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Belarus Launches New Information Campaign Against Ukraine

^{Polonez MRL. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Belarus}

The Ministry of Defense and the State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus have launched a joint information campaign against Ukraine.

The Belaruski Gayun monitoring group reported on this.

It is reported that since June 21, 2024, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus have been conducting readiness checks, which began the day after Belarusian border guards announced an alleged increase in the Ukrainian group near the Belarusian border.

During that week, the Belarusian Defense Ministry published daily reports about the inspection. To create the impression of serious “maneuvers,” even preparations for a military parade were presented as an inspection.

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Білоруські прикордонники «збивають» дрон

The situation became more acute when, on the morning of June 28, Belarusian border guards published a video of a supposedly Ukrainian DJI Mavic drone being shot down.

The video shows two Belarusian border guards shooting down a drone by a Groza-R2 electronic warfare rifle.

The Belarusian Border Guard Service showed footage of the drone allegedly flying over industrial facilities, but no footage of the launch or flight across the border was shown.

In addition, Belarusians reported finding a weapons cache on the same section of the border.

Exactly an hour after the Border Guard Service’s announcement, the Belarusian Defense Ministry stated that the Polonez MLRS division was participating in tasks to cover the state border.

^{Polonez MLRS. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Belarus}

In a comment, the commander of the unit stated that the division had reached the designated area with a full complement of ammunition and was ready to carry out missile strikes at a distance of up to 300 kilometers within 20 minutes.

The Belaruski Gayun monitoring group says that this information campaign is connected with the Belarusian authorities’ attempt to play on the “patriotic frenzy” after the recent parade and show citizens that the army exists not only for parades.

In addition, the goal may be to influence Ukraine in the context of the failure of the Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region.

“The implemented psychological operation fits very well into a more global agenda. In a situation where the Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region has stalled, and Moscow is ready to sit down at the negotiating table ‘even tomorrow’, the Ukrainian information space can be unnerved by the ‘threat from the Belarusian direction’,” the Belaruski Gayun monitoring group says.

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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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As investigative journalist Andrey Zakharov explained , Gennady Rakitin's account was created by his anti-war friends. The profile photo was generated by a neural network, which can be seen by the beard merging with the neck. The personal data of the "poet" was also completely fictitious.

Over the course of a year, Rakitin's page published 18 poems by Nazi authors translated into Russian. The content of the works remained virtually unchanged: Germany simply became Russia, and the "nameless stormtrooper" became "a nameless fighter of the Wagner PMC." The poem "Leader," dedicated to Vladimir Putin, turned out to be a translation of the work "Fuhrer" by Eberhard M�ller, a Nazi and anti-Semite, and a member of the NSDAP. The poem "In Front of the Portrait," also dedicated to the Russian president, is a translation of the work "Homer of the Storm Troops." Its author is Heribert Menzel, a stormtrooper and member of the NSDAP. The original is dedicated to Adolf Hitler.

On June 28, the authors of the channel exposed themselves, posting this time “his” own poem on the page of “Gennady Rakitin”:

“Gennady mocked me for a long time

Above the z-verses on the wall,

As a result, he drew ***

War."

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Op vrijdag 28 juni 2024 22:16 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 00:02 schreef ipa84 het volgende:

[..]
Hier sta ik niet van te kijken. Volgens mij was er ook in 2022 in de zomer een flinke cholera uitbraak in Marioepol.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 00:02 schreef ipa84 het volgende:

[..]
Hier sta ik niet van te kijken. Volgens mij was er ook in 2022 in de zomer een flinke cholera uitbraak in Marioepol.

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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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Details: With the US$2.2 billion tranche, the total disbursement under the programme will reach about US$7.6 billion.

The EFF programme for Ukraine for a period of 48 months with the right to access SDR 11.6 billion (equivalent to US$15.6 billion) was approved on 31 March 2023, the IMF recalled.

"Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to have a devastating social and economic impact on Ukraine. Despite the war, macroeconomic and financial stability has been preserved through skillful policymaking by the Ukrainian authorities as well as substantial external support. The economy remains resilient, reflecting the continued adaptability of households and firms.

Looking ahead, the recovery is expected to slow particularly given the attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and the outlook is subject to high risks from the exceptionally high war-related uncertainty. Vigilance against these risks is necessary to enable timely responses if shocks materialise," the statement said.

"Fiscal policies for the remainder of 2024, together with preparation for the 2025 budget, should be underpinned by steadfast revenue mobilisation efforts aligned with the National Revenue Strategy. In this regard, measures that erode the tax base should be avoided and tax and customs administration together with the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine (ESBU) strengthened. Further strengthening medium-term budgeting, fiscal risks and transparency, and public investment management should advance in support of these goals.

Steadfast reforms to enhance anti-corruption and governance frameworks, including ensuring the effectiveness of anti corruption institutions, remain essential to contain fiscal risks, secure donor confidence, enhance growth, and support the path to EU accession," the IMF added.

Background:
The IMF mission and Ukraine's representatives began negotiations on the fourth review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme, which will help raise about US$2.2 billion in June.

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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 07:29 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://english.nv.ua/nat(...)ctions-50430857.html
[..]
Komt goed uit, de wereld wil toch van steenkool af. Het westen in elk geval.

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

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

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 08:05 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Zolang het niet met Russische steenkool is vindt ik het prima. Hopelijk dat we ooit iets uitvinden om steenkool compleet mee te vervangen in alle opzichten. Tot dan hoe minder we gebruiken hoe beter.

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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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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 08:38 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
De verwachting

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 08:09 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
[ x ]

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Op vrijdag 28 juni 2024 23:24 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.moscowtimes.e(...)ih-natsistov-a135368
[..]

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mooie trolactie lol. En dan zie je weer eens wie de echte nazi's zijn.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 11:06 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:
Korte samenvatting voor de Twitterlozen

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 11:06 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:
Korte samenvatting voor de Twitterlozen

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"Lying there and rotting. Corpses are everywhere. Wherever you step. Uncovered and unburied."

Russian soldier Ivan Ivanovich Mikerov, a native of the town of Belozersk, Vologda region, call sign "Sinetok", was captured on the Kharkiv direction, where he carried injured and dead.

He told about catastrophic losses and wooded areas full of rotting corpses of Russian soldiers.

Ivan recalls how his comrade with the call sign "Kit" was killed by his comrades: "He was walking badly. He had problems with his legs. They shot him dead. So that he would not be a burden..."

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 12:48 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Terechte klacht want twitter is stom:

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"Lying there and rotting. Corpses are everywhere. Wherever you step. Uncovered and unburied."

Russian soldier Ivan Ivanovich Mikerov, a native of the town of Belozersk, Vologda region, call sign "Sinetok", was captured on the Kharkiv direction, where he carried injured and dead.

He told about catastrophic losses and wooded areas full of rotting corpses of Russian soldiers.

Ivan recalls how his comrade with the call sign "Kit" was killed by his comrades: "He was walking badly. He had problems with his legs. They shot him dead. So that he would not be a burden..."

Ook meldt hij dat hij uit beekjes drinkt, omdat er vaak geen water is. Wat natuurlijk niet super verstandig is in een gebied bezaaid met lijken en openlucht wc's.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 13:00 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:

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nee daar komen die ziektes van op het oorlogsveld, daar zijn de meeste soldaten in WW1 aan gestorven

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 12:58 schreef byah het volgende:
4 F35s vliegen hier rond?

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 13:14 schreef AchJa het volgende:

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Ja, vanwege veteranendag.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 12:48 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Terechte klacht want twitter is stom:

SPOILER

"Lying there and rotting. Corpses are everywhere. Wherever you step. Uncovered and unburied."

Russian soldier Ivan Ivanovich Mikerov, a native of the town of Belozersk, Vologda region, call sign "Sinetok", was captured on the Kharkiv direction, where he carried injured and dead.

He told about catastrophic losses and wooded areas full of rotting corpses of Russian soldiers.

Ivan recalls how his comrade with the call sign "Kit" was killed by his comrades: "He was walking badly. He had problems with his legs. They shot him dead. So that he would not be a burden..."

Ook meldt hij dat hij uit beekjes drinkt, omdat er vaak geen water is. Wat natuurlijk niet super verstandig is in een gebied bezaaid met lijken en openlucht wc's.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 13:11 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
In WO1 gingen ze eigenlijk voor het eerst vooral dood aan artillerie en machinegeweren.Voor die tijd was het voornamelijk ziektes.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 13:16 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Dit brengt Rusland geheid in de problemen. Een eventuele escalatie met het westen opvangen als je al je reserves blijft verliezen? Dat gaat steeds moeilijker worden. Rusland zal iets moeten gaan doen om de oorlog te be�indigen. Maar daarvoor is er maar ��n optie en dat is wegwezen uit heel Oekra�ne.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 13:44 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
En als ze daadwerkelijk zoveel kunnen rekruteren, houden ze gezien de huidige verliezen van elke dag wel 1000+ de boel precies op pijl.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 14:15 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Maar het zal kwalitatief achteruit gaan. Het is niet dat ze maanden training krijgen. Buiten dienen als kanonnenvoer kun je er offensief weinig mee. En Rusland zal een beslissende slag moeten uitdelen als ze willen winnen. Op deze manier wordt dat lastig. Doorgaan met meatgrinden zonder uitzicht op winnen is vragen om muiterij.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 13:44 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
En als ze daadwerkelijk zoveel kunnen rekruteren, houden ze gezien de huidige verliezen van elke dag wel 1000+ de boel precies op pijl.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 14:28 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Ja, maar ze moeten iedere maand meer en meer geld bieden om nog aan rekruten te komen.

Het klinkt ongelofelijk, maar door de lompe aanvallen voor zinloze terrein winst, raken de russische soldaten op.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 14:30 schreef SnertMetChoco het volgende:

[..]
Ik volg dit niet zo dagelijks, maar wat zijn de schattingen hierover? Als ze al een half miljoen soldaten hebben verloren, hoeveel reserve is er nog?

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 15:52 schreef Hyperdude het volgende:
155 mm genot. Planning eind 2024 inzetbaar.

Live Firing Demonstration des GTK Boxer RCH155 & Piranha HMC AGM in Deutschland!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCH_155

Kanon van de PzH 2000, maar dan als geautomatiseerde module op verschillende onderstellen. 2 man bezetting.

Excuses voor "breaking"

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 13:14 schreef AchJa het volgende:

[..]
Ja, vanwege veteranendag.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 13:16 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

Dit brengt Rusland geheid in de problemen. Een eventuele escalatie met het westen opvangen als je al je reserves blijft verliezen? Dat gaat steeds moeilijker worden. Rusland zal iets moeten gaan doen om de oorlog te be�indigen. Maar daarvoor is er maar ��n optie en dat is wegwezen uit heel Oekra�ne.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 15:59 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Het is toch al een tijdje bekend dat die zouden komen? Wel prima specs.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:04 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Het is niet alsof het Westen maar even kan gaan aanvallen. Dus dat zal wel loslopen. En Rusland gaat hoe dan ook niet uit heel de Oekra�ne vertrekken. Ook de VS gelooft er geen seconde in dat De Krim nog ooit teruggaat naar Oekra�ne.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:02 schreef PluggieOD het volgende:

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F-012/017/022/023 Polly flight

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:04 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Het is niet alsof het Westen maar even kan gaan aanvallen. Dus dat zal wel loslopen. En Rusland gaat hoe dan ook niet uit heel de Oekra�ne vertrekken. Ook de VS gelooft er geen seconde in dat De Krim nog ooit teruggaat naar Oekra�ne.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:04 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Het is niet alsof het Westen maar even kan gaan aanvallen. Dus dat zal wel loslopen. En Rusland gaat hoe dan ook niet uit heel de Oekra�ne vertrekken. Ook de VS gelooft er geen seconde in dat De Krim nog ooit teruggaat naar Oekra�ne.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:24 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

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Biden gaat op een gegeven moment zeggen van "jongens, nu is het klaar" en dan gaat Oekra�ne gewoon dingen inleveren.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:24 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Biden gaat op een gegeven moment zeggen van "jongens, nu is het klaar" en dan gaat Oekra�ne gewoon dingen inleveren.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:27 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Ah, de aloude "Amerika is de puppetmaster van de wereld".

Heerlijk simplistisch wereldbeeld. De VS trekt aan een touwtje, en het gebeurt. En Oekra�ne is een willoze marionet.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:27 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Ah, de aloude "Amerika is de puppetmaster van de wereld".

Heerlijk simplistisch wereldbeeld. De VS trekt aan een touwtje, en het gebeurt. En Oekra�ne is een willoze marionet.

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Front in Oekra�ne zit muurvast, van groot Russisch offensief nog geen sprake

Ineens was daar 10 mei de onverwachte Russische aanval in de regio rondom Charkiv, de tweede stad van Oekra�ne. Gedacht werd dat het een opmaat zou zijn naar een groter Russisch offensief. Maar nu, anderhalve maand later lijkt er van zo'n groot offensief nog steeds geen sprake te zijn. Wat heeft Rusland dan wel bereikt?

In de eerste maanden van dit jaar stond Oekra�ne er niet best voor. Een tekort aan nieuwe rekruten, wapens en munitie leidden ertoe dat velen dachten dat 2024 het zwaarste jaar tot nu toe voor het land zou worden. Rusland had voor het eerst in lange tijd het initiatief weer naar zich toegetrokken.

In plaatsen als Tsjasiv Jar en Otsjeretyne voerde Rusland de intensiteit van aanvallen op met veel doden tot gevolg. Oekra�ense militairen wisten met moeite hun positie vast te houden.

Begin mei opende Rusland een nieuw front ten noordoosten van Charkiv. Voor het eerst sinds het najaar van 2022 begon Rusland toen een aanval vanuit Russisch grondgebied.

Sindsdien wordt er zwaar gevochten. Toch beweegt het front nauwelijks. Oekra�ne wist de Russische opmars rondom Charkiv snel te stoppen en in het oosten weet Rusland ondanks aanhoudende druk geen doorbraak te forceren.

De kans dat Rusland alsnog een grote aanval gaat uitvoeren, lijkt volgens oud-commandant der Landstrijdkrachten Mart de Kruif klein. "Ik zie geen grote concentratie van eenheden, ik zie geen grote aanvallen en ik zie geen duidelijke samenwerking tussen de verschillende legeronderdelen die nodig is voor een echte aanval", zegt hij. "Ik geloof zelf steeds minder in een Russisch offensief."

"Het is Rusland gelukt om Oekra�ne weer in het defensief te drukken", zegt Oost-Europadeskundige Bob Deen van Instituut Clingendael. "Voor het succes van dit offensief moet je naar de politieke agenda kijken. Poetin wil de druk erop houden, zodat Oekra�ne en het Westen het gevoel krijgen dat deze oorlog hopeloos is en een compromis noodzakelijk is. Maar dat lijkt niet te lukken en ik zie de Westerse steun vooral groeien."

Zo heeft Oekra�ne bij de gevechten rondom Charkiv zijn vuurkracht terug dankzij wapens uit het nieuwe steunpakket van de Verenigde Staten. En, belangrijker: het land heeft voor het eerst sinds de oorlog toestemming om doelen in Rusland te bestoken met Westerse wapens.

De afgelopen weken werd duidelijk hoe Oekra�ne die inzet. Russische olieraffinaderijen en vliegbasissen worden onder vuur genomen. Het Russische offensief rondom Charkiv is grotendeels tot stilstand gekomen.

"Je merkt dat de Westerse wapens een verschil maken", zegt De Kruif. "De Russen hadden meer verwacht van het offensief bij Charkiv, maar de bevoorrading is nu compleet stilgelegd."

Op andere plekken langs het front boekt Rusland nog wel kleine successen, al blijft het ook hier bij beperkte terreinwinst ten koste van veel mensenlevens. Bij Tsjasiv Jar blijven de Russen aanvallen, al lukt het ze niet om het kanaal bij de stad over te steken.

Bij Otsjeretyne, iets ten zuidwesten van Tsjasiv Jar, schuift het front beetje bij beetje op in het voordeel van Rusland. Daarbij lijkt de verovering van een belangrijke snelweg tussen Pokrovsk en Tsjasiv Jar het doel. Deze snelweg is voor Oekra�ne van groot belang voor de bevoorrading van Tsjasiv Jar.

Het uitblijven van een groot offensief betekent dat beide partijen zich weer kunnen voorbereiden op de lange termijn. "Op dit moment raken ze veel doelen, zoals raffinaderijen ver achter de linies. Ze zijn bezig om het slagveld klaar te maken voor toekomstige operaties", zegt Oost-Europadeskundige Deen. "Als Oekra�ne kansen ziet, zullen ze die grijpen."

De komst van F16's kan daarbij een rol gaan spelen. "Oekra�ne is momenteel druk bezig om de Russische luchtafweer uit te schakelen", zegt De Kruif. "Op die manier kunnen de F16's beter worden ingezet als ze er zijn."

De Russen lijken ondertussen in te zetten op een uitputtingsoorlog door iedere dag veel troepen op de Oekra�ense posities af te sturen. Volgens Deen doen ze dat om maximale druk te zetten, met de Amerikaanse verkiezingen in aantocht.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:39 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Bewaar deze post maar goed de komende tijd/jaren.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:51 schreef Richestorags het volgende:

[..]
In dit geval wel. Ik ben benieuwd wat Oekra�ne wil gaan doen als de geld- en wapenkraan vanuit de VS opdroogt. Europa zal dan ook volgen.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:55 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
We hebben dat al kunnen zien sinds oktober 2023.... Er kwam sinds die tijd al geen steun meer.

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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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.

^{Launch of the Patriot PAC-3 MSE anti-aircraft missile. Photo from open sources}

It is a further development of the PAC-3 missile. Lockheed Martin specialists have increased its size and integrated a new solid fuel rocket motor.

Thanks to the new solutions, the range of interception of air targets has increased to 120 km, and ballistic targets – to 60 km.

To reliably intercept ballistic missiles, the interceptor uses hit-to-kill technology, in which the warhead hits the target directly, causing maximum damage and knocking it off its flight path.

The Patriot air defense missile system has proven its effectiveness in Ukraine and has secured future sales and improvements.

^{Launchers of the Patriot system. June 2024. Germany. Photo credits: Office of the President of Ukraine}

According to the RTX manufacturer, Patriot is currently in service with 19 countries, and there are more than 250 air defense missile systems in total.

Currently, about 550 missiles are produced annually, but there are plans to increase this number to 650.

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

For this purpose, Lockheed Martin is building an enterprise with automated systems with an area of almost 8000 square meters.

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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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Zharikov told the court that he became violent because his grandmother “began to express everyday complaints to him”.

Zharikov’s grandmother managed to escape her home after she was beaten and asked a neighbor to call for help. After Zharikov was arrested by local authorities, his grandmother was taken to a hospital nearby and later died in care. Doctors attributed her cause of death to cerebral edema or swelling of the brain.

While at the hospital, Zharikov’s grandmother told a police officer that her grandson had become violent when he blamed her for taking his phone’s SIM card. During court proceedings, Zharikov said that he thought his grandmother had purposely hidden the SIM card from him.

At the trial, Zharikov denied that he ever hit his grandmother with a chair, maintaining instead that she “fell many times” while walking out into the home’s yard. However, Zharikov conceded to investigators before the trial that he often had conflicts with his grandmother and, on the day of her death, hit her many times, causing her to fall to the ground.

Neighbors of Zharikov and his grandmother testified at the trial that Zharikov beat and “tortured” his grandmother frequently. Zharikov denied the allegations and said that he “loved his grandmother very much”.

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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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quote:

.

^{Material from the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine on cyber attacks on Russian enterprises}

This company develops software and fulfills contracts for the Russian occupation army.

The activists also destroyed all data on 19 servers of the Internet service providers in Nizhny Novgorod – Linktelecom NN and Access Telecom.

All subscribers of these providers received letters reminding them of the inevitable reckoning for the war against Ukraine.

Prior to that, on June 27, cyber specialists of the Ukrainian intelligence attacked the Russian communications infrastructure, which resulted in the shutdown of propaganda media servers in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

At the same time, hackers are also engaged in attacks on Russia’s military-industrial complex.

In February, the Head Mare hacker group posted internal documents of the Russian High-Precision Systems and Technologies company online.

^{Schematic representation of the 9M333 missile and the companies involved in its production. Photo credits: Head Mare}
The published technical documentation included detailed information about a new hypersonic missile targeted at the Gvozdika, which is being developed to train air defense forces to intercept high-speed targets.

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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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.

^{Russian Tor-M2 air defense system in the camera of a Ukrainian drone. June 2024. Frame from the SSU video}

Machine vision also allows drones to navigate and avoid obstacles.

Special Forces adjusted the strikes with the help of a reconnaissance drone that tracked the movement of Russian air defense systems.

Ударні дрони СБУ уразили 8 систем ППО � осії

The SSU said that the UAV operators had managed to hit four systems of the TOR-M2 SAM system.

Three systems of the Pantsir-S1 air defense missile-gun system and one BUK launcher also came under attack.

“Soldiers of the SSU are destroying Russian air defense systems. You can see the skill of our soldiers in the video,” the SSU said.

The video shows the drones operating freely in the conditions of a large number of Russian electronic warfare systems on the front line, which are supposed to jam the signal between the operator and the drone.


<sup>A Russian Tor-M2 air defense system was hit by an attack drone. June 2024. Frame from the SSU video


A Russian BUK system was hit by an attack drone. June 2024. Frame from the SSU video


A Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense missile-gun system was hit by an attack drone. June 2024. Frame from the SSU video


A Russian Tor-M2 air defense system was hit by an attack drone. June 2024. Frame from the SSU video


A Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense missile-gun system was hit by an attack drone. June 2024. Frame from the SSU video


A Russian Tor-M2 air defense system was hit by an attack drone. June 2024. Frame from the SSU video


A Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense missile-gun system was hit by an attack drone. June 2024. Frame from the SSU video


A Russian Tor-M2 air defense system was hit by an attack drone. June 2024. Frame from the SSU video</sup>

The destruction of such systems should enhance the capabilities of Ukrainian aircraft, which will be safer to fly into the occupied territories. These systems have also been used to shoot down GMLRS missiles from the HIMARS rocket launcher.

