Oorlog in Oekraïne #998: F-16s gearriveerd...

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Russians paying bribes to escape from war. Open proceedings include cases from Chasiv Yar – intel
Among the more than 100 open proceedings, there are 38 cases concerning the military personnel of the 102nd Motorized Rifle Regiment, which is operating near Chasiv Yar in Donbas

Personnel problems are worsening in the Russian army: the number of those willing to leave the service and avoid death in the war waged against Ukraine is growing. Because of this, criminal proceedings are opened en masse in Russia, reported the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense.

According to the DIU, such problems are evidenced, in particular, by the sharp outbreak of registered criminal proceedings over bribery in the Russian army.

As an example, intelligence officers cited the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces, where in five months of 2024, the number of open criminal cases for illegal dismissal from service due to health conditions and granting of illegal vacations tripled.

Almost half of such proceedings are being investigated against the soldiers of the 8th Combined Arms Army of Russia, the Defense Intelligence noted. Also, another 36% belongs to the 58th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation, the commander of which was arrested in the spring of this year on corruption charges.

The intelligence noted that more than 100 proceedings opened against officials of the military units of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces relate to bribery for granting leave from the combat zone.

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Top Moscow Exchange Manager Drowns in Latest Mystery Death
Atop Russian financier has died after reportedly falling off of a ship into waters near Moscow.

Georgy Chibisov, the Marketing Director of the Moscow Exchange, drowned on July 27, after he fell from a cruise ship that was making its way down the Moskva River for a bachelor party.

Chibisov, 44, was reported missing by his wife, before his body was found in the river by authorities. According to Russian media, Chibisov was not originally considered missing by other party attendees. His body was found the following day on July 28.

Russian news outlet MKRU reported that "one of the vacationers neglected safety rules", and that Chibisov tried to use the diving platform alone before falling into the water. No passengers saw what happened to Chibisov, as no staff were nearby and the captain was driving the yacht.

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Op donderdag 1 augustus 2024 22:18 schreef ExTec het volgende:
[ x ]

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Rudy Giuliani's Ukraine Ally Runs for Office in Russia
Aformer Ukrainian MP who was accused of trying to harm the 2020 U.S. presidential bid of Joe Biden is seeking political office in Russia, it has been reported.

Andriy Derkach, who fled Ukraine for Russia, has become a candidate in the Astrakhan region for the Russian Federation Council, state news agency Tass reported.

Derkach is among three candidates in the southwestern Russian region who are competing to replace the senator, Alexander Bashkin, whose term in the government's upper house ends in September, the agency said.

The U.S. government had accused Derkach of promoting unsubstantiated narratives about Biden to American media and officials, including some close to former President Donald Trump. Newsweek has contacted Derkach for comment by email.

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Moldova Expels Russian Embassy Staffer Following Spy Allegations
On the morning of August 1, Russian Ambassador to Chișinău Oleg Vasnetsov was summoned to the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and informed that a staff member of the embassy had been declared a persona non grata in the Republic of Moldova.

Following this, the Russian ambassador told the press that Moldova’s actions were "hostile" and that Moscow would respond accordingly.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chișinău clarified that the Russian diplomat has 48 hours to leave the territory of the Republic of Moldova.

The expulsion came immediately after searches conducted on July 31 by the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) and the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS) at the Moldovan Parliament.

After these searches, a parliament member and a border police officer were detained for 72 hours on suspicion of treason and conspiracy. According to the prosecutor's office, they were collecting and passing on information to a staff member of the Russian embassy in Chișinău that "damages the interests of the Republic of Moldova."

In July 2023, Moldova expelled 45 Russian diplomats and embassy staff, citing a pattern of hostile actions that undermined the country’s stability. The move came after reports surfaced about the Russian embassy in Chisinau operating 28 suspected surveillance antennas on its rooftop. These revelations heightened concerns about Russia’s interference in Moldova’s internal affairs.

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Exclusive-US Army stops paying soldier imprisoned in Russia, may prosecute him

The Army has stopped paying wages and allowances to a U.S. soldier sentenced last month to nearly four years in a Russian penal colony and may prosecute him if he returns to the United States, U.S. officials said.

Gordon Black, a 34-year-old staff sergeant, was convicted in Russia of theft and threatening murder. But he broke a series of Army rules first, traveling to Russia without U.S. military authorization, and flying through China to get there.

He was also having an extramarital affair - prohibited in the U.S. military - with a Russian woman named Alexandra Vashchuk, who he met during a deployment in South Korea. During leave from the military, Black followed her to Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok, where she reported him to the police after an argument.

A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, drew a comparison to the case of U.S. Army Private Travis King, who last year ran into North Korea and was taken into custody there. Once the United States secured his release, King was charged in October by the Army with crimes including desertion.

