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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: May 24, 2024
2024-05-25
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:08 Zelensky said that the US aid package includes badly needed long-range missiles: “Right now this package is critically important as the enemy is intensifying attacks on the front line. Today in Kharkov I saw with my own eyes the importance of strengthening our soldiers to protect our people, our cities and our communities."

22:00 Arrests began in the structures of the Russian Ministry of Defense - within a month, three generals, including a deputy minister, were detained on suspicion of taking bribes, and the former commander of the 58th Army, Ivan Popov, was detained on charges of fraud. Read more about the purges in the Russian army in the material How to eliminate the guilty.

21:56 German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed the transfer of another IRIS-T air defense system to Ukraine.

21:52 The defense forces managed to take combat control over the border area in the Kharkov region, where Russian troops entered, Zelensky said in an evening video message.

21:47 Blinken announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine worth $275 million. According to the Pentagon, it included, in particular, 155 mm and 105 mm artillery shells; 60 mm mortar mines; TOW missiles; Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems; precision aircraft munitions; small arms and additional small arms ammunition and grenades; demolition ammunition; anti-tank mines, etc.

21:38 Germany will not transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine, since the Ukrainians allegedly will not be able to program them themselves, and Berlin will not send its soldiers there due to the “risk of escalation,” Scholz said.

21:06 Putin is allegedly ready to stop the war in Ukraine through ceasefire negotiations that will fix the current position of the parties on the front line, Reuters reports, citing high-ranking sources from Russian political and business circles who have worked or are working with the Kremlin leader. For this story, Reuters spoke to a total of five people who work or have worked with Putin at senior levels in the political and business world. Read more in the article New rumor about a truce.

20:39 The accuracy of some types of Western weapons has decreased due to the work of Russian electronic warfare, which is why Kiev stopped using them, writes The Washington Post. We are talking about weapons that have satellite guidance, in particular, Excalibur shells and HIMARS systems. According to an American official, the United States is equipping HIMARS with additional equipment to ensure accurate targeting. And one of the ways the Ukrainians counter Russian electronic warfare is by using drones before targeting enemy targets.

20:10 Another Iris-T air defense system from Germany has arrived in Ukraine, writes Spiegel. Currently in Ukraine there are four medium-range Iris-T systems and one short-range Iris-T system.

20:04 Russia is holding 403 Ukrainian women in captivity, many of whom are illegally detained civilians, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported. There are also women whose fate has been unknown since 2014. The Russian side simply ignores numerous appeals demanding the return of women.

Women released from captivity talk, among other things, about humiliation, inhumane conditions of detention, inadequate nutrition, and the inability to receive qualified medical care and contact with relatives. The Russians also prohibit representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross from accessing places of detention of prisoners and civilians, of which there are more than 100 in the Russian Federation and temporarily occupied territories.

19:16 Moscow is spreading anonymous statements about Putin’s alleged readiness to freeze the war in order to disrupt the Peace Summit, Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said: “Why are Russian “sources” suddenly telling the media that Putin is ready to stop the war on the current line of contact? It’s all very simple. Putin is desperately trying to disrupt the Peace Summit in Switzerland. He is afraid of its success."

“Now Putin has no desire to stop aggression. Only the principled and united voice of the world majority can force him to choose peace over war. This is what the Peace Summit is designed to achieve. That is why he is so afraid of it,” the Foreign Minister explained.

18:41 On Saturday, May 25, hourly power outage schedules will be in effect for industrial and household consumers throughout Ukraine from 20:00 to 22:00 - during the hours of maximum evening consumption, Ukrenergo reported.

18:32 Putin said that he is ready for negotiations with Ukraine, but considers Zelensky illegitimate: “We are aware that the legitimacy of the current president has ended. When resuming negotiations with Ukraine, Russia needs to understand with whom it can and should deal when signing documents."

The head of the Kremlin also repeated that Moscow is ready for negotiations “only based on today’s realities in the special operation zone.” In addition, he blamed the West for the breakdown of negotiations, and the Istanbul agreements of 2022, according to him, allegedly suited both Kyiv and Moscow. Putin added that it is possible to return to negotiations “based on the agreements already reached.” “We see that conversations about the need to return to negotiations on Ukraine have resumed again. Let them return,” Putin said.

18:10 The government has set profitability at 25% for domestic ammunition manufacturers - the same as was previously established for drone manufacturers, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mikhail Fedorov. This will allow manufacturers to expand and modernize their lines. The minister noted that over the past two years, Ukraine has significantly increased the production of its own weapons, and among the most successful cases is the revolution in the production of various types of drones. One of the factors for this success was the attraction of private manufacturers. As a result, drone production increased 100 times over the year.

17:59 In parallel with the peace summit in Switzerland, Russia is convening a BRICS meeting at the level of foreign ministers, Politico writes, citing sources. This means that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi may travel to Russia rather than Switzerland, as can the foreign ministers of India, Brazil and South Africa, the newspaper writes.

17:14 As a result of the Russian attack on the printing house in Kharkov, the total capacity of book publishing in Ukraine may decrease by 30-40%, said the owner of the Factor-Druk printing plant, Sergei Polituchy. According to him, this also applies to textbooks - the printing house produced up to 50% of all textbooks printed in the state. Recovery will take at least several months and international assistance.

16:36 Zelensky visited the destroyed Factor Druk printing house in Kharkov and showed the consequences of a missile strike, which killed seven workers:

16:08 British intelligence reports that Russia sent an African corps of former Wagnerites to attack Volchansk. The Afrika Korps of the Russian Ministry of Defense, created in December 2023, consists of more than 2,000 regular soldiers and officers, as well as experienced mercenaries, many of whom previously served in the Wagner PMC. According to intelligence, Afrika Korps troops are likely to have previously deployed to Syria, Libya, Burkina Faso and Niger.

15:55 The General Staff conducted a study to optimize the staff and decided to reduce it by 60%, said the head of the Main Directorate of Defense Planning of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Evgeniy Ostryansky. According to him, the Armed Forces of Ukraine plan to further staff the operational and tactical levels of command and control, as well as combat military units. This will allow for the rotation of units that have been in the combat zone for a long time.

15:47 More than 1 million citizens updated their data through the Reserve+ application, the Ministry of Defense reported. For comparison, the number of people liable for military service who did this through the TsNAP is 40,865 people, and through the TCC - 21,735 people. Reserve+ is currently available in 176 countries. Soon, a military registration document will appear in the application, which will have the same legal force as a paper one.

15:03 Radio Liberty showed fresh satellite images from the Kushchevskaya airfield in the Krasnodar region of the Russian Federation, which was attacked by drones on the night of May 19. The Planet Labs satellite recorded damage to at least two Russian fighters - the Su-27 and Su-34. The photographs also show that after the strikes, most of the fighters were removed from the airfield.

14:49 Defense forces stopped Russian troops in the Kharkov direction and are carrying out counter-offensive actions, said Igor Prokhorenko, a representative of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the Sumy and Chernihiv regions, according to him, the situation is under control. The enemy is amassing troops on the territory of the Russian Federation and daily strikes at border settlements.

14:11 Yanukovych’s plane has arrived in Belarus, where Putin and Lukashenko are meeting today. According to Belarusski Gayun, the Dassault Falcon 900C landed at Gomel airport today at 12:50. The last time Yanukovych was in Belarus was in March 2022.

14:02 Orban believes that Russia does not have enough strength to attack NATO: “Russian troops have already shown the limits of their capabilities in Ukraine. If the Russians were strong enough to defeat the Ukrainians in one fell swoop, they would have done it already. That’s why I I don’t think it’s logical that Russia, which can’t even defeat Ukraine, would suddenly come and swallow the entire Western world. The chances of this happening are extremely low.”

13:56 Germany, together with Denmark, announced a new package of military assistance to Ukraine. It included, in particular, ten Leopard tanks, 54 Vector and Heidrun reconnaissance drones, 8,500 155 mm artillery shells, 20 MG3 machine guns for Leopard-2, Dachs tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles. In addition, three HIMARS MLRS are being prepared for shipment.

13:17 Zelensky said that today he is on a visit to Kharkov and held a meeting on the operational situation in the region and preparations for the heating season.

12:58 Reuters writes, citing Russian sources, that Putin is allegedly ready to end the war in Ukraine through negotiations that recognize the current front lines.

12:19 Orbán said Hungary is working to “rethink” its NATO membership status to potentially avoid involvement in future operations outside the Alliance and increased NATO support for Ukraine. “Our lawyers and officers are working hard on how Hungary can maintain its NATO membership in such a way that it does not have to participate in NATO activities outside the territory of the Alliance,” the Hungarian Prime Minister said.

12:07 The Ministry of Reintegration announced the forced evacuation of children from 36 settlements in the Bogodukhovsky, Izyumsky, Kupyansky and Chuguevsky districts of the Kharkov region. In total, it is planned to take out 123 children. We are talking about orphans and children deprived of parental care.

11:41 In Lvov on May 23, a Russian Opposition Forum was held, in which representatives of the political and armed opposition to the Putin regime took part, including delegates from volunteer units fighting as part of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense reported. According to the report, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the MOU, Kirill Budanov, “supported the holding of such an event as one of the manifestations of the struggle against the Kremlin dictatorship, which also contributes to Ukraine’s victory over the aggressor state.” The media reported that Khodorkovsky, Kasparov, Feigin, Shenderovich and others took part in the forum.

11:27 The Khmelnitsky City District Court reported that it granted all 50 requests for parole of convicts who expressed a desire to mobilize into the Defense Forces.

11:02 Brazil and China are calling for a peace conference with the participation of both Russia and Ukraine, Bloomberg writes. The day before, Chinese Foreign Affairs Representative Wang Yi met with Brazilian President Celso Amorim's chief adviser, following which they issued a statement outlining a "common understanding" on the path to resolving the war in Ukraine. This is the first time that China has signed a joint declaration of war with another country, the newspaper notes.

"China and Brazil support holding an international peace conference at an appropriate time, recognized by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation of all parties, as well as fair discussion of all peace plans," the statement said. It also condemns the potential use of weapons of mass destruction.

10:46 As a result of yesterday's Russian strike on Kharkov, 50 thousand books burned in the destroyed printing house, Zelensky said.

10:32 Russia is increasingly succeeding in disrupting the operation of Starlink in Ukraine, writes The New York Times. So, for the first time this happened on the morning of the Russian offensive near Kharkov, which disoriented the Ukrainian Armed Forces, after which such cases were repeated. According to Ukrainian officials, the Russians have deployed more powerful electronic weapons and more sophisticated tools to degrade Starlink, which "poses a serious threat to Ukraine."

The publication notes that this “could mark a tactical shift in the conflict, highlighting Ukraine’s vulnerability and dependence on services provided by Elon Musk’s company.” Ukraine is communicating with the management of SpaceX to solve problems, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mikhail Fedorov. Starlink's service quality should improve soon, he said.

10:09 The police will forcibly deliver to the TCC those persons liable for military service who are on the wanted list, said the head of the National Police, Ivan Vyhovsky. According to him, police will check the documents of those liable for military service in public places. If a person is wanted, he will be forcibly taken to the TCC.

09:44 Late in the evening of May 23, the Russians shelled Kharkov again - the building of the enterprise was damaged, one person was injured, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. He also said that as a result of yesterday’s S-300 attack on a printing plant, seven people were killed and 21 were injured. Eight people were injured in Dergachi, ten in Lyubotin.

In addition, over the past 24 hours, one person was killed as a result of shelling. Redkodub, Kupyansky district; one person was killed and two were injured in the village. Kondrashovka, Kupyansky district; in the village An 11-year-old child was injured in Ryasnoye, Bogodukhovsky district; one person was wounded in the village of Prikolotnoye, Kupyansky district.

09:26 Biden is likely to skip the Peace Summit in Switzerland next month because it coincides with a campaign fundraiser in California, which the American president is scheduled to attend with Hollywood stars, Bloomberg writes.

09:01 In the Donetsk region over the past 24 hours, two people were wounded as a result of Russian shelling - in Toretsk, said the head of the OBA Vadim Filashkin.

08:49 In the Zaporozhye region, one person was killed as a result of an enemy attack in the Pologovsky district, said the head of the OVA Ivan Fedorov.

08:47 At night, the Russian army again attacked the railway infrastructure in the Kharkov region, Ukrzaliznytsia reported. As a result of the shelling, tracks, buildings, non-working freight cars and an electric train car were damaged. No people were injured, trains are running on schedule.

08:35 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of May 24:

  • personnel - about 498,940 (+1240) people,

  • tanks - 7635 (+13),

  • armored combat vehicles - 14,775 (+27),

  • artillery systems - 12 902 (+42),

  • MLRS - 1080 (+3),

  • air defense systems - 813 (+0),

  • aircraft - 356 (+1),

  • helicopters - 326 (+0),

  • UAV of operational-tactical level - 10 401 (+10),

  • cruise missiles - 2209 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 27 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 17,569 (+56),

  • special equipment - 2101 (+7).

07:42 In the morning, the Russians struck Nikopol, Dnepropetrovsk region, several times with kamikaze drones, and also fired artillery at the Marganets community. According to preliminary information, two people were injured, a four-story house and a store were damaged, said the head of the OVA, Sergei Lysak.

07:26 On the evening of May 23, at least six ATACMS missiles hit the communications center of the radar and air defense forces of the Russian Army in Alushta, Crimean public pages write. At the site of the impact there is a radio antenna of a space observation station and several buildings of the facility. At the time of the attack, high-ranking military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces were allegedly present there. Explosions were also heard in Simferopol, Saki, Yalta, Dzhankoy and Yevpatoria. According to the “head” of annexed Crimea, Sergei Aksenov, two people were killed as a result of an attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Simferopol, and in Alushta the attack was allegedly “on an empty commercial facility.”

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that air defense systems allegedly destroyed three ATACMS missiles over Crimea and two drones over the Belgorod region overnight. Also, naval aviation allegedly destroyed three unmanned boats in the Black Sea, heading in the direction of Crimea.