As previously reported, the new Ukrainian Bulava loitering munition, which is designed to destroy precisely such air defense systems, was presented for the first time at the Eurosatory 2024 international exhibition in Paris.

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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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The domestic armored personnel carrier was developed in the mid-2000s and has been in service with the Ukrainian Defense Forces since 2014.

“This vehicle we were driving and shooting on today was made in 2023,” he added.

The vehicle’s standard armament is the BM-7 Parus combat module, which is equipped with a 30-mm automatic cannon, a 30-mm automatic grenade launcher and a 7.62-mm machine gun. This set allows the vehicle to effectively engage targets on the battlefield and continue fighting in the event of any emergency situation with the gun.

^{BTR-4E in service with the 56th Brigade of the Armed Forces, June 2024. Photo credits: 56th Brigade}

The armor of the combat vehicle can hold a fire of 12.7mm in a circle and 14.5mm rounds in the frontal projection. To counteract HEAT ammunition, the armored personnel carrier is equipped with slat armor that can be installed or removed depending on the task.

^{BTR-4E in service with the 56th Brigade of the Armed Forces, June 2024. Photo credits: 56th Brigade}

As for the driving characteristics, it is stated that the BTR-4 can accelerate to 110 km/h on the highway and up to 10 km/h afloat. Two screw propellers are installed to run on water.

To learn more about the armored personnel carrier, please see the story:

ЗБИЛИ � ОСІЙСЬКИЙ СУ-25, СТУГНА � ОЗ� ИВАЄ Б� ОНЮ, АТАКА НА НАФТОБАЗУ: стрім із прифронтового міста

You can also view other materials about BTR-4 “Bucephalus” by following the corresponding tag on the site.

quote:

Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 19:20 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]

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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 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Dnipro attack was a reminder to Ukraine’s allies that the country needed more air defense systems. The Ukrainian air force said Saturday that it had downed 10 Russian drones overnight.

“This is why we constantly remind all of our partners: only a sufficient amount of high-quality air defense systems, only a sufficient amount of determination from the world at large can stop Russian terror,” he said.

Russian officials also reported Ukrainian attacks, with a drone strike killing five people in Russia’s Kursk region, local officials said Saturday.

A Ukrainian drone strike killed at least five people in Russia’s Kursk region, local officials said Saturday. Two children were among the victims of the attack in the village of Gorodishche on the Russian-Ukrainian border, Gov. Alexey Smirnov said on social media.

In its morning statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said that six Ukrainian drones had been shot down overnight over the country’s Tver, Bryansk and Belgorod regions, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. It did not give information on the reported strike in the Kursk region. The Ukrainian government also responded Saturday to a statement from the Belarusian military saying it had increased its forces along Ukraine’s northern border in response to what it described as security threats.

The announcement came after Belarus’ border agency claimed its troops downed a Ukrainian drone that had flown across the border to gather intelligence.

Kyiv denied the accusations, which it described as Russian propaganda.

“The Russians’ task is simple — to draw more of our forces (to the Belarusian border), Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation said in a statement. “Any information about our activity in the border area is a lie.”

Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has close ties with Russia and allowed Moscow to use his country’s territory to invade Ukraine in February 2022.

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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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Щойно відбиті позиції поблизу Тернів на Донеччині [Червень 2024].

“As a result of a successful operation conducted by the 12th Special Operations Brigade “Azov”, the 95th Air Assault Brigade and related units, the Ukrainian Defense Forces drove the enemy back from Terny and Yampolivka and consolidated their positions,” the Azov Brigade press service reported.


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

As a result of heavy fighting, the invaders’ units suffered heavy losses in soldiers and equipment.

Footage of the elimination of the invaders on the outskirts of the positions recently recaptured by the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Donetsk region, recorded on the action camera of a soldier of the 12th Special Operations Brigade “Azov”.

^{Terny and Yampolivka on the map}

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an evening summary on Saturday, June 29, that Russian invaders continued to take active steps in the Lyman sector. The total number of combat engagements there has increased to six. The fighting is taking place, in particular, in four locations near Torske and Nevske.

Previously, Ukrainian paratroopers defeated a Russian armored group near Heorhiivka in the Donetsk region and took prisoners.

Біля Георгіївки десантники відбили бронетанковий штурм � Ф

The 46th Airmobile Brigade announced that they had successfully neutralized all the Russian equipment that had been deployed by the Russian command for the assault.

Three tanks, one MT-LB armored personnel carrier, and one infantry fighting vehicle remained on the battlefield.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 12:58 schreef byah het volgende:
4 F35s vliegen hier rond?

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 19:55 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://mil.in.ua/en/news(...)air-defense-systems/
[..]

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[..]

Zo te zien rijdt luchtafweer tegenwoordig rondjes op het veld waar ze staan. Zonder veel succes.

quote:

Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 20:31 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

~1,000 T-80BVs Tanks Disappear From Russian Storage Bases

Muscovites about feelings from the war in Ukraine

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twitter

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:27 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Ah, de aloude "Amerika is de puppetmaster van de wereld".

Heerlijk simplistisch wereldbeeld. De VS trekt aan een touwtje, en het gebeurt. En Oekra�ne is een willoze marionet.

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Source:https:// t. me /russianocontext/3758

From the source they got this from along with some comments made by them at the end

"Another case where disabled people are sent to the front.

I didn’t want to publish it, but this is already a systemic problem. I don’t know what bloggers and military experts are reporting to the Minister of Defense, but this problem has not been resolved for quite some time. These cases are not isolated. We solve them manually, but, unfortunately, we do not have time in all cases. I can’t watch our guys die on crutches and remain silent.

And it is not the minister, not the president, but the specific command who is to blame here. Specific people.

About 50 soldiers of military unit 52562, 47 tank division, 26 regiment, awaiting operations, military military forces, with fitness category G and an order for a 45-day leave, were sent to the front line in violation of the instructions of doctors.

Now they are on the second line, but they have already been told that in the coming days they will be sent to positions on the first line.

I don’t publish the video so that Ukrainians don’t savor it. But the screenshot shows everything: guys with crutches, with plastered limbs. What will they do on the front line?

This is not a problem with doctors and the Military Military Command (although there are such problems too, I do not hide), this is a problem with specific commanders who do not care about the instructions of doctors, referrals to hospitals and already planned operations - they load the guys into cars by deception (assuring that they are taken to the command for some documents and leave registration) and sent to the front. For what? What will they fight there? What kind of image is this of frantic activity? What incredible value does a fighter on crutches have on the first line? I understand that you may not feel sorry for specific people, but turn on logic, turn on practical considerations: these people on the front line are simply useless! Give them the opportunity to heal, rest, and they can benefit. What you are doing now is just a stupid, cynical waste of people.

We have the guys' data. This is necessary not only for the work of supervisory authorities and the Ministry of Defense (it is impossible to make anonymous requests), but also for the safety of the fighters themselves. We have recorded which of them makes complaints; accordingly, an unscrupulous command will not have the opportunity to quickly send them to the front line and hide the traces of its dubious activities against them. And we, of course, are now forming a request to the military prosecutor’s office."

source:https:// t. me /akashevarova/7385

From russianocontext:

This fool really does not understand that it is not the commanders who so badly want to send wounded servicemen to the assault, but they simply receive orders from above. Now this is happening everywhere in the Russian army, because it is actively advancing. The situation will change only if the army goes on the defensive.

Additionally, we publish a video from Russian servicemen from the 506th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, assault detachment, unit number 01005, Avdeevskoe direction.

Source:https:// t .me /russianocontext/3762

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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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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 21:43 schreef QAnonn het volgende:

[..]
De VS heeft het grootste leger van de wereld en de grootste financi�le markt dus zij zijn nu eenmaal top dog.

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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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Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 2019 report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election explained that Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign manager and then conduit to Russian operatives, in summer 2016 “discussed a plan to resolve the ongoing political problems in Ukraine by creating an autonomous republic in its more industrialized eastern region of Donbas, and having [Viktor] Yanukovych, the Ukrainian President ousted in 2014, elected to head that republic.”

Manafort had helped to get the pro-Russian oligarch Yanukovych into office, and when Yanukovych fled to Russia after the Ukrainian people threw him out, Manafort was left unemployed and in debt to other oligarchs. When he went to work for Trump, for free, he promptly wrote to his partner Konstantin Kilimnik, whom the Republican-dominated Senate Intelligence Committee identified in 2020 as a Russian operative, asking how “we” could use the appointment “to get whole,” and made sure that the Russian oligarch to whom he owed the most money knew about his close connection with the Trump campaign (p. 135).

The Mueller Report continued: “That plan, Manafort later acknowledged, constituted a ‘backdoor’ means for Russia to control eastern Ukraine” (p. 140). The region that Putin wanted was the country’s industrial heartland. He was offering a “peace” plan that carved off much of Ukraine and made it subservient to him. This was the dead opposite of U.S. policy for a free and united Ukraine, and there was no chance that former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who was running for the presidency against Trump, would stand for it. But if only Trump were elected….

And, in November 2016, he was.

According to the Republican-dominated Senate Intelligence Committee, Manafort’s partner and Russian operative Kilimnick wrote that "[a]ll that is required to start the process is a very minor 'wink' (or slight push) from D[onald] T[rump] saying 'he wants peace in Ukraine and Donbass back in Ukraine' and a decision to be a 'special representative' and manage this process." Following that, Kilimnik suggested that Manafort ‘could start the process and within 10 days visit Russia ([Yanukovych] guarantees your reception at the very top level, cutting through all the bullsh*t and getting down to business), Ukraine, and key EU capitals.’ The email also suggested that once then–Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko understood this ‘message’ from the United States, the process ‘will go very fast and DT could have peace in Ukraine basically within a few months after inauguration’” (p. 99).

According to the Senate Intelligence Committee, the men continued to work on what they called the “Mariupol Plan” at least until 2018.

In last night’s debate, Trump insisted that Putin never would have invaded Ukraine on his watch (although Putin in fact continued his 2014 assault during Trump’s term, and Trump tried to withhold support for Ukraine).

After Russia invaded Ukraine again in 2022, Jim Rutenberg published a terrific and thorough review of this history in the New York Times Magazine, pointing out that Putin’s attack on Ukraine looked different with this history behind it. Once Biden took office in 2021, the many efforts of the people around Trump, including most obviously Rudy Giuliani, to influence Ukrainian politics through their ties to the White House were over.

“Thirteen months later,” Rutenberg wrote, “Russian tanks crossed the Ukrainian frontier.” Once his troops were there, Putin claimed he had annexed Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, two of which were specifically named in the Mariupol Plan, and instituted martial law in them, claiming that the people there had voted to join Russia.

Last night, Trump claimed that the Ukrainians are losing the war and described how sad it was that their country is being destroyed (without mentioning that it is Putin’s unprovoked war that is doing that damage). He also significantly exaggerated how much money the U.S. has contributed to Ukraine’s defense.

That misrepresentation lines up with Putin’s offer of Friday, June 14, 2024, in a “peace proposal” to Ukraine: Ukraine would give up Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, including far more territory than Putin’s troops occupy, in exchange for a ceasefire. Putin said, “If Kyiv and the Western capitals refuse it, as before, then in the end, that’s their…political and moral responsibility for the continuation of bloodshed.” He also demanded an end to all sanctions and that Ukraine abandon its plan to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). (Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the plan and noted that there is no reason to think Putin will stop his land grab once his forces regroup.)

So when Trump last night said about the 2022 invasion, “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,” it sounded as if he had been in on the Mariupol Plan. And when he talked about how the war needed to end, especially in light of Putin’s recent “peace” plan, it sounded as if perhaps he still is.

And he promised, yet again, that he and he alone could get Gershkovich released.

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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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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 22:01 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Top dog zijn is iets heel anders dan op bevel oorlogen kunnen stoppen en starten.
De VS kan kan haar eigen oorlogen niet eens op een normale manier beeindigen, zie Afghanistan. En Oekraine wordt gesteund door 50 landen.

Bovendien zijn alle democraten plus een flink deel van de republikeinen v��r steun aan Oekraine.
Zelfs als Trump POTUS wordt, gaat hij nog minder bereiken dan in zijn 1e periode.

quote:

Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 23:49 schreef Pleun2011 het volgende:
Niet recent maar wel een mooie reportage over de Russische 'meatgrinder'. Deze gaat over Vuhledar

Russia’s elite marines sent into death trap in Ukraine | BBC News

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 00:07 schreef QAnonn het volgende:

[..]
Vergelijkbaar met de Oekra�ense meatgrinder?

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 00:07 schreef QAnonn het volgende:

[..]
Vergelijkbaar met de Oekra�ense meatgrinder?

quote:

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.

SPOILER

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But the administration of Pres. Joe Biden hasn’t yet given the Ukrainian government permission to aim the ATACMS at Voronezh Malshevo. And so, for now, the Su-34s at Voronezh Malshevo bomb with near impunity—lobbing a significant percentage of the roughly 100 glide bombs the Russians drop on Ukrainian positions and cities every day, killing soldiers and civilians alike.

To be clear, Ukrainian forces have other ways of stopping the glide bombers. So far, however, they’re not working on the planes from Voronezh Malshevo.

One option is to shoot down the bombers before they release their munitions. The problem is that the Ukrainian air force doesn’t have enough of its best U.S.-made Patriot air-defense batteries to protect major cities—to say nothing of extending that protection close enough to the border to intercept the 47th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment’s Sukhois.

Ukraine has just five Patriot batteries in place or on the way. One protects Kyiv. It seems others protect Odesa and Kharkiv. Two additional batteries that Germany and the United States have pledged—but not yet delivered—could safeguard Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih.

Unless and until Ukraine’s allies send a lot more Patriot batteries, don’t expect the Ukrainians to risk one along the northern border between Voronezh Malshevo and Kharkiv.

The last time the Ukrainian air force hit the road with a mobile Patriot battery, a Russian drone spotted it—and a Russian rocket blew up two of its truck-mounted launchers. “Attempting to ambush these jets [from Voronezh Malshevo] with a Patriot battery in a drone-saturated environment ... poses considerable risks,” Frontelligence Insight pointed out.

Likewise, it would be risky for the Ukrainian air force to deploy its future fleet of ex-European F-16 fighters against the glide bombers. “The glide-bomb sorties will be very challenging to intercept regularly,” analyst Justin Bronk wrote in a new study for the Royal United Services Institute in London.

The main problem is Russia’s ground-based air defenses, which make it extremely dangerous for Ukrainian warplanes to fly at high altitude practically anywhere in Ukraine—but especially within a hundred miles or so of the front line, well within reach of Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries.

“When close to the front lines, Ukrainian pilots will have to fly them at very low altitudes to avoid being detected and shot down,” Bronk wrote. “At such low altitudes, the [F-16s’] missiles start out in dense air with a lot of aerodynamic drag and must climb against gravity to reach the altitudes where their targets are.” That limits their range.

Ukraine could always aim long-range strike drones at Voronezh Malshevo. Recent drone strikes on two other Su-34 bases—Kuschevka and Morozovsk, both in Russia around a hundred miles from the eastern front line—have apparently damaged or destroyed several Sukhois.

For some reason, Voronezh Malshevo hasn’t come under heavy bombardment from drones. It’s possible the same dense Russian air defenses that imperil the F-16s also prevent drones from reaching the Sukhoi base.

Which brings us back to the ATACMS, still probably the best weapons for hitting Voronezh Malshevo and blunting Russia’s brutal glide-bombing campaign. But Ukraine probably won’t jeopardize future supplies of the rockets by using them against targets the United States doesn’t approve in advance.

So the Ukrainians wait for permission they hope is coming soon. “It is painful to watch those missiles flying over our heads toward Kharkiv and thinking if your home would be destroyed this time,” a Ukrainian drone commander told The Washington Post.

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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.

SPOILER

quote:

Stigal, 22, operated the scheme for the Main Directorate of the General Staff (GRU), an infamous military intelligence agency created under former Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

“As alleged, the defendant conspired with Russian military intelligence on the eve of Russia’s unjust and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a press release. “The Justice Department will continue to stand with Ukraine on every front in its fight against Russia’s war of aggression, including by holding accountable those who support Russia’s malicious cyber activity.”

The Russian operative remains at large. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. He is listed among the FBI’s Most Wanted cybercriminals.

^{The FBI wanted poster for Amin Timovich Stigal, a 22-year-old Russian native of supporting the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by hacking government computer systems. FBI WANTED LIST}

Attacks on Ukraine
Stigal and his unnamed GRU co-conspirators targeted some of the most-used Ukrainian government services in the months leading up to the invasion in February 2022.

The attacks hit at least two dozen protected computers, including at the Ukrainian Ministry of International Affairs, Treasury, Judiciary Administration, Agriculture, Ministry of Energy and State Emergency Service, the indictment says.

WhisperGate cyber hits were disguised to look like the work of a common cybercriminal, not statecraft, and were accompanied by messages demanding $10,000 in Bitcoin to recover stolen data.

But the hackers' real goal was to delete the data and render the state computers inoperable.

GRU hackers aimed directly at Ukrainian citizens as well, stealing the data of 13.5 million users of the government’s Portal for Digital Services (DIIA), an essential website for accessing government services and IDs, and listing it for sale on the darknet, court filings say.

They displayed messages on the DIIA website weeks ahead of the invasion that read, “Ukrainians! All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future.”

Stigal and his co-conspirators hid their connections to the Russian government by using false identities, making false statements and using a network of computers around the world, including the U.S., according to the indictment. They funded their operations using Bitcoin.

Stigal began working with the GRU in December 2020, the indictment says.

Other attacks
Stigal and his WhisperGate co-conspirators began attacking countries supporting Ukraine following the invasion, including the U.S., according to the indictment.

The group went after the transportation infrastructure of an unnamed Central European country instrumental in delivering aid to Ukraine and a Maryland-based U.S. government agency.

Baltimore FBI agents investigating did not respond to questions about what government agency the group targeted.

Stigal and the hackers probed public-facing agency websites 63 times, according to the agency.

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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.

SPOILER

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The two leaders took turns driving the armoured limousine during Putin's pomp-filled visit, his first in nearly a quarter of a century to North Korea, in a demonstration of the two nuclear powers' increasingly close ties.

Russia imported equipment and components worth at least $34 million between 2018 and 2023 for assembling Aurus cars and motorcycles, customs records seen by Reuters showed. Reuters does not have access to more recent data.

The imports included car body parts, sensors, programmable controllers, switches, welding equipment and other components worth almost $15.5 million imported from South Korea. Parts were also imported from China, India, Turkey, Italy and other EU countries.

Foreign supplies for Aurus kept coming after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with goods worth almost $16 million, including $5 million produced in South Korea, imported since February 2022, the records showed.

Reuters could not determine specifically which imported foreign parts ended up in the car gifted to Kim, and the imports were not in breach of sanctions — Aurus LLC was sanctioned by the United States in February 2024.

The Aurus sedan was developed by Russian state-owned research institute NAMI in partnership with Russian carmaker Sollers, which has since sold its stake.

Aurus Motors and its CEO Andrey Pankov did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the use of foreign parts, including from South Korea, in its vehicles.

Who the suppliers are
The company launched official production in Russia's Tatarstan region, around 1,000 km (620 miles) from Moscow, in 2021 - before then it was made on a small, experimental scale at NAMI. It will start additional production in St Petersburg later this year at Toyota's former factory.

Toyota is one of many foreign carmakers to exit the Russian market since the invasion, which Russia calls a "special military operation".

The exodus has left a gap that Chinese producers have been quick to fill, rapidly seizing more than half the market share and exposing Russia's limited domestic production capacity.

South Korean firms were among the largest suppliers to Aurus, including industrial equipment producer Kyungki Industrial Co, car body parts manufacturer BYT CO LTD and batteries supplier Enertech International Inc.

Italian plastic parts producer Industrie Ilpea Spa and Hong Kong company Rain Electronics also supplied goods.

An official at Kyungki Industrial Co confirmed that the company has supplied parts to Aurus LLC and continues to do so. The company is not concerned about any potential sanctions, the official said, declining to give further details.

Rain Electronics could not be reached for comment. When a Reuters correspondent visited the address listed on the internet as the company's office in Hong Kong, there was no trace of Rain Electronics on the floor listed online or in the office building.

BYT CO LTD, Enertech International and Industrie Ilpea Spa did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

The Aurus Senat, retro-styled after the Soviet-era ZIL limousine, is Russia's official presidential car and was used by Putin at his presidential inaugurations in 2018 and 2024.

Putin has now given Kim, believed to be a keen automobile fan, two Aurus cars, first during Kim's visit to Russia in February, and a slightly different model in North Korea in June.

Prices for Aurus cars - there are four models including an SUV and armoured version - start from 46.625 million roubles ($528,356). Customers include Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdymukhamedov.

Aurus sold 107 cars in Russia in 2023, according to data from Russian analytical agency Autostat. Aurus does not disclose production numbers.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:10 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Mochten de Russen de boel escaleren kunnen Europese landen alleen, dus zonder de VS in een actieve rol, de restanten van de Russische troepen in Oekra�ne gewoon over de grens trappen. En de consensus is hier dat de Krim teruggaat naar Oekra�ne. Niemand heeft zin in een Rusland dat zijn voet tussen de deur mag houden.

quote:

Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:24 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Niemand geloofde dat de Soviet Unie uit elkaar zou vallen. Totdat het *opeens* gebeurde.

Ondertussen is Putin het gefaalde beleid van de Soviet Unie 1 op 1 aan het kopi�ren:
Geen economische diversificatie, enorme defensie uitgaven, gigantisch propaganda en veiligheids apparaat, extreme onderdrukking, een zinloze oorlog.
Komt er in dit geval nog bij dat rusland absoluut geen Soviet Unie is. En iedere dag het land leegloopt. En de verliezen in deze oorlog veel en veel hoger zijn. En informatie is makkelijker te bemachtigen.

quote:

Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 16:24 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Biden gaat op een gegeven moment zeggen van "jongens, nu is het klaar" en dan gaat Oekra�ne gewoon dingen inleveren.

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 00:07 schreef QAnonn het volgende:

[..]
Vergelijkbaar met de Oekra�ense meatgrinder?

