Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[LB] Many spears broke about when exactly the enemy's summer offensive campaign would begin . With the intensification of the battles near Toretsk, the season of the enemy's summer offensives can be considered officially open.
by Viktor Kevlyu
The Russians are very active (the list is not based on the importance of the directions or the activity of the enemy) in the Kharkiv, Siver, Kramatorsk, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk directions. But in the land corridor to the Crimea, in the Kupyansk and Lymansk directions, they behave more quietly. They don't sleep, of course, even KABs rush in from time to time, but not in comparison with the east of Ukraine.
If you look from space, the picture is like this:
The Siversky salient , created and held by the Defense Forces, is an aspen stake in the heart of the enemy's "Yug" defense forces, preventing them from advancing on Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, that is, completing the conditions for capturing the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration. The enemy's air defense system "Zapad" is also unable to help in the Limansk direction, and is even forced to retreat in the Serebryansk forest due to the activity of the 12th special purpose brigade "Azov" of the National Guard of Ukraine. And they have not yet been given American weapons .
Now this is clearly an auxiliary direction, where the enemy fails to form favorable conditions for an offensive operation. The enemy's 106th division of the VAT, most likely, will fall into the Ukrainian chernozems entirely and more than once. While the fighting is going on in the districts of Rozdolivka, where the enemy is already on the outskirts of the village, and Vyimka. The 7th and 123rd EMS Brigades of the 2nd Luhansk Corps actively took part in this senseless suicide.
Chasiv Yar and the surrounding areas: if you need to die somewhere stupidly, then the Russian landing party is right here. No one but them. The 98th division of the VAT has been attacking on the 3.5 km section for almost six months, although it should have stormed somewhere out of 15 kilometers, but it still did not manage to achieve anything. In addition to losses. First of all, in the 331st Airborne Regiment . If this abomination has forgotten, then not the Defense Forces: neither Ilovaisk, nor Gostomel, nor Buchu and Irpin. And from a sincere Cossack soul, they remind the enemy that no one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten.
The enemy tried to cover Chasyk from the north and south, as he likes and knows how, but our homework was done, so today everything is reduced to frontal pressure in the section Bohdanivka - Ivanovske (both villages are occupied). The enemy thought to capture Chasiv Yar by May 9, but already on June 25 — and tough battles on the Bohdanivka-Ivanivske border and in the vicinity of the Kanal and Novy micro-districts. This is the direction of another strike, the purpose of which is to create the conditions for an offensive operation to capture Kostyantynivka and Druzhkivka. The grouping also has smaller directions of the main and other strike. Another thing is interesting: the enemy's 3rd corps is being killed just to squeeze the units of the Defense Forces from the bridgehead from Ivanivskoe through Klishchiivka, Andriivka to Kurdyumivka. The result is that our men came down from the commanding heights, broke into the enemy and are once again in control of the ruins of Klishchiivka. Height, by the way, too.
Toretsk : at one time the enemy received several painful kicks near Horlivka and behaved quietly. But this week he started attacking here. Captured Shumy, tries to - Friendship, Northern, fires at New York, preparing to take it, and breaks through to Toretsk. There is a high probability that in a week or two at least urban battles will be fought there.
The configuration of the front line is very advantageous for the enemy - the city is covered by the 98th Division, which is stuck at Chasov Yar, and by the troops of the "Center" UA, which are advancing from the southern flank to the north, that is, the threat of encircling our tactical group in the Toretsk ledge is not at all imaginary, although and not in the short term. If we look at this offensive at the same time as the actions of the "Center" UA, which is rushing from Ocheretiny to Vozdvizhenka and Kalinov, then it can be assumed that this summer in the South-Western TVD the Russians will deliver the main blow here.
Pokrovsky direction : it's been a month since the enemy "Tsentr" air defense system broke through the tactical defense zone of our "Tavria" anti-aircraft missile defense system here, but something is delaying the development of operational success.
Two attack vectors are clearly visible: to break through Vozdvizhenka to the Kostyantynivka-Pervomaisk highway and cut it in the Nova Poltavka-Malynyvka section (about 6 km left), which will stop Ukrainian logistics in this direction, then break through as far west as possible along the Pisky-Pokrovsk road, bypassing of the southern flank, a tactical group of the Defense Forces, which restrains the "Center" military aircraft near Novooleksandrivka, Yevgenivka, Novoselivka Pershoya, Umansky and Karlivka. The Pokrovsky direction may well be the direction of the enemy's main attack on the TVD, because it allows to cut off the "Tavria" anti-aircraft defense system and achieve one goal of the so-called SVO - to capture the Donetsk region.
CRISIS IN THE POKROVSKY DIRECTION
The enemy's activity in the Kurakhiv direction should be considered in conjunction with his activity in the Vremiv direction .
The goal is to engage the Defense Force tactical group defending Ugledar from two flanks. The development of events during the last month suggests that the seemingly pointless attacks on Staromayorsk, which even if successful will not have an operational continuation, may be a kind of smoke screen behind which the enemy is forming a strike group for the operation currently developing near Toretsk. The textbooks are too similar. So far, nothing has been heard about this group of three or four brigades and three or four regiments, but in general they do not tell everything. Therefore it is possible. The battles in the districts of Georgiyivka, Pobyeda and Novomykhailivka are a formation operation, not a strike.
What do we have in the end? The main strikes — Toretsky and Pokrovsky directions, others (formative operations) — Siversky, Chasovoyarsky, Kurakhivskyi and Vremivskyi, restrain actions in Kharkivskyi, Orikhivskyi, Prydniprovskyi. Of course, an insurance policy does not give a 100% guarantee, so it is not worth claiming that it is the truth. Reading the same book, people draw different conclusions, the same with reading the situation on maps. Here we thank the Deep State team . Colossal painstaking daily work. Thanks guys.
In order to sleep soundly after reading, let's check the conclusions by means of a simple control: where the enemy drives his reserves, there the importance of the direction is higher.
A fighter of the 82nd separate airborne assault brigade of the Armed Forces of UkrainePhoto: facebook/General StaffA fighter of the 82nd separate airborne assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Kharkiv direction : "Sever" UA has big problems both with manpower and supply; the TVD command does not provide reinforcements, so there are no decisive successes in Vovchansk. Several battalions from the Kherson region were transferred to this direction for trifles.
At the same time, the Russian military command is trying to withdraw combat-capable units from the Vovchansk region, in particular the 11th TP of the 18th MSD of the 11th AK and the 83rd ODSHBr of the PDV of the Russian Armed Forces (and it was two weeks ago near Chasov Yar). The 25th Infantry Brigade of the 6th ZA in the same direction lost its combat capability, it is also being taken away to recover. It seems that in a month the aggressor will crawl home to Belgorod Oblast.
THE MATHEMATICS OF WAR. HOW MUCH DOES A RUSSIAN SOLDIER COST AND WHY WILL THERE BE MOBILIZATION IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Kupyan direction : the losses of the Russian UA "Zapad" remain high here, therefore, in order to maintain the pace of the offensive (in fact, they are skidding near Sinkivka), reinforcements are transferred here from Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Rostov regions. Currently, the "Zapad" armed forces have up to 72,000 servicemen here, of which at least half are engaged in active combat. Kramatorsk direction: the Russian Armed Forces lost an excess of personnel from their landing (read — better) units near Chasov Yar, which are being replaced by marching reinforcements from the Zaporizhzhia and Rostov regions.
