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Indian Prime Minister plans to visit Ukraine in August
Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister, wants to visit Ukraine in August for the first time since the war began.

Source: WION publication with reference to Indian diplomats

Details: According to media sources, Modi's visit to Ukraine is most likely set for 23 August. Several diplomatic sources in Delhi corroborated this.

Earlier this year, Zelenskyy phoned India's Prime Minister and encouraged him to visit Ukraine.

In June, Modi spoke with Zelensky on the margins of the G7 summit. During the meeting, the parties talked about the situation in Ukraine, and the Indian prime minister emphasised "dialogue and diplomacy."

Background:
• In early July, on the day of the Russian attack on the Okhmatdyt hospital in Kyiv, Modi visited Russia. At a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Modi urged him to end the war in Ukraine. He told Putin that a solution cannot be found on the battlefield.
• Zelenskyy criticised Modi's meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, calling it a "devastating blow to peace efforts". In response, India summoned the Ukrainian ambassador to discuss Zelenskyy’s words.
• The United States has expressed concern about India's relations with Russia in light of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine.

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Russia claims Ukraine attacks Bryansk region with 21 drones
Russian air defense units intercepted 21 Ukrainian drones late on July 26 over the southern border region of Bryansk, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed.

The regional governor said 12 drones were downed in the space of an hour. There were no casualties or serious damage. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the reports.

Bryansk region borders Ukraine's Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts to the south.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine to the southeast, reported that three drone attacks and several shelling incidents had shattered windows and caused additional damage to buildings.

Ukrainian forces have frequently targeted Russian border regions, especially Belgorod, to diminish Russian attacks within Ukraine's borders.

On July 22, an oil refinery in the Russian town of Tuapse on the Black Sea coast caught fire after over 75 drones targeted multiple Russian regions overnight. A source in Ukraine's military intelligence service (HUR) confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that the refinery strike was carried out by the agency.

Russian Telegram channels reported that the attack also started a fire near the Morozovsk airbase in Rostov Oblast.

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"War stops immediately": Former US Secretary of State predicts Trump's "peace plan" for Ukraine
Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has outlined what Donald Trump's "peace plan" might look like if he wins the presidential election. It involves increasing military aid to Ukraine and its membership in the EU and NATO.

Source: Pompeo’s op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Pompeo said there is "no evidence" that Trump, if elected president, would push Ukraine towards capitulation. Instead, due to the "Biden administration’s weakness," Ukraine finds itself with "cities destroyed, hundreds of thousands killed, and millions of refugees, and without the means to win".

Pompeo believes that a "successful plan" for Ukraine from a future Trump administration might include the following points:
• Unleash America's energy potential, restore ties with Saudi Arabia and Israel, and work together against Iran.
• Implement real sanctions against Russia, including the removal of exemptions for Russian banks involved in energy extraction – a crucial revenue source for the Kremlin's military machine.
• Expand the American defence industry and require NATO allies to spend at least 3% of their GDP on defence.
• Establish a US$500 billion "lend-lease" programme for Ukraine, which involves providing military aid on a loan basis rather than as a grant.
• Remove all restrictions on the types of weapons Ukraine can receive and use.

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Quote: "These steps would position Mr. Trump to set the terms of a deal: The war stops immediately. Ukraine builds up substantial defence forces so Russia never attacks again. No one recognizes Russia’s occupation and claimed annexation of any Ukrainian territories," Pompeo said.

Additionally, within this "peace plan," Crimea would undergo demilitarisation (the author does not specify whether this means Russia would end its occupation). Ukraine would be rebuilt using frozen Russian assets and would join NATO and the EU as soon as possible. The Alliance would also create a US$100 billion fund to arm Kyiv, with the US contributing 20% of the total.

Quote: "If Russia complies with these terms, the West will gradually lift sanctions. They will be fully removed once Ukraine is in both NATO and the EU. These steps, and not the half-measures of the Biden administration, will end the war, establish a lasting peace, ensure Europe bears the burden of maintaining it, and re-establish freedom and security on the Continent," Pompeo said.

Background:
• Trump himself has previously claimed that he wants to end the war in Ukraine "within 24 hours" and before he assumes the US presidency, but he has never detailed his "peace plan".
• Last week, after a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he reiterated his desire to "bring peace to the world" by bringing Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table.

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Op vrijdag 26 juli 2024 21:47 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

https://x.com/UkrReview/s(...)p-de-vredesduif.html

Ik mag hopen dat er genoeg fortificaties and loopgraven er al om heen zijn gebouwd. We hebben al te vaak gezien dat ze defensief de zaken niet op orde hadden.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 08:02 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/07/26/7467563/
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Ik ben benieuwd wat voor drugs hij gebruikt heeft.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 08:02 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/07/26/7467563/
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Ik ben benieuwd wat voor drugs hij gebruikt heeft.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 09:33 schreef Richestorags het volgende:

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Dit klinkt niet slecht anders.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 08:02 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/07/26/7467563/
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Ik ben benieuwd wat voor drugs hij gebruikt heeft.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 12:07 schreef oheng het volgende:

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Het probleem met Trump is dat hij heel veel wilde uitspraken doet. Weet je nog dat Trimp een muur ging bouwen, en dat Mexico die ging betalen? Wat is daarvan terecht gekomen?

We hebben al ervaring met Trump als president, en dat was vooral heel veel drama. Maar qua beleid gebeurde er weinig spannends of schokkends.

Ik zeg het nogmaals: je moet niet naar politici luisteren, maar kijken wat hun daadwerkelijke beleid is.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 08:02 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/07/26/7467563/
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Ik ben benieuwd wat voor drugs hij gebruikt heeft.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 12:10 schreef Perrin het volgende:

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Zoals de bestorming van het Amerikaanse Capitool in 2021?

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 13:06 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

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Klinkt niet zo consistent, totaal niet eigenlijk, met de houding en communicatie van Trump en de Republikeinen. Ook maandenlang hulp aan Oekraïne weerhouden, terwijl het bombarderen en moorden elke dag daar doorging, geeft aan dat ze daar toch niet echt mee zitten.

Trumps aanhang wil ook helemaal niet Oekraïne helpen. Niet onze oorlog enzo.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 13:06 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

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Klinkt niet zo consistent, totaal niet eigenlijk, met de houding en communicatie van Trump en de Republikeinen. Ook maandenlang hulp aan Oekraïne weerhouden, terwijl het bombarderen en moorden elke dag daar doorging, geeft aan dat ze daar toch niet echt mee zitten.

Trumps aanhang wil ook helemaal niet Oekraïne helpen. Niet onze oorlog enzo.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 12:07 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Het probleem met Trump is dat hij heel veel wilde uitspraken doet. Weet je nog dat Trimp een muur ging bouwen, en dat Mexico die ging betalen? Wat is daarvan terecht gekomen?

We hebben al ervaring met Trump als president, en dat was vooral heel veel drama. Maar qua beleid gebeurde er weinig spannends of schokkends.

Ik zeg het nogmaals: je moet niet naar politici luisteren, maar kijken wat hun daadwerkelijke beleid is.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 13:15 schreef oheng het volgende:
Als Trump het Capitool bezet, dan schiet het leger hem er wel uit, met goedkeuring van de GOP.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 13:21 schreef oheng het volgende:

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Nee, het is simpelweg contrarianism.
Ze zijn tegen hulp voor Oekraïne, omdat de Democraten vóór hulp zijn. Alles, maar dan ook ALLES wat de tegenstander doet is verkeerd.

Het is weer verkiezingstijd mensen. De tijd dat politici nóg dommer zijn dan gebruikelijk.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 13:25 schreef ExTec het volgende:

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Onder de MAGAts is 51% tegen hulp.

https://today.yougov.com/(...)ssia-ukraine-war-aid

Volk op z'n breedst is dus wel voor.

Maar goed, de onbetrouwbaarheid, he.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 13:25 schreef luxerobots het volgende:

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Wie zijn er nog over binnen de GOP die tegenstand aan Trump gaan bieden?

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 15:46 schreef oheng het volgende:

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Ik ga geen specifieke namen noemen, anders zijn we zo 5 pagina's verder, maar je kunt denken aan alle GOP concurrenten die hij heeft gehad in de presindentiële voorverkiezingen. En de Rhino's.
Het zijn politici he, genoeg GOP lui die zitten te trappelen om Trump te naaien. Trump heeft bitter weinig vrienden binnen de GOP, als het erop aankomt.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 15:46 schreef oheng het volgende:

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Ik ga geen specifieke namen noemen, anders zijn we zo 5 pagina's verder, maar je kunt denken aan alle GOP concurrenten die hij heeft gehad in de presindentiële voorverkiezingen. En de Rhino's.
Het zijn politici he, genoeg GOP lui die zitten te trappelen om Trump te naaien. Trump heeft bitter weinig vrienden binnen de GOP, als het erop aankomt.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 15:46 schreef oheng het volgende:

[..]
Ik ga geen specifieke namen noemen, anders zijn we zo 5 pagina's verder, maar je kunt denken aan alle GOP concurrenten die hij heeft gehad in de presindentiële voorverkiezingen. En de Rhino's.
Het zijn politici he, genoeg GOP lui die zitten te trappelen om Trump te naaien. Trump heeft bitter weinig vrienden binnen de GOP, als het erop aankomt.

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Rusland kritisch na openingsceremonie

Rusland heeft kritiek geuit op de opening van de Olympische Spelen. Die zou een 'enorme mislukking' zijn. Ook rapper Snoop Dogg kreeg ervan langs, net als ander entertainment dat de Fransen vrijdag aan de kijkers voorschotelden.

Maria Zacharova, een hoge woordvoerder van het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, zette een lange lijst met kritiekpunten op Telegram. Die gaan over de organisatie, maar ook over de inhoud van de ceremonie.

Zo heeft Zacharova kritiek op het wereldbeeld dat ze in de opening meende te zien. Ze beschouwt het als een mislukking dat de 'drugsverslaafde rapper' Snoop Dogg de fakkel mocht dragen. Ook zegt ze dat bij een scène die visueel aan Het Laatste Avondmaal deed denken 'de Apostelen werden afgebeeld als travestieten'. 'Omdat de Olympische ringen kleurrijk zijn, vinden ze in Parijs duidelijk dat je er maar één grote gayparade van moet maken.'

Rusland is door de Russische inval in Oekraïne niet vertegenwoordigd. Russische sporters kunnen alleen deelnemen onder strenge voorwaarden en onder neutrale vlag. De openingsceremonie was niet te zien op de Russische televisie. Zacharova beweert dan ook dat ze niet heeft gekeken.

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Ex-lawmaker Iryna Farion assassination – everything we know about 18-year-old suspect

^{Viacheslav Zinchenko, 18, suspected in murder of Iryna Farion during court session on July 26, 2024 in Lviv, Ukraine (Stanislav Ivanov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)}

After a "challenging" manhunt, a teenager has been detained over the assassination of former Ukrainian lawmaker and linguist, Iryna Farion, Ukrainian authorities announced on July 25.

Since then, details have begun to emerge about the potential motive of the suspected killer, including possible links to Russian neo-Nazi groups.

Here's everything we know so far:

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The crime
On the evening of July 19, a man opened fire on Farion on the street outside her home in the city of Lviv, in western Ukraine.

She underwent emergency surgery but was pronounced dead later that night.

Farion was a highly-controversial figure in Ukraine, known for her incendiary statements on the use of the Russian language. She was a linguistics professor who briefly served in the parliament for the nationalist Svoboda party.

She caused particular outrage late last year when she said that she couldn't call Ukrainian soldiers Ukrainians if they speak Russian.

After receiving a message of support from Maksym Hlebov, a pro-Ukrainian student living in occupied Crimea, she was heavily criticized for publishing the email on her social media, and revealing his personal details.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said in November 2023 that Farion was under criminal investigation both for her statements about Russian-speaking soldiers and for leaking the message from Hlebov.

The suspect
On July 25, 18-year-old Viacheslav Zinchenko was arrested in Dnipro, nearly 1,000 kilometers east from Lviv.

Ukrainian media identified that his father is serving on the front line. When contacted, he only said that his son is a patriot of Ukraine.

Ukrainian news outlet Slidstvo.Info found that Zinchenko plays soccer for a local youth team. His alleged social media account was reportedly subscribed to far-right accounts. He graduated high school last year and has reportedly entered a local university as a remote student to study law.

The suspect's mother told journalists that her son knew Lviv well because he has "spent a long time there last year," taking a course in a local school of drone operators. She said that he wanted to join the military as volunteer.

Manhunt and identification
Announcing the news in a post on Telegram, President Volodymyr Zelensky, citing Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, said the manhunt had been "challenging."

"Over the past few days, hundreds of specialists from the National Police of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, and other services worked to solve the murder," Zelensky said.

Klymenko said that the search operation lasted 139 hours. Law enforcement agencies inspected about 100 hectares of forest and eventually managed to track down the suspected shooter in Dnipro.

"With his photo, it was a matter of time: smart surveillance cameras 'caught' him everywhere," Klymenko said.

Ukrainian law enforcement leaked Zinchenko's details to the media before he was officially identified as a suspect in the assassination.

According to experts consulted by Detector Media, a Ukrainian media watchdog, such actions were both a breach of law and ethics.

On July 26, a court in Lviv put Zinchenko in custody for 60 days. The investigation continues.

Alleged motive
In a video released by the National Police, Zinchenko doesn't confirm or deny his involvement in the murder.

"We will see. Time will show," he replies when asked whether he killed Farion.

Speaking to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on July 26, Andrii Niebytov, Deputy Head of the National Police of Ukraine, said that Zinchenko believes he "did the right thing."

"There’s a person, a totally pro-Ukrainian person. I have personally spoken with him. He respects Ukraine. His father is fighting in a brigade," he said.

"He loves Ukraine and thinks he did the right thing. He thinks Ukrainian society should not be divided. He had his own motives."

Niebytov also suggested Zinchenko wasn't working alone when he planned the assassination.

"I’ll put it this way: this person hasn’t come up with this idea by himself," he said.

"You know that he was a member of certain groups that unfortunately weren’t pro-Ukrainian."

On July 26, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies said Zinchenko could be involved in the Russian neo-Nazi movement.

Zinchenko's phone contained a digital book titled "Secret Instructions of the Central Intelligence Agency and the Committee for State Security on Fact-Gathering, Conspiracy and Disinformation," they said.

The suspect's search history on his devices also included the names of other politicians and deputies and the schedule of the regional council meeting, potentially indicating he planned more attacks on officials.

The pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Readovka claimed that the NS/WP (National-Socialism/White Power) group had taken responsibility for Farion's murder. Readovka also described the NS/WP as "neo-Nazi."

The Ukrainian police were examining the claims published on Russian social media, a police spokesperson said.

Zinchenko also prepared a farewell letter in which he asked to explain to his father that he "hid everything from him for his safety, not because he did not trust him."

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Ukrainian drones attack three Russian air bases, damage supersonic bomber
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) conducted an operation in Russia in the early morning hours of July 27, attacking three military airfields, hitting an oil refinery and damaging a supersonic bomber.

Sources in Ukrainian intelligence told Ukrinform that drones had attacked the military airfield in Engels, Saratov region, the Dyagilevo military airfield in the Ryazan region, and the Olenya military airfield in the Murmansk region.

An oil refinery in Ryazan was also targeted in the kamikaze drone attack.

According to eyewitnesses, the first explosions were recorded at the Dyagilevo air base at around 06:00 local time.

Social media channels reported hearing at least three explosions. Local users published a video of drones flying in the direction of the airfield and a picture showing a plume of black smoke rising above the air base.

The air base is home to the 43rd Guards Center of Combat Application and Air Crew Training. It houses Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3, Tu-134UBL and Il-78 aircraft and an aircraft repair plant.

The explosions at the Engels Air Base, which houses Russian strategic bombers, rang out at around 08:00.

Local social media channels reported that Russia's air defense forces unsuccessfully tried to shoot down UAVs but then explosions were heard.

According to preliminary reports, a UAV strike on the Olenya airfield damaged a Tu-22M3 long-range supersonic bomber.

The airfield is located about 1,800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Russia's Defense Ministry stated that at least 12 kamikaze drones had been shot down in the Kursk, Belgorod, Rostov, Bryansk and Lipetsk regions.

The results of drone strikes on other Russian military facilities are currently being clarified, Ukrainian intelligence said.

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Ukrainian Intelligence cyberattack halts cash withdrawals in Russia, disrupts banking system
Cyber experts from the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) have launched a significant assault on Russia's banking sector, payment systems, and internet providers since July 23.

Following ongoing issues with the online services of most Russian banks over the past few days, Russians are now facing another challenge: as of July 27, they cannot withdraw cash from ATMs.

According to RBC-Ukraine, which cites its sources, the disruption is due to a cyberattack orchestrated by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's intelligence division. The objective is to paralyze operations within the banking sector involved in funding the war in Ukraine, as well as internet providers and social media platforms within the aggressor state.

When attempting to use ATMs, debit and credit cards of clients from several Russian banks are immediately blocked.

GUR specialists have also gained access to the databases of Russian financial institutions.

Initially, some Russian financial institutions, particularly Alfa Bank, denied that the disruption was due to external interference. However, other banks acknowledged facing a “massive DDOS attack planned from abroad” and are struggling to overcome its aftermath.

"Nonetheless, the online services of financial institutions across the country have been either completely offline or working erratically with frequent errors for three consecutive days. As a result, clients throughout Russia are unable to log into personal accounts, make service payments, use public transportation, or conduct any other financial transactions," Alfa Bank said.

Previously, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence had reported that cyber specialists and volunteers had targeted around one hundred Russian web resources. The objective of these attacks, according to Ukrainian intelligence, was to destroy internal information of companies that provide services to those involved in the aggression against Ukraine.

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Belarusian dictator Lukashenko is in bad shape

The Kremlin press service showed Alexander Lukashenko in poor condition.

During his visit to Putin on Valaam Island, it was evident that Lukashenko still feels unwell.

This is reported by the Belarusian opposition publication UDF. BY

It is hard for him to walk. And whenever possible, he tries to either sit down or lean on something.

This is how the Kremlin press service filmed the Belarusian ruler with a face twisted with pain.

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And these pictures clearly show that Lukashenko is in poor physical shape: he has obvious problems with excess weight.


Earlier, Lukashenko became ill during a visit to the summit in Kazakhstan.

He became ill just one hour after arriving at the airplane at Astana airport.

And during his visit to Moscow, the Belarusian dictator felt ill during a walk with Putin.

An electric car was specially brought to him, seated him and drove him alone.

This can be seen on the video. In the background, one can see how he can hardly get into the electric car.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 21:14 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://ua-stena.info/en/(...)nko-is-in-bad-shape/
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Oud filmpje van zijn bezoek aan Rusland tijdens de parade in het artikel. Hij heeft er inderdaad wel gezonder uit gezien.

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Decimated and defeated: Russian MP admits Black Sea Fleet’s collapse
Russian State Duma member Yevgeny Fedorov publicly acknowledged the decimation of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and urged acceptance of this defeat.

Today, the Russian Black Sea Fleet has ceased to exist as a combat unit. Russia has suffered a devastating defeat at sea. This bold statement came from Russian State Duma Deputy, member of the ultra-right political force NOD (National Liberation Movement), Yevgeny Fedorov.

Fedorov remarked that while the Russian Black Sea Fleet still exists physically, it is completely shattered. "The Russian fleet, as an operational mechanism in the Black Sea, does not exist! Not physically absent, but ineffective in terms of combat presence. This is a fact. Remember how it all began. Do you recall Snake Island, which was taken by our marines? Where is that now? What about the food control over the grain deal when all Ukrainian ships were inspected, including by our fleet? Where is it now? Now the Ukrainian commercial fleet transports this weaponry in any quantity it wants! A year ago, this was not the case. A year ago, NATO did not bring weapons to Ukraine through maritime roures. Now it does. Where is the fleet? It’s gone! This is indeed the enemy's victory! This is a fact. And the fact that some ships remain somewhere in Sevastopol or Novorossiysk, they stand still. But they do not exist as a strategic combat unit. They do not control the Black Sea, you see? This is a defeat, and it must be acknowledged, just as we accepted the defeat in Kherson. We surrendered Kherson," the Russian deputy stated.

He claims to have predicted the Black Sea Fleet's defeat from the beginning when Snake Island was still under Russian control and an amphibious landing in Odesa was being prepared. Today, Russia prefers not to remember these plans. "Putin and Medvedev correctly say: NATO cannot be defeated in the usual sense," Fedorov said.

It’s noteworthy that the destruction of Russia's Black Sea Fleet is credited to Ukraine's Defense Forces. Initially, the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed its flagship - the missile cruiser Moskva, and subsequently, employing explosive-laden unmanned vessels, they began to take out Russian warships one by one. Currently, there are no Russian military ships in the occupied Crimea; the remaining ones have been withdrawn to protect them from attacks.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 21:21 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.uawire.org/de(...)sea-fleet-s-collapse
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You Won't Believe How Fast Russia Would Lose Against NATO

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 21:21 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:

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Putin die kan luka missen als kiespijn

die heeft al een vervanger klaar staan, laat dat een les zijn voor Orban

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Ukraine "will never become a member of the EU or NATO" because "we Europeans do not have enough money for this," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in the Romanian city of Baile Tusnad. During his speech, Orban also complimented Russian policy. In contrast to the "weakness" of the West, Russia's foreign policy position is "rational and predictable," and the Russian economy has adapted to Western sanctions after the annexation of Crimea, the Hungarian prime minister noted. In addition, according to Orban, Russia's policy aimed at discriminating against LGBT people has acquired "international appeal." In June, EU countries granted Ukraine the status of a candidate country for joining the European Union. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted that Ukraine's path to the EU will be "difficult, but full of opportunities." At the July NATO summit, Ukraine's "irreversible path" to the North Atlantic Alliance was announced.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 21:29 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Zou niet verkeerd zijn als we in Afrika anti-Wagner troepen gaan bewapenen.

https://x.com/clashreport(...)Kr5wHK2SoeUpuKA&s=19

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Escalating toll: report suggests Russian military losses in Ukraine may surpass 600,000
Russia continues to sustain significant losses in its ongoing war against Ukraine. As of the morning of July 27, the irrecoverable losses of the Russian occupation army possibly exceeded 600,000 personnel, reported the Russian Telegram channel, General SVR, linked to political analyst Valery Solovyov.

