Oorlog in Oekra�ne #999: F-16s vliegen eindelijk rond.

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The Dealings Of Dmitry Patrushev, A Star Of Russia's 'New Nobility' And A Possible Putin Successor

^{Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev presses the flesh at a government meeting on energy in Moscow on July 2.}

In 2017, a Cyprus-based offshore company called Pimodo invested 3 million euros ($3.25 million) in 10 residences at the five-star Salinas Sea Resort in the Atlantic Ocean archipelago nation of Cape Verde. The money for the investment was provided by the Russian agricultural-trading firm Agrotorg Tulsky, an affiliate of Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank), which the Russian government created in 2000 to support the agricultural sector.

Agrotorg Tulsky then purchased Pimodo itself in April 2018, meaning that the bank set up to develop Russian agriculture became the owner of luxury housing in a remote country known for its white sand beaches and as “an important transit hub for South American cocaine moving to Europe,” according to the U.S. government.

The Cape Verde resort purchase opens a window into an elite realm of Russia’s opaque leadership circles, Systema, RFE/RL’s Russian-language investigative unit, has found. And the brightest star in this particular constellation is Dmitry Patrushev, the 46-year-old Russian deputy prime minister who is the eldest son of presidential aide and former Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. The younger Patrushev has been tabbed by experts as a leading candidate for a successor if President Vladimir Putin, 71, relinquishes power -- though there’s no sign he plans to anytime soon.

“The biggest plus” of Dmitry Patrushev as a potential successor “is his combination of silovik and civilian. Thanks to his father, the chekist corporation will perceive him, if not completely as ‘their own,’ then ‘socially close,’” wrote political consultant and former Putin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov, using Russian terms that refer to senior officials with military or security backgrounds. “At the same time, most of society -- tired of militaristic rhetoric and the endless hunt for enemies -- won’t be frightened by his ‘epaulettes.’”

The main minuses for Patrushev, Gallyamov continued, are the scandals surrounding him and his unpalatable image as a “fortunate son.”

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Explosion occurred at military factory in Bashkiria, resulting in casualties
An explosion occurred at the Avangard military plant in the city of Sterlitamak, Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, which belongs to the Russian corporation Rostec, according to Russian media sources.

The incident occurred while a repair crew was dismantling a pipeline in one of the workshops. Three crew members were killed. The causes of the accident are under investigation.

The Russian Investigative Committee suggests that workers violated safety procedures during the cutting of pipes, causing a gas-air mixture to ignite, according to Radio Svoboda, citing other Russian media.

The Avangard plant is owned by the state corporation Rostec and manufactures weapons and components for multiple-launch rocket systems. The enterprise is under sanctions from the European Union, Switzerland, and Ukraine.

Explosions and incidents in Russia
In recent months, incidents of fires and explosions at defense and military enterprises, oil refineries, and oil depots have increased across various cities in Russia.

In mid-July, a drone attack caused a fire at the low-voltage apparatus plant in Korenevo, Kursk region.

At the end of July, Ukrainian special forces drones attacked an oil refinery and several Russian airfields, damaging a Tu-22M3 bomber.

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Former Trump Adviser Kellyanne Conway Lobbies for Ukrainian Interests
The former campaign aide indicated in a Justice Department filing that she will be paid $50,000 a month by an oligarch to seek support for Ukraine.

^{Kellyanne Conway, who served as a top aide to Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign and his White House, registered on Friday to represent Victor Pinchuk, a Ukrainian oligarch.Credit...Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times}

With former President Donald J. Trump and his allies signaling that he will scale back assistance to Ukraine if he retakes the White House, a onetime close adviser has accepted a $50,000-a-month contract to lobby for Ukrainian interests.

Kellyanne Conway, who served as a top aide to Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign and his presidency, registered on Friday to represent Victor Pinchuk, a Ukrainian oligarch who has positioned himself as a leading supporter of his country’s defense against Russian aggression.

In a filing with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Ms. Conway indicated that the Ukrainian government would be the “principal beneficiary” of her lobbying on behalf of Mr. Pinchuk’s charitable foundation.

