Oorlog in Oekra�ne #996: Trump de vredesduif

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Explosions heard near oil depot in Tuapse, Russia
In the Russian city of Tuapse, approximately five explosions were heard early on July 22. The blasts reportedly originated from the local oil depot, according to Russian Telegram channels.

According to preliminary information from the Shot channel, the city’s air defense system was activated, and the drones may have targeted the local oil refinery.

Residents told the channel that the explosions from the oil depot started around 3:30 AM, with about five loud bangs heard. Before this, witnesses reported characteristic sounds of drone flights.

No official information is available at this time.

TASS Telegram channel, citing the head of the Tuapse district, reports that the air defense system reportedly struck eight drones in the Tuapse area of Krasnodar Krai, with no casualties reported.

On the morning of July 20, explosions were heard in the Rostov region near the Millerovo military airfield, and fires broke out as a result of a drone attack in the region. An oil depot was also hit.

Satellite images revealed damage to facilities at least at three locations on the airfield.

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Ukraine’s border guards thwart attempt to smuggle out batch of collectible coins

At the Krakivets checkpoint on the border with Poland, a collection of valuable coins, some dating back to the 18th century, was found in a bag of what a minibus driver heading to Czechia claimed was children’s clothes.
That’s according to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

The report says the oldest coin in the batch was minted in 1748.

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Berlin’s Russian House Faces Scrutiny as Alleged Hub for Espionage and Propaganda
The Russian House in Berlin, located on Friedrichstrasse, has come under scrutiny amidst allegations of being a covert hub for espionage and propaganda, rather than merely a cultural center for Russian expatriates. Roderich Kiesewetter of Germany’s CDU party has labeled it an extension of Kremlin influence, citing concerns of it potentially circumventing EU sanctions and serving as a nexus for Russian intelligence activities.

Operated by Rossotrudnichestvo, an agency known for its ties to Russian expatriates and alleged agents, the Russian House offers amenities such as a Russian-language bookshop and a cinema screening Soviet-era comedies. Despite claims of being apolitical, the center has faced controversy, notably screening a film in 2022 that aligned with Vladimir Putin’s narrative on Ukraine, leading to accusations of spreading Kremlin propaganda.

While some European countries have closed similar Russian cultural centers, Germany has hesitated due to fears of reciprocal actions affecting institutions like the Goethe Institute in Moscow. The German government has sanctioned Rossotrudnichestvo, freezing its assets in the EU since July 2022, yet critics argue that more decisive action is needed.

German intelligence officials have highlighted the country’s susceptibility to Russian espionage, citing recent incidents of sabotage plots and espionage attempts linked to Russian interests.

The debate surrounding the Russian House reflects broader concerns over the intersection of cultural diplomacy and geopolitical strategy, raising questions about the balance between cultural exchange and national security in Europe’s political landscape.

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Patriot from Germany arrives in Ukraine – Zelenskyy
Obtaining the system is "far from guaranteed protection, but more power for Ukraine," the president noted

The Patriot air defense system from Germany has arrived in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in his evening address.

The head of state heard a report of the commander of the Air Force, Mykola Oleschuk: on the work of mobile fire groups in shooting down Shahed drones and on countering Russian missiles.

"We can already say: there is a strengthening of our air defense. The German Patriot has arrived in Ukraine, I want to thank Germany and the United States for this step. We will be able to do more in the sky," Zelenskyy said.

The head of state admitted that there is still a lot of work ahead, and receiving Patriot is "far from guaranteed protection, but more power for Ukraine."

On June 11, the Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Germany will deliver the third Patriot to the Ukrainian Defense Forces "in the coming weeks and months."

On July 5 , the German ambassador announced that Ukraine received the third Patriot from Germany.

On July 10, the US president announced that the state would provide Ukraine with an additional Patriot, and European allies would strengthen Ukrainian air defense with four more systems.

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Russia gathering forces in Kharkiv Oblast for fresh attacks, military says
Russia has deployed additional assault units near the village of Hlyboke in Kharkiv Oblast to prepare for offensive operations, Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson of the Khortytsia group of forces, told Interfax Ukraine on July 21.

The village of Hlyboke is located in the north of the Kharkiv Oblast, 7 kilometers (4.6 miles) from the border with Russia and 39 kilometers (24 miles) from the regional center, the city of Kharkiv.

Russia launched its offensive in Kharkiv Oblast on May 10, but the assault quickly stalled. Around 20,000 Russian troops were killed during the failed push in the northeastern region, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russia is currently massing new troops near the village of Hlyboke, including assault groups of the 155th Separate Marine Brigade of the Russian Pacific Fleet and the 18th Motorized Rifle Division of the 11th Army Corps, according to Voloshyn.

Russian troops use drones for remote mining of the area, the spokesperson added.

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Russia systemically abuses its soldiers in Ukraine to 'maintain order,' The Insider reports
Russia uses a systematic program of "gulag-style" abuse directed at its soldiers in Ukraine in order to "maintain order" and punish perceived offenders, according to an investigation by the Insider published on July 22.

The abuse of Russian soldiers by their commanders and fellow troops since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine has been previously documented. Problems with military hazing and mistreatment of subordinates by their superiors date back to the Soviet era and were also widely reported in Russia's wars in Chechnya.

According to the Insider, the patterns of abuse of Russian soldiers in Ukraine "borrow heavily from Soviet labor camp traditions."

Russian units have employed "punishment squads" that seek out soldiers who are abusing alcohol, refuse orders, or are simply disliked, and then subject them to a variety of abuse, including beatings and "confinement pits."

One of the issues, the Insider found, is that typical verbal reprimands often work to discipline regular soldiers but not the tens of thousands of convicts who have been recruited to fill the gaps created by massive personnel losses.

"(Former) inmates are impossible to control," one officer told the Insider.

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Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to Visit China
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, will visit China from July 23 to 25 at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Wang Yi.

This was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China.

"During meetings and negotiations, the parties will exchange views on the current state and prospects of bilateral relations. The main topic of discussion will be finding ways to end Russian aggression and exploring China's potential role in achieving sustainable and just peace," the foreign policy department stated.

In February 2024, Kuleba met with Wang Yi to discuss bilateral relations and trade, and briefed him on the Summit on Peace for Ukraine in Switzerland. "No matter how the international situation changes, China hopes that China-Ukraine relations will develop normally and continue to benefit the two peoples. We will continue to play a constructive role in bringing an early end to the war and re-establishing peace,” Wang Yi said.

China did not participate in the Summit on Peace for Ukraine.

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Georgia puts 300 members of the Georgian Legion on the wanted list

^{Soldiers of the Georgian National Legion}

The special services of Georgia, following the Russian authorities, put Georgian volunteers who fought on the side of Ukraine on the wanted list.

Mamuka Mamulashvili, a commander of the Georgian National Legion fighting for Ukraine, told The Insider.

According to him, about 300 people from the combat unit he led were put on the wanted list in Georgia. Most of them are now in Ukraine.

“I foresaw this development after Russia started putting us on the wanted list. This was done so that the Georgian government would have grounds to arrest us. Russian and Georgian Special Services are working in sync today. Many of our guys who were returning to Georgia were advised by the Georgian special services to leave. They were told: “There are a lot of Russians here, we will not be able to protect you anymore, we ask you to leave,” Mamulashvili says.

In June, a Russian court recognized the Georgian Legion as a terrorist organization. Russia’s Investigative Committee brought more than 70 members of the Legion to justice in absentia and put Mamuka Mamulashvili on the wanted list.

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Neutral Russian athletes accused of breaching rules on Ukraine war ahead of Paris Olympics
A report from a human rights group claims Russian and Belarusian athletes have broken strict Ukraine War-related rules regarding their neutral appearance at the Olympics

Russian and Belarusian athletes will continue to be banned from representing their countries at the Paris 2024 Olympics due to the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but some will be allowed to continue under a neutral banner.

However, those given the exemption are under strict conditions, which a human rights group claims they have breached. Athletes were first banned for the 2022 Commonwealth Games due to the invasion, and that ban is still in place for this summer's Games.