"When Black is back in the United States, there will be probably consequences, just as Private King is experiencing consequences for essentially unacceptable behavior," the official said.

"So the Army is going to do the right thing in terms of punishing bad behavior."

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EU and Ukraine Dismiss Hungary Oil Scare, Saying Transit is Fine
The European Union rebuffed concerns from Hungary and Slovakia over a decision by Ukraine to sanction a major Russian oil company and rejected for now their request for urgent consultations over the security of crude supplies.

European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis notified Hungary and Slovakia on Thursday that a preliminary analysis shows sanctions Ukraine introduced on Russia’s Lukoil PJSC in June don’t affect transit operations carried out by trading companies via the Druzhba pipeline as long as Lukoil isn’t the formal owner of the oil.

As the consignees of the oil, the traders involved in the transactions are considered by Ukraine to be the owners of the oil, according to two people familiar with the matter. One such company is Litasco SA, which is owned by Lukoil. Others are Tatneft-Europe AG, Blackford Corporation Ltd. and Normeston Trading SA.

Litasco isn’t under Ukrainian sanctions, Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s deputy economy minister, told Bloomberg.

In July, scheduled deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia where Litasco was indicated as the consignee were cancelled by the Russian side, the people said.

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Reconstruction of "Okhmatdyt" with charitable funds: a little-known company was chosen as the contractor with twice inflated prices
BO "Okhmatdit Charitable Fund" chose "Bud-Technology" LLC as the winner of the selection of the contractor for the repair of the hospital building, which was damaged as a result of rocket fire in July, with the funds collected by benefactors.

"Okhmatdyta" reported that they conducted the tender not according to the rules of the law "On Public Procurement", but in the form of a private competition "for the purpose of open and fair use of the funds donated by citizens", writes Nashi rzli.

In total, 14 participants submitted applications for participation in this selection, their price offers ranged from UAH 41.79 million to UAH 645.25 million (here and below without VAT).

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Ukrainian Navy’s second Turkish-built ADA-class corvette Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi (F-212) has been launched in Türkiye

^{The ceremony of launching the Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky (F-212). Source: Clash Report}

The Ukrainian Navy’s second Turkish-built ADA-class corvette Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi (F-212) has been launched in Türkiye today.

Clash Report published the photos from the event.

The launching ceremony took place at the RMK Marine shipyard in Istanbul. First Lady Olena Zelenska, Minister of Defense Rustem Umierov, Navy Commander Oleksii Neizhpapa, CEO of Baykar Haluk Bayraktar, and Hero of Ukraine Mustafa Dzhemilev attended the ceremony.

The corvette was named in March 2024. The Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi was solemnly laid down last August at a shipyard in Istanbul.

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Kadyrov threatens to kill hijab opponents, including Putin — video

^{Kadyrov says he is ready to shoot opponents of hijab personally (Photo:Screenshot of the video from t.me/chtddd)}

The Kremlin’s puppet governor in Russian-occupied Ichkeria, Ramzan Kadyrov, threatened to kill opponents of the hijab during a meeting with his followers, according to a video shared by the Telegram channel ChTD on Aug. 1.

"Chechnya is only against the wearing of the burqa, but those who advocate the ban on hijabs should be killed," Kadyrov said.

"Whoever tells my daughter to take off her hijab, I will kill him immediately. I'll shoot him right away, no matter who he is. This is my personal enemy, the enemy of Islam."

One of the opponents of wearing hijabs in schools is Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

"There is nothing good in this," Putin said during one of his "direct lines."

"There are, of course, national peculiarities in some republics. But what you mentioned is not a national peculiarity. This is a demonstration of a well-known attitude towards religion. In our country, in Muslim regions, there has never been such a tradition."

Warlord Kadyrov is likely aware of Putin's stance on hijabs.

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Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade Destroys Russian Bomb Launcher in Kharkiv region

^{Russian RBU-6000 naval MRL on a tank chassis, August 2024. Photo credits: 3rd Assault Brigade}

The 3rd Assault Brigade used attack drones to destroy a Russian missile launcher based on the RBU-6000 Smerch-2 naval rocket launcher.

The news was made public by the brigade’s press service.

The unmanned systems battalion of the 3rd Brigade detected and destroyed a Russian self-propelled multiple rocket launcher system that was firing at Ukrainian positions in the Kharkiv region.

The battalion’s operators struck the vehicle’s chassis twice and hit the launcher. Judging by the absence of detonation, it appears that the vehicle managed to fire its ammunition before burning out after sustaining damage.

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Russia legalizes cryptocurrency mining as global sanctions rattle traditional finances
Russia’s government passed two laws on Tuesday that legalize virtual currency mining and pave the way for its central bank to use crypto for international payments.