According to the post, a morning briefing was provided to Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, detailing "irrecoverable military-operational losses" during the so-called "special military operation." The report claimed that over the course of two and a half years, Russia has allegedly lost 571,985 regular soldiers and 76,192 mercenaries from various private military companies (PMCs).

"Irrecoverable losses" generally refer to several categories of soldiers: killed, missing in action, prisoners of war, and permanently injured. These categories indicate personnel who cannot return to service, thereby affecting the combat readiness of the army.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as of the morning of July 27, Russian losses in the war against Ukraine stand at 573,510 individuals. This number includes both killed and injured Russians.

Moscow has consistently kept the exact number of Russian casualties in the aggression against Ukraine confidential. This data remains classified.

However, Russian news outlets Mediazona and BBC's Russian Service have managed to identify over 61,000 Russian military personnel who have perished in the conflict. Their findings are based on publicly available information and only cover soldiers who have been confirmed dead through social and official channels.

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UK has sent 12,000 anti-tank missiles to Ukraine

^{A Ukrainian paratrooper firing an NLAW anti-tank weapon. Photo credits: the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine}

The United Kingdom has delivered more than 12,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine as part of military aid since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The UK Defense Journal reported on this.

This information was disclosed by Luke Pollard, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, in answer to a query from James Cartlidge, Conservative MP for South Suffolk.

Cartlidge asked the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of anti-tank missiles procured for Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war.

Pollard responded on 25th July 2024, stating, “The Ministry of Defence has supplied over 12,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine since the outbreak of that country’s conflict with Russia.”

However, the UK Ministry of Defense did not disclose details of what exactly is meant by the term “anti-tank weapons.” Pollard also emphasized Britain’s desire to cooperate with international allies to support Ukraine.

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“We will continue to work with international Allies and partners to cohere and coordinate our support to Ukraine. …as a demonstration of our collective enduring commitment to build a Ukrainian force capable of deterring Russian aggression for the long term,” he added.

In the UK, not only NLAW and Javelin ATGMs are considered anti-tank weapons, but also Brimstone missiles. Ukraine has received all these types of weapons from various UK governments since 2022.

At the beginning of July, it became known that as part of a new military aid package, the United Kingdom would provide Ukraine with a batch of Brimstone guided missiles.

^{Brimstone guided missiles from MBDA. Photo credits: Eurofighter-Ray Troll}

Brimstone missiles have been used by the Ukrainian Defense Forces since 2022, when the UK delivered the first batches of these missiles in the Brimstone 1 version. Ukraine received newer Brimstone 2 missiles. In total, it regards hundreds of missiles of both types.

Since these missiles are usually used against ground targets from aircraft, and Ukraine does not have the appropriate carriers, Brimstone is used from mobile ground launchers, which have a special frame on which an aircraft launcher for three missiles is mounted.

^{Launch of the NLAW missile system. Photo credits: JFO press service}

In Ukraine, the NLAW lightweight anti-tank system has also shown its effectiveness in the fight against Russian armored vehicles at close range.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 21:29 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Zou niet verkeerd zijn als we in Afrika anti-Wagner troepen gaan bewapenen.

https://x.com/clashreport(...)Kr5wHK2SoeUpuKA&s=19

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[Azawad] Wagner and the Malian soldiers perished in the battle against the Azawad forces.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 21:14 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://ua-stena.info/en/(...)nko-is-in-bad-shape/
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Oud filmpje van zijn bezoek aan Rusland tijdens de parade in het artikel. Hij heeft er inderdaad wel gezonder uit gezien.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 17:23 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/07/27/7467651/

Russisische vorderingen langs hele grens volgens deze ua bron.

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On July 9, a soldier died in a Makhachkala police station. The brutal actions of the police were caught on camera: they pinned him down, beat him, and used a stun gun on him. The 48-year-old Akhmed Dzhabrailov was detained near his home on Rasul Gamzatov Avenue. That day, he was running on the roof with a knife in an unstable condition, prompting passersby to call the police.

At 18:11, one of the officers pinned the soldier down with his knee. He tried to resist, and within seconds, four officers were holding him down. Two were kneeling on his back, others were stepping on his legs and using a stun gun. At one point, one officer started jumping on the detainee.

After five minutes, Dzhabrailov stopped showing signs of life. The police report stated that an ambulance was called at 18:07. However, according to the camera footage, doctors entered the room only at 18:21. They then pronounced Dzhabrailov dead.

"What kind of idiot do you have to be to press down on him with your knees, especially being such a hefty officer? He's kicking his legs, clearly in distress, and another officer is 'calming' him with a stun gun," commented a member of the Public Chamber of Dagestan on the incident.

He didn't die in the war, but was tortured to death by the police.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 22:04 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
Van zo'n foto kan je echt 0 afleiden. Kijk voor de grap maar door je selfies, dan zal je 100 van zulke foto's zien.

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Ukraine Releases Unique Multi-Purpose Battle Robot

^{The Ratel H robot at the time of testing. Source: Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov}

Amid the ongoing full-scale war in Ukraine, the Ratel N robot, designed for evacuating wounded soldiers from the battlefield, has successfully completed field trials and entered mass production. This was announced by Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, on social media.

The Ratel N robot, developed by members of the Brave1 defense cluster, is intended for transporting casualties. According to Fedorov, the robot can carry over 400 kg of live load, enabling it to transport several injured personnel at once. Its design allows it to navigate difficult terrain and operate quietly, making it less detectable by the enemy.

“Ratel N is equipped with night vision cameras, allowing it to perform effectively in low visibility conditions and at night,” Fedorov noted.

The robot can be fitted with various modules, including electronic warfare systems (EWS), mobile observation posts, combat modules, or demining equipment. With satellite communication capabilities, it can be operated from a significant distance.

“Ratel N has already undergone field trials and received positive feedback from the military,” the Minister added.

The deployment of such technologies is part of a strategy to enhance the effectiveness of defense operations and reduce risks for military personnel.

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The happiest dog in the Ukrainian army

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Hongarije laat Russen makkelijker toe: 'Directe bedreiging van onze veiligheid'
Opnieuw leidt de vriendschap tussen Hongarije en Rusland tot boosheid in Brussel. Drie dagen na het bezoek van premier Viktor Orbán aan president Vladimir Poetin trad nieuw beleid in werking waardoor Russen makkelijker in Hongarije kunnen komen werken.

Europarlementariërs vrezen dat Russen met kwade bedoelingen het Schengengebied in komen. "Russische staatsburgers krijgen zo carte blanche om zich door Europa te bewegen", zegt Raquel Garcia Hermida-van der Walle (D66). "Dit is een directe bedreiging voor onze veiligheid." De EU-politici pleiten voor stevige maatregelen tegen Hongarije, zoals het invoeren van grenscontroles.

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Nationale Kaart
Hongarije kent al langer het zogenoemde Nationale Kaart-systeem, waarmee gastarbeiders die niet uit een EU-land komen toch makkelijk in Hongarije aan de slag kunnen. Hun families mogen mee. Deze regel geldt onder meer voor burgers van Servië en Oekraïne. Sinds 8 juli kunnen ook Belarussen en Russen aanspraak maken op z'n kaart.

Garcia Hermida: "Dat is een veiligheidsrisico. Sinds de invasie van Oekraïne hebben we de controles juist aangescherpt voor Russische staatsburgers."

Arbeidsmigranten zónder de Nationale Kaart mogen alleen Hongarije binnen op uitnodiging van een Hongaarse werkgever. Bovendien is er een limiet aan het totaal aantal gastarbeiders, maar niet aan het aantal migranten met een Nationale Kaart, zegt de Hongaarse politicus en oud-Europarlementariër István Szent-Iványi. "Zij hebben een zeer bevoordeelde status."

Europarlementariër Jeroen Lenaers (CDA) denkt dat Rusland deze migratieroute kan gebruiken voor sabotage in pro-Oekraïense landen. "Orbán zet de deur wagenwijd open voor iedere Rus die naar Europa wil komen, zonder veiligheidsscreening of wat voor controle dan ook. We weten dat Rusland alle manieren gebruikt om bijvoorbeeld een spion te sturen of om mensen te sturen die onze samenlevingen ondermijnen."

Szent-Iványi beaamt dat die zorgen zeer reëel zijn. "Eerder hadden we hier de zogenoemde Russische 'spionnenbank' die onder invloed van de Russische geheime dienst bleek te staan. Na Amerikaanse druk is die vertrokken uit Boedapest."

'Gunst aan Poetin'
Terwijl Orbán normaal gesproken z'n best doet om migranten zoveel mogelijk tegen te houden, opent hij nu dus de grenzen voor Russische arbeidsmigranten en hun familie. Lenaers: "Dat Hongarije die mensen nodig heeft, is een fabeltje. Ze gooien de grenzen alleen open voor Rusland, daar zitten andere beweegredenen achter. Het is vooral een gunst aan president Poetin."

Het is niet voor het eerst dat Orbáns houding ten opzichte van Rusland hem op kritiek komt te staan vanuit Brussel. Hongarije lag lang dwars bij EU-sancties tegen Rusland en bij EU-steun voor Oekraïne. Tot ontsteltenis van de rest van de EU bracht Orbán recent zelfs een bezoek aan president Poetin. Dat lag extra gevoelig omdat Hongarije momenteel voorzitter is van de Europese Unie.

"Orbán is bezig met het ondermijnen van heel veel van de vrijheden en de fundamenten van de Europese Unie", zegt Garcia Hermida. Voor haar is de maat vol, nadat Hongarije ook regelmatig door de Europees Commissie berispt is voor schendingen van de rechtstaat. "Orbán is een soort peuter die elke keer een waarschuwing krijgt van de ouders en uiteindelijk gebeurt er niets."

Grenscontroles met Hongarije?
Haar partij, D66, pleit ervoor Hongarije het EU-voorzitterschap te ontnemen. "We moeten snel en helder actie ondernemen, het stemrecht ontnemen van Hongarije in de Europese Raad en ook financiële consequenties hieraan verbinden."

Ook Lenaers wil Hongarije stevig straffen. Hij pleit ervoor het land tijdelijk uit de Schengenzone te gooien "door de interne grenscontroles met Hongarije opnieuw in te voeren. Totdat we daadwerkelijk gerustgesteld zijn dat dit geen manier is om via de achterdeur allemaal onwenselijke Russische staatsburgers in Europa te krijgen".

Nieuwsuur vroeg de Hongaarse regering via meerdere wegen om een reactie, maar kreeg daarop geen antwoord.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 23:02 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://united24media.com(...)se-battle-robot-1428
[..]

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 23:10 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/(...)wapp&_x_tr_hist=true
[..]

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Dat is inderdaad wachten op problemen. Een kwalijke zaak dat Hongarije nu mogelijke spionnen en saboteurs het schengengebied binnen gaat laten. Hier moet hard tegen opgetreden worden. En natuurlijk ook tegen de rest van zijn anti EU acties.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 22:28 schreef TwenteFC het volgende:

[..]
Noem eens 2 of 3 vorderingen die jij uit dat artikel haalt.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 23:29 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:

Russian Tank Army STEAMROLLS Towards Strategic Kupyansk

Ben benieuwd of ze de Russen weg van Kupyansk kunnen houden.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 00:20 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

[..]
Lijkt er wel op dat Oekraine niet zo effectief en snel mijnenvelden weet aan te leggen.
Misschien moeten ze daar wat meer op focussen.
De Russen doen dat naar mijn idee een stuk beter.

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Hungary’s nationalist leader warns of EU’s demise and backs Trump in anti-Western speech
Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Saturday that the European Union was sliding toward oblivion in a rambling anti-Western speech in which he warned of a new, Asia-oriented “world order” while throwing his support for Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential bid.

“Europe has given up defending its own interests,” Orbán said in Baile Tusnad, a majority-ethnic Hungarian town in central Romania. “All Europe is doing today is following the U.S.’s pro-Democrat foreign policy unconditionally … even at the cost of self-destruction.”

“A change is coming that has not been seen for 500 years. What we are facing is in fact a world order change,” he added, citing China, India, Pakistan and Indonesia as becoming the “dominant center” of the world.

Orbán also alleged that the U.S. was behind the 2022 explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines built to carry gas from Russia to Germany, calling it “an act of terrorism carried out at the obvious direction of the Americans.” He didn’t offer any evidence to back up the claim.

The far-right leader’s remarks come amid growing criticism from his European partners after he embarked on rogue “peace mission” trips to Moscow and Beijing earlier this month aimed at brokering an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Orbán is widely considered to have the warmest relations with the Kremlin among all EU leaders.

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On Ukraine, Orbán cast doubt on the war-torn country becoming either a member of NATO or the EU. “We Europeans do not have the money for it. Ukraine will revert to the position of a buffer state,” he said, adding that international security guarantees “will be enshrined in an agreement between the US and Russia.”

Throughout Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, Orbán has broken with other EU leaders by refusing to provide Kyiv with weapons to defend against Russian forces and has routinely delayed, watered down, or blocked efforts to send financial aid to Kyiv and impose sanctions on Moscow.

Orbán typically uses the annual Tusvanyos Summer University platform in Romania to indicate the ideological direction of his national government and to deride the standards of the EU bloc, which Hungary joined in 2004.

Hungary currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, during which Orbán has made a Trumpian vow to “Make Europe Great Again” and has openly endorsed Trump’s candidacy in this year’s U.S. presidential election. Orbán visited Trump twice this year at the former president’s beachside compound in Mar-a-Lago.

Orbán said Saturday that Trump’s bid for re-election aims “to pull the American people back from a post-nationalist liberal state to a nation-state” and rehashed a slew of conservative tropes that Trump is being penalized unfairly to prevent his electoral bid.

“That is why they want to put him in prison. That’s why they want to take away his assets. And if that doesn’t work, that’s why they want to kill him,” Orbán said, referring to an assassination attempt on Trump at a Pennsylvania rally this month.

U.S. ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman, responded to Orbán’s comments on Saturday in a post on the social media platform X, saying that such rhetoric “risks changing Hungary’s relationship with America.”

“We have no other ally or partner … that similarly, overtly, and tirelessly campaigns for a specific candidate in an election in the United States of America, seemingly convinced that no matter, it only helps Hungary — or at least helps him personally,” Pressman said, and went on to accuse Orbán of peddling “Kremlin conspiracy theories about the United States. Hardly what we expect from an Ally.”

Orbán’s remarks on Saturday aren’t the first time he’s used the festival in Transylvania to stir controversy. In 2014, Orban declared for the first time his intentions to build an “illiberal state” in Hungary, and in 2022, he sparked international outrage after he railed against Europe becoming a “mixed race” society. He doubled down on his long-held anti-immigration stance on Saturday, saying it is not an answer to his country’s aging population.

“There can be no question of a shrinking population supplemented by migration,” he said in his Saturday address. “The Western experience is that if there are more guests than owners, then home is no longer home. This is a risk that should not be taken.”

The EU’s longest-serving leader, Orbán has become an icon to some conservative populists for his firm opposition to immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. He has also cracked down on the press and judiciary in Hungary and has been accused by the EU of violating rule-of-law and democracy standards.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 01:40 schreef Perrin het volgende:
Dat ze daar maar veel van die Wagner-lui mogen slopen.
[ x ]

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 23:10 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/(...)wapp&_x_tr_hist=true
[..]

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[..]

Dat is inderdaad wachten op problemen. Een kwalijke zaak dat Hongarije nu mogelijke spionnen en saboteurs het schengengebied binnen gaat laten. Hier moet hard tegen opgetreden worden. En natuurlijk ook tegen de rest van zijn anti EU acties.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 09:49 schreef Richestorags het volgende:

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Oh nu is D66 opeens wel voorstander van strengere grenscontroles en zijn ze bezorgd om onze veiligheid door migratie.

Wat een absolute clowns zijn het toch ook

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 09:49 schreef Richestorags het volgende:

[..]
Oh nu is D66 opeens wel voorstander van strengere grenscontroles en zijn ze bezorgd om onze veiligheid door migratie.

Wat een absolute clowns zijn het toch ook

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 09:49 schreef Richestorags het volgende:

[..]
Oh nu is D66 opeens wel voorstander van strengere grenscontroles en zijn ze bezorgd om onze veiligheid door migratie.

Wat een absolute clowns zijn het toch ook

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 00:20 schreef Joppiez het volgende:

[..]
Lijkt er wel op dat Oekraine niet zo effectief en snel mijnenvelden weet aan te leggen.
Misschien moeten ze daar wat meer op focussen.
De Russen doen dat naar mijn idee een stuk beter.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 11:18 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:

[..]
Je ziet dat de russen nu langs een heel lang front constant kleine aanvallen doen om door te breken en in de afgelopen maanden constant (gelukkig langzaam maar toch) nieuw gebied toevoegen. Ik vraag mij af wat nu de grootste uitdaging is van Oekraïne, nog steeds te weinig voertuigen en wapens of is het nu mankracht? We hebben als NAVO/ USA al veel geleverd maar troepen leveren we natuurlijk niet. Uiteraard kan Oekraïne net zoals Rusland ook meer een beroep doen op (buitenlandse) huursoldaten.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 11:18 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:

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Je ziet dat de russen nu langs een heel lang front constant kleine aanvallen doen om door te breken en in de afgelopen maanden constant (gelukkig langzaam maar toch) nieuw gebied toevoegen. Ik vraag mij af wat nu de grootste uitdaging is van Oekraïne, nog steeds te weinig voertuigen en wapens of is het nu mankracht? We hebben als NAVO/ USA al veel geleverd maar troepen leveren we natuurlijk niet. Uiteraard kan Oekraïne net zoals Rusland ook meer een beroep doen op (buitenlandse) huursoldaten.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 09:49 schreef Richestorags het volgende:

[..]
Oh nu is D66 opeens wel voorstander van strengere grenscontroles en zijn ze bezorgd om onze veiligheid door migratie.

Wat een absolute clowns zijn het toch ook

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 12:13 schreef Ulx het volgende:

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Je bent voorstanders van het binnenhalen van een vijfde colonne?

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 11:54 schreef Wantie het volgende:

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Rusland heeft de afgelopen tijd een recordaantal van 70.000 man verloren (dood, gewond, gevangen, etc), en daarbij bescheiden stukjes land verovert.

Dat is een tactiek die alleen Rusland op langere termijn kan volhouden
Poetin heeft geleerd van Afghanistan, en recruteert vrijwel alleen soldaten uit de arme regio's van de Russische Federatie.
Bij de Afghaanse oorlog werd dat door de Sovjet Unie meer evenredig gedaan, wat tot protesten leidde in invloedrijke regio's en uiteindelijk tot een einde aan de oorlog.

Poetin kan deze tactiek jarenlang volhouden.
Oekraïne niet, ook niet met steun van het westen met grondtroepen.
Geen enkel NAVO land kan het verkopen dat duizenden inwoners sneuvelen in Oekraïne.

Wat Oekraïne rest is het Rusland zo zwaar mogelijk te maken door elke meter goed te verdedigen, totdat dat niet meer rendabel is, en dan terugtrekken.

Op die manier Rusland afmatten tot het moment dat Rusland op een zwak punt breekt.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 12:22 schreef Richestorags het volgende:

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Nee. Zowel niet uit het Midden-Oosten als Rusland. D66 Ageert echter alleen tegen de tweede en niet de eerste. Daarvoor willen ze geen stop en ze slaan kritiek daarop dood.

Zeer apart dat je dit haalt uit mijn woorden. Dat ik tegen hun hypocriete houding ageer maakt mij voorstander van Russische migratie? Wat is dat voor een simpelton redenatie.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 12:32 schreef Ulx het volgende:

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En dus concreet? Het was gewoon een uiting van frustratie over D66 die actief mensen zou ophalen uit overal ter wereld? Het moest er even uit bij je?

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 11:54 schreef Wantie het volgende:

[..]
Rusland heeft de afgelopen tijd een recordaantal van 70.000 man verloren (dood, gewond, gevangen, etc), en daarbij bescheiden stukjes land verovert.

Dat is een tactiek die alleen Rusland op langere termijn kan volhouden
Poetin heeft geleerd van Afghanistan, en recruteert vrijwel alleen soldaten uit de arme regio's van de Russische Federatie.
Bij de Afghaanse oorlog werd dat door de Sovjet Unie meer evenredig gedaan, wat tot protesten leidde in invloedrijke regio's en uiteindelijk tot een einde aan de oorlog.

Poetin kan deze tactiek jarenlang volhouden.
Oekraïne niet, ook niet met steun van het westen met grondtroepen.
Geen enkel NAVO land kan het verkopen dat duizenden inwoners sneuvelen in Oekraïne.

Wat Oekraïne rest is het Rusland zo zwaar mogelijk te maken door elke meter goed te verdedigen, totdat dat niet meer rendabel is, en dan terugtrekken.

Op die manier Rusland afmatten tot het moment dat Rusland op een zwak punt breekt.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 12:28 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
In 1905 kwamen de Russen na één jaar oorlog tegen Japan in opstand. In 1917 waren ze drie jaar in oorlog. Dat Russen alle verliezen klakkeloos accepteren en altijd maar doorgaan is een beetje een mythe. IN WO2 zagen ze hoe de Duitsers huis hielden in bezette gebieden, daarom gebeurde kwamen ze toen niet in opstand. Maar nu zijn het de Oekraïners die zien hoe de Russen tekeergaan in door hun veroverde stukken land. Die zullen daarom nooit stoppen.
Daarom is het van belang dat het Westen toestaat dat alles wat ze leveren onbeperkt ingezet kan worden. Laat Oekraïne alle militaire (of voor militair gebruik ingezette civiele) infrastructuur in een straal van 4-500km Rusland in maar goed hard raken. Dan komt Rusland sneller bij dat breekpunt. In dat gebied wonen namelijk veel Russen. Als in elk stadje de lokale kazerne wordt geraakt komt het erg dichtbij voor die mensen.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 12:43 schreef Ulx het volgende:
Beweer ik niet. Zie het woordje zou.