Those wishing to still compete must do so under a neutral flag, and cannot show any support for Vladimir Putin's invasion or offer pro-Russia views on the Ukraine war. However, according to human rights group Global Rights Compliance, ten out of the 15 Russian athletes have broken those rules.

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https://newsukraine.rbc.u(...)s-of-1721630568.html
Russia-Ukraine war: Frontline update as of July 22
Over the past day, July 21, 117 combat engagements were registered in the frontline. Nearly Russian 40 offensive and assault attacks were repelled in the Pokrovsk sector, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Over the past day, 117 combat engagements were recorded.

“Yesterday, the aviation, missile forces, and artillery of the Ukrainian Defense Forces hit a Russian control center, an ammunition depot, four artillery systems, two air defense systems, a radar station, and 15 areas of concentration of Russian personnel and military equipment,” Ukraine's General Staff writes.

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OPFOR Battalion defeats Russian armored group in the Donetsk region

^{Destruction of Russian armored vehicles in the Donetsk region. July, 2024. Footage from the OPFOR Battalion video}

In the Donetsk region, Ukrainian soldiers defeated a Russian armored group that was trying to break through the defense in the Kurakhove sector.

The video of the destruction of the invaders was published by the press service of the 214th ‘OPFOR’ Separate Special Battalion.

The Russian command sent several armored vehicles with infantry to break through the Ukrainian defense near the village of Kostiantynivka.

The movement of the Russian armored group along a field road was detected by Ukrainian reconnaissance drones.

Then Ukrainian gunners of the 31st Brigade’s self-propelled artillery battalion began to fire at the enemy column.

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Anti-war candidates barred from running in St. Petersburg local elections
All 83 candidates from Yabloko, the only registered party in Russia openly opposed to the war, were barred from running in the St. Petersburg municipal elections, independent news outlet Bumaga reported on Monday.

Yabloko’s spokesman Dmitry Anisimov told journalists that the party would appeal the authorities’ decision in court. Bumaga reported last week that Yabloko candidates had received rejection notices as the party had failed to give them their official endorsement, which its officials said was not true.

A number of candidates from pro-war parties have also been barred from running. A source from Russia’s Communist Party told Bumaga that 244 out of its 427 candidates were blocked from registering in the elections. The Communist Party believes an additional 50 candidates will be denied registration, though a decision has not yet been made.

Other candidates said they had failed to submit their documents in time because of overly long lines at the election committee office, which the nationalist political group Society.Future claimed were full of “fake candidates”.

Opposition candidates running in Russian elections are often forced to drop out, barred from running or face imprisonment. Yabloko, founded in 1993 and currently campaigning under the slogan “For Peace and Freedom”, is a registered liberal political party that hasn’t been represented in the lower house of Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, since 2007 and only has 11 seats in regional parliaments as of 2024.

St. Petersburg residents are due to go to the polls on 6–8 September to elect the city’s next governor and municipal deputies. The election campaign has been marred by controversy, with an 82-year-old anti-war candidate being forced to drop out of the race earlier in July after failing to collect 76,000 signatures required to register her candidacy — an election rule that her supporters said was “drawn up in such a way as to not allow a single independent candidate”.

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Mysterious Russia-Linked Companies Purchase Dozens of Vessels for Russia’s "Shadow Fleet"
Over the past year, little-known companies have bought dozens of vessels capable of transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG), probably for the Russian "shadow fleet", the Financial Times writes.

Industry insiders in the shipping sector report that a group of newly emerged companies, predominantly registered in the United Arab Emirates, have been buying LNG vessels during the last year. This surge in acquisitions has notably increased market prices, particularly affecting the value of older ships.

Kpler, an analytical firm that tracks shipping, has observed that several of the recently acquired tankers are now operating on routes traditionally used for transporting Russian gas.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, LNG has become increasingly vital to Russia's wartime economy. In June, the EU enacted restrictions banning the transfer of Russian LNG from large icebreaking ships to smaller vessels at EU ports. This move substantially restricts Russia's ability to distribute its gas worldwide.

Sergey Vakulenko, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, emphasized that it was a clear strategic move for Russia to expand its LNG dark fleets, especially under increasing pressure on Russian LNG.

In July 2024, the UK imposed sanctions on 11 oil tankers involved in aiding Russia's export of supplies to customers, including some linked to the “shadow fleet”.

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A rare Russian “Zemledeliye” complex has been destroyed

The Ukrainian military has destroyed a Russian engineering system for remote mining.

An artillery reconnaissance unit has discovered a rare Russian “Zemledeliye” complex.

“Zemledelie” is designed to promptly create minefields at a distance of 5 to 15 km.

The system fires rockets that ensure that mines are placed in a specified area.

The system completes minefields of any complexity, including ready-made passages for its troops.

With one salvo, this installation can replace an area equal to several soccer fields.

Thanks to Ukrainian defenders, the system went up in flames along with its ammunition and crew.

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Ukrainian cadets start practice on the ORP Wodnik ship of the Polish Navy

^{Polish training vessel ORP Wodnik (251). Photo credits: Armed Forces of Poland}

The cadets of the National University “Odesa Maritime Academy” have started an internship on the training vessel ORP Wodnik of the Polish Navy.

The press service of the university reported on this.

Ukrainians undergo maritime practice together with their Polish colleagues.

During the internship, they learn navigation, astronavigation, hydrometeorology and maneuvering skills, and get acquainted with the organization of the ship’s service.

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US Deploys Nuclear Bombers Near Ukrainian Border

^{A KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, refuels a B-52H Stratofortress from the 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, La. (Source: US Air Forces)}

The United States has deployed two B-52 Stratofortress intercontinental strategic bombers to the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Force Base in Romania, bordering with Ukraine. This transfer was announced by the US Air Force in Europe.

The American aircraft will operate as part of the 20th Expeditionary Bombing Squadron of the US Air Force and will begin integrating with NATO forces.

During a flight in international airspace over the Barents Sea, the B-52s were intercepted by two Russian aircraft at around 8 a.m. Central European Time, on July 21. Despite the interception, the US aircraft maintained their course and continued their scheduled flight plan without incident. The bombers completed their pre-planned mission, which included coordination with NATO fighter aircraft, before landing at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base.

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Bulgaria may transfer its surplus ammunition to Ukraine
Bulgaria may transfer its surplus of ammunition and other military equipment to Ukraine if these supplies are compensated by allied countries.

Source: Acting Bulgarian Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov, as reported by European Pravda citing Bulgarian news agency BNR

Details: Zapryanov said that the analysis of the Bulgarian Defence Ministry revealed what is surplus and unnecessary for the Bulgarian army.

"Part of these supplies – part of ammunition of certain types – can be provided to Ukraine. This package will also be linked to an agreement with an ally country on compensation, similar to the previous package we sent," he added.

Zapryanov noted that the Bulgarian government still has to make a decision on military assistance for Ukraine, then coordinate it with its allies and Kyiv, and provide logistics.

As of now, two packages of Bulgarian military assistance to Ukraine are publicly known, approved in late 2022 and June 2023. In addition, Bulgaria has unofficially supplied Kyiv with more than a billion dollars worth of ammunition and weapons.

Recently, Bulgaria was reported to be considering providing Ukraine with �80 million worth of military assistance, if the parliament agrees.

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Since the start of the war, more than 50 activists and oppositionists have been sent for forced psychiatric treatment
Russian courts have sentenced 53 activists and opposition figures to forced psychiatric treatment during the war in Ukraine, according to calculations by the publication 7x7.

Historian Alexei Makarov, a member of the board of the human rights center Memorial, told the publication that in modern Russia, sending people for forced psychiatric treatment is not as widespread as in the USSR, but nevertheless, society does not have access to medical documents that could be used to determine how real a diagnosis is.

"We have few mechanisms to control what happens in psychiatric hospitals. There is a monopoly of the Serbsky Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, and nothing prevents the state and psychiatrists from expanding those practices and using them more crudely," Makarov explained.

He added that forensic psychiatry could very well return to the USSR levels if there is a “direct political order” for this.

Clinical psychologist and executive director of the Independent Psychiatric Association of Russia Lyubov Vinogradova agrees with him. According to her, since the early 2000s, psychiatry in Russia has been “becoming increasingly inhumane.”