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 09:44 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Het uiteenvallen van de SU is jaren voordat het gebeurde voorspeld.

Hou het bij de feiten.

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 10:24 schreef Richestorags het volgende:

[..]
Het instorten van Rusland wordt ook al sinds het begin van de oorlog voorspeld. Inmiddels dus ook al meerdere jaren.

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 10:24 schreef Richestorags het volgende:

[..]
Het instorten van Rusland wordt ook al sinds het begin van de oorlog voorspeld. Inmiddels dus ook al meerdere jaren.

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 09:44 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Het uiteenvallen van de SU is jaren voordat het gebeurde voorspeld.

Hou het bij de feiten.

quote:

Op zaterdag 29 juni 2024 21:40 schreef oheng het volgende:
Hoe is de staat van het russische leger ondertussen?

Nou zo:

SPOILER

[ x ]

Geen gore enzo, maar wel maximaal deprimerend.

Edit: reddit linkje.

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 09:44 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Het uiteenvallen van de SU is jaren voordat het gebeurde voorspeld.

Hou het bij de feiten.

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 11:28 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Bron?

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 09:43 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Als het allemaal zo simpel is - quod non -, waarom hebben ze dit dan nog niet gedaan? Het is in ieders belang dat deze oorlog stopt.

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Russia wants to confront NATO but dares not fight it on the battlefield – so it’s waging a hybrid war instead

quote:

When someone tried – and failed – to burn down a bus garage in Prague earlier this month, the unsuccessful arson attack didn’t draw much attention. Until, that is, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala revealed it was “very likely” that Moscow was behind it.

The accusation prompted alarm among security officials and governments because several similar incidents have occurred across Europe in recent months. The Museum of Occupation in Riga was targeted in an arson attack in February. A London warehouse burnt down in March and a shopping center in Warsaw went up in flames in May. Police in Germany arrested several people suspected of planning explosions and arson attacks in April, and French authorities launched an anti-terror investigation after detaining a suspected bomb-maker who was injured in a botched explosion earlier this month.

Multiple hacking attacks and spying incidents have been reported in different European countries. As the same time, the European Union has accused Russia and Belarus of weaponizing migration by pushing asylum seekers from third countries to its borders. There have also been several suspicious attacks against individuals: a Russian defector was found shot dead in Spain and an opposition figure exiled in Lithuania was brutally attacked with a hammer.

The seemingly random attacks have one thing in common: according to local officials, they are all linked to Russia. And while they might look minor in isolation, taken together these incidents amount to what security experts say is Russia’s hybrid war on the West.

quote:

“It’s long been a part of Russian military doctrine to try and avoid trying to face NATO on a battlefield, because they know they would lose to NATO forces,” he said. “What they are doing is undertaking activities which are below the threshold of armed conflict, so they are not inciting an Article 5 response from NATO,” he added.

quote:

Thornton said that NATO was reluctant to blame the Skripal poisoning directly on Putin and the Russian state because of the risk of escalation and pushing Russia into being a “complete adversary.”

“(They) would kind of said maybe it was a rogue GRU operation, was Putin really behind it? There was an element of ‘let’s not go too far, because we don’t want to lose Putin completely,’” he said.

“Now that’s completely off the table,” he added.

quote:

“And Europe, and the whole international community who wants global stability, they need to understand that Russia is at war with us and that they will continue escalating unless we start acting.”

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 11:20 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Waarschijnlijk shellshock?

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 15:49 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Vrouwelijke PoW.

[ x ]

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 15:49 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Vrouwelijke PoW.

[ x ]

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 11:17 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Ok, speciaal voor jou dan:

"De generale consensus aan beide kanten van de muur was dat de Soviet Unie niet uiteen zou vallen, totdat het gebeurde. Er waren een aantal personen en organisatie die meer inzicht hadden in de werking van het systeem en economie, of liever gezegd: het gebrek daaraan. Uiteindelijk was iedereen onvoorbereid toen het moment daar was. Voorbeelden van voorspellers waren Churchill in 1946, en George Orwell ergens in 1950."

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 11:28 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Bron?

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 11:42 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Dat hoeft niet, want het voorspellen van het ineenstorten van de Soviet Unie was vergelijkbaar met het voorspellen van een mooie zomer; soms is de wens de vader van de gedachte.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 12:18 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
Maar wel onder de juiste voorwaarden.

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 14:36 schreef oheng het volgende:
Lekkere meat wave aanval weer van de russen.

[ x ]

En de 47e is letterlijk bezig met een slachting in Vovchansk. Het is blijft bizar om iedere dag weer nieuwe velden vol dode russen te zien.

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'Tension rises' at border with Belarus, Minsk accuses Kyiv of deploying troops
The Belarusian military claimed that Ukraine is allegedly deploying its forces to the shared state border for potential "sabotage, terrorist acts," state-run news outlet Belta reported on June 29.

The Kyiv Independent couldn't verify the claim, while Belarusian state-run news outlets have a long history of unsubstantiated claims.

"The situation on the Belarus-Ukraine border is characterized by growing tension," Colonel Vadim Lukashevich, a high-ranking Belarusian military official, told Belta.

"They are attempting to drag our country into the war," he added.

Russian forces launched the all-out invasion of Ukraine from Belarus in early 2022 but suffered a defeat near Kyiv and were forced to pull back.

SPOILER

quote:

The Belarusian Defense Ministry announced earlier in June that it was beefing up security at the border with Ukraine after a series of "alleged security incidents."

Lukashevich claimed that Ukrainian forces allegedly stationed military equipment, including American-produced ones, in Zhytomyr Oblast, which borders Belarus.

Lukashevich also claimed that Ukraine allegedly set up mines and other explosives near the border with Belarus. Lukashevich believes that this indicates plans of Ukrainian forces for further assault against Belarus, sabotage, and terrorist acts.

Lukashevich didn't provide evidence to back up his claims.

The Ukrainian Security and Defense Council's Center for Countering Disinformation said in May that Russia may opt to conduct a new psychological operation aimed at "stirring up mass panic" in Ukraine. The plan was to force Kyiv to believe that Belarusian troops would join Russia's war against Ukraine, according to the center.

"We expect a series of provocative statements by the top leadership of Russia and Belarus threatening Ukraine soon," the statement said.

Belarus has been a key ally to Moscow and supported Russian aggression against Ukraine but has not committed its own troops to fight directly in Russia's war.

quote:

Latvia to complete construction of fence on the border with Belarus in July

^{Construction of a fence in Latvia on the border with Belarus. Photo from the media}

Latvia intends to complete the construction of the fence on the border with Belarus by the end of July.

Delfi reported on this.

This year, the work along the water bodies and infrastructure along the entire section of the interstate border continued intensively and is now in its final stage.

In the next month, less than six kilometers of fencing along the territorial waters remain to be built.

The necessary infrastructure is currently being built on the land areas where the barriers have already been constructed. As part of the first stage, 21.94 kilometers of patrol lanes for passenger vehicles and pedestrian bridges have been built. The construction of 1.75 kilometers of pontoon patrol lines has also been completed.

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{Construction of a fence in Latvia on the border with Belarus. Photo from the media}

In addition, six observation towers and access roads are planned to be built this year along a 16.7-kilometer stretch of the Daugava River on the Latvian-Belarusian border.

Currently, three towers are already under construction, and two are undergoing preparatory work before the start of construction.

These towers are part of the national surveillance system of the external land border, which is being created to effectively protect Latvia’s borders and ensure national security interests. Work on this stage is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2025.

Constructing a 112-kilometer fence on the Belarusian border was completed in 2023. Also, last year, a 30-meter tunnel was put into operation, which significantly facilitates border control in the area where the border crosses the railway line.

^{Latvian military patrolling the border. Photo credits: Latvian Ministry of Defense}

In March of this year, the Latvian government approved a plan to construct fortifications on the country’s eastern border.

The plan to strengthen the eastern border and counter enemy troop mobility is part of the Baltic Defensive Line initiative, which covers the entire length of the Latvian border with Russia and Belarus.

^{Construction of the defense line. Photo credits: Latvijas Sabiedriskie Mediji}

At the end of April, the construction of fortifications began in the east of Latvia. The first anti-tank ditch was dug near the Terekhov border checkpoint a few hundred meters from the border.

quote:

Soldiers of the 1st Tank Brigade were engaged in the destruction of enemy fortifications in the Avdiivka sector

^{Shelling of enemy positions by tankers of the 1st Tank Brigade. Photo credits: 1st Tank Brigade}

Soldiers from the 1st Tank Brigade were involved in the destruction of Russian positions in the Avdiivka sector.

A video of the tank crews’ work was posted online.

The published footage captures the work of tank crews firing at enemy positions from a short range.

Soldiers used 125 mm HEAT rounds for effective destruction of manpower.

SPOILER

quote:

Знищення ворожих позицій танком 1 танкової бригади на Авдіївському напрямку.

It should be noted that such a short distance of fire is quite dangerous, as the tank could have been hit with an anti-tank grenade launcher.

Novooleksandrivka, Donetsk region, at the following coordinates: 48.27516, 37.56563

Due to the poor quality of the video, it is difficult to identify the combat vehicle accurately, but it can be argued that it is a Soviet-made tank, probably a T-64.

In addition, the video shows a low reversing speed, which is typical for Soviet-era T-64 and T-72 tanks due to the peculiarity of their gearboxes.

Бойова робота M1A1 Abrams SA-UKR

Both Soviet-made tanks and Western-style combat vehicles are currently being used in the Avdiivka sector.

Thus, the 47th Mechanized Brigade soldiers released a video of the combat use of the M1A1 Abrams SA-UKR main battle tank against Russian positions at the Avdiivka Coke Plant.

The footage was taken in late winter – early spring 2024 by a reconnaissance drone of the Aerial Reconnaissance Unit “God’s Work” of the 47th Brigade.

The video captures an M1A1 Abrams SA-UKR firing three shots at a coke plant building. The loader’s speed, which averages 9.4 seconds, can be seen.

quote:

Op zondag 30 juni 2024 19:00 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
En tot die tijd mogen de Oekra�ners doodgaan?

Hier zit toch gewoon 0,0 logica achter?

quote:

Trump's jet sits next to Russian government plane for two days in 'isolated' area: report
Donald Trump's private jet sat overnight next to a diplomatic aircraft for the Russian government at Washington Dulles International Airport, according to a reporter's photos.

Raw Story reported on Friday that Trump's private Boeing 757, sometimes referred to as "Trump Force One," was sitting next to the Russian government plane. Social media users reacted with jokes, but it was also noted that it was unclear exactly how this happened, and that it could easily have been a coincidence.

The next day, there was an update from the individual who released the initial photos, freelance reporter Andrew Leyden.

"Saturday Update: Trump’s plane is still at IAD next to the Russian government plane, which appears to be readying to leave soon," Leyden reported. "A United Arab Emirates Air Force C-17 is also parked nearby today."

Three hours later, Leyden noted the "Russian plane has just left IAD."

One commenter asked Leyden, "Any non-trump U.S. planes parked near by? Thank you."

"No," the reporter replied. "This is a very isolated part of the airport between the runways not near the terminals or main airport parking area."

quote:

Ukraine now mass-producing strike drones with range of over 1,000 kilometers
Ukraine has launched serial production of strike drones with a range of over 1,000 kilometers, the head of state-owned company Ukrainian Defense Industry, also known as Ukroboronprom, said on June 29.

In an interview with ArmyInform, Herman Smetanin said Russia's "huge resources and super-powerful industry" meant Kyiv had to take a more "flexible and inventive" approach to manufacturing weapons.

Ukraine employs long-range drones to strike deep into Russian territory, targeting military infrastructure such as airfields and logistics, as well as oil refineries and depots. The strikes against oil infrastructure are intended to disrupt fuel supplies to the Russian military and diminish Moscow's export revenues, crucial for funding the war.

Experimental Ukrainian drones have struck targets in Russia as far as the Tatarstan Republic, some 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) away from the Russia-Ukraine border.

Smetanin said that with the help of "private individuals," Ukrainian Defense Industry was now able to "scale production" of long-range drones.

Moscow's defense ministry on June 30 claimed to have destroyed 36 Ukrainian drones overnight that targeted several regions in the southwest of Russia.

In a post on Telegram, it said 15 drones were downed over the Kursk Oblast, nine over Lipetsk Oblast, four over Voronezh Oblast, four over Bryansk Oblast, two over Oryol Oblast and another two over Belgorod Oblast.

The defense ministry did not provide details of any damage or casualties caused.

Ukrainian authorities have not commented. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

Russian authorities routinely falsely claim to have thwarted Ukrainian drone and missile attacks.

quote:

“Swarm” Of Ukrainian Drones Assault Russian Metal Mill In In a single day Raid
Kyiv doesn’t formally affirm or deny such assaults, however says the amenities being hit are supporting Russia’s warfare in Ukraine and are thus professional navy targets.

Moscow:
A “swarm” of Ukrainian drones focused Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk Metal’s facility in a raid within the early hours of Sunday, nevertheless it sustained no severe harm, an organization spokesperson stated.

The assault achieved no outcomes apart from inflicting further welding work, the spokesperson stated. Igor Artamonov, the governor of the Lipetsk area in western Russia the place the metal mill is positioned, stated in a separate assertion that 9 drones had been downed over the metal mill.

Kyiv doesn’t formally affirm or deny such assaults, however says the amenities being hit are supporting Russia’s warfare in Ukraine and are thus professional navy targets.

NLMK denies cooperating with the defence ministry, saying that its Russian operations aren’t able to producing military-grade heavy steels and it doesn’t provide the navy.

Russia’s defence ministry stated earlier that air defence programs had destroyed 36 drones launched by Ukraine in a single day concentrating on a number of areas in Russia’s southwest, together with Lipetsk.

The ministry additionally stated that Russian forces had taken over the villages of Spirne and Novooleksandrivka, that are in Ukraine’s japanese Donetsk area, the Russian information company RIA reported, the newest in a string of such incremental territorial claims.

quote:

Drones attacked the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant

^{Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant. Photo from the network}

Drones hit the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant in the Russian city of Lipetsk.

Russian media started to share information and details about the attack.

According to Russian media, the plant was attacked around 2 a.m. on June 28, 2024.

A total of seven drones were reported to have hit targets on the plant’s territory.

SPOILER

quote:

Повітряна тривога у місті Липецьк внаслідок атаки уданих дронів

According to media reports, one of the drones damaged the oxygen separation unit, and four other attack drones allegedly hit the building of the oxygen station.

A garage on the plant’s territory was also damaged. No injuries or deaths have been reported so far.

It should be noted that this is not the first attack on the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant, which is Russia’s largest steel plant in terms of production and the 17th largest in the world.

In February 2024, Lipetsk Region Governor Igor Artamonov reported an outbreak “in one of the shops” of the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant.

^{The distance from the Ukrainian border to the Russian city of Lipetsk. Photo credits: Deep State}

Initially, officials reported that the fire was started by factory workers but then started to claim that the fire was caused by the crash of two downed drones.

At the same time, at night, residents of the region reported hearing explosions near Lipetsk from the direction of a metallurgical plant, preceded by the drone hum in the sky.

Militarnyi previously reported that a drone attacked an oil depot in the Tambov region of Russia, causing a fire.

The incident occurred in the early morning of June 28, 2024, and city officials said it resulted in a “small fire” that was quickly localized with the help of 11 fire crews.

quote:

OSCE Assembly Recognizes Russia’s Genocide of the Ukrainian People
The 70-point resolution calls on all 53 OSCE participating states to make efforts to de-occupy Crimea and all occupied territories of Ukraine by supporting the Peace Formula and the Crimean Platform.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA) has adopted a resolution recognizing Russia’s actions as genocide of the Ukrainian people and the need to decolonize Russia, announced by a member of the Ukrainian delegation Pavlo Frolov in Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

“On the opening day of the summer session in Bucharest, the OSCE PA adopted a resolution condemning Russia’s 10-year armed aggression against Ukraine, which recognized the actions of the military and political leadership of the Russian Federation and its armed forces during the full-scale invasion as genocide of the Ukrainian people,” Frolov wrote.

According to him, the document also defines the decolonization of the Russian Federation as a prerequisite for establishing lasting peace.

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The MP noted that the 70-point resolution calls on all 53 OSCE participating states to make efforts to de-occupy Crimea and all occupied territories of Ukraine by supporting the Peace Formula and the Crimean Platform, as well as to establish a Special Tribunal to prosecute the Russian Federation for crimes committed during the aggressive war against Ukraine, and to conduct international and national investigations into mass crimes committed by the Russian army.

The document also emphasizes the need to quickly launch a mechanism for using frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine and suggests that OSCE countries join the Agreement on the International Register of Damage Caused to Ukraine by Russian Aggression.

According to Frolov, the OSCE PA also recognizes the 2024 presidential elections in Russia as fraudulent and undermining the legitimacy of the electoral system.

The resolution emphasizes support for the creation of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, as well as ensuring the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians.

The document calls for a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas to the European Union, re-exports and transit through EU ports, Frolov noted.

The OSCE PA session will last until July 3.

The representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) Andriy Yusov called the seizure and holding of civilian hostages by Russia proof that the Russian war is genocidal.

Key points of the resolution, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda:
• A call to all 53 OSCE member states to make efforts to achieve the liberation of Crimea and all occupied Ukrainian territories by supporting the Peace Formula and the Crimean Platform.
• OSCE states call for the establishment of a Special Tribunal to prosecute the Russian Federation for crimes committed during the aggressive war against Ukraine and to conduct international and national investigations into mass atrocities, murders, torture, and rape committed by Russian troops.
• Emphasis on the urgent launch of a mechanism for the use of frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine and an invitation to OSCE countries to join the Agreement on the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation Against Ukraine.
• The recognition of the 2024 presidential elections in the Russian Federation as fraudulent and undermining the legitimacy of the entire electoral system of the Russian Federation.
• Support for the creation of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, as well as efforts to ensure the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians.
• A call for a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas to the European Union, re-exports, and transit through EU ports.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 20:30 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://mil.in.ua/en/news(...)metallurgical-plant/
[..]

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Hmmm, twee verschillende aanvallen in 2 dagen? Of zijn er wat dingen door elkaar gehaald?

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 19:00 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
En tot die tijd mogen de Oekra�ners doodgaan?

Hier zit toch gewoon 0,0 logica achter?

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Translation.
...lya Zaporizhzhya. Tests of invention by pavel sergeevich petukhov. engineer from fuk knows district. Were handed over to assault unit. In ukrop's (ukrainian) field. Ecerything were delivered.

Tug unit by pavel petukhov, from prikubaskij village, slavyansk district, krasnodar region. Use for it will be found in field. Primarily for transporting of temporarily alive invaders and other cargo. Engine power is 25h/p. Can go up to 30km/h, and lift up to 500kg. Tug unit is equipped with cart and sledge for wounded. Injured can be placed by removing seat or by dropping left or right side. Rope can be used to place injured. Everything were thought over and made to be convenient in use. Tug unit is smol, so when its being shelled, driver can sit or lay down, while driving, so he can be al low as possible. It can be driven when standing too. It is durable, easy to fix in field. Made for off road use. Pressure of rubber track is low, so it wont trigger AP and AT mines.

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Translation.
So, we have got injuries on 27th may, when were in meat wave attack. Then we were sent to hospital where we received medical treatment. Then medical commission said that we are partially fit for service, "g" category. But yesterday, after arriving in unit, located in roschinsky village, samara region, military unit number 90600. Today, in saturday, 28 or 29th may, we are being sent in meat wave, in Luhans'k. We are being sent like this. Someone with bandages, someone with legs (injured). This is bus we were brought here in. Here is one more temporarily alive invader, his leg isnt moving at all. There are 12 of us, everyone have "g" category, partially fit for service. Here is temporarily alive invader whose arm is broken. This one has shrapnel in lungs, stomach. Here is me, author of video, i have 3 shrapnel pieces that should be removed surgically. Military unit 90600 isnt alloving it, and is sending in meat wave. Asking you for help. As it turned out this is one way ticket. With our health we cant hold wepons, and oppose our enemy. I have said in begining its 29th may, but today is 29th june, 2024.

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Deadly Russian Glide Bomb Hits Postal Sorting Hub in Kharkiv
A Russian jet fired a glide bomb at Kharkiv, killing at least one civilian at a mail hub as Ukraine’s second-largest city continues to suffer from frequent aerial strikes.

The bomb targeted a sorting terminal of Nova Poshta, Ukraine’s major private private parcel delivery service, according to a statement from the company posted on Facebook.

At least ten civilians were injured and nine more who may have been inside the terminal during the attack are unaccounted for, the Interior Ministry said on Telegram.

The attack highlighted danger to Kharkiv from glide bombs, which are equipped with flight control surfaces that can expand their range. The one that struck the city on Sunday was released from a Su-34 jet flying inside Belgorod region in Russia, Oleksandr Filchakov, head of the regional prosecutor’s office said on local TV.

Russia dropped more than 800 such bombs over Ukraine in the past week alone, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Sunday on social media, as he reiterated his call for allies to provide weapons capable of hitting Russian aviation targets.

“Ukraine needs the necessary means to destroy the carriers of these bombs, including Russian combat aircraft, wherever they are. This step is essential,” Zelenskiy said.

Early Sunday evening, the regional city administration in Kyiv reported damage to an apartment block in the capital struck by debris from a Russian missile.

Separately, Russia reported a new Ukrainian drone attack against its industrial facilities.

The Novolipetsk Steel PJSC plant in Lipetsk, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) northeast of Kharkiv, was attacked by a swarm of drones on Sunday, Russia’s largest steelmaker said in a statement. No significant damage was reported, the company added.

The facility also came under attack earlier this year. Ukrainian officials made no comment on the latest incident.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 19:00 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Seven hells, wie dacht dat dit een goed plan was?

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Another One Of Russia’s Nuclear-Proof Transports Just Got Blown Up In Ukraine
There might be just a few Ladogas left, one of which is in a museum.

In the late 1970s, Soviet authorities asked the Kirovsky Design Bureau in Saint Petersburg to develop a nuclear reconnaissance and command vehicle.