Toretsk direction : active hostilities resumed only a week ago. Since April, the enemy formed a shock tactical group of five brigades (up to 15,000 servicemen), but while it was gathering, it distributed 5,000 near Ocheretine and Chasiv Yar. Now there are about 10,000 here, it is too early to talk about the introduction of reserves into operation.
Pokrovsky considers the direction of the enemy's command to be the most successful, so he does not spare reserves here. In the section from Novooleksandrivka to Georgiivka, there is a group with the number of up to 48,000 people and about 22,000 more in reserve in the nearest rear.
The Kurakhiv direction is promising, by mid-summer the enemy aims to cut off the supply of the Defense Forces in the Vugledar Defense District, and to achieve at least a semi-encirclement of it by August, so the few Russian reserves are moving here as well.
If you look at our conclusions through the prism of reserves, the main attack on TVD will be made by the enemy in the Pokrovsky direction, others - in Kupyansk, Kramatorsk, and Kurakhivsk. The events of the next 10 days will show what happened to Torecki.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:16 The Pentagon reported that the head of the department, Lloyd Austin, had a conversation with the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Andrei Belousov, and discussed the war in Ukraine with him. During the conversation, Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining communications between the US and Russian militaries, said Pentagon Speaker Pat Ryder.
22:08 Russian Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova reported that her representatives discussed with a representative of the Ukrainian Ombudsman possible options for the mutual return of civilians from places of forced detention.
22:04 Ukraine returned another 90 defenders from Russian captivity , the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported. Among them are 32 National Guardsmen, 18 border guards, 17 representatives of the Navy, 15 Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers and eight terrorist fighters. In particular, it was possible to return 59 defenders of Mariupol, of which 52 were fighters who left Azovstal. Five national guardsmen who guarded the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were also released from captivity.
21:35 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that with the mediation of the UAE, an exchange of prisoners took place according to the 90-90 formula.
21:01 CNN reports, citing American officials, that the White House is working to lift the ban on the deployment of American military contractors in Ukraine. In particular, they want to make such a decision to help the Ukrainian Armed Forces maintain and repair weapons systems provided by the United States. However, no final decisions have been made “and any discussion on this issue is premature,” one Biden administration official said.
20:53 The Cabinet of Ministers allowed mine clearance operators to book 100% of deminers. We are talking about civilians who have undergone basic training sufficient to search for mines and explosive objects in the fields.
20:40 Radio Liberty showed a satellite image showing the consequences of an attack on an ammunition depot in Olkhovatka, Voronezh region. In the picture you can see at least two sources of fire - this corresponds to local residents’ data about two drones that attacked the warehouse on the night of June 25.
19:27 The Council of the EU approved the draft security agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, said the Foreign Minister of Belgium, which chairs the EU, Aja Lyabib. According to her, the summit of EU leaders, which will take place on June 27 in Brussels, “will give a complete picture of our support for Ukraine in all forms.”
19:23 Another country, South American Guyana, joined the Peace Summit communiqué, Zelensky said. The number of signatories now stands at 83 countries and six organizations.
19:01 The Russians hit the village with at least four KABs. Bobrovka, Olkhovskaya community, Kharkov district - country houses were damaged, four people were injured, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov.
18:32 On Wednesday, June 26, oblenergos will apply hourly shutdown schedules from 00:00 to 24:00. The volume of restrictions will be greatest from 17:00 to 23:00, Ukrenergo reported.
18:28 The Ukrainian delegation has already held the first intergovernmental conference of Ukraine and the European Union regarding accession, Zelensky said: “Until today, we were a state that received the status of a candidate for accession, but we could not yet be completely sure whether we would realize this status. And with "Today, this is definitely a certainty - Ukraine will certainly be a full member of the European Union."
18:07 Zelensky said that he had a meeting in Kiev with the head of the German Bundesrat, Manuela Schwesig, and told her about the situation on the battlefield and the priority needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In particular, they discussed the supply of additional air defense systems.
In addition, the President met with the Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Sweden, Johann Forssell, and representatives of Swedish business. We discussed the prospects for using income from frozen Russian assets for the needs of Ukraine, strengthening the international sanctions regime against the Russian Federation and energy support.
17:32 In the Sumy region, the activity of Russian DRGs has recently decreased, said the speaker of the State Border Service Andrey Demchenko. At the same time, he added that “it has not completely disappeared, and the threat of sabotage activities by the enemy does not disappear anywhere.” According to Demchenko, the enemy now does not have enough forces and means to carry out an invasion in the Sumy direction, but one must be prepared for the fact that the Russian army can expand the zone of active combat operations, as is happening in the Kharkov region, in order to force the Ukrainian Armed Forces to keep their troops there troops.
17:01 US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien believes that for Ukraine to succeed in the war against Russia, it is necessary, first of all, to deprive the Russian Federation of the opportunity to advance in the east and use nearby firing lines, as well as inflict economic damage on Moscow. "Then we come to a point where Russia has to think: Can we continue to fight with the very limited international support that we receive against this much larger coalition of countries?" - O'Brien explained.
16:35 The war in Ukraine could spread to other countries and develop into a nuclear war, said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. “The issue of the possibility of using nuclear weapons may be on the agenda,” he believes.
15:26 The Cabinet of Ministers has authorized the expulsion from universities of male students recognized as fit for military service if they refuse to undergo basic general military training.
14:55 Information appeared on social networks about the alleged escape near Kiev of former convicts who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and are undergoing training in one of the training centers. The command of the Ground Forces emphasized that this information is not true: “All former prisoners are now undergoing active training and are preparing to carry out combat missions in their units. Former convicts, motivated, patriotically minded, of their own free will joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Soon we will be able see their work on the battlefield."
14:32 The EU, as part of a new package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, approved a ban on access to a number of media outlets, including the Russian RIA Novosti and Izvestia, against which sanctions were previously imposed. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Russia, in response, is limiting access to broadcast resources of a number of EU media outlets.
14:14 The European Court of Human Rights recognized that Russia systematically violated the rights of Ukrainians in Crimea after its occupation. In particular, the ECHR agreed with Ukraine’s evidence that Russia practiced ill-treatment of Ukrainians, illegal detentions, disappearances, forced replacement of Ukrainian passports with Russian ones, mass searches, closure of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar media, banning protests, attacks on the organizers of meetings, etc.
Margarita Sokorenko, Commissioner for ECHR Affairs in the Ministry of Justice, called this decision unique, since the court recognized a number of conclusions and violations under the Convention for the first time in its practice (application of Russian legislation, illegal courts, forced change of citizenship).
14:00 The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov. The warrants were issued in connection with “probable international crimes” committed between October 10, 2022 and March 9, 2023. We are talking about Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine.
13:53 The EU Council extended temporary protection for Ukrainians who fled to the European Union from Russian aggression until March 4, 2026.
13:27 Denmark has allocated about 20 million euros to accelerate the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the EU, the country’s Foreign Ministry reported. The funds are allocated until 2030 and should help both countries create the administrative structures and legislation necessary to move closer to EU membership.
12:59 Ukraine received the first batch of artillery shells as part of the Czech initiative, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said: “The first batch of ammunition on our initiative arrived in Ukraine some time ago. We are doing everything necessary.”
12:18 In the Olkhovatsky district of the Voronezh region, where the GUR hit a field ammunition depot, a state of emergency has been introduced, Russian media write. Earlier, Governor Alexander Gusev reported that “explosive objects” detonated there after the drone attack.