The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, has approved cryptomining for legal entities and entrepreneurs. Those interested need to submit their information to relevant Russian agencies so that they can be tracked, according to the new rules.

Individuals who stay within government-set energy limits can mine without registration. The government will also be able to ban mining in certain regions of Russia.

According to the law, miners will be required to report their activity to the local financial monitoring service and provide the addresses of their wallets to Russia’s security services.

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The Omsk Oil Refinery belongs to Gazprom Neft and is one of the largest oil refineries in Russia . The company is one of the largest suppliers of motor fuels to the domestic market: it produces every sixth liter of Russian gasoline and diesel fuel of the fifth environmental class.

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The Dane came to Russia due to disagreement with Western values, and then signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense. But now he went to court, saying that he did not want to participate in the conflict, does not speak Russian and is being oppressed by the Nepalese

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Danish musician files lawsuit against Defense Ministry for sending him on military operation
The Dane came to Russia because he disagreed with Western values, and then signed a contract with the Defense Ministry. But now he has gone to court, saying he did not want to participate in the conflict, does not speak Russian, and is being harassed by Nepalese

^{Photo: lawyer Roman Petrov}

A Danish citizen signed a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry and "unexpectedly for himself" was sent to a combat zone for a military operation, after which he filed a lawsuit against the military department. His lawyer Roman Petrov told Danish publications Nyheder and TV2 about this. The lawyer told RBC the details of the case and provided documents.

The Dane is 33 years old, he worked as a musician, the lawyer asked RBC not to disclose his name. He came to Russia last summer because he did not agree with the values ​​of Europe and was unhappy with the "worsening political climate."

He received a temporary residence permit until October 19. When his legal stay in Russia was about to expire, he applied for an extension of the residence permit, but the process dragged on. To resolve the issue, he contacted the Ministry of Defense, believing that this would allow him to obtain citizenship and stay in the country. In January 2024, the man was notified of the extension of the residence permit, but by that time he had been sent to the combat zone.

RBC sent a request to the Ministry of Defense.

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Ukraine Launched More Long-Range Attack Drones Than Russia In July

^{Ukrainian drone fundraisers Serhiy Prytula and Serhiy Sternenko with Bobr ("Beaver") attack drones. SERHIY PRYTULA.}

For the first time, Ukraine is launching more long-range drone attacks than Russia. Published figures suggest that Russia sent 426 Shahed-type drones into Ukraine in July. Over the same period Ukraine hit back with over 520 drones.

Russia appears to be less effective at shooting down the attackers as the Ukrainian strikes appear to be causing greater economic damage on oil refineries and other targets. Ukraine may be gaining the advantage in the strategic war of long-range drone strikes – and President Zelensky promise more and better strike drones to come.

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Russia's Largest Oil Refinery Caught Fire in Omsk
A fire broke out on the territory of an oil refinery owned by Gazprom Neft in Omsk, 112 reports.

According to sources, one of the AVT-10 oil refining units is on fire, and the fire area has reached 300 square meters.

The Omsk Oil Refinery is the largest in Russia. Its capacity is 22 million tons of oil per year, and the number of employees exceeds 3.5 thousand.

Videos circulated on social media show that the fire broke out at the AVT-10 primary oil refining unit, which has a capacity of 8.6 million tons per year, or 40% of the refinery's total capacity, Reuters writes. According to the agency's sources, AVT-10 must be shut down due to the fire.

The plant's press service confirmed the fire, although it said that the fire had already been extinguished and that the refinery itself continued to operate in "normal mode." The fire broke out "in an auxiliary room of the pumping station," and was extinguished by automated systems, as a result of which no one was hurt, Interfax quotes a representative of the enterprise.

In January-December 2023, the Omsk Oil Refinery processed 21.28 million tons of oil, which is 7.7% of all refining in Russia. The plant produced 5.07 million tons of motor gasoline (11.5% of production in Russia), 8.1 million tons of diesel fuel (9.2%), and 1.63 million tons of jet fuel (15%).

Since the beginning of the year, Russian oil refineries and oil depots have been attacked by Ukrainian drones at least 40 times, and a number of large refineries have been forced to halt production after fires and equipment damage.

According to Rosstat, gasoline production in Russia fell by 20% from January to May, and diesel fuel by 11% compared to late December levels. In early June, Russian authorities classified fuel production statistics, citing sanctions and the threat of market “manipulation.”

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Ukrainian Security Service Foils Russian Sabotage Attempt in Odesa

^{Security Service of Ukraine detaining a saboteur connected to Russian intelligence who tried to burn Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) transformers in Odesa. (Source: Security Service of Ukraine)}

The Security Service of Ukraine detained a saboteur connected to Russian intelligence who tried to burn Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) transformers in Odesa.

