SPOILER

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 18:35 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:

Apti Alaudinov says Russia's invasion of Ukraine is just the beginning

Rusland moet deze heilige oorlog voortzetten tot het hele westen gezuiverd is van van satanische invloeden

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 20:05 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Die lul met vingers beweerde dat rusland dit jaar nog de oorlog gaat winnen

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 19:10 schreef Idisrom het volgende:
Het slopen van grafstenen van Sovjet soldaten uit de Tweede Wereldoorlog door Estland, vind ik een EU- en NAVO-lid onwaardig.

Russians advance in two directions west of Bakhmut [2 July 2024]

(zie eerste minuut)

[ afbeelding ]
Foto: Wikipedia

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 20:23 schreef zalkc het volgende:

[..]
Klopt,

Monumenten in stadscentra vind ik wat anders, maar militaire begraafplaatsen hoor je te respecteren.

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 20:23 schreef zalkc het volgende:

[..]
Klopt,

Monumenten in stadscentra vind ik wat anders, maar militaire begraafplaatsen hoor je te respecteren.

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 19:10 schreef Idisrom het volgende:
Het slopen van grafstenen van Sovjet soldaten uit de Tweede Wereldoorlog door Estland, vind ik een EU- en NAVO-lid onwaardig.

Russians advance in two directions west of Bakhmut [2 July 2024]

(zie eerste minuut)

[ afbeelding ]
Foto: Wikipedia

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 20:45 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Moah ik kan het wel begrijpen. Na een paar eeuwen bezetting/oorlog/genocide is het geduld wel op, en wil je niks russisch/soviet meer in je land hebben. Dit zijn de graven van de uitvoerders van genocide.

En het is ook niet zo dat rusland om een paar miljoenen doden meer of minder geeft, dus dit soort begraafplaatsen zijn alleen bedoeld voor propaganda doeleinden.

Net als in deze oorlog; _niemand_ geeft een fuck om russen. Levend of dood.

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 22:57 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Ik zit er wat neutraler in. Over het algemeen worden de Duitse graven uit wo1 en 2 ook gewoon gerespecteerd.

Dat je de rest van de symboliek sloopt snap ik wel.

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 22:57 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Ik zit er wat neutraler in. Over het algemeen worden de Duitse graven uit wo1 en 2 ook gewoon gerespecteerd.

Dat je de rest van de symboliek sloopt snap ik wel.

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 22:57 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Ik zit er wat neutraler in. Over het algemeen worden de Duitse graven uit wo1 en 2 ook gewoon gerespecteerd.

Dat je de rest van de symboliek sloopt snap ik wel.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 06:03 schreef BlaZ het volgende:
Wat interessante ontwikkelingen aan de frontlinie vandaag, na een wat rustigere periode.

1) Forse doorbraak richting Niu York.
2) Oostelijk deel van Chasiv Yar ingenomen.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 00:26 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
De bezetting van de Duitsers duurde maar 5 jaar (in plaats van eeuwen), en de gemiddelde Nederlander had minder te vrezen van de gemiddelde Duitse soldaat. Onder andere omdat de Duitse soldaten relatief gedisciplineerd waren.

Bij de soviets was letterlijk niemand veilig. Zelfs de soviet soldaten niet. Iedereen was een potentieel slachtoffer.

En, ten slotte komen we misschien wel het grootste probleem van rusland: ze hebben nooit verantwoording afgelegd voor hun ontelbare misdaden. Er is niemand veroordeeld voor de rode terreur, de vele genocides, de massamoorden, het vervolgen van willekeurige groepen mensen.

Wat dat betreft is zelfs een begraafplaats met SS soldaten beter te pruimen dan een begraafplaats met soviet soldaten. Onder andere omdat de ene ideologie dood is, terwijl de andere weer wordt opgerakeld.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 08:21 schreef Neezoistniet het volgende:
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/07/3/7463788/

Er speelt een hoop achter de schermen (hele verhaal op de Politico link)

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 08:11 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
Ook ten westen van Ocheretyne komt na twee maanden relatieve stilstand meer beweging. Sokil en Novooleksandrivka zijn door de Russen intussen ingenomen, en als Prohres ook nog valt, dan zitten de Russen vanaf het noorden al achter de Oekra�ense verdedigingslinie van de stuwmeren boven Karlivka

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 08:31 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Richting Vozdvizhenka is het ook link, daar zitten de Russen nog slechts 6,5km van de hoofdweg tussen Pokrovsk en Chasiv Yar.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 08:21 schreef Neezoistniet het volgende:
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/07/3/7463788/

Er speelt een hoop achter de schermen (hele verhaal op de Politico link)

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 06:03 schreef BlaZ het volgende:
Wat interessante ontwikkelingen aan de frontlinie vandaag, na een wat rustigere periode.

1) Forse doorbraak richting Niu York.
2) Oostelijk deel van Chasiv Yar ingenomen.

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 22:57 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Ik zit er wat neutraler in. Over het algemeen worden de Duitse graven uit wo1 en 2 ook gewoon gerespecteerd.


Dat je de rest van de symboliek sloopt snap ik wel.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 11:24 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:
Denys zal je hier uiteraard niet over horen. Denk wek dat Navo beter eerst wat extra anti air kan leveren en daarna pas (dure) vliegtuigen;)

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 11:24 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:
https://www.forbes.com/si(...)-priceless-aircraft/

Denys zal je hier uiteraard niet over horen. Denk wek dat Navo beter eerst wat extra anti air kan leveren en daarna pas (dure) vliegtuigen;)

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 11:39 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
Nederland en Roemeni� gaan nog een extra patriot leveren toch?

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 11:30 schreef Straatcommando. het volgende:

[..]
Nu is het wel zo dat dat en langer geleden is en er een zekere mate van verzoening heeft plaatsgevonden. Dat is in dit geval niet zo.

Sterker nog, de dreigementen richting de Baltischs staten zijn alleen maar toegenomen.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 08:20 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
Maar de geschiedenis wissen van de gewone Igors, Borissen en Ivans met de pet op, die gesneuveld zijn in belangrijke veldslagen, is onkies.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 08:38 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
Ja. Maar ik snap het strategische belang van deze weg niet zo. Al maandenlang schrijven en zeggen 'mappers' dat de weg heel belangrijk is. Maar ik zie niet in dat er troepen en materieel van Chasiv Yar naar Pokrovsk of vice versa vervoerd gaan worden. Beide plaatsen zullen toch bevoorraad moeten worden vanuit het achterland, dus via andere routes.

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 20:40 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Wij hebben toch ook geen praalgraven voor SS-ers? Voor de Esten zijn de Russen bezetters en onderdrukkers, dus dat ze die graven ruimen is prima te begrijpen.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 12:52 schreef nils7 het volgende:

[..]
Ik ben in Normandie ook op een Duitse begraafplaats geweest.
Oke het was minder "imposant" dan de Amerikaanse maar er lagen er bijna dubbel zoveel en sommigen maar 14 jaar.
Velen daarvan zijn ook maar "gestuurd".

Als Frankrijk het kan, kan een ander land dit toch ook?

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 12:15 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
De gemiddelde Soviet soldaat gedroeg zich erger dan zelfs de gemiddelde SS soldaat.

The disaster that befell this area with the entry of the Soviet forces has no parallel in modern European experience. There were considerable sections of it where, to judge by all existing evidence, scarcely a man, woman or child of the indigenous population was left alive after the initial passage of the Soviet forces. The Russians swept the native population clean in a manner that had no parallel since the days of the Asiatic hordes.

U.S. diplomat George Kennan

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 12:15 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
De gemiddelde Soviet soldaat gedroeg zich erger dan zelfs de gemiddelde SS soldaat.

The disaster that befell this area with the entry of the Soviet forces has no parallel in modern European experience. There were considerable sections of it where, to judge by all existing evidence, scarcely a man, woman or child of the indigenous population was left alive after the initial passage of the Soviet forces. The Russians swept the native population clean in a manner that had no parallel since the days of the Asiatic hordes.

U.S. diplomat George Kennan

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 12:43 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
In Pokrovsk komen 6 relatief belangrijke wegen samen. Met name belangrijk in het modderseizoen.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 11:24 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:
https://www.forbes.com/si(...)-priceless-aircraft/

Denys zal je hier uiteraard niet over horen. Denk wek dat Navo beter eerst wat extra anti air kan leveren en daarna pas (dure) vliegtuigen;)

Update from Ukraine | Surprise Ukrainian Attack across Dnipro River | Ruzzian Positions Demolished

Update from Ukraine | Madness! Ruzzian biggest moto Attack Failure. Crazy losses

quote:

Large-scale fire in Kursk: OSINTers discovered that a military unit is on fire

^{Fire in Russian Kursk. July 2, 2024}

A massive fire broke out in the Russian city of Kursk on Tuesday, July 2, with thick black smoke visible from different parts of the city.

Russian Telegram channel Astra published the eyewitness video.

Ukrainian OSINT researchers from the CyberBoroshno Telegram channel identified what was burning on the territory of the 3754th Central Aviation Technical Base (military unit 13830).

The first reports of a massive fire in the center of the Russian city of Kursk were published in local public media after 10 a.m.

SPOILER

quote:

Пожежа в Курську [2 липня 2024]

Russians started publishing photos and videos from different parts of the city showing black smoke rising up.

Пожежа в Курську � Ф [2 липня 2024]

The fire was later confirmed by Alexei Smirnov, acting governor of the Kursk region.

Пожежа в російському Курську [2 липня 2024]

He stated that 60 employees of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations and 10 units of special equipment were involved in extinguishing the fire.

^{The site of a fire in Kursk, Russia, on July 2, 2024. Photo credits: CyberBoroshno Telegram channel}

Based on eyewitness video, analysts of the CyberBoroshno Telegram channel determined that the fire broke out on the territory of the 3754th Central Aviation Technical Base (military unit 13830) at the coordinates 51.772319, 36.191305.

Analysts of the Dnipro OSINT with Harbuz team assume that the parking lot of this Russian military unit is on fire.

^{A parking lot of vehicles near the Russian military unit 13830 in Kursk. Photo credits: Dnipro OSINT with Harbuz}

Local authorities have not officially reported what caused the fire. They only state that there is no information about the victims.

Yesterday, as a result of a massive drone attack on the Russian city of Belgorod’s power grid facilities, part of the region remains without electricity.

Удари БпЛА по Бєлгородщині [1 липня 2024]

According to eyewitnesses, the drones attacked the area where the substations are located near the village of Neznamovo around 2 a.m.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 12:59 schreef PluggieOD het volgende:

[..]
Daaff zwetst weer wat.

Net als La Cambe hebben wij de Duitse militaire begraafplaats in Ysselsteyn - waar van de Wehrmacht tot de SS ligt.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 13:56 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Anders bekijk je zijn filmpjes eens. Hij heeft de aanval op het vliegveld gewoon genoemd, die van eergisteren? waar die 2 vliegtuigen bij zijn vernietigd/beschadigd. En eerdere aanvallen op vliegvelden waarbij vliegtuigen zijn geraakt heeft hij ook gewoon genoemd.

Die aanval waar de forbes het over heeft is ook gewoon in zijn laatste filmpje langsgekomen.

Update from Ukraine | Surprise Ukrainian Attack across Dnipro River | Ruzzian Positions Demolished

- vanaf 6.40 - 7.50 ofzo (aanval helikopter)

Update from Ukraine | Madness! Ruzzian biggest moto Attack Failure. Crazy losses

- vanaf 4.00 - 8.40 (aanval vliegtuigen)

Wanneer ik commentaar lever op jouw pro Russische filmpjes dan bekijk ik ze tenminste. Maar jij valt nu wel door de mand.

quote:

Maar jij valt nu wel door de mand.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 14:57 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
Ik wil niet zeggen dat dit bij alle vliegtuigen zo is die daar geparkeerd staan. Volgens mij waren er sowieso een aantal vliegtuigen aanwezig die wel in werkende staat waren. Maar het zou best kunnen dat een aantal niet meer in werkende staat waren en voor bijvoorbeeld onderdelen gebruikt werden. Of als decoys verplaatst werden.

https://www.google.co.uk/(...)0vMDdiNzRj?entry=ttu

Vliegtuigen die in gebruik zijn zouden niet zo gegroepeerd staan lijkt mij. Er is meer dan genoeg ruimte op het vliegveld.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 08:38 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
Ja. Maar ik snap het strategische belang van deze weg niet zo. Al maandenlang schrijven en zeggen 'mappers' dat de weg heel belangrijk is. Maar ik zie niet in dat er troepen en materieel van Chasiv Yar naar Pokrovsk of vice versa vervoerd gaan worden. Beide plaatsen zullen toch bevoorraad moeten worden vanuit het achterland, dus via andere routes.

quote:

In Odessa SBU detained two military spies and an agent in a wig

The SBU has neutralised an FSB agent group in Odessa, with one of the agents using wigs for concealment.
The SBU neutralised an FSB agent group in Odessa. The spy cell consisted of two military officers and their accomplice. This was reported by the SBU on 2 July.

On the instructions of the Russian secret service, the spies were scouting locations of air defence systems that defend Odessa.

The agents systematically travelled around Odessa and the surrounding areas to collect information. If they found "necessary" objects, they covertly photographed them and marked the corresponding geolocations on Google maps.

Another task of the enemy group was the disguised installation of wireless video cameras on the territory of the Odessa seaport.

For conspiracy, the enemy spies used taxis, and their accomplice disguised her appearance by constantly changing her wigs.

SPOILER

quote:

The SBU gradually documented all the facts of intelligence and subversive activities of spies and detained a resident of the FSB agent group and his accomplice when they were photographing a military facility.

The agent of the spy cell, a local resident, was detained in her own home after she had done additional reconnaissance near a potential target.

During the searches, the detainees were seized mobile phones, which they had specifically purchased and used exclusively for communication with the FSB.

SBU investigators informed the spies of suspicion under part 3 of Article 28, part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code (high treason committed by an organised group under martial law).

The spies are in custody, they face life imprisonment.

Earlier, Socialportal reported that the SBU counterintelligence with the assistance of the State Border Service exposed a border guard who was an FSB spy.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 14:57 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
Ik wil niet zeggen dat dit bij alle vliegtuigen zo is die daar geparkeerd staan. Volgens mij waren er sowieso een aantal vliegtuigen aanwezig die wel in werkende staat waren. Maar het zou best kunnen dat een aantal niet meer in werkende staat waren en voor bijvoorbeeld onderdelen gebruikt werden. Of als decoys verplaatst werden.

https://www.google.co.uk/(...)0vMDdiNzRj?entry=ttu

Vliegtuigen die in gebruik zijn zouden niet zo gegroepeerd staan lijkt mij. Er is meer dan genoeg ruimte op het vliegveld.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 13:54 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
De Jodenvervolging is procentueel het ergste van het Naziregiem.
Maar hoe de in 1941 omsingelde en daarna overgeven Sovjetsoldaten werden behandeld, tartte ook elk oorlogsrecht. Met honderdduizenden werden ze opgesloten op stukken land, en er werd summier wat eten over het hek gekieperd, waardoor de overlevingskans van de kampgevangenen in de daarop volgende winter vrij minimaal was.
Maar dat hinderde niet volgens het nazigedachtengoed. Er moest toch lebenrraum komen ten koste van de 'inferieure' Slavische volkeren.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:04 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:

[..]
Hopelijk denkt Oekra�ne wel extra goed na waar ze de nieuwe vliegtuigen straks gaat parkeren. Wellicht nog even wachten met die vliegtuigen tot de anti air overal in orde is?

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:08 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://en.socportal.info(...)d-an-agent-in-a-wig/
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:19 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:

[..]
Lijkt zo uit een James Bond film te komen. Knap van Oekra�ne dat de spionnen ontdekt zijn. Ik moet eerlijk zijn dat ik niet had verwacht dat Rusland nog de ambitie had om Odessa aan te pakken. Denk dat Rusland nu al de handen vol heeft.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:01 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:

[..]
Ik heb al een tijd geen filmpje gekeken van Denys daar ben ik transparant over. Ik kan ook aangeven dat ik het moeilijk vind want als ik die headers zie dan schrikt dat bij mij al enorm af. De filmpjes die ik heb gezien, al wat langer geleden repten alleen maar over Oekra�nse successen.

Ik vind het goed om te horen dat hij nu ook af en toe militaire acties van de vijand erin vermeld. Ik vind ook dat hij dat moet doen als hij zijn kijkers zo goed mogelijk wil informeren. Langere tijd was ik in de veronderstelling dat hij alleen sucessen van Oekra�ne wilde delen om op die manier de kijkers hoop te geven. Wat ik ergens ook kan begrijpen. Ik bedoel, veel mensen die in Oekra�ne wonen en naar buiten kijken zien verwoeste gebouwen, ze horen drones in de lucht en ze hebben wellicht vrienden of familieleden verloren. Die kunnen wel een opkikker gebruiken.

In het kader van de tweede alinea heb ik dus niks tegen Denys. Mijn vorige reactie was eerder cynisch bedoelt dan dat ik er echt een (nieuwe) statement mee wilde maken. Ik vind het sowieso al fijn om te zien dat er in dit topic nu al meer verschillende soorten berichten komen, dus vanuit verschillende invalshoeken. De meesten die hier lurken willen namelijk weten wat er gebeurt en hoeven niet alleen maar door een gekleurde "alles gaat goed, ik geef jou hoop" bril te kijken.

Dat het uiteindelijk goed afloopt voor Oekra�ne is denk ik wat de meesten hier hopen. Ik in elk geval wel!
[..]
Het is maar wat je door de mand vallen noemt. Als je naar mijn reacties kijkt in NWS in de afgelopen jaren dan zie je dat ik al heel lang bezig ben om als aanvulling op de overwegend westerse informatie ook wat informatie te delen vanuit andere gebieden voor een zo volledig beeld. Weeb union maar ook History Legends helpen daarmee. Als je niet naar hen filmpjes kijkt maar alleen af en toe naar de nieuwe kaart van het front dan kan dat verwarrend zijn "huh hoe kan dat nou, Rusland is ineens een paar dorpen of zelfs een hele stad opgeschoven???" Nouja als je dus af en toe ook filmpjes kijkt van andere bronnen dan was dat geen verassing geweest.

Je mag best mijn reacties onder elkaar zetten en dan zul je ook zien dat ik al heel vaak heb geroepen dat ik hoop dat Rusland eruit wordt geschopt. Ergens vind ik dit een beetje genant dat ik het al zo vaak heb moeten delen maar ik heb geen zin in framing voor zoveel mogelijk informatie delen. Maarja daarom vermeld ik het hier ook nog maar eens.

Mocht je ondanks deze uitleg nog steeds vinden dat ik door de mand val dan vind ik dat wel prima hoor. Ga ik mij verder niet druk over maken.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:34 schreef Nyamuk het volgende:
Zo te lezen staan de Russen aan de poorten van New York

quote:

North Korea shifts TV broadcasts to Russian satellite after Putin's visit
North Korea has switched the transmission of state TV broadcasts from a Chinese satellite to a Russian one, Reuters reported on July 1.

Starting on June 29, North Korea's Korean Central Television began transmitting via the Russian satellite Express 103 instead of the Chinese satellite ChinaSat 12.

The satellite change follows Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea in June, according to Reuters. South Korean government agencies and media monitor North Korean state media as a limited source of information, despite its highly politicized and choreographed content.

While it remains possible to watch North Korean TV online, the quality may be delayed or low, Reuters reported. It is currently unknown whether North Korea has temporarily switched its broadcasting to the Russian satellite or if this change will be permanent.

SPOILER

quote:

Putin's visit to North Korea
Putin arrived in Pyongyang on June 18 to meet with dictator Kim Jong Un, marking his first visit to the North Korean capital since 2000.

Putin and Kim Jong Un signed an agreement on a "comprehensive strategic partnership" to expand economic and military cooperation and strengthen a "united front" against Washington.

The agreement includes the following clauses:
• Moscow and Pyongyang commit not to enter into agreements with third countries that may pose a "threat to the sovereignty and security" of the two countries.
• The two countries seek to step up bilateral trade and create "favorable conditions" for economic cooperation.
• Moscow and Pyongyang agreed to "develop cooperation" in space, peaceful nuclear energy, AI, and IT industries.
• The countries will intensify cooperation in the field of propaganda to counter allegedly "unreliable information and informational provocations."
• Russia and North Korea will create a "system of taking measures" to strengthen defense capabilities to "prevent war and ensure peace."

The agreement on the strategic partnership is indefinite.

The Pentagon stated that the increased cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a cause for concern.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:38 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
Die plaats is inderdaad naar New York vernoemd. Was deze plaats een paar eeuwen eerder ontstaan, dan had het Niu Amsterdam geheten.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:40 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://english.nv.ua/nat(...)ussian-50431710.html
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

Hier zal China vast ook niet zo blij mee zijn. Dat is toch weer een stukje invloed die zij verliezen.

quote:

Russia announces development of anti-drone defense based on aerostats

^{Barrier balloon, illustration photo}

The Russian company Pervyy Dirizhabl (First Dirigible – ed.) has announced the development of a Barrier defense system based on barrage balloons.

The Russian media published the news.

During a Russian conference on UAV detection and countermeasures, representatives of the First Dirigible company announced a system for protecting strategic facilities based on a system of balloons, or, as the developers themselves say, dirigibles.

If enemy drones approach an object, the system will raise a network of balloons with attached nets into the air. Such obstacles should be “caught” by drones. If a UAV hits the nets, a certain section of the nets will be separated, and a new one will take its place.

Each balloon of the Barrier system can lift up to 30 kg of payload, and the entire structure can reach a maximum height of 300 meters.

SPOILER

quote:

Representatives of the company said that their defense system had already been tested at the test site and had received its first orders. According to them, the balloons will be produced at their facilities, while the nets will be manufactured at “specialized enterprises.”

Balloon-based barrier systems have been actively used to protect against airborne threats since World War II. At that time, they were mainly intended to intercept bombers and the world’s first V-1 cruise missiles and proved to be effective.

In particular, during the entire period of German bombing, the UK intercepted over two hundred missiles with its balloon barriers.

^{A British barrage balloon in the sky over London during the Second World War}

Theoretically, such a system would be equally effective against long-range attack drones operating at relatively low altitudes and flying at much lower speeds. Hitting the grid will stop and destabilize the aircraft, neutralizing it.

In addition, although the price of such a system has not been announced, its cost should obviously be less than the potential installation of full-fledged air defense systems around a strategic facility.

It is also worth mentioning that Russia is already using balloons for long-term surveillance and reconnaissance. They were used in the combat zone and by FSS units on the country’s border.

^{Russian AKV-05 aerostat with an optical sensors on the border with Finland, 2024. Photo credits: “Russia 1” TV channel}

In particular, the military uses AKV-05 aerostats, which carry optical, thermal, and radio surveillance systems and can conduct reconnaissance at a distance of up to 10 kilometers.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:32 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
Spionnen kunnen natuurlijk een hoop informatie doorgeven zoals troepenbewegingen en materiaalleveringen, wil niet zeggen dat ze Odessa nog willen veroveren.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:10 schreef oheng het volgende:

Het blijft een feit dat russisschesoviet soldaten zich over het algemeen als beesten gedroegen, net als hun superieuren, en daarom is het goed dat hun graven geruimd worden.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:34 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Denys heeft altijd al in zijn filmpjes ook Russische successen toegelicht, tenminste in het jaar ofzo dat ik nu meedoe in dit topic, al is hij wel Oekra�ens natuurlijk, dus het lijkt mij normaal dat eigen successen meer langskomen. Ook schroomt hij niet om kritisch te zijn over zijn regering en ook over de leiding van de krijgsmacht, en onderdelen ervan.