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Azerbaijan confirms the possibility of supplying its gas to Europe via Ukraine
Ukraine and the EU have asked Azerbaijan to supply natural gas to Europe via Ukraine after the expiration of the current contract with Russia at the end of the year, Babel informs.

This was stated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

According to Aliyev, negotiations with Ukraine, the EU, and Russia are still ongoing, but all parties are interested in continuing cooperation.

Bloomberg reports that earlier this month, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is negotiating to supply natural gas to Europe from Azerbaijan. Ukraine wants to maintain its role as a transit country, but no longer wants to be a transit country for gas supplies to the EU from Russia.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union tried to cut off Russian gas, but some European countries continue to receive it through a pipeline that runs through Ukraine.

At the same time, Aliyev warned that if Russian gas supplies through Ukraine are cut off, states such as Austria and Slovakia could face serious difficulties, as they would have to spend much more money to buy gas from other countries. In addition, he said, Azerbaijan will try to “be careful” because in the past the country has been falsely accused of reselling Russian gas.

Aliyev also said that gas production in his country would increase due to new and existing fields in the Caspian Sea.

In 2022, Azerbaijan signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Commission, which provides for a doubling of gas exports to Europe to 20 billion cubic meters by 2027. According to Aliyev, the country is moving toward this goal. This year, exports to European countries will increase to almost 13 billion cubic meters from 11.8 billion in 2023 and 8 billion in 2021.

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Four helicopters, two planes previously owned by Crimean businessmen transferred to ARMA

Following the materials of the State Bureau of Investigation, four helicopters and two planes of the Crimean entrepreneurs, who had been exposed as financing Russian armed aggression, were transferred to the Ukrainian Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA).

The relevant statement was made by the Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

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Czech Republic joins drone capability coalition for Ukraine
The Czech Republic has officially joined the international drone capability coalition for Ukraine, which is led by Latvia and the United Kingdom.
That's according to the Latvian Defense Ministry, Ukrinform reports.

"The Czech Republic joined the drone coalition for Ukraine led by Latvia and the United Kingdom after its delegation signed a memorandum of understanding during NATO's 75th Anniversary Summit in Washington, D.C, on Thursday, 11 July," the report said.

The number of drone coalition members has increased to 16 after the accession of the Czech Republic.

Coalition members include the United Kingdom, Latvia, Australia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Estonia, Italy, New Zealand, Canada, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine, Germany and Sweden.

"Every member state of the coalition can make a significant contribution to Ukraine's efforts and also support the development of their national industry at the same time," Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said.

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Hungary blocks EU fund for Ukrainian weapons again
Hungary continues to block the next tranche of the European Peace Fund intended for military assistance to Ukraine, according to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

According to Borrell, at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, the ministers discussed the need to strengthen support for Ukraine.

They also discussed the unblocking of the European Peace Fund, which compensates EU countries for military aid to Ukraine.

He said that the majority of member states insisted on the need to lift the blocking of payments that are delayed for a year. They also emphasized the need to move forward with a decision on a new fund to support Ukraine, which has been blocked by one member state for more than a year.

He noted that the EU member states insisted that this was unacceptable, but unfortunately, the situation of blockage persists.

Borrell did not name a specific country, but it is known that Hungary is the one that is vetoing the next tranche for Ukraine.

Back in May, EU High Representative Josep Borrell accused Hungary of blocking �5 billion in EU military aid to Ukraine.

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Russian lawmakers seek to punish troops using smartphones on Ukraine battlefields
Russia’s lower house of parliament has proposed punishing Russian soldiers caught using smartphones while fighting in Ukraine, state media TASS reported, amid growing concerns that electronic devices can reveal troops’ location on the battlefield.

According to a draft law supported by the State Duma Committee on Defense, carrying internet-connected cell phones whose data can identify Russian troops or the location of forces will be classified as a “gross disciplinary offense” punishable by up to 10 days of arrest. Multiple offenses could lead to up to 15 days of arrest.

The law would also prohibit the use of other electronic devices meant for “household purposes” which allow for video and audio recording and the transmission of geolocation data.

Both Russian and Ukrainian militaries have reportedly used enemy cell phones to identify targets during the war, scraping data from photos and messages to track coordinates and launch attacks.

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Latvia sends a batch of more than 500 drones to Ukraine as part of the Drone Coalition

^{Illustration photo of FPV drone. Photo from open sources}

Latvia sent a batch of over 500 drones to Ukraine as part of the international Drone Coalition.

Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds announced this.

He also posted photos of the packed boxes with the drones inside, before they were shipped.

“A parcel with more than 500 drones is on its way to Ukraine,” the official wrote on social network X.

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Boeing and Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov sign a memorandum of cooperation in the drone maintenance field

^{ScanEagle drone. Photo from open sources}

The American Boeing Corporation and Ukraine’s Antonov Company have signed an early agreement that will facilitate cooperation in the field of unmanned systems maintenance.

Breaking Defense reported on this.

The memorandum could pave the way for the two planemakers to work together on unmanned systems to support Ukraine’s defense industry.

In particular, the cooperation opens up the possibility for Antonov to receive engineering support from Boeing.

The memorandum of understanding lists training, logistics support, and maintenance of drones like Boeing’s ScanEagle as potential areas for collaboration.

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Czech Republic says shells for Ukraine plan will fall short without more money
Prague’s foreign minister urges donor countries to pay extra to avoid 800k target being missed by over a third

A Czech initiative to supply Ukraine with 800,000 shells by the end of the year will fall short by more than a third unless donor countries come forward with more money, the Czech foreign minister has said.

“We have secured funding for half a million pieces of large-calibre ammunition, which we will deliver by the end of this year,” Jan Lipavsk� told reporters in Brussels on Monday.

But of the 18 countries signed up to the plan, three were yet to contribute. “We can deliver up to 800,000 [rounds] by the end of this year, if we can find the money – so we need money,” Lipavsk� said.

The first 45,000 shells arrived in Ukraine in June, with a further 100,000 due in July and August, and “from September these deliveries will accelerate”, Lipavsk� said.

Launched by the Czech Republic’s president, Petr Pavel, at the Munich Security Conference in February, the Czech initiative was created in response to an acute shell shortage on the Ukrainian battlefield.

It was a time when Russian forces were believed to be outshelling Ukraine by 10 to one, and the US Congress was withholding approval over a $61bn (�47bn) aid package. A separate EU initiative to buy 1m shells for Ukraine was on course at the same time to deliver just over half of its target within a year.

Unlike the European plan, which is buying exclusively EU-made ammunition, the Czech initiative sources shells from all over the world. So far most of the supply has come from outside the EU, including, according to Czech media, South Korea, South Africa and Turkey.

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Ukraine parliament extends martial law, general mobilization
The Verkhovna Rada supported the presidential bills: mobilization and martial law will still be in place from August 12 to November 9

The Ukrainian parliament extended martial law and general mobilization for another 90 days, Golos MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported.

Martial law was extended for 90 days from August 12 to November 9.

339 lawmakers voted for the motion, reports Zheleznyak.

General mobilization has been extended for the same period. The legislator noted that 338 MPs supported the initiative, that is, one less than for the continuation of martial law.

This is already the 12th extension of martial law since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submits relevant bills to the parliament every time when the three-month period of validity of the previous documents comes to an end.

In the future, the head of state must sign the bills adopted today.

At the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, martial law was imposed and extended for one month, and from May 2022 to this day, it is extended for three months ahead. From the very beginning, general mobilization was introduced for 90 days.

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Freedom of Russia Legion destroys enemy observation post worth $200,000 inside Russia – video

С помощью дрона-бомбардировщика "Баба Яга" легионеры уничтожили АПТН “Гренадёр” на Белгородчине

Soldiers of the Freedom of Russia Legion, which is fighting on the side of Ukraine, destroyed the Grenadier autonomous technical observation post of the Russian military in Belgorod Oblast, the unit reported on Telegram.

Combat work was performed by the pilots of the Legion's strike drone company, using the Ukrainian-made Baba Yaga drone.

The Legion writes that as a result of the strike, the Grenadier autonomous technical observation post in Belgorod Oblast was destroyed, which is worth over $200,000.