The military counter-intelligence of the Security Service detained a saboteur working the Russian military intelligence in Odesa, who was preparing a series of arsons at Ukrzaliznytsia facilities.

Among the main targets of the enemy were transformer substations and relay cabinets on the main railway lines of the region.

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Very serious. Dictator Nicolas Maduro announces the construction of two maximum security prisons for opponents. He adds that his objective will be to convert them into “re-education centers.”

He is talking about concentration camps for opponents. Terrible.

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Russia Says It Hit 3 Patriot SAM Launchers in One Day
The Russian Defense Ministry has claimed it destroyed several U.S.-made Patriot air defense system launchers in one day amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Russian forces hit three launchers of the U.S. Patriot air defense system on Thursday, 1 August, according to a statement from the Defense Ministry.

Russia used a combination of drones, artillery, and ground troops to target the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system.

Moscow also claimed to have shot down 14 rocket launchers manufactured by the United States and one MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System.

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Explosions reported across occupied Crimea
Residents reported hearing multiple explosions across occupied Crimea overnight on Aug. 2, the Telegram channel Crimean Wind reported.

Residents in Sevastopol, Simferopol, and Yevpatoria heard explosions around 1:30 a.m. local time, according to local media reports.

According to Crimean Wind, local residents reported an alleged strike on a shipyard used to repair ships for Russia's Black Sea Fleet off the bay of Sevastopol, but the reports are still being clarified.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed head of Sevastopol claimed that air defenses are operational over the city. He later added that occupied Crimea was under threat of ballistic missile attacks.

Photos of falling debris and small fires could be seen in Sevastopol, with reports of power lines damaged. Razvozhayev claimed that the falling debris was a result of downed missiles and drones.

Russian state-run TASS news agency later reported that air defenses had shot down at least four aerial targets throughout the attack.

The Kyiv Independent cannot not verify the claims, and Ukraine has not yet commented on the alleged attack.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has regularly launched attacks on occupied Crimea. Overnight on July 26, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed it had hit Russia's Saky military airfield in occupied Crimea.

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Russia's Gazprom net losses nearly double year on year
Russian gas giant Gazprom suffered net losses from January to June 2024 almost double those in the same period last year, the Ukrainian media outlet enkorr reported on July 31.

Losses in the first half of 2024 totalled 480.64 billion rubles ($5.5 billion), while those in the first half of 2023 totalled 255 billion rubles ($2.95 billion), according to Gazprom financial statements seen by the outlet.

Gazprom has had a turbulent time since the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion – its revenue fell by 30% last year with a net loss of $6.9 billion, the largest in 25 years.

Moscow's war in Ukraine led to worsening relations with Europe, limiting the operations of the company.

The energy giant relied on European markets and failed to find alternatives after the EU moved away from Russian gas. While Gazprom found some success in other foreign markets, this only accounts for 5-10% of its European sales.

Moscow has heavily taxed Gazprom's revenues over the last two years and the company paid $28 billion to the government in 2023, accounting for 9% of the government's revenue last year.

In June, a report commissioned by the company said it would not be able to recover losses incurred from Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine for at least 10 years.

The company said exports to Europe are expected to average 50-75 billion cubic meters (bcm) annually by 2035, only a third of the gas monopoly's prewar exports.

The forecast is "grim," Elina Ribakova, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told the Financial Times at the time.

"Gazprom is at a dead end, and they're very much aware of it," Ribakova said after reading the report.

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Op donderdag 1 augustus 2024 22:53 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

...knip.....

He was also having an extramarital affair - prohibited in the U.S. military - with a Russian woman named Alexandra Vashchuk, who he met during a deployment in South Korea. During leave from the military, Black followed her to Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok, where she reported him to the police after an argument.

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On TikTok, Ms Vashchuck had referred to Mr Black affectionately as her "husband" and her pindos, a slur for American.

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Op vrijdag 2 augustus 2024 02:13 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://www.moscowtimes.e(...)i-npz-rossii-a138451
[..]
https://www.reddit.com/r/(...)k_russia_is_on_fire/
oil plant in Omsk, Russia is on fire

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Op vrijdag 2 augustus 2024 16:42 schreef ExTec het volgende:
Ja, ik zou ook janken als ik ineens vanuit spanje naar rus zou moeten.

[ x ]

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Explosions heard in several districts of occupied Crimea
In the temporarily occupied Crimea, explosions were heard in several areas on the night of August 2. Loud blasts occurred in Sevastopol, Balaklava, Saky, Yevpatoria, and Simferopol, according to Krymskyi Veter and governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev.