And not just any nuclear reconnaissance and command vehicle, but the best protected, most comfortable nuke vehicle imaginable. A sealed, self-contained and thickly armored turretless tank with remote cameras and its own oxygen supply.

The result was the Ladoga. Kirovsky produced just a handful of the tracked vehicles—perhaps four or five. One spent some time in the fallout zone around the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl following the plant’s deadly 1986 meltdown. Aside from another that landed in a museum, the Ladogas then ... disappeared.

Until recently. In March, a Ukrainian drone spotted and struck a Ladoga rolling toward Ukrainian lines near the Kreminna Forest in eastern Ukraine. And earlier this week, the Ukrainians hit a second Ladoga, setting it ablaze.

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It’s no secret that the Kremlin is struggling to generate enough combat vehicles—either through new production or by fetching older vehicles from long-term storage—to make good staggering losses (16,000 vehicles and counting) along the 700-mile front line of Russia’s 28-month wider war on Ukraine.

That gap between the newly generated vehicles—500 or 600 tanks a year plus a thousand or so fighting vehicles—and annual losses that average 1,300 tanks and 1,700 fighting vehicles helps to explain why some very strange vehicles have showed up along the front line.

Perhaps most notably, golf-carts, dirt bikes and turtle tanks.

Compared to a golf-cart or dirt bike, a Ladoga is much better-suited for mechanized warfare. It combines the armored hull of a T-80 tank with a 1,250-horespower gas-turbine engine and a voluminous crew compartment seating around four in padded armchairs.

The Ladoga has a mast-mounted television camera and a full suite of radios that would have allowed the vehicle to work in a doomsday command role. Imagine Soviet leaders speeding to safety inside of a Ladoga, directing their own nuclear forces as NATO nukes rain down.

Now imagine some Russian colonel commanding his battalion from a Ladoga’s cozy interior during an attack on Ukrainian forces around Kreminna.

The tiny force of Ladogas got a workout around Chernobyl but never performed its primary role in an atomic apocalypse. Surely no one at Kirovsky imagined aged Ladogas eventually finding their way to the front line of a non-nuclear war in 2024.

But then, it’s hard to imagine the engineers in Saint Petersburg 50 years ago could imagine Russia losing 16,000 armored vehicles in a little over two years in a war with, of all countries, an independent and NATO-aligned Ukraine.

There might be two or three Ladogas left, including the one in a museum. It remains to be seen whether they turn up in Ukraine—and whether they survive.

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National Military Memorial Complex in Honor of Fallen Defenders Greenlit for Construction
The project documentation for the construction of the first phase of the National Military Memorial Cemetery, honoring fallen Ukrainian defenders, has cleared its final hurdle with a successful state examination. Next on the agenda: announcing a competitive bid for the construction phase.

Officials from the Ministry of Veterans Affairs confirmed that the project meets rigorous Ukrainian construction standards and environmental regulations. This ensures the structures will not only be robust and durable but also eco-friendly and inclusive.

According to Acting Minister of Veterans Affairs Oleksandr Porhun, the memorial will be situated in the Hatne territorial community near Kyiv, marking a significant effort to commemorate the fallen heroes. The ambitious first phase includes building burial sectors, columbarium walls, monuments, and a striking memorial, along with essential facilities such as administrative buildings, a mourning house, and utility buildings.

Beyond these solemn structures, the project will feature public transport stops, a pumping station, local sewage treatment facilities, and recreational areas. These additions aim not only to honor the memory of the defenders but also to integrate seamlessly into the community.

Porhun highlighted meticulous environmental assessments, ensuring no impact on local ecology or public health — a reassurance echoed by the State Enterprise Ukrderzhbudexpertyza.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 21:33 schreef byah het volgende:
[ x ]

Euh?

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 22:39 schreef polderturk het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 23:07 schreef zalkc het volgende:

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Niet verbaasd dat het pro russisch is, wel dat het een Cambodiaan is.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 22:39 schreef polderturk het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 23:41 schreef capricia het volgende:

[..]
Dat haat-account heeft al veel te lang bestaan. Weg daarmee.
Ook vaak van die wazige oude filmpjes uit een ander werelddeel en dan zeggen dat het migranten zijn die Europa bestormden enzo.
En het werd zoveel gedeeld en geretweet, ongelooflijk.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 23:46 schreef Perrin het volgende:

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Voornamelijk wappies die ermee wegliepen. Maar goed, dit zijn wel de kanalen waarlangs het kremlin-gif de hoofdjes van Europeanen binnensijpelt.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 23:57 schreef capricia het volgende:

[..]
De winnaar van onze verkiezingen, Geert Wilders, hield er nogal van om Radiogenoa te retweeten (ook nadat hij de verkiezingen won). En het zo een nog groter bereik onder zijn achterban te geven.
Radiogenoa sprak dan ook vaak lovend over onze Geert.

https://pointer.kro-ncrv.(...)io-genoa-dan-wilders

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 23:58 schreef Perrin het volgende:

[..]
Ja al die poetinkussers die knuffelen elkaar graag.

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Far right leads first round of France’s parliamentary election in blow to Macron, projection shows
Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party has taken the lead in the first round of France’s parliamentary elections on Sunday, initial projections showed, taking it closer to the gates of power than ever before.

After unusually high turnout, the RN bloc leads with 34% of the vote, while left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coalition is in second with 28.1% and President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble alliance slumped to a dismal third with 20.3%, according to initial estimates by Ipsos.

While the RN appears on track to win the most seats in the National Assembly, it may fall short of the 289 seats required for an absolute majority, suggesting France may be heading for a hung parliament and more political uncertainty.

Projections show that, after the second round of voting next Sunday, the RN would win between 230 and 280 seats in the 577-seat lower house – a staggering rise from its count of 88 in the outgoing parliament. The NFP was projected to secure between 125 and 165 seats, with Ensemble trailing with between 70 and 100 seats.

The election, which Macron called after his party was battered by the RN in European Parliament elections earlier this month, could leave him to see out the remaining three years of his presidential term in an awkward partnership with a prime minister from an opposition party.

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The RN election party in the northern town of Henin Beaumont erupted in celebration as the results were announced – but Marine Le Pen was quick to stress that next Sunday’s vote will be key.

“Democracy has spoken, and the French people have placed the National Rally and its allies in first place – and has practically erased the Macronist bloc,” she told a jubilant crowd, adding: “Nothing has been won – and the second round will be decisive.”

In a speech at the RN’s headquarters in Paris, Jordan Bardella, the party’s 28-year-old leader and its to become prime minister, echoed Le Pen’s message.

“The vote taking place next Sunday is one of the most decisive in the entire history of the Fifth Republic,” Bardella said.

In bullish speeches before the first round, Bardella said he would refuse to govern a minority government, in which the RN would require the votes of allies to pass laws. If the RN falls short of an absolute majority and Bardella stays true to his word, Macron might then have to search for a prime minister on the hard left, or somewhere else entirely to form a technocratic government.

^{Marine Le Pen casts her ballot at a polling station in Henin Beaumont, June 30, 2024. Yves Herman/Reuters}

Cordon sanitaire
With an unprecedented number of seats going to a three-way run-off, a week of political bargaining will now ensue, as centrist and left-wing parties decide whether or not to stand down in individual seats to block the nationalist and anti-immigrant RN – long a pariah in French politics – from winning a majority.

When the RN – under its previous name, the National Front – has performed strongly in the first round of votes in the past, left-wing and centrist parties have previously united to block them from taking office, under a principle known as the “cordon sanitaire.”

After Jean-Marie Le Pen – the father of Marine and decades-long leader of the National Front – unexpectedly defeated the Socialist candidate Lionel Jospin in the 2002 presidential election, the Socialists swung their weight behind the center-right candidate Jacques Chirac, delivering him a landslide in the second-round runoff.

In an attempt to deny the RN a majority, the NFP – a left-wing coalition that formed earlier this month – promised it will withdraw all of its candidates who came in third place in the first round.

“Our instruction is clear – not one more vote, not one more seat for the National Rally,” Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of France Unbowed – the largest party in the NFP – told supporters Sunday.

^{Demonstrators take part in a rally against the far right after the announcement of the results of the first round of parliamentary elections, at Place de la Republique in Paris on June 30, 2024. Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images}

“A long week awaits us ahead, everyone will take his or her decision with conscience, this decision will determine, in the long-term, the future of our country and each one of our destinies,” Melenchon added.

Marine Tondelier, leader of the Green Party – a more moderate part of the NFP – made a personal plea to Macron to stand down in certain seats to deny the RN a majority.

“We’re counting on you: withdraw if you come third in a three-way race, and if you don’t qualify for the second round, call your supporters to vote for a candidate who supports republican values,” she said.

Macron’s Ensemble allies have also called on their supporters to prevent the far right taking office, but have warned against lending their votes to the firebrand Melenchon.

Gabriel Attal, Macron’s protege and the outgoing prime minister, urged voters to prevent the RN from winning a majority, but said Melenchon’s France Unbowed party “is preventing a credible alternative” to a far-right government.

Former prime minister Eduoard Philippe, another Macron ally, said: “No votes should be cast for National Rally candidates, but also for France Unbowed candidates, with whom we differ on fundamental principles.”

Whether tactical voting can prevent the RN winning a majority is not clear. In Sunday’s vote, the RN won support in places that would have been unthinkable until recently. In the Nord department’s 20th constituency, an industrial heartland, the leader of the Communist Party, Fabien Roussel, was defeated in the first round by an RN candidate with no previous political experience. The seat had been held by the Communists since 1962.

^{Jean-Luc Melenchon collects voting papers before casting his ballot at a polling station in Paris, June 30, 2024. Abdul Saboor/Reuters}

A huge gamble
Macron’s decision to call a snap election – France’s first since 1997 – took the country and even his closest allies by surprise. Sunday’s vote was held three years earlier than necessary and just three weeks after Macron’s Renaissance party was trounced by the RN at the European Parliament elections.

Macron has pledged to see out the remainder of his final presidential term, which runs until 2027, but he now faces the prospect of having to appoint a prime minister from an opposition party – in a rare arrangement known as “cohabitation.”

The French government faces little trouble in passing laws when the president and majority in parliament belong to the same party. When they don’t, things can grind to a halt. While the president determines the country’s foreign, Europe and defense policy, the parliamentary majority is responsible for passing domestic laws, like pensions and taxation.

But these remits could overlap, potentially sending France into a constitutional crisis. Bardella, for instance, has ruled out sending troops to help Ukraine resist Russia’s invasion – an idea floated by Macron – and said he would not allow Kyiv to use French military equipment to strike targets inside Russia. It is unclear whose will would prevail in disputes like this, where the line between domestic and foreign policy is blurred.

^{Demonstrators standing on the Monument a la Republique light flares as they take part in a rally after the announcement of the results of the first round of French parliamentary elections, at Place de la Republique in Paris on June 30, 2024. Geoffroy van der Hasselt/AFP/Getty Images}

A far-right government could spell a financial as well as constitutional crisis. The RN has made lavish spending pledges – from rolling back Macron’s pension reforms to cutting taxes on fuel, gas and electricity – at a time when France’s budget might be brutally slashed by Brussels.

With one of the highest deficits in the Eurozone, France may need to embark on a period of austerity to avoid falling foul of the European Commission’s new fiscal rules. But, if implemented, the RN’s spending plans would make France’s deficit soar – a prospect that has alarmed the bond markets and led to warnings of a “Liz Truss-style financial crisis,” referring to the shortest-serving prime minister in British history.

In a terse statement Sunday evening, Macron said the high turnout showed French voters’ “desire to clarify the political situation” and called for his supporters to rally in the second round.

“Faced with the National Rally, the time has come for a broad, clearly democratic and Republican rally for the second round,” he said.

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Russian state media claim Kanye West is visiting Moscow
Russian state media claimed Sunday that American rapper and producer Kanye West is visiting Moscow, but CNN has not been able to independently verify he is actually there.

West, who now goes by Ye, arrived in Moscow on a private visit, according to the brand team for Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy, state media TASS reported. Rubchinskiy is the head of design for the rapper’s fashion brand Yeezy.

West himself allegedly posted on the Russian social media website VK on Sunday saying, “Hi, Moscow,” according to state media RIA Novosti. However, his account on VK is not verified.

The visit – if true – would make West the first major American celebrity to visit Moscow since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

CNN has reached out to West’s manager for comment.

Several videos have emerged in Russian media purporting to show West and his security guards in Moscow, but he is not clearly identifiable in the footage.

Music producer Yana Rudkovskaya also posted a video that purportedly shows West’s back, as he walks into a room followed by security.

She said, “According to my information, tomorrow he and the team will go and see Luzhniki (stadium).”

The music producer added that she “hopes” he will one day perform there but nothing is confirmed.

Luzhniki Stadium told Russian state media that there is no information about a Kanye West concert set to take place in the capital.

“The information that Kanye West may hold his concert in Moscow is hype and fake, Eduard Ratnikov, general director of the TCI (Talent Concert International) agency, told TASS,” the outlet also reported.

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Students fabricate Putin quotes to score high on exams
Young Russians have discovered an absurd way to achieve high grades. They invent non-existent quotes from President Vladimir Putin, gaining favour with examiners. The comment of a high-ranking politician is astonishing.

Compulsory education in Russia lasts a minimum of 11 years. At the end of their educational journey, high school students take the Unified State Exam, the equivalent of a Canadian high school exit exam. Everyone takes it, regardless of whether they plan to continue their studies at a university.

Of course, as is often the case in school, not everyone has studied enough to achieve high scores on their final exams. What to do in such a situation? Simply use the method to gain the favour of examiners, which allegedly works and is so absurd that it could only have originated in Russia.

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Students have outsmarted the education system in Russia
Students taking the final exam in the Russian language invent non-existent quotes from Russian President Vladimir Putin. By weaving a fictional statement from the dictator into their essay, they can achieve a higher grade. The matter was reported by Mikhail Gromov, the author of a Telegram channel dedicated to college admissions:

Students mocked the schooling system in Russia
Gromov has testimonials from young people who confirmed that the tactic works. "I mentioned Putin in my essay and got 97 points," "Following your advice, I wrote a fake quote from Putin. They accepted it. I wrote three essays all year." One student invented a statement for Putin in which the president talks about every Russian's "sacred duty": to remember their teachers.

The author of the Telegram channel compares this bizarre situation to the times of the USSR, when students of the totalitarian regime always quoted Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx in their works.

Here is the template that allegedly works on final exams. Fill in the blanks with a fake quote from Putin:

"It is impossible not to mention 'Direct Line with Vladimir Putin' (a staged TV program in which Putin answers questions from planted citizens). Vladimir Vladimirovich was asked about his attitude toward (...). He replied without hesitation that (...) is one of the most important things in our lives and added that (...) is in our nation's blood, character, and genes. You cannot argue with such authorities."

The Russian school system embarrassed. Putin's sycophant congratulates
Russian journalists reported the matter to Yaroslav Nilov, a member of the State Duma (the lower house of parliament), and a member of the pro-Kremlin LDPR party. The politician... praised the youth for their creativity in solving problems.

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Belarus threatens it will use nuclear weapons if "independence" threatened
Belarus' Chief of General Staff Pavel Muraveyka has threatened to use tactical nuclear weapons "in the event of a danger to the country's sovereignty and independence."

Source: Muraveyka on air of ONT TV, as reported by Belarusian state agency BelTA

Quote: "One of the final reasons and statements that serve as a deterrence is the return of non-strategic nuclear weapons to our country.

We learnt how to handle these weapons. We can use them confidently. We can do it. You may be certain that we will do this if our country's sovereignty and independence are endangered."

Details: Muraveyka stated that Belarus will become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in a few days, and Poland allegedly wishes to prevent this "or, in any case, throw a fly in the ointment of that jar of honey that is built today."

He also accused Poland of inciting and starting a situation at the Belarusian-Polish border, through which illegal migrants enter Poland from Belarus.

Background:

• On 20 June, after Belarus' State Border Committee reported that it was seeing an increase in the number of Ukrainian troops on the border, Ukraine’s border guards emphasised that the country's defence forces were protecting sovereign territory from the aggressor and there was no provocation in doing so.
• On 29 June, the Armed Forces of Belarus reported that Western countries were trying to draw the country into the war, and Ukraine was allegedly mobilising troops, weaponry, and military equipment near the Belarusian border.
• To this, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service (SBGS) stressed once again that any actions by the Ukrainian defence forces on the border with Belarus are solely aimed at protecting Ukraine from aggressive actions and are not intended to encroach on the territories of other states.

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Vladimir Putin to send Russian children to North Korean summer camps
Vladimir Putin plans to send Russian children to a summer camp in North Korea where activities include polishing the statues of leaders.

Grigory Gurov, the head of Putin’s Movement of the First youth organisation, announced the plan despite opposition from worried Russian parents.

“We will now form our delegation,” he said. “Conditions there are good.”

The children will be the first Russian group for five years to visit the Songdowon camp, built on North Korea’s eastern shore by dictator Kim Jong-un’s grandfather in 1960.

Accounts from Russian adult leaders on previous trips described Songdowon camp as a cross between a boarding house with regular blackouts, dawn wake-ups and roll calls, and a Disney-themed water park.

Artem Samsonov, a former Communist party official, visited the camp in 2015 before being imprisoned in 2022 for molesting a child.

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He said that children were woken at 6.30am to clean the area in front of statues of Kim’s father and grandfather.

“We received special attention and were given not brooms, but special pads and were allowed to wipe the statue itself,” he wrote on the Livejournal blogging platform next to photographs of Russian children polishing a stone plinth.

Samsonov described a tightly packed day that included enforced exercise, state-approved lessons, cleaning and a disco. As for the food, he said “they always give you soup, rice, potatoes”.

The initiative is the latest sign of blossoming relations between the two countries.

North Korea has become a vital arms supplier for the Kremlin since Kim visited Russia last year. The country is thought to have sent five million artillery shells and dozens of missiles to bolster the forces against Ukraine.

When Putin visited Pyongyang, the capital, last month to sign a military pact and to give Kim a luxury car, he also promised to send children from the Movement of the First to the Songdowon camp.

Putin created the Movement of the First in 2022 a few months after his invasion of Ukraine to instill Kremlin ideology among children.

Its teenage members wear red berets and red neck scarves and are often seen carrying flags at official ceremonies.

But comments from Russian parents worrying about sending their children to North Korea have filled social media, with one joking that the only escape will be to walk “through the jungle to South Korea”.

One user, though, tried to reassure sceptics that her trip to Songdowon in 2017 had been better than visits to a Russian youth camp in occupied Crimea.

“Compared to Artek, it’s a good camp,” she said. “It has the same pools, water parks, stadiums, just with a different culture and completely without the internet.”

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 21:09 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Ze hebben geen keus. Als Rusland Ukraine over neemt hebben de Ukrainers ook geen leven.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2024 10:05 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:
Maar Rusland wil helemaal niet het geheel overnemen.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2024 20:18 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

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Doden horen er nou eenmaal bij als je je land moet verdedigen tegen een invasie. Ik weet dat je graag wilt dat Oekra�ne maar opgeeft en haar land cadeau geeft, maar dan zullen “de separatisten” in Odessa oblast enz snel onafhankelijkheid uitroepen, nadat er een waardeloze vredesovereenkomst/capitulatie getekend is.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2024 10:07 schreef over_hedge het volgende:

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Sure..

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Op maandag 1 juli 2024 10:08 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

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Kijk naar de feiten. Meer is niet nodig.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2024 10:08 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Kijk naar de feiten. Meer is niet nodig.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2024 10:05 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Maar Rusland wil helemaal niet het geheel overnemen. Dus er is weldegelijk een keus.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2024 10:07 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

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Ook voor jou geldt dat je niet moet gokken naar wat ik geschreven heb en al helemaal niet moet gaan invullen wat ik graag wil. Daar ben je kennelijk heel slecht in namelijk.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2024 10:05 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Maar Rusland wil helemaal niet het geheel overnemen.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2024 10:09 schreef over_hedge het volgende:

[..]
Welke feiten laten zien dat ze niet heel Oekra�ne zouden willen als ze dat zouden kunnen?

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 10:24 schreef kl1172 het volgende:

[..]
Rusland had en heeft gewoon niks te zoeken in Oekra�ne, feiten...

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 10:43 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
Nee, ze bombarderen Ukraine alleen maar een beetje kapot, stel je toch niet aan slappe ouwehoer.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 10:45 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

[..]
Jij en paar andere draaien om de zo veel tijd weer dezelfde langspeelplaat af.
Erg vermoeiend en irritant.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 11:42 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
putin maakte al sinds 2003 territoriale claims op HEEL Oekraine.

"Hou het bij de feiten. "

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 12:38 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Blijf vooral op de man spelen…

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 12:36 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Laatste onderhandelingsvoorstel bv.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 12:41 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
In de zin van dat hij het toe wil voegen aan Rusland? Onwaar.

Tot voor kort wilde hij zelfs de Oostelijk gelegen gebieden niet eens (wel onafhankelijk).

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 13:41 schreef ipa84 het volgende:

[..]
De Krim vergeten? Dat is gewoon meteen geannexeerd en is niet eerst zelfstandig geweest ofzo. Voor het laatst was er op Nieuws uur nog een reportage over Marioepol. Mensen die terug willen naar die stad moeten hun Oekra�ense nationaliteit opgeven en de Russische nationaliteit nemen. Klinkt niet echt als of hij die gebieden niet wou hebben. Vrij snel al werden mensen in de bezette gebieden verplicht om een Russisch paspoort te halen.

Die zelfstandige republiekjes werden gewoon direct van uit het Kremlin bestuurt. Die zogenaamde zelfstandige republiekjes waren alleen maar opgericht om chaos te cre�ren en net doen of Rusland er niks mee te maken heeft. Want ja Rusland beschermd natuurlijk de mensen die onafhankelijk willen zijn en dat soort onzin. Blijkbaar werkte het zo goed dat mensen het nog steeds geloven. Voor de rest zijn er genoeg bronnen, documenten en uitspraken van Poetin dat hij wel degelijk heel Oekra�ne wilt. Sterker nog hij wil eigenlijk het Russische Rijk herstellen zoals die was onder Catharina de Grote. Daarom ook dat Poetin tegenwoord met al die vage geschiedenislessen komt waar geen zak van klopt. Want hij gebruikt de geschiedenis om zijn oorlog goed te praten in zijn eigen land zie bijvoorbeeld het interview met rukker Carlson.