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Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 23:29 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:

Russian Tank Army STEAMROLLS Towards Strategic Kupyansk

Ben benieuwd of ze de Russen weg van Kupyansk kunnen houden.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 11:52 schreef Richestorags het volgende:
Daarnaast hebben ze gegeven dit te weinig mensen. Op vele plekken zijn ze numeriek zwaar in de minderheid. Nu kunnen wij geen troepen leveren (behalve voor verdediging van steden achter de frontlinie waardoor ze extra troepen naar de frontlinie kunnen sturen maar zelfs dat gaan we waarschijnlijk niet doen) maar we kunnen ze wel meer hardware geven om zich te verdedigen en hun numerieke minderheid te compenseren.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 14:04 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Russische kolonist zeikt tegen lokale Krim Tataar.

[ x ]

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 14:04 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Russische kolonist zeikt tegen lokale Krim Tataar.

[ x ]

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 15:46 schreef Wantie het volgende:

[..]
Onvoorstelbaar vreselijk volk, die Russen.
Onder Oekraïens bewind begonnen de rechten van Krim tartaren te normaliseren, maar dat was meteen gedaan toen Rusland het schiereiland annexeerde.

Onbegrijpelijk dat sommigen denken dat Oekraïne beter af is door zich over te geven.
En dat alles de schuld van het westen is.

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India and Russia look to boost bilateral trade by 50% by 2030
Target of $100bn set during Modi's Moscow visit comes amid U.S. concerns

India is looking to strengthen its economic ties with Russia even as its longtime ally faces Western sanctions over the Ukraine war. The two countries have set an ambitious bilateral trade target of $100 billion by 2030, up by 50% from the current $66 billion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia earlier this month -- his first trip there since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 -- for the two nations' annual summit, and their economic relationship dominated his discussions with President Vladimir Putin.

Modi "took up the need to broad-base the trade basket between the two countries, and in this regard spoke about greater market access for Indian goods, both in the agriculture and in the industrial sector," then-Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told reporters on July 9.

While the $100 billion trade target appears achievable, India's main concerns are about containing the $57 billion trade deficit and finding an effective payment mechanism for transactions with Russia, said Ajay Srivastava, co-founder of the New Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI).

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In the financial year that ended in March, India's exports to Russia amounted to just $4.26 billion, while its imports, mainly crude oil and petroleum products, stood at $61.43 billion, totaling $65.69 billion and skewed heavily in favor of Moscow. The total also jumped by 33% over the previous year's $49.36 billion.

"There has been a sharp increase in [India's] imports from Russia, resulting in a notable trade imbalance," Srivastava said. "Trade deficit rose from $2.8 billion before the war in [the financial year ending in March] 2021 to $57.2 billion now."

The share of crude oil and petroleum products in India's imports was 88%, according to a GTRI report. On the positive side, India is getting Russian oil at below-market rates, and "this cuts India's overall oil import bill," Srivastava noted.

In the GTRI report, he mentioned four steps that India could take to narrow the trade deficit: promoting exports to Russia; making trade transactions in local currencies workable; getting the International North-South Transport Corridor -- a 7,200-kilometer multimodal route linking India with Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe -- functional; and concluding a free trade agreement with Eurasian Economic Union countries.

The two countries are working to step up rupee-ruble trade to settle dues in their national currencies as an alternative to international payment mechanisms that have been restricted due to Western economic sanctions on Russia.

India is looking at how it can tap greater export opportunities such as supplying goods that Russia can't get from other countries due to the sanctions. "We are also looking at the rupee-ruble trade. ... It's a twin strategy [that] we are working on," Indian Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal told reporters on July 15.

"We are looking at various sets of commodities, for example, electronics, engineering products and other items" in terms of exports, as well as the import of petroleum, he added.

New Delhi has also asked Moscow to look into "certain nontariff barriers" that its exporters face, mainly in fields such as marine products and pharmaceuticals.

Modi and Putin also discussed the need to move forward on the trade agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Union, over which the two countries have already held a round of discussions. "It is expected that this would be expedited in months ahead," Kwatra said in Moscow after the Modi-Putin meeting.

Officials at the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry said broad contours of the agreement are being finalized. The five-member union is led by Russia and also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Their moves to boost trade come amid U.S. concerns over Moscow-New Delhi ties.

"I respect that India likes its strategic autonomy, but in times of conflict there is no such thing as strategic autonomy," U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti said at an event in New Delhi on July 12, days after the Modi-Putin meeting, though he did not directly refer to it.

"No war is distant anymore. And we must not just stand for peace, we must take concrete actions to make sure those who don't play by peaceful rules, that their war machines cannot continue unabated. That's something that the United States needs to know, and that India needs to know, together."

In response, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal asserted that India, like many other countries, values its strategic autonomy. "The U.S. ambassador is entitled, obviously, to his opinion. We also have our own -- and different -- views. Our comprehensive global strategic partnership with the United States gives us the space to agree to disagree on certain issues while respecting each other's viewpoints," he told reporters on July 19.

"For long, we have looked at Russia from a political or security perspective," External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said in May, addressing a Confederation of Indian Industry event. "As that country turns eastwards, fresh economic opportunities are presenting themselves."

"The spike in our trade and the new areas of cooperation should not be regarded as a temporary phenomenon," Jaishankar said.

Analysts feel that the ties between the two countries are only going to grow further from here. "India and Russia have a historical and legacy relationship," Raj Kumar Sharma, a senior research fellow at the New Delhi-based think tank NatStrat, told Nikkei.

"India's relationship with Russia has been the only constant in its foreign policy, despite numerous geopolitical changes in the last seven decades."

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Ukraine has started training Bradley infantry fighting vehicle crews by itself

^{Bradley infantry fighting vehicle in the Armed Forces. July 2024. Frame from the video of the Ukrainian Ground Forces}

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have started training crews for Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), which Ukraine receives as part of military aid.

The military discussed the training of crews.

The training center trains mechanics and drivers, gunners, and commanders of combat vehicles.

Before performing practical tasks on the M2 Bradley IFV, the soldiers undergo theoretical training.

The crews then practice their shooting and driving skills at the training ground under the supervision of instructors.

SPOILER

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БМП «Bradley»: витримує влучанн� �нар�ду | Підготовка екіпажів �ухопутних вій�ьк

For example, each new lesson is practiced on a new track with natural and artificial obstacles.

There, they learn the intricacies of driving a vehicle in combat conditions.

At the same time, the gunners are practicing firing on the range with the American IFV’s main weapons – an M242 Bushmaster 25mm automatic cannon and a 7.62mm machine gun. The vehicle is also armed with a TOW anti-tank missile system. All weapons are located in the turret.

Modern sights and fire control systems on the Bradley allow it to hit the selected target with high accuracy.

^{Bradley infantry fighting vehicle in the Armed Forces. July 2024. Frame from the video of the Ukrainian Ground Forces}

The United States provided Ukraine with a significant number of M2 Bradley fighting vehicles as part of its military assistance. Therefore, the Armed Forces of Ukraine needed to train their crews independently based on their experience using them on the battlefield.

It is reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine received the M2A2 ODS-SA version of the infantry fighting vehicle. It is possible to distinguish this vehicle from older versions by the driver’s camera in the front of the BMP body. The first footage of Ukrainian soldiers mastering the American Bradley infantry fighting vehicles appeared in January 2023. These were soldiers of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade.

Робота 25--мм гармати M242 Bushmaster по FPV

The M2 Bradley crew consists of three people, and the IFV can carry up to six infantrymen in the squad compartment. The Bradleys proved themselves in the fight against the Russian invaders.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 09:49 schreef Richestorags het volgende:

[..]
Oh nu is D66 opeens wel voorstander van strengere grenscontroles en zijn ze bezorgd om onze veiligheid door migratie.

Wat een absolute clowns zijn het toch ook

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The Armed Forces of Ukraine accepted the operation of a domestic mobile car repair shop

^{Mobile car repair workshop of the Armed Forces. July 2024. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine}

The Ministry of Defense has officially authorized the operation of a new Ukrainian-made mobile car repair shop in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The press service of the defense ministry announced this.

It is noted that this workshop was developed by specialists in one of the enterprises of the Ukrainian defense industry.

“The new model of the mobile repair shop is characterized by compactness and much better maneuverability compared to existing mobile workshops on the chassis of outdated Soviet ZIL-131 trucks,” the Defense Ministry said.

The new repair shop can be installed on the chassis of various pickup truck models from global manufacturers.

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^{Mobile car repair workshop of the Armed Forces. July 2024. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine}

It is capable of handling routine repairs and maintenance of automotive and military vehicles of company-battalion level units.

The repair shop is equipped with tools and equipment for tire fitting, welding, and car mechanic work.

The workshop can also be used to charge car batteries using a special device, as well as perform diagnostic work using specialized computer equipment.

In addition, it is equipped with a 500-kilogram capacity crane and a 5-ton capacity winch.

The Ministry of Defense noted that a number of such mobile workshops on pickup truck chassis have already been transferred to combat units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

^{ATVs with carts for the Ukrainian military. May 2024, Ukraine. A frame from the video of the Korolivskyi Smak company}

In total, in the first half of this year, the Ministry of Defense approved more than 20 light vehicles for use in the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The vehicles are designed to travel over rough terrain and perform tasks on water.

The new models include buggies, motorcycles with electric and internal combustion engines, four- and six-wheeled ATVs, and hexacycles.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 11:54 schreef Wantie het volgende:

[..]


Poetin kan deze tactiek jarenlang volhouden.
Oekraïne niet, ook niet met steun van het westen met grondtroepen.
Geen enkel NAVO land kan het verkopen dat duizenden inwoners sneuvelen in Oekraïne.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 22:53 schreef bianconeri het volgende:

[..]
Ja, Rusland kan dit jaren volhouden. Dat klopt.
Hoe ze er dan uitkomen is 2 (zowel qua mannen die over zijn en economie). Maar ja.

Echter dat Oekraine het zelfs met de NAVO niet kan is natuurlijk onzin.
Als de NAVO zou gaan ingrijpen met troepen en al het materieel wat ze hebben is het in no-time voorbij.

De NAVO is qua manschappen ver in het voordeel en qua technologie ver ver ver ver in het voordeel.

Zelfs Oekraine weet Rusland tegen te houden, laat staan de NAVO op volle kracht.

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The Kremlin Jails the Father of Russia’s Internet
The regime is punishing those who built modern Russia for what amounts to thought crimes.

Alexey Soldatov, a Russian Internet pioneer and a founder of the first Internet provider in the country, has been sentenced by a court to two years in a labor colony on charges of “abuse of power.” Soldatov, 72, had been detained by a court in Moscow. He is terminally ill.

Very few in Russia believe in the government charges against a man widely known as a Father of the Russian Internet — and who is less well known as the father of Andrei Soldatov, one of this article’s authors.

Soldatov was accused of abuse of power when managing a pool of IP-addresses by an organization he had no position at. This legal absurdity was enough to see him imprisoned even though the court knew of Soldatov’s illness, which meant the court had no legal right to pass a custodial sentence. His family believes that the decision is essentially a death sentence.

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Soldatov, a nuclear physicist by training, made his career in the Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy, a leading Soviet nuclear research facility during the Cold War. In addition to research on atomic weapons, scientists at the Kurchatov were involved in many crucial defense projects, ranging from Soviet nuclear submarines to laser weapons. As a result, the institute held an exalted status in the Soviet Union.

Because of that, the institute enjoyed a degree of freedom unthinkable for other Soviet research centers. Among other things, it meant the institute had a phone line capable of making international calls, something unthinkable at almost any other institution.

Soldatov, who was known at the Kurchatov Institute for using computers more than anyone else to do his work, dreamt of building a network at the institute. He formed a team of programmers around him, and in 1990 they began to think about how they could connect the institute with other research centers in the country. They needed a name for this network, they ran a random word-selection program in English. The program came up with Relcom.

In August of that year, the Relcom network became a reality, making a connection between the Kurchatov Institute in Moscow and the Institute of Informatics and Automation in Leningrad, 460 miles away. Next, a connection was established with research centers in Dubna, Serpukhov, and Novosibirsk. The network used ordinary telephone lines, and the bandwidth was extremely narrow — the network was capable only of exchanging simple e-mails. But the Relcom team was dreaming of connecting with the world.

On August 28, 1990, the very first Soviet connection to the global Internet was made when Kurchatov programmers exchanged emails with a university in Helsinki, Finland. The isolated Soviet Union, thanks to Relcom, was now connected to the global Internet. Relcom rapidly expanded, and many began using the word Relcom as a shorthand term the Internet or email.

It was a very anti-Soviet idea — to connect people instantly both within the country and the world. The Soviet Union was a country where hierarchy was everything, and where any act required obligatory pre-authorization.

The first political test for Relcom came when the KGB organized a putsch in August 1991. The KGB blocked and banned traditional media, but they didn’t pay attention to the nascent Internet. Soldatov was far from Moscow, in Vladikavkaz, but when he called his people at the Kurchatov Computation Center, he insisted on one thing and one thing only: keep the line open.

Relcom remained operational, disseminating news about resistance in Moscow and other cities to Europe and the US. It was hugely effective because the network was completely horizontal — on the first day of the coup someone in the Relcom team came up with an idea they called “Regime N1”: to ask all subscribers of Relcom to look out the window and send back exactly what they saw — just the facts, no emotions.

Soon Relcom received a kaleidoscopic picture of what was happening throughout the country, disseminating the eyewitness reports from subscribers along with news reports. It became clear that the tanks and troops were present only in two cities—Moscow and Leningrad — and that the coup would not succeed.

In the 1990s the new Russian Internet blossomed, and Soldatov’s Relcom became just one of many middle-sized Internet service providers. Even so, he remained widely respected, in the country and abroad, for his expertise in Internet governance. He also helped to established the organizations which provided the technical backbone of the Russian Internet ever since — including distribution of the domain names and IP addresses.

In 2008 President Medvedev, a big fan of Internet technology, who had positioned himself as a sort of liberal, invited Soldatov into his government as deputy minister of communications in charge of the Internet.

Soldatov survived only two years, and left in November 2010, unwilling to support government ideas then being debated, such as the development of a national computer operating system or a national search engine that would separate the Russian Internet from the global network. He always believed in the horizontal, global nature of the network.

That didn’t make him very popular. In 2019, he was put under criminal investigation, a decision initiated by Andrei Lipov, the head of the department on the Internet at the presidential administration.

Even under investigation, Soldatov kept working on several research projects, including AI.

Now, his accuser, Andrei Lipov, is the head of Roskomnadzor, the Russian Internet censorship agency, and Alexey Soldatov is in jail.

The Russian state, vindictive and increasingly violent by nature, decided to take his liberty, a perfect illustration of the way Russia treats the people who helped contribute to the modernization and globalization of the country.

His true crime in the eyes of this vicious regime? An independent mind, genuine integrity, and a son who lives in exile, while writing about the descent into dictatorship of their homeland.

I haven’t seen my father for four years, since I left Russia. I hope I still have the chance to see him once again.

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The Ministry of Defense provided details on the operation of the Military Police

^{Military personnel of the Military Police of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Photo credits: ArmyInform}

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine provided details about the work and tasks of the Military Police.

ArmyInform reported on this.

According to Ilya Kostin, Defense Ministry’s authorized representative for military police, the department will work similarly to the Military Law Enforcement Service, but with more advanced functions.

Their main functions will include maintaining military discipline, conducting operational and investigative activities, and investigating war crimes.

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^{Military personnel of the Military Police of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Photo credits: ArmyInform}

Additionally, the Military Police will protect the rights of servicemen and execute sentences.

“That is, the functions of the Military Police will include operational and investigative activities, and limited investigative activities. Only in relation to war crimes,” Kostin noted.

He also added that Ukraine is the only country in the world that is engaged in such large-scale hostilities and does not have a military unit with law enforcement functions.

Therefore, the issue of creating a military police is currently very relevant for Ukraine in wartime.

^{Illustration photo of servicemen of the Ukrainian Military Police. Photo from open sources}

On June 19, 2024, MPs adopted as a basis the draft Law of Ukraine “On the Military Police” (Reg. No. 6569-d), which was finalized by the Law Enforcement Committee, defining the legal framework for organizing the activities of the Military Police, its general structure, tasks, and powers.

It also stipulated that the Military Police would be a military formation with law enforcement functions, part of the security and defense sector, and its main task would be to ensure law and order and military discipline in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the State Special Transport Service.

The newly created formation is to become the successor to the Military Law Enforcement Service, with jurisdiction over the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the State Transport Special Service.

The structure will ensure law and order and military discipline among military personnel, persons liable for military service and reservists, as well as their protection of life, health, rights and legitimate interests. The protection of rights should be carried out in accordance with NATO standard AJP-3.21.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 23:43 schreef TwenteFC het volgende:
Polish Foreign Ministry suggests Hungary leave EU, NATO after Orban's controversial statements
https://kyivindependent.c(...)oversial-statements/

Eindelijk zeggen we het hardop. Tijd om afscheid te nemen en als het niet goedschiks gaat.. want Hongarije gaat nooit vrijwillig stoppen met parasiteren van de EU.

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Drone attacks oil refinery in the Nizhny Novgorod region

^{A drone during an attack on an oil refinery in Kstovo. Photo credits: Telegram channel "Kstovo"}

A drone attacked an oil refinery in the city of Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia.

This was reported by the Kstovo Telegram channel.

The video captures an attack drone starting to dive to hit an object on the territory of the refinery.

The video also captures the moment of the explosion, after which smoke began to rise into the sky.

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Момент атаки безпілотником нафтопереробного заводу у мі�ті К�тово.

A video from a local resident of Svoboda village, Vadsky district, who recorded an attack drone flying over his house at around 6 am, was also published.

According to him, it was flying towards the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery in Kstovo.

It should be noted that the refinery is the largest production site in the city.

In addition, the city also has a petrochemical plant that specializes in the production of ethylene, propylene, and benzene.

Момент прольоту ударного безпілотника над �елищем Свобода, Вад�ького району.

Previously, the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery in Kstovo was already attacked by attack drones on March 12, 2024.

At the time, it was reported that an attack drone had hit the oil refinery directly. As a result of the strike, a large-scale fire broke out on the territory of the enterprise.

Lukoil, the company that owns this Russian refinery, reported that the operation of the processing unit at the enterprise was suspended “due to an incident”. However, the company did not specify what kind of incident it was referring to.

He also added that the strike caused a fire at one of the oil distillation units. Emergency services are working at the site, and a fire train has been deployed to extinguish the fire at the enterprise.

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Putin threatens to restart production of medium-range nuclear weapons
If, as planned, the US deploys long-range missiles in Germany from 2026, Russia could resume production of medium-range nuclear weapons and station them in countries within striking distance of the West, Vladimir Putin warned on Sunday, in remarks reported by TASS.

Speaking at a parade to mark Russia’s Navy Day in St. Petersburg, Putin warned of a return to Cold War-style missile crises, and said that Russia would respond to the placement of US weapons in Germany with “mirror measures”.

“If the United States implements such plans, we will consider ourselves free from the previous unilateral moratorium on the deployment of medium- and short-range strike weapons”, Putin said.

The short- and medium-range nuclear weapons in question were banned in 1987 under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty signed by US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in a symbolic move that significantly reduced both countries’ nuclear arsenals.

The US withdrew from the treaty in 2019, accusing Russia of violating it by developing a new type of cruise missile, which Moscow denied.

Putin’s comments came following the US announcement earlier in July that it would begin “episodic deployments” of SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles and “developmental hypersonic weapons” in Germany in 2026 as part of its “commitment to NATO and its contributions to European integrated deterrence”.

That announcement drew the immediate ire of the Kremlin, with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov accusing the West of “going the way of escalation” and “searching for far-fetched pretexts to accuse [Russia] of allegedly infringing on its security”.

Putin aide Nikolay Patrushev stressed that Russia had merely been responding to US plans, while former president and deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, told TASS that Russia’s objective was preventing the “maniacs in Washington from causing a global catastrophe”.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 21:03 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
[ x ]

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 22:48 schreef bianconeri het volgende:

[..]
Wat is daar gek aan dan?

Migratie is normaal geen probleem en gevaar.
Wel als je Russen gaat binnenlaten, dus logisch.

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Ukraine destroys Russian Su-30SM fighter, potentially damages another in strike on Saky airfield in Crimea - media

The Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed a Russian Su-30SM fighter jet during a recent attack on the Saky military air base in temporarily occupied Crimea on July 26

Defense Express reported the information on Sunday, July 28, citing satellite imagery released by Ukrainian OSINT specialists from the CyberBoroshno community.

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"The strike destroyed one Su-30SM, and another aircraft may have been damaged by wreckage," Defense Express reported.

As of July 23, researchers noted that the Saky airfield hosted nine Su-24 aircraft, five Su-30SM multipurpose aircraft, three Su-30SM2s (one of which was not operational), and one additional Su-30.

• The Atesh guerrilla movement claims that its agents and local Crimean residents assisted the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the attack on July 26. This attack targeted the Saky airfield, where Russia's 43rd Separate Naval Assault Aviation Regiment, equipped with Su-24M and Su-30SM aircraft, has been based since 2014.

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Partisans and Crimean citizens help Defense Forces to attack Saky airfield
The ATESH partisans, together with Crimeans, helped the Ukrainian Defense Forces strike the "Saky" military airfield in Crimea, according to the ATESH partisan movement.

"Our data helped in planning and executing the strike, which resulted in the destruction of an ammunition depot, a radar station, a launcher, an air defense system, and Russian Armed Forces personnel," the statement reads.

ATESH noted that this success would not have been possible without the help of Crimeans. Their information plays a key role in the destruction of the Russian forces.

Strike on Saky airfield
As previously reported, on July 26, as a result of an air attack in temporarily occupied Crimea, the Saky military airfield in Novofedorivka caught fire. Explosions of ammunition were heard.

Later, it was revealed that the Defense Forces struck the Saky airfield. Russia uses this airfield to control airspace, the Black Sea area and to launch air strikes on Ukrainian territory.

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Op zondag 28 juli 2024 23:07 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://cepa.org/article/(...)of-russias-internet/
[..]

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[..]

Wat meer achtergrond informatie over de grondlegger van Russisch internet, die onlangs veroordeeld is tot 2 jaar straf in een werkkamp, mede geschreven door zijn zoon.

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Mali rebels offer to hand over captured Wagnerites to Ukraine
The Tuareg rebels (CSP-PSD) in the north of the African country of Mali, who defeated a large group of Wagnerites and captured a significant number of militants, offered to hand them over to the Ukrainian side.
According to Ukrinform, this is stated in a post by a representative of the CSP-PSD on the social network X.