It is reported that explosions on the Ukrainian peninsula, occupied by Russian forces, occurred around 1:30 a.m.

Reports online indicate that a series of explosions were audible from Sevastopol to Balaklava.

"It was also loud in Saki, Yevpatoria, and even in Simferopol," according to a post by Krymskyi Veter on Telegram.

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Russia complains about drone strike on Kursk and strong explosions
Explosions were heard in the Russian city of Kursk last night, and air defense forces are currently active in the region due to a drone attack, according to the local Telegram channels and the acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexey Smirnov.

Local authorities initially reported a threat of missile strikes during the night of August 2. However, around 02:00, they announced that the threat had subsided, only to later report a danger of a drone attack in the Kursk region.

A Russian official also mentioned that air defense systems had been put on high alert to repel the aerial attack.

Additionally, reports in local Kursk communities indicate that explosions were heard in various districts of the regional center throughout the night, with some describing them as powerful.

^{Drone strike on Kursk and strong explosions in Kursk (photo: Typychnyi Kursk)}

At present, there are no reports on the potential consequences of the airstrike, including damage to objects or casualties.

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Russia's Crackdown on Migrant Workers Backfires
Apush by Russia's authorities to restrict immigration has reportedly caused supply chain problems for grocery stores as labor shortages continue to impact the country's wartime economy.

Russian business outlet RBC reported that X 5 Group, which owns the convenience store chain Pyaterochka and supermarket chain Perekrestok, did not have enough staff for its distribution center in the Yaroslavl region northeast of Moscow. This was partly due to the departure of migrant workers.

Images of empty store shelves in the cities of Yaroslavl and Rybinsk have appeared on social networks and local media, sparking customer complaints.

The Mash telegram channel published a video of empty shelves in Pyaterochka stores, which had not been restocked with bread, cereals, flour, spices or water since last week. Local news outlet 76.ru said that there are no water bottles in some stores.

Mash linked the empty store shelves to recent raids on deported migrants and said there was a shortage of 1,000 workers at the distribution center in Yaroslavl.

Russian authorities have stepped up scrutiny on the legal status of migrant workers after Tajik nationals were accused of carrying out of carrying a terrorist attack at a concert at Crocus City Hall in Moscow in March, which killed more than 140 people.

Facilities run by companies that traditionally employ immigrants have been reportedly raided by police, sparking concerns about a crackdown on citizens of Central Asian countries.

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'Signs of escalation' on battlefield in Kharkiv sector, Ukraine's military says
Ukraine's military said on Aug. 1 that several observations on the battlefield suggest Russia could be escalating military operations in Kharkiv Oblast.

"The situation in the operational area of the Kharkiv Group of Forces remains difficult, tense and has signs of escalating," group spokesperson Vitalii Sarantsev said on national TV, in comments reported by Ukrinform.

Russia launched the offensive in the northern part of Kharkiv Oblast back in May. The push eventually ran out of steam as Ukrainian forces halted Moscow's advance.

Sarantsev said Russian forces observed in Kharkiv Oblast were conducting internal rotations and had increased their presence in border areas.

He also said there had been an uptick in sabotage and intelligence gathering operations.

Elsewhere, President Volodymyr Zelensky told French media on July 30 Moscow has began concentrating its efforts in the east, "throwing everything they have" in the Pokrovsk direction.

Ukraine's military acknowledged an increasingly difficult situation in the Pokrovsk direction as battlefield monitoring sites indicate steady progress of Russian troops westward.

"Today, they (Russian forces) are concentrating the largest number of personnel, the largest number of weapons and KAB bombs, everything they have, in the Pokrovsk direction," Zelensky said.

According to the president, Russia shifted its focus to the east after its failure to take Kharkiv.

Zelensky added that Russian forces also plan to advance in other directions in the east, such as Kostiantynivka, Toretsk, or Sloviansk, but at the moment, Pokrovsk remains the main focus.

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After missile strike on Crimea, fires broke out at invaders’ air defense positions

^{ATACMS launch. Photo credits: Office of Strategic Communications of the General Staff}

On the night of August 1 to 2, explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Crimea. The Russian invaders claimed an attack with ATACMS ballistic missiles.

In particular, the objects of the Russian invaders near Sevastopol came under attack, the Crimean Wind Telegram channel reports.

The sounds of explosions were also heard at night in Simferopol, Saky, and Yevpatoriia. The occupation administration claimed that Russian air defense had been operating over the peninsula.

Later, it became known that NASA’s satellite fire monitoring system had detected fires at Russian air defense positions near Balaklava.

The time period from 1:57 a.m. to 2:20 a.m., when the fires were detected, coincides with the time of the missile attack on Russian facilities near Sevastopol.

