolivka

^{Ukrainian soldiers knocked out the Russians from their positions near Terny. June 2024. Frame from the video of the Azov Brigade}

Soldiers of the Azov Brigade, the 95th Brigade and accompanying units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, drove the Russian invaders out of a number of positions in the Lyman sector.

The invaders were driven back from the settlements of Terny and Yampolivka in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian defenders managed to gain a foothold in the liberated positions.

The press service of the 12th Special Operations Brigade “Azov” reported about this in Telegram.

The military showed a video from the newly retaken positions near Terny, where Russians are storming the lost trenches in the hope of regaining them.

The Azov Brigade said that since the beginning of the year, the Russian troops had been continuously attacking the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces near Terny in the Liman sector. They noted that the situation in the area had been threatening because the invaders had spared neither personnel nor equipment to capture the Ukrainian village.

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Ukraine’s Success in the Black Sea Inspires NATO Naval Strategy Change, Says NATO Commander
NATO is studying Ukraine’s experience in destroying Russian ships in the Black Sea to adapt to the realities of modern naval warfare.

NATO member countries are actively researching Ukraine’s successful use of marine drones and other technologies to neutralize a significant portion of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. This experience is becoming a crucial element in the development of contemporary naval combat tactics. Deputy Commander of NATO’s Joint Force Command in Norfolk, Rear Admiral Timothy Henry, shared these insights with Ukrinform, emphasizing the alliance’s efforts to analyze current realities and project future technological advancements over the next three to ten years. He noted NATO’s careful observation of Ukraine’s combat experience in the Black Sea and its potential influence on future maritime tactics.

Following the Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully targeting several dozen Russian ships, Russian forces have begun employing submarines for patrols in the Black Sea. In parallel with Ukraine’s successful efforts to neutralize the Russian Black Sea Fleet and restore its maritime exports, NATO member countries have taken a keen interest in Ukraine’s strategic advancements.

Recognizing the effectiveness of Ukrainian tactics using naval drones and advanced missile systems, NATO is actively studying these developments to enhance its own maritime defense capabilities. Deputy Commander Rear Admiral Timothy Henry underscored NATO’s commitment to integrating Ukraine’s combat experience into future naval strategies, emphasizing the importance of adapting to evolving warfare dynamics.

As Ukraine continues to demonstrate resilience and innovation amidst the Russian invasion, NATO’s analysis aims to leverage these insights to fortify alliance defense strategies and prepare for future challenges in maritime security.

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Letters from an American
There is huge news today: in the case of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the Supreme Court overturned the Chevron defense doctrine that underpins the administrative state.

I am putting that down as a marker because I’ve had a very busy week of travel and writing (the paperback edition of Democracy Awakening is coming out in October and I am working on a new afterword) and I am just too tired to cover it and its history well tonight.

Instead, tonight I want to make a note of something that has been nagging at me for weeks now: Trump’s focus on 32-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested by Russian officers in March 2023 and is currently on trial for the trumped-up charge of espionage. The State Department considers him “wrongfully detained,” a rare designation indicating that the person is being held by a hostile government as a bargaining chip. That designation means the U.S. government will do all it can to secure his release.

At least three times now, Trump has interfered with those negotiations by vowing that Russian president Vladimir Putin will release Gershkovich for him and him alone. He said it in last night’s CNN debacle, where he also made a big deal out of the idea that Putin will do it as a favor, without an exchange of money.

He said something else last night in his slurry of words that jumped out. Somewhere in his discussion of Putin’s invasion of eastern Ukraine in February 2022, Trump said: “Putin saw that, he said, you know what, I think we’re going to go in and maybe take my—this was his dream. I talked to him about it, his dream.”

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 22:23 schreef oheng het volgende:
506e regiment klaagt dat er van de 350 man, nog maar 4 over zijn, voor zover ze weten.

[ x ]

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EU Expands Sanctions on Belarus, Targeting Key Industries to Halt Evasion
On June 29, the European Union expanded sanctions against Belarus, aiming to mirror some of the restrictive measures imposed on Russia and thereby address issues of sanctions evasion. The EU Council’s decision includes continuing the ban on exporting dual-use goods and advanced technologies, along with additional restrictions on exports that could strengthen Belarusian industrial capabilities.