"We, the armed forces of the CSP-DPA, want to express our solidarity with your fight against Russian criminals. We have captured a significant number of Wagner mercenaries and would like to hand over these prisoners to you as a sign of support and solidarity. This gesture is aimed at helping you in your struggle for justice and freedom," the statement said.

The group hopes that this step will help strengthen "our ties and our common victory".

Earlier today it became known that rebels of an association of armed groups in the north of Mali, inhabited mainly by Tuareg, announced the killing of dozens of soldiers of the Malian Armed Forces and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner PMC in a clash near the border with Algeria.

As reported, after a military coup in May 2021, Mali has been ruled by a military junta that maintains close ties with Russia and uses the services of mercenaries from the Wagner PMC controlled by the Russian special services.

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Coordinates: ( 49.5039201, 38.1440454 )

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According to RT, Ukrainians are training local formations that are fighting against government forces and the Wagner Group. Ukrainian military instructors could have been directly involved in yesterday's ambush of a convoy by Malian government forces and the Wagner Group.

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Nine prisoners recruited by the Ministry of Defense escaped from a training ground in the Belgorod region

Nine prisoners who had signed contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry escaped from a training ground in the Korocha District of the Belgorod Region, the local Telegram channel Pepel reports , citing descriptions received by the Shebekino police departments.

Two of the escapees, Denis Mustyakov and Aleksey Gryazyutin, were serving time for murder (Article 105 of the Criminal Code); three, Roman Ser, Aleksandr Ivanov, and Aleksandr Kasatkin, were serving time for causing grievous bodily harm (Article 111 of the Criminal Code); and another, Nikolay Bagrov, was serving time for illegal deprivation of liberty (Article 127 of the Criminal Code). The others, Eduard Arutyunyan, Igor Bolonin, and Pavel Migunov, were serving time for theft, fraud, and drug use, respectively.

Six escaped from the training ground on July 26, and three more the following day. A reward of 100,000 rubles has been offered for information leading to their whereabouts and arrest. The police believe that the prisoners are hiding in Belgorod or Shebekino.

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Representatives of the Ministry of Defense began traveling around the colonies in search of those willing to go to war with Ukraine in exchange for a presidential pardon since the spring of 2023. Before that, the Wagner PMC had been conducting similar activities. Almost 50 thousand people ended up at the front under this scheme, said the group's founder Yevgeny Prigozhin. Of these, 32 thousand returned home, he claimed in mid-June 2023.

Recently, prisoners who agreed to fight have stopped receiving pardons from Vladimir Putin - instead, they are given "conditional release" and have their contracts with the Ministry of Defense automatically extended, which prevents them from leaving the combat zone until the end of the war.

The prisoners themselves warn potential travelers to Ukraine that it will most likely be a one-way ticket. "If you sign a contract now, be prepared to die, old man. We used to get by somehow. You can slink through six months. But no amount of luck will last until the end of the war," wrote a member of the "Storm" unit in a specialized chat, whose fighters are sent mainly to "meat assaults" on difficult sections of the front.

According to calculations by the Gulagu.net project, based on internal data from the Federal Penitentiary Service, by the end of 2023, more than 100,000 prisoners had been sent from the colonies to the front . A similar figure — 120,000 people — was cited by Olga Romanova, director of the “Sided Russia” movement.

By July 26, 2024, the BBC Russian Service and Mediazona had identified the names of more than 61,000 Russian soldiers who had died in the war in Ukraine since February 2022. Of these, more than 12.2 thousand (20%) were former prisoners.

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Russia reports massive drone attack overnight and air defense operations in 5 regions
In Voronezh region, Russia, a fire broke out in the Ostrogozhsky district as a result of a drone attack and air defense operations. This region became the fifth area on the night of July 29 where efforts were made to repel drone raids, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense and Voronezh region Governor Alexander Gusev.

According to the morning statement from Russian Ministry of Defense, air defense systems reportedly intercepted and destroyed 39 drones, specifically:

• 19 UAVs in the Kursk region;
• 9 drones in the Belgorod region;
• 5 drones in the Bryansk region;
• 3 UAVs in Voronezh region;
• 3 drones in the Leningrad region.

The ministry traditionally blames Ukraine for the nighttime drone attacks on targets within Russia.

Regarding the outcomes of the air defense operations and the repelling of this aerial assault in the regions, the Russian agency provided no details.

Instead, the Governor of the Voronezh region reported in the morning that a drone was allegedly detected and suppressed by air defense and electronic warfare (EW) systems in the Ostrogozhsky district.

"During its descent, a communal infrastructure facility in the village of Gazoprovod was damaged," said the Russian official, adding that emergency services were dispatched to the scene.

Drone attack in Russia on July 29
Earlier reports indicated that explosions occurred in the Belgorod region last night due to a drone attack, which resulted in damage to a substation in the village of Tomarovka, where a fire broke out.

Additionally, authorities in the Kursk region claimed that 13 aircraft-type UAVs were supposedly shot down by air defense systems. However, online sources reported explosions and drone impacts across several districts in the region, including damage to a substation.

In the Oryol region, a fire at an electrical substation was confirmed by the local governor as a result of a drone strike.

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Power plant damaged in drone attack on Russia's Oryol Oblast – video
According to local authorities, no one was allegedly injured as a result of the attack

Overnight, kamikaze drones attacked Oryol Oblast of Russia, as a result of which a power plant was damaged, regional governor Andrey Klychkov reported.

In the early hours of Monday, videos of drones and the sounds of explosions appeared in local media. Around 1:00 a.m., Klychkov wrote that two drones were allegedly shot down in the sky over the Glazunovsky district.

The official noted that there were allegedly no injured, but a local power plant was damaged.

"The operative services are dealing with the elimination of the consequences of the air attack, law enforcement officers are working at the scene," he concluded.

Орлов�ька обла�ть 29 липн�

Орлов�ька обла�ть

Overnight on July 27 in Russia's Kursk Oblast, after a drone attack, a fire broke out at the Polevaya oil depot.

Subsequently, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that it was engaged by the forces and means of the SBU security service in interaction with other components of the Defense Forces.

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Air defense forces shot down one enemy missile, nine Shahed UAVs overnight
On the night of July 29, 2024, the enemy attacked Ukraine with a Kh-59/Kh-69 guided missile launched from the airspace of occupied Donetsk region and 10 Shahed-type strike UAVs from Cape Chauda, Crimea.
Ukrainian Air Force Commander, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk said this in a post on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

One Kh-59/Kh-69 guided missile and nine Shahed-131/136 UAVs were intercepted and shot down in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson and Kirovohrad regions.

Anti-aircraft missile and EW units of the Air Force and mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces were involved in repelling the air attack.

As reported, on the night of July 29, an air raid alert was announced in some regions of Ukraine due to the threat of the enemy launching attack UAVs on the country.

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 01:07 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
[ x ]
[ x ]
[ x ]
[ x ]

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 09:01 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Ik vind dit wel heel sterk er is toch een waterleidingnet in de buurt?

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 09:38 schreef zuchtje het volgende:

[..]
De vliegvelden waar ze gestationeerd zijn zullen niet bij de grote steden gesitueerd zijn. En dan is er geen waterleidingnet in de buurt. Er wordt niet veel geïnvesteerd in de publieke zaak in het achterland, en de keuterboeren moeten blij zijn dat ze elektriciteit hebben.

In 2019 had 20% van de huishoudens nog geen riolering. Ik denk niet dat ze tegenwoordig hier nog veel in investeren, dus het zal er niet beter op geworden zijn.

https://www.themoscowtime(...)s-reports-say-a65049

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 09:44 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Dat kan kloppen maar de militaire basissen kregen vaak wel prioriteit.

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 06:03 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
...knip....

29 Jul: Inevitable Finally Happened! RUSSIAN BRIDGEHEAD COLLAPSED In Vovchansk | War in Ukraine

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 11:09 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
Dit roept hij al een hele maand.
Ik zou maar even afwachten zolang dit gebied niet terug in Oekraïense handen is.

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 11:20 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Staat Rusland op zijn laatste benen?

Deze woorden zijn niet afkomstig van de minste persoon.

[ x ]

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 11:20 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Staat Rusland op zijn laatste benen?

Deze woorden zijn niet afkomstig van de minste persoon.

[ x ]

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Only six Ukrainian pilots have reportedly been trained by European Nato members to fly F-16 fighter jets due to be delivered to Kyiv next month.

Ukraine has been urging its allies for months to send them the jets, claiming they would help defend against long-range strikes and bring about a swift end to the war.

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 11:20 schreef polderturk het volgende:
Staat Rusland op zijn laatste benen?

Deze woorden zijn niet afkomstig van de minste persoon.

[ x ]

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 15:18 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:
https://www.telegraaf.nl/(...)overing-dorp-vovtsje

En weer een dorp. Dorp zegt mij niks maar dit is wel de zoveelste in korte tijd.

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Uit dit Telegraafstuk.

Rusland meldt verdere opmars in Oekraïne: verovering dorp Vovtsje

Rusland heeft melding gemaakt van een nieuw militair succes in Oekraïne. Het ministerie van Defensie claimt de verovering van het dorp Vovtsje in de oostelijke regio Donetsk.

Vovtsje ligt op zo'n 16 kilometer van Avdiivka, een voormalig Oekraïens bolwerk dat eerder dit jaar in Russische handen viel. De Oekraïense autoriteiten hadden inwoners van Vovtsje vorige maand al opgeroepen te vertrekken. Er bleef slechts een handjevol burgers achter in het dorp, dat voor de oorlog een honderdtal inwoners had.

Rusland zegt de afgelopen tijd een reeks dorpen te hebben veroverd. Die bestaan soms uit slechts een paar straten en gebouwen. De Oekraïense strijdkrachten lieten maandag weten dat in het oosten vooral zwaar wordt gevochten in de buurt van Pokrovsk. Die stad ligt op een weg die wordt gebruikt om andere strategisch belangrijke plaatsen te bevoorraden, zoals Tsjasiv Jar.

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 15:55 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Want als rus het zegt, nou, dan moet het wel zo zijn, natuurlijk.

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 16:59 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:
alles wat Rusland zegt is natuurlijk onzin hé

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 17:08 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Eh, ja.

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 15:18 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:
https://www.telegraaf.nl/(...)overing-dorp-vovtsje

En weer een dorp. Dorp zegt mij niks maar dit is wel de zoveelste in korte tijd.

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 14:58 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
https://www.telegraph.co.(...)to-fly-new-f-16-jet/

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 22:07 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Niemand weet hoeveel piloten er nu precies getraind gaan worden. Dat artikel spreekt van 6 piloten in Europa + 2 reserve plekken (dus mogelijk 8). (linkt door naar een artikel van augustus 2023 als bron)

In Amerika worden er op dit ogenblik een maximum van 12 piloten opgeleid en die zullen het einde van het jaar klaar zijn. Maar ik zie ook dat er eerder dit jaar daar al een aantal hun opleiding afgemaakt hebben en in Europe verder gaan met een vervolgopleiding.

20 piloten voor het einde van het jaar is wat al vaker langs is gekomen. Wat dat betreft liggen wij dus op schema.

Een Roemeens bericht spreekt over het opleiding van 50 Oekraïense piloten. Of dit een totaal is over de aankomende jaren zou ik je niet kunnen zeggen, maar het lijkt mij wel.

En afgelopen week kwam er al langs dat er 8 Roemeense F-16 piloten hun opleiding afgemaakt hebben in Roemenië. Het is sowieso al raar dat deze piloten daar getraind werden in plaats van Oekraïense piloten.

Net zoals met de levering van de F-16 zelf zijn er al veel verschillende berichten geweest. Waarbij het aantal en wanneer deze geleverd worden steeds weer veranderen.

Ik denk dat zij express onduidelijkheid aan het scheppen zijn. Om Rusland in het ongewisse te laten. In het slechte geval gaat het dus om 6 piloten en 4 Deense F-16s deze zomer en een totaal van 18-20 piloten en 12-18 F-16s voor het einde van het jaar.

Wat inderdaad veel te weinig is. Maar ik wacht af tot de eerste F-16s daar daadwerkelijk rondvliegen en er dus meer bekend zal zijn.

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 09:01 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Ik vind dit wel heel sterk er is toch een waterleidingnet in de buurt?

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Fighterbomber
Oh, fuck, what a morning.

In one of the letters dedicated to the problematic issues with the food of the fighting units, there was a request to help with the food of one of the units based in Crimea.

The guys have been fighting from jump points for several months and for several months the food situation is bad.
You could say there is none.

If everything was resolved with dry rations every other time, then with water everything turned out to be difficult.

It turns out that pilots are not supposed to have water.
None.
After the intervention of the negligence, the issue with rations was essentially resolved within 24 hours, and the water issue was partially resolved. A water standard was introduced.

One
Liter
of Water
Per Day
Per Person.

In their free time from combat sorties, pilots are forced to drive around the surrounding villages in search of water.
I think this is wrong.

Therefore, I ask you to write to me in a private message about the MANUFACTURING COMPANIES that can help pilots with bottled water.
Write @fbsha
We will not be able to take water from citizens. It is not safe.
If it doesn't work out with the companies, then we'll announce a collection and buy water ourselves. We'll

solve the issue with delivery to the points.

We only need to deliver water to the nearest military airfield. Preliminary, this is Voronezh, Rostov, and any military airfield in Crimea. Wherever is more convenient for you.
Water in one-and-a-half-liter bottles is more convenient, but we'll take any.

All other problematic issues regarding food have been transferred and are being solved. If we don't solve it, write.

And you say shelters...

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Op maandag 29 juli 2024 16:52 schreef Idisrom het volgende:

[..]
[..]
Het zijn wel allemaal kleine dorpjes in de buurt van Prohres. Die dorpen zijn te klein om als schuilpunt en als bufferpunt te dienen. De aanvoerlijnen vanuit Avdiivka worden nu wel steeds langer.
Nog zo ruim tien kilometer westelijker liggen de plaatsen Hrodivka en Novohodrivka. Als de Russen deze plaatsen kunnen innemen, en met name Novohrodivka, dan hebben ze wel weer grote hubs waar ze kunnen schuilen op industrieterreinen en bij hoogbouw.

Edit: die 16 km van De Telegraaf lijkt mij een fout. Volgens mij en Google Maps is het hemelsbreed al minimaal 26 kilometer.

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Ukraine's reserve fund for urgent reconstruction and fortifications nearly empty
Only half a billion hryvnias remain in the Reserve Fund of the Ukrainian state budget, which was allocated UAH 56 billion (US$1.37 billion) for 2024 to cover urgent reconstruction and fortification needs.

Source: Roksolana Pidlasa, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament and Head of the Budget Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, in an Economy Chronicles podcast by Ekonomichna Pravda

As part of the budget increase by half a trillion hryvnias, with UAH 495 billion (US$12.1 billion) allocated to the military, the government also proposes to allocate UAH 4.5 billion (US$109.8 million) to replenish the Reserve Fund of the state budget. This fund covers urgent expenditures for reconstruction and restoration, as well as defence needs and fortification construction.

Quote: "During the budget approval, about UAH 42 billion (US$1.02 billion) was allocated to the Reserve Fund. Over the course of this year, the Cabinet of Ministers (the government) increased its size to UAH 56 billion. However, only UAH 592 million remains from this amount," said Pidlasa.

SPOILER

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Background:
• By the end of the year, the budget is short by half a trillion hryvnias for financing the defence sector. As a result, the Finance Ministry has developed a draft budget amendment for the corresponding amount.
• The budget is planned to be filled through four main sources: UAH 125 billion (US$3.05 billion) from increasing and introducing new taxes, UAH 126 billion (US$3.07 billion) from savings on servicing and repaying state debt, UAH 160 billion (US$3.90 billion) from the issuance of government domestic bonds, and UAH 89 billion (US$2.17 billion) from exceeding existing tax and fee collections.
• It is proposed to increase the military levy rate from 1.5% to 5% for individuals, introduce a military levy for legal entities at 1% of income, introduce a military levy for individual entrepreneurs of the first, second, and fourth groups at UAH 800 (US$19.51) per month, and introduce a military levy for individual entrepreneurs of the third group at 1% of income.
• This approach has faced criticism. Thirteen analytical centres suggested that the government should increase VAT instead of the military levy. The initial government proposal included raising the VAT rate from 20% to 22-23% and the military levy from 1.5% to 5%. Additionally, it was expected that the military levy would also apply to individual entrepreneurs.
• The Finance Ministry believes that they are proposing the most moderate option for financing additional military needs among all possibilities. The budget and tax legislation was expected to be passed in both readings in July, but on 23 July, the Ukrainian parliament announced a break in its work until August.

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Warships reported damaged or destroyed by Ukraine absent from Russia’s Navy Day parade
None of the Russian warships reported damaged or destroyed by Ukrainian forces over the past year took part in St. Petersburg’s Navy Day parade on Sunday, BBC News Russian reported, the closest to confirmation there is that the warships have indeed been put beyond use.

Indeed, only two boats from Russia’s beleaguered Black Sea Fleet — the corvette Merkury and the frigate Admiral Grigorovich — were shown in Russian state media’s coverage of the event on St. Petersburg’s Neva River, BBC News Russian said, with the Black Sea Fleet itself only being mentioned by commentators twice.

A voiceover during Russia’s coverage of the event said that ships from the country’s Black Sea Fleet were “on combat duty protecting Russia’s southern borders and carrying out tasks as part of the special military operation”, the official euphemism for the war in Ukraine used in Russia.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour, Ukraine has attacked over 20 Russian warships, destroying at least seven, including its flagship guided missile cruiser the Moskva, in April 2022.

By late 2023, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was coming under such frequent attack that the bulk of its vessels were relocated from annexed Crimea, where the fleet had been based for over 240 years, to the port city of Novorossiysk in southern Russia.

According to the Kremlin, a total of 25 vessels took part at this year’s Navy Day parade including representatives of “friendly” foreign navies including those of China, Algeria and India.

The 2021 parade, the last before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, saw over 50 ships and submarines on display, just three of which were not from Russia, BBC Russian said.

Speaking at the parade, Vladimir Putin warned that Russia could resume production of medium-range nuclear weapons and station them in countries within striking distance of the West should the US go ahead with plans to deploy long-range missiles in Germany from 2026.

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The drone found in Kyiv region turned out to be a new Russian Gerbera UAV

^{A Russian Gerbera drone. July, 2024. Frame from the video by the Gastello Design Bureau}

The drone discovered last week in the Kyiv region is a new Russian multifunctional drone called Gerbera.

This became known when comparing the available photos in the Ukrainian media and a video published by the Russian invaders, where they talk about a new model of their military drone.

This UAV, whose body is made of foam, has only recently been used by the Russians against Ukraine.

On Sunday, July 28, the Russian Stalin’s Falcons unit published a video showing the Gerbera drone developed by the Gastello Design Bureau. It is stated that this UAV could be used for electronic reconnaissance, as a kamikaze drone or as a decoy for air defense systems.

SPOILER

quote:

Ро�ій�ький безпілотник «Гербера» [липень 2024]

Given the previously published photos, a drone without a warhead was found in the Kyiv region on July 24, meaning that it was performing a reconnaissance or other function.

^{A Russian Gerbera drone found in the Kyiv region. July, 2024. Photo credits: Serhiy Flesh}

According to the video footage, the strike version of the Gerbera drone uses a camera, very similar to the one installed on FPV drones, for manual targeting by the operator.

^{Image from the camera of a Russian Gerbera drone. July, 2024. Frame from the video by the Gastello Design Bureau}

The accuracy of the targeting depends on the skill of the operator, because even in the propaganda video it can be seen that the drone did not hit the target, but exploded nearby.

The flight range of a drone with a warhead is likely to be relatively short, limited by the range of direct radio communication. However, another drone with a transponder can also be used to guide the Gerbera drone. The Russians use the Lancet loitering munition in the same way.

^{A Russian Gerbera drone. July, 2024. Frame from the video by the Gastello Design Bureau}

However, the downed/suppressed drone in Kyiv region had two 3/4G antennas and a modem with a SIM card inside, which in certain areas can provide a more stable communication channel for transmitting video to the operator’s control panel via the Ukrainian mobile network. Or the Russians used this equipment to have the drone transmit its location when it was shot down or suppressed by EW so that other drones would bypass the area.

It is also likely that the drone can fly along a predetermined route without operator intervention and without a repeater, as Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones, called Geran in Russia, do. The onboard numbers on the new drones also begin with the letter “И,” just like the Shahed drones. In addition, it is stated that these drones could form a swarm.

The exact range of the Russian Gerbera UAV and the weight of its payload are currently unknown. However, the fact that it reached the Kyiv region indicates that it can travel at least several hundred kilometers.

Безпілотник «Гербера» пі�л� падінн� [липень 2024]

Presumably, Gerbera drones are manufactured at a plant in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, located near the city of Yelabuga in Russian Tatarstan. The production of Shahed/Geran UAVs has also been established there.

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The Ukrainian paratroopers armed with rare Haenel MK 556 assault rifles

^{Haenel MK 556 assault rifles in service with the 82nd Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, July 2024. Photo credits: 82nd Air Assault Brigade}

The soldiers of the 82nd Air Assault Brigade received Haenel MK 556 rifles, known from a scandalous German defense contract.

Photos of the soldiers with the new weapons have been posted online.

SPOILER

quote:

The Haenel MK 556 assault rifles were donated by the German government as part of international military assistance. Initially, they were ordered by the German Armed Forces, but due to patent infringements, the contract was canceled and the rifles were removed to storage.

The MK556 (Maschinenkarabiner 556) was developed by a small German company Haenel on the basis of the common American AR-15 automatic rifle in the standard 5.56×45-mm caliber for NATO countries.

Unlike the original system, the German rifle was fitted with a more practical automatic system with a short gas piston stroke and a gas regulator.

The paratroopers received the rifle in a standard “German” configuration with an angled forend holder, a retractable multi-mode stock and a collimator sight.

^{Haenel MK 556 assault rifle}

According to the failed defense contract, Haenel was supposed to produce 120,000 rifles for the Bundeswehr at a total cost of ¤245 million. However, due to the refusal to continue cooperation, only 5,000 units were produced.

As of July 2024, 2,425 rifles have been handed over to the Ukrainian military with plans to transfer all batches produced for the German Armed Forces.

A significant number of MK 556s were also transferred to Ukrainian units of the Special Operations Forces and the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. In particular, rifles with original Haenel silencers were spotted in their possession.