"We are developing and mastering new types of weapons. This is the first flight of our pilots on the Baba Yaga bomber drone, and the result was immediately fiery," the message reads.

The video shows the drop from the drone and a close-range hit to the Grenadier.

Ukrainian defenders from the 110th Brigade earlier shot down another Russian Su-25 aircraft near Pokrovsk in Donbas.

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Ukraine to receive $3.9 billion in non-refundable aid from US
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the decision to secure a $3.9 billion grant from the United States. The funds will be channeled through the structures of the World Bank, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during a government meeting.

"The government will allocate this money for the salaries of rescuers, teachers, and medical workers, as well as for social support programs. We expect to receive this grant in the near future," he said.

Shmyhal also mentioned that Ukraine has met the second quarter 2024 indicators for the Ukraine Facility program.

"We have received a positive assessment from the European Commission. This concerns reforms in the budgetary, customs, anti-corruption, and energy sectors," the Prime Minister said, adding that Ukraine expects the next tranche of �4.1 billion from the EU in September this year.

Ukraine has not received aid from the US this year. In April, the US Congress approved a support package for Kyiv amounting to $61 billion, most of which will go to military assistance, with part allocated for budgetary support.

Since the beginning of the year, Ukraine has received $14 billion in budgetary support from the EU, IMF, and Western countries. Kyiv expects the total aid for the year to reach $38 billion. Next year, aid will decrease, but Ukraine might receive a $50 billion loan backed by frozen Russian assets.

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90,000 Russians now in Zaporizhzhia Oblast with numbers growing – ZSU
Despite this number of occupiers, it's not enough for Russians to conduct active offensive operations in the south

Russia has concentrated about 90,000 occupiers in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, but these forces are insufficient for advancement, so positional battles predominantly continue in the south, Dmytro Lykhoviy, spokesperson for the Tavria operational-strategic group, said during TV marathon.

He said there are "quite a lot" of Russians in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast – almost 90,000. An increase in this number is observed – over the past three weeks, another 2,000 have been added.

"However, our intelligence says that there are no significant changes that would affect the nature of combat operations, and no signs of the enemy forming an offensive group have been detected," Lykhoviy said.

In other words, he noted that the number of enemy personnel in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts is not enough for Russians to advance further than the lines where the occupiers are currently positioned.

The Russians cannot conduct active combat operations on several fronts simultaneously. Their main activity is currently focused in the Donetsk and Kharkiv Oblasts, so more positional confrontations continue on the southern sections of the front.

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Hungary stripped of EU meeting over Ukraine stance
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borell, has stripped Hungary of the right to host the next meeting of foreign and defence ministers over its stance on the war in Ukraine.

It comes weeks after Hungary assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, a role in which it would normally host the event, and amid anger over a meeting Prime Minister Viktor Orban held with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this month.

Mr Borrell said Hungary's actions should have consequences and that "we have to send a signal, even if it is a symbolic signal".

Hungary described the move as "completely childish".

Every six months, under each new council presidency, the EU's foreign and defence ministers hold informal meetings to discuss the biggest global issues facing the bloc.

The next set of meetings will take place on 28-30 August and were to be held in Budapest, but on Monday Mr Borrell announced they would instead take place in Brussels.

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Op dinsdag 23 juli 2024 20:59 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Het wordt op die fronten waarschijnlijk pas echt interessant als er een doorbraak komt en er moeten reserves weg.

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Russian Spending on Cemetery Expansion Triples Since Ukraine Invasion

Russian regions’ spending on cemetery expansion projects was nearly three times higher during the first two years of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine than it was during the two years prior, The Moscow Times has found.

According to data from the official state procurement portal, Russia’s regions spent more than 225 million rubles ($2.5 million) on cemetery expansion in 2023.

This is twice as much as in 2022 and almost six times more than in 2020, before the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Authorities have already spent 136 million rubles ($1.5 million) for this purpose during the first half of 2024. This is compared to 38 million rubles ($432,000) spent by the regions to expand cemeteries in 2020, over 124 million rubles in 2021 ($1.4 million) and 122 million rubles ($1.3 million) in 2022.

In the two pre-pandemic years, 2018 and 2019, the regions spent a combined 1.1 billion rubles ($12.5 million) on cemetery expansion. However, during this period, Moscow conducted a large-scale cemetery renovation program, minus the spending of the capital region, Russia spent about 125 million ($1.4 million) cumulatively for two years.

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Hungary Issues Ultimatum to Ukraine Over Blocked EU Military Aid
Hungary has issued an ultimatum to Ukraine regarding the unblocking of $6.5 billion in military aid from the EU. The Hungarian Foreign Minister, P�ter Szijj�rt�, stated that Hungary will continue to block the military aid funding program for Ukraine under the European Peace Facility until Kyiv restores the supply of Russian oil.

Szijj�rt� emphasized that the energy supply of Hungary and Slovakia is reportedly under threat because 33% and 40-45% of their crude oil imports come from the Russian company Lukoil, which transits through Ukraine.

According to him, the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine explicitly states that Ukraine cannot fully or partially interrupt the transit of energy carriers through its territory to EU countries.

Szijj�rt� suggested that it will be difficult for the European Commission to support Ukraine on this issue. However, Hungary will not limit itself to just lodging a complaint with the EU.

“I have made it clear that as long as this issue remains unresolved by Ukraine, everyone should forget about the �6.5 billion compensation payment for arms supplies from the European Peace Program. Because how would it look to make a $6.5 billion payment, while Ukraine threatens the security of our energy supply? I believe the situation here is crystal clear, and the European Commission should really press Ukraine to allow Lukoil’s oil transit through Ukraine again,” Szijj�rt� stated.

Recently, Ukraine ceased the transit of Russian oil from the Lukoil company to Hungary and Slovakia. Sanctions against Lukoil by Ukraine were initially imposed in 2018 but were reinforced this year, prohibiting the transit of oil.

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Op dinsdag 23 juli 2024 21:29 schreef voetbalmanager2 het volgende:
[ x ]

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Ukrainian Armed Forces Destroyed Buk-M1 Missile Launcher

^{Detonation of the Buk-M1 missile, July 23, 2024. Photo credits: 15th Separate Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade}

Aerial reconnaissance personnel of the Black Forest unit launched a missile attack on a launcher of a Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system.

The footage of the attack was released by the press service of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Aerial reconnaissance personnel of the 15th Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade discovered a launcher of the Russian Buk-M1 anti-aircraft system.

The operators of the Shark reconnaissance system tracked the vehicle’s movement to the firing position and adjusted the fire of the Ukrainian artillery.

As a result of a direct hit, the system’s ammunition detonated, indicating the complete destruction of the combat vehicle.

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Op dinsdag 23 juli 2024 22:10 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Fun fact: rusland moet ��k munitie kopen op de wereld markt.

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Op dinsdag 23 juli 2024 22:09 schreef Alarmonoff het volgende:

[..]
showiets? ?
[ afbeelding ]

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The man with many identities
In Frankfurt, three suspected agents are said to have spied on a Ukrainian. Who is the man who claims to be on a "death list" in Russia?

Russian soldiers lie motionless on a street not far from Kyiv. Apparently killed. One is still alive, but is then also shot. Armed uniformed men cheer into the camera, shouting: "Glory to Ukraine!" The scenes come from a video that was shared on social networks at the end of March 2022, a few weeks after the start of the Russian war of aggression.

It could be evidence of a war crime - committed by a Ukrainian combat unit. Because it apparently shows the killing of prisoners of war. One of the Russians killed apparently had his hands tied behind his back.

The two-and-a-half minute long video is now also of interest to German security authorities. It features a man who may be at the center of an explosive investigation: three men were arrested in Frankfurt am Main in mid-June. The Federal Prosecutor General accuses them of spying on a person from Ukraine living in Germany for a foreign secret service - possibly in preparation for an assassination attempt or kidnapping.

The potential victim had previously reported himself to the Hessian police. The man explained that he had been contacted at the end of April via the messenger service Signal by a certain "Yaroslav" who had claimed to be a Ukrainian secret service agent. In fact, however, he suspected a trap set by the Russian secret service, the man is said to have told the police. Moscow was hunting him and he was considered a war criminal.