The filing signaled that Ms. Conway would engage U.S. lawmakers and opinion leaders to explain the importance of Ukraine to the protection of democratic principles, and would try to raise awareness “of Ukrainians’ fight for freedom and the Russian illegal war of aggression.”

Ms. Conway also indicated that she would try to persuade American officials to attend the forthcoming installment of Mr. Pinchuk’s annual security conference, scheduled for next month in Kyiv.

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Ukraine’s air defenses shoot down four enemy missiles, 15 Shahed UAVs overnight
On the night of August 6, Ukraine’s air defense forces shot down 2 of 4 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, 2 of 2 Kh-59 air defense missiles, and 15 of 16 Shahed attack drones launched by Russian invaders.
Ukrainian Air Force Commander, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk said this in a post on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

“On the night of August 6, 2024, the enemy fired four Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles at the Kyiv region from Russia’s Voronezh region, two Kh-59 guided missiles from the airspace over the Azov Sea, and 16 Shahed-type attack UAVs from Crimea’s Cape Chauda, Russia’s Kursk,” the report says.

Mobile firing groups of the Defense Forces, anti-aircraft missile troops and airborne EW units of the Air Force of Ukraine were engaged in repelling the air attack.

As a result of anti-aircraft combat, two Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, two Kh-59 guided missiles and 15 attack UAVs were shot down in the Kyiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Khmelnytskyi regions.

As reported by Ukrinform, on the night of August 6, the Ukrainian Navy destroyed three Shahed attack drones.

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Russian Helicopter Sinks After Crashing in Mediterranean
A Russian Mi-8MT helicopter crashed and sank in the Mediterranean while working to extinguish a forest fire in Turkey, Russia's state-run media reported.

The helicopter, which was operating under Russia's Abakan Air, sank near the town of Adana in Turkey after crew members attempted to take water for firefighting work on August 2, a representative of the Moscow-based Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) told news agency Interfax.

Abakan Air performs domestic and international charter flights, providing aviation services in Russia and overseas, including search and rescue, medical flights and cargo charter flights, its website states.

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What Russia’s arrest footage of Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan really tells us
Russia’s pro-Kremlin media know how to create an alternative reality, and last week’s historic prisoner swap was no exception.

On Monday, Russian state-backed media outlets treated viewers to lurid footage of the arrests of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan.

The locations of the videos are not in doubt: Gershkovich was arrested last year at the Bukowski Grill, a steak restaurant in the city of Yekaterinburg; Whelan was arrested at the Metropol Hotel, just across the road from the Bolshoi Theater in central Moscow.

But take nothing at face value from these heavily edited videos. Yes, we see Gershkovich being roughly detained and pushed to the ground. And we see a handcuffed Paul Whelan on a hotel bed, flanked by Russian security officers.

Yet despite the claims of the Russian-language voice-over, there is little here to support Moscow’s case that the two men were engaged in espionage – an allegation strenuously denied by the US government, the families of Whelan and Gershkovich, and their supporters.

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EU Council approves �4.2 billion for Ukraine
On August 6, the EU Council approved the allocation of �4.2 billion to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility program
The Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council reports.

It is noted that after completing the written procedure, the EU Council adopted a decision allowing the first payment of almost �4.2 billion under the Ukraine Facility program.

"This decision supports the macro-financial stability of Ukraine and the functioning of its public administration," the statement says.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal thanked the EU Council for this decision and said that payments are expected in August 2024.

On July 24, EU ambassadors approved another �4.2 billion for Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility program.

What is the Ukraine Facility?
The Ukraine Facility is an instrument that allows Ukraine to receive financial and technical assistance from the EU totaling �50 billion in 2024-2027. Of this amount, �38.27 billion will be allocated for budget support, �6.97 billion for the investment fund, and �4.76 billion for technical and administrative support.

The EU finally approved the four-year support program for Ukraine on February 28. Subsequently, on March 18, the government approved the plan for the Ukraine Facility program. The European Commission called it a great achievement.

In early June, the Ukrainian parliament ratified an agreement with the European Union to receive funds under the Ukraine Facility initiative.