^{Operator of the 73rd Naval Special Purpose Center with a Haenel MK 556 rifle, 2024. Photo credits: t.me/firstdivisionofficial}

Despite the significant number of units already delivered, the 82nd Brigade continues to use weapons in several calibers: Soviet 5.45mm and Western 5.56mm.

Last month, the Come Back Alive Foundation delivered a batch of Fort-600 40mm hand-held grenade launchers to the brigade.

^{Ukrainian paratroopers of the 82nd Brigade with the Fort-600 grenade launchers. June 2024, Ukraine. Photo credits: Come Back Alive Foundation}

The batch of 40 single-shot hand grenade launchers worth UAH 1,399,440 was manufactured by the Ukrainian State Scientific and Production Association “Fort”.

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Putin’s family values tsar ‘leaves Orthodox priest husband for billionaire’
Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, accused of hypocrisy over alleged affair with oligarch Konstantin Malofeev

^{Maria Lvova-Belova with oligarch Konstantin Malofeev who she has reportedly left her husband for}

Vladimir Putin’s “family values” tsar has reportedly left her Orthodox priest husband for a Russian billionaire.

Maria Lvova-Belova was filmed walking hand-in-hand with Konstantin Malofeev at a church procession in Yekaterinburg last week, sparking speculation that the two were romantically involved.

Neither she nor Mr Malofeev have commented on claims but sources close to the Orthodox Church said they were true.

SPOILER

quote:

Putin appointed Ms Lvova-Belova, 39, to the lofty position of Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights shortly before he invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The International Criminal Court has since issued a warrant for her arrest over the unlawful deportation of hundreds of Ukrainian children from areas occupied by Russia.

She has been married to Pavel Kogelman since 2003 and has five children with him and another five who are adopted. She has adopted 18 children in total, including a boy taken from the destroyed Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

News of her apparently leaving him has been widely reported with one Telegram channel, Brief, sarcastically asking its 570,000 subscribers, “Are we waiting for the wedding of the year?”

^{Ms Lvova-Belova has been married to Pavel Kogelman since 2003 and has five children of her own with him and another five who are adopted}

Others are less amused by the alleged scandal. One religious scholar suggested to the Verstka media group that it smacked of hypocrisy.

“I think this will all be settled, but the question is how? The elite has its own morals, its own rules, and the Church, in general, covers it up,” he told Verstka, which says five sources have since corroborated claims of the affair.

Ms Lvova-Belova has been one of Putin’s most vocal supporters of the war in Ukraine, pumping out videos of herself on social media that portray her as a model of modesty and family values.

Wearing long dresses and often posing with children, she also uses the clips to give pro-Kremlin messages and has regularly lectured children from Ukraine on the sanctity of marriage and its place in religion.

This week, she discussed school exams, welcomed a group of Ethiopian language students and gave parenting advice to single mothers. She also said it was important to remember the children killed in “Ukraine’s war of aggression” in its eastern Donbas region.

“It is impossible to forget the eyes of the wounded children and teenagers whom I visited in hospitals,” she said.

Her reported lover Mr Malofeev, is 50 and sports a thick bushy beard. He, too, is a strong supporter of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and holds strong religious views, earning him the nickname the “Orthodox oligarch”.

He bankrolls a media company called Tsargrad which broadcasts religious propaganda and advocates making Putin tsar for life. He reportedly divorced his wife last summer.

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The State Security Service reacted to the removal of the 80th brigade commander Ishkulov: they promise a higher position
The Command of the Airborne Assault Forces announced that the commander of the 80th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade of the Galician Air Force, Colonel Emil Ishkulov, will be appointed to a higher position, and the brigade will have a new commander.

Source: statement of the Airborne Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Details: The DSHV command stated that Ishkulov is a very experienced personnel combat officer who successfully performed extremely difficult combat tasks.

Literally: "Accordingly, taking into account the invaluable combat and commanding experience of this officer, by the decision of the military leadership, Colonel Ishkulov will be appointed to a higher position.

This will allow him to apply his knowledge, skills and leadership qualities, acquired during the planning and organization of combat operations, already on the scale of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

It should be noted that the newly appointed commander of the 80th separate Halych assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is a competent combat officer who is a People's Hero of Ukraine and a full knight of the orders of "Bohdan Khmelnytskyi" of all degrees, and for a long time successfully conducted combat operations as part of this legendary brigade.

Details: At the same time, interlocutors of the UP in the brigade call Ishkulov's promotion a "cover-up and fading of the resonance that arose around this story." Ishkulov is already submitting cases.

Prehistory:
Earlier on Monday, the 80th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force, which recently received information about the potential removal from the post of Brigadier Colonel Emil Ishkulov, opposed such a decision.

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Some 80% of Russian payments to China returned amid increasing Western pressure
Chinese banks are returning approximately 80% of bank transfers in yuan made by Russian customers buying goods in China, state-affiliated business daily Kommersant reported on Monday.

Bank transfers can be held up for weeks at a time before a decision is reached on whether to approve it or not. The transfer can subsequently be cancelled without an explanation, which can lead to losses for the Russian customer in terms of exchange rate and commission.

It can now take a Chinese supplier as long as six months to receive payment for goods sold and exported to Russia, which has forced Russians wanting to buy goods to go via intermediaries at extra cost.

Problems began in December when US President Joe Biden issued an executive order that allowed Washington to impose sanctions on financial institutions facilitating prohibited transactions, according to Clyde and Co., a global law firm specialising in trade.

The situation became even more complex after the US imposed sanctions on the Moscow Stock Exchange in early June, Kommersant said, with a source telling the outlet that Chinese businesses were demanding more and more paperwork in their dealings with Russian clients.

“Clients are having to resort to intermediaries — payment agents or trading houses,” Oleg Ushakov of Sagrada Legal, a Russian law firm specialising in financial matters, told the newspaper.

A Kommersant source said agents now handle about 30% of payments between Russia and China, despite the fact that using an intermediary entails extra costs and an average commission of 3–5%, which can sometimes rise to 10%.

Chinese banks have tacitly begun to divide yuan associated with Russia into “dirty” and “clean” yuan, state-affiliated business daily Vedomosti reported on Friday, confirming cases of banks refusing to accept any yuan originating from Russia at all.

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Death allegations
Some Russian Wagner-affiliated Telegram channels reported that Yelizarov was killed during the battle of Tinzaouaten in July 2024, however his death was not independently confirmed.[9] According to Russian war correspondent Boris Rozhin, known on Telegram as Colonelcassad, Yelizarov was captured and has already been exchanged. There is no reliable and confirmed information about Yelizarov's fate yet.

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Russia Infiltrates Ukrainian Military Communications
A Ukrainian military consultant said Russia has managed to infiltrate Ukrainian military communications posing as Ukrainian soldiers using a mobile app and cautioned troops to stay vigilant.

Serhii Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian military consultant specializing in communication and electronic warfare (EW) who posts under the pseudonym “Flash,” said Russian forces have been able to infiltrate communications that use Signal, an encrypted mobile communication app favored by the Ukrainian military.

Beskrestnov said a profile using photos of another service member as its avatar had been uncovered which, upon further investigation “pulled out a whole nest of Signal accounts run by agents of the Russian Federation.”

He said the imposters were able to lure Ukrainian personnel into the groups they created through which they were able to acquire sensitive information having set themselves up as group administrators.

“They got into dozens of profile groups and even into those where there is a document check.

“Moreover, they themselves created thematic groups and dragged people from other groups of the Armed Forces into them, then using the trust of the administrator status, they obtained the information they wanted,” Beskrestnov said in his July 27 Facebook announcement.

SPOILER

quote:

Signal, which is similar to WhatsApp or Telegram, is a communication application that utilizes multiple security features such as hiding the user’s metadata to ensure privacy and security, which led to its widespread adoption by Ukrainian troops who felt free to safely discuss operational details.

Beskrestnov provided suggestions on how to mitigate the risks of imposters from Russia, such as only communicating with people known in real life and assuming any unknown person is a Russian agent until they prove otherwise.

He also cautioned not to rely on documents as they can be photoshopped, as can photos of men in uniform, mention of unit identities, as well as knowledge of the Ukrainian language and common military terminology.

He added that Russian troops and agents have easy access to Ukrainian SIM cards.

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Biden Administration Announces Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine
Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs. This includes the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package valued at up to $200 million to provide Ukraine with key capabilities, including: air defense interceptors; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; and anti-tank weapons.

In addition, DoD is announcing a significant package of support using approximately $1.5 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds. This package includes capabilities to augment Ukraine's air defenses, fires, and anti-tank weapons, as well as funding to sustain equipment previously committed by the United States.

The capabilities in this announcement include:
• Munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS);
• Short- and medium-range air defense munitions;
• RIM-7 missiles for air defense;
• Electronic Warfare equipment;
• Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
• 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;
• 120mm mortar rounds;
• Precision aerial munitions;
• Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;
• Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
• Small arms;
• Explosives material and demolitions equipment and munitions;
• Secure communications systems;
• Commercial satellite imagery services; and
• Spare parts, maintenance and sustainment support, and other ancillary equipment.

This is the Biden Administration's twentieth USAI package and sixty-second tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine and since August 2021.

The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners to ensure Ukraine's brave defenders receive the critical capabilities needed to fight Russian aggression.

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A junior sergeant destroyed 40 units of armored vehicles

A junior sergeant with the call sign “Gagauz” destroyed 40 units of armored vehicles of the Russian occupation forces, of which 14 were tanks.

The serviceman is from the 79th separate air assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

In one battle, his crew destroyed five armored vehicles of the Russian occupiers, stopping the advance of the column.

“Gagauz” became an anti-tank fighter more than a year ago. He completed a special training course and now uses the acquired skills very successfully.

“After the tank was defeated, I gained excitement and self-confidence. And the desire to smoke more,” says the defender.

Anti-tank crews always work in pairs: one finds the target, the other prepares the missiles for battle.

But even in conditions of mortal risk, anti-tank crews carry out their work to the end.

Video. The best anti-tanker of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: a fighter with the call sign “Gagauz” burned 40 units of Russian equipment!

quote:

Germany Sends Ukraine Additional Tanks, Radar and Ammunition for Gepard

^{Danish instructors train Ukrainian tank crews in Germany. Photo credits: Nora Stone}

On Monday, July 29, Germany announced a new military aid package for the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

As part of this assistance, Germany, in coordination with Denmark, will transfer eight additional Leopard 1A5 tanks. This brings the total number of Leopard 1A5 tanks provided to Ukraine to 58, up from the previous count of 50.

In addition, the Ukrainian military has received a new shipment of 21,000 rounds of ammunition for Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns.

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun of the Ukrainian military. October 2022, Ukraine. Photo credits: Bild}

Among the armored vehicles, two additional Bergepanzer 2 armored repair and recovery vehicles with spare parts are being sent.

In addition, Germany has provided Ukraine with 10 surface drones, 10 ground surveillance radars, and nearly 25,000 helmets.

^{Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicle of the German military. Photo credits: toysforboys4.eu}

The aid includes one field hospital. Germany has previously provided a field hospital to the Ukrainian military.

Back in February, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands announced that they would provide Ukraine with Leopard 1 tanks to help.

In total, the Ukrainian Defense Forces were to receive more than 100 refurbished Leopard 1 tanks in the A5 version.

Then, in September, Denmark decided to provide Ukraine with 45 more tanks as part of its defense assistance.

^{Leopard 1A5 tanks in the Armed Forces. September 2023. Photo credits: ArmiyaInform}

This number includes 30 Leopard 1 tanks and 15 modernized Soviet T-72 tanks.

Ukrainian crews are trained in Germany by Danish instructors in cooperation with German specialists. The training course is shortened compared to the standard one.

quote:

Op maandag 29 juli 2024 15:18 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:
https://www.telegraaf.nl/(...)overing-dorp-vovtsje

En weer een dorp. Dorp zegt mij niks maar dit is wel de zoveelste in korte tijd.

quote:

Op maandag 29 juli 2024 15:55 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Want als rus het zegt, nou, dan moet het wel zo zijn, natuurlijk.

SPOILER

quote:

Kyiv says 'no significant changes' at Robotyne after ISW said Russia captured village
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on July 28 that according to geolocated footage, Russia has likely "seized all of Robotyne" in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The Tavria group of forces spokesperson, Dmytro Lykhovii, disputed this claim in a comment for the Kyiv Independent on July 29, saying that the situation in the sector was "without any major changes."

The village of Robotyne, which lies some 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of Orikhiv and 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) southeast of Zaporizhzhia, was liberated by Ukraine during its counteroffensive in the summer of 2023 and has been on the front line since.

Russia said it had captured the settlement already back in May, a claim that Ukraine had denied at the time.

The ISW referred to geolocated footage shared on both Ukrainian and pro-Kremlin Telegram channels on July 27 showing Russian ground troops north of the village.

"Elements of the Russian 42nd Motorized Rifle Division... are reportedly operating near Robotyne," the U.S.-based think tank said in its report.

While denying any significant changes in the area, Lykhovii did not disclose additional details on the situation in Robotyne.

In its morning report on July 29, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said Russian forces continue in their attempts to dislodge Ukrainian troops from positions in the Orikhiv and Huliaipole directions in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The General Staff's report named battles near Mala Tokmachka, Huliaipole, Novodanylivka, and Novoandriivka but did not mention any engagements near Robotyne.

If confirmed, the loss of Robotyne would mean the loss of another settlement liberated during Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive. Earlier in July, the Ukrainian army confirmed the withdrawal from the village of Urozhaine in Donetsk Oblast, which was liberated in August 2023.

quote:

Op dinsdag 30 juli 2024 02:58 schreef BlaZ het volgende:

[..]
Het gaat om dit dorp:

https://deepstatemap.live/en#16/48.2365721/37.4875188

quote:

Op dinsdag 30 juli 2024 10:20 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Nou ja, dan kun je tenminste wel uit een plas drinken, daar ook piloten veelste weinig water kregen.

[ x ]

quote:

Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 17:23 schreef LethalNinja het volgende:
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/07/27/7467651/

Russisische vorderingen langs hele grens volgens deze ua bron.

quote:

Op zaterdag 27 juli 2024 22:28 schreef TwenteFC het volgende:

[..]
Noem eens 2 of 3 vorderingen die jij uit dat artikel haalt.

quote:

Op dinsdag 30 juli 2024 14:35 schreef Digi2 het volgende:

RUSSIAN Economy Crumbling - 8 European Finance Ministers Say Russia is Damaged & Being Re-Sovietized

quote:

Op dinsdag 30 juli 2024 16:18 schreef TheoddDutchGuy het volgende:
...
Als je goed kijkt zie je dat verreweg de meeste troepen huurlingen zijn inmiddels en ze het uit India en blijkbaar Noord-Korea en zelfs wat ex PLA uit China qua soldaten moeten halen.
...

quote:

Op dinsdag 30 juli 2024 17:06 schreef Hyperdude het volgende:

[..]
Ik hoef geen gore plaatjes/filmpjes, maar zijn er al Indiase en/of andere exotische lijken gevonden aan de frontlinie? Of werken ze wat meer op de achtergrond?

quote:

Op dinsdag 30 juli 2024 14:37 schreef TwenteFC het volgende:

[..]
[..]
Gaan we hier gewoon verder aangezien je hier ook onzin loopt te verkondigingen en stemming loopt te maken om vervolgens nergens inhoudelijk op in te gaan. Of is je engels niet zo goed?

quote:

Op dinsdag 30 juli 2024 16:11 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:
[ x ]

De bemanning zal het wel overleefd hebben.

quote:

Op dinsdag 30 juli 2024 11:46 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Er is nu dus een grote kans dat Zuid-Korea ook meuk gaat leveren.

[ x ]

Semi-relevant; er komt vaak gepiep langs: "JA, CHINA LEVERT ECH WEL WAPENS!!1!1!!1!EINZ"

Nee, want dat loopt gewoon meteen in de gaten. Net als dat dit ook heel snel gespot wordt.

quote:

Russia reports explosions in Kursk, several missiles allegedly downed – video
Locals reported the sounds of explosions

Russian citizens complain about overnight explosions in Kursk. Local authorities said that several missiles were allegedly shot down over the region, according to acting governor Aleksey Smirnov.

Overnight, in the sky over Kursk, Russian air defense allegedly shot down four missiles. They were allegedly launched by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In the morning, Smirnov wrote that as a result of an attack on an oil depot in Kursk Oblast, a fire broke out, which was extinguished by emergency personnel.

Locals reported the sounds of explosions.

Кур�ьк

Кур�ьк

LIGA.net asked the Ukrainian special services to comment on these statements.

quote:

Drones strike oil depot in Russia's Kursk Oblast, governor says
Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot in Russia's Kursk Oblast overnight on July 28-29, causing at least three fuel tanks to catch fire, Governor Alexei Smirnov said.

Almost 150 first responders were involved in putting out the blaze, which Smirnov claimed was extinguished as of 5:50 a.m. local time on July 30. According to the governor, no one was injured in the attack and resulting fire.

Earlier in the morning of July 30, Smirnov claimed that air defenses in the oblast had intercepted four Ukrainian missiles.

The previous day, Ukraine's General Staff said that its forces had struck at least four power substations in Kursk Oblast.

The attacks were carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine's (SBU) Special Operations Center, along with other components of the Defense Forces, according to the statement.

Russia's Defense Ministry corroborated that there had been an attack in Kursk Oblast, and claimed that 19 drones had been shot down in the region.

On July 28, the SBU, in cooperation with the Ukrainian military, hit the Polyova oil depot in Kursk Oblast, the General Staff confirmed.

Kursk Oblast lies on the border with Ukraine's Sumy Oblast. In recent months, Ukrainian forces have been regularly attacking military facilities and infrastructure in Russian regions bordering Ukraine.

quote:

Russian authorities starve migrants and beat them to sign military contracts – ISW

^{Migrants in Russia. Photo: TASS, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet}

Russian authorities are illegally detaining migrants without food and water and using physical violence against them to force them to sign military contracts.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: The Russian opposition news outlet Okno (Window) has highlighted concerns raised by lawyers and human rights activists, who report that nearly all detained migrants are being pressured into signing military contracts. Russian authorities are reportedly using threats of stripping naturalised citizens of their Russian citizenship and offering citizenship to migrants as incentives for military enlistment.

Okno noted that the frequency of raids targeting migrants has escalated since the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in March 2024.

SPOILER

quote:

On 29 July, Vyacheslav Volodin, the Chairperson of the State Duma, proposed that Duma members draft legislation mandating military service registration for new Russian citizens upon obtaining their passports. The Duma is also considering amendments to double the mandatory military service period for new citizens from one year to two and to increase the draft age, though the specific new age has not been disclosed.

To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 29 July:
• The US Department of Defense (DoD) announced on 29 July the provision of security assistance to Ukraine worth US$200 million from the authorisation of a Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package and an additional package worth US$1.5 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds.
• The Kremlin is intensifying its efforts to codify desired behavioural norms within Russia by cracking down against undesirable behaviour in the Russian information space and within migrant communities.
• The Kremlin is likely attempting to establish prominent standards of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour among populations within Russia whose behaviour has recently threatened the Kremlin.
• Much of the Russian information space response to the recent Tuareg insurgent ambush of a Wagner Group in northern Mali coalesced around the suggestion that the Russian MoD will seek to benefit from Wagner losses, highlighting the continued distrust between the Russian MoD and both the Wagner Group in the Sahel and pro-Wagner commentators.
• Ukrainian drones struck Russian energy and utility infrastructure in Oryol, Voronezh, and Belgorod oblasts on the night of 28-29 July.
• Russian forces recently made confirmed advances northeast of Kharkiv City, in Vovchansk, near Avdiivka, and southwest of Donetsk City.
• The Russian government continues to take legislative steps to use migrants and newly naturalised citizens to fulfil Russian military personnel needs.

quote:

Russia considers extending military service for new citizens by a year
The speaker of Russia’s State Duma has proposed the introduction of legislation that would extend the duration of military service required of newly naturalised Russian citizens from one to two years, according to a statement issued by Russia’s lower house of parliament on Monday.

Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin indicated that an amendment to the existing law on military service would be considered by the Duma before the end of its current session on 5 August, and charged four senior deputies from the ruling party United Russia with introducing the legislation.

The deputies are also planning to tighten the rules on registering newly naturalised Russian citizens for military service, making it a precondition for being granted a passport.

Meanwhile, deputies introduced an amendment on Monday that, if adopted, would oblige anybody in Russia with over 10,000 subscribers on social media to inform Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor. Failure to do so would prohibit them from accepting donations or posting ads, Duma Deputy Alexander Khinshtein said on Telegram.

The amendment would apply to all types of social media profile on any platform, including Telegram and YouTube, Khinshtein said, adding that the amendment had been introduced to the second reading of a bill designed to tighten the conditions around the sale of SIM cards, which was all part of what he called “the fight against the spread of false information”.

quote:

Lukashenko pardons German man facing death sentence in Belarus
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned German citizen Rico Krieger, who was sentenced to death in the country last month, Telegram channel Pul Pervogo reported on Tuesday, citing the presidential press service.

According to Belarusian prosecutors, Krieger, a former Red Cross employee, was instructed by the Security Service of Ukraine to carry out reconnaissance and take photographs of Belarusian military installations in October.

Krieger was also found guilty of planting explosives along a railway line and causing an explosion on 5 October. In a video posted by Belarusian state television on Friday, Krieger admitted that he planted the explosives before making a tearful appeal to Lukashenko, and begging for forgiveness for what he said had been the greatest mistake of his life.

Although no date had been set for Krieger’s execution, having exhausted all avenues of appeal, it could have been carried out at any moment.

In footage taken earlier on Tuesday, Lukashenko was seen discussing the case with a group of advisors and seeking their advice over what he described as one of the toughest decisions he had faced as a head of state, while also reminding them that the final word on the issue would be his.

quote:

Slovakia Issues Ultimatum to Ukraine Over Russian Oil Transit
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened Ukraine with consequences if the transit of Russian oil from Lukoil is not restored.

“If the transit of Russian oil through Ukraine is not restored soon, Slovnaft will cease supplying diesel fuel to Ukraine, which accounts for a tenth of Ukrainian consumption,” he said in a video address on Monday, July 29. “If the EU wants to reduce its total dependence on the USA, will need to consider forms of cooperation with the Russian Federation that involve strategic raw materials,” said the Slovak Prime Minister.