05:53 The first group of Ukrainian pilots completed training on F-16 aircraft at a military base in the US state of Arizona, said Arizona National Guard representative Erin Hannigan. The pilots trained at the 162nd Air National Guard Base in Tucson. Hannigan did not say how many graduated or the exact graduation date "out of concern for their safety." Pilots are currently heading to Europe for additional training.

05:14 Japan imposed sanctions against nine organizations and one individual from Russia, as well as two companies associated with Russia and Belarus. Among those included in the sanctions lists are Transmorflot LLC, State Airlines 224 Flight Detachment and its general director, military unit 25969, the Vladimirovka research complex and the Ashuluk training ground. South Korea also announced its sanctions - the Russian vessels MAIA-1 and MARIA were subject to restrictions.

00:38 Putin arrived in Minsk for negotiations with Lukashenko. The head of the Kremlin said that he plans to discuss with Lukashenko “security issues and the second phase of the Russian Federation’s nuclear exercises with the participation of the Belarusian military.”

00:21 The Financial Times writes, citing a source close to the leadership of the Russian Armed Forces, that a new partial mobilization in Russia “will become inevitable” by the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025. At the moment, the authorities are “ready to sacrifice some operational successes at the front” in order to “protect society” from participation in hostilities, the source claims. However, without announcing a new mobilization, he said, carrying out major offensive operations is not possible.

Link


Home Front: Politix
A Second Biden Term Would Be A Gift To Red China
2024-04-27
[Federalist] Having successfully secured more U.S. taxpayer dollars to line the pockets of their buddies in Ukraine, the Biden administration has now shifted its attention to another geopolitical hotspot: the Indo-Pacific.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in China this week meeting with high-level Chinese Communist Party officials, including his counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Conversations are expected to center around various issues of contention between Washington and Beijing, such as the Chinese military’s increasingly aggressive behavior in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. During Thursday talks with CCP officials in Shanghai, Blinken reportedly "raised concerns about (Chinese) trade policies and non-market economic practices," according to the State Department.

But raising concerns and demonstrating capable U.S. leadership are two different things, the latter of which President Joe Biden has failed to an embarrassing degree. Since taking office, America’s 46th president has crippled his nation’s economy and national sovereignty, while executing a disastrous foreign policy agenda that’s permitted China’s rise to go virtually unchallenged.
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 24, 2024
2024-04-25
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title
[Korrespondent] 22:35 The United States will continue to supply ATACMS tactical missiles to Kiev, said White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. He added that Kyiv will use ATACMS missiles within its territory.

21:57 Hungary supports the Chinese “peace plan” to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said after talks in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

21:52 The Cabinet of Ministers has banned the sending abroad of passports for men aged 18 to 60 years. According to the resolution, “receipt of a passport of a citizen of Ukraine, a passport of a citizen of Ukraine for traveling abroad by a male citizen of Ukraine aged 18 to 60 years is carried out at the territorial body/territorial division of the State Migration Service. Sending such passports to a separate unit or foreign diplomatic institution of Ukraine for organizing them no issuance will be made."

21:46 Kuleba said that Ukraine expects seven Patriot systems from its partners. According to the minister, one was supplied by Germany, negotiations are underway for four more, and he “saw personally” two more batteries, but has not yet announced details on them. The negotiations were difficult because “the countries that own these air defense systems are bargaining for compensation,” the foreign minister noted. At the same time, Kuleba added that he has no doubt, “given the progress we are making, that there will be Patriots.” The minister also hinted that the eighth system could come from the United States: “I think that the US Army probably has one spare.”

21:34 Ukraine and Portugal have begun work on a draft bilateral security agreement, the Presidential Office reported.

21:08 Zelensky said in an evening video message that Ukraine has been working as actively as possible with American partners in recent days in order to quickly fill the new aid package from the United States with exactly the weapons that the Ukrainian Armed Forces need: “From ATACMS and artillery, from anti-tank weapons and missiles for HIMARS to the necessary air defense and equipment." The President also said that world leaders will soon receive an invitation to the first Global Peace Summit, which will be held in Switzerland in June.

21:01 Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets confirmed that he is in Qatar for negotiations on the return of Ukrainian children. At the same time, he denied information about direct negotiations with the Russian Federation: “The return of Ukrainian children and negotiations with the Russian Federation are taking place through the mediation of Qatar and Qatari diplomats. No direct negotiations took place with the Russian delegation today.”

20:45 Pentagon Speaker Garron Garn confirmed that Ukraine has already received ATACMS missiles. He said Biden secretly approved the transfer of the missiles in February for use inside Ukraine, after which ATACMS were quietly included in a $300 million aid package announced on March 12. They were delivered to Ukraine in early April.

20:27 Shoigu’s closest ally, Deputy Minister of Defense Timur Ivanov, was detained in Russia. Officially, he is accused of corruption, but the media already has information that the associate of the head of the Russian Defense Ministry may be charged with treason. Ukrainian media write, citing sources, that the reason for Ivanov’s detention and arrest was the active measures of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. So, a month ago, the Main Intelligence Directorate carried out a successful cyber attack and gained access to a significant amount of confidential information and Ivanov’s official documents. Read more in the article Big Scandal in the Russian Federation.

20:03 The United States has secretly sent long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in recent weeks, and Ukraine used them for the first time last week, Reuters and AP report, citing US officials. According to them, the missiles were part of a $300 million military aid package to Kyiv that Biden approved in March. They were first used on the morning of April 17 against a military airfield in Crimea.

19:28 The Ministry of Defense said that the new US aid package, worth almost $61 billion, "will be decisive in strengthening Ukraine's ability to protect its independence and sovereignty, as well as in supporting global peace."

19:09 The drone coalition chaired by Latvia has already collected almost 500 million euros, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said. According to him, Denmark and the Netherlands announced a joint purchase of drones for Ukraine for 400 million euros. Canada also allocated 70 million euros, another 3 million - Lithuania, and Latvia - at least 10 million euros. “And this is just the beginning. Active negotiations with other countries of the unmanned coalition continue,” the minister added.

18:54 Russia wants to disrupt the Peace Summit, Zelensky said during a meeting with representatives of partner states and international organizations: “We have accurate information from intelligence, specific data that Russia not only wants to disrupt the Peace Summit, but also has a specific plan, how to do this: how to reduce the participation of countries, how to act so that there is no peace even longer.”

18:48 The Pentagon announced the contents of the new aid package for Ukraine:

  • air defense missiles RIM-7 and AIM-9M;

  • Stinger MANPADS;

  • small arms and additional small arms ammunition, including .50 caliber anti-drone ammunition;

  • additional ammunition for HIMARS;

  • 155 mm artillery shells, including high explosive shells and improved dual-use conventional ammunition;

  • 105 mm artillery shells;

  • 60 mm mortar shells;

  • Bradley infantry fighting vehicles;

  • MRAP;

  • HMMWV;

  • logistics vehicles;

  • tactical vehicles for towing and transporting equipment;

  • tube-launched optically tracked wire-guided (TOW) missiles;

  • Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems;

  • precision aircraft munitions;

  • airfield support equipment;

  • anti-armor mines;

  • Claymore anti-personnel ammunition;

  • explosive ammunition for destroying obstacles;

  • night-vision devices;

  • spare parts, field equipment, training ammunition, maintenance and other support equipment.

18:22 The United States will resume arms supplies to Ukraine within a few hours, Biden said. According to him, Washington will send Kyiv ammunition for air defense, artillery, missile systems and armored vehicles.

18:05 Biden said he signed a law with a package of assistance to Ukraine worth more than $60 billion.

17:44 Kuleba said that no single package of military assistance can stop Russia - this requires a united front of all of Ukraine and all its partners. According to the minister, the Russian Federation is now producing approximately ten times more weapons, so the West must increase arms production, as Ukraine did. “When I see what Russia has achieved in developing its defense industrial base during two years of war, and what the West has achieved, I think that something is wrong on the part of the West. The West must realize that the era of peace in Europe is over,” - emphasized the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

17:40 Over the Sinelnikovsky district of the Dnepropetrovsk region, air defense forces shot down an X-69 missile, the Vostok Air Command reported.

17:27 The UK plans to send Paveway IV precision guided bombs to Ukraine as part of a recently announced military aid package. There is no official confirmation of this information yet, but British BBC correspondent Jonathan Bill was the first to announce the transfer. Paveway IVs were first used in Afghanistan, and in February the UK Ministry of Defense said it had used the bombs in joint US strikes against Houthi rebel positions in Yemen. What is known about these shells is in the material London is arming the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

16:58 Umerov said during a meeting with a bipartisan delegation of the US House of Representatives that the Defense Forces have liberated about 50% of the territory occupied by Russia, and with the help of additional weapons, “we will be able to protect our citizens from Russian air strikes and improve the situation on the battlefield.”

16:20 Scholz said that his position on Taurus for Ukraine has not changed. According to the Chancellor, Germany will continue to supply Ukraine with multiple launch rocket systems, since this is its “task.” At the same time, the decision on Taurus remains clear.

16:11 Russia and Ukraine for the first time held face-to-face negotiations regarding children through the mediation of Qatar, said the Children's Ombudsman of the Russian Federation Maria Lvova-Belova. According to her, negotiations took place in Doha, and an agreement was reached that 29 children would move to Ukraine and 19 to Russia.

15:49 France proposed that the European Union introduce sanctions against Russian disinformation and operations to interfere in global elections. The draft document states that "destabilizing activities carried out by Russia-linked actors have increased across Europe as the Russian regime seeks to undermine democracy, stability and the rule of law through a variety of hybrid instruments."

15:08 Contact group Ramstein will work in a new way, the Ministry of Defense reported. In particular, the new format for providing assistance will mean that now allies will help not on an individual basis, but in a coalition format, in accordance with the immediate need. A Coalition Support Office has also been created to ensure sustainable and systematic management of military assistance. The coalition format appeared back in 2023, since then eight coalitions have been created.

14:56 Ukrenergo reported that on April 24 from 18:00 to 22:00 controlled restrictions on energy supply to industrial consumers will be applied. The need to limit energy supply is a consequence of Russian massive missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian power plants, the company emphasized.

14:25 The Verkhovna Rada adopted an appeal to international institutions, parliaments and governments of foreign states, international non-governmental organizations with a call to intensify international and national efforts for the release and return to Ukraine of all captives and illegally detained citizens of Ukraine, primarily Ukrainian journalists.

13:47 The Ministry of Defense announced that it is creating a unified system for helping the wounded. Key changes include modernizing tactical medicine, updating training based on evidence-based principles, and moving to a new level of education using best international practices. The unified system of medical care for the wounded will meet the standards of NATO countries. The development of the system will also be based on the combat experience of Ukrainian doctors, who have been on the front line since 2014.

12:59 The head of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, once again called on the German government to supply Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine: “The United States will now supply Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles. This is a sufficient reason to act now on the Taurus issue.”

In addition, before the meeting of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Berlin, a faction of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) called on the head of the British government to put pressure on his German counterpart on the issue of supplying cruise missiles to Ukraine.

12:23 The UK will send Paveway IV bombs to Ukraine, BBC correspondent Jonathan Beale reports. Paveway IV is a dual-mode 230 kg GPS/laser-guided bomb with a maximum range of over 30 km depending on release altitude, speed and flight path.

11:45 At night, SBU drones hit two Rosneft oil depots in the settlements of Yartsevo and Razdoro, Smolensk region, Ukrainian media reported, citing sources. 26 thousand cubic meters of fuel were stored at these bases. Now there is an evacuation of personnel due to large-scale fires.

11:36 The Verkhovna Rada increased the number of State Border Service of Ukraine by 15 thousand military personnel. Thus, the total number of the State Border Guard Service within a year from the date of termination or lifting of martial law on the territory of Ukraine will be up to 75,000 people, including up to 67,000 military personnel.

11:22 In the Donetsk region over the past 24 hours, seven people were wounded as a result of Russian shelling: five in Konstantinovka, one each in Krasnohorivka, Pokrovsky district, and in New York, Bakhmutsky district, said the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin.

11:18 In the Sumy region over the past 24 hours, five people were wounded as a result of Russian shelling, the National Police reported.

11:14 In the Odessa region, as a result of a morning attack, part of the equipment of the local power supply company was damaged. Some consumers in one of the districts of Odessa have been de-energized and repair work is underway, Ukrenergo reported.

11:06 At the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant, two oxygen units were stopped after a night UAV attack, reports the opposition Russian publication Astra. According to sources in the emergency services of the Lipetsk region, two drones crashed into the building of the NLMK oxygen station, the building was partially destroyed.

10:50 The southern defense forces clarified that Russia struck a storage site for disabled vehicles in Odessa. Thus, the enemy is trying to look for military infrastructure facilities in the rear. There were no casualties; Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen were not at the scene of the attack.

10:34 In the morning, the Russians launched a missile attack on Odessa, said Oleg Kiper, head of the OBA. Currently, one casualty is known. About 30 houses were damaged by the shock wave. The Ministry of Energy reports that as a result of the shelling in Odessa, overhead lines and substations were turned off, and some consumers were without electricity.

10:03 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggests that Shoigu’s threats regarding Russia’s intentions to intensify attacks on Ukraine indicate that Moscow may change the targets of its attacks. Analysts say Russian troops are likely to step up drone and missile strikes in the coming weeks to inflict as much damage as possible on Ukraine's infrastructure and defense industrial base before U.S. aid arrives. Experts also predict that Russian troops will intensify offensive operations at the front in the coming weeks.

09:26 In the Kherson region over the past 24 hours, as a result of Russian shelling, one person was killed and five were injured, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin. Impacts were recorded on critical infrastructure facilities, an administrative building, a gas station, and gas pipelines.

09:18 The number of victims as a result of the night strike in the Shevchenko district of Kharkov has increased to six, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. Three apartment buildings, two office buildings, three non-residential buildings, and a gas main were damaged.