12:14 In the morning, the Russians have already carried out six airstrikes in Toretsk, Donetsk region, wounding four people, said the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin. In addition, one person died in the Golden Niva of the Velikonovoselkovsk community.
11:50 The EU today begins accession negotiations with Ukraine, said the head of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen. “The road ahead will be challenging but full of opportunity,” she added.
The Financial Times writes that although negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union officially start on June 25, the main stage of work on this issue will not begin until 2025. In particular, this is due to the current Hungarian presidency of the EU, which may complicate the path to membership of Ukraine.
11:43 Since May 18, about 2.3 million Ukrainians have already updated their data through the Reserve+ application, of which 1.1 million are eligible for conscription, said Defense Ministry spokesman Dmitry Lazutkin: “It is clear that in the coming days they will not be able to help those military personnel , who protect our country, but in the future this is very important, because we are talking about improving military accounting. The country must know who to count on."
11:06 Orban criticized the negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU, which begin today in Luxembourg, but at the same time assured that Budapest will not block them: “Hungary does not agree with this accession process, but we do not block it and support the start of negotiations ".
10:52 On the night of June 25, scouts hit a field ammunition depot in the Olkhovatsky district of the Voronezh region, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported. On sites with shells with a total area of 3500 sq. m there was a fire with detonation, which is still ongoing.
10:31 Putin said that his “peace proposals” supposedly actually provide for the possibility of ending the war in Ukraine, and many politicians in the West “didn’t even want to delve into their essence.”
09:47 Two key advisers to Trump presented him with a plan to end the war in Ukraine if he wins the presidential election. The plan provides for the provision of military assistance to Kyiv only if peace negotiations with Moscow begin, writes Reuters. At the same time, the Kremlin will be warned that failure to negotiate will lead to increased American support for Ukraine, said one of Trump's national security advisers, Keith Kellogg. During peace negotiations, a ceasefire must be established.
Trump responded positively to the plan, according to second adviser Fred Fleitz. The strategy outlined by Kellogg and Fleitz is the most detailed plan developed by Trump's allies to date. The proposal would mark a dramatic change in US position on the war and would face opposition from European allies and within Trump's Republican Party, Reuters writes.
09:02 In the Donetsk region over the past 24 hours, 49 people were wounded as a result of Russian shelling, said the head of the OBA Vadim Filashkin. Seven people died: five in Pokrovsk, one each in Kurakhovo and Toretsk. Filashkin also said that a forced evacuation would be announced in Toretsk. Now about 5.5 thousand people remain there. There has been no electricity in the city for two days now.
08:14 In the Kherson region over the past 24 hours, as a result of Russian shelling, one person was killed and three were injured, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin. 20 private houses, critical infrastructure facilities, an administrative building, and wastewater treatment plants were damaged.
07:28 Belgorod and the Belgorod region were subjected to a massive UAV attack at night, there were casualties, said Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that air defense systems allegedly destroyed 29 UAVs over the territory of the Belgorod region and one over the Voronezh region at night.
07:13 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of June 25:
personnel - about 536,840 (+1180) people,
tanks - 8035 (+4),
armored combat vehicles - 15,431 (+18),
artillery systems - 14,281 (+35),
MLRS - 1108 (+0),
air defense systems - 863 (+0),
aircraft - 359 (+0),
helicopters - 326 (+0),
UAVs of operational-tactical level - 11 413 (+31),
cruise missiles - 2324 (+1),
ships/boats - 28 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 19,362 (+58),
special equipment - 2403 (+6).
02:22 The second batch of long-range Patriot anti-aircraft missiles from Spain has already arrived in Ukraine, El Mundo writes, citing government sources. The first batch of aid was delivered at the end of April. At the May 25 Ramstein meeting, Defense Secretary Margarita Robles called the missiles part of an "important shipment" of aid that would arrive in June. In addition, Ukraine received Leopard battle tanks and various types of ammunition.
#1
" US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien believes that for Ukraine to succeed in the war against Russia, it is necessary, first of all, to deprive the Russian Federation of the opportunity to advance in the east and use nearby firing lines, as well as inflict economic damage on Moscow. "Then we come to a point where Russia has to think: Can we continue to fight with the very limited international support that we receive against this much larger coalition of countries?"
Well basically these three conditions have already been met. Seems to me the thing needed is for 1. Putin to die or 2. recognize the damage to Russia and stop their war on Ukraine.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
06/26/2024 14:58 Comments ||
Top||
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Ukrainian Armed Forces are actively destroying Russians in the south and east of Ukraine.
In the Pokrovsky direction, the Russians are not slowing down the pace of their offensive. Since the beginning of the day, the enemy has attacked the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces 39 times.
During the day, Russian invaders try to break into the defense and try to dislodge Ukrainian units from their occupied lines. The number of military clashes along the entire front line has increased to 121. This was announced by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in an evening report on Tuesday, June 25.
In the Kharkov direction, the Russians do not abandon their intentions to oust the Ukrainian defenders from their positions in the area of Volchansk, Tikhoy and Glubokoe. To date, units of the Defense Forces have repelled five enemy assaults, and another clash is ongoing.
In the Kupyansk direction, Ukrainian defenders from the beginning of the day repelled 10 attacks of the invaders near Stepnaya Novoselovka, Stelmakhovka, Sinkovka and Andreevka. Currently, one clash is still ongoing.
Previous Russian losses in this area amounted to 89 people killed and wounded. One tank, an armored fighting vehicle and a car were destroyed.
There was no success in 12 attempts by the enemy to advance deep into Ukrainian territory in the areas of Belogorovka, Verkhnekamensky, Sporny, Razdolevka and Vyemka in the Seversky direction. Another battle continues. The Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers are monitoring the situation.
According to preliminary data, the losses of the invaders in this direction amount to 58 people. Two armored combat vehicles, a car and three enemy ammunition depots were destroyed.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the enemy tried nine times to break into the defenses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Chasovoy Yar and Ivanovsky. Ukrainian soldiers repelled eight assaults, one attack is ongoing.
In the Pokrovsky direction, the invaders are not slowing down the pace of their offensive. Since the beginning of the day, the enemy has attacked the defensive lines of Ukrainian defenders 39 times in the areas of Novoaleksandrovka, Vozdvizhenka, Evgenievka, Sokol, Novoselovka Pervaya and Yasnobrodivka. 32 assaults on the aggressor were unsuccessful, and seven more military clashes are ongoing.
Fighting continues in the Kurakhovsky direction. Since the beginning of the day, the enemy has been attacking near Krasnogorovka, Georgievka and Konstantinovka. The total number of attacks here has increased to six, of which two have been repelled and four are still ongoing.
In the Dnieper direction, the invaders' assault on the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the Krynok area ended unsuccessfully. The situation is under control. In other areas, the situation has not undergone significant changes.
Let us remind you that over the past 24 hours, Russia’s losses amounted to 1,180 occupiers. In total, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian army has lost about 536,840 of its soldiers.
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[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
Units of the Sever Group of Forces continued to engage in active combat operations and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 36th Naval Infantry Brigade, 57th Motorised Infantry Brigade, and 71st Jaeger Brigade near Volchansk, Ternovaya, and Tikhoye (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 235 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155mm M777 howitzer, two 152mm D-20 howitzers, and one 122mm D-30 howitzer.