As reported by TASR, Fico informed the Ukrainian Ambassador to Slovakia, Myroslav Kaspran, about this.

“I told [the ambassador] that we stand by the measures and statements we have made. Further implementation of this senseless sanction [the suspension of supplies oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia via Ukraine] will only harm Ukraine, Slovakia and Hungary. And Russia will be virtually unaffected,” he said.

Fico noted that on Friday he offered Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal a “technical solution” for restoring the transit of Lukoil's Russian oil through Ukrainian territory. While the Slovak Prime Minister did not provide details of his proposal, he mentioned that it should involve several countries.

“However, several countries have to participate in this. On behalf of Slovakia, I repeat that we are ready. I welcome reports which confirm that relevant commercial companies are already considering how to implement this technical solution in the shortest possible time,” said Fico.

Hungary and Slovakia were granted exemptions from the Europe-wide ban on Russian oil imports following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, Kyiv recently ordered the suspension of the transit of Lukoil’s oil products via the Druzhba pipeline.

Ukraine insists that the pipeline continues to transport the same amount of oil as before, thanks to other Russian companies. Hungary and Slovakia, on the other hand, argue that Kyiv’s decision threatens their energy security.

quote:

The Electronic Data of Nearly Every Russian Has Been Leaked – Moscow’s Tech Watchdog
A Russian mainstream news site has reported that in the first six months of 2024, 140 million Russian mobile numbers and 46 million e-mail addresses have been leaked to the Internet.

Izvestia said, citing a report produced by Russia’s data leak intelligence and darknet monitoring service (DLBI), between January and June this year alone, almost 150 separate data leaks resulted in 140 million Russian mobile numbers along with 46 million e-mail addresses, being compromised.

The July 29 article warned that fraudsters could use this information to deceive individuals, companies, and organizations and implied the authorities were getting things under control – something the DLBI statistics do not support.

Despite the fact that the number of individual leaks had reduced from more than 200 in the same period of 2023, the volume of information appearing on networks had increased by 14 percent. It also showed that the annual volume of identity theft in Russia has grown at a rate of about 40 percent per year since the service started studying the phenomena in 2019.

SPOILER

quote:

At the same time Russia’s communications, information technology and mass media supervisory body, Roskomnadzor, said that there had been around 70 cases of personal data leaks in 2024 compared to 110 in the last year. However, even this “positive” trend masks the fact that 600 million records entered the public domain compared with 200 million last year.

The watchdog assessed that this level of leaks, combined with earlier disclosures, means that the data relating to almost every Russian citizen is now publicly available.

The DLBI study report shows that around 46 percent of leaks came from e-commerce activity, 16 percent after retail activity and around 10 percent from use of online searches or entertainment resources. In terms of volume of data lost, the majority is gleaned from activity in the financial sector. In just the first two months of the year more than 80 million records being subject to unauthorized access.

The President of Russia’s Association of Internet Trading Companies (AKIT), Artem Sokolov says that his members have invested heavily in technology to protect their information systems and have introduced high-level security systems that have allowed members to resist numerous cyberattacks.

“Many players in the online trading market are implementing processes of strict confidentiality of personal data so that not a single identifier or information directly or indirectly related to clients and partners can be compared with known leaks,” Sokolov said.

Roskomnadzor told Izvestia that most leaks came from third-party suppliers who don’t provide the proper level of information security and said it was working with industry to develop legislation to impose mandatory standards for working with electronic data.

Sokolov said such legislation is long overdue but the phrase “closing the stable door” leaps to mind and is probably too late for the 258 million registered Russian mobile phone users.

quote:

Kherson region: A Ukrainian FPV drone rammed a Russian UAV Supercam

^{Interception of the Russian Supercam S350 reconnaissance drone in the Kherson region. July 2024. Frame from Prizrak_seti's Tiktok video}

A Ukrainian FPV drone intercepted a Russian Supercam S350 reconnaissance drone on the left bank of the Kherson region.

User Prizrak_seti published the video of the incident on his TikTok page.

A Ukrainian drone operator used a battering ram to shoot down the Russian UAV.

After several hits, the Russian Supercam S350 UAV suffered wing damage and released its parachute to land.

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{A Russian Supercam S350 reconnaissance drone in the sights of a Ukrainian drone in the Kherson region. July 2024. Frame from Prizrak_seti’s Tiktok video}

Perhaps for this task, the Ukrainian FPV with a digital camera was fitted with some kind of special device designed to destroy drones without using explosives.

Перехопленн� ро�ій�ького БПЛ� Supercam на Хер�онщині [липень 2024]

Thus, the drone becomes reusable and can intercept enemy drones several times.

^{A Russian Supercam S350 reconnaissance drone after being hit by a Ukrainian drone in the Kherson region. July 2024. Frame from Prizrak_seti’s Tiktok video}

Analysts of the WarArchive Telegram channel found out from the video that the Russian Supercam S350 reconnaissance UAV was intercepted near the village of Mykolayivka in the liberated territory of the right-bank Kherson region.

In early July, the Ukrainian Defense Forces also hit the operators of the Russian Supercam reconnaissance drone near the village of Varvarivka in the Luhansk region.

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

Біл� Варварівки ЗСУ ліквідували операторів дрона Supercam

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

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

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.

quote:

A defense plant is on fire in Russia

The Yekaterinburg defense plant, NPO defense, is on fire in Russia.

It is reported that one of the buildings of the enterprise is on fire. The area of the fire covered more than 1000 square meters.

“NPO Automatics is named after N.A. Semikhatov.” – one of the largest enterprises of the Russian Federation in the field of the development of control systems.

The plant manufactures control systems and radio-electronic equipment for space technology.

It also manufactures electronics for intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Russian authorities have not yet named the cause of the fire at the plant.

quote:

Social media platforms to hand over user data in Russian crackdown on ‘spreading false information’
The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, has voted for an amendment which requires social media networks with more than 500,000 daily users to hand over user data to the FSB and Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor upon request, state-owned news agency TASS reported on Tuesday.

In the second and third reading of legislation regulating the provision of telecommunications services, deputies also accepted an amendment obliging any individual in Russia with over 10,000 subscribers on any social media platform to register with Roskomnadzor. Failure to do so would prohibit them from accepting donations or posting ads, Duma Deputy Alexander Khinshtein said on Telegram.

Another amendment banning so-called “trash streams”, the live broadcast of violent abuse typically carried out by male streamers on their girlfriends to earn tips from those watching, was also approved by the Duma, with such broadcasts to be punishable by fines of up to 1 million rubles (¤10,500).

The State Duma also limited the number of SIM cards a person can have, with foreign citizens limited to 10 per person, while Russians may have no more than 20.

The new amendments have been introduced to “protect Russian citizens from online crime”, according to TASS, while Khinshtein said this was all part of what he called “the fight against the spread of false information”.

quote:

Op dinsdag 30 juli 2024 22:38 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://novayagazeta.eu/a(...)ns-by-a-year-en-news
[..]
Voor nieuwe Russische staatsburgers zal de dienstplicht worden verlengt van 1 naar 2 jaar, en iedereen die op social media creator meer dan 10.000 abonnees heeft moet zich gaan melden bij de mediatoezichthouder/regulator.

Tenminste dat zijn de moties/wetsvoorstellen die er nu liggen.

quote:

Op dinsdag 30 juli 2024 22:24 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/07/30/7468034/
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

SPOILER

SPOILER

quote:

Defense Ministry truck rams car in Rostov region, killing woman and 6-year-old child

^{Press service of the State Automobile Inspectorate}

A woman and her six-year-old son died in a traffic accident involving a Russian Defense Ministry KamAZ and a Kia Ceed passenger car in Novoshakhtinsk, Rostov Oblast. This was reported by the regional traffic police press service.

According to law enforcement, the driver of a military truck was driving on a secondary road and failed to yield to a passenger car at a controlled intersection. As a result of the collision, the passengers of the passenger car died - a 39-year-old woman with her young son. Children aged 9, 16 and 17 were also injured; they were taken to hospital with injuries of varying severity.

This is at least the third case since the beginning of the month, when military transport causes fatal accidents on Russian roads. Thus, on July 24 in the Borisovsky district of the Belgorod region, a tank crushed a Niva car, the driver of the car died. Photos that appeared on the Internet show that almost nothing was left of the front part of the car. Eyewitnesses claim that the tank crew "was in an insane state" at the time of the accident.

In early July, under similar circumstances, drunken servicemen in a tank ran over the car of Grayvoron resident Andrey Alekseyev, who died. The crew of the armored vehicle tried to escape from the scene, but were eventually caught. Police conducted a medical examination of the detainees, which confirmed the presence of alcohol in their blood. A criminal case was opened against the soldier who drove the tank . He is in pretrial detention.

quote:

Rusland herstart vliegeropleiding, vliegkampschip Kuznetsov nog niet terug
Het Russische vliegkampschip Admiral Kuznetsov is reeds sinds 2017 in onderhoud bij de Noordelijke Vloot.

Sindsdien kampt het schip met veel tegenslagen zoals het zinken van het dok en brand. De terugkeer van het schip naar zee, lijkt nog ver weg. Toch start Moskou met de opleiding van marinevliegers die in de toekomst vanaf de Kuznetsov moeten gaan opereren.

^{Een Su-33 Flanker van de Russische marineluchtvaartdienst stijgt op vanaf de Admiral Kuznetsov in de Middellandse Zee in 2017. Inmiddels hebben veel vliegers de Russische marine verlaten. (Foto: Russische Ministerie van Defensie)}

SPOILER

quote:

Training nieuwe vliegers
De Russische pers maakt melding dat de opleiding van nieuwe vliegers, die vanaf de Admiral Kuznetsov zullen vliegen, gestart is. Door het lange onderhoud, dat ondertussen zeven jaar loopt, is een deel van de gekwalificeerde vliegers reeds met pensioen gegaan. Dit zorgt voor een ernstig tekort aan getrainde en ervaren vliegers die in staat zijn om vanaf de Admiral Kuznetsov te vliegen.

De opleiding van nieuwe vliegers is nodig om ervoor te zorgen dat de Kuznetsov, als de carrier weer naar zee gaat, met een relevante hoeveelheid gevechtsvliegtuigen kan opereren. Vliegers worden getraind in de MiG-29K en Su-33 carriervliegtuigen. Momenteel zou Rusland over 17 Su-33's en 22 MiG-29K's beschikken die gebruikt kunnen worden aan boord van de Admiral Kuznetsov. Deze vliegtuigen zijn ingedeeld in het 279ste Onafhankelijke Regiment met de Su-33's en het 100ste Onafhankelijke Regiment dat de MiG-29K en MiG-29KUB gevechtsvliegtuigen omvat. Eerder werden zij ingezet voor missies boven de noordelijke zeeroute.

Training van deze vliegers zal enige tijd in beslag nemen. Het opstijgen en landen aan boord van een vliegkampschip is vele malen moeilijker vanaf land. Het vliegdek is allereerst korter en niet stabiel. Ook het opstijgen door middel van de skischans, die zich op de boeg van het schip bevindt, is complexer dan op land. De training van de vliegers zou naar verluidt een jaar duren.

Training van vliegers niet zonder risico
In het verleden trainde de Russische marine haar vliegers voor het vliegkampschip op de Krim, meer bepaald op het NIKTA-complex op de vliegbasis van Saki. Het NIKTA-complex bootste het vliegdek van de Admiral Kuznetsov na, inclusief de skischans.

In 2013 besloot Rusland om het NIKTA-trainingscomplex te verplaatsen naar een nieuwe locatie binnen Rusland. Deze nieuwe locatie werd het vliegveld van Yeysk, gelegen nabij Rostov-aan-de-Don in de Krasnodar-regio. Yeysk is gelegen aan de Golf van Taganrog in de Zee van Azov en het nieuwe trainingscomplex zou sinds oktober 2020 operationeel zijn.

Het verplaatsen van het trainingscomplex van Saki naar Yeysk lijkt een goed idee te zijn aangezien de basis bij Saki reeds meerdere malen het doelwit is geweest van Oekraïense aanvallen.
Zo werd het vliegveld op 8 augustus 2022 door Oekraïne gebombardeerd. Hierbij werden verschillende vliegtuigen en helikopters vernield. Het ging toen over drie Su-30 gevechtsvliegtuigen en vier Su-24 aanvalsvliegtuigen alsmede een Su-27 of Su-30 gevechtsvliegtuig. De start- en landingsbaan werd echter niet getroffen.

Op de nacht van 26 juli werd Saki opnieuw aangevallen door Oekraïne. Deze keer maakte Oekraïne gebruik van ATACMS-raketten en was het doelwit een radarsysteem dat op het vliegveld was opgesteld. Er werd bij die aanval geen verdere schade gerapporteerd aan vliegtuigen of de start- en landingsbaan.

Hoewel Yeysk verder van het front is gelegen en dus minder kwetsbaar is voor Oekraïense aanvallen met kruisvluchtwapens blijft de nieuwe locatie niet zonder gevaar. Oekraïense drones kunnen dit vliegveld met gemak bereiken. Tot op heden werd het vliegveld nabij Yeysk niet aangevallen en richtten Oekraïense drones zich op andere kritische infrastructuur in deze regio, zoals de marinebasis van Novorossiysk en de olie-installaties nabij Tuapse.

Hernieuwde training van vliegers op het vliegveld van Yeysk kan ervoor zorgen dat dit vliegveld echter een doelwit vormt voor Oekraïne. De afgelopen maanden heeft Oekraïne steeds vaker radar- en luchtafweerinstallaties op de Krim uitgeschakeld waardoor de luchtverdediging op de Krim en het zuiden van Rusland steeds zwakker wordt.

^{Admiral Kuznetsov op archiefbeeld. Het schip is al langere tijd niet meer naar zee geweest. (Foto: Russische marine)}

Admiral Kuznetsov kent bewogen onderhoud
Het vliegkampschip Admiral Kuznetsov ging in 2017 in onderhoud bij de Noordelijke Vloot. In de afgelopen zeven jaar ging het schip gebukt onder verschillende tegenslagen die het onderhoud significant hebben vertraagd.

In oktober 2018 zonk het drijvend droogdok PD-50 waarin de Admiral Kuznetsov gedokt was. De oorzaak van het zinken was een ongeluk met een balastpomp. Daardoor werd plots meer water in het droogdok gepompt waardoor deze bruusk helde. Een kraan van 70 ton viel hierbij om en doorboorde het vliegdek. Het drijvend droogdok PD-50 zelf zonk en was niet meer te herstellen.

Hierdoor kwam de Russische marine zonder een droogdok te zitten dat groot genoeg was om het onderhoud verder af te werken. De oplossing was om twee bestaande droogdokken op het 35ste onderhoudsbedrijf bij elkaar te voegen en te verlengen, waardoor een droogdok ontstond dat groot genoeg is voor de Admiral Kuznetsov.

Op 12 december 2019 brak er brand uit aan boord van het schip ten gevolge van laswerkzaamheden. De schade aan boord was substantieel en vereiste bijkomende herstellingen en vertragingen. Drie jaar later, terwijl het werk aan de carrier bijna af was, raakte het schip weer in brand.

In de zomer van 2023 was men nog optimistisch dat de Admiral Kuznetsov in de lente van 2024 aan haar proefvaarten zou beginnen. Deze proefvaarten zijn nog altijd niet gestart en het is nog maar de vraag of dat dit jaar gaat lukken.

Recentelijk waren er geruchten dat bepaalde delen van het vliegkampschip in de tussentijd weer zodanig aan het roesten zijn dat er weer meer tijd nodig is waardoor het onderhoud zou uitlopen naar 2028. Deze geruchten zijn echter niet officieel bevestigd.

quote:

Russia launches strongest drone attack of 2024 on Kyiv overnight
The Kyiv City Military Administration reported the most extensive drone attack on Kyiv in 2024, with air defense forces destroying over three dozen drones in the city's airspace and nearby areas.

According to Serhii Popko, the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, the attack was one of the most significant since the full-scale invasion began.

No casualties or damage have been reported.

The attack, which lasted over seven hours, saw drones entering Kyiv in waves from almost all directions.

This marked the seventh and largest drone attack on Kyiv in July.

The Russian military is trying a new approach to attack Kyiv, Popko said on June 30.

"The aggressor is trying new tactics – it is looking for the right time, methods, and means to hit Kyiv,” Popko wrote on Telegram.

quote:

Russia could have lost up to 750,000 soldiers in Ukraine - Austrian expert
In its war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia could have already lost 500,000 to 750,000 soldiers killed and wounded in action, including up to 150,000 soldiers killed.
Colonel of the Austrian Armed Forces Markus Reisner, head of the Institute for Officer Training at the Theresian Military Academy, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"An interesting study was recently published, which I think is very well researched. It says that perhaps 100,000 to 150,000 Russian soldiers have already been killed," Reisner said, commenting on how he assesses Russian losses in the war against Ukraine.

Read also: Austrian expert slams U.S. for “boiling frog” strategy, limiting aid to Ukraine
According to him, if the lessons of military history are taken into account as well as "the fact that approximately 3-4 times more should be counted as wounded," then it is about huge losses.

"In general, this may amount to 500,000 to 750,000 people, both dead and wounded. And this, in my opinion, is quite realistic, given the intensity of the conflict," the expert said.

At the same time, he noted that the Ukrainian side also "suffered very heavy losses."

"But the problem lies in demography and the human potential of both states. And here it can be seen that Russia relies on the human potential of 150 million people, with the corresponding potential for recruitment," he added.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi stated earlier that Russian army losses in the war against Ukraine were three times higher than those of Ukraine and that in some areas they were "even higher."

quote:

Russia launches most massive drone attack on Kyiv overnight
On the night of July 31, Russia carried out one of the most massive attacks on Ukraine with strike UAVs in the entire war. The main Russian target was Kyiv, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration.

Russia launched dozens of drones at Kyiv. This was the seventh Russian drone attack on Kyiv in July. In terms of the number of UAVs used, it was the most massive for the Ukrainian capital in 2024.

Russian drones came at Kyiv in waves and from almost every possible direction. Over three dozen drones were destroyed by Ukrainian air defense forces and means in the airspace of the capital and on the outskirts. The type and exact number of UAVs will be made public in a report by the Ukrainian Air Force.

The Kyiv City Military Administration reports that according to the operational report, as of 6:18 a.m., there were no casualties or damage in Kyiv.

“The data is preliminary, the information is being updated,” the statement says.

SPOILER

quote:

The air raid in Kyiv lasted more than 7 hours, namely 7 hours and 14 minutes. The longest alert for the entire period of the war was recorded on May 27, 2022. It lasted 7 hours and 55 minutes.

In Kyiv and on the outskirts of the capital, Ukrainian air defense shot down more than 40 Russian drones.

According to Kyiv City Military Administration, during the morning, the second wave of drone strikes, Russian drones continued to attack Kyiv in waves from certain directions. However, not a single Russian drone achieved its goal.

“Several more Russian attack drones were hit by Ukrainian air defense forces and means. In total, more than four dozen Russian UAVs were shot down in the airspace of Kyiv and on the outskirts of the capital during these two waves. The exact figures will be provided by the Ukrainian Air Force,” the statement says.

The Kyiv City Military Administration adds that in the face of such a dense and massive Russian air attack, Ukrainian air defense forces and means worked perfectly. At this moment, there are no casualties or damage in the city.

On the night of July 29, Russia also attacked Ukraine with Shaheds. Then Russian troops launched 10 drones, 9 of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defense forces.

According to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine has already begun to strengthen the air defense of Kharkiv. Other areas, including the Poltava region, are next in line.

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West considers extended training of Ukrainian F-16 pilots – WSJ
The participants of the fighter jet coalition who facilitate the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets and the supply of these aircraft, are discussing how to satisfy Kyiv’s need for a bigger number of pilots.

Source: European Pravda with reference to The Wall Street Journal

Details: The training of the Ukrainian pilots on F-16s was a complicated process carried out in several countries, and Kyiv privately stressed the necessity to extend this training to facilitate future maintenance of the F-16s received by Ukraine.

Western and American officials stated in a conversation with WSJ that a significant limiting factor here is the number of Ukrainian pilots ready to start training.

"Still, the US is looking into whether it can expand the training in America, either at the existing Arizona facility or potentially by allowing Ukrainian pilots to use another US air base," WSJ reports.

The possibility of the EU countries sending contractors for the maintenance of the F-16s is also being discussed.

At the moment it is planned that trained Ukrainian professionals will do this in Ukraine but, as explained by a Pentagon official, some maintenance works, such as checking the engine operation, will have to be carried out abroad at least in the early stages.

On 10 July the leaders of the US, Denmark and the Netherlands Joe Biden, Mette Frederiksen and Dick Schoof, who lead the fighter jets coalition, confirmed that Ukraine would receive the first F-16s during the summer.

Bloomberg reports that Ukraine expects to receive 6 F-16 fighter jets this summer and up to 20 jets in total from its Western partners by the end of 2024.

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Russian drone attack targets Kyiv, 40+ UAVs downed, no casualties - key highlights
The Ukrainian capital became the main target of the most massive Russian drone attack in 2024, all enemy targets were eliminated, Kyiv Governor Serhiy Popko wrote on Telegram on July 31.

Updated at 9:38 a.m.: Russia launched 89 drones and an Kh-59 missile against Ukraine, therefore "repeating" the New Year attack.

He made this statement following the loud night in Kyiv - a record number of drones attempted to approach the capital, with air raid alert lasting more than 7 hours.

“The Russian forces carried out one of the most massive attacks on Ukraine with kamikaze drones since the war outbreak,” Popko wrote.

"The enemy sent many dozens of its drones to the capital of Ukraine, a peaceful city. This was already the seventh drone attack on Kyiv in July! It was the most massive for the capital in 2024, taking into account the number of drones used."

UAVs were launched in several groups, approaching Kyiv in waves from almost all possible directions.

Initial reports indicate no casualties or damage, although information is still being updated.

Kyiv city’s military administration highlighted the 100% effective work of Air Defense, as it managed to take out all enemy aerial targets.

Explosions were also heard in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, as six Russian drones were intercepted there.

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 09:57 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://english.nv.ua/nat(...)alties-50438884.html
[..]
In total zijn er 89 drones en 1 kh-59 raket afgevuurd op Oekraïne vannacht volgens de laatste update.