SPOILER

- Getekend de gemiddelde 'anti-oorlog, pro-vrede, pro-Oekra�ense levens' Putler supporter

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 13:54 schreef TwenteFC het volgende:

[..]
Nee, nee, laten we nou niet gaan kijken naar wat Poetin vroeger allemaal heeft gezegd. Vergeet wat Rusland voorheen allemaal heeft beloofd. Kijk niet naar de acties die het de afgelopen decennia heeft gedaan. Maar kijk naar de uitgestoken hand die het nu biedt, waarom zou je sceptisch zijn?

Alleen doordat ze bij eerdere vergelijkbare situaties in de andere hand toch een mes hadden verstopt achter hun rug?

Onbegrijpelijk waarom Oekra�ne zo wantrouwig is, waarschijnlijk allemaal door westerse oorlogshitsers die geen vrede willen en spelletjes spelen met Oekra�ense levens. Het is onmogelijk dat Oekra�ne zelf wantrouwig zou zijn tegen Rusland nadat Rusland ze altijd heeft behandeld als gelijke broederlijke vazalstaat.

Welke weldenkende Oekra�ner zou sowieso in vrijheid en vrij van Rusland willen leven, wat een gore, inferieure en westerse gedachtegang.

SPOILER

- Getekend de gemiddelde 'anti-oorlog, pro-vrede, pro-Oekra�ense levens' Putler supporter

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 06:47 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
Lol, geen idee of dit waar is of niet, maar het zou wel een geweldige trol actie van Rusland zijn natuurlijk.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 12:41 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
In de zin van dat hij het toe wil voegen aan Rusland? Onwaar.

Tot voor kort wilde hij zelfs de Oostelijk gelegen gebieden niet eens (wel onafhankelijk).

quote:

He described Ukraine as “historically Russian land” that was stolen from the Russian empire and has since fallen into the hands of neo-Nazis and corrupt “puppets” controlled by the West.
...
he gave a lengthy revisionist account in which he claimed that Ukraine was merely a region of the old Russian empire. The modern-day country, he argued, was artificially created by Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin after the Communist revolution of 1917.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 12:37 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Schelden, altijd goed…

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 10:05 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Maar Rusland wil helemaal niet het geheel overnemen. Dus er is weldegelijk een keus.

Mijn opmerking zag overigens op de stelling dat Europese landen makkelijk Rusland uit Oekra�ne kunnen schoppen. Daarvan zei ik dat als dat echt zo simpel was het natuurlijk al lang gedaan was.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 12:36 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Laatste onderhandelingsvoorstel bv.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 18:27 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Zelfs al zou het de Russen maar om ��n Oekra�ens dorpje te doen zijn geweest, dan zou dat ��n dorpje te veel zijn geweest. Ze hebben niets in Oekra�ne, of welk ander buurland te zoeken.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 12:49 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

[..]
Omdat je wil doorschemeren alsof Oekraine in deze een keuze heeft.
Dat heeft het helemaal niet.

Rusland heeft wel een keuze.
Als ook Rusland niet gebaat is bij deze oorlog, waarom zijn ze dan deze ellende gestart en zetten deze elke dag voort?

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 13:09 schreef over_hedge het volgende:

[..]
Dat zegt toch helemaal niks over de intenties die ze hadden toen de oorlog begon? Dat ze er na 2.5 jaar achter zijn dat heel Oekra�ne sowieso niet gaat lukken en nog iets proberen over te houden staat daar los van.

Plus iets wat ze roepen is geen feit natuurlijk. Ze roepen elke dag dingen die niet kloppen.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 13:41 schreef ipa84 het volgende:

[..]
De Krim vergeten? Dat is gewoon meteen geannexeerd en is niet eerst zelfstandig geweest ofzo. Voor het laatst was er op Nieuws uur nog een reportage over Marioepol. Mensen die terug willen naar die stad moeten hun Oekra�ense nationaliteit opgeven en de Russische nationaliteit nemen. Klinkt niet echt als of hij die gebieden niet wou hebben. Vrij snel al werden mensen in de bezette gebieden verplicht om een Russisch paspoort te halen.

Die zelfstandige republiekjes werden gewoon direct van uit het Kremlin bestuurt. Die zogenaamde zelfstandige republiekjes waren alleen maar opgericht om chaos te cre�ren en net doen of Rusland er niks mee te maken heeft. Want ja Rusland beschermd natuurlijk de mensen die onafhankelijk willen zijn en dat soort onzin. Blijkbaar werkte het zo goed dat mensen het nog steeds geloven. Voor de rest zijn er genoeg bronnen, documenten en uitspraken van Poetin dat hij wel degelijk heel Oekra�ne wilt. Sterker nog hij wil eigenlijk het Russische Rijk herstellen zoals die was onder Catharina de Grote. Daarom ook dat Poetin tegenwoord met al die vage geschiedenislessen komt waar geen zak van klopt. Want hij gebruikt de geschiedenis om zijn oorlog goed te praten in zijn eigen land zie bijvoorbeeld het interview met rukker Carlson.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 17:05 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Ben je nou zo ontzettend onwetend of hou je je van de domme?

putin accepteert niet eens dat Oekraine een legitiem land is. Er was, is, en zal geen Oekraine zijn volgens putin. De russen en Oekrainers zijn 1 volk.
[..]
Je maakt jezelf compleet belachelijk met je totale gebrek aan kennis over dit onderwerp.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 19:52 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Er is nul bewijs dat Rusland de hele Oekra�ne wil. Wel veel bewijs van het tegendeel.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 19:52 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Er is nul bewijs dat Rusland de hele Oekra�ne wil. Wel veel bewijs van het tegendeel.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 19:28 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Zowel voor de oorlog als aan het begin was de inzet dat er onafhankelijkheid kwam voor de Oostelijke gebieden.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 18:27 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Zelfs al zou het de Russen maar om ��n Oekra�ens dorpje te doen zijn geweest, dan zou dat ��n dorpje te veel zijn geweest. Ze hebben niets in Oekra�ne, of welk ander buurland te zoeken.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 18:33 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

[..]
Klopt ja, Ruzzische vrouw of vriendin.
ZEM2012

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 20:08 schreef Zwoerd het volgende:

[..]
Vanaf het begin was de inzet om land te annexeren, zoals ze met de Krim ook hadden gedaan. De woorden over onafhankelijkheid waren niets waard.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 19:52 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Er is nul bewijs dat Rusland de hele Oekra�ne wil. Wel veel bewijs van het tegendeel.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 20:28 schreef Simmertje het volgende:
Tuurlijk wilde Rusland niet heel Oekra�ne innemen, dat kost teveel en had veel te lang geduurd. Doel was een regime te installeren a la Wit-Rusland.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 19:27 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Natuurlijk heeft Oekra�ne keuzes. Misschien geen goede…

En Rusland ziet het terecht of onterecht als dreiging. Daarom.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 20:24 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Ze hadden 190.000 man destijds. Alleen al om Kiev te veroveren waren ruim 1.000.000 manschappen nodig.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 20:30 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Wat de facto op hetzelfde neerkomt.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 19:53 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Zeggen dat het geen echt land is, is niet hetzelfde als willen innemen.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 19:28 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Zowel voor de oorlog als aan het begin was de inzet dat er onafhankelijkheid kwam voor de Oostelijke gebieden.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 20:17 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Wat is je punt? Net doen alsof ik het ok vind?

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 19:27 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Natuurlijk heeft Oekra�ne keuzes. Misschien geen goede…

En Rusland ziet het terecht of onterecht als dreiging. Daarom.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 20:21 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Mijn vrouw is op haar 18e naar Amerika verhuisd.

quote:

Maar worden jullie niet moe van iedereen die niet meedoet in de circle jerk persoonlijk aan te vallen?

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 20:24 schreef VEM2012 het volgende:

[..]
Ze hadden 190.000 man destijds. Alleen al om Kiev te veroveren waren ruim 1.000.000 manschappen nodig.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 01:37 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Bekijk de video.


[ x ]

quote:

Eerste F-16’s ’spoedig’ naar Oekra�ne, exportvergunning rond
Aangepast: 48 min geleden49 min geledenin BINNENLAND

DEN HAAG - De eerste Nederlandse F-16’s kunnen „spoedig” naar Oekra�ne. De vergunning die nodig is om de gevechtsvliegtuigen te kunnen uitvoeren is afgegeven, meldt demissionair minister Kajsa Ollongren (Defensie) aan de Tweede Kamer.

Demissionair Minister van Defensie Kajsa Ollongren komt aan op het Binnenhof voor de ministerraad.

Nederland heeft 24 F-16’s toegezegd aan de Oekra�ners, die de toestellen hard nodig hebben om zich te verdedigen tegen Russische luchtaanvallen. Wanneer de gevechtsvliegtuigen precies die kant op gaan, blijft geheim. De Kamer wordt daar vertrouwelijk over ge�nformeerd.

Ook andere westerse landen hebben beloofd F-16’s naar Oekra�ne te sturen.
Nederland speelt in die coalitie een voortrekkersrol, ook waar het gaat om het trainen van bemanningen en het bewapenen van de gevechtsvliegtuigen

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 22:14 schreef Kickinalfa het volgende:

[..]
Ergens is het wel verbazingwekkend dat ze juist het militaire bureau of de president vragen om hulp in dergelijke situaties.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 22:38 schreef Anton91 het volgende:
Gaan ze weer een bootje raken?

[ x ]

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 23:02 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Er is niet zoveel meer te raken in Sevastopol? De Ivan Khurs, plus nog wat andere bootjes.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 23:05 schreef Anton91 het volgende:

[..]
Klopt, maar volgens mij hadden ze laatst ook iets in de zee van Azov

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 22:52 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:
Ik hoop dat ze goedr ondergrondse stalling beschikbaar hebben
https://www.telegraaf.nl/(...)xportvergunning-rond
[..]
.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 15:10 schreef voetbalmanager2 het volgende:

[..]
[ x ]

quote:

Veelbesproken Promes keert niet meer terug bij zijn club Spartak Moskou
Quincy Promes keert niet meer terug bij Spartak Moskou. De club laat weten dat een langere samenwerking onmogelijk is aangezien Promes nog altijd niet naar Rusland kan reizen.
Spartak Moskou laat weten dat het contract op 30 juni is be�indigd. Promes zit sinds februari in Dubai, waar hij werd gearresteerd voor een plaatselijk vergrijp. Nu is Promes in afwachting van uitlevering aan Nederland.

Door de arrestatie miste Promes de tweede seizoenshelft van Spartak Moskou. "Helaas kan hij nog steeds niet naar Rusland. Daarom is het op dit moment niet mogelijk om te praten over een langere samenwerking", schrijft Spartak Moskou in een persbericht.

Promes speelde van 2014 tot en met 2018 voor Spartak Moskou en keerde in 2021 terug in Rusland. Hij werd ��n keer kampioen en won ��n keer de beker met de club. Bovendien is hij de buitenlandse speler met de meeste doelpunten voor de de club.

De 32-jarige Promes zit momenteel niet meer in de cel. Hij is onder voorwaarden vrijgelaten in Dubai. E�n van die voorwaarden houdt in dat de voormalig speler van Ajax, FC Twente en Go Ahead Eagles de Emiraten niet mag verlaten.

In Nederland is Promes veroordeeld tot twee celstraffen. De vijftigvoudig Oranje-international kreeg anderhalf jaar cel voor zijn betrokkenheid bij een steekpartij op een familiefeest in Abcoude en zes jaar voor coca�nehandel.

quote:

Op maandag 1 juli 2024 23:54 schreef TwenteFC het volgende:
Goh waarom zou Kanye zo gefascineerd zijn door Rusland, en Rusland door Kanye.
[ afbeelding ]
[ afbeelding ]

State media discusses Kanye West's trip to Moscow

quote:

INTERVIEW
Former U.S. combat aviator on F-16 advantages and battles with Russia
Why F-16s can outmatch any Russian aircraft and dominate the skies

^{Military pilot Jeffrey Fischer (Photo: Facebook/Col. Jeffrey H Fischer, Author)}

The training of an F-16 pilot is a long and expensive process. The United States has a queue of applicants from other countries. However, delays for Ukraine are more about political will than technical limitations.

These planes are worth the wait – F-16s have advantages that Russian pilots cannot counter. This will allow the Defense Forces to control Ukrainian airspace successfully. In the beginning, it might only be certain zones of dominance, warns retired US Air Force Colonel Jeffrey Fischer in an interview with LIGA.net.

Fischer has 30 years of experience, having participated in NATO operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He served at the US Air Force headquarters, was a senior advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, a defense attach� at the US Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo, and an assistant commander of the NATO Special Operations Headquarters.

As a senior navigator, he logged over 1800 hours, including 400 hours in combat or combat support.

In an interview with LIGA.net, Fischer discusses whether F-16s can impact the battlefield, what can help secure aircraft and crews, and why Russian A-50 pilots would rather injure themselves than fly missions over Ukraine.

"Thousands of pilots trained annually in the US"

SPOILER

quote:

- Ukrainian pilots have been training on F-16s since August 2023. Dozens are still training in the US and Europe. How challenging is it to train a good pilot?
- The US Air Force adopts a phased approach. Initially, pilots are taught basic aviation skills. Then, they are trained to operate specific types of aircraft – cargo airplanes, transporter planes, fighters, bombers, etc. From start to finish, it takes one and a half to two years and costs $1-3 million. It's not easy. It takes a long time, and it costs millions of dollars.

Therefore, the US requires trained pilots to serve in the Air Force for an additional 10-12 years to compensate for the investment. The US is also responsible for training pilots for other countries. Overall, several thousand pilots are trained annually.

- F-16s may have been in the skies over Ukraine for some time. Why do you think planes have become such a red line for Joe Biden's administration to cross? What is so special about them compared to Atacams, Patriots, Abrams, or Himmers?
- To be fair, I wish we knew the answer. I don't think that the United States government is being too forthcoming on that. We just know that the F-16s have been significantly delayed.

And let's be clear, the United States has not offered any F-16s. They've all been offered by NATO. So clearly something is going on in the National Security Council and back-channel discussions with Russia that gives the Biden administration some significant fear that the F-16s are going to be seen by Russia as completely escalatory.

It was good to see the Biden administration come forward and allow ATACAMS to strike into Russia now, although I would argue that it's probably still too limited. I think that if the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian General Staff believe strategically that something is a viable target in Russia, wherever that may be, and Russia is challenging the existential existence of Ukraine, they should have the ability to strike that target.

"F-16s will remain undetected by the enemy"

- Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium plan to send more than sixteen F-16s to Ukraine this summer. American officials have said they don't expect the F-16s to change the rules on the battlefield. What can several dozen F-16s do in the skies over Ukraine?
- I'm not going to say that they're a wonder weapon, but I would tell you that I think they're going to have a significant impact on the war. It's not just the F-16s. I think we have to remember that this is a battle space and the support aircraft are going to be critical. Ukraine is also going to get Saab 340 AEWs and that is going to give an air battle picture. It's going to really bolster the capability of the F-16.

When F-16s enter the combat zone, they will remain undetected by the enemy thanks to long-range radar aircraft. This allows for surprise attacks.

I wouldn't say all of Ukraine is going to have air superiority, but I think there will be pockets of air superiority created by the F-16.

- How many of these planes do the allies have and could theoretically give to Ukraine?
- The limited number of planes being offered isn’t due to a lack of aircraft (as of 2023, the F-16 is the world’s most widespread fixed-wing fighter in service, with 2145 in operation. – Ed.), but due to political decisions.

Ukraine is promised 60 aircraft. You probably want at least two pilots for every airplane. Kyiv claims that they have 30 pilots that are ready to go. As you know, Ukraine needs 120 F-16 pilots now. And graduating six or eight or 10 at a time over eight months is not going to cut it.

The United States is just not ponying up the F-16 slots for these guys to go, which I think is a little far-fetched. When Ukraine is at war and other nations are at peace, it's hard to understand how the prioritization works in the F-16 training pipeline when nations like Bulgaria, Slovakia, or other nations that fly the F-16 somehow get priority.

^{Military pilot Jeffrey Fischer (Photo: Facebook/Col. Jeffrey H Fischer, Author)}

- What could be the additional military solution to stop Russian guided bomb attacks on Ukrainian positions?
- If you can’t stop the bomb from falling or shoot down the carrier aircraft, find a way to destroy them at some stage before the attack. Before the plane drops the bomb, it needs to be transported from storage and loaded onto the plane.

This raises the question of why Ukraine cannot use ATACMS to attack military targets in Russia. A great example of why something is very wrong with Western restrictions. The simplest way to break the guided bombs kill chain is to destroy storage sites.

- The U.S. has dozens of retired pilots ready to fly F-16s in Ukraine, says USAF Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Hampton. The idea of using experienced pilots has been raised at a high level, but Washington has not made a decision. What is the administration afraid of?
- Dan mentioned that he and other pilots consider working as mercenaries in Ukraine. I can't speak for him. He's kind of an off-the-grid guy.

If I were a pilot heading to Ukraine, I would hesitate – not out of fear of Russians or doubts about Ukraine's success, but because the U.S. plans to make pilots in Ukraine fight with one hand tied behind their backs. When Russian planes can operate freely on their side of the border, while Ukraine can't do anything about it, it's an unfair advantage. If I'm going to risk my life, I want a fair fight.

"A strike on a NATO country or nuclear weapon use would corner Putin"

- The F-16 needs a protection system. These planes will be Russia's top target. How can they be protected?
- The Biden administration is afraid to send them because of Russian rhetoric about escalation. So it's clear that the Russians genuinely fear these planes.

I've heard that the planes may be based in Poland or Romania and fly to Ukraine when needed, but there's no official confirmation.

You're going to want to spread out F-16s. You're going to want to have decoy F-16s that you sort of put on ramps and let the Russians use expensive bombs and expensive targeting systems to blow up decoys.

^{Military pilot Jeffrey Fischer (Photo: Facebook/Col. Jeffrey H Fischer, Author)}

- Russia threatens to strike NATO countries neighboring Ukraine if F-16s are based there. Could it really take that risk?
- I can tell you from my combat experience that the guy who threatens to do something is rarely the guy who does it. Announcing your actions is a bad idea unless it's a bluff.

Regarding Russia's threats against NATO or using nuclear weapons, I think both are possible but unlikely.

A strike on a NATO country or nuclear weapon use would corner Putin. I don't think Putin wants that. He enjoys having the freedom to maneuver that NATO doesn't have. For now, he can wage a prolonged war without these drastic actions.

- Russia claims to have around 120 Su aircraft ready to use air-to-air missiles against the F-16. How do you assess the parity in Ukrainian airspace and the potential outcomes of battles between the Su and F-16?
- Comparing aircraft is a bad idea. Western air forces are designed to fight in a 30-to-1 format. It's not just the F-16; it's the AWACS, tankers, JSTARS, Global Hawk, overhead sensors, Patriot missiles, and radar systems. It's all fusing and feeding a massive air picture into the cockpit of the F-16.

The F-16 pilot has so much raw data and information before he even turns on his radar. Russia has not proven that they have the same ability to do this.

Russian AWACS planes, the A-50s, have been shot down. Russian pilots lack a comprehensive air picture. Russia thinks they have a lot of planes and a lot of air-to-air missiles and they think they're ready and prepared to take on the F-16s.

But if I had to bet, my money is going to go on the F-16s. In air combat, the plane with the speed, maneuverability, and data advantage usually wins.

Even Russia's most advanced Su-57, if it enters a fight with the F-16 from a disadvantageous position, won't gain the upper hand.

"Russians have learned and become more skilled"

- Given the Russian planes shot down by Ukraine, how do you assess Russian aviation now?
- We saw the drone that landed on the A-50. If you're an A-50 crew, like you're a guy who's going to fly on an A-50, you probably don't want to go fly right now. If you're a Russian A-50 crew member, you're either faking being sick or you're breaking your own leg or you're finding reasons not to go up in the air because for some reason you're getting shot down, whether it's Russian missiles or Ukrainian missiles. It really doesn't matter.

But the challenge or the thing that you always have to be aware of, humans learn. At the beginning of the war, Russia's initial actions in this war were horrible. But war is a good teacher.

The air force is learning too. It will become harder to shoot down A-50s. Ukraine has the advantage now, but it's crucial to continue punishing Russia before it adapts and strikes with new tactics.

This is one reason why many are frustrated with the Biden administration — its fear of escalation constantly gives Russians time to learn. Had the West provided overwhelming support at the beginning, instead of a phased approach, Russians wouldn't have adapted. Now you're stuck fighting a stronger enemy because you didn't capitalize on their initial weaknesses.

^{Jeffrey Fischer and Congressman Stephen Lynch in Kosovo during an inspection of US forces at NATO KFOR (Photo: Facebook/Col. Jeffrey H Fischer, Author)}

"The West won't trade social benefits for weapons"

- Ukraine has crossed all of Russia's red lines with its attacks. Do you think there will be a moment when the U.S. and other allies will give Ukraine all the weapons we need to win? And if so, when or under what conditions could this happen?
- I hope so. The West is not positioned to give Ukraine everything it needs immediately, even if it wanted to right now. It can't. And that's because the United States and Europe, neither of their economies are on a wartime footing where you've got Russia right now.

Now, Russia's economy could collapse as a result, because eventually it can't invest so heavily in its weapons production without literally just destroying its economy over time. But who knows how long it will last?

Weapons in Europe are expensive compared to Russian or Iranian ones due to high labor and material costs. The European nations invested heavily in social programs because they really believed that the war dividends of the fall of the Soviet Union in the 90s meant that there would never be war again. And now they're realizing that's not the case.

They already have 40-60% tax rates and can't increase them. They don't have budgets for wartime footing. And more importantly, most of the people in these nations are not going to be really welcome to the idea of taking away social programs to invest in weapons.

The U.S. is in a slightly better situation, but not much. Until populations are convinced to move to wartime footing and make sacrifices, I don't know if such help will come.