08:42 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of April 24:

  • personnel - about 461,940 (+880) people,

  • tanks - 7242 (+1),

  • armored combat vehicles - 13,928 (+12),

  • artillery systems - 11,808 (+43),

  • MLRS - 1048 (+2),

  • air defense systems - 771 (+2),

  • aircraft - 348 (+0),

  • helicopters - 325 (+0),

  • UAV of operational-tactical level - 9439 (+32),

  • cruise missiles - 2117 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 26 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 15,892 (+47),

  • special equipment - 1944 (+8).

08:29 Over the past 24 hours, 101 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In particular, the enemy tried 24 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the areas of Krasnohorivka, Georgievka, Novomikhailovka, Vodyanoye and Urozhainy, Donetsk region. In the Bakhmut direction, 21 attacks were repelled in the areas of Belogorovka settlements in the Luhansk region, as well as Verkhnekamennoye, Novy, Spornoye, Ivanovskoye, Kleshcheevka in the Donetsk region. The same number of attacks were repelled in the Avdeevsky direction - in the areas of the settlements of Novokalinovo, Ocheretino, Novobakhmutovka, Berdychi, Yasnobrodovka, Netaylovo, Pervomaiskoye, Nevelskoye in the Donetsk region.

In the Liman direction, the Defense Forces repelled 19 attacks in the areas of Grekovka, Nevsky, Lugansk region and Ternov, Yampolevka, Donetsk region; on Kupyansky - five attacks in the Berestovo area of ​​the Kharkov region; on Orekhovsky - five attacks in the districts of Staromayorsky, Donetsk region and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region; in Kherson - three attacks in the area of ​​​​the village of Krynki.

08:17 The United States, together with its allies, has created a powerful logistics network that will allow the next package of defense assistance to be sent to Ukraine within days, and work in certain areas is already underway, said Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder.

07:51 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that during the night eight UAVs were allegedly destroyed and intercepted by air defense systems: three over the territory of the Kursk region; two - over the territory of the Belgorod region; two - over the territory of the Voronezh region and one - over the territory of the Smolensk region.

06:19 In the Smolensk region, after a drone attack, a fire occurred at “fuel and energy facilities” in two districts, local authorities reported. Local residents report that an oil refinery near the villages of Razdoro and Prigorskoe is on fire. Public pages also write about a fire at a refinery in the Voronezh region.

The authorities of the Lipetsk region also reported the drone attack. Local residents write in their public pages that the Lipetsk Tractor Plant, which produces, among other things, chassis for military equipment, was attacked.

04:38 The Senate voted for a bill to help allies, which, among other things, includes $60.8 billion to Ukraine. 79 senators voted “for” the bill, with the required 50, “against” - 18. Thus, both chambers of the American Congress approved the bill. It will now go to President Joe Biden for signature, who has already promised to sign it immediately.

01:36 The Russians attacked the Shevchenkovsky district of Kharkov with two S-300 missiles, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OBA. Four apartment buildings were damaged and two people were injured. In addition, the enemy launched attacks on the central part of Zolochev, Bogodukhovsky district, previously also with two S-300 missiles. The administrative premises were damaged, but no people were injured.

Link


China-Japan-Koreas
The Chinese army will create information support forces
2024-04-21
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The People's Liberation Army of China will have information support forces. The order to create a new unit was signed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Chinese government reported this.

Information support forces will be created on the basis of the strategic support forces created in 2015 to coordinate efforts in cyber warfare and political confrontation, which will be disbanded.

At the same time, the aerospace and cybernetic units previously subordinate to them will become independent.

Bloomberg reported that the changes in the Chinese army come amid competition with the United States for influence in the world and are the largest reorganization of the PLA since 2015.

It is also clarified that the Political Commissar of the Strategic Support Forces, Li Wei, will occupy the same position in the Information Support Forces. He promised to listen to Xi Jinping's instructions. Bi I was appointed the new commander of the information support forces.

As Regnum reported, in April last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping, during an inspection of the Southern Combat Command Zone of the People's Liberation Army of China, pointed out to Chinese military personnel the need to intensify preparations for real combat operations. The Chinese leader also noted the importance of deepening research in the military sphere and updating tactics and training methods.

In 2023, China increased national defense spending to 1553.7 billion yuan, up 7.2% from the previous year. The official representative of the National People's Congress of China, Wang Chao, then emphasized that the modernization of the armed forces of the PRC does not pose any threat to other countries of the world.

In 2024, China will increase defense spending by 7.2%. As noted by Reuters, this increase in military spending was the largest in the last five years.

China's central government's military spending is expected to rise to 1.67 trillion yuan (about $231 billion) in 2024, according to the Ministry of Finance's annual report. China's military budget ranks second in the world after the United States
Related:
People''s Liberation Army : 2024-03-15 Film Review: The Battle of Lake Changjin
People''s Liberation Army : 2024-03-10 While we scrimp on defence China prepares for war with everything from a huge nuclear arsenal to a vast, mysterious network of bunkers its population could use to survive an all-out atomic conflict
People''s Liberation Army : 2023-11-26 China (Epidemics R' US): the 5 virus mutant bugs
Link


-Great Cultural Revolution
Maryland transgender teen, 18, is arrested for planning school shooting because he 'wants to be...
2024-04-19
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] ….he 'wants to be famous' as cops find 130-page manifesto detailing twisted fantasy of trans character who wants to 'cherry pick kids' classrooms to massacre'
  • Andrea Ye, 18, whose preferred name is Alex, has been charged with making threats of mass violence

  • Cops found a 'manifesto' written which 'strategized how to carry out the act'

Montgomery County Public Schools told Fox that Ye is an active student at Wootton High School in Rockville but has been attending through a virtual program and hadn't been on campus physically since 2022.

Police reportedly said in court records that Ye's sex is female but he uses male pronouns.

After the FBI alerted Montgomery County Police to the manifesto, they obtained a search warrant and found internet searches, drawings and documents related to threats of mass violence.

Ye reportedly put a disclaimer in the book saying it doesn't 'represent the author's beliefs' but a witness - who first contacted authorities in early March - raised concerns that the manifesto bore 'striking similarities' to Ye.

The witness believed the writings indicated Ye was prepared to carry out a mass shooting imminently, according to court documents seen by ABC.

Authorities said they had determined that the manifesto appears to have 'portions of fictional and non-fictional qualities'.

Court documents state that the witness told police that Ye's 'memoir' was about 'a transgender main character' named 'James Wang'.

They said that 'Wang' was 'being bullied in school and other issues that [the witness] believed were directly from Ye's life and not indicative of fiction.'

According to ABC, the manifesto described how the character would 'cherry pick the classrooms that are the easiest targets' and said: 'I have also considered shooting up my former elementary school because little kids make easier targets.'

Authorities said they found social media posts and searches by Ye allegedly looking up 'gun range near me,' and the phrase 'But, I do recognize that my plan is fully unethical. It's selfish and evil', according to court documents seen by ABC.

The documents reportedly show Ye telling an online user: 'My homicidal ideation has been getting worse lately to the point I might act on it eventually,' and then later adding: 'I'd want to kill a lot of people or it wouldn't be worth it.'
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 9, 2024
2024-04-10
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:51 Bloomberg writes, citing sources, that Ukraine is behind the fire on the Russian ship Serpukhov in the Baltic Sea. The attack was carried out by Ukrainian agents, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. However, neither the Russian military nor Kremlin officials mentioned the incident.

21:42 The number of victims as a result of today's strikes on Slavyansk, Donetsk region, has increased to three, said the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin.

21:37 Russian troops in the Chasova Yar area of ​​the Donetsk region are using their traditional double push method. Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky has repeatedly stated that the situation near Pervomaisky and Vodyanoy, as well as east of Chasov Yar, remains “particularly difficult.” The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kirill Budanov, also reported that the Russians plan to advance towards Chasov Yar. According to him, the enemy’s strategic goal is Pokrovsk. More details about the situation can be found in the material Tactics as in Avdeevka.

20:43 The European Union has begun preparing the 14th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation,
I’m shocked that anything Russian remains unsanctioned at this point.
which should be adopted in the spring of 2024, said Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis. He said the package "will likely include a wide range of restrictive measures with a strong emphasis on combating circumvention - for example in the maritime sector, as Russia continues to try to violate the price cap on oil exports." In addition, the EU is looking for a way to stop sanctions evasion through Western subsidiaries operating outside Europe.

19:28 British Foreign Minister David Cameron said that London and Washington “have made progress” on the issue of transferring frozen assets of the Russian Federation to Ukraine. According to him, the project will be presented at the G7 summit in June.

18:51 Today the Russian army carried out two strikes on the industrial zone in Slavyansk, Donetsk region, said the mayor of the city, Vadim Lyakh. Two people who were on the street during the shelling were wounded. Lyakh noted that recently the number of shellings in neighboring communities has been increasing, and in Slavyansk itself, for the first time in a long time, shelling occurs during the day, and during rush hour.

18:39 The Russians attacked the Odessa region from Crimea, probably with an Iskander-M ballistic missile. The strike was carried out on a coastal recreational area, the consequences are being clarified, the Southern Defense Forces reported.

18:26 The new Minister of Defense of Bulgaria Atanas Zapryanov promised to speed up the provision of military assistance to Ukraine. Now we are talking about two aid packages. “We will try to speed up the provision of assistance to Ukraine. Further opportunities for direct military assistance will be considered,” the minister noted.

18:22 On the night of April 9, in the city of Borisoglebsk, Voronezh region of the Russian Federation, several drones attacked the aviation training center for flight personnel training named after V.P. Chkalov. The Russians announced supposedly minor attacks on educational buildings, but the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine and the media claim that the 711th aircraft repair plant was operating on the territory of the center. About what the enterprise produced, see the material Impact on Borisoglebsk.

17:39 Russia simulated a drone attack on the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in order to blame Ukraine, said GUR representative Andrei Yusov: “Today Russia decided to use FPV drones to simulate shelling allegedly from Ukraine. Ukraine’s position is clear - we do not carry out any actions or provocations against nuclear facilities "We're doing it. The aggressor must leave the nuclear power plant."

17:27 The United States transferred to the Ukrainian Armed Forces more than 5,000 AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, RPG-7s and over 500 thousand rounds of ammunition. Central Command said the weapon was an Iranian Revolutionary Guard weapon intended for Yemen's Houthis. It was confiscated in raids on four ships in 2021 and 2023.

16:58 The Russians fired artillery and MLRS at Semyonovka, Chernihiv region, one death is known, said the head of the OBA, Vyacheslav Chaus.

16:25 The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation stated that the terrorist attack in Crocus was allegedly financed through the Ukrainian oil and gas company Burisma Holdings, of which Joe Biden’s son Hunter was previously a member of the board of directors. The Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on “financing of terrorism by officials of the United States and NATO countries.”

15:56 Russian troops launched at least two strikes on a civilian enterprise in Kharkov, first by KAB. There are destructions and fires of buildings; at the moment, three employees of the enterprise are known to be injured, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. The clearance of the rubble continues; there may be people under it.

15:42 The Russians shelled Konstantinovka, Donetsk region - currently one death and two wounded are known, said the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin. Two more people may be under the rubble of one of the houses, and the search operation continues. The bomb damaged 27 private houses, three high-rise buildings, two infrastructure facilities and an administrative building. Another person was wounded in Sokol, Ochereti community.

15:17 Zelensky is on a working visit to the Kharkov region, got acquainted with the process of construction of defense structures and fortifications near the border with the Russian Federation:

14:50 Putin is expected to make a state visit to China this year, the Russian Foreign Ministry said following Lavrov’s visit to Beijing.

14:19 Germany is considering the possibility of purchasing Patriot air defense systems from third countries, since their allies have run out of them, Foreign Minister Annalena Bärbock said.

14:11 The IAEA will hold a meeting due to drone strikes on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, writes Reuters. According to the agency, the extraordinary meeting was convened by Russia and will take place on April 9.

14:06 The number of victims as a result of yesterday's Russian strike on a house in the Poltava region has increased to 16, of which four are children aged between five and 11 years, said the head of the OVA, Philip Pronin.

13:53 The German concern Rheinmetall announced that, on behalf of the German government, it will transfer another 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. Delivery of the new batch is scheduled for 2024. The ordered version of the 1A3 Marder will be equipped with built-in laser rangefinders, allowing effective and precise destruction of targets.

13:15 Russia, attracting political strategists and bot farms, launched a disinformation campaign in Europe to impede the supply of aid to Ukraine, The Washington Post writes, citing intelligence documents. We are talking about more than 100 documents dated from spring 2022 to August 2023. Documents show that the Russian Federation is working in France and Germany to weaken support for Ukraine.

12:38 The Australian elite sent a letter to Treasurer Jim Chalmers, in which they called for the confiscation of $9 billion in Russian assets frozen by the Australian authorities and to direct them to financial support for Ukraine, writes the Sydney Morning Herald. The letter's signatories include former prime ministers, businessmen, trade union and military leaders, and former diplomats.

12:12 The Russians wanted to transfer the Serpukhov missile ship, disabled after a fire, from the Kaliningrad region to the Black Sea, said GUR representative Andrei Yusov. According to him, this ship did not participate in the war, but due to the loss of part of the Black Sea Fleet, it was considered as a replacement. Yusov noted that the ship remained afloat, but modern equipment burned out, so repairs will take a long time.

11:56 Russia again accused Ukraine of allegedly attacking a drone on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant - this time the drone, according to the occupation “authorities,” hit the roof of the training center, there were no casualties.

11:44 At night, the Russian Federation attacked a high-voltage substation in the Poltava region - a fire broke out on the territory, which was extinguished by the State Emergency Service. There were no injuries, the equipment was damaged, the Ministry of Energy reported. A high-voltage substation in the Lviv region was also attacked - equipment caught on fire, but there were no casualties. In the Dnepropetrovsk region, as a result of military operations, two high-voltage overhead lines were simultaneously switched off and an industrial facility was de-energized.