Units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions, as well as inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 14th, 54th, and 66th Mechanised brigades near Petropavlovka, Sinkovka (Kharkov region), Platonovka (Donetsk People's Republic), and Makeyevka (Lugansk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 445 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155mm M198 howitzer, one 152mm D-20 howitzer, one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and one U.S.-made 105mm M119 howitzer.
In addition, one AFU ammunition depot has been destroyed.
Units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade, 46th, and 81st Airmobile brigades near Konstantinovka and Kurakhovo (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 830 Ukrainian troops, two armoured personnel carriers, seven motor vehicles, two U.S.-made 155mm M777 howitzers, one U.S.-made 155mm M198 howitzer, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, one U.S.-made 105mm M119 howitzer, and one electronic warfare station.
Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions, as well as inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 24th Mechanised Brigade and 2nd Territorial Defence Brigade near Toretsk and Mikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Three counter-attacks launched by AFU units were repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 560 Ukrainian troops, one tank, eight motor vehicles, three U.S.-made 155mm M777 howitzers, three 152mm Msta-B howitzers, one 152mm D-20 howitzer, and three 122mm D-30 howitzers.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Velikaya Novosyolka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 150 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155mm M777 howitzer, one UK-made 155mm FH-70 howitzer, one 152mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer, and one 122mm D-30 howitzer.
Units of the Dnepr Group of Force delivered strikes at manpower and hardware of the AFU 35th Naval Infantry Brigade near Ivanovka (Kherson region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 125 Ukrainian troops, five motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155mm M777 howitzer, one 152mm D-20 howitzer, one 122mm D-30 howitzer, and one U.S.-made 105mm M109 howitzer.
Operational-Tactical and Army Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Groups of Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed two AFU materiel depots, one P-18 air target detection and tracking radar station, as well as engaged manpower and military hardware in 128 areas.
Air defence units shot down 79 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and four U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles.
In total, 613 airplanes and 276 helicopters, 26,566 unmanned aerial vehicles, 533 air defence missile systems, 16,423 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,348 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 10,856 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 22,924 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:35 Three civilians were killed and nine more people, including a teenager, were wounded as a result of artillery attack of the center of Donetsk by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the city's mayor Kulemzin reported.
Ukrainian militants fired nine 155mm rounds in the Petrovsky and Kirovsky districts.
Two MLRS missiles were fired at the Kuibyshevsky district of Donetsk.
21:56 The Ukrainian Armed Forces fired at the Kuibyshevsky district of Donetsk. According to authorities, there are wounded civilians.
21:00 Military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Gorlovka direction voluntarily gave up and laid down their arms, and were captured by the Russian army
19:52 Frontline report from the “Whisper of the Front” channel:
Toretsk direction: The Russian Armed Forces continue to advance in Severny (Kirovo). Several streets were busy.
Svatovskoye direction: unconfirmed reports are coming in that the Russian Armed Forces have entered the southern outskirts of the village of Stelmakhovka. If this is so, then the depth of the advance was about 1.8 km and the width was about 1.3 km.
18:45 Crew of the 152mm Msta-B howitzer of the Center group of troops destroyed another stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Avdeevsky direction.
18:20 Vrem'yevskoye direction: advance of Russian troops at the Staromayorskoye – Urozhainoye line.
In the Vrem'yevsky direction, Russian troops are leveling the front line west of Staromayorsky, and in neighboring Urozhainy they are gradually pushing the enemy out of positions, moving towards the center of the village.
After the liberation of Staromayorsky, the Ukrainian Armed Forces regularly launch counterattacks with the support of armored vehicles, trying to regain control over the northern outskirts of the village. The enemy is making advances both through the open area north of the village and across the Mokrye Yaly River to the northeast.
The tense situation is also in neighboring Urozhainy. The village is located on a hill relative to the surrounding area, which allows Ukrainian formations to more effectively adjust artillery and mortar fire. Despite this, attack aircraft of the Russian Armed Forces are gradually pushing the enemy out of positions in the ruins of houses, moving along Naberezhnaya and Tsentralnaya streets.
17:57 Paratroopers on the T-72BZM continue to apply precision strikes on positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the right bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region
During aerial reconnaissance in dilapidated houses on the right bank of the Dnieper, the movement of personnel and the control center of the UAV of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were revealed.
The T-72BZM crew, using the terrain, quickly arrived at a closed firing position. With precise shots at the given coordinates, the tank inflicted fire damage on the enemy. UAV operators helped correct the shooting in real time.
16:40 Ukrainian channels report explosions in Kharkov.
15:48 Paratroopers destroy with the help of the Lancet UAV, the Crab self-propelled gun supplied by the West to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
15:34 Su-34 fighter-bomber destroyed with Kh-38ML missiles another crossing of the enemy. Guidance is carried out by the crew of the Orlan-30 UAV.
14:55 Use of high-explosive bombs on positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Volchansk area -video.
13:58 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation (as of June 25, 2024)
Soldiers of the North group of troops conducted active combat operations and defeated the personnel and equipment of the 36th Marine Brigade, the 57th Motorized Infantry and 71st Jaeger brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Volchansk, Ternovaya and Tikhoe in the Khar'kov region.
The group of troops "West" occupied more advantageous lines and positions, and also defeated the formations of the 14th, 54th, 66th Mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Petropavlovka, Sin'kovka of the Khar'kov region, Platonovka of the Donetsk People's Republic and Makeyevka of the Lugansk People's Republic.
Units of the “Southern” group of forces improved the situation along the front line, defeated the manpower and equipment of the 72nd Mechanized, 46th and 81st Airmobile brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Konstantinovka and Kurakhovo of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
Military personnel of the "Center" group of forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions, and defeated the formations of the 24th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 2nd Territorial Defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Toretsk and Mikhailovka of the Donetsk People's Republic. Three counterattacks by Ukrainian Armed Forces units were repelled.
Units of the Vostok group of forces improved the tactical situation and defeated the manpower and equipment of the 128th Territorial Defense Brigade in the area of the village of Velikaya Novoselka, Donetsk People's Republic.
Within 24 hours, the Dnepr group of troops defeated the manpower and equipment of the formations of the 35th Naval Infantry Brigade in the area of the village of Ivanovka, Kherson region.
Operational-tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery of groupings of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed two warehouses of military-technical equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a radar station for detecting and tracking air targets P-18, and also defeated concentrations of enemy manpower and military equipment in 128 districts.
Air defense systems shot down 79 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and four US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems.
12:54 Calculations of the 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS of the West group of forces after receiving target coordinates from unmanned aircraft operators inflicted attacks on identified enemy positions. To do this, our soldiers used high-explosive fragmentation ammunition, which made it possible to inflict maximum damage to fortifications, buried concrete fortifications and enemy armored vehicles.
12:45 Artillerymen of the 6th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Southern Group of Forces destroyed manpower and warehouse of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Seversky direction
11:52 Statement of Head of the press center of the “West” group:
With coordinated actions, motorized rifle units, supported by artillery and aviation fire, occupied more advantageous positions and inflicted fire on formations of Ukrainian militants from the 14th, 21st, 115th and 116th Mmechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of Nevsky, Sin'kovka, Chervona Dibrova and Grigorovka.
In the Lozovaya area, as part of a counterbattery fight, a 122mm D-30 artillery mount was discovered and destroyed by Lancet loitering ammunition.