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Een Russisch spionnenechtpaar uit Slovenië dat gisteren onderdeel was van de grote gevangenenuitruil was zo diep undercover dat hun twee kinderen pas in het vliegtuig op weg naar Moskou te horen kregen dat ze Russisch zijn. Dat zei Kremlin-woordvoerder Peskov vandaag tegen journalisten.

Ze hadden een kunstgalerie en een ICT-bedrijf in de hoofdstad Ljubljana. Ze deden zich voor als Argentijnen en gebruikten de schuilnamen Ludwig Gisch en Maria Mayer. Met hun kinderen spraken ze thuis altijd Spaans, vandaar de Spaanse begroeting van Poetin.

https://nos.nl/l/2531462

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Latvia completes the construction of a fence on the border with Belarus

^{145 km of fence on the border with Belarus. Photo credits: Border Service of Latvia}

Latvia officially announced the completion of 145 km of fence on the border with Belarus.

LSM reported on this.

The main work has now been completed by the state-owned enterprise Valsts nekustamie īpa¨umi.

The second stage will be the preparation of the necessary infrastructure, including patrol paths, pedestrian bridges and other solutions needed to protect the border, which will continue along the entire 173 kilometers of the border.

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Four S-400 launchers destroyed in overnight missile attack on Crimea - social media
Four S-400 air defense launchers were destroyed during an overnight missile attack on Russia-occupied Crimea on August 2.
That's according to the Telegram channel Crimean Wind, Ukrinform reports.

"As we reported, according to preliminary reports, four S-400 launchers were destroyed in Crimea overnight," the post reads.

The previous post stated that Russia's S-400 Triumf air defense system was reportedly hit last night in Sevastopol, on the heights of Kaya-Bash, including four launchers based on a MAZ-543 truck and a 92N6 radar.

Earlier reports said that explosions rang out in several districts in temporarily occupied Crimea in the early morning hours of August 2. The sounds of explosions were heard in Saky, Yevpatoria and Simferopol, the loudest in Sevastopol and Balaklava.

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Ukrainian air defence shot down 11 Russian drones yesterday and at night
The Air Defence Forces destroyed 11 Russian drones over the past day and at night on 2 August.
This was reported on Facebook by the command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

"Over the past and current day, 11 UAVs of various types were shot down by air defence in the southern and eastern directions," the statement said.

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82nd Air Assault Brigade received Cougar armored vehicles

^{The Cougar armored vehicle is in service with the 82nd Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Photo credits: @Weapons_Illust in X}

Soldiers of the 82nd Air Assault Brigade have received American Cougar armored vehicles of the MRAP class.

Photos of the soldiers with these vehicles have been posted online.

The vehicles were handed over to the Ukrainian military as part of military assistance from the United States.

It was reported in March of last year that the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces had received Cougar armored vehicles.

Then the Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov published a photo of Western armored vehicles that had been transferred to the Armed Forces, including a Cougar.

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The Ministry of Defense authorized almost 20 samples of grenade launchers for operation

^{Fort-600 grenade launcher in service at NGU, October 2023. Photo credits: Special Purpose Battalion "Donbas"}

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, nearly 20 models of grenade launchers have been codified and authorized for use in the Defense Forces.

The Ministry of Defense clarified that about a third of them are domestically produced.

Foreign models are represented by grenade launchers manufactured by defense companies from the United States, Germany, Turkey, Canada, and Sweden.

The combat capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been enhanced by under-barrel, hand-held, automatic and multi-grenade, semi-automatic grenade launchers of various calibers.

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Ukraine uses guided ammunition for drones (photo)

^{Ukrainian BK-3OF high-explosive guided ammunition, August 2024. Photo credits: Telegram/VictoryDrones}

The Russian military reported the use of laser-guided bombs by Ukrainian bomber drones.

A photo of the drone and the ammunition was published by the VictoryDrones Telegram channel.

A Ukrainian heavy multi-rotor drone was shot down by the Russian occupiers over their positions while it was looking for targets.

A corrected bomb with an optical guidance system was found on board on one of the suspensions.

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Estonia to introduce full customs control on border with Russia
Starting August 8, 2024, Estonia will implement full customs control on its border with Russia to prevent it from circumventing sanctions

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna made the statement.

"Starting August 8, Estonia will introduce full customs control on the border with Russia to better ensure that we do not feed the Russian war machine and do not help the aggressor to circumvent sanctions," the minister wrote.

He also emphasized the need to help Ukraine win and raise the cost of war for Russia.

On July 18, Estonia, following Latvia and Lithuania, banned vehicles with Belarusian license plates from entering the country.