11:09 The Office of the Prosecutor General is conducting an investigation into 27 criminal proceedings regarding the execution of 54 Ukrainian prisoners of war. The Office also tentatively confirmed the execution of Ukrainian prisoners on April 7 near Krynki, Kherson region, but the details are still being verified.

10:35 GUR representative Andrey Yusov confirmed a night attack by drones on an aviation enterprise in Borisoglebsk, Voronezh region of the Russian Federation. He added that, according to preliminary information, “the main production capacities of the enterprise were affected.”

10:16 Elon Musk’s Starlink continues to work for the Russians - the company has not yet disconnected a single terminal in the occupied territory of Ukraine, writes The Wall Street Journal. Russia has allegedly officially banned the purchase of Starlink terminals, but they continue to be supplied through intermediaries. Most orders come from volunteers who support the Russian army. The company can block their operation in certain countries and places, but "Musk stated that, to the best of his knowledge, not a single terminal was directly or indirectly sold in the Russian Federation, and that the terminals will not operate on Russian territory."

09:43 On the night of April 9, two drones attacked the Borisoglebsk aviation training center named after Chkalov in the Voronezh region, the opposition Russian publication Astra reported. Both drones exploded, damaging the building's façade and windows. There were no casualties.

09:28 British Foreign Minister David Cameron will meet with Trump, Secretary of State Blinken during his visit to the United States, and will also speak to legislators in Congress with a request to accept an aid package for Ukraine.

08:52 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said following negotiations with Lavrov that China supports the convening of a peace conference on Ukraine “with equal participation of all parties and discussion of all peace plans.” He also noted that China and the Russian Federation “should promote a multipolar world, resist the monopoly of several countries and promote the democratization of relations in the world.”

In turn, Lavrov said that Russia and China agreed to “start a dialogue on Eurasian security with the involvement of other countries.” He also stated that he “discussed the Ukrainian crisis with the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.” According to him, the Russian Federation will cooperate with the IAEA “in light of the attack on the Zaporizhia NPP.”

“My Chinese colleagues and I confirmed the conclusion that any international events are futile, which not only do not take into account Russia’s position, but completely ignore it, which promote an absolutely empty, ultimatum so-called Zelensky peace formula and are thereby completely divorced from any realities “, Lavrov said and again supported the Chinese “settlement” plan.

08:47 In the Lviv region, during a night attack, debris from a downed drone damaged a critical infrastructure facility. The fire was quickly extinguished, no people were injured, said Maxim Kozitsky, head of the Fire Department.

08:35 The death toll as a result of the Russian attack on Zaporozhye on April 8 has increased to four, eight people were injured, said the head of the OVA Ivan Fedorov.

08:14 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of April 9:

  • personnel - about 449,250 (+850) people,

  • tanks - 7110 (+23),

  • armored combat vehicles - 13,620 (+45),

  • artillery systems - 11 386 (+30),

  • MLRS - 1039 (+0),

  • air defense systems - 753 (+2),

  • aircraft - 347 (+0),

  • helicopters - 325 (+0),

  • UAV of operational-tactical level - 9033 (+37),

  • cruise missiles - 2065 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 26 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 15,181 (+71),

  • special equipment - 1868 (+1).

07:48 Over the past 24 hours, 56 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In particular, the enemy tried 26 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the Krasnohorivka, Georgievka and Novomikhailovka areas of the Donetsk region. Another 14 attacks were repulsed in the Bakhmut direction - in the areas of the settlements of Belogorovka in the Lugansk region, as well as Verkhnekamennoye, Spornoe, Kleshcheevka, Andreevka, Stupochki in the Donetsk region.

The enemy did not conduct offensive actions in the Kupyansk direction. In the Liman direction, the Defense Forces repelled one enemy attack in the Ternov area of ​​the Donetsk region; on Avdeevsky - six attacks in the area of ​​Berdychi, Umansky, Nevelsky, Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - two attacks in the area of ​​Staromayorskoye, Donetsk region and north-west of Verbovoye, Zaporozhye region; on Kherson - six attacks on the left bank of the Dnieper.

06:51 Air defense at night destroyed all 20 attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type, which Russia attacked from the Crimean Cape Chauda and from Primorsko-Akhtarsk, the Air Force reported. Drones were destroyed in Nikolaev, Odessa, Kherson, Dnepropetrovsk, Poltava, Vinnitsa and Lvov regions. In addition, the enemy fired four S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the territory of the occupied Donetsk region.

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 3, 2024
2024-04-04
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:57 Zelensky said in an evening video message that he heard a “long and detailed” report from Syrsky today: “Our actions in key areas. Protecting our positions. Strengthening our positions. Our pressure on Russian positions. Our key plans for defense and active actions for the near future time".

The president also emphasized that Ukraine is gradually planning to work with partners in the coming months: “Both May and June should be a time of activity for the sake of Ukraine in order to achieve our goals in this war. We clearly understand what they are preparing for in Russia, what they want, that they will gather soldiers into their army. And we, all of us, our partners, must have a strong response to Russian operations - any Russian operations. We must win this war. This is Ukraine’s historic chance to break Russian revanchism, and we must Take advantage of this chance for the sake of reliable safety for our children."

21:32 A new large-scale Russian offensive is expected in the summer. The authoritative American publication Politico writes, with reference to high-ranking Ukrainian military personnel who served under Zaluzhny’s command, that the military picture looks gloomy. There is a high risk of the front line collapsing where the Russian army launches an offensive. For more details, see the article Shortage of shells .

21:04 Chinese Foreign Ministry Speaker Wang Wenbin said that there should be no winners and losers in the Russian-Ukrainian war: “In a political settlement, there should be no winners and losers, but peace should rule. China will continue to play a constructive role to achieve this goal.” . He also stressed that there is a risk of further aggravation of the “crisis”, so efforts must be made to de-escalate and end the conflict through negotiations.

The diplomat added that Beijing "has not sought and will not seek benefits from the conflict, and other countries should not discredit or attack the normal relations between China and Russia and should not undermine the legitimate rights of China and Chinese companies."

20:53 Ukraine had a whole list of agents who could commit sabotage at Russian refineries, Vadim Skibitsky, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, told The Guardian. “Some were Russians with Ukrainian roots, others were non-ideological Russians, but were recruited in exchange for payment,” he said.

According to Skibitsky, now Ukraine is not able to win an unconditional victory on the battlefield, so Kyiv “has no choice but to start fighting targets deep behind enemy lines, including military infrastructure, command and control centers, as well as industrial industries producing weapons and ammunition."

Forbes writes that the plant producing suicide bombs in Tatarstan could have been hit by a light Cessna type aircraft with remote control.

20:12 The Ministry of Defense has created a new institution - the Central Directorate for the Protection of the Rights of Military Personnel, that is, “in fact, a military ombudsman,” the department reported. “The implementation of this initiative provides for a comprehensive approach to protecting the rights of soldiers and members of their families, including responding to specific complaints, analyzing specific situations, visiting sites of violations, conducting inspections and subsequent measures to restore rights,” said Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

20:01 Peskov called Zelensky’s statement about a new mobilization in Russia “untrue.”

19:55 Zelensky said that he had a telephone conversation with the newly appointed Prime Minister of Portugal Luis Montenegro. They discussed the progress of implementation of previous defense agreements and instructed teams to begin work on preparing a bilateral security agreement.

19:49 French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu had a conversation with Shoigu, during which he strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Crocus. The head of the French Ministry of Defense said that Paris does not have any information about the connection of the terrorist attack in Crocus with Ukraine, the French department reported.

19:03 GUR representative Andrey Yusov called Russian IPSO reports that Russia was allegedly about to attack Kharkov. According to him, the Defense Forces do not record the formation of enemy strike groups for repeated attacks on Ukraine, and the enemy is trying to sow panic among Ukrainians by spreading information about an attack on Kharkov.

18:58 Stoltenberg said that today members of the North Atlantic Alliance agreed "on further planning to strengthen NATO's role in coordinating assistance and security training." According to the Secretary General, details will be determined over the coming weeks.

18:24 Russia is ready to strike Ukraine at any time with 50 Caliber, the launch vehicles are already loaded, said Natalya Gumenyuk, speaker of the Southern Defense Forces.

17:51 Over the last week, three Russian DRGs tried to enter the Sumy region, but border guards stopped them, said the head of the OBA Vladimir Artyukh. In total, in 2023, 52 sabotage and reconnaissance groups from the Russian Federation were detained on the approaches to Ukraine.

17:45 The Czech Republic has not yet collected the entire amount for the purchase of shells for Ukraine outside the EU, said the country's Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky. According to him, at the moment about 20 countries have raised funds for the purchase of 300 thousand shells. "We need more ammunition for Ukraine because Russia is still capable of producing much, much more than Ukraine can use on the battlefield. Unfortunately, in war, this math matters," Lipavsky said.

17:38 Today the Russians fired at Selidovo, Donetsk region, with five missiles, first S-300, said the head of the OBA Vadim Filashkin. As a result of the shelling, seven administrative buildings, 12 multi-storey buildings and eight private residential buildings were damaged. No casualties were reported.

17:33 The head of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, after the drone attack, called on enterprises to defend themselves on their own and not rely on air defense: “We should not expect that missile defense will work, it solves other problems. We must solve it on our own, every enterprise, every municipality, every city. "Due to the fact that yesterday there was Uraza and Orthodox fasting, the Almighty gave us a chance. Everything that we said that there would be problems happened. Wake up, guys, no one will protect us except ourselves."

17:14 NATO wants to increase its coordinating role in supplying weapons to Ukraine and training its soldiers, but Hungary is opposed, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said. According to him, the initiative was supported by 31 of the 32 member countries of the Alliance.

16:59 Austria has allocated 21.5 million euros for the work of Austrian humanitarian organizations in crisis regions, including 2 million euros for projects in Ukraine, the country’s Foreign Ministry reported.

16:17 According to Ukrainian military intelligence, as of March 2024, the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Armed Forces include about 100 Su-35 multirole fighters, more than 100 Su-34 fighter-bombers, as well as seven A- long-range radar detection aircraft 50U. As the Main Intelligence Directorate told ArmyInform, three of the seven A-50U aircraft are being repaired and modernized.

15:46 In Russia, the largest liquefied gas plant, Arctic LNG 2, has stopped operating due to sanctions, writes Reuters. The publication clarified that as a result of the sanctions, the owner company Novatek had a shortage of special LNG tankers.

15:10 Finland has prepared the 23rd aid package for Ukraine in the amount of 188 million euros, President Alexander Stubb said. It will include air defense systems and ammunition for large-caliber artillery.

14:58 Zelensky responded to a UN statement condemning attacks on targets on Russian territory: “It seems to me that in order to ultimately understand how to survive in Kharkov, how people can live without electricity without water, people probably need "to come, look, and then condemn something or not. Russia understands nothing except force."

14:51 Zelensky said that Ukraine does not need to mobilize 500 thousand people. However, he did not name the exact number of Ukrainians who need to be mobilized. The president also said that on June 1, Putin is preparing to mobilize 300 thousand of his military.

14:23 Zelensky signed an Agreement on security cooperation and long-term support with the President of Finland Alexander Stubb. According to the document, Finland will provide long-term military and financial assistance to Ukraine, as well as deepen cooperation in the political, financial, humanitarian and reform spheres, the Ukrainian president said. Finland will also help Ukraine rebuild its energy sector, assess environmental damage, strengthen border and critical infrastructure protection, and treat Ukrainian military personnel.

14:04 One of the topics of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers will be the creation of an Alliance mission in Ukraine, said Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. According to him, “the idea is to use the capabilities of the Pact to train Ukrainians, use logistics and other common elements.”

13:42 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commented on the Financial Times information that the Alliance is developing a plan to provide a five-year package of military assistance to Ukraine worth up to $100 billion. According to him, one should not expect a final decision on this proposal in the coming days. At the same time, the Secretary General expressed hope that NATO countries will come to a consensus on this issue closer to the summit. "The reason why we are doing this is the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine. It is serious, we see how Russia is pressing and how they are trying to win this war, just waiting for us to retreat," Stoltenberg said.

13:28 The Wall Street Journal writes that Macron held confidential conversations with Biden and Scholz in February in order to convince them to change the West's strategy towards Russia. In particular, according to the French President, Western countries should take a position of strategic uncertainty in relation to the Russian Federation, which would leave all options on the table, including military ones.

Biden questioned the need for a change in strategy amid concerns it could lead to escalation, the newspaper's sources said. Scholz also opposed the idea, saying it risked dividing allies and making NATO countries party to the conflict.

12:43 Zelensky said that he had a telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. He thanked for financial support, which has already exceeded $12 billion, and also said that since the beginning of the year, Russia has fired almost a thousand missiles, about 2,800 suicide bombers and almost 7,000 guided bombs into Ukraine. He informed about Ukraine's needs for non-lethal equipment: special equipment for the construction of fortifications, mine clearance and medical evacuation.

12:30 The Latvian government has allocated 5.3 million euros for the restoration of Ukraine in 2024, as well as 4.3 million to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine through the European Peace Fund.

12:07 During UAV strikes on targets in Elabuga and Nizhnekamsk in Tatarstan, no foreign-made weapons were used, said Andrey Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense. At the same time, he did not specify what exactly could have hit objects on the territory of the Russian Federation, but noted that the Ukrainian UAV industry is “developing very dynamically.” Yusov also confirmed that one of the attacked enterprises was producing Shaded drones. In addition, according to him, one of the buildings nearby was hit by Russian air defense.

11:53 Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev said that traces of the terrorist attack in Crocus “lead to the Ukrainian special services.” At the same time, he added that “everyone is well aware that the Kiev regime is not independent and is completely controlled by the United States.” Patrushev also claims that ISIS “and other terrorist organizations were created by the United States.”