The 122mm BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle and the PzN-2000 self-propelled artillery unit were hit by rocket and cannon artillery fire in the areas of the settlements of Glushkovka and Kruglyakovka.
In the areas of Zaliman, Zhitlovka, Kremennaya, Grigorovka and Chervona Dibrova, air defense crews destroyed six Leleka-100 and Furia reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles.
During the day, the enemy lost up to 480 militants and more than 30 units of weapons and military equipment: a BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle, a 122mm BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system, two PzN 2000 and 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mounts, artillery pieces: M119, 152mm D-20 and three 122mm D-30 howitzers, as well as 12 mortars, 11 cars and one truck and a field warehouse with ammunition
. 11:34 Artillerymen support advance of assault units in the South Donetsk direction
Crews of 152mm D-20 howitzers of the Vostok group of troops from Sakhalin ensure the advancement of assault units. The guns are practically silent, the crews are doing everything to support our infantry in the offensive.
11:20 Enemy reports:
“Intense hostilities continue in the Khar'kov direction in the Volchansk area. The Russian Armed Forces continue to actively use aviation to fire at Ukrainian positions and rear facilities of Ukrainian troops.
In the Seversky direction, the Russian Armed Forces took control of part of the positions on the southeastern outskirts of Razdolovka.
In the Pokrovsky direction, the Russian Armed Forces have advanced to the western outskirts of Novoaleksandrovka and are advancing in the direction of Vozdvizhenka. Further south, in the Sokol area, the Russian army continues to storm the Ukrainian defenses in the eastern part of Sokol.”
11:15 “Arrived” at an aircraft plant in Kharkov, reports Directive for Ukraine
UAVs were assembled and stored in the factory workshops.
10:51 Discovered accumulation of enemy manpower in the village. Grigorovka village near Chasov Yar.
According to the movements of the Ukrainian Armed Forces infantry on the outskirts of the village. Grigorovka, reconnaissance of the “North” group discovered several buildings in which the enemy was hiding. The brigade's artillerymen received the coordinates of the enemy's deployment and hit all targets with precise strikes.
10:12 In the Khar'kov direction for attacks on the Ukrainian Armed Forces involved 130mm M-46 guns. The M-46 gun is a universal weapon. It can fire different types of ammunition, but more often the Russian military uses high-explosive fragmentation rounds. The M-46 gun is a naval artillery tube, converted to use on the ground. 09:49 Explosions were heard in Khar'kov, reported the Ukrainian publication “Public. News".
09:35 As a result of active actions of the unit of the “Southern” group of forces improved positions along the front line, they defeated the manpower and equipment of the 46th airmobile and 79th Air Assault Brigade in the areas of Konstantinovka and Kurakhovo.
The enemy lost more than 610 troops wounded and killed.
Anti-tank guided missile systems, artillery fire and loitering ammunition hit a tank, an M113 armored personnel carrier, four vehicles, three electronic warfare stations and seven field ammunition depots.
During the counter-battery fight, a 155mm M777 howitzer, a 155mm FH-70 howitzer, a 152mm D-20 howitzer, two 122mm D-30 howitzers and a 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS combat vehicle were destroyed.
08:18 Frontline summary on the morning of 06/25/2024:
Zaporozhye Front. Positional battles continue in the Rabotino area and northwest of Verbovoy. Long-range weapons are actively working. LBS without significant changes.
Donetsk front. In Krasnogorovka, urban battles continue, slowly but steadily the Russian Armed Forces are pushing through the defenses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In the Karlovka area, fighting continues on the outskirts of the village. No significant changes to the LBS.
In Yasnobrodovka, fighting continues in the populated area, the affairs of the Ukrainian garrison are getting worse every day, and the risk of being surrounded is getting higher. In Sokol, the Russian Armed Forces continue, despite fierce resistance, to dislodge the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the populated area.
Chasovoyarsk direction. There are no significant changes in the LBS, but the activity of hostilities in this area does not subside. Russian troops continue their assault on the eastern suburb of Chasov Yar, and also improve their positions on the flanks.
Khar'kov front. Fierce fighting continues in Volchansk and in the Glubokoye area. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are conducting counterattacks, trying to dislodge the Russian Armed Forces from their occupied positions. Successful at times. In general, the LBS is without significant changes, but Ukrainian troops have gathered significant forces in this direction, which will allow them to carry out advance after advance on the positions of Russian troops.
08:15 Combat Job of drone pilots of the 14th Guards Special Purpose Brigade for the destruction of enemy transport.
08:07 Work of attack aircraft of the 11th Air Force and Air Defense Army on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Urozhayne -video.
08:01 Units of the North group shot down over their positions near Khar'kov there were 2 heavy drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine “Baba Yaga” - fire was fired at them from small arms.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Denis Davydov
[REGNUM] Exactly a day passed from the statement to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) of Ukraine calling for an investigation into the commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Yuriy Sodol, to the decree on his dismissal.
And the first reason for such a rapid personnel decision is cited by Regnum’s source in the Ukrainian government as disloyalty to the head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, the still all-powerful Andrey Yermak.
According to our interlocutor, he is trying to lead everything personally, including the troops, over the head of the exemplary loyal commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky.
But the former first deputy commander of the airborne assault forces and the commander of the naval infantry does not want to obey.
But here comes a second, more important reason for the loud scandal, in which Ukrainian society learned about General Sodol that he “killed more Ukrainian military men than any Russian general,” that “99 percent of the military hates him,” and that he is a “frostbitten soviet alcoholic.” "
He really is “working for the enemy,” as suggested by the author of the denunciation to the State Bureau of Investigation, Chief of Staff of Azov* Bogdan Krotevich.
The “alcoholic’s” career took off in 2015, after the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade, which he led, spent about five months in active combat in the Donbass. Lugansk airport, Krasny Liman, Slavyansk, Shakhtersk, Saur-Mogila, Uglegorsk - Dnepropetrovsk paratroopers were present everywhere. Since January 2015, units of the brigade occupied positions in Avdievka, Peski, Donetsk airport, and took part in the battles for Mar'inka.
As a result, under President Petro Poroshenko, the proactive and dedicated officer began to be promoted. In 2015, he received additional education at the National Defense University of Ukraine. I. Chernyakhovsky, immediately took the position of first deputy commander of the DShV, and in 2018 he headed the naval infantry and received the military rank of lieutenant general.
“Our model is the US Marine Corps,” Sodol said then.
In general, this is Poroshenko’s man, and in the current alarming situation, his disloyalty may mean the existence of a conspiracy against Zelensky - this is exactly how it is perceived in his circle.
The level of anxiety at the highest level is shown by the fact that since May Sodol has been under fire from the already well-known half-crazed people's deputy Maryana Bezugla, who at the same time, with a growl, is tugging at the pant leg of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Alexander Syrsky.
As IA Regnum described in detail, the girl has a personal motive, but her expression is also used by others: the participation of an “Azov man” is clearly a coordinated move; independence in such matters is not encouraged.
Likewise, it is no coincidence that in May the appointment of General Sodol as commander of the Khortytsya Operational-Strategic Group of Forces caused a scandal. Well-known Ukrainian right-wing activist Sergei Sternenko called this a “personnel disaster.”
“For understanding, “Khortytsya” is the entire eastern front, from the north of the Kharkov region to Ugledar. And this appointment is a personnel disaster. It was hard to imagine a worse candidate who didn’t care about a soldier’s life,” wrote the young man, most famous for murder and theft at volunteer training camps.