De schreeuwende titel en thumbnail let ik niet eens op, dat is gewoon marketing, ik focus op de inhoud.

En met het door de mand vallen bedoelde ik meer op het feit dat jij kritiek geeft op in dit geval filmpjes die jij zelf niet bekijkt, en je dus niet weet waar je het over hebt. Terwijl wanneer ik kritiek op jou filmpjes geef ik ze eerst wel bekijk.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 13:56 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Anders bekijk je zijn filmpjes eens. Hij heeft de aanval op het vliegveld gewoon genoemd, die van eergisteren? waar die 2 vliegtuigen bij zijn vernietigd/beschadigd. En eerdere aanvallen op vliegvelden waarbij vliegtuigen zijn geraakt heeft hij ook gewoon genoemd.

Die aanval waar de forbes het over heeft is ook gewoon in zijn laatste filmpje langsgekomen.

Update from Ukraine | Surprise Ukrainian Attack across Dnipro River | Ruzzian Positions Demolished

- vanaf 6.40 - 7.50 ofzo (aanval helikopter)

Update from Ukraine | Madness! Ruzzian biggest moto Attack Failure. Crazy losses

- vanaf 4.00 - 8.40 (aanval vliegtuigen)

Wanneer ik commentaar lever op jouw pro Russische filmpjes dan bekijk ik ze tenminste. Maar jij valt nu wel door de mand.

quote:

Zelenski daagt Trump uit te vertellen hoe hij oorlog zou eindigen

De Oekra�ense president Volodimir Zelenski wil graag van de Amerikaanse presidentskandidaat Donald Trump horen hoe hij snel een einde zou maken aan de oorlog als hij het voor het zeggen zou hebben in de Verenigde Staten. Trump zegt al maanden dat hij "snel" en "gemakkelijk" voor vrede zal zorgen als hij in november de presidentsverkiezingen wint.

"Als Trump weet hoe we deze oorlog kunnen be�indigen, zou hij ons dat vandaag nog moeten vertellen", zegt Zelenski in een interview met persbureau Bloomberg. "Als er risico's zijn voor de Oekra�ense onafhankelijkheid of als we soevereiniteit verliezen, dan willen we daar klaar voor zijn en dan willen we dat weten."

De VS zijn de belangrijkste bondgenoot van Kiev en leveren veel militaire en financi�le steun. Trump klaagde vorige week dat er miljarden dollars Amerikaans geld worden uitgegeven, terwijl Oekra�ne niet aan de winnende hand is in de oorlog. Veel Republikeinen hebben de laatste maanden vraagtekens gezet bij de steun aan Oekra�ne.

Zelenski zegt "mogelijk klaar" te zijn om Trump te ontmoeten en zijn voorstellen aan te horen. In zo'n gesprek zou hij ook duidelijkheid moeten krijgen over waar zijn land aan toe is bij een eventuele verkiezingswinst van Trump. "We willen weten of we in november nog kunnen rekenen op de krachtige steun van de VS, of dat we alleen komen te staan."

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:57 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:

[..]
[..]
Net btw stukje van dit filmpje gekeken. Paar fragmenten daarvan. En daarin zag ik inderdaad hoe hij het vernietigen van Oekra�nse vliegtuigen had doorgegeven. Ik heb eerder filmpjes van hem gekeken, maar door het kijken van dit filmpje weet ik weer wat ik naast de thumbnails zo lastig vind. Zijn manier van communiceren is zeer monotoon, en hij praat zooooooooo langzaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam.

Zoals ik al eerder zei, als jij vind dat ik door de mand val dan vind ik dat prima. Hopelijk zit ik dan in een mooie mand.

Anyway, denk dat het wel duidelijk is hier nog een artikel

https://www.telegraaf.nl/(...)-oorlog-zou-eindigen

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:57 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:

Anyway, denk dat het wel duidelijk is hier nog een artikel

https://www.telegraaf.nl/(...)-oorlog-zou-eindigen
[..]

quote:

A Russian who fought in Donbas was preparing a terrorist attack in Paris
A Russian soldier was preparing to blow up a store in Paris with an improvised explosive device.

The French newspaper Le Monde reported on this.

According to the newspaper, the detained 26-year-old Russian named Maksim is a native of Donbas, has Russian and Ukrainian passports, and fought for two years in the east of Ukraine on the side of the Russian military.

As the French investigators discovered, the suspect planned to set up an improvised explosive device early in the morning before the store opened.

According to the investigation, in this way, he wanted to avoid human casualties.

Law enforcement officials also examined the Russian’s correspondence in messenger apps and confirmed the version of an operation planned from abroad. French security authorities link this attempted terrorist attack to Russia’s campaign to “destabilize” Europe.

SPOILER

quote:

The man was detained in a Parisian hospital on June 3. He was admitted with shrapnel wounds to his upper body, head and face.

The suspect sustained these injuries during the accidental detonation of an explosive device in a hotel room near the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.

The detainee initially denied any plans to prepare a terrorist attack.

^{The explosive device of the Russian agent detained in France. June 2024. Photo credits: Le Journal du Dimanche}

However, when investigators searched his hotel room, they found forged documents, materials for making explosive devices, traces of ammonium nitrate, and cell phones used by the Russian to communicate with his handlers outside of France.

It is reported that he arrived in the country a few days before his detention and purchased all the necessary materials on the spot.

The intensification of Russian agents in France may also be related to the French government’s plans to increase military assistance to Ukraine.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:48 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:

[..]
Je hoeft mij de rol van een spion niet uit te leggen hoor. Het aanpakken van een stad of gebied kan ook via info verzamelen. Bte Odessa is in het verleden wel meerdere malen doelwit geweest van aanvallen. Gelukkig steeds redelijk goed afgeslagen. Blijkbaar is de anti air daar wel in orde!

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 16:13 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
Dan vraag ik me af waarom dat je tot de conclusie komt dat ze nog zin hebben om Odessa te veroveren.

Verder ook niet boeiend.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 16:02 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Ik vindt zijn toon juist heerlijk. Lekker relaxt. Niet zo irritant als die HistoryLegends gast die steeds zijn toonhoogte te pas en te onpas veranderd, of die memes en zo die hij er steeds tussen in gooit. Zijn target publiek is blijkbaar jonger.

quote:

Defense Secretary Austin says the US will provide $2.3 billion more in military aid to Ukraine
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that the U.S. will soon announce an additional $2.3 billion in security assistance for Ukraine, to include anti-tank weapons, interceptors and munitions for Patriot and other air defense systems.

Austin’s remarks came as Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with him at the Pentagon. And they mark a strong response to pleas from Kyiv for help in battling Russian forces in the Donetsk region.

Of that total, $150 million of the aid will come from presidential drawdown authority (PDA) and the remainder will be provided by Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). PDA allows the Pentagon to take the weapons from its stocks and send them more quickly to Ukraine; USAI puts weapons on longer-term contracts.

“Make no mistake, Ukraine is not alone, and the United States will never waver in our support,” Austin said as he opened the meeting with Umerov. “Alongside some 50 allies and partners, we’ll continue to provide critical capabilities that Ukraine needs to push back Russian aggression today and to deter Russian aggression tomorrow.”

The announcement comes just days before the U.S. hosts the NATO summit in Washington and as Ukraine has continued to lobby for military support and acceptance into the alliance.

quote:

“Very good feedback from Ukraine”: Germany Launches PARM mines Production

^{The German DM22 anti-tank mine is in service with the Armed Forces. Photo credits: ArmyInform}

MBDA has resumed production of PARM anti-tank mines and disclosed the parameters of their modified version, PARM NextGen.

This was reported by EDR magazine.

At the international defense exhibition Eurosatory 2024 in Paris, the German company TDW (MBDA Deutschland), which specializes in the development of combat parts and ammunition, announced the resumption of production of DM22 PARM mines after a 10-year break.

Thousands of PARM (PanzerAbwehrRichtMinen) anti-tank mines were ordered to compensate for the mines transferred by Germany, as well as for direct deliveries to Ukraine.

SPOILER

quote:

A representative of TDW told the newspaper that the company operates in a one-shift mode five days a week. However, he did not specify production volumes.

“We are getting very good feedback from Ukraine,” said Andreas Seitz, explaining that “we have done a lot of analysis and found that this is the most cost-effective solution,” with the key parameters being cost and ease of production.

Unlike the old anti-tank mines, the DM22 is a directed-action munition that is placed opposite roads and damages the side projection of passing vehicles with a cumulative jet.

Once deployed, the mine has a 40-day duty period, after which it is switched to “safe” mode. It is triggered when a vehicle runs over a fiber optic cable installed in the direction of the shot along the road.

^{DM22 PARM. Photo credits: MBDA}

PARM NextGen
The journalists were also told that, based on the experience of combat use, the company is developing a modified PARM NextGen anti-tank mine, the first deliveries of which are expected by the end of 2026.

The new mine will feature a better initiation system, which will include vibration, acoustic, and infrared sensors to replace the fiber optic cable. They will allow the smart mine to verify detected targets. In addition, they will allow it to detect the distance to the target, initiating the charge at the best time, which the old system cannot provide.

The second innovation will be the introduction of a radio control system that will allow the operator to remotely activate/deactivate a network of several mines at a distance of several hundred meters.

^{Prototype of the next generation anti-personnel mine PARM NextGen, June 2024. Photo credits: TDW}

The PARM NextGen will have an effective range of about 60 meters, but due to the integration of a large number of sensors, the mine’s battery life will be reduced from 40 to 30 days.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 16:19 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:

[..]
Ik denk dat Rusland zijn handen nu al vol heeft aan Donbas en Luhansk en dan daarboven nog richting Kharkov. En dan krijgt Oekra�ne binnenkort nog veel materiaal waarbij ik benieuwd ben of ze daarmee het momentum terug krijgen. Steden als Odessa maar ook Kiev daar kan Putin nu imo alleen maar van dromen om daar soldaten bij in de buurt te krijgen ;-)

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 16:53 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
[ x ]

quote:

What "Genocide of the Donbas People" Looked Like Over 8 Years Before the Full-Scale Invasion

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion, the number of civilian casualties in the Donetsk region increased tenfold.

One of the reasons declared by Vladimir Putin for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine was this so-called "genocide." "What is happening in Donbas is genocide," Putin stated, referring to the previously seized—by Russia—Ukrainian territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where, in his view, Ukrainian forces systematically killed civilians. But how accurate are these claims?

We analyzed the numbers and, for greater accuracy, used data not from the UN or other authoritative organizations, often not recognized in Russia itself, but from Russian, often pro-government media and other sources. Even according to them, the facts declared by Putin do not align with reality.

But first, we need a definition: what does genocide mean? Genocide refers to deliberate actions aimed at the complete or partial destruction of national, ethnic, racial, or religious groups. It has five specific criteria, one of which is the complete or partial extermination of a population.

SPOILER

quote:

What the numbers say
The numbers from different sources concerning civilians who died in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the years leading up to the full-scale war vary, but they are similar. Here are some examples.

According to the human rights commissioner in the so-called DPR:
• 2020: 44 military and civilian deaths.
• 2021: 77 military and civilian deaths.

The so-called DPR Ombudsman Darya Morozova provided the following figures for 2022:
• 2021: 25 civilian deaths and 85 injuries.

These figures cover both Donetsk and Luhansk.

Morozova also uses UN data. According to her, citing UN data, 26 people died in Donbas in 2020, with another 123 injured. In 2019, the UN reported 25 deaths in Donbas.

Another source, the OSCE, provided the following data for the occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions:
• 2019: 19 deaths, 129 injuries.
• 2020: 12 deaths, 62 injuries.

It's important to note that, according to Morozova, some people died not directly from combat but from interacting with unexploded ordnance, highlighting the lack of education on handling dangerous objects.

According to Putin, the numbers mentioned above resemble "genocide." In late February 2024, he declared the start of the war to essentially liberate these territories and bring peace. What has changed?

Using Russian sources again, the same Ombudsman, Darya Morozova provides the following figures:
• 2022: 1,089 civilian deaths in the so-called DPR alone.
• 2022: 424 children killed. In the previous eight years, 162 children were killed. Nearly 800 children were injured.
• 2023: 363 people killed, 1,742 injured.

Morozova also provides overall civilian casualties for two years: 9,121 killed, 13,284 injured. This includes victims in the "liberated" (occupied) territories, indicating atrocities committed by the Russian army during its occupation.

What do these numbers tell us?
After the intense fighting between 2014-2016, there was no escalation in Eastern Ukraine, as noted by both Russian and international observers. The Ukrainian side sought peaceful resolutions to regain its territory according to the borders of 1991. This is evident in the fact that not a single civilian died in Crimea during this period.

Russia’s war initiated by Vladimir Putin has spread conflict everywhere. Civilian casualties have increased tenfold. Can we talk about genocide, which involves the complete or partial destruction of a population?

Since the war's onset in 2014, Ukraine has not destroyed any villages or cities. Russia, however, has destroyed dozens. Volnovakha, Pisky, Marinka, and Bakhmut no longer exist. Tens of thousands of people died in Mariupol within two months. There is systematic extermination of the Ukrainian population.

In 2024 alone, Ukraine conducted over 20 precise strikes on military targets in Crimea, focusing on military infrastructure. Since the full-scale invasion began, there have been hundreds of attacks on military infrastructure. Civilian casualties in June 2024 were due to Russia placing military objects near civilian areas, effectively using them as shields: a beach with vacationers located right next to a military target attacked by Ukraine. How does the Russian army operate? Daily bombings of Kharkiv and the region with large guided bombs targeting residential buildings.

Genocide is happening, but from the other side.

quote:

Belarus troops have been brought to high combat readiness

It has become known that Belarus has sent special forces, the air force and air defense forces to the border with Ukraine.

This was stated by Alexander Lukashenko. According to him, the missile systems “Polonez” and “Iskander” were redeployed to positions in connection with the activation of the AFU on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border.

“Under no circumstances should we allow any escalation or aggravation”.

“I want the Ukrainian leadership to hear this. I would ask Ukrainians not to dabble or mess around with fire. It is very dangerous,” Lukashenko said.

SPOILER

quote:

Special Operations Forces, Air Force and Air Defense Forces are also deployed there, while border guards have been transferred to a reinforced mode of border protection.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus said that Ukraine was allegedly pulling equipment and troops to the border in order to draw Belarus into a war.

Ukrainian border guards explained that all activities on the border with Belarus were aimed at the defense of the state, not an attempt to seize other people’s territories.

The military also said that the state border with Belarus was fully under control. The Ukrainian army has enough forces and equipment to prevent provocations.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:47 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
Dit werkt misschien een paar keer, dan zal Oekra�ne zich aanpassen en de ballonnen eerst neerhalen.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 17:14 schreef PluggieOD het volgende:

[..]
Gebruikt het westen en bv Israel al jaren voor nabijheids verdediging en surveillance in de zandgebieden.

Je DM22 mijnen "die je nog nooit gezien hebt" worden al 2 jaar gebruikt in de Ukraine.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 14:47 schreef bleiblei het volgende:

[..]
Vraag is hoe het sentiment in NL en Frankrijk is op het moment dat Duitsland al 3 jaar Belgi� uitmoord en er een kans bestaat dat ze daarna doortikken naar ons of de Fransen.

Ik heb geen idee, maar acht het niet geheel onwaarschijnlijk dat tegen die tijd we ook anders kijken naar begraafplaatsen waar de voorvaderen van het nieuwe gevaar liggen.

quote:

China can end war in Ukraine with one phone call, Finland's President says
Russia's dependence on China has got to a point when Beijing could end the war in Ukraine "with one phone call," Finnish President Alexander Stubb said, Bloomberg reported on July 3.

His comments echo the increasing frustration among Ukraine’s allies over China’s sustainable support for Russia’s war effort, providing the Kremlin with technologies and parts for weapons, as well as helping it circumvent sanctions.

"Russia is now very dependent on China," Stubb said.
"One phone call from President Xi Jinping could solve this crisis.

"Should he say, 'It's time to start peace talks,' Russia would have been forced to do so. They would have no other choice."

China would benefit from the end of Putin's "aggressive and colonial war" in Ukraine, he added.

Stubb also did not support the offer of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb�n to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding negotiations with Russia and a quick ceasefire, Bloomber wrote.

"Insisting on a ceasefire is out of question now, real peace talks are needed," Stubb said. "The only thing Russia understands is power - therefore, the more we can help Ukraine now, the sooner the war will end."

China will seek to settle the war between Russia and Ukraine in its own way, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said at a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Beijing earlier.

"China's stance on 'Ukrainian crisis' (as China officially calls the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine — ed.) is to promote peace negotiations and political settlement," the press service of the Chinese Foreign Ministry press service said in a statement.

quote:

Three arrests, many unanswered questions
On June 19, three men were arrested in Frankfurt am Main for allegedly trying to spy on a Ukrainian. According to information from WDR and SZ, the police found cash, passports and GPS tracking devices on them. Were they planning an assassination attempt?

The three men who showed up at the Caf� "Celona" in Frankfurt am Main on June 19th apparently had no idea that they were being watched. They waited in vain for a Ukrainian man they had arranged to meet. When he did not show up, the trio left. Shortly afterwards, they were arrested by special forces from the Hessian State Office of Criminal Investigation (LKA).

Since then, Robert A., Vardges I. and Arman S. have been in custody. The security authorities are asking themselves: Has a trio of Russian agents been caught? Could a kidnapping or even an assassination attempt on Moscow's behalf possibly have been prevented in Germany?

The Federal Prosecutor General is investigating the three men, who could be a Ukrainian, an Armenian and a Russian, on suspicion of secret service agent activity. However, investigators are not entirely sure about the identity and origin of the suspects. Much of the case is puzzling and raises questions.

SPOILER

quote:

Trap for the Ukrainian?
The Ukrainian, the potential victim, had already reported himself to the Hessian police in the spring. The man served in the Ukrainian armed forces and has been in Germany for some time.

The Ukrainian reported to the police that someone had contacted him. This person introduced himself as "Yaroslav" from the Ukrainian secret service and asked him whether he wanted to carry out a secret operation in Germany: it was supposedly about spying on Russians.

The whole thing obviously seemed suspicious to the Ukrainian. He is said to have asked contacts in Ukraine whether such a "Yaroslav" was known there. He was then assured several times that the Ukrainian secret service had not contacted him.

The Ukrainian is said to have told the Hessian police that he was convinced that it was a trap. He feared for his life because he was on a "death list" in Russia. Moscow accused him of war crimes, including the execution of Russian soldiers in the first days of the war in spring 2022.

Caf� observed
The Hessian State Criminal Police Office took the matter very seriously. A security alert procedure was initiated. In consultation with the investigators, the Ukrainian finally pretended to accept the offer of the alleged secret service agent from Kiev and offered to meet in person in Frankfurt am Main for further discussions.

On June 19, the time had come. The investigators observed the agreed meeting point, the Frankfurt caf� "Celona", and actually discovered a suspicious person who was said to have been scouting out the location. Two other suspects were waiting around the corner in a car. The Ukrainian did not show up. "Yaroslav" is said to have then called and was quite angry.

The man in the caf� then set off and got into the car with the other two. They drove away until they were finally stopped by the police. According to information from WDR and S�ddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), investigators discovered cash in the vehicle, as well as GPS tracking devices and several passports. These were probably fake IDs, but also a Russian, Armenian and Ukrainian passport, which, after initial inspection, appear to be genuine ID documents.

Ukrainians under police protection
The investigations into the case are currently underway and involve several authorities. However, the security authorities still do not know exactly what is behind the strange spying operation, who the three arrested people actually are and on whose behalf they were travelling. The assumption is that it could be a "hit team" that was sent out to track down the Ukrainian, possibly kidnap him or even kill him.

The lawyer of one of the accused did not want to comment when asked by Der Spiegel, which also reported on the case last week. The other lawyers have so far left a request from WDR and SZ unanswered.

The Ukrainian, the potential victim, is currently under police protection. Based on his statements, the Federal Prosecutor General is now also investigating him - on suspicion of involvement in war crimes.

Hybrid warfare
Concerns that Russia will escalate its hybrid war against the West in this country have been growing in security authorities for months. There are fears that Moscow's secret services could attempt to weaken Western support for Ukraine with sabotage and assassination attempts. NATO also recently warned of this danger in an unusually clear statement. There have already been similar actions in other European countries, and Russia is believed to be behind them.

Most recently, a man was arrested in France for allegedly building an explosive device in a hotel near Paris airport. This resulted in an explosion and the suspect was injured. The French domestic intelligence service DGSI now assumes that the bomb maker, who is said to have previously been active as a fighter for pro-Russian combat units in eastern Ukraine, was recruited by the Russian secret service and wanted to carry out an assassination.

"Disposable agents"
In Bavaria, investigators arrested two German-Russians in the spring, including a former Ukraine fighter. They are said to have agreed to carry out sabotage attacks in Germany with a Russian secret service. Military facilities are said to have already been spied on.

In February, a Russian helicopter pilot who had defected to Ukraine was assassinated in southern Spain. He was shot several times in a parking garage. It is still unclear who is behind the attack, and the perpetrators are on the run.

In Poland, military transports were spied on, and a few weeks ago a shopping center was set on fire. In the Czech Republic, a man was arrested who was said to have planned to set fire to buses on Moscow's orders. In both cases, the perpetrators were identified: among them were people who had probably been recruited over the Internet, mostly via Telegram. Some were said to have been paid for the crimes. Security agencies already have a term for perpetrators like these: "single-use agent".

quote:

Xi Jinping and Putin arrived in Astana

The Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and the leader of China, Xi Jinping, arrived in Kazakhstan.

These days, the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will be held in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana.

The summit will also be attended by the heads of Turkey, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and the Vice President of Iran.

There were also reports of the possible participation of UN Secretary-General Ant�nio Guterres in the events.

An amusing moment occurred during the meeting between Xi Jinping and Putin.

The leader of China was personally greeted by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, at the foot of the airplane.

After the meeting, they continued to entertain the high-ranking guest, even launching planes with flowers of the Chinese flag.

And Putin was met by a simple prime minister, although they arrived at different times, and Tokayev could have allocated time for the Russian dictator.

It is reported that not even a show program was provided for Putin.

Interestingly, this nuance was overlooked by the Russian central media and propaganda channels.

quote:

The fire on the ship Serpukhov was started by a volunteer of the Freedom of Russia Legion

^{Serpukhov corvette. Photo from open sources}

A future volunteer of the Freedom of Russia Legion started the fire on the Serpukhov small missile ship of the Russian Navy.

The Freedom of Russia Legion announced this today during a press conference.

The fire occurred on April 7, 2024, on the territory of the naval base in the city of Baltiysk, Kaliningrad region.

The details of the sabotage were revealed only now when the volunteer, who was then an active member of the Russian invasion army, was able to leave the Russian territory.

“Finally, we can share the details of a special operation on the ship Serpukhov conducted by patriots of free Russia from the Freedom of Russia Legion and a volunteer with the call sign Goga,” the unit said.

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{A Russian volunteer with the call sign Goga. Photo credits: Freedom of Russia Legion}

The Project 21631 Buyan-M small missile ship Serpukhov was launched in 2015 and is a carrier of Kalibr cruise missiles. Russians use similarly designed ships for missile strikes against Ukraine.