11:44 Countries sympathetic to Russia demand that the European Union abandon plans to confiscate state assets of the Russian Federation, writes Politico. According to the publication's sources, representatives of China, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are privately urging EU officials to continue resisting pressure from the United States and Great Britain to confiscate more than 200 billion euros of Russian state assets frozen after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

11:16 On the evening of April 2, the Russians shelled Nikolaevka near Slavyansk, Donetsk region, Radio Liberty reports. Three people were injured, the hotel building where eight volunteers were located was damaged. Russian troops struck with four bombs - gliding ammunition (UMPB D-30 SM), police reported.

11:09 In the morning, Russian troops launched a missile attack on the Krasnopolsk community of the Sumy region, the OVA reported. One person was killed, two were injured, including a four-year-old child. As a result of the impact, the buildings of the store and cultural center were damaged.

10:52 The Guardian writes, citing a senior official of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, that the Crimean bridge will be destroyed in the first half of 2024. The source called a third attack on the bridge and its destruction "inevitable."

10:45 In March alone, Russian troops used more than 400 missiles of various types, more than 600 suicide bombers and more than 3,000 guided bombs against Ukraine, Zelensky said. Russia is hitting the front-line territories and border communities especially brutally. According to the president, “all this will not happen when Ukraine receives reliable air defense systems.”

10:21 Several groups of Ukrainian pilots continue training in allied countries to fly F-16 fighters, and two of them are already honing their skills directly on the planes, said Air Force spokesman Ilya Yevlash. He clarified that these two advanced groups are in Denmark and the USA, another group has moved from Great Britain to France, where pilots are mastering light aircraft. In addition, one group is undergoing ground training in Britain. In addition to pilots, technical personnel undergo training.

09:33 Russia will not be able to capture Kiev, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken: “This will not happen, this is not happening now. At the beginning of Russian aggression in 2022, we thought that there was such a possibility that Kiev would fall. But thanks to the incredible resistance of the Ukrainian people, as well as thanks to the support of the USA, France and other countries, Putin’s desire to conquer the entire country, erase it from the map, make it part of Russia has not been and will not be realized.” According to Blinken, the United States has already promised Ukraine that Kyiv “will never fall into Putin’s hands.”

08:58 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of April 3:

  • personnel - about 444,370 (+710) people,

  • tanks - 7009 (+11),

  • armored combat vehicles - 13,368 (+18),

  • artillery systems - 11,142 (+30),

  • MLRS - 1025 (+2),

  • air defense systems - 745 (+1),

  • aircraft - 347 (+0),

  • helicopters - 325 (+0),

  • UAV of operational-tactical level - 8796 (+17),

  • cruise missiles - 2059 (+1),

  • ships/boats - 26 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 14,813 (+30),

  • special equipment - 1838 (+6).

08:29 The number of deaths as a result of yesterday's Russian strike on the village. Novoosinovo, Kupyansky district, Kharkov region, has grown to two - an 11-year-old child who was wounded in a strike on a private house died in the hospital, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA.

08:17 Over the past 24 hours, 75 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In particular, the enemy tried 24 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the Novomikhailovka and Urozhayny districts of the Donetsk region. Another 14 attacks were repulsed in the Avdeevsky direction - in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi, Semenovka, Umanskoye, Pervomaiskoye and Nevelskoye in the Donetsk region.

In the Kupyansk direction, the Defense Forces repelled one attack in the Sinkovka area of ​​the Kharkov region; on Limansky - ten attacks in the Ternov area of ​​the Donetsk region; on Bakhmutskoye - six attacks in the areas of Sporny, Kleshcheevka, Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - four attacks in the areas of Staromayorskoye, Donetsk region, Rabotino and north-west of Verbovoye, Zaporozhye region; on Kherson - eight attacks on the left bank of the Dnieper.

07:42 According to updated information, as a result of yesterday’s attack on the Dnieper, four educational institutions, nine apartment buildings, and 25 cars were damaged, said the head of the OBA Sergei Lysak. At night, the Russians also dropped ammunition from a UAV in the Mirovskaya community of the Nikopol region, no people were injured.

07:31 Air defense at night destroyed all four attack UAVs of the Shahed-136/131 type, which Russia attacked from Primorsko-Akhtarsk, the Air Force reported. Drones were destroyed in Khmelnitsky, Zhytomyr, Kirovograd and Cherkasy regions. In addition, at night the enemy struck the Donetsk region with three S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles.

05:56 The idea of ​​creating a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression and using its frozen assets in favor of Ukraine was supported by 44 states. They signed a corresponding political declaration at the Restoring Justice for Ukraine conference held in The Hague. The signatory countries condemn Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine as a flagrant violation of international law and order and recall the UN court's decision of March 16, 2022, by which Russia was obliged to cease hostilities.

The countries also support strengthening joint efforts to ensure proper investigation and accountability for all violations of international law committed during Russia's war against Ukraine, including the crime of aggression.

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: March 18, 2024
2024-03-19
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:35 Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that he does not see a foundation for resolving the conflict in Ukraine this year: “There is no foundation in 2024 to expect the development of this issue. We do not see this in the near future.”

22:28 Most EU foreign ministers supported the use of income from Russian assets for Ukraine, but there is no unanimous final decision yet, Borrell said.

21:39 Governor of the Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov said that on Sunday, March 17, the region was attacked about 60 times, as a result of which four people were killed and 23 were injured. According to him, at least 30 shells were fired at six municipalities in the region, nine explosive devices were dropped from a drone, and 20 drone attacks were also carried out.

20:43 The Cabinet of Ministers submitted to parliament a bill to increase the number of border guards by 15 thousand military personnel. Reserves need to be increased so that border guards in the post-war period can take control of the border on their own and adequately respond to threats, the government explains.

20:28 There are no risks of breaking through the border in the Sumy region, assured the head of the OBA Vladimir Artyukh. According to him, now the biggest danger in the region is constant air and missile attacks, including on infrastructure, the intensity of which has increased significantly recently. Artyukh said that up to five border settlements are suffering from shelling, in each of which there are from three to ten people left - they are now being evacuated. Local residents completely abandoned 22 settlements in the region.

19:59 Zelensky said in an evening video message that logistics in the army had become “noticeably more efficient.” The president also assured that this year Ukraine will reach its maximum defense production since independence. “And every year we will invariably add to this potential of ours - an obvious strategic prospect for Ukraine,” the head of state emphasized.

19:03 Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham said during a visit to Kiev that he will ask the Biden administration to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. He also emphasized that Putin’s supposed 87% support in the presidential elections is “so impressive that there is no trust in it.” Graham believes that after such “elections” Putin is illegitimate.

18:58 Ukraine has again been rocked by scandals involving employees of territorial recruitment centers. The first occurred in Transcarpathia. There, as the man’s relatives claim, TCC employees allegedly kidnapped him from the hotel and drove him to attempt suicide. The second incident occurred in Lviv. So the military commissars forced the volunteer into the car without serving a summons. Read more about these stories in the article New scandals with the TCC.

18:49 Poland and Germany will officially launch an armored coalition to help Ukraine on March 26, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysh said.

18:42 Putin said at a concert marking the tenth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea that he had received a report on the restoration of the railway from Rostov-on-Don to Donetsk and Mariupol, and promised to “continue this work.” According to him, “soon trains will go directly to Sevastopol, and this will be another alternative road instead of the Crimean Bridge.”

18:16 Zelensky said that he met in Kiev with member of the US Senate Lindsey Graham - they discussed assistance to Ukraine, the situation on the front line and the needs of the army. “The continued provision of military-technical assistance by partners, including air defense systems and missiles for them, is critically important,” the president emphasized. They also discussed the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, sanctions against the Russian Federation and the use of frozen Russian assets.

17:47 Syrsky appointed Major Ilya Yevlash as head of the public relations service of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

16:55 The EU Council of Foreign Ministers has made a final decision to allocate an additional 5 billion euros for military support to Ukraine within the framework of the European Peace Fund, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported.

16:38 The Russians attacked the civilian infrastructure of Konotop and settlements in the Sumy region. Preliminarily, there were no fatalities; public utility facilities were damaged in Konotop. The head of the OVA, Vladimir Artyukh, said that compared to last week, the number of shellings has increased significantly - the number of uses of tactical aviation and multiple launch rocket systems has increased. Velikaya Pisarevka suffers the most from shelling.

16:04 Since the beginning of 2024, the Russian army has been using seven times more ammunition at the front than the Ukrainian Defense Forces, said Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Gavrilyuk. In addition, according to him, the enemy has a significant advantage in aviation: in just 77 days of 2024, the Russians dropped more than 3,500 aircraft on Ukrainian positions and front-line territories, which is 16 times more than in 2023.

15:29 The international coalition for the return of Ukrainian children, jointly led by Ukraine and Canada, has already united 33 countries, the Presidential Office reported.

15:07 The Cabinet of Ministers approved a bill on the creation of groups in Ukraine to search for missing persons during the war. Groups will be created in agreement with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. It is envisaged that the Koorshtab will be given the right to negotiate with humanitarian missions, public associations and individuals operating in temporarily occupied territories in order to search for persons who have gone missing under special circumstances.

14:25 Zelensky said that he held a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief - received detailed information from the front, heard Syrsky’s report on the main directions of active operations, reports on expenditures and receipts of ammunition, and intelligence data. In addition, there were reports on the protection of critical infrastructure and the construction of defense lines.

14:11 Since last year, North Korea has sent about 7,000 containers with ammunition and other military equipment to Russia, said South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik. Pyongyang likely received more than 9,000 containers of aid in exchange for military support, he said.

13:39 The Cabinet of Ministers has allocated an additional 5 billion hryvnia for the Security and Defense Forces, Shmyhal said. The funds will be used to purchase drones.

13:04 NATO soldiers are already in Ukraine for arms control, intelligence operations and training, writes the Spanish newspaper El País. At the same time, the publication interviewed many military sources from Ukraine and the EU over more than two years of war, and they all claim that not a single NATO army participated in ground combat.

12:49 Zelensky said that he had a telephone conversation with the elected President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, and invited his country to take part in the inaugural Peace Summit, as well as to join the implementation of the Peace Formula clauses on food and nuclear security and the exchange of prisoners.

12:36 Peskov said that the United States is “de facto deeply involved in the conflict” in Ukraine and is “essentially at war with Russia.” He also explained that Putin, speaking about creating a “sanitary zone” on the border with Ukraine, meant “taking measures to ensure the security of Russian territory, which is under attack.”

12:14 US Senator Lindsey Graham arrived in Kiev, the American Embassy in Ukraine reported.

11:59 The Legion of Freedom of Russia, the RDK and the Siberian Battalion claim that during the period of fighting from March 12 to 18 in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, the Russian Federation lost 613 military personnel killed and 829 wounded. Another 27 Russians were captured. More than 130 pieces of equipment were also allegedly destroyed.

11:37 Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis does not believe that the EU will agree to send military personnel to Ukraine. According to him, EU countries are unable to reach agreement even on less important topics.

10:50 The Wall Street Journal writes that the Czech Republic has already ordered 800 thousand artillery shells for Ukraine from various suppliers around the world and has identified countries that can provide another 700 thousand if additional funding is available. At present, the first tranche of 300 thousand shells has already been provided, with Germany making the largest contribution.

Prague does not name the countries where it purchases shells, but the publication claims that they come, among other things, from Russia’s allies. Trade agreements assume that supplies will be carried out through the Czech Republic or third countries, in order to hide any direct connection between the countries of origin and Ukraine.

10:35 China is considering the possibility of participating in the first inaugural Peace Summit, which is to be held in Switzerland in the spring, said Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland Wang Shikhtin. "China stands for promoting peace negotiations... And we have also presented a strategy for the political end of the conflict: the territorial sovereignty of all countries must be respected and the UN Charter must be respected. All parties must work to end the war. We must prevent the crisis from worsening or even escalating control," the ambassador emphasized. At the same time, he added that sanctions against the Russian Federation “cannot end the conflict, but only create new problems.”

10:29 In the morning, the Russians fired at the village. Novoosinovo, Kupyansky district, Kharkov region, one person was wounded, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. He also clarified that the attack on the fire station, as a result of which a rescuer was injured, was carried out in the village. White Well, Chuguevsky district.

09:54 In Romania, they began to build the largest NATO base in Europe, designed for 10 thousand military personnel, writes Euronews. Experts note that this is due to the war in Ukraine, which may last for many more years. The facility is being built on an area of ​​almost 3,000 hectares in the Constanta district, on the basis of a pre-existing NATO air base. The project cost is 2.5 billion euros.

09:08 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 18:

  • personnel - about 431,550 (+810) people,

  • tanks - 6809 (+19),

  • armored combat vehicles - 13,014 (+17),

  • artillery systems - 10,668 (+34),

  • MLRS - 1017 (+0),

  • air defense systems - 720 (+0),

  • aircraft - 347 (+0),

  • helicopters - 325 (+0),

  • UAV of operational-tactical level - 8308 (+36),

  • cruise missiles - 1922 (+0),

  • ships/boats - 26 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 14,141 (+68),

  • special equipment - 1731 (+8).

08:57 Over the past 24 hours, 72 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In particular, the enemy tried 36 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the areas of Krasnogorovka, Georgievka, Novomikhailovka and Pobeda in the Donetsk region. Another 13 attacks were repelled in the Avdeevsky direction - in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye, Orlovka, Alexandropol and Nevelskoye in the Donetsk region.

In the Kupyansk direction, the Defense Forces repelled two enemy attacks in the Sinkovka area of ​​the Kharkov region; on Limansky - three attacks in the Razdolovka area of ​​the Donetsk region; in Bakhmutsky - eight attacks in the Ivanovsky and Kleshcheevka districts of the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - seven attacks in the Rabotino district and north-west of Verbovoy, Zaporozhye region; on Kherson - three attacks.