Sternenko accused the general of “running down” the naval infantry on a meaningless bridgehead in Krynki, and recalled the defeat of the column of the 37th brigade during the attack on N. Novodonetskoye in June 2023 and expressed confidence that “not a single combat naval rifleman will say a censored word about him.”
Sternenko and Bezuglaya attributed to Sodol carrying out military operations without proper material support and neglecting losses among fighters. Now he has been appointed to blame for the breakthrough of the Russian Armed Forces to Toretsk in the Donetsk region.
“Another crime of the head of the eastern front, General Sodol: the breakthrough to Toretsk. Now we have lost the positions we had since 2014. Intelligence warned. A day before a possible breakthrough, Sodol removes the brigade and starts a unit that has already suffered losses and has reduced combat effectiveness. Now events are developing in such a way that we are not far from entering the track. There are no prepared fortifications again! Fights in Shumy,” the deputy wrote on the social network.
At the same time, Bezuglaya especially emphasized that Sodol, during the breakthrough, was drinking in the Oblaka restaurant in Odessa - and not with anyone, but with the commander in charge of the defense of Volchansk. In addition, the scoundrel personally presented the badge “For Service and Victory” to the mayor of Odessa Gennady Trukhanov, who helped the Naval Infantry financially.
“The Ukrainian military and the public” condemned this act, because, in their deep conviction, Trukhanov is an “odious pro-Russian politician” with a Russian passport. In general, shame, disgrace and all sins wholesale.
Timid attempts by the Naval Infantry press service to issue a statement in support of their former commander went virtually unnoticed. Because in a situation where there is a threat to power (real or imaginary), such trifles as honor and dignity are of no interest to anyone.
IA Regnum's interlocutor draws attention to the fact that almost immediately after the decree on Sodol's resignation, the results of a sociological study were presented in Kiev, according to which 75.3% of Ukrainians do not trust the current MP Poroshenko, and almost 64% are confident that his activities are detrimental to Ukraine.
“Only 7% believe that Poroshenko is helping the military. And more than 72% of respondents are sure that the oligarch is only promoting himself on the defenders,” say the sociological service Activegroup, a little-known company noticed in the publication of “orders.” In addition to the news about the sensational poll, a reminder is given of the opinion of some experts who “previously reported” that Poroshenko, through Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, was supposed to convey a “signal” to Russia about his readiness to lead a campaign to “force Ukraine to peace.”
“Only he is not a hand of the Kremlin and can really, relying on people like Sodol, stage an illegitimate coup and become speaker and acting president himself. Congratulations, the crime has been solved,” our source says ironically.
Therefore, the former exemplary hero, the only general of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who was not kicked out for inaction at the very beginning of the conflict, was not just fired - he will be dealt with by the State Bureau of Investigation. Look for signs of crimes that were previously announced by “opinion leaders.” Instead, the Joint Forces will be commanded by Brigadier General Andrei Gnatov, also from the “new” Naval Infantry. Reviews about it are purely positive.
But it cannot be otherwise. As long as the behavior of the Ukrainian military does not show signs of dissatisfaction with the authorities, they are all impeccable. And as soon as this happens, those same people turn out to be fiends of hell, traitors and criminals. General Sodol will not let you lie.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Investigators have collected evidence that Ukrainian troops were involved in the terrorist attack on the Il-76 military transport aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces with captured Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers on board, which was shot down in January near Belgorod. This was announced on June 25 by the official representative of the Investigative Committee of Russia Svetlana Petrenko.
“As part of the criminal case of a terrorist attack on a Russian IL-76 aircraft in the Belgorod region, a body of evidence was collected confirming the involvement of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in this crime,” she said.
As Petrenko noted, fragments of hulls and mechanisms marked Patriot were found at the Il-76 crash site, and the results of explosive examinations confirmed that the found fragments were parts of two guided missiles of the US-made Patriot anti-aircraft missile system.
The official representative of the Investigative Committee clarified that investigators have information about which units of the Ukrainian troops are armed with American air defense systems.
“Taking this into account, in cooperation with the Russian Ministry of Defense, work continues to identify specific officials involved in organizing this terrorist act for their subsequent prosecution,” she added.
As Regnum reported, on January 24, an Il-76 plane crashed near the village of Yablonovo in the Korochansky district of the Belgorod region. There were 74 people on board, including 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers who were being taken to Belgorod for exchange. None of those on board survived.
The Ministry of Defense later reported that the plane was shot down by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile system from the territory of the Kharkov region. The defense department emphasized that Kiev knew very well about the transport of prisoners and still made such a decision in order to blame Russia for it.
In mid-March, President Vladimir Putin instructed the Investigative Committee to publish the results of the investigation into the causes of the death of the Il-76 plane with Ukrainian prisoners in the Belgorod region by July 1.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The West, including the United States of America, neglected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for a new security architecture that would provide guarantees for all parties, and prefer to remain silent, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said in an interview published on June 25 by the American magazine Newsweek.
“Washington’s refusal to seriously consider our late 2021 initiatives for mutual guarantees based on the principle of indivisible security is a symbol of Western arrogance,” he said.
Antonov pointed out that the US desire for expansionism based on military force, sanctions and political pressure is destabilizing the situation in the world. Washington’s actions are exacerbating contradictions in various regions, including the Transcaucasus, Central Asia, the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East, the head of the diplomatic mission emphasized.
The ambassador noted that Russia proposes to create a future security system on the principles of the UN Charter. It will not be directed against anyone’s interests and will become “insurance” against geopolitical upheavals that the globalization model promoted by the West can lead to, Antonov added.
In December 2021, Moscow sent drafts of an agreement between Russia and the United States on security guarantees and an agreement on security measures between the Russian Federation and NATO countries to NATO countries. The proposals were actually rejected.
On June 21, 2024, Putin announced Russia’s readiness to discuss the creation of a Eurasian security system with various associations, including the North Atlantic Alliance. He added that such a dialogue will be possible when other parties are ready for it.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Ruslan Kalinchuk
[REGNUM] On June 30, elections will take place for the primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. During the period when the church was deciding on candidates, a number of experts and political figures expressed concerns about the possible influence of the United States and Constantinople on the final decision.
Thus, the Bulgarian political party “Renaissance” appealed to the country’s president with a proposal to convene a national security council due to the interference of foreign states in the election of the patriarch.
“Our party recognizes the interference of a foreign state in these elections and the danger that the United States will take control of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (...)
Obviously, this is being carried out with the kind assistance of the Patriarch of Constantinople and some Bulgarian metropolitans and bishops who violated the canon and served with schismatics in Turkey. And the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, like the Bulgarian state, is being led according to the Ukrainian scenario. Our Church is being led to schism, and our country is being led to war,” the statement said.
Such fears are well founded, since among the clergy of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church there is a wing that openly sympathizes with Constantinople and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) created by it, which is headed by Metropolitan Nikolai (Sevastianov) of Plovdiv.
Five years ago, he refused to participate in the official reception of the then head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) of Volokolamsk. The bishop explained his demarche by disagreement with the position of the Russian Orthodox Church on the church problem in Ukraine and in the same year he attended a liturgy in Greece, where the head of the OCU Epiphanius (Sergei Dumenko) was commemorated.
However, in general, the relations of the Bulgarian Church with the OCU are very uncertain. There was no official recognition, but the Bulgarians did not call it a schismatic structure and did not condemn the actions of Constantinople, which granted it autocephaly. Thus, the question is essentially up in the air.