“Callsign Goga contacted the Legion in 2023 as an active duty Baltic Fleet serviceman with access to state secrets. For a long time, at the risk of his own life, he provided important information,” the Freedom of Russia Legion added about the volunteer’s activities.

When the fire on the ship was reported, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine noted that the fire inside the missile ship completely destroyed its communications and automation equipment. Restoring the ship’s combat capability will take a long time.

In its video, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine also released footage of one of the rooms of the ship where the fire started, which, in turn, confirms the involvement of the Ukrainian special services:

На росії вигорів ракетний корабель “сєрпухов”

The video also shows the plan of the ship, which was probably transmitted by a volunteer with the call sign Goga:

^{A fragment of the plan of the Project 21631 Buyan-M missile ship. Photo credits: The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine}

The statement of the Freedom of Russia Legion calls for joining and helping in such actions. You can contact them through the official Telegram bot:

https://t.me/lsr_official_bot

quote:

Russia's Missile Strike on Dnipro Kills at Least 5 Civilians and Injures 47
Multiple explosions were heard in Dnipro city, Ukraine just before 10 am, on July 3. According to preliminary data, Russia hit a shopping center.

At least 5 civilians were killed and 47 injured, including a 14-year-old girl.

According to the Dnipropetrovsk Mayor, the Air Defense Forces downed 5 missiles and 5 Shahed drones over the Dnipropetrovsk region.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and stressed the urgent need for air defense to the allies.

“Only two things can stop this Russian terror – modern air defense systems and the long-range capabilities of our weapons. The world can protect lives, and it requires the determination of leaders. Determination that can and must make protection from terror the norm again,“ Zelenskyy wrote.

SPOILER

quote:

.




^{The aftermath of Russia’s attack on Dnipro, July 3, 2024. (Source: Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration)}

quote:

Three brothers each given 17 years in jail for seeking to join Freedom of Russia Legion

^{Ioann, Alexey and Timofey Ashcheulov during the court hearing. Photo: SOTAvision}

Three sons of a priest from central Russia’s Lipetsk region have been handed 17-year prison sentences by a military court for attempting to join a Ukrainian-based paramilitary organisation, Russian independent outlet Mediazona reported on Wednesday.

Ioann, Alexey and Timofey Ashcheulov were charged with attempting to join the Freedom of Russia Legion, a battalion composed of Russian volunteer soldiers fighting for Ukraine, which the Russian government has designated as a terrorist organisation.

The three men were detained last July while attempting to cross the border from Russia into Ukraine in order to join the volunteer legion, according to investigators. The oldest brother Ioann was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison, while Alexey and Timofey were given 17 years each.

SPOILER

quote:

During their arrest, law enforcement seized one of the brother’s phones, which contained correspondence between Ioann and a representative from the battalion. The same brother had also contacted the I Want to Live project, a state-funded Ukrainian organisation created to assist Russian soldiers surrender to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to find the safest route across the border.

The brothers were found guilty of attempted treason, conspiracy to illegally cross the Russian border, and attempted participation in a terrorist organisation. Despite making a full confession at the beginning of the investigation, they pleaded not guilty to the charges.

“I will treat this as the price for not being complicit in the crimes committed by our country’s government, for retaining my own freedom,” Ioann said.

During their final interrogations, Ioann declared that they would not provide any testimony during the proceedings, requesting only that they be allowed to make a final statement and that they be held in the same facility during their sentence.

Their father, Igor Ashcheulov, a priest from Lipetsk, attended the trial and maintained that his sons were “the best people” he knew, and suggested that they had been coerced into making their initial confessions, Russian state-affiliated daily Kommersant reported.

“I will treat this as the price for not being complicit in the crimes committed by our country’s government, for retaining my own freedom,” Ioann said during his final statement.

quote:

Russian troops use century-old weapons in attacks on Ukrainian positions — photo
The Russian forces, the so-called "second army of the world," are storming Ukrainian positions with weapons dating back to the previous century, the Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov reported on Telegram on July 3.

At least one of the eliminated soldiers was not armed with the standard Kalashnikov rifle, the primary weapon of the Russian Armed Forces, but rather with a Mosin-Nagant 3-line rifle, the photos show.

"30 enemies were liquidated in the attack," Butusov said.

"Most strikingly, one of the fallen attackers wielded a Mosin-Nagant rifle, in use since 1891. Known as the 'Mosinka,' this firearm served in the Russian army during the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 and both World Wars. The Russian Armed Forces are deploying weapons that truly have no modern equivalents."

SPOILER

^{The Russians use the weapons with which their ancestors fought still the Russo-Japanese War (Photo:t.me/ButusovPlus)}

quote:

Russia Suspends Participation in OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Kremlin accused the assembly of "biased, discriminatory approaches, double standards, total Russophobia, unpreparedness for meaningful discussions."

Russian lawmakers on Wednesday voted to suspend Moscow's participation in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) parliamentary assembly, branding it anti-Russian and discriminatory.

Both chambers of Russia's rubber-stamp parliament -- the State Duma and Federation Council -- voted unanimously to cease participation in the body during sessions on Wednesday.

The Federation Council, the upper chamber of parliament, accused the assembly of "biased, discriminatory approaches, double standards, total Russophobia, unpreparedness for meaningful discussions, including on relevant issues of ensuring equal and indivisible security."

The OSCE's parliamentary assembly is not a decision-making body, but is intended to facilitate dialogue between its members' legislatures.

The OSCE has 57 members, including both Moscow and Kyiv. Ukraine has called for Russia to be expelled.

quote:

NATO to finance �40 bln in military assistance to Ukraine for 2025
NATO countries agree to finance military assistance to Ukraine for 2025.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated this.

In general, NATO countries were able to agree on a �40 billion financial package for military assistance, which the alliance will use to support Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

This commitment is expected to be signed next week in Washington, DC.

During discussions on military aid to Ukraine, some NATO defense ministers did not agree to support a �40 billion financial package.

Therefore, Stoltenberg appealed to all the countries of the organization to maintain a high level of military assistance to Ukraine.

SPOILER

quote:

During the NATO summit, which will take place from July 9 to 11, 2024, the Alliance plans to assure Ukraine that they will continue their military, political, and financial support.

In addition, the alliance will assume responsibility for coordinating security assistance to Ukraine, which is currently led by the United States in the Ramstein format.

Such an unwavering position will provide Ukraine with all the necessary military equipment, weapons, and financial support needed to purchase a large number of weapons to counter Russian aggression.

Currently, in addition to assistance from the Alliance, Ukraine also receives support through initiatives from some European countries aimed at finding, purchasing, and transferring artillery shells, air defense systems, and anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine.

Militarnyi previously reported that the NATO Secretary General said that the Alliance would welcome South Korea’s decision to provide Ukraine with lethal aid.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also said that NATO would welcome any significant support from South Korea to help Ukraine in the fight against Russia, pointing out that issues like North Korean threats and the war in Ukraine show that ensuring security was not bound by the region.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 12:59 schreef PluggieOD het volgende:

[..]
Daaff zwetst weer wat.

Net als La Cambe hebben wij de Duitse militaire begraafplaats in Ysselsteyn - waar van de Wehrmacht tot de SS ligt.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 15:49 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Kortom enkel de graven van "Russische" soviet soldaten moeten geruimd worden?

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 20:40 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Wij hebben toch ook geen praalgraven voor SS-ers? Voor de Esten zijn de Russen bezetters en onderdrukkers, dus dat ze die graven ruimen is prima te begrijpen.

quote:

Op dinsdag 2 juli 2024 20:29 schreef Shotty het volgende:

[..]
Waarom moet je precies begraafplaatsen hebben voor mensen die jou land binnen gevallen zijn en bezet hebben gehouden?

En als je dat al moet, voor hoe lang dan?
Je kan niet eeuwig begraafplaatsen blijven onderhouden.

quote:

Rule 115.
Disposal of the Dead
Rule 115. The dead must be disposed of in a respectful manner and their graves respected and properly maintained.
Practice
Volume II, Chapter 35, Section D.

Summary
State practice establishes this rule as a norm of customary international law applicable in both international and non-international armed conflicts.

International armed conflicts
The obligation to dispose of the dead respectfully was first codified in the 1929 Geneva Conventions.[1] It is now dealt with in detail in the 1949 Geneva Conventions.[2]
Many military manuals specify that the dead must be disposed of decently.[3] This obligation is set forth in the legislation of most, if not all, States.[4] It was upheld in 2002 by Israel’s High Court in the Jenin (Mortal Remains) case.[5]
The above-mentioned treaty provisions also require that graves be respected and properly maintained. Additional Protocol I adds that the parties must conclude agreements to protect and maintain gravesites permanently.[6] The requirement to respect and maintain gravesites is also laid down in numerous military manuals.[7]

Non-international armed conflicts
The obligation to dispose of the dead decently in non-international armed conflicts is set forth in Additional Protocol II.[8] In addition, this rule is contained in other instruments pertaining also to non-international armed conflicts.[9]
A number of military manuals which are applicable in or have been applied in non-international armed conflicts specify that the dead must be disposed of decently.[10] The legislation of most, if not all, States requires respect for this rule.[11] It may be said that this rule reflects a general principle of law requiring respect for the dead and their graves.
No official contrary practice was found with respect to either international or non-international armed conflicts. A reported case of the disrespectful disposal of dead civilians in Papua New Guinea was condemned by the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions.[12]
It is also likely that further detailed rules supporting the requirement of decent disposal of the dead and respect and proper maintenance of their gravesites are contained in domestic legislation.
Interpretation

The Geneva Conventions specify that the dead must be buried, if possible, according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged and that they may only be cremated in exceptional circumstances, namely because of imperative reasons of hygiene, on account of the religion of the deceased or in accordance with the express wish of the deceased.[13] The Geneva Conventions furthermore require that, in principle, burial should be in individual graves. Collective graves may only be used when circumstances do not permit the use of individual graves or, in case of burial of prisoners of war or civilian internees, because unavoidable circumstances require the use of collective graves.[14] Lastly, the Geneva Conventions require that graves be grouped according to nationality if possible.[15] These requirements are also set forth in numerous military manuals.[16]
It is likely that some of these requirements also apply in non-international armed conflicts on the basis of national law. In 1995, for example, Colombia’s Council of State held that the deceased must be buried individually subject to all the requirements of the law, and not in mass graves.

SPOILER

Article 34 - Remains of deceased
1. The remains of persons who have died for reasons related to occupation or in detention resulting from occupation or hostilities and those of persons not nationals of the country in which they have died as a result of hostilities shall be respected, and the gravesites of all such persons shall be respected, maintained and marked as provided for in Article 130 of the Fourth Convention, where their remains or gravesites would not receive more favourable consideration under the Conventions and this Protocol.

2. As soon as circumstances and the relations between the adverse Parties permit, the High Contracting Parties in whose territories graves and, as the case may be, other locations of the remains of persons who have died as a result of hostilities or during occupation or in detention are situated, shall conclude agreements in order:

(a) to facilitate access to the gravesites by relatives of the deceased and by representatives of official graves registration services and to regulate the practical arrangements for such access;

(b) to protect and maintain such gravesites permanently;

(c) to facilitate the return of the remains of the deceased and of personal effects to the home country upon its request or, unless that country objects, upon the request of the next of kin.

3. In the absence of the agreements provided for in paragraph 2 (b) or (c) and if the home country of such deceased is not willing to arrange at its expense for the maintenance of such gravesites, the High Contracting Party in whose territory the gravesites are situated may offer to facilitate the return of the remains of the deceased to the home country. Where such an offer has not been accepted the High Contracting Party may, after the expiry of five years from the date of the offer and upon due notice to the home country, adopt the arrangements laid down in its own laws relating to cemeteries and graves.

4. A High Contracting Party in whose territory the gravesites referred to in this Article are situated shall be permitted to exhume the remains only:

(a) in accordance with paragraphs 2 (c) and 3, or

(b) where exhumation is a matter of overriding public necessity, including cases of medical and investigative necessity, in which case the High Contracting Party shall at all times respect the remains, and shall give notice to the home country of its intention to exhume the remains together with details of the intended place of reinterment.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 18:33 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
[ x ]

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 18:40 schreef zalkc het volgende:

[..]
Ik had het niet over paalgraven, maar over het respecteren van oorlogsgraven. Laat je de doelpalen even staan?
[..]
[..]
https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1/rule115

Is allemaal gewoon internationaal recht.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 18:40 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Die FIRMS detectie is er al jarenlang daar. Vermoedelijk reflecterende daken, of industri�le activiteiten.

quote:

Adjacent thermal imagery is from combustion processes at a factory near the pier. However, historical FIRMS data never shows a similar thermal signature at the location of the pier meaning it is unique.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 18:44 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
De Esten hebben dus geen respect voor Russische oorlogsgraven en het zal hun aan hun reet roesten of dat internationaal recht is. Waarom zouden ze ook? Het is niet alsof het graven zijn van militairen uit een land dat zich zelf veel aantrekt van het internationale recht...

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 18:51 schreef zalkc het volgende:

[..]
Het mag zo te zien volgens internationaal recht als er meer als 5 jaar niet voor het onderhoud is betaald.
Maar daar weet ik het fijne niet van hoe dat er voor staat.

Je argument dat Rusland zich niet aan internationale verdragen houdt vind ik verder weinig sterk. Als je je gaat gedragen als de Russen ben je eigenlijk ook geen haar beter op dat moment.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 18:51 schreef zalkc het volgende:

[..]
Het mag zo te zien volgens internationaal recht als er meer als 5 jaar niet voor het onderhoud is betaald.
Maar daar weet ik het fijne niet van hoe dat er voor staat.

Je argument dat Rusland zich niet aan internationale verdragen houdt vind ik verder weinig sterk. Als je je gaat gedragen als de Russen ben je eigenlijk ook geen haar beter op dat moment.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 18:51 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
[..]
Heb je het over die grotere detectie? Of ook over die kleinere? Want volgens het bericht is de kleinere er eentje die niet eerder gezien is.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 18:17 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://english.nv.ua/nat(...)-photo-50432061.html
[..]

SPOILER

[ afbeelding ]
^{The Russians use the weapons with which their ancestors fought still the Russo-Japanese War (Photo:t.me/ButusovPlus)}
[ afbeelding ]

Weer een museumstuk die gebruikt wordt in de oorlog. Al is het volgens mij niet de eerste keer dat zo'n oud wapen gevonden wordt.

SPOILER

Mosin-Nagant to 500yds: Practical Accuracy (Mosin-Nagant M91/30)

quote:

Kazakh Opposition Journalist Dies in Kyiv Following Assassination Attempt
Kazakh opposition journalist Aidos Sadykov was shot in his own car in Kyiv on Tuesday, June 18. The suspects are two citizens of Kazakhstan: Meiram Karataev and Altai Zhatkanbayev.

Kazakh opposition journalist Aidos Sadykov passed away in Kyiv on Tuesday, July 2, after spending 13 days in a coma following an assassination attempt.

His wife, Natalia Sadykova, announced his death on Facebook, stating, “Aidos Sadykov left us today at 03:00 Kyiv time. My beloved husband, the father of our three children, is a great son of the Kazakh people. Aidos gave his life for Kazakhstan, suffering martyrdom at the hands of killers.”

Natalia Sadykova accused Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of being responsible for her husband's death.

“His death is on Tokayev's conscience,” she wrote.

In response to these allegations, Maulen Ashimbayev, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, denied any involvement of Kazakh authorities in Sadykov's murder.

Ashimbayev also stated that Kazakhstan would not extradite a suspect in the attempted murder to Ukraine, citing it as a matter of state principle.

SPOILER

quote:

The assassination
Kazakh opposition journalist Aidos Sadykov, 56, was shot by an unknown assailant in Kyiv on Tuesday, June 18.

Preliminary investigation found that an unknown assailant approached a parked car in the Shevchenkivsky district of Kyiv with a man and a woman inside. The attacker fired at the man and then fled the scene. The woman was unharmed.

Ukrainian media later identified the victim as Sadykov. His wife, Nataliya Sadykova, confirmed the attack.

“Today in Kyiv, near his own house, an attempt was made on [the life of] Aidos Sadykov,” she wrote on Facebook.

On June 21, the Ukrainian police reported that they had identified suspects in the attempted murder of Aidos Sadykov. The suspects are two citizens of Kazakhstan: Meiram Karataev, born in 1991, and Altai Zhatkanbayev, born in 1988.

The men crossed the border into Moldova on the day of the crime, June 18, and are now on the international wanted list.

Altai Zhatkanbayev was detained in Kazakhstan on June 22. He voluntarily approached the internal affairs authorities in Kazakhstan, where he was questioned about the circumstances of the case.

What is known about Aidos Sadikov?
Aidos Sadykov was sentenced to two years in prison in 2010 on charges of “hooliganism” in Kazakhstan. He was released in 2012, and he and his supporters claimed that the charges were fabricated.

Sadykov led the Aktobe regional branch of the opposition Nationwide Social Democratic Party (OSDP) Azat. After departing from the party, he attempted to establish the opposition civic movement Gastat.

The journalist's family moved to Kyiv from the Kazakh city of Aktobe in 2014 after his wife Nataliya was charged with a crime. They then acquired refugee status in Ukraine.

Last fall, Aidos and Nataliya hosted the BASE YouTube channel critical of the Kazakh government and oligarchs.

Sadykov supported the protests in Kazakhstan in January 2022, during which troops of the Collective Security Treaty Organization were deployed to suppress them.

In October 2023, Sadykov was put on the wanted list in Kazakhstan for allegedly “inciting enmity.”

The journalist’s latest video, titled “The President of Kazakhstan has become a puppet of Russian influence agents,” was published on the day he was shot.

quote:

Russia Reportedly Installs Multi-Million Dollar Missiles Above Crimean Beach
According to partisan reports, Russians placed the $25 million Tor-M2 complex directly above the beach in occupied Sevastopol, endangering the local population.

The Atesh partisan movement reported on Telegram that it recorded the Tor-M2 short-range surface-to-air missile defense system above a popular local beach in Russian-occupied Sevastopol, Crimea.

“The Russians have chosen another ‘ideal’ place to place their anti-aircraft missile system,” the report read, accompanied by photos of the discovered complex.

The guerrillas reported that the Tor-M2 was placed directly above the beach, once again putting the local population at risk.

Atesh said that the Ukrainian Defense Forces are systematically destroying radar stations and anti-aircraft missile systems, freeing up a “kind of corridor to the Crimean Bridge.”

“Most likely this is one of the last photographs of this complex. The countdown to the life of the ‘illegal construction’ has begun,” the report stated.

SPOILER

quote:

The Tor-M2, designed by the Russian defense company Almaz-Antey, is an upgraded version of the Tor-M1 short-range air defense missile system. It costs about $25 million.

First shown at the Moscow Air Show in 2007, the Tor-M2 has enhanced radar coverage and can guide up to four missiles simultaneously. It also offers a wheeled chassis option, a new digital computer system, and an all-weather tracking system.

The Tor-M2 targets aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, guided missiles, and other high-precision weapons systems flying at low altitudes.

In June 2020, it was announced that the Tor-M2 had been modified to protect Russian oil and gas infrastructure.

Earlier, Russian milbloggers criticized the Russian Defense Ministry and Crimean occupation authorities for placing military targets near civilian areas in Crimea to deter Ukrainian strikes, reports the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The Russian Defense Ministry announced on June 23 that Ukraine launched five ATACMS missiles at Sevastopol, intercepting four and causing one to detonate due to a Russian air defense interceptor. The Ministry blamed the US for the civilian casualties because ATACMS is a US-provided system, even though Russian air defense caused the detonation.

Milbloggers also criticized the authorities for not using air raid sirens to warn civilians. The missiles allegedly contained cluster munitions that affected civilians near Uchuivka Park in Sevastopol. Moscow has been criticized for failing to detect all incoming missiles, warn people, and build air raid shelters.

quote:

Russia and China Partner on Developing a New Attack Drone
China and Russia are working together to develop a new attack drone modeled after the Iranian Shahed 136, according to the Bloomberg report.

The report says that negotiations between the two countries began in 2023 and that the development and testing of the new drone started this year.

While the new drone hasn’t been officially identified, Chinese defense websites and media outlets have reported on the development of an attack drone named “Sunflower 200”, that has a resemblance of the Iranian Shahed drone.

The US officials claim that China is holding off directly supplying weapons or artillery, as such a move could trigger a major escalation and potentially lead to sanctions against the world’s second-largest economy.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has relied on Iranian Shahed drones for extensive attacks in Ukraine, as they are a cost-effective weapon for Russia.

Earlier in May, it was reported that Russia expanded its attack drone manufacturing, using Iranian technology, in its factory in Tatarstan.

While these drones are relatively cheap to manufacture, they pose a significant challenge for Ukraine’s defense systems.

quote:

'Zoveelste intimidatie'
Russische ambassade haalt uit naar Nederland om levering F-16's aan Oekra�ne
De Russische ambassade in Nederland heeft met dreigende woorden gereageerd op de aankondiging dat Nederland 'spoedig' F-16-gevechtsvliegtuigen naar Oekra�ne gaat sturen. "We beschouwen dit als een vijandige zet", schrijft de ambassade op X.
"We willen benadrukken dat de gevechtsvliegtuigen die aan Oekra�ne worden geleverd, evenals de luchthavens waar de vliegtuigen vertrekken, door Rusland worden gezien als legitieme doelwitten bij speciale militaire operaties", vervolgt de ambassade.

'Bekende retoriek'
De kersverse minister van Defensie Ruben Brekelmans heeft op de woorden van de ambassade gereageerd. "Die retoriek vanuit het Kremlin kennen we inmiddels", zegt de minister tegen RTL Nieuws. Bekijk zijn reactie hier:

Dat Nederland F-16's aan Oekra�ne gaat leveren is volgens hem al meer dan een jaar bekend. "Dus dat zou niet als een verrassing moeten komen."

"Wij laten ons daar niet door afleiden", vervolgt Brekelmans. "We gaan die F-16's zo snel mogelijk aan Oekra�ne leveren."

Precieze levering niet bekend
Maandag liet oud-minister van Defensie Ollongren aan de Tweede Kamer weten dat de vereiste vergunning voor levering van militair materieel aan Oekra�ne inmiddels was afgegeven.

Wanneer de eerste levering van de gevechtsvliegtuigen precies zal plaatsvinden, wilde het ministerie gisteren uit veiligheidsoverwegingen niet zeggen. Wel zou de levering 'spoedig' plaatsvinden. Volgens een woordvoerder wordt nog steeds gemikt op ergens eind deze zomer.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 20:05 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/35145
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

Vernietigen die hap dus.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 20:19 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.rtl.nl/nieuws(...)16-levering-oekraine
[..]
Filmpje in het artikel.

[ x ]
[ x ]
[ x ]
Wat een comments ook onder die twitter berichten. Ik schaam me gewoon voor die zogenaamde Nederlanders. Maar het laat wel zien hoe bang Rusland wel niet is voor die F-16s.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 22:07 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:
Wanneer zien we die F16's nou eens in actie? Wordt echt eens tijd.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 20:19 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.rtl.nl/nieuws(...)16-levering-oekraine
[..]
Filmpje in het artikel.