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Ukraine returns bodies of 250 fallen soldiers
After identification, the bodies of the defenders will be handed over to their families for burial, the Coordination Staff said

^{Photo: Coordination Headquarters}

On August 2, as a result of repatriation measures, the bodies of 250 fallen soldiers were returned to Ukraine, reported the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

The bodies of the fallen defenders from the Luhansk, Bakhmut, Maryinka, Avdiivka, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia axes, as well as from the temporarily occupied Mariupol and Horlivka, and from morgues on the territory of Russia, were returned to Ukraine.

The Coordination Headquarters noted that the transfer of bodies of fallen soldiers is carried out in accordance with the norms of the Geneva Conventions. Repatriated bodies and remains will be transported to designated state institutions for examination and identification of the deceased.

After identification, the bodies of the defenders will be handed over to their relatives for a dignified burial.

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‘Hunting for F-16s’: Guerrillas Discover Russian Buk Missile System in Donetsk Region
Guerrillas suggest that the arrival of F-16 fighters in Ukraine may have prompted Russia to move additional air defense systems closer to the front line.


The Atesh guerrilla movement reported discovering a Russian Buk-M2 anti-aircraft missile system in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk region, describing it as being “for hunting F-16s.”

The guerrillas provided coordinates and a photo of the missile system in their Telegram report: 47.5337226, 37.2052414.

“It seems that due to the new arrivals of F-16 fighters, the occupiers are forced to transfer additional air defense systems closer to the front line,” the report read.

The Buk medium-range anti-aircraft missile system is designed for point defense against various aerial threats, including aircraft, cruise missiles, and helicopters. The latest version, the Buk-M1-2, is estimated to cost around $100 million.

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Op vrijdag 2 augustus 2024 20:09 schreef Delenlill het volgende:
https://mil.in.ua/en/news(...)on-for-drones-photo/
[..]

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Exclusive: Russian hackers use fake luxury car ads to target diplomats
Russian military intelligence hackers have been embedding luxury car advertisements with credential-harvesting malware in a likely attempt to dupe diplomats, according to new research exclusively shared with Axios.

Why it matters: Targeting diplomats' devices can give Russian cyber spies access to state secrets and get ahead of any schemes designed to undermine the Kremlin's own agenda.

Zoom in: Researchers in Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 threat intelligence team have found evidence that a Russian hacking group has been using luxury car ads as a phishing lure to infect devices with malware.

• The new scheme started as early as March, and it likely targeted diplomats — although researchers don't know how many people may have been targeted.
• In one example, the hackers created an online advertisement for a 2009 Audi Q7 Quattro SUV for about 5,500 Euros.
• The post is advertising a "Diplomatic Car for Sale" and includes contact information and six images of the cars from various angles.
• The images and advertisement website are both hosted on legitimate services, making it harder for traditional cyber tools to flag them as malicious and for organizations to block access to these sites.
• Researchers attributed the attack to Fighting Ursa, which other cybersecurity firms refer to as APT28 or Fancy Bear, based on the online infrastructure and the malware used in the campaign.

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Op vrijdag 2 augustus 2024 20:21 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
Dure bom voor op een drone. Maar als ze toch niet werken kan je ze net zo goed zo gebruiken.

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A new drone shaped like a bird

Chinese developers have shown a new drone made in the shape of a bird.

Such an invention can turn the drone industry upside down. ParkutNews reports.

The drone is able to fly with the help of wing flapping like a real bird and looks the same.

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Russia exaggerating numbers of contract soldiers, investigation claims
Russia is inflating the true number of new contract soldiers it is recruiting by one-and-a-half times, according to a joint investigation by Important Stories and the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT) published on Aug. 1.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced in December that there were 640,000 soldiers serving under contract.

But citing data from Russian federal budget expenditures, Important Stories and CIT said only 426,000 Russians had received a one-time payment for signing a contract during the period from autumn 2022 to April 2024.

According to the outlets, this leaves a discrepancy of around 214,000 which cannot be accounted for by variations in how one-time payments are given out.

They also cited an anonymous source who claimed that in some regions of Russia, only 50-60% of recruitment targets were being met.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on July 31 ordered an increase in the sign-on bonus for new military recruits to serve in Ukraine to 400,000 rubles (over $4,600).

The presidential decree published on the government website effectively doubled the lump-sum payment of 195,000 ($2,260) rubles initially promised to recruits in September 2022.

Russia seeks new soldiers for its war as the full-scale invasion continues to take a heavy toll on its military's manpower.

All Russian citizens and foreigners who signed up for one-year service between Aug. 1 and the end of 2024 will be eligible for the increased bonus.

The document says that the payment is intended to provide "additional means of social support" for soldiers and their families. It also recommends that Russian occupation authorities in Ukraine offer an additional sum of 400,000 rubles.