There have been warning signs for several years now. At the beginning of 2019, at a meeting of the Synod of the Bulgarian Church, opinions about the attitude towards the OCU were divided. However, the head of the church, Patriarch Neophytos, stated that “Ukraine is an independent country, therefore it must have an autocephalous church.”
When the patriarch died in March of this year, for many believers in Bulgaria, the presence of the OCU delegation led by Epiphanius at his funeral was a real shock. The Bulgarian Patriarchate immediately hastened to declare that they had not sent him an invitation, and called his status at the service “uncertain.” But the publication Orthodox Times, close to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, wrote that an official invitation was nevertheless sent to the head of the schismatics.
WAITING FOR THE LOCAL COUNCIL
On June 3, Metropolitan Nikolai (Sevastianov) categorically stated that he did not want to be a patriarch, however, a certain part of Bulgarian society continues to fear rapprochement with the schismatic OCU, its recognition and, as a result, the deterioration of ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Synod, held on June 20, cast aside all doubts, electing three contenders for the patriarchal throne.
There were many to choose from. According to Bulgarian rules, candidates must be over 50 years of age, lead an exemplary life, and have managed a diocese for at least 5 years.
As a result, the contenders were Metropolitan Grigory (Tsvetkov) of Vrachansky, Metropolitan Gabriel (Dinev) of Lovchansky and Metropolitan Daniel (Nikolov) of Vidinsky.
Metropolitan Gabriel is one of the oldest hierarchs, studied at the Moscow Theological Academy and consistently takes a position on rapprochement with the Russian Church. He repeatedly expressed support for the Moscow Patriarchate and opposed the actions of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople in Ukraine.
Metropolitan Daniel, on the contrary, is one of the youngest bishops. He also publicly condemned the actions of Bartholomew and, despite the fact that he cared for the diaspora in the USA, Canada and Australia, he also advocates rapprochement with the Russian Church.
Metropolitan Gregory, who graduated from the Faculty of Theology at the University of Athens, is now the locum tenens of the patriarchal department. Sources in the Bulgarian Church note that Gregory, who is very modest in everyday life, is equidistant from both the “pro-Russian” and “pro-Constantinople” wings. As a person focused on solving the internal problems of the church, he is most often called the future patriarch.
In fact, the Synod made it clear that the future patriarch will prioritize internal rather than external issues.
Of course, the Russian Orthodox Church is undoubtedly concerned about the confrontation with Constantinople and the possibility of recognition of the OCU, but it seems that for the Bulgarian Church this topic is irrelevant, and it will remain equidistant from both Constantinople and Moscow.
The final election of the patriarch will take place on June 30 at the Local Council, where 145 people should attend. All bishops are participating in the elections, as well as five representatives from the dioceses: three clergy and two laymen; 10 representatives will come from the capital diocese - 6 priests and 4 laymen.
One delegate must be sent by each of the stavropegial (subordinate directly to the patriarch) monasteries: Rylsky, Bachkovsky and Troyansky. Also, one monk and nun from monasteries in dioceses and representatives from seminaries will arrive to participate in the Council.
Voting will last until one of the candidates receives 2/3 of the votes. However, we can already say that, no matter who is chosen, the new Bulgarian patriarch will definitely not be a protégé of Washington and Constantinople.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin held telephone conversations with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov on June 25, US military spokesman Patrick Ryder told reporters.
“Secretary Austin spoke by phone today with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov,” he said at a briefing, a video of which is provided on the US Department of Defense website.
According to Ryder, during this conversation, the head of the Pentagon spoke about the need to maintain lines of communication between Moscow and Washington against the backdrop of a Russian special military operation. The press secretary also noted that the conversation took place at the initiative of the American side.
He recalled that before this, negotiations between the heads of the defense departments of the Russian Federation and the United States took place on March 15, 2023.
As Regnum reported, at the end of May, Andrei Belousov accused the United States and its allies of consistently destroying the world security architecture due to the desire to maintain global dominance. In addition, the head of the Ministry of Defense emphasized that Washington and its partners are provoking armed conflicts in the world.
On June 4, the press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, said that Russia today is an enemy country for the United States, just as the United States is for the Russian Federation. On June 6, Lloyd Austin noted that the White House’s decision to allow Kiev to launch strikes on Russian territory would be “very useful” for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kirill Semenov
[REGNUM] The terrorist attacks in Dagestan, where synagogues and a church were targeted and Russian Orthodox Church priest Nikolai Kotelnikov was brutally murdered, may have been part of ISIS's global strategy to attack civilians, primarily Christians.
Thus, since the beginning of June in Africa (in the Congo, as well as in Mozambique), numerous terrorist attacks have been carried out against local Catholics and Protestants, when ISIS militants broke into Christian villages and carried out massacres of civilians there, and terrorist information resources such as “ Al-Naba” covered these crimes widely.
After the attacks in Dagestan, the ISIS-Velayat Khorasan* media center Al-Azaim also published a message praising the “Caucasian brothers.” Although ISIS has not directly claimed responsibility, such a statement could serve as evidence of the terrorist organization's involvement.
Attacking churches is also a characteristic feature of the ISIS-Caucasus Velayat terrorists*. This group was disbanded at the end of 2017 by the “central command of ISIS” after almost all of its cells were destroyed by federal forces. Nevertheless, in the future, individual ISIS adherents continued terrorist activity in the North Caucasus.
So, in February 2018, on Forgiveness Sunday, there was an attack on a church in Kizlyar. Then the terrorist Khalil Khalilov killed 5 parishioners and was himself liquidated. ISIS Central Command claimed responsibility for the attack, calling Khalil ad-Dagestani a “soldier of the caliphate.”
But after the terrorist attacks at Crocus City Hall in April of this year, there were signs of a revival of ISIS in the Russian Caucasus. Although the first signals sounded even a little earlier, after a group of six terrorists was eliminated in the Ingush Karabulak. However, at that time no direct connection was established between them and ISIS, or at least such evidence was not voiced.
In April, information appeared that ISIS - Velayat Caucasus (Ingushetia sector) published an audio message about the situation of the group. It indicated that this terrorist organization was becoming stronger, larger and more active and was going to choose a “new emir” (the last one was eliminated in 2021).
On April 22, militants possibly linked to ISIS attacked a police patrol in Karachaevsk in Karachay-Cherkessia, killing two law enforcement officers and wounding a third, and seizing their service weapons.
On April 28, suspected ISIS militants attacked a police post in the village of Mara-Ayagy of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. The terrorists drove up to the post, threw explosives and opened fire, killing 2 police officers and injuring at least 4 people. All attackers were eliminated.
The current terrorist attacks in Dagestan can serve as confirmation that the group has begun to restore its positions in the Caucasus. And here we need to pay attention to the history and specifics of the Caucasian wing of ISIS and its appearance on Russian territory.
FROM “ICHKERIA” TO “CAUCASUS EMIRATE”
The roots of the emergence of ISIS as a global terrorist project should be sought in the arrival in Iraq of a group of al-Qaeda jihadists from Afghanistan led by Abu Musab Az-Zarqawi, who began to implement his own concept of jihadism, entering into increasing disputes with the leaders of this structure, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. And in the Caucasus, the prologue to the emergence of ISIS in this part of the Russian Federation was the arrival of foreign jihadist fighters in the region, primarily from Arab countries.