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Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 09:56 schreef oheng het volgende:
RIA: putin geeft eenmalig 400.000 roebel aan bepaalde contract soldaten en huurlingen. Plus 400.000 roebel aan leveranciers van drinkwater.

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Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 10:04 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Lijkt qua die shaheds wel een record.

[ afbeelding ]

quote:

11,500 People Seek Refuge in Subway During Russian Drone Attack on Kyiv

Over 11,500 residents sought refuge in Kyiv’s subway stations during a prolonged air raid alert that lasted over 7 hours on the night of July 31.

The Kyiv Metro system has been operating around the clock as a shelter, providing essential amenities such as seating, blankets, and mattresses for those seeking safety. However, the metro system has also faced challenges due to the extended alert, including delays in staff arriving for work.

As a result, train schedules have been disrupted and are gradually being restored. The metro authority has appealed for public understanding as they work to normalize operations.

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U.S. to arm Ukraine’s F-16s with advanced weapons

^{Launch of the AIM-120D-3 missile by an F-16 fighter. Photo credits: John McRell/U.S. Air Force}

The U.S. has agreed to arm dozens of F-16 fighter jets being sent to Ukraine with American-made missiles.

The Wall Street Journal reported on this.

The United States will provide the F-16 with armament including AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles, long-range JDAMs that turn unguided bombs into smart weapons, and GBU bombs.

The United States will supply the fighter jets with advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, known as AMRAAM, and short-range air-to-air missiles, known as AIM-9X.

The sources of The Wall Street Journal refused to name specific dates for the transfer of F-16s and their weapons to Ukraine for security reasons.

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{A US Air Force fighter jet drops bombs with JDAMs. Photo credits: www.f-16.net}

According to a senior U.S. official, although the Pentagon has limited stockpiles and production capabilities, it will supply precision-guided missiles and advanced missiles to the F-16 in sufficient quantities to meet Ukraine’s most urgent needs.

“We are confident that we will be able to supply all of those [weapons], at least the critical volumes that they need,” the U.S. official said.

On July 10, the leaders of the United States, Denmark, and the Netherlands, Joe Biden, Mette Frederiksen, and Dick Schoof, who head the so-called Fighter Coalition, confirmed that Ukraine will receive its first F-16s during the summer.

According to Bloomberg, Ukraine expects to receive six F-16s from its Western partners this summer and up to 20 fighter jets in total by the end of the year.

^{AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile on the Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter. September 2022, Ukraine. Frame from Militarnyi’s video}

The Ukrainian Air Force is already using AGM-88 HARM missiles, JDAM bombs, and GBU bombs.

The Ukrainian Air Force adapted Soviet-era combat aircraft to use American GBU-39 bombs.

^{GBU-39 of the SDB family guided bomb. Illustration by Metrea Simulations}

AMRAAM and AIM-9 missiles are used in Ukraine’s ground-based air defense systems.

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Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 10:05 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Ik kan niet uit het artikel opmaken dat er ook 400.000 roebels aan leveranciers van drinkwater uitbetaald gaat worden.

quote:

During an operation, these “father commanders” do not prepare an evacuation group.

Company "Storm" Logic: “Why? The lightly wounded will come out on their own, but we don’t pull out the heavy ones.”

The reality is that company commanders DO NOT KNOW their personnel, which is rapidly changing due to huge losses.

5. Evil tongues say that in one of the static areas the management made a “brilliant” decision....not to take away the “two hundredths”, because this increases the loss statistics. In the meantime, they are listed as alive or missing.

They are given to pull out in parts, in doses, so that the statistics do not increase.

Unfortunately, not fiction, but reality.

6. It’s really very difficult - the enemy has dominance in UAVs. We must pay tribute - the enemy implements many engineering things, adapts them precisely along the UAV line. With the advent of electronic warfare, they quickly change the frequency, etc. The whole world works for them. Their UAV tool line is very wide.

How does this affect the front specifically? Again a clear example.

A special forces group is launching a raid on an enemy stronghold. Out of 24 people, only 1 reached the enemy position! 2 - “200”, the rest - “300”! Everything is from fpv. Ours also work, but the ratio is not ours. We have thousands, they have millions.

Etc, etc

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Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 11:30 schreef oheng het volgende:
Voenkor geeft interessante inkijk in het russische leger

[ x ]
[..]

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Op dinsdag 30 juli 2024 22:44 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
“If the EU wants to reduce its total dependence on the USA, will need to consider forms of cooperation with the Russian Federation that involve strategic raw materials,” said the Slovak Prime Minister.

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Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 12:06 schreef icecreamfarmer_NL het volgende:

[..]
Netjes dat is inderdaad wat we willen, de afhankelijkheid richting de VS omzetten in een afhankelijkheid richting Rusland.

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Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 12:53 schreef Ulx het volgende:
[ x ]

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Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 13:19 schreef xpompompomx het volgende:

[..]
Blijf het wel bijzonder vinden dat Oekraïne, behalve in eigen land, ook nog (tot voor zover we weten) actief is in Syrië, Sudan en Mali om Russen te fucken.

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 13:27 schreef Perrin het volgende:

[..]
Even snel een blauw-geel vlaggetje op je uniform en zo'n Navy Seal is ook ineens Oekraiens.

SPOILER

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BREAKING: First F-16 fighter jets arrive in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports
Ukraine has received the first batch of fourth-generation U.S.-made F-16 jets, Bloomberg reported on July 31, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

The news comes a year after the allied "fighter jet coalition" took shape at the Vilnius NATO summit under the Danish and Dutch leadership.

The deadline for the transfer of F-16s was late July, the sources told Bloomberg. Ukraine received "a small number" of the planes, the sources said.

Ukraine is expected to receive at least 79 F-16s from the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and Norway, with the deliveries to continue in the coming years.

The fighter jet coalition also pledged to help train Ukrainian pilots and technical staff to operate the jets.

It is unclear whether the trained Ukrainian pilots will be able to use combat aircraft immediately or the process will take longer, unnamed people told Bloomberg.

Kyiv is yet to confirm these reports.

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American air superiority fighter that Kyiv has begged for since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Although some defense experts do not expect F-16s to become game-changers in the war, the jets may strengthen Ukraine's air defense capabilities and shield the country's population centers from Russia's daily bombardments.

Navy Commander Oleksii Neizhpapa said that the upcoming delivery of F-16s to Ukraine will challenge Russia's "full dominance" of the skies over the Black Sea.

Denmark and the Netherlands indicated that they would allow Ukraine to strike with F-16s inside Russia, although Copenhagen said that such a move would "depend on the circumstances."

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Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 18:06 schreef Adrie072 het volgende:
[ x ]
Nieuw?!

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Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 18:17 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Beelden zijn niet van een F-16, en de ontploffingen zijn oud. Maar het nieuws dat F-16s mogelijk gearriveerd zijn mag gevierd worden natuurlijk.

quote:

Ukrainian prisoner of war dies while awaiting trial in Russian custody

^{Oleksandr Ishchenko in court. Photo: Alexandra Astakhova / Mediazona}

A Ukrainian prisoner of war who served with the Azov Brigade has died in custody while awaiting trial in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, independent news outlet Mediazona reported on Wednesday.

The pretrial detention centre where Oleksandr Ishchenko died has not yet provided the court with proof of his death, and neither the cause or date of his death are known, Mediazona reported, adding that the case had now been adjourned until 7 August.

SPOILER

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Ishchenko, who was 55 and married, joined the Azov Brigade, a detachment of Ukraine’s National Guard, as a military driver on 25 February 2022 and was defending the now Russian-occupied city of Mariupol when he was captured by Russian troops.

Ishchenko was charged alongside 23 other Ukrainians with forcibly attempting to seize power, participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation and undergoing terror training. The defendants were all put on trial in Russia, despite some of them having no longer been in military service at the time of the Russian invasion. The defendants also include nine women, most of whom worked as cooks for the Azov Brigade.

Two of the accused Ukrainian soldiers — David Kasatkyn and Dmytro Labynskyi — are being tried in absentia, having been exchanged for Russian prisoners in 2022.

International human rights group Memorial considers the defendants to be political prisoners, and has described the Russian Supreme Court’s decision to declare the Azov Brigade a terrorist organisation “unlawful”.

quote:

Azov Brigade Fighter Oleksandr Ishchenko Dies in Russian Pre-Trial Detention Center
One of the captured Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) of the Azov Brigade, 55-year-old Oleksandr Ishchenko, died in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, according to Babel sources in the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Ishchenko was a sailor from Mariupol, who returned to Ukraine shortly before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion and later joined the Azov Brigade, as a driver. After his capture, he was tried in a “criminal case” by Russian authorities together with 23 other Ukrainians.

^{Oleksandr Ishchenko before and during captivity. (Source: Sternenko)}

SPOILER

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The date of his capture is unknown, but it is widely believed to have happened during the siege of Mariupol. Due to Russia’s continued refusal to share information on Ukrainian POWs, Oleksandr’s family learned that he was in captivity from a photo. No other information or communication was provided by Russian authorities to the family.

It is known that Oleksandr spent a year in the Donetsk detention center, and later ended up in Rostov.

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that according to Ishchenko’s daughter, her father died 9 days ago. However, no one officially informed the Ukrainian side about this. There was also no official notification about the cause of death.

“With an urgent letter, I turned to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, asking her to look into the tragic death of a prisoner of war held by the Russian side, and to inform me of the circumstances and the cause of Oleksandr Ishchenko's death,” Lubinets wrote.

The Ombudsman additionally informed the ICRC and the UN about the incident, so that the organizations recorded the fact of the death of the POW and paid attention to the conditions of detention of the Ukrainian POWs.

“Ukraine demands that the Russian Federation strictly adhere to the Geneva Conventions - provide the necessary medical assistance, create a mixed medical commission, so that it would be possible to repatriate all the seriously ill and seriously injured.

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Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 18:31 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Deze zou leuk zijn. Niet heel erg onverwacht, vanuit perspectief dat chinese economie niet goed gaat, en ze daar langzaam beginnen te begrijpen dat een wereld vol brandhaarden bad for business is. Ook is rus uitpersen natuurlijk wel leuk, maar op een bepaald moment, komt er bijna niks meer uit.

[ x ]

quote:

Jailed US Marine Paul Whelan reportedly transferred from prison as chances of exchange grow

^{Paul Whelan, 22 February 2019. Photo: Sergey Ilnitsky / EPA-EFE}

Imprisoned former US Marine Paul Whelan has been transferred from the penal colony in Mordovia, Western Russia, where he had been serving a 16-year sentence for espionage, and his current whereabouts are unknown, his lawyer said on Wednesday, news agency Interfax reported.

SPOILER

quote:

"I have been receiving inquiries from journalists from various international agencies asking if I know Paul's whereabouts, as there are rumours of a possible exchange," said Whelan’s lawyer, Olga Karlova. She added that she had sent an official request to the prison administration to learn her client’s location, but had not yet received a response.

Karlova also said that she had submitted a public request that the Public Supervisory Committee, the government body responsible for ensuring that prisoners are treated humanely, visit the prison to confirm Whelan's location.

Whelan, who went to Moscow on what was supposed to be a two-week vacation in 2018 and still hasn’t returned, was arrested by the authorities at his hotel. After a flash drive allegedly containing secret materials was found in his hotel room, he was charged with espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison. He has always denied all accusations of being a spy.

Seven high-profile political prisoners have been unexpectedly transferred from their penal colonies in the past two days, including opposition politician Ilya Yashin, Memorial head Oleg Orlov, Navalny associates Liliya Chanysheva and Ksenia Fadeeva, and anti-war activist Sasha Skochilenko. Whelan is the first foreigner known to have been transferred, however.

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 18:35 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Die restricties waren er eerder al opgelegd toch? Maar in praktijk is de handel gewoon door gegaan.

quote:

Ukrainian military strikes Russian ammunition depot near Kursk in overnight attack – photo, video
The attack was carried out by units from the forces and means of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in cooperation with other components of the Defense Forces

^{An explosion (Illustrative photo: Russian media)}

Ukrainian Defense Forces struck a warehouse for storing weapons and military equipment of the Russian army near the city of Kursk, reported the press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"Tonight, an attack was made on a warehouse for storing weapons and military equipment near the settlement of Kursk, Russian Federation. The work of enemy air defense and explosions at the aiming points were observed," the message says.

The attack was carried out by units from the forces and assets of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in cooperation with other components of the Defense Forces.

The details of the damage are being clarified.

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine}

Кур�ька обла�ть, 31.07

Explosions in Russia's Kursk Oblast have been heard almost every day since mid-July 2024.

The Defense Forces carried out attacks on a TV tower, a low-voltage equipment factory, several oil depots and electrical substations.

quote:

Ukrainian Navy strikes at weapons depots on the outskirts of Kursk

^{Illustrative photo of the missile of the Neptune system in flight. Source: defense-ua.com}

On the night of July 31, the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked a storage facility for weapons and military equipment near Kursk.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces reported on this.

The combat operations were conducted by the Ukrainian Navy units in cooperation with other Defense Forces components.

“Ukrainian soldiers will continue to take all possible legal measures to stop the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against our people,” the statement saidю.

SPOILER

quote:

Пожежа у Кур�ьку пі�л� атаки

Alexei Smirnov, acting governor of the Kursk region, confirmed the damage to military facilities near the city, saying that the strike caused a fire. Smirnov also added that no alarms went off in the city during the attack.

He also posted a photo of Russian soldiers wearing the uniform of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which indicates an attack on facilities near the local airfield.

According to NASA’s fire monitoring service, the strike was indeed on a facility that is most likely a storage facility for aviation weapons and equipment.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation traditionally declared all air targets “destroyed,” detailing that 11 UAVs were “intercepted” over Belgorod, four over Bryansk, and one UAV each over Kursk, Kaluga, Rostov regions, and temporarily occupied Crimea.

^{Data from NASA fire monitoring service as of 31.07.2024 and images of the facilities}

In addition, the statement of the Russian Defense Ministry said that a Neptune-MD cruise missile was “intercepted” over the Kursk region. The Ukrainian General Staff did not disclose information about the munition.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed attempts by Russian air defense to intercept Ukrainian weapons, but apparently, these attempts were unsuccessful.

Neptune missiles for hitting ground targets
Back in April 2023, an official of the Ukrainian defense ministry told The Drive on condition of anonymity that designers were working on modifying the Neptune anti-ship missile to strike land targets.

According to an anonymous source, the missile was to receive a new guiding system. The publication reported that the new missile could be launched from the same launcher as before.

It allegedly has a maximum range of 400 kilometers and a warhead weighing 350 kilograms (150 kilograms in the anti-ship version).

^{R-360 missile of the Neptune system, December 5, 2018. Photo credits: National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine}

The official said that Ukraine has developed a guiding system based on GPS satellite signals that directs the missile to a predetermined target. During the final stretch of the flight, the missile’s infrared homing system searches for and captures the target based on a preloaded image.

This July, the Ukrainian military destroyed several vehicles from the S-400 air defense system near the village of Olenivka on Cape Tarkhankut in Crimea.

Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said that a new Ukrainian missile had hit the Russian system, without specifying its name.

Journalist Yurii Butusov said that the strike was carried out using an R-360 Neptune anti-ship missile modified for ground attack.

quote:

Explosions blasted out in occupied Donetsk

^{Illustrative photo on the topic "Donetsk city". 2015. Source: Soldier of the reconnaissance group of the volunteer battalion of the OUN}

This morning, on July 31, powerful explosions blasted out in occupied Donetsk.

A video of the smoke in the city was posted on the Typical Donetsk Telegram channel.

The published photos show thick columns of smoke rising to the sky.

Russian air defense systems were also operating in the area.

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{Trace of a Russian air defense missile. July 31, 2024, Ukraine. Frame from the video of the Typical Donetsk Telegram channel}

The Telegram channel also published a photo showing a trace of an anti-aircraft missile.

It is noted that the explosions occurred in the Proletarsky district of the city.

В окупованому Донецьку пролунали вибухи [31.07.2024]

Ukrainian blogger, political commentator, and journalist Denys Kazansky said that the invaders’ bases in the Proletarsky district of the city were struck.

In early July, the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck an ammunition depot in occupied Donetsk.

The explosions took place in the Budyonnovsky district of the city.

^{Explosion in Donetsk. Early July 2024, Ukraine. Photo credits: News of Donbas}

In May, the Ukrainian military attacked a restaurant in Donetsk where the Russian invaders had gathered.

Ukrainian drones also frequently fly into Donetsk and conduct reconnaissance.

The Ukrainian city of Donetsk has been under Russian occupation since 2014.

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 18:56 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Ja, het vliegtuig op de foto is idd een F-16.

[ x ]

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 19:10 schreef oheng het volgende:
Economisch nieuws:

RIA: nieuw werkloosheid record.
RIA: Kremlin legt uit waarom de benzine prijzen gestegen zijn de afgelopen weken.
RIA: salarissen in mei met 8,8% gestegen

En ten slotte geven de russen commentaar over de aankomst van de F-16.
Ze schijnen niet te snappen dat misschien wel de belangrijkste functie is het vervangen van de kleine groep vliegtuigen dat Storm Shadow e.d. kan afvuren.

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Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 19:09 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Bloomberg heeft al aangegeven dat de eerste F-16s gearriveerd waren, gisteren was er al een filmpje van te zien. En nu zijn er verschillende twitteraars die er nu ook mee aan de haal zijn gegaan.

Tot nu toe hebben we nog geen duidelijk beelden ervan gezien natuurlijk, die onomstotelijk bewijzen dat ze er nu toch echt zijn. En ook is er nog geen bevestiging van Oekraïne/US/Nederland/Denemarken/etc. geweest. Maar het lijkt er toch wel echt op dat ze er nu eindelijk zijn.

Dat wil niet zeggen dat ze al gelijk ingezet gaan worden, maar hopelijk zien/horen we de eerste resultaten snel.

quote:

The base was used for several hundred Nepali and a few Chinese recruits, he said. His first impressions, formed from the uniforms, the weapons, the training and the transport, was that the Russian army was centralized and organized. That impression would soon change.

After two weeks of basic training — he had been promised three months, he said — he was told that he was going to a frontline position near Donetsk, a Ukrainian city occupied by Russian troops.

...

His frontline unit was a mix of Russian convicts and his fellow Nepalis. The “inmates,” as he called them, were heavy drinkers, coarse, unpredictable and covered in tattoos.

“They were not lovely,” he said sardonically.

They constantly abused the Nepalis, he said, slapping them in the helmet, jabbing them with gunbutts and screaming at them in Russian. Mr. Shahi said he learned only a few words, including right and left, but sometimes, during the chaos of combat, he got those confused.

After an artillery barrage in December wiped out three of his friends, he decided to make a break for it.

NYT:Nepali Soldiers Desperate To Escape Russian Army!

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Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 19:24 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Qua getal hoor ik 4 of 5. Dan gaat het astronomisch lang duren voor we er 1 gaan zien, zo duidelijk gefotografeerd dat alle twijfel weg is. Oekraine zal met zo weinig 0,0 risico nemen.

En dat zijn er meteen zo weinig dat je weinig impact hoeft te verwachten ook.

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Ukraine has capacity to produce up to 3 million drones per year – Ministry of Strategic Industries
The production of such a number of drones requires funding, says Deputy Minister Hanna Hvozdyar

In one year, Ukraine can produce up to three million drones of various types as there is enough capacity for this, Deputy Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine Hanna Hvozdyar said during the Brave1 Precision hackathon, public broadcaster Suspilne reports.

"We have large enough production capacity, we can produce more than 3 million drones of various types today. We need financing for this," she said.

According to the official, currently the state can cover only part of the needs, the rest is provided by foreign partners. For example, Canada agreed to purchase part of Ukrainian drones for the Armed Forces.

Hvozdiyr also points out that millions of munitions are needed to produce millions of drones. The Ministry of Strategic Industries is currently working on a line of drones with ammunition for the Ukrainian army. The issue of their unification will be discussed later.

At the press conference following the results of 2023, President Volydymyr Zelenskyy said that in 2024, Ukraine will increase the production of UAVs and artillery – in particular, 155mm shells.

On February 24, 2024, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries Serhiy Boyev stated that the priority for Ukraine in the coming years is the production of 155 mm artillery rounds.

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 19:37 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Er is al een grote impact, als je ziet hoe de Russen alleen al op het idee van de F-16 reageren. Maar het zal inderdaad niet opeens de hele oorlog veranderen.

De F-16 zal wel heel handig zijn in meerdere opzichten. Waaronder de lucht zelf veilig houden, en wanneer ook de radarvliegtuigen vanuit Zweden er zijn zal het radarbereik ook opeens veel groter worden. Waardoor het ook gemakkelijker wordt om diepere doelwitten aan te vallen. Al zullen de restricties daarop waarschijnlijk niet opeens opgeheven worden helaas.

En tot nu toe is het niet met zekerheid te zeggen hoeveel F-16s en piloten er nu zijn. Al zullen dat er inderdaad niet mega veel zijn. Dat staat wel vast. Maar alle beetjes helpen. En tegen het einde van het jaar worden er weer een lading verwacht.

En voor nu is een bevestiging van Oekraïne voor mij genoeg, of van één van de deelnemende landen aan de luchtafweer coalitie.

quote:

Belarus raised a fighter jet to intercept Shahed drones

^{Illustrative photo of the Belarusian Su-30SM. Photo from open sources}

During the massive attack on Ukrainian infrastructure by Russian Geran-2 (Shahed) kamikaze drones on July 31, at least five drones flew into Belarus.

The Belaruski Gayun monitoring group reported on this.

It is reported that the first of the kamikaze drones entered the airspace of Belarus around 11:20 p.m. near the village of Asarevichy.

At 11:50 p.m., a Belarusian Air Force fighter scramble off from the Baranovichi air base and flew for more than an hour throughout southeastern Belarus near the border.

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{Scheme of drones entering the airspace of Belarus. Source: Belaruski Gayun monitoring group}

The fighter was spotted near Richytsia, Gomel, and other settlements in the border area with Ukraine.

This indicates that the aircraft was intensively searching for targets and was not just raised for reconnaissance but also for targeted detection and possible drone interception.

It stayed in the south of the country until 01:30 a.m., but even after it returned to the airfield, the Geran-2 (Shahed) drones continued to enter Belarus.