On July 9, Ukraine's First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko signed a financial agreement between Ukraine and the European Union regulating the receipt of grant assistance under the Ukraine Facility in the amount of �5.27 billion.

Subsequently, the European Commission approved another �4.2 billion in funding for Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility.

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Destroyed warehouse at Morozovsk airfield. Almost the entire range of ammunition for the Su-34 is observed. Destroyed were FAB 100 to 500 aerial bombs (all of which can be used with the UMPK), KAB-500 guided aerial bombs and rare KAB-1500. 1/2

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There are also R-73 air-to-air missiles used for self-defense of bombers. The wreckage of the Su-34 itself can be seen in several photos (bright blue). Including the torn-off Khibiny electronic warfare unit - it is located in the wingtip 2/2

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Putin to Fire General Running Russia's Armored Vehicle Production: Report
Another top defense official in Russia will be removed from his post in part of an ongoing shake-up of the country's military establishment in Vladimir Putin's new presidential term.

Since his reelection in a tightly controlled ballot in May, Putin has overseen a reshuffle of the defense ministry. It started with him replacing his close ally Sergei Shoigu as defense minister with Andrei Belousov, an economist.

Also, some figures close to Shoigu, now Russia's Security Council secretary, have been arrest on corruption charges; it has been viewed as a crackdown on the leadership of the defense ministry he used to head.

The Telegram channel Children of the Arbat, which has previously predicted defense ministry command changes, posted on Monday that Lieutenant General Alexander Shestakov will soon be replaced.

At the start of his full-scale invasion in Ukraine in February 2022, Putin appointed Shestakov as head of the defense ministry's main armored directorate, which is in charge of planning and deploying Russia's armored vehicles.

The channel said that Shestakov could not get along with his immediate superior, Lieutenant General Andrei Bulyga, who in March was appointed Putin's deputy defense minister in charge of army logistics. "Bulyga does not tolerate the phlegmatic nature of his subordinate and considers him a temporary worker, which, given Bulyga's own job, is at least funny."

The post said that Shestakov was stoic about his fate and had informed his inner circle about his impending departure, and so would not be able to deal with operational issues.

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Come Back Alive Foundation Arms First Group of ‘Pure Anger’ Snipers

^{Cadex CDX-40 CBA Shadow rifle in the hands of a Ukrainian sniper. Photo credits: Come Back Alive Foundation}

The first group of Ukrainian snipers who completed their training received 14 Cadex CDX-40 CBA Shadow rifles from the Come Back Alive Foundation.

This news was announced by the Foundation.

The Foundation’s specialists have already contracted, purchased, and even supplied some of the weapons to be used by the sniper teams formed under the “Pure Anger” project.

“In February, we jointly raised UAH 11,171,486 instead of the planned UAH 10 million. Accordingly, instead of 45 rifles for snipers of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, we purchased 50 units,” the Foundation said.

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Russian Defense Ministry Responds to Reported Ukrainian Border Breach in Kursk Region
The Russian Defense Ministry commented on the border breach by Ukraine in the Kursk region, saying military reserves will be used to repel the attack.

“The troops covering the state border together with the units of the border troops of the FSB [Federal Security Service] of Russia are repelling attacks and inflicting fire damage on the enemy in the area of ​​the state border and reserves in the territory of the Sumy region,” the Ministry said on their official Telegram channel. “Reserves of the Russian group of troops in the Kursk direction are on their way to the combat area.”

The Russian Defense Ministry released the statement at 5 pm, August 6.

Earlier today, in the morning, the governor of Russia's Kursk region, reported an attempt by Ukrainian Forces to break through in the Kursk border.

The Russian Ministry reports that 300 hundred soldiers from the 22nd Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, supported by 11 tanks and more than 20 armored combat vehicles, have attacked the settlements of Nikolayevo-Daryino and Oleshnya in the Kursk region, directly adjacent to the Russian-Ukrainian border.

They continued stating the Russian aviation targeted Basivka, Zhuravka, Khotin, Yunakivka, Bilovody and Khrapivshchyna in the Ukrainian Sumy region.