In consultation with the investigators, a supposed meeting was finally arranged, to which the three men, who are still in custody, appeared.

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Defense Forces strike Russia's last rail ferry in Sea of Azov
Occupiers used it to transport railway cars, vehicles, and containers for military purposes

On July 23, the Defense Forces struck the Slavyanin rail ferry at Port Kavkaz in Russia's Krasnodar Oblast along the Sea of Azov, according to a report from the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The Ukrainian Navy, in coordination with other Defense Forces units, delivered significant damage to the enemy ferry Slavyanin in Port Kavkaz.

This ferry is the third and last that Russia had in the region.

It was used by the occupiers to transport railway cars, vehicles, and containers for military purposes, the General Staff noted.

Previously, Krasnodar Oblast authorities reported a drone attack on a ferry in Port Kavkaz, attributing the strike to Ukraine.

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Fake video of threat to Olympic Games appears to be from Russia, researchers say
Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center, which reviewed the video at NBC News’ request, said it appears to have come from a known Russian disinformation group.

A video spreading on X and Telegram of a man purporting to be a Hamas fighter threatening the Olympics in Paris is part of a Russian-linked disinformation campaign meant to disrupt the event, according to researchers at Microsoft.

On Telegram, Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq denied the video had come from Hamas, calling it a forgery.

Researchers from Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center, who reviewed the video at NBC News’ request, said it appears to have come from a known Russian disinformation group, noting that details of a previous video about Ukraine match it.

In the most recent video, a man with his face wrapped in a scarf stands against a gray wall and addresses the people of France and President Emmanuel Macron. He says in Arabic that “rivers of blood will flow through the streets of Paris” for what he said was France’s support of Israel in the war with Hamas and its welcoming Israeli athletes to the Olympic Games, holding up a severed mannequin’s head seemingly covered in red paint.

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SBU detains Russian accomplice plotting arson at railway infrastructure, orchestrating strikes on Odesa
The Security Service of Ukraine detained a Russian FSB asset who is believed to have been preparing a series of arson attacks against the strategic facilities run by the Ukrzaliznytsia railway operator and monitoring the army deployment sites in Odesa to spot Russian missile strikes targeting them.
This was reported by the SBU press office, Ukrinform saw.

The perpetrator had been operating in Odesa region where his Russian handlers told him to locate primarily Ukraine’s air defense capabilities protecting the airspace over the city.

The suspect, a 39-year-old local resident, was also tasked with damaging or destroying railway infrastructure, including semaphores.

After the first arson episode, the SBU detained the culprit on hot pursuit.

The inquiry believes the perpetrator was plotting more arson attempts.

The SBU learned that the suspect had previously lived in Russia, where he was recruited by an FSB operative. Also, it is believed that his father still lives in the aggressor state.

The perpetrator is in custody, facing life in prison if found guilty of treason and sabotage under martial law, as well as illegal handling of ammunition.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the SBU and National Police nabbed a Russian accomplice who had been preparing a series of arson attacks at strategic facilities run by Ukrzaliznytsia in Kyiv.

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Russia announces willingness to help Georgian ruling party stay in power

^{Georgian students stage a march to protest the controversial "foreign influence" bill in Tbilisi, Georgia on May 13, 2024. (Giorgi Arjevanidze / AFP via Getty Images)}

Andrei Klimov, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Federation Council, stated that Russia is prepared to assist Georgia's ruling party, "Georgian Dream," in retaining power if requested.

Klimov made these comments at a Friends of Russia Club meeting in Moscow, according to Georgian TV channel TV Pirveli.

He compared the situation to Syria, using Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as an example to illustrate that those who seek Russia's help receive military assistance. Russia intervened in Syria in September 2015 to support Bashar al-Assad's government against numerous internal opposition groups.

Russian forces operating in Syria have been accused by the U.N. and other organizations of committing war crimes in the country, including bombing hospitals and using "double-tap" attacks, a tactic Russia has repeated in Ukraine.

Russia has historically used its "assistance" and "protection" initiatives to expand the country's geopolitical influence and colonial efforts in various regions.

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Op woensdag 24 juli 2024 08:11 schreef Idisrom het volgende:
Komt er een algemene mobilisatie van Oekra�ne van 90 dagen van 12 augustus 2024 tot 9 november 2024?

Russian Breakthrough In Kurakhove Front

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Op dinsdag 23 juli 2024 20:42 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://news.liga.net/en/(...)general-mobilization
[..]
Dat zijn er toch meer dan 100 die tegengestemd hebben zo te zien. Er zitten 450 parlementsleden in het parlement. Gelukkig is een overweldigende meerderheid gewoon voor.

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Intelligence "hacks" Russia's banking system: Sberbank, Raiffeisen, Alfa Bank down – source
From the morning of July 23, a massive cyber attack by Ukrainian military intelligence specialists on Russia's banking system began

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense "hacked" the banking system of Russia, as a result of which Sberbank, Raiffeisen, VTB, Alfa Bank and others are down, a source of LIGA.net reported.

The interlocutor said that from the morning of July 23, a massive cyber attack by specialists of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence on the banking system of Russia began.

As a result of the attack, the work of payment systems, mobile applications of banks, personal accounts, payment systems for services in public transport, etc., stopped or was significantly complicated.

Interruptions in the work of the main mobile operators and Internet providers of Russia are also observed, the source noted.

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Russia's losses at front three times higher than Ukraine's – army chief Syrskyi
The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces refused to specify the number of casualties, because it is a "sensitive" topic that Moscow can use

Russia's losses in the war against Ukraine exceed Ukrainian losses "three times", the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview for The Guardian.

The aggressor's losses are "even more" in certain sectors.

"Their number of killed is much bigger," he stated.

At the same time, Syrskyi refused to specify the number of losses, because it is a "sensitive" topic that Moscow can use.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, as of July 24, the losses of the Russian army in personnel amount to about 570,120 soldiers.

On July 7, The Economist analyzed the leak of Pentagon data on Russia's losses in manpower in the war against Ukraine. According to estimates, the invasion forces lost 462,000 to 728,000 people.

From April to June, the Russian occupation army lost 82,000 people in the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia operational-strategic troop grouping i.e. the whole eastern front.

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Op woensdag 24 juli 2024 19:07 schreef zalkc het volgende:
[ x ]

Wat ik steeds maar niet begrijp. Hoe kan Rusland nu bijna geen nieuwe tanks bouwen en toch de komende jaren wel ineens 1000-1500 kan gaan maken?

Welke nuance mis ik?

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Russia can produce from 100 tanks each month - ISW
The Russian defense industry is able to produce at least 100 main battle tanks per month. This allows Russian troops to replenish battlefield losses and sustaine the current pace of hostilities.
That’s according to the latest report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank.

"The Russian defense industrial base (DIB) can produce at least 100 main battle tanks per month and is therefore able to replace battlefield losses, allowing Russian forces to continue their current tempo of operations ‘for the foreseeable future,’” the report reads, referring to the UK Ministry of Defense.

As noted, Russia’s sole tank manufacturer UralVagonZavod reportedly produced 20 tanks per month as of March 2023. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev claimed in March 2023 that Russia’s DIB could produce 1,500 main battle tanks in 2023, which suggests an average production of 125 tanks per month.

Analysts also noted that the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on January 30 that the Russian defense company Novator had fulfilled the state defense order for Kalibr cruise missiles and Iskander ballistic missiles in 2023. It is noted that Novator has already fulfilled 17% of the state defense for 2024.

"Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Deputy Chief Major General Vadym Skibitskyi stated on January 15 that Russian forces have not included Kalibr cruise missiles in strike series against Ukraine since mid-September 2023 likely as part of efforts to build up a missile reserve and that Russia likely has difficulties producing Kalibr cruise missiles because they require many foreign components blocked under international sanctions," the report said.

Earlier, the director of the Army, Conversion and Disarmament Research Center, Valentyn Badrak, reported that Russia was pacing up tank production, and as of May 2023, was capable of producing about 150 new tanks per year. At the same time, the enemy has in its stocks from 11,000 to 29,000 older tanks, which are used for repairs, according to various estimates.