Further measures prohibit the import, purchase, or transfer of gold, diamonds, helium, coal, and mineral products, including crude oil, from Belarus. Additionally, new restrictions on exporting goods and technologies for use in oil refining and natural gas liquefaction were introduced.

The EU Council also prohibits the provision of certain services to Belarus, its government, state bodies, corporations, or agencies, including accounting, architectural, engineering, advertising, and market research services.

Moreover, the EU extended the ban on transporting goods via EU territory using trailers and semi-trailers registered in Belarus, including when transported by trucks registered outside Belarus.

The decision mandates EU exporters to include a “no-Belarus clause” in future contracts, prohibiting re-export to Belarus or use of crucial goods and technologies, military goods, firearms, and ammunition in Belarus.

To minimize sanctions evasion risks, the EU will prohibit transit through Belarusian territory of dual-use goods and technologies, goods and technologies that could enhance Belarusian military capabilities or develop its defense and security sector, and goods that could strengthen Belarusian industrial capacities.

Additionally, to counteract the re-export of military goods found in Ukraine or critical to the development of Russian military systems, EU operators selling such goods to third countries must implement due diligence mechanisms.

Earlier on June 24, the EU adopted its 14th package of economic and individual restrictive measures against Russia, marking the first sanctions targeting Russian gas since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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Russia’s Most Dangerous Jets Are Parked In The Open A Hundred Miles From Ukraine. But Kyiv Needs Washington’s Permission To Strike Them.
Voronezh Malshevo air base is off the target list for now.

^{Sukohi Su-34s at Voronezh Malshevo air base.RUSSIAN AIR FORCE PHOTO}

Voronezh Malshevo air base, in southern Russia 100 miles from the border with Ukraine, might be the most important—and most vulnerable—target in Russia.

But it’s seemingly off of Ukraine’s list of targets for now.

From the base, Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bombers belonging to the Russian air force’s 47th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment fly daily sorties lobbing powerful glide bombs at Ukrainian troops and civilians from 25 miles away or farther.

The carnage is staggering. “It takes only minutes for a [Sukhoi] jet to reach the launch area near the border and then return to the base,” Ukrainian analysis group Frontelligence Insight explained. “The large number of jets stationed at the airfield enables the simultaneous deployment of bombs, allowing multiple targets in Ukrainian territory to be engaged at once.”

The regiment’s dozens of Sukhoi Su-34s—possibly representing around half of Russia’s active fleet of the supersonic, twin-engine fighter-bombers—routinely park out out in the open on the tarmac of the recently renovated base.

They’re within range of Ukraine’s best deep strike weapon—its American-made Army Tactical Missile System rockets. “Ukraine could potentially incapacitate the entire operational fleet stationed there if permitted to conduct such a strike,” Frontelligence Insight noted.

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$10M reward for Russian hacking mastermind who targeted Ukraine
The federal government is offering a $10 million reward for help locating Amin Timovich Stigal. The 22-year-old is accused of hacking official Ukrainian computers in support of Russia's invasion.

Federal authorities are offering $10 million for help locating a Russian hacker accused of supporting the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by attacking government computers while posing as a common cybercriminal but in fact working with Russian military intelligence.

Amin Timovich Stigal attacked essential, non-military Ukrainian government computer systems before the invasion; published citizen data in an effort to sow doubt in the government; and later went after countries that supported Ukraine, including the U.S., according to a federal indictment filed this week in Maryland, where he targeted a U.S. government agency.

The Chechnya-born hacker ran a malware scheme known as “WhisperGate,” which is meant to look like a common ransomware attack. Federal prosecutors say WhisperGate is actually a “cyberweapon” designed to delete the victims’ data and render target computers inoperable.

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The car Putin gifted to Kim Jong-un was built with South Korean parts
And parts from China, India — and even EU countries that have sanctioned Russia


Laughing and joking, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un cruised around Pyongyang last week in a Russian-made Aurus limousine to showcase their strengthened anti-Western alliance.

The luxury sedan was intended to epitomize Russia's domestic prowess and reduced dependence on imported technology and goods when unveiled in 2018.

But customs records show that the company that builds it uses millions of dollars in imported parts, many arriving in Russia from what Kim has described as his country's "primary foe," South Korea.

The imports point to Russia's ongoing reliance on Western technology as it seeks to navigate Western attempts to cut it off from global supply chains as punishment for its invasion of Ukraine.

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