08:36 Ukraine will not extend the agreement with Russia on gas transit after December 31, 2024, said Energy Minister German Galushchenko. According to him, last year Ukraine conducted a stress test of the gas transportation system and underground gas storage facilities, which proved the system’s ability to operate without transit.

08:09 In the Alexandria district of the Kirovograd region, as a result of a night attack, private industrial facilities and residential buildings around were damaged, no people were injured, said the head of the OVA Andrei Raikovich.

07:48 Air defense at night destroyed 17 of the 22 Shahed attack UAVs that Russia attacked from Primorsko-Akhtarsk, the Air Force reported. Drones were destroyed within the Kyiv, Poltava, Khmelnitsky, Cherkassy, ​​Kirovograd, Dnepropetrovsk, Vinnitsa, Zaporozhye, Rivne regions. In addition, at night the enemy attacked with five S-300/S-400 anti-aircraft guided missiles in the Kharkov region and two X-59 guided aircraft missiles in the Sumy region.

07:41 On the afternoon of March 17, the Russians fired two ballistic missiles, presumably Iskander-M, at an infrastructure facility in Nikolaev. As a result of the attack, one person was killed and nine were injured, including two children, said the head of the OBA, Vitaly Kim. Private and apartment buildings were damaged, areas of external lighting, part of the tram tracks and the contact network were destroyed.

06:37 At night, the enemy launched missile attacks on a border settlement in the Kharkov region, the State Emergency Service reported. As a result of the impact, the fire department building and four fire-rescue vehicles were damaged, and one rescuer was injured.

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: March 7, 2024
2024-03-08
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.

22:23 A Chinese delegation led by the Chinese government’s special representative for Eurasia, Li Hui, visited Ukraine, the President’s Office reported. During a series of meetings, the parties discussed the prospects for establishing a just peace for Ukraine, restoring territorial integrity and sovereignty based on the Ukrainian peace formula. The question was also raised about the possibility of Beijing's assistance in stopping the forced deportation of Ukrainian children, the exchange of prisoners, the demilitarization and deoccupation of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, and ensuring nuclear safety.

21:58 Zelensky will visit Turkey on Friday, March 8 and meet with Erdogan, the BBC reports, citing the office of the Turkish president. The leaders of the two countries will discuss the progress of the war in Ukraine, the work of the grain corridor and bilateral relations.

21:47 The Russian army fired at the border villages of the Semenovskaya community of the Novgorod-Seversky district of the Chernihiv region, one person was killed, the National Police reported.

21:30 So far, Zaluzhny has not commented on the decision on his appointment as ambassador, but, according to the Ukrainian Air Force service, he agreed to the position and a corresponding decree will be signed in the near future. The announcement of sending the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to London took place at a time when the British Minister of Defense Grant Shapps was visiting Kiev. Read more in the article New work for Zaluzhny.

20:59 British Defense Minister Grant Shapps, during a visit to Kiev, announced the allocation of 325 million pounds sterling (about 380 million euros) for the purchase of over 10 thousand drones for Ukraine, among which the majority are FPV drones, as well as 1000 attack drones, reconnaissance and maritime drones.

20:18 Zelensky said in an evening video message that he signed a decree on the transfer to the reserve of conscripts who were called up for military service before the start of the full-scale invasion. “Now, at the request of the military command, it will take several weeks for preparatory procedures to replace people in terms of defensive tasks, and from April conscripts will be sent to the reserves,” the president noted and added that some of them have signed a contract to serve in the Defense Forces.

Zelensky also said that Zaluzhny told him “precisely about this direction for himself - diplomatic.” “Our alliance with Britain should only strengthen,” the head of state added.

19:37 Zelensky said that he held a meeting in Kiev with the British Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps, they discussed the continuation of defense cooperation between the countries. “The main attention is to strengthening air defense, the long-range capabilities of our army, meeting other urgent needs for weapons and ammunition, as well as the issue of joint production of weapons,” the president said.

19:34 The Czech Republic has collected all the funds to purchase 800 thousand shells for Ukraine, President Petr Pavel said. According to him, the Czech government will then sign a memorandum with all 18 countries that have joined the initiative and provide detailed information on the schedule and next steps. Pavel predicts that ammunition should arrive in Ukraine “in the coming weeks.” “It will now depend on the skill of our companies and the Ministry of Defense to speed up the whole process,” he added.

19:29 The Russians shelled Kherson several times during the day, two people were wounded, the OVA reported.

19:20 Zelensky approved Zaluzhny’s candidacy for the post of Ukrainian Ambassador to Great Britain, the Foreign Ministry reported. The ministry sent the British side a corresponding request for agreman.

19:14 The Council of Cantons of the Swiss Parliament has approved a proposal that could allow the use of sovereign assets of the Russian Federation frozen in the country to finance war reparations in Ukraine. The government can now begin work on creating an international legal framework for using frozen Russian assets to pay reparations to countries under attack.

18:07 The authorities of the Kharkov region have decided to force and compulsory evacuation from some settlements in the Kupyansky direction, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. In particular, children with their parents or legal representatives from 18 settlements of the Velikoburluk and Olkhovat territorial communities are subject to mandatory evacuation. To date, there is information about the residence of 110 minors in the Velikoburluk community and 51 in the Olkhovat community. It was also decided to compulsorily evacuate residents of 57 settlements.

17:59 As a result of today's missile attack on Sumy, one person was injured, OVA reported. The premises of the school, the central city hospital, the regional emergency medical care center, and the water utility were damaged.

17:54 Commander of the Ground Forces Alexander Pavlyuk said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are planning to stabilize the situation at the front in the near future and are preparing counterattack actions this year. ISW experts note that Ukraine’s attempts to seize the initiative in 2024 are “operationally justified.” More details about the plans of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for 2024 can be found in the material Stabilization and counter-offensive.

17:26 In Ukraine, an Indian citizen, Sri Mohammed Asfan, who was recruited into the Russian army, died at the front. The Indian Embassy in the Russian Federation announced his “tragic death”, but did not provide details. Hindustan Times writes that Asfan and two other Indian citizens were allegedly invited for employment in Russia - they were promised work as “assistants” in official government bodies, but as a result they ended up in the army. Upon arrival in Moscow, they were forced to sign documents in Russian.

The media write that the Russians could have recruited at least a hundred Indian citizens to fight in the war in Ukraine. The other day, Indian journalist Uma Suthir published a video of a group of seven Indians in Russian uniform asking for help as they were being prepared to be sent to the front in Ukraine.

16:55 France has trained 10 thousand Ukrainian soldiers in two years of full-scale war, and in 2024 the training program will be expanded, the country’s Ministry of Defense reported. Training is conducted in France and Poland. Currently, training is conducted in three areas: maintenance of Western equipment; specialized training (in the fields of healthcare, logistics, mine clearance, armored reconnaissance); formation of tactical units. This year, training is planned to be expanded to include the air force and navy.

16:51 The State Committee for Special Communications announced that it will build a system for blocking Russian television and radio broadcasting in the border territories of Ukraine. For this purpose, the Cabinet of Ministers allocated 152 million hryvnia to the department. The system will operate in nine regions: Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Chernigov, Sumy, Kharkov, Vinnitsa and Odessa.

16:48 Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called on political comrades in Europe to realize a new reality in which a large-scale war is again possible: “The era of peace is over, the post-war era is over. We live in a new, pre-war era, and for some of our brothers this is no longer the pre-war era, but a full-scale war in its most brutal form."

16:40 Russia launched a missile attack on the city of Sumy, damaging civilian infrastructure. The consequences of the attack are being clarified, OVA reported.

16:37 Sweden officially joined NATO and became the 32nd member of the Alliance. The corresponding protocol was published on the website of the US State Department.

16:22 Macron’s words about the possible sending of troops to Ukraine stirred up foreign media. Macron himself allegedly already refuted this statement in an interview with a Czech publication, but Western journalists believe that they had a different subtext. This statement is supported by negotiations that the French President is actively pursuing with his European colleagues. In particular, with the President of the Czech Republic about the supply of ammunition to Ukraine. About what the Western media write on this topic, see the material What the EU has planned for Ukraine.

15:58 Democrats in the US House of Representatives have launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s SpaceX over the use of Starlink terminals by Russian troops on the front line, The Washington Post writes. According to the publication, Democrats sent a letter to SpaceX to clarify whether it adequately prevented illegal purchases of Starlink terminals that could violate US sanctions and export controls. They will also contact the Pentagon about this.

15:21 In the Vologda region on the morning of March 7, a drone attacked the Severstal enterprise, the press service of the acting governor of the region Georgy Filimonov reported. They clarified that “the incident occurred in the area of ​​the blast furnace.” The operation of the furnace was not disrupted, the plant is operating as normal, authorities say.

15:07 Norway has joined the Ukrainian Air Defense Coalition, Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram said. The country will help strengthen Ukrainian air defense and provide weapons, ammunition and other equipment. Norway has previously transferred NASAMS systems to Ukraine. In general, Norway is part of three coalitions to support Ukraine - the naval one (it is led together with Britain), the F-16 coalition (it will provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with F-16 fighters and train personnel) and the air defense coalition.

15:00 Macron, at a meeting with opposition leaders, said that there are “no limits” to France’s support for Ukraine.

14:46 Shmygal said that he held a meeting on the issue of confiscation of Russian frozen assets with the participation of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy and the NBU, and discussed plans to work with the G7, the EU and Belgium. According to him, Ukraine is strengthening its legal position and preparing the necessary legal mechanisms. “We have a clear action plan and first results,” the prime minister added.

Shmygal recalled that about 300 billion euros of Russian sovereign assets are frozen in partner countries. And according to World Bank estimates, the restoration of Ukraine will cost at least $486 billion, so Russian assets should become the main source of restoration, the prime minister added.

14:04 Norway will allocate $153 million for the purchase of ammunition for Ukraine as part of the Czech Republic’s initiative, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said.

13:53 The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the congress of the European People's Party called on EU countries to replenish and modernize weapons and support Ukraine: “Security in Europe also means doing more for our own defense. In the next five years, we must significantly increase our defense industry potential. And at the heart of this there must be a simple principle: Europe must spend more, more efficiently, and it must spend European money. And this will help us meet the urgent need to replenish and modernize the armed forces of member states. And we will continue to support Ukraine."

13:02 In the Kharkov region, as a result of Russian strikes in one of the settlements, the building of the regional power company was damaged, no people were injured, the Ministry of Energy reported. There is also damage to networks in two settlements. In total, 15.4 thousand metering points in 63 settlements remain without electricity in the region.

12:35 In the morning, the Russians attacked the Odessa region with a Kh-31P missile fired from a tactical aircraft from the Black Sea. The missile lost its combat capability as it approached the coast, but there was no damage or casualties. “The enemy continues the tactics of targeted missile strikes, testing and reconnaissance of air defense systems,” explained the Southern Defense Forces.

12:08 In the Tauride direction of the front, a new area is becoming “hot”, said Dmitry Likhovy, spokesman for the Tavria group of troops: “Orekhovskoe is becoming a hot area in our area of ​​responsibility. Where the enemy is trying to cut off the Rabotinsky ledge. If in previous days and weeks there were sometimes In general, zero enemy assault actions per day, sometimes one or three, maximum five, then yesterday 16 enemy attacks were recorded here west of the village of Verbovoye and in the area of ​​​​the village of Rabotino.”

11:42 In the morning, the Russians hit Volchansk in the Kharkov region with an aerial bomb - as a result of a direct hit on a private house, one person was killed and one was wounded. At least 12 private houses were damaged, said OVA head Oleg Sinegubov.

11:34 In the Donetsk region over the past 24 hours, as a result of Russian shelling, one person was killed and three were injured, the National Police reported. In particular, the Russians attacked Pokrovsk with four S-300 missiles - one person was wounded, a private building, four apartment buildings and infrastructure were damaged. In Netailovo, as a result of artillery shelling, a person was killed and an apartment building was damaged. The enemy dropped a KAB-500 guided bomb on Kleban Byk - two people were injured, four apartment buildings and 16 private houses, and a cultural center were damaged.

11:27 White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed that Elena Zelenskaya and Yulia Navalnaya refused to attend Biden’s State of the Union address: “We, of course, respect their decision to refuse to participate... Of course, this was an opportunity to recognize America’s commitment to Ukraine and struggle, courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people."

10:41 Last night, border guards discovered an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group in the Sumy region, which was moving from Russia. They immediately opened fire on the saboteurs from small arms and grenade launchers. The enemy retreated, his losses are being ascertained, the State Border Service reported.

10:28 The missile that Russia hit Odessa on March 6 exploded 500 meters from Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, CNN reports, citing sources.

09:43 Lithuanian intelligence believes that Russia can fight with Ukraine with the current intensity for at least two years - this is ensured by high oil prices, evasion of international sanctions and government investment. In addition, intelligence officers note that Russia has reformed and strengthened its military in 2023 and is on track to expand military capabilities along its border with NATO countries.

09:12 The Czech company Czechoslovak Group, which is one of the largest arms manufacturers in Europe, intends to help Ukraine increase its own production of heavy ammunition. To achieve this, the company plans to invest “hundreds of millions of euros,” said chief executive Michal Strnad. According to him, the company is already in talks with Ukroboronprom about a potential joint venture and is looking for places to produce artillery and tank shells, as well as heavy equipment.

08:49 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 7:

personnel - about 421,430 (+1160) people,
tanks - 6695 (+17),
armored combat vehicles - 12,779 (+51),
artillery systems - 10 350 (+42),
MLRS - 1009 (+1),
air defense systems - 701 (+0),
aircraft - 347 (+0),
helicopters - 325 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 7963 (+42),
cruise missiles - 1919 (+1),
ships/boats - 26 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 13,532 (+53),
special equipment - 1647 (+5).
08:27 Over the past 24 hours, 92 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In particular, the enemy tried 20 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the areas of Krasnohorivka, Georgievka, Pobeda, Novomikhailovka of the Donetsk region. Another 21 attacks were repelled in the Avdeevsky direction (in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye, Nevelskoye, Donetsk region). In the Orekhovsky direction, the enemy carried out 16 attacks in areas west of Verbovoy and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region.