- What scenarios do you see on the battlefield in the next one to two years?
- I hope that when Ukraine receives a significant number of F-16s and French Mirage 2000s, the Ukrainian forces will achieve air superiority. The ground forces will stabilize the front and coordinate for an offensive. You can have air superiority but still struggle on the ground. Skill is needed to capitalize on the synergy effect.

The war could drag on further without a breakthrough. I hope the Ukrainian command is learning from its mistakes and making the right conclusions. The Ukrainian army learns well.

- What about the war's duration?
- As our generals say, if a war lasts more than six months, it can last for years. I don't see signs of it ending soon.

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Ukraine developed a new kind of RPG-7 drone to combat Russian tanks
Main battle tanks are big, powerful and expensive. Even though tanks appeared during the First World War, they are still the kinds of every battlefield. Russia has infinitely more tanks than Ukraine can gather, but the defenders of Ukraine come up with new creative ways to defeat the Russian armour.

If you’ve followed the war in Ukraine with any kind of level of interest, you know that the current weapon of choice for the defenders of Ukraine are so-called FPV drones. These are relatively small UAVs made up from commercially available parts, usually borrowed from the world of racing drones. Small FPV drones with smaller charges attack individual soldiers, while larger ones can successfully engage even armoured vehicles. Hundreds of Russian tanks were burned to the ground by the Ukrainian drones.

The cost of Russian tanks varies widely from somewhere around 0.5 to 5 million dollars or so. However, they can be defeated by drones costing not much more than 550-600 dollars. And the defenders of Ukraine never stop showing their ingenuity upon the problematic ammunition shortages.

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Here’s what recently appeared online:

What you see here is a fixed-wing drone with an RPG-7 warhead instead of a conventional nose. The RPG-7, in service since 1961, has a variety of ammunition and is produced in 9 countries. It is such a ubiquitous weapon there is virtually no chance that Ukraine would run out of RPG-7 grenades. And they are quite cheap, in comparison to more advanced weapons.

Can such a drone knock out a tank? Yes, very much so. It is very accurate, because, of course, it is controlled during the entire flight. RPG-7 anti-tank rounds have immobilized several M1A2 Abrams tanks in Afghanistan. T-72 doesn’t have that good of an armour. Of course, Russians are protecting their tanks with reactive armour tiles, but drones can pick out the weakest spots. Previously Ukrainians were mounting RPG-7 rounds and even anti-tank mines on quadcopter drones, but the advantage of a fixed-wing solution is speed. And, probably, cheapness and range too.

You can see that these drones are constructed in a cheap way. They have simple wings with minimal control surfaces and a V-tail. These drones are powered by a pusher propeller. You can also see the camera right above the RPG-7 grenade.

Ukraine is becoming one of the leading producers of cheap military drones. This kind of a device can be packed away in a small backpack and can strike a tank very precisely, while costing probably well under a 1,000 dollars. Sure, guided missiles are more powerful, but one Javelin will cost 150 or even 200 times more.

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General Staff: Russia lost 3 planes, 350 tanks in June
Russian forces lost three military planes, 350 tanks, and more than 58 air defense systems in the month of June, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces announced on June 30. Over 33,700 Russian soldiers were also reportedly killed in the last thirty days.

Ukraine's military struck more than 330 areas of concentration of personnel, military equipment, five bases, and 20 ammunition warehouses.

The General Staff reported that Russians lost at least 352 tanks, 58 air defense systems, three aircraft, and 1,758 military vehicles in the last month.

Russia launched a new offensive on May 10 in northern Kharkiv Oblast, and Vovchansk became the scene of some of the heaviest fighting.

Moscow's forces had advanced as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) in the region but had been halted by the first line of defense.

Russia was "bogged down" in the embattled town of Vovchansk but was constantly replenishing its forces with units from other directions, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said on June 12.

The General Staff said on June 28 that Russia has lost 360 planes since the launch of the full-scale invasion.

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Donetsk Territorial Defense Brigade Destroy Russian Msta-S Howitzer

^{The destruction of the Russian Msta-S howitzer in the Donetsk region. June, 2024. Frame from a video of the 109th Brigade (t.me/muramasa_fpv)}

Ukrainian troops destroyed the Msta-S self-propelled howitzer of the Russian invaders in the Donetsk region.

It was struck by Operators of the FPV Drone Group “Muramasa” of the 109th Territorial Defense Brigade.

The Ukrainian military destroyed the Msta-S self-propelled howitzer using an FPV drone.

Soldiers of the Donetsk Territorial Defense Brigade released a video showing a Ukrainian drone attacking a Russian self-propelled howitzer as it took up its firing position in the forest.

“Another fat target in the Pokrovsky sector has been destroyed. The 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzer had just arrived at the firing position and managed to make one shot, after which your drone sent it to the scrap yard,” the Ukrainian defense emphasized.

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Знищення САУ «Мста-С» росіян на Донеччині [червень 2024]

After the FPV drone hit, the enemy’s self-propelled howitzer caught fire, a scene observed by the operator of the next drone, which flew in to strike it again.

^{The destruction of the Russian Msta-S howitzer in the Donetsk region. June, 2024. Frame from a video of the 109th Brigade (t.me/muramasa_fpv)}

Powerful burning, which was visible for kilometers around, led to the complete destruction of the Russian Msta-S howitzer.

Observers monitoring the fighting found out that the UAVs were detected and hit near the village of Stepove in the Donetsk region.

In May-April alone, the Russian invasion forces lost a significant number of Msta-S 152mm self-propelled howitzers due to Ukrainian FPV drones.

4 знищені російські САУ МСТА-С (травень-червень 2024)

During this period, the Ukrainian military and the invaders released videos and photos of at least nine destroyed Russian self-propelled howitzers.

In most cases, the damage resulted in the detonation of the ammunition, the powerful explosion of which destroyed the howitzer and its crew.

Знищення російської САУ «Мста-С» на Донеччині [червень 2024]

In early June, another Msta-S was destroyed near Vasylivka, Donetsk region. After the FPV hit, an immediate detonation of the ammunition inside the Russian howitzer occurred. The powerful explosion completely destroyed the vehicle and the crew inside.

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Zelensky says Russian casualties six times larger than those of Ukraine
The ratio of Ukrainian and Russian military personnel losses at this stage of the war is one to six, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 30 in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"Indeed, they (Russian forces) have much more people, and indeed we care for our people more. We will not have more people than Russia (on the battlefield)," Zelensky said.

Zelensky added that the ratio was one to four earlier, but now it is six to one, considering the situation in the directions of the cities of Pokrovsk and Kharkiv.

Russia has lost over 540,000 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to Ukraine's General Staff. This number includes both killed and injured.

Through open-source research, Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet, together with BBC Russia, confirmed the names of 64,000 Russian soldiers who had been killed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify this data.

Zelensky said the war relies on technology, and whoever is more advanced will win.

Speaking about how Ukraine can prevail on the battlefield despite the smaller number of manpower and weapons, Zelensky called on the West to close all the loopholes for Russia to circumvent sanctions for its domestic drone and missiles production.

It is also necessary to finance the domestic production of drones and missiles in Ukraine, he added.

Zelensky also emphasized that Russia earns the most from its oil and gas exports to fuel its aggression in Ukraine.

"This is the most important thing, and we need to focus on it – not to allow sanctions to be circumvented, to support Ukraine technologically, and not to be afraid of what will happen to Russia after (Vladimir) Putin. This is the main message," Zelensky said.

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National Guard Receives First Batch of Novator-2 Armored Vehicles

^{Novator-2 with the TAVRIA-14.5 remote weapon station. March, 2024. Photo credits: Ukrainian Armor company}

The National Guard of Ukraine has received the first batch of the latest Novator-2 armored vehicles.

This was reported by Ukrainian Armor, the manufacturer of the vehicle.

The new vehicle was developed based on the experience gained from using the previous version of the Novator vehicle by various units in combat conditions.

Judging by the published photos, the armored vehicles are equipped with a rotating turret with a Browning M2 heavy machine gun installed on it.

“The Novator-2 was made under our contract. It was important for us to get an armored vehicle for a combat group of 9 people. It was a request from the frontline, something the soldiers need today. Each combat brigade of the National Guard will receive such vehicles,” stated Oleksandr Bilous, Commander of the National Guard.

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^{The first batch of Novator-2 armored vehicles for NGU. July, 2024. Photo credits: Ukrainian Armor company}

According to Vladyslav Belbas, CEO of Ukrainian Armor LLC, the company took into account all the wishes of the National Guard.

The Novator-2 armored vehicle underwent almost a year of testing before it was put into mass production.

“Ukrainian Armor was the first manufacturer to supply vehicles with electronic warfare systems. We look forward to cooperation and feedback from combat units on how the vehicle performs in combat conditions to improve it as much as possible, taking into account the realities of modern warfare,” Belbas assured.

^{Novator-2 armored vehicle. September, 2023. Photo credits: Ukrainian Armor company}

The prototype of this domestic armored vehicle was first presented at the MSPO International Defense Industry Exhibition in Poland in September 2023.

The main innovations of the 10-seater armored vehicle include improved suspension and steering systems that provide high maneuverability and increased cross-country ability.

The vehicle also became 10 centimeters longer, which made it possible to install an armored section for additional seats inside. At the same time, the Novator’s curb weight has increased by 2 tons to 9,660 kg. At the same time, the payload increased to 3340 kg.

^{Novator-2 with the TAVRIA-14.5 remote weapon station. March, 2024. Photo credits: Ukrainian Armor company}

Novator-2 with the TAVRIA-14.5 remote weapon station. March, 2024. Photo credits: Ukrainian Armor company
The armored vehicle also tested the TAVRIA-14.5, a Ukrainian remote weapon station equipped with a KPVT 14.5mm heavy machine gun. It has the ability to capture and track targets, as well as conduct accurate fire on enemy targets in motion.

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Three countries started a joint mine-hunting force in the Black Sea

^{Lt. Dimitrie Nicolescu (DM-29) minesweeper of the Romanian Navy. Photo from open sources}

Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey started a joint mine-hunting force in the Black Sea.

Bloomberg reported on this.

This should increase shipping safety, in particular, for the export of grain from Ukraine.

The initiative, the first major joint action of Black Sea nations since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, is aimed at defusing mines drifting into specific areas of the Black Sea as a result of the war.

Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania signed a joint agreement on January 11, 2024.

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^{A civilian ship that exploded on a mine in the Black Sea. December, 2023. Photo credits: State Border Guard Service of Ukraine}

To implement it, the countries plan to create a joint fleet that will defuse mines off their coasts.

They also invited other nations to join the initiative, which remains open to joint action and the participation of mine action capabilities of other NATO member states located outside the Black Sea region.

International forces
The joint minesweeping force of Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria will not be considered a NATO operation, but it will be the first major joint action by the Black Sea allies since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Bloomberg notes that Russia and Ukraine are key suppliers of grain, and the war has jeopardized the safe passage of cargo.

Last year, Ukraine launched its own cargo shipping route in the Black Sea after the collapse of the secure corridor agreement involving Russia, Turkey, and the UN. This has boosted exports and helped boost economic growth, but the route remains risky.

^{Disposal of a drifting sea mine in the Black Sea on March 28, 2022. Photo credits: Romanian Navy}

The Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria emphasized that the activities of the joint mine-hunting force would not be directed against any country, and the Black Sea demining operation was expected to help improve cooperation between the participants.

The mine-hunting force will create safe conditions for civilian ships to navigate the Black Sea, minimizing the risk of explosions.

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Russian court sentences Ukrainian journalist in absentia to 14 years in prison

A Moscow court has sentenced one of Ukraine’s most prominent interviewers to 14 years in prison after finding him guilty in absentia of inciting a war of aggression, justifying terrorism, inciting hatred and spreading false information about the Russian military, independent news outlet SOTAvision reported on Monday.

Dmytro Gordon was indicted on four charges over a video he made in March 2022, in which he called on the United States to start a nuclear war with Russia. In an interview two months later, he also accused the Russian military of killing civilians in Ukraine.

Gordon was placed on Russia’s wanted list in July 2022, when the opening of a criminal case against him was announced. In April of the same year, his name was added to the national register of “terrorists and extremists”.

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A prominent Ukrainian journalist whose interviewees have included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko, Gordon has a YouTube channel with over 4 million subscribers, where he interviews public figures. He is also the founder of his own Kyiv-based news outlet, Gordon.

In September 2022, Gordon said he had filed a lawsuit against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in response to his criminal prosecution in Russia. “Such measures have not been used against any Ukrainian in the history of independent Ukraine,” he said in a November 2022 interview.

“I would like to remind you: they opened a criminal case against me under three or four articles, they put me on the register of extremists and terrorists, they put me on the wanted list, they arrested me in absentia, they declared me a ‘foreign agent’,” Gordon said in the same interview. “A citizen of Ukraine — a foreign agent!”.

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Moscow Mapped, Maybe Mined Important Infrastructure on North Sea Bottom
NATO suspects Russia may have mined undersea infrastructure in the North Sea using oceanographic research vessels and fishing boats after explosives were found on a British cable.

NATO countries suspect that Russia may have mined the EU’s critical underwater infrastructure in the North Sea based on data from companies that manage key oil and gas pipelines, and electricity and telecommunications cables, The Times reports.

Putin’s espionage has now reached to the bed of Europe’s seas as both oceanographic research vessels and fishing boats are tasked with mapping, or even perhaps placing explosives on, a vital network of cables and pipelines, The Times reported.

“No sabotage has yet been established on Dutch or Belgian cables, but explosives were found on a British cable at the beginning of the Ukraine crisis,” said De Spiegelaere, a representative of the Belgian maritime security unit.

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Protecting critical underwater infrastructure has become one of the main focuses of NATO and Europe’s landlocked countries after the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the fall of 2022.

“We never thought that these pipes and cables could be sabotaged. We have been more attentive to that,” said De Spiegelaere.

The Belgian newspaper De Tijd analyzed maritime logs and published an investigation showing that more than 160 Russian civilian ships have made 945 suspicious maneuvers over the past ten years, 749 of which were recorded within a kilometer of pipelines in the North Sea.

In addition, another 72 suspicious actions took place around power cables, and the remaining 124 around telecommunications cables in what is believed to be a large-scale mapping operation.

“Russian ships are already suspicious, even if they maintain a very normal sailing pattern. Because every Russian ship, even if it works for a private company, works for the government anyway,” De Spiegelere said, adding that, “Abnormal sailing patterns are not necessarily suspicious. But it is suspicious if this happens above pipelines and cables.”

According to the publication, since the beginning of the year, the Russian trawler Kapitan Sokolov and four other ships have been behaving unusually when passing over key pipelines and cables in the North Sea. The ships have slowed down as they passed over the underwater infrastructure. It is suspected this has been done for reconnaissance and possible sabotage purposes.

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Ukrainian Manufacturer PRACTIKA Presents Dzhura Light Tactical Armored Vehicle

^{Dzhura armored vehicle produced by Practika. Photo credits: Militarnyi}

The Ukrainian armored vehicle manufacturer Practika has unveoiled its light tactical armored vehicle, Dzhura, for the first time.

This was reported by Militarnyi.

Militarnyi’s reporters attended the preliminary factory tests of the new vehicle, which included participation from representatives of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.

The Dzhura is a light utility armored vehicle built on the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 civilian SUV platform.

It is designed to perform low-risk tactical tasks and to be used by police units and Special Operations Forces. It is characterized by its relatively low weight and small dimensions, which allow it to operate as stealthily as possible.

The engineers modified the original Land Cruiser 70 chassis, known for its simplicity and robust design, by strengthening the dependent suspension and installing a new braking system to match the increased weight.

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The vehicle’s chassis is equipped with an armor capsule with protection at the level of PZSA-4, which is similar to the NATO STANAG 4569 lvl 1 standard. It protects against 5.45 mm (7N10) caliber automatic rifle bullets and provides protection against the detonation of several grenades under the wheel or underbody.

At the same time, according to company representatives, in addition to the pickup version, a potential customer is also offered alternative versions with a two-compartment capsule that can be adapted to carry two additional infantrymen or serve as a medevac.

The 5-ton vehicle is equipped with a powerful 200-horsepower diesel engine with 430 Nm of torque. According to the developers, the Land Cruiser 70 is powerful enough and very reliable, with a minimum of electronics. At the request of the customer, it is equipped with an automatic, semi-automatic or manual transmission.

The Dzhura has an open turret for a 7.62mm machine gun with a small armor plate. This design, as opposed to a fully enclosed turret found on the company’s older vehicles, is chosen to keep the module lightweight. A heavier module would raise the center of mass, increasing the risk of rollovers when cornering.

For more information about the new tactical armored vehicle, its features, and a test drive at the training ground, watch Militarny’s report.

Легкий бронеавтомобіль "Джура" від НВО "Практика". Мілітарний тест-драйв

Recently, Militarnyi also reported on the development of an updated version of the Ataman wheeled armored personnel carrier by Practika.

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Ukrainian Forces Deploy New Heavy FPV Drones with Enhanced Warheads

^{Heavy 6-motor FPV drone in service with 3rd Assault Brigade, June 2024. Photo credits: Terra Ops}

The Ukrainian military has begun using a new model of a heavy FPV attack drone capable of carrying a 5-kilogram warhead.

The footage of the drone’s use was released by the Terra unit.

Heavy FPV drones with a 6-motor design were spotted in service with the 3rd Assault Brigade, or rather, its Terra attack drone unit.

The addition of two extra motors allowed the drones to carry a warhead weighing up to 5 kilograms, significantly increasing their destructive potential.

According to the unit commander with the call sign “Abdullah,” the main purpose of the heavy drones is to destroy enemy fortifications, dugouts and buildings where enemy infantry is holed up.

Indeed, in the released video, these drones are used primarily to drive enemy manpower out of buildings and closed fortifications.

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Зустрічаємо штурмовиків окупанта дронами-камікадзе. Харківський напрямок

In the episode about preparing drones for flight, where operators hang a warhead, they showed different types of munitions, including thermobaric and high-explosive fragmentation munitions weighing about 3 kilograms.

The combined tactics of using drones is also notable: the first drone, equipped with an explosive warhead, destroys the roof of a building, creating a “passage,” after which another drone with a thermobaric munition flies into it.

Terra’s fighters have launched a fundraiser for 100 heavy drones worth UAH 4 million. This suggests that the cost of each drone does not exceed UAH 40,000.

^{Heavy 6-motor FPV drone in service with 3rd Assault Brigade, June 2024. Photo credits: Terra Ops}

In general, the military and philanthropists have been paying considerable attention to heavy attack FPV drones since the end of last year.

At that time, one of the most popular models was the Mammoth drone, developed by the Ukrainian company Escadrone. It had a classic 4-motor design and a 10-inch form factor.

The Mammoth was a serial record holder for a long time, as it could carry up to 4 kg of payload. With such a warhead, the drone can cover a distance of 12 kilometers. However, with a smaller warhead of 1.5 kg, the maximum distance increased to 30 km.

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Ptashka Drones Launches Homing System Enabling Autonomous FPV Drone Operations

^{Drone of the company Ptashka Drones with homing system. June 2024. Ukraine. Photo from the company page}

The Ukrainian company Ptashka Drones has introduced a homing system that allows an FPV drone to aim at a target without operator intervention.

The company stated that the system also allows tracking and changing targets.

“We have the ability to cancel and adjust the target. We have the ability to target a moving target,” the company stated.

The developers noted that the system is only suitable for drones from their company.

The system allows the drone to operate without operator intervention before hitting the target.

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Компанія "Пташка" розробила систему самонаведення для FPV

The main difficulty in implementing a homing system is the high cost of components.

At the same time, the company claims that the cost of their homing system is $200.

Such systems are usually created through machine vision and by building an algorithm for the drone’s operation during a loss of communication.

With such a system with machine vision, the operator will need to select a target, and the drone will be able to fly to it independently even under the influence of electronic interference.

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

If there is no jamming, communication with the ground station is often lost during the dive. As the drone descends and prepares to strike, radio signals may not reach due to the terrain.

It is known that the Ukrainian long-range drone Liutyi is equipped with a machine vision system that allows the drone to navigate and avoid obstacles.

^{Detailed model of the Liutyi attack drone}

Liutyi is able to adjust its flight direction in real time by comparing the objects it sees with a map stored in the computer. In the same way, the drone finds and hits the target.

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Russia to Upgrade Corvettes with Enhanced Protection Against Naval Drones

^{Russian "Udomlya" Project 22800 corvette. 2023. Russia. Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation}

Russia has come up with new protection against naval drones that will be installed on new corvettes.

The CEO of the Ak Bars shipbuilding corporation stated that the ships will receive additional protection from marine drones in the engine room.

Corvettes, now deployed by all four fleets of the Russian Navy, will be built based on lessons learned from combat experience.

Currently, the shipbuilding corporation is building corvettes of Project 22800 Karakurt, Project 21631, and other projects with a displacement of about 1,500-2,000 tons for the Russian Navy.

The corporation’s CEO explained that Ukrainian drones initially immobilize Russian ships and then proceed to destroy them.

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Ураження морським дроном російського корабля "Иван Хурс", 24 травня 2023 року.

“It hits the ship’s engine room. We have to protect the engine room, which is the bottleneck on all ships. This is the heart of the ship… And we will provide additional protection,” stated the Ak Bars representative.

According to him, the study of the fight against marine drones led to the conclusion that it is necessary to change the internal structure of the ship: passages, corridors, and crew accommodation, the Russian media notes.

Small missile ships designed to combat maritime drones will also continue to be equipped with Pantsir systems and AK-630 artillery systems.

“It is important for us now to put weapons on the ships that could destroy a moving object at a remote distance, and if it approaches, to use the same 630 guns (AK-630M-2 Duet – ed.) on it,” said the Ak Bars representative.

^{AK-630-2 “Duet” air defense system. Photo credits: fishki.net}

The corporation also assures that the Pantsir-ME SAM, which is being installed on the ship, has already been tested, but work continues to improve it.

The combat module consists of two 30mm guns, eight transport and launch containers with missiles, guidance drives, and a radar and optronic control system.