Other kamikaze drones invaded the airspace of Belarus near the villages of Loyew, Asarevichy, and Kirove.

This happened at 11:20 p.m., 00:05 p.m., 01:20 p.m. The last group entered Belarus at around 02:30 p.m., and in the latter case, there were two of them at once.

^{Shahed-136 kamikaze drone. Photo illustration}

After entering the airspace, most of the drones immediately went deeper into the Polessky State Radiation Ecological Reserve and then back to Ukraine, but one flew over 260 km across Belarus, as far as the city of Stolin in the Brest region.

In July, Militarnyi twice reported cases of Russian kamikaze drones entering Belarusian airspace.

On July 13, it was reported that one of the Russian drones flew from the territory of Ukraine to Belarus and flew more than 350 km over four regions of the neighboring country and approached Minsk.

On July 17, it was reported that the Shahed drone fell between the village of Parychi and the agricultural town of Lyuban in the Gomel region, 55 kilometers from the city of Bobruisk and 120 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 19:47 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
De Russen vliegen hun toestellen meestal via vaste routes richting het front om friendly fire van de luchtafweer te voorkomen. Als die F16's die routes onveilig maken zal dat de Russen wel weer tot verandering van hun strategie dwingen.

quote:

Russian Woman Admits to Abusing Illegally Adopted Ukrainian Child
A resident of Surgut in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug of the Tyumen Region, Russia, has admitted to regularly beating a Ukrainian girl who lives with her.

This information was reported by Ukrainian public human rights organization ZMINA based on a video published by Russian Telegram channels.

According to the footage, the woman harbors hatred towards the child, referring to her as "khokhlushka" (a derogatory term used to describe Ukrainians) and demanding that the child be taken away, otherwise, she will continue to abuse her: "I have been beating her throughout the war and will continue to do so."

The video’s caption states that the girl is from Mariupol and that the woman adopted her:

“A woman, sitting on social media in a state of intoxication, claims to have adopted a girl from Mariupol and regularly beats her. According to the account, she clearly hates the child and incites hostility.”

SPOILER

quote:

Russian Woman Admits to Abusing Illegally Adopted Ukrainian Child

The video was posted on Telegram on July 28, but as of now, neither Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights, nor Lyudmila Nizamova, the regional children’s ombudsman, have commented on the abuse of the deported child. There have also been no comments from other officials or child protection services.

According to Kateryna Rashevska, a lawyer from the Regional Human Rights Center, “What the Russian woman said is part of the broader issue involving high-ranking Russian officials and the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children into Russian families.”

The expert also noted that the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug had not previously been mentioned in the public rhetoric of high-ranking Russian officials as a region where Ukrainian children were transferred to Russian families. However, in April 2024, news emerged about the intention of local residents to adopt 52 children from the temporarily occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

According to the National Information Bureau (NIB), there are currently 23,711 children known to have been deported to Russia. So far, approximately 800 children have been returned to Ukraine. Contact has been established with 2,357 children. The whereabouts of the remaining 20,000 children are unknown.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant on March 17, 2023, for Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova and Vladimir Putin due to the deportation of Ukrainian children.

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 19:47 schreef Ulx het volgende:

[..]
De Russen vliegen hun toestellen meestal via vaste routes richting het front om friendly fire van de luchtafweer te voorkomen. Als die F16's die routes onveilig maken zal dat de Russen wel weer tot verandering van hun strategie dwingen.

quote:

Russia to train troops to use nuclear weapons on the battlefield
Moscow’s defence ministry says exercises will involve Iskander-M ballistic missiles and various aircraft

^{An Iskander missile is loaded onto a mobile launcher during drills at an undisclosed location in Russia CREDIT: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service}

Russia will train its troops in Ukraine to use tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield, Moscow has said.

The training exercises will involve Iskander-M ballistic missiles and various aircraft, Moscow’s defence ministry said in a statement published on the Telegram messaging app.

“During the exercise, issues of preparing units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons will be worked out,” it said.

“As part of this exercise, the personnel of the missile formations of the Southern and Central military districts will work out combat training tasks of obtaining special training ammunition for the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile systems, equipping launch vehicles with them and covertly advancing to designated positions in preparation for conducting electronic launchers.”

“The ongoing stage of the exercise is aimed at gaining the readiness of personnel and equipment of units for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons to Russia to carry out combat missions,” the ministry’s statement added.

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{Russian Iskander-M systems in Ukraine CREDIT: Ministry of Defense of Russia/Newsflash}

Tactical nuclear weapons have smaller warheads and are designed to achieve a specific battlefield objective, compared to strategic bombs that are meant to target and destroy entire cities.

Pro-war Kremlin outriders have repeatedly urged the use of nuclear weapons both inside and outside of Ukraine.

Ukrainian gains on the battlefield are often met with calls for the use of a tactical strike to protect against potential advances into Russian-occupied territories.

The Moscow-based Council for Foreign and Defence Policy, a think-tank that shapes Russian government thinking, this year proposed a “demonstrative” nuclear explosion to deter the West from sending arms to Ukraine.

The southern and central military districts are two of the five force groupings that make up Russia’s armed forces.

The Russian-occupied areas of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson fall under the umbrella of the southern district.

Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed the four Ukrainian oblasts via a series of sham referendums in September 2022.

The central grouping is almost entirely tasked with Moscow’s main offensive manoeuvres in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, with its forces responsible for capturing the city of Avdiivka, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War think-tank.

Russia has repeatedly held nuclear exercises as Putin threatens to carry out strikes in response to Western support for Ukraine.

Moscow’s defence ministry released footage in May of its forces rehearsing cross-border strikes into Ukraine using Iskander missiles equipped with “special purpose” nuclear warheads.

Western analysts have previously disregarded the threats as “nuclear blackmail”, rather than genuine plans to carry out a strike in Ukraine or elsewhere.

The latest drills come days after Putin threatened to restart production of mid-range nuclear weapons in response to planned missile deployments by the United States in Europe.

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 19:58 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Dan moeten ze per definitie het door rus gecontroleerde luchtruim in. Tenzij rus via oekraine naar het front vliegt.

Ain't gonna happen, dus.

quote:

Ukrainian Firefighter Responds to Russia Striking His Own Home, Wife Killed and Son Injured

Ukrainian Firefighter Responds to Russia Striking His Own Home, Loses Wife and Son Injured

Today, on July 31, a Ukrainian firefighter from the Kharkiv Region State Emergency Service had to respond to a Russian strike that hit his own house. After the massive aerial bombardment of the village of Velykyi Burluk, he arrived to extinguish fire at his home.

His 37-year-old wife was killed and his 10-year-old son was hospitalized with burn injuries.

quote:

Vital Russian Shipping Route 'Paralyzed' in Dam Collapse
A key shipping route in northwestern Russia has been closed following the bursting of a sand embankment that flooded the surrounding area and killed three people.

Business newspaper RBC reported that navigation had been "paralyzed" through the 141-mile White Sea Canal linking the White Sea and Lake Onega in Russia's Karelia region bordering Finland.

The canal, built in the 1930s, is a transit route for around 7 million tons of cargo annually for the cities around the Kola Peninsula, as well as the White and Barents Seas. Cruise ships also operate in the waters toward the Solovetsky Islands archipelago and link the cities of Arkhangelsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Samara.

However, the canal's management has temporarily banned vessels moving between locks No. 10 and No. 11 after a torrent of water poured over the temporary barrier between two locks of the canal on Sunday, prompting local authorities to declare a state of emergency.

SPOILER

quote:

.

^{This screen grab from social media shows the high waters in the White Sea Canal caused by a burst dam. Authorities have temporarily closed the body of water in Russia's Karelia Republic, which is a transit area for cargo ships.}

The head of the Republic of Karelia, Artur Parfenchikov, posted on his VKontakte social-media account on Monday that emergency workers had found the bodies of two people, one woman and one man, and that the water level was continuing to drop.

On Tuesday morning, Parfenchikov said that the body of another woman had been found. The state-run TASS news agency reported that 10 people had been injured and 13 homes destroyed. Newsweek has contacted Parfenchikov for further comment.

Videos shared on social media showed water rushing over what looked like the area where the dam had been placed.

Citing Russia's Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport (Rosmorrechflot), RBC reported that the canal would be closed until repair work is completed, which includes the construction of a temporary bridge.

A criminal investigation into the dam break had been opened into whether construction safety rules were violated.

A few days ago, heavy rains caused the collapse of a dam in the Kialimskoye reservoir in the Karabash urban district of the Urals region of Chelyabinsk. It sparked flooding in neighboring villages, killing at least one person.

Local residents have complained of a poor response by the authorities and have said they have been forced to pump out the water on their own, according to local news outlet Ura.ru.

In another similar incident, there was widespread flooding in the southern Orenburg region after the collapse of a dam in April, which fully and partially submerged 55 cities and towns and led to the evacuations of thousands of people.

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 20:06 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Het front loopt ook door noord Oekraïne, tussen Luhansk en Wit-Rusland in. Daar zit geen bezet gebied tussen. Behalve een klein stukje ten noorden van Kharkiv.

quote:

Russian Aviation Updates Abruptly Disappear from Putin Briefings
Russian President Vladimir Putin is no longer receiving aviation updates from Sergei Chemezov, head of Rostec, the country's state-owned defense conglomerate, an investigative site reported on Tuesday.

For the first time since 2020, Chemezov failed to brief the Russian president about developments in the country's civil aviation, Russian publication Agentstvo reported, assessing that Rostec's CEO "avoided having to once again admit to the failure to meet the deadlines for the program to replace Western passenger aircraft with imported ones."

Putin also didn't ask Chemezov for aviation updates, the publication said.

SPOILER

quote:

There have been a vast number of cases throughout the war in Ukraine of Russian domestic passenger planes making emergency landings or malfunctioning due to technical issues, driven by a lack of spare parts.

Russian-operated planes have been sanctioned by the U.S. government in response to the war in Ukraine, and aircraft manufacturers have stopped delivering spare parts and new planes to the country.

The U.S. and the EU have also demanded the return of leased aircraft, although the Kremlin has sought to work around this by encouraging carriers to re-register the aircraft in Russia.

This has meant that the planes have continued to fly without receiving crucial software upgrades and mandated maintenance checks required to guarantee their airworthiness, Bloomberg reported in March 2023.

According to Agentstvo, Putin and Chemezov last held an in-person meeting in December, shortly after the Russian leader pledged to produce over 1,000 Russian civilian aircraft by 2030.

"Our fleet of aircraft is very overloaded ... with foreign-made planes," Putin said in December, Reuters reported. "We plan to produce more than 1,000 aircraft by 2030, our own planes. Work is needed."

Shortly after the pledge, 283 billion rubles ($3.1 billion) was allocated to Rostec to manufacture 1,036 planes by 2030.

Data compiled by Newsweek in December found that Russian plane malfunctions had tripled in just one year.

The data showed that from September 2023 to December 8, 2023, Russia had a total of 60 commercial aviation incidents that involved emergency landings, engine fires and malfunctions, along with other technical issues forcing the planes to abandon their intended routes.

There were 15 incidents in September; 25 in October; 12 in November; and eight by December 8, Newsweek found.

Earlier this month, a Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 which was flying without passengers crashed near Moscow, killing three crew members. The passenger jet, which was heading to Moscow's Vnukovo airport from the Lukhovitsy aviation plant, crashed eight minutes after takeoff.

Local media reported that both of the plane's engines may have failed.

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 19:24 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Qua getal hoor ik 4 of 5. Dan gaat het astronomisch lang duren voor we er 1 gaan zien, zo duidelijk gefotografeerd dat alle twijfel weg is. Oekraine zal met zo weinig 0,0 risico nemen.

En dat zijn er meteen zo weinig dat je weinig impact hoeft te verwachten ook.

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 20:18 schreef ExTec het volgende:

[..]
Lekker belangrijk.

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 20:20 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.newsweek.com/(...)putin-rostec-1932534
[..]

SPOILER

[..]

Why Russians Still Don't Realize China As Threat?

quote:

Hungary blocks EU bid for unified statement on Venezuela election
The EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell cited claims the presidential ballot was ‘marred by numerous flaws and irregularities.’

The EU failed to put on a united front on Venezuela’s contested election after Hungary vetoed a statement that expressed concern about alleged “flaws and irregularities” in the voting and called for greater transparency.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner of the country’s July 28 presidential election by a government-controlled electoral body, which gave him about 51 percent of votes to 44 percent for his opponent, Edmundo González Urrutia. However, the government failed to explain how those results had been calculated and verified.

EU countries wanted to adopt a joint statement raising concerns about the result on Monday but were prevented by Budapest’s stance, two officials familiar with the discussions told POLITICO.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell subsequently published the statement — which says “credible reports from domestic and international observers indicate that the elections were marred by numerous flaws and irregularities” — in his own name.

Realizing that Hungary would likely remain intransigent, Borrell issued a follow-up statement in his name on Tuesday instead of seeking backing from the EU’s 27 member countries.

“The data that the [Venezuelan] opposition has made available to the public offers a radically different result from the one announced” by the country’s authorities, Borrell’s second statement said.

“Until voting records are made public and are verified, the election results as already declared cannot be recognised.”

Hungary’s veto underlines a fundamental flaw in EU foreign policy whereby decisions — including potential future sanctions on Venezuela — must be unanimously agreed among the bloc’s 27 member countries. This has led several countries, such as Germany, to advocate taking foreign policy decisions by a qualified majority.

The Hungarian government couldn’t be immediately reached for a comment on the motivation for its veto.

quote:

Op woensdag 31 juli 2024 20:50 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.politico.eu/a(...)olicy-josep-borrell/
[..]

SPOILER

SPOILER

quote:

The State Duma has changed its mind about banning gadgets at the front after mass outrage from Z-bloggers and military personnel

Deputies decided to return the law on punishment of participants in the war with Ukraine for using gadgets at the front for revision. The document allows commanders of military units and garrison commandants to arrest soldiers without trial and send them to the guardhouse, including for a mobile phone. The initiative was adopted on July 24, now they want to amend the law.

“Recommend that the State Duma recognize the resolution as invalid <…> and return draft federal law No. 289614-8 “On the specifics of the application and execution of disciplinary arrest in relation to military personnel participating in a special military operation” to the second reading procedure , ” the document says .

According to the proposed amendments, participants in the war with Ukraine will no longer be punished for carrying gadgets in the combat zone if the devices are used to perform official duties established by federal authorities. The changes will be considered on July 31.

SPOILER

quote:

The decision was made to lift the total ban after mass indignation from the military and Z-bloggers. They reproached the deputies for being "completely out of touch with reality" and suggested that they themselves go to the front. The author of the Telegram channel "Military Informant" noted that phones on the front line "literally play one of the decisive roles."

This was confirmed in the public group "Two Majors". "Nowadays, you can't do without gadgets in war. First, create a replacement for the already established system of troop control. At least for army chats in Telegram, which, bitch, control entire combined arms armies," they wrote there.

Fugitive former Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleg Tsarev called the law a "serious blow to the image" of Defense Minister Andriy Belousov and explained the initiative by censorship considerations. "They deprived the army of communications without providing anything in return. There is no doubt that the main reason for the ban is that the soldiers' and commanders' smartphones often leaked unsightly truths that irritated the military leadership," he explained.

"Voyenkor" Alexey Zhivov noted that the new norm will allow any "complainant" to be arrested and then sent to the "pit" or to assaults. "There, if you survive, you will change your mind about complaining forever," he added .

The law was criticized in the State Duma itself. Deputy from the North-West Russian Party Marina Kim said that by banning gadgets at the front, the authorities are depriving the military of the chance "to simply survive." In turn, United Russia member Yevgeny Popov suggested that everyone whose devices are "arbitrarily" taken away should write to him personally.

At the same time, the chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, Andrei Kartapolov, accused opponents of the bill of “supporting drunks, violators, arbitrariness, and simply lawlessness.”

quote:

This is true about the Mi-8. Unfortunately.

Will live...

Tornado Hits an Airfield in Begishevo, Russia

quote:

Op donderdag 1 augustus 2024 00:25 schreef michaelmoore het volgende:
jonge russen gaan dood en jonge russinnen gaan er vandoor
het oude rusland vergrijst en sterft uit

Waarom wil Rusland de Sovjet Unie terug ??
De Sovjet Unie was de slechtste Unie die ooit bestaan heeft , een gedwongen Unie

quote:

He appears uniformed with the insignia of the Russian mercenary group alongside the repressive forces of Nicolás Maduro's dictatorship... let the world see it... and assimilate it. Putin's Russia helps Chavismo repress the Bravo Venezuelan People! Does this or more sell homeland?

🆘 Free Venezuela 🆓✊🇻🇪⛓️‍💥🗽

quote:

Minutes ago we posted this video, analyzing the images we managed to detect A WAGNER PMC ELEMENT.

This proves the presence of Russians advising the Venezuelan armed forces in the area of ​​citizen control.

quote:

F-16s arrived in Ukraine, confirms Lithuanian Foreign Minister
Ukraine has already received the first batch of F-16 fighter jets as part of Western defense aid. The exact number is not specified at this time, according to a Twitter (X) post by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

The minister noted that such support in the form of delivering these long-awaited aircraft to the Ukrainian side seemed impossible before.

"F-16s in Ukraine. Another impossible turned out to be totally possible," Landsbergis stated in his post.

Meanwhile, a US official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity that the delivery of the fighter jets has been completed.

The news agency adds that the Ukrainian Air Force did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Additionally, the Associated Press reported that the first F-16 fighter jets have already been received by Ukraine. The US news agency confirmed this information through a Ukrainian diplomat and an American official, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to AP, citing a Ukrainian MP, Kyiv has received a small number of F-16 fighter jets.

However, it remains unclear how many jets have been provided to Ukraine in the first batch and from which countries.

It's important to note that the Ukrainian government has neither confirmed nor denied receiving these aircraft.

F-16s for Ukraine
Previously, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway committed to providing Ukraine with over 60 F-16 fighter jets.

In July, during a NATO summit, US President Joe Biden, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that the process of delivering F-16s to Ukraine had begun.

On July 31, Bloomberg reported that a small number of F-16 jets had already been delivered to Ukraine. The Telegraph also reported that Ukraine had allegedly used F-16s for air defense purposes.

Additionally, the White House declined to comment on the information regarding the transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine.

quote:

Ukraine Upholds Lukoil Sanctions, Saying They Pose No Threat to Slovakia
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has commented on recent discussions with Slovak counterpart Robert Fico regarding Ukraine's restrictions on the transit of Russian "Lukoil" oil to Slovakia and Hungary.

Shmyhal shared this information on his social media.

The Ukrainian Prime Minister emphasized that Kyiv insists on its partners' maximum rejection of Russian oil but remains a reliable transit partner "for all countries that value freedom and the rule of law" and "unequivocally fulfills the Association Agreement with the EU."

"The sanctions imposed by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine do not pose a threat to Slovakia's energy security or to Europe as a whole, which is why their removal is not up for discussion. Thus, we have complete understanding from Brussels on this issue," he stressed.

In contrast, Shmyhal pointed out that the real threat to Slovakia's energy security comes from "Russia, its hybrid energy war against the Slovak people, its blackmail, and political ultimatums."

"Slovakia is our reliable partner, from whom we do not expect blackmail or threats. Threatening Ukraine, which is defending itself from an aggressor, in order to allow a terrorist state to continue earning its bloody profits is a dubious path," he said.

The Ukrainian Prime Minister announced another intergovernmental meeting between Ukraine and Slovakia in October, where he hopes for a "constructive, pragmatic dialogue."

"Thank you to my colleague, Mr. Fico, for the important and constructive discussions. I am confident that we will find mutually beneficial solutions for Ukraine, for Slovakia, and for Europe," he concluded.

Shmyhal's statement came after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened consequences if Kyiv does not resume the transit of Russian "Lukoil" oil.

quote:

Ukrainian Navy destroys Shahed during night attack
The Ukrainian Navy destroyed a Shahed during a night air attack.
This was reported by Ukrinform with reference to the Ukrainian Navy on Facebook.

"Last night, during an air attack by the Russian occupiers, the forces and means of the Ukrainian Navy downed an enemy kamikaze drone SHAHED-136," the statement said.

The Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continues to destroy the enemy on land, at sea and in the air, the Navy added.

quote:

The choice is limited: due to the heat, the harvest this year is small.
...
Local residents who come here all the time complain: everything has become at least a hundred more expensive. By mid-July, strawberries cost 500 rubles per kilogram - almost twice as much as last year; by the end of the month it reached 750, raspberries - up to 800.
...
For private clients, prices are steep: a kilogram of strawberries retail - 550 rubles, raspberries - from 600 to 1000. Blueberries - up to 1800.
...
So, stale, jelly-like strawberries are not written off, but are sold for 250 rubles.
...
“This year we have already had five hailstorms, three hurricanes, frosts, rainstorms and drought. This has never happened before. For ten days the temperature at night was below zero, reaching minus eight degrees."
...
There are no strawberry seedlings at all, farmers say. We have to ship from Europe, and there are more and more difficulties with logistics,
...
Now only in a roundabout way through Turkey, which is twice as long and more expensive.
"The delivery time from the Netherlands is now 14 days, not four, as before. Last year I ordered raspberries from Italy, and instead of the stated three days, it took almost three weeks with a stop in Poland, 60% died on the way.
...
Another significant factor is the shortage of labor. “Pickers are needed during the season, but there are very few of them: the outflow of migrant workers has had an effect,”
...
“If last year hiring one worker cost 1,800-2,200 a day, now it’s at least 3,000. Our farm needs about 35-50 people, but there was only enough money for 22 people. As a result, the berries spoil on the field,” he complains .
“Previously, qualified agricultural workers from Uzbekistan came to us, but now there are simply no people. Even 15-year-old schoolchildren are in great demand,” admits Plenkin.

quote:

Op donderdag 1 augustus 2024 10:04 schreef bleiblei het volgende:
Wel interessant. Een kg goeie Nederlandse aardbeien kost er 5euro en 10cent. Wat betalen wij daarvoor?

quote:

Op donderdag 1 augustus 2024 09:53 schreef oheng het volgende:
Verrotte aardbeien zijn in de aanbieding in de groothandel. Slechts 2,50 eurodollar per kilo.
RIA heeft alle details.
[..]
Nu aan de beurt: sprinkhanen en kikkers.