In addition, in the Kupyansky direction, four enemy attacks were repelled in the Sinkovka and Tabaevka areas of the Kharkov region; in Limansky - 11 attacks in the areas of Belogorivka, Lugansk region and Ternov, Sporny, Donetsk region; on Bakhmutsky - 11 attacks in the areas of Ivanovsky, Kleshcheevka, Andreevka of the Donetsk region. In the Kherson direction, the Defense Forces are holding positions and repelled one enemy attack.

08:15 At night, the Russians carried out drone strikes on the territory of the State Emergency Service training ground in the Kharkov region, the department reported. As a result of the attack, a one-story administrative building of the training ground of one of the educational institutions of the State Emergency Service was partially destroyed. A fire broke out over an area of ​​about 150 square meters. m, it was promptly liquidated.

06:39 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that at night the air defense allegedly intercepted one UAV over the territory of the Kursk region, three more were destroyed over the territory of the Bryansk region and two - the Tula region.

06:26 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that all Beijing’s efforts in Ukraine are aimed at paving the way for peace negotiations. According to him, the PRC supports the holding of an international peace conference recognized by Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation of all parties.

05:41 Partisans from the Atesh movement stated that they carried out sabotage in the Moscow region, destroying a relay cabinet near the Golovkovo railway station in the Solnechnogorsk region. "With this action, we have complicated the use of the railway line around Moscow, which is used for military purposes. Our goal is to stop military supplies to the front line," the statement said.

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: February 18, 2024
2024-02-19
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title
[Korrespondent22:18 Ukraine has agreed on bilateral security agreements with several more countries, in addition to those already signed with Britain, France and Germany, Zelensky said. At the same time, he added that “there are no security guarantees with the United States yet - teams are already working, there have already been two stages of negotiations. I see this as positive in the near future.”

19:41 Social networks report the execution of six more captured defenders of the mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at one of the positions in Avdiivka. The defenders were seriously wounded, could not move independently and were awaiting evacuation. The prosecutor's office began an investigation. The prosecutor's office also clarified that two prisoners, whose murder was previously reported, were shot near the village. Vesele, Bakhmut district.

16:57 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi assured his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba that the PRC is not transferring lethal weapons to Russia, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported. "China does not exploit opportunities or sell lethal weapons to conflict areas or parties to conflict. We will continue to play a constructive role in ending the war and restoring peace as soon as possible. Even if there is only a glimmer of hope for peace, China will not give up its efforts," they assured in the department.

15:30 This morning, in the zone of responsibility of the Khortytsya group of troops, the Russians shot two Ukrainian prisoners of war, the Ground Forces command reported.

15:24 France is developing new kamikaze drones, and in the coming weeks Ukraine will be one of the first to receive them, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said. According to him, the project is now in an experimental phase.

14:33 Ukrainian analogues of Russian Lancet drones have passed the first tests, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mikhail Fedorov. According to him, drones from four companies have been tested in recent days - two have successfully tested. Fedorov noted that in the next few months it will be possible to organize the production of about 100 such drones per month.

13:51 After the capture of Avdeevka, the Russians are trying to advance on Lastochkino, said Dmitry Likhovy, spokesman for the Tauride Defense Forces. The enemy is also trying to attack in the Maryinsky direction, but has no results.

13:10 Attempts to return Russia to the borders of 1991 will lead to a war with the West “using the entire strategic arsenal against Kiev, Berlin, London and Washington,” said Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev.

12:42 Since the morning, the Russians have been shelling the Nikopol district of the Dnepropetrovsk region, one person was wounded in the Mirovskaya community, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak.

12:29 The commander of the Tavria group of troops, Alexander Tarnavsky, said that during the four months of the active phase of the Avdiivka defense operation (from October 10 to February 17), Russia in this direction lost 47,186 personnel, 364 tanks, 248 artillery systems, 748 armored combat vehicles and five planes.

12:01 F-16 fighters may arrive in Ukraine in June, Foreign Policy writes, citing European officials. In particular, this deadline was announced by Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas, citing a schedule that was confirmed by another European official. Ukrainian authorities expect 12 pilots to complete fighter training by the end of September.

11:38 In Slavyansk, Donetsk region, after yesterday's Russian strike, rescuers found the body of a deceased person - probably a guard of a destroyed school, the prosecutor's office reported. This school had an indestructibility point and a social cafeteria in the city center. In Kramatorsk, the death toll increased to three - the remains of another body were found during search and rescue operations. Two people were also injured.

10:06 The Atesh partisan movement stated that it carried out sabotage in the Volgograd region. An agent set fire to a relay cabinet at the Maxim Gorky station in Volgograd, the transfer of military equipment was stopped for some time. This station is an important junction through which military trains go to Crimea and Rostov.

The partisans also spoke about a case of friendly fire in the Avdeevka area: during the next flight, Russian aviation mistakenly struck positions where artillery units of the 239th Tank Regiment of the Russian Federation were located.

10:00 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Russia captured Avdiivka due to local air superiority. Hundreds of KABs dropped on the city ensured the advancement of the Russian infantry. Analysts warn that further delays in the supply of Western weapons will lead to a significant weakening of Ukrainian air defenses, while air superiority will allow Russian troops to advance more aggressively.

09:49 As a result of yesterday's Russian strike on Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, two people were killed and two were injured, two houses were destroyed and 23 more were damaged. In Slavyansk, a school was damaged, said the head of the OVA, Vadim Filashkin.

08:57 In the evening, Russian troops shelled the village. Senkovo, Kupyansky district, two people were injured, said the head of the Kharkov Regional Police Department Oleg Sinegubov.

08:40 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of February 18:

  • personnel - about 402,430 (+1080) people,

  • tanks - 6487 (+11),

  • armored combat vehicles - 12,198 (+53),

  • artillery systems - 9709 (+40),

  • MLRS - 984 (+0),

  • air defense systems - 674 (+3),

  • aircraft - 335 (+3),

  • helicopters - 325 (+0),

  • UAV of operational-tactical level - 7449 (+36),

  • cruise missiles - 1898 (+2),

  • ships/boats - 25 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 12,736 (+2),

  • special equipment - 1540 (+7).

08:26 This morning, in the Eastern direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed another Russian Su-34 , the Air Force command reported. Also, 12 Shahed attack drones and an X-59 aircraft missile were destroyed within the Chernigov, Sumy, Poltava, Kirovograd, and Dnepropetrovsk regions. In total, the Russians used 14 Shahed attack UAVs, six S-300 missiles, three Kh-22 cruise missiles and one Kh-59 missile during the night.

08:18 Over the past 24 hours, 82 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In the Maryinsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled 23 enemy attacks in the Georgievka, Pobeda, Novomikhailovka areas of the Donetsk region, and in Avdeevsky - 14 attacks near Lastochkino, Donetsk region.

The enemy did not conduct offensive actions in the Kupyansk direction. In the Liman direction, Ukrainian forces repelled 12 enemy attacks in the areas of Ternov, Yampolevka, Torskoye, Donetsk region, and Belogorivka, Lugansk region; on Bakhmutsky - 14 attacks near Ivanovsky, Kleshcheevka, Andreevka, Donetsk region; on Novopavlovsky - two attacks south of Prechistovka and west of Staromayorsky, Donetsk region; on Zaporozhye - 13 attacks west of Verbovoy and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region. In the Kherson direction, the Defense Forces hold their positions and repelled two assaults by Russian troops.

07:39 At night, the Russians attacked the Poltava region with drones, said the head of the OVA, Philip Pronin. A strike was recorded on an infrastructure facility in the Poltava region. The impact caused a fire, which has already been extinguished. No people were hurt.

02:47 Biden blamed Congress for Ukraine's loss of Avdiivka: "Ukraine was forced to withdraw from Avdiivka after its military was forced to ration ammunition due to dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction, leading to Russia's first notable successes in months."

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: February 7, 2024
2024-02-08
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title
[Korrespondent] 21:37 Polish President Andrzej Duda commented on Trump’s statements that he would end the war in Ukraine “in 24 hours” if he wins the presidential election: “Based on my personal experience as a president who worked with President Trump, I can say: "What he promised me was fulfilled. So if I received any promise from Trump, if he promised me something, then it was fulfilled."

21:11 The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill on mobilization in the first reading. People's deputies supported it in the government's drafting, and they promise to make amendments by the second reading. It looks like there will be a lot of amendments, because enough complaints have already accumulated against the bill. For more details, see the article Law on Mobilization: What Problems We Found.

21:06 In Russian Izhevsk, a powerful explosion occurred at a factory producing military products. After the detonation, a strong fire started. Propaganda Russian media write that the explosion allegedly occurred “during routine testing of rocket engines.”

20:40 During a massive attack on February 7, the Russian army used the new 3M22 Zircon cruise missile for the first time. Social networks report this and publish photos of supposedly fragments with the corresponding marking 3M22. More details - in the material the Russian Federation hit Kiev with Zircon for the first time.

19:56 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that five RM-70 Vampire MLRS rockets were allegedly destroyed by air defense systems over the Belgorod region.

19:52 The leader of the "DPR" Denis Pushilin said that today, as a result of the dropping of ammunition from a drone in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk, five employees of the "DPR Ministry of Emergency Situations" received moderate injuries.

19:17 The next meeting in the Ramstein format will take place on February 14 at NATO headquarters in Brussels, the Alliance press service reported.

19:14 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the decision on changes in the leadership of Ukraine is “of course, Ukraine’s decision, and it is not NATO’s place to evaluate it.” "But I welcome Minister Kuleba's very clear statement that any changes will not affect relations with partners and with NATO. So we will continue to support - that's what matters - and we will continue to do so," he added.

19:11 Zelensky said that he had a meeting in Kiev with Borrell - he informed about the situation on the battlefield, discussed cooperation with the EU in the field of security, in particular the supply of a million artillery ammunition, as agreed.

18:30 Washington will not change its attitude towards Kiev due to rumors about Zaluzhny’s possible resignation, Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. He assured that the United States will continue to support both the Ukrainian government and the local military. At the same time, he refused to comment on Zaluzhny’s possible resignation: “It’s not for us to decide from Washington.”

18:26 The Russians attacked the Poltava region - the explosion was heard in the Mirgorod region. According to preliminary information, there were no casualties or destruction, said the head of the OVA, Philip Pronin.

18:03 Zelensky met in Kiev with the head of the People's Assembly of Bulgaria Rosen Zhelyazkov, who is in Ukraine on a solidarity visit at the head of a delegation of Bulgarian parliamentarians.

17:25 Governor of the Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov said that two people were injured as a result of today’s shelling. There is also damage on the territory of one of the industrial enterprises in Belgorod and another in the Belgorod region.

17:21 The “Supreme Court of the DPR” sentenced 33 Ukrainian military personnel to prison terms ranging from 27 to 29 years in a case allegedly “about shelling residential buildings,” the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation reported.

16:52 The IAEA mission visited the occupied Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. The agency's general director, Rafael Grossi, said that during his fourth visit to the station, he assessed its protection, the state of the power and cooling systems, as well as the level of qualifications of the personnel, on which the safety of the station directly depends.

16:47 Borrell visited several drone production facilities in Ukraine and then stated that the country does not need supplies of drones from the EU, since it produces them itself: “They do not need drones. I visited several production facilities and was very surprised by the capabilities of your engineers to create companies for the production of high quality drones."

16:43 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that seven rockets from the Ukrainian RM-70 Vampire MLRS were allegedly shot down over the Belgorod region. At the same time, in public pages in Belgorod they write about a fire at one of the enterprises after a missile strike.

16:36 Kuleba said that in order to receive more ammunition from the EU, Ukraine should simultaneously begin negotiations with third countries that have contracted ammunition in Europe. The Ukrainian minister also announced three steps that the EU should take to increase the supply of shells to Ukraine: these are long-term contracts with defense companies, the removal of all barriers to interaction between European defense companies among themselves and with Ukrainian companies, as well as negotiations between European companies and governments in order to to restructure and refocus existing contracts for the supply of projectiles to Ukraine.

16:29 In the village of Kosmach, Ivano-Frankivsk region, an angry crowd beat a woman and a child. About a hundred local residents blocked the road and stopped cars to make sure there were no TCC workers in their cars. Suspecting that one of the drivers had come to the village to spy on the men, people attacked the woman and her six-year-old daughter. Read more in the article Scandal in the Carpathian region.

15:57 Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis addressed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi with a request that Beijing take part in the Global Peace Summit. “China has a very strong relationship with Russia, but is still ready to contribute to ending this war,” Cassis said. According to the Swiss minister, his Chinese counterpart "has taken note" of the invitation and will respond in a few days.

15:22 Two of the five missiles fired at Kharkov in the morning were North Korean-made, said the head of the investigative department of the regional police, Sergei Bolvinov. Explosive technicians collected metal fragments of ballistic missiles on the territory of an industrial zone. According to preliminary conclusions of experts, these are North Korean HVASON 11GA (KN-23) missiles.

15:05 By the end of the year, Ukraine will receive 1 million 155 thousand ammunition from the EU, Borrell said.

14:46 In Kiev, the number of victims as a result of the morning attack increased to 40 people, four people died, KGVA reported.

14:42 Russia is recruiting mercenaries in Syria to participate in hostilities against Ukraine, reports the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense.
It gets them out from underfoot in Syria, and provides cannon fodder in Ukraine, sparing some of the local boys.
According to intelligence data, preparations are taking place on Syrian territory near the city of Aleppo. The first batch of about 1,000 mercenaries is undergoing training with an emphasis on urban warfare. Upon completion of the training, the Syrian mercenaries will be taken to the Khmeimim airbase, and from there to the territory of the Russian Federation. In Russia they are given Russian passports and then mobilized into the army.
“If you survive, you can get nice dacha in Moscow. Sexy, blond girlfriend not included.” (Yes, of course I know dacha is a Russian country cottage. Stupid Syrians don’t know, though.)
Moscow recruits men in Syria through travel companies. The Syrians are first promised work as security guards at oil refineries in Yakutia,
...how desperate must the Syrians be to sign up for work in the coldest part of Russia?
and then they are attracted to “higher paid jobs” in Buryatia.