^{Pantsir-ME SAM. Photo credits: roe.ru}

As a reminder, two Russian corvettes recently left Crimea due to the threat of naval drones. Other corvettes and some landing ships were also moved to the Sea of Azov to hide them from Ukrainian surface drones.

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Explosions in Crimea: Invaders Report “Air Defense Operation and Falling Debris”

^{Smog in Crimea. 07/01/2024. Photo credits: Krym.Realii}

Powerful explosions occurred in Sevastopol, near Cape Fiolent, and in the area of Balaklava TPP.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the so-called head of Sevastopol, controlled by Russia, speaks of the alleged “work of air defense.”

Razvozhayev also stated about alleged destruction of “four air targets in the sky over the water area and in the area of Balaklava.”

The debris, he said, “fell in the coastal zone and Balaklava district.”

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Untitled252

“Four air targets were destroyed in the sky over the water area and in the Balaklava district. But the wreckage of the downed targets fell in the coastal zone and Balaklava district,” Razvozhayev explained the results of the explosions.

Analysts of the Crimean Wind Telegram channel claim that a military unit near the village of Flotske was struck.

^{Smoke in Crimea. 01.07.2024. Photo credits: Crimean Wind Telegram channel}

“We are informed that a military unit near Karani (Flotske) was hit. They have a position on the Karan Heights,” the post reads.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces have not yet commented on the explosions in occupied Crimea.

^{Probable impact site near which explosions were observed}

The Ukrainian military regularly strikes at Russian military facilities in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

For this purpose, long-range weapons made in the West and Ukraine are used.

^{ATACMS missile illustration by alxpin}

Previously, the space communications center of the Russian invaders was hit in Crimea. The Russians seized this facility during the annexation of Crimea.

In June, the Armed Forces of Ukraine also launched a missile attack on the positions of the Russian S-400 Triumf air defense system in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

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Viktor Orb�n expected to make surprise trip to Kyiv on Tuesday
Sources say Hungary’s pro-Russia PM planning to visit president Volodymyr Zelenskiy one day after assuming EU presidency

Hungary’s Viktor Orb�n is expected to travel to Kyiv on Tuesday, according to three sources with knowledge of the plans, in a surprise visit for one of Europe’s most pro-Russian leaders, which comes as Hungary takes over the rotating presidency of the EU.

Two sources in Budapest said Orb�n was expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv, in the Hungarian prime minister’s first trip to neighbouring Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion more than two years ago.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to Zelenskiy, declined to comment on any possible visit. But another source in Kyiv confirmed the plans. “Orb�n is here tomorrow, unless there is a last-minute change,” said the source.

One of the Budapest sources said the trip plans came together after lengthy negotiations on the issue of rights for Ukraine’s Hungarian-speaking minority, who live in the far west of Ukraine close to the two countries’ border.

“It was a precondition for the meeting that the issue of nationality rights was resolved. In recent weeks, an agreement has been reached. They will be able to announce this as a success,” said a source in Budapest with knowledge of the buildup to the visit.

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While the issue of nationality rights has been one of Budapest’s most vocal complaints when it comes to Ukraine, sceptics of Orb�n have accused him of using the issue as a smokescreen to facilitate the promotion of Russian talking points over the conflict.

In contrast to most European nations, Hungary has repeatedly questioned the need to support Ukraine militarily, and has instead called for a ceasefire. After winning parliamentary elections in 2022, Orb�n included Zelenskiy in a list of “opponents” who had supposedly conspired against him and backed the opposition.

Meanwhile, Budapest has kept channels open with Moscow, and Orb�n’s foreign minister, P�ter Szijj�rt�, has made at least five trips to Russia since the start of the war, most recently to visit an economic forum in St Petersburg last month.

On Monday, Hungary took over the rotating EU presidency until the end of the year, to the dismay of many other European politicians, given the country’s frequent clashes with Brussels over domestic rule-of-law issues and foreign policy.

A senior EU diplomat recently summed up the level of disquiet over Hungary taking over the presidency, saying: “I take pills to calm myself when I talk about this issue because it’s getting really ridiculous … at every turn of the road you see the Hungarians hampering Ukraine’s ability to fight an aggressor.”

The source in Kyiv said there was uncertainty over whether Orb�n was travelling to Kyiv in a bilateral capacity, or as a representative of the EU. “There is clearly a conflict [between the EU’s interests and Budapest’s],” said the source.

Last week, EU governments agreed to use �1.4bn (�1.2bn) of profits from frozen Russian assets to supply arms and other aid to Ukraine, bypassing the Hungarian veto that has so frequently held up EU decisions on Ukraine. In response, Budapest accused the EU of a “shameless” breach of its own rules.

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Trump says he can end the Russia-Ukraine war in one day. Russia’s UN ambassador says he can’t

Donald Trump has said repeatedly he could settle the war between Russia and Ukraine in one day if he’s elected president again. Russia’s United Nations ambassador says he can’t.

When asked to respond to the claim from the presumptive Republican nominee, Vassily Nebenzia told reporters Monday that “the Ukrainian crisis cannot be solved in one day.”

At a CNN town hall in May 2023, Trump said: “They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours.” He said that would happen after he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. And he keeps repeating the claim on the campaign trail.

During last week’s debate with President Joe Biden, Trump claimed, “If we had a real president, a president that knew — that was respected by Putin ... he would have never invaded Ukraine.”

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Nebenzia said the war could have ended in April 2022 in Istanbul when Russia and Ukraine were “very close” to an agreement. Moscow invaded its neighbor two months earlier on Feb. 24, 2022, though Russia insists its “special military operation” began in 2014 after clashes in Ukraine’s east resulted in Moscow seizing the Crimea Peninsula.

The Russian ambassador blamed Ukraine’s Western backers for blocking the April 2022 peace deal and telling Kyiv to keep fighting Russia.

Now, he said, Zelenskyy “is running around with his so-called peace plan which, of course, is not a peace plan but a joke.” While meeting in Switzerland last month, nearly 80 countries called for the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end the war. But some key developing nations did not join in and Russia did not attend the conference.

Nebenzia pointed to Putin’s offer on June 14 to “immediately” order a cease-fire in Ukraine and start negotiations if Kyiv begins withdrawing troops from the four regions annexed by Moscow in 2022 and renounces plans to join NATO.

Zelenskyy, who has vowed not to give up any territory, rejected what he called an ultimatum by Putin to surrender more land.

The Trump campaign didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment about Nebenzia’s remarks.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian forces thwarted their drive to the capital. Much of the fighting has been focused in Ukraine’s south and east, where Moscow illegally seized four regions, although it doesn’t fully control any of them.

But Ukraine is still struggling to stabilize parts of its front line after desperately needed military assistance from the United States was delayed for months before being approved in April. And Russia took advantage of the Ukrainian weapons shortage to launch an offensive and has made gains.

Nebenzia called Zelenskyy’s peace formula “a nonstarter” and said he needs to be “realistic” and take into account what’s happened since April. The more difficult the situation becomes for Ukraine on the ground, he warned, the more difficult diplomacy will become to end the war.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 05:33 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://apnews.com/articl(...)52b8dda1d52d137ca893
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Nebenzia said the war could have ended in April 2022 in Istanbul when Russia and Ukraine were “very close” to an agreement.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 05:54 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
[..]
Dit blijft interessant, Oekra�ne blijft herhalen dat men zeker niet dicht bij een overeenkomst was.

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Election falsifiers in Lipetsk region escaped criminal punishment due to assistance to participants in the war in Ukraine

Members of the precinct election commission in the village of Sentsovo in the Lipetsk region, Olga Ivanova and Larisa Mironova, who were caught falsifying the votes during the State Duma elections in September last year, have been released from criminal punishment. The court took into account that the women donated 50 thousand and 60 thousand rubles to the war in Ukraine, the publication " 7X7 " reports.

During the hearing, Ivanova and Mironova stated that they had sent money to help "SVO fighters." The court considered this circumstance mitigating and imposed fines on them - 25 thousand rubles and 20 thousand rubles. The criminal case was closed.

The investigation established that one of the women had stuffed 186 ballots, and the other had given the voter, who was a witness in the case, four ballots instead of one. She filled them out and dropped them into the ballot box. The violations were recorded not only by observers, but also by video cameras.

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The violation was reported to the head of the Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova. "Promptly and quickly identify such people and punish them," she called after the incident. The head of the Central Election Commission compared the falsifiers to "black sheep" and stated that such cases are like a "fly in the ointment" <…> "spoil the entire work of our honest and conscientious colleagues," which is "unacceptable."

Information about mass ballot stuffing in Russian elections emerges after every election process, indicating a systematic problem in the electoral system. According to an analysis by electoral statistics expert Sergei Shpilkin, Vladimir Putin's re-election for a fifth term this year was also not without serious falsifications. At least 22 million votes could have been stuffed for the "main candidate."

Massive ballot stuffing also occurred during the voting in the parliamentary and gubernatorial elections in September 2021. As Meduza found out, then the falsifiers managed to rig up to a third of all votes - that's about 17 million ballots.

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Russia Has Heavily Militarized Crimea, And Made a Human Shield for Its 233 Military Objects

Russian-occupied Crimea is one of the most fortified zones in the war in Ukraine, housing more than 233 military objects. The Black Sea Peninsula is known as "a military haven" from which Russia launches large-scale military operations against Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure. However, it also encourages people to vacation there.

In 1783, the Russian Empire occupied Crimea, and since then, Russia has been fixated on militarizing the peninsula. Even during the Soviet Union era, Russian politicians and media closely aligned with them referred to it as the "unsinkable aircraft carrier." When Russia illegally occupied Crimea—part of Ukraine—again in 2014, it continued its quest to expand its military presence there.

Sevastopol, Crimea’s largest city, is particularly significant as a major port on the Black Sea that houses Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Sevastopol has enabled Russia to project naval power on a global level while providing a safe haven for its long-range missile systems to strike Ukraine regularly.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have questioned the "unsinkability" of Russia’s military targets in Crimea. In June, The Economist published an article titled "In Crimea, Ukraine is beating Russia."

Recently, Ukraine has increased its attacks against Sevastopol, where many military headquarters, targets, and bases are positioned, such as their Black Sea command post. There have also been several strikes on Belbek, an air base from which fighter jets are launched that regularly target Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

Ukraine has only ever targeted military positions in Crimea, never civilian ones. Yet Russia allows its civilians to continue life as normal within meters of these 233 military positions—deliberately violating International Humanitarian Law.

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Crimea: A militarized “unsinkable aircraft carrier”
Russia has been occupying Crimea since 2014. Before its illegal annexation, it was home to the Crimean Tatars and a popular tourism destination for many. But now, it is a heavily militarized zone with 233 military bases recorded by journalists from Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty.

This more detailed map shows:
• Airfields.
• Bases of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
• Military headquarters.
• Air defense systems.
• Training grounds.
• Fuel stations.
• Ammunition depots.
• Radar sites.

Crimea is Ukrainian territory—temporarily occupied by Russia—and therefore, restrictions placed by the U.S. on striking military targets within Russia with ATACMS don’t apply to it. Ukraine is granted permission by the U.S. to strike anywhere on its own soil occupied by Russian forces.

Military targets in Sevastopol
As pinpointed on the map, Sevastopol is home to, but not limited to:
• Several air-defense bases housing S-300 and S-400 systems.
• Several headquarters for various anti-aircraft, naval, reconnaissance, and air-defense forces.
• Osa anti-aircraft complexes.
• Several missile warehouses and depots.
• Radiological and chemical weapons.
• Air-defense positions.
• Airfields.
• Military equipment sites.
• Radar bases.
• Fuel warehouses.
• Repair warehouses

…and much more.

Belbek Airfield, just outside of Sevastopol, hosts Sukhoi Su-27 and Sukhoi Su-30 fighters, Russian Navy Mikoyan MiG-31 interceptors, Navy Mikoyan MiG-29K fighters, and more. The MiG-31 is one of the most dangerous warplanes used in this war, capable of firing radar-guided R-27 missiles over 200 miles.

Recently, Sevastopol and Belbek airfield have been subjected to several strikes by Ukraine. For example, according to Ukraine's General Staff, on June 12th, 2024, a missile strike successfully targeted an “S-300 anti-aircraft missile division, as well as two S-400 anti-aircraft missile divisions.” They added that “Two radars of the S-300 and S-400 complexes were destroyed along with the detonation of munitions.”

In addition, Ukraine has been successfully destroying Russian air defense systems in Crimea.

Approximately 15 individual air defense systems have been struck, specifically modifications of the S-300, S-350, and S-400 systems. Dozens of launcher units of these systems have been destroyed, along with over 15 radar stations and more than ten command posts.

As mentioned earlier, analysts say the Ukrainian military is preparing to increase its reliance on air support for ground operations once enough Western fighter jets, including F-16s and Mirages, are available. Therefore, Ukraine is targeting Russian air defense to secure the airspace.

Is Russia using civilians as human shields?
According to the Institute for the Study of War, “Russian authorities have irresponsibly encouraged Russian tourism to occupied Crimea during wartime” and are likely “purposefully stationing military targets nearby civilian areas in Crimea” to deter Ukrainian strikes. This is also in direct violation of International Humanitarian Law, as most military positions, according to the map, are within heavily populated areas like Sevastopol.

Sevastopol and Belbek military positions have been under heavy fire for more than a month; it seems negligent to allow tourists to flood a nearby beach. It is clear that Russian occupation authorities have done very little to protect civilians. Russia has used this tactic in other occupied regions by stationing military equipment within school grounds.

The Ukrainian government implements as many protective measures as possible to protect people. For instance, in Avdiivka in 2023, Vitalii Barabash, the city's Chief Military Administrator, attempted to forcefully remove all children from the city as the fighting became ever more life-threatening. The Emergency Services worked with Barabash’s authorities to persuade families to leave, promising to provide them with a safe place to be housed. This has not been an isolated occurence.

Throughout the war, Ukraine has implemented as many preventative measures as possible. In contrast, in Crimea, Russia seems to be strategically using civilians as human shields and making critical and costly errors—failing to advise and evacuate beachgoers efficiently.

Crimea has a vast number of military targets that must be destroyed to make significant changes in this war. Will Russia begin to prioritize the lives of ordinary people? Or will waging war and terror against Ukraine continue to be a superior aim?

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Ukrainian sappers neutralize 1,405 explosives in past week
In the past week, June 24-30, demining units of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's State Special Transport Service found and neutralized 1,405 explosive objects.
The State Special Transport Service said this in a post on its Facebook page, Ukrinform reports.

"The area of 1,440.78 hectares has been demined (inspected). Most of the explosive items were neutralized in the Kherson region – 718," the statement said.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, units of the State Special Transport Service have found and neutralized 175,190 explosive objects.

“The area of 109,805.42 hectares has been demined (inspected): 25.51 hectares of water areas, 2,564.93 km of railroad tracks, 489.71 km of power lines, 66.91 km of gas pipelines, and 368.80 ha of residential area territories, and 105,510.49 hectares of agricultural land,” the statement said.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, according to the Ministry of Defense, 30,000 square kilometers of the liberated territories in Ukraine have been recognized as having no evidence of contamination by explosive ordnance, which is more than 17% of the previous contamination assessment.

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Ukraine thwarts alleged coup attempt, security service says
Ukraine has foiled an alleged plot to overthrow the government that “would have played into Russia’s hands,” security officials in the war-torn country said Monday.

In a Telegram post, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claimed the alleged coup organizers planned to trigger a riot in Kyiv on June 30 as a distraction to seize control of the Ukrainian parliament and remove the military and political leadership from power.

It is unclear if those accused have any connection with Russia, which has waged a devastating full-scale invasion against its southwestern neighbor for nearly two and a half years.

Four suspects have been identified, with two held in custody, the SBU said. They face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. The SBU said it seized weapons and ammunition, as well as cellphones, computers and other records “with evidence of criminal action.”

According to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, the alleged coup leader rented a hall with a capacity of 2,000 people and recruited military personnel and armed guards from private companies to “carry out the seizure” of parliament. It is unclear if prosecutors are seeking any more suspects.

“To implement the criminal plan, the main organizer involved several accomplices—representatives of the community organizations from Kyiv, Dnipro, and other regions,” the SBU said.

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The alleged scheme in Kyiv comes as Russia has made slow but steady battlefield gains in recent months, exploiting Ukraine’s diminishing manpower and reliance on the West for weapons – and uncertainty over the future of that military aid.

Russian forces killed seven people, including three children, in a missile strike on the southern town of Vilniansk Saturday, according to Ukrainian officials, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to appeal for more long-range weapons.

“I am grateful to all partners who are helping. And the decisions we need must be accelerated. Any delay in decisions in this war means losing human lives,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

Concerns have grown over the future of US military support for Ukraine with the potential for another Donald Trump presidency on the horizon.

During last week’s presidential debate, Trump questioned whether the United States should continue to fund Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

Trump’s comments on the war in Ukraine were “worrying,” Ukrainian politician Oleksiy Goncharenko told CNN.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 06:37 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

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Tja, dan geloof ik Oekra�ne eerder dan Rusland. Want van Rusland weten we dat zij blijven liegen wanneer het hun uitkomt, dat zij zelden de waarheid spreken. Dit is gewoon deel van hun propaganda, dat het aan het westen en Oekra�ne ligt dat de oorlog nog bezig is.

Er zijn inderdaad onderhandelingen geweest, waarvan een aantal punten op papier waren gezet. Maar hoe dicht zij bij het daadwerkelijk tekenen ervan waren is niet bekend. En dan geloof ik Oekra�ne eerder dan Rusland wanneer zij zeggen dat zij er niet dichtbij waren.

Vooral ook omdat wij weten wat voor onredelijke eisen Rusland heeft gesteld om tot vrede te komen. Toen en nu.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2024 17:05 schreef oheng het volgende:

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Ben je nou zo ontzettend onwetend of hou je je van de domme?

putin accepteert niet eens dat Oekraine een legitiem land is. Er was, is, en zal geen Oekraine zijn volgens putin. De russen en Oekrainers zijn 1 volk.
[..]
Je maakt jezelf compleet belachelijk met je totale gebrek aan kennis over dit onderwerp.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 08:43 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:
Nou, laten we hopen dat Biden zijn nieuw verkregen ongekende macht gaat gebruiken om Oekra�ne te helpen voor het te laat is.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 12:01 schreef oheng het volgende:
Weer een vrouw gesignaleerd in de russische vleesmolen.

Twitter link.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 12:02 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Vervelend voor de Rusbots hier die ons zo vaak vertelden dat het onmenselijk was dat "Zelensky vrouwen de vleesmolen instuurt want vrouwen kunnen dat helemaal niet aan".

Je link doet het niet trouwens.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 08:33 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Er zijn wat langere artikelen over geschreven.

https://en.wikipedia.org/(...)ly%20negotiations%20(24%20February%20to%207%20April%202022),Ukraine%20would%20not%20join%20NATO.

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- Direct na uitbreken oorlog: Einde vijandigheden in ruil voor garanties dat Oekra�ne niet bij NAVO zou komen -> Putin zij nee, want hij wou opeens geannexeerde delen grondgebied hebben.

Eerste ronde vredesonderhandelingen:
- 28 februari: Zelenski gaf aan dat het hoofddoel was om een directe staakt-het-vuren te krijgen, en voor Rusland om zijn troepen uit Oekra�ne terug te trekken. Er kwam geen overeenkomst.

Tweede ronde vredesonderhandelingen:
- 3 maart: Rusland eist dat Oekra�ne de door Rusland bezette Krim zou erkennen, en dat de door separatisten bezette gebieden Luhansk en Donetsk onafhankelijk zouden worden verklaard. Ook eiste ze de de-militarisering en de-nazificatie van Oekra�ne. De Oekra�ense minister van buitenlandse zaken zei dat Oekra�ne bereid om verder over vrede te praten, maar dat Rusland zijn eisen niet veranderd waren.
- 5 maart: Vliegt de toenmalige premier van Israel Naftali Bennett naar Moskou om direct met Putin te spreken. Ook heeft hij met Zelenski en andere staatshoofden gesproken zonder succes. In 2023 zei hij over deze onderhandelingen dat beide partijen een staakt-het-vuren wilden en dat er een 50-50 kans was deze deal zou standhouden. Ook gaf hij aan dat westerse machten die Oekra�ne steunden deze deal gestopt hadden. Dit nam hij later terug.

Derde ronde vredesonderhandelingen:
- 7 maart: Dmitry Peskov herhaalde Moskou zijn eisen dat Oekra�ne toe moest stemmen om zijn grondwet aan te passen en hierin neutraliteit in op te nemen. Ook moest Oekra�ne accepteren dat de Krim Russisch grondgebied is en dat Donetsk en Luhansk onafhankelijke staten zijn. Peskov beweerde dat Rusland klaar stond om direct hun militaire operaties te stoppen wanneer Kiev hier mee instemde. Er was nog geen deal overeengekomen.

Antalya Diplomacy Forum
- 10 maart: Oekra�ne heeft geprobeerd om een 24 uur lange staakt-het-vuren te bereiken om hulp te geven en om burgers te evacueren, vooral in Mariupol. Na een twee uur durende gesprek was er geen overeenstemming bereikt.

Vierde ronde vredesonderhandelingen:
- 14/15 maart: De gesprekken duurde een paar uur maar eindigde zonder een doorbraak. Op 15 maart gingen de gesprekken verder waarna Zelenski zei dat de gesprekken meer realistisch begonnen te klinken.
- 16 maart: De Oekra�nse vredesdelegatie gaf aan dat vredesonderhandelingen over een 15-punten plan zou omvatten dat Russische troepen zich terug moesten trekken van geavanceerde posities in Oekra�ne. Ook moesten er internationale garanties komen voor militaire hulp, en een militaire alliantie indien Rusland zijn militaire acties zou hervatten. Oekra�ne zou in ruil hiervoor afzien van het nastreven van een verdere relatie met NAVO.
- 16 maart: Zelenski onderkend dat de eerder met Rusland onderhandelde 15-punten plan realistischer was voor het be�indigen van de oorlog.
- 17 maart: Na de vierde dag van onderhandelingen geeft Rusland aan dat er geen overeenkomst bereikt is. De Franse minister van buitenlandse zaken Jean-Yves Le Drian waarschuwde na deze onderhandelingen dat Rusland alleen maar net doet alsof zij aan het onderhandelen waren, in lijn met de strategie die zij eerder al ergens anders gebruikt hadden.
- 20 maart: De Turkse minister van buitenlandse zaken Mevl�t �avuşoğlu, die de gesprekken bemiddelde beschreef ze als "making progress"
- 21 maart: Het bereiken van een doorbraak is gefaald. Zelenski roept op tot directe gesprekken met Putin over het be�indigen van de oorlog. Sergey Lavrov zegt dat dit alleen mogelijk zal zijn wanneer ze dichter bij het behalen van een schikking zitten.