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Zelensky: Ukraine is approaching the use of Ukrainian-made missiles

^{Korshun-2 is a promising Ukrainian subsonic cruise missile project. Photo credits: Militarnyi}

Ukraine’s defense industry has made progress in developing Ukrainian-made missiles.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky shared that the missile program has good dynamics.

Before this statement, he held a meeting where he listened to the reports of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Anatoliy Barhylevych.

“Our task is to ensure the constant effective defeat of Russian troops, their logistics, their significant positions not only on the front line but also in all available depths by all methods and with all our strength,” the President said.

According to Zelensky, while Ukraine is waiting for its partners’ decisions, the Ukrainian authorities are seeking their own solutions and options.

The participants also discussed Ukraine’s missile program.

“Our missile program has good dynamics, and although it is a difficult task, we are gradually approaching the possibility of using our own missiles, and not just relying on supplies from partners. Ukraine should eventually reach maximum defense independence,” Zelensky said.

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Three Russian Shahed Drones Strike Romania, Causing Fire, Sources Say
Russian drones struck targets in Romania on July 24, causing fires near Niculițel, 7 km from the Ukrainian border, confirmed by the IAR-330 helicopter crew from the 57th Air Base.

Russian drones struck targets in Romania early Wednesday morning, July 24, during Moscow’s attack on the port infrastructure of Ukraine’s Odesa region, informed sources in Ukraine’s Security and Defense Sector exclusively told Kyiv Post.

Three Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) were recorded falling and subsequently causing fires in Romania.

Explosions from kamikaze drone strikes were reported near the village of Niculițel, 7 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

The fall of the UAVs was confirmed by the crew of an IAR-330 helicopter from the 57th Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base. After the explosions, the helicopter pilot reported a fire caused by the drone strikes.

Media reports indicate that Romanian border guards detected the approaching drones at 2:10 a.m. Simultaneously, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations issued an alert for the northern part of Tulcea County, informing the population about the possibility of objects falling from the airspace in areas adjacent to the Ukrainian border.

After the UAVs fell, residents reported hearing explosions to local emergency services. The air raid alert in Romania was lifted at 3:46 a.m. There were 10 calls to the 112 emergency phone number based on the sound of explosions.

Russian forces attacked Izmail in the Odesa region with drones early in the morning of July 24. Local authorities report hits on port infrastructure and a five-story residential building.

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Exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar convicted in absentia for criticizing Russian army

^{Exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar has been sentenced in absentia to eight years and a half years in prison for allegedly disseminating “fake news” about the Russian army. Malte Ossowski/SVEN SIMON/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images/File}

A Moscow court has sentenced exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar in absentia to eight years and a half years in prison for disseminating “fake news” about the Russian army, the latest conviction in Russia’s campaign of legal retribution against independent and opposition media.

Zygar was found guilty of “public dissemination of deliberately false information about the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation,” according to the statement shared by the court on Tuesday.

Under draconian media laws passed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, discrediting the Russian military or spreading “fake news” about military operations can be grounds for prosecution in Russia.

“The court’s verdict is ridiculous but fortunately I’m fine - unlike those political prisoners who are currently held in Russian prisons,” Zygar told CNN following the court’s decision. “I urge everyone not to forget about them. At the moment, almost 3,000 are being prosecuted for political charges in Russia,” he added.

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US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva given 6.5 years in Russian jail in swift and secret trial

^{Alsu Kurmasheva, the editor for the Tatar-Bashkir service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, attends a court hearing in Kazan, Russia, May 31, 2024. Alexey Nasyrov/Reuters}

A Russian court has sentenced Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist, to six-and-a-half years in prison, state news agency TASS reported Monday.

The hearing, which was held behind closed doors, found Kurmasheva guilty of spreading false information about the Russian army, making her just the latest US journalist to be convicted in the country in recent months.

Kurmasheva’s charge was handed down in the city of Kazan on Friday, the same day that a court in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich of espionage and sentenced him to 16 years in prison, following a trial condemned by his newspaper and the United States as a sham.

The convictions of Kurmasheva and Gershkovich on the same day – both in rapid, closed-door trials – have raised questions about whether the Kremlin is intending to use journalists in a prisoner swap with the US. When asked about this possibility earlier Monday, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “I have no answer to this question. I leave this question unanswered.”

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Russian chef arrested in Paris over alleged ‘large scale’ Olympic Games plot
• 40-year-old arrested in central Paris on Sunday
• Espionage suspected as man charged and detained

A Russian chef who has lived in France for 14 years has been arrested on suspicion of plotting with a foreign power to stage “large scale” acts of “destabilisation” during the Olympic Games in Paris.

The 40-year-old man was arrested during a raid of his apartment in central Paris on Sunday where a document linked to an elite Russian special forces unit operating under the command of the FSB, an heir to the KGB, was reportedly found.

A judicial investigation has been opened into allegations of sharing “intelligence with a foreign power with a view to provoking hostilities in France,” a crime punishable by 30 years of imprisonment. The alleged plot is not believed to have been terror related.

The man, who has not been named, was indicted on this charge on the same day and placed in pretrial detention.

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Ukrainian government awards Rheinmetall an order to build an ammunition factory
German defense concern Rheinmetall has now received its first order from the Ukrainian government to construct an ammunition factory in the Ukraine.

The intention is to start the ammunition production in the Ukraine within 24 months.

According to the report, the order covers the full technical equipment of the factory prior to commissioning.

This involves a total value ranging in a low three-digit million euro range.

It is foreseen to begin in the short term and to be completed within a few years.

The intention is to start the ammunition production in the Ukraine within 24 months.

Together with its Ukrainian joint venture partner, Rheinmetall will also be responsible for operating the plant.

Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG, shared:

“We are putting our words into action, and together with our partner, we will create a Ukrainian competence center for ammunition. The order underlines the confidence in Rheinmetall’s expertise and manufacturing capacities,”

Back in February this year, it was announced that Ukraine was preparing the necessary infrastructure.

In June 2024, Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG, and Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukrainian Minister for Strategic Industries, signed an agreement to expand strategic cooperation at the “Ukraine Recovery Conference” in Berlin.

Rheinmetall previously noted that personnel for the new plants were being trained in Germany. The first employees have already returned to Ukraine, and a base for further Ukrainian training is being prepared.

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Russians build a new military base near Rostov

^{Russian military base in Novocherkassk, Rostov region. July 2024, Russia. Source: Radio Svoboda}

The Russian military has built a new base in Novocherkassk near Rostov-on-Don.

Satellite images published by Radio Svoboda show that the base is located 200 kilometers from the front line.

According to satellite imagery, the Russian army set up the new military base between a penal colony and two unfinished secondary schools on the site of another abandoned military facility, Cooking School No.195, which was closed in 2011.

However, last summer, after twelve years of silence, changes started to take place on the abandoned territory of the former military school.

According to satellite images, the first military equipment appeared here at the end of August 2023.

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HIMARS and UAV Coordination Destroys Russian Pantsir SAM

^{Russian Pantsir-S1 SAM in the sights of the Shark UAV. Photo credits: Shadow}

An M142 HIMARS rocket system, in coordination with an aerial reconnaissance drone, destroyed a Russian Pantsyr-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun system.

The Come Back Alive Foundation published this news on its Telegram.

The Russian complex was destroyed 30 kilometers south of Donetsk, where it was supposed to provide air defense for enemy units.

Due to the “Shadow” aerial reconnaissance unit, the system was detected, and the coordinates of its location were transferred to one of the Ukrainian artillery units.

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Polish AEW&C Aircraft Conducts First Patrol Mission Near Kaliningrad

^{The first Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft for the Polish Air Force. Photo credits: Saab}

The Polish Saab 340 AEW&C airborne early warning and control aircraft has made its first patrol mission near the border with Kaliningrad.

This is reported by the monitoring resource Flightradar24.

This flight was the first patrol flight of the aircraft as part of the creation of round-the-clock radar coverage of the border areas of Poland.

The aircraft patrolled the border with Kaliningrad, where Russia has its own missile units and electronic warfare systems.