The first jihadist to go to Chechnya was Ali Fathi al-Shishani, a veteran of the war against the USSR in Afghanistan, an ethnic Chechen from Jordan. This happened even before the first Chechen war, in 1993. Then Fathi, having arrived in Ichkeria, created a “Salafi Islamic jamaat”, consisting of young indigenous Chechens and some Chechens of Jordanian origin. In essence, this is where the spread of Wahhabism in the most radical version of Salafi jihadism in the Russian Caucasus begins.
After the outbreak of war in December 1994, Ali Fathi played an important role in facilitating the recruitment of Arab fighters from Afghanistan. Among those he personally invited was Samir Salih Abdallah al-Suwailim, better known as Khattab, who soon became the leader of all foreign jihadist fighters in Chechnya. But then it was too early to talk about Ichkeria joining the global jihadist project led by Al-Qaeda*, although there were, of course, connections between them.
Although Khattab denied any contact with bin Laden, stating that "there are no relations between them due to the great distance and difficulties of communication," both sides did maintain dialogue through their representatives in the 1990s and early 2000s years.
There was also correspondence between them, which resulted in a heated discussion about strategy, as Khattab and bin Laden had completely different worldviews, and each tried to convince the other of the superiority of their approaches to “jihad.” It was also characterized by personal rivalry between them, especially due to Khattab's growing authority within the jihadist community.
Bin Laden was obsessed with fighting the "Judeo-Christian alliance" and focused his strategy on attacking the "distant enemy", primarily the US and Israel. Khattab, on the contrary, sought to establish an Islamic system in Chechnya and then use it as a base for violent expansion into the neighboring territories of the Russian North Caucasus. Until his death in 2002, Khattab never threatened the United States.
After Khattab was eliminated, his successor as commander of foreign jihadists in Chechnya was Abu al-Walid al-Ghamdi, just like Khattab, a citizen of Saudi Arabia. Al-Walid's approach to the ideas of "jihad" was even more radical. It was he who began to openly call for the use of suicide bombers and justify the recruitment of women to carry out suicide bombings. Al-Walid was killed by fighters of the Vostok battalion in Chechnya on April 16, 2004.
Abu Hafs al-Urduni, who replaced al-Walid, was a Jordanian and finally brought foreign Salafi jihadists in the Caucasus into the service of al-Qaeda, and its most radical wing led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who became the “founder” of ISIS.
In particular, Abu Hafs was mentioned in the report of US Secretary of State Colin Powell to the UN Security Council back in 2003. He was stated to be part of an alleged international network led by al-Zarqawi, from which ISIS emerged.
On November 26, 2006, Abu Hafs al-Urduni was killed in a shootout with Russian special forces in Khasavyurt. And the last commander of the “Arab Muhajirs” in Chechnya was Melfi al-Hussaini al-Harbi, known as Muhannad, who replaced al-Urduni.
Mukhannad began his activities in the Caucasus in 1999 in the Pankisi Gorge of Georgia, populated mainly by ethnic Chechens - Kists. Muhannad lectured on the history of Islam, actively introducing the ideology of Wahabism in the region and preaching the principles of Salafi jihadism. In which, it should be noted, he succeeded, since subsequently many people from this gorge became significant figures among foreign jihadists in Syria and, above all, in the structures of ISIS.
In October 2006, the head of the separatist entity “Ichkeria” (CRI), Doku Umarov, appointed Mukhannad as one of the three deputies of Magomet “Magas” Yevloev, who headed the Ingush sector of the separatists.
After Umarov in September 2007 proclaimed the formation of a new militant organization in the North Caucasus called the Caucasus Emirate in place of the ChRI, Mukhannad was declared his naib, or deputy. This was evidence of the strengthening of the position of Salafi jihadists in the Caucasus, who have become the mainstream of Chechen separatists.
This also emphasizes the role of Muhannad himself, who gained much more influence on the decision-making of the Imarat than his predecessors during the times of Ichkeria. On April 21, 2011, Ramzan Kadyrov told reporters about the destruction of Mukhannad as a result of a special operation that took place on the same day in the Chechen Republic.
FROM “CAUCASUS EMIRATE” TO “ISIS – CAUCASUS VELAYAT”
The Caucasus Emirate tried to distance itself from international terrorist networks, declaring itself as an independent center of world “jihadism,” although it was not against receiving help from the same Al-Qaeda and accepting its emissaries.
But after the liquidation of Doku Umarov, starting in November 2014, the leaders of the so-called. The “jamaats” of the “Caucasus Emirate”, one after another, began to swear allegiance to ISIS (which, since 2013, has been able to carry out widespread expansion in Syria and Iraq) and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
First, the so-called “Chechen jamaat”, whose leaders swore allegiance to ISIS, their example was followed by Dagestan “jamaats”. And then they were joined by the Ingush, whose leader, although he did not directly swear allegiance to Al-Baghdadi, nevertheless declared support for ISIS. Ultimately, the then head of the Caucasus Emirate, Abu Muhammad (Aliashab Kebekov), found himself isolated and was soon eliminated by Russian security forces.
Thus, the regionalist jihadist project in the Caucasus was replaced by a global jihadist project under the banner of ISIS.
“Central” ISIS announced the creation of the group “ISIS - Velayat Kakaz” on June 23, 2015 and appointed its leader Rustam Asildarov. Thus, ISIS-Caucasus has become part of a wider terrorist network.
This could largely be due to funding issues, since, on the one hand, Western curators were losing interest in the Imaratu, and, on the other, Al-Qaeda, which had previously supported Caucasian terrorists, was plunging into an increasingly deeper crisis.
The participation of jihadists from the Caucasus in the Syrian conflict and their joining the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq created a connection between the “caliphate” and Caucasian militants, including financial ones. This predetermined the flight of field commanders from the Caucasus Emirate to the banners of ISIS. Moreover, many of them understood that their time in the Caucasus had expired, and if they did not try to leave it, finding something to do in other branches of ISIS, they would soon be liquidated by federal forces.
On December 4, 2016, Russian intelligence services reported that they had killed Asildarov and four of his accomplices during a raid in Makhachkala. Aslan Batyukaev became the new leader of ISIS in the North Caucasus.
However, after his appointment in 2017, he was forced to leave the Russian Caucasus to save his life, hiding abroad. At the same time, ISIS - Caucasus Velayat was apparently dissolved by the ISIS Central Command as having ceased to exist. Although terrorist attacks on behalf of ISIS continued in the Caucasus, they were carried out either by lone terrorists or by autonomous cells not associated with the central command.
But at the very beginning of 2021, an attempt was made to restore ISIS - Caucasus Velayat. Then Batyukaev returned to Russia. This attempt seemed unsuccessful, since he was killed along with his group of five militants as a result of a special operation by the forces of the police regiment. A. A. Kadyrov on the outskirts of the village of Katyr-Yurt.
However, it is possible that this was not the only group that penetrated the territory of the Russian Federation, and it was from that time that ISIS sleeper cells that were activated in Dagestan began to be restored in the Russian Caucasus. It also cannot be ruled out that the current terrorist activity in the Russian southern regions is supported by “third forces” with which Russia is waging war in Ukraine.
Actually, the unexpected appearance of Batyukaev in the Russian Caucasus at the beginning of 2021 after his disappearance could have been supervised by external actors who were already trying to restore the terrorist network in order to open a second front if necessary. And this moment has come.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
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