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Moscow says it will “drastically reduce military activity” on two fronts — Kyiv and Chernihiv — according to the Russian Ministry of Defense Telegram channel.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin confirmed “to radically, at times, reduce military activity,” according to state media RIA.

The move follows talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul on Tuesday.

“Due to the fact that negotiations on the preparation of an agreement on the neutrality and non-nuclear status of Ukraine, as well as on the provision of security guarantees to Ukraine, are moving into practice, taking into account the principles discussed during today’s meeting, by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in order to increase mutual trust and create the necessary conditions for further negotiations and achieving the ultimate goal of agreeing on the signing of the above agreement, a decision was made to radically, at times, reduce military activity in the Kiev and Chernigov direction,” Fomin told reporters.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine earlier claimed “certain units” of Russia’s military are withdrawing from battlefronts in the capital, Kyiv, and from the northern city of Chernihiv.

“The Russian enemy did not meet the goal of its offensive operation,” it said in an official Facebook update Tuesday.

However, it warned of a “high risk” of Russian troops attacking military and civilian infrastructure. The Russian military, it claimed, is struggling to reinforce and rotate in new soldiers, due to the “refusal of personnel to participate in the so-called special operation,” and are “not able to staff even one battalion-tactical group.”

In the fifth week of the Russian invasion, the “heroic” Ukrainian resistance is “conducting a defence operation in the eastern, southeastern and northeastern directions, restrains the enemy in all directions, in some directions - displaces the enemy,” it said.

SPOILER

1 april: Bucha bloedbad wordt bekend.
7 april: Sergey Lavrov zegt dat de draft van de vredesdeal van Oekra�ne die overhandigd was aan de Russische overheid onacceptabele onderdelen er in had staan. Dat deze overeenkomst af week van wat eerder overeengekomen was. Een onderhandelaar van Oekra�ne zegt dat deze comments van Lavrov een tactiek is om aandacht van de beschuldigingen van oorlogsmisdaden door Russische troepen af te halen. Lavrov geeft aan dat ondanks alle provocaties de Russische delegatie door gaat met de onderhandelingsproces, om hun eigen draft overeenkomst er door heen te drukken.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 12:05 schreef oheng het volgende:

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Zoals altijd: projectie. Link gefixed.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 09:33 schreef oheng het volgende:
Inflatie is niet echt onder controle... 1 juli was een interessante dag, economisch gezien.

Sverbank verhoogt hypotheken naar minimaal 19,5%

Preferente hypotheken programma wordt stopgezet

De grootste luchtvaartmaatschappij, S7, stopt met het gebruik van de Airbus 320 Neo vanwege onderdelentekort

Er ligt een voorstel om de landingtarieven te verhogen voor luchtvaartmaatschappijen.

Gas, water, electra worden allemaal een kleine 10% duurder per 1 juli.

Minimum prijzen van alcoholische dranken wordt verhoogd. Zelfs vodka wordt 6 eurodollar/liter.

Naja, etc, etc

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 12:01 schreef oheng het volgende:
Weer een vrouw gesignaleerd in de russische vleesmolen.

Twitter link.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 12:02 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Vervelend voor de Rusbots hier die ons zo vaak vertelden dat het onmenselijk was dat "Zelensky vrouwen de vleesmolen instuurt want vrouwen kunnen dat helemaal niet aan".

Je link doet het niet trouwens.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 12:45 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:
https://www.forbes.com/si(...)stroyed-two-of-them/

Dure vliegtuigen helaas kapot gemaakt. Zonde dat ze allemaal zo dicht bij elkaar stonden.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 14:22 schreef xzaz het volgende:
Oekraine die niet zuinig met spullen omgaat....

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 14:18 schreef Zoddie het volgende:

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Dat is ook een beetje waar ik bang voor ben als heel Europa F-16's en zo gaan leveren aan Oekraine.
Heb een vermoeden dat die met een maandje al kapotgeschoten zijn.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 14:28 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

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Het is Rusland die niet zuinig met de spullen van Oekra�ne omgaat.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 14:31 schreef xzaz het volgende:

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Mama... jantje doet niet voorzichtig met mijn spullen!

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 14:30 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:

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Ze hebben hun anti air toch vooral bij Kiev? Kunnen ze dan niet beter daar in de buurt wat airfields bouwen voor hun dure jachtvliegtuigen. Dan slaan de anti air installaties twee vliegen in ��n klap. Maarja makkelijk getypt voor mij zal in de praktijk wel moeilijk zijn.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 14:18 schreef Zoddie het volgende:

[..]
Dat is ook een beetje waar ik bang voor ben als heel Europa F-16's en zo gaan leveren aan Oekraine.
Heb een vermoeden dat die met een maandje al kapotgeschoten zijn.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 14:18 schreef Zoddie het volgende:

[..]
Dat is ook een beetje waar ik bang voor ben als heel Europa F-16's en zo gaan leveren aan Oekraine.
Heb een vermoeden dat die met een maandje al kapotgeschoten zijn.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 14:39 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

[..]
Bedankt voor wederom een waardevolle bijdrage

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Viktor Orb�n meets Volodymyr Zelenskyy on first wartime trip to Ukraine
Prominent critic of military aid to Kyiv asks neighbour to consider ceasefire proposal

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orb�n arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday, marking the first time since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine that the EU’s most pro-Russian leader has visited the war-torn country.

Orb�n met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other senior officials just days after the leaders spoke at an EU summit in Brussels. In a video shared on social media after the talks in Kyiv, he said the war “deeply affects European security” and had suggested to Zelenskyy that Ukraine propose a deadline for a ceasefire that would pave the way for full peace talks with Russia.

Zelenskyy said the leaders focused on “how to bring a just and lasting peace closer”. He added that talks on “the most fundamental issues of our relations”, including trade, cross-border co-operation, infrastructure and energy, would form the basis of a new “bilateral document”.

Orb�n, the EU and Nato’s most prominent critic of ongoing military aid to Kyiv, and one of the few western leaders to have met Russian President Vladimir Putin since the 2022 invasion, arrived in Kyiv a day after his country assumed the rotating presidency of the EU Council.

“We are at Ukraine’s service during the Hungarian presidency. We will help in any way we can,” Orb�n said on Tuesday.

SPOILER

quote:

During the talks, the Ukrainian president also urged all EU leaders to step up their military support to Kyiv.

The Hungarian premier has regularly opposed financial aid to Ukraine and left the room during an EU leaders’ meeting in December in order not to vote against a decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine — a significant milestone on the country’s path to becoming a full EU member.

Orb�n’s government has also vetoed seven legal decisions backed by the EU’s other 26 member states that would release �6.6bn tied to weapons supplies to Ukraine. It recently agreed to the start of formal EU accession talks between Kyiv and Brussels after blocking negotiations for much of the past 12 months.

Budapest has justified its hardline position on Ukraine by claiming Kyiv is failing to meet its demands in guaranteeing the rights of the country’s Hungarian minority. The EU accession criteria include minority rights.

Orb�n said after the talks he was hopeful of making progress in this area, and agreed to develop Ukrainian-language schools to cope with the rising number of refugees in Hungary.

Almost all EU leaders except Orb�n had visited Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. He is also one of only two — along with Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer — to have met Putin in that time.

At a conference in Budapest in December, the Hungarian prime minister said he had accepted an invitation from Zelenskyy to visit Kyiv but added: “I told him I’d be at his disposal. We just have to clarify one question: about what?”

Zelenskyy also invited Orb�n to the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland last month. Orb�n declined but sent his foreign minister P�ter Szijj�rt�.

In reaction to efforts to prevent Hungary from taking up the EU’s rotating presidency, Orb�n has made a pledge to other leaders to be a responsible broker of EU legislation, according to people close to the talks.

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Should Ukraine be worried about a potential RN victory? The party's Response
If he becomes Prime Minister, will Jordan Bardella question military aid to Ukraine? The RN assures that no, but with nuances. If for the Russians, "we must not exaggerate the importance of the National Rally" on foreign policy, kyiv is worried about a turnaround.

These legislative elections are historic and not only for France. The political situation in our country is being closely followed in Kiev. Since February 2022, France has supported Ukraine militarily and financially. However, in the event of cohabitation, tensions between the head of state and his prime minister could block a number of issues.

Among the subjects related to Defense: military aid to Ukraine, supported by France through the war economy launched two years ago by Emmanuel Macron, and organized by the Minister of the Armed Forces S�bastien Lecornu, with industrialists and the General Directorate of the Armed Forces (DGA) .

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Avoiding “escalation risks”
On this subject, the RN's position has shifted in recent years. While it has long displayed its desire to leave NATO's integrated command, the party chaired by Jordan Bardella now says it wants to continue military aid to Ukraine, with some nuances compared to the positions taken by Emmanuel Macron.

On July 27, during the televised debate that pitted him against Gabriel Attal and Emmanuel Bompard, Jordan Bardella promised that he would not let "Russian imperialism absorb an allied state like Ukraine."

"Ukraine has nothing to worry about," Laurent Jacobelli, spokesperson for the National Rally, assured BFM Business. "If we come to power, we will continue to help it defend itself."

On the other hand, the RN says it does not want to "cross the red line" that could make France a co-belligerent country. It is opposed to offensive systems that would increase the "risks of escalation" with Russia, such as long-range missiles, as well as sending ground troops.

"For us, this is not one, but two red lines that France must not cross," Laurent Jacobelli tells us, adding that "we are a power, that would be playing with fire."

On the dispatch of Mirage 2000s for which Ukrainian pilots are currently being trained in the southwest of France , the RN spokesperson considers that this announcement is "very declarative".

"It's an announcement effect. We don't know how many planes and why. It's not a refusal, but we need to know more about these questions," Laurent Jacobelli tells us.

Finding common positions
Is a showdown between the head of state, who is the head of the armed forces, and the prime minister possible? This constitutional opposition has in any case already started with a statement by Marine Le Pen.

According to her, the title of "Head of the Armed Forces" attributed to the President of the Republic (Article 15 of the 1958 Constitution) is only " honorary ". She recalled Articles 20 and 21 which specify that the Prime Minister "has the administration and the armed force" and that he "is responsible for national defense".

"On these issues, the proper functioning of the constitution will have to take precedence over a balance of power. The two men will have to find common positions," notes Laurent Jacobelli.

The spokesperson for the National Rally also questions the consequences of a balance of power.

"Will Emmanuel Macron cross these red lines alone by positioning himself against the National Assembly, public opinion and the government? That would not be desirable."

A "half-hearted" rally
The positions displayed by the RN still worry Kiev. Ukrainians know that this party has long had strong relations with Moscow and that it has "only rallied half-heartedly to support Kiev," warns a specialist in international issues from the presidential camp.

Support for Ukraine is rarely expressed, for example, in the European Parliament. According to a HuffPost article , out of 14 ballots on support for Ukraine between March 2022 and February 2024, MEP Jordan Bardella voted only once for support measures, abstaining most of the time.

On BFMTV in mid-April , Jordan Bardella explained: "There were several texts. We voted for the global resolution that called for sanctions against Russia and condemned the aggression in the strongest possible terms." The MEP did not, however, support other texts, such as the granting of a loan of more than a billion euros.

"We did not vote for this text for an extremely simple reason: the European Court of Auditors has repeatedly highlighted the corruption affecting the Ukrainian government and the way in which public funds given to Ukraine were misappropriated," Jordan Bardella explained at the time.

For the Russians, the arrival in power of the RN will not change France's position on aid to Ukraine.

"We should not expect an improvement in relations between Paris and Moscow after the parliamentary elections," Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy chairman of the Russian Foreign Affairs Committee, told the Parlamentskaya Gazeta newspaper.

In an interview given to Russian radio BFM [which has no connection with BFMTV or BFM Business, Editor's note], expert Georgy Bovt warns against false hopes of a reconciliation with Paris.

"We must not exaggerate the importance of the National Rally and its influence on French politics. The French president retains control over foreign policy," warns Gu�orgui Bovt, recalling that "the leaders of the RN have already made it known that French support for Ukraine would not be called into question."

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Finland granted the United States access to military bases
The Finnish Parliament has approved a defense agreement that gives the United States access to 15 Finnish military bases, allows the presence of American soldiers and the storage of their military equipment in Finland.

The Finnish parliament has approved a defense agreement with the United States of America that will give them access to 15 Finnish military bases. This was reported by Le Monde, according to UNN .

Details
It is noted that the adopted document will allow the presence of American soldiers and the storage of their military equipment in Finland.

The Government emphasized that the agreement is governed by the obligation to respect the sovereignty of the country, its national legislation and international law.

"The legislators guaranteed that the obligation to respect national legislation also applies to nuclear weapons, the import and transit of which is prohibited on Finnish territory," the statement said.

It is noted that the United States has similar agreements with 11 other countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, including Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.

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NATO plans to establish new post in Kyiv, 'Trump-proof' Ukraine aid, WSJ reports
NATO plans to establish a senior representative post in Kyiv, as well as a new command in Germany to coordinate assistance for Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on July 1, citing U.S. and allied officials.

This is part of the alliance's effort to safeguard long-term aid for Ukraine should Donald Trump return to the White House after the U.S. presidential election later this year, the outlet wrote.

Ex-President Trump, the Republican Party's presumptive nominee, has repeatedly criticized NATO and assistance for Kyiv.

The new measures, which are expected to be announced at an upcoming NATO summit in Washington, will involve the new command center in Germany's Wiesbaden coordinating the flow of military equipment and the training of Ukrainian soldiers, the WSJ wrote.

The steps should help better coordinate the assistance and bring the Ukrainian military closer to NATO standards.

Allied leaders previously said that the July 9-11 Washington summit would contain "new language" on Ukraine's NATO prospects and focus on a roadmap toward its eventual membership.

Ukraine also hopes to secure "guaranteed" military funding commitment from NATO allies. While no decision has been reached so far, outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg proposed to provide Ukraine with at least 40 billion euros ($43 billion) in military support each year "for as long as necessary."

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Ukraine’s self-propelled howitzer Bohdana got an important upgrade
Ukraine’s 47th Artillery Brigade shared photos of the 2S22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzer. This weapon became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, because its production was organized already during the invasion of the Russian forces. The production of the Bohdana self-propelled howitzer is still ongoing and this artillery piece is continuously being improved. In fact, those pictures show some important new advancements.

The self-propelled 155 mm howitzer Bohdana has become a certain symbol of the resilience of Ukraine’s military industry. This howitzer was developed from 2015 to 2018, and was officially presented to the public in 2018. For a long time, the defenders of Ukraine relied on only one or two examples of this howitzer, which was treated as a kind of experiment.

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Due to Russian aggression, they were forced to test it in combat conditions – in 2022 Bohdana officially entered service and made a significant contribution to the liberation of Snake Island in the Black Sea. The decision was soon made to start mass production, which is still ongoing, even if at a slow pace. New versions of Bohdana keep getting better.

The photos that were now released show that the latest version of Bohdana already has an automatic loader, which was intended to be there from the beginning, but was not implemented until now. 155mm shells are heavy, loading them by hand is hard work, and the rate of fire suffers as a result.

The automatic loader is an important aid to the Bohdana crew. The latest version of Bohdana can now fire up to six rounds per minute. As the Ukrainians explained, without the automatic loader, the rate of fire is two times slower.

The latest version of the Bohdana has an 8�8 chassis (previously a 6�6 platform was used). It is larger, distributes weight better, and allows for a better, heavier armoured cab. The latter improvement is very important in the age of FPV suicide drones.

The Bohdana’s effective firing range, of course, remains unchanged – conventional projectiles travel up to about 40 km, while extended-range projectiles can reach targets up to about 60 km away.

Ukraine is said to have about 30 Bohdana howitzers now. Once the production reaches a better pace, the Bohdana will become one of the cheapest self-propelled howitzers in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is precise and convenient to use, even if it is not as advanced as some of the Western artillery pieces. And it is very important for Ukraine, because in the future it will allow it to domestically produce the majority of its self-propelled artillery forces.

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UN demands Russia to stop jamming GPS communications
The UN's International Telecommunication Union condemned Russian interference in European satellite systems and urged an end to GPS signal jamming
Reuters reported the inforation, citing the relevant document published on July 1.

Last week, the UN body considered a number of complaints from Ukraine, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Luxembourg regarding interference with satellite systems over the past few months. The Council expressed serious concern about the use of signals to create intentional interference.

Countries pointed to constant interruptions in the operation of satellites. In particular, Russia jammed GPS signals on airplanes, which repeatedly endangered the lives of passengers and crew, and caused interruptions in the broadcasting of children's TV channels, showing brutal footage of the Russian war against Ukraine.

According to the statement, the disruptions to the French and Swedish satellite networks likely originated from ground stations located in the Moscow, Kaliningrad, and Pavlovka areas. The Union called on Russia to immediately cease hostile actions and investigate the incidents.

It is also reported that in March, Russia jammed the global positioning system (GPS) signal of the official aircraft of British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps during his flight to Poland. The Russian station for GPS jamming is located in the Kaliningrad region, between Poland and Lithuania.

Earlier, we reported that thousands of flights to and from the UK were affected by the jamming of the global positioning system (GPS) in the region, which Russia is likely to be behind.

• Moreover, in the period from January to April 2024, more than one in four UK military transport flights over Europe was interfered with by Russia's GPS blocking.

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Russia Leads UN Security Council in July, Excluding Ukraine From Agenda
Russia assumed the presidency of the United Nations Security Council on July 1.

Vasiliy Nebenzya, Russia's ambassador to the U.N., stated during a press briefing in New York that Ukraine will not be on the agenda for this month.

At Russia's initiative, the Security Council will focus on discussing the Middle East conflicts, with specific attention on Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.

Nebenzya mentioned that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov plans to attend the Security Council meetings in New York by the end of the month if "visa issues are resolved."

A journalist from the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform asked Nebenzya about a recent article alleging that Russia mistakenly dropped glide bombs on its own territory nearly 40 times in a year.

The reporter queried, "Wouldn't you like to raise the issue of the security of the Russian population at the U.N. Security Council to protect it from its own armed forces?"

Nebenzya responded by suggesting that Ukraine and its Western allies are fabricating stories about Russia bombing itself. Russia's ambassador to the U.N. then proceeded to voice narratives about the "provocation" by Western countries in Bucha, shelling in Crimea, the "Ukrainian crisis," Istanbul's "peaceful" agreements, and so on.

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Each of the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council, including Russia, holds the presidency for a month. Russia last chaired the council in April 2023.

Previously on June 30, The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has adopted a resolution condemning Russia’s decade-long armed aggression against Ukraine and recognizing it as a genocide of the Ukrainian people. On June 25, The United States has included Russia and Belarus in its list of countries identified as sponsoring human trafficking.

The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. Unlike other UN bodies, only the Security Council has the authority to make decisions that are binding on all UN member states.

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Nederlandse F-16's 'spoedig' naar Oekra�ne, exportvergunning rond
Nederland heeft de exportvergunning rond voor de F-16's die aan Oekra�ne worden geleverd. Dat laat minister Ollongren van Defensie weten aan de Tweede Kamer, op de laatste werkdag van het demissionaire kabinet.

In het schrijven staat dat op 19 juni een vergunning is afgegeven voor de export van 24 F-16-vliegtuigen en zeven motoren voor de gevechtsvliegtuigen. Oekra�ne wil die gebruiken om zich te verdedigen tegen Rusland.

De F-16's zullen "spoedig" worden geleverd, maar een exacte datum wordt niet vermeld. De Tweede Kamer wordt daarover "op verzoek van Oekra�ne" vertrouwelijk ge�nformeerd.

Eind mei zei demissionair buitenlandminister Bruins Slot dat de door de VS gebouwde toestellen ook mogen worden ingezet voor aanvallen op doelen in Rusland, als dat gebeurt "in het kader van zelfverdediging".

Nederlander leidt coalitie
Nederland is een van de landen die het voortouw hebben genomen om F-16's naar Oekra�ne te sturen. Vanochtend werd bekend dat de coalitie die de vliegtuigen levert onder leiding staat van de Nederlander Arnoud Stallmann. Hij heeft een verleden als F-16-piloot.

De samenwerkende landen zijn ook betrokken bij het onderhoud en het trainen van vliegers en ondersteunend personeel. Voor dat laatste werd vorig jaar in buurland Roemeni� een trainingscentrum opgetuigd.

Ook wordt er munitie geregeld. In maart werd duidelijk dat het kabinet voor de gevechtsvliegtuigen 150 miljoen euro aan munitie heeft gekocht. "Dit alles met als doel de Oekra�ense luchtmacht op langere termijn door te ontwikkelen tot een moderne luchtmacht naar westers model", aldus defensie.

Steun Oekra�ne blijft
De Kamerbrief over de exportvergunning van de F-16's is een van de laatste handelingen van het demissionaire kabinet. Morgen staat het kabinet-Schoof op het bordes. De verwachting is niet dat dan een heel andere wind gaat waaien als het gaat om de steun aan Oekra�ne. In het coalitieakkoord van PVV, VVD, NSC en BBB valt te lezen dat dat land "politiek, militair, financieel en moreel wordt gesteund tegen de Russische agressie".

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 16:36 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.technology.or(...)n-important-upgrade/
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The Bohdana: Ukraine's Secret Weapon of War

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 16:46 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://nos.nl/artikel/25(...)xportvergunning-rond
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Sowieso voor het einde van de maand mag ik hopen. Maar stiekem hoop ik natuurlijk dat de eerste F-16s binnen een week worden geleverd.

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Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 14:28 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

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Het is Rusland die niet zuinig met de spullen van Oekra�ne omgaat.