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Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups are already on outskirts of Toretsk
Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups (SRG) have entered the outskirts of Toretsk twice over the past three days from the partially seized village of Zalizne. Several clashes took place there.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda's source in the military familiar with the situation on this front

Quote: "There have already been two battles with SRGs on the outskirts in the last three days. They were definitely pushed back out once. The intensity of assaults has increased: the week before last there were 48, last week – 58. The Russians are keeping up the pace in assaults, shelling, and aerial bombs. The number of FPV drones has increased."

Why this matters: The Russians are moving extremely fast on the Toretsk front. They have advanced almost 4 kilometres into Ukrainian positions in the month and a half since the offensive began.

Background: The Russians launched their offensive on Toretsk and New-York in late June 2024, taking advantage of the rotation of the 24th Brigade to the 41st Brigade.

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Niger Breaks Off Diplomatic Ties With Ukraine
Niger said Tuesday it was cutting diplomatic ties with Ukraine "with immediate effect", accusing Kyiv of supporting "terrorist groups", two days after Mali took a similar step.

The decisions to break relations with Ukraine come in the wake of heavy losses suffered by the Malian army in late July at the hands of jihadists and separatist forces, which they blamed in part on Ukraine.

Niger said it would ask the UN Security Council to debate Ukraine's "aggression", government spokesman Amadou Abdramane said in a televised statement.

Niger and Mali are both run by military governments that took power in recent coups, went on to rip up defence agreements with France and turn to Russia for military help.

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Op dinsdag 6 augustus 2024 23:33 schreef inslagenreuring het volgende:

[..]
Het is allemaal misleidend. Ik zag hier van de week een filmpje dat de Russen 0 T90's meer in opslag zouden hebben.

Toch zie je die nagenoeg dagelijks worden vernietigd volgens de experts. Tenzij de Russen die tanks uit hun aars trekken rijmt daar ook iets niet.

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Kyiv foils suspected Russian saboteur network plotting attacks across Ukraine

^{Nine agents allegedly working for the Kremlin have been arrested by the Ukraine's Security Service SBU. Photo via telegram/@SBUkr}

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has arrested nine suspected Russian agents who it says were planning to conduct missile, bomb and drone attacks in six regions of Ukraine.

According to the SBU, those detained are Ukrainian citizens who were recruited by an officer from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to gather intelligence for assaults on Ukrainian military positions and critical infrastructure facilities.

“Following a multi-stage special operation, nine Russian agents were simultaneously detained in Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy, as well as in the Donetsk, Odesa and Kirovohrad regions. For conspiracy purposes, the suspects acted separately but were ‘attached to’ one FSB officer. His identity has already been established by the Security Service,” the SBU said in a statement.

The detainees include two city council members from the cities of Dnipro and Yuzhne, as well as two managers and a university student who were allegedly tasked with tracking Ukrainian military movements towards the eastern front.

Another suspected FSB collaborator was a former policeman who allegedly informed foreign services about the consequences of a Russian attack on a Ukrainian hydroelectric power plant.

According to the SBU, the detained individuals came to the attention of the FSB following their active participation in various pro-Kremlin Telegram channels.

After being recruited remotely, they communicated with their Russian handler through anonymous chatbots in Telegram.

They are currently in custody and face life imprisonment.

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Ukraine Will Have More Domestically Produced Missiles, Says Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the allocation of additional funding for the domestic missile program following the Strategic Command meeting.

“We discussed the Defense Forces' needs for the remainder of the year and the dynamics of production. Reports were provided by Defense Minister Rustem Umierov, Vice Prime Minister for Innovations Mykhailo Fedorov, and Minister for Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin. By decision of the Strategic Command, additional funding has been allocated to our missile program, resulting in an increase in domestically produced missiles,” Zelenskyy said.

Detailed reports were also provided on the Pokrovsk, Toretsk, and Kharkiv directions. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported via video link, stating that he is currently on-site and personally overseeing the situation. Separate reports were given by intelligence agencies – HUR (Main Intelligence Directorate) and SZRU (Security Service of Ukraine).

“Another report from Defense Minister Rustem Umierov addressed the supply of weapons and equipment to additional brigades. We are actively collaborating with our partners,” the President concluded.