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Azov officer files complaint against State Bureau of Investigation over case of controversial general
Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Krotevych, one of the Azov Brigade's commanders, announced on July 22 that he filed a complaint with the court against the State Bureau of Investigation.

The complaint is related to a supposed lack of action regarding the case against the former commander of the Joint Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Yurii Sodol, Krotevych said on his Telegram channel.

Sodol was the Joint Forces commander when the new Russian offensive started on May 10. He also headed the Khortytsia group of forces, which faces Russian forces in Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts.

The general was dismissed on June 24 after Krotevych filed an official complaint with the State Bureau of Investigation requesting an investigation.

Krotevych accused the general of abuse of power and incompetent command of the troops, which allegedly led to the loss of Ukrainian territory and personnel.

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Police uncover draft-dodging scheme in Ternopil Oblast with monthly turnover up to $150,000 – photos

Поліція Тернопільщини ліквідувала корупційну схему представників районного ТЦК

The National Police of Ukraine reported dismantling a corruption scheme for draft evaders in the Ternopil Oblast, with officials from the territorial recruitment center arrested.

The suspects are officials from one of the region's territorial recruitment centers. Police estimate the scheme's monthly earnings at $100,000 – $150,000.

The National Police states that with the assistance of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces leadership, law enforcement obtained information about recruitment center officials profiting from draft dodgers.

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There are three different videos here: the first one is from Belgorod Region, and the other two at 0:16 on are from the settlement of Shumy near Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast.

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Om spoilers te kunnen lezen moet je zijn ingelogd. Je moet je daarvoor eerst gratis Registreren. Ook kun je spoilers niet lezen als je een ban hebt.

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Om spoilers te kunnen lezen moet je zijn ingelogd. Je moet je daarvoor eerst gratis Registreren. Ook kun je spoilers niet lezen als je een ban hebt.

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Om spoilers te kunnen lezen moet je zijn ingelogd. Je moet je daarvoor eerst gratis Registreren. Ook kun je spoilers niet lezen als je een ban hebt.

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Russia scrambles fighter jets to escort RAF Typhoons over Black Sea
Russia scrambled fighter jets to escort two British Typhoon fighter jets over the Black Sea, its defence ministry has said.

A Su-27 fighter jet had been mobilised to escort two British Typhoon fighter jets and an RC-135 reconnaissance plane, Russian authorities said on Wednesday.

After the approach of the Russian fighter, the British planes turned away from the Russian border, according to the ministry.

It comes days after Russian fighter jets buzzed two US bombers over the Arctic on Sunday in what Moscow’s ministry of defence described as an operation to defend its “state borders”.

The two MiG fighter jets were scrambled when radar detected two US air force B-52H bombers approaching Russian territory over the Barents Sea.

“As Russian fighters approached, the American strategic bombers turned away from the state border of the Russian Federation,” said the ministry.

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Attempts to intimidate Europeans with Ukrainian “neo-Nazis”
Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade launched its European tour aiming to promote a volunteer movement, which includes both the efforts to help the army and join its ranks. The very appearance of fighters from the 3rd Brigade on European soil made Russian talking heads and their financially motivated local minions literally throw tantrums.

As soon as the Brigade announced its EU tour, multiple media sleeper cells exposed themselves by revisiting a “good old” Russian narrative about Ukrainian “neo-Nazis”!

The Algemeen Dagblad, a Dutch daily, published an article with the rather scandalous headline: “Ukrainian battalion created by neo-Nazis comes to Rotterdam, Denk asks questions: “What is this signal about?”

The article criticizes the very idea of ​​the 3rd Brigade coming to Rotterdam and describes both the 3rd Brigade and the Azov Battalion in the most negative terms, while regularly applying a screaming label of “neo-Nazis”.

But the most interesting thing is who penned the piece, intended to provoke public protest against the Ukrainian brigade’s European tour and delivered in a style identical to that characteristic of the long-rotten Russian narrative?

The author is a Turkish woman, Iffet Subasi, who hasn’t conceived a single article on Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion and neither has she even spoke out on the war on her social media platforms. And then, out of nowhere, she comes out with an article claiming that Ukrainian “neo-Nazis” are starting a European tour! But did she really write the piece “out of nowhere”?

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During exchanges, Russia returns bodies without internal organs - relatives of prisoners of war

The return to Ukraine of bodies of prisoners of war without internal organs may be evidence that they are used in Russia for transplantation.
This was discussed at a meeting in Ankara of representatives of the families of prisoners of war with the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar, the correspondent of Ukrinform reports.

"Today it is already known for certain that we receive the bodies of tortured people from captivity (during the exchange of bodies). We don't just get tortured bodies, we get bodies that are, unfortunately, without organs. That is, this confirms the fact that the black market of organ transplants in the Russian Federation is working. And, unfortunately, works with our prisoners of war. Therefore, I believe that it is necessary to tell the whole world about this in order to stop this crime," said the wife of one of the prisoners of war defenders of the Mariupol garrison.

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Rusland wijzigt naam Europaplein naar Eurazi�plein
Het stadsbestuur van Moskou heeft besloten om het Europaplein, gelegen in het westen van de stad nabij een treinstation dat vernoemd is naar Kiev, om te dopen tot Eurazi�plein. Dit werd aangekondigd door burgemeester Sergei Sobyanin. De wijziging komt nadat Europese vlaggen al vorig jaar van het plein verwijderd werden. Het plein, dat ooit symbool stond voor Europese eenheid en voorzien is van een fontein gecre�erd door een Brusselse beeldhouwer in 2002, ondergaat deze naamsverandering zonder dat een offici�le reden is gegeven door het stadsbestuur.

Deze naamsverandering lijkt te wijzen op een toenemende afstand tussen Rusland en Europa, vooral in het licht van de recente spanningen over de Europese steun aan Oekra�ne. Russische staatsmedia interpreteren de wijziging als een teken van Moskou's verlangen om de focus te leggen op het concept van Eurazi�, een term die het samengevoegde continent van Europa en Azi� beschrijft waar Rusland geografisch deel van uitmaakt.

De naamswijziging van het plein wordt gezien als een strategische zet die past binnen een bredere context van Rusland’s verschuiving van Europa naar een meer Euraziatisch geori�nteerde identiteit. Dit wijst op een verdergaande geopolitieke herpositionering van Rusland in een tijd waarin de relaties met Europa onder druk staan door verschillende politieke en economische geschillen.

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NORAD intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in first such flight

^{Day breaks at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Point Barrow Long Range Radar Site, north of the northernmost town in the United States in Utqiagvik, Alaska, on February 4, 2023. US Air Force Tech. Sgt. Curt Beach/Reuters/File}

The North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what a US defense official said was the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.

The bombers remained in international airspace in Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and were “not seen as a threat,” according to a statement from NORAD.

The US and Canada, which together comprise NORAD, intercepted the Russian TU-95 Bear and Chinese H-6 bombers. The aircraft did not enter US or Canadian sovereign airspace, NORAD said.

It also marks the first time H-6 bombers, which are a derivative of older Soviet bombers, have entered the Alaska ADIZ, the defense official said.

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Russian cruise missile Kh-101 crashed 365 km from the frontlines: Why do they lose guidance?
Cruise missiles are essentially one-way unmanned jet aeroplanes. They do not rely on rocket engines (not most of them, at least), instead being powered by jet engines from the aviation industry. Cruise missiles also do not follow the ballistic trajectory – they fly at a set altitude, sometimes coming up and sometimes going lower to avoid radar detection. They change their paths and manoeuvre just like tiny jet planes. But sometimes they get lost.

^{Warhead of a Kh-101 being disposed of in Ukraine. Image credit: Dsns.gov.ua via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)}

The Russian cruise missile Kh-101 has an estimated range of 2000-4000 km. No one knows for sure how far it can go, but definitely thousands of kilometres. Sadly, Ukraine is learning that in the most horrible way possible. Basically, the Kh-101 is a large unmanned aerial vehicle with the ability to fly very low and very far. It weighs around 2.2-2.4 tonnes, 400 kg of which is the weight of the warhead. The Kh-101 is powered by a TRDD-50A turbojet producing 450 kgf of thrust. Its normal cruise speed is 700-720 km/h, but it can accelerate up to 970 km/h, especially during the last stages of its flight.