[ x ]
[ x ]
[ x ]
Wat een comments ook onder die twitter berichten. Ik schaam me gewoon voor die zogenaamde Nederlanders. Maar het laat wel zien hoe bang Rusland wel niet is voor die F-16s.

quote:

Op woensdag 3 juli 2024 20:19 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.rtl.nl/nieuws(...)16-levering-oekraine
[..]
Filmpje in het artikel.

[ x ]
[ x ]
[ x ]
Wat een comments ook onder die twitter berichten. Ik schaam me gewoon voor die zogenaamde Nederlanders. Maar het laat wel zien hoe bang Rusland wel niet is voor die F-16s.

quote:

Belarus Arms Military with Shahed/Geran Drones

^{Geran-2 (Shahed-136) loitering munitions with its own name "Kochevnik". Photo credits: mass media of Belarus}

Belarus demonstrated Shahed-136 loitering munitions at the country’s Independence Day parade, as seen in relevant photos published online.

During the parade, the drones were mounted on Chinese Great Wall SUVs.

There have been no previous reports of Iranian loitering munitions of this type being transferred to Belarus.

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{Geran-2 (Shahed-136) loitering munitions with its own name “Kochevnik”. Photo credits: mass media of Belarus}

Additionally, the first letter of the serial number indicates these drones are fully manufactured in Russia.

The demonstration suggests they may have been adopted by the Belarusian army.

Recently, the Belarusian army has begun purchasing strike weapons from the Russian Federation to bolster its armed forces.

According to the Ministry of Defense of Belarus, this rearmament is in response to strong pressure from NATO and alleged provocations by Ukraine along the Belarusian-Ukrainian border.

^{Geran-2 (Shahed-136) loitering munitions with its own name “Kochevnik”. Photo credits: mass media of Belarus}

In addition to Iranian loitering munitions, Belarus also received Iskander short-range tactical missile systems from Russia.

According to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, these systems are capable of using tactical nuclear warheads, a claim repeatedly made by both Belarusian and Russian authorities.

In May, exercises were conducted to practice the deployment of these tactical missile systems in the event of a nuclear war.

Previously, Militarnyi reported that in early June, Russian and Belarusian military forces held exercises involving tactical nuclear forces in Belarus.

quote:

Pressure on journalists, press freedom limitations continue in wartime Ukraine

^{President Volodymr Zelensky walks into the press conference at the "Ukraine Year 2024" forum in Kyiv, Ukraine on Feb. 25, 2024. (Paula Bronstein./Getty Images)}

Ukrainian journalists and media watchdogs are continuing to voice concerns over declining press freedoms as their country’s army fights on more than two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion to protect the future of the democracy.

Months after attacks on investigative journalists provoked a public outcry and condemnation, media still face different forms of pressure from authorities, according to Ukrainian editors and press freedom watchdogs interviewed by the Kyiv Independent.

The most significant recent cases include censorship attempts and political interference at a state news agency, allegations of journalists being drafted for the war as retribution, and the de facto withdrawal of a Ukrainian public broadcaster from the controversial state-imposed and controlled television news programs called telemarathon.

Independent Ukrainian media also report that the military command is hindering their front-line coverage and that they lack access to key government officials. President Volodymyr Zelensky has given only a handful of interviews to Ukrainian media since the start of the full-scale invasion.

SPOILER

quote:

Martial law imposed after Russia launched its full-scale invasion allows the state to seize or control any assets if crucial to the military effort, including media. But the justifications for such actions are vague and concern looms high that the measures can be abused without due cause and oversight.

While Zelensky has publicly condemned pressure on the media, Oleh Tatarov, a top official from his administration, may be behind at least one attack on journalists, a senior official told the Kyiv Independent.

And with authorities making no progress in probing some of the most high-profile cases where media freedoms have been jeopardized, concern looms not only about a lack of political will at the top but also about authorities purposefully silencing journalists.

‘Undesirable’ speakers
In late May, Ukrainska Pravda, a major Ukrainian independent media outlet, published an investigation revealing that Oleksii Matsuka, until recently the head of state news agency Ukrinform, distributed a list of banned speakers to his reporters. The list branded as "undesirable" opposition politicians, civil society activists, and other potential critics of the authorities, such as "residents of the region who have not had a water supply for a long time."

Ukrainian media professionals have compared this incident to the large-scale censorship campaign under former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. Since Yanukovych was ousted by the EuroMaidan Revolution in 2014, press freedom has improved drastically, with the emergence of many new independent media outlets, a public broadcaster and legislation adopted to align the country's media with EU standards.

^{Journalist Oleksiy Matsuka at the Donbas Media Forum in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 6, 2015. (U.S. Embassy Kyiv Ukraine / Wikipedia)}

Some of Ukrinform’s employees have rebelled against interference in their editorial independence by seeking support from media watchdogs and Western embassies.

In May, after months of tensions, Matsuka was replaced with former military spokesman Serhii Cherevatyi. Zelensky’s office in comments to Ukrainska Pravda has denied wrongful interference in Ukrinform’s work, while Matsuka refused to comment on the origins of the guidelines he distributed and his links to the president’s administration.

Zelensky’s office has not yet publicly commented on the accusations of censorship.

“The government is just ignoring this topic,” Sevgil Musaieva, Ukrainska Pravda’s chief editor, told the Kyiv Independent.

Matsuka did not reply to the Kyiv Independent’s request for a comment.

Ukrainian and international media organizations have expressed concerns about Cherevatyi's appointment, citing his lack of experience in managing media and potential conflict of interest as a military serviceman in charge of a national news agency.

In a comment to the Kyiv Independent, Cherevatyi argued that his military status did not disqualify him from the role, saying, "You either follow the law or you don't."

"All the duties and legal requirements applicable to my predecessors also apply to me,” he said. “The only thing distinguishing me is that I can be called back to the Armed Forces very quickly."

Oksana Romaniuk, the director of Ukraine’s Institute of Mass Information, a media watchdog, said that merely changing the head of Ukrinform is unlikely to restore its editorial independence. She stressed the need for the news agency to modernize its "outdated statute" and undergo a large-scale reform similar to Suspilne, a public broadcaster that has an independent supervisory board.

^{Director of the Institute of Mass Information Oksana Romaniuk attends the "Democracy in Action: Zero Corruption" Conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 8, 2021. (Volodymyr Tarasov/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)}

Cherevatyi said he "wouldn't hurry" with reforming Ukrinform, "especially during the war, considering what resources are available to the enemy," but mentioned ongoing discussions with journalists and other stakeholders on preventing censorship in the future.

Shortly after the Kyiv Independent's conversation with Cherevatyi, Ukraine's acting Culture and Information Minister Rostyslav Karandieiev announced that his department was preparing changes to Ukrinform's statute that would allow for the creation of a supervisory board.

Meanwhile, one of the Ukrinform journalists who publicly revealed the guidelines for avoiding “undesirable” speakers said he received a draft notice calling him up for military service immediately after. He said he didn’t know if it was a coincidence or retribution for his whistleblowing.

It's still unclear who authored the guidelines on "undesirable" speakers that were distributed among the Ukrinform reporters.

Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, head of parliament's freedom of speech committee, requested for the Prosecutor General's Office to assess whether there are grounds for a criminal investigation of censorship at Ukrinform. He told the Kyiv Independent that his request was transferred to the National Police. As of July 3, no law enforcement agency has opened an investigation into censorship attempts at Ukrinform, according to Yurchyshyn.

Public broadcaster breaks away from telemarathon
In May, Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne announced that it would launch its own news broadcasting, separate from the controversial “telemarathon,” also known as "Yedyni Novyny" ("United News").

The telemarathon was initiated at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 by merging the news coverage of Ukraine's largest TV channels into one program with each of the media’s teams handling coverage on rotations. Since then, it has faced heavy criticism for monopolizing national news coverage and stifling dissent, with the U.S. State Department saying that it "enabled an unprecedented level of control over primetime television news." The latest polls show that most Ukrainians don't trust the telemarathon.

The news about Suspilne's decision came after the state-funded broadcaster, the only telemarathon participant to invite opposition politicians on air, faced discrediting attempts by a lawmaker from Zelensky's party and efforts to remove it from the telemarathon's primetime evening slots.

^{President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers an urgent televised address to the Ukrainian nation in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 2, 2022. (Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)}

By de jure remaining part of the telemarathon, while expanding its independent news broadcasting, Suspilne has managed to "continue broadcasting on its own frequency and creating independent and high-quality content," according to Romaniuk.

"Now, there are no such mechanisms that would allow pressure on Suspilne's content… except for the state funding," she added.

Suspilne has been underfunded since its creation in 2017, a trend that has continued during the full-scale war. Yurchyshyn does not see this as state pressure since "for a warring country, insufficient financing of certain non-military spheres is a sad but real story."

Politics and media in wartime
One way the telemarathon monopolizes Ukraine's information space is through its exclusive access to top officials, who can promote their agendas on air without facing challenging questions or being held accountable, said Yuliia Bankova, chief editor of the independent media outlet Liga.net.

Bankova said that her publication, one of the most-read online media outlets in Ukraine, has been trying to arrange interviews with high-ranking Ukrainian officials since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. But their requests are consistently denied. This makes it challenging for her team to provide high-quality journalism to their audience.

"We can't give people answers to their questions and the analysis they want because no one simply communicates with us," Bankova said. "Making something up is not journalism. And that's how an (information) vacuum is created."

Independent media in Ukraine also struggle to maintain adequate front-line reporting. Obtaining media access is becoming increasingly difficult, and military commanders are now more restricted in their communication with the media.

Since December 2023, Ukrainian commanders and chiefs of military units have been obliged to "coordinate" interviews, press briefings, and comments with the military's Strategic Communications Directorate, the acting head of the directorate told Detector Media outlet on June 17 after a clarifying decree was leaked.

Musaieva said that her editorial team has felt the effect of this decree on their job but could not disclose any details. The problems with front-line access for journalists began late last year, added Musaieva, which coincides with a large-scale shake-up in the military leadership that ousted chief commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

"My foreign colleagues complain that they no longer understand the purpose of keeping such large bureaus in Ukraine because they do not have that level of access to the front that they had before," said Musaieva, suggesting that the lack of access is one of the reasons for a recent drop in the attention of international media to the war in Ukraine.

According to the investigative outlet Slidstvo.Info, some military personnel have been prohibited from discussing the state of fortifications in Kharkiv Oblast, where Russia recently launched a new major ground offensive. The military repeatedly asked Slidstvo.Info to delete all mentions of issues with fortifications from an article, arguing that it's a "political matter" that could lead to pressure on units “from above.”

^{Ukrainian and foreign journalists attend the press conference of President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 25, 2024, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Volodymyr Tarasov / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)}

This approach shows an intention "to pass off the desired as real, and to avoid talking about problems," Anastasiia Stanko, Slidstvo.Info’s chief editor and a long-time war reporter, told the Kyiv Independent.

"You start to think, what is the point of even going there (to the front lines) — you risk your life, it costs a lot of money, and you effectively cannot show the real situation there,” she said.

Musaieva shares the skepticism, complaining that the Ukrainian government "perceives journalists more as enemies."

Will there be justice?
A wave of discrediting campaigns and attacks against independent journalists began in the autumn of last year, according to Romaniuk, from the Institute of Mass Information.

After these incidents became public and attracted the attention of Kyiv's Western partners, the number of such cases dropped, she said.

"I believe this became possible thanks to the solidarity of the journalistic community, which declares its agency in crises," she said.

Yurchyshyn said that his committee now meets quarterly with law enforcement officers and the media community to address cases of obstruction of journalistic activities. He highlighted that Ukraine has climbed 18 positions in Reporters Without Borders (RSF)'s freedom of speech ranking since last year.

^{Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech Yaroslav Yurchyshyn is seen during a briefing in the Ukrainian Parliament, on May 8, 2024, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Yevhen Kotenko / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)}

The RSF acknowledged in a comment to the Kyiv Independent a partial improvement in press freedom in Ukraine but emphasized the need for justice for perpetrators of crimes against journalists as most criminal cases over such violations opened this year "have remained at a standstill."

One such case was opened in April, when an investigative journalist of Slidstvo.Info, Yevhenii Shulhat, received a draft summons under the guidance of a Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) employee, in an apparent retaliation for the investigation he was working on at the time.

Published shortly after, the journalist’s investigation revealed that the wife of the head of the SBU cybersecurity department, Illia Vitiuk, has made big earnings and bought an expensive apartment in Kyiv after Vitiuk got the top job.

After it became public that an SBU employee targeted the journalist with a draft summons, prosecutors opened a criminal case, and the State Bureau of Investigation was put in charge of it.

However, according to Stanko, so far, the case doesn’t mention Vitiuk – either as a suspect or a witness. Moreover, she said that in the two months since the case was opened, the State Bureau of Investigation has not interrogated those involved, including the people who handed the journalist the draft notice. The bureau hasn’t responded to a request for comment by the time this story was published.

After the scandal, Zelensky fired Vitiuk. The SBU said its former cybersecurity boss was deployed for military service.

^{Ukrainian journalist Yurii Nikolov in an undated photo. (Facebook)}

Another unsolved case is a threatening visit to the apartment of Yurii Nikolov, an investigative journalist focusing on government corruption, in January. Several people banged on his door, called him a draft dodger, and published footage of their actions on an anonymous pro-government Telegram channel.

"After talking with the investigator, I got the impression that they are not very keen to find the organizers but limit themselves only to the executors, who have already been interrogated twice and released," Nikolov told the Kyiv Independent.

"The absence of any punishment against the organizers and the continuation of the discrediting campaign indicates that in this way, 'someone' is sending a signal: journalists are (a target), but let's just shut up for a while until the attention from foreign partners decreases," he said.

Authorities are yet to demonstrate progress in the most scandalous attack on press freedom in recent months: the case of illegal surveillance of journalists from Bihus.Info, a popular outlet investigating top-level graft.

In January, it was revealed that SBU employees surveilled the Bihus.Info team, an effort that included filming journalists in hotel rooms. This caused a public outcry and even a personal condemnation from Zelensky.

^{Three men linked to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) bring surveillance equipment to a suburban complex near Kyiv where staff members of Ukrainian investigative media outlet Bihus.info were secretly filmed during their New Year private party (Bihus.info)}


Denys Bihus, the head of Bihus.info, in an undated photo. (Andrey Krepkikh / UNDP Ukraine)

The SBU, the National Police, and the State Bureau of Investigation opened investigations into the incident. Five months later, no results have been brought to the public.

The case has not yet been brought to court, and it’s still unclear who initiated the surveillance.

The National Police told the Kyiv Independent that the pre-trial investigation, which started on Jan. 18, is still ongoing and said that they are legally prohibited from disclosing any further details.

The Kyiv Independent asked the State Bureau of Investigation for comment on the status of their investigation but hasn’t heard back.

Denys Bihus, the founder of Bihus.Info, is skeptical about the chances of the case of surveillance of his team members being solved, based on the history of investigations of attacks against journalists. In previous instances, he said, investigations were simply “stretched for the time long enough for everything to be forgotten.”

Oksana Maksymeniuk, head of the legal department at Ukraine's Institute for the Development of the Regional Press, echoes this skepticism. Her department’s lawyers have been representing Ukrainian journalists, including the Bihus.Info team. Cases that involve obstructing journalists’ work don’t make it to court for years, she said.

A senior official who asked to remain anonymous told the Kyiv Independent that there is a "reasonable suspicion" that Oleh Tatarov, the deputy head of the President's Office, who has been the subject of numerous investigations by Bihus.Info, may be involved in the discrediting attempt against the outlet. The source added that the SBU department responsible for the surveillance was "under the influence" of Tatarov at the time. Tatarov is widely believed to be the Presidential Office’s curator of law enforcement agencies.

The press service of the Presidential Office said that Tatarov “had nothing to do” with the surveillance of the Bihus.Info team.

Tatarov, who has worked in Zelensky’s office since 2020, has earned a controversial reputation. Civil society activists have called for his resignation. In 2020, he was charged with giving a bribe, but law enforcement agencies have obstructed the case and eventually closed it.

^{President Volodymyr Zelenskyi speaks to the media during a press conference on Feb. 25, 2024, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Valentyna Polishchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)}

The SBU said its employees' surveillance of journalists was related to an investigation of organized drug crimes. However, the department that carried out the surveillance doesn’t deal with drug crimes, but rather with “protecting the statehood,” which includes keeping an eye on the media. The SBU fired the head of the department and said it deployed some of the department’s members to military service. The head of the SBU, Vasyl Maliuk, later said that media independence "must be ensured 100%," adding that "this is the standard we must hold high, especially in war."

SBU spokesperson Artem Dekhtiarenko told the Kyiv Independent that they transferred the case to the State Bureau of Investigation so that “the investigation is impartial.”

Dekhtiarenko said that the SBU made “personnel and organizational decisions” to reformat the department behind the surveillance. For example, he said, the subdivision known as “M,” short for “media” was transformed into the subdivision “P,” which will focus on “propagandists working in the interests of Russia.”

"There is no goal to punish these people (who attack journalists), no task to protect journalists. There is neither the political will for this nor the understanding, perhaps even by society, of the importance of the work of journalists during the war," Musaieva, the chief editor of Ukrainska Pravda, said.

She emphasized that sustaining pressure on media proves "there is still independent journalism (in Ukraine) and that even in conditions of full-scale war, journalists can criticize the government and seek some changes."

But the Kyiv Independent’s source who pointed at Tatarov warned that "if these suspicions are true, investigative actions in this direction will be blocked given that all law enforcement agencies are under the direct or indirect control of Tatarov.

quote:

Ukraine Drone Attack Halts Key Russian Electrometallurgical Plant
Kamikaze drones targeted two major electrical substations in the Belgorod region: the Stary Oskol substation and the Metallurgicheskaya substation, one of the largest in Europe.

Kyiv Post sources within Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR) said that a crucial Russian military-industrial complex plant, the Oskol Ugarov Electrometallurgical Combine (OEMK), was severely damaged early Monday, July 1, in a joint operation by HUR and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).

Kamikaze drones targeted two major electrical substations in the Belgorod region: the Stary Oskol substation near Neznamovo and the Metallurgicheskaya substation near Volokonovskoye, one of the largest in Europe. The attack resulted in the complete de-energization of OEMK, Russia's only full-cycle metallurgical enterprise.

OEMK is renowned for its advanced technology, including direct reduction of iron and electric furnace melting, which produces high-quality, impurity-free metal.

The de-energization caused all electric arc furnaces to stop, with the metal inside freezing. Restarting the plant will require extensive cleaning and replacement of arc elements, potentially taking several months.

Some workers believe new furnaces might be needed, and since the plant was built using German technology, German expertise may be required to resume operations.

OEMK plays a vital role in Russia's military-industrial complex, producing high-quality steel for various industries, including automotive and mechanical engineering.

Its products are used by key Russian enterprises such as Gaz, UAZ, Kamaz, EPK, SKF, and AVTONORMAL, which manufacture automotive sheet steel, armor sheets, and components for military equipment.

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Metalloinvest Holding and OEMK were included in the US and UK sanctions lists on April 2, 2023.

quote:

Russia is ordering its troops to kill Ukrainian prisoners of war – why?
While the true number of slain soldiers is currently not known, evidence of Moscow’s ‘take no prisoners’ policy is starting to become horrifyingly clear. Askold Krushelnycky reports

Russian commanders are ordering their forces to kill surrendering Ukrainian soldiers in a plan to “terrify” droves of Russian troops into not giving themselves up.

Many newly conscripted and poorly trained Russian soldiers realise their lives are being squandered in human-wave attacks, according to Ukrainian officials.

Petro Yatsenko, a spokesperson for Kyiv’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, says orders to kill Ukrainians who could be taken prisoner come from the “highest level” – the Kremlin. The instructions are designed to “terrify” their own soldiers, he adds.

The department has representatives from various Ukrainian ministries, with the country’s military intelligence agency playing a key role.

SPOILER

quote:

Yatsenko says: “The logic is very straightforward: the killing of defenceless [Ukrainian] military personnel is intended to prevent Russians from themselves surrendering to the Ukrainian army on the basis that if [Russians] are doing this to them, the Ukrainians will do the same to you if you give up. Therefore, don’t surrender to them, rather kill yourself.

“That’s an extremely cruel tactic but we, unfortunately, are dealing with a country, Russia, which traditionally has not abided by any democratic values and for which human life has no worth.”

There has been evidence of the Russian “take no prisoners” policy in multiple places along the front lines but most prominently in the northern battlefields of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, where Russia shares a long border and where it launched a powerful attack, with its troops pouring in on 10 May.

A senior Ukrainian army source with knowledge of the situation on the Kharkiv front lines, but who was not speaking officially, told The Independent that during the assaults up to 90 per cent of Ukrainians who fell into enemy hands were executed. He said they included those too badly wounded to flee, soldiers knocked unconscious by explosions and those trying to surrender because their position was hopeless.

A principal goal of the assault was for Russian artillery to get within range of the region’s capital, Kharkiv City, already under daily rocket, drone and glide bomb attacks to force its population to flee. Vladimir Putin’s declared ambition is to create a 10-mile deep uninhabitable “grey zone” on the Ukrainian side of the two countries’ frontier.

The Russian intrusion initially claimed a string of villages and captured some 50 square miles of territory. However, Ukrainian counterattacks stemmed the Russian assault and have kept its artillery out of range of Kharkiv City.

For weeks there has been a bloody stalemate with only slight shifts of territory amidst street fighting focused on the largest town in the area, Vovchansk, as well as smaller settlements such as Starytsya, Hlyboke and Lyptsi.

This week, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War reported, “Ukrainian forces counterattacked and recently regained some tactical positions” in Vovchansk and Starytsya.

Ukrainian troops fighting in northern Kharkiv told The Independent last month that the Russians were hurling novice troops into the front lines as cannon fodder to force Ukrainians to reveal their positions when they repelled them. They said they were mowing down the Russians in great numbers.

Yatsenko says he cannot “confirm for the moment” the scale of killings of Ukrainian prisoners as “we don’t have the objective statistics because it’s happening in the current battlefields and we can only confirm all these instances after the de-occupation of these territories... with the work of criminal investigators.”

But he says the new troops realise their commanders consider them “expendable material” and that has led to a severe “loss of motivation”, swelling the number of Russian soldiers surrendering to Ukrainian forces.

Instructions intercepted by Ukrainian intelligence, debriefings of Russian prisoners of war and other sources showed that another reason Russian commanders are ordering their men not to take captives is because dealing with prisoners slows down assaults.

Yatsenko said the orders to kill unarmed or surrendering Ukrainian soldiers in the Kharkiv region come against a background of such atrocities since the start of the Russian invasion in 2014 when Putin’s forces annexed Crimea and occupied parts of eastern Ukraine in what is known as the Donbas region.

Many of those incidents have been recorded in dozens of videos posted on social media by the Russians themselves.

Videos of Ukrainians who have surrendered being lined up or forced to kneel before being executed have appeared online, while others show prisoners being tortured. One video that became popular in Russia not just among soldiers but in the wider population, showed a Ukrainian soldier being splayed face down on a table and being castrated as he screams before being killed.

Another video taken by and posted by a Russian soldier shows a prisoner being shot to death after he utters the patriotic slogan “Slava Ukraine – Glory to Ukraine.”

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has verified some of the incidents and said its investigations and interviews with scores of former Ukrainian PoWs “disclosed that they had been subjected to sexual violence during their internment, including attempted rape, threats of rape and castration, beatings or the administration of electric shocks to genitals, and repeated forced nudity”.