14:38 Ukrainian manufacturers have developed an analogue of the Russian kamikaze drone Lancet - it is already being tested on the battlefield, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mikhail Fedorov. “It’s difficult to name specific dates, but I think that within two months information will begin to appear in Russian public pages about how their tanks are burning,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

According to Fedorov, it took six months to “accelerate the market” for these kamikaze drones: “Now there are several companies on the radar, and we are testing their products. In the coming weeks, the fate of contracts for the production of Lancet-type drones will be decided.”

14:29 British intelligence reports that the Russian Guard is preparing a new formation of the Volunteer Corps from experienced mercenaries of the Wagner PMC to strengthen its troops in Ukraine and expand influence in Africa. A new base is being built for the Wagner group in the south of the Russian Federation.

13:45 The Rada supported government bill No. 10449 on strengthening mobilization in the first reading. The bill was adopted without proposals from the defense committee. It is expected that amendments will be made until February 21, after which the document will be voted on in the second reading. Thus, it is most likely that the bill will be adopted as a whole in the last week of February, signed in early March, after which it will come into force in April, People’s Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak said.

13:23 As a result of a missile attack in Kiev, four people were killed and 38 were injured, the data is being clarified, the KGVA reported.

12:40 In Nikolaev, as a result of a morning attack, two gas pipelines were damaged, a Naftogaz employee was killed, the company reported.

12:34 Peskov confirmed that Putin gave an interview to Tucker Carlson yesterday. According to him, the Kremlin receives many requests for interviews with Putin, including from the West, but many of the media contacts “don’t even try to look impartial and take a one-sided position,” so there is “neither the desire nor the point” to communicate with them.

Peskov also emphasized that the goals of the “special operation” have not changed and remain relevant, among them “ensuring the security of Russia against the backdrop of attempts to destroy the neutral status of Ukraine and suck it into NATO.”

12:11 In Kiev, the number of deaths as a result of the morning attack increased to four people, 21 people were injured, KGVA reported. The fire in a multi-storey residential building in the Goloseevsky district was extinguished at 11:40. 40 people were evacuated, 26 were saved, 19 were injured, four died. Fire in the service station building on an area of ​​800 sq. m was also liquidated, about 40 cars were burned or damaged.

On the border of the Dnieper and Desnyansky districts, high-voltage underground electrical cables were damaged as a result of falling debris, and a short circuit occurred in a transformer substation, without a fire. Two people were injured.

11:36 In Nikolaev, the number of victims as a result of the morning strike has increased to six, said the head of the OVA Vitaly Kim.

11:30 In Kiev, the number of victims as a result of the morning attack increased to 21 people, three people died, KGVA reported.

11:14 In the Lviv region, a Russian missile hit an industrial facility in Drohobych. The building was partially destroyed and a fire broke out on an area of ​​about 300 square meters. m, it has already been extinguished, said the head of the OVA, Maxim Kozitsky. No people were hurt.

11:09 The morning missile attack did not cause critical consequences for the stable operation of the energy system, Ukrenergo reported. Due to damage to power grids, consumers in Kyiv and Kharkov were de-energized, and a substation in the east was again shelled. In Kharkov, due to damage to the Kharkovoblenergo networks, about a thousand consumers were cut off from power. Ukrenergo's high-voltage power lines are operating normally. In Kyiv, 19,400 consumers and health care institutions are without power, and emergency restoration work continues.

11:07 At night, a Russian plane dropped three guided bombs on the territory of the Yunakovsky community of the Sumy region - one person was injured, six private houses were damaged, the prosecutor's office reported.

11:04 In the Sloboda district of Kharkov, as a result of five attacks by S-300 missiles, buildings of civilian enterprises were damaged and three people were injured, the prosecutor’s office reported.

10:59 In the Kiev region, two people were injured during a rocket attack, OVA reported. Falling debris was recorded in eight settlements in two districts of the region. 14 private houses, outbuildings, and cars were damaged by debris.

10:56 In Kiev, as a result of a morning attack, three people were killed and 14 more were injured, KGVA reports. In the Goloseevsky district, 52 people were evacuated from a multi-storey residential building where a fire occurred, eight were rescued, and 12 people were injured. Rescuers continue to work at the site. As a result of the fire at the service station, about 40 cars were burned or damaged. The fire has been extinguished.

10:44 According to the Ministry of Energy, in Kiev, as a result of a missile attack, power lines were switched off and substations were de-energized. Because of this, some consumers in the Dnieper and Desnyansky districts were disconnected - a total of 19.4 thousand subscribers. Health care facilities were left without electricity. Energy workers expect to heal consumers within three hours.

10:35 The President's Office showed the consequences of a missile attack on Kiev:

10:13 Air defense during the night and morning attack destroyed 29 enemy missiles and 15 attack UAVs, the Air Force command reported. In total, the Russian Federation used 64 air attack weapons:

  • 20 attack UAVs of the Shahed-136/131 type (launched at the Crimean Cape Chauda);

  • 29 X-101/X-555/X-55 cruise missiles from ten Tu-95MS strategic aircraft (launched in Engels, Caspian Sea);

  • four Kh-22 cruise missiles from Tu-22M3 bombers (launch area - Sevastopol, Kursk);

  • three sea-based cruise missiles Caliber from carriers in the Black Sea (launch area - Novorossiysk);

  • three Iskander-M ballistic missiles (launched from Cape Tarkhankut and from the Voronezh region);

  • five S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles (launch area - Belgorod region).

Air defense forces destroyed 44 air targets: 26 Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles, three Caliber cruise missiles and 15 Shahed-136/131 UAVs.

10:07 In Kiev, the number of victims has increased to 13 people: ten were hospitalized in the Goloseevsky district, among them a pregnant woman, three more were injured in the Dnieper district, two of them were hospitalized, said city mayor Vitaliy Klitschko.

09:48 Zelensky will visit Germany next week, Tagesspiegel reports. According to the publication, the Ukrainian president plans his visit during the Munich Security Conference from February 16 to 18.

09:27 The head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that he started the morning in Kiev with a trip to the shelter: “I start the morning in the shelter when air raid signals are heard throughout Kiev. This is the daily reality of the brave Ukrainian people since Russia began its illegal aggression."

09:12 In Kiev, the number of victims as a result of the morning attack has increased to six - three in the Dnieper district and three in Goloseevsky, said Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko. The head of the KGVA, Sergei Popko, said that the enemy used Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles from Tu-95MS strategic bombers from Russian territory. The air raid warning in the capital lasted about three hours. The missiles came in several waves from different directions. Air defense forces hit about 20 missiles in the capital area.

09:01 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of February 7:

  • personnel - about 391,470 (+890) people,

  • tanks - 6372 (+7),

  • armored combat vehicles - 11,879 (+22),

  • artillery systems - 9387 (+20),

  • MLRS - 980 (+1),

  • air defense systems - 665 (+0),

  • aircraft - 332 (+0),

  • helicopters - 324 (+0),

  • UAV of operational-tactical level - 7177 (+4),

  • cruise missiles - 1849 (+1),

  • ships/boats - 24 (+0),

  • submarines - 1 (+0),

  • automotive equipment and tank trucks - 12,486 (+33),

  • special equipment - 1497 (+1).

08:50 Over the past 24 hours, 92 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In the Avdeevsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled 21 enemy attacks in the areas of Novobakhmutovka, Avdeevka and eight more attacks near Pervomaisky, Nevelsky, Donetsk region. In the Maryinsky direction, 20 attacks were repelled (near Georgievka, Pobeda and Novomikhailovka, Donetsk region), in the Limansky direction - 21 attacks (in the areas of Belogorivka, Luhansk region and Ternov, Grigoryevka, Donetsk region).

The enemy did not conduct offensive actions in the Kupyansk direction. In the Bakhmut direction, the Defense Forces repelled 12 enemy attacks near Bogdanovka and Kleshcheevka, Donetsk region; on Shakhtarsky - one attack south of Zolotaya Niva, Donetsk region; in Zaporozhye - four attacks in the Rabotino area and west of Verbovoy, Zaporozhye region. In the Kherson direction, the Defense Forces hold their positions and repelled two assaults by Russian troops.

08:46 In Kiev, as a result of a morning attack, one person was injured in the Goloseevsky district. In addition to a multi-storey residential building, there was a fire at a service station. In the Dnieper region, two people were injured, underground power networks were damaged, KGVA reported.

08:44 In the morning, the Russians attacked Kharkov with S-300 missiles, hits were recorded in the Slobodsky district. There is damage to non-residential infrastructure, one person was injured, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. He also noted that over the past 24 hours the Russian army has increased the number of strikes with guided bombs.

08:23 A man who was hospitalized after the shelling died in the Nikolaev hospital, Mayor Alexander Senkevich said.

08:19 In the Dnieper district of Kiev, as a result of falling debris from a downed rocket, an emergency power outage occurred, some residents were left without power supply. Ukrenergo reported that there is damage in the distribution networks, but the main networks are operating normally. In the Goloseevsky district, according to preliminary information, an apartment building was damaged as a result of a missile strike, the KGVA reported.

08:05 Poland will use its aircraft to secure the country's airspace when the Russian Federation fires missiles at Ukraine, the Polish Armed Forces reported. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the cruise missile was in the Lviv region and was moving towards the border with Poland, but then turned around.

07:46 Russia is massively attacking Ukraine with drones and missiles at night and in the morning. In Nikolaev, as a result of the hits, about 20 residential buildings were damaged, one person was injured, said the head of the OVA Vitaly Kim. A fire occurred in a section of an underground gas pipeline, and a technical structure where a fire broke out was damaged on the territory of an infrastructure facility. The fire has now been localized.

07:35 In the Novomoskovsk district of the Dnepropetrovsk region, as a result of falling debris and a UAV hit, there is destruction on the territory of a utility company, buildings and cars are damaged. A fire broke out, which rescuers quickly extinguished; no people were injured, said the head of the Fire Department, Sergei Lysak.

05:28 Russia has launched North Korean-made ballistic missiles into Ukraine at least nine times, US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Robert Wood said at a Security Council meeting.

00:24 A meeting of the North Atlantic Council will take place in Brussels on February 7. According to the White House, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will take part in the meeting. During meetings in Brussels, he will discuss a number of key issues ahead of the anniversary 75th NATO summit in Washington, including further support for Ukraine.

Link


-Lurid Crime Tales-
A BLM activist involved in NYC pro-Palestine protests has been arrested for ramming a car into an NYPD officer on Jan. 17
2024-01-20
[TWITTER]

The NY Post adds:
The driver who struck a policeman at a Manhattan scene of the crime told authorities it was intentional, adding, "F—k these cops, it’s a lesson to him,’’ sources said Friday — with the mow-down caught on shocking video.

Sahara Dula — a 24-year-old Brooklynite whose lawyer said mentors kids to stay off drugs — was driving her black Lexus the wrong way on the Upper East Side while high on marijuana Wednesday when she barreled into the NYPD officer, officials and sources said.
Images in the tweet and a photo at the article link show both the policeman and Ms Dula appear to be Black, so at least the druggie wasn’t being racist as well.
“I told the cop I wanted to go straight, and he wouldn’t move, so I hit him. I did it on purpose,’’ Dula later told Sherlocks, according to court papers.

"F—k these cops! He wouldn’t move!’’ she screamed a few minutes after the incident, the documents claim —with a source saying Dula added, "F—k these cops, it’s a lesson to him, and hopefully he doesn’t want to be a cop anymore."

Footage posted on X late Thursday shows Dula, a college criminal justice graduate
...an interesting way to spend four years, under the circumstances...
and former doorman, driving her vehicle the wrong way on Park Avenue near East 71st Street around 4:30 p.m.

At the time, officers were in the area investigating an unrelated robbery at a nearby high-end clothing store and had closed off part of the road.

Marijuana and rolling papers were found in her vehicle, according to Shephard.

Shephard — who called Dula’s alleged actions "egregious" — asked that she be held on $100,000 bail, but Judge John Zhuo Wang set bail at $25,000. The suspect did not immediately make bail.

Dula’s only prior arrest in the Big Apple was in March 2022 for criminal mischief stemming from an incident near Brooklyn’s Atlantic Terminal Mall in which she destroyed property with a metal barrier, cops and police sources said. The charges were eventually dropped in the case, which was sealed.

Dula also has prior arrests in New Hampshire, Shepherd said. In 2020, she allegedly failed to stop at an intersection in the town of Henniker and struck another vehicle before she expeditiously departed at a goodly pace but was quickly located, according to a report in The Granite Quill. She was also arrested on a simple assault charge after an incident at Concord Hospital in New Hampshire’s capital city, Patch reported at the time.

In court, Dula’s lawyer, Patricia Wright, argued to the judge that her client "wants to express to you that she’s trying to move on from her ties from New Hampshire."

Dula suffers from bipolar disorder, takes multiple medications and receives mental health treatment, Wright said.
There it is — I’d wondered.
The Brooklyn resident — who supports her family, including her mother — runs her own company where she mentors kids on Saturdays through music and helps them stay off the streets, and away from drugs and gangs, according to Wright.
Another interesting choice. What advice can she give, given her own lifestyle?
Dula lives alone in a Prospect Lefferts Gardens apartment building, after her grandmother and father both died in the past year, according to the building super, who did not want to be identified.
How much of a family is there for her to support, if she lives alone, and Granny and Pops are no longer among the living.
The super described Dula and unfriendly and gruff, adding that she "smokes a lot of weed."

"She’s like a rude person," he said."Not smiling for nobody. All the time she’s like that. She was even like that with her grandmother and father."
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