The Kh-101 is a high-tech weapon. Its GLONASS and INS navigation/guidance along with the electro-optical sensor or imaging infrared system for target identification allow it to hit targets with accuracy of 6-10 metres. It is believed to be accurate enough to hit a vehicle and precise enough to fly at an altitude of just 30-50 metres. The Kh-101 is so high-tech that it has electronic warfare tools to combat jamming attacks and even fires flares to defend itself from IR-guided anti-aircraft missiles. However, all of that is good only when the Kh-101 is reliable.

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Russia attacks Kharkiv and its region, kills at least 3, injures 13 people
During the day, Russia attacked Kharkiv and Lozova, a city in Kharkiv Oblast, with, according to a preliminary investigation, Iskander missiles, killing three people and injuring at least 13, reports Kharkiv regional Prosecutor’s Office.

Russia attacks Kharkiv and the surrounding region often because of its proximity to the border and the frontline, especially so since May 2024, when the beginning of Moscow’s new ground offensive from the north started.

According to the investigation, Russia’s attack on industrial objects in the Kholodnohirskyi district of Kharkiv injured nine people, damaging buildings and enterprise facilities, and blowing out windows in nearby high-rise residential buildings.

Russia also hit a plant in Lozova on May 24, killing three people (at first, one person killed in a missile strike was documented, and two were found under the rubble during the rescue operation) and injuring four.

During morning attacks on the region, Russia attacked the landscape park in the Kharkiv suburbs (see Gwara’s photo story from the impact site here) and damaged an office building of Geneva NGO, FSD, that specializes in demining.

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Turkey seeks UN intervention as Russia ignores requests for access to Ukrainian POWs
QIRIM.News reports that Russia is ignoring Turkey's requests to grant access to Ukrainian prisoners of war and disclose the conditions under which these prisoners are held. During a meeting with the families of Ukrainian prisoners, Turkey's chief ombudsman S�leyman Malka� stated, "I wrote a letter to the Russian Embassy in Ankara on July 5, 2024. In the letter, I mentioned my visit to Ukraine and my inspection of Russian prisoners held there. I also expressed my intent to visit Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia."

Malka� added that he has yet to receive a response.

Moreover, the Turkish Ombudsman held an online meeting with Russia's Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova and sent her a similar letter, but to no avail.

Malka� noted that he has informed Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan about this issue and sought support to address the matter.

He also stated he is prepared to wait a bit longer for a response from Russia. However, should the situation remain unchanged, and the Russians continue to disregard Turkey's requests, he plans to appeal to the UN Secretary-General.

On July 17, with the assistance of the United Arab Emirates, 95 Ukrainian military were freed from Russian captivity.

On June 25, Ukraine succeeded in retrieving 90 servicemen from Russian captivity, including defenders of Azovstal and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

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Italian Prime Minister Meloni will pay a visit to China. He will talk, in particular, about Beijing's support for the Russian Federation, - Reuters

Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni will visit China from July 26 to 31. Among other things, the head of the Italian government plans to raise the issue of Beijing's support for Moscow in the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine.

This is reported by the Reuters agency with reference to unnamed persons involved in the planning of the visit, Censor.NET informs .

The politician is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang.

During Maloney's trip, bilateral trade and industrial agreements are planned to be signed.

According to Reuters, China's industry ministry said earlier this month that it was ready to facilitate practical cooperation with Italy in areas such as automobile and shipbuilding.

In addition, during Maloney's visit to China, an Italian-Chinese business forum will be held in Beijing, to which a number of companies have been invited, including Italian tire maker Pirelli, energy group ENI, defense group Leonardo, wine producers and several Italian fashion groups, including Dolce & Gabbana.

It is also expected that during her stay in the People's Republic of China, the Prime Minister of Italy will raise the issue of the surplus of Chinese production. Among other things, Maloney will talk to the leadership of China about Beijing's support for Moscow in Russia's war against Ukraine.

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The US imposed sanctions against China for supporting North Korea's missile programs
The United States has imposed sanctions against six individuals and five organizations in the People's Republic of China that contribute to the development of North Korea's ballistic and space programs in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

This is stated in the release of the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department (OFAC), Censor.NET reports .

"The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions against a network of six individuals and five entities based in the People's Republic of China (PRC) involved in the procurement of goods to support ballistic missile development programs, and North Korea's space programs," the message reads.

The US Treasury also emphasized that Pyongyang continues to violate UN Security Council resolutions and launched a military satellite at the end of May 2024. The release also mentions that the DPRK delivered ballistic missiles to the Russian Federation, which the aggressor country uses in the war against Ukraine.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of South Korea reported that Russia has already received from North Korea more than 5 million artillery ammunition and dozens of short-range ballistic missiles for use in the war against Ukraine.

Also earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that NATO currently has no doubts that North Korea provides significant military support to Russia. This enables the Russian Federation to continue the war against Ukraine.

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Op donderdag 25 juli 2024 08:23 schreef PippenScottie het volgende:

[..]
Waarom post je bronnen die het hebben over Giorgio Meloni, hij en Maloney?

Lees je wel wat je post? Kan je niet kritisch nadenken?

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Russian attack helicopter crashes in western Russia, crew killed

^{Illustrative purposes only: A Russian Air Force Mi-28 on Aug. 6, 2012. (Artem Katranzhi/Wikimedia Commons)}

A Russian Mi-28 attack helicopter crashed in Kaluga Oblast in western Russia, Governor Vladislav Shapsha reported on July 25.

Preliminary evidence indicates that the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction. The helicopter's crew was killed, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The helicopter reportedly fell into a deserted area near the village of Klenki, lying over 100 kilometers (over 60 miles) east of the Ukrainian border. No damage on the ground was reported.

"A task force and rescuers are working on the crash site," Shapsha said on his Telegram channel.

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China confirms it won't supply weapons to Russia, Zelensky says
China confirmed that it will not provide Russia with weapons, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on July 24.

His statement came after Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Guangzhou. This is Kuleba's first trip to China since the outbreak of Russia's full-scale war.

"There is a clear signal that China supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. It was also confirmed what Chinese leader Xi Jinping told me — that China will not supply weapons to Russia," Zelensky said.

Beijing has positioned itself as neutral country but has simultaneously deepened economic ties with Moscow and backed Russia against Western sanctions. It has also shaped up to be Russia's leading source of dual-use goods that feed the Russian defense industry.

China denied it was supplying Russia with arms to use against Ukraine, while the U.S. said that Beijing gave Russia "every support behind the scenes," threatening to impose more sanctions against the country.

Kyiv has repeatedly appealed to Beijing to use its sway over Moscow to help bring an end to the war, but these efforts have been largely unsuccessful, as the East Asian country snubbed the June global peace summit in Switzerland.

Zelensky blasted China over supposedly trying to sabotage the summit efforts, drawing a rebuke from Beijing.

China proposed its own alternative peace plan, which would include a conference recognized by both Kyiv and Moscow.

During the visit, Kuleba said that Kyiv is ready to engage Russia in the negotiation process at a certain stage, when Moscow is ready to held talks "in good faith," adding that no such readiness is currently observed on the Russian side.

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Ukraine downs 25 of 38 Russian kamikaze drones overnight Thursday
In the early hours of Thursday, July 25, Russia launched at Ukraine a swarm of Shahed-131/136 one-way attack drones.
The UAVs were launched from Cape Chauda (occupied ​​Crimea) and Primorsk-Akhtarsk region (Russia), according to the Air Force Commander, Mykola Pletenchuk, Ukrinform reports.

A total of 38 Shaheds were targeting Ukrainian infrastructure facilities in several regions, including in the region of Odesa and in central Ukraine.

As a result of air defense efforts involving mobile fire teams, surface-to-air missile units, and e-warfare capabilities 25 enemy drones were intercepted. Radars lost another three Shahed drones after they crossed into the Romanian airspace.

Air defense forces were activated across Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Sumy, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy regions, the report reads.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, no casualties or destruction were reported as Russian drones were destroyed on their approach to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, overnight Thursday.