Last week, Russians left the severed head of a Ukrainian soldier near Volnovakha in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian prosecutor general, Andriy Kostin, is investigating it as a war crime and says Ukrainian intelligence revealed that Russian battalion and company-level commanders had ordered subordinates to behead Ukrainian prisoners in order to cause terror.

The Institute for the Study of War says: “Kostin’s report is consistent with a larger observed trend of prolific Russian abuses against Ukrainian POWs that is apparently enabled, if not explicitly endorsed, by individual Russian commanders and upheld by Russian field commanders.”

Russia is desperate to expand or at least consolidate its gains in northern Kharkiv before the flow of US-supplied weapons and ammunition, held up for six months by political wrangles in the US Congress, resumes.

The lack of US-supplied ammunition, particularly for Ukrainian artillery and rocket systems, severely hampered Ukraine’s battlefield capabilities and gave Russia a window of opportunity to make significant gains.

But that window is already closing and Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, has predicted American supplies will return to previous levels next month.

Yatsenko contrasted the treatment of PoWs by Ukraine and Russia. He says while Ukraine allows free access by the International Committee of the Red Cross to the Russian prisoners held by Ukraine, Moscow severely restricts access to Ukrainian prisoners.

He says Ukrainian PoWs said they had rarely seen ICRC representatives while in captivity. “And when they are released you can see that the Russian prisoners look in good health and well-fed but our people look like photographs of prisoners in Nazi concentration camps.”

He said that at least 170 Ukrainians known to have been taken to Russian PoW camps died in captivity and the true number of slain prisoners is likely much higher.

On 25 June, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for former Russian defence minister and current security council secretary Sergei Shoigu and chief of the Russian general staff Valery Gerasimov for “the war crime of directing attacks at civilian objects” in Ukraine.

The European Court of Human Rights also announced decisions regarding Russia’s long-term perpetration of war crimes and human rights violations in Ukraine.

SPOILER

quote:

Soldier 1: This is our house...

Soldier 2: Sasha (short for Alexander), film me

S1: Pasha (short for Pavel)...

S2: We were to have BBQ (pointing at russian type of BBQ grill)

S1: At least, you're alive, that's what matters, fuck.. That was a fucking huge... (writing on the wall:"Occupied by 190N 2024") This fucking basement... we were fucking shocked there. It was a whole house. 155 caliber fucking ukropes (derogatory for ukrainians) they fucked us. This was our gun (filming a destroyed howitzer). This house was intact, with ammunition, with everything. It's a miracle we survived, fuck. Fucking great.

P.S. The gun is a short barrel A261 152mm towed howitzer, it's relatively new, so it was a good shot, not some Soviet junk.

3 липня – День зенітних ракетних військ Повітряних Сил Збройних Сил України!

quote:

July 3 – Day of anti-aircraft missile troops of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine!

quote:

Russia’s Dagestan temporarily bans wearing niqabs following deadly shootings

Russia’s southernmost Dagestan province has announced a temporary ban on the wearing of niqabs, a full-face veil with an opening for the eyes, as a security measure following deadly attacks by gunmen last month.

Gunmen opened fire at multiple places of worship and a police traffic stop in two cities in the Muslim-majority republic on June 23, killing at least 15 police officers and at least four civilians, including an Orthodox priest, according to authorities.

The niqab ban is to take place until “the identified threats are eliminated and a new theological conclusion is issued,” deputy head of the Mufti of Dagestan Abdulla Salimov said in a video message Wednesday.

Assistant to the Mufti of Dagestan Muhammad Muhammadov told the Russian news agency EA Regnum on Wednesday that “the ban applies in public places where security and personal identification are necessary,” such as streets, public institutions, and other places where there are “large gatherings of people.”

“The Muftiyat’s recommendation is aimed at preventing potential threats and maintaining public order. The duration of the ban depends on the development of the situation in the region,” he said.

The Coordination Center of Muslims of the North Caucasus issued a statement on Wednesday in which it called the wearing of the niqab, burqa and other outer garments that cover the face “harmful to Muslims, threatening discord in inter-religious and interethnic relations.”

Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, called on lawmakers to “urgently” ban the wearing of niqabs in Russia on Saturday.

Bastrykin blamed “Islamist terrorists” for the deadly shooting in Dagestan.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks, but law enforcement agencies told Russian state media TASS that the attackers are “adherents of an international terrorist organization.”

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 08:12 schreef Perrin het volgende:
Noord-Koreaanse munitie?
[ x ]

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 06:57 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/35267
[..]
Klinkt alsof ze meer schade gedaan hebben met de stroomtoevoer te stoppen dan dat ze ooit met een paar drones zelf gedaan hadden kunnen hebben. De hele fabriek is mogelijk voor enkele maanden offline, en het zou ook nog eens kunnen dat ze nieuwe ovens moeten hebben.

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 08:56 schreef oheng het volgende:
Wederom een explosie in westerse defensie industrie, dit keer in Arkansas, in de General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 07:09 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
Zelenski moet ondertussen toch wel weten dat Tucker geen echte journalist is. En dat hij de waarheid alleen maar gaat verdraaien om er zijn eigen voordeel uit te halen. Zijn aanhang wil deze waarheid helemaal niet horen, dat kun je ook wel zien aan de comments die hij krijgt onder zijn kennisgeving.

En ik kan je nu al garanderen dat Tucker geen softball gaat spelen zoals hij dat deed met Putin.

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 09:43 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Oekrainse supermarkten hebben ook winkelwagentjes.

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 07:09 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
Zelenski moet ondertussen toch wel weten dat Tucker geen echte journalist is. En dat hij de waarheid alleen maar gaat verdraaien om er zijn eigen voordeel uit te halen. Zijn aanhang wil deze waarheid helemaal niet horen, dat kun je ook wel zien aan de comments die hij krijgt onder zijn kennisgeving.

En ik kan je nu al garanderen dat Tucker geen softball gaat spelen zoals hij dat deed met Putin.

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 09:58 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Je kan nu al raden hoe dat interview gaat lopen ja. Cucker gaat allerlei complotshit aan Zelenski voorleggen waardoor die zoiets heeft van ' wtf? ' waarop Carlson na dat interview victorie gaat kraaien omdat hij nu eindelijk de vermeende corruptie van de man blootgelegd zou hebben.

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 10:42 schreef ExTec het volgende:
[ afbeelding ]

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 10:47 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
En dan te bedenken dat we met ons kleine landje al rond de $1 "triloen" zitten.

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 14:03 schreef AchJa het volgende:
Gaat weer lekker in europa...

https://www.rtl.nl/nieuws(...)orlog-rusland-europa

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 14:03 schreef AchJa het volgende:
Gaat weer lekker in europa...

https://www.rtl.nl/nieuws(...)orlog-rusland-europa

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 17:50 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Vertaling:
"Binnenkort gaat de Taliban meevechten in Oekra�ne".


[ x ]

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 18:19 schreef Barbusse het volgende:

[..]
Dit vind ik maar moeilijk te geloven. Ten eerste omdat de taliban vrijwel rechtstreeks voortgekomen is uit de muhajjedeen die tegen de Russen vochten in Afghanistan, en ten tweede omdat de taliban altijd geschroomd heeft om buiten Afghanistan en Pakistan actief te zijn. Waarom zouden zij voor Rusland willen vechten?

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 19:47 schreef polderturk het volgende:
WTF is er hier aan de hand???

[ x ]

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 20:07 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

[..]
Ze zijn aliens op de maan aan het bombarderen 😱👽

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 20:07 schreef StateOfMind het volgende:

[..]
Ze zijn aliens op de maan aan het bombarderen 😱👽

quote:

President Zelenskyy’s Press Secretary Denies Tucker Carlson Interview
The press secretary in the administration of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy Serhii Nykyforov denied Zelenskyy planning an interview with Carlson.

“Mr. Tucker Carlson should check his sources in the FSB more carefully. The President of Ukraine has a completely different schedule, and Tucker Carlson is not there,” Nykyforov wrote.

Earlier, on July 4, Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson announced plans to interview Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the near future.

quote:

Ukraine has a strong underground military industry. Literally, under the ground
Ukraine is constantly being monitored by Russian drones and satellites. Surveillance and just straight-up spying is a huge part of the story of this war. So how do you maintain a healthy military industry when all arms factories are constantly being targeted by drones, cruise missiles and other long-range weapons?

And Ukraine needs to maintain its own military industry because the military aid from its Western allies seems to be unstable. With changing political forces in power armoured vehicles, missiles and other weapons might stop flowing into Ukraine. This is a scary prospect for Ukraine as it is facing a much larger enemy. Ukraine needs to make as many weapons for its own needs as it can.

Russian eyes do not see it, but it is there. Ukraine has created a secret network of underground weapons factories, according to Spain’s El Mundo. The publication’s sources say that Ukrainian factories continue to produce ammunition, weapons and even armoured equipment, but it is now being done underground to avoid Russian prying eyes and long-range attacks.

Some factories are completely underground. Literally – they are situated below the surface, hidden by grass and trees. Others are disguised in a way that makes them virtually unnoticeable from the air. It is noted that this underground defence industry was created by Oleksandr Kamyshin, Minister of Strategic Industry of Ukraine.

While these factories might be unnoticeable by drones and satellites, they are still not completely immune to spying. The El Mundo’s source said that Ukraine fears that among the workers of those factories, there are sympathizers of Russia. On multiple occasions, Russia tried to recruit spies that would help it identify high-value targets in Ukraine.

It is noted that ammunition, drones, armoured personnel carriers Kozak, anti-ship missiles Neptune (famous for sinking Russian missile cruiser Moskva), and anti-tank missiles Stuhna are produced in secret underground factories. The source says production here has tripled since the beginning of 2023. These factories are still growing and Ukraine is still improving its ways of making weapons underground.

Ukraine’s government hopes that a top-secret network of underground defence industry facilities will help end its dependence on Western arms supplies and give it the chance to one day become the centre of European arms production. Ukraine chose its path towards Western integration and has a strong industrial basis. One day Ukraine could make weapons for its Western allies and take full advantage of that underground defence industry even in the times of peace.

quote:

The commander of the regiment involved in the Bucha killings detained in Russia

^{Colonel Artem Horodylov. Photo from open sources}

The regiment commander, who was involved in the killing of civilians in Bucha, was detained in Russia on suspicion of large-scale fraud.

Russian media reported on this.

The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation in Moscow detained Colonel Artem Gorodilov on suspicion of large-scale fraud.

In addition, he is under US sanctions.

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{Colonel Artem Gorodilov. Photo from the network}

Horodilov was the commander of the 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment, stationed in Bucha during the full-scale invasion.

About 30 soldiers of his regiment were accused of atrocities in the Kyiv region.

The Russian soldiers were identified due to phone calls they made from the phones of the killed civilians.

For his battles in the Kyiv region, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel of the Guard ahead of schedule.

^{22 Russian soldiers of the 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment suspected of killing civilians in Bucha. Photo credits: The New-York Times}

Later, he was appointed commander of the Ussuriysk separate air assault troop unit, and in May, Russian media called him the commander of the 83rd Guards Air Assault Brigade stationed in Ussuriysk.

Gorodilov is currently in custody. According to some Russian media reports, he is accused of embezzling more than 1 million rubles ($11,337).

Militarnyi previously reported that in February 2024, the former commander of the Russian Navy’s Admiral Gorshkov Northern Fleet flagship, who promised to hit a five-story residential building with a Zircon missile, was buried in Russia.

Captain Krokhmal became famous due to one of the reports on Russian television, where he stated that the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, which was under his command at the time, was capable of hitting a five-story building with a Zircon missile.

quote:

Russian armor-piercing tank rounds to be made in India, Rostec says
State-owned weapons producer also plans to make gunpowder in the country

Russia's vast state-owned Rostec corporation said on Thursday that its weapons export unit had organized the production in India of armor-piercing rounds for Russian-made battle tanks.

Rostec issued its statement ahead of a July 8-9 visit to Russia by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will hold talks with President Vladimir Putin.

The "Mango" projectiles that will be made in India are designed to be fired from the guns of T-72 and T-90 tanks which India's land forces use, Rostec said.

"The rounds allow you to hit modern tanks equipped with combined protection. Various modifications of these combat vehicles are in service with India," it said in its statement.

Rostec said it also had plans to localize the production of gunpowder in India as part of the Indian government's drive to have more foreign goods made in India.

Moscow has long supplied the Indian military with equipment.

quote:

Ukraine Could Become an EU Member by 2030. Is This a Long Time?
The European Union is expanding, but gradually. Years of waiting are a typical practice for all new members.

In June 2024, Ukraine held its first Intergovernmental Conference on joining the EU, marking the start of official membership negotiations. This is an important step for Ukraine, a country that has spent many years striving to become an EU member and has faced significant challenges along the way. One of these challenges is a full-scale war, which also served as an impetus to accelerate the process.

As early as March 2022, Ukraine submitted its application for EU membership, received candidate status in June 2022, and was granted permission to start negotiations in December 2023. It is expected that by 2025, the first substantial progress will be made, as any country's accession to the EU involves numerous reforms to meet European legislative standards.

Today, experts suggest that Ukraine will likely become a member of the European Union in 2029 or 2030, just under eight years after submitting its application and six years after the start of official negotiations.

It might seem that this process is quite long. However, for the most recent EU enlargements, this is standard practice, as countries face numerous requirements and consequently must carry out all necessary reforms. This transition involves moving away from the influence of the post-Soviet socialist-communist regime and aligning with those who share European values.

This text discusses several European countries whose EU accession took years.

SPOILER

quote:

Poland / 10 years
Poland almost immediately embarked on the path of European development after the collapse of the Socialist Bloc. It submitted its EU membership application in April 1994, but the country officially became an EU member only ten years later, on May 1, 2004, after fulfilling all EU conditions. Ukraine is often compared to Poland at that time: a large agricultural sector with many similar economic problems and significant previous influence from the communist bloc.

Romania and Bulgaria / 12 years
Romania and Bulgaria applied for EU membership in 1995, but negotiations started only four years later, in 1999. Eventually, the countries joined the EU in 2007, and the transition to European legislative standards took a long 12 years.

Croatia / 13 years
Croatia's accession to the EU was not simple, partly due to the aftermath of a severe war. The application was submitted in 2000, candidate status was granted in 2004, and negotiations started a year later, in 2005. Croatia officially became an EU member in 2013.

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia / 9 years
Ukraine's three major Baltic allies took just under ten years to join the EU. They applied in 1995 (at different times), and it took two years to approve the applications. Negotiations with each country began at different times:

1997 — Estonia
1998 — Latvia
2000 — Lithuania

All three countries became EU members in 2004, during one of the largest expansions in European history when the Union accepted ten new members.

Why Does the EU Accession Process Take So Long?
In reality, it's straightforward: Ukrainian legislation must comply with European norms. This involves 35 chapters divided into six clusters, covering the judicial system, rule of law, human rights, public procurement, environmental standards, and more. When Poland joined the EU, there were 31 chapters, and the requirements have increased over time.

Ukraine must implement all these changes and undergo screenings—evaluations by the international community to monitor the progress of reforms. Additionally, as an applicant for membership, Ukraine needs to work with existing EU members to gain their support. This is a collaborative effort, though most of the tasks lie with Ukraine.

According to Olga Stefanishyna, the Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Ukraine could join faster than 2030, but this depends not only on Ukraine's willingness.

quote:

Why Orb�n came to Kyiv and what he agreed on with Zelenskyy

The relationship between Ukraine and Hungary, which has been in a state of crisis for so long, now has a chance of fundamental change. Long-standing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb�n, who has refused to visit Ukraine for almost 10 consecutive years, has finally changed his mind and come to Kyiv.

But it’s not just the visit itself which is significant, but also the sudden and radical change in the tone of Orb�n's public statements regarding Ukraine. The Hungarian leader has even slightly adjusted his statements regarding the Russian war to please Ukraine.

The ultimate goal of the negotiations, which have been publicly backed by both Orb�n and Zelenskyy in Kyiv, is to conclude a comprehensive bilateral agreement between Hungary and Ukraine that would address the bilateral issues that have piled up. Although no specific agreements have been reached yet, a creative idea emerged at the meeting in Kyiv on how to frame Ukrainian concessions in a way that would make them acceptable to Ukrainian society.

Potentially, this agreement would be beneficial for both parties. For Ukraine, it is a way to get rid of the Hungarian veto, at least temporarily. For Orb�n, it offers electoral advantages and would improve Hungary's relations with other EU countries, which are putting increasing pressure on him when it comes to Ukraine.

But don’t rush to think that the "Hungarian problem" has been resolved.

Orb�n has not changed and has not become a European politician.

SPOILER

quote:

Even before leaving Kyiv, he made it clear to his Ukrainian partners that he is not breaking ties with the Kremlin. Additionally, it turned out that a Russian propagandist was present in the Hungarian government delegation in Kyiv.

It’s also too soon to consider the deal on the Hungarian minority done and dusted. First and foremost, it is not yet known what conditions Budapest will set during the negotiations, and given the recent history of Orb�n's 11 demands, which Budapest presented to Ukraine, we should be cautious about making any assessments.

So it’s possible that the current Hungarian-Ukrainian "truce" will turn out to be temporary and will last only as long as Orb�n feels an urgent need to change his image.

Nevertheless, the chance to conclude a real agreement with Hungary is greater than ever, and Ukraine must seize this opportunity.

A visit without the toxic minister
Viktor Orb�n is a politician who operates outside the common European matrix of rules and values. Even his visit to Kyiv broke with established traditions.

Given the constant visits by foreign leaders over the two and a half years of the full-scale war, the Ukrainian government has built infrastructure for their trips to Kyiv. This includes special train carriages or even a dedicated special train, enabling leaders to rest on their journey, take a shower before talks with the Ukrainian leadership, etc.

All of this was offered to Orb�n… and he refused.

Against all logic and at the expense of his own comfort, the Hungarian prime minister insisted that he and the entire delegation travel to Kyiv by road, in Hungarian armoured vehicles.

Orb�n's convoy crossed the Ukrainian border late in the evening, traversing the Carpathian Pass after midnight. Even with a police escort and closed roads, it was morning before he arrived in Kyiv. So Orb�n had to rest for 2-3 hours at the embassy before meeting Zelenskyy. In the afternoon, he headed back to Hungary, crossing the pass around midnight again, and reaching Budapest by morning.

The reasons behind this decision remain unknown, and it simply has no reasonable explanation.

However, another aspect of the visit does make sense.

The Hungarian delegation did not include Foreign Minister Peter Szijj�rt�, who had been the chief negotiator with Ukraine in the Hungarian government for many years.

This omission was a signal that Orb�n was indeed willing to negotiate with Zelenskyy.

Peter Szijj�rt� has acquired a highly toxic image in Kyiv over the years, and it is no exaggeration to say that his actions have been systematically aimed at deepening the Hungarian-Ukrainian conflict.

Szijj�rt�’s highly controversial remarks have affected Kyiv-Budapest relations, causing outrage in Ukraine, even among the general public. And this hasn’t just been during the full-scale war. In 2017, after the education law was passed, Szijj�rt� announced that Hungary would block Ukraine's path to the EU and NATO. He was also the one vetoing decisions in Brussels.

Additionally, Szijj�rt� is Hungary's main liaison with the Russian and Belarusian regimes. He frequently travels to Minsk and Moscow, personally saving Russia from international isolation, and is even willing to endure humiliation from the Russians to meet with them.

Szijj�rt� is also known for not keeping his word and breaking agreements reached at the working level with the aim of resolving the Ukrainian-Hungarian dispute.

There is no more toxic official in Hungarian-Ukrainian relations. The fact that Orb�n has kept him in the role of "chief of Ukraine-related affairs" for years was proof that Hungary was intent on maintaining and intensifying the conflict with Kyiv.

So the news that the minister had been excluded from the Kyiv agreements this time gave rise to hope that Orb�n had changed the paradigm and was truly seeking a compromise in the relationship with Ukraine.

What has been agreed?
The talks between Zelenskyy and Orb�n, first one-on-one, then with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and other officials, lasted more than two hours.

However, no final agreements were reached on Tuesday, and the outcome of the meeting can be best described as "We’ve agreed to agree." Considering that the bilateral relations had been in deep crisis and Hungary had refused to negotiate at all, this shift is actually very significant.

Orb�n supported Zelenskyy’s idea of a large bilateral agreement that would address the issues in the countries’ bilateral relations.

The discussions cover both concessions from Ukraine and "compensations" from Hungary.

Firstly, the Hungarian leader is waiting for concessions from Kyiv regarding the status and special rights of the Hungarian-speaking minority in Transcarpathia. The area where an agreement is most likely is legislation on education. However, even here, Kyiv will have to make concessions to satisfy Hungary’s demands. Budapest is firmly insisting that Ukraine reintroduce provisions for Hungarian-language schools into law.

From the leaders' statements, it looks as if Zelenskyy proposed mutual concessions and Orb�n agreed. Alongside this decision by Ukraine, Budapest is expected to open a Ukrainian school and continue funding Ukrainian-language education in Hungary, particularly for children of Ukrainian refugees. This would create parity and make changes to Ukraine's education legislation more realistic. "The Hungarian state will fund this school. We will open as many Ukrainian schools as it takes," Orb�n promised.

The potential bilateral agreement is not only about minority rights: it also encompasses a broader spectrum of issues. Although the leaders did not enumerate them, it is no secret that there are some issues in bilateral relations that primarily benefit Ukraine. These include expanding border infrastructure, importing electricity, and export routes for Ukrainian products.

Orb�n has also raised the issue of post-war recovery in Ukraine and the role of Hungarian companies in this. If Budapest is serious about this, it suggests that Orb�n has become genuinely inclined towards constructive relations.

Moreover, to add a positive tone, Orb�n even admitted that his approach to the pro-Russian plan for an "immediate ceasefire in Ukraine" had flaws, and "thanked" Zelenskyy for rejecting this plan behind closed doors.

However, that is where the "carrots" end and the "sticks" begin.

Orb�n's Russian metastases
There is no agreement between Orb�n and Zelenskyy yet, only negotiations.

It’s not just that the history of relations with Hungary gives reason to doubt the announced agreement until it is finalised. This is significant, but the positive signals from Orb�n provide cautious hope that this time Hungary is genuinely inclined towards constructive dialogue, even if it is limited and temporary.

What is even more significant is that during his meetings in Ukraine, Viktor Orb�n made it clear that he remains within the Russian orbit – and plans to stay there.

Peter Szijj�rt� was unexpectedly absent in Kyiv to create a positive tone for the leaders' first meeting. But shortly after the meeting, the Hungarian foreign minister called his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov! We can only speculate about whether this call was made to report to Hungary's main partner on the results of the Ukrainian negotiations. But it is indisputable that this was a political signal about the maintenance of Hungary's pro-Russian foreign policy vector.

Szijj�rt�'s call to Lavrov was definitely not an independent action, just as his previous toxic actions and statements were never his personal position. In the Hungarian power system, decisions are made by Orb�n, and officials like Szijj�rt� implement them. The foreign minister has simply acted as a mouthpiece for Orb�n's anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian ideas.

Ultimately, Orb�n himself confirmed in Kyiv that he would remain in the Kremlin's orbit.

The Hungarian delegation included not only officials, but also a very specific journalist.

That journalist is Roger K�ppel, editor-in-chief, publisher and key author of the Swiss website and weekly Die Weltwoche. This is not a widely popular website, but Orb�n has given interviews to it several times. K�ppel said that Orb�n personally invited him to come to Kyiv.