Regional authorities across Russia have already begun offering other financial incentives for potential recruits.

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Ukraine estimates 700,000 people will leave country in 2024-2025
Ukraine expects 400,000 more people will leave the country in 2024 and 300,000 in 2025, according to the National Bank of Ukraine's (NBU) inflation report published on Aug. 1.

The NBU estimates the number of new emigrants from Ukraine will increase compared to its previous predictions in the April report.

Over 6 million Ukrainians remain abroad after they fled the country as a result of Russia's full-scale war, deepening the country's economic and demographic challenges.

According to the NBU's report, the main reason behind the predicted emigration surge is the difficult energy situation and associated insecurities about the upcoming winter, as well as the slow stabilization of economic processes due to safety risks.

According to the NBU's data, 200,000 people left Ukraine in 2023.

The NBU also said that Ukrainian refugees are likely to start returning to Ukraine in 2026.

The report's authors admit that it will be a slow process, expecting 400,000 returning citizens in 2026. The reasons for the limited numbers are difficult living conditions in Ukraine, primarily due to the power shortages, and the successful adaptation of Ukrainians abroad.

Deteriorating demographics have been a long-standing problem for Ukraine, going decades before the full-scale invasion.

The country's population went from its peak of over 50 million in the early 1990s to over 37 million by January 2024. According to one of the U.N.'s projections, the population could drop to 15.3 million by 2100.

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First F-35A Fighter Jet for Poland Assembled by Lockheed Martin

^{The first assembled F-35A fifth generation fighter for Poland. July 2024. USA. Photo credits: Lockheed Martin}

The United States has completed assembly of the first fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II multirole fighter jet for the Polish Air Force.

The aircraft rolled off the assembly line at Lockheed Martin’s plant in Texas in late July 2024.

The fighter jet, with the serial number AZ-01, has moved to the next stage of work, which includes applying a special stealth coating and final painting.

All work is likely to be completed in the coming weeks, with a presentation ceremony scheduled for August 28.

The Polish Air Force has officially named the fighter jet F-35A Husarz (Polish for “hussar”).

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Op vrijdag 2 augustus 2024 20:28 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Waar haal jij vandaan dat ze niet werken?

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HIGHCAT to Test Drone with Wired Control in Ukraine

^{HCX drone. Photo credits: HIGHCAT}

HIGHCAT intends to test the HCX unmanned aerial vehicle system (UAS) with a fiber-optic cable data transmission system, which is invulnerable to hostile electronic warfare systems.

This was reported by Forbes contributor David Hambling.

Representatives of the German company will travel to Ukraine in August to test their HCX reconnaissance drones capability in countering electronic warfare systems and, most likely, Russian EWs.

“Should the units want to test it on the frontline, this is possible,” says company co-founder Jan Hartmann.

The main feature of the HCX drone is its data transmission system, which uses fiber-optic cable instead of traditional radio transmitters. This provides the drone with a closed communication channel that is completely immune to radio interference.

“The technology was designed with the frontlines in mind, in particular, the current developments in Ukraine. We wanted to create a COTS [Commercial Off The Shelf] system that wasn’t jammable by enemy combatants,” says Hartmann.

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Op vrijdag 2 augustus 2024 20:52 schreef BEFEM het volgende:

[..]
Zijn toch legio voorbeelden voorbij gekomen dat die gejammed worden? 5% (of iets dergelijks) van de Excaliburs die maar raakt etc.

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laser-guided bombs by Ukrainian bomber drones

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A corrected bomb with an optical guidance system

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An optical guidance device is installed in the nose of the BK-3OF ammunition. According to the author of the photo, the projectile is guided by a reflected laser beam. In the aft part there are four aerodynamic rudders, which are supposed to set the direction of flight when the projectile hits the target.

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It is known that the Ukrainian defense industry has long been working on adjusted ammunition to increase the effectiveness of drone bombers.

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Op vrijdag 2 augustus 2024 21:10 schreef Delenlill het volgende:

[..]
Wat ik begrijp is dat Oekraine deze "optical guided bombs" zelf heeft ontwikkeld voor gebruik door drones. En dat een laser in de bom zelf voor de guiding zorgt. Hij is dus niet gebaseerd op bijvoorbeeld GPS.
[..]
[..]
[..]
[..]
De drone kan gejammed worden. Maar als ik het zo lees de bom zelf niet. Die wordt gewoon boven de target gedropt, en zal zelf bijsturen wanneer nodig, en dus veel secuurder zijn.

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Op vrijdag 2 augustus 2024 19:00 schreef oheng het volgende:
Nu reddit en GitHub nog. Komop rusland, je kunt het!

Russia's YouTube Ban is WORSE than I thought