However, the main characteristic of this Swiss publicist is his openly pro-Russian views. K�ppel had previously been a guest on the German-language edition of the Russian propaganda broadcaster RT until it was closed. In 2023, he travelled to Russia to interview the propagandist Vladimir Solovyov and Russian Children's Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, who, along with Putin, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. K�ppel systematically defends Putin on his website. In February 2022, he urged the West to try to understand Putin's Russia instead of opposing it. He blames NATO for provoking Putin into launching the Russian invasion.

He is a top-level Russian propagandist in the German-speaking media. Given that K�ppel, due to his political past and public visibility, actively spreads pro-Russian nonsense, many German media outlets have directly referred to him as an "eloquent Putinist".

K�ppel claims that Orb�n personally invited him to Kyiv, calling him last Friday. This seems quite plausible given the propagandist's role in the visit: after the bilateral meetings, Orb�n gave an interview to the pro-Putin journalist and confirmed that Zelenskyy had turned down his proposal of an "immediate truce".

According to Orb�n, the Ukrainian president doubted the logic of Orb�n's plan and did not support it, as Ukraine has a history of unsuccessful attempts at truces with Russia. Such truces were "not good for Ukraine", Orb�n quoted Zelenskyy as saying.

Why is Orb�n doing this?
This is a very important question, as the answer determines how much sincerity there is in Orb�n’s desire to reach an agreement with Ukraine. However, the only person who knows the real answer is the Hungarian prime minister himself.

Viktor Orb�n is currently facing harsh criticism and pressure from Hungary’s European partners. The intense confrontation with Kyiv has left Hungary isolated on the European stage. In particular, it seems that despite his months-long efforts, he will not be able to join the conservative EPP bloc in the European Parliament.

Right now, as Hungary assumes the EU Council presidency and key positions in the European Parliament are distributed, it is to Orb�n’s benefit to change his relations with Ukraine to more constructive ones. This could well be one of the key reasons for the Hungarian leader's policy shift.

However, if this is only about positions, any thaw could be short-lived.

So during the negotiations with Hungary, Ukraine should pay attention to any signs that Orb�n is reverting to his previous anti-Ukrainian discourse.

Another reason for caution is that Orb�n has previously made it clear that he is far less concerned with the rights of Hungarians in Ukraine than in retaining power and access to European financial instruments. Budapest traditionally uses pressure on Ukraine to leverage Brussels with the potential of using its veto on Ukrainian issues. So the odds are that regardless of how events unfold, Orb�n will leave some issues in the relationship with Ukraine unresolved so that he can exploit them later.

A complete resolution of the issues in these relations is not in his interests. However, it is unwise to completely dismiss a positive scenario. After all, even a partial and temporary easing of the conflict with Hungary is in Ukraine's interests. Of course this opportunity must be seized if the concessions from Ukraine are acceptable to Ukrainian society.

Developments over the next six months will determine whether the leaders of Hungary have indeed changed their approach to relations with Ukraine.

quote:

Tambov Gunpowder Plant Attacked by Drone Again

^{An explosion on the territory of the Tambov powder factory. Photo from open sources}

The Tambov gunpowder factory was once again attacked by attack drones.

Russian media published the video of the attack.

According to officials, two attack drones targeted the gunpowder factory and were successfully shot down by air defense systems in the morning of July 4, 2024.

Despite the official statement, a video posted by a local resident shows one of the attack drones hitting a target on the plant’s premises.

SPOILER

quote:

Ударний безпілотник атакує Тамбовський пороховий завод

A column of smoke rose at the site of impact, likely indicating a fire had started. Additionally, shots from a firearm can be heard in the video.

No details on what exactly was hit or the aftermath of the strike are currently available.

It should be noted that on June 20, 2024, an explosion occurred on the territory of the Tambov gunpowder plant, killing four people.

At the beginning of 2024, on January 19, the plant was already attacked by an attack drone.

^{The moment of the drone strike on the Tambov Powder Plant. Photo from the network}

The retaliatory attack was not very successful, as the drone fell on the territory of the plant and did not hit any targets.

It should be noted that since the beginning of 2024, Ukraine has begun to expand the range of attack drones launched to target Russian military facilities and defense industry plants.

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

Officially, it was reported that a “small fire” had broken out as a result, which had quickly been localized with the involvement of 11 fire crews.

quote:

Orb�n to meet Putin in Moscow visit likely to anger EU
Hungarian PM ‘trying to mediate between Russia and Ukraine’ after Hungary took over rotating EU presidency


Viktor Orb�n will travel to Moscow on Friday for talks with Vladimir Putin, sources said, days after Hungary’s prime minister made his first visit to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country.

Two sources in Budapest told the Guardian about the trip, saying it was planned as part of a package with the Ukraine visit after Hungary took over the rotating EU presidency this week.

A high-level EU source confirmed they had been told of the planned visit, which is likely to cause fury in Brussels.

There has so far been no official confirmation of the trip from either Budapest or Moscow, and Hungarian government spokespersons did not reply to requests for comment. Orb�n is due to attend a Turkic summit in Azerbaijan later in the day.

SPOILER

quote:

In an apparent reference to the planned visit, the European Council president, Charles Michel, wrote on X on Thursday evening: “The EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU. The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine.”

Orb�n, widely seen as the EU’s most pro-Russian leader, has sought to portray himself as a “pro-peace” politician, but has frequently repeated Russian talking points about the war. He has also held up EU support to Ukraine on numerous occasions, to the frustration of many other European leaders.

“Orb�n’s team planned the Moscow trip before he met with [Volodymyr] Zelenskiy,” said a source close to the Hungarian government. “He is trying to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. And after his talk with the Ukrainian president, this meeting makes sense.”

A trip to Moscow is likely to cause further anxiety in Brussels and in other member states, where many are already horrified that a leader who they feel has done everything to undermine European unity and the rule of law in recent years is now the bloc’s main representative for the next six months.

The Hungarian leader maintains links with rightwing groups across the globe and has long suggested Hungary could play a role in bringing peace to Ukraine, but has been mostly ignored.

However, with elections in France later this week and a possible return to the US presidency for Donald Trump, Orb�n may sense that the geopolitical winds are changing. “We have had ambitions for a mediating role from the very beginning,” said the source.

In Kyiv, Orb�n floated the idea of a quick ceasefire that might accelerate peace talks, a suggestion that Zelenskiy did not comment on.

“The aim of the Hungarian presidency is to contribute to solving the challenges ahead of the European Union. That’s why my first trip was to Kyiv,” Orb�n wrote on Facebook.

The Hungarian leader last visited Russia in September 2022 to attend funeral of the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, but did not meet Putin on that occasion.

The only other leader of an EU country to visit Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine is the Austrian chancellor, Karl Nehammer, who travelled there in April 2022, weeks after the start of the invasion.

Since then Putin has largely been shunned by western leaders, with the exception of Orb�n, who travelled to Shanghai to meet the Russian president last October.

Orb�n’s foreign minister, P�ter Szijj�rt�, who has been awarded a medal by the Russian government, has been a frequent visitor to Russia.

quote:

Ukrainian Troops Hit Supercam Drone Operators near Varvarivka

^{The Russian Supercam S350 drone and the operator was eliminated. July 2024. Ukraine. Frame from the video of the 15th Separate Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade Black Forest}

In the Luhansk region, the Ukrainian Defense Forces hit the operators of a Russian Supercam reconnaissance drone.

A Ukrainian UAV of the 15th Separate Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade Black Forest managed to track the Russian drone.

Next, the Ukrainian operators waited for the moment when the invaders would begin to take away their drone.

As the Russian operators approached the Supercam UAV, they were hit, and the strike was adjusted by the Ukrainian drone.

SPOILER

quote:

Біля Варварівки ЗСУ ліквідували операторів дрона Supercam

The strike destroyed a Russian drone and killed some of its operators.

The Russians launched a Supercam S350 drone near the village of Varvarivka in the Luhansk region.

^{Varvarivka on the Deepstate map}

The area is protected by Russian air defense systems, which unsuccessfully tried to shoot down a Ukrainian UAV.

The video shows an air defense missile leaving a trail near a nearby Ukrainian drone.

^{A trace of a Russian missile that tried to shoot down a Ukrainian drone near the village of Varvarivka in the Luhansk region. July 2024. Ukraine. Frame from the video of the 15th Separate Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade Black Forest}

The Russian invaders used the Supercam S350 drone for aerial photography to create highly detailed digital maps and to conduct remote aerial monitoring of the area and facilities.

A flight duration of 4.5 hours with a data transmission range of up to 70-100 km provides the necessary margin of safety for UAVs in surveillance and reconnaissance.

The drone’s design is very massive; in particular, with a length of 1.5 meters, its wingspan is 3.5 meters. Therefore, the UAV can only be launched with the help of special devices capable of ejecting it.

^{Russian Supercam S350 drone. Russia. Photo credits: Russian media}

This is not the first time that operators of such a drone have been killed. In 2023, the Ukrainian military neutralized the crew of a Russian Supercam S350 drone in the Zaporizhzhia region.

SPOILER

quote:

Translation:

Where should we take these 200s?

As far as possible... Over there, there is a garage...

To the garage?

Over there, further away...

SPOILER

quote:

Translation:

"Fucking khokhols burned down all our trenches and all the forest around.... The command post still remains though... All guys burned too... The 1st company is still burning in the distance... Everything has burned, except for the stove... The funny thing is that right before we left, we put some food to cook in the pot... Oh, the piece of meat! Yummy! The rest is all melted and burned: the mag, canned food, tomatoes, eggs, juice, veggies, apples... So much of the canned beef stew has burned, bummer!"

SPOILER

quote:

Found the video on the channel of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, this is the description:

👮 Near Toretsk, the Russians attacked an evacuation car of police paramedics.

Police arrived on the front line to save a woman with a stroke and her husband. At that moment, an enemy projectile hit the cab of the car, injuring two paramedics. The couple remained unharmed.

✔️ A flash, a shock wave, a barrage of shrapnel. We were lucky that the doors of our armored car did not get jammed - otherwise we would have burned," recalls paramedic Ruslan Gubanov, known by the nickname "Kasper".

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ruslan has already saved more than 160 people and has no plans to stop. Both paramedics are currently undergoing treatment and aim to return to duty as soon as possible.

🙏 We wish the boys a speedy recovery!

❕ We would like to remind that the evacuation of residents is ongoing in the Toretsk community. 711 people have already been evacuated.

SPOILER

quote:

"A participant in combat operations in Ukraine who recorded an appeal and said that unfit military personnel are sent to combat missions has disappeared. According to his mother, he has not been in contact.

Earlier, contract workers from the Moscow region recorded an appeal in which they complained about the lack of treatment, vacations and payments. In the footage, servicemen stand around Artyom Sharipov, who reads out a collective appeal from the phone. According to Artyom’s mother, after the filming the men were taken to hospitals, most of their diagnoses were confirmed. At the same time, Artyom himself disappeared - instead of the hospital, he was taken to Zaitseve and detained.

According to Artyom’s mother, he stopped communicating on July 1st. He came to SVO from IK-4 in the Vladimir region, where he was serving a sentence under Article 228. In April 2024, Artyom was wounded and walked with a shrapnel in his leg for ten days until he persuaded surgeons to operate on him. After her son disappeared, the mother contacted the military prosecutor’s office and the military unit, where they told her that they had written down the question and they would look for Artyom."-Caution News

Source:https:// t. me /ostorozhno_novosti/27461

quote:

Explosion in Sevastopol: Smoke seen over Cape Fiolent
A strong explosion occurred today, July 4, in the temporarily occupied city of Sevastopol during the day. After the explosion, smoke was visible over Cape Fiolent, according to the Crimean Wind Telegram channel.

According to the channel, smoke was seen in the area where a Russian electronic warfare system is located.


In response to the incident, the Russians have closed the Crimean Bridge.

Meanwhile, Russian propaganda channels claim that the explosion was allegedly related to the disposal of ammunition.

The so-called governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, explained the explosion by saying that the fleet had conducted a "training shot."

Explosions in Crimea
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly struck the temporarily occupied Crimea, targeting Russian military facilities on the peninsula.

Precisely, as reported by Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force Mykola Oleshchuk, on July 1, Ukrainian aircraft hit an ammunition depot in Crimea.

Additionally, between June 22 and June 28, Ukrainian defenders attacked a rare target in Crimea, damaging the Space Tracking and Communication Center.

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 22:26 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]

quote:

Up to 1.5 million museum artifacts under Russian occupation, Ukraine's culture minister says
Approximately 1.5 million museum artifacts remain in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, according to acting Culture Minister Rostyslav Karandieiev, who spoke on national television on July 4.

The Culture Ministry reported that Russia's full-scale war has resulted in damage to 1,987 cultural facilities as of late April. Karandieiev added that Ukraine has lost numerous museum artifacts, even in liberated areas.

"Some were stolen, while others were damaged by enemy attacks," he said.

Kyiv, in collaboration with UNESCO, is meticulously documenting these Russian crimes under both international and national protocols.

"Soon the time will come when, we will be able to prepare lawsuits against the aggressor state, based on these testimonies and documents, which will certainly find a fair solution," the minister said.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution in late June recognized Russia's genocidal intent in destroying Ukraine's cultural heritage and identity.

The document condemns the systematic Russia's policy of "Russification" in the occupied territories of Ukraine which started since its first invasion in 2014, including the denial of the Ukrainian language and history.

quote:

It Took Russia Three Months And Thousands Of Lives To Capture One Isolated Ukrainian Neighborhood
The Russian military has reportedly lost 99,000 troops since the start of the Chasiv Yar campaign in April.

On April 4, Russian forces attacked Chasiv Yar, a Ukrainian stronghold in eastern Ukraine just west of the ruins of Bakhmut. Three months later this week, they finally captured the town’s most vulnerable neighborhood—its canal district.

But seizing this tiny part of Chasiv Yar, an industrial town that was once home to 12,000 people, cost the Russians thousands of casualties. The Russian military has reportedly lost 99,000 troops since the start of the Chasiv Yar campaign. And while not all of them died in and around Chasiv Yar, a significant portion of them certainly did.

“Russia has made some progress on the ground and yet even this has come at massive costs,” commented Mick Ryan, a retired Australian army general. In expending so many lives for so little gain, Russia “appears to have blown what might have been its last chance to strike a decisive blow against Ukraine in this war,” Ryan added.

Most likely, what happens next is what has been happening—for months. Russian forces inch forward at enormous cost in people and equipment, while inflicting much lighter losses on Ukrainian forces. For every town—or even neighborhood—the Russians capture, they bury tens of thousands of their own troops.

SPOILER

quote:

The Ukrainian garrison in Chasiv Yar hasn’t stopped fighting. Ukrainian spokesperson Nazar Voloshyn said the garrison retreated a few blocks to the west, across the north-south Siversky Donets-Donbas Canal, because Russian bombs and artillery had destroyed all the buildings in the canal district.

Defensive positions on the western side of the canal are easier to defend, as the Russian must first cross the canal—an awkward though not impossible maneuver—before directly assaulting Ukrainian lines.

It might surprise some that the Ukrainian garrison—led by the army’s 41st and 67th Mechanized Brigades, 56th Motorized Brigade and 5th Assault Brigade, as well as the 241st Territorial Defense Brigade—held out as long as it did in the isolated and exposed canal district.

As early as late May, Ukrainian analysis group Frontelligence Insight predicted Chasiv Yar “will eventually be lost to Russian forces.” But the garrison fought on for another six weeks.

It helped that, in mid-April, the administration of U.S. Pres. Joe Biden began shipping munitions to Ukraine again following the collapse of a six-month effort by Russia-friendly Republican lawmakers to withhold aid.

It has also helped the Ukrainian defense that Russia’s heavy losses are making Russian regiments and brigades weaker, even as the Kremlin manages—just barely—to recruit fresh troops to replace the dead and wounded.

That’s because the pace of the losses compels Moscow to rush fresh troops to the front without adequate leadership, training or equipment. “Russia is less able to build a better quality, large force that might be able to undertake larger-scale offensive operations,” Ryan explained.

That’s cold comfort to the Ukrainian troops defending Chasiv Yar. They fight their battles block by block, regardless of the wider strategic context. And more brutal block battles are likely in Chasiv Yar as the Russians look to extend their gains in one of the few places they’re advancing at all.

According to the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies, “Russian forces will soon begin attacks across the Siversky Donets-Donbas canal in central Chasiv Yar from their positions in the canal neighborhood.”

quote:

Russia complains about massive drone attack on Rostov
In Rostov-on-Don (Russian Federation), explosions were heard overnight into July 5th, amid operations of air defense systems due to drone attacks. Fires broke out from falling debris, according to Vasily Golubev, the governor of the Rostov region and local Telegram channels.

Around three o'clock in the morning, officials reported the operation of air defense systems near Rostov.

"In the vicinity of Rostov, air defense units are engaging multiple airborne targets of the enemy," stated the governor in his Telegram message.

The governor added that information regarding the aftermath is being clarified.

Meanwhile, local social media channels have published footage purportedly showing the moment of one drone being downed over Rostov. The videos also capture explosions, a fire, and the movement of emergency services to the scene of the incident on the Left Bank of the city.

It is also reported online that at least 12 drones were allegedly shot down on approach to Rostov. Rostov media sources claim all drones have been neutralized, labeling this drone raid as massive and the most intense attack in history.

SPOILER

quote:

Updated at 05:10
Later, the governor of the Rostov region reported the downing of 10 drones in the region overnight.

"According to operational services, as a result of an air attack and the falling debris of UAVs, landscape fires were recorded on the left bank of the Don River in Rostov and in the Azov district," the Russian official stated.

He mentioned that there is no information about casualties.

Meanwhile, local public sources report that allegedly an oil terminal is on fire, but there are no official confirmations of this information.

Drone attack on Russia on July 5
It was previously reported that drone strikes were in the vicinity of the Russian town of Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Krasnodar Krai on the night of July 5th. From this area, the Russian Federation often launch kamikaze drones into Ukrainian territory during air attacks.

The local governor confirmed debris from the drone's falling, with reports of damage to civilian objects within the city and several casualties reported.

quote:

Op donderdag 4 juli 2024 22:26 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]

quote:

De Hongaarse premier Orb�n is vandaag in Moskou ontvangen door de Russische president Poetin. Daar willen de twee de oorlog in Oekra�ne bespreken, zeggen ze. Verschillende EU-kopstukken hebben het bezoek van Orb�n ondubbelzinnig veroordeeld.

Poetin, die Orb�n zojuist in het Kremlin ontving, zei dat hij "bereid was het standpunt van Orb�n over Oekra�ne te horen en van de Hongaarse premier te horen en wat de standpunten van andere Europese partners zijn".

In Brussel wordt meermaals benadrukt dat Orb�n daar niet is namens de EU. Hongarije is sinds juli voor een periode van zes maanden voorzitter van de Raad van de Europese Unie.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 15:24 schreef Opnaarutrecht het volgende:
Het wordt tijd Hongarije uit de EU en de NAVO te bonjouren.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 15:56 schreef Digi2 het volgende:

[..]
Welke statuten zijn daarvoor nodig, want art50 van de EU werkt alleen als een lidstaat daar zelf een beroep op doet?

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 16:06 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
En we hebben gezien hoe moeilijk dat was voor het VK. Hongarije gaat nooit uit de EU, nooit.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 16:06 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
En we hebben gezien hoe moeilijk dat was voor het VK. Hongarije gaat nooit uit de EU, nooit.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 18:29 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:

[..]
verkiezingen in 2026

de EU moet die nu eens goed controleren

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 18:33 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
En Oekra�ne moet wel bij de EU.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 18:39 schreef Nyamuk het volgende:
Jens Stoltenberg hoopt Oekraine in 2034 bij de NAVO te zien. Fijne vent ook

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 17:34 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:
In de laatste paar pagina's zag ik hem niet dus wellicht hebben de meeste het nog niet gelezen. Zijn Russische schepen kapot gemaakt of beschadigt door o.a iemand van de Marine die het niet eens was met Putin. Niet achter een paid wall

https://www.telegraaf.nl/(...)r-zijn-koppen-gerold

quote:

'Binge-Drinking' Russian Navy Commander Blamed for Black Sea Fleet Failure
A "binge-drinking" Russian Navy commander has been blamed for an attack on the city of Novorossiysk in Krasnodar Krai, which hosts a naval base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

On Wednesday morning, Novorossiysk Mayor Andrey Kravchenko announced an "attack of unmanned boats" on the city where Russia relocated many of its warships from annexed Crimea due to relentless Ukrainian attacks. Newsweek has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry for comment by email.

^{Russia's President Vladimir Putin (right) walks with Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov (center), as he takes part in the main naval parade marking Russian Navy Day, in St. Petersburg on July 31, 2022. On Wednesday morning, Novorossiysk Mayor Andrey Kravchenko announced an "attack of unmanned boats” on the city}.

SPOILER

quote:

Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on the Russian Navy using its Magura V5 maritime drones as Kyiv pushes to reverse Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Hours after the attack, a Russian naval military blogger with the username "Battle Sailor" took to Telegram to talk about the incident.

"Russian naval blogger talks about the 2 July surface drone attack on Novorossiysk, says a certain Russian officer is guilty of binge drinking which leads to such results," X, formerly Twitter, user Dmitri, from War Translated, an independent project that translates materials about the war, said on Thursday, sharing the military blogger's post.

"Finally online. Hello everyone. Here's what I want to say about yesterday's [naval drone] attack on the Novorossiysk base," Battle Sailor said, praising those who defended the Black Sea Fleet base as "handsome men and the pride of the Russian fleet!"

The military blogger continued by criticizing those "whose responsibilities include organizing the early detention of naval drones and their destruction, or least on the border of the territorial waters."

"Once again you let the enemy kamikaze into the bay, facing the entire hero city to jump up half the night and hide children away from the windows."

The channel said there is "one high-ranking official who periodically goes on a drinking binge throughout the war and then lays under IVs [intravenous drips]."

"Almost everyone knows about him. If you get drunk again, your own officers will disgrace you right in your office, and I will help them spread it," the military blogger wrote. "I can no longer tolerate this obscene attitude towards naval service."

The channel anticipated a future attack by Ukrainian naval drones on the city.

"P.S. the enemy has conducted reconnaissance in force, we should probably expect a more massive attack," the post concluded.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that two naval drones heading toward Novorossiysk were destroyed in the Black Sea. The local Telegram channel Crimean Wind questioned Moscow's version of events, publishing satellite imagery that purportedly shows fires that broke out at a Novorossiysk port.

Russia relocated much of its fleet from Crimea to Novorossiysk and to its naval port in Feodosia further east on the annexed peninsula in October 2023, satellite images showed.

Ukraine has so far disabled a third of Russian President Vladimir Putin's prized Black Sea Fleet, according to Dmytro Pletenchuk, former Ukrainian Navy spokesperson.

quote:

Navy Intelligence conducted a unique special operation to evacuate a marine from captivity
The meeting of mother and son took place in the office of the Commander of the Navy of the AFU Vice-Admiral Alexei Neizhpapa.

The Ukrainian Navy's special intelligence unit "Angels" has carried out a multi-stage special operation to evacuate a marine from Russian captivity. This was reported in the Ukrainian Navy on 4 July.

Ukrainian marine Alexander fell into Russian captivity while performing a mission. He spent about a year and a half in ployenu. During this time he repeatedly became a victim and witness of torture and abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

From the first days of the Marine's captivity, the military of the Special Intelligence Unit of the AFU Naval Forces "Angels" were looking for options for his release. They also supported his mother Olga, who works as a Ukrainian language teacher, in every possible way.

Until the last moment I could not believe that all this was possible. A year ago, on Marine Corps Day, the "Angels" came and promised to bring him back. A year has passed and Sasha is now home. I still can't believe it. Thank you very much to the guys for bringing my son back," says Olga.

SPOILER

quote:

A lot of forces were involved to free Alexander. As a result of a complex and multi-stage operation developed by the Intelligence Department of the Navy Command of the AFU, the "Angels" managed to successfully evacuate and return the 29-year-old marine.

For security reasons, the details of the operation are not being disclosed.

The meeting of mother and son took place in the office of the Commander of the Navy of the AFU Vice-Admiral Alexei Neizhpapa, who personally supervised the operation at all its stages.

We remember about everyone. About every sailor, every officer. Yes, unfortunately, many of our guys are in captivity, but we are trying to bring them all back. As our President said: "We remember everyone and we will bring everyone back". Not as quickly as we want, but we will do our best," said the Navy Commander.

Alexander became the 69th person whom the "Angels" successfully evacuated to the Ukrainian-controlled territory.

The Command of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine expresses great gratitude to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba for assistance in this operation.

Earlier, Socialportal reported that scouts of the National Guard's Rubezh brigade captured several dozens of Russian occupants during the military operation.

quote:

Ukraine's air defenders shoot down all Russian drones in overnight attack
All Shahed-type kamikaze drones launched by the Russian invaders on the night of July 5 for another air attack on Ukraine were shot down by Ukrainian Air Defense Forces over Ukraine, according to Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Russia launched 32 kamikaze drones at Ukraine from the Kursk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk areas of the Russian Federation.

All of them were eliminated by Ukrainian defenders.

SPOILER

quote:

Ukrainian air defense work
Russia's attack was repelled by:
• fighter aircraft,
• anti-aircraft missile units of the Ukrainian Air Force,
• mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces,
• electronic warfare units.

The combat operations took place in seven regions, namely:
• Mykolaiv
• Odesa
• Kherson
• Dnipropetrovsk
• Kyiv,
• Chernihiv
• Cherkasy

"Thank you for the one hundred percent result!" says Oleshchuk.

Ukraine's air defenders shot down all the "Shahids" last night, Oleshchuk tells about air defense work

Russia's night air attack on Ukraine
On the night of July 5, an air alert was declared in various regions of Ukraine due to the launch of Russian attack drones.

It also became known about the operation of Ukrainian air defense forces and means in the Kyiv region, and after a while - on the outskirts of Kyiv. In addition, Ukrainian air defense forces continued to operate in the Odesa region.

quote:

Drones attacked Rostov-on-Don and Primorsko-Akhtarsk: fires broke out

^{Ukrainian "Lyutyi" attack drone in the sky over the Russian Federation, March 2024}

On the night of Friday, July 5, drones attacked the Russian cities of Rostov-on-Don and Primorsko-Akhtarsk.

This was reported by Russian telegram channels and local authorities.

The attack caused fires and damaged energy infrastructure.

Around 3 a.m., Rostov Region Governor Vasily Golubev announced that Russian air defense systems have been operating near the regional center.

An hour later, he reported that 10 drones had allegedly been shot down over the region. He added that the falling wreckage of the UAVs had caused “wildfires” on the left bank of the Don River in Rostov and in the Azov district. According to preliminary information, there were no casualties, and the consequences are being investigated.

SPOILER

quote:

Пожежа у � остов-на-Дону [5 липня 2025]

However, local media reported that the drones could have attacked an oil transshipment terminal (oil depot) between Bataysk and Rostov. However, there is currently no official confirmation of this information.

^{Fire near Rostov-on-Don. July 5, 2024. Image: Dnipro OSINT}

Analysts from the Dnipro OSINT group determined from eyewitness videos that the fire could indeed have been on the territory of a Russian oil depot.

In addition, drones attacked Primorsko-Akhtarsk in the Krasnodar Krai, where there is a military airfield from which the invaders launch Shahed 136 (Geran-2) attack drones into Ukraine.

Local authorities claimed that the UAV had allegedly been shot down by the Russian air defense, but the drone’s wreckage had damaged a local power substation, causing a power and water cut in part of the city.

This was also later confirmed by the governor of the region, Veniamin Kondratiev. According to him, repair and restoration work is underway.

“Special services are currently working at the site, and damage assessment is underway,” the official said.

Over the past few months, there have been regular attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles on military facilities and oil infrastructure.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 18:39 schreef Nyamuk het volgende:
Jens Stoltenberg hoopt Oekraine in 2034 bij de NAVO te zien. Fijne vent ook

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 19:57 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Als de oorlog dan besloten is en het geen frozen conflict is. Rusland wil Oekraine nooit bij de NAVO, dus ze gaan er alles aan doen om dat niet te laten gebeuren. M.a.w. een frozen conflict. Of Oekraine met zelf toegeven aan een neutrale status na onderhandelingen.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 19:58 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Terug naar de 2014 status? Om dan te wachten op de volgende 2022?

quote:

More Than a Third of Russians Approve of a Nuclear Strike on Ukraine
A recent poll reveals that many Russians support using nuclear weapons in the conflict with Ukraine.
More than a third of Russians would approve of a nuclear strike on Ukraine, according to a June poll conducted by the Levada Center.

This was reported by The Moscow Times on their Telegram channel.

Poll Results
The survey showed that 10% of respondents "strongly" support the use of nuclear weapons in the war, while another 24% consider it "rather" a good idea.

This is a 5 percentage point increase in support for nuclear action over the past year, reaching a record high since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Despite this increase, a majority of 52% are still against using nuclear weapons.

But, this majority is shrinking; in April 2023, 56% were opposed.

Context
The Levada Center, a non-governmental analytical organization, has been conducting sociological and marketing research for years. In 2016, the Russian authorities labeled it a "foreign agent."

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has framed the conflict with Ukraine as an existential threat to Russia, which he uses to justify the potential use of nuclear weapons.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 19:58 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Terug naar de 2014 status? Om dan te wachten op de volgende 2022?

quote:

Come Back Alive Foundation handed over 50 automatic grenade launchers for eight brigades of the Ukrainian Defense Forces

^{Mk 19 automatic grenade launchers donated by the Come Back Alive Foundation. Photo by the foundation's press service}

The Come Back Alive Foundation has delivered 50 automatic grenade launchers for eight brigades of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

The Foundation announced this on social networks.

This completes the implementation of the project “EYE FOR THE EYE 2. Let’s arm the Territorial Defense Forces.”

A fundraising for the purchase of mortars, grenade launchers and 12.7-mm heavy machine guns was launched in April 2013.

“The other day we handed over the last 50 automatic grenade launchers to eight brigades of the Defense Forces. This means that thanks to you, ALL the weapons purchased under our project with the OKKO network of gas stations are already in the army!🔥” the foundation summarized the initiative.

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{Mk 19 automatic grenade launchers donated by the Come Back Alive Foundation. Photo by the foundation’s press service}

In total, the goal of raising UAH 400 million was to acquire and transfer:
• 200 large-caliber machine guns;
• 300 82mm mortars;
• 100 automatic 40mm grenade launchers.

^{Mk 19 automatic grenade launchers donated by the Come Back Alive Foundation. Photo by the foundation’s press service}

And all of them are already in the troops. Some of these weapons are Ukrainian-made.

In early April, the Come Back Alive Foundation completed another project for the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – Long Hands of the Territorial Defense.

Within the framework of the project, from April 2023 to February 2024, the following needs were purchased and transferred to the Territorial Defense Forces:
• 186 120-mm mortars;
• 93 pickups;
• 434 Motorola radios;
• 279 night vision devices (NVD);
• 93 DJI Mavic 3 drones with additional batteries and consoles;
• 248 tablets with an Armor app for gunners, memory cards and cases;
• 93 uninterruptible power supplies;
• 93 generators;
• 31 meteo stations;
• 93 monoculars with mesh and compass.

^{120mm mortars for the TDF of Ukraine from the “Come Back Alive” Fund. April 2023. Ukraine. Photo credits: Andrii Rymaruk}

The project to create reconnaissance and strike complexes with 120mm mortars in the brigades was launched in December 2022.

Fundraising was organized separately for each area. One set cost more than UAH 10 million.

In this way, the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were comprehensively strengthened, which improved the defensive capabilities of Ukrainian defenders.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 19:59 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
Een goed punt inderdaad. Waarom stuurt niet alleen Putin maar ook zijn goede vrienden zoals Orban zo hard aan op een staakt-het-vuren als de oorlog zo goed voor hun gaat.

Een staakt-het-vuren die dus nooit gegeven moet worden. Niet op aandringen van Putin en zijn vriendjes in elk geval.

quote:

Kharkiv journalist Oleksandr Lapshyn found dead mile from home

Journalist Oleksandr Lapshyn from Kharkiv was found dead on June 29. The man disappeared on May 29 under unspecified circumstances and was searched for, Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne reports, citing Serhii Bolvinov, head of the Kharkiv Police Investigation Department.

“On May 30, 2024, the police received a statement from Oleksandr’s relatives that he had gone missing. The police began an investigation. On June 29, we received information from a passerby who found a body [hanging from] a rope with signs of suicide in the Sortivka district [one of Kharkiv’s districts — ed.] Of course, we had to identify the deceased, because the man had been there for a long time and it was impossible to confirm who he was visually. There was a note in his pocket, but it was impossible to read. It was probably a suicide note,” Bolvinov said.

SPOILER

quote:

According to Serhii Bolvinov, the police took DNA from Oleksandr’s father and got a match. Officially, the cause of death will be determined after a forensic examination, but police think that the person whose body was found committed suicide.

According to Oleksandr Humaniuk, the head of the search and rescue team of the NGO “Troyanda na ruci” [“Rose on the hand” in translation from Ukrainian — ed.], they had been looking for Oleksandr Lapshyn for a month.

“This [the place where the dead man was not found — ed.] is about a mile from his home. We kept it quiet so that investigators could work and inform the family,” said Oleksandr Humaniuk.

Before the Russian full-scale invasion, Oleksandr Lapshyn did not work in the media. In the spring of 2022, he worked for about a month as a fixer for the international agency Reuters and published several articles on the Ukrainska Pravda website.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 20:21 schreef BEFEM het volgende:
bbp

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 20:34 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Even gegoogled en alle bronnen geven zo'n 6 procent aan:

https://economischezakenenzo.nl/NAVO-versus-Rusland-China
https://www.trouw.nl/binn(...)oen-dollar~b77e1420/

Al gaat dat wel om iets van 1/3 van het totale overheidsbudget zie ik.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 20:36 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
Is niet veel. Kan ik niet geloven.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 20:41 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Dat zijn cijfers van 2023 volgens mij zie ik nu.

In 2020 was het Russische bbp bijna US$ 1500 miljard en dit was vergelijkbaar met de som van de Benelux landen.

Russia's military spending grew by 24 per cent in 2023 to an estimated $109 billion. This was equivalent to 5.9 per cent of Russia's GDP. - 7.2 procent (uitgerekend over 2020, blijkbaar is de bbp in 2023 hoger dan 2020)

The Russian President has approved a record budget increase of around 30% for military spending in 2024, reaching 36.6 trillion rubles (�376.7 billion) - 24.5 procent

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 20:51 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Darwin award.

[ x ]

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 20:21 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
Eens. Maar vind het wel raar dat er gewezen wordt naar een,stijging van 6% van het bbp voor defensie. Dat is niet veel toch in een massale oorlog? Klopt dat wel? Dan zitten ze op ~8% ofzo van bbp

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 21:08 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Een derde van de overheids uitgaven gaat op aan de oorlog. De oorlog kost rusland ruwweg richting 1 miljard eurodollar per dag. Het defensie budget v��r de oorlog was altijd ongeveer 60 miljard eurodollar.

Zo uit het hoofd. Ik kan er hier en daar een miljardje naast zitten.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 21:12 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:

[..]
Gazprom doneerde ieder jaar 500 miljoen voor de oorlog ,die draait nu voor het eerst in de korte geschiedenis 6 miljard dollar verlies

doordat China een schijtprijsje geeft voor de olie en LNG gas , vietnam komt nu in beeld als nieuwe afnemer

Russia Is Being Hit By The Economic Tsunami

quote:

Hungarians See Ukraine as Bigger Threat Than Russia
A new survey shows that Hungarians now think Ukraine is a bigger threat than Russia.
A recent survey by Policy Solutions shows that most Hungarians see Ukraine as a bigger threat than Russia. This was reported by the Hungarian news site Telex.

Survey Results
The survey, conducted in the spring, shows that 51% of Hungarians consider Ukraine the greatest threat.

Russia comes next at 46%, followed by China and the USA, both at 34%.

This represents a major change from last year when Russia was seen as the biggest threat, 12 percentage points higher than Ukraine.

Researchers noted that Hungarians' views of Ukraine have gotten much worse over the past year, affecting all respondents regardless of their political affiliation.

Changing Attitudes
In addition to the shift in perceived threats, 27% of Hungarians now believe that closer ties with Russia and leaving the European Union would be good for Hungary.

But 43% of the population still opposes closer ties with Russia.

Attitudes towards Ukrainian refugees have also deteriorated. Only 17% of respondents would welcome Ukrainian refugees in their neighborhood, while 49% would feel negatively about it.

The question of whether the European Union should assist Ukraine continues to divide Hungarian society. This is reflected in the changing opinions about Ukraine and Russia.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban recently visited Moscow on July 5, just days after a visit to Kyiv, which stands as a testament to the complex nature of Hungary's foreign relations.

quote:

The third Patriot air defense system from Germany has already arrived in Ukraine. It will strengthen the protection of the country's population and infrastructure against aircraft, drones and missiles.
The Ukrainian crew of the system has successfully completed relevant training in Germany in recent months. #StandWithUkraine

quote:

The 92nd Brigade destroys Russian assault group in the Kharkiv region

^{Russian equipment was destroyed by fighters of the 92nd brigade. Photo credits: 92nd Brigade}

Soldiers of the UAV Strike Battalion “Achilles” of the 92nd Assault Brigade “Ivan Sirko” successfully repelled an enemy attempt to attack the positions of Ukrainian defenders.

A video of the destruction of Russian equipment was published by the unit’s press service.

The footage shows how the Russian soldiers in an armored vehicle attempted to assault the positions of Ukrainian defenders on the Lyptsi-Hlyboke sector.

Using the equipment available, namely MT-LB and BMP-3, the Russian infantry loaded and headed into the open field to attack.

SPOILER

quote:

БУБпАК «АХІЛЛЕС» 92 ОШБр знищує російську техніку.

The attack was disorganized, as the assault took place without the cover of heavy armored vehicles, as well as appropriate engineering intelligence and training.

The enemy was attacked using all available means, including FPV drones and artillery.

The UAV Strike Battalion “Achilles” of the 92nd Assault Brigade “Ivan Sirko” repelled the assault together with the “Birds of Magyars” unit, ensuring a high level of interaction between the units.

In total, the defenders managed to destroy all four armored transporters involved in the attack.

^{Russian equipment was destroyed by fighters of the 92nd brigade. Photo credits: 92nd Brigade}

Due to the large number of lost armored personnel carriers, as well as BMP, the enemy is redesigning the landing section of the vehicles it has.

First of all, this is done to increase the airborne compartment to transport more personnel during assault operations.

Militarnyi previously reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces had hit a Russian IFV, which was converted into an APC.

In addition, the gun turret was removed from the vehicle, allowing for an increase in the height of the sides and the inclusion of view slits.

quote:

Ukrainian corvette Hetman Ivan Mazepa goes on sea acceptance test

^{Hetman Ivan Mazepa (F-211) corvette. July, 2024. Frame from the video of the Ukrainian Navy}

The Hetman Ivan Mazepa (F-211) corvette, currently under construction for the Ukrainian Navy in Turkey, is undergoing sea acceptance tests.

The video was published by the Ukrainian Navy on Friday, July 5.

The footage shows the corvette-class multi-purpose ship departing from the shore and heading out to sea.

During these tests, the ship’s crew and shipbuilding company, together with contractors, check the operation of all the corvette’s systems. In particular, how the equipment operates in different modes and loads.

It is known that the final acceptance of the ship is carried out during state trials after all components, weapons and technical means, equipment and the ship as a whole have been tested and worked out during factory trials. This may take a long time.

SPOILER

quote:

Багатоцільовий корабель класу корвет «Гетьман Іван Мазепа» ВМС ЗС України

Earlier, Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, commander of the Ukrainian Navy, said that the corvette would join the Ukrainian fleet in 2024.

^{Hetman Ivan Mazepa (F-211) corvette. July, 2024. Frame from the video of the Ukrainian Navy}

Hetman Ivan Mazepa
As of early June, according to the ship’s captain, Volodymyr Uglinskyi, the corvette was 70% complete.

According to him, the future flagship of the Ukrainian Navy is being built ahead of schedule.

On May 29, the Hetman Ivan Mazepa corvette left the RMK Marine shipyard for its first sea trials. The published photos show that it is already armed with a 76-millimeter Super Rapid naval artillery system manufactured by the Italian company OTO Melara.

^{Hetman Ivan Mazepa (F-211) corvette. July, 2024. Frame from the video of the Ukrainian Navy}

Above the helicopter hangar is a marine version of the Turkish 35-mm Korkut anti-aircraft gun from Aselsan. Other products of the company on board Mazepa are STAMP 12.7-mm remote-controlled guns, which are mounted on the port and starboard sides of the ship.

For air defense, the corvette is to be armed with the MICA VL air defense system. The Murene 90 Impact was considered as the main torpedo.

^{Launching of the Ukrainian corvette Hetman Ivan Mazepa (F211) in Turkey. October 2, 2022. Photo credits: Olena Zelenska}

The Hetman Ivan Mazepa corvette was launched in October 2022. The laying ceremony was held in September 2021, and the hull was assembled at the end of December of the same year.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 19:57 schreef Discombobulate het volgende:

[..]
Als de oorlog dan besloten is en het geen frozen conflict is. Rusland wil Oekraine nooit bij de NAVO, dus ze gaan er alles aan doen om dat niet te laten gebeuren. M.a.w. een frozen conflict. Of Oekraine met zelf toegeven aan een neutrale status na onderhandelingen.

quote:

Labor shortages drive up wages in Ukraine, central bank says
Ukrainian companies are forced to offer higher wages as they are faced with increasing labor shortages, according to a report by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) published on July 4.

Over 6 million Ukrainians left or were forced out of their home country after the outbreak of Russia's full-scale war, according to UNHCR.

The labor shortage is compounded by the intensifying mobilization drive as Kyiv seeks to replenish the ranks of its Armed Forces. Many sectors have been seeking exemptions from the draft for their employees.

According to the NBU's report, the offered monthly salaries have continuously grown from around Hr 13,500 ($332) in February 2022 to roughly Hr 19,500 ($480) in May 2024.

Requested salaries have also increased from Hr 15,500 ($380) in February 2022 to 20,500 ($505) in May this year.

Concurrently, the index of difficulty in finding a workforce increased from 5 points to 35 for unskilled labor and from almost 20 points to 40 for skilled labor between the start of 2023 and May 2024.

"Businesses will continue to experience labor shortages, which will drive higher wages in the private sector," the report read.

"Together with rising social benefits and low inflation, this will contribute to the growth of the population's real incomes."

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 21:49 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
Orban zit nu in Moskou bij Poetin, en het schijnt dat het NAVO-lidmaatschap van Oekra�ne niet meer een harde nee-eis van Rusland is.
Het gaat de Russen om het huidige gebied met misschien wat kleine correcties in de oblast Donetsk.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 21:56 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Maar wat is de Oekra�nse positie momenteel?

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 21:59 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Een middelvinger naar Putin toe.

quote:

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on July 5 that Ukraine and Russia's stances on the full-scale invasion and prospects for peace are "very far apart."

The insight came to him during a trip to visit Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow, just days after meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

"Over the past two and a half years, we have realized that we cannot achieve peace without dialogue and diplomatic channels," Orban said at a press conference with Putin.

"I felt that the positions are very far from each other, that many steps need to be taken to establish peace, but the first important step towards dialogue has already been taken."

Orban also revealed three questions he asked Putin – what he thinks about existing peace initiatives, what he thinks about a ceasefire and peace talks and when they could be held, and his opinion on post-war European security architecture.

He did not say how Putin responded to any of these.

Putin earlier in the day welcomed Orban in Russia's capital, saying he hopes to discuss bilateral relations and the situation in Ukraine.

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

The prospect of Orban traveling to Russia, especially after Hungary had just acquired the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, angered many in the EU.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the trip was "an insult to the Ukrainian people’s fight for their freedom."

European Council President Charles Michel said that Hungary, in its role as the current rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, "has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU."

The EU further emphasized that Orban's visit to Russia was "not representing the EU in any form."

Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, wrote on X that the trip "falls exclusively in the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia."

Other European leaders commented on Orban's visit.

"Orban is visiting Moscow. Appeasement will not stop Putin," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine."

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry echoed the sentiment, saying that "the decision to make this trip was made by the Hungarian side without the agreement or coordination from Ukraine."

quote:

Marine Le Pen promises to halt SCALP missile transfers to Ukraine if her party wins
The de facto leader of the National Rally argues that Paris should not become a co-belligerent in this war

Marine Le Pen, the de facto leader of France's far-right National Rally party, has promised that if her political force wins the elections, Ukraine will no longer receive long-range missiles, as was reported by CNN.

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

She stated that sending French long-range missiles to Ukraine is a red line for her and any future prime minister from the National Rally, should they win the elections.

The politician justified this with the alleged belief that Paris should not become a co-belligerent in the conflict.

Furthermore, Le Pen categorically opposed sending French instructors to Ukraine: "If Emmanuel Macron wants to send troops to Ukraine and the prime minister is against it, then there are no troops sent to Ukraine. The prime minister has the final say."

REFERENCE
Storm Shadow/SCALP is a relatively new air-to-ground cruise missile. This missile has a range of over 250 km. Its primary purpose is to destroy stationary targets protected by air defense systems. At the same time, the missile is almost invisible to radars. The SCALP cruise missile flies at a relatively low altitude and follows the landscape of the earth's surface. It has a warhead of up to 450 kg. France first supplied these missiles to Ukraine in the summer of 2023.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 22:03 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
[..]

quote:

Drones of RAROG Unit Destroyed Russian 2S4 Tyulpan

^{Destroyed Russian 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled mortar in Donetsk region. June 2024. Ukraine. Frame from the video of the RAROG unit}

The RAROG unit managed to destroy a Russian 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled mortar in the Donetsk region.

The RAROG unit has released statistics on destroyed invaders for June-2024, including a 2S4 Tyulpan.

The self-propelled mortar was destroyed in early June in the village of Verkhnotoretske in the Donetsk region.

The Ukrainian military said that before that, a Russian unit had fired on the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. However, on its way back, it was destroyed.

The self-propelled mortar was stopped by ordinary FPV drones equipped with armor-piercing weapons.

SPOILER

quote:

Дрони підрозділу "� А� ОГ" знищили 2С4 "Тюльпан"

“Thanks to friendly units and their FPV. It left, threw several times towards our positions, and died on the way back,” the military said.

The hit caused the ammunition to detonate. This led to the destruction of the unit.

This 2S4 Tyulpan 240mm self-propelled mortar is designed to destroy fortifications, manpower, and equipment.

^{2S4 Tyulpan (June 2020). Photo credits: Russian media}

In total, the unit’s statistics of destroyed equipment includes 3 tanks, 3 infantry fighting vehicles, 2 self-propelled artillery pieces and one cannon.

In June, the fighters also eliminated 14 invaders and various vehicles and military equipment.

The RAROG unit is a part of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo and has been destroying the invaders with the help of attack drones for a long time.

^{Statistics of affected and destroyed occupiers for June 2024 from the RAROG unit}

During the war, the Ukrainian military destroyed a significant number of Russian 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled mortars. High-precision projectiles are also used to destroy such systems.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 22:11 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Zelenski wil een vrede waarin zij alles terugkrijgen wat hun ontnomen is, en waarin de aangedane schade vergoed wordt. Een vrede met veiligheidsgaranties (van het westen/NAVO)

Putin wil een vrede waarin zij alles krijgen wat zij maar wensen, en waarin Zelenski en Oekra�ne zich overgeven en zijn soevereiniteit mee opgeven. Rusland wil veiligheidsgaranties (van Oekra�ne en het westen lol)

Orban heeft hier geen woord over te zeggen, hij is daar alleen maar vanuit zijn eigen belang. Hij denkt dat het presidentschap (voorzitterschap) van de EU betekend dat hij nu de grote baas is. Maar zo werkt de EU niet. Niet voor hem in elk geval, want hij heeft een bijna lege agenda.

quote:

Ukrainian UAV strikes Destroy Russian Tropospheric Communications Station near Nova Kakhovka

^{The Russian R-423 tropospheric communication station in the Novaya Kakhovka area was destroyed. July 2024. Ukraine. Photo credits: Dosye_shpiona}

Ukrainian attack drones struck a Russian position with a tropospheric communication station in the Kherson region.

Analysts from the Dosye_shpiona group found out that the equipment belonged to the Russian 66th Communications Brigade.

The invaders deployed the R-423 tropospheric communication station on the outskirts of Nova Kakhovka.

According to the analysts, the station was attacked using six attack UAVs of an unspecified type.

The strike destroyed the R-423 tropospheric communication station and a power supply station (probably E-351).

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{The Russian position of the 66th Command Brigade near Nova Kakhovka was hit. July, 2024. Ukraine. Photo credits: Dosye_shpiona}

According to analysts, two Russian soldiers were wounded.

The R-423 tropospheric communication station provides direct communications at a distance of at least 150 km.

It is also designed for the construction of radio relay tropospheric communication lines with a length of 500-560 km, with three retransmissions.

The E-351 mobile power plant provides power supply to communication facilities, field communication hubs and automation systems.

^{R-423 tropospheric communication station. Russia. Photo credits: rusarmy.com}

The occupied town of Nova Kakhovka is located on the left bank of the Dnipro River, a few kilometers downstream from the town of Kakhovka.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces are actively trying to destroy Russian facilities on the left bank. They are using a variety of weapons to do so.

In March, they used JDAM, or French AASM 250 HAMMERs guided bombs, which were transferred to the Ukrainian Air Force as part of the assistance to launch air strikes against the invaders, to destroy a Russian UAV control center.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 22:22 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Dat zijn van beide kanten geen realistische voorstellen natuurlijk, en ik kan me niet voorstellen dat de partijen nog altijd niet bereid zijn tot concessies.

quote:

Ukraine not ready to compromise with Russia, says Zelenskyy aide
Ukraine is not ready to compromise with Russia and give up any territory to end the war, a senior Ukrainian official said on Tuesday (2 July) when asked about US presidential candidate Donald Trump's declaration that he could quickly end the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, told reporters during a visit to Washington that Kyiv would listen to any advice on how to achieve a "just peace" in the war. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

"But we (are) not ready to go to the compromise for the very important things and values ... independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty," he said.

SPOILER

quote:

Yermak's visit came ahead of next week's NATO summit in the US capital, where Ukraine is expected to be the main topic of discussion.

Trump, the Republican nominee challenging President Joe Biden, said during a debate between the pair last week that if he is re-elected in November he would quickly solve the war in Ukraine before taking office in January.

He has not offered details of how he would do that, but Reuters reported last week that two key advisers to Trump had presented him with a plan that would involve threatening to cut US assistance if Kyiv did not enter negotiations with Moscow.

Trump said during the debate, however, that he does not accept Russian President Vladimir Putin's terms. Putin has said Russia would end the war if Kyiv agreed to hand over the four regions in the east and south of the country claimed by Moscow.

Asked how Ukraine assesses that Trump would handle the war, Yermak said: "Honest answer: I don't know. Let's see."

Ukraine would lobby a new US administration to continue providing it support, he said, adding that Ukraine had received bipartisan support in Washington and polling showed most Americans still support Ukraine after two years of war.

"It will be ... a decision of the American people. We will respect this choice," Yermak said of the 5 November presidential election.

The United States has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion worth of military aid since 2022. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday the US will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine.

Russia 'cannot comment' Trump's plan
Russia cannot comment on Trump's idea for ending the war in Ukraine because Moscow does not know what it involves, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

"This is not Trump's first statement on this, and he has made statements along these lines before. Without knowing the essence of what this is about, we cannot comment on it," Peskov told reporters.

The Kremlin has said that any peace plan for Ukraine proposed by a possible future Trump administration would have to reflect the reality on the ground, where its forces control nearly a fifth of Ukraine, but that President Vladimir Putin was open to talks. Ukraine says Russia's terms for ending the war amount to a demand for its surrender.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 22:26 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Oekra�ne is het slachtoffer, en Zelenski hun leider. Zelenski (en zijn regering) bepaald dus wat voor concessies zij bereid zijn om te doen. En zover zijn deze slechts klein geweest.

Een paar dagen geleden was er sowieso nog sprake van geen grondgebied afstaan. En het lijkt mij normaal dat Oekra�ne al zijn krijgsgevangenen en ontvoerde burgers/kinderen terug krijgt.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 22:36 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Het teruggeven van krijgsgevangenen is normaal na een vrede inderdaad en burgers moeten kunnen terugkeren voor zover zij dat wensen.
Uiteraard is het aan de Oekra�ne om concessies te doen, hoewel deze wel van buitenaf opgelegd kunnen worden natuurlijk.
Het is nog even afwachten wat er staat te gebeuren met Trump in de VS.

Mocht Oekra�ne het eigen grondgebied willen behouden en schadevergoedingen, dan zal men toch de Russen uit het eigen grondgebied moeten verwijderen plus een stuk Rusland in moeten nemen.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 22:36 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Het teruggeven van krijgsgevangenen is normaal na een vrede inderdaad en burgers moeten kunnen terugkeren voor zover zij dat wensen.
Uiteraard is het aan de Oekra�ne om concessies te doen, hoewel deze wel van buitenaf opgelegd kunnen worden natuurlijk.
Het is nog even afwachten wat er staat te gebeuren met Trump in de VS.

Mocht Oekra�ne het eigen grondgebied willen behouden en schadevergoedingen, dan zal men toch de Russen uit het eigen grondgebied moeten verwijderen plus een stuk Rusland in moeten nemen.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 23:01 schreef Nebelwerfer het volgende:

[..]
Wat zijn eigenlijk de rechten van de (pro)Russen waar men momenteel de bezette gebieden mee voldrukt? Massaal deporteren zal dan ook niet mogen?

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 23:10 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Ik ben er niet zeker van maar ik zou denken dat dit op basis van nationaliteit wel kan. In het geval van de Krim is dit echter niet langer van toepassing aangezien het de-facto al 10 jaar onder Russissche controle staat en het de vraag is in hoeverre de inwoners nog Oekra�nse papieren hebben.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 23:21 schreef Nebelwerfer het volgende:

[..]
Tja, maar de donbas was natuurlijk al grotendeels proRussisch, die krijg je echt niet Oekra�ens zonder vuil te spelen.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 23:25 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Mocht dat gebied heroverd worden door de Oekra�ners dan zal dat gepaard gaan met een exodus van de pro-Russische bevolking.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 23:21 schreef Nebelwerfer het volgende:

[..]
Tja, maar de donbas was natuurlijk al grotendeels proRussisch, die krijg je echt niet Oekra�ens zonder vuil te spelen.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 23:30 schreef Nebelwerfer het volgende:

[..]
En de pro Russische Oekra�ners? Want die zullen de overhand hebben ondertussen.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 23:37 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Voor zover er een risico tot vervolging aanwezig is zullen die neem ik aan ook wel vertrekken.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 23:31 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
Ligt eraan. Er zijn behoorlijk wat Oekra�ners gevlucht richting door Oekra�ne gecontroleerd gebied. Dus die gaan uiteraard weer terug naar hun huizen. Dat is natuurlijk geen vuil spel.

quote:

In Kursk Oblast, a tree fell on the deputy head of a district while he was harvesting firewood for the needs of the SVO. He died

On the morning of July 5, Deputy Head of the Sovietsky District Sergei Belykh died in the Kursk Region. While he was preparing firewood for military needs, a felled tree fell on him, Acting Governor of the Region Alexei Smirnov reported on his Telegram channel.

The incident occurred near the district center, the workers' settlement of Kshenskogo. The 64-year-old man was taken to the district hospital, but later died from his injuries.

SPOILER

quote:

The governor named Belykh as acting head, but the website of the Sovetsky District Administration and social networks indicate that it is headed by another person, Vladimir Zhilinkov. He did not announce his dismissal or resignation on his public pages . According to official information from the district administration website, Belykh was Zhilinkov's deputy for housing and communal services.

Smirnov expressed his condolences to the relatives of the deceased, called him an experienced leader and promised the family the necessary assistance. Belykh's wife Olga was born in the same year as he was. She worked as a librarian at a local cultural institution. "Vot Tak" was unable to find any information about scandals involving the Belykh family in the public domain.

The Sovietsky district is located in the east of the Kursk region, bordering the Oryol and Lipetsk regions, and more than 150 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. The Kursk region itself often becomes the target of attacks by Ukrainian drones. In February 2022, Russian troops used the territory of the region as a springboard for an offensive on Sumy in Ukraine and beyond.

quote:

US refutes Russia's denial of violating North Korea sanctions
The United States has flatly rejected Russia’s claim that it has not violated international sanctions imposed on North Korea, calling on Moscow to stop illegal arms transfers from Pyongyang.

“The U.S. and like-minded countries have successfully highlighted Russia’s U.N. Security Council Resolutions violations,” a State Department spokesperson said in an email to VOA’s Korean Service on Wednesday, responding to an inquiry made about Russia’s denial of violating North Korea sanctions.

“Unfortunately, we now have a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council willing to openly flout sanctions to support the Kim [Jong Un] regime’s priorities.”

The spokesperson continued: “We call on the DPRK and Russia to cease unlawful arms transfers and urge the DPRK to take concrete steps toward abandoning all nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and related programs.” DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name.

In a Monday press conference, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia insisted that his country had complied with international sanctions against North Korea.

“We’re not violating the North Korea sanctions regime and all those allegations that come out. They are not proved by material evidence,” he said.

SPOILER

quote:

The Russian ambassador went even further, questioning the integrity of a now-defunct U.N. panel of experts charged with monitoring North Korea sanctions. The panel’s annual mandate was not extended this year, following Russia’s veto at the U.N. Security Council in March.

Nebenzia alleged that the panel of experts got involved in the politics after being encouraged by certain countries, adding that "that was the major mistake that they made."

“The sanctions regime against DPRK is an unprecedented thing in the United Nations. It’s not time bound. It doesn’t have any provisions for reviewing, and this cannot be tolerated.”

The Kremlin’s refusal to renew the expert panel’s annual mandate marked a drastic change from its earlier support for U.N. Resolution 1718, which put in place an arms embargo on North Korea by banning all imports and exports of most weapons and related material.

The U.N. Security Council passed the resolution unanimously in October 2006, just several days after North Korea’s first nuclear test.

This week’s exchange between Washington and Moscow comes as Russia has been deepening military ties with North Korea.

Russian President Vladmir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty during their summit in Pyongyang last month.

In recent months. the U.S. government has repeatedly blown the whistle on Russia’s alleged violations of international sanctions, accusing Moscow of financially and materially facilitating Pyongyang’s efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction.

In a May briefing, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby released specific figures of the refined oil Russia has provided to North Korea so far this year, stressing it has already exceeded the limit set by the U.N. Security Council.

“Russia has been shipping refined petroleum to the DPRK. Russian shipments have already pushed DPRK inputs above [those] mandated by the U.N. Security Council. In March alone, Russia shipped more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to the DPRK,” Kirby said.

In October last year, the White House released three satellite images showing containers moved by ships and trains, saying North Korea had provided Russia with more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and ammunition.

Experts in Washington say this standoff between the U.S. and Russia over North Korea will likely persist for some time.

Scott Snyder, president of the Korea Economic Institute of America, told VOA’s Korean Service via email on Thursday that the recent defense pact between Moscow and Pyongyang is not something the U.S. can afford to ignore.

“North Korea will remain a source of conflict in U.S.-Russia relations as long as North Korea sustains their strategic relationship, which will continue at least until the end of military hostilities in Ukraine,” Snyder said.

Evans Revere, who formerly served as deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said in an email to VOA’s Korean Service on Friday that Russia is setting itself up as North Korea’s backer.

“Russia has made it clear that it intends to oppose U.N. Security Council sanctions, work with North Korea and others to find ways to get around current U.N. Security Council restrictions and strengthen its tactical and strategic coordination with North Korea,” Revere said.

“Russia, which was once part of the important coalition supporting the use of pressure and sanctions to deal with Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs, has now gone over to the other side and become Pyongyang's de facto protector.”

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 21:56 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Maar wat is de Oekra�nse positie momenteel?

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 08:06 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
De meeste Oekra�ners die ge�nterviewd worden, willen nu nog blijven doorvechten.

Maar ik denk niet dat men daarvoor in de loopgraven in de Donbas willen vechten. Met het pief-paf-poef geschiet met raketten op langere afstand win je geen oorlog.

De belangrijkste vraag die Europa moet stellen is. Wat is het einddoel? (De vraag die hier wel steeds luidop met Irak en Afghanistan gesteld werd, en wat Europa dus de VS verweet)
Willen wij de problemen van De Donbas en De Krim binnen de EU en de NAVO hebben?
Mijn antwoord is nee. Die inwoners van die streken redden zich wel, net zoals bijvoorbeeld de inwoners van Irkoetsk en Chabarovsk.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 08:06 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
De meeste Oekra�ners die ge�nterviewd worden, willen nu nog blijven doorvechten.

Maar ik denk niet dat men daarvoor in de loopgraven in de Donbas willen vechten. Met het pief-paf-poef geschiet met raketten op langere afstand win je geen oorlog.

De belangrijkste vraag die Europa moet stellen is. Wat is het einddoel? (De vraag die hier wel steeds luidop met Irak en Afghanistan gesteld werd, en wat Europa dus de VS verweet)
Willen wij de problemen van De Donbas en De Krim binnen de EU en de NAVO hebben?
Mijn antwoord is nee. Die inwoners van die streken redden zich wel, net zoals bijvoorbeeld de inwoners van Irkoetsk en Chabarovsk.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 23:30 schreef Nebelwerfer het volgende:

[..]
En de pro Russische Oekra�ners? Want die zullen de overhand hebben ondertussen.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 08:31 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Zuiveren en deporteren.
Pro Russen zijn landverraders.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 08:45 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
die houding helpt alleen als je voor eeuwig oorlog wilt voeren daar ...

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 08:31 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
De Krim en Donbass zijn gewoon deel van Oekra�ne, makkelijk zat. Je kan niet alleen maar een deel van Oekra�ne opnemen in de EU of de NAVO.

Al zijn er uitzonderingen. De Antillen zitten bijvoorbeeld niet in de NAVO en de EU. EN Hawaii zit ook niet in de NAVO. Maar dat komt door de geografische ligging.

En ons einddoel is om Oekra�ne de oorlog te helpen winnen.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 09:17 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
Kosovo is ook losgemaakt van Servi�. Dus de Donbass en De Krim kunnen ook wel los van Oekra�ne.
Meer dan 80% van het oude Oekra�ne blijft in tact, met op de stad Donetsk na, alle belangrijke en grote steden.
Met het gedeelte wat het meest pro-Oekra�ens is.

DE NAVO en de EU krijgen al genoeg problemen met dit nieuwe Oekra�ne qua corruptiebestrijding, te voeren landbouwmethoden en wederopbouw van bepaalde gebieden.

quote:

Op vrijdag 5 juli 2024 21:03 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Lijkt wel een beetje op die rus van vandaag die zijn helm tegen een drone aangooide, op 3 meter afstand..

SPOILER

twitter

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 09:38 schreef SillyWalks het volgende:

[..]
Donbas, Krim, Belgorod en Rostov terug naar Oekra�ne.

Rusland moet wel compromissen doen.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 09:44 schreef Perrin het volgende:

[..]
Geen winnende tactiek nee.

SPOILER

[ x ]

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 08:45 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
die houding helpt alleen als je voor eeuwig oorlog wilt voeren daar ...

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 09:48 schreef Perrin het volgende:

[..]
Precies. Een bufferzone is wel nodig:

[ afbeelding ]

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 08:31 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Zuiveren en deporteren.
Pro Russen zijn landverraders.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 11:15 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]
Ligt die bufferzone nu volledig op Russisch grondgebied?

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 09:48 schreef Perrin het volgende:

[..]
Precies. Een bufferzone is wel nodig:

[ afbeelding ]

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 12:33 schreef Opnaarutrecht het volgende:

[..]
Wie Poetin steunt, is een psychopaat.

⚔Advancement Of Russian Troops🔥The World Is On The Verge Of Change🌏 Military Summary For 2024.07.06

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 11:13 schreef Hyperdude het volgende:

[..]
In Breslau en Lemberg is het anders best vredig sinds 1945. Nou ja, Lemberg krijgt sinds 2022 zo nu en dan een Poetin raketje in de post. Daar zijn 100-duizenden Duitsers en Polen verdreven.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 08:51 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Mwah het is meer dat je dan overtuigend moet winnen en dat zie ik momenteel niet gebeuren.

Het zou juist een hoop intern gedoe moeten schelen.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 13:08 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
Nee het is meer dat de wereld tegenwoordig wat fronsend kijkt naar etnische zuiveringen en genocide enzo

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 13:49 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Al kan dat blijkbaar tegenwoordig zonder bloedvergieten.

Zie nagorno karabach.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 13:52 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
Als je niet voor miljarden aan steun per maand afhankelijk bent van het westen gaan dingen wat makkelijker ja

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 12:32 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Er zit voor de Oekra�ners waarschijnlijk weinig anders op dan het etnisch zuiveren van de Russische omvolkers.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 14:14 schreef Repentless het volgende:
Geldt hetzelfde voor bijvoorbeeld de Servi�rs m.b.t. Kosovo? Etnisch zuiveren die handel? Of pak hem beet, Catalanen en Basken die zich willen afscheiden van Spanje?

quote:

.....................

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 09:17 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
Kosovo is ook losgemaakt van Servi�. Dus de Donbass en De Krim kunnen ook wel los van Oekra�ne.
Meer dan 80% van het oude Oekra�ne blijft in tact, met op de stad Donetsk na, alle belangrijke en grote steden.
Met het gedeelte wat het meest pro-Oekra�ens is.

DE NAVO en de EU krijgen al genoeg problemen met dit nieuwe Oekra�ne qua corruptiebestrijding, te voeren landbouwmethoden en wederopbouw van bepaalde gebieden.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 14:19 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Ik weet het niet; zijn al die catagorien die je opnoemt ge�mporteerd? Of: geexporteerd uit andere landen?

Het is ook een grotere non-discussie dan de meesten blijkbaar doorhebben.

Baltische staten flikken het gewoon om NAV een taalexamen mensen die daar geboren zijn, maar zich nooit hebben aangepast een enkeltje modda rossia te geven.

En de reactie van het westen is precies dit:
[..]

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 14:40 schreef Repentless het volgende:
Het gaat er mijns inziens om hoe bepaalde landen/gebieden en de daar levende volkeren historisch gezien tot stand zijn gekomen en hebben geleid tot de situatie van vandaag de dag.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 14:42 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Uh huh.

Inzake die gebieden ben je dan snel klaar: rus verdrijft de originele inwoners, en importeert mensen uit rus die dan voor een appel en een ei het geroofde onroerend goed mogen kopen.

Nog andere vragen?

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 14:47 schreef Repentless het volgende:

[..]
Ja, leuk. Dat is allemaal vorige week gebeurd? Of zit daar misschien enige tijd tussen?

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 15:01 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Boeiend.

We hebben het niet over een dorp in BE wat door voor de rest normale omstandigheden uiteindelijk overwegend wordt bewoont door NL'ers, ofzo.

We hebben het over doelbewust omvolking engineeren door rus.

En als de baltiscche staten blijkbaar wel degelijk het e.e.a. te vertellen hebben over wie zich daar mag bevinden, ondanks droeftoeters die zich geroepen voelen een lans te breken voor de agressieve kolonisten

Zie ik niet waarom oekraine dat ook niet zou hebben.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 15:10 schreef Repentless het volgende:

[..]
Ah ja, "boeiend". Wat maakt het uit, het gaat slechts over iets onbeduidends als etnische zuiveringen. Daar moet je verder ook niet teveel over nadenken.

Vind je het ook prima wanneer de zulu-bevolking Zuid-Afrika etnisch zuivert van blanken?

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 14:14 schreef Repentless het volgende:

[..]
Geldt hetzelfde voor bijvoorbeeld de Servi�rs m.b.t. Kosovo? Etnisch zuiveren die handel? Of pak hem beet, Catalanen en Basken die zich willen afscheiden van Spanje?

Ja, het is een vergelijking, maar hopelijk niet als antwoord het steeds vaker gehoorde 'whataboutism'. Gewoon echt de vraag of dat dan compleet anders ligt en waarom.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 15:58 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
De door de Basken en Catalanen gewenste zelfstandigheid heeft geen enkele overeenkomst met de Russische kolonisators die de Oekra�ense bevolking omvolken. Gelukkig geef je zelf al aan dat dat niets meer dan een what-about-ism van je is.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 15:59 schreef Repentless het volgende:

[..]
Ja, en Kosovo?

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 16:08 schreef spicymchaggis het volgende:

[..]
Gooi er anders nog wat meer whataboutisms in.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 13:55 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Ik zie europa geen lans breken voor het mogen blijven van de rus kolonisten.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 16:12 schreef sp3c het volgende:

[..]
Die worden nu al anderhalf decennium beschoten en die zullen niet direct staan te springen om een 'bevrijding' vanuit Kiev

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 16:32 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Zou ik niet te snel zeggen, russen zelf zijn gezien de emigratie cijfers ook niet dol op het wonen in rusland.

Komen daar nog dingen bij als gedwongen mobilisatie, enorme verliezen, en getraumatiseerde russisch vlees dat daar rondspookt.

quote:

Op zaterdag 6 juli 2024 16:12 schreef Repentless het volgende:

[..]
Ach ja, geen antwoord daarop. Gewoon even etnische zuiveringen normaliseren en bij de vraag of dat in andere gevallen vergelijkbaar is en zo niet, waarom dan niet, gewoon niet thuisgeven.